Chapter 21 Inquire about impressions

After the Taozhi May 4th Movement, it seems that the Chinese have developed a new temper, which is: if a foreign celebrity or rich person arrives, they like to ask him about his impression of China.Russell [2] went to China to give lectures, and the radical young people held meetings and feasted to get their impressions.Russell said: "You have treated me so well, even if you want to say bad things, it's hard to say anything." The aggressive young man was indignant, thinking he was slippery. George Bernard Shaw traveled around China, and reporters from Shanghai flocked to visit and ask for impressions.Xiao said: "What opinion I have is none of your business. If I were a warrior and killed 100,000 people, you would respect my opinion." [3] Both revolutionaries and non-revolutionaries were outraged, thinking that he mean.

This time, Prince Carl of Sweden [4] came to Shanghai, and the reporter also expressed his impressions: "...everywhere we went, we were warmly received by the local officials and people. I am grateful and very happy. The impressions from this tour are as follows: Those who have an extremely good impression of your country's government and people will never be able to get rid of it." This is the safest, I think, so as not to cause any right or wrong. In fact, Luo and Xiao are not considered cunning and mean. If there is such a foreigner, when someone asks his impression, he first asks: "What is your husband's impression of China?" What a difficult article to write.

We were born and raised in China, so if we have impressions, it cannot be counted as "impressions"; but opinions are fine; and what about opinions?To say that we are like fish in muddy water, living in a muddle and bewildering, is not like an opinion.It is difficult to say that China is very good.This is the so-called "lost national confidence" that the patriots lament, but in fact it seems to have lost it. Asking everyone for their impressions is like asking for a lottery and asking for divination. Of course, there are some among us who express opinions, but the most common ones are those who have no fists or courage, have never "killed a hundred thousand lives", but are self-proclaimed "little people", so no one "respects" their opinions, that is, "Irrelevant" to everyone.As for a powerful person, he might have been very aggressive when he was in opposition, but now, without saying a word, China "treats me so well, even if it wants to say bad things, it's hard to say anything."Looking at Russell feasting at the time, but now being angry at the princes who made his fortune from the Xinchao Society[5] who answered him, it really makes people think that Russell is not a slicker, but a prophetic satirist, predicting his thoughts ten years later. went.

This is my impression, and it can be regarded as a pseudo-answer, which was copied from the mouth of foreigners. September 20th. [1] This article was originally published in "Shen Shen Free Talk" on September 24, 1933. [2] Russell (B. Russell, 1872-1970) British philosopher.He came to China in 1920 and gave lectures at Peking University. [3] For George Bernard Shaw’s words, see the twelfth issue of the semi-monthly magazine (March 1, 1933) in Jinghan’s "Shanghai Conversations of George Bernard Shaw": "Ask me what is the use of this sentence-everywhere people ask me Impressions of China, impressions of temples and pagodas. To be honest—what opinions I have is none of your business—you will not listen to my command. If I were a warrior and killed a hundred thousand people, you would Respect my opinion."

[4] Prince Karl (Carl Gustav Oskar Fredrik Christian), nephew of King Gustav V of Sweden at the time, traveled around the world in 1933 and came to China in August.To quote his talk to reporters, see "Shenbao" on September 20, 1933. 〔5〕Xinchaoshe is a progressive club organized by some students and faculty members of Peking University.Established at the end of 1918, the main members are Fu Sinian, Luo Jialun, Yang Zhensheng, Zhou Zuoren and so on.He once published the "New Tide" monthly magazine (founded in January 1919) and "New Tide Series".Later, due to the change of main members, the society gradually turned to the right and disintegrated invisiblely; Fu Sinian and Luo Jialun became the backbone figures of the Kuomintang regime in terms of education and culture.