Love in a Fallen City 傾城之戀 Part 2

http://www.rain8.com/article/class10/1512.htm

by Eileen Chang 張愛玲

Translated by Yoyo  幽柚

Part 1

他們同時看了六小姐一眼。白流蘇坐在屋子的一角，慢條斯理繡著一隻拖鞋，方才三爺四爺一遞一聲說話，彷彿是沒有她發言的餘地。

Together they looked at 6th sister for a glance.   Bai Liusu sat at a corner of the room, slowly and methodically embroidering sandals.   Just then 3rd brother gradually raises his the sound of his voice, as if she has no extra room to speak.

這時她便淡淡地道：「離過婚了，又去做他的寡婦，讓人家笑掉了牙齒！」

At this moment she said indifferently ,

" Already divorced. and still be his widow.  I'll let people laugh 'til their teeth fall out!"

她若無其事地繼續做她的鞋子，可是手指頭上直冒冷汗，針澀了，再也拔不過去。

As if nothing happened she continue to work on her shoes, yet at a her fingertips kept emitting cold sweat.  The needle turns rough, and she can't push it through.

三爺道：「六妹，話不是這麼說。他當初有許多對不起你的地方，我們全知道。現在人已經死了，難道你還記在心裡？他丟下的那兩個姨奶奶，自然是 守不住的。你這會子堂堂正正地回去替他戴孝主喪，誰敢笑你？你雖然沒生下一男半女，他的侄子多著呢.隨你挑一個，過繼過來。傢俬雖然不剩什麼了，他家是個 大族，就是撥你看守祠堂，也餓不死你母子。」

3rd Brother said, "6th Sister, I didn't mean it that way.  At the time he had many unforgivable points, we all know that.  Now the person is already dead, could it be you remembered it in your heart?  He abandoned 2 greats aunts, obviously unable to hold onto.  This time why don't you gracefully go back and be there for his funeral rites?  Who would laugh at you?  Although you did not give birth to a boy or half a girl, he still has many nieces and nephews.  Go ahead and pick one, this will still move on.  Jia Se obviously doesn't have much remaining, his family is a big clan, it's looking after their ancestral shrine without you,and your mother isn't going to starve to death."

白流蘇冷笑道：「三哥替我想得真周到！就可惜晚了一步，婚已經離了這麼七八年了。依你說，當初那些法律手續都 是糊鬼不成？我們可不能拿著法律鬧著玩哪！」

Bai Liusu coldly laughed, "3rd Brother so considerate helping me think!  Pity being late one step, the marriage has already past 7, 8 years.  Following what you say, at the time weren't those legal procedures were an incomplete mess? Let's not play around with the law now!"

三爺道：「你別動不動就拿法律來唬人！法律呀，今天改，明天改，我這天理人情，三綱五常，可是改不了的！你生 是他家的人死是他家的鬼，樹高千丈，葉落歸根——」

3rd Brother said, "You without needing to used the law to scare people.  Oh law, today changes, tomorrow changes.  Today I'm concerned with human matters.  The 3 principles and 5 virtues, these cannot be changed!  Your life is with their family, your death is their family's ghost.  A tree a thousand chi high, the leaf falls back to its roots..."

流蘇站起身來道：「你這話，七八年前為什麼不說？」

Liu Su stood up and said, "Why didn't you say this 7, 8 years ago?"
三爺道：「我只怕你多了心，只當我們不肯收容你。」

3rd Brother said, "I was only afraid you were being considerate, that we wouldn't consent to sheltering you."

流蘇道：「哦？現在你就不怕我多心了？你把我的錢用光了，你不怕我多心了？」

Liu Su said, "Oh?  Now you're not afraid of me being considerate?  You used up all of my money, and you're not afraid I'm being too considerate?"

三爺直問到她臉上道：「我用了你的錢？我用了你幾個大錢？你住在我們家，吃我 們的，喝我們的，從前還罷了，添個人不過添雙筷子，現在你去打聽打聽看，米是什麼價錢？我不提錢，你倒提起錢來了！」

3rd Brother looked straight into her face and said, "I used your money?  How much of your big money did I use?  You live in our home, eat ours, drink ours.  Back then it was enough, adding a person was simply adding a pair of chopsticks.  Now go ask around, rice costs how much?  I didn't bring up money, and you did!"

四奶奶站在三爺背後，笑了一聲道：「自己骨肉，照說不該提錢的話。提起錢來，這話可就長了！我早就跟我們老四說過——我說：老四，你去勸勸三爺，你們 做金子，做股票，不能用六奶奶的錢哪，沒的沾上了晦氣！她一嫁到婆家，丈夫就變成了敗家子。回到娘家來，眼見得娘家就要敗光了——天生的掃帚星！」

4th Wife stood behind 3rd Brother, laughed and said, "Your own flesh and bone, normally shouldn't speak about money.  Bringing up money makes this conversation a whole lot longer!  I already told 4th early on-- I said, ' 4th,  go persuade 3rd Brother, deal with gold, deal with the stock market, don't use 6th Wife's money, if not you'll moisten your bad luck!  Once she was married off, the husband became a spendthrift.  Coming back to the married woman's home, one look at the home and you lose everything-- nature's comet!"

**Note:  Comet translates to "broom end star."  It's considered REALLY bad luck to see one.  It usually foreshadows calamity.**

三爺 道：「四奶奶這話有理。我們那時候，如果沒讓她入股子，決不至於弄得一敗塗地！」

3rd Brother said, "4th wife says it well.  If we at the time didn't let her save her lil butt, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Part 3