Reflection on Language Corruption 有感于语言腐败
Language corruption refers to the repeated use of a word or some words in different meaning from its real one, or even running counter to it. The meaning of a word is different from its actual use, becoming a form, or a shell, by which the user does something irrelevant to the essential content of the word.
Pointing to a deer, but calling it a horse in our history; some local officials’ study, or yanjiu, the Chinese homonym meaning offering cigarette and wine; parroting other people’s opinions and following them blindly; the selection of super girls, the election of the village’s “two committees” team management, falsification of the letter of recommendation for students studying abroad and their learning experience, and even the academic falsehood, all these are the corruption in the language. The most serious language corruption is the prevalence of the hidden rules. The rules and regulations posted on the wall do not work at all, and what really do matter are the hidden rules which are invisible and intangible.
A person's heartfelt laughter, though somewhat affecting others, makes people feel comfortable. A cold smile, like that from Sima Yi, is very awful, for you would never know his deep inside thoughts. If a man is ill, he can't find the reason. Disease can not reflect the actual problems. Isn’t it very scary? A car is running well as always, but suddenly it is paralyzed without any reason some day. There must be a big problem. It is a terrible thing for a person to die suddenly without any sign.
The consequence of language corruption is the degeneration of morality. When the corrupt official was arrested, he did not think it was a shameful thing, and the onlookers even gave sympathy to him, thinking it was a bad luck for him. "If you walk along the river often," the Chinese are fond of saying, "you cannot avoid getting your shoes wet." This common saying has become an excuse, even a magic weapon for violating laws and disciplines, thus resulting in the aggravation of corruption.
Finally, the language corruption makes people become cold, indifferent and apathetic, turning out to be meaningless spectators.
Therefore, to eradicate corruption, we must start from the source, from concept and system, and to our people's satisfaction.
当我们大量地重复使用某个词或某些词，却与其真实意义不同，甚至背道而驰时，这就是语言腐败。词的所指与其实际运用变得不一样，成了一种形式，一个壳，使用者借着壳做着与词的本质内容不相干的事情。
历史上的指鹿为马，某些地方官员的研究研究（烟酒），说假话说空话，人云亦云，超女的选拔，农村村班子选举的拉票，学生留学推荐信、经历证明的造假，甚至学术造假，这些都是语言上的腐败现象。而最严重的语言腐败就是潜规则的盛行，贴上墙的制度、规定，丝毫不起作用，真正起作用的却是看不见摸不着的潜规则。
一个人发自内心的大笑，虽然有点影响环境，但却让人觉得舒畅。阴冷的皮笑肉不笑，像司马懿那样，你永远都不知道他那内心深处的真实想法。就如一个人病了，却找不到原因。病症不能反映出实际存在的问题了，是不是很可怕？一辆车平日里好好的运行，却突然无故瘫痪，那一定是除了大问题。一个人毫无征兆突然死亡，这将是一件很可怕的事情。
语言腐败带来的后果，就是道德的堕落。贪官被抓，自己却不觉得是件可耻的事情；而旁观者却给予同情，认为是运气不佳。常在河边站哪有不湿鞋，竟成了违法乱纪者的借口、甚至依据和法宝，也助长了腐败的加剧。
最终，在语言腐败下，人们变得麻木不仁，变成了毫无意义的示众的材料和看客。
所以，根除腐败要从源头上抓起，从观念制度上抓起，抓到人们的心里去。
