The True Story of Ah Q (Leung)/Notes
Notes
1. Here we have a play on Chinese characters. The two characters wai-ch'uan (外傳), separately mean "outside" and "record," but taken together mean a record of the wives of the emperor's relations. Here the character wai (外) is played against the character nei (內), which is to follow and which means "inside"; but again the play goes on with a subtle turn because the phrase, nei-ch'uan (內傳), literally "inside record," used together means a mythological record.
2. Ching-ch'uan (正傳) are the two characters for "true story."
3. A Hsiu-t'sai is a scholar who has qualified for the governmental examinations in his district.
4. A ti-pao (地保) is a man appointed over a certain portion of country to notify officials of any disorders or crimes. He must be honest, with property, and educated.
5. Yüeh-ting means, literally, "Moon Pavilion." There is some connection in Chinese folklore between the moon and the cassia (桂). In fact, it is believed that the shadow on the moon is the shadow of a cassia tree. Also the moon shines the brightest and the cassia blooms in the eighth moon of the Chinese calendar. Therefore the writer says that if Ah Quei had been otherwise called Yueh-ting, or if his birthday was in the eighth moon, his name must be written 阿桂.
6. The character tiao (條) is used in connection with long objects.
7. The story has the force of a proverb, which has as its lesson that most things which appear a misfortune at first may turn out for the best in the end, and vice versa. The incident of the story is as follows:
"Once an old man, who lived at the borders of the barbarian country, lost a horse. When his neighbors came to offer their sympathy, the old man asked, 'How do you know that this is not good fortune?' A few months later, the lost horse returned, accompanied by an excellent horse of barbarian breed. When many came to congratulate him, he again asked, 'How do you know that this may not be a misfortune?' After this wealthy family had the new horse in its possession, the son, who was fond of riding, fell from the horse and broke his leg. When people came to offer their condolence, the old man asked, 'May this not be good fortune?' A year later when the barbarians made a great invasion into the country, all able-bodied youths went to war and nine tenths of them were killed. The old man's son was not sent to battle because of his crippled leg; he and his aged father lived happily together."
8. Chü-jen is the scholarly rank above hsiu-t'sai and the successful candidate of a province.
9. "Infinite Buddha," used by Buddhists almost on any auspicious occasion.
10. Utter defeat is meant.
11. After 12 P. M.
12. These lines are from the drama "The Struggle Between the Dragon and the Tiger," and obviously a great favorite with Ah Q.
13. A successful candidate in one of the highest governmental examinations.