Chenmou Wu: A Letter from President Joe Biden

 

A letter from  President Joe Biden to Chenmou Wu

信件中文翻译：

华盛顿白宫

2022年11月9日

致特拉华州贝尔市  吴称谋 先生 

亲爱的吴先生：

        感谢你给我写信，关于美国的外交政策。

        当今世界所面临的挑战，表明各族裔是如此的紧密相连，所有人的命运是那么的休戚与共。美国不能在世界舞台上缺席，因为从饥荒、气候变化到战争及流行病等共同问题，没有哪个国家可以单独解决。

         美国的政治和经济领导地位，将始终植根于其至上的价值观：捍卫民主、促进自由、提供机会，保障人权，尊重法治，并以尊严待人。

        本届政府已经将与盟友和伙伴密切合作、保护自由、主权以及共同未来，恢复到了美国外交政策的中心地位。美国政府将继续声援乌克兰，让俄罗斯付出代价，并促进对乌克兰人民犯下的暴行和战争罪行进行问责。

        我们正在领导一项全球粮食安全和饥饿的努力。我们正在以冒险的气候协议（的减排计划）来提供历史性的投资，并向全球做出承诺来扭转气候破坏的趋势。

        虽然美国将以外交手段为主导，但我将毫不犹豫地捍卫我们的人民、至上的价值观以及切身的利益，包括在必要时使用武力。我们将始终与世界各地的朋友，以及那些致力于建立国际和平坚实基础的人们站在一起。

        在努力面对当今时代的挑战时，你的建议将会用于我的决策。愿上帝保佑美国，愿上帝保护我们的军队、外交官，以及所有在危险中服务的人。

        真诚的，

        乔 · 拜登

Attached is the excerpt from Wu's letter: 

Dear President Biden：                                               

October 10, 2022

 

I am Chenmou Wu, an independent Chinese scholar, and a sworn-in U.S. citizen recently. The United States opened a door of freedom for me to come here as a visiting scholar to do academic exchanges on East Asian cultures at a famous University in 2011. Now, I live in the New Castle county of Delaware, which is your home state.  

.......

President Biden, you have dedicated your life to the American people since you became a senator at Delaware state in 1973. Until today, the door of your sincere service has always been open for different races; moreover, it is wider, more accessible, and unobstructed than before. There are many touching stories circulating in various communities about your great jobs. For example, a 70-year-old Chinese neighbor said that many years ago his mother-in-law encountered a bit of trouble getting a visa to visit him. In desperation, he wrote a letter to you for help. Through your compassionate assistance, they finally had a reunion. I heard this story at his home in Newark when you won the presidential election in 2020. As a resident of Delaware, I am honored and proud of you as the 46th President of the United States.  

It is indisputable that the United States and China are the most important bilateral relationship in the world. On September 21, 2022, you slammed Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in a speech to the United Nations. Democratic countries should unite to prevent this tragedy from happening. Peace-loving people around the world, as well as many Chinese people, agree and appreciate your attitude. As a Chinese person, I would like to express my great gratitude to you and to the White House Office. Many Chinese people sincerely believe your words will never fall short anytime. 

.......

Dear President Biden, once you shared a very philosophical quote at a family ceremony: “Courage is the most important virtue because none of the rest of the virtues will matter without courage.” Your mother once educated you with these words in your early years, and it was posted by my friend in an essay who met you in 2020. 

I believe this phrase must have successfully affected your life. On October 4 of The Hill News, “The president has said this himself: He intends to run in 2024,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. As I read this exciting news, I suppose your courage in facing new challenges should come from your mother. Putin's defeat in the Russo-Ukrainian war just proves that you have very rich, mature political experience and wisdom. I believe you will continue to make new glorious history and I will support you.

Courage also determines the boundaries of spirituality. Just because I am Chinese, I hope my compatriots will be free and happy in the future. In addition, as a global citizen, anyone should have spirituality, and let this world have peace, love, and happiness.

           ......

God bless the USA!

Respectfully yours, 

 

Chenmou Wu

Chenmou Wu: The Heart of Gratitude

 

<The Heart of Gratitude >

11/24/2022 

More than one decade,

 I have been living freely in North America.

When every Thanksgiving Day comes,

I always have a lot of feelings

For how to show my gratitude.

