In China we often avoid being "complete" or "too full" , my Western friends find it extremely hard to understand . For example , when receiving compliments like "You're amazing." “你太棒了。” (Nǐ tài bàng le) . "You did it perfectly." “你做得很完美。” ( Nǐ zuò dé hěn wánměi.) , we Chinese people are likely to respond with "Mei you mei you." “没有没有。”, "Have not, have not, have". "No no no." “不,不,不。Bù, bù, bù”." Nin guo jiang le." “您过奖了。” "You've overpraised me.". "You flatter me."
Whereas, my British friends would probably just say ,"Thank you!" "You're very kind."
You can also see this difference in Western paintings and Chinese paintings. If you look at paintings from oil paintings from the western Renaissance period or the Baroque periods , The School of Athens by Raphael. You'll find the art canvas is filled. Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez, You'll find objects, light, people, flowers , the canvas is filled.
Whereas Chinese paintings you often find empty spaces left intentionally . Art piece , Fishing Village at Sunset by Muxi, Southern Song Dynasty 《渔村夕照图》作者:牧溪(南宋) Yúcūn xìzhào tú” zuòzhě: Mù xī (nánsòng) ; You may see a river, on a single boat and a lot of empty spaces.
Fishing Alone on a Cold River by Ma Yuan, Song Dynasty 《寒江独钓图》作者:马远(宋) Hán jiāng dú diào tú” zuòzhě: Mǎ yuǎn (sòng)Now these differences point to one simple idea in Chinese philosophy ,
man zhao sun 满招损 ;
qian shou yi 谦受益.
Complacency invites loss; Humility brings benefit.
Completeness triggers declining 满招损 ; and humility invites progress 谦受益.
That's why when you go to a Chinese host's hosting a dinner , the Chinese hosts would say, "Oh sorry sorry the food isn't very good tonight." “哦，不好意思哈， 都是些普通菜。“Ó, bù hǎoyìsi hā, dōu shì xiē pǔtōng cài. "Oh, I'm sorry, these are just ordinary dishes."
"My reception isn't very nice." “招待不周啊。” “Zhāodài bù zhōu a.” "I apologize for the poor hospitality."
"There are not enough dishes." “没有什么菜哈。” “Méiyǒu shé me cài hā.” "There aren't many dishes."; even when the table is packed with wonderful food
My English friends often ask me, or they used to ask me , "Friend , why do you keep rejecting compliments?" "Why do you keep saying your reception isn't good enough?"
That's because we, Chinese people, avoid "excess" . When the moon reaches its full, it starts to wane. When the cup of tea is full, it starts to spill.
月亮圆满之时，便开始变亏。茶杯盛满之时，便开始溢出。Yuèliàng yuánmǎn zhī shí, biàn kāishǐ biàn kuī. Chábēi shèng mǎn zhī shí, biàn kāishǐ yìchū.
And when power reaches its peak, it starts to decline. 当电力达到峰值后，就开始下降。Dāng diànlì dádào fēngzhí hòu, jiù kāishǐ xiàjiàng.
In Chinese solar terms , there's one called "小满" Xiǎomǎn - Small Fullness. There isn't "Daman" - Big Fullness "大满" Dà mǎn, there isn't something like that but there's "Xiaoman" - Small Fullness. It marks a time when grains are just about to fill but not fully ripe , or fully full yet.
Water is rising, rainfall increasing. Everything is approaching abundance but not yet reaching its extreme. This is a sort of balance or status that Chinese people pursue. And that's why a cup of Chinese tea is never full .
"What I hold dear in my heart , I would pursue without regret
“亦余心之所善兮
even if it costs me my life nine times over"
虽九死其犹未梅
呵壁九歌心
招瑰三卢地
何处招魂，香草还生三户地；当年呵壁，湘流应识九歌心。
译文这副对联出自长沙屈原祠。意思是：哪里可以召唤回屈原的魂魄，让他那道德崇高的英灵重新出生在（他所忠诚和热爱的）楚国大地之上。
注释招魂：在这里是双关，即指寻找英雄魂魄，也指代屈原的作品《招魂》。香草：代表写作手法，这里借指屈原或具有其品格与才华的人。三户地：指楚国，《史记项羽本纪》云：“楚虽三户，亡秦必楚也。”九歌：屈原的代表作之一，此处代指屈原。
赏析这副屈原祠联在艺术表现上的妙处，是综合了用典、借代、双关、嵌字等多种修辞手法。上联“招魂”一语双关，也指屈原的作品《招魂》。下联除嵌有《九歌》之名外，“呵壁”一词又利用双关和借代，暗藏《 天问》之名。
Where can one summon back the soul of Qu Yuan, so that his noble spirit may be reborn on the land of Chu (the land he was loyal to and loved)?
This couplet comes from the Qu Yuan Temple in Changsha. It means: Where can one summon back the soul of Qu Yuan, so that his virtuous spirit may be reborn on the land of Chu (the land he was loyal to and loved)?
Notes: "Summoning the soul" is a double entendre, referring both to searching for the hero's soul and to Qu Yuan's work, "Summoning the Soul." "Fragrant herbs" represents a writing technique, here used metaphorically to refer to Qu Yuan or someone with his character and talent. "Land of three households" refers to the state of Chu; the *Records of the Grand Historian* states, "Even if Chu has only three households, it will surely be Chu that destroys Qin." "Nine Songs" is one of Qu Yuan's representative works, here referring to Qu Yuan himself.
The artistic merit of this couplet at the Qu Yuan Temple lies in its combination of allusion, metonymy, double entendre, and word embedding. The phrase "summoning the soul" in the first line is a double entendre, also referring to Qu Yuan's work, "Summoning the Soul." In addition to embedding the name of "Nine Songs" in the second line, the phrase "He Bi" also uses pun and metonymy to subtly allude to the name of "Heavenly Questions".
By choosing principle over self-preservation.
