Hugo commented that the Old Summer Palace is a wonder of the world, a large-scale example of fantasy, the crystallization of generations, and the silhouette of Asian civilization
Somewhere in the world In the corner, there is a miracle of the world, this miracle is called the Old Summer Palace. Art has two origins: one is ideal, which produces European art; the other is fantasy, which produces Eastern art. The position of the Old Summer Palace in fantasy art is the same as the Parthenon in ideal art. This is what the imagination of an almost superhuman nation can achieve. This is not a rare, unique work, like the Parthenon; it is some colossal example of fantasy, if fantasy can have a model. Please imagine that there is a building that cannot be described in words, some kind of moon palace-like building. This is the Old Summer Palace. Please build a dream. Use marble, jade, bronze, porcelain, and cedar to make the beams of this dream. Cover it with precious stones from top to bottom, cover it with silk and satin, build a temple here, build a harem there, and build a city tower. , put statues of gods and strange beasts in them, decorate them with glass, enamel, gold, and powder, and ask architects who are poets to build the thousand and one dreams of the Thousand and One Nights, and then add Gardens, pools, fountains, flocks of swans, ibises and peacocks. In short, please imagine that there is some kind of dazzling cave created by human whim, and its appearance is a temple or a palace. , this is this garden. It took two generations of long-term labor to create the Old Summer Palace. This building, as big as a city, was built by generations, and for whom? For people of all countries. Because the things completed by the years belong to human beings. Artists, poets, philosophers all knew the Old Summer Palace in the past; Voltaire talked about it. We often say: Greece has the Parthenon, Egypt has the Pyramids, Rome has the Colosseum, Paris has Notre Dame, and the East has the Old Summer Palace. If you haven’t seen it, you have also dreamed of it. This was once some kind of frightening unknown masterpiece, vaguely visible in the indescribable morning light, like the silhouette of Asian civilization on the horizon of European civilization. The miracle has disappeared.
One day, two robbers entered the Old Summer Palace. One robber looted, another set fire to it. It seems that the goddess of victory may be a thief. Massive destruction of the Old Summer Palace was carried out, shared between the two victors. We see that this whole incident is also related to the name of Elgin, which is destined to remind people of the Parthenon. What was done to the Parthenon in the past was done to the Old Summer Palace now, more thoroughly and more beautifully, so that nothing remains. If all the treasures of all our cathedrals were put together, they would not equal this marvelous and magnificent museum of the East. There are not only art treasures in the garden, but also piles of gold and silver products. Great achievements and huge gains. The two victors, one with his pockets full for all to see, the other with his suitcases full; they returned to Europe arm in arm, smiling. This is the story of two robbers.
We Europeans, we are civilized people, and the Chinese are barbarians to us. This is what civilization does to barbarism!
In the face of history, one of these two robbers will be called France and the other will be called Britain. I would like to protest first, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to protest: the crime of those who govern is not the fault of those who govern; governments can sometimes be robbers, but people never are.
The French Empire has swallowed half of the fruits of victory. Today, the Empire actually displays the magnificent rags of the Old Summer Palace with a certain innocence of ownership. I hope that one day, the liberated and clean France will return this stolen goods to the plundered China.
Now, I confirm that a theft occurred and there were two thieves. Victor Hugo lived in Gaocheng on November 25, 1861
The writer Mr. Hugo had never been to the Old Summer Palace, but he used his thorough understanding of Eastern art and rich imagination to show the world a The extremely gorgeous "Old Summer Palace". The article reads: "In a certain corner of the world, there is a world miracle. This miracle is called the Old Summer Palace... The Old Summer Palace's status in fantasy is like the Parthenon's status in ideal art. The imagination of an almost superhuman nation. This is all that one can achieve. Unlike the Parthenon, this is not a rare, unique work; it is an example of something as grand as a city. The building is the product of generations... It is some kind of astonishing and unknown masterpiece." Mr. Hugo's high evaluation of the Old Summer Palace reflects the writer's high evaluation of oriental art and the cultural achievements of all mankind.
If the Old Summer Palace is a masterpiece of Asian civilization that belongs to all mankind and is the writer’s rational thinking, then the writer’s vivid description of the Old Summer Palace through imagination is a passionate praise of the Old Summer Palace. Let us taste the rich imagination of the writer: "Please imagine that there is a building that cannot be described in words, something like a moon palace. This is the Old Summer Palace. Please use marble, jade, bronze, and porcelain to build a dream …That’s this famous garden.”
Although there is a certain gap between the writer's description and the real Yuanmingyuan, the beautiful and unique garden landscape he sketched for the world truly reflects the writer's passionate praise of her and his cherishment and respect for the achievements of human civilization. Respect for the creators of human civilization. At the same time, it also aroused the world's yearning for and cherishment of the Old Summer Palace.
After deeply praising the Old Summer Palace, the writer strongly condemned the banditry of the invaders with extremely poignant pen and ink. "What was done to the Parthenon in the past is what is being done to the Old Summer Palace now, only more thoroughly and more beautifully, to the point where nothing remains." The consistent predatory behavior of the invaders was exposed. "Great achievements! Huge gains! Two victors, one filled his pockets, which is visible, and the other filled his trunks. They returned to Europe arm in arm, smiling. This is what happened to these two robbers. story". Captain Butler shamelessly considered the expedition honorable, brilliant, and honorable. They expected Hugo to give grand praise to Britain and France for this "victory". To their surprise, Mr. Hugo was so angry that he used unique language to describe the psychology of the robbers. Ironic words such as "great achievements", "huge gains", "civilized" and "barbaric" that reproduced the robbers' tone strongly mocked them. The ugly soul of the invaders beautifying their plundering behavior! The writer writes at the end of the article: "Now, I confirm that a theft took place and that there were two thieves." "Sir, the above is all my praise for the expedition to China." Here, not only do we once again feel the angry condemnation and ruthless lashing of honest writers against the British and French invaders who burned the Old Summer Palace. And more importantly, he also aroused the world's hatred for the chief culprit who destroyed human civilization.
Exploring the text, we will further discover that the work has profound connotations that make us even more amazed.
In the face of the aggression of his own government against foreign people, this broad-minded writer was able to abandon narrow nationalist ideas, stand at the height of human standing, represent human conscience, distinguish right from wrong, and stand firm. How can we not admire him! His lofty character of not being sycophantic, not pandering to the likes of Butler or the government, having the courage to speak out, regardless of personal gain or loss, and putting justice first is truly remarkable! Not to mention a foreign writer! How much courage it takes to publicly denounce the bandit government and sternly defend justice!
Mr. Hugo is a great writer!