A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 373 Another Hardy

Li Yu collected Lord Kelvin's 10 shillings and made a note of the matter of isotopes in his mind, but he was not in a hurry to discuss this matter because it was still too early, at least until the radioactivity theory and atomic model developed more.

The next day, Li Yu was continuing to discuss radiation-related topics with Rutherford at the Cavendish Laboratory. Owen Richardson walked over and said, "Your beautiful girlfriend is here."

There were Lu Bicheng and Lilian standing outside the house. Lu Bicheng looked a little embarrassed. Lilian said to Li Yu, "Mr. Hardy sent an invitation to the Cultural Salon, please go with Miss Bicheng and you."

Li Yu didn't react for a while, and glanced at Lu Bicheng and said, "If Miss Bicheng agrees, I definitely have no objection."

Lilian grabbed Lu Bicheng's hand and said, "Of course she has no objection."

Li Yu laughed and said, "Then let's go!"

Lilian greeted a carriage, and Li Yu said, "Isn't it good to drive?"

Lillian said: "It's in Cambridgeshire, very close."

When he got there, Li Yu realized that he had misunderstood just now.

He had always preconceived in his mind that it was Hardy, the great mathematician in Cambridge, but he found out that it was another Hardy when he saw the real person: Thomas Hardy who wrote "Tess of the d'Urbervilles".

Due to the fact that Britain has produced several powerful writers in recent years, such as the most famous Dickens, the current status of Britain in Western literature is not low.

Of course, the French may not recognize it. Anyone who calls the British must be able to speak French by this time.In terms of cultural self-confidence, the French are still very strong.

Thomas Hardy welcomed them all: "It is a great honor to see such a fine female author again."

Lu Bicheng squatted down with oriental etiquette: "I met Mr. Hardy."

Thomas Hardy said to Li Yu again: "We are even more excited to see a writer like you who is proficient in all disciplines of natural philosophy and even possesses great imagination."

Li Yu shook hands with him: "Thank you for your compliment, sir."

Li Yu has read the book "Tess of the D'Urbervilles", and it is an English version, to be precise, it is a Chinese-English version.

When he was still in high school, in order to practice his English, Li Yu once bought several books in the "Bookworm" series, which were some world famous books produced by Oxford University Press, with green covers and bilingual Chinese and English.In Britain alone, Li Yu read "Tess", "Wuthering Heights", "A Tale of Two Cities" and so on.

"Tess" has a high status in the history of English literature.However, after this book was published, it received mixed reviews, because the protagonist is a woman, and she is a woman who has lost her virginity, but the reason why she lost her virginity is a problem of the times.

Tess worked as a helper in a wealthy family, and was deceived and defiled by the young master, but in the eyes of Victorian moralists, Tess's behavior was indecent.If this matter were exposed, instead of blaming the young master, people would criticize Tess and blame the young woman for her shamelessness.

Many critics call Tess a "slut", but the author Hardy says Tess is the purest person.

——This is obviously the opposite.

Hardy belongs to the people who are very critical of the present.

Hardy introduced another person who participated in the salon to Li Yu: "You should have wanted to know him a long time ago. His name is George Wells. He wrote "The Time Machine" nine years ago. "Star Wars" completely stole the show."

Wells is a character at the originator level of science fiction, and also a figure at the founding level of the "time-travel" theme.

Wells said with a smile: "It's normal to steal the limelight. I have carefully read Mr. Li Yu's Star Wars series and many papers. In terms of imagination, I am so impressed."

Wells was studying science and engineering at the university, got a bachelor of science degree, and could understand some papers written by Li Yu.

In addition, Bernard Shaw was also invited to this salon, and Li Yu had already met him.

Hardy also introduced a young female writer: "Since we have invited the young and beautiful Miss Bicheng, we in the UK can't afford to be inferior, so I specially invited Miss Woolf."

Woolf is a very representative British female writer since then, and a famous figure in the history of British literature. For the convenience of understanding, she can be compared to Zhang Ailing in China.

Woolf is very young, only one year older than Lu Bicheng. Although she has just entered the literary world this year, she has become famous very quickly because she has been mixed in an elite cultural circle.

Woolf said: "I have always wanted to see this strange oriental woman who is rumored to be both beautiful and talented. When I saw it for the first time, I was amazed. There is indeed a kind of graceful beauty in the haze."

Li Yu said with a smile: "You only see the appearance, Miss Bicheng knows kung fu."

Lu Bicheng gave Li Yu a little kick, and said in a low voice, "I've been in England for so long, and I already know that people like gentlemen and ladies. How can you say such things?"

Li Yu said, "Don't worry, they may appreciate it more."

