科举：唯有读书高 Education as a Social Ladder: Chinese Imperial Examinations

我们注意到中华文化是身份文化。孔子之前的封建制度就已经把人民分为六级：四个统治阶级的是高高在上的王族，接着是诸侯，大夫与士。最底层的是普通庶民与奴隶。

自古以来，强大的中国王朝通常是由一般平民出生的皇帝靠着有组织的军队推翻前朝而组成。但是，一旦控制了国家，这些皇帝立刻使体会到真正的治理需要上万的官僚。科举制度的成立就是为了制造这一群人。科举制度是中国独有的任人唯贤的策略，从605年隋朝开始，直到1905年清末废除为止，共有大约1300年的历史。

科举的基本目的是要以个人的能力而不是特别的或嫡传的因素来取士。历史上流传不少书生如何苦读，最终考取到功名而获得官职的故事。这些故事一代传一代，鼓舞了书生勤力苦读。读书于是成了一种传统。

所以自古以来， 华人把教育当成是提升社会地位的梯子。宋朝（960-1279）汪洙著名的《神 童 诗》就说“天子重英豪，文章教尔曹；万般皆下品，惟有读书高。”这首诗句成为千年中国人的金科玉律。它鼓励人们读书。

宋朝另外一首鼓励人们读书的诗说，“富家不用買良田，書中自有千鍾粟；安居不必架高堂，書中自有黃金屋；娶妻莫恨無良媒，書中自有顏如玉。”意思是好好地读书就能给你带来丰足的食物、完美的屋子与漂亮的妻子。

科举造就了士的阶级。非贵族或商家的读书人渐渐成为改变社会与推翻封建贵族的主力。这些读书人协助与维持了中国封建社会，与农业社会及统一皇族政权共存长达两千年之久。

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We noted that Chinese culture is the ‘Status Culture’. In pre-Confucian China, the feudal system divided the population into 6 classes. Four noble classes are the king at the top, followed by the dukes, then the great men and finally the scholars. Below the noble classes were commoners and slaves.

Since the ancient time, the might of China was established militarily, often by emperors from humble origins who had toppled existing dynasties. However, once in control, these emperors soon realized that the actual governance of China would require the administrative services of thousands of bureaucrats. The imperial examination system was thus introduced as a means for creating such a body of men. The Imperial Examination System was a unique a meritocratic strategy in China that lasted for 1300 years, from its founding during the Sui Dynasty in 605 to its abolition near the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1905.

The fundamental justification for the Chinese Imperial Exams was that appointees to civil service positions were not to be chosen through special or inherited privilege, but through an individual's own abilities. There were numerous stories about how the scholars worked very, very hard, and finally passed the examination and succeeded in getting official positions. These stories encouraged generations of generations of youth in China to study hard, making it into a tradition.

It is therefore natural that Chinese has regarded education as a ladder of social ascendancy since ancient time. The most famous saying about "study" in China is from a poem in Song Dynasty (960-1279) by Wang Zhu, literarily translated as "The emperor values heroes, book can teach you (how to be). Everything else is low-grade, only study is above all." This poem has been considered as the golden rule in China for thousands of years. It encourages people to study.

There is also a poem persuading people to study from the Song Dynasty that says, "There is no need for the rich to buy land (to produce food), as plenty of food can be found in books. There is no need to invest in building a good house, as golden house can be found in books. There is no need to worry that no matchmaker is willing to introduce you a wife, as pretty girls can be found in books." It implies that studying can make you have enough to eat, a fancy house, and a beautiful woman.

It was the imperial examination system that created the scholar class. The scholars who were neither nobles nor merchants gradually became the main force of transforming society and uprooting the feudal nobles. These scholars helped to build and maintain a Chinese feudal society that lasted for 2000 years and co-existed with agricultural economy and unified royal power polity.

