Chapter 15 The Use of Contrast and Irony in "Winter Night" and the Brewing of the Novel's Atmosphere

"Winter Night" is probably the most noticed and popular article in the book, because as far as I know, several anthologies of modern Chinese novels, including Chinese and English translations, have compiled Bai Xianyong's novel. I think there are three reasons for the universal popularity of "Winter Night".1. This article adopts a relatively obvious presentation method to express the theme of the novel.Like every other novel, "Winter Nights" has many metaphors, but more explicit and similes, so that, to a certain extent, it is not difficult for us to understand the meaning of the novel.2. The subject matter of this article is about modern Chinese intellectuals and the plight they face, and the readers of this kind of serious works are probably also intellectuals. In this way, because readers can understand the state of mind of the characters in the novel, and personally understand the situation in the novel. The various issues related to Chinese culture mentioned or presented are easy to resonate with the author. Third, the most important thing is, of course, because "Winter Night" is indeed a touching story written with skilled skills.After reading, it makes people think deeply and lament the geometry of life.

The plot action of "Winter Nights," like most stories, takes place in just a few hours.And the plot is mainly promoted by the dialogue of the characters in the novel.The protagonist is Yu Chin-lei, an old professor who teaches British Romantic period literature at a certain university in Taiwan. Another important character is Professor Wu Zhuguo, a scholar in the United States who is known as an authority on international history.In the early years of the Republic of China, the two of them were at Peking University, and they were both athletes who led the May 4th Movement. Later, Yu Qinlei came to Taiwan with the government and has been teaching in universities. Wu Zhuguo stayed in the United States and became a celebrity in the international academic circle. He has just returned to Taiwan. Stay in Taipei for a few days. The plot of the novel "Winter Night" tells the story that Wu Zhuguo took a few hours out of the busyness of social entertainment and academic speeches on a cold and rainy winter night to come to Professor Yu's residence in Wenzhou Street to visit an old friend, and the two had a conversation Old and express the situation of inner feelings.The novel is always described objectively, narrating Professor Yu's longing for an old friend; the main plot of the plot is composed of the dialogue between the two; after Wu Zhuguo left, the climax dropped, and the author resumed objective description, describing what Professor Yu was doing and thinking. Finish.

From the memories and conversations of these two old professors, we learned that during the May 4th Movement, there were fellow Peking University students who had close contacts with them and shared the same ideals, as well as Jia Yisheng, Shao Ziqi, Lu Chong, Chen Xiong and others.Among them, Chen Xiong later became a Japanese hero and was shot early. Lu Chong did not leave the mainland. When "A Hundred Flowers Bloomed", he was liquidated by Peking University students, saying that his book "History of Chinese Philosophy" was a lament for Confucianism, and forced him to write a book of repentance. , He was unyielding and committed suicide by jumping off the building.Shao Ziqi and Jia Yisheng also came to Taiwan with the government. Shao Ziqi changed his original intention and became an official with a considerable social status, but he alienated his old friends.Jia Yisheng, like Yu Qinlei, was also teaching at the university. Because his wife was sick and living in poverty, he fell and broke a blood vessel half a year ago. He slipped into the gutter and died a month ago when he was going to part-time night class.

The encounters of these people were all mentioned in the conversation between Yu and Wu. In the novel, apart from the two old professors, there is only one supporting role in the novel - Yu Qinlei's 20-year-old second son Junyan.However, there are two people in the novel who do not meet the readers directly, which are worth noting.That is Professor Yu's ex-wife, Yaxin, and his remarried wife in Taiwan.Yaxin was the school belle of the Women's Normal University during the May Fourth era. Back then, she and Yu Qinlei were "China's Romeo and Juliet". They got married very romantically and gave birth to two children.Professor Yu's current wife always goes to play mahjong at Xiao's house next door, and has no spiritual communication with Yu Qinlei.

Regarding Wu Zhuguo's family life in the United States, we only know that his wife is dead, he has no children, and he lives alone. Although the author didn't say it explicitly, we can infer from the content of the conversation between the two friends that Wu Zhuguo returned to Taiwan for the first time in twenty years.Moreover, although Yu and Wu have always kept their old friendship in their hearts, they rarely communicate by correspondence, and the two sides do not know many things about each other.Now that they reunited after a long absence, during the conversation, they began to get to know each other again—the other party who had been forced to change by age and the real environment.The climax of the plot of this novel is based on the gradual awakening of the two old friends.

In this way, it is not difficult for us to imagine that the author must use a lot of contrasting techniques to set off the big gap between Yu and Wu in the May Fourth era and them today.At the same time, the author also uses the spirit of the past era and the concept of today's era as a clear contrast to emphasize the theme that the present is not what it used to be.Now let's discuss the comparison between the present and the past of the characters in the novel. From the objective description at the beginning of the novel, we see that Professor Yu "has a limp on his right leg, wears clogs, walks a step, turns a turn, and falters very much".That's because he was hit by a robotic bike five years ago.In the novel, the author repeatedly mentioned Professor Yu's "the injured right leg", "the stiff and painful right leg", "stiffness", "numbness", "staggering", "slowness", " stumbling, rubbing, etc.However, from the narration of the past by the two friends, we learned that during the "May 4th Movement", the youths from Peking University crawled into Cao Rulin's house, and Yu Qinlei was the first one to climb in. Run around and set fire to it."What a contrast between today's lameness and crutches, and the arhats running around barefoot in the past!Professor Yu blushed as he listened to his old friend recounting these past events, "with a childish smile on his face."At this moment, his mood seemed to return to his youth, "involuntarily put his feet together and rubbed them twice."At this time, he was "not wearing slippers"—just like the bare feet in the May Fourth era.But how can the numb feet wrapped in the woolen socks "with two black cloth patches" compare with the agile and nimble bare feet of the past?

