Know a Little About Chinese Literature (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Jiang Yun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: In the new century, citizens cannot completely abandon the cultural and historical background created by humanity in the past, yet they cannot let the past creations block today's creations. Therefore, there should be more trail markers and cable layers. Only in this way can 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 curious about the name of the series. Upon inquiry, I understood their meaning and decided to write. The titles of each book in the series all start with "Know a Little," such as "Know a Little Chinese History," "Know a Little Chinese Culture," and "Know a Little World Culture." The focus appears grand, yet the perspective is humble, reflecting the wit of the young scholars.
Chinese and foreign cultures are like towering peaks, and we should not shrink away from their height in panic or think we have mastered them after a brief glance. What we can do is respectfully gaze up from the foot of the mountain and eagerly inquire at the trailhead. In short, it is about "knowing a little."
First, not knowing is a pity. A mere five-foot body, without the cultural peaks as its backdrop, is merely a lifeless, mediocre, and ignoble existence. People communicate with the outside world at different levels through culture and prove who they are through culture. Even those with limited education feel a sense of honor and shame about it.
I remember last year, China Central Television hosted 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. While the audiences across the country were not concerned about their provincial contestants' failures in artistic skills, they couldn't tolerate them failing to answer the historical and literary questions.
This shows that even today, many Chinese people still seek their dignity and group dignity through culture, which is very good. However, the immediate follow-up 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. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, there have been famous figures in China who made a living by luring others into obsession, which is highly immoral.
Therefore, we must 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 mountains and rivers without becoming lost in obsession. This approach, expressed in plain language, is to "know a little." "Know a little" does not lower standards but raises them. Just as the trail markers must know the mountain better than ordinary hikers and the cable layers must be more familiar with the sea than ordinary swimmers, they must also be more humane and culturally responsible.
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 completely abandon the cultural and historical background created by humanity in the past, yet they cannot let the past creations block today's creations. Therefore, there should be more trail markers and cable layers. Only in this way can magnificent historical culture truly become the property of the new century.