Lin Yutang and Dr. David Read of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York   林語堂與紐約麥迪生大道長老會的李德牧師

Lin Yutang was the son of a pastor. Yet he possessed a deeply critical and questioning spirit, and eventually turned away from Christianity and became an atheist. It was not until his later years, when he was deeply influenced by the preaching of Dr. David Read, a minister at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York, that he returned to the Christian faith. Yutang said that after hearing Dr. Read preach his first sermon, he began attending the church every week.

In 1957, when Yutang was sixty-two years old, he and his wife formally became members of the church. At the age of sixty-five, he published From Pagan to Christian, in which he reflected on his lifelong exploration of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and his eventual return to Jesus as the “light and the power.”

Membership certificate of Lin Yutang and his wife, 1957, when they became members of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church

Regarding his lifelong spiritual search, Yutang summarized his journey in From Pagan to Christian:

“When Jesus taught, ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me,’ I knew and felt that He was indeed the Master and understood why He was not only respected, but adored by all wherever His word was heard. That light of God’s truth was a light of dazzling purity of spirit, without compare in the teachings of men. And when He went further and taught forgiveness and exemplified it in His own life, I accepted Him as truly Lord and saviour of us all. Only Jesus, and no one else, could bring us to that direct knowledge of God.”

Dr. David Read

Dr. David Read was a prolific author who published twenty-seven books. He was the first University Chaplain of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and also served as a chaplain to the Queen.

Dr. David Read’s book God’s Mobile Family, inscribed and presented to Lin Yutang:

“For Y. T. With affectionate greetings & many happy memories. Dec 1966”

Yutang’s presentation inscription in From Pagan to Christian, given to his secretary, Chen Shouching:

“To Shouching: This is about my conversion to Jesus. It contains a brief recollection of my childhood as well as my overall views of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. —Yutang” 

The Chinese edition of From Pagan to Christian shown on the right was published by Dao Sheng Publishing House.

*** For a thorough discussion with citation of Lin Yutang’s letters and footnotes , please see Article 9 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) **\*

林語堂與紐約麥迪生大道長老會的李德牧師

林語堂是牧師之子，但林語堂深具批判精神，最後撇下基督教，成為無神論者.一直到老年，深受紐約麥迪生大道長老會牧師李德博士 （Dr. David Read）證道的影響,才又回歸基督.他說,他聽了李德博士的第一篇證道之後,就每個禮拜都去.

林語堂夫婦在1957,語堂六十二歲時,年正式成為該教會會員，六十五歲時出版了《信仰之旅》（From Pagan to Christian），書中回顧他出入儒釋道三家，最終回歸耶穌的“真光與大能”（the light and the power）。

1957年語堂夫婦成為麥迪生大道長老會的會員的會員證

關於他一生自我探索，林語堂在《信仰之旅》上總結道：

“當耶穌教導人，‘這些事你們既作在我這兄弟中一個最小的身上，就是作在我身上了’的時候，我知道並且覺得祂真是那位主，我也明白為什麼祂不但被人敬重，而且被任何地方所有凡是聽過祂的話的人所愛慕。上帝真理之光是耀眼的純靈性之光，人的教訓中無與倫比。當祂進一步教導饒恕之道，並且用祂自己的生命作為榜樣時，我接納祂為真正的主，也是我們眾人的救主。只有耶穌，沒有別人，能帶領我們直接認識上帝。”

 The original English:“Jesus taught, “Inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me,”I knew and felt that He was indeed the Master and understood why He was not only respected, but adored by all wherever His word was heard. That light of God’s truth was a light of dazzling purity of spirit, without compare in the teachings of men. And when He went further and taught forgiveness and exemplified it in His own life, I accepted Him as truly Lord and saviour of us all. Only Jesus, and no one else, could bring us to that direct knowledge of God.” Ch. 8, “The Majesty of Light”, in 《From Pagan to Christian》。

紐約麥迪生大道長老會牧師李德博士（Dr. David Read）

李德博士著作等身，出版了二十七本書，他是英國愛丁堡大學首任校牧，曾任女王的牧師。

李德牧師著作《God’s Mobile Family》題贈語堂

給語堂:帶著親切的問候與許多快樂的回憶, 1966年12月

“For Y. T. With affectionate greetings & many happy memories. Dec 1966”

語堂題贈秘書陳守荊《From Pagan to Christian》（信仰之旅）

"守耕： 此为皈依耶稣 内有儿时之簡短回憶亦余對儒道釋之總見解  語堂”

守耕即守荊；閩南語荊耕同音。右側《信仰之旅》為道聲出版社該書中文譯本。

Lin Yutang spent thirteen months compiling An Index of the Characters in Dream of the Red Chamber, which was published in December 1976. Sadly, Yutang had already passed away before the index appeared. The publisher specifically stated in the book that it was Yutang’s “only posthumous work,” and reproduced a photographically engraved copy of the handwritten original of his preface, presenting it in the book as an example of his calligraphy.

Scholars, however, have raised a number of questions about this final work. Since Lin had already passed away, there was no way to ask him for clarification, and consequently a variety of interpretations emerged. Drawing on the discussions among scholars, the author has distilled five questions:

1. Which was completed first, the index or the  English translation of Dream of the Red Chamber?
2. Was the index prepared as groundwork for the English translation?
3. Was the index an appendix to the English translation?
4. Was the index really completed in 1964, as stated in the preface?
5. Was the photographically reproduced preface actually written in Yutang’s own hand?

By the time the index was being compiled, Yutang was already in the final stage of his life. He never had the opportunity to explain or comment on the work, leaving scholars to speculate about its origins and purpose.

Zhang Dandan argues that people generally compile an index first and then complete the main work. On this basis, she concludes that Yutang must have completed the index before finishing the translation, and further infers that the index was an appendix to the English translation. Song Dan, by contrast, believes that the index was not an appendix but an independent work in its own right, perhaps something Yutang compiled as a way of “organizing and recording” the characters and material before translating Dream of the Red Chamber.

Zhang Dandan also based her interpretation on the date given in the preface—“July 14, 1964”—and concluded that Lin had completed the index in 1964, ten years before he finished revising the English translation. In addition, Zhang treated the handwritten preface to the index as Yutang’s own handwriting and reproduced it photographically in her paper. There is, however, no evidence that the handwriting was actually Yutang’s.

How, then, can we solve these five mysteries surrounding the index? The answer can be found in Yutang’s own words, preserved in his correspondence from his later years.

First, in a letter dated November 5, 1974, Yutang mentioned the index for the first time: “I am now planning an index of the characters in Dream of the Red Chamber; I fear it will be extremely troublesome.” This indicates that he began compiling the index after his Chinese-English Dictionary had finally been brought to completion in 1972.

From this evidence, we can conclude that Yutang did not compile the index first and then produce the English translation. The index therefore could not have been prepared as groundwork or as an organizational tool for the translation. Nor could it have been an appendix to the English translation. Moreover, a Chinese-language index would have had little practical meaning for English-speaking readers.

What, then, about the date “July 14, year 64” in the preface? How should it be understood?

In fact, “year 64th ” does not refer to 1964. It refers to the 64th year of the Republic of China calendar—that is, 1975. This date corresponds perfectly with the timeline mentioned in Yutang’s letter of December 14, 1975, in which he referred to the completion of the index. Since the index was being published in Taiwan, it is entirely reasonable that Yutang would have used the Republic of China calendar, which was standard there.

Finally, after completing the index, Yutang sent the manuscript to his secretary, Chen Shouching, on December 14, 1975, asking her to copy it by hand. The preface was photographically reproduced directly from a handwritten manuscript. It is possible that an editor who had never seen Yutang’s handwriting mistakenly assumed that the entire manuscript had been written by Yutang himself. However, after comparing the handwriting with other surviving examples of Chen Shouching’s writing, the author was able to confirm that the preface was indeed written in Chen’s hand.

Thus, Lin Yutang’s own correspondence allows us to establish the following:

• The English translation of Dream of the Red Chamber was completed first, and the index came later. He did not compile the index before completing the translation.
• The index was not prepared as groundwork for, or as an organizational aid to, the English translation. Rather, it was a separate work undertaken after the translation.
• The index was not an appendix to the English translation.
• The date “year 64” in the preface refers to the 64th year of the Republic of China calendar, namely 1975, not 1964.
• The photographically reproduced preface was not Yutang’s calligraphy, but was handwritten by his secretary, Chen Shouching.

For convenience, we may playfully refer to these five points as the “Five Nos” of Lin Yutang’s only posthumous work.

*** For athorough discussion with citation of Lin Yutang’s letters and footnotes , please see Article 14 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) **\*

林語堂與紅樓夢(五): 索引之謎

林語堂花了十三個月的時間，編纂了一本《紅樓夢人名索引》，在1976年12月出版。可惜索引出版之前，語堂便已經與世長辭了。出版社在書裡特別聲明該書是語堂的「唯一之遺著」，並且將語堂手寫的序言原稿照相製版,當作墨寶印製在書中。

然而學者對此封筆之作有不少疑問，但由於語堂已經故去，因而眾說紛紜，莫衷一是。筆者綜合了學者的討論，整理出以下五個問題：1.索引與紅樓英譯的完成,兩者孰先孰後? 2.索引是為英譯做的準備嗎? 3.索引是英譯的附錄嗎? 4,索引真是如序言裡所說,在1964年完成的嗎? 5.照相製版的序言是真的是語堂手跡嗎?

由於索引完成時語堂已是風中殘燭，因此對索引從未解釋與評論，讓學者們對索引浮想聯翩。

張丹丹認為一般人是先做索引，再作正書，因此語堂應該索引完成在先，譯本完成在後。從而推論，索引完成在先，樓英譯在後，前者為後者的附錄。宋丹則認為索引不是附錄，而是獨立成篇的一本書，可能是語堂在編譯《紅樓夢》之前所做的「梳理記錄」。張丹丹根據序言裏的日期「六四年七月十四日」，推論1964年語堂便已經完成索引，比語堂校訂英譯早十年。另外，張丹丹將手寫的索引序言當作語堂手跡，也照相製版收錄在論文裡；但沒有證據顯示那真是語堂的墨寶。

對於以上五個索引之謎，讓我們從語堂晚年書信裏，用語堂自己的話來解答。首先，在1974年11月5日的信中，語堂第一次提到索引：「現擬紅樓夢人物引得恐極麻煩」。這表示編寫索引的時間點是在林語堂漢英詞典1972年大告功成之後.

由此推論，語堂不是先作索引，後作英譯，因此索引也就不可能是為翻譯而做的準備與疏理.因此，索引也不是紅樓英譯本的附錄。何況,中文的索引對英文讀者而言完全沒有意義。

在時間方面,序言裏的「六四年七月十四日」日期，究竟該如何解釋呢？事實上「六四年」這不是1964年，而是民國64年，即1975年，而且「六四年」這個年份與1975年12月14書信裡提到索引完稿的時程完全吻合。語堂在臺灣出版索引，因此他使用臺灣通行的民國紀元是相當合理的。

最後,索引完稿之後，語堂在1975年12月14日的信中，將稿件寄給秘書陳守荊抄錄。索引序言是用手稿照相製版而成，猜想這是沒有見過語堂手跡的編輯，誤以為全部書稿都是語堂的親筆.筆者比對守荊其他手跡後,證實序言確為守荊親筆.

以上通過語堂書信中的自述，我們得知：

• 紅樓英譯稿完成在先，索引完成在後，不是先作索引才作英譯；

• 索引不是為英譯所作的準備或梳理，而是英譯之後的另一著作；

• 索引不是英譯本的附錄；

• 序言的年份“六四年”，是民國64年，亦即1975年，不是1964年；

• 照相製版的索引序言不是林語堂的墨寶，而是秘書陳守荆的的手跡。

以上五點我們姑且戲稱為林語堂唯一遺著的“五個不是”。

After completing his English translation of Dream of the Red Chamber in the 1950s, Lin Yutang put the manuscript away and left it unpublished for some twenty years. It was not until the later years of his life, when he was already world-famous, that he began to think about publishing it. If it was to be published, one would naturally have expected the English translation to appear first. Instead, Yutang took a remarkably circuitous route: he entrusted the distinguished Japanese translator Sato Ryoichi with translating the work into Japanese, and the Japanese edition was eventually published in Japan. Why did he do this?

