Parallel texts by kealist.
Cells by coitoergosum.

Chinese text:
http://www.yifan.net/yihe/novels/luxun/aq.html

Site (simplified):
kealist (traditional):
阿Ｑ正传⑴
 
我要给阿Ｑ做正传，已经不止一两年了。但一面要做，一面又往回想，这足见我不是一个“立言”⑵的人，因为从来不朽之笔，须传不朽之人，于是人以文传，文以人传——究竟谁靠谁传，渐渐的不甚了然起来，而终于归接到传阿Ｑ，仿佛思想里有鬼似的。
我要給阿Ｑ做正傳，已經不止一兩年了。但一面要做，一面又往回想，這足見我不是一個“立言”的人，因為從來不朽之筆，須傳不朽之人，於是人以文傳，文以人傳——究竟誰靠誰傳，漸漸的不甚了然起來，而終於歸接到傳阿Ｑ，彷彿思想裡有鬼似的。




English text:
http://www.marxists.org/archive/lu-xun/1921/12/ah-q/index.htm

Audio:
http://www.pingshu8.com/MusicList/mmc_203_325_1.Htm


kealist:
http://www.kealist.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/ahq.doc




The True Story of Ah-Q
 
 Lu Xun

 Lu Xun (Lu Hsun) (1881-1936)
我要給阿Ｑ做正傳，已經不止一兩年了。但一面要做，一面又往回想，這足見我不是一個“立言”的人，
For several years now I have been meaning to write the true story of Ah Q.  But while wanting to write I was in some trepidation, too, which goes to show that I am not one of those who achieve glory by writing;
因為從來不朽之筆，須傳不朽之人，
for an immortal pen has always been required to record the deeds of an immortal man,
於是人以文傳，文以人傳——
the man becoming known to posterity through the writing and the writing known to posterity through the man—
究竟誰靠誰傳，漸漸的不甚了然起來，而終於歸接到傳阿Ｑ，彷彿思想裡有鬼似的。
until finally it is not clear who is making whom known. But in the end, as though possessed by some fiend, I always came back to the idea of writing the story of Ah Q.
然而要做這一篇速朽的文章，才下筆，便感到萬分的困難了。第一是文章的名目。
And yet no sooner had I taken up my pen than I became conscious of tremendous difficulties in writing this far-from-immortal work. The first was the question of what to call it.
孔子曰，“名不正則言不順”。
Confucius said, "If the name is not correct, the words will not ring true";
這原是應該極注意的。
and this axiom should be most scrupulously observed.
傳的名目很繁多：列傳，自傳，內傳，外傳，別傳，家傳，小傳……，而可惜都不合。
There are many types of biographies: official biographies, autobiographies, unauthorized biographies, legends, supplementary biographies, family histories, sketches . . . but unfortunately none of these suited my purpose.
“列傳”麼，這一篇並非和許多闊人排在“正史”裡；
"Official biography?" This account will obviously not be included with those of many eminent people in some authentic history.
“自傳”麼，我又並非就是阿Ｑ。
"Autobiography?" But I am obviously not Ah Q.
說是“外傳”，“內傳”在那裡呢？
If I were to call this an "unauthorized biography," then where is his "authenticated biography"?
倘用“內傳”，阿Ｑ又決不是神仙。
The use of "legend" is impossible, because Ah Q was no legendary figure.
“別傳”呢，阿Ｑ實在未曾有大總統上諭宣付國史館立“本傳”——
"Supplementary biography"? But no president has ever ordered the National Historical Institute to write a "standard life" of Ah Q.
雖說英國正史上並無“博徒列傳”，而
文豪迭更司也做過《博徒別傳》這一部書，
It is true that although there are no "lives of gamblers" in authentic English history, the famous author Conan Doyle nevertheless wrote Rodney Stone;
但文豪則可，在我輩卻不可。其次是“家傳”，
but while this is permissible for a famous author it is not permissible for such as I. Then there is "family history";
則我既不知與阿Ｑ是否同宗，也未曾受他子孫的拜託；
but I do nor know whether I belong to the same family as Ah Q or not, nor have his children or grandchildren ever entrusted me with such a task.
或“小傳”，則阿Ｑ又更無別的“大傳”了。
If I were to use "sketch," it might be objected that Ah Q has no "complete account."
總而言之，這一篇也便是“本傳”，但從我的文章著想，因為文體卑下，是“引車賣漿者流”所用的話⑻，
 In short, this is really a "life," but since I write in vulgar vein using the language of hucksters and pedlars, I dare not presume to give it so high-sounding a title.
所以不敢僭稱，便從不入三教九流的小說家所謂“閒話休題言歸正傳”
So from the stock phrase of the novelists, who are not reckoned among the Three Cults and Nine Schools. "Enough of this digression, and back to the true story!"
這一句套話裡，取出“正傳” 兩個字來，作為名目，即使與古人所撰《書法正傳》的“正傳”字面上很相混，也顧不得了。
I will take the last two words as my title; and if this is reminiscent of the True Story of Calligraphy of the ancients, it cannot be helped.
第二，立傳的通例，開首大抵該是“某，字某，某地人也”，
The second difficulty confronting me was that a biography of this type should start off something like this: "So-and-so, whose other name was so-and-so, was a native of such-and-such a place";
而我並不知道阿Ｑ姓什麼。
but I don't really know what Ah Q's surname was.
有一回， 他似乎是姓趙，但第二日便模糊了。
Once, he seemed to be named Chao, but the next day there was some confusion about the matter again.
那是趙太爺的兒子進了秀才的時候，鑼聲鏜鏜的報到村里來，
This was after Mr. Chao's son had passed the county examination, and, to the sound of gongs, his success was announced in the village.
阿Ｑ正喝了兩碗黃酒，便手舞足蹈的說，這於他也很光采，因為他和趙太爺原來是本家，細細的排起來他還比秀才長三輩呢。
Ah Q, who had just drunk two bowls of yellow wine, began to prance about declaring that this reflected credit on him too, since he belonged to the same clan as Mr. Chao, and by an exact reckoning was three generations senior to the successful candidate.
其時幾個旁聽人倒也肅然的有些起敬了。
At the time several bystanders even began to stand slightly in awe of Ah Q.
那知道第二天，地保便叫阿Ｑ到趙太
爺家裡去；
But the next day the bailiff summoned him to Mr. Chao's house.
太爺一見，滿臉濺朱，喝道：
When the old gentleman set eyes on him his face turned crimson with fury and he roared:
“阿Ｑ，你這渾小子！你說我是你的本家麼？”
"Ah Q, you miserable wretch! Did you say I belonged to the same clan as you?"
阿Ｑ不開口。
Ah Q made no reply.
趙太爺愈看愈生氣了，搶進幾步說：
The more he looked at him the angrier Mr. Chao became, and advancing menacingly a few steps he said,
“你敢胡說！我怎麼會有你這樣的本家？你姓趙麼？”
"How dare you talk such nonsense! How could I have such a relative as you? Is your surname Chao?"
阿Ｑ不開口，想往後退了；趙太爺跳過去，給了他一個嘴巴。
Ah Q made no reply, and was planning a retreat, when Mr. Chao darted forward and gave him a slap on the face.
“你怎麼會姓趙！——你那裡配姓趙！”
"How could you be named Chao!—Do you think you are worthy of the name Chao?"
阿Ｑ並沒有抗辯他確鑿姓趙，只用手摸著左頰，和地保退出去了；
Ah Q made no attempt to defend his right to the name Chao, but rubbing his left cheek went out with the bailiff.
外面又被地保訓斥了一番，謝了地保二百文酒錢。
Once outside, he had to listen to another torrent of abuse from the bailiff, and thank him to the tune of two hundred cash.
知道的人都說阿Ｑ太荒唐，自己去招打；他大約未必姓趙，即使真姓趙，有趙太
爺在這裡，也不該如此胡說的。
All who heard this said Ah Q was a great fool to ask for a beating like that. Even if his surname were Chao—which wasn't likely—he should have known better than to boast like that when there was a Mr. Chao living in the village.
此後便再沒有人提起他的氏族來，所以我終於不知道阿Ｑ究竟什麼姓。
After this no further mention was made of Ah Q's ancestry, so that I still don't know what his surname really was.
第三，我又不知道阿Ｑ的名字是怎麼寫的。他活著的時候，人都叫他阿Ｑｕｅｉ，死了以後，便沒有一個人再叫阿Ｑｕｅｉ了，那裡還會有“著之竹帛”的事。
The third difficulty I encountered in writing this work was that I don't know how Ah Q's personal name should be written either. During his lifetime everybody called him Ah Quei, but after his death not a soul mentioned Ah Quei again;
若論“著之竹帛”，這篇文章要算第一次，所以先遇著了這第一個難關。
for be was obviously not one of those whose name is "preserved on bamboo tablets and silk." If there is any question of preserving his name, this essay must be the first attempt at doing so.
ddddd
 Hence I am confronted with this difficulty at the outset.
我曾仔細想：阿Ｑｕｅｉ，阿桂還是阿貴呢？
I have given the question careful thought: Ah Quei—would that be the "Quei" meaning cassia or the "Quei" meaning nobility?
倘使他號月亭， 或者在八月間做過生日，那一定是阿桂了；
If his other name had been Moon Pavilion, or if he had celebrated his birthday in the month of the Moon Festival, then it would certainly be the "Quei" for cassia.
而他既沒有號——也許有號，只是沒有人知道他，——又未嘗散過生日徵文的帖子：
But since he had no other name—or if he had, no one knew it—and since he never sent out invitations on his birthday to secure complimentary verses,
寫作阿桂，是武斷的。
it would be arbitrary to write Ah Quei (cassia).
又倘使他有一位老兄或令弟叫阿富，那一定是阿貴了；
Again, if he had had an elder or younger brother called Ah Fu (prosperity), then he would certainly be called Ah Quei (nobility).
而他又只是一個人：寫作阿貴，也沒有佐證的。
But he was all on his own: thus there is no justification for writing Ah Quei (nobility).
其餘音Ｑｕｅｉ的偏僻字樣，更加湊不上了。先前，
 All the other, unusual characters with the sound Quei are even less suitable.
我也曾問過趙太爺的兒子茂才⑿先生，誰料博雅如此公，竟也茫然，
I once put this question to Mr. Chao's son, the successful county candidate, but even such a learned man as he was baffled by it.
但據結論說，是因為陳獨秀辦了《新青年》提倡洋字，所以國粹淪亡，無可查考了。
According to him, however, the reason why this name could not be traced was that Chen Tu-hsiu had brought out the magazine New Youth, advocating the use of the Western alphabet, so that the national culture was going to the dogs.
我的最後的手段，只有託一個同鄉去查阿Ｑ犯事的案卷，
 As a last resort, I asked someone from my district to go and look up the legal documents recording Ah Q's case,
八個月之後才有回信，說案卷裡並無與阿Ｑｕｅｉ的聲音相近的人。
but after eight months he sent me a letter saying that there was no name anything like Ah Quei in those records.
我雖不知道是真沒有，還是沒有查，然而也再沒有別的方法了。
Although uncertain whether this was the truth or whether my friend had simply done nothing, after failing to trace the name this way I could think of no other means of finding it.
生怕注音字母還未通行，只好用了“洋字”，照英國流行的拼法寫他為阿Ｑｕｅｉ，略作阿Ｑ。
 Since I am afraid the new system of phonetics has not yet come into common use, there is nothing for it but to use the Western alphabet, writing the name according to the English spelling as Ah Quei and abbreviating it to Ah Q.
這近於盲從《新青年》，自己也很抱歉，但茂才公尚且不知，我還有什麼好辦法呢。
This approximates to blindly following the New Youth magazine, and I am thoroughly ashamed of myself; but since even such a learned man as Mr. Chao's son could not solve my problem, what else can I do?
第四，是阿Ｑ的籍貫了。
My fourth difficulty was with Ah Q's place of origin.
倘他姓趙，則據現在好稱郡望的老例，可以照《郡名百家姓》上的注解，說是“隴西天水人也”，
If his surname were Chao, then according to the old custom which still prevails of classifying people by their districts, one might look up the commentary in The Hundred Surnames and find "A native of Tienshui in Kansu Province."
但可惜這姓是不甚可靠的，因此籍貫也就有些決不定。
But unfortunately this surname is open to question, with the result that Ah Q's place of origin must also remain uncertain.
他雖然多住未莊， 然而也常常宿在別處，不能說是未莊人，即使說是“未莊人也”，也仍然有乖史法的。
Although he lived for the most part in Weichuang, he often stayed in other places, so that it would be wrong to call him a native of Weichuang. It would, in fact, amount to a distortion of history.
我所聊以自慰的，是還有一個“阿”字非常正確，絕無附會假借的缺點，頗可以就正於通人。
The only thing that consoles me is the fact that the character "Ah" is absolutely correct. This is definitely not the result of false analogy, and is well able to stand the test of scholarly criticism.
至於其餘，卻都非淺學所能穿鑿，只希望有“歷史癖與考據癖”的胡適之先生的門人們，將來或者能夠尋出許多新端緒來，
As for the other problems, it is not for such unlearned people as myself to solve them, and I can only hope that disciples of Dr. Hu Shih, who has such "a passion for history and antiquities," may be able in future to throw new light on them.
但是我這《阿Ｑ正傳》到那時卻又怕早經消滅了。
I am afraid, however, that by that time my True Story of Ah Q will have long since passed into oblivion.
以上可以算是序。
The foregoing may be considered as an introduction.
阿Ｑ不獨是姓名籍貫有些渺茫，連他先前的“行狀”也渺茫。
In addition to the uncertainty regarding Ah Q's surname, personal name, and place of origin, there is even some uncertainty regarding his "background."
因為未莊的人們之於阿Ｑ，只要他幫忙，只拿他玩笑，從來沒有留心他的“行狀”的。
This is because the people of Weichuang only made use of his services or treated him as a laughing-stock, without ever paying the slightest attention to his "background."
而阿Ｑ自己也不說，獨有和別人口角的時候，間或瞪著眼睛道：
Ah Q himself remained silent on this subject, except that when quarrelling with someone he might glance at him and say,
“我們先前——比你闊的多啦！你算是什麼東西！”
"We used to be much better off than you! Who do you think you are anyway?"
阿Ｑ沒有家，住在未莊的土谷祠⒄裡；
Ah Q had no family but lived in the Tutelary God's Temple at Weichuang.
也沒有固定的職業，只給人家做短工，割麥便割麥，舂米
便舂米，撐船便撐船。
He had no regular work either, simply doing odd jobs for others: were there wheat to be cut he would cut it, were there rice to be ground he would grind it, were there a boat to be punted he would punt it.
工作略長久時，他也或住在臨時主人的家裡，但一完就走了。
If the work lasted for a considerable period he might stay in the house of his temporary employer, but as soon as it was finished he would leave.
所以，人們忙碌的時候，也還記起阿Ｑ來，然而記起的是做工，並不是“行狀”；
Thus whenever people had work to be done they would remember Ah Q, but what they remembered was his service and not his "background";
一閒空，連阿Ｑ都早忘卻，更不必說“行狀”了。
and by the time the job was done even Ah Q himself was forgotten, to say nothing of his "background."
只是有一回，有一個老頭子頌揚說：“阿Ｑ真能做！”
Once indeed an old man remarked, "What a good worker Ah Q is!"
這時阿Ｑ赤著膊，懶洋洋的瘦伶仃的正在他面前，別人也摸不著這話是真心還是譏笑，然而阿Ｑ很喜歡。
At that time Ah Q, stripped to the waist, listless and lean, was standing before him, and other people did not know whether the remark was meant seriously or derisively, but Ah Q was overjoyed.
阿Ｑ又很自尊，所有未莊的居民，全不在他眼神裡，
Ah Q, again, had a very high opinion of himself. He looked down on all the inhabitants of Weichuang,
甚而至於對於兩位“文童”也有以為不值一笑的神情。
thinking even the two young "scholars" not worth a smile, though most young scholars were likely to pass the official examinations.
夫文童者，將來恐怕要變秀才者也；趙太爺錢太爺大受居民的尊敬，除有錢之外，就因為都是文童的爹爹，
Mr. Chao and Mr. Chien were held in great respect by the villagers, for in addition to being rich they were both the fathers of young scholars.
而阿Ｑ在精神上獨不表格外的崇奉，他想：我的兒子會闊得多啦！
Ah Q alone showed them no exceptional deference, thinking to himself, "My sons may be much greater!"
加以進了幾回城，阿Ｑ自然更自負，
Moreover, after Ah Q had been to town several times, he naturally became even more conceited,
然而他又很鄙薄城里人，
although at the same time he had the greatest contempt for townspeople.
譬如用三尺三寸寬的木板做成的凳子，未莊人叫“長凳”，
For instance, a bench made of a wooden plank three feet by three inches the Weichuang villagers called a "long bench."
他也叫“長凳”，城里人卻叫“條凳”，他想：這是錯的，可笑！
Ah Q called it a "long bench" too; but the townspeople called it a "straight bench," and he thought, "This is wrong. How ridiculous!"
油煎大頭魚，未莊都加上半寸長的蔥葉，城裡卻加上切細的蔥絲，他想：這也是錯的，可笑！
Again, when they fried large-headed fish in oil the Weichuang villagers all added shallot leaves sliced half an inch long, whereas the townspeople added finely shredded shallots, and he thought, "This is wrong too. How ridiculous!"
然而未莊人真是不見世面的可笑的鄉下人呵，他們沒有見過城裡的煎魚！
But the Weichuang villagers were really ignorant rustics who had never seen fish fried in town!
阿Ｑ“先前闊”，見識高，而且“真能做”，本來幾乎是一個“完人”了，但可惜他體質上還有
一些缺點。
Ah Q who "used to be much better off," who was a man of the world and "a good worker," would have been almost the perfect man had it nor been for a few unfortunate physical blemishes.
最惱人的是在他頭皮上，頗有幾處不知於何時的癩瘡疤。
The most annoying were some places on his scalp where in the past, at some uncertain dare, shiny ringworm scars had appeared.
這雖然也在他身上，而看阿Ｑ的
意思，倒也似乎以為不足貴的，因為他諱說“癩”以及一切近“賴”的音，
Although these were on his own head, apparently Ah Q did not consider them as altogether honourable, for he refrained from using the word "ringworm" or any words that sounded anything like it.
