毕业论文-浅谈《红与黑》于连的野心与爱情.doc

高等教育自学考试毕业论文题目: 浅谈红与黑于连的野心与爱情学 号： 姓 名： 学历层次： 专 业： 班 级： 指导老师： 完成日期： 浅谈红与黑于连的野心与爱情 内容摘要 于连索海尔是法国著名作家司汤达在其代表作红与黑中塑造得最为成功的一个艺术人物形象。他拥有复杂的性格、传奇的经历、丰富的内心活动以及一生悲剧性的结局，这不仅让读者产生了强烈的心灵震撼，又留下了深刻的印象。于连索海尔是一个天资聪慧的才子情种，又是一个自私自利的贫民野心家。他的野心便是成为像拿破仑那样的为人，摆脱低贱的地位，登上社会的顶层。同时，于连索海尔把自己的野心与爱情紧紧捆绑在一起，以“为肯定自己价值”爱情观去恋爱，并认为只要自己目的正当，便可为达目的不择手段地对待爱情。早年的启蒙主义思潮和拿破仑的英雄业绩鼓舞着他，铸成了一股顽强拼搏的意志力。而赢得贵族夫人和小姐的爱情，则是于连索海尔实现个人野心的捷径。在波旁王朝复辟时代，这也几乎是于连索海尔唯一可能的飞黄腾达之路。关键词野心，爱情，尊严，卑微On the Red and Black with the ambition and loveABSTRACT Red and Black is a masterpiece of the famous French writer Stendhal, is the foundation for critical realism literature in Europe. Writer Stendhal shape of the most successful art characters - Julien, his complex personality, his legendary experience, rich inner life and tragic ending, so that the reader had a strong heart shock, left a deep impression. He is a talented and intelligent wit kind of love is a selfish poor careerist. The early years of the Enlightenment thought and Napoleons heroic deeds inspired him to cast one indomitable willpower. And won the the aristocratic Lady and Miss Love, his personal ambition shortcut. In the era of Bourbon restoration, which is almost even elevated passageway leading to the only possible。Keywords Ambitions，Love ，Dignity，Petty and low引 言 在司汤达红与黑中主人公于连索海尔从少年时代起，就抱着定了要出人头地的决心，做过了无数有关英雄的美梦，他幻想自己像拿破仑那样，凭着身佩的长剑摆脱卑微贫苦的地位，年三十立功于战场而成为显赫的将军。【1】这样的想法促使于连索海尔无论在何时或是何地，他有着十分强烈的主体意识，而他的主动性时刻体现在强烈的进取心上。 于连是一个天资聪慧的才子情种，又是一个自私自利的贫民野心家。他的野心是什么呢？有怎样的爱情观？他的野心与爱情之间又有何联系？这三个问题是我要论述的。1、 于连的野心 首先要说的是于连的野心。在鲁迅全集第四卷的南腔北调集中，鲁迅先生曾写过这么一句话：“儿童的情形，便是将来的命运。【2】”而在司汤达的红与黑中的主人公于连索海尔，他身处在生长在法国复辟的时代，他有着怎样的童年？虽然于连索海尔出场时已经19岁，进入了属于他的青年时代，但从文章的间接叙述中，读者们隐约可以看到关于他的童年。 主人公出身在法国弗朗什孔泰地区的维里业小城中，他的家庭是一个充满了市侩习气浓郁的小业主家庭，父亲是一个狡猾奸诈、唯利是图的老木匠。于连从小在这样的家庭中成长，显然忍耐、顺从和虚伪是于连生存不可缺少的品质。在法国复辟时代下的社会环境中，对于连索海尔的心灵也有很大影响，在这种环境中，他产生了积极的进取精神，读者还可以看到他性格中的一种倾向权力崇拜。可见，在他的童年中，作者早已经把他的野心隐喻性地告诉读者：于连索海尔不是普通的下层青年，他的一生都被野心围绕着。 于连索海尔作为一种社会典型，他属于法国大革命以后成长起来的一代知识青年，在王政复辟时期，是被排斥在政权之外的中小资产阶级“才智之士”的代表，这类人受过资产阶级革命的熏陶，为拿破仑的丰功伟绩所鼓舞，早在心目中粉碎了封建等级的权威，而将个人才智视为分配社会权利的唯一合理依据。【3】他的野心便是成为像拿破仑那样的为人，摆脱低贱的地位，登上社会的顶层。 由于野心的驱使，于连不得不生活在一连串矛盾痛苦之中：他根本不相信上帝的存在，却需要装出一副热烈的、虔诚的面孔；把全部圣经看做谎言，却将整部拉丁文圣经和教皇论读到能够背诵；明明憎恨贵族的特权，却不能不用包裹着“痛苦的心”的热枕去料理侯爵的事物，甚至冒着生命危险为贵族的秘密会议送情报.【4】尽管他这般努力仍然不能抵消等级的约束与代沟，种种无形的刺激，导致他在那个腐朽的“上流社会”中，成为唯一个以冷静、批判的眼光观察周遭的人。他鄙视贵族阶级的平庸无知与僵化保守，他把巴黎视为“阴谋和伪善的中心”，把神学院称作“人间地狱”，早已在内心咒骂过千万次贵族阶级是“杀人不见血的侩子手”和“社会蠢贼”。野心勃勃的于连索海尔，冒着九死一生的危险探索到了一条飞黄腾达的捷径，凭借着这样的野心与胆识，终于成功获得了侯爵的赠予的领地、封号，和骑士的头衔。 于连索海尔不仅野心勃勃，同时又是个拥有强烈自尊心的青年，当于连的父亲跟他说，神甫介绍他说德雷纳先生那做他孩子的家庭教师时，于连本能的说了一句“我不当仆人。【5】”可见于连把财富看得很轻，自尊看得太重，这为他的悲剧做了暗示。 首先于连到市长家去当家庭教师首先关注的是身份问题，没有提酬劳的事情，于连拒绝了每一点有可能丧失尊严的馈赠。于连对于德雷纳市长几次提薪在金钱的数字上并不关心，他要的是胜利，是尊严的胜利！ 之后初见世面，到富凯家里去时于连拒绝了朋友富凯为他提供的一条平稳的发财的道路，而宁愿冒着九死一生的危险去探求一条飞黄腾达。因为，按照富凯的建议，要到二十八岁才能实现他的计划，而在同样的年龄，拿破仑已经干出很伟大的事业了。【6】可见权力名声和功业对于连索海尔来说却无比重要，甚至可以看成这是他之所以存在的最好证明。 综其所述不难看出，于连的野心是和他的尊严紧密联系在一起的。他出身贫困卑微，同时又有勃勃野心。对于于连来说金钱、虚荣、名声和虚伪、无耻、平庸、骄矜是混杂在一起的，他正是以严谨的努力来维持尊严，换来自己的飞黄腾达，同时又不得不首先屈从于这个社会，正如他可以敏感的拒绝德瑞那夫人的两件衬衣，却无法拒绝德瑞那市长带有侮辱意味的100法郎一样矛盾。