The Complete Works of Xu Zhimo's Classical Prose

Chapter 40 Laughing at Life's Hibiscus Bird (12)
One morning, walking along a well-dressed company, I stumbled into a cathedral, where I lingered happily for an hour, listening to the eloquence of a great pastor.He spoke of genius, a subject which did not come from the book of appointment, and which had little connection with the rest of his speech; it was only an interjection, which seemed to me very interesting.He began by talking about the constraints we feel in our lives and our inner desires.It was a day when fate was not fulfilled, and it was only a mockery of the shortness of life. At this point, perhaps he thought about his own life. His words turned to the subject of genius; he said that a person has natural strangeness. Genius often finds that his life experience is more embarrassing than ordinary people; the reason is that his aspirations are higher than others, so the distance between the reality he finds and his ideals is quite widened.This is very obvious, and everyone knows it; but the metaphor he uses to explain this truth really comes from the poetic imagination.He compares the life of ordinary people to the life of a hibiscus bird in a cage.At this point, he suddenly calmed down his majestic lecturing expression, and from his deep and loud voice, if I can invent a word "small becomes", a thin, thin straw-like sharp tone, It was like the twitter of a little sparrow, coupled with the lively language, the quickness of the utterance, the adaptable and light posture and gestures, he fully described the lemon-colored little butler in the golden lacquer cage.Oh, he cried, how beautiful her life was, and how hurried, and how much she could manage!See how deftly she jumps from one bar to another, from bar to cage plate, and from cage plate to bar again!Look at how happily she comes here from time to time to peck at her mouthful of fine food, or she shakes her head happily and disperses the fine food in her mouth into a shower!Seeing her curious expression, turning her bright eyes to look here and there, she has to listen attentively to any new and small sound, and she can't see anything visible in front of her eyes. It's all about looking closely!She can't take a breather, sing when she doesn't bark, dance when she doesn't let go, drink when she doesn't eat, and trim her feathers when she turns her head. She has to do at least ten different activities every minute; No time to think about whether her world is wide or narrow, she never thinks about the wire that encloses her and separates her from the great world she came from, the wind-moving woods, the clear blue sky, the free and light life , no longer hers.

These words sounded very playful, but they were actually true, and everyone who heard them on the spot smiled.

But at this point, his quick gesture and gesture stopped, and he was silent for a while.A cloud hung over his old majestic countenance; he straightened up, swayed from side to side, straightened his black robe, and raised his arms as a great bird Her long-feathered arm was lowered again, and after three or two times, he spoke, his voice was deep and well-spoken, as if expressing anger and despair, "But have you ever seen a A big eagle in a cage?"

This is a wonderful contrast, he swayed again, raised the arms that had been lowered repeatedly, and at this time he imitated the drooping head of that strange vulture; standing in front of us stood us in the Ten Thousand Animals Garden. "Thunder's great bird" familiar to us; his deep-set, mournful eyes pierced our eyes; he flapped his dark feathers, and raised his thick wings as if to soar into the sky. But in an instant, he put it down again, and let out that long-drawn and harsh cry, as if venting his grief and anger at a brutal fate.He went on to describe to us the life of this bird of prey in desperate captivity; his solemn and majestic face, his deep voice, and the polyphonic words with deep meanings, all of them are just suitable for his subject matter, and his narrative Gave us a picture of brooding majesty that will never be forgotten, at least by an ornithologist (like me).

Needless to say, this passage of his really touched most of the people present. They looked inwardly at the depths of their nature and seemed to see a star, perhaps far more than a star. He was not recognized by the world; therefore, for a moment he seemed to be speaking to a large group of imprisoned eagles, who in their imagination were flicking their feathers, flapping their wings, and screaming in grief and indignation. voice, protesting their doom.

I am happy with this metaphor for another reason: because I am a researcher on the life of birds, and his two contrasting metaphors both lose freedom but have completely different meanings. Quite accurately, his sensual and powerful narrative is even more difficult.For it is an indubitable fact that other animals suffer more from the wanton abuse of men than convicts in prison; and though the hibiscus and the hawk are both creatures of the sky, they are equally endowed with infinite gifts. Vitality, but the results of their loss of natural life are quite different.As far as it lives naturally, the life of a small bird in a cage is less restrained than that of a big bird in a cage.Its small structure for perching and its habit of jumping indeterminately make it suitable for continuous activities. Therefore, its active life in the cage wire, except that it cannot fly high and far, is still with it. The state outside the cage is not far behind.And its quick, curious, impressionable nature is actually beneficial in making a living in the cage; the movement around it, whether it is a small sound or a visible object, is, for example, making It's a distraction.And its rich musical language is also an advantage of its cage life; birds with vocal organs are constantly practicing the talent of singing, which of course has something to do with their physique, which can make them forget the shackles of captivity, Keep them healthy and happy.

