Every time I read Du Fu's "A letter from home is worth ten thousand gold", I always have a very complicated emotion. In addition to my deep sympathy for the poet, I also have a concern for the letters. Middle school Chinese textbooks may also keep pace with the times. Letters were arranged as a must-learn content in the textbooks of the last century, and examination questions about letters also appeared frequently. Later, it gradually became a set of practical extracurricular materials without any learning requirements. Let’s just not mention it now.
However, with the popularity of modern communication tools, letters are increasingly forgotten. When friends are far away and relatives are away, a phone call or a text message can promptly report that they are safe. Letters seem to have become a nuisance that each other doesn't want to pick up.
But I am different. I have a preference for letters, and I don’t think I am conservative. When my child was in college, I got her a mobile phone, and the next year I bought her a computer so I could contact her almost at any time. However, I have a very traditional requirement: no matter what happens, a letter home every month is indispensable. The child does not dare to disobey orders and has persisted for 6 years. I sorted out the children's reply numbers, and almost all of the children's growth information was found in letters from home. When I miss my children, I dig out the letters from home and read them over and over again, which warms my heart. Although I can hear each other's voices directly on the phone, I am far more happy to receive a letter from my child than to receive a call from my child.
Therefore, some people say that letters are one of the essences of language and culture. Lin Juemin's "Death Letter", Lu Xun's letters home to his mother, and Mao Zedong's letters to his teachers all make people feel the true feelings of the world and be influenced by noble thoughts through the charm of letters.
The charm of letters cannot be replaced by all modern tools.
First, letters are as old as Chinese civilization.
Some people named the ancient myths as "letters passed down orally"; the ancestors' knotting of ropes as "letters to themselves"; and the image numbers on the rocks as "images". "Letters"; the oracle bone inscriptions were named "Letters left to future generations"; the letters written on bamboo slips, first tied with rope, then sealed with mud, and then stamped with seals on the mud, were named "the earliest anti-counterfeiting letters" ".
Cai Lun of the Eastern Han Dynasty invented papermaking, known as one of the four great inventions of ancient times, which provided convenient conditions for letters to spread all over the world. Whether they are scholars, officials or common people, letters are an important means of communicating with each other and conveying their feelings. But transportation was not developed at that time. After writing the letter, it was either sent in person or sent by someone. If the distance was far away, it was common for the letter to travel on the road for a year and a half. So people envy the fish swimming in the water and the flying geese in the sky, and place their thoughts on the blue waves of the water house and the white clouds in the sky. The picture is a word "kuai". With actual needs, there were messengers specially sent to deliver letters and inns specially designed for messengers to rest in horses. At that time, the post messengers were all official, because the emperor wanted to extend his imperial power and issue political orders. It is often an imperial edict, a relay of fast horses, traveling day and night. In any case, the main function of messengers and inns at that time was to transmit information. Since the advent of writing and paper, letters have become an important means of communication. Letters have become an important carrier for continuing the history of civilization for thousands of years, inheriting culture, and promoting economic and social development.
Therefore, letters are an important part of Chinese culture and have a long history.
Secondly, letters are as warm as home.
A wanderer said: In my heart, letters home are as warm as home. I also saw this news: There is a female student who doesn’t want any gifts for her birthday. She wants her boyfriend to write her a handwritten letter and send it to her at the post office. Zhang Xiaoyuan, a professor at the School of Literature and Journalism of Sichuan University, believes that this example can show that quite a few people have long forgotten the way of communicating emotions by writing letters, but at the same time, some people miss the warmth that letters bring us.
Professor Zhang believes that traditional family letters, as an integral part of the excellent folk culture of the Chinese nation, are a comprehensive carrier of literature, aesthetics, calligraphy, etiquette, postal service, packaging, paper and other cultures.
For thousands of years, it has carried the everlasting blood culture of the Chinese nation, maintained family ties in the world, demonstrated the radiance of individuality, and truly recorded the changes of the times. Many years ago, a girl shyly waited in front of her home for the postman to deliver a letter from her sweetheart. A mother quietly looked forward to when her son's letter would arrive home. Letters from home bring us romantic and warm imaginations.