Woolf was indeed very surprised: "Kung fu? Really?!"

Li Yu said: "Of course it is true, an ordinary adult male is by no means her opponent."

Woolf covered her mouth: "It's amazing! Can you show it?"

Lu Bicheng gave Li Yu a blank look and said, "I'm really sorry, it's inconvenient. I'm wearing a skirt today."

Woolf said: "It's so impressive. If Mr. Hardy's Miss Tess is like you, maybe life will be very different."

After Lu Bicheng received the invitation yesterday, he had already read "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" overnight, knew the outline of the story, and said: "I am just a special case. If I want all women to get rid of this tragedy, I think I can only learn some martial arts. Not enough."

"That's very good! With such an opinion, you really are a beautiful woman!" Wells applauded, and then laughed, "It's just that Mr. Li Yu must be more careful in the future."

Li Yule said: "You don't know that, I also have a martial arts teacher, and I am the best martial arts master in China today."

Wilson joked: "Then your future life is really wonderful."

Lu Bicheng quickly said: "You guys, what are you talking about!"

Hardy looked very interesting. Most of the cultural salons before were all men. Now that there are a few more women, it is different immediately.

Hardy invited everyone to sit down together. Hardy's house is a typical British house. It is not spacious, but the wooden furniture is very elegant, and one wall is full of bookshelves.

As the host of the salon, Hardy first said: "Now that Li Yu, the most outstanding new star in science, has also arrived, I think we can discuss some forward-looking topics. How about customizing the theme 'Imagine the Future'? After all, this is an era of drastic changes. .”

Hardy said so, everyone will certainly not object.

Hardy, Bernard Shaw, Wilson, Woolf and others are all people with advanced views. Now many British people are thinking about the current intense social issues, which are reflected in their works.

Hardy continued: "As an important part of the gentleman's etiquette in the new era, we insist on Lady first, ladies first, do you have any objections?"

Several people said: "No comment."

"Very well, all of you here are excellent gentlemen," said Hardy, "then let the beautiful oriental girl Miss Bicheng who came from afar speak first."

Hardy took the lead in applauding after speaking.

Lu Bicheng was not stage-frightened on such occasions, and said in fluent English:
"Thank you! I have read Mr. Hardy's works and watched Mr. Bernard Shaw's plays, all of which reflect respect for the female community. I think this should be what the future looks like. I live in poverty and backwardness in the eyes of everyone. The Qing Dynasty, but there are also great changes taking place there. Women can finally enter the school, no longer just believe that "a woman's ignorance is virtue", no longer just obey the three obediences and four virtues, and no longer just a tool for husbands and children. Although only It's just the beginning, but it's the future I dream of."

Lu Bicheng's words were neither humble nor overbearing, and Li Yu and others couldn't help applauding her again.

Hardy applauded and said: "Very wonderful speech, Miss Bicheng is really a woman worthy of everyone's respect. The future you imagined is reasonable and reasonable. I can't wait to see that day come."

Woolf said: "Miss Bicheng, after listening to your speech, I must invite you to participate in the cultural gatherings we often hold in Cambridge in the future, where there are all outstanding young people like you."

The party in Woolf's mouth is the "Bloomsbury Group". T. S. Eliot, economist Keynes and so on.

Anyway, it was a very impressive group, mostly students from Cambridge.

Lu Bicheng accepted her invitation: "Thank you, I will participate."

George Wells said at this time: "As a graduate of science, I used to think a lot about the future. I wrote the "Time Machine" as an example. 'Imagine the future' is a very good topic, and the development of the times is also a good topic. It's suffocating, and I'm afraid the world hasn't changed as much since the time of Jesus Christ as it has in the past 30 years."

As a time traveler, Li Yu has a deeper understanding than everyone here: "This kind of development momentum is very strong, and it will last for hundreds of years."

George Wells said: "If it is true what Mr. Li Yu said, then the most fundamental uncertainty will come from whether human beings can maintain their fear of the current speed of development. Although we are in the so-called most developed country in the world, but the hard The bottom class and the upper class have become more and more divided, and this kind of antagonism between classes has to be worrying. In fact, I am pessimistic about the future."

George Bernard Shaw said: "I also have this kind of worry. To paraphrase Mr. Dickens, this is the best of times and the worst of times. I often wonder if the future will really be what Mr. Wells wrote in his science fiction "Time" As described in "The Machine", human beings eventually evolved into two deformed and opposing races."

In the book "The Time Machine" published in 1895, the protagonist traveled to 80 years later and found that human beings have evolved into two races: the Eloi on the ground are all fools; White-haired monster.

