Things Quiet Down
The chaos comes to a natural ending, and we bid Chapter 9 farewell.
My Translation
Jia Rui frantically tried to grab one boy here and talk down another boy there, but who would listen to him? And so the chaos only grew.
Some boys threw sucker punches just for kicks. Those who were more timid tried to hide in the corners. Others stood on top of the tables, clapped, roared with laughter, and shouted encouragement to the boys who were fighting. The scene exploded into total pandemonium before long.
When they heard the chaos inside the classroom, servants on the outside like Li Gui hurried in. They shouted for order together and demanded to know what was happening. A group of voices responded, each of them telling a different story. In the confusion, Li Gui went straight after Mingyan and the other three young servants, shouting at them until they left the room.
Qin Zhong’s head had been hit by the paddle Jin Rong was carrying, and was a mess of blood and flesh. Baoyu was busy using the front of his clothes to clean up Qin Zhong’s forehead and stop the bleeding. When he saw that the others had calmed down, he barked an order at Li Gui:
“Pack up my books! Get a horse ready for me. I’m going to report this to the Headmaster! We’ve been bullied. I’m not going to get into specifics, but we came properly to tell Jia Rui about it. Instead of listening to our complaint, he turned against us, not only just standing there when the others scolded us, but inviting them to attack us. When Mingyan saw them attack me, how could he not stand up for me? Then they all ganged up on Mingyan, and they even split Qin Zhong’s head open. How can we possibly continue studying here?”
“Young master, please don’t be so rash,” replied Li Gui calmly, trying to placate him. “Since the Headmaster had something come up and had to return home, bothering him over such a small matter would only be disrespectful. In my humble opinion, problems should be dealt with as soon as they arise. Why trouble the Headmaster?
“This is entirely Jia Rui’s fault,” he continued, turning to Jia Rui. “With the Headmaster gone, you, sir, are the one in charge here. Everybody looks to you to manage the affairs. When others are at fault, those who deserve to be beaten should be beaten, and those who deserve punishment should be punished. How could you allow things to get to this state without intervening?”
“They wouldn’t listen to me,” replied Jia Rui. “Even when I shouted at them, they wouldn’t listen.”
“With all due respect, sir,” replied Li Gui, “it’s partly because you have not always acted properly in the past that these young men don’t pay attention to you now. If this is brought before the Headmaster in the end, you’ll also have your share of the blame. You’d better think quickly of a way to solve the problem.”
“Solve what problem?” exclaimed Jia Baoyu. “I’m leaving at once.”
“As long as Jin Rong is here,” said Qin Zhong through tears, “I’m leaving, too.”
“But why?” said Baoyu. “Why can they come here, but we can’t? I’m going to explain this clearly and will make sure Jin Rong is expelled!”
He then turned to Li Gui. “Which branch of the Jia family is Jin Rong related to?”
Li Gui thought for a minute before replying. “There’s no need to ask that. Questions about which branch someone belongs to would only further disturb the family harmony.”
“He’s the nephew of Jia Huang’s wife from the Ningguo House,” called Mingyan from outside the window. “She doesn’t have any strong or tough backing to scare us! Jia Huang’s wife is his aunt, and all she knows how to do is ask favors of others. In fact, I’ve seen her on her knees begging Jia Lian’s wife to help pawn something for her. I look down on people like her!”
“Only a little dog like you would know all this gossip!” shouted Li Gui in response.
“Oh, so that’s whose relative he is – Jia Huang’s nephew!” replied Baoyu with a cold smile. “I’ll go have a word with him right now!” And with that he called Mingyan in to pack his books.
“You don’t need to see him yourself, master,” said Mingyan triumphantly as he came in to take care of the books. “Let me go find him first. I’ll say that Grandmother Jia has a few questions for him, I’ll find a carriage, have him brought in, and have him questioned right in front of her. Wouldn’t that be easier?”
“Do you want to die?” shouted Li Gui quickly. “Watch out! When we get back, I’ll beat you first, and will then tell the Master and Mistress that Jia Baoyu was led astray entirely by you! I’ve only just managed to calm him down, and here you are coming up with a fresh scheme. Instead of thinking about how to quietly settle the trouble you’ve stirred up, you’re only trying to add oil to the fire!”
When he heard this, Mingyan didn’t dare utter another word.
By this time, Jia Rui was worried that the matter would spiral out of control, and that he couldn’t emerge clean. And so he had no choice but to swallow his pride and plead with Qin Zhong and Baoyu.
At first, neither would yield. Finally, Baoyu declared, “Okay, we’ll stay here. But Jin Rong needs to apologize.”
Jin Rong refused at first. However, Jia Rui kept insisting that he apologize for his mistake. Li Gui and the others also reasoned with him, saying “it was you who started it, after all. If you don’t apologize, how will the matter be solved?” Jia Rong was unable to hold out in the end, and reluctantly made a formal bow to Qin Zhong.
Baoyu was not satisfied, however, and insisted that Jin Rong kowtow.
In the end, Jia Rui was anxious that the whole matter be solved. “Remember the old saying,” he said to Jin Rong: “‘Endure a moment of anger, and save yourself a lifetime of distress.’”
If you want to know if Jia Rong obeyed or not, read on to the next chapter.
