"The Drunkard's Pavilion" is a beautiful prose by him. It was written in the fifth year of Qingli in Song Dynasty. At that time, he had been demoted to the governor of Chuzhou for writing a letter to defend the "Qingli New Deal". Chuzhou is remote and poor, but the author is generous in his administration and uses his political achievements and talents to make the people of Chuzhou happy in the mountains and wilderness. Through the description of landscapes and banquets, the author implicitly praises his political achievements in Chuzhou and expresses the author's broad-minded feelings of being at peace with the situation and enjoying himself with the people. The article is unique in conception and writing, showing superb artistic skills, which is worthy of our study and reference.
Ingenious structure
1. The word "乐" runs through the whole text, like beads on a golden thread
Although "The Drunkard's Pavilion" changes from time to time The color is dew on the rolled surface, and sometimes water flows into the painting, and sometimes the birds chirp on the paper. It seems scattered, but in fact it is scattered but not chaotic, and there is spirit in the scattering. The article is centered around the word "乐", which embodies the inner meaning of the whole text, is the central clue of the whole text, and is a golden thread in the author's hand.
The article first introduces the word "joy" from the drunkard's banquet: "The drunkard's intention is not in the wine, but in the mountains and rivers. The joy of the mountains and rivers resides in the wine." Drinking slightly drunk already has a bit of "pleasure" in it, and the author cleverly incorporates the pleasure of appreciating the mountains and rivers into it. The content of "le" is expressed in a form of "le". The joy of landscape in the drunkard's mind has two meanings: one is the joy derived from the beautiful natural scenery, and the other is the joy derived from the prefect and Chuzhou people enjoying this beautiful scenery. The two pleasures merged into one in the prefect's mood.
Then in the second paragraph, the author concretizes the "joy of landscape" and depicts the different levels of scenery in Langya Mountain in the morning, evening and four seasons with gorgeous brushstrokes, intending to emphasize that the landscape here is worth enjoying and enjoying. . At the end of the paragraph, the scene of the day and the scenery of the four seasons are summarized from the perspective of morning, evening and four seasons, and the subjective feelings are summarized as "endless joy". This infinite "joy" echoes the "landscape" of the first paragraph. "Pleasure of Man", and leads to the description of "Pleasure of Man" in the following paragraph.
The third paragraph is divided into four levels and depicts "Chu people visiting the mountains", "Prefect's banquet picture", "Guests drinking happily" and "Prefect's drunken picture". The word "you", the word "feast", the word "huan" and the word "drunk" are concrete and vivid embodiments of "endless joy".
The last paragraph combines the joy of the governor, the joy of guests and the joy of wandering birds, "However, birds know the joy of mountains and forests, but do not know the joy of people; people know the joy of traveling from the prefect, but do not know The joy of the prefect is the same as the joy of the prefect. "First, the joy of birds is used to set off the joy of everyone, and then the joy of everyone is used to set off the happiness of the prefect: the joy of birds is not as good as the joy of people, and the joy of people is not as good as the joy of the prefect. Step by step, it reaches one point. , highlighting the unusual joy of the prefect, enjoying all things and enjoying them. The whole text is filled with joy and emotion because of the scenery. The word "happy" summarizes the author's subjective feelings. There is no layer in the entire article that does not contain joy, and there is not a paragraph that does not contain joy in order to highlight the theme. The word "乐" connects all paragraphs and levels of text throughout the text, forming an indivisible whole, just like "thousands of pearls and jade are embellished in golden threads, and thousands of rays of sunlight are condensed on a condenser."
2. Narrow down the scope of the narrative layer by layer and highlight the central scenery and characters.
There is a sentence in "The Drunkard Pavilion": "There are twists and turns, and there is a pavilion." It is very appropriate to use this phrase to describe the structural characteristics of this prose. The author has worked hard to write about the different scenery at dawn and dusk in the four seasons and the colorful Langya style. The author put a lot of thought into describing the location of the Drunkard Pavilion. Without speaking directly, I first start with an outline of the general environment where Zuiweng Pavilion is located, and use the "peeling bamboo shoots method" to narrow down the scope of the narrative layer by layer, from "all mountains around Chuzhou" to "peaks in the southwest", from "peaks in the southwest" Peak" shrunk to "deep and beautiful Langya Mountain", and then shrunk from "deep and beautiful Langya Mountain" to Niangquan "sprinkling out between the two peaks", and from Niangquan to a pavilion "winging on the spring" . The five levels laid out by the author are not balanced and evenly divided with ink, but dyed layer by layer. The previous layer of environment includes the next layer or layers of environment. The layers are connected, and the description of the environment of each layer captures the essence of the environment. Each has its own scenery characteristics, and this scenery is better than the other, implying that Zuiweng Pavilion is located in the most beautiful place in Chuzhou.
