(八)“共抒国难”——棋王遇袭

(8) Easing the calamity at home --- The chess king got ambushed

谢侠逊自南洋归来之时正值国土沦丧，国民政府迁都重庆。1939年3月，谢大病初愈在昆明连续献艺三天又参加了慰劳前方将士的募捐赛。5月初谢回到重庆，邵力子夫妇为他接风，宴会上各界名流、政府要员齐聚，谢向朋友们讲述南洋募捐经历和侨民们的爱国热情与壮举。由于谢的募捐所取得的成就最大，很快蒋介石召见了棋王。之后，谢就留在了重庆用“义赛”的形式来宣传和支持抗日。那段时间是中国抗日战争最艰苦的岁月，谢的身体力行为他赢得了“爱国象棋家”的美誉。

When Xie returned, China was in the midst of turmoil and the Kuomintang government had just relocated the capital to Chongqing. In March of 1939, Xie who had just recovered from his illness went to Kunming where he used Xiangqi to raise funds and also to provide entertainment to the troops there. Xie would return to Chongqing in May where Shao Lizi welcomed him personally. A banquet was thrown, and the upper class of society and distinguished government officials all gathered. Xie would tell of his trip to South-east Asia and how well the overseas Chinese had received him and their patriotism. As Xie had managed to raise the largest donations, Chiang Kai-shek would ask for his presence. After that banquet, Xie would remain in Chongqing where he would use Xiangqi in open tournaments as means of publicity to gain support for the cause against the Japanese. That period was regarded as the hardest time in the fight against the Japanese. For his efforts, Xie was known as the Patriotic King of Chess.

1938年武汉、广州相继失守，日本侵略者对国民党进行了政治诱降。当时的重庆派系林立，情况极其复杂，妥协投降成为了当时国内政治生活的主要威胁。主张“全民抗战”的持久战的共产党人深入虎穴，以周恩来、任弼时为代表的共产党人在重庆广泛接触爱国人士，跟国民党的妥协投降做斗争。

In 1938, Wuhan and Guangzhou fell, and the Japanese tried to force the Kuomintang to surrender using many political means. It was a chaotic time, and the Kuomintang was on the verge of doing so. There were many different factions. The Communist party made use of the opportunity and infiltrated the various factions, trying to gather people for their cause which was to wage a prolonged war against the Japanese. Zhou Enlai (周恩来 Hanyu Pinyin zhōu ēn lái), Ren Bi (任弼时Hanyu Pinyin rèn bì shí) were amongst the communist representatives that infiltrated the upper class in Chongqing. Naturally, Xie was targeted.

1939年仲夏的一天，重庆东方文化协会会长郭春涛留谢棋王在协会午餐，他悄悄的对棋王说：“今天下午有位共产党人想见见您，您愿意吗?”

In mid-summer of 1939, the president of the Oriental Culture Society Guo Chuntao (郭春涛 Hanyu Pinyin guō chūn tāo) requested that Xie join him for lunch and made him stay back after it was finished. After lunch, he whispered to Xie: “There is a communist party official who would want to see you this afternoon. Are you willing?”

这一见，彻底改变了棋王谢侠逊的人生历史，但是在当时也给他带来了非常大的危险。

This meeting would change Xie’s life forever. However, it was also a very dangerous thing to do at that time.

双方约定下午两点见面。书中对于二人的见面写得生动传神，谢侠逊见到了闻名已久的共产党的传奇人物周恩来!谢惊喜万分，握住周恩来的手久久不能放开。

They agreed to meet at two pm in the afternoon. The meeting was described vividly in Xie’s biography. The person who had wanted to meet Xie was none other than Zhou Enlai himself! It was said that Xie held Zhou’s hand for a very long time.

