1988: Back to the human world for a few years

Chapter 26 The most bizarre blind date in history (2)

Many people may not know that there is only one word difference between "translation" and "dubbing", but the meanings are very different. The value required to translating a book is difficult to understand for people who are not in this industry.

Take the "Complete Works of Shakespeare", which was once the most popular in China. The reason why people think that foreign sonnets are shit after reading them is largely because the translator himself did not use the words accurately enough and his poetic and literary literacy was insufficient. In contrast, the translator of "Stray Birds" is very talented, and can not only make Chinese people feel the beauty of the words and sentences, but also resonate with the artistic conception.

But if I tell you that many of the words in Stray Birds have been modified and replaced by the translator to create this kind of literary beauty, you will probably be shocked - but in fact, this is where the difficulty and value of translation lies. It can be said that when a foreign work flows into China, at least 5% to 10% of its content has been modified and adjusted by the translator, and the modifications and adjustments are often the key contents. To some extent, this is equivalent to the translator rewriting the work according to his own ideas!
Although in the eyes of many people, translating a few Chinese classics and selling them abroad is a matter of "good if it happens, but it doesn't matter if it doesn't", Yang Mo believes from the bottom of his heart that if Chen Feiyu really has this potential, it would be ten thousand times more important to let him study for a few years and then engage in translation work than to send him to the Linpan Oil Field to translate the operating manual of those foreign equipment now) - One of the most important reasons why China was passive in later generations is that it never gained the initiative in the cultural war between China and foreign countries!
In the battle for sub-cultural positions, translating famous works has always been a baseline operation that is not conspicuous, but its importance is beyond the imagination of most people.

………………

"By the way, Yang Mo, it seems that you often read foreign classics, otherwise you wouldn't know those messy translated titles... So, which foreign classic do you like the most, and which character do you like the most... Or to put it another way, which foreign classic do you think has the most satisfactory translation level in our country?"

Perhaps because he felt that he had finally met someone he could talk to, Chen Yufei asked in a tone that was no different from an academic inquiry.

Seeing this guy leaving so many beautiful girls aside and running here to talk to him about translating foreign literature, Yang Mo couldn't help but feel a sense of weirdness; but looking at the serious and pious expression on his face that was almost extinct in later generations, he felt embarrassed to fool him.

After lighting the Ashima in his hand, Yang Mo pondered for a while, and then said in a light tone that sounded a bit playful at first: "Speaking of my favorite character... it's probably the donkey named Benjamin."

A donkey?
Everyone was confused and looked at each other, realizing that none of them knew what he was talking about.

Seeing this, Yang Mo laughed at himself and said, "I particularly like what this donkey said... God gave it a tail so that it can drive away flies; but I would rather not have this tail, and there would be no flies in the world]... To be honest, just based on this sentence, I think this translator deserves everyone's respect!"

!!! ???

After hearing this sentence that seemed to be a subtle metaphor, even Chen Feiyu, who was the most knowledgeable about foreign classics, didn't know which book this passage came from.

"Huh?? You dare to discuss Animal Farm in secret?... This is a banned book, you are tired of living!"

Just as the others were staring at each other, a deliberately lowered voice came from the side.

Turning around, I saw a little fat guy wearing black-framed glasses. He was holding a few cold skewers in his hand. It was obvious that he was another newbie who escaped from the den of tigers and wolves under the pretext of barbecue.

Judging from the other party's tone, which sounded more like a reminder than a scolding...if you say that this guy will report it, I guess no one will believe it.

only……

Banned books?

"Animal Farm"?
What the hell is that?

The victim, Yang Mo, smiled and waved at the little fat boy: "Let me introduce myself. My name is Yang Mo, Mu Yi Yang, the Mo of [Silent and Silence, What Can the Later Generations Say]... I'm an avid fan of Latin American literature. In addition to Animal Farm, I'm currently reading Latin America. The Open Veins written by Eduardo... Buddy, do you want to come over and brag and chat with me?"

"Latin America. Open Veins!???"

To everyone's surprise, the little fat boy's reaction was as if a big gray goose had pecked his chrysanthemum. He screamed at first,
And then...he squeezed in happily.

........................

"Hey, my last name is Zhang, my given name is Jun, my courtesy name is Jianjun, and my nickname is... well, I don't have a nickname yet."

"Currently working as a junior clerk in the Asset Management Department of Linpan Refinery;"

"My hobbies are playing the flute, singing, and reading... I read all kinds of books, especially realistic literature... Hey, do you really have Eduardo's Latin America: Open Veins?"

