A well-known writer in modem China, Ba Jin. born in 1904, began his writing career in 1927. His novels and prose have been collected in fourteen volumes, which fully demonstrate his achievement as a prolific writer, He has also translated many foreign Iiterary works.This volume contains the novelette written
by Ba Jin - The Grit Men and 22 short stories.The Grit Men, written in 1932, depicts the life of workers at an old tin mine in Yunnan Province through the story of Wang Shengyi,who, to save his lover, is tricked into working there, and at last dies miserably.
The short stories in this volume are landmark works written by Ba Jin at different historical periods, reflecting Chinese society at those times from different aspects.
目錄:
The Grit Men
First Love
Desperation
The Torments of Love
Aliana
The Gross of Love
The Heart of a Slave
Dog
The Su Causeway
Nights in Marseilles
Father and Son
A Moonlit Night
The General
The Thaw
Sinking
Ghosts
A Story about Hair
Rain
At the Window
Brothers
The Pagoda of Longevity
The Talking Tree
The Reunion
Epilogue
內容試閱:
《巴金文集(三)》:
“No!” The man tried to comfort her. With one hand on her shoulder, he said gently, “You don''t understand.”
But the upset girl moved away from his hand.Then, in an angry voice, she said, “I know you''re leaving me. I know it.”
“You''re wrong,” the man quickly protested. “Do you remember the 300 silver dollars your aunt once mentioned? If I can get that amount, I''II buy you out.”
“Yeah,” the girl nodded in acknowledgement.
“Three hundred, just that much,” the man continued. “I can redeem you. But where can I get it here?”At this, he came to a sudden stop, obviously holding back something more important.
“Three hundred,” the girl murmured. Grief crept onto her young and pretty face, her eyebrows knitted.Her lips gave a few.twists before she slowly said, “Eight years. I''ve stayed in that house for eight years. Each day drags like a year. How much longer do I have to stay there?” So saying, she sat weakly on a rock, lifting her tearful eyes up to him.
The man''s heart softened. He stood closer to her and said sympathetically, “Don''t worry, Yin. We haven''t reached the end of our resources. I''ve found a
way. To make 300 dollars, I must go to that place.”
“To that place? What will you do there?” she asked anxiously. “Is it easy to make money there? How long will you stay? Do you have to leave? Can''t we think of a way here? Doesn''t your master treat you nicely? You won''t always get such nice people elsewhere.”
“Well, you''re smart but you haven''t understood this time. I still have one year to go before I finish my apprenticeship. How can I save any money working as an apprentice? Even after I finish my term, I won''t make much money in the first few years. Your hair will grow white if you wait until I have saved enough this way. Even if you''re willing to wait, your masters may not have the patience.” The man sounded courageous and very confident in his future.
“Don''t worry about me,” the girl said, showing the care often found in females. “I blame nobody but fate for my years of suffering in that house.” She yielded a little room for the man to sit down beside her. She continued, “What will you do in this new place? Is it a long trip? Will you have company?”
“It''S not far away, no more than a couple of days''journey.” The man said. “Many people will be going,including Wu Hongfa from my street.”
“But tell me now. What in the world are you going to do?” Greatly concemed, the girl raised her voice.
“Lower your voicel” The man hurriedly stopped her, holding her hand in his. “Other people might overhear.” Then his voice was solemn. “We''re going to work in a mine.”
“What!” The girl sounded worried. “Say it more distinctly. I don''t understand.”
“We ''II go to work in a tin mine.”
“Are you crazy?” The girl broke into a frightened cry. “Don''t go, Shengyi. You really want to go?”
The man felt embarrassed. He was not sure what she meant. Valiantly he explained, “I must go for that 300 silver dollars. It''s easy to make money over there.”
But the girl was upset. “People say mining for tin ore is even worse than serving in the army.”
“That''s not true. Don''t buy it. People go there every year. That Mr. Zhang, the hirer, said many workers have made a fortune there. The job is well paid,and you can easily save some money. Even a hundred thousand is not impossible. This time, many people are
going.”
“I''m still worried, no matter how nicely you describe it.”The girl was not convinced.
“What are you worrying about? I''m not a child.Just a couple of years there, then I''II come back. Mr.Zhang said I could have an income of several hundred dollars every year. After two years working there, I''II come back and have a family. Won''t that be nice?” He was captivated as he imagined a dream-like future. He was in no doubt about it.
“But I don''t want you to leave.” The girl shook her head. She was not interested in what he said. “What is good mining tin ore? Crawling underground day after day leaves you blind. Who wants a blind husband when you come back?” Her face reddened. Was it because of what she said or something else on her mind?
“Come on, Yin. You''re worrying too much.”Though his voice was still gentle, it was less sure and happy. “Nothing will happen to me. You see, I have a
strong build that''s able to withstand illness. My eyesight is good. How can I end up blind? What you just said is inauspicious.” He gave a faint and not quite natural smile for he did not mean to smile at all. “Working underground is not hard, Mr. Zhang said. Everything is fine. There''s nothing to harm your eyes. And they treat the workers well.”
But she did not smile a bit. She was obviously unconvinced. Still disturbed by her worries, she shook her head and asked, “What''s that Mr. Zhang like? Is hetrustworthy? Why do you trust him so much?”
……