MIT Visualizing Cultures

Title: “A Gathering of Scholars and Famous Orchids” 雅集名蕙

Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Page Number: 11

Caption Translation: Every year near the summer solstice, for three days they set up the “Orchid Flower Show” in the inner garden of the Yu garden in the district temple in Shanghai. People use it both to entertain the gods but also to compete with each other. Skirts and shoes move in quick succession, and the visitors weave around each other. There are many different classes of orchids: some resemble plum flower petals, some resemble water lily petals and lotus petals; the rest are vermilion petals with white in the middle and are also among the first class. To produce so many varieties in a single year is very difficult. Anhui and Huangzhou in Hubei also have black orchids. I once took several of them back home, but they need suitable moisture and temperature [so they failed to bloom]. I had hoped to set out one stem for the crowd to appreciate, but as the saying goes, “If you try [too hard] to grow flowers they will not bloom.” I suppose it is because transplanting them had a damaging effect.

Translator: Paul Vierthaler,
revised by Peter C. Perdue

Caption Text: 滬城邑廟豫園之內園, 每年於立夏節邊盛設”蕙蘭會“三日, 藉娱神而兼角勝也, 裙履聯翩, 遊人如織

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Title: “The Venerable Old Man of the
Prosperous Age” 熙朝人瑞

Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Page Number: 12

Caption Translation: The first of the five fortunes in the “Hong Fan” is called longevity. The “Jiyi” [meaning of sacrifices, an ancient text] says that when the emperor went on imperial inspection tour the feudal lords waited for him at the border, and the emperor first met with those who were over one hundred years old. It can be seen that the examples of longevity at different times are all the same in principle. Lord Dijun from Yangzhou city in Jiangsu province was placed by the emperor in the Hanlin Academy as a proofreader, and this year he is one hundred years and ten years old. Recently he went from Suzhou to Hangzhou to have an audience with the emperor. The high officials of the two provinces hurried to pay their respects. He has a strong drive, is very active, is not weak and lacks the typical attitude of an elderly person. He heard next year would be another year for the examination, and he plans to go to take the examination. The local scholars have spread this as an edifying anecdote. Li Qiao, Gui Xi, and Lang Tongtui [??]: Di Gong, is he the descendant of these people?

Translator: Paul Vierthaler,
revised by Peter C. Perdue

Caption Text: 洪範五福一曰壽祭義曰天子巡狩諸侯待於境, 天子先見百年者, 可見引年之典異世而同揆也。江蘇揚州狄君俊乃欽賜翰林院檢討, 現年一百一十歲, 近由蘇到杭晉謁。兩省各大憲趋拜強駛精爽不衰無年老人態度。聞眀年乙酉科, 為重赴廘鳴之期, 儒林中將播為美談矣, 李嶠龜息錢朗童頹狄公豈苖裔歟

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Title: “A Stolen Horse Captured” 盜馬被獲

Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Page Number: 13

Caption Translation: The great poet Han Yu wrote about horses: "May I ask how much does it cost? As much gold as fills a lofty mound. May I ask how far can it go? It views the nine divisions of China as a few feet. When hungry it eats the grain of jade mountain, when thirsty it drinks the water of the sweet Li springs. I ask who is able to ride it but the world has seen no one who can." This poem is a lament about unrecognized talents. In the capital, at the comfortable residence of a high official, there was a personal mount that in a day could travel five or six hundred li. The grooms were not wary and suddenly it was stolen. It passed through Xuanwumen gate, but after it passed some officials it was apprehended. It was respectfully presented to the comfortable residence of a high official. It was checked on delivery and the official increasingly treasured it. This horse found its proper master: how fortunate! A thief took it away, and it nearly lost its loyalty, but finally the lost pearl is returned and the piece of jade goes back to Zhao. This is indeed very fortunate, but a scholar who fails to prosper will wail loudly.

Translator: Paul Vierthaler,
revised by Peter C. Perdue

Caption Text: 昔昌黎有詠馬詩曰：借問價幾何, 黃金比嵩邱, 借問行幾何, 咫尺視九州。飢食玉山禾, 渴飲醴泉流, 問誰能為御矌世不可求。其意為懷才不遇者惜也, 亰師豫邸有坐騎, 日可行五六百里, 圉人不謹猝被盜去, 行經宣武門經官後拿住呈獻豫邸驗收益加珍愛。夫此馬之得遇其主, 幸矣。盜挾之去, 幾乎失身, 而卒之浦望還珠趙終歸璧。夫固幸之又幸矣, 士不遇時能無哭煞。

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Title: “The Autumn Assizes” 秋錄大典

Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Page Number: 14

Caption Translation: Every year between the third and fourth lunar months our dynasty conducts a grand ceremony. Its date is decided during a meeting between the two provincial offices [the Provincial Administration Commission and the Provincial Surveillance commission] and is ratified by the provincial governor’s yamen. The criminals from each county are sent in advance to the provincial capital and detained in jail. At the appointed time they arrive at the provincial governor’s yamen to stand trial in court. The roll is called and the offenders are dealt with, tried and then given mats, fans, money, food, and so forth. After a short while those in red convict clothes come and go in a continuous stream, their black chains clanging. The spectators stretch their necks and stand on tiptoes to observe it, calling it hell in disguised form.

