Wang, formerly known as Cheng Fuduo, 19 16, was born in Jixi, Anhui. 1930 after graduating from primary school, he dropped out of school because of his poor family, and soon went to Shanghai Yadong Library as a trainee. Because he studies hard and reads widely, his knowledge keeps growing and his thoughts keep improving. After the outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, he took an active part in the propaganda work of resisting Japan and saving the nation. From 65438 to 0938, he entered the advanced research class of Yan 'an Northern Shaanxi Public School, and joined the China * * * Production Party in the same year. From 65438 to 0939, he served as Secretary of the Second Secretariat of the General Political Department of the Central Military Commission, and concurrently served as a philosophy assistant in the Military and Political College. 194 1 year as the director of the Central Political Research Office. After 1942, he served as deputy director of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee Reference Room, director of the translation department of the Compilation Bureau of the Central Military Commission, editorial board member of Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Daily, and since 1948, he has served as chief and member of the publishing department of the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China North China Bureau. Since then, he has been engaged in editing and publishing jobs. Over the past 60 years, he has made great efforts for the modern publishing industry in China, made important achievements and contributions, and won a high reputation.
After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), Wang served as the editorial director of the General Administration of Publishing of the Central People's Government. Under the leadership of Hu Yuzhi, he actively participated in the establishment of Xinhua Monthly, the first large-scale documentary publication in New China, and was in charge of editing and publishing business and editorial board, which laid the editorial purpose and style of the magazine. 1950 12. After the establishment of People's Publishing House, Wang served as vice president and deputy editor-in-chief, and served as editor-in-chief for a long time in the 1950s and 1960s, making important contributions to the systematic publication of Marxist classics and a large number of theoretical translations. Although he was treated unfairly during the Cultural Revolution, he strengthened his faith in the Party and Marxism, persisted in learning and pursued the truth. From 65438 to 0975, he was transferred from the "May 7th Cadre School" in Xianning, Ministry of Culture, and served as the head of the theoretical group in the State Council. 1977 to 1982 served as deputy director of the state publishing bureau and deputy secretary of the party group. In the leading position in the national editing industry, it has played a very good role in bringing order out of chaos, implementing the publishing policy, attaching importance to publishing talents and publication quality, caring for and advocating the art of book binding and publishing, and writing articles and comments many times. After the 1980s, he served as deputy head of the planning group for the collation and publication of ancient books in the State Council, chairman of the State Publishing Committee, first vice-chairman, second vice-chairman and third honorary chairman of China Publishers Association, and first and second vice-chairmen of China Translators Association. As always, he cares about publishing. He personally reviewed the book The Publishing of Contemporary China and wrote the "Introduction" part of the book. Often recommend good books and critical works of the central newspapers and periodicals. He cares about and supports editing and publishing research, and writes prefaces for many editing works. He said: "All kinds of industries in society have their own expertise, including economics, education pedagogy, journalism and journalism. After the publication of books and periodicals, there are also specialized bibliography, edition science and library science, but the publication itself lacks specialized research. Is there nothing to learn about publishing? That's not true. The history of publication can be traced back to at least 1000 years ago, which is much earlier than the news anyway. There is not much to learn, but a lot. It is because we didn't take it seriously that the door was left empty. This blank cannot be kept forever, and publishing will always occupy its due position in many disciplines sooner or later. " (1982 preface to Tao fen and publishing) Wang encouraged editors to do research on publishing theory, presided over the annual national publishing research conference and awarded prizes for outstanding papers on editing and publishing theory. He also advocates that editors should learn, be knowledgeable and versatile, and inherit and carry forward the fine tradition of publishing. 1990, Wang suggested to the editorial department of Publishing Work that some old editors should be asked to write about how they did their editing work. After that, the magazine opened a column entitled "How I Work as an Editor", and successively published the specific experiences and practical experiences written by many famous editors, which played a wide range of beneficial roles in the editing and publishing circles.
China has implemented the policy of reform and opening up, and Wang has done a lot of work for publishing and foreign exchange. He visited Japan, the United States, Italy and other countries successively, and had extensive contacts with the publishing circles of these countries, publicized the achievements of China's publishing industry, and promoted the development of international cooperative publishing. Wang is a famous publisher and editor at home and abroad.
