Dr. Norman Prinsky
Associate Professor of English, Emeritus
Augusta State University
Notes and Questions on Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber / The Story of the Stone (David Hawkes Translation, as
Excerpted in the Norton Anthology of World Literature, Shorter Second Edition)
Timeline of Chinese Dynasties and Other Key Events
ca. 2100-1600 BCE
Xia (Hsia) Dynasty
ca. 1600-1050 BCE
Shang Dynasty
Capitals: near present-day Zhengzhou and
Anyang
ca. 1046-256 BCE
Zhou (Chou) Dynasty
Capitals: Hao (near present-day Xi'an) and
Luoyang
Western Zhou (ca. 1046-771 BCE)
Eastern Zhou (ca. 771-256 BCE)
Spring and Autumn Period
(770-ca. 475 BCE)
Confucius (ca. 551-479 BCE)
Warring States Period
(ca. 475-221 BCE)
221-206 BCE
Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty
Capital: Chang'an, present-day Xi'an
Qin Shihuangdi dies, 210 BCE
206 BCE-220 CE
Han Dynasty
Western/Former Han (206 BCE-9 CE)
Capital: Chang'an
Confucianism officially established as basis
for Chinese state by Han Wudi (r. 141-86
BCE)
220-589 CE
Eastern/Later Han (25-220 CE)
Capital: Luoyang
Six Dynasties Period
Period of disunity and instability following
the fall of the Han; Buddhism introduced to
China
Three Kingdoms (220-265 CE)
Cao Wei, Shu Han, Dong Wu
Jin Dynasty (265-420 CE)
Period of the Northern and Southern
Dynasties (386-589 CE)
581-618 CE
Sui Dynasty
Capital: Chang'an
618-906 CE
Tang (T'ang) Dynasty
Capitals: Chang'an and Luoyang
907-960 CE
Five Dynasties Period
960-1279
Song (Sung) Dynasty
Notes and Questions on Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber / The Story of the Stone (H aw kes Translation, as Excerpted in NAW L)
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Northern Song (960-1127)
Capital: Bianjing (present-day Kaifeng)
Southern Song (1127-1279)
Capital: Lin'an (present-day Hangzhou)
1279-1368
Yuan Dynasty
The reign of the Mongol empire; Capital:
Dadu (present-day Beijing)
1368-1644
Ming Dynasty
Re-establishment of rule by Han ruling
house; Capitals: Nanjing and Beijing
1644-1912
Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty
Reign of the Manchus; Capital: Beijing
1912-1949
Republic Period
Capitals: Beijing, Wuhan, and Nanjing
People's Republic of China
Capital: Beijing
1949-present
Notes and Questions on Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber / The Story of the Stone
Note: the name of the novel’s author may also be transliterated as Tsao Hsueh-Chin -- as noted in NAWL -- because of
the differences between the Wade-Giles system and the Pinyin system of transliteration of Chinese into the Roman
alphabet and English.
Published Abridged Translations into English (Listed Chronologically)
Joly, H. Bencraft, translator. Dream of the Red Chamber. 1892; rpt. Tuttle Publishing, 2010. 56 chapters.966 pages.
Wang, Chi-Chen, translator. Dream of the Red Chamber. Abridged translations in 1929, 1958 (Twayne; enlarged), 1958
(Doubleday Anchor; length midway between the 1929 and earlier 1958 Twayne edition). Anchor edition: 40 chapters;
329 pages.
McHugh, Florence, and Isabel McHugh, translators. Dream of the Red Chamber. Translated into English from the
translation of the Chinese into German by Franz Kuhn. Pantheon, 1958; rpt. Grosset and Dunlap, 1968 (and reprinted).
50 chapters; 582 pages. [Not only abridgement of material, but also rearrangement of material within chapters.]
Published Unabridged Translations into English (Listed Chronologically)
Hawkes, David, and John Minford, translators. The Story of the Stone. 5 vols. Penguin Books, 1973-1980 (and reprinted).
Hawkes translated volumes 1-3 (the first 80 chapters), and Minford volumes 4-5 (the remaining 40 chapters, composed
by, or edited by Gao E, and Cheng Weiyuan after the death of Cao Xuequin. 120 chapters, 2480 pages. [Note: the
Hawkes translation is the one used by NAWL, the NAWL excerpts being from chapters 1, and 26-28.]
Yang, Gladys, and Yang Hsien-yi, translators. A Dream of Red Mansions. Foreign Language Press, 1978-1980. 3 vols.
