1. The Monkey King vs. Harry Potter 孙悟空PK哈利·波特

A：I read in the press that some people are thinking of making Sun Wu Kong, the Monkey King, an international star, just like Harry Potter. Their argument is that the Monkey King is a lot more talented and capable than Harry and could be a big hit for audiences outside China.

B：In China, the Monkey King is a household name. Everybody knows he uses a magical golden stick as a weapon and can be transformed into 72 alter egos.

A：But many young people seem to like Harry Potter better. Harry is real and shares a lot of things in common with them. For example, he has conflicts with his teachers and classmates and he has his own best friends. The Monkey King, on the other hand, is born out of a stone. He doesn’t feel happy like an ordinary person, nor get angry like them. He doesn’t interact with other people either. He does not have the familiarity which people find in Harry.

B：That’s an interesting observation. Western characters like Superman, Spiderman and Batman, all have the qualities of an ordinary person. Even Tarzan has a sweetheart and friends. Those characters are very brave and always ready to help. In comparison, the Monkey King is a lone ranger. His only job is to protect his master, a saint. Although he rebels against the authority, the character lacks the worldly conflict between good and evil. As a result, he seems less approachable than Harry.

A：Many students told me that they like Harry because he has a girlfriend. The same is true of Superman and Spiderman. The girls are the source of their courage. The Monkey King doesn’t have love. Of the four characters in the novel Pilgrimage to the West, only Zhu Ba Jie has some interest in women but as a consequence he is always scolded and scorned. Most female characters in this novel are evil incarnations, being portrayed as temptations for the saint and his disciples. In traditional Chinese culture women used to be considered a source of evil.

B：So it seems that an intimate understanding of a worldly life and the righteousness of the superhero are the deciding factors in the popularity of these characters.

A：It certainly makes it easier for people to identify themselves with those super characters. A monkey born out of a stone doesn’t seem to resonate with the vibes of modern society.

A：我在报上看到，有人计划把孙悟空打造成一个国际明星，因为孙悟空的本领比哈利?波特大得多，在世界范围内一定能更火。
B：在中国，孙悟空是个家喻户晓的名字。谁都知道他手中的金箍棒和七十二变本领。
A：但是许多年轻人似乎更喜欢哈利?波特。哈利?波特是个活生生的人，他有一般孩子的特点。比如他也和老师、同学发生冲突，有自己最好的朋友。孙悟空则是从石头中诞生的，缺乏常人的喜怒哀乐和人际交往。他没有人们在哈利?波特身上发现的相似性。
B：那倒是一个有趣的看法。西方的超人、蜘蛛侠、蝙蝠侠等形象都具有普通人的特征。既便是人猿泰山，也有他的恋人和朋友。他们非常勇敢，并且随时准备出手相助。相比较而言，孙悟空是一个孤胆英雄。他肩负着护卫圣人取经的职责，虽然他也反叛权威，但是缺少了俗世常有的善恶冲突。孙悟空的形象与哈利?波特比，少了亲近感。
A：许多学生告诉我，他们喜欢哈利?波特，因为他有女朋友。超人和蜘蛛侠的故事也如此。这些女性给予英雄们力量。但孙悟空没有爱情。《西游记》中的师徒四人，只有猪八戒对女人有兴趣，却总是被其他人嘲弄或斥责。这部小说中的女性多数是妖怪，是用来诱惑圣人和他的徒弟们的。她们是中国古人观念中的祸水。
B：看来，决定一个超级英雄能否被更广泛接受的主要因素，是他们易于亲近的特性和崇高的品行。
A：超级英雄因为与人类的相似而易于被接受，石头缝里生出来的猴子似乎很难与人产生共鸣。

2.Yellow: China’s Favorite Color 黄，中国人崇尚的颜色

A：Chinese people seem to like the red and yellow colors a lot. The two colors are used for the Chinese national flag. They are also the predominant colors for the cover design of some important books, as well as in the decorations for major events, such as the flower display in

B：The color preferences of the Chinese people are influenced by the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth, in addition to geographical locations and weather. China is a huge and geographically diversified country. It is cold in the north so people there like warm colors. But it is just the opposite in the south. Of all the warm colors, the Han people like yellow especially.

