"Please take advantage of the chambermaid"

As I read the Op-Ed piece introduced below I did so without first noticing who the author was. As I read each line the ideas resonated within me and I was impressed with the caliber of the writing. When I got to the bottom and saw that the author is none other than Ross Terrill, I thought "of course, who else."

I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Terrill here in Austin a couple of years ago in a small gathering of Taiwanese students and professionals to which he introduced his new book about which he graciously fielded questions. I have read his book, The New Chinese Empire: And What it Means for the United States, from cover to cover. The book is a must read for anyone remotely interested in China.

I have found memories of that time with Dr. Terrill.

August 22, 2007
Op-Ed Contributor
In Beijing, Orwell Goes to the Olympics
By ROSS TERRILL

Beijing

IN China, language has long been a test of political orthodoxy. In Mao Zedong’s era, to confuse evil “bourgeois” with virtuous “proletarian” was to face a prison cell. Write the Chinese character for a leader’s name at a wrong angle and you were a class enemy. Now, as Beijing begins the final year of its preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games, a mistake with an English word is taboo.

Some lapses are harmless. “Don’t Bother” as a privacy request on a hotel door, for example, or “Chop the Strange Fish” on a restaurant menu. Others could lead to minor trouble. “Please take advantage of the chambermaids,” says a resort brochure.

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