Chapter 5 Reply to Mr. Wu Xinliu

Mr. Xinliu: Thank you for your letter of March 13th. I have read your articles on music for a long time, and often read your newsletters and works. I cut and paste some, because I like it very much. You said in the first point: Everyone uses the words "civilization" and "culture" too generally, so Mr. Hu's "little feet" and "supervisor", your "syphilis" and "taibao" have all become topics and handles. I very much agree with what you said about "being a handle".Now is the era of hats flying around. Some literati in the 1930s wanted to weave several big hats and put them on people's heads every day; not only that, they even took off their old hats and threw them on people's heads.Their habit is to grab a word in your article, add a prefix or suffix (especially Eism), and make it a "handle".Then don't talk about the deep meaning of your article, just spread it everywhere: For example, when I mentioned "syphilis" in my article, they said that I advocated "syphilisism"; ;I mentioned "Zhou Shuren", and they said that I "want to be Lu Xun II". This kind of boring behavior is exactly what you call "embarrassing technical foul".

Another magic weapon of theirs is to bring out "this young man" and "this child" to be with Li Aolian.Because Li Ao is a "youth" and a "child", it is "children's play" and "children's talk", and "the victory is not martial".Although "victory is not military", they fought against me but spared no effort: Hu Qiuyuan scolded me for several long articles; Zheng Xuejia scolded me for six months in a row; "Later, insider magazines, publications with backgrounds in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and evening papers that can publish their personal letters... In short, they have used all the magic weapons they can use.Some time ago I saw Ye Qing scolding me, saying that I, Li Ao, should "go back to the history department of the university and study for a few more years"

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw it.I thought to myself: "I have only been studying in the history department for four years, and they can't take it anymore, and they will besiege me like this. If I study for a few more years, they will be devastated!" Mr. Xinliu, you don't think I'm complacent when I say this!When I say this, I feel bad.In the 736th issue of "News World", an article "Taiwan Squeezed Squeezed" said that I "made chaos in the world".If this is true, then the most "chaos" should be those literati in the 1930s.Since they keep claiming that I am a young man, they should know that it is inappropriate to fight with me for writing, because they are the medley of another generation, their methods are old-fashioned, and the army is only thirty method of age.The vicissitudes of the world and the ruthlessness of history have already "determined" their achievements and failures. Unfortunately, they are still stuck in the small mill, and none of them can realize that he is a faded person!

They are too bad, so once a bad Li Ao of our generation comes forward, they will be overwhelmed!I'm going to use long articles, newspapers and magazines to pour cold water on me and drag me down! It is these people who actually played a role in China in the 1930s, and they are still playing their part until the 1960s.How pitiful this is!How sad!So I said, I'm not feeling well. You say in your second point: Which one is it going to be Westernized... At least, friends who advocate Westernization, please set a little scientific example when writing articles. I strongly agree with this opinion.I also agree to talk about this kind of problem in detail. You said:

"Isn't the attitude of modern Western scholars always wanting to know more and more about less and less?" At least personally, I have been working hard in this direction.When I was writing "Seeing Doctors for People Talking about Chinese and Western Cultures", I told Xiao Lu, Ru Sen, and Meng Neng that this article on "Seeing Doctors" was just an introduction or introduction.Unexpectedly, as soon as this article came out, it was like Tang Seng fell into the Pansi Cave--being pestered for a while, it was really "destroyed" unexpectedly, and it was really not worth it.

Half a year ago, when I was criticized by these people for the first time when I wrote an article, I originally explained and even discussed what they didn't understand, so I "turned over the old score" first and "see a doctor" later, the purpose was nothing more than to add explanations At the same time, I hope they will have a little grace to listen to my supplementary explanation. But the development of the facts is extremely ugly. The age and self-cultivation of these people are inversely proportional. As soon as they find that their personal "shrine" has been shaken, they immediately instinctively start self-defense, and the defense methods are all kinds of strange!

