by Tam King-fai
PM _QVLº13 is only possible for immortals. To travel in this mortal
world, the criterion should be that one can touch the ground with
one’s feet. We like the sight of white clouds, but that does not mean
we’d like to weave our way in and out of them. We like to see those
PQTT[ PI I[ WVM XWMQK TQVM PI[ Q TWWS ¹TQSM I ZIVOM NZWU PM NZWV
but a peak from the side, tall from afar and short when one is near
12
Huagan, a kind of sedan chair found in Sichuan, usually with no cover; jiazi che, a kind of push cart.
13
See Zhuangzi¹@QIWaIWaW]º.ZMMIVL-I[a?IVLMZQVO
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188
A Garden of One’s Own
PMUº14 but that does not mean we have to shrink the whole world
into a miniature rock for us to toy with. I regret never having rode on
PM ¹_IOWV[ _QP [IQT[º PI IKKWZLQVO W 5QTWV KW]TL JM NW]VL QV
China.15 No, there is nothing wrong with the primitiveness of one’s means
WN ZIV[XWZIQWV
and in dealing with drivers and boatmen. It goes without saying that one
should watch over one’s belongings, but one must be careful of bandits on
PM_IaI[_MTT?PMV4Q]4QVOM`PWZMLWPMZ[W¹J]ZaUM_PMZM1NITT
LMILºPMLQLVWUMIVPIPM_I[ZMILaWNIKMIV]VVI]ZITLMIP
Although travel is beset with worries, there is nevertheless a lot
of joy in it. Traveling is a kind of escape from the ugliness of human
KWUXIVa1Q[[IQLPI¹PMOZMIM[ZMKT][MPQLM[PQU[MTN QVPM[MIWN
P]UIVQaº ;QVKM _M IZM Ja VW UMIV[ OZMI ZMKT][M[ _M KW]TL PIZLTa
[]Z^Q^MQVPI[MI6WWVTaPI"?MIT[WÅVLQTM[[PIVMI[aM^MVW
PQLM QV W]Z W_V PWUM[ +WVÅVML W I KW]ZaIZL PW][M PM _PWTM aMIZ
round, one hardly needs to look up to the roof to sigh;16 forced to look at
the same face at home for twelve months of the year, one does not need
to put on a grass cloak intended for cattle in order to shed tears.17 What
you can see of the sky at home is but a small corner of it, and the cool
_QVLIVLJZQOPUWWVLM[KZQJMLI[¹QVM`PI][QJTMºJaPM;WVOXWM;]
Shi are not to be had there.18
roof and hold it up with a bamboo pole. To watch the sun rise or the
UWWV[MaW]PI^MWÅVLIXTIKMVWJTWKSMLJaaW]ZVMQOPJWZ[?PMV
you walk on the street, the people you see amid the hustle and bustle
around you are either beasts in disguise or pathetic vermin. Given all of
this, even if we lack the courage to let loose our hair and retire to the
mountains, why shouldn’t we at least pack up our toothbrushes and roll
up our bedding for a few days of travel? Once on the road, there will be
no escaping the pelting wind and rain, which then will so tire us out that
14
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Xilin Temple).
15
Paradise Lost, IV, p. 439.
16
Han Lang, as recorded in the Hanshu ( The History of Han), remained quiet about his troubles, but often raised his head to the roof and sighed.
17
In his impoverished days, Wang Zhang of the Han dynasty was once reduced
to wrapping himself in a grass cloak meant to protect cattle from the rain.
Thinking that he was about to die in this sorry state, he said good-bye to his
wife in tears. See Hanshu¹?IVOBPIVObP]IVº*QWOZIXPaWN ?IVOBPIVO
18
;MM;];PQ¹+PQ*QN]º
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Liang Shiqiu
189
_M _QTT ZM]ZV PI^QVO ZMITQbML PM Z]P WN PM [IaQVO ¹WVM KIV [Ia
at home in comfort for a thousand days, but leaving home for a short
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intolerable home, and once it becomes intolerable again, we can then
ISMIVWPMZZQX)NMZMVL]ZQVOPQ[KaKTMINM_QUM[_M_QTTÅVLW]Z
lives almost over.
There is no escaping the feeling of loneliness on a trip, but
TWVMTQVM[[ IT[W PI[ I KMZIQV KPIZU ?QTTQIU 0IbTQ\ []OOM[[ QV ¹7V
/WQVO I 2W]ZVMaº PI WVM [PW]TL VW ZI^MT _QP I KWUXIVQWV" ¹1N
aW] ZMUIZS PM [KMV WN I JMIVÅMTL KZW[[QVO PM ZWIL XMZPIX[ aW]Z
fellow-traveller has no smell. If you point to a distant object, perhaps
PM Q[ [PWZ[QOPML IVL PI[ W ISM W] PQ[ OTI[[ W TWWS I Qº )V
incompatible traveling companion is, of course, a nuisance, but human
beings are indeed strange animals. When there are too many of them,
we frown at all of their bustling about, but when there is no one around,
we feel bored. One tends to shrink from senseless jabbering, but one
also wonders whether clamping one’s mouth shut the whole time will
not give one bad breath. On the road or in moments of silence, then,
one somehow wishes to have someone for company. Only the spirits and
animals can endure solitude, yet in our society, most of the people we
meet are detestable in appearance and insipid in speech, and we do our
best to avoid them. Out in the world of nature, on the other hand, one
somehow feels that relationships between humans should be intimate.
