Cheng Lingsu is the first tragic woman in Jin Yong's works, and only Feng Xiaozhi's death can match her. Cheng Lingsu, if a person's name: the element is his appearance, and the spirit is his essence.
First, "martial arts" is the basic element of martial arts novels, so many people call it "martial arts novels" according to this feature, either dismissing it or pursuing it. It can be seen that the word "Wu" is very striking. However, many people's understanding of "Wu" is not correct. So, what is the exact meaning of the word "Wu"?
Second, the real martial arts novel is not only an entertaining word game, but also exquisite literature and art. Jin Yong's martial arts novel is such an art. It does not render violent and bloody scenes. On the contrary, it not only satisfies our chivalrous dreams, but also brings us a lot of beautiful enjoyment. So, what are the distinctive features of Jin Yong's martial arts novels?
Thirdly, in Jin Yong's works, there are many martial arts that arouse our imagination of the human body. It discusses the limits of the human body through martial arts, which makes us have many questions. How fast can people run? How high can you jump? How much can you lift? What's the difference between this discussion of human body limits and China's ancient martial arts novels? What's the difference between them and the west?
4. In his martial arts novels, Jin Yong made a useful exploration and extraordinary imagination on the forms of martial arts. Moreover, Jin Yong's description of martial arts neither repeats others nor himself. Even, the characters in his novels, what kind of martial arts, what kind of weapons they usually use, are very strict, just like the arrangement in China's famous literature "Water Margin".
If we read Jin Yong's martial arts novels, it is not difficult to find that the more skilled people are in Jin Yong's works, the less they pay attention to weapons and the less they are willing to use them. Soldiers with high martial arts usually like to use their hands. Even if weapons are used, they are decorative swords, and practical swords are rarely used. So, what kind of cultural phenomenon and historical origin does this reflect?
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Hello, friends! Last class, we discussed the martial arts in traditional martial arts novels. Through the discussion of martial arts in traditional martial arts novels, we can find that it is in the modern stage that martial arts in martial arts novels are greatly appreciated, which has become a basis for the new martial arts novels to write martial arts on paper to the peak. Then, on this basis, it focuses on the description of martial arts in the new martial arts novels represented by Jin Yong. Jin Yong's martial arts novels have become one of the most representative popular literature in the 20th century. Then, let's take a look at the description of martial arts in Jin Yong's novels. In the second half of the 20th century, to what extent was the concept of "Wushu" discussed in China culture?
Although Jin Yong's novels can be entered from all aspects, since they also belong to martial arts novels, we might as well look at them from the perspective of "martial arts". But what we mainly talk about is not whether the martial arts written in Jin Yong's novels are good or not, but the rich meaning of this concept in China culture through "martial arts".
It is precisely because one of the basic elements of martial arts novels is "martial arts" that quite a few people in society call it "martial arts novels". Many middle school teachers confiscate students' martial arts novels. His reason is not to let them watch martial arts, which means that children will often fight after reading this book. But in my opinion, fighting between children is not necessarily a bad thing. If a nation's children don't fight when they are young, this nation will surely perish. I'm not being emotional. I'm not being emotional. Because how can a nation with no hands to tie chickens have vitality? It has no vitality. Let's look at those so-called great powers that we respect. Children have been fighting at random since childhood. But don't break it and fight within a reasonable range. As for reading martial arts novels, will it affect your study? This doesn't count. After investigation, we found that many great men and famous figures-politicians, scientists, militarists and literary talents-had read martial arts novels when they were young.
Mr. Chen Shengshen, a master of mathematics who just died recently, I pay attention to his life. When I was young, I also read Romance of Gods, Three Heroes and Five Righteousnesses, and Yue Biography, and I also read these works when I was young. These works have greatly broadened the imagination of teenagers, and even if he is engaged in mathematics, science and culture, he will make great achievements in the future. The reason why so many people misunderstand the martial arts novels in society is that we misunderstand the concept of "Wu" and understand the word "Wu" incorrectly and inappropriately. Wu, when we often think about this word, can it be translated into a foreign language? Let's consider how to translate the word "Wu" into a foreign language. In fact, this is a very difficult question, because China has a long history and China has a long history of civilization. Many concepts of China culture were formed in ancient times. When we formed this concept, many other civilizations had not reached a similar level, and many other nationalities were still crawling on trees! The concept of equality with us has not yet formed. For example, Wu.
