譯書、溯史、寫字的中新文化使者

周豐

南治國，生于湖北黃岡，自號“星洲閑人”。1987年考入華中師范大學英文系，1991年攻讀上海外國語大學比較文學專業(yè)碩士學位，畢業(yè)后留校教授翻譯、文學等課程。2001年前往新加坡國立大學攻讀博士學位，之后留在新加坡義安理工學院（獲終身教職）、南洋理工大學、新加坡華文教研中心任教。

作為一名從事中外文學研究與教學的學者，三十年來南治國始終致力于研究中國文學與新加坡的歷史淵源、中國現(xiàn)代作家及其文學作品對新加坡文學的影響，以及探究華文教育在新加坡的歷史與現(xiàn)狀。

讓世界優(yōu)秀文化走進中國

這段時間，南治國受上海譯文出版社邀約，正在翻譯非洲裔英國作家古爾納的長篇小說《荒棄》（Desertion）。2021年10月，這位作家因圍繞“殖民歷史”和“難民經(jīng)歷”的創(chuàng)作而被授予諾貝爾文學獎。

“我一向視翻譯為苦差，但有時候又禁不住手癢，再忙也津津有味?！蹦现螄鴮χ杏⒒プg外國名著充滿了熱忱。

“你必須要精通并嫻熟運用兩種語言，保證語句的準確順暢，還要對語言的文化和歷史有深入了解，讓文筆更符合讀者的閱讀習慣，就仿佛是本國作家寫的原著一樣。雖然這對翻譯者是比較大的挑戰(zhàn)，但卻是必須遵循的準則?！?/p>

最近十年，南治國曾參與上海譯文出版社三本書的翻譯工作。其中，最讓他有成就感的譯文作品是英國作家阿蘭 · 德波頓的隨筆集《旅行的藝術(shù)》。

“乍一看書名，你可能以為是本老套的旅行日記?！彼ㄗh記者不妨讀一讀，“你會發(fā)現(xiàn)作者思考的深度、廣度超乎普通旅行作家，這本書的內(nèi)容其實在探討旅行的心境和方式，鼓勵你保持好奇、思考和觀察，通過細節(jié)切入生活，去發(fā)現(xiàn)美”。

南治國認為，一名優(yōu)秀的文化創(chuàng)作者如果能夠廣泛涉獵各類優(yōu)秀的國外文學，知曉他人的世界觀、價值觀，吸取其精華，可以獲得更多創(chuàng)作的新靈感，在不斷的模仿中最終形成自己的風格。

如今，他參與翻譯的《旅行的藝術(shù)》和《身份的焦慮》中文版已被選為上海譯文出版社的經(jīng)典譯作，這在他看來是一種莫大的肯定。

前兩年，南治國還受上海社科院文學研究所之托，和新加坡知名學者王潤華共同主編了《東南亞漢學中的上海文學研究》，整理東南亞學者對上海文學的關(guān)注。

“其實新世紀以來，東南亞學界特別是新加坡光是對魯迅、郁達夫和張愛玲的研究就出版了許多專書。因此在這本書中，我們盡可能收錄涉及較多研究對象的論文，并附錄幾篇輕松的隨筆和訪談類小文章，專業(yè)又不失趣味地講述海外漢學研究者心目中對上海乃至中國的文學想象?！?/p>

在南治國看來，上海和新加坡作為文學的“雙城”，曾經(jīng)有故事，現(xiàn)在有故事，將來還會有許多人續(xù)寫它們之間的故事，這是一條難以割舍的文化認同紐帶。

中國文化何以引發(fā)共鳴和推崇

新加坡作為中西文化交匯的樞紐，一個多世紀以來一直受到多種文化的碰撞交融。

1919年10月1日，新加坡《新國民日報》的文學副刊——新國民雜志創(chuàng)刊，開啟了新加坡華文現(xiàn)代文學的思潮。

“郁達夫、徐志摩、林語堂、凌叔華等中國現(xiàn)代文壇的代表人物，都曾來新加坡講學、辦報和創(chuàng)刊。而即使是從未踏足此地的魯迅、聞一多、郭沫若，他們的作品同樣推動著本地社會的進步思想?？梢哉f，新加坡的華文現(xiàn)代文學史在中國新文學運動的影響下，與中國新文化運動幾乎同步萌芽和成長?！?/p>

