DYY talked about the main character, the teacher Dewey, in the clip Step off from the film School
of Rock, which he had seen before. (Q.6.4.2.1) DYY: 就像中国的话, 就不可能出现这种情况。如果出现这样的一个老师，很迅速 的就被抄了。而且孩子也会觉得很惊讶，怎么会有这样一个老师，也许他们本 身就无法接受这样一个老师？他本身也许就会跑去告状啊什么的，不要这样一 个老师，这个老师不好。这个肯定是有很大文化差异。[...] English translation:
DYY: For example, in China, it’s impossible for this kind of situation to happen. If this kind of teacher appeared, (he’ll) quickly get fired. Plus, kids will also feel very surprised: how come there appears such a teacher? Perhaps they would run (away) and complain that they don’t want such kind of teacher, that this teacher is not good. There are definitely huge cultural differences. […]
DYY re-contextualized the character, Dewey, in the Chinese context. What is interesting is that DYY imagined not only how Dewey would fit into Chinese schools, but also how Chinese kids would react to such a teacher. What were the reasons behind him being so sure that a teacher like Dewey would not survive in the Chinese schools, and that the kids would not put up with a teacher like him? Probably the reasons are DYY’s views on how Chinese teachers normally behave in the class and the students’ expectations and attitudes towards teachers. For example, perhaps his experience of being a student all the way from primary school to the college in China made him believe that Chinese teachers should be serious, and not like Dewey, who seems to be quite relaxed and can joke with students. Also, DYY might think that Chinese students would not accept such teacher because they regard teachers as authority, and would never challenge them. Nonetheless, DYY’s interpretation of the character Dewey together with his existing view and knowledge of Chinese schools and students appear to be two main factors in the process of re- contextualizing. As a result, it can be speculated that DYY’s perception of Chinese schools and students was to some extent affected, and possibly reinforced, by his making sense of the film through re-contextualization.
A female CCS, JT, had a lot to say about Sex and the City52
(Q.6.4.2.2)
JT: […] 然后我就去看 Sex and the City。后来我发现，自己根本和它们不是一个世 界的人。就觉得思维完全是脱节的。我在想那个，因为他们都是对那种，不讲 爱的，只谈性的那种人，她们这几个女人。她们生活满好的。如果把她们的思
想拿到中国来的话我觉得这样的人可能会被口水淹死! 我觉得她们完全跟我们不
是一个思想的人了.[…]
English translation:
JT: [...] Then I watched Sex and the City. Later on I realized I’m completely in a different world with them (the characters). (I) felt that (our) thinking is completely incompatible. I was thinking this because they were all the kind of people who don’t talk about love, just about sex, these women. They lived pretty good lives. If (we) moved their kind of thinking to China, I think people of this kind would probably be drowned by people’s spit! I think they are people whose thoughts are completely different from ours. […]
, an American TV series that she had seen before. The text extract below is part of her comments.
The four main female characters in the show Sex and the City are four American women in their thirties and forties in Manhattan, U.S.A. JT developed her views of the four characters by viewing the show. It is clear that JT reacted with great intensity. As the underlined sentence illustrates, JT re-contextualized the characters by imposing their ways of thinking and attitudes towards sex and
52 Sex and the City (1998-2004): The American TV series, Sex and the city, is about the friendship and relationships of
four middle-aged American working women. Narrated by Carrie Bradshaw, a column writer in new York City, this romantic comedy series follows the lives and loves of Carrie and her three best friends, Samantha, Miranda and
love on a group of Chinese women in a similar situation, and imagined what things would be like for women of this kind in the Chinese context. In doing so, it seems that JT noticed a huge contrast and cultural clash not only between the characters and herself, but also the characters and Chinese women in general. In the process of undertaking re-contextualizing and comparing activities, JT’s interpretation of the characters and her existing knowledge of Chinese people played important roles.
