"Fairy Tale Grandpa" Ren Rongrong: "My whole life is a fairy tale"

In the 1980s, Ren Rongrong, editor of "Foreign Literature and Art". Photo courtesy of Shanghai Translation Publishing House

"Ren Rongrong, 100 years old, fell asleep...a ​​long dream." Ren Rongrong, a leading figure in children's literature, passed away, and a literary critic left a poetic comment.

The old man of the century, the childlike heart of a hundred years-many people recall this Chinese children's literature master they know: he has translated hundreds of classic works of children's literature in the world, and created the brain-opening and hilarious "Brainless" " and "Unhappy""; this fairy tale old man of the century is an "old child", and he has never lost the most precious innocence and innocence throughout his life.

A Fairy Tale

"Pilgrims, where are you going? If the Kaaba is a garden, can you pick a bouquet of flowers? If the Kaaba is the sea, can you pick a rare pearl?..." As the poet Shepchenko he translated wrote In the following verses, Ren Rongrong has devoted 70 years to the translation and creation of fairy tales, and he is undoubtedly the most devout "pilgrim" in the kingdom of fairy tales.

"My whole life has been a fairy tale," he said.

Is Ren Rongrong's fairy tale book as sweet and lovely as his translation of "The Wind in the Willows" and "Charlotte's Web"? Or is it a little sad like his translation of nearly a million words of "Andersen's Fairy Tales"?

On May 19, 1923, the first page of Ren Rongrong's fairy tale book was opened. He was born on Minhang Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai. Ren Rongrong's original name was Ren Genliu, and his family came from Heshan, Guangdong. Although he looked "not much different from everyone else, he was also so obedient and cheerful", but after careful consideration, Ren Rongrong's childhood had somewhat different "genes".

First, Cantonese people were born in Shanghai, and the language environment is complex. Ren Rongrong has shown a talent for languages ​​since he was a child, and he can speak several dialects; second, being born in Shanghai allowed Ren Rongrong to be nourished by rich Chinese and foreign cultures. Watching Beijing Opera, I sighed sincerely: "Shanghai is such a famous international city!"

Comparing life with fairy tales, Ren Rongrong's youth may be a bit like his translation of "Pinocchio" and "The Adventures of Onion". At the age of more than 10 years old, he had become a red soldier of the New Fourth Army, left Shanghai, and did not return to the city until 1941.

"I started children's literature by accident, but now that I think about it, before I started children's literature, my whole life seems to be preparing to do children's literature." Ren Rongrong was nourished by art in Shanghai, watching movies, reading books, and watching everything makes people happy and started a literary translation. Since then, translation and creation have become the two protagonists in Ren Rongrong's fairy tale book.

In the 1940s, Ren Rongrong, who was proficient in four languages, began to translate foreign children's literature classics, opening the door to the world's treasure house of children's literature. Among his translations are thick "The Complete Works of Andersen's Fairy Tales" and "Pushkin's Fairy Tales", as well as short and meaningful "Pinocchio", "The Wind in the Willows" and "Charlotte's Web".

"I don't even know how many books I have translated. I think there are at least 300 kinds." Ren Rongrong wrote in the article "My name is Ren Rongrong, and I am not Ren Rongrong": "I have been translating other people's things. Sometimes I feel very dissatisfied and feel that I have something to say, sometimes while translating, I still have opinions on the original work, thinking, if I am asked to write, I will definitely change the way of writing, and the children will like it more.”

Ren Rongrong's creation of children's literature began with "life stories recorded casually in a small book", and the initial writing was clever and playful children's poems. In 1956, Ren Rongrong published the fairy tale "No Mind" and "Unhappy". This classic of Chinese fairy tales was brought to the screen and caused a sensation all over the country, accompanying the growth of several generations of children. "Brainless" and "Unhappy" is timeless - every generation of children seems to be able to "meet themselves" in the story as they grow up, and feel the innocence and fun of fairy tales.

The "brainless" who forgets everything, and the "unhappy" who is stubborn and stubborn... How did the cartoon image with distinctive personality and full of fun come into being?

Ren Rongrong recalled that he himself was "brainless", and at that time he also found that the mantra of many children was "unhappy". "When you meet such children, criticize them. They are always unconvinced, thinking that this is a trivial matter, and it has nothing to do with 'doing big things' when they grow up. I just want them to make a fool of themselves and understand the principles of life in fairy tales."

Ren Rongrong told the story he made up to the children, and everyone was amused, so the editor "emptied the page" and supervised Ren Rongrong to turn the story into words. Two hours before the deadline, Ren Rongrong sat in a coffee shop on Nanjing Road, "writing more than 5,000 words in half an hour."

Children's heart and literary heart

Relying on his childish innocence and literary heart, the centenary Ren Rongrong has worked hard all his life in the field of children's literature, planting a flowery fairy tale garden for children.

Just before his death, Shanghai Translation Publishing House published the 20-volume "Ren Rongrong's Translated Works", and Zhejiang Children's Publishing House also published the 8-volume "Ren Rongrong's Collected Works", fully presenting Ren Lao's literary achievements.