後來推而廣之，“光”
也諱，“亮”也諱，再後來，連“燈”“燭”都諱了。
Later he improved on this, making "bright" and "light" forbidden words, while later still even "lamp" and "candle" were taboo.
一犯諱，不問有心與無心，阿Ｑ便全疤通紅的發起怒來，估量了對手，口訥的他便罵，氣力小的他便打；然
Whenever this taboo was disregarded, whether intentionally or not, Ah Q would fly into a rage, his ringworm scars turning scarlet.

 He would look over the offender, and if it were someone weak in repartee he would curse him, while if it were a poor fighter he would hit him.
而不知怎麼一回事，總還是阿Ｑ吃虧的時候多。
Yet, curiously enough, it was usually Ah Q who was worsted in these encounters,
於是他漸漸的變換了方針，大抵改為怒目而視了。
until finally he adopted new tactics, contenting himself in general with a furious glare.
誰知道阿Ｑ採用怒目主義之後，未莊的閒人們便愈喜歡玩笑他。
It so happened, however, that after Ah Q had taken to using this furious glare, the idlers in Weichuang grew even more fond of making jokes at his expense.
一見面，他們便假作吃驚的說：
As soon as they saw him they would pretend to give a start, and say:
“噲，亮起來了。”
"Look! It's lighting up."
阿Ｑ照例的發了怒，他怒目而視了。
Ah Q would rise to the bait as usual, and glare furiously.
“原來有保險燈在這裡！”他們並不怕。
"So there is a paraffin lamp here," they would continue, not in the least intimidated.
阿Ｑ沒有法，只得另外想出報復的話來：
Ah Q could do nothing but rack his brains for some retort:
“你還不配……”
"You don't even deserve. . . ."
這時候，又彷佛在他頭上的是一種高尚的光容的癩頭瘡，並非平常的癩頭瘡了；
At this juncture it seemed as if the scars on his scalp were noble and honourable, not just ordinary ringworm scars.
但上文說過，阿Ｑ是有見識的，他立刻知道和“犯忌”有點抵觸，便不再往底下說。
However, as we said above, Ah Q was a man of the world: he knew at once that he had neatly broken the "taboo" and refrained from saying any more.
閒人還不完，只撩他，於是終而至於打。
If the idlers were still not satisfied, but continued to bait him, they would in the end come to blows.
阿Ｑ在形式上打敗了，被人揪住黃辮子，在壁上碰了四五個響頭，
Then only after Ah Q had, to all appearances, been defeated, had his brownish pigtail pulled and his head bumped against the wall four or five times,
閒人這才心滿意足的得勝的走了，
would the idlers walk away, satisfied at having won.
阿Ｑ站了一刻，心裡想，
Ah Q would stand there for a second, thinking to himself,
“我總算被兒子打了，現在的世界真不像樣……”
"It is as if I were beaten by my son. What is the world coming to nowadays. . . ."
於是也心滿意足的得勝的走了。
Thereupon he too would walk away, satisfied at having won.
阿Ｑ想在心裡的，後來每每說出口來，所以凡是和阿Ｑ玩笑的人們，幾乎全知道他有這一種精神上的勝利法，
Whatever Ah Q thought he was sure to tell people later; thus almost all who made fun of Ah Q knew that he had this means of winning a psychological victory.
此後每逢揪住他黃辮子的時候，人就先一著對他說：
So after this anyone who pulled or twisted his brown pigtail would forestall him by saying:
“阿Ｑ，這不是兒子打老子，是人打畜生。自己說：人打畜生！”
"Ah Q, this is not a son beating his father, it is a man beating a beast. Let's hear you say it: A man bearing a beast!"
阿Ｑ兩隻手都捏住了自己的辮根，歪著頭，說道：
Then Ah Q, clutching at the root of his pigtail, his head on one side, would say:
“打蟲豸，好不好？我是蟲豸——還不放麼？”
"Beating an insect—how about that? I am an insect—now will you let me go?"
但雖然是蟲豸，閒人也並不放，仍舊在就近什麼地方給他碰了五六個響頭，
But although he was an insect the idlers would not let him go until they had knocked his head five or six times against something nearby, according to their custom,
這才心滿意足的得勝的走了，他以為阿Ｑ這回可遭了瘟。
after which they would walk away satisfied that they had won, confident that this time Ah Q was done for.
然而不到十秒鐘，阿Ｑ也心滿意足的得勝的走了，
In less than ten seconds, however, Ah Q would walk away also satisfied that he had won,
他覺得他是第一個能夠自輕自賤的人，除了“自輕自賤”不算外，餘下的就是“第一個”。
thinking that he was the "foremost self-belittler," and that after subtracting "self-belittler" what remained was "foremost."
狀元⒆不也是“第一個”麼？
Was not the highest successful candidate in the official examination also the "foremost"?
“你算是什麼東西”呢！ ？
"And who do you think you are anyway?"
阿Ｑ以如是等等妙法克服怨敵之後，
After employing such cunning devices to get even with his enemies,
便愉快的跑到酒店裡喝幾碗酒，又和別人調笑一通，口角一通，又得了勝，愉快的回到土谷祠，放倒頭睡著了。
Ah Q would make his way cheerfully to the wine shop to drink a few bowls of wine, joke with the others again, quarrel with them again, come off victorious again, and return cheerfully to the Tutelary God's Temple, there to fall asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.
假使有錢，他便去押牌寶⒇，一推人蹲在地面上，
If he had money he would gamble. A group of men would squat on the ground,
阿Ｑ即汗流滿面的夾在這中間，
Ah Q sandwiched in their midst, his face streaming with perspiration;
聲音他最響：
and his voice would shout the loudest:
“青龍四百！”
 "Four hundred on the Green Dragon!"
“咳～～開～～啦！”樁家揭開盒子蓋，也是汗流滿面的唱。
"Hey—open there!" the stakeholder, his face streaming with perspiration too, would open the box and chant:
“天門啦～～角回啦～～！人和穿
堂空在那裡啦～～！阿Ｑ的銅錢拿過來～～！ ”
"Heavenly Gate! . . . Nothing for the Corner! . . . No stakes on the Popularity Passage! Pass over Ah Q's coppers!"
“穿堂一百——一百五十！”
"The Passage—one hundred—one hundred and fifty."
阿Ｑ的錢便在這樣的歌吟之下，漸漸的輸入別個汗流滿面的人物的腰間。
To the tune of this chanting, Ah Q's money would gradually vanish into the pockets of other perspiring people.
他終於只好擠出堆外，站在後面看，替別人著急，一直到散場，然後戀戀的回到土谷祠，
Finally he would be forced to squeeze his way out of the crowd and watch from the back, taking a vicarious interest in the game until it broke up, when he would return reluctantly to the Tutelary God's Temple.
第二天，腫著眼睛去工作。
The next day he would go to work with swollen eyes.
但真所謂“塞翁失馬安知非福”罷，阿Ｑ不幸而贏了一回，他倒幾乎失敗了。
However, the truth of the proverb "misfortune may be a blessing in disguise" was shown when Ah Q was unfortunate enough to win and almost suffered defeat in the end.
這是未莊賽神的晚上。
This was the evening of the Festival of the Gods in Weichuang.
這晚上照例有一台戲，戲台左近，也照例有許多的賭攤。
According to custom there was a play; and close to the stage, also according to custom, were numerous gambling tables.
做戲的鑼鼓，在阿Ｑ耳朵裡彷彿在十里之外；
The drums and gongs of the play sounded about three miles away to Ah Q who had ears only for the stake-holder's chant.
他只聽得樁家的歌唱了。他贏而又贏，銅錢變成角洋，角洋變成大洋，大洋又成了疊。
He staked successfully again and again, his coppers turning into silver coins, his silver coins into dollars, and his dollars mounting up.
他興高采烈得非常：
In his excitement he cried our,
“天門兩塊！”
"Two dollars on Heavenly Gate!"
他不知道誰和誰為什麼打起架來了。
He never knew who started the fight, nor for what reason.
罵聲打聲腳步聲，昏頭昏腦的一大陣，他才爬起來，賭攤不見了，人們也不見了，
Curses, blows and footsteps formed a confused medley of sound in his head, and by the time he clambered to his feet the gambling tables had vanished and so had the gamblers.
身上有幾處很似乎有些痛，似乎也挨了幾拳幾腳似的，幾個人詫異的對他看。
 Several parts of his body seemed to be aching as if he had been kicked and knocked about, while a number of people were looking at him in astonishment.
他如有所失的走進土谷祠，定一定神，知道他的一堆洋錢不見了。
Feeling as if there were something amiss, he walked back to the Tutelary God's Temple, and by the time he regained his composure he realized that his pile of dollars had disappeared.
趕賽會的賭攤多不是本村人，還到
那裡去尋根柢呢？
Since most of the people who ran gambling tables at the Festival were not natives of Weichuang, where could he look for the culprits?
很白很亮的一堆洋錢！而且是他的——現在不見了！
So white and glittering a pile of silver! It had all been his . . . but now it had disappeared.
說是算被兒子拿去了罷，總還是忽忽不樂；
Even to consider it tantamount to being robbed by his son did not comfort him.
說自己是蟲豸罷，也還是忽忽不樂：
 To consider himself as an insect did not comfort him either.
他這回才有些感到失敗的苦痛了。
This time he really tasted something of the bitterness of defeat.
但他立刻轉敗為勝了。他擎起右手，用力的在自己臉上連打了兩個嘴巴，熱剌剌的有些痛；
But presently he changed defeat into victory. Raising his right hand he slapped his own face hard twice, so that it tingled with pain.
打完之後，便心平氣和起來，似乎打的是自己，
After this slapping his heart felt lighter, for it seemed as if the one who had given the slap was himself,
被打的是別一個自己，不久也就彷佛是自己打了別個一般，——雖然還有些熱剌剌，——心滿意足的得勝的躺下了。
the one slapped some other self, and soon it was just as if he had beaten someone else—in spite of the fact that his face was still tingling. He lay down satisfied that he had gained the victory.
他睡著了。
Soon he was asleep.
然而阿Ｑ雖然常優勝，卻直待蒙趙太爺打他嘴巴之後，這才出了名。
Although Ah Q was always gaining victories, it was only after he was favoured with a slap on the face by Mr. Chao that he became famous.
他付過地保二百文酒錢，憤憤的躺下了，後來想：
After paying the bailiff two hundred cash he lay down angrily. Later he said to himself,
“現在的世界太不成話，兒子打老子……”
"What is the world coming to nowadays, with sons beating their parents. . . ."
於是忽而想到趙太爺的威風，而現在是他的兒子了，便自己也漸漸的得意起來，爬起身，唱著《小孤孀上墳》到酒店去。
Then the thought of the prestige of Mr. Chao, who was now his son, gradually raised his spirits, and he got up and went to the wine shop singing The Young Widow at Her Husband's Grave.
這時候，他又覺得趙太爺高人一等了。
 At that time he did feel that Mr. Chao was a cut above most people.
說也奇怪，從此之後，果然大家也彷彿格外尊敬他。
After this incident, strange to relate, it was true that everybody seemed to pay him unusual respect.
這在阿Ｑ，或者以為因為他是趙太爺的父親，而其實也不然。
He probably attributed this to the fact that he was Mr. Chao's father, but actually such was not the case.
未莊通例，倘如阿七打阿八，或者李四打張三，向來本不算口碑。
In Weichuang, as a rule, if the seventh child hit the eighth child or Li So-and-so hit Chang So-and-so, it was not taken seriously.
一上口碑，則打的既有名，被打的也就托庇有了名。
A heating had to be connected with some important personage like Mr. Chao before the villagers thought it worth talking about.
ddd
But once they thought it worth talking about, since the beater was famous, the one beaten enjoyed some of his reflected fame.
至於錯在阿Ｑ，那自然是不必說。所以者何？就因為趙太爺是不會錯的。
As for the fault being Ah Q's, that was naturally taken for granted, the reason being that Mr. Chao could not possibly be wrong.
但他既然錯，為什麼大家又彷佛格外尊敬他呢？
But if Ah Q were wrong, why did everybody seem to treat him with unusual respect?
這可難解，穿鑿起來說，或者因為阿Ｑ說是趙太爺的本家，
This is difficult to explain. We may put forward the hypothesis that it was because Ah Q had said he belonged to the same family as Mr. Chao;
雖然挨了打，大家也還怕有些真，總不如尊敬一些穩當。
thus, although he had been beaten, people were still afraid there might be some truth in what he said and therefore thought it safer to treat him more respectfully.
否則，也如孔廟裡的太牢一般，
Or, alternatively, it may have been like the case of the sacrificial beef in the Confucian temple:
雖然與豬羊一樣，同是畜生，但既經聖人下箸，先儒們便不敢妄動了。
although the beef was in the same category as the sacrificial pork and mutton, being of animal origin just as they were, later Confucians did not dare touch it since the sage had enjoyed it.
阿Ｑ此後倒得意了許多年。
After this Ah Q prospered for several years.
有一年的春天，他醉醺醺的在街上走，在牆根的日光下，看見王胡在那里赤著膊捉蝨子，他忽然覺得身上也癢起來了。
One spring, when he was walking along in a state of happy intoxication, he saw Whiskers Wang sitting stripped to the waist in the sunlight at the foot of a wall, catching lice;
這王胡，又癩又胡，別人都叫他王癩胡，阿Ｑ卻刪去了一個癩字，然而非常渺視他。
and at this sight his own body began to itch. Since Whiskers Wang was scabby and bewhiskered, everybody called him "Ringworm Whiskers Wang." Although Ah Q omitted the word "Ringworm," he had the greatest contempt for the man.
阿Ｑ的意思，以為癩是不足為奇的，只有這一部絡腮鬍子，實在太新奇，令人看不上眼。
Ah Q felt that while scabs were nothing to take exception to, such hairy cheeks were really too outlandish, and could excite nothing but scorn.
他於是並排坐下去了。倘是別的閒人們，
So Ah Q sat down by his side. If it had been any other idler,
阿Ｑ本不敢大意坐下去。但這王胡旁邊，他有什麼怕呢？
Ah Q would never have dared sit down so casually; but what had he to fear by the side of Whiskers Wang?
老實說：
他肯坐下去，簡直還是抬舉他。
To tell the truth, the fact that he was willing to sit down was an honour for Wang.
阿Ｑ也脫下破夾襖來，翻檢了一回，不知道因為新洗呢還是因為粗心，許多工夫，只捉到三四個。
Ah Q took off his tattered lined jacket, and turned it inside out; but either because he had washed it recently or because he was too clumsy, a long search yielded only three or four lice.
他看那王胡，卻是一個又一個，兩個又三個，只放在嘴裡畢畢剝剝的響。
He saw that Whiskers Wang, on the other hand, was catching first one and then another in swift succession, cracking them in his teeth with a popping sound.
阿Ｑ最初是失望，後來卻不平了：看不上眼的王胡尚且那麼多，自己倒反這樣少，這是怎樣的大失體統的事呵！
Ah Q felt first disappointed, then resentful: the despicable Whiskers Wang could catch so many while he himself had caught so few—what a great loss of face!
他很想尋一兩個大的，然而竟沒有，好容易才捉到一個中的，恨恨的塞在厚嘴唇裡，狠命一咬，劈的一聲，又不及王胡的響。
He longed to catch one or two big ones, but there were none, and it was only with considerable difficulty that he managed to catch a middle-sized one, which he thrust fiercely into his mouth and bit savagely; but it only gave a small sputtering sound, again inferior to the noise Whiskers Wang was making.
他癩瘡疤塊塊通紅了，將衣服摔在地上，吐一口唾沫，說：
All Ah Q's scars turned scarlet. Flinging his jacket on the ground, he spat and said,
“這毛蟲！”
"Hairy worm!"
“癩皮狗，你罵誰？”王胡輕蔑的抬起眼來說。
"Mangy dog, who are you calling names?" Whiskers Wang looked up contemptuously.
阿Ｑ近來雖然比較的受人尊敬，自己也更高傲些，但和那些打慣的閒人們見面還膽怯，獨有這回卻非常武勇了。
Although the relative respect accorded him in recent years had increased Ah Q's pride, when confronted by loafers who were accustomed to fighting he remained rather timid.
這樣滿臉鬍子的東西，也敢出言無狀麼？
On this occasion, however, he was feeling exceptionally pugnacious. How dare a hairy-cheeked creature like this insult him?
“誰認便罵誰！”他站起來，兩手叉在腰間說。
"Anyone who the name fits," said Ah Q standing up, his hands on his hips.
“你的骨頭癢了麼？”王胡也站起來，披上衣服說。
"Are your bones itching?" demanded Whiskers Wang, standing up too and putting on his coat.
阿Ｑ以為他要逃了，搶進去就是一拳。
Thinking that Wang meant to run away, Ah Q stepped forward raising his fist to punch him.
這拳頭還未達到身上，已經被他抓住了，只一拉，阿Ｑ蹌蹌踉踉的跌進去，立刻又被王胡扭住了辮子，要拉到牆上照例去碰頭。
But before his fist came down, Whiskers Wang had already seized him and given him a tug which sent him staggering. Then Whiskers Wang seized Ah Q's pigtail and started dragging him towards the wall to knock his head in the time-honoured manner.
“‘君子動口不動手’！”阿Ｑ歪著頭說。
"'A gentleman uses his tongue but not his hands!'" protested Ah Q, his head on one side.
王胡似乎不是君子，並不理會，一連給他碰了五下，
Apparently Whiskers Wang was no gentleman, for without paying the slightest attention to what Ah Q said he knocked his head against the wall five times in succession,
又用力的一推，至於阿Ｑ跌出六尺多遠，這才滿足的去了。
and gave him a great shove which sent him staggering two yards away. Only then did Whiskers Wang walk away satisfied.
在阿Ｑ的記憶上，這大約要算是生平第一件的屈辱，因為王胡以絡腮鬍子的缺點，向來只被他奚落，
As far as Ah Q could remember, this was the first humiliation of his life, because he had always scoffed at Whiskers Wang on account of his ugly bewhiskered cheeks,
從沒有奚落他，更不必說動手了。
but had never been scoffed at, much less beaten by him.
而他現在竟動手，很意外，
And now, contrary to all expectations, Whiskers Wang had beaten him.
難道真如市上所說，皇帝已經停了考，不要秀才和舉人了，因此趙家減了威風，
Perhaps what they said in the market-place was really true: "The Emperor has abolished the official examinations, so that scholars who have passed them are no longer in demand." As a result of this the Chao family must have lost prestige.
因此他們也便小覷了他麼？
Was it a result of this, too, that people were treating him contemptuously?
