The sun had already set when we rushed to the Académie Française.
On the banks of the Seine, the moon rises,
The cries of newsboys still reached the carriage:
"The masterpiece of science fiction "The Village Teacher" is highly recommended by Mr. Verne and illustrated by Mr. Monet. Buy it on a first-come, first-served basis!"
Bernard Shaw couldn't help but chuckle,
"The newsboy is quite knowledgeable. He is also Mr. Verne and Mr. Monet, but he does not mention that the writer is Lu."
Lu Shi waved his hand indifferently and replied: "I am still unknown in France. Selling newspapers is a commercial activity. If you want to make money, don't do it."
He turned to the three Frenchmen,
"I know Paris has always had a rich nightlife, but it's already evening, are the newsboys still running around?"
Roland spread his hands and explained: "This is usually not the case. This will only happen when the book is particularly popular."
Poincaré and Verne nodded in agreement.
Lu Shi asked again: "45 francs for a book, the purchase price must be high. Aren't the newsboys afraid of getting it in their hands?"
Verne had worked with Hetzel and his son for a long time and knew the joints.
He replied: "Because the profits are high."
As he spoke, he counted on his fingers.
"The books in the hands of newsboys are usually sold on consignment to bookstores, and they earn much more than newspapers. Do you think how much does a thick stack of "Le Figaro" cost? If you can earn ten centimes, that's not bad! And! The profit from a copy of The Rural Teacher may be more than a franc."
Centime is a French currency.
One hundred centimes to one franc.
In other words, it takes ten copies of "Le Figaro" to sell just one copy of "The Country Teacher".
Verne said: "Alex just said that some bookstores have sold out of "Country Teacher", and readers have to go to the street to find newsboys to buy it. I believe that many newsboys can sell five or six copies a day, If you don’t believe it, we can ask.”
With that said, Verne prepared to open the car curtains.
As a result, the coachman's voice came from outside: "Gentlemen, we have arrived at our destination."
Verne was so angry that he had to give up.
Everyone jumped off the carriage.
They noticed that at this time, an old man carrying a large box in both hands was walking towards the concierge with difficulty. His gray beard was illuminated by the moonlight and glowed beautifully with silver.
Lu Shi recognized him at a glance.
"Toon!"
Tolstoy paused for a moment.
boom--
The box fell to the ground,
He wiped the sweat from his brow with the wide sleeves of his windbreaker while looking for the source of the sound.
Roland walked up quickly,
"Mr. Tolstoy! You are here!"
As he said that, he helped Tolstoy carry the heavy suitcase and introduced himself: "I am Romain Rolland. I have corresponded with you occasionally before. I still remember your first reply to me."
Tolstoy mused,
In the blink of an eye, Roland's name came to mind.
He showed an expression of sudden realization and said: "Well...it turns out you are Mr. Roland. However, regardless of the letter, it is just an old and outdated view. When I think about it now, I feel that it is a good teacher."
Regarding this letter, high schools in some provinces may provide extended reading.
The title of the article is concise and concise——
"A Letter to Romain Rolland".
Starting from the specific issue of the necessity of manual labor, Tolstoy discussed major issues such as human moral standards and the happiness that humans should have.
This letter reflects Tolstoy's pursuit of "moral self-improvement."
The letter was completed on October 3 and 4, 1887.
At that time, Roland was still studying at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, preparing for the examination to obtain the qualification for a tenured position as a secondary school teacher.
With a feeling of apprehension, he wrote a letter to Tolstoy, whom he admired.
Unexpectedly, Tolstoy actually replied.
Roland said: "I really remember, 'Human wisdom does not consist in knowing things. There are countless things that we cannot know. Wisdom does not consist in knowing as much as possible. Human wisdom lies in knowing an order. , it is good for us to understand things according to that order.'"
This paragraph is the original text of the letter.
Tolstoy looked confused, obviously not remembering.
Roland was slightly embarrassed,
"Sorry, I was too excited."
He stepped aside and made introductions to several other people.
Except for mathematicians like Poincaré, everyone present can only be regarded as juniors in front of literary giants like Tolstoy.
Not to mention Lu Shi, a fledgling cub.
Several people shook hands with Tolstoy respectfully.
After Tolstoy heard Lu Shi's name, curiosity appeared in his eyes, and he looked Lu Shi up and down.
Then, he said: "Are you 'Mr. Li'?"
Lu Shi quickly corrected him: "Toon, you are mistaken. My surname is 'Lu', not 'Li'. My pen name comes from my surname."
Tolstoy laughed,
"Of course, of course. I know your surname is 'Lu'. I'm talking about the illustration of "Country Teacher". Mr. Monet used delicate brushstrokes to outline the image of a private school teacher, haggard but calm. It should be you. Prototype, right?”
Lu Shi was surprised,
"Have you read The Country Teacher?"
Tolstoy nodded and replied: "I am... um... can we go indoors to chat?"
Poincaré stepped forward;
"Mr. Tolstoy, we have arranged a dormitory for you."
He immediately led the way.
On the way, he went back to his residence and picked up poker and Longjing tea.
