Some Chinese had long felt left out of the literature loop by the fact that no Chinese writer was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in almost 100 years after its inauguration. They believe that if Chinese literature is going to achieve more in the world, it is necessary for Chinese writers to be recognized with the honor.
Unexpectedly, that changed in the last year of the 20th century, when the coveted prize was placed in the hands of Gao Xingjian, a Chinese-French writer. Along with this win, respected and popular writers such as Ba Jin (Li Yaotang) and Wang Meng from the Chinese mainland, Jin Yong (Cha Leung Yung) from Hong Kong and Lee Ao from Taiwan have been allegedly nominated in recent years. This year, people pin their hopes on Ah Lai, a young Tibetan whose novel When the Dust Settles won the Fifth Mao Dun Literary Award, the highest contemporary Chinese literature award in 2000.
Others, however, ponder whether the Nobel Prize is really that important to China. Since 1901, there have been a total of 96 laureates in literature, 73 from Europe, 10 from North America, five from Central and South America, four from Asia, three from Africa and one from Australia. According to them, these figures demonstrate that the Nobel Prize is not as “international” as it would purport to be and is therefore not worthy of the attention the Chinese pay to it.
Not Necessary to Show So Many Concerns
Yang Zhiguang (Managing Associate Editor in Chief of China Writers magazine): I myself do not care much about the Nobel Prize because I think I am estranged from it. Although popular cultures across the world increasingly tend to converge, convergence is still not the mainstream in the field of literature that features strong national spirit. Worldwide, divergence over literature has widened in recent two decades. Therefore, orientations of different prizes have diversified. It is very difficult for people from different cultures to fully understand each other. Chinese literature is also developing with its own characteristics and it is impossible for all people to understand, let alone foreigners. So, let them do what they like.
Zhang Shengyou (Publisher of the Writers Publishing House of China): Chinese literature is in a state of progress. Today, there are over 1,000 novels published in China every year, but at the same time, complaints still exist that speak of “few masterpieces.” In my opinion, the direction of development in Chinese literature is not clear. Regarding the Nobel Prize as important may come from expectations to find the way forward in the dark.
On the other hand, the Nobel Prize has its own evaluation mechanism, which awards those supposedly deserving the prize according to principles and standards developed over years. Chinese writers do not have to adhere to the orientation at all. On the contrary, they should focus on the true features of social life in the country.
Xu Jia (freelancer): Any prize has its own evaluation standards. Literature mirrors society and has strong national characteristics. To be precise, literature is first national, then international. As an “international” prize, who decides its standards? The Swedish Academy? What are the standards?
Westerners will use their culture, values and theories to assess all things within their standards. May we ask, how many of them understand Chinese literature, understand the Chinese way of thinking, and understand the essence of Chinese Confucianism? Obviously this becomes a limitation of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Furthermore, language is another chasm. How many people in the Swedish Academy can read Chinese? Their evaluation of Chinese literary works is based on translated versions. As everyone knows, translation will inevitably reduce the intrinsic charm of a literary work and, sometimes, misinterpret its original ideas. More important, there are good as well as bad translations.
In this case, is it really regretful that we Chinese have not been awarded this prize? Why must we cater to others’ standards with our own things?
To say the least, even if Chinese writers got the prize it does not mean Chinese literature achieved much in international literature circles. Gao Xingjian is a good example. His works have been translated into many other languages, but more important, he himself can write in French and his dramas are often staged in local languages in Western countries. Not counting on the Chinese language, can these works still be categorized as “Chinese literature?” It is therefore clear that if Chinese literature wants to achieve more in international literature circles, winning a prize is not enough.
As for “evaluation,” subjective factors are inevitable and external interferences might influence fairness and justice of the prize as well. For this, I mean politics and beliefs. Let us look at the first Chinese winner of the prize, Gao Xingjian. He moved overseas after 1989. His background of “exile” and his works that involve Chinese politics make Westerners naturally feel that he is “close” to them. This advantage could have led to his victory to some extent. Therefore it stands to reason that domestic writers are much harder to win the prize. How can it be “regretful”?
