An Application Letter to the Admission Office of Moscow State University

Dear Sir or Madam:

May I introduce myself first?

This is Robert Chou, my English name. Now I am teaching at a Shanghai university. I graduated from a local university as a graduate majoring in English Language and Literature a few years ago. Then I became a university English teacher and have been working on the job till today.

However, I am never a person who is always satisfied with the present situation. And I think I do need a change. I mean I must strive endlessly for self improvements. That’s the Way to survive because the competition in the society is becoming increasingly intense.   

Before I write to you this letter, I have already heard and known too much about Russian, your great country. But to tell you the truth, it has never occurred to me that someday I would try to start a new kind of relationship with you and your great country. The other day one of my friends told me that she wanted to go to Russia to continue her further study at the doctoral level. I was really amazed at what she said because I know she has never studied Russian before. But to my surprise, she said that Russian universities do not set any rigid linguistic requirements for the international applicants for the time being. Well, this is really alluring.

This year is Chinese Russian Year. Last week I watched on TV some Russian singers singing beautiful songs. Although I couldn’t have understood what they were singing about without the Chinese translation, yet I could feel the soulful beauty from the singers’ body language, facial expression_r_rs and their pitches and emotions. And I found myself more attracted to this country and its people. By the way, being a volleyball fan, I love all those excellent volleyball players, especially Gamova from your honored country.

I am an ardent lover of Russian literature although I used to major in English literature. But I have a good knowledge of the fact that Russia has the rich soil for literature. And in that wonderful land there have been so many literary giants such as Pushkin, Lev Tolstoy, Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev and Fyodor Dostoevsky etc. And also I know a little about Bahkin and Russian Formalism. As a lover of literature, I am considering that if I have the luck to be granted an opportunity to study at your honored university, I will surely choose again the major I have been holding so dear. I mean English literature, of course. But if I do want to go to Russia to continue my further study, what procedures do I have to get through? Would you please give me more detailed information about the applying procedures and your university?

I am eagerly looking forward to your early reply. Thank you for your attention!

With best regards to you!

                                         Yours Sincerely

                                             Robert Chou

Yesterday afternoon, due to the practice of traffic control in the downtown by the authority, I had to get down the bus with all the other passengers at the stop near the People’s Square to change another one to go home. I waited there for a long time, but to my disappointment, I was told that I would have to wait on for quite a while.

It was a sunny autumn day. And the whole metropolis was still enmeshed in the festival atmosphere. Now and then we could see some auspicious cloud floating by. Looking around, I found so many people flooding from nowhere to the center of this city and they were as packed as sardines. The pedestrians strolled along the busy streets leisurely, basking in the moderately warm sunlight. All of them put on big and confident smiles. It is a tranquil and harmonious picture indeed. The soft breeze caressed my face occasionally. Not burning hot, not freezing cold. This is perhaps the best season of this city. And autumn of Shanghai is my favorite.

I felt downcast at first when I had been told that I would probably have to wait for the next bus for a long time. I decided to take the subway to go home, but first, having drunken too much water, I made up my mind to find a place to answer the call of nature before I boarded the subway. I asked many passers-by in the tunnel where No. 9 Exit is because I was informed that there is a toilet near it but they were all at sea. Finally, I found the Exit and it turned out to be the one from where I had entered into the subway tunnel. Such is our life. Sometimes we strive in vain to go somewhere for our goals or for our sweet dreams but when we arrive there later, we find it IS the very place we have stayed long before.   

It has been ages since I went to the park last time. Now that I was here, I decided to have a good look at it after I stepped out of the toilet. The citizens, being on the national holidays, could be seen walking around by twos and threes. Among them there were many young people, who are usually busy with their work and can hardly find any leisure to go out strolling with their friends, relatives and family members. Now they came here with their lovers, or took their beloved to the shops, theaters or restaurants for relaxation. But there were some people to come here with totally different intentions.