When Wu Zhuguo saw Junyan for the first time, he exclaimed, "Junyan, if I came to your house and saw you first, I would have thought your father had reverted to his old age! Qin Lei, when you were in Peking University, you looked like Junyan!" From this we can see that, Yu Qinlei was the same as Junyan now, with "extraordinarily handsome eyebrows" and "a head of dark hair".What now?He has a "wrinkled face", and the author repeatedly refers to his "very bald head", "very bald head". These are just the comparison of Professor Yu's appearance between the present and the past.What is even more touching is the comparison of his spirit and attitude towards life between the past and the present.

From the fact that he participated in the May 4th Movement, the fact that he was fond of literature in the romantic period, and the situation when he fell in love with Yaxin at the beginning, we can infer that Yu Qinlei was an out-and-out romanticist who worshiped the liberation of the spirit and despised the reality. shackles.But now, due to age and the pressure of the real environment, his romantic spirit has long been worn out. Just like in Peiping more than 20 years ago, he still teaches English romantic literature and Byron's poems at the university.But now that he is teaching, he obviously has no enthusiasm, and just maintains his real life. Mrs. Yu once posted books for him, "stuck him in an Oxford edition of Byron's poetry, and lost a stack of notes—those notes , is what he wrote down when he was teaching at Peking University more than 20 years ago."The loss of this stack of notes alludes to the loss of his romantic spirit in his youth.

And the person who made him lose the stack of notes was of course none other than Mrs. Yu who represented the "mortal world".The author hints in this way that ideals are eventually forced to lose by reality.Professor Yu's first and second wives are indeed in sharp contrast: Yaxin symbolizes ideals, spirit and love, that is, "the past"; his second wife symbolizes reality.Matter and flesh, that is, "now".Yaxin died early, and the "fat and huge" Mrs. Yu lived in the world healthy and took Yaxin's identity, which also implies that reality has finally replaced ideals.

Objectively speaking, apart from her fondness for playing mahjong, Mrs. Yu is actually not a bad wife. She would think of publishing books for her husband, remind him to put plaster on his legs, and think of "win a hundred dollars and buy a chicken." Stew for you to eat."However, her concern for her husband was limited to physical aspects and health problems.She didn't care at all and didn't understand Professor Yu's spiritual needs or wishes.In this way, he posted books for the sake of hygiene, but lost the notes full of experience; he did not forget to warm the plaster for his husband in Shantang, but was impatient to hear him mention Wu Zhuguo; He vetoed and brought Wu Zhuguo to his house for a casual meal.

Speaking of this, I think of something, which is quite interesting, but I have never mentioned it, so I will say it by the way.In Bai Xianyong's novels, chicken, especially stewed fat chicken, is often used as a symbol of female flesh. a big fat hen".Liu Saobao immediately laughed and said: "Xiao Gu, hurry up and eat more, your eldest sister will make up for you with stewed chicken"; the surname Wang also "eat tofu" and said: "Xiao Gu is here, it is different after all, the eldest sister's chicken soup It’s as if it’s stewed with honey.” In "Sui Chu", Lai Mingsheng recounted how he was physically seduced by his battalion commander’s concubine when he was a cavalry company commander in Chengdu.She played cards and took out a white board, and said with a smile, "I'll give you a piece of fat to eat!" Later, she went back to the room and passed him in, "I have stewed chicken soup with red dates and waited in the room first." In "The Last Night of Jin Daban", Jin Daban and a group of frivolous teenagers who work in foreign agencies mess around.Xiao Cai laughed and said: "Our pony said he hasn't eaten your stewed chicken yet." Taipan Jin replied jokingly: "I haven't butchered your little chicken, where did you get the stewed chicken for him to eat?" We can also find similar hints in such an elegant work as "A Dream in the Garden".Staff Officer Cheng made a toast to Madam Qian, drank three cups in a row, his face became dizzy, "the forehead shone brightly, and a few beads of sweat appeared on the tip of the nose."This description of expression is quite similar to the description of Zheng Yanqing's expression when he had sex with her back then, so although the author did not specify it, we can imagine that Madam Qian, at least subconsciously, flashed a flash of understanding of the past. Memories of sexual intercourse.And at the same time, "Staff Cheng picked up a chicken wing for Madam Qian, and he also brought a chicken head for wine." In this way, Professor Yu's wife wants to win money by playing cards to "buy a chicken to stew for you", which not only shows that she cares about her husband's physical health, but also implies that she understands