Qian Chongshu's library card
In 2015, a friend of mine spent several months in the Western Library of the Library of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences for postdoctoral research, and while checking books, he accidentally turned to a number of books with library cards signed by "Qian Chongshu". From these borrowing records, we can briefly see Mr. Chin Chung-shu's interest in reading.
According to Wu Xuezhao's book "Listening to Yang Wei Tell the Past", in the fall of 1952, the Institute of Literature was separated from Tsinghua University and moved to the Yanyuan Building of Peking University. Although He Qifang did not trust Qian Chongshu politically, he let him manage the book. Books in Chinese and foreign languages were purchased according to his book list, and rare books were also bought at a high price by him. ...... The foreign guests were very surprised and praised: 'Your library is not large, but the collection of books is so rich and thorough; Whether new or old, there should be everything. Chung Shu was proud. ”
In 1977, after Qian Chongshu and Yang Wei moved to the Sanlihe dormitory, "the new residence is far from the school department, the transportation is inconvenient, Qian Yang usually works from home, and rarely goes to the school department." Every month, young people receive two salaries on their behalf and rush to see them. Dong Hengxun and Xue Hongshi enthusiastically borrowed Western books for Qian Chongshu, and if foreign languages were not available, they borrowed them from Peking University or Beijing Library. The two of them came the most, and behind the book was called 'Dong Chao' and 'Xue Ba'. After Chung Shu died, Yang told them, and they laughed. If the version did not match, Chung Shu would turn the book and say very politely: 'Dong Gong ..." So every time Old Dong heard 'Dong Gong', he felt embarrassed and knew that he was lazy. Xue Hong often sent Qian Chongshu a stack of books he wanted, sometimes he left the books behind, sometimes he talked to Xue while quickly flipping through a large pile of books, and when Xue Hongshi left, he asked him to take them all away. It turns out that he has already read these books, and some of them are quoted in articles, and they need to be carefully checked before publishing. ”
The books were borrowed from 1957 to 1976, mostly between 1957 and 1961; It was interrupted after 1968 and continued in 1976. Judging from the publication time and borrowing time of these books, since the 50s of the 20th century, the procurement of foreign books of the Institute of Literature is still very timely, and many books were published the previous year, and Mr. Qian read them the next year.
Judging from the variety of these books, Mr. Chin Chongshu's reading tastes are very mixed, including novels, literary theory, poetry, social surveys, and collection of letters. Some novels are only second- or third-rate level, but during the book shortage, Mr. Qian borrowed them several times. After the name of Qian Chongshu, the names of Dong Hengxun, Yuan Kejia, Li Wenjun, Qiu Kean, as well as Zhu Hong, Zheng Tusheng, Huang Baosheng and others often appear.
Let's take a look at what these books are.
书名：Time for a Tiger
Written by Anthony Burgess
On November 29, 1957, October 14, 1958, and August 3, 1961, Chin Chung-shu was borrowed three times. Other borrowers include Dong Hengxun, Li Wenjun, Huang Qijing and others.
It is mentioned on page 96 of volume 38 of the Collected Manuscripts of Qian Chongshu.
Age of the Tiger is the first book in British writer Anthony Burgess's "Malayan Trilogy", first published in 1957. No Chinese translation. The book describes Victor Crabbe, an Englishman living in the tropics, who is kind-hearted but inactive, keen to teach Western culture in Malaysia. Through Crabbe's ups and downs and the diverse characters he encountered, Burgess exposes the racial and social prejudices of post-war Malaya during the turbulent period of independence.
书名：Daddy's gone A-Hunting
Written by Penelope Mortimer
On September 19, 1959, Qian Chongshu was loaned.
It is mentioned on page 577 of the Collected Manuscripts of Qian Chongshu and Notes in Foreign Languages, volume 21.
Papa Goes Hunting, a novel by British writer Penelope Mortimer (1918–1999), first published in 1958.
"Daddy Goes Hunting" shocked critics with its "female anger". Her work, which depicts a nightmarish world full of neurosis and marital breakdown, had a certain influence on feminist fiction in the 60s of the 20th century. Mortimer is probably best known for his 1962 novel The Pumpkin Eater, a disturbing story about a woman whose obsessive anxiety about having children causes her to be more "raw" with her husband. "Daddy Goes Hunting" has been made into a movie.
书名：The Red Priest
Written by Wyndham Lewis
On August 13, 1957, Qian Chongshu was loaned. Other borrowers: Dong Hengxun.
