2015-09-02
【Aiden in English】
Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It becomes the national center of its politics and culture, which are usually prioritized. The capital also tends to attract more people, like moths, to a flame. Like moths to a flame, that is precisely what Beijing is. Young, bright people with brilliant and imaginative minds hope sky-high for a prosperous life. However, Beijing may have attracted too many moths for a tiny flicker of opportunity to handle. The flame dies, along with the hopes of most people. It is now an overcrowded, polluted dump with grumpy, poor people playing poker. Yet, amongst this mess, people called Beijing a spark of life. I didn't travel across the ocean and two continents to view older adults playing poker! When people from all over China gather in a single place, their skills are combined to form a city. The most practical skill would be cooking. Therefore, the Chinese are renowned for their culinary skills. The country boasts many distinctive flavors across its vast regions, thanks to its varied geography and significant climate differences. For example, the food would be spicier if you lived in humid weather. Spicy stuff gives you dry skin to counter humidity. If you live by the ocean, you eat a lot of seafood. The combination of people of different styles of food stuffed into one city must require some effort, you would think. It did, but not necessarily for the good. To be honest, I could indulge in a variety of foods. If you want to start a restaurant in Beijing and secure a job, I wish you good luck. There won't even be space for you to set up your home. But people try anyway. The result was an overcrowded sidewalk of vendors. They could make some money off cheap food. But to me, a boy who grew up in a McDonald's world, I find that even the junk food I could get for a dollar is delicious. Okay, maybe tourism is suitable for restaurants, but as most people know, tourists only visit (A) recommended places or (B) good-looking restaurants. For now, you have to challenge yourself to survive in Beijing. Pollution was another significant factor in the equation. During my stay in Beijing, I attended a rehearsal for the military parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese people in the Anti-Japanese War and the World Anti-Fascist War. Cars with odd-numbered or even-numbered license plates alternated daily. If the date was an even number, the number of vehicles driven, and the odds were the same. These days, the sky was as blue as Beijing or any large city in China that one rarely sees. I looked at this as a sign of fortune. But the last two days started to rain, and it was like the sky was weeping because I was leaving. It is okay, and I know I'm important. The day brightened on the day of my departure. Beijing was great, but I prefer my home. I'll be back, though. Count on it. So long, Beijing! 【紅霞譯】
北京是中華人民共和國的首都，首都可謂全國政治與文化中心，往往占據最重要的位置，猶如飛蛾喜歡捕捉光亮，首都北京已然成為人心所向眾望所歸的風水寶地。 用飛蛾撲火來形容北京現況，恐怕再準確不過。躊躇滿志的年輕人無不希望憑藉自己的聰明才智躋身上流社會；然而，過多的飛蛾蜂擁撲向奄奄一息早已無力招架的火苗，火熄了，大多數人的希望也隨之破滅，滿腹牢騷的老年人守着擁擠不堪、污染嚴重的破爛攤子靠玩撲克牌打發日子，這即是北京現實生活的一個側面。
