《蓝莲花》的创作及其背后的启示：埃尔热与张充仁的跨文化对话.pdf

International Comparative LiteratureVol.6 NO.1（2023）：042-073DOI：10.19857/ki.ICL.20236103Copyright Shanghai Normal UniversityThe Blue Lotus and Beyond：A Cross-Cultural Dialogue between Herg and Zhang Chongren*#蓝莲花 的创作及其背后的启示：埃尔热与张充仁的跨文化对话潘致远上海大学PAN ZhiyuanShanghai UAbstract：The Blue Lotus，an episode set in Shanghai of the popular Belgian comic，The Adventures of Tintin，was the result of a collaboration in 1934-35 between Herg，its creator，and Zhang Chongren，a Shanghai-born art student in Brussels.This paper demonstrates that the key legacy of the comic is its message calling for mutual understanding between different cultures.Despite the considerable amount of literature on The Blue Lotus thanks to the popularity of Tintin，the existing research tends to either mystify or simplify the Herg-Zhang encounter and its attendant influences.Taking a more contextualized approach to engage the immediate historical and literary background of the comic，this paper focuses on how a cross-cultural dialogue between Herg and Zhang contributed to the two significant features in The Blue Lotus：raising a voice against injustice in the contemporary Sino-Japanese conflict，and breaking the established framework of cultural stereotypes.It shows that the collaborators in-depth conversation about different cultures and civilizations functioned not only to provide new knowledge，but also to facilitate an understanding from others perspectives，with a further analysis of the comic itself to verify this impact.Created on the foundation of a cross-cultural dialogue，this comic in turn became a medium to promote the idea of cultural respect and tolerance to readers of Tintin，which is still relevant today.Keywords：The Blue Lotus；Herg；Zhang Chongren；Sino-Japanese conflict；cultural stereotype；cross-cultural dialogue*Submitted Date：Feb.28，2023；Accepted Date：Mar.14，2023.#2021 International Postdoctoral Exchange Fellowship Project（YJ20210135，Office of China Postdoc Council&China Postdoctoral Science Foundation）.蓝莲花 的创作及其背后的启示：埃尔热与张充仁的跨文化对话The Blue Lotus and Beyond：A Cross-Cultural Dialogue between Herg and Zhang Chongren2023,Vol.6,No.1Notes on the Author：PAN Zhiyuan received her B.A.in History from Peking University，and her M.A.and Ph.D.in Modern Chinese History from University of Cambridge.She was a visiting student at the Catholic University of Leuven（Louvain-la-neuve）during her doctoral study.Currently she is Post-doc of Modern Chinese History at Shanghai University and was awarded the International Postdoctoral Exchange Fellowship.She has written mainly on the history of the Catholic Church in modern China.Her other research interests include global history，studies of cross-cultural interactions，the history of Shanghai and art history.On March 18，1981，at Brussels Zaventem Airport，a crowd of journalists and fans were waiting to witness a reunion between a Belgian and a Chinese.This Belgian was Herg，the creator of The Adventures of Tintin（Les Aventures de Tintin）；this Chinese was Zhang Chongren 张充仁（19071998），a friend of his as well as the co-creator of the The Blue Lotus（Le Lotus bleu），an episode of the comic strip（bande dessine in francophone contexts，1 hereafter comic）set in China.They were both in their seventies.It had been forty-seven years since they had last met（fig.1）.Due to the popularity of Tintin，this event drew great attention from the public.21 Bande dessine(abbreviated as BD),literally“drawn strips,”refers to Franco-Belgian comics.It emerged in the 1920s.Before the Second World War,BDs were almost exclusively published as tabloid size newspapers intended for children or youth readers.Developed after the War,weekly BD magazines and albums gained popularity.A hardback A4 size album is the main format and remains popular