by Cao Xueqin
In the Seventh Song the Chinese words of the first line contain a play on the surname Sun which cannot, unfortunately, be reproduced in English. Literally it says ‘Thou art a Zhong-shan wolf’; but the characters for ‘thou’ and ‘art’ combine together to make up the character for ‘Sun’.
8. Xi-chun
Youngest of the Three Springs. Like her third cousin Bao-yu, she eventually renounced the world and entered a religious order.
9. Wang Xi-feng
Xi-feng’s name means ‘phoenix’. The iceberg is unexplained, but evidently has some reference to Xi-feng’s sufferings after the family’s fall. Various hints suggest that these included some sort of ordeal in the snow; but nothing of this is to be found in Gao E’s version.
The interpretation of the rebus-language in line 3 has been much discussed by Chinese scholars. All I will venture to say here is that the message, whatever it is, appears to include the words ‘cold’ and ‘divorce’.
The Ninth Song – fortunately – is more straightforward.
10. Qiao-jie
This is the name of Xi-feng’s little girl. It was given her by Grannie Liu at Xi-feng’s request and connects her with the Weaving Maiden of Chinese mythology whose feast-day has the same name. The Weaving Maiden gazes all the year at her starry lover, the Herd Boy, across the Milky Way, except on the night of the festival, when they are united. Like the Weaving Maiden, Qiao-jie married a farmer’s son. She was rescued by Grannie Liu, when her wicked uncles would have sold her into concubinage, and offered an asylum in the country.
11. Li Wan
The surname Li means ‘plum’. Li Wan was the mother of Bao-yu’s little nephew Jia Lan, whose name means ‘orchid’. Jia Lan evidently emerged from the wreck of the family’s fortunes to become a high official, thus entitling his mother to wear court dress on ceremonial occasions. I think we are meant to infer from the second half of the quatrain and from the words of the Eleventh Song that Li Wan died shortly after her son’s success.
12. Qin-shi
I have already explained in the Introduction that Xueqin originally intended Qin-shi to commit suicide by hanging herself in the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion when her adultery with Cousin Zhen was discovered.
In the Twelfth Song the text of the sixth line is uncertain. I think it means no more than that Jia Jing was really most to blame for the shocking state of affairs in the Ning-guo household because of his refusal to shoulder his responsibilities as head of the family.
Characters in Vol I
ADAMANTINA a genteel nun persuaded by the Jias to take up residence in Prospect Garden
AMBER one of Grandmother Jia’s maids
AROMA Bao-yu’s chief maid
AUNT XUE widowed sister of Lady Wang and mother of Xue Pan and Bao-chai
AUNT ZHAO concubine of Jia Zheng and mother of Tan-chun and Jia Huan
AUNT ZHOU Jia Zheng’s other concubine
AVIS and AVOCET maids of Lady Wang
BABY see QIAO-JIE
BAN-ER see WANG BAN-ER
BAO-CHAI see XUE BAO-CHAI
BAO-YU see JIA BAO-YU
BENEVOLENTIA young novice at Water-moon Priory BiGjiAoan old retainer of the Ning-guo Jias
BRIGHTIE and BRIGHTIE’S WIFE couple employed by Jia Lian and Wang Xi-feng
BU GU-XIU one of Jia Zheng’s ‘literary gentlemen’
BU-SHI Jia Yun’s mother
BU SHI-REN a shopkeeper; maternal uncle of Jia Yun
CALAMITY a manservant in Zhen Shi-yin’s household
CALTROP Xue Pan’s ‘chamber wife’; the kidnapped daughter of Zhen Shi-yin
CHARMANTE a child-actress; member of the Jia family troupe
CHENG RI-XING one of Jia Zheng’s ‘literary gentlemen∗
CHESS Jia Ying-chun’s maid
CITRONELLA see ‘NUMBER FOUR∗
CLOUDY one of Bao-yu’s pages
COUSIN FENG See WANG XI-FENG
COUSINZHEN son of Jia Jing; acting head of the senior (Ning-guo) branch of the Jia family CRIMSON one of Bao-yu’s maidsDAI LI ANG foreman in charge of the granary at Rong-guo House
