A Sketch of Waterside Farmers
Ye Zinan文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/14095.html
When I was caught up in the sweeping campaign of settling urban youth in the countryside, called “up a mountain and down a farm”, in the midst of the Cultural Revolution upheaval, I was on the “down” side, because the place where I was sent had no mountains to climb. I was then introduced into the life of local farmers, one that was as gentle as the currents of the waterways running through their neighborhoods.文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/14095.html
文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/14095.html
My observation seemed to bear out an old truth that people’s dispositions were shaped by their environment. Mountain dwellers were able to develop the kind of toughness because they often had to walk many miles while carrying stacks of firewood or buckets of water despite the pain blisters on their feet were causing them.文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/14095.html
文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/14095.html
Living in a village by a river was different. Even though devoid of urban amenities, rural villages blessed with crisscrossing rivers had the benefit of water transport to relieve much of the burden of carrying stuff around. The network of rivers offered the possibility of turning a grueling trudge – a daily routine for a mountain dweller – into a joyful ride by transferring the load from our backs or shoulders to those little boats with black canopies that typically dotted Shaoxing’s waterways back then. And because of this convenience, farmers having easy access to waterways simply didn’t have to rough it as mountain folks did.文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/14095.html
文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/14095.html
Besides, climbing a mountain with a heavy load on your back could limit your vision. Mountain living thus tended to insulate you from what was going on outside your small world.文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/14095.html
文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/14095.html
Unlike their mountain-dwelling peers, waterside residents had room to breathe and panoramic views to explore while on their boats. They did have to go all out rowing at times, but they often had the leisure to amuse themselves when they were going downstream, or especially when they had several people taking turns rowing. They could relax on the bow of their boat, enjoying the breathtaking scenery along the banks, temporarily oblivious of more mundane worries of feeding their families. Life marched on in gentle steps much like strokes of an oar in the water, instilling tenderness in men and women alike. No wonder qualities such as decisiveness seemed elusive even in men.文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/14095.html
（蔡力坚 译）
