Charisma of Chinese Characters: Cornerstone of Chinese CVL

Shuimo   Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:26 pm GMT
汉字的魅力--中华文化实现繁荣的根基

2009-03-04 03:16:12 来源:人民日报
中华民族引以骄傲的是我们不仅拥有悠久灿烂的文化,而且还是世界上唯一从未断裂过的文化。从黄帝的史官仓颉造字迄今,虽说历史已经走过了五千年的风雨沧桑,但强韧的中华民族所呈现给世人的却始终是一副充满活力与自信的进取姿态和青春风采,原因就在于它比任何国家和民族都更能获得传统文化的浸润与滋养。此间,汉字的功德殊莫大焉。因为如果没有汉字的承载和赓传,灿烂的中华文化和悠久的中华文明就会随着时间的流变而归于销铄与湮灭。经时益彰、历久弥新的汉字,既是中华文化得以传承与发展的介体和载体、又是中华文化实现繁荣兴盛的根基与依托。

  随着中华民族的新跨越和新崛起,随着我国综合国力和国际地位的不断抬升与加强,汉语已经越来越成为一门风靡全球和影响世界的国际“显学”,成为中华民族在世界舞台和国际交往中的形象标识与强大工具。正是在这种背景下,国家汉办(孔子学院总部)组织强势创作团队,精心制作了8集大型人文专题纪录片《汉字五千年》,用以向国人传播汉字知识,向世界推广汉语教学,为展示和提升中国国家形象而提供了一个既张扬时代性又极具历史感的文化范本。作品在中央电视台首播后,反响强烈,好评如潮。

  《汉字五千年》以汉字的起源、发展、嬗变与创新为主要线索,并在广泛旁及中国历史文化与社会民生的多维演进和剧烈变革中所形成的大量史实与事实的基础上,科学而形象地勾勒了汉字发生发展的内在动因、外部条件与历史必然性。片中“人类奇葩”、“高天长河”、“霞光万道”、“内在超越”、“翰墨情怀”、“天下至宝”、“浴火重生”、“芳华永驻”等,题目所要诉之于世的,都是一些与汉字发生发展紧密相关的时代脉络与历史事实。与此类题材通常纯客观述事与说理的表现方式截然不同,本片锐意创新,不仅采取了动漫的方式、摹史的方式、言情的方式,而且还别出心裁地采取了溯史轶与讲故事相结合的方式,从而为干瘪的历史躯壳注入了鲜活的艺术灵魂,使枯萎的时代年轮萌生出浓厚的美学意蕴,这便极大地唤醒了人们的欣赏自觉与强烈的审美欲望,让人们在高度自觉和无限欣悦中循着由汉字所开辟的历史通道而一步步地走进了中国文化的阃奥,并在对中国文化的高度认知与认同中进行深刻的文化反思,获得高雅的审美享受。

  《汉字五千年》是讲汉字起源与发展的历史的,但却绝不仅仅止于对汉字肇始与变绎的历史诉说,而是在这个过程中更多地赋予了汉字历史以社会内涵与人文情怀。作品绝不仅仅止于对题旨要义的平直阐释与线性叙述,而是在这个过程中更大地调动了极具开拓精神和创新勇气的艺术匠心与美学创意。正因为如此,这部专题片得以在逻辑化的叙事和哲理化的思辨中始终充盈着盎然的诗意和审美的情愫,甚至还时有一些动人的场景和腾挪的故事在不可抗拒地撩起人们的意蕴和拨动人们的心弦,让人们在理性地接受文化认知的同时,也欣然地享受了情韵的感化与美学的熏陶。