当他的野心与他的尊严相矛盾的时候，不禁让人觉得霎时可笑之极。 在这个充满敌意与轻视、沉沦于的上流社会中，他小心翼翼，如履薄冰，以虚伪抗击虚伪，以轻蔑对付轻蔑，让自己不受任何侵害。他为了实现野心，以屈求伸，以自己的聪明干练忠心为侯爵效劳，参与极端保王党的阴谋黑会，并获得一枚十字勋章。他可以在上流社会混得如鱼得水，可以混到贵族的头衔，可以拥有金钱和爱情，但是于连无法选择自己的时代，无法让自己成为拿破仑，于连在慢慢向上爬的时候，自身的生命力也在慢慢地被上流风气所侵蚀。我想如果可能，于连索海尔也许会成为拉穆尔家族的成员，会成为军队要员或者某个地区的大主教，他可以拥有了玛娣儿特，可以拥有身份背景金钱和家，可以完成他的野心：摆脱低贱的地位，登上社会的顶层。这些仅仅是基于一个“如果”，如果于连没有死！没有死去的他，还会将把自己的野心和追求归向何方呢？ 这一切的一切，是属于王政复辟时期的故事。故事中的主人公，凭借着野心，他成功地追求地位、权势。他成功了，但是在我看来他也失败了，最终野心成就了他，同时也将他送上了断头台。成也归于野心，败也归于野心。这些注定了他短短一生的命运终究不过是一场黄粱美梦，如梦如幻。2、 于连的爱情观 有关于于连索海尔的幸福或毁灭，有两个最重要的因素。一是野心，二就是爱情。红与黑中最精彩的段落是描写爱情的段落，于连以“为肯定自己价值”爱情观去恋爱，并认为只要自己目的正当，便可为达目的不择手段地对待爱情。 然而关于于连索海尔的爱情，不得不提起于连一生中最重要的两个女人。首先是德瑞纳夫人。于连第一次见德瑞纳夫人的印象在小说中有这样一句话描写到：“于连从未见过穿得如此整齐的人，尤其是一位肤色如此光彩耀眼的女性柔声和他说话。【7】” 于连索海就被她那无懈可击的天然妩媚和不加雕饰的自然风度吸引了。可是，当德瑞纳夫人问道：“您真的懂拉丁文？”【8】“这句话伤了于连的自尊心，把他一刻钟以来的兴奋心情一扫而空。【9】” 起初于连疼很伤他自尊心的人，对德瑞纳夫人的爱情“仍不过是一种野心”，是占有的喜悦【10】”，他只是在履行一种对贵族报复的“责任”，这是虚荣的满足，是一种维护自尊心的表现。慢慢地，于连被德瑞纳夫人的“傻乎乎”、善良、淳朴、温柔深深地打动了。他从德瑞纳夫人那感受到了母性的温暖，获得了关怀与关心，而这些正是从小缺乏母爱、倍受凌辱的于连内心最渴求的和最需要的.于是，当他们的日子交替在爱情、悔恨和欢乐中快如闪电般过去了，于连疯狂的爱上了德瑞纳夫人。当他们之间的事被匿名信告发后，于连不得不去神学院学习，离开了他心爱的德瑞纳夫人。学成归来后，于连对德瑞纳夫人的言行举止感叹道：“这和十四个月以前多么不同啊！【11】”于连一想“人一离开，所有感情也烟消云散了【12】”时，不仅姗姗泪下。最后因重重阻碍于连不得不离开德瑞纳夫人只身前往巴黎。 接着是玛蒂尔德，于连与玛蒂尔德的爱情像在打一场掺杂复杂、曲折、充满了征服和反征服的“战役”，他们谁征服了对方，就会让对方受到情感的折磨。这是场发生在两个人之间过于理想化的爱情，玛蒂尔德出身豪门贵族，且追求理想、不甘平庸，同时又才思敏捷，她时常抱怨“从十六岁到二十岁是我一生中最美好的时光，但我却没有伟大的爱情，因而郁郁寡欢，闷得要死”【13】。 之后，玛蒂尔德对于连的爱情中除了他的英俊和才学外，更多源于于连在她的骄傲与盛气凌人、不屈不屑的一面。当“她暗自思忖：于连待我相当诚恳，以他这样的年纪，地位卑微而又怀才不遇，需要有个女友。也许女友就是我”【14】。显然，玛蒂尔德是为了追求她那不一样的爱情，她认为对于她要追求不一样的爱情“于连可以协助我”。随后，出于这样的追求玛蒂尔德对于连表白心意。通过她的努力，拼尽了全力采取了各种手段才勉勉强强获得了她所想的“明他能闯出来，财产也指日可待【15】”的成功。于是，不羁的两个灵魂都被折磨得痛苦不堪，鲜血不止。 对于连来说，爱情是手段，是一场又一场无硝烟的战争，是证明自我的价值、捍卫自我的尊严，而成为像拿破仑那样的为人，摆脱低贱的地位，登上社会的顶层才是最终目的。这种不甘屈居人下的思想，支配着于连所有的感情和行为。他以“为肯定自己价值”爱情观去恋爱，并认为只要自己目的正当，便可为达目的不择手段。 直到最后于连索海尔被“关进了死囚牢”，才明白在爱情这件事上，居然“和其他事情一样，为了追求锦绣前程，而抛弃了朴实谦逊的品质.【16】”。他冷静下来反思着他与玛蒂尔德的关系，公正的对待自己的感情。已经对英雄主义感到疲倦的于连，他所有的思想都在德瑞纳夫人身上，在死囚牢里，于连想到“我真心爱过吗？对！我爱德瑞纳夫人，但我没良心。”表达了他对德瑞纳夫人的无尽的思念和深深的忏悔。他深深地知道，是德瑞纳夫人给了他真正的爱情，那是两个纯洁灵魂的相互吸引而迸发的源于天性的自然感情。当他在囚牢惊讶地见到来访的德瑞纳夫人后于连不禁泪如雨下，说的那番话是真诚的话：“你要知道，我一直爱着你，心中只有你。”【17】 于连没有上诉，在于连短短二十三岁的一生中，他为自己规定了太多角色，拿破仑的副官、代理主教、司令官、家庭教师，甚至爱情中的胜利者。为了演好这些角色，他不能不虚伪奉承，野心勃勃，以至于频频做出违心之举。这些都戴上了他所谓“幸福”这个堂皇的冠冕，而实际上这样的“幸福”却使他陷入了更深的苦难中。 在死亡的临近期，上帝给了他一次机会，让他卸去了一切的伪装和面具，露出一个真实美好的自己，反思往日的野心。在死前他对德瑞纳夫人说：“从前，我们在维尔基森林里散步的时候，我本来也可以感到同样幸福，可惜我那时野心勃勃，总神游太虚幻境”【18】。回想那些可悲的幻想、奋斗以及为此而审计的种种伪装统统失去了光彩的一生。终于，他在死亡面前他对德瑞纳夫人说到，“如果你不到监狱来看我，我就算死也不知幸福为何。”【19】知道了什么是幸福，什么事真正的爱情。 最后，于连索海尔选择从容赴死，没有任何矫情，恢复了最真实的自我，从他所厌恶的社会角色中解放出来。于连的灵魂到此得到了救赎，也得到了最可珍贵的爱情。3、 于连的野心与爱情的联系 最后，在于连索海尔短短的一生中，让读者最为难忘的是他的野心和爱情，不禁让人同情和深思。他的野心与爱情是不可分割的，综合以上，从而得出身处王政复辟时代的热血青年于连不仅野心勃勃，而且他恋爱观的标准是以“为肯定自己价值”爱情观去恋爱，并认为只要自己目的正当，便可为达目的不择手段地对待爱情为准则的。由此我们可得出一个结论：正是因为于连的野心导致了他的爱情沦为了野心的工具。 于连是敏感的、细腻的，同时又是倔强，这些都是他的天生。他还拥有着超群的记忆力，而他的高傲和自尊、崇拜权势则是后天环境的赋予。他的野心成就了爱情，也毁掉了爱情。他对于自身各种欲望的追求，其中“爱情”也不过是他追求野心的一个棋子，是飞黄腾达的最快捷径。这所有的一切最终都是向一个归宿指去，那就是：于连索海尔这种不符合当时社会环境的追求野心的方式，最终导致了他人生悲剧式的命运。 正是“野心”这个强大的作用力导致了于连索海尔价值观、爱情观的偏离，也正是“野心”这个名词，年仅二十三的匆匆年华因此断送。4、 结语 通过阅读红与黑，我认为于连他的野心便是成为像拿破仑那样的为人，摆脱低贱的地位，登上社会的顶层。