Dongwei Chu

Chinese Literature and Culture Volume 19 Dongwei Chu

This issue features"He Killed the Carp" (bilingual), a short story by Lin Peiyuan, translated by Liu LiangandThree Zen Poems by Master Dachuang of the Tang Dynasty: "Neither a Human Being nor a Thing," "I Borrowed a Gown from an Old Lady and Paid Her a New Year Call," and "A Dream-Body Like Water, Like a Cloud."In "He Killed the Carp," written by Lin Peiyuan and translated for us by Liu Liang, Abbot Shun is a man of faith. He became the caretaker of Qingping town's temple at the end of the Cultural Revolution, hired by the local government to care for this heritage site. He took the position as a religious man who wanted to help others maintain their faith and because he needed a place in society, and it would seem that he found the idea of working for the temple and the government appealing. However, shortly after he takes his post the temple is damaged by rioters, and the representatives of the local government, the police, could not help him. He finds himself largely on his own almost immediately after becoming the temple's caretaker.