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.

前几年，为了写小说《酒国》，我钻研了大量有关酿酒与饮酒的著作，方知看似简单的酒，其实是一门深奥的大学问。一个人即使倾毕生精力，也不一定能把其中知识穷尽。

过去我饮酒就像土匪似的，大杯小盏，只管往嘴里倒，追求那种痛快淋漓、一醉方休的豪气。自从研究了酒类学著作后，才知道这种饮法是被古代雅人们鄙称为“酒猪”的，的确也与醉猪没有多少区别。

真正的饮酒大师，首先要选酒具，然后要选环境，其次要选酒友，当然更要选酒。我们是俗人，不大可能像古人那样饮出文化和潇洒，只能是喝得尽量文雅一点、潇洒一点。我们不能也不必太讲究。酒具嘛，有玛瑙杯最好，没有玛瑙杯，用青花瓷杯也可以。关键还是酒，否则就像巧妇难为无米之炊。

好酒有了，好杯有了，接下来就是开喝。当然，如果要追求完美，最好有一个文心绣口的美貌佳人，坐在你身旁，露出一双玉腕，腕上悬着沉甸甸的玉镯，口中喷吐着兰麝之气，替你或是替我把盏。席上像《红楼梦》里薛蟠公子那样的人也不可少，少了这样的宝贝就没有意思了。当然我们不是贾宝玉也不是柳湘莲，人家都是大雅人，可不敢随便冒充，随便冒充要遭人家嗤笑的。好了，现在真正是万事俱备，就等开喝了。

这般雅兴，行令是不可少的。不过最好的酒令已被宝二爷行了；最调皮的话如“洞房里钻出个大马猴”之类也被薛大爷说了。万般无奈，我们只好从日本引进卡拉OK，喝到酒酣耳热之际，抢过话筒，嘶开喉咙吼几句，全不管像鬼哭，还是像狼嚎。要不就把酒场上流传的顺口溜儿念上一段，轻松地嘲弄一下自己。

真正懂酒的人，是从不与人共饮的，就像美人不可分享一样。真正的大师级品酒高手，品酒时眼里根本就没有酒。在他们的眼睛里，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]贾宝玉 《红楼梦图咏》 [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] 柳湘莲 《红楼梦图咏》 [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]《红楼梦》 [清]孙温

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.

我有一个老朋友，是某大学酿造系教授，20世纪30年代即获美国加利福尼亚大学酿酒学专业的博士。他就是一个以酒为妻、以酒为友的大师。在他眼里，抑或说在他心里，任何一瓶酒，都是一个活的生命。他对我说：每一滴酒都有自己的尊严，你只可尊重她，不可侮慢她；你只能欣赏她，不能亵渎她。当你在灯光照耀下，举起盛满嫣红酒浆的高脚玻璃杯，当酒浆在杯中闪烁着宝石般的光芒，事实上就等于甚至胜于一个盛装美女款款而来，这时候你的心应该像天空一样澄澈，你的灵魂应该像圣子一样虔诚，你应该感谢上帝，我应该感谢上帝，是他赐给了我们这高贵的液体，就如同把女人赐给男人一样。

（摘自《什么气味最美好》南海出版公司）