四世同堂 by Lao She

四世同堂 Reviews

• 
  Rong ZHANG

  在苦难中，从一个家庭看一个国家。
• 
  Barack Liu

  
  231-Four Generations Under One Roof-Lao She-Novel-1944
  Barack
  2019/08/06
  2020/06/24
  
  
  - will be defeated, not made Yong; subjugation doctor, not survival.
  
  "Four Generations Under One Roof", the first volume of the first edition was published in 1944. It is a novel that expresses the life of ordinary people in the occupied area of Peiping during the War of Resistance Against Japan and the War of Resistance Against Japan. The whole book consists of three parts. The book uses the Xiaoyangquan Hutong in Peking as the background, through complex contradictions and entanglements, with the Qi family in the Hutong as the main, the Qian family, the Guan family and other residents as supplements, portraying the images of many ordinary people in all classes of society at that time; The choices of obedience, the choices of the state and the individual are intertwined with all kinds of difficult choices, profoundly showing the difficult and tortuous road that ordinary people have traveled in the historical process of the great age.
  
  Lao She was born in Beijing in 1899 and died in 1966. Formerly known as Shu Qingchun. Manchu Zhenghongqi people. In 1966, due to vicious attacks and persecution in the Cultural Revolution movement, Lao She was forced to sink in Beijing Taiping Lake in reluctance. Representative works: "Camel Xiangzi", "Four Generations in One House", "Tea House", etc.
  
  Part of the catalog
  1. Confused
  2. steal
  3. Famine
  
  The first and second parts of "Four Generations Under One House" were completed and published in 1944-1946. The third part was completed by Lao She during his stay in the United States in 1948. After Lao She returned to China at the end of 1949, due to various reasons, the third part was only Part of the publication was obtained, but the manuscripts of the last 13 paragraphs were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. In 1980, People's Literature Publishing House published "Four Generations Under One Roof" with only the first 87 paragraphs. In 1983, the translator Ma Xiaomi imitated the writings of Lao She, and translated the last 13 chapters from the English version, and collected 100 paragraphs, but compared with the original manuscript, there are already more than 150,000 words.
  
  Zhenghongqi is one of the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty. It was built in 1601. Zhenghongqi is the Xiawuqi and the first of the Xiawuqi. It is divided into three parts: Manchuria, Mongolia, and Han army, divided by kings, Baylor and Beizi. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, it was the least populous of the Eight Banners. It had 74 integrators under its jurisdiction, 23,000 soldiers, and a total population of 115,000 men, women and children.
  
  No matter how the times change, human nature has almost never changed much. This is why the core of history is always strikingly similar, but it is dressed in different clothes. And the more painful and bloody history, the more profound and close the truth revealed. Therefore, a person should read history throughout his life, and he should also read often.
  
  Judging from the history of human civilization, a century is not long. As a Chinese, when I read materials describing Chinese history a century ago, I can't help but feel horrified. The party that has the advantage of population, natural resources, and land area, facing the disadvantaged of population, natural resources, and land area, can be defeated. The sword of Damocles seems to fall at any time. .
  
  The technological advantage may be the direct cause, but I think it is not the root cause. If you compare a nation or a country to a person, I think the root cause lies in human nature. When I read texts that record such humiliating history, I can't help but wonder, if I were a "subjugated slave" in such a scene, what would I do? If I were the leader of the Resistance Army, how could I win this difficult war? What caused this history? Will this kind of history recur in the future?
  
  Rebirth, development, growth, decline, and demise. This is almost the law of everything. Sometimes, destruction is not complete destruction, but a weak fire is left, and new life is born in it. But such a tragic new life is never automatically produced, but forced to be produced by blood and fire. Even so, it is already the best ending. You must know that most of the deaths will be extinguished even a trace of flame.
  
  There are beautiful things in this world because there are all kinds of people. There are ugly things in this world because there are all kinds of people. It is necessary to have enough mind to understand and even accept the behavior of people who have a worldview different from their own. But whether it is to carry out earth-shattering creation or tragic destruction, it is not possible to accomplish it with the strength of one person, it is the strength of uniting many people. To do this, you need to have enough mind.
  
  Regardless of whether it is aggression or resisting aggression, its leaders can be regarded as outstanding. Morality is used to regulate ordinary people, and for these people, what can be used to evaluate them is probably only their merits and demerits.
  
