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本帖最后由 程思良 于 2016-12-5 20:13 编辑
方寸之间，自见艺术
——《英译当代中国闪小说精选集》序
朴素
天涯社区短文故乡的首席斑竹冷月潇潇（程思良）编选了一册《英译当代中国闪小说精选集》，可谓功德无量，作为天涯社区的文学主编，自有不容推辞的义务为之摇旗呐喊。“闪小说”之名，来自英文“flash fiction”。按程思良的说法就是：“其历史渊源可追溯到伊索寓言，作者包括契诃夫、欧?亨利、卡夫卡等名作家。”
小说一般可分为长篇、中篇、短篇。从短篇里又分化出所谓的小小说（又称微型小说），以我之见，“闪小说”大概可以属于小小说一类。不过它的篇幅更短，更为精炼。专栏作家蒙娜莉萨?索菲说过：“时下，闪小说的身影无处不在。这种体裁吸引读者、震动文坛，那些故事是如此多种多样地涉及到人性本质。它的受欢迎程度，不仅创造了更广泛的读者，而且涌现了新的天才作家。”
短文故乡里有一大批写闪小说的作者，他们带动了这种题材的写作风气，提升了这种题材的品味与高度，让人刮目相看。小说难写，大家是知道的。围棋上有个术语叫“金角银边草肚皮”，我觉得用来形容小说创作也行，那就是“金短篇、银中篇、草长篇”，也就是说相对来讲长篇小说的水分要多一些。而短篇小说则增一分太肥，减一分太瘦。
相对更为短小的闪小说来说，其艺术技巧的要求更高。“短篇最要技巧”、“短篇是技巧的运动”，这已是许多作家的共识。闪小说更是如此，在百来字的篇幅里写出饶有趣味的人与事并不容易。譬如程思良的“迷宫”，里面写到李白、杜甫、博尔赫斯，包含的信息量很大。但文字写得很淡，意味悠远，小中见大。肖福祥的“处长的手机”则针砭世相，余味绵绵。
闪小说不能说教，必须在精炼的文字里抖包袱，如匕首一般，具有杀伤力。长篇可以铺垫，慢慢酝酿。但闪小说必须一箭穿心。在方寸之间，呈现艺术的魅力。王平中的“我终于赢了”，在辛酸的讲述里揭示司法的不公与不平等，貌似寻常，细嚼慢咽，才能回味其中的深意。闪小说以短取胜，仿佛唐诗里的五言绝句。
记得以前读《世说新语》，那种简练传神的笔墨让人百读不厌。其实《世说新语》里的很多片段就是现在的闪小说。此种说法并非“古已有之”的优越感，倒是觉得太阳底下无新鲜事。闪小说是当下的叫法，但其传承已久，绝非石头缝里突然蹦出来的。有了传统的路径可寻，对于写作者自是多了一份资源可以利用，借他山之石可以攻玉。
浏览《英译当代中国闪小说精选集》，里面的写作风格各有不同，有的执迷于惨淡的人生，譬如马帮的《把刀放下》；有的针砭于丑恶的现实，譬如冯春生的《我是局长》；有的抒情于生活的美好，譬如冯伟山的《妈妈的情人》。这些未必是闪小说的全部，但都代表了闪小说的不同风格，预示着闪小说的生命力，让人有一种期待与愿景。
把这些闪小说译为另一个语种，让另一个国度里的人看到汉语的精华，无疑是一件功德之事。文学的力量，来自于作者的远远超出日常生活之上的人格气度、情感态度与道德立场。从这一点上来说，这些闪小说还有很大的不足。但并不要紧，他们的潜力已经释放出来，假以时日，必定会有一番作为。写作，其实是跟时间赛跑，伟大的作品必须经过时间的考验。
朴素，男，汉族，吉林长春人。海南作家协会理论批评委员会委员，荣获海南省第四届（2003年）青年文学奖。曾经担任过海南《天涯》杂志编辑以及“天涯社区?关天茶舍”的首席版主。现为天涯社区文学分社区主编（http://ebook.tianya.cn)。主要著作有《林语堂传》（蓝天出版社2004年），主编《2005中国年度网络文学》（漓江出版社2006年）、《网看金庸》（大象出版社2007年）、《网看古龙》（大象出版社2007年）、《后王小波时代：非主流文学精选 》（花城出版社2008年）、《天涯10周年文学作品精选》（三卷）等。
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
By Pu Su
A FEATURED COLLECTION OF CONTEMPORARY CHINESE FLASH FICTION IN CHINESE & ENGLISH, collected by Cheng Siliang and translated by Zhao Jinji, is a copy worthy of boundless compliments, since flash fiction, according to Cheng, dated back to Aesop’s Fables and concerned such well-known writers as Chekhov, O Henry, Kafka, etc.
