Chapter 36 Preface to Selected Works of Hu Shi

Preface to Selected Works of Hu Shi Preface to "Little Raindrops" Sophie's collection of stories was about to be published, and she wrote to say that she very much hoped that I would also write a few sentences as a preface.I am very happy to write this preface, because these novels are all related to me, and they are all very pleasant relationships.Among the ten articles, most of them were first published in the magazines I edited: articles such as "One Day" appeared in "Quarterly Report of Overseas Students"; "Little Raindrops" appeared in "New Youth"; "Brother Meng" and other articles Seen in "Working Hard Weekly"; Xu Yong and I read the first draft of "Luoqisi" first. Shu Yong said he was very satisfied, and I said he was not very satisfied. One chapter was added, and several parts were deleted and revised. I don't seem to have read the original manuscript of "A Pin", but I know the owner of the story. I visited her in America last year and talked with her for a long time at her home.

I, Shafei, and Shuyong are known to be the so-called "our three friends" in "Trying Collection". Our knowledge comes entirely from the cause and condition of words.Shu Yong mentioned one of the most interesting stories at that time in his preface. (But Shuyong said: "I don't know if Shizhi already knew about Sha Fei's work at that time, but he deliberately made a confused speech." This sentence is wrong. Because I did not read this poem first at that time Good luck, but because Shu Yong sent me to guess if he did it, which aroused my suspicion, so I Guess it right)

In my last year in the United States, I corresponded with Sophie 40 to 50 times, but I never met her. It was not until my uncle Yong and I went to visit her at the University of Panza that I met her once before leaving.But the fun we had when we were a few friends at the beginning was endless.I remember that every morning at around six o'clock, when the bell on my door rang, letters dropped in one by one from the crack under the door, and I jumped up, picked up the letters on the ground, and still Go back to bed and read the letter.There is always a letter or a piece of Shuyong's or Sophie's.

At that time, I was the editor of "Students Studying in America Quarterly". I had a letter asking Sophie to write a composition. She wrote back and said: I am invincible in both poetry and literature (this sentence is a poem I sent to Shu Yong), how can I give up the invincible and he begs for it ? There was a sentence in my letter to her that said: Read the book carefully, quite sour. She wrote back: Please don't "read the book carefully" in the future, otherwise the inventions will flourish with each passing day, just smile. I answered her with a doggerel: If you don't read the book carefully, you are afraid of losing the flavor of the book.

If you read the book carefully, you are afraid that your old friend will be convicted. It's really hard to offend the sender. Please also send the letter, the next time you send a letter, declare how many times you have read it. I remember this incident as a brief expression of the joy among a few friends that day. At that time, although we could not help occasionally making some innocent jokes, our main concern was the discussion of an important issue.At that time, Shu Yong, Mei Jinzhuang, and Zhu Jingnong all debated with me the issue of the Literary Revolution; Jinzhuang was fundamentally against me, and neither Shuyong nor Jingnong agreed with my proposition.When I was in the United States, I was pretty much isolated on this issue.Therefore, on August 4th of the fifth year of the Republic of China, I answered Uncle Yongshu:

I am practicing vernacular rhymes at this time, which seems to be a new literary colony.It's a pity that you have to go alone, and you can't have more comrades to accompany you.However, my determination has been made, and the public will wait for me for a few years. If you are lucky, after the thorns are removed,...the door will be opened, and the public will be welcome to come and stop! .On August 23rd, I wrote a poem: Two yellow butterflies fly to the sky. I don't know why, but suddenly flew back. The remaining one is lonely and pitiful. I don't want to go to heaven, it's too lonely.

This poem was titled in the first edition of "Experimental Collection", and it was written about the loneliness I felt at that time. The poem does not refer to anyone, nor does it express my disappointment with my friends, but only expresses my longing for a half-traveling companion in my solitude. During July and August of the fifth year of the Republic of China, I discussed literary issues with Mei and Ren Zhujun the most, and the most intense.Sophie was spending the summer in Isega at that time, so she knew the text of our debate.Although she did not join the discussion, her sympathy was on the side of my argument.Soon I wrote her the first letter on an official business; after that we wrote frequently.She did not take an active part in this pen battle; but her sympathy for my proposition gave me much comfort and encouragement.She was one of my earliest comrades.

While we were still discussing the issue of new literature, Sophie had already started writing literature in vernacular. "One Day" is the earliest work in the early period of the literary revolution. "Little Raindrop" is also the earliest creation of the new youth period.After six years of the Republic of China, Shafei also wrote a lot of vernacular poems.Let us try to think back to the situation of the New Literature Movement in that period, imagine when Mr. Lu Xun’s first creation was published, and imagine how few people were interested in writing vernacular literature at that time, then we can understand these novels by Shafei Its position in the history of the New Literature Movement has been confirmed.

So I am very happy to write this preface to let readers know that these novels are part of the author's efforts to aid the New Literature Movement in the past twelve years. March 21, 1928 Volume 8 of "Three Collections of Hu Shi's Essays"