Dictionaries, Antiquities in the Information Age
Dictionaries have become an antique existence in this information age.
When our fathers were in school, they had a dictionary in their hands, which was definitely a treasure, while classmates rushed to borrow them; when we were in elementary school, the teacher asked for a Xinhua dictionary for our literacy enlightenment. A good helper on the road;
Later , "learning machines" such as Wenquxing and Ojixing (now regarded as antiques) were launched in turn. The convenient and fast electronic dictionary can be used for learning and mp3, which is very popular among students;
Up to now, an electronic dictionary APP with various functions can be installed on any smart phone for free , and the dictionary has become both cheap and convenient.
When the sense of existence of the dictionary has become thin and within reach, does anyone remember how much it has helped us understand the world? Does anyone know how much wisdom and energy is needed to compile an all-encompassing dictionary?
Even if we use mobile phones to look up the dictionary, the information that pops up after we click is still the painstaking effort of scholars decades ago or even a century or two ago.
"Oxford English Dictionary", the golden rule of the English world
If you choose a language with the widest coverage in the world, it is undoubtedly English; and if you want to choose a dictionary with the most practical value in the world, the answer is likely to be "Oxford English Dictionary" .
As the most comprehensive and authoritative English dictionary in modern times, "Oxford English Dictionary" has helped countless English learners all over the world. Even native English speakers can benefit a lot from this book.
In the movie "Chinese Partner", the gift that Deng Chao left to Huang Xiaoming before he went abroad was an "Oxford English Dictionary", and now mainstream dictionary apps almost always borrow from the "Oxford English Dictionary" thesaurus. Become professional.
When enjoying such an outstanding reference book, have we ever wondered how this book was written? Who will "define" every commonly used word? And who is looking for the source and examples of every uncommon word?
The movie "The Professor and the Madman" answers these questions to a certain extent.
Adapted from the novel of the same name by the British writer Simon Winchester, "The Professor and the Madman", introduced the crazy idea of the British from 1858 to compile a comprehensive English dictionary based on the achievements of the predecessors. .
But this work is too arduous. After taking over, editors often find that they are clueless and difficult to move. The end is an exhausting life and nowhere in sight, until the appearance of one of the protagonists of the film- Dr. James Murray .
"If one person takes a hundred lives to complete, then a hundred people can do it in one lifetime." Compared to the predecessor scholars who were at a loss as they plunged into the sea of books, Dr. Murray's method is simple and troublesome-find a volunteer By.
Dr. Murray refuses to stick to the rules. His method does not require recruiting a large number of scholars, but only requires people who understand English to contribute to his writing work. It is in this great work that he met the film’s Another protagonist- Dr . WC Miner .
Who is the professor and who is the lunatic?
Dr. Murray discovered the existence of Dr. Miner in the letters sent to his famous "writing room" continuously. He was amazed by Dr. Miner's amazing reading volume and careful thinking, and he was able to help himself every time. The source of the most difficult entry and the problem of citation.
When the first book of "Oxford English Dictionary" was released, Dr. Murray rushed to the address on Dr. Miner’s letter with excitement. He couldn’t help but share the joy of success with this mysterious friend who helped him the most. The address on the letter turned out to be a mental hospital, and more importantly-Dr. Miner is not a doctor here, but a patient.
Dr. WC Miner served as a military doctor during the Civil War. The tragic war caused him to suffer from paranoia and schizophrenia, so that he killed people by mistake and was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment in a mental hospital.
Dr. Miner in a sober state is actually a careful and elegant intellectual. When he first entered the mental hospital, he saved the life of a young guard with his extraordinary courage and medical skills, and therefore won all the jobs in the mental hospital. Respect of personnel.
Dr. Miner's life in the mental hospital is not so difficult, he even has a study room for him to read and study.
"Shawshank’s Redemption" stated that "some birds should not be kept in cages because their feathers are too plump. When they fly away, you will sincerely congratulate him for his freedom." Although Dr. Miner could not Stepping out of the high wall, but also found a bridge to reconnect with the society.
When he saw in the newspaper the recruitment announcement issued by Dr. Murray for the preparation of the Oxford English Dictionary, he was as eager to try as he saw the hope of rekindling his life, and he immediately devoted himself to this great work.
Mental illness has been plagued by Dr. Miner, it is precisely for the "Oxford English Dictionary" to collect entries, filling his weak soul, and it is this passion that supports him not to fall into infinite madness and self-torture prematurely. among.
Dr. Murray is a real professor, and Dr. Miner is also a Doctor. Compared with Miner who is confined in a mental hospital, Dr. Murray is full of ambitions as a "lunatic" by his peers.
The proposition of "The Professor and the Madman" seems to refer to Murray in the former and Miner, but who is the lunatic and the professor is really intriguing.
A suffering kind soul
Compared to Dr. Murray's long work, Miner's self-struggle and redemption take up a larger space in the film. Miner shot and killed a Mr. Millett due to delusions and hallucinations. Afterwards, he was in a mental hospital and wanted to make compensation for Mr. Millett's widow and children.
However, the atonement is not so simple. Even if the situation is exhausted, Mrs. Millett is not willing to accept the funding of killing her husband and enemy easily. Miner kept begging the guards to express to Mrs. Millett's family to make amends for himself, and finally moved Mrs. Millett's willingness to see him.
When we met for the first time, Mrs. Millett, who was waiting for her, just said “it doesn’t help” and left, but in the end Mrs. Millett was finally moved by Miner’s sincerity. Not only did she accept his funding, she also politely carried with him. Miner's much-needed book came to visit him.
In the back and forth contact, Mrs. Millett found that Miner was so kind and wise when he was awake. When he talked about " Standing on the spine of the book , I can fly over the wall in front of me, and with the wings of words, I can reach the world." Zhi Dian, this is freedom, only when he is reading, there is no chasing after his life. " Even if he is dressed in a rough dress, he still can't hide his intellectual brilliance.
Miner insisted on teaching Mrs. Millet to read and literate so that she could pass on to her children, but in the process, Mrs. Millett gradually developed complex feelings for Miner. The note she wrote to Miner read " If love...then what?".
Miner, who was surprised that Mrs. Millet’s heart, was even more contradictory. In fact, he had been secretly depicting the face of Mrs. Millett in his study, but that beautiful face was always half in the shadows, just like Miner. Sometimes crazy and sometimes calm heart is as elusive.
Visions more intense than usual came to mind, and various emotions of guilt, fear, shame, and regret tore Miner's heart back and forth. In the end, he chose his own palace to sever his undivided thoughts about Mrs. Millet in the midst of madness. , And has since fallen into a crazier purgatory.
Although Miner has committed unforgivable crimes, as the dean said to Mrs. Millet, " Even the most unbearable soul, we should have hope for it." What's more, Miner is essentially such a kind and honest soul. Strong man.
At the end of the film, in order to save Miner, Dr. Murray bravely stood in front of Churchill, who was still the Secretary of the Interior at the time, and gave a generous statement: "This is a complicated man who is suffering and sorrowful. He is also a life, so he deserves respect. "
The novel of the same name in "The Professor and the Madman" is itself a semi-documentary and semi-scientific literary work. In contrast, the film adds more details and therefore has a more human touch.
Some viewers may want to see the blood and trekking in this magnificent project of compiling the dictionary, but from the title to the movie itself, it is undoubtedly more focused on the fate of the characters.
Let us pay tribute to the pioneers who compiled the Oxford Dictionary, and let us respect every hardworking, kind, crazy and suffering soul. PS: Have you ever seen such a skinny Churchill?
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