System Development Essay Example

System Development Essay Example System Development Essay System Development Essay System Development Information technology (IT) is defined as any computer-based tool that people use to work with information and support the information and information-processing needs of an organization (Haag, Cummings, 2013). An IT department has become a crucial aspect for businesses in todays societies because it is not only theyre to help a business continue to develop new technology, but it is also there to help employees when needed. The use of softwares and databases has become more frequent in businesses and when software and databases get used more, there is even more of a eed for an IT department. An IT department has the ability to assist employees and even customers with any IT related issues. There Job is to understand the software and databases used by the company, so they can be prepared for any issues that may come up. Technology helps businesses run smoothly and helps them get results quicker. However, having technology can also come with stress because of the negative issues that sometimes can happen. There is no control over if youre program crashes, your databases freezes, or any other issues that may arise. The IT epartment is key when it comes to these issues because they are trained and have more tools than we do to figure out the problem and resolve it. An employee or a supervisor may know a couple ways to try and fix a problem, but what do you do then if it still cannot be fixed? Sending it to the manufacture or calling the them would probably take longer then it should to get the problem resolved, so calling your IT department in this instance is the best solution. When there is a negative issue with any form of technology, a company should want to get it resolved as quickly as possible so business is not slowed down. The IT department is also there to make sure the technology for the business is as much up to date as possible. An IT department can notify employees when upgrades are needed for programs to ensure they are using the best possible upgrades. Updating computer programs is important because the upgrades help the program run much smoother and sometimes a task can be slowed down Just because an upgrade was not done. Also, what happens if there is a problem with the upgrade? Wouldnt it be easier to have an IT department to help fix this? It would because not having an IT department ould then make the employees call the actually software or program company, which can be frustrating and a long process to do. Your own IT department prevents the added on stress on the situation and gets you a result quicker. The IT department can also notify and install new software and databases into the computers when needed. There are always new programs coming out that can help a business grow and it is crucial for businesses to keep up with those advances. The IT department can spend the time learning new programs and getting them ready for employees to have access to. Employees have enough on their plates to worry about as it is, so having an extra hand for the technology is a very positive aspect. If a business was to I department away, even Tor Just a Tew weeks to test now a Duslness a there would definitely be signs of employees overwhelmed because negative situations with technology happens on a daily basis and the IT department is the best option to fix those problems. Businesses base so much of their work on technology and it helps businesses succeed to the best of their ability. Having people at a business to solely focus on the IT side of the business is something every major ompany should have. The cost of having an IT department can add up, but the reward for having one is much greater. Its like the saying you should be safe, rather than sorry and I agree with that saying. If cost is an issue for a company, looking at the companies finances as a whole could help find other ways to cut costs to help keep a IT department available. With as much as IT is growing and how much it is predicted to continue to grow, business need to weigh out the pros and cons of a IT department and see how much an IT department is used and needed.

Fahrenheit 451 Quotes

'Fahrenheit 451' Quotes When Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 in 1953, television was gaining popularity for the first time, and Bradbury was concerned about its increasing influence in everyday peoples lives. In Fahrenheit 451, the contrast between passive entertainment (television) and critical thought (books) is a central concern. Many of the quotes in Fahrenheit 451 emphasize Bradbury’s argument that passive entertainment is mind-numbing and even destructive, as well as his belief that worthwhile knowledge requires effort and patience. The following quotes represent some of the most significant ideas and arguments within the novel. â€Å"It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed. With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history.† (Part 1) These are the opening lines of the novel. The passage describes Guy Montags work as a Fireman, which in this dystopian world means that he burns books, rather than putting out fires. The quote contains details about Montag using his flamethrower to destroy a stock of illegal books, but the language the quote employs contains much more depth. These lines serve as a declaration of the central motif of the novel: the belief that humans prefer the easy, gratifying path over anything that requires effort. Bradbury uses lush, sensual language to describe the act of destruction. Through the use of words like pleasure and amazing, burning books is depicted as fun and enjoyable. The act of burning is also described in terms of power, suggesting that Montag is reducing all of history to tatters and charcoal with his bare hands. Bradbury uses animal imagery (the great python) to show that Montag is operating on a primitive and instinctive level: pleasure or pain, hunger or satiation. â€Å"Coloured people dont like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people dont feel good about Uncle Toms Cabin. Burn it. Someones written a book on tobacco and cancer of the lungs? The cigarette people are weeping? Bum the book. Serenity, Montag. Peace, Montag. Take your fight outside. Better yet, into the incinerator.† (Part 1) Captain Beatty makes this statement to Montag as a justification for book-burning. In the passage, Beatty argues that books cause trouble, and that by eliminating access to information, society will achieve serenity and peace. The statement underscores what Bradbury sees as the slippery slope leading to dystopia: intolerance of ideas that cause discomfort or unease. â€Å"I dont talk things. I talk the meaning of things. I sit here and know Im alive.† (Part 2) This statement, made by the character Faber, emphasizes the importance of critical thought. For Faber, considering the meaning of information- not just passively absorbing it- is what enables him to know [hes] alive. Faber contrasts talk[ing] the meaning of things with simply talk[ing] things, which in this passage refers to meaningless, superficial information-sharing or absorption devoid of any context or analysis. The loud, flashy, and virtually meaningless TV shows in the world of Fahrenheit 451, are a prime example of media that does nothing more than talk[ing] things. In this context, books themselves are merely objects, but they become powerful when readers use critical thought to explore the meaning of the information the books contain. Bradbury explicitly links the act of thinking and processing information with being alive. Consider this idea of aliveness in relation to Montags wife Millie, who is constantly passively absorbing television and repeatedly attempts to end her own life. â€Å"Books arent people. You read and I look around, but there isnt anybody!† (Part 2) Montag’s wife, Millie, rejects Montag’s efforts to force her to think. When Montag tries to read aloud to her, Millie reacts with increasing alarm and violence, at which point she makes the above statement. Millies statement encapsulates what Bradbury sees as part of the problem of passive entertainment like television: it creates the illusion of community and activity. Millie feels that she is engaging with other people when she is watching television, but in fact she is simply sitting alone in her living room. The quote is also an example of irony. Millies complaint that books arent people is supposed to contrast with the human contact she feels when watching television. In fact, however, books are the product of human minds expressing themselves, and when you read you are making a connection with that mind over time and space. â€Å"Stuff your eyes with wonder. Live as if youd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. Its more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. Ask for no guarantees, ask for no security, there never was such an animal.† (Part 3) This statement is made by Granger, the leader of a group that memorizes books in order to pass the knowledge on to a future generation. Granger is speaking to Montag as they watch their city go up in flames. The first part of the statement implores the listener to see, experience, and learn about as much of the world as possible. He likens the mass-produced world of television to a factory of false fantasies, and argues that exploring the real world brings greater fulfillment and discovery than factory-made entertainment. At the end of the passage, Granger concedes that there never was such an animal as security- knowledge may very well bring discomfort and danger, but there is no other way to live.

