1、Begonia Club Takes Form One Day in the Studio of Autumn FreshnessCharacters: 李纨 Ann 探春 Olivia 迎春 Asuna 惜春 Sylvia 宝钗 Echo黛玉 Eva 宝玉 Jenniier 旁白 Lemon旁白：He（宝玉） went to the Studio of Autumn Freshness(秋爽斋) where 宝玉, 黛玉, 迎春 and 惜春 were assembled. 宝玉, 黛玉, 迎春, 惜春 （cried） （laughing, as he entered.）: Here com
2、es another! 探春 （asked gleefully）: Not so vulgar, was it, that sudden idea of mine? I wrote a few invitations to see what would happen, and you all turn up in force. 宝玉 （observed）: We should have started a club like this long ago. 黛玉: Start one if you like, but dont count me in. Im not up to it.迎春 （c
3、ountered with a smile）: If youre not, who is? 宝玉 （declared）: This is a serious business. We should encourage each other, not back out of politeness. Lets all give our ideas for general discussion. What suggestions have you, Cousin 宝钗? And Cousin 黛玉?宝钗（asked）: Whats the hurry? Were not all here yet.
4、旁白：Before she had finished speaking 李纨 walked in. 李纨（cried ） : How very refined! If youre going to start a poetry club, Ill volunteer to preside. I had this very idea last spring, but on second thoughts decided it would only be asking for trouble as I cant write poetry myself, so I dropped the idea
5、and forgot it. Now that Third Sisters so keen, Ill help you get this going. 黛玉: If youre set on starting a poetry club, we must all be poets. And first, to be less conventional, we must stop calling each other sister, cousin, sister-in-law and so forth.李纨（agreed） : Quite right. Lets choose some eleg
6、ant pen-names. Ill be The Old Peasant of Sweet Paddy（稻香老农）. No one else can have that name. 探春（cried ） : Ill be Master of Autumn Freshness（秋爽居士）.宝玉 （objected）: Theres something unreal and awkward about master and scholar. With all these wu-tung trees and plantains here, why not use them in your name
7、?探春 （agreed）: Yes, I know what. I like plantains best so Ill call myself The Stranger Under the Plantain（蕉下客）. 旁白：The others approved this as more original.黛玉 （teased）: Drag her off, quick! Stew some slices of her flesh to go with our wine.旁白：The others looked mystified.黛玉： （explained with a smile）D
8、idnt an ancient say, The deer was covered with the plantain? If she calls herself The Stranger Under the Plantain, she must be a deer. Lets hurry up and cook this venison. 探春 （cried）：Just you wait! Youre very clever at making fun of people, but Ive got the right name for you, a perfect name. (turnin
9、g to the rest.) The wives of King Shun shed so many tears on bamboos that thereafter their stems became speckled, and now the speckled bamboo is called by their name. Well, she lives in Bamboo Lodge and shes always crying. When one day she pines for a husband, Im sure the bamboos there will grow spe
10、ckled too. I propose we call her Queen of the Bamboos（潇湘妃子）.旁白：The rest applauded while 黛玉 lowered her head, reduced to silence. 李纨 （volunteered ）: Ive thought of a good name for Cousin 宝钗. A short one too.惜春 and 迎春 （asked ） : What is it? 李纨 （answered ）: Im entitling her Lady of the Alpinia（蘅芜君）. Ho
11、ws that?探春 : An excellent title. 宝玉 （asked）: How about me? Think of one for me too.宝钗 （chuckled ）: Youve already got one. Much Ado About Nothing（无事忙） is just the name for you.李纨 （suggested ）: Why not keep your old title of Prince of the Crimson Cavern（绛洞花主）? 宝玉 （smiled sheepishly ） : Dont bring up t
12、he silly things I did as a child. 探春 : Youve already got plenty of pen-names. What do you want a new one for? We can just call you by any name we feel like. 宝钗 （offered）: Ive got one for you. Its vulgar, but it suits you to the ground. The two hardest things to come by are riches and nobility, and t
13、he third is leisure. Few people enjoy more than one of these, but you have all three, so you should be called The Rich and Noble Idler（富贵闲人）.宝玉 （grinned）: Thats too good for me. But just as you please. 李纨 （asked）: What about Second Cousin and Fourth Cousin? 迎春 （rejoined）: Were no good at writing poe
14、try so we shant need pen-names.探春 （urged）: Even so, youd each better have one. 宝钗 （ suggested）: As 迎春 lives on Purple Caltrop Isle, let her be Mistress of Caltrop Isle（菱洲）. And 惜春 in the Pavilion of Scented Lotus could be Mistress of Lotus Pavilion（藕榭）.李纨 : Very good. Now as Im the eldest you must a
