原文

做作就是“佯”，就是“喬”，也就是“裝”。蘇北方言有“裝佯”的話，“喬裝”更是人人皆知。舊小說里女扮男裝是喬裝，那需要許多做作。難在裝得像。只看坤角兒扮須生的，像的有幾個？何況做戲還只在戲臺上裝，一到后臺就可以照自己的樣兒，而女扮男裝卻得成天兒到處那么看！偵探小說里的偵探也常在喬裝，裝得像也不易，可是自在得多。不過——難也罷，易也罷，人反正有時候得裝。其實你細看，不但“有時候”，人簡直就愛點兒裝。“三分模樣七分裝”是說女人，男人也短不了裝，不過不大在模樣上罷了。裝得像難，裝得可愛更難；一番努力往往只落得個“矯揉造作！”所以“裝”常常不是一個好名兒。

“一個做好，一個做歹”，小呢逼你出些碼頭錢，大呢就得讓你去做那些不體面的尷尬事兒。這已成了老套子，隨處可以看見。那做好的是裝做好，那做歹的也裝得格外歹些；一松一緊的拉住你，會弄得你啼笑皆非。這一套兒做作夠受的。貧和富也可以裝。貧寒人怕人小看他，家里盡管有一頓沒一頓的，還得穿起好衣服在街上走，說話也滿裝著闊氣，什么都不在乎似的。——所謂“蘇空頭”。其實“空頭”也不止蘇州有。——有錢人卻又怕人家打他的主意，開口閉口說窮，他能特地去當點兒什么，拿當票給人家看。這都怪可憐見的。還有一些人，人面前老愛論詩文，談學問，仿佛天生他一副雅骨頭。裝斯文其實不能算壞，只是未免“雅得這樣俗”罷了。

有能耐的人，有權位的人有時不免“裝模作樣”，“裝腔作勢”。馬上可以答應的，卻得“考慮考慮”；直接可以答應的，卻讓你繞上幾個大彎兒。論地位也只是“上不在天，下不在田”，而見客就不起身，只點點頭兒，答話只喉嚨里哼一兩聲兒。誰教你求他，他就是這么著！——“笑罵由他笑罵，好官兒什么的我自為之！”話說回來，拿身份，擺架子有時也并非全無道理。老爺太太在仆人面前打情罵俏，總不大像樣，可不是得裝著點兒？可是，得恰到分際，“過猶不及”。總之別忘了自己是誰！別盡揀高枝爬，一失腳會摔下來的。老想著些自己，誰都裝著點兒，也就不覺得誰在裝。所謂“裝模做樣”，“裝腔作勢”。卻是特別在裝別人的模樣，別人的腔和勢！為了抬舉自己，裝別人；裝不像別人，又不成其為自己，也怪可憐見的。

“不癡不聾，不作阿姑阿翁”，有些事大概還是裝聾作啞的好。倒不是怕擔責任，更不是存著什么壞心眼兒。有些事是阿姑阿翁該問的，值得問的，自然得問；有些是無需他們問的，或值不得他們問的，若不癡不聾，事必躬親，阿姑阿翁會做不成，至少也會不成其為阿姑阿翁。記得那兒說過美國一家大公司經理，面前八個電話，每天忙累不堪，另一家經理，室內沒有電話，倒是從容不迫的。這后一位經理該是能夠裝聾作啞的人。“不聞不問”，有時候該是一句好話；“充耳不聞”，“閉目無睹”，也許可以作“無為而治”的一個注腳。其實無為多半也是裝出來的。至于裝作不知，那更是現代政治家外交家的慣技，報紙上隨時看得見。——他們卻還得勾心斗角的“做姿態”，大概不裝不成其為政治家外交家罷？

