Chapter 25 A Survey of Today's New Literature

——On May 22, I have been speaking at the Chinese Literature Society of Yenching University for more than a year. I don't say much to young gentlemen, because since the revolution, the way of speech is very narrow, either radical or reactionary. No benefit to everyone.This time when I came back to Peiping, some old acquaintances asked me to come here to say a few words, and I couldn't help it, so I had to say a few words.But because of all kinds of trivial matters, I finally didn't decide what to talk about—not even a title. I originally wanted to formulate that topic in the car, but because of the bad roads, the car was bumped up to a height of a foot, so I couldn't remember it.So I accidentally felt that it is not enough to take only one of the foreign things. There must be good roads if there are cars, and the influence of the environment cannot be avoided in everything.Literature—the so-called new literature in China, the so-called revolutionary literature, is the same.

Chinese culture, no matter what kind of patriot, probably has to admit that it is somewhat backward.New things are invaded from the outside.The new forces have arrived, but most people are still baffled.This is not the case in Peiping. For example, in the Shanghai Concession, in that situation, the foreigners are in the center, and on the outside, surrounded by a group of translators, scouts, patrols, servants[2], etc., who know foreign languages ​​and are familiar with the concession. charter.Outside this circle, there are many ordinary people. Once the common people go to the foreign market, they will never understand the real situation. The foreigner said "Yes" [3], and the translation said, "He is talking about slapping the face", and the foreigner said "No" [4], but he said "Go and shoot."If you want to avoid this kind of unnecessary suffering, you must first know a little more and break through this circle.

In literature, too, we know too little and have too little material to aid our knowledge.Liang Shiqiu has a Babbitt, Xu Zhimo (5) has a Tagore and Hu Shizhi has a Dewey (6),—yes, Xu Zhimo also has a Manshu Feier, he went to her grave to cry, (7)— —The Creation Society has revolutionary literature, fashionable literature.However, those who agree, there are many creations, but not many researches. Until now, they have been circled by a few people who came up with the topic. All kinds of literature are produced in response to the environment. People who admire literature and art like to say that literature and art are enough to stir up troubles, but in fact, politics comes first, and literature and art change later.If one thinks that literature and art can change the environment, that is an "idealistic" talk, and the reality is not as expected by writers.Therefore, in a great revolution, the so-called revolutionary literature scholars of the past must perish. Only when the revolution has achieved some results and there is a little room for breathing, will new revolutionary literature scholars emerge.Why, because when the old society is about to collapse, there will often appear revolutionary literary works, but they are not really revolutionary literature.For example: one hates the old society, but just hates it, and has no ideals for the future; or one also clamors to transform the society, but asks what kind of society he wants, but it is a utopia that cannot be realized [8]; or he is bored, So they hoped for a big change in vain, just like a person who is full of food and wants to eat some chili peppers; what is worse is that he is an old-fashioned character, but he has failed in society, but he wants to put up a new sign and rely on the new one. Powers gain a better position.

There have been examples in China of literati who hoped for revolution but fell silent once the revolution arrived.For example, Nanshe[9] in the late Qing Dynasty was a literary group advocating revolution. They lamented the oppression of the Han nationality, resented the brutality of the people, and longed for "restoration of old things."But after the founding of the Republic of China, it fell silent.I think this is because their ideal is to "regain the majesty of the Han officials [10]" after the revolution, with Eguan Bodai.But the fact is not like this, so it is boring and I don't want to write.The example of Russia is particularly obvious. At the beginning of the October Revolution, many revolutionary writers were very surprised, welcomed the storm, and were willing to be tested by the wind and thunder.But later, the poet Ye Suining and the novelist Sopoli committed suicide, and recently I heard that the famous novelist Ehrenburg [11] was somewhat reactionary.What is the reason for this?It is because it is not a storm that hits from all sides, and it is not a storm or thunder that comes to test, but an honest "revolution".When fantasy is shattered, people can't live. This is not as blessed as the ancient poets who believed that the soul went to heaven after death, and sat next to God to eat snacks. [12] Because they died before they achieved their goal.

China, it is said, has of course undergone a revolution—maybe so in politics, but it has not changed in terms of literature and art.Some people say that "petty-bourgeois literature has raised its head" [13], but in fact, where petty-bourgeois literature does not even have a "head", it can be said to be "raised" there.According to the inference I said above, literature does not change and flourish, and what it reflects is the absence of revolution and progress—although revolutionaries may not like it very much. As for the more thoroughly revolutionary literature--proletarian literature advocated by the Creation Society, it is naturally nothing more than a topic.Banned here and there, Wang Duqing's poem about the Guangzhou riots from the Shanghai Concession, [14] "Pong Pong Pong", the typeface gradually became larger, only to show that he was once used for the subtitles of the movie and the signboard of Shanghai Jiangyuan. Moved, has the ambition to imitate Blok's "Twelve" but has no strength and talent.Guo Moruo's "One Hand" [15] is regarded as a masterpiece by many people, but the content says that after a revolutionist loses one hand after the revolution, the remaining one can still shake hands with his lover, but it is "lost". too coincidental.Among the five limbs, if you want to lose one of the four limbs, it is really not as good as a hand; one leg is inconvenient, and the head is naturally even worse.Just preparing to lose one hand can reduce the courage to fight; I think that is not the only thing that revolutionaries are willing to sacrifice. "One Hand" is still a poor scholar who fell into trouble, and finally won the first prize, which is an old tune that is harmonious with flowers and candles.