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Wang's editing and publishing work is inseparable from the establishment and development of People's Publishing House. From the establishment of People's Publishing House to the Cultural Revolution in 1966, he was the main leader of the publishing house and presided over the editing work for a long time, and served as the president and editor-in-chief from 1960.
It is an important task for People's Publishing House to systematically publish the original works of Marxist classic writers. In the early days of the People's Republic of China, in addition to the publication of Selected Works of Marx and Engels, there were also original singles of Marxism-Leninism. Wang attaches importance to the revision of the preface, especially the part listed as "required reading for cadres", and often contacts the translator personally (Cao et al. ). 1954 After the establishment of the Central Bureau for Compilation and Translation of Marx and Engels' Works, the translation and publication of Marx and Engels' original works entered a new stage with more planning and system. After the publication of The Complete Works of Stalin, the first edition of The Complete Works of Lenin with 39 volumes took only two years to complete. In the 1960s, the publication of Selected Works of Lenin began again, and Wang personally wrote an introduction in People's Daily.
Wang has sincere feelings and persistent pursuit for translating and publishing the original works of Marxist classic writers. 1September, 984, at the symposium on the publication of the new edition of Complete Works of Lenin (second edition in Chinese), Wang spoke enthusiastically, hoping that the translation would be refined, and the new edition would reflect China's own characteristics and have its own front and comments; The binding design of the complete works requires a good book. These sincere opinions are also his consistent proposition. When Wang was in People's Publishing House, he repeatedly talked about plekhanov's practice of adding his own annotations when translating the works of Ma and Engles. So when People's Publishing House published On Feuerbach, it attached a note written by plekhanov. During the Cultural Revolution, Chen Boda criticized Wang's traitor philosophy on this basis, and Wang was persecuted.
As an editor, Wang conscientiously implements the publishing policy. Shortly after the establishment of People's Publishing House, in order to implement the principle of division of editing and publishing, he insisted on not publishing books outside the professional division of labor, which was supported by the leading organs at higher levels. In editing, Wang attaches great importance to the quality of publications. He presided over the editing business of the publishing house and personally reviewed the manuscripts. He always writes his own opinions or criticizes mercilessly, but he is very convincing. There is a translation of dialectics, and the editor's comments on the manuscript are very simple. Wang read the manuscript and wrote: "Although you have revised it repeatedly, I still don't know how many problems (and they are all serious) remain. I also have opinions about your proofreaders and auditors. " Then it points out the shortcomings in manuscript translation, terms created by translators and examples of mistranslation. Then he said, "I hope you can learn the necessary lessons from the mistakes in proofreading and reading this manuscript in order to correct your future work." If my opinion is wrong, I can also criticize it. "(see" People's Publishing House Manuscripts Archives ") The original texts of some translations are often rough. Even if the translator is a famous translator, Wang always has to edit and tell the translator the review opinions so that the translator can understand them and make corrections.
Before 1954, People's Publishing House had published many pamphlets on philosophy and society translated from the Soviet Union. Later, my understanding improved. 1September, 954, Wang commented on a reprinted book: "Don't reprint some dogmatic pamphlets of the Soviet Union." Regarding the topic selection, it is pointed out that "under the current circumstances, the selection and translation of general books must be very cautious and can be delayed." If you don't translate, you won't suffer "(see People's Publishing House Manuscript Archives).
Wang also carefully consulted the manuscripts of some domestic scholars. Manuscript of Early Construction Achievements of New China. Wang's review opinion is: "This manuscript is just a pile of numbers, and then some quotations from the same program are inserted, which makes people incomprehensible. As things stand, it can't be published without major changes. The main requirement I want to revise is to enrich the flesh and blood, and every problem should be clarified. There are many materials ... there are blood, flesh and bones to see. " The peer review opinion of another academic work is written like this: "The opinions of Soviet scholars should be carefully digested and not copied in large sections. However, reference books must be explained at the end of the article. " (For the above contents, see People's Publishing House Manuscript Archives.)
