Comparatively speaking, Lu Xun is much more diligent. According to a Japanese memory, when Lu Xun was studying in the East, he insisted on writing and translating late every day. At that time, he used a special small charcoal stove to keep warm. When he cleaned the room the next day, the charcoal stove was often full of cigarette butts, like a honeycomb. Zhou Zuoren went to Japan a few years later than Lu Xun, and Lu Xun took care of many things needed for studying abroad. Even in Japan, Zhou Zuoren stayed at home all the time, and Lu Xun was in charge of all kinds of things. What Lu Xun asked Zhou Zuoren to do was to realize his ideal of "literature saving the country" and try his best to translate books, but he often failed to do this, which led to Lu Xun losing his temper one day and knocking his skull with his fist.
Similarly, his family came down and his father died young. What Hu Shi learned from this is that he is eager to learn and does not live up to his mother's expectations. What Lu Xun got from it was that the world was cold and human feelings were warm and cold; However, Zhou Zuoren seems to have only a little sadness left. Besides, he just buried himself in doing his own thing. Zhou Zuoren spent most of his youth in a state of hard study, as can be seen from the diary quoted below:
Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, Ren Yin, the seventh day of the first month: one day at a time. All right. Nail three books in the morning. I chatted with my eldest brother in the afternoon and came back in the evening with "Primary School" and a manuscript. The Rise and Fall of the East copied in the evening. Go to bed at nine o'clock, too tired to sleep. You won't go to bed until half past six.
Day 8: Yin. Copying Liang Zhuoru's "On Health" and "On the Prosperity of China" all day is 4,000 words, and my hands are quite embarrassing. Looking at the mast in the afternoon is quite boring. Copy the composition at night and go to bed at eight o'clock.
July 1 1 day: Thursday. All right. Read Xinmin Daily in the morning. Watch Huxley's Evolution in the afternoon and watch it in the evening. Borrow a copy of Yu Qiu Lane from Ke Cai Qing and read a little of barnyard grass official skills. I am very tired at midnight. Go to sleep.
Geniuses have been lonely since ancient times. Zhou Zuoren's knowledge and opinions can't be summarized by a word "talent", so he is even more lonely. When he is free, he will bury himself in reading and pay his respects. There is a lonely factor in his personality, which is in the same strain as Lu Xun. When I read his articles, I often feel that there is a gloomy and depressing atmosphere behind the plain and faint words. Zhou Zuoren made a lot of friends in his life, including Hu Shi, Qian, Lin Yutang, Shen Jianshi, Li Dazhao, Ma Yuzao, etc ... But I'm afraid Lu Xun is the only one who can really be called a confidant.
1923, 14 In July, Zhou Zuoren fell out with his closest brother Lu Xun. There was a lot of speculation about it, but both brothers kept their mouths shut and haven't been in touch since. Lu Xun's novel Brothers was written after the breakdown of brotherhood. In his article, he clearly expressed the meaning of "Ling Ling is in the original". The Book of Songs: "Ling Ling is in the original, and brothers need it urgently." He wants to tell Zhou Zuoren that once something happens, his big brother will provide assistance as before. 1934, Zhou Zuoren wrote a poem on the topic of fifty years of life, which caused an uproar for a while. There are many criticisms from all sides, and he is also called "zombie" and "willing to cool blood" by progressive young people. Lu Xun's views on this issue are both open and profound. In his letter to Cao Juren on April 30th, he said: "Zhou Zuoren wrote poems for his own life, and he was sincere in satirizing the world. However, this kind of criticism has been disliked by young people today. The harmony between the public and the public is almost disgusting, so it adds fuel to the fire and becomes the target of public criticism. Besides, there is nothing to say in recent days. This is also' ancient', and literati and beauty should bear the responsibility of national subjugation. Similar to some people who think that the country is going to die, it is already blaming the clean stream or public opinion. " If you don't know Zhou Zuoren very well, you can't say so. Lu Xun knows more about Zhou Zuoren's style of hating slogans and preferring practical work. But in brotherly love, he always hopes that he will not be too capricious, just in case something happens. Therefore, when Zhou Zuoren refused to sign the Declaration of Saving the Nation, Lu Xun believed that he should not shrink back too much when encountering such a major problem. It is said that Lu Xun was still reading Zhou Zuoren's book in the last few days of his life. ...