Some people who have traveled to the Rockies in the United States
once told me that when they ran into other travelers in the mountains,
everyone, regardless of age or sex, took off their hats as a rule to greet
one other and exchange a few words. This is an interesting custom. It
seems we only discover we are of the same species in the wilderness,
for during ordinary times, we pay too much attention to the differences
between us.
)V QLMIT ZI^MTQVO KWUXIVQWV Q[ PIZL W ÅVL IVL I OWWL NZQMVL QV
the living room is not necessarily a good partner on the road. An ideal
traveling companion should possess many qualities. For one thing, he
[PW]TL VW JM WW LQZa TQSM 2Q ;P]aM _PW WNMV ¹TMN PQ[ PIQZ IVL NIKM
]V_I[PML ÅNMMV LIa[ QV I UWVPº IVL ¹_W]TL VW ISM I JIP ]VTM[[
PM KW]TL VW TWVOMZ [IVL PM QKPº 6WZ [PW]TL PM JM [W WJ[M[[ML _QP
cleanliness as to clean everything with alcohol. He should not be as
_WWLMV I[ I [I]M WZ I[ ]VZM[XWV[Q^M I[ I LMIL Å[P PI KIVVW WXMV
its mouth. He should not jabber all day long, or snore throughout the
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190
A Garden of One’s Own
night; but neither should he appear unctuous or clumsy. He should be
able to engage in conversation or laughter, and be alternately active and
quiet. When he is quiet, he should sit by you wordlessly to watch the
clouds and listen to the evening rain. But when he is active, he should
ÆWX TQSM I Å[P WV PM OZI[[ 6W_ MTT UM _PMZM Q[ WVM W ÅVL []KP I
traveling companion?
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qr
Zhu Xiang
Like Liang Yuchun and a few other essayists featured in this anthology,
Zh
u Xiang (1904–1933) led a short but remarkable life. Also like Liang,
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Q ÅZ[ QV +PQVI IVL PMV QV PM =; 0M Q[ JM\MZ SVW_V I[ I XWM
having made his fame as a writer when he was still a student at Tsinghua
University.
After he returned to China from the US, Zhu taught English literature
at a number of universities. He was soon ostracized by people who
found him aloof and conceited. In the end, driven by poverty, he
jumped overboard from a ferry and drowned himself.
BP]¼[XWMQKITMVQ[M^QLMVQV¹*WWS[º?PQTMPMNWZUIQ[XZW[MPM
care with which the images are developed, especially in the beginning
few paragraphs, reminds one of poetry.
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192
A Garden of One’s Own
Books (1934)
Pick up a book. Don’t be in such a hurry to study its contents: Its
appearance alone will offer much to admire.
The part of a book most soothing to the eyes is the yellow paper
UILM NZWU JIUJWW X]TX
we contemplate how this book must have escaped the depredations of
time. The fact that it has survived these trials and come to meet with us
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ZMÆMKQWVIVLI_MY]QMIXIZNZWUPMZ]PIVLJMI]aWVMUQOPÅVL
in its pages.
There are, moreover, those beautiful characters. The construction
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_QVLºQ[UILM]XWN PZMMLWO[IVL_QVL")UQL[\PM_QPMZMLOZI[[QV
the open autumn wilderness, when the sky above is blue and the ground
JMTW_ ZMLLQ[PJZW_V P]VQVO LWO[ LI[P Ja TQSM PM _QVL [VQNÅVO IVL
following the scent of blood left behind by the injured animal. They
listen to the rustling of the grass, and run like a gust of autumn wind.
the sun has set and it is no longer possible to see a person standing
right in front of you, a throng of people comes riding on horseback.
Grasping burning torches, they approach a house stealthily. They arrive
at the bamboo fence and wooden gate; before the people inside have a
chance to close the door, they barge in amidst the barking of dogs. On
the threshing ground, the groom snatches up the bride, who lets out a
scream of surprise. He turns back, while his companions ward off the
bride’s father and brothers. In marriage as much as in trade, there’s no
conclusion without contention.
There are many fonts in printing. The Song font is as upright as the
calligraphy of Liu Gongquan, the Masha script is as nimble as that of
Ouyang Xun, the calligraphy script is as elegant as Chu Suiliang’s, and
the standard script is as stately as that of Yan Zhenqing.1 The standard
script, which is the most common, can be further divided into several
types: The most popular type is square in shape; another type is long,
VIZZW_ IVL IVO]TIZ# aM IVWPMZ [PWZ IVL ÆI IXXMIZQVO [W N]TT I[ W
invoke antiquity in one’s mind. Of course, books can be handwritten
1
Liu Gongquan (778–865), Ouyang Xun (557–641), Chu Suiliang (596–659),
Yan Zhenqing (709–785). The Masha script was traditionally used in books
printed in Jianyang county in Fujian province.
