Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 344: Uproar (three chapters in one, a bit long, please vote for me!)
Bai Yansong said: "It seems that you are very hostile to the Nobel Prize. But we know that although it is a European award, it takes into account writers from all over the world.

And in recent decades, the award has been increasingly given to writers outside of old Europe, so many writers from the United States, South America, Japan, Russia and other countries have won the award.

Even so, do you still think it is not fair enough? Or are you pursuing an absolute fairness? "

The position hidden behind this question is actually very subtle. If Zhang Chao does not answer it well, his previous statement can easily be seen as a tactic of playing hard to get.

Zhang Chao said: "It is absurd to pursue absolute fairness, and I have no illusions that the Nobel Prize in Literature will save the literature of third world countries in an extraordinary way, like God's love for the world.

Literature is different from science. It is a product of ideology, so literary awards must have their own stance and principles. The Mao Dun Literature Prize prefers realistic novels with a strong sense of epic; the Booker Prize pursues hot topics and tends to be conservative in narrative; the Akutagawa Prize is mainly awarded to pure literary works...

These positions and principles are unspoken rules that are hidden under the surface and can only be guessed through the winning works. This is a strategy to maintain the influence and flexibility of the award, and there is nothing wrong with it.

So I strongly agree with the Nobel Prize in Literature's tenacity in sticking to its position. I even strongly agree with the Nobel Prize in Literature's use of various neutral academic discourses to conceal its position in order to demonstrate its fairness.

For example, when Solzhenitsyn won the prize in 1970, the Swedish Academy particularly emphasized his 'moral force in pursuing the indispensable traditions of Russian literature;

When Marquez won the award in 1982, the jury commented that his novels were characterized by a richly structured imaginative world that mixed magic and reality, reflecting the life contradictions of an entire continent.

This subtle difference in expression demonstrates the wisdom of the judges. They know how to extract the greatest common divisor in text interpretation while sticking to their positions.

Therefore, I have no hostility towards the Nobel Prize in Literature, and I don’t mind how they look at Chinese literature.”

Bai Yansong was confused and asked, "Then you..."

Zhang Chao resolutely said: "I said at the beginning that what I don't like is the humble attitude shown by our writers, critics, and even many ordinary readers who care about literature towards Academician Ma Yueran, the symbol of the Nobel Prize.

When a sinologist's personal aesthetic taste is magnified into "international certification" and when the judging criteria from Stockholm become the creative baton, isn't this a manifestation of a new type of cultural colonization?
What is even more frightening is that, in this process, it was us who took the initiative to open the door and welcome Academician Ma Yueran with food and drink - although I believe that he is not arrogant to such an extent, nor does he intend to become the king teacher of Chinese literature, making Chinese literary practitioners and enthusiasts look north every year.

But Edward Said, a scholar who studies colonial culture, once said something very true: cultural hegemony often penetrates through seemingly neutral academic discourse. When a cultural standard reaches the level of hegemony, even the kindest and most modest people will be swept away by its powerful inertia and have no choice.

As Chinese writers, we cannot expect others to lower their stance and make concessions on their own initiative. Of course, there is no need to call for war. Instead, we should have the confidence to let others comment on our own and I write mine.

But what we see is that some writers deliberately pile up Orientalist elements in their works, alienating narratives of suffering into cultural spectacles. This creative orientation is essentially a self-castration of literary dignity.

The previous public opinion hype about a possible ordinary conversation between me and Academician Ma Yueran is of the same nature - I don’t want to be a spectacle, and I don’t want to be castrated. "

Bai Yansong couldn't help but sigh, and then said, "In other words, if there were no overwhelming media coverage and no excessive interpretation of the meeting, would you still be willing to meet with Academician Ma Yueran?"

Zhang Chao nodded and said, "Yes. What's wrong with meeting? The old man can't eat me."

Bai Yansong managed to force a smile. Zhang Chao's view had a huge impact on him. As a person born in the 60s, it was difficult for him to understand where Zhang Chao's strong self-esteem came from.

