He has short blond hair, light blue eyes, and an aggressive pointed nose.
There is a huge scar on the right forehead. A tattoo on the inside of his left forearm but is damaged by a scar. Both forearms were covered with scars made by knife. In addition, there are countless scars on his body, some of which are left by knife, some of which are left by wolves.
Garth is a neurotic, selfish, arrogant, and cunning man. His good family background and rich knowledge make him have the arrogance to master everything, so once the development of things is not expected, he will lose his temper like a child.
Garth's parents are geologists and biologists from Birmingham, UK, they are typically old-fashioned and stubborn intellectuals. Influenced by his parents, Garth has rich natural knowledge and a northern English accent.
During the gold rush around 1900, Mr. Igneous and his wife come to Alaska with their 18-year-old son Hull, 16-year-old daughter Liz and 10-year-old Garth for research. Along with them is Jason Stamford, 26, a tutor for the children. The young Garth is in need of his parents, but the couple's work is very busy, they entrust Jason with the task of taking care of Garth and teaching him to read and write.
Jason is a talented young man with a major in paleontology. He was once a student of Garth's father. Because of polio, his left leg muscles atrophy and he can only walk with a walking stick. Various complications lead to his weakness and emaciation. But this does not kill his tenderness and love of life. These beautiful virtues also deeply influenced Garth.
As a sickly child, Garth does not like the outdoors, so he spends a lot of time with Jason in addition to attending classes. The two talk like father and son, read books and learn the piano, and their bond grows.
When Garth turns 18, he boldly confesses his hot, confused admiration to Jason. Jason also likes the studious and enthusiastic boy, but the work ethic makes him turn him down. Jason, who is also gay, does not criticize Garth's unusual sexuality, but encourages him to be himself and not go against his will.
但是这些事都被加什的父母看在眼里,他们辞退了詹森。加什与父母大吵了一架。
But Garth's parents see all this, and they fire Jason. Garth has a big fight with his parents.
Jason returns home to Manchester in poor health, but keeps up a close correspondence with Garth, offering gentle advice on the young man's troubles and doubts. Jensen died three years later, when Garth is 22.
In 1919, when Garth is 25 years old, he has a very heated argument with his parents about his professional planning. His parents have arranged work and marriage for him in detail and ask him to marry the daughter of a local investor in order to obtain academic financial support. Garth impulsively tells them his sexual orientation and desire for freedom. His parents are very angry, abuse Jason for instilling bad illusion into his son. In a rage, Garth packs up and leaves home.
Half of year ago, Garth's parents meet Anderson Hastings (27) from the south of the US. This handsome and wealthy young man is looking for the assistance of experts in geology and biology for his career. He is gorgeous in clothes and spokes appropriately and is soon recognized by the Ignoneus family. The two young people meet and become intimate.
加什离家出走之后理所当然的去投奔了安德森,他很快就带着加什踏上了去往苏联出差的游轮。两人开始热恋。
Garth runs away from home and goes to Anderson. Anderson soon takes Garth on a cruise ship to the Soviet Union for a business trip.
Anderson never hides his sexual orientation and introduces Garth as his boyfriend which makes Garth feel safe. But what Garth doesn't expect is that Anderson just takes him as a property could show off.
In addition, Anderson is a control freak playboy. He believes that love is only a trade. He provides his boyfriends with luxurious living conditions, and the only thing the boys need to do is following his arrangement. He thinks that Garth's idea of finding a spiritual partner is very boring and meaningless.
In that time, the phenomenon of money-laundering through academic research projects becoming popular among the rich. Most of the people Anderson takes Garth to see are such dandies. The days on the cruise ship are extravagant and chaotic. Garth feels helpless and disgusted at the atmosphere. Andrei Berekov (23) appears during this time.
Andrei is the quietest member of the group of Soviet scholars. While everyone drinks and socialize, he would sit in a quiet corner and write alone. Garth finds out that Andre, like himself, is also the one who has false expectations for this so-called academic trip. Moreover, Garth is shocked by his knowledge of botany (although Andre's accent makes it difficult for them to communicate).
Contrary to Anderson, the gentle Andre can always see the flash in Garth's soul. He respects every inspiration and idea of Garth and can turn every chat into a friendly and meaningful academic discussion. This is the kind of relationship state that Garth has been pursuing.
