● 陈敏良（摘录 ） Summary by Peter Chen

曼尼坎（50多岁，跨国公司董事）
　　曼尼坎对散文最感兴趣，如：这几篇为发表而作的《在怀念中的
故乡》、《高粱舅》，他也很奇妙地把短篇小说《落花生》和《五孙
舍哥》归为散文。（陈晴山也许确实以这些短篇小说为媒介，用来表
达他对生活的观察力，就如其他人以散文直接表达一样）。

　　他认为这些文章深入浅出，每一篇都向食用快餐成长的这一代人
提出传统的观念。我们需要高粱舅的坦率来驱除人世的虚假污垢。《
落花生》提醒我们继承而来的财产是短暂的，而在《五孙舍哥》我们
看到理智的脆弱，当内心深处的情感之舵受伤时，人们将轻易地飘游
迷失。惟一一篇曼尼坎感到难以定位的短篇小说是《新儿的生日》。

　　曼尼坎也觉得诗作的翻译版本相当容易接受。他欣赏陈老的作法
，在没有昂贵礼物时让儿子吟唱《渭阳曲》，以2000年的古老文体向
内弟光河告别。曼尼坎也开玩笑地指出诗作《闻云南园雅集有感》中
的“茂林斧过尽为薪”，必定能使环保分子和自然爱好者深感共鸣。

　　不过，曼尼坎觉得信件比较难以接受，他相信信件的吸引力主要
在于陈老教孩子提高华文写作能力的部分。


林洲（年近40的医生）

　　林洲医生对能够从英文翻译，接触到目前越来越常被提起的传统
文化，深表兴奋。他因此欢迎更多这类文章，但他认为在华文报上发
表并不能接触到英文源流读者，因为他们并没有阅读华文报的习惯。

　　林洲认为《高粱舅》很有趣，短篇小说《新儿的生日》则最为触
动人心。但他对父亲写给儿子的信给予最多评语，认为它们是文化价
值观的传承，极力强调家庭成员、亲戚朋友之间的感情。陈老也给予
人情世故方面的教诲，告诉孩子友情与感恩的重要性。在这个功利主
义、人情淡薄的社会中，这些具有凝聚力的价值观显得尤其重要。当
他的长子从奖学金里省下一笔钱买生日礼物寄给母亲时，她也同样深
情地叮瞩孩子不要因此而疏忽健康、营养及其他日常花费。

　　林洲也指出，关于卷烟盒的那封信中，一名几乎目不识丁的技工
教导4位教育程度良好的人士如何卷烟盒，显示了实际生活经验的重
要性。这是宝贵的一课，教我们实际经验比纸上谈兵更有用。

　　他认为《荔子情》捕捉了“一个家庭的记事”，所有海外华人读
者都能够引起共鸣。他认为陈晴山在半个多世纪以前就能够论述“故
乡”、“新乡”、文化身分等复杂课题以及自己究竟是谁的概念，是
非常难得的。

　　新加坡是个多元种族的国际都会，林洲强烈请求华文机构和刊物
如《联合早报》通过《荔子情》之类的双语专栏，接触受英文教育的
华人。我们虽然跨入华文“复兴”的门槛，但也不能忽略受英文教育
的一群。林洲提醒大家，即使中国能在2015年以前达到所有经济目标
，其生活水准仍只是美国的四分之一。


拉欣（30出头，南大电子学讲师）

　　拉欣博士的评语纯粹集中于父亲给儿子的信，信中展示了简单而
深刻的思想，包括语文、价值观、人际关系与感情。拉欣特别指出陈
晴山对人际关系的重视，他劝孩子保持容忍与敏感的态度，写道：“
与外人相处……我们必须十分了解、尊重他人的一切。”50年代的马
来亚政治与社会环境动荡不安，种族不和谐。在一个政治受到种族、
语文甚至宗教分歧所影响的时代与国度，晴山能够表现出如此宽容的
气度、谅解与容忍，使他在50年代作家圈子中成为一个杰出的典范。

　　拉欣也对卷烟盒的信件深深动容。他人眼中的一件小事，成为宝
贵的一课，告诉我们理论与概念必须能够化为实际行动才有用。

　　最令拉欣感动的是《母爱》一信。拉欣反复阅读此信，感动得流
下泪来。晴山向孩子解释母亲收不到孩子的任何音讯的担忧：“可是
你母亲，她总以为自己是万能的，她不在你身边，就觉得一切都不放
心。”拉欣认为这显示了母子之间神圣而原始的感情联系。陈晴山能
够感觉到这种联系更加难得，因为他本身并没有感受过母爱，他的母
亲在他5个月大的时候就去世了。拉欣在陈晴山的信件中看到他深刻
的灵性。拉欣因此希望陈晴山的其他信件也能刊登出来，以便对他的
整体精神有更进一步的认识。