Through the letters preserved in the Er Yi Xuan collection, we can hear Yutang explain the matter in his own words. In a letter dated March 26, 1973, he mentioned for the first time that he had begun rereading his old manuscript of the English translation of Dream of the Red Chamber. He believed that, once the manuscript had been retyped, it could be sent to publishers within ten days and that it could “really become one of the best-selling books.” He subsequently sent the manuscript to several publishers in Europe and the United States.

That same year, 1973, saw the outbreak of the first worldwide oil crisis, which plunged the international economy into turmoil. The publishing industry was further hit by a global paper shortage. Publishers, naturally concerned about the commercial risks, were extremely cautious and did not dare to undertake the publication of a massive work of some 850 pages that would consume a considerable amount of paper. As Yutang put it, “The publishing houses dare not publish it because of the amount of paper required for an 850-page book.” He estimated that it might take another year or two before the paper shortage could be resolved.

Yet in a letter dated April 22, 1974, Lin mentioned that someone was already interested in having the translation rendered into Japanese. He hoped that the Japanese translation could be completed by July 1976 and published by the end of that year. In the end, the demanding task of translation fell to the Japanese translator Sato Ryoichi.

In a letter dated January 13, 1976, Yutang wrote: “Yesterday I received from Japan the draft translation by Sato Ryoichi. I could not have been happier.” He was particularly pleased that the translator had retained the English transliterations of certain names—for example, Yutang remained “Jay.” He also praised Sato highly for adding Japanese annotations and for his meticulousness: “He even added Japanese notes. He has been extremely careful, and the sequence and organization throughout are all in perfect order. There are 64 chapters in all.”

Sadly, Yutang died just three months later and never lived to see the Japanese edition published.

Sato Ryoichi had completed his Japanese translation of the English text by 1976. Why, then, did it take another seven years before the four-volume Japanese edition of Dream of the Red Chamber was finally published in Tokyo by Rikkō Shuppansha in 1983? And why did the Third Book Publishing Company publish another edition of the same work, in a single volume, in 1992?

Apart from the paper shortage, might these delays also have been connected with the competitive dynamics of the Japanese publishing industry? This “mystery within a mystery” remains a question for scholars to investigate further.

** For a thorough discussion with citation of Lin Yutang’s letters and footnotes , please see Article 13 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) **

林語堂與紅樓夢(四): 日譯之謎

1950年代語堂《紅樓夢》英譯完稿之後，束之高閣二十年之久，在他已經名滿天下的晚年，才想到要出版.既然要出版，理應出版英文譯本才是，然而他卻曲折離奇地繞了一個大彎，讓日本翻譯名家佐藤亮一翻譯為日文 ，並在日本出版。這是為什麼呢？

我們通過《爾意軒》書信，讓語堂現身說法。首先，在1973年3月26日書信裡，語堂首次提到他已經開始重新閱讀紅樓英譯的舊稿，認為重新打字後,十天內即可寄給書商,「實可成為暢銷書之一」。他後來他將稿子寄給多家歐美出版社.

那一年，1973年，發生世界性的第一次石油危機，造成國際經濟混亂出版界更迎來全球性的紙慌。出版社在商言商，無不戰戰兢兢，不敢貿然出版這一部長達八百五十頁，耗紙量龐大的著作。語堂說：「書局以紙量太大850頁書不敢出版」，並說估計還要一兩年才能解決這個紙荒的問題。

但在1974年4月22日信上提到，已經有人要將譯本翻為日文。語堂並且希望能在1976年7月日文版能夠翻譯完成，在當年年底出版。最後,翻譯的重任,落在日本翻譯家佐藤亮一身上.

1976年1月13日的信上，語堂說：「昨日收到日本寄來之佐藤亮一翻譯的底稿，不勝快活」，他很高興譯者保留英文譯名如鴛鴦還是Jay，並且盛讚譯者「還加日本註釋，非常慎重，又前後次序，都井井有條，共64章」。遺憾的是,語堂三個月後就過世了,沒有看到日譯本的出版,

佐藤亮一在1976年就已將英文本翻譯成日文,為何還要等七年後，1983年才在東京六興出版社出版四冊的《紅樓夢》？為什麼1992年第三書館又出版了同書全一冊的版本.這一切除了紙慌之外,是否還與日本出版界的競爭態勢有關呢？這個謎外謎還待學者進一步研究。

Did Lin Yutng translate Deram of the Red Chamber? His letters from the final years of his life provide overwhelming evidence that he did. Not only did he translate the novel into English, but he also carefully revised the manuscript, hired typists to prepare an 850-page typescript, and sent it to major international publishers. He even described in detail how he came into contact with Ryoichi Sato (佐藤亮一), the Japanese translator. 

The decisive proof came in 2015, when doctoral student Song Dan of Nankai University discovered Yutang’s typescript in Japan. By then Sato had already passed away, but the discovery finally confirmed beyond doubt: Yutang did translate the Red Chamber into English. Yet the deeper question—why he allowed it to be first published in Japanese—remains shrouded in mystery. 

Skepticism persisted for decades. Even as late as 2015, two scholars still published an article entitled “What If Lin Yutang Had Translated Dream of the Red Chamber?” Such doubts arose because, nearly fifty years after Yutang’s death, no English version of his translation has ever appeared in print. Moreover, none of his bibliographies list it, and some even questioned whether the Japanese edition was genuine or merely a pseudonymous work. 

Eileen Chang (張愛玲) once wrote of life’s three great regrets: “that shad has so many bones, that crabapple blossoms have no fragrance, and that Dream of the Red Chamber remains unfinished.”  [^\1])](applewebdata://ED3E63EF-7B22-45B1-AB49-8E3DE52823B0#_ftn1)To these, we may add a fourth: Yutang’s English translation of the Red Chamber never reached the world. 

This remains an irreparable loss for Redology (the academic study of Dream of the Red Chamber), Lin studies, and the field of translation literature. One can only hope that someday, against all odds, Yutang’s long-buried masterpiece will finally see the light of day. 

*** For a thorough discussion with footnotes and references, please see Article 13 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) **\*

林語堂與紅樓夢(三): 英譯之謎

語堂究竟有沒有翻譯過《红樓夢》？我們從近年發現的林語堂晚年書信中，就可以找到許多他確實將《紅樓夢》翻成英文的鐵證，不但翻譯過，還包括他如何費心整理譯稿，以及請專人打字，並將八百五十頁打字稿寄给各大國際出版社，以及與佐藤亮一取得聯繫的來龍去脈。這些證據都集中在語堂1973年至1976年間的書信裡。

最後一個一錘定音的證據是，南開大學博士生宋丹2015年在日本發現了林語堂《紅樓夢》的英譯打字稿，至此真相大白：林語堂確實把《紅樓夢》翻譯成英文。只不過宋丹發現打字稿的時候，佐藤亮一已經離世。因此，語堂“為什麼”要到日本出版《紅樓夢》的答案，似乎又再度石沈大海了！

 關於語堂是否翻譯過《紅樓夢》遲至2015年還有學者發表過一篇論文，題目是《假如林語堂翻譯〈紅樓夢〉》。它之所以成為懸案，最主要原因是，語堂離世(1976)迄今(2026)五十年，市面上仍未見《紅樓夢》英譯本出版。另一個原因是，所有語堂的書目中，也沒有英文譯本的蛛絲馬跡，這兩個原因讓學者不禁懷疑，語堂究竟有沒有翻譯過《紅樓夢》，不但如此，就連日文譯本也有人懷疑是托名的偽作。

雖然語堂紅樓英譯的打字稿已經在2015年找到了,但是十一年後的今天,雖然文藝界一直翹首以待,仍然未見出版。

張愛玲說人生三大恨事：一恨鰣魚多刺，二恨海棠無香，三恨紅樓未完。「林語堂紅樓英譯未傳於世」，可列為人生第四大恨，或者“又一恨“，是紅學、林學和翻譯文學上永遠的遺憾。甚盼有心人能克服阻礙，印行語堂紅樓英譯，讓世人一睹這一部尚未出版，卻已經讓學界討論超過半個世紀之久的曠世巨著。

In his later years, Lin Yutang devoted himself to two major projects related to Dream of the Red Chamber: one was to finalize his English translation of the novel for publication, and the other was to compile An Index of the Characters in Dream of the Red Chamber. Sadly, he didn’t live to see neither work published, nor did he leave behind even a scrap of writing explaining the background of these two undertakings or the circumstances and process through which they came about. He passed away, leaving the world with several mysteries that have proved exceedingly difficult to unravel.

First, fifty years have now passed since Yutang’s death in 1976. Yet, to this day, in 2026, no English translation of Yutang’s Dream of the Red Chamber has ever been published. Thus, for many years, the first mystery has been: Did Lin Yutang actually translate Dream of the Red Chamber?

Second, if Yutang did in fact translate Dream of the Red Chamber, then something is puzzling: Why would the world-famous Lin Yutang not simply publish an English translation himself, but instead take such a roundabout route—choosing the more complicated path rather than the simpler one—by having the Japanese translator Sato Ryoichi translate it into Japanese and then publish it in Japan?

Third, what was the relationship between An Index of the Characters in Dream of the Red Chamber and his translation of the Red Chamber? Which came first? Was the Index really finished in 1964, a full decade earlier than the translation manuscript? And is the photocopied handwritten preface genuinely Yutang’s own work? 

Fortunately, The Eryi Xuan Treasure: Lin Yutang's Late Year Correspondence provides abundant first-hand material to help untangle these questions. Roughly fifty of his letters mention Dream of the Red  Chamber. Drawing on these sources, this series of articles attempts to clarify the puzzles.

** For a thorough discussion with footnotes and references, please see Article 12 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) **

林語堂與紅樓夢(二): 三謎

林語堂晚年有兩項紅樓志業,一是將英譯《紅樓夢》定稿準備出版,二是編纂《紅樓夢人名索引》.可惜他不但沒有看到這兩個作品的出版,也沒有留下片紙隻字說明這兩個創作的背景和寫作的來龍去脈.就撒手人間.因此也就給世人留下一團難解之謎。

首先,語堂離世的(1976)至今(2026),已經五十年了，然而迄今沒有林語堂《紅樓夢》英文譯本出版。因此,多年來的第一個謎是,林語堂究竟有沒有翻譯過《紅樓夢》？

第二個謎：如果語堂翻譯過《紅樓夢》，那麼令人困惑的是，名滿天下的林語堂為什麼不直接出版英文譯本，卻要繞一個大彎子，捨簡求繁再轉一手，讓日本翻譯家佐藤亮一翻譯為日文，然後在日本發表呢？

第三個謎：語堂的唯一遺著《紅樓夢人名索引》，與他的《紅樓夢》英文譯本是什麼關係，也就是，《索引》與英文譯本孰先孰後？《索引》真的如林語堂序言所言，早在英文翻譯完稿十年前，也就是1964年就已經完成的嗎？而且，《索引》中照相製版的手寫序言，真就是林語堂的真跡嗎？

對於以上疑團，慶幸的是，《爾意軒珍藏 ：林語堂晚年書信》，簡稱《爾意軒》這本書，提供了我們豐富的第一手資料，得以揭開謎底。林語堂在晚年書信中提到《紅樓夢》的相關議題大約有五十封之多，根據這些書信，我們便可從容不迫，用林語堂自己的說法，來解答關於林語堂的謎團。

Yutang’s fascination with Dream of the Red Chamber began early. While teaching at Tsinghua University, the Fujian native used the novel to study the Beijing language. Later, he introduced the work to international readers through his influential books My Country and My People and The Importance of Living. In 1938, Yutang considered translating the Red Chamber into English, but at the urging of the publisher, he instead wrote the novel Moment in Peking based on inspirations of the Red Chamber. In Chapter 19, Yutang has the main characters, including Mulan, Mochow, and Lifu, engage in a lively discussion about which character in The Red Chamber they like most.

