Who is the author of The Scholars?

About the author

The author of "The Scholars" is Wu Jingzi, named Minxuan, who was born in Quanjiao, Anhui. Born into a distinguished family with "a scholarly reputation for generations", the Wu family in Quanjiao was once prominent in the early Qing Dynasty. "In the past fifty years, the family was at its peak." By the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods of Wu Jingzi's life, it had gradually declined. It was this process of falling into trouble that allowed Wu Jingzi to see through the truth of the world. After the age of sixteen, he gave up his intention to take the imperial examination and refused the imperial examination. He no longer followed the traditional path of becoming an official and showing off his relatives and becoming famous. Instead, he lived in seclusion in Nanjing and devoted his talents, emotions and deep understanding of society to the world. Thinking, concentrated in the writing of "The Scholars".

Introduction

"The Scholars" is a great realistic chapter-length satirical novel in the history of Chinese literature. Its content is based on the Ming Dynasty, but is actually the Qing Dynasty, and eight out of ten times it is based on the Qing Dynasty. The characters in Nine are all real people. The whole book does not have a coherent storyline, but is composed of a series of relatively independent stories. It centers on the life and mental state of feudal scholar-officials. It begins by exposing the imperial examination system and the ugly souls of the scholars who were enslaved by it. It depicts all living beings of different classes in a specific era and criticizes the eight-part system of selecting scholars that corrodes the souls of scholars. Its language is accurate, vivid, and concise, its characters are vividly created, its satirical techniques are superb, and it has reached a high level in art. Mr. Lu Xun believed that the appearance of "The Scholars" "is the first book that can be called satire."

"The Scholars" is a mirror looking into the demons of feudal society.

Character Introduction

The book focuses on a group of ugly scholars who are keen on fame and wealth, thereby exposing and satirizing the decadence of the imperial examination system and the hypocrisy of the entire feudal morality. Typical examples of corrupt Confucianism are Zhou Jin and Fan Jin; typical examples of corrupt officials – Tang Feng and Wang Hui; typical examples of stereotyped fans – Ma Jing and Lu Bianxiu; positive examples – Wang Mian and Du Shaoqing. From Zhou Jin's crying, Fan Jin's laughter, and Wang Yuhui's laughter and then crying, we can see that the author's writing is not referring to a certain person, but to the imperial examination system and feudal ethics. Therefore, when the author praises or criticizes characters, his satire is always It is to show its sense of proportion by closely surrounding the essential issues of things. Different character models reflect different ideological and cognitive values.

Theme

"The Scholars" takes the intellectuals of the feudal era as the main description object and criticizes the imperial examination system as the central idea. It depicts the vast social life of feudal society and exposes the Various ugly phenomena at the end of feudal society revealed the inevitable fate of this society.

Artistic Features

1. A notable artistic feature of the book is the sketched and silhouetted characters.

2. Successfully used the satirical art of realism.

3. Achieved a high degree of harmony and unity of comedy and tragedy.

4. Transform the ugliness of life into the beauty of art.

5. The novel depicts this universal social landscape and fundamentally reveals the destruction of talents by the feudal system.

Evaluation of the work

"Adhere to the public spirit and point out the ills of the times. He is sharp and sharp, especially in Shilin; his writing is both humorous and humorous, tactful and full of satire." Through the exposure of all kinds of absurd phenomena that are disharmonious, contrary to human nature, and contrary to common sense, it is injected into the description of the characters' boasting, boasting, being smart, self-defeating, deceiving the world, claiming to be noble, self-contradictory, etc. As Gogol said: "Our liars, our monsters... let everyone laugh happily. Laughter is so great, it does not take away lives or property, but in front of it, you will bow your head and admit your sin, like A tied rabbit."

An artistic feature of the book is the sketched and silhouetted characters. "The Scholars" is a novel with constantly changing protagonists, or a novel composed of countless short stories. It is basically impossible to describe his life experience in detail and express the characters in the twists and turns of the plot. character traits and spiritual world. Therefore, Wu Jingzi focused on the most dazzling characteristics of people's personalities, thereby expressing a relatively static life phase in depth and detail. This is like taking a fragment from the character's long personality development history, and then letting it go around in front of people, magnifying "this one" here and now.

