一石激起千层浪 Ripples caused by a book

2003年春夏之交，中22269;文32852;出版社以19995;20070;方式，出版了36149;州作家24352;宗38125;的38271;篇小35828;《女人土匪19996;洋狗》，在中22269;文22363;、民38388;和思想界引起了36720;21160;。

Between the spring and summer of 2003, the Chinese Literature Association Press published in series Women, Bandits and the Japanese Dog, a long novel by Mr. Zongming Zhang, a Guizhou writer. It caused heated responses in the Chinese literary circles, the public, and men of ideologies.

   次年1月7日，北京22270;20070;20256;播研究所20030;21150;了《女人土匪19996;洋狗》——24352;宗38125;20010;人作品研35752;20250;暨35760;者招待20250;。與20250;的19987;家、23398;者23545;此20070;32473;予了高度35780;價。

On January 7, 2004 Beijing Institute of Publications and Communications hosted a symposium and a press reception on Mr. Zongming Zhang’s work Women, Bandits and the Japanese Dog. Favorable comments were made by the experts and scholars present on the writing.

   38543;後光明日25253;、中22269;青年25253;、中22269;文化25253;、中央30005;35270;台、中央24191;播30005;台┅┅等主流媒體及若幹省、市25253;刊，或21457;表35780;35770;，或36827;行36716;36733;，好35780;如潮。中22269;新38395;網、人民網、北京新38395;網┅┅等35832;多網站，都21457;表了正麵肯定的文章。就36830;法22269;新38395;社，也用21326;35821;向世界21326;人介32461;了36825;部作品及作家┅┅於是，有21095;作家要23558;35813;20070;改32534;成21095;本，有製片商要拍30005;影、有22269;外出版商要36141;20080;版26435;┅┅一26102;38388;，36825;部作品好35780;如潮！

Later on mass media devoted much attention to and publicized favorable evaluation of the novel and the writer, such as Guangming Daily, China Youth Paper, Chinese Culture Paper, CCTV, and the Central Radio of China as well mainstream websites across China and other newspapers at the provincial and city levels. Even the French News Agency introduced in Chinese Mr. Zhang and his literary creation to the Chinese across the world. As a result, some playwrights considered adapting the novel into a drama, a number of movie producers intended to bring it onto the screen, and there were quite a few foreign publishers who were intent on obtaining its copyright. For a period of time, the writing has received much favorable appraisal.

   澳38376;中21326;出版社於2005年1月再版了此20070;，中22269;新38395;出版署信息中心主21150;的《全22269;新20070;目》2005年第5期，首次在全22269;31867;型的刊物上，以中21326;出版社推出24352;宗38125;文23398;佳作20026;39064;，36716;21457;了35813;部作品23558;角逐2005年35834;36125;23572;文23398;22870;的消息。

 The Macao Chinese Publishing House printed a new edition of the novel in January 2005. Word went in Volume 5, 2005 of A Catalogue of New Publications in China hosted by the Information Center of China Journalism and Publication Administration that Mr. Zongming Zhang would bid for the Nobel Prize for Literature with his novel published by the Chinese Publishing House.

春江水暖40493;先知

The voice of the grassroots

   36825;部38271;篇小35828;20026;什厶20250;引起今天的中22269;人如此地20851;注呢?20026;什厶23545;今天中22269;社20250;20135;生如此深刻的影21709;呢?35753;我20204;26469;探35752;一下在《女人土匪19996;洋狗》36825;部38271;篇小35828;裏，作家24352;宗38125;究竟20889;了些什厶?

Why was this novel much of a concern for today’s Chinese? Why can it have such impacts on the Chinese society? To answer the two questions, let’s find what the novel is about.

   36825;部作品20889;的是36149;州解放初期，我20204;黨的地方39046;23548;者20204;，偏　了革命方向及革命原21017;，23545;地主、起20041;23558;39046;及20891;官、虔35802;的宗教教徒與另31867;人┅┅在38454;32423;鬥20105;—36825;20010;今天一目了然的38169;35823;理35770;方38024;的指23548;下，采取的“寧左勿右”  的暴烈22330;麵和極端手法，23548;致上千丌的22269;民黨人、地主、22269;民黨20891;人、保甲38271;、原地方官21592;┅┅及36825;一31867;人的20146;23646;20204;被21093;22842;了26435;利和生存，使充28385;光明和希望的新中22269;一下子36827;入了“32418;色恐怖”  26102;代，20174;而23548;致了35768;多另31867;人23545;共20135;黨人的不信任及背叛!36825;一幕演32462;到改革24320;放後的今天，那一26102;代的38452;影依然26080;法消除!

