THENEWYEARSSACRIFICE电子教案.docx

THENEWYEARSSACRIFICE电子教案.docx

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THENEWYEARSSACRIFICE电子教案

THENEWYEAR'SSACRIFICE

NewYear'sEveoftheoldcalendarseemsafterallmoreliketherealNewYear'sEve;for,tosaynothingofthevillagesandtowns,evenintheairthereisafeelingthatNewYeariscoming.Fromthepale,loweringeveningcloudsissuefrequentflashesoflightning,followedbyarumblingsoundoffirecrackerscelebratingthedepartureoftheHearthGod;while,nearerby,thefirecrackersexplodeevenmoreviolently,andbeforethedeafeningreportdiesawaytheairisfilledwithafaintsmellofpowder.ItwasonsuchanightthatIreturnedtoLuchen,mynativeplace.AlthoughIcallitmynativeplace,Ihadhadnohomethereforsometime,soIhadtoputuptemporarilywithacertainMr.Lu,thefourthsonofhisfamily.Heisamemberofourclan,andbelongstothegenerationbeforemine,soIoughttocallhim"FourthUncle."AnoldstudentoftheimperialcollegewhowentinforNeo-Confucianism,Ifoundhimverylittlechangedinanyway,simplyslightlyolder,butwithoutanymoustacheasyet.Whenwemet,afterexchangingafewpoliteremarkshesaidIwasfatter,andaftersayingthatimmediatelystartedaviolentattackontherevolutionaries.Iknewthiswasnotmeantpersonally,becausetheobjectoftheattackwasstillKangYu-wei.Nevertheless,conversationproveddifficult,sothatinashorttimeIfoundmyselfaloneinthestudy.

ThenextdayIgotupverylate,andafterlunchwentouttoseesomerelativesandfriends.ThedayafterIdidthesame.Noneofthemwasgreatlychanged,simplyslightlyolder;buteveryfamilywasbusypreparingfor"thesacrifice."Thisisthegreatend-of-yearceremonyinLuchen,whenpeoplereverentlywelcometheGodofFortuneandsolicitgoodfortuneforthecomingyear.Theykillchickensandgeeseandbuypork,scouringandscrubbinguntilallthewomen'sarmsturnredinthewater.Someofthemstillweartwistedsilverbracelets.Afterthemeatiscookedsomechopsticksarethrustintoitatrandom,andthisiscalledthe"offering."Itissetoutatdawnwhenincenseandcandlesarelit,andtheyreverentlyinvitetheGodofFortunetocomeandpartakeoftheoffering.Onlymencanbeworshippers,andafterthesacrificetheynaturallycontinuetoletofffirecrackersasbefore.Thishappenseveryyear,ineveryfamily,providedtheycanaffordtobuytheofferingandfirecrackers;andthisyeartheynaturallyfollowedtheoldcustom.

Thedaygrewovercast.Intheafternoonitactuallystartedtosnow,thebiggestsnow-flakesaslargeasplumblossompetalsflutteredaboutthesky;andthis,combinedwiththesmokeandairofactivity,madeLuchenappearinaferment.WhenIreturnedtomyuncle'sstudytheroofofthehousewasalreadywhitewithsnow.Theroomalsoappearedbrighter,thegreatredrubbinghangingonthewallshowingupveryclearlythecharacterforLongevitywrittenbytheTaoistsaintChenTuan.Oneofapairofscrollshadfallendownandwaslyinglooselyrolleduponthelongtable,buttheotherwasstillhangingthere,bearingthewords:

"Byunderstandingreasonweachievetranquillityofmind."Idly,Iwenttoturnoverthebooksonthetablebeneaththewindow,butallIcouldfindwasapileofwhatlookedlikeanincompletesetofKangHsi'sDictionary,avolumeofChiangYung'sNotestoChuHsi'sPhilosophicalWritingsandavolumeofCommentariesontheFourBooks.Atallevents,Imadeupmymindtoleavethenextday.

Besides,theverythoughtofmymeetingwithHsiangLin'sWifethedaybeforemademeuncomfortable.Ithappenedintheafternoon.Ihadbeenvisitingafriendintheeasternpartofthetown.AsIcameoutImetherbytheriver,andseeingthewayshefastenedhereyesonmeIknewverywellshemeanttospeaktome.OfallthepeopleIhadseenthistimeatLuchennonehadchangedasmuchasshe:

herhair,whichhadbeenstreakedwithwhitefiveyearsbefore,wasnowcompletelywhite,quiteunlikesomeoneinherforties.Herfacewasfearfullythinanddarkinitssallowness,andhadmoreoverlostitsformerexpressionofsadness,lookingasifcarvedoutofwood.Onlyanoccasionalflickerofhereyesshowedshewasstillalivingcreature.Inonehandshecarriedawickerbasket,inwhichwasabrokenbowl,empty;intheothersheheldabamboopolelongerthanherself,splitatthebottom:

itwasclearshehadbecomeabeggar.

Istoodstill,waitingforhertocomeandaskformoney.

"Youhavecomeback?

"sheaskedmefirst.

"Yes."

"Thatisverygood.Youareascholar,andhavetravelledtooandseenalot.Ijustwanttoaskyousomething."Herlustrelesseyessuddenlygleamed.

Ineverguessedshewouldtalktomelikethis.Istoodtheretakenbysurprise.

"Itisthis."Shedrewtwopacesnearer,andwhisperedveryconfidentially:

"Afterapersondies,doesheturnintoaghostornot?