In review of the past thirty years, China has made great achievements in various fields. Notably, it has achieved tremendous economic development and greatly changed the people’s ways of living. And it also has brought a revolution to their ideologies. Nowadays people in the big cities live a fast-paced life. Although they live an affluent life, they feel much pressured simultaneously. The young marriageable people give so much attention to their personal development and their careers that sometimes they even forget to slow down their paces to pant. And moreover, in the modern society there are full of different temptations. That’s why we can find so many of them still wander outside the threshold of marriage in their thirties. Yet in the eyes of Chinese people, a man in adulthood must build up a home and strive to pursue a successful career. Only when he enjoys them both may he be regarded as a success. But sadly, many youngsters find it difficult to manage them both because the competition in the job market of the day is too fierce. Although they too long to have a home of their own, they have to face up to the harsh reality because there is always a gap between one’s wish and his real life. As time passes, some of them get used to their carefree and solitary life and would rather seek fun from their work. And more importantly, most people think that a good job is better than a life companion to set one’s heart at rest in this changing society. It’s true with the fact that many single ladies believe that to have a house of her own can make her more psychologically secure than to find a husband, for the real estate will remain there forever yet the man will be gone once the love between them dies.

However, seeing their sons and daughters indulging themselves so much in their work that they still remain single in their thirties, their care-laden parents feet antsy and decide to do something for them. Chinese people give much more importance to marriage than those in other cultures and they insist that only after one gets married can he or she grow mature in the real sense. And also, Chinese parents must be the most responsible in the world. They are ready to do everything and even willing to sacrifice themselves any time so long as their children can live a happy life; otherwise they would feel very guilty. Just for this reason, they tend to interfere with their sons and daughters’ private affairs too often in the name of love.

I have read much from the local newspapers before that some loving parents, their sons or daughters being busy with their work, came to the People’s Park and put up some posters in search of their partners for them, in which their sons or daughters’ personal information, such as age, appearance, educational background, profession, hobbies, family background and their requirements for their prospective life companion, is all included. The People’s Park is located in the heart of Shanghai. Numerous people come and go from there every day. Undoubtedly, what the parents do will attract wide attention and thus probably help solve their sons or daughters’ problems in marriage as soon as possible. However, up till today I have never read any relevant statistics report about how effective their attempts are. Maybe this is just privacy and Chinese people seem to be born implicit, so it is understandably difficult to collect this kind of information exactly.  

When I walked along the pavement slowly, I found nothing different than as usual. But suddenly I was allured by many white slips hanging on the trees, the bushes or the bamboo fence or pasted on the mossy walls on both sides. At first I thought that they had been some commercials, so I paid little attention to them. However, when I noticed many people stop by and eye them carefully, my curiosity has been aroused. I slowed down my pace as well and began to read some of them. I curved my lips and cracked a mute smile intermittently. Oh my goodness! They were some ads for seeking prospective life companions! At the bottom of each white slip one can see the detailed contact means offered by the girl or her parents. It is obviously encouraged to contact the girl if one is interested in her and also thinks he is the best candidate. And the readers were told that the parents, friends or relatives of the girl seeking a mate can be reached easily because they are not far away from the slip should one be interested in the personal information and want to take further actions. It seems that the park is not only a place for citizens to take part in some recreational activities, but has begun to exercise a new function for those unmarried young people and their families to find their future husbands and wives.

Now that all the citizens of the city were on their holidays, there would be more visitors of the park for sure. And the sellout slips would inevitably draw much more attention and aroused a more profound sensation than before as well. I looked around and was wondering how many of the pedestrians in the park were the hunters opening their eyes wide and waiting eagerly for the preys to be hooked willingly when I noticed that a medium-sized man was standing anxiously before three elderly mothers, in front of whom there were some sellout slips about their daughters’ information. Now I have become a total idler, so I stopped to see how they started the negotiation. Perhaps the man had realized at last that he must end that kind of life as a vagrant in this city, so he decided to come here to try his luck. To give the devil his due, the man looked handsome, though not very tall, refined and somewhat bashful. He was neatly dressed and the spectators would think that he must be well-educated. He stood there still and hesitantly, his cheeks flushed red before he struck up a conversation with the mother in black on his left, whose daughter was born in 1982 and is working in a local company with handsome income at present. The three mothers began to shower questions on him. When they were told that he was seven or eight years senior to the girl he was interested in and also a freelancer without a stable job, they shook their heads all together and admonished him that he talk with them after he had a full knowledge of the relevant requirement on the slip. And they further inquired the man of his age, his ancestral hometown and so other personal information and the latter confided in them in attempt to win their favor but in vain. The man said he was from Ningxia and stressed that although he doesn’t have a full-time job at the moment, he has a decent income per month because he is dealing in foreign exchange. Although the three mothers said that they did appreciate him of his honesty and sincerity, they turned him down all the same because they didn’t think that he, as a freelancer, would be able to provide a kind of stable and affluent life to any of their daughters.

