What is the original text of "Young China"?

"Young China" is a prose written by Liang Qichao in the late Qing Dynasty. It was written after the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898. It has a strong encouragement and enterprising spirit. It expresses the author's love and expectations for young China. The original text is as follows;

The Japanese call us China, one is the Big Empire, and the other is the Big Empire. This is a language that is a translation of the words of Europeans and Westerners. Alas! Is it true that I am the boss in China? Liang Qichao said: Evil! What to say! What to say! There is a young China in my heart!

If you want to talk about the old and young of the country, please first talk about the old and young of the people. Old people often think about the past, young people often think about the future. Thinking only about the past creates nostalgia; thinking only about the future creates hope. It’s just nostalgia, so it’s conservative; it’s just hope, so it’s aggressive. It is only conservative, so it will remain the same forever; it is only progressive, so it is new day by day.

Thinking only about the past, everything is as it has been, so we only know that it is the same as usual; only thinking about the future, everything is as it has been before, so we always dare to make exceptions. Old people often worry a lot, while young people often like to have fun. If you are worried too much, you will be discouraged; if you are happy, you will be energetic. If you are discouraged, you will be cowardly; if you are energetic, you will be heroic. But he is cowardly, so he remains contented; but he is heroic, so he takes risks.

You can destroy the world just by being idle; you can create the world by taking risks. Old people are often tired of things, young people are often happy with things. But I am tired of things, so I always feel that there is nothing I can do; I am happy with things, so I always feel that there is nothing I can't do. The old are like the setting sun, the young are like the rising sun; the old are like barren cows, and the young are like the suckling tigers. The old people are like monks, and the young people are like knights. The elderly are like dictionaries, and the young are like opera writers.

Old people are like opium smoke, young people are like brandy wine. Old people are like meteorites from other planets, young people are like coral islands in the ocean. Old people are like the pyramids in the desert of Egypt, young people are like the railways of Siberia; old people are like willows after autumn, and young people are like grass before spring. Old people are like the dead sea's stagnant water, and young people are like the Yangtze River's origin. This is probably because the personalities of old people and young people are different. Ren Gong said: It is inherent in people, and it is appropriate for the country.

Liang Qichao said: What a shame, boss! A pipa woman at the head of the Xunyang River, when the bright moon circles the boat, the maple leaves rustle, and the quilt is as cold as iron, it seems like a dream but not a dream, recalling the beauty of spring flowers and autumn moon in the dust of Luoyang. In the south of the West Palace, there are white-haired palace maidens, with a lamp like a spike, sitting opposite each other, talking about the legacy of Kaiyuan and Tianbao, and composing "The Song of Colorful Clothes and Feathers". The melon growers in Qingmen, facing the children on the left, looking after the children, recalling the grand event of the Hou family running away like pearls on the sea.

Napoleon and his companions were exiled in Emi, and Alaf was secluded in Ceylon. Together with a few supervisors or those who came to visit, they recalled that in those days, daggers and horses galloped through the Central Plains, swept through Europe, and fought bloody battles across the sea. , with a roar, all nations were shocked by his great achievements, first he slapped the table, then he caressed his forehead, and finally he held the mirror. Woohoo, my face is chapped and all my teeth are gone, my hair is white, I'm slumped and old!

If this is the case, there will be no thoughts except for gloom, there will be no heaven and earth except for misery, there will be no sun and moon except for dejection, there will be no sound except for sighing, and there will be no career except for waiting for death. It's true that there are beauties and heroes, but what about ordinary people? All his relatives and friends are in the ruins and tombs; his daily life and food are all waiting for others. Let’s pass today, let alone the future? Let this year go by, let alone next year? There is no one who is more discouraged and short-tempered in the world than the boss.

Is it possible for this person to desire to use the means of grabbing clouds, to achieve great achievements, and to carry the spirit of mountains and seas? Alas! Is it true that I am the boss in China? Today, we refer to the past, how the Tang and Yu dynasties were ruled by Zhi; how heroic the Qin Emperor and Han Martial Arts were; how prosperous the literature from the Han and Tang Dynasties was; how illustrious the martial arts between Kangxi and Qianlong were.

