广陵集 2020 Diligent Studies in Guangling 2020 第 11 篇 Section 11
十-十一月 红楼梦赏析集 October–November: Appreciations of Dream of the Red Chamber
返回 广陵集 2020 Back to Diligent Studies in Guangling 2020本文目录 Contents
- 1. 1、以黛玉之死 来品品续本 1. Savoring the Continuation Through the Death of Daiyu
- 2. 2、悲凉之雾，遍被华林——评红楼梦77回兼论红楼梦的悲剧性 2. A Mist of Desolation Pervades the Splendid Grove—On Chapter 77 and the Tragic Nature of Dream of the Red Chamber
- 3. 3、金玉良缘还是木石前盟？–红楼梦人物简评 3. Gold and Jade Affinity or Wood and Stone Pledge?—Brief Comments on Characters in Dream of the Red Chamber
- 4. 4、如何评价陈晓旭版林黛玉？ 4. How to Evaluate Chen Xiaoxu’s Portrayal of Lin Daiyu?
1、以黛玉之死 来品品续本 1. Savoring the Continuation Through the Death of Daiyu
一、先下结论 I. Stating the Conclusion First
续本无论如何都是狗尾续貂，硬生生把旨意极为深邃的悲剧小说改成平庸的“钗黛争爱”“兰桂齐芳”的桥段。
No matter how one looks at it, the continuation is an inferior addition, forcibly twisting a profound tragic masterpiece into mundane melodrama about “Baochai and Daiyu vying for love” and “prosperity restored with sons and grandsons.”
原因：
Reasons:
人物性格全盘崩坏（初看不明显，但当结合原著就会发现众多纰漏。）
Total collapse of character consistency (not immediately glaring at first glance, but rife with contradictions when compared to the original chapters).
续本的内容容量远小于原著，以本回为例，简直可以“宝玉醒来觉得金石姻缘已定，渐将爱黛玉之心移至宝钗身上；而黛玉死，众人痛哭。”一句话概括！众多人物结局竟一笔带过或压根不提！
The narrative capacity of the continuation is far inferior to the original. Taking this chapter as an example, it can practically be summarized in a single line: “Baoyu wakes, decides the gold-and-jade affinity is predestined, shifts his love for Daiyu onto Baochai; Daiyu dies, and everyone weeps.” The fates of numerous characters are glossed over or ignored entirely!
曹雪芹的宿命论面目全非
Cao Xueqin’s fatalistic philosophy is distorted beyond recognition.
当然还有行文线索，诗词等等，太多了，这里不提了。以上三点是我今天演讲的主题！
There are, of course, countless other issues in plotting threads, poetic quality, and style, but I shall pass over them here. The three points above form the core of my talk today!
二、逐人分析黛玉之死【注意人物对话！】 II. Person-by-Person Analysis on the Death of Daiyu (Pay Attention to Dialogue!)
宝玉自己
Baoyu Himself
“一日，宝玉渐觉神志安定，虽一时想起黛玉，尚有糊涂。更有袭人缓缓的将”老爷选定的宝姑娘为人和厚，嫌林姑娘秉性古怪，原恐早夭，老太太恐你不知好歹，病中着急，所以叫雪雁过来哄你”的话时常劝解。宝玉终是心酸落泪。欲待寻死，又想着梦中之言，又恐老太太，太太生气，又不能撩开。又想黛玉已死，宝钗又是第一等人物，方信金石姻缘有定，自己也解了好些。”
“One day, Baoyu felt his wits gradually stabilizing; though he thought of Daiyu from time to time, his mind was still somewhat muddled. Furthermore, Xiren gently soothed him day after day, saying: ‘The master selected Miss Bao because she is kind and generous; he found Miss Lin’s temperament eccentric and feared an early death, while the Dowager feared you might act rashly in your illness, which was why Xueyan was summoned to appease you.’ Baoyu wept bitterly in sorrow. He wished to seek death, yet recalled words heard in a dream, and feared angering the Dowager and his mother, unable to cast it aside. Reflecting that Daiyu was dead and Baochai was a maiden of the highest caliber, he believed the gold-and-jade affinity was predestined, and his sorrow was somewhat alleviated.”
情感的转变实在是令人匪夷所思。续本中对宝玉的变化不止于此，宝玉在前八十回中是非常有灵性的，在对晴雯的《芙蓉女儿诔》中其实也暗含对黛玉的怜惜爱护之情。而到了后四十回中，他已经开始进学堂了，并且同贾代儒大谈儒学，这明显不符合曹雪芹的前面设计。而林黛玉到了后四十回中也开始谈科举，但是在前八十回中，曹雪芹在设计林黛玉这个角色的时候，是说林黛玉从来不劝说贾宝玉去走科举之路。可见人物的变化之大！
Such a transformation of emotional devotion is utterly preposterous. In the continuation, the degradation of Baoyu does not stop here: in the first eighty chapters, Baoyu is exceptionally spiritual; his Elegy for the Hibiscus Maiden honoring Qingwen secretly breathes his tender sorrow and devotion for Daiyu. Yet in the final forty chapters, he enters the family school and converses with Jia Dairu about orthodox Confucianism, flagrantly violating Cao Xueqin’s original design. Even Lin Daiyu in the final forty chapters begins to discuss imperial civil examinations, whereas in the first eighty chapters Cao Xueqin specifically noted that Daiyu never urged Baoyu to pursue examination success. The distortion of character is startling!
贾母
The Matriarch (Grandmother Jia)
看宝丫头也不是多心的人，不比的我那外孙女儿的脾气，所以他不得长寿。——贾母
“Miss Bao is not oversensitive, unlike my daughter’s daughter, whose temperament doomed her to a short life.” — Grandmother Jia
在第二十九回中贾母道：“上回有和尚说了，这孩子命里不该早娶，等再大一大儿再定罢。你可如今打听着，不管他根基富贵，只要模样配的上就好，来告诉我。便是那家子穷，不过给他几两银子罢了。只是模样性格儿难得好的。”这句话表面上回答张道人，实际上却是讲给王夫人听的，贾母不可能不知道王夫人希望宝玉嫁给宝钗，这样子王家在贾府下一代的势力又多了坚固的一层。可见贾母在前八十回是显然不支持钗玉二人的。
In Chapter 29, Grandmother Jia remarked: “A monk once said that this child’s destiny forbids early marriage; wait until he grows a bit older before deciding. Ask around now—regardless of whether her family is noble or wealthy, as long as her appearance matches his, come tell me. Even if the family is poor, we can bestow silver upon them; it is only good looks and disposition that are rare.” On the surface, this was spoken to Daoist Zhang, yet in truth it was addressed to Lady Wang. Grandmother Jia could not have been unaware of Lady Wang’s eagerness to wed Baoyu to Baochai, thereby cementing the Wang family’s influence in the Jia household for another generation. Plainly, in the first eighty chapters Grandmother Jia did not favor the match between Baochai and Baoyu.