Short answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Short answer - Essay Example However, the state in availing welfare to the public acts within certain outlined guidelines meant to evaluate certain involved loses or costs, hence implement measures whose purpose is to limit excesses of some individual groups. Implementation of SOPA seeks to ensure public interest via shunning either intrusion or pirating of people’s intellectual property and counterfeit goods (â€Å"Economics Week†). Mainly, the provision of this enforcement involves requesting court to prevent advertising bodies and online payment facilities from conducting transactions with infringing websites or search engines (â€Å"Economics Week†). Hence, expand the already existing laws with the intention of safeguarding the public’s interest by barring streaming of unauthorized copyrighted content and imposing harsh sentences to the culprits not more than five years. as a result of this first â€Å" mass† medium of communication linguistic unity would be one of the broadcasting’s main effects establishing physical and cultural unification not only English, but proper, uninflected English would become the national standard/norm. defined as â€Å" pussy- willow† English Somehow, this will yield to the eroding of some cultural practices but with time. Since, the upcoming generation due to this implementation will tend to move away from their cultural norms and adopt the incoming practices or ways of life. This is to ensure they interact with others while contributing to varied issues being broadcasted, for instance, those pertaining to politics. They usually erode diverse and numerous archaic practices commonly held by people as taboo, hence prompting all genders assuming roles that were earlier prohibited. For instance, in acting whereby each gender and people from varied races can mimic whom they want in plays for the purpose of relaying the intended information. This has extended to the present but

European Employment Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

European Employment Policy - Essay Example Therefore minimum wage laws have been introduced which foresee crisis of unemployment, if fewer employers are interested to hire labor, where as more people are willing to offer their services. Therefore, the law intends to maintain the equilibrium, to avoid social and economic turmoil. The amount of labor supplied by the workers is directly proportional to the nominal wage, a certain increase in the wage, forecast increase in the labor supply. The observation is based on the assumption that an employee hired at a low wage will prefer to consume 'leisure and forego wages', a slight increase in the nominal range, it becomes difficult to practice leisure and avoid labor, therefore there is an increase in the number of workers wiling to offer labor. The relationship between the labor supplied and nominal wage is function of different variables including price. A substantial increase in the price level will reduce the number of workers, at all wages (Wascher, 1995). The charter of European Union has observed that there exists an inverse relationship between the nominal wage, and the 'amount of labor demanded by the organizations'. A substantial increase in the wages is likely to compel the organizations to reduce recruitment schemes. The relationship has been derived on the basis of an assumption that the organization prefers saving for increased proportion of profitability i.e. such level of production is aimed by the organization which increases the profit i.e. the difference between expenses and revenue. The revenue is based on the price of an item, and quantity of the items sold (Christopher, 2005). The expenses include the amount of wages, which is based on the labor and services. Therefore, the company will prefer to maintain a minimum threshold level to secure profit, on the basis of reduction in the wages, as more workers are employed, the labor wage increases which turn the organization less profitable. The price factor may compel the organizations to recruit the employees for all wage levels (Gold, 1993). As per the regulation, the commission has defined a minimum age for the employment; the minimum age is greater than the minimum school leaving age. The charter has focused upon the fact that parent employees shall be provided parental leave, and parent employees have been urged to spend their time with their families particularly children. The charter has listed provisions for the access to childcare during working hours. The charter has defined a maximum limit for the weekly working hours; the maximum weekly working hours shall not be greater than forty eight, which is inclusive of the working hours. As per the charter, the employees are eligible for at least four week's paid annual leave, on unconditional basis. The charter has described minimum rest period which shall be eleven hours on daily basis, and minimum one day on weekly basis. The charter has limited the duration of work during might hours, and has limited the working hours during night time to maximum of eight hours (Gol d, 1993). Minimum Wages and Labor Market: Equilibrium It has been predicted that minimum wage laws are expected to increase unemployment, if minimum wage is established above equilibrium wage. It is because, a large number of employees will be interested in offering their services in exchange for higher wages, on contrary on small and limited number of such