 

Vicissitudes of life,

Leaves a lot of marks on my face.

With the help of my family, relatives

And the blessings of friends,

Everything is worthy of thanks.

 

Fate is so changeable and so elusive,

Even difficult to grasp.

Once a fantastic fate may become past

Then new encounters often arrive unexpectedly.

 

In this world,

There are two kinds of destiny

That is unchanging and indisputable.

They are,

The parents who gave us bodies,

And the God who gives us spirit.

 

Be grateful,

Not be indiscriminate or obscene.

Our parents should get it.

Only Almighty God is most worthy to bear it.

 

 

《红楼梦》作者新考证

 

红楼梦原作者吴梅村

       自清康熙年间，小说《风月宝鉴》书稿就已经在民间秘密传抄。乾隆十九（1754）年成书的甲戌本《红楼梦》详细记载了小说的缘起和成书过程。小说书稿最初由经空空道人抄录，后改《石头记》为《情僧录》，至吴玉峰题名《红楼梦》，再经孔梅溪题为《风月宝鉴》，后经曹雪芹（1715年～1763年）批阅增删之后，曹雪芹题曰《金陵十二钗》，至脂砚斋甲戌（1754）年抄阅评注，小说书名仍用《石头记》。

        乾隆后期，经程伟元（约1745年～1818年）和高鹗（1758年～1815年）二人搜集、整理、编修、活字排印，最终正式以《红楼梦》书名出版问世。正如小说第一百二十回中空空道人所言“不但作者不知，抄者不知，并阅者也不知”，致使《石头记》原作者究竟是谁，自传抄至今，竟然成了一桩扑朔迷离的历史文化公案。

        从清末帝制社会告终， 民国共和肇造开始，皇权专制造成的文字狱现象终于走进了历史。在上世纪初，小说《红楼梦》的出版发行进入了一个前所未有的繁荣阶段。与此同时，文学界对《红楼梦》的研究和原作者的考证逐渐成为了热门显学。愈百年以来，几代红学专家学者和《红楼梦》爱好者们，对于《红楼梦》原作者究竟是谁，存在不少盲人摸象式的认知，故而众说纷纭，争论不休，莫衷一是。据统计，《红楼梦》原作者的可能人选竟达几十人之多，当然很多疑似作者根本经不起推敲，自然不必当真了。那些参与其中的人们，有严谨考证者，有凑热闹者，有起哄者，有张冠李戴者。这种文化乱象既是明清时期的文字狱造成的，也是当下世风浮躁的一种必然结果。

        如今人们对《红楼梦》原作者的研究，形成了几大派系，比如自传派，想象派，编修派等。近年比较活跃的有如皋红学，如果将其划分归类，应当属于想象派了。自传派和想象派都经不起推敲，证据旁征博引，结论难免牵强，甚至有些荒诞。编修派虽然论证了曹雪芹只是编修者，但依旧没有论证出谁是真正的原作者。笔者此前发表的《吴梅村是<红楼梦>原作者考辨》一文中已经做出一些分析和论证。其中也有明显错误之处，此时予以纠正：比如，脂砚斋批的甲戌本应该是出自曹雪芹之手，《石头记》底稿究竟多少回尚不清楚。

        为了厘清史实，正本清源，红学研究者必须运用时空一体的视角，既要尊重史学研究的考证，又要符合文学创作的规律，还要把握小说内容的特点，才能临摹并还原作者的人生轨迹，生活空间，人物面貌，才能去伪存真找出隐藏的原作者。正如《红楼梦》第九十回说道：“心痛还得心药医，解铃还需系铃人”。如今，要推演出真正的原作者，还得分析小说内容，文字风格，艺术造诣等特点去寻找答案，有道是“原作必定藏玄机，考证还得书中推。”

        宋朝苏轼在《答张文潜书》写道：“其为人深不愿人知之，其文如其为人。”简而言之，苏轼的识人之法是：文如其人，人如其文。这完全可以用来推论《红楼梦》的原作者究竟是谁。笔者认为《红楼梦》的内容具有五大基本特点：宗教信仰，文学造诣，批判思想，上层场景，民俗方言等。如果以小说的五大特点作为找寻原作者的五大标准进行推演，再运用排除法逐一将可能会是原作者的候选人进行考评统计。如此一来，原作者的真面目自然就逐渐清晰了。