British writer

Chapter 117: Is the Nobel Prize for Literature very good?

Sweden,

stockholm,

Resplendent palaces, imposing churches, towering spiers, and narrow streets and alleys show the style of the Middle Ages.

The Swedish Academy is located in it,

It was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III of Sweden in imitation of the French Academy, with 18 academicians,

Because it is a lifelong system, there are only 18 members. Whenever an academician dies, the Faculty of Letters can add it by itself and submit it to the king for approval.

But because the constitutional monarchy weakens the power of the king, most of this "approval" is a process.

In addition to academicians, the college also has principals and vice presidents.

Then there is the post of permanent secretary.

The present Permanent Secretary is Carl David Ave Wilson,

At this time, he was busy with the list of nominees for the Nobel Prize in Literature in the round table conference room.

Someone behind him asked, "Carl, isn't it over yet?"

Wilson turned around,

In front of me is a Swedish man in his fifties,

The male has almost no urban atmosphere, but a certain dryness, and his facial features are also extremely firm and three-dimensional, even a little abrupt.

This person is Hans Ludwig Fussel, the first seat of the Swedish Academy of Letters.

The "first seat" here sounds like a second-degree illness.

But this is not a joke, but the fixed number of seats due to the tenure of academicians, so that the academicians of the Swedish Academy are very similar to the knights of King Arthur, and their meetings are also like a round table council, which is very retro.

"I'm researching writers from Asia," Wilson said.

He pointed out a name,

"Have you ever heard of Hu Hongming?"

Fussell corrected: "Should we say 'Gong'? Gong Hongming, just like Gunnar."

Gunnar Wenneberg is the second chair of the Swedish Academy.

Wilson murmured inwardly,

In the spelling of "Gunnar", isn't there one more 'n' than in "Gu"?

But he didn't ask, but continued: "Many of Gong Hongming's works are good. I just don't know if he can be contacted now. You know that China is fighting with a bunch of countries right now. "

"There were no killings, only killings," Fussell said.

It is impossible for the Qing government to survive.

Wilson couldn't help complaining: "You are really a typical affairs officer, you have no empathy."

As he said, Forsaier is currently serving in the Swedish government.

Fussell pouted,

"I'm just capable, honest, efficient."

This is obviously a joke.

Wilson couldn't help making an exaggerated vomiting,

Both of them are academicians but they can joke like this because when Wilson was editor of the "Swedish Literary Review", the two had collaborated and published two volumes of literary criticism.

Wilson said: "I didn't expect Ice and Snow to tell jokes."

Fussell heard that the other party was complaining about the joke he told, so he didn't reply, and turned to chatting about the Nobel Prize in Literature.

"Forget about Asia?"

Wilson scratched his head,

"how?"

Fussell said: "There are three or four Asian writers. Isn't there that Tagore?"

Wilson smiled and said, "And Lu."

Hearing this special pseudonym, Fussell was silent,

He is a fan of Roger Mystery.

After a while, he said: "If "Roger Mystery" was written in Chinese, it would be absolutely impossible to achieve the current achievements."

This is no exaggeration,

English is the most powerful language in the world, not one of them,

Writing in English naturally has far more readers than other languages. Even if the Qing government claimed that there were 400 million people in China, it still couldn't compare.

Fussell reiterated: "A few nominations from Asia will do the trick."

In the early days, the geographical attributes of the Nobel Prize for Literature were obvious.

Russia's weight is very light, Asia is basically ignored except for India,

But there is South Africa.

Wilson said: "I'm really not wrong, you are really a 'frozen man'."

This time, it’s about Fussell being cold-blooded and devoid of empathy.

Fussell shrugged,

"Oh, don't just talk about me. Isn't Tolstoy also on the list?"

The 18 academicians all tacitly avoided Russia,

I can only say that I understand everything.

Wilson touched his nose in embarrassment, and was about to explain a few words, when he heard a sudden knock on the door outside,

He raised his voice,

"Come in."

Immediately a clerk rushed into the house,

"Mr. Wilson, there is a telegram from London that was sent directly to the British Consulate, and someone sent it over there."

Many universities in the UK have a large number of international students and are relatively wealthy, so they can send and receive telegrams by themselves.

The Swedish Academy did not have this condition, and it was very inconvenient to send and receive telegrams.

Wilson took the telegram, and after reading only two lines, he couldn't help frowning, and muttered, "I'm sorry."

Fussell came over,

"how?"

While asking, he also read the telegram.