But the situation of the eagle is different, because of its special structure and huge stature.It is a true prisoner when it comes to the prison, and since then it has lived up to its natural talents and strong impulses, and has to sink in depression.You can fill its stomach with large pieces of meat and make it say "enough"; but how can its other organs and abilities be satisfied?Its every marrow, every muscle, every fiber, every feather, and every limb is a kind of energy, which can never be satisfied when you keep it in a cage, just like It's a perpetual hunger panic.Whether you tie its feet or put it in a big cage fifty feet wide, its suffering is the same. Only the boundless blue sky and thin air can provide it with unlimited energy and energy. The ability to develop freely, its happiness is to catch up with the majestic situation.This not only satisfies its genius of healthy feathers, but also requires a vast sky for its extraordinary power, so that it can display its miraculous ability to see things clearly from a long distance.At the same time, of course, they are as self-adapted to the changed environment as humans, otherwise they would never be able to survive in captivity, and what they would swallow would be rough cold meat, tasteless in the mouth, and useless in their stomachs.A man can live, and perhaps have quite a bit of fun, even if his limbs and hearing are useless; to me this is likened to a vulture in a cage, which has a confinement which prevents it from soaring high and looking into the distance. , can no longer tolerate the instinct of looting.

Smoking and Culture (Oxford)

一
Oxford is a university with an overwhelming reputation in the world.Oxford's secret is its tutorial system.The mentor's secret, according to Professor Rickak, is "to smoke at his apprentices."It's really hard to find a student who doesn't smoke in Oxford or Cambridge, let alone sir.Learn to smoke, learn to sit on the sofa in a weird way, learn to talk half-swallowed, and college education is enough. "Oxford people", "Cambridge people": Isn't it enough to fight?If I have the money to run a school, Likak said, the first thing I want to do is to build a smoking room, then build a dormitory, and then build a library; I really want to build a classroom when I have money but no localization .

two

No wonder some people say that British students would smoke and be lazy.The airs of a stinky gentleman!Smelly gentleman!No wonder we are so uncomfortable with the thorns on our vests these days. It turns out that there are also a few broken gentlemen named Tuba smoky smoked out among us!
Be careful with your words these days.It is a crime to mention Britain.Aristocratic!imperialism!running dog!Dig a hole and bury him!

In fact, things are not so simple.Aggression, oppression, the curse is one thing, other things don't follow.At least we have to admit that Britain, as far as it is concerned, is a sustainable country, and the British are a promising nation.Its is organized life, its is a living culture.We also have to admit that Oxford or Cambridge is at least a very enviable university, they are the womb of British cultural life.How many great statesmen, scholars, poets, artists, and scientists have been fumigated by the smoke from the products of these two schools.

three

Likak's words weren't exactly one-liners. "Smoking doctrine" is worth studying.But what exactly is a smoking room?How to extract the essence of culture from a pipe?How is targeting pupils smoking a British education secret?Mr. Lickak did not describe the truth of life at Oxford and Cambridge; he only said so, and he never said a single reason.Maybe someone would like to hear it, I thought.I also studied in England for two years, most of the time in Cambridge.But strictly speaking, I'm still not qualified.At the beginning, I didn’t pay a big gold pound to ask smoker formally like my friend Mr. Wen Yuanning: I was just, for example, a small, half-cooked sweet potato, which was far away from the burnt smell.But I really enjoyed my time in Cambridge, and I was afraid that I would never get such a sweet opportunity again in this life.I dare not say how much knowledge Cambridge has given me or what it has taught me.I dare not say that after being baptized by Cambridge, a person will change his breath and escape from the mortal body.What I dare to say is only personally speaking, that Cambridge taught me to open my eyes, my thirst for knowledge was stimulated by Cambridge, and my self-awareness was given to me by Cambridge.I had two full years in the US, and two full years in the UK.In the United States, I was busy attending classes, listening to lectures, writing test papers, eating elephant skin candies, watching movies, and swearing.In Cambridge, I was busy walking, rowing, riding a bicycle, smoking, chatting, eating five o'clock tea butter scones, and reading casual books.If I was an unambiguous idiot when I arrived in the United States, I was still the same when I left the God of Liberty; but if I didn’t understand it when I was in the United States, at least I understood that I was just a bellyful when I was in Cambridge. .This difference cannot be considered small.

I have long wanted to talk about Cambridge, for which I have infinite tenderness.But I was afraid of desecrating it, so I never said it.These days!As long as the aristocratic education has an unconscious slogan, it can wipe out the alma mater that Newton, Darwin, Milton, Byron, Wordsworth, Arnold, Newman, Rakshati, Glaston, etc. all came from.Besides, the transportation has been convenient in recent years, and all kinds of ever-changing educational principles and new education systems have flown from overseas in all directions to China. It can still accommodate the old academy with a 400-year-old kitchen covered with mustaches and other vines on the walls. Up to the pulpit?
four

But looking in another direction, we also saw a few insightful people who could no longer see the chaotic phenomenon of domestic higher education, and wanted to jump off the rotten path and go back to find a new path.Looking out, there are colleges surrounded by green vines on Oxford-Cambridge ready to invite you to smile; looking back, colleges like Bailu Cave are looking at you with melancholy in the sound of flying springs under Wulao Peak.This romantic homesickness is being vilified by modern education in the hearts of a few people day by day.This mechanical transactional education is boring enough, we say.We'll also have a few high-shack rooms full of ivy to rest our souls in, we say.We also want an environment of absolute leisure for the free development of our minds, we say.