There is a record on page 471 of the Collected Manuscripts of the Book of Money, Volume 38, page 471.
The Red Priest, a novel by British writer and painter Wyndham Lewis (1884–1957), writes about the fate of a left-wing cleric. No Chinese translation.
Wyndham Lewis was the founder of the Vortex School, a group of post-impressionist painters and writers. Louis was the editor of experimental magazines such as The Explosion (1914–1915), and his works, including novels, reviews, philosophical studies, and political pamphlets, were full of indignation and irony. His main works include "Thal", "God Ape" and so on.
书名：The brass check
Written by Upton Sinclair
On September 10, 1957, Qian Chongshu was loaned.
The Copper Check, by American writer Upton Sinclair, first edition in 1920, no Chinese translation. According to the introduction, the title of the book may be translated as "Spring Money".
Sinclair is mentioned in volume 36, page 118, volume 42, 218, volume 36.
Upton Sinclair's book is about journalistic corruption. He explored the influence of money and power on the mass media, arguing that newspapers, magazines, and news agencies formed "a class institution that served the rich and excluded the poor," and that bosses paid journalists and editors to serve their own economic and political interests, even if that meant distorting or covering up the facts.
Regarding the translation of the name of this book, Ma Shaohua once wrote an article "What the hell is "copper check", discussing the translation of "brass check", mentioning that this is a token of prostitutes in early 20th century wind and moon places, similar to the ancient Chinese "spring money", it is recommended to be translated as "spring money", I think it is quite reasonable.
Upton Sinclair is dedicated to exposing the evils of society. In 1906, he published The Jungle, a book about the unsanitary conditions in Chicago's slaughterhouses and the oppression of workers by big business, which sparked huge public opinion, pushed the U.S. Congress to enact the Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act, and gave birth to the Food and Drug Administration.
书名：A Season with Mammon
Written by Martyn Goff
On July 31, 1959, Chin Chongshu was loaned.
It is mentioned on page 529 of volume 36 of the Collected Manuscripts of Qian Chongshu and Notes in Foreign Languages.
The Season of Greed, by British writer Martin Gough, first published in 1958, no Chinese translation.
The novel uses humor and irony to describe the pursuit of wealth and success at that time, from which we can see the multifaceted nature of human nature. Martin Gough was a publisher by profession and was not well known as a writer, but Gough was chairman of the Booker Prize Management Committee since 1973 and had a strong influence on the English-language literary scene. Gough died in 2015 at the age of 91.
书名：Letters from Hilaire Belloc
Written by Hilaire Belloc
On February 28, 1959, Qian Chongshu was loaned.
It is mentioned on page 42 of volume 39 of the Collected Manuscripts of Qian Chongshu and Notes in Foreign Languages.
The Letters of Hillaire Belloc, by the British writer Hilaire Belloc. No Chinese translation.
Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953), father French, mother English. Born in France, he became a British citizen in 1902 and is considered one of the four important writers of the Edward VII period. Currently translated as Chinese is the collection of Belloc essays "Nothing to Talk About, Nothing to Talk About", which has the yuppie flavor of British essays; Also translated into Chinese are books such as "The Harbour Collection" and "Trip to Rome".
书名：The Everlasting Circle
Written by James Reeves
On May 23, 1961, he borrowed his book. Later, it was borrowed by Yuan Kejia, and marked "1965.9 borrowed to the Foreign Literature Editing Office of the Shanghai Branch of the People's Literature Publishing House".
There is a record on page 116 of the Collected Manuscripts of Qian Chongshu and Notes in Foreign Languages, volume 37.
The Eternal Ring, by James Reeves (1909–1978), was an English poet, educator and folklorist. First edition in 1960, no Chinese translation.
The Eternal Ring is a sequel to The Idiom of the People (1958). In The People's Idioms, James Reeves compiled some traditional English folk songs and ballads that had not been washed away by early 20th-century etiquette. "Eternal Ring" continues some vibrant, cheerful ballads, including songs we are still familiar with today—"The Cuckoo," "The Carpenter's Wife," and more—to present a vivid and colorful picture of folk culture.
书名：The Powers of Poetry
Written by Gilbert Highet
On September 18, 1961, Qian Chongshu was borrowed. Other borrowers: Qiu Xiaolong, Li Wenjun.
It is mentioned on page 505 of volume 37 of the Collected Manuscripts of Qian Chongshu and Notes in Foreign Languages.
