-.z.BegoniaClubTakesFormOneDayintheStudioofAutumnFreshnessCharacters:紈Ann探春Olivia迎春Asuna惜春Sylvia寶釵Echo黛玉Eva寶玉Jenniier旁白Lemon旁白：He〔寶玉〕wenttotheStudioofAutumnFreshness(秋爽齋)where寶玉,黛玉,迎春and惜春wereassembled.寶玉,黛玉,迎春,惜春〔cried〕〔laughing,asheentered.〕:Hereesanother!探春〔askedgleefully〕:Notsovulgar,wasit,thatsuddenideaofmine"Iwroteafewinvitationstoseewhatwouldhappen,andyouallturnupinforce.寶玉〔observed〕:Weshouldhavestartedaclublikethislongago.黛玉:Startoneifyoulike,butdon'tcountmein.I'mnotuptoit.迎春〔counteredwithasmile〕:Ifyou'renot,whois"寶玉〔declared〕:Thisisaseriousbusiness.Weshouldencourageeachother,notbackoutofpoliteness.Let'sallgiveourideasforgeneraldiscussion.Whatsuggestionshaveyou,Cousin寶釵"AndCousin黛玉"寶釵〔asked〕:What'sthehurry"We'renotallhereyet.旁白：Beforeshehadfinishedspeaking紈walkedin.紈〔cried〕:Howveryrefined!Ifyou'regoingtostartapoetryclub,I'llvolunteertopreside.Ihadthisveryidealastspring,butonsecondthoughtsdecideditwouldonlybeaskingfortroubleasIcan'twritepoetrymyself,soIdroppedtheideaandforgotit.NowthatThirdSister'ssokeen,I'llhelpyougetthisgoing.黛玉:Ifyou'resetonstartingapoetryclub,wemustallbepoets.Andfirst,tobelessconventional,wemuststopcallingeachother'sister,''cousin,''sister-in-law'andsoforth.紈〔agreed〕:Quiteright.Let'schoosesomeelegantpen-names.I'llbeTheOldPeasantofSweetPaddy〔稻香老農(nóng)〕.Nooneelsecanhavethatname.探春〔cried〕:I'llbeMasterofAutumnFreshness〔秋爽居士〕.寶玉〔objected〕:There'ssomethingunrealandawkwardabout'master'and'scholar’.Withallthesewu-tungtreesandplantainshere,whynotusetheminyourname"探春〔agreed〕:Yes,Iknowwhat.IlikeplantainsbestsoI'llcallmyselfTheStrangerUnderthePlantain〔蕉下客〕.旁白：Theothersapprovedthisasmoreoriginal.黛玉〔teased〕:Dragheroff,quick!Stewsomeslicesofherfleshtogowithourwine.旁白：Theotherslookedmystified.黛玉：〔e*plainedwithasmile〕Didn'tanancientsay,'Thedeerwascoveredwiththeplantain'"IfshecallsherselfTheStrangerUnderthePlantain,shemustbeadeer.Let'shurryupandcookthisvenison.探春〔cried〕：Justyouwait!You'reverycleveratmakingfunofpeople,butI'vegottherightnameforyou,aperfectname.(turningtotherest.)ThewivesofKingShunshedsomanytearsonbamboosthatthereaftertheirstemsbecamespeckled,andnowthespeckledbambooiscalledbytheirname.Well,shelivesinBambooLodgeandshe'salwayscrying.Whenonedayshepinesforahusband,I'msurethebamboostherewillgrowspeckledtoo.IproposewecallherQueenoftheBamboos〔瀟湘妃子〕.旁白：Therestapplaudedwhile黛玉loweredherhead,reducedtosilence.紈〔volunteered〕:I'vethoughtofagoodnameforCousin寶釵.Ashortonetoo.惜春and迎春〔asked〕:Whatisit"紈〔answered〕:I'mentitlingherLadyoftheAlpinia〔蘅蕪君〕.How'sthat"探春:Ane*cellenttitle.寶玉〔asked〕:Howaboutme"Thinkofoneformetoo.寶釵〔chuckled〕:You'vealreadygotone.MuchAdoAboutNothing〔無事忙〕isjustthenameforyou.紈〔suggested〕:WhynotkeepyouroldtitleofPrinceoftheCrimsonCavern〔絳洞花主〕"寶玉〔smiledsheepishly〕:Don'tbringupthesillythingsIdidasachild.探春:You'vealreadygotplentyofpen-names.Whatdoyouwantanewonefor"Wecanjustcallyoubyanynamewefeellike.寶釵〔offered〕:I'vegotoneforyou.It'svulgar,butitsuitsyoutotheground.Thetwohardestthingstoebyarerichesandnobility,andthethirdisleisure.Fewpeopleenjoymorethanoneofthese,butyouhaveallthree,soyoushouldbecalledTheRichandNobleIdler〔富貴閑人〕.寶玉〔grinned〕:That'stoogoodforme.Butjustasyouplease.