阿Ｑ無可適從的站著。
Ah Q stood there irresolutely.
遠遠的走來了一個人，他的對頭又到了。
From the distance approached another of Ah Q's enemies.
這也是阿Ｑ最厭惡的一個人，就是錢太爺的大兒子。
 This was Mr. Chien's eldest son whom Ah Q also despised.
他先前跑上城裡去進洋學堂，不知怎麼又跑到東洋去了，
After studying in a foreign school in the city, it seemed he had gone to Japan.
半年之後他回到家裡來，腿也直了，辮子也不見了，
When he came home half a year later his legs were straight and his pigtail had disappeared.
他的母親大哭了十幾場，他的老婆跳了三回井。
 His mother cried bitterly a dozen times, and his wife tried three times to jump into the well.
後來，他的母親到處說，“這辮子是被壞人灌醉了酒剪去了。本來可以做大官，現在只好等留長再說了。 ”
Later his mother told everyone, "His pigtail was cut off by some scoundrel when he was drunk. He would have been able to be an official, but now he will have to wait until it has grown again before he thinks of that."
然而阿Ｑ不肯信，偏稱他“假洋鬼子”，也叫作“里通外國的人”，
Ah Q did not, however, believe this, and insisted on calling him "Imitation Foreign Devil" and "Traitor in Foreign Pay."
一見他，一定在肚子裡暗暗的咒罵。
As soon as Ah Q saw him he would start cursing under his breath.
阿Ｑ尤其“深惡而痛絕之”的，是他的一條假辮子。
What Ah Q despised and detested most in him was his false pigtail.
辮子而至於假，就是沒有了做人的資格；
When it came to having a false pigtail, a man could scarcely be considered human;
他的老婆不跳第四回井，也不是好女人。
and the fact that his wife had not attempted to jump into the well a fourth time showed that she was not a good woman either.
這“假洋鬼子”近來了。
Now this "Imitation Foreign Devil" was approaching.
“禿兒。驢……”阿Ｑ歷來本只在肚子裡罵，沒有出過聲，
"Baldhead—Ass—" In the past Ah Q had cursed under his breath only, inaudibly;
這回因為正氣忿，因為要報仇，便不
由的輕輕的說出來了。
but today, because he was in a bad temper and wanted to work off his feelings, the words slipped out involuntarily.
不料這禿兒卻拿著一支黃漆的棍子——就是阿Ｑ所謂哭喪棒——大蹋步走了過來。
Unfortunately this "baldhead" was carrying a shiny, brown stick which Ah Q called a "staff carried by the mourner."
阿Ｑ在這剎那，便知道大約要打了，趕緊抽緊筋骨，聳了肩膀等候著，
With great strides he bore down on Ah Q who, guessing at once that a beating was impending, hastily braced himself to wait with a stiffened back.
果然，拍的一聲，似乎確鑿打在自己頭上了。
Sure enough, there was a resounding thwack which seemed to have alighted on his head.
“我說他！”阿Ｑ指著近旁的一個孩子，分辯說。
"I meant him!" explained Ah Q, pointing to a nearby child.
拍！拍拍！
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
在阿Ｑ的記憶上，這大約要算是生平第二件的屈辱。
As far as Ah Q could remember, this was the second humiliation of his life.
幸而拍拍的響了之後，於他倒似乎完結了一件事，反而覺得輕鬆些，
Fortunately after the thwacking stopped it seemed to him that the matter was closed, and he even felt somewhat relieved.
而且“忘卻”這一件祖傳的寶貝也發生了效力，
Moreover, the precious "ability to forget" handed down by his ancestors stood him in good stead.
他慢慢的走，將到酒店門口，早已有些高興了。
He walked slowly away and by the time he approached the wine shop door he felt quite happy again.
但對面走來了靜修庵里的小尼姑。阿Ｑ便在平時，看見伊也一定要唾罵，而況在屈辱之後呢？
Just then, however, a small nun from the Convent of Quiet Self-improvement came walking towards him. The sight of a nun always made Ah Q swear; how much more so, then, after these humiliations?
他於是發生了回憶，又發生了敵愾了。
When he recalled what had happened, all his anger revived.
“我不知道我今天為什麼這樣晦氣，原來就因為見了你！”他想。
"So all my bad luck today was because I had to see you!" he thought to himself.
他迎上去，大聲的吐一口唾沫：
He went up to her and spat noisily.
“咳，呸！”
"Ugh! . . . . Pah!"
小尼姑全不睬，低了頭只是走。
The small nun paid not the least attention, but walked on with lowered head.
阿Ｑ走近伊身旁，突然伸出手去摩著伊新剃的頭皮，呆笑著，說：
Ah Q went up to her and shot out a hand to rub her newly shaved scalp, then laughing stupidly said,
“禿兒！快回去，和尚等著你……”
"Baldhead! Go back quickly, your monk is waiting for you. . . ."
“你怎麼動手動腳……”尼姑滿臉通紅的說，一面趕快走。
"Who are you pawing? . . ." demanded the nun, blushing crimson as she began to hurry away.
酒店裡的人大笑了。阿Ｑ看見自己的勳業得了賞識，便愈加興高采烈起來：
The men in the wine shop roared with laughter. Seeing that his feat was admired, Ah Q began to feel elated.
“和尚動得，我動不得？”他扭住伊的面頰。
"If the monk paws you, why can't I?" said he, pinching her cheek.
酒店裡的人大笑了。
Again the men in the wine shop roared with laughter.
阿Ｑ更得意，而且為了滿足那些賞鑑家起見，再用力的一擰，才放手。
Ah Q felt even more pleased, and in order to satisfy those who were expressing approval, he pinched her hard again before letting her go.
他這一戰，早忘卻了王胡，也忘卻了假洋鬼子，似乎對於今天的一切“晦氣”都報了仇；
During this encounter he had already forgotten Whiskers Wang and the Imitation Foreign Devil, as if all the day's bad luck had been avenged.
而且奇怪，又彷佛全身比拍拍的響了之後輕鬆，飄飄然的似乎要飛去了。
And, strange to relate, even more relaxed than after the beating, he felt light and buoyant as if ready to float into the air.
“這斷子絕孫的阿Ｑ！”遠遠地聽得小尼姑的帶哭的聲音。
"Ah Q, may you die sonless!" sounded the little nun's voice tearfully in the distance.
“哈哈哈！”阿Ｑ十分得意的笑。
Ah Q roared with delighted laughter.
“哈哈哈！”酒店裡的人也九分得意的笑。
The men in the wine shop roared too, with only slightly less satisfaction.
有人說：有些勝利者，願意敵手如虎，如鷹，他才感得勝利的歡喜；
There are said to be some victors who take no pleasure in a victory unless their opponents are as fierce as tigers or eagles:
假使如羊，如小雞，他便反覺得勝利的無聊。
if their adversaries are as timid as sheep or chickens they find their triumph empty.
又有些勝利者，當克服一切之後，看見死的死了，降的降了，“臣誠惶誠恐死罪死
罪”，他於是沒有了敵人，沒有了對手，沒有了朋友，只有自己在上，一個，孤另另，淒涼，寂寞，
There are other victors who, having carried all before them, with the enemy slain or surrendered, cowering in utter subjection, realize that now no foe, rival, or friend is left—they have only themselves, supreme, solitary, desolate, and forlorn.
便反而感到了勝利的悲哀。
Then they find their triumph a tragedy.
然而我們的阿Ｑ卻沒有這樣乏，他是永遠得意的：
But our hero was not so spineless. He was always exultant.
這或者也是中國精神文明冠於全球的一個證據了。
This may be a proof of the moral supremacy of China over the rest of the world.
看哪，他飄飄然的似乎要飛去了！
Look at Ah Q, light and elated, as if about to fly!
然而這一次的勝利，卻又使他有些異樣。
This victory was not without strange consequences, though.
他飄飄然的飛了大半天，飄進土谷祠，照例應該躺下便打鼾。
For quite a time he seemed to be flying, and he flew into the Tutelary God's Temple, where he would normally have snored as soon as he lay down.
誰知道這一晚，他很不容易合眼，他覺得自己的大拇指和第二指有點古怪：彷彿比平常滑膩些。
This evening, however, he found it very difficult to close his eyes, for he felt as if there were something the matter with his thumb and first finger, which seemed to be smoother than usual.
 不知道是小尼姑的臉上有一點滑膩的東西粘在他指上，還是他的指頭在小尼姑臉上磨得滑膩了？ ……
It is impossible to say whether something soft and smooth on the little nun's face had stuck to his fingers, or whether his fingers had been rubbed smooth against her cheek.
“斷子絕孫的阿Ｑ！”
"Ah Q, may you die sonless!"
阿Ｑ的耳朵裡又聽到這句話。他想：
These words sounded again in Ah Q's ears, and he thought,
不錯，應該有一個女人，斷子絕孫便沒有人供一碗飯，…… 應該有一個女人。
"Quite right, I should take a wife; for if a man dies sonless he has no one to sacrifice a bowl of rice to his spirit . . . I ought to have a wife."
夫“不孝有三無後為大”，而“若敖之鬼餒而”，也是一件人生的大哀，所以他那思想，其實是樣樣合於聖經賢傳的，只可惜後來有些“不能收其放心”了。
 As the saying goes, "There are three forms of unfilial conduct, of which the worst is to have no descendants," and it is one of the tragedies of life that "spirits without descendants go hungry." Thus his view was absolutely in accordance with the teachings of the saints and sages, and it is indeed a pity that later he should have run amok.
“女人，女人！……”他想。
"Woman, woman! " he thought.
“……和尚動得……女人，女人！……女人！”他又想。
". . . The monk paws. . . . Woman, woman! . . . Woman!" he thought again.
我們不能知道這晚上阿Ｑ在什麼時候才打鼾。
We shall never know when Ah Q finally fell asleep that evening.
但大約他從此總覺得指頭有些滑膩，所以他從此總有些飄飄然；“女……”他想。
After this, however, he probably always found his fingers rather soft and smooth, and always remained a little light-headed. "Woman. . . ." he kept thinking.
即此一端，我們便可以知道女人是害人的東西。
From this we can see that woman is a menace to mankind.
中國的男人，本來大半都可以做聖賢，可惜全被女人毀掉了。
The majority of Chinese men could become saints and sages, were it not for the unfortunate fact that they are ruined by women.
商是妲己鬧亡的；周是褒姒弄壞的；秦……雖然史無明文，我們也假定他因為女人，大約未必十分錯；
The Shang dynasty was destroyed by Ta Chi, the Chou dynasty was undermined by Pao Szu; as for the Chin dynasty, although there is no historical evidence to that effect, if we assume that it fell on account of some woman we shall probably not be far wrong.
而董卓可是的確給貂蟬害死了。
And it is a fact that Tung Cho's death was caused by Tiao Chan.
阿Ｑ本來也是正人，
Ah Q, too, was a man of strict morals to begin with.
我們雖然不知道他曾蒙什麼明師指授過，但他對於“男女之大防”㈠卻歷來非常嚴；也很有排斥異端——如小尼姑及假洋鬼子之類——的正氣。
Although we do not know whether he was guided by some good teacher, he had always shown himself most scrupulous in observing "strict segregation of the sexes," and was righteous enough to denounce such heretics as the little nun and the Imitation Foreign Devil.
他的學說是：凡尼姑，一定與和尚私通；一個女人在外面走，一定想引誘野男人；一男一女在那裡講話，一定要有勾當了。
 His view was, "All nuns must carry on in secret with monks. If a woman walks alone on the street, she must want to seduce bad men.
為懲治他們起見，所以他往往怒目而視，或者大聲說幾句“誅心”㈡話，或者在冷僻處，便從後面擲一塊小石頭。
When a man and a woman talk together, it must be to arrange to meet." In order to correct such people, he would glare furiously, pass loud, cutting remarks, or, if the place were deserted, throw a small stone from behind.
誰知道他將到“而立”㈢之年，竟被小尼姑害得飄飄然了。
Who could tell that close on thirty, when a man should "stand firm," he would lose his head like this over a little nun?
這飄飄然的精神，在禮教上是不應該有的，——所以女人真可惡，
Such light-headedness, according to the classical canons, is most reprehensible; thus women certainly are hateful creatures.
假使小尼姑的臉上不滑膩，阿Ｑ便不至於被蠱，又假使小尼姑的臉上蓋一層布，阿Ｑ便也不至於被蠱了，——
For if the little nun's face had not been soft and smooth, Ah Q would not have been bewitched by her; nor would this have happened if the little nun's face had been covered by a cloth.
他五六年前，曾在戲台下的人叢中擰過一個女人的大腿，
Five or six years before, when watching an open-air opera, he had pinched the leg of a woman in the audience;
但因為隔一層褲，所以此後並不飄飄然，——而小尼姑並不然，這也足見異端之可惡。
but because it was separated from him by the cloth of her trousers he had not had this light-headed feeling afterwards. The little nun had not covered her face, however, and this is another proof of the odiousness of the heretic.
“女……”阿Ｑ想。
"Woman . . . " thought Ah Q.
他對於以為“一定想引誘野男人”的女人，時常留心看，然而伊並不對他笑。
He kept a close watch on those women who he believed must "want to seduce bad men," but they did not smile at him.
他對於和他講話的女人，也時常留心聽，然而伊又並不提起關於什麼勾當的話來。
He listened very carefully to those women who talked to him, but not one of them mentioned anything relevant to a secret rendezvous.
哦，這也是女人可惡之一節：伊們全都要裝“假正經”的。
Ah! This was simply another example of the odiousness of women: they all assumed a false modesty.
這一天，阿Ｑ在趙太爺家裡舂了一天米，吃過晚飯，便坐在廚房裡吸旱煙。
One day when Ah Q was grinding rice in Mr. Chao's house, he sat down in the kitchen after supper to smoke a pipe.
倘在別家，吃過晚飯本可以回去的了，但趙府上晚飯早，
If it had been anyone else's house, he could have gone home after supper, but they dined early in the Chao family.
雖說定例不准掌燈，一吃完便睡覺，然而偶然也有一些例外：
Although it was the rule that you must not light a lamp, but go to bed after eating, there were occasional exceptions to the rule.
其一，是趙大爺未進秀才的時候，准其點燈讀文章；
Before Mr. Chao's son passed the county examination he was allowed to light a lamp to study the examination essays,
其二，便是阿Ｑ來做短工的時候，准其點燈舂米。
and when Ah Q went to do odd jobs he was allowed to light a lamp to grind rice.
因為這一條例外，所以阿Ｑ在動手舂米之前，還坐在廚房裡吸煙旱。
Because of this latter exception to the rule, Ah Q still sat in the kitchen smoking before going on with his work.
吳媽，是趙太爺家裡唯一的女僕，洗完了碗碟，也就在長凳上坐下了，而且和阿Ｑ談閒天：
When Amah Wu, the only maidservant in the Chao household, had finished washing the dishes, she sat down on the long bench too and started chatting to Ah Q:
“太太兩天沒有吃飯哩，因為老爺要買一個小的……”
"Our mistress hasn't eaten anything for two days, because the master wants to get a concubine. . . ."
“女人……吳媽……這小孤孀……”阿Ｑ想。
"Woman . . . Amah Wu . . . this little widow," thought Ah Q.
“我們的少奶奶是八月裡要生孩子了……”
"Our young mistress is going to have a baby in the eighth moon . ."
“女人……”阿Ｑ想。
"Woman . . ." thought Ah Q.
阿Ｑ放下煙管，站了起來。
He put down his pipe and stood up.
“我們的少奶奶……”吳媽還嘮叨說。
"Our young mistress—" Amah Wu chattered on.
“我和你困覺，我和你困覺！”阿Ｑ忽然搶上去，對伊跪下了。
"Sleep with me!" Ah Q suddenly rushed forward and threw himself at her feet.
一剎時中很寂然。
There was a moment of absolute silence.
“阿呀！”吳媽楞了一息，突然發抖，大叫著往外跑，且跑且嚷，似乎後來帶哭了。
"Aiya!" Dumbfounded for an instant, Amah Wu suddenly began to tremble, then rushed out shrieking and could soon be heard sobbing.  Đ????????? chase
阿Ｑ對了牆壁跪著也發楞，於是兩手扶著空板凳，慢慢的站起來，彷彿覺得有些糟。
Ah Q kneeling opposite the wall was dumbfounded too. He grasped the empty bench with both hands and stood up slowly, dimly aware that something was wrong.
他這時確也有些忐忑了，慌張的將煙管插在褲帶上，就想去舂米。
In fact, by this time he was in rather a nervous state himself. In a flurry, he stuck his pipe into his belt and decided to go back to the rice.
蓬的一聲，頭上著了很粗的一下，他急忙迴轉身去，那秀才便拿了一支大竹槓站在他面前。
 But—bang!—a heavy blow landed on his head, and he spun round to see the successful county candidate standing before him brandishing a big bamboo pole.
“你反了，……你這……”
"How dare you ... you. . . . ."
大竹槓又向他劈下來了。阿Ｑ兩手去抱頭，拍的正打在指節上，這可很有些痛。
The big bamboo pole came down across Ah Q's shoulders. When he put up both hands to protect his head, the blow landed on his knuckles, causing him considerable pain.
他衝出廚房門， 彷彿背上又著了一下似的。
As he escaped through the kitchen door it seemed as if his back also received a blow.
“忘八蛋！”秀才在後面用了官話這樣罵。
"Turtle's egg!" shouted the successful candidate, cursing him in mandarin from behind.
阿Ｑ奔入舂米場，一個人站著，還覺得指頭痛，還記得“忘八蛋”，因為這話是未莊的鄉下人從來不用，
Ah Q fled to the hulling-floor where he stood alone, still feeling a pain in his knuckles and still remembering that "turtle's egg" because it was an expression never used by the Weichuang villagers, but only by the rich who had seen something of official life.
專是見過官府的闊人用的，所以格外怕，而印像也格外深。
This made him more frightened, and left an exceptionally deep impression on his mind.
但這時，他那“女……”的思想卻也沒有了。
By now, however, all thought of "Woman . . . " had flown.
而且打罵之後，似乎一件事也已經收束，倒反覺得一無掛礙似的，便動手去舂米。
After this cursing and beating it seemed as if something were done with, and quite lightheartedly he began to grind rice again.
舂了一會，他熱起來了，又歇了手脫衣服。
After grinding for some time he felt hot, and stopped to take off his shirt.
