彭敏——《中国人的精神》

To my deeply regret, I have seldom heard Mr. Gu before I read this book--《The spirit of the Chinese people. The process of reading could be tough but enjoyable. what’s more, once I have read off this book, the feeling of reverence arises spontaneously added to the background.Mr. Gu expound profoundly the spirit of the Chinese people’s life which at the sametime advocates Confucian civilization to save the west. Advocating the ancient Oriental spirit in the western language, his thoughts and writings caused a stir in the whole Europe in a very short time and had a great impact. However, someone may care nothing for this work because they view Mr. Gu’s points radical. Nevertheless, since the late Qing dynasty, China's image has been seriously distorted. In order to maintain the dignity of Chinese culture, to change some westerners’ prejudice against China, we have to admit this work’s tremendous impact in such a background.As described in the book, the spirit of the Chinese people coming to the first is thegentleness which does mean a weak nature also fragility but still not rudeness or violence. This Chinese nature develop during 5000 years with ancient Oriental civilization. Here Iwant to quote Mr. Gu’s word, “Instead, therefore, of saying that the Chinese are a peopleof arrested development, one ought to say that the Chinese are a people who never grow old.” Indeed, it is the civilization that makes the affect which differs from the west.When it comes to region, the Chinese don’t feel the need of religion because they have Confucianism, which can be described as the law of gentle’s concentrated expression and take the place of religion perfectly.This book also profoundly introduced the Chinese woman and the Chineselanguage. Wifely submission and virtue has widely acknowledged to Chinese people and in this book, Mr.Gu explain it and reveal the character’s superiority compared with traditional western system of husband and wife. As a Chinese scholar, Mr. Gu well maintained the status of the Chinese language and cast a disdainful view and critical attitude to those who regard themselves as sinologists in part of the west. Mr. Gu explain reasonably some misconceptions in this book. For an instance, Most foreigners think that China is a nation accustomed to telling lies but Mr. Gu quotes 《The analects of Confucius》 and also some western scholars’ speeches，successfully shatter this absurd opinion. At the beginning of the 20th century, a western saying went like this: when you cometo China, you can do without seeing the three halls and also you can do without seeingMr. Gu. In the face of the overwhelming trend of westernization of western learning, Mr.Gu choose the equally fierce and sharp protection《The spirit of the Chinese peopledescribe the Chinese man and woman in that era,but in fact mainly display intellectuals’personality trait. Though not as colorful as some others, it is undoubtedly accurate and vivid.