同时，他把自己的野心与爱情紧紧捆绑在一起，以“为肯定自己价值”爱情观去恋爱，并认为只要自己目的正当，便可为达目的不择手段地对待爱情。因此，在于连的短短的人生之中，他的目标时分清晰明确，他要的就是飞黄腾达！这种野心不仅使于连给了自己“强者”的身份，并为之刻苦自律，以此为不折手段的理由！ 故事的结尾，作者告诉我们于连不是完人，他的感情并非纯洁无瑕、他的行为和思想充满矛盾。正因如此，他才是一个真实、可信、有血有肉的人。在他身上更多地表现出是下层青年中最有活力、最有进取性的一面，生活对于他们来说本就是一场殊死搏斗，要么荣华尽有，要么万劫不复。【参考文献】【1】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.3.【2】鲁迅.鲁迅全集.北京人民文学出版社，2005（第4卷）.【3】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.3.【4】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.22【5】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.3【6】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.3【7】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.30【8】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.32【9】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.32【10】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.88【11】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.204【12】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.204【13】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.298【14】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.297【15】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.292【16】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.448【17】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.454【18】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.467【19】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.467致 谢 写这篇论文时得到了许多老师及同学的帮助，特别是我的论文指导老师欧晓华老师，感谢她在选题及在论文思路以及语言等各个方面给予我的帮助！同时也非常感谢四年来我所有的授课老师，他们给予我的教诲和帮助，为我的专业知识奠定了基础。最后感谢我的同学，四年的相伴让我度过了难忘的大学生活。谢谢！广西工学院成人高等教育毕业论文任务书一、课题的主要内容和基本要求主要内容：通过法国批判现实主义作家司汤达代表作品红与黑中，塑造了法国复辟时期下层青年个人奋斗者、社会反抗者、“少年野心家”于连的形象，并走进司汤达小说中主人翁的野心与爱情中一探究竟。基本要求：1、阅读司汤达的红与黑，精读其中与论文内容相关的作品； 2、阅读红与黑研究的相关资料，掌握学术前沿动态；3、阅读相关的理论著作、提高理论水平及思想深度； 4、根据开题报告会上老师们所提意见修改论文提纲；5、在撰写论文的过程中，应注意紧扣论题，集中论证，将来所形成的论文；6、要格式规范，结构明晰，条理清楚，论点正确，论据充分，资料丰富，7、引用适切，论证严密，符合论文语体。并提交论文初稿；8、根据指导教师的修改意见，反复认真地修改论文；9、按时完成论文，提交规范的论文文本（电子版）； 10、按要求参加论文答辩。二、进度计划与应完成的工作2013年6月15日选题，查阅文献、收集资料；拟定开题报告书；2013年6月25日：举行开题报告；2013年6月25日-9月1日：撰写初稿；2013年9月515日：修改论文；2013年9月20日：论文定稿；2013年10月中旬：论文答辩。三、主要参考文献、资料参考文献：【1】司汤达.红与黑.张冠尧译.北京：人民文学出版社，2009.3.【2】鲁迅.鲁迅全集.北京人民文学出版社，2005（第4卷）.四、完成期限2013年7月4日为你提供优秀的毕业论文参考资料，请您删除以下内容，O(_)O谢谢！2 Many people have the same mixed feelings when planning a trip during Golden Week. With heaps of time, the seven-day Chinese为你提供优秀的毕业论文设计参考资料，请您删除一下内容，O(_)O谢谢！National Day holiday could be the best occasion to enjoy a destination. However, it can also be the easiest way to ruin how you feel about a place and you may become more fatigued after the holiday, due to battling the large crowds. During peak season, a dream about a place can turn to nightmare without careful planning, especially if you travel with children and older people. As most Chinese people will take the holiday to visit domestic tourist destinations, crowds and busy traffic are inevitable at most places. Also to be expected are increasing transport and accommodation prices, with the possibility that there will be no rooms available. It