Periodic Properties Essay Example for Free

Periodic Properties Essay The halogens F, Cl, Br and I (At has not been included because of its scarcity and nuclear instability) are very reactive non-metals that occur in the penultimate group of the periodic table, hence they all require just one electron to complete their valence shell. All of the elements exists as diatomic molecules (F2, Cl2, Br2, I2) in which the atoms are joined by single covalent bonds. Going down a group of the periodic table, for successive elements there are more energy levels filled with electrons, so the outer electors are in higher energy levels and farther from the nucleus. Fluorine and chlorine are gases, bromine a liquid and iodine a solid that forms a purple vapour on heating. The halogens are all quite electronegative elements. They require just one electron to complete their valence shell, hence they readily gain electrons to form the singly charged halide ions (Fà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½,Clà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½,Brà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½,Ià ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½). The ease with which they gain electrons gained is further from the nucleus and hence less strongly attracted. This means that, in contrast to the alkali metals, the reactivity of the halogens decreases going down the group. Method 1) Test the solubility of Iodine: 1. A very small amount of iodine was put into water, cyclohexane and KI(aq) respectively 2. The color changes of the solutions and the solubility in each solvent were recorded 2) Test iodine reacts with starch: 1. Three drops of I2-KI solution were put into a test tube 2. A few drops of starch solution were added after that 3. The color of solution was recorded 3) Test the acid-base properties: 1. A few drops of chlorine water were put in a test surface, and it was tested with universal indicator paper 2. This was repeated first using water and then using iodine solution instead of the chlorine water 3. The color changes were recorded 4) Displacements between halogen elements: 1. 2cm depth of each aqueous solution: sodium chloride, potassium bromide and potassium iodide were put into 3 respective test tubes and labeled 2. An equal volume of chlorine water was added into each test tube and the results were recorded 3. A little hexane was added to form a separate upper layer of a non-polar solvent 4. The mixtures were shook and the changes were recorded 5. Step 1, 2, 3 and 4 were repeated first using water and then iodine solution instead of chlorine water 5) Tests for halide ions [Halide ions (Cl-, Br- and I-) with silver ions]: 1. About 1cm depth of aqueous sodium chloride was put into a test tube 2. A little aqueous silver nitrate was added and then the observations were recorded 3. The test tube was placed in a sunny place, and left there for about 5 minutes and then it was observed again 4. Step 1, 2 and 3 were repeated using aqueous potassium bromide, then aqueous potassium iodide instead of sodium chloride ?Data Collection? 1) The solubility of iodine in different solvent Color Solubility Water Colorless Insoluble Cyclohexane Purple Soluble Ethanol Yellow Soluble KI(aq) Yellow-brown Soluble 2) Test iodine reacts with starch: The color of the solution is black. 3) Test the acid-base properties: Cl2 Br2 I2-KI pH value 4 3 12 4) Displacements between halogen elements: The color change of the solution after Cl2, Br2, I2 added into NaCl, KBr and KI respectively Cl2 Br2 I2 NaCl No change No change Brown KBr Pale yellow solution No change Brown KI yellow yellow Brown The color of the upper layers of the solution after hexane added Cl2 Br2 I2 NaCl No change No change Purple red KBr Pale purple No change Purple red KI purple Pale purple Purple red 5) Tests for halide ions: Halide ions (Cl-, Br- and I-) with silver ions: NaCl White precipitate is produced Darkens after it was placed in sunlight KBr Cream precipitate is produced. KI Yellow precipitate is produced. ?Data Analysis? 1) The solubility of iodine in different solvents: The solubility is larger in non-polar solvent (water, ethanol) and smaller in polar solvents.(cylohexane and KI) The purple color of iodine in cyclohexane is that because in non-polar solvents, iodine froms the violet solution. 2) Test iodine reacts with starch: According to the general knowledge we knew, the phenomenon of this reaction should be blue, but the color observed was black-green. That was because some of the starch hydrolysis in water and produced something could make the color darker. 3) Test the acid-base properties: 1. Cl2: The color of the universal indicator papers showed that Cl2 is strong acid. 2. Br2: The color of the universal indicator papers showed that Br2 is a kind of acid, but not very strong. 3. I2: The color of the universal indicator papers showed that I2 is a strong base. Actually, I2 is acid. The reason is that the original color of I2 is red-brown, that made us cant see the phenomenon clearly. 4) Displacements between halogen elements: As what I mentioned above in background, the rule of displacements between halogen elements is that more reactive ones displace less reactive ones. Thats the reason why Br -cant displace Cl -, and I -cant displace Br and Cl-. When there was no reaction between two elements, the color we observed was the blend of original colors of the less reactive element and the solution containing the more reactive element. If theres a reaction between two elements, the color we can observe is the color of the displaced element. According to the information we got from Internet, we knew hexane is a kind of oil and is insoluble in water-solvent. That was the reason why we could differentiate the two layers of each solution very clearly. The colors of each solutions under layer were the original colors of the saline solutions. There were two kinds of instances of the color of upper layer of each solution. For the solutions those do not have I ion, they were colorless. Thats because hexane is colorless and cannot react with Cl or Br -. Another instance is that the solutions include I -, when I meets hexane, it will show the color of itself. That was why we could observe color of purple in this experiment. 5) Test for halide ions: When halide ions dissolved into silver salts, then the precipitate is appear commonly. The white precipitate is AgCl: AgNO3+NaClà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½AgCl+NaNO3 The off-white precipitate is AgBr: AgNO3+KBrà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½AgBr+NaNO3 The pale yellow precipitate is AgI: AgNO3+NaIà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½AgI+NaNO3 After 10 minutes under the sunshine, photodissociation happened on all of them, so the black precipitate on the bottoms of three test tubes are the products of photodissociation. 1. Going down the group, the elements of this group have the same effective nuclear charge. Atomic radius of these elements becomes bigger because of the increase of the number of energy levels. The attraction between nucleus and valence electrons gets weaker. Less energy is required to remove the first electron from one mole of gaseous atoms. The ionization energy going down the group decreases. The ability to attract electrons becomes weaker. The electronegativity going down the group decreases. 2. Organic solvents always contain the element carbon. Inorganic solvents dont contain the element carbon. The most common solvent, water, is an example of an inorganic solvent. There are many more organic solvents than inorganic solvents. Compare with organic and inorganic solvent, the solubility of iodine is higher in organic solvent. 3. The oxidizing power of the halogens decrease going down the group as the size of the atoms increase going down the group as the size of the atoms increases and the attraction between the nucleus and the electrons becomes less. In that case, going down the group, the elements become less powerful oxidising agents. This means that a higher halogen will displace a lower halogen from its salts. A lower halogen cannot displace a higher halogen from its salts. 4. When starch reacts with iodine, the typical blue black color will appear. Thats a good way for us to identify starch and iodine. 5. After photodissociation, the color of some precipitates will change. will become black. Thats the most obvious one. Other precipitates will become darken. 1. Because we use solid iodine in the first experiment. If we add the solvent into the test tube first, the test tube will be wet and the solid iodine we put in later will attach on the surface inside instead of fall into the liquid. For this reason we must add solid iodine first in experiment 1. 2. According to the first experiment, we found that the solubility of iodine in pure water is very low. But the solubility of iodine in potassium iodide solution is relatively much higher. So we use I2-KI solution to increase the amount of iodine in order to let the phenomenon more obvious. REFERENCE 1) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Chemistryà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½(for use with the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme) [3rd Edition] John Green Sadru Damji First published in 2007 by IBID Press, Victoria, Page 77 to 78. 2) http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/hexane.html 3) http://baike.baidu.com/view/373611.htm 4) http://baike.baidu.com/view/908645.htm

Constructivism in the classroom Essay -- essays research papers

Constructivism represents a paradigm shift form education based on cognitive theories. This concept assumes that learners construct their own knowledge on the basis of interaction with their environment. (Gagnon & Collay, 200?) The role of the teacher as a constructor of the learning experience to ensure authentic curriculum and assessment which is responsive to the skills, needs and experiences of the learner, within established curriculum framework and with the reference to the achievement of literacy, numeracy, retention and attainment of outcomes. Krause, Bochner and Duchesne (p.157) comment that â€Å"as learners interact with their environment, they link information learned through experience to previous knowledge, and so construct new understandings and knowledge.† Constructivism then inturn encourages Teachers and Learning Managers to recognise the value of prior knowledge and experiences that each child brings with them into the classroom, and help them (the students ) build on their understandings of the world by providing appropriate learning experience plans. This practise of effective teaching and learning has relatively new in classrooms but has already made a great difference in the students’ abilities and interests both in and out of their studies. Constructivist teaching recognises and validates the student’s point of view rather then the necessity of a correct answer. The child is then able to reassess their knowledge and understandings, which in turn boosts self-esteem and confidence. It also encourages children to be involved in classroom activities by self-questioning, seeking answers, comparing situations and establishing links between different ideas. This is possible as constructive learning is transferable between different ideas. (Tutorial Notes, 28th July, 2004) Jean Piaget (1896 – 1980), a Swiss psychologist, portrayed the child as a ‘lone scientist’, creating their own sense of the world. Their knowledge of relationships among ideas, objects and events is constructed by the active processes of internal assimilation, accommodation and equilibration. (Hughes, 2001). He also believed that we must understand the child’s understandings of the world, and this should guide the teaching practises and evaluation. The fundamental basis of learning was discovery. To understand is reconstruct by discovery, and such conditions must be compiled... ...n essentials that teachers should undertake to help maintain a healthy constructivist classroom. It is important to hold a belief that learning is restructuring of thought rather than an increase in content, and reconstruction or recall will reflect that particular ‘schema’ of the child. They also believe that the use of cognitive conflict promotes the consolidation of concepts. The use of ‘wrong’ answers also helps students analyse their thinking in order to retain the correct elements and revise their misconceptions. Promoting social interaction, peer friendships and co-operation, also increases their interest and comprehension in learning, as well as improve the child’s conflict resolution skills. Teachers continually learn about ways people learn – the processes of learning and how individuals learn best. They learn about their students and individuals, and learn with as well as from their students when they seek knowledge together. (Principles of effective learning and teaching, 1994). Through continually discovering new and exciting ways to help mould a constructivist classroom, the students will be able to achieve their outcomes with great ease and learn to enjoy education.

