《西游记》作者吴承恩(约1500-约1582),字汝忠,号射阳山人,淮安府山阳县(今江苏省淮安县)人。他的曾祖吴铭做过浙江余姚训导,祖父吴贞做过浙江仁和(即杭州)教谕。父亲吴锐,四岁丧父,弃文从商,做了个经营花线、花边的小商人。吴承恩就出生在这样一个由书香门第沦为小商人的家庭里。吴承恩因为他父亲的遭遇而感到屈辱不平,可悲的是,他自己的遭遇并不比他父亲好多少。吴承恩极其聪明,他“髫龄即以文鸣于淮”,“性敏而多慧,博极群书,为诗文下笔立成”。他的文才很早就受到郡守、前辈 The author of “Journey to the West” Wucheng En (about 1500 - about 1582), the word Ruzhong, Sheyang people, Huai’an House Sanyo (now Huaian County, Jiangsu Province) people. Wu Ming, his great-great-great ancestor, trained Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, and his grandfather Wu Zhen taught Zhejiang Renhe (ie Hangzhou). His father, Wu Rui, lost his father when he was four and abandoned his article from the merchant, making a small business man who runs flower lines and lace. Wu Cheng-en was born in such a family by the scholarly door into a small business man. Wu Cheng-en felt humiliation because of his father’s experience, sadly, his own experience is not much better than his father. Wu Cheng-en is extremely clever, he “age that is Wen Ming in Huai”, “sensible and many Hui, Bo group book, writing for the poetry Li Chengcheng.” His literary talent has long been defending, predecessors