Poet Zhao Lihong commented: Ren Rongrong’s childlike innocence gave his fairy tales a unique taste of innocence. “When Mr. Ren translates and creates children’s literature, he always wants the children to have fun. His works are colloquial, easy to understand, and particularly beautiful. He is pure and persistent, writing and translating for children all his life, reaching readers in a simplified way."

Opening "Charlotte's Web" translated by Ren Rongrong, people can feel this "childlike innocence" from his words that are as clear as dewdrops and as cheerful as a forest breeze: "It rained the next day, and the sky was gloomy. The rain fell on the On top of the barn, dripping incessantly from the eaves; in the barnyard, the rain fell in curving, snaking streams into the paths where the thistles and the weeds grew; On Mrs. Mann's kitchen window, the water pipe gushed out; the rain fell on the backs of the sheep grazing on the grass. The sheep were tired from standing in the rain, and walked slowly back to the sheepfold along the path."

In fact, after translating "Charlotte's Web", Ren Rongrong was already 80 years old...

In his octogenarian years, Ren Rongrong translated the latest version of "The Complete Works of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales" authorized by Denmark and published on the 200th anniversary of Andersen's birth. This masterpiece of fairy tales has nearly a million words, and the difficulty of translation can be imagined. In the eyes of the family, the daily life of Grandpa Fairy Tale is "a piece of paper, a pen, a chair, and a table, 'climbing the grid' page by page".

In 2021, Shanghai Translation Publishing House launched the 20-volume "Ren Rongrong's Translation Collection", which is the largest collection and publication of Ren Rongrong's translations. "It's a big box, and it's truly a 'book as long as your body'." Shi Lingkong, editor-in-chief of Shanghai Translation Publishing House, said with emotion, "Translation is a lonely job. If you don't love it, how can you stick to it for a lifetime?"

On May 19, 2022, Ren Rongrong celebrated his 100th birthday. Tie Ning, chairman of the Chinese Writers Association, wrote a congratulatory letter, saying: "Ren Lao loves children, loves life, loves literature, and is open-minded and optimistic by nature. He regards writing for children as the happiest and most willing thing to do in his life. As a child The hundred-year-old Ren Ren, a literary master, is still writing today, and continues to illuminate the way forward for Chinese children's literature in the new era with his admirable personality and unchanging original intention of writing."

"Whether it is creation or translation, it seems that God wants me to take this path... I have been going all the way, and I am still very satisfied until now. Because I love children's literature, it is my luck to meet children's literature. But It can also be said that I am very lucky to have Chinese children's literature." Ren Rongrong said so.

Happiness and innocence at 100 years old

In fact, Ren Rongrong is not called "Ren Rongrong". For this reason, Grandpa Fairy Tale wrote "My name is Ren Rongrong, and I am not Ren Rongrong", which is full of childlike fun.

"Ren Rongrong" is a pseudonym. In the mid-to-late 1940s, Ren Rongrong started writing children's literature the year his daughter was born, so he picked up his daughter's name as his pen name. Since then, he has caused a lot of trouble for himself - "Many young readers wrote to me, beginning with 'Dear Big Sister Ren Rongrong', 'Dear Aunt Ren Rongrong', the problem is all because of this name."

After all, he is a leading figure in children's literature, and it is so interesting to change his name casually. In the eyes of many people, the most precious thing about Ren Rongrong at the age of 100 is the childlike innocence that never deteriorates.

This energetic, pure and bright happiness that seems to belong to everyone's childhood only for a short time has always nourished Ren Lao's translation creations, flowing out from his writing, and beautifully beautiful hundreds of millions of childhoods.

Yin Jianling, a writer of children's literature, recalled that Mr. Ren was very interesting in life and an optimist who was respected and very popular. "His centenary life opened a door for children, fresh, smart, and out of touch. The imagination blows in my face."

Shanghai children's literature writer Zhang Hong is Ren Rongrong's year-end friend. She remembered that when she was discussing creation and asked him what his secrets of creation and translation were, Ren Rongrong felt it was simple and natural: "Translation means that the author writes a sentence, and I translate a sentence. I translate what you say!" Ren Rongrong said again: "The main theme of childhood is happiness! The main theme of life should also be happiness!"

"100 years old, 70 years old, Mr. Ren has lived himself into a legend of time!" Writer Lu Mei sighed, Mr. Ren is a great writer who won time with his abundant creativity. For him, time is not only a linear length, but also a spiritual dimension. Mr. Ren is like a mobile library of children's literature, "his colloquial children's poems, prose, and lively fairy tales... It seems that any random door that enters this library is like a lighthouse. Enough to open and wake up those sleeping childhood innocence".

As for Ren Rongrong himself, naturally he never associates children's literature with greatness. He is indifferent and innocent, overflowing with joy, claiming that "I have been writing books for children all my life". He said to the young readers: "I have only one hope, and that is that it will give you a little joy."

In the early morning of September 22, 2022, after a hundred years of life, Ren Rongrong passed away peacefully in his sleep. This hundred-year-old "fairy tale book" brimming with happiness quietly closed its pages.

The 100-year-old Ren Rongrong fell asleep...in a long, beautiful, fairy tale dream. (Reporter Sun Liping)

Source: Xinhua Daily Telegraph