Zhou Zuoren

Zhou Zuoren

Zhou Zuoren (from January 16, 1885 to May 6, 1967), formerly known as Zhou Kuishou, also known as Zhou Kuishou, was later renamed Zhou Zuoren. His name was Xingbao, also known as Qiming, Qimeng and Qimeng. His pen names were yashou, zhongmi and naoming. He was named Zhitang, Yaotang and duying. He is Lu Xun's brother and ZHOU Jianren's brother. He is a famous modern Chinese essayist, literary theorist, critic, poet, translator and thinker, a pioneer of Chinese folklore, and an outstanding representative of the new culture movement.

He has been a professor and director of the Department of Oriental Literature of National Peking University, and a visiting professor and director of the Department of new literature of Yanjing University. In the new culture movement, he was an important co-author of the new youth, and once served as the director of the new trend society. After the May 4th movement, he initiated the establishment of "Literature Research Association" with Zheng Zhenduo, Shen Yanbing, ye Shaojun, Xu Dishan and others, and founded "Yu Si" weekly with Lu Xun, Lin Yutang, sun Fuyuan and others as editor in chief and main contributors. He once served as the president of Peiping Esperanto Society.

Life experience

Early experience

On January 16, 1885, he was born in the Zhou family of duchangfangkou, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. It was named Kuishou and named xingdipper. Later, he changed his name to Kuishou. In his childhood, Zhou Zuoren received traditional Sinology education in his hometown's private school bookstore (Sanwei bookstore).

In 1901, influenced by the domestic new learning trend, he entered Jiangnan Naval Academy in Nanjing. In school, according to the allusion of "King Zhou shoukao, Ya is not a man", he changed his name to be a man, and was named as a scholar. After six years of studying in Guan shift (marine engineering; Marine Engineering), he had a good command of English. Later, he was admitted as an official student and studied in Japan with his brother Lu Xun and good friend Xu shoushang (Ji Fu).

In 1903, he went to Jiangnan naval academy to study naval management. After graduation, he studied in Japan for official expenses.

In 1906, after arriving in Japan, he studied Japanese first, then naval technology, and finally foreign language. He went abroad in the name of "building a house" (Civil Engineering). After arriving in Japan, he first studied the preparatory course of Japan's law and Politics University, then studied Greek at Tokyo's legalist University, studied the literary classics such as "the expedition" (written by Socrates' student Xenophon), after class, he also went to the seminary to study the original Greek text of the Gospels. After class, he translated and published the famous collection of foreign novels with Lu Xun The first edition of these two works only sold more than 20 copies. Although Hu Shi once said that this example declared the failure of translating foreign works in ancient Chinese (Chinese literature in the past 50 years), the collection of foreign novels is outstanding in both the literary grace of ancient Chinese and the translator's understanding of foreign languages. Zhou brothers, Xu shoushang, Qian Xuantong and others once studied Shuowen Jiezi from Zhang Taiyan, a master of Chinese culture, and formed friendship with each other. In addition, Zhou Zuoren also studied Russian and Sanskrit for a short time in Japan.

Study abroad and return home

In 1911, he returned to China from Japan.

In 1912, he worked as a school inspector in the Education Department of Zhejiang Province for half a year. Later, he became a teacher in the fifth Senior High School of Zhejiang Province and taught English for four years.

In 1917, he worked in the national history compilation office affiliated to Peking University. Half a year later, in 1918, he became a professor of Liberal Arts (School of Arts) at Peking University. He took up courses such as the history of Greek and Roman literature, European literature, modern prose, and Buddhist literature. He founded the Department of Oriental Language and literature at Peking University and became the first director of the Department. The Faculty of the Department also included Zhang Fengju and Xu zuzheng It broke out and stopped.

Zhou Zuoren also extensively participated in social activities. Since 1919, he has been a member of the Preparatory Committee for the unification of Mandarin of the Ministry of education of the Republic of China. Together with Ma yuzao, Zhu Xizu, Qian Xuantong, Liu Fu and Hu Shi, five teachers from Peking University and members of the Chinese Language Association, Zhou Zuoren proposed the motion of "please issue new punctuation marks" at the meeting, which was passed by the meeting and then issued to the whole country.

In 1922, he and other members of Qian Xuantong, Lu Ji, Li Jinxi, Yang Shuda, Hu Shi, Shen Jianshi served as members of the Chinese character Provincial Committee of the Preparatory Committee for national language unification (a total of 16 people). In the climax of the "non Christian Movement", he and Qian Xuantong, Shen Shiyuan, Shen Jianshi and Ma yuzao issued the declaration of freedom of belief, reiterating the spirit of freedom of belief.