is also common that youllwait in the line for one hour to get a ticket, and another two hours at the site, to only see a tiny bit of the place due to the crowds. Last year, 428 million tourists traveled in China over the week-long holiday in October. Traveling during this period is a matter that needs thorough preparation. If you are short on time to plan the upcoming Golden Week it may not be a bad idea to avoid some of the most crowded places for now. There is always a place so fascinating that everyone yearns for. Arxan is a place like this. The beauty of Arxan is everlasting regardless of the changing of four seasons. Bestowed by nature, its spectacular seasonal landscape and mountains are just beyond word. Arxan is a crucial destination for the recommended travelling route, China Inner Mongolia Arxan Hailar Manzhouli. It is also the joint of the four prairies across the Sino-Mongolian border, where people gravitate towards the exotic atmosphere mixed with Chinese, Russian, and Mongolia elements. As a historic site for the Yitian Battle, Arxan still embodies the spirit of Genghis Khan. Walking into Arxan, you will be amazed by a kaleidoscope of gorgeous colors all the year round - the Spring azaleas blooming red in the snow, the Summer sea wavering blue in the breeze, the Autumn leaves painted in yellow covering volcanic traces, and the Winter woods shining white on the vast alpine snowscape. Hinggan League Arxan city is situated in the far eastern area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Its full name Haren Arxan means hot holy water in the Mongolian language. Arxan is a tourism city in the northern frontier with a blend of large forest, grand prairies, vast snowfield, heaven lake cluster, thermium, as well as volcanic cluster. It is a rare and unique ecotourism base filled with healthy sunshine, clean air and unspoiled green. Nestled close to the countrys largest virgin forest, and known for its spring and ecological environment, Arxan is marveled at by many tourists as the purest land on earth. You cannot miss out the Autumn of Arxan. It is definitely the best with brightly-colored scenery full of emotions. Autumn in the northern part of the country comes earlier than the South. A September rain followed by the footprints of Autumn brings more colors to the once emerald green mountain and blooming grassland. Shutterbugs flock to see for themselves the marvel of splendid colors around the mountains and waters, many of whom have travel a long distance and even camp here only to capture a moment of the nature wonder. The silver birch turns golden, while the larch is still proudly green. You will find yourself drowned in the intoxicating red of the wild fruits as well as the glamour of flowers in full blown. And your heart will be lingering on the woods as its time for the wild fruits to ripe. The picturesque Arxan in Autumn is indeed a fairyland only exists in a dream that satisfies all your fantasies. If itrains heavily