that Professor Yu needs the sexual satisfaction that her body can give him.Although Professor Yu misses Yaxin, the "Fairy Lingbo" who "gone with the wind", his body must live on, in reality.He has to eat, has to sleep, and in the busyness of eating, sleeping and caring for the physical life, the brilliance of spirituality is gradually dimmed, and the ideals of the past are gradually dying out.That's right - "now" always wins over "past", "reality" always wins, "ideal", just like every time Professor Yu wants to stop his wife from playing cards, "he always wins when he is too big".If people want to maintain their spirituality, the only way is probably to get rid of the flesh and "glide with the wind" as soon as Yaxin did.It is because of her early death that Yaxin became the eternal symbol of "spirit" in Professor Yu's mind. She seemed to have no flesh, so, of course, twenty years ago, she made a "hanging furnace duck" for Wu Zhuguo's farewell party in Beiping , instead of stewed chicken or something. A major evidence that Professor Yu's ideal was defeated by reality is that he stopped translating "Byron's Poems".From the conversation between the two friends, we learned that Yu Qinlei was determined to finish the translation of Byron's poetry in his early years. Wu Zhuguo thought he had already finished the translation, but when he asked whether it was a best seller in Taiwan, he realized that the translation was not finished. "In the past seven or eight years, I have not translated it. one word".Not only did Professor Yu stop translating works, but he was no longer enthusiastic about teaching. He did not "hold his post" as Wu Zhuguo imagined.But he wholeheartedly tried to win the research bonus presented by foreign countries to go abroad.His desire to go abroad was entirely driven by real life needs, because he sent his eldest son to study abroad and borrowed a large amount of debt, which he could not repay, so he planned to go abroad to save some money to pay off the debt.Five years ago, he managed to win a Ford scholarship from Harvard University, but a few days before he went to the United States, he was hit by a robotic bicycle and broke his leg, so he had to be hospitalized.He clearly knew that Jia Yisheng, who lived in extreme poverty, also applied for this bonus. If he gave up, Jia Yisheng might get it, but he kept clinging on and refused to give up. After lying in the hospital for five months, Harvard canceled it. This award, Professor Yu's deep friendship with Jia Yisheng is unquestionable, from his sentimental tone when he talked about him, the fact that he went around to raise funeral expenses and pensions for him, and helped him sort out and proofread the unfinished " The painstaking efforts of "History of Chinese Thought" can be seen.However, it is clear that when friendship conflicts head-on with the urgent needs of one's own reality, it is always friendship that is sacrificed.Reality is the one that wins. Wu Zhuguo left, and Professor Yu accompanied him out of the alley.Just as Wu Zhuguo was about to step into the taxi and the two were shaking hands, Professor Yu suddenly said with a trembling voice: "Zhu Guo, there is one thing that I have been embarrassed to tell you—" "Ok?" "Can you recommend for me, what universities in the United States want to hire people to teach, I still want to go out and teach for a year or two." "But—I'm afraid they won't ask the Chinese to teach English literature." "Of course, of course," Professor Yu coughed and said with a dry smile, "I won't go to the United States to teach Byron—I mean there are schools that need someone to teach Chinese or something." "Oh—" Wu Zhuguo hesitated for a moment, then said, "Okay, let me try it for you." The above lines of dialogue are the last climax of the novel, presenting and emphasizing the overall victory of reality and the complete defeat of ideals.Professor Yu wants to go to the United States and stop teaching Byron, which means that under the pressure of real life, he has finally completely put aside his lifelong ideals.He ceased to teach romance, and hinted at the extinction of his once glorious romantic spirit.If Wu Zhuguo still had a glimmer of fantasy about Professor Yu, these few words at the time of parting took away the last glimmer of fantasy from him. But there is one point that we cannot ignore.Forced by reality, Yu Qinlei intends to go abroad, as long as he goes there for "one or two years", and has no intention of immigrating to the United States for permanent residence.This means that he has to return to his home, his country, and his "post".Therefore, we should not say that he "abandoned" his ideals and "surrendered" to reality; we can only say that he "put aside" his ideals and "accepted" reality.It is a pity that he may not have thought that the pressure of reality is not temporary, but accumulates.He may have thought that his ideals were "temporarily" put aside, but once he puts it aside, the hope of picking it up becomes more and more elusive. Now let's turn around and look at Wu Zhuguo and his situation. Wu Zhuguo is the second