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Boisterous1, Booming Beijing 我望着两旁那些闪闪发亮的高楼大厦，简直不能置信。 By Paul Raffaele
[2]The cab swoops『突然转到；拐到』onto a cloverleaf bypass. There used to be only a few dozen taxis in a city of 71/2 million people. Now, "we have more than 60,000 taxis and even they are not enough," says the smiling driver. Forbidden City. [3]Pedalling『骑』my bicycle along the Avenue of Eternal Peace early the next morning, I watch the city come to life. Despite the endless flow of cars, trucks and buses, most Beijingers still rely on『依靠；依赖』trusty two-wheelers. As we glide『穿过；骑过』down the road, six or seven abreast4『并肩；并列』, the nearby pavement throbs『满是；到处是』with shoulder-to-shoulder humanity『人』. [4]The Chinese have gleefully『欢快地；高兴地』returned to their native taste for bright flashy『耀眼的；闪亮的』clothes. Most of the young women flaunt6『炫耀；夸示』lipstick and makeup7. A pair of sweet-faced girls with ponytails flounce『扭动身体；转动肢体』down the street in skintight jeans, swinging『摆动』their hips8 in a way that would have meant jail in the days of Mao. [5]Beijing's major thoroughfare『通衢；大道』, the Avenue of Eternal Peace, or Chang'an Jie, cuts a 50-metre swath through the city centre, lined for most of its 27 kilometres with five-star hotels, office towers and apartment buildings. On Wangfujing, the capital's chic『高雅的；漂亮的』shopping street, there are glitzy『富丽堂皇的；耀眼夺目的』department stores. [6]My destination『目的地；终点』is Zijin Cheng, the Forbidden City. Hundreds of thousands of artisans『工匠』toiled to build the original palace in the 15th century. Many more added to it over the years. A glittering maze『迷宫』of pavilions『亭子』, with more than 9,000 rooms spread over 100 hectares, this secluded『与世隔绝的；隔离的』paradise was inhabited『居住』by 24 emperors, their eunuchs and ladies-in-waiting. For 500 years it was closed to outsiders, on the pain of death.#p# [6]我要去的地方是故宫－紫禁城。紫禁城始建于公元15世纪，耗费了几十万能工巧匠的心血和辛劳。几个世纪以来又多次重修与扩建。金碧辉煌、气势磅礴的建筑群占地100多公顷，共有9000多个房间，有如一座迷宫，住过24位帝王，以及他们的太监、宫女。500年间，紫禁城一直把外人拒之门外，擅自闯入者将被处以死刑。 【背景知识】故宫始建于明朝永乐四年（公元1406年）六月，建成于永乐十八年十一月。明朝14代皇帝，清朝10代皇帝在这里居住，实行对全国的最高统治。 [7]Today hordes9『成群结队』of visitors from across the globe pour in. Pavilion follows pavilion, courtyard melts into courtyard, wall towers over wall, shielding what awed『畏惧的；敬畏的』Chinese call Da Nei, the Great Within. The Forbidden City has been the backdrop『背景』for many of China's greatest intrigues10『阴谋；诡计』. It was here that the ruthless Cixi, the 19th-century dowager empress, wrested11『夺取；抢走』power from her nephew and, according to legend, ordered her eunuchs to drown『淹死；溺死』one of his favourite concubines in a well. [7]今天世界各地的旅游者蜂拥而至。这地方宫殿一座接一座，庭院一个接一个，城墙一道高于一道，拱卫着所谓的“大内”。这里曾上演了众多出惊天动地的事件。19世纪心狠手辣的慈禧就是在此地削夺了侄儿（光绪）的皇位，并命令太监把侄儿的一名宠妃（珍妃）溺死于井中。 [8]Emperor Pu Yi was forced out of the Forbidden City by Republican troops in 1924. He died 43 years later, after emerging from "reeducation " in a Communist prison. His brother-in-law, Runqi Guobuluo, who shared his prison cell, is still alive at 86. This last link to China's imperial past is meeting me for dinner. [8]溥仪皇帝在1924年被要求共和的军队赶出了紫禁城。他死于43年后，之前曾在共产党的监狱里接受过“再教育”。他的妹夫润麟·郭布罗曾和他关在同一间牢房里。今年已86岁的润麟仍然健在。这最后一位与中国皇室有联系的老人与我共进了午餐。 【背景知识】Pu Yi: 溥仪，清宣统帝。1908年即位，1912年2月12日，颁布“逊位”诏书，清王朝结束。1924年被驱赶出宫。日本帝国主义侵华其间，在东北“满州国”任傀儡皇帝。抗战胜利后，先是被前苏联囚禁，后回国监禁于抚顺监狱。1959年获政府特赦，成为新中国公民。1967年10月17日在北京病逝，享年61岁。 [9]As we talk, more than a dozen dishes are served, among them the gelatinous『胶状的』webbing of sea turtle, a gigantic『巨大的；庞大的』mandarin fish and sausage-shaped sea cucumbers-prized『重视；珍视』as an aphrodisiac『补药；催欲剂』. Our repast『膳食』ends with one of Empress Cixi's preferred dishes, minced『切碎的；剁碎的』beef served in a sesame bun. "It was much favoured in the palace," Runqi says, matter-of-factly『平淡地；不带感情地』. [9]我们谈话当中，已上了十几道菜。有胶状的甲鱼脚掌、一条大桂鱼和酷似香肠的海参-都被当做是补药。我们那顿饭是以一道慈禧太后最爱吃的菜-芝麻牛肉馅火烧结束的。“这道菜在宫里大受欢迎。”润麟一本正经地说道。 [10]The young Runqi took his meals with the emperor in the Hall of Mental Cultivation13. Several dozen dishes would be set out after eunuchs sampled『抽样检查；试尝』them, testing for poison, not taste. The emperor's magnificent『豪华的；奢侈的』daily feast reflected the Chinese love of food, a national obsession『着迷；固有的观念』that has led Beijing's cooks to dream up some of the world's most bizarre『奇特的；古怪的』meals. [10]润麟年轻时和皇帝一起在养心斋用过膳。每顿饭总得有几十道菜，全都由太监先尝过，以免有人在里面下毒。御膳之奢华，反映了中国人讲究美食的特点。这种讲究迫使北京的厨师们创造出一些世界上最奇特的饭菜。 [11]At my hotel, among the 121 dishes served are deep-fried scorpion14, dog meat in chili15, duck's web and braised『焖；炖』camel tendon. Dessert is frog ovum in crystallized sugar. [11]在我下榻的饭店里，吃的121道菜里包括炒熟的蝎子、辣烧狗肉、烧鸭蹼和炖骆驼肉。甜点是蜜饯青蛙卵。 Pricey Medicine. [12]几天之后，我到前门附近的老购物区去寻找25年前我熟悉的一些古老建筑物，可是遍寻不获。 [13]In the centuries-old shops sit karaoke clubs, flea17 markets filled with fake antiques, and designer clothes, overruns『积压品』and seconds from factories geared to overseas markets. The alleyway is jammed『挤满；阻塞』with tanned『晒黑的；皮肤黝黑的』southerners, tall pale northerners and swarthy『晒黑的；皮肤黝黑的』tribal people from the western borderlands. A family of broad-faced Mongols- mother, father and a son- haggle『讨价还价』at a stall selling Calvin Klein shirts for a few dollars each, while a few steps away two youngsters from the far west buy a leather jacket on sale for $20. #p# [13]那些百年老店都已消失，取代的是卡拉OK夜总会或卖假古董、假名牌服装、积压、二手出口转内销服装的跳蚤市场。里面挤满了皮肤黝黑的南方人，皮肤较白，个子较高的北方人和来自西部边疆地区晒得黑黑的少数民族。一对宽脸庞的蒙古夫妇和他们的儿子在一处卖凯文·克莱恩衬衣的摊子前讨价还价，那种衬衣只卖几个美元；再过去几步，两个来自西部边远地区的青年在买一件标价相当于20美元的皮夹克。 【背景知识】Calvin Klein: 凯文·克莱恩。以服装设计师的名字命名的美国著名服装品牌。 [14]Even the music of Beijing has changed. Under Mao, Western music was suppressed『禁止；查禁』. Today I listen to a smooth-talking radio deejay as he plays a request from a factory worker, dedicating『献』an Elvis tune18 to his wife. Everything from punk to Puccini now blares『大声播放；大声发出』out from Beijing's private radio stations. [14]连音乐也变了。在毛泽东时代，西方音乐列为违禁。但今天我听到广播电台口齿伶俐的音乐节目主持人应听众要求，播放猫王的歌曲。那是一个工厂工人点给他妻子听的。北京的电台现在从美国的朋克音乐到普契尼的歌剧，什么都播放。 【背景知识】Elvis:即绰号猫王（the King）的艾尔维斯·普莱斯利（Elvis Presley）。 [15]An upset stomach sends me to China's most famous traditional medicine store, the 300-year-old Tongrentangyaodian. White-coated clerks scurry『乱转；奔忙』about dispensing19 packets of pure pearl powder for dizziness『头晕；眩晕』, and brewed20 deer antlers and dried sea horses to invigorate『使精力充沛；使强健』worn-out males. A chunk21 of ginseng, its brown nub『端；根』resembling a headless human, weighs a mere22 60 grams, but it carries a price bag of 880,000 renminbi-over $100,000. [15]我的肚子不舒服，于是我去了中国最有名的中药铺、已有300年历史的同仁堂药店。店里穿白大褂的店员正在忙于配药，纯珍珠粉专治头晕，鹿茸、海马有恢复男性青春活力的功效。一根大约只有60克的人参标价达88万人民币，也就是10万美元以上。它的褐色根部形状像是一个谢顶的人。 [16]"It's more than 100 years old." Explains the ginseng specialist, 78-year-old Jia Gui Shen. Ginseng, he says, will cure most common maladies『病；疾病』. An average worker earns perhaps $120 a month. I ask how anyone could afford such an astonishing amount. "There are thousands of rich people in Beijing now, mostly businessmen," he replies. [16]一位78岁名叫贾桂绅（译音）的人参专家给我解释：“这根人参有100多年了。”他说人参可治疗很多常见病。一个普通工人一个月的收入大约相当于120美金。我问老专家谁会花这么多钱买它？他说：“北京有钱的人多的是，全是做生意的。” [17]I purchase several plastic packets, each containing eight dozen brown balls the size of frog's eyes. I have no idea what the pellets contain. But I know from experience that they will work. [17]我买了几盒塑料包装的褐色药丸，每包有96粒，每粒都像青蛙眼睛那么大。我不知道那些药丸成分是什么，但从过去的经验，知道它们很有效。 A fading Past. [18]Over the following days I visit long-time favorites-the Summer Palace, the Temple of the Sun, the Marco Polo Bridge, the Ancient Observatory23 and the 15th-century Temple of Heaven where the emperor prayed each year for bountiful harvests『丰收』. [18]其后几天，我重游了我一直心爱的地方，例如颐和园、日坛、卢沟桥、古观象台、建于15世纪的天坛－明清两代的皇帝每年都在此祈求五谷丰登。 [19]Beijing itself was settled 1,000 years before Christ, and through the centuries gave rise to great art and architecture『建筑』. The city has survived the Mongols and Manchus , even the constant dust storms blown in from the Gobi Desert. [19]北京在公元前1000年就已有人定居。许多世纪以来，此地产生了许多伟大的艺术和宏伟的建筑。这个城市先后遭蒙古人和满洲人入侵，也常年受到从戈壁大沙漠吹来的风沙袭击，却至今仍雄伟瑰丽。 [20]Sadly, rapid modernization24 is threatening some of the city's most important links with the past. Among the most endangered are Beijing's hutongs, or alleyways, that once spread over the entire city, thousands of narrow passageways snaking『蜿蜒曲折；延伸』between high walls, dating back hundreds of years. Those that have survived still bear their ancient names: Donkey's Hoof25 Lane, Chicken Claw Land, Hat Lane. I often pedalled through the hutongs, marvelling『惊叹于；对…不可思异』at how their design mirrored『反映』Chinese nature. [20]令人扼腕的是，迅速现代化正威胁着北京一些非常重要的传统特色。