The monsters feed the Eloi on the ground and use them as food.

The underground Morlocks are actually laborers of the old age. They evolved into white-haired monsters because they did not see the sun all day long. They are strong, cunning and cruel.

On the other hand, the Eloy people on the ground are the ruling class in the past. Because they are used to sitting on their own and not working hard, they are weak in body and mentally declining.

In the novel, there is no apocalyptic disaster like the later remake of the movie. After all, Wells' era didn't even know what nuclear fission was, and it was simply because of the two-level division that changed human beings.

This kind of setting can fully show the author Wells' thinking about the times, which closely follows two major social themes: the theory of evolution and the opposition of classes.

Obviously, Wells' book is also soft science fiction, and he focuses on social problems that may be brought about by technological progress.

The story in the book is also dictated by the protagonist when he traveled to 80 years later and came back to attend a gathering of friends.

This way of writing is completely understandable, because science fiction is very time-sensitive, and human thinking about the future is basically based on existing knowledge that has been understood.

The two versions of "Time Machine" filmed in the 1960s and 2002 are very typical: the version in the 60s mentioned nuclear war; the 2002 film added interstellar development and interstellar disaster.

In the 2002 version of the movie, the protagonist first came to 2030, saw the slogan "future is now" at first sight, and then saw shared bicycles at the second sight, as a symbol of technological development.

But in fact, in less than 20 years, shared bicycles have blossomed everywhere in China, and even completed an industry reshuffle, and many people have not even returned their deposits...

So the way Wells writes "soft science fiction" works is very ingenious.

Li Yu said: "Technology is invented by human beings, and the heart of human beings, as we say in Chinese, is the beginning of human beings, and their nature is good. Technology is indeed a double-edged sword, but its good side is obviously more radiant. Technology will not make mistakes. , It is always human who make mistakes. History has proved over and over again that the only lesson that human beings remember is that they cannot remember the lesson.”

Wells said: "Sir is also a philosopher."

Li Yu knew that the topic would be too heavy to continue, so he said about his works: "Mr. Wells mentioned in the book that in addition to the three-dimensional world, time is the fourth dimension, and it is a great philosophy of physics."

Welles only used it as an idea for writing, but it is indeed a bit forward-looking.

Li Yu continued: "When it comes to the future, the topic of time is inseparable. I happened to think of a very interesting story. I wonder if you are interested in hearing it?"

The host Hardy said: "Of course I am interested. The cultural salon has no constraints. If there are attractive stories, it will be the best salon."

Li Yu said, "Okay, I will tell a story about time travel."

Li Yu then talked about the outline of "A Chinese Journey to the West".

When this work was first released, the box office was very poor, because it was too advanced, and the timeline in it was different from ordinary movies, and the role of time travel was very obvious.

The whole story revolves around love, and because of the shuttle of the time treasure box, it has become a tragic story in the cloak of comedy.

Supreme Treasure loves Bai Jingjing, Bai Jingjing loves Monkey King, Monkey King loves Fairy Zixia, and Fairy Zixia loves Supreme Treasure.It seems to be the same person, but in fact it has been 500 years apart.

The structure of this story is so exciting that everyone present was fascinated by it.

When Li Yu finished the last sentence: "At dusk, the sunset warrior and the purple-clothed woman on the tower looked at the Monkey King who was going away and said, "Look, that man looks like a dog."

The three women, Lu Bicheng, Lilian, and Woolf, were already crying.

"It turns out that girl left a tear in my heart. I can feel how sad she was at that time!" Woolf wiped her tears with a handkerchief and repeated this sentence, "The gods in the East are so humane." , This is the best story I have heard this year!"

Hardy could hear some other flavors: "If I don't go to hell, whoever goes to hell, it's a story with an oriental charm! I sincerely hope that Mr. writes it carefully, and I think many people will like it very much."

Li Yu said with a smile: "Just listen to it, everyone. The story is fictitious. Any similarities are purely coincidental."

Li Yu dare not write the big talk about Journey to the West, a setting that was unacceptable in the 1990s, let alone now, unless the elements of Journey to the West are removed.However, if the Journey to the West element is removed, this work will be greatly reduced.

Li Yu's speech took a long time, and today's salon time is over.

Hardy was very satisfied: "In the future, as long as Mr. has time, I will definitely invite you to come again, so as to bring us wonderful stories one after another."

Li Yu shook hands with him and bid farewell: "Thanks to everyone's liking."

Although Li Yu's Chinese culture is very average, he has watched a lot of movies, and there are countless classic scenes in his mind. It seems that it is not difficult to participate in this kind of cultural salon and become the focus...

(End of this chapter)