牡丹的拒绝

张抗抗

它被世人所期待、所仰慕、所赞誉，是由于它的美。它美得秀韵多姿，美得雍容华贵，美得绚丽娇艳，美得惊世骇俗。它的美是早已被世人所确定、所公认了的。它的美不惧怕争议和挑战。

有多少人没有欣赏过牡丹呢?却偏偏要坐上汽车火车飞机轮船，千里万里爬山涉水，天南海北不约而同，揣着焦渴与翘盼的心，滔滔黄河般地涌进洛阳城。

欧阳修曾有诗云：洛阳地脉花最宜，牡丹尤为天下奇。

传说中的牡丹，是被武则天一怒之下逐出京城，贬去洛阳的。却不料洛阳的水土最适合牡丹的生长。于是洛阳人种牡丹蔚然成风，渐盛于唐，极盛于宋。每年阳历四月中旬春色融融的日子，街巷园林千株万株牡丹竞放，花团锦簇香云缭绕——好一座五彩缤纷的牡丹城。

所以看牡丹是一定要到洛阳去看的。没有看过洛阳的牡丹就不算看过牡丹。况且洛阳牡丹还有那么点来历，它因被贬而增值而名声大噪，是否因此勾起人的好奇也未可知。

这一年已是洛阳的第九届牡丹花会。这一年的春却来得迟迟。

连日浓云阴雨，四月的洛阳城冷风飕飕。

街上挤满了从很远很远的地方赶来的看花人。看花人踩着年年应准的花期。

明明是梧桐发叶，柳枝滴翠，桃花梨花姹紫嫣红，海棠更已落英纷纷——可洛阳人说春尚不曾到来；看花人说，牡丹城好安静。

一个又冷又静的洛阳，让你觉得有什么地方不对劲。你悄悄闭上眼睛不忍寻觅。你深呼吸掩藏好了最后的侥幸，姗姗步入王城公园。你相信牡丹生性喜欢热闹，你知道牡丹不像幽兰习惯寂寞，你甚至怀着自私的企图，愿牡丹接受这提前的参拜和瞻仰。

The Peony’s Refusal

It is its beauty that brings it humans' expectations, admiration and commendations. Its beauty is of supreme elegance and poise, lying in its fairy-like figure and angelic face, hence this beauty shaking the world. Its beauty has long been recognized and acknowledged by the world. Its beauty does not fear disputes or challenges.

Are there many people who have not ever seen peony? Yet they still take buses, trains, airplanes or ships, from some thousands of miles away and from all over the country, climbing up mountains and wadding across waters, to surge into Luoyang city like the Yellow River and without previous agreement in a mood of eagerness and anticipation.

One poem of Ouyang Xiu the great poet of the Song Dynasty read, "The most suitable land of flower Luoyang grows particularly laudable peony in the world."

It is said that peony was the one being exiled to Luoyang under the great anger of Wu Zetian -- the only empress in the Chinese history. But beyond her expectation, the natural environment and climate of Luoyang made it the best land for raising peony. Thereupon the Luoyang residents regarded it as a trend to raise peony and this common practice became popular in the Tang Dynasty and reached its heyday in the Song Dynasty. Every year's mid-April of solar calendar are the days of lovely springs, with thousands and thousands of peonies rushing to blossom in the streets and alleys and in the gardens. The blossoms are so splendid that look like clouds with lingering flagrance curling around this city -- what a crowned peony city.

To enjoy peony, therefore, one must go to Luoyang. One who has not seen Luoyang peony cannot say that he has seen peony. Besides, Luoyang peony has a little history -- it got its reputation due to its exile -- which probably arouses people's curiosity. Who knows?

This year marks the ninth Luoyang Peony Show. Yet this year's spring comes pretty late.

It is rainy with thick clouds over these days, and April's Luoyang city is filled with cold winds.

The streets are swarming with travelers from far away to see the peony. And those travelers follow the annually should-be-precise florescence.

It should be already in the time when Chinese parasol trees come into leaf and the willow branches been verdant green; it should be already in the time when the flowers of peach trees and pear trees go brilliant purples and reds and the crab-apple's flowers even been showering down. But the Luoyang residents say the spring is still on the way; the travelers say the peony city is quite quiet.

A cold and quiet Luoyang makes you feel that something is not in order. You stealthily close your eyes and dare not to seek for the reasons. You take a deep breath and hide your little hope and drift into the Wangcheng Park. You believe peony is lively in nature; you know peony is not as accustomed to loneliness as orchid; you even have a selfish desire that wishes peony accepted this early visit and worship.