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100多年前，一个清朝的贵族小姐，担任慈禧的英语和法语翻译，陪伴左右。后来，她用英文写下了这段经历，塑造了一个对自己的美貌和智慧都非常自信的慈禧形象。
她就是裕德龄，也就是通常所说的德龄公主，英文名Lizzie。
1886年，德龄出生在武汉。父亲裕庚是满清汉军正白旗，母亲据说是中美混血，曾经是上海的风尘女子。
九岁那年，德龄就和妹妹容龄一起跟随爸爸出使了日本和法国德龄公主的英文名，17岁时才回到北京，所以英语和法语都很溜。后来姐妹俩被召入宫，成为慈禧的御前女官（Lady-in-waiting）。
容龄老年
两年后，姐妹俩离开了紫禁城。德龄用“德龄公主”（Princess Der Ling）的笔名写了好几本书， 全英文的， 其中比较有名的是《清宫二年记》（Two Years in the Forbidden City）、《御香缥缈录》（Imperial Incense）。
容龄也写过一本清宫主题的书，叫《清宫琐记》（名字也是real古装偶像剧），很短，语言很平实。
容龄的书里描绘了慈禧的很多生活细节。比如慈禧见了客人，总爱先说 “吉祥如意” 作为寒暄语。外宾们如果是共和国来的，她便问 “你们的大总统好！” 如果是君主国来的，就问 “你们的国王好！”
相比之下，德龄的《御苑兰馨记》简直就是琼瑶附体，台词完全不输现在的穿越剧。当然，这可能跟翻译有关系，只是英文原著难以找到，无法做出判断。
慈禧在少女时代，小名玉兰，与后来的兵部尚书荣禄是恋人。《御苑兰馨记》里是这么描绘荣禄与慈禧幽会的：
“兰，你美丽极了.......我爱你比爱任何人都厉害。世界上没有一个人能与你相比。只要你想，你皇后也能做。天下的英雄都要将世界的财富献在你的足前，天下的英雄都要为获得你的青睐而互相作战。你多么的艳丽呀！我是多么的爱你呀！”
咸丰皇帝选出的这个兰姑娘却非比寻常，她的美色绝非文字可以形容。令人百看不厌。
咸丰说：“兰儿，朕爱你！朕的三宫六院，没有谁比得上你的美丽！”
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但是，故宫博物院清史专家朱家溍（朱熹第25代孙），曾经将姐妹俩书中瞎扯的部分，一一指了出来。她俩的书，不是回忆录类的史实，而是以慈禧为女主的、纪实与虚构并行的小说。
德龄的《清宫二年记》，全英文写作德龄公主的英文名，就连一向谁都看不上的辜鸿铭还特地给这本书撰写了书评，不吝溢美之词。（估计是靠关系！辜鸿铭和德龄的父亲裕庚，一起在张之洞手下共事！）
德龄笔下的慈禧，总结起来，就是自认为很美，也很喜欢打扮， 收到人家从法（fà）国带来的香水、镜子、肥皂盒，会很开心。
（以下中文来自顾秋心1942年的翻译，很多事略译）
When I first came to the Court, a lot of the people were jealous of me because I was considered to be a beautiful woman at that time. I must say that I was a clever one, for I fought my own battles, and won them, too. When I arrived at Court the late Emperor became very much attached to me and would hardly glace at any of the other ladies.
当我初进宫的时候，大家都妒忌我的美貌，虽然我终于聪明地战胜了她们。皇帝单宠爱我一个人，不看别人一眼。
Her majesty asked all sorts of questions about our Paris gowns and said we must wear them all the time, as she had very little chance to see them at the Court. She was particularly in love with our Louis XV high heel shoes.
太后问了许多关于巴黎的服装的问题，并说希望我们以后常常穿这种服装，因为她在宫中实在没有机会看到这种装束。太后特别喜欢路易十五的高跟鞋。
It must seem to you quite funny to see an old lady like me taking so much care and pains in dressing and fixing up. Well! I like to dress myself up and to see others dress nicely. It always gives me pleasure to see pretty girls dress nicely; it makes you want to be young again yourself.
你一定很奇怪，像我已经这样大年纪的了，居然还花了这许多时间和精神来打扮自己。的确，我很喜欢打扮自己，也喜欢看别人打扮得好看。小姑娘们打扮得美丽，我看了就觉得高兴，于是也希望自己能变得年轻些。
慈禧觉得中国女性最美，外国女人脚大，脸上还有毛。
How is it that these foreign ladies have such large feet? Their shoes are like boats and the funny way they walk I cannot say I admire. I haven’t yet seen one foreigner with pretty hands. Although they have white skins, their faces are covered with white hair.
为什么外国女人的脚，都是那么大？鞋子好像船，走路的样子也特别，我实在说不出她们的好处。我从来没有看见过外国人有一双漂亮的手。虽然她们有雪白的皮肤，可是脸上都盖着一层白毛。
慈禧不仅对自己的美貌很有信心， 对自己的才华也是自信心爆棚，她觉得连英国的维多利亚女王也不能跟自己相比， 还对英国的君主立宪制，进行了一番点评。
I have often thought that I am the most clever woman that ever lived and others cannot compare with me. Although I have heard much about Queen Victoria and read a part of her life which someone has translated into Chinese, still I don’t think her life was half so interesting and eventful as mine.
