O próximo debate do ciclo Com Todas as Letras, organizado pela Os Meus Livros em parceria com a Sociedade Portuguesa de Autores, está marcado para amanhã. A partir do mote ‘Livrarias de Ontem, Livrarias de Hoje, Livarias de Sempre’, estarão à conversa Ernesto Damião (Bertrand), Catarina Barros (Trama) e Joaquim Gonçalves (A das Artes). O encontro é às 18h30, na sede da SPA.

L’UMP est de sortie en cette période de baisse de cote de notre groupe majoritaire.

Besson est entrain de préparer sa définition de l’identité national

Bertrand va à la télé pour de sa douce voix nous rappeler qu’un enfant né de l’amour d’un popo et d’une moman et pas de deux tapettes.

Et les lycéennes ne doivent pas prendre de contraception. Boutin et Chatel ont bien raison ! Toutes ces jeunes filles feraient mieux de préparer leur avenir ce n’est pas en couchant avec Kevin, terminal STI que l’on réussit dans la vie !

Raoult lui il trouve qu’un écrivain dont les oeuvres sont contrôlés  par l’État c’est quand même bien mieux!

Le mois d’octobre a été très riche en rebondissements faisant état d’une équipe municipale qui dépense sans compter l’argent des rémois(es) qui se serrent encore et toujours la ceinture. Madame Hazan et ses adjoints se livrent à des dépenses exorbitantes de l’argent public à l’image de ces exemples:

Début octobre, lors du Conseil Municipal, la municipalité a voté (sans l’opposition) en faveur d’une subvention à hauteur de 160 000€ pour l’association Destination Reims, avançant la justification de vouloir améliorer l’accueil touristique et des nouveaux arrivants via internet et la création d’un site.

Cette subvention ne devrait absolument pas avoir lieu dans la mesure où ce projet fait doublon avec ce que fait l’Office de Tourisme, qui, rappelons-le, s’est vu retirer 120 000€ de subventions.

A cette subvention s’ajoute la création d’un poste en charge de ce projet dont la mission et le profil restent flous. On évoquait le fait que ce soit l’épouse du Directeur de Cabinet de Madame Hazan qui serait l’heureuse élue pour ce poste, dont on ne connait ni le montant du salaire, ni les avantages en nature qui seront perçus…

On a eu ensuite à faire au raté fulgurant de l’auto-partage qui est devenu un vrai fiasco financier.

L’auto-partage, cette idée inspirée du dispositif “Vélib’” que l’on trouve dans la capitale parisienne, était adaptée aux véhicules dans la Cité des Sacres.

Sans aucun appel à la concurrence, Adeline Hazan et son équipe ont décidé de faire porter le projet par Champagne Parc Auto (CPA), structure qui gère les parkings publics de la ville de Reims dont le président n’est autre que Stéphane Joly, également adjoint à Madame la Maire. Cette manœuvre comportant un risque juridique lié au fait que l’entreprise CPA n’ait pas été soumise à la concurrence d’autres entreprises, a du contraindre la municipalité d’abandonner le projet au bout de 6 mois.

Résultat: un dédit de plus de 100 000€ ! Les véhicules loués et n’ayant pas roulé ont dus être rendus au concessionnaire pour un coût de près de 28 000€, s’ajoutant la facture à régler au cabinet  de recrutement et les assurances avoisinant les 56 000€ !

En soi, ce projet était véritablement une bonne idée, qui aurait pu permettre de baisser le taux de pollution dans notre cité par exemple, mais il aurait fallu une municipalité vigilante et sérieuse, qui sache emmener un projet en ayant à l’esprit l’intérêt général.

Il est un mot qui me vient à l’esprit après cette mascarade scandaleuse à laquelle s’est livrée la municipalité de Reims durant le mois qui vient de s’écouler : gaspillage.

you may remember this drawing of a little girl named betta:

she is one of the characters in a children’s book i’m writing.  the first time i posted her i said that she would be accompanied by a pet bear named bertrand.  i finally got around to drawing and scanning him.

he needs some refining, but i very much like how he turned out.  working in the kid’s department of a large bookstore has proven to be very inspiring for me.  i am very lucky in that i love my job.

