Letters from a Visitor to China, Part II

Abstract

It is a convention to pretend not to know English and to speak through an interpreter, though the speaker often blandly helps the interpreter out with a difficult phrase. At formal occasions this is fair enough, but it becomes rather farcical in a private interview. I suppose the reason is to mask the difference between the sophisticated western-taught intellectuals and the ex-peasants who got their education in the cave schools of the guerrilla army.

This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.

Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.