
border town
Elegant illustrations by Shen Congwen and Huang Yongyu.
Beiyue Literature and Art Publishing House
2002-04-01
BackSummary
"Border Town" is Shen Congwen's representative work, written between 1933 and early 1934. This work, like Shen Congwen's other works in Xiangxi, focuses on the fate changes of ordinary people and kind people, and depicts the tragic life of the Xiang girl Cuicui.
Highlights
First of all, I need to correct one point. The author of Border Town is Shen Congwen. Huang Yongyu and Zhuo Ya may be the illustrators of some versions, but not the co-authors of the original book. Next, I will select wonderful sentences or paragraphs from Border Town, which show the profound meaning, unique perspective, beautiful language, wisdom and creativity of Shen Congwen's works. --- 1. "The stream is like the back of a bow, and the mountain road is like a bowstring, so there is a small difference between far and near." This sentence uses a simple metaphor to describe the landscape pattern of the border town, with beautiful language and profound artistic conception. 2. "From Sichuan to Hunan, there is an official road to the east. This official road is close to the border of western Hunan and reaches a small mountain town called 'Chadong'. There is a small stream, a small white tower beside the stream, and a single family lives under the tower." This opening description not only sets the location of the story, but also outlines a quiet picture of life in the border town with the method of plain drawing. 3. "Cuicui grew up in the wind and sun, her skin became dark, and she saw green mountains and green waters. Her eyes were as clear as crystal." This sentence depicts the image of the protagonist Cuicui with delicate brushstrokes. The language is fresh, natural and full of vitality. 4. "The fishes come and go in the water, all as if floating in the air. There are many high mountains on both sides of the river. There are many thin bamboos that can be used to make paper in the mountains. They are dark green all year round and are eye-catching." Through the vivid description of natural scenery, the tranquility and beauty of the border town area are shown. The language is rich in visual sense. 5. "The old boatman must stay at the bow regardless of whether it is sunny or rainy." This sentence concisely and profoundly depicts the old boatman's professional spirit and his persistence in life. 6. "The car has its own way of walking, and the horse has its own way of walking." This sentence is full of wisdom of life, using the car and the horse to metaphorize different lifestyles and choices. 7. "This person may never come back, or he may come back tomorrow." The ending of the novel leaves infinite room for imagination. This sentence is full of philosophy and uncertainty, which is thought-provoking. 8. "The sun has not let us down, so we must not let it down either." This sentence expresses a positive attitude towards life and gratitude to nature in simple language. 9. "Human affairs are like this, they build their own cages and lock themselves in them." This sentence reveals the complexity of human nature and the universal phenomenon of self-restraint. The language is concise and meaningful. 10. "Everything is full of goodness, but it is uncoincidental everywhere. Since it is uncoincidental, simple goodness will inevitably lead to tragedy." This sentence deeply analyzes the root cause of the tragedy in the novel and shows the author's profound insight into human nature. 11. "Every ship must have a dock, and every sparrow must have a nest." Using the ship and the sparrow as metaphors, it expresses everyone's desire for belonging and stability. 12. "When dusk came, Cuicui sat under the white pagoda behind her house, watching the sky turn into peach-colored thin clouds due to the setting sun." This sentence describes the scenery at dusk with delicate brushstrokes, creating a peaceful and beautiful atmosphere. 13. "The moonlight is like silver, shining everywhere, and the bamboos on the mountain all turn black under the moonlight." Through the vivid description of the moonlight, the tranquility and beauty of the border town at night are shown. 14. "The rain keeps falling, and the surface of the stream is covered with smoke." This sentence describes the scenery in the rain with concise language, which is full of poetry. 15. "Grandfather and Cuicui stayed on the boat, and their emotions seemed to follow the sound of the suona, and they came back to them after walking a long way." This sentence expresses the emotional fluctuations of the characters in an anthropomorphic way, and the language is vivid and infectious. 16. "You have to be tougher and stronger to be worthy of living on this land!" This sentence is full of love for life and praise for tenacity. 