2014-01-10
【Aiden in English】
Johannesburg, South Africa, looked like an alien planet. It was only a step ahead of the other large cities of Africa, but the difference clearly could be seen. More modern technologies were used in the central business district. The houses were displayed extravagantly in European styles, and the lavish neighborhoods were built with high walls on leafy streets in the northeastern suburbs. The roads seemed so clean that a piece of trash would stand out. The late president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, remained in his mansion, rewinding through the affluent Houghton. The place Mom and I were going was quite the opposite of Johannesburg. It was named Soweto Township and is famous for its striking history. In America, we all know segregation in the past. In South Africa, however, it was called Apartheid. In the dark days of "whites only" privilege, the natives were forced to forget their language and learn Afrikaans, a language made by the Dutch. Hector Pieterson was a child who hated Afrikaans. At the age of 13, he was shot along with 60 others during the Soweto uprising of June 16, 1976. Hector was always remembered because he was one of the first casualties and the youngest hero. After his death, the students gathered in the catholic church of Regina Mundi, or Queen of the World, which was the only public place Soweto people could meet and discuss the banned political issues. There were over 4,000 young people at the time when the police officers came, forced them out of the church, and killed 600 children later. In memory of "the People's Cathedral," the stained-glass windows were decorated with scenes of the Virgin Mary's life and donated by the Polish President in 1998. A painting entitled "The Madonna and Child of Soweto" became well-known as "The Black Madonna," depicting a black Saint Mary holding the black Child Jesus. The gallery upstairs had a memorial wall where visitors worldwide signed their names to honor the Soweto people. Now Soweto is pretty nice. The houses had two or four rooms and could fit a maximum of four people. Each had a small lawn in the yard. However, there was also a bad side to Soweto. Poverty and the unemployment rate were off the charts. We stopped at a neighborhood of "matchbox" houses made of trash and tin metal. In winter, it was freezing, getting the temperature down to 25oF/-4oC. In summer, the sun's heat could fry an egg, and the temperature shot up to 110oF/43oC in the shanty. Worst of all, most of the people there were illegal immigrants from Zimbabwe and Botswana. The houses used to be homes to the enslaved people who went to work in the gold mine for half the day non-stop. Each room is about 50 square feet/15 sq. The meter had 35 people living inside. Many of them died of disease, which sounded horrible. Johannesburg had two different populations: the super-rich and the very poor. No middle class was in between, so no other big city was like Johannesburg. 【红霞译】
南非的约翰内斯堡好像一个星外来客，虽然比非洲其它大城市仅领先一步，但彼此之间的差异却显而易见。东北郊的房子敞亮经典，绿树成荫，深宅大院，用现代精良技术打造欧洲建筑风格，街道显得格外干净，没有一点垃圾杂物，南非已故总统纳尔逊‧曼德拉旧居也建在该区山脊庄园。
与约翰内斯堡相比，我和妈妈要去的索韦托城则是另外一种景象，其过往历史更加不堪回首。在美国，我们都知道什么是种族隔离﹔在南非，黑人贫苦百姓从前同样遭受“白人至上”不平等待遇。当地人不得不放弃自己本土文化而被迫学习使用由荷兰人发展起来的南非语，年少的海克特‧彼特森痛恨这种语言，因此在1976年6月16日举世闻名的索韦托暴动期间，连同其他60位同胞一起惨遭当局杀害，死时仅有13岁。人们怀念海克特，因为他不仅是最早献身革命的烈士之一，也是最年轻的民族英雄。海克特就义后，大约有四千人学生无畏生命危险，以敬拜天主耶稣为名聚集“世界女王”即人民天主教堂讨论时政。在白色恐怖时期，这里成为索韦托民众唯一能够聚众集会的场所。政府闻讯出动大批警察实强行镇压，驱赶民众离开教堂，随后枪杀了600名少年。为了纪念这所人民圣殿，1998年教堂内部装饰完善由波兰总统特别捐赠的彩色玻璃，形象地再现了圣母玛利亚生活场景﹔一幅题为“索韦托圣母圣婴”画像扬名天下，描绘“黑圣母”玛利亚怀抱“黑孩子耶稣”﹔楼上画廊纪念墙上来自世界各地的游客纷纷签名声援索韦托人民。
