背影 The Image of His Back by 朱自清 Zhu Ziqing

This story is called 背影 (Beiying) , and was written by famous poet and essayist 朱自清 Zhu Ziqing (1898-1948). He studied at the famous Peking University and was one of the writers to arise in popularity during the 1920s out of the May Fourth Movement. His story tells the interactions between the thoughts of a young student and his father after the death of his grandmother. 

I got this story originally from the website:

http://www.eduzhai.net/wenxue/xdwx/zhuziqing/beiying.htm

(all rights reserved)

Enjoy~!

背影 by 朱自清

The Image of His Back

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我与父亲不相见已二年余了，我最不能忘记的是他的背影。 I haven’t seen my father for more then two years already.  The thing that I can never forget though is  the image of his back. 那年冬天，祖母死了，父亲的差使也交卸了，正是祸不单行的日子， 我从北京到徐州，打算跟着父亲奔丧回家。  That year’s winter, my grandmother died and my father relinquished his post.  Lots of bad things happened during this time.  I had planned on going back home from Beijing to Xuzhou,  in order to help my father prepare the funeral.   到徐州见着父亲，看见满院狼藉的东西，又想起祖母，不禁簌簌地流下眼泪。 I arrived in Xuzhou and seeing my father,  I caught sight of the yard in disarray and couldn't help the tears from slipping out as I thought of  my grandmother again.   父亲说，“事已如此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路！”回家变卖典质， 父亲还了亏空；又借钱办了丧事。 My father said, “Since stuff like this has already happened  there’s no need to be sad, the road to Heaven is open!”  When we returned home, my father sold our mortgage  to clear our debt, but also borrowed money  to use for the funeral.   这些日子，家中光景很是惨淡，一半为了丧事，一半为了父亲赋闲。 These days our family’s circumstances are very bleak,  half because of the funeral arrangements while the  other half was because of my idle father.   丧事完毕，父亲要到南京谋事，我也要回北京念书，我们便同行。 After the funeral is over, my father wanted to  go to Nanjing for work, and I needed to go back to study  in Beijing, so we traveled together.   到南京时，有朋友约去游逛，勾留了一日；第二日上午便须渡江到浦口，下午上车北去。 When we arrived in Nanjing,  we had friends who we went out sightseeing with for one day,  and the afternoon of the second day  I needed to cross the river to get to Pukou and  catch the train north.   父亲因为事忙，本已说定不送我，叫旅馆里一个熟识的茶房陪我同去。 Because my father was already busy,  we agreed on him not bothering to see me off.  Instead he asked a hotel waiter that he knew to accompany me.   他再三嘱咐茶房，甚是仔细。 My father told the waiter over and over again  to be very careful.   但他终于不放心，怕茶房不妥帖；颇踌躇了一会。 He was still not relieved, afraid that  the waiter would not do things right, and hesitated for a minute.   其实我那年已二十岁，北 京已来往过两三次，是没有甚么要紧的了。 I was in fact already 20 at the time,  and had been to Beijing two or three times  without any problems arising.   他踌躇了一会，终于决定还是自己送我去。 He hesitated for another second,  and finally decided to send me off himself.   我两三回劝他不必去；他只说,“不要紧，他们去不好！” 我们过了江，进了车站。 I tried two or three times to persuade him not to go,  but he said “Never mind, if he goes with you  it will be bad!” We crossed the river  and entered the station.   我买票，他忙着照看行李。 I bought my ticket and he looked after my luggage.   行李太多了，得向脚夫行些小费,才可过去。 Because I had too much luggage,  I had to pay a small fee to the porter,  and only then could we go in.    他便又忙着和他们讲价钱。 He was busy arguing the price with the porter.   我那时真是聪明过分，总觉他说话不大漂亮，非自己插嘴不可。 At that time, I thought I was so smart,  I thought that he didn't speak eloquently,  and I couldn’t help but interrupt his talking.   但他终于讲定了价钱；就送我上车。 But he at last got the price he wanted,  and sent me to board the train.   他给我拣定了靠车门的一张椅子；我将他给我做的紫毛大衣铺好坐位。 He picked me out a chair that was by the door,  I took the purple coat he made me and laid  it out over the seat.   他嘱我路上小心，夜里警醒些，不要受凉。 He urged me to be careful on the road,  be alert at night, and to not catch a cold.   又嘱托茶房好好照应我。 He also asked the attendants to take good care of me.   我心里暗笑他的迂；他们只认得钱，托他们直是白托！而且我这样大年纪的人， 难道还不能料理自己么？ Inside my heart I laughed at his over-protectiveness,  These people only know money, asking them to  do something like this... it’s useless. Furthermore,  I’m already an adult, why wouldn’t I be able to take care of myself?   唉，我现在想想，那时真是太聪明了！ Well, thinking about it now,  I really thought I was too clever.   我说道，“爸爸，你走吧。” I said, “Dad, you should leave.”   他望车外看了看，说，“我买几个橘子去。你就在此地，不要走动。” He looked outside the train, saying,  “I brought a few tangerines.  