A small New Year’s wish…
Posted by peterIf I were a cloud,
I would stop flying high in the sky,
Instead, I would choose to change into rain drops that alight on the world of men.
If you ask me why,
Please look upon the verdant lands of life,
And that would be my answer.
If I were a river,
I would stop rushing toward the ocean,
Instead, I would choose to irrigate the dry wheat fields of Shaan’Xi [province].
If you ask me why,
Please listen to the joyous laughter of my uncles, the farmers,
And that would be my answer.
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January 2nd, 2010 at 9:25 am
I’ve always wondered about these slogans and if 1) it may make more sense in chinese…. 2) if anyone actually reads and follows them.
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:10 am
Peter: Ass usual you hit the right theme. See:
http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Eclipse/Humor-sign-scenes-01.html
and
http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Eclipse/Transportation/Road-signs-scenes-01.html
January 4th, 2010 at 10:26 am
Hello Linda,
while I’m obviously not a native speaker, they don’t seem to make any more sense in Chinese. As to whether anyone reads them, I get the impression not.
Hello Paul,
good to hear from you! Glad you like the theme…how can we possibly imagine what it is like to live in the Chinese countryside?
Peter
January 4th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Slogans, poems, sayings, stories, quotes, you name it. Who are we to judge. Is the so-called West really better? May be a bit more sofisticated, we call them “Mission Statements”, “Policies”, etc. but the essence is the same. Cheers.
January 5th, 2010 at 9:02 am
Hello Andreas, well, I was thinking about that when I wrote the essay: perhaps it is really just a matter of degree and sophistication? I suppose the main difference is one of respect: the tone of many slogans (标语 biaoyu) in China suggests no respect for those the intended to read and follow them.
By the way, I do not mean to judge what is better and what is worse. In fact, I always read the Chinese slogans with a shrug until one Chinese mentioned that she’s sick of them. Of course, 1 person hardly makes a trend, but it’s what started me thinking…
January 5th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
To my brother of 8 years younger, I still wonder if I should encourage these unbeaten optimism and faith in the goodness of people, or expose him earlier to the harsh facts of life, thus directing him towards an irreversible loss of innocence. Maybe innocence is an exclusive luxury to those leading or opting for a sheltered life… much to one’s regrets
January 6th, 2010 at 8:16 am
Helly Phyllis,
or is it a bit like rain and sun shine? I’m always amazed how my friends in Perth (where the sun so often shines) crave cold weather and rain. And how I, when I used to live in Austria, craved sunshine and heat because it rains and is cold so much of the year. In other words, how can one appreciate innocence if you haven’t experienced the harshness of life?
January 25th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Peter您最近好吗?又是新的一年来到了,我们还没有找到合适的机会再见面,很想念您,希望您一切都好,还有嘉敏。