Chapter 10 Before there was a genius

——January 17, 1924 in Beijing} Alumni Association of the High School Affiliated to Normal University I myself don't think my speech will be useful or interesting to you, because I really don't know what's going on, but I've been procrastinating too long, so I can't stop here to say a few words. I think that among the calls of many people for the literary and art circles, the demand for the emergence of geniuses can be regarded as very grand. This can obviously prove two things: one is that there is no genius in China now, and the other is that everyone is very concerned about the current art. of thin.Is there a genius?Maybe there is one, but we haven't seen anyone else.If it is based on knowledge, it can be said that there is no; not only geniuses, but also the people who make geniuses grow.

Genius is not a monster that grows in the deep forest and wilderness by itself. It is produced and bred by the people who can make genius grow. Therefore, without such people, there will be no genius.Once Napoleon passed the Alps and said, "I am taller than the Alps!" How heroic this is, but don't forget that there are many soldiers behind him; After all, his actions and words are beyond the boundaries of a hero, and he is about to be classified as a lunatic.So I think, before asking for the generation of genius, we should first ask for the people who can make genius grow. ——For example, if you want to have trees and beautiful flowers, you must have good soil; without soil, there will be no flowers and trees; so soil is actually more important than flowers and trees.Flowers and trees must have soil, just as Napoleon must have good soldiers.

However, the theories and trends in today's society, on the one hand, require geniuses, but on the other hand, want them to perish;To name a few: One is to "organize the country's history" ③.Since the new trend of thought came to China, it has actually been very powerful. However, a group of old men and young people have lost their souls and come to talk about the country. Seeking newness is as unworthy as giving up the inheritance of the ancestors." It is naturally very dignified to bring up the ancestors to speak the law, but I still don't believe that it is impossible to make a new mandarin jacket before the old mandarin jacket has been washed and folded.As far as the current situation is concerned, it is still up to everyone to do things according to their own discretion. If the old gentleman wants to sort out the national heritage, of course he might as well bury it under the south window to read dead books. There is no serious hindrance to everything, but if this flag is used to call for it, it will mean that China will be isolated from the world forever.It is even more absurd to think that everyone must do this!When we chatted with an antique dealer, he naturally always praised how good his antiques were, but he never scolded painters, farmers, craftsmen, etc., saying that he had forgotten his ancestors: he was far smarter than many national scholars.

One is "worship creation" ④.On the face of it, it might seem that this is in step with the demands of genius, but it is not.In that spirit, there are many elements that reject foreign ideas and exotic sentiments, so they can also isolate China from the world trend.Many people are already tired of hearing the names of Tolstoy, Dostoev, and Dostovsky, but have any of their works been translated into China?My eyes are locked in one country, and I get bored when I hear about Peter and John⑥. It must be Zhang San Li Si, so creators come out. To be honest, good ones can’t do without the technology and expression of some foreign works, and the writing style may be beautiful. , the ideas are often not as good as the translations, and some traditional ideas are even added to make it suitable for the old Chinese temper, but the readers are already trapped by him, so their horizons gradually become narrow, and they almost shrink into the old trap. go.The author and the reader are the cause and effect of each other, rejecting the different streams, and promoting the quintessence of the country, where will there be geniuses?Even if it occurs, it cannot survive.

People with such an atmosphere are dust, not dirt, and no good flowers or trees can grow here! There is also malicious criticism.The emergence of critics has been demanded by everyone for a long time, and so far there have been many critics.It is a pity that quite a few of them are injustices, unlike critics, who grind their ink bitterly as soon as their works come before them, and immediately write brilliant conclusions, saying, "Oh, it's so childish. China needs geniuses!" Later, even non-critics cried out like this, and he heard it.In fact, the first cry of even a genius at birth is the same as that of ordinary children, and it will never be a good poem.Because of childishness, if you kill a thief head-on, you can also wither to death.I saw several authors in person, and they were all shuddered by their scolding.Those authors are probably not geniuses, but my hope is that even ordinary people can keep them.

