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英语畅谈中国文化50主题1.TheArtofCalligraphy奇妙的书法A:SomecriticssuggestthatdifferentgenresofChinesecalligraphyhavedifferentpoliticalimplications.TakeWangXizhiforexample.Hiscalligraphywasrepudiatedasunorthodoxduringhislifetimebut,onlyafewdecadesafterhisdeath,wasestablishedasanorthodoxgenre.B:That’sforsure!Historically,Chinesecalligraphyandpoliticswerecloselyintertwined.Over2,000yearsago,EmperorQinShihuang,thefirstEmperorinChinesehistory,establishedtheofficialChinesewritingcharacters.Thenew,simplifiedcharactersmadewritingcalligraphylesscomplicated.Itallowedpeopletousecharacterswithmorestraightstrokes,thusmakingiteasiertowritewithbrushes.ThiscreatedtheLigenre.Overtime,othervariationswerealsodeveloped,whicheventualllyleadtotheformationofthefivegenresinChinesecalligraphy.TheseweretheZhuan,Li,Kai,XingandCaogenres.A:I’veheardthatmostemperorsweregoodatcalligraphy.TheTangDynastyEmperorLiShiminwasanavidcollectorofWangXizhi’swritings.B:That’sright.QingDynastyEmperorQianLongplayedakeyroleincompilinganauthoritativecollectionofcalligraphy.Tosomeextent,preferencesoftheEmperorshadaninfluenceontheriseandfallofcertaincalligraphygenres.A:OrdinaryChinesepeoplealsoseemedtolikecalligraohyalot.B:PartofthereasonwasthesponsorshipbytheEmperors.AnotherreasonwastheImperialCivilServiceexaminationsthatstartedinthe7thcentury.Thoseexaminationswerefocusedonwritingandprovidedawayforordinarypeopletoachieveabetterlife.Asaresult,calligraphybecamewidelyaccepted.Calligraphyalsohaditspracticalvaluesbecauseitwasagoodwaytomakefriendsandwasmorepresentableasagiftratherthanjewelryormoney.A:Doescalligraphystillhavethesepracticalfunctionsnow?B:Yes.Manypeoplepracticecalligraphyasawaytoraisetheirculturalaccomplishment.Olderpeopleusecalligraphicwritingasamethodtokeepfit.Theybelievethatwhenapersonconcentratesonwritingcalligraphy,hisinnerwellbeingisstimulated.A:IhadthoughtcomputerswouldleadtothedisappearanceofChinesecalligraphy.NowIunderstandthat’snotlikelytohappen.Howcanyougiveyourbosscomputer-printedcalligraphyasagift?B:Youdon’t,unlessyouwanthimtofireyou.2.TheSignificanceofChinesePaintings中国画的含意A:It`sinterestingthatChinesepaintingscanbecreatedonthespot,eventhoughmostofthemhavesimilarsubjects.Peony,plumblossoms,mountains,creeksorcottagesareverypopular.Thereareoftenpaintersatsignificantcelebratoryandcommemorativeevents.B:Theireducationalfunctionis,infact,auniquefeatureofChinesepainting.Humanprofileswereusedasamethodtoeitherglorifyheroesorcondemntraitors2,000yearsago.TangDynastyofficialseventriedtobringpaintingintoConfuctionideology.TheCourtoftheSongDynastypublishedanofficialguidetopaintings.Thisraisedcriterianotonlyforhumanprofilesbutalsoforlandscapeandobjectpaintings.A:Oh,whatwasthat?B:Itclassifiedpaintingsintotencategoriescoveringreligiousbeliefs,Confucianismandstatepower.Thisclassficationgaveanofficialdefinitionofthevalueandsignificanceofthepaintings.Thepurposeoflandscapepaintingswastoportraythefivemountains,whilefruitandbirdswereusedtoexemplifyoreulogizetheGods.Inthiscase,thesubjectswereusedasreferencestopeopleinordertodelivermoralmessages.Forexample,peonyandpeacocksrepresentedwealthandfortune;pinetrees,bamboo,plumblossomsandorchidsrepresentedeleganceandaccomplishment;andpinetreesandcypressessymbolizedloyalty.A:AsfarasIknow,painterswhodidnothavetomakealivingbypaintinguseddiffferentskillstothosespecifiedintheguide,eventhoughtheypaintedthesamesubjects.B:Artistsareusuallyagainstpragmatism.Theyliketogivemeaningtothesubjectstheypaint.Bamboosymbolizesintegrityandpinetreessymbolizenevergivingup.Artistsalsolikelandscapes.Itdoesn`ttakealotoftrainingtopaintlandscapes.Italldependsonthepainter`spersonalityandability,aswellashisuniquetouch.Mostoftoday`snon-professionalpaintersfollowthelandscapestyle.Theobjectiveofthesepaintersispurelyentertainmentandself-satisfaction.Themoresuccessfulartistshavetheopportunitytoexhibitatpublicfunctions.Thatisprobablytheclimaxoftheirpaintingcareers.A:Whatareprofessionalpaintersdoing?B:Someofthemmakeagreatefforttoimprovetheirpaintingskills.Theywanttodevelopnewandinnovativepaintingmethodsbyborrowingfromothergenres.Othersarebusymakingmoney.Theyhavefoundwaystoproducecommerciallyattractivepaintings.Somepeoplesaytheyarenolongerartists.Insteadtheyhavebecomemanufacturersofpaintings.3.RediscoverConfucius重新发现孔子DidyouseethestatueofConfuciuslaunchedbytheChinaConfuciusFund?A:你看到中国孔子基金会发布的孔子标准像了吗？B:Yes,Idid.Itdoesn’tquitematchtheConfuciusimageinmymindthough.Iheardtherearemanydifferentopinionsaboutthisso-calledofficialstatue.But,tobefait,it`sanimpossiblejobtocreateanofficialstatueofsomeonewholivedmorethan2,500yearsago.Nooneknowswhathelookedlike,justlikenooneintheWestknowswhatPlatolookedlike.Nevertheless,Confuciuswasagreatphilosopher,aneducator,apolitician,aswellasthefounderofConfucianism,whichstillhasatremendousinfluenceoverpeopletoday.B:看到了，但它不完全是我心目中的孔子形象。据说有很多人对这个标准像持不同意见。这也难怪，也已毕竟生活在２５００多年前，没有谁能够想像他真实的长相，就像你们西方人不知道柏拉图的面孔一样。但是，孔子对今天中国人的生活和思想依然有着重大的影响。他是中国古代的思想家、教育家、政治家，也是儒学的创始人。A:Confucianismseemstobebackinfashionagain.AsfarasIknow,aboutfivetosixmillionChinese