protagonist in the novel "Winter Night". The author's handling of him is not as important as that of Professor Yu, but from the author's objective description of him, especially from the content and tone of Wu Zhuguo's own conversation, we are also vivid. To see him, and to feel the plight of his heart.Basically, his stories are similar to those of Yu Qinlei—they are both helpless and sad stories of reality overcoming ideals. In the description at the beginning of the novel, the author uses Professor Yu’s memories to describe Wu Zhuguo’s appearance and demeanor when he returned to China and arrived at Songshan Airport: ... That day Wu Zhuguo was wearing a black woolen overcoat, a pair of silver-rimmed glasses, and his hair was as white as snow; he was holding a pipe in his hand, and he was calmly responding to the interviews of those reporters.His elegant and respectful demeanor, his awe-inspiring scholarly demeanor, seems to have become more mellow with the passage of time. Such a description creates an impression that time and Wu Zhuguo are not "retrograde", but "forward".It makes people feel that the years have not changed him.But what about it? His change is not as obvious as that of Professor Yu.One of the reasons is that he is not the main protagonist. The author did not present his youthful appearance to the readers. Therefore, in terms of appearance, we cannot compare his past and present (unlike Professor Yu, who has bald head and thick hair, etc.) ).The author's interest in Wu Zhuguo and the key points to be expressed are the changes in his mood and life attitude caused by the persecution of the real situation. Wu Zhuguo went abroad to study in 1948.He planned to return to China in the next year, but he stayed in the United States due to the change of the mainland. In the blink of an eye, for twenty years, he taught Chinese history in American universities, wrote several books on the political history of the Tang Dynasty, and became an internationally renowned oriental author. historical authority. Objectively speaking, such an achievement is indeed very good.He should be proud, at least, he has promoted a little bit of Chinese culture internationally!The "scholar demeanor" he showed at Songshan Airport is very suitable for his academic achievements. However, during the in-depth conversation between the two old friends, we get a glimpse of this "calm and unhurried" "Xun Xun elegant" Scholars, but their hearts are oppressed by deep pain, shame, and feelings of emptiness. From the dialogue of the novel, we learn that during the May 4th Movement, young people from Peking University broke into Zhaojialou and sent them to prison. Among the group of students who beat Zhang Zongxiang, the Minister in Japan, was Wu Zhuguo.He also led a parade carrying a banner and fought with the police, which shows that he was a patriotic young man with blood, high ambition and uncompromising.His patriotic sentiment is deeply rooted in his heart. Although he has lived abroad for a long time and has not touched the land of the motherland for a long time, under the description of his international scholar, he has always cherished the soul of China.When he arrived at Professor Yu's house, he took off his overcoat, "but he was wearing a Chinese silk padded short jacket inside", which is a hint of the author. He stayed in the United States to teach and became an authoritative professor.On the face of it, that is to say in terms of his actual activities, he has adapted to the new environment very successfully.But deep down in his heart, there was a hidden pain that he refused to speak out.Therefore, he taught in foreign universities, "Most of them stopped in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and I never taught the history of the Republic of China", "Our past glory is easier to talk about after all".He was the leader of the May 4th Movement back then, and May 4th was his glory. No one can understand the spirit of May 4th better than him.But when an American student who had just graduated from Harvard University read a thesis at the Oriental Historical Society and criticized the May 4th Movement from a purely rational point of view, he left the meeting silently without saying a word of rebuttal.The deepest sorrow cannot be expressed.If you want to be able to bear it, you have to distort it, such as telling it as a joke.In the 20 years of teaching in the United States, Wu Zhuguo only mentioned the May 4th Movement to his students once, and that was because he saw American students rioting. The sense of emptiness and futility in Wu Zhuguo's heart was so heavy that it paralyzed his soul.So he allowed himself to live in the real world like a robot, habitually bragging about the strength of the Li and Tang Dynasty to foreign students, and in order to avoid being dismissed, in order to upgrade, "Every two years, I will squeeze out a [book] Come on, if I don't have to publish books, I won't write one."Twenty years of lecture bragging.Hundreds of thousands of words of academic works. "It's all empty talk!" This depression and depression, he