CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON

Head Servant: The master said to put the sword in the 1)study.

(The head servant enters the room and sees Yu Jiaolong.)

Head Servant: Yes? 

Jiaolong: I am one of your guests. I am Governor Yu's daughter.

Head Servant: Ah... This is the master's study. What is it that eh...

Jiaolong: Just looking for a room to sit in silently and not be a 2)nuisance.

Head Servant: Ah. I am head servant Delu. And this is another of our guests.

Jiaolong:  I must say, it's heavy for such a thin piece of metal.

Xiulian: It is all in the 3)hilt. And the blade is no ordinary metal. Still the sword, as weapons go, is wonderfully light. The problem is always getting used to handling them.

Jiaolong: It is not a problem for me at all. When I was little, the western residents had a 4)garrison 1 of Imperials. They would let me play guard everyday. This 5)scabbard is so beautiful.

Xiulian: And so is the sword. Except when it is 6)tainted with blood. Imagine this work is four hundred years old.

Jiaolong: Exquisite 2. Sorry, you said it belongs to...

Xiulian: A friend of mine, the warrior 3 Li Mubai. He has decided 4 to give it to Bei Le Ye.

Jiaolong: Li Mubai? The greatest of all the Wudangs? To Bei Le Ye?  I would not give up something like that in a million years.

Xiulian: It is a long story, about swords.

Jiaolong: You sound like a real expert.

Xiulian: Oh yes, but I prefer the Shuang Dao to a normal blade. I am not much good with a straight sword. For certain moves, however, you really need this.

Jiaolong: But... I guess it is wonderful being a Wudang, to be totally free.

Xiulian: Even our Jianghu world has a certain code. 7)Integrity, trust, friendship. Without rules, none of us would survive very long.

Jiaolong: I have read all about the great fighters like you. 8)Roaming wild, 9)dispensing with those who 10)get in your way...

%lang=EN-US style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: System; mso-font-kerning: 0pt"> Go ahead, Governor. (Governor draws the sword.) Thirty-three inches long, one and one-tenth inches wide. The hilt is eight inches long, two point six inches wide and seven tenths of an inch thick, with seven 13)rubies missing from the guard. The design tells you that it was made before the Qin dynasty and 14)engraved with a technique that, by the time the Hans started to rule, was long lost.

Governor: Bei Le Ye, they should appoint you court historian.

Bei Le Ye: A sword by itself doesn't rule. A sword lives through skillful handling.

Governor: Please continue. You have an 15)avid listener.

Bei Le Ye: The Imperial court is now concerned with the officials and royalty 5. On every street corner, you can be sure the royal guard keeps security tight. But Beijing is not a wilderness 6 like the western provinces. This is a world full of wild characters. Your quest to run a healthy city depends not on the judges and their courts. It's by 16)courting the warriors 7 of Jianghu that your position will always be safe. (slices with thesword)  To be strong and 17)supple is the secret to ride out the storm.

Xiulian: I never noticed how much my name looks like the word for ¡°sword¡±. You are definitely ¡°talented¡±. Calligraphy 8 demands the same control as fencing. It all lies in the wrist.

Jiaolong: I wouldn't know. Maybe it does. That's it.

Xiulian: Thank you for receiving me. I'm told you are nearing your wedding day. I imagine you are spending a lot of time getting ready.

Jiaolong: I am hardly lifting a finger at all. I do not even think about it. My parents are arranging everything. We became 18)aquatinted with Lu Junpei when we first got here. My mother says the Lu 19)clan is very powerful and highly ranked. And that my marrying one of them will help father's career a great deal.

Xiulian: Entering such a noble house, I should think, is a great honor.

Jiaolong: Yes, but I wish that I were like the exciting heroes in the stories I read. Characters like Li Mubai and yourself. I suppose I am happy to be marrying. But when the choice is yours, to choose a certain life, and when you are free to choose whom to love and how to love him, that is real happiness.

Xiulian: Think so?  I shall tell you a story.

Jiaolong: Is Li Mubai in it?

Xiulian: And me, yes. I was also once engaged to be married.

Jiaolong: You were?

Xiulian: His name was Meng Sizhao. He and Li Mubai were bound by oath.  And one winter day they ran into a trap. Meng rescued Li Mubai, and in doing so he was killed. And so I became very close to Mubai. And as we shared adventures our feelings grew stronger. But after Meng'ssacrifice, how could we dishonor his memory?  So you see, I would like your freedom as well. And yet I have never been allowed it.

Jiaolong: But do not blame yourselves for it. The way that Meng died is horrible.  That's how things happen.

Xiulian: I am a woman who, as all women, is bound by tradition. I do not know how it is with the aristocracy, but it weighs a lot on me.

