Looking at the history of Chinese literature in the 20th century, there are three far-reaching Chinese writers who write bilingually - Lin Yutang , Xiong Shiyi, and the third writer who is most easily overlooked - Jiang Yi.
Jiang Yi was born in the late Qing Dynasty (1903, the 29th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty), and died in 1977. There are many labels in him - painters, poets, writers, calligraphers, Chinese cultural exchange envoys... Jiang Yi, who is unknown in China, has a very high cultural status abroad. He is a member of the Royal Society of Arts and a tenured professor at Columbia University in the United States. In 1937, he became famous for publishing "The Paintings of the Lake District", and since then he started his "Mute Walker" series of paintings.
"Mumbling Walker" is Jiang Yi's pseudonym. The so-called "dumb traveler" means traveling to a country without understanding its language, nor its culture, folk customs, and can only observe silently with the eyes of a tourist or other. But Jiang Yi's "dumb walker" does not refer to language issues. What he wants to emphasize is his identity as a "different culture". Jiang Yi wrote in English. His works were not written for Chinese people, but for foreigners living in the English-speaking world.
Celebrities in foreign lands are "strangers" from their hometown. After living in many years, Jiang Yi has been constantly emphasizing his identity as a "Chinese" in his writing. Whether it is written by Yae Sakura in Japan, or by Eiffel Tower in Paris, he used a Chinese literati to explore the city's ordinary daily life - the lobster in Boston , which reminded him of Confucius' "a gentleman staying away from the kitchen"; the apricot blossoms on the streets of Paris brought him back to the apricot forest at the foot of Mount Lu. The unique Chinese cultural association constitutes Jiang Yi’s unique Western observation vision.
In recent years, Jiang Yi's paintings have been published in the country one after another. In August 2019, publisher Fang Century Wenjing held a sharing event "Jiang Yi: The Forgotten Traveler in the 20th Century" at the Lujiazui Library in Shanghai. Chinese modern and contemporary literature researcher, professor of Chinese Department of , and editor-in-chief of " Modern Chinese Journal of ", shared their understanding of Jiang Yi with East China Normal University's professor and doctoral supervisor Luogang on the spot.
"Mutual Walker" painting notebook is not favored, and the first edition of zero manuscript fee unexpectedly sells
At the event site, Chen Zishan told Jiang Yi's life experience and the publication story of the "Mutual Walker" series.
Jiang Yi is from Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province. His family is not rich, but he is still wealthy. He served as the county magistrate, but later resigned because he was not suitable for official rules. After resigning, Jiang Yi went to study in the UK with the support of his brother. According to his own recollection, the money he brought to the UK could barely support him in his life for a year, which was no less. Studying in the UK requires first solving the language barrier. Jiang Yi's English was not very good at that time, so he could only barely communicate.
Jiang Yi can draw, but he has not received professional training, he just likes it. In 1934, London was going to hold the "World Tree Painting Exhibition", and Jiang Yi's British friend suggested to him: "Mr. Jiang, don't you know how to draw? You come from China, just draw a kind of Chinese tree." So Jiang Yi painted bamboo. Bamboo cannot be regarded as a tree to be precise, but the British looked very novel. Later, someone came to him to draw works with Chinese themes, so he drew ducks, the theme was an ancient Chinese poem - "The Duck Prophet in the Spring River Warm Water".
Jiang Yi's paintings first attracted attention to Chinese paintings in the UK. It was not until the end of 1934 that Xu Beihong and Liu Haisu went to the UK to hold a painting exhibition, and British people realized how unique modern Chinese paintings are. So someone asked Jiang Yi if he could publish a book introducing Chinese painting ? Jiang Yi initially refused, one because his knowledge was not systematic enough, and the other because he was not good enough in English. His British friends encouraged him and helped him find a Chinese-English bilingual assistant to polish the manuscript. He then published "Chinese Painting" and "Chinese Calligraphy".
