Text Comp 2024

Welcome to our course website Text_Comp_2024!

Session 1: Organizational issues THU Feb 29, 8:00-8:30 s. 413 SIN II MGR

Session 1: 1. What we learn in this class

• We learn about Chinese text sorts and appropriate writing styles.
• We learn how to translate Chinese text sorts from Chinese into English.
• We learn how to write Chinese texts according to the specific traditions of text sorts.
• We learn to recognize, to understand and to translate different text sorts and writing styles in Chinese.
• We learn to identify characteristics of certain text types, including form and style, common expressions, language level, level of formality, etc.
• We learn to create different text sorts by ourself.

Session 1: 2. Schedule and ...

文章写作 Praktyczna nauka języka chińskiego – kompozycja tekstu SIN II MGR Thursdays s. 413 Sess1 Feb 29 8-9:30, Sess2 Feb 29 9:45-11:15, Sess3 Mar 21, 8:00-9:30, Sess4 Mar 21, 9:45-11:15, Sess5 Apr 4, 8:00-9:30, Sess6 Apr 4, 9:45-11:15, Sess7 Apr 25 8:00-9:30, Sess 8 Apr 25, 9:45-11:15, Sess9 May 9, 8:00-9:30, Sess10 May 9, 9:45-11:15, Sess11 June 13 8:00-9:30, Sess12 June 13, 9:45-11:15, Sess13 MON Jun 17, 8:00-9:30, Sess14 MON Jun 17, 9:45-11:15, Sess15 Jun 20, 8:00-9:30, FinEx Jun 20, 9:45-11:15

Session 1: 2. ... Topics

Session 1: Organization things and systematic overview, Session 2: Fairy Tales, Session 3: ChatGPT, Session 4: ...

Session 1: 3. Suggested changes for this semester

Get a more systematic overview about the different text categories in Chinese understanding in session 1. For sessions 2-15: Always start with a translation of an original Chinese text, identify common structures, terms, idioms, sentence patterns, styles etc. and understand rules of a certain text category. Then create a short (beginning of) a text and get feedback on it live in class.

Session 1: 4. last exam papers

hand back exam papers from last semester, please read comments/corrections

Suggestion: Read best texts composed out aloud.

Task: Listen. If you have questions or suggestions, please interrupt any time. At the end of the reading, please state your impression.

Session 2 THU Feb 29, 9:45-11:15 s. 413 SIN II MGR: 5. Overview on text sorts and writing styles

Task: We read together the definitions of each category on the website. Please make some notes here with the aspects deemed most important to yourself about the categories.

Please have a look at the following blog: https://www.cnblogs.com/bxf0011/p/16178226.html

Chinese text sorts in China are sorted to a specific hierarchical system as follows:

三大文体 The Three Styles of Writing

记叙文 Narrative writing

记叙文重在以情动人；Narrative essays focus on moving people with emotion;

说明文 Expository writing

说明文重在以事明人；Explanatory essays focus on the facts;

议论文 Argumentative essay

议论文重在以理服人 The argumentative essay focuses on convincing people with reasoning

Introduction to the different text sorts, writing styles, genres etc.

描写与记叙的区别是什么？形象、生动的描写，清楚、具体的叙述。

1、应用对象的不同。叙述的作用，一般用于对人物身世、地位、经历等的介绍，对事物的发生、发展、变化的经过的交待。描写主要用于对美的风景、人物的形象、人物的内心世界以及人物的语言、动作和物体的状态等方面进行刻画、描摹。

2、形象感不同。描写，是对人和事物的描摹，重视原来的模样、状态、情景，常常要绘声绘色，给人以身临其境的感觉，形象感强。叙述只是交待人和事物的经历，缺乏描写所表现出来的那种形象感。

文体分为文章体裁和文学体裁。文章体裁包括记叙文、说明文、议论文、应用文。文学体裁包括诗歌、小说、戏剧、散文。”

1、记叙文：以记叙为主要表达方式的记人、叙事、写景、状物的文体。

它具备六要素：时间、地点、人物、事件的起因、经过和结果。

记叙文的样式有消息、通讯（主要包括人物通讯和事件通讯）、游记、人物特写、回忆录等。

例如，夏浩然、樊云芳的《“飞天”凌空》是一篇新闻特写，细致描绘了吕伟在10米跳台跳水比赛中夺冠的精彩场面，把连贯的跳水动作分解为起跳、腾空、入水3个步骤，热情赞美吕伟的精彩表现，表现了强烈的民族自豪感和爱国热情。