The narrations by historians and the praises by lyricists are nothing but traces of the beautiful scenery and enjoyable events of our nation’s youth! Now he is dejected and old! Five cities were cut off yesterday, and ten cities will be cut off tomorrow. Birds and mice are everywhere, and chickens and dogs are frightened every night. The land and property of eighteen provinces have become meat in people's arms; the fathers, brothers and children of four hundred trillion have become registered slaves. How can it be said that "the boss marries a merchant's wife"?

Woohoo! Don't talk about what happened back then. I can't bear to look at the haggard time! The prisoner of Chu faced each other, staring at the shadow, his life was in danger, and he didn't care about the day or night. A country is a country waiting to die, and its people are people waiting to die. No matter how hard everything is done, it is no wonder that everything is done by people! Ren Gong said: Is China the leader in fruit? This is one of the biggest issues on the planet today.

Like the boss, China is a country of the past, that is, this country used to exist on the earth, but now it is gradually disappearing, and its destiny in the future is almost over. If it is not the boss, then China is the country of the future. That is to say, this country did not exist on the earth in the past, but it is now becoming more and more developed, and there is a long way to go in the future. Do you want to end China as the boss today? For a young man? Therefore, we must first clarify the meaning of the word "国".

What is the husband’s country? There is land and there are people. The people who live in the land govern the affairs of the land where they live, make their own laws and abide by them. There is sovereignty and there is obedience. Everyone is sovereign and everyone is obedient. If this is the case, this is called a fully established country. There has been a fully established country on the earth since hundreds of years.

Those who are fully established are in the prime of life. Those who are not fully established but are gradually becoming fully established are the things of youth. Therefore, I can sum it up in one sentence: The European countries are now a country in their prime, while China, today, is a country of young people. In ancient times, China had the name of a country, but it did not have the shape of a country. It may be a country of families, a country of chiefs, a country of feudal lords, or a country of autocratic kings.

Although they are of different types, the constitution of the country has one part but lacks another part.

Just like a baby from the time of embryo to adulthood, one or two organs of the body grow first, while the rest of the body, although rough, cannot be used for its purpose. Therefore, the period before Tang and Yu was the embryonic era, the Yin and Zhou dynasties were the era of nursing, and the period from Confucius to the present is the era of children. Gradually developed, and now it is about to enter the realm of teenagers and above.

If it matures too late, then the thieves of the past dynasties have stifled its vitality. For example, it is like being sick in childhood, turning into old age, or suspecting that his death is imminent, but not knowing that it is not completed yet. It's not about the past, it's about the future. And when China was in the past, how could it be that there was a country? But there are court ears!

I, the descendants of the Yellow Emperor, have lived together as a clan and have been standing on this earth for thousands of years. If you ask what the name of their country is, there is no answer. The so-called Tang, Yu, Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Wei, Jin, Song, Qi, Liang, Chen, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing are all dynasty names. The court is the private property of a family. The country is the public property of the people. The dynasty has the old and the young, the state has the old and the young.

Since the dynasty and the country are different things, it is clear that the old and young of the dynasty cannot be referred to as the old and young of the country. Wen, Wu, Cheng, and Kang were the youth of the Zhou Dynasty. You, Li, Huan, and Nan indicate the age of old age. Gao, Wen, Jing, and Wu were the youth of the Han Dynasty. Yuan, Ping, Huan, and Ling represent the age of old age. Since the rest of the dynasties, this has happened. It is acceptable to call him an elder of a court, but it is not allowed to be an elder of a country.

The death of an old man in a court is like the death of an old man. How does it compare to what I call China? However, our China has not appeared in the world before, but now it is beginning to sprout. The world is vast and the future is vast. How beautiful is my young China! Mazzini was the leader of the three Italian heroes. He was convicted of state affairs and fled to a foreign country. He founded a group called "Young Italy".

