{"id":5166,"date":"2017-03-03T03:50:35","date_gmt":"2017-03-02T17:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/?p=5166"},"modified":"2017-03-31T06:43:42","modified_gmt":"2017-03-30T20:43:42","slug":"the-teddy-bear-chronicles-of-xi-xi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/the-teddy-bear-chronicles-of-xi-xi\/","title":{"rendered":"The Teddy Bear Chronicles of Xi Xi"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 1989, the Hong Kong writer Xi Xi \u897f\u897f was diagnosed with breast cancer. Post-operative treatment damaged the nerves in her\u00a0right hand, but she taught herself to write with her left and, in 1992, published\u00a0Elegy for a Breast <\/i>\u54c0\u60bc\u4e73\u623f<\/a>\u00a0(adapted for the screen as 2 Become 1<\/i><\/a>). Later on, in an effort to regain movement in her affected hand, Xi Xi focussed on handicrafts. Over the years, she crafted dolls houses, puppets and stuffed animals, and eventually\u00a0teddy bears. Her bears started out within the familiar tradition\u00a0of the Western teddy \u2014 the toy bears inspired by\u00a0Theodore (Teddy<\/a>) Roosevelt in the 1900s and Winnie-the-Pooh<\/a> in the 1920s \u2014 but over time Xi Xi developed her own, uniquely Chinese\u00a0breed.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Teddy Bear Chronicles<\/em>, a seal carved by He Fuxing \u4f55\u798f\u8208.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Teddy Bear Chronicles\u00a0<\/i>\u7e2b\u718a\u5fd7<\/a> appeared through Joint Publishing HK in 2009. It consists of\u00a0short essays influenced\u00a0by the biographical style, or \u5217\u50b3, of Sima Qian \u53f8\u99ac\u9077 (206 BC-220 CE), the Grand Historian of the Han dynasty. Xi Xi matches her biographical sketches with images from her ursine pantheon of handmade teddies.<\/p>\n

This\u00a0Teddy Bear’s Picnic<\/a>\u00a0includes mythological figures such as the Queen Mother of the West \u897f\u5929\u738b\u6bcd, as well as Hou Yi \u540e\u7fbf and Chang’e \u5ae6\u5a25, along with historical personalities like\u00a0the Taoist thinker\u00a0Zhuangzi \u838a\u5b50, the disaffected courtier-turned-poet Qu Yuan \u5c48\u539f, the historian Sima Qian himself, the calligrapher Wang Xizhi \u738b\u7fb2\u4e4b, the recluse Tao Yuanming \u9676\u6df5\u660e, as well as the mauruding emperor Genghis Khan \u6210\u5409\u601d\u6c57. Xi Xi also found inspiration in the heroes of the popular Ming-dynasty novel Water Margin <\/i>\u6c34\u6ef8\u50b3. Some prominent figures from the West share the spotlight, too, including Julius Caesar and Cleopatra; there’s even a suave\u00a0Lawrence of Arabia. All the\u00a0teddies wear\u00a0costumes designed and made by\u00a0Xi Xi.<\/p>\n

Xi Xi is one of those rare artists who has the genius to make the old new again. It is a talent that she has nurtured in (and that thas been nurtured by) Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

The<\/em>\u00a0Teddy Bear Chronicles<\/i>\u00a0is an\u00a0ecumenical fancy-dress ball; Xi Xi\u00a0sent out\u00a0all the invitations, she wrote the script and dressed the guests.\u00a0It is with great pleasure that below we introduce our readers to ‘Zhuangzi’, a teddy bear tale\u00a0inspired by the great philosopher who lived around the fourth century BCE, during\u00a0the Warring States period.<\/p>\n

\n

Xi Xi is the pen name of Cheung Yin \u5f35\u5f65, one of Hong Kong’s most beloved and acclaimed writers. She says that the Chinese characters of her pen name, \u897f\u897f, look to her like a girl playing a Chinese form of hopscotch in a skirt. Her creative work is a delicate admix of the na\u00efve and\u00a0the absurd. Regarded as a pioneer of experimental filmmaking and screenwriting in the 1960s, Xi Xi went on to\u00a0publish two collections of poetry, seven novels, twenty-one short story and essay collections and one stand-alone novella. Her essays have also frequently appeared in the popular press, as have her translations.<\/p>\n

