◆ Owen
A foreigner who wants to know the English character must never confine his knowledge to his capital. He must go deep into the countryside; Must visit villages and towns all over the country; Watch the castles, villas, Tian She and huts there; Cross the hedge path; Looking at the country church; In addition, he will go to various vigils and holiday banquets in the village; He must also understand the living conditions, customs and habits of ordinary people, and even their emotions.
In some countries, the city is the prosperity and wealth of this country, and it is the gathering place of talented and romantic people there, while the countryside is a relatively rough place. In Britain, the situation is just the opposite. Metropolis is only a temporary gathering place or a place for regular gatherings of upper class; They come here every year and indulge in all kinds of entertainment. After a few months, they return to their quiet and comfortable country life. Therefore, people of all colors in society can be seen all over the empire, even in the hinterland.
In fact, the British have a natural affection for the countryside. They can appreciate the beauty of nature best, have the deepest love for farmland, and have the deepest love for the happiness of living in the countryside. This feeling seems to be given by heaven. Even though many urban residents were born and raised in the middle of high-rise buildings and downtown areas, once they go to the countryside, they can't live without it and can afford all kinds of farmland management. Generally, wealthy businessmen will also build comfortable villas near the suburbs. The pleasure they get from planting flowers and fruit trees in irrigation gardens and their efforts in this regard are often no less than the tricks of their cities to win and prosper the market. Even those unlucky people who have to spend their lives in the hustle and bustle of the city must always find ways to plant some flowers and trees around them to add interest. Even in the darkest and dirtiest places in the city, there are always flowers on the windowsill of the living room; All the arable land in the family has become grass-assisted flower beds; Every open field has been built into a small garden, elegant and empty, which makes people relaxed and happy.
If the British people we meet are not outside the city limits, we will definitely have a bad impression on them. When he was in this metropolis, he was not a chores collector, but absorbed in business, or was upset and emotionally exhausted by endless appointments. So he often gives people the feeling that he has no leisure and is absent-minded. At this time, even if you found him, he left in a hurry without speaking; When he is talking to you about something, his thoughts have already turned elsewhere; When he came to visit you, he was thinking about how to shorten the time as much as possible so that he could visit several other people before noon. Living in a big city like London, everyone will become selfish and boring. As for some occasional temporary meetings, there are few superficial pleasantries. At this point, their seemingly callousness is only a surface of their character-as for the various generous and kind qualities contained in them, they can't fully glow and overflow for a while.
But the countryside is a vast world, where the natural feelings of the British can really be brought into play. Here, he is willing to get rid of all the red tape and formality of the city, become happy and comfortable, and resist his usual habit of silence. At this time, he threw away all the shackles and gathered all the pleasures of the upper class around him. He has various advantages in other occupations, and he can do anything here, whether it is concentrating on reading, enjoying art or outdoor activities. Calligraphy, painting, music, even dogs and horses, all kinds of hunting equipment, are not lacking here. In addition, he doesn't impose any restrictions on himself or his guests, but tries to provide all kinds of entertainment facilities in his host's friendship so that the guests can enjoy themselves.
The talent of the British people in their farmland cultivation and so-called garden landscape is unparalleled. They have a lot of research on nature and have a deep understanding of various forms of beauty and cooperation. In other countries, this natural charm of nature is only thrown around by waves or scattered in the wild, but here, it is collected and gathered near people's homes. They seem to have captured all the beautiful scenery between heaven and earth, and then reappeared by the fence next to their house with their wonderful touch.
The beauty of British garden scenery is really a Chinese odyssey. Really everywhere is fragrant grass, everywhere is green, during which the giant trees are lush and shady; From time to time, you can catch a glimpse of deer roaming in droves, rabbits fleeing everywhere and pheasants jumping up suddenly in silent forests and open spaces; A bay of Qingxi, winding, very natural twists and turns, sometimes merged into a crystal lake; There is a secluded pool in the distance, where the shadows of trees are reflected, swaying with the wind, gently sending away the fallen leaves on the water to sleep, and the underwater trout dances among the clear waves; Some shabby temple statues around, though crude and covered with mildew and moss, also add a bit of Gu Zhuo beauty to this secluded place.
These are only part of the success of the garden; Among them, what I admire most is the ingenuity of the British people, who are good at decorating many extremely dull ordinary houses. A few humble houses, a narrow land without victory, once in the hands of an artistic Englishman, will not worry about turning it into a paradise on earth. With his critical eyes, he immediately took a fancy to all the possibilities here, so the whole layout was in his mind. The original barrenness quickly became lush and lovely under his hands; However, all these effects seem to be natural. Some trees need to be planted, raised, cut down and cut down; Some flowers should be dense and scattered, so that they are colorful; Where to skillfully borrow the terrain, build slopes with the trend, and achieve the effect of continuous vegetation; Where should it be rare and spacious? There is a hole in the sky that allows people to overlook the blue and Bobby when passing by. All this really took a lot of effort, but at the same time there was no trace of bleak management, just like the painter's wonderful and muddy finishing touch before the release of a famous work.
The exquisite craftsmanship of the rich and elegant people spread to the lower classes, thus becoming a common practice in the whole country. Even poor farmers who farm for a living have only a few huts and limited land at home, and they are striving for the upper reaches and beautifying their homes carefully. Every family cut the hedge neatly, spread a beautiful lawn in front of the door, surrounded by boxwood, covered the wall with honeysuckle, luxuriant calyx, hung under the eaves, hung beautiful pictures on the windows, clustered potted flowers on the windowsill, colorful, and widely planted holly in the surrounding room; In the meantime, I suddenly felt that winter had gone and spring had come, but as soon as I entered the room, the fiery fireplace was clear and shadowy, full of cool green, which matched the fire; All this is because of the gradual nature of the atmosphere. If the poet's god of love is willing to descend to the thatched cottage on earth, I am afraid that only the peasant families in Britain can get the care of the gods.
