Literary Master 1983

Chapter 392 Formen's Award
After saying that, Yang Zhenning told Yu Qie a joke.

The most famous scientist in China is probably Qian Xuesen. When he was at MIT in the United States, he was quite blunt with white students. One student said that he was talking too fast and he didn't have time to take notes. Qian Xuesen replied that if the student couldn't understand him immediately, he should leave.

Domestically, Qian Xuesen also took strong action. In 82, the Guangming Daily published a letter Qian Xuesen wrote to the Ministry of Education, in which he suggested that calculus be included in junior high school textbooks. His words were quite striking:

"Even if someone is incredibly slow, how could a 14-year-old not be able to learn calculus?"

Qian Lao clearly had a "dislike of stupidity".

However, they were not charged with any "racial discrimination".

why?
These students know they're not stupid, the classes are just too difficult; while some people explode the moment the topic is brought up, showing they understand their own shortcomings.

Yang Zhenning accepted an invitation from the Chinese University of Hong Kong last year to become a chair professor there. Since then, he has spent time in Hong Kong each year. When he arrived in Hong Kong from Beijing, it was already late October.

To welcome him, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) held a lecture. Addressing the students of CUHK, Yang Zhenning talked about Yu Qie's novel "The Road to Dawn".

"I hope that while you pursue material things, you will also set aside some energy to pursue the truth. We do not necessarily have to become martyrs at the altar of truth, but we must not forget the pursuit of truth."

He was then pressed for his opinion on the "intelligence theory."
Yang Zhenning said, "Since I won the award, I have always been considered omniscient and omnipotent, and people ask me for my opinion on everything! In fact, I only have an understanding of a small part of my field. In other aspects, I may not be as good as an ordinary person who has studied on his own."

Hong Kong reporters, finding no news in such a harmonious scene, pressed again, specifically asking, "What do you think of James Watson? Do you sympathize with him?"

Yang Zhenning laughed: "You reporters, all you want to do is create big news! I was clearly talking about myself, but you said I sympathized with him; if I said I had never heard of him, would you think I looked down on him?"

“Okay!” Yang Zhenning walked up to the reporter, pondered for a moment, and said in one breath, “This person’s remarks are definitely problematic. I would say the same thing to this person’s face—you are talking complete nonsense! However, your willingness to speak up for Chinese students is still very valuable.”

By this time, Watson's situation had improved considerably. He was portrayed as a somewhat "stubborn" biologist who, despite saying many strange things, did not appear to have any obvious malice.

Yu Qie, on the other hand, felt the benefits of having a huge network of friendly writers.

In this incident, Latin American writers expressed their determination to unite against the common enemy, which greatly increased the popularity of Yu Qie's novels.

Why are Latin American writers so combative?
Writers in other places seem to be a disorganized mess.
Yu Qie called Márquez for advice, and Márquez talked about the "political practices" of Latin American writers: these Latin American writers are good at guiding public opinion and realizing their political ambitions.

Because they are politicians, or aspiring politicians, or at the very least, they come from political families.

Therefore, they were adept at waging struggles and could easily gain widespread support. For a long period after the 1950s, Latin American writers frequently published editorials, in which the immense trauma and upheaval in their small countries actually helped them gain global attention.

Márquez said, "Now you know we still have some strength! Your trip wasn't in vain!"

"I really understand now!"

Subsequently, news came from Madrid, Spain: Yu Qie was awarded the Order of Alfonso X the Wise for his translation of Neruda's novels and his great contributions to the Spanish-speaking world.

Like the Thai King's Order, this medal has a rather complicated ranking system, and Yu Chee received the second level.

He is not the first Chinese to receive this award; last year, Yang Jiang was also awarded the prize for her translation of *Don Quixote*. The award ceremony was held at the National Concert Hall in Madrid, and the presenter was Charles I.

He was about to see that old man again.

Meanwhile, Yu Qie won the Formentor Prize for Literature for his book "2666", which will also be awarded at this ceremony.

The Formentor Prize is a smaller award than the Cervantes Prize, similar to Japan's Akutagawa Prize—primarily recognizing emerging writers.

In 1961, Jorge Luis Borges, a leading figure in Latin American literature, received the Formento Prize, which is generally considered the starting point of the "Latin American literary boom."

In the future, Spain will intentionally differentiate the importance of awards. Writers will generally win the Formentor Prize first and then go on to win the Cervantes Prize. Since the Cervantes Prize was newly established at this time, Yu Qie's process of winning the prize was the reverse.

