British writer

His mother's...

When Lin Shu looked at Lu, he always felt that the other person was criticizing him both in and out of his words.

He cleared his throat,

"Mr. Lu, I still..."

Lu Shi shook his head,

"No, you don't want 'still'. We've made it very clear."

After saying that, he nodded to Gu Hongming and said,

"Mr. Gu, you will handle the rest."

As soon as he finished speaking,

Boom——

The heavy iron door of the first class cabin was closed in front of the two old men.

Lin Shu's status in the literary world of the Qing Dynasty soared like a rocket after he translated "The Legacy of La Traviata in Paris". When did he ever receive a rejection?

He was so angry that his face turned red and his neck thickened,

"This kid... Zhuzi is bullying people too much!"

Gu Hongming curled his lips,

"It's useless. The sound insulation effect of this door is very good. No matter how loud you yell from outside, you can't hear it from inside."

Lin Shu said nothing.

In fact, he didn't want Lu Shi to hear it.

Otherwise, if Lu Shi came out to criticize him again, where would he put his old face?

He couldn't help but scolded: "It's okay if you don't welcome people in and don't have tea. You can kick people out after saying less than twenty sentences. Is this the way to treat guests?"

Gu Hongming raised his eyebrows,

"Are you a guest?"

Lin Shu: "..."

Can't refute.

Ku Hongming continued to sarcastically say: "Uninvited guests are not counted as guests."

Lin Shu's face turned pale.

"you……"

Gu Hongming choked: "Okay, okay, let's go to the restaurant to eat first, and then talk about the rest."

He pulled Lin Shu downstairs to the restaurant.

The two found a seat to sit down and served the dishes.

Lin Shu stared at the fried fish on the plate that he couldn't get used to, and said depressingly: "I came to Europe with you to find Lu Shi, and all I can do is ask for advice on two things. One is translation; the other is the writing of classical Chinese and vernacular Chinese. Pros and cons.”

Gu Hongming snorted coldly,

"Did you just ask for advice?"

"Ah this..."

Lin Shu was speechless for a moment and changed his words: "It's not asking for advice, it's just discussing."

Gu Hongming rolled his eyes,

But considering that Lu Shi and Lin Shu had already broken up, there was really no need to be entangled, so he continued: "Didn't Lu Xiaoyou discuss translation with you just now? He felt that yours was not a translation at all!"

Lin Shu's face turned dark.

"Everyone has a different understanding of translation, and I don't agree with his point of view."

"Tsk..."

Gu Hongming was speechless,

I complained in my heart that the other party was a tough talker.

Don’t you agree?

Who are you?

Of course, just thinking about it, I definitely can’t say it out loud.

Gu Hongming changed the topic,

"As for writing in vernacular, there are quite a few people trying this now, but I have never seen you being so harsh on others."

Lin Shu glared,

"Can that be the same?"

In the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the 20th century, writing could be "rebellious";

Otherwise, the "Current News" would not have been seized, and Liang Qichao would not have been wanted and fled to Japan.

Gu Hongming sighed:

"Indeed, Lord of the Flies is the first vernacular novel in history with smooth language and standardized diction."

Fluent language and standardized word usage,

Modern people who have gone through nine years of compulsory education can generally do it when writing essays, and even provide high-end services such as "true feelings".

But in the early 20th century, those two words were not easy to achieve.

Gu Hongming discovered a phenomenon when he was running a new school.

Whether they are students or ordinary people, they are all eager to abandon the "Zhihu" in spoken language and gain the right to open their mouths to speak.

The issue is:

What should I say?

How should I write it?

Before Lu Shi's "Lord of the Flies", no vernacular novel had answered these two questions.

In fact, even the later "Diary of a Madman" is a bunch of fake characters.

Because Mr. Lu Xun’s vernacular writing is not standardized.

Ku Hongming whispered: "Lord of the Flies has a profound intention, which is obvious to all. What is even more rare is that it can serve as a standard vernacular text model and become an example for everyone to learn from. It even provides standards for punctuation marks."

This is exactly what conservative scholars like Lin Shu worry about.

They are afraid of vernacular writing, and even more afraid of a clear set of vernacular standards.

A world where people with poor legs who don’t read can express whatever they want...

terrible!