张婷婷（30出头，初院华文教师）

　　无论是散文、小说或古诗，所有作品都反映出那个时代的华族移
民的生活动态与精神面貌。散文《在怀念中的故乡》看似抒发去国怀
乡之苦，然而仔细阅读，则发现作者其实在对这份萦绕不去的乡情质
疑问难。作者对故乡虽有无休止的怀念，这份乡情并没有得到回报，
每次回乡总换来冷漠的回应——因为他没有衣锦荣归。然而，故乡毕
竟与自己有浓得化不开的血缘关系，作者这段剪不断，理还乱的乡情
，是移民东南亚的华人共有的悲歌。

　　《荔子情》里的短篇故事也反映现实生活，尤其是《落花生》和
《五孙舍哥》。它们反映出作者对社会的关心。家道没落的富家子弟
“落花生”在贫穷的时候仍然固执地注重外观与面子。作者希望能帮
忙，但没有办法。故事以无助的叹息结束：“凡是能表同情的，都是
处在同一地位的人。处在同一地位的同情，究竟是无补的”。《五孙
舍哥》则叙述一名无助的妇女成为封建社会的牺牲品。

　　婷婷想起中国著名作家鲁迅的两篇小说《故乡》和《祝福》。《
落花生》使她想到《故乡》里的润土，《五孙舍哥》使她想到《祝福
》里的祥林嫂，有着异曲同工之妙。

　　陈晴山写给儿子的家书也很有意义，句句饱含真情。其中包括了
语文知识和生活上的教诲。每一字每一句都带着对孩子的深切叮咛。
在今日的电信时代，写信的人越来越少，都以电话和电邮取代。也许
写信将成为一种绝响。

　　《荔子情》的翻译中最值得表扬的是古诗的翻译。这些诗句极具
音律感，充满想象力丰富的意象。译者必须完全投入诗人的世界。然
而，古诗就如碧玉般晶莹剔透，而翻译毕竟是翻译。无论译得多好，
它仍是一块不同的玉，拥有不同的色泽。陈敏良进行翻译的动机是协
助家中受英文教育的下一代阅读他的父亲的作品。但翻译只能作为一
种工具，而不能取代原诗。

　　不久前，黄海博士提出我们应该跨越“讲华语运动”，我们应该
使更多华人不只能讲华语，还要能读能写华文，才能更充分地陶醉在
自己的文化中，寻找自己的根源。《荔子情》是一个很好的开始。早
报的双语专栏会不会继续接受这项挑战呢？


海外回响

　　我们也收到两个美国双语读者的回响。马绍尔医生看完了《荔子
情》，对其结束感到几许遗憾。最后一篇《闻云南园雅集有感，寄列
座诸君子》的发表，仿佛是陈晴山再次把其文学瑰宝细心收藏在一个
精心镶嵌的珠宝盒子。另一位读者陈教授与南大有些关系，他的父亲
早年曾在南大任教。虽然在时间与空间上都已经有很大的距离，他仍
对压轴文章《云南雅集》有所偏爱。他尤其欣赏诗中许多引喻的翻译
，并赞扬译者非常胜任地完成一项艰难任务。


结语

　　我们兄弟俩萌起双周专栏《荔子情》的念头时，原来的目的是让
英文源流的读者也能接触到深含中华文化、思想与价值观的中文作品。

　　不过，《联合早报》更趋向于为华文读者介绍一位半个世纪前的
新马作家的作品。此外，陈晴山写给儿子的信对华文读者更有意义，
因为在传统中华文学中，家书是一种常见的文体。如果英文源流读者
偶然地阅读新的双周专栏《荔子情》，则可算得是一个额外的收获。
总的来说，我们兄弟俩和《联合早报》对《荔子情》都很有兴趣，虽
然目标不同，却是异曲同工。

　　我们并未尝试分析这4位读者的不同反应。当中有一些相似之处
，但也有很多不同的地方。我们也不想指出中英文源流读者的相同与
不同反应。或许，这些不同点反映的正是4个人的不同语文、家庭或
社会背景。为模仿陈晴山在许多短篇小说结束时的作法，我们让读者
作出自己的结论。


Manicam：
A Message for our ''Sound bite'' generation

　　Manicam is most taken by the essays, i.e., the works 
written for publication. These are ''Native Land'', 
''Uncle Gao-liang'' and, curiously enough, he would classify
the short stories ''Peanuts'' and ''Elder Brother 5th 
Sun-she'' as essays. He finds them very accessible gems and 
each one has a message for our ''fast-food'', 
''sound-bite'' generation from an age long gone. We need 
Uncle Gao-liang's refreshing candour to blow away the 
cobwebs of hypocrisy. In ''Peanuts'' we are reminded 
that inherited wealth is indeed ephemeral and in ''Elder 
Brother 5th Sun-she'', we see the vulnerability of our hold
on sanity and how easy it is to drift away when our deepest 
emotion anchors are brutally yanked out. The only short 
story that Manicam finds difficult to place is ''Xin-er's 
Birthday''.

