Shengping
Zhu Ziqing (1899165438+1October 22-1August 948 12), formerly known as Huazi, was named Qiushi and had strings. Modern famous writers, scholars and democratic fighters. Born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, he was born in Haizhou, Jiangsu Province (now Lianyungang) and later settled in Yangzhou with his grandfather and father. Zhu Ziqing's grandfather, Zhu Zeyu, whose real name was Yu, changed his surname because he inherited the Zhujiajian family. Being cautious, he served as a judge in Haizhou, Jiangsu Province during Guangxu period of Qing Dynasty 10 for more than 0 years. My father's name is Hong Jun, and his word is Xiaopo. He married Zhou and is a scholar. In the 27th year of Guangxu (190 1), Hongjun Zhu went from Haizhou to Shaobo Town, belonging to Yangzhou Prefecture. Two years later, the whole family moved to Yangzhou City and settled in Yangzhou. Zhu Ziqing's wife is named Chen Zhuyin. When I was a child, I studied in a private school and was influenced by the traditional culture of China. 19 12 entered the first year of primary school.
Zhu Ziqing lived in Yangzhou for 13 years and spent his childhood and adolescence in Yangzhou. His feelings about life in this ancient city are subtle and complicated. Perhaps life is too monotonous, so he later said that there is only a "thin shadow" left in his childhood memory, "just like being washed away by the flood, it is shocking to be lonely!" However, in the long and tortuous journey of life, childhood is the first "post station" after all.
Yangzhou is a famous cultural city with beautiful scenery, with lakes and mountains and pleasant scenery. Many poets, such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Su Dongpo and Ouyang Xiu, have been lingering here, seeking seclusion and success, and have written many magnificent poems. Yangzhou is also a heroic historical city. In the history of resisting foreign aggression, it has written countless brilliant chapters and left many touching stories. The beautiful scenery and rich cultural atmosphere of the ancient city virtually cultivated the temperament of young Zhu Ziqing, and cultivated his peaceful and upright character and interest in natural beauty. The beautiful landscape of Yangzhou, like rain and dew, moistens his heart, nourishes his feelings, enriches his imagination and makes his feelings full of poetry and painting forever. Yangzhou, a famous historical and cultural city, had a subtle and far-reaching influence on him.
19 16 After graduating from high school, Zhu Ziqing was admitted to Peking University Preparatory College. Go to sleep, little man. 19 19 was written in February. It was his first poem. He was a participant in the May 4th patriotic movement and embarked on the literary road under the influence of the May 4th wave. Mao Zedong once praised Zhu Ziqing's backbone, saying that he was "seriously ill and would rather starve to death than receive American' relief food'".
65438-0920 After graduating from the Philosophy Department of Peking University, he taught middle schools in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces and took an active part in the New Literature Movement. Poetry Magazine was founded by Yu Pingbo and others in 1922, and it was the earliest poetry publication in the birth period of new poetry. He is a member of the early literature research society. The long poem "Sinking" was published in 1923. At this time, he also wrote beautiful essays such as "Paddle Shadows and Lights Shadow Qinhuai River".
1August, 925, taught in Tsinghua University and began to study China's classical literature. The creation is mainly prose. 1927' s Back and Moonlight on the Lotus Pond are well-known masterpieces. 193 1 year, he studied in Britain and roamed Europe. After returning home, he wrote some miscellaneous notes about Europe. 1September, 932, director of the Chinese Department of Tsinghua University. War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression broke out 1937, moved south to Kunming with the school, and served as a professor at National Southwest Associated University, teaching courses such as Song poetry and literary studies. During this period, I wrote the semantic shadow of prose. 1946 returned to Beijing from Kunming as the director of the Chinese Department of Tsinghua University.
