A hundred years old is still a teenager
Recalling Mr. Xu Yuanchong
◎ Long Meiguang (Deputy Curator of Southwest Associated University Museum, Yunnan Normal University)
Editor's note: The famous translator Xu Yuanchong passed away in Beijing on the morning of June 17 at the age of 100.
This edition features an interview (excerpt) by financial reporter Ma Guochuan with Mr. Xu Yuanchong in Changchunyuan, Peking University on June 2. This may be the last interview Mr. Xu has received before his death, and Long Meiguang, the deputy curator of the Southwest Associated University Museum He missed the article with deep feelings to mourn Mr. Xu Yuanchong.
In the dead of night, people can not be disturbed, and remember an old gentleman.
There are several books by Mr. on the table, which I just pulled from the shelf.
"Reminiscing about the passing years", "Nine Songs of the United Nations University", "On the Vagina of the Mountain", "The Analects of Confucius" Translated Words...Each book has his husband's hand and seal.
These books reflect his life and tell of his wildness, his centuries experience as far away as time.
Yes, knowing him started from his book.
Most of these books were memorialized by my husband in person after I bought them, and the book "Translations" is a gift from my husband.
Friends who are familiar with my husband, do not need to read the title of my article, they must know that what I want to remember is Mr. Xu Yuanchong who has just walked a century of life and stepped into the fairy world from his sleep.
Acquainted with an old book
Mr. Xu Yuanchong's "Recalling the Past Water Years" is one of the "Reading Collections" of Beijing Sanlian Bookstore. It was first published in 1996. In 2004, when I was paying attention to the materials of Southwestern Associated University in my second year of university, I joined with Mr. Wang Zengqi's "Puqiao Collection" Noticed it.
It has the same name as the famous work of French writer Proust, and the author's ambition to be in line with the world level can be known from the title (because of this, the author seems to have cleverly explained the professional background of translating Chinese and French literature).
On the front page of the book, the subtitle of this small book-"From Southwest Associated University to Paris University" is printed impressively, and it also reveals rare pride and self-confidence.
A book that only writes about one's own university experience, yet dare to compete with the world's masterpieces in the title, is really surprising.
With "Overture" and "Ending", there are 21 verses in the book, which may imply that he was born in 1921.
"Ending" with the date of April 18, 1994, must represent this book as a gift to the 74th birthday.
I am especially concerned about the sense of ritual, which is one of the signs that my husband loves life and loves life.
In the book, he bluntly said: "Looking back at my life, the elementary school is the best elementary school in the city, the middle school is the best middle school in the province, and the university is the best university in the country..." and said that the most memorable in life It is still the twelve years from the time of university to the time of studying abroad, "How little is worth staying in a person's life!"
In the book, he vividly reproduced his life memory of diligently seeking knowledge and eager to learn.
Using the two roads at the gate of Lianmeng-a highway and a road that everyone stepped on, he described his maverick life path, presenting the human details of famous universities, and making people feel its meticulous structure and exquisiteness. The mind, the writing style freely.
This is a memoir literature that will never go out of style!
Because of the love of this little book, I have always respected Mr. Xu.
However, I never thought of getting acquainted with him.
In April 2013, following the tradition of the famous forum during the UN General Assembly period, the Southwest Associated University forum co-founded by Yunnan Normal University, Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Nankai was reopened.
The forum invited celebrities at home and abroad to give lectures in Kunming to broaden the horizons of teachers and students and help the social, economic, cultural and educational undertakings in the frontier.
This autumn, I came to Yunnan Normal University from a middle school and participated directly in the forum.
In 2014, Mr. Xu Yuanchong, who just won the International Translation Award, accepted the invitation to become the guest speaker of the forum after several twists and turns.
On November 27th, he gave a special report on "How Chinese Culture Goes to the World-UNU and Harvard" for teachers and students of universities in Kunming at the forum.
The venue was full of seats, upstairs and downstairs, crowded with people inside and out. Everyone rushed to see the translator's demeanor, and the whole audience stood up to pay tribute to the husband and wife.
