20230630 final exam culture 01

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Tang Yingzi 唐英姿 - Science and Technology: We-Media in China

Since the launch of Sina Weibo in 2009, China's self-media has developed rapidly, varied and on a large scale, and its communication platform pattern has initially taken shape-- a head information platform dominated by Sina Weibo, Wechat official account and Headlines Today, a head short video platform dominated by Douyin and Kuaishou, a head social platform dominated by Wechat and QQ, and a head music platform dominated by QQ Music and NetEase cloud music. The head knowledge community platform based on Zhihu and Douban, and so on. This fully shows that after more than a decade of development, the media not only continues to meet the needs of the people for rich information life, but also provides material services for real life. 中国自媒体自 2009 年新浪微博上线以来，以各种各样的形式发展十分迅猛，规模也是水涨船高。头条资讯平台有新浪微博、微信公众号、今日头条；摇一摇、快手摇身一变成为了短视频的头部平台；微信、QQ 成头部社交平台，网友热议。这些平台构成了初步形成的沟通平台。 QQ 音乐、网易云音乐为主要音乐平台。基于知乎和豆瓣的头部知识社区平台等。这充分表明，经过十多年的发展，媒体不仅不断满足人民群众丰富信息生活的需求，还为现实生活提供物质服务。 Short videos have become the most popular self-media. In recent years, short videos have risen rapidly by virtue of their short duration, convenience, high level of entertainment and strong social interaction, and their user penetration rate has been increasing year by year. In its 2019-2020 China Internet Trends Report, Tencent-Penguin Intelligence predicts that one of the trends in China's Internet is that among the new increase in Internet users, "video is likely to be the first medium for them to reach the Internet". After WeChat's competition with short video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou, Tencent officially started the internal testing of WeChat's video number on 22 January 2020, with the intention of making another push into short videos on the back of the instant messaging platform with 1.2 billion daily activities. According to the 50th Statistical Report on the Development Status of China's Internet Network (hereinafter referred to as "the Report") released by the China Internet Network Information Center, as of June 2022, the user scale of short videos in China grew the most significantly, reaching 962 million, an increase of 28.05 million from December 2021, accounting for 91.5% of Internet users as a whole. This shows that the short video windfall has arrived, with fierce competition from major Internet companies and short video platforms becoming the hottest self-publishing platforms. 短视频成为自媒体宠儿。时长短、便捷性高、娱乐性强、社交能力强、用户渗透率逐年提升是短视频近年来快速崛起的优势。在其发布的《2019~2020 年中国互联网趋势报告》中，腾讯企鹅智能预测，视频很可能是中国互联网趋势之一——新网民最早接触互联网的媒介。继微信与抖音、快手等短视频平台同台竞技后，意欲背靠即时通信平台 12 亿日活跃量的微信视频号再次发力短视频，腾讯于 2020 年 1 月 22 日正式开启微信视频号内测。中国互联网络信息中心(CNNIC)发布的《中国互联网络发展状况第 50 次统计报告》(下称《报告》)显示，截至 2021 年 6 月，在整体网民中占比 91.5%的短视频用户规模增长最为显著，达到 9.62 亿，较 2021 年 12 月增长 2805 万。这表明，短视频的红利期已经到来，来自各大互联网公司的激烈竞争和短视频平台成为最炙手可热的自助发布平台。 Live selling has become a new profit model. Since the formation of the media platform pattern, its profit model and profitability have been widely concerned by people. The existing profit models of self-media platform mainly include knowledge payment, content reward, advertising revenue, e-commerce revenue and so on. In recent years, live streaming has become a new profit model. There are three main self-media platforms for live streaming: Douyin, Kuaishou and Taobao. The carrying mode of the three also has its own characteristics: the vast majority of online stores on Taobao have opened live rooms, where VJs carry out selections and goods; fast users are good at falling below, and rely more on trusting e-commerce, that is, accumulating the anchors' individual user traffic before conversion; Douyin recommends products based on users' interests. Take Kuaishou as an example, its financial report in 2021 shows that its annual revenue is 81.08 billion yuan, of which live broadcast revenue is 31 billion yuan. The online and offline business model has added new momentum to economic development. 直播销售成为新的盈利模式。媒体平台的盈利模式和盈利能力，自媒体平台格局形成之日起就广受关注。自媒体平台现在的盈利方式有几种，知识付费，内容激励，广告，电商营收。直播这几年成了一种新的盈利模式。直播的自媒体平台主要有三种：抖音、快手和淘宝。三者的承载模式也各有特点：淘宝上绝大多数网店都开设了直播间，主播在直播间里进行选品和商品；快手用户大多为下沉用户，更依赖信任电商，即在转化前积累主播的个人用户流量；抖音根据用户兴趣推荐产品。以快手为例，其2021年财报显示，全年营收810.8亿元，其中直播收入310亿元。商业模式线上线下齐发力，经济发展再添新动能。 The sinking market and silver hair economy have broad prospects. At present, the Internet population dividend in China tends to be saturated in first-tier and second-tier cities, and the sinking market in third-tier cities and rural (town) areas has become a new blue sea. Self-media has great potential for development in the sinking market, especially in the vast rural areas. According to the report, as of June 2022, the number of Internet users in China was 1.051 billion, and the Internet penetration rate reached 74.4%; the Internet penetration rate in rural areas was 58.8%, an increase of 1.2% over December 2021; and the proportion of Internet users aged 50 and above was 25.8%. The scale is close to 300 million. It can be seen that the aging of all aspects of the Internet in the future will be more in-depth. 大盘沉沦，银发经济大有可为。目前，下沉市场的三线城市和农村(城镇)成为新蓝海，中国一二线城市的互联网人口红利趋于饱和。自媒体下沉市场，农村大有可为。报告显示，截至 2022 年 6 月，我国网民规模已达 10.51 亿，网民普及率达 74.4%。农村互联网普及率 58.8%，较 2021 年 12 月提升 1.2 个百分点。同时，网民年龄在 50 岁及以上的比例为 25.8%。规模接近3亿。可以看出，未来互联网各方面的老龄化将更加深入。 With the rapid development of self-media in China, there are also some bad phenomena. 中国已经出现了一些不好的现象，同时自媒体也在迅猛的成长。 First, vulgar content pollutes the network environment. The content production mode of the self-media platform is mainly UGC (user-generated content). This model not only enriches the content of the self-media platform, but also brings some hidden dangers. For example, some self-media practitioners publish and spread vulgar content in order to attract the attention of users. Vulgar content is a cancer of the self-media platform, which seriously pollutes the network environment, especially for minors who have not yet formed a good discernment, which is a major hidden danger. At present, after the supervision and governance of various subjects, the phenomenon of vulgar content has been better improved, but its form of expression is also more changeable and hidden, difficult to detect in time. 