Both of them are well-known figures in the literary world, and they read ten lines at a glance, and they finished reading in a short time.

Fussell muttered to himself: "Lu Shi really...huh..."

Wilson said, "How?"

Fussell pondered for a moment, and said: "We still have to start with Mr. Nobel's will to consider this issue. The will stipulates that the winner of the literary prize must 'create the best works with ideal tendencies'."

Wilson was surprised,

"Mr. Tolstoy is not ideal enough?"

Fussell shook his head,

"His current works are full of anarchism and fatalism. What does it have to do with the so-called 'ideal tendency'?"

With a red mouth and white teeth, when his upper and lower lips touched, he forcibly created a reason.

If I had known earlier, Yasunari Kawabata, the later winner, was a typical nihilism, and he had nothing to do with the word "ideal".

Wilson said, "What about Chekov?"

Fussell glanced at the telegram,

"There's no mention of Chekhov either..."

Wilson said: "I am worried that the group of British guys in the University of London Union will move out Russians one after another to grind foreign jobs."

Fussell thought for a while and said, "Mark Twain and O. Henry were not nominated. Short stories are not considered for the first Nobel Prize in Literature for the time being. And, you know, this is not an excuse, but It's something we've decided on before."

Wilson bowed his head in thought, but didn't answer.

Fussell said again: "Still worried?"

Wilson couldn't help sighing,

"Don't forget that Lu Shi is a writer of popular novels and playwrights, and George Bernard Shaw is even more famous. They are not the kind of people who are not well-known. If something goes wrong, they may not be able to make money. stay."

This makes sense.

Fussell couldn't help but frown.

At this time, there was another knock on the door outside.

Wilson shouted irritably, "Come in."

Or that clerk,

Seeing that Wilson was not in a good mood, he walked in cautiously and said in a low voice, "Sir, there is also a telegram from Cambridge, please take a look."

The telegram was delivered.

Wilson finished reading it quickly, and said helplessly, "Cambridge also has doubts. Since historians like Theodor Monsen can participate in the selection, why didn't a writer like Tolstoy be nominated?"

"Is the wording harsh?" Fussell said.

Wilson looked again,

"I feel like it's just an inquiry, and I don't mean to accuse."

Fussell frowned,

"'Feel'?"

Wilson glared at him and said, "English isn't my first language, so I can't guarantee it. How about you read it?"

Fussell waved his hand,

"Stop reading."

He thought for a moment, and said: "Let's reply as I said. Mr. Nobel's will stipulates that the winner of the literary prize must 'create the best works with ideal tendencies'. There is no more appropriate reason than this. "

Wilson asked: "Unified reply?"

Fussell nodded.

"Yes, unified reply."

Wilson asked again: "Then what about Lu Shi and Bernard Shaw? The two of them clearly proposed to withdraw from this selection. The University of London Union is also ready to take the challenge."

Fussell smiled.

"It's okay. Invite more in the future, just show your sincerity."

As long as the Nobel Prize can be famous in the first year, I am not afraid that these people will not lower their proud heads,

Who doesn't love fame and fortune?

Fussell urged: "You write the cable quickly. We are still pointing to Cambridge..."

Halfway through the conversation, the door was knocked again,

thump thump——

Wilson immediately asked, "Who is this time?"

The clerk pushed the door open and said at the same time, "This time it's a telegram from Oxford."

Wilson shook his head,

"Come on, another one."

He immersed himself in writing the telegram, and said to himself: "I see, let's just get a general template."

...

Cambridge.

King's College.

In the huge conference room, a group of professors from the Faculty of Literary Arts and the Faculty of Languages are gathering to study the primary selection works for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Suddenly, someone said: "I don't know what it means."

A group of professors raised their heads and looked at the speaker.

The man coughed in embarrassment, and said, "This Tagore's plays are pretty good, but his poems are too ordinary. He is indeed a student of the University of London."

Is that how the word "worthy" is used?

Everyone laughed.

Tagore was indeed a graduate of University College London.

In 1878, he followed his father and brother's wishes to study in England. He initially studied law, but because he didn't like it, he transferred to University College London to study English literature and Western music at the same time.

James said: "So it's because the University of London is angry~"

The laughter of the crowd became louder.

James continued: "We still need to be fair and just in the selection of this literary award."

He looked at Tagore's works,

"But you're right. Tagore's play has something to say. It deeply satirizes the privileges and backward customs of Brahmin priests, but the poetry is really average, and it cannot be compared with Yeats, Hesse, and Prudhomme."

