情與悟──《紅樓夢》「水」意象探討

Passion and Disenchantment: Exploring the Images of 'Water'in Dream of the Red Chamber

自古以來，無論神話傳說、哲人思維，或文學詩篇，對於「水」都有非常豐富的比喻聯想，《紅樓夢》中「水」更是處處可見的意象，曹雪芹運用豐富的水意象，構設書中人物情感的具體形象，呈現全書的意旨。本文首先從「女兒是水作的骨肉」這句奇文 ，分析女兒的潔淨尊貴，來自以「情」為生命的主體，林黛玉是最明顯的例子，她的生命型態正是「情」的實現，關於她的描寫也的確充滿了「水」的特性。作者其實是以水作為情感的隱喻，要顛覆男性社會，回歸陰性的價值。其次從情與自然的角度分析大觀園女兒的情感，探討清濁的差異不全然是被動的（在園內為清，出園外為濁），而是面對生命、情感的態度與選擇。之後再由眼淚談情，「絳珠」（血淚）的強烈意象，正是作者辛酸之淚，書中黛玉的眼淚為愛情而流，寶玉的眼淚為體悟人生幻化而流，而元春的眼淚則是親情之淚，也是作者為閨閣立傳，燭照女性悲哀深刻的洞見。最後從水所寓含的靜定明察與沉淪淹沒兩種力量，象徵人面對情感的不同態度與境界，以此討論寶玉的情迷與解悟。老子曾經以水喻道，然而那仍屬概念的哲理，《紅樓夢》卻能讓讀者從人生的實象與水的象徵中，領悟情感與生命，品嘗其間清濁、沉溺、流逝的種種面向，得到鏡照的智慧。

Since ancient times, numerous allegories and associations about 'water' have been found in mythical legends, philosophical thoughts as well as literary poems. In Dream of the Red Chamber, the images of 'water' appear through the book. Cao Xueqin presents the main ideas of this novel by using abundant images of water to construct the specific forms of his characters' emotions. Based on the remarkable statement that 'the bones and flesh of woman are made of water,' this article first analyzes that the purity and dignity of womanhood come from the fact that 'passion' is the essence of her life. The most obvious example is Lin Daiyu, whose life form is exactly the realization of passion, and the descriptions about her are indeed filled with the qualities of 'water.' In fact, the author uses water as a metaphor of emotion to subvert masculine society and to return to the value of the nature of 'yin.' Next, this article analyzes the emotions of the daughters of Daguan Garden from the angles of passion and nature. It explores the differences between the 'clear' and the 'muddy,' pointing out that these differences are not entirely passively caused (being clear within the garden and muddy without). Instead, they signify one's attitude and choice in the face of life and emotion. This article then talks about passion in terms of the idea of tears. The powerful image of 'crimson pearl' (bloody tears) is exactly the author's bitter tears. In the book, Daiyu's tears are shed for romantic love, Baoyu's for understanding the illusionary transformation of life, while Yuanchun's are tears of familial affection. In this way, the author composes biographies for the cloistered ladies and provides profound insights about their sadness. Finally, this article discusses Baoyu's enchantment and disenchantment with regard to the two powers implied in water: one is its capacity of being quiet, serene and discerning; the other is its ability to sink and drown. These two powers symbolize the different attitudes and levels with which people deal with their emotions. Laozi once used water as an analogy to explain Dao, but that was still an abstract philosophical concept. In contrast, Dream of the Red Chamber enables readers to comprehend emotion and life through both the reality of life and the symbol of water, to taste their various aspects—clearness and muddiness, addiction and passing—and to eventually acquire the wisdom that reflects things as they truly are.