  " Old Madam Qi is not afraid of anything, I'm afraid he won't celebrate his 80th birthday. In his prime of life, he saw with his own eyes how the Eight-Power Allied Forces attacked Beijing. Later, he saw how the emperor of the Qing Dynasty abdicated and continued the civil war; The gates of the city were closed tightly, and the sound of gunfire and artillery continued day and night; after a while the gate opened, and the victorious warlord’s carts and horses galloped on the road. The war did not frighten him, but peace made him happy. He was on the feast. He wants to celebrate the festival, and in the new year he wants to sacrifice to his ancestors. He is a safe and self-sacrificing citizen who only wants to stop and live a life without worrying about clothes. Even if he catches up with the chaos, he has his own way: the most worthy of mention is him There is always enough food and pickles for the whole family to eat for three months in his home. In this way, even if shells are flying in the air and soldiers are running around in the street, he will close the door and put a broken tank full of stones on top. Take refuge from disasters. "
  
  If a person has experienced more things, he is naturally less susceptible to outside influences. Although the world is ups and downs, his heart is calm and composed. As if everything had already been expected.
  
  " Old man Qi combed enough white beards and wiped them twice with his palms before saying to Xiao Shun'er's mother: "How much food do we have? "Xiao Shun'er's mother's big and watery eyes quickly turned twice, and she had already guessed what the old lady's mind was. It was very crisp and quick, and she replied, "It's still enough for three months!" "In fact, there is not so much food at home. She doesn't want to cause the old people to be wordy just because she tells the truth. She is very good at deceiving the elderly and children. "What about pickles?" "The old man brought up the second important item. She answered more quickly: "It's enough to eat!" Dry pimple, old salty radish, all there is! "She knows that even if the old man really wants to order it himself, she can buy some immediately. "Good! "The old man is satisfied.
  
  With three months of food and pickles, the Qi family will resist even when the sky falls. But the old man didn’t want to end his concern like this. He had to explain the truth to his eldest grandson: “What’s wrong with the Japanese devils! Humph! Let’s go! In the year of Gengzi, the Eight-Power Allied Forces entered Beijing, even the emperor. I ran away, and didn’t break my head! Eight countries are not good. What can you do with just a few Japanese ghosts? We are a treasure land, no matter how big the trouble is, it won’t last three months! Let’s not be too much. Careless and bold, at least there must be a lot of head and pickles to eat!"
  
  The old man said, Xiao Shun'er's mother nodded once, or said "yes". She has heard the old man's words at least fifty times, but she still hears them as new. When the old man saw someone admiring him, he could not help raising his voice a little to increase his moving power: "Your father-in-law, don't look at him in his 50s, he is much worse in terms of housework! Your mother-in-law is simply a sick man. , If you discuss something with her, she will just hum! This one, I tell you, just rely on you and me! If we don’t bother, the family won’t even be able to wear pants! Believe it or not?" Shun'er's mother was too embarrassed to say "believe" and "do not believe", so she smiled with her eyes down. "
  
  Even if you disagree with someone's point of view, there is no need to refute it. Just nod and say yes. I have a problem that I like to refute, and it must be corrected. What's the use of rebuttal? In fact, other people will not change their opinions because of my objections, they just become more annoyed.
  
  " Old man Qi loves this house very much. The main reason is that it is his own property, no matter how bad the layout and construction are, it is also worthy of pride. Secondly, since he owns this house, his population has changed. It has increased unabated, and today it is a family of four generations! The Feng Shui here must be very good! "
  
  " Looking at his house, his children and grandchildren, and the flowers and plants he planted by hand, Elder Qi felt that his whole life was not wasting. Peiping City is an immortal city, and his house is also an immortal house. "
  
  This is the ideal life of most ordinary people in China. Own a house of your own. Children and grandchildren go around their knees. I feel that this life is when the value of. This ideal of life is naturally good. And I don't want to take this as a life pursuit.
  
  " In the alley, he also feels proud. For forty to fifty years, he has been living here, and the neighbors always move in today and move out tomorrow. Only a few who can live for ten or twenty years at one go. They are born. , They die, they prosper, they decline, only the old man Qi took root here alone. He does not go to curry favor with those who leave this shabby alley because of the prosperity of the family; he does not even live in this shabby alley because of the decline of the family. He was unable to provide relief; he only knew that he was always here, and gradually became an old lady in all hutongs. Newly moved people must come to him to worship the neighbourhood first; neighbors have weddings and funerals, so he must sit as chief ; He is an old man in this area, representing a prosperous population and a prosperous family! "
  
  I guess that most young people probably don't want to live with their parents or even grandparents. After they got married, the couple lived on their own. After having children , a three- person world or a four-person world is formed. This is the ideal life state in my heart.
  
  "In terms of character, knowledge, and taste, it is impossible for Old Man Qi to become good friends with Mr. Qian. However, they actually became good friends. As for Old Man Qi, he, first, needs an old friend. Go to a place to play his Chen Guzi rotten sesame seeds. Second, he admires the knowledge and character of Old Man Qian. As for Mr. Qian, he will not flatter anyone in his life, but if he wants to interact with him, he cannot refuse. He is very noble, but he doesn't look down on people's bad habits. If anyone wants to see him, he is a very amiable person. "
  
  " However, even like this, Si Ye Li is often accused and scolded by Si Ma Li. Si Ma Li, with white hair and big short-sighted eyes, hardly ever scolds that "old thing" for a day. Her scolding Most of it was because she thought that Li Siye had not done her best to help her friends, and this kind of scolding became a kind of urging for Li Siye’s bravery. The children in all hutongs, no matter how ugly they look, how much they are Dirty and smelly, they are all Li Si Ma's "babies." For adults, Li Si Ma is embarrassed to call out, but in her heart they think they and they should be her "big darlings."
  
