We can easily see that the story is a very ordinary story in life-a somewhat sad love drama, a very ordinary character-what Shen Congwen called a "stupid husband, a vulgar son". But it is precisely because of its ordinary things and ordinary people that it shows that this is the real life, daily life and life inherited from generation to generation of Xiangxi people. However, there will be stormy times in a calm life. The work describes two customs in the tea cave area, the dragon boat race on the Dragon Boat Festival and the way of marriage and love between horses and chariots. This dragon boat race is the biggest entertainment in the local area, improving food, wearing new clothes and going out to watch boating. Race like a boat, boatman like a tiger, every second counts, helping to shout thunder. After the boat race, 30 male ducks will be released into the river. Anyone, such as soldiers and civilians, can catch ducks in the water, and whoever catches them will return them. From morning till night, a busy day. In this year's dragon boat race, it showed the passionate character, unity spirit and love for life of the people in western Hunan. Tea cave people's marriage style is also very characteristic. In the long-term feudal society, the marriage of young Han people should follow the formula of "parents' orders and matchmakers' words", while the teahouse where Miao people live has the way of visiting relatives and friends through matchmakers-the so-called car ride; There are also men standing by the stream and on the cliff singing to women, a solo or two duets, and getting to know each other in singing until they break up or get married-so-called walking. The latter way shows the tolerance and freedom of the people in western Hunan on the issue of marriage, and also reflects the talent of the local people who are good at singing. Cui Cui's mother fell in love with a soldier by singing, and it was Cui Cui's turn to choose her lover by singing. Nuo was sent to Cui Cui to sing on the other side of the cliff. Although Cui Cui didn't understand that it was for her, she "dreamed that the soul floated a wonderful song, as if it were floating gently everywhere, went up to the White Pagoda, got off the vegetable garden, got on the boat, and circled half a cliff-what should I do? Pick Saxifraga. " In her dream, in her subconscious, Cui Cui had sent away the harmonious heartbeat of the sacred unicorn and fell in love with Noel. What a poetic folk custom it is to take the road, sing and have sex. I wonder if this custom still exists today? Shen Congwen said, "Border Town" is about "several fools and common people in a small town in Xiangshui Valley are implicated by one person, and each of them should have a sense of sadness and joy, which gives an appropriate explanation to the word" love "of human beings". It is precisely because the author felt the degeneration of the city and the variation of the countryside in the 1930s that he wanted to explore the "beautiful, healthy and natural" humanity and "love" of the villagers in the border town through his own creation. He believes that this beautiful thing about the mountain people existed in the past and still exists today. It is the eternal fire of human spiritual world. Cui Cui, the protagonist, is the most successful person. She is an elf bred by mountains and rivers in western Hunan, pure, gentle, intelligent and self-respecting. She lives alone with her grandfather, is considerate of him, happily bears the burden of life at home, and often helps him row a boat to cross people. The seed of love, she fell in love with promise and was infatuated with love; When promise sent the boat away, she faithfully waited for the return of her sweetheart, so firmly and persistently in love. A weak woman, full of "love" This old boatman, who is over 70 years old, takes rowing as his unshirkable responsibility and is also the greatest happiness in life. When he is old and weak, he still refuses to rest and stick to his post. He regards his granddaughter as the apple of his eye, takes good care of her, patiently educates and inspires her, silently worries about her marriage and fully respects her personal wishes and choices. This is a simple, tough, optimistic, kind and humorous old boatman, who embodies the beautiful character and humanity of Xiangxi villagers. There are Tianbao, Nuo who bid farewell to the two brothers, Shunshun who is in charge of the water terminal, and veteran Yang. They are all portrayed as true, vivid and natural, and they all shine with the beautiful human feelings and humanity of all sentient beings.
Charming Xiangxi border town, touching Xiangxi mountain people!
Interpretation of Shen Congwen's Border Town
A close reading of Shen Congwen's Border Town makes people shudder and imagine. It is a genre painting with beautiful scenery and harmony between man and nature.
