落花生
Peanuts
Xu Dishan 許地山 (1894–1941)
Republican era and after · 1922

Cold Library · Open Stacks · S-003014 · https://coldlibrary.com/s/003014
Rights: First published in 1922; the author died in 1941. Public domain by age: the author died before 1956 and the text was published before 1931. Checked for Australia, the EU, the UK, mainland China and the United States as of 11 October 2026. Guidance, not legal advice.
Source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NLC416-07jh001063-79833_空山零雨.pdf (retrieved 2026-10-11)
English translation: Claude (an AI), 2026 · CC0 1.0
Generated 2026-10-14 from https://coldlibrary.com/en/open-stacks/xu-dishan-peanuts

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我們屋後有半畝隙地。母親說：『讓他荒蕪着怪可惜，旣然你們那麼愛吃花生，就闢來做花生園罷。』我們幾姊弟和幾個小丫頭都很喜歡——買種底買種，動土底動土，灌園底灌園；過不了幾個月，居然收穫了！

媽媽說：『今晚我們可以做一個收穫節，也請你們爹爹來嘗嘗我們底新花生，如何？』我們都答應了。母親把花生做成好幾樣底食品，還吩咐這節期要在園裏底茅亭舉行。

那晚上底天色不大好，可是爹爹也到來，實在很難得！爹爹說：『你們愛吃花生麼？』

我們都爭着答應，『愛！』

『誰能把花生底好處說出來？』

姊姊說：『花生底氣味很美，』

哥哥說：『花生可以製油。』

我說：『無論何等人都可以用賤價買他來吃；都喜歡吃他。這就是他底好處。』

爹爹說：『花生底用處固然很多；但有一樣是很可貴的。這小小的豆不像那好看的蘋果、桃子、石榴，把他們底果實懸在枝上，鮮紅嫩綠的顏色，令人一望而發生羨慕底心。他只把果子埋在地底，等到成熟，才容人把他挖出來，你們偶然看見一棵花生瑟縮地長在地上，不能立刻辨出他有沒有果實，非得等到你接觸他才能知道。』

我們都說：『是的。』母親也點點頭。爹爹接下去說：『所以你們要像花生，因爲他是有用的，不是偉大、好看的東西。』我說：『那麼，人要做有用的人，不要做偉大、體面的人了。』爹爹說：『這是我對於你們底希望。』

我們談到夜闌才散，所有花生食品雖然沒有了，然而父親底話現在還印在我心版上。

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我们屋后有半亩隙地。母亲说：『让他荒芜着怪可惜，既然你们那么爱吃花生，就辟来做花生园罢。』我们几姊弟和几个小丫头都很喜欢——买种底买种，动土底动土，灌园底灌园；过不了几个月，居然收获了！

妈妈说：『今晚我们可以做一个收获节，也请你们爹爹来尝尝我们底新花生，如何？』我们都答应了。母亲把花生做成好几样底食品，还吩咐这节期要在园里底茅亭举行。

那晚上底天色不大好，可是爹爹也到来，实在很难得！爹爹说：『你们爱吃花生么？』

我们都争着答应，『爱！』

『谁能把花生底好处说出来？』

姊姊说：『花生底气味很美，』

哥哥说：『花生可以制油。』

我说：『无论何等人都可以用贱价买他来吃；都喜欢吃他。这就是他底好处。』

爹爹说：『花生底用处固然很多；但有一样是很可贵的。这小小的豆不像那好看的苹果、桃子、石榴，把他们底果实悬在枝上，鲜红嫩绿的颜色，令人一望而发生羡慕底心。他只把果子埋在地底，等到成熟，才容人把他挖出来，你们偶然看见一棵花生瑟缩地长在地上，不能立刻辨出他有没有果实，非得等到你接触他才能知道。』

我们都说：『是的。』母亲也点点头。爹爹接下去说：『所以你们要像花生，因为他是有用的，不是伟大、好看的东西。』我说：『那么，人要做有用的人，不要做伟大、体面的人了。』爹爹说：『这是我对于你们底希望。』

我们谈到夜阑才散，所有花生食品虽然没有了，然而父亲底话现在还印在我心版上。

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English translation by Claude (an AI)

Behind our house there was half a mu of empty ground. Mother said, "It's a pity to let it lie waste. Since you all love peanuts so much, let's turn it into a peanut garden." We brothers and sisters and the few little maids were all delighted. Some bought the seed, some dug the soil, some watered the beds, and in a few months, to our surprise, we had a harvest.

Mother said, "Tonight we can hold a harvest festival, and invite your father to taste our new peanuts. How about it?" We all agreed. Mother made the peanuts into several kinds of food, and said the festival was to be held in the thatched pavilion in the garden.

The weather that evening was not very good, but Father came too, which was really rare. Father said, "Do you like peanuts?"

We all answered at once, "Yes."

"Who can tell me what is good about peanuts?"

My elder sister said, "Peanuts taste very good."

My elder brother said, "Peanuts can be pressed for oil."

I said, "Anyone at all can buy them cheaply, and everyone likes to eat them. That is what is good about them."

Father said, "Peanuts certainly have many uses, but there is one thing about them that is very precious. This small nut is not like the handsome apple, peach or pomegranate, which hang their fruit on the branches, bright red and fresh green, so that whoever sees them envies them at once. It buries its fruit in the ground, and only when the fruit is ripe does it let people dig it up. If you happen to see a peanut plant growing timidly on the ground, you cannot tell at once whether it has any fruit or not. You can only know when you touch it."

We all said, "That's true." Mother nodded too. Father went on: "So you should be like the peanut, because it is useful, not great and handsome." I said, "Then people should be useful, and not great and grand." Father said, "That is what I hope for you."

We talked late into the night before we parted. All the peanut dishes were gone, but Father's words are still printed on the tablet of my heart.