黄河船工祖祖辈辈生活在黄河上,漂泊在木船上。他们对黄河了如指掌,把船只视为家珍。在与黄河风浪搏斗的生活实践中,船工们创作出了丰富多采、独具特色的黄河号子。声声号子,抒发了船工们复杂的感情,反映出他们的喜、怒、哀;乐、忧、怨、悲、欢。黄河船工号子,伴随着船工的劳动,是船民生活的旋律。黄河船工从来是不行"哑巴船"的。船工们一投入工作,就开始唱"黄河叫号",招呼大家准备行船。船在岸上检修后拖船下水时唱"威标号",接着有"起锚号"、"搭篷号"、"扬蛮号"(船工们忌用"翻"音,"扬蛮号"即"扬帆号"),使用最多的是"拉纤喂喂号"。黄河的拉纤号,又有清早拉纤号和晚上拉纤号之分,虽曲调相同,但歌词内容是不一样的。黄河中下游的船工,横渡黄河的时候比较多,在劳动实践中,船工们摸索出了向前抛锚,然后用水的冲力推船横渡的劳动方法。这样,就创造出了一种适应这种劳动的急促有力的"抛锚号"和"抡大锚号"。另外,船调头时有"带冲号",撑船时有"跌脚号",快到码头时有"大跺脚号",在两船之间穿行时有"车挡号"等等。直到停船,每一劳动过程,都有号子伴奏。
随着河道的变化,船工们还创造出了各种形式的劳动号子,以适应劳动节奏的变化。黄河中上游是黄土高原和豫西山地,谷深峡险,水流湍急。黄河船工们逆流而上,步步艰难;顺流而下,提心吊胆。民间有句俗话叫"船行三门峡,如过鬼门关"。三门峡是黄河最险恶的地段之一,明礁暗石,水势凶猛,曾有不少船只在这里葬身河底。所以,船工们在这些河段里行船,必须有同舟共济之心,力挽狂澜之胆。这时候,使用的号子几乎不用歌词,全用"嗨、嗨"的衬词组成。黄河流出豫西山地,进入华北平原以后,没有了那种奔腾无羁的气势,缓缓泻入渤海。船工们在这些河段里行船,其号子也多缓慢悠扬,颇具情趣。黄河号子采用的是一领众和的形式,从歌词到曲调都敦厚质朴,雄劲开阔。
黄河船工长年累月航行在千里河道上,对黄河两岸的一山一石、一草一木都非常熟悉。船工们在用号子来调节单调、繁重的体力劳动的同时,也用歌声来描绘山川景色,抒发他们热爱大自然的感情。
总之,黄河船工号子不仅有指挥劳动、鼓舞劳动情绪的实用价值,也使人们从中体会到黄河行船独特的风俗民情。
Yellow River Boatman's Watchword
Yellow River boatmen live on the river and float on boat from generation to generation. In the defeat practice with waves, they create varied and unique watchword which is along with their works and is a melody of their life.
Yellow River Watchword uses the form of one leading and others following. It is honest, plain, powerful and vigorous from lyrics to tones. Boatmen sing these watchwords to adjust monotonous and heavy manual work, at the same time, they are also eager to depict beautiful scenes and express their love for the nature with these watchwords. In a word, Yellow River Watchword not only has value of commanding their work and stimulating their emotion, but also can make common people feel the unique custom during boat's sailing.