among audience in Belgium and France today.It is regarded as“the ninth art”(le neuvime art)in francophone culture.The term bande dessine was first introduced in the 1930s and has become a popular genre of comics since the 1960s,alongside Japanese manga,American graphic novels and Anglophone cartoons.Representative BDs are The Adventures of Tintin(Herg),Gaston Lagaffe(Franquin),Asterix(Goscinny&Uderzo),Lucky Luke(Morris&Goscinny),and The Smurfs(Peyo).2“La Vido des Retrovailles entre Herg et Tchang(The Video of the Reunion of Herg and Zhang)(1981),”Tintinomania(blog),January 2,2019,https:/ 1Reunion of Zhang and Herg at the Brussels Airport in 1981,with Zhang Xueren(son of Zhang)on the right.Image from“Zhang Chongren Chuanqi Yisheng.”0432023年第6卷 第1期国际比较文学国际比较文学INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE LITERATURETintin began to be serialized in Le Petit Vingtime（The Little Twentieth）in 1929，the youth weekly supplement of the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtime Sicle（The Twentieth Century）.Each story in this series unfolds how the journalist protagonist Tintin restores justice and helps the weak around the world.In the years to come，Tintin became more and more popular：“from the point of view of sales（more than 120 million books sold in almost 40 languages），durability（60 years old in 1989），range of appeal（from small children to pensioners）or critical interest（more books have been written about Tintin and his creator than on strip cartoons in general）.”3Back in 1934 Brussels，following adventures in the Soviet Union，the Congo，America and the Middle East，Tintin embarked on a new destination，Shanghai.The comic would run from August 1934 to October 1935.It was the fifth episode in the series，and was originally called“Tintin in the Far East”（Tintin en extrme-orient）before being renamed“The Blue Lotus”in 1936.4 Unlike other Tintin stories，The Blue Lotus was a product of close collaboration.Herg（pseudonym of Georges Prosper Remi，19071983）met up with Zhang（19071998），who was an art student of oil painting and sculpture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts（Acadmie Royale des Beaux-Arts），for the first time on May 1，1934.Zhang recorded in his diary：“Visited Herg.He draws weekly illustrations for Vingtime Sicle.In need of materials of China，he requested my help.”5 Coming from Shanghai，Zhang gave Herg a detailed introduction to contemporary China，which was absorbed into the context of The Blue Lotus.As recalled by Zhang，the procedure was that Herg would develop the thread，work out a draft and give it to him to revise（including the street scenes，customs and Sino-Japanese relationship where involved）.6 Herg also testified that all the Chinese characters in The Blue Lotus were written by Zhang or modelled according to his writing.7 Michael Farr commented that：“The result is a masterpiece.Tintin is immersed in extreme realismShanghai exactly as it was in 1934.It takes Tintin to a level we had not seen before，because the previous adventures were approximations of a country.They did not have the rich，accurate detail of The Blue Lotus.”8From this collaboration，Zhang and Herg became close friends.Inspired by Zhang，Herg 3 Benot Peeters,Tintin and the World of Herg(London:Methuen,1989),151.4 For convenience and coherence,the paper will use“The Blue Lotus”to refer to the comic throughout,though during 19341936 this title was not yet in use.5 Jean-Michel Coblence and Tchang Yifei,Tchang,Comment lamiti dplaa les montagnes(Chang,How Friendship Moved the Mountains)(Moulinsart,2003),52.6 张充仁：自述传记（节选），见张充仁纪念馆、上海张充仁艺术研究交流中心：张充仁艺术研究系列3：文论，上海：上海人民美术出版社，2010年，第202页。