What is the lesson that Japanese metaphor has learned nothing?

The opening picture of the article is telling a story. The author tells a blind man who doesn't know the sun. A blind man had never seen the sun, so he asked a man with eyes. He was told that the sun was shaped like a copper coin. There is nothing wrong with explaining this ratio to the blind; However, this metaphor is always untenable. The figurative person did not take into account that the copper plate has sound and the sun has no sound. As soon as the blind man knocked on the plate, he heard the sound. A day later, when he heard the bell ring, he thought it was the sun. Someone told him that the sun has light, just like a candle, it also has light. There is nothing wrong with this explanation, but I forgot that the blind don't know what "light" is at all, so the blind "look at the candle and get its shape" and think that the sun is probably long. A day later, he got a "pheasant" and found that it was also very long. He thought, this may be the sun. This is the author's first metaphor. We went on to say that the sun is too far away from the clock and the pheasant. However, blind people don't know that they are very different. Why? "what people want has never been seen." Ordinary people don't know enough about Tao, which is similar to a blind person who doesn't know what the sun is. If you let a reasonable person ("great philosopher") tell it to him, even if you use clever metaphors and good guidance, I'm afraid it's not much better than explaining the sun with plates and candles, because metaphors don't always make the truth clear. Therefore, the author concludes: "People who preached in the past, either in the name of what they saw or expressed without thinking, all sought Tao excessively." In other words, people who generally talked about Tao at that time did not really understand what Tao was. They just gave a name to what they saw, saying it was Tao and truth. Some people didn't even see it, but just guessed it out of thin air. This is all thoughtless, they rely on other people's mistakes.

"But you can't ask for it?" He first replied with Sun Wu's words, meaning that a man who is good at fighting can take the initiative and let the enemy approach him involuntarily, instead of being passive and dragged away by the enemy. He also quoted Xia Zi's words, meaning that craftsmen from all walks of life stay in shops, and people in society automatically come to shops to buy things because they need them, so they can "accomplish things" by sitting in shops. For example, as long as they study hard, they will realize what "Tao" is one day. Finally, the author himself answered what is "ambition": "I don't want to know much, but do you think it is" ambition "and" righteousness "?" I didn't come, I came by myself. This is "ambition". "Seeking" mainly depends on the help of others, and "success" mainly depends on learning with an open mind and mastering the initiative. Only in this way can we discover the truth.

The truth that "there is no one in the south" goes further. Su Shi told us that the so-called "learning" requires practical experience, which we now call practice. No one can sink in the water. How do you practice? Live with water every day. A person can sink in the water for a long time, not just casually. You must know and master the laws of water. A warrior in the north only gets some empty theories from the "nobody" in the south. If he really tries to go to the river as he says, he will drown. In this way, the author draws another conclusion: "Therefore, those who seek the Tao without learning are not those who study in the North." It means that a person who does not study hard but aims at some profound and abstract "Tao" will suffer sooner or later, just like a person who studies "nothing" in the north.

In the last paragraph, I talked about the purpose of this article in combination with the current specific situation.

……

The truth expounded in this paper is contained in Su Shi's personal experience. Su Shi, who has gone through the hardships of seeking truth and studying, speaks with special kindness and interest. Through this article, we can better understand three reasons. First of all, if you don't study hard and practice by yourself, just by asking about others and trusting others casually, you won't go deep, not only lose one-sidedness, but also make mistakes easily. If it's just subjective speculation, it's even more harmful. Secondly, external factors must work through internal factors, and it is useless to rely solely on external forces. The internal cause of seeking truth and studying knowledge is to learn by yourself, not just to pick up the ready-made fruits of others. There is a third point. The so-called learning, not only to talk about theory, but also to work hard, to have real talent and practical training. Although Su Shi said that Tao would come uninvited one day, in fact, he emphasized people's subjective initiative. If you don't work hard, Tao won't come to you. Today, these principles are still correct, useful and worthy of our reference.

……

However, what attracts us most in this article is the colorful and appropriate metaphors. The whole article uses four metaphors, one is the head and the other is the tail. Blind people don't know the sun, and northerners learn to dive, which are two obvious metaphors directly created by the author. They are so vivid that you can see them at a glance. The middle two borrowed the ready-made, obscure and indirect metaphors of the ancients. One is to quote Sun Wu, saying that people should take the initiative by fighting; The second is to illustrate the relationship between "Tao" and "learning" by borrowing the metaphor of Xia Zi's "every worker lives in four places". These two seemingly quoted classics are actually serving themselves with the ready-made materials of the ancients. This shows how flexible the author's pen is and how strong his ability to control ancient books is.