紈〔asked〕:WhataboutSecondCousinandFourthCousin"迎春〔rejoined〕:We'renogoodatwritingpoetrysoweshan'tneedpen-names.探春〔urged〕:Evenso,you'deachbetterhaveone.寶釵〔suggested〕:As迎春livesonPurpleCaltropIsle,letherbeMistressofCaltropIsle〔菱洲〕.And惜春inthePavilionofScentedLotuscouldbeMistressofLotusPavilion〔藕榭〕.紈:Verygood.NowasI'mtheeldestyoumustalllistentome.I'msureyou'llagreetomyproposal.Wesevenarestartingthisclub;butasSecondCousin,FourthCousinandIarenopoetessesyoumustleaveusoutwhenitestowriting,andwe'lleachtakechargeofsomething.探春〔giggled〕:We'vealreadygottitles.Butwemightjustaswellnothavethem,thewayyou'restilltalking.Wemustdecideonforfeitsformistakeslikethatfromnowon.紈:Waittillwe'vesetuptheclubbeforelayingdownrule.Myapartmentsarethelargest,let'smeetthere.ThoughIcan'tversify,ifyoupoetsdon'tobjecttomyvulgarpanyI'llactashostessandinthatwayacquiresomeculturetoo.Butifyouelectmeaswarden,Ishan'tbeabletomanageonmyown.Wemusthaveasourdeputy-wardensthescholarsofCaltropIsleandLotusPavilion,onetosetthethemeandrhymes,theotherascopyistandsupervisor.Wewon'tmakearulingthatwethreearenottowritewhenthesubjectandrhymeareeasywemayhaveagobutyoufourdefinitelymustwrite.That'smyproposal.Ifyoudon'tacceptit,Imustwithdrawfromthisillustriouspany.旁白：As迎春and惜春hadnolikingforversifyingandnochanceofoutdoing寶釵or黛玉,theywillinglyagreedtothisarrangementwhichsuitedthemdowntotheground.Theothers,seeingtheirrelief,acquiescedunderstandinglywithoutpressingthem.探春〔saidcheerfully〕:Allrightthen.Seemsfunnytome,though.Thiswasmybrain-wave,butyouthreeendupincharge.寶玉〔putin〕:Nowthat'ssettled.Let'sgotoPaddy-SweetCottage.紈〔objected〕:Don'tbeinsuchahurry.We'restillintheplanningstage.WaittillIinviteyou.寶釵〔urged〕:Atleastweshouldagreeonhowoftentomeet.探春〔predicted〕:Ifwemeettoooftenwewon'tenjoyit.Let'slimitittotwoorthreetimesamonth.寶釵〔nodded〕:Twiceamonthisenough.We'llfi*datesandmeetregardlessofwindorrain.Ifanyonelikestoinvitepeopletoherplaceortheusualplaceforanothergatheringonsomeotherday,wellandgood.Wouldn'tthatbemorefle*ibleandgreaterfun"旁白：Theyallapprovedthisidea.探春:Asthiswasmysuggestion,youmustletmeplayhostessfirst.That'sonlyfair.紈〔agreed〕:Verywellthen.Youcancallthefirstmeetingtomorrow.探春〔urged〕:Whynottoday"There'snotimelikethepresent.Yousetthesubject,CaltropIslecanfi*therhymes,andLotusPavilioncansupervise.迎春〔demurred〕:Idon'tthinkthesubjectandrhymesshouldbedecidedbyoneperson.Drawinglotswouldbefairer.紈〔remarked〕:Onmywayhere,Isawthemcarryingintwopotsofwhitebegoniawhichlookedsimplylovely.Whynotwriteonthebegonia"迎春〔protested〕:Withouthavingseenthem"Howcanwe"寶釵〔countered〕:It'sonlywhitebegonia.There'snoneedtolookatitfirst.Theancientswrotetomanifesttheirowntemperamentsandfeelings.Ifthey'donlywrittenaboutthingsthey'dseen,wewouldn'thavesomanypoemstoday.迎春〔said〕:Inthatcaseletmesettletherhymes.旁白：Shetookavolumeofpoetryfromthebookcaseandopeneditatrandomatalushiwithseven-characterlines.Havingheldthisoutforalltosee,shetoldthemtousethesamemetre.Thenputtingthebookaway.迎春〔turnedto惜春〕:Sayanywordthatesintoyourhead.惜春(standingbythedoor):Men(door).迎春〔announced〕:Verywell,thatrhymebelongstothethirteenthsectionoftherhymesystem.Andthatwordmusteinthefirstline.旁白：Ne*tsheaskedforthebo*ofrhymecards,pulledoutthethirteenthdrawerandtold惜春topickfourcardsatrandom.Theseprovedtobepen(pot),hun(spirit),hen(stain)andhun(dim).