Chapter 7 drama samadhi

play samadhi ① Akutagawa Ryunosuke ① Samadhi is a Buddhist term referring to the essence or essence of things.For example, it is called "getting its samadhi" if you are proficient in a certain aspect.Here it refers to the protagonist Ma Qin devoting himself to the writing of plays. one It was a morning in September of the third year of Tianbao.As usual, the Matsuyu bathhouse in Tohocho, Kanda, was crowded with bathers from the morning. It still maintains the "divine arrival, Buddhism, love, and impermanence, all mixed together in the Together in the bathhouse" ③ that scene.Here is a man combing his mother’s bun ④ and humming folk songs in the bath water ⑤; there is a man combing his hair in a long bun ⑥ and twisting a towel after bathing; another with a round forehead and a big ginkgo bridle⑦ The one with the shower washes his tattooed back for him; there is another with a yubei bun ⑧, who has been washing his face since just now; and there is a shaved head, squatting in front of the sink ⑨ without stopping In addition, there are urchins playing with bamboo toy buckets and porcelain goldfish intently.In the misty heat, under the reflection of the morning sun coming in from the window, people of all kinds can be vaguely seen, their wet bodies gleaming softly, wriggling in the narrow shower room.The bathhouse was very lively.The first is the sound of watering and clinking barrels, followed by chatting and singing ditties.From the counter there was the sound of clappers⑾ from time to time.Therefore, the inside and outside of the pomegranate mouth ⑿ is as noisy as a battlefield.That's not counting, vendors and beggars all opened the curtains and came in.Yuke is constantly coming in and out.

① The third year of Tianbao is 1832. ② Shiji Sanma (1776-1822), a Japanese novelist in the Edo period, wrote "Ukiyo Bathhouse" and so on. ③ See "Ukiyo Bathhouse · Bathhouse Overview".In ancient Japan, the compilations of song anthologies were mostly classified into four categories: "Gods, Buddhism, Love, and Impermanence". Here, there are all kinds of people in the bathhouse. ④In ancient times, Japanese men kept their hair in a bun and usually combed it in barbershops. Mama bun was an out-of-fashion hairstyle that men from the lower class in Edo during the Bunka period (1804-1817) combed at home. comb.

⑤ The original text is composed of songs and sacrificial texts, a folk song sung by mountain monks in the Edo period. ⑥Hondo bun is a hairstyle of men in the Edo period in Japan. ⑦The big ginkgo bun is the hairstyle of the samurai in the Edo period in Japan. The top of the bun is opened like a ginkgo leaf, hence the name. ⑧The Yubei bun is a popular hairstyle for men in the Edo period in Japan. ⑨Use a large pot to heat up the water and pour it into the sink for the bather to wash his face and body after bathing. ⑩The original text is Gadfly, Bee and Dragonfly.Boys or young men in the Edo period in Japan combed the leftover lock of hair into the shape of gadfly, bee or dragonfly wings, which is used here as a synonym for urchin.

⑾ If the bather needs to "swipe the bath", the boss will use a clapper to notify the bath worker, as usual, the women will have two soups, and the men will have one. ⑿ There is a half-section screen at the entrance of the bath, and a wooden platform is placed on the ground. People who enter the bath must step over the wooden platform and get in through the gap between the screen and the wooden platform.It is said that it is to prevent the bath water from getting cold, commonly known as pomegranate mouth. In the midst of this chaos, an old man in his sixties leaned humbly in a corner, quietly scrubbing the dirt.The hair on the temples is yellow and ugly, and there seems to be something wrong with the eyes.However, his skinny body is very strong, which can be said to be great. Although the skin of his hands and feet is loose, there is still a toughness that does not accept old age.The face, too, had almost the same animal vigor in the cheeks with the wide jawbones and around the slightly larger mouth.

The old man finished washing his upper body carefully, and started washing his lower body without leaving a bucket① to pour it over.No matter how many times he rubbed it with the black Kai silk, his dry, wrinkled skin could not remove any dirt.This probably made the old man suddenly feel the loneliness of autumn. He only washed one foot, and stopped holding the cloth towel as if he was discouraged.He looked down at the turbid water in the dense bucket, the sky outside the window was clearly reflected in the water, red persimmons hung on the sparse branches, and a corner of the tiled roof was exposed below.

①Customers who bathe all the year round have a special bucket in the bathhouse, called a left bucket. ②Kai silk is silk produced in the Kai province. At this time, "death" cast a shadow on the old man's heart.But this "death" did not have the horror factor that had threatened him in the past; like the sky reflected in the barrel, it was so peaceful and intimate, with a sense of desolation freed from all troubles.How happy he would be if he could be freed from all earthly toil and sleep forever in "death" without dreaming like an innocent child.Not only was he tired of life, decades of writing had also exhausted him...

The old man raised his eyelids blankly.All around, accompanied by lively chatting and laughing, many naked people were moving around in the water vapor.The vulgar tunes in Pomegranate's mouth were mingled with the voices of minor tunes and Uschino tunes.The "death" that cast a shadow in his heart just now, of course, can't be seen here at all. ①The original text is Méliès, which is a short long song. ②Yoseka tune is a popular song in the Edo period.It is named because of the refrain of "Usikono, Usikono". "Oh, sir. I didn't expect to meet you in such a place. I never dreamed that Mr. Qu Ting would come to take a bath early in the morning."

①Mr. Quting is Takizawa Maqin (1767-1848), a Japanese novelist in the late Edo period.It took him 28 years to write a 98-volume "Nan Zong Satomi Eight Dogs".The book advocates the idea of ​​exhorting good and punishing evil through the actions of the Eight Great Scholars who embody the eight virtues of benevolence, righteousness, compassion, wisdom, faith, loyalty, filial piety and fraternity. The old man was taken aback when he was greeted like this, and saw a red-faced, medium-built man with a thin ginkgo bun beside him, with a bucket in front of him and a wet towel on his shoulder, smiling vigorously .After taking a bath, he was probably about to flush himself with clean water.

