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Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China. The capital becomes the national center of its politics and cultures, which are usually put at the top of the priority list. The capital also tends to attract more people like moths to a flame.

Like moths to a flame, that is exactly what Beijing is. Young, bright people with brilliant and imaginative minds hope sky-high for a prosperous life. However, Beijing may just 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 old poor people playing poker. Yet amongst this mess, people called Beijing a spark of life.

I didn’t travel across the entire ocean and two continents to view old people playing poker! When people from all over China come to a single place, the skills they bring are all combined into a city. The most practical skill would obviously be a cook. Therefore, the Chinese are great cooks. The country has many signature flavors in its vast regions due to varied geography and enormous climate differences. For example, if you lived in humid weather, then the food would be spicier. Spicy stuff gives you dry skin to counter humidity. If you lived by the ocean, you eat a lot of seafood. The combined people of different styles of food stuffed into one city must have some effort, you would think. It did, but not necessarily for the good. As I must say, I could stuff my face with an array of different foods. If you want a job in Beijing by starting a restaurant, good luck to you. 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 of cheap food. But to me, a boy who grew up in a McDonald's dominant world even the junk food I could get with a dollar is delicious. Okay, maybe tourism is a good thing for restaurants, but as most people know, tourists only to (A) recommended places, or (B) good-looking restaurants. For now, you have to challenge yourself for your survival in Beijing.

Pollution was another big factor in the equation. During the time I stayed in Beijing, I caught up with a rehearsal of the military parade commemorating the 70^th anniversary of the victories of the Anti-Japanese War of the Chinese people and the World Anti-Fascist War. Cars with an odd number or even number license plates alternated daily. If the date was an even number, the even number of cars drove and the same went with the odds. These days, the sky was as blue that Beijing or any large city in China rarely could see. I looked at this as a sign of fortune. But the last two days started to rain as if the sky was weeping because I was leaving. It is okay, I know I’m important. The day brightened on the day of my departure. Beijing was great and all, but I prefer my home. I’ll be back, though. Count on it.

So long, Beijing!

【红霞译文】

北京是中华人民共和国的首都，首都可谓全国政治与文化中心，往往占据最重要的位置，犹如飞蛾喜欢捕捉光亮，首都北京已然成为人心所向众望所归的风水宝地。

用飞蛾扑火来形容北京现况，恐怕再准确不过。踌躇满志的年轻人无不希望凭借自己的聪明才智跻身上流社会；然而，过多的飞蛾蜂拥扑向奄奄一息早已无力招架的火苗，火熄了，大多数人的希望也随之破灭，满腹牢骚的老年人守着拥挤不堪、污染严重的破烂摊子靠玩扑克牌打发日子，这即是北京现实生活的一个侧面。

我远渡重洋横穿亚美两洲并不是为了来看老人家打扑克！当身怀十八般武艺的人们从祖国五湖四海北漂聚首，足足壮大了当地生力军，最实用的手艺就是做饭，难怪中华民族一向擅长厨艺。由于地理位置和气候变化有别，所以很多著名菜系流派在全国范围内应运而生。比方说：来自潮湿地区的人口味嗜辣，因为辛辣的食物可以叫皮肤干燥，具有抵御阴凉的作用；住在海边的人免不了就地取材，海鲜产品可谓吃之不及用之不竭。也许你觉得饮食习惯不同的人很难吃到一块，众口难调嘛，但这未必是件好事。告诉你吧，我可是兵来将挡水来土掩，吃嘛嘛香。倘若你想在北京开餐馆，祝你走运。说实在的，恐怕你连落脚的地方也找不到，但人们不到黄河心不死，结果路边摆摊的小商小贩多如牛毛，他们靠薄利多销赚钱营生，但对我这样一位男生，从小生活在麦当劳快餐主导的世界，价值一块大洋的垃圾食品足以叫我胃口大开。好吧，就算旅游业刺激餐馆服务业的发展，但多数人心知肚明，游客只去(A)口碑好的餐厅；(B)富丽堂皇的酒家。这么一来，北京还真让普通英雄无用武之地。

污染成为北京另外一个公害。在京期间，我正赶上“纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利七十周年阅兵式”排练，车辆根据车牌执照单双数号码每天交替上路，如果是双号，那么双号车牌的汽车可以通行；同样规矩，单号日子即单号汽车。那几天天空湛蓝，相信在中国大城市里难得一见，我把它当成运气的象征。最后两天开始下起雨来，老天爷好像因为我将离别而心酸得流起眼泪，别难过，我知道你舍不得我走。启程那天，天气变晴，北京真的什么都好，但我还是想家。我肯定会回来的，一言为定。

再见了，北京！

Today in History(历史上的今天):

2014: First Day of Sixth Grade(初一第一天)

2013: 费城自然博物馆(Academy of Natural Sciences, PHL)