The temptation across the river

Author: Zhao Yiheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features:
Fragment: The title sounds mocking, yet it stems from genuine admiration: among modern Chinese literati living in the West, Xu Zhimo stands out as a lone exception. A BBC radio journalist once interviewed me, asking how Chinese culture dwellers in the West could integrate into Western culture. I bluntly told him: It's impossible. Unless you marry into a Western family and have someone guide you step by step, offering advice on everything; otherwise, just wait for the next generation growing up here. The heated discussions about racial and psychological issues are matters that only arise after entering this society. For us adults who have come to the West, we don't even experience the psychological pain of being overlooked: apart from the interpersonal relationships we have to handle at work, we lack the energy to immerse ourselves in the culture—going to bars, sitting in cafes, attending parties, hiking in the mountains, fishing in fast streams, or taking time to familiarize ourselves with and admire the heroes of various sports and the stars of various entertainments. What we face is an impossible-to-cross cultural chasm. Recently, after reading some works by Xu Zhimo, I realized my assertion might need to be revised: If you're willing to pursue it at any cost, like Xu Zhimo, and possess his charm and talent, you might truly "enter" Western society. The first example that comes to mind is, of course, the literary anecdote of Xu Zhimo meeting Edith Wharton: He spent days writing letters repeatedly to request a meeting, first engaging in a lengthy discussion about Russian literature with Wharton's actual husband, Maurice, (who was himself a great lover of Chekhov).