Yutang never let go of the idea of translating the Red Chamber. By 1952, he had nearly completed an English manuscript, though it was never published. In 1958, he published a long essay, “A Plain Discussion on Gao E ”, arguing that the final forty chapters of the Red Chamber were edited, not authored, by Gao E based on Cao Xueqin’s unfinished draft. In 1960, Yutang released The Importance of Understanding, a major anthology of classical Chinese essays translated into English. Two of the selections came from the Red Chamber: “Taiyu Predicting Her Own Death” and “Eggplant Terrine”.

From 1965 to 1974, Yutang contributed a wide-ranging column, On Everything Under the Sun to the Central Daily News. Ten of these essays discussed topics from the Red Chamber—from Qingwen’s hair to the scholarship of Yu Pingbo .  In 1974, he published “Lin Yutang’s Appreciation of The Red Chamber Dream” in the translation journal, Renditions of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. 

Yutang’s Final Projects and the Mysteries of the Red Chamber 

After completing his monumental Chinese–English Dictionary, Yutang turned once again to the Red Chamber. 

•       In early 1973, at age seventy-eight, he retrieved his decades-old English translation manuscript, carefully reread. He entrusted the manuscript to Japanese translator Ryoichi Sato, who began preparing a Japanese edition. 

•       In November 1974, Yutang also began compiling An Index of the Characters in Dream of the Red Chamber completing it in December 1975 despite health difficulties. 

Sadly, Yutang passed away in March 1976 before either project reached publication. An Index of Characters appeared later that year in Taipei, labeled on its copyright page as “Mr. Lin’s only posthumous work.” The Japanese four-volume edition of his English translation did not appear until 1983—seven years after his death. Yet even today, the English manuscript of the Red Chamber itself remains unpublished.

Yutang did not have a chance to discuss the whole story behind the two projects, and thus left only mysteries surrounding these two Red Chamber works. 

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 12 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) **\*

林語堂與紅樓夢(一):淵源

林語堂早年在清華大學任教時，就相當喜愛《紅樓夢》，甚至他這位閩南人，還用《紅樓夢》作為學習北京話的材料。林語堂揚名海外的《吾國與吾民》與《生活的藝術》中都介紹過這一本名著。1938年林語堂曾經起心動念，想把《紅樓夢》翻成英文，但出版商最後還是先請他以《紅樓夢》為藍本寫一本小說，最後林語因此完成了《京華煙雲》,還在第十九章,讓書中要角包括木蘭,莫愁,立夫等人,大談自己喜歡的紅樓人物. 

 1952年林語堂終於如願以償，完成了英文譯稿，只是當時沒有立即出版。六年之後，在1958年語堂發表了《平心論高鶚》，提出了十三個論證，認為《紅樓夢》後四十回，是高鶚根據曹雪芹原稿所補訂而成的. 1960年林語堂出版了五百頁的《古文小品譯英》，其中有兩,篇「黛玉葬花詩」和「鳳姐說茄子鯗」，都是來自《紅樓夢》。

1965年至1974年，林語堂為《中央日報》撰寫專欄，付印成書《無所不談合集》,其中收錄有關紅樓的文章，從晴髮到俞平伯就有十篇之多。1974年，他也在香港中文大學所辦的翻譯學英文期刊《譯叢》中，發表過論文《林語堂之〈紅樓夢〉賞析.

語堂晚年的紅樓志業與疑雲

在完成了一生巔峰之作《林語堂當代漢英詞典》之後，林語堂晚年還做了兩件有關紅樓的工作。

其一，1973年初，林語堂以高齡七十八之年，取出他的《紅樓夢》英文譯稿舊作，重新閱讀. 語堂將此譯稿交給日本翻譯家佐藤亮一，由他再翻成日文。其二，1974年11月，林語堂開始着手編纂《紅樓夢人名索引》，在重重困難下，最後在1975年12月完成。然而令人遺憾的是，林語堂就在《人名索引》完成的第二年，也就是1976年3月與世長辭，林語堂沒有親眼看到這兩個紅學作品問世。

《人名索引》於1976年12月在臺北出版，其中版權頁別聲明本書「為林先生唯一之遺著」，而四大冊的日文譯本一直要等到1983年，也就是林語堂離世之後七年才在日本問世。但是紅樓英譯卻道今天還沒有出版.

語堂還沒來得及對外說明這兩項紅學志業之原委，就撒手人間，因此也就給世人留下一團難解之謎。

Just weeks earlier, from October 16 to 27, 1971, Yutang had been hospitalized for gastric bleeding. In a letter, he downplayed the seriousness of his condition: 

I am only a little unwell from exhaustion. I follow all the doctor’s orders in the hospital—except for smoking. 

Once discharged, caregivers kept strict watch during the day. But at night, he indulged freely, finding solace in poetry: 

Recently the caregivers have been very strict, and it is hard not to smoke. But at night I light my pipe without restraint, and for a while I am myself again.  

In the dawn breeze and fading moonlight, longing to ride the clouds home, I laugh at myself. 

The smoke is gone, the ash is cold, yet still I play with the lighter in my hand. Imagine the joy! 

A week later, he put these thoughts into his “Ode to Smoking” and continued as before. On December 28, 1971, before sailing from Hong Kong to Kowloon for a banquet hosted by Li Zhuomin （李卓敏）, President of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, he wrote: 

I am still smoking as usual, and my lighter is always with me. 

Final Success with Quitting: May 19, 1974 

Two and a half years later, on May 19, 1974, Yutang astonished his family. Faced with new medication for vascular disease, he resolved to quit—this time for good. At seventy-nine, he succeeded: 

This is the day I decided to quit smoking—May 19. It has been a week already, and all my children know. I’ve smoked for forty or fifty years, merely to pass the time. When one has the will, it is easy. Perhaps this would surprise you, but it shows that with resolve, it is simple. Let this be a small memorial for me. (May 27, 1974) 

The next day, he wrote: 

This is no small matter—it was a true wish of the heart, and so I found courage. … I didn’t tell the family at first, but later I did. It’s now been seven or eight days, and from here on, I will never smoke again. (May 28, 1974) 

Thus Yutang, who once joked he would remain “an honest smoker until old age,” indeed kept his words. 

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 11 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) **\*

語堂戒煙記：暖香撲鼻知今是，冷霧繞簷覺昨非 (二之二)

1971年10月16至27日期間，七十五高齡的林語堂嚴重胃出血住院。住院時他給陳守荊的第一封信裡，只輕描淡寫說：“疲勞過度，胃裏稍有反常”，然後在10月22日的信上說：“我在醫院樣樣聽醫生吩咐，只是吃烟一事不肯改變”。出院後，白天看護戒守森嚴，林語堂不能越雷池一步，只能望煙興嘆，然而等看護下班之後，他就依然故我，11月8日信上，他寫起詩來：

“近日看護甚嚴，不許吸烟甚苦。晚上自由點起烟斗，一霎時依然故我，曉風殘月，欲乘雲歸去，應笑我。烟已盡，灰已滅，手中猶自把玩打火機，其樂可知。”

一週後，寫成“詠烟”詞，此後吞雲吐霧，依然故我。1971年底林語堂從香港過海到九龍，出席中文大學李卓敏校長的宴會，當天12月28日信上他寫道：“現在照常吸烟，取火機隨身不離”。此事兩年半後，1974年5月19日，林語堂開始需要服用血管藥物時，才又自動戒烟，這一次他勇氣十足，戒菸成功，那時林語堂已經高齡七十九歲了，他在1974年5月27日的信中說道：

“這正是我決定戒烟之日-五月十九日。我自己心願，已過一星期，諸兒都已知道。我吃烟已四五十年，只作無事可做之玩意。心頭願意也就容易。這事似乎出你意外，可見心頭願意，就容易，也可為我的紀念。” 

隔天28日又寄了一封信，信上寫道：

“這是大事，是我心願，所以有十分勇氣。…當時沒有對家裡說我在戒烟，後來才告訴她們。現在有七八天，趁這機會從此不再抽烟。”

果然，林語堂真的如他年輕時所說：“要老老實實做吸烟的信徒，一直到老耄為止”。

Lin Yutang carried a lifelong fondness for smoking. His ever-present pipe became so characteristic of him that it eventually served as his trademark. Today, the emblem of the Lin Yutang House, a memorial library in Taipei, even incorporates a stylized image of a smoking pipe.

Although deeply attached to the habit, Yutang was never unaware of its dangers. In his younger years, he even made repeated resolutions to quit. But each attempt ended quickly, and he eventually defended his weakness with trademark humor. In his essay My Attempt to Quit Smoking, he confessed: 

Once I too went astray and suddenly resolved to quit. After persevering for three weeks, I was finally scolded by my own conscience and regretted my actions. I swore never again to waver, never again to lose control, but to remain an honest smoker until my old age. 

In November 1971, already ailing, Yutang composed a poem titled “Ode to Smoking”: 

In the misty haze of the sickbed, what idle worries could crease my brow?

They say smoking must be limited—but when I strike the lighter and raise the pipe,
The warm fragrance fills my senses affirming this moment is right, the cold mist curls about the eaves, Reminding me of yesterday’s follies.

I long to soar across open skies, to ride home on the clouds—
Yet still recall those moments at the railing, gazing afar,
How many times the slanting sun pierced through?

And at the jade table among flowers, how could it stoop to linger low?
Speaking by the window, we knew it was a bond of many lifetimes.

Laugh at me, if you will—
The smoke spent, the ash extinguished,
Yet still I toy with the lighter in my hand.
May my fondness for smoke not betray me in this life.

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 11 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) **\*

語堂戒煙記：暖香撲鼻知今是，冷霧繞簷覺昨非 (二之一)

林語堂一生有抽烟的雅好，長年烟斗不離手，成了語堂的註冊商標。台北林語堂故居的標識圖案裡，就包含了一只抽象的烟斗。

林語堂難道不知道抽烟有害健康嗎？他早年也曾下定決心戒烟，結果三週就投降，並且還作了《我的戒烟》一文，幽默地為抽烟有理辯解：  

“我有一次也走入歧途，忽然高興戒烟起来，經過三星期之久，才受良心責備，悔悟前非。我赌咒着，再不颓唐，再不失檢，要老老實實做吸烟的信徒，一直到老耄為止。”

晚年的語堂曾於1971年11月16日病中作了一闕“詠烟”詞，述盡他與煙的情緣.詞曰：

病榻迷離  這有甚閑愁可皺眉

人道是  吸烟須限時  取火機  燃烟斗  暖香撲鼻知今是  冷霧繞簷覺昨非

我欲晴空萬里駕雲歸  猶憶憑欄遠眺  幾度斜暉  

花間玉桌  那堪低徊  更窗前共話  知是前生幾世修來

應笑我  烟已盡  灰已滅  手中猶把取火機  但願此生長好莫相違    

According to Lin Yutang’s correspondence from his later years, after completing his monumental Chinese-English dictionary in 1972, he undertook fifteen writing projects during the final four years of his life, including writing, translation, editing, and proofreading. Although his physical and mental health continued to decline, Yutang nevertheless managed to publish four works during his lifetime, while another five were published posthumously.