　　Manicam also finds the poems accessible in their 
translated versions. He likes the way Chen Senior 
overcomes his lack of precious material gifts by asking his 
sons to sing the Weiyang Song to honour his brother-in-law 
with a 2000 year old literary accolade. In the ''Yunnan 
Garden Gathering'' poem, Manicam notes wryly that the line 
''Once lush forests'' being reduced to firewood would strike
a chord in the heart of the environmentalist and nature 
lover.

　　Manicam however finds the letters more difficult to get 
into, because he believes that part of their attraction to 
the Chinese language readers must be in the way Chen Senior 
gives his son tips on how to improve his written Chinese.


Lim Chew：Ren qing in a utilitarian world

　　Dr Lim Chew is most enthusiastic that the English 
translation gives him access to our cultural heritage that 
is being gradually eroded over time. He welcomes more of 
such features, but thinks that publishing them in the 
Chinese press would not reach the English- educated because 
they do not read Chinese papers as a habit.

　　Lim Chew finds ''Uncle Gao-liang'' entertaining, and is 
emotionally moved by the short story of ''Xin-er's 
Birthday''. But he devotes most of his comments on the 
father to son letters which he sees as the transmission of 
cultural values in which the relationship between family 
members, extended family and friends are strenuously upheld.
Chen Senior also instructed his son on ren qing 人情 , the 
importance of maintaining friendship and to reciprocate 
gifts and kindness. Such values are especially important to
strengthen us in a world where relationships are often 
utilitarian and fair weather friends abound. 

　　Lim Chew also draws attention to the practical value and
lesson of the letter about the near illiterate mechanic 
showing 4 well educated people how to use the cigarette 
rolling tobacco box. It is a powerful lesson of application
being superior to mere knowledge.

　　He sees Lizi Qing as having captured ''the chronicles of
a family'' and all overseas Chinese readers could easily 
identify and relate to the articles. He finds it truly 
remarkable that Chen Qing-shan had, more than half a century
ago, already grappled with the perplexing issues of ''native
land'', ''adopted land'', cultural identity and the notion 
of who we are.

　　Singapore is a cosmopolitan and multi-racial society and
Lim Chew makes a strong plea for Chinese organisations and 
publications like Lianhe Zaobao to take the trouble to reach
out to the English-educated Chinese through bi-lingual 
columns like Lizi Qing. We may be standing on the threshold
of a Chinese ''Renaissance'', but we could not afford to 
disregard the English-educated. Lim Chew reminds us that 
even if China achieves all her economic targets by the year 
2015, her standard of living would only be 0.25 of that of 
the United States. 

Rahim：Tolerance and sensitivity...

　　 Dr Rahim's comments are exclusively on the father to 
son letters which display simple but profound thoughts on 
language, values, tenets of human relationship and love. 
Rahim draws attention to Chen Qing-shan's concern with 
relationships where he advised tolerance and sensitivity, 
when Qing-shan wrote, ''......When you live among people 
....... we must respect and thoroughly understand them.'' 
The political and social setting of Malaya of the 1950's was
full of strife and racial disharmony. In a country and time
when political divides were along the lines of race, 
language and even religion, Qing-shan's display of such 
exceptional abundance of goodwill, understanding and 
tolerance stands out as a shining example amongst the 
community of orthodox writers of the 1950's.

　　 Rahim is also impressed by the letter on the cigarette 
rolling tobacco box. What may appear to be a triviality to 
others, is in fact a very important lesson that theories and
concept have to be capable of being applied in order to be 
useful.

　　 What moves Rahim most is the letter on ''Mother's 
Love''. As Rahim read and re-read the letter repeatedly, 
he was moved to the point that tears welled up 
uncontrollably. In explaining to his son how worried his 
mother had been in not receiving news from him, Qing-shan 
wrote ''But your mother could not but imagine herself to be 
omnipotent; unless she is by your side she will worry about 
everything.'' Rahim sees this as a manifestation of the 
Divine and primordial connection between mother and son. 
That Qing-shan could sense this connection is all the more 
remarkable, given that he had never himself experienced the 
love of his mother who had passed away when he was only 5 
months old. From Qing-shan's letters, Rahim senses the 
depth of his spirituality. Rahim would therefore like to 
see the rest of Qing-shan's letters published in order to 
fathom his spiritual psyche.


