吶喊吶喊nà hǎn — 1. shout 2. rallying cry 3. cheering 4. to shout (HSK 7-9) · 呐喊

What’s in it

吶喊 (Call to Arms) is Lu Xun's first story collection, gathering fourteen pieces written between 1918 and 1922 that together launched vernacular Chinese fiction as a serious literary form. It opens with 狂人日記 (Diary of a Madman), usually credited as the first modern short story written in colloquial Chinese: a paranoid narrator comes to believe the people around him are cannibals, and the story reads as an allegory for a Confucian social order that Lu Xun saw as quietly consuming the people trapped inside it. 孔乙己 follows a threadbare, failed examination candidate who clings to the vocabulary and manners of the scholar class even as the tavern crowd mocks him for it, and 藥 (Medicine) follows a couple who buy a steamed bun dipped in an executed revolutionary's blood, believing it will cure their son's tuberculosis.

The collection's best-known piece, 阿Q正傳 (The True Story of Ah Q), follows a penniless, friendless villager who turns every humiliation into an imagined victory rather than face it honestly — a coping mechanism Lu Xun meant as a diagnosis of the whole nation's habits of self-deception in the years after the fall of the Qing dynasty. Quieter stories like 故鄉 (My Old Home) and 社戲 (Village Opera) turn to Lu Xun's own memories of the Shaoxing countryside, giving the collection a range from savage satire to plain nostalgia.

Literary forms

• Chinese Short Stories

Key words 关键字

• 着zhāoHSK 1着zhāo — a move in chess (Taiwan pr. (zhuó)) · trick; tactic · (dialect) okay; all right · (dialect) to put in; to add (HSK 1)
• 喫chīHSK 1喫chī — variant of 吃 (chī) (HSK 1)
• 麽mó麽mó — tiny · insignificant
• 栓shuān栓shuān — bottle stopper · plug · (gun) bolt · (grenade) pin
• 爲wéiHSK 2爲wéi — variant of 為 (wéi) (HSK 2)
• 趙zhào趙zhào — to surpass (old)
• 鲁lǔ鲁lǔ — (bound form) crass · stupid · rude · (used to represent the sounds of "ru", "lu" etc in loanwords)
• 创chuāngHSK 7-9创chuāng — (bound form) a wound; to wound (HSK 7-9)
• 员yuán员yuán — (bound form) person engaged in a certain field of activity · (bound form) member · classifier for military generals
• 于yúHSK 6于yú — to go · to take · sentence-final interrogative particle · variant of 於 (yú) (HSK 6)
• 发fāHSK 2发fā — to send out · to show (one's feeling) · to issue · to develop · to make a bundle of money · classifier for gunshots (rounds) (HSK 2)
• 纔cáiHSK 2纔cái — (variant of 才 (cái)) just now · (variant of 才 (cái)) (before an expression of quantity) only (HSK 2)
• 辮biàn辮biàn — a braid or queue · to plait
• 鄒Zōu鄒Zōu — surname Zou · vassal state during the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC) in the southeast of Shandong
• 裏lǐHSK 1裏lǐ — variant of 裡 (lǐ) (HSK 1)
• 閏rùn閏rùn — intercalary · an extra day or month inserted into the lunar or solar calendar (such as February 29)
• 伊yī伊yī — (old) third person singular pronoun ("he" or "she") · second person singular pronoun ("you") · (May 4th period) third person singular feminine pronoun ("she") · (Classical Chinese) introductory particle with no specific meaning · (preceding a noun) that · (bound form) Iraq (abbr. for 伊拉克 (Yī lā kè)) · (bound form) Iran (abbr. for 伊朗 (Yī lǎng))
• 靑qīng靑qīng — variant of 青 (qīng)
• 阿ā阿ā — prefix used before monosyllabic names, kinship terms etc to indicate familiarity · used in transliteration · (bound form) Afghanistan (abbr. for 阿富汗 (Ā fù hàn)) · (bound form) Albania (abbr. for 阿爾巴尼亞 (Ā ěr bā ní yà)) · (bound form) Algeria (abbr. for 阿爾及利亞 (Ā ěr jí lì yà)) · (bound form) Argentina (abbr. for 阿根廷 (Ā gēn tíng)) · also pr. (à)
• 偸tōu偸tōu — variant of 偷 (tōu)
• 珂kē珂kē — jade-like stone
• 革gé革gé — animal hide · leather · to reform · to remove · to expel (from office)
• 负fùHSK 6负fù — to bear · to carry (on one's back) · to turn one's back on · to be defeated · negative (math. etc) (HSK 6)
• 责zé责zé — duty · responsibility · to reproach · to blame