We have the word "Wu" since ancient times. In ancient times, there was a strategist named Sun Wu. What does this "Wu" mean? "Wu" is a fight? His mother and father named him "Sun Dou"? Is his name Sun Wu? How to translate "Wu"? Is it violence? Is it a war? Is it a fight? None of them are right, but there seems to be a relationship between them. It seems that everything is related. Let's take the word "Wu" apart and say it. What is the structure of Wu? It's two words, one is stop, the other is go-stop, go to war, don't go to war again. Then after disassembling this word, we will have a feeling of being suddenly enlightened, ah! The original "Wu" is not to pick up weapons and hit others, but to stop fighting-to lay down weapons and lay down weapons for Wu. When we think of this meaning, our understanding of the word "thing" is suddenly enriched. But does it mean that it is called "martial arts" if you don't fight at all? It's not absolute that no one hits, and all the weapons are thrown away and destroyed. Stop it-first of all, you have to have. Without it, why did you stop? Without weapons, what weapons did you put down? There is a saying in Buddhism that "put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha"-you don't have a butcher's knife, what do you put? A man can't beat a chicken with his hands tied, and then you say, I love peace. Isn't that ridiculous? People who have no strength at all say that they are "peace-loving", which is either a lie or a coward's words.
So the word "Wu" has two meanings. First, you should have a weapon, and then you should put down your weapon. Therefore, the word "Wu" in China's concept itself contains two elements, war and peace, which are both included in it. As far as the unity of opposites between war and peace is concerned, it has naturally been included in China people's understanding of the word "martial arts", which includes fighting and not fighting. So it is not easy to understand this concept correctly.
We say today that today is an era of peace and development. But in the era of peaceful development, should we disband all the troops and destroy all the weapons so as to develop peacefully? What can guarantee peaceful development? Without the Great Wall of the People's Liberation Army in Wan Li, how can it develop peacefully? Therefore, both left-leaning and right-leaning understandings will cause trouble. So many people in society don't quite understand martial arts novels because he simply imagines "martial arts" as violence and fighting-and there are indeed many martial arts novels in society. The shoddy martial arts novels are really full of boring and low-level fighting, and in a sense, they have become a martial arts textbook. Those books really have a bad influence, so those books are the real reason why some people despise martial arts novels.
If someone says they don't like martial arts novels, it's understandable. When Mr. Wang Shuo criticized Jin Yong's novels a few years ago, some of the truths he said may not be suitable for Jin Yong's novels. But for some other martial arts novels, it hit the nail on the head. Teacher Wang Shuo said that those martial arts novels fought for no reason, and everyone seemed to have a deep hatred, so they fought for no reason! We know that Jin Yong's novels are not like this. But there are a lot of such novels, so Mr. Wang Shuo's criticism of those novels is reasonable.
So why do martial arts fans generally admire Jin Yong's novels? In fact, I know that many readers only like reading Jin Yong's novels, and don't like reading other martial arts novels. What is the reason? That is, Jin Yong's martial arts novels have grasped the rich connotation of "martial arts". Instead of turning "Wushu" into a fighting performance, use an artistic term called "Wushu singing". Jin Yong completely achieved "martial arts singing". "Singing in Wulin" was originally a term of Beijing Opera. There are martial arts dramas and literary dramas in Beijing Opera, so most of the outstanding works are literary dramas. But there are also martial arts masters, such as Gai Jiaotian-just like masters. So how can we become a master? If this martial arts drama is just a flop and a gesture on the stage, it can't be a master. Martial arts should be sung in words, and martial arts should sing spirit and culture. Judging from Jin Yong's works, Jin Yong's "martial arts singing" means that he has made martial arts artistic, moral and ornamental. If not, if you are anti-art, it is not good-looking; If you are anti-moral and immoral, there won't be so many readers who love his works. In terms of today's visual arts, it can be said that Jin Yong's martial arts are visually beautiful. This is not easy to understand.