DAI QUAN Eunuch Chamberlain of the Da-ming Palace
DAI-YU See LIN DAI-YU
‘DARLING’a pupil at the Jia family school
DISENCHANTMENT an important fairy
DR ZHANG See ZHANG YOU-SHI
‘DROOPY’DUO a drunken cook on the staff of Rong-guo House
‘DRUNKEN DIAMOND, THE’ see NI ER
EMERALD one of Bao-yu’s maids
EUERGESIA prioress of Water-moon Priory
FAITHFUL Grandmother Jia’s chief maid
FELICITY maid attendant on Wang Xi-feng
FENG see WANG XI-FENG
FENG-SHI Zhen Shi-yin’s wife
FENG su a farmer; Zhen Shi-yin’s father-in-law
FENG TANG an old general; Feng Zi-ying’s father
FENG YUAN Caltrop’s first purchaser, murdered by Xue Pan’s servants
FENG ZI-YING a family friend of the younger Jias
GEM a maid of Qin-shi’s who committed suicide on the death of her mistress
GENERAL FENG see FENG TANG
GENERAL YUN see YUN GUANG
GOLDEN one of Lady Wang’s maids
GOU-ER see WANG GOU-ER
GRANDMOTHER JIA née SHI; widow of Bao-yu’s paternal grandfather and head of the Rong-guo branch of the Jia family
GRANNIE LIU an old countrywoman patronized by Wang Xi-feng and the Rong-guo Jias
‘HORTICULTURAL’ HU a landscape gardener entrusted with the planning of Prospect Garden
HU SI-LAI one of Jia Zheng’s ‘literary gentlemen’
HUA ZI-FANG Aroma’s elder brother
INKY one of Bao-yu’s pages
JEWEL maid of Qin-shi’s who stood in place of a daughter at her mistress’s funeral
JIA BAO-YU incarnation of the Stone; the eldest surviving son of Jia Zheng and Lady Wang of Rong-guo House
JIACHANG a junior member of the clan given casual employment by the Rong-guo Jias
JIA CONG little son of one of Jia She’s concubines
JIA DAI-Ruan elderly scholar in charge of the Jia family school
JIA HUAN Bao-yu’s half-brother; the son of Jia Zheng and his concubine, ‘Aunt’ Zhao
JIA JING father of Cousin Zhen and nominal head of the Ning-guo branch of the family living in retirement outside the city
JIA JUN a schoolboy attending the Jia family school JIA LAN son of Li Wan and Bao-yu’s deceased elder brother
JIA LAN (not to be confused with the above) a schoolboy attending the Jia family school
JIA LIAN son of Jia She and Lady Xing and husband of Wang Xi-feng
JIA LING junior member of the clan given casual employment by the Rong-guo Jias
JIA MIN younger sister of Jia She and Jia Zheng; wife of Lin ru-hai; lin Dai-yu’s mother
JIA PING junior member of the clan given casual employment by the Rong-guo Jias
JIA QIANG a distant relation of the Ning-guo Jias patronized by Cousin Zhen; inseparable friend of Jia Rong
JIA QIN a junior member of the clan employed by the Rong-guo Jias to look after the little nuns from Prospect Garden
JIA RONG son of Cousin Zhen and You-shi
JIA RUI grandson of the schoolmaster Jia Dai-ru
JIA SHE Jia Zheng’s elder brother
JIA TAN-CHUN daughter of Jia Zheng and ‘Aunt’ Zhao; half-sister of Bao-yu and second of the ‘Three Springs’
JIA XI-CHUN daughter of Jia Jing and younger sister of Cousin Zhen; youngest of the ‘Three Springs’
JIA TING-CHUN daughter of Jia She by a concubine; eldest of the ‘Three Springs’
JIA TU-CUN a careerist claiming relationship with the Rong-guo family
JIA YUAN-CHUN daughter of Jia Zheng and Lady Wang and elder sister of Bao-yu; the Imperial Concubine
JIA YUN a poor relation of the Rong-guo Jias employed by Wang Xi-feng
JIA ZHEN See COUSIN ZHEN
JIA ZHENG B
ao-yu’s father; the younger of Grandmother Jia’s two sons
JIA ZHU deceased elder son of Jia Zheng and Lady Wang; husband of Li Wan and father of little Jia Lan
JIN-GE see ZHANG JIN-GE
JING-QING ‘school name’ of QIN ZHONG sometimes used by Bao-yu in addressing him
‘JOKEY’ JIN a pupil in the Jia family school
KE-QING ‘familiar’ name of QIN-SHI, q.v.
