Collection of Lu Xun’s Warning Quotations

Selected from "Lu Xun’s Warning Quotes" (Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences Press, 1991 edition)

It is a pity that the Chinese are vicious towards sheep However, for ferocious animals, they show the appearance of sheep, so even if they have the appearance of ferocious beasts, they are still cowardly citizens. If this continues, it will definitely come to an end.

Lu Xun was great. With his profound insight, he saw through all falsehood, evil and ugliness, so nothing could escape his eyes; Lu Xun was also ahead of his time, both during his lifetime and after his death. It is inevitable to fall into isolation and loneliness. Read these aphorisms and hope they touch you.

Try to excerpt the aphorisms that most arouse your excitement, and discuss certain issues with interested students.

The Illuminati and the Masses

The prophets, that is, the Illuminati, are often not tolerated by their homeland and are often persecuted by their contemporaries. This is often the case with great figures. When he wants to be praised and praised by people, he must be dead, silent, or absent.

In short, the first is difficult to cross-examine.

If Confucius, Sakyamuni, and Jesus Christ were still alive, those believers would inevitably panic. Regarding their behavior, I really don’t know how the leader would lament.

So, if you are alive, you have to persecute him.

By the time a great man becomes a fossil and people call him a great man, he has become a puppet.

The so-called greatness and insignificance of a first-class person refers to the size of the effect he can use for himself.

"The Sequel to the Huagai Collection·The Flowerless Rose"

Those who are enlightened have always been oppressed, excluded, exiled and killed by insidious villains and mediocre masses. Chinese people are particularly vicious.

"The Supplement to the Collection of Collections: An Inch of Iron"

A warrior with a lonely spirit, although he fights for the people. But they often perish because of what they "do". Only then did they feel at ease.

"Huagai Collection·This and That"

...Although there are writers who are good at exposing the dark side of society, I am afraid that it is difficult for them to do so concisely and profoundly. "If you don't scream, you will have a stone tomb on your head" actually includes the biographies of many revolutionaries and a history of the Chinese revolution.

"Sanxian Ji·Taiping Song Jue"

I think that when love is successful, a lover dies. It can only bring sorrow to the one who survives. However, when the revolution succeeds, even if the revolutionaries die, they can still bring excitement and even joy to the surviving people every year. Only a revolutionary, whether alive or dead, can bring happiness to everyone.

"Eji Ji·Miscellaneous Thoughts of the Huanghua Festival"

My previous attack on society was actually boring. The society did not know that I was attacking. If it had known, I would have died without a burial place. ...I was able to escape because most of them were illiterate and did not know, and my words were ineffective, like an arrow shot into the sea. Otherwise, a few miscellaneous feelings can kill you. The people's desire for punishment is no less than that of scholars and warlords. Recently, I have realized that any reformative idea can only remain as "nonsense" if it has no bearing on society. If it is effective, the advocate may suffer hardship or be killed. In ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad, it has the same meaning as Kui [Note].

"Ejiji·Answer to Mr. Youheng"

[Note] [揆(kuí)] principles, principles.

This is what happened after the death of Ming Dynasty.

Those who are alive, some are convinced, and most are subdued. But those who live the most comfortable and arrogant lives are the traitors; and those who live the most noble and respected life are the ordinary people who scold the traitors. Later, when he died, his sons were able to take the exams and each had a good father. As for the martyrs who silently resisted the war, there were rarely any orphans.

"The Final Collection of Qie Jie Ting's Miscellaneous Essays, Pinellia Pinellia Collection"

After a sacrifice is shed in front of the altar, all that is left to everyone is "Sanxuan" [note ]"This is the case.

"Hot Wind·The Small Sees the Big"

[Note] [Scattered Explosion (zuò)] In the old days, after the sacrifice, the meat used for the sacrifice was distributed. Fried, meat offered during ancient sacrifices.

After the sacrifice was made to pray for the masses, the masses divided his flesh and scattered it.

"Book of Two Places·Two Two"

The masses, especially those in China, are always spectators of drama.

If the sacrifice appears to be generous, they will watch a tragedy; if it appears to be cowardly, they will watch a farce. There are often a few people in front of the mutton shops in Beijing watching the sheep being skinned with their mouths open, as if they are enjoying themselves. Human sacrifice can only benefit them so much. Moreover, within a few steps afterwards, they had forgotten that they were not happy at all.

