Literary Master 1983

Chapter 407 Airport Interview
The interview took place at Berlin's Tempelhof Airport and was an open-air public interview, which attracted many Germans to watch.

The scene was packed with people, and the VIP lounge in the terminal was temporarily converted into a meet-and-greet. Some German passengers were initially dissatisfied, but upon hearing that "Yu from the East" had arrived, they didn't pursue the matter further and instead came over out of curiosity to see what was going on.

Gu Bin and Yu Qie sat there, watching the number of VIP rooms increase at a visible rate. He gestured to Yu Qie, "It's time, let's officially begin."

In his opening remarks, Yu apologized to the travelers: "I was only staying in Germany for three hours, so I was unaware that the interview would be held here. I am very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you."

This statement itself is not unusual; what is unusual is that Yu Qie said it in German.

There were two experienced translators in the interview room, neither of whom needed to speak.

Gu Bin was surprised: "You speak German?"

"I learned it on the plane; I only know a few words of German."

"You are so energetic and talented! I almost thought you had mastered another language!" Gu Bin praised.

Then he stood up and introduced himself to everyone: "Yu Qie is fluent in five languages. He is a genius in this respect! They are his native language, English, Spanish, Japanese and a part of Portuguese... May I say this? Because I have seen some use of Portuguese in your novel."

Portuguese and Spanish are quite similar. The two languages ​​are close in etymology and have similarities in grammar and pronunciation.

Yu Qie nodded and said, "I think I'm half Portuguese. I can listen and write, but I'm not very good at speaking."

"It's alright!" Gu Bin laughed. "You've essentially mastered another language. Go learn French, and you'll be unstoppable in Europe! It's unlikely that a writer who has deeply studied the literature of various countries wouldn't know several foreign languages!"

At this point, he changed the subject, saying, "Why am I talking about foreign languages? There's some news from the American Nobel laureate scholar Watson. He discovered that Mr. Yu has meticulous logical thinking and extraordinary intelligence, which makes it easier for him to integrate various techniques—he's someone who has mastered almost all skills. You'll understand once you've read '2666'!"

"But this is not the case with contemporary Chinese writers. Many of your (Chinese) novelists do not understand foreign languages, and even when they go abroad to exchange ideas, they need me to translate for them. What's worse is that they don't read the original text, or at least the English translation! I have seen this phenomenon since the late 1970s, and even ten years later, it has not changed much!"

Yu Qie didn't know which novelist Gu Bin was referring to, because there were indeed many such people.

His "little brother" Yu Hua has already made a name for himself, but he has never been able to learn English properly in his life, let alone languages ​​like Spanish.

What about Guan Moye?

He also doesn't know any foreign languages. He said that when he was in school, "a classmate would pass me a note to copy the English test, but I couldn't even understand it!"
Su Tong was the most educated person in the advanced training class, a graduate of Beijing Normal University, but he didn't know English. Wang Shuo commented on him, "He seems to know a little, but I think he tries to avoid speaking if he can avoid it."

This strange phenomenon reached its peak when the aforementioned individuals traveled abroad as a group to receive awards: since none of them spoke a foreign language, they were forced to stay in a foreign hotel all day playing cards, with zero interaction with foreign scholars.

Gu Bin asked, "What's your opinion on the phenomenon of domestic writers not learning foreign languages?"

Holy crap, how am I supposed to see this?
Is it a good thing not to study?

Yu Qie was a little embarrassed. "This is definitely not a good sign, but on the other hand, it shows that our writers are more down-to-earth."

Gu Bin didn't expect Yu Qie to be able to argue back from this angle, and he felt that Yu Qie was being unreasonable.

However, he understood that Yu Qie couldn't possibly agree with him on this issue. Yu Qie had become the vice chairman of the Beijing Writers Association last year, and he couldn't freely criticize his comrades in public.

The two sides began to discuss the hegemonic position of English literature in the world:

In Europe, many writers are fluent in multiple languages, at least one of which is English.

Gu Bin believes that "this multilingual environment has prompted writers to start thinking in English in order to sell their books, which in turn has consolidated English's linguistic hegemony in the world's cultures."

Yu Qie agreed with him on this point. "That's why I've always written novels in Chinese, then Spanish, and then English; unless my novel is originally an English novel, like my recent 'Lisbon Maru'."

Don't you find it troublesome?