At the same time, the relationship between Garth and Anderson is disintegrating. Anderson arranges cocktail party bender to introduce Garth to celebrities in the academic circle. He buys ways for Garth to publish his unfinished paper and plans everything for him without authorization. The only thing Garth needs to do is being a good boy to flatter Anderson. All this violates Garth's principles. They row again and again and break up.
Then Andre and Garth fall in love. He introduces Garth to his family and live together in his hometown in Belarus for some time. Later, the two decide to go to the University of Edinburgh for master's degree in plant taxonomy.
A year and a half later, they graduate. Andre proposes to Garth at the graduation ceremony. After secretly exchanging rings, the two men embark on a trip to the Arctic Circle.
In 1923, the two men come to Yukon, Canada, and have a dispute with another group of fur hunters and they are maliciously retaliated. Andre is beaten to death. After being cut off his genitals, his body is hung in a tree and displayed with an "I'm a sodomite" sign around his neck. Garth is imprisoned and forced to watch his lover's body being eaten by crows in the aurora of the polar night. A few days later, with his last breath, he escapes, rides all the way south, and is finally saved.
This nightmare experience is a great blow to him, and the cruel torture leaves a huge ugly scar on his right scalp and countless scars on his body. He suffers from serious bipolar disorder, self-mutilation, and suicidal tendencies. He used to be a very gentle and humorous man, but now he has become an infamous one and gets the nickname of Yukon mad dog.
It is rumored that Garth finds the hunting team that hurt him years ago and retaliated against them with extremely cruel methods, but, the police let him stay in prison for only a short time because of his mental problems.
It's just a rumor. No one knows what Garth does to them. People just never see those people again in the Yukon.
Although Garth's mental problems are very serious and his behavior is very uncontrollable, it is indisputable that he is the most outstanding wolf hunting expert in this area. In 1932, he is invited to join a hunting team. They plan to go south to hunt large prey for fur.
In early winter, Garth meets Hart, a forest ranger. Hart's merciless attack drives the team out of the forest, while the gloomy and fierce ranger attracts Garth's attention. He thinks it is all good to kill him or be killed by him.
Garth soon finds that although the ranger's attack is fierce and threatening, he doesn't seem to really want to kill them. Garth leaves the team, returns to the cabin alone, and begins to test Hart's patience by taking the initiative to attack. Hart responds to his attack almost immediately.
As Garth thought, Hart does not intend to kill him - each shot wipes his cheek and flies over, only a few centimeters away.
Garth almost immediately indulges in this dangerous game.
Hart's reaction satisfies him - his counterattack would not only really pose a threat to himself, but also could excite Garth. Although Garth himself knows that this morbid emotion originates from the psychological shadow leaves in his heart when he faces death, which makes him afraid, manic, want to cry, want to laugh, it is the only time that he could feel alive.
However, this absurd and dangerous duel does not end with the death of one party. On a snowy day, Hart forces Garth to a dead end, but he doesn't pull the trigger, just askes him why he does it. Garth cries and laughs, says he wants to die.
Garth couldn't figure out why Hart has so many chances to kill him but doesn't do it. Hatred and fear have been burning in his heart for too long, burning the grassland of his inner world to black. However, from that day on, he could feel that a beam of light comes in through the black smoke, and something is slowly sprouting again.
They do not have any detailed communication and exchange and do not mention the inexplicable gun battle. The two freaks just share a bonfire, say a few words, and then naturally act together.
Garth knows that nature also has many strange partners, such as raven and jackal, Greater Honeyguide and honey badger. Some partners can even act together all their lives. Even if one party dies, the other will not find a new one. Maybe they are such animals, too.
Igusa Matsuyama Interview #2 Original Japanese correspondence
Below is our original e-mail correspondence with Igusa Matsuyama in Japanese. This is provided for the benefit of Japanese readers and fans wishing to translate Igusa Matsuyama’s words on their own. The text is presented mostly as-is, though Tumblr ate some elements like emoji. Sorry about that.
If you missed our English translation yesterday, you can find it here:
Ranch Story の皆様へお待たせいたしました。まずは質問の答えを順番にお返事しますね。
Anonymous asks: 牧場物語幸せの詩の女神様とリオンはどのような関係ですか?
リオンは確か妖精という扱いだったと思います。
女神さまと接点があるかどうかは、私もちょっとわかりません。ごめんなさい。
Tomato asks: 牧場物語ワンダフルライフforガールの主人公の衣装なんですが、I love Kumaのコーデを見ると、Mezzo Pianoというレディースアパレルブランドを思い出しますが、どこからインスピレーションを受けましたか?