Explanation of the Variations in the Work’s Title
Though the bulk of the novel was composed between 1740 and 1750, it circulated in handwritten copies until print
publication in January 1792 with a variety of titles. One title is Hong Lou Meng / Hung Lou Meng, which has been
translated as Dream of the Red Chamber or Dream of Red Mansions. The terms “red chamber” or “red mansions” can
refer to the sheltered dwelling place where a daughter of a prominent family would reside until marriage; since the
novel deals with a core group of such young women, the plural -- “chambers” or “mansions” -- would be applicable, as
noted by some scholars, and was used in the first printed publication. The reference to “dream” connects to a key
dream of main character Zhen Shiyin in chapter 1, and of main character Bao-yu / Pao-yu in Chapter 5, as well as to the
Notes and Questions on Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber / The Story of the Stone (H aw kes Translation, as Excerpted in NAW L)
Prinsky 3
Buddhist and Taoist themes of the disparity between the illusory material world and reality.
An additional explanation is provided by Franz Kuhn: “Chinese architecture provides for the mass of the population low,
one-story buildings. A mansion with a second story is called lou -- and Hung Lou stands for ‘Red Two-Story Building.’
According to Buddhist usage, it is also a metaphor for such concepts as worldly glory, luxury, wealth, and honors -similar to the Buddhist interpretation of ‘red dust’ as ‘worldly strivings’ [or] ‘the material world.’”
Another title for the novel is Shitou ji, “the story of the stone,” referring to how two of the main characters were “born”
from precious minerals, particularly Jia Bao-yu / Chia Pao-yu, who was born or reincarnated from a sentient stone
abandoned by the goddess Nuwa when she repaired building blocks of Heaven in the ancient past. The name Bao-yu /
Pao-yu (“Jia” / “Chia” is the family name, and as explained in the NAWL introduction, connotes “false” or “feigned”)
means “Precious Jade,” and the boy was born with a magical piece of jade in his mouth. The handwritten copies of the
novel appearing prior to print publication were entitled Red Inkstone’s Reannotated Story of the Stone, Red Inkstone
being a compiler and annotater of the manuscript, whose writing appeared on the manuscript pages.
In the opening of the novel, the author himself mentions five titles that he and members of his family had considered
using over the time of its development: (1) Shitouji (“The Story of the Stone”); (2) Qing seng lu (“The Passionate Monk’s
Tale); (3) Fengyue baojian (“A Mirror for the Romantic”); (4) Hong lou meng (“A Dream of Red Mansions”); (5) Jingling
shier chai (“Twelve Young Ladies of Jinling”).
An apt very brief summary of the novel, which has about thirty major characters and more than four hundred additional
ones, is as follows:
It is a detailed episodic record of the two branches of the wealthy and aristocratic Jia / Chia clan -- the Ning-guo and
Rong-guo houses -- who reside in two large, adjacent family compounds in the capital Beijing / Peking. Their ancestors
were made Dukes and given imperial titles, and at the novel’s opening the two houses are among the most illustrious
families in the city. One of the clan’s offspring was made an Imperial Consort, and a lush landscaped garden was built to
receive her visit. The Jias’ wealth and influence are described in great naturalistic detail, and the Jias’ fall from the
height of their prestige is charted. Eventually the Jia / Chia clan falls into disfavor with the Emperor, and their mansions
are raided and confiscated.
In the novel’s frame story, a sentient stone, abandoned by the goddess Nuwa when she repaired the heavens eons ago,
begs a Taoist priest and a Buddhist monk to bring it with them to see the world. The stone -- accompanied by a
character named Divine Attendant-in-Waiting (or in some versions, this component is part of the stone character, not a
separate character), is given a chance to learn from human existence and enters the mortal realm. The Taoist priest and
Buddhist monk reappear as one of the novel’s motifs.
The main character of the novel is the carefree adolescent male heir of the Jia family, Bao-yu / Pao-yu, born from the
sentient stone, as symbolized by being born with a magical piece of jade in his mouth. In this life, he has a special bond
with his sickly cousin Lin Dai-yu, / Lin Tai-yu (“Black Jade”) who shares his love of music and poetry. Bao-yu, however, is
predestined to marry another cousin, Xue Bao-chai / Hsueh Pao-chai (“Jeweled Hair Pin / Precious Virtue”), whose grace
and intelligence exemplify an ideal woman, but with whom he lacks an emotional connection. The romantic rivalry and
friendship among the three characters against the backdrop of the family’s declining fortunes forms the main story in
the novel, which naturally has many other subplots, major or minor, given the scope of the novel.
Concubine versus Secondary Wife
Translators Florence McHugh and Isabel McHugh state that “the term ‘secondary wife’ is used [in their translation] in
preference to concubine, since the Western connotation of concubine does not apply to the moral and legal status of
concubines in China, who are formally taken into the family.”
