The Complete Works of Xu Zhimo's Classical Prose

Chapter 20
So his works are just his autobiography in disguise. In almost every one of his novels, we can see the incarnation of Dannon Xuewu, in the most prosperous and gorgeous environment, in the most roaring enthusiasm and In the richest words, he seeks the realization of his ideal life.The passion of love is always his profession, his science, and his universe; not only the love of the body, but also the love of the spirit discovered by the body, which is relatively superficial.What fascinates him the most, what he can't solve the most, what he considers the most miraculous, is a kind of love that we can tentatively call absolute, a super-physical and super-spiritual requirement, almost a metaphysical conception.We know that Dostoevsky once sought the absolute value from the psychology of criminals, and Dannon Xuewu sought absolute satisfaction from love.This may be the most mysterious and strongest desire lurking in the human soul, which cannot be discovered by ordinary psychological exploration; this is Basho's heart, which can only be revealed when the tightly wrapped outer skin is peeled off.Dannon Xuewu's work is the work of peeling plantains; he has found clues and methods from the direct experience of love, and he has set off the outline of the soul from the intense organ sensation.His method is completely subjective; his novels are only psychological descriptions: at most he arranges a considerable background on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea or in the river of Venice; he absolutely ignores plot and structure, and sometimes it is only fragmentary Facts have no end (such as Virgins of the Rock), so his specialty is not describing society, not describing characters, but describing the most changing and magical self, sometimes the closest friend, sometimes the most vicious enemy, our most It should be understood, but it is actually the most difficult to understand the ghost hidden deep in each of us; what he shows us is the end of carnality, the end of love, and almost the end of art itself.

All great writings contain something of a reactionary or protesting quality to his period.

Dannon Xuewu was also denounced by some people, saying that his works are immoral, obscene, and reward indulgence.But we should also know that the state of life in modern times is just unnatural, pretentious, and instinctive.Our author may have gone to that extreme. He not only seeks to realize life in art, but also seeks to make life artistic: "Always indulge in enthusiasm" is his motto.He said in his novel "Fervour", "Modern poets don't have to hate the vulgar masses, nor do they have to resent the constraints of the environment. We are born with power in our hands, and in this world, we can still realize our life. The beautiful story in the book. We should look into the vortex of life to reconnaissance intently, as Da Vinci taught his disciples to look at the spots on the wall, the ashes in the stove, the clouds in the sky, or the mire in the street. , "It is necessary to see novel structures and subtle meanings." He also said, "Poets are messengers of beauty, and they come to the world to exhibit divine objects that make people forget everything. "

But his ideal life is of course too extreme; his indulgence, if it is not filtered by poetic imagination, is easy to flow into the ugly beast way, and his aestheticism, if it is not based on noble thoughts, is easy to flow into it. Into petty pretense.As for the impossibility of his ideal love, his own novels are the proof. Dostoevsky's pursuit of absolute value resulted in only absolute nothingness, a miserable and terrible emptiness, which he described The result of her indulgence and love is only an unavoidable tragedy.Dannon Xuewu, like Wilde, emphasized the feeling of the body; his so-called soul is only the noumenon of feeling, and the most obvious condition for indulging in sensuality (this article uses sensuality in a broad sense) is to be dominated by the flesh; The more urgent the demands, the more intense the desires, the closer the limit that can be satisfied by human beings is approaching, and the more the realm that cannot be satisfied by human beings is revealed. The only cure or way out is the extinction of the life itself.In Triumph of Death, after a man and a woman are in love beyond a certain point, the man, who is an absolute seeker of love, discovers the ominous thought:

"That's why she's my enemy," he thought, "and the day she lives to charm me with all her magic powers I can't step through the threshold of what I've found, she's holding me back forever... I ideal The new world and the new life in the world are all in vain. Love will exist one day, the axis of the earth is always on a single person, and all life is only surrounded by a narrow circle. To stand up, you must If I want to fight out, I have to get out of love, and I have to save myself from the enemy's siege first."

He meditated on her death again. "After death, she can only be a dream material, until it becomes a pure ideal. She can rise from an incomplete existence to a complete eternal peaceful dwelling place. All the spots and desires of her flesh, I have been freed since then. Destruction is true possession, extinction is true immortality, and those who seek absoluteness in love have no other way to go."

"He also understands that it is unfair to hate her, and he knows that the iron arm of fortune is not only holding him, but also holding her. His troubles are not caused by others; they come from the essence of life When people in love encounter such difficulties, no one can complain about anyone else, they can only curse love itself. Love! The fibers of his life, like iron filings against a magnet, go straight to love, and no one can Cannot be restrained; love is the saddest and most unfortunate of all misfortunes on earth, but he may never escape this misfortune as long as he lives."

