Lu Xun Complete Works/zh-en/Kong Yiji

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中文 (Original)	English (Translation)
class="wikitable" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; width: 280px;" |+ style="background-color: #4a7c59; color: white; padding: 5px;" | Work Information |- ! style="background: #e8f0e8; width: 100px;" | Chinese Title | 孔乙己 |- ! style="background: #e8f0e8;" | English Title | Kong Yiji |- ! style="background: #e8f0e8;" | German Title | Kong Yiji |- ! style="background: #e8f0e8;" | Genre | Short Story |- ! style="background: #e8f0e8;" | Sections | 1 |- ! style="background: #e8f0e8;" | Status | style="background: #ffe0e0;" | Translation pending |- ! style="background: #e8f0e8;" | Database ID | kong_yiji |}	= Kong Yiji (孔乙己) =
Part of the Lu Xun's Complete Works translation project.	鲁迅 (Lǔ Xùn, 1881–1936)
== Chinese Original Text (中文原文) ==	Translation from the Chinese into English.
Total: 2,684 characters in 1 section(s).	Andere Sprachen / Other languages: Deutsch | Français
【孔乙己】	---- Kong Yiji
鲁镇的酒店的格局，是和别处不同的：都是当街一个曲尺形的大柜台，柜里面预备着热水，可以随时温酒。做工的人，傍午傍晚散了工，每每花四文铜钱，买一碗酒，——这是二十多年前的事，现在每碗要涨到十文，——靠柜外站着，热热的喝了休息；倘肯多花一文，便可以买一碟盐煮笋，或者茴香豆，做下酒物了，如果出到十几文，那就能买一样荤菜，但这些顾客，多是短衣帮，大抵没有这样阔绰。只有穿长衫的，才踱进店面隔壁的房子里，要酒要菜，慢慢地坐喝。	The layout of the tavern in Lu Zhen (魯鎮) was different from those elsewhere: facing the street stood a large, L-shaped counter behind which hot water was kept at the ready, so that wine could be warmed at any time. Working men came around midday or in the evening after their shift and would often spend four copper coins on a bowl of wine — this was more than twenty years ago; nowadays the price has risen to ten coins per bowl — lean against the outside of the counter, and drink it hot while resting. Those willing to spend one coin more could buy a dish of salted bamboo shoots or a portion of fennel beans as a side; for thirteen or fourteen coins, one could even get a meat dish. But these customers mostly belonged to the "short-jacket crowd" and as a rule could not afford such extravagance. Only those wearing long gowns would saunter into the room beside the main hall, order wine and food, and sit down to drink at their leisure.
我从十二岁起，便在镇口的咸亨酒店里当伙计，掌柜说，样子太傻，怕侍候不了长衫主顾，就在外面做点事罢。外面的短衣主顾，虽然容易说话，但唠唠叨叨缠夹不清的也很不少。他们往往要亲眼看着黄酒从坛子里舀出，看过壶子底里有水没有，又亲看将壶子放在热水里，然后放心：在这严重监督之下，羼水也很为难。所以过了几天，掌柜又说我干不了这事。幸亏荐头的情面大，辞退不得，便改为专管温酒的一种无聊职务了。	From the age of twelve, I worked as an assistant at the Xianheng Tavern (咸亨酒店) at the entrance to town. The proprietor said I looked too stupid to wait on the long-gown customers, so I was sent outside to do simpler work. Though the short-jacket customers outside were easier to deal with, there was no shortage of fussy and quarrelsome ones among them. They invariably insisted on watching with their own eyes as the yellow wine was ladled from the jar, on checking whether there was any water left at the bottom of the jug, and on watching in person as the jug was placed in hot water — only then were they at ease. Under such rigorous supervision, it was extremely hard to water the wine. After a few days, the proprietor concluded that this job too was beyond me. Fortunately, the man who had recommended me was too influential to offend, so I could not be dismissed and was instead assigned the monotonous duty of warming wine.
我从此便整天的站在柜台里，专管我的职务。虽然没有什么失职，但总觉有些单调，有些无聊。掌柜是一副凶脸孔，主顾也没有好声气，教人活泼不得；只有孔乙己到店，才可以笑几声，所以至今还记得。	From then on I stood behind the counter all day, devoted entirely to my task. Though I committed no particular blunders, I found the work rather dull and tedious. The proprietor had a perpetually stern face, and the customers were hardly friendly either — one could not exactly thrive. Only when Kong Yiji (孔乙己) came to the tavern could one laugh a few times, and so I remember him to this day.