A：Maybe because the Hans originated in the Yellow River Plateau, a region where yellow was the prevailing color.

B：You are probably right. As far as the five elements are concerned, the corresponding colors are white, green, black, red, and yellow. Yellow is the predominant color and is situated in the center of the diagram. Yellow was also the color representing the imperial court in traditional China. It was established as the authoritative color representing the Emperor during the Han Dynasty more than 2000 years ago. During the Sui Dynasty, yellow was officially designated as the exclusive color for the imperial family. It was used in the Emperor’s clothes, the paper on which the Emperor published his decrees, and the calendar that was printed by the

A：People have a tradition of making a “longevity outfit” for the deceased. The inner side of the outfit is always yellow. The bottom of the coffin is also lined with yellow silk.

B：During the 1980s and 1990s, taxis in Beijing were all painted yellow. Those taxis were very popular because of space and low fares. However, they were considered inappropriate for Beijing and were replaced with new models. The new taxis use a standard color pattern with yellow at the bottom, which acts as a reminder of Beijing’s Imperial tradition.

A：Nowadays, people always refer to pornography as “yellow literature” and pornographic films as “yellow movies.” That reference can be traced to a newspaper from the 19th century United States, which used to print vulgar paintings in yellow.

B：The word “yellow” in the campaign statement of “Eradicate the yellow and fight against the illegal” refers to pornography. I guess we all need to be very careful with the yellow color since it is used to represent both the

A：中国人似乎很喜欢红黄两色，你看，中国国旗就是由这两种颜色组成的。很多重大场合或重要书籍的装帧总会用到这两种颜色。国庆节天安门广场摆放的花坛，也是以这两种颜色作主调。

B：中国人对色彩的好恶除了受地理、气候的影响外，也受到传统五行说的影响。从地理方面说，中国是个地域广阔的国家，北方寒冷，人们喜欢暖色；南方炎热，人们喜欢冷色。在暖色中，汉民族最崇尚黄色。

A：这也许是因为汉民族的发源地是黄土高原，这个地域满目黄土之色。

B：可能是吧。从五行说来看，金、木、水、火、土所代表的五色分别是白、青、黑、赤、黄，其中黄为主色，位在中央。在中国古代社会，黄色是皇权的象征。在两千多年前的汉代，朝廷就规定“衣尚黄”，确立了黄色的权威地位。从隋朝起，黄色成为皇家专用的颜色。皇帝的龙袍称作黄袍；皇帝的文告用黄纸写成，称黄榜；皇帝颁发的历书用黄纸印刷，称为黄历。

A：据我所知，按照传统，死者去世后穿的衣服称作“寿衣”，它讲究双层缝制，里面那一层一定要用黄色。棺材的底部也要铺上黄绸布。

B：上世纪八九十年代，北京街头跑着的出租车就是黄色的面包车。它因为价廉且空间大而广受欢迎。后来这种车型被认为有碍京城市容而被新车型取代。现在的出租车采用统一的颜色，下半部为土黄，以体现北京皇家名城的传统。

A：现在，人们称色情文学为“黄色小说”，称色情电影为“黄色电影”。这种说法来源于19世纪美国的一家报纸，该报社以黄色印刷趣味低下的漫画。

B：现在的词汇“扫黄打非”中的“黄”就有色情的意思。这种有时贵为皇家专用，有时又表示低级趣味的颜色，用起来还真要小心。古时用错了黄色会杀头，今天错用了黄色会闯祸。

3. Chinese Hospitality中国人的待客之道

A：I was invited to a traditional Beijing household for dinner once. It was an eye-opening experience. The girl who invited me was my colleague. Her father was over 60 years old. He didn’t eat much but was constantly proposing a toast. His wife was busy cooking in the kitchen all the time. I asked her to join us but her husband said “No, she doesn’t.” After dinner, I asked my colleague why her father didn’t eat much and why her mother didn’t join us. She said that was an old tradition. Her father was there to keep me company because I was a guest of honor and usually women did not eat with the guests.