It's not wrong to say that,

Tagore's really powerful poetry collections, such as "Gitanjali", "Flying Birds", and "The Gardener", were not published at this time.

James added: "In addition, it may also be that the English translation is not accurate."

Everyone is puzzled,

"translate?"

James nodded.

"Didn't I visit Professor Lu before? He mentioned the problem of translation. He gave an example in Chinese. I understood it, but it was difficult to repeat."

Chinese is still too difficult for James.

Someone said: "It seems that Tagore is still not qualified, let's put it aside for now. The main problem now is Mr. Monson."

All the bigwigs in Cambridge fell silent.

History of Rome,

How can this book be evaluated from a literary point of view?

It's just hilarious!

They seriously suspected that the gang at the Swedish Academy had lost their minds.

James said: "It's okay, didn't you send the telegram? If the prediction is correct, the Swedish Academy should remove the nomination of Mr. Mommsen, or, in their conscience, it is not impossible to add Mr. Tolstoy."

If Mommsen is removed, it will be a purely literary review, easy to say;

If Tolstoy is added, the winner is uncontroversial, which is even better.

After hearing what James said, everyone was relieved from their work, or stretched their waists, or yawned.

James also made himself a cup of tea.

At this time, there was a call to the door: "Professor James, there is a telegram from Stockholm."

James opened the door, took the telegram and read it aloud:

"A brief introduction. According to the provisions of Mr. Nobel's will, the committee stipulates that the winner of the literary prize must create the best works with ideal tendencies, and Mr. Tolstoy is disturbed by fatalism, so he is not an optional person."

A professor asked: "What's next? What should Mr. Monson do?"

James stared at the telegram without speaking.

This attitude amounts to approximately an answer.

Someone muttered: "The Swedish Academy is really good."

The rest agreed.

At this time, James whispered again: "Professor Lu and Mr. Xiao actually... unexpectedly..."

Everyone:? ? ?

They didn't understand why Lu Shi and Bernard Shaw were suddenly mentioned.

James said: "I don't know why, but the British Consulate in Stockholm seems to have sent the wrong telegram, and sent us the telegram that should have been sent to the University of London Union."

As soon as he finished speaking, a young professor said, "It's normal. The affairs officer of Daying~"

The rest roared with laughter.

The young professor added: "Have you forgotten what it said in "Yes! Prime Minister"? 'Daying has always been inappropriate in terms of inappropriate people'."

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

People laughed louder.

After a while, the professors turned their attention to James,

Someone asked: "Montagu, you mentioned Professor Lu and Mr. Xiao just now, is there any problem?"

James couldn't help but take a deep breath,

"They rejected the nomination for the Nobel Prize in Literature."

In an instant, silence struck,

"..."

It was as if the pause button had been pressed in the conference room.

James repeated: "Professor Lu and Mr. Xiao rejected the nomination for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Moreover, the reason for their rejection was very straightforward, criticizing the Swedish Academy for not including Mr. Tolstoy in the nomination list."

There was another unspeakable silence.

Suddenly, someone laughed and said: "Indifferent to fame and fortune, but with noble sentiments."

This evaluation speaks to everyone's heart.

There is a lot of discussion,

"Without Mr. Tolstoy's literary award, is it still a literary award?"

"I love his novels, he understands human nature."

"Not only human nature, but also description and characterization. He knows what kind of person will react under what circumstances."

...

Someone asked: "Montagu, who led this matter?"

James read the telegram,

"Judging from this telegram, it should be Professor Lu who first proposed the idea that 'the Nobel Prize for Literature is incomplete without Mr. Tolstoy', and then Mr. Xiao was persuaded to withdraw from this selection. "

"It really is Professor Lu..."

The bigwigs in Cambridge spoke with one voice.

In their hearts, Lu Shi was such a man of high integrity, Huai Jin holding the jade, and green pines and cypresses.

Suddenly, James spoke,

"I am also ready to quit."

Everyone thought they heard it wrong and looked at him in shock.

James has a relaxed smile on his face,

"British gentlemen, you should be self-aware. As for the Nobel Prize for Literature...is the Nobel Prize for Literature really good?"

As soon as this remark came out, the emotions of the rest of the people were ignited,

"That's right, is the Nobel Prize for Literature amazing?"

"Hmph, I quit!"

"I won't do it anymore! The Swedish Academy nominated so many authors, do you really think we are horses?!"