鲁迅《祝福》英文全文--The-new-years-sacrifice

（这是网址）THENEWYEAR'SSACRIFICENewYear'sEveoftheoldcalendarseemsafterallmoreliketherealNewYear'sEve;for,tosaynothingofthevillagesandtowns,evenintheairthereisafeelingthatNewYeariscoming.Fromthepale,loweringeveningcloudsissuefrequentflashesoflightning,followedbyarumblingsoundoffirecrackerscelebratingthedepartureoftheHearthGod;while,nearerby,thefirecrackersexplodeevenmoreviolently,andbeforethedeafeningreportdiesawaytheairisfilledwithafaintsmellofpowder.ItwasonsuchanightthatIreturnedtoLuchen,mynativeplace.AlthoughIcallitmynativeplace,Ihadhadnohomethereforsometime,soIhadtoputuptemporarilywithacertainMr.Lu,thefourthsonofhisfamily.Heisamemberofourclan,andbelongstothegenerationbeforemine,soIoughttocallhimFourthUncle.AnoldstudentoftheimperialcollegewhowentinforNeo-Confucianism,Ifoundhimverylittlechangedinanyway,simplyslightlyolder,butwithoutanymoustacheasyet.Whenwemet,afterexchangingafewpoliteremarkshesaidIwasfatter,andaftersayingthatimmediatelystartedaviolentattackontherevolutionaries.Iknewthiswasnotmeantpersonally,becausetheobjectoftheattackwasstillKangYu-wei.Nevertheless,conversationproveddifficult,sothatinashorttimeIfoundmyselfaloneinthestudy.ThenextdayIgotupverylate,andafterlunchwentouttoseesomerelativesandfriends.ThedayafterIdidthesame.Noneofthemwasgreatlychanged,simplyslightlyolder;buteveryfamilywasbusypreparingforthesacrifice.Thisisthegreatend-of-yearceremonyinLuchen,whenpeoplereverentlywelcometheGodofFortuneandsolicitgoodfortuneforthecomingyear.Theykillchickensandgeeseandbuypork,scouringandscrubbinguntilallthewomen'sarmsturnredinthewater.Someofthemstillweartwistedsilverbracelets.Afterthemeatiscookedsomechopsticksarethrustintoitatrandom,andthisiscalledtheoffering.Itissetoutatdawnwhenincenseandcandlesarelit,andtheyreverentlyinvitetheGodofFortunetocomeandpartakeoftheoffering.Onlymencanbeworshippers,andafterthesacrificetheynaturallycontinuetoletofffirecrackersasbefore.Thishappenseveryyear,ineveryfamily,providedtheycanaffordtobuytheofferingandfirecrackers;andthisyeartheynaturallyfollowedtheoldcustom.Thedaygrewovercast.Intheafternoonitactuallystartedtosnow,thebiggestsnow-flakesaslargeasplumblossompetalsflutteredaboutthesky;andthis,combinedwiththesmokeandairofactivity,madeLuchenappearinaferment.WhenIreturnedtomyuncle'sstudytheroofofthehousewasalreadywhitewithsnow.Theroomalsoappearedbrighter,thegreatredrubbinghangingonthewallshowingupveryclearlythecharacterforLongevitywrittenbytheTaoistsaintChenTuan.Oneofapairofscrollshadfallendownandwaslyinglooselyrolleduponthelongtable,buttheotherwasstillhangingthere,bearingthewords:Byunderstandingreasonweachievetranquillityofmind.Idly,Iwenttoturnoverthebooksonthetablebeneaththewindow,butallIcouldfindwasapileofwhatlookedlikeanincompletesetofKangHsi'sDictionary,avolumeofChiangYung'sNotestoChuHsi'sPhilosophicalWritingsandavolumeofCommentariesontheFourBooks.Atallevents,Imadeupmymindtoleavethenextday.Besides,theverythoughtofmymeetingwithHsiangLin'sWifethedaybeforemademeuncomfortable.Ithappenedintheafternoon.Ihadbeenvisitingafriendintheeasternpartofthetown.AsIcameoutImetherbytheriver,andseeingthewayshefastenedhereyesonmeIknewverywellshemeanttospeaktome.OfallthepeopleIhadseenthistimeatLuchennonehadchangedasmuchasshe:herhair,whichhadbeenstreakedwithwhitefiveyearsbefore,wasnowcompletelywhite,quiteunlikesomeoneinherforties.Herfacewasfearfullythinanddarkinitssallowness,andhadmoreoverlostitsformerexpressionofsadness,lookingasifcarvedoutofwood.Onlyanoccasionalflickerofhereyesshowedshewasstillalivingcreature.Inonehandshecarriedawickerbasket,inwhichwasabrokenbowl,empty;intheothersheheldabamboopolelongerthanherself,splitatthebottom:itwasclearshehadbecomeabeggar.Istoodstill,waitingforhertocomeandaskformoney.Youhavecomeback?sheaskedmefirst.Yes.Thatisverygood.Youareascholar,andhavetravelledtooandseenalot.Ijustwanttoaskyousomething.Herlustrelesseyessuddenlygleamed.Ineverguessedshewouldtalktomelikethis.Istoodtheretakenbysurprise.Itisthis.Shedrewtwopacesnearer,andwhisperedveryconfidentially:Afterapersondies,doesheturnintoaghostornot?AsshefixedhereyesonmeIwasseizedwithforeboding.AshiverrandownmyspineandIfeltmorenervousthanduringanunexpectedexaminationatschool,whenunfortunatelytheteacherstandsbyone'sside.Personally,Ihadnevergiventheleastthoughttothequestionoftheexistenceofspirits.InthisemergencyhowshouldIanswerher?Hesitatingforamoment,Ireflected:Itisthetraditionheretobelieveinspirits,yetsheseemstobesceptical--perhapsitwouldbebettertosayshehopes:hopesthatthereisimmortalityandyethopesthatthereisnot.Whyincreasethesufferingsofthewretched?Togivehersomethingtolookforwardto,itwouldbebettertosaythereis.Theremaybe,Ithink,Itoldherhesitantly.Then,theremustalsobeaHell?What,Hell?Greatlystartled,Icouldonlytrytoevadethequestion.Hell?Accordingtoreasonthereshouldbeonetoo--butnotnecessarily.Whocaresaboutitanyway?...Thenwillallthepeopleofonefamilywhohavediedseeeachotheragain?Well,astowhethertheywillseeeachotheragainornot....IrealizednowthatIwasacompletefool;forallmyhesitationandrefl