Some of them scolded my "father's hall"; some spread rumors that my writing was "taught" and that Hu Shizhi, who had a "deep family relationship" with me, "encouraged" me to "swear"; some predicted" The thug "Li Ao will be rolled into the cesspit first"; some said that someone "wiped" my "tears" and gave me "candy"; some said that I was "very vicious and obscene"; I "wear a pair of trousers" with Chen Xujing; some say that I am "a beggar who eats other people's flies as crabs", a "clown", and a "slave under slave"; some say that I have been "an educational institution, an academic institution" "and "a logistical organization" to "constantly gather" support; in the end, some beautiful wives came out in person, scolded me, and threatened to slap me in the face.

Mr. Xinliu, what do you think of these "terrible rewards" and "elderly demeanor"?Under the flood of "remuneration" and "grace", I don't think you will agree with me to continue discussing with them whether it is true or false, right or wrong? Therefore, for several months, I have been using the attitude of "the old monk doesn't care and don't care" to deal with the disturbance from the outside world. On the topic, turn to discuss some issues in detail, and write a few more sub-theories. As for talking about it in detail, first of all, it involves the starting point of Westernization. On this issue, I think we should completely discard any ideology of agricultural society from the basic concept.This "obstacle" can be removed, and everything else is not difficult.Because in fact, we are already on the road of Westernization—although we are going too slowly.Take a look at higher academic institutions: the six colleges in the university, science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine have long since lost the shadow of "Oriental" (a little oriental garden pattern in the Department of Horticulture and the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine are not worth mentioning)!Except for a little history of political thought, a little history of the legal system, and a little practical essays dedicated to this, there is no trace of "national quintessence" or "national scum" in the law school!The Faculty of Liberal Arts can be regarded as the refuge of "Oriental Culture", the Department of Foreign Languages ​​and Archeology is Westernized, and the Departments of Chinese, History, and Philosophy are purely smoky, with few new trends of thought visible.Except for a very few professors with fresh minds, other professors can only be said to be "out of stock" type of big sale!

Looking down from higher academic institutions, using mass-observation way to see. In terms of "materials", we have long been "learning from the West for practical use"!Besides my robe and the embroidered shoes of the young wives, how many things are not westernized or influenced by westernization? (Women's cheongsam has been exposed to "Susie Huang's world", which really makes foreign women envious!) The disintegration of "Oriental culture" is an inevitable trend, although we still see the Four Books and Five Classics everywhere, filial sons in suits holding death tablets, and jurists who know "what shame is in the world"... But we don't have to lose heart , we should know that it is not a one-shot task to keep people from making false plays, we have to take our time.Our ancestors used to hang "Confucian" sheep heads and sell "Legalist" dog meat during the day, and practice "Taoist" housework at night.We have a "tradition" in our ability to play tricks!

The ordinary people at the lowest level develop their dreams from the traction machine, and the intellectuals at the highest level develop their ambitions from studying science and engineering. Few people are willing to delve into their "great achievements" in the pile of old papers!When they see the readers in these thread-bound books talking about "giri" or "textual research", they already know that it is not the case! First-class ingenuity has long since given up such nonsense!The Society of Engineers celebrates 50 years, which is even higher than the 500 years of the Institute of History and Philology and the 5000 years of the New Asia College. Two hundred and eighty-eight years ago, in his letter to Zhang Juren, Lu Liuliang wrote painfully:

... The horizontal skills are vast, and there is no one in my way, so he can't bow his head to shoulder the heavy burden of disease... Also drown in the whirlpool, and have to call the ears of those who are strong and good swimmers. ("Lu Yonghui Collection" Volume 1) For several years, in the old-fashioned "whirlpool", I have been looking forward to having "good swimmers" come out to swim for us to see, but I can't wait.In the end I had to volunteer.Maybe I can't swim, I can't swim fast, I can't swim well, but I always try my best to swim.I don't swim, what am I doing?Am I going to play cards too? Li Ao July 22, 1962 "Wen Xing" Issue 58, August 1, 1962 [Postscript] This letter was published in No. 58 of "Wen Xing" (published in Taipei on August 1, 1962).After it was published, it was naturally scolded by the policemen and beggars again.Dongfang Wang read my letter and wrote an article "Learn to "Play Cards"" ("Wen Xing" No. 60 "Suddenly Remembered", October 1, 1962), he said with emotion: If you ask yourself that you are not a "strong and good swimmer", it is better to spend less time in the water.So there was only one thing left for me to learn: playing cards. This interesting tip may be worth thinking about for every intellectual.People who are neither "powerful and good at swimming" nor "playing cards" often cause troubles for Dongfang Wang.Dongfangwang once took on the important task of "Student Education", and I was under his jurisdiction when I was in the "Student Education Institute". "I used to be a guest, but now I'm a prisoner." -- This old "friend" has added a strange page to my life!Appendix Letter from Mr. Wu Xinliu to Mr. Li Ao: I have read several of your articles recently, and vaguely realized that you are also a young man, so I am very fond of the stern and studious "shadow" of Zhou Min behind the article.Although I don't completely agree with your point of view, the main purpose of this letter is still a kind of respect that a commentator is willing to express to the author. I don't study history, and I don't understand philosophy, but I am concerned about the recent cultural debates between East and West. Feeling dizzy.First, I think everyone uses the words "civilization" and "culture" too generally, so Mr. Hu's "little feet" and "eunuch", your "syphilis" and "big protection" have all become topics. This is really an embarrassing technical foul. Second, I think the two parties involved in the war should first establish a definition of "Western culture" and advocate total Westernization. Which one should be Westernized? There are also many kinds of Western cultures. Do you accept everything as it is ordered? Will you have diarrhea or be overwhelmed? We laymen should know this first, otherwise the arts and sciences will be confused, and it will be in vain. The attitude of modern Western scholars is not always thinking about "the smaller things" Do you want to know more" (To know more and more about less and less)? I have appealed to the two brothers Xiao Yuneng and Chen Xiaolu at the same time. At least, friends who advocate Westernization, please come to a little bit of science when writing articles An example of taste. Therefore, I would really like to read an article you wrote: "Where do we absorb Western culture from?" ".If this article is published, it will be considered an answer to Mr. Xu Daolin's open letter (Mr. Xu said that you advocate inhalation of syphilis! If you don't make it clear, the Taipei City Health Bureau may not agree).Also: People who spend money to buy magazines every month also like to "know more about the smaller things" (at least there are not too many such people).I hope people who study history will come forward. In a scientific and responsible spirit, make a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the essence of Chinese and Western cultures, remove its "greatest common divisor" (this part is most likely to be played by the students), and make the remaining essence different Let’s make an analysis and comparison, and then climb up and shout: "I advocate throwing away rice and eating bread instead!" Even if it is wrong, it is much cuter than Mr. Hu Qiuyuan's big essay that "you can see muddy water in a thousand miles".As for the theory of respecting Desai forty years ago. At that time, it was considered too general. Shouldn't it be more clear today? Of course, "establishing boundaries" is by no means an easy task. In fact, today's East is undergoing constant "Westernization" no matter whether you oppose it or not.In Taiwan, no one thinks that beer, cigarettes, movies, and suits are Western "civilization" anymore; but in Japan, even opera, Christianity (the so-called "small group"), atomic furnaces, and military knives are their own. up.We outsiders just want to know how, in the minds of historians, how the Chinese should throw away the "Cake of Custom" and create a new cultural individual through imitation and digestion. Are you a history student?If not, the spirit of this amateur or semi-amateur study is really amazing.I am a journalist, and I am not particularly interested in history and cultural future. I just want to know "facts" like interviewing news. Wu Xinliu March 13 Hong Kong