B：I had a similar experience too. I always feel spoiled to be a guest in a Chinese household. The host usually prepares a sumptuous meal. The kids are sent to the neighbors so the guests can have a peaceful meal. Usually, they would start preparing for our visit days ahead. Even though there would be a lot of food on the table, the host would still say “We don’t have much, so please bear with us.” They keep putting food on my plate despite the fact I may not like certain food. I usually feel very embarrassed. Some hosts even force their children to perform a song or recite a poem for me.

A：That is Chinese hospitality. People want to bring out their best food to welcome the guests. Westerners are different. They don’t stay in the kitchen when the guests have arrived. They want to socialize with the guests rather than simply showing hospitality.

B：Chinese people are very friendly and always ready to treat their guests with the best things they have. But this hospitality may cause inconvenience to both the guests and the hosts themselves. An American said in a book over 100 years ago that Chinese hospitality is meant to show the politeness of the host rather than keeping the guest happy. The host may insist on starting a fire so he can make tea for the guest, despite the fact that the guest may be irritated by the smoke. At least the host gives the impression that he is very hospitable.

A：That was over 100 years ago. Things are different now. More and more people prefer a relaxed atmosphere rather than showing hospitality just for the sake of it. But there are exceptions. I went to visit a fairly affluent village in southern China last year. The host was asked to make a special tea for us. She was very friendly, but when she finished making the tea she charged each of us 10 yuan for the treat. As a result of the economic growth people have become money conscious. Although you may not feel comfortable with the traditional hospitality, it could disappear any time.

B：Shall I feel lucky or sorry then?

A：我曾到一个老北京家里做客，可真是开了眼了。请客的是这家的女儿，她是我的同事。她的父亲六十多岁，作为主人，他在饭桌上几乎没吃什么，只是隔一会儿就端起酒杯劝酒。他的太太一直在厨房里忙着。我们招呼她一起吃，同事的父亲说“她不上桌”。告辞出来，我问同事为什么她父亲几乎不吃东西，而她母亲一直不加入我们。她说这是老礼数。她父亲把我们当作贵客所以要陪酒，而女人一般是不和客人同桌的。

B：我也有过同样的经历。到中国人家里做客总感觉他们招待得很隆重：上一大桌菜，小孩子被赶到邻居家，以便客人吃得尽兴。请一次客得提前几天做准备。既便做了一大桌菜，他们还是说：“没什么东西，凑合吃吧。”还不停地为你布菜，不管你是不是爱吃。这让我觉得很尴尬。有些人家还逼着孩子给客人表演唱歌，或者背诗。

A：这就是中国人的待客之道：把最好的东西拿出来招待客人。西方人并不如此。他们不会在客人到来后还在厨房中忙碌，他们的目的是交流而不是表现待客的热情。

B：中国人非常友好，所以才会用最好的东西招待客人。但这样一来，家人跟着受累，客人也不自在。一百多年前，一位美国人在他的书中写道：中国人待人热情的目的通常是为了表现自己懂礼节，而并非想使客人满意。主人执意生火为客人沏茶，而不在乎客人是否被烟呛着，因为他至少树立了待客有礼的形象。

A：这是一百年前的情形，现在有所不同。更多的人已经懂得，自在随意比过分礼貌要好得多。也有例外：去年，我到一个富裕的南方村庄去采访，请主人给我们一杯当地特有的茶。她热情地为我们上了茶，然后向我们每位收了10元钱作为服务的报偿。经济发展了，中国人也有了金钱意识。你不适应传统的待客之道，它也许很快就不复存在了。

B：我该为此庆幸还是遗憾呢？

4. Blogging Fever博客热

A：Have you ever heard of Xu Jinglei? She is a movie star and her blogs are very popular.