Since your already here, don't move.”   我看那边月台的栅栏外有几个卖东西的等着顾客。 I looked across the platform and saw  some customers waiting to buy things outside the fence.   走到那边月台，须穿过铁道，须跳下去又爬上去。 To reach the platform, you had to cross  the train tracks, jump down and then crawl back up.   父亲是一个胖子，走过去自然要费事些。 My father was a fat person, so to do that would not be easy.   我本来要去的，他不肯，只好让他去。 I originally wanted to go, he wouldn’t agree,  so I couldn’t help but let him do it.   我看见他戴着黑布小帽，穿着黑布大马褂，深青布棉袍， 蹒跚地走到铁道边，慢慢探身下去，尚不大难。 I saw him wearing a small black hat,  a black coat, dark green quilted gown,  stumbling towards the railway edge,  lowering his body to go down, still without any problems.   可是他穿过铁道，要爬上那边月台，就不容易了。 However, him crossing the tracks to climb up  over the other platform was not easy.   他用两手攀着上面，两脚再向上缩；他肥胖的身子向左微倾，显出努力的样子。 He used two hands to lift himself up,  pulled his two legs upward, his fat body collapsed  to the left, and his expression showed one of great effort.   这时我看见他的背影，我的泪很快地流下来了。 At this moment, I saw his back,  My tears quickly started flowing.   我赶紧拭干了泪，怕他看见，也怕别人看见。 I hurriedly wiped them, afraid that he or others had seen.   我再向外看时，他已抱了朱红的橘子望回走了。 I looked outwards again; he was already  holding the vermillion colored tangerines and coming back.   过铁道时，他先将橘子散放在地上，自己慢慢爬下，再抱起橘子走。 Crossing the railway track, he first  put the tangerines down, then slowly lowered himself,  then picked up the tangerines again and walked.   到这边时，我赶紧去搀他。 At this time, I quickly went to assist him.   他和我走到车上，将橘子一股脑儿放在我的皮大衣上。 He and I walked to the train, and  I put the tangerines on top of my coat.   于是扑扑衣上的泥土，心里很轻松似的，过一会说，“我走了； 到那边来信！”我望着他走出去。 Then he brushed the dirt from his clothes,  seeming very at ease, and then said after a moment,  “I’m going now, when you get there send me a letter!”  I watched him leave.   他走了几步，回过头看见我，说，“进去吧，里边没人。” He walked a few steps, turned back, and said,  “Go in now, there’s no one inside.”   等他的背影混入来来往往的人里，再找不着了， 我便进来坐下，我的眼泪又来了。 When his back mixed in with the people coming  and going, and I couldn't find him again, my tears came back.   近几年来，父亲和我都是东奔西走，家中光景是一日不如一日。 In recent years, My father and I are both  rushing about; our family situation getting worse and worse.   他少年出外谋生，独力支持，做了许多大事。 He left to seek work while he was young;  he did a lot of things alone to support himself.   那知老境却如此颓唐！ How would he have known that  the situation would be this bad when he got older!   他触目伤怀，自然情不能自已。 He has so many hardships,  but he cannot feel them himself.   情郁于中，自然要发之于外；家庭琐屑便往往触他之怒。 In the feeling of melancholy,  I naturally wanted to send out my feelings,  family matters tended to make him angry.   他待我渐渐不同往日。 He treated me differently from before.   但最近两年的不见，他终于忘却我的不好，只是惦记着我，惦记着我的儿子。 But in these two years we haven’t met,  he eventually forgot the bad parts of me,  merely concerned for my son.    我北来后，他写了一信给我，信中说道，“我身体平安， 惟膀子疼痛利害，举箸提笔，诸多不便，大约大去之期不远矣。” After going north, he wrote a letter to me,  the letter said “My body is healthy,  only my upper arm hurts, its painful to hold up  chopsticks and inconvenient to write. My time is nearing.”   我读到此处，在晶莹的泪光中，又看见那肥胖的，青布棉袍，黑布马褂的背影。 When I read this line, my tears were glistening;  I saw his large body, and his black jacket.   唉！我不知何时再能与他相见！ Oh dear! I don't know when I will be able to meet with him again!   １９２５年１０月在北京。 （原载１９２５年１１月２２日《文学周报》第２００期） *To me this story seemed to tell the importance of appreciating  one's parents, despite their imperfections. Chinese culture,  and asian culture in general stresses the importance of filial piety. Your parents, grandparents, and older people in general need to be  treated with the utmost respect. In korean, you even need to conjugate  your verbs differently based on who you are speaking to. The narrator  of the story looks back on his treatment of his father with regret  (if you look at the part with the porter), especially at the end.  We can see that the narrator is "playing it cool" by not showing  his appreciate or love for his father to his father's face,  and only crying when he turns his back. This is something that  I think everyone can relate to, because even I did this in  order to look "cooler" in front of my friends. But the author  tells us that we should show our love and appreciation  for others while they are still around because  we never know when they will not be here anymore.

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.