Feeling snowed under by Christmas in China

时间：2006-12-25 03:00:47

（单词翻译:单击）

Dec. 24 - Scrooge is not a familiar character in China, and "Bah, humbug1" does not easily translate to Chinese. But a group of graduate students set off a spirited debate here Friday with a crotchety screed2 condemning3 Chinese people for their growing tendency to celebrate Christmas.

 

The students, from such elite4 institutions as Tsinghua, Peking and Renmin universities, wrote a weighty-sounding open letter complaining that Christmas is a Christian5 holiday imported from the West and suggesting that Chinese should stick to the traditions and festivals observed in their own culture.

 

"We 10 doctoral students from different universities and research institutes solemnly call on our countrymen to be cautious about Christmas, to wake from their collective cultural coma6 and give Chinese culture the dominant7 role," they wrote in a letter posted Thursday on the government-controlled China Daily Web site.

 

"Western culture has been changing from a breeze and a drizzle8 into a wild wind and a heavy storm," they declared. "This is vividly9 embodied10 in the rising popularity of Christmas."

 

To counter the trend, the students suggested Chinese stop sending Christmas cards, decorating their homes and businesses, and buying gifts for their children. Rather, they said, Chinese should focus on the traditional beliefs of Buddhism11 and Daoism and revitalize the Confucian philosophy that has underpinned12 mainstream13 Chinese culture for centuries.

 

As soon as the anti-Christmas letter was posted, the debate erupted online. One popular site, www.sina.com, reported that more than 43,000 people had weighed in with opinions by Friday, and more were pouring in.

 

Many writers defended the observance of Christmas as harmless fun or an example of the intercultural exchanges Beijing will be promoting during the Olympic Games in 2008 with the motto "One World, One Dream."

 

"It might not be a bad thing for traditional Chinese culture to make some changes under Western influence," wrote an Internet user who called himself TAIBAI. "There should be competition among different cultures."

 

He Liangliang, a well-known commentator14 on the Hong Kong-based Phoenix15 television station, said it is "absurd" to suggest that China's 5,000-year-old culture is suffering under Western attack. "As a matter of fact, Chinese culture has developed a lot while embracing other cultures," he said. "It is not necessary to boycott16 Western culture. You just can't."

 

Others, however, agreed with the students, lamenting17 a fashion that they said tends to play down the value of China's own traditions in favor of Western-style commercialism. "I will applaud those doctoral students who advocate boycotting18 Christmas this Christmas season," said Yin Jianguang, an editorial writer at Huashang newspaper in the central province of Shaanxi. "Chinese people don't understand Christmas, yet they celebrate Christmas. I think the reason is that they worship foreign things and fawn19 on foreign powers."

 

Web watchers did a quick survey and found that about 60 percent of those commenting backed the complaints. Although use of the Internet limited the debate to an educated slice of China's 1.3 billion inhabitants, it revealed unease over the penetration20 of Western culture among the same people who often are most prone21 to embrace it: urban college graduates and professionals.

 

But Shi Yong, a social commentator, said there is little they or anyone else can do about it. "Everybody, no matter whether he is a religious believer or not, is a consumer," he said.

 

And so as the debate raged on in computer-land, many Chinese went about their Christmas shopping blissfully unaware22. A woman selling perfume at the upscale Sai Te department store on Chang An Avenue said she had a rush of customers buying expensive scents23 for Christmas presents, including a Bulgari cologne spray bottle accompanied by fish-shaped soap bars labeled: "For mama and the little ones."

 

The store was decorated with real Christmas trees at the entrance, plastic trees of all sizes scattered24 around the counters and peonies along the corridors. Gift wrappers were busy enveloping25 boxes in gift paper pinned closed with plastic Santas.

 

In an underground street crossing leading to Sai Te, Tibetan migrants who usually sell bracelets26 were replaced by other migrants selling plastic miniature Christmas trees and Santa Claus hats.

 

Even among Chinese who celebrate Christmas, the holiday has little connection to the birth of Jesus. As in other Asian countries, except for the relatively27 few Christians28, the celebration centers on secular29 traditions of gift-giving, decorating and feasting. As a result, stores and restaurants in big cities have been among the most energetic in promoting Christmas observances.

 

But St. Joseph's Catholic Cathedral in central Beijing reported that its 800 seats for Christmas Eve midnight Mass were all reserved. The Mass has become a sought-after ticket in Beijing for worshipers, but also for college students who regard it as a trendy date.