The tea cave area at the junction of Sichuan and Hunan seems to remain in the primitive society. Mountains are natural mountains, water is natural water, and people are natural people. Folk customs are not influenced by Confucian orthodox culture, and simple human nature is not distorted by modern urban civilization. It does seem backward, barbaric, ignorant and closed, but the divine power of nature and people's beautiful nature are still growing vigorously.
As Shen Congwen said: "Where is our hometown, a person who studies history will know that it is the place where the' Five Creeks Man' is located. Until now, that place is still despised by people who grew up in the city. If we say that a pure personality close to wild animals is an accumulation of primitive national energy, then we will never be smart, never be bad at planning, and never lack the same interests and ideas as a city person. We just don't need to be humiliated because we grew up in this remote place. " (Shen Congwen's Record of Hu Yepin) It is with his fascination with his hometown and hatred for the decadent and vulgar modern style that Shen Congwen painted a beautiful regional genre painting in his childhood memory and ideal world. This genre painting is beautiful and exquisite, which contains the natural scenery, social customs, interpersonal relationships and human nature in the border areas of western Hunan, and accumulates profound and mysterious Chu culture. Border Town became a peak of local novels in 1930s, so it became an enduring literary classic, and its mystery lies in this genre painting. The local novels in the history of modern literature in China originated around 1923. They have the same artistic tendency and the same artistic characteristics, forming an extremely important literary school.
Lu Xun, Zhou Zuoren, Mao Dun and other literary giants not only created the creation of local novels, but also paved the way for the prosperity of local theory in theory. 1935, Lu Xun summed up and discussed the creations of six writers, such as Jane Eyre, Xu, and so on, calling their works "local literature", and brilliantly analyzed the homesickness, nostalgia, exoticism and local flavor in their creations. These discourses sum up the experience and shortcomings of local novels in time and point out the development prospect of local novels. Shen Congwen's Border Town was created and published in 1934. At this time, China's local novels are booming. On the one hand, his works show some common features of local novels at that time, such as villagers' living conditions, local customs, homesickness and so on. On the other hand, he tried to show a "beautiful, healthy and natural life form that does not contradict human nature" by describing the living conditions and exotic customs of the people in western Hunan. This "life form" has never existed, and it is endless. It is integrated into people's daily life and becomes a kind of human morality, belief, human feelings and humanity, or a ubiquitous "regional culture". This "regional culture" is unique to the border town, which is not found in other places, and probably will not be. The rich culture contained in genre painting makes this genre painting seem endless, and also makes Shen Congwen's local novels surpass the works of many contemporary writers. Border Town is really like a stream, quiet, clear and bright, gentle and soft.
The story is also extremely simple. Near the tea cave at the junction of Sichuan and Hunan, next to the white pagoda of Xiaoxi, there lived a family. In this single-family courtyard, there are only two people, grandfather, old boatman and granddaughter Cui Cui, and a humanoid yellow dog. On the Dragon Boat Festival, Cui Cui went to watch the dragon boat race and met a handsome young sailor to see her off. She left a deep impression on the girl. At this time, local groups always take the mill as their dowry and want to betroth their daughters. And promise also gives birth to admiration, preferring to inherit the broken boat and marry. Coincidentally, Zino's brother Tianbao also likes Cui Cui and asks the matchmaker to give her a kiss. Grandpa respected Cui Cui's wish and asked the two brothers to sing on the mountain by the stream, so that Cui Cui could choose from them. Nuosong is a good singer. Tianbao knows that he can't sing as well as his brother. He resolutely sailed to do business, but unfortunately he hit a rock and was buried in the water. Nuosong was very sad, knowing that this marriage would be difficult for a while, and he also came down from Taoyuan by boat. Grandpa was old and depressed, and died suddenly on a thunderstorm night. Veteran Yang enthusiastically came to accompany him, making a living by ferry, waiting for Nuo to return. The excerpts from the textbook are chapters 13 to 15. This is about Cui Cui suddenly growing up, and she is worried about her spring. Grandpa quietly arranged a marriage for her to test her mind. Tianbao travels by boat. Excerpt is the key story of the whole article.