  《汉字五千年》除了编创者的匠心独运和刻意求蹊之外,更得济于汉字自身文化内涵的无限丰富与深邃。在五千年的变绎和发展中,无论在意蕴上,抑或在形态上,汉字都达到了登峰造极的地步。首先,汉字表意的丰富性是世界上任何一种文字都无法比拟的,像“仁”、“理”、“法”、“和”、“德”、“智”、 “信”、“道”这些字,其实早就不是一个单纯的字义了,它们所代表和涵盖的往往都是一个很大的概念、很广的意蕴和很深的思想。特别是同一个汉字在不同的时空和不同的语境中,也常常会产生不同的含义。更有一些汉字,即使是在同一时空和同一语境中,也会禀具多种含义。这就使汉字远远超出了仅为记事符号和交流工具的范围,而明显地赋有了文化的内蕴和学术的意义。其次,汉字的形态多样和维度广阔,就更是世界上其他任何文字所不能比及的。不仅对篆、隶、楷、行、草的书写早已演化成了一门艺术,而且不论人们用哪种笔纸书写汉字都会充分利用和享受三维空间所提供的极大自由度。由横、竖、点、撇、捺所构成的汉字,就是这样在极尽指事、象形、形声、会意、转注和假借之功能的同时,也使书写者最有条件和机会发掘自己的艺术潜质与发挥自己的创造才能,于是也便有了甲骨文之神秘美、钟鼎及篆体之古朴美、隶书和楷书之端庄隽秀美、行书和草书之飘逸悠迤美。王羲之、褚遂良、颜真卿、柳公权、张旭、怀素、苏轼、黄庭坚、米芾等人都是用同样的笔纸写同样的汉字的,但却能写出不同的形体、不同的神韵、不同的况味和不同的美,由此足见汉字所潜在的广阔艺术天地与巨大美学宏庑。

  《汉字五千年》在循着汉字发生与发展的轨迹,用镜头和画面向人们解读历史的同时,也更以细腻的刻画、饱满的热情和生动的画面,让我们从汉字中源源不断地获得文化的自尊、自强和自信,并充分运用汉字的独特优势和巨大功能,积极而有效地实现时代和事业的新跨越,创造国家和民族的新辉煌。


http://www.hanban.ca/cnews/article/hanyu/200903/news_154.html
Shuimo   Fri Apr 17, 2009 5:01 pm GMT
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ˇOˇ   Fri Apr 17, 2009 5:15 pm GMT
Long Yang   Fri Apr 17, 2009 5:23 pm GMT
Chinese Cultural Studies:
The Homosexual Tradition in China
Selections from Chinese Homosexual Literature



Traditional history has sought to undertand past and present societies with categories of analysis such as politics, thought, economics, and, at least since Karl Marx, class. In the past twenty or so years other categories of analysis, not considered important in the past, have appeared as significant to many historians. Perhaps the most important of these is gender. To these historians Gender is the cultural meaning given to the rather limited facts of biology. One aspect of gender analysis consists in looking at how "men" and "women", "masculinity" and "feminity", are understood in a society - and at how such understandsings play out in people's lives. Another, even newer, aspect of gender analysis looks at issues of sexual behavior and sexuality. In attempting to define the boundaries of subject it is often useful to look at the limits of social life - at where the lines are drawn . For this reason to understand heterosexual as well as homosexual behavior it is important to examine how a culture views homosexual behavior.

It was a Western medievalist, John Boswell, who legitimated lesbian and gay history as a field of study, and ended an older "great homosexuals of history" tradition. Although many people disagreed with his conclusions, he did demonstrate that a significant amount of source material existed. Since his book Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality (1980) it has become increasingly clear that the study of sexuality in the past is not only possible, but is also an essential component of a full understanding of past and present societies. Brett Hinsch, from whose work the selection here is taken, has begun, for English speakers, the process of understanding the history of sexuality in China, although he is heavily dependent on recent work done by Chinese scholars.

