Everyone here is a learned person, and Zhou Hexuan is the worst.
Let’s talk about Zhao Yuanren first. He studied physics as an undergraduate and also received a doctorate in philosophy from Harvard. He also majored in mathematics and music.
Last year Zhao Yuanren joined Tsinghua University as a teacher. The courses he teaches include: mathematics, physics, linguistics, modern dialects, Chinese prosody, Chinese musical notation and Western music appreciation. One person teaches seven subjects. I wonder if you are afraid!
By the way, Zhao Yuanren was later called the "Father of Modern Chinese Linguistics" and made outstanding contributions to the promotion of Mandarin (Mandarin). Many linguists in New China were his students. That famous tongue twister was compiled by Zhao Yuanren:
Shi Shi, a poet in the stone chamber, eats lions and swears to eat ten lions. Shi Shi always looks at the lions in the market. At ten o'clock, ten lions are in the market...
Wu Mi's research direction is mainly literature, including Chinese literature and Western literature. I don't know what his academic achievements are, just remember the students he taught: Qian Zhongshu, Ji Xianlin and Cao Yu.
As for Liang Qichao, Chen Yinke and Wang Guowei, these three people have a common characteristic, that is, they are proficient in historical research.
After three drinks, the topic of conversation naturally turned to history.
Liang Qichao praised: "What I admire most about Mingcheng's "The Rise of the Great Powers" is its historical narrative method, which covers politics, economy, culture, science, and geography. This is the future development direction of historical research."
"It's difficult," Chen Yinke shook his head and said, "It's too difficult to collect information. Relying on individuals alone is not enough. It's best to have the state promote it."
Wang Guowei asked curiously: "Mingcheng, the book "The Rise of Great Powers" contains very detailed information and data. How did you master it?"
Liang Qichao also looked at Zhou Hexuan: "Yes, the details of the information in "The Rise of the Great Powers" are amazing. It took a lot of effort, right?"
Zhou Hexuan was telling lies: "I have lived in Nanyang since I was a child. After my family passed away, I traveled around the world. Everywhere I went, I would be familiar with the local customs and culture, understand their history and legends, and do everything possible to sneak into the library to check historical materials. "The Rise of the Great Powers"
》The content inside was collected and compiled by me over ten years.”
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone stood in awe.
Wu Mi praised: "I admire his sincere attitude towards scholarship."
"I will sharpen my sword for these ten years, and I will become a master!" Liang Ximing raised his glass.
Zhao Yuanren said with a smile: "Shou Ming, don't you believe in Buddhism? Can you also drink alcohol?"
Liang Xuming laughed and said: "What I believe in now is educational nationalism and pragmatism."
Liang Qichao valued Zhou Hexuan very much and took the opportunity to say: "Mingcheng's "The Rise of the Great Powers" is about to be published. Why don't you all write a preface to his masterpiece."
"That's no problem." Chen Yinke agreed immediately, and others also agreed.
Zhou Hexuan was so happy that Liang Qichao, Zhao Yuanren, Wang Guowei, Chen Yinke, Liang Suming and Wu Mi wrote the preface. This was really a huge honor! In a few decades, new readers will open the title page and just write the preface.
The name of the preface can shock people.
Wu Mi said: "Once The Rise of Great Powers is published, it will definitely be famous at home and abroad and become the best-selling historical work at the moment."
Zhou Hexuan joked: "I dare not steal Professor Zhang Jingsheng's limelight."
"Ha ha ha ha!"
After saying this, everyone here couldn't help but laugh.
The best-selling book nowadays is undoubtedly "The History of Sexuality" edited by Zhang Jingsheng.
"The History of Sexuality" contains twelve real-life experiences written by all college students. The content includes ignorant sexual enlightenment, adolescent agitation and self-(harmony) mood. The plot includes affairs, voyeurism, looking for a young lady, etc.
After each article, Zhang Jingsheng also wrote comments for it, and even proposed the theory of women's "third water" (chao squirting).
