Palm beads (excerpt) [Russian] Soloukhin

French writer George Simon said when meeting with actor A. Demidova:

"In our time, communication technology has enabled readers to get a fairly extensive education, and it has also made it unnecessary for writers to spend more ink. If the story takes place in Binhe Street in Kiev, it is superfluous to describe this street. This has been achieved through radio, television, movies and travel guides. If the heroine in my novel is ill, such as tuberculosis, there is no need to describe the symptoms of the disease, because remarque and other novelists have already written ... "

It is really strange for a writer to say such a thing. If there are 100 people, you will see 100 different Kiev riverside streets. Writers should see their own streets, 10 1 streets, so that readers can also see your streets, not the streets along the Kiev River.

Tuberculosis is indeed known, but so what? This reminds me of an artistic detail. Ann Chekhov's novel "In Bud" was adapted into a movie. The heroine contracted lung disease. We all know that lung disease requires coughing up blood. But how does it perform here? When the heroine was dancing, she suddenly coughed and covered her mouth with her hand. On the palm of her white glove, a red dot the size of a round coin appeared. Besides, there is no need to say anything more. You may forget the whole film, but you can't forget this red dot on the white glove. Without this red spot, there would be no art.

Let's take ski jumping as an example. It turns out that there are all kinds of platforms. Assuming that this platform can jump 70 meters, then more or less depends on skill or chance. The performance on the field is improving: 75m-78m-78m. 5 m -8 1. 3 meters -80. 6 meters -84 meters. This is a record. People also expect better results. A battle for 1 cm was launched. 83。 8 ——84。 2。 All right, that's a record!

In this way, this score will be slightly higher, that score will be slightly lower, and the game will continue. Whoever jumps to 86 meters will set a new record and the audience will applaud him.

But if a skier jumps out of 170 meters (after entering the battle every 1 cm), what will the audience and the jury say at that time?

On the sports field, this may not happen. But in the field of art, this is exactly the case: great people stand out from the crowd and break all the conclusions about literary standards.

At this time, some people will say: absolutely impossible. Someone applauded and admired. Some people ... some people even wish there were no such long jumpers. Otherwise, what can others do if they wander around 80 meters?

The language of movies is powerful and has unlimited potential. From symbolism to the most natural expression, from broad generalization to precise details, movies are indeed omnipotent. still ...

Once we studied the material of a documentary. I said to them: you shoot a silent church surrounded by trees, and suddenly a group of wild birds will fly down from the top of the church, just like a shell exploded. It is conceivable that these birds were frightened to some extent, so they splashed like an explosion and burst in all directions.

"But how do you shoot this?" The photographer said to me, "Of course you can film. But is it worth all the trouble and effort for such a shot? It is impossible to artificially put many birds on the top of the church. We must wait for them to fall by themselves. What if they don't fall? Besides, when you scare them, what if they don't rush like an explosion? In case they fly in the wrong direction, do they fall or all fly in the same direction? "

It's really hard to shoot. And I, a pen-wielding person, spend a minute or two sketching out a picture I need. What is this?

"Autumn cemetery, the church surrounded by trees. Suddenly, a group of bluebirds were awakened by something and went straight into the sky like an explosion, fleeing in all directions. "

There are other reasons why I can't keep a diary, because I can't restrain a desire to be vivid. In fact, vividness is another matter. It's just that this desire has become an instinct. I can't be satisfied with such a description: "I saw the spruce forest today", or "My neighbor stood on the earthen platform", or "I drank wine with several fellow villagers". I won't give up until I reach a certain expressive force, that is to say, I have to write the background and environment of the facts. However, I can only keep a diary all day.

An author wrote an article about the reading situation of readers in China in a literary newspaper. He said that he had received a letter from Leningrad readers, in which they wrote a list of writers he thought should be read.