The Gathering Storm, aquele que poderia ser o último volume da série Wheel of Time, de Robert Jordan, vai ser lançado no dia 27 de Outubro de 2009. Uma parte do livro foi escrita por Robert Jordan, tendo sido concluído por Brandon Sanderson. Devido ao tamanho e a opções editoriais, The Gathering Storm não vai ser o último volume da série, mas sim, o primeiro dos três volumes finais.

A Bertrand publicou em Portugal os primeiros quatro volumes da série A Roda do Tempo, em 2007 e 2008. Os títulos são O Olho do Mundo, A Grande Caçada, O Dragão Renascido e A Sombra Alastra. Não está prevista a publicação dos restantes livros da série.

VOLUMES DE BABEL às terças-feiras

Terça-feira, 20 Outubro 2009

NOVIDADES LITERÁRIAS

 A Noite do teu Aniversário de Lionel Shriver conta a história de Irina McGovern, ilustradora de livros infantis, que vive confortavelmente com Lawrence Trainer, e todos os Verões almoçam com o jogador profissional de “snooker” Ramsey Acton, para celebrarem o aniversário deste. Certo ano, depois do divórcio de Ramsey e quando Lawrence, especialista em terrorismo, se encontra em Sarajevo, Irina e Ramsey jantam juntos, e depois de alguns “cocktails” e marijuana, Irina sente-se tentada a beijar Ramsey. A partir daqui, Shriver conduz os leitores por uma narrativa dupla: uma delas consiste no que Irina imagina que teria acontecido se tivesse cedido à tentação; na outra, Irina fica com Lawrence enquanto fantasia com Ramsey. O resultado é um romance impressionante.

SABIA QUE…

LISA GARDNER começou a sua carreira a editar sob o pseudónimo Alicia Scott e que o romantismo dominava o seu trabalho? No final da última década do século XX a autora decidiu mudar de género e ao romantismo dos primeiros livros passou a aliar o suspense. «Minha até à Morte», o seu primeiro grande sucesso, atinge os 6 milhões de exemplares vendidos em todo o mundo, tornando-a uma das mais aclamadas escritoras norte-americanas. Em Portugal foram editados, pelo Círculo de Leitores, alguns dos seus melhores títulos: «A Filha Secreta», «O Assassino das Sombras», «A Vingança de Olhos Negros», «O Clube das Sobreviventes», «A Hora da Morte».

WWW.IVOMSILVA.PT.VC

Novidades

A Noite do teu Aniversário de Lionel Shriver conta a história de Irina McGovern, ilustradora de livros infantis, que vive confortavelmente com Lawrence Trainer, e todos os Verões almoçam com o jogador profissional de “snooker” Ramsey Acton, para celebrarem o aniversário deste. Certo ano, depois do divórcio de Ramsey e quando Lawrence, especialista em terrorismo, se encontra em Sarajevo, Irina e Ramsey jantam juntos, e depois de alguns “cocktails” e marijuana, Irina sente-se tentada a beijar Ramsey. A partir daqui, Shriver conduz os leitores por uma narrativa dupla: uma delas consiste no que Irina imagina que teria acontecido se tivesse cedido à tentação; na outra, Irina fica com Lawrence enquanto fantasia com Ramsey. O resultado é um romance impressionante.

Sabia que…

LISA GARDNER começou a sua carreira a editar sob o pseudónimo Alicia Scott e que o romantismo dominava o seu trabalho? No final da última década do século XX a autora decidiu mudar de género e ao romantismo dos primeiros livros passou a aliar o suspense. «Minha até à Morte», o seu primeiro grande sucesso, atinge os 6 milhões de exemplares vendidos em todo o mundo, tornando-a uma das mais aclamadas escritoras norte-americanas. Em Portugal foram editados, pelo Círculo de Leitores, alguns dos seus melhores títulos: «A Filha Secreta», «O Assassino das Sombras», «A Vingança de Olhos Negros», «O Clube das Sobreviventes», «A Hora da Morte».

