The Ingenuous

服尔德 / Fu LeiApr 2017

4.0

Word count: 38K words
Chapters: 21

Summary

Fu Lei (7 April 1908 – 3 September 1966) was a renowned Chinese translator, writer, educator and art critic. He studied at the University of Paris in his early years and translated a great many French works, including those by Balzac, Romain Rolland and Voltaire. In the early 1960s, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the translation of Balzac, he was made a member of the French Balzac Research Society. Over a translating career spanning some thirty years, Fu Lei produced a rich body of work distinguished by its fidelity to the spirit of the original, fluent prose, a rich vocabulary and a keen feel for tone and colour. L'Ingénu is one of the three classic novels by the great eighteenth-century French writer Voltaire (known in Chinese as Furd). Its hero is a young Frenchman raised among the indigenous peoples of Canada.

Editor's review

One of Balzac's three classic philosophical novels, translated by Fu Lei. The story follows a young Frenchman raised among an uncivilized tribe in Canada who enters so-called civilized society with a plain, forthright gaze, and through him the novel observes and satirizes customs, institutions and morality. Concise in length and plainly allegorical in plot, it lets readers feel Voltaire's wit and his thinking on the tension between "civilization" and "innocence." Fu Lei's translation is vivid and fluid, with careful diction, giving Chinese readers a good basis for grasping the tone of the original. The book serves as an introductory choice for understanding French Enlightenment literature and the philosophical novel, and is also suitable for readers interested in translated literature to savor the translation. While reading, one may take the innocent man's experiences as a mirror and reflect on the social and human questions the author raises through him.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Introductory readers who want to understand Voltaire's philosophical novels
Readers interested in French Enlightenment literature and satirical allegory
Readers who appreciate Fu Lei's translations and care about translation quality
Student readers who wish to train critical reading with short classics

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer long novels with intricate plots and great length
Readers who want pure entertainment and are unwilling to engage with philosophical discussion
Readers completely unfamiliar with and uninterested in eighteenth-century European social background

Reading tips

First read straight through the innocent man's experiences, then revisit his reactions to civilized society and grasp what the satire targets.
Mark passages that show the conflict between "innocence" and "civilization" while reading, and think about them together afterward.
Use Fu Lei's diction to sense how the translation preserves the wit of the original.
After finishing, try to explain in a few sentences the meaning of "innocence" in the title, to test your understanding.

版权信息
第一章小山圣母修院的院长兄妹怎样的遇到一个休隆人
第二章叫做天真汉的休隆人认了本家
第三章天真汉皈依正教
第四章天真汉受洗
第五章天真汉堕入情网
第六章天真汉跑到爱人家里，大发疯劲
第七章天真汉击退英国人
第八章天真汉到王宫去，路上和迂葛奴党人一同吃饭
第九章天真汉到了凡尔赛，宫廷对他的招待
第十章天真汉和一个扬山尼派的教徒，一同关在巴斯蒂监狱
第十一章天真汉怎样发展他的天赋
第十二章天真汉对于剧本的意见
第十三章美丽的圣·伊佛到凡尔赛去
第十四章天真汉思想的进步
第十五章美丽的圣·伊佛不接受暧昧的条件
第十六章她去请教一个耶稣会士
第十七章她为了贤德而屈服
第十八章她救出了她的爱人和扬山尼派教士
第十九章天真汉，美人圣·伊沸，与他们的家属相会
第二十章美人圣·伊佛之死和死后的情形

FAQ

What is L'Ingénu mainly about?

The novel tells of a young Frenchman raised among an uncivilized tribe in Canada and his various experiences after entering so-called civilized society. Through his plain gaze the author observes customs and institutions with satire and philosophical meaning; the focus is not on complex plot but on the reflections it prompts.

Do I need to know Voltaire first to read this book?

No prior study is necessary. The novel is short and its story line is clear, so it can be read directly. For a deeper reading, you can learn the basic features of Voltaire's philosophical novels afterward and then revisit the satire and meaning in the text for a fuller understanding.

Is Fu Lei's translation suitable for ordinary readers?

Yes. Fu Lei's translation is known for being vivid and fluid, with natural phrasing and rich diction, so ordinary readers face few obstacles. Readers interested in translation may also note how the translation handles the satirical tone and rhythm of the original.

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About the author

服尔德 Author

Voltaire (Fuzi'erde) is a foreign literary author known for his philosophical fiction; public information about him is limited, and his nationality and dates of birth and death are not clearly recorded. Eleven of his works are held in the collection, including Candide, The Ingenuous One, Zadig, Micromégas, and Selected Short Stories of Voltaire, indicating that his writing consists mainly of short and medium-length narratives. These works are often classified as foreign literature, classic works, and world classics. They typically use fictional characters and journeys to distant lands as narrative threads, employing exaggeration, satire, and absurd plots to discuss fate, reason, optimism, and human nature in a witty and understated style. Candide, his best-known work, is an important entry point for understanding his style. Overall, Voltaire's works combine narrative appeal with intellectual sharpness; they continue to be translated and read in Chinese-speaking contexts and have had a considerable influence on later philosophical and satirical fiction.

Fu Lei Author · China · 1908–1966

Fu Lei (1908–1966), styled Nu'an and known by the sobriquet Nu'an, was a native of Nanhui, Shanghai, and a renowned Chinese translator, writer and literary critic. He studied at the University of Paris in his early years and devoted his life to translating more than thirty works by French masters such as Balzac, Romain Rolland and Voltaire. Adhering to the principle of valuing spiritual resemblance over formal likeness, his translations are celebrated for their vividness and concision and are still widely read today. His renditions of Jean-Christophe, Le Père Goriot and Eugénie Grandet have long served as key pathways for Chinese readers into French literature. Beyond translation, he wrote Letters from Fu Lei and Twenty Lectures on World Masterpieces of Art, works marked by sincerity and learning. The library holds 295 of his works, spanning essays, foreign literature and classic translations, testifying to the enduring influence of his writing and translation in the Chinese-speaking world.