1. "Kyoto Bamboo Branch Ci"
Qing Deyu
It is useless to read all the poems and books without talking about the Dream of Red Mansions.
A song called "Red Mansions" brings many dreams, the love of heaven, sea and fantasy of love and body.
Translation: If people do not comment on Dream of Red Mansions when chatting, even if they have read all the poems and books, they have not read them.
2. "Self Title: A Dream of Red Mansions"
Qing Dynasty Cao Xueqin
Every word looks like blood, ten years of hard work is unusual.
Translation: It took ten years to write this book. It took a lot of effort, and every word looks like blood: It took ten years of hard work to create this book, and its meaning is quite unusual.
3. "A Paper Full of Absurd Words"
Qing Dynasty Cao Xueqin
A paper full of absurd words, a handful of bitter tears.
It is said that authors are crazy, who can understand the meaning?
Translation:
Writing this book was very hard, but people didn’t understand it. They called this book random writing or even anti-book or banned book.
It is said that the author is too obsessed with the infatuation of his children, but who can really understand the meaning of the book?
Extended information:
Main characters in A Dream of Red Mansions:
1. Jia Baoyu
The young master born with a jade title in the Rongguo Mansion, he was a real person in his previous life. As a waiter of Shenying in Chixia Palace, he is the second son of Jia Zheng and Mrs. Wang. As a direct descendant of the Rongguo Mansion, he had an extraordinary background and was smart and smart. The whole family regarded him as the apple of their eyes and had high hopes for him. However, he embarked on the road of rebellion, hated the eight-legged essay, criticized Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, and gave rise to those who studied and became officials. Named "National Thief Lu Bei".
He does not like "serious books", but prefers "miscellaneous books" such as "The Peony Pavilion" and "The Romance of the West Chamber". He hangs out with the girls at home all day long, loving their beauty and purity, and mourning their tragic fate. Jia Baoyu is an imagistic novel character and the reflection of the writer's soul.
2. Lin Daiyu
The crown of the twelve hairpins in Jinling. The daughter of Lin Ruhai and Jia Min, Baoyu's cousin, lives in Rongguo Mansion. She is aloof and arrogant by nature, not good at dealing with the world, and disdains all the popular ways of doing things. She is sentimental and has a quick mind. She and Baoyu truly love each other. She is Baoyu's alliance against feudal ethics and is a firm pursuer of free love. She is a tragic figure full of poetic beauty and ideal color in the book.
She is so beautiful that people feel heartfelt sympathy and affection. What is even more artistically charming is her unparalleled rich and beautiful spiritual world. She is well-read, knowledgeable, and has many talents. She also shines with the brilliance of simple democratic ideas that pursue individual liberation and freedom of marriage.
3. Xue Baochai
The crown of the twelve hairpins in Jinling (tied with Daiyu), comes from the Xue family of the four major families, the daughter of Aunt Xue, and the aunt and cousin of Baoyu. She is a complex entangled body of contradictions. She is generous and elegant, and has a graceful manner. She has the outstanding temperament of a lady, a calm, gentle and peaceful character, and also has the magnanimity hidden deep in her heart. She hated the darkness of officialdom, but still advised Baoyu to study and become an official.
4. Wang Xifeng
Comes from the Wang family, one of the four major families. She is the niece of Mrs. Wang, the wife of Jia Lian, and the cousin and cousin-in-law of Baoyu. Her youthful beauty exudes nobility, her slender figure, coquettish physique, and undisclosed majesty are pleasing to the eye but in fact terrifying. She is smart and capable, and has won the trust of Mrs. Jia and Mrs. Wang. She holds an important position in the Rongguo Mansion and is the actual housekeeper. She is tactful and considerate in her dealings with others, and has done many things that cost her money and even her life.
5. Jia Mu
That is Shi Taijun, from the historian of the four major families, the old lady of the Jia family, Baoyu's grandmother. In the Jia family, she started from the great-grandson's daughter-in-law until she had the great-grandson's daughter-in-law. With her shrewdness and ability, she secured her position as the head of the Jia family and took charge of the housekeeping of the Rongguo Mansion. It was not until she grew older that she gradually left the affairs to Mrs. Wang and Wang Xifeng. She is a representative figure of the nobility and enjoys a lifetime of glory and wealth.
6. Qingwen
The maid of Rongguo Mansion. She is charming, clever, articulate, and good at needlework. She was the most rebellious. She despised Mrs. Wang's small favors to win over the little girl, mocked the intruders who sought favors from her master, and scolded Wang Shanbao's family members in public when they were inspecting the Grand View Garden. Her resistance was brutally retaliated, and she was kicked out of Jia's house when she became seriously ill. Baoyu went to visit secretly. She was deeply moved and died miserably that night.
Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Dream of Red Mansions