There is no way to deal with such people, so we have to give them nothing to watch but it is a cure...

"What happened after Tomb Nora left"

I The least willing to make others make sacrifices (this is actually the result of the stimulation of various things before the revolution)...

"Book of Two Places·Eight"

Suppose there is a person on the roadside. Just spit, squat down, and watch, and soon a crowd of people will be gathered around them; and if another person shouts for no reason and runs away, everyone will be able to escape at the same time. I really don’t know where “what I heard came from and what I saw left [note]”, yet he is dissatisfied and calls his inexplicable person “damn”!… The names of great men and so on are respected or despised. , mostly just a substitute for spit.

"Lace Literature·One Thought and Action"

[Note] [What you hear come from, what you see leave] Yu Jian "Shishuo Xinyu·Jian Ao" , are the concise remarks made by Ji Kang, a writer from the Wei Dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period, to the visiting Zhong Hui.

We Chinese people now (now! We are not beyond the times) actually don’t care much about the party. We only care about the “head” and the “female corpse”. As long as there is one, no matter who it is, people will watch it...

"Sanxian Ji·Shocking Grand View"

Human beings like to watch plays, and writers themselves come up with plays for them For people to see, they can either be kidnapped and beheaded, or shot to death at the foot of the nearest wall, which can be a lively moment. For example, when a patrol officer in Shanghai beats someone with a stick, everyone gathered around to watch. Although they themselves did not want to be beaten, they found it quite interesting to see others being beaten.

"Jiwaiji·The Wrong Path of Literature, Art and Politics"

... There were probably a few people who deplored it at that time. Some people are happy with it, some people have no objections, and some people just treat it as a chat after drinking and tea. Then it will be forgotten. People who have been suppressed for a long time can only endure suffering when they are suppressed. Fortunately, when they are liberated, they only know how to have fun. Tragic dramas cannot remain in the memory for a long time.

"Miscellaneous Thoughts on the Huanghua Festival"

I gradually felt dissatisfied with the appearance of some people in China, that is, every time they see unusual events or gorgeous Women, when they hear someone talking intoxicatedly, their chin will always slowly hang down and their mouths will open. This is really unsightly; it seems as if something is missing mentally.

"Eji Ji·A Brief Discussion on the Faces of Chinese People"

About slaves and slaves

...Not only poor people, but slaves also have to crawl. With crawling If given the opportunity, even slaves will feel like gods, and the world will naturally be at peace.

Although there are very few people who can climb up, everyone thinks that this is themselves. In this way, we can naturally plow the fields, cultivate the land, pick up manure or sit on the bench, be diligent and frugal, and struggle with nature despite our miserable fate, crawling, crawling, crawling desperately. But there were so many people climbing and there was only one road, so it was very crowded. If you climb honestly and follow the rules and regulations, you will probably not be able to climb up. Smart people will push, push others away, knock them down, step on them, kick their shoulders and heads, and climb up. Most people just climb, believing that their enemies are not up there, but only next to them - those who are climbing together. Most of them endured everything, with their feet and hands on the ground, and they pushed up and down step by step, squeezed down and pushed up again, without stopping.

However, there are too many people climbing and too few people climbing up. Disappointment will gradually erode the kindhearted people. At least, a kneeling revolution will occur. So while climbing, another collision was discovered.

This is because he knows that you are working too hard and want to stand up from the ground, so he suddenly shouts behind you: "Bump." Each one of them had numb legs and was still shaking, so they bumped into each other. This is much easier than crawling. You don't have to use your hands or move your knees. You just have to lean sideways, sway, and hit it. If you hit it well, you can get half a million yuan, a wife, wealth, children, and salary. If the collision is not good, the most it will do is stumble and fall to the ground. So what does it matter - he was lying on the ground, he can still crawl.

The fewer opportunities you have to climb up, the more people are willing to bump into them. Those who have already climbed up there create chances for you to bump into them every day, asking you to spend a small amount of money and make an appointment. Your fairy life of fame and fortune. Therefore, although the chances of a good collision are much less than those of climbing, everyone is willing to give it a try. In this way, you bump into each other as you climb, and climb again if you can't bump into them...dedicate your life to death.

"Climbing and Collision"

When I first see blood, I feel uncomfortable, but if I live in a tourist attraction for a long time, I will see hanging heads. , not too surprised. This is because you can get used to it. From this point of view, it is not necessarily difficult for people... to change from free people to slaves. No matter what, you will get used to it.