Balance Scorecard Essay

A Balanced Scorecard is a framework that focuses on shareholder, customer, internal and learning requirements of a business in order to create a system of linked objectives, measures, targets and initiatives which collectively describe the strategy of an organization and how that strategy can be achieved. † The Balanced scorecard retains the traditional financial measures and complements them with measures that are drivers of future performance. The objectives and measures of the scorecard are derived from an organizations vision and strategy and these view organizational performance. The balanced scorecard is a management system (not only a measurement system) that enables organizations to clarify their vision and strategy and translate them into action. It provides feedback around both the internal business processes and external outcomes in order to continuously improve strategic performance and results. When fully deployed, the balanced scorecard transforms strategic planning from an academic exercise into the nerve center of an enterprise. The balanced scorecard is a tool developed by Kaplan and Norton to articulate, execute and monitor strategy using a mix of financial and non-financial measures. It is designed to translate vision and strategy into objectives and measures across four balanced perspectives: financial, customers, internal business processes and learning and growth. It focuses on all the activities that generate financial results rather than the financial side alone. The scorecard depicts strategy as a series of cause-and-effect relationships between critical variables and gives a framework for ensuring that strategy is translated into a coherent set of performance measures. The use of a hierarchy of scorecards cascading through the organisation ensures that strategy and performance measurement is closely aligned. The Balanced Scorecard can act as both a control system and a management tool. In other words, it can be used for monitoring performance as well as for strategic planning. Its versatility may be one of the reasons why so many companies have chosen to adopt it.

