Guarding the Language Forest: The Century's Confucian Analects Series

Author: Jin Wenming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: German linguist Hermann Paul said, "Language is a great tree." He believed that language has its own life. Chinese essayist Qin Mu compared language to a forest, full of vitality and diverse expressions. After his well-known work "Gathering Pearls from the Art Sea," he wrote another linguistic titled "Gathering Gems from the Forest of Language." Mr. Jin Wenming seems to agree with these metaphors, naming his new work "Guarding the Forest of Language." However, the first time I encountered these four characters, I was struck by an unprecedented sense of awe. If I had to describe the impression it left me with a single word, that word would be: tragic. Since the founding of New China, there have been three instances of linguistic and textual chaos. The first occurred in the early years of the PRC, when a large number of workers and peasants took to the political stage, but they had not received systematic cultural education, leading to some "unacceptable chaotic phenomena" in their language lives. In response, the People's Daily published an influential editorial titled "Correctly Using the Language of Our Motherland, Struggling for the Purity and Health of Language." The second instance was during the decade of chaos, when the language life, like political life, experienced intense turmoil, and "some beautiful linguistic traditions of the Chinese nation were destroyed and trampled." Writing was not standardized, and language violence ran rampant. It was only after the Cultural Revolution ended that the "wounds" of language began to heal. Now, we are in the midst of the third linguistic chaos, a long-term and widespread one: typos abound, language use is arbitrary, and the "rules of the game" for language are facing severe challenges. Faced with the "last night's west wind withered the green trees," leaving behind a mess, Mr. Jin Wenming issued an inner cry: "Guard the Forest of Language!" How much courage and determination does that require! It reflects a cultural conscience and carries a historical responsibility. These four characters are a solemn commitment, with each word weighing a thousand pounds. Mr. Jin is not only a brave man but also a wise one. His bravery is built upon wisdom. He once taught and, for the next few decades, devoted himself to editing. To appreciate Homer, one must elevate oneself to Homer's level; similarly, an editor must be able to engage in dialogue with the author to master the manuscript. Mr. Jin is just such a competent editor. He treats every proofreading practice as a research process. To accurately judge manuscripts, he delved into etymology, phonology, bibliology, as well as official documents, local gazettes, inscriptions, and stone carvings, becoming a typical scholar-type editor. Even more commendable is that Mr. Jin not only has a solid academic foundation but also maintains a rigorous editing attitude. When he heard an expert criticize a certain editor for not knowing that Yuan Yi Shan was the same as Yuan Hao Wen, he immediately took it as a warning, meticulously gathered materials, and compiled a "Biographical Table of Tang and Song Dynasty Writers' Names, Titles, and Birth Years" for his own reference during proofreading. This table is 2.5 meters long and includes all the great names from the Tang and Song dynasties. No pain, no gain. It is precisely because of such dedication that Mr. Jin can grasp manuscripts from a high vantage point and has a special professional sensitivity to linguistic and textual errors, especially those related to historical and literary knowledge. Now, Shanghai is in the process of establishing a publishing museum. I would like to solemnly suggest that Mr. Jin's table be included as a collection. This table not only showcases Mr. Jin Wenming's editing attitude but also reflects the cultural spirit of a generation of publishers. I once thought that with Mr. Jin's academic foundation, if he were to teach in a university, he would undoubtedly be an excellent teacher with a wide network of students, his genuine knowledge making empty scholars ashamed. If he were to pursue research in an institute, he would surely be a renowned scholar with a prolific output, leveraging his research spirit and cultural insight to achieve fruitful results. Yet, it is precisely such a well-read expert who, for decades, has tirelessly and selflessly devoted himself to editing work without complaint. Many major cultural projects, such as "The Cihai" and "The Great Dictionary of the Chinese Language," have benefited from Mr. Jin's dedication. This is a blessing for Chinese publishing and a blessing for Chinese culture. With a group of skilled editors like Mr. Jin, Chinese publishing has written a new chapter of glory. Today, Mr. Jin, with great enthusiasm, focuses on the use of language and characters, becoming a sincere guardian of the Forest of Language. The articles included in this book may be just explorations of single words or phrases, but they are substantive, insightful, well-supported, and thoroughly analyzed. Without a deep professional foundation, it is difficult to reach such a level. As the ranks of Forest of Language guardians continue to grow, the third linguistic chaos will surely end soon. Culture needs continuity, and the Forest of Language needs guardians. After reading this book, the one thing I most want to say is: "To Mr. Jin Wenming, I salute!"