①The thin ginkgo bun, also known as the small ginkgo bun, is a hairstyle of Japanese men in the Edo period, and its shape is slightly smaller than the big ginkgo bun. Ma Qin Takizawa Soji smiled and replied slightly mockingly: "You are still so happy, very good." two "Where is it? It's not good at all. Speaking of it, sir, "The Legend of Eight Dogs" is getting better and better. It's bizarre. It's really well written." The man with the thin ginkgo bun on his shoulders Putting the towels in the bucket, they talked at the top of their voices. "The boat bug ① disguised himself as a court lady, trying to kill Xiao Wenwu ②. He was arrested at one point, tortured, and finally Zhuang Jie ③ rescued him. The plot was wonderfully arranged. In this way, Zhuang Jie and Xiao Wenwu met again. My humble Omiya Heiji is just a small grocery seller. Although he is not talented, he thinks that he has studied novels. Even I can’t find fault with my husband’s "Eight Dogs". I am convinced. gone."

① Shipworm is a character in "The Legend of Eight Dogs". ②Xiaowenwu is Inutian Xiaowenwu Tishun, one of the eight dogs. ③ Zhuang Ge is Yiren Inukawa Shosuke, one of the Eight Dogs. Ma Qin silently washed her feet again.He always has a certain affection for readers who love his works, but he will never change his evaluation of that person because of this.It was perfectly natural for a man of his intelligence.But strangely enough, on the contrary, his opinion of a person never hurt his liking for that person.Therefore, on certain occasions, he can feel contempt and affection for the same person at the same time.This Omi Yaheiji is just such an enthusiastic reader.

"Writing such a voluminous work requires an extraordinary amount of effort. Mr. Now can be regarded as the Japanese Luo Guanzhong spray—oh, that's a fool's errand." Pinkie laughed again.A short, dark-skinned man who was taking a shower next to him, wearing a small ginkgo bun, and with cross-eyed eyes, was probably startled by his laughter, and looked back at Pingji and Ma Qin, showing a Feeling inexplicable, he spit into the ground. Ma Qin cleverly changed the subject and asked: "Are you still keen on making sentences?" However, it was not because the expression on the eyes made him feel a little uneasy that he did so.His eyesight has thankfully(?) faded to the point where he can't see these things clearly. ①Sentence originally refers to the first sentence of a series of harmonious sentences, and later became a short poem independently, that is, a series of sentences. "Mr. Meng asked, very frightened. I couldn't do it well, but I just like these things. I have the cheek to go to poetry review meetings for three days. But I don't know what happened, but I haven't made any progress. Well, how are you, sir? What about Waka , Is there any special interest in sending sentences?" ①The original writing of this, where many people sat together to make wandering sentences and commented on each other, was founded in the Bunsei period (1818-1829) of the Edo period in Japan. "No, I've been working on that stuff for a while, but I can't do it well at all." "Don't be joking." "No, it probably doesn't suit the taste, and I haven't started yet." Ma Qin emphasized the word "not suitable for the spleen and stomach".He doesn't think he can't do waka and wandering sentences.Of course, he is confident that he knows a lot about this aspect.But he has always looked down upon this kind of art.Because no matter waka or wandering sentence, the space is too small to accommodate all his ideas.Whether it is lyricism or narrative scenery, no matter how excellent a waka or wandering sentence is, it is only a few lines to fill in its ideological content in his works.For him, such art was second rate. three His emphatic tone of saying "it doesn't suit the spleen and stomach" contains such a contemptuous meaning.Unfortunately, Omi Yaheiji didn't seem to understand at all. "Oh, that's what Ganqing is about. I thought that a great writer like Mr. can do everything in one go. As the saying goes: Heaven is not the same as two things." Pingji rubbed his body with a wrung towel until his skin turned red, and said in a reserved tone.What Ma Qin said was a modest word, but Ping Ji took it literally. Ma Qin, who has a strong self-esteem, felt very dissatisfied with this.What made him even more unhappy was Pinky's reserved tone.So he threw the handkerchief and body washcloth on the ground, straightened his waist, showed displeasure, and said in a flaunting tone: "However, I still have the level of today's waka writers and wandering masters." Before he finished speaking, this childish self-esteem suddenly embarrassed him.Even when Cai Pingji was full of praise for "The Legend of Eight Dogs", he didn't feel very happy.Then, it is obviously a contradiction to be regarded as a person who cannot compose Waka and wandering sentences, but feels dissatisfied.He suddenly realized this, and hurriedly poured the water from the bucket over his shoulders as if covering up the shame in his heart. "Yes, otherwise, you wouldn't be able to write such a