The students were silent.
They were all waiting for something new and original to say when they landed.
Lu Shi said: "Someone just mentioned the issue of the continuation of civilization. Generally speaking, civilization should have three elements: writing, culture, and social organization. It is not equal to a region, a country, or even a bloodline or a race. "
Someone pointed out: "Professor Lu, you are going a bit far."
The others nodded,
Didn’t we just talk about the dispute between Britain and China?
If you want to answer, you should come one by one.
Lu Shi said with a serious face: "I heard some people say that 'Chinese civilization has ceased to exist long ago', and even thought that it is a stupid idea that Chinese is stronger than English. That's why I say this."
He corrected: "First of all, I just mentioned rhythm. I didn't say which one is better or worse at the application level."
Then he added: "Secondly, Chinese civilization has not been epoch-making. As long as a normal Chinese with a certain education, the writing before the Qin and Han Dynasties may be difficult to recognize, but after Qin Shihuang unified the writing, there should be few who can't recognize it. Character."
Cavendish asked: "When did Qin Shihuang live?"
There are many people present who know the history of China.
Natsume Soseki was the most knowledgeable and immediately gave the answer: "Around 220 BC."
Cavendish was stunned on the spot;
"B.C?"
He looked at the professors around him and had an idea in his mind:
At the same time, more Latin was used in Europe, but can Europeans with only general education recognize Latin now?
He didn't ask this question in the end.
Because the answer is absolutely no.
Lu Shi said: "So I want to respond to the question just now."
He held up a finger,
"First, Chinese characters come from one continuous line. From the oracle bone inscriptions to the Chinese characters used today, we can see a clear development path. In other words, the characters may have changed, but this change evolved on the original basis. Rather than being covered by other words."
This is irrefutable.
But even though it was true, what Lu Shi said was still quite heartbreaking.
In particular, the sentence "It is not covered by other words" will definitely give some Europeans the illusion that it means something.
Lu Shi raised two fingers,
"Second, Chinese culture is continuous."
After saying this, the students in Cambridge immediately started to get excited.
Someone choked and said: "Isn't this right? The Qing Dynasty was... humph..."
Although the British do not understand Chinese culture,
However, they knew the Qing court.
Lu Shi said: "It seems that you also understand China."
Once upon a time, Daiqing was also a "great power" in the eyes of Daiying, who was not a human being.
However, along with the war, the Qing army suffered repeated defeats. In the end, the Qing Dynasty was forced to sign various treaties, which led to a plummeting international status.
The person who just asked the question nodded.
"Know a thing or two."
Lu Shi then replied to the other party: "It is indeed at the level of 'knowing a little bit'. You just wanted to say that the Qing Dynasty was ruled by a foreign race, right? Then, I would like to ask, in the era of foreign invasion, whether the Han people maintained What about your own culture?”
This question goes a little deeper,
No one answered.
On the contrary, politicians like Cavendish and Wodehouse are somewhat knowledgeable.
Wodehouse said: "This is true. China is amazing. Even if foreigners become rulers, in many cases, the foreigners must be deeply bound to the Han people in order to govern the country well. Therefore, the foreigners must learn Han culture."
George Bernard Shaw asked: "Wouldn't that mean you would be assimilated? Hiss...in the end, wouldn't you be able to distinguish your own bloodline and not know where you came from?"
Wodehouse shook his head;
"I'm not sure about this either."
Bernard Shaw complained: "Then you just said so much."
Wodehouse said: "It's just something I feel."
He was actually thinking of those unequal treaties, many of which were signed under the leadership of Han officials in the Qing court, which made him feel that foreigners must rely on the Han people to govern China.
Lu Shi said: "The ancestors of European civilization should be ancient Greece and ancient Rome. Isn't that a problem?"
The students looked at each other,
This default attitude is also an answer.
Lu Shi continued: "The relationship between modern China and ancient Chinese civilization is much closer than the relationship between modern Europe and ancient Greek civilization."
Someone said: "What about ancient Egypt?"
Britain has a large number of colonies in Africa,
Therefore, the first thing the students at the scene thought of was to use that land as an example to refute.