Therefore, Lu Shi, who wrote "Lord of the Flies", was rebelling.

He also created nearly 200,000 words!

Lin Shu sighed,

"well……"

He rummaged around in the lining of his mantle and pulled out a small stack of papers bound with string.

Gu Hongming cast his gaze and found that it was a newspaper clipping from "Xinmin Congbao".

The cut page is exactly the novel version.

The stack of paper was almost torn.

Gu Hongming was stunned.

"Don't you despise vernacular literature? Why did you cut out "Lord of the Flies" and carry it with you?"

Lin Shu said: "Know yourself and the enemy, and you will be safe in a hundred battles."

The discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of classical Chinese and vernacular Chinese is not only a struggle of cultural ideas, but also a struggle of literary form.

There are many revolutionaries who use their thoughts as swords.

Kang, Liang, Zhang...

It's everywhere you look.

But people like Lu Shi are rare.

Lin Shu sneered: "Countless people have criticized "Lord of the Flies" for its strange power, confusion, and immorality."

Gu Hongming smacked his lips,

"But more people will use it as a powerful weapon, engrave every chapter, and distribute it with mimeographs. Speaking of which, a similar thing seems to have happened in Tsarist Russia, but the article is not called "Lord of the Flies" , called "Animal Farm."

Lin Shu was surprised,

"Is there still this matter?"

Gu Hongming nodded,

"I've heard about it too, but it feels like it's true. "Animal Farm" was banned in Russia, and many knowledgeable people spontaneously printed and distributed it. Moreover, people also printed various slogans and poems on the back of the book , calling on the people to rise up~"

Lin Shu said "Huh?"

"What...what is the difference between this and rebellion?"

Gu Hongming chuckled,

"Then according to what you said, their rebellion was successful. The ban on "Animal Farm" was later lifted."

Lin Shu: "..."

Completely confused.

I am increasingly afraid of writing in vernacular.

Just then, a crew member came over holding a wooden basin.

Fill the basin with French sticks.

He chatted a lot with Gu Hongming in English, then left with a long sigh and continued to sell baguettes at the next table.

Lin Shu asked, "What's wrong?"

Gu Hongming said: "The crew asked us if we wanted baguettes. I didn't want them. Our teeth are not good, and the stuff is too hard, even if we soak it in soup, we can't eat it."

Lin Shu was somewhat surprised.

I have never encountered anything like this before by boat all the way to Europe.

Gu Hongming saw his confusion and continued: "The crew also complained to me about the French people, saying that they asked for baguettes at breakfast, but refused to eat them at night. It was really a waste."

The two of them turned their attention to the French,

I saw them drinking soup with sad faces and retching from time to time.

The strange thing is that it doesn't look like seasickness, just the purest form of nausea.

Lin Shu stretched his head and observed,

"Have we seen that group of people in the corridor outside the cabin door? Hmm... I can't tell the ghost guy's appearance."

In the eyes of white people, it is difficult to distinguish the appearance of yellow people.

vice versa.

Gu Hongming nodded,

"Yes, it looks like it to me."

He couldn't help but prick up his ears and listen,

As expected, those French people were discussing Lu Shi's book.

"This "Call of Cthulhu" is really amazing!"

"Yes, I haven't seen such a unique work for a long time. Even in the French literary world that emphasizes innovation, this article is unique."

"Mainly because it's horrifically written."

…

Lin Shu was curious,

"What are they talking about?"

Gu Hongming was just about to answer,

Unexpectedly, Verne also noticed them, walked over with a wine glass, and asked: "Chinese?"

Gu Hongming nodded,

"right."

Verne laughed,

"Sure enough! I guessed it when you just visited Professor Lu."

He turned back to greet the others,

"Come here, everyone! There are friends of Professor Lu here!"

then,

Crash--

The remaining French people gathered around.

Poincaré even poured wine for Lin and Gu and told them to try it.

Lin Shu was a little frightened and asked softly: "What's going on?"

Gu Hongming replied: "There is a word called Aiwujiwu."

Lin Shu: "..."

I had such an unpleasant quarrel with Lu Shi just now, but now I am using his reputation to get warm treatment from the French.

He really didn't know how to express his conflicting feelings at this moment.

