(Translation) 2019 不禽不獸
| Primary Source | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
Title | |
| English | Neither a Bird nor a Beast | |
| Chinese | 不禽不獸 | |
| Korean(RR) | ||
| Text Details | ||
| Genre | Humor | |
| Type | Literature | |
| Author(s) | 笑林廣記 (Xiaolin Guangji) | |
| Year | 1574-1646 | |
| Source | ||
| Key Concepts | Fenghuang, bats, qilin | |
| Translation Info | ||
| Translator(s) | Participants of 2019 JSG Summer Hanmun Workshop (Intermediate Training Group) | |
| Editor(s) | Nadia Arzberger | |
| Year | 2019 | |
Original Script
Translation
Student Translation : Nadia Arzberger
Mythical bird (fenghuang)'s long life celebration, [where] hundreds of birds came to congratulate him, only the bat did not come. The mythical bird reproaches the bat saying: "You dwell below me, how can you be arrogant and proud?" The bat says: "I have feet, I belong to the beasts. Of what use is it [to me] to congratulate you?" One day, the mythical beast (qilin) has a birthday, the bat did not come again. The mythical beast reproaches the bat. The bat says: "I have wings, I belong to the birds. For what [reason] do I congratulate you?" The mythical beast and mythical bird meet up together, their talk comes to the matter of the bat. They sigh collectively and say: "In a world like now, there is evil and depravity, appearing everywhere there is this kind of not being a bird nor a beast crowd, there really is no means in which there is to cope with such beings!"
- Discussion Questions:
The mythical beast and mythical bird meet up to discuss how there is a developing 'neither bird nor beast' crowd. If we parallel this with the modern world, what could the bird and the beast represent in our world? Could it be nationalities, such as someone with duel citizenship? Or could it be applied more abstractly?