The setting was Guizhou Province in the early years of the People’s Republic of China, when in a way against revolutionary objectives and principles some local Communist leaders treated the then landlords, uprising Kuomintang generals and officers, devout clergy and other people. Class struggle, viewed today as a wrong ideology, was the guideline for the extreme acts back in those years. Under the influence of the leftist rather than rightist platforms, thousands of Kuomintang generals and officers, landlords, Kuomintang soldiers, and old-time local security heads and leaders as well as their relatives were stripped of their rights and survival, which plunged the then country into an era of Red Scare and aroused distrust in and betrayal of the Communist Party. Even up to now the negative effects are still visible.

   作家的良知都20542;向於站在弱21183;群體36825;一36793;，也24635;是用微弱的文23398;力量26469;21796;醒人20204;。36807;去，站在25932;23545;21183;力立22330;的文23398;佳作中，如29595;格20029;特·米切23572;的《39128;》，作家用美22269;南方奴38582;主的35270;野，展29616;了南北25112;20105;23545;美22269;人民的戕害。與《39128;》相比36739;，24352;宗38125;21017;更注重的是生命、是人性、是人26435;，是古老的多28798;多38590;的中21326;民族和那些被26432;戮，被欺21387;、被21387;迫的苦38590;人群，他用微弱的22768;音，20026;自己，20026;弱21183;群體呼21796;，40483;不平!

Writers tend to stand by the vulnerable and hope to awake the public with the power, though seemingly trivial, of literature. Gone with the Wind, a novel expressing rival conflicts by Margaret Mitchell, displays the slaughter of American lives in the Civil War through the perspectives of slave-owners. In comparison, Mr. Zhang pays more attention to life, human nature, human rights, the war-scarred Chinese, the killed, and the oppressed. It is his hope that the voice expressed, though seemingly inaudible, can justify itself and those vulnerable people.

   中共元老38472;雲，把上世32426;五十年代31216;20026;中22269;共20135;黨21382;史上最好的幾20010;26102;期之一。而作家24352;宗38125;在《女人土匪19996;洋狗》36825;部38271;篇小35828;中，21017;35748;20026;事23454;並不是36825;26679;┅┅中共25191;政初期，形形色色的官21592;，20174;22269;家主席到省委20070;35760;，20174;20891;代表到派出所幹部┅┅很少有人冷38745;地思考一下∶我20204;的黨是否背　了23545;人民大20247;的35768;35834;?是否背　了23545;22269;民黨起20041;23558;39046;、26087;20891;官、26087;20891;人的承35834;？20026;何反36807;22836;26469;23545;他20204;36827;行清算、20260;害與28781;32477;?是否23545;各教派操之36807;急?23545;待地主、富20892;，20973;什厶23558;生26432;大26435;下放到20065;一32423;的20892;村幹部身上？20973;什厶35753;20892;民活活打死地主，36825;26679;行21527;?！

Mr. Yun Chen, a senior Communist statesman, hailed the 1950s as one of the best ages in the history of the Chinese Communist Party. Yet, Mr. Zhang holds a different view in his novel. Back in that era few leaders at various levels, including provincial leaders, military officers and public security workers, took these issues serious: the promise made to the general public, the promise made to, and the revenge against and even the purge of the uprising Kuomintang generals, officers and soldiers, the elimination of western religions, and the lives of old-time landlords and rich people at the mercy of township leaders and peasants. Chaos was then prevalent.

   作家24352;宗38125;35748;20026;∶“左” 31096;是值得中共39046;23548;人深刻反思和反省的。我20204;希望和平32479;一台28286;，但是，如果21452;方都27809;有27807;通、27809;有35802;信、27809;有深刻的反省，我20204;民族的32479;一大19994;20250;拖到何年何月何26102;?

Mr. Zhang thinks that the disasters caused by the leftist ideology are worth taking as a warning. We hope that we can unite Taiwan and the Mainland in a peaceful way. However, if there were no communication, trust or lesson from the past, the cause of unity would at best be utopian.

   37011;小平35748;20026;∶“左，使中22269;社20250;至少倒退了二十年。”  一20010;真正的政黨，24212;24403;是能22815;承25285;起21382;史36131;任的政黨，也24212;24403;是一20010;不光要21035;的政黨反省，自己也24212;24403;24443;底反省的政黨!

—《女人土匪19996;洋狗》就是36825;26679;的一部作品!

Mr. Xiaoping Deng once remarked, “The leftist movement reversed China at least 20 years.” A candid political party should be able to realize its own faults while asking the others to confess their wrong-doing. This is a historical responsibility that it must bear. The novel of Women, Bandits and the Japanese Dog aims at such a theme.

