骨肉情深 最难忘 (The most difficult thing to forget is that blood relations run deep)
Mr Luo’s anthem, which he wrote for the anniversary of the table tennis team in December 2003 is a poignant reflection of what most of the first generation Chinese immigrants hope for.
While they celebrate a new life in America with opportunities for wealth and prosperity, there is also a deep-rooted allegiance to their country of origin and a longing that one day they may return back home and make their country proud of their achievements. Like most Chinese immigrants, the new life comes with the need to work hard and perseverance, hence, the constant reminder to the youths to study hard, for studying hard will bring about a brighter future ahead. There is also a reminder for the younger generation to remember what their parents have done for them – they have worked hard and brought them up in a new land to provide for them a better life.
The title: 骨肉情深 最难忘 expresses something that I’ve been trying to find out through the last three weeks. 其实, 你已经不是 一位中国人民， 但是你还是一位华人。 I think most of the interviews that we have had so far, regardless of which generation of Chinese Americans, all of them have said the same thing – they are first and foremost Chinese, but they are American. I think it became clearer in the interviews conducted in Mandarin what it means to be ‘Chinese’ and yet not American.
I was reading a chapter of Iris Chang’s book: The Chinese In America, which argues that the Chinese Americans are still regarded as being closely affiliated to the People’s Republic of China, ‘no matter how great their contribution to U.S society, virtually all of them have had their identities questioned at one point or another’ (Chang, p13). I spoke to Janice earlier about this, and the topic was raised on two occasions; the first, was a conversation with an ex-Singaporean diplomat living in Palo Alto, and another in our interview with a first generation Chinese working in Silicon Valley.
The problem with the word ‘Chinese’ in the English language creates much ambiguity because ‘Chinese’ is used to describe someone of Chinese ethnicity, but at the same time, that very word is also used to describe someone of Chinese nationality. When we mention loosely that a person is ‘Chinese’, it almost becomes inevitable to assume that such as person has some form of affiliation with the country where the Chinese tradition ad culture has originated from. Hence, the common misperception that the phrase ‘I’m Chinese’ tends to have connotations that the person has affiliations with China. In the Chinese language, however, there is a distinct definition between a person who is of Chinese ethnicity (华人) and a person who is of Chinese nationality from the People’s Republic of China (中国人民). In 华人, the character ‘化’ expresses a people of rich culture and tradition, where as , 中国人民 has no relation or root word whatsoever to 华人, and 中国 (China) refers instead to what China was originally called, the Middle Kingdom.
I’ve translated the song in English for the benefit of the Lord Rootes Memorial Fund archive, the following is a loose translation of the song, which is subjected to correction once I get hold of my Mandarin Dictionary.
骨肉情深 最难忘
人生什么 最难忘 骨肉情深 最难忘
人生什么 最重要 保养好身件 最重要
读书 为 的是什么 读书 为 事业 为前途
多 少数的守候 多少辛筋的关爱
人生什么 最快乐歌唱我们的新生活
海外的亲人常思念，唉咳喻。。。 终于回到自己的守园
强身健体要坚持，唉咳喻。。。身体强健才 有夺钱
筋学苦练为自己，唉咳喻。。。 前途光明才有出息
养育着你们步步的成长，唉咳喻。。。是爸 妈恩情忘不了
祝愿 早日完成祖国 一大业，唉咳喻。。。 祝庆我们全部欢聚在一堂
“为献上我对会周年庆祝 而欢呼歌唱吧!”
罗威
What is the hardest thing for one to forget? The hardest thing to forget is one’s own blood relations which run deep.
What is the most important thing for a person? The most important thing for a person is to take care of one’s health
What purpose is there to study? Studying is for ambition and for future
No matter how much waiting and upholding your dreams, no matter how much perseverance and love,
What is one’s happiest moment? To sing a song about our new life.
Overseas people always dream, always about returning to one’s own sanctuary （or home, which in this case refers to mainland China）.
A strong health must, only if one’s health is strong can one have wealth
Persevering hard in one’s studies is for one’s own good, only then can one’s bright future be possible
To bring you up step by step is your father and mother’s responsibility which cannot be forgotten.
