Text | Du Hu
A few days ago, the Hangzhou Daily Oral Transcript column published an oral article, 85-year-old citizen Jin Zhiyong from the perspective of a father, telling the twists and turns of the family for decades, especially to the reader to introduce the story of his son Jin Xiaoyu: how he was blinded by a blind eye in his youth and unfortunately disabled, and then suffered from bipolar disorder, endured great pain and studied hard, and finally became an excellent and even prolific translator.
One superficial reason for Jin Xiaoyu's story is that it is classified into the narrative of "madman on the left and on the right", Jin Xiaoyu has achieved a professional height that is difficult for ordinary people to reach with his tenacious will. In the reality that the translation industry still cannot make a lot of money, Jin Xiaoyu relies on self-treatment by translation to achieve spiritual "tranquility". People see from his inspiration that a person can still succeed through talent and hard work even after suffering from illness.
In addition to this layer of factors, the deeper factor that impresses readers is the way the translator Jin Xiaoyu is told — in fact, it is a public suicide note written by the old father Jin Sexyong to his son when his wife has passed away and he feels that time is running out. Through this article, Jin Waswolf was able to unreservedly reveal his views to his son – whether he wanted to listen or not – and at the same time, he also took the opportunity to solemnly introduce Jin Xiaoyu to the society, so that more people knew his unique ability, charm and contribution in the field of translation.
The "suicide note" written to his son is naturally dipped in the waves of emotion, revealing the thrilling mental journey of a family in the past few decades to the public. People are deeply impressed, first of all, a family with psychological patients who are dependent on each other and support each other in misfortune, first father love and mother love to raise Jin Xiaoyu, and then Jin Xiaoyu feeds back to aging parents, such a story goes beyond the tradition of fatherly strict filial piety, emits a more significant brilliance of life, and reflects the compassion of human beings.
In addition to the story of life, there is a second factor that moves people, that is, Jin Xiaoyu has sustenance in misfortune, he can smash furniture in an unstoppable state of illness, but he loves the computer that helps him enter another world: this is not just a computer, but also his immersion in learning, the road to translation, and his Roman road to a quiet world.
Readers who tend to family traditions see the hardships of their fathers and the will to fight for the family for a lifetime from Jin Xiaoyu's story; readers who like modern emotions see that a person surrounded by misfortune also has vigorous vitality from Jin Xiaoyu's experience of transcending the abyss of illness with diligence.
Even if people can't "empathize" with themselves, the story of Jin Shengyong and Jin Xiaoyu's family is enough to emotionally and strongly infect the people who read it. Because in the depths of people's hearts, or in the daily life of exhaustion, there is a deep desire to break free from the shackles of fate and enjoy free will.
At present, the story of Jin Xiaoyu has spread and become a familiar social witness. The follow-up news is also optimistic, Jin Sexyong found a nursing home for himself after the death of his wife. Jin Xiaoyu's pension insurance is paid normally, and he has also found a childcare center to prepare a way out for his son. This is probably the best arrangement that a bipolar family can do, and under the premise of no worries, Jin Xiaoyu has received translated works from the publishing house and continues to engage in a lifestyle that can calm him down and return him to a normal state.
Of course, after Jin Xiaoyu's story was publicly told by his old father, some professionals and social workers also put forward different views, such as the protection of patient privacy in the form of oral transcription, and whether Jin's description of Jin Xiaoyu's condition would stain bipolar disorder. Precisely because Jin Xiaoyu's story cannot transcend the binary discussion of "genius and madman", it is understandable that professionals raise concerns from the perspective of psychological disorders. However, this kind of concern should still be based on respect for Jin Xiaoyu's family, respect for the meaning of his life, and do not have to be too harsh.
But there is a problem that seems worth discussing, Jin Xiaoyu's translation talent is not only caused by genius, but also the due results he has earned by hard work, and only giving it the label of "genius patient", I am afraid that it is biased. The view of this issue also involves a general problem, that is, how to extract goodwill from the case of bipolar disorder to this sick population, and then build a diagnosis and treatment and care system that can improve their quality of life, as well as the necessary social atmosphere.
From Jin Xiaoyu's story, narrowly choosing certain "violent" behaviors will inevitably have the adverse consequences of stigmatizing this special group of people. From his translation achievements, if it is only to be promoted, it is easy to become an unrealistic romantic interpretation. Whether it is stigmatization or romanticization, it should not be the appropriate angle for the public to view Jin Xiaoyu. Seeing the hope of this family under disappointment, the happiness in misfortune, the gain under loss, the vitality that still exists under the torment of disease, understanding the metaphor of two generations of family members fighting against disease, and perceiving people's joys and sorrows, I am afraid that we can get out of the simple summary of the so-called genius or madman and move towards a broader resonance in the world.