Notes and Questions on Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber / The Story of the Stone (H aw kes Translation, as Excerpted in NAW L)
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Overall Themes, Modes,and Structures in the Novel
The novel is often taught in classes dealing with Chinese history, as much as in classes dealing with Chinese literature,
because of how well Chinese culture, society, politics, history, and conceptions are conveyed through a mass of details
and characters.
As noted by scholar Richard J. Smith of Rice University, realism, symbolism, allegory, and the supernatural are
intermixed in the novel. “As in Chinese philosophy, synchronicity is esteemed over simple causality as an explanatory
principle.” There is also “emphasis on relations, qualities, and states of being;” the novel is “deliberately not fixed in
time or place (though the time is obviously the Qing dynasty, and the place, a composite of Nanjing and Beijing).” The
novel also has “Yin-yang complementarity” in several respects, including “juxtaposition and alternation of themes,
images, personalities, situations”; examples are “1. The theme of interpenetration of reality and illusion, daily life and
dreams (the idea of true and false producing one another) --‘ Truth becomes fiction when the fiction's true’ -- the
Chinese reader takes delight in his/her loss of bearings. 2. Juxtaposition of Confucian and Buddhist (or Daoist) elements
and themes. 3. Alternation of scenes (situations growing out of one another) -- e.g. action and stillness (or excitement
and boredom); elegance and baseness; sorrow and joy; separation and union; prosperity and decline; contrasts often
emphasized in chapter heads. 4. Characters are often complementary opposites, although some are mirror images of
one another.”
Professor Smith adds that the novel also contains views of romantic love, political satire, and autobiographical elements
from the author’s own life. Basic subjects are the individual’s quest for identity, the individual’s quest for an
understanding of happiness in life, and an understanding of one’s purpose in life. Political satire or criticism can be
found of aspects of the feudal system of China of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The novel offers a total
vision of Chinese culture and life, with Prospect Garden as a metaphor or microcosm of the culture and society. It sheds
“light on virtually every aspect of elite (and much popular) culture, from family life, social roles, and values to religious
practices and attitudes, amusements, food, medicine, clothing and architecture,” as well as highlighting “the gap
between theory and practice in Chinese social life.” Finally, “the novel itself is a reflection of Chinese aesthetics and
world view; it is the culmination of China's rich literary tradition and includes examples of every major type of Chinese
literature, including several kinds of poetry.” Of course, the novel also either implicitly or explicitly comments on all
aspects of the visual arts and music, as well as literature.
Onomastics in the Novel, China, and the United States
xx. Frequently the names of persons or places in literature, as sometimes in real life, are significant or symbolic. What
might be the symbolism of each of the character names or place names referred to in the selections from the novel?
xx. Other substantial translations than the one by David Hawkes translate the names of various places and characters by
giving the Chinese name, rather than what it means. For example, Crimson (Ch. 26, par. 2) in the Hawkes translation is
Xiao Hong in the Joly translation or Xiaohong in the Yang translation; Melilot (Ch. 26, pars. 4-5) in the Hawkes translation
is Jiahui in the Joly and the Yang translations, Aroma (Ch. 26, par. 7 et seq.) in the Hawkes translation is Xiren in the Joly
and the Yang translations. Wasp Waist bridge (Ch. 26 title) in the Hawkes translation and the Yang translation is Fengyao
bridge (Joly translation); Naiad’s house (Ch. 26 title) in the Hawkes translation is Xiaoxiang lodge (Joly translation) and
Bamboo lodge (Yang translation); Allspice court (Ch. 26, par. 74) in the Hawkes translation is Hengwu court (Joly
translation) or Alpinia Park (Yang translation). Very commonly, most modern people are unaware of the etymology and
meaning of their own forenames or surnames; the forename “Susan,” for example, comes from the Hebrew word that
means the lily flower; the surname “Cooper,” derives from the name of an occupation: a barrel maker. Consequently, a
translator might use “Lily Flower” for “Susan,” or “Barrel Maker” for “Cooper.” Likewise, for place names -- how many
persons in Augusta, Georgia, think about the derivation and significance of “Augusta,” “Georgia,” “Walton” (in “Walton
Way”), or “Gordon” in “Gordon Highway”?
xx. Forename-Surname order in Asian versus Western culture - Asian culture puts the surname first and the forename
second. Consequently, a many characters in Dream of the Red Chamber / Story of the Stone have names beginning with
“Jia” -- e.g., Jia Bao-yu, Jia Lan, Jia Yu-cun, Jia Yun, and Jia Zheng -- because the Jia family is so important in the novel.
