Fragrant Wines and Beautiful Women

By Mo Yan

A couple of years ago,I made an extensive study of the publications on wine making and drinking for my new novelThe Republic of Winebefore I realized that alcohol,a seemingly ordinary thing,could conceal so much of esoteric knowledge.One may exhaust his efforts and energy all his life without having a good mastery of its deep implications.

In the past I always drank like a bandit,in mugs and bowls,keeping pouring into my mouth just in pursuit of that delightfully and drunkenly heroic luxury.It was after my research in the publications on wine making and drinking that I got to know that this sort of spirit gulping had been despised by the elegant gentlemen in ancient times as “wine swine”—and indeed they would look not much different from drunken pigs.

For the real masters of drinking,first thing to do is select a wine set,the context,and then the drinking buddies—and,of course,good wine.We earthly creatures can by no means catch the cultural flavor and panache from drinking.Trying to drink in a bit polished and refined manner would be so much the better—no need to play it too fastidiously.As for wine sets,agate cups undoubtedly are the best,but of course we can also do without by using blue-and-white porcelain cups.The most decisive is the wine itself,otherwise even a master housewife could be helpless without the necessities for household delicacies.

前幾年，為了寫小說《酒國》，我鉆研了大量有關釀酒與飲酒的著作，方知看似簡單的酒，其實是一門深奧的大學問。一個人即使傾畢生精力，也不一定能把其中知識窮盡。

過去我飲酒就像土匪似的，大杯小盞，只管往嘴里倒，追求那種痛快淋漓、一醉方休的豪氣。自從研究了酒類學著作后，才知道這種飲法是被古代雅人們鄙稱為“酒豬”的，的確也與醉豬沒有多少區(qū)別。

真正的飲酒大師，首先要選酒具，然后要選環(huán)境，其次要選酒友，當然更要選酒。我們是俗人，不大可能像古人那樣飲出文化和瀟灑，只能是喝得盡量文雅一點、瀟灑一點。我們不能也不必太講究。酒具嘛，有瑪瑙杯最好，沒有瑪瑙杯，用青花瓷杯也可以。關鍵還是酒，否則就像巧婦難為無米之炊。

好酒有了，好杯有了，接下來就是開喝。當然，如果要追求完美，最好有一個文心繡口的美貌佳人，坐在你身旁，露出一雙玉腕，腕上懸著沉甸甸的玉鐲，口中噴吐著蘭麝之氣，替你或是替我把盞。席上像《紅樓夢》里薛蟠公子那樣的人也不可少，少了這樣的寶貝就沒有意思了。當然我們不是賈寶玉也不是柳湘蓮，人家都是大雅人，可不敢隨便冒充，隨便冒充要遭人家嗤笑的。好了，現(xiàn)在真正是萬事俱備，就等開喝了。

這般雅興，行令是不可少的。不過最好的酒令已被寶二爺行了；最調(diào)皮的話如“洞房里鉆出個大馬猴”之類也被薛大爺說了。萬般無奈，我們只好從日本引進卡拉OK，喝到酒酣耳熱之際，搶過話筒，嘶開喉嚨吼幾句，全不管像鬼哭，還是像狼嚎。要不就把酒場上流傳的順口溜兒念上一段，輕松地嘲弄一下自己。

真正懂酒的人，是從不與人共飲的，就像美人不可分享一樣。真正的大師級品酒高手，品酒時眼里根本就沒有酒。在他們的眼睛里，酒就是女人，美酒就是美人。

Jia Baoyu Illustrations of Figures in A Dream of the Red Mansions by Gai QI [Qing Dynasty]賈寶玉 《紅樓夢圖詠》 [清]改琦

With good wine readied and good cups selected,we can proceed with the commencement of drinking.Surely,to make it prefect,there ought to be a pretty woman of a literary mind and exquisite rhetoric beside you,showing her jade-like wrists hung with a pair of jade bracelets and her mouth exhaling flowery fragrance,and proposing a toast to you or me.Around the table there should not be void of a man like Xue Pan1fromA Dream of the Red Mansions.With the absence of such a darling,there would be much less clamor.Of course,we are not Jia Baoyu,2nor Liu Xianglian,3both of whom are graceful persons,and whom we dare not pretend to be at will because any willful counterfeit will inevitably be sneered at by others.Well,all are ready and the real time has come to start drinking.

