Ji Li Quotes

Her actions remind me that, even under unbearable circumstances, one can still believe in justice. And above all, love.

I thought about my beautiful dreams and wondered if they would drift away just like those lovely soap bubbles.

evdale evîn, ciwaneke kale. û çîrokeke li gel qulingê birîndar, bi mitale kevintirîne ji mem û zîn û ji mejûyê hezar-sale... dilê'm, tu derwêşek î dilê kê seh dikî, qesîda te betal e!

Çawa bigihim te? Ger biheşt î, ji min re bêje, daku dua ji hemû xwedayan bikim. Ger dûjeh î, ji min re bêje, daku dinyayê bi gunehan dagirim. Çawa bigihim te? Ger welatekî dagirkirî yî, ji min re bêje, daku bo te alayekê ji postê xwe bidirûm. Ger wek min penaber î, sînorekî li dor min bikêşe, min ji xwe re bike welat. Lê bêje: çawe bikarim bigihim te?

I was willing to take on the struggle to establish myself in a new country because I knew that was the price I would have to pay for the freedom to think, speak, and write whatever I pleased.

Many friends have asked me why, after all I went through, I did not hate Chairman Mao and the Cultural Revolution in those years. The answer is simple: We were all brainwashed.

Di fesla nûbiharêde Digel dîlber biçim geştê Ji ev xweştir umir nabit Li min ev hal qewî xweş tê.

This is the most frightening lesson of the Cultural Revolution: Without a sound legal system, a small group or even a single person can take control of an entire country. This is as true now as it was then. Thirty

My family was too precious to forget, and too rare to replace.

Kurd ji hev cuda dilopên baranê ne, cihê cihê têne daqurtandin. Ku gihane hev dibin lehî, lehîke boş. Tu kes, tu tişt li ber wan nikare bisekine. Felata welatê me di rabûna vê lehiyê de ye

Bi Ser Çiyan Ketin Heval megrî çiya herdem Cihê xweşmêr û şêra ye Dîwarê serxwebûna kurd Ji laşê xurtemêra ye Serfirazî bilind e, lê; Bi xwîn û kotek û zor e Bi jêrdeçûne bindestî Berê kurdan li berjor e Tenê serbestî eywan e Bilind û berze bala ye Tenê şûna serê min, te Di jorê wê de vala ye Di kurtan de eger razî Tu dê xewnên bînî Kirasê tirs û sawîran Li xokî tim tu xemgînî Ji doza xwe venabin Dixwazin ta wekû saxin Gelek şerm e ku em sax in û dijmin hê dinav bax in.

Without a sound legal system, a small group or even a single person can take control of an entire country.

A scream is a sound we make that is born of intense feeling. A scream of fear, of being startled, is often high-pitched. It may be short or prolonged. A scream may also accompany delight or amusement, though often that is more of a squeal. And a scream of sorrow or rage ... well, that is an entirely different thing. That comes from a darker place, from the depths of our souls, and when we scream in those times, because we are sad or angry, there is a terrible knowledge that accompanies it, that we are giving voice to our emotions, to what is simply too big for our hearts to contain. And as Li Wei cries out, I know Feng Ji is right. It is his heart I am hearing, a way of expressing what he feels over his father's loss that is both primal and beautiful, and it comes from his soul and reaches something within mine. It is the sound my own heart made when my parents died, only I didn't know it until now.

Li wan rojan Min li gor zewqa hezkirîya xwe jîyana xwe tevde bi rengê şîn xemilandibû Şîn û tenê şîn... Şînê bi rengê deryayê Û di rojek ji rojan de ji nişka ve min destê hezkirîya xwe di destê kesekî din de dît ku jîyana xwe tevde bi rengê zer girêdabû Zerê bi rengê ronahîya rojê Min soberî nedizanî Dilê min rê neda ku hînî soberîyê bibim Û ez di nav deryayeke şîn û bêkutahî ya tirs û xeyalan de xeniqîm!

Di Baxan De Di baxan de berim sorgul Wekî bilbil dikim meyilê Sehergahan dinalim ez Eman leylê, eman leylê Tu Leyla ez wekî Mecnûn Stem pir kir li min gerdûn Çem ê dila Dicla û Ceyhûn Felek heylê felek heylê Tu şêrîn î, şeker ramîs Bi ken her dem, dikî payîz Tu Şêrîn î li cem Parvîz Me dil Ferhad sed keylê Bi nişanî bi şêran î Welatê rind û xopan î Li te pîroz e şahan î Bi bejin û kês im û şeylê Li sere textê evîndaran Nesîhaya ji dildara Dil birîn bû ji dîndara Te pirsek lê nekir qey lê

The poor teachers! Trained in the traditional sciences, they were totally lost when trying to teach us about pigs or paddy fields.

