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In this poem, Wang Jian describes a newlywed who is rich in intelligence and whimsical ideas. At the same time, he also reveals some of the things in daily life for us. philosophy.
Complete poem
"Three Poems for the Bridegroom·Part 3"
.[Tang Dynasty].Wang Jian.
Three days Go into the kitchen, wash your hands and make soup.
I’m not familiar with my aunt’s food habits, so I sent my sister-in-law to taste it first.
Appreciation
The author uses a humorous style to successfully create an image of a smart, virtuous and sophisticated bride.
"For three days, I went into the kitchen and washed my hands to make soup." The first two sentences use "three days" to imply the identity of the "bride": according to the ancient custom of "passing through three dynasties", ancient women On the third day after marriage, you have to go to the kitchen to "make soup."
"I don't know my sister's food habits, so I sent my sister-in-law to taste it first." The author's careful choice of this detail of life plays a decisive role in highlighting the character of "this one" and the "new bride". This "newly married woman" very much hopes that the first meal she makes will satisfy her mother-in-law. For this reason, she thought repeatedly and finally thought of the "little sister-in-law"; she lived with her mother-in-law day and night, and her eating habits must be similar to her mother-in-law. Therefore, the "newly married woman" decided to invite the "sister-in-law" to try the "soup" in order to understand her mother-in-law's taste in advance. At this end, the intelligent, virtuous and delicate character of the "new bride" is vividly depicted.
Notes
① Well versed: Familiar. Gu: mother-in-law, husband’s mother. Sister-in-law: Husband’s sister.
Translation
Three days after the wedding, I went to the kitchen and served my parents-in-law to make soup. I didn’t know what my mother-in-law’s taste was, so I asked my sister-in-law to taste it first.
Appreciation
This is a poem that expresses the specific psychology of newly married women.
In ancient times, it was customary for a woman to go to the kitchen to cook on the third day after her marriage, indicating that she would serve her parents-in-law from now on. It should be said that this is a major turning point in a woman's life, and it will naturally cause complex and subtle changes in her psychology.
The first two sentences of the poem directly describe this traditional custom. "Three days" means that he takes the initiative to be punctual; "washing hands" not only shows his skillful handling of housework, but also his cautious attitude. She didn't dare to be careless in the slightest, lest she make a careless move and leave a bad impression on her mother-in-law, which would affect her future status in the family and even her future. "Gēng soup" is a kind of soup prepared with different condiments, and the operation technology is relatively complicated. This was probably a topic that her mother-in-law had set for her in advance, and she was instructed to complete it according to the regulations. It seems that this mother-in-law is quite strict.
The third and fourth sentences mainly describe the complex and subtle psychology of the newlyweds after cooking the soup. "谙ān" means familiarity and knowledge; "gu" means husband's mother, that is, mother-in-law. The poem is in the form of a big jump, omitting the description of the specific process of making the soup, because this is not the key. The mother-in-law wants to taste the taste of the soup made by the newlywed mother. The bride-to-be was obviously aware of this. What confused her the most at this time was that she didn’t know what her mother-in-law’s preference was for the taste of soup. It is foolish to rushly give it to your mother-in-law to taste without knowing her taste, and it may cause unexpected trouble or even disaster. But the matter has come to an end, where should I go to find out the taste requirements of my mother-in-law at this time? Should I go to my husband to ask? I just got married, how embarrassing! Maybe he will make a fuss or look down on me. ;Besides, men are also careless... Just when she was in trouble, she suddenly had an idea and thought of her husband's sister (i.e. "sister-in-law"). She was young, simple, and didn't think so much; she had always lived with her mother-in-law. , must be very familiar with the taste of the mother-in-law; besides, letting (ie "sending") her to taste it first not only reflects respect for her, but also helps to understand the taste requirements of the mother-in-law. Isn't it the best of both worlds? ? Thinking of this, she couldn't help but smile knowingly, so she affectionately called her sister-in-law to her side and asked her to taste the soup she made first. The poem ends here. As for the sister-in-law's reaction after tasting it, how to adjust the taste of the soup according to the sister-in-law's opinions, and how to win the mother-in-law's full joy... Thanks to the foreshadowing, these meanings are all self-explanatory.
Through simple descriptions of a few simple movements and expressions, this little poem not only delicately reveals the complex psychological activities of a newlywed bride in a specific environment, but also gives people a glimpse of the feudal ethics and ethics. The human soul is severely bound and distorted. No wonder Shen Deqian of the Qing Dynasty praised this poem as "one word cannot be changed" ("Tang Poetry Collection").