locked a corner of his heart, did not express it to others, and he probably had no time to think about it at ordinary times.In order to survive in reality, he is busy with what he considers to be empty and useless work. "In these years, I have spent speeches and meetings all over the world, and it seems very lively."But now, sitting in Professor Yu's home on Wenzhou Street in Taipei, immersed in the warmth of old friendships and memories of the past, this stagnation suddenly gradually eased away.We noticed that during the conversation between the two friends, Wu Zhuguo seemed to be driven by a force to "confess" to Professor Yu and to peel off his "mask" layer by layer. In this way, in this short period of time, Wu Zhuguo exposed the "self" that he did not want to face.And this naked Wu Zhuguo, who has uncovered his mask, is completely different from his usual appearance in the world.The author cleverly uses the release of clothes to imply the release of the "mask".We remember that when Wu Zhuguo arrived at Songshan Airport, he was wearing a black wool coat, silver-rimmed glasses, and holding a pipe.As soon as he arrived at Yu's house.He took off his coat first, and sadly talked about the experience of the May Fourth Movement being ruthlessly "revalued" by American students. He "put his pipe on the tea table and took off his pair of silver-rimmed glasses." In addition to putting on and taking off clothes and accessories, there is also a sharp contrast between Wu Zhuguo's entire demeanor, the impression he gives to the world, and the "true self" revealed at this moment.When he was at the airport, his silver-white hair was combed "clearly", and when he entered Professor Yu's house, he "made it fluffy and messy".The "Xun Xun elegant" and "calm and unhurried" demeanor also disappeared. When he was in a hurry, he would hurriedly "break away from Professor Yu's hand", his voice would become "excited" and "painful", and he would "squeeze the hand" with his hands. Pinch his frowning brow." The changes and contrasts in clothing and appearance all allude to the big gap between Wu Zhuguo's life attitude in the real world and his hidden mental state.During the May 4th era, he was full of enthusiasm, daring to act and act, and his appearance was the same.In order to achieve his ideals, he is upright and unyielding, without seeking compromise.But now, due to the persecution of the real situation and the pressure of real life, he hides his true self, squeezes out his "spirit", and has made a compromise with the present world. From the content and tone of his conversation, we can feel that His compromised attitude towards life today.After returning to Taiwan, he was busy attending entertainment events, which is an example.He used to be the most "straight", but now he has become very "round"; Shao Ziqi treats guests, "I didn't put chopsticks at all", but probably because he is an official and an important person in the government, he still has to go to the appointment to perfunctory socialize (Professor Yu keeps Some kind of straightforward, or "square" type of person, "can't tell lies", so he cut off contact with Shao Ziqi).When saying goodbye, Wu Zhuguo said that he would go to Chengchi University to give a speech the next morning.The author uses the "political" university instead of National Taiwan University or Normal University, which seems to be intended to convey a certain hint. That's right—even though Wu Zhuguo harbored deep grief in his heart, time had changed him after all, irrevocably changed him.Just like what happened to Yu Qinlei, the "present" always conquers the "past", and the "reality" always conquers the "ideal".On the airport, he calmly responded to the reporter's interview-he had to hold his face.After all, Yu Qinlei belongs to the past, how could he run towards the past regardless of the present?Therefore, when he saw Yu Qinlei among the welcoming crowd, he could only whisper in his ear: "Let me come and see you in two days." In the warmth of Professor Yu's old love, his inner depression was relieved. Chi, but when he got up to leave, he had already returned to reality, saying that he would fly to West Germany to attend a Sinology conference in the future, "Don't come and see me off."He didn't want Professor Yu to see him off at the airport, of course because he was concerned about his limp and walking inconvenience, but obviously also because he knew that, surrounded by reporters and government dignitaries, he would have no time to take care of this old friend. Wu Zhuguo’s guilt towards his old friends during the May 4th Movement is also very noteworthy. He knows that the problems of the Chinese people can only be solved by the Chinese themselves (Professor Yu also said when talking about acupuncture and moxibustion treatment that “the Chinese people’s Problem... foreign methods may not work"), but he himself "has been a deserter abroad for decades".So he felt sorry for the ideals and friends of the May Fourth era.When he talked about Lu Chong committing suicide by jumping off a building in mainland China, he sighed with