Xi Xi, a seal carved by He Fuxing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Xi Xi is\u00a0the second of five children born in 1938 to Cantonese parents in Shanghai. The family migrated to Hong Kong in 1950 shortly after the founding of the People’s Republic on the mainland. Following high school and graduate education, she worked as an English teacher at a government primary school. Living in the cultural and trading entrep\u00f4t of Hong Kong and comfortable in several languages, Xi Xi was exposed to world literature and culture from an early age and she cites the main influences on her work as being children’s writing, film and Latin American and European literature.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

This introductory note is based on material provided by Christina Sanderson, translator of The Teddy Bear Chronicles<\/i>. It also incorporates information from Jennifer Feeley’s introduction to\u00a0Not Written Words <\/i>\u4e0d\u662f\u6587\u5b57<\/a>, a selection of Xi Xi’s poetry in translation.<\/p>\n

We are grateful to Christina for sharing this new work with our readers, and to John Minford who introduced us all to Xi Xi’s panoply of bears. The translation of\u00a0The Teddy Bear Chronicles <\/i>will appear as a volume in\u00a0a series under John’s editorship. That series is generously funded by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.<\/p>\n

The photographs of Xi Xi’s teddies are by\u00a0Chan Kum-lok \u9673\u9326\u6a02 and Lum Kwok-wai\u00a0\u6797\u570b\u5a01.<\/p>\n

We look forward to introducing more teddy bears from Xi Xi’s chronicles in the future.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Geremie R. Barm\u00e9,\u00a0Editor, China Heritage<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Zhuangzi \u838a\u5b50<\/h2>\n

Zhuangzi was a fascinating individual with more stories up his sleeve than anybody else in the world. Some of his stories are long, others are short; but they\u2019re all interesting and superbly imaginative. They\u2019re also full of paradoxes \u2014 to use a favourite expression of his (even though it\u2019s become a terrible\u00a0clich\u00e9<\/i>). In one instance, a gigantic bird capable of flying ninety thousand li<\/em>\u00a0in one flap of the wing turns out to be the transformation of a miniscule fish. In another, a massive gourd that was hopeless as a water jug could well serve as a sailing boat. Then there\u2019s that huge, useless tree, which delights in being considered useless. Since nobody wants it for anything, it can come to no harm. Why wouldn’t it be happy about that?<\/p>\n

\u838a\u5b50\u771f\u662f\u4e16\u754c\u4e0a\u6700\u591a\u6545\u4e8b\u7684\u5999\u4eba\u3002\u4ed6\u7684\u6545\u4e8b\u5927\u5927\u5c0f\u5c0f\uff0c\u6709\u8da3\uff0c\u5145\u6eff\u60f3\u50cf\uff0c\u5145\u6eff\uff0c\u7528\u4ed6\u7684\u8a5e\u532f\u96d6\u7136\u9019\u8a5e\u532f\u5df2\u6feb\u5f97\u6709\u9ede\u8089\u9ebb\uff1a\u5f14\u8a6d\u3002\u4f8b\u5982\u6709\u6642\u662f\u5f88\u5927\u5f88\u5927\u7684\u9ce5\uff0c\u4e00\u98db\u4e5d\u842c\u91cc\uff0c\u53ef\u9019\u5927\u9ce5\u662f\u5f9e\u4e00\u5c3e\u5f88\u5c0f\u5f88\u5c0f\u7684\u9b5a\u8b8a\u6210\u7684\u3002\u6709\u6642\u662f\u5f88\u5927\u5f88\u5927\u7684\u846b\u8606\uff0c\u53ef\u4e0d\u8981\u7528\u4f86\u76db\u6c34\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6700\u597d\u7576\u904a\u8239\ufe54\u6709\u6642\u5462\u662f\u4e00\u68f5\u6c92\u7528\u7684\u5927\u6a39\uff0c\u4f60\u8aaa\u5b83\u6c92\u7528\uff0c\u5b83\u53ef\u9ad8\u8208\u4e86\uff0c\u4f60\u5c31\u4e0d\u6703\u6253\u5b83\u7684\u4e3b\u610f\uff0c\u640d\u5bb3\u5b83\uff0c\u5b83\u8c48\u4e0d\u60a0\u54c9\u6e38\u54c9\u3002<\/p>\n