Notes and Questions on Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber / The Story of the Stone (H aw kes Translation, as Excerpted in NAW L)
Prinsky 5
Following are paragraphing numbers for the NAWL excerpts, derived from the full Hawkes translation, with indications
of abridgements. Hawkes notes that his division into “Volumes” is argumentative; basically, the book is divided explicitly
into its 120 chapters, with the first 80 definitely being by Cao Xuequin / Tsao Hsueh-Chin.
Chapter 1: 100 paragraphs; NAWL omits paragraphs 48-100
“What, you may ask”; par. 1
“For a long time”; par. 20
“‘This fairy girl wandered’”; par. 35
“One day, in the midst”; par. 5
“The origin of The Story of the
Stone”; par. 24
“‘Very good, I will go with you’”; par. 40
“Countless aeons went by”; par. 10
“Long, long ago”; par. 25
“Shi-yin took from the object”; par.
45 ; “Shin-yin was on the point of
following them”; par. 46
“‘The trouble with this last’”; par. 15
“‘Well, well, so another lot’”; par. 30
“And there he was sitting”; par. 47
Chapter 26: 200 paragraphs [complete in NAWL]
“By the time the thirty-three”; par. 1
“Jia Yun had picked up”; par. 75
“The others crowded”; par. 150
“‘Yes, I’m in,’ she said”; par. 5
“‘Come on! Surely’”; par. 80
“‘Ha!’ said Feng Zi-ying”; par. 155
“‘Silly!’” said Crimson”; par. 10
“‘Well, where am I going’”; par. 85
“Feng Zi-ying laughed”; par. 160
“‘You shouldn’t say such’”; par. 15
“‘I’ve got no reading’” ; par. 90
“‘Fahver most certainly’”; par. 165
“Little Melilot found this”; par. 20
“He laughed”; par. 95
“This was clearly”; par. 170
“‘Who are they for, then?’”; par. 25
“‘Who’s asleep?’”; par. 100
“‘Now you’ve got us’”; par. 175
“‘Of course. Oriole took it’”; par. 30
“At the sight of those soft”; par. 105
“‘I was going to send word’”; par. 180
“Nannie Li made a flapping”; par. 35
“While they were talking”; par. 110
“A maid poured tea”; par. 185
“‘If your Mr. Yun knows’”; par. 40
“‘Good girl!’ said Bao-yu”; par. 115
“Dai-yu was aware”; par. 190
“She hobbled off on her”; par. 45
“‘This is your latest amusement’”; par.
120
“A big tear coursed”; par. 195
“Our narrative now follows”; par. 50
“The descent of this”; par. 125
“But in order to find out”; par. 200
“Jia Yun recognized”; par. 55
“‘Ho! Ho! Ho!’”; par. 130
“‘That’s as it should be’” ; par. 60
“‘Now look here, old’”; par. 135
“‘I know,’ said Jai Yun”; par. 65
“Bao-yu noticed sliced”; par. 140
“Trinket laughed”; par. 70
“Bao-yu was puzzled”; par. 145
Notes and Questions on Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber / The Story of the Stone (H aw kes Translation, as Excerpted in NAW L)
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Chapter 27: 153 paragraphs; NAWL omits paragraphs 48-108
“As Dai-yu stood there”; par. 1
“As she walked away”; par. 40
“Tan-chun’s smile had”; par. 135
“Next day was the twenty-sixth”;
par. 5
“‘Oh dear! What do you think’”; par.
45
“‘Now you’re being as stupid as
her’”; par. 140
“‘The rest of you wait’”; par. 10
“‘If it were Miss Bao’”; par. 47
“‘Better leave it a day’”; par. 145
“Her mind was made up”; par. 15
“We now return to Dai-yu”; par. 109
“‘It must be a maid from one’”; par.
150
“‘Of course it’s mine’”; par. 20
“Bao-yu was nonplussed”; par. 115
“All this was uttered in”; par. 152
“‘If you don’t intend’”; par. 25
“Bao-yu smiled back”; par. 120
“But the sequel to”; par. 153
“Bao-chai, listening”; par. 30
“‘I thought I heard someone”; par.
126
“‘Have you two got Miss Lin’”; par.
35
“‘Well, I don’t know’”; par. 130
Chapter 28: 295 paragraphs; NAWL omits paragraphs 33-295 -- the NAWL omissions include some dirty jokes -- in a
poetry contest -- focused in female anatomy, told by the upperclass guys at a drinking party (which could only happen in
fiction, men not being like that in real life)
“on the night before”; par. 1
“Bao-yu sighed”; par. 15
“‘Yes, I’m sure that’s’”; par. 30
“‘The others are always telling’”; par.