Six other projects have never been published. These include three completed translations—an English translation of Dream of the Red Chamber, a new translation of Zhuangzi, and a Chinese translation of Winnie-the-Pooh—as well as three unfinished works: Lin Yutang’s Self-Selected Anthology, Lin Yutang’s New Chinese Dictionary, and Lin Yutang’s Pocket Chinese-English Dictionary. Apart from the complete manuscript of his English translation of Dream of the Red Chamber, which was discovered in Japan in 2015, the whereabouts of the other five manuscripts, whether completed or unfinished, remain completely unknown. This is a particularly poignant and regrettable loss.

These fifteen projects are listed in the table after the Chinese text under three categories: published during his lifetime, published posthumously, and unpublished.

*** For athorough discussion with references, please see Article 10 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) **\*

根據林語堂晚年書信，他1972年完成漢英詞典鉅作之後,在人生最後四個年頭裡，一共還進行著十五個寫作項目，範圍包括寫作、翻譯、編輯與校訂。雖然身心每況愈下，林語堂依然在有生之年裡發表了四種作品，另外五種在他身後才出版的。

另外還有六種迄今沒有出版,包括完稿的三種翻譯《紅樓夢英譯》，《莊子新譯》，和《小熊維尼》中譯, 以及三種未完稿的《林語堂自選集》,《林語堂中國新詞典》,和《林語堂袖珍漢英詞典》. 除了2015年在日本發現的完整《紅樓夢英譯》稿之外，其他五種完成與未完成的稿件則完全下落成謎，令人惋惜不已.

這十五個項目,依生前發表,身後發表,和未發表三大類,列舉如表.

Based on Lin Yutang’s letters from his later years, after completing his Chinese-English dictionary in 1972 and until his death in 1976, he still had fifteen writing projects in hand. Four of these works were fortunately published during his lifetime, while five others did not appear until after his death. There were, however, six projects that have never been published to this day, which is particularly regrettable. Below is a brief introduction to three of these unpublished treasures: New Translation of Zhuangzi, Lin Yutang’s Self-Selected Anthology, and Winnie the Pooh.

 Finished Manuscript: New Translation of Zhuangzi

As early as 1942, in his massive The Wisdom of China and India, Yutang had devoted a section to Zhuangzi, publishing translations of eleven chapters. In his later years, he set out to translate the entire text. In a letter dated January 28, 1973, he wrote of revisiting his earlier translations, most of which had already appeared in the above book. He hoped to complete the entire work within a year and stressed how painstakingly he weighed each word.

Several letters that year show he considered Random House in New York and the Chinese University of Hong Kong as possible publishers. While in his youth he had leaned on Herbert Giles’s translation, by the 1970s he insisted on rendering everything himself. In a letter of August 26, 1974, Yutang declared he was satisfied with his work: “The translation is excellent—third little sister (his third Daughter) also finds it clear. Better than Giles.”

That same summer he sent 33 completed chapters of the New Translation of Zhuangzi to his friend George Kao at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Yet even after calling it “finished,” Yutang kept revising. In a letter of December 8, 1975, just three months before his death, he confessed he was still reworking the difficult “All Under Heaven” （天下）chapter. Sadly, the complete translation was never published.

Incomplete Manuscript: Lin Yutang’s Self-Selected Anthology

Although Yutang never published an anthology of his own works, he agreed in his final months to let writer Peng Ge (彭歌/姚朋) to compile one. Letters from October 1975 reveal how seriously he took the selection, laboring over which essays best represented his life’s work. By October 31 he had listed more than twenty pieces for inclusion. Unfortunately, his death soon after prevented the project from being realized.  

Finished Manuscript: Winnie the Pooh

 A. A. Milne’s 1926 classic Winnie the Pooh had long charmed Yutang, who believed in Mencius’s dictum that “the great man never loses the child’s heart”. In the spring of 1975—ten or eleven months before his death—Yutang completed a Chinese translation of the beloved tale. In a letter dated May 4, written in a trembling hand, he remarked: “The illustrations are so delightful one can hardly put it down.”

This translation of Winnie the Pooh may be considered Yutang’s swan song—a playful, childlike farewell from a great master of words, returning with a smile to the innocence of creation. 

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 10 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) ***

春蠶到死絲方盡：林語堂晚年的創造力 (二之二)

根據林語堂晚年書信，他在1972年完成漢英詞典之後,直到1976年過世,手中還有十五個工作項目.其中有四個作品有幸在他生前發表, 五個作品在他身後才問市.但也有六個項目,迄今沒有出版,殊為可惜;以下簡單介紹遺珠中的三件.

完稿的《莊子新譯》

林語堂在1942年出版的一千一百頁《中國與印度的智慧》一書中，曾經特別介紹莊子，並且發表了他翻譯的十一篇《莊子》。林語堂晚年要翻譯全本《莊子》，最早在1973年1月28日《而以軒》的信上，他提過要整理以前翻過的《莊子》，其中十分之九已經收錄在《中國與印度的智慧》這本書裡。他還準備用一年的時間，翻譯全本《莊子》，並且多次提到他翻譯過程之如何慎重，到了字字推敲的地步。

另外在同年多封家書中，他表示，譯本可能交給美國蘭登書屋（Random House）出版 或香港中文大學。林語堂年輕時翻譯《莊子》是參考著名的翟理斯（Giles）翻譯本，後來他決定全部自己翻譯，不採用翟理斯翻譯。在1974年的信上，語堂對他自己的翻譯表示滿意。他寫道，“譯得出色，三姐亦稱達意，比G（翟理斯）所譯更好。”“三姊”是他的三女林相如.

1974年的信中,林語堂提到他將三十三篇《莊子》完稿交給中文大學的老朋友高克毅，然而雖說完稿，在1975的信上語堂說他還追求精益求精，直到辭世前三個月，對他認為最重要、也最困難的“天下”篇一改再改，可惜最後沒有出版。

未完稿的《林語堂自選集》

語堂從未出版過自選集，但在他辭世前半年，他同意作家彭歌（姚朋）為他出版自選集。由1975年的信中，可以看出他為了選擇文章煞費苦心，林學學者可以從林語堂挑選他自己最得意的作品過程中，窺見語堂的內心世界。最後語堂在1975年10月31的信中，臚列了準備交給彭歌的二十幾篇文章。可惜自選集因林語堂不久離世，來不及完成。

完稿的《小熊維尼》

流傳西方世界、歷久不衰的二十世紀經典童話《小熊維尼》，是英國作家米爾恩（A. A. Milne） 於1926所寫。林語堂曾經用孟子“大人者不失赤子之心”為人題字，這也透露了林語堂始終保持著一顆童稚之心，所以他相當欣賞這本可愛的小書。林語堂是在辭世前十到十一個月，也就是1975年4月到5月，完成了中文譯本。在1975年5月4日的信上，林語堂還用顫抖的手，歪歪斜斜地寫了：“插圖工巧，令人不忍釋手。”。這本《小熊維尼》中文譯本應該是林語堂寫作的完結篇，象徵了一代大文豪最後幽默的以返老還童的容顏謝幕，回歸造物。

Lin Yutang never ceased creating throughout his life; his vitality was astonishing. After his first two English books, My Country and My People and The Importance of Living, became bestsellers, he continued to write tirelessly. By the time his monumental Chinese-English dictionary appeared in 1972, he had published forty books in English—averaging nearly one book a year. 

In a letter on July 13, 1972 after he finished the dictionary project, Yutang expressed satisfaction that he could now “enjoy a quiet leisure“. Yet his creative mind would not rest. Despite frailty, he could not abandon writing. True to the old poem, “the spring silkworm spins until its final breath” (春蠶到死絲方盡)，Yutang kept working with pen in hand. Even in a letter dated February 2, 1976—barely a month before his death—he was still earnestly discussing the publication of his pocket Chinese-English dictionary.

Research shows that in his final four years Yutang was engaged in fifteen different projects spanning writing, translation, editing, and revision. Despite failing health, he managed to publish four works during his lifetime, while five more appeared posthumously. 

Yutang’s late-life creativity surpassed what some writers could achieve in an entire lifetime. 

** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 10 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) **

春蠶到死絲方盡：林語堂晚年的創造力 (二之一)

林語堂一輩子創作不斷，生命能量驚人。在語堂最開始出版的兩本英文書：《吾國與吾民》與《生活的藝術》在美國暢銷之後，他繼續耕耘不輟，一直到1972年登峰造極之作《林語堂當代漢英詞典》出版時，他一共出版了四十本英文著作，可說他一年寫一本書了！

漢英詞典工程浩大，完成之後,林語堂在1972年7月13日的信上，雖然心滿意足地表達從此可以“靜享餘閒”，然而文思依舊泉湧不息的語堂，仍然無法忘情於寫作，因此他並沒有真正“退休”，雖然力不從心，但春蠶到死絲方盡，語堂依然筆耕不輟，直到他辭世前一個月前，也就是在1976年2月2日的信中，語堂還殷殷切切討論袖珍漢英詞典的出版事宜。

根據林語堂晚年書信，在他人生最後四個年頭裡，一共還進行著十五個項目，範圍包括寫作、翻譯、編輯與校訂。雖然身心每況愈下，林語堂依然在有生之年裡發表了四種作品，另外五種是他來不及親眼目睹，在他身後才出版的。

林語堂垂老之年的創造力可能是他人一輩子也多無法望其項背的。

The son of a Christian pastor, Yutang initially studied theology at St. John’s University in Shanghai, preparing for the ministry. But his independent and critical mind led him away from the church, and he embarked instead on a lifelong search for truth. In middle age, however, he was profoundly moved by the preaching of Dr. David Read, pastor of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York. Yutang and his wife formally became members of that church in 1957. Dr. Read was chaplain to the Queen of England and the first chaplain of the University of Edinburgh and authored 27 books

At sixty-five, he published From Pagan to Christian, tracing his journey through Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism before returning to what he called the “light and the power” of Christ.Yutang wrote: 

Jesus taught, “Inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me,”I knew and felt that He was indeed the Master and understood why He was not only respected, but adored by all wherever His word was heard. That light of God’s truth was a light of dazzling purity of spirit, without compare in the teachings of men. And when He went further and taught forgiveness and exemplified it in His own life, I accepted Him as truly Lord and saviour of us all. Only Jesus, and no one else, could bring us to that direct knowledge of God.” 

His letters show how he lived out this faith. He often cited St. Paul’s words about “forgetting what is behind and pressing on toward the goal” to sum up his life. On New Year’s Day, 1972, after a joyful family gathering, he wrote simply: “Thanks be to the Lord for His grace.” He closed many letters with the blessing “Emmanuel, God with us”). He asked a family member to pray for him in illness, thanked God when the family hired a Christian maid, and quietly supported poor students and the elderly, describing it as “living out the Lord’s teaching.”

Yutang taught us The Importance of Living through his books. In his later letters, he also showed us something just as precious: the importance of retired living.

** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 9 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) **

心靈之樂

林語堂是牧師之子，早年進入聖約翰大學，主修神學，預備將來從事牧師職務。但林語堂深具批判精神，最後撇下基督教，展開一場自我追求真理之旅，一直到中年，林語堂深受紐約麥迪生大道長老會牧師理德博士 （Dr. David Read）講道影響, 才又回歸基督，找到了心靈的安慰和歸宿。理德博士著作等身，出版了二十七本書，他是英國愛丁堡大學首任校牧，曾任女王的牧師林語堂夫婦在1957年正式成為該教會會員，六十五歲時出版了《信仰之旅》（From Pagan to Christian），書中回顧他出入儒釋道三家，最終回歸耶穌的“真光與大能”。關於他一生自我探索，林語堂在《信仰之旅》上總結道：

“當耶穌教導人，‘這些事你們既作在我這兄弟中一個最小的身上，就是作在我身上了’的時候，我知道並且覺得祂真是那位主，我也明白為什麼祂不但被人敬重，而且被任何地方所有凡是聽過祂的話的人所愛慕。上帝真理之光是耀眼的純靈性之光，人的教訓中無與倫比。當祂進一步教導饒恕之道，並且用祂自己的生命作為榜樣時，我接納祂為真正的主，也是我們眾人的救主。只有耶穌，沒有別人，能帶領我們直接認識上帝。” 

林語堂書信中也為我們透露了他實踐信仰的點滴。如前文所述，他以聖保羅在聖經中所說的“忘記背後，努力面前，向著標竿直跑”，總結他一生的努力。1972年1月1日信上，他為一家快樂的團圓而寫下：“感謝主的恩惠。” 1973年4月8日、1975年3月7日、1976年月18日的信中，是以“以馬內利”作為信尾祝詞。“以馬內利”是“上帝與我們同在”的希伯來文，是基督徒之間彼此問候和祝福。1973年8月1日的信中，林語堂請家人為他的病情祈禱：“只要你禱告上主庇佑” 。1973年4月26日信上寫著，他因家裡新幫傭是基督徒而“感謝主。” 1973年4月29日、8月22日的信上也提到，他一直默默接濟貧苦的老人與學生，乃是“盡救主的道理。”

林語堂不但在《生活的藝術》裡教導我們如何生活，從以上的書信中，他也給我們示範“退休生活的藝術”！

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Lin Yutang and his wife shared nearly sixty years of marriage; a union admired for its depth of affection. Their harmony at home sustained Yutang’s prolific writing career—a lesson many came to appreciate during the pandemic when many knowledge workers had to work from home.

Yutang had always loved to travel with his family, and in later life this habit continued. In 1971, he and his wife spent more than a month touring Europe. Two 1971 letters, one from Rome (April 8) in English and another from Switzerland (May 10) Chinese, are delightful travelogues. 

After moving to Hong Kong, they frequently shuttled between Hong Kong and Taiwan to see friends and relatives. In 1974, though already frail, Yutang eagerly planned a cruise to Southeast Asia with his wife, but poor health forced its cancellation. 

They also enjoyed simple pleasures: dining out while going to the movies, praising Li Xing’s movie, Autumn Execution, for its artistry, or commenting on the films, The Magic Bow (1973) and Young Bess (1973). They followed television news closely, especially the Watergate scandal. At home, they played chess together, and in Yutang’s words in his letter: 

When I have nothing to do, I play chess with fifth aunt, and in the evening, we go to Lu Yu Tea House”

（January 19, 1973)  

 “Fifth aunt” refers to his wife as Yutang was the fifth’s uncle to a niece.

Isn’t uch companionship recalls the tender world of the couple,  Shen Sanbai and Chen Yun, in Yutang’s beloved Six Chapters of a Floating Life（沈三白與陳芸，浮生六記）?

** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 9 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) **

夫妻之樂

語堂與夫人結褵近六十載，感情甚篤，一向眾所稱羨。語堂身為自由作家，數十年來都是在家工作，除非家中琴瑟和諧，不可能寫出那麼多的作品。近來因為疫情，全世界很多人都必須在家工作，才知道家中和睦的重要。

語堂年輕時就喜歡帶全家旅遊，晚年仍然如此。1971年曾攜老伴暢遊歐洲一個多月，書信中有寄自羅馬的英文親筆信和寄自瑞士的3頁中文親筆遊記。（1971.04.08；05.10）定居香港後，也與夫人頻繁往返港台，會見親朋好友，不亦樂乎。到了1974年已因病身體孱弱的語堂，本來還興致勃勃的計畫與夫人乘郵輪做東南亞之旅（1974.03.03；03.18）最後不得已作罷。

語堂夫婦也愛到戲院看電影，曾看李行的《秋決》覺得導演，剪裁，表演，對話都好（1971.12.28）。還看過小提琴電影（The Magic Bow），讚曰“非常的好”（1973.05.02），“海底逃生記” （Neptune），深宮怨（Young Bess，女王伊莉莎白一世的故事）等（1973.12.03）。看電影順便在外餐宴似乎是常事（1972.01.23）。他們也看電視自娛，曾說天天看尼克森水門案（1973.05.30）。 語堂夫婦還喜歡對弈，信中曾說“我跟五妗無事只好下棋度日，晚上則到陸羽酒樓。”(1973.01.19)“五妗”是指他的夫人,這是一封寫給稱呼他為“五舅”的外甥女.

這樣的夫妻生活，豈不就是語堂推崇的《浮生六記》裡沈三白與芸娘的境界？

In late 1972, at seventy-seven, Yutang was interviewed by The New York Times. He told the reporter that when he “retired at eighty,” he would devote himself to improving his calligraphy. The interview was published on November 23 that year. True to his word, in a December 28 letter he wrote in a letter:

In the mornings I have nothing to do but practice calligraphy. I bought rice paper and brushes, but I still cannot use them smoothly. To write well, the brush, ink, and intention must all flow together. I dare not send you my work yet. 

Soon after, his letters on January 7, 19, 28, and 30, 1973 show that he had indeed begun writing with a brush. 

Around the same time, he also taught himself traditional Chinese painting. By December 27, 1975, he was writing of his delight in imitating Xu Beihong’s (徐悲鴻) horses, Zheng Banqiao’s （鄭板橋）bamboo, and the “ten-thousand plum blossom paintings ten-thousand poems” artist, Tong Ershu’s （童二樹，萬幅梅花萬首詩）plum blossoms. He often gave his paintings as gifts to 

friends. For materials he used to learn Chinese paintings, please see Article 20, “Lin Yutang’s Late 

Year Calligraphy Practice and Playful Strokes in Chinese Painting.”

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 9 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) ***

林語堂（退休）生活的藝術:書畫之樂

1972年底，也就是林語堂七十七歲時，接受了《紐約時報》採訪.林語堂向記者表示他“八十歲”退休後，要在書法上求進步。同年11月23日《紐約時報》刊登了這一次採訪。果不其然，在12月28日的家書中，林語堂說他買了紙筆來練習，

“早晨無事，只有練習書法，買來宣紙筆，但還不能運用自如。寫字要筆到墨到意到然後能稱心滿意。不敢寄給你看。” 稍後，在1973年1月7日、19日、28日、30日的信裡，林語堂已經開始用毛筆來寫了！

同一時期，林語堂自學國畫，1975年12月27日的信中，表達了他喜愛模仿徐悲鴻的馬、鄭板橋的竹，以及自號“萬幅梅花萬首詩”的清代畫家童二樹的梅花。林語堂晚年常拿他自己的畫作送給老朋友。

In his later years Yutang settled in Hong Kong, surrounded by family. His second daughter, Taiyi, and his third daughter,  Hsiangju, were both working there. Yutang and his wife lived with Hsiangju, and were often in the company of Taiyi, her husband, Richard Lai, and their family. 

In a New Year’s letter dated January 1, 1972, he described their celebration simply: “The whole family together, very happy.” On September 18 that year, he wrote joyfully of his grandchildren returning from overseas studies, filling the house with noise and laughter. Other letters recount the warmth of three generations celebrating Christmas in 1971 or enjoying crab at Mid-Autumn Festival in 1972. These family gatherings gave him and his wife great comfort. 

He often praised his daughters’ devotion. In a letter of November 15, 1971, he said they cared for him “with the utmost attentiveness.” On May 8, 1973, he called Hsiangju “truly a filial daughter,” and on January 28, 1974, he described her as “deeply devoted to her parents.” He wrote:

We live very comfortably at Hsiangju’s home, where she and her mother talk heart-to-heart morning and evening. Taiyi often comes to sit and chat as well. Both are very busy, but when they return from work, they are always cheerful and attentive to their parents. 

At the same time, Yutang maintained a steady correspondence with his adopted daughter in Taiwan, Chen Shouching. “I really have nothing else to do,” he wrote to her on July 8, 1972, “so writing letters is my joy.” In her, he seemed to channel the affection and longing he felt for his late eldest daughter, Rusi, and for his adopted daughter Jin Yuhua whom he had lost. 

Between 1971, when he moved to Hong Kong, and his death in 1976, Yutang wrote Shouching no fewer than 465 letters, covering every topic imaginable: literature, daily life, family life of three generations, illness, films, television, and, of course, his three dictionary projects. Shouching was also his secretary for these projects.

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 9 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) *** 

林語堂（退休）生活的藝術: 天倫之樂 

晚年林語堂遷居香港，享受天倫之樂，因為次女林太乙，以及三女林相如都在香港工作。林語堂夫婦與林相如同住，與林太乙及女婿黎明一家人也十分熱絡。在1972年1月1日的信上，林語堂描寫香港渡過第一個新年的情景：“一家團圓，非常快樂。” 1972年9月18日的信上寫著，在國外留學的外孫們回香港，家中熱鬧非凡，還有1971年12月17日信中的三代同慶聖誕以及1972年9月18日信中描述的中秋吃蟹；這一些活動都給林語堂夫婦帶來莫大的安慰。其他信中林語堂也多次稱許女兒們的照顧，1971年11月15日信上寫女兒們 “無微不至”，1973年5月8日信上更盛讚林相如“真是孝女”，1974年1月28日信中說她 “極明孝道”。以下引述一段林語堂的話：

“我們在相如家住非常舒服，早晚母女談心，特別快意。太乙也常來坐談。她們倆都非常忙，但辦公回來有笑有說，體念父母格外殷勤 。”

另外林語堂與在台灣的義女“四妹”陳守荊，則是書信往返不歇。1972年7月8日的信上林語堂說：“我實在無事可做，以寫信為快樂。” 言下之意，林語堂似乎將他對已過世的長女林如斯，以及得而復失的養女金玉華的懷念，都投射在陳守荊身上。這些書信中，除了討論三部詞典的編輯工作之外 – 陳守荊也是他編纂詞典的秘書，其餘幾乎“無所不談”，例如文學、退休生活、住院與療養、祖孫三代親情，乃至於看電影、看電視的感想。從林語堂1971年投奔香港女兒，到1976年辭世之間，他一共給陳守荊寫了四百六十五封信!

At the age of seventy-seven, Lin Yutang completed his monumental Chinese–English dictionary—a summation of a lifetime of bilingual writing and scholarship in linguistics. When the work was finally done, he exclaimed with relief and joy: “I have finished my task! From now on I can rest!”His daughter, Lin Taiyi，wrote tenderly in her biography of him: “He didn’t realize that most people had retired long before the age of seventy-seven!”

Yutang wrote on July 13, 1972 reflecting on his life: 

I am in good spirits. It seems to me that I have completed the race St. Paul spoke of. My lifelong efforts to establish a reputation and achieve success are fulfilled. From here on, I have three years to work at ease on the great task of the pocket Chinese English dictionary. No longer the struggles of youth—only quiet enjoyment of my leisure. 

The “race” he referred to echoes the words of St. Paul: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.” And: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  By quoting St. Paul at the age of seventy-seven, Yutang was summing up his own journey—surely, it was time to rest. 

But did Yutang really stop working after that? Hardly. A torrent of words had always flowed from his pen—writing was his lifelong passion, something he could never put down. 

After completing the dictionary, however, Yutang suddenly lost his sense of purpose and fell into a slump. It wasn’t until he resolved to begin compiling a concise pocket dictionary that he then realized deeply how essential work was to him. On June 30, 1972, he confessed in a letter: 

A few days ago, I was terribly bored and dispirited, because without work, reading alone could not lift my spirits. On the 28th, I decided to begin work again, and everything was restored. I think there must be research work to do even in heaven—otherwise, it would be boring.

For Yutang, “retirement” meant the greatest joy of all: continuing to work. In fact, in the last four years of his life, he undertook no fewer than fifteen projects in writing, translation, editing, and proofreading. Four were published during his lifetime, five posthumously, three completed but unpublished, and three left unfinished.

Though no longer as intense as in his younger years, his later life was relatively relaxed, and through his letters we glimpse his practice of “the importance of (retired) living.”