Zhu Guangqian, who founded the study of aesthetics in modern China, wrote an essay discussing three ways to look\u00a0at ancient pine trees. It\u2019s interesting enough. But aeons before this, Zhuangzi had already introduced another, completely different point of view: that of the tree itself. Once we can imagine a tree with its own own point of view, then we won\u2019t go around thinking ourselves better than trees, or imposing our will upon them. From then on, we will respect trees. Starting from a sense of respect for trees, we can go on to respect other things.<\/p>\n

\u6731\u5149\u6f5b\u4ee5\u5f80\u5beb\u904e\u7bc7\u4e09\u7a2e\u89d2\u5ea6\u770b\u4e00\u68f5\u53e4\u677e\u7684\u6587\u7ae0\uff0c\u5f88\u6709\u610f\u601d\ufe54\u4e0d\u904e\u4e09\u7a2e\u89d2\u5ea6\u90fd\u628a\u6a39\u6728\u5c0d\u8c61\u5316\uff0c\u838a\u5b50\u8001\u65e9\u544a\u8a34\u6211\u5011\uff0c\u5176\u5be6\u9084\u6709\u53e6\u5916\u4e00\u7a2e\u89d2\u5ea6\ufe55\u6a39\u6728\u81ea\u5df1\u7684\u89d2\u5ea6\u3002\u5982\u679c\u60f3\u5230\u9084\u6709\u9019\u9ebc\u4e00\u500b\u6a39\u6728\u672c\u8eab\u7684\u89d2\u5ea6\uff0c\u4f60\u5c31\u4e0d\u6703\u770b\u8f15\u6a39\u6728\uff0c\u4e0d\u6703\u5c0d\u6a39\u6728\u5f37\u52a0\u81ea\u5df1\u7684\u4e3b\u89c0\u610f\u5fd7\uff0c\u5f9e\u800c\u5c0a\u91cd\u6a39\u6728\u3002\u5f9e\u5c0a\u91cd\u4e00\u68f5\u6a39\u6728\u51fa\u767c\uff0c\u4f60\u5c31\u6703\u61c2\u5f97\u5c0a\u91cd\u5176\u4ed6\u3002<\/p>\n

Zhuangzi is constantly teaching us how to see things differently: from the opposite angle; from the contrary point of view. The idea is to reveal how not to be stubborn, biased, or prejudiced. In one case, he asks: How can a summer-born bug whose life spans just a single season, ever hope to understand ice or snow? He goes on to explain why the summer bug has no way of understanding such things. It should be aware of its limitations, and accept the possibility of other points of view. It shouldn\u2019t go around judging things related to other seasons from its own\u00a0limited perspective, that of a summer bug. Humans perpetuate the error made by\u00a0the summer-born bug, and have been doing so for more than two thousand years.<\/p>\n

\u838a\u5b50\u7e3d\u662f\u6559\u6211\u5011\u7528\u4e0d\u540c\u7684\u89d2\u5ea6\u770b\u7269\u4e8b\uff0c\u76f8\u53cd\u7684\u89d2\u5ea6\uff0c\u9006\u5411\u7684\u89d2\u5ea6\uff0c\u4e0d\u8981\u504f\u57f7\u6210\u898b\u3002\u8a66\u60f3\u60f3\uff0c\u751f\u9577\u4e00\u5b63\u7684\u590f\u87f2\uff0c\u5982\u4f55\u660e\u767d\u51b0\u96ea\u662f\u4ec0\u9ebc\u3002\u9019\u662f\u590f\u87f2\u6c92\u6709\u8fa6\u6cd5\u7684\u4e8b\uff0c\u4f46\u7260\u81f3\u5c11\u8981\u77e5\u9053\u81ea\u5df1\u7684\u5c40\u9650\uff0c\u5176\u4ed6\u89d2\u5ea6\u7684\u53ef\u80fd\uff0c\u4e0d\u8981\u6b7b\u62b1\u590f\u87f2\u4e4b\u898b\u53bb\u5224\u65b7\u53e6\u4e00\u500b\u5b63\u7bc0\u7684\u7269\u4e8b\u3002\u4e8c\u5343\u591a\u5e74\u4f86\uff0c\u6211\u5011\u4eba\u985e\u7684\u793e\u6703\uff0c\u4ecd\u7136\u72af\u8457\u590f\u87f2\u7684\u6bdb\u75c5\u3002<\/p>\n