我遠渡重洋橫穿亞美兩洲並不是為了來看老人家打撲克！當身懷十八般武藝的人們從祖國五湖四海北漂聚首，足足壯大了當地生力軍，最實用的手藝就是做飯，難怪中華民族一向擅長廚藝。由於地理位置和氣候變化有別，所以很多著名菜系流派在全國範圍內應運而生。比方說：來自潮濕地區的人口味嗜辣，因為辛辣的食物可以叫皮膚乾燥，具有抵禦陰涼的作用；住在海邊的人免不了就地取材，海鮮產品可謂吃之不及用之不竭。也許你覺得飲食習慣不同的人很難吃到一塊，眾口難調嘛，但這未必是件好事。告訴你吧，我可是兵來將擋水來土掩，吃嘛嘛香。倘若你想在北京開餐館，祝你走運。說實在的，恐怕你連落腳的地方也找不到，但人們不到黃河心不死，結果路邊擺攤的小商小販多如牛毛，他們靠薄利多銷賺錢營生，但對我這樣一位男生，從小生活在麥當勞快餐主導的世界，價值一塊大洋的垃圾食品足以叫我胃口大開。好吧，就算旅遊業刺激餐館服務業的發展，但多數人心知肚明，遊客只去(A)口碑好的餐廳；(B)富麗堂皇的酒家。這麼一來，北京還真讓普通英雄無用武之地。
污染成為北京另外一個公害。在京期間，我正趕上“紀念中國人民抗日戰爭暨世界反法西斯戰爭勝利七十周年閱兵式”排練，車輛根據車牌執照單雙數號碼每天交替上路，如果是雙號，那麼雙號車牌的汽車可以通行；同樣規矩，單號日子即單號汽車。那幾天天空湛藍，相信在中國大城市裡難得一見，我把它當成運氣的象徵。最後兩天開始下起雨來，老天爺好像因為我將離別而心酸得流起眼淚，別難過，我知道你捨不得我走。啟程那天，天氣變晴，北京真的什麼都好，但我還是想家。我肯定會回來的，一言為定。 再見了，北京！ Today in History(歷史上的今天): 2014: First Day of Sixth Grade(初一第一天) 2013: 費城自然博物館(Academy of Natural Sciences, PHL)  Nine-Dragon Wall, Made of Glazed Bricks in 7 Colors in 1402 @ Beihai Park
(北海公園·1402年由七彩琉璃磚砌成 08-01-1985)  Mutianyu Great Wall, Guarding the Capital & Imperial Mausoleums for Generations as the Northern Protective Screen
(慕田峪長城·曾為北方的天然屏障，世世代代守護着都城和皇陵 10-19-1985) 
Glazed Pagoda Adorned w/ Enameled Tiles of Yellow, Green, Purple, & Blue Hues @ Fragrant Hills (香山琉璃塔·飾有黃、綠、紫、藍等色琉璃瓦 10-22-1985)  Field Trip (郊遊 04-05-1986)
 Ruins of the European-Style Palaces @ Old Summer Palace
(圓明園·歐式宮殿廢墟 04-05-1986)  Grand Mansion of the Prospect Garden, the Primary Setting for the Story, Famously Used for the 1987 TV Adaptation
(大觀園《紅樓夢》·1987年電視劇改編版的拍攝地 04-13-1986)  Long Corridor, the World's Longest Painted Gallery @ the Summer Palace
(頤和園長廊·世上最長的彩繪畫廊 05-04-1986)  Double-Ring Longevity Pavilion, Originally Built by Qing Emperor Qianlong for His Mother's 50th Birthday @ the Temple of Heaven
(天壇雙環長壽亭·由清朝乾隆皇帝為慶祝母親五十歲生日而建 02-05-1987)
 Yongding River, the "Mother River" of Beijing
(永定河·北京的“母親河”05-04-1987) 
Mt Stone Flower @ Fang Mtn (房山·石花山 05-09-1987)
 Tonghui River of Grand Canal, the Capital's "Eastern Gateway"
(京杭大運河上通惠河·首都的“東部門戶” 05-09-1987) 
Laolü Hall of White Cloud Temple (白雲觀·老律堂 08-01-1987)  Arts Performance of the 70th Peking Union Medical College @ Peking Union Medical College
(北京協和醫學院·70周年慶典文藝匯演 08-27-1987)  Natl Celebration @ Tiananmen Square
(天安門廣場·國慶 10-04-1987)
Pagoda Tangled with/ Pine Trees, Ordination Terrace Temple (戒台寺·松林環抱的佛塔寺 06-04-1988)
Traditional Tapestry @ Natl Art Museum of China (中國國家美術館·傳統掛毯 10-30-1988) 
Hall of Prayer w/ Its Unique Circular, 3-Tiered Design Built Entirely w/o Nails, Symbolizing the Connection between Heaven & Earth @ the Temple of Heaven (天壇祈年殿·獨特的圓形三層結構完全未使用釘子建造，象徵着天地之間的聯繫 11-24-1988)
Studio of Glorious Treasures, the Studio of Glorious Treasures (榮寶齋·輝煌寶藏工作室 01-14-1089)
Wofo Temple w/ Glazed Memorial Archway of the Bright Temple @ Fragrant Hills Park (香山公園·臥佛寺內原光明寺的琉璃牌坊 05-06-1989)
 Long-Qing Gorge, Nicknamed as "Little Li River" or "Mini Three Gorges"
(龍慶峽·“小灕江”或“迷你三峽” 05-11-1990)  Great Red Gate Triumphal Arch @ Ming Dynasty Tombs
(十三陵·凱旋式拱形大紅門 09-30-1990)  Solemn Sacred Way, the Gateway to the 13 Imperial Tombs of the Ming Dynasty
(十三座皇家陵墓神道·通往天堂的道路 09-30-1999)
 Gate of Heavenly Peace or Tiananmen Gate, Formerly the Largest of the 4 Gates of the Imperial City Wall
(天安門·曾是皇城四座城門中最大的一座 10-02-1999)
 People's Great Hall, Symbol of the Nation
(人民大會堂·國家象徵，禮儀與外交中心)  Monument to the People's Heroes & Mausoleum of Mao Zedong
(人民英雄紀念碑與毛澤東紀念堂) Crosslinks(相關博文): China(出遊中國)
6th Grade(初中一年級) |