Listening to the fat boy's ridiculous and confusing self-introduction and his impatient expression, everyone wanted to laugh but were too embarrassed to do so - outsiders didn't know what kind of department the Asset Management Section was, so how could they not know?
In the current wave of deepening reform of state-owned enterprises, that is definitely a lucrative job and a powerful department!
Out of some subtle mentality, when Tang Tingting noticed that everyone had a different attitude towards this little fat boy, she blinked her eyes and asked in a humbly asking tone: "Zhang Jun, what is the content of that Animal Farm... Why is it a banned book?"

As if it was the aftereffect of the social gathering, the little fat boy was a little afraid to look the pretty girl in the eye. After a few nods, he explained in a low voice: "Let's not talk about some ancient books in China. Foreign novels with strong dystopian themes, such as 1984, Animal Farm, and Brave New World, are all banned books at the moment... This should be common sense, right?"

Dystopian fiction?

Everyone immediately turned to look at Yang Mo with complicated expressions.

Chen Feiyu breathed a sigh of relief - I was wondering why I didn't know Benjamin's donkey, it turns out he was a character in a banned book, no wonder!

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Yang Mo shrugged nonchalantly: "What era is this? As long as it doesn't involve pornographic literature or heretical theories, how can there be truly banned books? ...Besides, please understand that we are all from a central enterprise. In a central enterprise, the only criteria for evaluating a book are whether it is useful or not. There is no distinction between banned and non-banned books!"

This is true.

Contrary to outside speculation, although state-owned enterprises at this time kept talking about "standpoint" and some formalism was extremely strong, in fact, all management knew that with the twists and turns in the first decade of reform and opening up, state-owned enterprises, as the eldest son, had the unshirkable responsibility to break the deadlock and create efficiency.

Therefore, for a long time, almost all reforms were piloted in state-owned enterprises, and almost all attempts to create results were carried out in state-owned enterprises as test fields.

It can be said that the environment of most central enterprises at that time was completely different from that of state-owned enterprises in later generations.

The latter is mainly based on maintaining the status quo, often like a huge machine that operates in a precise and orderly manner, requiring the management team to follow the routine;
The former, on the other hand, focuses on breaking the impasse, which is often like a deep sea that appears calm on the surface but has turbulent undercurrents underneath, requiring the management team to take the lead.

This has resulted in a phenomenon that is difficult to tell outsiders and is quite hidden - in this age where success brings honor and failure requires bearing the consequences, the management of state-owned enterprises, who have been burdened with heavy responsibilities, have almost unanimously begun to become "utilitarian".

During this period, as long as you have the qualifications, supporters, and the courage to write a military order, then "the capable will be promoted, the incapable will be demoted" is not just talk - correspondingly, managers have always judged internal employees, especially those in core positions, by their success or failure.

Think about it, if even the most important personnel appointments and dismissals of a company follow this principle, then what does a basically insignificant book count for? This is not the same as it was ten years ago. Although the macro environment is still being debated, the small matters within state-owned enterprises have long ceased to be taken so seriously.

………………

After being reminded by Yang Mo, the fat boy Zhang Jun realized that he was a little too sensitive before. He took out half a pack of wrinkled Moju from his trouser pocket with a flattering look on his face, then picked out a less deformed mouthless cigarette, smoothed it, and handed it over: "Yang Mo, tell me what the book "Blood Vessels" is about... Although this book was written as early as 1970, it has never been available in China, and I can't read it even if I want to!"

Yang Mo took the black chrysanthemum produced by Tianjin State-owned Cigarette Factory with some curiosity. After sniffing it, he looked at the little fat boy with some amusement - this book had to wait until 01 to have a Chinese translation. It would be strange if you could see it now!

He smacked his lips and said, "Veins is not so much a novel as it is a hybrid book that combines historical biography, geopolitical analysis, political analysis, and socio-economic system analysis. To some extent, it is difficult to define this book as a simple novel. Anyway, as far as I know, many universities in the United States and the United Kingdom classify this book as a political and economic reading."

Hearing Yang Mo's words, Zhang Jun felt as if a cat had scratched his heart. He hurriedly took out a match and lit Yang Mo's cigarette: "So what is this book about?"

Yang Mo tasted this out-of-print cigarette with great pleasure, and after blowing out an irregular smoke ring, he said, "If Animal Farm uses a fictional story to map and summarize the evolution of a color revolution, then Blood Vessels records and analyzes how Latin American countries were tricked by Western powers step by step into disarming themselves, and then were forced to be tied to the Western economic chariot and unable to move, and could only be slaughtered by them... If I have to define the content of this book, I think... the term [resource war] would be more appropriate."

Resource Wars!?
Hearing this word, not only Zhang Jun, but also Chen Yufei and the taciturn Su Yu were shocked.

