Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 300 Who do you hate: the motherland or your mother?

Zhang Chao and Xu Ruiya behind him looked at each other, both feeling puzzled, but for the moment they could only follow into the carriage.

Li Yiyun saw David Miller who was fiddling with the camera position with the cameraman, and said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Miller. I'm here as agreed." His voice was still lukewarm.

David Miller seemed accustomed to her attitude and did not say much. He just told her about the camera arrangement and asked her to be careful not to block the camera.

Then he shrugged at Zhang Chao who followed him in and made a helpless expression, which probably meant "She is just like that, don't mind it."

Zhang Chao turned around and muttered something to Xu Ruiya, then came to the box and sat in a familiar seat. Susan also felt the strange atmosphere, and for a moment the four of them looked at each other in silence.

After David Miller finished his brief opening remarks, Zhang Chao suddenly spoke in Chinese: "Ms. Li, I heard that you also studied in the Creative Writing Workshop at the University of Iowa?"

Then he turned to look at Xu Ruiya, who translated this sentence into English expressionlessly: "Ms Li, I heard that you also studied at the University of Iowa's Creative Writing Workshop?"

Li Yiyun's expression suddenly became very interesting. After a long while, he stammered in English: "Yes, I studied there around 2001 and obtained two Master of Arts degrees in Creative Writing—Fiction and Non-Fiction—in 2005."

After saying this, Li Yiyun revealed a slightly proud expression.

Zhang Chao didn't look at her, but continued to look at Xu Ruiya; Xu Ruiya also continued to translate expressionlessly: "Yes, I studied there around 2001, and in 2005 I received two Master of Arts degrees in creative writing, 'fiction' and 'non-fiction'."

David Miller, who was "controlling the situation" in the corridor outside the box, had a dark face, thinking about when to go in and interrupt the awkward conversation between the two. He also didn't know why Li Yiyun was so upset about Zhang Chao.

Zhang Chao didn't care and continued in Chinese: "That's really good. I only studied there for a few months..." If Li Yiyun insisted on speaking English, he wouldn't mind speaking Chinese.

Anyway, this conversation will eventually be read by readers, book reviewers and writers across the United States. Both of them have no problem with their ability to speak in Chinese and English. Using English is respectful to the American audience, while using Chinese would seem exotic.

Even if one uses Chinese and the other uses English, it would be acceptable.

The latter two situations are what Li Yiyun imagined Zhang Chao would do when she was helpless - either insist on speaking Chinese or let her speak English - either way, she would "win".

But she didn't expect Zhang Chao to be so single, so she simply assumed that he didn't understand English and deliberately asked Xu Ruiya to translate back and forth between the two of them.

This is very meaningful. Those who watch this show are not stupid, they will know where the problem lies in a few seconds.

It was then that Li Yiyun realized that Zhang Chao was not only a best-selling author in the United States, but had just won the Book Critics Association's Best Novel Award. Although he had published two novels in The New Yorker, he was still considered a "newcomer."

It might not be a big deal to offend Zhang Chao, but to offend David Miller, to offend the National Book Critics Circle, and to embarrass myself in front of so many audiences... my creative career would probably end here.

Thinking of this, Li Yiyun had to speak in Chinese: "...Ms. Nie Hualing is indeed very, um, excellent. I received a lot of help from her when I was at the University of Iowa."

Talking to "compatriots" in public in Chinese... Li Yiyun hasn't felt so wronged and embarrassed in a long time. Thinking that what she said in Chinese would be heard by more "compatriots" in China, she trembled all over and wanted to run away immediately.

At this time, Zhang Chao spoke in English: "Well, Ms. Nie Hualing is very nice. On the first day I arrived, she invited me to have a meal at a Chinese restaurant on the riverside - authentic Chinese food, you know, without Zuo Gongji, Li Zhongtang's offal, and other such things..."

Seeing Li Yiyun staring at him with a sullen face, Zhang Chao imitated David Miller and shrugged in American style, then said, "I remembered that the program recorded today will be broadcast tomorrow night. If we speak Chinese, I'm afraid it will be too late to add subtitles.

Therefore, we prefer to use English to be more friendly to the audience.”

Zhang Chao's meaning was very clear. He didn't mind speaking English with Li Yiyun, but he had to take the lead, rather than letting the guest Li Yiyun take the lead.

Facing the camera, Li Yiyun could only swallow his breath, but still said with a little dissatisfaction: "You are very smart - and also very authoritarian. You have a strong desire for control. If others do not act according to your intentions, you will use your intelligence to pull them back under your control, right?"

Zhang Chao was stunned after hearing what he heard - just now Li Yiyun was clearly trying to "control" him to speak English, so how come he was the one who had a "strong desire to control" now - was this elder sister probably having some serious illness?
David Miller in the corridor was relieved. He was not worried about Zhang Chao and Li Yiyun quarreling - it was better this way! If it was like Stephen King's old grandfather teaching yesterday, I'm afraid no one would like to watch it soon.

