Selected Prose Works of Cao Jinghua

Author: Cao Jinghua
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-09-01
Features: We often like to ask: Why do people write poetry and essays? In exploring this question, we can find several common patterns, but for a particular writer, the reasons are unique. The literary world is thus formed with diverse motivations. Some people may dislike or be unwilling to admit that writing poetry and essays is "for something." However, when we turn the pages of literary history, we find endless debates about "for this" and "for that." There are motivations for life, for art, for the masses, for oneself, for friends, for enemies, for immortality, and for filling one's pockets with money. All these motivations and driving forces give birth to literature. Interestingly, this "for what purpose" is not purely subjective or preconceived but stems from one's life experiences and is shaped by the broader context of life. This is especially true for essays, which are characterized by expressing the author's genuine emotions and feelings. Cao Jinghua's essay writing can be traced back to his early years. During the May Fourth Movement period, while still in high school, he had already written some reflective and casual articles, which, in a broad sense, can be seen as early attempts at essay writing. From the 1930s to the 1950s, he also wrote travelogues, commemorative texts, and occasional essays, some of which were quite outstanding, such as "How Long Was 1935?" which described how the people of Ruijin missed Chairman Mao, and "In Memory of Qiu Bai and in Tribute to Lu Xun" and "A Few Words About the Past." However, the number was not large, and he only wrote them occasionally. At that time, not only did the world still know him only as a great translator, but even he seemed to have no particular intention of pursuing essay writing. In the 1960s, Cao Jinghua was already in his sixties, but at this point, he created a notable literary phenomenon. Starting from March 1961, when People's Daily published "Flowers," Cao Jinghua continuously published new essays in newspapers and magazines such as People's Literature, World Literature, and others. These works primarily focused on remembering Lu Xun, along with other revolutionary leaders and writers, which became the fundamental theme and of his essay writing thereafter and throughout his life. In the two or three years after 1962, he wrote about contemporary topics, including the famous "Yunnan Lyrics" in three chapters, "Guangxi Lyrics" in three chapters, and other travel essays like "Fujian Lyrics." Undoubtedly, this marked the peak of this elderly writer's creative career, with the main product being essays. Unfortunately, the Cultural Revolution interrupted his thoughts and blocked his writing. The 36 essays selected in this book are all his major works. Excerpt: We stepped out of the "Emerald Curtain," basking in the sunlight, walking slowly from one agricultural area to another, admiring the scenery. For some reason, everyone seemed dazed, as if in a dream, or as if bewitched by a fairy tale, all of us becoming utterly captivated. It was as if the magic of "rooting" here had truly taken root under our feet. The setting sun used exaggerated strokes to stretch the shadows of the crops long and wide on the ground, as if deliberately urging us to move faster. We had indeed already exceeded our scheduled time, but none of us could force ourselves to pull up the "roots" from beneath our feet. All of us gazed intently at the oil palms, oil fruits, oil melons. Cashews, coffee, cacao, lemongrass, vetiver, agarwood, lavender, night jasmine, elephant fruit, and lingering fruit. Before these affectionate exotic flowers and trees, we all stared in admiration. For some reason, everyone was so emotionally attached, gazing at these "lingering fruits" and truly reluctant to leave. "Rooting," at the top of its stem, bore clusters of pale purple,, each more than an inch thick and two inches long, in the afterglow of the sunset, with charming smiles, welcoming distant visitors, as if hoping you would take a closer look. And before these extraordinary flowers and plants, how could we not linger and feel our feet take root? Especially in the aromatic crop areas, the fragrance of flowers, branches, leaves, and roots was overwhelmingly rich and intoxicating, filling the air with a soul-stirring scent! "Xishuangbanna," oh, your emerald "City of Dawn," how could we sever our emotional "roots" and not linger over you like this? Could anyone possibly move the mountains of sandalwood, teak, camphor trees, ironwood, quinine trees, and countless other medicinal plants and economic crops, as well as those myriad exotic flowers and plants that make up over half of China's flora, to another place? Emerald-embroidered Xishuangbanna, who sprinkled on you the flower dew of ten thousand years, making you forever fragrant and intoxicating with fragrance at every turn! Wherever you go, whether under the bamboo houses of the Dai people, by the Lancang River or the Liu Sha River, beside the border guards, or in the maze-like primeval forest where you can easily get lost, no matter where you stand, as long as you pick a leaf or pull a stem with your fingers and gently rub it, a rich aroma will surely overwhelm you!