Chapter 48 me and little readers

Today, the topic I am talking about is "Little Readers and Me".Just now, Mr. Kuwahara Takeo wanted me to speak as a writer, but I never thought of speaking as a writer.Because I wanted to be a doctor since I was a child, and I have been committed to studying medicine, but I have no interest in writing articles. When the May 4th Movement happened in 1919, I was nineteen years old and I was studying at Concord Women's University Preparatory School.At that time, I was the head of the Publicity Unit of the Student Union. Because I had to go out every day to carry out touring publicity activities, I couldn't attend science courses on time.For example, when talking about anatomy, everyone took a cat and dissected the cat's nerves. However, when I returned to the laboratory, the smell of the cat had changed and I could no longer dissect it.At the same time, I also need to write something for publicity, and I also come into contact with some articles reflecting social issues, so I feel that it is necessary to write novels.

Because I took a lot of courses in science and engineering, and at the same time became interested in literature, many students persuaded me: "Wouldn't it be better if I could transfer to the literature department?" So, I transferred from science to liberal arts.Liberal arts is relatively easy, there is a lot of time, and no preparation is required.So today I come here to speak as a writer.This is the first point I'm talking about, which is how I became interested in literature and started writing articles. Second, I want to talk about how I became a children's literature writer.Last year, Shanghai Children's Publishing House published the book "I and Children's Literature", which talked about the relationship between various authors and various children's literature.I have no memory of how I have been writing children's literature in the past.So, how did I step into the ranks of children's literature writers?

About this question, actually because I used to write to children. In 1923, when I graduated from university, I received a scholarship from Wellesley University in the United States to study in the United States.At that time, many children asked me to write letters to them. My status in the family is also very special. I am the eldest daughter and have three younger brothers. The oldest brother is six years younger than me.So, in my house, there are many brothers and children who come to play from morning to night.I tell them stories and also help them learn.Sometimes, even a particularly naughty little brother has to be beaten.Before I went to the United States, my younger brothers said to their children: "When you go to the United States, you must write to us often." At that time, I published some novels and essays in Beijing's "Morning News".The editor of The Morning Post said to me in an interview after they started their "Children's World" column:

"Can you publish the letters you wrote to the children first?" Those letters that have been published are the current "Send to Young Readers". I came to Japan in 1946.At that time, I met Mr. Kuraishi Takeshiro, and he said to me: "I have translated your book into Japanese." I felt ashamed and happy when I heard this sentence. The book "Send to Young Readers" is a collection of letters written from 1923 to 1926.I wrote a lot in the first few years, but as the school courses gradually became busy, the number decreased.Those letters were mainly written about the customs of the United States and my study situation.

Later, I wrote some more such letters, namely "Resend to Little Readers", and those letters started in 1958.By this time, thirty years had passed since the original Send to Young Readers.After the founding of New China, I participated in various friendly groups, visited India, Japan, Asian countries, and African countries, and wrote letters to my friends about what I saw and heard, the customs, and people's love for peace in various places. reader.I also wrote "Three Letters to Little Readers", which started in 1978 and is still being written. Our Chinese literary and art circles and the people of the whole country have suffered great disasters in the past ten years, but they have also been well tested.

This exercise was also a good workout for me.We can live to the present writers, have a deeper understanding of life. Why did I write "Three Letters to Little Readers"?Because after ten years of catastrophe, the relationship between people was messed up by the "Gang of Four".China lags behind in science and culture, and has forgotten many ancient excellent traditions.The 200 million children in China need people to train and educate them. I studied medicine in the past, so it is important to understand what a pediatrician does.The reason I say this is that children are the doctor's target audience, and children are often unable to express themselves clearly about their illness.Therefore, doctors must pay special attention to approaching children and carefully observing their emotions.Likewise, authors of children's literature are as important as pediatric doctors.In China, the 1980s or the end of this century can be said to be a very extraordinary era. In such an era, educating children is an important job.A child's heart is like a piece of blank paper, and what is first engraved on the mind will have a great impact on the child.To this day, I still clearly remember when my mother taught me how to read, the first word I was taught was "Tianxia Taiping".

The phrase "the world is peaceful" is an old saying, but in modern terms it means "world peace."I was born in 1900, and since that day, China has been in misery.But I think that although the road is tortuous, the future is bright. This is true in China, and Japan is no exception. In the autumn of 1946, I came to Japan.At that time, from Yokohama to Tokyo, I did not see a complete house.Some Japanese friends I met were poorly dressed, poorly fed, and haggard.They told me what it was like when the house was burned down by the bomb.I have many friends who study Sinology, and one of them told me with tears that "when his house was burned, the ashes of the foreign-bound books were black, and the ashes of the thread-bound books were white."Only then did I understand that the war not only brought great disasters to the Chinese people, but also brought great suffering to the Japanese people.

What should we Orientals do for world peace and human progress? This is a question that must be seriously considered.We Orientals should have our own ideals and goals, and we should have our contribution to world peace and progress.At this time, I thought about our children, children in Asia and the world.They are the protagonists of the 21st century and the hope of mankind.For them, they need to understand each other, learn from each other, and encourage each other.Our responsibility is to help the children of the world walk this path.There is a saying in China, "A writer is an engineer of the human soul." But I think this is not limited to writers, teachers, parents, brothers, and sisters all have to do the same.

There is an old Chinese saying: "Everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world." It means that everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world.Some Western youths have a rich material life, but feel very empty in terms of spiritual life.Because they cannot clearly predict what fate awaits them tomorrow.We Chinese are different from them, and I think the Japanese are probably also different from them.Today, we Chinese people must strive to realize the four modernizations.Science and technology are originally very good, but in whose hands science and technology are in the hands is a very important issue.

If science and technology are in the hands of aggressors and warlike people, mankind will suffer catastrophe.But if it is held in the hands of peace-loving people, the world will become a paradise, and not only can we get happiness, but all generations can also get happiness.I want to raise this hope to you, and hope that you will be enthusiastic about educating our children.I hope writers, parents, older brothers, and older sisters all love and care for our children, and place our future and hopes on them.We want to cultivate beautiful flowers like gardeners.Everyone has such a wish, and I admit that I have such a responsibility.We are all responsible for world peace and human progress, and we can fulfill our responsibilities.

Both China and Japan are oriental countries, and both are cultured and civilized countries. Our two countries have a deep and thousands of years of friendship.So I speak to you as if I were speaking at home.Finally, let us join hands and work towards our greatest goals and serve the future.thanks. April 11, 1980 in Kyoto, Japan (translated by Liu Ping)