People have too many things to worry about, like parents and brothers, friends and family, wife, children, elders, and juniors, and social niceties upon social niceties to take care of every day. There are always thousands of temptations for people to fall to.
All the things that Jing Qi lists here are things he has struggled with since the beginning of the story. He has filial obligations to his father, must upkeep his friendship with Helian Yi while keeping him at a distance, and has a lot of pressure on him to take a wife and have sons. He has no brothers who can pass down the position of yixing wang to their children in his place. He must keep up respect and facades for Helian Pei, Helian Zhao, and Great General Feng, as they are his elders. He has recently taken a junior, Liang Jiuxiao, under his wing, and is now, in part, responsible for him.
And the temptations? Napping. I say this unironically.
When Jing Qi wakes up in the 7th life, he wants nothing more than to fool around until his death, just bid his time until his karmic ties can be resolved. It would be very easy to do, considering the favorability that (not) "keeping in his own lane" gets him in the 7th life. Helian Pei dotes on Jing Qi even more than his own sons. He's his 半个儿子, as Helian Zhao puts it. (But also this is the same scene when he's calling himself Jing Qi's da-ge and saying greasy stuff like 北渊,你跟大哥说说 [Beiyuan, tell your da-ge]. Barf.)
But... "keeping in his own lane" also means that, without his interference, the nation will be in danger of falling into the greedy and violent hands of Helian Yi's brothers. Even if Jing Qi lazed around for a decade, he would inevitably have to deal with the much more unpleasant fallout.
It's kind of a no-free-lunch thing. Jing Qi has not earned his right to laze around if he ignores his duties to his nation, and will suffer consequences for it. So, Jing Qi resists temptations, upholds daily social niceties, appeases his elders, and tries to keep Helian Yi as the crown prince. And, in the end, he is rewarded: in making sure Helian Yi ascends to the throne, he now no longer has to worry about negative fallout, and can go with Wuxi to Nanjiang, where he will live a peaceful and happy life.
He slowly divests himself of all these worries by the end of the novel. He still has responsibilities, but suffers less for them. The first to go is his obligation to take a wife and have an heir. This is also, in a way, a direct reward of Jing Qi fulfilling his duties to his nation. But... Jing Qi has always been fond of children, and wanted some of his own. (Now I want to make myself sad. Jiang Xue feelings time.) And he gets a child, eventually. One that calls him Diedie 🥺 Luta is a package deal with his peaceful life in Nanjiang, and is also a "long-term payoff" for his character.
These are Jing Qi's mortal, human troubles and affairs.
But animals are different; their only worries every day are living, eating, and drinking. If you raise an animal, they will usually only look at and recognize you. There is this great big world of mortal affairs outside, and yet it will remember only your kindness...
(Also, on a tangent, Jing Qi uses 三丈红尘 to refer to the mortal world. Literally means "three zhang of red dust." The "red dust" of the mortal world comes from the poem 《西都赋》 and is talking about dust kicked up from daily life of mortals, from traveling, working, etc. And three zhang because most life is contained within three zhang (like 60 feet) of the ground. Unless you're special and live in the sky, I don't know.)
I imagine Jing Qi is speaking from experience, having been an animal in several of his previous lives. In this context, he is also specifically talking about the sable, as he just asked Ji Xiang if he thinks the sable will still recognize him.
When Jing Qi first meets the sable, the sable's position is very much like his own: holed up in the capital, kept there due to obligation to the nation of Da Qing (poor sable is also a hostage like Wuxi). He immediately terrorizes it, which is very different from Jing Qi promising to burn a fox paper money just after wearing its fur, remembering himself how it felt to be skinned alive in his 5th life. But it doesn't seem that he's too aware of the fact that he is terrorizing it... he claims that all he's done is "love it" and doesn't know why it's afraid of him.
Regardless, the sable is used to being scolded by Wuxi, who is strict with it. So it doesn't bite Jing Qi again, and is very well behaved. When Jing Qi takes it back to his estate, the sabel is far less behaved, and likes to make messes and stress out the household staff... much like Jing Qi himself. But, really, just as Jing Qi said: the sable, though it still loves and misses Wuxi, is now being fed, raised, and cared for by Jing Qi. It has no other concerns, and gets to play and laze about freely.