If I can help Americans to understand China, and the Chinese to learn about the United States, even a little, I will feel very rewarded. I

What a terrible man, I thought, worse than a traitor. At least a traitor betrays people by telling the truth. Uncle Zhu tried to save himself by telling lies.

Physics, Chemistry, and Biology had been replaced by Fundamentals of Industry and Agriculture, because of Chairman Mao’s instruction to “combine education with practical experience.

This is the most frightening lesson of the Cultural Revolution: Without a sound legal system, a small group or even a single person can take control of an entire country. This is as true now as it was then.

To us Chairman Mao was God. He controlled everything we read, everything we heard, and everything we learned in school. We believed everything he said. Naturally, we knew only good things about Chairman Mao and the Cultural Revolution. Anything bad had to be the fault of others. Mao was blameless.

... je tam také pokus o báseň věnovanou ... mouše. Kdybych nevěděl, jak se věci mají, řekl bych, že ty verše sepsala nějaká ctihodná slečna, která tyká tvorům, o nichž pěje; ale protože jsem ji složil já, nezbývá mi než věřit, že byl-li jsem já schopen něčeho takového, pak už je každý schpen všeho.

Proto se tedy armáda staví lstí , vede se kupředu za získáním výhod a neustále mění svůj tvar, člení se a znovu se spojuje. Jen tak dokáže být rychlá jako vítr, nehybná a stálá jako les. Dokáže útočit a ničit jako oheň; stojí-li, je jako hory. Poznat ji je stejně těžké jako poznat tmu, ale pohybuje se jako hrom.

The newspapers and radio were full of the campaign to “Destroy the Four Olds.” The campaign had been expanded to eliminate personal possessions. “If we do not completely eliminate the roots, the plant will grow back,” we heard. “We must eradicate these relics of the past.… We must not allow the reactionary forces to hoard their treasures.…” And every day we heard the drums and gongs that meant the Red Guards were ransacking the houses of class enemies to find and confiscate their hoarded possessions.

Ey Welat Dûrim Ji Te" Dîsa ji te dûrim welat Dil ketye gomanên dikûr Ger dûr û nêzîk bim ji te Her dem li ser te kûre-kûr Gava ji te ez dûr dibim Ne ko ditirsim ez ji şûr Divên çarekê bikin Ji ser te rakin pî stûr Tim dar bi destê dijmin e Em têne kuştin rengê mûr Kurên te ser xistin xewê Lê ez dinalim wek bilûr Kengî ji xew rabin gelo Yan kengî em dadin tenûr Divêm bi ser çiya kevin Dîsa bikn tev qûre-qûr Welat çiqas dûrbî ji min Di dil dibî pertav û nûr Ne bes Xumênî dijmine Dijmin pirin, nêzîk û dûr Wek baz cihê kurd tim çiya Dijmin di nav xan û qisûr Dibin piyên tanga de çûn Kal û jin û bapîr û hûr Birçî û tazî û reben Çarox di pê û mil bi tûr Derd û kulan dil kirye ron Ta ko Cegerxwîn bûye tûr.

Where ever i go, the Cultural Revolution followed me

I heard the distant whistle of a passing train, and I wished I could get on it and go far away, to a place without struggle meetings, without class status, without confessions.

Chairman Mao taught us that “inner beauty is much more valuable than outward appearance.” How

No matter what I did and where I went, the Cultural Revolution followed me.

Anger rose in me. Didn’t they know how hard I’d been working to overcome my family background? Now all my efforts were wasted.

Leniency for confession, severity for resistance! Hand

Suicide was a crime. It was “alienating oneself from the people,” according to what Chairman Mao said. So

Life was very hard, so hard that I could hardly breathe sometimes.

But we can’t allow personal matters to interfere with revolutionary duties. Especially for an important political assignment like the exhibition.