emotion, which was proof.Before this meeting and conversation, he always thought that Yu Qinlei and Jia Yisheng were sticking to the spirit of the past, keeping their "posts" regardless of the hardships of life.He said: "You don't know, Qin Lei, I'm abroad, and when I think of you and Jia Yisheng, I can't help but feel ashamed. Life is so hard, but you can still hold education positions in China and teach our own youth—" Wu Zhuguo As he spoke, his voice trembled slightly... He understands that he has been knocked down by reality long ago, but he thinks that his old friend still holds on to his ideals, so one can imagine how ashamed he feels.During the conversation, every time Yu Qinlei mentioned his own or Jia Yisheng's poor situation, Wu Zhuguo's response and sigh were always "vague" and "ambiguous", which also implied his inner guilt.However, no matter how uncomfortable the feeling of shame makes him, it cannot resist the demands of reality.When he finally learned that Yu Qinlei was planning to go abroad due to unpaid debts, "Wu Zhuguo raised his hand and wanted to say something, but his lips moved and fell silent again." What did he want to say but didn't say?The author did not specify.But we can imagine that at this moment, he almost said that he would repay Professor Yu's debt so that he could continue to "hold his post."But he swallowed the words just in time, because, how could he ignore reality?He will retire in another year, the days after retirement.How can I live without money? In this way, just as Yu Qinlei ignored Jia Yisheng for his own practical needs and did not sell his bonus, Wu Zhuguo also chose "reason" and sacrificed "emotion" under the head-on conflict between "emotion and reason". Above, we have seen in detail how time and reality ruthlessly changed the two protagonists in the novel.Now let us see how the author compares the May Fourth era with today's era to emphasize the past and present feelings that trigger "unbearable looking back". In a nutshell, the May Fourth era in the author's vision is romantic, pure, passionate, and pursuing spiritual liberation.Today's era is rational, mechanized, ruthless, and pursues materialistic satisfaction.Of course, the author didn't say it himself, and he didn't let the characters in the novel say such things, but through Yu and Wu's narration of their own experiences, it was powerfully presented. The "revaluation" of the May 4th Movement by Harvard University graduates is a good example.This American young man, who had never been to China and had never personally experienced the experience of the May Fourth Movement, just relied on the objective historical facts recorded in books, analyzed and concluded, and plausibly concluded: In a movement against tradition and idols, this group of fanatical Chinese educated youths completely overthrew the Confucianism that had been practiced in China for more than two thousand years.These young people, ignorant of China's national conditions, blindly worshiped Western culture and superstitiously believed in Western democracy and science, causing unprecedented chaos in China's ideological circles.But this group of young people who grew up in a patriarchal society have neither an independent ideological system nor a firm willpower. Once the Confucian tradition collapses, they immediately lose their spiritual dependence, so they hesitate and lose themselves, like a group of murderers. The rebellious sons of their fathers—they defeated their spiritual father Confucius—bear heavy sins and began their spiritual self-exile: some fell into the arms of totalitarianism, some returned to embrace their already dilapidated traditions, some He fled overseas and became a hermit who was wise and safe.Their movement disintegrated and deteriorated.Some Chinese scholars compare May Fourth to China's "Renaissance." In my opinion, this can only be regarded as an aborted "Renaissance." From a purely rational point of view, his conclusion may be correct in every sentence.The only serious mistake is that he completely ignored the "spiritual" issue, thinking that as long as everything in the world is rationally analyzed with a scientific mind, the truth can be reached and the true feelings can be found.In fact, he can't be blamed for this, because the current era is like this, the spirit has been wiped out, and everything is material.The title of the thesis "Revaluation of the May 4th Movement", the word "valuation" has an ironic implication.As if everything in the world can be sold by estimating the price tag! The phenomenon that material things overwhelm spirituality is not limited to American society, it is the same in Taiwan.The age of romance is long gone.Yu Qinlei also said: "Even if Byron is translated, I am afraid that not many people will read it now." The "romantic" concept of modern people is no longer the pursuit of spiritual liberation, but only involves the body and lust.It’s no wonder that Professor Yu’s students didn’t believe it when they learned that Byron was crippled. They answered “Byron’s romantic spirit” in the exam, and they could only write