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Text A Preface to Call to Arms（第1页）

TextAPrefacetos

LuXun

TranslatedbyYangHsien-yiandGladysYang

[1]WhenIwasyoungI，too，hadmaofthemcametotten，butIseenothinginthistret。Fhregthepastmaymakeyouhappy，itmaysometimesalsomakeyoulohereisnopointinginspirittolonelybygonedays。However，mytroubleisthatIpletely，aorieshaveresultedfromwhatIhavebeeoerasefrommymemory。

[2]FormorethanfouryearsIusedtogo，almostdaily，toapawoamedieshop。IberhowoldIwastheerinthemedieshopwasthesameheightasI，andthatinthepawwicemyheight。Iusedtohariothetertwicemyheight，takethemohpt，thengototheterthesameheightasItobuymediyfatherwhohadlongbeenill。Ourherthingstokeepmebusy，forsihephysiadeoutthepressn，heusedunusualdrugs:alupinwinter，sugar-ethathadbeenthreeyearsexposedtofrost，twis，andardisia。。。allofwhichweredifficulttoprocure。Butmyfather’sillfrombadtoworseuntilhedied。

[3]Ibelievethosewhosinkfromprosperitytopovertywillprobablye，intheprocess，touandwhattheworldisreallylike。IwaotheKsperhapsbecauseIwasinsearchofageofsdfaces。Therewasnothingformymothertodhtdollarsfexpenses，andsayImightdoasIpleased。Thatshecriedwasonlynatural，foratthattimetheprwastostudytheclassidtaketheofficialexaminatioudied“fs”waslookeddownuponasafellowg，who，outofdesperation，wasforcedtosellhissndevils。

[4]Besides，shewassorrytopartwithme。Buti，IwenttoheKsditwastherethatIheardforthefirsttimethenamesofsuchsubjeaturalsce，arithmetic，geography，histandphysiing。Theyhadnophysiologycourse，butoodblosofsuchworksasAheHumanBodyandEssaysoryandHygiehetalkaionsofphysisIhadknoarih，Icametothethosephysismustbeeitherunwitties;aosympathizewiththeinvalidsandfamilieswhosufferedattheirhands。FromtraoriesIalsolearheJapaiioagreatextent，withtheintroduofWesternmedicetoJapan。

[5]TheseinklingstookmetoaprovincialmedicalJapaifuldreamthatooaIwouldcurepatieher，whohadbeenwroed，whileifwarbrokeoutIwouldserveasanarmydoctor，atthesametimestrengtheningmyen’sfaithiion。

[6]Idonotknowwhatadvahodsareoreachmicrobiology，butatthattimelanternslideswereusedtoshowthemidifthelededearly，theinstruightshowslidesofnaturalseryorofillupthetime。ThiswasduringtheRusso-JapaneseWar，sothereweremanywarfilms，andIhadtojoininthegahelecturehallalongwiththeotherstudents。ItwasalongtimesinceIhadseenanypatriots，butonedayIsawafilmshowingsomeese，oneofwhomwasbouhersstoodaroundhim。TheywereallstroappearedpletelyapathetigtotheehhishandsboundywfortheRussians，whowastohavehisheadcutoffbytheJapaaryasawarningtoothers，whiletheesebesidehimhadetoeacle。

[7]BeforethetermwasoverIhadleftforTokyo，becauseafterthisfilmIfeltthatmediportahepeopleofaweakandbackwardtry，haheymaybe，lyservetobemadeexamplesof，ortowitnesssuchfutilespectaditdoeserhowmanyofthemdieofillimportantthing，therefore，wastogetheirspirit，atimeIfeltthatliteraturewasthebestmeanstothiseopromotealiterarymovement。ThereweremasinTokyostudyinglaw，politice，physidchemistry，evenpiudyiureorart。However，eveninthisumosphereIwasfortuofindsomekis。Wegatheredthefewothersweneeded，andafterdisourfirststep，ofcourse，ublishamagazileofwhiotedthatthiswasah。Aswewerethenratherclassied，wecalleditXinSheng（NewLife）。

[8]Wheimeforpublidrewnear，someofourtributorsdroppedout，andthenourfuhdrawn，untilfinallytherewereonlythreeofusleft，andwewerepenniless。Siartedazianunluckyhour，therewasnaturallyowhomweplainwhelaterevehreeweredesti，andourdisfuturehadtocease。SoehisabortiveNewLife。

[9]OnlylaterdidIfeelthefutilityofitall;atthattimeIdidnotreallyuandanythiifaman’sproposalsmetroval，itshoulden;iftheymetwithopposition，itshouldmakehimfightback;buttherealtragedyforhimwastoliftuphisvoigthelivihnorespoherapprovalnoropposition，justasifhewerelefthelplessinabou。SoIbegantofeellonely。

