The word wealth always reminds people of money and the sayings or conceptsrelated to money. For example, “money talks”; “money makes the ghosts turn themill”; “as birds die for food, so men die for wealth”; “the poor have no friendseven though they live in the noisy downtown, while the rich have remote kinsfolkeven if they live in the deep mountains”; “poverty chills ambition” “one centshort may put a hero in an awkward situation” etc, etc..
In the 1980” s, all shops were state-owned with marked prices. You couldn”tbuy what you wanted with even one cent short, so one cent could indeed embarrassa hero. A popular song at that time started “I picked up one cent at theroadside, and I handed it over to the policeman…” But now no one cares to pickit up even if it were ten cents.
People”s reverence for money is expressed in varied ways. The names ofcompanies or stores are often “Beer of Wealth and Honor”, “Restaurant of Wealthand Rank” “Store of the Aristocrats” “Hotel of Fame and Prestige” etc. (evensome people”s names have the meanings of “full of gold” or “great fortune”). AtNew Year”s time, the god of wealth is worshiped and the picture of the god iscovered with signs of money. When a millionaire is walking in the street, peoplewill show their profound respect even though they know very well that they cannot get a cent from him. The English film “the Million-Pound Note” makes a mostvivid revelation of this situation. With the million pound note in hand, thehero has the privilege to buy on credit, or on loan and is even presented moneyfrom others. It”s an idealized end of the story that the hero is still loved byhis girl friend even after he lost his million-pound note. However, withoutthe million-pound note, they couldn”t have known each other. It”s very difficultfor people to make friends directly with beggars.
The song of “All Good Things Must End” in A Dream of the Red Mansionsattacks the money worshipers by saying:
“All men long to be immortals
yet silver and gold they prize
And grub for money all their lives
Till death seals up their eyes”
But when Chen Shih-yin tries to expound this song by analyzing theinconstancy of human relationships and the incomprehensible human heart, he hasto say:
“While men with gold and silver by the chest
Turn beggars, scorned by all and dispossessed”
The conclusion is that it doesn”t work without money.
In spite of the human civilizations over thousands of years, people can notdeny the function of money. This shows how important money is. Money plays adecisive role to individuals, to families and even to countries ornationalities. Otherwise, why is everyone, from doorkeepers to presidents,trying to earn as much as possible Why does every country need Chancellors ofthe Exchequer, who keep formulating and revising financial laws and regulationsHow different it is to be a creditor nation and a debtor nation! The UnitedStates is playing the tyrant just because it is wealthy enough. A poor man maycherish lofty aspirations, but will probably be beaten because of his poverty.The Afghanistan may have won a lot of sympathy, but how difficult it would be tolive solely on charity.
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