7.\tThen lotus-gathering flashed into my mind. This was an old custom south of the Yangtse, which apparently originated very early and was most popular in the period of the Six Kingdoms, as we see from the songs of the time. The lotuses were picked by girls in small boats, who sang haunting songs as they padded. They turned out in force, we may be sure, and there were spectators too, for that was a cheerful festival and a romantic one. We have a good account of it in a poem by Emperor Yuan of the Liang dynasty called Lotus Gatherers:
8.\tDeft boys and pretty girls, Reach an understanding while boating;
9.\tTheir prows veer slowly, But the wine cups pass quickly;
10.\tTheir oars are entangled, As they cut through the duckweed,
11.\tAnd girls with slender waists, Turn to gaze behind them.
12.\tNow spring and summer meet. Leaves are tender, flowers fresh;
13.\tWith smiles they protect their silks, drawing in their skirts, afraid lest the boat upset.
14.\tThere we have a picture of these merry excursions. This must have been a delightful event, and it is a great pity we cannot enjoy it today.
15.\tI also remember some lines from the poem West Islet:
16.\tWhen they gather lotus at Nantang in autumn
17.\tThe lotus blooms are higher than their heads;
18.\tThey stoop to pick lotus seeds,
19.\tSeeds as translucent as water.
20.\tIf any girls were here now to pick the lotus, the flowers would reach above their heads too— ah, rippling shadows alone are not enough! I was feeling quite homesick for the south, when I suddenly looked up to discover I had reached my own door. Pushing it softly open and tiptoeing in, I found all quiet inside, and my wife fast asleep.
1.\t这几天心里颇不宁静。今晚在院子里坐着乘凉，忽然想起日日走过的荷塘，在这满月的光里，总该另有一番样子吧。月亮渐渐地升高了，墙外马路上孩子们的欢笑，已经听不见了；妻在屋里拍着闰儿，迷迷糊糊地哼着眠歌。我悄悄地披了大衫，带上门出去。
2.\t沿着荷塘，是一条曲折的小煤屑路。这是一条幽僻的路；白天也少人走，夜晚更加寂寞。荷塘四面，长着许多树，蓊蓊郁郁的。路的一旁，是些杨柳，和一些不知道名字的树。没有月光的晚上，这路上阴森