Ez Gelek Tî Me Şeraba wan lebên lala Bi minde ez gelek tî me Bila xêra te bî cana: Nizanî ez çi birçî me? Ji baxê paxil û sîngê Eger sêvek bidî Seyda Xurînî pê ku bişkînim Diçim ser rê ku rêwî me Eger sênca rez û baxan Çirand û dest birin sêvan Dibî lêv herne ser lêvan Li min megre ku sêwî me Bi tenha ez li çolê me Serî goka di holê me Birîndari m ji wan mijgan Pêrîşani m çi xwînî me? Welatperwer bî ey xanim: Were dest deyne ser canim Birînê min qemûşk bigrin Bi jînê pir bi hêvî me De wer maçek biminde xweş Li dêm ko bisk bikin şevreş Ku ayîna te bigrim ez Ji nûve da bi zanîme? Bihayê herdû sêvên zer Li dil xistin te sed xencer Mebîne qelsemêrim ez Ji kurdên ser nişîvîme? Kurê Xesro û Guhderzim Di vê rêde gelek berzim Evîndarim ku can û dil Li ber destê te danîme Eger ez ser dibim ber pê Xwedana şal û îşerpê Dixwazim ku tu pîroz bit Di vê rê ez çi manî me? Dema çavên te yên mêrkuj Dibênim ez dibim wek mij Peyala şerbeta lêvan Kirim gawir ku yezdî me Ji te dûrim te nabînim Li ser te ez ciger xwînim Çi bêjim ko nikarim bêm Di îro ez swêdî me. Cigerxwîn Stockholm 26.9.1979

Belê, gotina derbideriyê bi canê me Kurdan ve hatiye perçîm kirin. Ew ketiye damarên me û bûye perçeyek ji nasnameya me ya neteweyî. Em Kurd, em jibîrbûyên dîrokê û mirovahiyê ne! Xwedê tenê dizane em çend milyon in, lê em ne bi serê xwe ne û mejiyê me ne ji ba me ye. Qeder û enînivîsa me ew e ku em li ser rûyê vê edrê bigerin ta ku rojekê mirin bêje, "bes e!" û dawiyekê ji kulên me re biafirîne.

Ne mîne li hîvya çi kesa da bhên o te dil xush biken o jîyana te bashte biken.. Shertanê li ser çi kesan neke ko dê hên o te rizgar ken. Tu xodanê peyva dest pêkê o pêngava dest pêkê be, o destê xo bgre harîkarîya xo bike o bizane xodê harî wî kesî diket yê harî xo diket. Eger te ew kes ne dît te dil xush biket, tu bxo xo dil xush bike. Eger te ew kes ne dît bu te shemalkekê helket, li êkê dî ne gerhe shemalkên te bi vemrînît. Neçe bîyabanê o li gûlên ciwan bi gerhe, tu hîç tshtekî li bîyabanê nabînî ji blî strî o dehlîya. Tu bitnê dishêy wê jîyanê bu xo avakey ya di hzr û xeyalên te da. Kes na hêt o xewnêt te o hez o hîvîyên te bikete rastî, evca ji xew rabe o kar bike bu hîvîyên xo. Serê xo bilind ke o eger tarî bi ser te da hat li rûnahîyê bi gerhe o bizane heyv ya li hîvya te. Çi dergeha li xo ne gre , çûnkî de her rojek hêt pêdvî wî dergehî bî. Torre ne be demê kesek axftneka ne ciwan di bêjît te o bizane ew kesatîya xo pênase diket ne ya te. Bawerîyê bi xo o bê hîvî nebe, beref xewnên xo ve here . Çi car rêka xo ne ber de, eger rêk çenda dirêj bît, xo dana çîya bît, xo bihêz bike o geshbîn be. Ya çoy ji bîr ke, o bizane di gel helatna rojeka nî, delîvên nî dihên o pshtî zvstana dijwar dê bûhar hêt o gûl dê vebn. Ev gerdûne xodê yê bu te çêkrî, supasîya wî bike ko tu day saxlem. Di gel xodê be o dê ew te parêzît o xewnên te di gel wî de bine rastî.

Bilbil û Gul Bilbilê dilkul dinalî, Her li ser dêmên gulê, Gul çi zanî ku li ser kê, Wer dinalî bilbil e? Pertewa dêmên sipî Carek li dil ku ew nedî Çend bikî qêrîn û zarî Kî dizanî dil kul e? Dilgirê wek bilbilê Herdem bi nalîn û girî Girtiyê benda evînê Dil li benda sunbil e. Dilbijê bê çare çibkî Bil ji qêrîn û girî Ê di benda dil revînê Kî dizanî bê dil e? Ev xem û derd û elem Ku min di dil de pir civîn Tev ji pêt û pertewa Şaha bi tac û sunbil e Ew kesê sewdan li ser Naçî rêza dilgiran Her çiqasî ew bi gazî Rengê dengê zengil e Ger ji dêmên sorgulî Pertew nedî nêv can û dil Nakevî nêv bend û dava Zulfê mest û fulfil e Ez di benda dilrevayê Tîr ji birhan têne dil Lêw me dil herdem bi destê Nazika reş-kakile Ew kesê carek diye Derdê evînê wî bi dil Jar û sergerdan û meste Xweş dizanî 'moşkil e' Pertewa dîdariyê Ku mêxolî ez kirim Laleş a min ser li ber Danî li sîng û paşilê Bûye çil sal ku cigerxwîn Bû ji tîrên ebriwan Lew me dermanê birînê Lêv û sêvên paxile

I realized that although I have adopted a new country, I cannot forget China. I wonder about Chna's present, and I worry about her future. I have realized that despite all my suffereing, I cannot stop loving the country where I was born and raised.

