How You Can Tackle Lao She’s ‘Cat Country’ in Chinese
AI-Assisted Reading Techniques for Authentic Texts
Are you captivated by the allure of exploring novels in their native tongue, seeking authentic insights into a nation’s history and culture?
Delving into the heart of Chinese science fiction can open up such enriching worlds, as I discovered with Lao She’s "猫城记" (Cat Country). First introduced to me by the Little Red Podcast, this satirical masterpiece not only entertains but also critically examines Chinese society during the turbulent early 20th century. Join in this linguistic adventure, and see for yourself the depth and nuances lost in translation.
Lao She (1899–1966) wrote “猫城记” in 1933 during a period when China was experiencing political upheaval, foreign aggression, and societal decay.
Opium addiction was a significant issue in China during the 19th and early 20th centuries, and it had devastated many parts of the country. The foreign powers, especially the British Empire, played a role in the widespread distribution of opium, leading to the two Opium Wars between Britain and China.
In “Cat Country,” the mysterious leaf (“迷叶”) is a substance that the inhabitants of the Cat Planet are addicted to, causing social decay and lethargy, mirroring the devastating effects of opium in China. Through this allegory, Lao She critiques the weaknesses and vices of Chinese society of his time, emphasizing the dangers of addiction, apathy, and societal decay.
Sounds interesting?
Well I tried to find an English edition on Amazon, and let’s just say it was a little out of my price range.
Let’s try again.
Maybe it’s cheaper in Chinese?
In fact, it’s free in Chinese.
Lao She died in 1966, and Chinese copyright extends 50 years after the death of the author. So, it has safely exited the realm of Chinese copyright laws. This means I can easily find a free version thanks to Google:
The only issue is that reading in Chinese has always been is a bit like climbing a very steep mountain (even if you’ve been working at your Chinese for decades). As soon as you lose your foothold, it’s hard to continue the ascent.
Like a mountain climb though, there are things that can make it a safer and more enjoyable read.
What I need are a few tricks to make the original Chinese text more comprehensible. After all — that’s the key to language acquisition, as I’ve already explained here in a few languages.
Kids books are often a good source of comprehensible input, because they have lots of pictures. The only problem is, I don’t want to read kids’ books in Chinese — other than Tin Tin (丁丁 — about which more another day).
So Cat Country Comic edition might be a better choice. But it’s kind of cheating… like climbing a hill from which to glimpse the mountain, rather than climbing the mountain itself.
But that’s not to say that pictures aren’t useful.
Fortunately, having access to the electronic text unlocks access to technology to aid comprehension. Let’s go back to pictures — while it’s an adult book, I want illustrations like a kid’s book — so I just to give me a clue in advance what to expect in the Chapter.
So, I copy and paste the text of the first chapter into ChatGPT and ask it to do up a Dalle prompt for a picture.
Here’s illustration number one.
Looks exciting.
But still not quite enough to make the text comprehensible. Indeed, maybe ChatGPT has misunderstood it — it looks like a pretty crazy scenario. So next I ask chatGPT to give me an English-language synopsis of what’s in the first chapter.
A synopsis is enough of a mud map to know what’s going on before you get there. This is better than a full translation for my purposes because it’s too tempting to go up the English-language cable car up the mountain first, in which case why bother to go back and reread the Chinese.
Here’s a synopsis of Chapter 1 of Cat Country, courtesy of ChatGPT:
Their destination was Mars. Based on the calculations of the narrator’s deceased friend, before the accident, they had already entered the atmosphere of Mars. The narrator contemplates whether he’s on Mars and reflects on the significance of being the first Chinese person on Mars.
However, he is unsure about the exact location because he’s unfamiliar with astronomy. The memories of his friend and the plane haunt him, and he’s burdened with thoughts of how he will survive and return to Earth. He’s left with torn clothes and some food. The narrator is consumed by his concerns and worries about the unknown.
When he regains consciousness, he decides to bury his friend. However, he’s hesitant to look at the remnants of the plane. The plane, like his friend, was close to him and served them faithfully.
He looks around and describes a grayish environment. The sky is gray but not dark, and the heat is intense, but the light isn’t bright. There are mountains in the distance, also gray, but with a slight reddish tint. The ground is flat with grass that sticks close to the ground. He notices birds that look like eagles but with white tails.
Suddenly, he realizes the birds are attracted to his friend’s remains. In a desperate attempt, he tries to fend them off, but they continue to circle him. In the midst of this chaotic scene, he remembers he has a gun. Just as he’s about to reach for it, he notices a group of cat-faced people standing a few steps away from him.
Okay, the story seems to match the picture. Almost ready to read the first chapter myself. But before I do, I ask ChatGPT if there are any unusual words or idioms I need to be aware of first…
Unusual Words and Idioms in Chapter 1
- 神仙大概知道 (Shénxiān dàgài zhīdào): The immortals probably know — something beyond understanding or out of one’s control.
- 如梦方醒 (Rú mèng fāng xǐng): As if just waking from a dream — being dazed or disoriented.
- 傻子偏有福气 (Shǎzi piān yǒu fúqì): Fools tend to be lucky — sometimes, luck favors those not necessarily skilled.
- 豆腐房 (Dòufu fáng): Tofu room — suggests a stifling atmosphere. Not a common idiom but could be specific to the story.
- 灰色的国 (Huīsè de guó): The gray country/land — descriptive of the unfamiliar terrain or setting.
- 雏形 (Chú xíng): Prototype or rudimentary form — an initial or basic version of something.
- 灰气 (Huī qì): Grayish atmosphere/mist — describing the air or the mood.
- 环攻 (Huán gōng): Surround and attack — specifically referring to the birds’ behavior.
Okay, now I’m ready to read it myself. So I pick up my Chinese edition which I was able to pick up in a bookshop last time I was in China (but can also be found easily online).
And on the second page of chapter two, I hit yet another pitfall in my learning journey. Exactly how do I read this character “裳”. It’s in the word “衣裳”, and from the context I’m guessing that means “衣服” or clothes.
But it’s not a word I commonly see — and so I’m not confident in how to pronounce it. Unlike a language with an alphabet, I can’t even sound it out — so I don’t know what to make of the character. There’s no reliable way to divine pronunciation without completely breaking the narrative flow and reaching for the dictionary.
Stopping to look up words is learning slow and painful, and disrupts comprehension. Progress is slow and dangerous.
That’s where the ‘text-to-speech’ function in any modern browser or operating system comes in handy — like a rope bridge on the hill track. With my physical book in one hand, I also turn on the read-aloud for the chapter on the browser, from the electronic link I shared earlier. This turns the whole thing into an audio book for me (which I can set at my reading speed — roughly half speed in Chinese).
Now I’ve got an audio-book, a chapter synopsis as well as a pretty picture — thus finally bringing the summit of comprehension finally into view.
Employing tools and techniques, like synopses, visual aids and read alouds, can significantly enhance understanding and enjoyment of the text.
To venture into a world of authentic Chinese (or any foreign language) literature, it’s a relief to know that there are ways to make the ascent less daunting and more rewarding.
Have you ever tried to tackle a novel in its original language? What strategies did you employ? Please share in the response — or better yet, ask to be a writer for Listening in Tongues and write your own article on the topic.