Boswell is most famous for advancing the notion that "Gay people" have always and everywhere existed. Since 1980, however, a very different theory the history of sexuality, has come to be accepted by the majority of historians working in the field. The model now is this:
Homosexual behaviors exist in most societies, and in most, including European society until about 1700, homosexuality falls into two main patterns (at least for men.) One pattern is based on age-dissonant sexual dominance; an older man (not always very much older by the way) will take a conventionally "male" role in a sexual relationship with a younger male, but will not, in doing so, be regarded as any different from other "male" men in general society. The second common pattern is based on gender-dissonant sexual dominance; this means that in a number of societies there were "biological" males who lived as "non-males" throughout their lives, and these people can also be the sexual partners of "male" men without the "men" loosing any status. The Native American berdache is perhaps the most famous example of a widespread phenomenon.
Around 1700, in Western Europe a change took place. A subculture of effeminate men arose in major cities, men who identified themselves as different. The word "molly" was used in London and other words elsewhere. Although they were prepared to have sex with "male" men these "mollies" were also prepared to have sex with each other. This is not, it seems, common across various societies. Some historians have called this the emergence of a "third gender".
Since "a third gender" is not the model of modern homosexuality in the West, there has been a questionof when the "modern homosexual" emerged. Most writers have argued that that the medicalization of homosexuality in the late 19th century resulted in the creation of a new creature - the "modern homosexual" (and the "modern heterosexual"!) What distinguishes "homo-" and "heterosexuals" from earlier models of sexuality is that they are in strict opposition to each other, and are defined not by gender role, or even sexual role, but by "sexual orientation". A major recent readjustment of this theory, resulting from the work of George Chauncey in his recent Gay New York. Chauncey has called into question the last part of the traditional formulation. He argues that elite terminology and labels (also known as "medicalization") had no immediate effect on the mass of working class New Yorkers (with the suggestion that this was probably true elswhere.) That although there were, eventually, some self-identified "queers", until as late 1940 [!] it was common for working-class men to have "male role" sex with other men ["fairies"] without in any way feeling that they were "homosexual". What happened around 1940, the Chauncey-amended model says is that, first, more and more of the mass of the population began to identify as "heterosexual" and see any homosexual behavior as transgressive; and secondly among self-identified "queers" a shift in desired sexual partner took place. Previously "queers" had tended to prefer "male" men but now "queers" began to prefer other "queers" as sexual partners.

As you can see current discussion amongst historians focuses on Western sexual history. It would also seem to imply that there were no "homosexuals", or "heterosexuals" in the past nor in other cultures [there was of course always homo and heterosexual behavior]. In reading the various texts on Chinese homosexual behavior gathered and translated by Hinsch you might consider if the model above applies to the Chinese past? How can we come to understand what their sexual behavior meant to the men discussed? What limitations do the texts impose on our abilities to understand?.

1. Zhou Models: Mizi Xia, Pan Zhang and Lord Long Yang

Discussion of homosexual behavior in Chinese literature referred back to three classic tales of love from the Zhou period, the Story of Mizi Xia, the Story of Pan Zhang, and the Story of Lord Long Yang.

The Story of Mizi Xia

as recorded in the Legalist philosophical work, the Han Fei Zi [Hinsch p. 20-21- from Burton Watson, trans, Han Fei Tzu: Basic Writings, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1964), 78-79)

In ancient times Mizi Xia won favor [chang] with the ruler of Wei. According to the laws of the state of Wei, anyone who secretly made use of the ruler's carriage was punished by having his feet amputated. When Mizi Xia's mother fell ill, someone slipped into the palace at night to report this to Mizi Xia. Mizi Xia forged an order from the ruler, got into the ruler's carriage, and went to see her, but when the ruler heard of it, he only praised him, saying, "How filial! For the sake ofhis mother he forgot all about the danger of having his feet cut off!" Another day Mizi Xia was strolling with the ruler in an orchard and, biting into a peach and finding it sweet, he stopped eating and gave the remaining half to the ruler to enjoy. "How sincere is your love for me!" exclaimed the ruler. "You forgot your own appetite and think only of giving me good things to eat!" Later, however, when Mizi Xia's looks had faded and the ruler's passion for him had cooled, he was accused at committing some crime against his lord. "After all," said the ruler, "he once stole my carriage, and another time he gave me a half-eaten peach to eat!" Mizi Xia was acting no diffrently from the way he always had; the fact that he was praised in the early days and accused of crime later on, was because the ruler's love had turned hate.