This is an excellent way to outline satirical characters. It makes the characters bright in color and the plot flows quickly, as if the story ends once the character's facial makeup is sketched, and it is these exquisite craftsmanship that leave a deep impression on the readers. A wonderfully distilled plot.

Quotations from "The Scholars"

1. It is difficult for upright officials to deal with household affairs

From "The Scholars·Chapter 29". Even honest and upright officials find it difficult to judge internal disputes and right from wrong within a family. It is a metaphor that it is difficult to explain right and wrong within a family.

2. The situation of the world depends on the warmth and coldness, and the appearance of people competes with each other

From "The Scholars Chapter 55". It means that most people in the world tend to follow the trend, flattering those in high positions and rich people, and being ruthless to those in low positions and without money.

3. If the sky does not collect, the earth does not care

From "The Scholars Chapter 55". It is a metaphor for not being controlled by anyone and being free.

4. Thirty years in Hedong, thirty years in Hexi

From "The Scholars Chapter 46". It was originally said that Feng Shui was either east of the river or west of the river. It refers to the constant changes in the river course. Thirty years ago, a certain place belonged to Hedong, and thirty years later it became Hexi. It is a metaphor for the changing world, the ups and downs.

5. Like entering a treasure mountain and returning empty-handed

From "The Scholars Chapters 1 and 3". It's like arriving in a mountain full of treasures but coming back empty-handed. It means that although you encounter a good opportunity, you get nothing or do not seek any benefits.

6. A dead prefect is worse than a living mouse

From "The Scholars Chapter 18". Magistrate: An ancient official name, the chief executive of a prefecture. It means that a prefect who has stepped down or died is not as noticeable as a living mouse. Describes the harsh conditions of the world and the snobbery of people.

7. No chance of success

From "The Scholars·Chapter 4". Refers to a person who is vulgar and humble, does not understand etiquette, and cannot socialize at the table. It also means that people cannot help.

8. The book has its own golden house, the book has its own thousand bells of millet, and the book has its own beauty like jade

From "The Scholars Chapter 15". Golden House: refers to the gorgeous main house. Qianzhongsu: refers to a very generous official salary. Yan Ruyu: A beautiful woman as beautiful as flowers and jade. Encouragement to learn. It used to be said that as long as a scholar studies hard, he can obtain all the fame, wealth, luxury, beauty and beauty from books.

9. Ants on a hot pot

From "The Scholars·Chapter Six". It is a metaphor for being in trouble, having no way out, panic and confusion. It also means being very anxious and restless. "History of the Sui Dynasty" 24: In this wall, the prince and Yang Su are ~.

10. The baby does not cry and the milk does not swell

From "The Scholars Chapter 45". Wazi: baby. Milk: Breast. If the baby doesn't cry to feed, the mother won't remember that the milk is engorged. It is a metaphor that if you have nothing to do, you will not look for trouble.

11. There is no hatred between husband and wife

From Chapter 29 of "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. Overnight, overnight. This means that it is normal for couples to have quarrels, but there will not be major differences or hatred. It is intended to advise couples to understand each other and not hold grudges.

12. In three years of Qing Dynasty, the magistrate received one hundred thousand snowflakes of silver

From the eighth chapter of "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. Qing, incorruptible. A magistrate who is honest and honest for three years can still accumulate a hundred thousand snowflakes of silver, but what will happen to a magistrate who is not honest? This exposes the reality of widespread corruption in the Qing Dynasty's officialdom.

13. The grass does not grow, and the weeds do not come.

From the second chapter of "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. 炂: Pennisetum, a grass that only bears ears but does not bear fruit. 蠠: That is foxtail grass. Weeds and weeds all resemble crops but are not actually crops.

14. I have never eaten mutton, and I am full of mutton.

From Chapter 52 of "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. Tan: Sheep smelly gas. It is extended to a stench similar to sheep's odor. This sentence means that doing things does not bring benefits, but causes trouble.

15. Build a tent at home and pretend to be fat outside

From Chapter 24 of "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. The tent is used as a quilt cover to describe the family's plight. To pretend to be fat: It means putting on airs, putting on a facade, pretending to be rich. It means that one's family is poor but one pretends to be rich in front of others.