Lu Shi replied: "I just said that civilization is not equal to a region, a country, or even a bloodline or a race. Why is it said that ancient Egypt perished? It does not mean that the land of Egypt has disappeared, nor does it mean that the land of Egypt has disappeared. The people on the land are extinct. If the land is still there, there will always be people living. However, people are different. What gods did ancient Egypt believe in and worship? What about Egypt now? The ruling method of ancient Egypt was the integration of politics and religion. , the religion now is completely different from that then, isn’t it equivalent to civilization being overwritten?”
These ideas are not very new, but they are difficult to refute.
James nodded,
"Yes, Professor Lu does have research. However, Egyptians probably don't like to hear this."
Cavendish said: "Are the Chinese people willing to listen to the statement that Chinese civilization has been cut off?"
Everyone was silent.
Lu Shi had the opportunity to refute those one-sided views one by one because he was qualified to stand on the podium and speak.
The Egyptians want to refute, is there a chance?
One student said: "Didn't Professor Lu just say, 'Many Chinese people feel that Chinese is a burden'? Will a civilization that gives up on itself really not be discontinued in the future?"
Lu Shi said: "That is the view of a small number of people."
The students were puzzled,
"But you said 'many Chinese people'."
Lu Shi spread his hands: "Let me tell you a number. China's current population is 40 million, while London residents are only 2 million. Therefore, 'a small number of people' and 'a lot' do not conflict. The key is to look at What do you use as a reference?"
In 1901, the Qing government published national census figures of 47 million.
But this is an approximation. Therefore, 40 million was only a rough estimate and understanding of the total population of China at that time.
Lu Shi said: "China's failure and decline are only temporary."
He held up three fingers,
“Third, our land must be revived.”
After that, the fourth finger,
"Fourth, our people are still resilient. No matter what difficulties we face now, we still recognize that we are Chinese. This is the basis for the continuation of civilization."
The students looked at the landing in awe.
They had met various political figures, but none of their speeches were so impressive.
Gradually, there was applause.
Human psychology is difficult to explain. Once you accept someone, you often become tolerant in all aspects.
Lu Shi said: "When I talk about the inheritance of Chinese civilization, I don't mean to state that Chinese has a long history, so it must be better than English. I just want to say that there are as many civilizations in the world as stars, and each language has its own advantages and disadvantages."
He chanted in a low voice:
"
Guan Guan Jujiu, in the river island.
A graceful lady, a gentleman is fond of quarrels.
"
The chanting is in Chinese.
Lu Shi said: "This poem comes from the Book of Songs. It is the beginning of ancient Chinese poetry. It is a collection of poems that was born in the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period. The Spring and Autumn Period, from 770 BC to 476 BC, has been two years now. It has been more than a thousand years. It should be understandable that the Chinese have studied poetry for so long and have made great achievements in rhythm, right?"
The students in Cambridge all smiled,
From the bottom of their hearts, they have accepted Professor Lu's statement.
Lu Shi continued: "You are Cambridge students, and you will all achieve success in various fields in the future. Therefore, I hope you can treat everyone and every civilization more equally. I have a dream... um... …”
At this point, the speech was suddenly interrupted.
When everyone looked at the landing curiously,
They are all waiting for what Lu Shi’s dream is~
Lu Shi was embarrassed,
Because of his professional background, he can recite many English speeches in full.
For example, Churchill's "We will fight to the end", "We will fight to the end, we will fight in France, we will fight on the oceans, and we will fight with confidence in the air!", many people should have heard of it.
Another example is "I Have a Dream",
Just now Lu Shi talked about equality, so he almost changed the subject to Martin Luther King's famous speech.
He coughed lightly and said, "Let's continue talking about translation."
If the topic suddenly changes, the students will definitely not do it.
The bottom fried into a pot of porridge,
"Why don't you continue?"
"Professor Lu, tell me about your dream."
"Yes, tell me!"
…
Discussions came from all directions.
The students all wanted to know what Lu Shi's dream was.
Lu Shi had a headache.
He pondered for a moment and said:
"
My classmates, despite all the difficulties and setbacks, I do have a dream.
I have a dream that one day, in Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda, the sons of former slaves will be able to sit at the same table as the sons of former slave owners and talk about brotherhood;
I have a dream that one day even Rhodesia, a place where oppression is rampant, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice;
I dream that one day, in Burma and India, Asians and British people can live hand in hand with each other.