我常常自己以为是世界上最聪明的人，谁也不能和我相比，虽然我曾看过中译的关于维多利亚皇后的许多事迹和生活，我仍然觉得她的生活趣味和事业还不及我的一半呢......
England is one of great powers of the world, but this has not been brought about by Queen Victoria’s absolute rule. She had the able men of parliament back of her at all times and of course they discussed everything until the best result was obtained, then she would sign the necessary documents and really had nothing to say about the policy of the country.
英国是世界上的强国，但这不是维多利亚一人造成的，她有能干的人在国会里做着后盾，凡事他们都能替她商讨出一个最好的法子来，她只要在命令上签一个名就行了，又不用她说话。
Now look at me. I have 400,000,000 people, all dependent on my judgment. Although I have the Grand Council to consult with, they only look after the different appointments, but anything of an important nature I must decide myself. What does the Emperor know?
但是我呢？我有四万万的人民，个个人都要靠我一个人判断，虽然我有军机大臣可以商量，但他们也只不过在无关紧要的时候说几句话，逢到重大的事，还是要由我决定，皇帝他知道些什么？
德龄还说，慈禧很能吃。
I was watching her while she was talking to my mother and marveled to see how she could eat, after having eaten such a quantity of candy, walnuts, etc., while in her bedroom…
当太后和我母亲说话的时候，我就注意看她，暗暗地惊奇太后的食量真大……（中文版是顾秋心1942年翻的，好像并没有完全对应）
This day we had pork cooked in ten different ways, such as meat balls, sliced cold in two different ways, red and white, the red being cooked with a special kind of sauce made of beans which gives it the red color and has a delicious taste. Chopped pork with chopped bamboo shoots, pork cut in cubes and cooked with cherries and pork cooked with onions and sliced thin.
This last dish was Her Majesty’s favourite and I must say it was good. Then there was a sort of pancake made of eggs, pork and mushrooms chopped fine and fried, also pork cooked with cabbage and another dish cooked with turnips. The fowl and mutton was cooked in several different ways.
今天猪肉就有十种不同的烧法，肉圆有红白两种，红烧肉是用酱油煨的，极可口，有笋炒肉丝、樱桃煨肉、葱炒肉片，后者太后极爱好，也合我的胃口。还有猪肉鸡蛋饼，白菜煨肉，萝卜煨肉等，羊肉、鸡鸭也有好几种煮法。
德龄也叙述了宫里的一些习俗。
Then we prepared glass dishes of candy, which were to be offered to the God of the Kitchen. On the twenty-third day of the last moon the God of the Kitchen left this earth to go on a visit to the Kind of Heaven, to whom he reported all that we had been doing during the past year, returning to earth again on the last day of the year. The idea of offering him these sweets was in order that they should stick to his mouth and prevent him from telling too much.
然后又预备玻璃果盘供灶神。相传腊月二十三日，灶神离开地球上天报告一年来人世间的各种情形。至除夕才重新回到地球上来。供这许多糖的意思，是想把他嘴粘住，以防他在天上太多话。
德龄还记录了慈禧拍照的故事。
慈禧的大部分照片，都出自勋龄之手，勋龄是德龄的哥哥，是中国最早的专业摄影师。下面请欣赏勋龄的玉照。
勋龄cosplay拿破仑:
不知道这是否给慈禧cosplay观音带来了灵感:
德龄详细介绍了慈禧想演观音的心路历程。
I have also another good idea, and that is, I want to have one taken as Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy). The two chief eunuchs will be dressed as attendant. The necessary gowns were made some time ago, and I occasionally put them on. Whenever I have been angry, or worried over anything, by dressing up as the Goddess of Mercy it helps me to calm myself, and so play the part I represent.
I can assure you that it does help me a great deal, as it makes me remember that I am looked as being all-merciful. By having a a photograph taken of myself dressed in this costume, I shall be able to see myself as I ought to be at all times.
还有一个好主意，我想扮作观音来拍一张，叫两个太监扮我的侍者。必需的服装我早就预备好了，有时候要穿的。碰到气恼的事情，我就扮成观音的样子，似乎就觉得平静起来，好像自己就是观音了。这事情很有好处，因为这样一扮，我就想着我必须有一副慈悲的样子。有了这样一张照片，我就可以常常看看，常常记得自己应该怎样。
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1907年，德龄和美国驻沪领馆副领事撒迪厄斯·怀特（Thaddeus C White）结婚，后随夫去美国。德龄的儿子毕业于西点军校，可惜1933年死于急性肺炎，德龄也和老公离了婚。1944年，在加州大学伯克利分校教中文的德龄，死于车祸。
妹妹容龄，是中国第一位芭蕾舞演员，新近出版的《中国舞蹈大辞典》中，裕容龄以“近现代第一舞人”进入辞典。1949年新中国成立后，容龄被聘为国务院文史馆馆员。文革期间，她断了双腿，于1973年病故。
本文参考自《中国人的精神》、《清宫二年记》、《清宫琐记》、《御苑兰馨记》、《德龄、容龄所著书中的史实错误》、《论早期海外华人作家德龄的清宫题材创作》等。
