格非《人面桃花》

[Fred0]

Mrs. Lu is taking Baoshen's advice is returning the painting to the Ding family.

 

母亲一听有理，就依了宝琛，第二天一早，院中的阁楼废墟上青烟未熄，她就怀揣宝图，出了腰门，往那丁先生家中一路而去。

 

Mother thought what he said sounded reasonable. Acoordingly, taking Baochen's advice, the next day early, she put the painting into the folds of her gown, went out the middle gate, and took the road towards Mr. Ding's house.  

 

What are 中 and 而 doing in this sentence?

 

Mrs. Ding is overheard to be saying:

“……他陆家平白无故地霸着咱家的宝物，死活不肯归还，这下倒好，一把火烧了精光。

 

The Lu family gratuitously and for no reason has appropriated our family treasure. This time it is actually good (that they had the treasure), (because) a  fire left them with nothing.

 

What is the 一把 doing in this sentence?

 

[Jim]

The 而 is there to tell you that the 一路 part of that phrase is describing the manner in which she went, straight and direct without pause. If you put 而去 into a search you'll see other four character phrases constructed the same way. I'm not so positive about the 中 though it feels natural, to me suggests she goes right into this house rather than shyly hanging around outside waiting to be seen etc, i.e. I think it emphasises the direct, decisive and uncompromising manner mother adopts going to see the Dings.

 

一把 is a measure word for a fire here, base meaning is a handful but does seem to get used with certain uncountable things of a reasonable size but not enormous, I'm thinking of 一把年纪 which suggests pretty old, getting on etc.

[Fred0]

The insane father has quieted down after the big fire and now his behavior is described as:

成天坐在阁楼旁的凉亭上发呆，或是对着那只净手洗面用的瓦釜说话。

 

He sits all day in the pavillion beside the garret building staring into space, or with regard to washing his hands and face, he uses roof tiles and bowls to talk.

 

Obviously, I'm not getting something here!

[Jim]

I think you've misread the 对着, here it means 'facing'; then the 只 is a measure word for the 瓦釜, then the 净手洗面用的 is modifying that, i.e. telling us what the earthenware bowl is, the one he uses for washing. He's staring into space or talking to his washstand.

[Fred0]

Very helpful. Thanks very much.

[Fred0]

阁楼的西侧，有一座酴架，架下摆满了花。花丛中有一石几，每到初夏，酴花开, 一朵朵小白花纷披垂挂，花香清幽，父亲就会让宝琛扶着,...

 

MDBG dictionary defines 酴 tu2 as "yeast." Baidu gives this explanation of the meaning. 酴 字从酉从余。“余”意为“剩下的”。“酉”和“余”联合起来表示“酒的非正体部分、附加部分”。本义：酒滓。So, they say 酴 means "wine dregs." However, in the context above, it appears to be the name of a little white flower that grows hanging down from an overhead frame or trellis.

 

What is a 酴花？

[陳德聰]

I can only assume it is the same as the 酴醚花 / 荼靡花 which would be the flower of the roseleaf bramble.

[Fred0]

这年冬天，母亲要摆拜师酒，让秀米跟人入塾读书。

 

This year in the winter, mother wants to arrange to apprentice under a wine-master. To allow Xiumi to get married, (she will) put her with a private tutor to study.

 

Surely something is wrong here. Please correct my mistake, or mistakes.

[陳德聰]

Context? I don’t see any reference to marriage.

 

I assume the mother is not the one doing an apprenticeship, but rather is going to 拜師 by 擺-ing a 酒 aka a feast in order to have Xiumi 讀書 with that teacher in his 塾.

[Fred0]

Thank you. I wouldn't have guessed that 酒 could mean a feast.

 

There is nothing about marriage up to here in the story, but my dictionary says that 跟人means "to marry (of woman)." However I still don't seen what 跟人 means in the context of the sentence, 让秀米跟人入塾读书.

 

I also don't see what 拜师 means in the context of the first sentence. Is 拜师 an adjective modifying 酒，so that it means something like having a feast for the purpose of learning from a master? Or perhaps this is a traditional kind of feast that is held to get the advice of one's friends and relatives about choosing a career- we would say today for their child？ This kind of feast is called a 拜师酒？

[Jim]

Yes, a 拜师酒 is a thing, part of the formalities of becoming an apprentice or student, here's an example found on a quick search of the term still in use https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/1765598578503526620.html

For 跟人 I'm assuming the 跟 is working in the sense of follow, where to follow a person means to serve under them or in this case study under them.

[Fred0]

So interesting. Thank you both for your instruction.

[Fred0]

A woman has come to tell Mother that Father was seen by her the night before after he ran away. Right after she leaves Mother urges Baochen to find people to go along along the now known path of the father's escape to look for him.  那个女人刚走，母亲就催促宝琛赶紧找人沿路去寻。

 

宝琛正待要走，隔壁的花二娘笑嘻嘻地领进一个人来。

 

This sentence is confusing. Baidu says that 二娘 can mean the form of address of a family. I wondered if it could mean the second wife, or concubine. If it means two women were happy to go, then is it saying that only one actually went? Also, I don't see what 领进 means. Perhaps "to lead ahead?" I take it that 花 is the family name. Also, what does 正待 mean here? Is the meaning of 待 here "to deal with?"
 

[Jim]

正待 means "just about to" here, Baochen is just about to set out. Here's a few examples of the word in use: http://www.jukuu.com/search.php?q=正待 I suppose to be over-literal it means "just waiting" which in many contexts translates best as just about to.

花二娘 I think is just the one person, hesitate to say exactly why her personal name is 二娘 but there was a famous character in the Water Margin  https://baike.baidu.com/item/孙二娘/1965291.

领进 is literally "leads in" I think, Baochen is just about to set out on the search when Hua Erniang from next door comes swanning in cheerfully along with someone else (I presume to help with the search too).

[Fred0]

Thanks, that clarifies things significantly. The following sentence says: 最后一个来到家中的客人与父亲的走失无关。

 

So I read this to say: Finally, a guest who has recently arrived into the household who had nothing to do with losing Father (will also be joining in).  So then this makes three people joining in the search with Baochen: Hua Erniang, the person she has brought in,  and the recently arrived guest. Is that correct?

[Jim]

At first blush I'd read that as " The final visitor to the house had nothing to do with father's disappearance" and take it to imply they turned up for some other reason by coincidence and so not specifically to help with the search but bit hard to say for sure without context. It's even possible if by final guest/visitor they mean the person Hua Erniang has brought over that neither woman is intending to join the search, the neighbour has just brought round someone who was looking for their house. Again, would need more context.

[Fred0]

I think it will clarify as I read further.  If it's ambiguous to you, I feel all right that it's ambiguous to me. Thanks.

[Jim]

As it stands (if the second sentence directly follows what was in the earlier post) I'd definitely assume that the person Hua Erniang  brings over is this final guest who has nothing to do with father wandering off, just can't completely rule out other possible readings on what we have here.

[Fred0]

Yes, that sentence immediately follows the previous one. It's the word 最后 that's confusing. If I take it to mean "this last mentioned person," then he is clearly a guest that has arrived at Erniang's house. If I read it as "finally," then he seems like a new person not previously mentioned.  As I said, I think I just need to read on. Your clarification of the first sentence puts my back on solid ground. Thanks.

[Jim]

最后 here is 最后来, last to arrive/turn up at the house.