ZHANG Chongren,“Zishu Zhuanji(Jiexuan)”(Autobiography Selected),in Wenlun(Zhang Chongren Yishu Yanjiu Xilie 3)(Selected Essays on Zhang Chongren),ed.Zhang Chongren Jinianguan,Shanghai Zhang Chongren Yishu Yanjiu Jiaoliu Zhongxin(Zhang Chongren Museum and Shanghai Research and Communication Centre of the Arts of Zhang Chongren),Shanghai:Shanghai People s Fine Arts Publishing House,2010,202.7 Herg and Numa Sadoul,Tintin et moi:entretiens avec Herg(Tintin and Me:interviews with Herg),Champs 529(Paris:Flammarion,2003),131.8 Michael Farr,“The Best Book on Tintin,”n.d.,https:/ 的创作及其背后的启示：埃尔热与张充仁的跨文化对话The Blue Lotus and Beyond：A Cross-Cultural Dialogue between Herg and Zhang Chongren2023,Vol.6,No.1found Tintin a Chinese friend during his adventure in Shanghai，“Tchang.”The Tintin-Tchang friendship mirrored the real friendship of their creators（fig.2）.According to Zhangs recollection，Herg had wanted to give him credit as co-author but he did not accept.9 Nevertheless，Zhang s name partially appears on a shop sign in a drawing（fig.3）.During the reunion event in 1981，they co-signed and gave a printed card to attendees，on which Tintin，dressed in Chinese attire，puts one arm round Tchang s shoulder，reproducing the scene in The Blue Lotus when they took a picture together.The inscription reads：“With all our 9 Pierre Assouline,Herg:The Man Who Created Tintin(Oxford:Oxford University Press,2009),52.Figure 2left,Zhang and Herg in Brussels;right,Tintin and Tchang in The Blue Lotus.Images from Tchang,Comment lamiti dplaa les montagnes and Le Lotus bleuFigure 3“Chongren”(circled)Image from Le Lotus bleu0452023年第6卷 第1期国际比较文学国际比较文学INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE LITERATUREgratitude for the expressions of friendliness that you have shown us during our reunion in March 1981”（fig.4）.Their collaboration is well-known and widely recognized，being highlighted at both of their retrospective exhibitions held in Belgium and China during recent years.10 To some extents，this story of friendship epitomized the amicable side of the relationship between the two countries.In fact，what makes the encounter between Herg and Zhang remarkable is not merely a firm friendship withstanding time and space.As articulated by Herg during the interview at the reunion：“How can I explain such an emotion？How can one describe the feelings one has when one meets，after nearly half a century，someone who was more than a friend，someone who，as I said earlier，opened doors and windows for me on a whole civilization I knew almost nothing about？It was a world Zhang opened up to me.”11 It indicates that their meeting was beyond a technical collaboration，and led to a profound dialogue about different cultures and civilizations.In his letter to Zhang in 1975，Herg also wrote that：“thanks to you，finally I discoveredafter Marco PoloChina，its civilisation，its thinking，its art and artists.”12This significance has not gone unnoticed by researchers of Tintin，but has not been fully explored either.This paper will first give a brief review of the existing scholarship before focusing on two aspects in The Blue Lotus，which have long-term impacts in various domains：the presentation of the Sino-Japanese conflict in the 1930s，and the change of view in cultural perception.It will put the comic in its immediate historical，social and literary contexts，so as to 10“Zhang Chongren and Belgium,”China Cultural Center in Brussels,https:/www.cccbrussels.be/news/exhibitions/zhang-chongren-and-belgium.html,November 8,2022;“Tintin and Herg,”Power Station of Art,https:/ 8,2022.11 Moi,Tintin(Me,Tintin),1992,https:/ Herg to Zhang Chongren,May 1,1975.Figure 4 Printed card co-signed by Zhang and Herg.Image from the preview of the auction on November 22,2014,by Artcurial.046蓝莲花 的创作及其背后的启示：埃尔热与张充仁的跨文化对话The Blue Lotus and Beyond：A Cross-Cultural Dialogue between Herg and Zhang Chongren2023,Vol.6,No.1elaborate how a cross-cultural dialogue functioned.Finally，engaging with reviews from readers，it aims to show that the key legacy of The Blue Lotus is to facilitate mutual understanding，and in turn to inspire the wider public to reflect beyond one s own national and cultural boundaries.I.Existing Research on The Blue LotusGiven the popularity of Tintin，many researchers（i.e.