孔乙己是站着喝酒而穿长衫的唯一的人。他身材很高大；青白脸色，皱纹间时常夹些伤痕；一部乱蓬蓬的花白的胡子。穿的虽然是长衫，可是又脏又破，似乎十多年没有补，也没有洗。他对人说话，总是满口之乎者也，教人半懂不懂的。因为他姓孔，别人便从描红纸上的“上大人孔乙己”这半懂不懂的话里，替他取下一个绰号，叫作孔乙己。孔乙己一到店，所有喝酒的人便都看着他笑，有的叫道：“孔乙己，你脸上又添上新伤疤了！”他不回答，对柜里说：“温两碗酒，要一碟茴香豆。”便排出九文大钱。他们又故意的高声嚷道：“你一定又偷了人家的东西了！”孔乙己睁大眼睛说：“你怎么这样凭空污人清白……”“什么清白？我前天亲眼见你偷了何家的书，吊着打。”孔乙己便涨红了脸，额上的青筋条条绽出，争辩道：“窃书不能算偷……窃书！……读书人的事，能算偷么？”接连便是难懂的话，什么“君子固穷”，什么“者乎”之类，引得众人都哄笑起来；店内外充满了快活的空气。	Kong Yiji was the only person who drank standing up yet wore a long scholar's gown. He was tall, with a pallid complexion, and scars were frequently visible among his wrinkles. He wore a tangled, grizzled beard. His long gown, though it was one, was so filthy and tattered that it seemed not to have been mended or washed in more than ten years. Whenever he spoke, his mouth was full of archaic expressions that people could only half understand. Because his surname was Kong (孔), people had taken for him a nickname from the half-comprehensible practice sentence on calligraphy copysheets — "Shang da ren Kong Yi Ji" — and called him Kong Yiji. Whenever Kong Yiji entered the tavern, all the drinkers would look at him and laugh. Someone would call out: "Kong Yiji, you've got new scars on your face again!" He would not answer but would address the counter: "Warm two bowls of wine and a plate of fennel beans." He would then lay out nine copper coins, one by one. The others would deliberately shout: "You've been stealing again!" Kong Yiji would open his eyes wide and say: "How can you groundlessly smear an honest man's good name …" — "Good name? I saw with my own eyes just the other day how you stole books from the He family and were strung up and beaten for it." Kong Yiji's face would flush deep red, the veins on his forehead would stand out, and he would argue: "Taking books cannot be called stealing … Taking books! … A scholar's affairs — can that be called stealing?" Then would follow incomprehensible phrases — something about "a gentleman preserves his integrity in poverty" and suchlike "zhe hu" expressions — until the whole company roared with laughter, and the tavern, inside and out, was filled with a merry atmosphere.
听人家背地里谈论，孔乙己原来也读过书，但终于没有进学，又不会营生；于是愈过愈穷，弄到将要讨饭了。幸而写得一笔好字，便替人家钞钞书，换一碗饭吃。可惜他又有一样坏脾气，便是好喝懒做。坐不到几天，便连人和书籍纸张笔砚，一齐失踪。如是几次，叫他钞书的人也没有了。孔乙己没有法，便免不了偶然做些偷窃的事。但他在我们店里，品行却比别人都好，就是从不拖欠；虽然间或没有现钱，暂时记在粉板上，但不出一月，定然还清，从粉板上拭去了孔乙己的名字。	It was said behind his back that Kong Yiji had once been educated, but had never managed to pass the examinations, and he had no head for business either; so he grew poorer and poorer, until he was almost reduced to begging. Fortunately, he wrote a fine hand and could earn a meal by copying texts for others. But unfortunately he had a bad habit: he liked to drink and was idle. After sitting for a few days, he would vanish — taking books, paper, brush, and inkstone with him. After this had happened several times, no one would give him copying work anymore. Having no recourse, Kong Yiji could not help resorting to petty theft from time to time. But in our tavern his conduct was better than anyone else's — he never ran up a tab. If he occasionally lacked cash and his debt was temporarily chalked up on the board, it was always settled within a month, and Kong Yiji's name was wiped from the slate.
孔乙己喝过半碗酒，涨红的脸色渐渐复了原，旁人便又问道，“孔乙己，你当真认识字么？”孔乙己看着问他的人，显出不屑置辩的神气。他们便接着说道：“你怎的连半个秀才也捞不到呢？”孔乙己立刻显出颓唐不安模样，脸上笼上了一层灰色，嘴里说些话；这回可是全是之乎者也之类，一些不懂了。在这时候，众人也都哄笑起来：店内外充满了快活的空气。	When Kong Yiji had drunk half his bowl and the flush was gradually fading from his face, someone asked: "Kong Yiji, can you really read characters?" Kong Yiji looked at the questioner with an expression of disdain, as if the question were beneath him. They went on: "How is it that you never even managed half the way to a xiucai degree?" At once Kong Yiji assumed a dejected, uneasy air; a grey pallor settled over his face and he mumbled something — this time nothing but "zhe hu zhe ye" phrases and quite unintelligible. Everyone burst out laughing again: the tavern, inside and out, was filled with merry air.