Border town, poetic residence
In the past, Wang Guowei said in "Words on Earth": "Everyone's works will be refreshing and their scenery will attract people's attention. His words blurted out, and there was no feminine state. " What you said is absolutely right. I can't help feeling the same way when I read Mr. Shen Congwen's Border Town today. The works of lamenting love scenes are muddy. The novel is full of ubiquitous poetry. After reading it, people can't help being intoxicated and infatuated, and a few quiet longings and thoughts grow out of impetuousness.
The poetry of Border Town is first manifested in the local characteristics. Border Town is located in the southwest corner of China, surrounded by Wuling Mountain, Xuefeng Mountain and Yungui Plateau. Among them, rivers such as water and unitary water also gather here. Green mountains and green waters, such a natural environment, is itself poetic. Isolation adds a bit of poetic mystery. In the history of modern novels in China, Yang Yi said that Border Town has an idyllic artistic conception, which is both leisurely and relaxed like Fei Ming and beautiful and secluded like Qu Yuan's Nine Songs. Indeed, although Border Town is a modern literary work, it reveals the beauty of classical poetry between the lines. In the article, "the dumb sound vibrates in the silent air with the sound of bamboo flute, and the stream seems a little lively", isn't it the realm of "the cicada forest is quieter and the Yingong Mountain is more secluded"? "The reflection of the deep pool in the daytime, the small white stone at the bottom of the river and the patterned agate stone are all clearly seen." Isn't it inferior to the exquisiteness of Spring Grass Growing in the Pond? Border town is a rural society opposite to the city, where there is a simple, natural and quiet life. Everyone is content with the status quo and their own life, just like the "suitable place" in the Book of Songs. Shen Congwen himself said, "I want to create some pure poems", that is, the poems in Border Town-peace, nature and tranquility.
Secondly, poetry is also reflected in character. Where there are poems, how to express them? At this time, all kinds of characters are needed. If the place is full of poems, but the characters are dirty and despicable, then these poems will also appear thin or even redundant. Shen Congwen certainly realized this. He couldn't stand the fact that there was a little filth and smoke in the "Greek Temple" dedicated to human nature, so the characters in "Border Town" were all infected with poetry, and * * * created a poetic mythological world of the border town. Cui Cui is the most perfect poetic crystallization. She was born on the water and grew up on the side of the mountain. "She raised her skin on a windy day, making her skin dark and her eyes clear as crystal." She is smart, gentle, considerate and obedient. "Like the deer on the mountain, she never thinks about cruel things, never worries, never gets angry." These simple characters are light and pure, like a song that can't bear to be humiliated. Even the love in her heart is full of poetry. Since I met my parents, Cui Cui has been "silent for a night". Even the ferry sometimes reminds me of meeting my parents. Think about it, just like water running under the paddle, just like "I don't see a gentleman, I am worried"; After seeing my parents, I pretended not to care. In fact, my heart is pounding, as if "seeing a gentleman makes my heart plummet".
And Cui Cui's grandfather, who has been ferrying all his life, is not tired. He doesn't accept money from others. Even if there is, he will buy some tea and make tea to quench his thirst. He is deeply concerned about Cui Cui, hoping that she can have a good home, and then he can die peacefully. Such an image full of humanity is not a beautiful poem. In addition, other characters in Border Town are more or less poetic, and Mr. Shen Congwen clearly wrote that Raul has "poet character". What is a poet's character? Heidegger said that "the poet's bounden duty is to go home". Raul was born and raised in the countryside, accustomed to the water and influenced by the mountains, and kept a promised land in his hometown. He has never had the naive fantasy of metropolis, and as always, he has no evil thoughts about love. This is his "poet character". It is this poet's character that creates the beauty of human nature in Border Town and attracts Cui Cui's transparent heart.
