第一百一十六篇第一百一十六篇Story One Hundred and Sixteen

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犬燈

犬灯

Story One Hundred and Sixteen · Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio

The Dog Lamp

A line drawing in the manner of a late-Qing lithographed edition: on a country road beside tall sorghum fields in early autumn daylight, a young woman in a short embroidered jacket and long pleated skirt takes the hands of a manservant who has dismounted and holds his saddled horse's reins, with a roadside stone and an old gnarled tree at the right and small village trees far behind.

韓光祿大千之僕,夜宿廈間,見樓上有燈,如明星。未幾,熒熒飄落,及地化為犬。睨之,轉舍後去。急起,潛尾之,入園中,化為女子。心知其狐,還臥故所。俄,女子自後來,僕陽寐以觀其變。女俯而撼之。僕偽作醒狀,問其為誰。女不答。僕曰:「樓上燈光,非子也耶?」女曰:「既知之,何問焉?」遂共宿止。晝別宵會,以為常。

韩光禄大千之仆,夜宿厦间,见楼上有灯,如明星。未几,荧荧飘落,及地化为犬。睨之,转舍后去。急起,潜尾之,入园中,化为女子。心知其狐,还卧故所。俄,女子自后来,仆阳寐以观其变。女俯而撼之。仆伪作醒状,问其为谁。女不答。仆曰:「楼上灯光,非子也耶?」女曰:「既知之,何问焉?」遂共宿止。昼别宵会,以为常。

A servant of Han Daqian, of the Court of Imperial Entertainments, was sleeping one night in a side hall when he saw a light up in the tower, like a bright star. Before long it came drifting down, glimmering, and when it reached the ground it turned into a dog. It gave him a sidelong look. It went round behind the house. He got up quickly and followed it in secret. It went into the garden and turned into a woman. He knew then that it was a fox, and went back and lay down where he had been. In a moment the woman came in behind him. The servant pretended to sleep, to see what she would do. She bent over and shook him. He pretended to wake, and asked who she was. She did not answer. “That lamplight up in the tower,” said the servant, “wasn’t that you?” “If you know, why ask?” she said. So they slept together. They parted by day and met by night, and this became their habit.

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