海选: 中国特色的选举 Haixuan: Election, the Chinese Style

在西方，人们一直猜想中国会不会成为一个民主选举的国家，敌对的政党在投票箱上决胜负。中国的立场看来是，中国并不需要模仿西方的体系，或者引进多个政党轮流执政的做法。

中国自古并没有政党概念。统治者就是政党。如果需要一个选举系统的话，那个系统一定要反映中国的国情。

二十世纪八十年代初期，中国政府就已经静悄悄地通过组织村民委员会的直选来推行这个可能是世界最大的民间基层组织的民主教育工作。他们有一个特别的名词：海选。

这个方法是吉林省梨树村的农人所构思出来的，其方式有如初选，很快的流行起来。每一个选民都有权提议他心目中的候选人来担任公职。候选人有竞选发言与回答问题的机会。拿到最高票的两个或三个候选人进入最后选举。

‘海选’生动地反映了从人海中选出人选的意愿。它也表示没有固定的候选人，每个人都可以选他所中意的候选人。

这个方法在1998年《中华人民共和国村民委员会组织法》第14条规定选举村民委员会应由本村有选举权的村民直接提名候选人后，成为官方接受的正式选举法。

这就难怪‘海选’成为一个新的流行语，现在几乎什么都用海选，包括‘超女’海选，书法海选。

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In the West, people always wonder whether China will ever become an electoral democracy - with rival parties fighting for power at the ballot box. The Chinese leaders’ position seem to be that China would never simply copy the system of Western countries or introduce a system of multiple parties holding office in rotation.

China does not need the concept of a party system and so if they need an election system, the system should reflect the Chinese situations and circumstances.

Since the early 1980s, the Chinese government has been quietly promoting, through the establishment of directly elected villager committees, what may be the world's largest grassroots democratic education process. And they have a special term for it: Haixuan (literally sea election, or competitive election).

Conceived by farmers in Lishu County, Jilin Province, a method which operates like an open primary has gain widespread popularity. Every voter has the right to nominate candidates for all open offices, candidates are often permitted to make campaign speeches and answer questions from the villagers, and the top two to three vote-getters then go on to compete in the final election.

The Chinese term ‘Sea Election’ vividly reflect the intention of the election is a selection from a sea of candidates. It also means that there is no fixed candidate and anyone can vote for his or her favourite candidate.

The method of election was formalised on 4 Nov 1998 when the 1998 Organic Law on Villager Committees (VC Law) requires that villager committees (VCs) be elected directly by the qualified villages and Haixuan has become the official method of election.

It is no wonder that Haixuan has become the buzz word in China and it is now used in almost all types of competitions or contests, such as the Super Girl Contest - the Chinese version of the American Idol, and even the Chinese calligraphy competitions.

杜甫：《观公孙大娘弟子舞剑器行》 Du Fu: Watching Sword Dance Performance by Gongsun Daniang's Disciple

杜甫（712-770）是中国唐朝诗人。与李白齐名，普遍被认为是中国最伟大的诗人。它最大的愿望就是要做个成功的官僚，可是使非所愿。他的生活，就好像整个国家一样，为安禄山之乱所破坏了，而他生命的最后15年，一直在动乱中过着。

唐代玄宗时期，艺术成就与奢侈皆为典范。杜甫为据说为公孙大娘之弟子李十二娘的剑舞所惊叹，而写了《观公孙大娘弟子舞剑器行》诗并序。公孙大娘是玄宗宫中的一个女剑舞者，她的剑舞可说无敌。据说著名书法家张旭为其《剑器》舞而得灵感，并把其优美舞姿融入其书法中。她的有名的剑舞有：(1) 《西河剑器》 ，(2) 《浑脱剑器》 ，(3) 《裴将军满堂势》，(4) 《邻里曲》。
以下就是序文与诗：