2、说明文：以说明为主要表达方式，介绍事物的形态、构造、性质、种类、功能或阐释事理的含义、特点、来源、演变、原理等的文体。

它包括广告、说明书、提要、规则、章程、解说词和科学小品等。

按照说明对象来分，说明文可以分为事物说明文和事理说明文。

按照语言风格来分，说明文可以分为平实性说明文和生动性说明文。

例如，茅以升的《中国石拱桥》是一篇平实性事物说明文，介绍了中国石拱桥历史悠久、造型优美、结构坚固、形式多样等特点，赞美了我国劳动人民的勤劳和智慧。

3、议论文：以议论为主要表达方式，分析、评论某个问题或某个事件，表明观点、立场、态度或看法的文体。

议论文的论证方法主要有举例论证、引用论证、对比论证和比喻论证等。

例如，利哈乔夫的《论教养》这篇议论文提出“教养首先体现在家里”的观点，列举了6种“无教养”的例子和“有教养”的表现，指出优雅风度是有教养的重要表现，引导人们努力做有教养的人。

4、应用文：一般指各级国家机关、企事业单位、社会团体以及个人处理公私事务、传播信息、表达意愿等所应用的具有一定格式的文体的总称。

应用文种类繁多，格式一般包括称呼、问候语、正文、祝颂语、署名和日期。

例如，雨果的《就英法联军远征中国致巴特勒上尉的信》热情赞扬圆明园是世界奇迹，谴责英法联军的强盗行为，体现了雨果的人道主义精神；开头顶格写称谓“先生”，正文先交代写信缘由，后表明自己的看法，结尾有署名和日期。

5、诗歌：用高度凝练的语言，生动形象地表达作者的思想感情，集中反映社会生活并具有一定节奏和韵律的文学体裁。

按照时间先后，可以分为古诗和现代诗。

古诗按照音律，可以分为不讲对仗，押韵较自由的古体诗和在字数、句数、平仄、用韵等方面都有严格规定的近体诗（绝句和律诗）。

按照表达方式，可以分为叙事诗、抒情诗和哲理诗等。

例如，刘禹锡的《酬乐天扬州初逢席上见赠》这首律诗抒发了诗人刘禹锡的复杂感情：既有对自身长期被贬谪流放的心酸、愤懑，也有对世事变迁的慨叹，还有百折不挠、积极进取的乐观精神。

6、小说：以刻画人物形象为中心，通过完整的故事情节和环境描写来反映社会生活的文学体裁。

按照篇幅及容量，可以分为长篇小说、中篇小说、短篇小说和微型小说(小小说)。

按照表现内容，可以分为神话、仙侠、武侠、科幻、公案、言情、官场、悬疑小说等。

按照体制，可以分为章回体小说、日记体小说、书信体小说、自传体小说。

按照语言形式，可以分为文言小说和白话小说。

例如，鲁迅的《故乡》这篇小说着重刻画了闰土和杨二嫂两个人物形象，运用对比手法，反映了辛亥革命前后农村破产的现实，表达了鲁迅对改造旧社会、创造新生活的强烈愿望。

7、散文：抒发作者真情实感、写作方式灵活的记叙类文学体裁。

广义上的散文是指在中国古代文学中，与韵文、骈文相对，不追求押韵和句式工整的文章。

狭义上的散文是指在中国现代文学中，与诗歌、小说、戏剧并行的一种文学体裁。

按照表达方式，可以分为叙事散文、抒情散文、哲理散文等。

例如，朱自清的《背影》通过回忆往事，描绘了父亲的背影，表现了父亲对儿子的关爱和儿子对父亲的怀念。

8、戏剧：文学上的戏剧概念是指为戏剧表演所创作的脚本，即剧本。

戏剧语言包括人物语言和舞台说明。

例如，孙鸿的话剧小品《枣儿》运用象征手法，围绕“枣儿”展开情节，反映了社会变迁，表现了深切的父子亲情。

记叙是写作中最基本、最常见的一种表达方式，它是作者对人物的经历和事件的发展变化过程以及场景、空间的转换所作的叙说和交代，在写事文章中应用较为广泛，作用也比较多。

描写是把描写对象的状貌、情态描绘出来(包括心理描写、语言描写、动作描写、神态描写、外貌描写、细节描写、环境描写等），再现给读者的一种表达方式。用生动形象的语言把人物的形态、动作或景物的状态等具体特征描绘出来。一般分为人物描写或景物描写。它是记叙文，特别是文学创作中的主要表达方式之一。在一般的抒情、议论、说明文中，有时也把它作为一种辅助手段。描写的手法运用得好，能逼真传神、生动形象，使读者如见其人、如闻其声、如临其境，从中受到强烈的艺术感染。

