一件小事 One Small Matter by 鲁迅 LuXun

This story is called 一件小事  One Small Matter and was written by 鲁迅 LuXun.
This story is about a official who has witnessed countless past events throughout the country's history, but is only touched by one small one. One morning while going to work, he witnesses the kindness of the driver of the rickshaw he is riding, despite the fact that the woman who they "hit" was faking her injuries. From this event he ultimately questions his place and teachings after comparing himself to the rickshaw driver.

I originally got this off of the website:
http://www.tianyabook.com/luxun/lh/001.htm
(all rights reserved!)

一件小事 by 鲁迅
A Small Matter by LuXun
——————————————————————

　　 我从乡下跑到京城里，一转眼已经六年了。

I escaped from the country to the capital, in the blink of an eye; it’s already been 6 years since then.

其间耳闻目睹的所谓国家大事，算起来也很不少；但在我心里，都不留什么痕迹，倘要我寻出这些事的影响来说，便只是增长了我的坏脾气，——老实说，便是教我一天比一天的看不起人。

During this time, I have heard and witnessed all of the country’s biggest events. There a lot of them, but in my heart, there are no traces left. If perhaps I were to uncover these matters’ influence upon me further, my bad temper would only increase. Honestly, these years have taught me from day to day to look down on people.

　　  但有一件小事，却于我有意义，将我从坏脾气里拖开，使我至今忘记不得。

  However, there is one small thing that has significance to me, which drags my bad temper on. So far, to this day I have not forgotten it.

这是民国六年的冬天，大北风刮得正猛，我因为生计关系，不得不一早在路上走。

This was during the winter of the Republic’s six year, when the winds from the north blew fierce. Because of my living, I had no choice but to walk the road during the early morning. 

一路几乎遇不见人，好容易才雇定了一辆人力车，教他拉到S门去。

不一会，北风小了，路上浮尘早已刮净，剩下一条洁白的大道来，车夫也跑得更快。

On the road I hardly met anyone. With great difficulty, I managed to hire a rickshaw and tell him to go to S gate. After a moment, the northern wind blew. The dirt from the road floated up for a long time and was wiped clean by the wind, the only thing left was a spotlessly white main street. The driver ran faster.

刚近S门，忽而车把上带着一个人，慢慢地倒了。
Right near the S gate, our rickshaw suddenly hooked someone on the handle bars and they slowly fell down.

跌倒的是一个女人，花白头发，衣服都很破烂。

The person who fell was a white haired woman with ragged clothing.

伊从马路上突然向车前横截过来；车夫已经让开道，但伊的破棉背心没有上扣，微风吹着，向外展开，所以终于兜着车把。

She suddenly faced the direction of our cart, blocking our way as she came over. The driver had already moved out of the way, but her tattered vest wasn't buttoned and caught on the handlebars when blown open by the wind.

幸而车夫早有点停步，否则伊定要栽一个大斤斗，跌到头破血出了。
Fortunately, the driver had slowed a little, otherwise she would have been flipped over so that she hit her head.

伊伏在地上；车夫便也立住脚。

She was lying on the ground, the driver also came to a stop.

我料定这老女人并没有伤，又没有别人看见，便很怪他多事，要自己惹出是非，也误了我的路。

I knew that this woman was unhurt, and that no one else had seen. What was even stranger was that he caused more problems by getting involved and delayed me on my journey. 

　　

我便对他说，“没有什么的。走你的罢！”

I said to him, “This is nothing. Go on!”

　　车夫毫不理会，——或者并没有听到，——却放下车子，扶那老女人慢慢起来，搀着臂膊立定，问伊说：

The cart driver hardly paid attention to me, furthermore he might have not even heard me. He put down the small cart and helped the old woman up slowly. He supported her shoulder and set her firm on her feet, asking her:

　　“你怎么啦？”

    “How are you?”

　　“我摔坏了。”

    “I think I broke something.”

　　我想，我眼见你慢慢倒地，怎么会摔坏呢，装腔作势罢了，这真可憎恶。车夫多事，也正是自讨苦吃，现在你自己想法去。

I thought, I saw her fall slowly to the ground, how can you break something? She’s faking it, that's all. I really hate things like this.  The rickshaw driver is being meddlesome, so he’s asking for trouble by doing this. Now he needs to think of a way out of this himself.

