Cliff

Author: (Russian) Ivan Turgenev and Yan Yongxing
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This book is one of the three major works of the renowned Russian writer Ivan Turgenev. The protagonist, Raisky, is intelligent, eager to learn, and deeply passionate about art. He travels from St. Petersburg to Marinoka, a small estate perched on the edge of a cliff, where he lives with his two charming cousins. Raisky falls in love with his older cousin Vera, but she only considers him as an older brother and a close friend. It turns out that Vera is in love with Mark, a convict with radical new ideas and a rebellious nature. However, she later realizes she was wrong, as Mark's thoughts are all empty fantasies, and she decides to break up with him. Raisky studies sculpture abroad, immersing himself in the halls of art, where his spirit is uplifted. Yet, he often feels the call of his homeland and family, and he resolves to return. "The Cliff" (1869) is Turgenev's third major work. He spent twenty years on it, from conception to writing, until its completion in 1868. For me, in order to translate this work well, I spent two years from reading to translation, finally completing it in December 2002. The protagonist, Raisky, has been perceived by critics in Russia and China as an "Oblomov-style" character, differing only in time, with different experiences, interests, and personalities. However, with the passage of time, I believe that interpreting works should also have new perspectives and approaches. Oblomov was a Russian landlord during the serfdom era, a lazy man who lacked enthusiasm for anything. Raisky, on the other hand, was a landlord after the abolition of serfdom, sharing similarities with Oblomov but more differences, reflecting the new changes brought by the end of serfdom. Unlike Oblomov, who lived a life of indolence and idleness, Raisky was intelligent, eager to learn, and had a wide range of interests. He studied painting, piano, read books, took notes, and even wrote novels. He maintained a deep friendship with his high school classmate Vasilykov, entrusting him with all his father's books and later deciding to gift them all to this book-loving old friend. Vasilykov was weak but honest, diligently fulfilling Raisky's requests. However, a convict named Mark, full of radical new ideas, often visited the estate to borrow books but frequently tore pages to roll cigarettes, nearly destroying a whole bookshelf. Vasilykov urgently wrote to Raisky, asking him to come to the estate to deal with the book destruction. Coincidentally, Raisky was making no progress in pursuing his cousin Sophia in St. Petersburg, and his two aunts constantly had him play cards to pass the time, which he found utterly tedious. Thus, he came to this small estate, Marinoka, which belonged to him on the cliff. Here, the three female characters successfully portrayed by the author—his grandmother, Malfinka, and Vera—make their appearance. The grandmother is a distant relative of Raisky's family and, having lost his parents at a young age, takes charge of his modest estate and family. She is shrewd and capable, kind yet domineering, managing the small domain with great efficiency. Raisky's two distant cousins, Vera and Malfinka, also lost their parents and grew up under the grandmother's care. The three grandchildren rely on each other, and both sisters are strikingly beautiful, capturing Raisky's heart. Malfinka is innocent, lively, loves labor, flowers, animals, birds, children, housework, and handicrafts, yearning for a happy family life—typical of a woman with no grand ambitions but a devoted wife and mother. Raisky tries to test Malfinka's feelings, but she is clueless as she leans against him, seeing him only as a dear and respectful cousin in her eyes. She is in love with the young man Vekentyev. Raisky notices that she is uneasy around him but becomes lively and natural when she meets Vekentyev. Thus, he shifts his affections to Vera. Vera is exceptionally beautiful, aloof, and rarely speaks, yet she has a rich inner world, well-versed in classical literature. Unsatisfied with the quiet, stagnant life of the small estate, she pursues freedom, truth, and new ideas, demanding to take control of her own fate. She handles her relationship with her cousin calmly, treating him as an older brother and a close friend, while also rejecting the advances of Tushin, a young forest owner across the Volga River. Raisky is heartbroken, only to discover that Vera frequently leaves alone. Driven by jealousy, he secretly follows her, wondering which man is so lucky. He finds that Vera is meeting Mark, a disheveled man with vulgar manners. Unaware that Vera, in her pursuit of new ideas and a new life, is infatuated with Mark's unconventional freedom, she is captivated and lost in fantasies of a beautiful future. But later, she realizes she was wrong. Mark's thoughts are all empty fantasies, and he has never seriously worked toward realizing his ideals. Moreover, he has no intention of marrying her, merely cohabiting, and they will part when they tire of each other. Vera is disappointed and resolves to break up with him. Raisky, hiding nearby, overhears their conversation but misunderstands the situation. Upon returning home, he throws a bouquet of yellow flowers into Vera's window as an insult. Vera, unable to bear this double blow, trembles and falls ill. The grandmother becomes frantic, hiring a doctor for Vera and staying by her side, praying for her recovery. Mark, foolishly, sends a letter to Vera, proposing to meet to resolve the matter. Vera's condition worsens, and she seeks out Tushin, who bravely steps forward with a horsewhip and climbs the cliff to meet Mark. Under Tushin's righteous demeanor, Mark finally retreats, leaving the small town with resentment. Tushin, with a knightly demeanor and great promise, takes Raisky to his forest estate for a stay. To Raisky's astonishment, he finds such an advanced and perfect forest estate in the vast wilderness. Tushin develops forest resources while protecting nature; there are no laborers or hired workers, only a group of workers skilled in advanced tools and knowledge. The workshops are neat, and the workers' village is vibrant, leaving Raisky speechless. He thinks Tushin and Vera are a match made in heaven. Malfinka and Vekentyev's wedding takes place as planned, lively and joyful, and Vera gradually recovers. Raisky decides to leave and study sculpture abroad to broaden his horizons. He wanders through the halls of art in the Louvre, Dresden, and Italy, his spirit uplifted. He often longs to return home. He wants to gather enough of the eternal beauty of nature and art to bring it all back, back to his Marinoka. Behind him, there always stand the three figures he deeply loves: his Vera, his Malfinka, and his grandmother. And behind them, stands an even greater and more captivating figure—a giant-like "grandmother"—Russia. In "The Cliff," Turgenev's language skills are even more mature, with descriptions of scenery, dialogues, and portrayals of characters' inner worlds reaching a level of perfection. I believe that what truly moves is not technique but thought, the emotions it contains. Literature has a unique function that no other art can replace—it affects human emotions. Turgenev writes near the end of the book: "A person's strength lies in being aware of and preserving this natural, innate beauty, and in being worthy of possessing it—cherishing it, believing in it, being honest, understanding the charm of truth, and living by it—so as to truly possess a pure heart and cherish this spiritual strength. If it is not superior to the intelligence of a wise man, at least it should be on the same level." Yet today, people are ashamed of this spiritual strength, valuing "snake-like cleverness" but feeling embarrassed by "pigeon-like simplicity," calling the latter childish and believing that everyone has already reached a moral level where intellect is superior to morality, as if everyone has achieved this and tucked it away like a snuffbox in their pocket. But this was written over a hundred and fifty years ago! Perhaps this is the power and charm of great literary works. Translating "The Cliff," its simple yet profound thoughts and emotions sometimes flash like lightning, striking the translator's heart and evoking resonance. Regardless of the era or nation, people always need morality and family love.