Learn from the West, learn from developed countries, and be a little humble. When you win the award, it will be glorious not only for you, but also for the entire Chinese people!
However, as a professional journalist, he still asked very professionally: "Are the words you just said too radical? After all, our literature spent a long time in the 80s learning advanced Western techniques and concepts, including... including some of your teachers.

You know, it is their positive and open-minded attitude towards knowledge and spirit of exploration that have enabled Chinese literature to catch up and achieve today's results. If all writers reject external evaluation standards like you, will our literature once again become a closed-door creation? "

Zhang Chao said: "First of all, I can only say - you are welcome to take the same position! If you feel insulted by these words, it only means that you are guilty, right? Of course, I don't advocate that anyone use these views to force anyone to take the same position.

The second point is that rejecting symbolic international certification does not mean moving towards cultural isolation. On the contrary, it is to participate in the dialogue of civilizations in a more equal manner. I think many of the teachers who have taught me have such confidence.

For example, Wang Anyi's "Song of Everlasting Sorrow", a profound dissection of the inner texture of Shanghai, allows the whole world to understand this city; and Yu Hua's "To Live", shows the ultimate resilience of life, transcending time and space and triggering universal resonance among readers.

We can say that these works have various problems from various perspectives, such as ideas, techniques, concepts, philosophy, society...but they are all full of sincerity, not speculation.

Speculative writing is essentially a manifestation of premature spiritual decline. The true avant-garde of literature should be reflected in the exploration of the possibilities of the Chinese language, rather than catering to cultural curiosity.

Only when these fruits ripen and fall to the ground can they form real fertile soil. Mr. Lu Xun said in "Breaking the Evil Voice" that false scholars should be eliminated, but superstition can be preserved. This is the urgent need of the day.

The same is true for Chinese literature - inferiority complex should be eliminated, but myths can be preserved. This is the urgent need of the day! "

The seriousness in Zhang Chao's tone moved even Bai Yansong, who was not familiar with literature. He quietly straightened his suit, trying to drive away the excitement and confusion deep in his heart.

Lu Jinbo in the waiting area couldn't sit still any longer and even paced back and forth. At this moment, he was no longer thinking about the sales strategy of "Homeland" but was completely immersed in Zhang Chao's narration.

He originally thought that Zhang Chao's rejection of Ma Yueran was purely a marketing tactic; in today's interview, he would only say some high-sounding words to express his attitude without offending anyone.

I didn't expect Zhang Chao to be so "ruthless" and turned the interview into a one-sided literary lecture. As the interviewer, Bai Yansong became a tool, but I was also deeply attracted by Zhang Chao's meticulous yet grand explanation.

As a pioneer of Chinese online literature, many of his works were eventually published through traditional publishing channels, and he is well versed in the rules of both. The reason why Lu Jinbo chose the online platform and became a "wanderer" was largely due to his disappointment with the games in the traditional literary circle.

Who wasn't an artistic youth back then? But since you guys treat literature as a business, let's see who does it better...

And now, the one watching Zhang Chao is no longer Lu Jinbo of Guomai Culture, but Li Xunhuan of "Under the Banyan Tree".

Bai Yansong looked at the time. It was already 10:1 in the morning. The interview had lasted for almost an hour. As the topic deepened, he felt that he was losing control of the interview.

For a senior journalist, adequate preparation is essential.

Just like what Lu Jinbo said to the reporter outside the door - Zhang Chao's decision this time was not a whim. Today's interview was planned for a long time, otherwise it would be impossible for him to accept an interview with online media late last night and reveal the news of refusing to meet Ma Yueran, and today CCTV would be able to film a figure of Bai Yansong's level on stage.

Zhang Chao had "conspired" on this matter with a familiar CCTV10 producer a week ago. Later, after internal coordination, somehow CCTV began to pay more and more attention to this matter, which led to today's treatment.

But even though he had made very thorough preparations, and even went over the outline of the question and answer session with Zhang Chao in advance, Bai Yansong did not expect that Zhang Chao's on-the-spot performance would completely exceed his most outrageous imagination.

