The Controversy Of Written Vernacular Chinese Under The Enlightened Words

Since written vernacular Chinese was recommended at the end of The Qing dynasty, it took only more than 20 years for it to be completed throughout the May Fourth Movement. But it was just this completion that brought the change of the quality seen from cultural intension. Written vernacular Chinese replacing writing in classical Chinese had completed the transition from traditional culture to modern culture, having shown that the enlightened words were in the position of mainstream replacing the traditional words. Thereafter in dozens of years from the thirties to the end of century, controversies of written vernacular Chinese had been dominated either apparently or latently by the enlightened words. This text attempts to do an examination of the controversy of written vernacular Chinese of this century, explaining that the enlightened words had played a domination role in these controversies. The full text includes four parts:The first part: Written vernacular Chinese replacing writing in classical Chinese was historically necessary. But it had its inevitable historical reasons that persons who recommended hadn't finished this historical important task at the end of Qing dynasty.The second part: The victory of written vernacular Chinese in the May Fourth Movement owed to the several kinds of historical joint efforts that included enlightener, anti-enlightener, persons who were eclecticism and persons who advocated alphabetic writings. Among them, the enlighten words occupied position of mainstream and arranged the direction of these controversies.The third part: The popular literature and art sport was the introspection and moving forward of written vernacular Chinese of the May Fourth Movement. But it made the controversy of written vernacular Chinese leave academy and enter the political faction battle that dominance of the political words was apparent this period. Thereafter, to recommend masses languages was just a tactics against classical Chinese restoring ancient ways of view.The fourth part: With the recovering of Intellectual status and disappearing of political words, the enlightened words had entered into apparent dominance status again at the end of the century. Revaluation of written vernacular Chinese sports during the May Fourth Movement became the focus of controversy, showing human spirits under the academy care.