The first metaphor is to explain the problems in people's understanding of objective things, which is one aspect. A person who only picks up fragmentary knowledge unilaterally and lacks a systematic and comprehensive understanding of things is bound to make mistakes. You can't get a correct conclusion if you don't take part in the investigation and study in person and rely on the second-hand materials relayed by others. What seems to be telling a story is actually infecting readers with vivid images, so that readers can further understand what the author wants to say. This metaphor is the most important, wonderful and profound, so putting it in the most prominent position greatly strengthens the vividness and persuasiveness of the article.

The second and third metaphors seem simple and ready-made, but they are actually economical and accurate. Whoever wins the initiative in the battle between ourselves and the enemy will naturally have the upper hand. The same is true of seeking truth and knowledge, and we should strive for the initiative. It is also interesting to use the metaphor of opening a shop to seek truth. A knowledgeable and experienced person can easily find the laws of things, just like a shop with many customers and all the goods. But the author has to use the fourth metaphor to illustrate the importance of practice. Because profound knowledge and rich experience can not be an armchair strategist, let alone hearsay, but through personal investigation and exercise, we can have a thorough understanding of things. These four metaphors must be there, so that the author can explain the truth comprehensively and the article is complete. From the perspective of each metaphor, it has its own function. These four metaphors are interrelated and indispensable. This reflects the author's rich and accurate use of metaphor in the two combinations.

However, this article is an argumentative one after all, and it can't be pleasing only by metaphor in isolation, and it also leads readers from perceptual knowledge to rational knowledge. So after each metaphor is finished, and at the end of each paragraph, the conclusion is explained in the most concise and summarized language. This makes the author's original intention more obvious and the article more eye-catching. Metaphor is to inspire readers and leave room for them; The conclusion is to awaken readers and make them clear at a glance. This article is also interesting and weighty.

In the last paragraph, Wu pointed out that he was very interested in learning, which was a positive encouragement. But the implication is that he should also pay attention to two aspects. First, learning should have a purpose (this is "seeking Tao"). Second, we should study hard, not just pursue superficial things. From the end of the article, the article criticizes two opinions of scholars in the past and at that time (that is, "scholars in the past learned miscellaneous things but didn't feel the Tao;" Today's scholars seek the Tao without learning. But the author's writing is very implicit, so pay attention to it.

The language of this article is very smooth and friendly, and there is no smell of preaching with a straight face. But behind the relaxed and funny, it is serious. This is exactly what the author achieved by using metaphor to write reasoning articles.

(Excerpted from Reading and Appreciation, Beijing Publishing House, 1960 edition)

3. Appreciation of Japanese metaphors (Zhu Jinghua, Ke Xiangzhong)

Su Shi's essays are good at reasoning, and often "clear" (Yi Jian Wen Jian). Long articles are like this, and so are short and pithy articles. Moreover, essays are more flexible and more leisurely than formal argumentative essays, and they are "able to speak freely" (answer the king), full of poetic interest and philosophy, and more endurable to chew. This article is a masterpiece of his prose.

At the beginning of the article, the story goes like this. The characters, time and place in this story are not clear (even if it is virtual), and the structure is abstract, which is a "fable" as an argument. Because the description is vivid, concrete and convincing. It tells us that any knowledge comes from perceptual experience. If we put aside perceptual experience and rely solely on indirect experience, just like a blind man touching an elephant, we will confuse this thing with other things, speculate and fabricate it, and make jokes of "listening to the bell and listening to the sun" and "thinking that the candle is the sun". It's a mile away. The author points out: "Tao is more difficult to see than the sun, and the pursuit of human beings is tantamount to embarrassment." If we only rely on "the person who achieved the goal told us", "although there are clever examples and good guidance, there is no need to go too far."

However, perceptual experience alone is not enough. You have to practice by yourself and explore many times to master the Tao. The author thinks that "Tao can be sought, so it cannot be sought". So what's the difference between "to" and "to"? The author quoted an ancient saying to explain "ambition": "Sun Wu said:' A good soldier can create people, but not others'. Xia Zi said: "One hundred workers live in four places, let it happen;" The study of a gentleman, so I can learn. " "The" cause "here is a kind of" step by step ". If you accumulate learning at ordinary times, you will naturally get the meaning of "Tao", and you will learn from it. For example, if the army can take the initiative, it can advance, retreat and retreat. Only when the time is ripe can it attack and win. If it leads to "seeking" victory, it will become "facing people" and it will fail. The same is true of seeking Tao. If you keep practicing at ordinary times instead of rushing for success, then Tao can be created.