B：Yes. Her blogs received 10 million hits in less than four months.

A：Actually, her blogs are boring. People like her because she is candid and doesn’t have the pretentiousness that is typical of many other actresses. People are tired of the entertainers who rely on seductive and absurd content to attract eyeballs. I much prefer another blogger. Her name is Hong Huang, a woman in her 40’s. She does not have the pretty looks of a movie star but she is extremely intelligent. She studied in the US when she was only 12, so there is a strong Western influence in her articles. Although she talks a lot about herself, she is able to reflect on some of the social issues, which give her blogs a broader view. She is knowledgeable, unpretentious and has a sense of humor and her articles are always short and to-the-point, which makes them very easy to read on the computer screen.

B：But, she doesn’t receive as many hits as Xu Jinglei. Is it because she’s not as pretty?

A：That definitely is a reason. Another reason is that she is not a movie star. People who read Hong Huang tend to be more reasonable, thoughtful and mature.

B：Are more and more movie stars running their own blogs as a result of Xu’s success?

A：Yes. Many of them have launched their own blogs. They are eager to tell people they can do more things than just being a movie star. In fact, many ordinary people are publishing blogs too. Maybe, this is because there aren’t many other channels for people to express themselves. Originally, blogs were just an additional source of information beside the mainstream media. Now it has become a platform for people to show their personalities.

B：Some Shanghai people are writing blogs in English.

A：Yes. The Shanghai Blogger is probably the most popular. It attracts over a million hits a month. It has very thorough information about the scenic spots, local custom, dining, wining, and transportation in Shanghai. According to the bloggers, writing in English has allowed them to think in different dimensions.

B：The Shanghai Blogger sounds like an interesting place. I’ll check it out. It could be an additional source of income.

A：你听说过徐静蕾吗?她是个女演员，她的博客被大家追捧。

B：听说了。据说她的博客在不到4个月内点击率达到了1 000万次。

A：其实，她的博客没有太大意思，我猜人们喜欢她是因为她率真，没有女演员的矫情。在她之前一些女性用情色、荒谬的博客吸引眼球，现在大家对这种不健康的表达厌烦了。我更喜欢另一个叫洪晃的人写的博客。她差不多40岁，长相平平，但智慧似乎高于一般人。她在12岁的时候到美国学习，所以她的博客有很强的西方文化的痕迹。她的博客也是讲述自己的一些经历，她能够反思社会上的一些问题，因此具有更宽的视角。她有学识、不矫情，而且有幽默感。她写的文章短小，不兜圈子，这样在电脑屏幕上读起来很容易。

B：但是，为什么她没有徐静蕾那样高的点击率？难道因为她长相平平吗？

A：这肯定是原因之一。另外也因为她不是电影明星。所以看洪晃博客的人应该是一些更理性、更智慧、更成熟的人。

B：是不是有更多的演员开自己的博客，因为徐给了她们一个在网上成功的榜样？

A：你说对了。不少演员开了博客，她们想表明他们除了作演员还能做其他更多的事情。事实上，不少普通人也开博客。这也许是因为人们没有太多表达自己的渠道。起初，博客只是除了主流媒体之外的另一个信息来源。现在它成为展示个性的平台。

B：上海的一些人用英文写博客。

A：对。 “上海博客”最有名，每个月有超过百万的点击量。那里有一些关于上海的景点、风俗、餐饮、交通等非常详细的信息。据那些写英文博客的人说，用英文写作使他们可以从另一个角度思考。

B：看来这是一个对我有用的平台，听上去是个有趣的地方。我要去试一试。这可能成为另一个收入来源。

5. The Ideal Man理想男人

A：A Chinese girl falls in love with a Frenchman who always buys her gifts. The girl feels overwhelmed with love. “A Chinese man would never buy me so many gifts,” she said.