"The quality of love contained in each soul is limited, and love has a day of exhaustion. At that most tragic moment, there is no way to save love from death.

You have loved me for a long time now; nearly two years! "

原刊1925年5月11-13日《晨报副刊》，1925年5月15日《晨报副刊·文学旬刊》

Romain Rolland

Romain Rolland (Romain Rolland), the name of this beautiful music, what does it represent?Why is he worthy of international admiration, why is his birthday worthy of international celebration?What does his name evoke in the hearts of those of us who know him more or less?Is he worthy of our familiarity with his thoughts and admiration for his personality, and our more intimate admiration for him; those who have never been close to him, should quickly approach him from his works?

A great author, such as Romain Rolland or Tolstoy, is just like a big river. Its waves, its twists and turns, and its weather are different everywhere. We cannot draw a corner of it to represent its entire flow.We have the happiness of getting acquainted with them in books, just like the mud along the banks of the Nile or the Yangtze River, and we all share their moist blessings according to our share.Speaking of these two authors, Tolstoy and Romain Rolland: their source of inspiration is the same, their mission is the same, and they have a mutual spiritual understanding (see below), as if God never taught him the aura It has completely disappeared in the world, so in this universal world of chaos and darkness, there are often such great geniuses endowed with spiritual wisdom who point out the way among us and enlighten the light.But they also have their own differences; if we still extend the above metaphor, the predecessors of Tolstoy and Romain Rolland are more like the valley of the Nile River. The palace, the reflection of the triangular pyramid, the tall palm trees, the parade with tents occasionally, and there are always strange stars on the zenith; the descendants of Romain Rolland and Tolstoy, like the valley of the Yangtze River, are closer In the world, a river that is closer to humanity, its banks are green mulberry trees, rows of houses, fish and shrimps swimming in the waves, not crocodiles with teeth, and what can be heard on the shore are not mysterious The camel bell is the familiar sound of chickens and dogs.This may be due to the unique talents of the Slavic and Latin nations, which are more concentrated in these two masters, but their mission of nourishing this arid world is the same.

One afternoon 15 years ago, on a street in Paris, a car crossing the road was hit by a car and almost died.He is Romain Rolland.If he died that day, Paris would not have paid much attention to it. At most, there would be a small print in the local news column of the newspaper: "A car accident killed a walking man. His name was Romain Rolland, aged 45, and he studied music history at the university. Professor, once ran an unknown magazine called Cahiers de la Quinzaine."

But Roland is not dead, he cannot die; he still has to fulfill his assigned mission.In the year when the European War broke out, Roland's genius, which had been buried in nameless darkness for fifty years, suddenly gained universal recognition.Since then he has not only been the intellectual and spiritual leader of all Europe, but also a source of inspiration for the whole world.His voice is like the avalanche on the highest peak, echoing in the myriad ravines far and near.The five-year war destroyed countless lives and cultural achievements, but what cannot be destroyed are a few basic beliefs and ideals of mankind. On this invisible battlefield of spiritual values, Roland will always be an unstoppable hero.Facing Quan Ou who was struggling in the vortex of fierce fighting, Roland shouted that we are brothers and let go!Facing the cobweb-like and plague-like resentment, hatred, delusion, and madness, Roland concentrated his lonely rational and emotional power to fight.Facing the phenomenon of widespread destruction, Roland stretched out his single arm and began to organize the forces of humanity.Facing the intellectual class confused by shallow nationalism and vicious revenge instinct, he loudly awakened them to their responsibilities, asking them to restore their independence of thought and rescue the blind masses.

"Above the Battle Field" is not on the battlefield, but in the common sky of all nations, not in the territory of a country. We heard Roland's loud voice, that is, the voice of humanity, like a burst of light The rain is fighting fiercely with the flames that are killing each other on the ground.Roland's battle was fruitful. He united the hearts of freedom in the world and built a strong foundation for future peace.Here are his own words:

We have gained a costly benefit from the war, which has united for us the minds of the peoples who are unwilling to be dominated by prevailing racial malice.The lesson this time stimulated their energy and strengthened their will.Who said human fraternity is a hopeless ideal?I no longer doubt the future union of an all-European unity.We may soon achieve that spiritual unity.This war is only the baptism of its blood.

This is Roland, brave humane warrior!When the blades of his whole country were aimed at the Germans, he dared to say no, the real enemy is the hatred in your own hearts.

He imagined a more perfect spiritual unity of mankind when all Europe was broken into irremediable fragments.Friendship and sympathy, he believes, are always sharp weapons to defeat hatred and resentment; he never doubts that his ideal is the final victor.In front of him there were Tolstoy and Doshtoyevsky (although the form of thought was different), and at the same time there were Teguer and Gandhi (the form of their thought was also different), and their standpoint was in the mountains. On the top, their vision is the whole of history in time, and all human beings in space. Their voices are thunder in the sky, and their gifts are spiritual comfort.