When he arrived at the place, Poincaré took the initiative to boil water and explained at the same time: "I seem to be obsessed with making tea. Watching the tea leaves dancing up and down in the glass or porcelain cup, my heart can calm down, and my thinking becomes profound and quick." "
Tolstoy was also watching curiously.
Soon, the aroma of tea spread in the room.
He took a sip and then said: "It is clear and slightly bitter, but soon the sweetness returns and the aftertaste is endless."
As he said that, he looked at Lu Shi,
"Is this Chinese tea?"
Lu Shi nodded,
"This is the top-grade Longjing tea, with a bright green color and a fresh and refreshing aroma. If you brew it according to the European seasoning method, it will not taste good."
Tolstoy took another sip and savored the tea.
a long time,
"Huh~"
He let out a long breath,
The long journey of traveling by boat seemed to have been dispersed.
Lu Shi said, "It must be very hard for Tuo Weng to come all the way, right?"
Tolstoy heard what he meant and smiled: "It's really troublesome when I leave the country, because some of my works have led me to the Tsar... Forget it, let's not mention it."
Lu Shi asked: "Is it "Resurrection"?"
Tolstoy was surprised,
"You actually know "Resurrection"?"
Bernard Shaw, who was standing next to him, immediately took over and said: "Lu not only knew about "Resurrection", he also knew that "Resurrection" offended the Tsar, and you had to make a lot of cuts and even pay for it out of your own pocket before it was published."
Tolstoy's impression of Lu Shi became very good.
Lu Shi said shamelessly: "Towen, if I don't know you, how can I say that you are the most suitable person for the first Nobel Prize in Literature?"
Tolstoy waved his hand,
"Actually, the Swedish Academy's criticism is not wrong. Now I no longer have the energy I had when I first created it."
Lu Shi opened his mouth, wanting to refute,
Tolstoy raised his hand and interrupted: "Compared to an enterprising and courageous young man like you, I am far inferior."
This is outrageous.
Even if the electrician Da Liu himself sat in front of Tuo Weng, he would not dare to ask Dadi to receive such praise.
What's more, Lu Shi can only be regarded as a porter.
He hurriedly said: "Toon, no matter how good "Country Teacher" is, it can't be better than your work!"
Tolstoy chuckled,
"Who says I think you can write better than me?"
Lu Shi: "Ah this..."
After all, it was paid by mistake.
Tolstoy patted him on the shoulder and said: "War and Peace, a book with nearly 600 characters, completes a grand narrative and lifts up the entire human civilization. It is said to be ' The epic of the times cannot be overstated."
This is the real Versailles,
Guoguo boasts, but uses a calm and descriptive tone,
But no one sitting here could refute.
Tolstoy said: "The reason why I say that I am far inferior to Professor Lu is not because of my writing ability, but because of my choice of writing topics."
Verne on the side interjected: "Science fiction?"
Tolstoy shook his head,
"It's not ordinary science fiction... Mr. Verne, most of the best-selling works you wrote are a combination of science fiction and adventure. People read it for fun after all. And works like "Facing the Tricolor Flag" , but it didn’t sell many copies.”
Verne helplessly spread his hands,
"No way, readers won't like that kind of book."
If a literary and artistic work has too much of a main theme, it will have a strong preaching meaning.
It’s surprising that this can be sold.
After all, most people do it for fun. If they want to get an education, why not study the French Civil Code?
Tolstoy pointed to Lu Shi,
"But Professor Lu did something that none of us can do - teach through fun."
Everyone was silent.
Lu Shi couldn't help but scratch his head.
Times make heroes. In modern times, "Country Teacher" can certainly move people, but not many.
Because with the popularization of compulsory education, even though there are all kinds of poverty, ignorance and backwardness, and all kinds of breathless despair, many hazes have been swept away.
But things were different at the beginning of the 20th century.
In the age of great strife, everyone's thoughts have undergone tremendous changes along with various ideological trends, and people are more likely to be inspired by literary and artistic works.
Tolstoy was curious: "Professor Lu's creative technique is very magical. Many contents seem to be written without any emotion, but they can make people burst into tears. Is this writing method unique to China?"
Lu Shi explained: "Line drawing, without any emphasis or exaggeration."
This method of expression is very common in Chinese.
There are many examples of the use of line drawing in Mr. Lu Xun's works.
However, most of the famous works in foreign languages are known for their vivid descriptions.
Tolstoy nodded,
"It's really rare for this kind of work to be so popular. In addition to bookstores, I also saw many newsboys selling this book on the road. The short story sold surprisingly well for 45 francs per book."
Speaking of this, Tolstoy seemed to have remembered something and asked everyone: "It's so late. I see there are still many newsboys selling "The Village Teacher" on the street. Aren't they afraid of having the book in their hands?"
Lu Shi asked this question just now.
Verne explained again, and then said: "If the books and newspapers sell well, you might have the opportunity to go to school."
At the 1900 Paris World Expo, in order to demonstrate its national strength, the French government made a lot of efforts to improve people's livelihood.
Reduce communication and transportation costs;
Reduce children’s tuition fees;
Coercive control of flour prices;
…
These efforts have effectively improved the living standards of French citizens.