Gu Hongming didn’t think so much,

He asked: "I just heard that Professor Lu has a new work?"

"Yes, yes!"

Verne nodded to his companions,

The others each took out small pieces of paper from their pockets. Each piece of paper contained a part of the content of "Call of Cthulhu".

This is what I just copied according to the division of labor.

They couldn't ask for Lu Shi's manuscript, so they had to resort to stupid methods.

Lin Shu's eyes widened.

"Is this Lu Shi's novel?"

He was very excited,

"Quick! Quick, quick, quick! Hong Ming, read it to me quickly... I mean, translate it to me directly."

Gu Hongming felt that this request was not difficult at first, so he agreed.

Unexpectedly, after just a few sentences of translation, he couldn't stand it anymore.

There is no other reason,

Too much repetitive rhetoric!

There are too many long, difficult and complex sentences!

The more he translated, the more he stuttered.

"When I... wasn't... when I was accidentally separated... um... it should be... like all the horrible processes of peeking into the truth, when I... wait... this doesn't seem quite right...! @#￥%……”

After all, I couldn't hold it any longer.

Verne couldn't help but laugh when he saw Gu Hongming's appearance.

"It's very difficult~ Some of the sentences even have to be read several times before we can understand them."

Gu Hongming touched his beard awkwardly.

Lin Shu next to him was dissatisfied.

"Why did you stop?"

Gu Hongming stared,

"Do you think long and difficult sentences are so easy to translate? First, you need to segment the sentences and translate them one by one, and then observe the relationship between each sentence..."

Lin Shu said: "Do you need to tell me this? I am the translator myself!"

Gu Hongming already had the desire to curse others.

The French don't know what's going on;

Poincaré consoled him: "Mr. Gu, my native language is French, but because I write papers and look up information, I am good at Latin and can be considered proficient in translation. When faced with such long sentences, the first thing to do is to find verb, and then cut with the verb as the center point.”

Gu Hongming was helpless,

"Actually, I am also a translator. But for such long and difficult sentences, oral translation is much more difficult than written translation."

Poincaré nodded in agreement,

"That's true. However, since you are friends with Professor Lu, you might as well borrow the original manuscript from him...well...or simply ask him to translate it."

Gu Hongming glanced at Lin Shu beside him and did not answer.

Lin Shu was puzzled.

"What do you want me to do? You continue to translate."

Gu Hongming couldn't help but sigh and roughly paraphrased Poincaré's words.

Lin Shu made a colorful appearance,

"Let him turn over?"

The suggestion stung his pride hard.

He said: "Hongming, you and I are both translators, so why rely on a junior?"

This was said in a bad tone.

Poincaré also noticed something. He looked at Lin Shu curiously, then at Gu Hongming, and asked, "Is there any problem?"

Gu Hongming just opened his mouth,

As a result, Lin Shu stepped in and said arrogantly: "Hong Ming, tell him that I am also a translator! I also translated "The Legacy of La Traviata in Paris", which happens to be a French masterpiece!"

Gu Hongming lowered his voice,

"Are you crazy? I'm really French!"

Lin Shu said: "Then what I translated was still a fake French masterpiece?"

Gu Hongming was speechless and had no choice but to convey the truth.

Poincaré suddenly became excited and stepped forward to shake hands with Lin Shu.

"Sir, you have such good taste! "La Traviata" pioneered the "Lady in Distress" genre, exposed the corruption of the July Dynasty, and made a bloody and tearful indictment of the hypocrisy of the aristocracy. In the history of French literature, it is a well-deserved masterpiece."

Lin Shu:? ? ?

Can't understand.

He looked at Gu Hongming, his eyes full of clear stupidity.

Gu Hongming had no idea and translated again.

This time it was Poincaré's turn to be confused.

"Mr. Gu, isn't this friend of yours the translator for everyone? Why doesn't he look like he understands French?"

"Ah this..."

Gu Hongming was speechless.

Lin Shu could guess the content of the conversation by looking at their facial expressions, and said, "Hong Ming, show them my translation of The Legacy of La Traviata in Paris."

Gu Hongming said: "I don't understand Chinese, so why...wait a minute! Are you carrying that book with you?"