Nikdo rozumný nepopře, že organizace naší společnosti, nazvaná stát, pociťuje nejen živou potřebu získat větší autoritu, ale i okolnosti ji k tomu nutí. Děje-li se to s dobrovolným souhlasem na základě vědomého pochopení občanů, dociluje se tím jen žádoucí stav. Děje-li se to ale z pohodlnosti, aby bylo možno vyhnout se obtížným rozhodnutím, nebo z nevědomosti, pak jednotlivec upadá do jistého nebezpečí, že bude jako odpovědný člověk odepsán. Stát se ale pak nebude v ničem lišit od žaláře či termitiště.

teachers do not hold bombs or knives, they are still dangerous enemies. They fill us with insidious revisionist ideas. They teach us that scholars are superior to workers. They promote personal ambition by encouraging competition for the highest grades. All these things are intended to change good young socialists into corrupt revisionists. They are invisible knives that are even more dangerous than real knives or guns. For example, a student from Yu-cai High School killed himself because he failed the university entrance examination. Brainwashed by his teachers, he believed his sole aim in life was to enter a famous university and become a scientist—

I stared at the large sheet of paper spread out in front of me, wondering what to write. It was strange. When I had read the newspaper, I had been enraged by the revisionist educational system that had been poisoning our youth for so many years. But now that I actually had to criticize the teachers who taught us every day, I could not find anything really bad to say about any of them.

Nejsou-li řeči doktora Vlacha zrovna osobní, dají se docela dobře poslouchat. Vypravuje velmi živě, dovede napodobovat způsob řeči lidí, o nichž vykládá, a přitom se obyčejně tak upřímně rozhorluje, že je to zábavné. Stmívalo se čím dále tím více a v přestávkách mezi řečí občas zazářil ohníček doktorovy cigarety. Bývaly doby, řečnil, kdy člověk, který šil boty, říkal si švec. A nejen že si to říkal, měl to také napsáno na vývěsním štítu, kde vedle obrázku vysoké dámské šněrovací boty bylo napsáno třeba: Alois Krátký, švec. A ten pan Krátký, mistr ševcovský, sedával večer u piva a vedl takovéhle řeči: "Milej zlatej, když já vám ušiju nový boty, můžete v nich jít pěšky na pouť na Svatou horu a zase zpátky za jedinej den, a až se vrátíte, tak nebudete línej a přijdete mi poděkovat, i kdyby to bylo v deset hodin večer. Takový já šiju boty." Jak víte, povídal dále doktor Vlach, ševci vymřeli. Nestalo se to tím, že by na ně přišla nějaká nemoc nebo že je zničila Baťova továrna. Přišla horší pohroma. V příští generaci se z nějakých naprosto nepochopitelných důvodů začal švec stydět za to, že je ševcem, truhlář, že je truhlářem, zámečník, že je zámečníkem. Syn mistra Krátkého pracuje na tátově verpánku v témže kumbálku, ale na firmě má napsáno: výroba obuvi. Já vím, rozčiloval se doktor, že kdyby jeho táta vstal z mrtvých, že by vlastnoručně tu firmu sundal a řekl by synovi: "Tak ty se stydíš za tátovo řemeslo? Copak ty jsi nějaká výroba obuvi? Ty jsi švec! Vždyť je to učiněná hrůza. Člověk kouká po firmách a vůbec to nepoznává. A co ten Volek naproti? Ten se také nějak zmohl. Má tam napsáno: tovární sklad nábytku. On má továrnu?" Syn by shovívavě vysvětloval, že Volek nemá továrnu, že je to jen taková reklama, víš? "Reklama?" vybuchl by starý pán, "u mne to není reklama, u mne je to lež, klamání lidí a jalová pejcha. Reklama je u mne poctivě udělaná bota nebo jarmara." Doktor Vlach povídal, že toho starého pána by to rozčilovalo, ale my že už jsme na to zvyklí. Přečteme firmu a hned si ji v duchu přeložíme do prosté mluvy obecné. Pánský módní salón, to je přece krejčí, návrhy, dekorace, interiéry, to je malíř pokojů, výroba železných konstrukcí, to je malý zámečník s jedním učněm, protože kdyby to byli dva takoví, tak už to budou spojené strojírny nebo tak nějak. Továrna dehtových výrobků, nad tím už byste zaváhali. Jen se nedejte zmásti, to je náš starý známý mistr pokrývač, a dehtové výrobky, které potřebuje, si z některé továrny pěkně kupuje. Já ho náhodou znám. Skutečnost, že dnešní řemeslníci se většinou za své řemeslo stydí, je zastíněna tím, jak se stydí dnešní výrobky za své původce. Předměty jsou tu jen proto, aby za ně byla zaplacena příslušná cena, ale zatvrzele odmítají sloužit svému účelu. A neříkejte mi, povídal doktor Vlach, že vidím příliš černě. Že ještě dnes jsou řemeslníci, kteří dělají dobré a poctivé věci, že lze ještě dostat například nábytek provedený tak, že se srdce směje, nábytek, jehož skříně se kupodivu otvírají, aniž je nutno jimi lomcovat, v jehož knihovně se skla posunují lehce, nábytek, který si tyto své vlastnosti udrží dlouhou řadu let. Mám z toho radost, ale většině lidí je to málo platné. Myslím tu převážnou většinu, pro kterou 50 000 korun reprezentuje asi tak celoživotní úspory a ne nábytek do jednoho pokoje. Tito lidé se většinou smířili se svým životním standardem, ale je pochopitelné, že trvají na tom, aby se i jejich skříně otvíraly, skla v knihovně posunovala a aby nedocházelo k paradoxu, který by je nutil, aby proto, že nejsou bohati, musili kupovat každé tři roky nový nábytek.