15、ll listen to me. Im sure youll agree to my proposal. We seven are starting this club; but as Second Cousin, Fourth Cousin and I are no poetesses you must leave us out when it comes to writing, and well each take charge of something.探春 （giggled）: Weve already got titles. But we might just as well not
16、 have them, the way youre still talking. We must decide on forfeits for mistakes like that from now on. 李纨 : Wait till weve set up the club before laying down rule. My apartments are the largest, lets meet there. Though I cant versify, if you poets dont object to my vulgar company Ill act as hostess
17、 and in that way acquire some culture too. But if you elect me as warden, I shant be able to manage on my own. We must have as our deputy-wardens the scholars of Caltrop Isle and Lotus Pavilion, one to set the theme and rhymes, the other as copyist and supervisor. We wont make a ruling that we three
18、 are not to write when the subject and rhyme are easy we may have a go but you four definitely must write. Thats my proposal. If you dont accept it, I must withdraw from this illustrious company.旁白：As 迎春 and 惜春 had no liking for versifying and no chance of outdoing 宝钗 or 黛玉, they willingly agreed to
19、 this arrangement which suited them down to the ground. The others, seeing their relief, acquiesced understandingly without pressing them. 探春 （ said cheerfully）: All right then. Seems funny to me, though. This was my brain-wave, but you three end up in charge.宝玉 （put in）: Now thats settled. Lets go
20、to Paddy-Sweet Cottage.李纨 （objected ）: Dont be in such a hurry. Were still in the planning stage. Wait till I invite you.宝钗 （urged）: At least we should agree on how often to meet. 探春 （predicted ）: If we meet too often we wont enjoy it. Lets limit it to two or three times a month. 宝钗 （nodded）: Twice
21、a month is enough. Well fix dates and meet regardless of wind or rain. If anyone likes to invite people to her place or the usual place for another gathering on some other day, well and good. Wouldnt that be more flexible and greater fun?旁白：They all approved this idea. 探春 : As this was my suggestion
22、, you must let me play hostess first. Thats only fair.李纨 （agreed）: Very well then. You can call the first meeting tomorrow. 探春 （urged）: Why not today? Theres no time like the present. You set the subject, Caltrop Isle can fix the rhymes, and Lotus Pavilion can supervise. 迎春 （demurred）: I dont think
23、the subject and rhymes should be decided by one person. Drawing lots would be fairer. 李纨 （remarked）: On my way here, I saw them carrying in two pots of white begonia which looked simply lovely. Why not write on the begonia? 迎春 （protested）: Without having seen them? How can we? 宝钗 （countered）: Its on
24、ly white begonia. Theres no need to look at it first. The ancients wrote to manifest their own temperaments and feelings. If theyd only written about things theyd seen, we wouldnt have so many poems today. 迎春 （said）: In that case let me settle the rhymes. 旁白：She took a volume of poetry from the book
25、case and opened it at random at a lushi with seven-character lines. Having held this out for all to see, she told them to use the same metre. Then putting the book away.迎春 （turned to 惜春）: Say any word that comes into your head. 惜春 (standing by the door) : Men (door). 迎春 （announced ）: Very well, that
26、 rhyme belongs to the thirteenth section of the rhyme system. And that word must come in the first line. 旁白：Next she asked for the box of rhyme cards, pulled out the thirteenth drawer and told 惜春 to pick four cards at random. These proved to be pen (pot), hun (spirit), hen (stain) and hun (dim). 宝玉s
27、 commented: Pot and door arent easy to fit in. 旁白：惜春 prepared four lots of paper and writing-brushes, and all quietened down to think. All but 黛玉 , who went on fondling the wu-tong trees, looking at the autumn scene or joking with the maids. 迎春 had a stick of Sweet-Dream Incense lit. Being only thre
28、e inches long and no thicker than a lampwick, this burnt quickly. The poems had to be finished before it burnt out, on pain of a penalty. 探春 was the first to finish. She wrote out her poem, made one or two corrections, and handed the paper to 迎春. 探春 （asked 宝钗）：Are you ready, Lady of the Alpinia? 宝钗
29、（replied）: Yes, mines done, but its no good. 宝玉 (hands behind his back, pacing up and down the corridor) （said to 黛玉）: Hear that? Theyve finished theirs. 黛玉 （answered ）：Dont worry about me. 旁白：Then he saw that 宝钗 had copied out her poem.宝玉 （exclaimed）: Good gracious! Theres only one inch of the ince
