Jiang Yuebing is a literature professor in Hubei province.

Beating the Stolen Gong

Jiang Yuebing

Some neighbors of our China are so much interested in Chinese culture that they decided most important ancient Chinese inventions like Chinese medicine or seismograph actually theirs. I appreciate their interest to our culture, yet wonder if they also found this piece, which is an ancient Chinese saying, “A stolen gong can’t be beaten!”

Because SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System) were bold enough to beat the stolen gong. On July the 16th the SBS kinescoped secretly the first

rehearsal of the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games, and by the 30th more than 2 minutes of the kinescope was broadcasted by SBS.

Many Chinese people were angry at this astonishing behavior. And I just don’t understand why they did it. Yes their must offer their audiences the most attractive news, but why did they not think of the results of it? Couldn’t they see that they were beating the stolen gong just to discredit themselves?  As a Chinese I feel so pity for the poor SBS.

I am sure their disgraceful act will do no real harm to Beijing Olympic Games. I am sure Chinese people will enjoy the opening ceremony, and I believe people around the world would appreciate the performance too. I feel a bit at easy knowing that SBS has made their apology. We should accept that.

Honour your host

“If you receive plums from your guest, return some peaches to him,” said my wife yesterday afternoon. She always says so because she believes it is one of the most commonly received principles in a mutual relationship. And I think it is a good Chinese version of the Golden Rule, “treat others as you want to be treated”.

“And we never make our host shamed when we are invited to dinner.” She said she could never understand what the people had done in the international platform. In one corner of the world some people so ignominiously exposed our opening ceremony rehearsals, in some other corner earlier a man named Sarkozy had suggested that he might boycott the Beijing Olympics. “Why should they offend their honoured host?”

Some of them might be merely childish, I said, thinking of SBS. As for Mr. Sarkozy, I think he was probably too enthusiastic on the Tibet problem. I tried to say something to save that president’s innocent face but I felt weak. If you Mr. Sarkozy don’t agree with the Chinese policies you are welcome to go and tell our ambassador. So why should you shame Olympic Games, and why should you shame your host Beijing?

My wife wanted me to write out her opinions since I know some English. Here she says, honour your host, and honour Beijing, you nice people!