首先，低俗内容污染了网络环境。以 UGC(用户产生内容)为主导的自媒体平台内容生产模式。这种模式带来了一些隐患，同时也丰富了自媒体平台的内容。例如，一些自媒体从业者发布和传播低俗内容，以吸引用户的注意。低俗内容是严重污染网络环境的自媒体平台毒瘤，本身就存在很大的安全隐患，特别是对于没有形成良好辨识度的未成年人来说，更是如此。目前，经过各主体的监督治理，低俗内容的现象得到了较好的改善，但其表现形式也更加多变隐蔽，难以及时发现。 The second is "pseudo-original + title party" to crack down on original content. After the event of washing manuscripts of "bad reviews", the term "washing manuscripts" has officially entered the public's view, which also reveals that in recent years, some self-media practitioners are not trying to improve the quality of their content, but are racking their brains to "wash manuscripts." Actions such as "washing manuscripts" not only infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of original content providers, but also lead to the flooding of homogenized content. In addition, the behavior of the "title party" is also abhorrent. In order to win views, some self-media practitioners deliberately draw up sensational headlines or titles that have little to do with the original text, which greatly affects the reading experience of netizens. At the same time, some "title parties" misinterpret information, mislead the public, and even cause the public to misunderstand the principles and policies of the party and the state, and destroy the good order of Internet communication. 二是对原创内容的打击力度，采取“伪原创+标题党”的方式。“洗稿”一词在经历了“差评”洗稿事件后，正式进入大众认知，也揭示出一些自媒体从业者近年来并没有在内容质量上下足功夫，费尽心思琢磨着如何将更多精彩内容加入到“洗稿”中。此类行为不仅会侵害创作内容提供者的正当权益，也会造成内容同质化问题的普遍存在。此外，《标题党》的行为也令人反感。一些自媒体从业者为了博取观点，故意编造耸人听闻的标题或标题，与原文关系不大，极大地影响了网友的阅读体验。同时，一些《标题党》曲解信息、误导公众，甚至导致公众误解党和国家的方针政策，破坏了良好的网络传播秩序。 Third, traffic fraud destroys network ecology. Traffic is not only an important index to measure the development of self-media, but also an important basis for the realization ability of self-media. However, some self-media practitioners have the value of traffic supremacy, in order to get more reading, likes, retweets, etc., do not hesitate to spend money to buy data, traffic fraud. Traffic fraud leads to disappointment that ordinary users have been cheated, and the opportunistic behavior of individual self-media practitioners will also disrupt the normal Internet content ecology. The various lists set by some platforms are the hardest hit areas of traffic fraud, so that the good content that the public really likes to hear and hear and the information closely related to people's livelihood is encroached on the position. From the high praise of the e-commerce platform, to the purchase ratings of production organizations and television stations, to the "irrigation" of the Internet Water Army and the cut-off list of fans, it will not only seize the rare attention resources, but also squeeze the living space of high-quality information. 第三，流量造假破坏网络生态。流量是衡量自媒体变现能力的重要依据，也是自媒体发展的一个重要指标——流量变现能力是自媒体变现能力的重要指标。然而，一些自媒体从业者为了追求流量至上的价值，不惜砸钱买数据，以获取更多的阅读、点赞、转发和流量造假。流量造假让普通用户失望上当，正常的互联网内容生态也会被个别自媒体从业者的投机取巧所扰乱。一些平台设置的各种榜单是流量造假的重灾区，让公众真正喜闻乐见的好内容和与民生息息相关的信息侵占阵地。从电商平台的好评，到制作机构、电视台的购买收视率，再到互联网水军和粉丝下线名单的“灌溉”，在抢占难得的关注资源的同时，也挤压了优质资讯的生存空间。 Fourth, Internet rumors disturb the network order. Technology empowerment makes it easier for the public to express their views, and the dissemination of information is more efficient, but it also gives rumors a broader environment to spread. Due to the mixed information in cyberspace, the good and the bad are mixed, which makes the information content difficult to distinguish when reading and easy to deteriorate when it flows. The cost of obtaining information is getting lower and lower, while the cost of knowing the facts and the truth is getting higher and higher. Rumors not only pose a threat to cyberspace, but also extend to real life and change people's behavior. Especially when major events occur, the spread of rumors will increase the degree of social panic and cause harm to the stability of the country and society. In July 2021, during the torrential rain disaster in Zhengzhou, there was a rumor that "Zhengzhou has entered the first-level combat readiness state of a major natural disaster", causing panic among the local and national people. 四是网络谣言扰乱网络秩序。技术赋能让公众更容易表达观点，信息传播更高效，但也让谣言有了更广阔的传播环境。由于网络空间信息混杂，良莠不齐，阅读时信息内容难以区分，流动时信息内容容易变质。在弄清真相的同时，信息的获取成本也水涨船高。谣言不仅对网络空间构成威胁，还延伸到现实生活，改变人们的行为。特别是发生重大事件时，谣言的传播会增加社会恐慌程度，对国家和社会的稳定造成危害。2021年7月，郑州暴雨灾害期间，曾有谣言称，郑州已进入重大自然灾害一级战备状态，在当地和全国人民中引起恐慌。 Fifth, historical nihilism deconstructs the mainstream value. The openness of the Internet has led to the vigorous development of self-media and increased channels for the public to express their views, but it is also easy for people with ulterior motives to enter. For example, there is no lack of historical nihilism in the views expressed by some netizens. Historical nihilism refers to the ideological tendency of blindly negating the process of historical development, historical culture, historical figures, national tradition and national spirit without analysis. In recent years, people's heroes have been questioned, teased and insulted on all kinds of network platforms. For example, on February 19, 2021, Chou, known as "Hot Pen Small Ball", posted illegal remarks on Sina Weibo that maliciously distorted the truth and slandered five heroic officers and soldiers guarding the border. He was later reported by netizens and criminally detained by the police on suspicion of provocation and stirring up trouble. All these phenomena have a negative impact on the network security and ideological construction of our country. 五是解构主流价值的历史虚无主义。互联网的开放带动了自媒体的蓬勃发展，增加了公众发表意见的渠道，但别有用心的人也很容易进入。例如，一些网友发表的观点中不乏历史虚无主义。历史虚无主义是以否定历史发展、否定历史文化、否定历史人物、否定民族传统、否定民族精神为特征的一种历史虚无主义思潮。近年来，人民英雄在各种网络平台上遭到质疑、调侃和侮辱。如 2021 年 2 月 19 日，有“辣笔小球”之称的仇某在新浪微博上发表非法言论，恶意歪曲事实，污蔑戍边英勇的 5 名官兵。后被网友举报涉嫌寻衅滋事，警方对其进行了刑拘。这些现象都给我国的网络安全和思想建设带来不利影响。