  Her eyes can't see who is ugly and who is handsome, and her heart can't distinguish between rich and poor, old and young; she thinks all suffering people are pitiful and lovely, and they need the help of their old couple. Therefore, the people in the hutong sometimes have to stay away from old man Qi, but they will always love the old man Li and his wife forever; if they have any grievances, they will report to Si Ma Li, Si Ma Li immediately urged Si Ye Li to help, and Si Ma's tears of sympathy are sincere and rich. "
  
  A helpful person will always be welcomed by people. Everyone likes to benefit from others. So sometimes we say that suffering is a blessing. If you want to take it, you must first follow it. This is the truth.
  
  " Sister Li's warning under the big locust tree: "Old neighbors in the old street, all have some food ready, the city gate is closed! "It made the old man Qi feel that he was Zhuge Liang. It was inconvenient for him to tell Li Siye across the street: "I'm all ready!" "But he was very satisfied with his precautions, and he expected things to be like a god. Before he was proud, he made an overly optimistic judgment: within three days, things will be settled. Son Tianyou is a responsible person, the closer the gates are. Close, the more he has to be in the shop. The daughter-in-law was sick and crooked, and she sighed when she heard that the Japanese devils were making trouble. She was very afraid that if she died of illness in these two days, and the coffin could not leave the city! In a hurry, she The illness is getting worse again.
  
  Rui Xuan frowned his eyebrows very tightly, but he couldn't make a sound; he was a family member, and he couldn't sigh when there was danger. Ruifeng and his modern wife have always paid no attention to national affairs or family affairs; since the gate was blocked by his grandfather, they had to play cards in the house to relieve their boredom. The old lady was wordy in the courtyard, and they looked at each other, shrank their shoulders, and stuck out their tongues. Although Xiao Shun'er's mother is only twenty-eight years old, she is already suffering. She sympathizes with the old lady's concerns and worries; at the same time, she is not afraid to panic. Her heart seems to be much older than her body. She can see clearly: Adversity is the most practical and inevitable; however, if a person wants to live, he has to try to find a gap in adversity. Escaped-do everything and obey the fate.
  
  In short, in this year and month, a person must be brave to face the danger from time to time, and be careful of the "most" dangerous thing. You must put your care in boldness, go and fight and go.
• 
  Aokizen

  花了将近五个月听完了全集。不愧是老舍，塑造的人物都非常鲜明，紧跟情节起伏。瑞宣入狱时描述的情节令人毛骨悚然，李四爷给小崔收尸，天佑死的时候又都令人潸然泪下。战争的年代，没有一个人可以存在侥幸心理，瑞宣不做汉奸，也没有抛下全家逃出北平参加抗日的决心，选择进英国府得过且过，但父亲惨死，妞子饿死，瑞宣也在最后加入北平地下党的工作，积极抗日。老婆婆不赞成日本的军国侵略行动，但她本身作为日本人，日本战败后，她也必须承受敌国人民的怒火。没有人可以侥幸逃脱，但罪恶的不是人，是战争。
• 
  Petri

  Makes me think of Zola....same deep interest into the characters....
  
  I am always impressed by long books, but looking forward to start volume 2 :-)
• 
  hhw

  读了近一年！
• 
  Ci

  在我心里封神的作家，一是陀翁，一是老舍。印象最深的除了小妞子之死，就是天佑跳水那一段，尤其对比老舍先生本人的经历来看。
• 
  Annie Yang-Perez

  看第一部的时候还觉得笔调慢而闲散，相对沉闷，然而作品的力量也正是因为开初的积累而在后面得以层层勃发。战争前北平的美好，战争中人间的百态，战争结束时希望的燃起，一部作品浓缩了老舍先生对人性人心、对经年北平、对中华文明最深切的懂得。
• 
  阳 李

  一个月，近百万字，终于啃完。只能说太伟大，老舍对于北平和北平人爱的深沉也恨的入骨，爱与恨化作这一百万带血的字，读来怎能不叫人动容？活生生的人物，有些让人爱，有些让人叹息，有些让人恨得咬牙切齿。这已经不是一个文豪在精心安排情节与人物，而是一个老人在大声呐喊心底的爱恨。
• 
  Inès

  DNF 50%
• 
  Zhuo Zhang

  Wonderful writing. Every Chinese should read this book for sure!! His language is just so vivid.