The Scholars
《孺林外史》
Wu Jingzi，styled Min Xuan and also known by his self-given name Elder of Wenmu，was a native of Quanjiao County of Anhui Province. Focusing on the depiction of the intellectuals of the feudal age and on the condemnation of the imperial court examination system，The ,Scholars，which contains 50 chapters，creates a capacious and vivid portrayal of the community life of the feudal society and mirrors various filthy phenomena rampant during the last stage of feudalism .The book offers a vivid portrayal of the various abnormal personages in the vanity fair of position and wealth and delineates the ugly performances of the scholars Meanwhile，it embodies the writer's social ideal of revitalizing ancient rites and music，rejuvenating the ways of the world and public morality and saving the nation from peril .Instead of having a core character and a central storyline running through the entire book, The Scholars uses one relatively self-contained story of an individual to elicit that of another，thus connecting all the stories and pushing the whole plot forward. "Though a novel in form ,in fad features a short story in nature.”It is recognized as one of the great masterpieces of Chinese satirical fiction .Through tactful exaggeration on real life and skillful application of the paradoxical technique，the writer masquerades adept1y his satire with euphemism and insinuation. Satirical in content without the use of satirical diction，the book brings the art of satire to a completely new high. Concise and lively in language and humorous and vivid in imagery，it reveals the hypocritical faces and the frightful souls of the false apologists and celebrities，often in a matter of only a few words，or in a simple and straightforward style of writing. The Scholars is not only the first book to create a variety of imageries of numerous scholars and intellectuals，but also the first to openly negate the idea of making academic studies only for the sake of taking government positions. Thanks to this，the book is regarded as an epoch-making work in the history of Chinese fictional development.
吴敬梓(1710-1754 )，字敏轩，晚年称文木老人，安徽全椒人。《儒林外史》是一面封建社会的照妖镜。它通过对封建文人、官僚豪绅、市井无赖等各类人物无耻行为的真实生动的描写，深刻地揭露了行将崩溃的封建制度的腐朽性，强烈地抨击了罪恶的科举制度，并涉及了政治制度、伦理道德、社会风气等等，客观上否定了整个封建制度。《儒林外史》刻画了各种不同的鲜活的变态的人物形象，以及他们在名利场和财场面前的种种丑行。同时，它也反映出作者渴望复兴古人的礼、乐和社会规范等标准以拯救民众走出黑暗的理想和愿望。全书没有塑造一个中心人物，而围绕一个中心线索展开，而又运用一些相对独立的，自成体系的故事层层推进，环环相扣。“以小说为形式，实质上是短篇的故事”，《儒林外史》被认为是中国讽刺小说的代表作。通过对现实生活恰如其分的夸张和反讽技巧的熟练运用，使全篇没有明确的讽刺语却充盈着讽刺的内容。通过准确、生动的语言，幽默、鲜活的形象，全书以寥寥数语，简单、直接的文风勾画出了封建卫道士和达官贵人的虚伪面目和丑恶灵魂。《儒林外史》是第一部刻画不同类型的学者和知识分子的书，也是第一部公开批评学习只为做官的思想的作品。因此，《儒林外史》是我国古典讽刺小说的高峰。
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