on Saturday night, some elderly Chinese will say it is because Zhinu, or the Weaving Maid, is crying on the day she met her husband Niulang, or the Cowherd, on the Milky Way. Most Chinese remember being told this romantic tragedy when they were children on Qixi, or the Seventh Night Festival, which falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, which is usually in early August. This year it falls on Saturday, August 2. Folklore Story As the story goes, once there was a cowherd, Niulang, who lived with his elder brother and sister-in-law. But she disliked and abused him, and the boy was forced to leave home with only an old cow for company. The cow, however, was a former god who had violated imperial rules and was sent to earth in bovine form. One day the cow led Niulang to a lake where fairies took a bath on earth. Among them was Zhinu, the most beautiful fairy and a skilled seamstress. The two fell in love at first sight and were soon married. They had a son and daughter and their happy life was held up as an example for hundreds of years in China. Yet in the eyes of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Deity in Taoism, marriage between a mortal and fairy was strictly forbidden. He ordered the heaven troop to catch Zhinu back. Niulang grew desperate when he discovered Zhinu had been taken back to heaven. Driven by Niulangs misery, the cow told him to turn its hide into a pair of shoes after it died. The magic shoes whisked Niulang, who carried his two children in baskets strung from a shoulder pole, off on a chase after the empress. The pursuit enraged the empress, who took her hairpin and slashed it across the sky creating the Milky Way which separated husband from wife. But all was not lost as magpies, moved by their love and devotion, formed a bridge across the Milky Way to reunite the family. Even the Jade Emperor was touched, and allowed Niulang and Zhinu to meet once a year on the seventh night of the seventh month. This is how Qixi came to be. The festival can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). Traditionally, people would look up at the sky and find a bright star in the constellation Aquila as well as the star Vega, which are identified as Niulang and Zhinu. The two stars shine on opposite sides of the Milky Way. Customs In bygone days, Qixi was not only a special day for lovers, but also for girls. It is also known as the Begging for Skills Festival or Daughters Festival. In this day, girls will throw a sewing needle into a bowl full of water on the night of Qixi as a test of embroidery skills. If the needle floats on top of the water instead of sinking, it proves the girl is a skilled embroiders. Single women also pray for finding a good husband in the future. And the newly married women pray to become pregnant quickly. Tradition transformed The love story of Niulang and Zhinu, and the Qixi Festival have been handed down for generations. Yet these ancient traditions and customs are slowly