Chapter 22 Chapter Five Translation and Introduction to Traveling in the United States

We must enable American friends to truly understand our people and our culture. ① -------- ①Lao She's foreign cultural introduction work, except for some speeches and articles, such as "Modern Chinese Novels", mainly focused on the translation of novels.Lao She came to the United States to give lectures at the invitation of the U.S. State Department, and the plan was to last for one year.Cao Yu was also invited.Two people walk together.Cao Yu returned home first.Lao She spent three and a half years in the United States, fully completing, writing and translating.Lao She left Shanghai for America on March 4, 1946. At the end of November 1945, because the English translation (translated by Ivan Jin) was sold well in the United States and received good reviews, the Cultural Specialist of the American Embassy visited Lao She in person.It can be said that Lao She was invited as one of the most outstanding Chinese writers in the eyes of Americans.Most of the materials selected for this chapter are based on Lao She’s letters to his agent.The above is nothing more than his relationship with translators, publishers, and agents.These letters recorded his main activities in the United States, but they were too brief.Because it is a letter, the writing style is quite different from the other chapters. This seems to be a bit inconsistent with the style of "autobiography", but there is no way to do it, because Lao She has almost no articles about this period of life.

The first section of travel aesthetics 1. American "people" and "drama" Brother Cao Yu and I arrived in Seattle on March 20th and have not been idle so far. This is the first time I have come to the United States. Up to now, I have only been to four major cities in the United States: Seattle, Chicago, Washington and New York. Staying in Chicago for four days, I feel that Americans are very warm, kind, lively and lovely.One day on the streets of Washington, I asked a woman for directions, and she immediately told me very clearly that when I got into the car, closed the door, and was about to drive, she also asked the driver very earnestly to take good care of me. I drive to my destination.

I also met American professors, soldiers and businessmen who had been to China. These people all had a good impression of China. They all said they liked the Chinese and still wanted to return to China.We should not be "flattered" when we hear such words. We should understand that we are also people from the world, and we are also a part of the world. We must enable American friends to truly understand our people and our culture.Today, what many Americans know is not the Chinese people today, but the Chinese people in the Tang and Song Dynasties thousands of years ago. They appreciate Tang poetry and Song Ci very much.But I also saw a painter who studied ancient Chinese paintings. Among his works, there is a painting in which he painted the Great Wall of China to the south of the Yellow River, which is really ridiculous.

Both China and the United States have a peace-loving spirit, and China and the United States should really unite.However, I would like to draw everyone's attention. What I said about uniting has no political significance. I just mean that the cultures of China and the United States should unite to carry forward the peace-loving spirit of the two peoples. Our publicity to the outside world only focuses on the introduction of politics, but not a single cultural introduction. I think the effect of introducing a novel or a play is no less than a political essay.In the past, we introduced Chinese Song Ci and Kangxi porcelain vases to the United States. At most, this only allowed Americans to know our achievements in literature and art in ancient times, but it did not allow them to understand the current Chinese cultural situation.I think that Chinese dramas were really successful during the Anti-Japanese War, and they were not something that could not be produced. If these dramas were introduced to the United States, I believe they would be more valuable and popular than Song Ci and Kangxi Porcelain Vases.

Don't think that the lives of Americans are perfect. There are many difficult problems in the United States, such as labor disputes and social unrest.We also need to study the causes of their social unrest, as a reference for improving our own social unrest.We should not overemphasize others and despise ourselves, and we should not overemphasize ourselves and despise others. From Seattle, to Washington, and then to New York, I have watched two dance dramas, three radio dramas, two musical dramas and eight dramas.Brother Cao Yu saw more.In my opinion, in American theater, Broadway is superior to other places in terms of acting skills and equipment; but in terms of ideas and attempts, it is better than Broadway everywhere.Broadway is too big on money.As for the acting and script, although the level is quite high, there is nothing amazing about it.To be honest, Chinese drama has already achieved very high achievements in terms of script and acting skills.Naturally, we still have many shortcomings, but if we can have the material conditions and freedom of speech like the United States, I dare say: our drama will never be weaker than anyone in the world.

Before arriving in the United States, he decided to deal with everything with the "car killing law".In order not to drive at full power, causing physical and mental failure; the life of a beautiful woman is famous for being "busy", but the body of a younger brother is like an old car in Chongqing, and there must be some who can't bear it.But as soon as the feet are on the beautiful soil, "killing the car" is not very effective; it is like a small fish falling into the rapids and can't help it, wanting to be slow but unable; 2. "Big Miscellaneous Building"

Been here for a year and a half.Last year, I ran around with Cao Yu and opened my eyes.This year, I was left alone, unable to cheer up and run around, so I just sat in a small room and wrote more or less every day—the third part.He was not used to eating foreign rice, so he swallowed three meals a day as if he were taking medicine.It's hard to find a place to live, and I don't want to pay more rent, so I live in a courtyard—no, it seems to be a "building" in a courtyard.However, when I think of the hardships I suffered during the War of Resistance, and the current embarrassment of my friends in China, I refuse to appeal for grievances. Isn’t it good to have a bed to sleep in?The worst is the mood.If I were a handsome young man with bad money in my pocket, I could eat and drink something good every day, and then go for a drive in the car, twist my legs on the dance floor, and never think about leaving.But, I am me, and I hate loud broadcasts, nasty thigh scenes, and neon jazz blaring.No enjoyment, no friends to chat with, no tea to drink.So there is no poetry and writing.After more than half a year of writing, the three parts of "Fourth World" only became 100,000 words!This is pure foreign crime!

My stomach still messes with me from time to time; too lazy to go to the doctor, here, it is harder to see a doctor than Hitler; oops, forgive me, I thought the devil was still alive!Hemorrhoids are not relieved, even though I sit on foreign chairs every day!Still dizzy often.Who cares about it, these days, it seems that there is not much difference between living and dying.If it dies, wouldn't the stomach, head, and hemorrhoids all heal immediately? I want to write more about my miscellaneous feelings about traveling in the United States, but nothing can be understood in three days or two. What's the point of writing about how bright the moon is in the United States?Writing miscellaneous feelings also requires reading a lot of books. I was dizzy and couldn't read the books.

The wine is not too much to eat.If you eat a little, you will get drunk because of dizziness; if you are happy, don't eat.Without wine, it seems that there would be no women; that's okay, this would reduce disputes. There are sometimes one or two good Broadway plays, and it's enjoyable to watch.As for movies, all the good movies in New York are British, French, and Italian.Hollywood has talents, but they don't make good movies. Even I worry about them.Recently, in New York City, there are four or five British films, which are screened continuously for several weeks! The price is incredible!Compared with last year, the current one yuan is only half of last year's!The price of everything goes up every day; the price of a pair of decent leather shoes is already 15 yuan.When I was in Chongqing, I couldn't afford leather shoes. Do I have to be barefoot in the United States?There is a proverb in Peking that "the barefoot is not afraid of the shoe".Well, this also has a meaning, please try to figure it out!