黔城难眠—— 李文金 Sleepless in Qiancheng—— Li Wenjin

躍龍

　　面对这千年古城，我本想要说点儿什么，却发现心灵隐隐作痛，竟无法用言语来表述，才发现我心里面竟是一片荒凉，是一座寸草不生的孤城。

—— 作者题记

Facing this thousand-year-old city, I wanted to say something, but I found that my heart was aching and I couldn't express it in words. Then I realized that my heart was desolate, like an isolated city with no grass.

—— Author's Preface

　　从黔东南镇远古镇出发，沿着蜿蜒绵绵亘的㵲水，汽车穿越黔东南的崇山峻岭、峡谷河川，在天堑虹桥上奔驰，在群峰相连的隧道中穿行。

Starting from the old town of Zhenyuan in Qiandongnan, along the winding and endless Shuishui River, the car passed through the mountains, canyons and rivers of Qiandongnan, ran on the natural rainbow bridge, and passed through the tunnel connecting the peaks.

　　一路上风光无限，可谓心在诗中走，人在画中游。

The scenery along the way is endless, one can say that one's heart is walking in poetry and the person is wandering in a painting.

㵲水清冽，波光粼粼。丹霞竹海，杜鹃声声。春雨淅沥缠绵，山岚叠翠，云雾缭绕，宛若仙境。

The clear water of the river sparkles. The red sunshine, bamboo sea and the cuckoo chirps. The spring rain is drizzling, the mountains are green, and the clouds are lingering, just like a fairyland.

车行至滇黔门户——湘楚黔阳，已是暮色苍茫，黔阳古城笼罩在一片蒙蒙烟雨中。我站在古城安远门正中广场，望三江汇流，浩浩汤汤；看层峦叠嶂，雪峰巍峨，把整个黔阳古城环抱在青山绿水之中。

When we drove to Qianyang, the gateway to Yunnan and Guizhou, it was already dusk, and the ancient city of Qianyang was shrouded in misty rain. I stood in the central square of Anyuan Gate in the ancient city, looking at the confluence of three rivers, the majestic mountains and snow-capped peaks, which surrounded the entire ancient city of Qianyang in the green mountains and clear waters.

　　春雨中的黔阳古城，街市冷清，灯火阑珊无觅处，小巷深处有人家。夜色中明月若隐若现，沅水荡漾，泛着银光，好一幅“春潮带雨晚来急，野渡无人舟自横”的幽静景象。

In the spring rain, the streets of Qianyang Ancient City are deserted, with few lights, but there are houses deep in the alleys. The bright moon is looming in the night, and the Yuan River is rippling with silver light, creating a quiet scene of "the spring tide comes with rain in the evening, and the boat is drifting alone at the wild ferry".

古城的夜，静得像一泓清冽的深潭，似乎所有的生灵都已沉睡，一切都显得那么静谧。

The night in the old city is as quiet as a clear deep pool. It seems that all living things are asleep and everything seems so peaceful.

在蒙蒙细雨中，我仰望古城安远门，在橘黄色灯光的映衬下，它庄严肃穆。双手抚摸冰冷的红沙石古城墙，仿佛穿越千年的历史，触摸到古城的文化脉络，历史的沧桑尽收眼底。

In the drizzle, I looked up at the Anyuan Gate of the ancient city. It was solemn and majestic under the orange light. Touching the cold red sandstone ancient city wall with both hands, it seemed as if I had traveled through thousands of years of history, touched the cultural veins of the ancient city, and took in the vicissitudes of history.

　　在稀疏的灯光下，良儿撑着雨伞，陪伴我游走在古街坑坑洼洼、油光铮亮的青石板上，踏着古人的足迹，仿佛在与古人进行一次心灵的对话。斑驳的墙壁，颓败的庭院，坍塌的古城墙，模糊的招牌，古城黔城在古老中透出几分萧条冷落，我不禁有些黯然神伤。

Under the sparse lights, Liang'er held an umbrella and accompanied me walking on the bumpy and shiny bluestone slabs of the ancient street, following the footsteps of the ancients, as if having a spiritual dialogue with them. The mottled walls, the dilapidated courtyards, the collapsed ancient city walls, the blurred signs, the ancient city of Qiancheng exuded a bit of depression and desolation in its antiquity, and I couldn't help feeling a little sad.

