“OLDER GINGER IS SPICIER” LIFE-VIEWS ON OLD AGE AND AGING IN CHINESE PROVERBS
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Abstract
While proverbial expressions have the commonality as the “salt” of human cultures around the world, this salt has many nuances in its flavor. Each of these flavors contains its local specialty, and together they make our life diverse and joyful. Those specialties are the verbal reflections of the fundamental beliefs and values in different cultures. In this regard, exploring Chinese proverbs in general, and proverbs about old age and aging in particular, helps understand the essence of Chinese culture. Such an understanding is urgent in an age of global communica- tion, where stories of conflict also increasingly occupy our attention. With this conviction, the author first outlines the history of Chinese prov- erb collections and studies, then examines a specific proverb, and subse- quently concludes by connecting and analyzing the Chinese proverbs about old age and aging and the four life-views that reveal the essence of Chinese culture, with the emphasis on the polytheist/inclusive belief system and its practical expressions in everyday life.
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