他走到公眾廁所的門前，順手揪過一個穿長袍而帶寒酸相的，并不

立即動手打，只定睛看他，一手按著棍子。那人于張惶气惱之中還
想講笑話，問道：“阿是為仔我要登坑咾？”

He walked towards the entrance of the public toilet, and offhandedly

grabbed a shabby-looking man clothed in a long robe. He did not hit
him immediately, but merely locked his gaze on him, with a hand
resting on his baton. The man, in his panic, tried to crack a joke, and
asked, “You mean you want to end up squatting in prison1 because
of me?”

 The phrase “squatting in prison” sounds similar to “squatting in the toilet” in the
Shanghai dialect
He walked to the door of the public toilet, conveniently caught hold of a
shabby looking man in long robe. He did not hit the man immediately,
just fixed his eyes on him, keeping one hand on the baton. That man in
the midst of nervousness and anger still thought of joking, he asked in
Shanghai dialect, “Are you going to the jail because of me?” * Commented [m1]: Sometimes its okay to add in
additional information

*The actual meaning is “are you going to sit/squat in the toilet because
of me?” , the implied meaning is to sit/squat in the prison cell.
He walked to the lavatory door and grasped a shabby man in a long gown. Commented [m2]: Hows this person social status?
So he will probably not use this kind of word as he does not
He did not start acting immediately, but stared fixedly at that guy with seem to be that educated
his truncheon in hand. The poor man was panic-stricken, yet still
attempted to pull out a joke. He then asked: “Is it because I want to go to
the loo?”

He walked to the front of the entrance of the public restroom, and

grabbed a man shabbily dressed in long robes. He did not bash him up
immediately, but just looked at him fixatedly, pressing one hand on his
baton. The victim was frustrated and panicky, yet still attempted to be
funny, and said, “Is it because I am going to defecate?”

1
.
在民初李涵秋的小說里，這時候就應當跳出一個仗義的西洋傳教師，
或是保安局長的姨太太（女主角的手帕交，男主角的舊情人。）偶
爾天真一下還不要緊，那樣有系統地天真下去，到底不大好。

If this was a novel written by Li Hanqiu, a Western missionary with a

strong sense of justice, or a concubine of the Chief of Police (the
confidante of the female lead and the old lover of the male lead) would
appear to intervene by this time. To be naive every now and then is
pardonable, but to be naive in a systematic manner is not that fine after
all.
民初
If this incident had happened in the stories written by early Republican
Era writer Liu Hanqiu, there should be a western preacher who stepped
in for justice right in time, or perhaps it was the mistress of the Police
Chief (who happened to be the bosom friend of the female protagonist,
and the ex-lover of the male protagonist). Once in a while, it is alright to
be naïve. However, if that kind of systematic naïve persists, it would be
undesirable.

In the novels of Li Hanqiu in the early Republic, there should be a timely

appearance of either a righteous Western missionary or the concubine of
the Chief of Security, the latter being the BFF of the female lead, or the Commented [m3]: Informal 比較現代
ex-lover of the male lead. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to be naive, but
naivety in the long term wouldn’t be all too good.

At this point of time, there should be a rightful western priest, or the

concubine of the Security Bureau chief (the heroine’s old acquaintance,
or the hero’s old flame.) who stands out, according to the novels of Li
Hanqiu from early Ming. Being naïve occasionally is not a bad thing, but
behaving consistently is not good either.

In the novels of Republican, Mandarin Ducks and Butterflies School

writer Li Han Qiu, at this point of time, a western missionary or the
concubine of the Chief of Police, who was often the bosom friend of the
female lead and the old flame of the male lead, would step out to uphold
justice. To be naive once in a while, is fine; however, to be immersed in
a state of naivety, isn’t a good thing.