Chinese Literature Essay

2000 by Andre Levy All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in. writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39. 48-1984. Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Levy, Andre, date [La litterature chinoise ancienne et classique. English] Chinese literature, ancient and classical / by Andre Levy ; translated by William H. Nienhauser, Jr. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-253-33656-2 (alk. paper) 1. Chinese literature—History and criticism. I. Nienhauser, William H. II. Title. PL2266. L48 2000 895. 1’09—dc21 99-34024 1 2 3 4 5 05 04 03 02 01 00. For my own early translators of French, Daniel and Susan Contents ix Preface 1 Introduction Chapter 1: Antiquity 5 I. Origins II. â€Å"Let a hundred flowers bloom, Let a hundred schools of thought contend! † 1. Mo zi and the Logicians 2. Legalism 3. The Fathers of Taoism III. The Confucian Classics 31 Chapter 2: Prose I. Narrative Art and Historical Records II. The Return of the â€Å"Ancient Style† III. The Golden Age of Trivial Literature IV. Literary Criticism Chapter 3: Poetry 61 I. The Two Sources of Ancient Poetry 1. The Songs of Chu 2. Poetry of the Han Court II. The Golden Age of Chinese Poetry 1. From Aesthetic Emotion to Metaphysical Flights 2. The Age of Maturity 3. The Late Tang III. The Triumph of Genres in Song Chapter 4: Literature of Entertainment: The Novel and Theater 105 I. Narrative Literature Written in Classical Chinese II. The Theater 1. The Opera-theater of the North 2. The Opera-theater of the South III. The Novel 1. Oral Literature 2. Stories and Novellas 3. The â€Å"Long Novel† or Saga Index 151 Translator’s Preface. I first became- interested in translating Andre Levy’s history of Chinese literature, La litterature chinoise ancienne et classique (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1991), in 1996, after finding it in a bookshop in Paris. I read sections and was intrigued by Professor Levy’s approach, which was modeled on literary genres rather than political eras. I immediately thought about translating parts of the book for my graduate History of Chinese Literature class at the University of Wisconsin, a class in which the importance of dynastic change was also downplayed. Like many plans, this one was set aside. Last spring, however, when the panel on our field’s desiderata headed by David Rolston at the 1998 Association for Asian Studies Meeting pronounced that one of the major needs was for a concise history of Chinese literature in about 125 pages (the exact length of Professor Levy’s original text), I revived my interest in this translation. I proposed the book to John Gallman, Director of Indiana University Press, and John approved it almost immediately-but, not before warning me that this kind of project can take much more time than the translator originally envisions. Although I respect John’s experience and knowledge in publishing, I was sure I would prove the exception. After all, what kind of trouble could a little book of 125 pages cause? I soon found out. Professor Levy had originally written a much longer manuscript, which was to be published as a supplementary volume to Odile Kaltenmark-Ghequier’s La Litterature chinoise (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1948)’ in the Que sais-je? (What Do I Know? ) series. This concept, however, was soon abandoned, and it ‘Several decades ago Anne-Marie Geoghegan translated this volume as Chinese Literature (New York: Walker, 1964). x Translator’s Preface was decided to publish the Levy â€Å"appendix† as a separate volume-in 125 pages. Professor Levy was then asked to cut his manuscript by one-third. As a result, he was sometimes forced to presume in his audience certain knowledge that some readers of this book-for example, undergraduate students or interested parties with little background in Chinese literature-may not have. For this reason, working carefully with Professor Levy, I have added (or revived) a number of contextual sentences with these readers in mind. More information on many of the authors and works discussed in this history can be found in the entries in The Indiana Companion to Traditional Chinese Literature (volumes 1 and 2; Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986 and 1998). Detailed references to these entries and other relevant studies can be found in the â€Å"Suggested Further Reading† sections at the end of each chapter (where the abbreviated reference Indiana Companion refers to these two volumes). I also discovered that re-translating Professor Levy’s French translations of Chinese texts sometimes resulted in renditions that were too far from the original, even in this age of â€Å"distance education. † So I have translated almost all of the more than 120 excerpts of original works directly from the original Chinese, using Professor Levy’s French versions as a guide wherever possible. All this was done with the blessing and cooperation of the author. Indeed, among the many people who helped with this translation, I would like to especially thank Professor Andre Levy for his unflinching interest in and support of this translation. Professor Levy has read much of the English version, including all passages that I knew were problematic (there are no doubt others! ), and offered comments in a long series of letters over the past few months. Without his assistance the translation would never have been completed. Here in Madison, a trio of graduate students have helped me with questions Translator’s Preface xi about the Chinese texts: Mr. Cao Weiguo riftlal, Ms. Huang Shu—yuang MV and Mr. Shang Cheng I*. They saved me E, from innumerable errors and did their work with interest and high spirits. Mr. Cao also helped by pointing out problems in my interpretation of the original French. Mr. Scott W. Galer of Ricks College read the entire manuscript and offered a number of invaluable comments. My wife, Judith, was unrelenting in her demands on behalf of the general reader. The most careful reader was, however, Jane Lyle of Indiana University Press, who painstakingly copy-edited the text. If there is a literary style to this translation, it is due to her efforts. My thanks, too, to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation which supported me in Berlin through the summer of 1997 when I first read Professor Levy’s text, and especially to John Gallman, who stood behind this project from the beginning. Madison, Wisconsin, 16 February 1999 (Lunar New Year’s Day) Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical Introduction Could one still write, as Odile Kaltenmark-Ghequier did in 1948 in the What Do I Know series Number 296, which preceded this book, that â€Å"the study of Chinese literature, long neglected by the Occident, is still in its  infancy? â€Å"‘ Yes and no. There has been some spectacular progress and some foundering. At any rate, beginning at the start of the twentieth century, it was Westerners who were the first-followed by the Japanese, before the Chinese themselves-to produce histories of Chinese literature. Not that the Chinese tradition had not taken note of an evolution in literary genres, but the prestige of wen 5 signifying both â€Å"literature† and â€Å"civilization,† placed it above history-anthologies, compilations, and catalogues were preferred. Moreover, the popular side of literature-fiction, drama, and oral verse-because of its lack of â€Å"seriousness† or its â€Å"vulgarity,† was not judged dignified enough to be considered wen. Our goal is not to add a new work to an already lengthy list of histories of Chinese literature, nor to supplant the excellent summary by Odile Kaltenmark-Ghequier which had the impossible task of presenting a history of Chinese literature in about a hundred pages. Our desire would be rather to complement the list by presenting the reader with a different approach, one more concrete, less dependent on the dynastic chronology. Rather than a history, it is a picture-inevitably incompleteof Chinese literature of the past that this little book offers. Chinese â€Å"high† literature is based on a â€Å"hard core† of classical training consisting of the memorization of texts, nearly a half-million characters for every candidate who reaches the highest competitive examinations. We might see the classical art of writing as the arranging, in an appropriate and astute fashion, of lines recalled by memory, something ,’Odile Kaltenmark-Ghequier, â€Å"Introduction,† La litterature chinoise (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1948), p. 5; â€Å"Que sais—je,† no. 296. 2 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical that came almost automatically to traditional Chinese intellectuals. The goal of these writers was not solely literary. They hoped through their writings to earn a reputation that would help them find support for their efforts to pass the imperial civil-service examinations and thereby eventually win a position at court. Although there were earlier tests leading to political advancement, the system that existed nearly until the end of the imperial period in 1911 was known as the jinshi A ± or â€Å"presented scholar† examination (because successful candidates were â€Å"presented† to the emperor), and was developed during the late seventh and early eighth centuries A. D. It required the writing of poetry and essays on themes set by the examiners. Successful candidates were then given minor positions in the bureaucracy. Thus the memorization of a huge corpus of earlier literature and the ability to compose on the spot became the major qualifications for political office through most of the period from the eighth until the early twentieth centuries. These examinations, and literature in general, were composed in a classical, standard language comparable to Latin in the West. This â€Å"classical† language persisted by opposing writing to speech through a sort of partial bilingualism. The strict proscription of vulgarisms, of elements of the spoken language, from the examinations has helped to maintain the purity of classical Chinese. The spoken language, also labeled â€Å"vulgar,† has produced some literary monuments of its own, which were recognized as such and qualified as â€Å"classics† only a few decades ago. The unity of the two languages, classical and vernacular, which share the same fundamental structure, is undermined by grammars that are appreciably different, and by the fact that these languages hold to diametrically opposed stylistic ideals: lapidary concision on the one hand, and eloquent vigor on the other. We conclude by pointing out that educated Chinese add to their surnames, which are always given first, a great variety of personal names, which can be disconcerting at times. The standard given name (ming Introduction 3 is often avoided out