Some people say, does fighting have visual beauty? Is it beautifying violence? We should put aside the specific moral position and look at this objectively. In human nature, there is a potential desire to watch power and disaster. For example, each of us doesn't want to encounter a disaster, but everyone likes to watch disaster movies. Disaster movies have a high box office. American movies show the destruction of the earth and the sinking of a ship. The audience is very large. Everyone likes to watch movies that are very exciting and adventurous. Why? What kind of mystery does this reveal in human nature? A large group of us sat in the dark hall, eating French fries safely, and then watching the people on the screen have bad luck, in earthquakes, landslides and sea cracks. This is human nature. People actually feel their sense of security in other people's disasters. That's when you realize, ah! I live happily! This is human nature. Just like watching disasters and violence, it is in line with human instinct, but people should distinguish this instinct from morality in reality. You can't gloat in real life. The schadenfreude in real life should be solved in art, and the martial arts with visual beauty written by Jin Yong is in line with this aesthetic law. When many of us watch the martial arts scenes written by Jin Yong, we don't feel bloody violence, nor do we feel impetuous and want to fight. No one has read Jin Yong's novels and wants to go out and fight with others. I have never met such a reader, and no one will feel physically disgusted when reading it. If we see two people fighting in real life, if these two people know kung fu, they may play well, but most fights are not good-looking. Sometimes when we see a fight, we have a physical aversion.
If one person knocks another person's head off, we will feel unbearable, especially lesbians will feel sick, never look at it, and instinctively cover their eyes, because it is not beautiful, which will make people physically sick. At this point, Jin Yong's novels are different from other writers.
For example, Gu Long is also a famous martial arts novelist, but when Gu Long writes martial arts, he sometimes deliberately exaggerates some bloody scenes with a bloody atmosphere. This is not necessarily wrong. This may be due to Gu Long's own artistic considerations. He just wants you to see how the sword was pierced and how blood came out of his throat. Maybe he will write like this. However, the traditional aesthetic habits of China people are not used to writing like this. Let's look at China's traditional art, China's movies and China's TV. Whenever there is a cruel scene, we omit it. We China people make movies, such as beheading scenes, where the knife is raised and dropped, and then the scenes behind it are omitted, or the screen is red, which means that the head has been cut off, so you can't see it. The head is actually cut off, which is in line with the aesthetic habits of China people.
The art of other nationalities is often not like this. I remember when I was young, at first, we all watched China movies. For example, revolutionary martyrs were tortured by the enemy, and the whip was raised and dropped. I didn't see him fall on human flesh, so I omitted the following. Later, I saw some movies of other nationalities, which was shocking at first. It turns out that movies can be made like this. I saw a knife fall and cut off a person's arm. It fell to the ground. At first, I thought how other people's films were made was very real. At first, I thought they were real and looked at them with appreciation. But after a while, I feel very uncomfortable psychologically, or I think this thing is very exciting. The result of excitement is uncomfortable. Going back after the movie affects my eating and sleeping. This time, on the other hand, I think, we in China have long thought of this. This is bad art, or rough art, because there is no better way to stimulate people with such bloody scenes.
For example, some current film and television works. For example, in order to show the bad guys, the bad guys beat the good guys, brandish sticks, broadswords and guns, and beat the people to powder. So this is actually a violent scene. Jin Yong's novels are not like this. He won't describe the wound of the injured person in detail, how the wound rotted and how many bugs crawled on it. He wouldn't write like that. He didn't write that disgusting photo. This is in line with China's traditional aesthetics. Jin Yong's martial arts, on many occasions, don't look like martial arts, but dance.
The difference between martial arts and dance, for example, let's give an example. When Hong Qigong and Huang Rong were fighting, Hong Qigong taught Huang Rong Kung Fu, and two people were fighting, an old man with white hair fluttering; A young girl, a young beauty. The two men were shining, prancing and fighting nervously. You look like martial arts, but is the aesthetic effect aroused in your heart martial arts? No, it's ballet-you get the same aesthetic enjoyment as watching ballet. It's a duet in ballet!
