Inscriptions on Sisters' Sacrifice
Original Text
In the winter of Dinghai during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, Su Wen, the third sister, was buried at Yangshan Mountain in Shangyuan, and she laid a memorial ceremony with the inscription: Woohoo! You were born in Zhejiang and buried here; you are seven hundred miles away from my hometown. At that time, although I dreamed of dreaming, would I rather know that this is where my bones belong?
With the chastity of one thought, you met someone who was divorced, and you were left alone and in danger. Although destiny exists, it is actually done by nature. However, it is not my fault that I have burdened you to this point. When Mr. Youcong is teaching you scriptures, you sit shoulder to shoulder and love to listen to the ancients' righteous deeds. When you grow up one day, you will quickly follow them. Alas! If you don't know poetry and calligraphy, it may not be difficult for you. I catch crickets, and you stretch out your arms to get out of them. In the cold weather, the insects are stiff, and you come to their holes together. Now I will bury you, but the scene of that day will come to my eyes with longing. When I was nine years old, I rested in my study. You combed your hair into a double bun, put on a single silk tie, and read a chapter of "缁衣". When Mr. Shi entered the house, he heard the loud voices of two boys. He smiled and called out without realizing it. This seventh month is also about looking forward to the sun. When you are in Jiuyuan, you should remember it clearly. As I travel to Guangdong with a weak crown, you put on your clothes and mourn. After more than three years, I returned home covered with palace brocade. You came out from the east chamber holding the case, and the whole family stared and laughed. I don't remember where the words came from, but I probably said that I was admitted to the imperial examination in Chang'an, and sooner or later the messenger reported the news. Although all these trivial things are ancient traces, I will never forget them until I die. The past is filled with memories, and the sad thoughts are like shadows, which will disappear if forced. I regret that I didn’t record the situation of Huanfan at that time. However, you are no longer in the human world, so even if you can turn back time and be a child again, there will be no one to be able to bear the seal.
Your righteousness has surpassed the Gao family and you have returned. Grandma in the hall relies on your support; It is said that among the women, the least clear-minded and sophisticated ones are the ones who know the meaning of the scriptures. Your sister-in-law is not without elegance, but she is lacking in this. Therefore, although I feel sad for you since your return, I am actually happy for you. If I am four years older than you, or if the elder in the world dies first, I can leave it to you after my death, instead of asking you to go first. I was ill the year before last, and you spent the whole night spying on me. If you lose one point, you will be happy, if you increase one point, you will be worried. Although I am on a short mission, I still have to die and have no entertainment. You come to the bedside to talk about the joyful and shocking things about the history of officials and wild people, and have a good time. Alas! From now on, if I get sick again, where can I call you?
Your illness is also harmless. I believe the doctor said it is harmless, and you are far away from Yangzhou. You were worried about me and stopped people from leaving. When your grief was at its peak, Grandma asked if Brother Wang had returned. Qiang Ying said: "No". I had dreamed about you coming one day in advance, knowing that I was not sure, so I flew across the river in a flying boat. If I don't return home in due time, you will have already given up your breath. His limbs are still warm and he has not closed his eyes. He is still waiting for death. Oh, what a pain! If I had known that I would leave you, why would I be willing to travel far away? Even while traveling, I still have a few words in my mind that I want you to know and hear, so that you can plan your plans. Now it’s over! Unless I die, there will be no time to see you again. I don’t know when I will be able to see you when I die; and after death, there will be knowledge and ignorance, and I will not be able to see you, and it is difficult to know the death. However, how could it be that we have such boundless regrets? Human? And that’s it!
I have published your poems; I have married your daughter; I have written a biography of your life; but I have not yet discovered your talent. The tomb is in Hangzhou, where the river is wide and deep, making it difficult to bury him. Therefore, I asked my mother to give her peace to you here, and then I offered sacrifices and sweeps. Next to it is buried your daughter Ayin; under the two tombs, one is for my grandfather's attendant Zhu, and the other is for my brother's attendant Tao. The Yangshan mine is vast, looking to the south of Yuanxi and to the west of Qixia. In the wind and rain, morning and dusk, my soul has company, so I should not be lonely. For those of you who have pity, since I read the poem about your crying nephew in the year of Wuyin, I still have no boy and two girls. After your birth, I only Zhou Xuer. Although I am close to you, I don't dare to say that I am old, but my teeth are dangerous and bald. I know it secretly, and I know how many more days I will have in this world! A Pinyuan was an official in Henan, and he had no children, so the nine clans had no successors. If you die, I will bury you. Who will bury me if I die? If you have a spirit, can you sue me?