Wang also often reminds comrades in the editorial department that editing is a highly political job, and we must conscientiously grasp policies and take Marxism-Leninism as the guide. His serious, strict and meticulous work attitude and style in editing also directly affect the professional quality and work style of editors in the whole society. In addition to reviewing the manuscript, Wang also has to review and revise the "executive summary" written by the editor, and sometimes the revised places are almost rewritten. After the establishment of People's Publishing House, the editor-in-chief established the "content summary" system when reviewing and publishing. Wang also attaches great importance to the publishing house's books and periodicals work, and thinks that it is of great significance to do a good job in collecting books and materials for cultivating editors of publishing houses.
Publishing Weekly, an early internal publication of People's Publishing House, published the instructions of higher authorities on editing and publishing, sent readers' criticisms and suggestions on the publication, and checked the mistakes made by staff in editing and publishing. For example, the editorial work of Xinhua current affairs series, major proofreading errors of books and periodicals, etc. , published the inspection and understanding of relevant editors and proofreaders. It has played a very good role in improving the professional quality of staff and cultivating serious work style. In the early 1960s, Wang put forward the problems of "three styles" and "one strictness" in editing and publishing work at the general meeting of the whole society. The "three styles" are: diligence and simplicity, modesty and unity, down-to-earth and meticulous style. "One strictness" means that everything is strict, and the first is political strictness. From editing and publishing to administrative management, every link requires strict words. We should be strict in selecting topics, reviewing manuscripts and processing, publishing and proofreading, and implementing the administrative system. Only in this way can we ensure the continuous improvement of publishing quality.
Wang also believes that to improve the quality of manuscripts, we must first promote the efforts of authors, translators and editors. Therefore, in addition to strengthening editorial work and cultivating more good editors, publishing houses should also urge authors, translators and editors to actively improve their own work and make joint efforts to improve the quality of manuscripts generally.
Speaking of the publishing house uniting a large number of authors who translate carefully, Wang himself has been doing a good job. He personally writes comments and tips on the "interview record" of the editor's interview with the author, and sometimes praises or criticizes it at the staff meeting of the whole society. He also advocated inviting experts and scholars from all walks of life to make academic reports in the publishing house. He himself has good contacts with a large number of scholars and experts such as Cao, Zhu Guangqian, Lv Zhenyu, Ji Xianlin and Ge Baoquan.
In fact, Wang's attention and concern for social talents is also outstanding. In the mid-1960s, when he was working in a publishing house, he invited Wang, an expert on plekhanov issues, to translate his works in the publishing house and give full play to his expertise. After smashing the Gang of Four, Wang actively encouraged Guo Yin, an Anhui aesthetician, to publish academic works. Guo Yin's two monographs, Historical Draft of China Painting Aesthetics and Random Thoughts of Art Gallery, were published by People's Fine Arts Publishing House and Anhui People's Publishing House respectively. The author expressed his gratitude to Wang He in the postscript. Xu Xuelin, a young scholar in Anhui, has a special liking for the publishing history of Anhui and has written a lot of papers. Wang showed great concern and encouragement to him. I know Wang's love for talents and his attention to valuable manuscripts, but he doesn't want to talk about how he did it.
The quality of books consists of two parts: content and form. Wang also attaches great importance to the appearance of book binding design. There is no doubt that this is inseparable from his philosophical thinking, aesthetic accomplishment and interest in art. In the post of editor-in-chief, he often cares about the cover design and binding form of books and makes suggestions for the cover design.
All these can be seen that in the development of People's Publishing House, Wang's painstaking efforts and contributions are endless. 1985, in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the founding of People's Publishing House, Wang wrote such an inscription with beautiful lines: "I am willing to make wedding dresses for others." This is also a true portrayal of his own service and dedication to editing and publishing.
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As early as before and after the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), Wang had the idea of doing research. He once said that he was interested in philosophy and aesthetics. When he arrived in Beijing, he wanted to engage in academic research, not editing and publishing. However, Wang has been an editor all his life. Wang is an editor, but he is also a scholar, critic and diligent translator. He has profound attainments in Chinese and foreign literature, philosophy and history, as well as in translation. During the Yan 'an period, he translated books on philosophy, social science and literary theory, such as A Brief History of Western Philosophy, Historical Materialism, On the Origin of Lough's Thought, and Autobiography of Duncan-Supplement. He has written philosophy, aesthetics, literary criticism, drama criticism, as well as prose and reading notes, and published a variety of translated singles. Huai Cong Manuscript published by Sanlian Bookstore 1984 is a collection of his creations after decades of editing work.