Zhu Ziqing suffered from a serious stomach trouble in his later years. His monthly salary is only enough to buy three bags of flour, which is not enough for his family 12, and he has no money to treat diseases. At that time, the Kuomintang colluded with the United States to launch a civil war, and the United States implemented a policy of aiding Japan. One day, Wu Han asked Zhu Ziqing to sign the declaration of "Protesting American aid policy to Japan and refusing to accept American aid flour". He resolutely signed his name and said, "I would rather die of poverty and illness than accept such insulting charity." In August of this year (1948) and 12, Zhu Ziqing was poor and died in Beijing. Before he died, he told his wife, "I signed a document rejecting American flour, and our family will never buy American flour rationed by the Kuomintang again." Zhu Ziqing was seriously ill and would rather starve to death than accept "relief food" from the United States, which showed the backbone of China people. On the eve of Beijing's liberation, he died of stomach trouble.
Zhu Ziqing embarked on the road of literature and was first famous for his poems. Published a long poem "Destruction" and some short poems, which were included in Snow Dynasty and Traces. Since the mid-1920s, he has devoted himself to the creation of prose, including the collection of essays "Back", "European Miscellanies", "You and Me" and "London Miscellanies", as well as the collection of essays "Standards and Measurement" and "On Elegance and Vulgarity". His prose includes landscape writing, travel notes, lyric poetry and prose. First of all, he wrote beautiful scenery with meticulous and beautiful "Qinhuai River in the Shadow of Paddle Lights" and "Moonlight on the Lotus Pond", showing the achievements of vernacular literature; Following the sentimental works such as The Back, Children and For the Dead Wife, he set up a model of "conversational" prose with strong literariness and naturalness. Finally, the mixed feelings of poets, scholars and fighters are unified with subtle language and interesting reasons. He contributed to the construction of the concise, lyrical and natural style of modern prose.
As a scholar, he has made great achievements in poetry theory, classical literature, new literature history and Chinese education. He is the author of Essays on New Poems, Arguments on Poems' Expression and Intention, Frequently Talking about Classics, Chinese Teaching (co-authored with Ye Shengtao) and Outline of China New Literature Research Lectures, etc. His works were included in The Complete Works of Zhu Ziqing (Jiangsu Education Press).
The writing is exquisite, and his prose artistic achievements are high, such as Back, Moonlight on the Lotus Pond, Wenzhou and Trace, which are included in the collections of Back, You and Me. Zhu Ziqing's prose is not only good at description, but also achieves the artistic realm of scene blending in description.
His landscape prose occupies an important position in the creation of modern literary prose, and his technique of describing landscape in vernacular Chinese is the most attractive. For example, in "Green", the quality and color of plum rain pool Waterfall are described delicately and profoundly by means of metaphor and contrast, and the writing style is deliberately demanding, showing superb skills in controlling language and writing.
His superb writing skills are vividly displayed in Moonlight on the Lotus Pond. For example, when describing the beauty of lotus in the moonlight, the author compares it to a pearl, a star in the blue sky and a beauty bathed in it; When describing the delicate fragrance of lotus flowers, use the phrase "like a faint song floating from a distant building" to compare the delicate fragrance to a song and a faint fragrance. This synaesthesia technique is accurate and wonderful.
Compared with the above gorgeous metaphor, Zhu Ziqing also has another language style of prose, that is, expressing sincere and deep feelings in simple narration with plain language. This kind of works can often show the author's integrity, enthusiasm and enterprising spirit, such as "The Price of Life-70 cents" and "White Man-God's Favorite! They are all masterpieces of this style, and the most influential one is back. This article depicts a farewell picture of a father and son at the station. In this paper, the action of my father climbing onto the platform is described in plain words, and the true feelings between father and son are conveyed in funny and clumsy actions. This essay washes away his old lead, and through his father's every move, the reader seems to see the author's bleak family background.
work
Zhuzuo
Zhu Ziqing was diligent all his life, with 26 kinds of poems, comments and academic research works, with more than two million words. Most of the income is four volumes of Zhu Ziqing's collected works published by Ming Kai Bookstore 1953. From 65438 to 0988, Jiangsu Education Publishing House collected, sorted out and published six complete works of Zhu Ziqing. Although Zhu Ziqing began to write new poems after the May 4th Movement, the Qinhuai River under the Shadows of Paddles and Lights published by 1923 shows his talent in prose creation. From then on, he devoted himself to prose creation and made remarkable achievements. 1928' s collection of essays "Back" made Zhu Ziqing a famous prose writer at that time.