"While communication is convenient, our emotions are actually devaluing." Take texting as an example. I receive a lot of text messages every holiday, especially during the Spring Festival, New Year's Day, Mid-Autumn Festival, On these beautiful days like Teacher's Day, text messages come in like snow. But I often read one post, reply to it, and then delete it immediately. Very few are retained. Most of it is forwarded, and sometimes the same message is received several times. Is there any true feeling in this, and is there any need to preserve it. I can say this with certainty: For those who have not seriously learned the knowledge of letters, text messages will not be moving. It can be called a game at most.
Therefore, Professor Zhang also believes: "In modern society, family affection, love, and friendship are becoming increasingly weak. There seems to be a layer of film between people. Letters written by hand always feel more... It is authentic and mellow, while the characters typed by machines such as text messages and emails are somewhat indifferent."
Ji Xianlin, a master of traditional Chinese culture, suggested: "Rescuing folk family letters is to inherit the culture of family letters, protect family homes, and use the words of family affection. Strength maintains family harmony and builds a harmonious society."
Thirdly, letters are as worthy of collection as fine wine.
The collection of letters does not rely on any media. It is easy to collect and durable, just like fine wine, the longer it gets, the more fragrant and mellow it becomes. Letters from home like Fu Lei's and Suhomlinsky's have now become reading books for educating children, and their role far exceeds the original education given by the authors to their sons and daughters. It contains many principles on how to conduct yourself in the world, encourage learning and knowledge, and cultivate one's moral character. The benefits are not just for one person, but for generations after generations.
There is also "Guanwen Guanzhi", which selects more than 20 exquisite letters from past dynasties. Letters are also a literary style in which literati express their opinions freely, such as Bai Juyi's "Nine Books of the Yuan Dynasty", Sikong Tu's "On Poetry and Letters with Li Sheng", Yuan Mei's "Reply to Shen Dazongbo's Theory of Poetry", etc. The documentary value of a wonderful essay written in an epistolary style goes far beyond ordinary discussions and greetings between friends.
Although paper letters are not as convenient and fast as electronic letters, they are more humanistic and emotionally charming. Using paper and pen to express your true feelings to your loved ones and exchange your learning experience, work experience, and life feelings with your friends is much more genuine and rational than e-mail letters. As modern people write fewer and fewer personal letters, paper letters will become a rare resource and become even more precious, so they are also highly valuable for collection.
Fourth, letters are a good educational media.
Letters are used for education, and their role cannot be underestimated. There was a teacher who encountered a problem student, but the effect of many heart-to-heart talks was not obvious. Occasionally, I found a note that the student had tucked into his homework book, so he immediately started communicating with him in the form of letters. After a while, the student "ranked among the best in grades, and his Mandarin level also improved very quickly, and he developed a good learning attitude." This habit has won praise from classmates and teachers” (summary of the teacher of the problem student).
Regardless of whether there is letter content in the textbook, I will teach students to write letters, and do it together with Chinese activities to achieve the purpose of singing two songs in one sentence. That is, first tell students the writing format and requirements, and then ask each student to write a letter to the teacher, including writing the envelope. If the writing format is correct, I will reply one by one; if there is a problem with the writing format, including signature or missing date, etc., as long as one item is unqualified, the original will be returned. Students like to see the teacher's evaluation or hope for themselves, so they will complete this Chinese assignment very seriously. Students who have not received a reply from the teacher should take their original documents to their classmates for analysis, find out the problems, and make corrections until the requirements are met and the teacher replies. The result of this kind of teaching is that students pay attention to writing paper letters, and have the habit of using letter format when writing emails or even text messages.
In particular, it can also achieve the purpose of educating people. Things that are difficult to say or have no chance to say are all communicated in letters. Students have no worries. Because the teacher’s language has been considered and is relatively civilized and modest, it is easier for students to accept it. This is conducive to enhancing the relationship between teachers and students, teaching and educating people.
Seeing the letters "helplessly fall away", I really hope that Chinese language teaching can give letters a place. This can be regarded as saving a civilization or culture.
(Author’s unit: Liuyang No. 1 Middle School)