身份与平等 Status and Equality

通常说，华人的文化是‘身份文化’，而西方文化是‘平等文化’。

华人社会就基于阶层身份。这真情况有儒家思想的背景，所以华人把阶层结构当成是自然而然的事，自然如此。作为一个孩子，你生来就自然的有了阶层。父母有发言的权力，很自然地应用于孩子身上，就算是孩子已经长大成人。

就此而言，‘权威’一词有不同的理解。它并不是一个负面的名词，反而与正面的素质，如关怀、仁慈、责任、成熟，等联系。长者与父母受尊敬，以长辈为尊的原则控制了中国（包括东亚）人的生命与工作环境。既然国家与社会被看成是个大家庭，身份就随时随地变成很重要（名片就说明了身份，让你自我调整行为）。
一般上，华人领袖被赋予权力来决定什么是对族群与其成员最有利。事实上，他们的权力来自他们声称他们所拥有的高人一等的道德洞察力与政治智慧、他们对善政的知识。

在西方，看来最有名的语录是：‘人人生而平等。’作为政治的原则，平等表明在法律之下，没有一群的公民拥有特别的待遇。这种法律本身被视为治理的执行机制之一。就是说，不管哪一种信仰、族群与身份，这个法律都有效，没有一个人在法律之上。就算是在家庭里，父母与孩子是平等的。华人对家庭的每个成员有相同的权利的理念是不能理解的。

西方人却认为这些是这不证自明的真理，他们的创造者给予不可夺取的权利，这些权利还包括了生命、自由与快乐的追求。

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It has often been said that the Chinese culture is a ‘status culture’ and the Western culture is an ‘equality culture’.

The Chinese society is a society which is based on hierarchical conditions. The background is the Confucian family thinking, that's why in China hierarchical structures are usually regarded as natural, as naturally given. As child you are namely born into a natural hierarchy. Parents have the saying, and they keep it towards their children, even though these grow up.

The term 'authority' has in this respect a different rank. It is not associated with something negative but with positive qualities, such as care, kindness, responsibility, maturity. Elders / parents are respected and the principle of seniority controls the life and working sphere of China (and generally in Eastern Asia). And since state and society are seen like a family, it is always and everywhere the respective status that matters (visiting-cards inform about it and let you accordingly adapt your behaviour).

Chinese leaders are normally credited with the ability to determine what is in the best interests of society and its members. Indeed, much of their authority to rule is based on their claim to superior ethical insight and political wisdom, their knowledge of the best way to govern. Even in a family, parents and children are equal. The Chinese will never understand this mentality of equal rights of family members.

In the West, arguably the most well known quotation is ‘All men are created equal’. Equality as a political principle implies that there is no class of citizens with a right to more favourable treatment under the law, which itself is seen as the enforcement arm of governance. In other words, it means that regardless of faith, creed and status all laws should apply equally to everyone and no-one was above the law.

But the Westerners hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

总统的客人 All The President's Guests

在美国，一对配偶在奥巴马总统为招待印度总理曼莫汉所设的白宫第一次国宴上，由于是不速之客而成为媒体宣传的对象。这对40多岁的配偶，塔里克与米雪，被他们的朋友形容为爱好喜乐、不畏惧追求成为众人关注的焦点、不回避扮演认识或被有所裨益的人认识的殷勤有礼的情侣。

白宫所发布的相片显示奥巴马总统迎接这对配偶。负责保护总统与高官安全的部门正在全面检讨有没有安全漏洞，虽然这对配偶申诉这项调查令他们为难，因为他们相信他们是真的被邀请的客人。

看来这对配偶相当享受公众的注意。在‘面簿’(Facebook) 上出现了不少他们与晚宴贵宾所拍的照片，包括与副总统拜登、华盛顿市长奋题、新闻主播库丽、白宫办公厅主任伊曼纽尔所拍的照片。

在中国，另一个人在十一月十六日会见总统奥巴马是，也得到了很多的媒体宣传。和这对配偶不同的是，她是为了一件外套。

美国总统访问上海与年轻人的对话会上，坐在总统背后的上海交通大学学生王紫菲被人拍到了相片。

她穿着一件黑衣加上红色的外套。她被拍到脱掉外套。网上论坛大谈她的美丽与沉着，网民详细介绍了她的容貌与穿衣品味。但是，王紫菲看来不大情愿成名。她在她的博客上说：‘希望快快恢复平静。希望此事过后我能继续做简简单单的自己。’

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In USA, a couple who attended President Barack Obama’s first White House state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 24 Nov, has received a lot of publicity for being uninvited guests. The couple, Mr Tareq and his wife Michaele, who are in their 40s, were described by their friends as fun-loving and unabashed about pursuing the spot-light and playing debonair couple who know and are known by all right people.

