<![CDATA[Comments on: Chinese Characters and the History of Sex in China]]> Dear Amber a couple of character gurus join us to inform and enlighten about some interesting origins and facts about this beautiful part of the Chinese language. Plus, historically, the changing attitudes the Chinese had towards sex may surprise you. Listen in and find out more, plus share your comments with us too!]]> 2008-11-21 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: hitokiri6993]]> 會認識一點兒簡體字，但是我比較喜歡寫繁體字。

廣東話也有兩樣的中文字...就叫全體字/粵(?)字.

Some people in HK though prefer to write the Japanese variants (only if they know it) of some characters. :P 

e.g.

火車站-----> 火車駅

 

Anyway, Amber when you studied in 台灣, what character system did you use? TW uses the Trad. character set, but is it an option to use simplified characters in their universities?

 

]]> 會認識一點兒簡體字，但是我比較喜歡寫繁體字。

廣東話也有兩樣的中文字...就叫全體字/粵(?)字.

Some people in HK though prefer to write the Japanese variants (only if they know it) of some characters. :P 

e.g.

火車站-----> 火車駅

 

Anyway, Amber when you studied in 台灣, what character system did you use? TW uses the Trad. character set, but is it an option to use simplified characters in their universities?

 

]]> <![CDATA[By: chistudent]]> I think the simplified form of writing is more globally recognised than the traditional one and a lot of countries are moving towards learning the simplified form.

Nevertheless S.E.A countries like Malaysia and singapore, traditional writings is still famous and still officially used for the benefit of the older chinese folks (simplified form was only introduced in the 80's in Malaysia).

But it is better to learn both if you think of moving around in chinese populated regions like Hong Kong and Taiwan. Both Hong Kong and Taiwan have no intention to scrap off the traditional writings yet.

I personally think the traditional writings looks sexier than the simplified ones.

]]> I think the simplified form of writing is more globally recognised than the traditional one and a lot of countries are moving towards learning the simplified form.

Nevertheless S.E.A countries like Malaysia and singapore, traditional writings is still famous and still officially used for the benefit of the older chinese folks (simplified form was only introduced in the 80's in Malaysia).

But it is better to learn both if you think of moving around in chinese populated regions like Hong Kong and Taiwan. Both Hong Kong and Taiwan have no intention to scrap off the traditional writings yet.

I personally think the traditional writings looks sexier than the simplified ones.

]]> <![CDATA[By: xuchen]]> I have always had the opinion that learning traditional characters was for two types of people.
1) People who like to impress with their Chinese ability.

2) People who actually enjoy going to KTV.

Not that there is anything wrong with either of these things..

As for sex in China, from what I have seen both sexes will talk about sex rather shyly with the opposite sex. But a discussion with the same sex can get just as vulgar as in the west. 

-许尘

 

]]> I have always had the opinion that learning traditional characters was for two types of people.
1) People who like to impress with their Chinese ability.

2) People who actually enjoy going to KTV.

Not that there is anything wrong with either of these things..

As for sex in China, from what I have seen both sexes will talk about sex rather shyly with the opposite sex. But a discussion with the same sex can get just as vulgar as in the west. 

-许尘

 

]]> <![CDATA[By: wchan]]>

各位同学你们好！

记得在

2005年我和家人到天津市旅游

我们发现有一些街道牌是用繁体字写着的。

觉得很奇怪

但当时没有向导游询问过。

如果学习中国书法

是否必定要用繁体字呢？

陈博士

]]>

各位同学你们好！

记得在

2005年我和家人到天津市旅游

我们发现有一些街道牌是用繁体字写着的。

觉得很奇怪

但当时没有向导游询问过。

如果学习中国书法

是否必定要用繁体字呢？

陈博士

]]> <![CDATA[By: mikeinewshot]]> A really interesting Dear Amber.

I didn't know before that Chinese characters were so inappropriate for Japanese.  I wonder whether Changye has anything to say on that?!

It was also very good to listen to an expert on Chinese sexual history.  It was interesting to hear about the Taoist periods.  Does the more liberal attitude to sex still exhist in Taoist circles in China?  I believe that Zen gurus (related to Taoism) have very (healthy?) liberal views about sex.

]]> A really interesting Dear Amber.

I didn't know before that Chinese characters were so inappropriate for Japanese.  I wonder whether Changye has anything to say on that?!

