My Lady

[timmo]

On another board I read somone submitted the following. It is an essay written by a Chinese sophomore English major. As English teachers several of us are curious as to whether the essay is original or a good translation exercise.

Does anyone recognise the mood or theme of the piece? Either way it is a very nice little piece of writing.

My Lady

If I could be a man, I would ask to marry her. But if I were a man then, I’d be the most outstanding gentleman ever, otherwise I would feel too humble to deserve her love, since she is a lady of beauty, elegance and comfort. As the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, my pretty young lady, she is a sea embraced by the arm of they town. She is my sea, my lady, my favorite place where I grew up.

The sea is such a beauty that she only shows her belly a little and the crowd will scream. Especially when summer comes, beautiful girls are everywhere in the seashore, all with slim figures and blond skins. But no skin is as transparent and smooth as my lady. The golden sun undresses her cool and soft body. You can never resist to touch her, to feel her. She sings sweetly: she dances pleasantly; she waves her waist, moving back and forth, as briskly as a little bird in her nest. Snowy spray is her pair of fine eyes, witty and naughty, wets the girls’ skirts and the boys’ vests. It kisses your toes so gently that before you could catch it, it runs away. At noon, she is a girl at sports, sweaty but charming. When the dark falls, with fisher boats appearing in the distance, fishes shedding tears, octopuses and oysters going back their home inside the sea, my lady is then a poet, a singer, an artist, blue and sentimental because she has so many stories to tell that the world begins to quiet down.

My lady is also as elegant as a princess, much more so than an empiror. When morning sunshine yields “good morning” to her, thousands of thousands of servants are waiting aside on her. She stretches her back and every creature inside is waken up. Brisk breezes brushes her long curved hair, dresses her a wrinkling skirt, and the sun dresses her a shining dress, as shining as pearls. Fishermen kiss her hand and say “My dear!” When the sea unveils the last cloud on her, there she is, smoothly breathes, as clean and white as an edelweiss.

She is also a lady that brings you comfort and calmness. Far and far she stretches, day by day she moans, which tells you nowhere is the end of your road; nowhen is your last day. When you are greatly pressed and burdened, there is always she waiting there for you, listening to you. There are happy times and miserable times in our life, so are there for the vast sea. Cry a little bit when you have had enough like the sea and show your teeth when you are happy. That’s the comfort the sea brings us.

My beautiful lady, if I am doomed to be mortal, then I’m willing you would be immortal: you are the only thing that I can think of to leave my children.

[Quest]

very chinese style kind of writing.

[roddy]

I don't think it's a translation. I spent a bit of time trying to fit it back into Chinese and it just wouldn't go.

Roddy

[timmo]

Mmm, thanks Roddy, a nice piece of descriptive writing then. I should like to tidy it up a little just for the exercise. Might read very well.