At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, in the era of vicissitudes, a name popped up and became a sensation - Gu Hongming. Known as the first madman of the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, he not only made great achievements in the academic field, but also became a comedian with his unique sense of humor and witty response.
Gu Hongming: A good debater.
Gu Hongming, who was comfortable in words, boasted in the words of Mencius: "How can I argue with a good tongue, I just have to do it!" "His speech is witty and humorous, and he can always inadvertently resolve embarrassment, becoming that high-profile satirical genius. When he was studying in the UK, every time there was a traditional Chinese festival, he would set up a altar in his room facing the east, toast wine and food, and worship his ancestors. The landlady teased strangely: "When will your ancestors come to enjoy your big fish and meat?" He replied with a strong voice: "Naturally, before your ancestors smell the fragrance of the flowers you offered at the cemetery!" ”
Laughing at the conspiracy: Gu Hongming's witty response.
Once at a banquet for foreign friends, Gu Hongming was pushed to the chief seat by everyone. During the meal, some people were curious about the merits of Confucius's teachings. Gu Hongming lost no time in replying: "Just now, everyone pushed each other to take the throne is to practice the teachings of Confucius. If the theme is the West's 'victory and inferior', today you have to wait until everyone competes to the death before you can set a seat and move chopsticks. He showed his understanding of Confucianism with witty words, which attracted the nods of foreign friends.
The Clash of Civilizations: Gu Hongming's Irony.
Foreigners curiously asked Gu Hongming: "Why do Chinese have braids?" He retorted: "Then why do foreigners have beards?" "Gu Hongming dares to challenge the preconceptions of others, and uses sharp contrasts to make people think about the diversity of civilizations in laughter. The British writer Maugham sent a letter to invite him to come because he wanted to see Gu Hongming, but he waited for a long time and was nowhere to be found. Gu Hongming saw Maugham himself coming to the door and said unceremoniously: "Your compatriots think that the Chinese are either coolies or compradors, as long as we beckon, we must come." Maugham was embarrassed and dumbfounded by Gu Hongming's witty response.
The pursuit of knowledge: Gu Hongming's arrogance and hard work.
Shen Zengzhi once humiliated Gu Hongming in public: "I understand everything you say, if you want to understand my words, you have to read Chinese books for 20 years." At this moment, Gu Hongming's arrogance burst out, and more than ten years later, he challenged Shen Zengzhi: "Ask the old-timers, which book can the old-timers memorize, I can't memorize, the old-timers can understand, I don't understand?" "Gu Hongming's proud attitude demonstrates the pursuit of knowledge and the confidence in his own talents.
China in the Eyes of Foreign Countries: Gu Hongming's Spiritual Journey.
As a foreigner, Koo's experience of living in China and Japan is in stark contrast. He said that the Japanese made him more and more annoying, while the Chinese made him more and more fond of it. His overall impression of the Chinese is "gentleness," an indescribable gentleness. He uses the brush as a metaphor for the wisdom of Chinese spiritual culture: "The Chinese brush may be regarded as a symbol of the Chinese spirit. It is very difficult to write and draw with a brush, and it seems that it is not easy to be precise, but once you master it, you will be able to make beautiful and elegant calligraphy and painting, which cannot be achieved with a strong pen in the West. "Through the metaphor of tools, Gu Hongming demonstrates his deep understanding of Chinese culture.
The Art of Humor: Koo Hongming's Stage Performance.
Koo's humor is not only reflected in his words, but also in his stage performances. Once, he gave a lecture in English on "The Spirit of the Chinese" at the Six Nations Hotel, and even sold tickets publicly. This was unheard of at the time, especially at that time, Mei Lanfang's ticket price was only one yuan and two dimes. Koo's unique approach to bringing humor to academic speeches is a celebration of his bold innovations.
Reflection and Improvement: Gu Hongming's Satirical Brush.
Gu Hongming's satire on the reformists is even more ingenious: "For example, when it comes to 'reform', people used to say 'from the good', and there is only the word 'from the good' in the dictionary, which refers to the prostitute who renounces evil and follows the right, and does not say 'reform'." 'Improvement' makes me puzzled, since you are already 'good', what else do you want to change? Do you want to change the word "good" back to "prostitute"? Gu Hongming's satirical pen reveals the questioning of the reform movement and the interesting understanding of the evolution of language.
Gu Hongming has shown excellent language talents since he was a child, and during his studies in the UK, he learned many languages, including German, French, Greek, Latin, Italian, Russian, etc. He was only 20 years old when he received his master's degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1877. At the University of Leipzig, Germany, he taught while studying literature and engineering, eventually earning a doctorate. Koo's multilingualism has earned him a reputation as a unique scholar of Chinese history.
30 years later, Cai Yuanpei came to the University of Leipzig and saw several Gu Hongming's ** hanging on the campus, and the legend of Gu Hongming could be heard everywhere. Forty years later, Lin Yutang visited the same university and found that Koo's essay had been included in the textbook. Gu Hongming's joke not only attracted attention at the time, but also left a deep impression in the hearts of future generations and became a joke for generations to come.
Gu Hongming's smile on life.
Gu Hongming, a scholar and humorous comic craftsman in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. With his unique style of laughter, he not only brought laughter to the times, but also left a profound impact on the academic field. His words and deeds are not only a witty response to the current situation, but also a reflection on tradition and modernity, Chinese and Western cultures. Gu Hongming's jokes, like a naughty key, have opened people's infinite reverie about life and left us a period of interesting historical chapters.