Professor Xu Chao’s new book "The Art of Couplets" was recently published by Zhonghua Book Company. As one of the Zhonghua Book Company's "Literature and History Essays" series, this book aims to inspire people to overcome the many shortcomings and biases in current Chinese studies education. Xu Chao believes that the so-called "Chinese studies" originally contain the meaning of practice, application and ability, and must not just stay in theory. Therefore, cultivating talents must also include ability training.
Q: Teacher Xu, congratulations on the publication of your another masterpiece "The Art of Couplets". What are the considerations for writing the book "The Art of Couplets"? What is the connection with current Chinese studies education?
Xu Chao: This book is not a monograph on the study of couplets, but a reading guide to guide traditional culture lovers to understand the culture of couplets and learn to create couplets. From the popularization effect of TV programs related to traditional culture such as riddle guessing, Chinese character writing, and idiom contests, I found that "participation" and "training" seem to be more able to mobilize enthusiasm and attract everyone's interest.
For a long time, I have always been thinking about a question: why is the Chinese cultural tradition, especially the tradition of literature and linguistics, so prosperous and enduring? I speculate that this is probably related to the long-standing traditional Chinese education. The most typical ones are the education and training of "shu" (the basic content of which is writing and language) in the Six Arts, and the subsequent large-scale and popular education and training of poetry and prose that lasted for thousands and hundreds of years, among which "Personal class" education and training are the most popular. Dui Ke is also called Tui Dui, Genu Dui, commonly known as "Dui Duizi", which is the education and training of couplets. I feel that any knowledge and ability must be acquired through personal reading, research and practice by the subject of learning.
Professor Du Zexun from the Institute of Advanced Confucian Studies at Shandong University mentioned in my communication that the Nishan Academy student training program urgently needs teaching materials related to Chinese studies ability training, which also gave rise to the book "The Art of Couplets" . This book is now used as a textbook for Nishan Academy.
Q: The education and training you just mentioned seem to have been noticed by the ancients since the Enlightenment.
Xu Chao: There are many such stories. There is a record in "Qiao Dui Lu" written by Zhangju of the Qing Dynasty: While he was recuperating from illness, he liked to teach children and grandchildren about their subjects as a pastime. His grandsons were twelve and nine at the time. One morning, when I got up to take a shower, I used the word "copper basin" to answer the question, and the big answer was "Yu Jue". The fortune pairing is "mulberry leaves for washing eyes", the smaller one should be "apricot blossom plug", and the larger one should be "willow juice for dyeing clothes". On the vernal equinox, "day and night are equinoxed", and the little one answers "Feng Yun Hui". One day, the answer was "Peony flowers, wealth and honor", and the older one answered, "Pine and cypress leaves are evergreen". The younger one was speechless for a moment, but the girl next door happened to hear it and reminded him: Why not answer, "The maple tree is green and desolate"? Liang said that these are not a coincidence, "but childlike secrets and boudoir romances cannot be tolerated and are often forgotten", so they are remembered. Of course, this is only informal enlightenment education within the family. Classes in school are relatively formal and serious, and there are many ways to do so.
This kind of education and training was not only widely valued during the long-term imperial examination era, but also extended to modern times. Some educators also advocated its implementation in Chinese language education for teenagers. For example, Cai Yuanpei believes that class training is "not only the beginning of composition, but also the foundation of poetry" ("My Experience in Education"). The famous scholar Chen Yinke even put his practice into practice. In the Chinese language examination for freshmen at Tsinghua University in 1932, he actually asked students to answer the question "Sun Xingzhe" as the first couplet in the second couplet. At the time when the vernacular was being advocated, this "reverse" behavior was strongly questioned, and he had to explain that in addition to testing whether candidates could distinguish plain and oblique words and the actual and false words and their applications, it could also test their reading skills. How much, the wealth and poverty hidden in the language, and the order of thought.
Question: The simple "pair" actually contains such a profound mystery. Can you explain it briefly?
Xu Chao: Chinese educator Zhang Zhigong explained this more fully.
He said: "Attribution is a kind of practical pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar training, which also includes rhetoric training and logic training." This kind of training practice can "flexibly integrate grammar, rhetoric, and logic training, and combine it with Closely combine with composition" ("A Preliminary Study on Traditional Chinese Education").