Also noteworthy is the prostitute in Border Town. Shen Congwen did not reflect on their sins and fornication. On the contrary, he was more sympathetic and gratified. They are not only rich, but also not ostentatious, more "vigorous" and "sincere and indescribable". The author wrote in the article:
"Their lives are so alienated from the general society, but when tears and joy are integrated into these people's lives in a way of love and hate, they are similar to other young lives in another land, and their whole body and mind are saturated with that little love and hate. Forget everything. "
From here, it is not difficult to read the infatuation and innocence of these prostitutes. They crossed the moral boundary and walked through the forbidden area of love. Their brave and persistent nature is clearly a poem with beautiful character. Not cheerful, not gentle, but also like mountains and rivers, full of feelings.
Laozi's Tao Te Ching says that "goodness is like water". Water is the best representative and symbol. After reading Border Town, I feel that there is water everywhere before and after the full text, which moistens my skin and moistens my heart. This kind of water is another poetic representative of Border Town. Shen Congwen said: "My feelings are fluid but not solidified. A clear wave has really affected me. I know beauty and learn to think. Water has a lot to do with me. " It can be seen that the author writes about water all the time in the novel, which is also very meaningful. The ferry, stream, deep pool and wave beach in the article are like an understated landscape painting, and the characters inside are of course as beautiful as mountains and rivers. The essence of water is flowing, flexible and inclusive, modest and humble, but extremely elastic. Isn't this the true portrayal of the characters in Border Town? From Cui Cui to grandfather, from parents to sailors, all people are like this. In the traditional culture of China, there is a saying that "the knower enjoys Leshan while the benevolent enjoys water". How can readers of Border Town who are used to urban life have the heart to say that Cui Cui is "ignorant" and "heartless"?
Wang Zengqi's Comments on Border Town
Please allow me to copy some letters from Mr. Shen to Third Sister (my Jenny) first. Three three, because the weather was a little too good, I stood at the back of the boat and watched the water for a long time. My heart suddenly seemed to understand something, and at the same time I seemed to get a lot of wisdom from this river. Yes, I have gained a lot of wisdom, not knowledge. I sighed many times. The sunset at the top of the mountain touched me very much, and so did the pebbles at the bottom of the water. There seems to be no dross in my heart. I love this river very much, love the sunset, love the boatman, very warm! ..... I saw a small fishing boat with its black cormorant paddling down slowly. I was extremely moved and loved the boatman's gesture. ..... Sansan, I don't know why, I am very touched! I hope to live longer, and at the same time fully develop my life into my work. I will use my own strength to interpret the so-called life more solemnly and profoundly than anyone else! Three, three, I watched the water for a long time and got something from the stones in the water that I couldn't get at ordinary times. For life, for love and hate, it seems completely different from people. I feel very disappointed. I always look too far and too deep. For myself, I became a victim. At this time, I am weak because I love the world and human beings. Three three, if we are together at this moment, look how wet my eyes are! ……
This is a letter from home, a "patent reading" for Sansan, not a declaration. Whether dressed up or disguised, every word is sincere and credible.
From this letter, we can understand why Mr. Shen wrote Border Town and why he wrote it so beautifully. Because he loves the world and human beings.
We can also learn about all Shen Congwen's works from here.
Why this novel is called Border Town is a question worth thinking about.
"Border Town" is not only a geographical concept, but also does not mean that it is a small town on the border. This is also a concept of time and culture.
Border Town is the antithesis of a big city. This is "another thing in another part of China". (The inscription on the border town) Mr. Shen ran from the countryside to the big city, and hated the decadent life of the upper class and the "vulgar, stingy and selfish philistine" of the city people, which triggered his homesickness and impressed him deeply with the simple folk customs in his hometown that were not completely destroyed by modern material civilization
Miss.
Even in Xiangxi, this quaint folk custom is disappearing. Mr. Shen is in the long river? The inscription says: "1In the winter of 934, I went back to Xiangxi on business from Beiping and took a boat from Shui Yuan to my hometown Fenghuang County. I have been in my hometown for eighteen years, and I live alone in the Chenhe Valley. Everything is different. On the surface, everything has naturally made great progress. Pay as close attention as possible.
