Beauty of falling flowers

Author: Lin Shaohua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: The content of this book can be divided into five parts. Part "Where is the Homeland?" mostly reflects on past years. The smoke of cooking fires in the evening sky of the hometown, the wrinkles on Grandma's face, the figure of my mother under the light, as well as the teachers who taught me, the words I have read, and the dreams of my childhood. On the other hand, it also aims to bring back the gradually fading fairy tales for the noisy reality through lingering personal sentiments. I always believe that a life without fairy tales is not a truly meaningful life. The second part "As a Professor" mainly questions the current situation—the character of the university, the quality of professors, the relentless advance of English, and the overwhelming presence of images. Some of the statements may be sharp, and the views may be extreme. Fortunately, it is the Year of the Dog this year. "Every dog should bark." Without a doubt, even the most pleasant sound, if heard every day, will cause auditory fatigue. Harmony requires plurality and diversity. Therefore, one should also bark, calling for compassion and conscience with a weak or slightly off-key voice, calling for cultural nostalgia. The third part "The Beauty of Falling Flowers" consists of reflections and insights during travel, focusing on the similarities and differences between Chinese and Japanese cultures. The blooming and falling of cherry blossoms, the concealment and revelation of clothing, the frowns and smiles of beautiful women—all reveal subtle cultural and aesthetic messages. The fourth part "Joy in the Art of Calligraphy" discusses my old profession of translation. Sailing alone in the sea of translation, with a lone lamp in the long night, traveling between Japan and China, I wander alone. Without the talent for grand calligraphy, I can at least use small skills to entertain myself and others—is that not acceptable? The fifth part naturally also talks about my old friend, Mr. Murakami, who is the main supplier for "Lin's Shop." It is not appropriate to neglect him. However, it does have the tendency of clichés, and the repetition is forgiven. The interview transcript below is no longer prose, but since the content is relevant, it has been included for convenience.