Chinese people? Incomprehensible!

Last year,I read this great article for the first time.The other day,I read it again and decided to translate it into English to tell you how Chinese people look at ourselves.Yi Zhongtian does have an insight into Chinese national characters.I couldn't help laughing when read this article.Well,differences exist in every country.But Chinese people share the same characters while behave differently,you always have to read between the lines.Some judge Yi that he should've brought up with some solutions about our flaws rather than just generalized them.But as I'm concerned,don’t even try to change them,unless you give us another 2000 years.

Chinese people,incomprehensible

Author:Yi Zhongtian 
Original post:http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_483c11a601008nd0.html
 

Chinese people are hard to comprehend in every case.



Take corruption as example,are Chinese people fond of that?Of course not.In fact,they all find it hateful.So do those bribees and bribers,I dare say.Why would the officials like to take the plunge of getting in jail,if they have money rolling in without corruption?And why would the bribers like to give out their sweat money,if their ways are unblocked?



So most people do not like corruption.However,they can hardly quit it.As the case stands,once Chinese people get in trouble,the first idea they come up with is how to “get in by the back door”.If the officials actually don’t accept grease of any kind,I'm afraid that people would feel disappointed and insecure because they’ve got no “promises”.Therefore,it’s not practicable either to totally forbid or to stop fighting corruption.The best way left is to establish some rules,like "It's allowed to be invited to dinner for once or twice",or "It's okay to accept one or two packs of cigarettes".There everyone is happy.



Some people reckon it's all due to the social convention in China.But I can't totally agree with that idea.When it comes to recreational activities using public funds,Chinese people seem to feel disgusted with it.Whereas,whoever you invite to join in the activity for their first time,he or she will be willing to do it and feel content.So it is obvious that people are not actually against those activities if they can reap the benefit of them.



I don’t mean that Chinese people say one thing and do another,nor they are double-faced.But there are many ways of the world,with much contradiction in terms.The ancestors left many teachings of the deceased,but some of them can't be wielded at the same time.For example,the ancestors told us to "ready to help others for a just cause",but then suggested us "not to meddling in things that do not concern you".Wait a minute!Are we doing it or not?See that’s why I call you a nerd - leave it,if it’s just an unimportant matter;go for it,if it is.So Good Samaritan is right,and standing-by is also right.There is much to be said on all sides.Each and everyone just has to claim himself is in the right.



But in that case,those experts who study the "Chinese National Characters" would have a headache to define Chinese with one expression or two.Chinese people are fairly frank but tactful,honest but sophisticated,distrustful but credulous,hidebound but flexible,self-serving but loyal,decent but incivilized,mild but ultra,economical but extravagant,old-fashioned but swanky,contented but get-rich-quick,superstitious but (mostly) irreligious,collectivistic but factious,picky but smooth,un-meddlesome but gossip,saying "Time is money" but taking time.China has vast territory,abundant resources and a splendid culture of more than 5,000 years.She “got rich first” but then experienced a period of suffering impoverishment and chronic decadence. "Lagging behind leaves one vulnerable to attack",as the history books tell us.



Anyway,Chinese people are hard to understand.Not just foreigners,even Chinese people find themselves incomprehensible.As a matter of fact,even "incomprehensible" can’t be the right word for everyone,because I’m convinced that someone will argue against it at once—"Incomprehensible?How so?I'm gonna define my people to you".Then he will talk about it in full details.I believe he'll make his point so that the listeners will all nod their agreement.But so what?They also nod when they listen to Tom, Dick or Henry,as long as they all make sense.Not to mention that in China,not every nodding means approval(while it doesn’t have to mean disapproval).It may just be a sign for “I'm listening”,or for being polite.So much as it's just a unconscious pattern of behavior.