16. When money comes to business, fire comes to rotten pig's head

From Chapter 13 of Wu Jingzi's "The Scholars" in the Qing Dynasty. This metaphor is used as "the pig's head is rotten by the fire", vividly revealing the dark reality that in the Qing Dynasty officialdom, people with money could reach the gods, but without money, it was difficult to move forward.

17. The elderly are not polite, and the sick are not polite

From the twelfth chapter of "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. It is said that neither the elderly nor the sick need to be overly formal.

18. It is good to study well, to farm well, and to learn well; it is difficult to start a business, and difficult to maintain success, but it is not difficult to know the difficulty

From the 22nd "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty Back. For yourself and your family: It is a good thing to study and seek knowledge. If you work hard, you will have good harvests. It is good to learn from good moral character, knowledge, and abilities. It is difficult to create a career and family business. Keep the career and family you have created. Karma is even more difficult. If you know the difficulties and work hard to do it, it won't be difficult. This is a commonly used basic motto in the Chinese farming era that emphasizes "farming, reading and passing on the family".

19. When the road is rough, draw your sword to help

From the first and second chapters of "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. Unfair: Unfair, unreasonable. When encountering injustice on the road, he drew his knife to help the bullied party. Describes fighting against injustice and acting bravely when one sees justice.

20. The dragon head belongs to Lao Cheng

From the third chapter of "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. Dragon head: refers to the number one scholar in the imperial examination. Legend has it that in the Song Dynasty, Liang Hao won the first prize at the age of eighty-two and wrote a poem: "We also know that it is good for young people to pass the exams, but it is for the mature to compete for the top spot." It was later used as a blessing for the elderly who participated in the examination. It means that the number one scholar belongs to old adults.

21. A cheerful smile

From "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. Open means to stretch. Describes being very happy.

22. A stone fell to the ground

From Chapter 45 of "The Scholars". It means that the worries don't matter anymore and the worries that have been hanging around are relieved.

23. There is no hatred between husband and wife

From "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. No matter how good a couple is, they will inevitably quarrel, but there is no such thing as an overnight feud when a couple quarrels. It is better for couples to quarrel, because quarreling is a form of powerful communication. As long as you control the balance, don't make up your mind that you will win every quarrel. It is enough to express your dissatisfaction while leaving a way for the other party to retreat. It not only vents emotions but also enhances mutual feelings. And due to the deep emotional foundation of the couple themselves and the large number of opportunities for daily communication, the so-called "overnight feud" is definitely impossible to happen.

24. It is difficult to start a business, but it is difficult to maintain success

From Chapter 22 of "The Scholars". It is very difficult to start a business, but it is not easy to hold on to the industry.

25. Dizziness

From the second chapter of "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. Faint means to be drowsy. Describes a feeling of being groggy, confused, and lacking in energy.

26. Bizarre

From Chapter 55 of "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. Luminous means strange brilliance. Lu Li means all kinds. Describe strange and colorful shapes. It also describes things that are bizarre and changeable.

27. Bargain without concealing the truth and repay the money on the spot

Quoted from Chapter 14 of The Scholars by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. The seller deliberately offered a high price, but the buyer was only willing to offer a low price. This describes the bargaining scene between buyers and sellers, and also profoundly reveals the mentality of buyers and sellers: the buyer tries his best to raise the price in order to earn more profits; the buyer tries his best to lower the price in order to protect his own interests. Reduce your own losses. Therefore, the essence of bargaining between buyers and sellers is the process of competing for interests between buyers and sellers.

28. Well-organized

From Chapter 13 of "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. Jingjing refers to a neat and uncluttered appearance. Described as orderly and not chaotic at all.

29. One family, one plan

From Chapter 27 of "The Scholars". Refers to monogamous family life or property. Also extended to a family.

30. Clusters of Flowers

From the third chapter of "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty. Brocade refers to silk fabrics with exquisite patterns and bright colors. Cluster means to be grouped together. Flowers are gathered into groups and colorful brocades are gathered into piles. It also refers to something beautiful and exquisite.