Bing Xin's "Wanqing Collection·In Memory of Zhenduo": "In Datong, there was a receptionist named Qu Longshen. (Zheng) Zhenduo laughed and said: "This name is very interesting"...and He laughed and said, "This name is worthy of Zhang Fengju." "(Professor of Peking University at the time) We all burst out laughing." - "Zhang Fengju" and "Qu Longshen" can be described as extremely skillful and exquisite: not only "Feng" and "Dragon", "Ju" and "Stretch" are evenly matched, The parts of speech are all relative, even the characters "Zhang" and "Qu" in the surname are both oblique and have opposite parts of speech - such an extremely skillful and skillful "dual lesson", blurted out while talking and laughing, shows your skill! But in a sense, this is not the result of one person's efforts, but the result of more than a thousand years of traditional culture and traditional Chinese education. The course training improved the level of composition and poetry, laid a foundation for couplet writing, greatly promoted and popularized the couplet culture, and eventually made couplets a unique comprehensive art in my country.
Q: Why is it said to be “unique to my country”?
Xu Chao: First of all, from the perspective of its basic rhetorical means, it takes the dual rhetoric that requires harmony of oblique and oblique to the extreme, and is a literary genre and language art with the most dual significance. Secondly, it is the art of Chinese calligraphy. Finally, it is an art often accompanied by various national crafts. It can be said that couplets are a comprehensive art that integrates poetry, calligraphy, seals, binding or other related crafts.
To say that couplets are unique to Chinese culture means that they are unique in the world. Some countries in the cultural circle of Chinese characters also have them, but they originate from China, because the "basic materials" used in the couplets are Chinese and Chinese characters. Without Chinese language and Chinese characters, no matter how you organize the words and arrange the words, it is impossible to form a couplet. If you don't believe it, please ask Shakespeare and Tolstoy to translate our couplets into foreign languages ??and see which "foreign language couplets" can be like this! So I say, couplets are a comprehensive art unique to our country.
From an application point of view, couplets can meet the daily spiritual and cultural needs of people from all walks of life to the greatest extent, such as celebrating festivals, celebrating successes, relocating and celebrating birthdays, opening and closing businesses, weddings and funerals... almost All use couplets. And some couplets full of cultural elegance became popular among the scholar class: they can be used for personal use to clarify aspirations, rewards can be used to connect friends, chanting can express emotions, viewing can be widely heard, can be used to decorate study courtyards, and can be used to beautify landscape gardens. This cultural characteristic that integrates Chinese characters, calligraphy, and literature has made it a unique Chinese art of "dancing with writing and ink", and has even become an art of "climbing to the emperor's palace and descending to the common people's thatched cottages", and has become a literati. Art that is popular and popular among ordinary people has become art in every household and in all walks of life.
Appreciating elegance and vulgarity is the artistic effect of couplets, but fundamentally speaking, the reason why Chinese people are so fond of couplets lies in its unique national cultural characteristics and inherent qualities, that is, It integrates Chinese characters, literature, calligraphy and decoration, and can use extremely subtle and elegant art forms to show our profound cultural traditions and national spirit.
Q: Teacher Xu’s words made me understand that “Couplets” can be said to be the essence of traditional Chinese culture. But why does it feel like this essence is drifting away from us?
Xu Chao: Indeed, in our kingdom of couplets, we can see many indisputable facts: First, there are fewer and fewer wonderful new works, and there are many that do not meet the requirements of couplets; second, Many couplets found all over the streets have the upper and lower couplets reversed (but this is probably also related to the horizontal pattern written from left to right). The author once wrote a section on "Reading Couplets and Asking Questions" for my book, focusing on what I call "bad couplets and "couples" that are not couplets." Most of the examples are from calligraphers, even those with "status" and "big names". Some problems still appear in articles dedicated to couplets.
Although in the joint cooperation activities in recent decades, we can also see many excellent joint cooperation and joint families, from which we can still see the legacy of the previous generation of couplet masters and traditional couplet culture, but as far as the entire society and the overall level are concerned, Theory is very different from the past.
The more important reality is that we have lost the cultural background that lasted for thousands of years, and there is no trace of the extremely popular enlightenment education and training model in the old era. Despite this, our cultural bloodline that has existed for thousands of years will last forever, and that glorious cultural treasure house will last forever. The unfounded worry is that my country's extremely rich cultural resources of couplets are far from being properly recognized, let alone being fully explored and utilized. However, some places are still "mining" superficial culture. Shallow culture is not a representative of traditional Chinese culture, while thick culture will give people an elegant and upward spiritual influence and enjoyment, especially the essence of traditional Chinese culture. What we have to do is to take the essence and discard the dross, and strive to excavate, organize and spread those classic cultures and elite cultures.