　　黔阳古城以明清建筑为主，保留了部分唐宋时期的建筑风格，采用湘西南特有的红沙石、青石板、泥瓦、杉木、石片等融合侗族、苗族、瑶族、土家族、汉族的建筑特色，如窨子屋、吊脚楼、晒楼、徽派马头墙等，历经千年风雨，构成了黔阳古城特有的古朴沧桑的建筑风格。这些古建筑或雄伟壮丽，气势不凡，或飞檐卷垛，朱栏白墙，或精致淡雅，清秀宜人，或雕梁画栋，古色古香，经久实用，宜居宜商。

Qianyang Ancient City is mainly composed of Ming and Qing Dynasty buildings, and retains some architectural styles from the Tang and Song Dynasties. It uses red sandstone, bluestone, mud tiles, fir, stone flakes, etc., which are unique to southwestern Hunan, and integrates the architectural features of the Dong, Miao, Yao, Tujia, and Han ethnic groups, such as cellar houses, stilt houses, sun-drying buildings, and Hui-style horse-head walls. After thousands of years of wind and rain, it has formed the unique simple and vicissitudes of life architectural style of Qianyang Ancient City. These ancient buildings are either majestic and magnificent, or have flying eaves and stacks, red railings and white walls, or are exquisite and elegant, or have carved beams and painted buildings, antique and fragrant, durable and practical, suitable for living and business.

　　古城呈五门十街十二巷布局，纵横交错的青石街巷狭长幽深。以会馆商行为主的上河街、下河街，衙门驿站、寺院书院、庙宇祠堂、宫观殿宇、军营公馆、堂会客栈、戏院楼台等，罗列有致，功能齐全。五座城门巍峨，牌楼凉亭林立，古民居紧密相连，屋檐叠交，高墙相连，青砖黛瓦，雕梁画栋，一脉相承。

The ancient city is laid out with five gates, ten streets and twelve alleys, and the crisscrossing bluestone streets and alleys are narrow, long and deep. Shanghe Street and Xiahe Street, which are dominated by guild halls and businesses, are well-arranged with government offices, post stations, temples and academies, temples and ancestral halls, palaces and palaces, military camps and mansions, halls and inns, theaters and terraces, etc. Five city gates are majestic, and archways and pavilions are lined up. The ancient houses are closely connected, with overlapping eaves, high walls, blue bricks and black tiles, carved beams and painted buildings, all of which are passed down from generation to generation.

　　这里是边陲重镇，素有“滇黔门户”和“湘西第一古镇”之称，堪称湘西南保存最完好的古建筑群，古朴典雅，静谧安祥。青石街巷纵横交错，窨子屋栉次鳞比。它集会馆商埠、宗祠寺庙、衙门府第、民俗民居之大成，各类古建筑大气、内敛、庄重。

This is an important border town, known as the "gateway to Yunnan and Guizhou" and "the first ancient town in western Hunan". It is the best-preserved ancient building complex in southwestern Hunan, simple and elegant, quiet and peaceful. Bluestone streets and alleys crisscross, and cellars and houses are lined up. It is a collection of guild halls, commercial ports, ancestral temples, government mansions, and folk houses. All kinds of ancient buildings are majestic, restrained, and solemn.

　　黔阳拥有两千多年的文化历史，中原文化、苗蛮文化、荆楚文化、百越文化在这里融合，形成了独树一帜的湖湘文化特征。历代文人墨客在这里吟诗作赋，落笔生花。无数仁人志士从古城走出，闯荡江湖，济世救民。

Qianyang has a cultural history of more than 2,000 years. The Central Plains culture, Miao and Man culture, Jingchu culture, and Baiyue culture have merged here to form the unique Hunan and Xiang culture. Literati and poets of all ages have composed poems and essays here. Countless people of noble character and lofty ideals have walked out of the ancient city to travel around the world and save the people.