of decorum; thus Tao Qian Miff is often referred to En We will retain only the by his zi (stylename) as Tao Yuanming best known of these names, avoiding hao at (literary name or nickname), bie hao ZIJM (special or particular literary name), and shi ming (residential name) whenever possible: When other names are used, the standard ming will be  given in parentheses. The goal here is to enable the reader to form an idea of traditional Chinese literature, not to establish a history of it, which might result in a lengthy catalogue of works largely unknown today. We are compelled to sacrifice quantity to present a limited number of literary â€Å"stars,† and to reduce the listing of their works to allow the citation of a number of previously unpublished translations, inevitably abridged but sufficient, we hope, to evoke the content of the original. The chronological approach will be handled somewhat roughly because of the need to follow the development of the great literary genres: after the presentation of antiquity, the period in which the common culture of the educated elite was established, comes an examination of the prose genres of â€Å"high† classical literature, then the description of the art most esteemed by the literati, poetry. The final section treats the literature of diversion, the most discredited but nonetheless highly prized, which brings together the novel and the theater. Chapter 1. Antiquity Ancient literature, recorded by the scribes of a rapidly evolving warlike and aristocratic society, has been carefully preserved since earliest times and has become the basis of Chinese lettered culture. It is with this in mind that one must approach the evolution of literature and its role over the course of the two-thousand-year-old imperial government, which collapsed in 1911, and attempt to understand the importance (albeit increasingly limited) that ancient literature retains today. The term â€Å"antiquity† applied to China posed no problems until certain Marxist historians went so far as to suggest that it ended only in 1919. The indigenous tradition had placed the break around 211 B. C. , when political unification brought about the establishment of a centralized but â€Å"prefectural† government under the Legalists, as well as the famous burning of books opposed to the Legalist state ideology. Yet to suggest that antiquity ended so early is to minimize the contribution of Buddhism and the transformation of thought that took place between the third and seventh centuries. The hypothesis that modernity began early, in the eleventh or perhaps twelfth century in China, was developed by Naito Konan NAM 1 (1866-1934). This idea has no want of critics or of supporters. It is opposed to the accepted idea in the West, conveyed by Marxism, that China, a â€Å"living fossil,† has neither entered modern times nor participated in â€Å"the global civilization† that started with the Opium War of 1840. Nor is there unanimity concerning the periodization proposed in historical linguistics, a periodization which distinguishes Archaic Chinese of High Antiquity (from the origins of language to the third century) from Ancient Chinese of Mid-Antiquity (sixth to twelfth centuries), then Middle Chinese of the Middle Ages (thirteenth-sixteenth centuries) from Modern Chinese (seventeenth-nineteenth centuries), and Recent Chinese (18401919) from Contemporary Chinese (1920 to the present). 6 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical. In the area of literature, the beginning of the end of antiquity could perhaps be placed in the second century A. D. Archaeology has elevated our knowledge of more ancient writings toward the beginning of the second millennium B. C. , but this archaic period, discovered recently, cannot be considered part of literary patrimony in the strictest sense. Accounts of this archaic period are traditionally divided into six eras,2 but to honor them would be to fall into the servitude of a purely chronological approach. I. Origins Since the last year of the last century, when Wang Yirong . 1. 6M (1845-1900) compiled the first collection of inscriptions written on bones and shells, the increasing number of archaeological discoveries has allowed the establishment of a corpus of nearly 50,000 inscriptions extending over the period from the fourteenth to the tenth centuries before our era. Dong Zuobin (1895-1963) proposed a periodization for them and distinguished within them the styles of different schools of scribes. Scholars have managed to decipher a third of the total of some 6,000 distinct signs, which are clearly related to the system of writing used by the Chinese today-these were certainly not primitive forms of characters. The oracular inscriptions are necessarily short-the longest known text, of a hundred or so characters, covers the scapula of an ox and extends even over the supporting bones; the shell of a southern species of the great tortoise, also used to record divination, did not offer a more extensive surface. Whether a literature existed at this ancient time seems rather doubtful, but this scriptural evidence causes one to consider whether eras are the early Chou dynasty (eleventh century-722 B. C. ), the Spring and Autumn era (722-481 B. C. ), the Warring States (481-256 B. C. ), the Ch’in dynasty (256-206 B. C. ), the Western or Early Han dynasty (206 B. C. -A. D. 6), and the Eastern or Latter Han dynasty (25-A. D. 220). 2These Chapter 1. Antiquity 7 the Shu jing Efg (Classic of Documents), supposedly â€Å"revised† by Confucius but often criticized as a spurious text, was based in part on authentic texts. The presence of an early sign representing a bundle of slips of wood or bamboo confirms the existence of a primitive form of book in a very ancient era-texts were written on these slips, which were then bound together to form a â€Å"fascicle. † The purpose of these ancient archives, which record the motivation for the diviner’s speech, his identity, and sometimes the result, has been ignored. Of another nature are the inscriptions on bronze that appeared in about the eleventh century B. C. and went out of fashion in the second century B.C. They attracted the attention of amateur scholars from the eleventh century until modern times. Many collections of inscriptions on â€Å"stone and bronze† have been published in the intervening eras. The longest texts extend to as much as five-hundred signs, the forms of which often seem to be more archaic than those of the inscriptions on bones and shells. The most ancient inscriptions indicate nothing more than the person to whom the bronze was consecrated or a commemoration of the name of the sponsor. Toward the tenth century B. C. the texts evolved from several dozen to as many as a hundred signs and took on a commemorative character. The inspiration for these simple, solemn texts is not always easily discernible because of the obscurities of the archaisms in the language. An echo of certain pieces transmitted by the Confucian school can be seen in some texts, but their opacity has disheartened many generations of literati. II. â€Å"Let a hundred flowers bloom, Let a hundred schools of thought contend! † This statement by Mao Zedong, made to launch a liberalization movement that was cut short in 1957, was inspired by an exceptional period in Chinese cultural history (from the fifth to the third centuries 8 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical B. C. ) in which there was a proliferation of schools-the â€Å"hundred schools. † The various masters of these schools offered philosophical, often political, discussion. The growth of these schools paralleled the rise of rival states from the time of Confucius (the Latinized version of the Chinese original, Kong Fuzi TL-T- or Master Kong, ca. 551-479 B.C. ) to the end of the Warring States period (221 B. C. ). The â€Å"hundred schools† came to an end with the unification of China late in the third century B. C. under the Legalist rule of the Qin dynasty (221-206 B. C. ). This era of freedom of thought and intellectual exchange never completely ceased to offer a model, albeit an unattainable model, in the search for an alternative to the oppressive ideology imposed by the centralized state. Much of what has reached us from this lost world was saved in the wake of the reconstruction of Confucian writings (a subject to which we will turn shortly). The texts of the masters of the hundred schools, on the periphery of orthodox literati culture, are of uneven quality, regardless of the philosophy they offer. Even the best, however, have not come close to dethroning the â€Å"Chinese Socrates,† Confucius, the first of the great thinkers, in both chronology and importance. 1. Mo Zi and the Logicians. The work known as Mo Zi (Master Mo) is a collection of the writings of a sect founded by Mo Di g, an obscure personage whom scholars have wanted to make a contemporary of Confucius. It has been hypothesized that the name Mo, â€Å"ink,† referred to the tattooing of  a convict in antiquity, and the given name, Di, indicates the pheasant feathers that decorated the hats of the common people. Although we can only speculate about whether Mo Zi was a convict or a commoner, he argued for a kind of bellicose pacifism toward aggressors, doing his best to promote, through a utilitarian process of reasoning, the necessity of believing in the gods and of practicing universal love without discrimination. Condemning the extravagant expense of funerals as well as the uselessness of art and music, Mo Zi Chapter 1. Antiquity 9 wrote in a style of discouraging weight. The work that has come down to us under his name (which appears to be about two-thirds of the original text) represents a direction which Chinese civilization explored without ever prizing. Mo Zi’s mode of argument has influenced many generations of logicians and sophists, who are known to us only in fragments, the main contribution of which has been to demonstrate in their curious way of argumentation peculiar features of the Chinese language. Hui Shi Ea is known only by the thirty-some paradoxes which the incomparable Zhuang Zi cites, without attempting to solve, as in: There is nothing beyond the Great Infinity.. . and the Small Infinity is not inside. The antinomies of reason have nourished Taoist thought, if not the other way around, as Zhuang Zi attests after the death of his friend Hui Shi: Zhuang Zi was accompanying a funeral procession. When he passed by the grave of Master Hui he turned around to say to those who were following him: â€Å"A fellow from Ying had spattered the tip of his nose with a bit of plaster, like the wing of a fly. He had it removed by [his crony] the carpenter Shi, who took his ax and twirled it around. He cut it off, then heard a wind: the plaster was entirely removed without scratching his nose. The man