Chinese people themselves just have too many issues,even about food.Chinese people,no matter from the North or South,are all fond of inviting or being invited to dine together. Virtually there are many differences about what to have and how to have it.If you’re treated by the Northern,chances are you get many different kinds of dishes and any of it can easily stuff you because there are normally a whole chicken or duck and much pork or lamp.You just gotta devour ravenously. At the same time,the Southern don’t order that many kinds and you won’t see much food on each plate.It doesn’t take much time to finish all of them.But those dishes seem more delicate—they make several kinds dishes from one chicken or add more ways to finish one fish.One thing led to another,the Northern start to think the Southern are petty and look down upon them,whilst the Southern think the Northern are douche.The most interesting thing is that they both call each other hypocrites.The Northern say,"we don’t even bothering using chopsticks for that little shabby food.Do you seriously wanna treat me or what?"Nevertheless,the Southern says,"we don’t have to waste anything to show our sincerity.We're not stuffed shirts.And order that much food?You must have nothing to do but eat."Thus,they’re both pure-hearted but misunderstood.



As my original point,Chinese people are literally incomprehensible.

those anime I grew up with

I posted about my visit to ICIF the other day.There was a whole hall exhibiting animation cartoons,including Chinese and Japanese products.When I saw the exhibit of 蜡笔小新,the recollection of my childhood welled up in my head.You hardly see any Japanphile of my,but guess what,I grew up with enormous Japanese animations,with Cantonese dubbing.

Hongkong kept importing Japanese cartoons when I was young and it's still doing that.And the dubbing they made was very funny and impressive.At the same time,those Chinese-made cartoons weren't worth watching,not to mention the standard Mandarin dubbing was quite stiff.Later,mainland started to import some Japanese cartoons dubbed by Taiwanese.However,we're already very Cantonese-dubbing-oriented,so they are only good for the the children in other provinces of China who had no chances to enjoy those quality Japanese cartoons before.

I'm gonna make a list of part of Japanese cartoons I've ever watched,not inclding those I watched lately.Half of them are older than me.The list is not prioritized.^^

1.《櫻桃小丸子/ちびまる子ちゃん》

2.《天才寶貝/赤ちゃんと僕》

3.《流星花園/花より男子》

4.《宠物小精灵。ポケットモンスター》




5.《飛天少女豬事丁/とんでぶーりん》

6.《咕嚕咕嚕魔法陣/魔法陣グルグル》

7.《怪盜St.Tail/怪盗 セイント・テール》

8.《婚紗小天使/愛天使伝説ウェディングピーチ》




9.《蠟筆小新/クレヨンしんちゃん》

10.《伙頭爸B/クッキングパパ》

11.《名偵探柯南/名探偵コナン》

12.《百变小樱Magic咭/カードキャプターさくら》




13.《魔神英雄传/魔神英雄伝ワタル》

14.《忍者亂太郎/忍たま乱太郎》

15.《四驅兄弟/爆走兄弟レッツ&ゴー!!》

16.《小孩子的玩具/こどものおもちゃ》




17.《七龙珠/ドラゴンボール》

18.《飘零燕/アルプスの少女ハイジ》

19.《機靈小和尚/一休さん》

20.《俏皮幻法小花仙/花の魔法使いマリーベル》




21.《哆啦A夢/ドラえもん》

22.《灌籃高手/スラムダンク》

23.《超音鼠/ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ》

24.《紅頭巾Cha Cha/赤ずきんチャチャ》




25.《小魔女Doremi/おジャ魔女どれみ》

26.《我係小忌廉/魔法の天使クリィミーマミ》

27.《美少女战士/美少女戦士セーラームーン》

28.《娱乐金鱼眼/きんぎょ注意報！》




29.《藍寶石王子/リボンの騎士》

30.《小蜜蜂寻亲记/昆虫物語みなしごハッチ》

31.《神風怪盜/神風怪盗ジャンヌ》

32.《貓狗寵物街/3丁目のタマ うちのタマ知りませんか?》




33.《铁臂阿童木/鉄腕アトム》

34.《變形金剛2010/戦え!超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー2010》

35.《足球小將/キャプテン翼》

36.《超時空要塞/超時空要塞マクロス》




37.《反斗小王子/おじゃる丸》

38.《變形金剛2010/戦え!超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー2010》

39.《BOM BOM彈珠人太空戰士/ボンバーマンジェッターズ》

40.《中華一番!》

............