Later, Jiang Yi went to , the lake district of England for vacation, and before leaving, he received an appointment from the publisher: Can you write a book that reads London from the perspective of a Chinese person? At that time, Jiang Yi was already teaching at the Oriental College of London. He was attracted by the scenery of the lake area and wrote a lot of words of feelings and handed them to the publishing house.The publisher believes that the length is too short to be written. Jiang Yi doesn’t care about the thickness, he just wants to publish it first. Later, the British publisher agreed to publish it, but there was no royalties or royalties, so he could only give him six books after publication. Jiang Yi agreed. So, "The Paintings of the Lake District".
"The Paintings of the Lake District" was unexpectedly sold out, and the first version was sold out in just one month. In the second edition, Jiang Yi said he would have to collect the manuscript fee, and from then on he started his "Mute Walker" series. Jiang Yi's "Mute Walker" series is divided into two categories. The first category is specialized in writing about Britain, completed before or during World War II, including "The Painting of the Lake District", "The Painting of the London", "The Painting of the Wartime Painting", "Yorxson International Painting", "Oxford Painting" and "Edinburgh Painting". After the end of World War II, Jiang Yi went to Columbia University in the United States to teach (starting in 1955) and wrote a series of painting notes from other countries, such as "New York Painting", "Dublin Painting", "Ireland Painting", and "Paris Painting".
The giant panda on the United Square of San Francisco, painted by Jiang Yi, was collected in "San Francisco Paintings"
, who insists on the Chinese flavor, has created a new cultural identity
. The illustrations in Jiang Yi's paintings are both colorful and black and white. In the painting notes, there are prose, poetry, and his own calligraphy works. Jiang Yi's old style poems are well written and he has published a collection of old Chinese style poems in the UK.
How should Jiang Yi's books be classified in bookstores? Luo Gang said that it is usually placed in the art category, but those who understand it will be placed in the prose or travel category. Although there are many illustrations in the book, Jiang Yi's paintings are essentially prose. Although Jiang Yi is not a great painter or a great calligrapher, his calligraphy and poetry are one. His paintings are a kind of colorful gouache painting, which is very decorative and has a Chinese flavor. His painting of crabs at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco will remind people of crabs painted by Qi Baishi.
Chen Zishan mentioned the lobster described by Jiang Yi in "Boston Paintings". Jiang Yi will not only write about the objects themselves, but will also make cultural associations and analysis of them. Jiang Yi’s paintings are not just travelogues, they can be regarded as cultural history works:
I didn’t feel uneasy because it tasted indescribable. Later, when I recalled that when I was young, whenever I wanted to see the chef cook, my grandmother would repeatedly tell me Confucius' teaching: "A gentleman stays away from the kitchen." She said that if I saw how the food was cooked, I would lose my appetite when I ate it. My grandmother was a devout Buddhist and never liked to kill live creatures for food. When I was young, I was deeply moved by Confucius' words. Now I feel that Confucius seems to want to cover up something. He certainly loves eating just like I enjoy New England fresh lobster. (Jiang Yi's "Boston Painting Record")
"Boston Painting Record", [US] Jiang Yi, translated by Hu Lingyun, Century Literature and Scenery丨 Shanghai People's Publishing House January 2018 edition
Many people went abroad and their works would have exotic styles, but Jiang Yi returned to the Chinese style. This is also why his paintings are popular abroad. Jiang Yi's paintings have been carefully bound and designed. For foreign readers, they can understand English and pictures; while Chinese calligraphy cannot be understood, but Chinese calligraphy itself has a graphic nature and looks a special beauty. The writing art of Chinese characters and Chinese characters is very mysterious to foreigners.