If we were to say which industry is the most sensitive to resource wars, it would be the oil and steel industries - especially the oil industry. It can be said that from the day the People's Republic of China was founded until Yang Mo was reborn, the oil industry, which has the widest social and economic implications, has always been the front line of resource competition. Compared with the turbulent and cruel situation hidden beneath the surface, the iron ore incident that once caused a sensation in later generations can only be regarded as a small matter.

"Yang Mo, although it may be a little abrupt...but, can you tell me in detail about the resource war that took place in Latin America as recorded in this book?"

Chen Feiyu looked at Yang Mo somewhat embarrassedly, with a hint of pleading in his tone: "As you know, the work at the oil field is actually very leisurely, so I plan to take advantage of my free time to study on my own and try to translate some Chinese books myself, and then see if I can find a way to distribute them overseas... For this, I can even pay for it myself... But before that, I want to have a better understanding of some foreign things, and also broaden my horizons, otherwise I will make a fool of myself if the translation is not good enough."

Looking at this embarrassed and overconfident young man, Yang Mo did not laugh at him, but just sighed with some emotion - he did not think that Chen Feiyu was talking nonsense. In fact, young people of this generation are generally much more "naive", and there are more than one or two who are willing to give up everything for their so-called ideals without hesitation.

However, this kind of fool has rarely been seen since the 1990s...

After recalling the contents of the book, Yang Mo opened the ladies' champagne that had been lying on the blanket, and drank from it with Chen Feiyu as if offering a memorial. Then he sighed and said, "To talk about the resource war in the book Blood Vessels, we have to start from the history that happened hundreds of years ago."

"In 1492, when Spanish leather boots first stepped onto the beaches of the Bahamas, no one could have imagined that the cross pattern engraved on the hilt would have such a great impact on the future direction of world history..."

………………Twenty minutes later, Yang Mo, who was thirsty, was about to drink some sweet-smelling ladies' champagne to moisten his throat when a strange voice interrupted him: "Eh? Are you talking about the [Sugar King] and [Agricultural Monarch] in the plantations in Brazil and Cuba? I'm familiar with this... Come on, please squeeze in a seat so I can join in the fun!"

When I turned around, I saw another young man with an unfamiliar face.

The young man was quite outgoing. After passing around a circle of cigarettes with a smile, he directly and unceremoniously pushed Tang Tingting, who was sitting next to the blanket, out of the circle: "Hey, let me introduce myself. I'm Wan Bin, from the Linpan Oil Refinery... Never mind, it doesn't matter which unit I'm from. I majored in modern Chinese history in college, with a minor in world history. I also know a little about the history of Latin America... After all, the teacher once said that the Third World is one family. We must learn to learn from others and make use of them for our own benefit!"

"Well... Yang Mo said before that it was because of the sacrifices of Latin American slaves in the Caribbean that Watt's steam engine and Washington's cannons came into being... Although there is nothing wrong with this statement, from the perspective of system dialectics, it is a bit too thin..."

"Anyway, when we talk about this, we have to first mention the Napoleonic Wars, and the extremely fragile economic structure of South American countries at that time, represented by Cuba... and the Rubber War that was later launched again with Kasol as the prelude."

Everyone listened as if they were listening to a mystery, as paragraphs after paragraphs of content that seemed familiar but slightly strange came out of the mouth of this outgoing young man, and they suddenly began to doubt their lives.

Hello, hey, hey, we are just listening to Yang Mo explaining the resource wars in South America. Why are you suddenly jumping out to tell us history?

But it was obvious that Wan Bin was probably very frustrated, and seeing the opportunity to show off in public, he put in all his effort; a piece of history of the non-mainstream world was told in a way that was surprisingly fascinating.

In less than a moment, everyone was completely immersed in this guy's vivid and colorful speech, coupled with physical performances...

………………

"Eh? Just talk about history, why are you talking about music!... Who told you that the seven-note scale of the West is really better than the five-note scale of our ancestors!?"

Turned his head.

Got it!
Another young man, who looked like he was injected with chicken blood, squeezed in.

"I am XXX... Never mind, my unit is not important... Let me tell you, those who say that Western instruments and music are better than those of our ancestors are all idiots who don't understand music!"

"What!? You said I was stubborn!?"

"Hey! I'm not just being stubborn... Do you know how to write the word [乐] in traditional Chinese?"

"Let me tell you, in ancient times, [music] and [medicine] are related, and the word 'music' is derived from the word 'medicine' - that is to say, in ancient times, music was first used to treat diseases, to soothe and regulate the patient's mental state!"

"Do you know what conditioning means? Not all scales can make people feel comfortable. Fa and Xi notes will only make people feel bored and manic if they are heard too much. Do you think it is a good thing for people to feel upset?"

