my-country-and-my-people

MyPeopleandMyCountryTitle:MypeopleandmycountryAuthor:LinYutangPress:ForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAbouttheauthorLinYutang,whoseoriginalnamewasLinHele,hewasbornonOctober10,1895,Fujianprovince,ChinaanddiedonMarch26,1976,HongKong.LinYutang,thesonofaChinesePresbyterianminister,waseducatedfortheministrybutrenouncedChristianityinhisearly20sandbecameaprofessorofEnglish.HetraveledtoAmericaandEuropeforadvancedstudy.ThenhereturnedtoChina,hetaught,editedseveralEnglish-languagejournals,andcontributedessaystoChineseliterarymagazines.HisnonfictionalbooksincludeMyCountryandMyPeople(1935);ALeafintheStorm(1941);BetweenTearsandLaughter(1943),andThePleasuresofaNonconformist(1962).AmonghisnovelsareChinatownFamily(1948)andTheFlightoftheInnocents(1965).HetranslatedandeditedTheChineseTheoryofArt(1968).Inhisprolificliterarycareer,ChineseauthorLinYutangwroteexpertlyaboutanunusualvarietyofsubjects,creatingfiction,plays,andtranslationsaswellasstudiesofhistory,religion,andphilosophy.WorkinginEnglishaswellasinChinese,hebecamethemostpopularofallChinesewriterstoearly20th-centuryAmericanreaders.AnalysisMyCountryandMypeoplecontainstwoparts—theBasesandtheLife.Thefirstpart“theBases”focusonthebasesofChineseculture,includingtheoriginanddevelopmentofChinesepeople,theChinesecharacter,theChinesemindandtheidealsoflife,coveringthementalandmoralconstitutionofChinesepeopleandtheidealsoflifewhichinfluencethefundamentalpatternsoflife.ThesecondpartconcentratesonthestudyofChineselifeitself,suchasitssexual,social,political,literaryandartisticaspects.Inshort,thispartcoversChinesewomen,society,governmentliteratureandart.Intheauthor’sopinion,veryfewpeopleunderstoodtherealChina—thewesternscholarsweresoarrogantandviewedChinabythewesternstandard.Consequently,thosescholarsdrawawrongconclusionthatChinaisabarbariccountryandtheChinesepeoplearebarbaricpeople;theChinesescholars,however,werethesamearrogantandproud,andreluctantlytoadmittheweaknessofChineseculture.TheattitudesoftheseChineseandwesternscholarsweresoprideandprejudice.Exceptthesubjectivefactors,therewereotherhugedifficultiesconfrontingthescholarsinsurveyingChinaandChineseculture—Chinaissobig,withapopulationofover400millionsandavastlandover10millionsquarekilometerandmorethanfiftypeoples;Chinesecultureissocomplicated,derivedfromafivethousandyearsofuninterruptedhistoryandhavenouniformreligionthatdominanttheculture.IfapersonreallywanttohaveaunderstandingofChinaorChinesepeople,hemusttravellotsofplacesaroundthecountrytowitnesstheChinesepeople’slife,thefarmers,thecitizens,thedrudge,andthevendors,etc,watchingthem,listeningtothem,feelingwhattheyarefeeling,thinkingwhattheyarethinking;onemustalsospendtimeintheirstudies,readingtheChineseclassicbooksandstudyingthefolkliterature.It’sdifficultforaforeignscholartodoallthis,overcomingthelanguagebarriers,thelackofChinesecommonsenseandthehugeculturalgapbetweenChinaandthewest.Comparativelyspeaking,itismucheasierforaChinesescholar,whoisbornandraisedinChina,receivingtraditionalChineseeducationandisconversantwithboththeChineseclassicsandfolkliterature.Chinesefamilysystem,completeabsenceofestablishedclasses,theopportunityopenforalltoriseinthesocialscalethroughtheimperialexaminationsystem,thepursuitofsimplicity,thattogetherserveasculturalforcesmakingforsocialstability.FirstlyistheChinesecharacter.Theprocessoftryingtorisehigherteachespeoplesomememorablelessonsoflifeandhumannature,andifheescapesallthatexperienceandremainsaround-eyed,innocent,hot-headedyoungmanatthirty,stillenthusiasticforprogressandreform,heiseitheraninspiredidiotoraconfoundedgenius.However,theChinesepeopletaketoindifferenceasEnglishmentaketoumbrellas,becausethepoliticalweatheralwayslooksalittleominousfortheindividualwhoventuresalittletoofaroutalone,inotherwords,indifferencehasadistinct"survival-value"inChina.Atthesametime,onecanbepublic-spiritedwhenthereisaguaranteeforpersonalrights,andone'sonlylook-outisthelibellaw.Whentheserightsarenotprotected,however,ourinstinctofself-preservationtellsusthatindifferenceisourbestconstitutionalguaranteeforpersonalliberty.Secondlyaretheidealsoflife.Taoism,intheoryandpractice,meansacertainroguishnonchalance,aconfoundedanddevastatingskepticism,amockinglaughteratthefutilityofallhumaninterferenceandthefailureofallhumaninstitutions,laws,governmentandmarriage,andacertaindisbeliefinidealism,notsomuchbecauseoflackofenergyasbecauseofalackoffaith.ItisaphilosophywhichcounteractsthepositivismofConfucius,andservesasasafety-valvefortheimperfectionsofaConfuciansociety.TheChinesearebynaturegreaterTaoiststhantheyarebycultureConfucians.Asapeople,wearegreatenoughtodrawupanimperialcode,basedontheconceptionofessentialjustice,butwearealsogreatenoughtodistrustlawyersandcourts.Ninety-fivepercentoflegaltroublesaresettledoutofcourt.Wearegreatenoughtomakeelaboraterulesofceremony,butwearealsogreatenoughtotreatthemaspartofthegreatjokeoflife,whichexplainsthegreatfeastingandmerry-makingatChinesefunerals.Wearegreatenoughtodenouncevice,butwearealsogreatenoughnottobesurprisedordisturbedbyit.Wearegreatenoughtostartsuccessivewavesofrevolutions,butwearealsogreatenoughtocompromiseandgobacktothepreviouspatternsofgovernment.Wearegreatenoughtoelaborateaperfectsystemofofficialimpeachmentandcivilserviceandtrafficregulationsandlibraryreading-roomrules,butwearealsoplaywiththem,andbecomesuperiortothem.Wedonotteachouryounginthecollegesacourseofpoliticalscience,showinghowagovernmentissupposedtoberun,butweteachthembydailyexamplehowourmunicipal,provincialandcentralgovernmentsareactuallyrun.Wehavenouseforimpracticableidealism,aswehavenopatiencefordoctrinairetheology.WedonotteachthemtobehavelikethesonsofGod,butweteachthemtobehavelikesane,normalhumanbeings.Thetrueend,theChinesehavedecidedinasingularlyclearmanner,liesintheenjoymentofasimplelife,especiallythefamilylife,andinharmonioussocialrelationships.EveryChineseisConfucianismwhenheissuccessfulandaTaoistwhenheisafailure.Intheoryatleast,Confuciusdidnotmeanfamilyconsciousnesstodegenerateintoaformofmagnifiedselfishnessatthecostofsocialintegrity.Hedid,inhismoralsystem,alsoallowforacertainamountofultra-domestickindness.ThirdlyistheChinesesocialandpoliticallife.InChinesetownstherewasalwaysamaleTriad:themagistrate,thegentryandthelocalrich,(andbandit)besidesthefemaleTriadofFace,FateandFavor.Practically,thisturn-about-facehasbeennoticedineverymodernsuccessfulChineserevolutionist.Heclampsdownhisironheelonthefreedomofthepressmoreenergeticallythanthemilitaristhedenouncedwhileinhisrevolutionaryapprenticeship.Itseemsthatwhileitisimpossibletodefineface,itisneverthelesscertainthatuntileverybodyloseshisfaceinthiscountry,Chinawillnotbecomeatrulydemocraticcountry.Thequestioniswhentheofficialswillbewillingtolosetheirs.Theso-calledvillageortownlocalgovernmentisinvisible.Ithasnovisiblebodyofauthoritylikethemayororcouncilors.Itisgovernedreallymorallybytheeldersbyvirtueoftheirgreatage,andbythegentrybyvirtueoftheirknowledgeoflawandhistory.Accordingtothebeginningofpoliticalwisdom，liesinrejectingallmoralplatitudesandinshunningalleffortsatmoralreforms.Itisstilltruetodaythatwehavetoofewpubliccitizensandtoomanyprivateindividualsandthereasonistobefoundinthelackofadequatelegalprotection.Ithasnothingtodowithmorals.Theevilliesinthesystem.Whenitistoodangerousforamantobetoopublic-spirited,itisnaturalthatheshouldtakeanapatheticattitudetowardnationalaffairs,andwhenthereisnopunishmentforgreedyandcorruptofficials,itistoomuchtoaskofhumannaturethattheyshouldnotbecorrupt.Butuntilthatchangeiscomplete,theChinesegovernmentwillalwaysbelikeunbusinesslikecompany,alwaysprofitableforthemanagerandstaff,butdishearteningforthestockholderswhoarethecommonpeople.ThelastoneistheChineseart.Chineseartshowsatasteandfinesseandunderstandingoftoneandharmonythatdistinguishthebestproductsofthehumanspirit.Chinesepaintingiscloselyrelated,inspiritandtechnique,toChinesecalligraphyandChinesepoetry.Calligraphygaveititstechnique,theinitialtwistwhichdetermineditsfuturedevelopment,andChinesepoetrylentititsspirit.Harmony,irregularity,surprise,concealmentandsuggestion--thesearesomeoftheprinciplesofChinesegarden-planting,astheyareofotherformsofChineseart.Anyway,it’sagoodwaytounderstandtraditionalChinesecultureandlifefromthisbookbecauseitexplainsalmosteveryaspectsofit.