The author goes from small to large, from far to near, from the whole to the part, layer by layer, and gradually shrinks, highlighting the Drunkard Pavilion, the center of the text, and points out the prefect's infatuation with the landscape and enjoying himself with the people. Main place. The author also uses the method of gradually narrowing the scope of the narrative to make the central character of the article occupy a prominent position in the article. The author first writes about the lively scene of Chu people enjoying themselves in Langya Mountain, then narrows the scope to the prefect’s banquet, then focuses on the guests’ joyous drinking at the banquet, and finally focuses all the words on the prefect alone, “pale face, white hair, slumped "In the meantime", "Drinking too little and often getting drunk", a close-up shot of the prefect slumped and drunk in the joyful crowd. In this way, the joy of the prefect is pushed to the top with so many people, and it can highlight the unique subjective feelings and experiences of the protagonist of the work: the joy of everyone is the joy that I, the prefect, feel, and the joy that I feel has melted into the joy of everyone. among.
3. The echoes are well-organized and the layers are interconnected
The ambush in the front and the revelation in the back is another feature of the structure of this article. At the beginning of the article, it is written, "Who is named? The prefect calls himself." And who is the prefect named? But there is no explanation. There are foreshadowings here, like suspense, which attracts people to read.
It was not until the end of the article that "prefect" appeared nine times before the clues emerged: "Who does the prefect call? Luling Ouyang Xiuye." This has the effect of echoing the beginning and the end. There is also "the music of the prefect" which echoes the "joy of mountains and rivers". Music comes from mountains and rivers, so the music of the prefect has its basis. "Those who have pale faces and white hair and are slumped are the prefect's drunkenness" echoes "the drunkenness of the prefect is often caused by drinking less, and he is the oldest". He is already old and indulges in the mountains and rivers, and the prefect's drunkenness has its roots. While paying attention to echoes everywhere, there is a strict logic between sentences and sentences and levels in this article. The two sentences of "sunrise" and the four sentences of "wild flowers" contain cause and effect: from "sunrise" it is concluded that "the forest is blooming", from "clouds return" it is concluded that "the cave is in peace", from "the wild flowers are fragrant" it is concluded that "the forest is blooming" "Fragrance", "Fan Yin" is derived from "Jiamu Xiu", "Frost" is derived from "High Wind", and "Shi Chu" is derived from "Shui Luo".
In short, the first half of the sentence is the cause, and the second half is the effect. The two sentences of "sunrise" are concluded with "huiming" and "morning and dusk", and the four sentences of "wild flowers" are concluded with "the four seasons in the mountains". "And the joy is endless" summarizes the whole paragraph emotionally. The morning and evening scenery of Langya Mountain and the scenery of the four seasons have become the basis for "endless enjoyment". Looking again, "the sunset on the mountain" is the reason for the scattered figures, "the governor returns and the guests follow" is the result; "the shadow of the forest" is the reason for "the sound of singing up and down", and "the tourists leave and the birds are happy" is the result. It can be seen that the structure of "The Drunkard's Pavilion" appears to be rigorous and thoughtful, connected from top to bottom, and natural, no matter from the overall layout or from the small details of the intertwined layers.
Gorgeous and graceful artistic conception
1. The beauty of contrasting backgrounds
Excellent travel prose should have the beauty of beautiful scenery and pictures, giving people a unique aesthetic enjoyment , which is pleasing to the eye. The ideological context of "The Drunkard's Pavilion" is the word "乐", which is like a colorful thread connecting various paintings. In the author's painting, the far and near side of Drunkard Pavilion is a landscape painting. There are mountains, springs, forests and pavilions, but the author does not use ink in isolation, but interweaves them together, each with its own beauty, and yet unified in diversity. The scenery description in the second paragraph is based on the natural environment outlined in the first paragraph. For example, "When the sun rises, the forest blooms, and when the clouds return, the caves are quiet" are based on the previous words "The scenery is beautiful but the deep ones are beautiful", "The forest ravines are especially beautiful" and "The winding roads turn around". The third section of the Chuzhou people's tour, the prefect's and guest tours are based on the natural scenery depicted in the first and second paragraphs. Against such a large environment, the moving scenes of Chuzhou officials and people enjoying themselves in Langya Mountain are often seen. The angle reflects it.