masterpiece. So, I can see that you can compose waka and lingering sentences, and my vision is also great. Oh, why did you blow it up for yourself?" Pinji laughed again.The squinting boy just now was no longer around, and the spit he spit was washed away by Ma Qin's water.But of course Ma Qin was even more terrified than before. "Oh, I've been talking for a long time without knowing it, I'm going to take a bath too." Ma Qin felt very embarrassed. He greeted him like this, and while getting angry with himself, he stood up slowly, preparing to leave this amiable and loyal reader. Because of Ma Qin's boast, Pingji seemed to feel that even his loyal reader's face was radiated.He said as if chasing after Ma Qin: "Sir, can I ask you to compose a waka or arrange sentences some other day? You agreed? Don't forget. Then I will take my leave. When you pass by my house, Please come in and sit down while you are busy. I will also go to the house to bother you." So Pingji rinsed the towel again, watched Ma Qin's back as he walked towards the pomegranate mouth, and thought: How should I tell my wife about meeting Mr. Qu Ting after returning home. Four The mouth of the pomegranate is as dark as dusk.The misty hot air was thicker than fog.Ma Qin's eyesight was poor, so she swayed and separated the crowd with her hands, and finally groped to a corner of the bathing pool, and finally soaked her wrinkled body in the water. The water is a little hot.He felt the hot water soak into the tips of his nails, so he took a deep breath and looked around slowly.Seven or eight heads appeared in the half-light, some were chatting, and some were humming a little tune.The smooth surface of the bath water, which has melted fat, swayed lazily, reflecting the dim light from the pomegranate sun.The disgusting "bathhouse smell" came to my nostrils. Ma Qin's ideas have always been romantic.With the water vapor in the bathhouse as the background, a scene from the novel he was writing naturally appeared in front of his eyes.There is a heavy canopy.Outside the canopy, as the sun went down, the sea seemed to be windy.The sound of the waves lapping on the ship's side sounded dull, like oil sloshing.At the same time, the canopy of the boat roared, probably because bats were flapping their wings.One of the boatmen, who seemed disturbed by the sound, glanced quietly over the side of the boat.Over the fog-shrouded sea, a red crescent moon hangs gloomy.then…… At this moment, his thoughts were suddenly interrupted.Because he suddenly heard someone criticizing his novel from Shiliu's mouth; and no matter the tone or tone, it seemed that they were telling him deliberately.Ma Qin was about to leave the bath, but she dismissed the idea and quietly listened to that person's criticism. "Mr. Qu Ting, the master of the book, you're just bragging. In fact, what Ma Qin wrote is a replica of other people's stories. Besides, isn't "The Legend of Eight Dogs" just an imitation! Of course, if you don't explore it , the plot is quite interesting, but I dare say he is based on a Chinese novel. It is not easy just to read it once. This is not enough, but he plagiarized the works of Jingchuan ① again, which makes people dumbfounded and annoyed. There is no way to give birth." ①Kyoden Jiyama Tokyoden (1761-1816), a novelist and ukiyo-e painter in the late Edo period of Japan. Ma Qin stared dazedly at the man who despised him.It was obscured by the heat, but it looked like the cross-eye who was holding a small ginkgo topknot and was staying next to them.In this way, it must be because Pingji praised "The Legend of Eight Dogs" just now, which made him so angry that he deliberately used the Maqin to vent his anger. "First of all, what Ma Qin writes is all about playing with the pen, and there is nothing in his belly. He just explained the 'Four Books' and 'Five Classics', like an old pedant teaching a private school. Therefore, he does not invite world affairs. This can be proved from the fact that he only wrote about the past. He couldn’t write about Aran Hisamatsu in real life, so he wrote "Song Ran’s Love History Autumn Seven Grass"②. If you use the tone of Master Ma Qin Well, it's a lot of fun to do." ①Aran was the daughter of the owner of the Wayabashi Oil Factory in Osaka in the early 18th century, and Hisamatsu was an apprentice in the Oil Factory.During the Edo period, there were many joruri and kabuki scripts based on their love and death incidents. ② "Song Dyeing Love History Autumn Seven Grass" is a novel by Quting Maqin, published in 1808.Although the names of Aran and Jiusong are borrowed in the book, the story is based on the history of the rise and fall of the Nan clan, a military general in the Southern Dynasties.The Southern Dynasty is also called Yoshino Dynasty.After 1336, Emperor Daigo established the capital in Yoshino, Yamato, and called it the Southern Dynasty, which was separated from the Northern Dynasty of the Jimeiin system supported by the Ashikaga Shogunate.By 1392, the Southern and Northern Dynasties merged. If one party has a sense of superiority, it is impossible to develop