裝歡笑，裝悲泣，裝嗔，裝恨，裝驚慌，裝鎮靜，都很難；固然難在像，有時還難在不像而不失自然。“小心陪笑”也許能得當局的青睞，但是旁觀者在惡心。可是“強顏歡笑”，有心人卻領會那歡顏里的一絲苦味。假意虛情的哭泣，像舊小說里妓女向客人那樣，盡管一把眼淚一把鼻涕的，也只能引起讀者的微笑。——倒是那“忍淚佯低面”，教人老大不忍。佯嗔薄怒是女人的“作態”，作得恰好是愛嬌，所以《喬醋》是一折好戲。愛極翻成恨，盡管“恨得人牙癢癢的”，可是還不失為愛到極處。“假意驚慌”似乎是舊小說的常語，事實上那“假意”往往露出馬腳。鎮靜更不易，秦舞陽心上有氣臉就鐵青，怎么也裝不成，荊軻的事，一半兒敗在他的臉上。淝水之戰謝安裝得夠鎮靜的，可是不覺得意忘形摔折了屐齒。所以一個人喜怒不形于色，真夠一輩子半輩子裝的。

《喬醋》是戲，其實凡裝，凡做作，多少都帶點兒戲味——有喜劇，有悲劇。孩子們愛說“假裝”這個，“假裝”那個。戲味兒最厚。他們認真“假裝”，可是悲喜一場，到頭兒無所為。成人也都認真的裝，戲味兒卻淡薄得多；戲是無所為的，至少扮戲中人的可以說是無所為，而人們的做作常常是有所為的。所以戲臺上裝得像的多，人世間裝得像的少。戲臺上裝得像就有叫好兒的，人世間即使裝得像，逗人愛也難。逗人愛的大概是比較的少有所為或只消極的有所為的。前面那些例子，值得我們吟味，而裝癡裝傻也許是值得重提的一個例子。

作阿姑阿翁得裝幾分癡，這裝是消極的有所為；“金殿裝瘋”也有所為，就是積極的。歷來才人名士和學者，往往帶幾分傻氣。那傻氣多少有點兒裝，而從一方面看，那裝似乎不大有所為，至多也只是消極的有所為。陶淵明的“我醉欲眠卿且去”說是率真，是自然；可是看魏晉人的行徑，能說他不帶著幾分裝？不過裝得像，裝得自然罷了。阮嗣宗大醉六十日，逃脫了和司馬昭做親家，可不也一半兒醉，一半兒裝？他正是“喜怒不形于色”的人，而有一向當時人多說他癡，他大概是頗能做作的罷？

裝睡裝醉都只是裝糊涂。睡了自然不說話，醉了也多半不說話——就是說話，也盡可以裝瘋裝傻的，給他個驢頭不對馬嘴。鄭板橋最能懂得裝糊涂，他那“難得糊涂”一個警句，真喝破了千古聰明人的秘密。還有善忘也往往是裝傻，裝糊涂；省麻煩最好自然是多忘記，而，“忘懷”又正是一件雅事兒。到此為止，裝傻，裝糊涂似乎是能以逗人愛的；才人名士和學者之所以成為才人名士和學者，至少有幾分就仗著他們那不大在乎的裝勁兒能以逗人愛好。可是這些人也良莠不齊，魏晉名士頗有仗著裝糊涂自私自利的。這就“在乎”了，有所為了，這就不再可愛了。在四川話里裝糊涂稱為“裝瘋迷竅”，北平話卻帶笑帶罵的說“裝蒜”，“裝孫子”，可見民眾是不大賞識這一套的——他們倒是下的穩著兒。

英譯

Affectation means“to feign”,“in disguise”and“to pretend”. There are dialects to express“affectation”in northern Jiangsu province, and“disguise oneself”is known to everyone. In the conventional novels, girls dressed as boys is called in disguise, which demands a large amount of affectation. Difficulty lies in closing the artist image as much as possible. For example, In Chinese operas, can you figure out several actresses who play the part of an elderly male character really well? Besides, the actresses just perform on the stage and can behave themselves in the greenroom, however, the girl disguising as a boy must act in the novel all the time! Detectives in the detective stories are also in disguise, it.s not easy for them to pretend though, they feel much more comfortable. However, no matter it.s easy or not, sometimes we have to pretend. In fact, observing carefully, you will know that it.s not limited to“sometimes”, people like some affectation in the daily life.“Thirsty percent appearance and seventy percent making up”is about women, men cannot do without acting either, but they seldom do counterfeit appearance. Difficult to act alike, it.s more difficult to be loved. We usually be regarded as affectation after much effort. So generally“pretense”is not a good word.