脫下衣服的時候，他聽得外面很熱鬧，阿Ｑ生平本來最愛看熱鬧，便即尋聲走出去了。
While he was taking off his shirt he heard an uproar outside, and since Ah Q always liked to join in any excitement that was going, he went Out in search of the sound.
尋聲漸漸的尋到趙太爺的內院裡，雖然在昏黃中，卻辨得出許多人，趙府一家連兩日不吃飯的太太也在內，
He traced it gradually right into Mr. Chao's inner courtyard. Although it was dusk he could see many people there: all the Chao family including the mistress who had not eaten for two days.
還有間壁的鄒七嫂，真正本家的趙白眼，趙司晨。
In addition, their neighbour Mrs. Tsou was there, as well as their relatives Chao Pai-yen and Chao Szu-chen.
少奶奶正拖著吳媽走出下房來，一面說：
The young mistress was leading Amah Wu out of the servants' quarters, saying as she did so:
“你到外面來，……不要躲在自己房裡想……”
"Come outside . . . don't stay brooding in your own room."
“誰不知道你正經，……短見是萬萬尋不得的。”鄒七嫂也從旁說。
"Everybody knows you are a good woman," put in Mrs. Tsou from the side. "You mustn't think of committing suicide."
吳媽只是哭，夾些話，卻不甚聽得分明。
Amah Wu merely wailed, muttering something inaudible.
阿Ｑ想：“哼，有趣，這小孤孀不知道鬧著什麼玩意兒了？”
"This is interesting," thought Ah Q. "What mischief can this little widow be up to?"
他想打聽，走近趙司晨的身邊。這時他猛然間看見趙大爺向他奔來，而且手裡捏著一支大竹槓。
Wanting to find out, he was approaching Chao Szu-chen when suddenly he caught sight of Mr. Chao's eldest son rushing towards him with, what was worse, the big bamboo pole in his hand.
他看見這一支大竹槓，便猛然間悟到自己曾經被打，和這一場熱鬧似乎有點相關。
The sight of this big bamboo pole reminded him that he had been beaten by it, and be realized that apparently he was connected in some way with this scene of exitement.
他翻身便走，想逃回舂米場，不圖這支竹槓阻了他的去路， 於是他又翻身便走，自然而然的走出後門，不多工夫，已在土谷祠內了。
He turned and ran, hoping to escape to the hulling-floor, not foreseeing that the bamboo pole would cut off his retreat; thereupon he turned and ran in the other direction, leaving without further ado by the back door. In a short time he was back in the Tutelary God's Temple.
阿Ｑ坐了一會，皮膚有些起粟，他覺得冷了，因為雖在春季，而夜間頗有餘寒，尚不宜於赤膊。
After Ah Q had sat down for a time, his skin began to form goose pimples and he felt cold, because although it was spring the nights were still quite frosty and nor suited to bare backs.
他也記得布衫留在趙家，但倘若去取，又深怕秀才的竹槓。
He remembered that he had left his shirt in the Chaos' house, but he was afraid if he went to fetch it he might get another taste of the successful candidate's bamboo pole.
然而地保進來了。
Then the bailiff came in.
“阿Ｑ，你的媽媽的！你連趙家的用人都調戲起來，簡直是造反。害得我晚上沒有覺睡，你的媽媽的！ ……”
"Curse you, Ah Q!" said the bailiff. "So you can't even keep your hands off the Chao family servants, you rebel! You've made me lose my sleep, curse you! . . ."
如是云云的教訓了一通，阿Ｑ自然沒有話。
Under this torrent of abuse Ah Q naturally had nothing to say.
臨末，因為在晚上，應該送地保加倍酒錢四百文，阿Ｑ正沒有現錢，便用一頂氈帽做抵押，並且訂定了五條件：
Finally, since it was night-time, Ah Q had to pay double and give the bailiff four hundred cash. Because he happened to have no ready money by him, he gave his felt hat as security, and agreed to the following five terms:
一明天用紅燭——要一斤重的——一對，香一封，到趙府上去賠罪。
1. The next morning Ah Q must take a pair of red candles, weighing one pound, and a bundle of incense sticks to the Chao family to atone for his misdeeds.
二趙府上請道士祓除縊鬼，費用由阿Ｑ負擔。
2. Ah Q must pay for the Taoist priests whom the Chao family had called to exorcize evil spirits.
三阿Ｑ從此不准踏進趙府的門檻。
3. Ah Q must never again set foot in the Chao household.
四吳媽此後倘有不測，惟阿Ｑ是問。
4. If anything unfortunate should happen to Amah Wu, Ah Q must be held responsible.
五阿Ｑ不准再去索取工錢和布衫。
5. Ah Q must not go back for his wages or shirt.
阿Ｑ自然都答應了，可惜沒有錢。
Ah Q naturally agreed to everything, but unfortunately he had no ready money.
幸而已經春天，棉被可以無用，便質了二千大錢，履行條約。
Luckily it was already spring, so it was possible to do without his padded quilt which he pawned for two thousand cash to comply with the terms stipulated.
赤膊磕頭之後，居然還剩幾文，他也不再贖氈帽，統統喝了酒了。
After kowtowing with bare back he still had a few cash left, but instead of using these to redeem his felt hat from the bailiff, he spent them all on drink.
但趙家也並不燒香點燭，因為太太拜佛的時候可以用，留著了。
Actually, the Chao family burned neither the incense nor the candles, because these could be used when the mistress worshipped Buddha and were put aside for that purpose.
那破布衫是大半做了少奶奶八月間生下來的孩子的襯尿布，那小半破爛的便都做了吳媽的鞋底。
 Most of the ragged shirt was made into diapers for the baby which was born to the young mistress in the eighth moon, while the tattered remainder was used by Amah Wu to make shoe soles.
阿Ｑ禮畢之後，仍舊回到土谷祠，太陽下去了，漸漸覺得世上有些古怪。
After Ah Q had kowtowed and complied with the Chao family's terms, he went back as usual to the Tutelary God's Temple.
他仔細一想，終於省悟過來：其原因蓋在自己的赤膊。
The sun had gone down, and he began to feel that something was wrong. Careful thought led him to the conclusion that this was probably because his back was bare.
他記得破夾襖還在，便披在身上，躺倒了，待張開眼睛，原來太陽又已經照在西牆上頭了。
Remembering that he still had a ragged lined jacket, he put it on and lay down, and when he opened his eyes again the sun was already shining on the top of the west wall.
他坐起身，一面說道，“媽媽的……”
He sat up, saying, "Curse it. . . ."
他起來之後，也仍舊在街上逛，雖然不比赤膊之有切膚之痛，卻又漸漸的覺得世上有些古怪了。
After getting up he loafed about the streets as usual, until he began to feel that something else was wrong, though this was not to be compared to the physical discomfort of a bare back.
彷彿從這一天起，未莊的女人們忽然都怕了羞，伊們一見阿Ｑ走來，便個個躲進門裡去。
Apparently, from that day onwards all the women in Weichuang became shy of Ah Q: whenever they saw him coming they took refuge indoors.
甚而至於將近五十歲的鄒七嫂，也跟著別人亂鑽，而且將十一的女兒都叫進去了。
In fact, even Mrs. Tsou who was nearly fifty years old retreated in confusion with the rest, calling her eleven-year-old daughter to go inside.
阿Ｑ很以為奇，而且想：“這些東西忽然都學起小姐模樣來了。這娼婦們……”
This struck Ah Q as very strange. "The bitches!" he thought. "They have suddenly become as coy as young ladies. . . ."
但他更覺得世上有些古怪，卻是許多日以後的事。
A good many days later, however, he felt even more strongly that something was wrong.
其一，酒店不肯賒欠了；
First, the wine shop refused him credit;
其二，管土谷祠的老頭子說些廢話，似乎叫他走；
secondly, the old man in charge of the Tutelary God's Temple made some uncalled-for remarks, as if he wanted Ah Q to leave;
其三，他雖然記不清多少日，但確乎有許多日，沒有一個人來叫他做短工。
and thirdly, for many days—how many exactly he could not remember—not a soul had come to hire him.
酒店不賒，熬著也罷了；老頭子催他走，嚕囌一通也就算了；
To be refused credit in the wine shop he could put up with; if the old man kept urging him to leave, Ah Q could just ignore his complaints;
只是沒有人來叫他做短工，卻使阿Ｑ肚子餓：這委實是一件非常“媽媽的”的事情。
but when no one came to hire him he had to go hungry; and this was really a "cursed" state to be in.
阿Ｑ忍不下去了，他只好到老主顧的家裡去探問，——但獨不許踏進趙府的門檻，——然而情形也異樣：一定走出一個男人來，現了十分煩厭的相貌，像回复乞丐一般的搖手道：
When Ah Q could stand it no longer he went to his regular employers' houses to find out what was the matter—it was only Mr. Chao's threshold that he was not allowed to cross. But he met with a very strange reception. The one to appear was always a man, who looked thoroughly annoyed and waved Ah Q away as if he were a beggar, saying:
“沒有沒有！你出去！”
"There is nothing, nothing at all! Go away!"
阿Ｑ愈覺得稀奇了。他想，這些人家向來少不了要幫忙，不至於現在忽然都無事，這總該有些蹊蹺在裡面了。他留心打聽，才知道他們有事都去叫小Ｄｏｎ。
Ah Q found it more and more extraordinary. "These people always needed help in the past," he thought. "They can't suddenly have nothing to be done. This looks fishy." After making careful enquiries he found out that when they had any odd jobs they all called in Young D.
這小Ｄ，是一個窮小子，又瘦又乏，在阿Ｑ的眼睛裡，位置是在王胡之下的，
Now this Young D was a lean and weakly pauper, even lower in Ah Q's eyes than Whiskers Wang.
誰料這小子竟謀了他的飯碗去。
Who could have thought that this low fellow would steal his living from him?
所以阿Ｑ這一氣，更與平常不同，當氣憤憤的走著的時候，忽然將手一揚，唱道：
 So this time Ah Q's indignation was greater than usual, and going on his way, fuming, he suddenly raised his arm and sang:
“我手執鋼鞭將你打！㈤……”
"I'll thrash you with a steel mace. . . . "
幾天之後，他竟在錢府的照壁前遇見了小Ｄ。
A few days later he did indeed meet Young D in front of Mr. Chien's house.
“仇人相見分外眼明”，阿Ｑ便迎上去，小Ｄ也站住了。
"When two foes meet, their eyes flash fire." As Ah Q went up to him, Young D stood still.
“畜生！”阿Ｑ怒目而視的說，嘴角上飛出唾沫來。
"Stupid ass!" hissed Ah Q, glaring furiously and foaming at the mouth.
“我是蟲豸，好麼？……”小Ｄ說。
"I'm an insect—will that do?" asked YoungD.
這謙遜反使阿Ｑ更加憤怒起來，但他手裡沒有鋼鞭，於是只得撲上去，伸手去拔小Ｄ的辮子。
Such modesty only made Ah Q angrier than ever, but since he had no steel mace in his hand all he could do was to rush forward with outstretched hand to seize Young D's pigtail.
小Ｄ一手護住了自己的辮根，一手也來拔阿Ｑ的辮子，阿Ｑ便也將空著的一隻手護住了自己的辮根。
Young D, while protecting his pigtail with one hand, tried to seize Ah Q's with the other, whereupon Ah Q also used one free hand to protect his own pigtail.
從先前的阿Ｑ看來，，小Ｄ本來是不足齒數的，但他近來挨了餓，又瘦又乏已經不下於小Ｄ，所以便成了勢均力敵的現象，
In the past Ah Q had never considered Young D worth taking seriously, but since he had recently suffered from hunger himself he was now as thin and weak as his opponent, so that they presented a spectacle of evenly matched antagonists.
四隻手拔著兩顆頭，都彎了腰，在錢家粉牆上映出一個藍色的虹形，至於半點鐘
之久了。
Four hands clutched at two heads, both men bending at the waist, cast a blue, rainbow-shaped shadow on the Chien family's white wall for over half an hour.
“好了，好了！”看的人們說，大約是解勸的。
"All right! All right!" exclaimed some of the onlookers, probably trying to make peace.
“好，好！”看的人們說，不知道是解勸，是頌揚，還是煽動。
"Good, good!" exclaimed others, but whether to make peace, applaud the fighters or incite them on to further efforts, is not certain.
然而他們都不聽。
The two combatants turned deaf ears to them all, however.
阿Ｑ進三步，小Ｄ便退三步，都站著；
If Ah Q advanced three paces, Young D would recoil three paces, and so they would stand.
小Ｄ進三步，阿Ｑ便退三步，又都站著。
If Young D advanced three paces, Ah Q would recoil three paces, and so they would stand again.
大約半點鐘，——未莊少有自鳴鐘，所以很難說，或者二十分，——他們的頭髮里便都冒煙，額上便都流汗，
After about half an hour—Weichuang had few striking clocks, so it is difficult to tell the time; it may have been twenty minutes—when steam was rising from their heads and sweat pouring down their cheeks,
阿Ｑ的手放鬆了，在同一瞬間，小Ｄ的手也正放鬆了，同時直起，同時退開，都擠出人叢去。
Ah Q let fall his hands, and in the same second Young D's hands fell too. They straightened up simultaneously and stepped back simultaneously, pushing their way out through the crowd.
“記著罷，媽媽的……”阿Ｑ回過頭去說。
"You'll be hearing from me again, curse you! . . ." said Ah Q over his shoulder.
“媽媽的，記著罷……”小Ｄ也回過頭來說。
"Curse you! You'll be hearing from me again . . ." echoed Young D, also over his shoulder.
這一場“龍虎鬥”似乎並無勝敗，也不知道看的人可滿足，都沒有發什麼議論，
This epic struggle had apparently ended neither in victory nor defeat, and it is not known whether the spectators were satisfied or not, for none of them expressed any opinion.
而阿Ｑ卻仍然沒有人來叫他做短工。
But still not a soul came to hire Ah Q.
有一日很溫和，微風拂拂的頗有些夏意了，阿Ｑ卻覺得寒冷起來，但這還可擔當，第一倒是肚子餓。
One warm day, when a balmy breeze seemed to give some foretaste of summer, Ah Q actually felt cold; but he could put up with this—his greatest worry was an empty stomach.
棉被，氈帽，布衫，早已沒有了，其次就賣了棉襖；
His cotton quilt, felt bar and shirt had long since disappeared, and after that he had sold his padded jacket.
現在有褲子，卻萬不可脫的；
Now nothing was left but his trousers, and these of course he could not take off.
有破夾襖，又除了送人做鞋底之外，決定賣不出錢。
He had a ragged lined jacket, it is true; but this was certainly worthless, unless he gave it away to be made into shoe soles.
他早想在路上拾得一注錢，但至今還沒有見；
He had long hoped to pick up a sum of money on the road, but hitherto he had not been successful;
他想在自己的破屋裡忽然尋到一注錢，慌張的四顧，但屋內是空虛而且了然。
he had also hoped he might suddenly discover a sum of money in his tumbledown room, and had looked wildly all through it, but the room was quite, quite empty.
於是他決計出門求食去了。
Thereupon he made up his mind to go out in search of food.
他在路上走著要“求食”，看見熟識的酒店，看見熟識的饅頭，但他都走過了，不但沒有暫停，而且並不想要。
As he walked along the road "in search of food" he saw the familiar wine shop and the familiar steamed bread, but he passed them by without pausing for a second, without even hankering after them.
他所求的不是這類東西了；他求的是什麼東西，他自己不知道。
It was not these he was looking for, although what exactly he was looking for he did nor know himself.
未莊本不是大村鎮，不多時便走盡了。
Since Weichuang was not a big place, he soon left it behind.
村外多是水田，滿眼是新秧的嫩綠，夾著幾個圓形的活動的黑點，便是耕田的農夫。
Most of the country outside the village consisted of paddy fields, green as far as the eye could see with the tender shoots of young rice, dotted here and there with round, black, moving objects, which were peasants cultivating the fields.
阿Ｑ並不賞鑑這田家樂，卻只是走，因為他直覺的知道這與他的“求食”之道是很遼遠的。
But blind to the delights of country life, Ah Q simply went on his way, for he knew instinctively that this was far removed from his "search for food."
但他終於走到靜修庵的牆外了。
Finally, however, he came to the walls of the Convent of Quiet Self-improvement.
庵周圍也是水田，粉牆突出在新綠里，後面的低土牆裡是菜園。
The convent too was surrounded by paddy fields, its white walls standing out sharply in the fresh green, and inside the low earthen wall at the back was a vegetable garden.
阿Ｑ遲疑了一會，四面一看，並沒有人。
Ah Q hesitated for a time, looking around him.
他便爬上這矮牆去，扯著何首烏藤，
Since there was no one in sight he scrambled on to the low wall, holding on to some milkwort.
但泥土仍然簌簌的掉，阿Ｑ的腳也索索的抖；
The mud wall started crumbling, and Ah Q shook with fear;
終於攀著桑樹枝，跳到裡面了。
however, by clutching at the branch of a mulberry tree he managed to jump over it.
裡面真是鬱鬱蔥蔥，但似乎並沒有黃酒饅頭，以及此外可吃的之類。
Within was a wild profusion of vegetation, but no sign of yellow wine, steamed bread, or anything edible.
靠西牆是竹叢，下面許多筍，只可惜都是並未煮熟的，
A clump of bamboos, with many young shoots, grew by the west wall but unfortunately these shoots were not cooked.
還有油菜早經結子，芥菜已將開花，小白菜也很老了。
There was also rape which had long since gone to seed; the mustard was already about to flower, and the small cabbages looked very tough.
阿Ｑ彷彿文童落第似的覺得很冤屈，
Ah Q felt as resentful as a scholar who has failed in the examinations.
他慢慢走近園門去，忽而非常驚喜了，這分明是一畦老蘿蔔。
As he walked slowly towards the gate of the garden he gave a start of joy, for there before him what did he see but a patch of turnips!
他於是蹲下便拔，而門口突然伸出一個很圓的頭來，又即縮回去了，
He knelt down and began pulling, when suddenly a round head appeared from behind the gate, only to be withdrawn again at once.
這分明是小尼姑。小尼姑之流是阿Ｑ本來視若草芥的，但世事須“退一步想”，
 This was no other than the little nun. Now though Ah Q had always had the greatest contempt for such people as little nuns, there are times when "Discretion is the better part of valour."
所以他便趕緊拔起四個蘿蔔，擰下青葉，兜在大襟裡。
He hastily pulled up four turnips, tore off the leaves and folded them in his jacket.