Translation Critique
Hawkes
Hawkes has Li Rui telling Jia Rui that he’s supposed to set an example “while your granfer is away.” Granfer is a variation of “grandfather” that you see sometimes in older English novels.
Hawkes translates the old saying this way:
He who can check a moment’s rage
Shall calm and carefree end his days
This is a nice addition, and helps a lot with the archaic and almost poetic feel of the old phrase.
Yang
The Yangs have Mingyan refer to Jia Huang’s wife as “a sponger who sucks up to people.” A sponger is another word for a parasitic hanger-on.
The Yangs translate the proverb as “a murderer can only lose his head.” I don’t think this is an accurate translation at all.
Chinese Text
賈瑞急得攔一回這個，勸一回那個，誰聽他的話？肆行大亂。眾頑童也有幫著打太平拳助樂的，也有膽小藏過一邊的，也有立在桌上拍著手亂笑喝著聲兒叫打的，登時鼎沸起來。
外邊幾個大僕人李貴等，聽見裡邊作反起來，忙都進來，一齊喝住，問是何故。眾聲不一，這一個如此說，那一個又如彼說。李貴且喝罵了茗煙等四個一頓，攆了出去。秦鐘的頭早撞在金榮的板上，打去一層油皮。寶玉正拿褂襟子替他揉，見喝住了眾人，便命李貴：「收書！拉馬來，我去回太爺去！我們被人欺負了，不敢說別的，守禮來告訴瑞大爺，瑞大爺反派我們的不是，聽著人家罵我們，還調唆人家打我們。茗煙見人欺負我，他豈有不為我的？他們反打夥兒打了茗煙，連秦鐘的頭也打破了。還在這裡唸書麼？」李貴勸道：「哥兒不要性急。太爺既有事回家去了，這會子為這點子事去聒噪他老人家，倒顯的咱們沒禮似的。依我的主意，那裡的事情，那裡了結，何必驚動他老人家？這都是瑞大爺的不是。太爺不在家裡，你老人家就是這學裡的頭腦了，眾人看你行事。眾人有了不是，該打的打，該罰的罰，如何等鬧到這步田地還不管呢？」賈瑞道：「我吆喝著都不聽。」李貴道：「不怕你老人家惱我，素日你老人家到底有些不是，所以這些兄弟不聽。就鬧到太爺跟前去，連你老人家也脫不了的。還不快作主意撕擄開了罷！」寶玉道：「撕擄什麼？我必要回去的！」秦鍾哭道：「有金榮在這裡，我是要回去的了！」寶玉道：「這是為什麼？難道別人家來得，咱們倒來不得的？我必回明白眾人，攆了金榮去！」又問李貴：「這金榮是那一房的親戚？」李貴想一想道：「也不用問了。若說起那一房親戚，更傷了兄弟們的和氣了。」
茗煙在窗外道：「他是東府裡璜大奶奶的侄兒，什麼硬掙仗腰子的，也來嚇我們！璜大奶奶是他姑媽。你那姑媽只會打旋磨兒，給我們璉二奶奶跪著借當頭，我眼裡就看不起他那樣的主子奶奶！」李貴忙喝道：「偏這小狗養的，知道有這些蛆嚼！」寶玉冷笑道：「我只當是誰親戚，原來是璜嫂子侄兒！我就去向他問問！」說著便要走，叫茗煙進來包書。茗煙進來包書，又得意洋洋的道：「爺也不用自己去見他，等我去找他，就說老太太有話問他呢，僱上一輛車子，拉進去，當著老太太問他，豈不省事？」李貴忙喝道：「你要死啊！仔細回去我好不好先搥了你，然後回老爺太太，就說寶哥兒全是你調唆！我這裡好容易勸哄的好了一半，你又來生了新法兒。你鬧了學堂，不說變個法兒壓息了才是，還往火裡奔！」茗煙聽了，方不敢做聲。
此時賈瑞也生恐鬧不清，自己也不乾淨，只得委曲著來央告秦鍾，又央告寶玉。先是他二人不肯，後來寶玉說：「不回去也罷了，只叫金榮賠不是便罷。」金榮先是不肯，後來經不得賈瑞也來逼他權賠個不是，李貴等只得好勸金榮說：「原來是你起的頭兒，你不這樣，怎麼了局呢？」金榮強不過，只得與秦鍾作了個揖。寶玉還不依，定要磕頭。賈瑞只要暫息此事，又悄悄的勸金榮說：「俗語說的：『忍得一時忿，終身無惱悶』。」
未知金榮從也不從，下回分解。
Translation Notes
肆行 means to act recklessly
打太平拳 refers to giving somebody a sucker punch.
鼎沸 literally means a boiling pot. It’s usually used to refer to a noisy or confused situation.
喝住 means to yell at someone to stop
The phrase 這步田地 means to this extent or to this degree
撕擄 means to settle or take care of a messy situation
硬掙 means strong or powerful
仗腰子 means to back or support somebody
打旋磨兒 means to ask favors of somebody
In this context, 當頭 means something that has been pawned
Thanks for the great post. Just as a quick note, in the second to last paragraph you say "Qin Zhong must kowtow." Surely this should be "Jin Rong must kowtow"?