KINGFISHER Shi Xiang-yun’s maid
LADY JIA SeeGRANDMOTHER JIA
LADY WANG wife of Jia Zheng and mother of Jia Zhu, Yuan-chun and Bao-yu
LADY XING wife of Jia She and mother of Jia Lian LAI DA Chief Steward of the Rong-guo mansion LAI SHENG Chief Steward of the Ning-guo mansion LENGZi-xiNGan antique dealer; friend of Jia Yu-cun and son-in-law of Zhou Rui
LI GUI Nannie Li’s son; Bao-yu’s foster-brother and chief groom
LI WAN widow of Bao-yu’s deceased elder brother and mother of Jia Lan
LIN DAI-YU incarnation of the Crimson Pearl Flower; daughter of Lin Ru-hai and Jia Zheng’s sister, Jia Min
LIN RU-HAI Dai-yu’s father; the Salt Commissioner of Yangchow
LIN ZHI-XIAO one of the stewards on the staff of Rong-guo House
LUCKY a maid in Zhen Shi-yin’s household, later married to Jia Yu-cun
LUTANY a maid of Yuan-chun who continued to serve her mistress in the Imperial Palace
MACKEREL one of Bao-yu’s maids
‘MATTRESS, THE’ nickname of ‘Droopy’ Duo’s wife who subsequently became Jia Lian’s mistress
MELILOT one of Bao-yu’s maids MOTHER MA a Wise Woman; Bao-yu’s godmother MRS HUANG Widow Jin’s sister and wife of Jia Huang, a poor relation of the Jia family
MRS LIAN See WANG XI-FENG
MRS YOU You-shi’s mother
MUSK one of Bao-yu’s maids
NANNIE LI Bao-yu’s old wet-nurse
NANNIE WANG Dai-yu’s old wet-nurse
NANNIE ZHAO Jia Lian’s old wet-nurse
NI ER ‘The Drunken Diamond’; gangster neighbour of Jia Yun
NIGHTINGALE one of Dai-yu’s maids
‘NUMBER FOUR’ one of Bao-yu’s maids, formerly called CITRO-
NELLA and before that SOLDANELLA ORIOLE Bao-chai’s maid
PATIENCE chief maid and confidante of Wang Xi-feng PLOUGHBOY one of Bao-yu’s pages ‘PRECIOUS’ a pupil at the Jia family school
PRINCE OF BEI-JING, THE See SHUI RONG
QIAO-JIE little daughter of Jia Lian and Wang Xi-feng
QIN BANG-YE father of Qin-shi and Qin Zhong
QIN-SHI wife of Jia Rong
QIN ZHONG younger brother of Qin-shi; Bao-yu’s best friend
RIPPLE one of Bao-yu’s maids
SAPIENTIA little novice at Water-moon Priory
SCRIBE Tan-chun’s maid
SHAN PING-REN one of Jia Zheng’s ‘literary gentlemen’
SHI DING Marquis of Zhong-jing; nephew of Grandmother Jia and uncle of Shi Xiang-yun
SHI XIANG-YUN orphaned great-niece of Grandmother Jia
SHI-YIN See ZHEN SHI-YIN
SHINER one of Jia Lian’s pages
SHUI RONG Prince of Bei-jing; princely connection of the Jias who befriends Bao-yu
SILVER one of Lady Wang’s maids; Golden’s sister SIR JING see JIA JING SIR SHE see JIA SHE
SIR ZHENG See JIA ZHENG
SKYBRIGHT one of Bao-yu’s maids
SNOWGOOSE one of Dai-yu’s maids
SNOWPINK one of Bao-yu’s maids
SOLDANELLA one of Bao-yu’s maids renamed first CITRONELLA by Aroma and then ‘NUMBER FOUR’ by Bao-yu
STORK Y one of Bao-yu’s pages
SUBLIMITAS monk-in-charge of the Temple of the Iron Threshold
SUNCLOUD maid of Lady Wang
SUNSET maid of Lady Wang favoured by Jia Huan
SUNSHINE page employed by Wang Xi-feng for clerical duties
SWASTIKA one of You-shi’s maids SWEEPER one of Bao-yu’s pages
TAN-CHUN See JIA TAN-CHUN
TEALEAF and TRICKLES Pages of Bao-yu
TRINKET one of Bao-yu’s maids
WANG BAN-ER Grannie Liu’s little grandson
WANG GOU-ER a poor farmer; Grannie Liu’s son-in-law WANG REN Wang Xi-feng’s elder brother
WANG XI-FENG wife of Jia Lian and niece of Lady Wang, Aunt Xue and Wang Zi-teng
WANG XING and WANG XING’S WIFE couple on the staff of Rong-guo House
WANG ZI-TENG elder brother of Lady Wang and Aunt Xue
WEI RUO-LAN General Wei’s son; a family friend of the Jias
WIDOW JIN Jokey Jin’s mother
XI-CHUN see JIA XI-CHUN
XI-FENG See WANG XI-FENG
XIA BING-ZHONG eunuch Master of the Bedchamber in the Imperial Palace
XIANG-YUN see SHI XIANG-YUN
XUEBAO-CHAI daughter of Aunt Xue
XUE PAN the ‘Oaf King’; son of Aunt Xue and elder brother of Bao-chai
TING-CHUN See JIA TING-CHUN YING-LIAN See ZHEN YING-LIAN
YOU-SHI wife of Cousin Zhen
YU-CUN see JIA YU-CUN
YU XIN steward on the staff of Rong-guo House
YUAN-CHUN See JIA YUAN-CHUN
TUN GUANG general who acted as Wang Xi-feng’s instrument on behalf of the Zhangs
ZHAN GUANG one of Jia Zheng’s ‘literary gentlemen’
ZHANG CAI and ZHANG CAI’S WIFE couple on the staff of Rong-guo House
ZHANG JIN-GE daughter of a wealthy Chang-an couple; driven to suicide by Wang Xi-feng’s intrigues
