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I Am a Cat Author: [Japan] Natsume Soseki Publisher: Sichuan People's Publishing House Translator: Zhu Yuewei
I Am a Cat Author: [Japan] Natsume Soseki Publisher: Sichuan People's Publishing House Translator: Zhu Yuewei
Description
Introduction · · · · · ·
"I Am a Cat" is the representative masterpiece of Japan's "national master" Natsume Soseki, and has a profound influence on Japanese literature.
The writing angle of "I am a Cat" is very novel, observing the people and things around from the perspective of a cat. This cat lives in a teacher's home and has seen all kinds of literati: Mi Ting, who is heartless and nonsensical, and only wants to make the world chaotic; Han Yue, who is old-fashioned and meticulous, and a little inflexible; Du Xian, who is idealistic, has theories but no practice... Of course, there is also the cat's owner, Ku Sha Mi, who is pedantic and impatient, gets things done only after a short time, and is self-righteous. In the eyes of the cat, these people gather together to discuss meaningless things all day long, are dissatisfied with reality, and can only complain, like Ku Sha Mi, who is miserable because of the pranks played by the students in the private school and laughed at by the neighbors, but can do nothing about it. At the same time, the cat also met some other people who were from a different class from Kushami: the snobbish "Big Nose" who was obsessed with marrying off his daughter, the wife of the capitalist Kaneda; the capitalist Kaneda, who was of the same mind as his wife and sent people to frame Kushami after knowing that he was mocking and obstructing his daughter's marriage; there was also a group of neighbors who were born in poverty and were moved by money, and helped the Kaneda family to mock and frame Kushami... These people were also ugly in the eyes of the cat.
The whole novel can be summarized in five words: "seeing the world through cat's eyes". The dozens of characters big and small in the novel all have distinct personalities in Natsume Soseki's writing. The novel is ingeniously conceived, exaggeratedly described, and has a flexible structure, with distinctive artistic characteristics.
The famous debut work of Japan's "national master" Natsume Soseki, a novel that had a great influence on Lu Xun
"Humans cannot prosper forever. Well, I will wait for the era of cats to come." - said the cat
When humans think, cats laugh. This "unnamed" cat in Natsume Soseki's novel is probably the most venomous and sarcastic cat in history.
The translation of "I Am a Cat" in Guomai's new classic version is light-hearted and humorous, with lively writing. The translator interprets it from a new perspective, allowing today's readers, especially young people, to understand that perhaps this "old man" who was once printed on the 1,000-yen bill just wanted to write about the cat that you are all familiar with and like.
About the Author · · · · · ·
Natsume Soseki
February 9, 1867-December 9, 1916
The real name is Natsume Kinnosuke (なつめきんのすけ), a Japanese writer, critic, and English scholar. Representative works include "I am a Cat", "Brother", "Sanshirō", etc.
Natsume Soseki enjoys a high status in the history of modern Japanese literature and is known as the "national great writer". He has a high level of attainment in both Eastern and Western cultures. When writing novels, he is good at using couplets, repetitions, humorous language and A novel form. Many writers came out of his school, and Akutagawa Ryunosuke was also mentored by him.
Because of Natsume Soseki's great contribution to Japanese literature, his portrait was once printed on the 1,000 yen bill. Therefore, many young Japanese people jokingly call him "the old man on the 1,000 yen bill."