In the past, I heard people say: "Formerly¹, it was often cloudy and drizzly² for days on end in the south of the juncture³ of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Hubei, with very few fine days in between. When the sun shone occasionally, the dogs would bark consistently without stop."

 

I never quite believe this kind of talk, and consider it exaggerated.

 

Six or seven years ago, I came to the south. In the winter of the following year, there was a heavy snow rarely seen before. It crossed the Naming Mountain and covered several prefectures in the southern part of Yue (Guangdong Province). Consequently, the dogs in these prefectures were all panic-stricken. They barked wildly and ran about in confusion for several days in succession. It wasn't until the weather had cleared and the snow melted that they became quiet.

 

Only by then did I believe that it was likely that the dogs in Shu (Sichuan Province) barked at the sun.

 

Of course there is nothing wrong with sunrise or snowing. In fact, the dogs just consider these phenomena⁴ strange out of ignorance!

 

我过去听人讲过：“从前，四川、陕西、湖北交界处的南部，常常阴雨连绵，少有晴日，偶然日出，狗就吠个不停。”

 

这种传闻，我一直不太相信，认为它言过其实。

 

六七年前，我来到南方。第二年冬天，恰巧下了一场罕见的大雪。大雪越过南岭，覆盖了粤地南部好几个县。于是，几个县的狗都惊恐万状，一连几天狂吠乱奔，直到天空放晴，积雪融化，才安静下来。

 

这时候，我才相信蜀犬吠日会有其事。

 

这当然并不是日出或下雪有什么不对，实在是那些犬类少见多怪。

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