The Chinese believe in having a "just cause" for any endeavor—there always has to be a reason. Whether it's Zhuge Liang’s “Memorial on the Expedition” or AhQQ’s “Why can the monk touch it but I can’t?”
I reckon skiing is no different—it too needs a raison d’être. Why spend time, money, and effort risking life and limb in the biting cold? Though this question may be as inane and nonsensical as CCTV’s “Are you happy?”, I’ve still given it some cursory thought, in hopes of sparking further discussion:
1）“Because that’s where the snow is.” Commentary: The least creative and profound reason. Adapted from: The lifelong mission of famed New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary—climbing non-stop.,Someone once asked him, puzzled,:““Why do you climb mountains?”?”Hillary replied wittily,:““Because it’s there.”” 1953In5the year29, Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing・Norgay summited Everest via the South Col, becoming the first officially recognized successful climbers of Mount Everest.
2）“Poor soul, what else is there to think about besides eating and drinking?” Commentary: The most cutting response. Adapted from: Roald Amundsen, Norwegian polar explorer and the first person to reach the South Pole, when asked about the usefulness of exploration.・Amundsen, Norwegian polar explorer and the first person to reach the South Pole, when asked about the usefulness of exploration.
3）“On the icy, majestic slopes, the scent of snow floats by.” Commentary: A slightly poetic answer. Adapted from: Japanese haiku master Matsuo Bashō’s “Cherry Blossom Viewing”: “Under the tree, meat and miso soup, with cherry petals drifting down.”
4）“Through forests and across snowy plains, our spirits soar to the skies / Pouring out our passion, pledging our vows before the mountain range.” Commentary: The most readily available and Chinese-flavored answer. From: The lyrics of the Peking Opera “Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy.” Certainly, this one especially suits those who love night skiing.! Pouring out our passion, pledging our vows before the mountain range.
5）“You can still get out there in winter.” Self-commentary: The sexiest and most straightforward answer. Regarding this rationale, I suggest we borrow the Foreign Ministry’s line: “Hope it won’t be over-interpreted.”
By now, I’ve made up my mind and found ample justification—the next step is action.