The Carving of Insects

By Bian Zhilin
Edited by Mary. M. Y. Fung
Translated by Mary. M. Y. Fung and David Lunde

2006
152 pages
ISBN 962-7255-33-5

Acknowledgements	9
Editor’s Introduction	11
Co-Translator’s Introduction	35
I. The Initial Phase: 1930–1932
Evening 傍晩	50
Record 記錄	50
The Crows 群鴉	51
Long Journey 遠行	52
Shadow 影子	53
Cold Night 寒夜	54
A Monk 一個和尙	55
An Idler 一個閒人	56
Tossing 投	56
Long Road 長途	57
Night Wind 夜風	58
Cool Plum Drink 酸梅湯	59
Falling 落	60
Early Morning in August 八月的清晨	61
A Brief Parting 小別	63
Zhongnanhai 中南海	65
On the White Stone 白石上	66
West Chang’an Street 西長安街	68
Mid-Autumn Festival 過節	70
Continuous Rain 苦雨	70
Roadside Teahouse 路過居	71
Crying One’s Wares 叫賣	73
A Piece of a Wrecked Ship 一塊破船片	73
Several People 幾個人	74
Mule Cart 大車	75
Grass on the Wall 牆頭草	75
II. Finding His Voice: 1933–1935
Weariness 倦	78
Homecoming 還郷	79
Entrust it to the Flowing Water 寄流水	81
Dream of the Old Town 古鎭的夢	82
Reed-leaf Boat 蘆葉船	83
Autumn Window 秋窗	84
The Heart of the Old City 古城的心	84
Entering the Dream 入夢	85
City in Spring 春城	86
By the Roadside 道旁	88
Contrast 對照	88
Aqueous Rock 水成岩	89
The Way Back 歸	89
Composition of Distances 距離的組織	90
Reverie on the Night of the Lantern Festival 舊元夜遐思	91
The Chiba Flute 尺八	92
Round Jewel Casket 圓寶盒	93
Fragment 斷章	94
Loneliness 寂寞	94
Sea Voyage 航海	95
Resounding Dust 音塵	96
III. The Joy of Love: 1936–1937
Bedtime (A Child’s Story) 休息（童話）	98
Fish Fossil: a Fish or Girl Speaking 魚化石	99
Snow 雪	99
Tears 淚	100
The First Lamp 第一盞燈	101
Migration of Birds 候鳥問題	101
The Peninsula 半島	102
Untitled 1 無題一	102
Untitled 2 無題ニ	103
Untitled 3 無題三	103
Untitled 4 無題四	104
Untitled 5 無題五	104
The Railway Station 車站	105
Sleeping Carriage 睡車	105
Dressing Table 妝台	106
Water Content 水分	107
Roads 路	108
The Rain and I 雨同我	109
The White Seashell 白螺殼	110
Naughty Child 淘氣	112
Insects at the Lamp 燈蟲	113
IV. Letters of Comfort: 1938–1939
To a Sharpshooter on the Front 給前方的神槍手	116
To the New Local Recruits 給地方武裝的新戰士	117
To the Children on Sentry Duty 給放哨的兒童	118
To Coal Miners 給一處煤窯的工人	120
To Farmers who Evacuated their Houses and Cleared their Fields 給實行空室清野的農民	122
To the Generalissimo 給委員長	123
To the Author of ‘On Protracted War’ 給《論持久戰》的著者	124
To Air Force Fighters 給空軍戰士	125
To a Company Commander who Probed the Line Fence with his Finger 給一位用手指探電網的連長	126
To the Young Pioneers of the Northwest 給西北的開荒者	127
V. Later Poems: 1950–1996
Rumours Taught the ‘Nervous Wreck’ a Lesson 謠言教訓了神經病	130
Night March 夜行	132
From Winter to Spring 從冬天到春天	133
Gathering Water Chestnuts 採菱	134
Picking Osmanthus 採桂花	135
Prospect of the Ming Tombs 十三陵遠景	136
Flying over Taiwan 飛臨台灣上空	137
Watching Twelfth Night in New York City 紐約看《第十二夜》演出	139
Visiting a Deserted Private Garden in New Haven 紐海文遊私第荒園	140
View from a Waterside Chamber in Boston 波士頓水軒晚眺	140
Rochester: Inside and Outside the City 羅切斯特城內城外	141
Waiting for Takeoff in the Little Airport at Bloomington 布魯明屯小機場待發	142
Reverie upon Ascending the Sears Tower 芝加哥登樓遐思	143
A Short Visit to Cheung Chau Island in Hong Kong 香港小遊長洲島	144
Listening to Streetcars Circling at Midnight 午夜遙聽街車環行	145
Selected Bibliography	147
Appendix	149

The Carving of Insects

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