虽说贾母属意木石姻缘这件事，书中只有王熙凤和家里小厮的八卦佐证，贾母本人是没有表态的，我们倒也不必急于坐实。但贾母不认同金玉姻缘，却是明明白白摆了出来，甚至不惜落了元春的面子。宝钗“比我们家的姑娘都周全”，是实打实的欣赏，老太太是通达之人，并不因感情亲疏而罔顾事实，宝钗确实是个好姑娘，只不过不是“我们家的”。老太太对宝钗是“欣赏”，对黛玉是“爱”，宝钗千好万好，然而她背后的家庭出身（商人女，杀人犯哥哥）已经决定了她不是合适的婚娶对象。
Although the only support in the book for Grandmother Jia favoring the Wood-and-Stone match comes from Wang Xifeng’s remarks and the household servants’ gossip, and Grandmother Jia herself never states a position, we need not rush to treat that preference as established. Her disapproval of the Gold-and-Jade match, however, is made very clear, even at the cost of slighting Yuanchun. Saying that Baochai is “more considerate than the girls in our family” expresses genuine appreciation. The old lady is broad-minded and does not disregard facts because of emotional closeness or distance: Baochai is indeed a good girl, just not “one of ours.” What she feels for Baochai is “appreciation”; what she feels for Daiyu is “love.” However good Baochai may be, her family background—a merchant’s daughter with a murderer for a brother—has already made her an unsuitable marriage partner.
这一点不止是老太太心里一片清明，贾政心里也是十分有数的。贾府能够参与决定宝玉婚事的人无非就是贾政，贾母，王夫人三个。王夫人的态度再坚定鲜明不过了，贾政对贾母言听计从，倘若这两人也取中宝钗，那早就该跟薛家提亲了。
This was clear not only to the Matriarch, but also to Jia Zheng. The only three individuals in the Jia mansion who had a say in Baoyu’s marriage were Jia Zheng, the Matriarch, and Lady Wang. Lady Wang’s stance was clear; Jia Zheng deferentially obeyed his mother. Had both favored Baochai, an offer of marriage would have been proposed to the Xue family long before.
薛姨妈
Aunt Xue
前文的“薛姨妈爱语慰痴颦”一事
The incident in earlier chapters where “Aunt Xue comforts the lovesick Pin’er with tender words”
薛姨妈自始至终表现出来的都是慈、贤等‘标准’母亲的特征，我们只需要看看她对香菱和邢岫烟的态度就好了。“因薛姨妈看见邢岫烟生得端雅稳重，且家道贫寒，是个钗荆裙布的女儿，便欲说与薛蟠为妻。因薛蟠素习行止浮奢，又恐糟塌人家的女儿。正在踌躇之际，忽想起薛蝌未娶，看他二人恰是一对天生地设的夫妻，因谋之于凤姐儿”。
Aunt Xue consistently displays the qualities of a “standard” mother, such as kindness and virtue; we need only look at her attitude toward Xiangling and Xing Xiuyan. “Aunt Xue saw that Xing Xiuyan was elegant and steady, and that her family was poor, leaving her dressed in plain cloth with a simple hairpin, and wanted to propose her as a wife for Xue Pan. But Xue Pan had always been frivolous and extravagant in his conduct, and she feared he would ruin someone else’s daughter. While hesitating, she suddenly remembered that Xue Ke was unmarried. Seeing that the two would be a match made in heaven, she discussed it with Xifeng.”
此外还有王熙凤等等，在此不谈了……
There are also distortions surrounding Wang Xifeng and others, which I shall pass over here…
总结：续书中的大部分人物都失去了本来的色彩，令人唏嘘不已！
Summary: Most characters in the continuation have lost their original luster, a tragedy that leaves one sighing in regret!
三、曹雪芹思想的人文关怀和宿命论 III. Humanistic Care and Fatalism in Cao Xueqin’s Thought
这是我想讲的最重要的一点。曹雪芹在前八十回中，描述了贾家的繁荣，将贾家描述得如此繁荣，是为了衬托后面的悲剧。而高鹗却在后四十回中创造了大团圆的结局，贾家复兴的结局明显不是曹雪芹的本意。曹雪芹想要反礼教，高鹗却一定要给他拨正。高鹗在续书中警示众生：情字是犯不得的，犯情孽者必无好下场。——林黛玉的死便是一例。而贾宝玉浪子回头，终成正果。这是后四十回的要旨所在，对曹公原著的根本颠覆。
This is the most crucial thesis I wish to convey. In the first eighty chapters, Cao Xueqin delineated the immense splendor of the Jia clan to throw into relief the impending tragedy. Gao E, conversely, manufactured a happy ending in the final forty chapters; the revival of the Jia family was never Cao Xueqin’s intention. Where Cao Xueqin sought to rebel against feudal rituals, Gao E insisted on steering the narrative back to orthodoxy, warning all mortals: passion must never be transgressed, and those who indulge in romance meet a wretched end—Daiyu’s death being the prime example—while Baoyu turns from his errant ways to attain salvation. This is the moral agenda of the final forty chapters, a fundamental subversion of Cao Xueqin’s vision.
这是高鹗与曹雪芹的经历差异造成的问题。曹雪芹的家庭本来很荣耀，但是最后被抄家，他经历了如此大变，因此在写作红楼梦的时候，将自己的心境融入其中。而高鹗没有这样的经历，他只是按照小说的续写去做，因此造成了狗尾续貂的结果。
This stems from the stark disparity in life experiences between Gao E and Cao Xueqin. Cao Xueqin came from an illustrious family that was confiscated; having lived through such cataclysm, he poured his broken soul into the writing of Dream of the Red Chamber. Gao E lacked such lived tragedy; he merely executed a fictional continuation, resulting in an inferior pastiche.
但这些是高鹗无法想象的，这又不是他的命，要他如何身临其境呢？他要怎么相信命运的反复无常？他一生仕途显赫，也就不会明白。他后来写贾府复苏兰桂齐芳，其实也是对自己的期望。他不信宿命，就仍在争取，这在曹雪芹眼里是十分可笑的固执。但就是这样的人续写了曹雪芹的作品，这也是命运给曹雪芹开的玩笑吧。
Such depths were unimaginable to Gao E: this was not his destiny, so how could he live it from within? How could he grasp the fickle cruelty of fate? Having enjoyed a successful bureaucratic career, he could never comprehend it. His depiction of the Jia family’s revival was in truth the projection of his own worldly ambitions. Refusing to believe in fatalistic ruin, he continued striving—an obstinacy that would have seemed laughable to Cao Xueqin. Yet it was such a man who completed Cao Xueqin’s work; perhaps this too was fate’s cruel joke upon Cao.
不管是曹雪芹还是贾宝玉，是一个非常自怜又悲天悯人的人。觉得花草树木样样有感情。他的吃穿用度十分考究也不仅仅是因为家境，因为他敏感、挑剔。
Both Cao Xueqin and Jia Baoyu were souls steeped in self-compassion and universal pity, perceiving sentiment in every flower, plant, and tree. Baoyu’s fastidious tastes in attire and food arose not merely from wealth, but from a sensitive, discerning spirit.
曹雪芹是一个非常相信宿命论的人，他觉得自己的人生就是这样的一场悲剧，他挣又挣不脱，挣扎也是徒劳。但是他又很渴望不被尘世的生活所束缚。
Cao Xueqin believed intensely in fate; he felt his life was an inescapable tragedy from which struggle was futile. Yet he yearned with equal fervor to remain unenslaved by mundane convention.