For Lu Xun, Zhou Zuoren's feelings always seem weak, but I think this is only the surface. In my heart, Lu Xun will always be his big brother. Lu Xun died in June 1936, and the news spread to Beiping. Zhou Zuoren is in one class and there are two classes. After the first class, he showed a sad expression and told his classmates that Lu Xun had passed away and the next class was temporarily absent. According to Zhou Zuoren's character, these feelings will not be faked. An article said that Zhou Zuoren seemed to sigh at people in his later years: "This means that Lu Xun can get the best in Japan. Now that Lu Xun is dead, I don't know anyone in the world. " I can't remember what "this meaning" means. It may not be mentioned in the original text, but the feeling of loneliness and melancholy between the lines is obvious. Zhou Zuoren's evaluation of Lu Xun was based on About Lu Xun written by 1936, in which he wrote several times that Lu Xun didn't want to be famous and praised: "He did everything not for fame, but because of hobbies. This is the highest attitude to study and ask about art, which is usually unknown to people who know Lu Xun. " Apart from Zhou Zuoren, few people noticed this feature of Lu Xun. Regarding Lu Xun's articles and thoughts, Zhou Zuoren commented: "Another feature of Lu Xun's novels and essays that others can't achieve is his profound observation of the Chinese nation. It is rare for modern literati to hold such a dark pessimism about the Chinese nation ... Based on the knowledge gained from books and the experience gained from society personally, the result is a life outlook with only pain and darkness, which he can unconditionally discover, that is, those works. " Although I think that Zhou Zuoren "painted Lu Xun's thoughts gloomy and said that he was pessimistic about China's future", I still agree with Zhou, because Lu Xun is a human being, not a god, and he has the right to keep some imperfections. The imbalance of Zhou Zuoren's evaluation of Lu Xun lies in that he does not recognize Lu Xun's achievements in essays, but only his novels, essays and academic works. This is too biased, but as a personal opinion, it can only be retained. I believe that time will witness everything.
Some people say that Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren are two sides of the same person, both tend to extremes, and their personalities are just the opposite. In this regard, Lin Yutang has an article "Remember the Zhou Brothers", which has a quip: "The Zhou brothers tend to be extreme. Lu Xun is extremely hot, and he is extremely cold. Both of them are very talented, but cold is better than hot ... both of them are Shaoxing touts, and both of them know the world well. Lu Xun was too sophisticated, so he was harmed by the desire of leadership. Being too cold, I am willing to be a traitor. " Although this passage keeps Lin's unique and subtle comparative vision, I still think it is too arbitrary to draw such a conclusion.
In my opinion, the characters of Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren have two sides, which are both opposite and complementary. Lu Xun likes to study ancient novels, and he can carefully write a brief history of China's novels that has nothing to do with current affairs. He has compiled Miscellaneous Notes on Old Books in Huiji County, History of Xie Chenghan, Goujian's Ancient Novels, Copy of Old Stories, Legend of Tang and Song Dynasties, Ji, Ling Yi and Han Portrait Stone, which have been handed down from generation to generation. Zhou Zuoren also wrote a lot of sharp and even bitter articles, such as ancestor worship, ideological revolution, adaptation of discipline, slave's speech, Ruozi's death and so on. Wen once said in the article "Mr. Zhou Zuoren" that it is worth noting: "Mr. Zhou also has another side, and we can't forget that he is as iron as iron. His tight lips, coupled with a thick beard, look resolute. He lives a clean life and doesn't want to get involved in any disputes. However, once he intervenes, the person who stands in his way will be in trouble! He hit his opponent quickly and steadily, plus he was accurate and ruthless, and he hit him at once. " This is an inherent aspect of him that belongs to Lu Xun. What is the difference between two people?
In addition, there are some examples to prove the duality of Zhou Zuoren's personality. For example, as mentioned above, he is lazy, but he is extremely diligent in what he likes to do, such as reading and translating books. It is surprising that I worked at my desk for more than 10 hours every day in my later years. As mentioned above, he studies hard and doesn't ask foreign affairs. In fact, his character also has a brave and diligent side, and he cares about the times very much. According to Zhou Zuoren's diary, one day in Guangxu 1 17 of the Qing Dynasty, he occupied a poem:
Burning books is not the end of the Qin dynasty, and the sorrow of philosophers is still on the wall.
A scholar only knows the precious rotten mouse. After all, he is a poor bear.
The article has no truth since ancient times, and there are many beggars in ancient books.
Who is a revolutionary in academic circles, who is arrogant and drinks well.
It reads like Gong Zizhen. As another cloud said, "people in this world are as precious as history, and the rest is the most puzzling." There is nothing else to say, that is, the four books and five classics are enough to contain fallen people, and there are countless them, and they are autocratic methods, and they are really hateful. As for empty words, those who combine the words of so-called beggars with those of famous artists are still the smallest. It is no exaggeration to say that I no longer hate Qin Huang, and it is natural for comrades to think so. When you don't regard it as madness, you will be dismissed as madness and will not leave it at that. "I hate the fact that Qin Huang is dead, and the words are extremely fierce! And Zhou Zuoren's youthful spirit is also evident. Whether a pure scholar is worth a pit is worth discussing.
Most people who know Zhou Zuoren inside and outside the Yanyuan Garden think that he is amiable, indifferent to Jing Ya, and seldom talks to anyone. There is a little coldness in Harmony, so he won't get too close to people, so my friend Hu Shizhi will never become my friend Zhou Zuoren. Zhou Zuoren's younger brother Zhou Renjian also said: "Zhou Zuoren is smooth and easy to get along with. But he can't seem to distinguish right from wrong and can't get rid of control and mastery. " However, it should be noted that Zhou Zuoren also has a stubborn and fierce side. He and Lu Xun turned against each other and swept Shen Qi out of the house, both showing a hot temper. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, he defended himself against the enemy many times, and also avoided this passage when he wrote Memories of Tang Zhi, which showed his stubbornness until death.