The evening was uneventful, though Graum wasn’t comfortable with the idea of closing his eyes in the Eadochas. They carefully selected a campsite before it got dark, and built their fire before dark settled.

Trivelt said it’d be necessary to keep the fire burning all night and they split the night into three watches. Graum, who had the luck to get the last watch—he needed only wake earlier than the others and tend the fire—was more than a little frightened to be on his own in the dark. But, as he settled onto a stone next to the fire, he saw that Bertrand had left a half-empty leather wine-skin with which he’d apparently been using to strengthen himself against his fears. By the time he had to wake the others, the skin was empty and Graum wasn’t afraid any longer.

There didn’t seem to be much to say as they struck camp and started out, and they worked in silence. Trivelt and Bertrand had a practiced efficiency and Graum tried to find a place for himself in their nearly mechanical motions. Mostly, he had the feeling that he stood and watched them work.

There was something about the mists of the Eadochas that precluded frivolous conversation. And so, they moved on in silence and, were he not so afraid, Graum thought he might have been able to shut his thoughts off completely. As it was, he listened to the woods around them, and watched as Natasha made the occasional excursion into the woods around them, always anxious that she might not come back.

Trivelt held his hand up for the other two to stop. It was the most conversation they’d had all day. Graum could see that Trivelt was listening to—or maybe for—something, but he couldn’t tell what. Then, he heard a familiar scrambling sound approaching.

“Did you?” Trivelt asked Bertrand.

“I?” Was Bertrand’s answer. Trivelt gave Graum a look.

A Daschake exploded out of the underbrush and scrambled about the three travelers, apparently struggling to coordinate the movements of it’s many legs. It darted from one to the next, sniffing, tail wagging. The daschake ran to each of them individually, sniffing crotches, playfully jumping up against them. Then, when it found Bertrand, it did a kind of uncoordinated dance about him and sat—its haunches almost two yards from the nose it pointed expectantly at the Minte.

“I only gave ‘im but a tiny morsel.” Bertrand said. “Poor guy was starvin’ last night.”

Trivelt opened and shut his mouth three or four times before emitting what sounded like a mix between a staccato cough and a roar.

Graum guessed that it wasn’t going to be a good day, for Berttrand or for him. Sure enough, only a moment later, they heard another daschake scrambling in their direction and soon there was a tail wagging and a face looking expectantly at Graum, too.

“Only but a tiny morsel.” Graum said and laughed humorlessly.

“There’s a saying among my people,” Trivelt said, his forked tongue darting as he spoke, “that when Dindall wants to punish a Soouani, the Soouani is sent traveling with a Minte and a Laoch.”

“Really?” Graum wondered how the Soouani knew of the Laoch.

“There will be when I get home.” Trivelt said.

Y’a pas à dire, en grimpant ou en marchant, l’automne c’est beau!

De retour d’un trip vélo-sacoche au Portugal, on est allé se ballader à l’Obiou dans le Dévoluy (sud de Grenoble) ce we et on s’est régalé avec les yeux
Bel automne à vous tous…

