From: vli@mpr.ca (Vincent Li)
Subject: Re: Traditional vs Simplified Characters
Organization: MPR Teltech Ltd., Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 92 20:00:13 GMT

In article <Bw6Guw.5s0@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu> bihkyan@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (Yang Yuanxin) writes:
>In article <mvdvalk.719166172@bosporus> mvdvalk@cs.utwente.nl (Martijn van der Valk) writes:
>>First, people have said on the net, that simplified characters are easier
>>to learn than the traditional ones. I tend to agree that they're easier to
>>write. They are certainly no easier to read, as the differences between
>>individual characters are smaller.
>>
>  No Chinese has this kind of problem. You should work harder .
No, I do not agree. Like any other language, it's a matter of getting used to.
If you grow up learning the traditional characters, the simplified ones is not
really that much easier to read and vice-versa. You may find the simplified
characters easier to read than the traditional 'cause that's the one you
are used to, not because they are simplified characters. I can't attest that
the difference between characters are any more or less for the simplified
characters, however. I only find a lot of "emptiness" where there were none
before and have to think a bit to realize what's being written 'cause I've
grown up with the traditional characters all my life.
>
>    Keep in your mind that simplified chars are not invented after 1949
>by some communists, it was those best educated Chinese invented in the 
>past 2000 or more years, you will know this if you could write "Chao3
>Shu" handwriting, and many people had been using them all the time. what
>Chinese government in 50s' is just made it official.
Are traditional characters still being taught in school in PRC? I don't know
if it is or not, but they certainly don't seem to be encouraged. By making
one official, the other seems to have been "outlawed" in a way. But then,
I suppose it's all part of the progression.
>
>>
>>Third, the reason for the simplification process in the PRC was to lower the
>>illiteracy rate. Well, the fact is that in Hong Kong and Taiwan, everybody
>>seems to be able to learn the traditional characters and another fact is that
>>the illiteracy rate in China is still higher that in the 'other Chinas'. So, is
>>this simplification process really needed? I still don't think so.
>
>  Think about histry, economic, and geographic reasons. Also compare
>which illiteracy rate drops faster, much faster, and why. 
>
This I would have to agree. The simplified characters was designed with
utility in mind, and that's what they serve. Undoubtedly socio-economic
factors play a major role in the literacy rate. And personally, I do believe
the simplified characters do help toward creating a literal populace quickly.
One must remember the difference between the standard of living between
mainland China and that of Taiwan and Hong Kong.

>  Some guy out there said learning Chinese makes one cleverer, seems
>not.
As you said...
>>
>>Fourth, nobody in his/her right mind, would deny saying that the simplified
>>characters actually look like a piece of sh*t. 
>   This is your sh*t, or your mind is not right at all.
Simplified characters is not shit (Why, do you people have trouble saying it?
It is but a natural part of human life, without which you cannot be considered
a living being!) anymore than Greek, Cyrillic, or the Roman
alphabet. It is merely another form of abstract symbolism created by human
beings for the sake for recording and communicating ideas.
>>
>>To conclude, give me one, just one, valid reason for simplifying the world's
>>oldest script in daily use. I think it is a bloody shame. I mean, even in Japan
>>they show more respect for Chinese characters than in the PRC.
>
Strictly speaking, Japanese uses Kanji, which is a borrowed form of Chinese
characters. Chinese (in PRC, ROC, Hong Kong, etc.) uses Hanzi, or Chinese
characters. They are the same, but are really different.
>  Use your right mind.
I believe you need the right & left hemisphere working in closer relation
to process Chinese language than other languages because Hanzi lies closer
to pictorial representation than other language structures. But that's just
a personal conjecture.
>>
>>But, then again, who am I?! Just another foreign devil with an attitude,
>>probably.
>
>  You should know that your "traditional Char" is actually not that
>"traditional", maybe you will interested in using "Zhuan4" or even
>"Jia3 Gu3 " chars in every day life .
>
>  Everything is developing and progressing. hope also your mind.
Surely we all are... 8-)

-- Vince

---------------------------------------
vli@mprgate.mpr.ca        |-) It works well under pressure: Another thing
                          |-] you can say about your pillow. -- Mr Boffo
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china