dying out. Many modern Chinese, particularly youngsters, seem to know more about St Valentines Day on February 14, characterized by bouquets of roses, chocolates and romantic candlelight dinners, than they do about their home-grown day for lovers. Even Qixi is nowadays referred to as the Chinese Valentines Day. More and more young Chinese people begin to celebrate this day in a very similar way as that in western countries. Fewer people than ever will gaze at the heavens on Saturday to pick out the two stars shining bright on either side of the Milky Way, that is, if people even know on which day Qixi falls. There are ready reminders dotted about, in the form of big ads saying Sales on Chinese Valentines Day! in shops, hotels and restaurants. But few young women will mark the festival with their boyfriends, or take part in traditional activities to pray for cleverness. A large-scale of exhibition on the Silk Road opened to the public in the National Museum on Thursday. The exhibition displays more than 400 treasures from Shaanxi province, Gansu province and 14 other regions. It is largest scale exhibition that shows the history of the Silk Road in recent years. AsAPECis going on in Beijing, the exhibit aims to show the world this brilliant section of history. The Silk Road is a series of trade and cultural transmission routes that were central to cultural interaction through regions of the Asian continent. It connected the West and East by linking traders, merchants, pilgrims, monks, soldiers, nomads, and urban dwellers from China and India to the Mediterranean Sea during various periods of time. I met my dear hubby in 2009 the second year I was in my school and it was the first year when he came here. We became colleagues. And there was nothing special happening during that year. He was just a kind and humble brother graduated from the same college as me. But we did not know each other till he became my colleague and his office desk was just in front of me. There was only a glass between us. So actually we could see each other when we both look up. But it is not the main reason that really draws us close. How we become close to each other was something seems quite natural. We went out to play badminton with other colleagues and we sometimes chatted for a while. He is a man of few words but somehow sometimes will say something really humorous. Then one day, to my great surprise, I found a pot of beautiful flower on my desk. It was just the flower I had talked about with my colleague the other day, and I thought it was her who put the flower there. But the truth is not. It was the humble guy sitting in front of me. He just simply said ,”well, I caught sight of this flower and thought that its beautiful and you may like it”. I wonder why I was moved because of these simple words and present. Maybe it is the sincerity and the true self that impress me. I thanked him and some colleagues walked past my desk would appreciate the beautiful flower a