When Don Quixote was in school at Zhuang Yan, there were excerpts in Chinese textbooks, and it can be said that basically the vast majority of people of their generation in China who had received basic education knew about this book.

However, the level of middle school teachers is not enough for Zhuang Yan to learn more.

The reason why he knew that there was something in "Don Quixote" that exposed the traces of fiction was also because he saw it after crossing over.

Since becoming a Chinese pioneer writer, Zhuang Yan has not been idle in addition to copying books, and usually always finds time to study the famous works that have been available in this era, just to recharge himself and prevent himself from showing timidity in front of Gu Hongming and Kang Youwei when he encounters a scene like the current one.

And sitting opposite Zhuang Yan, most of them are bigwigs who have learned Chinese and Western, and the famous "Don Quixote" is naturally too familiar to be familiar.

However, they are familiar, it does not mean that everyone knows, Tie Yan was a little ignorant at this time, although she had read "Don Quixote", but she couldn't remember the place where Zhuang Yan just mentioned exposing the traces of fiction, and she didn't pay attention to it when she read this book at that time.

But she was embarrassed to ask, after all, she was the chairman of the National Writers Association, and it was really embarrassing to ask this.

In fact, her burden is too heavy, and there are many people who don't know, Wang Lijian is one of them, he doesn't care so much about Tie Yan, and if he doesn't remember, he asks directly, "Where is there a place in this "Don Quixote" that exposes traces of fiction?"

Hearing Wang Lijian's question, Tie Yan breathed a sigh of relief, she was embarrassed to ask, but she really wanted to know. Of course, there were many people present who thought the same as her.

Zhuang Yan explained to Wang Lijian with a smile, and then said, "The year before last, Saussure's "Course in General Linguistics" was published, in which Saussure put forward the idea that language itself is a self-sufficient system, and he believed that there is no so-called relationship between language and reality to reflect and be reflected. ”

Gu Hongming nodded: "I have read this book, Saussure died in 13 years, and this book was sorted out by his students." However, I also remember this point of view in the book, and from this point of view, the world of text and the world of objectivity can be completely separated. However, if language itself is a self-sufficient object, then we need a specific way to describe this object, even to look beyond this object and find another language. ”

Kang Youwei said: "I have also read that this Saussure is indeed a rare master of language, he divides speech activity into language and speech, and also says that language is a system of signs, divided into two parts: signifier and signifier. ”

Ma Yinchu took over the conversation, "It is also for this reason that Saussure said that if you want to study linguistics, you must study its structure, which also opened a precedent for 'structuralism'. ”

Zhuang Yan is not very proficient in Saussure's linguistic research, "General Linguistics Course" is a more professional book, he also read it twice in a daze, and he didn't understand many joints in the middle, but he got what he wanted.

As for what Gu Hongming said about signifiers and knowing, he knew a little, and he continued what he just said, "There is indeed a need for a set of languages, which need to function as signifiers for ordinary languages, and be used to explain the various relationships and referential meanings of ordinary languages, and it is about the language of language." ”

Yu Zhongqing didn't speak on the side, and said with interest: "So, Zhuang Yan, you found this language?"

Zhuang Yan smiled, "I did figure out a little clue." ”

In fact, where he groped out, he crossed over, he just picked up ready-made.

"I call this kind of language a metalanguage, a metalanguage is the manifestation of self-consciousness in language, it is a set of symbols that language talks about its own behavior, a set of symbols to which the sign system itself is referent. In this way, we can use this language, while continuing to use the traditional literary language to create artistic images, and at the same time describe and evaluate the literary language itself, integrating creation and criticism. Zhuang Yan sorted out his thoughts and then said it.

"It's kind of interesting. Liu E looked at his students, his eyes were both appreciative and surprised, he thought Zhuang Yan was an experiential school, but he didn't expect that he was still a methodological school, and he actually had such an insight into writing skills and linguistics, "In the mainstream view of traditional reality, it is believed that the social and historical reality and our empirical world exist objectively, and what we need to do is to faithfully reflect this objective reality, so in the tradition we need clear plots, distinct characters, and strict logical relationships." But according to you, reality becomes somewhat fictional and unrealistic, which is a bit philosophical. ”

Saying that, he turned his head to look at Gu Hongming next to him, "Western philosophy is systematic, you two know each other better, let's talk about it, is the metalanguage that Ziyan said a little interesting in this regard." ”

Gu Hongming smiled, "It's a little, but let's not over-interpret it, and treat it as just a Chinese language skill." ”

A few of them would say these things, and the others wouldn't be able to interject much. Ma Yinchu and they know a little bit and can understand the power of this.

And like Li Wenyuan, these second ancestors, only have a feeling of unclear and powerful, and they only have "lying groove, good diǎo" in their hearts.

The information between Zhuang Yan and the ancients is not equal, although the metalanguage will not be rotten in later generations, it is definitely not a rare thing, and many of them will have the shadow of metalanguage.

But not at this time, so Kang Youwei felt a little novel for them.

After discussing linguistics for a while, Kang Youwei stroked his palms and sighed, "If the metalanguage you are talking about can really be presented, your Zhuangziyan can be regarded as a precedent for literature." ”

Zhuang Yan hurriedly stood up and said, "Gong Kang's words are serious, the kid is just a whim." ”

Gu Hongming waved his hand, "Don't be modest, when the new book comes out, we'll take a look." Also, I would like to digress that Saussure is indeed a master of linguistics, but you should also be selective when you read his work. ”

Zhuang Yan didn't know what Gu Hongming meant, and said, "Please ask Tang Shenggong for advice." “

Gu Hongming leaned on his crutches and said: "Saussure included the study of language in the category of semiotics, and emphasized the symbolic nature of language. However, his own structuralist stance led him to effectively exclude the core of symbols from linguistics. “

Zhuang Yan was a little abrupt, it seems that this language master can also make mistakes, and what he said is somewhat inconsistent with his own theory. However, he did not want to continue to discuss these professional things, otherwise readers would have to have opinions. {That's right, that's the metalanguage narrative here.} }