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Zhu Xiang
193
too, and some of these use the standard font exclusively, while others
use it only in part. They not only give the reader a sense of intimacy,
ancient handwritten editions can sometimes even correct mistakes in our
present-day printed copies and help us trace the evolution of a Chinese
character.
If you have an ancient edition lying in front of you, you will see
many red-colored seals at the front of the book. Some of these seals
indicate a polite sobriquet, while others give you the formal name of
the owner. From these names, you may discover that the previous owner
of the book was a celebrity whose name was known far and wide. You
can then allow your imagination to run free in this vermillion world,
constructing castles in the air. You can also see the red circles used
W X]VK]IM PM M` ;WUM _MZM LI[PML WNN _QP I ÆW]ZQ[P _PQTM
others were written with care and solemnity. You can deduce from
their appearance and position in the book whether the previous reader
_I[ aW]VO WZ WTL _PMPMZ PM _I[ I OMVQ][ _QP QZZMXZM[[QJTM ÆIQZ WZ I
scholar of decorum and composure. You can even speculate on his fate,
and on how his book came to circulate in the world. Did his unworthy
descendants dispose of the book? Did his disloyal servants raid his
collection during wartime? Did a twist of fate cause a decline in the
family’s fortunes, such that he had to sell the book himself in order to
pay off loans and support his family? If this is what befell him, then what
about me—the present owner of the book? When he sat down facing his
carved inkstone, a faint scent of incense in the air, and picked up his new
brush to punctuate his favorite book, thoughts about the future of this
book or his own fate could not have crossed his mind. In just the same
way, as I read this book now, I cannot tell what my own fate will be.
Let us take this even further and try to imagine the fate of the
writer. His sadness and disappointment merge naturally from the lines
on the page, and as we read, we are prompted to cry and sigh with him.
If, disaster of all disasters, his book should fall into the hands of a Qin
Shi Huang or Dong Zhuo,2 then this product of his blood and sweat
would be burned to ashes. Or, like Jin Ping Mei, Hong Lou Meng, or Shuihu Zhuan,3 it might court the displeasure of prudish people with shallow 2
Qin Shi Huang (259–210 BC) and Dong Zhuo (?–192 AD) were both
capricious rulers who wielded dictatorial power.
3
All have been considered licentious books and were proscribed at various times
throughout Chinese history.
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194
A Garden of One’s Own
views and be banned. What a pity that would be!
Life is full of disappointments. For the moment, let us put aside
other things and focus on books. Nothing in the world can be as
harmless as a book, but even then, there are times when it has to submit
to the fate of its own destruction. It is self-evident that beautiful women,
I[NZIOQTMI[OTI[[WZÅVM[KPWTIZ[I[W][IVLQVOI[_PQMKZIVM[[PW]TL
arouse jealousy in others. Think of scholars whose ambitions are yet to
be realized. When they are not appreciated, some work as woodcutters
and some as cowherds. Not only are they regarded no differently
from the most mediocre people, they also have to suffer contempt and
insults from their kin or masters. Nonetheless, they are born with an
> indomitable character, and the more the world treats them with disdain,
the more self-respecting they become. Some, as woodcutters, carry
ÅZM_WWLWVPMQZJIKS[[WPMQZPIVL[_QTTJMNZMMWPWTLIJWWS;WUM
as cowherds, ride on the back of a water buffalo, and prop up their
books on its horns. Some read in the summer night when mosquitoes
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I U][TQV JIO 7V _QVMZ VQOP[ [W KWTL PI ÅVOMZ[ NZMMbM QV PM _QVL
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wait, and by the time they have become learned, their eyesight has gone
dim and their hair has become white. Their knowledge has only added
another long, deep wrinkle to their foreheads.
Well! While our eyes are still bright and our hair has not yet turned
WNZW[TM][ZMILUWZMWN PQ[JWWSWN ¹TQNMº
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qr
Ba Jin
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twentieth century. During his long life, Ba Jin was tireless in promoting
the course of modern Chinese literature. Many of his works remain
classics, including Family, probably the most well known of his novels.
Family represents the strongest indictment of the traditional Chinese
family structure and inspired many acts of family rebellion among its
readers. At the late age of seventy-four, Ba Jin began a series of essays
known Random Thoughts with pointed references to the social and political reality of China at the time, an act of courage for which he was highly
respected.
Ba Jin was born to a gentry family in Sichuan, and was educated in
Chengdu and Shanghai. Between 1927 and 1929, he studied in France,
where he was exposed to various schools of Western thinking popular
at the time, most notably anarchism. After his return to China, he
maintained a close relationship with the Communist Party, even though
he considered himself to be politically independent.
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Japanese aggression against China. Yet, the language is far from
incendiary. Rather, one detects a note of irony in his description of
the lonely maiden whose life was terminated by the bombing while the
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