Download
Writer Mo Yan won the Nobel Prize for Literature on Thursday. The Swedish Academy, which gives out the annual prizes, described Mo's works as "hallucinatory realism" merging "folk tales, history and the contemporary."
"Through a mixture of fantasy and reality, historical and social perspectives, Mo Yan has created a world reminiscent in its complexity of those in the writings of William Faulkner and Gabriel Garca Marquez, at the same time finding a departure point in old Chinese literature and in oral tradition," according to the citation for the award.
Mo, 57, whose real name is Guan Moye, is the first Chinese writer to win the honor, which also comes with a financial award of 8 million Swedish krona, or $1.2 million.
"I grew up in an environment immersed with folk culture, which inevitably come into my novels when I pick up a pen to write. This has definitely affected - even decided - my works' artistic style," Mo told a group of reporters at a hotel in his hometown of Gaomi, in Shandong province, shortly after he won the award.
"Mo Yan deserves the prize simply for being a great writer," said Eric Abrahamsen, a seasoned critic and founder of Paper Republic, an English-language website on Chinese literature.
"Throughout his career he has done much to develop the language and style of contemporary Chinese literature, and he has also tackled many of the 'big' historical and social themes of contemporary China."
The buzz on Chinese media about Mo possibly winning the prize started about a month ago, when some betting agencies started placing Mo as a contender.
In early October, British bookmakers Ladbrokes put Mo next to Japanese writer Haruki Murakami as the leading bets but Murakami had odds of 3 to 1, while Mo lagged behind at 8 to1.
Although China boasts a tradition of literature and scholarship, few writers have won international acclaim and recognition. And for that reason, the Nobel Prize for Literature has always been an aspiration for Chinese writers. Mo's win will shift the focus to more previously unknown Chinese works.
Although he has allowed few media interviews, Mo is well known.
In contrast with his appearance, his works are anything but down home and country. They are dramatic, with "a unique style, sharp language, wild imagination and magnificent narration," according to Ye Kai, a senior editor who has edited Mo's works.
Mo's family was categorized as rich middle-class peasants, which meant he was close to being labeled "class enemy." He dropped out of school and became a cowherd. At 20, he left his hometown and joined the army.
Many got to know of Mo when director Zhang Yimou adapted the film Red Sorghum from his 1986 novella of the same name, bringing to life a visual landscape characterized by red sorghum fields and a fiery setting sun.
Set in Gaomi, the story is the tale of a sedan carrier who saves the bride he is carrying from bandits, and later marries her. The wild, audacious man urinates in the local winery's precious barrels, but also later dies fighting against Japanese troops during World War II.
Editor Ye Kai has high praises for this work, calling it an ode to the power of life.
Mo left the army in 1997 and gradually developed a writing style all his own. History, family sagas, blood and violence are frequent elements in his most famous works, such as Big Breasts and Wide Hips and Sandalwood Penalty.
Howard Goldblatt, who translated many of his works and is an acclaimed scholar of modern and contemporary Chinese literature, finds Mo's novels reminiscent of Charles Dickens' writings -big, bold works with florid, imagistic, powerful writing and a strong moral core.
Not all were convinced that Mo deserved to win. Some writers and critics attacked Mo on his perspectives rather than talent, and cast doubts that he could be objective and independent enough when discussing serious social issues in his works. They believed his winning of the Nobel Prize was in direct conflict with his position as vice-chairman of the official Chinese Writers Association.
Paper Republic's Abrahamsen appreciates Mo's poise between literary and analytic aspirations best.
"Chinese literature can often go to one extreme or the other," he says. "Either it's an exposition of a writer's opinions about a social issue, sacrificing literary value, or else it's a work that retreats from reality and plays games with imagination. I think Mo Yan has kept the balance."
Questions:
1. Who won the Nobel Prize for Literature this year?
2. Who gives out the award?
3. What writers has he been compared to?
Answers:
1. Chinese writer Mo Yan.
2. The Swedish Academy.
3. William Faulkner and Gabriel Garca Marquez.
About the broadcaster:
Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.
小学六年级英语寒假作业答案
最新初一英语寒假作业参考答案
一年一度最美英音:英女王2015圣诞致辞
2016年初一英语寒假作业答案
初一英语寒假作业答案(参考)
上千万枚“猴币”一宿抢光
2016年英语小学六年级寒假作业答案
2016年小学六年级英语上册寒假作业答案
小学五年级英语寒假作业参考答案2016年
传说中的“猴年马月”真的来了!
想不到这几个词竟有wear的意思
新表情“摊手耸肩”
《哈利波特》“斯内普教授”患癌离世
“感动网友的袋鼠一家”剧情大逆转
七年级英语寒假作业答案
小学六年级上册英语寒假作业练习题
破解“反弟妹联盟”须消除孩子恐惧感
你患上“年关焦虑症”了吗?
中国版“精准医疗”计划将启动
2016年七年级英语寒假作业答案
中国人民解放军相关名称英译
习近平主席2016年新年贺词(双语全文)
面对熊孩子 父母说过的那些逗比谎言
各国餐桌礼仪大盘点
小学英语六年级上册寒假作业答案
习近平在亚投行开业仪式上的讲话(双语全文)
2016年初一年级英语上册寒假作业答案
形容皮肤的词汇盘点
初一英语寒假作业答案
七年级第一学期英语寒假作业答案人教版
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |