张爱玲英文作品部分MY GREAT EXPECTATIONS.docx

张爱玲英文作品部分MY GREAT EXPECTATIONS.docx

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张爱玲英文作品部分MYGREATEXPECTATIONS

MYGREATEXPECTATIONS

ByEileenChang

Timeislikeasharpknife.Whenitismisused,itcancarvehardlinesonbeautifulfacesandwearoutbloomingyouthmonthbymonth,yearbyyearbut,wellused,itcanmoldapieceofsimplestoneintoamagnificentstatue.St.Mary's,inspiteofitslonghistoryoffiftyyears,isstillasimplepieceofwhitestonebrieflycarved.Astimemarcheson,itmaybemarredbydust,wornoutbyweather,orbrokenintoseparatefragments,anditmaybecarefully,slowlycarvedbytheknife,inchbyinch,intoawonderfulstatuewhichwillbeplacedamongthegloriousworksofMichelangelo.Thisknifeisheldnotonlybytheprincipal,theteachers,andthestudentsoftomorrow;butallofourschoolmateshavethepowerofcontrollingit.

IfIhaveachancetolivetobeasnowy-hairedoldlady,Ishall,inmypeacefuldreamsbesidethefireside,seekfortheoldpathsleadingthroughthegreenplumtreeswhichIhavebeenfamiliarwithinmyearlydays.Ofcourse,atthattime,theyouthfulplumtreesmustalsohavegrownintotheirpleasantoldage,stretchingtheirpowerfularmstoshadethecrossingpaths.Theweather-wornoldbelltower,standinginthegoldensunlight,shallgiveoutthatslow,solemnbloomingthatissofamiliartomyears,asthegirls,shortandtall,paleandrosy,plumpandslim,allbloomingwiththefreshnessofyouth,shallpourintothechurchlikeastream.Theretheywillkneelandpray,whisperingtotheirspiritualLordaboutthelittlethingsintheirlives;theirgrief,theirtears,theirquarrels,theirlove,andtheirgreatambitions.Theyshallaskhimtohelptheminreachingtheirfuturegoals,tobeawriter,amusician,aneducationalist,oranidealwife.AndIcanheartheoldchurchtowerringingwiththeechoesoftheirprayers,whisperinginreturn,"Yes,St.Mary'sHallmaynothavethelargestdormitoriesandthebest-lookingschoolgardensamongalltheschoolsinChina,butshecertainlypossessesthefinestandthemosthard-workinggirls,whoshallglorifyherwiththeirbrilliantfutures!

"

WhatIfeelwhenIhearthesewordsdependsuponwhetherIhavedoneanythingornotintheyearsinbetween.IfIhavefailedinplayingmypartonthisstage,IshallfeelashamedandregretfulthatIhavethrownawaytheprivilegeofglorifyingmymotherschool.ButifIhavegainedsuccessinstrugglingalongtowardmygoal,Iwillsmilewithprideandcontent,forIhavetakenapart,thoughaverysmallpart,incarvingout,withtheknifeoftime,thiswonderfulmodelofschoollife.（466words）

五四遗事

StaleMate

ByEileenChang

Twomenandtwogirlsinaboatsatfacingeachotheronwickerseatsundertheflatblueawning.Cupsofteastoodonthelowtablebetweenthem.Theywereeatingling,waterchestnutsaboutthesizeandshapeofaCupid'sbowmouth.Theshellsweredarkpurplishredandthekernelswhite.

"MissuZhouisverystylishtoday,"oneofthemensaid.Itwasalsostylishtoaddressgirlsas"Miss".

MissZhouglaredathimthroughhernewspectaclesandthrewalingshellathim.Herglasseshadroundblackrimsandperfectlyflatlenses,asshewasnotnear-sighted.Theyearwas1924,wheneyeglasseswerefashionable.Societygirlsworethem.Evenstreet-walkersaffectedglassesinordertolooklikegirlstudents.

Eachofthemensatwithhisowngirlbecausethelittleboatbalancedbetterthiswaythanifthetwogirlssatsidebyside.Thepalegreenwaterlookedthickandjustalittlescummy,andyethadasuggestionoflingeringfragrancelikeabasinofwaterinwhichafamouscourtesanhadwashedherpaintedface.

Thegirlswerearoundtwenty-youngforhighschoolinthosedayswhenprogressivewomenofallagesflockedtotheprimaryschools.MissZhouwasmuchadmiredforhervivacityandboldnessasbeingtypicaloftheNewWoman,whileMissFan'swasthebeautyofastilllife.Shesatsmilingalittle,herfaceaslimpointedoval,herlonghairdoneintworoundglossyblacksideknobs.Sheworelittlemake-upandnoornamentsexceptagoldfountainpentuckedinherlightmauvetunic.Hertrumpetsleevesendedflaringjustundertheelbow.

TheyoungmenwereLuoandWen.Luowastallandthin.HispaleturquoiselonggownhungwellonhiminamoreliteralsensethanwhenthephrasewasappliedtoWesterners'clothes.HetaughtinthesameschoolasWen.TheybothownedlandintheirhomevillageandtaughtschoolinHangzhoumerelyasanexcusetolivebytheWestLake,whereeveryscenicspotwasassociatedwiththememoryofsomepoetorreigningbeauty.

Thefourhadbeenmeetingalmostdailyformorethanayear.Theywouldgooutonthelake,havedinneratoneoftherestaurantsalongtheshore,andgoboatingagainiftherewasamoon.SomebodywouldreadShelleyaloudandthegirlsheldhandswitheachotherwhentheyfeltmoved.Alwaystherewerefourofthem,sometimessixbutnevertwo.Themenwerealreadymarried-auniversalpredicament.Practicallyeverybodywasmarriedandhadchildrenbeforeeverhearingoflove.WenandLuohadtobecontentwithdiscussingthegirlsinterminablybetweenthemselves,showingeachotherthegirls'carefullywordedletters,admiringtheircalligraphy,analysingtheirpersonalitiesfromthehandwriting.LovewassuchanewexperienceinChinathatalittleofitwentalongway.

Theysailedintoapatchofyellowinglotusleaves,thelargegreenplatescrunchingnoisilyagainsttheboat.Thentherewassilence.Theboatmanandhislittledaughterwererestingontheiroars,lettingtheboatdrift.Nowandthenthewatermadeasmallswallowingsoundasifithadapieceofcandyinitsmouth.

"Goinghomethisweekend?

"MissFanasked.

"IsupposeIcan'tgetoutofitthistime,"Luoansweredsmiling."Mymotherhasbeencomplaining."

Shesmiled.Thementionofhismotherdidnotalterthefactthathewasgoingbacktohiswife.LatelyLuohadbeenfeelingincreasinglyguiltyaboutgoinghome,whileMissFanhadallowedherresentmenttobecomemoremanifestbeforeandaftereachvisit.

"Ihavemadeadecision,"hesaidinalowvoice,lookingather.Then,whenshedidnotaskhimwhatitwas,hesaid,"MissuFan,willyouwaitforme?

Itmighttakeyears."

Shehadturnedaway,herheadbent.Herhandsplayedwiththelowerleftcornerofherslittedblouse,furlingandunfurlingit.

Actuallyshedidnotagreetohisgettingadivorceuntildayslater.Butthatevening,whenthefourofthemdinedatarestaurantfamousforitslakefish,Luoalreadyfeltpledgedanddedicated.Allthewinehedranktastedlikethelastcupbeforesettingoutonalonghardjourneyonacoldnight.

TherestaurantwascalledtheTowerBeyondTowers.Itleanedoverthelakeonthreesides.Despitetheviewanditspoeticnameitwasanonchalantlyuglyplacewithgreasyoldfurniture.Thewaitershoutedorderstothekitcheninasingsongchant.Whentheglassdomewasliftedfromtheplateofliveshrimp,someoftheshrimpjumpedacrossthetable,inandoutofthesaucedish,andlandedonMissFan,trailingsoyasaucedownthefrontofherblouse.MissZhousquealed.InthedingyyellowelectriclightMissFanlookedflushedandhappyanddidnotseemtomindatall.

LuodidnotgohomeuntiltheSaturdayafterthat.Thejourneytooktwohoursbytrainandwheelbarrow.Hiswifelookedsheepishashermother-in-lawloudlyandostentatiouslyexcusedherfromvariousdutiesbecauseherhusbandwashome.Shewaswearingashortblueoverallwiththeredsatinbindingofasilktunicshowingunderneathit.Shehadnotbeensurethathewouldbecoming.

Hespoketoherthatnightaboutdivorce.Shecriedallnight.Itwasterrible,almostasifajudgeweretosleepinthesamebedwithacondemnedman.Saywhathemight,heknewhewasconsigninghertodishonourablewidowhoodfortherestofherlife.

"WhichoftheSevenOutRuleshaveIviolated?

"shekeptaskingthroughangrysobs.Ancientscholarshadnamedthesevenconditionsunderwhichawifemightjustifiablybeevictedfromherhusband'shouse.

Hismotherflewintoarageonbeingtold.Shewouldnothearofit.LuowentbacktoHangzhouandstoppedcominghomealtogether.HismothergothisuncletogouptoHangzhouandtalkhimoutofhisfoolishness.Heinturnmanagedtopersuadeacousintogoandtalktohisfamily.Ittookinfernallylongtonegotiatethroughrelativeswhowere,furthermore,unreliabletransmittersofharshwords,beingpeacemakersatheart,especiallywherematrimonywasconcerned.Tobreakupamarriageisacardinalsinthatautomaticallytakestenyearsoffaman'sgivenlifespan.

Luogotalawyertowritehiswifeanalarminglywordedrequestfordivorce.Hiswife'sfamily,theZhangs,boiledoverwithrage.Didhethinkhiswifewasanorphan?

NotalltheZhangsweredead.True,theycouldnotrevengethemselvesonthefaithlessmanunlesshiswifeweretohangherselfonhislintel.Thatwouldplacehislifeandpropertyentirelyattheirmercy.Butitwasnotforthemtorecommendsuchasteptoher.

TheheadoftheLuoclanwasmovedtospeak.TheoldmanthreatenedtoinvitetheFamilyLawoutofitsnicheandbeattheyoungrascalintheancestraltemple."FamilyLaw"wasaeuphemismfortheplankusedforflogging.

MissFanandLuocontinuedtoseeeachotherinthecompanyofWenandMissZhou.Theirfriendsweredelightedandexhilaratedbythecourageofthisundertaking-thoughitdidputWeninadifficultposition,evenifMissZhouwasneveropenlyreproachful.Itnowappearedasthoughthewistfulnessthatwaspartofthebeautyoftheirrelationshipwasnotoneofthosethingsthatcouldn'tbehelped.

Luowasonlyhomeonceintwoyears.Theyweredifficultyearsforboththe