Jin Yong himself studied ballet, and Jin Yong specialized in ballet, so you said that the scene was actually a dance. We can think of many scenes in Jin Yong's works from this example. In fact, all you see is dancing. What you see, on the stage and on the screen, seems to be human body dynamics with artistic laws. What you appreciate is a dynamic beauty of the human body, not the beauty of hitting people, not the beauty of pain when hitting people, but a dynamic beauty. There are also many martial arts, which are aroused by Jin Yong's works and our imagination of the human body.
As I said last class, after the martial arts novels entered the 20th century, martial arts developed and became particularly prominent. However, in ancient martial arts novels, there is no such statement. Whether Liu, Guan, Zhang, jy, Lin Chong or others, their martial arts are sketchy, and they don't say who their master is, but only say which sect he studied and which hill he came from. It seems that they all live around us, Jiang, a small official in the yamen, and jy, a coolie helped by the government. Or some are Ruan Xiaoer and Ruan Xiaowu. Ruan is a fisherman and an ordinary person. He didn't say what martial arts they practiced or who gave it to his master. Then they joined forces to rebel and ran to Liangshan, so this description of martial arts is very simple, without telling how they practiced one knife and one shot. Why is this happening?
Then we can find some reasons by connecting the differences between ancient society and modern society, because in ancient times, people were full of confidence in their bodies. Ancient people solved many problems by themselves, many problems in life. When guests come, they have to make tea, chop wood, make a fire, put a pot and pour water by themselves. Every link must be solved by their own bodies, not by themselves. Our bodies are becoming more and more useless now, and so are our bodies. In the 20th century, serious problems appeared in people's bodies.
In ancient times, fighting was solved by the human body and by the struggle between human bodies. Even if you hold a weapon, your body is still manipulating it, so hand-to-hand combat is the most direct way to solve the battle in ancient times. So people didn't think this body was useless at that time. Man and body are one, I am my body, and my body is me. Since the human war, after entering the era of hot weapons, since he can kill each other without relying on his body, he hides far away, and when he presses his thumb and finger, he falls down with a bang. This is great. No matter how boring I am, he weighs 180 kilograms, and I only weigh 80 kilograms. I can kill him. This is very strange. Since this happened, the situation has changed, especially after the Second World War, the body can solve the problem without meeting at all. Sitting in the office and pressing a button can destroy thousands of people's bodies. At this time, people's alienation will deepen. Marx said that after large-scale industrial production, it brought about human alienation. However, Marx did not foresee that after the Second World War, people could be alienated to such an extent, and he did not take killing thousands of people's lives as one thing. When we hit another body with one of our own bodies and crush it, we will clearly see this cruel scene. But when you stand in the office and destroy the bodies of thousands of people, you don't think it's cruel. It's similar to playing computer games. When playing computer games, kill a lot of "people" casually to make children feel very fun. When I grow up, I still sit in this office and press the mouse, which ruined many people. He thinks it's just an increase or decrease in numbers, and I have no feeling for my body. I won't feel that others are crying and bleeding, and I won't feel that others are being separated and my family is ruined. So at this time, what's the use of the human body!
This is a problem arising from the minds of modern people. What is the relationship between body and life? Is our life really contained in our bodies? So at this time, as the representative of oriental civilization, martial arts novels unconsciously began to explore the limits of the human body. Then in the west, the west discusses this issue through sports and the Olympic model.
Why are people more and more obsessed with the Olympic Games? The Olympics are not that crazy. Now this four-year Olympic Games affects the hearts of people all over the world, and everyone is willing to watch the Olympic Games. Think about it. Strangely enough, the Olympics are boring. It's always those events. Why do so many people go to see it? What the hell are you looking at? Olympic Games, its constant pursuit of record-breaking, makes us human beings constantly have suspense about our bodies. For example, how fast can 100 meter sprint? This is not a simple question of who won the gold medal, it is a human problem. It was said that 100 meters could not run in 1 1 sec, but it was later broken. They said it was impossible to run in 10 second, which was broken ... this record was constantly broken and people began to go crazy. How fast can this man run? See how fast you can run. What can people do?