If you gain the ruler's 1ove, your wisdom will be appreciated; you will engoy his favor as well; but if he hates you, not only will your wisdom be rejected, but you will be regarded as a criminal and thrust aside.... The beast called the dragon can be tamed and trained to the point where you may ride on its back. But on the underside of its throat it has scales a foot in diameter that curl back from the body, and anyone who chances to brush against them is sure to die. The ruler of men too has his bristling scales."

The Story of Pan Zhang

[Hinsch, 24-25]

When Pan Zhang was young he had a beautiful [mei] appearance and bearing, and so people of that time were exceedingly fond of him. Wang Zhongxian of the state of Chu heard of his reputation and came to request his writings. Thereafter Wang Zhongxian wanted to study together with him. They fell in love at first sight and were as affectionate as husband and wife, sharing the same coverlet and pillow with unbounded intimacy for one another.

Afterwards they died together and everyone mourned them. When they were buried together at Lofu Mountain, on the peak a tree with long branches and leafy twigs suddenly grew. All of these embraced one another! At the time people considered this a miracle. It was called the "Shared Pillow Tree."'

The Story of Lord Long Yang

[Hinsch, 32]

The King of Wei and Lord Long Yang shared a boat while fishing. Lord Long Yang began to cry, so the King asked why he wept. "Because I caught a fish." "But why does that make you cry?" the king asked.

Lord Long Yang replied, "When I caught the fish, at first I was extremely pleased. But afterward I saught a larger fish, so I wanted to throw back the first fish I had caught. Because of this eveil act I will be expelled from your bed!

"There are innumerable beauties in the world. Upon hearing of my receiving your favor, surely they will left up the hems of their robes so that they can hasten to you. I am laos a previously caught fish! I will also be thrown back! How can I keep from crying?"

Because of this incident the King of Wei announced to the world "Anyone who dares speak of other beauties will be executed along with his whole family".

2. Han Favorites: Another Kind of Evidence

[Hinsch, 35-36] Just as Edward Gibbon observed that all but one of the first 14 Roman emperors were either bisexual or exclusively homosexual, for two centuires at the height of the Han, China was ruled by ten openly bisexual emperors. The names of the emperors, with their acknowledge favorites were recorded in the official histories of the period by Sima Qian and Ban Gu.

The Ten Han Emperors [with "favorites"]

Emperor Gao r.206-195BCE and Jiru
Emperor Hui r.194-188BCE and Hongru
Emperor Wen r.179-141BCE and Deng Tong, & Zhao Tan, & Beigong Bozi
Emperor Jing r.156-141BCE and Zho Ren
Emperor Wu r.140-87BCE and Han Yan, & Han Yue, & Li Yannian
Emperor Zhao r.86-74BCE and Jin Shang
Emperor Xuan r.73-49BCE and Zhang Pengzu
Emperor Yuan r.48-33BCE and Hong Gong, & Shi Xian
Emperor Cheng r.32-7BCE and Zhang Fang, & Chunyu Zhang
Emperor Ai r.6BCE-1CE and Dong Xian

[Hinsch also notes that following emperors from later periods also had open homosexual relationships]

Pei Kai 237-291
Yu Xin 513-581 and Wang Shao
Zhang Hanbian c.265-420 and Zhou Xiaoshi
Emperor Jianwen c.550
Emperor Xizong r.874-889 and Zhang Langgou
Emperor Wuzong r.1506-1522
Emperor Shenzong r.1573-1620
Emperor Xizong r.1621-1628
Emperor Pu Yi - the last Qing [Manchu] emperor

3. Homosexual Poetry from the Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties Period

[Hinsch. 70-71]

The complexity of homosexual relationships inevitably led to the creation of poetic works immortalizing conflicting sentiments. Ruan Ji (210- 263CE), lover of Xi Kang, was one of the most famous poets to apply his brush to a homosexual theme. This work, one of several dealing with homosexuality from the "Jade Terrace" collection of love poetry, beautifully illustrates the stock imagery on which men of his time could draw in conceptualizing and describing love for another man.

