Qi Ruhong: A simple explanation of "The words tell you about ninety-seven"

Qi Ruhong: A simple explanation about "The words tell you about ninety-seven" Phoenix City Qi Ruhong The 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland is a grand event in early July this year. This is a topic for Chinese people all over the world. I also participated...

Qi Ruhong: A brief explanation of "The words tell you about 1997" Phoenix Qi Ruhong The 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland was a grand event in early July this year. It was a topic for Chinese people all over the world. I also participated in the Arizona Chinese Scholars' symposium held in Greater Phoenix. I listened to the speeches of two Chinese consuls in Los Angeles and celebrities and scholars in the overseas community. I came back and briefly pressed the keys to describe the process and feelings. I mentioned that the symposium lacked the personal accounts of Hong Kong people and could not hear the true feelings of Hong Kong people 20 years after the handover. Because in the years before the handover, Hong Kong people were not proud, but scared and worried. At that time, they were still wary of China's communist system. Compatriots with better economic conditions immigrated one after another and traveled far away. Many movie stars applied to settle in Vancouver, Canada, which was well known to everyone. I also specifically pointed out that in order to appease Hong Kong people, the singer Xu Guanjie composed a song with great sincerity: "I know you in 1997", to comfort the compatriots that there is no need to be hesitant, to take things as they come, no need to immigrate in a hurry, and to stay and live as much as possible, maybe the future will be better. The song is widely spread and popular. Even Chinese people as far away as Vietnam like to listen to it, and I also learned to hum it. "I Know You in 1997" was composed by Xu Guanjie and sung by himself. The lyrics are all in Hong Kong's authentic Cantonese mixed with spoken English, highlighting the daily life style of Hong Kong people. The content of the lyrics frankly describes the concerns of Hong Kong people at that time, while focusing on expressing the author's good intentions and consolation. However, after 1997, things changed and the song lost its significance, and few people sang it anymore. The reason why I dug it out to talk about this is just to show that at that time, most Hong Kong people were indeed worried about the handover. The friends I knew in Hong Kong did not mince words about their concerns and warned of lessons learned from the past. In the past, the mainland regime had launched the Cultural Revolution and carried out tyranny such as the Three Antis and Five Antis, which made the people's lives miserable. I still feel frightened when I think about it. The song "I Know You Ninety-Seven" was composed six years before the handover. Let's look at the first verse of the lyrics: I know you ninety-seven. In fact, it shocked you to the point of praying to God and worshiping Buddha! (Shout out ten) I already have too much stomach acid and rheumatism, (I have a severe and persistent cough) and I can't eat and sleep all day long. (Repeat fast and hold the hat) The first few sentences have already described the panic of Hong Kong people. They pray to God and Buddha for safety. They are melancholy and stressed all day long. Some people take sedatives to relieve stress. Their mentality is not relaxed and they have no sense of pride. The lyrics continue, advising Hong Kong people to enjoy themselves in time, not to worry too much, and not to immigrate in a hurry. Being a second-class citizen in a foreign country may also lead to torture. Finally, he comforted his compatriots: I know what I said in 1997. In fact, Hong Kong's adaptability is not suffocating. I guess it may be 1997, a prosperous era, and everything is golden. This song has been popular for several years and has comforted Hong Kong people for several years. After the handover in 1997, the situation changed and the content did not conform to the current situation and was not suitable for singing. Fortunately, the Chinese government's implementation of "one country, two systems" has not frightened the people of Hong Kong, and it has been able to make steady progress and enter a prosperous era. Some immigrant artists have returned to perform and are quite popular. Although the policy has not completely satisfied the Hong Kong people, and some people have raised voices of resistance, this proves that the implementation of "one country, two systems" has been correct, and Hong Kong still enjoys a free and democratic life. "I Know You in 1997" was written for the return of Hong Kong. Because the lyrics use too many Cantonese slangs, it is difficult for people from other provinces to understand the detailed content, and they can only understand the general meaning. A friend once asked me: What does "I know you" mean? Is "Huazhi" informed? There is also another sentence: "I'll be lazy tomorrow, but the most important thing is to be happy at home. If you tell me, you will die." In fact, the Cantonese saying "huazhi" is very special. The surface meaning is the same as "even if" and "even if", but it has the connotation of "don't care". "If I know you are ninety-seven," then there is "No matter if it is ninety-seven, I don't care." "If I tell you that he is dead," then there is "No matter if he dies, he doesn't care." No one sings this song anymore, but some people use the title as a colloquial language. I have an old cousin in Vietnam who owes a lot of debt and has no money to repay it, so he still goes to the bar to get drunk. I advised him to be careful, but the creditor would be in trouble if he found out. He actually answered me like this: "I know you are ninety-seven! I don't care how many bottles of beer I enjoy." Haha! "I know you in 1997", it turns out that it can still be used in this way. This is also an interesting cultural interpretation 20 years after Hong Kong's return to the motherland.