So here comes the concept of "limit"-we will ask, how fast can people run? How high can you jump? How much can you lift? How many people can a man hit with his bare hands? This becomes a problem. These problems are described in an imaginative way in martial arts novels. What flowers can the human body play with? This is a profound philosophy. For example, scientists have predicted all the way that people's bodies will become more and more useless in the future. Some people say that in a hundred years, people will have only one brain, but thin arms and short legs, because their arms and legs are useless and their bodies are getting weaker and weaker. Then, scientists predicted all the way, on the contrary, due to the development of science and technology, people can take many medicines and take many fitness measures. In the future, their personal experience will be stronger and stronger, and it will be better than the ancients. Scientists disagree. This inconsistency just shows that we are now in a questioning stage, and we don't know where our bodies will develop in the future.
Back to Jin Yong's novels, the martial arts in Jin Yong's martial arts have brought us unprecedented imagination. His novels are so attractive because they surpass their predecessors in martial arts. Mr. Liang Yusheng once said that there can be no chivalry in martial arts novels, but there is no chivalry. Liang Yusheng's words, he is emphasizing the importance of chivalry. But it is also possible that he overemphasized the importance of chivalry and paid insufficient attention to this kind of "martial arts". Therefore, if Mr. Liang Yusheng reads less martial arts, he will feel wonderful; If you watch too much, you will inevitably feel that there are similarities, and some scenes are familiar. Therefore, some writers such as Gu Long once mocked and imitated some of his writing methods and routines. Jin Yong's martial arts, like his novels, are not only identical in every novel, but also try to be different in his martial arts. The characters in his works, what weapons and martial arts each person uses, are not arranged casually. But like the Water Margin, it directly inherited the greatest martial arts novel "The Water Margin" in ancient times, which was arranged according to everyone's character and fate and the situation here and now.
I remember watching outlaws of the marsh when I was a child. I saw the Water Margin when the whole country was commenting on it. At that time, he criticized the Water Margin, saying that the advantage of a Water Margin was "surrender". Then at that time, when I was in primary school, I read the water margin thoroughly, 100 characters' names, nicknames and weapons were clearly remembered. At that time, I felt that weapons were a part of this person, because in the author's view, everyone can't use any weapons without his personality, and his style of play is consistent with this person's soul. For example, let's imagine a person like Li Kui jy and Li Kui jy, and "Black Cyclone" Li Kui jy, who must use two axes. If Li Kui jy didn't use this axe, he would build a lightsaber. This isn't Li Kui jy. Immediately, Li Kui jy's image collapsed. Just because this weapon was wrong, it collapsed. Because of the image of Li Kui jy, his two axes are inseparable. Lu Zhishen must use a wrought iron mord. No one can change it. Jin Yong's martial arts and weapons are almost irreplaceable. You have to reach such a state, in order to truly penetrate the hearts of the people. Especially the protagonist, his character, and the martial arts he used are all left in the readers' minds. For example, what is Mei Chaofeng's martial arts? "nine yin, bones and claws." Mei Chaofeng's character is cold and poisonous, so he used the martial arts of "Nine Yin and White Bone Claw", and when one claw poked down, nine holes appeared in people's heads. Every night, she puts some skeletons on the top of the mountain, where she practices and pokes. Therefore, Mei Chaofeng's image is horrible, and martial arts is consistent with her personality.
The representative martial arts used by decent heroes such as Hong Qigong, Guo Jing and Xiao Feng are "eighteen palms to subdue dragons", and each palm is overwhelming, backed by strength and aboveboard. There is also a martial art called "beating a dog stick". If he uses a weapon, he uses a "dog stick", which is also a very simple martial art .. Xiao Feng used it. The most basic martial arts, called "Taizu Changquan", is an introduction to martial arts. But it looks simple, but with the use of experts, it is powerful. We see that Jin Yong wrote about this master's martial arts, which is said to be like the Yangtze River. Let's see, this is a symbol of China culture! What it pays attention to is not those strange negative things, but the endless stamina and the spirit of "the waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves before".