It was also very good to listen to an expert on Chinese sexual history.  It was interesting to hear about the Taoist periods.  Does the more liberal attitude to sex still exhist in Taoist circles in China?  I believe that Zen gurus (related to Taoism) have very (healthy?) liberal views about sex.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]>

]]>

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> Shang oracle bone on tortoise plastron:

 

]]> Shang oracle bone on tortoise plastron:

 

]]> <![CDATA[By: changye]]> Hi bababadrwan,

That’s a great photo of 甲骨文! Below is a rough translation of the text written in oracle bone scripts on the tortoise plastron. In the era of 商朝, there were officers who were in charge of fortune telling, and they were called “贞人”. They address questions about future events to the king of 商朝, and the king gives answers to them based on cracks appeared on bones and plastrons.

The text in the photo is a question to the king, and it consists of two parts, i.e. the right part and the left part. Both parts basically say the same thing. The right text is “Will the threat of the local king 正化 be solved (disappear)?”, and the left one is “Won’t the threat of the local king 正化 be solved?”. A set of two similar questions to the king was a typical pattern seen in texts at that time.

(The right part)
辛 (a character that indicates a date)
酉 (a character that indicates a date)
卜 (tell fortune)
宾 (the name of 贞人)
贞 (ask)
朕 (omen appeared on the bones and plastrons)
正 (= 冖 + 止) (正化 is the name of a local king…?)
化
灾 (threat)
解 (solve, disappear)

(The left part)
贞 (ask)
朕 (omen appeared on bones and plastrons)
正 (= 冖 + 止) (正化 is the name of a local king….?)
化
弗 (not)
其 (its)
灾 (threat)
解 (solve, disappear)
二 (two times, second time …. ?)
告 (tell)

This comment comes with no guarantee!

]]> Hi bababadrwan,

That’s a great photo of 甲骨文! Below is a rough translation of the text written in oracle bone scripts on the tortoise plastron. In the era of 商朝, there were officers who were in charge of fortune telling, and they were called “贞人”. They address questions about future events to the king of 商朝, and the king gives answers to them based on cracks appeared on bones and plastrons.

The text in the photo is a question to the king, and it consists of two parts, i.e. the right part and the left part. Both parts basically say the same thing. The right text is “Will the threat of the local king 正化 be solved (disappear)?”, and the left one is “Won’t the threat of the local king 正化 be solved?”. A set of two similar questions to the king was a typical pattern seen in texts at that time.

(The right part)
辛 (a character that indicates a date)
酉 (a character that indicates a date)
卜 (tell fortune)
宾 (the name of 贞人)
贞 (ask)
朕 (omen appeared on the bones and plastrons)
正 (= 冖 + 止) (正化 is the name of a local king…?)
化
灾 (threat)
解 (solve, disappear)

(The left part)
贞 (ask)
朕 (omen appeared on bones and plastrons)
正 (= 冖 + 止) (正化 is the name of a local king….?)
化
弗 (not)
其 (its)
灾 (threat)
解 (solve, disappear)
二 (two times, second time …. ?)
告 (tell)

This comment comes with no guarantee!

]]> <![CDATA[By: pinkjeans]]> Counting the strokes for looking up words in a dictionary is quite tedious when using traditional characters, but calligraphy using simplified characters just doesn't look quite right. I learnt some traditional characters when I did Chinese in school, but I found it so difficult, I lost interest and din't get far at all. My interest only got revived after simplified characters came into common use and my kids were learning it, and I did find it much easier.

]]> Counting the strokes for looking up words in a dictionary is quite tedious when using traditional characters, but calligraphy using simplified characters just doesn't look quite right. I learnt some traditional characters when I did Chinese in school, but I found it so difficult, I lost interest and din't get far at all. My interest only got revived after simplified characters came into common use and my kids were learning it, and I did find it much easier.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> changye,

That's fabulous.Once again you've come to the rescue.Interesting story.Yeah ,I was wondering what was written so thanks heaps for that :)

ps I realise what was on the oracle bones was the original characters ,and you have then translated to the modern characters,but how did you manage to do it ?

]]> changye,

That's fabulous.Once again you've come to the rescue.Interesting story.Yeah ,I was wondering what was written so thanks heaps for that :)

ps I realise what was on the oracle bones was the original characters ,and you have then translated to the modern characters,but how did you manage to do it ?

]]>