Zhu Ziqing's prose is mainly narrative and lyric prose. The theme of his works can be divided into three series: one is a group of essays with the main content of writing social life and attacking dark reality. Representative works include The Cost of Life-Seventy cents, White People-God's Favorite, and Government Massacre. Second, a number of essays, represented by figures, children and bereaved women, mainly describe personal and family life, showing the human relationship between father and son, husband and wife and friends, with strong human feelings. Thirdly, a group of lyric sketches with natural scenery as the theme, such as Green, Spring, Qinhuai River in the Shadow of Paddle Lights and Moonlight on the Lotus Pond, are his representative works. The latter two essays are the best written by Zhu Ziqing, among which "The Back" and "Moonlight on the Lotus Pond" are well-known masterpieces. His prose is simple and meticulous, clear and gloomy, famous for its refined language and beautiful writing style, and full of true feelings.
His landscape prose occupies an important position in the creation of modern literary prose, and his technique of describing landscape in vernacular Chinese is the most attractive. For example, in "Green", the quality and color of plum rain pool Waterfall are described delicately and profoundly by means of metaphor and contrast, and the writing style is deliberately demanding, showing superb skills in controlling language and writing.
His superb writing skills are vividly displayed in Moonlight on the Lotus Pond. For example, when describing the beauty of lotus in the moonlight, the author compares it to a pearl, a star in the blue sky and a beauty bathed in it; When describing the delicate fragrance of lotus flowers, use the phrase "like a faint song floating from a distant building" to compare the delicate fragrance to a song and a faint fragrance. This synaesthesia technique is accurate and wonderful.
Zhu Ziqing also has another language style of prose, that is, in simple narration, expressing sincere and deep feelings in plain language. This kind of works can often show the author's integrity, enthusiasm and enterprising spirit, such as "The Cost of Life-70 cents" and "White Man-God's favorite"! They are all masterpieces of this style, and the most influential one is back. This essay washes away his old lead, and through his father's every move, the reader seems to see the author's bleak family background and his father's deep love for his son.
Catalogue of works
Zhu Zuo Shu mu
Xue Chao (poetry anthology) 1922, Business.
Trace (Poetry and Prose) 1924, Yadong Library.
Later (prose collection) 1928, enlightened.
Miscellaneous notes on European travel (essays) 1934, Wu.
You and me (essays) 1936, business.
London Miscellaneous Notes (Prose Collection) 1943, Enlightened
Teaching Chinese (Essay) 1945, Enlightened.
Classic Talk (Essay) 1946, Wenguang
Distinguish between poetic expression and intention (poetics) 1947, enlightenment.
New Poetry Miscellaneous Words (Poetics) 1947, Writers Bookstore.
Standards and scales (paper) 1948, Wenguang
China Collection (Prose) 1948, Mingshan Bookstore.
On "Suit both refined and popular tastes" (essay) 1948, Observatory.
Collected Works of Zhu Ziqing (Volume 1-4) 1953, Wu.
Collection of Zhu Ziqing's Classical Literature (Volume I) 198 1 year, ancient books.
Zhu Ziqing's Preface and Postscript Book Review Collection (Essay) 1983, Sanlian.
