红楼梦Chapter18_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter18

the distich by Lin Tai-yue on the tablet of Spiritual stream outside the world， ran thus：

Th imperial visit doth enhance joy and delight. This fairy land from mortal scenes what diffrent sight! the comely grace it borrows of both hill and stream; And to the landscape it doth add a charm supreme. The fumes of Chin Ku wine everything permeate; The flowers the inmate of the Jade Hall fascinate. The imperial favour to receive how blessed our lot! For oft the palace carriage will pass through this spot.

the Chia consort having concluded the perusal of the verses， and extolled them for a time： After all， she went on to say with a smile， those composed by my two cousins， Hsueeh Pao-chai and Lin Tai-yue， differ in excellence from those of all the rest; and neither I， stupid as I am， nor my sisters can attain their standard.

Lin Tao-yue had， in point of fact， made up her mind to display， on this evening， her extraordinary abilities to their best advantage， and to put down every one else， but contrary to her expectations the Chia consort had expressed her desire that no more than a single stanza should be written on each tablet， so that unable， after all， to disregard her directions by writing anything in excess， she had no help but to compose a pentameter stanza， in an offhand way， merely with the intent of complying with her wishes.

Pao-yue had by this time not completed his task. He had just finished two stanzas on the Hsiao Hsiang Lodge and the Heng Wu garden， and was just then engaged in composing a verse on the Happy red Court. In his draft figured a line： The (leaves) of jade-like GREen in spring are yet rolled up， which Pao-chai stealthily observed as she turned her eyes from side to side; and availing herself of the very first moment， when none of the company could notice her， she gave him a nudge. As her highness， she remarked， doesnt relish the four characters， representing the red (flowers are) fragrant， and the green (banana leaves) like jade， she changed them， just a while back， for the joyful red and gladsome green; and if you deliberately now again employ these two words jade-like green， wont it look as if you were bent upon being at variance with her? Besides， very many are the old books， in which the banana leaves form the theme， so you had better think of another line and substitute it and have done with it!