湘西的“土匪文化”2.doc

湘西的“土匪文化”

国内外有这样一种说法：关东的响马、河北的鞑子、湘西的土匪，并称为中国的三大匪患，其中尤以湘西的土匪骁勇剽悍、杀人不眨眼而著称。一提起湘西，便自然联想到“土匪”。一些电视剧如《乌龙山剿匪记》，《湘西剿匪记》，讲的都是湘西的匪事。
其实，湘西的土匪传统也是一种社会财富的二次分配过程。基本上一个村子就有一个“山头”。这个山头的任务，是隔一段时间就到别的村寨去进行一次抢劫。抢劫得到的收获，则按照各家所出的当土匪的人数，进行分配。同样，别的村子也会来这里抢，解决的办法一般是逃跑，逃到山里或者是别的村去，把家里有可能被抢的东西尽量藏起来，藏不住的就会被抢走。这样一来，这里每个村子和每户人的贫富差距都不大，财富的二次分配就用这样奇特的方式完成了。

事实上，大部分土匪原先都是老实巴交的农民，是些有血有肉、有情有义的人。如果抛下所谓的道学礼教，用一种平常心去打量这些绿林中人，你会发现他们并不总是凶神恶煞、残酷冷血。

沈从文在他的文章里多次提到湘西的土匪,用他的笔为我们勾勒出湖湘文化的重要一面:充满原始生命力但并不残暴的匪气。
“一般隔靴搔痒者惟以湘西为匪区，作匪又认为苗人最多，最残忍，这即或不是一种有意诬蔑，还是一种误解。”......湘西人充过兵役的，被贪官污吏坏保甲逼到无可奈何时，容易入山作匪，并非乐于为匪。.
土匪的是是非非已经随着滚滚潮流成为历史的记忆，如今，“匪区”的人民已经生活在和谐的小康社会中，“土匪文化”成为湘西旅游文化的一抹亮色。
There is a saying at home and abroad: Highwaymen in Guandong, tartars in Hebei and bandits in Xiangxi are three banditries of China. Especially, bandits in Xiangxi are the most famous for being brave and well versed in battle killing people without hesitation. Naturally we will think of “bandits”as soon as we talk about Jiangxi. Some TV plays such as Suppressing Bandits in Oolong Hill and Suppressing Bandits in Xiangxi show the things the bandits dis in Xiangxi.
Actually, banditry in Xiangxi traditionally is the process of the second distribution of social wealth. Each village basically has a “faction”. The task of this faction is to rob other villages every other time.The spoils got through robbery is divided according to the bandits of each family. Similarly, other villages also come and rob the village. The only resolution is to escape the hills or other villages with their possessions packed, otherwise their possessions will be taken away. In this way, here poor-rich disparity in every family of villages is not wide. So the second distribution of wealth is done by this peculiar way.
In fact, most of bandits at first are well-behaved and cautious farmers and some of them are courageous, upright and affectionate. If regardless the so-called moral principles, we treat those greenwood heroes with an ordinary attitude, you will find that they are not always ferocious, cruel and cold-blooded.
Shen Congwen, a famous native writer of Xiangxi, mentioned the bandits in there many time and described the important part of Xiangxi culture:full of primitive vital power but no barbarous banditry manners.“Generally, those people, who scratches at etch from outside the boot, think that Xiangxi is the settlement of bandits and the majority of them are Miao People and really ferocious. This is not only a slander, but also a misunderstanding.”“…People in Xiangxi once served in the army or were forced by corrupt officials easily become bandits, not for they like being, but for they have no choice. ”
With the tide of historical development, all about bandits have already become the memory of history. Nowadays, people in banditry districts have lived in a harmonious and moderately prosperous society. Bandit culture has become a bright spot in tourism culture of Xiangxi.