Selected Prose of Zhu Ziqing 1986, Hundred Flowers
Complete Works of Zhu Ziqing (Volume 1-3) 1988 Jiangsu Education (Incomplete)-
Zhu Ziqing's Prose Collection:
1, urgent
2. "Song"
3. Qinhuai River under the shadow of paddle lights
4. Traces of Wenzhou
Step 5 "Back off"
6. Ship civilization
7.moonlight in the lotus pond
8. Women
9、《lt； Postscript of plum blossom
10, White Man-God's Favorite
1 1, "Huai Wei praises Jun Qing"
12 Ahe
13, children
14, Mourning Wei Jiesan
15, Travel Miscellanies
16, gone with the wind
17, talking about dreams
Bai Cai 18
19, Miscellaneous Notes on Maritime Travel
20. "a letter"
2 1, preface
22. Spring
23. Green
Famous scholars' evaluation of Pei county
Ming Lun Jia Pei Xuan
Yu Dafu's introduction to two essays in China's new literature series: Although Zhu Ziqing is a poet, his prose is still full of that kind of poetry. Among the prose writers in the Literature Research Association, except for Ms. Bing Xin, the beauty of the article depends on him.
Mr. Zhu Peixian of Ye Shengtao: When it comes to the perfection of style and the skill of writing, we must first mention Mr. Zhu.
Lin Fei's Notes on Modern Sixty Articles: Zhu Ziqing's success is that he is good at expressing his inner feelings about natural scenery delicately through accurate observation.
Zhu Xide's On Zhu Ziqing's Prose: Zhu Ziqing's prose is very particular about language, even if it is a word or two, it will never relax. However, his emphasis on language is by no means rhetoric.
Ye Shengtao: Every time I reread Brother Pei Xian's prose, I think of the pleasure of listening to his gossip. Vast and boundless, interesting without pretending to be profound. I often think, don't I have his experience and her desire? Now I'm just passing by, but he's holding on tight. He can also express it properly, either light or strong, and the taste is very positive and mellow. "
An anecdote about wearing a string.
Pei Xuan Yi Shi
Send a letter to help my father.
After the Lugouqiao Incident, Mr. Zhu Ziqing moved to the rear area. He wrote to Li Jianwu, who was teaching in Shanghai at that time, asking him to help his old father who lived in Yangzhou nearby. Li Jianwu naturally won't let his teacher down. Then, why does Mr. Zhu Ziqing have such confidence in others? It turns out that the two have already established a profound friendship between teachers and students. -1925 After the summer vacation, Mr. Zhu Ziqing came to Tsinghua University to be a professor of literature in China. Li Jianwu just graduated from the middle school affiliated to Beijing Normal University and was admitted to the Chinese Department of Tsinghua University. In the first class, Teacher Zhu Ziqing called the roll and asked Li Jianwu, "Li Jianwu, this name is so strange. Is it Li Jianwu who often writes articles in newspapers?" Li Jianwu replied: "I dare not hide from the teacher, it's me." It is true that when Li Jianwu and Jane were studying in the middle school attached to Normal University, they organized a fire club to engage in new literature activities. "Then I already know you!" Mr. Zhu said happily. After class, Teacher Zhu Ziqing advised Li Jianwu: "You should learn creative writing. It's not appropriate to learn Chinese, so switch to a foreign language department. " At that time, the Chinese Department only read ancient books, so Mr. Zhu Ziqing said so. Li Jianwu listened to Mr. Zhu Ziqing and transferred to the Foreign Languages Department the following year. Although the teachers and students are not in the same department, Li Jianwu wrote his works first to Teacher Zhu, who has always been his mentor. Teacher Zhu Ziqing also helped Li Jianwu to finalize the draft carefully every time. Years of communication have strengthened their sincere relationship between teachers and students for life.
No American flour
Bu ling mei Guo flour
Mr. Zhu Ziqing suffered from a serious stomach trouble because of his long and hard life and work. At the beginning of 1948, the people's liberation war entered the final stage, and his condition became worse. But he didn't care about rest, but devoted himself to the struggle more selflessly. At this time, Mr. Zhu Ziqing was seriously ill and had no money for medical treatment, but he did not hesitate to sign his name on the declaration, which read: "In order to show the dignity and integrity of the people of China, we categorically reject all handouts from the United States, whether purchased or given ..." and immediately asked the children to return the flour ration card. At the beginning of August, Mr. Zhu Ziqing's condition deteriorated and hospital treatment was ineffective. Unfortunately, he died in 12 at the age of 50. Before he died, Mr. Zhu Ziqing urged his family in a weak voice: "One thing to remember: I signed a document rejecting American flour, and our family will not buy American flour rationed by the Kuomintang in the future!"