It is, of course, very pleasant for malicious critics to gallop over young fields; but it is the young that suffer—the ordinary and the talented.There is absolutely no disgrace for childishness towards maturity, just as a child is towards an old man, and the same is true for works, which are naive at the beginning, and there is no disgrace.Because if he is not robbed, he will grow, mature, and grow old; only old age and corruption are incurable!I thought that naive people, or old-fashioned people, if they have a naive heart, they say naive things, and they only say what they want to say. Criticism of any kind can be ignored!

Even the gentlemen present here, nine out of ten would like to have geniuses. However, the situation is like this. Not only is it difficult to produce geniuses, but it is also difficult to have the soil for cultivating geniuses.I think that most of the geniuses are innate; it seems that everyone can do this unique soil for cultivating geniuses.The effect of being soil is closer than asking for geniuses; otherwise, even if there are thousands and hundreds of geniuses, they will not be able to develop because of the lack of soil, and they will be like a plate of mung bean sprouts. Doing soil requires expanding the spirit, that is, accepting new trends, breaking away from old routines, being able to accommodate and understand the geniuses that will be produced in the future; and not being afraid to do small businesses, that is, creation is naturally creation, otherwise translation, introduction, appreciation, reading, watching , for leisure.It may seem absurd to say that it is a bit ridiculous to use literature and art for leisure, but it is better than killing him.

Comparing clay with geniuses, of course it is not enough, but it is not difficult for those who are not extremely hard-working, and I am afraid it will not be easy to do; but it is man-made, and it is more sure than a gifted genius such as Kong.This is the greatness of clay, and it is also the place where there is great hope.And there are also rewards. For example, when a good flower comes out of the soil, the people who see it will appreciate it with pleasure, and the soil can also appreciate it with pleasure. The flowers themselves are not necessary for this. ==========================================

This article was originally published in the first issue of "Alumni Association Journal" of the High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University in 1924.On December 27 of the same year, when the Beijing News Supplement No. 21 was reprinted, there was a small quotation from the author: "Brother Fu Yuan: I saw the speeches given at the High School Attached to Normal University during the first lunar month, and his life seems to be true. It’s still there, so it’s corrected and sent to prepare for reprinting. On the 22nd day and night, hurry up.” ②Alps is the Alps, the highest mountain range in Europe, located between France and Italy.Napoleon crossed this mountain when he marched into Italy to fight against Austria in 1800.

③ "Sorting out the national heritage" was an idea advocated by Hu Shi at that time.In July 1919, Hu Shi advocated "study more problems and talk less about doctrines"; Put forward the slogan of "rectifying the national heritage".In 1923, in the "Publishing Manifesto" of Peking University's "Guoxue Quarterly", he more systematically publicized the idea of ​​"sorting out the national heritage" in an attempt to lure intellectuals and young students out of the real revolutionary struggle.What this article criticizes are some arguments made by some people who echoed Hu Shi at that time.

④ "Creation Worship" According to the author's later writing "Wishing the Friendship of Chinese and Russian Writing" (), what is said here seems to be caused by Guo Moruo's opinion.Guo Moruo once said in a letter to Li Shicen published in the fifth volume of the second volume of "Min Duo" in February 1921: "I think domestic people only pay attention to matchmakers, not virgins; they only pay attention to translation, but not It happened." These words of his came from reading the double tenth supplement of the Shanghai "Current Affairs News" supplement "Xue Deng". The first article in the supplement was a translated novel, and the second was Lu Xun. The Story of Hair.In fact, Guo Moruo also attached great importance to translation. He had translated many foreign literary works, and Lu Xun's opinions should not be regarded as personal. ⑤ Tolstoy (1828-1910) Russian writer.There are,, and so on.Turgenev (1818-1883), translator of Turgenev, Russian writer.Author of the novels "Hunter's Notes", "Luo Ting", etc.Dostoevsky (1821-1881), translator Dostoevsky, Russian writer.Author of the novels "The Poor", "Insulted and Damaged", etc. ⑥Peter and John are names commonly used by Europeans and Americans, here they generally refer to foreigners.