Chapter 47 1991 "I and the Temple of Earth"

Genre: Prose Author: Shi Tiesheng First publication: "Shanghai Literature" Date of publication: Issue 1, 1991 As a piece of prose, there is no parallel in what has been achieved and the heights it has reached.Although it is only a single essay, although people will no longer expect Shi Tiesheng or other writers to write the same work, but as Han Shaogong asserted: "The publication of this article has a great impact on the literary world of that year (1991). He said that even if there were no other works, the literary world of that year was also a good year." In fact, not only that year, but also an important harvest for the entire Chinese contemporary literature, and its influence was not limited to the "literary world". Readers of all walks of life have aroused strong and lasting shock, aftertaste and thinking.

For Shi Tiesheng, all critics and readers can basically reach a consensus: he is a writer who is difficult to classify and determine his position in the contemporary literary world, but is extremely important.This is not only because of Shi Tiesheng's personal situation that makes his trekking figure on the road of literary writing appear unique and thin, but also because his writing has not been in the trend for thirty years from beginning to end. In 1983, "My Distant Qingping Bay" won the "National Excellent Short Story Award" that year. This work, which made him famous in the literary world, was once included in the scope of "Educated Youth Literature" according to the commentary practice at the time. He also identified Shi Tiesheng's works as "full of deep affection for our land and people" (Feng Mu "May Shi Tiesheng go forward with strides", "Literary News" No. 6, 1983).But people soon discovered that Shi Tiesheng did not take a step forward in the direction Feng Mu said, on the contrary, he immediately distanced himself from the "era" with (1985) as a symbol.Looking back at Feng Mu's statement, it is obvious that there is a kind of well-intentioned protection for Shi Tiesheng - after all, Shi Tiesheng has been criticized for his so-called "negative and dark" style before.It can be clearly seen today that "My Distant Qingping Bay" is not so much an "affectionate" review of "educated youth life", but rather that Shi Tiesheng did it to himself after he acquired a more restrained and peaceful worldview A spiritual refreshment.

Therefore, when it was published in 1991, the entire literary world welcomed the name Shi Tiesheng and his literary writing to an unprecedented level.Maybe it’s a bit exaggerated to say so, but when it appeared, people only had joy and no surprise or surprise. It was more like the end of a long torment and finally the result they wanted—it seemed that only Shi Tiesheng could write it. Such perfect writing. People have indeed waited too long.Chinese contemporary prose has long formed its high-profile, pretentious and stereotyped disadvantages. At least in the thirty or forty years before its appearance, prose was burdened by "the times", political ideology, and concept philosophy. Even tired of "carefully conceived", it almost reached the point of desperation.Yang Shuo's prose, which was once considered the highest achievement of contemporary prose, but was later depreciated, has a far-reaching impact of modeling that cannot be underestimated.For quite a long time, the writing and reading of contemporary prose have been dominated by the above-mentioned stereotypes, even entering the so-called "new era" of the 1980s, this problem still exists. "The prose style mode formed in the 1960s has mainly become an obstacle to the development of prose in the 'new era'. This writing mode usually manifests itself as 'seeing the big from the small' and 'speaking the aspirations through things' with the goal of expressing the 'spirit of the times'." ', deliberately pursuing the 'poetic' of prose and the creation of 'artistic conception'" (Hong Zicheng's "History of Contemporary Chinese Literature", revised edition, Peking University Press, 2007).It should be said that in the 1990s, theoretically, the introspection and criticism of prose as a stereotyped malpractice was quite clear and in-depth. However, it was only after its appearance that the practice of prose writing completely shattered the nightmare-like stereotyped rule. And it hints the ideological and artistic height that prose writing can achieve.

Concentrating on thinking and expressing the difficulty and meaning of "life", this is the result of Shi Tiesheng's repeated thinking, chewing and questioning of life in the long and difficult years.Such a direction of thinking on a theme may not be an unprecedented creation for contemporary prose, and previous prose writing generally touches on this kind of theme.But to be able to narrate in a plain, calm, warm and thorough manner, ascending to the heavens and into the earth, meticulous, considerate, without any pretentiousness, and reaching a state that is understandable by ordinary people but difficult to achieve, but Only Shi Tiesheng did it.This ten-thousand-word work can be regarded as Shi Tiesheng's unique contribution to contemporary Chinese literature, whether in terms of expressing the theme, or in terms of writing and language. scope.

A person and a location, an absolute obstacle and a way to overcome it, a limited and lonely individual and a vast and unfathomable world, are thus described in the deep affection of "I and the Altar of Earth": The Temple of Earth is very close to my house.In other words, my home is very close to the Temple of Earth.In short, I had to think it was fate.The Temple of Earth was located there more than 400 years before I was born, and since my grandmother brought my father to Beijing when she was young, she has been living not far from it—moving several times in more than 50 years Home, but it is always around it when we move around, and the closer we move, the closer we get to it.I often feel that there is a taste of fate in this: it seems that this ancient garden is waiting for me, and has been waiting there for more than 400 years through vicissitudes.