Zhu Ziqing refused to accept American "relief food" and showed us his great spirit of loving the nation!
Han Wu
"Zhu Ziqing was seriously ill and would rather starve to death than receive American" relief food "(Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Volume 4, page 1499). I feel particularly cordial and indignant about this matter. More than ten years have passed, and now when I read these words, the scene is still vivid. The so-called "relief food" is like this:1during June 1948, the legal tender of the Kuomintang government has been depreciating, just like under the Yangtze River, it costs tens of thousands of dollars to buy a pack of cigarettes. The salary of professors is rising month by month, but the devaluation of legal tender is faster and prices are rising faster. Professors who used to have a better life, like the general public, have a hard time. Especially for people with a big family, life is more difficult. The Kuomintang government also knows the people's antipathy, especially the intellectuals in colleges and universities, who can't stand this situation. So he played a trick and made a match.
You can buy "American aid flour" at a lower price by purchasing vouchers. It was also at this time that the U.S. government actively assisted Japan, and Si Tuleideng, the U.S. ambassador to China, called for slander and insult to the people of China. On the one hand, it is cheap, on the other hand, it supports the Japanese and insults the people of China. Some of us discussed it and wanted to expose the conspiracy of the Kuomintang government, protest against the insult of the American government and make a public statement.
The statement goes like this:
In order to oppose the U.S. government's policy of helping, to protest the slander and insult of the U.S. Consul General's card and the U.S. Ambassador to China to the people of China, and to show the dignity and integrity of the people of China, we categorically reject all American handouts, whether purchased or given. It is hereby declared that the following colleagues unanimously agreed to refuse to buy cheap flour from the United States and return the shopping card.
June, 37 17
After the statement is written, I want to collect signatures, and as usual, I decide how many people each is responsible for contacting. Most of the old professors are my messengers. I took the manuscript to find Mr. Zhu Ziqing. At that time, his stomach trouble was very serious, and he could only eat very little. When he ate too much, he vomited, his face became thin and his voice became low. He has many children, and life is more difficult than anyone else. But as soon as he read the manuscript, he signed it without hesitation. He has always performed well in writing. This time, he signed his name meticulously with trembling hands. It should also be noted that after he returned to Tsinghua campus from Kunming on 1946, his attitude changed obviously and he was no longer silent. He opposed the civil war and hated the Kuomintang. His views on * * * also began to change. He once recited poems in the liberated areas at public meetings, and sometimes dressed up and danced yangko with the students, making him sweat. I always look for him in the struggle against some American declarations, telegrams and statements against the Kuomintang. As soon as he saw me, he understood why. "Did you sign it?" Write your name after reading the manuscript. As far as I can remember, nine times out of ten he signed it. Sometimes they don't sign because the words are a little angry. This time, I also found some other professors who are familiar with or live nearby. Most of them signed their names, but they also hit a nail. There was a professor who had only three children, but his answer was simple: "No! I want to live! " Zhu Ziqing's stomach trouble is hunger, and his family has a large population and needs support. Someone calculated an account in the later period of Kunming. The salary of people like us is only about ten yuan, which is equivalent to the silver dollar before the war. Zhu Ziqing cares about politics, but he doesn't express his opinions much. It can be said that he is gentle and has no temper. During the Anti-Japanese War, the news was blocked by the Kuomintang. People in the rear area did not know the real situation of the Kuomintang's passive confrontation with Japanese imperialism, but actively clashed with * * * and set off several anti-communist climaxes. He thinks that as long as you resist, you should live a hard life and complain less. Although he sympathized with many political activities in Kunming, he seldom participated. The Kuomintang reactionaries assassinated Wen Yiduo, who was very indignant. Returning to Peiping after demobilization, I saw that American imperialism helped the Kuomintang fight the civil war, and my attitude changed. He stood up before American imperialism and its lackeys, the Kuomintang reactionaries, and with a few exceptions, he joined us. There are several things worth mentioning. First, he worked hard to compile the Complete Works of Wen Yiduo. I pointed out in the postscript of the Complete Works:
Mr. Pei Xian is an old friend and colleague for more than ten years. For this book, he spent a year collecting legacy, editing and revising it. The catalogue has been drawn up ... in short, it is impossible to edit this collection without Mr. Pei Xian's efforts.
