The man is my classmate.

Han xian

This time, I chose to read an essay in a magazine called Weekly Review in Chongqing, and now it has been closed. The author "Man" published more than a dozen essays there, with the general title of "About Women", each describing a woman he only recently became familiar with. "Man" is of course an alias. Can't test who it is. However, according to the "literary origin", the author is the familiar Ms. Bing Xin. It may be true from the psychological point of view of taking a pen name. Now assuming that he is true, the role of Ms. Bing Xin has changed. She abandoned her gentleness and beauty and turned to vitality and simplicity. Let's read on section by section.

The lady is the most beloved person in our class. Everyone calls her "Big Sister". We male students are embarrassed to inquire about the age of female students, but we speculate that she will not be much older than us. But (1) she never dresses up, combs her hair high and wears dark clothes. When addressing us, she always calls us by our first and last names, and speaks rudely and affectionately. (2) we also happen to coincide, convinced to call her sister.

(1) It says "She won't be much older than us", which means she is as young as us; Let's say that she doesn't dress up in fashion, and she often likes to pretend to be the eldest sister, which shows that although she is young, she is particularly sophisticated; On the contrary, we use the turning conjunction "Dan". ② "one place at a time" is a classical Chinese intonation, and "one place at a time-"is also a classical Chinese intonation. This kind of intonation, even for educated people, is not commonly used orally and is not catchy. The author is familiar with classical Chinese, but inadvertently put a catchy tone of classical Chinese into the stylistic text. If we want to write a purely stylistic article, we must deliberately remove the unsinkable classical Chinese intonation. Like the following "convince orally", "overcoming difficulties and disputes" and "reaching the top" are different; Although these idioms are written in classical Chinese, they are often used orally and catchy. As long as it is catchy, it does not hinder its purity when used in style.

The lady comes from southern Fujian, with dark skin and big eyes. She speaks and does things quickly. Among the students, everyone will support the response, whether it is gathering or entertainment, as long as Sister Wu gives the order. Her advantage is frankness and fairness, without the shyness and concealment of ordinary female students. You can argue with her, even quarrel with her. As long as you are in charge, she won't give up. At the same time, she is not partial to female classmates. (2) She thinks that son preference means son preference: women are human beings, so why should they be particularly tolerant? Our headmaster once said that she "thinks like a man", which we all thought was the highest praise for her. She has been the class leader for three years in a row, so there is no distinction between men and women and parties among us. Everyone lived a busy and happy life in the three years before medical school under the banner of "supporting leadership"

"Shyness" is the antonym of "frank attitude" and "concealment" is the antonym of "fair judgment", which makes this sentence relevant. Just use a few nouns, or "not as delicate as ordinary students", or "not as obscene and clingy as ordinary female students", there is no correspondence before and after. (2) Preference for students of the same sex is a common habit of ordinary female students. She said that "there is no shyness and concealment of ordinary female students" and there is no general habit of ordinary female students. So add a word "Ye" to "impartiality". (3) Describing her views can be taken as a concrete example of "frank attitude and fair judgment".

In the last year of pre-med, one day, my class tutor suddenly let me go to see him. In the office, he politely told me to sit down and told me that the school doctor found that I had lung problems and that studying medicine was not suitable for me, and suggested that I transfer to other departments. This is a bolt from the blue! I decided to study medicine before I was ten. My mother is ill, and taking Chinese medicine has no effect. I always listen to the heart and lungs when I have a western medicine examination, but my mother doesn't want to. Therefore, I made up my mind to study medicine and learned to treat my mother well. After three years of pre-med, my grades are not bad. I'm going to be promoted to undergraduate course soon, but now I'm falling short! When I walked out of the class tutor's office, I could hardly walk.

(1) There is a saying in "Shang Shu Lu Ao" that "a disaster is a mountain, and it falls short". If you do something and give up when you are close to success, you will say that you fell short. From the above "I want to study medicine" to here, it shows that the tutor is like listening to "a bolt from the blue"

This afternoon is a physiological experiment. I just sat at the table and watched the elder sister across the street roll up her sleeves and lower her head, dissecting her nerves according to a dead cat. This knife is quick and sharp. The other students were busy, too, and no one noticed me. I gave a gentle cry and my sister looked up. I said, "Sister, I can't accompany you. My tutor won't let me continue studying medicine, because the school doctor said there was something wrong with my lungs ... "My sister was shocked, put down her knife and said," It's not tuberculosis, is it? "? I shook my head and said, "No, it is said that the lung qi branch is swollen ... anyway, I have to change departments, look!" " "The maggot was silent for a while and came over to comfort me and said," It's a pity that a gentle and careful person like you will be a good doctor in the future. But if you are in poor health, studying medicine will not only delay yourself, but also delay others. At the same time, I believe that if I switch to other subjects, I will also gain something. The route of life is very tortuous. An old frontiersman loses his horse—a blessing in disguise. " ②

The word "look" implies infinite disappointment and melancholy, which probably means "your ambition is not rewarded", "all previous efforts have been wasted" and "failed". It is shallow to say it directly; And it was not in line with the mood of the conversation at that time. "Look" is to teach elder sister to see that she has encountered setbacks and put herself in the shoes of her lover.