If we go deeper, what weird things will Zhang Chao say?
Bai Yansong saw that he had more than enough material, so he prepared to end the interview. He took a deep breath and asked, "I believe everyone understands why you chose to refuse to meet with Academician Ma Yueran.

Although you are the one who makes the choice, many people may be disappointed, including many ordinary readers and even your book fans - do you have anything else to say to them?"

Zhang Chao fell silent after hearing this. He knew very well that in this era, there were still many people who were obsessed with worshipping foreign literature and the Nobel Prize and could not extricate themselves. Although he had said so much, he might not be able to really impress them.

But they are also people who love literature passionately...

At this moment, he felt that many pairs of eyes were staring at him, with anticipation, nervousness, and eagerness...

Zhang Chao said slowly: "My choice today is essentially an answer to the fundamental question of 'who do I write for' - our writing must first be worthy of the Chinese language's Ping, Shang, Qu and Ru, worthy of the civilization nourished by the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, and worthy of the real joys and sorrows that exist on this land.

Whether it is the works I have written or the new novels that are about to be released, they have never failed to live up to this belief! "

Hearing this answer, Lu Jinbo couldn't help but clench his fist and wave it in the air.

The interview was over. Zhang Chao stood up and said to Bai Yansong: "If you want to know more about the content of my new book, you can ask Mr. Lu directly. I won't brag about myself."

Bai Yansong: "..." I've told you everything you want to say, right?

Lu Jinbo: “…” He quickly checked his suit and tie, luckily there was nothing wrong - who would have thought that he would be on CCTV today!
Zhang Chao said: "I'll go outside and talk to the reporters. They must be getting impatient waiting."

After saying that, he walked out of the Chuihua Gate. There was a sudden bustle outside the gate, and then the noise died down. It was obvious that Zhang Chao was reminding them that the interview inside was not yet over.

Now we have no choice but to pick it.

Bai Yansong and Lu Jinbo stared at each other for a few seconds until the staff member next to Bai Yansong handed him a small note. After reading it, he breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Mr. Lu Jinbo, I heard that you used to be an online writer named 'Li Xunhuan'? I'm curious, why did you choose such an online name?"

Lu Jinbo also breathed a sigh of relief. This was a question he had been asked many times when he became famous, so he was naturally very calm in answering it: "Li Xunhuan is a hero created by Gu Long, known as 'Little Li Flying Dagger'. He is my favorite martial arts character.

I used 'Li Xun Huan' as my online ID to show that..."

After several rounds of fighting, the two sides finally got into the groove. Suddenly, they heard exclamations and cheers coming from the courtyard outside the hanging flower gate. The two looked at each other, and Bai Yansong smiled and said, "It seems that many people agree with Zhang Chao's point of view."

Lu Jinbo said quickly: "In fact, I was also very excited when I heard it just now, as if the fire in my heart that had been extinguished for a long time was rekindled."

Bai Yansong asked: "Is it a surprise to you that Zhang Chao refused to meet with Academician Ma Yueran? Or is it a blow? After all, we know that Academician Ma Yueran's recommendation often means that the author or the work will become a hot topic in the literary world."

Lu Jinbo showed a very professional smile and said, "It was an accident, but not a blow - we can even say that after hearing Zhang Chao's statement, it has become an encouragement.

He made me believe that the hope of Chinese literature always lies in the hands of young authors. His new novel is a work that puts his creative philosophy into practice - using Chinese pens to write Chinese stories.

Even though this story mostly takes place in the United States, it is not a product of Western culture, but a representation of literary self-awareness and cultural independence. I believe that only Chinese people can truly understand it.

On the other hand, if you understand it, you will understand the Chinese people." Bai Yansong asked curiously: "Most of the time it takes place in the United States? This novel makes me look forward to it more and more... When will it be published?"

Lu Jinbo said confidently: "Next month, next month we will meet readers all over the country!"

It was early September, and for a novel, the publishing time of more than a month was very tight, but Lu Jinbo would never allow himself to miss this wave of popularity.