他痛苦、彷徨、陷在往日美好的记忆中不可自拔，他写出了自己的痛苦难当、彷徨无措和往昔追思。
He suffered, hesitated, and remained helplessly ensnared in cherished memories of bygone days, writing down his unbearable anguish, bewilderment, and mourning for the past.
题外话
Side Note
据鲁迅先生和周汝昌先生的考证，林黛玉本应该是在冷月寒塘自沉而死的。
According to studies by Lu Xun and Zhou Ruchang, Lin Daiyu was originally destined to drown herself in a cold pond beneath a chill moon.
绛珠草，原型是苦箴（zhen）草，为洛水之神宓妃的象征，而凤姐生日是宝玉偷偷跑出德胜门祭奠金钏（chuan），去的便是供洛神的水仙庵。
The Crimson Pearl Plant’s prototype is the bitter-needle herb, symbolic of the River Luo goddess Fufei; on Xifeng’s birthday, when Baoyu slipped out through Desheng Gate to offer sacrifice for Jinchuan, he visited the Narcissus Nunnery dedicated to the Goddess of Luo.
那夜黛玉湘云联句，至寒塘渡鹤影，冷月葬花魂，妙玉出来拦住说太悲凉，不祥了。这正是暗示次年此夜黛玉于此塘自沉。
The night Daiyu and Xiangyun composed linked verses, reaching “Cold pond crosses crane’s shadow; chill moon buries flower’s soul,” Miaoyu halted them, saying the verses were too desolate and ominous. This foreshadowed Daiyu drowning herself in that very pond on the same night of the following year.
潇湘妃子的象征娥皇女英都是著名的水神。
Ehuang and Nüying, evoked by the name ‘Consort of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers’, are both renowned water goddesses.
这不是本次演讲的重点，在这里给同学们一点启发，同学们可以课后继续探究。
This is not the central focus of today’s lecture, but is offered as food for thought for classmates to explore after class.
四、感悟：今天，我们为什么要读续本？ IV. Reflections: Why Do We Read the Continuation Today?
首先，续本在红楼梦的传播中有着功不可没的作用。这是我们必须承认的。其次，任何作品，当它交到我们手上时，就不只是作者的了，而是与我们读者共有的了，我们可以从续书中看出高鹗自己对红楼梦这部书的理解，与其视作续书，我更愿意将其视为一块阅读红楼梦的敲门砖，指引着我自己去思考红楼梦的意义。所以说阅读的尽头永远不只是记忆的滚瓜烂熟，而是自己全新的思考，希望大家都能带着问题再去读读红楼，一定会受益匪浅！
First, the continuation played an indispensable role in disseminating Dream of the Red Chamber; this we must acknowledge. Second, once a work is placed in our hands, it no longer belongs solely to the author, but is co-owned by us as readers. Through the continuation we discern Gao E’s own reading of the novel; rather than viewing it purely as a continuation, I prefer to treat it as a stepping stone that prompts me to contemplate the true meaning of Dream of the Red Chamber. The end of reading is never mere mechanical memorization, but our own fresh contemplation. I hope everyone will read the novel anew with these questions in mind—you will surely reap immense rewards!
谢谢大家！
Thank you, everyone!
2、悲凉之雾，遍被华林——评红楼梦77回兼论红楼梦的悲剧性 2. A Mist of Desolation Pervades the Splendid Grove—On Chapter 77 and the Tragic Nature of Dream of the Red Chamber
Part1 总序 Part 1: General Introduction
鲁迅先生在《中国小说史略》中有这么一句话：“悲凉之雾，遍被华林，然呼吸而领会之者，独宝玉而已”，本回为集中体现的一回。为什么这么说呢？在我看来，宝玉的心从来没有被他的父母领会，他只能眼睁睁目睹亲爱的女孩子们花落人亡而空自叹息。
In A Brief History of Chinese Fiction, Lu Xun wrote: “A mist of desolation pervades the splendid grove, yet he who breathes and comprehends it is Baoyu alone.” Chapter 77 is the concentrated embodiment of this insight. Why? In my view, Baoyu’s soul was never understood by his parents; he could only watch helplessly as the beloved maidens withered and perished, sighing in vain.
本回时间为中秋已过，渐入晚秋，抄检后的大观园内一片萧索气象。在袭人与宝玉的对话中，宝玉言道：“阶下好好的一株海棠花，竟无故死了半边。”这不但是时序的暗示，亦是萧索氛围的营造。
The temporal setting is past Mid-Autumn, entering late autumn; the Grand View Garden after the search presents a scene of bleak desolation. In a conversation between Xiren and Baoyu, Baoyu remarks: “A fine flowering crabapple below the steps has withered half away for no reason.” This is not merely a seasonal hint, but the creation of an ominous atmosphere.
【改正：季节暗示应为春末，春末晴雯去世，海棠花枯死半边是晴雯去世的暗示】
[Correction: The seasonal foreshadowing properly belongs to late spring, when Qingwen passes away; the half-withered crabapple foreshadows Qingwen’s death.]
Part2 主要内容 Part 2: Main Contents
本回的悲事大抵有三件。一是王夫人为凤姐寻药不得；二是司棋被逐；三是王夫人亲撵晴雯、四儿、芳官，宝玉与晴雯诀别，而芳官等人出家为尼。再加上李纨凤姐生病，宝钗姐妹搬出，曾经人声鼎沸的大观园此时已人口稀少。这是最直观的一悲。
There are three main tragedies in this chapter. First, Lady Wang fails to find medicine for Xifeng; second, Siqi is banished; third, Lady Wang personally expels Qingwen, Si’er, and Fangguan, Baoyu parts forever with Qingwen, and Fangguan and others become Buddhist nuns. Compounded by Li Wan and Xifeng falling ill, and Baochai and her sister moving out, the once bustling Grand View Garden is now desolate and depopulated. This is the most visible tragedy.
而王夫人找药这一细节则体现出贾府财政已经捉襟见肘，再加上甄府被抄，贾府的经济基础和政治靠山正在渐渐被削弱，这是第二悲。
The detail of Lady Wang looking for medicine reveals that the Jia family’s finances are already severely strained; alongside the confiscation of the Zhen family’s estate, the Jia family’s economic foundation and political patronage are crumbling—this is the second tragedy.
从宝玉所言：“怎么这些人，一嫁了汉子，染了男人的气味，就这样混账起来，比男人更可杀了！”可以看出大观园中众主仆间的愈发尖锐的矛盾和勾心斗角的斗争是贾家衰败的重大原因。大观园中众婆子都只想为自家人在贾府牟一个善差，偷吃回扣，而晴雯一般真心为主子好的人却被刁难致死。
From Baoyu’s outburst—“Why is it that once these women marry a man and become tainted with the reek of men, they turn into such scoundrels, even more detestable than men!”—one sees that the sharpening friction and intrigue between masters and servants in the Grand View Garden form a major driver of the clan’s downfall. The matrons seek only lucrative posts and kickbacks for their kin, while sincere souls like Qingwen are tormented to death.
