Examples of National and Transnational Cinema： Akira Kurosawa＇s Yojimbo and Sergio Leone＇s A Fistful of Dollars

The term transnational originated in the historical field when, in the late 1990s, lan Tyrrell wrote a seminal essay entitled ＂What is Transnational History？＂ and changed the course of the academic discipline, claiming that studying the history of a nation from inside its borders was outmoded because the study of history concerns the movements of peoples, ideas, technologies, and institutions across national boundaries. The study of cross-national influences and the focus on the relationship between nation and factors beyond the nation spilled over into many other fields, especially into cinematic studies. Today transnational refers to the impossibility of assigning a fixed national identity to much cinema, to the dissolution of any stable connection between film＇s place of production and the nationality of its makers and performers. Because there is a lot of critical debate about what constitutes national and transnational cinema, the study of international remakes is a promising method to map the field with some accuracy. This essay will analyze the journey from Hammett＇s novel to Kurosawa＇s film and then to Leone＇s western, and will demonstrate how the process of adaptation functions and what happens to a ＂text＂ when it becomes tmnsnational and polysemic. Because Leone is the creator of the Italian western, the one who initiated the cycle that was copied many times over for a decade, we must look at A Fistful of Dollars as a prototype, a movie that when dissected can shed light on the national-transnational dichotomy of the spaghetti western. However, before studying the prototype, we must look at the complex history of the origin of the first spaghetti western, taking into account that A Fistful of Dollars was ＂transcoded＂ by Leone from Kurosawa＇s Yojimbo （1961） that derived his script from Dashiell Hammett＇s RedHarvest （1929）.

Arab Uprising, African Youth, and the Burden of History： Hegemony or Revolution？

Youth in Africa must be put in context： from colonialism to post-colonial politics underpinned by ethnic rivalry, tribalism, dictatorship, or the rule of strongmen. The context also included the more than one generation of perverse military rule. In each of the historical epochs, no African leadership built the youth; there was no ideology or a value system transmitted to the youth. Accordingly it becomes increasingly difficult in the twenty-first century attempting to mobilize the African youth as meaningful change agents. The possible exception to these failures was the Ghana Young Pioneers. The manifestation of this neglect in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa is the hoard of jobless youth involved in crime and other deviant behaviors. Thus to build the youth who will develop the society, African states will necessarily have to invest in the youth, evolve an ideology and an African world view, which will be transmitted to the youth, and which will constitute a driving force for their mobilization as critical agents of change.

Culture Survivance and Religion Healing： On Ojibwe Spirituality in Healing Trauma in LaRose

As of French, German and Ojibwe mixed-blood origin, Louise Erdrich, a well-known and prolific American writer, has always been dealing with the theme of the relationship between Catholicism and Ojibwe spirituality in her fictional world. Her attitude towards Catholicism and Ojibwe spirituality has sparked a heated discussion among scholars and researchers in recent years. Under such academic atmosphere, therefore, LaRose is discussed in this paper. It is shown inLaRose that when white and tribal history come together, where Catholic and traditional spirit worlds intersect, and when Western legal justice cannot solve an ethical problem, Ojibwe spirituality can be used for healing trauma, which is represented through the tradition of adoption as a spiritual reparation, the acquisition of power through naming and biological inheritance and the practice of rituals and ceremonies, from all of which the healing power is derived. Rather than being a syncretism with Catholic, Ojibwe spirituality should preserve its own traditions and cultures to survive generational as well as individual trauma and maintain a culture survivance

Nay or Nyay 3： Epistemic Utility of Shadow of Ignorance that Obscures Mental Images and Associated States