Jiaolong:  Please let us just be women.  I would like us as sisters.  I really want us to be friends and be equal.

Xiulian: All right.  Then as one sister to another, let me say I sincerely wish you the happiest of marriages.

Mother: Oh my goodness. Bei Le Ye's wife is spoiling us with all these wedding gifts.  She's being so considerate.

Xiulian: She is sorry she is not feeling well and cannot act as a proper hostess.

Mother: Ahh, I heard that something was lost in the house. And now, Bei Le Ye's wife is feeling ill.

Xiulian: We know who it is that has taken the article. And if the thief will be good enough to return it, I am sure that Bei Le Ye will pursue the matter no further.

Mother: That is good, though it is annoying when household servants cannot keep their hands to themselves.

Xiulian: Bei Le Ye knows that even well meaning people can make mistakes from which personal ruin and disgrace can extend to their entire families.

Mother: Well, do not be too 20)lenient with the 21)culprit.

Xiulian: Yes, and I am sure we will see no mercy granted the murderer who has just shown up here in Beijing.

Mother: Murderer?!

Xiulian: Yes. And as it turns out, the same woman who killed Li Mubai's teacher of Wu Dang. She murdered a policeman the other night who had tracked her down.

Mother: A female criminal? That is news.

Jiaolong: Policeman? You say she killed an officer?

Xiulian: An 22)inspector from Jiang Su who had been hunting her for years. He even came here in disguise.

Mother: Well, I wonder if... eh... if  the thief and the murderer are the same?

Xiulian: That I rather doubt. This particular thief is very unusual and much smarter than a mere 9 killer 10.

Lo: One night, when I was little, I saw a thousand stars fall out of the sky. Where they all go? I wondered. Then I thought, maybe if I ride to theend of the desert to find them. I'm an orphan 11. I was always doing things alone. So I rode out one morning and I've been riding all over the desert ever since. And after riding all over the desert I'm now a 23)bandit.

Jiaolong: And since he could not find the stars, he robs young girls of their combs.

Lo: Out here simple survival is the main occupation. So first thing you join others, form a group. The group is your shelter and your strength. I'm not a real bandit. It's just easier that way to fill my stomach.

Jiaolong: So in your heart you're still a child searching for where the stars fell.

Lo: A grown man gazing at the sky and thinking a bright star has fallen at his side.

Waitress: What can I bring you?

Jiaolong: A cup that's washed!

(Waitress walks away and two men approach.)

Li Yun: Hello there. You, eh, mind if I ask your name?

Jiaolong:  It is Long.

Song Ming: Heh! So it's young Master Long. Greetings. I am Evil Song Ming is what they call me. And this is Slang Guga  Li Yun, my fellow brother. And what brings you to Huai'an? And where are you headed, young Master Long?

Jiaolong: Anywhere there is a need.

Li Yun: In that case, Master Long, perhaps we could assist you somehow.

Jiaolong: I rather doubt it.

Li Yun: It appears young Master Long has not understood.

Jiaolong: And if I have not?

Song Ming:  Eh... We have ways of helping 12 you understand.

(Jiaolong draws sword and cuts their weapons.)

Li Yun: Are you by chance a relative of Li Mubai's?

Jiaolong: Humph. No, I have just beaten him.

Mubai: Xiulian, the things we can touch have no 24)permanence. It is all an 25)illusion.  The Master would say, ¡°A man's 26)primary need is to let go. Only then can he possess what is truly real.¡±

Xiulian: Yes, I am sure many things are an illusion. Yet some are hopelessly real. Like my hand. Wasn't that real?

Mubai: Rough and 27)calloused. The hand of a Shuang Dao master. How I've longed to touch it and never dared! Xiulian, we are 28)beset with 29)peril 13, and it is not weapons. The real danger resides in the human heart. I tried to leave the Jianghu world for you and look what trouble that had brought us.

Xiulian: The feelings one 30)represses just strengthen.

Mubai: You are right, but what do I do then? What I would like is us... together as we are here. It gives me a sense of 31)infinite peace.

Lo: Xiao Long!

Jiaolong: That legend with the saying about the young man in the mountain, that he will have his...

Lo: His wishes granted.

Jiaolong: Make a wish, Xiao Hu.

Lo: That we return to the desert.

(Yu Jiaolong jumps over the cliff.)