Bertrand

A ÍNTIMA NARRATIVA DA VIAGEM

As narrativas setecentistas de viagens, esplendorosamente parodiadas por Lawrence Sterne, fixaram os parâmetros do olhar do viajante, ditando-lhe o deslumbramento e a sensação de descoberta plena como atitudes imprescindíveis. Quebrar esses parâmetros e assumir um modo mais crítico de olhar tem sido ponto de partida para autores vários, de Paul Theroux a William Least Heat-Moon ou Jan Morris. E, sem o peso das grandes nomeações literárias, Manuel João Ramos assume esse olhar crítico nos registos de viagem que agora publica, cuja leitura se vê recompensada pelo conhecimento do anterior Histórias Etíopes: Diário de Viagens (publicado pela Assíri & Alvim, em 2000).
Em Traços de Viagem reúnem-se relatos em tom diarístico de diferentes percursos por Espanha, Tunísia, Zimbabué, Reino Unido, Etiópia, Portugal e Marrocos, frequentemente pontuados por registos gráficos que compõem uma amostra relevante daquilo que, adivinha-se, será o diário de viagem do autor. Apesar da separação assumida pela edição do livro, texto e imagens mostram-se discursivamente harmoniosos, ambos remetendo para uma mesma atitude de observação participativa, muitas vezes com participação directa (desenhar é a melhor forma de suscitar curiosidade nos outros, parece). Não é para fixar o momento, cedendo à falácia do registo (como quem tira dezenas de fotografias do sítio que visita, esquecendo-se de olhar para as várias cambiantes do que fotografa), que o autor escreve ou desenha, mas antes como um modo de observar, organizando o que observa pelo próprio acto de verbalizar e criar imagens.
A narração de Traços de Viagem não é a do olhar deslumbrado dos setecentistas, mas antes a da consciência de todas as limitações da viagem: a ilusão de fugir do sedentarismo atávico, a tentativa de nos misturarmos com as pessoas que habitam o local que visitamos, a certeza de haver um regresso marcado. Mesmo quando se deixa embalar por momentos pontuais em que as sensações se sobrepõem à racionalidade do pensamento, o olhar de Manuel João Ramos é o do antropólogo, e não o do viajante que acredita abarcar o mundo apenas por nele se deslocar. O que não faz deste livro um desfilar de considerações académicas sobre sítios e pessoas; pelo contrário, é por saber o que subjaz à visão organizada do antropólogo que o autor consegue falar dos espaços e das pessoas que lhes dão sentidos sem a tentação de os reproduzir para o leitor, conferindo a estes Traços de Viagem qualidades que nenhuma descrição maravilhada pelo exotismo poderia alcançar.

Sara Figueiredo Costa
(texto publicado na Ler, nº83, Set.09)

Lo que un hombre cree basándose en evidencias claramente insuficientes es un índice de lo que se desea; deseos de los que él mismo no suele ser consciente. Si a un hombre se le expone un hecho que va en contra de sus instintos, lo escudriñará a fondo, y a menos que la evidencia sea abrumadora, rehusará creerlo. Si, por otra parte, se le expone algo que le proporciona un motivo para actuar de acuerdo con sus instintos, lo aceptará aunque la evidencia sea nimia. Así es como se explica el origen de los mitos.

BERTRAND RUSSELL.

… para la reflexión.

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.

Mais logo, pelas 18h30, na Bertrand, trocam-se ideias sobre política em mais uma sessão Ler no Chiado. Os convidados: André Freire (politólogo), Luís Pedro Nunes (director do Inimigo Público) e Pedro S. Guerreiro (director do Jornal de Negócios), com moderação de Anabela Mota Ribeiro.

Dan Brown é um escritor norte-americano considerado pela Revista Times uma das 100 pessoas mais influentes do mundo, filho de mãe musicista profissional e pai professor buscou inspiração em Jean Pierre Santiago para começar a escrever.

Dan Brown teve seus livros publicados em mais de 50 idiomas.

Estamos em novo endereço, venha conferir e baixar os e-books das obras de dan brown. Basta entrar no link abaixo para ver o restante de conteudo deste post.

http://www.poemasepensamentos.com.br/2009/09/25/dan-brown/

El próximo Viernes 25 de septiembre a las 18.00h. se va a realizar en la Librería Bertrand (en el Centro Comercial Alcalá Magna) un Taller de Manualidades para Diseñar Rótulos. A partir de 6 años.

Cette vidéo datant d’avril certains postes ne sont plus d’actualité:

latribune.fr, Hélène Fontanaud , le 11 septembre 2009

Xavier Bertrand : “le défi écologique n’est le monopole d’aucun parti”

Le secrétaire général de l’UMP explique à La Tribune pourquoi l’écologie est une préoccupation capitale pour le parti majoritaire. Retrouvez l’intégralité de cet entretien dans La Tribune de ce samedi.