春日黄昏，漫步在黔阳古城狭窄悠长的青石板小巷，小雨淅沥，灯火点点。眼前的画面让人觉得岁月静好，隐逸在这青山绿水怀抱的古城，恬静、闲适、安逸。

In the spring evening, strolling in the narrow and long bluestone alleys of Qianyang Ancient City, with drizzling rain and twinkling lights, the scene in front of you makes you feel that time is peaceful and good, hidden in this ancient city surrounded by green mountains and green waters, peaceful, leisurely and comfortable.

　　夜色中的黔阳古城，退去了白天的明亮与喧嚣，一颗浮躁的心，在这里得以渐渐平静下来。细雨仍在淅淅沥沥地落，微风仍在轻轻地吹，春寒料峭，乍暖还寒。

The ancient city of Qianyang in the night has lost the brightness and noise of the day, and an impetuous heart can gradually calm down here. The drizzle is still falling, and the breeze is still blowing gently. The spring is still chilly, and it is still cold after a warm spell.

这里没有夜市，没有灯红酒绿，一座被冷落、遗忘的古城，在大山深处寂静无声，这倒也是我觉得很惬意的归宿。

There is no night market here, no bright lights and wine, just an ancient city that has been neglected and forgotten, silent and quiet deep in the mountains. This is, in my opinion, a very comfortable destination.

　　我走进尚贤客舍，灯火通明，小院平实而精致，显得自然、轻松、质朴。八角凉亭与紫罗兰藤架相连，粉墙下栽几株翠竹，亭内摆一张原木大板茶台、一把根雕靠椅，倒有几分乡野情趣。

I walked into Shangxian Guest House, which was brightly lit. The courtyard was plain and exquisite, and looked natural, relaxed and simple. The octagonal pavilion was connected to the violet vine frame, and a few green bamboos were planted under the pink wall. There was a large wooden tea table and a root carving chair in the pavilion, which had a bit of rural charm.

　　我们几个围着茶台歇憩，在竹影清风中，听风吹树叶，观雨打芭蕉，赏落花流水，望雾里紫兰。我守在古城的偏僻一隅，安之若素，甘之如饴。

We rested around the tea table, in the shadows of bamboo and the breeze, listening to the wind blowing the leaves, watching the rain hitting the banana leaves, admiring the falling flowers and flowing water, and looking at the purple orchids in the mist. I stayed in a remote corner of the ancient city, feeling at ease and content.

　　在灯火辉煌的客堂，走出一身着蓝色碎花旗袍的风姿绰约的少女，她朝庭院款款走来，优雅地端坐在我对面，温文尔雅，举止有礼地给我彻上一杯清茶。翠嫩的芽尖，随着冲水在杯中上下翻滚，清香四溢。

In the brightly lit living room, a graceful girl in a blue floral cheongsam walked out, walked slowly towards the courtyard, sat down elegantly opposite me, and served me a cup of clear tea in a gentle and polite manner. The tender green buds rolled up and down in the cup with the water, and the fragrance was overflowing.

　　姑娘姓粟，黔城人氏，窈窕淑女，楚楚动人。她对我莞尔一笑，我欲与之攀谈，她心领神会，一边举手冲茶，一边娓娓道来：这客栈原是清朝五品衔加直隶州同知危锡瓒私宅，是一座典型的桶形窨子屋，有前庭后院，天井厢房，外墙高八米，规模宏大，空间轩敞，雕梁画栋，十分华丽精致。

The girl's surname was Su, she was from Qiancheng, she was a graceful lady, very charming. She smiled at me, I wanted to talk to her, she understood, raised her hand to make tea, and told me: This inn was originally the private residence of Wei Xizan, a fifth-rank official in the Qing Dynasty and the Tongzhi of Zhili Prefecture. It is a typical barrel-shaped cellar house with a front yard, a backyard, a patio and wing rooms. The outer wall is eight meters high, large in scale, spacious, with carved beams and painted buildings, very gorgeous and exquisite.

　　给我递上茶点，姑娘又给我们讲起古城的前世今生，黔阳古城始建于汉，兴于唐宋，盛于明清，衰于民国，这里曾经商贾云集，富甲一方。

Handing me some tea, the girl told us about the past and present of the ancient city. Qianyang Ancient City was first built in the Han Dynasty, flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties, prospered in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and declined in the Republic of China. It was once crowded with merchants and very wealthy.

