她仅仅是一个
she said all these things to herself just from
从异性的本能出发
the angle of the opposite sex
并做出反应的一个地道
and made an instinctive response as an authentic
端装的上海女子
elegant lady of Shanghai.
就和黄河的入海口现在不在黄海
Just like the estuary of Yellow River is now not
而是紧靠着渤海一样
at the Yellow Sea，but next to the Bohai Sea，
上海其实也不是海？为了体现
Shanghai，actually，isn’t a sea.In order to reflect that
上海人黄黄埔江拐了一千九百
the Shanghai-nese have yellow skin，when the Yangtze
九十九道湾儿拐到上海以后
River flows by Shanghai after numerous twists and
就被上海人命名为黄浦江了
turns，the native call it the Yellow Beach River.
说到黄海和上海
at the mention of Yellow Sea and Shanghai，
自然会想到黄河
The Yellow River will naturally occurs to you.
你说喝黄河水长大的人黄不黄
You see，people who grow up drinking the Yellow River water all have yellow skin；
你说山西？陕西？河南？山东的人
and you see，people from provinces where the
黄不黄？？当然黄
Yellow River flows by all are yellow，
黄皮肤？？黑眼睛
with yellow skin and black eyes，
一种被黄土浸透了的黄
a type of yellow color soaked by yellow soil，
一种渗着帝王之气的黄
a kind of yellow color permeated with the air of an emperor.
男人黄？？女人黄
The men are yellow and the women are yellow，
你黄我黄他也黄
you are yellow，I am yellow，he is yellow.
一百年前我们被称作皇帝的臣民
A century ago，everyone was referred to as the emperor’s subjects，
因为这个皇和我们所说的黄
later as the words “imperial”and “yellow”we said
有点儿不大融
become a bit disharmonious，
所以那个叫皇帝的小老儿被哄走了
as a result，the so-called “emperor”was coaxed
因为那个叫皇帝的小老儿并没有注意到
away，as he paid no attention to the fact
五千年前我们就是黄帝的后人
that we were all descendants of the Yellow Emperor
五千年前的黄帝就是你和我的
going back thousands of years ago，so the Yellow Emperor was
爹爹的爹爹的爹啊
our great-great-grand father as early as thousands years ago.
所以我们直到今天还贡奉着他们
that’s why we are still worshipping him to this day
小子呃？知道黄帝陵在哪里吗
“Hey bloke，do you know where the Yellow Emperor Mausoleum is？”
不和你吹啊？？？见到你前
I am not bragging to you.Before having met you，
我一直在非洲？？在黑人主宰的那片土地上
I had been staying in Africa，a continent
只有我和狮子最黄？在那里
dominated by the Negroes，where only the lions and me
咱一不偷二不抢三不掠夺什么
are yellow，where I made money and made a living
咱凭本事挣钱凭本事吃饭
with my abilities，never stealing，neither robbing nor
怎么着？爷黄的地道？
plundering.So，you master me，am authentically yellow，
黄得霸气黄的当地人服气
and my yellow skin is admired and praised by the natives.
实话告诉你？？在北方
To tell you the truth，in the Northland，
有人说上海人白
if somebody says that the natives of Shanghai have white skin，
骨子缝里就不是恭维
he doesn’t try to give them a compliment at all，
说那话的人的潜台词里
what he really means is that
是说你有病？有病的人才白
you are sick，and only the sick look white，
病重了就叫苍白了嘛
and those who are seriously ill look pale and weak.
有一些北方人是妒嫉
some of the northlanders are jealous of
上海的男人过的太优越了
the superior life the men of Shanghai are living，
才醋意十足的说上海的男人白
so they say jealously that the men of Shanghai are white.
你白嘛？你就不阳刚了
as one looks white，he won’t be manly；
你不阳刚你就成了男人婆
and the one who are not manly would become a Tom boy.
吃不到葡萄说葡萄酸明白吗
so they are just saying the grape is sour as they fail to get it，you see？
所以说啊？？不管在哪里
therefore，wherever you are，
做鱼一定要黄？就是做小鱼
as a fish，you must be yellow，even as a little fish，
也要做小黄鱼？？同理类推
you must be a small yellow croaker.In a similar way，
做人亦一定要黄？古铜色的黄
as a man，you must have yellow skin，as yellow as
向日葵的黄？？油菜花的黄
antique brass，as a sunflower，as a rape flower
黄帝的黄？？记住
or as yellow as our common ancestor the Yellow Emperor.
只有黄？？才正宗
Just remember，only the yellow color is authentic.
黄金你说黄不黄
You see，gold is pure yellow，
黄帝要是不黄
and if the Yellow Emperor didn’t have yellow skin，
就做不了咱的祖宗
he would not be worshipped as our forefather.
2008．7．15朱家角
on July 15，2008at the Square of Zhu Family
（Translated by Liu Xiaofeng &；Hu Zongfeng）
100首：子在川上曰
Statue 100：Confucius Said Beside the River
——写给江苏诗人子川先生的诗
——Written to the Poet Mr.Zi Chuan from Jiang Su Province
子在川上曰
Confucius said beside the river：
南方有佳禾千亩
in South China，thousands of acres of grain grow so nicely；
南方有瘦水万顷
in South China，millions of hectares of water ripple so lovely.
南方有诗？有
So there are poems in South China with
比江南女子的小小蛮腰
poetic and pictorial splendor more charming
更加可人的诗情画意
than the small waists of the maidens in the South.
南方有雨？有
In South China，it rains，but the patter of rain
比三月里的小雨
falls more excessively and more enchantingly
更淫更加迷人的淅淅沥沥
than the mizzle in March.
烟花三月
in the Cloudy and Misty March
瓜州渡口
at the ferry of a typical South town，
鱼翁独钓千年月
an old fisherman angles facing the eternal moon on his own，
江心掏出石头城
in the middle of the river the City of Stones stand aloof.
南方的红杏
The red apricots growing in the southern Land
比北方的杏子
become ripe much earlier and much fresher
成熟的更早更水灵
than the apricots growing in the north land.
南方扬梅
The red bayberry growing in the Southern land，
或含在嘴里
when you taste it in your mouth
或把玩掌心
or enjoy it in your palms
都在北方的渴望中自然天成
is natural and perfect among longings of northerners.
南方真的有太多太多的
indeed in the South there are so many，many things
接近天堂的东西
that can nearly be seen as paradise.
南方真的有太多太多的
And it is true that so many，many things
和天堂相媲美的东西
in the South may compare favorably with those at heaven.
备一把天堂伞吧？？
You’d better prepare a Paradise brand umbrella
红红的天堂伞？？
a red，red one when you are in the South.
子在川上曰
Confucius said beside the river：
带上吧？晴？可以遮阳
take it with you so that on sunny days it can be a sunshade，
阴？可以避雨？
and on rainy days，it can shelter you from the rain.
即使是风和日丽的日子
Even though when the wind is mild and the sun is bright，
出门前带上一把
remember to take an umbrella before going out，
您就不会忘记您已经来到了
then you won’t forget that you have already come
离？天堂不远的地方
to a place not far from Paradise.
子在川上曰
Confucius said beside the river：
南方？真好
so nice is the South Land.
July 12，2008
（Translated by Liu Xiaofeng &；Hu Zongfeng）
