The Recollections and Reflections of Contemporary Literati

The Recollections and Reflections of Contemporary Literati, written by Shu Jinyu, a famous reporter from China Reading Weekly, focuses on 29 contemporary writers and literary scholars, who have made important contributions to the study of contemporary Chinese cultural and literary history.

For instance, Qian Gurong (1919–2017), a literary theorist, pioneered the way for humanism in literary theory to influence China with the article “On Literature as Human Studies” in 1957. Wu Xiaoru (1922–2014), a scholar of classical literature, participated in the annotation and finalization of The Reference Materials of Pre-Qin Literary History and The Reference Materials of Han Literary History, which have been the prescribed textbooks or reference books for departments of Chinese language and literature in domestic universities for decades. Cao Ying (1923–2015), a translator specializing in Russian literature, spent 20 years translating all of Leo Tolstoy’s novels into Chinese.

Shu writes to explore the endogenous source of the continuous development of Chinese scholarship and to build spiritual statues for scholars by recording their hardships and highlights in the struggle with the times and realities on the academic road. In interviewing each scholar, the author needs to handle trifold information: their fruitful achievements in academics and writing; their tortuous and complicated life experiences; and historical realities that cut across different stages of their academic life. For most of them, it is normal to concentrate on their studies without distractions, and there are even some who take learning as their life, even though their personal feelings of sweets and bitters of life were closely related to the trend of historical times.

The author portrays each scholar’s spiritual elevation and sincere feelings toward life in a narrative way. Under the eaves of historical times, their fate itself is a great legend. In writing Wu Xiaoru, the author grasps his uprightness and integrity shown in his academic career, which are typical traits of contemporary literati, his rigorousness and sternness as an “academic policeman,” and the appearance of “the most popular Peking University lecturer.” In addition, Shu also writes about his personal life interests, such as his passion for poetry and Beijing Opera. The image of “like grass, but more like a warrior” is a fit description of Cao Ying’s experiences. Influenced by Lu Xun (1881–1936)’s works, the young Cao Ying who was seeking refuge in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931–45) embarked on the road of translation, worked as a translator in an institution co-founded by underground CPC organizations and the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union, and then dedicated himself to translating Tolstoy’s works. The journey of twists and turns highlighted the conscience and courage of intellectuals.

Suo Luo is a research fellow from the Center of Network Literature at the Hebei Writers’ Association.