30、nse left, but all Ive done is four lines. (turning to 黛玉) The incense is nearly burnt out. Do stop squatting on the damp ground. 旁白：黛玉 paid no attention.宝玉 : I cant help you now. I must write mine out, however bad it is. (walking to the desk)惜春 （announced）: Were going to look at the poems now. Anyon
31、e who doesnt hand his in by the time we finish reading the others will have to pay a forfeit. 宝玉：The Old Peasant of Sweet Paddy may not write well herself, but shes a good judge and absolutely impartial. Well all stand by her verdict. 旁白：The rest agreed. First they looked at 探春s paper.惜春 （reads）: Ch
32、ill the sunset grass in front of the closed door,Thick the green moss the rain-drenched pot below;Her spirits purity surpasses jade,Her gentle form is ravishing as snow.A faint ethereal loveliness is hers,Her shadow at midnight chequers the moons light.Do not fly from me, chaste goodess;Abide with m
33、e as fall the shades of night.旁白：After admiring this they read 宝钗s poem:迎春 （reads）: For the sake of the flowers the door is closed by dayAs I go to water the pots with moss overgrown;Immaculate its shadow on autumn steps,Pure as snow and ice its spirit by dewy stone.Only true whiteness dazzles with
34、its brightness;Can so much sadness leave a flawless jade?Its purity rewards the god of autumn,Speechless and chaste it stays as sunbeams fade.李纨 （remarked with a smile）： Trust the Lady of the Alpinia! 旁白：Then they turned to 宝玉s poem:宝钗 （reads）: Autumn blooms cast chequered shadows by the door,Seven
35、nodes of snowy flowers in pots arrayed,Like Lady Yangs shade, fresh from the bath, ice-pure,Or Xi Shis mournful spirit fair as jade.No morning breeze can scatter this infinite sadness,And the rain adds fresh tear-stains at night;Leaning by painted balustrade it seems sensateAs pounding of clothes an
36、d fluting put dusk to flight.旁白：When all had read this, 宝玉 expressed his own preference for 探春s verse, but 李纨 insisted that 宝钗s was more distinguished. 迎春 （asked）:Queen of the Bamboos, have you finished your poem?黛玉 （ cried）: Have you all finished? (taking up her brush and dashing off eight lines wh
37、ich she tossed over to them)李纨 reads: Half-rolled the bamboo blind, half-closed the door;Crushed ice serves as mould for jade pots.宝玉（exclaimed in admiration before reading on）：How do you do it? 宝玉 reads: Some whiteness from the pear-blossom is stolen,Some of its spirit winter-plum allots.The others
38、 cried: Splendid! Shes really original. They read on:探春 reads: The goddess of the moon sews a white gown,The maids weeping in autumn chamber never ends;Silently, shyly, with never a word of complaint,She reclines in the autumn breeze as night descends.The young people cried: This is the best! 李纨 : I
39、ts certainly the most charming and unusual. But our Lady Alpinias has deeper significance and real substance. 探春 （put in）: Quite right. The Queen of Bamboos should come second. 李纨 : And the Happy Red Prince last. Agreed? 宝玉 （said with a smile） : Mine was no good, thats quite fair. But you should rec
40、onsider which is the better, Lady Alpinias or Queen Bamboos. 李纨 （insisted）: Im the arbiter. Youve no say in the matter. Any more argument will be penalized. 旁白：宝玉 said no more. 迎春 （declared ）: We must choose a name for this club. 惜春 : Nothing too common. Nothing too new-fangled either.”探春 （ put in）:
41、 As we happened to start with poems on begonia, why not call it Begonia Club? Even if this sounds a little commonplace, as its based on fact that doesnt matter. 旁白：The rest all agreed. 惜春 : When shall be our next gathering?李纨 : Ive decided that from now on we should meet on the second and sixteenth
42、of each month. And youll have to accept the subjects and rhymes I choose. You can have extra meetings on other days if you like - I dont care if you meet every day. But mind you come to my place on the second and sixteenth. 宝钗 : It is getting dark now. I have to go back home to have dinner with my mother.迎春 : Oh, its so late. I have to go back to my house in case that my maid worries about me.惜春 : I shall go back with you.”李纨 : Lets call it a day. Next time Ill send you my invitations. See you!旁白：Saying goodbye to each other and going back in small groups.
