吃chī

By Liu Xinwu （刘心武）

With a mouth (口,kǒu) by the left side,吃 (chī,eat) seems to be an essentially important thingin Chinese culture,which is revealed in the wide use of the character in the Chinese language and its close connection to nearly every aspect of life in China.

Western culture is labeled as a “sex culture” while the Chinese culture is regarded as an “eating culture”—Does this stereotype hold water?

More or less,I suppose.

Just take myself for instance,I set up a column in Saturday’s “Life Special” ofChina Youth Dailyentitled 品味生活 (pǐnwèi shēnghuó,Tasting Life).品 (pǐn),the Chinese character of the English equivalent “taste,” consists of three mouths,in order to chew out the flavor-even that of “life.” What else cannot be eaten or dared not be eaten?

We Chinese divide our contacts in life roughly into two different categories:生人(shēngrén,strangers) and 熟人 (shúrén,acquaintances).(Interestingly,生 and 熟 refer to “raw” and “cooked” respectively in the culinary language.)

To strangers,as we are unfamiliar with each other,we say we 不吃他那套 (bù chī tā nà tào,refuse to eat his stuff) and conversely to us,they 软硬不吃 (ruǎn yìng bù chī,won’t take our stuff,soft or hard).

As for our acquaintances,just because we are acquainted,we have the confidence to digest them,and in return they are happy to accommodate us,as the saying goes 熟人好事 (shúrén hǎo bànshì,“Things get easier between acquaintances”).

Such foods as sashimi are rarely listed in traditional Chinese cuisine.We tend to have all raw stuff thoroughly cooked before we find it easy to cope with.If a dish is 夹生 (jiāshēng,half-cooked),it will be regarded as a faulty practice in culinary skills.

When talking about developing an acquaintance,we say 一回生，二回熟 (yī huí shēng,èr huí shú,“Once raw,twice ripe”).We look forward to seeing each other as acquaintances and knowing each other well.It would not only make things easy,but the association between us would get more 有味儿 (yǒu wèir,tasty),unlikely to be 中看不中吃 (zhōng kàn bù zhōng chī,good look to the eye,bad taste in the bite).

西方文化是“性文化”，中国文化是“吃文化”——这说法有道理么？

多少有那么一点道理吧。

说我自己吧，我在《中国青年报》的周六“生活特刊”上辟了一个专栏，就叫“品味生活”，“品”是三张嘴，而且要嚼出味道——连“生活”也要吃，还有什么不能吃、不敢吃的？

我们把生活里接触的人大体分两类，一类是生人，一类是熟人。

生人，因为不熟，所以，我们往往“不吃他那套”，他也对我们“软硬不吃”。

熟人，因为熟了，所以我们有信心消化他，他也乐于容纳我们，“熟人好办事”。

我们中国的传统菜肴中很少生鱼片那类的东西，我们总是要把生的东西弄得烂熟，才觉得好对付。菜如果做“夹生”了，那属于烹调中的败笔。

“一回生，二回熟嘛。”我们期待着互相视作熟人，彼此都熟，那就不仅“好说”，而且相处“有味儿”，不至于“中看不中吃”。

遇见难对付的事，我们常慨叹：“真吃不消。”

棋牌赛中我们赢了对方的棋子或牌，很少说“我赢了你这个”，或“我取消了你这个”，一般总是说“我吃了你”。费力时，我们说“吃力”； 受惊时，我们说“吃惊”；受损失时，我们说“吃亏”；依赖原有功劳，我们说“吃老本”；

受重视，我们称之为“吃香”，受冷落则叫作“不吃香”或“吃瘪”；

混得好，我们称之为“吃得开”；混得不好自然就是“吃不开”；

被刀砍，我们说是“吃一刀”，被箭射，我们说是“吃一箭”，被枪击，我们说是“吃一枪”“吃黑枣儿”或是“饮弹”；

足球场上运动员犯规，裁判给了他警告或罚他下场，我们中国人说是“吃了一张黄牌”或“吃了红牌”；

工厂订货量不够，我们就说“吃不饱”；

对问题心中无数，我们说是“吃不准”；

卷入了诉讼，我们说是“吃官司”；

当中间人拿佣金，我们说是“吃回扣”；

女子长得漂亮，那麻烦了，我们不说“秀色可赏”，而说“秀色可餐”；

想占有一样并非食物的东西，我们也说是“垂涎三尺”；

肯定一样并非食物的东西，比如文章、节目、绘画……我们也说“很有嚼头”；

有技术，生存能力强，我们说是“一招鲜，吃遍天”；汲取教训，我们说是“吃一堑，长一智”——细想这话最怪：“堑”怎么个吃法呢？

会吃是中国人的美德，不会吃则被人看不起，甚至构成奚落或骂人的话语，如：“吃饱了撑的。”

“别含着骨头露着肉。”

“别贪多嚼不烂。”

“别想一口吃成个大胖子。”

“你这吃里扒外的家伙。”

“什么腥的臭的你都叼。”

中国批评家都是吃家，1400年前那个钟嵘写的《诗品》，就开创了三张嘴吃作家作品的先河。所谓批评，其实就是“品味”，他们动不动说什么作品“有味道”“品位高”，要么就是“没味道”或“味道”不够“醇厚”，“淡而无味”“品位低”或简直“乏味”；他们总喜欢作品“有血有肉”，喜欢“成熟”，赞赏“独特的风格”，而且最好是让他们“品”完了还能“余味无穷”，可供他们“回味”。在中国，批评家的评论文章中几乎不可避免地要出现许多与吃有关的语汇，即使是有严重胃病的批评家，亦难免俗，难怪有的作家一想到批评家，眼前便现出一排白森森的牙齿来。

When confronted with a hard nut to crack,we often deplore with sighs:真吃不消 (zhēn chī bù xiāo,“It’s really too hard a bift”).

