S W O O N D: abridged in translation

1.21.2009

abridged in translation

State-run China Central Television was broadcasting President Barack Obama's inauguration speech live—an extraordinary event in a country that usually adds a delay of several seconds to every broadcast, just in case—when President Obama said: “Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism….”

The simultaneous interpreter proceeded smoothly with her translation but her voice faded out with the rest of the President’s sentence. The picture cut from the Capitol to an awkwardly smiling news anchor who seemed unprepared for the camera to return to her. Apparently, she turned to a reporter in the studio for comment on President Obama’s economic challenges. The cutaway seemed to misfire. While many Chinese may not have noticed, the more alert were soon commenting on the Internets. One said: “Why did CCTV do this? Too timid.” Replays of the moment are available on YouTube:

:bbc news; youtube

the world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.

- w. b. yeats

sounds travel through space long after their wave patterns have ceased to be detectable by the human ear: some cut right through the ionosphere and barrel on out into the cosmic heartland, while others bounce around, eventually being absorbed into the vibratory fields of earthly barriers, but in neither case does the energy succumb; it goes on forever - which is why we, each of us, should take pains to make sweet notes.

- tom robbins

the same dream returned each night until i dared not to go to sleep and grew quite ill. i dreamed i had a child, and even in the dream i saw it was my life, and it was an idiot, and i ran away. but it always crept onto my lap again, clutched at my clothes. until i thought, if i could kiss it, whatever in it was my own, perhaps i could sleep. and i bent to its broken face, and it was horrible . . . but i kissed it. i think one must finally take one's life in one's arms.

- arthur miller, after the fall

YIN AND JUNG

who looks outside, dreams;

who looks inside, awakes.

everything that irritates us about others can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves.

when we must deal with problems, we instinctively resist trying the way that leads through obscurity and darkness. we wish to hear only of unequivocal results, and completely forget that these results can only be brought about when we have ventured into and emerged again from the darkness. but to penetrate the darkness we must summon all the powers of enlightenment that consciousness can offer.

- carl jung, the stages of life