There is nothing contemptible about working in the country. It will constantly bring people into the magnificent natural scenery, so under the purest and noblest external influence, their hearts cannot but be deeply enlightened. A person who grew up in this environment may be simple and rude, but not vulgar. Therefore, when an elegant person talks with these people in the countryside, he often doesn't feel any antipathy, which is completely different from the impression they get when they interact with the lower classes in the city. At this time, he often goes against his usual reserve and silence, regardless of his identity differences, and is willing to enjoy the simple joy there with others. In addition, rural entertainment is really within reach; Horn and dog barking are the easiest ways to integrate people's feelings. This, I think, is one of the reasons why the British gentry and ordinary villagers did not completely fall into other countries; While the latter, despite the heavy oppression and exhausted livelihood, is generally less resentful in the face of this unfair distribution of wealth and enjoyment.
This can also be seen in literature: the strong local feelings that run through all English literature; Rural things frequently appear in writers' works; Since Chaucer's Flowers and Leaves, English poets have made a lot of wonderful descriptions of natural scenery, which has made the lush pastoral scenery full of fragrance and penetrated into our books. All this is related to the frequent exchanges between the upper and lower classes of society. Pastoral writers in other countries seem to visit nature only occasionally, and their appreciation of their style is too general; However, English poets can get along with nature day and night, and prepare for it-they have been to her quiet place and studied her ever-changing expression, so even the most subtle thing between heaven and earth-a soft belt swaying in the breeze-a drop of dew splashed on the stream-a wisp of fragrance of wild flowers-a scarlet flower blooms in the morning.
The enthusiasm shown by talented people in farming has really had a great influence on the face of the country. The topography of this island country is already too flat. Without artificial embellishment, it can only give people a sense of mediocrity and monotony. However, today, palaces and castles crisscross all over the country, and gardens are everywhere, just like pearls inlaid with green ornaments, which are very good at landscape prosperity. The natural scenery here does not belong to the magnificent category, and its beauty mainly comes from the quiet and delicate pastoral scenery. Every old farmhouse and thatched cottage here is a beautiful picture. The communication path here is tortuous, the jungle hedges are hidden from time to time, and the boundless beauty is endless, which is breathtaking and refreshing.
However, the greatest charm of British scenery lies in a kind of moral beauty immersed in it. The association of this aesthetic feeling in people's minds is order, tranquility, prudence and prudence, which is a long-standing tradition and a respected custom since ancient times. Everything here seems to have been bred for a long time in this stable and peaceful environment. The ancient church here belongs to early buildings, with low and thick porches, towering bell towers, doors and windows inlaid with stained glass, colorful decorations and intact protection, and there are many monuments around it, which are built to commemorate the soldiers and bombed people in the past. These are the ancestors of today's landowners, and countless graves are the testimony of their tenacious freemen. Until now, their descendants still cultivate the same land and worship the same beliefs. The pastor's residence here is the most peculiar in shape, some of which obviously belong to the buildings of the past, but after a long time, the number has changed, and the fashion is different. Many places have long been unrecognizable because of repeated decoration; From the cemetery here to the hedge, the scenery is pleasant. Although the land has its owner, according to the old habits of the countryside, people can also pass freely. Speaking of neighboring villages, hedgerow huts, quaint and lovely, surrounded by green trees, there are grasslands everywhere, which must be the place where our ancestors played and frolicked in those years; There is an ancient house nearby, which is detached and independent, and has the potential to spread all over the country: in short, these common landscapes everywhere give people a feeling of indifference, tranquility, safety and security, and at the same time, it is also an endless source of simple style and local feelings handed down from generation to generation. All these have a deep relationship with the morality of this country.
Every Sunday morning, when the beautiful bell flutters across the fields, the farmers in the village are wearing bright clothes and rosy faces, and happily walk together on the green path leading to the church. The scene looks really pleasing to the eye. What is particularly touching is the evening in the countryside. At this time, every household happily gathered in front of their own house to enjoy the scenery. Everything around them was newly decorated, and everything was planted by themselves, during which they lived quite comfortably.
It is the joy of this lovely home that brings people the most modest virtue and the simplest happiness, as well as their warm and comfortable feelings about the local scenery. This point was expressed most thoroughly by a modern English poet, and it is appropriate to draw a conclusion here to complete the unfinished significance of this article. Poetry cloud:
Whether it's the luxurious palace in that castle,
The rugged vaults of the city, the shady villas,
Or thousands of families between villages and towns,
Among them, there is a middle class who doesn't worry about eating.
Or the Pengmen Lushe near the foot of the mountain,
All this comes together into the infinite scenery of the West Island.
West Island is also famous for this kind of scenery. But its greatest beauty lies in the joy of family; It is gentle and honest, just like a pure white dove (besides, it is protected by honor and caress). It can gather the happiness found all over the world in this happy little nest; It can escape from the whole world and become a world of its own. It is a paradise. Here, except for longing for God's mercy, everything is quickly self-sufficient and no other witness is needed. It is like a small flower hidden in a deep mountain, sometimes smiling, but always looking up at the sky.