Ask Away - 101 Fun Questions About Chinese Culture

Author: Yang Qingru
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Traditional culture, for many modern people, seems both distant and close. As traditional culture grows increasingly popular, the public has developed an interest in some seemingly ambiguous and half-understood topics. For example: How did Guan Gong, the war god, become the god of wealth? In the proverb "Women change eighteen times in their youth," does "eighteen" refer to age or the number of changes? Why is it called "sitting south" when referring to a king ruling the land? How long is the duration of a single incense stick? These seemingly simple questions actually hide rich and interesting content. This book adopts the format of "asking, answering, and linking to expand," selecting 101 interesting questions about traditional culture. It presents them in a relaxed, lively, yet rigorous and accurate language. Each section is relatively independent, and flipping through it will bring insights. It is a worthwhile leisure cultural read. This book adopts the format of "asking, answering, and linking to expand," selecting 101 interesting questions about traditional culture. It presents them in a relaxed, lively, yet rigorous and accurate language. Each section is relatively independent, and flipping through it will bring insights. It is a worthwhile leisure cultural read. Why do people generally say "shameless" instead of "shameless face" when insulting someone? Did the ancient terms "face" and "face" refer to the same part of the body? To vent one's anger and dissatisfaction toward someone, people often say "shameless," meaning that the person is shameless and lacks dignity. However, they don't say "shameless face." Why is that? This is mainly because of the difference between written and spoken language. "Face" belongs to written language and is often used in literary works, while "face" is more colloquial and frequently appears in oral conversations. For example, in daily conversations, we say "wash face" or "clean face," but rarely say "wash face" or "clean face." The proverb "Someone's face is thicker than a city wall" loses its vivid and lively effect if said as "someone's face is thicker than a city wall." The meaning intended to be expressed by colloquial language can also be conveyed in writing using literary language. For example, "shameless" in literary works can be expressed as "unrestrained in dignity," and "wash face" can be said as "clean face." Additionally, "shameless" has a more impactful pronunciation, being more forceful and harder than "shameless face." In fact, "face" was not entirely colloquial in the early days. Before the Ming Dynasty, both "face" and "face" were written terms and frequently appeared in literary works. For example, the Tang Dynasty poet Chen Can wrote: "River flowers still blush red face," Li Qingzhao's lyrics: "Fragrant face half open, charming and graceful," Bai Juyi's "Still holding the pipa half covered," and Cui Hu's "Human face and peach blossoms reflect red" all used "face" and "face" in literary phrases. Later, a distinction between spoken and written language gradually emerged. The meanings of "face" and "face" are now similar, but their meanings in the past were different. "Face" is a later word, emerging around the Wei and Jin periods. Its original meaning was the cheek, often referring to the part of the face below the eyes where women could apply powder. For example, in Bai Juyi's "Zhaojun's Lament," "Eyebrows fade, the face fades red" refers to this part. Besides, in ancient times, "face" also had the meaning of "eyelid." For example, in the poem "Substituting Su Zuguofu's Wife" by Emperor Wu of the Southern Qi Dynasty: "Looking at the silk, not yet finished, tears like silk under the face." Here, "face" refers to the eyelid. "Face" has a broader scope than "face," including the entire front part of the head, with "face" being only a part of it. Over time, the meaning of "face" gradually expanded, becoming almost the same as "face." Knowledge Link: Does the common saying "face" refer to the surface? "Face" indeed has the meaning of surface. In some dialects, the surface of bedding is called "face," and there are also expressions like "clothing face" and "shoe face," all meaning the surface of an object. Since "face" has the meaning of surface, it is not surprising that it gradually developed to mean the surface of things, as seen in the novel "The Flowers of the Sea of Suffering," which writes: "Although Empress Dowager Xi has retired to the Summer Palace, she does not interfere with court affairs on the surface."