扬州红桥盛名探析

On the Great Reputation of Red Bridge in Yangzhou

扬州红桥当年因阑干红色醒目而得名,非王士禛取名。清初扬州诸景多因战乱而式微,建于崇祯末年的红桥因交道要地而显得繁荣;王士禛初以“红桥怀古”为题,自我作祖,咏隋堤、迷楼,再行红桥修褉,作“冶春词”,遂使无历史感的红桥迅速获得兴亡沧桑感,成为清初诗人抒发时代情感的载体,实现了交接诗人、传扬声名的目的。随着王士禛官位抬升和诗坛领袖地位的确立,红桥亦经踵事增华,物质和文化内容不断丰富,故有“扬州好,第一是红桥”之誉,此乃地利、景佳、名人效应的叠加所致。游湖上诸景必先至红桥,红桥诗作,多及北望之景,“瘦西湖”一词就出于咏红桥的诗篇。红桥之享名,本于俗游的热闹,传扬于诗作唱和,雅俗共赏是盛名持久的重要表征。

Red Bridge in Yangzhou was named for its distinctive red color,not from Wang Shizhen.In the early Qing Dynasty,many scenic spots in Yangzhou declined due to wars,while Red Bridge built in the last year of Emperor Chongzhen’s Reign was growing prosperous because of its traffic significance.Therefore,Wang Shi-zhen started to use“Red Bridge Nostalgia”as the topic,from chanting Sui Dam,Mi Pavilion to repairing the Waterside Ritual in Red Bridge and writing Ye Chun Ci,which made the red bridge without a sense of history quickly gain a sense of vicissitudes of birth and death and develop into a carrier for poets in the early Qing Dynasty to express their feelings of the times,and achieved the purpose of poets association and fame spread.With the promotion of Wang Shizhen and the establishment of his leading position in poetry world,Red Bridge also upgraded with the increasing physical and literal contents,entitled as the best scene in Yangzhou,which reflected the triple effects of location significance,beautiful scene and celebrity.Red Bridge was also the first spot in the lake tour and many related poems were created,one of which the word Slender West Lake originated from.The fame of Red Bridge is based on the liveliness of popular tourism and spread in the poems and songs,the appreciation of both refined and popular tastes is an the significant feature of its ever-lasting reputation.