空山靈雨 Empty Mountain, Spiritual Rain9 / 45

山響 Mountain Echo

山響Mountain Echoes

山响

羣峯彼此談得呼呼地響．他們底話語，給我猜着了．The clustered peaks talked among themselves with a great whooshing din. I guessed what they were saying.

群峰彼此谈得呼呼地响．他们底话语，给我猜着了．

這一峯說：『我們底衣服舊了，該換一換啦．』One peak said, “Our clothes are worn out; it is time we changed them.”

这一峰说：『我们底衣服旧了，该换一换啦．』

那一峯說：『且慢罷，你看我這衣服好容易從灰白色變成青綠色，又從青綠色Another peak said, “Not so fast. Look how my clothes, after so much trouble, have changed from ash-white to emerald green, and then from emerald green

那一峰说：『且慢罢，你看我这衣服好容易从灰白色变成青绿色，又从青绿色

變成珊瑚色和黃金色，——質雖是舊的，可是形色還不舊．我們多穿一會罷．』to coral and gold—the fabric may be old, but its form and color are not old yet. Let us wear them a while longer.”

变成珊瑚色和黄金色，——质虽是旧的，可是形色还不旧．我们多穿一会罢．』

正在商量底時候，他們身上穿底，都出聲哀求說，『饒了我們，讓我歇歇罷．我們While they were still discussing the matter, the garments they wore all cried out in supplication: “Spare us, and let us rest. Our

正在商量底时候，他们身上穿底，都出声哀求说，『饶了我们，让我歇歇罢．我们

底形態都變盡了．再不能爲你們爭體面了．』forms have changed beyond recognition. We can no longer help you keep up appearances.”

底形态都变尽了．再不能为你们争体面了．』

『去罷，去罷，不穿你們也算不得什麼．橫豎不久我們又有新的穿．』羣峯都出“Go, then, go! Even without you, it will hardly matter. In any case, before long we shall have new clothes to wear.” The clustered peaks all sighed

『去罢，去罢，不穿你们也算不得什么．横竖不久我们又有新的穿．』群峰都出

着氣這樣說．說完之後，那紅的、黃的彩衣就陸續褪下來．as they spoke. When they had finished, their bright robes of red and yellow slipped off one after another.

着气这样说．说完之后，那红的、黄的彩衣就陆续褪下来．

我們都是天衣，那不可思議的靈，不曉得甚時要把我們穿着得非常破爛，才把We are all celestial garments. That ineffable spirit—who knows when he will wear us utterly threadbare before putting

我们都是天衣，那不可思议的灵，不晓得甚时要把我们穿着得非常破烂，才把

我們收入天橱．願他多用一點氣力，及時用我們，使我們得以早早休息．us away in heaven’s wardrobe? May he exert himself a little more and make timely use of us, so that we may come sooner to our rest.

我们收入天橱．愿他多用一点气力，及时用我们，使我们得以早早休息．

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What it’s about

The speaker hears a group of mountain peaks talking as their colors change. One wants new clothes; another argues that the old garment has only just shifted from gray-white to green, coral and gold and should be worn longer. Then the garments themselves beg to rest because their forms have been exhausted in displaying the mountains. The peaks dismiss them: stripped or dressed makes little difference, and new clothes will soon arrive as red and yellow layers fall away.

The final paragraph abruptly moves the analogy outward. Human beings too are heavenly garments worn by an inconceivable spirit, and the speaker hopes that spirit will use them vigorously and wear them ragged soon enough to put them away. Seasonal color becomes a meditation on bodily service, exhaustion and death. The wish for early rest sounds bleak, but it also denies that the garment is the wearer or that decay is meaningless. Xu holds together delight in changing appearances and impatience with attachment to them; even mountains, which seem permanent, participate in exchange and relinquishment.

When it was written 背景

Personified landscape is an old resource of Chinese prose and poetry, but Xu gives it the conversational movement of a modern prose poem. Gray, green, coral and gold suggest clouds, vegetation and sunset passing over peaks rather than literal clothing. The closing “inconceivable spirit” is not assigned to one religion. Heavenly garments and a life used by a larger power can recall both Buddhist transformation and theistic vocation, a productive ambiguity throughout 空山靈雨. The title may mean mountain echoes or mountain sounds: what the narrator hears is also what imagination supplies. Learners should follow the pronouns carefully, since 峯, 衣服 and 我們 repeatedly exchange grammatical positions. The joke about fashion gradually becomes a serious wish that one's finite form be fully spent.

Words in this chapter 生词