抒情就是抒发和表现作者的感情。具体指以形式化的话语组织，象征性地表现个人内心情感的一类文学活动，它与叙事相对，具有主观性、个性化和诗意化等特征。作为一种特殊的文学反映方式，抒情主要反映社会生活的精神方面，并通过在意识中对现实的审美改造，达到心灵的自由。抒情是个性与社会性的辩证统一，也是情感释放与情感构造、审美创造的辩证统一。它是抒情文体中的主要表达方式，在一般的文学作品和记叙文中，也常常把它作为重要的辅助表达手段。

议论就是作者对某个议论对象发表见解，以表明自己的观点和态度。通过讲事实、说道理等方法对人物或事情发表自己的观点、看法，通常带有较强的主观色彩.它的作用在于使文章鲜明、深刻，具有较强的哲理性和理论深度。在议论文中，它是主要表达方式；在一般记叙文、说明文或文学作品中，也常被当作辅助表达手段。

说明是用简明扼要的文字，把事物的形状、性质、特征、成因、关系、功用等解说清楚的表达方式。这种被解说的对象，有的是实体的事物，如山川、江河、植物、文具、建筑、器物等；有的是抽象的道理，如思想、意识、修养、观点、概念、原理、技术等。

Further links

https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%96%87%E4%BD%93/16028493

https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/2143455894308426188

https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/1240699755138877859.html

https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/498662858

Homework until Session 3

Please collect things you find as being typical/characteristic for different text sorts or writing styles in Chinese and submit them via Teams before Session 3.

Preparatory homework for every session

Please prepare the topics of the following session by reading the respective texts and by answering the respective questions if there are any.

Final paper after Session 15

Please think of a text sort you would like to try. Whenever you indicate a reference, please also mention the page number. Please confirm with the instructor that the topic is appropriate.

Session 3 THU Mar 21, 8:00-8:30 s. 413 SIN II MGR: 童话故事 Fairy tales - Translation Exercise in Class

Please sort this text sort into the hierarchy we have introduced. Does it fit in more than one category?

Background information for the fairy tale

小红帽是德国童话作家格林的童话《小红帽》中的人物。 “小红帽”的故事版本多达一百多个，小红帽最早的结局是被邪恶的野狼吞噬。 后来，在格林兄弟笔下，勇敢的猎人杀死大野狼，救出了小红帽。 在最近的版本中，又成了小红帽用剪刀剪破大野狼的肚皮，自己拯救了自己。

Please translate the following content summary (not original fairy tale text) from Chinese into English and answer the questions beneath:

在一个乡下，有一个小女孩时常穿著她奶奶在生日时送她的一顶小红帽，这顶小红帽戴在她头上再合适不过了，于是大家就都喊她“小红帽”。也没有人知道她的真实名字。有一天，妈妈让她把糕饼等一些食物送给住在另一个村庄生病的奶奶。于是小红帽从家里出发了。去奶奶家的路需要穿过森林。森林里有一只大野狼，想把小红帽给吃了，却又不敢在光天化日下直接这么做。他便先上前和小红帽搭话，并得知了小红帽将要去的地方。大野狼于是想出一个计谋，提议小红帽摘些花朵。小红帽听信大野狼的话，在树林里编花束。大野狼这时先赶到了小红帽奶奶家并把奶奶给吃了。狡猾的大野狼穿上了奶奶的衣服躺在床上。当小红帽来时没有认出大野狼，也被她吞了下去。

意大利版本：

小红帽在没有得到其他人帮助的情况下，凭著自己的智慧逃出了大灰狼的魔爪。

后来的版本：

又更改成一位伐木工人来救她

格林童话的版本：

一位猎人路过，把二人从狼肚里面救了出来。不过也有跟七只小羊一样的情节，猎人把小红帽和奶奶救出之后，把许多大石头放进大野狼的肚子里后，用针线缝起来。最后大野狼醒来后口渴想喝水，跑到水井那里，结果因为肚子里的石头太重，它一不小心跌进了水井被淹死。

