別緻 is 別致 in the scan -- though in this case, it appears just to be a variant form that is otherwise completely identical in its meaning. The same goes for things like 凶vs兇, 跡、蹟、迹, 縱然vs總然 etc., so I‘m wondering whether this type of essentially identical variant writing/substitution is actually worth bringing up or not.
“As for books about talented scholars and beautiful ladies, they’re all filled with stories about Zhou Wenjun and Cao Zijian.“
I think the author didn't mean the books were filled with stories about Zhuo (not "Zhou") and Cao, but filled with characters much too similar to them, rendering “Thousands of books contain the same tone, and their thousands of characters share the same face.”.
Cao even said it again though Grandma Jia (Chapter 54:「賈母笑道：“這些書都是一個套子，左不過是些佳人才子，最沒趣儿．把人家女儿說的那樣坏，還說是佳人，編的連影儿也沒有了．開口都是書香門第...」).
Thank you for this translation. I don't know the ending to this book yet but from what I've heard, it is no happy ending to put it lightly. But the stone is "selling" us on the new idea that the stories will provide enjoyment and can be amusing. Hmm. Stone is wrong? I don't think anyone equates these stories to the idea of fun. The material is actually dark and disturbing.
別緻 is 別致 in the scan -- though in this case, it appears just to be a variant form that is otherwise completely identical in its meaning. The same goes for things like 凶vs兇, 跡、蹟、迹, 縱然vs總然 etc., so I‘m wondering whether this type of essentially identical variant writing/substitution is actually worth bringing up or not.
“As for books about talented scholars and beautiful ladies, they’re all filled with stories about Zhou Wenjun and Cao Zijian.“
I think the author didn't mean the books were filled with stories about Zhuo (not "Zhou") and Cao, but filled with characters much too similar to them, rendering “Thousands of books contain the same tone, and their thousands of characters share the same face.”.
Cao even said it again though Grandma Jia (Chapter 54:「賈母笑道：“這些書都是一個套子，左不過是些佳人才子，最沒趣儿．把人家女儿說的那樣坏，還說是佳人，編的連影儿也沒有了．開口都是書香門第...」).
Thank you for this translation. I don't know the ending to this book yet but from what I've heard, it is no happy ending to put it lightly. But the stone is "selling" us on the new idea that the stories will provide enjoyment and can be amusing. Hmm. Stone is wrong? I don't think anyone equates these stories to the idea of fun. The material is actually dark and disturbing.