Echoes of History and the Strugg

By Yu Ci

Among the many memoirs I have read, most simply recount events. Rarely do they blend the styles of prose, fiction, and poetry to enrich the narrative and bring stories vividly to life—but Liu Mingqiong’s new work, The Song of Londonderry Air, achieves just that. 

Liu Mingqiong was my classmate at Southwest Normal University, though we were in different classes of the same grade. Recently, one of her classmates shared several of her memoir essays published on "Jianshu " with me via WeChat. From the moment I started reading, I was captivated, devouring them one after another. This led to a brief reunion between Liu Mingqiong, two of her classmates, and I. Only then did I truly begin to "know" her. Later, Liu Mingqiong sent me all of her recent writings. With each piece I read, I jotted down my thoughts. She told me she was preparing to publish a book compiling her works from recent years, primarily those written in the past year. Having worked as an editor for nearly two decades, I volunteered to proofread and edit the book without remuneration. Why would I take on such a task? Because her writing moved me deeply—her characters and stories resonated with me profoundly. 

Mingqiong’s book spans an astonishing 72 years. She lays bare the joys and sorrows, the triumphs and struggles of her life journey, presenting them in the form of compelling narratives. Through her words, the people from different eras come alive—flesh and blood, vibrant and expressive—as if I were watching a vivid film unfold before my eyes. 

In the memories of childhood, Shangqing si(上清寺), Lianglukou(两路口) in Chongqing, and Shanyicun(山益村)where she once lived... These descriptions of the old - fashioned scenes make me seem to return to the 1960s and 1970s. Her hunger when going to school in those days brings me back to that unforgettable famine - stricken years. The scenes of the armed struggles during the Cultural Revolution she experienced, with the rumbling of guns and cannons, make me seem to see the Mountain City filled with the flames of war again.

The author uses a large amount of space to recall the life of educated youth when living in the mountain area countryside. "Fighting with flees", “cutting trees and thorns, hoeing up corn weeds”, rolling down a mountain slope... These scenes depict the hardships of a girl fighting against nature in the “vast world”. When she entered her middle - aged and young - adult years, her experiences of living separately from her husband and going to university bringing her son with her show her “strong - woman” side. Her dedication and hard - working spirit in teaching make me hold her in great respect.

Mingqiong also shows the tenderness and charm of a woman in the book. This is vividly shown in the chapters describing her gentle obedience to her husband and her trans - national love  with Dennis,an Australia generalman later. Mingqiong mentions many times in the book that her parents did not give her a beautiful appearance, but where does a woman's attraction lie? It's not just in her face! Temperament and tenderness are the real charm of a woman.

The most prominent feature of the book should be Mingqiong's portrayal and description of characters. In this regard, I unreservedly believe that she has reached the level of a "great master". There are many characters in the book, including her family members, relatives, friends, lovers and classmates. Her portrayal of each character is " vivid" and "lifelike": her dear grandma's "silver thimble" and story "An'an sending food to his mother"; her father's enthusiasm, kindness and hospitality, as well as his old-fashioned gramophone; her mother's beauty, diligence and sense of comedy; her  younger sister's hard-working and frugality , embodying the saying that "children from poor families take on responsibilities early"; her youngest brother's sense of comedy and his vivid imitation of other people; her good friend Zongyuan's beauty and intelligence, Pei Shaoxian's dignity and elegance, Ailin's knowledge and wisdom, Xiaomin's excellent ballet dancing and her strongwilltent of overcoming illness... All these are vividly presented to the readers and are unforgettable.

What I admire most is that after retiring, Mingqiong was repeatedly attacked by illnesses: cerebral infarction, cancer, hypertension, heart disease, lumbar disease... However, she overcame all kinds of diseases with tenacious perseverance and stood up again! In the past two years, through her own exercise and conditioning, she has basically recovered her health. She writes while balancing work and rest, treating writing as a pleasure. Thus, she has written one touching article after another, which is admirable to all.

Liu Mingqiong's new book is not only a recollection of her 72 years of life, but also an epitome and portrayal of the major events that have taken place in New China over the past 70-odd years. Starting from her family in the early 1950s, it covers the natural disasters in the 1960s, the unprecedented Cultural Revolution, the movement of educated youth going to the countryside and mountain areas, the reform and opening-up of China, and the new era where people are gradually becoming prosperous. Therefore, I believe that this book not only shows the surging forward of the magnificent river of history, but also reflects the sparkling surges of personal struggle.

In this book, the author not only provides readers with a wealth of readable stories, but also reveals such a truth: People will live a meaningful life if they love their motherland, love their career, love truth and goodness and have courage to strive on.This is the precious wealth that Mingqiong leaves to young friends!

Yu Ci

February,2021

Note: Yu Ci ， a member of the Communist Party of China and a member of the China Association for Promoting Democracy. He graduated from the English Department of Southwest Normal College (now Southwest University) in 1982. He holds the title of senior journalist and is one of the sixth batch of "National Top 100 Journalists". In September 2008, and was awarded the title of "Advanced Individual in the Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympic Games" by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, enjoying the treatment of a national model worker. In September 2019, he was awarded the "Medal Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China" jointly issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council and the Central Military Commission.

---

### **Key Translation Choices:** 

1. **Title Adaptation** – "历史的回声与个人的奋斗" is rendered as *"Echoes of History and the Struggles of an Individual"*, balancing poetic resonance with clarity. 

2. **Cultural Context** – "简书" (a Chinese blogging platform) is kept as *Jianshu* since it functions as a proper noun. 

3. **Idiomatic Flow** – Phrases like "一口气读下去" become *"devouring them one after another"*, capturing the sense of eager immersion. 

4. **Literary Nuance** – The metaphor of reading like "watching a vivid film" is preserved to maintain the original’s vivid imagery. 

This translation aims to retain the reflective, memoir-like tone of the original while ensuring readability for an English-speaking audience.