后来，又出现了小红帽去奶奶家途中再一次遇上大野狼，最后小红帽用奶奶刚煮过香肠的热水把大野狼烫死的版本。

原文的段落 Passages from the original

https://www.sohu.com/a/300482299_254119#:~:text=%E5%B0%8F%E7%BA%A2%E5%B8%BD%E6%98%AF%E5%BE%B7%E5%9B%BD%E7%AB%A5%E8%AF%9D%E4%BD%9C%E5%AE%B6,%E8%82%9A%E7%9A%AE%EF%BC%8C%E8%87%AA%E5%B7%B1%E6%8B%AF%E6%95%91%E4%BA%86%E8%87%AA%E5%B7%B1%E3%80%82

经典版故事简介

从前有个人见人爱的小姑娘，喜欢戴着外婆送给她的一顶红色天鹅绒的帽子，于是大家就叫她小红帽。有一天，母亲叫她给住在森林的外婆送食物，并嘱咐她不要离开大路，走得太远。小红帽在森林中遇见了狼，她从未见过狼，也不知道狼性凶残，于是把来森林中的目的告诉了狼。狼知道后诱骗小红帽去采野花，自己跑到林中小屋去把小红帽的外婆吃了。并装成外婆，等小红帽来找外婆时，狼一口把她吃掉了。后来一个猎人把小红帽和外婆从狼肚里救了出来。

欧洲流传版本

大灰狼等小红帽在傍晚回家时偷偷跟在她的后面，想趁天黑把她吃掉。可外婆看穿了这家伙的坏心思。她想起屋子前有一个大石头槽子，便对小姑娘说：“小红帽，把桶拿来。我昨天做了一些香肠，提些煮香肠的水去倒进石头槽里。”小红帽提了很多很多水，把那个大石头槽子装得满满的。香肠的气味飘进了狼的鼻孔，它使劲地用鼻子闻呀闻，并且朝下张望着，到最后把脖子伸得太长了，身子开始往下滑。它从屋顶上滑了下来，正好落在大石槽中，淹死了。小红帽高高兴兴地回了家，从此再也没有谁伤害过她。

现代童话人偶剧《小红帽》:

小橙堡版本

当可爱的小红帽遇到美食专家大灰狼，惊险滑稽的故事再次华丽展开。以尝尽天下美食为梦想的大灰狼，练就了一手好厨艺。他善于欺骗和表演，要将森林里的小动物和孩子们都变成自己的美食。轻信了陌生人的小红帽能从危险中逃脱么？敬请小朋友们一起加入这场趣味横生的视觉盛宴，与小红帽一起经历机智、勇敢的成长之路。

名导演打造顶级舞美

本剧由国家一级导演王子斌倾力打造，力求给小朋友们一部高品质儿童剧。本剧集结了多种艺术表现形式，不仅有人偶同台表演，还将现代多媒体技术与传统演出形式相结合，丰富了舞台表现力，呈现了一个惟妙惟肖的童话世界。除了声光电交织的舞台效果，本次舞美道具的精致程度更是超越以往，场景异常绚丽！

精彩纷呈的舞台

大灰狼摇身一变成了一位美食家，一改凶残可怕的形象，活泼逗趣的风格更容易让小朋友接受。同时，剧中还增加了其他的小动物角色，故事内容更加丰富：美食家大灰狼、天真无邪的小红帽、活蹦乱跳的兔子、健步如飞的小马……整个舞台异彩纷呈。演出过程中，处处让孩子与剧情亲密接触，更多惊喜互动尽在现场！

寓教于乐

童话人偶剧《小红帽》将一个略显平淡、短小的童话故事改编得更加丰富生动，通过小红帽的历险旅程，告诉小朋友们：只有充分发挥自己的聪明才智，才能在困难和危险面前临危不惧，勇敢战胜邪恶。小朋友们在观看演出时，仿佛走进小红帽的童话世界，亲身体验了一次关于友情、善良与勇敢的心灵之旅。童话人偶剧《小红帽》让孩子们在接受艺术启蒙的同时，潜移默化地学会人生哲理。

Are the characters symbols? If yes, what do they symbolize?