5
“At this point -- in spite”; par. 20
“She giggled mischievously”; par. 32
“Stop a minute!’”; par. 10
“‘I honestly don’t know’”; par. 25
Characters in Chapter 1 (pars. 1-47)
The unused stone (pars. 3, ff.): will be reincarnated as Jia Bao-yu
Zhen Shi-yin (Zhen = surname) (chapter heading; pars. 25-47): A retired gentleman of Soochow; father of Caltrop, Xue
Pan’s “chamber wife” who is the kidnapped daughter of Zhen Shi-yin; observer in a dream of the Buddhist monk and
Taoist “illuminate” associated with the magical stone and its activities on earth in its reincarnation
Jia Yu-cun (Jia / Chia = surname) (chapter heading): a careerist claiming relationship with the Rong-guo family
Nu-wa (par. 2): a goddess who is presented in many roles in different texts of Chinese mythology; her earliest role
seems to be the upkeep and maintenance of the Wall of Heaven, whose collapse would obliterate everything
Impervioso (pars. 5 and 11): the Buddhist monk who first notices the magical stone and helps take it to earth
Mysterioso (pars. 5 and 11): the Taoist / Daoist accompanying Impervioso, transporting the stone to earth
Vanitas (par. 10, et seq.) / Brother Amor (the Passionate Monk): a Taoist / Daoist who finds the stone on earth and
changes his name after responding to the magical stone and its story
Old Kong Mei-xi (par. 22): one of the supposed (fictional?) editors of the magical stone’s story
Wu Yu-feng (par. 22): one of the supposed (fictional?) editors of the magical stone’s story
Cao Xuequin (par. 22): the actual author of the novel, who presents himself as fourth in line as editor
Feng-shi (par. 25): wife of Zhen Shi-yin
Yiang-lian (par. 26): daughter of Zhen Shi-yin, who will be kidnapped and become known as Caltrop, Xue Pan’s
“chamber wife”
Disenchantment (pars. 32 et seq.) - a supernatural, a female fairy, with an allegorical meaning
Notes and Questions on Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber / The Story of the Stone (H aw kes Translation, as Excerpted in NAW L)
Crimson Pearl Flower (pars. 33, et seq.) - will be reincarnated as Lin Dai-yu
Place Names in Ch. 1 (pars. 1-47)
Incredible Crags of the Great Fable
Mountains (par. 2, 10)
Carnal Lane (par. 25)
Greensickness Peak (par. 5, 10, et
seq.)
Bottle-gourd Temple (par. 25)
Soochow (par. 25)
Sunset Glow palace (par. 32, et seq.)
Chang-men Gate (par. 25)
Magic River (par. 33)
Worldly Way thoroughfare (par. 25)
Rock of Rebirth (par. 33)
Realm of Separation (par. 35)
Pool of Sadness (par. 35)
Land of Illusion (par. 45-46)
Characters in Ch. 26 (pars. 1-200)
Bao-yu (par. 1, et seq.)
Jia Yun (par. 2, et seq.)
Jia Lan (pars. 88-91) - child nephew of Bao-yu
Crimson (par. 2, et seq.)
Dai-yu’s old wet-nurse (par. 97, et seq.)
Melilot (par. 4, et seq.)
Nightingale (par. 102-116) - maid for Dai-yu
Miss Lin (= Lin Dai-yu) (pars. 7, 11)
Jia Sheng (par. 124, par. 177)) - Bao-yu’s father
(Miss) Aroma (pars. 7, 18, 31-32, 62-67, 79-87)
Tealeaf (par. 125 et seq) - page for Bao-yu
Her Old Ladyship (pars. 7, 18, et seq.)
Xue Pan (pars. 129 ff.) - Xue Bao-chai’s brother
Skybright (par. 18, par. 188)
Hu-Sai, Old Hu (pars. 138, 139)
Mackerel (pars. 18, 26)
Cheng Ri-xing, old Cheng (pars. 138, 139)
Oriole (par. 30)
Zhan Guang (par. 139)
Bao-chai (par. 33, pars. 181-185)
Dan Ping-ren (par. 139)
Nannie Li, Mrs. Li (pars. 33-45)
Feng Zi-ying (par. 154 ff.)
Trinket (pars. 45-50, 67-77)
Emerald (par. 188)
Place Names in Ch. 26 (pars. 1-200)
Place Names in Ch. 26 (pars. 1-200)
Wasp Waist Bridge (chapter summary and par. 49)
(House of) Green Delights (par. 4, 50-55)
Naiad’s House (chapter summary and par. 91, et seq.)
