Modern Western Learning and Chinese Literature

Author: Guo Yanyi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-04-01
Features: Since the introduction of Western learning to China in modern times, the people of the grand empire, long immersed in the greatness of the Celestial Empire, have been compelled to open their eyes to the world. All traditional Chinese rules, cultural symbols, literature, and art have been influenced by this trend. Professor Guo Yanyi has been engaged in the study of modern literature for many years and has written extensively on the subject. This book provides a fresh perspective on modern literature from the perspective of the introduction of Western learning to China. It is a monograph on the relationship between modern Western learning and modern Chinese literature. Since modern times, Western forces have been encroaching on the east, and Western learning has been introduced to China, with this major shift leading to unprecedented changes and transformations in all aspects of Chinese society, including literature. Against the backdrop of Sino-Western cultural exchange, the strong impact of Western learning on Chinese literature and the creative transformation of Chinese literature itself have worked together, forming a synergy that has pushed Chinese literature from classical to a modern path. This book first outlines the process, channels, and reactions of the introduction of Western learning to China in modern times, and then, based on this foundation, thoroughly discusses the comprehensive changes in modern Chinese literature under the influence of Western learning from the aspects of creative subjects, literary concepts, artistic forms, ideological connotations, literary language, dissemination media, and audience groups. The book describes the historical context of the connection between modern Western learning and modern Chinese literature with detailed historical records, and further analyzes the internal logic of this connection with precise theoretical insights. Excerpt: Holmes' Arrival in the East In August 1896 (the 22nd year of the Guangxu reign), the Shanghai Shiwu Bao (August 1896) published four detective stories translated by Zhang Kunde (styled Shaotang, a native of Tongxiang, Zhejiang, and English translator of Shiwu Bao) from the famous works of the British novelist Arthur Conan Doyle, titled Sherlock Holmes' Case Notes (Holmes, now translated as Sherlock Holmes). This was the first translation of Sherlock Holmes into China. The four novels were The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (Ying Bao Tàn Kǎn Mì Yuē Cái), The Revenge of the Mute (Jì Yǔ Zhě Fù Huí Shì), The Case of the Bewitched Lady (Jì Fù Qīn Lán Pò àn), and Holmes Tragically Killed (Hè'ěr Wǔsī Jī àn Bèi Qiāng) (the latter two were published in 1897). This was three years earlier than Japan's first translation of Arthur Conan Doyle's works (1899). After the publication of the four detective stories, they were immediately well-received by readers. At the time, Arthur Conan Doyle had just begun to gain recognition in the British literary scene, demonstrating the high interest of the Chinese people in detective fiction. Arthur Conan Doyle, a British detective fiction writer, loved literature, especially detective stories. Initially, he contributed to magazines, and in 1887, he published his first detective novel, A Study in Scarlet, which depicted the case of a private detective Holmes solving a case of revenge murder, thereby exposing the greed and cruelty of the Mormon leader (the victim). Three years later, he wrote The Sign of Four (1890). These two novels caused a sensation in society and greatly inspired his creative enthusiasm. After that, Conan Doyle wrote many detective stories in succession, and the protagonist Sherlock Holmes became the archetype of a brilliant detective. These stories were collected in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1891-1892) and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1892-1893). Later, the author grew tired of this genre and urgently wanted to end his detective stories, so in The Final Adventure, he made his protagonist Holmes die on duty, falling to his death from a cliff. However, due to the readers' love for Holmes, they wrote to Conan Doyle in protest. The author, unable to bear it, had to bring Holmes back to life and continue his detective work, and the stories naturally continued. This is how the later eleven detective short stories, beginning with The Empty House (letting Holmes escape death), were created and included in The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905). He also wrote the early long detective novels The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), The Valley of Fear (1915), The Final Problem (1917), and The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1927). Most of Conan Doyle's detective stories were translated in China before the May Fourth Movement. At the beginning of this century, Huang Ding and Zhang Xin combined to translate the detective novel collection Western Stories Series One (Tài Xī Shuō Bù Cóng Shū Zhī Yī) (1901), which included seven detective novels by Arthur Conan Doyle: The Case of the Speckled Band (now translated as The Sign of Four), The Sign of the Four (now translated as The Sign of the Four), The Boscombe