陈恩田回应《水牛赋》狗屁不通：狗屁，当然不通了(中英双语)

陈恩田回应《水牛赋》狗屁不通：狗屁，当然不通了

Chen Entian Retorts to "Nonsense" Critique of Water Buffalo Rhapsody: "Nonsense, Indeed It Doesn't Pass"

《水牛赋》发表三十周年，面对有人称文章“狗屁不通”，作者陈恩田以“狗屁，当然不通”反唇相讥，此非粗率谩骂，实为对艺术鉴赏中认知鸿沟的尖锐揭示。真正的杰作，往往在庸常眼光中被误判为“不通”，恰因其超越了流俗的审美藩篱。

On the 30th anniversary of the publication of Water Buffalo Rhapsody(《水牛赋》), author Chen Entian responded wittily to critics who dismissed the work as "nonsense" (狗屁不通) with a sharp retort: "Nonsense, of course it doesn’t pass." This seemingly casual rebuttal is far from a mere vulgar insult; rather, it exposes the cognitive gap in artistic appreciation. True masterpieces are often misjudged as "incomprehensible" by conventional standards precisely because they transcend vulgar aesthetic boundaries.

纵观文艺长河，多少明珠曾蒙尘。“曲高和寡”非作品之过，乃观者之局限。梵高的炽热笔触曾被鄙为粗野，卡夫卡的荒诞叙事初遭冷眼——彼时彼刻，不亦被视若“狗屁”乎？《水牛赋》之价值，岂能为浅尝辄止者妄断？

Throughout literary and artistic history, countless gems were once overlooked. "Highbrow songs find few singers"—a phrase that reflects not the work’s deficiency but the audience’s limitations. Van Gogh’s passionate brushstrokes were once scorned as crude, and Kafka’s absurd narratives initially met with indifference. Were they not also deemed "nonsense" in their time? How can the value of Water Buffalo Rhapsodybe arbitrarily dismissed by those who only skim the surface?

陈氏之回应，更点破鉴赏活动中的主体决定性。面对同一文本，观者的学识、情怀、境界，如同不同的解码器，输出截然相异的解读。正如禅宗公案所示，不是风动幡动，是仁者心动。以“狗屁”之眼观物，则万物皆染其臭；唯怀珠抱玉之心，方能窥见艺术堂奥。

Chen’s response further highlights the subjectivity in artistic interpretation. Confronting the same text, viewers’ knowledge, sensibility, and spiritual (boundaries) act as distinct decoders, producing vastly different readings. As a Zen parable illustrates, "It is not the wind moving, nor the banner moving, but your mind moving." Those who view the world through a "nonsense" lens will find everything tainted; only with a heart embracing pearls and jade can one glimpse the profundity of art.

这桩文坛公案启示我们：在评判文艺作品时，当怀谦卑审慎之心。轻易的否定，可能暴露的恰是自身的狭隘。面对一时不解之作，不妨效法孔子“阙疑”之智，留待时光检验。毕竟，真正伟大的创作，其价值从不系于一时之毁誉，而在于能否在人类精神长河中，激起永不消退的思想涟漪。

This literary debate reminds us to approach artistic works with humility and caution. Hasty denial may reveal one’s own narrow-mindedness. When faced with initially incomprehensible works, we might emulate Confucius’ wisdom of "leaving doubts unanswered" and let time be the judge. After all, the value of truly great creations never hinges on momentary praise or criticism but on their ability to ripple through the long river of human spirit, stirring enduring waves of thought.

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《水牛赋》

Water Buffalo Rhapsody

陈恩田

By Chen Entian

坤灵毓兽，德厚惟牛；身形雄魁，品性刚柔；铁蹄踏浪，金角劈流；犁开春野之荒，力拓千载之畴（chóu）；其躬也俯，其气也遒（qiú）。遍览天下神兽，水牛可亲可俦（chóu）；助农春秧播，辅主秋谷收，无愧百姓之友。

牛兮牛兮，每逢春耕，背承朝阳，蹄翻沃壤；泥深而志昂，汗落而气壮；犁头破土，如舟分浪；铧尖引路，若剑指疆。虽鞭影偶掠其身，惟低哞（mōu）以承当；纵暑气蒸腾如沸，犹奋蹄而奔忙。每至泥淖（nào）深处，筋骨愈显刚强；俯首非为示弱，聚力乃待高翔。

至若群栖泽畔，牛牛情若渊潭。牧童悠笛，引归途于暮烟；幼犊依依，傍慈亲而畅饮；或聚角相抵以为嬉戏，或引颈交摩而解劳悴（cuì）。偶逢险路在前，则回首相呼，声气相通；若遇深沟横亘（gèn），则以身作桥，接踵（zhǒng）成队；此间温厚，足令狡者生愧！

牛兮牛兮，泥淖（nào）铸其铁骨，风霜砺其坚志；身披重甲，无惧荆棘之丛；目映寒星，何畏风雨之肆？田单昔日，曾驱火阵而破敌；老子当年，亦跨青牛而传智。铁骨既成，何用白玉之鞍；柔肠俱在，岂需黄金之辔（pèi）。

昔赞农家之宝，今蓄云空之想；吾慕牛德，甘效其勤，朝夕砥砺，唯恐寸阴虚度；躬耕千顷，但求仓廪（lǐn）殷实。待风云之嘉会兮，化田间之朴牛为云天之精灵。奋雷霆之蹄，声震于八荒；展垂天之翼，影蔽乎九霄。或戍边关，巡碧落，卫玉宇之澄清；或耕云海，播时雨，润万民之枯焦。所志所在，岂独丰饶？惟愿寰宇清平，四海同此曦朝！

牛兮牛兮，此生若处乡野，则刚韧而勤耕，此生若居庙堂；则忠义以辅政，此生若奔波于七洲四洋，则腾云挪雾，共建和平盛昌。厚积待时，昂首以望；泥途虽远，终成金石之迹；苍穹无际，待金鳞映日而翱翔！

（1995年秋陈恩田作于陕西）

(Composed by Chen Entian in Shaanxi, autumn 1995)