资源描述:
《Lost_on_planet_China》由会员上传分享,免费在线阅读,更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、2ContentsTitlePageDedicationAuthor’sNoteChapter1Chapter2Chapter3Chapter43Chapter5Chapter6Chapter7Chapter8Chapter9Chapter10Chapter11Chapter12Chapter13Chapter14Chapter15Chapter16Chapter17Chapter18Chapter19Chapter20Chapter21Chapter22Chapter23Chapter24AcknowledgmentsFurtherRead
2、ingAlsobyJ.MaartenTroost4CopyrightFormyparentsAuthor’sNoteOneday,insideacoffeehouse,theauthorturnedonhislaptopandconfidentlytypedthewordsChapterOne.Nowwhat,hethought.HewassupposedtowriteabookaboutChina.This,afterall,iswhathehadtoldpeople.Sowhatareyouworkingonnow?they’dask,a
3、ndhe’dcasuallymentionthathewasworkingonabookaboutChina.Really?they’dsay,andstaggerbackinadmiration.Surely,itrequiresfluencyinMandarintowriteabookaboutChina.ButtheauthorisnotfluentinMandarin.HecansayhelloinMandarinChinese,butnotinCantoneseChinese.Hecan,however,counttoteninCh
4、inese,albeitwithhishands.Wellthen,surelytheauthorwasattheveryleastinpossessionofvastamountsofscholarlyknowledgeaboutChina—perhapshehadaPh.D.inChineseHistoryfromtheOrientalStudiesProgramatOxford,forexample.Afterall,Chinesecivilizationismorethan5,000yearsold.Onlyanexpertcould
5、writeabookaboutChina,right?TheauthorwishestoacknowledgethatheisnotanexpertonChina.Hisacademicexpertise,suchasitis,liesmoretowardMitteleuropathantheMiddleKingdom.Hedoes,however,knowthedifferencebetweentheMingandtheQingdynastiesandofthisheisquiteproud.Butshouldyoumeethim,plea
6、sedonotaskhimanythingabouttheSongDynasty.OrtheTangDynasty.OrtheWuDynasty.Please.Howthencanthisauthor,whoneitherspeaksChinesenorhasanyparticularexpertiseregardingtheirhistoryorculture,writeabook,abiggishbook,aboutChina?Thisisthequestionthattheauthormulledinsidethecoffeehouse
7、thatday.Heponderedthematter,turneditover,approacheditfromeveryangle.Andfinallyhedecidedthattherewasonlyonewaytodoit.HewouldwritehonestlyaboutChina.HewouldwritefromtheperspectiveofaguywhoneitherspeaksChinesenorhasallthatmuchknowledgepertainingtothingsChinese,aguywhospentmont
8、haftermonthjustkindofwanderingaroundthismassiveandrapidlychangingcountry,withoutap