薛宝琴:一个新少女的朦胧倩影

Xue Baoqin: the Shadowy Figure of a New Girl

薛宝琴,是曹雪芹以特别的艺术方法描绘的一个新少女的朦胧倩影。她现身于新时代的晨曦中。她是新时代环境孕育的。新时代环境,小而言之,指家庭(曹家、薛家)。曹雪芹祖父、父亲在工商业活动中,已与洋商有文化、科技交流;薛宝琴父女在商贸活动中,已与洋商父女有文化交流。大而言之,指中外文化交流(西学东渐、中学西渐)。在这种时代环境的直接影响下,薛宝琴迈出了传统的闺门绣户,开始认识广袤的外部世界。在客居大观园期间,她积极参与各种文化活动,展现出清新超迈的精神风貌。曹公似乎要让她走出女儿的悲剧宿命。

Xue Baoqin, the shadowy figure of a new girl, was portrayed by Cao Xueqin in a special artistic way. She appeared in the dawn of a new age. She was born in a new age environment, which, in small point,refers to the family(the Cao family and Xue family). Cao Xueqin’s grandfather and father had cultural and technological exchanges with foreign merchants in industrial and commercial activities. Xue Baoqin and her father had cultural exchanges with the foreign businessmen in their business activities. Broadly speaking, the new age environment refers to the cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries(i.e.the eastern transmission of western sciences and eastern studies introduced to the west). Under the direct influence of this era environment, Xue Baoqin stepped out of the traditional boudoir and began to understand the vast external world.During her stay in Grand View Garden, she took an active part in various cultural activities, showing her refreshing spirit. Cao Xueqin seems to want her out of a girl’s tragic fate.