The first one on the list is a contemporary writer, ahead of Pushkin, Tolstoy and others. (Please seeNo. 1976+0 1 in Literature Newspaper No.44). Ovidge ranks one hundred. Gerry Bao Ye Christopher simply entered the supplementary list.

The question here is not who ranks first, but the personal likes and dislikes of Leningrad readers. In chief, it can be Abo Lamaowei, belov, rasputin, nosov, shukshin, Trifon, Astafyev, Mozhaev, Troepolski, Zalejin, etc. However, this Leningrad reader still has his point of view. What is the reason?

Classical writers-it's like the sun. It's good to have the sun. There is no life without the sun. Realizing that there is the sun is happiness. However, it is very cold in the room at the moment. At that time, Sun couldn't help saying directly. So you need a strong bundle of ordinary firewood.

If anyone has been to a big overseas city and only stays for one day (get off the train in the morning and come back by bus at night), then he must understand that although he doesn't have to stay overnight, he must stay in a hotel.

Indeed, it is necessary to have a spiritual pillar to open a room in a hotel. Knowing that there is such a place, you can rest at any time and sit quietly and think about things. If you have no place to live, you are not practical, and you are afraid of not finding a comfortable and reliable place to live, then this kind of life will grow to death, tired and bitter, and even unbearable.

Similarly, Nikolai Nikolai Gogol, Turgenev and painter A. Ivanov were able to live abroad for many years in a relaxed mood because they always thought that they had Russia and their motherland and could go back at any time. Therefore, they have no homesickness, which is different from those who were later isolated from the countryside.

By the same token, a person's life (a short time, just like staying in a foreign city for a day) should also have a home, a quiet, secure, long-term and comfortable home. Without this, people will be tired, anxious, tired and easy to get old. Life has become boring and an inevitable burden for him. So what? Get a ride home quickly.

We are used to distracting ourselves from trivial things, articles and topics. Write about Africa today, write about the North Pole tomorrow, and sow the day after tomorrow. However, energy should not be consumed in this way. For example, it is inconceivable that Prishvin should suddenly write the masterpiece of the pilot Vodobianov.

He has his own things. He has a solid understanding of his own affairs. And he never leaves his own things, he only writes his own things. As for Vodobianov, anyone familiar with this material can write it.

Each of us should know what we are good at, and others should be swept away from our own path without mercy.

Everything in the novel is in his works: structure, intricate plot clues, protagonists and various characters, interruption, narrative, discussion and so on. His novels are constructed, assembled and organized, just like a complex chain machine, which might as well be compared to a TV set. Until the last wire, everything in it was in place. It's a pity that the TV is not connected to the power supply. No matter how you twist the knob and press the button, it doesn't shine, make any noise, have any vitality or give people a little joy.

There are basically two actions in a person's life. One is sliding, and the other is climbing.

At first glance, it will be easy to slide and difficult to climb. But in fact, the opposite is true. Skaters will soon get tired of life, so they usually quit the stage of life prematurely. It's hard to imagine that a person will still be slippery at the age of 80.

But a person can climb to 90. And it seems that he is still full of energy and energy.

I have a friend who is determined to get a dog. He bought a lot of books about raising dogs, how to feed them, how to raise them and how to train them. No wonder such a complex and highly developed animal as a dog is easy to raise and tame.

However, when planning to have children, how many parents have read books about hygiene, child psychology and educational methods?

All people think they can educate others, but few people really do.

There is one thing-it is accidental; There are two things-it is intentional; There are three things-regarded as a tendency; There are four things-being respected as a tradition.

When it comes to the freedom of birds, people have formed a general view. We almost raised the freedom of birds to a symbol, an ideal realm.

"Birds are as free as birds." "Birds in the sky are carefree and don't know how hard it is ..."

It is true that birds do not know the constraints of the world, the norms of moral thought, and the boundaries of countries. Yesterday, they crossed the sea and flew directly to Turkey. This probably formed the view that birds are free.

In fact, they all have their own limitations. Every bird lives in an iron cage, with specific laws, environment and needs.

