憶城記 City in Memory
雖然城市每時每刻都在變化，但對每一個人來説，一個城市總有它比較固定的記憶面貌。我出生在廣州市中心，據説出生的時候家裏還借住在祖父的弟弟七叔公一家，是位於杏花巷的宅子，出世之後，家人從醫院直接接我回連新路81號的新宅，屋子面對著廣州市政府大樓的府前路和中央公園，鳳凰樹好像華蓋一樣遮蔽著這條安靜的小路，在這裡我也就見證了廣州從國民黨政府走進共産黨政府的整個過程。我心中的廣州記憶面貌，之所以具有很濃厚的民國時期色彩，就是因為童年所鑄。
City is changing all the time, though, in a person’s memory, it always clings to a certain visage in light of memory. I was born in the center of Guangzhou. I was told that, when I was born, my family were still living with my grandpa’s little brother – my seventh granduncle’s family. It was a house in Xinghua Alley. After I was born, my family directly took me back to our new home at No. 81, Lianxin Road. The house was facing Fuqian Road, where Guangzhou government building was located, as well as the central park. Flame trees tendered the silent road like an umbrella. This is the place where I witnessed the process that Nationalist Party surrendered to the PCP. The city of Guangzhou in my mind is closed related to the Republic of China due to my childhood memory.
廣州的建築一直很有特色，我想首要原因是這座城市從唐代以來一直是對外的門戶，與外部事物接觸頻繁造成的。當全國絕大部分還在營造四合院、“四水歸堂”、“一顆印”、“虎下山”這種圍合形式的傳統民宅的時候，騎樓已經在廣州興起了；當全國還在海禁的時候，廣州卻出現了十三行這樣的貿易中心大街，現代建築開始進入中國；廣州領風氣之先走出了民族現代化道路，出現了中山紀念堂、市政府、嶺南大學這樣優秀的民族現代作品；而沙面也以最完整規劃、和華界完全隔開的國際租界的形式出現，它們迄今依然是認識和了解18-19世紀歐洲殖民建築規劃、設計最好的場所；廣州最早形成新城市中軸線，最早出現中央公園，最早出現長堤這樣繁華的西式商業濱江大道，而廣州的這個發展，不是以類似某些城市推倒重來的方式建造的，而是以與傳統共存共榮的方式，西關大屋、東山別墅、中線的民族現代並向發展，具備了一個現代城市最合理的發展模式。這些印象痕跡深深地刻印在我的腦海裏，無法忘卻。
The architecture in Guangzhou has always be characteristic, which, I think, must have something to do with Guangzhou’s position as a connection between China and abroad since Tang Dynasty. When most part of China was still building traditional style houses such as quadrangle courtyards, Qilou Buildings have already emerged in Guangzhou. When China was still in a state of seclusion, Guangzhou has already had trade centers such as Thirteen Hongs, suggesting that modern buildings have already entered the city. Guangzhou has been leading on the path of China’s national modernization. At the early phase, it has excellent works such as Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Guangzhou Government Building and Lingnan University, among which Sha Mian appeared as the best planned international leased territory completely isolated with the other territory of China. These buildings are still the best place for understanding the layout and design of European colonial architecture from18 to 19 century. Guangzhou is the earliest to form its axis line, to have central park and busy western style business street such as Changti. What’s more, the development of Guangzhou is not realized by the deconstruction of the old, like some cities do. Instead, it has been following a pattern which allows the coexistence of the old and the new; Xiguan Houses, Dongshan Villa and the traditional modernization along the axis line, thereby, to step forward side by side, suggesting a most reasonable pattern of the development of the modern city. I’m deeply impressed by all of these.
最近幾十年來，廣州大發展，軸線不斷東移，城市蔓延、舊區重建，連我自出生起就居住的連新路81號也被拆毀開通成穿越府前路到解放北路的馬路了。時過境遷，面目全非，但是記憶還在，默寫出來，還是有一種魅力的。這就是這一批畫的由來了。
In the recent decades, Guangzhou has been experiencing a grand development with the axis line being driven easter and easter. The urban area expanded, the old districts were rebuilt, even No. 81 in Lianxin Road was demolished and transformed into road linking Fuqian Road and Jiefangbei Road. The vicissitudes have changed everything but memory, which, when being drawn, still has its charm. This is the story of these sketches.
有人會問我：你不喜歡新的嗎？我會説：人童年記憶中的那個地方總是和自己最接近的，可能我的祖父會更加喜歡辛亥革命時代的那個廣州，我的父親更加喜歡1930年代那個廣州，對於我來説，在這裡給大家看到的則是屬於我這一代的廣州了。
Some people might ask, don’t you like new things? I would answer them that the place in one’s childhood memory is the most intimate thing to him. Perhaps my grandpa preferred Guangzhou in the era of the 1911 Revolution, my father loves Guangzhou in the 1930s most, while what I am showing you here is the city in my generation’s memory.
王受之寫于2012年4月12日