With the original manuscript as the foundation, the speed of the land time is undoubtedly extremely fast.

"Lord of the Flies" was completed, and he invited Natsume Soseki to help translate and proofread.

The two of them were busy with their work.

For a week, Lu Shi spent most of his time on books, except for occasional trips to the University of Tokyo, wanting to publish them as soon as possible, and then rushed back to London.

Finally, the Chinese and Japanese versions are completed.

Other language versions are available on the cruise back to London.

"Whew~"

Natsume Soseki let out a sigh of relief, rubbed his wrist and complained: "I didn't think it before, but now I realize that typewriters do have their own uniqueness." Finger pain is much more comfortable than wrist pain. ”

During the time when he created "I Am a Cat", he wrote less than 2,000 words a day, and of course he was not tired.

But the translation is different, and the handwriting can be scrapped.

He reluctantly said, "If only I could use a typewriter in Japanese." ”

When Lu Shi heard this, he couldn't help but think of Hanyu Pinyin,

That's a big killer for the popularization of education.

Moreover, after entering the era of smart phones, whether it is a nine-square grid or a full keyboard, the efficiency of Chinese Pinyin input Chinese characters has begun to explode the Latin language system, which is really overtaking in a corner.

But he also thinks that the promotion of pinyin is a bit whimsical,

Literacy ......

Can the current Qing court do it?

Lu Shi shook his head, feeling that the timing was not right, and he had to figure it out slowly.

He digressed from the subject,

"Natsume, do you have any thoughts on the publication of Lord of the Flies?"

Natsume Soseki was about to answer, when suddenly there was a knock on the door,

The maid said outside the door, "Sir, a Mr. Miyazaki has come to visit and wants to meet you. ”

It should be Miyazaki.

Lu Shi groaned for a moment,

"Okay, let him wait in the living room, I'll see him later."

Natsume Soseki couldn't help but be surprised, and asked in a low voice, "Lu, don't you want to get involved with these revolutionaries?" ”

Lu Shi pointed to "Lord of the Flies",

"The matter of publishing."

Natsume Soseki is clear,

In fact, Dongda can definitely help Lu Shi publish,

However, considering that the two sides are secretly competing with each other, it is indeed not appropriate to re-entangle the matter of publishing.

The two of them went to the living room together.

Miyazaki monstrous is already waiting at this time,

He sat upright, his back straight, his hands on his knees, his fingertips slightly bent to grasp his knees,

Despite trying to breathe calmly, anyone could see his nervousness.

The British Minister's mansion had put too much pressure on him.

What's more, Lu Shi, who is going to see today, is also very human,

Non-British KBE,

Just think about it to know its place in the UK.

Lu Shi passed and sat down,

"Mr. Miyazaki, wipe your sweat."

Miyazaki was a little embarrassed, and he didn't know whether to wipe it or not.

"Goo......

He swallowed,

"Lu Jiao...... Sir Lu, hello. ”

Half-hung English used.

Lu Shi didn't dare to compliment the accent of Japanese English, and he listened to it with a head and two big, and said, "It's okay, we can communicate in Japanese." ”

Miyazaki suddenly felt a little more comfortable,

He said respectfully: "Sir Lu, you are indeed in Tokyo. When I saw you at Liang Jun's place before, I almost thought I had recognized the wrong person. I have heard of your deeds for a long time, especially the drafting of the IPU Charter, which is powerful and heavy, and I admire it in my heart. ”

Next, it's time to be an internationalist, a humanitarian.

Lu Shi can guess the purpose of the other party's trip,

He waved his hand,

"Mr. Miyazaki, I heard that you were an assassin in the South Seas?"

"Ah......h

Mr. Miyazaki was embarrassed, knowing that the other party was talking about being hunted down for being falsely accused and assassinated by Kang Youwei, so he explained: "Sir Lu, the rumors are not true. You can't be trusted. ”

In fact, he knew Kang Youwei before the Huizhou Uprising,

When they returned to Japan in 1898, the two even made a trip together.

Who would have thought that Kang Youwei would turn his face and not recognize people?

Miyazaki touched his nose,

"Sir Lu, I think I understand."

When Lu Shi half-jokingly said what he had just said, he realized that Lu Shi didn't want to mix with those who didn't.

If it weren't for the current situation, Miyazaki might have lobbied again,

But on the other side is the land time,

Moreover, now in Buchanan's official residence, those words are absolutely unspeakable.

If the British listen to it, it will not be explained at all.

