Lao She and Qingdao
Lao She is a famous modern writer in my country. Some of his
works such as "Four Generations Under One Roof" and "Teahouse"
etc., has become a classic work in modern literature.
In 1951 he was awarded the title of "People's Artist".
He died of persecution during the "Cultural Revolution."
In the 1920s, Lao She wrote novels such as "Zhao Zi Yue" and "Lao Zhang's Philosophy". In the early autumn of 1934, Lao She went to Qingdao from Jinan to apply for a job as a professor in the Chinese Department of National Shandong University. "Coming to "an
oasis in the North", Lao She, who has grown up in Beijing for many years, is very satisfied with his choice.
In school, Lao She The students offered courses such as "Introduction to Literature", "Novel Practice", "European Literary Trends", and "History of Foreign Literature".
When he arrived at Shandong University, Lao She was 35 years old. , is an artistic writer who has written many influential novels such as "Lao Zhang's Philosophy", "Zhao Ziyue", "Xiaopo's Birthday", "Er Horse", "Niu Tianci Biography", etc., and entered the field of higher education. Lao She is equally talented. His "Introduction to Literature" is unique in style and is a more influential literary theory monograph. His "Novel Practice" combines his own creative experience, is simple and vivid, and has benefited students a lot. Lao She is also an excellent scholar, showing an extraordinary dual identity.
Lao She is approachable and tireless, and he is also a good teacher who is loved by students. He lectures seriously, expresses humor and has an effective way. A popular teaching method. For example, when he takes writing classes, he always corrects homework very carefully, reviewing everything from structure to paragraphs to punctuation, and always finds a few good articles and circulates them among his classmates. Discussion. Lao She enthusiastically supported literary youths in establishing "Diao Dou" as a place to learn creative writing. What's more valuable is that he wrote articles such as "My Creative Experience" for the publication, and he also helped with some specific revisions of manuscripts.
The university is an academic center and an ideological center. Lao She gave many academic lectures at Shandong University, from "The Power of the Stroke Nation" to "Poetry and Prose" to "Typical Examples in Literature and Art". "Characters" to promote the national spirit and literary knowledge to teachers and students.
He wrote "Qingdao and Shandong University", a beautiful prose full of patriotism. Thoughts and emotions. He compiled two novel collections, "Yinghai Collection" and "Hazao Collection", which revealed his attachment to Qingdao. He participated in the founding of "Summer Stories", which recorded life in Qingdao.
In the summer of 1936, Lao She resigned from Shandong University and became a professional writer. He wrote his masterpiece "Camel Xiangzi" and other works in Qingdao. After the "July 7" Incident in 1937, Lao She left Qingdao and went to Jinan to work at Qilu University, and then left Shandong. , joined the anti-Japanese patriotic movement
Lao She’s social activities in Qingdao
(1) Gathering at the seaside (2) Lao She and Liaocheng smoked chicken (3) Lao She and "Records of Summer Vacation".
Gathering at the seaside
Qingdao is a summer resort. Around 1934, many domestic writers and scholars gathered at Shandong University in Qingdao every summer. Hong Shen, Wen Yiduo, Wang Tongzhao, Zang Kejia, Wu Boxiao, Zhao Shaohou, Meng Chao, Zhao Taiyi, Ding Shan, You Guoen, Yang Jinfu, Wang Yaping, Xiao Difei, etc., either worked at Shandong University for a long time, or stayed in Shandong University for a short period of time, and they all had problems with each other. Close communication. Lao She and these friends learned from each other in knowledge, and formed a profound friendship through joys and sorrows in life.
In the summer of 1935, taking advantage of the summer vacation, Lao She proposed to Hong Shen, Zang Kejia, and Wang Yaping to set up a short-term literary and art publication. With approval, twelve writers were invited to serve as contributors. In this way, on July 14th, Qingdao's "Minbao" printed the first issue of the publication, which was "Recorded Words on Summer Vacation".
(Note: See Wang Yaping: "Lao She and "Records on Summer Escape" (one of Lao She's stories), "Qinghai Lake" Issue 4, 1981.)