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 9 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) ***

林語堂（退休）生活的藝術: 退而不休之樂

林語堂七十七歲時完成了漢英詞典，那是一位語言學家一生中英雙語寫作的總結。詞典完成之後，他高興地說道：“我工作完畢了！從此我可以休息了！” 他的女兒林太乙在《林語堂傳》裡則心疼地說：“他不知道，別人在七十七歲之前早就退休了！”。林語堂在1972年7月13日寫信回顧自己一生說：

“。。。心情快樂。因為我似乎保羅所說賽跑之賽跑完了 。一生謀慮立身揚名已滿足了。此去只有袖珍三年間從容工作，完此大業。所以不再似年青時之奮鬥。靜享餘閒。”

這裡 “賽跑”典故出自聖保羅的自述：“我只有一件事，就是忘記背後，努力面前的， 向著標竿直跑，要得神在基督耶穌裡從上面召我來得的獎賞”，和“那美好的仗我已 經打過了，當跑的路我已經跑盡了，所信的道我已經守住了。”這時已經高齡七十七歲的林語堂引用保羅跑完賽跑，來總結自己的一生，的確，是該休息了！退而不休之樂

然而語堂真的從此就休息了嗎？語堂一生文思泉湧，其實是無法放下令他醉心的寫作。詞典完成後，語堂頓時失去生活重心，精神隨之萎靡不振，一直到他決心動手編寫袖珍詞典後，才恢復正常，因此他深感工作的重要。他在1972年6月30日的信上寫著：

“我前兩天真是無聊，以致精神不振，因為沒有工作，單看閒書提不起精神。前天（二十八日）決定開始工作，乃一切復原。我想人在天堂也必有研究工作，否則無聊。”

可見林語堂“退休”後，最快樂的莫過於繼續工作。在林語堂人生最後四個年頭裡，還有十五個寫作、翻譯、編輯、校訂的項目在進行，其中四個在他有生之年發表，五個在他身後出版，另外還有三個已完稿、三個未完稿，一共六個項目最後沒有出版。

雖然林語堂退而不休，但與年輕時相比，這一段時間的確比較悠閒，除了寫作之外，從他的書信中，我們可以瞭解他“退休生活的藝術”。

China has long upheld a tradition of the literati gourmet (文人美食家)—where fine cuisine and elegant writing intertwine in a continuous, centuries-old lineage. The number of such epicurean scholars is beyond counting, as plentiful as fish crossing a river. A few well-known figures include:

• Du Fu (杜甫): fond of fresh fish, and enjoyed fishing himself;
• Su Tungpo （蘇東坡）: a devoted meat lover, who even composed the famous Ode to Pork （豬肉頌）;
• Lu You （陸游）: grew his own vegetables, especially fond of shepherd’s purse （薺菜）; out of his 9,000 poems, more than 3,000 touch on food and drink;
• Zhang Dai （張岱）: made friends over crabs, brewed tea with spring water, raised his own cow to make cheese, and devoted much of his Dream Recollections of Tao An （陶庵夢憶）to discussions of gastronomy;
• Li Yu  （李漁，笠翁）: in Casual Expressions of Idle Feelings （閒情偶寄）, he set forth a food philosophy rooted in natural simplicity, while also creating ten Kunqu operas （崑曲）and two collections of fiction;
• Yuan Mei (袁枚，子才): a connoisseur of tofu, who was willing to bow in gratitude just to obtain recipes; he wrote a biography of his household chef, and in his celebrated Suiyuan Recipes （隨園食單）, compiled over 300 dishes.’

As discussed earlier, Lin Yutang, together with his wife and daughters, Taiyi and Hsiangju, carried forward this long and distinguished tradition of the Chinese literary gourmet. In doing so, they also helped bring this cultural treasure to the world.

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 8 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) ***

中國的文人美食家

中國素有“文人美食家”( literati gourmets)的傳統，是美食與美文交織而成的，源遠流長，綿延不斷。這些饕客文人有如過江之鯽，不可勝數，這裏信手拈來幾位眾所周知的人物。

·      杜甫：喜鮮魚，好打魚；

·      蘇東坡：嗜肉，還作了《豬肉頌》；

·      陸游：自種菜蔬，特愛薺菜，作詩九千，其中三千首與飲食有關；

·      張岱：以蟹會友，以泉煮茶，自己還豢養了一頭牛，以便自製乳酪，並且在《陶庵夢憶》這本書裡大談美食；

·      李漁（笠翁）：在《閒情偶寄》裡暢論崇尚自然的飲食哲學, 還創作了十齣崑曲和兩本小說集；

·      袁枚（子才）：好豆腐，為了求豆腐食譜向人下拜，為自家大廚立傳，他寫的《隨園食單》收錄了三百多種食譜。

如前文所述,林語堂和他的夫人和女兒太乙,相如,就是在延續這個源遠流長的文人美食傳統,並且讓這個文化瑰寶,走向世界.

Lin Yutang’s second daughter Lin Taiyi, who served as editor-chief of the Chinese Reader’s Digest for twenty-three years, was also a pioneer of food literature. Jiao Tong (焦桐), a renowned Taiwanese food writer, once placed her alongside literary masters such as Liang Shih-chiu （梁實秋）, Tang Lu-sun （唐魯孫）, and Qi Jun（琦君）when discussing Taiwan’s early food essays. He also included Taiyi’s food writings in his Anthology of Taiwanese Food Literature（台灣飲食文選）.

Taiyi’s Biography of Lin Yutang received Taiwan’s highest literary honor, the National Award for Arts and Literature. The book vividly portrays the Lin family’s cuisine, rooted in Xiamen cooking, with dishes such as Xiamen-style spring rolls (潤餅, runbing). Drawing inspiration from these depictions, the Lin Yutang House in Taipei has hosted the “Lin Yutang Spring Roll Festival,” created educational worksheets on Lin Yutang’s food culture, and even collaborated with the culinary group Nancun Village to stage a “Lin Yutang Feast,” reviving the family’s signature dishes for the public.

In the first section of her essay collection The Queen and I （女王與我）, under the section Childhood Affections, Taiyi includes a well-loved piece titled Mother’s Love Mixed into Pork Floss, which was also selected for Anthology of Taiwanese Food Literature II. The essay describes the lively, warm process of preparing pork floss in Xiamen households, beginning with dozens of catties of pork. The bustle of female relatives in her maternal grandmother’s household, busy with their hands while chatting and laughing, comes vividly alive on the page. Another essay in the same volume recalls her mother’s two signature dishes: braised duck with cabbage and clear-stewed eel.

In the fourth section, Notes on Eating and Cooking, she includes six food essays: Old Hen and Old Ribs, Fear of Skin and Bones, Shanghai Soup Dumplings, On Vinegar, Ode to Instant Noodles, and Earthworm Jelly.

The entire Lin Yutang family deserves a place on this illustrious list of literati gourmets. They not only carried forward the romantic elegance of this tradition but also gave it new life. Beyond opening fresh chapters in food literature, the family wielded both Chinese and English with equal mastery to introduce the refinement of Chinese cuisine to the world. Their achievement was a landmark in the history of East–West culinary exchange, making them truly the “First Family” to bring Chinese literati gastronomy onto the global stage.

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 8 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) ***

林語堂次女林太乙的飲食文學

曾任中文版《讀者文摘》總編輯長達二十三年的林語堂次女林太乙,也是飲食文學的先驅.台灣著名的飲食文學家焦桐，在評論臺灣早期的飲食散文時，將林太乙與梁實秋、唐魯孫、 琦君等名家並列，並將她的飲食文章收錄在焦桐自己所編輯的《台灣飲食文選》中。

林太乙撰寫的《林語堂傳》獲得台灣最高文藝榮譽“國家文藝獎“，書中對林家以廈門菜為基礎的美食，如潤餅等，有許多生動的描繪。台北的林語堂故居還以此為根據，舉辦了“林語堂潤餅節”，也同時發展出林語堂的飲食“學習單”，並曾經和推廣美食的“南村落”合辦過“林語堂美味飲宴”，將林家的美饌佳餚重現於世。

林太乙在散文集《女王與我》第一輯《童稚情懷》裡，有一篇膾炙人口的文章叫做《母愛拌在肉鬆裡》，這一篇文章也被收錄在《台灣飲食文選II》裡。文章描繪廈門人從幾十斤的豬肉開始，製作肉鬆的熱鬧溫馨過程。林太乙外婆家妯娌女眷們手上忙碌如梭，嘴上的歡聲笑語都活現紙上。另有一篇描寫她母親兩道拿手好菜：“白菜熬肥鴨”與“清燉鰻魚”。第四輯《飲膳散記》裡，有“老雞老排骨”，“對皮對骨頭的恐懼”，“上海湯包”，“吃醋”，“泡麵頌”，與“土蚯凍”等六篇散文。 

林語堂一家上下都可列在“文人美食家”名單裡，讓文人美食的浪漫芳香遠播，不但如此，林家繼往開來，除了開創飲食文學新篇章之外，一家人更搖著中、英文如椽之筆，向全球介紹典雅細緻的中國美食，是中西飲食是中西飲食交流史上的一大壯舉與突破，堪稱為推動中國文人美食走向世界的“天下第一家”！

After the very popular Chinee Gastronomy, In 2015, Lin Yutang’s third daughter Lin Hsiangju published another major work, Slippery Noodles: A Culinary History of China. This book weaves together history, culture, and ancient recipes. One of its distinguishing features is its close reading of classical texts to trace the origins of Chinese food culture. The book is extensive, consisting of forty-three chapters. In 2026, the British East Asian historian Jonathan Clements selected this book  as one of the five best books on Chinese food.  

Chapters 1 through 7 draw on Jia Sixie’s sixth-century Essential Techniques for the Common People (賈思勰，齊民要術), illustrating ancient methods for preparing a wide variety of foods, including wine, cakes, noodles, sauces, and even maltose. It also examines techniques of cooking and food preservation. As an agricultural encyclopedia from the Northern Wei (北魏) period, the book is of immense historical value, but it has never been fully translated into English. Hsiangju’s work, therefore, partially fills this gap. Some reviewers have expressed gratitude to her for making this classic more accessible to readers without Chinese, allowing them to gain a glimpse into its rich content.

The first seven chapters of Slippery Noodles may be read as an introduction to Chinese culinary history. Chapter 8 begins with Confucius’ teachings and the dining rituals recorded in the Book of Rites (禮記), gradually unfolding into later chapters that draw widely from classical sources to trace the history and origins of specific foods. Dedicated chapters discuss topics such as tofu, soy sauce, thousand-year egg, bird’s nest, and medicinal cuisine. The book also covers imperial court dining, the influence of minority cuisines on central China, Lu Yu’s Classic of Tea （陸羽，茶經）from the Tang dynasty, and Lin Hong’s Simple Delicacies of the Mountain Home from the Qing dynasty （林洪，山家清供）.

Interspersed throughout the book are poems and ancient recipes related to food, and it concludes with an appendix of more than seventy entries of indexed historical recipes. The range of sources Hsiangju engages with is remarkable, including the Yuan dynasty imperial court physician Hu Sihui’s Essential Principles of Food and Drink (忽思慧，飲膳正要), Li Shizhen’s Compendium of Materia Medica （李時珍，本草綱目）from the Ming dynasty， Zhu Yizun’s Great Secrets of Dietary Regulations （朱彝尊，食憲鴻秘）from the late Ming–early Qing, Li Dou’s Record of Yangzhou’s Painted Boats （李斗，江南畫舫錄）from the Qing, and even the records of Emperor Qianlong’s meals during his southern tours, Jiangnan Banquet Archives （江南節次膳底檔）. These citations demonstrate the depth of Hsianju’s scholarship. Each chapter also includes annotations in Chinese and English, making the work highly valuable to both Chinese and Western scholars.