中22269;的23398;者20174;不缺少伯20048;，在今天中22269;36825;26679;的體製下，人民的民主精神不26029;地提高，人20204;更懂得26435;利的重要性!春江水暖40493;先知，中22269;36149;州大23398;文23398;係教授40644;俊傑，以一20010;23398;者的23457;35270;目光，在35835;完35813;20070;後，毅然20915;然地於2004年10月16日致函瑞典文23398;院，推薦36825;部作品21442;加2005年35834;36125;23572;文23398;22870;35780;36873;。

The Chinese scholars are noted for their sharp eyes. In today’s China democracy is rooted in the public, which is sensitive to its rights. The grassroots know what a voice to air. Professor Junjie Huang of the School of Literature, Guizhou University, read the novel with care and deliberation, and on October 16, 2004, recommended it to the Swedish Academy of Literature for the 2005 Nobel Prize for Literature.

他在推薦20070;中36825;厶20889;道∶“24352;宗38125;的38271;篇小35828;《女人土匪19996;洋狗》，是中22269;第一部25442;位思32500;、突破24403;代中22269;文23398;模式的32431;文23398;作品，作家大32966;而冷38745;的31508;觸，20026;中22269;的29616;代文23398;、政治體製改革的21457;展36827;程，提供了一麵32477;好的38236;子┅┅35831;表彰他的作品超越了22269;家與群體、性21035;或種族、32932;色和35821;言以及意35782;形24577;或宗教信仰之38388;的障30861;，23545;人31867;的互相20851;29233;與和睦相22788;提供了23453;36149;的精神食31918;!”

Prof. Huang wrote, “Mr. Zhang’s novel of Women, Bandits and the Japanese Dog is the first Chinese literary work that thinks in a human way and breaks the contemporary literary mode of thought; with daring strokes and calm personage the work can be regarded as an excellent mirror for the development of modern Chinese literature and political reform. His writing deserves praising for the transcendentalism over nation and ethnicity, gender or race, skin color and language, and blocks in ideology and religious faiths. For sake of this, it is a spiritual food for human care and harmony.”

中22269;《海南22768;屏25253;》21457;表的署名35780;35770;指出∶36825;是“一部高25196;人文精神的文23398;佳作”，“不20165;‘24352;25196;人性、呼21796;人26435;、35764;歌29233;情、36190;美友35850;、憎24694;暴力、揭露醜24694;’，同26102;36824;23545;宗教信仰表29616;了博大的胸懷。”

China’s Hainan Voice Paper published a named editorial, saying, “It is a literary work that upholds humanism,” “It publicizes human nature, calls for human rights, lauds love, praises friendship, despises violence and exposes evils,” and “It shows a great tolerance to religious faiths.”

—24212;24403;35828;，作家用22年26102;38388;完成此20070;，是需要勇氣和32966;35782;的，36825;充分反映了作家的25191;著精神和孜孜追求。

 It should be noted that the writer spent 22 years writing the novel with bravery and courage as well as perseverance and resolution.

吩咐梅花自主24352;

Spirit of tolerance

《女人土匪19996;洋狗》36825;部作品的最大特28857;，是在於作家站在被38215;21387;的社20250;力量的一36793;，控35785;了在21382;史大21464;革26102;期，　利者32473;另31867;人群造成的多種苦38590;，用33402;26415;形式呼21796;25191;政者23545;自己的23545;立麵也要35762;法製、35762;人26435;，要珍35270;他20204;的生命36130;20135;、人格尊20005;┅┅

The novel of Women, Bandits and the Japanese Dog is characterized with the standpoint it takes with the oppressed, exposing the sufferings visited on the ‘other’ kind of people in the transitional periods, and artistically appealing to the people in power for mercy at the human lives, properties and dignity of the political rivals.

中新社在2004年1月9日的新38395;中35828;，“35813;20070;34429;然隻是描20889;了一群小人物，如土匪、地主、地主婆及其子女、妓女等，然而主39064;相24403;宏大。尤其是20851;於人的精神38382;39064;、24402;宿38382;39064;。”

The Chinese News Agency noted on January 9, 2004, “The book depicts a group of trivial people, such as bandits, landlords, landlords’ wives and children, and prostitutes. The theme covers much, concerning especially human mentality and sustenance.”

光明日25253;在2004年1月15日，以“36149;州作家二十二年打造文23398;精品” 20026;39064;，35780;35770;道∶“《女人土匪19996;洋狗》展示了新中22269;成立之初，在39118;起雲湧的大革命26102;代中，主人公的遭38469;，命36816;。探35752;了生存、29233;情、真情等35805;39064;。全20070;充28385;了27987;鬱的地方氣息和民族39118;情。”

On January 15, 2004, Guangming Daily commented with the title of ‘Literary Masterpiece of 22 Years’ Efforts by a Guizhou’s Writer,” “The novel of Women, Bandits and the Japanese Dog displays the fate and misfortune of the protagonists in the early upheaval years of the People’s Republic of China, exploring such issues as survival, love and friendship; the book is full of local flavor and minority features.”