危机最大的是“胡同”。过去北京有成千上万条的胡同在高墙间延伸，有些已存在了好几百年。如今残存的胡同仍沿用古老名称，例如驴蹄胡同、鸡爪胡同、帽儿胡同等。我过去常常骑车穿行于胡同间，对它们所反映出来的中国文化韵味惊叹不已。 [21]Knocking on a door at random26『任意地；随意地』, I summon『唤来；招来』a wizened『干瘦的；干瘪的』old woman. Her eyes narrow at seeing a foreigner, yet she ushers『招呼；迎接』me in. Around a courtyard are three ramshackle『摇摇欲坠的；要塌的』wooden rooms. Traditionally, family is paramount『最重要的』here, and the more generations that live together, the stronger the face they show to the world. [21]我随便敲了一家居民的门，开门的是位干瘦的老太太。她见我是一个外国人，大为吃惊，双眼眯了起来，但还是把我让进了院子。院子三面是木结构的房子，不很牢固。中国人的家庭观念极重，一家几代人能住在一起，就表明人丁兴旺，家业牢固。 [22]The old woman motions『示意』me to sit on a cane27 chair, waddles『摇摆地走；蹒跚』into the middle house and brings back her ten-year-old granddaughter. The child's black button eyes shine with curiosity『好奇』as she asks haltingly『不流利的；不连贯的』in English where I am from. "Aiyyaaaa!" she exclaims『惊喊；惊叫』at the news that I'm from far-off Australia. "Kangarloo!" she chirps28『尖声说』. [22]老太太示意我坐在一张藤椅上，然后自己颤巍巍地走进中间那间屋子，把她10岁的小孙女叫了过来。小女孩眨着那双好奇的黑扣子般的眼睛，用不流利的英语问我是哪国人。当我告诉她我来自遥远的澳大利亚后，她“啊呀！”一声，叫了出来。“袋鼠！”她尖声说道。 [23]Later, a friend scoffs『嘲笑；嗤之以鼻』at nostalgia『怀旧；留恋』for the hutongs. He lives with his mother in a skyscraper2, paying a monthly rent of 100 renminbi, about $12, roughly ten percent of his salary, for a two-bedroom apartment. "The hutongs are too cold in winter and have no privacy『隐私』," he complains. "In the apartments we even have central heating during the cold months."#p# [23]后来一位朋友对我表示他对胡同的古老氛围嗤之以鼻。他每月用工资的十分之一-100元人民币（约12美元）在一幢高楼里给他自己和母亲租了一间二居室的房子。他抱怨道：“胡同里到冬天很冷，而且没有个人隐私。在楼房里我们在冬天还有暖气。” [24]One of the best places to see Beijing Opera is down a narrow hutong near the Qianmen gate. There, marked by a string of shimmering『闪闪发光的；闪烁的』red lanterns, is the 330-year-old Zhengyici Theatre. It is one of the world's most beautiful theatres, with a curved『弯曲的；翘起的』grey-slate roof modeled on a Forbidden City pavilion. A narrow corridor, its ceiling decorated with golden imperial motifs29『图案；色彩』, leads into the small auditorium30 reminiscent『令人联想；提醒』of a traditional teahouse. [24]一个看京剧最好的地方是在前门附近一条小胡同里。门前挂着一串耀眼红灯笼的正乙祠戏楼已有330年历史，是全世界最漂亮的剧场之一。灰瓦铺成的屋顶是翘起的，仿效紫禁城里的宫殿；一条狭窄甬道通向一个能令人想起传统茶馆的小剧场，甬道的天花板上有金灿灿的宫廷图案。 [25]Beijing Opera plots throb5 with heart-gripping『有吸引力的；扣人心弦的』tales of emperors, courtesans『青楼女子；风尘女子』and generals. Bai Hui Xin, a 30-year-old with a whipcord『柔韧的』frame, specializes『专演；擅长于』in warrior31 princesses and says an ordinary performer takes home about $50 a month, while a star like herself can earn three times as much. [25]京剧多以帝王将相、才子佳人的故事为题材，情节曲折，扣人心弦。