大历二年十月十九日夔府别驾元持宅见临颍李十二 娘舞剑器，壮其蔚跂。问其所师，曰：余公孙大娘弟子也。
开元三载，余尚童稚，记于郾城观公孙氏 舞剑器浑脱。浏漓顿挫，独出冠时。自高头宜春梨园二伎坊内人，洎外供奉，晓是舞者，圣文神武皇帝初，公孙一人而已。玉貌锦衣，况余白首！今兹弟子亦匪盛颜。既辨其由来，知波澜莫二。抚事慷慨，聊为剑器行。
昔者吴人张旭善草书书帖，数尝 于邺县见公孙大娘舞西河剑器，自此草书长进，豪荡感激。即公孙可知矣！

昔有佳人公孙氏， 一舞剑器动四方。
观者如山色沮丧， 天地为之久低昂。
霍如羿射九日落， 矫如群帝骖龙翔，
来如雷霆收震怒， 罢如江海凝清光。
绛唇珠袖两寂寞， 晚有弟子传芬芳。
临颍美人在白帝， 妙舞此曲神扬扬。
与余问答既有以， 感时抚事增惋伤。
先帝侍女八千人， 公孙剑器初第一。
五十年间似反掌， 风尘澒洞昏王室。
梨园子弟散如烟， 女乐余姿映寒日。
金粟堆前木已拱， 瞿塘石城草萧瑟。
玳筵急管曲复终， 乐极哀来月东出。
老夫不知其所往？ 足茧荒山转愁疾。
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Du Fu (712–770) was a prominent Chinese poet of the Tang Dynsaty. Along with Li Bai, he is frequently called the greatest of the Chinese poets. His greatest ambition was to serve his country as a successful civil servant, but he proved unable to make the necessary accommodations. His life, like the whole country, was devastated by the An Lushan Rebellion of 755, and his last 15 years were a time of almost constant unrest.

The Tang Dynasty during Xuan Zong's reign was probably the epitome of artistic achievements as well as indulgence. Du Fu was awed by the performance of a sword dancer Twelfth Lady Li who claimed to have been the disciple of Gongsun Da Niang, and he wrote a poem after watching her sword dance. The term Da Niang can be translated to First Lady or an honorary term for a mistress (master). Gongsun Daniang was a female sword dancer in the court of Emperor Xuan Zong who was probably the greatest in her field. It is said that famous calligrapher Zhang Xu was so inspired by her sword dance that he incorporated the beautiful dance movements into his calligraphy. Her famous dance repertoire included, (1) West River Jianqi (sword dance), (2) Dashing Demeanours Jianqi (sword dance), (3) General Pei's Grand Performance, probably named after General Pei Min (裴旻), (4) Neighbourhood Symphony.

Before writing the poem, Du Fu explained the background of his writing:

On the 19th of the tenth-month in the second year of Dali (15 Nov 767), I saw, in the house of the Kueifu official Yuanchi, a girl named Li from Lingying dancing with a sword. I admired her skill and asked who her teacher was. She replied, ‘I am a pupil of Gongsun.’
I remembered that in the third year of Kaiyuan (717) at Yancheng, when I was a little boy, I saw Lady Gongsun dance jianqi and huntuo. For purity of technique and self-confident attack she was unrivalled in her day. From the ‘royal command performers’ to the ‘insiders’ of the Spring Garden and Pear Garden schools in the palace down to the ‘official call’ dancers, there was no one during the early years of His Sagely Pacific and Divinely Martial Majesty who understood this dance as she did. Where now is that lovely figure in its gorgeous costume? Now even I am an old, white-haired man, and this pupil of hers is well passed the prime. Having found out about the pupil’s antecedents, I now realised that what I had been watching was a faithful reproduction of the great dancer’s interpretation. The train of reflections set off by this discovery so moved that I felt inspired to compose a ballad of the jianqi.
Some years ago, Zhang Xu, the great master of the cursive style of calligraphy, had several times seen Gongsun dance the West River Jianqi (sword dance) at Ye district. He discovered later, to his immense gratification, that his calligraphy had greatly improved. This gives one some idea of the sort of person Gongsun was.

