 |
|
 |
 |
Modern Chinese characters Modern
Chinese characters are highly developed pictograms.
Sometimes it is possible to make out the root, but for
most it is not. "Horse"' for example, still looks
vaguely like the animal. With a bit of imagination, the
mane, the back, the four legs and the tail in the hook
on the right hand side are still visible.
But then tiger,
or snake,
give no obvious clue to their meaning. Rain can be
see in the picture of a cloud and cascading water
droplets,
and umbrella - well it's an umbrella.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
In other characters, vague hints can be given to the
meaning and sometimes the sound, but never enough to be
sure. For instance, three droplets at the left-hand side
of a character imply water, thus:
river,
lake,
waterfall,
the wistful sound of the rain pattering through the
leaves,
and snot.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To make matters even worse, Mao tried to simplify the
language by modifying the characters. The idea was to
make them easier to learn, but his changes can add to
the confusion.
For instance, the character
has an alternative form
but has a completely different meaning from
 which looks almost the same.
With all its comic imprecision, the mesmerizing
poise of its characters and its mysterious capacity
to reach back into the depths of history and bring
thoughts resonating across thousands of years, many,
unwittingly, fall for the language.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
