Chen Chali is a special image among China people and Chinese Americans. From 65438 to 0925, the English writer Earl Del Biggs created the Chinese detective Chen Chali with his rich imagination. He was born in Hawaii. His English is fragmented and he likes to quote Confucius. He is cautious, observant and clever. Through his own efforts, he changed from a domestic boy to a detective, entered the mainstream American society, realized his American dream and became a model of a model minority. He solved many cases that white agents couldn't solve.
In an exclusive interview with reporters, Huang Yunte said: "Chen Chali is very famous in American literature in the 20th century and is often regarded as a negative Asian figure. There are some misunderstandings. In fact, he is a detective with great wisdom and sense of humor, which can also be said to be an oriental wisdom. This book is to combine the background of the times, peel off the creative process of the screen image, and look back on the difficult process of China immigrants integrating into American society with Chen Chali as the representative. "
The Legend of Chen Chali by Huang Yunte is a documentary literature book. Starting from the prototype real person (Zhang Aping) of Chen Chali, it tells the history of China people in the United States, the history of early American movies, the oriental craze in Hollywood, the history of cultural exchanges between China and the United States, and the author's own experience and feelings as a China looking for traces of Chen Chali in the United States.
About this work, Jonathan Spence (Shi Jingqian), a famous American book critic, said, "This is a unique and intoxicating book. It provides a new direction for us to explore the experience of China people from both Chinese and western perspectives. This book will completely change the way we tell this controversial but gripping story. "
Huang Yunte's description of the life of Chen Chali prototype Zhang Aping is more attractive than that described in the novel: Zhang Aping's parents gave birth to him in Hawaii and then returned to China and Hawaii. Zhang Aping was almost illiterate, but in the end he became a detective in Honolulu police station. He often wears a cowboy hat and holds a whip. It is said that he can jump from roof to roof like a flying man.
On the evening of September 24th, 2065438+00, Vromans Bookstore, the oldest and largest bookstore in Pasadena, Los Angeles, gathered many readers of all ethnic groups. Everyone rushed to communicate with Professor Huang Yunte, a famous young writer in China and a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, to learn about the creation process of his new English book A Chinese Detective in America: The Legend of Chen, and to talk about their own feelings.
In an exclusive interview with our reporter, Huang Yunte said: "Chen Chali is very famous in the 20th century American literary world, and he is often regarded as a negative Asian figure. There are some misunderstandings. In fact, he is a detective with great wisdom and sense of humor, which can also be said to be an oriental wisdom. This book is to combine the background of the times, peel off the creative process of the screen image, and look back on the difficult process of China immigrants integrating into American society with Chen Chali as the representative. "
Chen Chali, a Chinese detective described in the book, is an all-powerful figure in the American film industry in the 20th century. This documentary literature book, written by Chen Chali's prototype real person, describes the history of China people in the United States, the history of early American movies, the oriental craze in Hollywood, the history of cultural exchanges between China and the United States, and the author's own experience and feelings as a China looking for traces of Chen Chali in the United States.
According to Huang Yunte, there are 47 films and 6 novels about Chen Chali. Since the 1930s, Chen Chali series films in which white people play yellow-faced women have been popular in the United States and spread to China. When they were shown in Shanghai and Beijing, every show was full. Mr. Lu Xun also likes to watch Chen Chali movies, and he goes to see new movies as soon as they arrive.
Huang Yunte was born in an ordinary family in Yishan Town, Cangnan County. In the senior high school entrance examination, he entered Wenzhou Middle School with the first place in Cangnan County. Because of his excellent English, Huang Yunte was sent to cfau in his senior year. However, with only 18 days left before the college entrance examination, he gave up the number of walks and took out his textbook again. After a sprint of 18 days, he was admitted to the English Department of Peking University with the highest total score of Wenzhou foreign languages.
199 1 when Peking University graduated, Huang Yunte was granted a quota to go abroad at public expense, went to the University of Alabama in the United States to study for a master's degree in English literature, and then obtained a doctorate from the University of Buffalo in new york. After graduation, he taught at Harvard University for many years, and now he teaches at the University of California, Santa Barbara. An China person is engaged in the teaching of American literature, while wandering between China culture and American culture, which gives Huang Yun a unique experience of seeing things from different angles.
Huang Yunte said, "Before that, I had written seven or eight books in English, but they were all academic works in ivory towers. The Legend of Chen Chali is the first popular book written in English, so I put a lot of effort into it. After more than ten years of accumulation and conception, it took me a year to really do research. Among them, I went to Hawaii to investigate Zheng Aping, the prototype of Chen Chali, found his hometown and collected many stories. "
Huang Yunte said that in the history of American literature, the image of Asian ethnic groups has long been lacking or even negative. By chance, when he was looking for old books in the community, Chen Chali, a Chinese detective who once swept the United States, came into his sight.
Huang Yunte said: "Chen Chali was very famous in American society in the early 20th century. In addition to six novels, there are 50 movies about this role. " Since 1930s, the "Chen Chali series" movies played by white people as "yellow-faced women" have not only set off a craze in Hollywood, but also spread to China. Xu Guangping, Lu Xun's wife, recalled that as long as a film about Chen Chali was shown in Shanghai, no matter how far the cinema was, Mr. Lu Xun would definitely go to see it.
The Legend of Chen Chali is the first popular book written by Huang Yunte in English. He told readers: "I have made a lot of efforts. After 10 years of accumulation and conception, I spent a year in-depth research and collected many stories. " Since its publication, The Legend of Chen Chali has attracted the attention of American literary circles. It was nominated for the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize, and was well received by many scholars and book critics.
"Chen Chali this person is very humorous, he can even use a more humorous way to treat racial discrimination, and finally catch the bad guys. Even those who discriminate against him admire him. " Huang Yunte said, "My biggest discovery in the process of writing a book is that the United States is still a very good country. Although there is even explicit or implicit racial discrimination, this country has given most people the freedom to survive and develop. "
The Legend of Chen Chali has attracted great attention in American literary circles since its publication in August, 20 10, and has been nominated for the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize, and has been recommended by many famous scholars and book critics. Up to now, more than 40 book reviews have been published, and the Associated Press, Time Magazine, Reuters and other media have given a lot of reports.
Jonathan Spence (Shi Jingqian), a famous American book critic, said, "This is a unique and intoxicating book. It provides a new direction for us to explore the experience of China people from both Chinese and western perspectives. This book will completely change the way we tell this controversial but gripping story. "
Stephen Greenblatt, a famous scholar and best-selling author of Harvard University, commented: "This book combines history, literature, movies and personal experiences. Huang Yunte's writing style has a rare appeal and superhuman wit. "
Huang Yunte's literary achievements inspired Chinese Americans. Xie Qiaoling, president of Wenzhou Hometown Association in California, told reporters that overseas Wenzhou people are famous for their intelligence, diligence and initiative, and have made remarkable achievements in business, entrepreneurship, scientific research and investment. Now Huang Yunte, a Wenzhou genius who shines brilliantly in the American literary world, has brought extra surprises to his compatriots.