Lu Shi said again: "I heard that Mr. Miyazaki used to work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? ”

Miyazaki's face flushed instantly,

"Sir Lu, please listen to my explanation. I must admit that I worked with Iwamoto-kun and participated in the colonization of Siam, but the situation was very complicated and the plan did not succeed; Later, I also investigated secret societies in China. It was these two experiences that changed my mind, and I stopped ...... Forehead...... No more ......"

It seems that I can't find the right wording, and I am a little stumbling.

Lu Shi couldn't help laughing,

"Mr. Miyazaki, you misunderstood me."

As he spoke, he took out the manuscript,

"You used to work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and you want to travel widely. Do you know anything about publishing? ”

Miyazaki was stunned,

"Japanese!?"

Lu Shi is the most famous writer in Europe,

He writes in Japanese, which must have attracted a great deal of attention.

He even had the title of the report in mind—

"On sale! The world's greatest and greatest writer is extremely favored by Japan, and Sir Lu speaks with books! 》

Well, it's either "the greatest" or "the greatest",

That's how it tastes.

Miyazaki no longer cares about etiquette, so he grabbed the manuscript and began to read.

It's a long article, and it's impossible to read it in one sitting,

But the content is really wonderful and addictive.

At noon, Lu Shi called him to eat,

As a result, his whole body seemed to be nailed to the sofa, his eyes locked on the manuscript, ignoring Lu Shi's words, and he didn't even eat lunch.

And so on for seven hours.

The sun is slowly setting in the west,

Sunlight shone in through the windows, dyeing everything in the house golden.

"Whew~"

Miyazaki exhaled a breath,

Read it all.

He was amazed to find that he had changed his sitting posture at some point.

used to sit upright, but now he is completely immersed in the soft sofa, without the etiquette and dignity of the Yamato clan.

He quickly sat back down.

Lu Shi walked over,

"How?"

Miyazaki was full of questions, confused, and didn't know where to start for a while.

He looked around and was startled,

I saw that the British ambassador to Japan, Alexander Buchanan, had returned at some point, and was reading newspapers and eating in the restaurant.

Lu Shixiao,

"Let's talk about ours, leave him alone."

Miyazaki was speechless,

If you say such a big thing, Sir Lu can only say it.

He said, "I can help you with the publishing matter." ”

Lu Shi nodded and said, "It seems that there are no other thoughts about you." ”

Miyazaki hesitated for a moment,

"Actually, I have a lot of questions. For example, why are there no female characters in this book? ”

Lu Shi: "......"

I never expected the other party to ask this first.

In fact, William Golding, the original author of Lord of the Flies, answered a similar question.

Lu Shi spread his hands and said: "Young boys and girls are locked up on the island...... Well...... Mr. Miyazaki, what do you think will happen? ”

Isn't this a movie?

It has to be the kind with a lot of drama.

I never thought that Miyazaki monstrous was what it meant,

He said: "Sir Luk, allowing men and women to coexist in this story can introduce a deeper discussion of sexuality." ”

This line of thinking is indeed strange.

Lu Shi shook his head,

"Mr. Miyazaki, those things are inconsequential and worthless compared to what Lord of the Flies really wants to show. Therefore, I simply eliminated the unstable factor of the opposite sex from the source. ”

Miyazaki monstrous understanding,

"Focus on the essentials?"

He said sincerely: "Sir Lu's childlike trilogy is indeed profound. ”

LU Shiyi,

A childlike trilogy?

Could it be "The Hunt", "Lolita", "Lord of the Flies"?

Classifying these works as "childlike" is a bit too nasty.

The Japanese do have something.

Lu Shi diverted the topic,

"Which character do you remember the most?"

Miyazaki thought for a moment and replied, "Piggy." ”

Piglet suffers from asthma and is a fat guy who can't do manual labor,

He believed in science, often gave sound advice, used a conch as a rallying number, lit a fire with glasses, and was convinced that the beast did not exist when other children were frightened by the beast.

However, he was eventually mutilated and died holding the conch tightly.

"His death and the shattering of the conch symbolize the replacement of civilization and order by barbarism and primitiveness. ”

Lu Shi secretly praised,

My brother must be a good hand at reading comprehension.

He can also understand the reason why the other party is so impressed with the piglets,

The piglet has no power or physical strength, but he firmly believes in humanity and civilization, and dares to defy autocracy.

It's a lot like today's revolutionaries.

Suddenly, Miyazaki seemed to think of something,

He looked at Lu Shi gratefully,

"Thank you!"

Lu Shi is puzzled,

"Thank me for what?"