feelings of hatred.Although the other party's words made Ma Qin feel angry, the strange thing was that he couldn't hate that person.On the contrary, he was tempted to express his contempt.The reason why he didn't do this was probably because he was old and knew how to restrain himself. "In comparison, Yijiu and Sanma are really great. The characters in their pens are so natural and lifelike. They are definitely not made up by a little skill and half-bottle of knowledge. Like the hermits of Xiaolixuan It's very different." ① Yijiu, that is, Shihuitai Yijiu (1765-1831), a novelist in the Edo period of Japan, and the author of "Tokkaido Hiking". As far as Ma Qin's experience is concerned, listening to others belittle his own works not only makes him unhappy, but also feels very dangerous.This is not because of the frustration of admitting that others are right, but because of thinking that others are wrong, so the motivation for future creation will be impure.Due to impure motives, deformed works may be written every time.It's a different matter for writers who only cater to the trend. Writers with more or less courage are prone to hide such dangers.Therefore, Ma Qin has tried not to read the accusations against his works so far.But on the other hand it is tempting to read such critiques.Partly because of this temptation, he listened to the slander of the little ginkgo bun in the bathhouse. When he realized this, he immediately blamed himself for being too stupid to soak in the water so lazily. He stopped listening to the shrill voice of Little Ginkgo Bun, and suddenly stepped out of the pomegranate mouth.The blue sky outside the window can be seen through the misty heat, and persimmons bathed in the warm sunlight float in the sky.Ma Qin walked to the front of the sink and calmly flushed herself with clean water. Maybe because of the cross-eyed relationship, the person didn't see that Ma Qin had already stepped out of the pomegranate mouth, and mistakenly thought that he was still there, so he continued to lash out at him in the bath: "Anyway, Ma Qin is a counterfeit , what a Japanese Luo Guanzhong!" Fives However, when Ma Qin left the bathhouse, he was depressed.Dui Yan'er's harsh words did have the expected effect, at least within this scope.While walking on the streets of Edo City in the crisp autumn air, he carefully pondered and weighed the harsh criticism he heard in the bathhouse.He immediately proved the fact that no matter from which point of view, it is a fallacy that is not worth paying attention to.However, once his emotions are disturbed, it seems that it is not easy to restore calm. He lifted his melancholy eyes to look at the shops on both sides.The people in the store had nothing to do with his mood, and they were engrossed in making a living for the day.There are yellow-brown cloth curtains with the words "Famous Teas from Various Countries" printed on them, and a comb-shaped yellow signboard that says "True Boxwood ①".The hanging lamp with the word "sedan chair" written on it, and the fortune-teller's banner with the word "divination" printed on it—these things were lined up in an uneven row, passing before his eyes in a mess. ① Japan's Izu Seven Islands are famous for producing boxwood.Because of its tough texture, boxwood is mostly used to make combs and chess pieces. ②Paper lanterns with the word "sedan" are hung at the entrance of the sedan chair shop to attract customers. "I don't take these criticisms seriously, but why are they so troublesome?" Ma Qin continued to think. "The first thing that offends me is that the cross-eyed has ill will against me. What can be done? Whatever the reason, any one who has ill will against me displeases me." As he thought this, he felt ashamed of his cowardice.To be honest, there are not many people with such an arrogant attitude like him, and it is rare to be so sensitive to other people's malice.He was, of course, long ago aware of the fact that two effects which appear to be behaviorally diametrically opposed are in fact caused by the same neurological action. "But there's another reason for my displeasure. That I've been put up against the cross-eyed guy. I never liked it, and that's why I never bet with anybody." He pondered this far.From the sudden opening of his tightly pursed lips it was evident that, as he probed deeper, his mood took an unexpected change. "Finally, it does displease me that it is the opposite that has put me in such a position. If he had not been such a small opponent, it would have been enough to arouse my resentment, so that the heart Vent your unhappiness on him. But what should I do if I confront such an opponent?" Ma Qin smiled wryly and looked up at the sky.The joyful chirping of the kite hawks rained down along with the sun.He, who had been depressed all the time, felt gradually relieved. "However, no matter how much the opposite eye slanders me, at most it just makes me feel unhappy. No matter how much the hawk crows, the sun will not stop spinning. My "The Legend of the Eight Dogs" will definitely be completed. By then, Japan There will be a