Woohoo! It is impossible to think about what is before you, and what is behind you is unknown; I will not hear your words when I cry for you, and I will not see you when I offer you food. Paper ashes are flying, the wind is strong, my brother has returned, and I still look back at you many times, so sad! Alas!
Translation
In the winter of the year Longding and Hai, I buried my third sister Suwen at Yangshan Mountain in Shangyuan County. I wrote an essay in memory of her and said:
Alas! You were born In Hangzhou, he is buried here, 7 miles away from our hometown. When you were born, even if you had bizarre dreams and illusory imaginations, how did you expect that this was the place where your bones were buried?
You were abandoned because of your insistence on chastity. , leading to loneliness, sadness, hardship and frustration. Although it is fate, it is actually God who caused this misfortune; but it is not my fault that it has brought you to this point. When I was a child, I listened to my husband's lectures on the scriptures, and you sat side by side with me. I liked to listen to the examples of ancient people's moral principles; once I grew up, I put them into practice myself. Alas! If you don't know poetry and calligraphy, you may not be so devoted to chastity.
(I remember when I was a child), I was catching crickets, and you appeared there with your arms raised; when it was cold, the cricket was frozen, and we went to its hole together. Today I pretended to bury you, and the scene of that day was clearly presented before my eyes. When I was nine years old, (once) I was resting in the study. You came with your hair in paired buns and fine silk single clothes, and (together) you read a chapter of "缁衣". Your husband happened to open the door and came in. Hearing two The boy was reading loudly, smiling slightly without realizing it, and making "squirting" sounds of admiration again and again. This is what happened in July, and you should clearly remember this scene underground. When I first came of age and went to Guangxi, you held my clothes and cried sadly. Three years later, I returned home after passing the Jinshi examination. You came out from the east wing holding a few cases. The whole family opened their eyes and laughed. I don’t remember where the topic started. It was probably about passing the Jinshi examination in Chang’an and the messenger would report the news sooner or later. situation, and so on. Although all these trivial matters have become relics, I will never forget them until I die.
Things in the past fill my heart, and when I think of them I feel sad and choked with tears. They are as clear as shadows, but when they come close to capture, they disappear without a trace. I regret not keeping detailed records of my childhood. However, you are no longer in this world. Even if time goes back and childhood can appear again, there will be no one to confirm it.
After you divorced Mr. Gao upholding the moral principles and came back, your mother in the hall relied on you for support, and she expected you to handle the literary affairs at home. I once said that few women understand the meaning of the scriptures and are familiar with the allusions. Your sister-in-law is not undocile and quiet, but she is slightly lacking in this aspect. So since you came back, although I am sad for you, I am actually happy for myself. I am four years older than you. If according to the common practice in the world, the oldest person dies first, I can entrust you with the matters after my death, but unexpectedly you passed away before me!
I suffered from illness the year before last. When you are sick, you stay up all night to inquire. If the condition decreases by one point, you will be happy, and if the condition increases by one point, you will worry. Although his condition improved a little later, he was still half-sitting and half-lying, with nothing to entertain him. You come to the bedside and tell me exciting and surprising stories from novels and novels, giving me a little joy for now. Alas! If I get sick again in the future, where can I call you?
When you were sick, I listened to the doctor and said there was no danger, so I went to Yangzhou to express my condolences to my friend. You are also afraid that I will worry about you and prevent others from coming to tell you (your condition). When your condition progressed to the point where you were dying, and your mother asked you if you were looking forward to your brother's return, you reluctantly agreed and said "yes". I had already dreamed of you coming to Yongfa the day before. Knowing that it was unlucky, I flew across the Yangtze River in a flying boat. Sure enough, I returned home at Weishi, and you died at Chenshi. Your limbs are still warm, one eye has not been closed, and you are still struggling to wait for me! Oh, how sad! If I had known that I would never see you again, then how could I be willing to travel far away! Even if I have to travel far, there is still so much left. I want you to hear and understand what I say in my heart, and I want to discuss (how many things) with you! But now (everything) is over! There will be no day to see each other except when I die. I don’t know when I will be able to see you when I die, and whether I will be conscious after death, or whether I can see you again, is still hard to figure out. In this way, I am holding this boundless regret; is it God's will or human affairs, but it is like this!