Birds' habitats are strictly restricted and are not allowed to enter the inviolable territory of other birds around them.

It must try to build a nest with grass leaves and branches, or peck out a nest with wood.

It must lie in the nest and endure the time, incubating the eggs motionless. It has to do endless mechanical labor-bring thousands of larvae to the chicks.

In order to survive, it sometimes has to swallow more than its own weight day and night.

In addition, it absolutely needs to obey the rules of birds. It has to fly over 3 000 km, 7 000 km and 12 000 km to grind hard scabs under its wings.

It is customary to say that someone's life is hard. This obviously means that it is impossible for this person to meet his own needs of food, clothing, housing, transportation, cleanliness and rest.

A strange situation has arisen. Suppose my grandfather or great-grandfather had 30 kinds of needs, and all of them could be met at that time. Of course, this does not include disasters, famines, wars and fires. Strictly speaking, the amount he needs is exactly what he can meet. Even among the 30 assumed requirements, 3 (110) cannot be met. I think this ratio is more realistic.

With the progress of science and technology, the interference of our time is getting bigger and bigger, and the number of demands is increasing. We don't have 30 kinds now, but 100 kinds of needs, but I have the strength to meet only nearly half. In addition, unmet needs are sometimes simple needs-quiet, clean water, fresh milk, clean air, stable sleep (no nightmares) and daily physical work. ...

Who has suffered more between us, my grandfather in the past or me today?

For professional boxers, it is forbidden to use fists in daily life and in the street. A boxer's fist is equivalent to a weapon.

So, what about the language of professional writers? But no one forbids them to use languages other than Wen Yuan, such as speaking, writing letters, quarreling, talking and so on. I don't mean ordinary conversation or writing letters here, but attacking others with words. Professional writers use words to hurt people, and the weight may be so heavy that they can no longer keep their backs straight and lift their heads.

This shows that either there are loopholes in our legal system or we are disappointing language boxers who don't understand the meaning of our weapons.

There is a situation in art that can be called semi-truth. When people comment on a writer, they often say that his writing is untrue. Is that really the case? When you read his works, you will see that all the characters have common names in life, and they are doing what people usually do: planing potatoes, making steel, driving trains, hunting, fishing, leading enterprises, eating, quarreling, falling in love, leaving, talking ... What is missing?

Let's give an example to illustrate. For example, in a city (Kiev), there are things related to me. A person close to me needs an operation on his eyes, and the result of the operation determines whether he can see the light again. Then an acquaintance of mine sent me a long letter. In his letter, he said that it is spring in Kiev, and maple and chestnut trees have grown leaves; He also said that "Nadal Card in poltava" was being staged at the Opera House, many foreign tourists came, and the Yugoslav Troupe also toured ... It should be said that this acquaintance didn't invent anything, which is true. What he wrote is true. There is only one sentence missing from the letter: what is the result of the operation? If I don't write this sentence, my friend's letter will lose most of its value to me, no matter how long it is true. Naturally, it's interesting to know the current situation in Kiev. ...

A contemporary writer complained to me that his life is very hard: as soon as you return to your city, people flock to you and have many demands.

"What's wrong with this? Great influence and fame. Tolstoy used to be a guest ... "

"Yes. But what is the purpose of looking for you now? Help me get some cement boards, help me find a job for my daughter or send her to college ... What did you ask Tolstoy? Is there a God? Should we love the people we love? How to live in the future? "

We often talk about the necessity of objectivity. But a living person, especially an artist, will never be an objectivist at any time and under any circumstances.

(translated by Bai Chunren)

Precautions:

These are all famous contemporary Russian writers.

Prishven (1873-1954): Russian writer, good at creating lyric prose.