In the lecture, he used his own translation as an example to describe the truth, goodness and beauty of translation art, and compared the United Nations University with Harvard. He believed that the United Nations University had reached the level of a world-class university at that time, and its faculty and teaching characteristics were completely comparable to those of the world famous. University is more beautiful.
At the same time, the ideological wealth and spiritual heritage left by the UN General Assembly, Harvard and other world-renowned schools cannot be replaced or copied.
The husband and wife were very satisfied with this trip to Kunming. They felt that they rarely received such a grand courtesy in their lifetime, and considered it an unforgettable trip in a lifetime.
Contrast with the school motto of Southwest United University
Mr. thinks he is not up to standard
In order to save the oral history of Southwestern Associated University, in May 2018, my colleagues and I made a special trip to Beijing to collect oral history from many old gentlemen.
On the 20th, during an oral interview, Mr. Xu Yuanchong focused on the teachers of the United Nations University, his style of study, and his own learning situation.
He said that the requirements of the United Nations University are extremely high and strict, and the students all show their abilities to learn while you chase me. Therefore, in the United Nations University, you surpass me today and I will surpass you tomorrow. "Such a thing is not surprising." .
He talked about his military experience in detail, including Zhu Ziqing, Wen Yiduo, Wu Mi, Qian Zhongshu, and other famous teachers. He recalled his part-time job at Tianxiang Middle School and also talked about the food, clothing, housing, and transportation of the United Nations University.
After the talk, he emphasized: "You want me to remember that the things I remember are good. Who will remember those bitter things? In fact, life is very bitter, but having fun in the midst of suffering." For this reason, Mr. Xu I especially appreciate Lin Yutang’s comments on the UN General Assembly’s "unbelievable, unbelievable", "He said a lot, but I don't remember it anymore. I just said that with these six words, this summary is great."
The school motto of the United Nations University is "Fortitude and Strength". Mr. Frank said: "Strictly speaking, I can't meet this standard, and they are all close to this standard. I have a part of this spirit, but I can't fully achieve it." Then How to translate this school motto?
Mr. Xu, who has always been known as a "crazy man", said with a helpless look that it's hard to turn it over!
During our stay in Beijing, we accompanied Mr. Xu to the hospital twice to visit Mr. Zhaojun, who was in critical condition.
Before leaving, on behalf of the school, we invited him to Kun to attend the UNU anniversary again. On the one hand, he expressed his willingness to return to his second hometown. On the other hand, he pointed to his wife’s ward and said, "We have to look at her situation. Go, there is no fun." We left Beijing at the end of the month. On June 15th, Mr. Zhaojun left forever.
Yang Zonghai's Ruping Dream
After Zhaojun left, the husband endured his grief to take care of the funeral, and at the same time continued his translation work non-stop.
Although the translation progress is very slow, it has exhausted the efforts of a nearly 100-year-old man.
During the UNU anniversary in Kunming in November 2018, the husband decided to go to the appointment, but a few days in Kunming will inevitably delay his translation work, and he is embarrassed and looking forward to it.
Of course, anticipation overcomes the embarrassment.
What do you expect from Mr. Kunming's trip?
A week before leaving, he talked to me repeatedly and asked me to negotiate a few things with the school.
First, make a speech at the school celebration meeting; second, arrange a visit to Tianxiang Middle School; third, return to Yangzonghai.
Among the three items, the most important one is the last one. For this one, the others can be waived.
On October 31, the opening ceremony of the Southwest Associated University Museum was held.
Alumni Xu Yuanchong and Zheng Zhemin were invited to speak and congratulate. Although the husband did not speak for half an hour, his loud voice and confident manner left a deep impression on everyone who participated in the event.
As soon as the opening ceremony was over, Mr. Xu could not help thinking about the agreement with Yang Zonghai, and repeatedly asked whether the school had arranged the itinerary.
After the school celebration meeting on the morning of November 1st, the pulpit office arranged a revisit to Yang Zonghai after several attempts.
The itinerary decision was made at one o'clock in the afternoon, and the husband could go as soon as he heard it. There was a child-like innocent smile on his face immediately.
In Yang Zonghai, who is in his heart, he seems to have returned to the scene where he had summer camp activities with his classmates more than 70 years ago, and he also returned to the scene where he and Zhaojun patrolled the lakes and mountains at Yangzong Beach four years ago.