Now I've seen everything.

The modern China is known as a mega country of manufacturing and pirating is undeniably a major part of it.If Chinese people cry out their grievances that they didn't start the pirate thing,then they cannot be excused for creating the SHANZHAI culture.The Shanzhai culture came forth even earlier than the time it got its name.Not that I approve of Shanzhai,but as far as I'm concerned,Shanzhai is wiser than pirate anyways.It doesn't totally live in the shadow of the legal copy but (shameless) strickes out and gets its own labels and adherents.

(See!Obama just becomes the brand spokesman for "Blockberry".Not sure if he knows about this yet.)

Well,actually I'm not going to write a whole post about Shanzhai.Instead,I'm writing a review about my gate-crashing to the second-hand cellphone market in Huaqiangbei.I had this chance to keep my uncle company to stock his cellphone store in Jiangsu.He came all the way here because he knew the huge market of electronic products here in Shenzhen.But why second-hand?To be honest,I used to think that Chinese people conventionally prefer brand new stuff.We would rather pay more than getting a used thing,even if it's not even an old one.But things are different in Jiangsu.Internet is not made the best of use there.I mean,the mass netizens there are young people whom are literally just interested in QQ and online games.Plus,comercials on TV become unbearably irresponsible and keep babbling about those Shanzhai product.

One thing led to another,people start to pay more attention to those so-called latest and fancy stuff.People there have no problem to dress warmly and ear their fill but it's still too much to ask to try those things first-handly.Therefore,BANG!Secondhand products are becoming quite popular there.Okay,too much for the leading-in.Let's see what I got there at Huaqiangbei.

Huaqiangbei is definitely a place you love and hatel.It roughly provides enormous electronic products of any kind.Even if USB drive,you may find this many there.Amazing huh.

There I was,the secondhand-cellphone-market sreet at Huaqiangbei.So many people gather here,do the same business but still can make much profit.We can understand that how large the market is.

(I guess you already noticed those billboard with "CDMA" and "3G")

(This is one of the hundred stores at the street.)

(A tousy street stall right in front of the store.The board means "recycling of cellphone with a considerable price",not sure if my English makes sense though.)

(We got there quite early.Those counter-keepers just started to prepare everything.)

 

(I could barely name the brands of these Shanzhai cellphones,orr do they have any.Pretty colorful huh,it's one of the traits of Shanzhai cellphones.)

 

 

(You can tell they're not of good value from the mess.)  

(It became quite mussy and lousy when more and more buyers appeared.I was wondering how did they communicate in such a noise.) 

("No Smoking!"-Nobody gives it a damn.If there were a fire,we'd be all dead.)  

 

(Thousands of cellphone shells of any kind,used for making old into new ones.It could happen that the blackhearted sellers sell the olds at full price and call you a sucker afterwards.)  

(This kind of label is supposed to be on the legal cellphones.But now,I can get four pieces of them for 1RMB.My uncle said you could get whatever typr of label if you asked.You can hardly tell mock from original ones now.)  

I felt like a paparazzi.It was not easy for me to take those photos because the seller were very cautious.Good thing that they knew they weren't doing anything glorious.I inquired of some friendly-looking sellers about the source of so many cellphones,both shanzhai ones and original ones.They told me three ways.

1st,from people who sold their old cellphones. (10%)

2nd,the government forbad those factories producing shanzhai cellphones.So they had to dispose the goods at low price,in the name of putting away the wasters.(60%)

3rd,everyday,millions of people all over China get their cellphones stolen,afterwards millions of stolen cellphones are being imported to Shenzhen......(30%)