寶玉'smented:'Pot'and'door'aren'teasytofitin.旁白：惜春preparedfourlotsofpaperandwriting-brushes,andallquieteneddowntothink.Allbut黛玉,whowentonfondlingthewu-tongtrees,lookingattheautumnsceneorjokingwiththemaids.迎春hadastickofSweet-DreamIncenselit.Beingonlythreeincheslongandnothickerthanalampwick,thisburntquickly.Thepoemshadtobefinishedbeforeitburntout,onpainofapenalty.探春wasthefirsttofinish.Shewroteoutherpoem,madeoneortwocorrections,andhandedthepaperto迎春.探春〔asked寶釵〕：Areyouready,LadyoftheAlpinia"寶釵〔replied〕:Yes,mine'sdone,butit'snogood.寶玉(handsbehindhisback,pacingupanddownthecorridor)〔saidto黛玉〕:Hearthat"They'vefinishedtheirs.黛玉〔answered〕：Don'tworryaboutme.旁白：Thenhesawthat寶釵hadcopiedoutherpoem.寶玉〔e*claimed〕:Goodgracious!There'sonlyoneinchoftheincenseleft,butallI'vedoneisfourlines.(turningto黛玉)Theincenseisnearlyburntout.Dostopsquattingonthedampground.旁白：黛玉paidnoattention.寶玉:Ican'thelpyounow.Imustwritemineout,howeverbaditis.(walkingtothedesk)惜春〔announced〕:We'regoingtolookatthepoemsnow.Anyonewhodoesn'thandhisinbythetimewefinishreadingtheotherswillhavetopayaforfeit.寶玉：TheOldPeasantofSweetPaddymaynotwritewellherself,butshe'sagoodjudgeandabsolutelyimpartial.We'llallstandbyherverdict.旁白：Therestagreed.Firsttheylookedat探春'spaper.惜春〔reads〕:Chillthesunsetgrassinfrontofthecloseddoor,Thickthegreenmosstherain-drenchedpotbelow;Herspirit'spuritysurpassesjade,Hergentleformisravishingassnow.Afaintethereallovelinessishers,Hershadowatmidnightchequersthemoon'slight.Donotflyfromme,chastegoodess;Abidewithmeasfalltheshadesofnight.旁白：Afteradmiringthistheyread寶釵'spoem:迎春〔reads〕:ForthesakeoftheflowersthedoorisclosedbydayAsIgotowaterthepotswithmossovergrown;Immaculateitsshadowonautumnsteps,Pureassnowandiceitsspiritbydewystone.Onlytruewhitenessdazzleswithitsbrightness;Cansomuchsadnessleaveaflawlessjade"Itspurityrewardsthegodofautumn,Speechlessandchasteitstaysassunbeamsfade.紈〔remarkedwithasmile〕：TrusttheLadyoftheAlpinia!旁白：Thentheyturnedto寶玉'spoem:寶釵〔reads〕:Autumnbloomscastchequeredshadowsbythedoor,Sevennodesofsnowyflowersinpotsarrayed,LikeLadyYang'sshade,freshfromthebath,ice-pure,Or*iShi'smournfulspiritfairasjade.Nomorningbreezecanscatterthisinfinitesadness,Andtherainaddsfreshtear-stainsatnight;LeaningbypaintedbalustradeitseemssensateAspoundingofclothesandflutingputdusktoflight.旁白：Whenallhadreadthis,寶玉e*pressedhisownpreferencefor探春'sverse,but紈insistedthat寶釵'swasmoredistinguished.迎春〔asked〕:QueenoftheBamboos,haveyoufinishedyourpoem"黛玉〔cried〕:Haveyouallfinished"(takingupherbrushanddashingoffeightlineswhichshetossedovertothem)紈reads:Half-rolledthebambooblind,half-closedthedoor;Crushediceservesasmouldforjadepots.寶玉〔e*claimedinadmirationbeforereadingon〕：Howdoyoudoit"寶玉reads:Somewhitenessfromthepear-blossomisstolen,Someofitsspiritwinter-plumallots.Theotherscried:Splendid!She'sreallyoriginal.Theyreadon:探春reads:Thegoddessofthemoonsewsawhitegown,Themaid'sweepinginautumnchamberneverends;Silently,shyly,withneverawordofplaint,Shereclinesintheautumnbreezeasnightdescends.Theyoungpeoplecried:Thisisthebest!紈:It'scertainlythemostcharmingandunusual.ButourLadyAlpinia'shasdeepersignificanceandrealsubstance.探春〔putin〕:Quiteright.TheQueenofBamboosshoulde