As for the spoils of the Nobel Prize in Literature, no doubt it is good if Chinese can get a share. If we cannot, it doesn’t necessarily point to any mistakes that might cause the bemoan that Chinese literature is “in decline” because the “fault” is not ours and the one “in decline” is not us. Literature of every nation has its own characteristics and cannot be judged on one set of rules.
Why is Western literature gradually accepted by us? Because we accept their values. However, our values have not been accepted by the review committee of the Nobel Prize in Literature and our culture is a disadvantage in their eyes. This is not a problem of culture itself but an issue related to various factors like economy and politics. Not long ago, Jin Yong once expressed a marvelous opinion, saying he will not change his beliefs to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, nor will he change his outlook on life to please others.
If only Jin Yong’s words can be our common understanding.
Winning the Prize Is of Vital Importance
Li Wuyue (China Youth Daily): I am always thinking that the Nobel Prize is a worldwide honor to win. A renowned poet from Taiwan, Kuang-chung Yu once said that the Nobel Prize “is only a Western not a worldwide prize.” However, if it only belongs to Westerners, Rabindranath Tagore from India could not have won the prize and neither Japan’s Kenzaburo Oe.
“We assume the winners are not bad, but there are second-rate ones.” Yu’s comment is really true. But toward October every year, our literature circles and even more people will be “fretful” for some time. Whatever levels the Nobel Prize represents, domestic writers should have the resolution to make an appearance. If the prize is a high-level one, we should send our top writers to take part in the competition; if it is only “kids’ stuff,” such writers are not rare in China. “Among those who did not win the prize there is no lack of great masters, such as Tolstoy.” These words from Yu seem just to console himself. It is true that Tolstoy never won the prize, but are such unrecognized masters large in number?
Before winning the prize, it is imperative to make unremitting efforts for self-improvement, instead of blaming the review committee all the time. Members of the review committee are humans, too, and they are inevitably influenced by geographic, political or some other factors. But we might as well look upon this matter positively—-if our writers are good enough, like Tagore, producing works without room for criticism, isn’t it good? At that time, in my opinion, it is not simply the Nobel Prize that honors us, but the Chinese writers in return add honor to the prize. Because of Chinese writers’ “appearance,” the Nobel Prize in Literature will be more international.
Therefore, how can it be wrong to be “fretful” about the Nobel Prize? How can it be discouraged, but not encouraged? Is it not meaningful to charge ahead toward the prize?
Wang Lixing (China Book News): With a history of more than 100 years, the Nobel Prize in Literature is no doubt the most influential literary event. Every October, millions of people in the world wait for the announcement of the new laureate with great interest. Then, almost all mass media will give great length to introduce the winner. Some people will also hold forth whether he or she deserves the prize, expressing discontent at the values and bias that the review committee showed in recent years.
In China, the Nobel Prize in Literature is naturally the focus of public attention and we can always hear varied comments. Many people are indignant that there is no laureate from China. Some Chinese writers regard the prize as their goal, putting the blame on translators who they believe are incompetent to make their works appreciated. Some others, however, claim that they care nothing about or even despise the prize, honestly or not.
To be calm and fair, although, because of some oversights, not all the laureates of the prize are the best of their time, all of them are above the average level. As for the fact that there is no Chinese winner, we can cite various reasons, but most important, perhaps we should attribute it to the creation of Chinese writers. They should be encouraged to devote more energy to exploring new techniques, styles and topics and in understanding the history and development trends of the mankind. Provided they can produce works with both individual characteristics and universal significance, which lead the trend of world literature and are praised by their counterparts from other countries, the Chinese writers will be recognized by world literature circles sooner or later.
(Beijing Review August 5, 2004)