I showed a clip, Women and children first53
(Q.6.4.2.3) WZT: 这个要是以前看的话，也就真的不会去想，但是，现在再看，他的那个建 议，就是让妇女和儿童先上船，我觉得这个,在中国,是做不到的。这个在中国肯 定是做不到的。这个你说，现在挤个工交车啊，你说要真有这个规定，你说妇 女和孩子先上，先别说妇女了，妇女她毕竟和中年的男人是一样的嘛。你说让 妇女和孩子先上，我们虽然也算不上孩子的话，但是基本上属于比大人肯定要 小一点了，肯定都不会让你上的。现在中国，我觉得两个国家真的是，美国和 日本，要中国学习的地方那么多。我觉得这种细节上表现的特别明显。就像他 这样子妇女和孩子先上，当时你就，比如说会不会采纳，当时我觉得，如果放 在中国的话，提这个意见的人都不会有。提这个建议说妇女和孩子先上？肯定 你什么建议都没有，就一窝蜂全上 （船）去了。我们同学,前两天,去西客站买票， 就比如说开那个窗口，他们那个窗口特别奇怪，他先开一个，大家都涌到这了。 然后, 过了半小时，他开了旁边一个，然后一群人涌过去了。然后,半个小时以后, 又开另外一个，一群人又涌到另外一边去了。根本没有什么排队啊，先让着点 什么什么。基本上就是, 普遍看，整个中国那么看的话，相当少了，那种人，特 别特别少。 English translation:
WZT: When I watched this in the past, I probably would not think (about this). But, when I watch this again now, his proposal, (the one that) women and children first (to get on the boat), I think this, in China, (Chinese people) would not be able to propose this. This would definitely not be proposed. For example, nowadays (when people) get on a bus, if there’s really such rule, let’s say women and children get on (the bus) first, although we do not count as children, basically (we are) younger than adults, (they) would definitely not let you get on (the bus) first. China these days, I think there are actually two countries, U.S.A. and Japan, there are so many things that China needs to learn (from those two countries). I think (the differences) are particularly obvious in these details. For example he (proposes) women and children first, at that moment, whether (people) are going to accept (the proposal) or not, at that moment I felt, if it was in China, there would not even be such a person to make this suggestion. To suggest letting women and children first? There definitely
wouldn’t be such a suggestion; (people) would be like a swarm of bees (to get on the boat). My course-mate, a couple of days ago, went to buy train tickets at the (Beijing) West Train Station. For example, opening the window, their window is very strange,
, from the film Titanic to WZT who had watched the film before. After viewing the clip, she immediately said:
53 Women and children first: This is the clip which was chosen from American film, Titanic (1997). In the clip, after the
captain was informed the ship which can come and rescue will not arrive until 4 hours later. The ship’s second officer, Lightoller, asks he captain whether to get the women and children into the lifeboats. The captain nods abstractly. Flares are sent up as water continues to flood the decks. Lightoller orders the crew to load the lifeboats. The band plays a waltz as Lightoller invites women to step onto the first lifeboat.
one opened first and everyone swarmed towards it. Then, half an hour later, the one next to it opened, and then a crowd swarmed over. Then, half an hour later, again another one opened, and a group of people again swarmed towards another side. (There) wasn’t anyone to queue, (nor) compromise etc. Basically, overall, looking at China generally, quite few, that type of people, very very few.
WZT’s immediate reaction and the length and richness of her comments show how strongly she felt about the ‘women and children first’ suggestion proposed by the crew of the Titanic. As underlined sentences indicate, WZT frequently re-contextualized the event which happens in the clip in the Chinese context and imagined how Chinese people would respond. It seems that WZT’s speculation of Chinese people’s reaction to the incident is heavily affected by her personal experience, her knowledge of what her course-mate experienced, together with her existing perception of Chinese people in general.
In addition, WZT’s speculation about the reaction of Chinese people to the incident triggers a comparison between Chinese and people from the U.S.A. and Japan. What might have happened in her mind was that she formed view of Americans based on her understanding on the characters in the film and her existing knowledge on Americans. Although the character who proposes ‘women and children first’ is British and the rest of the characters in the clip are British and American, WZT probably perceived those characters as Americans, because the research findings suggest that CCSs cannot always distinguish between Americans and British. Surprisingly WZT also mentioned the Japanese, but there is nothing from the clip that suggests anything to do with Japanese. WZT probably had already developed certain views of the Japanese and the differences between Japanese and Chinese. These views were brought out by the re-contextualizing activities. WZT’s comments indicate that she has rather positive views and attitudes towards Americans and Japanese, but comparatively negative perception and attitudes towards Chinese in general. WZT’s perception of and attitudes towards Chinese, American and Japanese seemed to have been reinforced through the re-contextualizing and comparison activities.
As the first sentence in her comments indicates, WZT noticed that her reaction and interpretation of the same film have varied over time. WZT had watched this film a couple of years before. When she watched part of the same film again at the interview, she reacted to and interpreted the film differently. What made this difference? WZT comments about another clip, Dining saloon, from the same film, Titanic, answer this question.
