A Dream of Red Mansions
《红楼梦》
I n the middle of 18th century，the time of Qianlong prosperity appeared long fiction that sensed the coming declination of feudal dynasty and saddened for it in Chinese literature. That was Cao Xueqin's A Dream of Red Mansions .Cao Xueqin，styled Zhan，Mengyuan was his literary name. A Dream of Red Mansions is a monumental work in Chinese classic novel. The reasons why Cao Xueqin could write such a brilliant work were closely related to his talent and culture.But a more important factor was his living experience，which changed great1y. Cao Xueqin's grandfather was deeply trusted by Kangxi Emperor, so Cao spent his early life in a prosperous family. But later，Cao Family changed dramatically，being demoted and banished from Najing to Beijing. Young Cao Xueqin experienced much fickleness of human relationship. In his late years，Cao Xueqin lived in west suburbs in Beijing. Under the severe living conditions，Cao Xueqin wrote 80 eplsodes of A Dream of Red Mansions .But unfortunately，he left us forever before he ended the final scripts. A Dream of Red Man .Sions can be also named “The Story of A Stone" .When Cao Xueqin wasn't dead，his original manuscripts had been handed down. After his death，a man named Gao E tried to figure out the author's original meanings，and then continued to write the last 40 episodes. Finally he finished A Dream of Red, Mansions .Dream of Red Mansions is an encyclopedia novel. The characters referred in this novel almost cover the whole classes of Chinese society at that time，.from relatives of the emperor to the noble officers ;from maids to monks，merchants and farmers. In its description，A Dream of Red Mansions describes almost the whole phases of social life in Qing Dynasty，from the social activities of upper class to the planting and singing and dancing of the lower class. In Cao Xueqin's display，his angle shifted from kinsmen of the emperor to focusing on Jia，Shi，Wang,and Xue Families，and then shifted from these four families to Jia Fami1y. Furthermore，he set Grand View Garden as the center place where those activities happened. According to those women，especially the small society they live in and their relationship with the outside world，Cao reflected the whole world and symbolized the process of Jia Family's declination.
18世纪中期，也就是乾隆盛世时，有一部长篇小说反映了封建王朝的衰落。它就是曹雪芹的《红楼梦》。曹雪芹，名沾，字梦阮。《红楼梦》是中国古典小说的里程碑。曹雪芹能成就如此巨著与他的天分和文化背景是分不开的。其中最主要的是他坎坷变故的生活经历。曹雪芹的父亲深受康熙皇帝的宠爱，因此他早年生活在富裕的家境。后来，曹家的命运有了颠覆的变化，其父官职被撤，全家被逐出京城。年轻的曹雪芹饱尝了人间世态的炎凉。晚年，困居于北京西郊，曹雪芹写下了《红楼梦》前八十回。不幸的是，他未能完成全书而辞世。《红楼梦》又名“石头记”，在其生前就开始流传。在他死后，高颗根据作者的原意，续写了后四十回。最终完成全书的创作。《红楼梦》是一部百科全书式的小说，小说中出现的人物几乎涉及当时中国社会的各个阶层。从皇亲国戚到达官贵人，从少女到和尚，从商人到农民。同时《红楼梦》也刻画了清朝时社会生活的方方面面，从上层阶级的社会生活到下层平民百姓的劳作、歌唱和舞蹈。小说中曹雪芹没有直接描写皇室的生活，而是通过刘一贾、史、王、薛四大家族的描写，其中又集中到贾府的兴衰。接着他又以大观园为中心来描写其中发生的故事。通过聚焦女主人翁的生活以及他们和外界的关系，曹雪芹向读者展示了清王朝以及贾府衰落的过程。
Cao Xueqin succeeded in portraying those characters. There were more than 700 people，including not less than 100 classic people. Cao Xueqin grasped women，especially the sensitive and complicated emotions and love of young women accurately and deeply. He exposed their expectations towards life and the desires towards love by his rich sympathy. He not only displayed the human nature，but also expressed the limitation and influence of the surroundings and society towards them. Consequently，he could create their three-dimensional art images. The art value of A Dream of Red Mansions is an endless topic. Its language， construction，and the creation of characters reached the top of the Chinese classic novels.
曹雪芹成功地刻画了许多人物，他的小说中共描写了700多人，其中有100人是经典的描述。在描述中，曹雪芹抓住人物特点，准确而又深刻出女主人翁敏感、复杂的感情和爱情生活，表达了她们对生活的期盼和对爱情的向往。他不仅表达了人性，也揭示了环境和社会对人性的影响。因此，他笔下的人物是主体的，是栩栩如生的。对《红楼梦》一书艺术价值—探寻总是一个永久的主题。它的语言、结构和人物的塑造都达到了古典小说的极致。
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