卧虎藏龙

管事∶老爷说就把剑搁在这书斋里。

（管事走进房间看见玉娇龙。）

管事：您是？

娇龙∶我是府上的客。是玉府的小姐。

管事∶哦，这是老爷的书斋。姑娘您……

娇龙∶只是想找个清净的地方透口气儿，省得烦心。

管事∶哦。小的是管事得禄。这位也是我们府上的客。

娇龙∶这么沉，剑不就是片薄铁吗。

秀莲：沉的是剑柄。剑身倒也不是寻常薄铁。剑走轻灵，兵器里它算是最轻的了。你要拿惯了，就不会觉得它沉。

娇龙：对我根本不成问题。我小的时候，西疆有皇家驻军。每天他们都让我玩兵器。这剑鞘可真好看。

秀莲：剑也是好剑。不过要染上了血就不好看了。想想看，这把剑有四百年的来历。

娇龙：真好看。对不起，你刚才说这把剑是归……

秀莲：是我的一个朋友--侠士李慕白的。现在他决定送给贝勒爷了。

娇龙：李慕白？就是武当派的第一高手吗？送给贝勒爷了？换了我，这么好的剑无论如何是不会送人的。

秀莲：这些说来话可就长了。

娇龙：你是行家吧？

秀莲：哦，是的，比起普通的刀来我更喜欢使双刀。剑法略通一二。不过有些招式真是得用这把剑才行啊。

娇龙：可……我想身为武当派弟子一定很好玩，自由自在的。

秀莲：江湖有江湖的规则。讲义、讲信、靠交情。少了规则，就没人能玩得长了。

娇龙：我看书上写你这样的江湖高手，是到处都能去的，遇上挡道的就打……

秀莲：（笑）如果什么都写出来，书就没法卖了。

娇龙：你就像是故事里的人。

秀莲：好些天洗不上澡，以地为床，跳蚤到处都是。故事也说这个？

娇龙：过两星期我就要嫁人了。我过不了自己想过的日子。

秀莲：是门好亲事，我听说了。恭喜你。嫁人是喜事啊。

娇龙：你还没嫁人吧？

秀莲：你看呢？

娇龙：没有，嫁了人你还能跑来跑去的。

秀莲：我可说不过你。

贝勒爷：大人，请看。（玉大人拔出剑。）长三尺三，宽一寸一。护手长八寸，宽二寸六，厚七分，剑身原镶有七星。从设计上看，是秦朝之前造成，雕刻技术到汉朝就失传了。

玉大人：贝勒爷，他们真该封您为朝廷史官才对。

贝勒爷：单剑本身起不了作用。剑要靠好的剑法才能活。

玉大人：请接着说。卑职愿闻其详。

贝勒爷：这京城内城只是一些各部官员和皇亲国戚。每条街上都有八旗军布防严密。但外城就不像西部省份是一片荒野。三教九流都有。玉大人治理京城治安，不能只眼看着达官朝廷，也要取得江湖人士的支持，官才会一直做得稳。秀莲：我还没注意过我的名字看起来很像”剑”字。你真有”本事”。书法和剑法一样，全靠腕力来控制。

娇龙：我不知道。大概是吧。好了。

秀莲：谢谢你来见我。听说你的大喜日子就快到了。想必你正在为这件事忙吧。

娇龙：我几乎什么也不管。想都不愿想。一切由爹娘安排。我们刚到京城就与鲁均培结交。娘说，鲁家有权有势，官做得很高。和鲁家联姻对爹的发展大有好处。

秀莲∶能和这样的名门望族结亲，这是福气。

娇龙∶是的，我倒是喜欢像小说里叫人激动的英雄儿女，就好像李慕白和你一样。我想，结婚固然是件高兴事。要是能够自己选择，选择生活，自由自在地选择自己的爱人，那才是真正的幸福。

秀莲∶是吗？我给你讲个故事。

娇龙∶关于李慕白的吗？

秀莲∶是吧，还有我。我也曾经给定过亲。

娇龙：是吗？

秀莲：他的名字叫孟思昭。他和李慕白是拜把的兄弟。一个冬日他们落入圈套里，孟思昭为了救李慕白落难。因此我和慕白十分亲近。后来我们共同经历风雨，感情也日渐深厚。可孟思昭已去，我们怎能对得起他呢？你看，你说的自由自在我也渴望。但我从来没有尝过。

