moonlightcascadedlikewateroverthelotusleavesandflowers，andalightbluemistfloatingupfromthepoolmadethemseemwashedinmilkorcaughtinagauzydream.thoughthemoonwasfull，afilmofpalecloudsintheskywouldnotallowitsraystoshinethroughbrightly；butifethiswasalothegood-thoughrefreshingsleepisindispensable，shortnapshaveacharmalheirown.asthemoonshonefrombehindthem，thedensetreesonthehillsthrewcheckeredshadows，darkformsloomedlikedevils，andthesparse，gracefulshadowsofwillowsseemedpaintedonthelotusleaves.themoonlightonthepoolwasnotuniform，butlightandshadowmadeupaharmoniousrhythmlikeabeautifuuneplayedonaviolin.

farandnear，highandlowaroundthepoolweretrees，mostofthemwillows.thesetreeshadthepoolentirelyhemmedin，theonlysmallclearingsleftbeingthosebythepath，apparentlyintendedforthemoon.alhetreesweresomberasdensesmoke，butamongthemyoucouldmakeouttheluxuriantwillows，whilefaintlyabovethetree-topsloomeddistanthills-theirgeneraloutlineonly.andbetweenthetreesappearedoneortwostreetlamps，listlessastheeyesofsomeonedrowsy.theliveliestsoundsatthishourwerethecicadaschirrupingonthetreesandthefrogscroakinginthepool；butthisanimationwastheirsalone，ihadnopartinit.

月光如流水一般，静静地泻在这一片叶子和花上。薄薄的青雾浮起在荷塘里。叶子和花仿佛在牛乳中洗过一样；又像笼着轻纱的梦。虽然是满月，天上却有一层淡淡的云，所以不能朗照；但我以为这恰是到了好处——酣眠固不可少，小睡也别有风味的。月光是隔了树照过来的，高处丛生的灌木，落下参差的斑驳的黑影，峭楞楞如鬼一般；弯弯的杨柳的稀疏的倩影，却又像是画在荷叶上。塘中的月色并不均匀；但光与影有着和谐的旋律，如梵婀玲上奏着的名曲。

荷塘的四面，远远近近，高高低低都是树，而杨柳最多。这些树将一片荷塘重重围住；只在小路一旁，漏着几段空隙，像是特为月光留下的。树色一例是阴阴的，乍看像一团烟雾；但杨柳的丰姿，便在烟雾里也辨得出。树梢上隐隐约约的是一带远山，只有些大意罢了。树缝里也漏着一两点路灯光，没精打采的，是渴睡人的眼。这时候最热闹的，要数树上的蝉声与水里的蛙声；但热闹是它们的，我什么也没有。

thenlotus-gatheringflashedintomymind.thiswasanoldcustomsouthoftheyangtse，whichapparentlyoriginatedveryearlyandwasmostpopularintheperiodofthesixkingdoms，*asweseefromthesongsofthetime.thelotuswerepickedbygirlsinsmallboats，whosanghauntingsongsastheypadded.theyturnedoutinforce，wemaybesure，andtherewerespectatorstoo，forthatwasacheerfulfestivalandaromanticone.wehaveagoodaccountofitinapoembyemperoryuanoftheliangdynastycalledlotusgatherers：

deftboysandprettygirlsreachanunderstandingwhileboating；

theirprowsveerslowly，

butthewinecupspassquickly；

theiroarsareentangled，

astheycutthroughtheduckweed，

andgirlswithslenderwaiststurntogazebehindthem.

nowspringandsummermeet，

leavesaretender，flowersfresh；

withsmilestheyprotecttheirsilks，

drawingintheirskirts，afraidlesttheboatupset.

忽然想起采莲的事情来了。采莲是江南的旧俗，似乎很早就有，而六朝时为盛；从诗歌里可以约略知道。采莲的是少年的女子，她们是荡着小船，唱着艳歌去的。采莲人不用说很多，还有看采莲的人。那是一个热闹的季节，也是一个风流的季节。梁元帝《采莲赋》里说得好：

于是妖童媛女，

荡舟心许；

鷁首徐回，

兼传羽杯；