然而老尼姑已經出來了。
By this time an old nun had already come out.
“阿彌陀佛，阿Ｑ，你怎麼跳進園裡來偷蘿蔔！……阿呀，罪過呵，阿唷，阿彌陀佛！……”
"May Buddha preserve us, Ah Q! What made you climb into our garden to steal turnips! . . . Oh dear, what a wicked thing to do! Oh dear, Buddha preserve us! . . ."
“我什麼時候跳進你的園裡來偷蘿蔔？”阿Ｑ且看且走的說。
"When did I ever climb into your garden and steal turnips?" retorted Ah Q, as he started off, still looking at her.
“現在……這不是？”老尼姑指著他的衣兜。
"Now—aren't you?" said the old nun, pointing at the folds of his jacket.
“這是你的？你能叫得他答應你麼？你……”
"Are these yours? Can you make them answer you? You. . . . ."
阿Ｑ沒有說完話，拔步便跑；追來的是一匹很肥大的黑狗。
Leaving his sentence unfinished, Ah Q took to his heels as fast as he could, followed by an enormously fat, black dog.
這本來在前門的，不知怎的到後園來了。
Originally this dog had been at the front gate, and how it reached the back garden was a mystery.
黑狗哼而且追，已經要咬著阿Ｑ的腿，幸而從衣兜里落下一個蘿蔔來，那狗給一嚇，
With a snarl the black dog gave chase and was just about to bite Ah Q's leg when most opportunely a turnip fell from his jacket, and the dog, taken by surprise, stopped for a second.
略略一停，阿Ｑ已經爬上桑樹，跨到土牆，連人和蘿蔔都滾出牆外面了。只剩著黑狗還在對著桑樹嗥，老尼姑念著佛。
 During this time Ah Q scrambled up the mulberry tree, scaled the mud wall and fell, turnips and all, outside the convent. He left the black dog still barking by the mulberry tree, and the old nun saying her prayers.
阿Ｑ怕尼姑又放出黑狗來，拾起蘿蔔便走，沿路又撿了幾塊小石頭，
Fearing that the nun would let the black dog our again, Ah Q gathered together his turnips and ran, picking up a few small stones as he went.
但黑狗卻並不再現。
But the black dog did not reappear.
阿Ｑ於是拋了石塊，一面走一面吃，而且想道，這裡也沒有什麼東西尋，不如進城去……
Ah Q threw away the stones and walked on, eating as he went, thinking to himself: "There is nothing to be had here; I had better go to town. . . ."
待三個蘿蔔吃完時，他已經打定了進城的主意了。
By the time he had finished the third turnip, he had made up his mind to go to town.
在未莊再看見阿Ｑ出現的時候，是剛過了這年的中秋。
Weichuang did not see Ah Q again till just after the Moon Festival that year.
人們都驚異，說是阿Ｑ回來了，於是又回
上去想道，他先前那裡去了呢？
Everybody was surprised to hear of his return, and this made them think back and wonder where he had been all that time.
阿Ｑ前幾回的上城，大抵早就興高采烈的對人說，但這一次卻並不，所以也沒有一個人留心到。
The few previous occasions on which Ah Q had been to town, he had usually informed people in advance with great gusto; but since he had not done so this time, no one had noticed his going.
他或者也曾告訴過管土谷祠的老頭子，然而未莊老例，只有趙太爺錢太爺和秀才大爺上城才算一件事。
He might have told the old man in charge of the Tutelary God's Temple, but according to the custom of Weichuang it was only when Mr. Chao, Mr. Chien, or the successful county candidate went to town that it was considered important.
假洋鬼子尚且不足數，何況是阿Ｑ：因此老頭子也就不替他宣傳，而未莊的社會上也就無從知道了。
Even the Imitation Foreign Devil's going was not talked about, much less Ah Q's. This would explain why the old man had not spread the news for him, with the result that the villagers had had no means of knowing.
但阿Ｑ這回的回來，卻與先前大不同，確乎很值得驚異。
Ah Q's return this time was very different from before, and in fact quite enough to occasion astonishment.
天色將黑，他睡眼矇朧的在酒店門前出現了，他走近櫃檯，從腰間伸出手來，滿把是銀的和銅的，在櫃上一扔說，“現錢！打酒來！”
The day was growing dark when he appeared blinking sleepily before the door of the wine shop, walked up to the counter, pulled a handful of silver and coppers from his belt and tossed them on the counter. "Cash!" he said. "Bring the wine!"
穿的是新夾襖，看去腰間還掛著一個大搭連，沉鈿鈿的將褲帶墜成了很彎很彎的弧線。
He was wearing a new, lined jacket, and at his waist evidently hung a large purse, the great weight of which caused his belt to sag in a sharp curve.
未莊老例，看見略有些醒目的人物，是與其慢也寧敬的，
It was the custom in Weichuang that when there seemed to be something unusual about anyone, he should be treated with respect rather than insolence,
現在雖然明知道是阿Ｑ，但因為和破夾襖的阿Ｑ有些兩樣了，
and now, although they knew quite well that this was Ah Q, still he was very different from the Ah Q of the ragged coat.
古人云，“士別三日便當刮目相待”，
The ancients say, "A scholar who has been away three days must be looked at with new eyes."
所以堂倌，掌櫃，酒客，路人，便自然顯出一種凝而且敬的形態來。掌櫃既先之以點頭，又繼之以談話：
So the waiter, innkeeper, customers and passers-by, all quite naturally expressed a kind of suspicion mingled with respect. The innkeeper started by nodding, then said:
“豁，阿Ｑ，你回來了！”
"Hullo, Ah Q, so you're back!"
“回來了。”
"Yes, I'm back."
“發財發財，你是——在……”
"You've made money . . . er . . . where. . .?"
“上城去了！”
"I went to town."
這一件新聞，第二天便傳遍了全未莊。
By the next day this piece of news had spread through Weichuang.
人人都願意知道現錢和新夾襖的阿Ｑ的中興史，所以在酒店裡，茶館裡，廟簷下，便漸漸的探聽出來了。這結果，
And since everybody wanted to hear the success story of this Ah Q of the ready money and the new lined jacket, in the wine shop, tea-house, and under the temple eaves, the villagers gradually ferreted out the news.
是阿Ｑ得了新敬畏。
The result was that they began to treat Ah Q with a new deference.
據阿Ｑ說，他是在舉人老爺家裡幫忙。
According to Ah Q, he had been a servant in the house of a successful provincial candidate.
這一節，聽的人都肅然了。
This part of the story filled all who heard it with awe.
這老爺本姓白，但因為合城裡只有他一個舉人，所以不必再冠姓，說起舉人來就是他。
This successful provincial candidate was named Pai, but because he was the only successful provincial candidate in the whole town there was no need to use his surname: whenever anyone spoke of the successful provincial candidate, it meant him.
這也不獨在未莊是如此，便是一百里方圓之內也都如此，人們幾乎多以為他的姓名就叫舉人老爺的了。
And this was so not only in Weichuang but everywhere within a radius of thirty miles, as if everybody imagined his name to be Mr. Successful Provincial Candidate.
在這人的府上幫忙，那當然是可敬的。但據阿Ｑ又說，他卻不高興再幫忙了，因為這舉人老爺實在太“媽媽的”了。
To have worked in the household of such a man naturally called for respect; but according to Ah Q's further statements, he was unwilling to go on working there because this successful candidate was really too much of a "turtle's egg."
這一節，聽的人都嘆息而且快意，因為阿Ｑ本不配在舉人老爺家裡幫忙，而不幫忙是可惜的。
This part of the story made all who heard it sigh, but with a sense of pleasure, because it showed that Ah Q was actually not fit to work in such a man's household, yet not to work was a pity.
據阿Ｑ說，他的回來，似乎也由於不滿意城里人，這就在他們將長凳稱為條凳，而且煎魚用蔥絲，加以最近觀察所得的缺點，是女人的走路也扭得不很好。
According to Ah Q, his return was also due to the fact that he was not satisfied with the townspeople because they called a long bench a straight bench, used shredded shallots to fry fish, and—a defect he had recently discovered—the women did not sway in a very satisfactory manner as they walked.
然而也偶有大可佩服的地方，即如未莊的鄉下人不過打三十二張的竹牌㈦，只有假洋鬼子能夠叉“麻醬”，城裡卻連小烏龜子都叉得精熟的。
However, the town had its good points too; for instance, in Weichuang everyone played with thirty-two bamboo counters, and only the Imitation Foreign Devil could play mah-jong, but in town even the street urchins excelled at mah-jong.
什麼假洋鬼子，只要放在城裡的十幾歲的小烏龜子的手裡，也就立刻是“小鬼見閻王”。
You had only to place the Imitation Foreign Devil in the hands of these young rascals in their teens, for him straightway to become like "a small devil before the King of Hell."
這一節，聽的人都赧然了。
This part of the story made all who heard it blush.
“你們可看見過殺頭麼？”阿Ｑ說，
"Have you seen an execution?" asked Ah Q.
“咳，好看。殺革命黨。唉，好看好看，……”
"Ah, that's a fine sight. . . . When they execute the revolutionaries. . . . Ah, that's a fine sight, a fine sight. . . . ." "
他搖搖頭，將唾沫飛在正對面的趙司晨的臉上。
As he shook his head, his spittle flew on to the face of Chao Szu-chen who stood directly opposite.
這一節，聽的人都凜然了。
This part of the story made all who heard it tremble.
但阿Ｑ又四面一看，忽然揚起右手，照著伸長脖子聽得出神的王胡的後項窩上直劈下去道：
Then with a glance around, he suddenly raised his right hand and dropped it on the neck of Whiskers Wang, who, his head thrust forward, was listening with rapt attention.
“嚓！”
"Kill!" shouted Ah Q.
王胡驚得一跳，同時電光石火似的趕快縮了頭，而聽的人又都悚然而且欣然了。
Whiskers Wang gave a start, and drew in his head as fast as lightning or a spark struck from a flint, while the bystanders shivered with pleasurable apprehension.
從此王胡瘟頭瘟腦的許多日，並且再不敢走近阿Ｑ的身邊；別的人也一樣。
After this, Whiskers Wang went about in a daze for many days, and dared not go near Ah Q, nor did the others.
阿Ｑ這時在未莊人眼睛裡的地位，雖不敢說超過趙太爺，但謂之差不多，大約也就沒有什麼語病的了。
Although we cannot say that in the eyes of the inhabitants of Weichuang Ah Q's status at this time was superior to that of Mr. Chao, we can at least affirm without any danger of inaccuracy that it was about the same.
然而不多久，這阿Ｑ的大名忽又傳遍了未莊的閨中。
Not long after, Ah Q's fame suddenly spread into the women's apartments of Weichuang too.
雖然未莊只有錢趙兩姓是大屋，此外十之九都是淺閨，但閨中究竟是閨中，所以也算得一件神異。
Although the only two families of any pretensions in Weichuang were those of Chien and Chao, and nine-tenths of the rest were poor, still women's apartments are women's apartments, and the way Ah Q's fame spread into them was something of a miracle.
女人們見面時一定說，鄒七嫂在阿Ｑ那裡買了一條藍綢裙，舊固然是舊的，但只化了九角錢。
When the womenfolk met they would say to each other, "Mrs. Tsou bought a blue silk skirt from Ah Q.
還有趙白眼的母親，——一說是趙司晨的母親，待考，——也買了一件孩子穿的大紅洋紗衫，七成新，只用三百大錢九二串。
Although it was old, it only cost ninety cents. And Chao Pai-yen's mother (this has yet to be verified, because some say it was Chao Szu-chen's mother) bought a child's costume of crimson foreign calico, which was nearly new, for only three hundred cash, less eight per cent discount."
於是伊們都眼巴巴的想見阿Ｑ，缺綢裙的想問他買綢裙，要洋紗衫的想問他買洋紗衫，不但見了不逃避，有時阿Ｑ已經走過了，也還要追上去叫住他，問道：
Then those who had no silk skirt or needed foreign calico were most anxious to see Ah Q in order to buy from him. Far from avoiding him now, they sometimes followed him when he passed, calling to him to stop.
“阿Ｑ，你還有綢裙麼？沒有？紗衫也要的，有罷？”
"Ah Q, have you any more silk skirts?" they would ask. "No? We want foreign calico too. Do you have any?"
後來這終於從淺閨傳進深閨裡去了。因為鄒七嫂得意之餘，將伊的綢裙請趙太太去鑑賞，趙太太又告訴了趙太爺而且著實恭維了一番。
This news later spread from the poor households to the rich ones, because Mrs. Tsou was so pleased with her silk skirt that she took it to Mrs. Chao for her approval, and Mrs. Chao told Mr. Chao, speaking very highly of it.
趙太爺便在晚飯桌上，和秀才大爺討論，以為阿Ｑ實在有些古怪，我們門窗應該小心些；
Mr. Chao discussed the matter that evening at dinner with his son, the successful county candidate, suggesting that there must be something queer about Ah Q, and that they should be more careful about their doors and windows.
但他的東西，不知道可還有什麼可買，也許有點好東西罷。
They did not know, though, whether Ah Q had any things left or not, and thought he might still have something good.
加以趙太太也正想買一件價廉物美的皮背心。於是家族決議，便托鄒七嫂即刻去尋阿Ｑ，
Since Mrs. Chao happened to want a good, cheap, fur jacket, after a family council it was decided to ask Mrs. Tsou to find Ah Q for them at once.
而且為此新闢了第三種的例外：這晚上也姑且特准點油燈。
For this a third exception was made to the rule, special permission being given that evening for a lamp to be lit.
油燈乾了不少了，阿Ｑ還不到。
A considerable amount of oil had been burned, but still there was no sign of Ah Q.
趙府的全眷都很焦急，打著呵欠，或恨阿Ｑ太飄忽，或怨鄒七嫂不上緊。
The whole Chao household was yawning with impatience, some of them resented Ah Q's undisciplined ways, others angrily blamed Mrs. Tsou for not trying harder to get him there.
趙太太還怕他因為春天的條件不敢來，而趙太爺以為不足慮：因為這是“我”去叫他的。
Mrs. Chao was afraid that Ah Q dared not come because of the terms agreed upon that spring, but Mr. Chao did nor think this anything to worry about, because, as he said, "This time I sent for him."
果然，到底趙太爺有見識，阿Ｑ終於跟著鄒七嫂進來了。
Sure enough, Mr. Chao proved himself a man of insight, for Ah Q finally arrived with Mrs. Tsou.
“他只說沒有沒有，我說你自己當面說去，他還要說，我說……”鄒七嫂氣喘吁籲的走著說。
"He keeps saying he has nothing left," panted Mrs. Tsou as she came in. "When I told him to come and tell you so himself he went on talking. I told him. . . ."
“太爺！”阿Ｑ似笑非笑的叫了一聲，在簷下站住了。
"Sir!" said Ah Q with an attempt at a smile, coming to a halt under the eaves.
“阿Ｑ，聽說你在外面發財，”趙太爺踱開去，眼睛打量著他的全身，一面說。
"I hear you got rich out there, Ah Q," said Mr. Chao, going up to him and looking him over carefully.
“那很好，那很好的。這個，……聽說你有些舊東西，……可以都拿來看一看，……這也並不是別的，因為我倒要……”
"Very good. Now . . . they say you have some old things. . . . Bring them all here for us to look at. . . . This is simply because I happen to want. . . ."
“我對鄒七嫂說過了。都完了。”
"I told Mrs. Tsou—there is nothing left."
“完了？”趙太爺不覺失聲的說，“那裡會完得這樣快呢？”
"Nothing left?" Mr. Chao could not help sounding disappointed. "How could they go so quickly?"
“那是朋友的，本來不多。他們買了些，……”
"They belonged to a friend, and there was not much to begin with. People bought some. . . . ."
“總該還有一點罷。”
"There must be something left."
“現在，只剩了一張門幕了。”
"There is only a door curtain left."
“就拿門幕來看看罷。”趙太太慌忙說。
"Then bring the door curtain for us to see," said Mrs. Chao hurriedly.
“那麼，明天拿來就是，”趙太爺卻不甚熱心了。 “阿Ｑ，你以後有什麼東西的時候，你盡先送
來給我們看，……”
"Well, it will be all right if you bring it tomorrow," said Mr. Chao without much enthusiasm. "When you have anything in future, Ah Q, you must bring it to us first. . . . ."
“價錢決不會比別家出得少！”秀才說。秀才娘子忙一瞥阿Ｑ的臉，看他感動了沒有。
"We certainly will not pay less than other people!" said the successful county candidate. His wife shot a hasty glance at Ah Q to see his reaction.
“我要一件皮背心。”趙太太說。
"I need a fur jacket," said Mrs. Chao.
阿Ｑ雖然答應著，卻懶洋洋的出去了，也不知道他是否放在心上。
Although Ah Q agreed, he slouched out so carelessly that they did not know whether he had taken their instructions to heart or not.
這使趙太爺很失望，氣憤而且擔心，至於停止了打呵欠。秀才對於阿Ｑ的態度也很不平，於是說，
This made Mr. Chao so disappointed, annoyed and worried that he even stopped yawning.
這忘八蛋要提防，或者不如吩咐地保，不許他住在未莊。
The successful candidate was also far from satisfied with Ah Q's attitude, and said, "People should be on their guard against such a turtle's egg. It might be best to order the bailiff to forbid him to live in Weichuang."
但趙太爺以為不然，說這也怕要結怨，況且做這路生意的大概是“老鷹不吃窩下食”，本村倒不必擔心的；只要自己夜裡警醒點就是了。秀才聽了這“庭訓”，非常之以為然，便即刻撤消了驅逐阿Ｑ的提議，而且叮囑鄒七嫂，請伊千萬不要向人提起這一段話。
Mr. Chao did not agree, saying that he might bear a grudge, and that in a business like this it was probably a case of "the eagle does not prey on its own nest": his own village need not worry, and they need only be a little more watchful at night. The successful candidate, much impressed by this parental instruction, immediately withdrew his proposal for driving Ah Q away, but cautioned Mrs. Tsou on no account to repeat what he had said.
但第二日，鄒七嫂便將那藍裙去染了皂，又將阿Ｑ可疑之點傳揚出去了，可是確沒有提起秀才要驅逐他這一節。
The next day, however, when Mrs. Tsou took her blue skirt to be dyed black she repeated these insinuations about Ah Q, although not actually mentioning what the successful candidate had said about driving him away. Đ
然而這已經於阿Ｑ很不利。最先，地保尋上門了，取了他的門幕去，阿Ｑ說是趙太太要看的，而地保也不還並且要議定每月的孝敬錢。
 Even so, it was most damaging to Ah Q. In the first place, the bailiff appeared at his door and took away the door curtain. Although Ah Q protested that Mrs. Chao wanted to see it, the bailiff would not give it back, and even demanded a monthly payment of hush-money.