In playing a game of chess or poker,we rarely say:“I won this,” or “I removed that of yours.” Instead,we always say:我吃了你 (wǒ chī le nǐ ,“I ate a piece of yours”).

When great efforts are needed,we call it 吃力 (chīlì,literally,“eating your energy”).

When startled,we would say:吃惊 (chījīng,“eating a surprise”).

When a loss has been sustained,we name it 吃亏 (chīkuī,“eating a loss”).

To someone living off his past glory,we say:吃老本 (chī lǎoběn,“eating your own fat”).

Being favored by others,we call it 吃香 (chī xiāng,“eating the fragrant”),and being neglected or snubbed,we would call it 不吃香 (bú chī xiāng,“no fragrant stuff to eat”),or 吃瘪(chī biě,“cracking an empty nut”).

Someone doing very well in life,we would say:吃得开 (chī de kāi,“eating his way round”)—while those not doing very well,of course,are referred to as 吃不开 (chī bu kāi,“not able to eat too far”).

Cut by a knife,we call it 吃一刀 (chī yī dāo,“eaten a knife”); shot by an arrow,we call it 吃一箭 (chī yī jiàn,“eaten an arrow”); shot by a gun,we call it:吃一枪 (chī yī qiāng,“eaten a gun”),吃黑枣儿 (chī hēi zǎor,“eaten a black date”),or 饮弹 (yǐn dàn,“nursed a bullet”).

When a player commits a foul on the football field and the referee warns him or kicks him off the pitch,the Chinese would say:吃了一张黄牌 (chīle yīzhāng huángpái,“He has eaten a yellow card”),or 吃了红牌 (chīle hóngpái,“eaten a red card”).

For an insufficient order amount in a factory,we say:吃不饱 (chī bù bǎo,“not able to eat enough”).

Not feeling sure about something,we call it 吃不准 (chī bù zhǔn,“unable to eat the certainty”).

Involved in a legal action,we say:吃官司 (chī guānsi,“eating a lawsuit”).

Taking commissions as a middleman,we call it 吃回扣 (chī huí kòu,“eat the rebate”).

Trouble would come if a woman looks beautiful because we don’t describe her to be “such a beauty worth being appreciated.” Instead,we say 秀色可餐 (xiù sè kě cān,“beautiful enough to feast the eyes”).

Covetous for a non-food object,we also describe it as 垂涎三尺 (chuí xián sān chǐ,“drooling for three feet”).

Holding a positive opinion on a non-food object,such as an article,a performance or a painting etc.,we also say 很有嚼头 (hěn yǒu jiáo tóu,“worth being chewed repeatedly”).

Having obtained expertise in a marketable skill,we say someone has 一招鲜，吃遍天 (yī zhāo xiān,chī biàn tiān,“A special skill in hand,you can eat around the world”); when referring to learning lessons from a setback,we say 吃一堑，长一智 (chī yī qiàn,zhǎng yī zhì,“Eaten a pitfall,you’ll become wiser”)—after a second thought,you might sense the absurdity in this saying:How on earth can a pitfall be consumed?

A good mastery of various dining skills is considered a virtue of the Chinese.Otherwise,you may be disdained by others.A lack of such skills has even induced teasing or cursing remarks like:吃饱了撑的。 (chī bǎo le chēng de.“You must have got yourself over-stuffed.”)

别含着骨头露着肉。 (bié hán zhe gǔ tóu lù zhe ròu.“Don’t bite the bone in the mouth and leave the meat outside,” a Chinese idiom meaning “being hesitant in speech as if trying to hide something.”)

别贪多嚼不烂。 (bié tān duō jiáo bú làn.“Don’t bite off more than you can chew.”)

别想一口吃成个大胖子。 (bié xiǎng yī kǒu chī chéng gè dà pàng zi.“Don’t dream to become a fatty with just one bite.”)

你这吃里扒外的家伙。 (nǐ zhè chī lǐ pá wài de jiā huǒ.“You are a treacherous guy,eating within but serving without.”)

什么腥的臭的你都叼。 (shénme xīng de chòu de nǐ dōu diāo.“You dare to take into mouth whatever is foul or smelly.”)

All the Chinese critics are masters of the stomach.Poetry Appreciation,written by Zhong Rong 1400 years ago,initially blazed the trail for digesting literary works with three mouths.So-called literary criticism is in essence the course of mastication.They more than often say this and that writing is “delicious” and “highly tasteful,” or “unpalatable”—or perhaps the taste being not “mellow enough,” “weak and tasteless,” “of low flavoring,” or simply “insipid.” They prefer the writing to “go with flesh and bones,” favor the “ripeness” and appreciate the “unique touch,” better to “have the aftertaste lingering long” after they have “tongued” the taste,and worth their while to “chew the cud.” In China,critiques simply can’t escape from the employment of diction relating to dining.Even those critics with severe stomach trouble can’t avoid falling into the cliché.No wonder some writers say they would see a row of white teeth at the thought of their critics.

We Chinese often say,不要因噎废食 (búyào yīnyēfèishí,“Don’t give up eating for fear of choking”),but has this little passage of mine got you a bit choked? Well,leave me alone here,and please keep digging as usual.

(From Exquisite Prose:Humanities and Elegance Volume,by Xinjiang Youth Publishing House.Translation:Luo Dongyuan)

中国人常说“不要因噎废食”，我这小文让你噎了几下么？不要理我，请照吃不误。

（摘自《精美散文——人文·雅趣卷》新疆青少年出版社）