I have printed your poem manuscript; your daughter, I have represented you Married; I have already written a biography of your life; only your tomb has not yet been planned. The tombs of your ancestors are in Hangzhou, with vast rivers and deep rivers, so it will be difficult to transport them back to your hometown for burial, so I asked your mother to ask for permission to bury you here for the convenience of paying tributes and sweeping the tombs. Next to your tomb is your daughter Ayin. There are two tombs at the bottom, one is that of my grandfather's concubine Zhu, and the other is that of my brother's concubine Tao. Sheep Mountain is open and vast. You can see the low and humid wilderness to the south, and you can see Qixia Mountain to the west. It rains, morning and evening, your soul in a foreign land also has a friend, so you won't be lonely. Unfortunately, since I read your poem about crying nephews in the year of Wuyin, I still don’t have a boy. I have two girls who are just learning to talk. They were born after your death and are only one year old. Although my mother is still alive and dare not say that I am old, my teeth are shaken and my hair is falling out. I know secretly how many days I have left in this world! Apin is an official in Henan far away and has no children. The nine tribes have no children. Someone who can inherit. When you die, I will bury you. Who will bury me when I die? If you have a spirit, can you tell me?
Alas! What happened before you is too painful to look back on, and what happens after you cannot be known. , I cried for you and didn’t hear your answer, I paid tribute to you but I didn’t see you eat the sacrifice, paper ashes were flying, and the north wind was fierce. Your brother has gone back, and he keeps looking back at you. Alas, it is sad! Alas, it is sad!
Author and related links
Yuan Mei (1716-1797), courtesy name Zicai, nicknamed Jianzhai, alias Suiyuan Laoren, a native of Qiantang . He is famous for his poetry and creative ideas, and most of his works express his leisurely mood. He is also good at writing, and his writing is unique. He is a master of prose describing scenery and narrating people. This "Essay in Memory of Sister" is a treasure of mourning prose in the history of Chinese literature, expressing the deep emotions between brother and sister. In addition, the author's pain is not only due to his true love for his sister, but also full of sympathy and pity for her, resentment against evil and injustice, and infinite regret for not fulfilling his duties. This makes the article contain rich ideological content. It enhances the power to shock the reader's soul. The person being sacrificed was Yuan Suwen, Yuan Mei's third sister, whose name was Ji, whose courtesy name was Suwen, and whose alias was Qinglin layman. When Su Wen was not born, his parents were married to Gao Zhifu. After Gao's son grew up, he became a scoundrel in the market and committed many misdeeds. The Gao family proposed to terminate the engagement, but Yuan Suwen was constrained by feudal ethics and refused. After her marriage, Su Wen was humiliated and eventually returned to her parents' home because she couldn't bear the abuse. From then on, he endured humiliation and filth, and died miserably at the age of forty.
Appreciation
Yuan Mei (1716-1797) was born in Qiantang. He is an advocate of "Xingshen theory" and advocates that writing should have "true feelings". His writing is unique and he is a master of prose describing scenery and narrating people.
Sacrificial texts usually have a fixed format, and their content and form are easy to formalize, so they are rarely recited by future generations. However, Yuan Mei's "Essay on Sacrifice to Sisters" is informal in format, written with sincerity, vividness and touchingness, and will be passed down to future generations. This "Essay in Memory of Sister" is a treasure of mourning prose in the history of Chinese literature, expressing the deep emotions between brother and sister.
The author's grief for his dead sister in the article is not only due to his deep love for her, but also full of sympathy and pity for her, resentment against evil and injustice, hatred for "one thought of chastity", and infinite regret for his failure to fulfill his duties. remorse. This makes the article contain rich ideological connotations and enhances the spiritual power that shocks readers.
The sacrificed Yuan Suwen was Yuan Mei's third sister, whose name was Ji and whose courtesy name was Suwen. When Su Wen was not born, his parents were married to Gao's son. When Gao's son grew up, he became a scoundrel in the market and committed many misdeeds. The Gao family proposed to terminate the engagement, but Yuan Suwen was constrained by feudal ethics and refused. After her marriage, Su Wen was humiliated and eventually returned to her parents' home because she couldn't bear the abuse. From then on, he endured humiliation and filth, and passed away sadly at the age of only forty.
"The Essay on Sister-in-law" is exquisitely conceived and shows great ingenuity. According to the chronological order, it starts from Suwen's graveyard to the explanation of the root cause of the disease, from catching crickets in the wild to reading the Book of Songs in the study. , from the tears shed when the younger sister sends her brother off to holding a candle to welcome the elder brother home, from leaving home to get married to returning home in the middle way, from serving the mother to show her virtue to caring for her elder brother to show her love, from Su Wen's death to the arrangements for his funeral. , the plot advances layer by layer, emotions surge, the narrative is vividly visible, the lyrical sentences are heartfelt, and the writing and sentiment are both luxuriant and seamless.