People with lofty ideals across the country responded with clouds and fog. He restored the old things and made Italy one of the great states in Europe. Italy is the largest country in Europe. Since the fall of Rome, the land has been subordinated to the Pope and the political power has been vested in Austria. It is almost so-called old and on the verge of death. And if you get a Mazini, and you can lift the whole country at a young age, what's more, we in China are actually young people!

In a land of more than 400 states, with a population of more than 400 people, how could it be that there is not even one Mazhini! Gong Zizhen's collection contains a poem titled "Neng Ling Gong Shao Xing". I loved reading it, and I found it interesting because of its purpose. Our people think that they are the bosses of their country, and Si Guo is the boss; our people know that they are the young people of their country, so they are young people.

There is a Western proverb that says: "There are three-year-old men, and there are hundred-year-old boys." However, the age and youth of a country have no fixed shape, and they actually grow and decline according to the people's mental strength. I have seen that Mazhini can make the country young, and I have seen that the officials and soldiers of our country can make the country old. I'm afraid of this! How come I am such a magnificent, rich and graceful young man from China that makes people in Europe and Japan call me the boss? Why?

Those who hold the power of the country are all old and decrepit. It’s not the eight-part essay that has been written for decades, it’s not the writing that’s been done for decades, it’s not the job that’s been done for decades, it’s not the salary that’s been paid for the decades, it’s not the handbook that’s been handed over for the decades, it’s not the singing for the decades, it’s not the kowtow for the decades, it’s not After a few decades of peace, you will definitely not be able to get an official position or advance to a new position. Among the hundreds of people who hold the rank of Qing 2 and above and above and the rank of supervisor and supervisor outside, there are almost ninety-six or seven people who are unprepared for their facial features.

If it’s not blindness, it’s deafness; if it’s not hand trembling, it’s lameness, otherwise it’s hemiplegia. He can't eat, drink, walk, see, hear or speak. He needs three or four people to help him and catch him, so he can survive. Here, he wants to be responsible for state affairs. How strange is it to set up countless puppets to rule the world! Moreover, those of this generation have no idea where Asia and Europe are since they were young.

The ancestor of the Han Dynasty, Tang Zong, was the emperor of that dynasty. He still thought that his stubbornness and corruption had not reached the extreme, so he would rub and mold him until his brain was dry, his blood vessels were clogged, and his breath was dying. When I am a neighbor to ghosts, then my 20,000 miles of mountains and rivers and 40 million lives will be in their hands in one fell swoop. Alas! The boss of the empire is indeed the boss!

As for those of the other generation, they have spent decades accumulating eight pieces of stock, folding money in vain, paying errands, receiving salary, handbooks, singing hello, kowtowing, and saying hello. They have gone through innumerable hardships and hardships before they finally get it. This red-topped and flower-feathered dress, and the title of Master of the Central Hall, are the result of his whole-hearted effort and his lifelong efforts to maintain it. Just like that beggar who picked up a gold ingot, although the thunder was circling overhead, he still held the purse tightly with both hands. He did not care about it, did not know it, and did not hear it.

This is a warning to subjugate and carve up the country. The other people will listen to it, and the other people will believe it! Even if the fruit dies and is divided, and I am seventy or eighty this year, I hope that within a year or two, foreigners will not come and robbers will not be able to afford it, I have lived a happy life! If you have no choice but to cut off the land of three provinces and two provinces in exchange for my yamen, and sell three million people as servants to redeem my old life.

Why not? What's the problem? Alas! Today's so-called old empresses, veteran ministers, veteran generals, and veteran officials all have the means to cultivate their moral integrity, regulate their families, govern the country, and bring peace to the world. The west wind makes people grow old overnight, and all their beauty will wither and become white. He made Zou Wu Chang a doctor and carried a life-promoting talisman to wish him a birthday. How painful it was! If I make this my country, I will never grow old or die, and I fear that I will die before I reach my age.