Terms and Expressions

Sina Weibo 新浪微博 Headlines Today 今日头条 NetEase cloud music 网易云音乐 Tencent-Penguin Intelligence 腾讯·企鹅智库 2019-2020 China Internet Trends Report《2019—2020中国互联网趋势报告》 Statistical Report on the Development Status of China's Internet Network 《中国互联网络发展状况统计报告》VJ 主播 sinking market下沉市场 silver hair economy 银发经济 pseudo-original伪原创 title party标题党 washing manuscripts 洗稿traffic 流量 rice circle 饭圈 historical nihilism历史虚无主义

Questions

1. What does Tencent Penguin Intelligence predict one of the trends of the Internet in China? 2. As of June 2022, the number of users of short videos in China has increased by hundreds of millions. How many thousands more than in December 2021? What is the overall percentage of netizens? 3. What are the bad phenomena in the rapid development of self-media at the same time? 4. "Hot Pen Small Ball" who posted illegal remarks on Sina Weibo was criminally detained by the police for what crime

References

Huang Chuxin黄楚新. 网络意识形态的新动向及应对策略[New Trends and coping Strategies of Network ideology]. 前线[Frontier]. 2020(3). Tang Xujun, Huang Chuxin, Wang Dan唐绪军、黄楚新、王丹. 中国新媒体发展现状与趋势——2019年新媒体蓝皮书主报告[the present situation and trend of the Development of China's New Media-- the main report of the New Media Blue Book in 2019]. 中国报业[China's newspaper Industry]. 2019(13). Nie Dan聂丹. 自媒体的生存现状与发展之道[the present situation and Development of self-Media]. 新媒体研究[New Media Research]. 2018(4). Lai Wuhui赖武慧. 新媒体与自媒体的发展现状及未来趋势[the present situation and Future trend of New Media and self-Media]. 传播力研究[Communication Power Research]. 2018(2). 第50次中国互联网络发展状况统计报告[The 50th Statistical report on the Development of China's Internet]. 中国互联网络信息中心网[China Internet Network Information Center Network]. 2022,8,31. 2020年全国未成年人互联网使用情况研究报告[Research report on the Internet use of minors in 2020]. 中国互联网络信息中心网[China Internet Network Information Center Network]. 2021,7,20.

