1979: My fiancée is a goddess

Chapter 319 World-class, collaborative papers and publishing opportunities

After the applause, the audience started to communicate with each other.

"I came at the right time today..."

A teacher said to himself thankfully.

"Whether it's Professor Ansel's theory of children's fiction, fake children's literature, or Teacher Cheng Kaiyan's views, they are all theories that have never been heard of in the academic world. We have seen the world this time!"

A professor from Peking University looked at the students around him seriously and asked them to listen carefully and take notes.

"Previously, the Literary Gazette commented that my country's children's literature theory research has caught up with the UK and the US. Then, isn't the theory Comrade Cheng Kaiyan expounded today..."

There was a young woman with a camera hanging on her chest, holding a pen and paper and taking notes, talking to herself excitedly.

The second row is the Penn exchange group area.

Ms. Mary has worked as an assistant to the professor for many years and has been influenced by him and has gained some understanding of the most cutting-edge theoretical research on children's literature in the world.

But what the Chinese writer Cheng Kaiyan publicly expressed at the exchange meeting today was something she had never heard before.

Either it's nonsense or it's a brand new theory that has never been seen before.

Ms. Mary thinks it is the latter.

She looked at George hesitantly and asked, "George, what do you think?"

“Whether children’s literature serves children, which has always been the essence of children’s literature, is enough to cause a stir in the American academic community.

What's more, Cheng also gave his analysis and answers.

If it is written into an academic paper with a complete logical chain and sufficient arguments and published in an academic journal, perhaps... scholars in the entire field of children's literature will be excited!"

George looked at the young man sitting upright on the stage, his eyes more solemn and respectful than ever before.

That is a tribute to a pioneer in theoretical research!

"hiss!"

The scholars at Penn University all took a deep breath.

In other words, they are watching the birth of a future scholar of children's literature theory!
Just like Professor Claude who founded the International Association for the Study of Children's Literature.

"However... although Cheng is the one who proposed the idea, this paper is not that easy to write... just like the professor."

George shook his head.

……

The entire auditorium fell silent again, and everyone looked up at the stage intently.

After some discussion, everyone realized one thing:
This so-called Sino-US Children's Literature Exchange Conference is not just for fun, but actually contains real stuff.

On the stage.

Professor Ansel, who was sitting on the sofa with his head down thinking, suddenly raised his head, took a long breath, and looked at Cheng Kaiyan with complicated eyes.

Unexpectedly, the problem that had troubled me for a long time was solved by this young man with just a few words.

But that’s not all. The young man’s insights just now have elevated the issue further and pointed out the essence of children’s literature.

It can be seen that this young man's attainments in the theoretical research of children's literature are not as "shallow" as the professor had previously evaluated, but are quite profound.

“My viewpoint seems inaccurate by comparison.

Mr. Cheng's views are truly thought-provoking, and even from an international perspective, they are the most cutting-edge research.

With Mr. Cheng here, China’s children’s literature theory research is not inferior to that of the United States! ”

The professor said this seriously under the gazes of countless people in the audience.

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire auditorium was in an uproar.

It’s ten times more lively than before!
Not everyone may understand the theory of children's literature, but the statement that China is not inferior to the United States in the field of children's literature theory research is enough to excite everyone!
During this period, Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania visited China successively to carry out academic exchanges.

But it would be better to call it academic poverty alleviation rather than exchange.

Because there are not many areas in China that can be on par with the United States.

Stanford's computer science department is ranked among the top five in the world, and its dean is a Turing Award winner.

The English Department of the University of Pennsylvania is one of the important birthplaces of literary deconstructionism.

In areas such as computer science, economics and management, and literature, China lags behind the United States.

But now Professor Ansel Stephens, director of the English Department and Children's Literature Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania, has publicly declared in front of so many people, so many journalists and media:

With Cheng Kaiyan around, China's theoretical research on children's literature is not inferior to that of the United States.

How could this not be shocking! How could this not be exciting!
"Did you hear that? These are the words spoken by the vice-chairman of a world-renowned university!"

"Fuck! The children's literature research in the United States is world-class. If we are not inferior to the United States, doesn't it mean that we are also world-class! !"

"Wouldn't the level of children's literature research at Beijing Normal University have skyrocketed to world-class level?"

"Don't dream. You don't have a children's literature major at Beijing Normal University, and no one except Cheng Kaiyan studies it."

"Who said that? Didn't Professor Jiang Ting from our Chinese Department write the paper on the three major themes together with Teacher Cheng?!"

"Haha! Soon it won't be!"