Q: What can cultural educators and scholars do?
Xu Chao: For example, the preservation of ancient books in my country, social circulation and the extremely rich couplet culture found in scenic spots and historic sites across the country need to be comprehensively sorted out. Let’s take the cultural construction of tourist attractions that is currently very popular as an example. On the one hand, we can choose traditional and outstanding couplets based on the cultural background and cultural connotation of old and new attractions. We must also strive to create more new couplets with the characteristics of the times. , creating a new cultural environment for couplets. We can also work hard to create conditions to popularize and spread the couplet culture in different ways and improve the public's appreciation level. We hope that in the era of building a culturally powerful country, we can further pay attention to the protection of local rare culture and elegant culture in the inheritance, and the inheritance in protection. In this era of globalization, we should pay special attention to spreading an authentic quintessence of Chinese culture to the world.
In short, in the only kingdom of couplets in the world, we still have a lot to do in promoting and inheriting the culture of couplets. Fortunately, in the past two or three decades, a large number of books on couplet knowledge have been published, and the creation and writing of couplets are unprecedented. The team of couplet creators has also been expanding, and their level has been greatly improved. My hope is that there will be greater progress in this area, at least not allowing the couplet culture to decline in our generation.
Q: Your book "The Art of Couplets" includes an introduction to couplets, appreciation of couplets, examples of self-written couplets, selected examples of self-collected couplets, couplets and calligraphy, and selected examples of self-written couplets. Chapters such as self-written couplet examples, self-collected sentence couplet selections, couplets and calligraphy contain many of your own creative practice experiences, which are particularly valuable.
Xu Chao: Due to the changes of the times and social changes, I have never received any training in writing modern-style poetry or taking classes since I was a child, and even to this day, and I dare not write modern-style poetry at will. Although I also like the art form of couplets, my energy has been spent on professional teaching and related research for a long time, and I rarely think of actively creating couplets. Scattered couplets are mostly produced out of necessity. It is estimated that people who currently write couplets and want to write or learn to write couplets are like me. They are usually just hobbies. In this way, my creative experience has a broad significance, that is, my "experience" may be more beneficial to beginners. Compared with studying those classic couplets or couplet treatises that can only be sighed and difficult to reach, My humble work may be more practical.
In addition to creation, I also specifically mentioned the rational transformation of old couplets. Beginners can also start from this. There are examples in the book. It should be mentioned here that the old couplet was renovated to suit the current new use. In order to make the theme more obvious, sometimes a paragraph can be added to explain it. For example, the couplet recently inscribed by the author for the Scholars Building of Shandong University is slightly modified and adjusted from the old couplets of the predecessors. Lian Yun:
Chun Hua Qiu Shi learns the race,
The gentleman lives in Limen, Yi Road.
"Spring flowers and autumn fruits" is a common saying, but its deeper meaning may not be fully understood. For the convenience of readers, I have added the following text:
Yan Zhitui of the Northern Qi Dynasty said: "Scholars are like planting trees. In spring, they play with their flowers, and in autumn they grow in reality. Discourses and articles are also spring flowers; self-cultivation and conduct, "Qiushiye" is a fine theory.
Yan's words can be found in "Yan's Family Instructions: Encouraging Learning", which elaborates on the relationship between literary knowledge and self-cultivation practice. Together with this passage, it plays a great role in readers' understanding of "The Study of Race in Spring and Autumn Realities" and is conducive to the promotion and popularization of traditional culture. "The Way of Righteousness", "Mencius Gaozi 1": "Benevolence is the human heart. Righteousness is the way of people." "Wan Zhang 2": "Husband's righteousness is the way; etiquette is the door. Only a gentleman can follow this way." , this is the door for entry and exit.” Also in The Analects of Confucius: “Zi wants to live in Jiuyi. Confucius said: "How can a gentleman live in such a shameful place?" "" From spring flowers to autumn fruits, from the righteous road to the ceremonial gate and the gentleman's residence, it is the order of learning to enter the hall and enter the house, which corresponds to the cause and effect order of spring sowing and autumn harvesting. The name "scholar" is clearly embedded in the first couplet, and the name "gentleman's residence" is implicitly embedded in the second couplet "mansion".