其次，是村人對於他的敬畏忽而變相了，雖然還不敢來放肆，卻很有遠避的神情，
 In the second place, the villagers' respect for him suddenly changed. Although they still dared not take liberties, they avoided him as much as possible.
而這神情和先前的防他來“嚓”的時候又不同，頗混著“敬而遠之”的分子了。
While this differed from their previous fear of his "Kill!", it closely resembled the attitude of the ancients to spirits: they kept a respectful distance.
只有一班閒人們卻還要尋根究底的去探阿Ｑ的底細。阿Ｑ也並不諱飾，傲然的說出他的經驗來。
Some idlers who wanted to get to the bottom of the business went to question Ah Q carefully. And with no attempt at concealment, Ah Q told them proudly of his experiences. Đ
從此他們才知道，他不過是一個小腳色，不但不能上牆，並且不能進洞，只站在洞外接東西。
 They learned that he had merely been a petty thief, not only unable to climb walls, but even unable to go through openings: he simply stood outside an opening to receive the stolen goods.
有一夜，他剛才接到一個包，正手再進去，不一會，只聽得里面大嚷起來，
One night he had just received a package and his chief had gone in again, when he heard a great uproar inside, and took to his heels as fast as he could.
他便趕緊跑，連夜爬出城，逃回未
莊來了，從此不敢再去做。
He fled from the town that same night, back to Weichuang; and after this he dared not return to such a business.
然而這故事卻於阿Ｑ更不利，村人對於阿Ｑ的“敬而遠之”者，本因為怕結怨，
This story, however, was even more damaging to Ah Q, since the villagers had been keeping a respectful distance because they did not want to incur his enmity;
誰料他不過是一個不敢再偷的偷兒呢？這實在是“斯亦不足畏也矣”。
 for who could have guessed that he was only a thief who dared not steal again? Now they knew he was really too low to inspire fear.
宣統三年九月十四日——即阿Ｑ將搭連賣給趙白眼的這一天——三更四點，
On the fourteenth day of the ninth moon of the third year in the reign of Emperor Hsuan Tung —the day on which Ah Q sold his purse to Chao Pai-yen—at midnight, after the fourth stroke of the third watch,
有一隻大烏篷船到了趙府上的河埠頭。
a large boat with a big black awning came to the Chao family's landing place.
這船從黑□□【音“需”，字形以“戊”替“魅”之“末”】中盪來，鄉下人睡得熟，都沒有知道；
This boat floated up in the darkness while the villagers were sound asleep, so that they knew nothing about it;
出去時將近黎明，卻很有幾個看見的了。據探頭探腦的調查來的結果，知道
那竟是舉人老爺的船！
but it left again about dawn, when quite a number of people saw it. Investigation revealed that this boat actually belonged to the successful provincial candidate!
那 船便將大不安載給了未莊，不到正午，全村的人心就很動搖。
This incident caused great uneasiness in Weichuang, and before midday the hearts of all the villagers were beating faster.
船的使命，趙家本來是很秘密的，但茶坊酒肆裡卻都說，革命黨要進城，舉人老爺到我們鄉下來逃難 了。
The Chao family kept very quiet about the errand of the boat, but according to the gossip in the tea-house and wine shop, the revolutionaries were going to enter the town and the successful provincial candidate had come to the country to take refuge.
惟有鄒七嫂不以為然，說那不過是幾口破衣箱，舉人老爺想來寄存的，卻已被趙太爺回復轉去。
Mrs. Tsou alone thought otherwise, maintaining that the successful provincial candidate merely wanted to deposit a few battered cases in Weichuang, but that Mr. Chao had sent them back.
其實舉人老爺和趙秀才素不相能，在理本不能有“共患難”的情 誼，況且鄒七嫂又和趙家是鄰居，見聞較為切近，所以大概該是伊對的。
 Actually the successful provincial candidate and the successful county candidate in the Chao family were not on good terms, so that it was scarcely logical to expect them to prove friends in adversity; moreover, since Mrs. Tsou was a neighbour of the Chao family and had a better idea of what was going on, she ought to have known.
然而謠言很旺盛，說舉人老爺雖然似乎沒有親到，卻有一封長信，和趙家排了“轉折親”。
Then a rumour spread to the effect that although the scholar had not arrived himself, he had sent a long letter tracing some distant relationship with the Chao family;
趙太爺肚裡一輪，覺得於他總不會有壞處，便將箱子留下了，現就塞在太太的床底下。
and since Mr. Chao after thinking it over had decided it could, after all, do him no harm to keep the cases, they were now stowed under his wife's bed.
至於革命黨，有的說是便在這一夜進了城，個個白盔白甲：穿著崇正皇帝的素。
As for the revolutionaries, some people said they had entered the town that night in white helmets and white armour—in mourning for Emperor Chung Chen.
阿 Ｑ的耳朵裡，本來早聽到過革命黨這一句話，今年又親眼見過殺掉革命黨。
Ah Q had long since known of revolutionaries, and this year with his own eyes had seen revolutionaries being decapitated.
但他有一種不知從那裡來的意見，以為革命黨便是造反，造反便是與他為難，所以一向是 “深惡而痛絕之”的。
But since it had occurred to him that the revolutionaries were rebels and that a rebellion would make things difficult for him, he had always detested and kept away from them.
殊不料這卻使百里聞名的舉人老爺有這樣怕，於是他未免也有些“神往”了，況且未莊的一群鳥男女的慌張的神情，也使阿Ｑ更快意。
Who could have guessed they could so frighten a successful provincial candidate renowned for thirty miles around? In consequence, Ah Q could not help feeling rather "entranced," the terror of all the villagers only adding to his delight.
“革命也好罷，”阿Ｑ想，“革這夥媽媽的命，太可惡！太可恨！……便是我，也要投降革命黨了。 ”
"Revolution is not a bad thing," thought Ah Q. "Finish off the whole lot of them . . . curse them! . . . I would like to go over to the revolutionaries myself."
阿Ｑ近來用度窘，大約略略有些不平；加以午間喝了兩碗空肚酒，愈加醉得快，一面想一面走，便又飄飄然起來。
Ah Q had been hard up recently, and was probably rather dissatisfied; added to this, he had drunk two bowls of wine at noon on an empty stomach. Đ
不知怎麼一來，忽而似乎革命黨便是自己，未莊人卻都是他的俘虜了。
 Consequently, he became drunk very quickly; and as he walked along thinking to himself, he felt again as if he were treading on air. Suddenly, in some curious way, he felt as if the revolutionaries were himself, and all the people in Weichuang were his captives.
他得意之餘，禁不住大聲的嚷道：
Unable to contain himself for joy, he could not help shouting loudly:
“造反了！造反了！”
"Rebellion! Rebellion!"
未莊人都用了驚懼的眼光對他看。
All the villagers looked at him in consternation.
這一種可憐的眼光，是阿Ｑ從來沒有見過的，一見之下，又使他舒服得如六月裡喝了雪水。他更加高興的走而且喊道：
Ah Q had never seen such pitiful looks before, and found them as refreshing as a drink of iced water in midsummer. So he walked on even more happily, shouting:
“好，……我要什麼就是什麼，我歡喜誰就是誰。
"All right . . . I shall take what I want! I shall like whom I please!
得得，鏘鏘！
"Tra la, tra la!
悔不該，酒醉錯斬了鄭賢弟，
"I regret to have killed by mistake my sworn brother Cheng, in my cups.
 悔不該，呀呀呀……
"I regret to have killed . . . yah, yah, yah!
得得，鏘鏘，得，鏘令鏘！
"Tra la, tra la, tum ti tum tum!
我手執鋼鞭將你打……”
"I'll thrash you with a steel mace."
趙府上的兩位男人和兩個真本家，也正站在大門口論革命。
Mr. Chao and his son were standing at their gate with two relatives discussing the revolution.
阿Ｑ沒有見，昂了頭直唱過去。
Ah Q did not see them as he passed with his head thrown back, singing,
“得得，……”
"Tra la la, tum ti tum!"
“老Ｑ，”趙太爺怯怯的迎著低聲的叫。
"Q, old chap!" called Mr. Chao timidly in a low voice.
“鏘鏘，”阿Ｑ料不到他的名字會和“老”字聯結起來，以為是一句別的話，與己無干，只是唱。 “得，鏘，鏘令鏘，鏘！”
"Tra la!" sang Ah Q, unable to imagine that his name could be linked with those words "old chap." Sure that he had heard wrongly and was in no way concerned, he simply went on singing, "Tra la la, tum ti tum!"
“老Ｑ。”
"Q, old chap!"
“悔不該……”
"I regret to have killed. . . ."
“阿Ｑ！”秀才只得直呼其名了。
"Ah Q!" The successful candidate had to call his name.
阿Ｑ這才站住，歪著頭問道，“什麼？”
Only then did Ah Q come to a stop. "Well?" he asked with his head on one side.
“老Ｑ，……現在……”趙太爺卻又沒有話，“現在……發財麼？”
"Q, old chap . . . now. . . ." But Mr. Chao was at a loss for words again. "Are you getting rich now?"
“發財？自然。要什麼就是什麼……”
"Getting rich? Of course. I take what I like. . . ."
“阿……Ｑ哥，像我們這樣窮朋友是不要緊的……”趙白眼惴惴的說，似乎想探革命黨的口風。
"Ah—Q, old man, poor friends of yours like us can't possibly matter . . ." said Chao Pai-yen apprehensively, as if sounding out the revolutionaries' attitude.
“窮朋友？你總比我有錢。”阿Ｑ說著自去了。
"Poor friends? Surely you are richer than I am," replied Ah Q, and walked away.
大家都憮然，沒有話。趙太爺父子回家，晚上商量到點燈。
They stood there despondent and speechless; then Mr. Chao and his son went back to the house, and that evening discussed the question until it was time to light the lamps.
趙白眼回家，便從腰間扯下搭連來，交給他女人藏在箱底里。
When Chao Pai-yen went home he took the purse from his waist and gave it to his wife to hide for him at the bottom of a chest.
阿 Ｑ飄飄然的飛了一通，回到土谷祠，酒已經醒透了。
For some time Ah Q seemed to be walking on air, but by the time he reached the Tutelary God's Temple he was sober again.
這晚上，管祠的老頭子也意外的和氣，請他喝茶；
 That evening the old man in charge of the temple was also unexpectedly friendly and offered him tea.
阿Ｑ便向他要了兩個餅，吃完之後，又要了一支點過的四兩燭 和一個樹燭台，點起來，獨自躺在自己的小屋裡。他說不出的新鮮而且高興，燭火像元夜似的閃閃的跳，他的思想也迸跳起來了：
 Then Ah Q asked him for two flat cakes, and after eating these demanded a four-ounce candle that had been used, and a candlestick. He lit the candle and lay down alone in his little room. He felt inexpressibly refreshed and happy, while the candlelight leaped and flickered as on the Lantern Festival and his imagination soared with it.
“造反？有趣，……來了一陣白盔白甲的革命黨，都拿著板刀，鋼鞭，炸彈，洋砲，三尖兩刃刀，鉤鐮槍，
"Revolt? It would be fun. . . . A group of revolutionaries would come, all wearing white helmets and white armour, carrying swords, steel maces, bombs, foreign guns, double-edged knives with sharp points and spears with hooks.
走過土谷祠，叫道， ‘阿Ｑ！同去同去！’於是一同去。……
They would come to the Tutelary God's Temple and call out, 'Ah Q! Come with us, come with us!' And then I would go with them. . . .
“這時未莊的一夥鳥男女才好笑哩，跪下叫道，‘阿Ｑ，饒命！’誰聽他！
"Then all those villagers would be in a laughable plight, kneeling down and pleading, 'Ah Q, spare our lives.' But who would listen to them!
第一個該死的是小Ｄ和趙太爺，還有秀才，還有假洋鬼子， ……留幾條麼？王胡本來還可留，但也不要了。……
The first to die would be Young D and Mr. Chao, then the successful county candidate and the Imitation Foreign Devil . . . but perhaps I would spare a few. I would once have spared Whiskers Wang, but now I don't even want him. . . .
“東西，……直走進去打開箱子來：元寶，洋錢，洋紗衫，……
"Things ... I would go straight in and open the cases: silver ingots, foreign coins, foreign calico jackets. . . .
秀才娘子的一張寧式床先搬到土谷祠，此外便擺了錢家的桌椅，——或者也就用趙家的罷。
 First I would move the Ningpo bed of the successful county candidate's wife to the temple, and also move in the Chien family tables and chairs—or else just use the Chao family's.
自己是不動手的了，叫小Ｄ來搬， 要搬得快，搬得不快打嘴巴。 ……
 I would not lift a finger myself, but order Young D to move the things for me, and to look smart about it, unless he wanted a slap in the face. . . .
“趙司晨的妹子真醜。鄒七嫂的女兒過幾年再說。假洋鬼子的老婆會和沒有辮子的男人睡覺，嚇， 不是好東西！
"Chao Szu-chen's younger sister is very ugly. In a few years Mrs. Tsou's daughter might be worth considering. The Imitation Foreign Devil's wife is willing to sleep with a man without a pigtail, hah!
秀才的老婆是眼胞上有疤的。 ……吳媽長久不見了，不知道在那裡，——可惜腳太大。 ”
She can't be a good woman! The successful county candidate's wife has scars on her eyelids. . . . I have not seen Amah Wu for a long time, and don't know where she is—what a pity her feet are so big."
阿Ｑ沒有想得十分停當，已經發了鼾聲，四兩燭還只點去了小半寸，紅焰焰的光照著他張開的嘴。
Before Ah Q had reached a satisfactory conclusion, there was a sound of snoring. The four-ounce candle had burned down only half an inch, and its flickering red light lit up his open mouth.
“荷荷！”阿Ｑ忽而大叫起來，抬了頭倉皇的四顧，待到看見四兩燭，卻又倒頭睡去了。
"Ho, ho!" shouted Ah Q suddenly, raising his head and looking wildly around. But when he saw the four-ounce candle, he lay back and went to sleep again.
第二天他起得很遲，走出街上看時，樣樣都照舊。
The next morning he got up very late, and when he went out in to the street everything was the same as usual.
他也仍然肚餓，他想著，想不起什麼來；
He was still hungry, but though he racked his brains he did not seem able to think of anything.
但他忽而似乎有了主意了，慢慢的跨開步，有意無意的走到靜修庵。
Suddenly an idea came to him, and he walked slowly off, until either by design or accident he reached the Convent of Quiet Self-improvement.
庵和春天時節一樣靜，白的牆壁和漆黑的門。
The convent was as peaceful as it had been that spring, with its white wall and shining black gate.
他想了一想，前去打門，一隻狗在裡面叫。他急急拾了幾塊斷磚，再上去較為用力的打，
After a moment's reflection, he knocked at the gate, whereupon a dog started barking within. He hastily picked up several pieces of broken brick, then went up again to knock more heavily,
打到黑門上生出許多麻點的時候，才聽得有人來開門。
knocking until a number of small dents appeared on the black gate. Ar last he heard someone coming to open the door.
阿Ｑ連忙捏好磚頭，擺開馬步，準備和黑狗來開戰。但庵門只開了一條縫，並無黑狗從中衝出， 望進去只有一個老尼姑。
Holding his broken bricks, Ah Q hastily stood with his legs wide apart, prepared to do battle with the black dog. The convent door opened a crack, and no black dog rushed out. When he looked in all he could see was the old nun.
“你又來什麼事？”伊大吃一驚的說。
"What are you here for again?" she asked, giving a start.
“革命了……你知道？……”阿Ｑ說得很含胡。
"There is a revolution . . . don't you know?" said Ah Q vaguely.
“革命革命，革過一革的，……你們要革得我們怎麼樣呢？”老尼姑兩眼通紅的說。
"Revolution, revolution . . . there has already been one," said the old nun, her eyes red from crying. "What do you think will become of us with all your revolutions?"
“什麼？……”阿Ｑ詫異了。
"What?" asked Ah Q in astonishment.
“你不知道，他們已經來革過了！”
"Didn't you know? The revolutionaries have already been here!"
“誰？……”阿Ｑ更其詫異了。
"Who?" asked Ah Q in even greater astonishment.
“那秀才和洋鬼子！”
"The successful county candidate and the Imitation Foreign Devil."
阿Ｑ很出意外，不由的一錯愕；老尼姑見他失了銳氣，便飛速的關了門，阿Ｑ再推時，牢不可開，再打時，沒有回答了。
This came as a complete surprise to Ah Q, who could not help being taken aback. When the old nun saw that he had lost his aggressiveness, she quickly shut the gate, so that when Ah Q pushed it again he could not budge it, and when he knocked again there was no answer.
那還是上午的事。
It had happened that morning.
趙秀才消息靈，一知道革命黨已在夜間進城，便將辮子盤在頂上，一早去拜訪那歷來也不相能的錢洋鬼子。
 The successful county candidate in the Chao family learned the news quickly, and as soon as he heard that the revolutionaries had entered the town that night, he immediately wound his pigtail up on his head and went out first thing to call on the Imitation Foreign Devil in the Chien family, with whom he had never been on good terms before.
這是“咸與維新”的時候了，所以他們便談得很投機，立刻成了情投意合的同志，也相約去革命。
Because this was a time for all to work for reforms, they had a very pleasant talk and on the spot became comrades who saw eye to eye and pledged themselves to become revolutionaries.
他們想而又想，才想出靜修庵里有一塊“皇帝萬歲萬萬歲”的龍牌， 是應該趕緊革掉的，於是又立刻同到庵里去革命。
After racking their brains for some time, they remembered that in the Convent of Quiet Self-improvement there was an imperial tablet inscribed "Long Live the Emperor" which ought to be done away with at once. Thereupon they lost no time in going to the convent to carry out their revolutionary activities.
因為老尼姑來阻擋，說了三句話，他們便將伊當作滿政府，在頭上很給了不少的棍子和栗鑿。
Because the old nun tried to stop them, and put in a few words, they considered her as the Ching government and knocked her on the head many times with a stick and with their knuckles.
