The death of celebrated translator, scholar and poet Yang Xianyi was mourned this morning in western Beijing at Baobaoshan cemetery.  Hundreds of well-wishers and media were there to pay respects to Yang Xianyi, he was 95 years old.

Yang Xianyi’s life was ripe with celebrated achievements, he and his wife Gladys Taylor produced definitive translations of Chinese classics and Yang was full of intellectual vibrancy, an “upright scholar” if modern China ever produced one.  In China’s pivotal century, his life might well be the quintessential definition of inter-cultural exchange.

Yang Xianyi and his wife Gladys Taylor met at Oxford in the 1930s, and returned together to a war torn China, where they roamed in the southwest before they began translating, eventually moving to Beijing in 1951 in support of the Communists, they engaged in decades of translation, political persecution, and loving companionship.

The funeral hall was filled with flowers, and well wishes from leaders as high as Jiang Zemin, Wen Jiabao and Wu Bangguo, nearly the entire staff of the Foreign Languages Press came to pay respects, but the passing was only made easier to know that Yang Xianyi’s tremendous contributions will outlive him for many decades to come.

Never afraid to speak his mind, always standing on the side of righteousness and humanistic and sympathetic to the people, the passing of an intellectual such as Yang Xianyi brings an era of heroism nearer to a close.

R.I.P. Yang Xianyi 杨宪益 (1915-2009)
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The Guardian has an excellent obituary by old friend John Gittings
看卫报的中文版的讣告： 大翻译家杨宪益
DANWEI has translated some of his more political vignettes in an obituary here
看新浪的杨宪益告别仪式报道
Yang Xianyi NYT obituary
more from the Independent

Sometimes, in the spirit of preserving our mental health (and also following the sound example of many Chinese citizens) we block out the droves of nincompoopery political advertising that  inundates Beijing’s population during political festivals. However, China’s 60th anniversary recently passed, and left behind a rich trail of propaganda and harmonious good-tidings that begs to be deciphered by the twisted minds who are so inclined to pay interest to such mass messages from the state.

Thus it follows, a Chinese lesson for all souls who wish to join the“family,” as delivered to you by the creamy voices of Jackie Chan and favored Party chanteuse Liu Yuanyuan. The first video below was the National Day ‘debut’ of the patriotic song, written especially for the 60th anniversary and sung in The Square complemented by hundreds of jubilant dancers.

Please note the harmonious joy of China’s minorities as they dance happily in unison in The Square, this is very likely the favored past time of all the 56 minorities. This joyous display (which later incorporates Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao, etc.) of course also indicates that even though we may be wearing different satin costumes, or of economic classes, our common ground is here: dancing below the benevolent face of the great leader.

Which brings us to our lesson, where we focus on three words:
国    GUO    (kingdom––the simplified character is a composite of characters for “jade”surrounded by a “mouth”）
家    JIA     (family, home––literally a “pig” covered with a “roof tile”)
国家     GUOJIA    (nation, country, state––the combination of the above two characters)

The Chinese for “China” is 中国 ZHONGGUO  (中=middle, inside) All of this word dissection is vital to understanding the first two lines of the song. Pay attention!

Now, due to the ingenious word play in this clever song, the appropriate words will be substituted below: GUO, JIA & GUOJIA.

Note that each time “JIA” is sung, one or both singers makes the sign language signal  for “home.” Special note for Cai Guo-Qiang fans, he was the “General Director” of the fireworks display you see at the end of the video.

(China based readers can see it on Sina here)

一玉口中国    Jade inside a mouth––ZHONGGUO
一瓦顶成家    Add a roof tile for a JIA

都说国很大    everyone says the GUO is large
其实一个家    but actually, it’s a JIA

一心装满国    A heart laden with GUO
一手撑起家    a hand props up JIA

家是最小国    JIA is the smallest GUO
国是千万家    a GUO is ten million JIAs

在世界的国    In the World’s GUO
在天地的家    and the JIA of heaven and earth,

有了强的国    having a strong GUO
才有富的家    makes for a wealthy JIA

国的家住在心里    The JIA of the GUO lives in your heart
家的国以和矗立    the GUO of the JIA stands upright with harmony

国是荣誉的毅力    GUO is the perseverance of glory
家是幸福的洋溢    JIA is brimming with prosperity

国的每一寸土地    every inch of the GUO’s soil
家的每一个足迹    every footprint in the JIA

国与家连在一起    GUO and JIA are joined together
创造地球的奇迹    to bring about a planetary marvel
[repeat…]

国是我的国    This GUO is my GUO
家是我的家    This JIA is my JIA
我爱我的国     I love my GUO
我爱我的家     I love my JIA

我爱我国家    I love my GUOJIA!!!

And here, one more time, you have Jackie’s MV version. It features more happy minorities, students reciting their lesson (“GUO, JIA, GUOJIA”), and even some thoughtful calligraphers demonstrating how to write the characters. Later, superstar pianist Lang Lang makes an appearance for a solo played in the Great Hall of the People. (more…)