Chapter 25 Section 25: Chinese Language

Chinese language All foreigners who want to learn Chinese say Chinese is a difficult language.But is Chinese really a difficult language?Before we answer this question, let's understand the meaning of the Chinese language.In China, it is well known that spoken and written language does not refer to dialects.By the way, does anyone know why the Chinese insist on separating languages ​​into spoken and written?Here I will state the reasons as follows.In China, as in Europe when Latin was the language of study, there are correspondingly two distinct classes of people, the educated and the uneducated.Spoken language is the language of the uneducated, while written language is the language of those who are truly educated.If so, half-educated people do not exist.That's why China insists on two languages, I said.Let us now look at the consequences of having half the educated people in a country.Just look at Europe and America today.In Europe and America, since the abolition of Latin, the marked distinction between spoken and written languages ​​has disappeared, and thus arose a half-educated people who were permitted to use the same languages ​​as those who were really educated.Civilization, liberty, neutrality, militarism, and pan-Slavism are what they say, even though they don't know what they really mean.Prussian militarism is said to be a danger to civilization.But I say that it seems that the half-educated people in the world today, and the rabble made up of them, are the real danger to civilization.It's gone too far.

Now for the question: Is Chinese a difficult language?My answer is, either yes or no.First of all, in terms of spoken language, spoken Chinese is not only easy, but compared with the other six languages ​​I know, it is the easiest language except Malay.The root of the ease of spoken Chinese is that it is an extremely simple language.It is a language without cases, tenses, and regular and irregular verbs.In fact, there are no grammar or any other rules.But people have also said to me that Chinese is difficult because of its simplicity, and even because of its lack of grammar.However, that is incorrect.Malay, like Chinese, is a simple language with no grammatical rules.And, even Europeans learning Malay did not find it difficult.Therefore, spoken Chinese itself is not a difficult language for Chinese people.But even spoken Chinese is a difficult language for educated Europeans, especially semi-educated, who come to China.Why is this?Because, as far as I'm concerned, spoken Chinese is the language of completely uneducated people; in fact it's the language of children.One proof of this is that we all know how easy it is for European children to learn spoken Chinese when those learned sinologists insist that speaking Chinese is so difficult.I say again: Chinese, spoken Chinese is the language of children.Therefore, for my foreign friends who want to learn Chinese, my first piece of advice is: "Treat yourself as a child, and you will not only enter the gate of heaven, but you will also be able to learn Chinese well."

Now let's talk about the written language of Chinese.But before I go any further, I think there are several forms of written Chinese.Missionaries divide this into two categories, namely simple and complex.In my opinion, that is not a satisfactory classification.I think the correct classification should be like this: simple and less rhetorical Chinese; common Chinese; and highly elegant Chinese.If you prefer to use Latin, it can be called: general or commercial Chinese; low-level classical Chinese; high-level classical Chinese. (s-13) Now many foreigners call themselves Chinese experts and scholars.Thirteen years ago, I wrote an article on Sinology in "Zi Lin Xi Bao" (34), the article wrote:

"Among those Europeans in China, after publishing some dialogues in some provincial dialects or collecting a hundred Chinese proverbs, they immediately give this person the title of Chinese scholar." I said, "Of course, it doesn't matter if you take a name , under the extraterritorial clause of the treaty, an Englishman in China may with impunity call himself Confucius, if it pleases him." Now what I want to say here is: those foreigners who call themselves Chinese scholars Among them, how many people are aware of the precious wealth of human civilization contained in the advanced classical Chinese I speak and the Chinese literature written in a very elegant language?I say a kind of civilization wealth because I believe that this kind of advanced classical Chinese in Chinese literature has a transforming function, a kind of natural person that can "refine the original nature" as Matthew Arnold said in Homer's poems, that is, they can Change him." In fact, I believe that the advanced classical Chinese in Chinese anthology will someday change even those patriots who are fighting in Europe, this primitive natural man with the fighting instinct of primitive animals.It can change them into a peaceful, moderate and civilized people.As Ruskin said, the goal of civilization now is to transform human beings into civilized people, to get rid of crudeness, violence, cruelty and fighting.