就像劣币驱逐良币一样，偌大的贾府渐渐“再没一个干净去处了。”这是宝玉发自内心的第三悲。
Like bad money driving out good, the immense Jia mansion gradually “has not a single clean corner left.” This is the third tragedy welling from Baoyu’s heart.
Part3 人物 Part 3: Characters
接下来我将结合重点人物分析宝玉的悲从何而来。主要人物有王夫人，晴雯与袭人。可以说，这一回中对人物的描写直接提升了红楼梦这部小说的历史地位，有别于一般小说善恶分明的人物形象，红楼梦的人们具有突出的复杂性。
Next, I shall analyze the source of Baoyu’s grief through key figures: Lady Wang, Qingwen, and Xiren. The characterization in this chapter elevates the literary stature of Dream of the Red Chamber; departing from simplistic black-and-white caricatures, the figures in the novel display striking psychological complexity.
首先是王夫人。相信读完了这一回，大家对王夫人应该是咬牙切齿了。逐司棋，撵晴雯等人，把芳官等人交给尼姑发落。在之前的章回中，王夫人的公正得体比那惟贾赦是从的邢夫人给人的感觉好太多了，为什么她在这几回中先是抄检大观园，后又亲撵丫鬟呢？这其中有没有什么隐情呢？
First is Lady Wang. Having read this chapter, readers likely grind their teeth in fury against her: banishing Siqi, expelling Qingwen and others, handing Fangguan over to Buddhist nuns. In earlier chapters, Lady Wang appeared far more decent and upright than Lady Xing, who blindly deferred to Jia She. Why, then, did she lead the search of the garden and personally expel maidservants here? Are there hidden motivations at play?
其实在王夫人心中是把宝玉看的比天还高的，对宝玉极尽宠爱，当然不希望他年纪轻轻就被丫头勾引过去。在这种心理下，她对袭人和众婆子的话便深信不疑，再加以听袭人讲了宝玉的“平日之语”，不谙儿子之心的王夫人便做了自以为正确的事，贾府主子所受蒙蔽由此可见一斑。当主子的双手无法触及园子深处时，腐败与勾心斗角便在其中潜滋暗长，可以说王夫人也是一个不自觉的受害者。
In truth, Lady Wang regards Baoyu as higher than heaven itself, doting on him unconditionally; naturally, she dreads seeing him led astray by maidservants in his youth. Driven by this psychology, she placed implicit faith in Xiren and the gossip of older matrons; hearing Xiren recount Baoyu’s everyday talk, Lady Wang acted on what she deemed righteous while fundamentally misunderstanding her son. When the master’s reach fails to penetrate the inner garden, corruption and intrigue fester unseen; Lady Wang was, in her own way, an unwitting casualty.
除此之外，作为又副册之魁的晴雯与袭人在本回也有这突出的对比。作为曹雪芹钦定的“黛玉之影”，晴雯身上无疑寄托着作者对女子的赞美和惋惜之情。晴雯是个奇女子（俏晴雯），年纪轻轻就被送到贾府，深受贾母与宝玉喜爱，容貌和针织也是顶尖，在宝玉房里过着公主般的生活。可以说一切都是那么令人嫉妒。可惜率真的晴雯不懂得在贾府中广布人脉，反而是常常自说自话，惹怒众人。她是个自我意识非常强的丫头，但在黑暗的大观园里，纵有一颗真诚为宝玉的心，也难逃惨死的命运。
Moreover, Qingwen, who heads the Further Supplementary Register, and Xiren form a stark contrast in this chapter. As Cao Xueqin’s designated “shadow of Daiyu,” Qingwen carries the author’s deepest admiration and sorrow for women. She was a singular maiden—the charming Qingwen—brought to the Jia mansion in her tender years, adored by the Matriarch and Baoyu, peerless in both beauty and needlework, living like a pampered princess in Baoyu’s quarters. All of this invited bitter jealousy. Alas, straightforward Qingwen never learned to cultivate patronage in the household, speaking her mind and offending many. She was a maid of fierce self-consciousness, yet in the dark undercurrents of the garden, even a heart sincerely devoted to Baoyu could not avert a tragic death.
相反，袭人在我看来是一个标准的封建奴仆（注：现在看有些把袭人硬生生放在晴雯的对立面，“封建奴仆”有些过了，所谓“晴为黛影”云云也不能用在分析人物的全部，她对宝玉有爱护，对晴雯有照顾，不过袭人工于心计是真，人物具有充分立体性），可以说她有着“恰到好处”的奴性，如果把红楼梦的女子来到现代生活，袭人的性格绝对可以与宝钗一争第一。袭人对主子的喜好都能做到尽力迎合，从而坐上连颜色更胜一筹的晴雯都没有坐到的姨太太的位置。
Conversely, Xiren appears to me as an exemplar of the feudal retainer (Note: Looking back, casting Xiren in rigid opposition to Qingwen as merely a “feudal servant” is somewhat crude; the maxim that “Qingwen is Daiyu’s shadow” cannot exhaust the complexity of character—she cared for Baoyu and looked after Qingwen, yet her calculating nature remains real, endowing her with rich multidimensionality). She possessed a servility calibrated to perfection; were the maidens of the novel transported to modern times, Xiren’s adaptability could rival Baochai for supremacy. Xiren catered impeccably to her masters’ preferences, gaining the position of concubine that even the fairer Qingwen never attained.
联系前文，我们知道是袭人与宝玉“初试云雨情”，如果说王夫人要撵走宝玉身边所谓“没廉耻的货”，袭人必然是首当其冲，她之所以得以幸免于难，是因为她在一大早就对王夫人展现出“为宝玉好”的一面，博得了王夫人的信任。反观晴雯，只因衣冠不整就被王夫人斥道勾引宝玉。宝玉对袭人只是敬重，对晴雯则是更有几分宠溺，袭人与晴雯的一起一落，揭示出大观园中的腐败堕落，也暗示出钗黛间的最后命运。
Recalling earlier events, it was Xiren who shared intimacy with Baoyu; had Lady Wang truly sought to purge “shameless wretches,” Xiren would have been the first target. That she survived was because she demonstrated early on to Lady Wang her devotion to “Baoyu’s best interests,” winning the lady’s total trust. In contrast, Qingwen was castigated for seducing Baoyu merely for being disheveled. Toward Xiren Baoyu felt respect, whereas toward Qingwen he felt affectionate indulgence; the rise and fall of Xiren and Qingwen expose the moral decay of the garden and foreshadow the ultimate destiny of Baochai and Daiyu.
Part4 感悟 Part 4: Reflections
接下来，我想谈谈我对本回这场悲剧的看法。探春曾说过：“‘百足之虫，死而不僵’，必须先从家里自杀自灭起来，才能一败涂地呢！”这个宏大的贾府，破落必然要从微小处渐渐扩大。从丫鬟开刀是曹雪芹的妙笔。本回中写众丫头被逐，一方面透露出园中的矛盾重重，另一方面也是贾府财力不支的一个体现。虽然此时的贾母等人仍陶醉在花天酒地的莺歌燕舞中，但贾府的最终破灭由此也指日可待了。
Next, I wish to share my thoughts on this chapter’s tragedy. Tanchun once said: “A hundred-legged insect does not stiffen even in death; it must destroy itself from within before collapsing utterly!” In this grand Jia mansion, decline inevitably spreads from minute fractures. Striking at the maidservants was Cao Xueqin’s masterstroke. The expulsion of the maids exposes internal rifts while signaling financial depletion. Though the Matriarch and elders still indulged in feasts and revelry, the final downfall of the Jia mansion was already drawing near.