Zeng Jingquan 曾锦泉 - The Four Mythological Symbols of China

The Four Mythological Symbols of China

In ancient China, people divided the sky into four parts, which are represented by the four Mythological symbols: the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Black Tortoise. As Chinese people, we have been familiar with these four angel beasts since we were a child. For my part, I heard these four creatures so many times in the games with my classmates, in the chats of adults around, and in cartoons on TV. They are four animals I think holy in my ignorant eyes. There is no doubt that these four mythological symbols play an important part in Chinese culture and people’s daily life. 在中国古代，人们将天域分为四个部分，分别对应四只神兽：青龙、白虎、朱雀、神武。作为中国人，我们自小就对着四只神兽再熟悉不过了。对我而言，无论是从玩伴口中，在身边大人的交谈中，还是在电视上的动画节目上，我都听闻了这四只神兽无数次。在我懵懂的眼中，它们是如此神圣。毫无疑问，这四只神兽在中国的文化和人们的日常生活中有着举足轻重的地位。 According to the records of Classic of Mountains and Rivers (a famous encyclopedia of ancient Chinese social life), each one of the four symbols represents a direction and a season, and they all have their own extraordinary prowess. 据山海经记载，每只神兽都代表着一个方位和季节，并具备非凡的能力。 The Azure Dragon, Qinglong in Chinese, is the head of the four symbols. Its appearance was described in an ancient book of Han Dynasty: the shape of the Azure Dragon is just like snakes, with an imperatorial crown on its head, like the Kylin (Chinese unicorn), and a tail like a carp. It has long whiskers and claws of five fingers, which all show the super power and extraordinary strength. Because of its holy power to suppress evil spirits, the Azure Dragon always appears in palaces and tombs. In graves, its role and duty are to ensure the peace of the occupant of the tomb. Besides, the Azure Dragon represents the spring. Just as the saying in Chinese folklore: “On February 2nd is the Dragon Heads-raising Day.” The existence of the Azure Dragon portends nature wakes in spring. Moreover, the Azure Dragon represents and protects the east, but is different from Chinese traditional dragons. The Azure Dragon is the god beast of remote antiquity. It is unique in the world, with no gender and reproductive capacity. 青龙，是四兽之首。它的外形在汉代有所记载：青龙外形如蛇，头戴麒麟般尊严皇冠，尾呈鲤鱼状。青龙代表着东方。它有着长长的胡须，爪分五指，这一切都展示出它的非凡能力。由于它能够镇压邪灵的神力，青龙总出现在宫殿墓穴当中。在墓穴中，它的职责便是确保墓主的安宁。此外青龙对应着春天。正如中国民间的一句俗语所道：“二月二龙抬头。”青龙预示着春天万物复苏。青龙还代表东方并保护着东方，但却不同于中国传统的龙。青龙是中国远古时期的神兽。它世间仅有一只，无雌雄之分，也无繁殖能力。 The White Tiger, Baihu in Chinese, is the same holy beast good at fighting. Just from the name, white tiger, we can know this mythological symbol’s fierceness. A commonplace saying “The Azure Dragon is on the left, and the White Tiger right”, tells us these two beasts’ special duty and ability different from the remaining two. Just like the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger is also the god beast of fighting, with the prowess to surpass evilness. As a result, its totems are in many catacombs as well, on the right side of the Azure Dragon. In addition to this, the White Tiger is also the god beast of army and victory, the reason of which is obvious. The legend of the White Tiger is closely connected with Chinese ancient history. We call many gallant generals “Tiger Generals” to praise their courage and outstanding achievement. Besides, it also represents autumn and the west, showing its importance in the southwest and the harvest in autumn. The image of the White Tiger enriches Chinese legend stories and at the same time, becomes people’s motivation to pursue a better life. 白虎，一只同样擅于作战的神兽。但从这个名字，白虎，我们便足以知晓这只神兽的凶猛。一句老生常谈的话“左青龙，右白虎。”就足以向我们说明这两只神兽与剩下两只神兽不同的职责和能力。与青龙一样，白虎同为战斗神兽，有着镇压邪灵的神力。因此，它的图腾也同样出现在许多的墓穴当中，位于青龙的右侧。此外，白虎也象征着军队和胜利，原因显而易见。白虎的传说与中国的古代历史紧密相连。我们称呼许多英勇的将领为“猛虎将领”正是赞扬他们的英勇和佳绩。