北京麻雀 (Sparrows of Beijing)
Accident - 05
31 May 1989 – Wednesday
居安思危:1 The army is moving in. Not the local army that speaks the rrrr. One stroke, two strokes, three strokes, 不伦不类.2 Just a few more.
Why? I saw him again. With another woman. 一意孤行.3
1 June 1989 The Revolution
The revolution calls and we answer. Look at all the lonely people. Some of them have rifles and tanks. Some have cheongsams in red.
Others have prayers. This will not end well. I look from the living room window. Adrift, alone, alost.
2 June 1989 The Revolution
And purest faith unhappily forsworn, 不屑一顾.4 It puts the whole world in awe. 对牛弹琴.5 It is like a brachiosaurus with a long neck eating from high eucalyptus trees.
3 June 1989 The Revolution Turns South
A few generations ago nothing could be worse that the government with its high inflation. We had to change from north to south, from Nationalist to Communist. We did not learn the lesson: nothing bad comes to an end until something infinitely more hideous replaces it.6 咄咄逼人.7
4 June 1989 The Revolution Turn Sour
六四事件
We enjoined to one another until we fused into one. But I cannot go with him to Tiananmen Square. Because he has hurt me. He admitted others. I shall hence forward do the same. 进入我的树叶屋.8
5 June 1989 The Accident
There is nothing to write because there is everything to be said. I say again, we must not allow, a mineshaft gap. It seems to me that I must give up my dream of a husband and my wish for academia and instead pursue a career in industry. It is the ellipses thing to say.
The PRC is calling in 1989年春夏之交的政治风波. Ha Ha Ha. Blurg.
天翻地覆.9
Crashed Heaven farflung earth
East -too high west too derth
Neither found nor perdu
Every crystal and every rondu
Thousand cataclysm ten révolu
Have no mort at all disparu
Seven high eight low
Heads spattered brains belore
Heaven sundered earth crashed
Thrashed Three misriven four
Dragons that bite tigers that snatched
Unable to stand and deliver
Not quailed but little slander and devolver
Have and to have not
Gold ass jade mouth
One done the other half moved on
No for but or
Three times over again calliaphone
Take what may be given
Large happenstance large remorse
One life thousand deaths
He rose the morrow morn;
Kennst du das Land, wo die Zitronen blühn?
I left him besmirched on Tiananmen Square.
PS
“A journey through a night news story:”
Jaded.
Persuaded:
Elated!
Belated?
Bladed.
完10
luftmensch
1 Be prepared for danger in times of peace
2 Nondescript.
3 Literally: ‘with full intention to walk in isolation.’ With a loose translation: ‘determine to have one’s own way.’
4 Too conceited to take a look.
5 Play the lute for cattle. E.g., cast pearls before swine.
6 The silent comma makes an appearance.
7 Threatening and overbearing.
8 Into my house of leaves.
9 Literally: ‘heavans overturn earth overturns’ e.g. cataclysmic changes.
10 Finish