"Collections from Jiwaiji: Reflections on Shanghai"

I often see all kinds of good place names in Beijing... Although the literal meaning has changed, the meaning remains the same. This disappoints me; otherwise, I will advocate changing the word slave to "management" or "nuli" so that everyone can always take a nap without worrying about anything.

"Huagai Collection, Talking about Words (Part 2)"

Slaves can only follow the rules and are not allowed to comment; of course they are not allowed to comment, and they are not allowed to praise themselves. This is "not thinking about their position." ". For example: Master, the corners of your robe are somewhat torn. I'm afraid it will become more tattered if you drag it on. It's better to mend it. The speaker thinks he is being loyal, but in fact he has committed a crime, because there are people who allow him to say such things, and not everyone can say them. If you say it randomly, it is "overreaching and scheming on behalf of others", and of course "you deserve what you deserve". If you think you are "loyal and offended", it is just your own confusion.

"Qiejieting Essays·Equal"

It is naturally good to tell everyone the pain of becoming a slave of a foreign race with pen and tongue, but you must be very careful not to use it. Everyone came to this conclusion: "Then, in the end, it is better to be slaves to our own people like us."

"The Final Collection of Qiejieting's Essays·Banxia Xiaoji"

Of course there are some differences between killing one's own family and being killed by a foreigner. For example, if a person slaps himself in the mouth, he feels calm, but if someone else hits him, he becomes very angry. But if a person is so tired that he slaps himself in the mouth, he will inevitably be beaten by others, if the fact of "beating" has not been eliminated in the world.

"Huayi Collection·Sudden Thought (11)"

However, I knew that I was a slave, and I was struggling, struggling, and "intending" to break free. Those who try to break free, even if they fail temporarily, are still shackled, but they are just slaves. If you find "beauty" in the life of a slave, admire it, caress it, and be intoxicated, you are simply a slave who will never be saved. He makes himself and others live in this life forever.

"Collection of Nanqiangbei Diao·Manyu"

The opposite of a dictator is a slave. When he has power, he will do anything, and when he loses power, he will be full of servility. Sun Hao ① was a first-class tyrant, but after he was demoted to the Jin Dynasty, he was almost like a helper; when Song Huizong ② was in power, he was arrogant, but after being captured, he would endure humiliation. When you are a master, you treat all others as your slaves. If you are a master, you must treat yourself as a slave. This is natural and unshakable.

"Collection of Nanqiangbei Diao·Proverbs"

①[Sun Hao (242-283)] The last emperor of Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. According to historical records, he was arrogant and violent when he was in power, but after he was demoted to the Jin Dynasty, he was willing to be teased.

②[Song Huizong (1082-1135)] is Zhao Ji, the emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty. When he was in power, he was violent, brutal, arrogant and lewd; after being captured by the Jin soldiers, although he was humiliated, he continued to surrender to the gold master.

When a slave becomes a master, he will never give up the title of "master". His pretentiousness is probably more complete and ridiculous than that of his master.

"Two Hearts Collection, a Glimpse of Shanghai Literature and Art"

It is just for a little reward, not only to be content with being a slave, but also to be a broader slave, and also have to pay for it Buying the right to be a slave is something that a free person other than a degenerate person would never imagine.

"Quasi Feng Yue Tan·I Talk about "Degenerated People""

...If you don't even have this bit of resistance, wouldn't you become a slave that will never be recovered?

"The Sequel to the Huagai Collection·Three Souls of Academia"

Criticism of National Character

Chinese people really like reunions... Probably the flaws in the reality of life, China People know it very well, but they are unwilling to say it; because once they say it, the question of "how to remedy this shortcoming" will arise, or they will inevitably have to be upset or make improvements, and things will be in trouble. The Chinese don't like trouble and boredom very much. Nowadays, if the shortcomings of life are described in novels, it will make readers feel unhappy. Therefore, those who are not reunited in history are often reunited in novels; those who have no retribution are given retribution and deceive each other. ——This is really a question about national character.

"Historical Changes in Chinese Novels"

However, the pain caused by one's own contradictions or social defects must be endured even if one does not face it. ... Some people have indeed been dissatisfied for a long time, but when the crisis is about to reveal their shortcomings, they always immediately say "it's nothing" and close their eyes at the same time. The closed eyes see everything perfect...so there are no problems, no flaws, no injustices, no solutions, no reforms, no resistance. Because everything must be "reunion", there is no need for us to be anxious; drink tea with peace of mind and sleep well.