同时，白虎还对应着秋天，代表着西方，展示出其在西南地区和秋日丰收的重要地位。白虎的形象丰富了中国的传说故事，是人们追求美好生活的动力。 The Vermilion Bird, Zhuque in Chinese, is the god beast usually endowed with feminine color, and I love this symbol the most because I think it is beautiful, florid, and gorgeous. It is the southern god in Taoism, representing summer, and fire attribute. People get Yandi’s blessing by admiring the Vermilion Bird. Here’s a point we should pay attention to, that the Vermilion Bird is not a phoenix. According to Chinese ancient legend, phoenix is a divine bird reborn in the fire. By contrast, the Vermillion Bird is only one in the world, with no gender. It is immortal and more respectable than phoenixes. The Vermilion Bird symbolizes enthusiasm and strength, just like the summer and fire, carrying people’s yearn for south, hope and passion. Besides, according to the Book of Songs, the Vermillion Bird is the ancestor of Shang people (an early dynasty in China). 朱雀，一只总被赋予女性色彩的神兽。我也最为喜欢这是神兽，因为我认为其美丽，光彩而华丽。它是道经中的南方神，对应着夏天和火属性，人们通过信仰朱雀来获得炎帝的祝福，有一点我们需要注意，朱雀并非凤凰。根据中国古代传说，凤凰是浴火重生的神圣之鸟。相反，朱雀世间仅有一只，无性别之分。它是不死的，并且比凤凰更尊贵。朱雀象征着热情和力量，正如同似火的夏天，承载着人们对南方，希望和热情的渴求。此外，据圣经记载，朱雀还是商朝人民的祖先。 The Black Tortoise, Xuanwu in Chinese, is the last mythological symbol. It is combined by the tortoise and the snake, regarded as the god of water, living in the North Sea, so there is no doubt that it is the symbol of the north. The Black Tortoise has the ability to divine and telepathize, which are distinct from the other three beasts. Besides, it has super defense, so it is also regarded as Guardian god. The Black Tortoise represents winter with its water attribute. It protects the peace of the world and the balance of the universe. People searches wisdom and peace by admiring the Black Tortoise. As a result, the Black Tortoise, different from the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger, who are adept in fighting, is the god of protection, with philosophical connotation, leading Chinese people to think about philosophy, morality and the balance of everything in the world. 神武，最后一只神兽。相传它是龟与蛇的结合体，被视作为水神，生活在南海。因此毋庸置疑，它代表着北方。神武有着占卜和通灵的能力，这尤为能与另外三只神兽区分开。同时，它还有着超强的防御力，故被称为守护神。神武对应着冬天和水属性。它保护着世间的安宁和宇宙的平衡。人们通过信仰神武来获取智慧和安宁。因此，与青龙和白虎不同，神武并不善于战斗，而是保护之神，有着哲学内涵，领导人们思索哲学、道德和世间万物的平衡。 The Four Mythological Symbols make so profound influence to people that we can almost see them everywhere. In ancient time, we can see these four beasts in many areas such as architecture, martial arts, dress, and even medicine. As mentioned above, the four holy beasts represent four directions, so it is natural that the rich would pay attention to it when they build a house. Meanwhile, we can see many costumes with the element of four holy beasts not only in ancient but also in modern times. They are beautiful and have a strong Chinese style. Besides, many traditional Chinese medicine were named in terms of four holy beasts’ various characters, such as: “Baihu Soup”, “Qinglong Soup” “ Zhenwu Soup” and so on. 四只神兽对人们有着如此之深的影响以至于我们几乎对其处处可见。在古代，我们能在许多领域看到四神兽的影子，诸如建筑、武术、服饰甚至医学等领域。上文已提到，四只神兽对应着四个方位，故而自然而然富人在建房子时会将四神兽考虑其中。同时，无论在古代还是现代，我们也能在许多服装上看到四只神兽的元素，它们精美无比，是浓郁的中国风。此外，许多的中药也依据这四只神兽各自的特性来取名，如“白虎汤”、“青龙”汤和“真武汤”等等。 As we can see, these Four Mythological Symbols have a profound influence on Chinese people. With the development of eras, we could surely know that they don’t exist totally, but the faith to them, especially when we didn’t really understand the nature clearly, the Four Mythological Symbols made us face the nature reverentially and improve our nature and moral character. To some extent, they became one part of ourselves. 正如我们所能看到的，这四只神兽对中国人民有着深远的影响。伴随着时代的发展，我们能够知晓四只神兽并不存在，但对它们的信仰，尤其是在我们还对大自然懵懂的时候，这四只神兽令我们虔诚地看待大自然，并提升我们的品性。在一定程度上，四只神兽成为了我们的一部分。

