A
Following Mo Yan’s Nobel Prize, the usually silent Chinese literary circle got warmed up again. A Shanghai writer named Jin Yucheng surprised nearly everyone by making his new novel full of the Shanghai dialect(方言).
Published in 2012, the 350, 000-word Blossoms is a novel about the changes in Shanghai over 30 years, drawing clear images of the city through the stories of many common people. There is no main story like most novels, but every story in it could run independently. While Putonghua is the standard choice for Chinese literature today, Jin’s use of the Shanghai dialect appears both different and bold.
“I have seen too many novels that look similar to each other. Chinese literature is getting monotonous both in language and form. I want to be special with my own language, ” Jin told the Global Times.
In the novel, Jin makes a breakthrough by mainly using dialogues to unfold various plots and represent typical characters on a daily basis. He also abandons the use of some punctuation like quotation marks(引号), showing a return to the traditional Chinese huaben(话本) genre.
Since its publication, the book has been widely recommended on Sina Weibo with many netizens rating the novel high for its unique use of the dialect and vivid description of life using plain speech.
Jin said that he got the idea of writing the novel while chatting in an online forum where people use the Shanghai dialect. The praise he received from the netizens encouraged him to continue writing the random stories.
“I’d like to see more writers to follow my lead. It will enrich our literature and make it diverse, ” he said.
【文章大意】本文是一篇说明文。介绍了上海作家金宇澄的小说《繁花》。
1. What can we know from the first two paragraphs?
A. The Chinese literary circle is always silent.
B. Mo Yan was surprised at Jin Yucheng’s new novel.
C. The novel represents a modern lifestyle in Shanghai.
D. The stories in the novel aren’t linked to each other.
【解析】选D。细节理解题。根据第二段第二句“There is no main story like most novels, but every story in it could run independently. ”可知, 《繁花》没有像大多数小说那样有一个主要故事, 但它的每一个故事都可以独立成篇。据此可知, 这部小说中的故事并没有互相联系, 故D项正确。
2. What does the underlined word “monotonous” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. Lacking in variety.
B. Short of expectations.
C. Wanting further improvement.
D. Requiring more consideration.
【解析】选A。词义猜测题。根据第三段第一句“I have seen too many novels that look similar to each other. ”可知, 金宇澄认为中国的很多小说看上去彼此相似; 再结合该段第三句中的“I want to be special with my own language”可知, 他想要用自己的语言让自己的小说有特色。据此可推知“Chinese literature is getting monotonous both in language and form. ”表示中国文学在语言和形式上正变得单调, 画线词与A项含义相近, 故A项正确。B项意为“低于预期”, C项意为“想要进一步改善”, D项意为“需要更多的考虑”, 都与文意不符。
3. How does Jin Yucheng make a breakthrough in his new novel?
A. By inventing lots of typical characters.
B. By creating a vivid background.
C. By employing dialogues to develop plots and characters.
D. By playing with beautiful words in Shanghai dialect.
【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据第四段第一句“In the novel, Jin makes a breakthrough by mainly using dialogues to unfold various plots and represent typical characters on a daily basis. ”可知, 金宇澄在小说中主要是使用对话来展开各种情节并描写日常生活中的典型人物来取得突破的, 故C项正确。
4. What encouraged Jin Yucheng to continue writing in dialect?
A. The netizens’ posts.
B. The netizens’ praise.
C. The citizens’ comments.
D. Other writers’ encouragement.
【解析】选B。细节理解题。根据第六段第二句“The praise he received from the netizens encouraged him to continue writing the random stories. ”可知, 网民们的赞扬鼓励着他继续用方言写小说, 故B项正确。