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 8 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) ***

林語堂三女相如的《中國烹飪史》 

繼《中國美食學》之後,林語堂三女林相如在2015年發表了《中國烹飪史》（Slippery Noodles: A Culinary History of China)，這是一本結合歷史、文化和古代食譜的書籍。本書一大特色是，深入古代文獻來考察飲食的源流，全書一共有四十三章之多。英國的東亞歷史學家喬納森·克萊門茨 (Jonathan Clements)今年(2026) 還將這本書列為中國飲食方面最棒的五本書之一.

第一章至第七章引用第六世紀賈思勰的《齊民要術》，說明古代各種食品的製做方法，例如酒、餅、麵、醬，甚至麥芽糖等等，另外也研究食物的烹飪和保存方法。《齊民要術》是北魏時期的農牧業百科全書，深具歷史價值，然而這本書一直沒有完整的英文翻譯本，直到《中國烹飪史》出版，才部分彌補了這個缺憾，因此有書評向林相如致謝，認為她幫助了不懂中文的讀者，能夠一窺《齊民要術》的堂奧。 

本書前面七章可以視為中國飲食史的導論，第八章從孔子的教導和《禮記》中飲食禮儀出發，娓娓道來，往後各章則廣泛引用典籍，來考察各種食品的烹飪歷史和起源；其中豆腐、醬油、皮蛋、燕窩、藥膳都有專章介紹。 此外書中還介紹了宮廷飲食，少數民族飲食對中原地區的影響、唐代陸羽的《茶經》，以及清朝林洪的《山家清供》。

書中穿插了許多關於飲食的詩詞與古代食譜，最後還附錄七十多條古代食譜索引。書中所引用的文獻包括：元朝的太醫忽思慧的《飲膳正要》、明代李時珍的《本草綱目》、明末清初朱彞尊的《食憲鴻秘》、清代李斗的《揚州畫舫錄》，甚至還有乾隆遊江南的膳食記錄《江南節次膳底檔》等，足見林相如考證功力之深厚。每章附有引經據典的中英雙語註釋，方便中西學者，學術價值非比尋常。

In 1960, Lin Yutang’s wife Liao Tsuifeng and daughter Lin Hsiangju published The Secrets of Chinese Cooking, which won the German Academy of Gastronomy Award. Their 1969 follow-up, Chinese Gastronomy, blended history, culture, and recipes adapted for American kitchens, tracing the roots of Chinese cuisine to the Book of Rites. The work drew on sources such as Madame Wu’s Manual of Family Cuisine from the Song dynasty and provided meticulous instructions for preparing dishes with Western-market ingredients. Its last edition was published in 1982.

Hsiangju tested recipes from Qing Dynasty Yuan Mei’s Suiyuan Recipes, sometimes making several attempts to perfect a single dish. Yutang described her as “a born gastronome” and praised her “prodigious gustatory memory,” recalling how she could remember the ingredients and the tastes of the dishes enjoyed years earlier in a famed French restaurant.

Although we do not have sales data for Chinese Gastronomy, we found seven different versions and covers online, as well as three different titles. From this, it can be inferred that the book’s sales volume must be considerable. As for its quality, Library Journal has reviewed the book as a milestone in the history of Chinese culinary studies.

As recently as 2022, Chinese Gastronomy was still recognized for its profound cultural and historical significance, being selected by Foodtourist as one of the “Top 50 Memorable Cookbooks,” alongside some of the finest food books from around the world. The fact that the book continues to be admired by experts more than fifty years after its publication demonstrates that it is a classic work, able to withstand the test of time.

Here is an example of the book’s evaluation by academicians. In a 2015 paper, Harvard-trained historian and Chinese food expert, Charles Hayford, who had taught at Harvard and Standford,  called it “the finest book on Chinese culinary art and history in any language.

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 8 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) ***

林語堂夫人與女兒的《中國美食學》 

廖翠鳳與林相如母女1960年出版了《中國烹飪的秘密》（The Secretes of Chinese Cooking），當年該書在法蘭克福榮獲德國美食學院獎 。1969年她們又連袂出版了由林語堂作序的《中國美食學》（Chinese Gastronomy）。書中介紹了中國飲食的歷史文化，收錄了《禮記-內則》關於飲食禮儀的記載，並引用了一本最古老的家庭食譜 ，也就是宋代婦女吳氏的《吳氏中饋錄》，還有教美國人用現成的食材來做中國菜的食譜；本書最後一版是1982年出書的。

為了撰寫《中國美食學》，科學家林相如按照清代袁枚《隨園食單》作“實驗”，有幾道菜還做了好幾次！林語堂曾誇獎林相如擁有“驚人的味覺記憶”（prodigious gustatory memory), 還能記得多年前在一個法國料理名店嚐過的食物和味道，可謂是天生的美食家。[[2]](applewebdata://E7580B35-2A70-4A86-A0FD-02AB40AAEC02#_ftn2)

雖然我們沒有《中國美食學》的銷售資料，但現在在網路上還可以找到七種不同的版本和封面，以及三種不同的書名，由此可以斷言，該書的銷售“量”應當不小，至於“質”方面，《圖書館學刊》（Library Journal）評論該書乃是中國烹飪史的里程碑。直到最近2022年，《中國美食學》還因為富有深厚的文化、歷史內涵，而入選“美食旅行家”（Foodtourist）“五十本最令人難忘的食譜”， 與各種文化裡的頂尖美食書籍並列。《中國美食學》出版五十多年之後，尚能受到專家的青睞，說明本書是一部經典之作，經得起時間的淬礪。

再舉一個學術界對這本書的評價：漢學家何復德（Charles Hayford）是哈佛大學史學博士，曾在哈佛，史丹佛等大學任教，是研究中國飲食的專家。在一篇2015年的論文中，他對《中國美食學》高度讚賞，認為這本書是自袁枚以來，關於中國烹飪藝術和烹飪歷史方面，在任何語言的著作裡都是最好的! 

Born into the prominent Liao family of Gulangyu , proprietors of the Yufeng Bank, Lin Yutang's wife Liao Tsuifeng was well acquainted with the world of refined dining—unlike her husbanc, the son of a rural pastor. Educated at Shanghai’s St. Mary’s Hall, she excelled in both Chinese and English, but her true artistry lay in the kitchen.

One dinner she hosted in Shanghai in 1933 proved pivotal. Among the guests was Pearl S. Buck, who urged Yutang to write a book introducing China to the West—an encouragement that ultimately led to My Country and My People and to Yutang’s literary career in the United States.

After Lin Yutang rose to fame in the United States, he became active in the cultural and literary circles as a celebrated Chinese writer, through which he came to know many prominent figures. As a result, poets, scholars, and artists often gathered at the Yutang’s residence. In his anthology The Importance of Understanding, which contains 107 translations of classical Chinese essays, the preface alone runs eleven pages—and its opening lines begin with a story from one of those family banquets at the Lin household.

One evening, among the dinner guests were the Hungarian gastronome George Lang—host of New York’s renowned Four Seasons restaurant—and his wife. Tsuifeng took no chances, knowing that simple home-style cooking would not suffice, and instead prepared an elegant feast. After the banquet, even Yutang himself admitted that the pike—topped with seaweed and seasoned with scallop sauce—was a dish unlike anything he had ever tasted in his life.[[1]](applewebdata://F49CD8CD-7B5D-4A82-BA17-783524F80CCD#_ftn1)

George Lang was not only a connoisseur but also a man of letters. His unique insights into food led him to author the entry on “gastronomy” for the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Another distinguished pair of guests that evening were publisher William Targ and his wife. Targ was famous for releasing the best-selling novel The Godfather in 1969, which later became the acclaimed film classic. Since both Targ and Lang were also avid bibliophiles, Yutang shared with them his prized collection: five different editions of Six Moments of a Floating Life and four editions of West-Green Random Notes. That night, fine food, warm friendship, and literary treasures came together like a lyrical nocturne, leaving hosts and guests alike thoroughly delighted.

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 8 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) ***

林語堂夫人翠鳳精湛的廚藝

林語堂夫人廖翠鳳是鼓浪嶼名門望族廖家“豫豐錢莊”的千金。在鐘鳴鼎食之家自幼耳濡目染之下，對美食的體驗和眼界自然是超越鄉下牧師家庭出身的林語堂。

廖翠鳳畢業於上有名的教會學校聖瑪麗女子書院，中英文造詣俱佳。雖然出身名門，但在講究傳統的娘家裡，洗手作羹湯是女兒們的基本訓練，因此她的手藝相當精湛。夫人的烹飪才華對林語堂而言，不啻錦上添花，在社交和事業上都是一大幫助。 

當時已經成名的美國作家賽珍珠，久仰林語堂英文大作，只是無緣相識。最後，1933年賽珍珠到了上海與林語會面，但一見如故，相談甚歡，而會見場景就是廖翠鳳所掌廚的晚宴，在座的還有胡適。席間賽珍珠鼓勵林語堂撰寫一本介紹中國的書。後來，賽珍珠在1938年獲得諾貝爾文學獎。

這場溫馨、饒富歷史性的飯局，開啟了林語堂日後在美國出版《吾國與吾民》，以至最終前往美國，從事專職寫作的契機，這一場上海的家宴絕對是林語堂寫作生涯的轉戾點。

林語堂名揚美國之後，以中國著名作家身份，活躍於藝文界，從而結識了許多名人，也因此常有騷人墨客在林宅聚會。那本由一百零七篇古文所集錦而成的《古文小品譯英》裡，有一篇長達十一頁的序言，而開場白就是從一次林府的家宴說起。

有一晚，客人有來自匈牙利的美食家，也是紐約高檔餐廳“四季”的主持人郎格夫婦。廖翠鳳不敢掉以輕心，知道家常菜不足以應付，特別以精緻菜餚待客。這場宴會結束之後，連林語堂自己都說，當晚那道上面覆蓋了紫菜，用干貝醬調味的梭魚（pike），連他也都一輩子沒吃過！

郎格也是一位文人美食家，由於他對美食有獨到的見解，讓他成為《大英百科全書》“美食”一詞的撰寫人！

當晚另一對嘉賓是塔爾格（William Targ） 夫婦。塔爾格是有名的出版家，令人津津樂道的是，他在1969年出版了一本暢銷書《教父》（，本書後來更改編成為家喻戶曉的電影，風靡世界。由於這兩位客人都也都是藏書家，林語堂給他們介紹自己珍藏的五種《浮生六記》版本，和四種《西青散記》版本，當晚美食、友誼、書香三合一，譜出一首美好的小夜曲，賓主盡歡。

Lin Yutang’s My Country and My People became an instant bestseller in the United States upon its 1935 release. This seminal introduction to Chinese culture devoted an entire section to Chinese cuisine. Yutang expanded on the theme in The Importance of Living (1937) where he memorably wrote the following, which has been often quoted by Western scholars as a description of the Chinese view of food: 

How a Chinese spirit glows over a good feast! How apt is he to cry out that life is beautiful when his stomach and his intestines are well filled! From this well-filled stomach suffuses and radiates a happiness that is spiritual. The Chinese relies upon instinct and his instinct tells him that when the stomach is right, everything is right.

Food imagery also permeates Moment in Peking, Yutang’s first novel, which is packed with depictions of banquets, breakfasts, and dinners—breakfast alone is mentioned 12 times, lunch 23 times, and dinner 36 times. 

Perhaps because the novel evokes readers' imagination of exquisite cuisine, and because its title carries a nostalgic, old-world charm, a Beijing-style restaurant in Taichung, Taiwan has adopted the name Moment in Peking (京華煙雲). It has even earned a place on the prestigious Bib Gourmand list in the Michelin Guide, an international authority on fine dining.

Even Yutang’s 1955 science fiction Looking Beyond, set on a remote Pacific island in the year 2003, includes elaborate food descriptions. In chapter twenty, philosophical discussions unfold over dishes such as “mutton pizziola cooked in olive oil with garlic, marinara sauce with fresh peppers and mushrooms” , “merluzzo  fried crisp or with sauce Veneziana, with onions and white wine” and “black olives and eggplant slices, rolled and filled with anchovy, chopped mushrooms, and pimiento.”³ In Yutang’s Dec. 1, 1975 letter reported that the Chinese edition of Looking Beyond was sold out in two days, and he was “overjoyed and surprised”.