B：I’ve also heard that many Chinese girls like to have Western boyfriends. Men are good at making their girlfriends happy through buying them gifts. But you know what, when those girls really need help, Western men would usually tell them to “handle it themselves.” Chinese girls are disappointed when their Western boyfriends are unwilling to spend a lot of money on them.

A：According to Chinese tradition, a woman marries for food and shelter. Although a Chinese man is not good at buying gifts for his wife, he feels obliged to support her for the rest of her life. Love becomes secondary. A Western man may be good at showering his girl friend with gifts but he usually has second thoughts when it comes to a meaningful relationship. That’s why many Chinese girls feel it less advantageous to marry Western men. Western men, on the other hand, find Chinese girls too pragmatic and less independent.

B：I remember reading an article about a Chinese girl who married an American. The girl came all the way to Beijing to live with the man. She never asked him for money and neither did she rely on his connections. Instead she supported herself through an English training class and eventually found a nice job. When the man asked her to marry him, he told her “You are different from many Chinese girls. They are too dependent on men.”

A：Chinese people believe that if two people fall in love, they should share happiness and hardship. Many Chinese women find it unbelievable that Western men would allow their girlfriends to rough it on their own. Sometimes I wonder if it is an excuse by Western men to escape their responsibilities by talking about independence. One may get a lot of gifts by marrying a Western man but you will probably lose their life-long support, unless you are prepared to face all the challenges yourself. As for the girl who married the American, I just feel there are too many uncertainties for her, both physically and mentally.

B：The good news is Chinese men have learned to buy gifts for their girl friends. That’s why roses cost a fortune on Valentine’s Day.

A：You seem to suggest that Chinese men are preferable and more dependable.

A：一个中国女孩交了个法国男朋友，他常送礼物给她。中国女孩为爱而倾倒。她说，“中国男人很少会给我买这么多礼物。”

B：我也听说过中国女孩喜欢交外国男友。送礼物是洋男人的长项，但是到了女人需要实质性帮助时，洋男人通常用一句“我知道你能行”来打发。经济上的泾渭分明，让中国女孩感到失望。

A：依据中国传统观念，嫁汉嫁汉，穿衣吃饭。虽然中国男人不善送礼物，却要承担女人一生的托付，爱情退居第二位。洋男人，擅长与女友分享小礼物，但进入实质性关系时，他通常不能一心一意。这就是许多中国女人觉得嫁这种男人不实惠的原因。而洋男人却觉得中国女人太实际，太依赖男人。

B：我曾经读过一篇关于一个中国女孩的文章，讲她嫁给一个美国男人的故事。女孩子抛弃所有，到北京与这个男人住在一起。她不求男人在金钱上的帮助，也不靠他的人脉关系，她依靠自已的收入读完了英语培训课程，找到了体面的工作。当这个男人请求女孩嫁给他时，告诉她： “你和那些中国女孩不同，他们都太想依靠男人。”

A：中国人认为两个人相爱就应该有福同享，有难同当。洋男人看着女人独自打拼而不管不顾令中国女人感到不可思议。有时候我怀疑，强调女人独立这是不是洋男人为逃避责任而找的借口。无论如何，嫁这样的洋男人，得到的是小礼物，失去的却是终生依靠。除非你做好了独自面对所有难题的准备。像那位嫁给美国人的女孩，对她来讲，不论是心力还是体力，都有太多的不确定因素了。

B：所幸的是，中国男人也开始为他们的女友买礼物了。这就是为什么情人节的鲜花卖出天价的原因。

A：你似乎是说中国的男人比洋男人完美许多，也可靠许多。

Imperial Court
and bad taste. In olden times, a person could be beheaded for the misuse of yellow. It can also cause trouble today if a person associates himself with the wrong yellow.

Imperial Court.
Tian’anmen Square
during the National Day holidays.