Jinghua Yanyun

Author: Lin Yutang / Zhang Zhenyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: "Novel" means a small story. When there is nothing to do, you might as well sit down and listen. This book is neither defending the perfection of modern Chinese life nor exposing its evils. Therefore, it is entirely different from the many recent "dark" novels. It is neither praising the old-fashioned life nor defending the new-fashioned life. It simply describes how modern Chinese men and women grow up, how they live, how they love, how they hate, how they quarrel, how they forgive, how they suffer, how they enjoy, how they develop certain habits, and how they form certain ways of thinking. Especially, in this mortal world where man proposes and heaven disposes, how they adapt to their living environment. – Lin Yutang, the 1938 Nobel Prize laureate, said when recommending Lin Yutang as a candidate by the famous American author Pearl S. Buck: "It is realistic and not ashamed of its truth. It is beautifully written, both serious and joyful, giving correct understanding and evaluation of both ancient and modern China. I believe it is the most authentic, profound, comprehensive, and important work about China to date." At the 40th General Assembly of the International PEN in Vienna in 1975, Lin Yutang was elected as Vice President, and Mr. Chen Yuqing delivered a speech: "Dr. Lin Yutang is like a living national monument." The renowned American Time called Jinghua Yanyun "highly likely to become a classic work about the realities of modern Chinese society." Jinghua Yanyun is a long novel written in English by Lin Yutang during his stay in Paris from August 1938 to August 1939, dedicated to "the brave Chinese soldiers," with the English title Moment in Peking. Jinghua Yanyun is the Chinese translation of the book, and some translations also render it as A Moment in Peking. Originally, Lin Yutang planned to translate Dream of the Red Chamber into English to introduce it to Western readers, but due to certain reasons, he was unable to complete it. Later, he decided to write a long novel imitating the structure of Dream of the Red Chamber, and thus wrote Jinghua Yanyun. Jinghua Yanyun tells the story of the three families—Zeng, Yao, and Niu—throughout the 30-plus years from the Boxer Rebellion in 1901 to the War of Resistance Against Japan, depicting their joys and sorrows, friendships and feuds. It also incorporates historical events such as Yuan Shikai's coup, Zhang Xun's restoration, the Zhili-Fengtian War, warlordism, the May Fourth Movement, the March 18th Massacre, the literary battle between the Yushi and Modern Commentary schools, the rise of left-leaning youth, and the outbreak of World War II, presenting a panoramic view of the turbulent history of modern Chinese society. Jinghua Yanyun sold over 50,000 copies within just half a year after its publication in the United States in late 1939, and the American Time called it "highly likely to become a classic work about the realities of modern Chinese society."