Furthermore, the southwest peaks in the first section are based on the mountains surrounding Chuzhou City. The first two levels of scenery on Langya Mountain are used as the background. The scenery on the first three levels of Niangquan is used as the background. The Drunkard Pavilion, on the other hand, is unique in that the scenery on the first four levels is described as the background. In this way, the mountains and springs are dependent on each other, the spring pavilions are in contrast, and the prefect's drunken state "slumped in it" forms a dreamlike and beautiful state.
2. The beauty of morning and dusk changes and the changing seasons
The author writes about mountain scenery and is good at capturing the typical characteristics of the scenery. He first writes about the changes in clouds, clouds and clouds in the morning and evening, and then writes about the different scenery in the four seasons. . "When the sun rises, the forest opens, and the clouds return to hide in the caves. The change of darkness is like the morning and evening in the mountains." The lush and green forest was originally shrouded in gauze-like mist. At this time, with the early morning sunshine, The smoke disappeared, revealing a fresh and emerald green color. But in the evening, when the sun sets and the dusk rises, the rock valley becomes dark. The author vividly describes the difference in scenery between morning and evening. In the morning, there is a tranquil, fresh and lively atmosphere, while in the evening, there is a dark and twilight atmosphere. The author's observation of the changes in scenery is both deep and detailed, with silky brushwork, and he writes about different realms according to different scenery.
Not only that, the author also spread the pen and ink further to describe the changes in the scenery in the four seasons with Zuiweng Pavilion as the center. "The wild fields are fragrant and fragrant, the beautiful trees are beautiful but densely shaded, the wind and frost are noble and pure, the water falls and rocks emerge, these are the four seasons in the mountains." Every sentence is implemented and every word is true. In one sentence, spring and summer in the mountains are summarized. The different scenery of the four seasons of autumn and winter, and the most characteristic scenery is captured to depict, one picture for each season. The spring scenery with blooming wild flowers and fragrant fragrance; the summer scenery with tall trees and lush leaves; the autumn scenery with strong autumn wind and white frost and dew; the winter scenery with thin water, dry rocks and withered vegetation. With the change of seasons, the scenery is different, and its realm also changes, giving people different enjoyments of beauty. Here the author directly expresses his joyful mood of being intoxicated by the natural beauty, and his true meaning is revealed between the lines: letting go of the trees and being intoxicated by the mountains and rivers.
3. The beauty of contrast between movement and stillness
The most taboo in prose is narrow thinking, rigid writing, and strict adherence to fixed rules, especially lyrical prose. If the same scenery, one style of writing, and one mood , where is the interest? In "The Drunkard's Pavilion", the author always pays attention to the changes in the movement of things. The "deep and beautiful" Langya Mountain is static, while the "Gurgling Water" Zuiquan is dynamic. The mountains are green and pleasing to the eye, and the sound of the spring is pleasant. The contrast complements each other and forms a unique interest of its own. "The woods are dark and the sounds are rising and falling." The sounds of birds chirping in the silence of the trees also complement each other. This is the contrast between scenery and scenery, as well as the contrast between scenery and characters. "As the sun sets on the mountain, the figures are scattered, and the governor returns and the guests follow." The sunset is quiet on the top of the mountain, and the figures are scattered and moving. When they return in the evening, they are moving, and the quiet scene and the moving figures intersect with each other. There is also the contrast between characters and characters. "The loser sings on the road, the traveler rests in the tree", singing and resting, moving and still. “Those who drink and drink together, sit up and make noises are all happy for the guests.
"If the pale face and white hair are slumped, the prefect is drunk." The noisy movements of the guests contrast with the slumped tranquility of the prefect. All these contrasts appear to be well-proportioned and full of interest. Therefore, the artistic conception of this prose is vivid and vivid. Mountain scenery, water color, human feelings, and drunkenness are combined in one painting, which is unique.