He was intoxicated and contented, and even walked into the newly built house to experience it.
The husband is very old and his mobility is very inconvenient, so we pushed the wheelchair and drove him around the lake, walked into the vegetable bed, leaned under the gourd stand, sniffed the incense of the earth, and blew the dandelion... On the lakeshore, the reed, the rain The two classmates of Shan cuddled on the left side of the wheelchair and listened to the old grandpa telling the story of the UN General Assembly that took place on the beach of Yangzong.
In fact, I have always known that the love for "Ruping" is the old man's endless love past.
In the gentle air of the husband, he seemed to be able to hear his warm words in "Reminiscing the Past Water Years": "The sun burns the sand to burn his feet, Yang Zonghai quietly reveals his chest, and the breath of summer is exhaled in the valley. ……When I think of Ruping’s eyes that are deeper than the sea, I want to go back tomorrow. No physical contact, no verbal communication, as long as I look at her quietly, my soul will enter the paradise; if I don’t see it for a day Her, my spirit plunged into a bottomless abyss.... In the dead of night, people... I was sitting by the lake alone, looking at the double stars shining with mysterious light in the sky. They were like Ruping’s labyrinthine eyes. Talk to me in an inaudible voice?"
In every moment of Yang Zonghai, the husband always has the look of intoxication, relaxation, joy, and even flying.
How many never-senile love seeds are contained in it?
who knows.
And a hundred years of life has always had such a beautiful sentiment in mind, who doesn't envy it?
Yiliang County once planned to erect a monument here to prove this love story, and engrave the poem written by her husband for Yang Zonghai and Ruping.
Upon hearing this, my husband told me several times that if this is the case, he would like to rest here in a hundred years.
Moreover, after returning from Yang Zonghai this time, he has written the inscription: "The green mountains are in love with the green water/the mountains and the shadows are intoxicated in the water/I hope to stay together."
Compile a picture album for him
When I came back from Yang Zonghai, my camera was full of splendid figures as young as my husband, and my wish to compile a picture album for him became stronger.
In 2014, when my husband returned to Kunming at the invitation of the UN General Assembly Forum, with permission, I borrowed the two photo albums from his home to Kunming, scanned them one by one and returned the originals, and then asked the husband to write instructions one by one.
In late March 2015, the hardcover album book with only 5 copies was sent by post.
On April 20th, I received a call from Mr. Zhaojun: "Hello Dalong! Thank you very much! The photo album you sent to grandpa was received on his birthday, because it was the weekend, so I didn’t bother you for the first two days. La." Oh, I haven't picked up the mailing days!
This simple album "Xu Yuanchong" has always been cherished by the husband. He often reads it and shows it to visitors from time to time-he cherishes every moment of life that he has passed.
But I felt embarrassed in my heart. Apart from too few prints, the album has only 20 thin pages, which is really not worthy of the thickness of Mr.'s 100 years of life.
As a result, the idea of compiling a picture album was born.
On July 26, 2020, I was transferred from the UN General Assembly Forum Office to the UN General Assembly Museum.
Since then, the excavation of the history and culture of the General Assembly and the inheritance and promotion of the spirit of the General Assembly have become both a hobby and a matter of course.
The compilation and printing of the album is on the agenda.
With the support of the museum and the integration of multiple resources, in November 2020, a 24-volume hardcover, 169-page album of "Xu Yuanchong" came out quietly.
The album is based on Mr.'s century life as a clue. It contains more than 260 frames of various types of photos, many of which have not been seen by Mr. even.
The difference between this album and many other portrait albums is that, except for the interpretation of the theme of each part, Mr. Xu’s memories and self-reports are used, the description of each photo is also meticulously marked by the husband, and many of the photo descriptions are still very affectionate. Said in a whisper.