Especially since Zhang Chao is going to Japan next month, he has a hunch that Zhang Chao will give him another "surprise".

However, Lu Jinbo never revealed the title of the book - this was also a requirement of a confidentiality agreement signed by all editors before the trial reading session yesterday.

After all, piracy is so rampant that once the name of Zhang Chao’s new book is known, all the book stalls will probably put up “Homeland” in a week, let alone a month, and will also indicate – “Zhang Chao’s new book” or “Zhang Chao’s great book”.

The two chatted for a while and the interview ended smoothly.

Even after the CCTV people packed up their equipment and left, Lu Jinbo was still feeling a little dizzy, unable to digest the ups and downs of the morning.

Zhang Chao walked into the yard and saw Lu Jinbo still sitting under the pomegranate tree in a daze, not saying a word. Zhang Chao couldn't help wondering, so he walked up to him and asked, "Mr. Lu... Mr. Lu... what's wrong with you?"

Lu Jinbo finally came to his senses. Seeing Zhang Chao, his eyelids couldn't stop twitching. After a long while, he said with emotion: "Actually, you could have told me yesterday. Why did you hide it from me until morning?"

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "I saw that you were in high spirits yesterday and I couldn't bear to interrupt you."

Lu Jinbo laughed at himself and said nothing. He knew in his heart that he had not yet gained Zhang Chao's complete trust - but no matter what, a big stone in his heart finally fell to the ground, and he could go to "Chaotide Culture" with peace of mind to sign the agreement.

After seeing Lu Jinbo off, Zhang Chao pulled out a bamboo recliner and leaned on it, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, thinking about something. It was almost noon, and the sun was like gold foil splashing across the courtyard with its blue brick floor. The painted quewei under the eaves of the main house was scorching hot, and the pomegranate tree cast a silver-like shadow in the center of the courtyard.

Several baskets of newly dried Beijing white pears, wrapped in a layer of fine icing, were piled against the east wall; the bamboo curtain set up in the west wing rolled up half a green shadow, and the draft blew through the decorative grape trellis, causing the hanging purple jade beads to make a clear sound.

"It's so cozy..." Zhang Chao couldn't help stretching, "No wonder the reborn seniors all bought courtyard houses, it turns out it's so comfortable to live in after it's been cleaned up..." For a moment, he didn't want his friends from "Tide Culture" to move in.

After his operations on "Homeland", there is no need to worry about sales anymore.

At this time, the phone suddenly rang. Zhang Chao picked it up and saw that it was David Miller from Simon & Schuster Publishing House. He said helplessly on the phone: "Zhang, I'm sorry, "Homeland" is a masterpiece, but the royalties and first print run you want are too high.

You know, this novel is different from The Great Doctor and Vanishing Lover. It is almost entirely provided for Chinese readers..."

Before David Miller finished speaking, Zhang Chao interrupted him and said, "Don't rush to make a decision. Recently, there will be some small "disturbance" in China and even in Europe regarding me and this novel.

You can ask your assistant to pay more attention to this aspect, and it is better to ask an interpreter - Susan is very good - to tell you what happened." After that, he hung up the phone.

Only David Miller was left on the other side of the ocean, feeling depressed as he watched the microphone beeping non-stop.

That evening, the first wave of reporters’ interview reports were published on the Internet and in major evening newspapers, which immediately triggered public opinion. The titles of many articles alone were enough to make people’s blood boil:

"Literary dignity is higher than the Nobel Prize halo, Chinese writers do not succumb to Sweden" - Xinmin Evening News

"Breaking Nobel Prize Anxiety and Activating the Chinese People's Literary Mind and Dragon Vein" - Yanjing Evening News

"Get rid of the false scholars and keep the true ones. Chinese pens will not plant the seedlings of fawning on foreigners" - Yangcheng Evening News

"Literature does not require pilgrimage; creation is to become one's own god" - Sina.com
"Literature is a matter of eternity, and the gains and losses are known in the heart - this is the highest award in literature!" - Sohu.com
……

Zhang Chao's views sparked a huge wave of discussion in the forum:

"This is not simply a case of literary jealousy, but a self-defense counterattack under the invasion of cultural colonialism. Although Zhang Chao's metaphor of 'castration' is harsh, it accurately hits the root cause of the problem in contemporary literary creation."