Zhang Chao and Li Yiyun chatted for a while about the past of the writing workshop at the University of Iowa, and soon asked his first question: "Why did you think of writing novels in English? After all, Chinese is your mother tongue, and you should be more comfortable with it."

Li Yiyun paused and said, "Because I don't want my novel to be understood by some people."

Zhang Chao asked, "Some people? Which people?"

Li Yiyun pursed his lips tightly, his face solemn, and after a long while he said: "This question belongs to my personal privacy. Or, I should ask you a question. "Gone Girl" is an American story. Why do you express it in Chinese?"

Zhang Chao laughed and said, “Because my English is so poor! And even if my written English is as good as yours, I would choose to write in Chinese, even if it’s an American story.

In my opinion, the most accurate and profound expression in literature can only be achieved in one's mother tongue. No matter how well one learns a language after one's thinking is formed, it is difficult to touch its essence. "

Li Yiyun said unconvincedly: "Even if I can't get to the essence, as the universal language with the richest vocabulary, using only the common words in it is enough to accurately express my meaning."

Zhang Chao laughed, and then said, "For example, 'Auntie Wang made a gun gesture next to my head and taught me: If you have too many ideas of your own, you will become a criminal one day. Bang, you are finished!'?"

This paragraph is in Chinese.

Li Yiyun turned pale after hearing what Zhang Chao said. This is the content of her first story, "What Does That Have to Do With Me?", published in The New Yorker in 2003.

The whole novel is written from the first perspective of "I", and uses extremely cruel and straightforward descriptions to lay out several violent events that "I" experienced in a special era.

Among them, the passage that Zhang Chaonian read was about a scene in which "I" was watching the execution of a prisoner in kindergarten, and an "Auntie Wang" in the kindergarten said something creepy in my ear.

Li Yiyun asked with a slight tremor: "I have not authorized anyone to translate this novel into Chinese."

Zhang Chao smiled and explained: “I just asked my translator to do some preparation for the dialogue, and I didn’t mean to pirate your work—I was deeply impressed by this passage and memorized it.

I wonder if she translated it accurately?"

Li Yiyun did not answer the question, but murmured: "Too barbaric! Too rude!..."

Zhang Chao said helplessly: "I said, we don't want to publish your novel. As the two parties in the dialogue, I have the obligation to understand your work. My English level is not good enough, so it is normal for me to read the translation."

After listening to this, Li Yiyun was silent for a while before asking, "Is there any problem with this description?"

Zhang Chao said: "It is hard for me to imagine that in the Chinese context, a kindergarten teacher would say something so 'unnatural' to a child - even if you set her up to be so authoritarian, barbaric and ignorant, the word order and intonation of her speech should not be like this.

When you wrote a Chinese story in non-native English, you obviously lost control of your expression. To me, she didn’t seem like a Chinese kindergarten teacher, but more like, more like…”

Li Yiyun asked, "Like what?"

Zhang Chao thought for a moment before saying, "They are more like the nuns in orphanages and convents in 19th century Britain or the United States, the kind that often appear in novels by Dickens and Mark Twain." After hearing this, Li Yiyun said after a while, "Essentially, they are the same, the same kind of people. They are all tools to stifle children's imagination and free will. They are all devils."

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "I have no objection to you describing anyone you hate as a devil. This is the freedom of every creator. But there are differences between devils, and the wonderful thing about literature is that it presents these differences.

When you wrote these novels, you were obviously writing with a - if I may be frank - somewhat 'clumsy' English mindset. When you were unable to accurately describe the characters and scenes in your mind, you 'applied' some commonplace English expression templates.

Therefore, the 'devil' you wrote about lost its uniqueness in the literary sense and became just some kind of empty symbol and sign, a puppet for you to spit on, without a soul. It only reinforces the stereotypes of some of the American readers about China in a way that is familiar to them. "

Li Yiyun didn't know how to respond to Zhang Chao. His face was still ugly. His hands were tightly holding the coffee cup, and his knuckles were white.

Zhang Chao didn't seem to notice the embarrassment of the woman opposite him, and continued: "This is why I also use Chinese when writing American stories. I have to at least ensure that the accuracy of the expression on the 'original' side is consistent with my intentions.

As for the accuracy of the translation, I am willing to leave it to a translator I trust. When she has time, she can look up the dictionary or even ask better translators to make the translation as close to the original as possible.

But the author can't stop and look up the dictionary all the time. If I were to create in other languages, I might also choose to use a simple 'English template' in a dilemma."

Li Yiyun suddenly laughed at him, "Didn't you just say that your English is poor and that you have to translate English novels when you read them? How come you suddenly understand them so deeply?"