La Tribune : le rapport Rocard suggérait d’étaler les compensations selon les revenus des ménages assujettis à la taxe carbone. Pourquoi cette piste n’a-t-elle pas été retenue ?

Xavier Bertrand : la taxe carbone, j’assume ce terme de taxe carbone, est une transformation de la fiscalité et pas une augmentation de la fiscalité. Ce qui correspond à nos engagements. Dans ce cadre, la compensation doit être simple et claire. Le véritable, le principal critère qui doit être pris en compte, c’est de savoir si chaque citoyen dispose de transports collectifs pour éviter d’avoir à prendre sa voiture. Le critère urbain-rural est le plus pertinent, le plus lisible. Nous avons donc pris en compte la situation de famille et le domicile.

On a vu des réserves exprimées par certains ténors de l’UMP, Jean-François Copé avertissant que les députés ne voteraient pas en fermant les yeux. Avez-vous encore des inquiétudes sur le parcours législatif de la taxe ?

Il y a eu des débats, c’est logique. On est sur une vraie révolution fiscale et écologique. Mais après le temps des débats il y a le temps des arbitrages. Sur l’argument qui consiste à refuser la restitution pour financer des investissements verts avec la taxe, je rappelle que ces investissements sont déjà financés par le Grenelle de l’environnement et même le plan de relance. Si on veut changer les comportements, il faut que les gens aient conscience que ce n’est pas pour faire rentrer de l’argent dans les caisses de l’Etat.

Peut-on dire sur le plan politique que cette taxe carbone est le premier acte idéologique d’une deuxième phase du quinquennat qui commencera avec les régionales et s’achèvera avec la présidentielle de 2012 ?

On est en train de traverser la crise économique, même si les symptômes ne sont pas tous derrière nous. Je pense notamment à l’emploi. Mais la crise écologique est toujours devant nous et ce défi n’est le monopole d’aucun parti politique. Quant à l’ouverture, elle n’est pas seulement politique, c’est aussi une ouverture à l’ensemble des sujets et l’ouverture à tous. Voilà la logique.

Quelle est votre réaction sur les propos de Brice Hortefeux au campus de l’UMP ?

Il n’y a jamais eu de propos déplacés. La gauche a voulu exploiter cela, en faisant une manipulation politique mais ce n’est pas parce qu’ils n’ont rien à dire, et ont voulu faire diversion, qu’ils doivent lancer un débat politique, qui mérite mieux que ce buzz médiatique.

Novelas do Minho – Um retrato de Portugal é uma obra de costumes, cuja acção tem lugar no norte do país, em pleno século XIX. A obra foi publicada inicialmente entre 1875 e 1877, ainda Camilo era vivo, em formato de fascículos, com periodicidade mensal, num total de 12.

Compõem as Novelas do Minho, as histórias “Gracejos que Matam”, “O Comendador”, “O Cego de Landim”, “A Morgada de Romariz”, “O Filho Natural”,“Maria Moisés”, “O Degredado” e a “A Viúva do Enforcado”, talvez a mais conhecida do público (e já adaptada para televisão).

Quase todas as histórias foram escritas em Ceide, no Minho, e são quase todas relatadas a partir de memórias vividas ou contadas ao escritor, que recorre aqui a vários tipos de escrita e narrativa, onde a sátira, a crítica e a ironia não faltam, numa descrição exacta de tempos e costumes do Minho romântico.

Uma das obras mais significativas de Camilo, pelo seu estilo vivo e mordaz.

O Canela & Hortelã e a Editorial Bertrand têm o prazer de oferecer cinco exemplares da obra Novelas do Minho, da autoria de Camilo Castelo Branco, em formato de bolso. Para tal basta responderem correctamente às duas seguintes questões e enviar a resposta para: passatempos@canelaehortela.com, juntamente com o nome, email e morada para envio do livro, até ao dia 21 de Setembro.

