The taste of autumn
Lin Yutang
About the author
Lin Yutang (1895～1976) was born in Longxi, Fujian. Its original name is Hele, also known as Yutang and Yutang. His pen names include Mao Lu, Zai Yu, Qi Qing, etc. He is a famous contemporary Chinese scholar, writer, and linguist. He once taught as a professor at Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Beijing Women's Normal University, and received a doctorate from the University of Leipzig in Germany. In 1932, he edited the bimonthly "The Analects of Confucius". He founded "Human World" in 1934 and "Universe Wind" in 1935, advocating "self-centered and leisurely" essays. In 1945, he went to Singapore to prepare for the establishment of Nanyang University and served as president. In 1952, he co-founded "Tianfeng" magazine in the United States. Settled in Taiwan in 1966. In 1967, he was appointed as a research professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In 1975, he was elected as Vice President of PEN International. His representative works include "My Country and My People", "The Roaring Wind", "Smoke and Cloud in Beijing", etc.
In the autumn dusk, a person is sitting alone on the sofa smoking. Seeing the red light under the white ash of the cigarette butt, slightly revealing the warmth, the emotions in my heart follow the blue smoke. It is the same relaxation and the same of freedom. In a blink of an eye, the dazzling smoke turned into wisps of filaments and slowly disappeared. At that moment, the emotions in my heart also sank into the world, so I will not talk about the emotions at that time, but only the state of the emotions at that time. When I was about to light another match, I lit up the cigar that had been lit three or four times, but it couldn't be lit because there was too much white ash. So I flicked it gently, and the ashes fell quietly on the copper stove. It was as quiet as I was writing on the middle paper with a brush at this time, without any sound at all. So I lit it up again, puffing away the smoke in mouthfuls, and the aroma was fragrant, just like embracing the warm fragrance of red and green trees. Then I thought of smoke, the warm heat of the smoke, the dim haze lingering in the room, and the meaning of autumn. Only then did I remember that the traditional meaning of autumn in poetry was not like this. What it reminds people of is Xiao Sha, it is desolation, it is autumn fans, it is red leaves, it is desolate forest, it is luxuriant grass. However, autumn does have another meaning. It does not have the vitality of spring, nor the overwhelming heat of summer, nor is it completely withered and withered like winter. What I love is the majestic ancient atmosphere of Qiulin. Some people scold people for being old-fashioned, which shows that they do not understand the taste of the ancient beauty of Qiulin. Among the four seasons, I have a preference for autumn, so I might as well talk about it. Autumn represents maturity. We have experienced the beauty of spring and the lushness of summer. It is not surprising that it is light in color, has many yellow leaves, and has an ancient green color. It is not just green and green. This is what I mean by autumn. Perhaps what I love is not late autumn, but early autumn. At that time, the Xuanqi is beginning to dissipate, the moon is full, the crabs are plump, the osmanthus is bright, and it has not fallen into the strong and bleak atmosphere. This is the most worthy of appreciation. The gentleness at that time was like the red ash on my cigarette, which was just a warm aroma of smoke. Or it may be as if the literati has shed the astonishing style of his writing, and has gradually become more sophisticated and refined, with a firm determination, and his writings have profound meaning when read. This is the meaning of Zhuangzi's saying, "Autumn is achieved and all treasures are achieved". The most enjoyable things in life are things like this. For example, wine is better when it is mellow and when it is old, and there are also differences between soft and strong cigarettes. Cigars are better than cigarettes because they have a milder taste. If you burn it properly, you can slowly finish one bottle and watch the red light burning your hair, which has infinite meaning. I don’t know about opium, but when I see people burning it on a cigarette lamp and listen to the slight popping sound, I feel there is something poetic about it. Probably everything that is old, mature, smoked, and cooked gives me the same pleasure. For example, the sound of a blackened earthenware pot simmering pork on a slow fire makes me feel the same interest as watching someone burning smoke. Or like a dictionary that has been used for twenty years but is not broken, or a desk that has been used for half a lifetime, or seeing a blackened and old-fashioned sign on the street, or seeing the vigorous and majestic handwriting of a calligrapher, it all makes me feel... People have the same happiness. There are four seasons in life, and they must go through this mature period. If a woman is healthy and healthy, she will also have the charm of a mature woman, which is beyond the reach of twenty-eight beauties. What I admire the most is Duncan's beautiful words: "The world only sings about spring and love, which makes no sense. It should be noted that the scenery in autumn is more gorgeous and magnificent, and the joy in autumn is ten thousand times more majestic, surprising, and beautiful." . I really pity those women whose narrow-mindedness makes them miss the great gift of the autumn of love." Duncan can be said to be a wise person.
January 1941