For example, on page 20, the group photo of You Haiyuan Temple, Grade 1943 of the Department of Foreign Languages of the United Nations General Assembly, in addition to indicating the names and locations of most of the classmates, and also noting himself who is not in the group photo queue: "The head shadow on the ground is the photographer (Xu Yuanchong) ." Then, the husband made a note for the girl in the front row of the photo: "Lu Rulian played Luo Zhi, I wrote a poem for her: Luo Zhi and I are walking on the boulevard, / talk about the English about to be performed Drama. / Suddenly a torrential rain fell in the sky, / I hurriedly hid under her little parasol, / Rain, why don't you get bigger? / Umbrella, why don't you shrink even smaller? / Don't let the distance separate me With her!/Let the tears of the sky turn into the laughter of the world!” (The verse is translated into English) Another example is the photo with the Red Line Girl’s family at Peking University on page 93. The supplementary note of the photo reads: "The Red Line Girl Will Go Moscow participated in the international music competition and told Xu Yuanchong that they were not peers. Xu wrote poetry: Don’t say that we are not peers, /you use songs to build tiles, /I use words to build walls/to build a socialist building together."
In the preface of the album I wrote, Mr. Xu was nominated as a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999.
The husband added two sentences after this passage-a French poetess and a member of the Nobel Prize Jury wrote to him, saying that his translation is "a great sample of traditional Chinese literature."
Xu Yuan wrote back and said that the Nobel Prize is one a year, and Tang poetry and Song Ci have been circulating for thousands of years.
This is Mr. Xu Yuanchong!
From the first time I met my husband in 2014, I will visit him in Changchunyuan every time I have the opportunity to come to Beijing. I have benefited from book-to-people exchanges to listening to the teachings in person.
In the past seven years, I have helped Mr. to travel to the old place, accompanied him back to Tianxiang Middle School, and walked into the airport emergency room with him behind his back... all frames are unforgettable pictures.
A hundred years old is still a teenager.
In recent years, the more his husband is approaching one hundred years of age, I think he is healthier, and his white hair is already covered with blue silk.
Unexpectedly, the frank and unrestrained gentleman would travel far away in this hot summer dream and never return.
Far in the south of the sky, I am particularly willing to end this article with a few words from my husband’s gift to the child Jingxiang: “The best is the best, the better, the best, never stop.” This is not only an encouragement from my husband to the younger generation, but also The best portrayal of his own hundred years of life.
Late at night on June 17, 2021 to late at night on June 18, 2021
Photo courtesy/Long Meiguang
Xu Yuanchong: Look at it 80 years later, the famous teachers of the UN General Assembly are also inadequate
◎ Ma Guochuan (financial journalist, literature and history scholar)
Ma Guochuan: From 1938 to 1946, you studied at Southwest Associated University for eight years.
How do you personally evaluate the Southwest Associated University of that era?
Xu Yuanchong: Talking about the Southwest United University now, it is impossible to restore the feelings at that time, and the current views may not be exactly the same as at the time.
Because the longer the time, the greater the change in perception.
The "Southwest Associated University" itself is a complicated issue. It was the result of the merger of Tsinghua University, Peking University and Nankai University.
The three schools are very different. Some people think Peking University is good, some think Tsinghua is good, and some think Nankai is good. Which one is better?
To study.
In my opinion, Tsinghua is good in some respects, and Peking University is good in some respects.
It is not that Tsinghua University absolutely beats Peking University, nor is it that Peking University absolutely beats Tsinghua University.
Tsinghua University has the strengths of Tsinghua University, and Peking University has the strengths of Peking University.
Generally speaking, I prefer Tsinghua University.
Ma Guochuan: For students, the learning environment at Southwest Associated University is free and relaxed, and most of the teachers at Southwest Associated University were the best academic figures at that time.
Among these teachers, who has the greatest influence on you?
Xu Yuanchong: Different teachers have different influences.
These teachers were my teachers at the time, and they are still my teachers.
Eighty years have passed, and I now see them more accurately than before, and I can see their shortcomings.
Because 80 years have passed, the times have progressed, and the views have also improved. Now, in many places, the descendants are better than the predecessors.
Ma Guochuan: But there is another possibility that the newcomers are not as good as the old ones.
Xu Yuanchong: This is all possible.
Good and bad are not necessarily classified according to new and old. Good is good, and bad is bad.
I now think that they have many shortcomings and could have been better.