“Tintinologists”）have written about Herg and Tintin，particularly in French.13 Currently there are two trends in the study of The Blue Lotus.One is the tendency to mystify it，which falls into the group of books that“read”the hidden messages of Tintin.14 One of the reasons for this is the limited access to first-hand information about Herg，due to the control of the Herg Foundation which owns most of his archives and has commercial considerations of Tintin.15 It resulted in the phenomenon that a large number of publications are exegetical analyses which attempt to“reveal”the“hidden messages”between lines（or images）.16 The Blue Lotus received special attention because of its unfamiliar setting and Chinese words appearing in the drawings，which make it mysterious for a Western reader.17 Interpretative reading is thus popular：Pierre Fresnault-Deruelle focused on visual analysis of the black&white version，and argued that the use of light effects symbolized the contrast；18 Jean-Marie Apostolids discussed the plot and claimed that the poisoned character Didi always trying to behead his father and mother should be understood as an expression of the Oedipus complex.19The enduring Herg-Zhang friendship also baffled many Western Tintinologists.Harry 13 Research engages various angles,for example:Herg and Michel Daubert,Tintin:The Art of Herg,trans.Michael Farr(New York,N.Y.:Abrams ComicArts,2013);Francis Bergeron,Herg,le voyageur immobile:Gopolitique et voyages de Tintin,de son pre Herg et de son confesseur labb Wallez(Herg,the Motionless Traveler:Geopolitics and Travels of Tintin,His Father Herg and His Confessor,Father Wallez)(La Chausse d Ivry:Atelier Fol fer,2015);Philippe Goddin,Herg and Tintin,Reporters:From Le Petit Vingtime to Tintin Magazine(London:Sundancer,1987);Marcel Wilmet,Tintin noir sur blanc:laventure des aventures,19301942(Tintin Black on White:The Adventure of the Adventures),1 vol.(Brussels:Casterman,2011).14 Jean-Marie Apostolids,The Metamorphoses of Tintin,or Tintin for Adults,trans.Jocelyn Hoy(Stanford:Stanford University Press,2010);Jan Baetens,Herg crivain(Herg,Writer),Champs(Paris:Flammarion,2010);Tom McCarthy,Tintin and the Secret of Literature(London:Granta,2007).15 Thompson,Tintin,Author s Note.16 Baetens,Herg crivain(Herg,Writer);McCarthy,Tintin and the Secret of Literature;Dominique Cerbelaud,“Le hros christique”(The Christic Hero),in Larchipel Tintin,Rflexions faites(Brussels:les Impressions nouvelles,2012),36-49;Olivier Reibel,La vie secrte dHerg:biographie inattendue(Herg s Secret Life:An Unexpected Biography),1 vol.(Paris:Dervy,2010).17 Pierre Fresnault-Deruelle,Les mystres du Lotus Bleu(The Mysteries of The Blue Lotus)(Brussels:ditions Moulinsart,2006);Patrick Merand and Li Xiaohan,Lotus Bleu dcrypt(Blue Lotus Decrypted)(Saint-Maur-des-Fosss:Spia BD,2009).18 Fresnault-Deruelle,Les mystres du Lotus Bleu(The Mysteries of the Blue Lotus).19 Apostolids,The Metamorphoses of Tintin;Baetens,Herg crivain(Herg,Writer);McCarthy,Tintin and the Secret of Literature.0472023年第6卷 第1期国际比较文学国际比较文学INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE LITERATUREThompson questioned：“for a relationship based on one year s relationship half a century before，theirs had a lot to live up to.”20 The British translator of Tintin，Michael Turner，once commented：“for Herg，the relationship with Chang Zhang had become a mystical relationship.”21 It gave rise to some，as far as I am concerned，ungrounded speculatio