There lived years ago the beautiful Gongsun,
Who, dancing with her dagger, drew from all four quarters,
An audience like mountains lost among themselves.
Heaven and earth moved back and forth, following her motions,
Which were bright as when the Archer shot the nine suns down the sky,
And rapid as angels before the wings of dragons.
She began like a thunderbolt, venting its anger,
And ended like the shining calm of rivers and the sea....
But vanished are those red lips and those pearly sleeves;
And none but this one pupil bears the perfume of her fame,
This beauty from Lingying, at the Town of the White God,
Dancing still and singing in the old blithe way.
And while we reply to each other's questions,
We sigh together, saddened by changes that have come.
There were eight thousand ladies in the late Emperor's court,
But none could dance the dagger-dance like Lady Gongsun.
...Fifty years have passed, like the turning of a palm;
Wind and dust, filling the world, obscure the Imperial House.
Instead of the Pear-Garden Players, who have blown by like a mist,
There are one or two girl-musicians now-trying to charm the cold Sun.
There are man-size trees by the Emperor's Golden Tomb
I seem to hear dead grasses rattling on the cliffs of Qutang.
...The song is done, the slow string and quick pipe have ceased.
At the height of joy, sorrow comes with the eastern moon rising.
And I, a poor old man, not knowing where to go,
Must harden my feet on the lone hills, toward sickness and despair.

书法是音乐与舞蹈 Chinese calligraphy: It is Music and Dance

好的书法要有节奏、情感、美感、优美、神韵，更重要的是要体现书家个性。书法作品以线条的不同形态与形式，通过运动与排列组合，来表现不同美的元素，平衡、均匀、多样、一致、对照、运动、变化与和谐。所以说，中国书法是‘无象之画、无声之乐、无演员之演出与无原料组合之建筑物’。

犹如音乐，书法的重要元素是节奏。那些浓淡的点划与方折形状明显的表现了节奏感，与无限变化及流动的音乐节奏一样，表现了书法家与音乐家起伏思潮与情感。

相同的，音乐也可以说是舞剑于纸上。

唐代（618-907）著名的书法家张旭以草书而闻名。草书与其它书体不同，看似容易，其实写起来很难。他的草书成就是他登上了‘草圣’的宝座。

张旭与著名剑舞家公孙大娘是同时代的人。公孙大娘舞剑时大胆跳跃、优美转换、精确冲刺，在张旭的眼中，就如文字点划的书写一样。他从公孙大娘的舞剑中得到灵感，把他所见到的紧张刺激的舞姿融入书法里。所以，我们看到他的书法时，还会感觉到毛笔在纸上移动时的势态与优美动作。

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Good calligraphy possesses rhythm, emotion, aesthetic, beauty, spirituality and, perhaps most importantly, the character of the calligrapher. Calligraphic works express various essential factors of beauty - balance, proportion, variety, continuity, contrast, movement, change and harmony - through the different shapes and forms of the lines, their combinations and ways of movement. Chinese calligraphy is therefore said to be the ‘painting without images, a piece of music without sounds, a stage without actors and actresses and a building without components and materials.’

Like music, calligraphy has rhythm as its main element. The dots and strokes in thick and light ink or in round or square shapes demonstrate obvious rhythms, like changing and moving musical rhythms, expressing the surging thoughts and emotions of the calligrapher and musician alike.

Similarly, one may say calligraphy is swordplay on paper.

Zhang Xu, a famous calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) particularly excelled at the caoshu (cursive) style of calligraphy. Cursive script differs from other styles of calligraphy in appearing deceptively simple when it is actually very difficult to execute. His calligraphic artistry resulted in his epithet as ‘sage of cursive script.’

Zhang Xu and expert swordplay dancer Madame Gongsun were contemporaries. The attitudes struck by Madame Gongsun in her dance sequences of bold leaps, graceful swoops and deadly accurate lunges were, in Zhang Xu’s eyes, unusually defined outlines of Chinese characters. He drew inspiration from Madame Gongsun’s swordplay and incorporated everything he found thrilling about her performances into his distinctive style of calligraphy.

Hence, when reading his calligraphy work, one can feel the momentum and gracious movements of his brush moving on the paper.