Sometimes I read, or view, or hear, something that expressed what I’ve always believed and said, but in a different way.
I’ve been watching a Chinese series called The Story of Ming Lan, and enjoy it very much. The subtitles are in English, and I have no way of knowing the quality of the translation into English. But this afternoon I laughed out loud when this dialogue came up in the subtitles, Episode 29:
Ming Lan: “I went once in previous year because I played jiiju for Sister Yanran. Afterward I caused quite a stir out of it, and I’ve reflected upon it quietly. I think the troubles came from my showing off, so now I’ve cultivated my temperament to be more calm. I shouldn’t play jiiju [similar to polo] anymore, just stay home and write.”
Madam Wu: “Those idle talkers and gossips? You should treat them like cat pee and dog farts in the wind. Why are you holding them to your bosom to smell them instead?”
My motto from childhood has been, “don’t sniff the cow patties, or the outhouse hole.” I think the Madam Wu expressed this much more eloquently than my farm oriented version.
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Quote
“The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.”
William James
1842 – 1910
Lol! I love that. Talk about getting to the point.
We’re currently watching a new version of Shogun. The first few episodes were mostly subtitles. Such a captivating story!
Teri, it was right to the point, refreshing! It contrasts with the portrayed mode of communication of historic wealthy Chinese culture, which is obtuse, indirect, full of innuendo and metaphors, and very convoluted. Fascinating.
I would really like to see the new Shogun version, I enjoyed the old one when it came out. The book and films are based loosely on a true story, which makes it even more interesting!
Maggie, I read the entire Shogun series many years ago. The writing was superb!
Teri, I hadn’t thought of reading the book! Now it is on my list.