The inspiration for this piece of writing arose from a conversation with David Fang from the Chinese Poetry Group on Facebook. All this began when someone learning Chinese tried his hand in translating the following English poem… From his past postings, there is no malice and he simply wanted to learn…
The 2nd column is the author’s and the 3rd is my rendition. My empty lines mean no suggestion is needed. The added punctuation is for reading out aloud to indicate pause and its usual English intonated conveyance.
Primary school 小学
grade three 小學三年級
recess 間課休息 課間正休息.
playing 玩兒 在玩耍,
fun 樂意 在樂趣,
laugh 發笑 嘻嘻大笑去,
smile 微笑 微笑窅然來.
suddenly 忽然 忽然間!
看 Chink
three then four five 三個四個五 excellent! 三個…四個五,
six more 又六個孩子來 再六個小兒至.
surrounded by the 周圍 全校小家伙
whole school 全校 團團圍
Chink Chink Chink Chink Chink Chink Chink 來看中國斜眼睛!
來看中國二脚精!
[Come see the Chinese slanted
eyed demon, Come see the
teacher strolls by 老師走過去 老師路過行,
oh the chink child 啊 chink 孩子 原來是隻中國二脚精子啊…
[Chinese two legged sperm]
nothing to do with me 跟我有甚麼關係 與我何干? 與我無關!
bloody Chinks 肏蛋 Chink 該煨中國二脚種!
[Chinese two legged
Chinese two legged demon,
also 睛 and 精 sounds like
“chink” ]
teacher strolls by 老師走過去 老師路過行,
oh the chink child 啊 chink 孩子 原來是隻中國二脚精子啊…
[Chinese two legged sperm]
nothing to do with me 跟我有甚麼關係 與我何干? 與我無關!
bloody Chinks 肏蛋 Chink 該煨中國二脚種!
[Chinese two legged
bastard ought be stewed]
later see one 然後看一個 若後見遇,
you were one 就是你啊 你應
run and push 跑 推 步前一推,
his head into 推頭直向 將野種頭
the corner of 磚頭柱子 在牆磚角
a brick pillar 柱子,
head thwack 頭聲頓而 猛去一撞.
hits cold floor 地上又頓 地冷
blood oozes 血液流出 鮮血淋.
cannot harm 不會害我 害
me anymore 還不會害 我再不得!
strange how 奇怪何為 善哉! 奇哉!
cruelty leads 殘酷引起 殘性
me to murder 殺人事件 能使我行兇!
cold murder 寒冷殺人 使我殺而無恨…
smile no more 微笑不害 微笑再何來?
Before I could offer my translated version, someone did not like the post and reported it to Facebook. I firmly believe any Chinese racist would not be learning Chinese let alone its poetry. More importantly, how did we know something is a racial slur? Obviously, we must have learnt from someone! I say cast no stone.
The following is a discussion transpired between David and me. As a Chinese myself, I have the right to say the unvarnished version about my race.
David Fang: according to Wikipedia; ethnic slur usually directed to a person of Chinese descent...?
Me: I would translate "chink" as 中國佬 or 中國[兩脚]狗.
Yes... A chink is for Chinese, a gook for Korean and Vietcong for Vietnamese and nips for Japanese. Even words like Dutch, Spaniard, Orientals, etc. are derogatory. Every race have ethnic slurs for everyone else other than own. Chinese have 東夷, 南蠻, etc. I don't think the piece is for discriminatory purposes, the purpose is for learning. I always say, "one must know evil, for without knowing it, one would not recognize when it shows up on the doorstep". After all, if he were a racist, he won't be learning the language. It is like trying to sweep Holocaust under the rug and be forgotten. We, as humans are what we are. We can know but we won't be using it. A knife can kill. Should they be banned? Can't clump everything and throw the baby out with the water. One has to read the context. Now this gives me an idea for my next piece of essay. As for me, I learnt this trick a long time ago as a kid. To embrace what you don't like and turn the table to those wishing to hurt you. When being called, a chink, I would say thank you to them sincerely for wishing me to become rich. Since "chink" has the sound of gold coins dropping. My nickname as a kid was "jeff loh the buffalo". I thank them for wishing me to be strong and without them, there will be no rice fields to be tilled. The stopped calling me that! The moment they see you cringe; they know they have succeeded in hurting you. Being thick skinned, like all things have their advantages in the right situation. My motto, "Your strength is your greatest weakness, your weakness is your greatest strength". I can go on with endless examples.
