博客介紹： “中國文化” 是什麼？: What is "Chinese Culture" for?

(Source： http://www.indiewire.com/film/marina-abramovic-the-artist-is-present)

要了解這句話先就要先除去籠統且陳腔詞濫調的刻板印象。我們先看這模糊句子的完全相反：Marina Abramovic's: 有一位藝術家在場。

To understand this phrase you have to remove the mask of stereotypes and clichés that weigh it down. Let's look at something that’s the complete opposite of this ambiguous phrase: Marina Abramovic's: The Artist is Present.

看來有一位小姐穿着笨重的裙子坐在椅子上，盯著對面座位的其中一人。觀眾看完了就換位盯着Abrimovic. 沒什麼了不起。不過，Marina Abromovic 三個月來，都在博物館的營業時間裡坐在這張椅子上！ 她也不是只坐着發呆。如果對面觀眾對現在時態想得開，她盯着全神貫注。雙位手無寸鐵，觀眾感覺到一個無借口,無自傳，最純凈的感情。

It appears to be a woman sitting in a large clunky dress staring at a member of the public across a table. Once a viewer is done, the person leaves and another sits staring at Abramovic. Nothing special. But Marina Abromovic has sat on this chair during museum hours for 3 months! She's not spacing off either. If the viewer on the other chair is open to the present, she stares straight into you with full concentration. Both are defenseless, the viewer senses emotion in it's purest form without hiding behind ego or pretext.

和一般認知的中國文化是完全相反的。文化是舊的，傳統的，充滿象徵意義。可是有意義嗎？

The general perception Chinese culture is the complete opposite. Culture is old, traditional, full of symbolism. But is is meaningful?

我忘記那個統計，可是大家都談到中國超過整個世界的算數和科學技巧。這究竟是根據“中國文化” ？我不確定。論語第一句不是說，“學而時習之，不亦樂乎？” 這些孩子高興得泡選擇題答案? 中國人和外國人都有這種先入為主的概念，教育將等同於成功，而只有少數人質疑測試本身是有意義的. 在漢代科舉約幾乎百年之後，那個時代充斥著腐敗和賄賂。我懷疑孔子設想他的前任，爭取SAT完善。文化不只是為了經濟發展。

I forgot which survey, but there's always talk that China surpasses the entire world in math and science. Was this due to "Chinese culture" ? I doubt it. The first line of the Analects quotes, "If there is the practice of learning, is there not joy?" Were these kids happy when they were bubbling their multiple choice answers? Both Chinese and non-Chinese have this preconceived notion that education will equate to success, but rarely do people question if the test itself is meaningful. Barely after 100 years after the civil service exam during the Han Dynasty, it was riddled with corruption and bribery. I doubt Confucius envisioned his predecessors to strive for perfects on the SAT. Culture isn't solely for economic progress.

像觀眾看着Marina的眼睛，我們必須放棄自己的自負和偏見試圖尋找背後文化的意思. 中國的文化不是因它原有的特色產生意義，它的意義來自通過我們可以感受到其中的價值。希望我繼續寫博客，能讓讀者現學習的快樂。

Like a viewer looking into Marina's eyes, we have to let go of our own ego and prejudice when trying to find meaning behind culture. Chinese culture isn't meaningful because of it's traits, it's meaningful through the values we can sense and intuit. I hope that as I continue writing my blog, my viewers will find joy in learning.