This is a Chinese university entrance exam question. The question is in the form of a cartoon:
The answer has to be in an 800 character essay. Here goes… 😉
The fish are dead and don’t need catching. The cat at the end of the table sees the mouse scuttling along at the foot of the table. What would you do if millions of years of evolution had programmed you to chase prey and your favorite prey was a mouse?
It does not matter to a cat if his belly is full of fish. If he sees a mouse he will chase it. Perhaps in this instance the cat simply chases and catches the mouse but does not eat it. Although in the picture you can see that the only cat to have eaten the fish is the one at the other end of the table. I would suggest that the mouser eats the mouse that he has caught.
The moral is people must always be aware of the natural instincts, desires and motivators of other people and animals. In having that knowledge a person is able to integrate more successfully into society, become more successful in being able to motivate others, be more successful himself and live a fuller more contented life.
That is 770 characters..
Note: I have published the cartoon picture under fair use. I think it is very instructive to try and answer this question and the cartoon is the question so it must be shown on the page. It has no commercial value as far as I am aware.
Absolutely, kindred spirits. You know what we should do…meet up somewhere one day. I think we would have a great few days together. Perhaps we should work on that?
Hi Michael,
It’s clear that many of us are kindred spirits in a very good and unusual way.
=^..^= Hairless Cat Girl =^..^=
You are like the other regulars. You have your own mind and you think. That is exactly what is needed if cat welfare is to be improved. Thank you.
Hi Ruth aka Kattaddorra,
Perfect. I agree 100%.
So, the last cat is like a typical American…*cough*…okay, perhaps British entrepreneur who is thinking on his/her own and maybe even outside the box.
They are not trying to blend in. They will excel in the confines of any country. They are not mainstream and they own their own mind.
As an aside, this person reminds me of me and my husband (even more so).
I can’t help but to admire someone who is like me. I’ve put a lot of focus on being my own person, especially taking pride in how I contrast the main stream.
I know for a fact that you and the other regulars can relate but please correct me if I am mistaken. That’s just the impression that I am under after reading and interacting on Michael’s blog for a few months.
Extremely well done, Ruth.
=^..^= Hairless Cat Girl =^..^=
The tickets in the post 😉
lol I’d better start learning Chinese now for my post as lecturer lol lol
I love your translations! How clever of you Michael!