南治國介紹說，從二十世紀20年代末到1965年新加坡獨立前后，魯迅一直是新加坡華文文壇的教父級人物?！秴群啊泛汀夺葆濉分械男≌f以及魯迅的大量雜文，不僅被中國人視為充滿批判主義精神的“匕首文學”，也曾引發(fā)英國殖民統(tǒng)治下很多新加坡人的共鳴，被本地人稱為“魯迅風”的文學，猶如一面旗幟，深刻影響著新加坡幾代作家的創(chuàng)作。

前新加坡作家協(xié)會會長黃孟文，就曾模仿《故鄉(xiāng)》的結(jié)構(gòu)和立意撰寫了短篇小說《再見惠蘭的時候》，講述了馬來西亞山村女孩惠蘭，雖然聰明能干，但重男輕女的觀念和清苦的家境讓她最終輟學，數(shù)年后當主人公“我”念完大學回到故鄉(xiāng)，見到了和童年時完全不一樣的惠蘭，情形一如迅哥兒見到了童年的玩伴閏土……

在新加坡任教期間，南治國也專門收集了二十世紀20、30年代新馬文學中帶著“南洋”色彩的阿Q眾生相，并整理成文《旅行的阿Q》。

這群生活在南洋的阿Q們，拜金、逐色、忘祖、崇洋，有的會背幾句“爺死，怒”（yes， no）之類的洋涇浜，靠坑蒙拐騙謀生;有的喝洋墨水，穿名牌洋貨，取洋名字“Stephen Q”，不屑學習中華文化，折射出當時發(fā)展畸形、缺少溫情、容易自我迷失的南洋現(xiàn)實社會。

“具有批判性、充滿現(xiàn)實主義的文學作品，在當時的新加坡備受歡迎?！蹦现螄f。

1936年10月19日，魯迅病逝于上海。短短幾天內(nèi)，《南洋商報》《星洲日報》《新國民日報》等新加坡主要報刊都特別趕編了“魯迅紀念專號”，通過詩歌、照片、評論等寄托無盡哀悼和崇高敬意。

“數(shù)量之多，內(nèi)容之充實，令人感動和欽佩。對魯迅先生的紀念是馬華文藝界紀念文藝家最隆重、最莊嚴的一次……魯迅逝世后，馬華文藝界對他的認知趨同度一直很高，對其創(chuàng)作水平和思想崇敬有加。”2001年，南治國在刊發(fā)于新加坡《亞洲文化》的《魯迅在新馬的影響》論文中寫道。

海外華文教育走向何方

眾所周知，新加坡是一個多元種族共存、文化開放包容的國家，馬來文為國語，英文為教學和工作用語，各民族還有傳承自身文化的母語。

據(jù)《聯(lián)合早報》2019年報道，新加坡大多數(shù)華族年輕人都能用華語交流，但華語和英語這一雙語優(yōu)勢仍然在相對減弱。來自新加坡教育部當年的統(tǒng)計，英語已逐漸取代華語成為華族家庭的主要用語，在家中講英語的華族家庭已占七成左右。

2019年正是新加坡“講華語運動”推行四十周年，該國總理李顯龍在慶祝大會上呼吁讓年幼的孩子從小耳濡目染，接觸華語和華族文化。

“目前，世界各地的人正在積極學習華語，他們都知道如果要在中國工作、與中國人打交道、把握住中國發(fā)展所帶來的商機，他們就必須學好華語?！崩铒@龍當年的這段講話，也引發(fā)南治國對于新加坡華文教育尋找發(fā)展方向的“共鳴”。

在他看來，一種語言的生命力強盛與否，不僅在于文化底蘊是否深厚，更重要的是其經(jīng)濟價值的大小，“簡單來說，中國的國力越強大，華語在海外就越受歡迎”。

南治國對華文教育在新加坡的發(fā)展始終充滿信心?！靶录悠率且粋€務實的國家。隨著新中兩國在經(jīng)貿(mào)、文化、科技等領域交流更加頻繁，我身邊越來越多的新加坡人認識到掌握華語是一個職場‘加分點’，意味著可能找到更好的工作，拿到更高的薪水。”南治國談道。