Shu Sijing 舒思靖 - Animals: The Phenomena of Chinese Cat Culture

Abstract

From ancient times to the present, cats have been frequently recorded in Chinese history. They are not only the pets of human beings, but also have rich cultural phenomena. The image of cats is constantly changing under the influence of multiple factors, especially the special black cats.

从古至今，猫在中国历史上便有着频繁记载，它不单单是人类的萌宠，更有着丰富的文化现象，猫的形象受多重因素的影响也不断发生着改变，尤其是特殊的黑猫。

Key Words

Chinese cat culture, The image of cat, black cat

中国猫文化，猫的形象，黑猫

Brief Introduction

Cats have been everywhere in Chinese history since ancient times. They are not only frequent visitors to human daily life, but also have many cultural phenomena such as legends, symbols, poems, two-part allegorical sayings, articles, books and so on. People express their complex feelings to nature, to themselves and to the times through the various cultures of cats. The image of the cat is also changing with the development of human civilization.

自古以来，猫在中国历史上就无处不在，它们不单是人类日常生活中的常客，更是有着很多传说、象征、诗句、歇后语、文章以及书籍等文化现象。人们通过猫的各类文化寄予自己对自然、对自我、对所处时代的复杂的情感。猫的形象更是随着人类文明的发展而不断改变。

The Image of Cat in China Culture

The Good Image Side

China was dominated by agriculture in ancient times, and people were helpless against rats stealing food. Then, cats appeared like gods and drove away rats to guard crops. Therefore, people regarded cats as gods, believing that cats represented harmony and good fortune, indicated bumper harvest and prosperity, and even made demons and ghosts afraid to invade. There is also a popular saying among the people that "cats enter the blessed land". They believe that it is a good thing for them that stray cats enter their house. It also produces related two-part allegorical sayings: “Mouse meets cat--be doomed”, “Cat catches mouse--ancestral craft”, “Mouse in cat's mouth--can not run away” and so on. In the Tang and Song Dynasties, the economy was prosperous and the people's material living conditions were rich, so they began to pursue spiritual enjoyment. The main function of the cat also changed from catching mice to being a pet for the dignitaries to enjoy. It was even invited into the palace as a pet for concubines, becoming a noble class. People loved cats and hoped that they could accompany them all their lives, so there was a folk saying that "cats have nine lives". And cats are regarded as a symbol of longevity. The cat's homonym is "mào," which also means longevity. Ancient literati loved to paint with red peonies and cats playing with colorful butterflies. "Cat Butterfly" stands for "mào dié", which is also a prayer for longevity.