Steph
While they celebrate a new life in America with opportunities for wealth and prosperity, there is also a deep-rooted allegiance to their country of origin and a longing that one day they may return back home and make their country proud of their achievements. Like most Chinese immigrants, the new life comes with the need to work hard and perseverance, hence, the constant reminder to the youths to study hard, for studying hard will bring about a brighter future ahead. There is also a reminder for the younger generation to remember what their parents have done for them – they have worked hard and brought them up in a new land to provide for them a better life.
The title: 骨肉情深 最难忘 expresses something that I’ve been trying to find out through the last three weeks. 其实, 你已经不是 一位中国人民， 但是你还是一位华人。 I think most of the interviews that we have had so far, regardless of which generation of Chinese Americans, all of them have said the same thing – they are first and foremost Chinese, but they are American. I think it became clearer in the interviews conducted in Mandarin what it means to be ‘Chinese’ and yet not American.
I was reading a chapter of Iris Chang’s book: The Chinese In America, which argues that the Chinese Americans are still regarded as being closely affiliated to the People’s Republic of China, ‘no matter how great their contribution to U.S society, virtually all of them have had their identities questioned at one point or another’ (Chang, p13). I spoke to Janice earlier about this, and the topic was raised on two occasions; the first, was a conversation with an ex-Singaporean diplomat living in Palo Alto, and another in our interview with a first generation Chinese working in Silicon Valley.
The problem with the word ‘Chinese’ in the English language creates much ambiguity because ‘Chinese’ is used to describe someone of Chinese ethnicity, but at the same time, that very word is also used to describe someone of Chinese nationality. When we mention loosely that a person is ‘Chinese’, it almost becomes inevitable to assume that such as person has some form of affiliation with the country where the Chinese tradition ad culture has originated from. Hence, the common misperception that the phrase ‘I’m Chinese’ tends to have connotations that the person has affiliations with China. In the Chinese language, however, there is a distinct definition between a person who is of Chinese ethnicity (华人) and a person who is of Chinese nationality from the People’s Republic of China (中国人民). In 华人, the character ‘化’ expresses a people of rich culture and tradition, where as , 中国人民 has no relation or root word whatsoever to 华人, and 中国 (China) refers instead to what China was originally called, the Middle Kingdom.
I’ve translated the song in English for the benefit of the Lord Rootes Memorial Fund archive, the following is a loose translation of the song, which is subjected to correction once I get hold of my Mandarin Dictionary.
骨肉情深 最难忘
人生什么 最难忘 骨肉情深 最难忘
人生什么 最重要 保养好身件 最重要
读书 为 的是什么 读书 为 事业 为前途
多 少数的守候 多少辛筋的关爱
人生什么 最快乐歌唱我们的新生活
海外的亲人常思念，唉咳喻。。。 终于回到自己的守园
强身健体要坚持，唉咳喻。。。身体强健才 有夺钱
筋学苦练为自己，唉咳喻。。。 前途光明才有出息
养育着你们步步的成长，唉咳喻。。。是爸 妈恩情忘不了
祝愿 早日完成祖国 一大业，唉咳喻。。。 祝庆我们全部欢聚在一堂
“为献上我对会周年庆祝 而欢呼歌唱吧!”
罗威
What is the hardest thing for one to forget? The hardest thing to forget is one’s own blood relations which run deep.
What is the most important thing for a person? The most important thing for a person is to take care of one’s health
What purpose is there to study? Studying is for ambition and for future
No matter how much waiting and upholding your dreams, no matter how much perseverance and love,
What is one’s happiest moment? To sing a song about our new life.
Overseas people always dream, always about returning to one’s own sanctuary （or home, which in this case refers to mainland China）.
A strong health must, only if one’s health is strong can one have wealth
Persevering hard in one’s studies is for one’s own good, only then can one’s bright future be possible
To bring you up step by step is your father and mother’s responsibility which cannot be forgotten.
Steph
posted by Stuffy | 10:46 AM
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