夏天敏作品精选(英文版)

作者简介

夏天敏，云南省昭通市人。20世纪80年代中期开始文学创作，曾发表中短篇小说200余万字。已出版散文集《情海放舟》，中短篇小说集《乡场上的皮匠》《飞来的村庄》《乡村雕塑》等12本书。根据中篇小说《好大一对羊》改编的同名电影获加拿大维多利亚最佳故事片奖、法国维苏尔国际电影节最佳亚洲促进奖和美国华盛顿特区独立电影节最佳评审团大奖。

内容简介

When he was called back from the mountainside, Deshan had no idea what was going on. No sooner had the old man been bending over and ploughing the ground than he heard Shunsheng screaming, urging him back to the village as though his house were on fire or the kids had drowned. Facing the silent mountain all by himself day after day, Deshan became both dumb and numb. Shunsheng pulled him by his sleeve down the mountain, only aware that a big official was to see him. Unable to figure out the reason behind the meeting since Deshan hadn’t committed any crime, Shunsheng simply took him to the official. They had barely arrived at the foot of the mountain when they saw more than a dozen cars shrouded in dust on the empty field at the entrance to the village. Deshan had never seen a car before, and his first time to see a truck was in the previous year at the township government where he had gone to receive relief grain. He lived in such a remote place, with the nearest village being more than ten miles away, where cars had rarely been noticed. Touching the tender car with his hand, Deshan smacked his lips to show his pity. Why bother to ride such a long distance, over rocky dusty mountains, only to cripple the car? The village was bustling as if in the Spring Festival. Hardly had they arrived at the village entrance when they heard kids chirping, and saw women excitedly walking to and from. On the village’s bare earthen wall, were some newly posted rows of slogans. Unlike those painted in mouldy, brownish whitewash, the slogans were written on the bloody red paper used only for the Spring Festival couplets. It was squandered on the earth-colored wall of the village, thus leaving it enlivened like a bride in the red wedding coat. Deshan stared at them until turbid tears were shed, blurring his eyes so much that he couldn’t see clearly. It felt like a dream. Deshan thoroughly wiped his eyes in order to see the people, feeling as if watching TV, with everything appearing so unreal. A group of people standing in front of his low earthen house, appeared as fashionable as those on TV. Men were dressed in suits, jackets, and leather shoes; women were wearing short-sleeved shirts, belts, or skirts, glamorous as fairies though dusty as the cars. The village was gray just like his earthen house, whose thatch roof turned disgustingly dark having withstood years of wind and rain. The pile of turf used as fuel was usually considered dear, but now it was as lousy as dung. These awesome people stood at the door, conspicuously contrasting with the house’s outlook. Deshan was dragged by the village party secretary to one person whom the crowd was surrounding. The man was tall and fat, with a bright forehead and neatly combed hair. He had a ruddy face with an elongated nose, and a double chin, his eyes hidden behind a pair of large, wide sunglasses, unlike those worn by the fortune-teller on the village square, which looked as funny as toys. In amiable smile, the man reached out to Deshan’s hands. At this moment, flashes of light accompanied by the clicks scared the old man out of his wits. He stood stuck still in shock, on the sight of two black machines sticking out their mouths and flashing around him. The old man’s soul felt as if caught by them, rendering him motionless and expressionless. The head of the township, who was as stout as an ox and gentle like a woman introduced the man as the deputy commissioner of the region, who had come from the city not only to see the villagers but also help the poor. “Uncle Deshan, you should thank the leader for not forgetting us.” Lost for words, Deshan kept nodding, more like a rice-pecking chicken with his bent back. 《夏天敏作品精选》收录的小说看似荒诞不经却又有极大的现实性，内容涉及自然条件落后地区的脱贫问题、农民工问题、濒危动物保护问题等，体现出作者强烈的社会责任感。