There is such a person who has dedicated his life to art, and for thirty or forty years he has been building a bridge between Chinese literature and French literature. He advocated that literary translation should be "heavy as if it were not heavy like a god", which was agreed by most people. Even the French say, "He translates even more eloquently than the original." His ideas gradually formed a school of doctrine that deeply influenced later generations of translators.
But when we focus on his personal life, we will find that whether it is the marriage with his wife for more than thirty years until his death, or the dedicated teaching of his son and the norms of his own life, he has lived a model of a generation.
This person is the famous Chinese translator and writer - Fu Lei.
Figure | Fu Lei
One
Fu Lei was born on April 7, 1908 in Xiasha Township, Nanhui County, Jiangsu Province (now Hangtou Town, Pudong New Area, Shanghai), where his father was falsely imprisoned and died unjustly when he was four years old.
The family was in trouble, and all three brothers and sisters except him died prematurely, and Fu Lei became his mother's only hope. Therefore, his mother was more and more strict with him day by day, thinking that he did not have to study hard, so she dripped candle oil on him and burned him, and even wrapped him in a quilt at night to throw him into the pond. Fortunately, after being discovered by the neighbors around him, Fu Lei retrieved a life.
Fu Lei said of his childhood life: "Only sadness, no laughter."
After that, Fu Lei studied hard, published novels in newspapers in high school, and when he was admitted to college, he coincided with the "April 12" coup, and in order to study with peace of mind, he studied abroad with the support of his mother.
Fu Lei took Yan Keats's letter and was introduced by Zheng Zhenduo to be in Bedessiers in western France to study French, and in the same year was admitted to the Faculty of Letters of the University of Paris.
During his study abroad in France, Fu Lei published his first art review "Cézanne" in the Oriental Magazine based on his observation of Impressionist paintings and his experience in studying art history.
In the spring of the same year, he and his friend Liu Haisu attended the Belgian Independence Centenary Exposition and admired various paintings in the Brussels Art Museum. In May of the following year, he and Liu Haisu and other friends from the art world went to Italy to visit the original works of the representative painters of the Renaissance movement, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael.
These experiences, together with Fu Lei's own love of art and his serious approach to research, constitute his deep foundation and unique ideas in art. Twelve articles of his experience in France and three articles of his impressions on studying in France have also been published in the shanghai "Contribution" magazine.
Fu Lei's artistic attainments are profound, and his translations are extremely expressive.
He said that it is not possible not to read a work four or five times before translating it, and that the translator must not only be familiar with the original work, but also have a deep understanding of the original work and fully express the original author's thoughts. Fu Lei paid great attention to the words and sentences of the original text, often carefully considering the words, and the wording was also extremely appropriate and appropriate.
His attitude towards translation was extremely serious, and many times he was not satisfied with his previous translations, so he pushed it down and translated it again, and "The Tall Old Man" was translated twice and translated three times, and the time spanned seventeen years. Fu Lei translated 33 masterpieces in foreign languages in his lifetime, and because of his outstanding contributions to the research and translation of Balzac's works, he was invited to become a member of the French Balzac Research Association.
Fu Lei said to his friend in the letter: "Words are always difficult once and for all, perfect, and those who think they are satisfied at the time will still find it inappropriate afterwards... As I grew older and more experienced, the deeper I felt about the original work, and the more I felt that I was not enough... Translation work must be changed again and again, three times and four times. ”
Nanny Zhou Judi recalled: "Mr. Fu Lei got up at eight o'clock every morning, worked from nine to twelve o'clock, sat at his desk at two o'clock in the afternoon, ate dinner at seven o'clock, and read and wrote letters in the evening until late at night." For so many years, he had been working so hard. ”
With his own pen, he painted a mountain of art for young people in China.
Two
Fu Lei was able to achieve such great achievements, three or four of which were due to his wife Zhu Meifu.
