Li Wenzhu | Read "The Book of Fu Lei's Family"

Written by Li Wenzhu

"Fu Lei's Family Letters" contains 118 letters written by Fu Lei to his son Fu Cong in a foreign country from 1954 to 1966. The longest letter was more than 7,000 words, and the shortest was only 45 words. I admire this famous literary translator and literary critic who has received higher education at home and abroad, and his family and country feelings and outstanding talent, which reveal his sincere love for the motherland, and also show his Chinese literati spirit of diligently pursuing and dedicating himself to serving the society (there are 15 volumes of Fu Lei's Collected Works), and he poured his lifelong intellectual talent and superhuman wisdom into many letters in order to train his children to become a real artist. The most unique and fascinating thing about this book is that Fu Lei uses his own profound knowledge, personal experience, and experience of success and failure to teach children by words and deeds, and also communicates and shares with readers. As someone said, "It is a painstaking and painstaking godson full of fatherly love, and it is also an excellent reading material for young people's cultivation and quality education." "

In order to train his children to become world-class pianists, Fu Lei took great pains to discuss the issues of communicating music with his children in almost every letter. Educate children not only to study and study advanced music theory and techniques in the West, but also to read more Chinese classical literature, absorb nutrients from it and maintain the national style; We must not only strive for excellence in professional technology, but also establish a serious and simple outlook on life in life; We must not only study hard and practice hard to establish ourselves with art, but also transmit relevant information to the country in a timely manner so that more Chinese people can benefit. In a letter to children who have just arrived in Poland, he said: "Sincerity is the key to art. …… Therefore, to be an artist, you must first learn to be a person, and an artist must be more sincere, more sensitive, more open-minded, braver, and more tenacious than others. On January 26, 1955, he wrote to his child: "Ancient and modern Chinese and foreign masterpieces will give you spiritual nourishment all the time," and he successively sent many classical masterpieces to the child, such as "The World Speaks New Words", "Words in the World", "Selected Ancient Poems", "Selected Words of the Five Tang Dynasties and Song Dynasties", "Selected Songs of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties", etc. In his letter, he asked the children that it is very important to absorb the opinions of others anytime and anywhere, and it is even more necessary to consult their seniors frequently. In addition to learning from the world's leading mentor, Mr. Jie, he also urged the children to visit the home and ask for advice from the Hungarian lady Anne Fischer, who has unique insights. In his letter to his children, he wrote: "The greatness of man lies in helping others, and the purpose of education is only to cultivate and accumulate greater strength to help others and contribute to society and mankind." "In the letter, he asked the children that you have seen and heard a lot abroad, and there must be a lot of new things to tell us," a person's service to the people does not have to stand at the conference to give a speech or do something earth-shattering, but to tell everyone what he knows and thinks anytime, anywhere, bit by bit, and is invisibly sowing, fertilizing, and cultivating for the country. On January 10, 1960, when he learned that his child had achieved success in his studies in England, he wrote to him: "Only art and learning have never failed people, and how much hard work is spent, and how much loyalty and enthusiasm are shown, how much gain and progress will be obtained." He also said: "You do not rely on any political and economic background, but rely solely on art, which is also your least and most important responsibility to yourself, to others, and to the motherland." …… The arrogance of making a living from art without running through the door of the powerful is also one of the most beautiful traditions of Chinese artists, and it is worth setting an example for the West. In a letter to his children on June 26, 1961, he said: "I am most glad that your national character and character have been preserved so that you will not be annihilated by the material civilization of the West." "

Fu Lei is very concerned about the work rhythm and physical and mental health of children. He wrote to his children: "It's best to have a plan for things, at least one quarter in advance, and don't disrupt the process unless it is absolutely necessary." He also wrote a letter to communicate with his children about his living habits: "I get up in the morning, wash my face, eat snacks, and get dressed, and nothing is not made in a hurry as fast as possible; During weekday working hours, try not to pick up guests and not go out; In case you get interrupted by chores, make up for missed work in the evenings or on Sundays. These are worthy of your imitation. Work and rest times should be arranged every day, and all surprise work should be avoided. He emphasized that no matter how busy he was, he should tell his father about his plans to perform and participate in the competition, and no matter how busy he was, he should take a certain amount of time to relax and feel the aura of nature. In a letter to his child dated May 1, 1961, he said: "Spending more time in nature is the best way to maintain physical and mental balance. People who live their lives in trivial household chores and worldly coping should also go out into the wild from time to time to get rid of some of the dirt, so as not to let this dirt accumulate over time. On September 14 of the same year, he wrote to his children: "I have repeatedly reminded you to go to the forest to go for a walk in the suburbs, and to go to the museum to admire the masterpieces, most of them for you, and half for Mila (Fu Cong's wife)." More contact with nature and plastic arts can invisibly make people tranquil and open (i.e., the ancients said that 'cleansing the chest of the world') and maintain mental and mental health. "