"It's not troublesome. I've found that no matter how exquisite a translation is, it can't compare to the author's own original work, and there can be significant differences between the translation and the author's original meaning."

"Yes!" Gu Bin laughed heartily, his whole demeanor brightening! "There's a group of translators in China now whose Chinese proficiency far surpasses their foreign language skills, leading to doubts about the accuracy of their translated novels, yet they're still readable! This is because they contain many beautiful but distorted reinterpretations by the translators!"

"But what about the accuracy of the translation? Translators can't dig out everything. Even the author himself doesn't know what he wrote in the end."

Yu Qie also burst into laughter.

The most representative example in this regard is probably Yang Jiang, Qian Zhongshu's wife. Her translations were not accurate, yet she was regarded as a great translator.

……

The airport interview made Yu Qie quite comfortable, freeing him from the British business newspapers and allowing him to return to the atmosphere of literature.

Gu Bin and he discussed many issues, and both of them benefited greatly.

The originally planned three hours were quickly running out.

The staff came to inform Yu Qie that the interview could end, but the audience was still eager for more, feeling as if it was just the right time.

Gu Bin seized the opportunity and said, "How do you view female characters in Chinese literature? I feel that your writers don't understand women. They treat them as cars, tables, chairs, bread... They are either angels like mothers or devils who take from you."

Yu Qie responded with the statement, "It's not that Chinese writers don't understand, but that women themselves don't understand women."

Gu Bin spoke about Yu Qie's overseas translations, saying, "So many people have translated your novels now—Jin Jiepu, myself, some Japanese, and I've even heard of former Colombian President Betancur! Among all these translations, whose is your favorite?"

"My favorite is President Betancourt's translation of 'Return to One's Roots'."

"why?"

"Because I was unfamiliar with that book."

Everyone in Germany laughed, and even then, people kept coming into the airport for the interview.

Social issues remain the most popular topics. Gu Bin expressed his hope that Yu Qie would one day turn his attention to German literature.

“We have the Büchner Prize, a bellwether for the Nobel Prize in German literature. And unlike the Booker Prize, we are not exclusive. As long as you write in German, whether you are Swedish, Austrian, or Chinese, you are eligible for this award.”

He asked Yu Qie, "In your opinion, what kind of literature should German writers create next?"

Yu Qie stood up and answered him: "I think Germany and China have similarities. We are more concerned with the fate of the nation and the themes of the times than with personal emotions."

Gu Bin felt that these words were worth exploring further, so he pressed on, "Many things happen in Germany every day. What topic are you referring to?"

Yu Qie looked down at the audience and was suddenly surprised to find the hall packed with people, even the aisles were overflowing. These Germans were all looking at Yu Qie with eager eyes, hoping to get the insights of this "Eastern Yu".

“How many of you missed your flights?” Yu Qie asked.

A commotion arose from the crowd.

"Those who missed their flights, please raise your hands."

A sea of ​​hands shot up from the audience. Yu Qie roughly counted, and estimated that about a quarter or a third of the people had missed their flights.

It seems that once the interview touched on social topics, the Germans were completely captivated.

They also enjoy reading foreign celebrities' "sharp commentary" on the current situation in their own countries.

Yu Qie paused for a moment, then said, "If there is an idea that wins the approval of most of you, then that is your topic."

So what exactly is the theme?
Yu Qie remained silent.

On the plane, a Xinhua News Agency reporter who was traveling with him asked, "Professor Yu, what exactly was the topic you were referring to?"

“Rise.” Yu Qie said, “Although the German nation formed late, it has suffered a lot. They have been constantly splitting and reuniting, and have always been regarded as troublemakers.”

"Hasn't Germany already risen to prominence? The economy of just West Germany has surpassed that of the Big Brother."

"Not yet, there's still a lack of a landmark event."

For example, the reunification of Germany.

Yu Qie recalled an old story: At Princeton, where Yang Zhenning worked, there were many theoretical physicists from Germany. These people were proud of their "German" identity when they were young, but Germany fought in both World War I and World War II and became a pariah. The scientists then stopped mentioning their ethnicity.

Some people even feel that being of German descent is quite shameful. For example, Yang Zhenning's doctoral advisor, Taylor, was a key figure in the development of the hydrogen bomb, but later asked the US government to stop developing nuclear weapons and control the number of hydrogen bombs. This contradictory behavior was actually Taylor's fear that his German descent would be humiliated again because of his involvement in weapons development.