Zhu Meifu is his cousin, the two grew up together, and the feelings of Qingmei Bamboo Horse became the only light in Fu Lei's childhood life without laughter, he wrote in his debut work "In Dreams": "She is secretly looking at me, because many times I have inadvertently looked at her, and she is also looking at me unintentionally. ”
Zhu Meifu is a typical Oriental woman, she is newly educated, considerate, quiet, hospitable, in her body gathered the standard virtues of Chinese women, the two people before Fu Lei went to Study in France to get engaged.
However, Fu Lei, who had just been engaged, met a woman Madeleine during his study abroad, and he was impressed by Madeleine's enthusiasm and unrestrained, fell in love with the other party, and even wrote a letter to his mother who was far away in China, hoping to ask her to break her marriage contract.
But Fu Lei and Madeleine's love affair did not last long, and his proposal to Madeleine was rejected, followed by the discovery that she was dating another French man. Fu Lei's mood completely collapsed, he almost wanted to commit suicide, and after a period of depression, he woke up and began to regret the letter he had sent back.
Fortunately, his friend Liu Haisu did not look favorably on the love affair early on, and secretly withheld the letter when Fu Leito himself sent the letter back to China, so the letter was not sent.
Fu Lei was very glad of his friend's approach, and after returning to China, he and Zhu Meifu consummated marriage.
Zhu Meifu's original name was Zhu Meifu, because she was born in the plum blossom season, her father named her Meifu, hoping that she would be blessed.
After Fu Lei returned to China, he felt that his wife's name was not good, so he changed her to Zhu Meifu and gave her a French name Margaret, which was the name of the heroine in his favorite "La Traviata".
Zhu Meifu knew the absurdity of Fu Lei in France, but she chose to ignore and tolerate, she believed in her own choice, and also believed in Fu Lei, and did her best to run the whole family in the future life.
They complement each other's personalities, are tough and soft, and together form a perfect family after marriage.
Yang Dai said: "Mei Fu is not only a gentle wife, a loving mother, a beautiful lady in the salon, not only a very capable housewife, she is also Fu Lei's secretary. If Fu Lei did not have such good logistics and good assistants, his work would have to be discounted by at least 30% or 40%. ”
However, such a seemingly beautiful marriage has not even been able to pass the seven-year itch.
In the fourth year after marriage, Fu Lei went to Luoyang to serve as the director of the Luoyang office of the Central Antiquities Preservation Special Committee, where he met a Yu opera actress, who wrote a poem for the other party: "The girl of Bieliang, there is sunshine in your smile." The soft atmosphere envelops the departed person, the wandering soul. ”
Others said that he still had a wife at home, and Fu Lei didn't care at all: "That's okay, I'm fine with Mei Fu, we're fine." ”
In the seventh year of their marriage, Fu Lei met a soprano singer Cheng Jialiu, who openly praised each other, and the two exchanged letters frequently, even to the point where they did not want to eat and drink.
A person who once thought that art was above all else could not write anything after hearing that Cheng Jialiu had gone to Yunnan.
In the face of her husband's fiery love for others, Zhu Meifu still chose generosity and tolerance, and she invited ChengJialiu to her home as a guest and carefully entertained each other.
Cheng Jialiu and Fu Lei talked in the study, and Zhu Meifu washed his hands and soup in the kitchen. Later, When Cheng Jialiu went to Yunnan, Zhu Meifu found that Fu Lei's state had also deteriorated, so she called Cheng Jialiu and said sincerely: "You come, you come, he can write." ”
In the end, Cheng Jialiu was impressed by her patience and generosity, and took the initiative to leave Fu Lei and go to Hong Kong alone.