199 1 year1kloc-0/month, the first Hu Shi academic seminar was held in Jixi, Anhui. Wang was invited to attend the meeting. As a fellow countryman and descendant of Hu Shi, he gave a speech entitled "Studying Hu Shi from a Dialectical Point of View". Hu Shi, the leader of the May 4th New Culture Movement, was affirmed for his pioneering work in many aspects in the cultural and academic fields. Therefore, it is put forward: "To discuss Hu Shi's academic thought is to pick up the baby that was dumped when dumping sewage before. Of course, when picking up the baby, be careful not to bring back the sewage. ..... I think we must adhere to the attitude of seeking truth from facts, adhere to the policy of letting a hundred flowers blossom, and allow everyone to express their opinions, so that we can speak freely and feel comfortable. " This speech was well received by the comrades attending the meeting.
As a scholar, Wang is well-read and diligent in studying. He has a very rich collection of books and sits in the book city. He is a bibliophile who cherishes books, and also a scholar who dabbles in a wide range. People are surprised to find that Wang is faced with a large number of books, but he can find and use them at any time. In Wang's reading habits, he often likes to read some foreign literary masterpieces against foreign original works. He knew both Russian and English, and taught himself French and Japanese a few years before his death. Once when I visited him, the white-haired old man was studying a foreign language in front of the TV. His persistent pursuit of learning has lasted for decades, and he enjoys it and becomes stronger with his age. This is also an extremely valuable quality of an editor and an important reason for him to become an editor, scholar and critic.
After 1980s, people can often see Wang's calligraphy works. From book titles and inscriptions to banners, vivid cursive scripts or simple seal scripts, it seems that a calligrapher's king suddenly appeared. In fact, Wang's calligraphy is very basic, but he was too busy with editing business and publishing leadership to take care of it. In recent years, he has more time to study epigraphy and Wei Bei. The cursive script admired Yu Youren's style, but it also intended to integrate various schools and turn them into its own strength. It should be noted that Wang's achievements in calligraphy are based on his profound artistic accomplishment. He likes Chinese and western paintings very much. His collection contains a large number of Chinese and foreign picture books, and he has a high appreciation of works. He has made a preface to the works of painter Yuan Yunfu and others. He can carve bamboo and seals, which gives his calligraphy a unique charm. I have seen him write inscriptions with a brush.
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People who have worked with Wang, or who have worked under his leadership, will unanimously praise him for his excellent writing, freshness and fluency, fluency and erudition; At the same time, I think he speaks Mandarin with a strong accent, and he often lacks agitation and organization when speaking and making reports. When we get along at ordinary times, it is easy to see his unsmiling and serious side, but it is not easy to find his approachable and humorous side.
In 1950s, when Wang was in the publishing house, he stood in line with everyone to buy food in the canteen. He loved chatting and telling jokes. He praised a workmate for being methodical and said that he had "general demeanor". Once, Zhihua Temple in Dongcheng, Beijing held an exhibition of butterfly specimens collected by individuals, and he introduced it to everyone. Just read a good book and constantly recommend it to others; If it is a dissatisfied book, you should also express criticism. Have a meeting with him, have a drink at night, and talk about everything from study to life.
Wang's daily life is extremely serious, meticulous and organized. The reading and writing desk on his desk is always clean, and books, pens and papers are arranged regularly. Everything in the desk drawer is also in good order. The bright and clean windows have created a good environment for him to think like a flood and study day after day.
1993 In the spring, I went to see Comrade Wang. It happened that Comrade Wang was not at home, and it was his grandson Zimei who came out to open the door. On the wall of May's bedroom, I saw a few words written by Wang in neat regular script:
Do more good deeds and less empty words.
Do it first, then say it, and do it without saying it;
I won't forget any advantages of others.
Do your own good, and then forget.
This is Wang's motto for future generations. I think it is the expression of his own ideological realm and moral standard. It should be said that this is also Wang's own motto. This noble sentiment and professional ethics also need to be vigorously advocated and carried forward in the editing and publishing circles. [2]