Os vencedores serão notificados por email e receberão posteriormente o livro pelo correio. Salientamos que apenas será aceite uma resposta válida por email.
Para participar neste passatempo basta responder às seguintes perguntas:

1. Qual foi e estação de televisão portuguesa que adaptou e transmitiu a série A Viúva do Enforcado, que contava com Anabela Teixeira num dos principais papéis femininos? SIC
2. A história “A Morgada de Romariz” começa em que cidade do norte de Portugal? Braga

Boa Sorte!

• Liliana Costa
• Sónia Santos
• Fernando Pereira
• Raquel Lima
• Ana Jorge

Bertrand est maintenant au chômage car il n’a pas utilisé FedEx !

Durante mais de 20 anos, Xinran Xue compilou uma lista de pessoas com histórias fascinantes para descobrir. Nos últimos anos, viajou pela China com uma equipa de filmagens para as entrevistar. Testemunhos da China é o resultado desse trabalho.

Xinran Xue, Testemunhos da China, Bertrand

Trivelt wanted to leave as soon as possible. He hurried Graum as best he could, but, even though he’d only been at the monastery for a day. . . Graum found his obligations tying him down. Matilda, for one, was an obligation. No matter what he said or whether he said it affectionately or angrily, she couldn’t be persuaded to join the trip. And Graum, to his own surprise, was reluctant to leave her behind.

His reluctance was compounded by a few factors. Matilda didn’t want him to leave while they were still waiting for her mother, out of fear her mother would believe that Graum had left her. “I am a’leavin’ you.” Graum had answer. “Fer ye willa’na come wi’ me.”

“Graum, love.” Matilda had countered with the unshakable patient gentleness that she’d discovered in the Cult of Self Acutalization, “I mean, me ma’ll think ye’ve a’left me an aren’t comin’ back. I’d have nothin’ but the sharp side o’ her tongue till ye’s return from CITY. An I’m not needin’ that.”

More than that, the men—the humans—of the Cult were fascinated with Natasha. Daniel Dingslover reminded Graum that they’d all enjoy ‘a bit of informal education’ in the art of falconry. It’d been a horror for Graum and he’d actually vomited before the first time they were to meet, but after ten minutes of sheer terror, something changed. Dingslover and the other humans listened, asked questions, and the ‘informal education’ turned into a conversation. And Graum could talk about Natasha all day without fatigue. They’d gone past the planned single afternoon and went through three further afternoons in which Graum explained how he’d trained Natasha, how he fed her, and how to best catch what Dinglsover had called a ’suitable fowl.’

And so, it was a week before they were underway, and Graum was feeling good about the journey.

“I must a’tell ye,” he told Trivelt, who had a sort of lurching gait that could cover ground with remarkable speed, “I’ve a better feelin’ ’bout this trip now’n I’d've thought. Matilda’s safe’n warm—safer an’ warmer’n she’s ever been, I figure—an I’m crossing the Eadochas wi’ a guide. I’ve but one question fer ye.”

“Ask.” Trivelt said. They between the forest and the Eadochras. The ground was getting softer and, in lower places, a mist clung the ground and swirled about their feet. They’d covered the better part of a day’s journey, walking along the past that led from Graum’s village. Trivelt was luching with a heavy pack—which he seemed not to notice—on his back, while Graum and Bertrand seemed to almost have to jog with their light packs.

“What’s that mister Dingslover tryin’ t’ tell me when he said I wasn’t to feed nothin’ in the Eadochas.”

Bertrand and Trivelt exchanged a glance and Graum saw there was an inside joke involved. “It’s a common mistake.” Trivelt answered, turning away from Betrand. “Nothing more.”

They walked another twenty minutes before Bertrand muttered to Graum. “We’re getting’ close.” Then, as if the phrase were a cue, there was a hectic scrambling in the brush to their right. Trivelt stopped and merely watched what was happening. Betrand took a step behind Trivelt, the mist swaying about him as he did.