The writer of "Records on Summer Escape" is: Wang Yu Qi, Wang Tongzhao, Wang Yaping, Lao She, Du Yu, Li Tongyu, Wu Boxiao, Meng Chao, Hong Shen, Zhao Shaohou, Zang Kejia, Liu Simon. "These twelve literati have different styles, different sentiments, different opinions, and different stances; their ways of speaking are even different." "They are the same in one point; they are all people who love literature and art; they can all See clearly that literature and art, like politics, law, religion, etc., are tools created by human beings to enhance human happiness. They cannot 'belittle themselves'; they must use the power of so-called writers and artists in the same way that politicians exert their authority. "In addition, they have one thing in common - that is, when meeting people in the summer resort of Qingdao in the summer of 1935, they must maintain a 'summer escape' attitude. " (Note: Hong Shen: "Records of Summer Escapes·Publication Words", Qingdao "Minbao" on July 14, 1935.) This is what Hong Shen said in the "Publishing Words" in the first issue of "Records of Summer Escapes". This passage euphemistically and implicitly explains the purpose of this short periodical.
Lao She published the novel "Ding" and the essays "Tomatoes", "Talk About Tomatoes Again", "Summer Escape", "Sandalwood Fan", "After the Beginning of Autumn", "Waiting for the Heat", "It's Over", and "Three Rhythms of Poetry". These poems of his, like his other poems, have witty language and humorous style. "Talk About Tomatoes Again" draws on nearby examples, from Qingdao where "tomatoes are seen everywhere" to Qingdao where "there are many Western-style Chinese", and then to "people who eat stinky foreign tofu and despise 'Shandong melon seeds' and garlic, probably There will be many.” Between the lines, it satirizes the "slavery" mentality of some people. The writing is calm and playful, but the content is serious. "Sandalwood Fan" is also well written. This work touches on the issue of "national character" from another aspect. "When it comes to the question of whether a nation is old or not, naturally it is not easy to get to the bottom of it. It is best to nod, smack your lips, and slap the bridge of your nose: 'We are much older; you are the grandson!' So, even if the grandson beats the grandfather, it is because the grandson is young. Ignorance; simply be magnanimous and not even complain about disobedience. This is called "vigor". If you understand this spirit, you will be more enlightened if you don't talk about national affairs." The writer did not stop at satirizing the backward "national character". , but the pen turned again and pointed the finger at the Kuomintang reactionaries, Prime Minister Ah Q, who was in the face of a powerful enemy. The author's worry and indignation can be felt behind the joking words. The contents of several other essays are somewhat superficial because they have to focus on the general theme of "summer escape." Even so, because each prose is the expression of the author's true feelings, it still has a special kindliness. The article "Summer Escape" reveals the author's bitter feeling when he is about to enter a busy life.
The weekly issue of "Records of Summer Vacation" was first published in the "Minbao". Later, the demand exceeded the supply, so an additional 800 single pages of Daolin paper were printed and folded into a small publication of eight pages. , sent it to bookstores for sale, and the sales were quite good. By the tenth issue of the publication, the special writers had left Qingdao one after another. Their "summer vacation was originally a matter of taking care of themselves" and "they all had something to do in Qingdao". Once the summer was over, "the Ke family returned to the countryside early, Yaping went to visit various places, and Shaohou went to Peiping. Bo Xiao hurried back to Jinan..." (Note: Lao She: "The End", Issue 10 of "Records of Summer Vacation".) It was almost late autumn, "Guangdong moon cakes and Qingdao summer vacation seemed to be incompatible", so the publication was finally published in Issue 10. Lao She's "The End" is considered the "Final Issue", and it appears in a prominent position in the tenth issue.
Lao She liked this publication very much, and he also missed the life of friends gathering at the seaside during the summer vacation. He wrote "Three Rhymes of Poetry" to express his memory of his friends who had left far away.
Lao She’s social activities in Qingdao (continued)
(1) Gathering at the seaside (2) Lao She and Liaocheng smoked chicken (3) Lao She and "Records of Summer Escape"
Lao She and Liaocheng Smoked Chicken
One day in 1935, Mr. Lao She went to a restaurant for a drink with Professor Xiao Difei in Qingdao. Professor Xiao brought a Liaocheng smoked chicken for dinner and dinner. After tasting it, Lao She praised it: "It has a unique flavor, which I have never tasted in my life.