"Japanese Paintings", written by Jiang Yi [US], translated by Liang Beite, Century Literature and Scenery丨Shanghai People's Publishing House February 2018 edition
Chinese writer who writes in English is Jiang Yi's most special identity. His success lies in the fact that his poetry, calligraphy and painting form a very unique whole. English writers among Chinese writers in the 20th century were only accepted in small circles, and the works of many contemporary Chinese writers were also translated into English, but the audience was professional researchers, and these translated works did not enter the field of mass reading. Lin Yutang is one of the writers who have truly had an impact in the Western English-speaking world. His "The Art of Life" and "The Smoke and Clouds of Beijing" are both best-selling books abroad. Zhang Ailing also wanted to become a Lin Yutang-style writer, but she was not considered successful. Judging from the letter she wrote to her friends, she felt a little unwilling to admit defeat.
Jiang Yi's works, like Lin Yutang, have successfully entered the mass reading market. Jiang Yi, who entered the public reading, gained a place in the English-speaking world. Chen Zishan mentioned that at that time, the British judged Jiang Yi as the "Eye of China"; art historian Gombrich also commented on Jiang Yi: "This talented and charming Chinese writer and painter is loved by readers with the meditation of a mute walker." He not only saw the scenery, but also thought about it.
event site. On the left is Luogang, on the right is Chen Zishan.
British Sir Reed commented on Jiang Yi, the subtleties that seem difficult for the British to express in English were passed on to readers in a simple and clear way. Reed did not emphasize the Chinese flavor of Jiang Yi's paintings. He believed that Jiang Yi provided them with a new perspective to understand their own culture - to understand Britain with Chinese culture and to chant modern cities with old-style poetry. Luo Gang believes that this evaluation shows how Jiang Yi was accepted by Westerners. The pictures depicted by Jiang Yi and the weather of the city described in his writing are also a mirror for Westerners, from which they rediscover what they might have turned a blind eye to.
As a Chinese, Jiang Yi cannot write authentic English, but the British appreciate his unique flavor. After World War II, Jiang Yi moved to New York. New York's "five-way mixed places" accommodates people of all kinds. Jiang Yi believes that he is a "different culture" in both the United Kingdom and the United States. He has a strong recognition of China and constantly emphasizes his identity as a "Chinese" in the book. Luo Gang believes that Jiang Yi can be as good as a fish in water in New York. His success is related to the era, environment, and his own qualities; and Jiang Yi's works also shape a new cultural identity in the process of forming texts.
How should the English literary works of Chinese writers be classified in the history of Chinese literature?
Jiang Yi, like Lao She, is a cultural celebrity in the UK. His former residence was hanged to commemorate. The British recognized Jiang Yi's achievements and his contribution to British culture. So, how should Jiang Yi position it in Chinese literature history ? Can works written in English be considered Chinese literature?
The blue sign hanging in front of Jiang Yi’s former residence
Luo Gang responded that this problem can be analyzed from two contexts.
First of all, Jiang Yi's writing can be classified into a special research category: "English Literature". The native language of the writers of "English Literature" is not English. "It is not British literature, not American literature, but 'English literature'. In the future, 'Chinese literature' may also appear to study works written by foreigners in Chinese."
Secondly, from the perspective of Chinese literary history, Chinese literature does not equal Chinese literature. For example, Taiwanese writers in the Japanese occupation era could not write in Chinese, they could only write in Japanese, but later they wrote in Chinese. If you want to compile this person's complete works, both Japanese and Chinese works must be included, which are all part of the history of Chinese literature. Many writers such as Zhang Ailing and Lin Yutang have cross-language works, which are all part of the history of Chinese literature. "Of course, Jiang Yi's status is not easy to compare with Lin Yutang from the perspective of literary history. In short, what language does the writer use to write will not affect the issue of belonging in literary history."
As a researcher, Chen Zishan responded that the relevant research on how Chinese writers' foreign language series should settle in the history of Chinese literature is still relatively weak. But what is certain is that they should all occupy a certain position in the history of Chinese literature, and both Jiang Yi and Lin Yutang have Chinese works that exist in the world.
reporter丨Lu Wanting
edit丨Li Yongbo
proofreading丨Zhai Yongjun
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