Sure enough, Lin Shu found "The Legacy of La Traviata in Paris".

"They don't understand Chinese. But you can translate it to them!"

grass!

Ten thousand horses and their mothers ran wildly in Gu Hongming's heart.

The original work "La Traviata" by Alexandre Dumas, in French;

After being dictated by Wang Shouchang, it was converted into vernacular;

Then it was changed from Lin Shu to classical Chinese;

Finally, Gu Hongming was asked to translate it back into French.

If you do this three times, it will definitely change beyond recognition.

But Lin Shu insisted on having his own way.

"Hongming, feel free to read it."

Gu Hongming was speechless. He took the copy of "The Legacy of La Traviata in Paris" and said to Poincaré: "Sir, this is my friend's translation. Now I can translate it to you."

Poincaré thought he had heard wrongly,

"Translate for us? "La Traviata" is a French novel..."

Gu Hongming said: "The main thing is that my good friend wants to ask real French scholars to help correct it."

Poincaré looked at Lin Shu and vaguely understood.

It seems that not all Chinese people are as humble and low-key as Lu Shi.

The corners of his mouth curved,

"That's fine."

After speaking, he nodded to Verne.

Verne understood and said to Gu Hongming: "Okay, I'll do it. It's just that I'm good at literary criticism and I tend to speak harshly. I hope your friend will bear with me."

Gu Hongming didn't care, he picked up the novel,

He read in French:

"

‘I firmly believe that only by deeply understanding and studying human nature can we successfully create vivid characters. This is similar to the process of learning a language. If you want to express yourself fluently, you must first deeply learn and master the essence of the language. ’

"

Verne looked shocked,

The opening paragraph of La Traviata is not that long at all!

He looked around and found Proust,

"Marcel, can't you recite "La Traviata"? Come here and recite the first paragraph!"

Proust didn't know what he was doing, but he still did it.

"

'I think you can only create characters after studying people deeply, just like you have to study a language carefully before you can speak it. ’

"

In terms of length, the original text is significantly shorter.

In Verne's opinion, Lin Shu's translation was like adding his own opinions for the sake of word count.

Verne asked: "Mr. Gu, in your country's publishing industry, does it mean that the more words there are, the more royalties will be paid?"

Gu Hongming smiled bitterly,

He really didn't know how to explain that Lin Shu's translation was in classical Chinese.

Classical Chinese does not have an advantage in terms of word count.

At this time, Lin Shu came over and asked, "Hong Ming, why did you stop?"

Gu Hongming said: "They feel that your translation is too complicated, adding their own opinions and not following the original work."

Lin Shu snorted coldly and said: "Mr. Dumas has passed away long ago, and no one knows what he was thinking. Why does this Frenchman say that my opinions do not follow the original work?"

"Ah this..."

Gu Hongming was speechless.

Verne noticed something was wrong in the atmosphere and asked curiously: "Mr. Gu, what did your friend just say?"

Gu Hongming was in a dilemma.

Finally, he gave up thinking, closed his eyes, kicked his legs, and answered truthfully.

Verne was so angry that he laughed on the spot.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

He pointed at Lin Shu and said: "He said I don't understand? Tell him that in the French literary world, in terms of qualifications, Dumas is my descendant! Back then, I imitated the revenge story structure of "The Count of Monte Cristo" and created "Sang" Count Dolph. As a result, Dumas wrote to me and said that I was more like his father in literary style than he was."

Gu Hongming:? ? ?

"Excuse me, who are you?"

Verne snorted coldly and said: "I am Jules Verne."

"Gu..."

Gu Hongming swallowed subconsciously and whispered in Lin Shu's ear.

The latter immediately stood on the spot,

"You said he was..."

Gu Hongming nodded silently.

Verne sneered and continued: "Mr. Gu, tell him that his is not a translation at all, it should be a compilation!"

Gu Hongming told Lin Shu truthfully.

Lin Shu was stunned,

"Why do these words sound familiar?"

Gu Hongming sighed: "Are you not familiar with it? Little friend Lu said it, and I just said it not long ago. Mr. Verne said it is already the third time."

Lin Shu's eyes darkened when he heard this.

"Fuck you...ahem...this is my mother's fault!"

He fainted.