Chapter 12 Remarks: "Zhuangzi" and "Selected Works" (Shi Zhecun)

Last month, the editor of the "Da Evening Post" sent a postcard with a form, asking me to fill in two items: (1) what book I am currently reading, and (2) the book I want to introduce to young people. In the second item, I wrote: , "Selected Works", and added a footnote: "As an aid to the cultivation of youth literature." Today I saw Mr. Fengzhiyu's article "Feeling the Old" in "Free Talk", and I felt a little nervous, thinking that Mr. Feng wrote this article for me. But now I don't want to argue against Mr. Feng, I just want to take this opportunity to explain myself.

First, I should explain why I want young people to read and "Selected Works".In recent years, my life has changed from teaching Chinese to editing magazines, and I have had too many opportunities to get in touch with young people's articles.I always feel that these young people's articles are too clumsy and straightforward, and their vocabulary is too small, so I recommended these two books in the narrow column sent by the editor of "Great Evening News".I thought that from these two books, I could gain some insight into how to make a fuss, and at the same time expand my vocabulary a little (although many of them are dead).But of course I don't want young people to do "ancient prose" like "Anthology".

Second, I should say that I just hope that young people who are interested in literature can read these two books.I think that every literary scholar must rely on the literature of his predecessors. I don't know what is the dividing line between "new literature" and "old literature".In literature, I think the metaphors of "new wine in old bottles" and "old wine in new bottles" are wrong.If we compare a person's literary accomplishment to wine, then we can say this: it doesn't matter whether the wine bottle is new or old, but the wine must be brewed.

The purpose of my persuading literary youths to read "Selected Works" is to let them "brew". If the form sent by the editor of "Great Evening News" is wider, I would like to write a few more books into it. Here, we might as well cite Mr. Lu Xun as an example. New writers like Mr. Lu Xun seem to be completely new.But what about his wine?Pure brandy?I just can't believe it.Without the cultivation of ancient literature, Mr. Lu Xun's new articles will never be as good as they are now.Therefore, I dare to say: in the bottle of Mr. Lu Xun, there will inevitably be a lot of Wujiapi or Shaoxing old wine.

As for Mr. Feng Zhiyu's thinking that writing seal characters, filling in lyrics, and using envelopes with self-engraved printing plates are not things that were born in schools or experts in Chinese studies, I think this is a bit arbitrary.These are actually just personal matters. If the person who writes seal characters does not write letters in seal characters, if the person who writes the words becomes an official and does not use words to select scholars, if the person who uses self-engraving block envelopes does not force others to carve a special envelope, Then there is no need for Mr. Feng to criticize him as "false species" and "monster".

Among the new writers, there are also some who play with woodcuts, pay attention to editions, collect exlibris, use parallel prose as prefaces to vernacular letters, and even display small decorations on the writing desk. Standing between heaven and earth"?I don't think they may have such an attempt. At the end, I hope that Mr. Feng's article was not written for me.October 8, "Free Talk". [1] This article was originally published in "Shen Shen Free Talk" on October 15, 1933. (2) Shi Zhecun, born in Songjiang, Jiangsu, is a writer.From 1932 to 1934, he was the editor-in-chief of "Modern" magazine.

[3] For the story of Chuang Tzu’s coffin being split open after his death, see the second volume of Feng Menglong’s series “Zhuang Zi Xiu Gu Pan Cheng Dao”, to the effect that: Not long after Chuang Tzu’s death, his wife Tian remarried to the grandson of the king of Chu; when they got married, Wang Sun's heart ached suddenly, and his servant said that it would be good to eat people's brains, so Tian took an ax to split the coffin, hoping to get Zhuangzi's brains; stand up. 〔4〕 "Biography of Martyrs" was written by Liu Xiang in the Han Dynasty, and it is divided into seven categories: "Zhenshun" and "Jieyi".This may refer to this book.

〔5〕For "the third type of person", please refer to the note [10] on page 25 of this volume.