Chapter 25 The twenty-fourth garden pattern has already been determined

Baoyu Eileen Chang’s idea of ​​red studies is roughly based on the study of editions (transcripts) collation and age, and draws a number of conclusions that she herself considers; Demolition", "major revision", "major addition" (added after the characters, added after the story...), "big moving" writing methods. Her understanding - the writing theory of "removing, inflating, and moving" a "Red Mansion" is not just a matter of "method" and "process", but actually a principle of literary aesthetics big problem.Only seeing (or assuming) the first level, but forgetting the latter aesthetic level, it becomes "a little knowledge" (borrowed, pun).

Let me make an analogy today. Cao Xueqin's close-up of a Grand View Garden, a family-visiting villa, has more than one purpose, but it obviously has a moral meaning: creating one is like building a "Grand View Garden". What are the characteristics of Grand View Garden?One, "there are all kinds of scenery in the sky and on earth", so it is called "Grand View" for example.Second, "Xiu Shui Mingshan embraces back, and the romantic and literary talent surpasses Penglai", "Bringing mountains and rivers to embrace the water, it takes a lot of time to build it", "Borrowing the beautiful mountains and rivers, adding new scenery"... There is a natural foundation of mountains and rivers. , It is an exquisite handicraft with the spot dyeing of building, platform, spring and stone.

This shows that: there must be the foundation of "nature" and "heavenly formation" first, and then the design and production of "push the boat along the water" and "build a pavilion on the mountain".The two have first and second, and there is a host and a guest. Therefore, a master gardener "Shan Ziye" first drew up the design drawings, which were the basis for the construction of the garden.This is the backbone and cannot be tampered with. In the garden, there is "Dazhu Mountain", which is the skeleton.There is Qinfangxi, which is the veins (blood vessels, meridians, and the flow of vitality).There cannot be any "change" between the two.

"Beautiful mountains and rivers", "beautiful mountains with beautiful waters", "holding mountains and embracing waters", have been marked with multiple pens, lest people will forget them. Thirdly, Fang is "Painting with Cherish Spring" and painted "Grand View Garden". Here, there are two "processes": first, Mr. Qing Ke, who can draw, uses the design drawings of "Shanziye" as the "blueprint" to draw a "second drawing" with actual scene basis and each part. ——that is, "drawing draft". The reason why this "drawing draft" is different from "design drawing" is that it is only for the sake of expressing the two-dimensional art of painting, so it cannot be "removed", and it is no longer "the appearance of the house".

However, even so, there are limits and rules—— …Now, painting this garden is not possible without drawing a few pictures of hills and valleys in the stomach.This garden is like a painting, with mountains, rocks, trees, pavilions and houses, far and near, not too many, not too few, just like this.If you just draw on the paper as it is, you will definitely not please.It depends on the size of the paper, how much should be more and how little should be, and what should be added should be added, what should be subtracted should be subtracted, what should be hidden should be hidden, and what should be exposed should be exposed.This is a manuscript, and then carefully considered to form a pattern. ...

To understand Xueqin's art theory, this passage is extremely important. In short, the "addition" mentioned here is to dye the scenery, a flower and tree, if it is too simple, it can be added by three or five.The so-called "minus" here refers to the overlapping of houses, and it would be thankless to draw the "full"-that is, there must be "hidden"-only one corner is exposed, and only one eaves are drawn; , must be painted as "front view" and "subject". It is very clear: this refers to considering the priority, considering the visual association and actual effect.In a word, this absolutely does not refer to any "big demolition" or "big relocation" of "drawings" and "drawings".

For example, the Xiaoxiang Pavilion was "demolished" to the archway of the main hall; the Yihong Courtyard was moved to the neighbor opposite the "toilet" in the northwest corner. This is an exaggerated joke.But it can also be realized: the drawing cannot be changed randomly.In the same way——before Xueqin writes, she must have a "drawing draft" in her heart for this great work, the so-called "with a well-thought-out plan".Is there any reason to match and match at any time, and move mountains and rivers? According to my understanding, Zhang Ailing subconsciously admitted that Xueqin's book had a "blueprint" and was "realistic".Naturally, this does not mean that artistic writing is a "copy" and "reprint" of a dead copy; but Cao Xueqin will not be himself ("Shan Ziye" made the design drawing, and Xianggong drew the drawing based on it) to "make it into a bamboo" "The arrangements are all "operated" like Ms. Zhang.

Do I intend to argue with her by saying this?I admit that I have no such prejudice.I'm just saying that a great writer will not separate his theoretical principles of art from his practical writing methods. The poem says: The Dream of Red Mansions is the Grand View Garden, and the mountains are the foundation and the source of water.