红楼梦Chapter25_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter25

Now she shed tears; now she gave vent to abuse.

Chia Cheng， who stood by， heard these invectives; and they so enhanced his exasperation that he promptly shouted out and made Mrs. Chao withdraw. He then exerted himself for a time to console (his senior) by using kindly accents. But suddenly some one came to announce that the two coffins had been completed. This announcement pierced， like a dagger， dowager lady Chia to the heart; and while weeping with despair more intense， she broke forth in violent upbraidings.

Who is it，she inquired; who gave orders to make the coffins? Bring at once the coffin-makers and beat them to death!

A stir ensued sufficient to convulse the heavens and to subvert the earth. But at an unforeseen moment resounded in the air the gentle rapping of a wooden fish bell. A voice recited the sentence： Ave! Buddha able to unravel retribution and dispel grievances! Should any human being lie in sickness， and his family be solicitous on his account; or should any one have met with evil spirits and come across any baleful evils， we have the means to effect a cure.

Dowager lady Chia and Madame Wang at once directed servants to go out into the street and find out who it was. It turned out to be， in fact， a mangy-headed bonze and a hobbling Taoist priest. What was the appearance of the bonze?

His nose like a suspended gall; his two eyebrows so long， His eyes， resembling radiant stars， possessed a precious glow， His coat in tatters and his shoes of straw， without a home; Rolling in filth， and， a worse fate， his head one mass of boils.