“That being said, we must also be careful not to go too far. If Marquez had insisted on ‘pure Latin American culture’, One Hundred Years of Solitude would not have resonated with the whole world. The national and international nature of literature is not a life-and-death, irreconcilable struggle.”

"Who resonates, who resonates? Don't include me in your resonance, I don't resonate!"

"It's ridiculous that some people package cultural insecurity as cultural confidence! How dare Zhang Chao say that he has not been influenced by Borges? Did he invent the stream-of-consciousness technique in "Crime Police Glory" himself? He wants to be raised on the milk of modernism, but he also accuses the wet nurse of having bad intentions. Is this a cultural giant baby or literary populism?"

——Tianya Forum

"A pure straight male perspective - this writer is obviously using hunger marketing, the same tactics that Steve Jobs used to sell mobile phones. It's like a basketball player who deliberately didn't participate in the NBA draft, and then said, "I want to create a Chinese streetball league," but then turned around and signed a Nike endorsement. You see, there's no sign of the new book title, but tens of thousands of people on Dangdang.com have left messages saying they want to read it - I know this tactic well!"

"Brother, your words may be a little blunt but your point is true! Back then, Zhang Chao called the "New Concept Essay Contest" a "murder scene" and the judges "murderers", but now his own father has started selling essay collections and even organized the "New Concept Essay Contest" himself. The backbone of a writer? Pah, it's all business!"

"You take cultural strategy too lightly. Our country is playing a big game! Just like the Chinese men's basketball team cannot always rely on naturalized players, literature needs local superstars even more. Zhang Chao at least dares to tell the truth, which is a hundred times better than those "writer compradors" who lick the Nobel Prize!"

——Hupu Forum

"Suppose Zhang Chao! Some writers write about rural areas as ignorant and backward, and about cities as materialistic. This is the same problem as Zhang Yimou's early films. I suggest that the Nobel Prize be renamed the "Third World Scar Literature Award"!"

"Haha, isn't Zhang Chao the number one? Do you think he can find an American publisher for his new novel? Is he capable of following Cao Xueqin's example of "reviewing it for ten years" and not publishing it? This is all a new trick used by literati to hype themselves up: patriotic persona + Nobel Prize = wealth code. Those who understand will understand!"

"Don't be fooled by how happy he is now. When his new novel stops selling, he will definitely cry and beg Ma Yueran to meet him. Just like Murong Xuecun criticized the system, but he still came back to write the main theme."

——A Douban group
……

While the online discussion was in full swing, Bai Yansong's interview with Zhang Chao was finally broadcast during prime time on CCTV's "Face to Face" program. What's even more rare is that Zhang Chao's key answers were almost uncut and presented in their entirety to the audience.

If newspaper and online reports were unable to fully convey Zhang Chao's views due to space limitations and the different levels of journalists, causing a rift in public opinion; then after the broadcast of "Face to Face", there was almost only one voice.

This voice can be summarized by a post on Weibo that was liked a million times:

"I just finished watching the interview and got goose bumps all over my body! Zhang Chao reminded me of Cui Jian in the 80s, both of whom wanted to tear something sacred to pieces. When he said that he wanted to "be worthy of the Chinese language's Ping, Shang, Qu and Ru", I suddenly understood why reading translated literature is always like reading through a layer of gauze - the Ping and Ze rhythms in our mother tongue are our literary genes!"

This huge resonance spread throughout the entire Internet and public opinion circles in a very short time, including the literary circle.

As Zhang Chao's class teacher, Yu Hua was the first to jump out and accept the interview. He made people laugh as soon as he opened his mouth: "When I saw the beginning, I thought Zhang Chao was scolding me. I thought, isn't this 'disrespecting the teacher and destroying the ancestors'? Later, I saw him praising 'To Live', so I didn't 'expel him from the school'."