It was not until World War I that, due to the pressure of war, the country entered a wartime state, these benefits had no choice but to be reduced.
Therefore, Verne was not joking when he said, "If books and newspapers sell well, you might be able to read a book."
Tolstoy is silent,
Judging from his uncertain expression, he was obviously thinking of Russia under the Tsar.
Compared with the prosperous France, Russia is simply a coward.
After a while, Tolstoy suddenly said: "I am seriously considering donating all my property and giving it to farmers or children who need education."
Bernard Shaw:? ? ?
Roland:? ? ?
Poincaré:? ? ?
Verne:? ? ?
The four of them were shocked.
Only Lu Shi looked calm,
He knew very well that Tolstoy's thoughts changed drastically in his later years, and he even began to hate his aristocratic status. Therefore, he wanted to distribute the land to the peasants and make the copyright of all his works public.
And this decision will seriously damage the interests of Tolstoy's family.
Because for his family, the source of income is the output of the farm and royalties.
Without both, his wife and children will have to worry about food and clothing.
For this reason, Tolstoy and his wife Sophia had a rift, and the two sides tortured each other, which eventually forced Tolstoy to run away from home. He suffered from freezing and exhaustion in a train station on a cold night, and finally died.
Verne persuaded in a low voice: "Mr. Tolstoy, even if you really want to donate, why bother donating everything?"
Roland on the side also said: "Yes, even Mr. Nobel did not donate all his assets in his will to establish the Nobel Prize, but 94% of the total assets, 31 million Swedish kronor."
Tolstoy did not respond to them;
However, the expression on his face was as solid as a rock, as cold as ice that would never melt for thousands of years.
Seeing this, no one else knew what to say.
Lu Shi couldn't help but sigh,
He didn't want a great writer like Tolstoy to die like that.
He said: "Have you ever heard of the Chinese proverb, 'It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish'?"
Of course I have never heard of Tolstoy.
But the literal meaning is still easy to understand.
"It's better to give people fish directly...well...if you think about it by extension, it should be said that giving people existing knowledge is not as good as giving people the method of learning knowledge."
Lu Shi nodded and said: "So, in terms of donations, I appreciate Mr. Nobel even more. He uses his influence to make people continue to pursue physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, and literature."
The others rolled their eyes,
They complained in their hearts that the Nobel Prize in Literature was almost embarrassing Lu Shi, but he didn't blush at all.
Verne said: "You mean to set up a fund? But what does this have to do with 'teaching a man to fish is worse than teaching him to fish'?"
Lu Shi was embarrassed,
"It really doesn't matter."
He just wanted to say a profound proverb to make Tolstoy think.
Verne: "(ˉ▽￣~)cut~~"
Tolstoy on the side smiled and said: "Actually, it doesn't matter. The proverb tells us that a one-time favor is far less effective than a steady stream of kindness. Indeed, I should set up a foundation. But..."
He looked troubled.
Poincaré sighed and said: "The Nobel Prize can be achieved only because there is official endorsement. Mr. Nobel died in December 1896, and it was not until April 1897 that his will was approved and implemented by the Norwegian Parliament. The Nobel Foundation would be established to administer inheritances and prizes. In Russia, would the Tsar..."
No one answered,
But what Poincaré wanted to ask was ready to come out.
Of course, the answer is readily apparent.
Lu Shi chuckled and said: "Mr. Poincaré's thinking is narrow. Toon sets up a fund, why not in Europe? Then, the executor will go to Russia every year to make donations."
Everyone thought Lu Shi was stupid.
After establishing a foundation, it needs to invest, manage, and make money.
When the Russians are doing things in Europe, they are afraid that the Europeans are being fooled.
Lu Shi showed a rather sinister smile: "Everyone, don't forget the current background."
Verne asked: "What background?"
Lu Shi smiled even more,
"Now is the preliminary period for the first Nobel Prize in Literature. All the literary giants in Western Europe think that Toon is the one who deserves the title, so they withdrew from the selection. If...hehe, I mean if, Toon will cheer up A call, how should you writers respond?"
"hiss……"
Several people took a breath.
grass!
Lu Shi was too gloomy!
It's a shame for this guy to become a scholar instead of a businessman.
Lu Shi added: "Further, if Tuo Weng becomes the winner of the first Nobel Prize for Literature in the eyes of the public, and announces that the prize money will be used to establish a foundation, and hopes that the good people will donate generously, everyone Shouldn’t we follow the example of those with money and those with strength?”
Negative!
It’s so gloomy!
Lu Shi looked young, but he was Taiyin Zhenren.
At this time, Tolstoy on the side slapped his forehead and said: "It's broken! I sent the telegram of the second rejection to Stockholm."
Lu Shi said, "It's okay, I'll send you another telegram. Just use the British Consulate's dedicated line."
Tolstoy nodded immediately,
"I need pen and paper."
Roland on the side quickly rummaged around, found pen and paper, and said, "Mr. Tolstoy, you tell me, and I'll record it."
Tolstoy said: "The message is as follows, 'Dear Nobel Committee, Swedish Academy...'"
(End of chapter)