Zhang Chao spread his hands and said, "I can't help it. My works are currently translated into English, Japanese, and French, and will soon be translated into Spanish. Translators of different languages ​​often email me to check the meaning of some words and sentences.

After communicating with them more, I finally understood the differences between native language writing, non-native language writing and translation.”

Li Yiyun: “…”

Xu Ruiya had a serious face, but she was laughing in her heart. She had seen Zhang Chao's behavior of using the sales volume and influence of his works to embarrass his opponent when he disagreed with her more than once, so she could barely hold it back.

Susan couldn't handle it. Seeing Li Yiyun, who used to be so proud, now looked deflated, the curve of her mouth was harder to suppress than the barrel of an AK47, and the handwriting on her notebook became heavier.

After a long pause, Li Yiyun said, "You and I are different. I have read your works - "The Vanishing Lover" and "The Great Doctor" - we have different pursuits in literature."

Zhang Chao asked: "What's the difference?"

Li Yiyun said: "In my eyes, novels are not about 'reaching' a certain unreached state, but about 'escaping' the cage of discipline. You have never had my experience, and I have never lived as freely as you do.

When I was your age, life was divided. Half of my classmates at Yanda University were ambitious to join the tide of the times and become trendsetters; the other half believed that the only way out was to come here and hide in the stuffy storage room every night after the lights were turned off to recite English..."

Zhang Chao said: "So, you are the latter."

Li Yiyun laughed at himself and said, "There's nothing to hide. Although you and I are from the same country, and I'm only a dozen years older than you, when I was your age, I lived in a completely different world and era."

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "I can actually understand that."

Li Yiyun: “Oh?”

Zhang Chao said: "The disillusionment of idealism, the cramped reality, the 'paradise' in the distance... are you sure now that you have arrived in 'paradise'?"

Li Yiyun said: "I said, I am different from you. I am not here to 'arrive', but to 'leave'. So I did not 'come' to 'heaven', but 'left'..."

At this point, Li Yiyun suddenly stopped talking, as if she knew that the next word would be very offensive. She was not sure whether Zhang Chao in front of her would be furious because of this word.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Chao said it for her: "Left...'Hell', right?"

Li Yiyun's silence was a kind of consent.

Zhang Chao said: "I also read your short story "Immortality", in which you translated the Chinese proverb 'It will rain when the sky falls, and it will marry when the mother does' into English as 'A person cannot hide his or her true nature forever, just like a widow cannot hide her desire to be...'.

Am I right?" Zhang Chao's first sentence, "It's going to rain, and my mother is going to get married," was in English, which he had specially asked Xu Ruiya to translate for him to memorize.

Li Yiyun frowned, seeming unwilling to answer this question.

Zhang Chao said: "So in order to consolidate your inherent impression that China worships patriarchy and despises women, you deliberately translated it this way, right? I don't think there is an issue of 'accuracy' that non-native speakers cannot explain, because this proverb is not that profound."

Seeing that Zhang Chao was still pursuing her, Li Yiyun explained, "This is just a 'literary technique'. You are also a writer, so you should..."

Zhang Chao interrupted firmly, "No should. I am very curious, why do you want to show your 'literary skills' in a way that hurts the image of the 'Chinese' or 'Chinese' group as a whole?"

Li Yiyun said in panic: "If you are here to interrogate me today, I think we can end it now."

Zhang Chao ignored him and said, "The image of 'patriarchy' in your novels is often expressed through the 'widowed mother's' sexual fantasies about him. Why is that?

I think this is a normal literary discussion, right? "

Li Yiyun bit his lips and said after a long while: "This is also my privacy...Okay, is your 'interrogation' over?"

Zhang Chao shook his head and asked, "I'm not 'interrogating' you. Have you started 'interrogating' yourself?"

Li Yiyun looked at Zhang Chao in surprise, not knowing why he said that.

Zhang Chao's eyes were indifferent, and he said in an unusually calm tone: "Any work is a reproduction of its creator's personality or experience. Ms. Li, in your novel, I only see fear, hatred, struggle...

Considering the era you were born in, you shouldn't have such "rich" relevant experience - you are not my teacher Yu Hua, who really experienced that era. And you are particularly keen on fighting all kinds of sensational violence.

I can speculate your thoughts from the most benevolent side and not think that you are trying to please American book critics by making your work conform to their stereotypes about China.

But I did get a glimpse of some truths about you that you may not be willing to face or admit yet.”

Zhang Chao paused, and continued to the speechless Li Yiyun: "Motherland, mother; mother, motherland; motherland mother... In many languages, these two are isomorphic in terms of cultural belonging or spiritual conversion, including Chinese.

But I can't read any positive emotions towards your mother or your motherland in your works.

So I am very curious, who do you hate, your motherland or your mother?"

(End of this chapter)