The Old Wife And The New |
Learn Chinese - Chinese Literature | |||
She goes uphill where herbs appear;
Downhill, she meets her former husband dear. She kneels and asks him, "How do you... How do you find your young wife new?" "Though my new wife is no less fair, My old wife is beyond compare. In looks by your side she may stand, But she's less clever with her hand. Since she came in through the front door, At home I can find you no more. She's good at embroidering skein, While you are good at sewing plain. She weaves one foot of silk a day; You weave five feet without delay. Her work compared with yours, all told, The new is not up to the old." 上山采蘼芜 上山采蘼芜 上山采蘼芜, 下山逢故夫. 长跪问故夫, 新人复如何. 新人虽言好, 未若故人姝. 颜色类相似, 手爪不相如. 新人从门入, 故人从阖去. 新人工织缣, 故人工织素. 织缣日以匹, 织素五丈余. 将缣来比素, 新人不如故. 【注释】 ①蘼芜:一种香草,叶子风乾可以做香料。古人相信靡芜可使妇人多子。 ②姝:好。不仅指容貌。当“新人从门入”的时候,故人是丈夫憎厌的对象, 但新人入门之后,丈夫久而生厌,转又觉得故人比新人好了。这里把男子喜新 厌旧的心理写得更深一层。 ③手爪:指纺织等技巧。 ④閤:旁门,小门。 新妇从正面大门被迎进来,故妻从旁边小门被送出去。一荣一辱,一喜一悲, 尖锐对照。这雨句是弃妇的话,当故夫对她流露出一些念旧之情的时候,她忍 不注重提旧事,诉一诉当时所受委屈。 ⑤缣、素:都是绢。素色洁白,缣色 带黄,素贵缣贱。 ⑥一匹:长四丈,广二尺二寸。 【品评】 这是一首写弃妇的诗。全篇是弃妇和故夫偶尔重逢时的一番简短对话。弃 妇向故夫打听“新人”的情况:“新人复何如?”一个“复”字用得意味深长, 既透露出弃妇心中的无限委屈怨恨, 又带着一丝本能的妒意。 故夫则回答: “容颜不如你,手脚更不如你麻利。”弃妇则冷冷地刺了他一句:“新人从门 入,故人从閤去。”心怀愧意的故夫急于表白,于是得出“新人不如故”的结 论。这首诗的本意是咏唱弃妇不幸命运的,却不从正面写弃妇的哀怨委屈,反 而写故夫的念旧。作者没有做任何正面的说明和谴责,但是故夫的念旧使读者 了解到弃妇是一个美丽勤劳的女子,她的被弃是完全无辜的,她的命运决定于 丈夫一时的好恶。至于那位“新人”的命运也就不难猜测了。
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