My comments:
Guilty pleasures are one’s peculiar, often secret pleasures, things we do that are pleasurable but which make us feel guilty at the same time.
Why guilty?
They make us feel guilty because somehow, we feel we’re not supposed to do them.
Here, grandpa enjoys getting his ears cleaned. If you ask a doctor, any doctor, they may advise against it – cleaning one’s ears too often and without sedulous care may lead to many problems, medical and otherwise.
However, getting one’s ears cleaned is nothing to be ashamed of, that is, in comparison with some other guilty pleasures people have.
Such as married couples having a love affair on the side, for example. It’s something that they enjoy doing, obviously but something that makes them feel guilty as hell. They know they shouldn’t be doing it.
Some of them at any rate. Government officials who keep many young women as modern day concubines by supplying them with houses bought with embezzled money don’t seem to feel any guilt or remorse at all.
That’s why it only feels right whenever one of these corrupt officials is taken to task.
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About the author:
Zhang Xin(张欣) has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.