魯迅 Lu Xun

Lu Xun (魯迅, 1881–1936), born Zhou Shuren, first trained as a doctor in Japan before abandoning medicine for writing after a widely told turning point: a slide shown in one of his classes, of a Chinese man about to be executed by Japanese soldiers while a crowd of Chinese bystanders looked on with indifference, convinced him that his countrymen's sickness was one of spirit rather than body, and that literature, not surgery, was the cure he could offer. He is generally regarded as the founding figure of modern Chinese literature and one of the first major writers to work in baihua (vernacular Chinese) rather than the classical wenyan of the old scholar-official tradition. The collection's title — 吶喊, an outcry or a call to arms — states his purpose plainly: to wake a country he feared was sleepwalking toward its own destruction.

More by Lu Xun 同作者

• 彷徨Wandering
• 朝花夕拾Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk
• 野草Wild Grass
• 故事新編 · 故事新编Old Tales Retold

Key vocabulary 词汇

• 与与yǔ — (formal) and; together with (linking parallel nouns, verbs, or phrases) · (formal) with; from (marking the other participant in an interaction, comparison, or contrast, e.g. 與他握手 (yǔ tā wò shǒu) "shake hands with him", 與去年不同 (yǔ qù nián bù tóng) "different from last year") · (literary) to give; to grant; to bestow (HSK 6)
• 义义yì — justice · righteousness · meaning · foster (father etc) · adopted · artificial (tooth, limb etc) · relationship · friendship
• 会会huì — can; to have the skill; to know how to · to be likely to; to be sure to · to meet; to get together · meeting; gathering · (suffix) union; group; association · (bound form) a moment (Taiwan pr. (huǐ)) (HSK 1)
• 僱僱gù — variant of 雇 (gù) (HSK 7-9)
• 儆儆jǐng — to warn · to admonish
• 减减jiǎn — to lower · to decrease · to reduce · to subtract · to diminish (HSK 4)
• 则则zé — (literary) (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but; then · (bound form) standard; norm · (bound form) principle · (literary) to imitate; to follow · classifier for written items (HSK 7-9)
• 创创chuāng — (bound form) a wound; to wound (HSK 7-9)
• 删删shān — to delete (HSK 7-9)
• 华华huá — magnificent · splendid · flowery
• 参参cān — to take part in · to participate · to join · to attend · to counsel · unequal · varied · irregular · uneven · not uniform · abbr. for 參議院 Senate, Upper House
• 发发fā — to send out · to show (one's feeling) · to issue · to develop · to make a bundle of money · classifier for gunshots (rounds) (HSK 2)
• 号号háo — (bound form) to wail; to howl (HSK 1)
• 员员yuán — (bound form) person engaged in a certain field of activity · (bound form) member · classifier for military generals
• 呪呪zhòu — variant of 咒 (zhòu)
• 嘷嘷háo — variant of 嗥 (háo)
• 嚄嚄huò — (interj.) oh!
• 嚮嚮xiàng — to tend toward · to guide · variant of 向 (xiàng) (HSK 2)
• 国国guó — country; nation; state · (bound form) national (HSK 1)
• 姒姒sì — wife or senior concubine of husbands older brother (old) · elder sister (old)
