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🏔️ Lesson 9 — Human Traces and Nature

"Rénjì hé Zìrán" by Zhào Lìhóng · Prose · Unit 3 Life Sentiments

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🎯 Learning Focus

Reading

  1. Master indirect expression of emotions through scenery
  2. Review expression of emotions through events

Values and Attitudes

  1. Appreciate nature
  2. Protect the environment

📖 Reading Hints

The author recalls visiting Mount Huang many years ago, where he saw the tired old look of the Welcoming Pine, sighing at how human traces have damaged natural scenery. He then uses Jiuzhaigou to discuss the relationship between human traces and nature. While reading, notice:

  1. How does the author describe the Welcoming Pine on Mount Huang and the wild pines in secluded valleys? What feelings does he express?
  2. Are the author's speculations about the Welcoming Pine and wild pines reasonable?
  3. Through recounting his visit to Jiuzhaigou and describing its beauty, what emotions does the author convey?
💡 Reading strategy: Notice how the author uses contrast between the Welcoming Pine and the wild pines to express regret at human damage to nature.

👤 About the Author: Zhào Lìhóng (趙麗宏)

ItemDetails
Born1952
BirthplaceShanghai
IdentityA renowned contemporary Chinese essayist and poet
PositionsVice-chair of China Essay Society; Vice-chair of Shanghai Writers' Association; Director of Shanghai Literature magazine
Essay awardBing Xin Essay Award (1st edition) in 2013 for The Shadow of the Sundial (《日晷之影》)
Poetry awardSlovenian Golden Key International Poetry Award in 2014
Literary awardShanghai Literature and Art Award (Outstanding Contribution) in 2014
Major worksPoetry collections Coral, Silent Winter Green; essay collections Heart Painting, Newton's Biography; Selected Works of Zhào Lìhóng
Zhào Lìhóng is a renowned contemporary Chinese essayist and poet. His essays focus on nature and life reflections with delicate writing. Human Traces and Nature uses Mount Huang and Jiuzhaigou to express concern about human damage to nature.

📚 Background

Human Traces and Nature recounts the author's visits to Mount Huang and Jiuzhaigou. Mount Huang in Anhui is famous for its four wonders: peculiar pines, grotesque rocks, sea of clouds, and hot springs. Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan is famous for emerald lakes, layered waterfalls, colourful forests and snowy mountains. Both are typical examples of human damage to natural scenery.

📌 Key context:
  1. Mount Huang: four wonders (peculiar pines, grotesque rocks, sea of clouds, hot springs)
  2. Jiuzhaigou: emerald lakes, layered waterfalls, colourful forests, snowy mountains
  3. Human damage: tourism development leads to ecological destruction
  4. Environmental awareness: call to protect and respect nature

🎭 Writing Technique: Borrowing Scenery for Emotions

What is 借景抒情?

Borrowing scenery to express emotions is an indirect way of conveying feelings through descriptions of nature. The writer does not state emotions directly but embeds them within images of landscape.

How This Text Uses the Technique

The text uses two scenes to embody the author's feelings:
  1. Welcoming Pine on Mount Huang: aged, tired → symbolises the marks of human damage
  2. Wild pines in secluded valleys: natural, vigorous → symbolise undisturbed nature
  3. Mount Huang as a whole: sea of clouds and strange peaks, majestic yet weary
  4. Jiuzhaigou: emerald lakes and layered waterfalls → pristine, pure beauty

📚 Key Vocabulary

WordPronunciationMeaning
人跡 rénjìrén jìHuman traces or footprints
疲憊 píbèipí bèiExhausted, weary
老態 lǎotàilǎo tàiThe look of being old and feeble
慨歎 kǎitànkǎi tànTo sigh with regret
小徑 xiǎojìngxiǎo jìngA path, a trail
幽谷 yōugǔyōu gǔA secluded, deep valley
野松 yěsōngyě sōngWild pines (unplanted, natural)
蒼勁 cāngjìngcāng jìngOld and strong, sturdy
攀附 pānfùpān fùTo cling to, to attach to
迎客松 yíngkèsōngyíng kè sōngThe Welcoming Pine (icon of Mount Huang)
九寨溝 Jiǔzhàigōujiǔ zhài gōuJiuzhaigou (Sichuan scenic area)
翠海 cuìhǎicuì hǎiEmerald-coloured lakes
疊瀑 diépùdié pùLayered waterfalls
雲海 yúnhǎiyún hǎiA sea of clouds

💭 Central Theme

Through descriptions of the Welcoming Pine on Mount Huang, the wild pines in secluded valleys, and the scenery of Jiuzhaigou, the author expresses regret at human damage to natural scenery and calls for appreciation of nature and protection of the environment, exploring the relationship between human traces and nature.