Tak trochu jsme doufali, že jednou třeba potkáme lásku, ale moc jsme se tím netrápili, protože se nám zdálo, že na to máme ještě spoustu času. Láska nám připadala jako něco příliš definitivního, a proto nezajímavého, a byla to přece láska, co zruinovalo naše rodiče. Láska je odsoudila k životu naplněnému hypotečními splátkami a opravami domu; k nezajímavému zaměstnání a k brouzdání po rozzářených uličkách supermarketů ve dvě odpoledne. Doufali jsme v lásku jiného druhu, v lásku, která by si uvědomovala naši lidskou křehkost a promíjela nám ji, a přitom nijak neumenšovala naše velkorysejší představy o sobě samých. Připadala nám docela dobře možná. Nebudeme-li o ni příliš úporně usilovat, nebudeme-li kvůli ní panikařit, může se stát, že nás taková vysněná, obohacující láska doopravdy jednou potká. Pokud si dokážeme někoho takového vůbec představit, pak taková osoba určitě někde existuje. A mezitím nás musí uspokojovat sex.

The Call of Jeremiah 4Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,     5  i “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,     and before you were born  j I consecrated you;     I appointed you a prophet  k to the nations.” 6Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold,  l I do not know how to speak,  m for I am only a youth.” 7But the LORD said to me,     “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;     for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,     and  n whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8     o Do not be afraid of them,      p for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.

Touha státi se nepostradatelným jest pákou pokroku, ale brzdou pokroku jest naše touha, zůstáti nepostradatelnými. NESCHOPNÝ ŘEDITEL se ohlíží žárlivě kolem sebe, aby odstranil každého, kdo by mu mohl přerůsti přes hlavu, kdo by jej mohl nahraditi. Schopný ředitel jest naopak udýchán sháněním a výchovou lidí, kteří by co nejdříve mohli konati jeho práci, protože sotvaže se ji naučil konati, sám už vidí, že je ho třeba o poschodí výše, aby jeho práce dole mohla býti řádně vykonána. Nestará se o to, je-li na dveřích, vedoucích k vrchnímu řediteli, napsáno: „Vstup zapovězen”. Vstoupí, pozdraví zdvořile pana vrchního ředitele a dá mu najevo, že nestojí o jeho křeslo, že chce vykonati jen jeho práci.

Teacher Wei’s situation was very bad. She was a junior high school math teacher, and before the Cultural Revolution she had been a Model Teacher. Her study wall was covered with certificates of merit. Now she was called a black model, and because her father was a capitalist and her mother had committed suicide, she was criticized all the more.

Teacher Wei’s situation was very bad. She was a junior high school math teacher, and before the Cultural Revolution she had been a Model Teacher. Her study wall was covered with certificates of merit. Now she was called a black model, and because her father was a capitalist and her mother had committed suicide, she was criticized all the more. The Red Guards at her school held struggle meetings to criticize her almost every day. During those struggle meetings they beat her and whipped her with their belts.