The Cantonese language, being a Cantonese myself, is very racist sounding. We would append 鬼 to all kinds of people including other Chinese - 外江鬼, devils from the other side of the river (Pearl River). However, when referring to the entire Chinese race, they would use 唐人, people of the Tang Dynasty instead! So, Chinatown is known as 唐人街, the street where the Tang people are.
I view this group as a place of learning, whether for good or for bad, is like money. It depends on how it is being used or what the intention is for. Hence my reason for allowing it to be posted and now a more refined translation for it. We cannot sweep ugliness under the rug and pretend it does not exist.
Now back to the main topic… Picture this: An older couple having dinner with a younger person at a nice restaurant. Under the photo is an innocuous poem,
曾經兩旬添六逢 Once upon a twenty plus six years ago that we met,
醒來門前迎春風 Upon wakening, still welcomed at the doorstep is the spring wind.
二人成三一家團 Two of then but now of three, one perfect family,
欲取蓬生日月同 And this paradisiacal life that I had grabbed is as eternal like the sun and moon.
To most, it is just an anniversary celebration and the wish for many more joyful years to come. The younger person could be the couple’s son or daughter. Nowadays, the couple could be of the same sex. Obviously and most probably, the younger person is not biologically related. Nothing really can be assumed since it is common to have adoption or surrogacy.
For troublemakers, they see an opening for sowing seeds of destruction. They would innocently wonder why a certain person is not pictured. The insidious subtlety is to imply those not in the picture are not family. It does not matter whether that person was busy and could not attend; for the mischief makers will retort that if that person were treasured enough, the dinner date could be changed to a more suitable day. This is their rationale!
Writing poetry can be dangerous! This reminded me of a story about when the chief examiner set the imperial examination topic. He chose維民所止, a line taken from the Ode of Classics (詩經). The full line is 邦畿千里，惟民所止. It means “All the king’s land are for the homestead of the people”. Unfortunately for our chief examiner, he presided the exams in a wrong reign era and was executed along with his family and those under the age of sixteen were exiled. What was so wrong with the line that is totally in line with Confucian thought?
The Ch’ing Dynasty had just pacified the country and still was uneasy governing the native Chinese. Literary Inquisition (文字獄) was gaining popularity with the Manchu rulers to rid themselves of those they didn’t like. Someone had reported the examination title to Emperor Yung Cheng as evidence that the examiner had harboured rebellious thoughts. The Emperor’s name in Chinese is 雍正 and with the top lopped off, it became 維止. This is to say, “off with the head of the emperor!” If he had not been too creative and used the original word, 惟 instead, the case would be harder to build against him. No matter, the examiner was used as a political scapegoat as his position was owed to being recommended by someone who is no longer the emperor’s favored. The emperor wanted to “kill the chicken and scare the monkey”.
Conversely, the poem could be used by some Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes to clue in that certain someone is no longer favoured and the inheritance is being cut off! In this case, we have a King Midas’ barber among us!
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
you were one 就是你啊 你應
run and push 跑 推 步前一推,
his head into 推頭直向 將野種頭
the corner of 磚頭柱子 在牆磚角
a brick pillar 柱子,
head thwack 頭聲頓而 猛去一撞.
hits cold floor 地上又頓 地冷
blood oozes 血液流出 鮮血淋.
cannot harm 不會害我 害
me anymore 還不會害 我再不得!
strange how 奇怪何為 善哉! 奇哉!
cruelty leads 殘酷引起 殘性
me to murder 殺人事件 能使我行兇!
cold murder 寒冷殺人 使我殺而無恨…
smile no more 微笑不害 微笑再何來?
Before I could offer my translated version, someone did not like the post and reported it to Facebook. I firmly believe any Chinese racist would not be learning Chinese let alone its poetry. More importantly, how did we know something is a racial slur? Obviously, we must have learnt from someone! I say cast no stone.
The following is a discussion transpired between David and me. As a Chinese myself, I have the right to say the unvarnished version about my race.
David Fang: according to Wikipedia; ethnic slur usually directed to a person of Chinese descent...?
Me: I would translate "chink" as 中國佬 or 中國[兩脚]狗.