When he learned that this Liaocheng specialty had not yet been named, Lao She said: "The skin of this chicken is black and purple in color, and it looks a bit iron-clad. Doesn't it look like the selfless black guy in the movie?" Simply call it "Iron Rooster". After this incident spread, Liaocheng's smoked chicken got the name "Iron Rooster". During the Anti-Japanese War, this kind of smoked chicken was basically lost, and it was gradually restored after liberation. Now people can taste the iron cock chicken that is fragrant but not greasy and has a unique flavor.
Lao She and "Records of Summer Escape"
If someone specializes in studying the literary and artistic supplements of modern Chinese newspapers, he will definitely not let go of "Records of Summer Escape" which Lao She once participated in the creation and editing of . When the summer of 1935 came, 12 writers and scholars gathered in the summer resort of Qingdao. However, no one wanted to be a "real idler" who "came here just for summer vacation" on this "cultural desert island", so they met and immediately opened a place to talk. . As a result, the literary and artistic supplement "Records of Summer Vacation" came into being based on "Qingdao Minbao" but actually independently compiled, bound and sold. These 12 cultural figures are Lao She, Wang Yuqi, Wang Tongzhao, Wang Yaping, Du Yu, Li Tongyu, Wu Boxiao, Meng Chao, Hong Shen, Zhao Shaohou, Zang Kejia, and Liu Simon. From the launch of the first issue on July 14 to the final issue on September 15, it lasted for two months, with one issue per week, retail sales of 3 cents, and 10 issues before it came to an end. This is a very special literary and artistic supplement that comes and goes with the heat of summer and the wind of autumn, a typical publication for colleagues. It is full of the unique quality of inspiration of educated people, but not at all bookish. It shows the noble character of this group of educated people who are "painstaking in their poetry and profound in their writing". The publishers declare that their common pursuit is to regard literature and art as "a tool to enhance human happiness" like law, politics, religion, etc.
Lao She, who was the main force behind "Records of a Summer Vacation", was teaching at the Chinese Department of Shandong University and his family lived in Qingdao. Literary friends from all over the country gathered together, so of course he had to show his friendship as a landlord. In addition to entertaining literary friends in daily life, he was most dedicated to organizing "Records of Summer Vacation". His manuscripts were published in 9 of the 10 periodicals, and there were 11 of them, including 7 prose sketches, 3 old-style poems, and 1 short story. In these articles, Lao She often used topics to criticize current ills. For example, in the essays "Tomatoes" and "Talk About Tomatoes Again", the spread of tomatoes in China is used to remind Chinese people to be wary of the "cultural invasion" of capitalism, and to those who "eat foreign stinky tofu and despise 'Shandong melon seeds' and garlic. "People" was sharply satirized. In the novel "Ding", Lao She concentrated on expressing his concern about the increasing "foreignization" of Chinese society. While he directly attacked foreigners, rich people, and ladies, he also expressed his sympathy for the poor and malnourished students in hell. This novel is another typical example of Lao She's earlier attempt to use the stream of consciousness technique. The purpose of the short essays "Summer Retreat" and "Waiting for Summer" also implies the author's resentment towards the inequality of wealth in the world: "Those who are rich can conquer nature, while those who have no money just use toads to prop up the legs of tables." And the article "Honolulu" says On the other hand, it lashed out at the "national quintessence" doctrine and backward national character that do not believe in science and do not accept new things. "Three Rhythms of Poems" published in the final issue is a candid expression of Lao She's true feelings and friendship. In the introduction to the poem, he wrote: "I am staying in Qingdao this summer, reading articles from friends, and enjoying sea bathing. When autumn comes, I bid farewell to all the sages, and I will be sad for a long time!" The beautiful gathering, "hand in hand on the sand", passed by so quickly, how could Not to make the always affectionate host sad? "Old friends have gone north, south, east and west, leading the country to mourn! From now on, the Taoyuan will haunt the dreams of guests, and the Weisanghai of the Yangtze River will reward geniuses?" Fortunately, the future is long, let's place our hope in next year: "Don't waste money from selling literature, Qingzhou will ripen melons Waiting for you to come!" But history cannot be repeated. When the summer came in 1936, Lao She naturally entertained some literary friends who came to youth, but he had no intention of running a journal anymore, and resigned from the teaching position of Shanda University to devote himself to "Luotuo Xiangzi". The writing is on, but this is a later story.