17. "Cuicui could not forget what her grandfather said. In her dream, her soul floated up to a beautiful song." This sentence depicts Cuicui's inner longing and yearning with a dreamy touch. The language is beautiful and imaginative. 18. "After the Baihe River flows downstream to Chenzhou and merges with the Yuanshui River, it becomes slightly turbid, like mountain spring water." This sentence depicts the scenery of the river in a plain way, showing the author's keen observation and delicate portrayal of natural scenery. 19. "He never thought about the meaning of his job to himself, but just lived there quietly and faithfully." This sentence deeply reveals the old boatman's attitude towards life and his adherence to his profession. The language is concise and meaningful. 20. **"The fish swimming in the water come and go, all as if floating in the air. There are many high mountains on both sides of the river, and there are many thin bamboos that can be used to make paper in the mountains. They are dark green all year round and eye-catching. Most of the people living near the water are in peach and apricot blossoms. In spring, just pay attention. Wherever there are peach blossoms,
About the Author
Title: "Border Town" - the artistic fusion of Shen Congwen and Huang Yongyu Shen Congwen, formerly known as Shen Yuehuan, was born on December 28, 1902 in Fenghuang County, Hunan Province.< He is an outstanding writer, historian and archaeologist in the history of modern Chinese literature.
Shen Congwen's literary creation is mainly novels.< He is particularly good at describing the customs of western Hunan and the life of border towns.
He is known as the "founder of western Hunan literature".< His representative works include "Border Town" and "Xiangxing Miscellaneous Notes".
In terms of educational background, Shen Congwen received traditional education in his hometown in his early years and later entered Peking University.< Although he did not complete his studies at Peking University, his extensive reading and self-study laid a solid foundation for his later literary creation.
Shen Congwen's writing career began in the 1920s.< His literary works are known for their profound humanistic care and unique artistic style.
The themes of his works mostly focus on human nature, local and national spirit, showing respect for traditional culture and reflection on modern civilization.< Huang Yongyu, formerly known as Huang Yongyu, was born in Changsha, Hunan Province in 1931.
He is a famous contemporary Chinese painter, sculptor and writer.< Huang Yongyu's artistic achievements are mainly reflected in the fields of painting and sculpture.
His works are widely praised for their unique artistic style and profound ideological connotations.< Huang Yongyu's educational background is relatively special.
He did not receive formal art education, but accumulated rich artistic experience through self-study and practice.< His artistic career began in the 1950s and has a history of more than 70 years.
In the work "Border Town", Huang Yongyu created exquisite illustrations for Shen Congwen's original novel, which greatly enhanced the visual effect of this literary work.< Huang Yongyu's illustrations present a vivid world of Border Town to readers with delicate brushstrokes and profound emotional expression.
The cooperation between Shen Congwen and Huang Yongyu has made the work "Border Town" achieve extremely high achievements in both literature and art.< Authoritative media and experts generally have a high evaluation of this work, believing that it is a masterpiece with profound humanistic connotations and unique artistic style.
In terms of personal life, both Shen Congwen and Huang Yongyu have rich experiences and unique personalities.< In his later years, Shen Congwen devoted himself to historical research and archaeological work, making important contributions to China's cultural cause.
Huang Yongyu, with his versatility and independent thinking, has become an important figure in China's contemporary art world.< In terms of social influence, the works and thoughts of Shen Congwen and Huang Yongyu have had a profound impact on future generations.
Their creations have not only enriched the treasure house of modern Chinese literature and art, but also provided valuable inspiration and reference for later literary and artistic creation.< In terms of the latest developments, although Shen Congwen died in 1988, his literary works and academic achievements are still being studied and passed on.
Although Huang Yongyu is old, he is still active in the art world and continues to contribute to the development of Chinese art.< In general, Shen Congwen and Huang Yongyu are both important figures in the history of Chinese literature and art, and their works and thoughts have had a profound impact on future generations.
The work "Border Town" is the crystallization of their artistic talents, which is worth our careful appreciation and in-depth study.