娇龙∶可是你别自责啊。孟思昭的死是不幸。发生的事已经发生了。

秀莲：我和所有的女人一样要遵循传统。我不知道官宦人家怎样，可我的压力不小。

娇龙∶女人就女人好了。我要认你这个姐姐。我真的想和你交朋友，不要见外。

秀莲：好。既然做你的姐姐，我就真心希望你婚姻幸福。

玉母：哎呀，真过意不去，福晋备了这么多的贺礼。可让她费心了。

秀莲：她感到不好意思，身子欠佳，没能来招呼你们。

玉母：啊，听说贝勒府上丢东西了。现在福晋的身体又不适。

秀莲：东西已经知道是谁拿了。其实拿剑的人如果能良心发现放回去，我肯定贝勒爷是不会追究的。

玉母：那就好了，有时候下人的手脚不干净也是挺烦人的。

秀莲：贝勒爷明白再好的人也有犯错误的时候，有的错误不仅害了自己，还连累了全家人。

玉母：哎，对待犯事的人不能太心软。

秀莲：是啊，像最近北京城里出了个杀人的，我们一定就不会放过她。

玉母：杀人的？！

秀莲：是啊。凶手就是毒害了李慕白师父的同一个女贼。那天夜里把一个追捕她的捕头给杀了。

玉母∶一个女贼？那倒新鲜。

娇龙：捕头？你说她杀的是个官差？

秀莲∶是个江苏的名捕，追捕她多年了。他是乔装打扮跟过来的。

玉母∶哎，我怀疑……唔……偷剑和杀人的会不会是同一个人？

秀莲∶我想还不至于吧。这盗剑的人很不寻常，她比凶手聪明多了。

罗：小的时候，有一天夜里，我看见天上落下千万颗星星。我想，它们都落到哪里去了？后来我想，也许我该骑马到沙漠的尽头去找寻它们。我是个孤儿。我做什么事都是一个人。所以一天早晨我骑上马，从那以后，我就一直在大漠中奔驰。骑马走过整个大漠后，现在我变成了强盗。

娇龙∶他找不到星星，就抢小女孩的梳子。

罗：在大漠中，活下来是大事。首先要把大家联合起来，组成团队。团队成了你的家、你的力量。我不是真正的强盗。那只是更容易找吃的罢了。

娇龙：所以你在心里头还是个小男孩儿，在寻找那些流星。

罗：我是一个男人了，凝视着天空，想着已经找到了一颗最亮的星星。

女侍：侍侯点什么？

娇龙：杯子洗干净！

（女侍走开，两名男子靠上前来。）

李云：打扰了。您哪，敢问尊姓大名？

娇龙：姓龙。

宋明：嗳，原来是龙少侠。失敬失敬。人称在下邪宋明。这位是我师兄”飞云豹”李云。不知道龙少侠何故路经怀安，要到哪儿去啊？

娇龙：哪儿好就去哪儿。

李云：那么说来，龙少侠，可要我俩微尽薄力？

娇龙：用不着吧。

李云：看来龙少侠不懂事啊。

娇龙：不懂怎么着？

宋明：哎，我们有办法让你懂。

（娇龙拔剑削断他们的兵器。）

李云：敢问您可是李慕白的朋友？

娇龙：哼。不，手下败将而已。

慕白：秀莲，我们能触摸的东西没有永远。一切都是幻觉。师父说：”放开虚求，你才拥有实在。”

秀莲：是的，是有许多事情是虚幻的，但是有些却是无奈的真实。比如我的手，难道不是真实的吗？

慕白：双刀大侠的手，又粗又硬。我是那么渴望能触摸它，却从也没敢。秀莲，我们身旁卧虎藏龙，刀剑里藏凶，真正的凶机

却藏在人心里。我想为你而离开江湖，可是瞧，却带给我们什么样的麻烦。

秀莲：压抑只会让感情更强烈。

慕白：说得对，但我能怎么办呢？我希望我们……就这样一块儿坐着，我反而能感觉到一种极大的平静。

罗：小龙！

娇龙∶成语故事里说的，那个山里的年轻人，他的……

罗：心诚则灵。

娇龙：许个愿吧，小虎。

罗：一起回大漠。

（玉娇龙纵身跳下悬崖。）

1) study  n. 书房，读书室   

2) nuisance  n. 烦人的人或事   

3) hilt  n. 柄，刀把

4) garrison n. 驻军   

5) scabbard  n. 鞘   

6) taint  v. 染

7) integrity  n. 正直，诚实

8) roam  v. 漫游，闲逛  

9) dispense  v. 分发，分配  

10) get in one's way 阻碍，妨碍

11) flea  n. 跳蚤         

12) infested] a. 大批滋生的

13) ruby  n. 红宝石  

14) engrave  v. 雕刻，铭刻  

15) avid  a. 渴望的

16) court  v. 设法获得他人的支持

17) supple  a. 柔软的

18) be aquatinted with 与……认识，熟悉   

19) clan  n. 氏族，宗族

20) lenient  a. 宽大的，仁慈的   

21) culprit  n. 犯人

22) inspector  n. 检查员

23) bandit  n. 强盗

24) permanence  n. 永久，持久        25) illusion n. 幻想，幻觉  

26) primary  a. 第一位的，主要的       27) calloused  a. 变硬的，变得无情的

28) beset  v. 困扰，包围                  29) peril n. 危险

30) repress  v. 压制   

31) infinite a. 无穷的，无限的