Goethe, Schiller, Kleist, Hesse, Thomas Mann – Zhang Danhong felt in the German language and literature studies like a fish in the water. However, in China deal of German scholars with far more than just German literature.
At the prestigious Beijing University, we were raised germanists regularly of the English and romance: “you all have such dry lips. This is determined on the hardness of the German language.” Or: “you have wrinkles already first approaches of Thinking. No wonder, you deal with a thinking nation.” And a glance in the mirror showed that they were right!
My explanation for the first phenomenon is as follows: The German language is in fact not as supple as English or French. Merge while in the case of “the eye”, the word “eye” is clearly separated from its article “the” is pronounced, tend to be the two words “the eye” when Talking to each other. Also in English or French will be seen as more of a round, while English feels almost square. For us Chinese, for all European languages to mean a big change when you Speak, be pulled out a “squared-off” language of the lips tighter, which makes them slightly rough, or even popping up.
I, liked the German language right off the bat, and, therefore, not quite impartially apply, see in the clear separation of words is rather an advantage: it facilitates listening comprehension. As we in 1985 the well-known speech by Richard von Weizsäcker on the 40th. The anniversary of the end of the war in Europe from the Hear (from the program of the German wave) directly to the Chinese translation, I was not only for its crystal-clear pronunciation of grateful, but also for the steadfastness of the individual German words that do not fall into each other’s arms, and so Understand for non-native speakers. For dry lips, hands to help, by the way – and drinking breaks.
Heavy fare, but delicious
On wrinkles you can prepare less. The German-language literature is based on philosophical, and, therefore, abstract Thinking, which makes the reading often to heavier food. “Fist”, for example, is a philosophical work, it reads more laborious than a love drama like “Jane Eyre”. But sticking to it, you will be rewarded with at first glance, it is more casual verses, the trigger but after a Moment of reflection waves of enthusiasm (at least for me), such as, for example, “man errs as long as he strives”. Or delicate love, lines about the feelings of “Gretchen” (“My peace is gone, my heart is heavy, I find it never, and NEVERMORE…”), which act so beneficially in the otherwise melancholy tragedy. You’re a kind of chapstick for chapped lips.
“Now tell me, how have You with Religion?” – here in Marthens garden, the Gretchen question was asked
These lines set to music by Franz Schubert in 1814, to the song “Gretchen am Spinnrade”. The composer is responsible for some of the German poems recited, but sung, like the “Heather rose” by Goethe (“Saw a Knab‘ ein Röslein, Röslein auf der Heiden, was so young and morning beautiful, he ran to see it close, saw it with many joys.”) With his sonorous voice of the well-known German scholar Yan Baoyu had this song in one of our Lectures.
Some claim that there is a lack of the German language through the historical particularism, and old-fashioned mentality of the people of wit and charm, and the witty German, therefore, to the Abstract, such as philosophy or music fled. My Thesis is rather the reverse: especially in the case of the German strong ability in the area of philosophical and abstract Thinking has brought so many significant composers, and the spirit sizes like in any other country. In the Land of Poets and thinkers, the boundaries between these two groups, and the composers are fluent in. Anyone who wants to, for example, deny the Heiligenstadt Testament of Ludwig van Beethoven, the literary value? Later, I visited in Vienna, the room in which Beethoven was in despair over his advancing deafness this letter to his brethren, had written. In awe, I thought of how Professor Yan Baoyu tormented us with the Translation of the letter and as a reward for our effort only miserable grades awarded.
Already Nietzsche read?
For us Chinese germanists it was, of course, also with the German composer and philosopher. Here, Friedrich Nietzsche embodies alone, the Merging of these three areas. Of course, Nietzsche was first and foremost a philosopher, his “revaluation of all values” reminds me strongly of the revolutionary leader Mao Zedong. By the way, he composed and wrote poems. But above all, he wrote his Central philosophical work “also sprach Zarathustra” in poetic prose.
The philosopher who put everything into question: Friedrich Nietzsche
In the mid-1980s Nietzsche cult status enjoyed among the Chinese Intellectuals. Because the Western philosophy after decades of foreclosure are generally in fashion and the trend at the time in China, put everything into question. Who spoke about Nietzsche, was insanely smart.
But, unfortunately, the clever women have always been a deterrent to men. As an admirer from another faculty was a little pale, as he discovered on my Desk, Nietzsche, and Goethe’s “Faust” – and was never more at me.
Zhang Danhong was born in Beijing and lives since 30 years in Germany. In the series “English is not a bed of roses” she writes once a week about your first contacts with the German language and their Integration in Germany.