 

Su Ran, an 18-year-old studying to be a travel agent, said the fashion is fine with her but she prefers another holiday: "Valentine's Day," she said, "because it is more private."
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1 humbug ld8zV     
n.花招，谎话，欺骗
参考例句：
  • I know my words can seem to him nothing but utter humbug.我知道，我说的话在他看来不过是彻头彻尾的慌言。
  • All their fine words are nothing but humbug.他们的一切花言巧语都是骗人的。
2 screed 0DIzc     
n.长篇大论
参考例句：
  • The screed tired the audience.那篇冗长的演说使听众厌烦了。
  • The pro-whaling screed was approved by a much thinner margin:33 votes to 32.关于捕鲸的冗长决议是以33票对32票的微弱差数通过的。
3 condemning 3c571b073a8d53beeff1e31a57d104c0     
v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地
参考例句：
  • The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
  • I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
4 elite CqzxN     
n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的
参考例句：
  • The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
  • We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。
5 Christian KVByl     
adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒
参考例句：
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
6 coma vqxzR     
n.昏迷，昏迷状态
参考例句：
  • The patient rallied from the coma.病人从昏迷中苏醒过来。
  • She went into a coma after swallowing a whole bottle of sleeping pills.她吃了一整瓶安眠药后就昏迷过去了。
7 dominant usAxG     
adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因
参考例句：
  • The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
  • She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。
8 drizzle Mrdxn     
v.下毛毛雨；n.毛毛雨，蒙蒙细雨
参考例句：
  • The shower tailed off into a drizzle.阵雨越来越小，最后变成了毛毛雨。
  • Yesterday the radio forecast drizzle,and today it is indeed raining.昨天预报有小雨，今天果然下起来了。
9 vividly tebzrE     
adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地
参考例句：
  • The speaker pictured the suffering of the poor vividly.演讲者很生动地描述了穷人的生活。
  • The characters in the book are vividly presented.这本书里的人物写得栩栩如生。
10 embodied 12aaccf12ed540b26a8c02d23d463865     
v.表现( embody的过去式和过去分词 )；象征；包括；包含
参考例句：
  • a politician who embodied the hopes of black youth 代表黑人青年希望的政治家
  • The heroic deeds of him embodied the glorious tradition of the troops. 他的英雄事迹体现了军队的光荣传统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 Buddhism 8SZy6     
n.佛教（教义）
参考例句：
  • Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右传入中国的。
  • Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。
12 underpinned 9747144b35f8dc5942b30d10108a236e     
v.用砖石结构等从下面支撑（墙等）( underpin的过去式和过去分词 )；加固（墙等）的基础；为（论据、主张等）打下基础；加强
参考例句：
  • The report is underpinned by extensive research. 这份报告以广泛的研究为基础。
  • The statue of Diana was underpinned with charred piles. Diana雕像是建造在炭化了的木桩上的。 来自辞典例句
13 mainstream AoCzh9     
n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的
参考例句：
  • Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
  • Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。
14 commentator JXOyu     
n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员
参考例句：
  • He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
  • The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。
15 phoenix 7Njxf     
n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生
参考例句：
  • The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
  • The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。
16 boycott EW3zC     
n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与
参考例句：
  • We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
  • The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。
17 lamenting 6491a9a531ff875869932a35fccf8e7d     
adj.悲伤的，悲哀的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • Katydids were lamenting fall's approach. 蝈蝈儿正为秋天临近而哀鸣。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Lamenting because the papers hadn't been destroyed and the money kept. 她正在吃后悔药呢，后悔自己没有毁了那张字条，把钱昧下来！ 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡
18 boycotting 57a67b98478553c5793be6a3cf8759e5     
抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店，因为那里的店员在罢工。
  • The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。
19 fawn NhpzW     
n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承
参考例句：
  • A fawn behind the tree looked at us curiously.树后面一只小鹿好奇地看着我们。
  • He said you fawn on the manager in order to get a promotion.他说你为了获得提拔，拍经理的马屁。
20 penetration 1M8xw     
n.穿透，穿人，渗透
参考例句：
  • He is a man of penetration.他是一个富有洞察力的人。
  • Our aim is to achieve greater market penetration.我们的目标是进一步打入市场。
21 prone 50bzu     
adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的
参考例句：
  • Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
  • He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。
22 unaware Pl6w0     
a.不知道的，未意识到的
参考例句：
  • They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
  • I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。
23 scents 9d41e056b814c700bf06c9870b09a332     
n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉
参考例句：
  • The air was fragrant with scents from the sea and the hills. 空气中荡漾着山和海的芬芳气息。
  • The winds came down with scents of the grass and wild flowers. 微风送来阵阵青草和野花的香气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
24 scattered 7jgzKF     
adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的
参考例句：
  • Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。
25 enveloping 5a761040aff524df1fe0cf8895ed619d     
v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • Always the eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. 那眼睛总是死死盯着你，那声音总是紧紧围着你。 来自英汉文学
  • The only barrier was a mosquito net, enveloping the entire bed. 唯一的障碍是那顶蚊帐罩住整个床。 来自辞典例句
26 bracelets 58df124ddcdc646ef29c1c5054d8043d     
n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets. 她的手镯在灯光的照射下闪闪发亮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • On display are earrings, necklaces and bracelets made from jade, amber and amethyst. 展出的有用玉石、琥珀和紫水晶做的耳环、项链和手镯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
27 relatively bkqzS3     
adv.比较...地，相对地
参考例句：
  • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
  • The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
28 Christians 28e6e30f94480962cc721493f76ca6c6     
n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
  • His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。
29 secular GZmxM     
n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的
参考例句：
  • We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
  • Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

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