When he thought the noise was approaching, Graum whispered to Natasha that she was to get out of sight, and she started into the air. A moment later, there was a sort of explosion out of the brush next to the path. The sense of movement was magnified by the dried leaves and mist that were sent up into the air around it.

“Ah, ye crimminey.” Bertrand said.

Graum found himself unable to move for fear as something long and low to the ground moved towards them. Whatever it was, it wasn’t fast so much as made up of many separate, fast movements, giving it a sense of hectic speed.

“Move on!” Trivelt yelled with a ferocity that started Graum as much as the thing approaching them. “Nothing for you here.” He stomped his foot threateningly in the direction of the thing.

The thing didn’t seem to be the slightest bit frightened and continued approaching. Graum could hear the sound of it’s feet on the path, and the hectic, wet sounds of it’s rapid breathing as it approached. It was no more than two meters away when he could see it clearly through the mist: it had a long, sleek, black face like that of a dog. Attached to the face was a long body that seemed to be made entirely of hips. It was impossible to tell how many pairs of legs the creature had, but there were more than four and, several feet from the head, a wagging tail. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem to have all of it’s legs under control as it approached. When it came to Graum, it sniffed his crotch, looked at him a moment, and then folded it’s rearmost legs to sit on the ground. For ten, maybe fifteen seconds, it looked at Graum expectantly, and all of it’s legs scraped the ground at once and it scrambled back into the underbrush.

The three stood silently, until the sound had faded to silence. “Wha’ was tha’?” Graum finally said.

“Daschake.” Bertrand said. Then, after a long pause, “don’t be feedin’ them.”

“We’ll see worse, before we get through the Eadochas.” Trivelt said, not a little ominously.

On Chinese Morals and it’s change over the course of nearly a century.

Arguably I have no authority in this topic for I’ve never been to the 1920 China nor have I lived long enough to speak for the change that has happened in nearly a century. Most importantly, moral and ethics are confounding topics. They require one to look deeply into the habits of a culture, peoples idea, attitudes, beliefs and perspectives. None of which I claim myself to well understood. Thus the following writing is mostly build upon the works of Bertrand Russell and observation of the current China.

After touring China in the 1910s, Russell wrote an essay on Chinese moral, short but very compelling. It brought doubts to the firmly believe western idea that progress is always for the better.

It is especially interesting to visit a country like China, which has remained where we were 150 years ago, and to ask ourselves whether … the changes which have happened to [America] have brought any real or valuable improvement.

Since in Russell’s mind, China was the past of America, thus a live comparison of the two countries will display the magnitude and direction of the changes that had taken place.

First off, I would like to point out that while Russell successfully predicted the culture revolution in china and several other events that indeed happen in the next couple decades. China in the 1910s significantly differed from America in the 1700s, simply base on the fundamental beliefs that differ between the two countries. For example that Americans firmly believed that progress is always change for the better, where as the Chinese, following the teaching of Confucius, “aimed at creating a stable society, but not always striving after new successes.” While the two countries were, and still are, essentially different in culture, why did Russell insist on comparing the two?

One explanation I might suggest is, also from Russell’s writing, because China in the 1910s was one of the few cultures that “still believed in ‘life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness’”, just as Americans of the 1770s believed it.

While Russell’s goal was to question progress, I’d like to use his observation of Chinese Moral of the 1910s and question its change. Starting with some ideas that he pointed out about Chinese Morals:

Education

The Chinese … do not greatly admire success in war or in business. Traditionally, they admire learning more than anything else…; Chinese… in the main, aim at enjoyment, while we, in the main, aim at power;

Personally grew up in a well-to-do family in Beijing, I certain admire learning more than anything else, but certain survey has proven me wrong:

When a survey is done among 50 American students and 50 Chinese students, they are asked to pick two out of five attributes that they dream to achieve in life. These choices are Authority, Beauty, Knowledge, Money, and Truth.
All American students picked Truth and Knowledge;
While All but one Chinese students picked Authority and Money.