In his later years, Cheng Jialiu said to Fu Lei's younger son Fu Min: "Your father loves me very much, but your mother is so good that I am ashamed." ”
Zhang Ailing wrote: "If you knew me before, maybe you would forgive me now." ”
Zhu Meifu was able to be so generous and tolerant precisely because she had witnessed the darkness of Fu Lei's early childhood, and she once explained in a letter to her son: "I am principled in my father's temperament and temperament, because I know him too well, and his consistent temperament and jealousy and hatred have roots. The monastic childhood is really unbearable, and when adulthood struggles alone, loves the truth, hates all irrational old traditions, and the old rituals of killing people without blood, being upright and loyal to the cause, I love him, I forgive him. ”
Fu Lei once said: "Since my successful marriage was concluded, because Mei Fu is so gentle and warm, she has always raised me in the flower room. ”
Zhu Meifu gave Fu Lei an understanding and inclusive love, whether it was a bad temper or a talented child's easy affection, she accepted it all.
Fu Lei also had such a beautiful marriage because of Zhu Meifu.
Three
In the family relationship, Fu Lei is also very attentive to his son Fu Cong, who was grumpy in his early years, scolded his son, and later became more and more gentle, and had already begun to see it in the letters sent by his son when he was studying abroad.
Jin Yong said: "Mr. Fu Lei's family letter is a Chinese gentleman who taught his children how to be a real Chinese gentleman. ”
Fu Lei admonished his son: "To be a man, to be an artist, to be a musician, to be a pianist." ”
In his letter, Fu Lei reminded his son: "Anyone who makes a fuss all day is an art craftsman, not an artist. A person can't jump out of this level, and he will never dream of art for the rest of his life! Art is the end, skill is the means; the one who always pays attention only to the means must forget its end. ”
In addition, Fu Lei also warned Fu Cong not to hold many concerts a month, nor to become a cash cow for managers. Long-term multi-introduction is in danger of becoming a piano machine, which will only drain his passion for art, and the long flow of water is the way.
He made Fu Cong loyal to art and did everything possible to maintain the integrity of art.
The harsh admonitions reveal a father's deep concern and advice for his son, who encourages Fu Cong to pursue the music he loves and at the same time does what he can to propose solutions for him.
Whether Fu Cong has won international awards in London or Poland, or performed in various places, he has always followed his son's progress on the road of art.
Fu Lei knew that Fu Cong liked the Greek spirit, but he had not studied it in depth, but only half-understood, so he spent nearly a month copying the contents of the "Philosophy of Art" and sending it across the ocean.
Figure | In 1956, Mr. and Mrs. Fu Lei and Fu Cong were in Hangzhou
Zhu Meifu wrote in a letter to her son: "Although Dad is sore in the back and tears in his eyes, he doesn't care about anything for you. The original manuscript, the words are as small as ants, had to use a magnifying glass to copy, but also carefully copied, otherwise it will be wrong, his bad body, love for you, care for you, I read and moved, children, the world like your father's meticulous education, is really rare. ”
In addition, Fu Lei is also concerned about Fu Cong's emotional life, "the letter does not mention a word, but we have not tasted the heart for a day", as a parent who can not really put down their hearts is always a lifelong event for their children, Fu Lei is no exception.
He analyzed Fu Cong's character and demanded of him in his letter, admonishing him to be lenient.
He wrote in the letter: "Enthusiasm is a beautiful spark, beauty is beautiful, helpless can not last." It is foolish to hope that the enthusiasm will last forever. ”
"The requirements for a lifelong partner, as can the requirements for everything in life, cannot be too harsh."
"Where in the world are there perfect people?"
Fu Cong sought comfort from his parents in the letter after encountering setbacks, and Fu Lei patiently replied: "Who do children complain to if they don't complain to their parents?" If we don't come to comfort you, who will comfort you? People have been floating in the highs and lows all their lives, and only mediocre people can live like stagnant water; or they must have a very high level of cultivation to be able to be tired and truly liberated. As long as the orgasm doesn't make you nervous too much and the low doesn't make you decadent, that's fine. ”
Figure | Fu Cong and his mother Zhu Meifu
Four
Dealing with art, Fu Lei has always maintained his own authenticity.
