As I have been preparing to go to China, I have been struck by the lyrical, illustrative language that permeates Chinese writing. It seems that Chinese do not say "I am sad" but instead convey sadness through an analogy, usually involving nature. One of my tasks is to give a presentation on an emotion-centered model of psychology. To do this well, I have to learn how emotions are expressed and thought about within Chinese culture. In my quest to get a sense of cultural language, I have come across some beautiful writing.
For example, the following is a view of history presented by a modern Chinese writer, Lu Xun:
Myriads of beautiful people and beautiful deeds weave
a heavenly tapestry, moving like tends of thousands of
flying stars, spreading far and wide, even to infinity-
Things and their reflections dissolve, flicker, expand
melt into each other, but then draw back, approaching
a semblance of their original selves. Their edges are
variable as those of summer clouds, shot through with
sunlight, emitting flames the color of mercury.
All things without exception mesh and interweave into
a fabric, ever lively, ever unfolding.
The optimism is striking to me. It seems that there is a determination to see life as beautiful, to see history as coherent and composed.
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