This book was published in May this year and quickly became popular all over the country. It often caused a sensation and attracted a huge number of readers.
It's just that Zhang Jingsheng was a bit tragic. His dignified Peking University professor was regarded as a "big nymphomaniac" and had to resign and leave the school, and local governments also began to ban and confiscate the book.
After everyone discussed "The History of Sexuality", Zhao Yuanren suddenly asked: "Mingcheng, you have lived abroad all year round, why do you speak Mandarin so well?"
"My ancestral home is Zhili. I have been speaking Northern dialect since I was a child, and I have also studied it after returning to China." Zhou Hexuan had his own words. He took out the manuscript from his briefcase and said, "I have one more important thing to do when I come to Peking this time.
I just met with the Director of Education, Ren Kecheng, and hoped that he could help promote my Mandarin phonetic notation method."
"I didn't expect that Mingcheng also had attainments in linguistics." Zhao Yuanren said in surprise, and quickly took over the draft of the Chinese Pinyin plan and started studying it.
Zhou Hexuan explained in detail: "My pinyin scheme uses the Latin alphabet, which is divided into initial consonants and finals, plus four tones."
Liang Qichao frowned and asked: "Mingcheng is also inclined to abolish Chinese characters?"
Today's academic research on pinyin and simplified characters is not based on reducing the illiteracy rate and making Chinese characters easy to learn and use, but on the direction of abolishing Chinese characters. Zhou Hexuan quickly explained: "The purpose of making this Chinese pinyin scheme is not to abolish
Chinese characters, but to promote Chinese characters, it is only an auxiliary tool to make it easier and faster for children to learn characters."
"Is there such a thing?" Wang Guowei didn't believe it. He thought that the Romanized pinyin and the new Chinese characters were all evil.
Who is Zhao Yuanren?
The founder of Chinese language science and the father of Chinese linguistics.
It only took him more than ten minutes to figure out the Chinese pinyin scheme. He kept mumbling it, and soon dipped his fingers in wine and wrote the pinyin of his name on the dinner table: zhào, yuán, rèn.
"Ha, what a great idea!" Zhao Yuanren clapped his hands and cheered.
Liang Qichao asked: "Is this method feasible?"
Zhao Yuanren said happily: "It is simpler and more practical than the Roman pinyin that is popular today. If this pinyin scheme can be promoted, it will be of great help to literacy and literacy."
"Is it really that good?" Wang Guowei still didn't believe it.
"It's good, but unfortunately it may be difficult to implement." Zhao Yuanren sighed.
Zhou Hexuan asked puzzledly: "Why?"
Zhao Yuanren explained in detail: "In order to promote standard Mandarin, the government has set up the 'Mandarin Unification Preparatory Committee' for seven years. Scholars across the country have worked hard to review pronunciation, simplify Chinese characters, standardize Roman pinyin, and edit Mandarin dictionaries.
It’s hard work. Ren Kecheng has just become the director of education. He also wants to make a difference. He just called everyone to a meeting not long ago and has decided to promulgate the "Mandarin Alphabet Pinyin Law" in the near future. Mingcheng, although your pinyin plan is wonderful, it is absolutely useless.
It is impossible to obtain approval from the Ministry of Education.”
Zhou Hexuan was silent, he understood what Zhao Yuanren meant.
If the Ministry of Education endorses and promotes Zhou Hexuan's Pinyin plan, it would be tantamount to negating the achievements of scholars across the country over the years. How could the Director-General of Education do such an offending thing?
Without unified, iron-fisted government support, this pinyin plan would never be implemented.
Seeing Zhou Hexuan's disappointed expression, Zhao Yuanren consoled him: "Mingcheng, you don't have to be discouraged. I can bring your pinyin plan to the 'Preparatory Meeting for the Unification of Mandarin' for discussion. I believe everyone is wise."
"I hope so." Zhou Hexuan smiled bitterly, he didn't have any hope for this.