In 1925, Zhou Zuoren supported progressive students in the storm of women's normal university. He signed with Lu Xun, Ma yuzao, Shen Yinmo, Shen Jianshi, Qian Xuantong and others to issue the Manifesto on the storm of Beijing Women's Normal University, and served as a member of the maintenance Committee of women's Normal University.

the period of the war of Resistance Against Japan

Professor Liu Ping

In 1937, after the Lugouqiao Incident, Peking University withdrew from Beiping. He had no colleagues and became one of the four "remaining professors" (the other three were Meng Sen, Ma yuzao and Feng Zuxun). He was entrusted by the president to guard the school property. President Jiang Menglin of Peking University later said in his memoirs (Xichao and Xinchao): "during the Anti Japanese War, he stayed in Peiping. I motioned him not to leave, so he did not leave. Later, he was arrested and locked up in Nanjing for his cultural cooperation with the Japanese during the Anti Japanese War. I often send people to see him, and often give him some necessary things and money. I remember once, he asked a friend to bring a letter out, saying that the court wanted my evidence. He told the court that he didn't want to be a traitor when he stayed in Peiping, but was entrusted by the headmaster to take care of the school there. The court asked me if it happened? I wrote back to prove it. As I left Nanjing in a hurry, I didn't think of him, so I didn't ask about him. "

Since September 1938, he has taught 6 hours a week in the Department of Chinese culture of Yanjing University (American Christian background), with the title of visiting professor.

Mysterious shooting

On the new year's day of 1939, a guest who claimed to be his student and surnamed Li asked Zhou Zuoren to see him. Suddenly, he was shot down, and the bullet hit the copper button and was slightly injured. The killer escaped without being caught. There have been different opinions about who was the killer of the shooting. Zhou Zuoren always insisted that it was the Japanese military's plot, while the Japanese side said it was the Kuomintang's spy. After the assassination, the Japanese gendarmes stationed in ZhouzuoRen, which objectively accelerated the process of "falling into the water".

After the war, someone wrote an article in the United States, claiming that he was a student at that time. He was dissatisfied with Zhou's trip to Japan.

As a matter of fact, Zhou Zuoren did not hold any administrative position in the puppet regime at that time. At first, he translated English and ancient Greek manuscripts at home at the Commission of the Cultural Fund Compilation Committee presided over by Hu Shi, until the Cultural Fund Compilation Committee moved to Xianggang.

Wang Jingwei took the post of political power

After the physical and mental impact of the shooting, Zhou Zuoren accepted Wang Jingwei's appointment as the director of the National Peking University Library in January 1939. In March, he applied for the post of "organizer of the school of Arts" of Peking University, and became the dean of the school of Arts after the beginning of school.

On November 8, 1940, Tang Erhe, the director of the General Administration of education of the North China Government Affairs Committee under Wang Jingwei's regime, died of lung cancer; on December 19, the 31st meeting of the Central Political Committee of Wang Jingwei's regime approved that "Zhou Zuoren was appointed as a member of the North China Government Affairs Committee, and designated as a standing member and the director of the General Administration of education", and formally took office on New Year's day, 1941.

Since October 1941, he has also served as the president of the East Asian cultural agreement.

Since June 1943, he has also served as vice president of North China Institute of comprehensive investigation.

Since May 1944, he has concurrently served as the manager of North China news, director of the reporting Association and director of the Sino Japanese Cultural Association.

Before and after the founding of the people's Republic of China

In December 1945, after the end of the Anti Japanese War, he was arrested by Chiang Kai Shek's Nationalist Government in Beiping on the charge of traitor. He was escorted to Nanjing for trial and imprisoned in laohuqiao prison. Zhou Zuoren's friends and students pleaded for his forgiveness. Yu Pingbo also wrote a long letter to Hu Shi, who was a diplomat in the United States, asking Hu Shi to intercede for Zhou Zuoren.

On November 6, 1946, the high court sentenced him to 14 years' imprisonment. On December 9, 1947, he was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment.

Hong Yanqiu's "Zhou Zuoren I know" (published in July 1967) wrote that "the Institute of science is still located in the original site of the Institute of science of Peking University in front of Jingshan East Street. Because the red building on the beach was occupied by the Japanese gendarmerie, a new three storey building was built beside the North Library of the horse temple for use. During the period of the Japanese occupation, the two colleges were not damaged at all, but increased somewhat After the victory, Zhou Zuoren confessed that he didn't want to be a traitor when he was put on trial. President Jiang Menglin asked him to take care of the school there. Former President Jiang wrote to the court to confirm this, and new President Hu Shizhi also proved that he had the merit of preserving Peking University's books and equipment. Therefore, the court was lenient and only sentenced him to ten years' imprisonment 。”

Zheng Zhenduo said that "his Japanese wife (nobiko Yutai) had a bad influence on him.".

On January 22, 1949, Li Zongren took over the presidency of the Republic of China. In the atmosphere of the Republic of China talks, he ordered the release of political prisoners. On January 26, 1949, Zhou Zuoren was released from prison and took the train to stay at the home of student you Bingqi in Shanghai.

Through you Bingqi, he contacted Hong Yanqiu, a former Taiwan student (who returned to Taiwan in 1946 and taught in Taiwan University since 1948) and expressed his intention to come to Taiwan. Hong Yanqiu, who studied two semesters and two credits of Zhou Zuoren's modern prose at Peking University, recalled in his article "Zhou Zuoren I know will be released." he asked you to write to me, saying that he wanted to come to Taiwan and ask Do I have a way to settle it. I went to my old friend, Dr. Guo Huoyan, and asked him to borrow the villa from Beitou. Guo Jun agreed, so I immediately wrote back to you Jun, telling him that he had a home and that my old friend Zhang Wujun and I could be responsible for the daily living expenses

Chinese PinYin : Zhou Zuo Ren