Qian Zhongshu, it seemed to us to be great back then, but today it also seems to be inadequate.
Mr. Qian thinks that there are two types of translation, one is colored glass and the other is colorless glass.
He advocated that the translation should be colorless glass, not colored glass, which means that every word should be turned out, no more than the original text.
I discussed with him face to face and finally respected his opinion.
But based on years of experience, my current view is that there is no colorless glass, it must be colored glass.
Human eyes have colors, and "natural colors" cannot be seen.
It is impossible to translate "natural colors", and Mr. Qian himself thinks that "natural colors" cannot be translated.
For example, in Liu Yuxi's poem "Sunrise in the east and rain in the west, the road is not clear but there is clear", how can the translation match the word and word?
Ma Guochuan: You first agreed with Mr. Qian Zhongshu, when did you change it later?
Xu Yuanchong: Based on my own experience, I gradually realized that some texts need to be translated literally. If free translation can express the original meaning and make the text more beautiful, then it should be free translation.
This is the biggest difference between me and Mr. Qian.
Ma Guochuan: Yan Fu, a thinker in the late Qing Dynasty, proposed that translation should be "faithful and elegant". Do you agree?
Xu Yuanchong: "Sin, Da Ya" are all relative.
There is no absolute "faith", and some translations are more "reaching" than the original text, and "elegance" is the hardest to say.
For example, "Sunrise in the east and rain in the west", if only literally translated as "the sun is coming out from the east and raining in the west", it would be boring.
If you translate it as "a smile on the east and tears on the west", and the translation of "rains" into "tears", it would be more personal, meaning a bit deeper and more elegant than the original text.
Expressing poetry is very important.
The translation of foreign languages into Chinese must be easy for the Chinese to accept.
Conversely, translating Chinese into foreign languages must also be acceptable to foreigners.
Sometimes a word is changed literally, but it doesn't hurt from the content.
In this case, the content is more important than the form.
Ma Guochuan: As a translator, what do you think is your greatest contribution?
Xu Yuanchong: This problem is too big to say "the greatest contribution". It's just that some aspects have improved a little bit more than others, and some areas have made a little bit less than others, and you can make more progress in the future.
Generally speaking, literary works should be both true and beautiful.
If the translation only seeks the truth and not the beauty, it cannot be regarded as faithful to the original text.
This is my supplement and development to Mr. Qian Zhongshu's translation theory.
Ma Guochuan: You have translated many ancient Chinese poems. Contemporary Chinese people are not so familiar with some ancient poems. It is even more difficult for foreigners to understand ancient Chinese poems.
Xu Yuanchong: The challenge is great.
Li Bai's most famous poem is "The moon is shining in front of the bed, suspected to be frost on the ground".
The Soviets asked Chairman Mao, what is so good about you saying this poem is good?
Then he asked Mao Dun, and Mao Dun asked me because he knew that I translated this poem.
I said that because China has a concept of reunion, "the moon is shining in front of the bed." When you see the full moon, you think of reunion. Travelers bow their heads and think of their hometown, so they say "bow their heads and think of hometown."
There is no concept of reunion in the West, and Yuanyuan has nothing to do with family reunion, so the Soviets don’t understand.
I translated "before my bed a pool of light" as "before my bed a pool of light", and "bending my head and thinking about my hometown" as immersing in homesickness (head bent, in homesickness I am drowned).
Comparing homesickness to water, the bright moonlight in front of the bed is like a pool of water. Seeing the moonlight on the water, I think of my hometown like water.
In this way, the Soviets suddenly realized: Your Chinese culture is profound.
This expression can be understood.
Ma Guochuan: You have always regarded seeking knowledge as a lifelong pursuit.
As an intellectual over a hundred years old, what hope do you have for the younger generation?
Xu Yuanchong: A person's knowledge is always limited and there is no culmination.
Where is the omniscient person possible?
I can only say that the more you know, the better.
Life should be as pleasant as possible.
I don't have much demand for myself, I just want to live well, and at the same time, I will try my best.
I live to be 100 years old, and I can’t do much anymore. I can only rely on you to do it.
"The waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves ahead, and the new generation wins over the old", your future is getting bigger and bigger, hope in the future.