A Peking University school leader sneered in his heart and looked at Cheng Kaiyan and Jiang Ting on the stage, with a hint of heat in his eyes.

He has decided on these two people!
There was heated discussion in the audience.

Reporters also held up their cameras and took pictures, with flashes flashing continuously, recording this historic moment.

On the stage.

Cheng Kaiyan leaned back against the soft sofa, a hint of surprise flashing in her lowered dark brown eyes.

He simply followed Professor Ansel's ideas and talked briefly about his own views on the nature of children's literature in combination with later knowledge.

But I didn't expect that after listening to it, the professor would take it as his guiding principle.

He even made such an evaluation.

Not inferior to the United States?

Cheng Kaiyan was thinking in her heart.

He sat up straight, raised his hand to pick up the teapot, poured himself a cup of tea, and filled up the cups for his aunt and the professor.

He showed a calm smile on his face and pointed to the teacup on the coffee table: "Have a cup of tea to moisten your throat."

Professor Ansel was stunned for a moment as he looked at the calm and composed young man in front of him.

He is so calm.

"Have some tea, Professor."

Jiang Ting reminded her, reaching out to take her teacup and taking a sip.

She remembered how she had comforted Cheng Kaiyan that day.

Xiaoyan, you are too calm this time, aren't you?
It seems that he really listened.

The beautiful woman's frosty face quietly blossomed.

"Mr. Cheng, let's have a good chat after the exchange is over."

Professor Ansel picked up the teacup with a serious look.

"it is good."

……

Due to time constraints, each scholar on stage cannot speak for more than half an hour.

After making an appointment with Professor Ansel to have a good chat in two days, Cheng Kaiyan came down, but her aunt stayed on the stage to act as an interpreter and host.

After Cheng Kaiyan came down, several reporters from the newspaper came over. He simply dealt with them and returned to his seat.

The next person to take the stage was Mr. Chen Bochui.

The two of them exchanged views on Mr. Chen Bochui's theory of "The Theory of Childish Heart", with Jiang Ting translating between them. The communication was very smooth, and the content was profound and interesting enough.

"Old sir, your research level is no less than that of Mr. Cheng Kaiyan!"

Professor Ansel commented in surprise.

As one scholar after another took the stage, Professor Ansel realized clearly that Chinese children's literature is not just about Cheng Kaiyan.

Even without him, China's children's literature research would be very outstanding.

Professor Ansel even heard from a scholar at Tsinghua University that a professor named Jiang Feng had already begun compiling a history of Chinese children's literature.

……

After the lunch exchange meeting came to an end.

The auditorium was deserted.

Students were gossiping on the road, and teachers and scholars were discussing the theories they had heard today. The news quickly spread by word of mouth.

The reporters returned to the newspaper office and informed the editors, who were eager to publish the news in the evening paper.

That night.

The Beijing Evening News just published an article about today’s exchange meeting. It said: “At the Sino-US Children’s Literature Exchange Meeting held in the auditorium of Beijing Normal University today, the famous young writer Cheng Kaiyan’s new theory won over the professors of prestigious American universities. Professor Ansel said that China’s children’s literature research field is no longer inferior to that of the United States!”

At the same time, many newspapers including Wen Yi Bao, China Youth Daily, and Children's Daily also published articles and conducted their own analyses.

At once, the whole city of Beijing knew the news.

College students, young literary figures, experts and scholars were all very excited.

Even the men and women in the streets and alleys knew about it and it became a topic of conversation.

"Wow! World-class level! Comrade Cheng Kaiyan has really brought glory to the country!"

"That's right. I heard he's from Xiaowei Hutong next door. I heard he's a great writer and a hero on the front lines. Now he's a theoretical expert! It's incredible!"

"He is a man of both civil and military talents. According to the fortune teller Wang Po, a man like him only appears once every hundred years!"

……

"Ding Ding Ding!"

Wangfujing Commercial Street.

The streets lined with six-story buildings were bustling with people and traffic.

The sounds of bicycle bells, human voices, horns, and hawking blend together to create the atmosphere of this worldly life.

Cheng Kaiyan put his hands in his coat pockets and strolled leisurely on the street, looking at the street scenes around him.

The sunlight shines through the gaps between the buildings on the side of the street, illuminating the people walking on the street.

The heavy snow after several days finally stopped and the snow on the road had been cleared.

Only at the street corners were there some snow piles left, reflecting dazzling golden light under the sun.

Like a pyramid.

"Let's go to this restaurant."

Cheng Kaiyan pointed to a restaurant on the street and said to Professor Ansel who was walking beside her.