the names of a lot of Byron’s mistresses on the test paper. Most of the students who mobilized the "May Fourth Movement" were young intellectuals who cared about Chinese culture. What Yu, Wu and others studied were all courses in literature, history and philosophy.But now, only some female students are left studying liberal arts. In Professor Yu's class, "there were no male students in the last semester." "Boys nowadays want to study science and engineering abroad." Wu Zhuguo said it well, "This is also the general trend."Professor Yu's own two boys, the eldest son has "studied engineering abroad", and the second son looks like his father when he was young, but he does not have the "spirit" of his father back then. I am full of admiration and admiration for the wealth.Indeed, our past spiritual culture has been completely replaced by matter and machines.Yu Qinlei's right leg was broken by a "robot bicycle", which is also a metaphor (the author uses a "machine" bicycle instead of a "motorcycle", which shows his intentions). This is the phenomenon of our "free world" today. This era is really the winter night for Chinese intellectuals. Wu Zhuguo's narration about Lu Chong's ending is worth noting in terms of writing skills.That is the combined use of the two techniques of "contrast" and "parallel", and the resulting strong ironic effect. We have noticed that there are some superficial similarities between the liquidation of the Lu Chong incident and the May Fourth Movement.First of all, the people who initiated the leadership were all Peking University students.Second, they are all violent student movements.Third, the "May 4th" wanted to overthrow the "Confucian family shop", and Lu Chong was accused of "being sad for Confucianism", all of which were anti-Confucian and anti-traditional movements. So similar in appearance, yet so different in reality!The May Fourth youths at Peking University used violence out of patriotism and for justice.They beat up the envoys stationed in Japan who betrayed their country and sought glory; they wanted to overthrow the Confucian family shop in order to break free from the shackles of tradition and seek spiritual liberation.On the contrary, the liquidation of Lu Chong by the current Peking University students is a kind of animalistic group violence, and the object of the liquidation is not only a traitor, but a person of great determination who cares most about Chinese culture.They are anti-Confucian and anti-traditional, denying the value of spiritual culture at all, where is it based on romantic concepts? In this way, the two student movements of Peking University students in the past and the present seem to be parallel and similar, but in fact they are in contrast to each other.Wu Zhuguo's description of the current student unrest in the United States has similarities with the "May 4th Movement", such as setting fire to buildings and fighting with the police.However, its nonsensical and purposeless nature is also a very obvious contrast with the fixed ideals of the May Fourth Movement. Other examples of the author's "parallelism" to achieve contrastive irony can be found in "Winter Nights".For example, Professor Yu and Byron are also lame.But he has already lost his romantic spirit under the pressure of reality, how can he be compared with Byron again?Wu Zhuguo fought with the police during the "May 4th Movement" and "knocked off his glasses"; he talked with Professor Yu today and "removed his pair of silver-rimmed glasses".It is the same in the past and the past, the glasses are separated from the eyes, but in the past when the glasses were knocked off, what was revealed was a straightforward and enterprising face, and today when the glasses were removed, what was revealed was an embarrassing and decadent face.Jia Yisheng has broken blood vessels in the past and present. In the past, he "cut his finger and wrote 'Return Qingdao' on the wall" in blood. Now it is "he fell and broke his blood vessel in the first half of the year."Chen Xiong "was paraded in the street wearing mourning clothes and holding an elegiac couplet that says 'Cao Luzhang's legacy will last forever'", and then he turned into a Japanese hero and was shot. of. I have mentioned many times that Bai Xianyong used the names of people in novels, often endowing them with implied meanings.Names such as Yu Qinlei, Wu Zhuguo, and Jia Yisheng are full of suggestive irony. The word "Lei" describes an upright person with a broad mind. "Yu" means me, so this name can be interpreted as "I am a romanticist".This is completely suitable for Professor Yu in his youth, but today, he is really "in name only".Wu Zhuguo is the most patriotic. His ideal in his youth was to transform China's destiny and make China strong.But did he do it?Is China the pillar?No, so his surname is Wu (no).Jia Yisheng lived the most difficult life and died a very tragic death. Where is "Yisheng"?So, of course, his surname is Jia (false). The ingenious selection of names is not limited to the above-mentioned important characters. People usually translate the British romantic poet as "Byron". The author changed "Lun" to "Lun", which is not only a transliteration, but also has meaning. "Bailun", such as worshiping Kunlun Mountain, is a metaphor for the elevation of the spirit of worship.This, of course, is the essence of romanticism represented by this poet.In addition, "Lu Chong" can be interpreted as "offensive with the mainland", "Chen Xiong" can be interpreted as "past hero", and "Jun Yan" also obviously has an ironic meaning. In the plot of "Winter Night", another irony is the invisible identity exchange of the two protagonists at the end.Yu Qinlei has taught in Taiwan for 20 years, and now he plans to go abroad. Wu Zhuguo has taught in the United States for 20 years, and now he plans to come back. The motives of the two are real life problems, and have nothing to do with ideals.余教授是因为要积钱还债，吴柱国是因为“颖芬不在了，饮食很不方便，胃病常常翻”。 关于这篇小说的反讽，还有一点，我觉得应该说一下。我们讨论过这么多篇小说，早已知道作者是一个十分尊重中国传统和痴恋中国文化的人，如此，我们不难想像，五四运动的某些面，恐怕不是他所能完全同意的。大概就因如此，作者让余、吴二人追叙五四运动，特别只强调浪漫精神和爱国情操，却对打倒孔家店、提倡“赛先生”等方面，以反讽口气略提而过。谈到陆冲被清算的事， “只是人生的讽刺也未免太大了，”吴柱国啼嘘道，“当年陆冲还是个打倒'孔家店'的人物呢。” 谈到现在男孩子都出国学理工， “从前我们不是拼命提倡'赛先生'吗？现在'赛先生'差点把我们的饭碗都抢跑了，”余教授说着跟吴柱国两人都无奈的笑了起来。 that is it.此外，余教授的腿伤，西医西药完全无效，针灸一治，才能起身走动，中国膏药一贴，也就能减轻麻痛，亦是作者有意的反讽。五四提倡“赛先生”，主张全盘西化，中医中药被列为落伍象征之一。鲁迅就为文痛低过中医。可是中国人的病（身体的病或象征性的病），西洋方法不一定治得好。如此，余钦磊的脚伤，对他本人，和对五四运动，都是一种讽刺。 显然的，在白先勇心目中，五四运动的光荣，主要就是“精神”——追求解放的高阔胸怀，和耿直爱国的憨勇情操。 以上，我们已经相当详细地讨论了《冬夜》里的对比和反讽，并得知此篇小说之反讽意味及效果，多靠对比与平行技巧而产生。然而此篇之反讽，异于《永远的尹雪艳》之反讽，一点“刺”都没有，一点也不“冷”。是低回的，缓和的，谅解的，带着无限惆怅的。“无可奈何”四字，可以说是作者写作此篇时对人生的基本感触，和要表达的意思。余、吴二友谈话间，三番四次“无奈的笑了起来”；笑的时候，吴柱国或摇摇头，或低下头，而余钦磊则摇一摇或搔一搔“他那十分光秃的恼袋”。这种温和压抑的描写笔触，就是作者有效控制小说气氛的一个例子。 小说从头至尾，笼罩在一层无止无尽的惆怅气氛里。绵绵下绝的冷雨，便是一个极好的象征。在台北这个下着绵绵冷雨的冬夜，一对相别了二十年的老朋友，得以在一栋残破却温暖的大学宿舍短时相聚。他们二人，在年岁和现实生活逼迫下，都早已搁下了年轻时代的理想，但他们心怀慰藉，以为放下理想的只是自己，以为对方的精神依然如故，一直做着有意义的工作，过着有意义的生活。可是，在谈话过程中，这最后的慰藉，最后的幻想，也一点一点被剥开，被夺走，于是他们不得不面对彼此赤裸裸的真况，和尴尬处境。 两人相互的醒悟和失望，引起的不是怨懑，却是无限的惆怅和压抑的感伤。大概，他们终于明白，人生就是如此。现实总是赢的，一切无可奈何。 今日这个时代，是现实的，冷酷的。精神理想已经枯萎，肉体物质决定一切。被迫活在这样一个世界，我们还有救吗？人类还有救吗？ 《冬夜》的作者，虽然满怀低回的感伤，对此问题显然尚未绝望。是的，人类还能得救。还有机会得救。而得救的惟一方法，就是保留下一点点人间相互的关怀谅解，和对过去理想的记忆。 就只一点点的“情”——奢望是无用的。然而人类只要不“绝”情，留下一点儿，给人一点儿，那么，纵使在现实逼迫下所能给出的是那样微少，那样无济于事，却也对灵魂进行了赎救。 这，就是《冬夜》小说的最终主题。而此主题含义，作者细心织入小说之叙述语言，十分和谐地化溶在全文惆怅无尽感伤绵绵的迷漫气氛里。特别值得注意的一点，即此篇小说中“冷”与“暖”的温差对比，和其他有关温度的意象使用。让我们看看小说头一段： 台北的冬夜，经常是下着冷雨的。傍晚时分，一阵乍寒，雨，又渐渐沥沥开始落下来了。温州衔那些巷子里，早已冒起寸把厚的积水来。余钦磊教授走到巷子口去张望时，脚下套着一双木屐。他撑着一把油纸伞，纸伞破了一个大洞，雨点漏下来，打到余教授十分光秃的头上，冷得他不由的缩起脖子打了一个寒噤。他身上罩着的那袭又厚又重的旧棉袍，竟也敌不住台北冬夜那阵阴湿砭骨的寒意了。 这里面，“冬夜”、“冷雨”、“乍寒”、“冷得他……打了一个寒噤”、“阴湿贬骨的寒意”等文字，都一再的强调屋外巷子里气温之寒冷，影射今日现实世界之冷酷无情，而余教授身上罩着“又厚又重的旧棉袍”，暗示他是一个背负着过去之记忆，不忘旧情的人，可是这件“旧”棉袍，竟也“敌不住……阴湿砭骨的寒意”，又暗示他虽然怀念过去，保留记忆，却“敌不住”现实环境的冷酷逼迫。他“撑”伞御雨，含义亦相似。那把伞破了一个大洞，所以也挡不住冷雨，使他在现实的冷酷中打了个“寒噤”。如此，就这么几行看来别无他意的描写文字，已经暗中道出了《冬夜》的整个故事。 和寒冷的台北街巷（现实世界）对立的，是余教授“栖住”的这栋温州街大学宿舍。首先，“温州”二字，就有暗示性和预示性。吴柱国这次回国，探访二十年前的故友，固然有了觉悟和失望，但，由于从现实生活的繁忙中拾得了这么一两个钟头的时间，得以和旧友再度分享过去光荣的记忆，得以揭下平时不愿也不敢取下的面具，而知道会得到谅解，他心灵上的得偿，总还是多于损失吧！ 吴柱国有幸，艰难履步于此寒冷世界，得暂时驻足在一小片“温州”。 小说里的“冷”“暖”意象对比，随着情节动作的进展，十分一致地持续下去。细细审察作者之用字，我们不禁又一次拍案惊叹，白先勇怎能这样高妙地在看来只是流畅写实的文字里，赋予此般深刻的双关暗示含义。白先勇的象征和意象，运用得如此自然，如此含蓄，如此不露凿痕，许多读者根本就没发现到它们的存在。绝大多数的人认为，白先勇既然写得出这样一手流利好文句，他就没花费心思，也没必要花费心思，去探索有关单字效果变化的可能性问题。这是一般读者对白先勇小说写作技巧的最大疏忽和误解。然而，正如庄子之：“郊丁解牛”，最高等的技巧原是不见技巧的技巧。民国以来，另有几个小说作家，十分擅长于意象文字之使用。张爱玲就是最有名的一位。可是张爱玲的意象或象征，固然确实生动有力，花样百出，却常过于华丽炫耀，匠痕显露，而且多半时候只是诉诸读者的感官（视觉、听觉、味觉等），和使文字丰润多彩，不见得总是和小说主题有必然的关联，这是我的看法。 话转回来，让我们继续看一看《冬夜》里，作者如何把“冷”“暖”之意象对比，与小说最终主题十分一致地，贯彻运用到小说的结尾。 吴柱国湿淋淋冷冰冰地抵达余教授家，脱下大衣，揩干头脸，就把寒冷差不多都关在门外了。即刻，“余教授将自己使用的那只保暖杯拿出来泡了一杯龙井搁在吴柱国面前”。拿“自己使用的”“保暖杯”泡茶给老友，暗示余教授把自己的温暖给予朋友同享。吴柱国辍了一口，“茶水的热气，把他的眼镜子蒸得模糊了，他除下眼镜”，眼镜被茶水热气蒸得模糊了，暗示余教授的旧情温暖，开始溶解他的冷面具；他“除下眼镜”当然也就是预示他即将解除面具。 谈过一时话，余教授见吴柱国“那杯茶已经凉了，便立起身，一拐一拐的，去拿了一只暖水壶来，替吴柱国斟上滚水”。他不顾自己行动多么不便，一拐一拐的，却不肯让朋友那杯茶冷去，用“暖水壶”斟上“滚水”，保持温暖。可是，一旦对谈的话题从温暖的过去移转到冷酷的现在，随着心情的转变，室内温度仿佛也突然降低似的，引起冷、痛之感，于是“吴柱国两只手伸到袖管里去，余教授却轻轻的在敲着他那只僵痛的右腿”。当吴柱国痛苦喊道“都是空话啊”，而对自己的“学术著作”发出“冷”笑，余教授发现茶又“凉”了，立刻起身要换一杯热的来。吴柱国却“一把执住他的手”，先把话说完，把自己的底细揭发干净，才放他去，仿佛在迫令老友面对冷茶——冷的现实。而余钦磊，也真的好像受到冷流侵袭，觉得右腿“愈来愈僵硬，一阵阵的麻痛，从骨节里渗出来”。 小说近尾，余教授的儿子从外头回到家里的时候，“寒气不住的从门隙窗缝里钻了进来”。余教授，明显的，十分疼爱俊彦，可是俊彦到底象征“现世”，所以他之进屋，就比如“现世”之侵入，带进了寒气。作者安排让余太太出外打牌，让俊彦迟归，使两个老友单相独会谈话，是很有用意的。若有“现世”寒气之侵袭，“温州”也就温不起来了。 然而，“温州”之驻足，是短暂的，还得匆匆回到寒冬的冷雨，回到现实的世界。余教授送吴柱国走出巷口： ……余教授将他那把破纸伞遮住了吴柱国的头顶，一只手揽在他的肩上，两个人向巷口走了出去。巷子里一片漆黑，雨点无边无尽的飘洒着，余教授和吴柱国两人依在一起，踏着巷子里的积水，一步一步，迟缓，蹒珊，蹭蹬着。 雨点从纸伞的破洞漏了下来，打在余教授和吴柱国的脸上，两个人都冷得缩起了脖子来。 good.今日现实人生，确是一条冷得令人缩起脖子的冬夜街巷。可是，在这漫长艰难的旅途当中，如果有那么一小段程路，有一个能谅能解的朋友相伴而行，一同挨冷，一同蹭蹬，总会有那么一点区别的吧？这个朋友，把自己惟一的破伞遮在你头上，和你共用；虽然冷雨照样从破洞漏下，无甚用处，总也会有那么一点差异，会有那么一点点的温暖吧？ 吴柱国乘计程车离去，余教授独自踅回到家，“他的长袍下摆都已经潮湿了，冷冰冰的贴在他的腿胫上，他右腿的关节，开始剧痛起来”。于是他“把暖在炉灶上那帖于善堂的膏药，取下来，热烘烘的便贴到了膝盖上去”。他发现窗户让风吹开了，“赶忙蹭过去，将那扇窗拴上”，后又发觉“书桌上早飘进了雨水，把他堆在上面的书本都打潮了，他用他的衣袖在那些书本的封面上揩了一揩”。 这些描写都暗示，余钦磊虽己在现实生活逼迫下搁置了早年的理想，他却还珍惜保存着一份对过去的温暖记忆，而这份记忆，他留心卫护着，尽可能不叫它受到现世或现实势力的侵犯（所以他拴窗，揩干书）。小说末尾，余钦磊想起雅馨，那一段抒情式的回忆，十分动人，这也是余教授要卫护的温暖记忆。回忆的动作仿佛真的暂时净化赎救了他的灵魂。 他这栋温州街宿舍，确实已“残破不堪”。沙发“褴搂”，“破得肚子通通暴出了棉絮来”；榻榻米积年潮湿，“散着一股腐草的霉味”。屋里“七横八竖，堆满了一本本旧洋装书，有的脱了线，有的发了毛，许多本却脱落得身首异处”。他已不大再去念这些书了，平时却以“租来的”（不是购为己有的）武侠小说自遣。可是这一堆旧书，他却顽固地，铿吝地，死守着，而当太太（现世）干预，遗失了一叠笔记，这位早和现实取得妥协的好好老先生，居然也会“着实发过一次脾气”，逼得“家里的人”（现世）“再也不敢碰他客厅里那些堆积如山的书了”。 good.对于余钦磊教授，这栋温州街旧宿舍，是寒冷的现实世界里惟一的暖巢。他“栖住”在这个暖巢里。他还能感觉温暖，因为，他知道，尽管理想已经失去，青春已经逝去，这个巢里——也就是他心里——至少还藏着一份尚未深受沾染的记忆。