Yes... A chink is for Chinese, a gook for Korean and Vietcong for Vietnamese and nips for Japanese. Even words like Dutch, Spaniard, Orientals, etc. are derogatory. Every race have ethnic slurs for everyone else other than own. Chinese have 東夷, 南蠻, etc. I don't think the piece is for discriminatory purposes, the purpose is for learning. I always say, "one must know evil, for without knowing it, one would not recognize when it shows up on the doorstep". After all, if he were a racist, he won't be learning the language. It is like trying to sweep Holocaust under the rug and be forgotten. We, as humans are what we are. We can know but we won't be using it. A knife can kill. Should they be banned? Can't clump everything and throw the baby out with the water. One has to read the context. Now this gives me an idea for my next piece of essay. As for me, I learnt this trick a long time ago as a kid. To embrace what you don't like and turn the table to those wishing to hurt you. When being called, a chink, I would say thank you to them sincerely for wishing me to become rich. Since "chink" has the sound of gold coins dropping. My nickname as a kid was "jeff loh the buffalo". I thank them for wishing me to be strong and without them, there will be no rice fields to be tilled. The stopped calling me that! The moment they see you cringe; they know they have succeeded in hurting you. Being thick skinned, like all things have their advantages in the right situation. My motto, "Your strength is your greatest weakness, your weakness is your greatest strength". I can go on with endless examples.
The Cantonese language, being a Cantonese myself, is very racist sounding. We would append 鬼 to all kinds of people including other Chinese - 外江鬼, devils from the other side of the river (Pearl River). However, when referring to the entire Chinese race, they would use 唐人, people of the Tang Dynasty instead! So, Chinatown is known as 唐人街, the street where the Tang people are.
I view this group as a place of learning, whether for good or for bad, is like money. It depends on how it is being used or what the intention is for. Hence my reason for allowing it to be posted and now a more refined translation for it. We cannot sweep ugliness under the rug and pretend it does not exist.
Now back to the main topic… Picture this: An older couple having dinner with a younger person at a nice restaurant. Under the photo is an innocuous poem,
曾經兩旬添六逢 Once upon a twenty plus six years ago that we met,
醒來門前迎春風 Upon wakening, still welcomed at the doorstep is the spring wind.
二人成三一家團 Two of then but now of three, one perfect family,
欲取蓬生日月同 And this paradisiacal life that I had grabbed is as eternal like the sun and moon.
To most, it is just an anniversary celebration and the wish for many more joyful years to come. The younger person could be the couple’s son or daughter. Nowadays, the couple could be of the same sex. Obviously and most probably, the younger person is not biologically related. Nothing really can be assumed since it is common to have adoption or surrogacy.
For troublemakers, they see an opening for sowing seeds of destruction. They would innocently wonder why a certain person is not pictured. The insidious subtlety is to imply those not in the picture are not family. It does not matter whether that person was busy and could not attend; for the mischief makers will retort that if that person were treasured enough, the dinner date could be changed to a more suitable day. This is their rationale!
Writing poetry can be dangerous! This reminded me of a story about when the chief examiner set the imperial examination topic. He chose維民所止, a line taken from the Ode of Classics (詩經). The full line is 邦畿千里，惟民所止. It means “All the king’s land are for the homestead of the people”. Unfortunately for our chief examiner, he presided the exams in a wrong reign era and was executed along with his family and those under the age of sixteen were exiled. What was so wrong with the line that is totally in line with Confucian thought?
The Ch’ing Dynasty had just pacified the country and still was uneasy governing the native Chinese. Literary Inquisition (文字獄) was gaining popularity with the Manchu rulers to rid themselves of those they didn’t like. Someone had reported the examination title to Emperor Yung Cheng as evidence that the examiner had harboured rebellious thoughts. The Emperor’s name in Chinese is 雍正 and with the top lopped off, it became 維止. This is to say, “off with the head of the emperor!” If he had not been too creative and used the original word, 惟 instead, the case would be harder to build against him. No matter, the examiner was used as a political scapegoat as his position was owed to being recommended by someone who is no longer the emperor’s favored. The emperor wanted to “kill the chicken and scare the monkey”.
Conversely, the poem could be used by some Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes to clue in that certain someone is no longer favoured and the inheritance is being cut off! In this case, we have a King Midas’ barber among us!
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
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