Ren Gong said: Those who caused China to become a big country today are the unjust consequences of China’s decay. It is the responsibility of the Chinese youth to create the young China of the future. What is the use of that old and decayed person? The day for him to say goodbye to this world is not far away, but I, a young man, am new and have a relationship with this world. Just like the person who lives in a house, he will move to another place tomorrow, and I will enter this room today.

It is not surprising that those who are about to move do not take care of their windows and do not keep their courtyards clean. The common people have constant feelings! If I were a young man, my future would be vast and my future would be vast. In China, cattle, horses, slaves, and slaves are the cruelties of cooking and whipping, but I, a young man, can do it. If China dominates the universe and dominates the earth, it will command Gu Pan's honor, and only my young man will enjoy it.

What is the difference between a dying person and a ghost living next to him? It is still possible to say that he is indifferent to it. I ignored it and couldn't say anything. If the young people in the whole country become young people, then our country will be the country of the future, and its progress will be immeasurable. If the young people in the whole country can also become the boss, then our country will be a country in the past, and its collapse can be waited for with caution.

So the responsibility today does not lie with others, but with my young man. If young people are wise, the country will be wise; if young people are rich, the country will be rich; if young people are strong, the country will be strong; if young people are independent, the country will be independent; if young people are free, the country will be free; if young people make progress, the country will progress; if young people are better than Europe, then the country will be better than Europe; if young people are strong, the country will be better than Europe. , then the country is more powerful than the earth. When the red sun rises, its path shines brightly. The river flows out and flows into the ocean. The hidden dragon soared into the abyss, its scales and claws flying.

The tiger roars in the valley, and all the beasts are frightened. The falcon tests its wings, and the wind and dust spread. The first birth of a strange flower is so beautiful. The cadres have hair and their awns are shining. The sky wears its green color, and the earth wears its yellow color. Even though there are thousands of years, there are eight desolations. The future is like an ocean and the days ahead are long. How beautiful that my young China never grows old like the sky! How great is my Chinese youth, who has no borders with my country!

Extended information:

Liang Qichao (February 23, 1873 - January 19, 1929), also known as Zhuoru, Renfu, Rengong, and Drinking The owner of the ice room, the ice drinker, the guest of mourning, the new people of China, the owner of the free restaurant. During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, he was a thinker, politician, educator, historian and writer in modern China.

One of the leaders of the Reform Movement of 1898 (Hundred Days Reform), a representative figure of modern Chinese reformists and neo-Legalists. He studied under a teacher when he was young, studied writing at the age of eight, could write a thousand words at the age of nine, and passed the national examination at the age of 17. Later, he studied under Kang Youwei and became a propagandist for the bourgeois reformists. Before the reform and reform, he and Kang Youwei united the people of various provinces to launch the "Send Letter to the Bus" campaign.

After that, he successively led the Qiang Society in Beijing and Shanghai, and co-organized the "Current Affairs News" with Huang Zunxian, served as a lecturer at the Changsha Current Affairs School, and wrote "General Discussion on Reform" to promote the reform. After the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, he went into exile in Japan with Kang Youwei. His political ideology gradually became conservative, but he was a theoretical advocate of the modern literary revolutionary movement.

After escaping to Japan, Liang Qichao continued to promote the "poetry revolution" in "The Ice Drinking Room Collection" and "Hawaii Travel Notes", criticizing the previous practice of using new terms in poems to express new ideas. Promote constitutional monarchy overseas. After the Revolution of 1911, he once joined Yuan Shikai's government and served as the chief justice; later he severely criticized Yuan Shikai's proclaimed emperor and Zhang Xun's restoration, and joined Duan Qirui's government.

He advocated the New Culture Movement and supported the May 4th Movement. His works are compiled into "The Ice Drinking Room Collection". Liang Qichao is recognized as an outstanding scholar in the late Qing Dynasty, an encyclopedic figure in Chinese history, and one of the rare figures who can still make great achievements in academic research after withdrawing from the political stage.

