Yang Jiang—An Elegant and Excellent Senior Intellectual

◎朱广春

Track 4

她被人们尊称为“先生”，以其独特的文学才华和卓越的翻译成就而备受推崇。她不仅是一位杰出的小说家、剧作家，还是外国文学研究者，深刻影响了中国文学界。透过她的作品，我们可以窥见一位豁达乐观、坚韧不拔的文学巨匠，以及她与家人的温情故事和对学术的无私奉献。让我们一同进入一幅跨越时光的画卷，深入探索这位先生的非凡人生。

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.当代的

2) virtuousadj.品德高的

3) prolificallyadv.多产地

4) indomitableadj.不屈不挠的

杨绛（1911—2016），原名杨季康，中国当代著名作家、外国文学研究者、戏剧家、翻译家。人们尊称她为“先生”“跨越一个多世纪的文学大家”。她的丈夫形容她是“最贤的妻,最才的女”。

1911 年 7 月，杨绛出生于北京，成长在一个思想开明的知识分子家庭。1932 年，杨绛从东吴大学到清华大学读书。在这里，她结识了钱锺书，二人相恋并结婚。1938 年,杨绛随钱锺书结束在英国牛津大学的学习，带着一岁的女儿回国。

杨绛一生著译丰厚。 1933 年发表在《大公报》上的散文《收脚印》是她的处女作。长篇小说《洗澡》使她成为享誉文坛的小说家；剧本《称心如意》《弄真成假》和《风絮》让她声名大振。纵使命运多舛，但读者依旧可以通过她20 世纪80 年代出版的《干校六记》《将饮茶》，92 岁出版的《我们仨》，96 岁出版的《走到人生边上》及102 岁出版的《杨绛文集》中的文字体悟到她拥有的那份乐观豁达的胸怀、坚强不屈的品性和超然卓立的人格魅力。

此外，她还精通英语、法语，在48 岁时又开始自学西班牙语，用20年时间翻译的《堂·吉诃德》被公认为是最优秀的翻译佳作。1978 年，西班牙国王和王后访问中国，时任领导人邓小平将此中文版本作为国礼赠送给这对王室夫妇。1986 年，西班牙国王亲自授予她“智慧国王阿方索十世十字勋章”，以表彰她对西班牙文化传播做出的贡献。她初译于20 世纪60 年代的《小癞子》及90 岁高龄时翻译的《斐多》，也都深受读者喜爱。无论是她的著作还是译作都给后人留下了丰盈的精神财富，引人深思，给人启迪。

2001 年，杨绛将她和钱锺书的数千万元稿费和版税，全部捐赠给了他们的母校清华大学，设立“好读书”奖学金，奖励好学上进、成绩优秀但家庭经济困难的学生。

2016 年5 月25 日，杨绛逝世，享年105 岁。

在他人的眼里，杨绛拥有传奇的人生，但她本人低调谦和，作品平实淡雅。中国著名作家和翻译家施蛰存评论说：“《洗澡》是中国最重要的两部经典作品《红楼梦》和《儒林外史》的结合体。”对此，杨绛以她特有的谦逊回应说：“《洗澡》只是一次检测自己是否有能力写小说的尝试。”尽管她称自己的作品为尝试，但她的每一次尝试无疑都是成功的。2016 年，《人民日报》在一次纪念活动中评论说：“这些‘尝试’体现了她平静简单的心态和她对名利的淡泊。”

我和谁都不争，

和谁争我都不屑；

我爱大自然，

其次就是艺术；

我双手烤着生命之火取暖；

火萎了，

我也准备走了。

这是19 世纪英国诗人沃尔特·萨维奇·兰多的名诗《写于七十五岁》，由杨绛所译，这首诗或可视为她一生的写照。