"Grave·Lun Opening Your Eyes to See"

Many people in China... probably suffer from a "Ten Scenery Disease", or at least an "Eight Scenery Disease", which becomes heavier. It was probably in the Qing Dynasty. ...The "ten"-shaped germs seem to have invaded the blood vessels and spread all over the body. ...There are ten kinds of cakes, ten bowls of cakes, ten kinds of music, ten halls of Yama, ten kinds of medicines and all kinds of guessing games. Blessed hands are full of blessings, and even people's misdeeds or crimes are announced in roughly ten items, as if they never stop when they commit nine.

"Grave·Discussing the Fall of Leifeng Pagoda"

"You think you are a 'human', but I think you are not. I am an animal, and now I will call you daddy. Since you are the father of animals, of course you are also an animal."

"Hua Gai Ji·The Soul of Debate"

It's a pity that the Chinese look at sheep as ferocious beasts, but not toward ferocious beasts. Animals show the appearance of sheep, so even if they show the appearance of ferocious beasts, they are still cowardly citizens. If this continues, it will definitely come to an end.

I think that if China is to be saved, there is no need to add anything to it. As long as young people use the ancient usage of these two properties in reverse, it will be enough: when the opponent is like a ferocious beast, he will be like a ferocious beast. Beast, when the opponent is like a sheep, he is like a sheep!

"Hua Gai Ji·Sudden Thought (7)"

... This kind of animality is not seen on the faces of the Chinese people, it is not originally there Yes, it has been eliminated now. If it was eliminated later, was it gradually purified and only human nature remained, or did it just gradually become docile? The buffalo becomes a domestic cow, the wild boar becomes a pig, and the wild boar becomes a dog. The wild nature disappears, but it is only enough to make the shepherd like it, and it does no good to itself. People are just people, no longer mixed with other things, of course there is nothing better. If I have to, I think it would be better to bring in some animal nature. It would not be very interesting if it meets the following formula:

Human + domestic animal nature = a certain kind of person

"Ejiji" ·A brief discussion of the face of the Chinese people"

Since China killed Chi You, there have been many times when China happily thought that it had subdued foreign races. I wonder if it can find other strategies besides pacification. Publish an article like this advocating for justice for a weak nation.

"Translation Preface and Postscript·(Modern Novel Translation Series) (Doctor) Translator's Notes"

The subjects under the tyrant are generally more tyrannical than the tyrant; the tyrant's tyranny is often It cannot satisfy the desires of the subjects under the tyrant's rule.

The subjects of the tyrant only want tyranny to be imposed on others, but he looks happy and takes "cruelty" as entertainment and "other people's suffering" as entertainment, which is very comforting.

"Refeng·Impressions No. 65: Subjects of the Tyrant"

Patriots also say that Chinese people love peace. But I don’t understand why China has been at war for many years since we love peace. Perhaps this statement should be revised: Chinese people love peace towards foreigners.

The time has come when we examine ourselves carefully and stop lying. When we stop deceiving ourselves and others, it is time to see the buds of hope.

I don’t think that I am self-righteous. To admit one's inability is a greater shame than to boast of loving peace.

"Hua Gai Ji·Filler"

China holds a sports meeting, but they often get into fights because of the finals; the days have passed, and the two sides still hate each other. In society, there is mostly unreasonable hatred for each other. People from the north and the south, from provinces to counties, are at odds with each other, and everyone has a bitter look on their face. Therefore, I am very doubtful and frightened about the saying that Chinese people love peace.

"Collection of Translation Preface and Postscripts·(A Young Man's Dream) Translator's Preface"

We Chinese people always like to say that we love peace, but in fact, we love fighting and looking at others. I love to see others struggle, and I also love to see ourselves struggle.

...Spain fights between humans and bulls, but we make bulls fight against each other.

Let them struggle without fighting, just watching.

The warlords only focused on their own struggle, and the people did not hear about it, they just watched.

However, the warlords are not fighting themselves, they are making the soldiers fight...

However, the people just let them play tricks and just watch.

"Pseudo Freedom Book·Watching the Fight"

Chinese people have always been a bit arrogant. ——It’s a pity that there is no “personal arrogance”, but “gregarious and patriotic arrogance”. This is why after the cultural competition fails, there can be no further improvement.

