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.

A Shanghai Woman's First Impression of an Indian Woman in Eileen Chang's "Love in a Fallen City"

The scene is at a cocktail party at a Hong Kong hotel during the 1930's.

迎面遇見一群洋紳士，眾星捧月一般簇擁著一個女人。流蘇先就注意到那人的漆黑的長髮，結成雙股大辮，高高盤在頭上。那印度女人，這一次雖然是西式裝束，依舊帶著濃厚的東方色彩。玄色輕紗氅底下，她穿著金魚黃緊身長衣，蓋住了手，只露出晶亮的指甲。領口挖成極狹的Ｖ形，直開到腰際，那是巴黎最新的款式，有個名式，喚做"一線天"。她的臉色黃而油潤，像飛了金的觀音菩薩，然而她的影沉沉的大眼睛裡躲著妖魔。古典型的直鼻子，只是太尖，太薄一點。粉紅的厚重的小嘴唇，彷彿腫著似的。柳原站住了腳，向她微微鞠了一躬。流蘇在那裡看她，她也昂然望著流蘇，那一雙驕矜的眼睛，如同隔著幾千里地，遠遠的向人望過來。柳原便介紹道："這是白小姐。這是薩黑荑妮公主。"

Directly inside they encountered a group of gentleman, the group of stars gathered around the moon as the commoners gathered around the woman.  Liu Su first noticed the person's pitch black hair braided into a high disk on her head.  This Indian woman, although is currently dressed in Western attire, wears a deep rich Eastern color.  At the bottom of her black fine gauze overcoat, she wore a goldfish yellow cassock, covering her hands, only showing her shiny crystal fingers.  Her neckline closed a narrow V-shape, which ran down towards her waistline.  This is Paris' newest trend called "A Line of Heaven."  Her face was yellow and glossy, like the floating gold Bodhisattva Guanyin, and her deep within her dark eyes hides a demon.  Only her classical style straight nose was a little too sharp, a little too flat.  Her pink thick little lips look as if they were swollen.  Liu Yuan stopped his tracks, faced her with a subtle bow.  Liu Su was there looking at her, and she boldly a looked at Liu Su.  Those conceited eyes, as if separated by a few thousand miles of earth, distantly facing back.  Liu Yuan then made an introduction, "This is Miss Bai.  And this is Lady Sahaini."