ZHANG RU-GUI an official colleague of Jia Yu-cun’s
ZHANG YOU-SHI doctor friend of Feng Zi-ying
ZHAO TIAN-DONG and ZHAO TIAN-LIANG Nannie Zhao s two sons
ZHEN SHI-YIN a retired gentleman of Soochow; father of Caltrop ZHEN YING-LIAN daughter of Zhen Shi-yin, later known as
CALTROP, q.v.
HENS a wealthy Southern family having close ties with the Jias
ZHOU RUI and ZHOU RUI’S WIFE couple employed on the staff of Rong-guo House
ZHOU-SHI a poor widow related to the Jias of Rong-guo House; mother of Jia Qin
Genealogical Tables
He just wanted a decent book to read …
Not too much to ask, is it? It was in 1935 when Allen Lane, Managing Director of Bodley Head Publishers, stood on a platform at Exeter railway station looking for something good to read on his journey back to London. His choice was limited to popular magazines and poor-quality paperbacks – the same choice faced every day by the vast majority of readers, few of whom could afford hardbacks. Lane’s disappointment and subsequent anger at the range of books generally available led him to found a company – and change the world.
We believed in the existence in this country of a vast reading public for intelligent books at a low price, and staked everything on it’
Sir Allen Lane, 1902–1970, founder of Penguin Books
The quality paperback had arrived – and not just in bookshops. Lane was adamant that his Penguins should appear in chain stores and tobacconists, and should cost no more than a packet of cigarettes.
Reading habits (and cigarette prices) have changed since 1935, but Penguin still believes in publishing the best books for everybody to enjoy.We still believe that good design costs no more than bad design, and we still believe that quality books published passionately and responsibly make the world a better place.
So wherever you see the little bird – whether it’s on a piece of prize-winning literary fiction or a celebrity autobiography, political tour de force or historical masterpiece, a serial-killer thriller, reference book, world classic or a piece of pure escapism – you can bet that it represents the very best that the genre has to offer.
Whatever you like to read – trust Penguin.
www.penguin.co.uk
Join the conversation:
Twitter Facebook
PENGUIN BOOKS
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Putnam Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Books Australia Ltd, 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia
Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 10 Alcorn Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2
Penguin Books India (P) Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi – 110 017, India
Penguin Books (NZ) Ltd, Cnr Rosedale and Airborne Roads, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, Block D, Rosebank Office Park, 181 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North, Gauteng 2193, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
www.penguin.com
This translation first published 1973
Copyright © David Hawkes, 1973
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-0-14-193516-4
Introduction
1. Chinese authorities mostly refer to this as ‘the 1791 edition’, though in point of fact it was not published until January of the following year.
Introduction
2. Some scholars maintain that it was on New Year’s Eve of the year following, but the evidence for the earlier date seems to me much stronger.
Introduction
3. Xueqin is reported to have said once, ‘If anyone is in a hurry to read my novel, all he’s got to do is keep me daily supplied with roast duck and good Shaoxing wine, and I’ll be happy to oblige him’
Introduction
4. Female fashion remained unaffected by the conquest and Chinese women continued to hobble about on artificially deformed feet. Manchu women retained their unbound feet and distinctive national dress until the end of the dynasty. Cao Xueqin tries as much as possible to present the family in the novel as an aristocratic Chinese one. It is only occasionally that he unintentionally lets slip some indication that its women are proudstepping Manchu dames.