红楼梦Chapter17_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter17

Pao-yue could not make out what his object was， but he was compelled to follow. As soon as they reached the garden gate， and he caught sight of Chia Chen， standing on one side， along with several managers： See that the garden gate is closed for a time， Chia Cheng exclaimed， for well first see the outside and then go in.

Chia Chen directed a servant to close the gate， and Chia Cheng first looked straight ahead of him towards the gate and espied on the same side as the main entrance a suite of five apartments. Above， the cylindrical tiles resembled the backs of mud eels. The doors， railings， windows， and frames were all finely carved with designs of the new fashion， and were painted neither in vermilion nor in white colours. The whole extent of the walls was of polished bricks of uniform colour; while below， the white marble on the terrace and steps was engraved with western foreign designs; and when he came to look to the right and to the left， everything was white as snow. At the foot of the white-washed walls， tiger-skin pebbles were， without regard to pattern， promiscuously inserted in the earth in such a way as of their own selves to form streaks. Nothing fell in with the custom of gaudiness and display so much in vogue， so that he naturally felt full of delight; and， when he forthwith asked that the gate should be thrown open， all that met their eyes was a long stretch of verdant hills， which shut in the view in front of them.