The Power of Poetry, by Gilbert Hyatt (1906–1978), Scottish and later naturalized American, was a Columbia University professor, critic, and classicist. There is no Chinese translation of this book.
Hyatt's 1949 book, The Classical Tradition: Greek and Roman Influences on Western Literature, has been translated by Wang Chen. Anatomy of Satire, also published by the Commercial Press.
书名：Robert Southey and his Age
Written by Geoffrey Carnall
On November 17, 1961, Chin Chongshu was borrowed. Other borrowers: Yuan Kejia.
Robert Sauser and His Time, first published in 1960, by Geoffrey Carnall (1927-2015), was a professor at the University of Edinburgh, UK. It is an academic work that examines the literary contributions of Saussai, the intersection of characters, and the transformation of his conservative thought. No Chinese translation.
书名：The Rhetoric of Fiction
Written by Wayne C. Booth
On August 29, 1968, Qian Chongshu was loaned.
The Rhetoric of the Novel, written by literary critic Wayne M. C. Booth (1921-2005), a professor at the University of Chicago, was the second generation leader of the "Chicago School", and this book is so famous that it is listed as a classic of modern Western novel theory.
The book was first published in 1961, and in 1987 there was a Chinese translation by Hua Ming and others, and it has been reprinted many times since then.
书名：The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
Written by Robert Tressell
Chin Chongshu borrowed, no borrowing date (estimated 60s). Other borrowers: Zhu Hong, Zheng Tusheng, etc.
The Philanthropist in Torn Pants by British worker writer Robert Tressell (1870-1911). Begun in 1906 and completed in 1910, the book is a work of critical realism that describes the experiences of a group of construction workers and truly exposes the cruelty of early capitalism. After the Foreign Literature Publishing House published the Chinese translation of Sun Bai and others in 1982, it had a great influence.
书名：The Baroque Lyric
Written by J.M. Cohen
December 2, 1968 Chin Chongshu loaned.
It is mentioned on page 339 of volume 42 of the Collected Manuscripts of Qian Chongshu and Notes in Foreign Languages.
Baroque Lyrics, first published in 1963. The author, J.M. Cohen (1903–1989), was a British scholar, translator and literary critic. He is best known for translating many classic works of Spanish and Latin American literature into English in the first half of the 20th century.
In Baroque Lyric Poems, Cohen explores and analyzes the characteristics, themes, forms, and influences of Baroque lyric poetry. Known for its flamboyant style, the Baroque era was a time of prosperity in European art and culture in the 17th century.
书名：The Sin of Father Amaro
Written by Eça de Queiróz
On December 15, 1975, Qian Chongshu was borrowed. Other borrowers: Qiu Kean, Wen Meihui, Dong Hengxun, Huang Baosheng, etc.
There is a record on page 151 of the Collected Manuscripts of Qian Chongshu and Notes in Foreign Languages, volume 17.
The Sins of Father Amaro, written by Portuguese writer Essa de Croze, is a novelist with an international reputation, and had a great influence after Shanghai Translation Publishing House published the Chinese translation of Zhai Xiangjun and others in 1984.
The Sins of Father Amaro is considered a classic of Portuguese literature, a work of equal value with the masterpieces of Zola, Stendhal and Flaubert. The novel tells the story of a priest who seduces a young innocent girl. Father Amaro is a normal man who can neither restrain his desires nor obey the canon of Catholic "abstinence", so he can only become the embodiment of hypocrisy.
书名：The Boarding-House
Written by William Trevor
On November 24, 1976, Qian Chongshu was loaned. No Chinese translation.
It is mentioned on page 392 of the Collected Manuscripts of the Book of Money, Volume 17.
The Boarding House is a novel by Irish writer William Trevor (1928–2016). Trevor moved to the UK in 1954 and has written nearly twenty novellas and hundreds of short stories, and is known as "the greatest short story writer in the contemporary English-speaking world", and has translated as Chinese as many as seven works in recent years.
The Boarding House is one of William Trevor 's early novels, first published in 1965. Set in the suburbs of Wimbledon in the 50s of the 20th century, it tells the story of a group of eccentrics living under the same roof who unite to save their home after the death of landlord, Mr Bird.
The above is just the borrowing record of Qian Chongshu found when flipping through the books. Those who are interested can use the "Qian Chongshu Manuscript Collection - Foreign Language Notes" as a clue to systematically search the Western Book Library of the Library of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and they will find more.
Arthur Cao
Responsible editor: Liu Xiaolei