Fiction is generally classified into saga novel, novelette and short story. Short stories include so-called short-short story, also known as mini-story. In my view, flash fiction tends to be a member of short-short story. Yet flash fiction is much shorter and more concise. “Currently flash fiction is everywhere; it interests readers and writers alike. Those stories concern the very essence of human nature in a variety of ways. Its popularity creates more readers as well as new geniuses.” says Mona Lisa Sophie, columnist.
A large number of Chinese writers are actively involved in writing flash fiction. They are leading this new style of writing and enhancing its quality and popularity, thus making it impressive in both the digital world and the real world. It is hard, though. In the game of Weiqi, there is such a term as jin jiao yin bian cao du pi; when it comes to making up a fiction, I shall say a short story is gold, a novelette is silver and a saga novel is grass. In other words, saga novel is relatively a casual writing while short story takes a lot of delicate pruning.
Flash fiction, which is much shorter, demands a higher artistic workmanship. It is generally agreed that the shortest story demands the most craft, and that a short story is an action of techniques. It is true of flash fiction. It is no easy thing to compose an interesting story with merely one or two hundred words. Take A Maze by Cheng Siliang, which communicates a large amount of information concerning Li Po, Tu Fu, Borges, with simple words meaning profoundly; The Chief’s Mobile Phones by Xiao Fuxiang, which exposes one aspect of social life, causing readers to think it further.
Flash fiction doesn’t teach lessons. It strikes its readers,&n
bsp;rather like a dagger, with concise words. In contrast with a long story, which expands widely and develops slowly, a flash fiction hits the target at one stroke. Its artistic charm is displayed in a flash. I’ve Been the Winner by Wang Pingzhong, which exposes judicial unjustness and inequality in a bitter fashion, appears normal, but implies a deep meaning. Considering its briefness, flash fiction is compared to five-word jueju of Tang Poems.
I am so impressed by the conciseness and vividness of Essays and Criticism that I prefer reading the book again and again. Indeed, part of Essays and Criticism can be labeled as flash fiction. It’s not that I bear a sense of superiority for its ancient source, but that I feel there is nothing new under the sun. Flash fiction, as is currently called, has its tradition; it doesn’t come out of nowhere. With its long history, writers of flash fiction are entitled to more resources. As the old saying goes, Stones from other hills may serve to polish the jade of this one.
Looking through A FEATURED COLLECTION OF CONTEMPORARY CHINESE FLASH FICTION IN CHINESE & ENGLISH, I am greatly impressed by such stories as Put down Your Knife by Ma Bang, which depicts a man’s dismal life, Director General by Feng Chunsheng, which criticises the ugly society, Mom’s Lover by Feng Weishan, which sings highly of human affection, etc. This collection is not all about flash fiction, but merely a general presentation; it promises a vital life of flash fiction, as well as an anticipated vision for everyone concerned.
To translate these stories into English, allowing overseas readers to appreciate the essence of Chinese language and literature, it is undoubtedly a remarkable thing. Literary significance results from a writer’s individual disposition, sentimental attitude and moral standard, in which this collection is lacking. It doesn’t matter. With their potentials set free, all these writers will mature and achieve their goals some day. The career of writing is really a race with Time; all masterpieces are tested by Time.
Pu Su, of Han nationality, was born in Ch
angchun, Jilin Province. A member of Critics’ Committee of Hainan Writers’ Association, he was granted 2003 Youth Literature Award of Hainan Province. Former editor of Horizon, a local magazine in Hainan, and chief BBS moderator of Guantian Tea House of Tianya Forum, currently he works as chief editor of Literature Section, Tianya Forum. His published works include Lin Yutang’s Biography (Bluesky Publishing House, 2004), Internet Literature 2005 (Lijiang Publishing House, 2006), Reading through Jin Yong on Line (Elephant Publishing House, 2007), Reading through Gu Long on Line (Elephant Publishing House, 2007), Post-Wang Xiaobo, a Featured Collection of Non-mainstream Literary Works (Huacheng Publishing House, 2008), and A Featured Collection of Literary Works within 10 Years of Tianya Forum (3 volumes), etc. |
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