據(jù)他觀察，近兩年新加坡華人對中華傳統(tǒng)文化的學習熱情有趕超中國國內(nèi)的趨勢。

“很多新加坡社區(qū)都開設了書法班，一些學校還會邀請書法老師前去授課。不僅是孩子愛學，還有醫(yī)生、律師甚至政府高級官員等精英階層也熱衷練習書法，把書法視為一種閑適且高雅的興趣愛好。”

南治國也是一名書法愛好者。45歲提早退休后，每得空閑他就會琢磨秦漢簡帛書法、魏晉及后世知名碑帖，研究不同字體的架構(gòu)和共性，從哪里起筆？力度如何？他對練筆有著自己的想法 ：書法固然需要勤奮，但更需要才情，能融入性情、寫出趣味的字就是好字。

南治國自稱“星洲閑人”，朋友們把他的書法稱為“閑體”?！按蠹叶己芎闷?，為什么我選擇了這種書寫風格？我認為書法藝術(shù)講究獨創(chuàng)性和辨識度，而在中國和新加坡兩地的不同人生經(jīng)歷，包括讀過的書、走過的路、遇見的人，也在潛移默化地影響著我對書法創(chuàng)作的認知?！?/p>

2019年和2021年，南治國在新加坡分別舉辦主題為《遇見》和《云淡風輕》兩次書法展，展陳的近百件作品一售而空?！伴e體”受到了本地華人的熱烈追捧。

“好的書法作品，既有地方色彩，又有時代烙印，更應有個性特征。這么看來，在文化審美上還是有不少人與我志同道合?！蹦现螄X得，好的書法家須養(yǎng)書卷氣，寫性情字，寧拙勿巧，這樣創(chuàng)作出的作品才能無理而妙。

Nan Zhiguo， the Cultural Ambassador Between China and Singapore

By Zhou Feng

Born in Huanggang， Hubei province， Nan Zhiguo likes to joke about himself being “An Idler of Singapore”. He entered the English Department of Central China Normal University in 1987， and in 1991 he went to Shanghai International Studies University for his master program in comparative literature. In 2001， Nan went to the National University of Singapore for his PhD， and after graduation stayed in Singapore where he taught at Ngee Ann Polytechnic （tenure-track）， Nanyang Technological University， and Singapore Centre for Chinese Language successively.

As a researcher and teacher of Chinese and foreign literature， during the last three decades he has devoted himself to the study of the historical origins of Chinese literature in Singapore， the influence of modern Chinese writers and their literary works on Singaporean literature， and the exploration of the history and the status quo of Chinese language education in Singapore.

Recently， under the request of Shanghai Translation Publishing House， Nan has been translating a novel Desertion written by an African British writer Abdulrazak Gurnah， a Nobel laureate granted in October 2021 for his literary creations centered on colonial history and refugee experience. “I always take translating as a hard job， but sometimes I just feel like doing it and enjoy doing it even at my busiest.” He has such enthusiasm towards translating foreign literature both into and from Chinese. “You must be proficient in both English and Chinese， making sure the sentences flow accurately and smoothly. You also need a profound understanding of the culture and history of the said languages， and steer your translation style to agree with your readership， so as to create an impression of a native literary work. Challenging as it is， it is a necessary rule for translators.”

During the last decade， Nan participated in translating three books for Shanghai Translation Publishing House and the one endowed him with the fullest sense of fulfillment was Alain de Botton’s The Art of Travel. “Judging by the title alone， you may think it is just another cliché travel journal，” admitted Nan. Yet he recommended for the reporter to give it a read. “You will find the depth and width of the author’s thinking far outweigh an ordinary travel writer’s. The book actually discusses the state of mind and different forms in travel and encourages people to stay curious， keep thinking and observing， and discover beauty through details of life.”

Nan Zhiguo believes that an excellent writer who is able to read all kinds of outstanding foreign literature extensively， know the worldview and values of others， and absorb their essence， will get more inspirations to create and eventually form his own style through repeated imitating. Today， the Chinese versions of The Art of Travel and Status Anxiety， which he participated in translating， have been selected as classics by Shanghai Translation Publishing House. It is， in his opinion， a great affirmation of his contribution.