Allspice Court (par. 49, 74)
(Prospect) Garden (par. 1)
Drenched Blossoms Stream (par. 87, par. 187)
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Notes and Questions on Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber / The Story of the Stone (H aw kes Translation, as Excerpted in NAW L)
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Ch. 26 omitted in Wang (Anchor); Ch. 26 = Ch. 21 in McHugh ; Ch. 27 omitted in Wang (Anchor); Ch. 27 = Ch. 21 in
McHugh
Characters in Ch. 27 (pars. 1-47 and 109-152)
Dai-yu (par. 1, et seq., including
“Cousin Lin” [par. 8] and “Miss Lin”
[par. 12])
Tan-chun (par. 7, 119-140)
Trinket (par. 36)
Bao-chai (par. 1, 9-47, 141-143)
Xi-Chun (par. 7)
Cousin Wan (par. 121)
Bao-yu (par. 1, et seq.)
Li Wan (par. 7)
Father (par. 134)
Aroma (par. 1)
Xi-feng (par. 7)
Aunt Wang (pars. 134-140)
Nightingale (par. 2, 111-112)
Caltrop (par. 7)
Aunt Zhao (par. 134)
Snowgoose (par. 2)
Elegante (par. 11)
Huan (par. 136)
Ying-chun (par. 7)
Crimson (pars. 31-47)
Place Names in Ch. 27 (pars. 1-47 and 109-152)
Raindrop Pavilion (chapter summary; pars. 16-47)
Prospect Garden (par. 6, 7)
Naiad’s House (par. 10)
Characters in Ch. 28 (pars. 1-32)
Lin Dai-yu
Chai (par. 19)
Miss Cow (par. 31)
Bao-yu
Huan (par. 19)
Lady Wang (par. 32)
Skybright
Tan (par. 19)
Feng (par. 19)
Miss Bao (par. 31)
Chapter 1
xx. How do the emotions experienced by the magical stone (par. 3) foreshadow Lin Dai-yu’s psychological makeup,
found in the chapter excerpts and also Stephen Owen’s description of her in the NAWL introduction to the work?
xx. The name of the mountain peak where the Buddhist monk and Taoist “illuminate” find the magical stone has a
symbolic or allegorical name (pars. 4 and 10); “greensickness” is the old name for anemia, suffered most by upper class,
very emotional or high strung ladies (see T. Coraghessan Boyle’s fascinating and informative novel about the beginnings
of the American health food and health spa industry, The Road to Wellville [1993]), sometimes to the point of fatality.
How does the allegorical name of the mountain peak apply to Lin Dai-you, as portrayed in the chapter excerpts and also
Stephen Owen’s description of her in the NAWL introduction to the work?
xx. What might be the significance or suggestions of the peculiar typography or typographical layout used in the monk’s
Notes and Questions on Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber / The Story of the Stone (H aw kes Translation, as Excerpted in NAW L)
Prinsky 9
listing of components to be found in the “locality” where he will take the stone (par. 6)?
xx. What Asian aspects of clothing are suggested by where the monk stows the stone as the beginning of the monk’s
project (par. 9)?
xx. (a) What are the allegorical or symbolic suggestions of the name of the Taoist who rediscovers the stone “countless
aeons” later (par. 10)? (b) How is the original quest of the Taoist (par. 10) prior to discovery of the stone especially
associated with Taoism, more than Buddhism or Confucianism?
xx. (a) What are the allegorical or symbolic suggestions of the names of the Buddhist monk and Taoist “illuminate” when
these are belatedly revealed (par. 11)? (b) What ideas might be conveyed by the delay in naming the two characters
when they are first mentioned (par. 5)?
xx. (a) What aspects or components of the Chinese fiction of Cao Xueqin’s time satirized in the discussion between
Vanitas and the magical stone (pars. 11-21)? (b) What ideas about the proper function of literature and fiction are
conveyed in the discussion between Vanitas and the magical stone (pars. 11-21)? (c) What ideas about the relation
between literature and religion emerge from the connection between Vanitas and the tale of the magical stone (pars.
20-21)?
xx. How might the idea or concept of illusion apply to all the different editors and names associated with the story of the
magical stone (pars. 21-22)?
xx. How do the place names in Soochow have allegorical significance (par. 24; “Long, long ago”)?