There's a moment when the sable kills the spy that was placed among Jing Qi's household staff, and Jing Qi is surprised, wondering, "You're really this viscious?" I think there's a case to be made that the sable, much like Jing Qi, can be ruthless, though outwardly does not seem like it. Jing Qi describes the sable as 没良心的 (conscienceless). 良心 (conscience) is also the word that Jing Qi asks Liang Jiuxiao if he knows how to write, and claims that a dog ate his own 良心. Jing Qi and the sable are just 没良心的besties over here.
While Jing Qi spends most of his time in the "mortal world" of Da Qing with too many worries, he eventually comes to be like the sable in other ways: concerned only about living, eating, and drinking, concerned only about one person's kindness. This is also a point in favor of Nanjiang kind of being like the underworld? Jing Qi dies in Da Qing, then lives a peaceful afterlife in Nanjiang, where he is no longer concerned with the great, big 三丈红尘 outside. (+15 Buddhist theme points to Qi Ye.)
Jing Qi fulfills his duties to his nation, dies as a ghost of Da Qing, lets go of his mortal affairs, and is rewarded for it. He gets his peaceful life in Nanjiang, and his worries of humans.
TL;DR, things the sable and post-canon Jing Qi have in common:
Love Wuxi
Loved by Wuxi
Hand fed by Wuxi
Scolded by Wuxi (eat your snake meat, Beiyuan)
No stress about family, friends, elders, juniors
Being ancient (accoording to Liang Jiuxiao)
Disciplined by Wuxi (Luta is traumatized)
没良心的
Get to be carefree and playful and laze about at the end of the novel
Hart has bright olive-green eyes, a high nose, brown messy curly hair, thick beard. Most of the time he looks serious and sullen.
His hands are very large, rough and powerful, covered with a cocoon.
Hart doesn't care much about dressing. He usually wears a rough fur coat, leather shin guards, and a red scarf to cover the huge scar on his neck,
明亮的橄榄绿色眼睛,高鼻梁,有着浓密的棕色卷发和连鬓胡子。大部分时间看起来都很严肃而阴沉。
双手非常大,粗糙有力,覆盖着一层茧子。
哈特不是很在意着装。通常他穿着粗糙的毛皮外套,兽皮绑腿,以及一条挡住脖子上的巨大伤疤的红色围巾。
Personality:
Hart is a serious and silent man, with a great sense of responsibility.
Many people think he is a simple and clumsy honest man when they look at him working without any words. In fact, Hart is very careful. He just rarely talks about his ideas, because they are usually very complex and negative.
He is not good at dealing with people and is often confused by social etiquette because he lives alone for a long time and separates from society, so most think he is a freak who only knows how to deal with animals.
Hart has no regular education and had difficulty reading and writing. But he knows clearly what is good and right because he has experienced bad and dark things.
Generally speaking, Hart is not a person easy to get along with, people just need some time to understand his kind nature.
Hart is good at using guns and cold weapons, which makes him an efficient and professional hunter. His strong build even allows him to deal with large and dangerous animals on his own.
李恩菲尔德步枪,短斧。
Important people: late wife Tantoo Schweig
Precious things: Lee-Enfield (Tantoo gave it to him)
Fear: He always dreams that his wife stands in the endless herd of reindeer. No matter how he shouts, she does not respond, following the deer with blood antlers to the distance.
In 1908, Hart is 12 years old, his father beats his mother up again when he is drunk. Hart takes his father's shotgun and shoots him in the throat. His panicked mother tries to treat his wound but to no avail.
After burying his father, his mother takes Hart to town to find his real father, a dashing sheriff. But instead of accepting them, the man violently drove them away. Hart could not bear to see her mother humble look, decides to rely on his ability to take care of them two.
Hart and his mother hide together for many years before settling down in a secluded village in Alaska. At that time, his mother’s mental and physical health is very bad because of the long-term domestic violence, and the abandonment of man.
Young Hart is forced into the role of breadwinner. For meat, Hart decides to learn to hunt and goes to the town's arms shop owner, Mr. Williams (62 years old), who is a part-time hunter too, to learn firearms skills. The industrious and talented boy soon carries the interest of the strange old man.
Mr. Williams fought in the Civil War, and shrapnel from a shell took his an eye and an arm, but it did not affect his skill as a shooter. He is a military man, unsmiling, brave and responsible, but also thoughtful, which deeply influences Hart.
At that time, Williams recognizes Hart as his apprentice and assistant because he has no wife and no children. These two people cooperate well, becomes a local famous hunter combination.