We are all prisoners in the prison, held down by shackles and iron bars. It is rare for a ray of bright and warm sunshine to shine on our dark faces, and it is rare for the joyous sound of magpies passing by to soothe our drowsy minds. "Heavy turbidity", Roland began his "Bedduffy Biography":
The turbidity is the air around us.The world is stifled by a thick, filthy filth... A filthy substance weighs down on our hearts and heads, depriving all nations and individuals of the opportunity to work freely.We were all choked and breathless.Come, let us open the windows so that the free air of the sky may come in, that we may breathe the breath of the heroes of old.

Break down the prejudice of ego to understand the unity of spirit; break down the prejudice of national boundaries to understand the unity of humanity.This is the lesson of Roland and his fellow dreamers.Get rid of the shackles of resentment to realize the freedom of thought; resist the oppression of the times to restore the dignity of the soul.This is the lesson of Roland and his fellow thinkers.Life is originally born with suffering; our role as human beings is not to curse life because it gives us pain. We should learn, cultivate, and awaken in pain, and discover our inner treasures in pain. Understand the reality of life.Heroes, Roland admired the most humane heroes such as Michelangelo and Beduffin, were nothing but great bearers.Those immortal artists, who has not realized life, art, religion, and all the mysteries in pain?A sufferer himself, he extends his sympathy to all the sufferers in the world; for him suffering, this endurance, is a greatness, a greatness deeper than the greatness of the cause.What he is looking for is a sad and lonely soul on the ground. "Life is hard. Whoever is not willing to bear mediocrity, he is a constant struggle in his life. And this is often a painful struggle, without brilliance and happiness, struggling alone in loneliness and silence. Poverty weighs you down, and your family is tired. , meaningless, dreary work consumes your energies, without joy, without hope, without company, you have not even a chance in this dark way for your flesh and blood, which in misfortune stretches out your hand.” This concept of suffering is It is the starting point of Roland's life philosophy, on which he seeks to build a strong and humane dwelling.Therefore, in his famous biography, he vigorously described the suffering life of the sages, making us realize that at least in our suffering, we are not alone, and there are messages and clues of humanity hidden in our own suffering. "Unhappy friends, don't hurt yourself too much, for the greatest men have tasted your bitterness. We deserve to follow their efforts. If we feel weak, let us breathe by them They have consolation for us. From their spirits radiate energy and kindness. Even if we don't study their works, even if we don't hear their voices, just from the brilliance of their faces, just from the way they lived In fact, we should realize that life is at its greatest, most productive and even happiest when it is in pain."

We don't know what the new China imagined by Mr. Romain Rolland; we don't know why he made a special gesture to listen to the echo of his thoughts in New China.But as someone who can know New China as we know it, he must feel closer sympathy and a closer relationship with us, and he must be more eager to hold our hands because you know, and I know, what is The new China is just the newly discovered deep sorrow and pain deeply crouching in the bottom of life!This may be my personal interpretation of the new China; but if someone uses some popular slogans, such as "down with imperialism", or the phenomenon of division and suspicion, to report to Mr. Roland that this is the new China, I can no longer Anticipated his feelings.

I no longer have the time and status to describe Roland's life and writings; I can only give a hasty outline.He is a musical genius, and music was his life in his childhood.His mother taught him the piano, and his childlike innocence found indescribable happiness in the fluctuation of homophonic sounds.Morzard and Bedfaffin were the first heroes he discovered.So at a time when France was experiencing the highest surge of patriotism in the Prussian War, the young saint was savoring the highest art in the work of the "enemy."He wrote in his autobiography: "We have a lot of old German music books at home. Germany? I understand the meaning of that word? In our area, I believe that no German has ever seen it. I flipped through the pile of old books, Climb on the qin and spell out the notes one by one. These flowing musical sounds, harmonious trickles, irrigate my childlike innocence, and drown in it like rainwater flooding into the soil. The joy and pain of Mochad and Beidehuafen , the dream of desire, gradually became the flesh of my flesh, the bone of my bones. I am them, they are me. How can I live my life without them? When I was young and critically ill, Mocha A tune of Beidefaun looked at me close to my pillow like a lover. When I was growing up, whenever I was in doubt and depression, the music of Beidefafen sparked the spark of eternal life in my heart. Every time When I am tired, or have something unsatisfactory in my heart, I will go to my piano and wash away my troubles in the music."

To get to know Roland one should read not only his radiant biography, but also his ten-volume Jean Christophe, in which he describes his musical experience.

(End of this chapter)