"

AsshefixedhereyesonmeIwasseizedwithforeboding.AshiverrandownmyspineandIfeltmorenervousthanduringanunexpectedexaminationatschool,whenunfortunatelytheteacherstandsbyone'sside.Personally,Ihadnevergiventheleastthoughttothequestionoftheexistenceofspirits.InthisemergencyhowshouldIanswerher?

Hesitatingforamoment,Ireflected:

"Itisthetraditionheretobelieveinspirits,yetsheseemstobesceptical—perhapsitwouldbebettertosayshehopes:

hopesthatthereisimmortalityandyethopesthatthereisnot.Whyincreasethesufferingsofthewretched?

Togivehersomethingtolookforwardto,itwouldbebettertosaythereis."

"Theremaybe,Ithink,"Itoldherhesitantly.

"Then,theremustalsobeaHell?

"

"What,Hell?

"Greatlystartled,Icouldonlytrytoevadethequestion."Hell?

Accordingtoreasonthereshouldbeonetoo—butnotnecessarily.Whocaresaboutitanyway?

..."

"Thenwillallthepeopleofonefamilywhohavediedseeeachotheragain?

"

"Well,astowhethertheywillseeeachotheragainornot...."IrealizednowthatIwasacompletefool;forallmyhesitationandreflectionIhadbeenunabletoanswerherthreequestions.ImmediatelyIlostconfidenceandwantedtosaytheexactoppositeofwhatIhadpreviouslysaid."Inthiscase...asamatteroffact,Iamnotsure....Actually,regardingthequestionofghosts,Iamnotsureeither."

Inordertoavoidfurtherimportunatequestions,Iwalkedoff,andbeatahastyretreattomyuncle'shouse,feelingexceedinglyuncomfortable.Ithoughttomyself:

"Iamafraidmyanswerwillprovedangeroustoher.Probablyitisjustthatwhenotherpeoplearecelebratingshefeelslonelybyherself,butcouldtherebeanotherreason?

Couldshehavehadsomepremonition?

Ifthereisanotherreason,andasaresultsomethinghappens,then,throughmyanswer,Ishallbeheldresponsibletoacertainextent."Finally,however,Iendedbylaughingatmyself,thinkingthatsuchachancemeetingcouldhavenogreatsignificance,andyetIwastakingitsotoheart;nowondercertaineducationalistscalledmeaneurotic.MoreoverIhaddistinctlysaid,"Iamnotsure,"contradictingmypreviousanswer;sothatevenifanythingdidhappen,itwouldhavenothingatalltodowithme.

"Iamnotsure"isamostusefulphrase.

Inexperiencedandrashyoungmenoftentakeituponthemselvestosolvepeople'sproblemsforthemorchoosedoctorsforthem,andifbyanychancethingsturnoutbadly,theyareprobablyheldtoblame;butbysimplyconcludingwiththisphrase"Iamnotsure,"onecanfreeoneselfofallresponsibility.AtthistimeIfeltevenmorestronglythenecessityforsuchaphrase,sinceeveninspeakingwithabeggarwomantherewasnodispensingwithit.

However,Icontinuedtofeeluncomfortable,andevenafteranight'srestmymindkeptrunningonthis,asifIhadapremonitionofsomeuntowarddevelopment.Inthatoppressivesnowyweather,inthegloomystudy,thisdiscomfortincreased.Itwouldbebettertoleave:

Ishouldgobacktotownthenextday.Theboiledshark'sfinsintheFuHsingRestaurantusedtocostadollarforalargeportion,andIwonderedifthischeapanddeliciousdishhadincreasedinpriceornot.Althoughthefriendswhohadaccompaniedmeintheolddayshadscattered,evenifIwasalonetheshark'sfinsstillhadtobetasted.Atallevents,Imadeupmymindtoleavethenextday.

AfterexperiencingmanytimesthatthingswhichIhopedwouldnothappenandfeltshouldnothappeninvariablydidhappen,Iwasdesperatelyafraidthiswouldproveanothersuchcase.And,indeed,strangethingsdidbegintohappen.TowardseveningIheardtalking—itsoundedlikeadiscussion—intheinnerroom;butsoontheconversationended,andallIheardwasmyunclesayingloudlyashewalkedout:

"Notearliernorlater,butjustatthistime—suresignofabadcharacter!

"

AtfirstIfeltastonished,thenveryuncomfortable,thinkingthesewordsmustrefertome.Ilookedoutsidethedoor,butnoonewasthere.Icontainedmyselfwithdifficultytilltheirservantcameinbeforedinnertobrewapotoftea,whenatlastIhadachancetomakesomeenquiries.

"WithwhomwasMr.Luangryjustnow?

"Iasked.

"Why,stillwithHsiangLin'sWife,"herepliedbriefly.

"HsiangLin'sWife?

Howwasthat?

"Iaskedagain.

"She'sdead."

"Dead?

"Myheartsuddenlymissedabeat.Istarted,andprobablychangedcolourtoo.Butsincehedidnotraisehishead,hewasprobablyquiteunawareofhowIfelt.ThenIcontrolledmyself,andasked:

"Whendidshedie?

"

"When?

Lastnight,orelsetoday,I'mnotsure."

"Howdidshedie?

"

"Howdidshedie?

Why,ofpovertyofcourse."Heansweredplacidlyand,stillwithouthavingraisedhisheadtolookatme,wentout.

However,myagitationwasonlyshort-lived,fornowthatsomethingIhadfeltimminenthadalreadytakenplace,Inolonger