CHAPTER 1    Madam  Butterfly
(Rene Gallimar is a French Embassy official stationed in Bejing in 1964 .he is attending with other expatriates an opera show of Madam  Butterfly by Song Liling.)
Lady(Whispering):She will fall in love with an American sailor.A big mistake!
Gallimar:Why is that?
Lady:he will marry her,but he is not serious.Her American sailor has now left her.he’s not coming back.
(The performance is over.)
Official：Wonderful performance，Madame.
Song:Thank you very much .
Gallimar:Mademoiselle Song,that was a beautiful performance.
Song:Thank you.
Gallimar:I’ve often seen Opera singers as over weight ladies and too much bad makeup.
Song:Bad makeup is not unique to the west.
Gallimar:I’ve never seen a performance as convincing as yours.
Song:Convincing ?Me,as a Japanese woman ?Did you know the Japanese used thousands of our people for medical experiments during the war?But I gather such an irony is lost on you. blond
Gallimar:No ,no,what I meant was ,you made me see the Beauty of the story,of her death.Oh,it’s pure sacrifice.I mean he’s not worthy of it but what can she do ,she loves him so much .It’s very beautiful.
Song:Well,yes ,to a westner.
Gallimar:I beg your pardon ?
Song:It’s one of your favourite fantasies,isn’it?The submissive oriental woman and the cruel white man.
Gallimar:I don’t think so.
Song:Consider it this way.What would you say if a blond cheerleader fell in love with a short Janpanese businessman?he marries her and then goes home for three years during which time she preys to his picture and turns down marriage from a young Kennedy.Then ,when when she learns her husband has remarried ,she kills herself .Now I believe ,you would consider this girl to be a deranged idiot ,correct?But because it’s an Oriental who kills herself for a westerner,you find her beautiful.
Gallimar:Yes.Well,I see your point.
Song:The point is ,it’s the music ,not the story ,Monsieur----
Gallimar: Gallimar,Rene Gallimar.
Song:If you wish to see some great theatre,come to the Beijing Opera some time.
CHAPTER 2    Gallimar’s Wife
(Later in the evening after the performance,Rene is at home getting ready for bed while talking with his wife Jeanne)
Gallimar(While brushing his teeth):Chinese are an incredibly arrogant people.
Jeanne:They warned us in Paris about it,remember? 
Gallimar:Mm,there’s a switch..Parisans calling Chinese arrogant.
Jeanne:There’s no use fussing about it.Whenever I see one of them blowing his nose onto the pavement ,I always remember what my father said ,east is east and west is west ,and never the two ends will meet .Ah,I feel much better.So tell me,did you get a chance to meet Lars Hamilton’s wife?
Gallimar:No.
Jeanne:You know she’s one really running the embassy these days.
Gallimar:Sorry.
Jeanne:I hear she’s quite homely.
Gallimar:I left early.(Rene goes to the bed)
Jeanne:Oh dear,are you coming down with this cold too?
Gallimar:No,I’m fine.I’m  just- -----well,it’s silly.I meet a Chinese girl as the diva.She’s a singer with the Peking Opera.
Jeanne:Where they sing like cats wailing
Gallimar:She sang the death scene from Madam Butterfly.
Jeanne:Actually that’s a funny thing about Chinese .Sounds more like singing when they are just speaking normally.
Gallimar:Do you know that the Chinese hate Madam Butterfly?
Jeanne:She hated it but she performed it anyway?
Gallimar:They hate it because the white man gets the girl.Sour grapes if you ask me.
Jeanne:Why can’t  they just see it as a piece of beautiful music?
(Jeanna hums the tune of Madam Butterfly)
Chapter 3      Peking Opera
( Alone,Rene attends Peking Opera performance.After the performance ,he goes back stage in a hope of seeing Song again.)
Song(Behind the curtain):Monsieur Gallimar ,come in.
Gallimar:You knew I was in the audience.
Song:It was easy to spot you .So you are an adventurous in imperialist.
Gallimar:Well,I thought it was time to continue my education.
Song:Congratulations !It only took you three weeks.
Gallimar:I’ve been busy.
Song:Well,education has always been undervalued in the west,hasn’t it ?
Gallimar:I wouldn’t say that .
Song:No,of course you wouldn’t.After all,how can you objectively judge your own values?
Gallimar:I think it’s possible to achieve a little distance.
Song:Do you?
(Appears her face from behind the curtain.)Be a gentleman ,would you light my cigarette?

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