尼姑待他們走後，定了神來檢點，龍牌固然已經碎在地上了，而且又不見了觀音娘娘座前的一個宣德爐。
The nun, pulling herself together after they had gone, made an inspection. Naturally the imperial tablet had been smashed into fragments on the ground, and the valuable Hsuan Te censer before the shrine of Kuanyin, the goddess of mercy, had also disappeared.
這事阿Ｑ後來才知道。
Ah Q only learned this later.
他頗悔自己睡著，但也深怪他們不來招呼他。
He deeply regretted having been asleep at the time, and resented the fact that they had not come to call him.
他又退一步想道： “難道他們還沒有知道我已經投降了革命黨麼？”
Then he said to himself, "Maybe they still don't know I have joined the revolutionaries."
未莊的人心日見其安靜了。據傳來的消息，知道革命黨雖然進了城，倒還沒有什麼大異樣。
The people of Weichuang became more reassured every day. From the news that was brought they knew that, although the revolutionaries had entered the town, their coming had not made a great deal of difference.
知縣大老爺還是原官，不過改稱了什麼，而且舉人老爺也做了什麼——這些名目，未莊人都說不明白——官，帶兵的也還是先前的老把總。
The magistrate was still the highest official, it was only his title that had changed; and the successful provincial candidate also had some post—the Weichuang villagers could not remember these names clearly—some kind of official post; while the head of the military was still the same old captain.
只有一件可怕的事是另有幾個不好的革命黨夾在裡面搗亂，第二天便動手剪辮子，聽說那鄰村的航船七斤便著了道兒，弄得不像人樣子了。
The only cause for alarm was that, the day after their arrival, some bad revolutionaries made trouble by cutting off people's pigtails. It was said that the boatman "Seven Pounder" from the next village had fallen into their clutches, and that he no longer looked presentable.
但這卻還不算大恐怖，因為未莊人本來少上城，即使偶有想進城的，也就立刻變了計，碰不著這危險。
Still, the danger of this was not great, because the Weichuang villagers seldom went to town to begin with, and those who had been considering a trip to town at once changed their minds in order to avoid this risk.
阿Ｑ本也想進城去尋他的老朋友，一得這消息，也只得作罷了。
Ah Q had been thinking of going to town to look up his old friends, but as soon as he heard the news he became resigned and gave up the idea.
但未莊也不能說是無改革。
It would be wrong, however, to say that there were no reforms in Weichuang.
幾天之後，將辮子盤在頂上的逐漸增加起來了，早經說過，最先自然是茂才公，
During the next few days the number of people who coiled their pigtails on their heads gradually increased, and, as has already been said, the first to do so was naturally the successful county candidate;
其次便是趙司晨和趙白眼，後來是阿Ｑ。
the next were Chao Szu-chen and Chao Pai-yen, and after them Ah Q.
倘在夏天，大家將辮子盤在頭頂上或者打一個結，本不算什麼稀奇事，但現在是暮秋，
If it had been summer it would not have been considered strange if everybody had coiled their pigtails on their heads or tied them in knots; but this was late autumn,
所以這“秋行夏令”的情形，在盤辮家不能不說是萬分的英斷，而在未莊也不能說無關於改革了。
so that this autumn observance of a summer practice on the part of those who coiled their pigtails could be considered nothing short of a heroic decision, and as far as Weichuang was concerned it could not be said to have had no connection with the reforms.
趙司晨腦後空蕩蕩的走來，看見的人大嚷說，
When Chao Szu-chen approached with the nape of his neck bare, people who saw him remarked,
“豁，革命黨來了！”
"Ah! Here comes a revolutionary!"
阿Ｑ聽到了很羨慕。
When Ah Q heard this he was greatly impressed.
他雖然早知道秀才盤辮的大新聞，但總沒有想到自己可以照樣做，現在看見趙司晨也如此，才有了學樣的意思，定下實行的決心。
Although he had long since heard how the successful county candidate had coiled his pigtail on his head, it had never occurred to him to do the same. Only now when he saw that Chao Szuchen had followed suit was he struck with the idea of doing the same himself. He made up his mind to copy them.
他用一支竹筷將辮子盤在頭頂上，遲疑多時，這才放膽的走去。
He used a bamboo chopstick to twist his pigtail up on his head, and after some hesitation eventually summoned up the courage to go out.
他在街上走，人也看他，然而不說什麼話，阿Ｑ當初很不快，後來便很不平。他近來很容易鬧脾氣了；
As he walked along the street people looked at him, but nobody said anything. Ah Q was very displeased at first, then he became very resentful.
其實他的生活，倒也並不比造反之前反艱難，人見他也客氣，店鋪也不說要現錢。而阿Ｑ總覺得自己太失意：既然革了命，不應該只是這樣的。
Recently he had been losing his temper very easily. As a matter of fact his life was no harder than before the revolution, people treated him politely, and the shops no longer demanded payment in cash, yet Ah Q still felt dissatisfied. He thought since a revolution had taken place, it should involve more than this.
況且有一回看見小Ｄ，愈使他氣破肚皮了。
When he saw Young D, his anger boiled over.
小Ｄ也將辮子盤在頭頂上了，而且也居然用一支竹筷。
Young D had also coiled his pigtail up on his head and, what was more, he had actually used a bamboo chopstick to do so too.
阿Ｑ萬料不到他也敢這樣做，自己也決不准他這樣做！
Ah Q had never imagined that Young D would also have the courage to do this; he certainly could not tolerate such a thing!
小Ｄ是什麼東西呢？
Who was Young D anyway?
他很想即刻揪住他，拗斷他的竹筷，放下他的辮子，並且批他幾個嘴巴，聊且懲罰他忘了生辰八字，也敢來做革命黨的罪。
He was greatly tempted to seize him then and there, break his bamboo chopstick, let down his pigtail and slap his face several times into the bargain to punish him for forgetting his place and for his presumption in becoming a revolutionary.
但他終於饒放了，單是怒目而視的吐一口唾沫道“呸！”
But in the end he let him off, simply fixing him with a furious glare, spitting, and exclaiming, "Pah!"
這幾日里，進城去的只有一個假洋鬼子。趙秀才本也想靠著寄存箱子的淵源，親身去拜訪舉人老爺的，但因為有剪辮的危險，所以也中止了。
These last few days the only one to go to town was the Imitation Foreign Devil. The successful county candidate in the Chao family had thought of using the deposited cases as a pretext to call on the successful provincial candidate, but the danger that he might have his pigtail cut off had made him defer his visit.
他寫了一封“黃傘格”的信，托假洋鬼子帶上城，而且託他給自己紹介紹介，去進自由黨。
He had written an extremely formal letter, and asked the Imitation Foreign Devil to take it to town; he had also asked the latter to introduce him to the Liberty Party.
假洋鬼子回來時，向秀才討還了四塊洋錢，秀才便有一塊銀桃子掛在大襟上了；
When the Imitation Foreign Devil came back he asked the successful county candidate for four dollars, after which the successful county candidate wore a silver peach on his chest. All the Weichuang villagers were overawed,
未莊人都驚服，說這是柿油黨的頂子，抵得一個翰林；趙太爺因此也驟然大闊，遠過於他兒子初雋秀才的時候，所以目空一切，見了阿Ｑ，也就很有些不放在眼裡了。
and said that this was the badge of the Persimmon Oil Party, equivalent to the rank of a Han Lin. As a result, Mr. Chao's prestige suddenly increased, far more so in fact than when his son first passed the official examination; consequently he started looking down on everyone else, and, when he saw Ah Q, tended to ignore him a little.
阿Ｑ正在不平，又時時刻刻感著冷落，一聽得這銀桃子的傳說，他立即悟出自己之所以冷落的原因了：要革命，單說投降，是不行的；盤上辮子，也不行的；第一著仍然要和革命黨去結識。
Ah Q was thoroughly discontented at finding himself continually ignored, but as soon as he heard of this silver peach he realized at once why he was left out in the cold. Simply to say that you had gone over was not enough to make anyone a revolutionary; nor was it enough merely to wind your pigtail up on your head; the most important thing was to get into touch with the revolutionary party.
他生平所知道的革命黨只有兩個，城裡的一個早已“嚓”的殺掉了，現在只剩了一個假洋鬼子。他除卻趕緊去和假洋鬼子商量之外，再沒有別的道路了。
In all his life he had known only two revolutionaries, one of whom had already lost his head in town, leaving only the Imitation Foreign Devil. Unless he went at once to talk things over with the Imitation Foreign Devil, no way would be left open to him.
錢府的大門正開著，阿Ｑ便怯怯的□【音“壁”，字形上“闢”下“足”；瘸行之意】進去。他一到裡面，很吃了驚，只見假洋鬼子正站在院子的中央，一身烏黑的大約是洋衣，身上也掛著一塊銀桃子，
The front gate of the Chien house happened to be open, and Ah Q crept timidly in. Once inside he gave a start, for there he saw the Imitation Foreign Devil standing in the middle of the courtyard dressed entirely in black, no doubt in foreign dress, and also wearing a silver peach.
手裡是阿Ｑ曾經領教過的棍子，已經留到一尺多長的辮子都拆開了披在肩背上，蓬頭散發的像一個劉海仙。
In his hand he held the stick with which Ah Q was already acquainted to his cost, and the foot or so of hair which he had grown again fell over his shoulders, hanging dishevelled like Saint Liu's.
對面挺直的站著趙白眼和三個閒人，正在必恭必敬的聽說話。
Standing erect before him were Chao Pai-yen and three others, all of them listening with the utmost deference to what the Imitation Foreign Devil was saying.
阿Ｑ輕輕的走近了，站在趙白眼的背後，心裡想招呼，卻不知道怎麼說才好：
Ah Q tiptoed inside and stood behind Chao Pai-yen, wanting to utter a greeting, but not knowing what to say.
叫他假洋鬼子固然是不行的了，洋人也不妥，革命黨也不妥，或者就應該叫洋先生了罷。
Obviously he could not call the man "Imitation Foreign Devil," and neither "Foreigner" nor "Revolutionary" seemed suitable. Perhaps the best form of address would be "Mr. Foreigner."
洋先生卻沒有見他，因為白著眼睛講得正起勁：
But Mr. Foreigner had not seen him, because with eyes raised he was saying with great animation:
“我是性急的，所以我們見面，我總是說：
"I am so impulsive that when we met I kept saying,
洪哥！我們動手罷！他卻總說道Ｎｏ！——這是洋話，你們不懂的。
'Old Hung, we should get on with it!' But he always answered 'Nein!'—that's a foreign word which you wouldn't understand.
否則早已成功了。然而這正是他做事小心的地方。他再三再四的請我上湖北，我還沒有肯。谁愿意在這小縣城裡做事情。 ……”
Otherwise we should have succeeded long ago. This is an instance of how cautious he is. He asked me again and again to go to Hupeh, but I wouldn't agree. Who wants to work in a small district town? . . ."
“唔，……這個……”阿Ｑ候他略停，終於用十二分的勇氣開口了，但不知道因為什麼，又並不叫他洋先生。
"Er—er—" Ah Q waited for him to pause, and then screwed up his courage to speak. But for some reason or other he still did not call him Mr. Foreigner.
聽著說話的四個人都吃驚的回顧他。洋先生也才看見：
The four men who had been listening gave a start and turned to stare at Ah Q. Mr. Foreigner too caught sight of him for the first time.
“什麼？”
"What?"
“我……”
"I. . . ."
“出去！”
"Clear out!"
“我要投……”
"I want to join. . . ."
“滾出去！”洋先生揚起哭喪棒來了。
"Get out!" said Mr. Foreigner, lifting the "mourner's stick."
趙白眼和閒人們便都吆喝道：“先生叫你滾出去，你還不聽麼！”
Then Chao Pai-yen and the others shouted, "Mr. Chien tells you to get out, don't you hear!"
阿Ｑ將手向頭上一遮，不自覺的逃出門外；洋先生倒也沒有追。
Ah Q put up his hands to protect his head, and without knowing what he was doing fled through the gate; but this time Mr. Foreigner did not give chase.
他快跑了六十多步，這才慢慢的走，於是心里便湧起了憂愁：洋先生不准他革命，他再沒有別的路；
After running more than sixty steps Ah Q slowed down, and began to feel most upset, because if Mr. Foreigner would not allow him to be a revolutionary, there was no other way open to him.
從此決不能望有白盔白甲的人來叫他，他所有的抱負，志向，希望，前程，全被一筆勾銷了。
In future he could never hope to have men in white helmets and white armour come to call him. All his ambition, aims, hope and future had been blasted at one stroke.
至於閒人們傳揚開去，給小Ｄ王胡等輩笑話，倒是還在其次的事。
The fact that people might spread the news and make him a laughing-stock for the likes of Young D and Whiskers Wang was only a secondary consideration.
他似乎從來沒有經驗過這樣的無聊。
Never before had he felt so flat.
他對於自己的盤辮子，彷彿也覺得無意味，要侮蔑；為報仇起見，很想立刻放下辮子來，但也沒有竟放。
 Even coiling his pigtail on his head now struck him as pointless and ridiculous. As a form of revenge he was very tempted to let his pigtail down at once, but he did not do so.
他游到夜間，賒了兩碗酒，喝下肚去，漸漸的高興起來了，思想裡才又出現白盔白甲的碎片。
He wandered about till evening, when after drinking two bowls of wine on credit he began to feel in better spirits, and in his mind's eye saw fragmentary visions of white helmets and white armour once more.
有一天，他照例的混到夜深，待酒店要關門，才踱回土谷祠去。
One day he loafed about until late at night. Only when the wine shop was about to close did he start to stroll back to the Tutelary God's Temple.
拍，吧～～！
"Bang—bump!"
他忽而聽得一種異樣的聲音，又不是爆竹。
He suddenly heard an unusual sound, which could not have been firecrackers.
阿Ｑ本來是愛看熱鬧，愛管閒事的，便在暗中直尋過去。似乎前面有些腳步聲；
Ah Q, who always liked excitement and enjoyed poking his nose into other people's business, went looking for the noise in the darkness.
他正聽，猛然間一個人從對面逃來了。阿Ｑ一看見，便趕緊翻身跟著逃。
He thought he heard footsteps ahead, and was listening carefully when a man suddenly rushed out in front of him. As soon as Ah Q saw him, he turned and followed as fast as he could.
那人轉彎，阿Ｑ也轉彎，那人站住了，阿Ｑ也站住。
When that man turned, Ah Q turned too, and when after turning a corner that man stopped, Ah Q stopped too.
他看後面並無甚麼，看那人便是小Ｄ。
He saw there was no one behind, and that the man was Young D.
“什麼？”阿Ｑ不平起來了。
"What is the matter?" asked Ah Q resentfully.
“趙……趙家遭搶了！”小Ｄ氣喘吁籲的說。
"Chao . . . the Chao family has been robbed," panted Young D.
阿Ｑ的心怦怦的跳了。小Ｄ說了便走；
Ah Q's heart went pit-a-pat. After telling him this, Young D left.
阿Ｑ卻逃而又停的兩三回。但他究竟是做過“這路生意”，格外膽大，於是□【上“闢”下“足”】出路角，仔細的聽，似乎有些嚷嚷，又仔細的看，似乎許多
白盔白甲的人，絡繹的將箱子抬出了，器具抬出了，秀才娘子的寧式床也抬出了，
Ah Q ran on, then stopped two or three times. However, since he had once been in the business himself, he felt exceptionally courageous. Emerging from the street corner, he listened carefully and thought he heard shouting; he also looked carefully and thought he could see a lot of men in white helmets and white armour, carrying off cases, carrying off furniture, even carrying off the Ningpo bed of the successful county candidate's wife;
但是不分明，他還想上前，兩隻腳卻沒有動。
he could not, however, see them very clearly. He wanted to go nearer, but his feet were rooted to the ground.
這一夜沒有月，未莊在黑暗裡很寂靜，寂靜到像羲皇時候一般太平。
There was no moon that night, and Weichuang was very still in the pitch darkness, as quiet as in the peaceful days of the ancient Emperor Fu Hsi.
阿Ｑ站著看到自己發煩，也似乎還是先前一樣，在那裡來來往往的搬，箱子抬出了，器具抬出了，秀才娘子的寧式床也抬出了，……
Ah Q stood there until he lost interest, yet everything still seemed the same as before; in the distance people moved to and fro, carrying things, carrying off cases, carrying off furniture, carrying off the Ningpo bed of the successful county candidate's wife . . .
抬得他自己有些不信他的眼睛了。但他決計不再上前，卻回到自己的祠裡去了。
carrying until he could hardly believe his own eyes. But he decided not to go nearer, and went back to the temple.
土谷祠裡更漆黑；他關好大門，摸進自己的屋子裡。他躺了好一會，這才定了神，而且發出關於自己的思想來：
It was even darker in the Tutelary God's Temple. When he had closed the big gate he groped his way into his room, and only after he had been lying down for some time did he feel calm enough to begin thinking how this affected him.
白盔白甲的人明明到了，並不來打招呼，搬了許多好東西，又沒有自己的份，——這全是假洋鬼子可惡，不准我造反，否則，
The men in white helmets and white armour had evidently arrived, but they had not come to call him; they had taken away many things, but there was no share for him—this was all the fault of the Imitation Foreign Devil, who had barred him from the rebellion.
這次何至於沒有我的份呢？
Otherwise how could he have failed to have a share this time?
阿Ｑ越想越氣，終於禁不住滿心痛恨起來，毒毒的點一點頭：“不准我造反，只准你造反？媽媽的假洋鬼子，——好，你造反！造反是殺頭的罪名呵，我總要告一狀，看你抓進縣里去殺頭，——滿門抄斬，——嚓！嚓！ ”
The more Ah Q thought of it the angrier he grew, until he was in a towering rage. "So no rebellion for me, only for you, eh?" he exclaimed, nodding maliciously. "Curse you, you Imitation Foreign Devil—all right, be a rebel! A rebel is punished by having his head chopped off. I'll turn informer, and see you carried into town to have your head cut off—you and all your family. . . . Kill, kill!"
趙家遭搶之後，未莊人大抵很快意而且恐慌，阿Ｑ也很快意而且恐慌。
After the Chao family was robbed most of the people in Weichuang felt pleased yet fearful, and Ah Q was no exception.
但四天之後，阿Ｑ在半夜裡忽被抓進縣城裡去了。
 But four days later Ah Q was suddenly dragged into town in the middle of the night.