中国古时以农业为主，百姓一直对老鼠偷食无计可施，而猫的出现犹如天神降临，驱除了老鼠，守护了庄稼。所以百姓把猫奉若神明，认为猫代表着和乐与吉祥，兆示着丰收与富足，甚至使妖魔鬼怪不敢入侵。民间也流传着“猫入福地”等说法，认为流浪猫进宅是大吉大利的事，更是因运而生了相关的歇后语：“老鼠碰上猫——在劫难逃”、“猫儿抓老鼠——祖传手艺”、“猫嘴里的老鼠——跑不了”等等。 到了唐宋时期，经济繁荣发达，人民的物质生活条件富足，开始追求精神层面的享受。猫的主要功能也从捕鼠变成了宠物猫，以供权贵们赏玩，甚至被请入宫廷作为嫔妃们的宠物，一跃成为了贵族阶级。人类爱猫，希望猫可以陪伴自己的一生，所以民间有“猫有九命”的说法，将猫作为长寿的象征。猫的谐音同“耄（mào）”，也意寓着长寿。古代的文人爱以红牡丹配猫戏彩蝶的图案作画，“猫蝶”代表“耄耋（mào dié）”，亦是对长寿的祈盼。

Modern literati were also obsessed with cats, and celebrity cat slaves are too numerous to mention: Feng Zikai, Qian Zhongshu, Liang Shiqiu, Ji Xianlin, Lin Huiyin, Hu Shi, Bing Xin... They created many excellent literary works :Cat, Old Cat, Lion, Ami, The White Elephant.etc. These works all express the authors 'love and indulgence for cats, and cats images are mostly docile, brave and just.

近代的文人对猫更是痴迷，名人猫奴不胜枚举：丰子恺、钱钟书、梁实秋、季羡林、林徽因、胡适、冰心……更是创作了众多优秀的文学作品：《猫》、《老猫》、《狮子》、《阿咪》、《白象》等等。这些作品都表达着作者们对猫咪的喜爱和宠溺，猫大多也为温顺、勇敢、正义的形象。

Even today, cats still permeate every aspect of people's life and art. They are not only indispensable pets in people's lives, but also have countless paintings, songs, stories, film and television works and literary creations. For example, hide and seek game, cartoon Black Cat Sheriff and so on.

即使是今天，猫依旧渗透在人们生活与艺术的各个方面，不仅是人们生活中不可缺少的萌宠，而且有数不胜数的绘画、歌曲、故事、影视作品以及文创。如藏猫猫游戏，动画片黑猫警长等等。

The bad side

There are two sides to everything. Gradually, there were also many ancient people thought that cats hated the poor and loved the rich, and were disloyal. Words such as "coquettish,""cunning" and "Treacherous official" were linked to the image of cats, and phrases such as "Cats can't change their ways of stealing fish"，"Kitten eyes--change in a moment" and "Cats recite scriptures--pretend to be good" appeared.

事物都有两面性，渐渐地，中国古代民间也出现了猫嫌贫爱富，不忠诚的说法，“媚态”“狡猾”“奸臣”等词也慢慢与猫的形象挂钩，更是出现了“猫改不了偷腥”、“小猫眼睛——一会儿一变”、“猫儿念经——假充善人”等语句。

Some modern writers even use the bad image of cats to criticize and satirize people. One of the most famous is Lu Xun. In Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk, he depicts the cat's four crimes, pointedly satirized the tyrant of those who cheat and flatter the people; In Dog·Cat·Mouse, the cat has become the despicable image; Lao She's Cat City also uses cat as a symbol of flattery, selfishness, ignorance and numbness, and uses cat city to allude to the dark China under the rule of the Kuomintang.

近代一些文学家更是用猫的坏形象来批判和讽刺人。其中最著名的就是鲁迅。在《朝花夕拾》中，他刻画了猫的四大罪行，尖锐地讽刺了生活中那些欺上媚下的暴虐者；在《狗•猫•鼠》中，猫更是变成了卑劣的形象；老舍的《猫城记》也用猫象征着谄媚自私、愚昧麻木的人，用猫城影射国民党统治下的黑暗中国。

Comparison between black cat image in China and foreign countries

Black cats have so many different depictions because of their black fur and mysterious nocturnal haunts.

黑猫因其毛发通体黑色，喜爱夜间神秘出没而拥有太多不同的形象刻画。

In traditional Chinese culture, the black cat can ward off evil spirits, guard house, attract wealth, which means good luck. So the ancient rich people had the habits of keeping black cats and putting black cat ornaments, such as hanging a bell with a black cat at the door. Egypt, where cats were gods, also had a good image of black cats. After death, black cats are mummified and given to the dead, known as the "patron saint of tombs."

