【正文】 面跟著一個燒湯的二漢，提著七八斤肉，四五千錢，Behind him was a kitchen soupmaking helper carrying seven to eight “jins” of meat and four to five thousand copper coins.正來賀喜。這報錄的話都是哄你的，你并不曾中。So they all said: “Our new exalted official has gone crazy from overjoyed.”老太太哭道：怎生這樣苦命的事！Old Mrs. Fan said in tears: “What rotten luck we have!中了一個甚么舉人，就得了這拙??！He passed some sort of exam and contracted this strange ailment.這一瘋了，幾時才得好？Once he goes crazy I really don’t know when he would recover.”娘子胡氏道：早上好好出去，怎的就得了這樣的??！His wife Miss Hu said: “He was fine this morning when he went out and how did he catch this disease.卻是如何是好？What are we going to do?”眾鄰居勸道：老太太不要心慌。Our new bigwig is back.”正要擁著他說話，范進三兩步走進屋里來，Just when they were going to surround him to talk, Fan quickly got inside the house.見中間報帖已經(jīng)升掛起來，上寫道：捷報貴府老爺范諱進高中廣東鄉(xiāng)試第七名亞元。Fan was plodding and looking around to find a buyer.鄰居道：范相公，快些回去！The neighbor said: “Mr. Scholar Fan, go home quick.你恭喜中了舉人，Congratulations (5)! You have passed the Provincial Imperial exam.報喜人擠了一屋里。I am going blind from starving.”范進慌忙抱了雞，走出門去。The masterexaminer felt pity on you because you were old and let you pass.如今癡心就想中起老爺來！Now you are fantasizing about passing the Imperial Exam to bee a master.這些中老爺?shù)亩际翘焐系?9。Both the mother and son expressed their utmost gratitude to Hu.屠戶橫披了衣服，腆著肚子去了。In doing so, even I would be embarrassed.你是個爛忠厚沒用的人，You are a stubbornly honest and hopeless person.所以這些話我不得不教導(dǎo)你，免得惹人笑話。Fan Jin successfully entered county school. When he returned home he made his mother and wife very happy upon telling them about his acplishment.正待燒鍋做飯，只見他丈人胡屠戶，手里拿著一副大腸和一瓶酒，走了進來。In all these years, you have caused me plenty of grief.如今不知因我積了甚么德，帶挈你中了個相公，Now I must have accumulated some divine good fortune so that you could ride on my coattail to score a seat in school as a scholar.我所以帶個酒來賀帝你。Hu continued to speak, “Ask your mother to e over and sit here for supper.老人家每日小菜飯，想也難過。Wei Haogu arranged with a group of classmates to associate regularly with one another.因是鄉(xiāng)試年，做了幾個文會。Hu’s mumbojumbo in lashing out at Fan left Fan scratching his head on what that was all about.辭了丈人回來，F(xiàn)an said goodbye to his fatherinlaw and came home.自心里想：宗師說我火候已到，He thought: “Master said my knowledge is proficient enough for the exam.自古無場外的舉人，Nobody can ever bee a successful candidate without actually entering the test center.如不進去考他一考，如何甘心？How could (8) I live with myself if I don’t give it a try in the exam?”因向幾個同案商議，瞞著丈人，到城里鄉(xiāng)試。My son just went out.”那些報錄人道：原來是老太太。The neighbor saw Fan was ignoring him and so he walked up and wanted to take the chicken away from his hand.范進道：你奪我的雞怎的？Fan said: “Why do you want to grab my chicken?你又不買。After saying that, he fell backward clenching his teeth and fainted.老太太慌了，慌將幾口開水灌了過來。Then we’ll figure out what to do.” 當(dāng)下眾鄰居有拿雞蛋來的，有拿白酒來的，也有背了斗米來的，也有捉兩只雞來的。Once he gets a jolt and spits out the phlegm, then he would be fine.”眾鄰都拍手道：這個主意好得緊，妙得緊！The neighbors applauded and one of them said, “This idea is great and wonderful.范老爺怕的，莫過于肉案上的胡老爹。All the noises outside were requesting Mr. Hu to say a few words.胡屠戶把肉和錢交與女兒，走了出來。There is no other choice and you must be acmodating to the circumstances.”屠戶被眾人局不過，Hu could not refuse at being cornered by all those people.只得連斟兩碗酒喝了，壯一壯膽，把方才這些小心收起，將平日的兇惡樣子拿出來，Upon downing a couple of bowls of wine to boost his courage, he dropped his wellmannered guise and returned to be his normal ferocious self.卷一卷那油晃晃的衣袖，走上集去。Fan was knocked out by the smack on the mouth, and he was lying unconscious on the ground.眾鄰居一齊上前，替他抹胸口，捶背心，The neighbors came up to rub his chest and thump lightly at his back.舞了半日，漸漸喘息過來，眼睛明亮，不瘋了。He also said: “My mind was in a daze for half a day as if I have been dreaming.”眾鄰居道：老爺，恭喜高中了。He saw the fatherinlaw in front of him and was concerned he was there to tell him off again.胡屠戶上前道：賢婿老爺，方才不是我敢大膽，Hu walked up and said, “My good old Master Soninlaw, just now it was not my doing to slap your face so daringly.是你老太太的主意，央我來勸你的。Afterwards they went home together as Fan walked in front while Hu and the neighbors followed closely behind.屠戶見女婿衣裳后襟滾皺了許多，Hu saw the back piece of Fan’s clothe was wrinkled from rolling on the ground.一路低著頭替他扯了幾十回。As soon as he finished speaking, a sedanchair was at the door.胡屠戶忙躲進女兒房里，不敢出來。卻幸得出老先生門下，F(xiàn)an said, “Honestly I was undeservingly lucky and has the good fortune to learn under my teacher.可為欣喜。Hu Tuhu waited until Zhang got into the sedanchair before he dared to walk out to the hall. 范進即將這銀子交與渾家打開看，一封一封雪白的細絲錠子，F(xiàn)an Jin gave the envelope of silver to his wife. They opened the envelope and saw spindleshaped pieces of silver.即便包了兩錠，叫胡屠戶進來，遞與他道：方才費老爹的心，拿了五千錢來。He left with his head down and a grin on his face.附注：(1) Put on Airs“Put on airs” is an idiom meaning behaving arrogantly as if one person is better than the others.Notice the word “airs” has an “s” in the end and “air” without the “s” is wrong in this expression.(2) Meaning of “Dirt”Notice that beside “dirty substance”, one of the other meanings of “dirt” is “earth”.(3) “a messenger” and “the messenger”When the messenger giving the idea was first mentioned in the story, the determiner “a” (., “a messenger”) was used because it referred to a nonspecific person. After that person was known, the second time around when he was mentioned again, we all know who he was and so the determiner “the” (., “the messenger”) was used.Technically in grammar determiners are a class of its own but for our discussion purpose here, we can look at det