Chinese Culture.docx

Chinese Culture.docx

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ChineseCulture

ChineseCulture

01.TheArtofCalligraphy

A:

SomecriticssuggestthatdifferentgenresofChinesecalligraphyhavedifferentpoliticalimplications.TakeWangXizhiforexample.Hiscalligraphywasrepudiatedasunorthodoxduringhislifetimebut,onlyafewdecadesafterhisdeath,wasestablishedasanorthodoxgenre.

B:

That’sforsure!

Historically,Chinesecalligraphyandpoliticswerecloselyintertwined.Over2,000yearsago,EmperorQinShihuang,thefirstEmperorinChinesehistory,establishedtheofficialChinesewritingcharacters.Thenew,simplifiedcharactersmadewritingcalligraphylesscomplicated.Itallowedpeopletousecharacterswithmorestraightstrokes,thusmakingiteasiertowritewithbrushes.ThiscreatedtheLigenre.Overtime,othervariationswerealsodeveloped,whicheventuallyleadtotheformationofthefivegenresinChinesecalligraphy.TheseweretheZhuan,Li,Kai,XingandCaogenres.

A:

I’veheardthatmostemperorsweregoodatcalligraphy.TheTangDynastyEmperorLiShiminwasanavidcollectorofWangXizhi’swritings.

B:

That’sright.QingDynastyEmperorQianLongplayedakeyroleincompilinganauthoritativecollectionofcalligraphy.Tosomeextent,preferencesoftheEmperorshadaninfluenceontheriseandfallofcertaincalligraphygenres.

A:

OrdinaryChinesepeoplealsoseemedtolikecalligraphyalot.

B:

PartofthereasonwasthesponsorshipbytheEmperors.AnotherreasonwastheImperialCivilServiceexaminationsthatstartedinthe7thcentury.Thoseexaminationswerefocusedonwritingandprovidedawayforordinarypeopletoachieveabetterlife.Asaresult,calligraphybecamewidelyaccepted.Calligraphyalsohaditspracticalvaluesbecauseitwasagoodwaytomakefriendsandwasmorepresentableasagiftratherthanjewelryormoney.

A:

Doescalligraphystillhavethesepracticalfunctionsnow?

B:

Yes.Manypeoplepracticecalligraphyasawaytoraisetheirculturalaccomplishment.Olderpeopleusecalligraphicwritingasamethodtokeepfit.Theybelievethatwhenapersonconcentratesonwritingcalligraphy,hisinnerwellbeingisstimulated.

A:

IhadthoughtcomputerswouldleadtothedisappearanceofChinesecalligraphy.NowIunderstandthat’snotlikelytohappen.Howcanyougiveyourbosscomputer-printedcalligraphyasagift?

B:

Youdon’t,unlessyouwanthimtofireyou.

02.TheSignificanceofChinesePaintings

A:

It’sinterestingthatChinesepaintingscanbecreatedonthespot,eventhoughmostofthemhavesimilarsubjects.Peony,plumblossoms,mountains,creeksorcottagesareverypopular.Thereareoftenpaintersatsignificantcelebratoryandcommemorativeevents.

B:

Theireducationalfunctionis,infact,auniquefeatureofChinesepainting.Humanprofileswereusedasamethodtoeitherglorifyheroesorcondemntraitors2,000yearsago.TangDynastyofficialseventriedtobringpaintingintoConfucianideology.TheCourtoftheSongDynastypublishedanofficialguidetopaintings.Thisraisedcriterianotonlyforhumanprofilesbutalsoforlandscapeandobjectpaintings.

A:

Oh,whatwasthat?

B:

Itclassifiedpaintingsintotencategoriescoveringreligiousbeliefs,Confucianismandstatepower.Thisclassificationgaveanofficialdefinitionofthevalueandsignificanceofthepaintings.Thepurposeoflandscapepaintingswastoportraythefivemountains,whilefruitandbirdswereusedtoexemplifyoreulogizetheGods.Inthiscase,thesubjectswereusedasreferencestopeopleinordertodelivermoralmessages.Forexample,peonyandpeacocksrepresentedwealthandfortune;pinetrees,bamboo,plumblossomsandorchidsrepresentedeleganceandaccomplishment;andpinetreesandcypressessymbolizedloyalty.

A:

AsfarasIknow,painterswhodidnothavetomakealivingbypaintinguseddifferentskillstothosespecifiedintheguide,eventhoughtheypaintedthesamesubjects.

B:

Artistsareusuallyagainstpragmatism.Theyliketogivemeaningtothesubjectstheypaint.Bamboosymbolizesintegrityandpinetreessymbolizenevergivingup.Artistsalsolikelandscapes.Itdoesn’ttakealotoftrainingtopaintlandscapes.Italldependsonthepainter’spersonalityandability,aswellashisuniquetouch.Mostoftoday’snon-professionalpaintersfollowthelandscapestyle.Theobjectiveofthesepaintersispurelyentertainmentandself-satisfaction.Themoresuccessfulartistshavetheopportunitytoexhibitatpublicfunctions.Thatisprobablytheclimaxoftheirpaintingcareers.

A:

Whatareprofessionalpaintersdoing?

B:

Someofthemmakeagreatefforttoimprovetheirpaintingskills.Theywanttodevelopnewandinnovativepaintingmethodsbyborrowingfromothergenres.Othersarebusymakingmoney.Theyhavefoundwaystoproducecommerciallyattractivepaintings.Somepeoplesaytheyarenolongerartists.Insteadtheyhavebecomemanufacturersofpaintings.