I also want to say here that sometimes the old couplets can actually be copied in their entirety, but you should also consider adding a paragraph to point out the special meaning of the new title. For example, Shanghe County, Jinan, Shandong Province has recently built some cultural attractions, including a pavilion. Shanghe was called Maiqiu in ancient times, and there was a story about political philosophy that has been passed down to this day. The story is found in "Han Shi Wai Zhuan" and "New Preface", so it has a different meaning from ordinary folklore. Because I inscribed "Maiqiu Three Blessings Pictures" for another nearby scenic spot (a marble landscape wall with pictures of Maiqiu Three Blessings characters and stories engraved on it), I named this pavilion "Three Blessings Pavilion", and the pillars under the pavilion should be inscribed couplet. But it was very difficult for me to inscribe the couplet: if I wrote it myself, it might be easier to tell the story of the "Three Blessings" in the couplet, but it would be very difficult, so I thought of transforming the old couplet. During the deliberation, I came across an ancient couplet written by Zhang Wentao of the Qing Dynasty:
Good governance brings auspiciousness, and the energy is in line with the rain;
Nurturing the virtuous brings blessings, and wealth is like spring.
Zhang Wentao, also known as Chuanshan, was a poet in the Qing Dynasty. He was the prefect of Laizhou and had good governance. This couplet is a collection of ancient sayings. "Yi Lin·A Great Journey": "Kilin Phoenix, good governance brings good fortune." Volume 8 of "Han Shi Wai Zhuan": "(Phoenix Elephant) is colorful and bright, moves with the eight winds, and its energy responds to the rain." "Yi Lin· "The Small Animals in Kan": "Yao and Shun were benevolent and virtuous, and nurtured the virtuous and brought good fortune." The same book "The Revolution of Litigation": "The emperor established his Yuan Dynasty with literary virtue. He was as wealthy as Yangchun, and he was named Lord of Lu." Although it was written in the Qing Dynasty. , but it was so consistent with my "Searching and Searching" that it was no different from writing it specifically for "Three Zhu Pavilions", so I immediately decided to inscribe this couplet. But in order to tell the story of the three blessings of Maiqiu clearly to readers and tourists, I added the following paragraph:
Qi Huan Gong’s land was in Maiqiu, and he got the three blessings of Yisou. Duke Huan praised him for his good deeds, and the emperor returned him. He was courteous to the court and helped to achieve hegemony. The so-called "three blessings" are actually words of treasure for the people, respect for the wise, and good listening to the advice, which embodies the basic concepts of Confucian governance. Maiqiu is now the Shang River. The pavilion was recently built and I named it Sanzhu Pavilion. I also inscribed on its forehead a copy of a couplet written by Zhang Chuanshan, the magistrate of Lai Prefecture in Qing Dynasty, to commemorate his event.
This clearly explains the story and meaning of Maiqiu Sanzhu as well as the origin and meaning of the couplet. I think this approach is worth a try. Interestingly, because this work is for Shanghe County, considering the audience, I wrote it in running script. Later, I tried to write a piece in gold inscriptions. At an exhibition at the end of last year, this piece of gold inscriptions was stolen by someone who probably liked it very much. The case has not been solved yet. It shows that this kind of thing is still popular.
Q: Interesting. Teacher Xu’s discussion on couplets and calligraphy is also extremely insightful.
Xu Chao: The marriage with calligraphy has enabled couplets to find their best way to survive and develop. It is calligraphy that makes the couplet possible and pushes it to glory and perfection. Because it embodies the cultural tradition of the Chinese people and adapts to a noble spiritual and cultural pursuit of the Chinese people. The ultimate pursuit of his spiritual pursuit is to give supernatural power to language, Chinese characters and Chinese calligraphy. I have tried to do some analysis and discussion on this.
Q: I saw more than 30 couplets written by you in Chapter 8, including gold inscriptions and running script. They are all wonderful.
Xu Chao: That’s an exaggeration. Although most of them are temporary attempts at creation, they also reflect my pursuit of "Jimei art". Whether these couplets are my creations or collections of sentences, their diction is based on traditional culture with Chinese studies as the main body. The literary form is couplets, condensed metrical poetry, and pocket-sized classic culture. Calligraphy is graceful and elegant inscriptions, and it is also a typical temple culture. The text is commonly used in running script.
Such works are obviously more compatible with and expressive of rich cultural information, and can better focus on the shocking power of traditional culture and art. These are all manifestations of my pursuit of "Jimei Art". They may not have been accomplished or done well. My attitude is always "study hard and make progress every day." I will keep working hard.