Fu Lei is not only highly accomplished in literature and art, but also has a lot of tricks and tricks in managing family finances. He emphasized that "life should be frugal, and money should be calculated," and he often wrote letters to introduce his experience and practices to his children. On December 21, 1955, he wrote to his children: "You are studying abroad, and you should also do your best to do the words 'strict economy'. Our households, starting from last month, have been making weekly final accounts, and checking them with the budget to see if there is any exceedance? If so, study the cause and try to prevent it within the next week. On May 23, 1961, he wrote to his child: "All in all, there are methods and systems for financial management, and it is not necessarily related to heavy materialism, but only a precautionary measure taken in order not to suffer material losses, in order to enjoy life more perfectly." On October 5 of the same year, he wrote again: "I want to know your income and expenditure, but I just want to help you come up with ideas for proper arrangements, and only by making proper arrangements can you not be enslaved by materialism." There are few people who are not good at managing money, and there are few who do not suffer from money. Your mother and I have a lot of experience in this area. "Since we live in the world of money, we can't control it well, so that we don't get trapped by money." "I understand very well that in Western societies there is no material security, and there are no lofty ideals. You must maintain the dignity of your art and the independence of your personality, and the control of material should be the most urgent and important prerequisite. In his letter, he further stated: "Throughout the ages, artists have not lived much, and this is not their glory, but their failure. The reason for the failure is not really too clumsy with real life, but not paying attention and not making up your mind. The so-called "knowing how to live" does not mean getting rich, exploiting people, or being a miser, but refers to living an orderly life, with income and expenditure offset by a slight surplus. On March 1, 1964, when Fu Lei learned that the child had done it

After my father, he wrote a long letter focusing on economic issues, which was brilliant and practical. He said: "If you have children, you should make good arrangements, how much do you need for fixed expenses for clothing, food, housing and transportation, how much do you need for pocket expenses, and make a comprehensive plan based on the principle of living within your means."

stroke, and then strictly enforced. …… Most people's experience is useless and difficult to master, and it requires the most restraint. When encountering every non-essential expense, you have to think calmly about whether it is really necessary. …… In the most difficult time, we used to put every monthly expenditure in an envelope, indicating food, water, electricity, books, etc., and when the money in one envelope was used up, we would never embezzle the money in other envelopes, let alone use the next month's money in advance. …… Our desires are endless, the so-called 'desire is difficult to fill', if one hand comes and goes, how much is used, even if the day is in the gold, we will not feel rich. "

Parents all over the world hope that their children will live happier than themselves, especially Chinese parents are always very concerned about their children's marriage, and Fu Lei is more concerned about the married life of children who are not around. He is strict and open-minded, respecting children's wishes and choices, and giving guidance on traditional culture and common sense in a timely manner. On August 29, 1960, when he learned of the child's engagement, he immediately replied: "The demands on a lifelong partner, like everything in life, cannot be too demanding. I hope that you will show the same perseverance, faith, and devotion as you do to the art of music, and learn the deepest lesson in the art of life. "You must only succeed in the art of music, not fail! In the art of life and marriage, there is only success and no failure! This is what your parents care about the most, and it is also the happiness of your life. …… It's harder to be an artist's wife than anyone's wife. You must not only focus on your art, but also on your lifelong partner. In front of us, both sides should learn mutual respect, understanding, and tolerance. Both men and women, only by concentrating their interests on career, learning, and art, and trying to put aside their small selves, can they be happy and feel that life is meaningful. In the letter, he reminded his children: "There is no stronger argument in the world than action, and the most effective education is to lead by example; Don't ask others for what you can't do; If you want to make mistakes, criticize yourself first, and change yourself first; Never forget the many overly strict mistakes I made when I taught you; Even if you give advice to others, don't give them the impression of being a good teacher. On February 5, 1961, he wrote to his children about his relationship with his wife, "I often talk to your mother and express my thoughts on various issues of life, politics, and art, which often make me unconsciously sort out a little clue about my thoughts. It can be seen that many of the mutual help of lifelong partners are completely unconscious. "There are a lot of experiences about life and household matters, you don't know if you don't care, Mira can't help but learn, otherwise how can I help you solve the problem."