The act of compiling many complete works at that time was a protest and condemnation of the Kuomintang reactionaries. On the contrary, compared with some people, these people used to be a classmate or an old classmate and a friend for twenty or thirty years, but after the death of a flower, they never cared about it or wrote a commemorative text. The other is his love for young students. For example, once two students in his department fought, one was from the NLD and the other was from the Kuomintang. The reason for the fight was of course political, and both of them complained to the teacher. Mr. Qing Zi was afraid that his classmate Min Qing would suffer, and secretly advised him to make some concessions. After I learned that, I wrote a letter asking him to consider who is right and who is wrong in politics. Maybe the wording is a little sharp. The next day, he came to my house and explained his intention seriously. In the Spring and Autumn Period, he blamed the sage. He said something about progressive students in order to protect him from the youth league's revenge. At the same time, he also agrees that my opinion is correct. Afterwards, I told this situation to Min Qing's classmate, who was also very moved. Although his voice against the Kuomintang spy rule is not loud, it can be seen from one thing I personally contacted. At this time, in order to save the dying fate of colleges and universities, the Kuomintang reactionaries strengthened their spy control over colleges and universities. In order to protest, I wrote an academic paper "The School in the Early Ming Dynasty", explaining that in the early Ming Dynasty, I scolded the Kuomintang reactionaries and sent it to the school publication "Journal of Tsinghua" for publication. Some editors of the magazine are nationals of party member. Of course, they refused to publish it, thinking that it was not an academic article. I talked with Mr. Zi Qing, who is also an editorial member of the magazine. He wrote to the editor-in-chief, strongly advocated publication, and finally published this article. We can see the change of his thoughts and feelings from this incident.
Being tortured by stomach trouble for a long time, he was too weak, but he also knew that it was almost dawn, the dark clouds were about to pass, and the good days were coming. He was very happy and wrote two poems under the glass plate on the table: "But if you can see the sun, although he is very glorious, why are you disappointed at dusk?" Based on Li Shangyin's poem "to see the sun, for all his glory, Buried by the Coming Night" in Tang Dynasty. These two poems very aptly expressed his feelings at that time.
On July 23rd, a symposium on "Intellectuals' Tasks Today" was held in Tsinghua University I-shaped Hall, which was his last political activity. I personally invited him home and accompanied him from the North Yard to the I-shaped hall. He walked for a while, stopped for a while, and said to me intermittently, "You are right, and the road is right. However, people like me are not used to it. If you want to educate us, you have to take your time. This will keep up with you. "He also made a speech at the meeting, and the main paragraphs are the same. He said: "Intellectuals have two ways: one is to help idle people climb up. There are such people in feudal society and capitalist society. One fell. Intellectuals can go up and down, so they are a class, not a class. It is not easy for many intellectuals to give up their vested interests. Now we live a public life.
I can't live. It's not that reason is unwilling to accept it. Reason knows it should be accepted, but habit cannot be changed. "
Qing Zi rationally knew that he should give up his vested interests and live a public life. He has taken another step, which is a big step forward. He refused to buy American-aided flour, and it was recorded in his diary on the day after he signed it:1June 8, which cost 6 million French francs every month and had a great impact on his family, but I signed it anyway. Since it is anti-American and helps Japan, let's start directly from ourselves. This shows his determination.