They say that a certain monarch once offered Zhuangzi the post of Prime Minister. He refused. Now that is an earnest renouncement of fame and fortune. His stories were certainly not idle chit-chat. He practised what he preached.<\/p>\n

\u64da\u8aaa\u67d0\u67d0\u570b\u541b\u60f3\u8acb\u4ed6\u505a\u5bb0\u76f8\uff0c\u4ed6\u62d2\u7d55\u4e86\uff0c\u9019\u662f\u5c0d\u540d\u5229\u771f\u6b63\u7684\u6368\u68c4\u3002\u4ed6\u7684\u6545\u4e8b\uff0c\u53ef\u4e0d\u662f\u8aaa\u8aaa\u5c31\u7b97\u3002<\/p>\n

Zhuangzi dreaming of a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of a man called Zhuangzi. Source: The Teddy Bear Chronicles<\/em>.\u00a0Photograph by Chan Kum-lok \u9673\u9326\u6a02 and Lum Kwok-wai\u00a0\u6797\u570b\u5a01.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sometimes Zhuangzi himself becomes the protagonist of his stories. The most famous is about a dream he once dreamed. He dreams of a butterfly, then imagines himself as the butterfly; until he no longer knows whether he is Zhuangzi dreaming of a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of a man called Zhuangzi. It has to be the best dream in history. Since when did we stop having wonderful dreams like that? Since when did our dreams become nothing more than objects for psychopathology?<\/p>\n

\u6709\u6642\uff0c\u838a\u5b50\u9023\u81ea\u5df1\u4e5f\u6210\u70ba\u6545\u4e8b\u7684\u4e3b\u4eba\u7fc1\uff0c\u6700\u8457\u540d\u7684\u662f\u4ed6\u4e00\u6b21\u505a\u5922\uff0c\u5922\u898b\u8774\u8776\uff0c\u65bc\u662f\u5f9e\u8774\u8776\u8a2d\u60f3\uff0c\u5230\u982d\u4f86\u4e0d\u77e5\u662f\u838a\u5468\u5922\u898b\u8774\u8776\uff0c\u6291\u6216\u662f\u8774\u8776\u5922\u898b\u838a\u5468\u3002\u9019\u5922\uff0c\u771f\u662f\u4eba\u985e\u6700\u751c\u7f8e\u7684\u5922\u3002\u4ec0\u9ebc\u6642\u5019\uff0c\u6211\u5011\u5931\u53bb\u4e86\u9019\u7a2e\u7f8e\u5922\u5462\uff1f\u4ec0\u9ebc\u6642\u5019\uff0c\u6211\u5011\u7684\u5922\uff0c\u6210\u70ba\u75c5\u614b\u5fc3\u7406\u5b78\u5206\u6790\u7684\u5c0d\u8c61\uff1f<\/p>\n

The Zhuangzi bear I\u2019ve made is most likely dreaming of butterflies in his sleep, too. You’ll see he has a wawa <\/i>pillow, with a doll\u2019s face at either end. Where is he sleeping? Under a big tree? On the grass? Just as a butterfly would, he has perched himself on top of a hedge for a nap.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u7e2b\u7684\u838a\u5b50\u5728\u7761\u89ba\u6642\u5922\u898b\u8774\u8776\u4e86\u5427\u3002\u4ed6\u6795\u7684\u662f\u300c\u5a03\u5a03\u6795\u300d\uff0c\u5169\u982d\u5404\u6709\u4e00\u5f35\u5a03\u5a03\u81c9\u3002\u4ed6\u7761\u5728\u54ea\u88e1\uff1f\u5927\u6a39\u4e0b\uff0c\u8349\u5730\u4e0a\uff1f\u539f\u4f86\u4ed6\u4e00\u5982\u8774\u8776\uff0c\u7761\u5728\u4e00\u53e2\u6a39\u7c6c\u7684\u9802\u7aef\u3002<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 1989, the Hong Kong writer Xi Xi \u897f\u897f was diagnosed with breast cancer. Post-operative treatment damaged the nerves in her\u00a0right hand, but she taught herself to write with her left and, in 1992, published\u00a0Elegy for a Breast \u54c0\u60bc\u4e73\u623f\u00a0(adapted for the screen as 2 Become 1). Later on, in an effort to regain movement in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[12,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-essays","category-journal"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9gcZ6-1lk","post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5166"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5166"}],"version-history":[{"count":61,"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5971,"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5166\/revisions\/5971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}