说到这，不知道大家有没有一种很低落的感觉。曹雪芹写的是不是太消极了？毕竟，人们看惯了happy ending，本能是拒绝一悲而终的，这就不难解释为什么刘心武等一大批人会赞扬是续本成就了红楼梦。
Arriving here, one might feel an overwhelming gloom. Was Cao Xueqin’s writing too bleak? Accustomed to happy endings, people instinctively recoil from unmitigated tragedy, which explains why commentators like Liu Xinwu praised the continuation for completing the novel.
要解释这，就要说到曹雪芹本人了。我想曹雪芹在历尽生命的悲欢喜乐之后，认识到即使“万境归空”，生命也还是需要经历这样的一番悲喜的过程。一切都是梦幻泡影。但即使这一切都是梦幻泡影，也必须要经历一场。
To understand this, one must turn to Cao Xueqin himself. I think that after experiencing life’s joys and sorrows, he recognized that even if all realms dissolve into void, life must still traverse this cycle of grief and ecstasy. All is an illusory dream, a fleeting foam; yet even so, it must be lived through in full.
曹雪芹将乐和悲交织在一起，有热闹，有欣喜，有悲哀，有落寞，读者也跟着一起悲伤和欣喜。到了最后，曹雪芹又无情而决绝地将他笔下所呈现的这一切景象全部推翻摧毁——书虽未写完，然而这样的结局却是在预料之中。这样一番“好一似食尽鸟投林，落了片白茫茫大地真干净”的场景，不仅是贾府，是曹雪芹，也是每个世人的归宿。
Cao Xueqin intertwined joy and sorrow: bustling warmth, delight, mourning, and desolate solitude, carrying the reader through tides of grief and bliss. In the end, he ruthlessly leveled all the splendor he had wrought—though the manuscript was unfinished, such an ending was entirely foretold. That final vision—“Like birds scattering into the woods when the food is spent, leaving behind a vast white expanse, clean and bare”—is the ultimate destination not only of the Jia clan and Cao Xueqin, but of every mortal on earth.
Part5 尾声 Part 5: Epilogue
最后，是我读《红楼梦》的一点体会。
Finally, a personal reflection on reading Dream of the Red Chamber.
鲁迅先生说过，“悲剧是将人生有价值的东西撕碎给人看，喜剧是将人生无价值的东西拼凑给人看。”《红楼梦》是一部悲剧，但她并不只是一部悲剧，这部悲剧具有极大的启发意义和教化价值。用王国维评论《红楼梦》的话说：“它的美学特性是壮美与崇高，它的审美价值是教化与解脱。”希望大家从中都能得出一些启发。
Lu Xun wrote: “Tragedy is showing the valuable things of human life shattered for all to see; comedy is showing the worthless things cobbled together for all to see.” Dream of the Red Chamber is a tragedy, yet far more than a tragedy: it bears immense pedagogical and enlightened value. In the words of Wang Guowei: “Its aesthetic nature is sublimity and grandeur; its aesthetic value is edification and deliverance.” I hope everyone derives inspiration from its depths.
谢谢大家！
Thank you, everyone!
3、金玉良缘还是木石前盟？–红楼梦人物简评 3. Gold and Jade Affinity or Wood and Stone Pledge?—Brief Comments on Characters in Dream of the Red Chamber
“可叹停机德，堪怜咏絮才。玉带林中挂，金簪雪里埋。” —-引子
“Sigh for her virtue in halting the loom, pity her talent in chanting willow catkins. A jade belt hangs in the woods, a golden hairpin lies buried in snow.” — Epigraph
在小说第三回中有两首《西江月》，是这样描写宝玉的：
In Chapter 3 of the novel, two verses set to the tune of Xi Jiang Yue describe Baoyu thus:
“无故寻愁觅恨，有时似傻如狂。纵然生得好皮囊，腹内原来草莽。潦倒不通世务，愚顽怕读文章。行为偏僻性乖张，那管世人诽谤！
“Finding sorrow and nursing hatred without cause, at times appearing foolish or mad. Though blessed with a handsome frame, within resides an untamed thicket. Muddled and ignorant of worldly affairs, stubborn and dreading canonical texts. Eccentric in conduct and obstinate in temper, caring nothing for the slander of the world!
富贵不知乐业，贫穷难耐凄凉。可怜辜负好韶光，于国于家无望。天下无能第一，古今不肖无双。寄言纨绔与膏梁：莫效此儿形状！”
“Born to wealth he knows not diligent labor; plunged into poverty he could never bear desolation. Pitifully squandering youthful splendor, offering no hope for country or clan. Foremost in incompetence under heaven, peerless in unfilial folly through ancient and modern times. A word of advice to dandies and scions of privilege: do not imitate this boy’s manner!”
有些读者在读了这两首《西江月》后，就此认定了宝玉是一个不求上进的祸胎。但其实不然，这两首《西江月》是从封建统治者的思想出发，所反映的是封建大家长对宝玉盼他中举，扬名以继承封建阶级事业的“良苦用心”。而作者正是借《西江月》寓褒于贬，充分概括了在宝玉身上最突出的闪亮点—叛逆性格。
Reading these two stanzas, some readers assume Baoyu is an incorrigible ne’er-do-well. Yet this is not the case: these poems adopt the vantage point of feudal rulers, mirroring the elders’ fervent wish for Baoyu to pass civil exams, win renown, and carry forward the feudal lineage. The author used these verses to encode praise within apparent censure, encapsulating Baoyu’s most incandescent trait: his rebellious spirit.
贾宝玉作为荣国府嫡系子孙，他出身不凡又聪明灵秀，是贾氏家族寄予重望的继承人，可是他的思想性格，却促使他对功名利禄，封妻荫子，十分厌恶，全然否定。词中说他：“潦倒不通世务，愚顽怕读文章，行为偏僻性乖张，那管世人诽谤！”其实就是说他不肯“留意于孔孟之间，委身于经济之道”，不愿走封建家长为他规定的读书应举，结交官场，经帮济世的人生道路，而是鄙视功名利禄，厌闻“仕途经济”的学问。他甚至认为那些儒家著述，“都是前人无故生事”是“杜撰”出来的。
As the direct scion of the Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu was gifted with noble birth and brilliant intelligence, the heir upon whom the clan pinned its hopes. Yet his temperament compelled him to despise fame, fortune, and worldly advancement. The lines state: “Muddled and ignorant of worldly affairs, stubborn and dreading canonical texts, eccentric in conduct and obstinate in temper, caring nothing for the slander of the world!”—meaning he refused to study the doctrines of Confucius and Mencius or dedicate himself to bureaucratic statecraft, despising the career path ordained by his elders. He even deemed Confucian treatises to be “predecessors creating trouble without cause,” mere fabrications.