Ch. 26
xx. Query: episode about and meaning of “copying out patterns” (pars. 22-29)
xx. Query: “‘summer ‘cabinet’ of green net” (par. 55)
xx. How does the choice of intentionally fancy words “equitation” (par. 90), instead of “horseback riding,” or
“toxopholite” (par. 91), instead of “archer,” suggest by the translation something about Jia Lan or Jia Lan’s studies or
activities in Prospect Garden?
xx. (a) What is the rather coarse “R-rated” joke that Xue Pan makes in “‘Oh, Tankin’ or wankin’” (par. 149)? (b) How is
Xue Pan’s language coarse in how he speaks about having to wait for Feng Zi-ying’s “lucky accident” -- “‘Now you’ve got
us all’” (par. 175)?
xx. How does Hawkes in his translation suggest the affected upper class dialect spoken by Feng Zi-ying (pars. 154-176)?
xx. Implications that frequently the word “laughed” is included to introduce a character’s speech -- e.g., “Crimson
laughed” (par. 39) “Trinket laughed” (par. 70), “Feng Zi-ying laughed” (pars. 160, 172)
xx. Implications about Dai-yu’s walk, and about Prospect Garden life, in “sauntering” (par. 187) and “amble” (par. 187).
Ch. 27
xx. query: Dai-yu “leaning against the back of the bed” (par. 3): construction or form of Chinese beds?
xx. query: “twenty-sixth day of the fourth month” (par. 5); Chinese calendar?
xx. query: Elegante “and the eleven other little actresses” (par. 11)
xx. Use of the sleeve in Chinese clothing (e.g., par. 15)
xx. “frowner” as nickname by Bao-chai for Dai-yu (par. 33)
xx. query: “casements open so that the parent swallows can get in” (par. 112)
xx. query: “lion doorstop on the bottom of the blind to stop it flapping” (par. 112)
xx. query: capitalization in “Most Displeased” in reference to the family patriarch (par. 134)
Notes and Questions on Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber / The Story of the Stone (H awkes Translation, as Excerpted in NAW L)
Prinsky 10
Character Names
Hawkes
Across the
Joly
Translations in Ch. 1
Wang
McHugh
Yang
Zhen Shi-yin
Zhen Shiyin
Chen Shih-yin
Shih Ying
Zhen Fei Shiyin
Jia Yu-cun
Jia Yucun
Chia Yu-tsun
Yu Tsun
Jia Yucun
Nu-wa
Nuwa
Nugua
Nu Kua
Nu Wa
Impervioso
Mang Mang
Buddhist of Infinite
Space
Mysterioso
Miao Miao
Taoist of Boundless
Time
Vanitas
Kong Kong
Taoist of the Great
Void
Reverend Void
Old Kong Mei-xi
Kong Meixi
K’ung Mei-ch’i
Kong Meixi
Wu Yu-feng
Wu Yu-feng
Cao Xuequin
Cao Xueqin
Tsao Hsueh-chin
Czo Xuequin
Feng-shi
Feng
Feng-shih
Feng
Yiang-lian
Yinglian
Lotus
Lotus
Yinglian
Disenchantment
Jing Huan, Monitory
Vision
Disillusionment
Fairy of Fearful
Awakening
Disenchantment
Crimson Pearl
Flower
Jiang Zhu, Purple
Pearl
Crimson Flower
Purple Pearl
Vermilion Pearl Plant
Place Names Across
Hawkes
the Translations
Joly
in Chapter 1
Wang
McHugh
Yang
Incredible Crags of
the Great Fable
Mountains
Da Huang Hills & Wu
Ji Cave
Nonesuch Bluff of
Great Mythical
Mountain
Baseless Cliff in the
Great Waste
Mountain
Greensickness Peak
Qing Keng peak
Green Meadows
Peak
Blue Ridge Peak
Soochow
Gusu
Soochow
Suchow
Gusu
Chang-men Gate
Chang Men
Chang-men gate
Emperor’s Gate
Changmen Gate
Worldly Way
thoroughfare
Shi Li Jie (Ten Li
street)
Ten Mile Street
Ten-li Street
Carnal Lane
Ren Qing lane
(Humanity & Purity)
region of
comfortable living
and “red dust”
Lane of Humanity
and Purity
Bottle-gourd Temple
Gourd temple
Temple of the Gourd
Gourd Temple
Temple of the Gourd