Before the Revolution of 1911, he invented a new style of writing during his debate with the revolutionaries, which was between ancient Chinese and vernacular Chinese, which both scholars and ordinary people were happy to accept. At the same time, Liang Qichao was also the first person in China to use the term "Chinese nation" in his articles. He also absorbed many new words from Japanese Chinese characters, such as "economy", "organization", "cadre", etc. Mr. Yu Liang Qichao.

Translation of "Young China Theory": The Japanese call us China. The first time they open their mouths, they call us the Big Empire, and if they open their mouths again, they still call us the Big Empire. This kind of statement is probably translated following the Western saying. well! Are we in China really old? I, Liang Qichao, said: No! What words are these, what words are these! There is only one young China in my mind.

If you want to talk about the young and old of the country, please let me first talk about the old and young of the people. Old people often miss the past, and young people often think about the future. Just because we miss the past, we have a feeling of nostalgia; just because we look forward to the future, we have a confidence in hope; just because we miss the past, we are conservative in our thinking; just because we hope for the future, we have the courage to forge ahead.

Because we are conservative, we will always be old-fashioned. Because we are enterprising, we seek to be updated every day. Just because I miss the past, and everything I have experienced before, I only know how to stick to the routine; just because I think about the future, and everything I have never experienced before, I often dare to break the routine. Old people often worry and worry, while young people often like games and entertainment.

Just because you are worried, you are discouraged; just because you are entertained and happy, you are energetic; just because you are discouraged, you are timid and cowardly; just because you are energetic, you are heroic and majestic ; It is precisely because of timidity and cowardice that we muddle through; it is precisely because of heroism that we dare to take risks; it is precisely because we struggle to survive that we destroy the world; it is precisely because we dare to take risks that we can create the world.

Old people often dislike working, while young people often like to explore new careers. Just because I hate doing things, I often feel that there is nothing to do; just because I like to explore new businesses, I often feel that there is nothing that cannot be done. The old are like the setting sun, and the young are like the rising sun. The old are energetic and tired like thin cows, and the young are energetic like newborn tigers.

These are the general situations in which the personalities of old people and young people are different. I, Liang Qichao, believe that people are inherently different from each other, and so should a country. I believe that the current situation in Big China is the result of the sins of China’s aging bureaucrats. It is the responsibility of young Chinese people to create a young China in the future.

What else are there to praise about those rotten and corrupt bureaucrats? It's not long before they say goodbye to this world, but we young people are new to this world and have formed a bond with it. If all the young people in the country are really young, then China will become an emerging country, and its development and progress will be immeasurable.

If the young people across the country also become old, then China will still be a backward country just like in the past, and its demise will be just around the corner. So today’s responsibility does not lie with others, but all on the shoulders of our young people. If young people are smart, the country will be smart; if young people are rich, the country will be rich; if young people are strong, the country will be strong; if young people are independent, the country will be strong. independent.

When young people are free, the country will be free; when young people progress, the country will progress; when young people are better than Europeans, the country will be better than Europeans; when young people dominate the world, the country will dominate the world. The sun rises in the east, and the future is bright; the Yellow River flows out from the ground, flowing thousands of miles, and is unstoppable; the hidden dragon leaps up in the abyss, and all kinds of water creatures flee.

The tiger cubs roared in the valley, and all kinds of wild beasts were shocked and frightened; the eagle spread its wings and tried to fly, setting off strong winds, flying sand and rocks; rare flowers were in bud, and all trees were full of vitality in spring; the sword was on the whetstone Grinding out, shining brightly. We young people have the blue sky on their heads and the loess earth on their feet.

From the vertical perspective, it has a history of thousands of years. From the horizontal perspective, it can reach all directions. The future is as broad as the sea, and the years to come are long.

How beautiful, our young China will never age like the blue sky! Magnificent, our young China has as long a life as our country!

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Liang Qichao