great book that is unparalleled in ancient and modern times." He regained his confidence, comforted himself like this, turned a corner in the narrow alley, and walked back home quietly. six When I got home, I saw a pair of familiar bamboo leather sandals under the steps of the dark porch.As soon as he saw it, the expressionless face of the visitor came to Ma Qin's eyes.He thought angrily that he had to delay his work again, and he hated it to death. ① Twisted toe loops are a kind of sandal loops made of twisted thin straps that were popular during the Yuanlu period (1688-1703). "It's over again this morning." While thinking this way, he stepped up the steps, and the maid A Shan came out to greet her in a panic.She pressed her hands on the floor, knelt there, looked up at his face and said, "The master of Izumi House is waiting for you to come back in the room." He nodded and handed the wet towel to A Shan.But he didn't want to go to the study immediately after saying anything. "Where's the wife?" "The incense is gone." "Did the young mistress go too?" "Yes, I took the young master with me." "Where's the young master?" "I went to Mr. Yamamoto's house." The whole family is out.A feeling of disappointment passed over his heart.He reluctantly opened the paper partition of the study next to the door. At a glance, sitting in the center of the room was a posturing man with a greasy face, holding a thin silver tobacco rod between his teeth.In his study, except for the screen with rubbings and a couplet of red maple and yellow chrysanthemum hanging in the alcove, there is no decent decoration.Along the wall are more than fifty antique paulownia bookcases lined up desertedly.The window paper probably hasn't been changed in the past year, there are pieces here and there, and the holes are patched with white paper.Under the reflection of the autumn sun, there is a huge slanting shadow of the remaining plantain leaves and mother-in-law.Because of this, the gorgeous costumes of the visitors became more and more out of harmony with the surrounding atmosphere. ①The alcove is a place in the Japanese-style living room where the wall is higher than the floor, separated by columns, and used to display decorations and hang pictures on the wall. "Ah, sir, you are back." As soon as the paper partition was opened, the guest said so articulately and bowed respectfully.He is the owner of the bookstore and Izumiya Ichihei. At that time, the reputation was second only to "The Legend of the Eight Dogs", and it was published by the bookstore. "Keep you waiting. I took a rare shower this morning." Ma Qin frowned slightly involuntarily, and sat down politely as usual. "Oh, I went to take a shower early in the morning, it was really..." Ichibei made a sound of great admiration.It is also rare for someone to feel admiration—no, pretend to be admiration—for any trivial matter like him.Ma Qin smoked slowly, and changed the topic to serious business as usual.He especially disliked Izumiya's admiration. "Then what's your business today?" "Well, I'm asking you for a manuscript again." Ichibei turned the pipe of the cigarette with his fingertips and spoke softly like a woman.This man has a very special character.On most occasions, his external performance and his inner thoughts are inconsistent.Not only inconsistent, but quite the opposite.Therefore, when he made up his mind to do something, he must speak softly. Hearing his tone, Ma Qin couldn't help frowning again. "Manuscript, it can't be done." "Oh, is there any difficulty?" "It's not just the difficulty. I've collected a lot of reading books this year, and I can't find the time to combine them anyway." ① Hejuan is a kind of straw paper that was popular in the late Edo period.The original straw paper is straw paper.The cursive paper means book, and the first cursive character refers to rough, that is, a popular book for women and children to read.Later, the second cursive character was changed to double (in Japanese, grass and double characters have the same pronunciation).Combining volumes is to combine the previous five small volumes into one volume, and each book consists of two volumes, which has the space of the previous ten volumes, which makes it easier to publish a long novel. "Well, you are very busy." After the Ichibei finished speaking, he knocked on the ashtray with his cigarette stick, and then, as if he had completely forgotten what he said just now, he suddenly started talking about Mrs. Jiro, the mouse monk. seven Taifu Jiro, the mouse monk, is a well-known thief. He was arrested in early May this year and made his first public appearance in mid-August.He specialized in stealing daimyo mansions and donating the stolen goods to poor people, so at that time he had a weird nickname called righteous thief, and he was praised everywhere. ①Daimyo is a vassal in the feudal era of Japan. "It is said that he stole seventy-six daimyo mansions, and the amount of money amounted to three thousand one hundred and eighty-three taels, which is amazing. Although he is a thief, it is not something ordinary people can