Our Master

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

3.9

Word count: 1.3K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Someone asked: "When you were young, were you fond of fu?" I answered: "Yes. A boy's carving of insects and seal script." Soon after I said: "A grown man does not do such things." Someone said: "Can fu serve as satire?" I said: "Satire! If it satirizes, it should stop there; if it does not stop, I fear it cannot avoid becoming inducement."

Editor's review

This passage comes from Yang Xiong's Fayan, "My Son," and discusses the value and limits of fu in a question-and-answer form. Though brief, the text contains two key turns: first it says that a boy carves insects and seal script and that a grown man does not do such things, then it argues that fu can offer satirical remonstrance but easily slides toward inducement. The 2024 Bashu Publishing House edition provides readers with a reliable textual basis. Its value lies in presenting Han dynasty scholars' self-conscious reflection on the function of literature: fu is both a craft and a form of political expression, but the balance between satire and inducement is extremely hard to strike. When reading, note the tension between "satire" and "cannot avoid becoming inducement"; it is not only literary criticism but also a miniature sample of the ethics of speech. It is suitable as supplementary material for courses on pre-Qin and Han literature and ancient literary theory, and for careful reading by readers interested in Fayan or Han dynasty fu studies. The text is short, but it requires context and Yang Xiong's overall thought to understand, and should not be treated in isolation as a maxim.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of ancient literature who need to understand primary materials of Han dynasty fu criticism
Readers taking a course on the history of Chinese literary criticism who want to supplement Yang Xiong's views on literature
Traditional culture enthusiasts interested in the Fayan text who are willing to read closely with annotations

Not a good fit for

Beginners expecting a complete translation and annotation of Fayan or a long introduction
Readers who only want story-like content and lack patience for question-and-answer argumentative prose

Reading tips

First read the original text once through, mark key terms such as "carving insects and seal script," "satire," and "inducement," then consult the annotations to understand them.
Read in conjunction with other chapters of Yang Xiong's Fayan and the background of Han dynasty fu works; avoid interpreting the fragment in isolation.
After reading, restate in your own words the difference between satire and inducement, and consider why the author remains wary of fu.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
卷二吾子

FAQ

Is "a boy's carving of insects and seal script" belittling fu?

This sentence carries both self-deprecation and self-reflection. Yang Xiong looks back on his youthful fondness for fu, calls it a boy's carving of insects and seal script, and says a grown man does not do such things. He expresses an adult reflection on the craft nature of fu, not a wholesale rejection of fu, but an emphasis that fu should not stop at verbal craftsmanship.

How should "If it satirizes, it should stop there; if it does not stop, I fear it cannot avoid becoming inducement" be understood?

It means that if fu can achieve satirical remonstrance, it should stop there; if it keeps elaborating, it will probably become inducement. Yang Xiong points out the dangerous slide of fu between satire and inducement, reminding writers that elaborate display and rhetoric may dissolve critical intent.

What background should one know before reading this passage?

It is best first to understand the question-and-answer form of Yang Xiong's Fayan and the basic features of Han dynasty fu literature, such as elaboration, exaggeration, and the tradition of satirical remonstrance. With this knowledge, one can understand what "carving insects and seal script" and "satire" and "inducement" meant in the literary context of the time.

Related on WeRead

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.