It waited for me to be born, and then waited for me to live to the most arrogant age and suddenly cripple my legs.For more than 400 years, it has eroded the exaggerated glass on the eaves of the ancient temple, faded the flamboyant vermilion on the door wall, collapsed sections of high walls and scattered jade railings, and the old cypress trees around the altar have become more and more pale. It is secluded, and the weeds and vines everywhere are luxuriant and open.It must be time for me to come.One afternoon fifteen years ago, I rolled my wheelchair into the garden, which had prepared everything for a lost soul.

Shi Tiesheng went to Yan'an, Shaanxi Province as an educated youth to "jump the queue" in 1969, and returned to Beijing in 1972 due to illness and paralysis.When people are moved by the beauty of transparency, harmony and transcendence, few people realize that it has been nearly twenty years since he wrote and published this starting point of life's arduous journey again.No one can imagine or feel his hardships--bodily handicaps and spiritual despairs that tried to crush him in the name of nature.But Shi Tiesheng has gone through this "twenty years", and then he said "four hundred years" with a kind of moving calm: it seems that this ancient garden is waiting for me, and has been waiting there for more than four hundred years through vicissitudes .

Please pay attention to the full title expression Shi Tiesheng used: "One afternoon fifteen years ago, I rolled my wheelchair into the garden, which prepared everything for a man who lost his soul." If another person spoke like this, it would be very difficult. It's hard to guarantee that it won't be considered sensational, but everyone will believe that Shi Tiesheng has enough reasons to say so.People can't help but ask: what did the Earth Altar prepare for him?The conclusion is actually very simple: the answer to "life and death" is ready for him. Does humanity need this answer?In different people, the conclusion of this question may be completely different.Lao She once used a character in "This Life of Me" to lament that the Chinese people live a life of injustice, they come and go in a daze.It can be seen that many people do not need to know the answer to "life and death".Objectively speaking, Shi Tiesheng before 1969 may not have needed it, otherwise he would not have been deeply moved by that "most arrogant age".But from 1972 onwards, Shi Tiesheng was forced to face this problem.That is to say, from here, Shi Tiesheng shouldered the burden of "life and death" for all of us foolish people who thought they didn't need it:

After thinking like this for several years, things finally became clear: when a person is born, this is no longer a question that can be debated, but just a fact that God gave him; when God gave us this fact, , has already guaranteed its result by the way, so death is something that does not need to be rushed, and death is a festival that will inevitably come.After thinking about it this way, I feel more at ease, and everything in front of me is no longer so scary.For example, when you get up early and stay up late preparing for an exam, and suddenly it occurs to you that a long vacation is waiting for you, don’t you feel a little more relaxed?And rejoice and appreciate such an arrangement?

Everyone's different situation makes the world very different, but in front of Shi Tiesheng's answer, the world shows its equal side.This will encourage human beings to stop abusing their "arrogant age" or to abuse their "arrogant age" as little as possible; although this answer does not necessarily guarantee that there will no longer be "destroyed people" in the world, it is what Shi Tiesheng obtained through his long suffering. Realized there, these "destroyed" people will find peace and comfort for life. "Tranquility is a very high standard of quality. A person who has truly attained tranquility is not only numb and rigid, but extremely sensitive, gentle, rich and tenacious. He may feel sad for the withering grass or falling leaves, He may also be worried about a mentally handicapped little girl who has never met. He has thought about how to live and how to die. When it comes to life, he has so many troubles and joys. At that time, he talked about everything in detail, from mentality, method to packing and cemetery, and talked and laughed... From Shi Tiesheng's words, we can see the ups and downs of a person's heart that never stops, and at the same time, the ups and downs of this person's heart Tranquility is interpreted in it." (Jiang Zidan, "The Tranquil Shi Tiesheng", "Southern Weekend", November 25, 2000)