from Ying had remained standing, impassive. When he learned of this, Yuan, the sovereign of the country of Song, summoned the carpenter Shih and said to him, â€Å"Try then to do it again for Us. † The carpenter responded, â€Å"Your servant is capable of doing it; however, the material that he made use of died long ago. † After the death of the Master, I too no longer can find the material: I no longer have anyone to talk to. (Zhuang Zi 24) Sons of the logicians and the sophists, the rhetoricians shared with the Taoists a taste for apologues. They opposed the Taoist solution of a 10 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical detached â€Å"non-action,† involved as they were in diplomatic combat. Held in contempt by the Confucians for their â€Å"Machiavellianism,† the Zhanguo ce Vg (Intrigues of the Warring States) remains the most representative work of the genre. It was reconstructed several centuries later by Liu Xiang gj 1-(4] (77-6 B. C. ), but the authenticity of these reassembled materials seems to have been confirmed by the discovery of parallel texts in a tomb at Mawang Dui gUttg in 1973. A great variety animates these accounts, both speeches and chronicles; they are rich in dialogue, which cannot be represented by this single, although characteristic, anecdote—it is inserted without commentary into the â€Å"intrigues† (or â€Å"slips†) of the state of Chu: The King of Wei offered the King of Chu a beautiful girl who gave him great satisfaction. Knowing how much the new woman pleased him, his wife, the queen, showed her the most intense affection. She chose clothes and baubles which would please her and gave them to her; it was the same for her with rooms in the palace and bed clothes. In short, she gratified her with more attention than the king himself accorded her. He congratulated her for it: a woman serves her husband through her carnal appeal, and jealousy is her nature. Now, understanding how I love the new woman, my wife shows her more love than I—it is thus that the filial son serves his parents, that the loyal servant fulfills his duties toward his prince. As she knew that the king did not consider her jealous, the queen suggested to her rival: â€Å"The king appreciates your beauty. However, he is not that fond of your nose. You would do better to hide it when he receives you. † Therefore, the new one did so when she saw His Majesty. The king asked his wife why his favorite hid her nose in his presence. She responded, â€Å"I know. † â€Å"Even if it is unpleasant, tell me! † insisted the king. â€Å"She does not like your odor. † â€Å"The brazen hussy! † cried the sovereign. â€Å"Her nose is to be cut off, and let no one question my order! † Chapter 1. Antiquity 11 The Yan Zi chunqiu *T-*V( (Springs and Autumns of Master Yen) is another reconstruction by Liu Xiang, a collection of anecdotes about Yan Ying RV, a man of small stature but great ability who was prime minister to Duke Jing of Qi (547-490 B.C. )-the state that occupies what is now Shandong. Without cynicism, but full of shrewdness, these anecdotes do not lack appeal; some have often been selected as anthology pieces, of which this one is representative: When Master Yan was sent as an ambassador to Chu, the people of the country constructed a little gate next to the great one and invited him to enter. Yan Zi refused, declaring that it was suitable for an envoy to a country of dogs, but that it was to Chu that he had come on assignment. The chamberlain had him enter by the great gate. The King of Chu received him and said to him: â€Å"Was there then no one in Qi, for them to have sent you? † â€Å"How can you say there is no one in Qi, when there would be darkness in our capital of Linzi if the people of the three hundred quarters spread out their sleeves, and it would rain if they shook off their perspiration-so dense is the population. † â€Å"But then why have you been sent? † â€Å"The practice in Qi is to dispatch a worthy envoy to a worthy sovereign; I am the most unworthy. . . .† 2. Legalism. The diplomatic manipulations and other little anecdotes we have seen in the Yan Zi chunqiu were of little interest to the Legalists, who took their name from the idea that the hegemonic power of the state is founded on a system of implacable laws supposing the abolition of hereditary privileges-indeed a tabula rasa that rejects morals and traditions. In fact, historians associate them with all thought that privileges efficacy. From this point of view, the most ancient â€Å"Legalist† would be the artisan of Qi’s hegemony in the seventh century B. C. , Guan Zi (Master Guan). The work that was handed down under his name is a composite text and in reality contains no material prior to the third century B. C. Whether or not he should be considered a Legalist, Guan Zi 12 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical embodies the idea that the power of the state lies in its prosperity, and this in turn depends on the circulation of goods. In sum, Guan Zi stands for a proto-mercantilism diametrically opposed to the primitive physiocraticism of Gongsun Yang (altV (also known as Shang Yang ), minister of Qin in the fourth century. Shang jun shu 1 (The 2 Book of Lord Shang), which is attributed to Gongsun Yang, gives the Legalist ideas a particularly brutal form: It is the nature of people to measure that which is advantageous to them, to seize the best, and to draw to themselves that which is profitable. The enlightened lord must take care if he wants to establish order in his country and to be able to turn the population to his advantage, for the population has at its disposal a great number of means to avoid the strictness that it fears. Within the country he must cause the people to consecrate themselves to farming; without he must cause them to be singly devoted to warfare. This is why the order of a sage sovereign consists of multiplying interdictions in order to prevent infractions and relying on force to put an end to fraud. (Shang jun shu, â€Å"Suan di†) Shang Yang’s prose is laden with archaisms, which hardly lighten the weight of his doctrine. It is in the work of Han Fei Zi 4-T- (ca. 280-233) that Legalism found its most accomplished formulation. The book Han Fei Zi contains a commentary on the Classic of the Way and of Power of Lao Zi in which the ideal of Taoist non-action is realized by the automatism of laws. The â€Å"artifice† of the latter may go back to the Confucianism of Xun Zi (Master Xun, also known as Xun Qing ,Ajja, ca. 300-230 B. C. ), a school rejected by orthodox Confucianism. Xun Zi, who happens to have been the teacher of Han Fei Zi, developed the brilliant theory that human nature inclines individuals to satisfy their egoistic appetites: it was therefore bad for advanced societies of the time. The â€Å"rites†-culture-are necessary for socialization. Xun Zi’s Chapter 1. Antiquity 13 argumentation was unprecedentedly elaborate, examining every facet of a question while avoiding repetition. In a scintillating style peppered with apologues, Han Fei Zi argues that the art of governing requires techniques other than the simple manipulation of rewards and punishments. The prince is the cornerstone of a system that is supposed to ensure him of a protective impenetrableness. The state must devote itself to eliminating the useless, noxious five â€Å"parasites† or â€Å"vermin:† the scholars, rhetoricians, knights-errant, deserters, and merchants (perhaps even artisans). 3. The Fathers of Taoism. A philosophy of evasion, this school was opposed to social and political engagement. From the outset Taoism was either a means to flee society and politics or a form of consolation for those who encountered reversals in politics and society. The poetic power of its writings, which denounced limits and aphorisms of reason, explains the fascination that it continues to hold for intellectuals educated through the rationalism of the Confucians. These works, like most of the others from antiquity that were attributed to a master, in fact seem to be rather disparate texts of a school. The Dao de jing ittitg (Classic of the Way and of Power) remains the most often translated Chinese work—and the first translated, if one counts the lost translation into Sanskrit by the monk Xuanzang WM in the seventh century A. D. This series of aphorisms is attributed to Lao Zi (Master. Lao or â€Å"The Old Master†), whom tradition considers a contemporary of Confucius. He is said to have left this â€Å"testament† as he departed the Chinese world via the Xian’gu Pass for the West. In their polemics against the Buddhists, the Taoists of the following millennium used this story as the basis on which to affirm that the Buddha was none other than their Chinese Lao Zi, who had been converting the barbarians of the West since his departure from China. Modern scholarship estimates that the Lao Zi could not date earlier than the third century B. C. The 1973 discoveries at Mawang Dui in Hunan confirmed what scholars had suspected for centuries: the primitive Lao Zi is reversed in respect to 14 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical  ours: a De dao jing â€Å"1,M1# § (Classic of Power and the Way). Its style, which is greatly admired for its obscure concision, seems to owe much to the repair work of the commentator Wang Bi . T3 (226-249). Thus it is tenable that the primitive Lao Zi was a work of military strategy. Whatever it was, the text that is preferred today runs a little over 5,000 characters and is divided into 81 sections (9 x 9). The Taoist attitude toward life is expressed here in admirably striking formulae, which lend themselves to many esoteric interpretations: He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know (#56). Govern a great state as you would fry small fish! (#60). Practice non-action, attend to the useless, taste the flavorless. (#63) The Zhuang Zi ate, written by Zhuang Zhou 4. -B1 or Zhuang Zi (Master Zhuang), was apparently abridged at about the same time as the Lao Zi, but at the hands of the commentator Guo Xiang # -IM (d. 312), who cut it from fifty-two to thirty-three sections. Scholars cannot agree whether the seven initial sections, called â€Å"the inner chapters,† are from the same hand of Zhuang Zhou as the sixteen following, called â€Å"the outer chapters,† and the final ten â€Å"miscellaneous chapters. † It is in the final ten that we find a characteristic arrangement of reconstructions from the first century, works of one school attributed to one master. In fact, it is the first part which gives the most lively impression of an encounter with an animated personality whose mind is strangely vigorous and disillusioned: Our life is limited, but knowledge is without limit. To follow the limitless with that which is limited will exhaust one. To go unrelentingly after knowledge is exhausting and c.