　　车夫听了这老女人的话，却毫不踌躇，仍然搀着伊的臂膊，便一步一步的向前走。

After hearing what the old woman said, he hardly hesitated, still helping her up by the arm and guiding her to step one by one forward.

我有些诧异，忙看前面，是一所巡警分驻所，大风之后，外面也不见人。

I was a little flabbergasted, I quickly looked forward, and saw a little police station building. After the big gust of wind that blew, I didn't see any people on the outside of it. 

这车夫扶着那老女人，便正是向那大门走去。

The rickshaw driver supported the old woman, and walked towards the big gate.  

　　我这时突然感到一种异样的感觉，觉得他满身灰尘的后影，刹时高大了，而且愈走愈大，须仰视才见。

Suddenly, I began to have a peculiar feeling. I thought about how his back was covered all over in the dust from the wind, and in a wink of the eye he looked tall. Furthermore, the more he walked the bigger he looked. I had to face upwards and look on with respect just then.

而且他对于我，渐渐的又几乎变成一种威压，甚而至于要榨出皮袍下面藏着的“小”来。

In addition my regards toward him, gradually turned into a kind of power pressing down upon me. So much that I would go as far as to extract my leather wallet hiding below and bring it out.

　　我的活力这时大约有些凝滞了，坐着没有动，也没有想，直到看见分驻所里走出一个巡警，才下了车。

At this time, my energy seemed to stagnate a little, and all I could do was sit without moving. I couldn't even think at all, until a policeman came out from the building and came down by the cart. 

巡警走近我说，“你自己雇车罢，他不能拉你了。”

The police officer walked close before me and said, “You should order another rickshaw, and he cannot take you.”

　　我没有思索的从外套袋里抓出一大把铜元，交给巡警，说，“请你给他……”
　　风全住了，路上还很静。

I didn't think any deeper and took out a large coin from my pouch in my jacket pocket. I gave it to the policeman, and said, “Please give this to him……”as the wind came to a halt. The street was still very calm.

我走着，一面想，几乎怕敢想到自己。

I walked thinking, but almost afraid to really think about myself.

以前的事姑且搁起，这一大把铜元又是什么意思？奖他么？

What happened before was temporarily put aside, what is the meaning of this big copper coin? A prize for him?

我还能裁判车夫么？我不能回答自己。

Do I even have the ability to judge the rickshaw man? I couldn't answer my own question.

　　这事到了现在，还是时时记起。

   This matter I still recall to this day often.

我因此也时时煞了苦痛，努力的要想到我自己。

Thus I try to reduce the pain, and with great effort try to think about myself.

几年来的文治武力，在我早如幼小时候所读过的“子曰诗云”⑵一般，背不上半句了。

With all the language control and military force I gained in these past years, I can’t recite any of the Confucian sayings I had learned as a child. “Confucius’s poem” says in general reciting from memory is not enough.

独有这一件小事，却总是浮在我眼前，有时反更分明，教我惭愧，催我自新，并且增长我的勇气和希望。
This trifling matter only however, is always floating in front of my eyes. Sometimes taking place vividly, teaching me to be ashamed, urging me to renew myself, and to grow my courage and hopes.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　一九二○年七月。⑶

　　□注释  (Marginal notes)

　　⑴本篇最初发表于一九一九年十二月一日北京《晨报·周年纪念增刊》。
　　⑵“子曰诗云”：“子曰”即“夫子说”；“诗云”即“《诗经》上说”。泛指儒家古籍。这里指旧时学塾的初级读物。
　　⑶据报刊发表的年月及《鲁迅日记》，本篇写作时间当在一九一九年十一月。


*I liked reading this story, and I thought that the conclusion that the narrator comes to in the end is an interesting one. The narrator realizes that the woman is faking her injuries, and wonders why the rickshaw cart driver is stupid enough to help her. He gets angry at things like this, but then realizes in the end that the rickshaw driver is actually a better "confucian" then him. We can infer that the narrator is a ranking governmental official, and that he obviously has had training in confucianism because of his rank. Confucianism teaches concepts that tell us to aid others in need no matter how small the matter, which the rickshaw driver does while the official just wants to leave as quick as possible. This realization scares the narrator and causes him to not want to look at his own inner self. At the end he realizes that in order to actually follow what that he has been taught and forgotten after all these years he needs to renew himself and take a look at who he really is on the inside and make an attempt to change.