Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 02-07-05 19:11
Chinese story - Wen Yiduo
中國故事 - 聞一多
http://chungyn.webhop.net/WenYiduo.jpg
洗衣歌
你說洗衣的買賣太下賤﹐
肯下賤只有唐人不成﹖
你們的牧師他告訴我說﹕
耶蘇的爸爸做木匠出身﹐
你信不信﹖你信不信﹖
我洗得淨悲哀的濕手帕﹐
我洗得白罪惡的黑汗衣﹐
貪心的油膩和慾火的灰﹐
你們家裏一切的髒東西﹐
交給我洗﹐交給我洗。
姨子白水耍不出花頭來﹐
洗衣裳原比不上造兵艦。
我也說這有什麼大出息﹐
流一身血汗洗別人的汗﹖
你們肯幹﹖你們肯幹﹖
English translation
The song of laundry
You say that the business of laundry is too lowly,
Is it that only the Chinese like to do degrading business?
Your priest has told me that
Jesus' father was a carpenter,
Do you believe it? Do you believe it?
I wash the grieved wet handkerchiefs clean,
I wash the black sweaty evil clothes white,
Those greedy greasy and sex desire ashes,
And all the dirty things in your house,
Give them to me to wash. Give them to me to wash.
You cannot display aunty's white water as good commodities,
Washing clothes cannot be compared with building gun boats,
I also say that laundry business has no future,
As you are sweating yourself to wash people's sweat?
Do you want to do it? Do you want to do it?
It was written while he was studying in America.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wen Yiduo was born in 1899. He had been a May Fourth (五四運動) activist
when he was twenty. In 1922, he obtained a government scholarship for five
years to study in America. For his first year in America he studied at the
Chicago Art Institute. The second year in America he studied at Colorado
College. He spent his third year studying at Columbia University. Before
his scholarship was over he returned to China in 1925. He did not obtain
a degree after studying three years in America. He obtained a teaching post
teaching classical Chinese literature in Wuhan University (武漢大學). In
1932 he became the dean of the faculty of arts in the University of Qingdao
(青島大學) for a short period before he went to teach in the universities
of Qinghua (清華大學) and Beijing (北京大學). Wen Yiduo was also a poet.
In July 1937, when the Japanese were marching towards Beijing (北京) after
the Lugouqiao Incident (蘆溝橋事件) Wen Yiduo sent his wife and their five
children to his parents' house in Wuhan. He stayed behind looking after
and locking up the house. A month later he joined his family. In early 1938,
he, his family and the university students of Beijing, Qinghua and Nankai
relocated themselves to Kunming (昆明) city in Yunnan province (雲南省).
A university, called Southwest Associated University or Lianda (聯大 abbreviated
in Chinese) was formed so that these students could continue their study.
Japan surrendered in August 1945. Immediately after the Japanese surrender
Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) replaced those regional commanders who were in
favour of forming an United Front with the Communists, with those who were
preparing to go to war to eliminate the Communists. Actually the people
did not want a civil war because they had had enough of war and they wanted
peace at all cost. There were student demonstrations in Kunming against
the outbreak of civil war. The Kuomintang (國民黨) agents dressed as coolies
went rampaging through schools, colleges and universities, smashing windows,
equipment and beating up students. The disguised Kuomintang Agents killed
one music-school teacher and three students. During the memorial services
and the funeral processions for the four, all the students in Kunming called
for a general strike. Students through out the country responded and went
on strike.
On 11th July 1946, Li Gongpu (李公樸), a member of the Democratic League
(民盟), was murdered by the Kuomintang Agents. Chiang Kai-shek commented
on Li's murder as "To kill one monkey to show the one hundred. 殺一儆百"
The family of Li Gongpu was frightened and they wanted to bury him quietly
so as to avoid giving the Kuomintang Agents more excuses to kill innocent
people. In despite of the request by the Li family, Wen Yiduo insisted on
holding memorial ceremonies for Li Gongpu. The ceremonies were held on July
15th 1946. Wen Yiduo himself addressed the crowd praising Li's example.
He challenged the Kuomintang Agents, who had killed Li Gongpu, if they dared
to shoot him.
On the same afternoon at 3pm, Wen Yiduo met the reporters of various newspapers,
at the office of the Democratic League Magazine. At 5.30 pm, Wen Lihe (聞
立鶴), son of Wen Yiduo, left home and went to Xicangpo (西倉坡) hostel,
which was for university staff of the Souhtwest Associated University, to
pick up his father. Wen Yiduo and son left the hostel. When they were out
of the door of the hostel they were shot by more than ten people, using
handguns. Witnesses said that after the thugs had fired about thirty shoots
they packed themselves into a military jeep and drove off. Wen Yiduo's head
received three bullets and died instantly. We Lihe was seriously wounded
and was sent to the hospital. Incredibly, Wen Lihe survived.
Members of Li Gongpu's family cremated his body quietly without anymore
ceremonies. Wen Yiduo's body was lay in a classroom at the University of
Yunnan, surrounding by Kuomintang Agents and his two little daughters sitting
near his body crying non-stop. There was no coffin for his body which had
shrank into an unrecognizable corpse.
The world was shocked to see that the Kuomintang Agents took up the challenge
by Wen Yiduo. The Kuomintang Agents warned the people that if they challenged
them they would be dealt with like Wen Yiduo. Pan Guangdan (潘光旦) and
Chu Tunan (楚圖南), the two professors of Lianda were taken to the U.S Embassy
by the U.S military to hide them from being assassinated.
CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 08022005
|
|
The Asiawind forums are provided to you by
InTechTra Inc.