That is a newly opened western restaurant.

The artistic English sign with black background and gold on the red brick wall has a classic feel.

Large glass windows facing the street, dim lights, and exquisite Western-style decoration style.

It is very conspicuous on this relatively simple street.

"Cheng, actually if you are not used to Western food, you can also go for Chinese food. I am fine with that."

The white-bearded foreign old man wearing a gray wool coat, a knitted hat and gold-rimmed glasses suggested.

"Then let's eat Western food. It happens that I have never eaten it before."

Cheng Kaiyan shook his head and led Professor Ansel across the street.

After entering the store, they found a seat by the window and sat down.

"Two steaks, two servings of foie gras, two servings of pasta, do you have any red wine?"

Professor Ansel held the menu in his hand, looked at the young male waiter in a shirt and jacket in front of him, and began to order food.

"Of course, please wait a moment."

The waiter had obviously been trained and could understand some English dish names.

Finished ordering.

The two sat facing each other, looking at each other.

Since the exchange meeting a few days ago, the two made an appointment to chat.

What to talk about specifically.

Cheng Kaiyan could probably guess that it was nothing more than something related to children's literature.

"Cheng, I think you can probably guess what I want to talk to you about."

"It's about the viewpoint you mentioned at the exchange meeting. I came to you this time mainly because I hope you can write your viewpoint into a paper and publish it so that more scholars can see it."

Professor Ansel looked at him sincerely and said.

"Of course."

Cheng Kaiyan pondered for a moment and nodded.

In fact, the point he mentioned at the exchange meeting came from a paper published by a British scholar Jacqueline Ross in 1984: "The Case of Peter Pan: On the Impossibility of Children's Literature."

This is a highly subversive theoretical work that deconstructs the adult power structure implicit in children's literature from the perspectives of psychoanalysis, cultural criticism, and gender studies. Its academic influence is quite far-reaching, and its views are still relevant even a hundred years later.

If its core ideas were written into a paper, it would surely shock the entire international children's literature community.

"That's good!"

After receiving a positive answer, Professor Ansel quickly asked, "Cheng, you are the originator of this view and the scholar who has done the most in-depth research on it.

But you know the difficulty and workload of this paper, so..."

"So...what do you want to do?"

Cheng Kaiyan's eyes narrowed slightly, and she asked calmly.

Although he had a good chat with Professor Ansell, it was best to remain vigilant.

“I’m not trying to steal your academic views, I just want to get involved. I’ve been researching related areas and may be able to help you with your research.

We can conduct research completely collaboratively, which is very common in academia.

Don’t worry, you are definitely the first author…”

The professor pushed his glasses up awkwardly and gave a long explanation in a hurry.

Cheng Kaiyan thought about it for a long time, and finally agreed: "No problem."

there are many reasons.

But the most important thing is that Cheng Kaiyan wants to publish this paper abroad to increase its international influence.

As an expert in children's literature and a graduate of a world-renowned university, Professor Ansel is very suitable to be a tool man.

He has both research capabilities and can help clear all obstacles for publishing papers in international journals.

Because Cheng Kaiyan is Chinese, she will inevitably be affected.

"Great! Cheng, I will never let you down."

The professor's face flushed with excitement, and he enthusiastically grabbed Cheng Kaiyan's hand and shouted.

Next, the two chatted about some issues related to paper writing and set a charter. They agreed to communicate progress via letters at regular intervals.

“I have thought about it. Once the paper is completed, we will publish it in the American academic journals Children’s Literature or The Lion and the Unicorn.

These two academic journals are both first-class academic journals of children's literature in the United States and even internationally.

By then, Cheng, you will definitely become a great scholar who influences the entire international children's literature world.

Maybe then the International Association for the Study of Children's Literature will invite you to join, or even give you a research award!"

Professor Ansel looks forward to the future.

"International Children's Literature Research Association... What a familiar name."

Cheng Kaiyan listened to the professor's chattering and thought to herself.

At this time, the steaks they ordered arrived, so they ate and chatted.

The atmosphere was quite harmonious and pleasant.

The meal lasted until 1:30 in the afternoon, and the two finally finalized the plan and academic research contract.

After they finished their meal, they parted at the door of the store.

Professor Ansel suddenly called Cheng Kaiyan.

"Cheng, do you want your work to be published in the United States?"

"what?"

When Cheng Kaiyan heard this, she turned around and said in surprise: "Of course!"

He had previously encouraged the professor, but now the professor took the initiative to ask about it.

What an unexpected surprise!

(End of this chapter)