1. Little Red Riding Hood
2. Grandmother
3. Wolf
4. Hunter
5. ...

Do you know about Fables? Are there overlaps between fables and fairy tales?

The following article discusses the differences in detail: https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-fable-and-vs-fairy-tale/#:~:text=Fables%20and%20Fairy%20tales%20are%20adored%20stories%20among%20us.,fantasy%20world%20to%20the%20reader.

It begins with these two paragraphs:

The key difference between fable and fairy tale is that fable focuses mainly on giving an important moral lesson while fairy tale mainly focuses on creating a fantasy world to the reader.

Storytelling has been going on not only as a pastime but also as a means to make people learn moral lessons in a fun-filled manner. Though in present times, because of the advent of electronic media and computers, the importance of these short stories has gone down a bit, there can be no gainsaying the fact that these short stories have been an important means of education and enjoyment for little kids as well as kids at heart. There are many different forms of these short stories such as fable, parable, fairy tales, folktales, myths, and legends. There are people who cannot differentiate between fable and fairy tales because of their similarities. This article attempts to highlight their differences for the readers.

[...]

What personalities/characters do animals stand for in fables/fairy tales?

1. Wolf
2. Squirrel
3. Mouse
4. Cat
5. Fox
6. Lion
7. Bunny
8. Dog
9. Horse
10. Donkey
11. Monkey
12. Raven
13. ...

What typical expressions are used to signalize that it is a fairy tale?

“从前，有一个可爱女孩儿……” Once upon a time, there was ...

然后，他们就永远幸福的在一起了。 And they lived happily ever after...

Terms

• 童话故事
• 神话
• 预言
• 神话

Translation Tool for Fairy Tales

There is a useful tool to help you to translate a fairy tale into different languages. For example from Chinese into Polish:

https://www.grimmstories.com/language.php?grimm=026&l=zh&r=pl

Session 3-4: Learn about the genre "fairy tale"

C1 Mar 7, C2 Mar 14

Session 4 THU Mar 21, 9:45-11:15 s. 413 SIN II MGR "Learn about the genre Fairy Tale"

C3 Mar 28

Session 5 THU Apr 4, 8:00-8:30 s. 413 SIN II MGR

Mar 28 - Apr 2: Easter Holiday in Poland

Session 6 THU Apr 4, 9:45-11:15 s. 413 SIN II MGR ChatGPT 2nd part: Mimick a Chat GPT text

Apr 4-6 is Qingming holiday in China, the Chinese students make up for the missed classes on Sun (!) Apr 7 and 28.

C4 Apr 11, C5 Apr 18

Session 7 THU Apr 11, 8:00-8:30 s. 413 SIN II MGR

Homework for Session 7-8

Please go to the website https://www.gushi365.com/, pick a fairy tale, fulfill the task in Teams (send the title and Chinese text into Teams and translate it into English, send the English translation there too).

Session 8 THU Apr 11, 9:45-11:15 s. 413 SIN II MGR

Please write an extremely short fairy tale.

Apply the rules and use the expressions you have learned with the translation exercise.

Session 9 THU Apr 18, 8:00-8:30 s. 413 SIN II MGR

Chat GPT

特点：

如果我们让它创造“狐狸的故事”，它就会经常重复“狐狸”这个词，比如：“狐狸是……。狐狸说：……狐狸做……”。这跟人不一样。

人的回答：

• “好的，我跟你讲一个故事！……”
• “嗯？想不起来。不认识狐狸的故事。”
• 少提到“狐狸”。
• 说的长一点
• dialectic argumentation 辩证法的立论
• pretends to be objective 假装是客观的
• problems occuring due to languages: If you prompt ChatGPT in Chinese, the language quality of the output is lower than if you prompt it in English (best results: Prompt the comannd part in English)
• ChatGPT does not always meet the language style required, e.g. Mao Zedong Thoughts (original texts are more in written style 书面语, ChatGPT more colloquial)

Task: Write a Chinese text of 100 characters about the topic "How ChatGPT will change the homework writing of university students".

ChatGPT: 聊天GPT将改变大学生的作业写作方式，提供即时帮助和灵感，使他们更高效地完成任务，拓展思维。

Topic: Chat GPT - Translation Exercise in Class

Please create a few short chat gpt texts and compare them. Are there similarities that help you to decide whether or not a text is a Chat GPT text?

Rules for artificial creation: In the prompt, please limit the text to 100 characters in order to create a short text.