Not only that, the day before his death, he told his wife, "One thing to remember is that I signed a document refusing American aid to flour!" " "Mr Qing Zi is a typical figure among intellectuals in the old society. He used to be a liberal, and he didn't like to take part in political activities, especially those fierce and aggressive activities. However, he has a sense of justice. With the strengthening of the enslavement and oppression of the people of China by the Kuomintang and American imperialism, he could not stand the armed provocation, slaughter and repression of the people of China. He demonstrated his attitude through cultural life, poetry recitation and yangko dancing.
On the other hand, he resolutely refused to take the middle route and the third road. At that time, he was asked to participate in the Kuomintang-run middle-line publication "New Road", but he resolutely refused. However, despite his illness, he attended our seminar.
He knows right from wrong, and love and hate are distinct. In his later years, he finally showed his position. He held his head high and stood up, preferring to starve to death and resolutely refusing the enemy's "relief." This kind of ethics is worth learning today. "We China people have backbone. Many people who used to be liberals or democratic individualists stood up in front of the US imperialists and their running dogs, the Kuomintang reactionaries. " (Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Volume 4, page 1499) Comrade Mao Zedong praised the backbone of Wen Yiduo and Zhu Ziqing, saying that "Wen Yiduo should be praised, and Zhu Ziqing should also be praised". This is the responsibility of our deceased, especially the comrades-in-arms of Mr. Wen Yiduo and Mr. Zhu Ziqing. The future of this ode to our national heroism remains to be seen. This article can only be regarded as some memories caused by rereading the article Farewell to Stuart Leiden.
Zhu Ziqing's Prose Style
Li Guangtian said in the article "The Most Complete Personality": "The number of lines behind is less than 50, and the number of words is only 1500 words ... Because this short passage was selected into the Chinese textbook for middle school students, in the eyes of middle school students, the word' Zhu Ziqing' has become an inseparable whole with the back." What is said here is the situation before liberation. As for the post-liberation, fewer people chose "Back", while "Moonlight on the Lotus Pond" has been selected as a teaching material and recited by college and middle school students because of its beautiful writing.
Why is Zhu Ziqing's prose so admired? Mainly because his prose has the character of truth, goodness and beauty. Truth means true content and sincere feelings. Goodness means that the thoughts and feelings expressed in the works are progressive, and the author's right and wrong are consistent with the broad masses of the people. Beauty, of course, includes many aspects, but what ordinary prose works can't do is that its language is beautiful and full of charm, as clear and smooth as a stream, as sweet and chewy as an olive.
How did Zhu Ziqing pursue truth, goodness and beauty in his prose creation?
Judging from the content, Zhu Ziqing wrote all his own personal experiences. Not only is the event well-founded, but a detail is also true and accurate. He can't tolerate anything untrue in his prose. There is such a thing: there is a sentence in his Moonlight on the Lotus Pond: "The most lively thing at this time is the cicada in the tree and the frog in the water." Later, a reader wrote to tell him that cicadas would not call at night. Zhu Ziqing thought that he did hear cicadas that night, but to be on the safe side, he asked several people and wrote to an entomologist for advice. As a result, everyone thinks that cicadas don't bark at night, but only occasionally. Zhu Ziqing therefore suspected that he was mistaken, and planned to delete the sentence of cicada's barking when the collection of essays "Back" was reprinted. But later, he heard the cicada singing on the moonlit night twice with his own eyes. He didn't believe that he had written it wrong. Most people didn't know the cicada singing on the moonlit night accurately. To this end, he wrote an article explaining that it is not easy to observe things. It can be seen from this incident that Zhu Ziqing's attitude towards the authenticity of writing content is so serious.
The sincerity of Zhu Ziqing's prose feelings is well known. His Back and For the Dead Woman are called "the first-class love literature between heaven and earth". In the faint pen and ink, there is a deep feeling, without any affectation, but with moving power. In his essays such as On Realism and Picturesque, On Slogans and Slogans, The Preface of Zhong Ming's Nausea and Bitterness, he emphasized "truthfulness" and "sincere attitude". It is this "sincere attitude" that makes him pour out his true feelings between the lines. And this kind of emotion revealed from the deep heart is more likely to resonate with readers.