"
Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda in West Africa,
Rhodesia in South Africa,
Myanmar, India in Asia.
These were British colonies around the world.
The corner of Wodehouse's mouth curled up and he whispered: "Haha, I feel that Professor Lu's English speech is more provocative than his works."
This is inevitable,
Lu Shi's speech was adapted from "I Have a Dream". The value of this speech cannot even be accurately measured.
Bernard Shaw nodded and said: "Yes..."
Wodehouse said: "No wonder Winston thinks so highly of Professor Lu."
If Lu Shi heard this, he would definitely complain.
He is a Chinese, running around and calling for equality, there is no problem,
It’s due to interests~
Churchill, an Englishman, worked hard for this and even gave up various rights in overseas colonies. Wouldn't he become a traitor to the British?
And the most magical thing is that Churchill did exactly that.
After joining the Liberal Party, he was quickly appointed as Undersecretary of the Department of Colonial Affairs. The most important achievement during his tenure was to promote South Africa to obtain autonomous status.
It is no exaggeration to say that he is "Churchill, the founding father of South Africa".
Not to mention Churchill’s subsequent efforts and efforts towards the United States.
Well, very heroic indeed.
Lu Shi's speech continued:
"
I have a dream.
I dream that one day, the valleys will rise, the mountains will descend, the rough and tortuous roads will become smooth, and the Holy Light will be revealed and shine on the world.
No matter who it is, we can work together, pray together, and fight together.
If Britain is to become a great nation, this dream must come true:
Let the voice of equality ring from the mountains of Nigeria!
Let the voice of equality ring from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the Boer battlefield!
Let the voice of equality ring from the Gobi Desert of India!
…
"
The scene was deathly silent.
The expressions of the students were all very exciting, some were surprised, some were obsessed, some were inspired, or some had tears in their eyes.
Obviously, all were affected by the speech.
But Lu Shi looked at them with a very indifferent expression.
His heart is like a mirror,
As the saying goes, "the butt determines the head." The British enjoyed all the conveniences brought by the colonial world, so how could they really treat others equally?
Ordinary citizens are easily fooled. After watching "Yes!" Prime Minister", he would scold the cabinet a few times.
The elites are different,
Especially students at Cambridge University, the cradle of politicians,
Here, there is an 80% probability of sending imperialists to the Palace of Westminster, and the other 20% are opportunists. They shout "freedom!" and "equality!" It’s just a vote;
And those who truly believe often cannot enter the Palace of Westminster.
But even so, the effect of the speech is still very obvious.
Because the dream depicted in "I Have a Dream" is grand and beautiful, it is really exciting.
After a long silence, the students started talking.
Lu Shi pressed his hands down to indicate silence.
The people in the front row noticed his actions and closed their mouths.
The people behind are still discussing.
Cavendish frowned,
"Quiet!"
For a moment, the entire riverside lawn became quiet.
Lu Shi bowed deeply to Cavendish.
"Thank you, Mr. Superintendent."
Later, he said to the students: "I know that my speech is just a dream, a daydream. Because it is impossible for Cambridge students to believe a word of it."
See through, don’t tell,
Lu Shi said it directly, which was very slap in the face.
But no one could argue with that.
Indeed, after the excitement just now, the students at Cambridge University calmed down a lot.
Let the voice of equality ring from the mountains of Nigeria?
forget it.
The students at the University of London Union don't think so.
Someone took the lead and shouted: "Professor Lu, what you said is really good, can you say a few more words?"
As soon as this statement came out, the students of Cambridge University were ashamed.
Compared with the hot-blooded "young men" of the London University Union, these people are like "old men" who have already half-footed their way into the Palace of Westminster. They are sullen, as if everything is for profit.
Lu Shi smiled and waved his hand,
"No, that's all I have to say. Let's continue with the theme of this speech - translation."
After speaking, he turned the topic back to "Faith, Expression and Elegance".
Cavendish fell into deep thought as he watched the chatter above as he landed.
After a while, he asked the professors beside him: "Do you think that what Professor Lu just said, such as 'If Britain wants to become a great country, this dream must be realized', are they sincere?"
The professors responded with silence.
After waiting for half a minute and seeing no answer for a long time, Cavendish whispered: "Professor Lu, you are really doing this for Da Ying's sake..."
(End of chapter)