(Q.6.4.2.4)
WZT: 这个我是在初三看的嘛。那个时候看根本没想过。 但是，今天看的话，因
为我们那个学法律的嘛，学法律的(学生)，我们上个学期学的是法理学。它有的
地方讲到这个等级制度，因为我们，法理学讲到外国法了嘛，主要讲的就是美 国，司法制度等级啊这些，美国英国德国，主要讲这三个。现在看的话，刚才
看的时候脑子里面就闪了一下，但是初三看的时候没学过嘛，初三我们看是因 为语文课本上有。语文课本上节选了Titanic，然后我们老师就给我们放这个片 子就给我们看了一边，当时纯粹是奔着爱情片去的嘛。 Interviewer:那你脑子里闪过的是什么？ WZT: 就是等级制度。因为是自己刚学过的，马上就可以联系起来。我觉得现在， 比如说，两年前看的电影和两年后看，是不一样的，因为两年前你的脑子里停 留在一个阶段，因为这两年你毕竟是在成长嘛，岁月肯定不是白过的，肯定会 有一些成长经验的，所以看的东西以后感觉肯定不一样的。 English translation:
WZT: I watched this when I was in the third year of secondary school. (I) Didn’t think about this at that time. But, when I watched (it) today, because we study law, law (- students), we have learned Jurisprudence last term. Some parts of (Jurisprudence) mention about hierarchy. Because we, Jurisprudence referred to foreign law as well, mainly stress the U.S.A., the judicial and hierarchy system, etc, the U.S.A., the U.K. and Germany, mainly these three (countries). Now when I watch the (clip), (when I) watched it just now, it flashed in my mind, but (when I) watched it in my third year of secondary school, because I had not learned about (Jurisprudence), we watched it in the third year of secondary school was because it was in the Chinese textbook. Excerpt from the Titanic was in the Chinese textbook. Then our teacher showed us this film, we purely watched the film as a love story at the time.
Interviewer: What flashed in your mind?
WZT: Hierarchy. Because I just learned about it, (I) immediately can relate with it. I think now, for example, to watch a film that (I) have watched it two years ago, it’s different, because your mind stays in one stage two years ago, because these two years, after all, you are growing up, years are definitely not wasted, definitely have some experience of growing up, therefore the feeling after watching is definitely different.
It is thus clear that one’s framework of knowledge and life experience play important role in making sense of foreign films. Furthermore, what happened to WZT illustrates how one’s framework of knowledge and life experience change over time due to what people see, observe, learn and experience every day. Therefore, one’s interpretation of the same film may not remain constant.
One more thing worth noting is that, among all the forty-nine films and TV series mentioned by CCSs, Titanic was the only film that had been seen by all the interviewees. When talking about things from Titanic that had made a deep impression, the ‘women and children first’ scene was the most frequently mentioned. For example, PP said:
(Q.6.4.2.5)
PP: 就是妇女和小孩先上那一幕。给我印象也特别深。怎么说呢，在中国,确实就
是人的素质没有国外高，我确实就是有这么一种感觉。就是我觉得如果在中国 发生这种事，肯定当时全都挤乱了。死的人更多可能得。
English translation:
PP: The scene which (is about) ‘women and children first’. (It) gave me very deep impression. How to say, in China, people’s deep rooted quality is indeed not as good as foreign (people). I really have this kind of feeling. I think, if this kind of incident
happened in China, definitely it’d be chaos at that time. More people probably would have died.
PP re-contextualized the incident in China and imagined how Chinese people would react and what would happen. In doing so, PP displayed a relatively negative view towards Chinese people and a comparatively positive idea about foreigners in general. The word ‘indeed’ used by PP when she talked about Chinese people’s 素质 (deep rooted quality) not as good as foreigners’ indicates that her views on both Chinese people and foreigners existed prior to viewing the film. There is no direct translation in English for 素质. 素质 is a common phrase used by Chinese to refer to individual’s deep rooted virtue, talent and ability.
PP’s comments indicate that she was most probably referring to people’s virtue. Although PP did not specify what she meant by foreigners, and she might not know the nationality of each character in the scene, it can be speculated that PP mainly referred to Americans and British, using foreigners as a catch-all phrase (see the discussion on ‘concepts of foreign and western’ in section 6.2.3). Last, but not least, it could be speculated that by imagining and picturing Chinese people’s reaction to the incident that happens on Titanic, PP’s perceptions on and attitudes towards Chinese and foreigners with regard to intrinsic quality were reinforced.
Looking at the comments from WZT and PP on the ‘women and children first’ clip, both of them