Survival of organisms requires response to sense inputs and feedback. An intuitive picture or mental image of reality from sense experience is apparently structured from orthogonal and independent sense inputs in association with past memories. Such images are not necessarily visual but may have such qualities. Play of mind with information in mental images processed by molecular actors is guided with rules of reality to assure non-contradictory outcome of actions for successful behaviors （Rogers and Jain 1993）. Such functions have evolved to find food before becoming food, and fight or flight when in doubt. Shadows of ignorance that obscure mental images and associated states also have epistemic utility. Their success depends on learning from trials and errors to compensate for incomplete information and uncertainties with consideration of what could go wrong. Outcomes are also influenced by games played on mind by illusions, mistakes, surprises, ignorance. Loss of time, energy, and opportunity associated with ignored or misinterpreted information threaten survival. Equivocation, cynicism, wild goose chase, and vicious circle of sterile ideas encourage contradictory or inconsistent interpretations that compromise outcomes. Throughout the human history, ignorance of horsemen of apocalypse has unleashed havocs, perpetuated wars, epidemics, wrongful medical treatments, and economic disasters. What used to be crisis of ignorance has now become crisis of unintended consequences of inventions and other forms of knowledge. Ignorance of experts and head of states as horsemen of darkness brings misery to countless innocents. In Nay formalism, knowledge （gyan） is what knows with certainty （either as true or false）. Identifying uncertainties introduces doubt （syad） in what one knows. For finding ones way around lack of relevant evidence （agyan）, wisdom lies in recognition of ignorance and identifies problem to seek solution. Note that these states for propositions are not necessarily related by binary negations.

The Construction of＂New Woman＂ in Chen Hengzhe＇s Autobiography

This essay examines the autobiography of Chen Hengzhe （1890-1976） （see Appendix）, a relatively less studied woman writer, historian, and critic in modem China. Through the study in four aspects, namely, the pursuit of modem education, simple appearance, great leaders, and the ambassadors of culture, the author＇s research indicates that Chen＇s construction of＂new woman＂ has been influenced by complex historical and cultural forces such as the Chinese traditional culture, Western culture, and the iconoclastic spirit of ＂the New Culture Movement＂. Meanwhile, Chen＇s gender consciousness is also an important element. Moreover, Chen＇s pioneering standing and her own experiences of studying abroad makes her take the lead in conceiving women＇s leadership and their roles in global culture communications. In the late Qing and the early Republic, traditional values and norms of womanhood were severely challenged. Chen＇s construction of＂new woman＂ is her conscious effort to define a new womanhood and is an integral part of the ongoing exploration of Chinese women for modem womanhood. Through the examination of Chen＇s ＂new woman＂, this paper seeks to enrich our understanding of the complexity of modem Chinese women＇s exploration of modem womanhood.

The isolated hero： Beowulf

The Epic hero Beowulf is honored as a great leader of his nation, but such a hero is isolated. He was not born a hero. In his growth, he is often detached from his family and society. Isolation makes up the critical part of the process of being a great hero.

China’s Gini Coefficient:Myths and Realities

Using retroactive adjustment approach of history data published by the National Bureau of Statistics （NBS）, this study has adjusted micro-level survey data of China Household Income Project Survey （CHIPS, 2007） and conducted point estimation on household income Gini coefficient using the NBS method. On this basis, the standard error of the point estimation of China＇s Gini coefficient is estimated using bootstrap method, creating a confidence interval of Gini coefficient. Results indicate that among five continuous declines of Gini coefficient between 2008 and 2013, only three declines are statistically significant. It is thus too early to jump at the conclusion that the Gini coefficient of China＇s household income distribution has already entered into a downward channel and at least the argument that China＇s Gini coefficient has been on the decline for five consecutive years is questionable.

Capitalism, Internationalism, and Socialism in Times of Globalization

This paper will mention Marxist propositions, presented since the mid-19th century, about capitalism, socialism, and internationalism. According to Marx, socialism would replace capitalism and internationalism would occur through the dissolution of nation states. Later, Marxist circles presented a historical arrow in the form of 〉 capitalism 〉 socialism 〉 internationalism. Taking into account recent steps of globalization and measures imposed by national governments in the face of the deep financial crisis of 2008, it is interesting to compare the above theory with some historical events that have happened since the 19th century. Much has happened that Marx did not predict. Considering the world trajectory since the Second World War, it seems that the historical arrow has the form of 〉 capitalism 〉 internationalism 〉 hybridism of capitalism and socialism 〉？

Studies on Wetland Biodiversity in China

This paper briefly summarizes the history of wetland research, the evolvement of wetland science, and their impacts on the understanding of wetland biodiversity in China. A marsh is the key type and basic component of a wetland. Defining the marsh and wetland plants is the basis for understanding the wetland and its biodiversity. The comprehensive multiple factorial classification principles and the multiple developmental models of the wetland are two innovative feats achieved by Chinese scientists, and their application has further promoted ecological research. The CAS Wetland Research Center has made historic contributions to the study of the wetland and its biodiversity in China. Also, the paper discusses several important tasks of wetland and biodiversity research.