Two years ago， Nan was also commissioned by the Institute of Literature of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences to co-edit， together with a renowned Singaporean scholar Professor Wong Yoon Wah， The Study of Shanghai Literature in Southeast Asian Sinology， where they sort out the attention of Southeast Asian scholars to Shanghai literature. “In fact， since the beginning of the new century， the academia of Southeast Asia especially in Singapore have published many monographs on the studies of Lu Xun， Yu Dafu and Zhang Ailing alone. In this book， therefore， we have included as many papers as possible that deal with a larger number of research subjects， and appended several light small essays and interview-type articles that tell the story of Shanghai and China’s literary imagination in the minds of overseas sinology researchers in a professional yet interesting way.” In Nan’s view， there were and still are plenty of stories between Shanghai and Singapore， the literary “twin cities”， which will be continued as an unbreakable bond of cultural identity.

As a hub where the East meets the West， Singapore has witnessed the clash and mingling of various cultures for over a century. On October 1， 1919， the Sin Kuo Min magazine， a literary supplement to Singapore’s Sin Kok Min Jit Pao， was launched， initiating a modern era of Chinese literature in Singapore. “Yu Dafu， Xu Zhimo， Lin Yutang， Ling Shuhua and other such celebrities in modern Chinese literature came to Singapore to lecture， run newspapers and magazines. As for Lu Xun， Wen Yiduo and Guo Moruo who had never set foot here， their works also promoted advanced thinking in the local community. It can be said that the modern Chinese literature in Singapore sprouted and grew almost simultaneously under the influence of the Chinese New Literature Movement.”

From the late 1920s to around the time of Singapore’s independence in 1965， Lu Xun had a profound influence on Chinese literature in Singapore， Nan Zhiguo told the reporter. The stories in Call to Arms and Wandering， as well as his numerous essays， are regarded as the “daggers and spears” in Chinese literature for their strong criticism about the old Chinese society. They also resonated with many Singaporeans who were under the British colonial rule. The style of Lu Xun is like a banner that has profoundly influenced generations of Singaporean writers.

Dr. Wong Meng Voon， the former president of the Singapore Writers’ Association， wrote a short story “When I See Huilan Again”， imitating the structure and intention of “Hometown”， a famous short story of Lu Xun. “Literature that was critical and fully realistic was very popular in Singapore at the time.” Nan Zhiguo said.

After Lu Xun’s death on October 19， 1936， just within a few days many major Singapore newspapers unanimously produced special “Lu Xun Memorial Issue”， sending their condolences and respects through poems， photos and commentaries. According to Nan， it is the grandest and most solemn commemoration of a literary artist in the communities of Singapore and Malaya.

Singapore is known to be a multiracial， culturally open and tolerant country， with Malay as the national language， English as the working language， and native tongues for each ethnic group to pass on their own culture. According to a Lianhe Zaobao report in 2019， most Chinese young people in Singapore can communicate in Chinese， but their bilingual advantage of Chinese and English has diminished. In 2019， the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called for young children to be immersed in the Chinese language and culture from an early age， as Singapore marked the 40th anniversary of its Speak Mandarin Campaign.

Nan Zhiguo is always confident about the future of Chinese language education in Singapore. “Singapore is a pragmatic country. With more frequent exchanges between Singapore and China in the areas of trade， economy， culture， science and technology， more Singaporeans around me are realizing that mastery of the Chinese language is a workplace ‘plus’ that could get you a better job and a higher salary.” He has observed that in the past two years， the enthusiasm of Chinese Singaporeans for learning traditional culture tend to catch up with that of their Chinese counterparts.

Many Singaporean communities are offering calligraphy classes， for instance. Nan himself is also passionate about calligraphy. In the eyes of his friends， his calligraphy is of an “idle style”. “People are curious about why I chose this style of calligraphy. I think my different life experiences in China and Singapore， including the books I have read， the roads I have travelled and the people I have met， have also influenced my perception of calligraphy，” explained Nan.