【97-2 佳作】中文碩二 黃韻玲：Image of China in Western Literature--“ China in the sixteenth century: The journals of Matthew Ricci: 1583-1610”

Image of China in Western Literature--“ China in the sixteenth century: The journals of Matthew Ricci: 1583-1610”

參賽者：黃韻玲（中文碩二）

名次：佳作

書名：China in the sixteenthcentury: The journals of Matthew Ricci1.: 1583-1610)

得獎作品：

     Ricci Matthew, as everybody knows, was the most famous priest in the 16th century who lived in China over 25 years. Being so talented at language-learning, he could memorize every character he saw and read Chinese classics without any difficulties.

     This journal was edited by one of his friends after few years he died and was translated into English in 1983. It is said that Matthew Ricci’s journal was an extraordinary work which provides a vivid picture for those who have no ideas about China in Europe. Telling us as much as he knew about languages, religions, customs and bureaucracy in China, Ricci’s journal might be viewed as a bibliography rather than fantasy novels which Marco Polo, Odoric have already written down in the early 13th.

     It is no doubt that nobody could be so familiar with Chinese culture like Matthew Ricci at that time. He makes cultural comparisons between Europe and China to raise European’s attention toward Chinese. On the other hand, his concern about different living styles in those two places makes us to know more about European culture, too. For example, by stating that the buildings in China are not as permanent and stable as in Europe, he introduces public facilities in Europe which are common and sustainable. Another interesting story is that, Ricci says he was confused when seeing Chinese paintings and hearing Chinese melodies. I think it is just because of the totally different techniques in arts that could confuse him. One thing we need to understand is that, each culture has its standards when it comes to arts. That is to say, what they think unharmonious may be the arts we appreciate. Hence, I think “be respectful to all cultures” is what Ricci’s journal reminds us of and the spirit of the 21th century.

     Besides, he tried to show how wonderful China was and how well-mannered Chinese were in order to convince more priests to believe that China was blessed. Hence, China seems like a good place for those who want to begin their preach jobs. He also shows his tolerance when mentioning religions in China. For him, all they need is God’s bless, which can help them get rid of superstitions. Ricci, so rational a man he is, finds out that while fortunetellers in China always cheat on people, everybody would like to believe in it rather than being skeptical about it. He thinks fortunetelling is a kind of crime and actually, has nothing to do with one’s future. In my opinion, the reason why people believe in fortunetellers is that they are still uneasy and anxious about their future; furthermore, they are afraid of being conquered by Tartars again, even though they have regoverned China for such a long period of time.

     Also, there are something need to be taken into consideration in this book. Not until I read Ricci’s journal, did I realize that how people from outside of China think of us as. Apparently, European and Chinese culture are totally different, but they still have something in common—both of them have their own philosophy of lives. And we should admire both of them. This book gives us a chance not only to see the way they look upon us, but also help us to figure out how hybridity featured in modern society. As mentioned above, the book “China in the sixteenth century: The journals of Matthew Ricci: 1583-1610” is very valuable for people such as students and researchers who want to go deeply into history. Finally, although Ricci, the author of the book, disdains superstitions in China, the book itself seems like to be a prophecy which foretells the disasters in the late 19th-- the defeat of China is inevitable because Chinese are too weak to fight with the invaders as he describes in the book.