Zhang Ting Ting：
Surpass the ''Speak Mandarin Campaign''

　　 Qing-shan's works all mirror the lives and spirit of 
the Chinese immigrants of that time. The essay ''My Native 
Land'', may appear to be simply the expression of a 
migrant's yearning for his native land, but read closely, 
the writer is actually grappling with the conflicting 
feelings for his native land. Whilst the writer has this 
unstoppable yearning for his native land, this affection is 
not requited and he is treated with a cruel indifference 
whenever he returns. The conflicting feelings for his native
land is a feeling which every Chinese migrant to Southeast 
Asia must painfully bear and experience. 

　　 The short stories in Lizi Qing also reflect the 
realities of life. ''Peanuts'', the son of a once wealthy 
family, has been reduced to destitution but clings 
stubbornly to appearances and ''face''. The writer wishes 
to help, but does not have the means. The story closes with
the hapless sigh, ''Those who have sympathy are invariably 
in the same hapless situation, but what use is sympathy from
someone in the same hapless position?''. ''Elder Brother 
5th Sun-she'' tells the story of a helpless woman who has 
fallen victim to the oppressions of a society that still 
holds on to feudal practices and values.

　　Ting Ting is reminded of two short stories by the well 
known Chinese writer Luxun, ''Homeland'' and ''Blessings''. 
''Peanuts'' reminds her of the character Runtu in 
''Homeland'' and the wife Elder Brother 5th Sun-she reminds 
her of the character Elder Sister-in-law Xianglin in 
''Blessings''. It is truly remarkable that the stories told
so differently can achieve the same effect.

　　The letters by Chen Qing-shan to his son are meaningful 
and written with feelings from the heart. They contain 
lessons in language as well as lessons in life. Every word 
and every phrase is an encouragement and exhortation to his 
son. In today's age of telecommunication, fewer and fewer 
people write letters and the telephone and e-mail have taken
over. Perhaps letter writing will become an extinct art.

　　The most creditable part of the translation of Lizi Qing
should be the translation of the classical poems. The poems
have the quality of music and are full of fascinating 
allusions. The translator has to immerse himself in the 
world of the poet. However, a classical poem is like a 
translucent jade bracelet, but a translation is still a 
translation. However well done the translation, it will 
never be anything but a different jade bracelet with a 
different shade of colour. Peter Chen's motivation in the 
translation is to enable the English-educated of the next 
generation in his family to read his father's works. But 
translation should remain the means, and not an end in 
itself.

　　Not long ago, Dr Hong Hai proposed that we should 
surpass the ''Speak Mandarin Campaign''. We should enable 
even more Chinese not only understand and speak, but also to
read and write Mandarin, so that they can more fully enjoy 
their own culture and embark on the search of their own 
roots. Lizi Qing is a good starting point. Will Zaobao's 
bi-lingual column continue to take on this challenge?


Reflections from Abroad

　　We also received the reflections of two bi-lingual 
readers from the U.S. Having read Lizi Qing Dr Sylvia Hui 
Marshall feels a sense of regret that the series had to come
to an end. With the publication of the last piece, "Yunnan 
Garden Gathering", it is as though Chen Qing-shan once again
reverently places the treasures, his literary works, in a 
brocade lined box as his legacy to his progeny. Prof Steve 
Chen, a college professor has some link to Nantah, in that 
his father taught there in the early years. Although 
separated by such enormous distance in time and space, he is
particularly fond of the concluding piece "Yunnan Garden 
Gathering". He especially enjoys the translation of a number
of allusions used in the poem and complimented the 
translators as having creditably accomplished a very 
difficult task.

Conclusion

　　When we two brothers first embarked on Lizi Qing as a 
bi-lingual column, our own objective was to enable the 
English-educated to access Chinese literary works that 
embody Chinese culture, thoughts and values. But Lianhe 
Zaobao targeted more at introducing to the Chinese readers 
the literary works of a Singapore-Malayan Chinese writer in
the first half of this century. Besides, Chen Qing-shan's 
letters to his son would be of particular interest to 
Chinese readers, because in the tradition of Chinese 
literature, there are many examples of father to son 
letters. If the English- educated should read the new 
bi-lingual column Lizi Qing, that would be a bonus. In 
short, whilst we two brothers and Lianhe Zaobao were both 
keen to launch Lizi Qing, our respective objectives were 
different.

　　We have made no attempt to analyse the differences in 
the reflections. There will be similarities and differences 
between their reflections. One wonders if these differences 
reflect the language background or the family and social 
background of the 4 persons. To mimic Chen Qing-shan's 
signature ending for many of his short stories, we will 
leave the readers to draw their own conclusion.