Findings through comparison:

• Language very similar through the whole text, each sentence often using some pathetic ("gem", "realm") or illustrative (比喻 corresponds to metaphor, allegory, figure of speech, figurative speech) words ("delve into") and often mention at least two aspects of one thing. To mention two aspects makes a text look more objective, as if you have also considered counter arguments, and more professional.
• Longer texts in ChatGPT are often split into paragraphs explaining single aspects and headed by a subheader. Characteristical for ChatGPT is, that these paragraphs are often equally long although one aspect might be much more important and worth to be elaborated than another aspect.

Chinese Text Composition April 18, 2024. Name: _______________________

1. Please select a ChatGPT tool. If you do not know any, you can use http://chat.openai.com and register with a free account.

2. Please think of a general topic in reality you are interested in (e.g. introduction to Poznan, China from Polish perspective, Climate change, Polish politics, awareness to live in an age of crises etc.).

Sample Answer: How ChatGPT will change the homework writing of university students

3. Please prompt ChatGPT with: „Please write a text in Chinese, 100 characters long, about the topic [topic].“

Sample Answer: Write a Chinese text of 100 characters about the topic "How ChatGPT will change the homework writing of university students".

4. Please write the answer here:

聊天GPT将改变大学生的作业写作方式，提供即时帮助和灵感，使他们更高效地完成任务，拓展思维。

5. Please analyze the answer: Are there any typical phrases, words, argumentation patterns, overall impression etc.? (We will collect more typical things in the forum, please write them down here too in English.)

Sample Answer: Wrong translations (ChatGPT => 聊天GPT),

Example of writing a Chinese text on Polish politics: ChatGPT then writes a text in Chinese on Chinese politics, that people are unsatisfied with the anti corruption politics. This reminds us of the fact that ChatGPT is key word centered, meaning if you use keywords like China, Poland it might apply all of these keywords equally to the topic (let's say politics). This is also the case for image creation.

Sample findings:

• When you mention Taiwan, it will automatically write in traditional characters.
• When you ask him to write about Polish politics in Chinese, it writes about Chinese politics.

6. Please write a translation of the sentence into English:

7. Please think of a different general topic in reality. Topic: 8. Please write a Chinese text of 100 characters on this topic „in the style of ChatGPT“ according to the characteristics we collected in task 5.  

Session 10 THU Apr 25, 9:45-11:15 s. 413 SIN II MGR

Topic: Text in the style of a Chat GPT-Text - Text composition

Counter-intuitively manually write a text that reads like a Chat GPT text.

Apply the rules and use the expressions you have learned with the translation exercise.

Session 12 THU Apr 25, 9:45-11:15 s. 413 SIN II MGR

May 1-3 are Workers' and Constitution holidays in Poland. (May 8 is sports holiday.)

May 1-5 is an extended May 1st holiday in China, the Chinese students make up for missed classes on Sat May 11.

C6 May 16, C7 May 23, C8 May 30, C9 Jun 6

May 30-31 holiday Corpus Christi in Poland.

June 8-10 is Duanwu holiday in China.

Session 13 THU Jun 13, 8:00-8:30 s. 413 SIN II MGR

Chinese text composition

text Genre: explanations

instruction manual

step-by-step guide or

process description

1. Please think of a problem and its solution and describe the solution step-by-step you can also choose from the example beneath

a) We want to book a room in the Chinese university to offer for students

b) we want the lecture to be part of the lectures where students receive one credit point if they attend at least five lectures per semester

c) We you would like the car to come to the campus until the gatekeeper at the restricted entrance that it is only picking someone up and relief again the same should be said at the barrier at the beginning of the hill over the intercom so that the unman barrier is also opened for him

d) we want the delivery company to deliver the goods directly to the store in the compound with restricted access.

