Literary Master 1983

Chapter 65: Ma Shi Tu's Disciple
The second Latin American literature, or the academic seminar on Marquez himself, was held as scheduled in mid-February for a week.

Because this time the meeting was held in the capital, there were many more people participating in this academic seminar than the last one, and the most important attendee was Qian Zhongshu.

He is currently the vice president of the Social Sciences Academy. Since the president has other administrative matters to attend to, he is the one who leads general and specific academic discussions.

It was in this capacity that Qian Zhongshu delivered the opening speech at last year's China-US bilateral discussion on comparative literature.

Qian Zhongshu himself is a very good literary researcher, proficient in many languages, including Latin and Spanish. He simply started:
"My basic stance on Chinese and Western culture is to value universality over particularity. For example, Chinese poetry is just poetry. It should be poetry, which is more important than being 'Chinese'."

"It's like a person. No matter if he is Chinese, American or British, he is still a person."

“People often say that something represents authentic orientalization, and something else represents true westernization…but the real thing is often worthy of the name, both eastern and western.”

"So, although we in China don't know enough about Marquez, and we don't know enough about Latin American literature, we will develop our own literary form. We have 'Sinicized' Latin American literature, which is why we want to hold the symposium."

"——We are not here to copy or imitate, but to see what we can use and what we cannot use. Maybe one day we will have our own Nobel Prize-winning work in literature, and I hope it will have a positive connection with our meeting today."

Of course, everyone applauded loudly.

Qian Zhongshu knew Yu Qie, as he was half of Yu Qie's schoolmate. In 1952, Shuimu University adjusted its departments and became a complete engineering university. The liberal arts department was merged into Yanda University, and Qian Zhongshu worked as a researcher at Yanda's Institute of Literature for a period of time.

Later, this literary research institute was upgraded to a directly affiliated institution of the Social Academy, and he also started a new life in the Social Academy.

After the opening speech, the entire academic discussion became relatively relaxed. Several scholars from Yanda University tried to get close to Qian Zhongshu and brought Yu Qie with them.

Zhao Deming and Zhao Zhenjiang did not receive any actual response, but Yu Qie was criticized a few more times:

"Are you Yu Qie?"

"I'm."

"I happened to read your novel 'Big Scatter', which was okay and somewhat similar to the original - so someone found your previous novel, and I thought it was not that good, too tricky."

This is really hard to say. Qian Zhongshu has a very strong personality, and I didn't expect that he hasn't changed much even at his age.

But what can Yu Qie do? He must listen.

Unexpectedly, Qian Zhongshu said again, "You are good-looking. I often say that for ugly people, a close look is cruel, but you are the exact opposite... Ma Shi Tu has accepted a good apprentice!" Qian Zhongshu clicked his tongue a few times.

Then, no more words.

What do you mean?

Yu Qie followed the two Professors Zhao back. Zhao Deming of October magazine was actually a little envious: "Mr. Qian rarely talks to young people. He is in poor health and is always doing research. We don't usually see him."

Yu Qie said, "Why doesn't he talk to young people?"

Zhao Deming was still envious: "It is said that he hates stupid people and ugly people more - I guess he doesn't read many domestic novels. Even if you write ten more "Da Saba" novels, he still won't know you. He only knows you because of Ma Shi Tu Ma Lao."

"By the way, when did I become Master Ma's apprentice?"

"I don't know either, but everyone says so," said Zhao Deming.

Zhao Deming first read the research manuscript "Latin American Realism". He knew that this research manuscript did not originally come from "October" but from "Foreign Literature Research".

How could Yu Qie, a commoner, be published in such a publication?

Zhao Deming also felt strange at the time, but later he found out that it was Ma Shi Tu who recommended it to the editor-in-chief Xu Chi, and then he understood.

Zhao Deming told Yu Qie: "They all cherish their reputation very much. Mr. Ma even feels that his literary achievements do not deserve to be called a 'literary man'. He can introduce you to other publications to publish articles, so of course everyone will think that you are his disciple... So you actually thought you were not, Yu Qie, you definitely can be." "You don't know how cautious people like Mr. Ma are. He is willing to come to intercede for you, which means that he has already meant it!"

Yu Qi was stunned by these words, but also a little moved.

Although Yu Qie was a doctoral student in his previous life and was doing well, he had never come into contact with people of Ma Shi Tu's level and had no idea what they were thinking.

At this academic seminar, Huang Jinyan and others talked about the first edition of One Hundred Years of Solitude:
"We have two things to say. The first is that although we put a lot of effort into this version, there are definitely many mistakes and omissions. We hope that readers will understand us when they see it in the future. The other is that we hope that in the future, One Hundred Years of Solitude will also be able to have versions translated by famous writers like Yang Jiang, Dong Yansheng, and Sun Jiameng, just like Don Quixote."

"Eventually, we will have a relatively universally recognized translation that best fits the original meaning and provide it to everyone. This is our wish."

Because there were "many mistakes and omissions", Huang Jinyan and others decided to write an author's note at the front of the book, in which they introduced the difficulties they were currently facing and the achievements of other researchers.

The most important one is Yu Qie’s Latin American Realism. Because this research manuscript has many quotes from Marquez’s Nobel Prize speech, Huang Jinyan and others simply translated the full text of the speech with Yu Qie and posted it at the back.

"We should let domestic readers know how the author views 'magical realism'. He does not want to be called magical."

"Who was the first to translate this speech? As far as I know, Yu Qie was the first."

After a week, the academic seminar is about to end.

As usual, many scholars wrote many papers. Unlike the previous life, this time they treated the word "magic" with caution. The only pity was, "We don't know what the yellow rose means now."

"I'm afraid this will become an unsolved case. I don't know when the secret will be revealed." Huang Jinyan said regretfully.

Yu Qie said, however, that this “unsolved case” would not take that long to be solved. He didn’t know where he got the confidence from.

Huang Jinyan just smiled and said, "If you know, please write it on the first page of the book and write down the bizarre story of our time together... the big spider, witchcraft, and love."

As expected, on the last day of the academic seminar, some people including Qian Zhongshu had left, but Liu Xinwu from People's Literature showed up.

At this time, local researchers in Yenching were very surprised. They still stayed here, and some of them had heard about the feud between Yu Qie and the editor-in-chief and writer.

"I love Latin American literature, and I support the sinicization of Latin American literature."

Liu Xinwu was sincere at first: "But I hope that the 'Author's Words' and 'Postscript' can be deleted - someone gave me the translation, and I was very disappointed after reading it..."

"Why?" Huang Jinyan and others from Shanghai didn't understand. What did it have to do with him?

However, Zhao Deming already understood, and Yu Qie certainly understood it even better.

As this translation becomes popular, readers will explore why this research manuscript on "Latin American Realism" exists, and then they will know who is speculating.

Who is hindering?

Who has achieved nothing and just had a dream?

　Ma Shi Tu and Qian Zhongshu were friends, and they both studied at Southwest Associated University.

　　Because Ma Shi Tu was in good health and lived the longest, he wrote an article of remembrance for his old friends in his later years, "That Era, That Kind of People."

　　I don’t know if it was to commemorate his friend, but Ma Shi Tu said that Yang Jiang’s level was higher, and she deliberately “hid her shortcomings” in order to highlight Qian Zhongshu.

　　Ma Shi Tu also gave an interview, in which he roughly meant that it was a good thing that he lived the longest. Among that group of students at Southwest Associated University, he was the only one who lived to 2024 and witnessed the true "rise of China."

　　
　
(End of this chapter)