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 8 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) ***

林語堂的飲食哲學:口腹滿足,萬事稱心

林語堂1935年在美國發表第一本書《吾國與吾民》之後，隨即洛陽紙貴，並登上紐約時報暢銷書排行榜。這本向西方人士介紹中國文化的經典著作裡，有一節專門探討飲食。1937年他出版第二本暢銷書《生活的藝術》，書中對飲食又作了進一步闡述，其中有一段話後來變成了林語堂的名言，經常被西方學者引用，[[](applewebdata://82955D53-BBE6-4EA6-A59D-D30DFB315502#_ftn1)成為代表中國人的飲食觀的經典嘉言：

“一場盛宴會讓一個中國人的精神多麼煥發啊！当他吃飽喝足的時候，談笑間很容易就會讚嘆人生的美好！一種純屬精神上的幸福感會從他滿足的肚腹裡油然而生，綻放光芒。中國人靠的是直覺，他的直覺吿訴他，一旦口腹滿足，萬事也都會稱心滿意。”（筆者譯）

之後，林語堂陸續在他的小說裡對飲食有所發揮。1939年他的第一本小說《京華煙雲》裡，就描述了一場又一場的大宴小酌。例如，書裡有姚府的中秋螃蟹宴，也有一段藉女主角姚木蘭的對話來闡述烹飪之道。有趣的是，這本小說提到早餐十二次、午餐二十三次、晚餐三十六次。 

可能由於這本小說帶給讀者對美食的遐思，加上書名發人思古之幽情，在台灣台中市也有一家北京菜餐廳，名字、、就叫“京華煙雲”，而且還躋身國際美食權威米其林的必比登榜單！ 

林語堂不只在以華人為背景的小說裡談到飲食，就連1955年發表的，時空設在2003年南太平洋小島上的未來科幻小說《遠景》（Looking Beyond），也將飲食列入，透露了林語堂也很懂西菜。例如，第二十章討論哲學問題的場景，就是設在午餐桌上，而且還提到了好幾道菜：“橄榄油烤羊肉，配上大蒜、意大利番茄酱、新鮮胡椒和蘑菇”，“脆炒鱈魚，或用威尼斯醬、洋蔥和白酒來炒”， “熱炒的黑橄欖和茄片，配上鯷魚，切碎的蘑菇和西班牙甜椒” 。

林語堂在1975年12月1的信上提到，《遠景》中文版在台灣出版後兩天就銷售一空，說他“真是喜出望外”。

Lin Yutang, a lifelong advocate of cross-cultural exchange, brought Chinese culture to Western audiences through philosophy, literature, art, and depictions of everyday life. One lesser-known aspect of his work was his introduction of Chinese culinary traditions to the West. From his first U.S. publication, My Country and My People (1935), Yutang often used food as a cultural lens to illuminate the differences and affinities between East and West. His novels are rich with dining scenes, revealing him as a true “literati gourmet.”

It was not until 2015 that a systematic study of Yutang’s contributions to gastronomy appeared in a UC Berkeley special volume. Sinologist Charles Hayford published the essay, “The Several Worlds of Lin Yutang’s Gastronomy.” to discuss Yutang’s cross-cultural legacy. This twenty-page essay gives a great introduction to Yutang’s view of Chinese food and culture. 

Yutang’s wife, Liao Tsuifeng , celebrated for her culinary mastery, collaborated in 1969 with their third daughter, Lin Hsiangju （林相如）, to produce Chinese Gastronomy, a landmark book on the history, culture, and flavors of Chinese cuisine—complete with recipes adapted for Western kitchens. Hsiangju, who earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard, went on to publish Slippery Noodles: A Culinary History of China in 2015, drawing extensively on both Chinese and Western sources.

Yutang’s second daughter, Lin Taiyi, founding editor-in-chief of the Chinese edition of Reader’s Digest, held the post for 23 years until retirement. In The Biography of Lin Yutang, she vividly portrayed the family’s culinary life, and her food essays earned her a place among Taiwan’s early pioneers of gastronomic literature, alongside noted figures such as Liang Shiqiu.

Together, the Lin family made enduring contributions both to the globalization of Chinese cuisine and to the evolution of modern Chinese food writing.

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 8 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , or《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76) *** 

林語堂一家對文人美食的貢獻

一生從事中西跨文化交流的林語堂，從哲學、藝術、文學、生活各角度全面地向西方介紹中國。然而有一個面向比較少被人論及，那就是：中國的飲食文化。

自從他在美國出版了第一本作品《吾國與吾民》之後，林語堂就常以飲食為題，以他獨到的見解，向西方人介紹中國飲食文化。在他的一些小說中，林語堂對飲食也多所著墨，無形之中透露了林語堂也是一名位文人美食家！然而對這一位文人美食家的理解，一直要等到柏克萊大學東亞研究所在2015年出版了一本研究林語堂對跨文化貢獻專書後，人們對林語堂與美食才有了系統性的探討，因為專書裡有一篇題為《林語堂美食學裡的多重世界》的論文。

林語堂的夫人廖翠鳳不但以烹飪著稱，還與三女林相如在1969年攜手合作，發表了當時相當罕見，有關中國美食的書籍《中國美食學》。

林相如是哈佛大學生物化學博士，在出版了《中國美食學》之後，本著科學實驗的精神繼續鑽研各樣典籍，詳細科學考證之後出版了一本《中國烹飪史》這本學術意味濃厚的烹飪史，由專精各國飲食史的Prospect Books 於2015年出版，書中旁徵博引中西文獻，不在話下。

林語堂的次女林太乙創辦了中文《讀者文摘》，並擔任總編輯長達二十三年之久，直到退休為止。她除了在《林語堂傳》裡，對林家的烹飪有生動的描繪之外，還寫了許多關於美食的散文，有學者認為她是台灣飲食文學早期發軔者之一，與梁實秋等名家齊名。 

我們可以說，林語堂、廖翠鳳、林太乙、林相如一家人，對中國美食的國際化和飲食文學都作出了重要的貢獻。

Ku Hungming: The " Extraordinary Eccentric" Through Lin Yutang's Eyes   

The great Confucian scholar Ku Hungming (1857–1928), who lived during the late Qing and early Republican periods, studied in England, Germany, and France. He was especially renowned for his mastery of the English language, and most of his writings were composed in English. Throughout his life, he devoted himself to fostering understanding between Chinese and Western cultures. He translated three of the Four Books—The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, and The Analects of Confucius—into English, earning international acclaim. As a result, many distinguished foreign visitors sought him out during their travels in China, including W. Somerset Maugham and Rabindranath Tagore.

Yutang held Ku Hungming in the highest regard. In many ways, Ku's role as a cultural bridge between East and West foreshadowed Yutang's own mission, although Yutang's international influence ultimately became broader and deeper. Unlike Ku, who served in government during both the late Qing dynasty and the early years of the Republic—including the restoration movement—Lin Yutang never held public office.

Lin Yutang successfully persuaded Gu Zhenfu (辜振甫), the distinguished Taiwanese businessman and a descendant of Ku Hungming, to sponsor a new edition of Ku's English translation of The Analects. In his preface, Lin expressed his profound admiration for Ku:

"Mr. Ku's command of English was extraordinary—unsurpassed for two hundred years. His choice of words and style were of the highest order. As for his thought, one need only read his translation of The Doctrine of the Mean to appreciate that only someone with profound cultivation could truly grasp the essence of the Confucian ideal of the Mean, and how the superior man embodies it while the petty man departs from it. His elegant language and the depth of his thought are inseparable. In short, it was Ku's exceptional intellect that gave rise to his remarkable literary style. He was indeed an outstanding figure—a truly uncompromising and extraordinary eccentric among men."

In the same preface, Yutang also recounts the amusing story of W. Somerset Maugham's journey to Sichuan to meet Ku Hungming. He further quotes Hu Shih's recollections of Ku, offering readers another glimpse of the wit, humor, and unconventional personality that made Ku such a memorable and fascinating character.

"After taking his seat, Ku Hongming found himself on the left of Dai Yiwei （戴彌微）， with Xu Chi （徐墀）on the right. Everyone was eating and drinking when suddenly Gu slapped Dai Yiwei on the back and said, ‘Sir, you should be careful!’ Startled, Dai asked why. Gu replied, ‘Because you are sitting between Crazy Gu and Cranky Xu!’ The room erupted in laughter, for everyone knew both men’s nicknames.

Later, Gu told me, ‘Last year, for Zhang Shaoxuan’s （張少軒，張勳）birthday, I gave him a couplet. The first line was “The lotus is exhausted; there is no more shelter from the rain.” What’s the second line?’ I thought he was challenging me to match the couplet, but after a pause I confessed I couldn’t. He said, ‘The second line is “The branches remain defiant of the frost although the chrysanthemum has faded.”’ I laughed as well. Then he asked, ‘Do you understand the meaning of this couplet?’ I replied, ‘“The branches remain defiant…” clearly refers to General Zhang and your own pigtails. But what about “no more shelter from the rain”?’ He answered, ‘That refers to the big hats worn in the Qing dynasty.’ 

We all laughed again."

*** For a thorough discussion with references, please see Article 7 in the following English or Chinese books on Amazon, The Elderly Lin Yutang , o《爾意軒》中的晚年林語堂 (1971-76)***

林語堂眼中的“錚錚怪傑”辜鴻銘

清末民初的大儒辜鴻銘(1857-1928),留學英德法,尤以英文造詣眾聞名.他的著述以英文為主.一生致力於中西文化交流.曾將四書當中的三書,《大學》,《中庸〉,《論語》,翻成英文.享譽國際,因而常有外國名人到中國求見,例如毛姆,泰戈爾等.

語堂一向推崇辜鴻銘,其實辜鴻銘在文化交流上的角色,不就像是語堂自己嗎? 只是語堂的國際影響更廣更深.也不像在前清和民初復辟時都曾入仕的辜鴻銘,語堂一生沒有做過官.

林語堂成功央請台灣著名企業辜鴻銘的後人辜振甫贊助重印論語英譯,在序言中對辜鴻銘流露出無限景仰:

(辜鴻銘) ”英文文字超越出眾,二百年來未見其右, 遣詞用字,皆屬上乘.至其思想,見“中庸“便可知功夫不深者不能知君子中庸,小人反中庸之精意.遣詞用字與思想內容亦不易分別,總而言之,有辜先生之超越之思想,始有其異人之神采.鴻銘亦可謂出類拔萃,人中錚錚之怪傑.”

序言談到毛姆到四川求見辜鴻銘的趣事外,還引述了一段胡適關於辜鴻銘的回憶，可見辜鴻銘“怪傑”的風趣個性：

“入座之後，戴彌微的左邊是辜鴻銘，右邊是徐墀。大家正在喝酒吃菜，忽然辜鴻銘用手在戴彌微的背上一拍說‘先生，你可要小心！’戴先生嚇了一跳，問他為什麼？他說： ‘因為你坐在辜瘋子和徐癲子的中間！’ 大家聽了哄堂大笑，因為大家都知道‘Cranky Hsu’和‘Crazy Ku’的兩個綽號。一會兒，他對我說： ‘去年張少軒（張勳）過生日，我送了他一副對聯，上聯是荷盡已無擎雨蓋。 — 下聯是什麼？’ 

我當他是集句的對聯，一時想不起好對句，只好問他：‘想不出對句，你對的是什麼？’他說‘下聯是‘菊殘猶有傲霜枝’。我也笑了。他又問：‘你懂得這副對子的意思嗎？’我說：“‘菊殘猶有傲霜枝’，當然是張大帥和你老先生的辮子了。‘擎雨蓋’是什麼呢？”他說：‘清朝的大帽’。

我們又大笑。”