Such are Chinese people. Looking back Chinese history, we find that they have been always lacking the sense of security. That’s why they are so realistic and so eager for instant benefits and give too much priority to one’s material wealth instead of his character, his moral quality, his abilities and potential when they try to find a spouse for themselves or for their sons or daughters. At this point, love seems the least important to them and one is believed to be able to live a happy life so long as he or she enjoys a great fortune. They seem to have forgotten the lesson that a marriage of convenience is doomed to be a failure.

With good intentions these parents come to the park, swallow their pride and hope to find a Mr. Right for their daughters or a Miss. Right for their sons. But unfortunately, they set forth some standards or criteria almost beyond reach consciously or unconsciously for their would-be sons-in-law or daughters-in-law. And perhaps they would have realized someday that it is they themselves that have posed numerous obstacles to block the way of their sons and daughters’ happy life if they had suffered blows from time to time. Anyway, love can never be measured by material wealth. Maybe a great fortune will make one feel more secure, at least so in his or her mentality. However, ironically, it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with one’s happiness. I just wonder whether these parents have ever pursued real love in their youths insanely and temerariously. Were they born snobs and thus they gave much priority to their spouses’ material basis instead of their merits as persons? Or is it because they find that life without a sound material basis is not easy after they got married for the sake of love?    

The young man, being at a loss and embarrassed more or less, opened his mouth and tried to say something before he could. He didn’t move his steps at once. Obviously he didn’t mean to give up so quickly. When I quickened my steps to the gate of the park and prepared to leave the Vanity Fair once and for all, I couldn’t help looking back from my shoulder and casting a sympathetic glance at him only to find that he was standing in the cool autumn breeze and continued the talks with the three mid-aged women. I have no idea whether his efforts would bear any fruits, but I do wish that he would meet his other half as soon as possible.       

　　中国のむかしむかしには、有名な随筆がたくさんある。たとえば、「菜

根の話」や、「围炉夜话」などである。でも、皆さん、日本の三大古典随筆を知っているか。それじゃ、一つ一つ紹介させてください。

第三篇　徒然草

つれづれなるままに、日くらし、硯にむかひて、心にうつりゆくよしなし事を、そこはかとなく書きつくれば、あやしうこそものぐるほしけれ。

現代語訳：

　　なすこともなく、ものさびしさにまかせて、終日、硯にむかって、心に浮かんでは消えてゆく、つまらないことを、とりとめもなく書きつけていると、われながらなんともあやしく、もの狂おしい気持ちがすることである。

「注释」

つれづれ：寂寞，无聊

すずり：砚台

とりとめ：要领，要点

我ながら：连自己都……

怪しい：可疑，奇怪

狂おしい：简直要发疯

訳文：

     闲得无事，于是从早到晚，端坐砚台前，将闪现在心中的琐碎的思想片段漫无目的地记下来。没想到自己竟然沉溺其中，不能自拔了。

解説：

　　三大随筆のひとつ「徒然草」の冒頭です。「徒然草」は、吉田兼好（1283～1350）によるもので、1331年ごろ書かれました。この冒頭では、物事を書き記すことをテーマにしているの異色で、また気楽に書いているのが特徴です。題名は掲載した序段から取られた者で、243段が収められています。

　　吉田兼好の経歴は、鴨長明と似通っています。吉田神社の神官の生まれで、二十歳代後半に出家隠遁生活に入りました。ですから、思想的背景も無常観が基調になっています。しかし、鴨長明ほど切迫したものではありません。それは次代がいくらか落ち着いていたからでしょう。

　　決定的に鴨長明と異なるのは、「無常だから祖すばらしいのだ」と無常観を積極的に肯定しているてんです。変わりやすい世の中だからこそ、欲望にとらわれず、自分らしく自由に生きようとする目が、多くの段に輝いています。取り上げられている題材も豊富で、みぢかな処世訓や趣味から、芸術?自然?政治など、そして色欲にまで至っています。およそ人間に関することで、触れていない分野を見つけるのは困難なほどです。