You will see a tendency to degenerate in change. The most obvious thing is that the integrity, simplicity and beauty of human nature that rural society has always maintained are almost disappearing, replaced by a pragmatic and profit-oriented outlook on life that has been successfully cultivated in the actual society in the past two decades. The kind of life written in Border Town does exist, but by the time Border Town was written (1933- 1934), it almost did not exist. Border Town is a nostalgic work, a kind of nostalgia with regret. Border Town is a tender work, but there is a deep sense of tragedy behind it.
It can be said that Border Town is both realistic and romantic, and the life in the border town is both real and idealized, which is an idealized reality.
Why romanticism? Why idealize? Because I want to keep something beautiful and eternal, so that it can grow, be constantly new and benefit future generations.
Selected novels of Shen Congwen? Foreword: There may be people in this world who want to build a pavilion dedicated to buildings or buildings on the water, but that's not me. I just want to build a small Greek temple. Choose mountains as the foundation and pile them with hard stones. Exquisite, strong, symmetrical, small but not slender, it is my ideal building. This temple is dedicated to "humanity". What I want to show is a "life form", a "beautiful, healthy and natural form of human nature that is not contradictory to life"
Oh! "Humanity", this unlucky noun!
Mr. Shen has his own views on the social function of literature. He believes that a good work not only makes people feel "really beautiful", but also has the power to attract people to be good ... From the work, they can get in touch with another life and get some inspiration from this life scene, so as to have a deeper understanding of life or life. Mr. Shen's view is "too deep and too far". In my opinion, this is the most correct view of the function of literature. This is of course unacceptable to some theorists who are eager for quick success and instant benefit.
The most difficult and successful character in Border Town is Cui Cui.
Cui Cui's image comes from three sources.
One is a girl from a wool shop in luxi county.
When writing the story "Border Town", my granddaughter who works at the ferry was moved by the cheerful and gentle character of the girl in the wool shop. ("Auspicious San Ji"? Wife))
One is the girl I saw in Laoshan, Qingdao. The characters in the story, on the one hand, see a rural woman in Jiushui, Laoshan Mountain, Qingdao a year ago, and get the inevitability of life ...
The girl is a dead relative, wearing mourning clothes. What is she doing? According to Liu Yiyou, she is "drawing water". Jin said it was "suing the temple". "Going into the water" is a custom in Xiangxi, but it may not exist in Laoshan. It is more likely to be "suing the temple." In his letter to Third Sister, Mr. Shen mentioned "reporting to the temple" and immediately "reported to the temple". When translated, "newspaper" and "accusation" are probably the same thing. I heard from Mr. Shen that I saw it in the car with Third Sister. At that time, Mr. Shen said to Third Sister, "Well, I can help you write a novel."
A Life-long Waiting —— Comment on Bian Cheng
"... in winter, the collapsed white tower was repaired again. The young man who sang under the moon and made Cui Cui's soul float gently in his sleep has not returned to the cave. ..... This person may never come back, maybe' tomorrow'! "
Has that young man ever come back? There is nothing in Border Town, leaving an intriguing ending for readers to guess and supplement. Like a long folk song, the melody is simple, but the loud tone is enough to arouse ripples in the listener's heart for a long time.
If all kinds of books are compared to all kinds of drinks, then Border Town is a cup of boiled water, transparent and pure, without any impurities. Although the feeling of entrance is always faint, you won't get tired of it. On the contrary, you will experience her unique flavor in one drink after another.
I can't help but admire Mr. Shen's writing style and a thin little book, which vividly reproduces the unique humanistic atmosphere and local elegance of the teahouse. And Cui Cui, a girl as clear as a mountain spring, whose love has spread quietly between the lines. Throughout the book, have you written the word "love" clearly? However, anyone who has read it attentively will certainly appreciate the yearning and persistence of a girl who has just begun to fall in love.
What kind of emotion is worth waiting for your whole life? Readers may not understand, but the author must understand, and the characters in the book must understand.