Lin Yutang once called himself "a mass of contradictions". I think it is also appropriate to misappropriate this title to Zhou Zuoren. To find an accurate word to describe Zhou Zuoren's character, tenderness, indifference and cowardice are all lacking, but there is nothing wrong with the word "contradiction". In Zhou Zuoren's early days, there was a famous article "Two Ghosts", which was included in Talking about Tigers. It is said that his contradictory personality is the most distinctive. He said that in our hearts, there are two ghosts. "One is a gentleman ghost. The second is rogue ghosts. ..... This is a double-headed politics. The two ruling parties still have different opinions, and I am like a pendulum swinging in the middle. Sometimes hooligans have the advantage, so I just wander around with him. I know all the secrets of the streets. I can't do it without drinking, fighting and abusing. I can simply be a mentally' broken foot'. But when will I really open up wasteland, such as hooligans opening up the sky and so on. Gentlemen will probably come out and shout,' Take it! Strange to say, hooligans are not afraid of gentlemen at ordinary times, so that they are about to run wild. Once they are called by the gentlemen, they will leave at once. But he didn't go far, just visited me in a confusing way. He watched the gentleman take me away, learned to speak and look at ladies, and gradually moved from saying good things to putting on airs, so he rushed out to call names ... "I think the dispute at both ends of this contradiction will inevitably produce a special tension, which will cast a mysterious and subtle color on everyone, thus showing more extraordinary charm.
Finally, I want to talk about Zhou Zuoren's enemy, which involves the dispute between honor and merit. From the point of honor, it is wrong that Zhou Zuoren is an enemy, which is indisputable; However, at work, although Zhou Zuoren was appointed as a pseudo-education supervisor, he was able to actively use his authority to try his best to safeguard Peking University and prevent Japanese forces from infiltrating into the education sector. According to reports, he also had contact with the underground party member in China, and entrusted Zhao to the Senate of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region to find Dong Luan (Li Yu) at a dangerous moment, which was not contrary to the principle of "negative is positive, negative is positive". Right or wrong, that's a matter of opinion. It is worth noting that this reflects one aspect of Zhou Zuoren's personality-emphasizing political achievements and ignoring fame and fortune. Zhou Zuoren once said that there must be two major reforms in China: one is the naturalization of ethics, and the other is the achievement of morality. The former belongs to his simplicity and love for nature, while the latter belongs to his pragmatism and neglect of theoretical fame. In his article Making Morality Work, he put forward: "It is the highest task of the intellectual class to take morality as the purpose, utility as the purpose, and reputation life as the material to strive for the welfare of the people of the country. In addition, if you sit still with your eyes closed, talk about sex, or talk about virtue in vain, it is not enough to just hold it, that is, hold on to the words and think about leaving inspiration and feedback to future generations. Although your intentions are good, you are not in a hurry to suppress it, which is far from Jun Fu's so-called donkey barking. " This article was written during Zhou Zuoren's fake posts, which is inevitably suspected of self-defense, but personality factors should also account for a certain amount, because Zhou Zuoren has been laissez-faire about his temperament all his life and has never been very restrained. As for achievements and honors, of course, proper mediation and moderation are the best, and it is not human nature to abandon honors.
Zhou Zuoren's life in his later years was very bleak. Compared with his extraordinary fame in his early years, he can't help feeling disillusioned. However, he didn't see all kinds of pen and ink. Although Zhou Zuoren's articles in his later years tend to be clear and fluent, and his quotations are much less, his mind is even more obscure. So if you want to know what he thinks, you have to consult the diary. 1967, that is, April 8, two years before his death, wrote in his diary: "This June 1, I spent 80 years. If I calculate according to the old method, it will be 80%. I don't know how I lived so long. Previously, it was my wish for 50 years to translate the dialogue between Luca and Anoos, and I was often afraid of being exposed first and could not finish reading it. Fortunately, it has been completed, and I have nothing to worry about. I'm relieved, but I'm lazy. I'm tired of this world, which can almost be called boredom. Although dog meat is delicious, it loses its flavor after eating for a long time. Tao Gong has something to say. It's time to say it. I've written my will several times, just trying to make it rot quickly. The so-called human death is the most ideal. " I hope to die soon. I don't want to stay in my name. Lu Xun has expressed this intention many times in the past. About two brothers are tired of fame and fortune all their lives, and each has his own difficulties. Zhou Zuoren's ideal is just to be an ordinary person, eat bitter tea, play with antiques and do something he likes. However, when he became famous, he was involuntarily pushed to the forefront of the trend of the times. He can't eat bitter tea and play with antiques, so he was dragged out of the book pile and used as a fake post. The so-called tree attracts the wind, so tired! Zhou Zuoren's life, weather, location and people are not allowed, so we have to sigh. Fortunately, the people of Sri Lanka have passed away and the article is still there. What should stay will eventually stay.