This? Westerners always have many points of view that are far from us, especially in the conversation of life and the frugality of daily life, and I think that we should gradually instill in her the wisdom and tradition of our Oriental people. In a letter dated June 26, 1961, he wrote: "Speaking of Mila, are you still prepared to raise her, as you did when you wrote to her at the beginning of last August, when you were engaged? It is not to train her to become a professional talent, but to take her on the road of seriousness, integrity, frankness, love of beauty, kindness, and truth. I hope you will set an example and encourage her to read more books, and to read in a planned and systematic manner, rather than reading in a leisurely manner. You should also cultivate her will, that is, to deal with household chores regularly and systematically, to control household expenses, to read books regularly, etc., are concrete opportunities to train her will. "A successful marriage is not only a great happiness for the parties involved, but also the warm light and infinite poetry have always irradiated and penetrated into the families of both parties." Fu Lei often shares his experience and lifestyle with his wife in letters, "You are so nervous at work, I wonder if you still have time to talk to Mila? No matter how busy I am, if I don't talk to your mother for a quarter of an hour and ten minutes a day, it's like I've missed some homework. Daily chatting is the best way to edify people, or before and after meals or afternoon tea, casually exchange ideas, virtually each other will get a lot of benefits, unconsciously improve themselves, improve each other, always not because of busy, everyone lives alone in a small circle. He also wrote to his children: "I always wanted to help Mila, but I knew that I was clumsy, and I was afraid that the letter would reveal a didactic tone and a parent's face." You should pay attention to what my letter does to Mira, and if she thinks I am too old-fashioned, too round-dozen, etc., you must tell me quickly, so that I can refine the wording of my letter in the future. I don't blame her, but I desperately need to know how she reacts to regulate the way I teach. If you have any discord with her, we will explain and persuade; If there is any disharmony between her and us, you will explain and persuade us, so that we can achieve the so-called solidarity. "

From "The Book of Fu Lei's Family", I also strongly feel that although he also has the cautious side of the old intellectuals, he also has the strong character of the Chinese literati who love and hate clearly, and is upright. Although he went through ups and downs in his life, was wrongly classified as a rightist during the "anti-rightist" period, and suffered a lot of grievances during the "Cultural Revolution", his sincere heart for the country and the leader has never wavered. In March 1957, he was invited to attend the Propaganda Work Conference of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and after listening to Chairman Mao's speech on the 12th, he wrote to his children excitedly: "Chairman Mao's speech, that kind of tone, tone, is particularly cordial and easy, and has a great sense of humor. His Marxism has reached the realm of transformation, and when it comes at hand, it has become a wonderful truth, and it has penetrated the hearts of the audience invisibly with an extremely natural attitude. The logic of the speech is hidden and not revealed, and he is really a master of art. He was broad-minded and free-thinking, no different from us old intellectuals. Chairman Mao is a person who truly integrates ancient and modern Chinese and foreign philosophies. For a truly high-level Chinese intellectual, if he does not admire a person from the bottom of his heart, he will never be able to speak the above heartfelt words. He had such reverence for Chairman Mao and extreme disgust for American imperialism that he had a brilliant comment on American imperialism, writing to his children on January 21, 1962: "I often wonder what is the stereotype of a nation with such complex origins as Americans. When is maturity? Their ancestors 200 years ago were either religious refugees forced out of Europe or people who had made a fortune in their careers. Either young gold diggers, or real robbers and murderers. It is not surprising that the descendants of these people are particularly resistant and fighting, but the traditional culture is lacking, and even the unique is imaginable. No wonder capitalism develops so quickly and so deformed in their hands. I think their society is like a cancer, a few cells expand indefinitely, swallowing up thousands of other cells, and thousands of cells think they are healthy, free and democratic until they are completely swallowed! "

Now, with the development and popularization of mobile phones, telephones, and computers and the Internet, people (including relatives) communicate less and less by letter, and the era of "family letters worth 10,000 dollars" is gradually getting farther and farther away. In fact, correspondence also has its advantages, not only to train a person's thinking and writing ability, but also to facilitate preservation and dissemination, as evidenced by the popular "Zeng Guo Fan's Family Letter" and "Fu Lei's Family Letter". Fu Lei has two unusually profound statements about family letters. In a letter to his children dated March 27, 1955, he wrote: "A person's thoughts are written and spoken at the same time, which stimulates the agility of the mind and trains the ability and speed of writing. On January 20, 1956, he wrote: "It is not a pity that a person's mind cannot be systematic if he does not use his pen, and after a long time, he will let it go, or even forget it!" For this reason, I often urge you to write more letters, which is also a very important training in 'rational understanding'. Indeed, I feel the same way.