"Eight Directions Wind and Rain: Selected Academic Essays by Yuan Liangjun"

Author: Yuan Liangjun Que Guqiu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-04-01
Features: In "Hua Gai Ji · Hu Ran Siao · Er," Mr. Lu Xun once wrote the following passage: Foreign books that explain academic and literary topics in an accessible manner often some or jests, which enliven the text and make readers find it particularly interesting, less tiring. However, some Chinese translations omit these elements, leaving only the difficult academic language, making them resemble textbooks. This is like a flower picker who removes all the branches and leaves, leaving only the flowers. While the picking is still picking, the vitality of the flower branches is completely lost. When people lose their sense of ease or unconsciously embrace a mindset of leaving no room for others, the future of this nation may be cause for concern. Although this discussion is about translation, it touches on the issue of how to make academic and literary works accessible yet profound, appealing to both the refined and the masses. In Lu Xun's view, even academic treatises (i.e., "books that explain academic and literary topics") need not be stern and intimidating; they should be lively and engaging, filled with humor, to make readers feel "particularly interested." Lu Xun here advocates for an academic style that is as informal as essays, yet as scholarly as academic writing—in short, academic essays. Since even profound "books that explain academic and literary topics" can be lively and accessible, then general academic papers can certainly be more humble and more humorous. Since the reform and opening-up, I have been practicing writing such academic essays. Over time, I have accumulated over two hundred of them. Because they are exercises, many are not successful. In addition to the lack of academic expertise and depth, there is also a significant gap in liveliness and engagement. Here, I can only borrow Confucius's words: "I do not claim to be able to do it, but I am willing to learn." Now, I have selected forty-one of these essays to compile "Selected Academic Essays," which I am releasing to the market for evaluation. The book is divided into three parts:
Part "," consisting of eight chapters, accounts for half of the book. The title "" has two meanings: first, Lu Xun endured all sorts of criticism both during and after his lifetime; second, my essays have also stirred up some controversies. Articles like "Why Did the Two Art Masters Not Get Along—A Brief Discussion on Lu Xun and Mei Lanfang" can be seen as specific examples of evaluating Lu Xun and modern cultural figures. The controversies they caused are self-evident. The article "Why Did the Sentiment of Belittling Lu Xun Once Emerge" provides a direct analysis of a complex trend, while "In Defense of Lu Xun" sharply criticizes Mr. Yu Yingshi, a famous historian and American scholar of Chinese descent, who completely denies Lu Xun in today's era of peaceful unification and cultural complementarity across the Taiwan Strait. The article "Local Color · Nationality · Universality" corrects a widely circulated misconception and is now facing the challenge of those who are used to it. As for the article "Mao Zedong and Lu Xun Are Geniuses, But Not 'Relative Perfectionists'—After Reading Comrade Zhou Yang's Article," it is even more obviously "offending authority." Since the "authority" is already deceased, "offending" does not indicate any "academic courage"; however, the issue itself has significant academic value. Words like "relative perfectionists" should no longer appear in our academic dictionary. Once, I ambitiously imagined writing a "Commentary on Lu Xun's Works" in the style of ancient scholars who wrote commentaries on the "Analects" and "Mencius." Unfortunately, I lacked the strength and could only complete six essays from "Fen" to "San Xian Ji," leaving me unable to continue. This is the "Six Essays from 'Aloof Burial' to 'White Jade and Minor Flaws.'" I am not discouraged and will continue to work on it. Pouring such effort into Lu Xun, a master of language, is worthwhile.
The second part, "Miscellaneous Talks on Literary Circles," discusses more contentious theoretical and creative issues such as the May Fourth Movement and "New Confucianism," the concept of "genius," realism and modernism, the truth and fiction in report literature, and the distinction between the vulgar and the refined. These are my personal insights. Some articles, like "Report Novel—A Literary Aberration," caused intense debates when published. What brings me some comfort is that an elderly colleague, Liu Yin, with whom I once disagreed, publicly admitted her mistake to me years ago. She said, "Now that I think about it, your opinion was right." Perhaps this is a fine example of academic exchange! Three essays on "Academic Style" sharply criticize some unhealthy academic trends. The article "Hu Lan Cheng Is Not Worthy of Praise" criticizes the tendency to distort history and glorify traitors. Today, the prevalent trend is "self-packaging" and mutual flattery, so these articles may particularly draw the disdain of certain people. But I believe these words must be said, must be said. Academia and theory should uphold integrity, eliminate unhealthy trends, and promote academic character and spirit.
