Refreshing Scholars' Friendship - Reading "The Lost Water Years in the Letters"

This small book contains three articles by Xu Yuanchong, one is "Ye Gongchao, Qian Zhongshu, yang Zhenning" in the order of generations, the second is "Mr. Qian Zhongshu and Me", and the third is "Talking with Mr. Qian Zhongshu on Literary Translation".

Qian Zhongshu has studied both Chinese and Western, Xu Yuanchong has also been fluent in English and French, and the correspondence between the two generations of scholars is basically based on the theme of discussion on translation, with mutual reference and reminders, each with its own persistence, less vulgar words and courtesy, more sincerity, and mutual concern and humor, which is heartbreaking to read.

Xu Yuanchong has made outstanding achievements in the promotion of ancient Chinese poetry to the outside world, and he pays attention to the English and French translations of rhyme, which have become classics. For translation, there have always been different understandings, colorless glass like seeking "truth" and colored glass like "beauty" are the two common views. In this regard, Qian Zhongshu and Xu Yuanchong belong to two factions, Qian is inclined to seek truth, xu is partial to beauty, but it does not hinder the frank communication between the two, Qian Zhongshu replied on December 3, 1983: "As for the translation of poetry, it is not necessary for each to agree with what they have heard. While believing that Qian Zhongshu "adopts a negative approach, that is, not to seek merit, but to seek no fault", Xu Yuanchong sincerely sighed: "But from the practice of his translation of 'eat a trench, grow a wisdom', his translation is both true and beautiful." Here is a small story, when Jin Yuelin translated "Mao Xuan", he could not write about "eat a mound, long a wisdom", Qian Zhongshu blurted out: A fail into the pit, A gain in your wit. Everyone was impressed.

In the process of English translation of ancient poems, in order to accurately grasp the connotation of the poems, Xu Yuanchong repeatedly asked Qian Zhongshu for advice, and all of them received satisfactory answers. For example, in Su Shi's "Hundred Steps hong", the four sentences "like a rabbit walking an eagle and a falcon falling" say "light boat", and in Li Qingzhao's "Little Heavy Mountain", "Breaking a Ou Chun", it is "Xiao Meng" instead of tea pouring. Then there are Liu Yuxi's "The Tao is clear but there is qing", Li Shangyin's "Spring silkworm to the end of the dead silk", how to perfectly express the meaning of "qing" through "feelings" and "silk" through "thinking", Qian Zhongshu has given useful guidance from English to French.

In addition to rigorous academic exchanges, Mr. Qian Zhongshu's humorous nature is always revealed in his letters, such as calling Xu Yuanchong, who is proficient in English and French bilingual, a "double gun general", and after Xu Yuanchong's English translation of "A Hundred Selected Poems of Li Bai" was published in 1987, Qian Zhongshu took the story of "Li Bai Drunk Writing the Book of Fright" as an allusion, laughingly saying that Li Bai did not understand the language of the red-haired devil, "Otherwise, if you live with Jungou, you will not rebel against your heart."

Qian Zhongshu's early letters to Xu Yuanchong were all written with a brush, with beautiful penmanship, a mixture of Chinese and Western styles, and excellent calligraphy, which can be called a fine piece of ruler. Since August 8, 1987, due to The spasm of his right thumb caused by Mr. Qian's illness, he used a brush "like a fly shaking a stone pillar" and changed to "pen graffiti", and the former style could not be reproduced.

"Seeking truth" and "seeking beauty" are the core of Qian Zhongshu and Xu Yuanchong's discussion of translation work, showing the seriousness and dedication of the older generation of scholars to scholarship, which is worthy of careful understanding by future generations.

Proust's "Remembrance of the Lost Water Years", and "Tracing the Lost Time" and other translations, "Lost Water Years" is Mr. Xu Yuanchong's translation of the public opinion, he should have a fondness for this word, so it is used in the book "The Lost Water Years in the Letters - Qian Zhongshu and Me".

Nowadays, Mr. Qian and Mr. Xu have passed away one after another, but those refreshing academic exchanges, that poetic period of passing water, will remain in the world for a long time, so that the future students will be admired and admired.