Liang Xihua: The moon is full tonight

Author: Liang Xihua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Nearly two decades have passed since the author wrote an article titled "Reading Zhu Ziqing's 'Ideal Vernacular'" (included in the book And the Moon Turns Round). It contained the following lines: "If vernacular lacks the nourishing tradition of glorious classical Chinese, it will inevitably suffer from 'malnutrition.' Mass communication language should be closer to the standard of being clear and straightforward. In solemn and elegant settings, the classical flavor naturally deepens and strengthens, while general literary language should not present a repulsive mix of classical and vernacular, but rather an organic fusion of the two. It should not be the harmful Westernization that is hard to read and unpleasant to the eye, but rather a Westernized style that is pleasant to read and fresh in charm." Today, when it comes to the writing medium of text, the author still holds the beliefs mentioned above. Additionally, senior writers like Liang Shiqiu and Lin Yutang once said that whether an article is beautiful or not is unimportant, but being a person must be upright. This sounds quite Confucian. As far as the author knows, villains and shameless literary figures with brilliant penmanship have existed throughout history in both East and West. Moreover, what is "upright"? Different eras and societies have different interpretations. If one argues about it, the vast gray areas make it extremely difficult to make a clear-cut distinction between black and white. However, the author believes that writing essays, sketches, and miscellaneous articles requires sincerity and uprightness. Regardless of others, this is the standard the author upholds. Sincerity means speaking one's own true thoughts. Uprightness means discussing people, events, and things comprehensively and fairly. If appropriate, the style of expression can be diverse, even absurd or bizarre, but it must ultimately return to uprightness. As such, it inevitably relates to character. If one bends the topic to the teachings of Liang and Lin on how to be a person, there is indeed a subtle connection. The author believes that if one is upright in character, even if the writing is mediocre, the act of writing will feel more comfortable. To put it bluntly, writing fiction is unimportant. The author does not need to be entirely sincere and upright, but without sincerity and uprightness in and essays, at least for the author, it would be difficult to put pen to paper. If one goes a step further, such as mentioning the "moral vigor of Hao Ran" or the "moral righteousness of heaven and earth," only those who possess it can embody it. If they do, the individuals are very qualified to be double or even multiple spies, dominating the international stage and appearing almost invincible. These fine gentlemen disdain to pick up a pen and have no time to be literary figures. Writing is universally recognized as a way to hone one's skills, but for the author, writing essays and miscellaneous articles not only sharpens the pen but also refines oneself. This is the author's view. Looking back at decades of personal struggle, the author always feels there are many shortcomings, whether in writing or in being a person, and that the distance to the ideal remains far. However, the constant effort to uphold sincerity and uprightness, with the hope of reaching the highest good, remains the author's deepest aspiration and the most concentrated point of the author's heart and blood.