The portrayal of the mother and the love for her are the most touching parts.These words, which are as calm as water and cannot be reproduced, contain abundant and noble emotions that are full of wind and thunder.Maternal love is the most shining theme in literary descriptions. The genre of prose is free and lively, and it is especially able to be tactfully and casually retracted.Zhang Jie's "The Man Who Loved Me the Most Has Gone" has touched countless readers.And when describing the details of "I" and my mother, he stayed away from all the intense expressions such as enthusiasm, crying, mourning, catharsis, etc., and did not do the most common naked lyricism-although he did so very well. It may also be understood and accepted by readers.Shi Tiesheng suspends and hides all the great meanings of the beloved in the world, and only uses a restrained tone that is almost depressing, telling the seemingly ordinary things about his mother and the irreparable loss and pain caused by his mother's untimely death. It hurts.The reason why Shi Tiesheng handled it this way was because he had no choice but to do so, because this strong and great maternal love is as thorough, flexible and open-minded as the previous answer to "life and death", and absolutely does not allow the slightest publicity and exaggeration: I think I must have prepared my mother for the worst, but she never said to me: 'You think about me'.In fact, I really didn't think about her.At that time, her son was still too young to think about his mother. He was stunned by fate and thought that he was the unluckiest one in the world. He didn't know that the son's misfortune would always be doubled by his mother. Shi Tiesheng borne the heavy answer of "life and death" for us healthy people with his own suffering, and his mother, with redoubled silent pain, carried and pushed Shi Tiesheng closer to the answer. In the third subsection of that dazzling and strong artistic texture, Shi Tiesheng inserted a seemingly abrupt reincarnation of the four seasons, amazing the aptness and sophistication between the metaphor and the metaphor.But this paragraph is not an isolated show of talent. Its meaning always revolves around the natural way of life, not living for Yao, not dying for Jie, and thinking about "life and death". The demise of one life will herald another. The birth of a life: I was a child when I came, and he had so many childish thoughts, which is why he cried and clamored to come. As soon as he came and saw this world, he immediately became a desperate lover, and for a lover, no matter what Such a long time is also fleeting. At that time, he understood that every step, every step, is actually on the way back.When the morning glories first bloom, the funeral horns are sounded. But the sun, he is both the setting sun and the rising sun every moment.When he walked down the mountain to collect the desolate afterglow, it was the time when he climbed up the mountain burning on the other side to spread the blazing glow.On that day, I too will walk down the mountain in silence, leaning on my crutches.One day, in a certain valley, a romping child is bound to run up, holding his toy. Of course, that's not me. But isn't that me? The universe, with its unceasing desire, refines a song and dance into eternity.What kind of human name this desire has is negligible. It is rare to read this kind of text without being shocked.Here, Shi Tiesheng finally revealed his answer to "life and death": the greatness of life lies in its endless cycle, and the rising sun and setting sun no longer have the hierarchical meaning forced by human beings, rather than saying that they are equal life, rather life has equalized it.This is Shi Tiesheng's ultimate understanding of the great love of life. His artistic appeal comes from many aspects.Although Shi Tiesheng insisted that it was an essay, in terms of writing technique, he did not strictly abide by the dogma of the genre.According to Wang Anyi’s recollection, when the manuscript was received, “the editor and editor-in-chief of “Shanghai Literature” thought it was a good novel and could be published as a novel, but Shi Tiesheng himself was unwilling, saying that it must be prose, and He said why should prose be underestimated? This is prose, so it was published as prose later. I also agree with him, I think it is a good prose." University Press, 1997 edition) In this "genre dispute", Shi Tiesheng insisted on emphasizing that the genre should not be divided between novels and prose. Prose is not necessarily inferior to novels.However, why "both the editor and chief editor of "Shanghai Literature" think it is a good novel and can be published as a novel"?Could it be that the editor and editor-in-chief of "Shanghai Literature" are so confused that they can't tell the difference between novels and prose?Moreover, when Han Shaogong first wrote "Theory of Harvest Years", he also evaluated it in the novels of that year.It can be seen that this "dispute" is intriguing. The obvious reason for this "genre dispute" is that the narrative technique, person switching, and characterization of characters all have a novel flavor.In addition to the vivid portrayal of the image of the mother, like the couple who have been coming to the altar for fifteen years, like the beautiful little girl and her brother, like the amateur singer, etc., with a few strokes Both lifelike and lifelike, this technique of writing characters fully benefits from Shi Tiesheng's training as a novelist.Wang Binbin once wrote a special article on this and pointed out: Although Shi Tiesheng does not agree to regard it as a novel, the reason why it is particularly touching and successful as a "prose" has something to do with the author Shi Tiesheng being a "novelist": unconsciously using some "novel techniques" Yu's writing is one of the reasons why it is particularly touching and successful. ("Suspect of Fiction", "Fiction Review" Issue 4, 2003) Shi Tiesheng's literary writing, since "My Distant Qingping Bay", has distanced himself from such grand things as society, history, and times.He is devoted to the excavation of the inner world of human beings, and to the exploration of the vast and ordinary avenue of natural life.For this he paid a superhuman price.On the one hand, he has to bear the double pressure from inside and outside of literary writing, and he is always worried about the depletion of creative resources. What?" On the other hand, the question of whether to live to write or to write to live always pops up to mess with him from time to time.He overcame these obstacles with his own strength and extraordinary courage beyond ordinary people, fought desperately against fate, and continued to dedicate his spiritual awareness to those lonely people who were tortured by fate.In this sense, Shi Tiesheng can be called a contemporary cultural hero. (written by Chen Fumin) Shi Tiesheng: (Revised Edition), Shaanxi Normal University Press, March 2006 Edition Shi Tiesheng: Hainan Publishing Company, August 2003 edition Zhang Jie: "The person who loves me the most in the world has gone", People's Literature Publishing House, October 2006 edition Chen Cun: "Looking for Shi Tiesheng", "Selected Fiction" No. 1, 2003 Zhang Xinxin: "Ordinary Mind and Extraordinary Mind--Shi Tiesheng's Theory", "Dwelling and Nomadic Land", Xuelin Publishing House, 1994 edition Sun Yu: "The Road to Philosophy - Reading Shi Tiesheng", "Contemporary Writers Review", No. 2, 1998