1. Zhangzhou has deep Roots: Enlightenment of universities and Christian Family style
Lin Yutang, formerly known as Lin Hehe (or Lin Yutang), was born in Banzai Town, Pingping, Zhangzhou, Fujian. He has been influenced by his family's confucianism and Christian faith since childhood. Although his family background is not wealthy, because of his father's faith and culture, he has cultivated a solid Chinese literacy and pure humanistic feelings for him.
2. Cross-border study: English, Comparative Literature and Linguistics All-rounder
Lin Yutang was first admitted to St. John's University in Shanghai to study English, then went to Harvard in the United States to study for a master's degree in comparative literature, and obtained a doctorate in linguistics from the University of Leipzig in Germany, demonstrating his academic ability with a deep understanding of Eastern and Western languages and cultures. Before the war, he was a professor of the English Department of Peking University, Dean of the School of Arts of Xiamen University, and the first President of Nanyang University.
3. Pioneers of modern humor and cultural translation
In the 1930s, Lin Yutang was influenced by the modern Western prose style and integrated the Chinese context to create a "humorous" style-he was an advocate of the Chinese character "humorous", based on the Chinese prose "On Humor", which is thoughtful and educational in laughter, etc., and introduced into the public eye of Chinese readers.. His English works such as My Country and My People（1935）、The Importance of Living(1937) and A Moment in Peking(1939), with a witty and wise Chinese perspective, allows Western readers to appreciate Chinese cultural ethics and attitude to life.
4. Two-time nomination for the Nobel Prize and the practice of cultural self-confidence
Between 1940 and 1950, Lin Yutang was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature twice for his cross-linguistic and cross-cultural influence. The ideas of "open-minded humor" and "humorous China" that he admires have become an important driving force for the mentality of Chinese culture, and they have also allowed the world to understand modern China, which is different from depression and self-abuse.
5. The Identity of the Inventor: Chinese Typing and Dictionary Innovation
Lin Yutang not only has theoretical attainments in language, but also has practiced technological innovation. He designed a Chinese typeface typewriter in New York in 1947. In 1972, he published the "Lin Yutang Chinese-English Dictionary", which adopts a new arrangement method. These efforts all demonstrate his deep pursuit of language circulation and cultural translation.
6. Taipei "There is no Fasting": A Romantic Experiment with Philosophy in Place
In 1966, Lin Yutang, who had moved to Taiwan, set up his own villa in Yangmingshan, named "There is nothing for Zhai", which means "A gentleman has something to do, something to do or not." The building combines the structure of a Chinese courtyard with the Spanish style, with a study, bedroom and fish pond, designed to provide him with a quiet place to write and think.
It has since been converted into a restaurant and memorial hall. It has complete storage, quiet scenery, elegant and generous. It has become one of the cultural landmarks that people must visit when they come to Taiwan.
7. Hong Kong Research and Cultural Links
In his later years, Lin Yutang settled in Hong Kong and served as a research professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Director of Fine Arts and Literature at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and Vice President of Pen International. He has always adhered to the belief of cultural exchanges between China and the West and the publication of lectures.
8. Cultural Heritage and Taiwan's Spiritual Inheritance
Lin Yutang died in 1976 and was buried in Yangmingshan, Taipei. His villa "You are not Zhai" has been listed as a municipal memorial building since 2018 and is managed by Soochow University and folk cultural and educational institutions. Reading clubs, literary forums, tea parties and other activities are held every year to continue its philosophy of "there is beauty, poetry, humor, and tranquility in life".
9. Thoughts: Humor, philosophy and cultural self-confidence
Lin Yutang attaches great importance to the beauty of "Asian mind" in its "humor and moderation", and believes that life does not have to be gloomy, nor does it need to drift with the current. He emphasized that the beauty of Chinese culture should go to the world, and also emphasized that Chinese people must still maintain backbone, resilience and humor in the wave of globalization.
10. Cultural Influence: a Literary Bridge to the future
Lin Yutang's humorous essays and cultural treatises have inspired Chinese readers from Taiwan to overseas. His quotations are still classic quotes in literature classes, news media and thought forums: "Life is desirable", "Humor is another manifestation of wisdom."
Conclusion: Look at life with a smile, write Chinese and Western eternity
Lin Yutang uses his cultural practice, humorous philosophy and life speculation to tell us that culture has no borders, and personality and life are the soil where culture is finally in place. His "There is no fasting" is not just an apartment, but a life concept and a cultural belief. He devoted his life to the practice of literary creation, language skills, and life aesthetics, and left to future generations an inexhaustible "prose of life".
Dehuatang sincerely invites you to join the event
If you have Mr. Lin Yutang's works, manuscripts, souvenirs or related historical artifacts in your collection, please contact us. Dehuatang focuses on the acquisition of masterpieces of modern and modern literature at high prices, insists on professional storage and cultural respect, and inherits Lin Yutang's humorous wisdom and writing spirit together, so that his cultural heritage will continue to shine in the world.
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