Unique language
1. Use explanatory sentences to write prose, which is unique.
< p> "The Drunkard's Pavilion" is a travel prose, but it consists of twenty-two descriptive sentences. It is very distinctive in the choice of sentence structure. The first half of the sentence is narrative or description, and the second half is an explanation of the first half. The whole article is written using this sentence structure, and the author can use it flexibly. Some use only one explanatory sentence to explain, such as "There are mountains around Chu"; "On the way, travelers rest in a tree, the former calls, the latter responds, crouching and supporting, people who come and go without stopping", and then concludes with "Chu people travel". In short, the forms are diverse and flexible, making people endless It feels dull and cumbersome. Expository sentences are usually used to explain things, but this article uses explanatory sentences to describe scenes. It can be said to be "a masterpiece of the ages" and uses twenty-five "er" characters in the whole text! , convert sentences like poems into prose, so that the article has both the charm of poetry and the beauty of prose. The most typical one is the two sentences "when the sun rises, the forest blooms, and the clouds return and the caves rest in silence", remove the word "er". It becomes a poem, and the word "er" is added to become a sentence. Due to the repeated use of the word "ye" and the word "er", the looping chant not only enhances the charm and rhythm of the article, but also makes you feel energetic when reading it. , swaying, sonorous, lively, and conducive to expressing the joyful mood of the governor and the people.2. The language is sophisticated and rich in meaning
Ouyang Xiu is a good choice of words and sentences. The language of "The Drunkard's Pavilion" is very distinctive, the style is clear and elegant, and it reaches the state of perfection. Because the author is good at observing things and incisively capturing the essential characteristics of the objects and refining them, the language of this article is concise and crystal clear. For example, when writing about the different scenes of morning and dusk, it can be summarized in just two sentences: "When the sun rises, the forest falls, and when the clouds return, they retreat into the cave." Forests, rocks, morning mist, and dusk mist are all common things in the mountains. At this time, the scenery is intertwined. At the same time, "chu" and "kai" are associated, "kai" is the result of "chu", "gui" and "瑑" are linked, and "gui" is the premise of "瑑". The verb is superb. The application makes the changing mountain scenery realistic and vivid, and the author uniquely captures the typical scenes with seasonal characteristics, using "fragrance" to describe spring, "complexity" to describe summer, and "clean" to describe it. In autumn, "water" is used to describe winter, which is really full of emotions and accurate. Another example is "the woods are shadowy, and the sound is up and down." The first sentence describes the color, and the second sentence writes the sound. The dusk scene is expressed like "there is a pavilion with wings". With this metaphor, the shape and style of the pavilion are vividly painted, like a big bird spreading its wings in the sky, ready to fly.
The full text only has 400 words, but it describes complex and changeable scenery and situations. It is really precise and subtle, and the language is rich. The most outstanding thing is that the author first coined "the drunkard's intention is not in the wine" and "the truth comes to light". Sentences such as this have been used by contemporaries and later literati. For example, Su Shi's sentence about the scenery on the river at the turn of autumn and winter in his famous "Hou Chibi Ode" is "The mountains are high and the moon is small, and the water and rocks are revealed", which was renovated on the basis of Ouyang Xiu. Also because the author uses words carefully and has a very strong generalizing power, sentences such as "The drunkard's intention is not in the wine" and "The truth comes out" have evolved into idioms with strong stability and high standardization, and have exerted their influence. Extended meaning.
This article also left some good stories to elaborate on the text. Zhu Xi, a scholar of the Song Dynasty, wrote, "Ou Gongwen also revised many of his works to perfection. Someone recently bought the first draft of his "The Drunkard Pavilion". At first, it said "mountains around Chuzhou", but the number of crosses was changed to "all around Chuzhou". "Shan Ye" is only five words long." ("Zhu Zi's Complete Collection of Languages") This truly achieves the state of saying that one word is worth a thousand words.
Ouyang Xiu's essay advocated "simple words but profound meaning". He particularly praised the words of his old friend Mei Yaochen on poetry, that is, "a scene that is difficult to describe is as it is now; it contains endless meanings." , seen beyond words" (see "Sixty-One Poetry Talks"). And this travelogue can be said to perfectly reflect his creative views.
Ouyang Xiu played a special role in the literary innovation movement of the Northern Song Dynasty. He swept away the flamboyant and difficult styles of the Tang and Five Dynasties and established a fresh, meaningful, vigorous and tactful literary style, and this " "The Drunkard's Pavilion" is the best artistic practice of his literary ideas.