他对读书上进、为官做宦的世俗男子，有着强烈的憎恶和轻蔑。
Toward worldly men who studied for exams and pursued officialdom, he harbored intense disdain and contempt.
贾宝玉的叛逆精神不仅表现在他坚决不肯走封建人生道路，还表现在他对“男尊女卑”的封建传统观念大胆地提出了挑战。当然，在他的性格当中，给人印象最深的也就是对于世俗男性的憎恶轻蔑以及与之相反的对于女孩子的特殊亲爱和尊重。在第二回中，他发表了自己离经逆道的独到见解：“原来天生人为万物之灵，凡山川日月之精秀只钟于女儿，须眉男子不过是些渣滓浊沫而已。”因此，他在行动上才表现出了对女孩不同一般的温柔体贴。
Baoyu’s rebelliousness manifested not only in rejecting the feudal career path, but in daring to challenge the traditional dogma of male superiority. The most indelible aspect of his character was his contempt for worldly men contrasted with his deep reverence and tenderness for young maidens. In Chapter 2, he voiced his heretical view: “Man is born the spirit of all creation; yet the essence of mountains, rivers, sun, and moon is gathered solely in women, while men are merely coarse dregs and foul froth.” Hence, his conduct displayed an extraordinary tenderness toward girls.
就连宝玉追求的爱情婚姻也是建立在这种反叛思想的基础上的。他早已将追求婚姻自主和个性解放的思想昭然明世，他在梦中叫骂“和尚道士的话如何信得？什么‘金玉良缘’？我偏说‘木石姻缘’”。他极力抗拒封建主义为他安排的传统的生活道路，把所有热情和理想寄托在那些被侮辱、被损害的女孩子身上，大胆挑战男尊女卑的封建传统，宝玉对个性自由的追求集中表现在爱情婚姻方面，封建婚姻要听从父母之命取决于家庭的利益。
Even the love and marriage Baoyu sought were anchored in this rebellious spirit. He championed autonomy in marriage and personal emancipation, shouting in his sleep: “How can one believe the words of monks and Daoists? What ‘Gold-and-Jade affinity’? I insist upon the ‘Wood-and-Stone pledge’!” He resisted the path arranged by feudal orthodoxy, entrusting his passion and ideals to wronged maidens and challenging patriarchal conventions. Feudal marriage demanded obedience to parental command and clan interests.
可是他对于林黛玉的相爱是以含有深刻社会意义的思想感情为基础的，这个与叛逆思想为内核的爱情，遭到了封建势力的日益严酷的压迫，林黛玉泪尽而死，宝玉最终弃家出走。
Yet his love for Lin Daiyu was founded upon ideological resonance of profound social import; centered upon rebellious kinship, their love faced relentless suppression from feudal forces, until Daiyu died with tears exhausted and Baoyu left his family.
林黛玉是小说中另一个叛逆者，她出生“清贵之家”，因父母早丧，寄居在贾府。环境的势利与恶劣，使她小心戒备，为保持自己纯洁的个性始终“孤高自诩，目无下尘”，用直率与锋芒保卫自我的纯洁。在这个冷漠的环境中宝玉是他唯一的精神寄托，她执着而强烈的向宝玉要求彼此知心，忠于自我的严肃专一的爱情，但两人的爱情注定是个悲剧，她是作者倾注了极大的同情的一个悲剧典型。
Lin Daiyu is another rebel in the novel. Born into a noble, scholarly family, orphaned in childhood, she took refuge in the Jia mansion. A snobbish, hostile environment forced her to remain on guard; to safeguard her purity, she remained “aloof, disdaining worldly dust,” using sharpness and candor as her armor. In this cold milieu, Baoyu was her sole emotional haven; she demanded from him mutual soul-knowledge and unwavering devotion, yet their love was destined for tragedy—a tragic archetype into whom the author poured his deepest sympathy.
林黛玉的性格与她所生长的环境有着很密切的关系。家道中落对黛玉造成的影响就是：敢爱而不敢言，只有把爱深深地放在心中，期待着别人能帮她一把，把自己的爱情寄托于别人的怜悯，形成了强烈的依赖感。只把着了一个救命的稻草，信守爱情，正所谓，爱至深，伤也深。
Daiyu’s personality is closely connected with the environment in which she grew up. The decline of her family affected her in this way: she dared to love but not to say so, keeping love deep in her heart and hoping that someone else would help her. Entrusting her love to others’ compassion created a strong sense of dependence. She clung to a single lifeline and remained faithful to love. As the saying goes, the deeper the love, the deeper the hurt.
但可悲的是宝黛之间的爱情注定是一场悲剧。顽固的封建礼教是不允许他们之间的爱情存在的。以嫌弃她的多病之身和小家子性儿为由，一次次地向她们的爱情发出警告。从“金玉良缘”到“慧紫鹃情辞试莽玉”再到“晴雯之死。”最终在“抄检大观园”时达到了爱情的毁灭阶段。在这场灾难中，司棋、芳官、四儿等先后做了牺牲品。就连“眉眼儿象林妹妹”的晴雯也在重病时被强赶出了大观园，最后含屈而死。这里封建势力彻底抛弃黛玉的讯号。从此黛玉的状况每日愈下，就连重病将死也乏人问津。
Tragically, the love between Baoyu and Daiyu was doomed. Rigid feudal convention could not tolerate its existence, warning against her frail health and sensitive temperament. From the Gold-and-Jade affinity, through Zijuan testing Baoyu, to Qingwen’s death and the search of the garden, their romance marched toward destruction. Siqi, Fangguan, and Si’er fell as casualties; even Qingwen, who looked like Daiyu, was expelled during severe illness to die in humiliation—the clear signal that feudal forces had abandoned Daiyu. Thereafter, Daiyu’s condition deteriorated daily, neglected even on her deathbed.
美好的理想最终是毁灭了，黛玉赢得了爱情却无法得到美满的婚姻。
A beautiful ideal was shattered: Daiyu won love, yet could never obtain a happy marriage.
而薛宝钗，作者在描绘这个人物时，是同情与批判兼而有之。她是书中与林黛玉相对立的形象。她出身皇商家庭，忠诚的信奉封建礼教谨守封建妇德是封建淑女的典型。她谙熟世故，城府较深，性格本质与林黛玉截然不同，是封建家长心目中理想的宝二奶奶的人选。然而，金玉良缘只是徒具形式的婚姻，这种婚姻的成功意味着薛宝钗悲剧的开始。
As for Xue Baochai, the author portrayed her with mixed sympathy and critique. Standing in contrast to Lin Daiyu, she came from an imperial merchant family, devoutly upholding feudal rites and feminine virtues as the paragon of a traditional lady. Sophisticated and reserved, her core nature differed fundamentally from Daiyu’s, making her the ideal choice for daughter-in-law in the eyes of the elders. Yet the Gold-and-Jade affinity was merely an empty marital shell; the triumph of that union marked the commencement of Baochai’s own tragedy.
