Lu Xun: A Madman's Diary (English and Chinese)

Lu Xun
A Madman's Diary

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Written: April 1918
Source: Selected Stories of Lu Hsun, Published by Foreign Languages Press, Peking, 1960, 1972
Transcribed: Original transcription from coldbacon.com
HTML Markup: Mike B. for MIA, 2005
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2005). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.


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Two brothers, whose names I need not mention here, secret signs. I realize all the poison in their speech, all the daggers in their laughter. Their teeth are white and glistening: they are all man-eaters. 


 

April 1918


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Notes
1. Ku Chiu means "Ancient Times." Lu Hsun had in mind the long history of feudal oppression in China.

2. A famous pharmacologist (1518-1593), author of Ben-cao-gang-mu, the Materia Medica.

3. These are quotations from the old classic Zuo Zhuan.

4. According to ancient records, Yi Ya cooked his son and presented him to Duke Huan of Chi who reigned from 685 to 643 B.C. Chieh and Chou were tyrants of an earlier age. The madman has made a mistake here.

5. A revolutionary at the end of the Ching dynasty (1644-1911), Hsu Hsi-lin was executed in 1907 for assassinating a Ching official. His heart and liver were eaten.


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我也不動，研究他們如何擺佈我；知道他們一定不肯放鬆。果然！我大哥引了一
個老頭子，慢慢走來；他滿眼凶光，怕我看出，只是低頭向著地，從眼鏡橫邊暗暗看
我。大哥説，“今天你彷彿很好。”我説“是的。”大哥説，“今天請何先生來，給
你診一診。”我説“可以！”其實我豈不知道這老頭子是劊子手扮的！無非借了看脈
這名目，揣一揣肥瘠：因這功勞，也分一片肉吃。我也不怕；雖然不吃人，膽子卻比
他們還壯。伸出兩個拳頭，看他如何下手。老頭子坐著，閉了眼睛，摸了好一會，呆
了好一會；便張開他鬼眼睛説，“不要亂想。靜靜的養幾天，就好了。”


黑漆漆的，不知是日是夜。趙家的狗又叫起來了。

獅子似的凶心，兔子的怯弱，狐狸的狡猾，……


我曉得他們的方法，直捷殺了，是不肯的，而且也不敢，怕有禍祟。所以他們大
家聯絡，佈滿了羅網，逼我自戕。試看前幾天街上男女的樣子，和這幾天我大哥的作
為，便足可悟出八九分了。最好是解下腰帶，掛在樑上，自己緊緊勒死；他們沒有殺
人的罪名，又償了心願，自然都歡天喜地的發出一種嗚嗚咽咽的笑聲。否則驚嚇憂愁
死了，雖則略瘦，也還可以首肯幾下。

最可憐的是我的大哥，他也是人，何以毫不害怕；而且合夥吃我呢？還是歷來慣
了，不以為非呢？還是喪了良心，明知故犯呢？

我詛咒吃人的人，先從他起頭；要勸轉吃人的人，也先從他下手。


沒有吃過人的孩子，或者還有？

救救孩子……

一九一八年四月。