Miyazaki said: "You don't support us or guide us on the surface, but your book makes it clear. In the face of brutal autocracy, it is not okay to have low self-esteem and low self-esteem, because it will be easily stifled but there is no ability to protect yourself. ”

Lu Shi "forehead ......",

"That's not bad to say. But I must warn you that the piglet is not the main character. ”

Miyazaki monstrous did not refute,

But he thought to himself,

In terms of length, Piggy is the third most popular character,

As long as you work hard, it is not impossible to become the protagonist.

Miyazaki looked at the manuscript of "Lord of the Flies" again, and saluted again: "Thank you, Sir Lu!" ”

Lu Shi suspected that the other party had misunderstood something,

But he didn't bother to ask,

Anyway, I am always misunderstood, and I am not afraid to bite if there are many lice.

He said, "What about the publication of the book? ”

Miyazaki replied, "Don't worry, I'll help you contact a good publishing house." ”

Lu Shi said: "There is also a Chinese version of "Lord of the Flies". ”

He told the other party about what was serialized in "Xinmin Cong Bao".

After all, Miyazaki had just clashed with Liang Qichao because of the concept, and he couldn't help frowning slightly,

But he quickly stretched his brow,

"Two languages, one serialized and one published, don't have much impact. And you don't have to worry about publishing and serializing each other's sales, because it's all your creation, not writing one language first, and the other being translated by someone else, for the vast majority of readers, they prefer to read first-hand works. ”

Lu Shi said: "Then please leave it to you." ”

……

Three days later.

Imperial Palace.

Meiji stepped on the lawn and walked slowly under the guidance of the palace people.

It's a vast green space,

Towering trees are lush and green, adding a sense of life and vibrancy to this ancient royal palace.

The architectural style of the palace is quietly changing,

Meiji can feel that in recent years, craftsmen have tried to blend traditional Japanese and Western elements, and the exquisite carvings and delicate decorations make the imperial palace even more magnificent.

Meiji passed through the courtyard, bypassing the main building,

Then he took off his shoes and continued along the eaves.

After turning two more corners, the dry landscape in the back garden of the imperial palace came into view.

In an instant, Meiji's state relaxed a lot,

Karesansui is a garden without water features, and elements such as stones, sand, and moss create a sense of time standing still, as if you can transcend the earth.

On the top of the futon under the eaves of the porch sat an old man,

This person's name is Takasaki Masakaze, and he has been the director of the Uka since Meiji 21, and he is deeply favored by instructing Meiji's waka.

Meiji also sat down beside him,

"Teacher."

Takasaki bows down in the wind,

"Your Majesty."

Meiji noticed that there were two books next to the other party, one called "Takasaki Masafu's Speech Notes",

The other one is much more interesting,

The book cover turned out to be a color print, drawing a pig's head crawling with flies, and the festering eyes seemed to stare at the reader, which made people shudder.

Title:

"ハエの王".

Meiji couldn't help but be surprised,

King of the Flies,

What an unexpected name.

Takasaki asked, "Your Majesty, have you ever heard of the pen name Lu?" ”

Meiji smiled,

"Of course. He is a Chinese who studied in Britain, and his "The Rise of Great Powers: Japan" is quite unique, and the analysis is not thorough. As for "The Nature of Japanese Civilization", ......"

The smile on Meiji's face froze,

How could the emperor laugh at a writer who could completely dissect the Japanese national character?

He said in a low voice: "It's not worth talking about it all over it." ”

Takasaki Masakaze nodded,

"Yes. How could the Yamato nation be 'polite and yet arrogant and arrogant; Extremely stubborn, yet very fickle; Loyal and generous, but rebellious and resentful'? This is not a person, but a hedgehog. ”

Meiji glanced at the teacher and didn't say anything,

There was silence under the eaves,

“……”

“……”

“……”

Only then did Takasaki Masafu realize the gaffe,

If you really think that Lu's statement is violent, how can you recite it word for word?

So, I was still said to be in the sore spot!

Takasaki Masakaze's face was gloomy, and he no longer talked about "The Nature of Japanese Civilization", but said: "Your Majesty, this "Lord of the Flies" is Lu's new work, written in Japanese. ”

Meiji was stunned,

"So great writers in Japanese...... I mean, how could he write in Japanese? Isn't it a translation? ”

As he spoke, he couldn't wait to take the book.

Surprisingly, there is indeed no translation column on the book cover, only the author.

The corners of Meiji's mouth hooked an arc,

"Hmph...... It seems that our country has a strong cultural appeal. ”

His heart is very conflicted,

On the one hand, he recognized Lu's influence and felt that Lu's writing in Japanese was a great thing for the spread of Japanese culture.

