Chapter 57 "Biography Craze" and "Forty Self-Reports"

1930 was the 40th year since Hu Shi came to this world.According to China's traditional calculation, he can be said to be 40 years old.In June of this year, he began to write his autobiography "Forty Autobiography". ① This is a small manifestation of his "biography fever". Hu Shi liked to memorize the words of the ancients since he was a child.When he was a child, he read Zhu Xi's "Primary School", and there were several lovely characters recorded in it, such as Ji An, Tao Yuanming, etc., which made him unforgettable for decades, and he realized the important educational significance of biographical literature.He later said:

Zhu Zi remembers Tao Yuanming, and only remembers that when he was a county magistrate, he sent a long-term worker to his son and attached a letter from his family, saying: "This is also a son of man, and it is good to meet him." This family letter with only nine characters is printed in In my mind, it also has a very profound effect, so that I dare not use a violent word to treat those who do things for me for thirty years.This small example can make me admit that no matter how the biographies of model characters are not detailed, as long as they are well-cut and vividly described, they can be good educational materials for young people, and they can also introduce a little style of life.

② When he was young, Hu Shi, who was still studying in a public school in China, began to try to write biographical articles. His earliest works, "The Legend of China's Greatest Man Yang Si" and "Chinese Patriotic Heroine Wang Zhaojun" were published in "Jingye Xunbao". "Biography", conceptual writing is rare for young people.When he was studying in the United States, he wrote "The Biography of Mr. Kang Naner".After advocating the literary revolution, he wrote many biographies and chronicles of the present and the past.As soon as he was 40 years old, he began to write a self-report.Later, when he fled to the United States, he also wrote half of his "oral autobiography", ③ and wrote a "Biography of Ding Wenjiang" with more than 100,000 words. ④ These last two items are of course a later story.Hu Shi not only wrote many biographies of himself, but also often persuaded others to write autobiographies, which shows that he is a "biography craze".

The reason why Hu Shi attached great importance to biographical literature was mainly to focus on its function of reformation and education.He often laments that Chinese biographical literature is too underdeveloped, which is also based on this understanding.He once analyzed six defects in our country's education and training of talents, one of which is—— Biographical literature is too poor. Although there are occasional great figures, their personalities cannot be read by most people. ⑥ Compared with Western education, he also has six advantages, one of which is "the biographical literature is particularly developed", and he can paint vividly and meticulously, which can become a model for future generations to learn from.Therefore, Hu Shi made up his mind to vigorously promote biographical literature.

In 1929, Zhang Xiaoruo compiled an anthology, chronicle, and biography for his father, Mr. Zhang Jian, and received Hu Shi's enthusiastic support.This Mr. Zhang Jian, named Jizhi, was the number one scholar in the Jiawu Division of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty. He later devoted himself to industry and education and became a famous industrialist and educator in modern my country.Although he later became conservative and reactionary in politics, and the company went bankrupt due to excessive debts; Hu Shi still praised him as a "lost hero".His son wanted to write a biography of his ancestors, and Hu Shi naturally actively supported and encouraged him, and he generously agreed to write a preface for Xiaoruo's biography.

This "Preface to the Biography of Mr. Zhang Jizhi in Nantong",⑦ can actually be regarded as a monograph by Hu Shi advocating biographical literature.He first analyzed why Chinese biographical literature is underdeveloped. There are three reasons: first, there is a lack of atmosphere of worshiping great figures;They are very insightful, especially the second point of analysis, which is deeply rooted in the chronic problems of biographical articles in my country.He pointed out: The most important requirement for biography is documentary facsimile, but we Chinese literati lack the habit of telling the truth the most.There are taboos about politics, taboos about the people of the time, and taboos about the deceased himself.When a sage writes history, there are still some false examples of tabooing the venerable, the relatives, and the sages, not to mention the flattery of the later generations! ... Therefore, the biographical articles for thousands of years are not flattery, It is a taboo to slander and slander, and it is also impossible to report facts.

Here, Hu Shi positively put forward the principles and requirements of "documentary facsimile" of biographical literature.He believes that authenticity is the most important condition for biographical literature, and one must tell the truth, neither flattering nor slandering, but one must be able to write the "true identity, real expression, and real tone" of the subject. For some important historical figures in modern China, Hu Shi believes that biographies should be written, and—— There should be vivid sketches to record their lives, use the meticulous work of embroidery needles to search and verify their facts, and use bold and profound insights to judge their status in history.

The so-called "sketching and vivid handwriting", "meticulous research work", and "great insight", these three items plus telling the truth, not flattering or false, can summarize the ancients' so-called good history of "talent, learning, knowledge, and morality". ", is a comprehensive requirement for biographical literature authors.Without any of these items, one cannot be regarded as a good biographer, and it is difficult to write a good biographical work. For literature, Hu Shi often "advocates intentions but has no ability to create"; but the creation of biographies is still good.