在这些时候，我可以附和着笑，掌柜是决不责备的。而且掌柜见了孔乙己，也每每这样问他，引人发笑。孔乙己自己知道不能和他们谈天，便只好向孩子说话。有一回对我说道，“你读过书么？”我略略点一点头。他说，“读过书，……我便考你一考。茴香豆的茴字，怎样写的？”我想，讨饭一样的人，也配考我么？便回过脸去，不再理会。孔乙己等了许久，很恳切的说道：“不能写罢？……我教给你，记着！这些字应该记着。将来做掌柜的时候，写账要用。”我暗想我和掌柜的等级还很远呢，而且我们掌柜也从不将茴香豆上账；又好笑，又不耐烦，懒懒的答他道：“谁要你教，不是草头底下一个来回的回字么？”孔乙己显出极高兴的样子，将两个指头的长指甲敲着柜台，点头说：“对呀对呀！……回字有四样写法，你知道么？”我愈不耐烦了，努着嘴走远。孔乙己刚用指甲蘸了酒，想在柜上写字，见我毫不热心，便又叹一口气，显出极惋惜的样子。	At such times I could join in the laughter without the proprietor reproaching me. Indeed, the proprietor himself always questioned Kong Yiji in this fashion whenever he saw him, to amuse the others. Knowing he could not converse with these people, Kong Yiji had no choice but to talk to the children. Once he said to me: "Have you read any books?" I gave a slight nod. He said: "Since you've studied … let me test you. The character 'hui' in 'fennel beans' — how do you write it?" I thought: should a beggar-like creature presume to test me? I turned my face away and ignored him. Kong Yiji waited a long time, then said very earnestly: "You can't write it, can you? … I'll teach you — remember it! You ought to remember these characters. When you're a tavern-keeper someday, you'll need them for the accounts." I thought to myself that I was a long way from being a tavern-keeper — and besides, our proprietor never entered fennel beans in the ledger. Half amused, half annoyed, I drawled: "Who wants you to teach me? Isn't it just the grass radical on top of the character 'hui' for 'return'?" Kong Yiji looked immensely pleased, tapped the counter with the long nails of his two forefingers, and nodded: "Right, right! … The character 'hui' has four different ways of being written — did you know that?" I grew more impatient and walked away with pursed lips. Kong Yiji had just dipped his nails in wine, intending to write a character on the counter; when he saw how indifferent I was, he gave a sigh and assumed an expression of the deepest regret.
有几回，邻舍孩子听得笑声，也赶热闹，围住了孔乙己，他便给他们茴香豆吃，一人一颗。孩子吃完豆，仍然不散，眼睛都望着碟子。孔乙己着了慌，伸开五指将碟子罩住，弯腰下去说道：“不多了，我已经不多了。”直起身又看一看豆，自己摇头说：“不多不多！多乎哉？不多也。”于是这一群孩子都在笑声里走散了。	On several occasions, children from the neighbourhood heard the laughter, came running over, and gathered around Kong Yiji. He would give them fennel beans, one to each child. When the children had eaten their beans and still did not leave, all eyes fixed on the plate, Kong Yiji grew flustered, spread all five fingers over the plate, bent down, and said: "There aren't many left — I haven't got many myself." Then he straightened up, looked at the beans once more, shook his head, and said: "Few, few! Are they many? They are not." At that the whole group of children dispersed amid laughter.
孔乙己是这样的使人快活，可是没有他，别人也便这么过。	In this way Kong Yiji brought cheer to everyone; yet without him, people got along just the same.