黔阳古城顺水路兴而盛，随水路衰而隐。明清时期，这里曾是浩浩皇木，滚滚洪油，屡屡烟土，列列妓船，是滇黔商贸门户，是湘西南商贸重镇。

The ancient city of Qianyang prospered along the waterway and disappeared as the waterway declined. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was a place with vast imperial trees, rolling oil, numerous opium, and rows of prostitute boats. It was the gateway to Yunnan and Guizhou trade and an important commercial town in southwestern Hunan.

　　黔阳古城的风水格局和建筑风格，暗含“潜、藏、隐、逸”的人文特征。历代文人志士曾在这里隐逸，追求清高的人格理想，淡泊宁静的生存方式，典雅的文化品位。他们荣辱不惊，看庭前花开花落，有与世无争、处世泰然的淡定。这方水土由此诞生并延展出独特的隐逸文化。

The Feng Shui pattern and architectural style of the ancient city of Qianyang imply the humanistic characteristics of "hiding, hiding, seclusion, and escape". Literati and patriots of all dynasties have lived in seclusion here, pursuing lofty ideals of personality, a simple and peaceful way of life, and elegant cultural taste. They are not surprised by honor or disgrace, watching the flowers bloom and fall in front of the courtyard, and are calm and at ease in dealing with the world. This land gave birth to and extended a unique hermit culture.

唐代诗人王昌龄谪居江边芙蓉楼，写下千古名句“一冰心在玉壶”，传诵至今。芙蓉楼因此成为现代人休憩身心、逃避世俗、分享古趣的隐逸之地。

Wang Changling, a Tang Dynasty poet, lived in exile in Furong Tower by the river and wrote the famous line "A heart as pure as ice in a jade pot", which is still recited today. Furong Tower has thus become a secluded place for modern people to relax, escape from the mundane world, and share the ancient interest.

　　来到五溪之滨，与黔阳古城相遇，无论置身于旧宅古巷，还是歇憩在客栈秘境，隐逸之感总会油然而生，得到一种安逸脱俗、怡然自乐的精神享受。

When you come to the bank of Wuxi River and encounter the ancient city of Qianyang, whether you are in old houses and alleys, or resting in a secret inn, you will always feel a sense of seclusion and enjoy a spiritual enjoyment of ease, tranquility and contentment.

在古城的青山绿水之间，在街巷的青砖黛瓦之中，在客。栈的品茗谈笑之际，我全然忘掉了旅途的疲惫，找到了自己出发的初心。

Among the green mountains and clear waters of the ancient city, among the blue bricks and black tiles of the streets, and while drinking tea and chatting in the inn, I completely forgot the fatigue of the journey and found my original intention.

　　面对这千年古城，我本想要说点儿什么，却发现心灵隐隐作痛，竟无法用言语来表述，才发现我心里面竟是一片荒凉，是一座寸草不生的孤城。

Facing this thousand-year-old city, I wanted to say something, but I found that my heart was aching and I couldn't express it in words. Then I realized that my heart was desolate, like an isolated city with no grass.

面对现实，我是多么失望与无助，一个人的力量非常微小，抢救濒临失去的古村古镇文化遗产，需要全社会共同关注，需要大家一起守护。

Facing the reality, I am so disappointed and helpless. The power of one person is very small. To save the cultural heritage of ancient villages and towns that are on the verge of being lost, the whole society needs to pay attention and protect it together.

　　春雨还在一丝一丝地滴落，心里的空在一点一点地扩展，人生的旅途遥远，远得看不到尽头。可是，正是在这宁静的夜晚，我守着一份孤独与寂寞，多么需要一点儿光亮、一份温暖。

The spring rain is still dripping, the emptiness in my heart is expanding bit by bit, the journey of life is so long that I can't see the end. However, it is in this quiet night that I am guarding a loneliness and solitude, how much I need a little light and warmth.

我在寂寞中辗转难眠，我在春雨中徘徊不前，我在黑夜中探索，我期待着破晓的曙光。

I toss and turn in loneliness, I wander in the spring rain, I explore in the darkness, and I look forward to the dawn.