中22269;文化25253;在2004年1月19日也36825;厶35780;35770;道∶“36149;州作家24352;宗38125;花22年26102;38388;21019;作的小35828;《女人土匪19996;洋狗》┅┅全20070;以粗32447;26465;的、充28385;粗29367;色彩的31508;觸20889;成┅┅35780;35770;家35748;20026;，作家不能36807;於功利，麵23545;流行的、26102;尚的潮流，作家要有自己的主35265;，要敢於23545;媚俗的19996;西35828;不。”

Chinese Culture Paper voiced on January 19, 2004, “Mr. Zongming Zhang, a Guizhou’s writer, spent 22 years writing the novel of Women, Bandits and the Japanese Dog. It is a work with boldface and roughness, for it shows that writers should not be snobbish or opportunist; instead they should be independent and justice-minded.”

耐人23547;味的是，23613;管媒體33286;35770;作了大量宣20256;，官方主管意35782;形24577;的部38376;21364;始32456;23545;《女人土匪19996;洋狗》及作家24352;宗38125;不置一36766;。就36830;作家所在地的省作家21327;20250;在24635;32467;新26102;期小35828;21019;作成就26102;，既不邀35831;作者到20250;，也不23558;其作品列入。有人提到36825;20010;38382;39064;26102;，主21150;者回答35828;∶“不想惹麻28902;。”

Ironically, despite the mass media’s publicity, the ideology watchdogs turned a blind eye to Mr. Zhang’s work. Even at the session summarizing the writing achievement of the new era the Provincial Writers’ Association did not invite Mr. Zhang for attendance, nor was his work listed in the catalogue of publicity. When asked about why, the organizers dismissed in a light way, “We don’t want to invite trouble.”

既然如此，20026;什厶在此20070;出版即23558;二年的26102;38388;裏，官方21364;出奇地32516;默呢?20026;什厶出29616;了36825;26679;大32966;的作品竟26080;一篇批判檄文呢?其23454;，36825;主要是今天中共的25191;政理念、25191;政方式21457;生了重大的21464;化的原因。

Then, why did the official agencies keep silent in the two years after the publication of the novel? Why did the bold work receive no criticism?  In fact, it is a matter of political philosophy or practice.

古代哲人普32599;泰哥拉曾32463;35828;36807;；“人是丌物的尺度。”

Protagora, an ancient philosopher, once said, “Human is a yardstick of everything.”

可是中22269;在近幾十26469;，人道主20041;作20026;人31867;共同的價值35266;21364;被35270;20026;異端邪35828;。上20010;世32426;八十年代初，24352;宗38125;就因21457;表小35828;《人生劫》而差28857;惹了麻28902;。但他深知，共20135;黨人中的智者，必23558;20250;根除36807;去的極左和26080;35270;人26435;的行20026;，必23558;20250;把中22269;24102;39046;到以人20026;本的36712;道上26469;。35828;24352;宗38125;21382;26102;22年21019;作《女人土匪19996;洋狗》，毋寧35828;36807;去36825;26679;的作品，在中22269;根本就不容35768;存在!

Nevertheless, humanitarianism has almost been denounced as cult by some people in the past decades. Mr. Zhang virtually found trouble for himself in the 1980s when he had his novel The Misfortune of Life published. Still, he believes that the wise of the Chinese Communist Party will forsake the leftist or rightist ideologies and practice, and focus on human-friendly policies. True, the novel of Women, Bandits and the Japanese Dog is repulsive to some people.

今天，中共的新一代39046;23548;人，他20204;目光敏38160;，35270;野24320;25193;，更有知35782;，更富36828;35265;，他20204;今天的25191;政理念，23454;38469;上是接受了36807;去極左的24808;痛教35757;。民主思想、法製35266;念也超越他20204;的前36744;上百倍!他20204;以人20026;本，22362;持科23398;的21457;展35266;，腹建和35856;社20250;，把21457;展作20026;25191;政20852;22269;的第一要21153;。把改革、21457;展、31283;定作20026;大政方38024;，不搞20105;35770;，聚精20250;神搞建35774;，一心一意35851;21457;展。23545;於思想39046;域、文23398;21019;作上的事，不再搞“大批判”，以免幹擾大局。因此我猜想，36825;可能是25191;政24403;局23545;此20070;采取不推崇、不批判、“吩咐梅花自主24352;”的真20041;吧！

In these days the Chinese top-level leaders are aware of the past blunders. They are vision-minded, responsive, knowledgeable and democratic. They have learned from the past acts and realized that legal enforcement, scientific development, harmonious socialism, reform and open-up, and democracy matter much to the progress of the nation. They are open-minded to dissents in ideology and literary creation. This is indeed progressive, and accounts for their spirit of tolerance to this novel.

35802;如是，36825;何23581;不是中22269;社20250;可喜的36827;步呢?

Given this, we may say China is advancing.

 

 

      作者    美藉21326;人    慧人