That doesn’t mean that you should make up a story about something you never did!” Dad’s voice grew still louder. “So what if I never listened to foreign radio broadcasts? They’ll stop beating me if I confess to it, won’t they? ‘Leniency to those who confess, and severity to those who resist.’ Look at my face, Lao Jiang. I can’t stand it anymore… .

My friends and I had grown up with the stories of the brave revolutionaries who had saved China. We were proud of our precious red scarves, which, like the national flag, were dyed red with the blood of our revolutionary martyrs. We had often been sorry that we were too young to have fought with Chairman Mao against the Japanese invaders, who tried to conquer China; against the dictator Chiang Kai-shek, who ruthlessly oppressed the Chinese people; and against the American aggressors in Korea. We had missed our chance to become national heroes by helping our motherland.

We knew they must be student inspectors. The newspapers had pointed out that the fourolds were also reflected in clothing, and now high school students had taken responsibility for eliminating such dress. For example, any pants with a leg narrower than eight inches for women or nine inches for men would be considered fourolds.

Our beloved Chairman Mao had started the Cultural Revolution in May. Every day since then on the radio we heard about the need to end the evil and pernicious influences of the “Four Olds”: old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits. Chairman Mao told us we would never succeed at building a strong socialist country until we destroyed the “Four Olds” and established the “Four News.

Respect the teachers? That’s the nonsense of ‘teachers’ dignity.’ You two are typical ‘teachers’ obedient little lambs,’ do you know that?” Du Hai recited more phrases from the newspaper. The world had turned upside down. Now it was a crime for students to respect teachers. I couldn’t keep calm.

One Monday, all school classes were suspended indefinitely. All students were directed instead to participate in the movement by writing big posters, da-zi-bao, criticizing the educational system. Rolls of white paper, dozens of brushes, and many bottles of red and black ink were brought into the classrooms. The teachers were nowhere to be seen.

The three of us stopped before a da-zi-bao signed “An Antirevisionist.” An Yi read aloud, “‘Although teachers do not hold bombs or knives, they are still dangerous enemies. They fill us with insidious revisionist ideas. They teach us that scholars are superior to workers. They promote personal ambition by encouraging competition for the highest grades. All these things are intended to change good young socialists into corrupt revisionists. They are invisible knives that are even more dangerous than real knives or guns.

Yin Lan-lan had written, “As one of its victims, I denounce the revisionist educational system. Being from a working-class family, I have to do a lot more housework than students from rich families. So I have difficulty passing exams. I was forced to repeat grades three times. And I was not allowed to be a Young Pioneer or to participate in the school choir. The teachers think only of grades when evaluating a student. They forget that we, the working class, are the masters of our socialist country.

Ke Cheng-li doesn’t like working-class kids. He only likes rich kids. He made Jiang Ji-li the teacher’s assistant for math class and gave her higher grades, and he also let her win all the math contests and awarded her a lot of notebooks. We have to ask the question, What is the relationship between them after all?

An Yi’s grandma lay on a cart, silent under the white sheet. Her face was covered. It had been smashed in her fall, and of course they would not make a wax replacement for a suicide. Suicide was a crime. It was “alienating oneself from the people,” according to what Chairman Mao said. So we were not in one of the private rooms. We wore no mourning bands. We could not play funeral music for Grandma.

I shut my eyes and pictured Grandma standing on the windowsill, looking down into the courtyard. What was she thinking before she jumped? She must have forgotten about her duties to her country, and her family too. Did she think about her granddaughter rushing back from Shandong for the funeral? Did she remember her blind sister? I wiped at my tears and took a deep breath.

As soon as the painting was finished, two new rituals, Morning Repentance and Evening Report, began. Now every morning as I returned from the market in the cool morning air, I saw a group at the foot of the propaganda wall. Five or six people who had been landlords or counterrevolutionaries or rightists—people in the Five Black Categories—bowed in front of Chairman Mao. They waved their copies of the Selected Quotations from the Writings of Chairman Mao, the Precious Red Book, in the air and chanted, “Long life to Chairman Mao! Long life! Long life! Long life!” Then one by one they confessed their guilt. In the evening they had to do it again.

