绵绵瓜瓞与《金瓶梅》《红楼梦》“瓢”的借用意象解析

Image of Gourd Ladle in The Golden Lotus and A Dream of Red Mansions

"瓢"在我国古代是人们日常生活经常使用的器具,有着极为广泛的用途。"瓢"的主要功能是充当容器和漂浮,"瓢"是葫芦的半个瓜壳,从不少古籍记载中都能管窥到先民对葫芦生殖崇拜的迹象。《金瓶梅》第四回《赴巫山潘氏幽欢闹茶坊郓哥义愤》写王婆向金莲借"瓢"。张竹坡点评本:"借瓢即影人,文情狡猾,随手生来。""瓢"(即葫芦)在这里象征女性的受鱼之器的瓶,对应着潘金莲的"嫖";《红楼梦》第九十一回《纵淫心宝蟾工设计布疑阵宝玉妄谈禅》写黛玉与宝玉借瓢谈禅。这里的"瓢"也隐喻了黛玉漂泊不定的命运。在《金瓶梅》与《红楼梦》中,"瓢"被以诗词、谜语、谶语、禅语、俗语等形式反复渲染,"瓢"也就构成了《金瓶梅》与《红楼梦》的借用意象。对"瓢"借用意象进行多味性的咀嚼与解析,有助于我们进一步深刻解读文本的文化密码,理解这两部古典小说不同的审美意蕴与精神品质。

The gourd ladle, half a gourd shell, is a daily utensil in ancient China, whose main function is to be used as a container. Many a historical document regards the image of gourd as a symbol of fertili- ty worship. In the fourth chapter of The Golden Lotus, Old woman Wang borrowed a gourd ladle from Pan Jinlian, which is commented by Zhang Zhupo as “a metaphorical use of language”. The gourd ladle （piao） symbolizes Pan Jinlian＇ s whoring （ a homophone of Piao）. In the ninety-first chapter of A Dream of Red Mansions, Baoyu and Daiyu begins the topic of Zen with the gourd ladle （piao）, which symboli- zes Daiyu＇ s drifting life （another homophone of Piao）. The analysis of various images of the gourd ladle used in The Golden Lotus and A Dream of Red Mansions can help researchers further interpret the cultural codes, different aesthetic implications and spiritual merits in the two classic novels.