The third part, "Discussions on Literature from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau," consists of ten essays, which are part of my reflections on literature from these regions over the past decade. To avoid repetition, none of the works discussed in my book "History of Hong Kong Fiction" are included. Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau are all integral parts of our motherland, and so is their literature. Due to unique historical conditions and cultural backgrounds, literature from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau has distinct characteristics and contributions, greatly enriching the treasure trove of Chinese literature. Overseas Chinese literature differs from that of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, but many writers from these regions settled overseas early on, creating complex connections. Mechanically separating them is highly inappropriate.
Excerpt from "Solo Study Studio" in Spring 1999: II. Lu Xun in the Eyes of Taiwanese New Literature Writers After the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894, Taiwan became a colony of the Japanese Empire. The occupying forces actively promoted their so-called "Kwang Min Hua" movement, attempting to eradicate the Chinese consciousness of the Taiwanese people. The Taiwanese people resisted firmly, engaging in an indomitable and moving struggle. Among them, the new literature writers of the 1920s and 1930s stood out. After the May Fourth New Culture Movement swept across China, its waves quickly reached Taiwan, sparking a literary revolution there, with Zhang Wo Jun as its leader. Between 1924 and 1925, Zhang Wo Jun published articles successively introducing the May Fourth New Culture Movement and the literary revolution proposals of Hu Shi and Chen Duxiu, fiercely attacking Taiwan's traditional literature dominated by classical poetry. Although Zhang Wo Jun did not write specific reviews of Lu Xun, he repeatedly praised the May Fourth New Culture Movement, saying, "China's new literary scene has already produced countless brilliant works." In his article "What Books Should One Read to Study New Literature?" written in 1925, the novel listed is Lu Xun's "Nahan." Through his recommendation, works by Lu Xun such as "The Madman's Diary," "Old Home," and "The True Story of Ah Q" were published in the influential "Taiwan Min Bao." In August 1926, Zhang Wo Jun went to Beijing to study and visited Lu Xun's residence, gifting him four copies of "Taiwan Min Bao." In 1929, when Lu Xun returned to Beijing to visit his mother, Zhang Wo Jun visited him again. It is clear that Zhang Wo Jun held Lu Xun in great esteem. During the 1927 Revolution, a group of literary youth in Guangzhou, such as Zhang Xiuzhe (Yue Cheng), Zhang Shenqi (Si Guang), Guo Dejin (Gang Jun), and Lin Jiante (Chi Jian), out of admiration for Lu Xun, visited him frequently and asked him to write prefaces for their works and articles for their magazines. Their warmth can be glimpsed in Lu Xun's preface to Zhang Xiuzhe's translation of "International Labor Problems" that year. According to Mr. Qin Xianci, a literary historian in Taipei, these memories are vividly described in Zhang Xiuzhe's 1947 memoir "Forget Not Taiwan—Falling Flower Dream" and Zhang Shenqi's late-life memoir "Milestone" (also titled "The Black Sun"). Among these Taiwanese youth, some (like Zhang Shenqi) later became important writers and critics on Taiwan's literary scene. Together with their numerous literary comrades, they carried forward the spirit of the May Fourth Movement and the realistic literary tradition represented by Lu Xun, establishing immortal merits for Taiwan's new literature. Their love and admiration for Lu Xun were often expressed in their writings. Among them, the most prominent is Lai He, hailed as "Taiwan's Lu Xun." The similarities between Lai He and Lu Xun lie not in their transition from medicine to literature, but in their dedication to "life for the people" and their righteous indignation. Their literary works share a consistent ideology and style. According to the recollections of Lai He's close friend and writer Yang Shuyu: (Lai He) deeply admired Mr. Lu Xun throughout his life, not only in his creative attitude but also in his views on the liberation movement. His insights were entirely in line with Lu Xun's idea: "Our must focus on changing the spirit of the people (the citizens), and the best way to change the spirit is through literature."