It is not difficult to find that in Jin Yong's martial arts novels, the more skilled a person is, the less willing he is to use a weapon. The tallest soldier likes to use his palm, most people like to use it, and occasionally he uses weapons. It is impractical to use weapons, usually swords, swords and the like. In actual combat, such as our ancient army in China, by the Han Dynasty, knives were basically popular, and ordinary soldiers in the army used knives, because in the long war, knives were not applicable, and knives were a decorative weapon. We can compare Gu Long and Liang Yusheng, Gu Long's chivalrous man likes to use a knife; Chivalrous men in Liang Yusheng like to use swords.
Knife and sword are not only simple differences between the two tools, they can be used for stabbing, chopping and chopping. That's not true. Every tool evokes a completely different feeling in our minds. For example, the ancients said, "I don't know who cut the thin leaves, and the spring breeze in February is like scissors." Why didn't he say "the spring breeze in February is like a kitchen knife"? As soon as it is said to be a "kitchen knife", this poem is gone. It must be "like scissors" and tools with similar functions, but it cannot be changed.
Knife and sword represent two realms of life. What is a sword? The sword represents a noble realm, a noble demeanor. The ancients went out with swords, not fighting. This is an identity. Intellectuals should take swords when they go out, so should Confucius. Intellectuals go out with swords. This doesn't mean that I may encounter a battle on the road today. I went out and collided with someone today. I want to have a fight with him. No, the sword represents an identity, just like people now take a small wallet when they go out to show that they have a credit card or something, which is an identity. The ancients wore swords just as we wear watches today. A few years later, they changed their style. It is an ornament and a status symbol. Knife is applicable, representing a kind of civilian spirit, a kind of lower class people, and their pursuit of freedom. So the sword is a celebrity style. For example, some intellectuals, or some so-called "middle class", hang a sword in their living room. From which scenic spot did you buy it? It's from the Summer Palace and Emei Mountain. You can hang it there when you go home. There is also a sword hanging in my house. Last year I discussed swords with Jin Yong Huashan, and someone gave me a souvenir. I also hung it in this house to show my elegance. No one will come to my house and see a sword hanging on the wall, and they will think that I love fighting; When the police come to my house, they won't have any doubts, and they won't say, this is the murder weapon. We took it with us. But I can't put such a big kitchen knife at home. Hanging a kitchen knife will completely change the nature. Although their functions are similar.
So now some writers like to write about swordsman, and some writers like to write about swordsman. For example, there is a writer named Yang, who is the screenwriter of the TV series Water Margin. He likes writing martial arts novels. One work was made into a film and won an international prize. It's a very good movie, because he thinks the swordsman is a more modern and free spirit, and the swordsman in Jin Yong's works uses a variety of weapons. In other words, they have unlimited confidence in their bodies, not necessarily by a weapon, but by what weapon. Fighting depends on their bare hands. I grew up in the northeast, and I have been in contact with many underworld friends since I was a child. These friends are fighting. They are not ashamed to fuck men. They always fuck men when they fight. This man is looked down upon. You can't fuck one person in a big brother game. Fuck a man means you're not good enough. Or two people make an appointment before fighting, whether to take things or weapons, you take the pig knife and I take the army thorn; If it's a kung fu person, say let the other side, say you take a stick, I'm unarmed, you hit me, I give up. Therefore, with his bare hands, he shows confidence in his kung fu and does not need external force. Actually contains a kind of Confucian spirit. The Confucian ideal of "self-cultivation, keeping the family in order, governing the country and leveling the world" is that I cultivate my self-cultivation, my internal strength is repaired, and the external problems are naturally solved. Confucianism is about the sage inside and the king outside-after I practice well inside, your external things will naturally cater to me, not me conquering you by force. It is best to cultivate one's mind, rule the country and make the world flat, and solve it naturally. This is the core of China culture. Do your own thing first, other situations are invincible, so this idea can finally be implemented in martial arts.
This lecture is over. Thank you!
References:
Kong Dong Qing Kung Fu in Jin Yong's Novels