Three layers of theme:
  1. Surface: recounting the visits to Mount Huang and Jiuzhaigou
  2. Middle: through contrast (Welcoming Pine vs wild pines) expressing regret at human damage
  3. Deep: calling for harmony between humans and nature, protecting the environment
Text structure: Mount Huang Welcoming Pine → secluded wild pines → Jiuzhaigou
Mnemonic: "tired — wild — pure" (the tired Welcoming Pine, the wild pines, the pure Jiuzhaigou)

⚖️ Writing Technique: Contrast

Contrasts in the Text

Compared ItemsFeaturesSymbolism
Welcoming Pine Aged, tired, clinging Marks of human damage
Wild pines Natural, vigorous, sturdy The original, undisturbed nature
Mount Huang (many visitors) Majestic sea of clouds but weary Tourism damage to nature
Jiuzhaigou (few visitors) Emerald lakes, layered waterfalls, pristine Intact nature
💡 Important test point:
  1. The text's contrast is prominent — Welcoming Pine vs wild pines, Mount Huang vs Jiuzhaigou
  2. The author uses contrast to highlight the impact of human damage on nature

✏️ Quick Practice

Question 1: Who is the author?

Who wrote Human Traces and Nature?

📋 Click to see the answer

The author is Zhào Lìhóng, born in 1952 in Shanghai, a renowned contemporary Chinese essayist and poet. He served as Vice-chair of China Essay Society, Vice-chair of Shanghai Writers' Association, and Director of Shanghai Literature.

Question 2: Borrowing Scenery for Emotions

What is jiè jǐng shū qíng and what scenes does the text use?

📋 Click to see the answer

Borrowing scenery for emotions is an indirect way of expressing feelings through landscape descriptions.

Scenes used:

  1. Mount Huang Welcoming Pine (aged, tired) → symbolises human damage
  2. Wild pines in secluded valleys (natural, vigorous) → symbolise pristine nature
  3. Jiuzhaigou (emerald lakes, waterfalls) → symbolises pure beauty

Question 3: Contrast

What contrasts does the text use, and what is their function?

📋 Click to see the answer

Contrasts in the text:

  1. Welcoming Pine (tired) vs wild pines (vigorous)
  2. Mount Huang (human damage) vs Jiuzhaigou (intact)

Function: Highlighting the impact of human damage on nature, prompting readers to think about environmental protection.

Question 4: Central Theme

What is the central idea of the text?

📋 Click to see the answer

Through descriptions of Mount Huang and Jiuzhaigou, the author expresses regret at human damage to nature, calls for appreciation of nature and environmental protection, and explores the relationship between human traces and nature.

Question 5: Values

What are the values of the text?

📋 Click to see the answer

Values:

  1. Appreciate nature — feel the beauty of the natural world
  2. Protect the environment — preserve nature, reduce human damage
  3. Harmony between humans and nature

Question 6: The Four Wonders of Mount Huang

What are the "four wonders" of Mount Huang?

📋 Click to see the answer

The four wonders of Mount Huang:

  1. Peculiar pines — uniquely shaped pines (Welcoming Pine)
  2. Grotesque rocks — strange-shaped rocks
  3. Sea of clouds — clouds like an ocean
  4. Hot springs — natural hot springs

🎯 Lesson Summary

  1. Human Traces and Nature is a prose piece by Zhào Lìhóng
  2. Theme: human damage to nature, appreciation of nature, environmental protection
  3. Writing techniques: borrowing scenery for emotions + contrast
  4. Structure: Mount Huang Welcoming Pine → secluded wild pines → Jiuzhaigou
  5. Values: appreciate nature, protect the environment

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