日志

取水的女人

热度 20已有 527 次阅读2021-2-22 02:53 |个人分类:小小说

2021-2-19

有人说，女人是水做的。

在印度的乡下，就有一种女人，叫水美人，又叫睡美人，是被有身份有钱有地位的男人们娶了来，专门给家里人取水用的。白天和女人们结伴去取水，晚上陪男人们扎堆儿睡觉。就像中国南方的惠安女，既有女人的温柔漂亮，又不乏男人的勇敢彪悍，非常勤劳，也非常入画，是一道美丽的风景线。

古今印外很多有关印度的艺术品和民间传说，都是以水美人的生活为背景的。

Indian Miniature Painting - Folk Art - Well Wheel Pully by Angele Hammonds. The rural folk paintings of India bear distinctive colorful designs, which are treated with religious and mystical motifs. The folk and tribal arts of India are very ethnic and simple, and yet colorful and vibrant enough to speak volumes about the country's rich heritage.

Five women gather at a communal well amidst a grassy field, collecting water in pots as part of their daily chores. Two of the women carry pots atop their heads, while two others focus on funnelling water into its container and pulling up a fresh pot from the base of the well. On the right, the fifth lady pours water into the mouth of a prince, identifiable by his ornate garb and turban. While the women are completing a mundane task in line with house work, meetings at the well provide a break from the home and an opportunity to socialize. In this instance, a prince has arrived to add intrigue to the day.

这是一个非常美妙的爱情故事：很久很久以前，一个在沙漠里赶路的王子饥渴难忍，可是听到远处哗啦啦的流水声，循声望去，看到三个妙龄少女，正在一个坎儿井边打水，就厚着脸皮求水喝。这一来二去，眉目传情，有很多不同的版本，就潘金莲李瓶儿春梅合伙儿勾搭上了西门大官人，成就了一段又一段奇妙无比的美满姻缘。

In this Ragamala illustration, which represents the sound of water issuing from a vessel, a passing gentleman asks for water from a girl who is filling her waterpot at a well. It probably comes from a series known as the "Second Basohli Ragamala" of circa 1690-95 (Archer 1973, vol.1, p.43), that blends the earliest idioms of Basohli painting with features that occur after about 1680.

成了印度版灰姑娘的故事：

可是最荒诞不经的版本，就是这个印度王子，可不是什么坐怀不乱的正人君子，比较好色，而且是个低种姓的穷光蛋（种姓越高，皮肤越白）。当他赶路的时候，看见了一打儿水美人，酷似王母娘娘家里的七个仙女，正在池塘里面欢天喜地的裸体而浴：

于是印度王子，就偷偷地躲在了树丛的后面，一边饱餐美色，一边静静地等待着最好下手的时机：

王子先是偷走了所有水美人的衣裳，然后再爬到树上，环肥燕瘦，一览无遗，尽情地欣赏：

结果呢？结果就是俘获了一堆手无寸衣的水美人，把他们一个一个全部都给娶回了家里，成了印度版流氓织女的故事，在全印度家喻户晓，是三哥家人见人羡的劳动模范和新长征突击手。

不过传说都很美好，可现实却很骨感：

都是生活所迫，因为看起来她们似乎也都不很愉快，没有一个，是眼里没有幽怨或愤恨表情的。有一首水美人们一边干活，一边唱的取水歌，就很能说明问题：

My wrists are delicate
I won’t go fetching water
I am the adored one of my father-in-law
He gets a silk rope braided for me to draw water
I won’t go fetching water

我的手腕儿很金贵，
我不要去取水！
我是我公公的至爱，
送了我一条可直接吸水的丝腰带。
我不要去取水！