However, Taylor needed to develop weapons to prove his loyalty to the Western world—that he was a person who was beneficial to the civilized world.

This was embarrassing and made Taylor seem very distorted, just like Germans today.

Meanwhile, in Berlin, Germany, the local media immediately published Yuche's interview. The airport was packed, and many people were willing to miss their flights just to hear the interview, a scene that shocked many German readers.

The widely circulated newspaper Bild commented on the matter: "After winning the affections of Princess Diana, Yu Dongfang has captivated German tourists. More than a novelist, he is a social activist or a symbolic figure of the East."

“His very existence is a voice. Just like those widely circulated 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu—but in reality, Sun Tzu never said those things.”

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung attempted a serious analysis of the "theme" mentioned by Yu: "Professor Yu successfully predicted this year's stock market crash. Although the stock market has rebounded, we still remember the heart-stopping moment when it happened."

“We must take his public remarks seriously, and not forget that he is an economist.”

"—The topic?" CDU leader Cole also saw these news articles on his desk, and the protagonist was "Dongfang Yu," whom he was quite familiar with.

In recent years, the international environment in the East has been particularly favorable, resulting in the emergence of a number of cultural figures who also have an audience in the West.

Some people used this favorable environment to their advantage and immigrate; others opened up Western markets. Yu Qie was the latter; he not only had an outstanding appearance but also a solid career.

Cole didn't pay attention to Yuche's scandals. Like the Queen of England, he would think about whether there was anything he could use from Yuche's news.

A moment later, he quickly shook his head: Yu Qie is no longer in Germany, why would he cooperate with me to promote this?

Maybe there will be another chance next time?
Yu Qie received a great welcome upon returning to Beijing. His main itinerary during his entire trip to England was recorded in newspapers. Fishermen from Zhoushan wrote a thank-you letter to Yu Qie, which was covered with the handprints of more than seventy people. Yu Qie said with a smile, "This is one of my most precious gifts. I will donate it in the future. It is just temporarily being kept by me."

There's no need to elaborate on reports like "A Symposium on Yu Qie's Works" or "Learning from Comrade Yu Qie." He's declined them repeatedly, but some occasions involve important leaders who also want to see him and are his fans, so he simply can't refuse.

The leader was quite polite: "I wonder if Professor Yu would be willing to improve our literary skills? Talk about your understanding of Latin America and Britain... it would be helpful to our diplomatic work."

Yu Qie could only say, "Of course I'm willing."

Next, Yu Qie went to the bridge game to report for duty, accompanied by Nie Weiping.

"Old Nie, you're still here? Why are you always here?"

“Good brother, even if you become rich, you can’t stop me from playing cards!” Nie Weiping shouted.

The two smiled at each other and gave each other a deep hug.

Just like Yu Qie's soaring career in recent years, Nie Weiping also reached the peak of his career in 88. He won the "China-Japan Go Tournament" for three consecutive years. Next month, Nie Weiping will be awarded the title of "Go Saint" by the State Sports Commission and the Go Association.

This domineering title once made Nie Weiping tell the media, "I was so anxious that I couldn't sleep!"

However, Yu Qie believed that Lao Nie was just bragging, because he was thick-skinned and probably didn't know how to laugh!
"Mr. Qiao, I returned from England so quickly. I wonder who helped me? How can I thank them?"

"I don't know either!" said Qiao Gong. "We didn't really do anything. You were already well-liked... If I had to say, I feel a little ashamed to admit it to you, my fellow villager!"

"What is this nonsense?"

"Your foundation has raised £400,000 and $150,000 from the UK alone... I'd say you're practically the number one investor in China! You even donated $100,000 of your own money, am I right?"

So much money!!!

Nie Weiping was stunned.

He knew Yu Qie was rich, but he didn't know he was this rich.

The numbers surrounding him were astronomical, making even Lao Nie lose confidence. The following hours of playing cards were utterly boring.

After the card game ended, Yu Qie sat on the back of Lao Nie's bicycle. Lao Nie pedaled with difficulty and asked from behind, "Brother, brother!"

"what happened?"

"You really donated that much money!"

“I don’t know either,” Yu Qie said. “Actually, I don’t know how much money I have or how much I’ve donated.”

(End of this chapter)