Sister’s Promise Lights Memory | Generated by AI
Question: In the essay “The Lights of Aierke,” the reason “I” seemed to see the lights on Halishi Island is because
A. a familiar voice gently sang this old European legend in my ear
B. I also once had a sister and had promised to come back one day to see her
C. the lights were calling me, and I wished wings would grow under my arms so I could fly there immediately
D. this must be the lamp of my soul, which always shows me the way I should go
Answer: B
The correct answer is B.
Explanation:
In Ba Jin’s essay “The Lights of Aierke” (《爱尔克的灯光》), the sight of the lights in the old house triggers a deep emotional memory in the narrator. The key sentence in the text is:
“十八年前在一个春天的早晨，我离开这个城市、这条街的时候，我也曾有一个姐姐，也曾答应过有一天回来看她，跟她谈一些外面的事情。”
(Translation: “Eighteen years ago, on a spring morning when I left this city and this street, I also had a sister, and I had promised to come back one day to see her and tell her about things from the outside world.”)
This unfulfilled promise to his sister and the memory of her death (implied in the broader context of the essay) create a strong emotional resonance. The lights of the old house remind the narrator of his sister and the promise he made but could not keep. This personal memory and guilt cause him to project the legendary “lights of Halishi Island” (from the old European sailor’s tale) onto the lights he sees in reality.
In other words, it is the parallel between his own life experience (having a sister + broken promise) and the symbolic meaning of the lights in the legend that makes him “seem to see” the lights of Halishi Island.
Why the other options are incorrect:
- A: The singing of the legend is mentioned earlier, but it is not the direct reason for “seemingly seeing” the lights at this specific moment.
- C: This describes the strong emotional pull the narrator feels, but it is the result of the memory rather than the cause.
- D: This is a more philosophical interpretation the narrator arrives at later, but it is not the direct reason given in the text for why he “seemed to see” the lights of Halishi Island at that moment.
The most immediate and textually supported reason is the memory of his sister and the unfulfilled promise → B.
References:
- None (analysis based on the original text of Ba Jin’s 《爱尔克的灯光》)