For such an elegant occasion,the drinkers’ wager game is unavoidable,but the best one had already been presented by Master Baoyu and the naughtiest line “out of the boudoir rushed a giant ape” and the like already done by Master Xue.In our desperation,we had to introduce Karaoke from Japan.Drinking till our faces are red and ears hot,we snatch back the mike and started shouting at the top of our voices like mad,absolutely disregarding whether it sounds like a ghost crying or a wolf howling.Some might dictate a passage of some doggerel prevalent at the pubs,along with some light-hearted self-mockery.

Liu Xianglian Illustrations of Figures in A Dream of the Red Mansions by Gai QI [Qing Dynasty] 柳湘蓮 《紅樓夢圖詠》 [清]改琦

Those who have a real understanding of alcohol never drink with others,the same way a beauty is never to be shared with others.The real master-class wine taster has no wine in their eyes when engaged in their profession.In their eye wines are women and the fragrant wines are beautiful women.

An old friend of mine,a professor in the brewing department of a university who had obtained his PhD degree at University of California in the 1930s,is a master who takes wine as his wife and friend.In his eye,or rather in his mind,a bottle of wine is a living life.He told me:Every drop of wine has its own dignity,and you can only respect her,but never slight her; you can only appreciate her,but never profane her.When you stand in the sunlight and hold up the goblet filled with bright red liquor,which radiates the gem-like brilliant rays,it’s in actuality worth the same as,or even more than a beautiful woman in gorgeous garb walking toward you.Now your mind will become as serene as the blue sky and your soul should be as devout as the Son.You should thank God,I should thank God,for His endowment to us this majestic liquid,just as He has endowed women to men.

(FromWhat Is the Best Smell,Nanhai Publishing Company.Translation:Luo Dongyuan)

A Dream of the Red Mansions by Sun Wen [Qing Dynasty]《紅樓夢》 [清]孫溫

1.Xue Pan,a character nicknamed Wood-headed Bully in the Chinese classic novelA Dream of the Red Mansions(also known asA Dream of the Red Chamber,orThe Story of the Stone),is the elder brother of the female character Xue Baochai.As he lost his father at a young age and his mother has indulged him in excessive affection,he spends all his time cockfighting and horse racing and frolics all day long,totally presenting himself as the image of a spoiled guy.In the following context he is also called “Master Xue.”

2.Jia Baoyu,a chief character in the Chinese classic novelA Dream of the Red Mansions,has been loved by his grandmother since his childhood.He and his cousin,Lin Daiyu,are close to each other and develop a rare pure love.He is gentle,kind-hearted and good at thinking for others.He is also called “Master Baoyu” in the following context.

3.Liu Xianglian,a minor character in the novel,gets along very well with Jia Baoyu.

我有一個老朋友，是某大學釀造系教授，20世紀30年代即獲美國加利福尼亞大學釀酒學專業(yè)的博士。他就是一個以酒為妻、以酒為友的大師。在他眼里，抑或說在他心里，任何一瓶酒，都是一個活的生命。他對我說：每一滴酒都有自己的尊嚴，你只可尊重她，不可侮慢她；你只能欣賞她，不能褻瀆她。當你在燈光照耀下，舉起盛滿嫣紅酒漿的高腳玻璃杯，當酒漿在杯中閃爍著寶石般的光芒，事實上就等于甚至勝于一個盛裝美女款款而來，這時候你的心應該像天空一樣澄澈，你的靈魂應該像圣子一樣虔誠，你應該感謝上帝，我應該感謝上帝，是他賜給了我們這高貴的液體，就如同把女人賜給男人一樣。

（摘自《什么氣味最美好》南海出版公司）