Mr. Lin Yutang published an article in "Modern Review" about his ideal of education.Recently, Mr. Ren Shuyong and his wife, Ms. Chen Hengzhe also published their educational ideals.Mr. Lin roughly remembers that he wanted to imitate universities like Oxford, and Chen and Ren wanted to restore the spirit of the academy system.I think these two articles are very important, especially the specific proposals of Chen and Ren, but because it is obviously inappropriate to go back and forth, their ideas have not received the expected response.Thinking about it, the scholars nowadays are too busy, looking for food, being an official, or being a revolutionary leader. ) or character education.This is a regrettable phenomenon.

I myself am one of those who feel this romantic homesickness;

"The grass is green and the people are far away,
First-class cold stream..."

But will the realm of our desire allow us to reach it one day?

January 15, [-]
Originally published in "Morning Supplement" on January 1926, 1, included in "The Scale and Claw of Paris"

Keeping the old and "playing" the old
一
There are two ways to walk: one is to follow the person in front of you, trusting that he knows the way; the other is to walk your own way, trusting that you have the ability to know the way.A prudent man is often too distrustful of himself; a bold man is often too trusting of himself.For convenience, we may call the first approach the classical school or the old school; the second the romantic school or the new school.We can see such a difference in literature, in art, in general thinking, and in general human attitudes.In my opinion, there is nothing good or bad about these two methods, it is just a difference in innate temperament or acquired taste.You may praise him for his courage in finding his own way, but at the same time someone will call him arrogant; you may call the person behind him shabby, but at the same time someone will praise him for his stability.There is only one thing that should be paid attention to: only the word "belief" is indispensable. The classical school or the old school must believe that the person who leads him is right; the romantic school or the new school must believe that he is right. That’s right, without the original belief in this idea, no matter if you go with others or lead yourself, the chances of getting out of the truth are not much, because you may let the doubt in your heart interrupt the fun at any time; and Even if you walk, it is not unusual, because it is a coincidence, similar to the one who hit the white pigeon ticket.

two

Those who adhere to the big pillars of ancient times in thought are called the old school.The gesture itself is not so ridiculous, but we hope that he himself is sure that the pillars will not fall.And we might as well further assume that there are indeed a few reliable pillars handed down from the previous generation. You can call it Gang, Call it Chang, Li or Jiao, whatever you like, but at the same time, because in fact, there are true and false , Between the few really reliable pillars, there are twice as many illusionary pillars, unrooted, unreliable, and fake.If you hold the wrong pillars and take the false ones as real ones, you will end up with the fate of the stupid dog in Aesop’s fables: it took the shadow of fleshy bones in the water as real, and almost flooded it Its life.But even the dog, stupid and ridiculous as he was, at least had his honesty: he really believed that the shadow of the bone in the river was a real bone.If, for example, Aesop's dog has been educated in modern civilization, that is to say, he has learned to deceive people. He knows that the bones in the water are not real bones, but he pretends to be serious and generous, signaling to stand with him. The dog friends on the bridge, they happen to be uneducated so they are easy to be fooled, tell them to jump into the water to eat meat and bones Shadow, but he stands by himself watching the funny show, and we are very fond of it at that time Can the action be applauded, and can the attitude and intention towards it be tolerated?
three

Fables are for people with imagination and natural humor, and the metaphors in them are "innocuous"; in fables and fairy tales, we might as well add that in fact there are many animals that are better than ordinary people than we are. For a moment, I can't forget that man is the center of the universe and the standard of everything. It is more moral, more honest, more loyal, more interesting, and more human-like!

four

Now that we have finished talking about principles and using metaphors, we now need to apply them.Before applying it, I have to introduce the reason why I said this. "Gu Tong" has the following sections in his "Zai Shu Jie Yi" and "Jia Yin" Weekly No. 17

...Where a society can maintain order, each raises children and grandchildren, each has different interests, and they are more than capable, the virtuous and the unworthy are confused, but there is no big difference, and the evolution is graceful, that is, to prosper, travel together, and not be divided by the world, there must be The common belief is the foundation, the foundation is established and the construction is prosperous, so it is related to diet, men and women, education, and things. Although the paths are very different, they must be attributed to one.Those who believe hereby,,,,,. ... (The circle is the original and I want to add it. Mo.)
... This is a great worry of the world, but it is difficult for those who know Huairen to turn a blind eye.To put it in a nutshell, like Christianity, its inadequacies can hardly be said; however, the world is so big that there are generally few wise men and many middle-class talents. The heart of reverence, taken from the narration of Yi Lun, is a must for those who are worried about the world. Therefore, the sages have to do it when the Shinto teachings are established.

... After this time, it is inevitable for the situation to return to simplicity for a little bit;Husband and our country are also suffering from the decline of social common beliefs. The old ones are destroyed and the new ones have not been born. This fear.Talking about people's selfishness, it is interesting to express the original meaning, and it is ignorant to ridicule, so I dare not resign.

五

(End of this chapter)