30岁的白惠心身体婀娜柔韧，是擅演公主之类的刀马旦。她说一个普通的演员每月能挣大约50美元，而象她一样的名角收入则可高出三倍。 [26]Onstage, Bai thrills『使兴奋；使激动』the packed『挤满的；塞满的』theatre with her swordplay, acrobatic『杂技般的；杂技演员般的』moves and virtuoso『精湛的；完美的』singing. Leaping into the air, she kicks high and soaps one of her feet as she spins『旋转』, pirouetting『用脚尖旋转』to avoid the sword blow of her male opponent, all the while winging in time to wailing『如歌如泣的；悲恸的』Chinese violins, thunderous『雷鸣般的；打雷般的』drums and clashing cymbals32. Beijing Opera is a seamless amalgam『混合物；结合』of acting33, recitation『朗诵；吟诵』, mime34『哑剧』, singing, acrobatic skills and martial-arts『武术；功夫』feats. Under Mao, traditional opera was banned, the rich repertoire『全部作品；所有作品』replaced with just eight model operas praising workers, soldiers and peasants. [26]白惠心的唱腔及舞剑、跳跃翻腾的动作令台下的满座观众赞叹不已。她一面应着如泣如诉的京胡、轰雷般的大鼓和嚓啦响的铜钹的节拍在唱，一面纵身跳起，身体旋转的同时踢出飞腿，然后踮着脚尖急转身以闪避男演员刺过来的剑。京戏是把演技、独白、哑剧、歌剧、杂技及武术结合的天衣无缝的表演艺术。但是，传统丰富的京剧在文革时期遭到禁演，代之以歌颂工人、士兵和农民的八出现代戏。 Wealth and Poverty. [27]Over the past decade, China's economy has grown at a world-beating『举世无双的；惊人的』average of almost ten percent, but corruption『腐败』has become entrenched35『确立；牢固』. High officials and businessmen flaunt the spoils of privilege, carousing『狂饮；畅饮』in fancy restaurants, driven about in flashy cars and attended by expensively clad mistresses『包下的情妇』jangling『发出丁零当啷声』with high-priced jewellery. [27]过去10几年来，中国的经济突飞猛进，年增长率平均几乎为10％，创下世界纪录。可是贪污现象也随之泛滥。许多高官与商人利用手中的特权发了大财，于是便在豪华饭馆里饮酒作乐，以耀眼名贵汽车代步，身旁总有衣着讲究、珠光宝气的情妇伺候。 [28]Life has improved for the average Chinese in the two decades since I last visited. But the tens of millions of rural Chinese flooding into『涌入；涌向』Beijing, Shanghai and other big cities mostly find disappointment. There is little work for the newcomers, who bed『睡；睡觉』down with friends or in squatter『擅自居住者；违章建房者』areas, living by their wits『靠耍小聪明/花招骗人过日子』. [28]过去20年来，一般老百姓的生活已经大有改善，然而几千万涌入北京、上海等大城市的农村劳动力大部分都找不到工作，只好和境况相同的其他人一起挤在违章搭建的房子里，靠各种伎俩谋生。 [29]In Beijing the crime rate is soaring『猛增；剧增』, especially robbery. Plexiglas shields, with just a narrow slit『缝；缝隙』for fares, now separate most taxi drivers from their customers. [29]北京的犯罪率正不断上升，抢劫案尤其多。如今北京的出租汽车大部分都在司机座与乘客座之间装了纤维玻璃隔板，只留有一条窄缝供乘客付车资之用。 [30]My Two weeks in Beijing have zoomed36『疾行；快速通过』by. Just before dawn on the final day, the taxi carries my past Tiananmen Square. Several hundred early risers huddle『聚集；集中』in the square murky『朦胧的；模糊的』silhouettes『轮廓；侧影』in the wispy『稀薄的；缥缈的』fog. One can see the optimism『乐观；乐观主义』in their faces, and in the look of Beijing-a city that resonates『回响；回荡』with the promise of an exhilarating『使人振奋的；令人鼓舞的』future. [30]我在北京的两个星期，一晃就过去了。要离开的那一天，我在黎明前乘出租汽车驶过天安门广场时，薄雾中我依稀看见那里已聚集了几百个早起的人。我从他们的脸上看到乐观的情绪，从北京的外貌上，看到一个充满希望的城市。 【额外成就感】 【疯狂翻译练习】 点击  收听单词发音
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