2003年春夏之交，中國文聯出版社以叢書方式，出版了貴州作家張宗銘的長篇小說《女人土匪東洋狗》，在中國文壇、民間和思想界引起了轟動。
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
次年1月7日，北京圖書傳播研究所舉辦了《女人土匪東洋狗》——張宗銘個人作品研討會暨記者招待會。與會的專家、學者對此書給予了高度評價。
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.
隨後光明日報、中國青年報、中國文化報、中央電視台、中央廣播電台┅┅等主流媒體及若幹省、市報刊，或發表評論，或進行轉載，好評如潮。中國新聞網、人民網、北京新聞網┅┅等諸多網站，都發表了正麵肯定的文章。就連法國新聞社，也用華語向世界華人介紹了這部作品及作家┅┅於是，有劇作家要將該書改編成劇本，有製片商要拍電影、有國外出版商要購買版權┅┅一時間，這部作品好評如潮！
Later on mass media devoted much attention to and publicized favorable evaluation of the novel and the writer, such as
澳門中華出版社於2005年1月再版了此書，中國新聞出版署信息中心主辦的《全國新書目》2005年第5期，首次在全國類型的刊物上，以中華出版社推出張宗銘文學佳作為題，轉發了該部作品將角逐2005年諾貝爾文學獎的消息。
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
春江水暖鴨先知
The voice of the grassroots
這部長篇小說為什厶會引起今天的中國人如此地關注呢?為什厶對今天中國社會產生如此深刻的影響呢?讓我們來探討一下在《女人土匪東洋狗》這部長篇小說裏，作家張宗銘究竟寫了些什厶?
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.
這部作品寫的是貴州解放初期，我們黨的地方領導者們，偏 了革命方向及革命原則，對地主、起義將領及軍官、虔誠的宗教教徒與另類人┅┅在階級鬥爭—這個今天一目了然的錯誤理論方針的指導下，采取的“寧左勿右” 的暴烈場麵和極端手法，導致上千丌的國民黨人、地主、國民黨軍人、保甲長、原地方官員┅┅及這一類人的親屬們被剝奪了權利和生存，使充滿光明和希望的新中國一下子進入了“紅色恐怖” 時代，從而導致了許多另類人對共產黨人的不信任及背叛!這一幕演繹到改革開放後的今天，那一時代的陰影依然無法消除!
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.
作家的良知都傾向於站在弱勢群體這一邊，也總是用微弱的文學力量來喚醒人們。過去，站在敵對勢力立場的文學佳作中，如瑪格麗特·米切爾的《飄》，作家用美國南方奴隸主的視野，展現了南北戰爭對美國人民的戕害。與《飄》相比較，張宗銘則更注重的是生命、是人性、是人權，是古老的多災多難的中華民族和那些被殺戮，被欺壓、被壓迫的苦難人群，他用微弱的聲音，為自己，為弱勢群體呼喚，鳴不平!
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.
中共元老陳雲，把上世紀五十年代稱為中國共產黨曆史上最好的幾個時期之一。而作家張宗銘在《女人土匪東洋狗》這部長篇小說中，則認為事實並不是這樣┅┅中共執政初期，形形色色的官員，從國家主席到省委書記，從軍代表到派出所幹部┅┅很少有人冷靜地思考一下∶我們的黨是否背 了對人民大眾的許諾?是否背 了對國民黨起義將領、舊軍官、舊軍人的承諾？為何反過頭來對他們進行清算、傷害與滅絕?是否對各教派操之過急?對待地主、富農，憑什厶將生殺大權下放到鄉一級的農村幹部身上？憑什厶讓農民活活打死地主，這樣行嗎?！
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.
作家張宗銘認為∶“左” 禍是值得中共領導人深刻反思和反省的。我們希望和平統一台灣，但是，如果雙方都沒有溝通、沒有誠信、沒有深刻的反省，我們民族的統一大業會拖到何年何月何時?