“One is doing good, the other is doing evil”, for minor matter, they will ask you for some money while for big event, they will force you to do some shameful and embarrassing things. It has been a cliché, and everywhere you can see. The“good”people pretend to be good while the“evil”people pretend to be evil. They hold you by different ways, one loose and the other tight, making you between tears and laughter. This set of affectation makes you quite trying. The poor and the rich can also be pretended. The poor are afraid to be looked down upon by others, though food is still a problem for their families, they still appear in the street in good-looking clothes as well as in the tone of a millionaire, pretending to care for nothing. It.s called“phonies in Suzhou”. In fact, phonies are not only limited to Suzhou province. The men of wealth are afraid that others will covet their money, so they always cover their treasures and pretend to be poor. Furthermore, they will deliberately go to a pawnbroker and show the pawn ticket to others. How pitiful it is! Also, there are some other people who are ready to talk about poetic prose and literature, it seems that he was born with artistic talent. Pretending to be gentle is not bad but it is such a vulgar gentility.

Those in authority and status would naturally“act with affected manners”or“strike an attitude or a pose”. The promises that can be made immediately turn into“I need to think it over”; the promises that can be made directly turn into beating about the bush. His status is“not lower than the horizon but no higher than the sky”, but when meeting his guests, he just nods without rising; when answering, he just does several hums from his throat. It.s we who seek his help while he calls the shots!—“he doesn.t care our laughter or curse, he makes the decision of being a good or bad official!”However, it.s not entirely unreasonable to show off identity or put on airs. For example, it seems undignified for the lord and his lady to flirt in the presence of servants, so shouldn.t they put on airs? However, for pretending, it needs certain degree, because“overdone is worse than undone”. In a word, don.t forget who you are! Don.t just choose the high ladder to stay and take no care of falling down. Thinking a bit of yourself, when everyone pretends in some degree, affectation becomes common. Generally“acting with affected manners”and“strike an attitude or a pose”, we in fact put on others.poses, attitudes and manners. We feign others in order to show off ourselves. We fail to look like others and lose ourselves either. What a pity!

“You cannot be the mother-in-law or father-in-law unless you pretend to be ignorant.”And sometimes it.s better to play deaf and dumb, not that they.d like to avoid responsibility, or hide some evil intentions. As the mother-in-law or father-in-law, they have the responsibility to inquire into the matters that deserve their attentions; but something that needn.t to be attended to, if they still take an interest in or take up personality, probably they will fail to be the right mother-in-law or father-in-law, or at least it shows their ignorance. In a large American company, the manager with eight phones in front of him, is very busy everyday while the other manger working in another company, without phones in his room takes things easy and works in a leisurely manner. The latter manager passes himself off as a“deaf-mute”.“Not bothering to ask questions or listen to what.s said”sometimes is a phrase of praise;“Turning a deaf ear to”and“turning a blind eye to”can be a footnote to the phrase“governing by non-interference”. Actually inaction is presumably fitted. Pretending ignorance is also a customary tactics of modern politicians and diplomatists, and it is very common in the newspaper. However, they have to put on airs and intrigue against each other. Probably no affectation, no politicians or diplomatists!