周谢二人交谈了很多，谢对于中共的政治主张心悦诚服。而后周恩来提议跟棋王对弈手谈。这两局棋成为了象棋史上永恒的传奇。第一局，周恩来一定要求棋王授让二先。开局不久，谢就发现周恩来棋艺不俗，很快棋王就落入下风，棋王竭尽全力才弈成和局。第二局谢棋王坚持只能让先，周当头炮开局，双方稳扎稳打，结果也成和局。

The two discussed and exchanged their views on many subjects and Xie was impressed with the ideals of the Communist Party. After their meeting, Zhou requested for a match against Xie, and the games that they played would become an important part of Xiangqi history. In the first match, Zhou had asked for a two move handicap. Not long into the opening, Xie discovered that Zhou was a very adept player himself and soon Xie was placed at a disadvantageous position. Xie could only manage a draw in the first match. In the second match, Xie could only offer a one move handicap match. Zhou would start with his Central Cannon opening, and both players adopted a steadfast approach to the game which also ended in a draw.

谢侠逊不曾想到周棋艺如此精湛，双方自然谈论起了象棋艺术。双方交谈甚欢，最后商定将第二局的残局定名为“共抒国难”并发表在《大公报》上。周恩来是著名政治家，谢是国际闻名的棋王，这件事引起了社会的极大反响，使得当时的爱国思潮高涨。

Xie had never expected that Zhou’s skill in Xiangqi was so high and both men started discussing Xiangqi. In the end, the endgame that was played in the second match was made into and endgame composition which Xie named “Easing the calamity at home” and it was published in a newspaper. Zhou Enlai was a prominent politician, and Xie was an international King of Chess. The newspaper report of their encounter generated waves.

当然，周恩来是专程来拜访谢棋王的。

Of course, Zhou Enlai had intentionally visited Xie.

这次会晤之后，周谢二人后来还有多次见面。谢为了聆听周的爱国爱民族的见解，常翻山越岭到东方协会或曾加岩去造访周和其他共产党人。

After their initial meeting, the two men would meet many times again. Xie was engrossed in Zhou’s views of the times and would travel far and wide to hear Zhou’s speeches, and in the process of doing so, Xie would meet other communist officials.

为了宣传抗日救国思想，谢侠逊创作了很多寓政治时事的象棋排局公开发表在《大公报》上。

To publicize his patriotism, Xie would create many endgame compositions that poked fun at the times. These endgame compositions would then be published in the newspapers

1940年，国民党开始对共产党采取大规模的清理行动。谢对于国民党的消极抗战和反共政策表达了强烈的不满，并且在一次国际象棋赛中明确表示了对于苏联棋手参赛的支持。

In 1940, the Kuomintang would begin their first major clean-up. Xie was displeased with the Kuomintang’s passive stance toward the war and had been vocal about it. He even made himself heard in an International Chess tournament and welcomed the players from the Soviet Union.

谢的这些言行遭到了国民党特务的警告、恐吓。然而，棋王对此嗤之以鼻。特务们终于出手了。在谢前往曾加岩的途中，一群特务对他进行了暗算。

The Kuomintang was displeased and reprimanded Xie, even threatening him, but Xie did not care. Finally, the Kuomintang was forced to show their hand, and during one of Xie’s trips to Zeng Jiayan (to listen to the communist speeches), Xie was ambushed.

棋王受伤很重，右肋骨被打断两根，肺部受伤，口吐鲜血昏倒在地。幸亏被曾加岩的通讯员发现，否则棋王将死于非命。周恩来获悉，亲自赴医院看望。

He sustained many injuries, and two of his right ribs were fractured together with contusion to the lungs. Xie fainted after coughing blood but he was lucky to have been discovered by people from Zeng Jia Yan, or he would have died. Zhou Enlai heard about his plight and visited him in the hospital himself.

棋王遇袭事件在重庆的《新民报》上做了特别报道，全社会的爱国人士都非常愤慨并纷纷谴责特务的可耻行径，许多人都为棋王的爱国不屈的行为击节叫好!

News of Xie’s ambush was made known in Chongqing’s newspaper, and patriotic nationals were incensed and became very critical. Even more people applauded Xie for his stubbornness, refusing to concede to authority.

(未完待续)

（To be continued…）

（文/张晨 译/方浩鉴(台湾)）