In days of old there were many blossom boys --
An Ling and Long Yang.
Young peach and plum blossoms,
Dazzling with glorious brightness.
Joyful as nine springtimes;
Pliant as if bowed by autumn frost.

Roving glances gave rise to beautiful seductions;
Speech and laughter expelled fragrance.
Hand in hand they shared love's rapture,
Sharing coverlcts and bedclothes.

Couples of birds in flight,
Paired wings soaring.
Cinnabar and green pigments record a vow:
"I'll never forget you for all eternity. "

4. Western Shock and Horror at Chinese Homosexuality

Early western observers, such as the Jesuit Matthew Ricci long noted the acceptance of homosexuality in China, but could do little to change it. In modern China, however, homosexuality is looked down on. Part of the reason for this was the huge impact made by the West from the 19th century on. After the impact of Buddhism, Western Science is the outside cultural force with the most impact on Chinese culture. Until recent years the full weight of this science depicted homosexuality as abnormal and evil.

Here is one British official's view from 1806

[Hinsch, 141, citing John Barrow, Travels in China, (London: 1806) ]

The commission of this detestable and unnatural act is attended with so little sense of shame, or feelings of delicacy that many of the first officers of the state seemed to make no hesitation in publicly avowing it. Each of these officers is constantly attended by his pipe-bearer, who is generally a handsome boy, from fourteen to eighteen yaers of age, and is always well dressed.

5. Lesbianism

The very extensive tradition of male homosexual literature in China was distinct from any discussion of Lesbianism. You might consider reasons for this. There are occasional references to Lesbianisn, collected by Hinsch [pages 173-178]. The subject also comes up in the most famous Chinese novel, The Dream of the Red Chamber [also known as The Story of the Stone.]

[Hinsch, 176-77 - ref. Cao Xuequin and Gao E, Story of the Stone, (New York: Penguin, 1973-87), Vol 3: 375, 551-53]

"So who was she making the offering for?"

Parfumee's eyes reddened slightly and she sighed.

"Oh, Nenuphar is crazy "

"Why?" said Baoyu. "What do you mean?"

"It was for Pivoine," said Parfumee, "the girl in our troupe who died."

"There's nothing crazy about that,'' said Baoyu, ''if they were friends. ''

"Friend," said Parfumee, "They were more than that. It was

Nenuphar's soppy ideas that started it all. You see, Nenuphar is our Principal Boy and Pivoine always played opposite her as Principal Girl. They became so accustomed to acting the part of lovers on the stage, that gradually it came to seem real to them and Nenuphar began carrying on as if they were really lovers. When Pivoine died, Ninuphar cried herself into fits, and even now she still thinks about her. That's why she makes offerings to her on feast-days. When Etamine took over the roles that Pivoine used to play, Nenuphar became just the same towards her. We even teased her about it: 'Have you forgotten your old love then, now that you've got yourself a new one?' But she said, 'No, I haven't forgotten. It's like when a man loses his wife and remarries. He can still be faithful to the first wite, as long as he keeps her memory green.' Did you ever hear Anything so soppy in your life?"

"Soppy" or whatever it was, there was a starin in Baoyu's own nature which responded with a powerful mixture of emotions: pleasure, sorrow, and an unbounded admiration for the little actress.

Sources:

from Brett Hinsch, Passions of the Cut Sleeve: The Male Homosexual Tradition in China, (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press,1990)

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/texts/gaytexts.html
Shuimo   Sat Apr 18, 2009 5:12 pm GMT
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Shuimo   Sat Apr 18, 2009 5:39 pm GMT