• 学学xué — to learn · to study · to imitate · science · -ology (HSK 1)
• 宕宕dàng — dissipated · put off
• 实实shí — real · true · honest · really · solid · fruit · seed · definitely
• 寿寿shòu — long life · old age · age · life · birthday · funerary
• 尅尅kè — variant of 剋 (kè) (HSK 2)
• 广广yǎn — "house on a cliff" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 53), occurring in 店, 序, 底 etc (HSK 5)
• 应应yīng — to agree (to do sth) · should · ought to · must · (legal) shall (HSK 4)
• 开开kāi — to open (transitive or intransitive) · (of ships, vehicles, troops etc) to start · to turn on; to put in operation; to operate; to run · to boil · to write out (a prescription, check, invoice etc) · (directional complement) away; off · carat (gold) · abbr. for Kelvin, 開爾文 (Kāi ěr wén) · abbr. for 開本 (kāi běn), book format (HSK 1)
• 弢弢tāo — bow case · to cover
• 弶弶jiàng — snare · to snare
• 徼徼jiǎo — by mere luck
• 怱怱cōng — variant of 匆 (cōng)
• 愾愾kài — anger
• 憧憧chōng — used in 憧憬 (chōng jǐng) · used in 憧憧 (chōng chōng)
• 憮憮wǔ — (literary) to have tender affection for · (literary) discouraged; disappointed · (literary) startled
• 执执zhí — to execute (a plan) · to grasp
• 报报bào — to report; to inform; to announce · to respond; to reply · to sign up for; to register for (abbr. for 報名 (bào míng)) · to reward; to recompense · to take revenge; to retaliate · newspaper · periodical; journal · bulletin · telegram (HSK 3)
• 搡搡sǎng — to push forcefully · to shove
• 撑撑chēng — to support · to prop up · to push or move with a pole · to maintain · to open or unfurl · to fill to bursting point · brace · stay · support (HSK 6)
• 攷攷kǎo — to beat · to hit · variant of 考 (kǎo) · to inspect · to test · to take an exam (HSK 1)
• 时时shí — o'clock · time · when · hour · season · period (HSK 3)
• 杂杂zá — mixed · miscellaneous · various · to mix (HSK 6)
• 权权quán — authority · power · right · (literary) to weigh · expedient · temporary (HSK 6)
• 栏栏lán — fence · railing · hurdle · column or box (of text or other data) (HSK 7-9)
• 栓栓shuān — bottle stopper · plug · (gun) bolt · (grenade) pin
• 榨榨zhà — to press · to extract (juice) · device for extracting juice, oils etc (HSK 7-9)
• 槓槓gàng — coffin-bearing pole (old) · thick pole; bar; rod · thick line · to mark with a thick line · to sharpen (a knife, razor etc) · to get into a dispute with · standard; criterion · hyphen; dash
• 汚汚wū — variant of 污 (wū)
• 渙渙huàn — to dissipate · to dissolve
• 满满Mǎn — Manchu ethnic group (HSK 2)
• 濔濔mǐ — many · numerous
• 灯灯dēng — lamp · light · lantern · classifier: 盞 (zhǎn) (HSK 2)
• 煑煑zhǔ — variant of 煮 (zhǔ) (HSK 6)
• 猹猹chá — Badger-like wild animal
• 现现xiàn — to appear · present · now · existing · current
• 珂珂kē — jade-like stone
• 甁甁píng — variant of 瓶 (píng)
• 瘠瘠jí — barren · lean
• 砉砉huā — sound of a thing flying fast by · whoosh · cracking sound · Taiwan pr. (huò)
• 硏硏yán — variant of 研 (yán)
• 硫硫liú — sulfur (chemistry)
• 祓祓fú — to cleanse · to remove evil · ritual for seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster
• 称称chèn — to fit; to match; to suit · (coll.) to have; to possess · Taiwan pr. (chèng)
• 笔笔bǐ — writing brush; writing implement (pen, pencil etc) (classifier: 支 (zhī), 枝 (zhī)) · brushstroke; stroke (in painting or calligraphy) · (bound form) style of writing; literary manner; technique of brushwork · (classifier) stroke of a Chinese character · (classifier) sum of money; financial transaction; piece of business · (literary) to write (with a brush or pen) (HSK 2)
• 简简jiǎn — simple · uncomplicated · letter · to choose · to select · bamboo strips used for writing (old)
• 粃粃bǐ — variant of 秕 (bǐ)
• 纪纪jì — order · discipline · age · era · period · to chronicle
• 组组zǔ — to form · to organize · group · team · classifier for sets, series, groups of people, batteries (HSK 2)
• 细细xì — thin or slender · finely particulate · thin and soft · fine · delicate · trifling · (of a sound) quiet · frugal (HSK 4)
• 织织zhī — to weave · to knit (HSK 6)
• 緖緖xù — variant of 緒 (xù)
• 緬緬miǎn — distant · remote · detailed
• 编编biān — to weave · to plait · to organize · to group · to arrange · to edit · to compile · to write · to compose · to fabricate · to make up (HSK 4)
• 胛胛jiǎ — shoulder blade
• 艇艇tǐng — (bound form) boat; craft (esp. small or naval)
• 艺艺yì — skill · art
• 节节jié — joint; node · (bound form) section; segment · solar term (one of the 24 divisions of the year in the traditional Chinese calendar) · seasonal festival · (bound form) to economize; to save · (bound form) moral integrity; chastity · classifier for segments: lessons, train wagons, biblical verses etc · knot (nautical miles per hour) (HSK 2)
• 药药yào — leaf of the iris · variant of 藥 (yào) (HSK 2)
• 菠菠bō — spinach
• 蓐蓐rù — mat · rushes
• 蝨蝨shī — louse
• 蝮蝮fù — insect · poisonous snake (archaic)
• 衞衞wèi — variant of 衛 (wèi) · to guard · to defend
• 訥訥nè — to speak slowly · inarticulate
• 许许xǔ — to allow · to permit · to promise · to praise · somewhat · perhaps (HSK 7-9)
• 话话huà — dialect · language · spoken words · speech · talk · words · conversation · what sb said · classifier: 種 (zhǒng), 席 (xí), 句 (jù), 口 (kǒu), 番 (fān) (HSK 1)
• 详详xiáng — detailed · comprehensive
• 谢谢xiè — to thank · (bound form) to apologize · (bound form) to decline; to refuse · (bound form) (of flowers, leaves etc) to wither
• 负负fù — to bear · to carry (on one's back) · to turn one's back on · to be defeated · negative (math. etc) (HSK 6)
• 责责zé — duty · responsibility · to reproach · to blame
• 赸赸shàn — to jump · to leave
• 踰踰yú — variant of 逾 (yú)
• 载载zǎi — to record in writing · to carry (i.e. publish in a newspaper etc) · Taiwan pr. (zài) · year
• 辑辑jí — to gather up · to collect · to edit · to compile
• 达达dá — to attain · to reach · to amount to · to communicate · eminent
• 过过guò — to cross · to go over · to pass (time) · to celebrate (a holiday) · to live · to get along · excessively · too- (HSK 1)
• 还还hái — still · still in progress · still more · yet · even more · in addition · fairly · passably (good) · as early as · even · also · else (HSK 1)