do." Ma Qin couldn't help but feel curious.Ichihei's remarks are full of complacency, because he can often provide materials to the author.This complacency of course made Ma Qin angry.Curiosity aroused despite anger.He had some gift as an artist, and was probably especially susceptible to temptation in this respect. "Well, it's really amazing. I've heard all kinds of rumors, but I didn't expect it to be like this." "In short, he can be said to be a hero among thieves. I heard that he used to be the entourage of Mr. Arao Danmamori, so he knows the situation inside the Daimyo Mansion well. According to the person who saw him when he was paraded in the street before the beheading People say that he is fat and cute, and he was wearing a dark blue Echigo crepe jacket with a white satin jacket underneath. Isn't this exactly like the character in your work?" ① Arao is a surname, but Tajima is the name of the old Japanese country, which is in the north of today's Hyogo Prefecture.The ancient administrative divisions of Japan were divided into more than seventy countries.Shou is the first-class official in the local government and the country in ancient Japan. ② Echigo is the name of the old country in Japan, in today's Xinqing County. Ma Qin replied vaguely, and lit another pipe of cigarettes.Ichihei is not a person who can be intimidated by being vague. He said: "What do you think? How about moving Dr. Jiro here to write? I know you are very busy, but please, please, Just promise to come down." He immediately changed the topic from Mouse Monk to the manuscript reminder.Ma Qin, who had become accustomed to his usual method, still refused to agree.Not only did he not agree, he was even more unhappy.Although it was only for a moment, he fell into Ichibei's trick, and he was a little curious, and he felt that he was too stupid.He seemed to be smoking a cigarette in a rather tasteless manner, and finally found such a set of reasons: "First of all, I just bite the bullet and write, anyway, I can't write something decent. It will affect the sales, and you will find it boring. It seems that it is better to listen to me, in the final analysis, it is beneficial to both parties." "That being said, I still want to ask you to do your best, do you think it will work?" As he spoke, Shibei "swept" with his eyes (a word Maqin used to describe a certain look in Izumiya's eyes) Maqin's face, and after a while, puffed out a puff of smoke from his nostrils. "No matter what, I can't write it. I don't have the time to write it. There is no way." "That would embarrass me." After Ichibei finished speaking, he suddenly changed the topic to the writers of the time.His thin lips still hold the thin silver tobacco stem. Eight "I heard that Tanehiko is going to publish a new work again. It's just a gorgeous, sad story. The things written by that man have characteristics that can only be written by him." ①Tanehiko is Liu Ting Tanehiko (1783-1842), a novelist in the late Edo period in Japan, and the author of "Pseudo Zitu School" and so on. I don't know what it means. When Ichibei mentioned writers, he never added honorific titles.Every time Ma Qin heard him address writers like that, she thought to herself that the city guard must call herself "that Ma Qin" behind his back.When he was angry, he often thought: Why should he write for this rude guy who treats the writer as his own hired clerk and calls him by name?So the more I thought about it, the more angry I became.When he heard the name Takahiko today, his face became even more gloomy.But Ichibei didn't seem to notice it. "We still want to publish Chun Shui's works. You hate him, but his works seem to be quite suitable for ordinary people." ① Chunshui is Yongchunshui (1790-1843), a Japanese novelist in the late Edo period, and author of "Spring Colors and Plum Calendar" and so on. "Really?" Before Ma Qin's eyes, Chunshui's face appeared before her eyes.He felt that Chun Shui was more obscene.He had long heard that Chunshui had said this: "I'm not a writer. I'm just a wage earner, writing romance novels for everyone to enjoy according to the requirements of customers." Therefore, he certainly looked down on this writer who didn't look like a writer.However, now that he heard Ichibei mentioning Shunsui without an honorific title, he still couldn't help feeling displeased. "Anyway, he's an expert at writing romantic stuff. And he's about to become famous for his pen." As the city soldier said this, he glanced at Ma Qin, and then shifted his gaze to the silver cigarette stick in his mouth.At this moment, an extremely obscene expression appeared on his face, at least in Ma Qin's view. "He writes so well. It is said that he writes a thousand words, and two or three chapters are written in one go. Speaking of which, your pen is also very fast, right?" On the one hand, Ma Qin felt unhappy, and on the other hand, he felt threatened.He has a strong self-esteem, so of course he doesn't want people to compare him with Chun Shui and Zhong Yan, to see whose pen is faster.And he was rather a slow writer.He felt it proved his