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Since the second half of 1970s, Soloukhin has published some short articles. Most of these short "works" reflecting the writer's thoughts come from the author's notes on airline tickets and calendars. These essays seem to be "miscellaneous", but they are more intriguing with epiphany. Later, these essays were collected and became "palm beads". In chapters similar to aphorisms and short chapters, Soloqin made a profound reflection and wisdom summary on life, society and nature, which can be said to be the crystallization of his life experience. This article discusses the law of artistic creation, the phenomenon of social life and the true meaning of life, and the writing is lyrical and wise.

In real life, things or events may be the same, but their aesthetics are different. It is unique and related to personal experience and mood. As a creator of a special spiritual product, a writer should have a deeper Ming Che vision, a richer pure mind, a more liberal cultivation and a more graceful and noble sentiment than ordinary people, so as to form more personal feelings, convey thoughts that shock the soul through words, and let readers get unfamiliar aesthetic enjoyment in things or events that they are used to. With keen eyes and divergent thinking, insight into the philosophy contained in common events, phenomena and scenes in life; It is Solokhin's way of expressing his concern for life and his way of experiencing life to enlighten his thinking and attract people's deep thoughts with unique words.

Soloukhin is committed to conveying his unique thinking to others. People are used to reading a lot of books before getting a dog. Through this incident, Soloukhin keenly realized that people who are willing to spend so much time keeping dogs will not read more books to educate their children. With the change of thinking, the view of things has completely changed, but the events that were used to in life contain such an important cultural phenomenon. Pushing people's mechanical and emotionless life into the mirror of human nature in a strange and naked way is as thought-provoking as a morning bell.

Soloukhin is living, but he is also experiencing and thinking. In the peaceful era after World War II, on the whole, the material is gradually enriched, and the new generation has more material than the old generation. But only material wealth can make people feel happy? The material level of life is indeed high, but at the same time, the mind is also servile to things, as if the pressure is greater and more and more people feel unhappy. Soloukhin therefore pondered: In modern society, who is happier than grandparents and great-grandfathers? Compared with grandparents who are materially underdeveloped, where is the unhappiness? Think carefully, in fact, the so-called happiness does not depend on the degree of social material richness, but on the degree of satisfaction. In the era of consumption, people's needs are infinite. People can't see the end of the competition for new things, because new things are constantly joining in, and people's desires. With the development of society, people have gone to the opposite of sages, and at the same time lost the ability to meet the simplest needs such as quiet, clean water, clean air and stable sleep. This is a rhetorical question for those who think they are moving towards an unprecedented progressive society. People can think deeply, perhaps understand what they really need, and find the feeling of true happiness inside, which is the greatest gain from reading this short article.

In order to express his thoughts on life phenomena in simple terms, Solokhin used many unique and ingenious metaphors: a skier jumps out of the ordinary and a great artist transcends artistic standards. People may make all kinds of comments and questions about the extraordinary performance of players, and it is easier for people to understand this phenomenon. This metaphor makes people think about the problem that talented people may be excluded. Comparing classic writers to the sun artistically answers people's questions about the status of classic works in modern society. Comparing home to the room that people who travel in different places need to open, I think this is the spiritual sustenance of people and the necessary condition for the soul to get peace and relaxation, so the important role of home is revealed. There are countless pains and joys in life. Maybe there will be more pain than joy, and maybe stress will make life tired. However, the fragile soul finally has a place to support him, to support him to rush out of adversity and fulfill his ambition. It provides him with a harbor for physical and mental rest and eternal protection. This is home. The author's philosophical thoughts are expressed in images, which increases the readability and interest of the works.

The profound background and Ming Rui's insight endow Soruxin with the poet's mind, farmers' keen observation and citizens' conscience. He is saddened by the sufferings of the people, especially writers and artists; Shout for the trampled nature; Sing for the lofty spirit of mankind and all the sacred beauty. He condensed his understanding of writing, art, life attitude and life phenomena into his works and shared his wisdom with readers. He put sincerity between the lines, so the article reveals sacredness, solemnity and sincerity in beauty and wisdom, which is the writer's most sincere dedication to life and life.

(Chen Xiaoyan)