那時恰是暗夜，一隊兵，一隊團丁，一隊警察，五個偵探，悄悄地到了未莊，乘昏暗圍住土谷祠，正對門架好機關槍；然而阿Ｑ不衝出。
 It happened to be a dark night. A squad of soldiers, a squad of militia, a squad of police and five secret servicemen made their way quietly to Weichuang, and, after posting a machine-gun opposite the entrance, under cover of darkness they surrounded the Tutelary God's Temple. Ah Q did not rush out.
許多時沒有動靜，把總焦急起來了，懸了二十千的賞，才有兩個團丁冒了險，踰垣進去，裡應外合，一擁而入，將阿Ｑ抓出來；直待擒出祠外面的機關槍左近，他才有些清醒了。
For a long time nothing stirred in the temple. The captain grew impatient and offered a reward of twenty thousand cash. Only then did two militiamen summon up courage to jump over the wall and enter. With their co-operation from within, the others rushed in and dragged Ah Q out. But not until he had been carried out of the temple to somewhere near the machine-gun did he begin to sober up.
到進城，已經是正午，阿Ｑ見自己被攙進一所破衙門，轉了五六個彎，便推在一間小屋裡。
It was already midday by the time they reached town, and Ah Q found himself carried to a dilapidated yamen where, after taking five or six turnings, he was pushed into a small room.
他剛剛一蹌踉，那用整株的木料做成的柵欄門便跟著他的腳跟闔上了，其餘的三面都是牆壁，仔細看時，屋角上還有兩個人。
No sooner had he stumbled inside than the door, made of wooden bars to form a grating, closed upon his heels. The rest of the room consisted of three blank walls, and when he looked round carefully he saw two other men in a corner of the room.
阿Ｑ雖然有些忐忑，卻並不很苦悶，因為他那土谷祠裡的臥室，也並沒有比這間屋子更高明。
Although Ah Q was feeling rather uneasy, he was by no means too depressed, because the room where he slept in the Tutelary God's Temple was in no way superior to this.
那兩個也彷彿是鄉下人，漸漸和他兜搭起來了，一個說是舉人老爺要追他祖父欠下來的陳租，一個不知道為了什麼事。
The two other men also seemed to be villagers. They gradually fell into conversation with him, and one of them told him that the successful provincial candidate wanted to dun him for the rent owed by his grandfather; the other did not know why he was there.
他們問阿Ｑ，阿Ｑ爽利的答道，“因為我想造反。”
When they questioned Ah Q, he answered quite frankly, "Because I wanted to revolt."
他下半天便又被抓出柵欄門去了，到得大堂，上面坐著一個滿頭剃得精光的老頭子。
That afternoon he was dragged out through the barred door and taken to a big hall, at the far end of which sat an old man with a cleanly shaven head.
阿Ｑ疑心他是和尚，但看見下面站著一排兵，兩旁又站著十幾個長衫人物，也有滿頭剃得精光像這老頭子的，也有將一尺來長的頭髮披在背後像那假洋鬼子的，都是一臉橫肉，怒目而視的看他；他便知道這人一定有些來歷，膝關節立刻自然而然的寬鬆，便跪了下去了。
 Ah Q took him for a monk at first, but when he saw soldiers standing guard and a dozen men in long coats on both sides, some with their heads cleanshaven like this old man and some with a foot or so of hair hanging over their shoulders like the Imitation Foreign Devil, all glaring furiously at him with grim faces, he knew this man must be someone important. At once the joints of his knees relaxed of their own accord, and he sank down.
“站著說！不要跪！”長衫人物都吆喝說。
"Stand up to speak! Don't kneel!" shouted all the men in the long coats.
阿Ｑ雖然似乎懂得，但總覺得站不住，身不由己的蹲了下去，而且終於趁勢改為跪下了。
Although Ah Q understood, he felt incapable of standing up: his body had involuntarily dropped to a squatting position, and improving on it he finally knelt down.
“奴隸性！……”長衫人物又鄙夷似的說，但也沒有叫他起來。
"Slave!" exclaimed the long-coated men contemptuously. They did not insist on his getting up, however.
“你從實招來罷，免得吃苦。我早都知道了。招了可以放你。”那光頭的老頭子看定了阿Ｑ的臉，沉靜的清楚的說。
"Tell the truth and you will receive a lighter sentence," said the old man with the shaven head, in a low but clear voice, fixing his eyes on Ah Q. "I know everything already. When you have confessed, I will let you go."
“招罷！”長衫人物也大聲說。
"Confess!" repeated the long-coated men loudly.
“我本來要……來投……”
"The fact is I wanted ... to come . . ." muttered
阿Ｑ胡里胡塗的想了一通，這才斷斷續續的說。
Ah Q disjointedly, after a moment's confused thinking.
“那麼，為什麼不來的呢？”老頭子和氣的問。
"In that case, why didn't you come?" asked the old man gently.
“假洋鬼子不准我！”
"The Imitation Foreign Devil wouldn't let me!"
“胡說！此刻說，也遲了。現在你的同黨在那裡？”
"Nonsense! It is too late to talk now. Where are your accomplices?"
“什麼？……”
"What? . . ."
“那一晚打劫趙家的一夥人。”
"The people who robbed the Chao family that night."
“他們沒有來叫我。他們自己搬走了。”阿Ｑ提起來便憤憤。
"They didn't come to call me. They moved the things away themselves." Mention of this made Ah Q indignant.
“走到那裡去了呢？說出來便放你了。”老頭子更和氣了。
"Where did they go? When you have told me I will let you go," repeated the old man even more gently.
“我不知道，……他們沒有來叫我……”
"I don't know . . . they didn't come to call me. . . ."
然而老頭子使了一個眼色，阿Ｑ便又被抓進柵欄門裡了。他第二次抓出柵欄門，是第二天的上午。
Then, at a sign from the old man, Ah Q was dragged back through the barred door. The following morning he was dragged out once more.
大堂的情形都照舊。上面仍然坐著光頭的老頭子，阿Ｑ也仍然下了跪。
Everything was unchanged in the big hall. The old man with the clean-shaven head was still sitting there, and Ah Q knelt down again as before.
老頭子和氣的問道，“你還有什麼話說麼？”
"Have you anything else to say?" asked the old man gently.
阿Ｑ一想，沒有話，便回答說，“沒有。”
Ah Q thought, and decided there was nothing to say, so he answered, "Nothing."
於是一個長衫人物拿了一張紙，並一支筆送到阿Ｑ的面前，要將筆塞在他手裡。阿Ｑ這時很吃驚，幾乎“魂飛魄散”了：因為他的手和筆相關，這回是初次。
Then a man in a long coat brought a sheet of paper and held a brush in front of Ah Q, which he wanted to thrust into his hand. Ah Q was now nearly frightened out of his wits, because this was the first time in his life that his hand had ever come into contact with a writing brush.
他正不知怎樣拿；那人卻又指著一處地方
教他畫花押。
He was just wondering how to hold it when the man pointed out a place on the paper, and told him to sign his name.
“我……我……不認得字。”阿Ｑ一把抓住了筆，惶恐而且慚愧的說。
"I—I—can't write," said Ah Q, shamefaced, nervously holding the brush.
“那麼，便宜你，畫一個圓圈！”
"In that case, to make it easy for you, draw a circle!"
阿Ｑ要畫圓圈了，那手捏著筆卻只是抖。於是那人替他將紙鋪在地上，阿Ｑ伏下去，使盡了平生的力氣畫圓圈。
Ah Q tried to draw a circle, but the hand with which he grasped the brush trembled, so the man spread the paper on the ground for him. Ah Q bent down and, as painstakingly as if his life depended on it, drew a circle.
他生怕被人笑話，立志要畫得圓，但這可惡的筆不但很沉重，並且不聽話，剛剛一抖一抖的幾乎要合縫，卻又向外一聳，畫成瓜子模樣了。
Afraid people would laugh at him, he determined to make the circle round; however, not only was that wretched brush very heavy, but it would not do his bidding. Instead it wobbled from side to side; and just as the line was about to close it swerved out again, making a shape like a melon seed.
阿Ｑ正羞愧自己畫得不圓，那人卻不計較，早已掣了紙筆去，許多人又將他第二次抓進柵欄門。
While Ah Q was ashamed because he had nor been able to draw a round circle, the man had already taken back the paper and brush without any comment. A number of people then dragged him back for the third time through the barred door.
他第二次進了柵欄，倒也並不十分懊惱。他以為人生天地之間，大約本來有時要抓進抓出，有時要在紙上畫圓圈的，惟有圈而不圓，卻是他“行狀”上的一個污點。
This time he did not feel particularly irritated. He supposed that in this world it was the fate of everybody at some time to be dragged in and out of prison, and to have to draw circles on paper; it was only because his circle had not been round that he felt there was a stain on his reputation.
但不多時也就釋然了，他想：孫子才畫得很圓的圓圈呢。於是他睡著了。
Presently, however, he regained composure by thinking, "Only idiots can make perfect circles." And with this thought he fell asleep.
然而這一夜，舉人老爺反而不能睡：他和把總嘔了氣了。
That night, however, the successful provincial candidate was unable to go to sleep, because he had quarrelled with the captain.
舉人老爺主張第一要追贓，把總主張第一要示眾。
The successful provincial candidate had insisted that the most important thing was to recover the stolen goods, while the captain said the most important thing was to make a public example.
把總近來很不將舉人老爺放在眼裡了，拍案打凳的說道，“懲一儆百！你看，我做革命黨還不上二十天，搶案就是十幾件，全不破案，我的面子在那裡？破了案，你又來迂。不成！這是我管的！ ”
 Recently the captain had come to treat the successful provincial candidate quite disdainfully. So, banging his fist on the table, he said, "Punish one to awe one hundred! See now, I have been a member of the revolutionary party for less than twenty days, but there have been a dozen cases of robbery, none of them solved yet; and think how badly that reflects on me. Now this one has been solved, you come and argue like a pedant. It won't do! This is my affair."
舉人老爺窘急了，然而還堅持，說是倘若不追贓，他便立刻辭了幫辦民政的職務。而把總卻道，“請便罷！”
The successful provincial candidate was very upset, but he still persisted, saying that if the stolen goods were nor recovered, he would resign immediately from his post as assistant civil administrator. "As you please!" said the captain.
於是舉人老爺在這一夜竟沒有睡，但幸第二天倒也沒有辭。
In consequence the successful provincial candidate did not sleep that night, but happily he did not hand in his resignation the next day after all.
阿Ｑ第三次抓出柵欄門的時候，便是舉人老爺睡不著的那一夜的明天的上午了。
The third time that Ah Q was dragged out of the barred door, was the morning following the night on which the successful provincial candidate had been unable to sleep.
他到了大堂，上面還坐著照例的光頭老頭子；阿Ｑ也照例的下了跪。
When he reached the big ball, the old man with the clean-shaven head was still sitting there as usual, and Ah Q also knelt down as usual.
老頭子很和氣的問道，“你還有什麼話麼？”
Very gently the old man questioned him: "Have you anything more to say?"
阿Ｑ一想，沒有話，便回答說，“沒有。”
Ah Q thought, and decided there was nothing to say, so he answered, "Nothing."
許多長衫和短衫人物，忽然給他穿上一件洋布的白背心，上面有些黑字。
A number of men in long coats and short jackets put a white vest of foreign cloth on him. It had some black characters on it.
阿Ｑ很氣苦：因為這很像是帶孝，而帶孝是晦氣的。然而同時他的兩手反縛了，同時又被一直抓出衙門外去了。
Ah Q felt considerably disconcerted, because this was very like mourning dress, and to wear mourning was unlucky. At the same time his hands were bound behind his back, and he was dragged out of the yamen.
阿Ｑ被抬上了一輛沒有蓬的車，幾個短衣人物也和他同坐在一處。這車立刻走動了，前面是一班背著洋砲的兵們和團丁，兩旁是許多張著嘴的看客，後面怎樣，阿Ｑ沒有見。但他突然覺到了：這豈不是去殺頭麼？
Ah Q was lifted on to an uncovered cart, and several men in short jackets sat down with him. The cart started off at once. In front were a number of soldiers and militiamen shouldering foreign rifles, and on both sides were crowds of gaping spectators, while what was behind Ah Q could not see. Suddenly it occurred to him—"Can I be going to have my head cut off?"
他一急，兩眼發黑，耳朵裡〔口皇〕的一聲，似乎發昏了。然而他又沒有全發昏，有時雖然著急，有時卻也泰然；他意思之間，似乎覺得人生天地間，大約本來有時也未免要殺頭的。
Panic seized him and everything turned dark before his eyes, while there was a humming in his ears as if he had fainted. But he did not really faint. Although he felt frightened some of the time, the rest of the time he was quite calm. It seemed to him that in this world probably it was the fate of everybody at some time to have his head cut off.
他還認得路，於是有些詫異了：怎麼不向著法場走呢？他不知道這是在遊街，在示眾。
He still recognized the road and felt rather surprised: why were they not going to the execution ground? He did not know that he was being paraded round the streets as a public example.
但即使知道也一樣，他不過便以為人生天地間，大約本來有時也未免要遊街要示眾罷了。
But if he had known, it would have been the same; he would only have thought that in this world probably it was the fate of everybody at some time to be made a public example of.
他省悟了，這是繞到法場去的路，這一定是“嚓”的去殺頭。
Then he realized that they were making a detour to the execution ground, so, after all, he must be going to have his head cut off.
他惘惘的向左右看，全跟著馬蟻似的人，而在無意中，卻在路旁的人叢中發見了一個吳媽。很久違，伊原來在城裡做工了。
He looked round him regretfully at the people swarming after him like ants, and unexpectedly in the crowd of people by the road he caught sight of Amah Wu. So that was why he had not seen her for so long: she was working in town.
阿Ｑ忽然很羞愧自己沒志氣：竟沒有唱幾句戲。他的思想彷彿旋風似的在腦裡一迴旋：《小孤孀上墳》欠堂皇，《龍虎鬥》裡的“悔不該……”也太乏，還是“手執鋼鞭將你打”罷。他同時想手一揚，才記得這兩手原來都捆著，於是“手執鋼鞭”也不唱了。
Ah Q suddenly became ashamed of his lack of spirit, because he had not sung any lines from an opera. His thoughts revolved like a whirlwind: The Young Widow at Her Husband's Grave was not heroic enough. The words of "I regret to have killed" in The Battle of Dragon and Tiger were too poor. I'll thrash you with a steel mace was still the best. But when he wanted to raise his hands, he remembered that they were bound together; so he did not sing I'll thrash you either.
“過了二十年又是一個……”阿Ｑ在百忙中，“無師自通”的說出半句從來不說的話。
"In twenty years I shall be another . . . ." In his agitation Ah Q uttered half a saying which he had picked up himself but never used before.
“好！！！”從人叢裡，便發出豺狼的嗥叫一般的聲音來。
The crowd's roar "Good!!!" sounded like the growl of a wolf.
車子不住的前行，阿Ｑ在喝采聲中，輪轉眼睛去看吳媽，似乎伊一向並沒有見他，卻只是出神的看著兵們背上的洋砲。
The cart moved steadily forward. During the shouting Ah Q's eyes turned in search of Amah Wu, but she did not seem to have seen him for she was looking intently at the foreign rifles carried by the soldiers.
阿Ｑ於是再看那些喝采的人們。
So Ah Q took another look at the shouting crowd.
這剎那中，他的思想又彷佛旋風似的在腦裡一迴旋了。
At that instant his thoughts revolved again like a whirlwind.
四年之前，他曾在山腳下遇見一隻餓狼，永是不近不遠的跟定他，要吃他的肉。
Four years before, at the foot of the mountain, he had met a hungry wolf which had followed him at a set distance, wanting to eat him.
他那時嚇得幾乎要死，幸而手裡有一柄斫柴刀，才得仗這壯了膽，支持到未莊；可是永遠記得那狼眼睛，又兇又怯，閃閃的像兩顆鬼火，似乎遠遠的來穿透了他的皮肉。而這回他又看見從來沒有見過的更可怕的眼睛了，又鈍又鋒利，不但已經咀嚼了他的話，並且還要咀嚼他皮肉以外的東西，永是不近不遠的跟他走。
He had nearly died of fright, but luckily he happened to have an axe in his hand, which gave him the courage to get back to Weichuang. He had never forgotten that wolf's eyes, fierce yet cowardly, gleaming like two will-o'-the-wisps, as if boring into him from a distance. Now he saw eyes more terrible even than the wolf's: dull yet penetrating eyes that, having devoured his words, still seemed eager to devour something beyond his flesh and blood. And these eyes kept following him at a set distance.
這些眼睛們似乎連成一氣，已經在那裡咬他的靈魂。
These eyes seemed to have merged into one, biting into his soul.
“救命，……”
"Help, help!"
然而阿Ｑ沒有說。他早就兩眼發黑，耳朵裡嗡的一聲，覺得全身彷彿微塵似的迸散了。
But Ah Q never uttered these words. All had turned black before his eyes, there was a buzzing in his ears, and he felt as if his whole body were being scattered like so much light dust.
至於當時的影響，最大的倒反在舉人老爺，因為終於沒有追贓，他全家都號啕了。
As for the after-effects of the robbery, the most affected was the successful provincial candidate, because the stolen goods were never recovered. All his family lamented bitterly.
其次是趙府，非特秀才因為上城去報官，被不好的革命黨剪了辮子，而且又破費了二十千的賞錢，所以全家也號啕了。
Next came the Chao household; for when the successful county candidate went into town to report the robbery, nor only did he have his pigtail cut off by bad revolutionaries, but he had to pay a reward of twenty thousand cash into the bargain; so all the Chao family lamented bitterly too.
從這一天以來，他們便漸漸的都發生了遺老的氣味。
From that day forward they gradually assumed the air of the survivors of a fallen dynasty.
至於輿論，在未莊是無異議，自然都說阿Ｑ壞，被槍斃便是他的壞的證據：不壞又何至於被槍斃呢？
As for any discussion of the event, no question was raised in Weichuang. Naturally all agreed that Ah Q had been a bad man, the proof being that he had been shot; for if he had not been bad, how could he have been shot?
而城裡的輿論卻不佳，他們多半不滿足，以為槍斃並無殺頭這般好看；
But the consensus of opinion in town was unfavourable. Most people were dissatisfied, because a shooting was nor such a fine spectacle as a decapitation;
而且那是怎樣的一個可笑的死囚呵，遊了那麼久的街，竟沒有唱一句戲：他們白跟一趟了。
and what a ridiculous culprit he had been too, to pass through so many streets without singing a single line from an opera They had followed him for nothing.