Crime and Prostitutes

Crime and Prostitutes Prostitution is ambiguous to define. The Webster's dictionary defines prostitution as 1. the act or practice of engaging in sexual intercourse 2. any base or unworthy use of talent, ability, etc. But the act of prostitution involves many other associated facets that are included under this extensive act. There's the act itself, soliciting, advertising, pimping, house brothels, street prostitution, phone sex and even computer sex. Sweden treats prostitution as legal, however pimping is illegal. Canada bans soliciting for prostitution, but not the act themselves. Except for a few places in Nevada, the United States bans prostitution but permits its advertisement and tolerates massage parlors or bars that house it. Germany has legal and inspected houses of prostitution, but unsuspected prostitutes can still do business illegally, and those inspected can still buy and trade illegal drugs (Felson 1998 p 67). Do the difference in laws and regulations from country and states, prostitution a s deviance can only be analyzed through selecting a particular social environment.Day 172 - West Midlands Police - Tackling Prostitu...For this reason I will look at the prostitution as a deviance in the United States. Prostitution includes but is not limited to the following: (1) A person engages in "prostitution" if the person engages, or offers to engage, in the provision to another person, under an arrangement of a commercial character, of any of the following activities- a) sexual intercourse; b) masturbation; c) oral sex; d) any activity, other than sexual intercourse, masturbation or oral sex, that involves the use of 1 person by another for his or her sexual satisfaction involving physical contact. (2) However, a person does not engage in prostitution if- a) the activity is an activity mentioned in subsection (1)d); and b) the person is providing adult entertainment under an adult entertainment permit and is an adult and is not an...

The Dos and Don’ts for Sharing Opinions in an Interview

The Dos and Don’ts for Sharing Opinions in an Interview â€Å"It’s not polite to discuss politics or religion.† We’ve all heard it- and it’s good policy in the workplace, where people of all perspectives come together to get the job done. But how should you handle it if someone else- specifically, an interviewer- asks you for your opinion on a controversial subject? Here are 5 tips to keep in mind as you prep for your interview.DON’T feel obligated to answer.This is not a question that should come up in the course of a regular job interview. Maybe the interviewer is taking advantage of a casual setting (say, over a lunch during an extended interview process), or is just not aware of what’s appropriate and what’s not. Just because someone may be able to offer you a job does not mean they’re entitled to truth serum-level answers. Would you give him or her your Social Security number? Your bank account balance? You should consider your personal opinions just that†¦personal. Youâ₠¬â„¢re not obligated to give a full and honest answer if you’re asked for your opinion.DO respond with a question.In a case like this it’s perfectly fair to answer with a cautious question of your own, like â€Å"what makes you ask?† You may just be stalling for time and hoping to defuse the line of inquiry, but it’s a legitimate next step.DON’T use it as a launchpad for your favorite political rant.It may seem like an open opportunity to unleash the real you, but that’s deceptive. If you do give your honest opinion about abortion/gun control/healthcare reform, you run the risk of alienating the interviewer. Sure, it wasn’t especially fair of them to set you up like that, but human nature being what it is, they may disqualify you based on your opinions and not your qualifications.I fell prey to this temptation once, as an intern in college. I was 19, and was positive I had politics all figured out. During a lunch with colleagues, I sh ot off at the mouth about my disdain for the president at the time- only to find out later that one of the colleagues present was a huge supporter of President [name redacted]. I wasn’t asked to return to that group the next summer. In all likelihood that wasn’t the main reason, but it could have been. And I still cringe when I think about how unprofessional it was for me to unleash my righteous political fury at a work lunch.DO try to change the topic.It’s okay to give a mild, middle-of-the-road response and then move back to the interview track. If the interviewer asks you about your political affiliation, try something along the lines of, â€Å"I’m pretty fed up with all politicians these days. I’m more interested in what I can do every day to make things better.† It may sound lame, but at least it dodges a potential bullet.DON’T open the door to this question yourself.If your notebook has a â€Å"Feel the Bern† campaign sti cker on it, or you have a â€Å"Make America Great Again† tattoo, make sure those are out of sight when you walk into the interview. Similarly, if you’re, say, a vegan and you object to the fancy leather shoes the interviewer is wearing, don’t go out of your way to point out the folly of his ways. Again, this should be about your qualifications- not your personal views and beliefs. You probably won’t be able to convince this person of the superiority of your opinion in one sitting, and even if you do, you’ve already put yourself in a box before you even get a job offer.There’s plenty of time to talk about your personal opinions with friends and family, or on anonymous internet news comment sections. The job interview is just not the place for it. And if you’re asked to bring in your personal opinions on potentially controversial topics, you should feel comfortable in sidestepping that land mine.

Operational Analysis for Improving Performance of Wheatley Park Hotel Essay

Operational Analysis for Improving Performance of Wheatley Park Hotel - Essay Example This essay stresses that the current effective capacity strategy of the hotel is operating at the 60% occupancy where excellent service was expected from the staff. A level capacity strategy does not vary the amount of resources supplied. At Wheatley Park Hotel, the staffs are kept at a constant level regardless of the demand pattern. This strategy has created subsequent problems with the hotel such as staff wages, overtime pays, congestion and overall high operations costs. A problem at Wheatley Park Hotel is its laundry equipment. The machine is old and suffered frequent break-downs. As a result, the cost of laundry operation is high and rising. Cost for breakdown maintenance call-out of  £800 is added to the weekly running cost of laundry operation at  £1000. Consequently, it affects other operations in the hotel such as the changing of bed linens and towels. This paper makes a conclusion that the current trend of hotels is to employ yield management strategy in their reservations. Yield management is the management the amount of revenue that a unit of capacity generates to the business. In the hotel setting, the unit capacity is one room. Currently, the hotel has a yield contribution of  £100. By implementing yield management strategy, the hotel can increase the contribution of the room as well as increase its occupancy. The steps involves determining the best customer who are willing to pay more, buy more, and remain more loyal.