Study On Liu Bannong In Shanghai Media Field (1912-1917)

Liu Bannong(1891-1934)was a renowned writer,translator,educator,linguist,poet,and one of the pioneers of the New Culture Movement during the Republican Era in China.Shanghai was the starting point of Liu Bannong’s literary career,and his experiences during his time in Shanghai influenced the formation of his literary stance.Clarifying Liu Bannong’s cultural activities and ideological transformation during his Shanghai period is beneficial for understanding his transition from the " Mandarin Duck and Butterfly School" to the "New Literati," supplementing research on Liu Bannong’s essence and his cultural and literary historical value.It also helps to further clarify the complex cultural landscape in Shanghai from 1912 to 1917 and the choices made by intellectuals during the period of cultural transformation.Liu Bannong’s interaction with the Shanghai media field is mainly reflected in social networks,remuneration systems,the promotion of modern plays,and the publishing industry of journals and magazines.On the one hand,Liu Bannong entered the Shanghai media field through introductions from acquaintances.Analyzing Liu Bannong’s social network reveals his extensive circle of friends,where he focused on shared interests in friendships.Additionally,analyzing the capital of Liu Bannong’s friends shows the changes in his capital accumulation within this field and his position during that period.On the other hand,Liu Bannong’s main means of survival and capital accumulation in this field was through writing or translating in exchange for remuneration.Under the remuneration system,the most prominent feature of Liu Bannong’s writings and translations was their popularity.However,Liu Bannong had a complex attitude towards popular literature.While he dismissed his own popular literary works and translations,he still appreciated excellent works of popular literature.After joining the journal " New Youth," he also focused on improving and enhancing the social function of popular literature.Additionally,influenced by this system,Liu Bannong produced a large number of translated texts.Analyzing Liu Bannong’s translations reveals that most of them were direct translations,but there were also instances of adaptation.Liu Bannong exhibited a serious and meticulous attitude towards translation.Regarding the construction of Liu Bannong’s literary identity within the media field,this article mainly focuses on Liu Bannong’s involvement in three fields: Kaiming Theatre Company,Zhonghua Book Company,and "New Youth" journal.Analyzing the reasons for Liu Bannong’s joining and leaving these fields reveals that they were primarily influenced by changes in social conditions,income,and work environment.Further analysis of the different fields’ impact on Liu Bannong reveals that his experiences in the Kaiming Theatre Company kept his interest in drama alive,the purpose of Zhonghua Book Company influenced the content of his writings and translations,focusing on educating the nation,expressing concerns for the country and the people,and exploring philosophical aspects of life.After joining "New Youth," Liu Bannong began to contemplate literature from a theoretical perspective.From Kaiming Theatre Company to Zhonghua Book Company,and finally to "New Youth," Liu Bannong transformed from being constructed by the fields to becoming a constructor of the field’s rules.