By this point, Yu Qie had won almost every major Spanish language award, and he had almost reached the pinnacle of his career in the Spanish-speaking world.

He wasn't the only one who thought this; people abroad thought the same way.

In his paper, Jin Jiepu, a well-known Yu Qie fan, wrote: "I think Yu Qie seems to have reached the ceiling in Spanish literature. The unanimous support for him by Latin American writers shows that Yu Qie has also achieved a certain power shift within this mysterious and orderly organization."

"He will sit in this position for a long time, perhaps half a century? Or, he intends to try more challenging literature... We know that this is certainly not easy."

Wolfgang, a professor of Sinology at the University of Bonn in Germany, adopted the Chinese name "Gu Bin." In an article in the German magazine *Drachenboot* (Dragon Boat), he enthusiastically introduced Yu Qie's achievements, stating:

"China suddenly produced a lot of writers, and we all thought it was a golden age. They seemed brilliant and omnipotent... But there is a regrettable thing: their country has undergone such a huge change, but a large part of their writers are focused on personal emotions of the past (scar literature). I am very disappointed."

"Fortunately, not everyone is like that. If you haven't read Dongfang Yu's novels yet, you're missing out on one of the best Chinese writers since the 1980s."

"Next, I will begin translating all of Yu Qie's novels. But translations can never be as good as the originals. I hope that someone can learn Chinese like me, and then you will understand how good his works are! He is a country in himself."

The awards ceremony is next month, and in order to allow time for his trip to Spain, Yu Qie had to reschedule his classes in advance.

He currently has two classes to teach: one is "Western Economics" in the School of Economics, and the other is "Foreign Literature" in the School of Literature. At present, Yu Qie is focusing on Western languages.

In a class at Yenching University, Yu Qiedao said: "The Latin American literary boom specifically refers to the global impact caused by the prosperity and brilliance of Latin American literature since the late 1950s... But what you may not know is that the word 'boom' is actually opposed by Latin American writers, because the word 'boom' implies something that is short-lived, vague, and rapidly occurring before quickly declining."

“Boom! You need to know some English to better understand the context of this word. There’s a guy in Mexico named Fuentes who’s always been against it! But the word is used so much that it’s spread, so everyone just starts saying it too.”

"This is very similar to Márquez's situation. He himself did not like 'magical realism,' but in the end, Colombians took pride in magical realism, and the West's hegemony in public opinion descended on real life, forcing Márquez to accept this bleak reality."

A Mexican exchange student stood up and asked, "Professor Yu, are you sleeping under Fuentes' bed? How do you know his attitude?"

Yu Qie noticed the student had stubble and looked like he was of Asian descent; a hat sat beside his desk. Yu Qie asked, "Are you Mexican?"

"Yes."

Yu Qie laughed: "I've played bridge with Fuentes from your country, and he complained to me about it himself. I assure you, it's true."

The student immediately opened his mouth wide and sat down in shock. Actually, Yu Qie had something else to say: Fuentes was Yu Qie's defeated opponent. Yu Qie had stolen his luck. In the past two years, every time the awards season came around, Yu Qie was Fuentes's nemesis—Fuentes was like an incompetent husband, only able to watch Yu Qie take whatever he wanted.

The three people in the audience, Chu Fujun, Lu Buxuan, and Cheng Guoping, felt as if they were in a dream when they saw this scene.

At the beginning of this year, they were still talking about Yu Qie's disappearance from Yenching University, but now Yu Qie has become their teacher. Yenching University's literature and economics departments have become highly sought-after by other departments.

When Yu Qie came to teach, the college entrance examination had already ended. I'm afraid that by next year, the admission scores for these two departments will skyrocket!
Thinking of this, Lu Buxuan chuckled!
The Chinese Literature majors are all top scorers, so of course they're not afraid of high scores. It's just tough on the Economics majors!

"Jingle Bell!"

The bell rang.

Upon hearing the noise, Yu Qie immediately dismissed the get out of class and then apologized for his recent "switching classes." "Unfortunately, I received the Formentor Award from Spain, and their king, fearing I wouldn't come, specifically sent his ambassador to China to invite me. To avoid hurting the feelings of the Spanish people, I had no choice but to go again."

The students burst into laughter and, of course, forgave him.

At that moment, Yu Qie's eyes flashed, and he saw Lu Buxuan in the audience. He said, "Lu Buxuan, come to my office later."

Lu Buxuan was stunned for a moment. Chu Fujun and Cheng Guoping were both looking at him, their eyes full of worry.