Valley Mystery (now translated as The Boscombe Valley Mystery), The Greek Interpreter (now translated as The Greek Interpreter), The Red-Headed League (Hóng Fà Huì), The Noble Bachelor (now translated as The Noble Bachelor), and The Empty House (now translated as The Empty House). The main translator, Huang Ding, was an American student who was proficient in English, so the translation was quite faithful to the original. Gu Xiuguang's Record of Novels Seen praised the translation of The Case of the Speckled Band by Huang and Zhang as "extremely detailed in the plot of the case and the translation style is also impressive and enjoyable"; he also praised the translation of The Sign of the Four as "highly unusual in the plot, and Holmes' meticulous investigation allowed Agra, the son of the shareholder, to be exonerated, truly wise." In 1902, the Civilization Bookstore published The Continued Cases of Watson's Detective, translated by a police student. In 1903, the Shangwu Book Company printed The Supplementary Cases of Watson's Detective. From 1904 to 1906, Zhou Guisheng and Xi Ru translated The Case of Holmes' Return, which included a total of thirteen cases: Xi Ru translated the first ten cases, and Zhou Guisheng translated the last three. In addition to the above, during this period, other detective novels by Arthur Conan Doyle were translated into Chinese, including The Red-Headed League (now translated as The Red-Headed League), translated by Tang Shixin and Dai Hongru (1901), The Sign of the Four (now translated as The Sign of the Four), translated by Wu Mengchang and Qi Changkang (published in Novel in 1904), The Great Revenge (now translated as A Study in Scarlet), translated by Xi Ru and Huang Ren (published in Novel in 1904), The Case of the Hound of the Baskervilles (now translated as The Hound of the Baskervilles), translated by Lu Kanghua and Huang Dajun (published by Shangwu Book Company in 1905), The Three Detectives in the Age of Edison (published by Integrated Book Company in 1908), The Ghost's Footprint (now translated as The Devil's Foot), translated by Yang Xinyi (published in Novel Times in 1912), Submarine Map (published in Novel Report in 1914), The Terror Cave (published in from 1914 to 1915), and The Case of the Speckled Band (now translated as The Case of the Speckled Band), translated by Chang Jue and Xiao Die (published in Spring Sound in 1916). Banong translated The Case of the Man with Six Identities (published in Novel Grand View in 1915). In May 1916, ten people, including Cheng Xiaqing, translated a twelve-volume Complete Collection of Holmes' Detective Cases (published by the Shanghai Zhonghua Book Company), which included a total of forty-four Holmes detective stories. The translations were all in vernacular Chinese, although the styles were not entirely consistent, they were generally clear and remained fairly faithful to the original, making it a comprehensive work of Holmes detective translations before the May Fourth Movement. From this rough list of translated books and chapters, it can be seen that Arthur Conan Doyle's detective novels were extremely popular in modern China. No wonder Hun Tiemo said, "The first new novels in our country were The Tragedy of Camille and The Little Biography of Yingyin; if the era of its peak popularity, it was the translated Sherlock Holmes' Detective Cases by our company." This reflects some objective realities, as a "Holmes fever" indeed emerged in the modern literary scene. Cheng Xiaqing's Holmes' Cases is a representative of detective novels created by Chinese people under the influence of this wave. The translation fever for detective novels was undoubtedly to satisfy the curiosity of readers and served a recreational purpose. However, in its early stages of translation, detective novels not only inspired Chinese writers with narrative techniques (such as flashback) but also served as a window for people to understand Western society. Lin Xian once said, "Having recently read the translated detective cases of Shanghai scholars, I am greatly pleased and admire their benevolent intentions. If this book becomes popular, it will enable judges to change their plans and use lawyers and detectives, and to establish schools to cultivate talents in law and detective work. Then, everyone will strive for a good reputation. Once they enjoy a good reputation, they will also earn more money, who would then be willing to be unscrupulous! If the common people are freed from the troubles of lawyers and petty servants, or if they can once again see a clear and bright sky, then what would be the great achievement of the novel?" Chen Xiji even compared Lin Xian's translated detective novel The Opening of Sherlock Holmes' Strange Cases to Sima Qian's Record of Yue and Biography of Wu Yun, believing it to contain "hidden meanings" and as a "starting point for (learning from)," praising the strong will of the protagonist, Jofre, as: "If every man in our country were as firm and resolute as Jofre, unyielding in the face of a hundred setbacks, what could not be achieved? What shame would be worth worrying about?" This was not merely the highly politicized "horizon of expectations" of modern readers, but it also seemed to reflect the mentality of the Chinese people in a semi-closed environment eager to understand Western culture.