同中之异:“京味儿”电视剧的文体演变与民族化叙事传统

本文通过考察自20世纪80年代以来的文化空间变异,梳理不同时代"京味儿"电视剧的文体与修辞演变特征,总结其以世故人情和历史意识为表征的民族化叙事传统渊源。通过对这一重要电视剧流派的发展进程与风格生成研究,进一步探讨互联网形态的社会语境中,"京味儿"电视剧文化空间所呈现的承传与断裂。

From ＂tianxia＂ （all under heaven） to ＂the world＂： changes in late Qing intellectuals＇ conceptions of human society

The concept of tianxia （all under heaven） had both a broad and a narrow meaning in traditional China, corresponding respectively to ＂the world＂ and ＂China.＂ It was generally believed that China＇s recent history saw a process in which tianxia contracted into a ＂state.＂ However, if we put the emphasis on what the Chinese literati had in mind, the process was more of a transformation from tianxia to ＂the world.＂ Kang Youwei creatively transformed Gongyang＇s idea of the ＂Three Worlds＂ from a diachronic to a synchronic concept, facilitating a smooth transformation from tianxia to ＂the world.＂ However, China was excluded fi-om the Western-dominated ＂world＂ system. The Chinese literati＇s yearning to become a part of＂the world,＂ and their endeavor to earn China a better position in the world, involved a hesitant process of exploration.

On Mao Ze-dong

Given the fact that the final conclusions on Mao are hard to draw, this paper endeavors to provide a pertinent critique, making full use of available archives, documents, and data and discarding as much bias and prejudice as possible, of Mao Ze-dong＇s life, his role in the Chinese Revolution, and the various movements after the founding of the PRC, and the roots of his thoughts and theories.

The Animals of China in the Eighteenth-Century British Imagination

In eighteenth-century Britain, knowledge about animals from around the world was rapidly increasing. This paper focuses on what the British knew and imagined about the animals of China from reading the works of European travellers and natural historians. Whereas the animals of Africa and America served to foster a growing sense of European mastery of less civilized parts of the world through trade and possession, those of China were understood as embedded in a highly advanced civilization and therefore as sources of knowledge about that civilization. This paper examines the way in which British understandings of China were mediated through accounts of Chinese animals and of human-animal relations in China. Looking at works of popular natural history and at Oliver Goldsmith＇s fictional letters of a ＂Chinese philosopher＂ in The Citizen of the World （1762）, I argue that the animals of China bore several messages about their country. Focusing on the particular examples of the golden pheasant, the horse, the cormorant, and the cat, I suggest that British writing about Chinese animals served as a way of expressing mixed feelings about the value of advanced civilizations, whether Chinese or European.

A HISTORIC VISIT

Chinese President Xi Jinping（front left）,accompanied by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud（front right）,visits the historic Murabba＇Palace in Riyadh,capital of Saudi Arabia,on January 20.The Chinese president started the 2016 diplomatic year with a state visit to Saudi Arabia,Egypt and Iran on January 19-23.During his two-day trip in Saudi Arabia,the first by a Chinese head of state to the kingdom in seven years,

The Shenjianlu by Fan Shou-yi Reconsidered： New Geo-Historical Notes

This paper re-analyzes and gives new geo-historical interpretations of parts of the travel report Shenjianlu（ 身见录; literally, Report About What I Saw in Person） , written by Chinese Christian Priest Fan Shou-yi 樊守义（1682-1753） and focuses on his long stay in Europe（1708-19） , while he was retinue for the Italian Jesuit Antonio Francesco Provana 艾若瑟.（1662-1720）. The original document, unknown today or perhaps lost, was drafted once Fan returned to China and submitted it to the Emperor Kangxi康熙帝（ 1654-1722）. Currently, the Shenjianlu is known only thanks to a manuscript copy kept in the National Library of Rome. New notes and identifications of specific monuments or places seen or toured by Fan are here critically discussed, with particular regard to Portugal and Italy, at that time divided into several regional independent countries.