On the other hand, he had to show his disdain for "The Nature of Japanese Civilization".

As for what I think in my heart?

Anyone with a discerning eye can see it.

Meiji whispered, "How is this book?" ”

Takasaki Masakaze said solemnly: "Your Majesty, I shouldn't have given your opinion before you read it. Otherwise, it will affect your judgment of the book. ”

Meiji nodded,

"The teacher is right."

He opened Lord of the Flies and began to read it with a squinting eye and an extremely critical attitude.

Soon, he discovered Huadian,

"There is a saying in China, 'Monks from other places can't recite the scriptures,' and it seems to be true. This protagonist, who is organized, charismatic, and an officer, how could he have the messy surname 'Amano'. ”

Masakaze Takasaki said, "Lu may be understanding 'Amano' as Chinese. ”

Meiji asked, "What do you mean by that?" ”

Takasaki Masakaze wrote these two words,

——

Heaven, heaven refers to the sky, and also refers to nature or nature, and the lord of all things;

Wild, which means vast.

——

He explained: "Chinese will probably find this surname domineering. ”

Meiji sneered,

"He understands kanji, but he doesn't know Japan."

After speaking, he continued to read, still with the mentality of nitpicking and finding trouble.

But as the plot unfolds, the frequency of his picks gradually decreases.

Silence falls.

I don't know how long it took,

When Meiji raised his head again, it was already dark,

In the evening night, the dry landscape dominated by gray, white and brown presents a unique posture and rhythm, giving people a calm and restrained feeling.

Meiji's eyes are a little dull,

After reading this book, he had an inexplicable feeling of emptiness in his heart.

Takasaki is approaching and draped a big coat on Meiji's body,

"Your Majesty."

Meiji came back to his senses and returned the book to the other party.

"Thank you, teacher."

Takasaki Masakaze asked, "Your Majesty, what do you think of this book?" ”

Meiji Meditations,

After a long time, he couldn't help but ask the other party: "What did the Brutalist faction represented by Goto Masato do wrong?" It is true that for children stranded on a desert island, it is important to light a fire for help, but isn't it important to hunt for meat? Is Fauvism really at fault? ”

Takasaki Masafu's lips trembled,

"Lord of the Flies" is just that the author did not evaluate who is right and who is wrong between Keiichi Amano and Masato Goto.

Meiji asked this, but it showed that he had subconsciously made a value judgment and decided that the Fauvists were the wrong party.

Of course, as a minister, it is impossible to point out the problems of His Majesty the Emperor.

Takasaki Masakaze said cautiously: "Your Majesty is right. Because, outside rescue is unpredictable, it may come tomorrow or never. In a way, it's an illusory hope. On the contrary, the problem of eating meat is imminent. ”

Meiji was pleased,

"Yes, hunger is forced by reality. The craving for meat is not worthless; Using the Awa dance to dispel the fear of unknown beasts in the heart may be foolish, but it is not necessarily wrong. Even Victor Hugo, looking back on the French Revolution, said, 'No one is innocent, no one is guilty,' and he said. ”

Takasaki Masafu pondered in his heart,

His Majesty the Emperor has some truth in what he said.

What's more, he even moved out of the great writer Hugo, what else is there to refute?

"Yes, yes, yes!" That's it!

Takasaki bows down in the wind,

"Your Majesty, you are right. This "Lord of the Flies" is not a criticism of anything, but a show of how human beings should survive in the ultimate state. ”

Meiji was very satisfied with the other party's statement,

He closed the book,

"Teacher, lend me this book for a few days. I'll study it again. ”

Takasaki Masafu is here to dedicate a book today, so naturally he will not object, and complimented: "Your Majesty is happy to learn, but you must also pay attention to your body, and you must not forget to sleep and eat when you study!" ”

Meiji was even happier when he was patted on the back,

"The teacher is, you have to take a good rest."

After saying that, he got up, checked the book in his hand, and left along the verandah.

Seeing his back disappear, Takasaki Masafu also got up from the futon and gently slapped his knees, and there was even a "crunch" sound at the joints.

He was still recalling His Majesty the Emperor's remarks,

Is there really nothing wrong with Fauvism?

Not......

Why doesn't it feel like the logic is right?

Takasaki bent down again, picked up the refreshments next to the futon and put it in his mouth, chewing and thinking at the same time,

But in the end, he chose to give up.

There are a thousand readers, and there are a thousand Hamlets,

What's wrong with different ideas?

Takasaki Masafu muttered: "We Yamato people all watch "Hamlet". ”

(End of chapter)