薛宝钗的才貌，是有目共睹的。她博学多才，琴棋书画，诗词歌赋无一不晓，她的艺术造诣在大观园里是有口皆碑的。诗才敏捷，常常独占鳌头，足可与黛玉相媲美。至于她那“比黛玉另具一种妩媚风流”的容貌神韵也常令宝玉羡慕得发呆。的确，薛宝钗是一个才貌双全的少女。但是作者越是渲染和赞美她的才貌，就越能让人更好地批判她封建品德。但同时，作者并不是把她写成一个小丑，而是通过对宝钗的批判来达到指摘封建制度的目的，贬中有褒，褒中含贬，但基本持否定态度，我想，这就是作者对薛宝钗的态度。
Baochai’s talent and beauty are plain for all to see. She is learned and versatile, familiar with the zither, board games, calligraphy, painting, and every kind of poetry and literary song; her artistic accomplishments are widely praised in the Grand View Garden. Quick at composing poetry, she often takes first place and can fully rival Daiyu. Her appearance and bearing, with “a charm and grace different from Daiyu’s,” also frequently leave Baoyu staring in admiration. Indeed, Baochai is a young woman gifted in both talent and beauty. Yet the more the author emphasizes and praises those qualities, the better readers can criticize her feudal virtues. At the same time, he is not portraying her as a clown: through criticism of Baochai he aims to condemn the feudal system. There is praise within criticism and criticism within praise, but the attitude is fundamentally negative. I think this is the author’s attitude toward Xue Baochai.
在《红楼梦》中，宝钗很少直接宣扬和维护封建礼教，而是通过她日常生活中的一言一行为反映她的真实个性。 我觉得薛宝钗的发言总是好钢用在刀刃上那种，一大半用来展现自己的学问见识：省亲夜，宝玉做芭蕉诗，想不出关于芭蕉的典故，薛宝钗随口道来，宝玉连声赞她是一字师；贾宝玉信口说《鲁智深醉闹五台山》是热闹戏，薛宝钗马上背出戏文中的一句“赤条条来去无牵挂”正迎合了贾宝玉所好的那个调调，喜得他拍膝画圈，称赏不已，又赞宝钗无书不晓。
In Dream of the Red Chamber, Baochai seldom directly promotes or defends feudal codes; her everyday words and actions reveal her true character. I feel that her remarks always put good steel to its best use: more than half showcase her learning and knowledge. On the night of the imperial visit, Baoyu is writing a plantain poem but cannot think of an appropriate allusion. Baochai supplies one casually, and he repeatedly praises her as his “one-character teacher.” When Baoyu casually calls Lu Zhishen Drunkenly Disrupts Mount Wutai a lively play, Baochai immediately recites the line “Naked I come and go, with nothing to bind me,” precisely matching the mood he likes. He is so delighted that he slaps his knee and traces circles, praising her repeatedly and remarking that there is no book she does not know.
在生活中，宝钗并不是像黛玉一样真情流露，而是常常深隐心机。一举一动显得“端庄贤淑”，完全符合封建“淑女”风范。虽然表面不言不语，安分守己，实则留心观察，因此即使是在荣国府这个人事复杂，矛盾交错的环境里，也生活得左右逢源，如鱼得水。甚至就连那个几乎忌恨一切的赵姨娘也赞她“会做人”。
In everyday life, Baochai does not reveal her true feelings as Daiyu does, but often conceals her calculations. Her every action appears “dignified and virtuous,” fully matching the model of a feudal “lady.” Though outwardly quiet and well-behaved, she observes carefully. Thus, even amid the complicated relationships and intertwined conflicts of Rongguo Mansion, she gets along smoothly on all sides, like a fish in water. Even Concubine Zhao, who resents almost everything, praises her for “knowing how to deal with people.”
薛宝钗虽然处事圆润得到荣国府上上下下的喜欢，但在爱情上败得一塌糊涂，她空有婚姻的躯壳却得不到宝玉的真爱。在那样的社会像宝钗这样善于处事的女子同样还是跳不出封建桎梏的魔掌，和黛玉一样同样红颜薄命，由于贾宝玉的出家，落得个独守空房、终身守寡的悲惨命运。在那样的封建社会，像薛宝钗这样的女子压根儿就不该嫁给宝玉这样的叛逆者。
Though her tact won the affection of the entire household, Baochai was thoroughly defeated in love: possessing the legal shell of marriage, she never won Baoyu’s heart. In such a society, an accomplished woman like Baochai could still not escape the feudal yoke; like Daiyu, she suffered an ill-fated life, left to an empty chamber and lifelong widowhood after Baoyu took monastic vows. In that world, a woman like Xue Baochai should never have been wed to a rebel like Baoyu.
参考文献：
- 曹雪芹、高鹗：《红楼梦》
- 王昆仑：《红楼梦人物论》
- 周汝昌：《点评红楼梦之宝钗的后来及其他》
- 周汝昌：《红楼夺目红》
- 张宇绰：《高唐云散枉悲伤——不可能的结局》
- 周五纯：《红楼梦人物新论》
References:
- Cao Xueqin and Gao E, Dream of the Red Chamber
- Wang Kunlun, On Characters in Dream of the Red Chamber
- Zhou Ruchang, Commentaries on Dream of the Red Chamber: Baochai’s Later Days and Others
- Zhou Ruchang, Dazzling Red of the Red Chamber
- Zhang Yuchuo, Clouds Dispersing over Gaotang in Vain Sorrow: An Impossible Ending
- Zhou Wuchun, New Treatise on Characters in Dream of the Red Chamber
4、如何评价陈晓旭版林黛玉？ 4. How to Evaluate Chen Xiaoxu’s Portrayal of Lin Daiyu?
我刚刚看完87版红楼梦，作为一个00后，一直以来对那些拖沓的剧情以及缓慢的配乐不感冒，一开始几集还是1.5倍速看，慢慢地换成了1.25倍速，之后很快调回了原速。我甚至到后期还拉回来重新品味，可以说经典就是经典，与年代无关。其中极具感染力的画面，给人的冲击比快餐式的美剧更丰沛，更悠久。这与曹雪芹的努力密不可分，也与每一位电视剧创作人员的辛苦工作密不可分，我坚信这样子的经典定会继续流传下去！
I have just finished watching the 1987 television adaptation of Dream of the Red Chamber. As a post-00s viewer, I had long felt indifferent to measured pacing and slow musical accompaniments; for the first few episodes I watched at 1.5x speed, gradually dialling down to 1.25x, and soon returning to normal speed. Toward the end I even went back to savor scenes again. A classic is a classic, untouched by the passage of time. Its evocative imagery delivers an impact far richer and more enduring than fast-food American serials. This is inseparable from Cao Xueqin’s efforts, as well as to the dedicated labor of every television creator; I firmly believe such a masterpiece will endure through the generations!
言归正传，我想用一位名叫“渊兮”的答主的回答来开头，ta是这么说的：“怎么说呢。我对陈的感觉很复杂，一方面我觉得她不是我心里的黛玉，一方面我觉得她已经是影视剧中最接近黛玉的黛玉了”。
To come to the point, I wish to open with a response by a Zhihu contributor named “Yuan Xi,” who wrote: “How should I put it? My feelings toward Chen are complicated: on the one hand, I feel she is not the Daiyu in my heart; on the other hand, I feel she is already the closest portrayal to Daiyu in cinematic history.”