Problem Description (wechat message received):

Martin, the director of student affairs office asked me to go to his office room just now and he talked to me. I want to inform you the situation. After yesterday's meeting, Sari and me talked about how to get a certification for our lecture every time. We knew this might help a lot because this could bring some credits to the students and they would happily come because of that. By doing this we could enlarge our influence. I talked to the director of translation department Mr. Ma this noon. He told me that he had never heard of some lecture's certificate and he never made one on behalf of his department. He couldn't do that. So me and Sari decided to turn to the students affairs office. Because all of our lectures' certificate were made by it and affixed by its seal. So I met the director of that office Mr. 张元强 this afternoon. He replied me directly that he couldn't make one and I should go to academy affairs office to meet Ms. 陈燕孜. But she was not in the room at that time. Her colleage took me to meet another sir called Mr. 孔. Mr. 孔 took me back to Mr.张元强 and Mr. 张 was so angry. He said we couldn't get a certificate because we can't attend a lecture on the purpose of getting some credits. I did try to explain we just wanted to enlarge our influence and no matter on what purpose, any students attending an official lecture does get credits. But he didn't listen to me and he claimed again that this was not his responsibility. He let me go to Ms.陈 again. So I waited in Ms.陈's office room untill she came back. I introduced our project to her and she said she could make a certificate for us as long as she made sure this was official and she was going to ask you guys. And she let me go. Just now Mr.张 called me to go to his office room again. He told me that our lectures are not certified so we couldn't get any certificate for our attending guys. I did try to explain to him but he didn't seem to understand. I actually didn't finish my word untill he asked me to leave[Frown]

Session 14 THU Jun 13, 9:45-11:15 s. 413 SIN II MGR

Corrections by teacher.

Session 15 MON Jun 17, 8:00-8:30 s. 413 SIN II MGR

Today we have the final session of our text composition course. We will look into the draft for the final exam papers received so far and jointly discussed how to improve them.

We will jointly go through the texts

Literature of searching for roots

Fairytale / adventure in the forest

Adventure in the forest

Once upon a time, in a beautiful forest, lived a happy fox family. Mom and her seven cubs. A little fox named Pabu was the youngest and weakest member of the family, so his mother, brothers and sisters are very protective of him. Because they have always wanted to protect him, they prevented him from doing many interesting things.

"Don't go too close to the river."

"Don't go too far."

"Don't talk to unfamiliar animals."

What he is most curious about is the places he has never been, even with his mother or any brother or sister. They said it's a terrible place, so he can't go there.

Although the little fox understood that danger could lurk in the world at any time, he still felt a bit discouraged because he felt it was necessary to take some interesting trips.

One day, on the first day of spring, when he walked out of the burrow in the morning, he saw the forest come back to life. Trees and shrubs turned green, bees left the hive, and the air became warmer. He was glad that winter had ended. At first, Pabu felt happy and excited about everything around him. He jumps back and forth in the forest, smelling the fragrance of different flowers, chasing colorful butterflies.

Suddenly, he noticed the largest caterpillar he had ever seen in his life. He curiously started jumping around next to it, laughing happily.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked as the caterpillar started crawling through the leaves.

The little fox unconsciously moved further and further away from the burrow.

He did not notice when he no longer felt the smell of his mother, nor did he hear his brothers and sisters playing outside the den.

Suddenly, the last time he saw a caterpillar, he saw two sparkling yellow eyes.

Pabu was very scared and crouched down to flatten his ears, slowly retreating. He felt increasingly worried and realized that he didn't know how to return to the family burrow he truly wanted to go to. When the yellow eyes in the bushes began to make strange noises, the fox turned around and started running forward. He had never seen an owl in his life because he had never come out of his den at night.

Suddenly, the little fox saw a wolf and was frightened, causing him to suddenly stop. This wolf has sharp eyes and a strong body, which scared the little fox. The fox attempted to retreat, but the wolf noticed him. Surprisingly, the wolf did not show any hostility, but instead spoke to him in a gentle voice:

"Little fox, why are you here alone? You shouldn't have walked so far."

"The forest in spring is so beautiful. I just want to see the world, but now I'm lost. I can't find my mother, nor can I find my way home." The fox sobbed.

"There are many dangers in the forest. You are still young and should be taken care of by your family now. Although exploring the world is fun, without enough experience and skills, it is easy to get into trouble."

The little fox heard the wolf's words and it made sense. He began to regret leaving the house without permission. However, he still doesn't know how to return to his own family. The wolf knows what to do.

"Don't worry, we will find your mother."

Fortunately, it has been proven that wolves know the entire forest like the back of their hands. So the wolf led the little fox through the forest, around the mountain, through the creek, and finally found the way back to the burrow. The little fox returned safely, and his mother and brothers and sisters were very happy. They won't be angry with him. They realized that getting angry with him was meaningless because he had already experienced enough and learned from it. They were very happy that he had found a good friend and helped him find his way home. They knew that this story might have a different ending, so they were very grateful to the wolf.

