A Man Upholding Unity

王蒙

Wang Meng

艾团结悄没声息的走进老王的家，他压低了声音，对老王说：“老王，不要理他。宰相肚里撑大船，不跟他一般见识。”

Ai Tuanjie stole into Lao Wang’s home quietly and whispered surrepti-t tiously to him, “LaoWang, just ignore him. As the saying goes, a Prime Minister's heart is big enough for a boat tosail. So you needn’t bother to reason with him.”

老王莫名其妙，眨了眨眼睛，由于他正忙着打家具，顾不上回答老艾的话。

Lao Wang blinked his eyes in bewilderment. He was busy making fiirniture and so he didn’t havethe time to make any response.

“其实我也早知道了，你不会计较的，你的水平不一样嘛。”

“In fact，you must have heard about it,” he continued. “But you didn't pay any heed to it, I amsure. You are above all gossip.”

老王低下头，拾起刨刀。

Lao Wang stooped to fix the plane.

艾团结弯下腰，凑过身去说：“你知道，老朱说你的鼻子是假的。”

Ai Tuanjie bent closer and went on, “You know, Lao Zhou said your nose is artificial.

老王鼻子哼一下，没言语。

Lao Wang let out a snort through his nose but kept silent.

艾团结把脸凑的更近一些，哈出来的热气冲到老王的耳朵上，“老朱说你的鼻子是从他家的垃圾堆里找出来的，用猪皮胶粘在脸上的。”

Ai Tuanjie moved still closer, breathing hot air into Lao Wang’s ear, “Lao Zhou said your nosewas picked up from among the rubbish heap in front of his house and stuck on to your face bythe adhesive made of pig skin "

老王抬起了头。

This remark finally made Lao Wang look up at him.

“老朱还说，你把你原来的鼻子卖给走私商了，没有交纳负税。”

He then added, "Lao Zhou also said that you have sold your own nose to a profiteer withoutpaying tax."

老王皱起了眉。

Lao Wang knit his brows.

艾团结：“不必生气，我们都知道吗，你的鼻子是一等品是真品，是原作他那样说只能证明他的无知。你是不会计较的，你是不会计较的……”

“Don't get upset. Don’t, please! Ai Tuanjie hastened to console him. “We all know that yournose is first-rate. It is a rarity, an original one. What Lao said only proves his utterignorance. You wouldn't mind, would you?

老王又低下了头，同时开始琢磨：“老朱背后讲我的坏话，究竟是什么意思呢?”

Lao Wang lowered his head again and began to wonder, “What on earth prompted Lao Zhou totalk behind my back like that?”

艾团结零走的时候强调说：“一定要以团结为重，一定要以团结为重!”

Ai tuanjie emphasized, “We must first of all uphold unity. Unity comes anything else.”

艾团结离开了老王，又去找老朱维护“团结”去了。

With these remarks, Ai Tuanjie left Lao Wang and went to “uphold unity” at Lao Zhou’s.