To prove this point, the author told us another fable. The author found that "there are many people in the south" and few people in the north. Why? Is that "southerners" and "the sun and water live together." You can wade at the age of seven, float at the age of ten, and not at the age of fifteen. "Because" the sun and water live together ",we can gradually understand water." How can a man suffer without a husband? "There must be a way to get water." Knowing water ("The Way of Water") can be "nothing", while "living on water, you can get the Tao in fifteen; If you don't know water, you dare not see the boat. " It can be seen that it is not enough to seek "Tao" only by courage, but also through long-term practice. If you want to do it overnight, "seek the Tao without learning", take shortcuts and try your luck, then you can only be like those people in the north who learn nothing, and no one will not be drowned.

The author uses fables to explain the truth, which is easy to explain. When the fable is finished, the truth will be clear. Moreover, the author uses two fables in succession to illustrate the two stages of the cognitive process, which can be called a "spiral" metaphor-that is, two fables with similar contents but constantly developing form an endless and varied structure, which deepens and strengthens the theme and concept of fables, which is Su Shi's innovation (see Zhu Jinghua's Comments and Preface to Su Dongpo's Fables).

The last paragraph is related to reality and explained as the purpose of the article. "In the past, scholars chose scholars by temperament, and scholars learned miscellaneous things without feeling the Tao"; On the contrary, "today, I also learn from the scriptures, and I know how to seek the Tao without learning." Confucian classics are loaded with Tao, so "scholars know without learning." They don't know that Tao is closely related to social life. To truly understand Tao, we should not just read a few classics, but learn from others. We can't ignore the perceptual experience. If we want to get closer to the Tao, we have to explore and think for a long time. Here, the author aims at Wang Anshi's learning from the scriptures. "Wen Chun's Imperial Selection in Tang and Song Dynasties" Volume 38 says: "Since Wang Anshi was elected in the Song Dynasty, scholars have changed their courtesy to lightness and talked about virtue, benevolence and righteousness; I'm at a loss after using it, as white as a princess. This is why Su Shi's Japanese metaphor does the same. "

In a word, the author speaks with a light pen, as if talking face to face with people. He is kind and touching, and his language is simple and clear, and he does not discuss the disadvantages of stagnation. Moreover, this paper also inherits the advantages of argumentative writing in the Warring States period, taking fables as arguments to make the writing concise and vivid. As Wang Wen-Kun commented, "both Taoism and learning are equally important in the text, and the metaphor is like Bai Xiangshan's poem, which can make the old woman understand." (Collated Phonetics and Notes on Ancient Literary Words, Volume 32)

(Selected from Treasures of China Literature Appreciation, Shaanxi People's Education Publishing House, 1995).

Fourthly, Su Shi's literary thought.

Su Shi is versatile and has high attainments in poetry and prose. He is the most famous writer in the Northern Song Dynasty. He is also good at calligraphy and painting, and he is as famous as Huang Tingjian, Mi Fei and Cai Xiang, and he is also known as the "Four Masters". His literary thoughts are scattered in some of his poems, essays, books, prefaces and postscripts, which have a wide influence in the history of literary criticism.