A photo released by the White House has shown President Obama greeting the couple. The agency charged with protecting the president and other high-level officials is conducting a comprehensive review of the security breach, although the couple complained that the investigation was hard on them because they believed that they really were invited guests.

The couple seems to have enjoyed the publicity. A dozen pictures posted on Facebook appear to show the couple posing with dinner guests including Vice President Joe Biden, Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty, CBS News anchor Katie Couric, and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

In China, another person who met President Obama on 16 Nov is also getting a lot of publicity, but unlike the couple, it’s about the coat she wore.

Shanghai’s Jiaotong University student Wang Zifei was snapped by photographers sitting behind the US President when he met Chinese young citizens at a town-hall style forum, while on his visit to Shanghai.

Clad in a black dress and red coat, she was photographed taking off her coat. Online forums have been gushing over her beauty and poise, with netizens describing in details her look and dress sense. Ms Wang, however, appears to be a reluctant celebrity. She said on her blog, ‘I’m hoping to quickly restore it to normal. I hope after all this, I can continue to be my simple self.’

書法治療 Calligraphy Therapy

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据说，书法不但是一门高雅的艺术，练习书法还可以修身养性，延年益寿。
香港的一项研究看来好像证明这个观点是正确的。

It is said that Chinese calligraphy is not only a beautiful art, its practice is also an effective way to enjoy healthy life and longevity.

A study in Hong Kong seems to prove the above observation is correct.

欢迎，毛巴马同志！Welcome, Comrade Maobama!

美国总统奥巴马于十一月十五日至十七日访问中国。这次历史性的访问是亚洲八日访问中的一站。这也是这位总统第一次访问中国。

据报道，中国人，尤其是年轻人对他的印象很不错，因为他们期望他会维持对中国的温和政策。数据显示，在网民当中，奥巴马真的很受欢迎。在中国的谷歌网站，以‘奥巴马’来搜寻，所得到的搜寻结果超过七百八十万次，以此相比，‘胡锦涛’的搜寻结果少过四百万次。

奥巴马的受欢迎度也可以从以‘毛巴马’或‘奥巴毛’为标贴的产品在中国成为热门产品的这个事实看出来。这个设计是以奥巴马的脸带上毛主席的红卫兵帽和服装。这些展品，尤其是T-衬衫，自今年九月以来，在北京著名旅游区的礼品店大受欢迎。

奥巴马这次北京之行已经带来了‘毛巴马’与‘奥巴毛’旋风，虽然传说中国政府禁止这些产品在奥巴马总统访问中国期间售卖，以免得罪美国总统或导致难堪。

听到一个店员说：‘大多数中国人喜欢奥巴马。我觉得他是个好人，很幽默。况且，他是美国首个黑人总统。’

欢迎，毛巴马同志，您来到一个有创意的资本主义中国。

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U.S. President Barack Obama visited China from 15 to 17 Nov. This historic three-day visit to China was part of an eight-day tour of Asia. It was the president's first trip to China.

It was reported that the Chinese people, especially young people’s impression of him was quite good, as it is expected that he would maintain a moderate policy toward China. Statistics shows that Obama is indeed popular among the netizens in China. A search for Obama on the Google China Web site will result in more than 7.8 million entries as compared to less than four million entries for President Hu.

Obama's popularity in China is also evidenced by the fact that ‘MaoBama’ or ‘ObaMao’ labelled products are fast becoming a hot commodity in China. The design is President Barack Obama’s face dressed in Chair Mao’s Red Guards’ cap and uniform. The products, especially the T-shirt, were selling like hot cakes at small souvenir shops in famous tourist areas in Beijing since September 2009.

Obama's visit to Beijing has already started a ‘MaoBama’ and ‘ObaMao’ cyclone, although it was reported that the Chinese government banned the products during Obama’s presidential visit in China for fear of offending the U. S. President and causing embarrassment.

A shopkeeper was heard saying, ‘Most Chinese people like Obama. I feel he is a very good man, and humorous. Also, he is the first African American president.’

Welcome, comrade Maobama, to the creative capitalist China.