It.s very difficult to pretend to be happy, sad, angry, displeased, scared and calm. To close the artistic image, it.s much harder. Even though it doesn.t look alike, to be natural is still not so easy.“Putting on a smile face”is favored by the superior but makes the onlooker sick. Conscientious people see bitterness in the forced laughter. Hokey weeping with snivel and tears, just like the prostitute does to her guest in conventional novels, can just make the readers laugh.“Enduring tears and pretending to bow her head”, however, moves people that much. Acting in a pettishly charming manner is women.s“specialty”, and acting properly, it can be lovely and enchanting; Qiao Cu sets a good example.Hate emerges at the extreme of love; though“gnashing the teeth in anger”, it.s still the love that reaching its extremity. The phrase“pretended panic”usually appears in conventional novels, in fact it always gives the show away. Qin Wuyang, an able and virtuous soldier of Yan State (11th BC century-222BC), showed everything on his face. Jin Ke was a warrior of the Warring State (475BC-221BC), and his failure was mostly due to Qin.s disability of pretense. Pretending to be calm enough, Xie An, a general director of East Jin (316-420AD), succeeded in the battle of Feishui River, however, he was too excited to broke his clog. So learn to not betray our emotions is a lifelong career.

Qiao Cu is a drama; in fact, no matter pretense or affectation, it has something of drama—comedy or tragedy. Children always say“simulating”this or that, which holds the heaviest drama flavor. They simulate seriously, however, they don.t care the result. Adults are also ready to“feign”seriously but with the lightest drama flavor. Dramas have no special purpose, at least the actor doesn.t, but affected people always holds some certain purpose. Therefore, actors on the stadium act more naturally than people in society. Audiences will applaud if actors perform well. However, for people in society, though they are good at pretending, being loved by others is still hard. The people loved by others probably have fewer purposes or just hold some certain purposes in negative ways. The cases above deserve our pondering, the deaf-mute case may be worth raising again.

As a mother-in-law or father-in-law, you should feign ignorance, which does something in a negative way.“Pretending to go mad in the imperial palace”does something in a positive way. It has invariably insisted that scholars and people with literary reputations or talents are a little silly. In fact, they feign foolishness more or less. Their pretense seems meaningless, or means something in a negative way.“I have been drunk and will go to sleep, enjoy yourself my friend”, which describes the natural and casual lifestyle of Tao Yuanming, a famous writer of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (371-420AD). However, according to people.s behaviors in Wei-Jin era, are you sure that he had no affectation? In my view, he just pretended naturally and authentically. Ruan Ji, a famous poetry in the Three Kings Period (220-265 AD), styled himself Ruan Sizong, pretended to be drunk heavily for sixty days and successfully avoided being the son-in-law of Si Mazhao who was a politician. Wasn.t the half of Ruan Ji.s behavior from drinking and the other half from pretense? He was a master of not betraying his emotions. At that time, people almost regarded him as a fool, however, it just proved he did well in pretense.

Pretending to be asleep or drunk are just pretending to be silly. When sleep, they can not speak; when drunk, they almost can not speak either. Even if they can speak, they always feign madness and act like an idiot, and give irrelevant answers. Zheng Banqiao, a painter and poet in Qing Dynasty (1616-1912AD), knew best how to feign ignorance. His epigram“where ignorance is bliss”reveals the secret of smart people through the ages. Forgetfulness always tends to feign ignorance; it.s the best and smart way to avoid troubles. And it seems that feigning ignorance can gain people.s adoration; the scholars and people with literary reputations or talents pretend to be careless, and then they get honors and others.adoration. But there are good and bad people, by playing the fool some people with literary reputations in Wei-Jin era served themselves. It shows their ulterior motives, and people don.t like them at all. In Sichuan dialect, they use“zhuang feng mi qiao”to express playing the fool while in Beijng people will curse“zhuang suan”(=pretending not to know) or“zhuang sun zi”(=pretending to be grandson/ pretending to be helpless and miserable) with smile, from which, we can see that people don.t appreciate pretense—They just voice it straightforwardly.