03.RediscoverConfucius

DidyouseethestatueofConfuciuslaunchedbytheChinaConfuciusFund?

B:

Yes,Idid.Itdoesn’tquitematchtheConfuciusimageinmymindthough.Iheardtherearemanydifferentopinionsaboutthisso-calledofficialstatue.But,tobefair,it’sanimpossiblejobtocreateanofficialstatueofsomeonewholivedmorethan2,500yearsago.Nooneknowswhathelookedlike,justlikenooneintheWestknowswhatPlatolookedlike.Nevertheless,Confuciuswasagreatphilosopher,aneducator,apolitician,aswellasthefounderofConfucianism,whichstillhasatremendousinfluenceoverpeopletoday.

A:

Confucianismseemstobebackinfashionagain.AsfarasIknow,aboutfivetosixmillionChinesestudentsarecurrentlystudyingTheanalectsofConfucius.SomecompaniesareusingConfucianismasamanagementtool.ThegovernmentisalsopromotingtheConfucianvaluesofethics,fairness,andhonesty.Theyseeitasawaytoaddressthesocialproblemsthathaveemergedasaresultoftheacceleratedeconomicgrowth.

B:

ConfucianismisthebackboneofChineseculture.Confuciusdevelopedhisphilosophyaroundtheconceptofbenevolence.TheAnalectsofConfuciusisarecordofhispoliticalviews.Confucianismrepresentsasetofmoralprinciplesbecauseitstressesfairnessandharmonyinhumanrelationships,aswellastheindividual’ssocialresponsibilityfortheircountry.ForConfucius,politicalhonestyisbasedonindividualethicalintegrity.

A:

SomeAmericanscholarsdidacomparativestudyofConfuciuswithGreekandRomanphilosophers.TheirconclusionwasthatthereismorepracticalvalueinConfucianism.Whyitthat?

B:

WellithasextensiveapplicationinChinesesociety.Confuciuswasalsoanaccomplishededucator.Hetreatedhisstudentsashisequalbyteachingthemdemocraticandopen-mindedideas.InthewordsoftheAmericanscholars,Confuciuswantedtotrainhisstudentstobecomemoreunrestrainedandadaptabletoexternalinfluences.

A:

ThereisalsoanincreasingawarenessofConfucianisminotherpartsoftheworld.Thismaybearesultofvariouspolitical,cultural,andenvironmentalchallengesduetoChina’sgrowingeconomicimportance.Asaresult,theriseofindividualisminthecommunityhasbecomeaseriousthreattosocialharmonyandprogress.Adifferentsetofvaluesareneededasacounterbalance.Confucianismemphasizes"courtesy"and"respect"whendealingwithpeopleornaturesoitshouldbeverybeneficialforbuildingharmonyinanysociety.

B:

Youareright.AscholaroncesaidthatanswersconcerningoursurvivalcanbefoundinthewisdomofConfucius,eventhoughhelivedmorethan25centuriesago.

04-DifferencesbetweenChineseandWesternMedicines

A:

Formanyyears,therehavebeenrepeateddiscussionstogiveupChinesemedicine.It’srecentlybecomeahottopiconceagain.AndbecausebelievetheChinesemedicineisnotscientificallybasedincomparisontoWesternmedicine.

B:

AlthoughitisdebatablewhyChinesemedicineisscientificallysound.Youcannotdenyithasarichphilosophicsignificance.ThisisverydifferentfromWesternmedicine.Usually,aChinesemedicinepractitionerapproachesonthehomeandabroadperspective,emphasisitsentiretyanddialecticalimplications.Thisiswhysomepeopleviewitasaholisticmedicine.Incontrast,aWesterndoctordealstorecipewithsymptoms.Forinstance,ifsomeonehasasorethroat,aWesterndoctorwilltreateditasathroatproblemwhileaChinesedoctormaylinkittothedisorderofthepatient’sstomach.

A:

What'sthedifferencebetweenChineseandWesternmedicines?

B:

AChinesedoctorexaminesitspatientsbyusingmethodslikeobserving,smelling,askingandfeeling.HisWesterncounterpartsrelyonsymptomsorevidence,likebodytemperatureandlabtests.AChinesedoctordeterminestheproblemofpatient’sinteriororgansbyinfluencethroughobservingveryexteriorsignssuchascomplexionorthetongue.AWesterndoctor,ontheotherhand,makeshisjudgmentbasedontheresultsoflabtestsontheinternalorgans.Hethenreinforcesitsjudgmentbyexaminingexteriorsymptoms.AWesterndoctoruseschemicalbasedmedicinesandsurgery,butaChinesedoctorreliesonsomeherbmedicinesandacupuncture.

A:

Forpatient,whichispreferable?

B:

Itdepends.UsuallyaChinesedoctorwillrecommendWesternmedicineforintensivetreatmentandChinesemedicinefortherecovery.Infact,Chinesemedicineisprobablymoreeffectiveintreatingsomefunctionaldiseases,whilethecauseisdifficulttodiscover.

A:

WhatwillhappenifChinesemedicineisindeedabandoned?

B:

Noidea,butforpeoplewithterminaldiseases,Chinesemedicinemaybethelastresult.Chinesemedicinecannotonlyalleviatepainbutalsoofferstheoptionofdifferenttreatment.

05-TheRoleofOperas

A:

Inhisbook,