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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

In a Chinese Encyclopedia


Animals are divided into:

(a) belonging to the Emperor
(b) embalmed
(c) tame
(d) sucking pigs
(e) sirens
(f) fabulous
(g) stray dogs
(h) included in the present classification
(i) frenzied
(j) innumerable
(k) drawn with a very fine camelhair brush
(l) et cetera
(m) having just broken the water pitcher
(n) that from a long way off look like flies

- via Michel Foucault via Jorge Luis Borges

1 comment:

  1. Real people who own real Chinese encyclopedias are all like: very cute, 1960s orientalists.

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