He used to persuade friends of the older generation to write autobiographies everywhere, but they always agreed verbally, but did not implement it in writing.He started to write his own pen and began to write his autobiography.He originally planned to "select a dozen interesting topics from the past 40 years" and write them in novel style.This is the case with the first article about his parents' marriage, which is somewhat imaginative and fictitious.At that time, he was warmly praised by Xu Zhimo, and Hu Shi himself was very happy, thinking that this was "a new way of autobiographical literature".Later, he abandoned this novel style of writing and embarked on the right path.He said:

After all, I am a person who has more training in history than literature. After writing the first article, writing about my own childhood life, I unknowingly abandoned the genre of novels and returned to the old path of rigorous historical narrative. ⑧ Although this change "disappointed Zhimo", it became correct after all; otherwise, "Forty Self-Reports" would look different, and it would not be a self-report, and it would be hard to say that it has the value of historical materials. Historical narration, as long as it is tailored properly and the description is vivid and vivid, can also achieve good results.For example, after the first three chapters of "Forty Self-Reports" were published on "New Moon", Liu Dajie once wrote to Hu Shi, commenting:

Of your three articles on "New Moon", I love the second one "Nine Years of Hometown Education".That article left a deep impression on people.The most successful point is that in the simple life in the homeland, it reflects the lively figure of a clever child and a loving but lonely mother who depend on each other. ⑨ His view is roughly fair.A good biography should not only be authentic and provide readers with a reliable history, but also should be vivid, specific, vivid and lifelike, so as to give readers a taste of literature. The current "Forty Self-Reports" naturally contains "inconsistencies with the facts of the day" and unavoidable embarrassment, but it is basically "a rigorous historical narrative" and even writes without concealment. Out of his bad habits such as playing cards, drinking, and visiting brothels in his youth.The text is also natural and smooth, with some vivid and vivid places.Although not necessarily a "naked narrative" as he himself declared, it is also an autobiography that is generally believable and readable. Hu Shi began writing his autobiography in Shanghai at the age of 40, and wrote several chapters after moving to Beiping. He only met readers when he was 43 years old.Unfortunately, due to various interruptions, he only wrote about a period of life before he went to study in the United States. Although it is self-contained, it is only a "half book" after all, and it is a "half book" that has never been completed. ① "Forty Self-Reports" began in June 1930, and was completed in Shanghai in two chapters. After moving to Peiping to September 1932, a period of life before studying abroad was written successively, with a total of 6 chapters.Both were featured in New Moon magazine. In June 1933, "Preface" was written, and in September, it was published by Shanghai Yadong Library. ② "On the Source of Talented Leaders", originally published in "Independent Review" No. 12, published on August 7, 1932; later included in "Hu Shi's Recent Works on Studies", Volume 1, Shanghai Commercial Press, first edition in December 1935, title "The Source of Leadership Talent".For the citation see the book, April 3rd Edition, 1937, Vol. 4, p. 514. ③ "Hu Shi's Oral Autobiography" is an autobiography oral in English for the "Chinese Oral History Department" of Columbia University when Hu Shi was in the United States in the 1950s.During the dictation, he was assisted by his young friend Tang Degang; it was later compiled by Tang, translated into Chinese, and published by Taipei Biographical Literature Publishing House in March 1981.According to the outline of the oral autobiography prepared by Hu Shi, this oral autobiography only completed the first half of the original plan, and it was only "half a book". ④ "Biography of Ding Wenjiang", also written by Hu Shi when he fled to the United States, was "finished at 3:00 am on March 12, 1956".A total of 17 chapters, about 120,000 words.In November of the same year, it was published by the "Academia Sinica" in Taipei, and it was a copy of the third series of "Journal of the Academia Sinica" (the 20th anniversary of the death of Mr. Ding Wenjiang, the late director-general of the Academia Sinica); Qiming Bookstore publishes miniature copies. ⑤Hu Shi successively persuaded Lin Changmin, Liang Qichao, Liang Shiyi, Cai Yuanpei, Zhang Yuanji, Gao Mengdan, Chen Duxiu and many others to write autobiographies, see "Forty Self-Reports and Prefaces". ⑥Refer to "On the Six Classics Are Not Enough to Be the Source of Leaders", "Hu Shi's Recent Works on Studies", Vol. 4, pp. 521-522. ⑦ "Preface to the Biography of Mr. Zhang Jizhi in Nantong", originally published in the first volume of "The Biography of Zhang Jizhi in Nantong with Chronicle Table" edited by Zhang Xiaoruo, published by Shanghai Zhonghua Book Company in 1930; and included in "Three Collections of Hu Shi's Wencun", Shanghai Yadong Library, September 1930 first edition.For the following quotations, see the third edition of the book, June 1931, volume eight, pages 1087-1091. ⑧ For "Forty Self-Reports and Prefaces", see the first volume of this book, and also see the first episode of "Recent Works on Hu Shi's Studies", Volume 5, pages 627-628. ⑨Liu Wenjie wrote a letter to Hu Shi on February 27, 1931, see "Selected Correspondence of Hu Shi", Beijing Zhonghua Book Company, May 1, 1979, volume 2, p. 52.