incompetence and was often discouraged by it.But on the other hand, from time to time, he regards slow writing as a yardstick to measure his artistic conscience, which is valuable.However, no matter what his mood is, he will never agree to let the laity criticize him.So, he looked at the couplets of red maple and yellow chrysanthemums hanging in the alcove, and said forcefully: "It depends on the time and occasion, sometimes you write quickly, and sometimes you write slowly." "Oh, it depends on the time and occasion." Ichibei expressed his admiration for the third time.But of course he wasn't just admiring.Immediately afterwards, he said straightforwardly: "But, I have already said it several times, can you agree to the original manuscript? Take Chunshui as an example..." "I'm different from Mr. Chunshui." Ma Qin had a problem with turning her lower lip to the left when she was angry.At this moment, the lower lip slammed to the left again. "Hey, I thank you, Bumin...Ashan, Ashan, have you arranged the clogs of Izumiya boss?" Nine After Ma Qin issued the order to expel the guests from Izumiya City Guards, she leaned on the porch pillar alone, looked at the scenery of the small courtyard, and tried her best to suppress the anger in her heart. The yard is full of sunlight, plantains with broken leaves and nearly bare sycamore trees, together with the green podocarpus and bamboo, share the autumn colors of several pings of land warmly.Here, the hibiscus next to the washbasin is sparsely populated with few flowers left. Over there, the sweet-scented osmanthus planted outside the sleeve fence still exudes a strong fragrance.The flute-like chirping of the kite hawk came down from the blue sky from time to time. ①Ping is a unit of area in Japan, and one ping is equal to thirty-six square meters. ②Sleeve fence, the original text is sleeve wall, a fence built next to the house, shaped like a kimono sleeve, hence the name. Compared with the natural scenery, he once again thought of how inferior the world is.The misfortune of those who live in an inferior world is that, under the influence of this inferiority, their words and deeds have to become inferior.Take him for example, he just drove Izumiya Ichibei away.It is certainly not an elegant thing to issue an order to expel a guest.But because the other party was too inferior, he himself was forced to do such inferior things.So, he did just that.To do so meant that he made himself as humble as Ichibei, that is to say, he was forced to degenerate to this point. Thinking of this, he remembered that something similar to this happened not long ago.A man named Nagashima Masabei who lived in Kuchiki Kamisinden, Sangshu, wrote him a letter last spring asking him to be his teacher.The general idea of ​​the letter is: I am twenty-three years old now, and since I became deaf at the age of twenty-one, I have devoted myself to writing books with the determination to become famous for my writing.Needless to say, I am an avid reader of "The Tale of Eight Dogs" and "The Island Patrol".However, staying in such a backcountry, there are always various inconveniences in learning.Therefore, I don't know if I want to come to the house to be a diner.I still have enough manuscripts for six volumes, and I would like to ask you to correct them.Send it to a decent bookstore for publication.From Ma Qin's point of view, the other party's request was purely a wishful thinking.But just because he was troubled by his eyes, the other party's deafness aroused his sympathy, and he wrote back, "Please forgive me, but I cannot accept your request."As far as Ma Qin was concerned, the letter was rather polite.The reply letter sent by that person was full of violent condemnation from beginning to end. The letter begins like this: Whether it is your reader "The Legend of Eight Dogs" or "The Island Tour", they are all long and smelly, but I have read them patiently.And you refuse to read even the mere six volumes I wrote.This shows how low your personality is.And it ended with such a personal attack: as an old senior, he refused to keep the younger generation as diners, but it was due to stinginess.马琴一怒之下，立即写了回信，还加上了这么一句：有你这样的浅薄无聊的读者，是我终生的耻辱。这位仁兄以后就沓无音信了。莫非他至今还在写读本吗？并且梦想着有朝一日让日本全国的人都读到它吗？ ... 回顾此事的时候，马琴情不自禁地既觉得长岛政兵卫可怜，同时也觉得他自己可怜。于是这又使他产生了莫可言喻的寂寥之感。太阳一个劲儿地晒着桂花，那香气越发馥郁了一芭蕉和梧桐也悄无声息，叶儿一动也不动。鹞鹰的鸣叫声和刚才一样嘹亮。大自然是如此，而人呢……他像做梦般地呆呆地倚着廊柱，直到十分钟后，女用人阿杉来通知他午饭已经准备好了。 ten 他孤零零地吃完了冷冷清清的午饭，这才回到书房来。不知怎的心神不定，很不痛快。为了使心情宁静下来，他翻开了好久没看过的。顺手翻到风雪夜豹子头林冲在山神庙看到火烧草料场那一段。戏剧性的情节照例引起了他的兴致。但是读了一会儿，他反倒感到不安了。 前去朝香的家里人还没回来，房屋里静悄悄的。他收敛起阴郁的表情，对着机械地抽着烟。在烟雾缭绕中，脑子里一向存在的一个疑问又浮现出来。 这个疑问不断纠缠著作为道德家和作为艺术家的他。他从来没怀疑过“先王之道”。正如他公开声明过的，他的小说正是“先王之道”在艺术上的表现。因此，这里并不存在矛盾。但是“先王之道”赋予艺术的价值，以及他在思想感情上想赋予艺术的价值之间竟有很大的距离。因而，作为一个道德家，他是肯定前者的，而作为一个艺术家，他当然又肯定后者。当然，他也曾想用一种平庸的权宜之计来解决这个矛盾。他也确实想在群众面前打出不痛不痒的协调的幌子，借此掩盖自己对艺术的暧昧态度。 但是，即便骗得过群众，他却骗不过自己。他否定戏作的价值，称它作“劝善惩恶的工具”，然而一旦接触到不断在心中沸腾的艺术灵感，就蓦地觉得不安起来。正因为如此，中的一段恰巧给他的情绪带来了意想不到的影响。 在这方面，马琴内心里是怯懦的。他默默地抽着烟，强制自己去惦念眼下外出的家属。但是就摆在跟前。他总也排遣不开环绕着而产生的不安。就在这当儿，久违的华山渡边登①来访。他身穿和服外褂和裙裤，腋下夹着个紫色包袱，大概是来还书的。 ①渡边登（1793—1841），日本江户时代末期的画家，号华山。国谴责幕府的闭关自守政策，受迫害而自杀。 马琴高高兴兴地特地到门廊去迎接这位好友。 