"Hey! I'm not just talking nonsense. There's a research report on this... Otherwise, there are many songs in the music of the northern nomadic peoples and the Western Regions that have these two scales. Why didn't our ancestors incorporate them into the music?"

"Besides, in ancient times, musical instruments represented by the guqin have always been synonymous with elegance, and the movement and stillness are full of philosophical charm... From a philosophical point of view, adding is far less profound than subtracting. You must have heard the saying [adding makes it noisier; subtracting makes it less vulgar]... Let me tell you, when it comes to the philosophical and aesthetic heights of music, foreigners are not even worthy of carrying shoes compared to our ancestors!"

………………

ten minutes later.

"Haha! After listening for so long, you finally talked about rock music! ... I have the right to speak on this!"

"Let me tell you, rock music is not about wearing weird clothes, messing up your hair, and then yelling while holding a pile of scrap metal... Real rock music is not about rebellion, but about resistance!... Without a predetermined social role, without a set of logically self-consistent social and philosophical views, you can't write impactful lyrics... Without lyrics that can touch people's hearts, the so-called rock songs are just a pile of shit!"

As expected, another young man who came to watch the fun squeezed in...

………………

five minutes later.

"Bah! What kind of bullshit is that? What does it mean that [only by giving up the mainstream personality of society and awakening your subconscious personality can you make a cry that truly belongs to you]? Do you understand philosophy!?"

"Come on, guys, move aside and give me a seat. I will tell this great man what philosophy is, what the shackles between humans and beasts are, and what Allport's trait theory is!"

Among the dense crowd of onlookers, another young man successfully seized the opportunity and successfully joined the chat group...

………………

So, half an hour later.

The twenty or so girls present felt like crying when they saw these blind date candidates, centered around Yang Mo's group, sitting together in small groups here and there, arguing with red faces about things they couldn't understand.

Damn it, there are so many beautiful girls around, and a bunch of stinky men gathered together to argue about something extremely boring, what's the point?
…………

Another half hour passed.

When the girls saw this group of unromantic guys ordering a truckload of beer from somewhere, swearing and bickering while clinking glasses and drinking; some of them even played solos on musical instruments on the spot at the instigation of the audience, the girls finally despaired.

Damn it, so unlucky!

I originally thought that I could become a phoenix through this social gathering, but it turned out that all the people in the gathering were straight men who didn't understand romance!
The girls looked at each other with hatred, then retracted their gazes like lightning and turned their heads away proudly.

snort!
What are you looking at?

What's the point of dressing up beautifully! ?
You haven’t found a partner yet?!

………………

Before anyone knew it, in the midst of the excitement that had turned into a sea of ​​boys' revelry, Su Yu, who had been dragged in to be the referee for nearly half an hour, came over with two bottles of Laoshan beer.

"Hey, Yang Mo, why don't you go listen to Wan Bin's debate? That guy is quite interesting. Even when he argues with others, it's like he's performing a stand-up comedy." Su Yu, with a slightly flushed face, handed the beer bottle to Yang Mo, clinked it with his cup, and then gulped down half the bottle.

Yang Mo smiled and shook his head: "I'm fine here... Don't you think it's interesting to see these young people of similar age arguing and debating with their friends about things they are interested in?"

Friends?
Su Yu, who heard this term for the first time, turned his head and looked at him strangely, then cursed softly: "Yeah, it's too annoying to stay in that shitty unit all day long - most people can't even find a colleague with whom they have common topics to talk about. It's no different from being in prison. It's rare to have a few peers who can get along with each other. Even if they quarrel for three days and three nights, it's much better than facing these **** women!"

Hearing the vulgar words, Yang Mo didn't pay much attention. After taking a sip of beer in a trance, he suddenly asked, "Ten years, no, five years later, will these people still remember their former ideals, and the knowledge and hobbies they are proud of?"

Su Yu was startled, and the look he gave Yang Mo became even stranger.

After hesitating for a while, he answered uncertainly: "I don't know, maybe... occasionally a few people will remember it?"

"Oh... is that so?"

Yang Mo showed a smile that outsiders could hardly understand, and then he suddenly shouted: "Four-eyed man, Bao Shuxian... Let's go grill some skewers!... Let me show you my cooking skills!"

After saying that, he stood up and gently kicked Su Yu: "Let's go together. The task of skewers is left to you... Remember to bring beer. I will let you see what a real huge amount is!"

Su Yu, who was kicked, didn't seem angry. He just spat viciously: "Bah! You kid, don't you know that I started drinking when I was five years old... Talk about your drinking capacity in front of me? I'll kill you!"

After staring at each other unconvinced for a while, the two slightly tipsy people laughed, and then carried the reluctant Bao Shuxian and walked towards the barbecue grill not far away in the twilight...

(End of this chapter)