Translator: Paul Vierthaler,
revised by Peter C. Perdue

Caption Text: 每年於三四月間例行朝審大典, 其日期則由藩臬兩司會詳撫轅批准, 各縣人犯先期解省寄監。屆期撫轅過堂, 點名發落。給發席扇錢食等物。一時赭衣絡繹黑索琅璫。延頸跂足而觀者謂地獄之變相云

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Title: “Horse Racing” 賽馬誌盛

Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Page Number: 15

Caption Translation: Westerners organize Spring and Autumn racing carnivals, each of three days duration. They offer a large sum of money as a prize, which the fastest horse wins. The course is circled by three concentric fences. During the race, the jockeys wear clothes of satin, and the horses have reins of gold. They all enter the enclosure and hold their horses' reins side by side. When the red flag comes down, they all set off flying like the wind. On the edge of the course stands a pavilion, which the Westerners mount to observe the race. People on all sides applaud the winner. To the jockeys, this is the great joy of their lives. The Chinese onlookers who surround the place like a wall do not care who wins and who loses, but their excitement is even greater than that of the jockeys.

Translator: Paul Vierthaler,
revised by Peter C. Perdue

Caption Text: 西人於春秋佳日例行賽馬三天, 設重金以爲孤註, 捷足者奪標焉。其地設圍闌三匝, 開跑時人則錦衣, 馬則金勒, 入闌而後, 相約並轡。洎乎紅旗一颭, 真有所謂風入四蹄輕者。圍角有樓, 西人登之以瞭望。一人獲雋, 夾道歡呼。箇中人固極平生快意事也, 而環而觀者如堵牆, 無勝負之攖心, 較之箇中人尤覺興高采烈云

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Title: “Stealing Pleasure” 行竊尋歡

Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Page Number: 16

Caption Translation: The Book of Rites says, "Food and sex are two great human desires." These great desires produce numerous contingencies and require infinite precautions. In a bean-and-wheat store in the southern market of Shanghai there was an apprentice who was eighteen years old. Seizing his opportunity, he stole three hundred yuan from the owner of the store. Secretly he visited the brothels, where he hid for three days and did not leave. He relied on the brothel workers to help him purchase clothing and artifacts of entertainment. The prostitutes realized that his behavior was somewhat different from other decadent youth, so the news spread from person to person and finally reached the police station. Then detectives were sent and the apprentice was arrested. Alas, the store owner would not accept criticism for his negligence that encouraged theft, and the prostitutes did not deny inducing licentiousness with their flirtatious appearance. Only the young man, due to his unbridled human desires, chose to commit theft in order to enjoy ephemeral pleasure, leaving him with a life-long stigma. How little he knows about self-respect!

Translator: Wang Guojun,
revised by Peter C. Perdue

Caption Text: 《禮》云：“飲食男女, 人之大欲存焉。”一“大”字中, 便有無窮事變, 無限防閒之意。上海南市豆麥行學徒某甲, 年十八歲, 乘間竊行主洋三百圓, 潛遊妓院, 匿三日不出, 而衣服玩好等物概屬妓處傭人置辦。該妓察其行為有不類時下之所謂闊少者, 於是兩兩三三輾轉傳說, 而聞於捕房, 即飭包探往拘送案矣。吁, 行主不能任慢藏之誨盜, 妓女不必辭冶容之誨淫。而某甲以人欲橫流, 甘為揭篋探囊之舉, 圖歡片刻, 貽玷終身, 何其不知自愛乎。

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Title: “Blemished Jade Needs Polishing” 圭玷須磨

Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Page Number: 17

Caption Translation: A young man stole some Western products and sold them, but the young man's father is undeniably to blame for his son's theft. A young man must begin his professional training just when he enters puberty. There are many modest and sober professions where young men will not see or hear too much, and thus not be disturbed in their heart and thought. What this young man engaged in was neither silk, tea nor foreign products, yet he was in a huge commericial city whose [decadent ways] for far too long, penetrated his eyes and ears and corrupted his spirit. After one wrong step he had to grovel in the official court. Even though his father paid compensaion, his son has become a blemished jade. Therefore, truly superior people value understanding and avoid trifles.

Translator: Wang Guojun,
revised by Peter C. Perdue

Caption Text: 其竊洋之計之得售也, 乃父實有應得之咎也。子弟習業之年, 正情竇初開之日, 世不乏質實地方, 見聞不奢思念自不亂。乃所習既非絲茶又非洋貨, 而必置之通商巨埠, 則所以染濡其耳目與夫搖盪其心神者已非伊朝夕矣。一朝失足, 匍伏公庭, 乃翁縱認賠洋, 而此子已成不完之璧。是故君子貴知幾

Comments: Note that this trial takes place in the Shanghai mixed court, before a Western and a Chinese judge; there are Westerners among the onlookers.

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