Su Shi emphasized that the author should have profound accumulation and the article should have substantial content. The preface to A Journey to the South says: "A person who used to be a writer can't work for it, but he can't help working for it." There are clouds in the mountains and rivers and luxuries in the vegetation. It is full of Apollo and can be seen from the outside. Although my husband doesn't want anything, can he get it? "He asked the article to' do something for you' and connect with reality." Words must be made in the present, if they are as sharp as grains, they can satisfy hunger, and if they are broken, they can cure diseases "(Preface to Mr. Yi Fu's Poems). Answering Yu Kuo Shu praised Yu Kuo's article: "Everyone thinks about the past to conquer the present and is interested in saving the world. This is my hope for friends and gentlemen who have studied Taoism all their lives. "In his book Thanks to Teachers, he pointed out:" (The article) is roughly like running water. At first, it has no definite quality, but it often walks on what it should do and often stops on what it can't stop. This is the art and science of nature, full of gestures. "According to the requirements of the content, express freely, get rid of the restrictions of form, and do it just right, so as to achieve a natural, smooth and undulating artistic effect. This is consistent with his viewpoint of "shaping by things" in Wen Shuo, that is, describing foreign things truly and vividly according to the objects they represent. He also gave play to the idea of "keeping promises", saying that "words stop at expressing meaning, that is, if you don't write doubts, it will be very different. "Pursuing the beauty of things is like catching shadows. Can you be a man who knows everything in his heart, but can you be a man who knows everything in his mouth and hands? Yes, you said so. As for the text, it can't be used. " Su Shi believes that "what you say must be done" is the highest requirement of literary creation. He also emphasized "spirit likeness" and opposed "likeness". In the poem "Drawing Branches in the Master Book of King Yanling", he said: "On the similarity of paintings, we can see the neighbors of children. Poetry is this poem, a poet who knows right from wrong. Poetry and painting are unified, ingenious and fresh. " Fresh and natural, the artistic conception is far-reaching, achieving vivid artistic effects. Su Shi's style is "unrestrained, flying fairy games, extreme changes, arbitrary." (Shen Deqian's Poetics) However, after Huang Zisi's Poems, Wei and Liu Zongyuan's style of "slightly unsophisticated and indifferent to taste" was highly praised, even for Li Bai and Du Fu. In the article "Comment on Liu Han's Poems", he said: "It is expensive to dry and light, which means to dry the cream outside, which seems light and beautiful." That is, the external simplicity and dullness are combined with the internal implication and richness. This poetic style summarizes the creative characteristics of Xie Lingyun, Wei and Liu Zongyuan, and it is also the poetic style summarized and advocated by Si Kongtu in the late Tang Dynasty. Therefore, Su Shi appreciates Si Kongtu's proposition that "taste is beyond salty and sour" (On Poetry with Li Sheng).

(selected from the encyclopedia dictionary of ancient Chinese prose (revised edition) edited by wang hong, Academy Press, 1997 edition).

Five, Su Shi anecdotes

Fan Pang was born ten years ago. His father traveled around the world alone, and his mother gave him a book to understand the success or failure of ancient and modern times, so he could speak his mind. After reading the biography in the Eastern Han Dynasty, I was relieved and asked, "If I am a poet, will my mother allow me?" Shi Cheng said, "You can be a mother, but I can't be a mother?" (Su Shichuan in Song Dynasty)

Wen Jing Ou Gongjia for two years, tried the ceremony department. Fang Shiwen's strange defects prevailed, and Ouyang Hughes, the master, was able to save him. He got the book On Punishment and Loyalty, which was a surprise. He wanted to be crowned a scholar, but he hesitated about what his guest Ceng Gong did, but put it in the second place. He ranked first in Spring and Autumn Annals, followed by palace examination's B grade, and then revised it with books. Mei Yu Sheng said, "I should avoid it. The listener was very tired at first, but he soon became convinced. (Su Shichuan in Song Dynasty)

Why use Dongpo's Theory of Loyalty and Forgiveness to say "kill the third son" and Yao said "kill the third son"? May Yu Sheng is a small test officer who shows to the European public. The public said, "What book is this?" Yu Sheng said, "Why the source! "When he opened the list and saw Dongpo's name, Ou Gong said," This Lang must have something to prove. " And thank you, the first question, Dongpo also said: "Why from the source! "Combined with Yu Sheng. Reward its heroism. (Tales of Song People)

When the famous Juzi (Dongpo) first moved to the capital, there were many participants at the same time. Guo Xiang Han Wei Gong Yu said, "Sur is here, and everyone dares to compete with it. Why? " Now that this language has spread, those who leave without trying will be covered ten times. (Tales of Song People)

The veteran has a good understanding of the east slope of Yutang. One day, they read Du Mu's Epang Palace Fu several times, and every time they read it, they sighed until late at night. There are two old soldiers, both from Shaanxi, who have been sitting for a long time and are suffering. A man sighed and said to Cao, "I know it's good for him, but I won't sleep after a long cold night." After a series of grievances, one of them said, "There are also two good sentences." The man was furious and said, "What's it to you?" He said, "I love him and say,' Everyone in the world dares to speak and be angry'. Uncle will lie down and listen and tell you tomorrow. Dongpo said with a smile, "This man has an eye, too." "("Tales of Song People ")

At first, I wanted to ask Dongpo about the method of composition. Poe said, "For example, if you grow something in the city, you want to use it for me. If you have one thing, you can say it is money. Get the money and use everything. " If the composition is intentional first, then history will be used by me. "("Tales of Song People ")

Dongpo, who is happy all his life, said: "There is no happiness in a certain life, but when writing an article, the pen is tortuous and arbitrary." I claim that there is nothing more pleasant in the world. "("Tales of Song People ")