<Source Needed>

Other current news in China also demonstrates the change in attitude among Chinese students. The College Entrance Exam, once a paramount test, the cynosure of every high school student’s life, and the wall against a hierarchy society, is today being viewed as a joke to many. Knowing the fact that college can no longer provide future job, there is no point in trying. While many essays written on the College Entrance Exam shows the rebellious nature of those who are born after 1990, and their insecurity towards their future, I will not go further on this, because the reasons may stretch many areas of concern, and still highly controversial.

Freedom

China, as compared to any white man’s country, there is freedom for all…

Yes, we can clearly see that any Chinese man today has the freedom to go on Facebook, Youtube, and every other website containing the least amount of radical idea against the current government. Yes I am being very sarcastic, but freedom is no where to be seen in China today. Or should I say that freedom is proportional to one’s wealth and power?

Government

Chinese governors naturally preferred the Confucian maxims of self-control, benevolence and courtesy, combined with a great emphasis upon the good that could be done by wise government.

What should I say? False? Well, at least today’s government proves this statement false. A simple example would be he most recent capture of over 700 government officials in Chong Qing municipal for corruption and involvement with local tycoons and mobsters. This is only the beginning of the investigation. Two weeks later, even the head of the judiciary department got arrested. Here’s another tempered report.

I promised not to be so critical of the Chinese government, because I know that there has to be deeper reason for everything that is happening, and not every governor is meant to harm his people, nor every single one of them is corrupted. China is still need time to correct itself, for it’s entering the early stage of Capitalism. I must certainly still hope for the best.

Economics

Chinese do not admire activity unless it serves some useful purpose;

As I just mentioned, China is entering Capitalism, we do not work for our pleasure, but for the idea that we absorbed from the western nations. The idea that “there is something unduly mild about [spending one's life for leisurely amusement]“. Soon the leisurely amusements of going to the theater, drinking tea, admiring the Chinese art, and playing games will be forgotten, or rather degraded to a lesser value and usefulness. The western nations may perceive this as a positive change. Surely in some aspect that increasing GDP (similar measure) is a sign of progress, but again Russell might ask if such progress is of any valuable improvement.

Religion

Confucius taught that men are born good… In China, moral precepts are positive rather than negative. A man is expected to be respectful to his parents… [While in Christianity,] the notion of sin … leads not only to interference with freedom, but also to hypocrisy, since the conventional standard is too difficult for most people to live up to.

Look at the churches in major cities in china. Look at the Chinese Christian communities around America. I don’t know whether Chinese still believe that people are born good. I wonder how many people can still recite the San Zi Jing, that start with: 人之初，性本善。(Translates to: men are born good). Yes we might still have the high standards and expectation in the educated families in the city, the respects to parents and courteous to all, but while the cruel and unusual acts carry out by those of young ages, I feel as if the Chinese culture has been adulterated.

Which bring us to Russell’s last point which says that the Chinese culture is easily susceptible to foreign influences.

Chinese system … does not enable China to resist more pugnacious nations. [They] have been compelled to copy our vices to some degree to preserve their national independence.

Last and most importantly,

But let us not flatter ourselves that this imitation is an improvement.

Yes Russell is implying that such imitation might be bad, and certainly looking at China today, moral standard has gone down dramatically. While the government tries to prevent an overflow of radical ideas, itself is committing an unethical crime. Despite how China is gaining it’s economical ground in the world, something different, ethically, is pertained by the Chinese people, especially those “after 80s” and “after 90s”. (八零后，九零后：Born after 1980 and 1990.)

Note that most part of China still do not believe in any religion. Thus the current state of China is that the people do not have a firm religious belief, nor they still obtain the ethics established by Confucius. Without belief and without ethics, the nation is susceptible to major rebellion and chaos. Let us hope that while China is truly in its stage of Capitalism, it will learn from the history of other nations, possibly the US.