一次进入人类心灵的迷人之旅，自我的独特寓言丨残雪

　　

　　

　　本文登载于 WORLD LITERATURE TODAY。

　　Goddess of Sipsong Pannais a collection of thirteen short stories by the much-acclaimed Chinese writer Can Xue (b. 1953). Set across a variety of real or surreal locations, from the tranquil grassland to the enchanting mulberry garden, and from a bleak and desolate coal mine located on the outskirts of a quaint, snow-covered town to the subterranean dugout beneath a tunneled city, each story sheds light on a distinct facet of a particular character’s inner world and personal journey.

　　The first of the thirteen stories, “Treasure Land,” features Lu Xiaoyuan, a young man from a coal miner’s family. He grew up in Snow City, a small town that was once the site of several coal mines. After his parents died in a mining accident, he had to make his own living. One night, Xiaoyuan is lured by a gentleman donning a black felt hat to venture into the long-abandoned mine. As he enters the mining area, he hears the clamor of people talking and shouting all around him, and he sees the burning flames in the stoves. The warmth of the air brings back memories of his deceased parents, particularly of the time when the mine was still in operation. Although the identity of the enigmatic gentleman is never revealed, he acts as a powerful catalyst that compels Xiaoyuan to take a journey of rediscovery. As he revisits both joyous and painful moments of the past, he finds a renewed sense of purpose to continue moving forward into the future.

　　

　　The titular story, “Goddess of Sipsong Panna,” is about a man who goes to Sipsong Panna in search of a simpler way of life. However, he cannot tolerate living in the bungalow where ants, snails, and caterpillars crawl over the room and the roses in the front yard bloom profusely, filling the air with a sweet and strong fragrance. He moves to a high-rise apartment, but its concrete frame structure blocks out the living sights and sounds of nature. He is so lonely that he longs to move back to the bungalow, which is now occupied by a woman living with a ferocious black bear. Her presence piques everyone’s interest, spurring them to steal glances at her, but her face remains a mystery, always shrouded from their view. Enveloped in her powerful earthly aura, the young man comes to realize what it takes to live in Sipsong Panna, a land of fertility, growth, and abundance.

　　

　　Can Xue’s gift for plunging into her characters’ souls and mining the truths about them is evident in other stories of the collection. “The Lion King” charts a path from the early stage of desire and infatuation to a love that transcends physicality and species through the eyes of a woman who decides to make her own life in the grasslands after encountering a handsome male lion. “Death Education” explores the initial encounter with death and its many nuances from the viewpoint of a young girl. In “Old Man and Cat in Fresh Produce Market,” readers may also sympathize with Papa Ma, an old man who lives a solitary life and suffers mistreatment at the hands of a similarly unhappy young man.

　　Can Xue is known for her vivid imagination and keen sense of fantasy, with a rapid, feverish ability to proceed from one plot to the next, much like a person traversing a dream or nightmare. Her collection of stories is a mesmerizing journey into the human psyche, with each story serving as an allegory of the self. Navigating the labyrinth of her writing may be challenging, but there is no denying thatCan Xue is a singular and unforgettable voice in Chinese literature.

　　Laura XieVirginia Military Institute

　　残雪 | 《西双版纳的女神》

　　本书由13个精巧自由的故事组成，无论是随着矿产枯竭而逐渐寂寞的北方“雪城”、拥有庞大防空洞体系的“灰城”，还是因一次小误会而痛失猫咪的卖菜老人、在地下三层开小超市的女人、第一次接触死亡的小女孩……每个人掩藏在日常生活底下最深刻的孤独，他们的精神寄托与向往，情感的滋生与毁灭，生命意义的隐匿与显现，都被残雪收录其中，以象征、隐喻和无所不在的通感打破了真实与虚构、现实与精神的界限，造就了独一无二的小说风景。

　　残雪 | 《激情世界》

　　在蒙城，想象和现实会奇异地转换。隐身于城市的几个青年人是阅读爱好者，其中的小桑，当她沉浸在文学之中，虚构的世界就神秘地显现了：夜晚的街巷忽然弥漫着遥远大海的气息；幽暗的咖啡馆里花豹潜行出没……书将一些事物召唤出来，导师现身、故人重逢、爱情生长，而生活正是想象中的模样。现在，一本新书以前所未有的复杂深邃唤醒灵魂历险的激情。充满暗示的生活，精神在现实里不断映射，如此种种都化作了迷人之境，在他们未知的前路徐徐展开。

　　残雪｜《少年鼓手》

　　《少年鼓手》是作家残雪的小说集，收入14个短篇作品。将司空见惯的生活细节，进行夸张与变形，营造出一个超越存在的精神世界。

　　残雪的写作具有自由的创造性，她以一种勇往直前的姿态来挣脱那些束缚传统文学的力量。其极具个性的写作、对文学的乌托邦式理解，令人耳目一新。

　　初审：向心愿

　　复审：刘 稚

　　终审：赵 萍