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trict rules for the contacts between male and female. It is mentioned in the forth chapter in "The True Story of Ah Q":“啊Q本来也是正人，我们虽然不知道他蒙什么明师指授，但他对于‘男女之大防’却也历来非常严。”What are the great barriers between men and women? If you ask a Chinese, he/she may soon think of "a man and a woman should touch hands when giving or receiving things. But to the common English readers, it is a mystery. By studying Chinese culture, Lyell introduced the traditional modes of thought to the readers. Footnote:Now our Ah Q started out as an upright man too. Though we don't know this was because he had been shown the way by some enlightened teacher, we do know that he rigorously observed the great barriers that should take more attention on it. (William A. Lyell) Footnote: According to the puritanical ethics of traditional Confucian morality, any contact between an unrelated man and woman was potentially, if not actually, immoral. A populous proverb decreed "that a man and woman, unless related, should not touch hands when giving or receiving things " (男女授受不亲). (Lyell) The explanation made by Lyell is helpful for the understanding of western readers. The introduction of that background knowledge of Chinese culture surely will be favorable to get a deeper understanding. While translating texts in the native language, translators often take for granted that foreign readers should have the same general knowledge. As a result the necessity for noting is neglected. Lots of traditional Chinese modes of thoughts are about family. There is a typical instance in "The Story of the Stone". Wang Xifeng said: "...竟不象老祖宗的外孙女，竟是嫡亲的孙女似的。 "In China, it is generally accepted that the ties of blood between the mother and her son's children is closer than those with her daughter's. Wang meant that Daiyu was fine in temperament. Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang, who are familiar with the Chinese tradition, translated it as: "She doesn 't take after her father, son-in-law of our old Ancestress, but looks more like a Jia".[14] The translation revealed precisely the ulterior motive of Wang, to compliment Daiyu in order to win Grannie's favor. Thus, the traditional consciousness of feudal family was loyally transferred. 4.4 The influence of knowledge of customs on translation Some general knowledge of the customs of the original culture will be good for our translation undertaking. Different languages have different history, cultural backgrounds and social situation. It is impossible for the readers to know all the details of a foreign works, especially those of social customs and way of life. "The True Story of Ah Q" is a novel full of national characteristics with many traditional Chinese customs. In the third chapter of the story, when Ah Q met the fake foreign devil, whom he hated most, Luxun wrote: " 不料这秃儿却拿了一支黄漆的棒子—就是啊Q所谓的哭丧棒------大踏步走了过来" People familiar with traditional Chinese culture should know that, in the past, son should have a "filial stick" on his hand while attending his parent' s funeral to show that he was overwhelmed with grief. （注：哭丧棒：旧时在为父母发丧时，孝子须手扶一根‘孝棒’以表示悲痛难支) Ah Q hated the fake foreign devil, so he cursed his stick to be 哭丧棒. Four translations of "The True Story of Ah Q" have four different ways to translate. the stick of wails---George Kin Leung the funeral stick---Chi-Chan Wang a staff carried by a mourner[15] ---Yang Hsien-Gladys Yang a wailing stick---Lyell There are defects in all the 4 translations. Those of Leung and Lyell are simi