四六级

　　在这本书里，我想写现代中国某一部分社会，某一类人物。写这类人，我没忘记他们是人类，只是人类，具有无毛两足动物的基本根性。角色当然是虚构的，但是有考据癖的人当然不肯错过索隐的机会，放弃附会的权利的。

　　这本书整整写了两年，两年忧世伤生，屡想中止，由于杨绛女士不断的督促，替我挡了许多事，省出时间来，得以锱铢积累地写完，照例这本书该献给他。不过，近来觉得献书也像“致身于国”，“还政于民”等等佳话，只是语言幻成的空花泡影，名说交付出去，其实只仿佛魔术家玩的飞刀，放手而并没有脱手，随你怎样把作品奉献给人，作品总是作者自己的，大不了一本书，还不值得这样精巧地不老实，因此罢了。

　　参考翻译:

　　In this book,I intended to write about a certainsegment of society and a certain kind of people inmodern China.In writing about these people,I did notforget they are human beings,just human beingswith the basic nature of hairless,two-legged animals.The characters are of course fictional,sothose with a fondness for history need not trouble themselves trying to trace them out.

　　The writing of this book took two years altogether.It was a time of great grief anddisruption,during which I thought several times of giving up.Thanks to Madame YangChiang,who continuously urged me on while holding other matters at bay,I was able throughthe accumulation of many small moments to find the time to finish it.This book should bededicated to her.But lately it seems to me that dedicating a book is like the fine rhetoric aboutoffering one's life to one's country,or handing the reins of the government back to thepeople.This is but the vain and empty juggling of language.Despite all the talk about handing itover,the book remains like the flying knife of the magician-released without ever leaving thehand.And when he dedicates his work in whatever maimer he chooses,the work is still theauthor's own.Since my book is a mere trifle,it does not call for such ingeniousdisingenuousness.I therefore have not bothered myself about the dedication.

　　December 25th,1935