华山进了书房，果然说道：“今天我是来还书的，顺便还想给你看一样东西。” 一看，除了包袱，华山还拿着个用纸卷着的画绢般的东西。 “你如果有空，就请赏光。” “哦，马上就给我看吧。” 华山好像要掩盖近乎兴奋的心情，矜持地微微一笑，把卷在纸里的画绢打开来给马琴看。画面上或远或近，疏疏落落画着几棵萧瑟、光秃秃的树，林间站着两个拍手谈笑的男人。不论是撒落地面的黄叶还是群聚树梢的乱鸦，画面上处处弥漫着微寒的秋意。 “马琴看着这张色彩很淡的寒山拾得像，眼睛里逐渐闪烁出温和润泽的光辉。 “每一次你都画得这么好。我想起了王摩洁。这里表达的正是'食随鸣磬巢乌下，行踏空林落叶声'的意境啊。” eleven “这是昨天画好的，还算满意，要是你老人家喜欢的话，打算送给你，所以才带来的。”华山边抚摸刚刚刮过胡子的发青的下巴，边踌躇满志地说。“当然，说是满意，也不过矮子里挑将军就是了……什么时候也画得不够理想。” “那大谢谢啦。总是承蒙惠赠，真是不敢当。” 马琴边看画、边喃喃致谢。因为不知怎的，他那还没完成的工作，忽然在他的脑子里一闪。而华山呢，好像也依然在想着自己的画。 “每逢看到古人的画，我老是想，怎么画得这么出色。不论木石还是人物，都画得惟妙惟肖，而且把古人的心情表达得活灵活现。这一点可实在了不起。相形之下，我连孩子都不如。” “古人说过：后生可畏。”马琴用妒忌的心情瞥着老是想着自己的画的华山，难得地说了这么一句俏皮话。 “后生当然也是可畏的。但是我们仅仅是夹在古人和后人之间，一动也不能动，一个劲儿地被推着往前走。倒也不光我们是这样。古人也是这样，后生大概也是如此。” “你说得对，要是不前进，马上就会给推倒了。这么说来，哪怕一步也好，要紧的是研究一下怎样前进。” “对，这比什么都要紧。” 主人和客人被自己的话所感动，沉默了片刻，倾听着划破秋日的肃穆传来的响动儿。 不久，华山把话题一转，问道：“《八犬传》依然进行得很顺利吗？” “不，总是迟迟不见进展，真没办法。从这一点来说，似乎也赶不上古人。” “你老人家说这样的话，可不好办啊。” “说到不好办，我比谁都感到不好办。可是无论如何也得尽自己的力量去写。所以，最近我打定主意和《八犬传》拼了。”马琴说到这里，泛着羞愧的神色苦笑了一下。“心里想，左不过是戏作罢了。可是做起来就不那么容易了。” “我的画也是一样的。既然开了个头，我也打算尽力画下去。” “咱俩都把命拼了。” 两个人朗笑起来。笑声中却蕴含着只有他俩才能觉察到的一抹寂寥。同时，这种寂寥又使主客双方都感到强烈的兴奋。 这次轮到马琴改变话题了：“可是，绘画是值得羡慕的。不会受到官方的谴责，这比什么都强。” twelve “那倒不会……不过，你老人家写东西，也用不着担心这一点吧。” “哪里的话，这种事多着呢！”马琴举了个实际例子来说明检查官的书籍检查粗暴到了极点。他写的小说有一段描写官员受贿，检查官就命令他改写。 他又议论道：“检查官越是吹毛求疵，越露马脚，多有意思。由于他们接受贿赂，就不愿意人家写贿赂的事，硬让你改掉。而且，正因为他们自己一来就动下流念头，不论什么书，只要写了男女之情，马上就说是诲淫的作品。而且还认为自己在道德方面比作者要高，简直令人耻笑。这就好比是猴儿照镜子，因为自己太低级了，气得龇牙咧嘴。” 由于马琴那么起劲地打着比喻讲着，华山不禁失笑。他说：“这种情况恐怕多得很。可是，即使被迫改写，也不会丢你老人家的脸。不论检查官怎么说，伟大的著作也必然是有它的价值的。” “但是蛮不讲理的事太多了。对了，有一次，只因为我写了一段往监狱里送吃的穿的，也给删掉了五六行。” 马琴本人边这么说着，边和华山一道哧哧笑起来。 “但是，再过五十年一百年，检查官就没有了，只有《八犬传》还留传于世。” “不管《八犬传》能不能留传下去，我总觉得，任何时候都会有检查官的。” “是吗？我可不这么想。” “不，即使检查官没有了，检查官这样的人可什么时代都没断过。你要是认为焚书坑儒只是从前才有过，那就大错特错了。” “近来你老人家净说泄气话。” “不是我泄气，而是检查官们横行跋扈的世道，让我泄气的啊。” “那你就更加起劲地搞创作好了。” “总之，只好如此吧。” “咱们都把命拼了吧。” 这一次，两个人都没有笑。不仅没笑，马琴还绷了一下脸，看了看华山，华山这句像是开玩笑的话，竟是如此尖锐。 过了一会儿，马琴说：“但是，年轻人首先要懂得好歹，想方设法活下去。命嘛，什么时候都可以拼。” 他知道华山的政治观点，这时忽然感到一阵不安。但华山只是淡淡地一笑，没有回答。 Thirteen 华山回去后，马琴依然感到兴奋，他就在这股劲头的推动下，为了续《八犬传》的稿子，像往常那样对著书桌坐下来。他一向有个习惯，总是把头一天写的部分通读一遍再往下续。于是，今天他也把行间相距很近、用红笔改得密密麻麻的几页原稿细心地慢慢重读一遍。 不知怎的，文章和他的心情不那么吻合。字里行间蕴含着不纯的杂音，处处破坏全文的协调。起初他还以为这是自己肝火旺所致。 “我现在心情不佳。我本来是尽自己的一切力量写的啊。” 他这么想着，又重读一遍。但跟刚才完全一样，还是不对头。他心里慌得厉害，简直不像是个老人了。 “前一段怎么样呢？” 他又翻看前面的文章。这里还是那样，极其粗糙的词句，触目皆是。他一段接一段地往前读下去。 可是，越读，拙劣的结构和杂乱无章的句子越展现在眼前。这里有着给人留不下任何印象的叙景，一点也不感动人的咏叹，以及不合逻辑的说理。他花费几天时间写成的几章原槁，现在读来，觉得全是无用的饶舌而已。他猛地感到钻心的痛苦。 “只好从头改写啦。” 他心里这么喊着，狠狠地把原稿推开，用胳膊支着脑袋，一骨碌躺在铺席上。但是，大概还惦记着稿子的事，眼睛一直盯著书桌。《弓张月》和《南柯梦》都是在这张书桌上写的，目前他正在写《八犬传》。摆在书桌上的端溪①砚，状如蹲螭②的镇纸，蛤蟆形钢水盂，浮雕着狮子和牡丹的青磁砚屏，以及刻有兰花的孟宗竹根笔筒——这一切文具，老早就对他文思枯竭之苦习以为常了。这些，无不使他觉得目前的失败给自己毕生的巨著投下了阴影——这似乎说明了他本人的写作能力根本就值得怀疑，从而使他不禁产生不祥的忧虑。 ①端溪是我国广东省西部德庆县的古名，以产砚石著称。 ②螭是古代传说中的天角龙。古代建筑中或工艺品上常用它的形状做装饰。这里是指压纸用的文具作蹲着的龙状。 “直到刚才我还打算写一部在我国无与伦比的巨著来着。但是说不定这也跟一般人一样，不过是一种自负罢了。” 这种忧虑给他带来了比什么都难以忍受的、凄凉孤独之感。他在自己所尊敬的日汉的天才面前，一向是谦虚的。正因为如此，对待同时代的庸庸碌碌的作家，他是极为傲慢不逊的。那末，他又怎么能轻易承认，归根结蒂，自己的能力也不过跟他们不相上下，而且自己竟是个讨厌的辽东豕①。但是他的个性太强，精神又那么饱满，决不甘心于从此“认命”，逃避到“大彻大悟”中去。 ①辽东豕的典故见《后汉书·朱浮传》。大意是说，在辽东白猪是个罕物，到了河东就不稀奇了，以喻由于缺乏见识而自鸣得意。 他就这样躺在书桌前面边用一种活像船长在看着触礁后沉向海底的船那样的眼神打量着这份写失败了的原稿，边静悄悄地和强烈的绝望搏斗着。这当儿，他背后的纸隔扇哗啦一声拉开了，“爷爷，我回来啦”的话音未落，一双柔嫩的小手搂住了他的脖子。不然的话，他还会一直愁闷下去呢。孙子太郎精神抖擞地一下子蹦到马琴的腿上。只有小娃娃才这样爽直，肆无忌惮。 “爷爷，我回来了。” “哦，回来得真快呀。”满脸皱纹的《八犬传》的作者，简直像是换了个人似的顿时喜形于色了。 fourteen 从饭厅那边热热闹闹地传来了老伴儿阿百的尖嗓子和为人腼腆的儿媳妇阿路的声音。时而还夹杂着男人的粗嗓门，看来儿子宗伯刚好也回来了。太郎骑在爷爷的腿上，故意一本正经地瞧着天花板，好像是在侧着耳朵听那些声音似的。他的脸蛋子给外面的冷空气吹得通红，随着呼吸，小小的鼻翼一掀一掀的。 穿着土红色小礼服的太郎突然说道：“我说呀，爷爷。” 他在一个劲儿想事情，同时又竭力憋着笑，所以脸上的酒窝一会儿露出来，一会儿又消失了——马琴看到他这副样子，不由得引起微笑。 “每天多多……” “哦，每天多多？……＂”用功吧。“ 马琴终于噗哧一声笑了出来。他边笑边接茬儿问道：“还有呢？” “还有……嗯……别发脾气。” “哎呀呀，一没有了吗？” “还有哪。” 太郎说着，仰起那挽着线髻①的头，自己也笑起来了。马琴看着他笑得眯起眼睛，露出白白的牙，面颊上一对小酒窝，他怎样也难以想象这个孩子长大后会变得像世间一般人那样形容猥琐。马琴沉浸在幸福的感受当中，这么思忖着。于是心里越发乐不可支。 ①原文作系鬓，江户时代前期儿童、演员和侠客梳的一种发式，将头发剃光，只在两鬓留下细细的一络，在后脑勺打成髻，故名。 "What else?" “还有好多事儿哪。” "what's up?" “唔……爷爷啊，以后会变得更伟大，所以……” “会变得更伟大，所以什么？” “所以要好好忍耐。” “是忍耐着哪。”马琴不由得认认真真地说。 “要好好儿、好好儿地忍耐。” “这话是谁说的？” “这个……”太郎调皮地看了一下他的脸，笑了起来。“猜猜谁呀？” “唔，今天你朝香去了，是听庙里的和尚说的吧？” “不对。”太郎使劲摇摇头，从马琴腿上略抬起屁股，将下巴往前伸了伸，说道：“是……” "Ok?" “是浅草的观音菩萨这么说的。” 话犹未了，这个孩子一边用大得全家都听得见的声音欢笑，一边像是怕给马琴抓住似的，急忙从他身旁跳开了。让爷爷乖乖地上了当，太郎乐得拍着小手，滚也似的向饭厅那边逃去。 刹那间，马琴脑子里闪过一个严肃的念头。他嘴边绽出幸福的微笑。不知什么时候，他已热泪盈眶。他并不想去追问这个玩笑究竟是太郎自己想出来的，还是爹妈教的。此时此刻从孙子口中听到这样的话，他感到不可思议。 “是观音菩萨这么说的吗？多多用功，别发脾气，好好忍耐。” 六十几岁的老艺术家含泪笑着，像孩子似的点了点头。 fifteen that night. 马琴在圆形纸罩座灯暗淡的光线下，继续写着《八犬传》的稿子。他写作时，家里的人都不进这间书房。静悄悄的屋子里，灯心吸油的声音，和蟋蟀声融会在一起，懒洋洋地诉说着漫长的夜晚有多么寂寥。 刚刚提笔的时候，他脑子里闪烁着微光般的东西。随着十行、二十行地写下去，那个光逐渐亮起来。马琴根据自己的经验，知道这是什么，就小心翼翼地运笔。灵感跟火毫无二致，不懂得笼火，即使点燃了，也会立即熄灭的…… 马琴抑制着动辄就要奔腾向前的笔，屡次三番悄悄地告诫自己道：“别着急，要尽量考虑得深刻一些。”刚才的星星之火，已经在脑子里形成一股比河水还流得快的思潮。它越流越湍急，不容分说地把他推向前。 不知从什么时候起，他已经听不见蟋蟀声了。座灯的光太暗，他也完全不在乎了。自然而然地有了笔势在，纸上一泻而下。他以与神明比高低的态度，几乎是豁出命地继续写着。 头脑中的潮水，犹如奔腾在天空上的银河，不知从什么地方滚滚涌出。来势之猛，使他觉得害怕。他担心万一自己的肉体承受不住可怎么办。于是他紧紧攥着笔，屡次三番地提醒自己道：“竭力写吧。错过这个时机，说不定就写不出来了。” 但是恰似朦朦胧胧的光的那道潮流，不但丝毫不曾减缓速度，反而令人眼花缭乱地奔腾着，把一切都淹没了，汹涌澎湃地向他冲过来。他终于彻底给俘虏了，他忘记了一切，对着潮流的方向挥着笔，其势如暴风骤雨。 这时，映现在他那帝王般的眼里的，既不是利害得失，也不是爱憎之情。他的情绪再也不会为褒贬所左右了，这里只有不可思议的喜悦。要么就是令人陶醉的悲壮的激情。不懂得这种激情的人，又怎么能体会戏作三昧的心境呢？又怎么能理解戏作家的庄严的灵魂呢？看哪，“人生”涤荡了它的全部残渣，宛如一块崭新的矿石，不是璀璨地闪烁在作者眼前吗？ 这当儿，阿百、阿路婆媳俩，正在饭厅里面对面坐在灯旁，继续做针线活。大概已经把太郎打发睡了。坐在离她们不远的地方，身子骨看起来挺单薄的宗伯，一直在忙着搓丸药。 不久，阿百把针放在擦了油的头发上蹭了蹭，用不满意的腔调喃喃地说：“爹还没睡吗？” 阿路眼睛仍盯着针脚，回答道：“一定又埋头写作呢。” “这个人真没办法。又拿不了多少钱。” 阿百这么说着，看了看儿子和媳妇。宗伯装作没听见，一声不响。阿路也默默地继续缝着。不论是这里还是在书房，都一样能听到秋虫唧唧。 （一九一七年十一月） translated by Wen Jieruo