I Wanna Riot
Mingyan, the servant we don’t really know anything about, takes the bait that Jia Qiang set. And everything starts to go crazy.
Warning: there’s quite a bit of coarse language here. However, since I’m translating this book as accurately as possible, I’m keeping it this way. And tomorrow’s post will feature more about the coarseness of the language.
My Translation
Meanwhile, Mingyan walked straight into the classroom and seized Jin Rong. “Whether we fuck each other in the ass or not,” said Mingyan angrily, “what does it matter to you? In any case, you should be happy that we haven’t fucked your dad!
“You think you’re tough, do you? Come out here and take on Lord Ming!”
All the boys in the room were shocked at this, and stared in blank astonishment at the scene.
Jia Rui intervened quickly. “Stop, Mingyan! Cut it out!”
Jin Rong was so enraged that his face changed colors. “How dare you!” he cried. “How could a servant behave like this? I’ll let your master know about this.” And with that he went after Baoyu, intending to knock some sense into him.
Just as Qin Zhong turned to watch, he heard a wooshing sound from behind him. An inkstone somebody had thrown fashed by his eyes and struck the desk that Jia Lan and Jia Jun shared.
Translation Critique
Hawkes
Any idea you might have had that David Hawkes was censoring his translation is wrong. Hawkes translates this passage this way:
“Whether we fuck arseholes or not,” he said, “what fucking business is it of yours? You should be bloody grateful we haven’t fuck your dad. Come outside and fight it out with me, if you’ve got any spunk in you!”
Hawkes then has Jia Rui get upset with Mingyan for using foul language, which isn’t quite right. Jia Rui was upset that Mingyan was acting so brashly.
Yang
In contrast to David Hawkes, the Yangs actually do censor themselves:
By now Ming-yen had grabbed hold of Chin Jung. “What we do is no business of yours,” he yelled. “If you’ve any guts, come and take on your Master Ming.”
However, the Yangs are more accurate when they translate Jia Rui’s exclamation exhorting Mingyan to calm down, and not getting after him for coarse language.
The Yangs translation doesn’t make much sense, of course, because of the way the references to homosexuality have been removed. Having said that, though, Mingyan’s frustration with Jin Rong is also kind of ironic. It’s clear from the context that Jin Rong himself is no stranger to homosexual activity.
Chinese Text
這裡茗煙走進來，便一把揪住金榮，問道：「我們肏屁股不肏，管你相干？橫豎沒肏你爹罷了！說你是好小子，出來動一動你茗大爺！」嚇的滿屋中子弟，都怔怔的痴望。賈瑞忙喝：「茗煙不得撒野！」金榮氣黃了臉，說：「反了！奴才小子都敢如此！我只和你主子說。」便奪手要去抓打寶玉。秦鍾剛轉出身來，聽得腦後颼的一聲，早見一方硯瓦飛來，並不知系何人打來，卻打在賈藍賈菌的座上。
Translation Notes
橫豎 means anyway, in any case, or regardless.
肏屁股 means pretty much what I translated here. 肏 means to have sex with or to fuck, and is vulgar.
When Mingyan refers to himself as 茗大爺 (Old Master Ming), he’s taunting Jin Rong and challenging him to a fight.
怔怔 means dumbfounded or startled, and 痴望 basically means to look dumbfounded at what was going on. That gives you an idea of just how aggressive Mingyan’s actions are.
撒野 means to act wildly or behave atrociously.
颼 is the sound of wind – or “woosh” as I’ve translated it here.