When Hart is 17, a hunting party from the Yukon invites Williams and Hart to join them. Hart turns down the offer because his mother's health deteriorates rapidly. In the following spring, she still committed suicide.
Hart lives under great psychological pressure for a long time because of his mother's hysteria. When he is seven years old, he is almost strangled in a dream by her.
But Hart's sense of responsibility makes him do his best to take care of his mother's daily life, and sympathize with and comfort her mood. However, that day when he sees his mother walking towards the frozen river from a distance, he hesitates and doesn't save her. This choice makes Hart blame himself for many years.
He doubts whether he is an evil and violent man like his father. For a long time, Hart is unwilling to communicate with others and refuses to any further relationships.
After his mother died, Hart sells all his possessions and follows Mr. Williams on his journey to Canada. The young Hart's excellent shooting and gun maintenance skills are quickly earning him a place on the team. Five years into the trip, Mr. Williams died, and Hart is left to face the world alone.
When Hart is 27, he meets the most important person in his life, his wife Tantoo Schweig. She is a mixed blood of white and Indian, her occupation is hunting guide and dog trainer. Tantoo's enthusiasm and courage surprise Hart because he has only meet humble and painful women like his mother before.
Hart, who doesn't understand interpersonal communication at all, is always clumsy in front of Tantoo. However, Tantoo sees Hart's kind nature through Hart's rough and silent appearance, she understands his past and accepts his pursuit. After traveling together for a year, the two decide to get married. They return to Tantoo's hometown in Alaska and begin to run a reindeer ranch.
The third year after marriage, pregnant Tantoo dies in an accident. The reindeer herd is disturbed by the bear and begins to run wildly. Tantoo falls off the cliff when trying to control the deer herd. Hart is attacked by the bear. The bear leaves huge wounds on Hart's neck that almost kill him.
Hart almost collapsed when his wife died. He leaves Alaska and begins to work as a ranger.
Drinking and living alone makes him the father he hates most - like a monster hiding in the forest, fighting off all intruders without mercy and killing bears in revenge. However, it doesn't make him feel better.
In 1932, Hart (36) meets Garth (39). This insidious, cunning and crazy Englishman is a member of a hunting team. He has a very prominent scar on his forehead and always has a cigarette in his mouth. At that time, the team is hunting gray wolves in Hart's jurisdiction.
Hart wounds two members of their team and drives them out of the forest. But Garth comes back alone and attacks him with his shotgun.
Since then, almost every few days, Garth challenges Hart and tests the bottom line of his patience. Although Hart is good at shooting and fighting, Garth seems to be better at sneak attacks and anti reconnaissance, which makes Hart almost impossible to predict Garth's actions.
But to be honest, the battle that Garth starts saves Hart. In order to fight better, he has to quit drinking, take in enough nutrition to support high-intensity activities, and keep focused and vigilant for a long time, which also makes his mind clearer and his mood more stable.
On the contrary, the crazy and reckless self-destruction-style attack that has been adopted by Garth is quickly consuming his energy.
The absurd duel lasts almost half a year. On a snowy day, Hart finally forces Garth to a dead end, points a gun at him, and asks him why he does it. Garth simply replies that he wants to die.
This makes Hart thinks of his mother. That day when he is a little boy, she pinches his neck, cries and laughs, and says she wants to die.
The dangerous game ends quietly. When winter comes, the heavy snow buries everything that has happened.
Garth stops the attack and provocation as if he has been pressed a switch on his body. He just appears by Hart's campfire from time to time, but he doesn't carry a gun. Hart has an illusion that he feels like a primitive man, and Garth is the first domesticated wolf in human history.
哈特对这个有着 “育空疯狗”外号的男人有所耳闻。他以他那不可理喻的反社会性格和独一无二的博物学知识在猎人的社交圈里非常有名,只要有他出现的地方,就必定伴随着口角和争斗;无论是谁,跟他合作必定要承担极大的心理压力和风险。
Hart has heard of this man with the nickname "Yukon mad dog". With his unreasonable antisocial character and unique natural history knowledge, he is very famous in the hunter's social circle. As long as there is a place where he appears, it must be accompanied by quarrels and fights; Whoever cooperates with him must bear great psychological pressure and risk.
But Hart is not interested in these rumors. With his experience of taking care of his mother, he knows that Garth must have experienced something very serious to become like this. But he is not interested in knowing.