在中国传统文化中，黑猫能辟邪、镇宅、招财，寓意着吉祥。所以古时的富贵人家都有养黑猫，或摆放黑猫饰品的习惯，如在门口挂坠有黑猫的风铃。同样对黑猫有着好形象刻画的便是以猫为神的埃及，黑猫死后会被做成木乃伊给死去的人，被称为“坟墓守护神”。

On the contrary, black cats are not so positive in many countries. In the famous Japanese legend of the "cat woman," an old woman's black cat turned into a monster, ate the old woman and transformed into a human form to harm others. From this we can see that black cats are ungrateful, cruel and evil image. Therefore, there is a custom in Japan: it is unlucky to meet a black cat on the road. To break this curse, you must first take three steps back and then go forward. In Britain and America, people also very fear black cats and think they will bring bad luck. In the Middle Ages, many people believed that black cats were pets or incarnations of witches and messengers of Satan. For example, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the witch who lives in Privet Drive is often accompanied by a scary black cat. In American writer Washington Irving's short story Black Cat, the black cat is also the image of misfortune and bad luck.

而相反的，在很多国家黑猫都是不那么正面的形象。日本著名的“猫婆”传说中，老太婆的宠物黑猫吸取灵气精华变成了妖怪，将老太婆吃掉，并幻化成人形害人。从这里可以看出黑猫是忘恩负义、残忍邪恶的形象。所以在日本有一个习俗：在路上偶遇一只黑猫是不吉样的，要想破除这种魔咒，要先退三步，再往前走。在英美国家，人们也对黑猫颇为忌讳，认为黑猫会带来厄运。在中世纪时,许多人认为黑猫是女巫的宠物或化身，是撒旦的使者。比如《哈利·波特与魔法石》中，住在女贞路的巫婆身边就经常跟着一只恐怖的黑猫。美国作家华盛顿•欧文的短篇小说《黑猫》中的黑猫也是不幸和厄运的形象。

In fact, the reasons for the huge cultural differences in the image of black cats in various countries are complex and diverse: Differences in concepts, contradictions in hierarchical relations, and differences in religious beliefs are all important factors. And in most cases, the cultural image of different kinds of cats in different countries is similar to that of black cats.

事实上，造成各国黑猫形象有如此巨大文化差异的原因是复杂多元的：事物观念的差异、等级关系的矛盾、宗教信仰的不同等都是重要因素。而且大多数情况下，不同种类的猫在各国的文化形象都与黑猫是相似的。

Conclusion

Generally speaking, the phenomenon of Chinese cat culture is rich and diverse in the process of social and historical development in China. It not only reflects the changes of Chinese people's cognition and emotion towards cats, but also reflects a country's economic development, cultural concept, thinking mode, etc. The various cultural connotations of cat images in different countries also show the spiritual characteristics of rich regional colors, and bring great cultural thinking space to the world, making cat a unique and important cultural image.

总的来看，中国猫文化现象在中国社会历史发展过程中是丰富多样的，它不仅反映着中国人对猫的认知和感情变化，还体现了一个国家的经济发展、文化观念、思维方式等。不同国家关于猫形象的各种文化内涵也呈现出富有地域色彩的精神特质，同时给世人带来极大的文化思维空间，使猫成为了一个独特又重要的文化意象。

References

[1]赵玉柱.日本的“猫文化”.日语知识,1998,(1).12 [2]高文艳，宁丽萍.试论中外文化中的猫形象.太原大学教育学院030001

Terms and Expressions

two-part allegorical sayings 歇后语

Treacherous official 奸臣

Mouse meets cat--be doomed 老鼠碰上猫——在劫难逃

Cat catches mouse--ancestral craft 猫儿抓老鼠——祖传手艺

Mouse in cat's mouth--can not run away 猫嘴里的老鼠——跑不了

Cat slaves 猫奴

Hide and seek game 藏猫猫游戏

Black Cat Sheriff 《黑猫警长》

Cats can't change their ways of stealing fish 猫改不了偷腥

Kitten eyes--change in a moment 小猫眼睛——一会儿一变

Cats recite scriptures--pretend to be good 猫儿念经——假充善人

Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk 《朝花夕拾》

Satan 撒旦

Patron saint of tombs 坟墓守护神

Questions

1.Why did Chinese people regard cats as gods in ancient times?

2.What is the image of the cat in the Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk？

3. Can you list some modern Chinese cat slaves and their works?

4.What is the image of a black cat in Chinese traditional culture?

Answers

1.Because China was dominated by agriculture in ancient times, and people were helpless against rats stealing food. Then, cats appeared like gods and drove away rats to guard crops.

2.In Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk, he depicts the cat's four crimes, pointedly satirized the tyrant of those who cheat and flatter the people.

3.Cat slaves: Feng Zikai, Qian Zhongshu, Liang Shiqiu, Ji Xianlin, Lin Huiyin, Hu Shi, Bing Xin... Works :Cat, Old Cat, Lion, Ami, The White Elephant.etc.

4.In traditional Chinese culture, the black cat can ward off evil spirits, guard house, attract wealth, which means good luck.