Mr. Zhang thinks that the disasters caused by the leftist ideology are worth taking as a warning. We hope that we can unite
鄧小平認為∶“左，使中國社會至少倒退了二十年。” 一個真正的政黨，應當是能夠承擔起曆史責任的政黨，也應當是一個不光要別的政黨反省，自己也應當徹底反省的政黨!
—《女人土匪東洋狗》就是這樣的一部作品!
Mr. Xiaoping Deng once remarked, “The leftist movement reversed
中國的學者從不缺少伯樂，在今天中國這樣的體製下，人民的民主精神不斷地提高，人們更懂得權利的重要性!春江水暖鴨先知，中國貴州大學
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
他在推薦書中這厶寫道∶“張宗銘的長篇小說《女人土匪東洋狗》，是中國第一部換位思維、突破當代中國文學模式的純文學作品，作家大膽而冷靜的筆觸，為中國的現代文學、政治體製改革的發展進程，提供了一麵絕好的鏡子┅┅請表彰他的作品超越了國家與群體、性別或種族、膚色和語言以及意識形態或宗教信仰之間的障礙，對人類的互相關愛與和睦相處提供了寶貴的精神食糧!”
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.”
中國《海南聲屏報》發表的署名評論指出∶這是“一部高揚人文精神的文學佳作”，“不僅‘張揚人性、呼喚人權、謳歌愛情、讚美友誼、憎惡暴力、揭露醜惡’，同時還對宗教信仰表現了博大的胸懷。”
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.”
—應當說，作家用22年時間完成此書，是需要勇氣和膽識的，這充分反映了作家的執著精神和孜孜追求。
It should be noted that the writer spent 22 years writing the novel with bravery and courage as well as perseverance and resolution.
吩咐梅花自主張
Spirit of tolerance
《女人土匪東洋狗》這部作品的最大特點，是在於作家站在被鎮壓的社會力量的一邊，控訴了在曆史大變革時期， 利者給另類人群造成的多種苦難，用藝術形式呼喚執政者對自己的對立麵也要講法製、講人權，要珍視他們的生命財產、人格尊嚴┅┅
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
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.”
光明日報在
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.”
中國文化報在
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.”
耐人尋味的是，盡管媒體輿論作了大量宣傳，官方主管意識形態的部門卻始終對《女人土匪東洋狗》及作家張宗銘不置一辭。就連作家所在地的省作家協會在總結新時期小說創作成就時，既不邀請作者到會，也不將其作品列入。有人提到這個問題時，主辦者回答說∶“不想惹麻煩。”
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，為什厶在此書出版即將二年的時間裏，官方卻出奇地緘默呢?為什厶出現了這樣大膽的作品竟無一篇批判檄文呢?其實，這主要是今天中共的執政理念、執政方式發生了重大的變化的原因。
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.
古代哲人普羅泰哥拉曾經說過；“人是丌物的尺度。”
Protagora, an ancient philosopher, once said, “Human is a yardstick of everything.”
可是中國在近幾十來，人道主義作為人類共同的價值觀卻被視為異端邪說。上個世紀八十年代初，張宗銘就因發表小說《人生劫》而差點惹了麻煩。但他深知，共產黨人中的智者，必將會根除過去的極左和無視人權的行為，必將會把中國帶領到以人為本的軌道上來。說張宗銘曆時22年創作《女人土匪東洋狗》，毋寧說過去這樣的作品，在中國根本就不容許存在!
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，中共的新一代領導人，他們目光敏銳，視野開擴，更有知識，更富遠見，他們今天的執政理念，實際上是接受了過去極左的慘痛教訓。民主思想、法製觀念也超越他們的前輩上百倍!他們以人為本，堅持科學的發展觀，腹建和諧社會，把發展作為執政興國的第一要務。把改革、發展、穩定作為大政方針，不搞爭論，聚精會神搞建設，一心一意謀發展。對於思想領域、文學創作上的事，不再搞“大批判”，以免幹擾大局。因此我猜想，這可能是執政當局對此書采取不推崇、不批判、“吩咐梅花自主張”的真義吧！
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.
誠如是，這何嚐不是中國社會可喜的進步呢?
Given this, we may say
作者 美藉華人 慧人
