World Literature: Some Basics (Part 1 and Part 2)

Author: Qiu Likun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: In the new century, citizens cannot entirely abandon the cultural and historical background created by humans before, yet they cannot let the past creations block today's creations. Therefore, there should be more trail markers and cableway installers. Only in this way can the magnificent historical culture truly become the property of the new century.
A group of young scholars from the Department of History and Department of Chinese at Peking University compiled a series of "Know a Little" books and invited me to write the preface. I was a bit curious about the name of the series. Upon inquiry, I understood their intention and decided to write. It turned out that the title of each book in the series starts with "Know a Little," such as "Know a Little Chinese History," "Know a Little Chinese Culture," and "Know a Little World Culture." The starting point seems grand, but the focus is humble, showing the wit of the young scholars.
Chinese and foreign cultures are like a range of towering peaks. We should not be frightened by their height and hastily avoid them, nor should we think we have mastered them after a brief glance. What we can do is to respectfully gaze up from the foot of the mountain and eagerly inquire at the trailhead. Simply put, it is: "Know a Little."
First, not knowing is a pity. A mere five-foot body, without the cultural peaks as its backdrop, is merely a physiologically unaware and mediocre existence. People communicate with the outside world at different levels through culture and prove who they are through culture. Even those with limited education have a sense of honor and shame about it.
I remember last year, China Central Television held a national live-streamed youth art talent competition. One of the events was a test of historical and literary knowledge, and the results were unexpected. Hundreds of millions of viewers paid far more attention to this part than to the main competition. The audiences from all provinces across the country were not concerned about their representatives' shortcomings in artistic skills but were unable to tolerate their failure to answer the historical and literary questions.
This shows that even today, many Chinese people still seek their personal and collective dignity through culture, which is very good. However, the immediate question is that we must also guard against people's obsession with historical and literary knowledge. Obsession may seem profound, but in reality, it is a disaster manufactured in the name of culture.
After the Ming and Qing dynasties, there has always been a group of famous people in China who made a living by luring others into obsession, which is highly immoral. Therefore, it is necessary to mark some simple routes among the cultural peaks and lay some floating cables in the vast sea of history, so that people can appreciate the beauty of the mountains and rivers without becoming obsessed.
This practice, expressed in colloquial terms, is to know a little—not too much, too (mixed), too (fragmented), or too (excessive). "Know a little" does not lower the standard but raises it. Just as the trail markers must know the mountain better than ordinary hikers and the cable installers must be more familiar with the sea than ordinary swimmers, they must also be more knowledgeable, more familiar, and more humane, with a stronger sense of cultural responsibility.
In this sense, I believe that the young scholars at Peking University who compiled this "Know a Little" series have undertaken a valuable endeavor. In the new century, citizens cannot entirely abandon the cultural and historical background created by humans before, yet they cannot let the past creations block today's creations. Therefore, there should be more trail markers and cableway installers. Only in this way can the magnificent historical culture truly become the property of the new century.