The article begins by explaining the place where the dead sister is buried, the time of memorial service, the identity of the person offering sacrifices, etc. Then it turns to "woo hoo" and addresses the dead sister directly, which sets a sad and sad tone for the whole article. Then, he succinctly described the cause of his sister's death: "With a single thought, he met someone and got divorced, leaving him alone and in danger." This means that the root cause of Su Wen's early death was that the young man often listened to his teacher's teachings and "loved to listen to the ancients' righteous deeds." , indicating that the decadent concepts of feudal poetry and books violated Su Wen, causing her to suffer a lot and die young.
Next, the author recalls the unforgettable time spent with Su Wen***. When they were children, they read together and "sat shoulder to shoulder", and their warmth was beyond words; catching and burying crickets together reflected the gentleness and kindness of their sister. The description is true and vivid, and an innocent, lively and kind-hearted child suddenly appears before his eyes. This is not surprising, but the wonderful thing is that the author connects memories with reality. Back then, brother and sister were buried together as crickets, but today, a brother buries his dead sister alone. Things have changed and time has passed. Today is not what it was yesterday. How can we not make people shed tears? When Yuan Mei was older, Yuan Mei traveled to Guangxi. Her sister couldn't bear the separation from her brother. She pulled her clothes from her chair and burst into tears. Back then, my sister sent my brother off, but now it's only the brother who sees his sister off. Isn't it painful? Yuan Mei passed the Jinshi examination and returned home in fine clothes. Her sister was so surprised that she came out to support him, while her family looked on and laughed. The sister's joy at her brother's passing the high school entrance examination was revealed clearly, and the brotherly love was evident. All the past events are as vivid as shadows, as if they happened yesterday. "However, you are no longer in this world. Even if you can turn back the years, you can come again soon, but there will be no one who can bear the seal." Time cannot be turned back, and the past will never come back again. After reading this, readers also feel sad for the author's lost beauty.
Then, I will record the various circumstances of my sister's return to her mother's house: serving her mother; managing literary and ink affairs; Yuan Mei was ill in bed, and my sister kept spying on him all night long, and tried every means to make her brother happy.
Then, record the situation of my sister’s critical illness and death. Su Wen was terminally ill and his death was approaching, but he did not allow anyone to report the news to his brother in order to forgive him. He endured death and waited for his brother to return, but in the end he could not wait for his brother to return and died with regrets. He died with his eyes closed. "I had a dream about you coming one day in advance. Knowing that it was ominous, I flew across the river in a flying boat." Yuan Mei had a premonition of the ominous situation and hurried home. He only arrived home a few hours after his sister passed away. At that time, Suwen's limbs were still warm, but I couldn't say a word to my sister because I only blamed myself for trusting the doctors' advice and hanging up in Yangzhou. I felt so much self-blame. The sentence "Oh, what a pain" condenses the longing, sympathy, guilt and grief for the deceased sister into a heartbroken lament.
Finally, briefly describe the arrangements for cooking after the death of my sister. And he thought: "If you die, I will bury you. Who will bury me if I die? If you are alive, can you sue me?"
At the end of the paragraph, the author draws his eyes back to the present, and returns to the twilight place of memorial service. . "I cried for you, but I didn't hear your words, and I offered you sacrifices, but I didn't see you eating them." The dead have passed away, but the living are so miserable and sad! "Ashes are flying, the wind is strong, my brother has returned, and I still look back at you many times. How sad! How sad!" The memory and love for my sister are expressed in a frightening and vivid way. After reading this ending, I had to cry even if I didn’t want to cry!
Yuan Mei is indeed a master of writing, and his writing is spiritual but not polished. When the author recalls the childhood love affair with his sister, he seems to have it at his fingertips, and it is so clear and subtle; he mourns the sudden death of his loved ones, every word of which is filled with blood and tears, which is sincere and moving, touching the heart. He embodies grief in the narrative, and his writing is full of true feelings. At the same time, he also intersperses some descriptions of scenery, so that the feelings of regret, sorrow, regret, and helplessness are organically blended together, and has a heart-breaking artistic appeal.
"The Essay on the Sacrifice of My Sister" is indeed a rare and sincere work.
——Hanshan
Learned it in high school