Recognizing the seriousness of setbacks is to show helplessness. (2) The story of a blessing in disguise comes from "Huainanzi purgatory on earth". The horses of the border people fled into the lake, and everyone came to mourn. Father said, how do you know it's not luck? Later, the escaped horse really brought back Hu's good horse. When we comfort frustrated people, we often say, "A blessing in disguise is a blessing in disguise." Here, what the elder sister said to the author is divided into three layers to comfort the author's boredom, one layer is deeper than the other. The first layer says that the author is suitable for studying medicine, which comes from the author's sigh tone and has no comfort. The second layer says that if you study medicine because of poor health, you will mistake yourself for others, and you must not give up when you see studying medicine. This is comfort. The third layer says that "if you change your subject, you will achieve something", which opens a way for the author and is a positive comfort. The order of these three layers should not be changed, so should the order of thought and language.

After class, the news spread all over the world, and the students came to express their regret and comfort me, but my eldest sister decided which department to transfer to for me realistically. She said, "You only have one year to transfer to university, and your credits are not enough. I am afraid it is easier to be a literature department. " She quickly added, "You've always been interested in literature, and I often think it's a pity that you study medicine." . ②

(1) This is in line with the previous "speaking and doing things, being quick and straightforward" and "solving difficult disputes". Those are just empty statements. Here, she not only comforted each other, but also practically decided which department to transfer to for me and confirmed those empty narratives. It's a pity to study medicine here, but persuasion and comfort go further than the previous words.

I listened to my sister and transferred to the literature department. What used to be a pastime is now read as homework. It is "hitting the nail on the head" that makes me more interested in literature. I not only read, but also write. After reading and writing, I often go to their lab to chat when I am nearby, listen to my sister's orders and discuss their graduation.

This means that I am more interested in medicine.

Big sister often asks me for my homework and my work. She always appreciates my works and encourages me to read and write more. Encouraged by her guidance, I gradually reduced the sadness of being forced to change careers and increased my courage in writing. Looking back so far, without the encouragement and persuasion of my sister at that time, I am afraid that I would have been a decadent and unhappy person at the critical moment of that transformation! ①

(1) From the third section to here, describe the influence of big sister on the author. In "The Key to that Transformation", the author chose a literary route and took the courage to do it, all because of the guidance and encouragement of nuns.

When I was teaching, Sister is already a famous obstetrician. In the hospital, as in the school, she still maintains a leading position and is the beloved center of a group of doctors and nurses. There are many of my classmates in that big hospital. Every time I go to town, I will go there for a walk and see them all dressed in white and hung with chest monitors, busy in that neat tunnel. Smelling a faint scent of medicinal materials, I often have an unspeakable feeling in my heart. (1) Like a wounded retired soldier, wrapped in bandages, sitting on a hill and watching his gang members practice in the square, (2) Maybe it's envy or sadness. Although I still have a growing interest in my career. ④

(1) If there is no such thing as "Look at them all dressed in white" in the previous sentence, you don't have to write "Smell a delicious smell of medicine" in this sentence, just write it under the previous sentence "I must go there for a walk", followed by "I often have an unspeakable feeling in my heart". However, this has become a special narrative, not an impression. Words are dull and lifeless. Psychologically speaking, visual impression and olfactory impression evoke this "unspeakable feeling". If you don't write, there is no root. In terms of the effect to readers, we should also write out the visual impression and the olfactory impression, so that readers can recognize this "unspeakable feeling." This metaphor is quite appropriate. The author stopped studying medicine because of lung problems, just like a soldier retired because of injury. Big sister and a class of classmates are busy walking around the hospital, just like a group of soldiers are busy practicing in the square. During this period, the mood of a resigned person can be inferred. Both "envy" and "sadness" refer to this feeling. Because this kind of feeling is "unspeakable", it is not necessarily true to say it reluctantly, so "maybe" is added. (4) The addition of "although" is consistent with the words "I became more interested in literature" and "gradually reduced the sadness of being forced to change careers and increased the courage of writing"; Seeing this feeling in my heart at this time, I am just immersed in the medical environment, and I still have nostalgia and attachment to medicine.

Students often keep me in the hospital for dinner, smoke and chat in their lounge, and tell me a lot of intractable diseases. A classmate who studied mental illness also told me many stories about mental illness. Elder sister often laughs and says, "XXX, these are all your writing materials. Please write them well! " ②

(1) The author here is still attached to medicine, and implies that the author is a loyal author, and the author is not too detailed about everything. (2) The words "Sister Xu" show that "Sister Xu" is still guiding and encouraging the author; In fact, it links the author's persistence in medicine with hard literature.