He quickly got back to the point: "This guy is even more aggressive than me when I said 'literature is dead'! But he hit the point: in the 80s, we read Kafka like people who were short of oxygen breathing oxygen. Now we should learn to make oxygen ourselves."

Yan Lianke's comments on Weibo also attracted attention: "Finally someone has broken through this window paper! The kind of people Zhang Chao described can be found everywhere in the Writers Association compound: they drink Longjing tea and talk about Borges, play mahjong and discuss Calvino, but they can't say a word about the land under their feet."

Bei Dao, who is far away in a foreign country, disagrees. In an interview, he said: "I don't completely agree with this confrontational attitude. When Today was founded, we read Eliot and Pasternak, just like the fire thief in Greek mythology. Now young people use the world's literary heritage as a 'cannon for cultural colonization', which is an overreaction!"

……

Even the Wall Street Journal in the United States wrote an article about this, "The Cultural Manifesto of China's New Generation of Writers: Refusing to Follow, Trying to Lead" -

"Chinese young writer Zhang Chao recently publicly refused to meet with Nobel Prize in Literature judge Ma Yueran, and criticized the "Nobel Prize anxiety" in the Chinese literary world in an interview with CCTV, saying that its essence is "cultural self-colonization."

“Zhang Chao, under the banner of “literary dignity is higher than the Nobel Prize halo”, criticized some writers for “self-orientalization” to cater to Western aesthetics, such as deliberately exaggerating narratives of suffering. He cited Said’s point of view, calling this phenomenon “the infiltration of cultural hegemony through neutral academic discourse.” This is in sharp contrast to the Chinese writers’ enthusiasm for learning Western modernist literature in the 80s.”

"Swedish sinologist Majer is the only Nobel Prize judge who is proficient in Chinese and a key promoter of the internationalization of Chinese literature. He translated works by writers such as Mo Yan and Shen Congwen. The Zhang Chao incident highlights the complexity of his historical role: the literary bridge he built is now seen as a symbol of cultural hierarchy."

“Or maybe we should just admit it frankly – times have changed. China will not be content to be a follower of Western literature. Their glorious history and cultural characteristics will make them try to be a leader whenever they have the chance.

Zhang Chao's rejection of Ma Yueran is just the beginning!"

This wave finally attracted the attention of Ma Yueran, who is over 80 years old. Before leaving for China, his casual remark "I want to meet that young man, Zhang Chao, I want to talk to him" actually caused such a big stir, which was beyond his expectation.

Faced with the overwhelming inquiries from reporters and Chinese supporters, he had to make a simple statement:

“Since its establishment in 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has always sought a balance between “discovering outstanding works with ideal tendencies” and “responding to changes in the global literary landscape.” We have never denied that any literary evaluation system is marked by cultural perspectives. The jury’s difficult process of selecting from more than 200 candidate writers each year is essentially a brief intersection of aesthetic paradigms of different civilizations in Stockholm.”

"The anxiety of 'cultural colonization' mentioned by Mr. Zhang Chao is actually a common dilemma of literary exchange in the era of globalization. When I translated the Tao Te Ching forty years ago, I was tossing and turning in bed over how to convey the mystery of "the Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao"; today, young Chinese writers are wary of the "Orientalist gaze". This kind of cultural awareness is the source of the vitality of literature. From this point of view, I appreciate his point of view."

“But at the same time, I have to clarify that sinologists have never been the judges of Chinese civilization. Mr. Gao Benhan examined the phonology of the Book of Songs, and Ms. Lin Xili explained the mysteries of Chinese characters. We always approach Chinese culture with the mentality of "pilgrims" rather than "preachers". I deeply regret if the special nature of the award mechanism leads to misunderstandings.”

"I hope that one day in the future, I can meet and chat with Zhang Chao in a more pleasant and private way. I believe it will be very interesting!"

This brief statement, like a hurricane, caused a huge uproar on the international literary stage!

(End of this chapter)