[10]Andthisfeelingoflonelinessgrewdaybyday，gaboutmysoullikeahugepoisoinspiteofmyunatablesadnoindignation;forthisexperiencehadmademerefledseethatIwasdefiheheroictypewhocouldrallymultitudesathiscall。

[11]However，myloobedispelled，foritwasgmeagony。SoIusedvariousmeanstodullmysehbyiofthetimeandturnierIexperieerlonelinessandsadness，whiotliketorecall，preferringthatitshouldperishwithme。StillmyattempttodeadeunsuccessfulIhadlosttheenthusiasmandfervourofmyyouth。

[12]Iherewerethreeroomswhereitwassaidawomanhadlivedwhohahelocusttreeiyard。Althoughthetreehadgrownsotallthatitsbranchesoloheroomsremaied。ForsomeyearsIstayedhere，ss。Ihadfewvisitors，therewerenopolitisorissuesiions，andmyomylifeshouldslipquietlyawaylikethis。hts，wheoomanymosquitoes，Iwouldsituree，wavingmyfanandlookingatthespeckshthethickleaves，whilethecaterpillarswhichcameoutintheeveningwouldfall，iyneck。

[13]Theonlyvisitortoeforanoaltalkwasmyoldfriend-yi。Hewouldputhisbigportfoliodowable，takeoffhislonggown，andsitfagme，lookingasifhisheartwasstillbeatingfastafterbravingthedogs。

[14]“Whatistheuseofgthese?”hedemandedinquisitivelyo，afterlhtheinssIhadcopied。

[15]“all。”

[16]“Thenwhy?”

[17]“Fornoparticularreason。”

[18]“Ithinkyoumightwritesomething。。。”

[19]Iuheywereeditingthemagazih，buthithertothereseemedtohavebeeion，favourableorotherwise，aheymustbefeelinglonely。Ho>

[20]“Imagineanirowindows，absolutelyiible，lefastasleepinsidewhowillsoondieofsuffo。Butyoukheywilldieintheirsleep，theywillhepaih。Nowifyoucryaloudtowakeafewofthelightersleepers，makiunatefewsuffertheagonyofirrevocabledeath，doyouthihemagoodturn?”

[21]“Butifafewawake，you’tsaythereisroyingtheironhouse。”

[22]True，inspiteofmyown，Iotblotouthope，forhopeliesiure。Iyowehisassertionthatitmightexist。SoIagreedtowrite，awasmyfirststory，AMadman’sDiary。Fromthattimeonwards，I，andwouldwritesomesortofshortstoryfromtimetotimeattherequestoffriends，untilIhadmorethahem。

[23]Asformyself，Inolongerfeelaoexpressmyself;yet，perhapsbecauseIhavetenthegriefofmypastloneliness。Isometimescallout，tethosefightersingonihattheydo。Whethermycryisbraveorsad，repellentorridiculous，Idonotcare。However，siisas，Imustnaturallyobeymygeneral’sorders。ThisiswhyIofteoinnuendoes，aswhehappearfromheson’sgraveinMedie，whileinTomorrowIdidnotsaythatFourthShan’sWifehadnodreamsofherlittleboy。Forourchiefsthepessimism。AndI，formypart，didnotwahelonelinessIhadfoundsobitterthoseyoungpeoplewhowerestilldreamidreams，justasIhaddonewhenyoung。

[24]Itisclear，then，thatmyshortstoriesfallfarshortofbeingworksofart;hemyselffortuheyarestillknownasstories，andareevenbeingpiledihoughsuakesmeuneasy，Iamhelesspleasedtothinktheyhavereadersintheworldofmeimebei。

[25]Sioriesreprintediion，owingtivenabove，IhavethetitleNaHan（s）。

December3，1922，Peking

[1972]

Notes

1。LuXun（1881-1936）:Afiwriter，essayist，andcritiwasoheleadiersofthe2duripolitical，sodliterarya，hewasassociatedwithaerarymoveme，LuXunisownforhisstories，whichhavebeentraomorethanadozenlanguages。Healsoproducedsixteenvolumesofessays，reminisces，prosepoetry，historicaltales，somesixtyclassical-stylepoems，adozenvolumesofscholarlyresearumeroustranslations。

2。YangHsien-yi（1915-2009）:He，oainandgotfamiliarwiththeBritishculturalaureainintrodueseculturetotheEnglishwladysYang（1919-1999）:ShewasaBritishwhowasborninBeijingandwasalsoveryiediure。Itwastheiofeseculturethatbroughtthemtogether。Theyareaslatingandtheirsucdsatisfactorycooperationhasproducedfruitfulproductsoftranslation，amongwhichareTheScholars（《儒林外史》），ADreamofRedMansions（《红楼梦》），aeWorksofLuXun（《鲁迅全集》），etc。