• 连连lián — to link · to join · to connect · continuously · in succession · including · (used with 也 (yě), 都 (dōu) etc) even · company (military) (HSK 3)
• 郑郑zhèng — used in 鄭重 (zhèng zhòng)
• 鄒鄒Zōu — surname Zou · vassal state during the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC) in the southeast of Shandong
• 釦釦kòu — button (HSK 6)
• 鉀鉀jiǎ — potassium (chemistry)
• 鉅鉅jù — (literary) hard iron · (literary) hook; barb · used in personal names and place names · variant of 巨 (jù)
• 铎铎duó — large ancient bell
• 鎭鎭zhèn — variant of 鎮 (zhèn) · town
• 际际jì — border · edge · boundary · interval · between · inter- · to meet · time · occasion · to meet with (circumstances)
• 飩飩tún — used in 餛飩 (hún tun) · Taiwan pr. (dùn)
• 餛餛hún — used in 餛飩 (hún tun) and 餛燉 (hún dùn)
• 马马mǎ — horse · classifier: 匹 (pǐ) · horse or cavalry piece in Chinese chess · knight in Western chess (HSK 3)
• 髀髀bì — buttocks · thigh
• 髡髡kūn — scalping · to make the head bald (as corporal punishment)
• 鲁鲁lǔ — (bound form) crass · stupid · rude · (used to represent the sounds of "ru", "lu" etc in loanwords)
• 东东dōng — east · host (i.e. sitting on east side of guest) · landlord (HSK 1)
• 亨亨hēng — prosperous · henry (unit of inductance)
• 佃佃diàn — to rent farmland from a landlord
• 倌倌guān — keeper of domestic animals · herdsman · (old) hired hand in certain trade
• 値値zhí — variant of 值 (zhí)
• 偵偵zhēn — to scout · to spy · to detect
• 偸偸tōu — variant of 偷 (tōu)
• 儍儍shǎ — variant of 傻 (shǎ)
• 凸凸tū — to stick out; protruding; convex; male (connector etc) · Taiwan pr. (tú) (HSK 7-9)
• 劊劊guì — to amputate · to cut off · also pr. (kuài)
• 勳勳xūn — (bound form) meritorious accomplishment
• 厮厮sī — (bound form) together; each other · (bound form) male servant · (bound form) dude; so-and-so (used in 那廝 (nà sī) and 這廝 (zhè sī))
• 吿吿gào — variant of 告 (gào)
• 咷咷táo — wail
• 啓啓qǐ — variant of 啟 (qǐ)
• 喤喤huáng — sobbing · sound of bell
• 头头tóu — head · hair style · the top · end · beginning or end · a stub · remnant · chief · boss · side · aspect · first · leading · classifier for pigs or livestock · classifier: 個 (gè) (HSK 2)
• 妲妲Dá — female personal name (archaic)
• 嬾嬾lǎn — variant of 懶 (lǎn) (HSK 6)
• 寃寃yuān — old variant of 冤 (yuān) (HSK 7-9)
• 尙尙shàng — variant of 尚, still · yet · to value · to esteem
• 崙崙lún — used in 崑崙 (Kūn lún)
• 幷幷bìng — variant of 並 (bìng) · variant of 併 (bìng)
• 彫彫diāo — variant of 雕 (diāo), to engrave (HSK 7-9)
• 忡忡chōng — grieved · distressed · sad · uneasy
• 怦怦pēng — (onom.) the thumping of one's heart
• 懣懣mèn — melancholy
• 拏拏ná — variant of 拿 (ná) (HSK 1)
• 揑揑niē — variant of 捏 (niē) (HSK 7-9)
• 搾搾zhà — variant of 榨 (zhà) · to press · to extract (juice) (HSK 7-9)
• 撰撰zhuàn — to compose · to compile
• 攫攫jué — to seize · to snatch · to grab
• 旣旣jì — variant of 既 (jì)
• 柢柢dǐ — foundation · root
• 桕桕jiù — Tallow tree · Sapium sebiferum
• 槪槪gài — variant of 概 (gài)
• 櫓櫓lǔ — scull (single oar worked from side to side over the stern of a boat)
• 汛汛xùn — high water · flood · to sprinkle water