A month before the Anti-Japanese War, I came back from Europe, just in time for alumni reunion day. We had a get-together at the same level that day. It was really a sea of people! In more than ten years, almost all people at our level have achieved success, and our children have come (of course, I am an exception). Everyone came with their families, and a large auditorium was full of people. The children cheered, and the eldest sister sat on the chairman's right, looking around happily, saying that 95% of these dozens of children were born to her. (4) Wine warms the ears; (5) Everyone is telling jokes at school, and the situation is getting more and more heated. The chairman suddenly stood up and knocked on the table and suggested, "Now, please tell me in turn, what kind of person do you want to be if you can be a man in the next life?" Everyone burst into laughter. So some people say they want to be grand marshals, others say they want to be millionaires ... When it was my turn, my sister suddenly laughed and said, "Professor XX, I know you will be a woman in the next life." Hearing this, everyone laughed their heads off. I feel a little embarrassed in front of many ladies. I also smiled and said, "doctor, I know you will be a man in your next life." Sister ㄖ said, "No, I still want to be a woman, but I want to be a beautiful woman, I want to be a social star, and I want to be the object of worship by all men." She was talking and laughing, and the ladies stood up and said with a smile, "Sister, you are not right. Do you think someone in your class doesn't admire you? Come on, come on, we'll fine you a glass of wine. " We all applauded at once. Sister said she was hurting herself! So the children drank a cup and the wives drank wine. Big sister "kept her word" and everyone laughed. As a result, teetotaler big doctor was a little drunk at the dinner table. ⑨

① "Du Ji snatched food" is a common saying in The Book of Songs. There are many people described by "Ji Ji". (2) In another article about women, the author tells herself that she is an unmarried bachelor. (3) "competing for flowers" is an idiom to describe the lively scene at a banquet. The cup is used for holding wine, and the cup is used for drinking. Raise your glasses to each other, put out your chips and put your hands crossed on the table. You can imagine the excitement. This time, Sister ㄖ saw her achievements and was happy for her career. ⑤ "Drunk ear fever" comes from a letter to Sun. Drink too much wine, and your face is red and your ears are hot. The elder sister's words are consistent with the previous words about her personality. Ordinary women would never say that. Big sister always treats people as big sister, and only in this way can she dare to say so. Of course, what she said was just a joke, and she didn't really envy a beautiful woman, because from the above description, we already know that she is a woman who transcends ordinary women. We can also get some news from her words, that is, she is devoted to her career, not socializing and not falling in love. 7. She said that she hurt herself, that is, she admitted what the ladies said. During this period, she naturally felt the joy of being loved by a group of classmates. ⑧ You can't get what you say, but you can't quit if you politely decline. This idiom is usually used in business, but now it says drinking, so it is quoted. Pet-name ruby this section describes in detail the reunion of alumni on the same day, which is really a detailed description of the elder sister. We have seen this passage, and the elder sister's voice, voice, smile and temperament are all what they are now.

Festivals are rare, and good times are hard to come by. That happy party, the reunion of students in twos and threes, is somewhat melancholy when it comes to it. I was still in Peiping after the incident, and I was bored. When I go to the hospital, Sister ㄖ often says thoughtfully with a frown, "I can't stay any longer. This is not' living', just' living'! Let's all go to a free China. Everyone does his best. You use your pen and we use our hands. I believe that the home front still needs people like us! " Everyone nodded. I said, "Your doctor is a first-class talent today. What can we do with a pen? " If at the beginning ... "Elder sister stopped me seriously and said," XXX, I forbid you to say these useless words again. You know what you can do. People who study literature want us to cheer you on. Really! " ②

(1) Spiritual comfort and happiness are "life"; Just let your life go on, no matter what your mental state is, just "live". Try to identify the simplicity and strength of this sentence, which reveals a firm idea of not wanting to "just" live. (2) The word "big sister" is a reproach on the surface, but it is a deeper guidance and encouragement in the bones.

Within a year, we all quietly left the occupied old capital. Since then, I have never seen Sister ㄖ again, but this respectable name is often said in people's mouths, saying that Sister ㄖ is in a city in the southwest, changed into a military uniform, and her gray hair has been cut short. She is constantly fighting against the environment happily. In the drizzle, her agile and vigorous hands took over thousands of children of the Chinese nation. She not only introduced their birth, but also instructed their parents to find infinite nutrition in limited food. She is bringing up countless future national fighters. ③

Her career has expanded. This is an example of her struggle with the environment. (3) This section describes the recent situation of the elder sister. In the end, this sentence almost turned into a compliment. To praise her career is to praise her as a person.

I hope that in the near future, when we return to our old capital to hold a new class meeting, I can say to her, "Sister, I would rather be a woman in my next life, but I must be a woman like you!" ①

On the face of it, this is not a compliment. However, imagine, is there a more pertinent and powerful compliment than this sentence? This gathering to review alumni's homecoming day ended in disapproval, which made the text memorable. If you finish the article in the last section, you will feel that you haven't finished, and you can't stop. If you write another part with honest praise, it will be boring.

(originally published in China Journal 1 Vol. 4 and 5 1943)