Yang Jiang—An Elegant and Excellent Senior Intellectual

◎朱廣春

Track 4

她被人們尊稱為“先生”，以其獨特的文學才華和卓越的翻譯成就而備受推崇。她不僅是一位杰出的小說家、劇作家，還是外國文學研究者，深刻影響了中國文學界。透過她的作品，我們可以窺見一位豁達樂觀、堅韌不拔的文學巨匠，以及她與家人的溫情故事和對學術的無私奉獻。讓我們一同進入一幅跨越時光的畫卷，深入探索這位先生的非凡人生。

Yang Jiang (1911–2016), formerly known as Yang Jikang, was a famous1)contemporary Chinese writer, foreign literature researcher,dramatist and translator.She was honored as “xiansheng”, and “a literary master spanning more than a century”.Her husband described her as “the most2)virtuous wife and the most talented woman”.

Born in Beijing in July 1911, Yang Jiang grew up in an open-minded intellectual family.In 1932, Yang Jiang went to Tsinghua University from Soochow University to study.Here, she met Qian Zhongshu, and they fell in love and got married.In 1938, Yang Jiang finished her studies at the University of Oxford with Qian Zhongshu and returned home with their one-year-old daughter.

Yang Jiang had written and translated3)prolifically all her life.Her debut novel was the proseCollecting Footprintspublished inTa Kung Paoin 1933.The novelBaptismmade her a famous novelist in the literary world.The scriptsSatisfied,Making Truth into FalsehoodandWind Fluffbrought her great fame.Although suffering from the vicissitudes of life, her writings, such asSix Chapters of My LifeandDrinking Teapublished in the 1980s,We Threepublished at the age of 92,Reaching the Brink of Lifepublished at the age of 96 andComplete Collection of Yang Jiangpublished at the age of 102, can still make readers deeply feel her optimistic and broad-minded attitude, her strong and4)indomitable character, and her transcendent and charismatic personality.

In addition, she was proficient in English and French,and began to teach herself Spanish at the age of 48.Don Quixote, which she spent 20 years finishing translating,is recognized as the best translation masterpiece.In 1978, when the Spanish King and Queen visited China,the then-leader Deng Xiaoping presented Yang’s Chinese version as a national gift to the royal couple.In 1986, the King of Spain personally awarded her the Cross of King Alfonso X of Wisdom in recognition of her contribution to the spreading of Spanish culture.Her first translation ofLazarillo de Tormesin the 1960s and her translation ofPhaedoat the age of 90 are also loved deeply by readers.These words of hers, whether her own works or translations, have left abundant spiritual wealth for future generations, which are thought-provoking and enlightening.

In 2001, Yang Jiang donated tens of millions of manuscript fees and royalties belonging to her and Qian Zhongshu to their alma mater—Tsinghua University, and set up a “Love Reading” scholarship to reward students who are diligent, outstanding in academic performance,but have financial difficulties in their families.

On May 25, 2016, Yang Jiang passed away at the age of 105.

In the eyes of others, Yang Jiang had a legendary life, but she was low-key and modest, and her works were plain and elegant.The famous Chinese writer and translator Shi Zhecun commented that “Baptismwas a combination ofA Dream of Red MansionsandThe Scholars, two of China’s most important classics”.To this, Yang Jiang responded with characteristic modesty, saying, “Baptismis just an experiment to test me and see if I am capable of writing novels.” Though Yang Jiang referred to her works as trials, each of her trials was a success.“These ‘trials’ show her calm and simple state of mind and her indifference to fame and fortune,” reviewedPeople’s Dailyin a remembrance in 2016.

I strove with none;

for none was worth my strife;

Nature I loved,

and next to Nature,Art;

I warmed both hands before the fire of life;

It sinks,

and I am ready to depart.

This is a famous poemOn His Seventy-fifth Birthdayby the 19th-century British poet Walter Savage Landor, translated by Yang Jiang herself.This poem may be regarded as a portrayal of her life.

1) contemporaryadj.當代的

2) virtuousadj.品德高的

3) prolificallyadv.多產地

4) indomitableadj.不屈不撓的

楊絳（1911—2016），原名楊季康，中國當代著名作家、外國文學研究者、戲劇家、翻譯家。人們尊稱她為“先生”“跨越一個多世紀的文學大家”。她的丈夫形容她是“最賢的妻,最才的女”。

1911 年 7 月，楊絳出生于北京，成長在一個思想開明的知識分子家庭。1932 年，楊絳從東吳大學到清華大學讀書。在這里，她結識了錢鍾書，二人相戀并結婚。1938 年,楊絳隨錢鍾書結束在英國牛津大學的學習，帶著一歲的女兒回國。

楊絳一生著譯豐厚。 1933 年發表在《大公報》上的散文《收腳印》是她的處女作。長篇小說《洗澡》使她成為享譽文壇的小說家；劇本《稱心如意》《弄真成假》和《風絮》讓她聲名大振。縱使命運多舛，但讀者依舊可以通過她20 世紀80 年代出版的《干校六記》《將飲茶》，92 歲出版的《我們仨》，96 歲出版的《走到人生邊上》及102 歲出版的《楊絳文集》中的文字體悟到她擁有的那份樂觀豁達的胸懷、堅強不屈的品性和超然卓立的人格魅力。

此外，她還精通英語、法語，在48 歲時又開始自學西班牙語，用20年時間翻譯的《堂·吉訶德》被公認為是最優秀的翻譯佳作。1978 年，西班牙國王和王后訪問中國，時任領導人鄧小平將此中文版本作為國禮贈送給這對王室夫婦。1986 年，西班牙國王親自授予她“智慧國王阿方索十世十字勛章”，以表彰她對西班牙文化傳播做出的貢獻。她初譯于20 世紀60 年代的《小癩子》及90 歲高齡時翻譯的《斐多》，也都深受讀者喜愛。無論是她的著作還是譯作都給后人留下了豐盈的精神財富，引人深思，給人啟迪。

2001 年，楊絳將她和錢鍾書的數千萬元稿費和版稅，全部捐贈給了他們的母校清華大學，設立“好讀書”獎學金，獎勵好學上進、成績優秀但家庭經濟困難的學生。

2016 年5 月25 日，楊絳逝世，享年105 歲。

在他人的眼里，楊絳擁有傳奇的人生，但她本人低調謙和，作品平實淡雅。中國著名作家和翻譯家施蟄存評論說：“《洗澡》是中國最重要的兩部經典作品《紅樓夢》和《儒林外史》的結合體。”對此，楊絳以她特有的謙遜回應說：“《洗澡》只是一次檢測自己是否有能力寫小說的嘗試。”盡管她稱自己的作品為嘗試，但她的每一次嘗試無疑都是成功的。2016 年，《人民日報》在一次紀念活動中評論說：“這些‘嘗試’體現了她平靜簡單的心態和她對名利的淡泊。”

我和誰都不爭，

和誰爭我都不屑；

我愛大自然，

其次就是藝術；

我雙手烤著生命之火取暖；

火萎了，

我也準備走了。

這是19 世紀英國詩人沃爾特·薩維奇·蘭多的名詩《寫于七十五歲》，由楊絳所譯，這首詩或可視為她一生的寫照。