14) Use the mind-intent, do not use muscular force. 十 四) 用 意 不 用 力; Shi si) Yong yi bu yong li. 15)

Lidský intelekt, tak, jak si jej my představujeme, není nikterak onen, který nám líčil Platón v alegorii o jeskyni. Není právě tak jeho úlohou, aby pozoroval jak míjejí prázdné stíny, jako aby zřel, ohlížeje se za sebe, hvězdu zrak oslňující. Má dělati něco jiného. Zapřaženi jako voli oráčovi do těžké práce, cítíme hru svých svalů a kloubů, tíhu pluhu a odpor půdy: jednati a věděti o sobě, že jednáme, vstupovati ve styk se skutečností a dokonce ji žíti, avšak jen v mezích jejího významu pro dílo, které se dokonává, a pro brázdu, která se táhne, takový jest úkol lidského intelektu. A přece koupeme se v blahodárném fluidu, z něhož čerpáme samu sílu k práci a životu. Z tohoto oceánu života, do něhož jsme ponořeni, vdechujeme ustavičně něco a cítíme, že naše bytost, nebo alespoň intelekt, který ji vede, vytvořil se tu jakýmsi místním ztužením. Filosofie může být jen úsilím, jak znovu rozplynouti se v celku. A intelekt, resorbuje-li se ve svém principu, prožije zas naruby svou vlastní genesi. Avšak takový podnik nebude již moci dovršiti se na ráz; bude nutně hromadný a postupný. Bude záležeti na výměně dojmů, které opravujíce se vzájemně a též na sebe se kladouce, posléze rozšíří v nás lidství a dosáhnou toho, že půjde nad sebe samo.

Zmoudřete! Na druhý den, když abbé a major přišli na Důrův ostrov, otázali se Antonína, kdo to v noci tonul a koho zachránil. „Oho,“ řekl mistr mezi prozpěvováním (neboť Kateřina byla již odešla po nákupu), „vytáhl jsem z Orše maličkou chudinku, děvčátko nikoliv starší než 20 let. Byla by se, pánové, dočista utopila.“ „Dnes při snídani jsem zaslechl jakési řeči,“ pravil kanovník. „Mluví se, Antoníne, že to byla Anna z vozu kouzelníkova a že jste ji vlekl vrbinami až sem. To nešťastné děvče, majore, bylo prý nuceno vrhnouti se do vody, aby uniklo návrhům nestoudníkovým! Vy mlčíte, Antoníne, souhlasíte, abyste byl veřejně označen za svůdníka a jmín lumpem.“ „Máte zcela pravdu,“ odvětil major, „je dobře míti veselou přítelkyni, znám to. Jejich tlamičky a jejich uši jsou malé a růžové.“ Řka to, major zřejmě jsa pohnut se odmlčel a po chvíli dodal: „Pravím, že to znám, avšak čas míjí a věci se zapomínají. Vy, Antoníne,“ děl obraceje se k mistrovi, „jste si počínal hůře než lancknecht v městě, jehož bylo dobyto, a abbé vás nazval právem darebákem.“ „V mém dobrodružství,“ pravil Antonín, „není nic ošklivého, neboť Anna je naživu, dýchá a chodí. Slíbil jsem ji něco ryb, a vy, majore, byste mi měl přispěti, neboť - jak jsem si úkradkem všiml - je to opravdu hezké děvče.“ Dosti Slyše to, kanovník vyňal z kapsy Ars amandi P. O. Nasona a udeřil knihou o zemi, takže se zdvihl obláček prachu. Potom se jal abbé spílati a mluvil špatně o literatuře a o knihách řka, že básníci jsou lidé nesmělí, že to řemeslo nezjednává cti a že platí u ženských za onuci. Když se vylál, zdvihl opět svoji knihu a pravil: „Výtky, které jsem vznesl proti krásnému písemnictví, neplatí bez výhrady a neplatí obecně. Avšak je nezvratná pravda, že ženské jsou hlupačky a že nikdy a nijak nebyly účastny velikých věcí aniž rozkoší duševních.“ „Právě tak,“ poznamenal major zapaluje si doutník, „nesloužily nikdy ve vojště, a jakkoliv se jim líbí přiléhavé spodky a barevné kabátce, nerozumějí vojenství ani za mák. Víte-li pak, abbé, že jsem se nesetkal s dámou, která by znala základy balistiky nebo taktiky a která by měla jakékoliv mínění o těchto věcech? Pah,“ doložil, „dovedou kaziti staré rody křížíce se s největší snadností s potomky šlechty a přivádějíce na svět čtenáře poštovních knížek.

We were proud of our precious red scarves, which, like the national flag, were dyed red with the blood of our revolutionary martyrs. We

Seventeen years after Liberation, the newspapers told us, our schools were not bringing us up to be good red socialists and communists, as we had thought, but revisionists. We

I gently moved her hand away. “This is an ink painting. It only uses black ink.

Once my life had been defined by my goals: to be a da-dui-zhang, to participate in the exhibition, to be a Red Guard. They seemed unimportant to me now. Now my life was defined by my responsibilities. I had promised to take care of my family, and I would renew that promise every day. I

There is no difficulty, no matter how serious, that cannot be overcome, but if you miss this chance, it might ruin your whole political life. Then it will be too late to repent.