Notes and Questions on Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber / The Story of the Stone (H awkes Translation, as Excerpted in NAW L)
Prinsky 11
Place Names Across
Hawkes
the Translations
Joly
in Chapter 1
Wang
McHugh
Yang
Sunset Glow palace
Chi Xia (Purple
Clouds) palace
Palace of Vermilion
Clouds
Palace of the Red
Clouds
Palace of Red Jade
Magic River
Ling (Spiritual) river
Banks of the
Ethereal
River of the Spirits
Sacred River
Rock of Rebirth
San Sheng (ThriceBorn) stone
Rock of Three
Incarnations
boundary stone of
the three existences
Stone of Three
Incarnations
Realm of Separation
Li Hen (Divested
Animosities) heavens
Realm of Parting
Sorrow
Sphere of Banished
Suffering
Sphere of Parting
Sorrow
Pool of Sadness
Guan Zhou
(Discharged
Sorrows) water
Fountain of Ineffable
Sadness
Source of Drenching
Grief
Sea of Brimming
Grief
Land of Illusion
Tai Xu Huan Jing
(Visionary Limits of
the Great Void)
Great Void Illusion
Land
Phantom Realm of
the Great Void
Land of Illusion;
Illusory Land of
Great Void
Character Names
Hawkes
Across the
Joly
Translations in
Wang
Ch. 26
McHugh
Yang
Bao-yu
Baoyu
Paoyu
Baoyu
Jia Yun
Jia Yun
Little Yun
Jia Yun
Crimson
Xiao Hong
Siao Hung
Xiaohong
Melilot
Jahui
Miss Lin (= Lin Daiyu)
Miss Lin
Black Jade
Miss Lin; Daiyu
(Miss) Aroma
Xiren
Pearl
Xiren
Her Old Ladyship
our old lady
the old lady
Skybright
Qingwen
Qingwen
Mackerel
Qixian
Yixian
Oriole
sister Qi
Bao-chai
Ying’er
Nannie Li, Mrs. Li
dame Li
Trinket
Zhui’er
Earring
Zhuier
Jia Lan
Jia Lan
Chia Lan
Jia Lan
Jiahui
Nanny Li, Mrs. Li
Notes and Questions on Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber / The Story of the Stone (H awkes Translation, as Excerpted in NAW L)
Character Names
Hawkes
Across the
Joly
Dai-yu’s old wetnurse
Daiyu’s nurse
Nightingale
Zijuan
Translations in
Wang
Ch. 26
McHugh
Prinsky 12
Yang
her nurse
Cuckoo
Jia Sheng
Zijuan
the master
Tealeaf
Beiming
Ming Yen
Beiming
Xue Pan
Xue Pan
Hsueh Pan
Xue Pan
Hu-Sai, Old Hu
Hu Silai
Hu Silai
Cheng Ri-xing, old
Cheng
Cheng Rixing
Cheng Rixing
Zhan Guang
Dan Guang
Zhan Guang
Dan Ping-ren
Dan Pingren
Shan Pinren
Feng Zi-ying
Feng Ziying
Feng Ziying
Emerald
Bihen
Bihen
Place Names
Hawkes
Across the
Joly
Wasp Waist Bridge
Fengyao Bridge
Wasp-Waist Bridge
Naiad’s House
Xiaoxiang Lodge
Bamboo Lodge
(Prospect) Garden
Garden of Broad
Vista
(House of) Green
Delights
Yihong Court
Happy Red Court;
Happy Red and
Delightful Green
Allspice Court
Hengwu Court
Alpinia Park
Drenched Blossoms
Stream
Qinfang Stream
River of Sleeping
Fragrance
Character Names
Hawkes
Across the
Joly
Dai-yu
(Lin) Daiyu
Daiyu
Bao-chai
Baochai
Baochai
Bao-yu
Baoyu
Baoyu
Translations
Wang
Translations
Wang
in Ch. 26
McHugh
in Ch. 27
McHugh
Yang
Yang
Notes and Questions on Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber / The Story of the Stone (H awkes Translation, as Excerpted in NAW L)
Character Names
Hawkes
Across the
Joly
Aroma
Xiren
Xiren
Nightingale
Zijuan
Zijuan
Snowgoose
Xueyan
Xueyan
Ying-chun
Yingchun
the three Jia girls
Tan-chun
Tanchun
the three Jia girls ;
Tanchun
Xi-Chun
Xichun
the three Jia girls
Li Wan
Li Wan
Li Wan
Xi-feng
Lady Feng
Xifeng
Xi-feng’s little girl
Da Jie’er
Xifeng’s little
daughter
Caltrop
Xiangling
Xiangling
Elegante
Wenguan
Wenguan
Crimson
Hong’er; Xiao Hong
Xiaohong
Trinket
Zhui’er
Zhuier
Cousin Wan
Translations
Wang
in Ch. 27
McHugh
Prinsky 13
Yang
our elder sister-inlaw
Father
Mr. Jia Zheng
father
Aunt Wang
Madame Wang
Aunt Wang
Aunt Zhao
Huan
concubine Zhao
Huan’er
Huan