But these are also a reflection of China's current situation.On the cover of a revolutionary literature book recently published in Shanghai, there is a picture of a steel fork, which was taken from the book "Symbol of Depression" [16]. A hammer, which is taken from the flag of the USSR.However, when they are combined in this way, they can neither be stabbed nor knocked. It can only show the author's mediocrity—it can also be used as the badge of those writers and artists. It is naturally possible to go from one class to another, but it is best to say it all the time, so that the public can see it clearly.Don’t keep a lot of old remnants in your mind, but deliberately hide them, pointing to your nose like a play and saying, “I’m the only proletarian!” Since people nowadays are sensitive, they will get angry when they hear the word “Russian” I am afraid that even my lips will not be red. I am afraid of publications, and I am also afraid of that; and revolutionary writers are unwilling to introduce theories and works of other countries. It will be as inexplicable as the "rebuke by order" in the former Qing Dynasty.

For you gentlemen, "Rebuke by decree" probably needs some explanation to understand.This is a thing of the imperial era.When an official made a mistake, he was asked to kneel outside some kind of door, and the emperor sent an eunuch to scold him.At this time, a little money is needed, so just a few words of scolding will be enough; if it is not used, he will scold him from ancestors to descendants.This can be regarded as the emperor scolding, but who can ask the emperor whether he wants to scold him like this?Last year, according to a Japanese magazine, Cheng Fangwu was selected by the peasants and workers in China to study Chinese opera in Germany.

So I think, if you want to understand more clearly, you have to use my old saying, "read more foreign books" to break through this encircling circle.This matter is not very difficult for you.Even if there are not many English books or English translations on emerging literature, all of them must be more reliable.After reading more theories and works of other countries, and then assessing China's new literature and art, it will be much clearer.It is better to introduce it to China; translation is not easier than casual creation, but it will contribute more to the development of new literature and be more beneficial to everyone.

BB [1] This article was first published on May 25, 1929, in the eighth issue of the second volume of the semimonthly "Wei Ming" in Peking. 〔2〕Servant used to be a disparaging term for Chinese male servants hired by Westerners. [3] "Yes" in English: yes. [4] "No" English: not. 〔5〕Xu Zhimo (1897-1931) was born in Haining, Zhejiang Province, a poet, and a major member of the Crescent Society.Author of "Zhimo's Poems", "Tiger Collection" and so on.When Tagore visited China in April 1924, he acted as an interpreter, and published many articles praising Tagore in the "Novel Monthly". [6] Dewey (1859) He denied the existence of objective truth and absolute truth, and believed that usefulness is truth. His main works include "The Transformation of Philosophy", "Experience and Nature", "Logic: A Theory of Inquiry", etc. Hu Shi is the author of Dewey's theory A propagandist. From May 1919 to July 1921, when Dewey came to China to give lectures, he served as an interpreter.

〔7〕 Mansfield (1888-1923) interpreted Mansfield to gather British female writers.Author of "Happiness", "Dove Nest" and other collections of short stories.Xu Zhimo has translated her works.In his "Self-Anatomy Collection European Travel Notes", he said that he had visited Manshfield's grave in France: "It seems that I came to Europe this time to do Qingming; The tomb of the relationship,...the tomb of Mansfield in Fontainebleau..."[8] The transliteration of the Latin word Utopia comes from a novel written by Thomas More in England in 1516.The book describes a social organization called "Utopia", which entrusts the author's ideal of utopian socialism, so "Utopia" has become a synonym for "Utopia".

[9] Nanshe Literary Group, initiated by Liu Yazi and others in 1909, was established in Suzhou and had more than a thousand members in its heyday.They advocated the anti-Qing revolution in poetry.After the Revolution of 1911, there were divisions. Some echoed Yuan Shikai, and some joined politician groups such as the Anfu Department and the Research Department. Only a few people insisted on a progressive position.Disintegrated in 1923.The society edited and printed the indeterminate periodical "Nanshe", published poems and essays written by members, and published a total of 22 episodes. 〔10〕 "Han official prestige" refers to the etiquette system formulated by Shu Suntong and others in the Han Dynasty. "Book of the Later Han Dynasty Guangwu Emperor Ji" records: After Wang Mang failed to usurp the throne and was killed, Liu Xiu (later Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty) brought his staff to Chang'an. Self-victory. The old official may say with tears: "I don't want to see the majesty of the Han officials again today." ". [11] Ehrenburg, 1891-1967) Soviet writer.After the October Revolution, he distorted the socialist reality in his creation and was criticized by the Soviet literary and art circles at that time. [12] The German poet Heine has such a sentence in the sixty-sixth poem "The Return of the Native": "I dreamed that I became God myself, sitting proudly in heaven, and angels surrounded me. Incessantly admiring my poems. I eat cakes, sweets, drink wine, feast with angels, enjoy this treasure without spending a penny...."13 "Petty-bourgeois literature See Li Chuli's "Proletarian Literature Should Defend Itself Against the Rise of the So-called "Petty Bourgeois Revolutionary Literature"" (Creation Monthly, Vol. 2, No. 6, December 1928) ). [14] Refers to Wang Duqing's long poem "IIDecA" ("December 11th"), which was published in September of 19th Building Siye  (publishing place not indicated). [15] The short story "One Hand" was published in the ninth to eleventh issues of the first volume of "Creation Monthly" in 1928. The content is different from what is said here. 〔16〕 "Symbols of Depression", a collection of literary essays, written by Japanese literary critic Kurakawa Shiramura.Lu Xun once translated it into Chinese and published it in December 1924 by Beijing Xinchao Press.The cover of the Chinese translation is written by Tao Yuanqing.The picture shows a steel fork piercing a woman's tongue, which symbolizes "bitterness in the world".