Budete-li opakovat otázku po několik dní nebo týdnů, hypocampus nebude mít jinou možnost, než ji vyřídit. Bude to jeho vlastním způsobem, podle jeho časového harmonogramu, ale váš mozek začne dodávat potřebné odpovědi.

When neighbors ran into each other, they did not stop to chat but just nodded and hurried on. Everyone felt vulnerable, and no one wanted to say anything that would cause trouble. We

Home, I thought. Wasn’t a home a private place? A place where the family could feel secure? How could strangers come and search through our secrets? If

Now let’s sincerely and wholeheartedly wish long life to our great leader, great teacher, great commander, and great helmsman, Chairman Mao.” Her

It felt almost like a dream from long ago. I remembered another Ji-li, one who was always praised by her teachers and respected by her classmates. A Ji-li who always pushed herself to do better, achieve more.

He pointed me to a chair. “Making a clean break with your black family, that’s good. We absolutely support you.

You can tell your parents you’ll follow Chairman Mao, not them. If they give you any trouble, just come here and tell us. We’ll go to their work units and hold struggle meetings against them… .

The sun had risen as usual, but nothing else about the day was the same as the day before.

Now you can show your revolutionary determination.” He paused. “We want you to testify against your father at the struggle meeting.

She was having an attack of Mèniére’s disease. She had had it for years, and an attack could come on at any time. The world would spin around her and she would feel weak and nauseous. Even opening her eyes would make her helplessly dizzy.

You are different from your parents. You were born and raised in New China. You are a child of Chairman Mao. You can choose your own destiny: You can make a clean break with your parents and follow Chairman Mao, and have a bright future; or you can follow your parents, and then… you will not come to a good end.” As

But at home he was our humorous, kind, and wise Dad. He loved reading, and he loved including the whole family in his discoveries. He

It was strange. When I had read the newspaper, I had been enraged by the revisionist educational system that had been poisoning our youth for so many years. But now that I actually had to criticize the teachers who taught us every day, I could not find anything really bad to say about any of them.

Another student said his teacher had deliberately ruined his students’ eyesight by making them read a lot, so they could not join the Liberation Army. Still

Still another accused Teacher Wang of attempting to corrupt a young revolutionary by buying her some bread when he learned that she had not eaten lunch.

Chairman Mao said, ‘In a class society everyone is a member of a particular class, and every kind of thinking, without exception, is stamped with the brand of a particular class.’ There

Now our chance had come. Destroying the fourolds was a new battle, and an important one: It would keep China from losing her Communist ideals. Though we were not facing real guns or real tanks, this battle would be even harder, because our enemies, the rotten ideas and customs we were so used to, were inside ourselves.

Our great leader, Chairman Mao, has taught us, ‘Every reactionary is the same; if you do not hit him, he will not fall. This is also like sweeping the floor; as a rule, where the broom does not reach, the dust will not vanish by itself.’” Her

What was she thinking before she jumped? She must have forgotten about her duties to her country, and her family too. Did she think about her granddaughter rushing back from Shandong for the funeral? Did she remember her blind sister? I

Here is the opportunity for you to help Chairman Mao’s revolution. Who can win the most honor by telling us first?

His voice was affectionate but also flustered, like that of a child who had no idea what to do.

Everything was dark. His tall figure dissolved into the night, but I could still feel his eyes on me, shining despite the darkness.

I no longer worried that she was a landlord’s wife. She was my grandmother.

We finally learned that the whole Cultural Revolution had been part of a power struggle at the highest levels of the Party. Our leader had taken advantage of our trust and loyalty to manipulate the whole country. This

After thinking so much about that time, I wanted to do something for the little girl I had been, and for all the children who lost their childhoods as I did. This book is the result.

We even know where it was hidden, but before I go get it, I’ll give you one last chance to prove your loyalty to Chairman Mao. And

We had a bad class status. That was why An Yi was not allowed to wear mourning bands or even cry aloud for her grandmother. That was why my house was searched, and strangers could come in and do whatever they wanted. It was just a simple fact. Why should I ask why? There was absolutely nothing I could do to change it.

The Red Guards at her school held struggle meetings to criticize her almost every day. During those struggle meetings they beat her and whipped her with their belts.

Well, you know the old saying. ‘The wheel of fate makes a full turn every sixty years,’” An Yi said. “It’s their turn to suffer now.

When I looked around me, fate seemed to be the only explanation for what was happening.

I searched for something to say to comfort him, but he spoke first. “Well, I guess the old man came out to greet his public again.

Except for a few who actually killed people, hardly any “revolutionaries” have been punished for what they did during the Cultural Revolution. Those