有一天，大约是中秋前的两三天，掌柜正在慢慢的结账，取下粉板，忽然说：“孔乙己长久没有来了。还欠十九个钱呢！”我才也觉得他的确长久没有来了。一个喝酒的人说道，“他怎么会来？……他打折了腿了。”掌柜说：“哦！”“他总仍旧是偷。这一回，是自己发昏，竟偷到丁举人家里去了。他家的东西，偷得的么？”“后来怎么样？”“怎么样？先写服辩，后来是打，打了大半夜，再打折了腿。”“后来呢？”“后来打折了腿了。”“打折了怎样呢？”“怎样？……谁晓得？许是死了。”掌柜也不再问，仍然慢慢的算他的账。	One day — it was probably two or three days before the Mid-Autumn Festival — the proprietor was slowly settling his accounts. He took down the chalk board and suddenly said: "Kong Yiji hasn't been here for a long time. He still owes nineteen coins!" Only then did I realize that he had indeed not come for a long time. A drinker said: "How could he come? … They broke his legs." The proprietor said: "Oh!" — "He was stealing again, of course. This time he was foolish enough to steal from Squire Ding (丁舉人). How could he steal from a man like that?" — "What happened then?" — "What happened? First he had to write a confession, then he was beaten — beaten for the better part of a night, until both his legs were broken." — "And then?" — "Then his legs were broken." — "But what happened after they were broken?" — "What? … Who knows? He's probably dead." The proprietor asked no more and went on quietly with his accounts.
中秋过后，秋风是一天凉比一天，看看将近初冬；我整天的靠着火，也须穿上棉袄了。一天的下半天，没有一个顾客，我正合了眼坐着。忽然间听得一个声音，“温一碗酒。”这声音虽然极低，却很耳熟。看时又全没有人。站起来向外一望，那孔乙己便在柜台下对了门槛坐着。他脸上黑而且瘦，已经不成样子；穿一件破夹袄，盘着两腿，下面垫一个蒲包，用草绳在肩上挂住；见了我，又说道，“温一碗酒。”掌柜也伸出头去，一面说：“孔乙己么？你还欠十九个钱呢！”孔乙己很颓唐的仰面答道，“这……下回还清罢。这一回是现钱，酒要好。”掌柜仍然同平常一样，笑着对他说，“孔乙己，你又偷了东西了！”但他这回却不十分分辩，单说了一句“不要取笑！”“取笑？要是不偷，怎么会打断腿？”孔乙己低声说道，“跌断，跌，跌……”他的眼色，很像恳求掌柜，不要再提。此时已经聚集了几个人，便和掌柜都笑了。我温了酒，端出去，放在门槛上。他从破衣袋里摸出四文大钱，放在我手里，见他满手是泥，原来他便用这手走来的。不一会，他喝完酒，便又在旁人的说笑声中，坐着用这手慢慢走去了。	After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the autumn wind grew colder by the day, and as early winter approached, I had to sit by the fire all day and put on my padded jacket. One afternoon, there was not a single customer. I was sitting with my eyes closed when I suddenly heard a voice: "Warm a bowl of wine." The voice was very low, but familiar. I looked around and saw no one. Rising, I peered outside — there sat Kong Yiji beneath the counter, on the threshold. His face was dark and emaciated, quite unrecognizable. He wore a ragged padded jacket and sat with his legs crossed beneath him; under him was a rush mat fastened to his shoulders with a straw rope. When he saw me, he said again: "Warm a bowl of wine." The proprietor stuck out his head and said: "Kong Yiji? You still owe nineteen coins!" Kong Yiji looked up dejectedly and answered: "That … I'll pay next time. This time it's cash, and the wine should be good." The proprietor said, laughing as usual: "Kong Yiji, you've been stealing again!" But this time he hardly defended himself and merely said: "Don't mock!" — "Mock? If you hadn't stolen, how would they have broken your legs?" Kong Yiji said in a low voice: "Fell, f-f-fell …" His eyes seemed to plead with the proprietor not to mention it again. By now a few people had gathered and were laughing along with the proprietor. I warmed the wine, carried it out, and placed it on the threshold. He fished four copper coins from his torn jacket pocket and placed them in my hand; I saw that his hands were covered in mud — he had evidently walked here on his hands. Before long he had finished his wine and set off again — amid the laughter of the others, slowly crawling away on his hands.
自此以后，又长久没有看见孔乙己。到了年关，掌柜取下粉板说：“孔乙己还欠十九个钱呢！”到第二年的端午，又说：“孔乙己还欠十九个钱呢！”到中秋可是没有说，再到年关也没有看见他。	After that, I did not see Kong Yiji for a long time. At the year's end the proprietor took down the chalk board and said: "Kong Yiji still owes nineteen coins!" At the Dragon Boat Festival the following year he said again: "Kong Yiji still owes nineteen coins!" At the Mid-Autumn Festival he said nothing about it, and at the year's end Kong Yiji was nowhere to be seen.
我到现在终于没有见——大约孔乙己的确死了。	I have never seen him since — Kong Yiji is probably really dead.
（一九一九年三月。）	(March 1919.)
== German Translation (Deutsche Ubersetzung) ==
Translation not yet begun. See Call for Translators.
== English Translation ==
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== Notes ==