"Personal arrogance" means being unique and declaring war on mediocrity. ... All new ideas mostly come from them, and political, religious, and moral reforms also originate from them. So what a blessing it is to have so many citizens with this kind of "personal arrogance"! How lucky!

"Social arrogance" and "patriotic arrogance" are a sign of party unity against dissenters, and a declaration of war against a small number of geniuses. ;——As for declaring war on other countries’ civilizations, that is secondary. They themselves have no special talents that they can show off to others, so they use this country as a shadow; they hold the customary system of the country very high and praise it extremely; since their national quintessence is so glorious, they naturally There is also glory! If they are attacked, they don’t have to fight on their own... If I win, I am a member of a group, so I will naturally win; if I lose, there are many people in the group, and it may not be me who suffers: generally speaking, people gather together When trouble occurs, many people have this kind of mentality, which is their mentality. Their actions may seem violent, but they are actually very cowardly. ...So it is really sad and unfortunate that there are so many citizens with such "gregarious and patriotic arrogance"!

"Refeng·Thirty-eight Thoughts"

The Chinese are not only "Don't be the leader of the army", "Don't be the beginning of disaster", even "Don't be the beginning of blessing". Therefore, it is not easy to reform anything; most people are afraid of being a pioneer and a pioneer. However, human nature can really be as peaceful as Taoism says; there is so much to want. Since we don't dare to take the direct route, we have no choice but to use conspiracy and means. As a result, people have become increasingly cowardly. Since they "don't be the first", they naturally don't dare to "be ashamed of being the last". Therefore, even though they are a large group of people, they "disperse like birds and beasts" at the slightest sign of crisis. If there are a few people who refuse to retreat and suffer harm as a result, public commentators will unanimously call them fools. The same goes for people who "persevere".

So China has always had few heroes who failed, few who resisted with tenacity, few warriors who dared to fight fiercely alone, and few who dared to caress and cry for traitors; when they saw signs of victory, they gathered one after another, and when they saw defeat Zhao fled one after another.

"Huagai Collection·This and That"

If there is no destruction, there is no construction, that is generally true; but if there is destruction, it does not necessarily mean there is new construction. Rousseau, Stirnar, Nietzsche, Tolstoy, Ibsen and others...not only destroyed, but also swept away, and made great progress...There are very few people of this kind in China, and even if there are, they are Will be drowned in the spit of the public.

When we look through history, we may inevitably shed a sweat. When the foreign invaders come, they are shocked for a while, and finally ask him to be their master, and mend the old rules under his axe; when the inner bandits come, they are shocked for a while, and finally ask him to be their masters, or don't be a master, and make up their own Patching old routines from the rubble. ...

Any such bandit-style destruction will only leave a piece of rubble, which has nothing to do with construction.

If it is difficult to move public property or ownerless things, there will be very few that can be intact. But the reason for its destruction is neither the eradication of the eradicates nor the plundering or destruction of the bandits. It is only because of the current minimal self-interest that they are willing to secretly inflict wounds on a complete thing. . Since the number of people is large, the trauma will naturally be great, but after defeat, it is difficult to know who is the perpetrator. ...

This is a kind of slave-style destruction, and the result can only leave a piece of rubble, which has nothing to do with construction.

We want to innovate the destroyer, because he has the ideal light in his heart. We should know the difference between him and a bandit slave; we should be careful about falling into the latter two. This distinction is not difficult, as long as you observe people and think carefully, in every word, action, and thought, there are signs that you can take them as your own. Those who have signs are bandits, and those who have signs of taking advantage of them are bandits. A slave, no matter what bright and beautiful flag he is flying in front.

"Grave·Revisiting the Fall of Leifeng Pagoda"

(Zhang Xianzhong) was not very murderous at first, why didn't he want to be the emperor. Later, he learned that Li Zicheng entered Beijing, and then the Qing troops entered the country. The only path left for him was to decline, so he started to kill, kill... He clearly felt that there was nothing of his own in the world, and now he was destroying other people's. Something is gone...

...I am finished, but I want to reach the end of perishing together in this way. Don’t we also cherish other people’s or private things?

So Zhang Xianzhong’s behavior, although it seems strange at first glance, is actually very ordinary.

"Quasi Feng Yue Tan·Morning Liang Manji"