如今索韦托大有改观，新建不少2～4室民居，可以满足一家四口基本需求，而且每栋楼房前都有带草坪的小院。当然，贫困和失业率攀升等社会疑难问题一直悬而未决。我们参观一处“火柴盒”居民区，那里的房子全部由垃圾和金属铁皮组成。冬季屋不遮寒，室内温度可低达华氏25o／摄氏零下4o﹔夏季湿热难熬，华氏110o／摄氏43o几乎能把鸡蛋闷熟。更为糟糕的是，住在那里的居民大多来自津巴布韦和博茨瓦纳的非法移民，往往被社会遗忘。他们蜇居早年开采金矿奴隶留下的破烂房屋，35人共同生活在仅有50平方英尺／15平方米大的空间，不少人因病而去，听起来实在可怕。 约翰内斯堡两极分化严重，富的流油，穷的淌水，不富不穷的中产阶级没有什么油水，这就是为什么世上没有地方像约翰内斯堡。
Today in History(历史上的今天): 2013: Rio de Janeiro the Marvellous City, BRA(巴西里约—神奇之城) 2010: 澳洲商业中心悉尼(Sydney, Australia) 
Departure from Victoria Falls Airport, Zimbabwe (津巴布韦·维多利亚瀑布机场离境)
From VFA to JNB (津巴布韦·维多利亚瀑布至南非·约翰内斯堡 01-09-2014) 
The Smoke that Thunders @ Victoria Falls (维多利亚瀑布·雷鸣般的烟雾) 
Greater Johannesburg (大约翰内斯堡地区) 
Northern Johannesburg (约翰内斯堡北郊） 
Witwatersrand Gold Rush (白水岭淘金热) 
Open-Cast Mining (露天采矿) 
Johannesburg Gauteng (豪登省金城·黄金之地) 
Johannesburg Agricultural Area (金城·农耕地)
Johannesburg Hwy (金城·高速公路) 
Central Business District (中央商务区) 
City Hall @ CBD (中央商务区·市政厅)
Rissik Street @ CBD (中央商务区·里西克街) 
White Flight from CBD (白人群飞·远离中央商务区) 
Kago ABC Le Kay Motsepe @ CBD (中央商务区·金矿大厦) 
Bus Terminal @ CBD (中央商务区·汽车总站) 
One Eloff @ CBD (中央商务区·一号零售商城) 
Houghton Estate, An Affluent Suburb (山脊区·富裕郊区)
Munro Drive @ Houghton Estate (山脊区·玫瑰河人大道) 
Upper Houghton (上山脊区) 
Nelson Mandela Residence @ Lower Houghton (下山脊区——纳尔逊·曼德拉别墅 01-10-2014) 
Well-Wishing Mementos @ Mandela Residence, Lower Houghton (下山脊区曼德拉别墅·祝您留下美好的回忆) 
St John's College @ Houghton (山脊区·求主荣耀男子私校)
Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (非洲最大的医院) 
Univ of Johannesburg Soweto Campus
(金城大学索韦托分校 01-10-2014)
Natl Football Stadium (国家足球场) 
Hector Pieterson Museum (索韦托起义期间被枪杀的南非男孩博物馆) 
The Oldest Residential District of the Black Twp Soweto @ Kliptown (石头城区·黑人城镇索韦托最古老的居民区 01-10-2014) 
The 10 Pillars of the Freedom Charter @ Kliptown Walter Sisulu Sq. (石头城区·南非反种族隔离活动家广场—自由宪章十大支柱 01-10-2014) 
The Pillar of the Freedom Charter @ Kliptown Walter Sisulu Sq. (石头城区·南非反种族隔离活动家广场——学习与文化之门即将打开) 
Regina Mundi Catholic Church (人民天主教堂) 
The Nave of Regina Mundi (人民教堂·主殿 01-10-2014)
Stained Glass of Virgin Mary's Life Gifted by Poland @ Regina Mundi （人民教堂·波兰捐赠的“玛丽一生”彩色玻璃窗 01-10-2014) 
Outside View of Stained Glass about Virgin Mary's Life @ Regina Mundi （人民教堂·“玛丽一生”彩色玻璃窗外观) 
The Madonna and Child of Soweto @ Regina Mundi (人民教堂·索韦托的圣母圣婴) 
Gallery @ Regina Mundi (人民教堂·展览厅 01-10-2014) 
Famous Visitor Log including First Lady of the US Michelle Obama @ Regina Mundi (人民教堂——包括美国总统夫人米歇尔·奥巴马在内的著名来访者名单) 
Orlando Towers @ Soweto (索韦托·奥兰多发电站 01-10-2014) 
Sentech Tower (圣特克塔) 
Sculpture of Black Angel (黑天使雕塑)
Statue of Miners (矿工雕塑)
Sculpture of Soweto (索韦托雕塑 01-10-2014) 
Taxi Hand Signals @ Vilakazi Street
(维拉卡兹街·出租车手势) 
Nelson Mandela Residence @ Soweto (索韦托—纳尔逊·曼德拉别墅) 
Soweto Shanty (索韦托棚户区 01-10-2014) 
Slums @ Soweto (索韦托·贫民窟) 
Public Restroom 201 @ Slums, Soweto (索韦托贫民窟·公厕201号) 
Housing Development Project @ Soweto (索韦托·住房开发项目)
Craft Shop @ Rosebank Market (玫瑰河岸跳蚤市场·工艺品店 01-10-2014) 
Craft Shop @ Rosebank Market (玫瑰河岸跳蚤市场·工艺品店 01-10-2014) 
Johannesburg, the Radioactive City (金城·放射性城) 
Water Ground & Mine Dumps (地表水与矿山垃圾场) 
54 on Bath (五十四沐浴酒店 01-09-2014) 
The Suite of 54 on Bath (五十四沐浴酒店·套房 01-09-2014) 
The Bar of 54 on Bath (五十四沐浴酒店·吧台 01-09-2014) 
The Dining of 54 on Bath (五十四沐浴酒店·餐厅 01-09-2014)
Lounge of 54 on Bath (五十四沐浴酒店·休息室 01-10-2014)
Rash on Chinese Homework @ JNB Intl Airport (金城国际机场·赶写中文作业 01-10-2014) Crosslinks(相关博文): South Africa(出游南非) Across the Indian Ocean(穿越印度洋) Africa (漫游非洲) 5th Grade(小学五年级)
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