"Old Lu, you're always slacking off in class, going off to work for others, setting up stalls. Did Teacher Yu find out and come here specifically to warn you?!" Chu Fujun said.

Cheng Guoping was also very worried.

Since the beginning of this year, Yu Qie has repeatedly called on college students to return to the classroom, but Lu Buxuan has gone against the grain. How could Yu Qie tolerate him?
You should know that the "free meals" in the Yenching University cafeteria were funded by Yu Qie's donation! Although he didn't publicly promote it, the students all know about it now that more than half a year has passed!

It is evident that Yu Qie had put a lot of thought into this.

Old Lu, don't get expelled!

Lu Buxuan was terrified. He came to Yu Qie's office, but unfortunately, there were several other teachers there. Before Lu Buxuan could even say hello, Yu Qie said, "Let's leave! Let's talk somewhere else."

Afterwards, Lu Buxuan followed Yu Qie, past the teaching building, past Weiming Lake, and all the way to the secluded Shaoyuan.

Yu Qie finally turned around and said, "Lu Buxuan, do you know why I came to find you?"

"I don't know," Lu Buxuan said honestly.

“I have a good memory. After attending several classes, I noticed you were getting thinner and thinner, which I found strange! I asked around, and people said you pawned your meal tickets to exchange for my books. I don’t think that’s a good deal. What do you think?”

What would your reaction be if you used someone else's donated money to buy a secondhand book written by someone else, and then got caught by the author?
Lu Buxuan blushed completely, feeling that this was the most shameful thing he had ever experienced in his life.

"Teacher Yu, I promise I won't do it again!"

Why did you buy my book?

"Your novel is so good, I'd feel guilty if I didn't buy a few copies!"

Yu Qie suddenly realized: So this guy's become addicted to novels.

During this period, quite a few people saved up to buy novels. Even if readers were strapped for cash, they were willing to pay for a captivating story. Serious literature was fine, but commercial literature like martial arts novels and romance novels were truly irresistible, making readers eager to buy them.

“What’s wrong with reading novels? Damn it, I like reading novels too!” Yu Qie said.

Lu Buxuan was shocked by these treacherous words and raised his head.

Yu Qie pondered for a moment, then said, "I have a lot of books over there, all sent by the publishing house. Wait for me, don't wander around, I'll go get them for you."

Shaoyuan is a bit out of the way from Yenching University, but it's located on Yiheyuan Road, bordering Tsinghua University to the east and the future Zhongguancun to the south, making it a great place.

Yu Qie has a house here, and his car is also there.

"Come wait for me at the nearest West Gate."

Soon after, Yu Qie drove to the school gate. Instead of letting Lu Buxuan take the books back to the dormitory, he invited Lu Buxuan to get in the car.

Where to go?
Yu Qie handed Lu Buxuan an orange and said, "Come on, let's have some mutton soup."

Lu Buxuan spent the whole day with Yu Qie, eating until his stomach was full. In the evening, Yu Qie drove him to the dormitory. After Lu Buxuan returned to his dormitory, Chu Fujun and Cheng Guoping both came to ask him if he had been scolded enough that day.

But then Lu Buxuan burst into tears and said, "I will definitely make something of myself in the future to repay Teacher Yu for the kindness of a meal!"

When Yu Qie returned home and told Zhang Li and Chen Xiaoxu about it, they both agreed with him. They both felt that Lu Buxuan was, after all, a student of Yenching University, and no matter how down on his luck he was, he would become a pillar of society in the future.

Who knows when he'll become rich, just like that black marketeer in Wanxian. He made many people believe in Yu Qie's saying, "There are houses of gold in books."

Yu Qie's task is not limited to this.

He received a $50,000 prize for winning the Formentor Award. The Formentor Award, also known as the International Publishers Award, is an award jointly presented by six major publishers in Europe and America. It is named after the Formentor Hotel in Mallorca, Spain, where it was founded.

The award winners represent the publishers' recognition of "bestseller" status, meaning that Yu Qie's novels are extremely popular in the Western world, which is a widely acknowledged fact!

Due to the significant exchange rate difference during this period, his royalties would increasingly consist of international royalties. In mainland China, his total annual royalties rarely exceeded one million yuan, while abroad, he frequently earned millions of US dollars.

This huge disparity in royalties will lead to many problems in the future, and we must pay attention to it.

Taking advantage of the fact that Zhang Li hadn't gone to bed yet and Chen Xiaoxu was also there, Yu Qie said, "I'm planning to follow Ba Jin's example and donate all my royalties from domestic publications. Is that alright?"

(End of this chapter)