Fu Lei was invited by his friend Liu Haisu to work at the Shanghai Art College, but when he saw a painting in the corridor, his eyebrows were locked, his face was displeased, and he turned his head and asked the student next to him: "Who put this painting here?" ”
The student said that it was the work of a new teacher from the school, and the principal hung up in order to welcome him to the post.
Fu Lei did not give any face, and directly asked someone to remove the painting, not to mention that the teacher was also in the corridor at that time, and said loudly: "Such a painting is not qualified to be taken out for students to study!" ”
When he finished, he threw up his sleeves and left.
At that time, Liu Haisu was standing on the side, he wanted to introduce the two people to know, heard the embarrassment, and chased up: "You are too much to give face to others!" ”
Fu Lei's head did not return: "I don't have the kung fu to hang out with you!" ”
He and Liu Haisu had some private friendship, but because he did not approve of the other party's behavior, he once pointed at the other party's nose and scolded, and even broke off relations with him for twenty years. However, when it comes to Liu Haisu's artistic achievements, Fu Lei does not call him a "master" in the slightest.
This is Fu Lei, who has a reverential heart for art, expressing only the most "true" views in his heart.
He was upright and did not tolerate a single blemish or stain. Whether the other party is an ordinary person or an academic with a name and a surname, as long as he thinks it is not correct, a sharp head and face criticism is indispensable. In contrast, he never skimps on his praise for good works.
He once praised Yang Dai's article for writing well, and Yang Dai responded to him modestly, but he was unhappy: "Yang Dai, you must know, I am not easy to praise anyone." ”
Yang Dai said: "Fu Lei's head is full of edges and corners, he will offend people and be irritable at every turn, he can't stop rushing people, he knows that he is not good at circling the garden on the way of the world, the 'cave' where he can live is just his own study." ”
But such a righteous Fu Lei also has a cute side, he does not like to calculate people's hearts, and this is the same in playing cards in his leisure time with friends.
When playing cards, others often guess the cards in the hands of others, but Fu Lei insists on his heart every time, never lies, and as a result, the cards in his hand are guessed by others, and he loses when he returns to play cards, and he is angry and leaves.
Friends are laughing together, some people are usually criticized by Fu Lei or angry to the point of bad mood, others always say: "Go, go to him to play cards!" ”
Fu Lei's integrity and rigor are not only reflected in his outspoken criticism of others and his unwillingness to calculate people's hearts, but also in all aspects of life.
The boiling water bottles in his house were always arranged in a row, and when adding water to them, they must start at the end. Every day, the calendar was torn down by the nanny Zhou Judi, and once Zhu Meifu tore a page and was seen by him, he kept nagging and re-glued the page, saying that Zhou Judi must tear it up.
In addition, everything in the house has a strict schedule, when to go out, when to come home, even the accurate time for walking. When a guest came to his house as a guest, he said it directly after the time, and asked the other person to go back with a little intolerance.
However, Fu Lei, who was so sincere and straightforward, eventually suffered hardships.
Five
Fu Lei regarded personality as more important than anything else, and he scrupulously adhered to his character all his life.
In the sixties, when he was asked to do a review, he said, "I don't do cheap reviews!" ”
When his name was crossed out of the list of "doing reviews", relatives and friends came to congratulate him, only he had no expression on his face and did not smile: "What is there to be happy about this!" ”
Unfortunately, the number of people on the back list was not enough, and the people on the top added Fu Lei's name back.
At the end of August 1966, Fu Lei and his wife Zhu Meifu chose to commit suicide.
They calmly left a detailed suicide note, from the disposal of things in the family, various arrears, to leaving a sum of money for the nanny Zhou Judi, and at the end of the letter, they sincerely troubled her to deal with her own affairs, and felt sorry that they might have disturbed her.
Figure | Zhu Meifu
You're gone, and I'm not going to live.
As Zhu Meifu said in the letter: "We are lifelong partners, indispensable."
In her heart, Fu Lei was everything.
Perhaps in another world, Fu Lei can continue his lofty ideals and artistic pursuits, and Zhu Meifu will accompany him as always.
Text | cinnabar