From that moment on, the little fox also began to understand the feelings of his family and cherish their love and care even more. He realized how important it is to protect his family when he is not strong enough. The little fox decided to follow the advice of his family and strive to grow up until he was truly strong, in order to explore this wonderful world. On the contrary, the wolf promised him that when the fox grew up, he would teach Pabu everything about the forest and its rules.

Moral: This story tells us that when we are not strong enough, the love and protection of our family are our strongest support. We must cultivate love among family and friends, and listen to their advice. Only in this way can we grow safely and face future challenges.

Root Literature

Roots-seeking literature, also known as “寻根文学” (xúngēn wénxué), took root in China during the 1980s. It emerged as a response to the rapid social and political changes in China, particularly after the May Fourth Movement (1919) and the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). This literary trend serves as a way to reflect on the past, allowing people to gain deeper insights into Chinese history and culture.

The concept of “寻根” (xúngēn) first appeared in a letter written by Li Tuo to Wu Rehtu in 1984 regarding his literary works. Li Tuo expressed a desire to return to his hometown and begin “寻根.” Lidia Kasarełło, in her work “The Totem of Life… Chinese Roots-Seeking Literature,” described Chinese roots-seeking literature (1984-88) as a highly complex, intriguing phenomenon that has challenged sinologists for years. Its purpose is to rediscover and revive traditional values, cultural identity, and spiritual heritage erased by violent social and political upheavals like the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Roots-seeking authors critique historical injustices, disrupt traditions, and attempt to reconnect with them.

These literary works play an immeasurable role in improving the quality of life for the Chinese people and furthering China’s economic development. Given the vast expanse of the country, literature becomes a medium for conveying the latest changes and development trends. Roots-seeking authors often criticize the country’s modernization and urbanization, juxtaposing rural traditions with contemporary urban styles to define Chinese identity within the context of contemporary transformations. Notable roots-seeking literature authors include Ah Cheng, Han Shaogong, Jia Pingwa, and Mo Yan.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, China continuously imported Western literary works, positively influencing Chinese writers. Chinese individuals sought role models, and the ideals of European Romantic heroes—those who sacrificed themselves for their homeland, torn by doubts, and dedicated to noble struggles for national liberation—resonated deeply with the Chinese nation. The Cultural Revolution suppressed Chinese culture and values, resulting in the destruction of historical artifacts, religious sites, and cultural traditions, now considered remnants of the past. This turmoil disrupted the continuity of Chinese cultural identity, leaving many citizens bewildered. However, a belief emerged that Chinese people could view their culture from different angles.

Subsequently, many writers deliberately adopted a strategy of constructing cyclic meaning. Contemporary Chinese creators use allusions and reflections to explore cultural identity. While earlier Chinese literature aimed for specificity, current works are filled with references to past events, including allegories and symbols that sometimes make texts challenging to read. Jerome Seymour Bruner posits a unique relationship between individuals and culture, where culture shapes human thought and vice versa. Cultural features depend on both those who create it and those shaped by it. In China, an idealized view of the past hinders free thinking, but after the formal end of the Cultural Revolution in 1977, a drive to restore national order led people to seek behavioral models within China’s old culture.

This shift, perhaps an unintended consequence of economic and social reforms initiated in October 1981, prompted academic institutions to analyze and interpret the connections between Far Eastern and Western civilizations. In 1985, Han Shaogong published “The Roots of Literature,” attempting to explain this phenomenon within Chinese literature. Since then, the systematic roots-seeking trend has persisted. Authors of this generation carry firsthand experiences of trauma, which continue to shape their lives and careers. Each writer emphasizes their cultural identity in their own way. Artists and craftsmen strive to maintain traditional techniques and styles while injecting contemporary influences and innovations.

In summary, roots-seeking literature plays a crucial role in restoring and understanding Chinese cultural identity amidst contemporary challenges. Its significance and legacy remain essential for Chinese literature and the broader cultural and social context, representing a valuable contribution to global literature and the humanities。

Session 16 MON Jun 17, 9:45-11:15 s. 413 SIN II MGR

Mon Jun 17 (Thursday classes), Tue Jun 18 (Friday classes) in Poland.

Final Exam

Exam session: Jun 24-Jul 7. Retake session Sep 1-15.

Jul 20-22 Chinese Studies Conference.