红楼梦Chapter17_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter17

As he concluded these words， they were on the point of walking in， when they unexpectedly discerned a stone， outside the trellis gate， by the roadside， which had also been left as a place on which to inscribe a motto.

Were a tablet， argued the whole company smilingly， put up high in a spot like this， to be filled up by and by， the rustic aspect of a farm would in that case be completely done away with; and it will be better， yea far better to erect this slab on the ground， as it will further make manifest many points of beauty. But unless a motto could be composed of the same excellence as that in Fan Shih-hus song on farms， it will not be adequate to express its charms!

Gentlemen， observed Chia Cheng， please suggest something.

A short while back， replied the whole company， your son， venerable brother， remarked that devising a new motto was not equal to quoting an old one， and as sites of this kind have been already exhausted by writers of days of old， wouldnt it be as well that we should straightway call it the apricot blossom village? and this will do splendidly.

When Chia Cheng heard this remark， he smiled and said， addressing himself to Chia Chen： This just reminds me that although this place is perfect in every respect， theres still one thing wanting in the shape of a wine board; and you had better then have one made to-morrow on the very same pattern as those used outside in villages; and it neednt be anything gaudy， but hung above the top of a tree by means of bamboos.