Cui Cui is only 14 or 15 years old, and has just begun to look forward to the mysterious emotion of "love". What she wants is neither a rich family nor a prominent position. What she expects is that the person she likes can sing a love song for herself for three years and six months, and can travel in a beautiful dream accompanied by singing.
The book describes Cui Cui's feelings after hearing his parents' songs: "... I heard a beautiful song in my dream yesterday, soft and touching. I flew around like this, halfway up the mountain, picked a handful of Saxifraga and got it. I don't know who to give it to. I slept so well and dreamed so interesting! "
These words outline the image of a girl immersed in a beautiful fantasy of love. We may not have the facial features of the girl in front of us, but there is no doubt that she must have a pair of clear and transparent eyes and a crystal clear heart. There are too many complicated emotions in the city, just like rivers, even the best water quality is inevitably mixed with sand and stones. In the border town, everything is simple. Love, or not love, can be explained in one sentence.
Just like the old man, he fell in love with Cui Cui, so he went directly to explain to his grandfather: "Uncle, your Cui Cui looks really good, like a Guanyin. Two years later, if I can stay in the teahouse and take care of things, I won't have to fly around all day like an old crow. I will definitely come to this stream to sing for Cui Cui every night. "
After all, the old man was too busy, so he chose the bus route, that is, he invited the matchmaker to Cui Cui's house to propose marriage. The result of proposing marriage is naturally failure, because Cui Cui doesn't like him. It only takes a paragraph in the book to illustrate this emotion: "Cui Cui understands that it is the elders who match!" I didn't look up, my heart was beating, my face was burning badly, I was still peeling peas for her, throwing empty pods into the water at random, and watching them flow leisurely in the running water made me feel much more relaxed. The word "Calm" quietly reveals Cui Cui's inner thoughts. Because I don't have that special feeling for my elders, I can face it calmly.
Parents are different. Cui Cui met him by chance. On the night of Dragon Boat Festival, Cui Cui waited for her grandfather to come, but she met her parents who came back from catching ducks. Several brief conversations left a deep impression on Cui Cui's mind. Every time I think of them, Cui Cui suddenly becomes silent. Such an emotion should be love.
Raul is brave, too. When he knows that his brother likes Cui Cui, he can still tell his brother directly. More importantly, he obviously knows Cui Cui's mind better than this elder, because he chose this road, which is to sing love songs for Cui Cui for three years and six months. Raul is always successful, and his singing makes Cui Cui feel sweet in his sleep. So, the same feeling obviously exists in the hearts of two people. Moreover, once it exists, it cannot be shaken.
This persistence is just like Cui Cui's parents.
At first, Cui Cui's mother fell in love with a soldier and had an affair in secret. Because of secular intolerance, the soldiers took poison and planned to meet their beloved woman after death. The woman stayed in the world for a while because of the baby in her womb. As soon as the baby was born, she followed her lover without hesitation. The feelings you want to defend with your life should be earth-shattering, but there are still not many pens in the book, or a few faint words, as if inadvertently said. But under the calm words, people should be able to feel the choppy emotions.
After the accident, my parents were filled with resentment towards my grandfather, but their love for Cui Cui was inseparable, so he still told others that he wanted a ferry instead of a mill. This complicated feeling made him stay away from his hometown. And Cui Cui, after her grandfather died, finally learned about her parents' thoughts from the nearby crowd, and also learned a lot of things that she never understood before. So I waited calmly day by day. I never made a promise, and I don't know when I will come back, but Cui Cui doesn't care. She is just waiting for someone who will come back tomorrow.
After reading the complicated plot in the emotional drama, Border Town is like a breeze blowing the restless hearts of urbanites. Simplicity never means boredom. On the contrary, simple words and simple plots contain strong emotions. The words in Border Town are as simple, simple and clear as the folk customs in Chadong Town. See greatness in the ordinary and show profundity in the trivial. This is the style of Border Town.
A short book review is far from writing the value of this book. Anyone who just wants to see this passage can open the book Border Town and taste those simple words with heart. If the mind can be slightly purified, the author is lucky and literature is lucky!