我们先来看曹公对林黛玉的倾心打造：“两弯似蹙非蹙罥烟眉，一双似泣非泣含露目。态生两靥之愁，娇袭一身之病。泪光点点，娇喘微微。闲静时如姣花照水，行动处似弱柳扶风。心较比干多一窍，病如西子胜三分。聪明清秀，绝丽无双，气质脱俗，淡雅若仙，妩媚风流。”从这一角度来看，陈晓旭的气质可谓超凡脱俗，位居一流。
Let us first examine Cao Xueqin’s devoted rendering of Lin Daiyu: “Two curved eyebrows like misty smoke, appearing knit yet unknit; a pair of eyes brimming with morning dew, appearing tearful yet shed no tears. Sorrow wells from the dimples of her cheeks; delicate frailty haunts her ailing frame. Glistening teardrops glimmer; gentle gasps flutter softly. In repose, like a lovely flower reflected in clear water; in motion, like a slender willow swaying in the wind. Her heart possesses one more aperture than Bigan’s; her illness surpasses Xishi’s by three measures. Intelligent and fair, peerless in ethereal beauty, untainted by worldly dust, poised like an immortal, gracefully enchanting.” From this perspective, Chen Xiaoxu’s demeanor was indeed otherworldly and premier.
另一位知友“雨豪”认为：“陈晓旭本身可以说演技是不行的。（她自己在后来的演讲中也提过，她其实是特别理性的人，她在红楼梦演哭戏的时候脑子里还在想别的事情。她也认为她是不适合做演员的，表演时并不能代入感情）。但这版红楼梦的选角理念就注定了里面的角色是以综合气质感觉为主，因此即使表演演技水平不是很高，但由于剧中扮演者本身气质形象贴合原著人物，给人以看上去就像她的感觉，因此很大程度上掩盖了扮演者演技的不足。”
Another contributor, “Yu Hao,” noted: “One could say Chen Xiaoxu’s acting technique was limited. (She herself mentioned in later speeches that she was a deeply rational person; when filming crying scenes, her mind was occupied with other thoughts, and she felt she was unsuited to be an actress, unable to lose herself in emotion). Yet the casting philosophy of the 1987 series prioritized holistic aura and visual match; thus even if her technical acting was not consummate, her innate temperament harmonized seamlessly with the character, producing an impression that she simply was Daiyu, largely compensating for technical shortcomings.”
实际上在选角时，陈晓旭也只是第三位候选，但正是因为她的气质，才让当时的王扶林导演一板拍定。如今这一选择果然成就了经典。
In fact, during auditions Chen Xiaoxu was only the third candidate, yet it was precisely her unique temperament that convinced Director Wang Fulin to make the final call. That decision unquestionably forged a legend.
当然陈晓旭版的林黛玉也有着很大的问题，87年6月的“电视剧《红楼梦》学术研讨会”中专家的意见是：“林黛玉形象的塑造受到比较一致的批评。这个人物是曹雪芹浓墨重彩着力刻画的美好形象的代表， 她虽然具有尖酸， 刻薄、乖僻、小性儿等性格特征， 但可爱可怜是没说的。电视剧在刻画这个人物形象时，不仅没有利用原著提供的丰富材料和必要的影视表现手段充分挖掘她复杂悲凉的内心世界和展示她美好真挚的情感追求， 反而将一小‘妒’字移为黛玉的主要性格特征， 使人反感。
Naturally, Chen Xiaoxu’s portrayal was not without flaws. At the June 1987 Academic Symposium on the TV Series Dream of the Red Chamber, expert consensus noted: “The characterization of Lin Daiyu met with relatively consistent criticism. This figure represents the ideal beauty Cao Xueqin labored to depict; though she exhibits sharpness, petulance, and moodiness, her loveliness and pathos are beyond doubt. In portraying her, the television drama failed to mobilize the rich textual materials and cinematic tools to excavate her complex, tragic inner soul and sincere emotional quest, instead elevating petty jealousy into her dominant trait, provoking viewer displeasure.
林黛玉形象塑造的失败， 与改编者对原著诗化小说个性的忽略有直接的关系， 导演亦没有利用影视表现手段有效地弥补演员造型的优势与表演的劣势之间的差距。”（感谢知友“海夜”）
The shortcomings in shaping Lin Daiyu are directly related to the adaptors overlooking the poetic nature of the novel, while the director failed to employ cinematic techniques to bridge the gap between the actress’s visual perfection and her dramatic limitations.” (Credit to contributor “Hai Ye”)
百度百科上也对这版电视剧的缺点有如下评论：“电视剧在表现情与理矛盾冲突时，难以令人满意，《红》剧似乎全然改变甚至抽掉了以‘理’为基础的金玉良缘和以‘情’为基础的木石前盟的对立冲突；这条重线索处理的失当，是导致全剧性失败的关键之一。
Baidu Baike similarly critiqued the production’s flaws: “The drama proved unsatisfactory in depicting the conflict between passion and ritual propriety, seemingly altering or gutting the structural clash between the reason-based Gold-and-Jade affinity and the emotion-based Wood-and-Stone pledge; the mishandling of this pivotal thread was a central weakness of the production.
《红》剧的全部，看不出黛玉哭哭啼啼，吵吵闹闹的深刻原因；中部，宝黛爱情的情节断了线；直到最后，宝钗还在争取‘备选’入宫，而贾母竟对木石前盟原想‘恩准’，打算选择咯血不止，病入膏肓的黛玉为‘宝二奶奶’，如此等等，不仅缺乏逻辑根据，而且根本上改变了宝黛爱情悲剧的性质。至于围绕宝玉的‘补天’，与不让补天，无法补天的矛盾冲突，揭示得就更不够了。”
Throughout the series, the profound rationale behind Daiyu’s tears and grievances remains obscure; in the middle, the romantic thread between Baoyu and Daiyu breaks off; toward the climax, Baochai is still vying for selection into the palace, while the Matriarch supposedly intends to approve the Wood-and-Stone match, choosing the terminally ill Daiyu who coughs blood as the young mistress. Such developments lack narrative logic and distort the tragic essence of their love. Furthermore, the central allegory of Baoyu ‘mending heaven’ versus being prevented from mending it was inadequately realized.”
陈晓旭其实也不是没有发觉，而是虚心学习，我们从她写给观众的信中便可了解。（感谢知友“木偶母慕木木”）这些问题的确是客观存在的，我并不反驳。但其实，艺术本就没有什么“顶峰”，大家也大可不必为一个观念问题拼得你死我活，欣赏前辈的作品自然有很多角度，静下心来好好感受就好，毕竟，世上已无陈晓旭……
Chen Xiaoxu was by no means oblivious to these criticisms, learning with humility as evidenced in her open letters to viewers. (Credit to contributor “Mu’ou Mu Mu Mu Mu”) These issues were objective realities that I do not dispute. Yet art knows no absolute summit, and there is no need to fight tooth and nail over ideological critiques; one can appreciate the works of predecessors from manifold angles. Savor them with a calm heart—after all, there is no longer a Chen Xiaoxu in this world…