　　掲載した序段は、そういった全体をまとめたものです。「思いつくまっまかいていると、とんでもないことを考えている自分がいることに気づいて、面白い！」ということで、これは、随筆の真髄を語っていると言えます。自由気ままに文章をつづろうとする時、現在なお、「徒然草」を無視できないのは、このことによるのです。そして、ですから文体は、気楽に書くときは和文体を、深刻に考えるときは間文体を、といった形で縦横無尽に駆使されています。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　「日本の名作を一日で読んでしまおう」から

　　中国のむかしむかしには、有名な随筆がたくさんある。たとえば、「菜

根の話」や、「围炉夜话」などである。でも、皆さん、日本の三大古典随筆を知っているか。それじゃ、一つ一つ紹介させてください。

第二篇　方丈記

　ゆく河の流れは絶えずして、しかももとの水にあらず。よどみに浮かぶうたかたは、かつ消え、かつ結びて、久しくとどまりたるためしなし。世の中にある人とすみかと、またかくのごとし。たましきの都のうちに棟を並べ、甍を争へる高き賎しき人の住ひは、世々をへてつきせぬものなれど、これをまことかと尋ぬれば、昔在りし家は稀なり。或いはこぞ焼けて、今年作れり。或いは大家ほろびて小家となる。

現代語訳：

　　河は涸れることなく、いつも流れている。そのくせ、水はもとの水ではない。よどんだ所に浮かぶ水の泡も、あちらで消えたかと思うと、こちらにできていたりして、けっしていつまでもそのままではない。世間の人を見、その住居を見ても、やはりこの調子だ。壮麗な都の町に競いに建っている貴賎の住居は、永久になくならないもののようだけれども、ほんとにそうか一軒一軒あたってみると、昔からある家というのは稀だ。去年焼けて今年建てたのもあれば、大きな家が没落して小さくなったのもある。

「注释」

たえず：连续，不断

淀む：沉淀，淤塞

浮かぶ：漂浮，浮出

うたかた：泡沫

涸れる：干涸

競う：竞争，争夺

没落する：没落，衰退

解説：

　　三大随筆のひとつ「方丈記」の冒頭部分です。「方丈記」は、鴨長明（1155～1216）が、1212年に書いた総字数一万字ほどの比較的短い随筆です。テーマは世の中という大きなものであり、文体も対句を多用した重厚沈鬱な漢文調になっています。冒頭からわかるように、主張されているのは「人とすみか」の無常です。それは、この時代が、「平家物語」と重なる激動の時代であったからです。しかも、大火事?辻風?地震?基金といった天災が続き、鴨長明はそういった時代性と立ち向かわざるをえなかったのです。

　　鴨長明は、もともと下鴨神社の神官の生まれでしたが、出家して、世を忍ぶ隠遁生活に入り、方丈の庵にすみました、題名はここから取ったもので、「方丈」とは一丈四方、つまり約九平方メートルの広さのことです。とはいえ、彼は単なる隠者ではありませんでした。さまざまな場を訪れる行動的人間だったのです。中でも圧巻なのは、飢饉の様子を描いている箇所です。餓死した人が道は他にずっと横たえられていて、一つ、二つと数えていくのです。

　　そういた悲痛な出来事をまざまざと体験し、はかなさ、無常観へと彼の思想は内面化します。そして選ばれた文体は、荘重な漢文体を基調とするものでした。現在、世界を問題にしたり、人間の苦悩を訴えたりする時、この文体によることが多く、また「方丈記」はそのよさ手本となっています。

赏析：

悠悠江水流淌，无止休。一去不复返。停滞处浮出的水泡，时隐时现，不能长久。人世间的事物亦如此。繁华的京城内，豪宅鳞次栉比，似能长久。但仔细探访，流传下来的又能有几何？有的去年被焚烧后又重建，有的因家族没落，豪宅变陋室。作者以世间诸事，感叹人世的无常。

「日本の名作を一日で読んでしまおう」から

　　このあいだだんだん日本の古典文学に夢中になりました。昨日、清少納言の「枕草子」の冒頭部分を読みました。じつはね、中国の古代にも、有名な随筆がたくさんありました。たとえば、洪应明の「菜根の話」や、王永彬の「囲炉の夜话」などは中国人に影響を与えているものです。でも、皆さん、日本の三大古典随筆を知っていますか。それでは、日本の古典随筆を一つ一つ紹介させてください。

第一篇　枕草子

清少納言

　　春はあけぼの。やうやうしろくなるゆく山ぎは、すこしあかりて、紫だちたる雲の細くたなびきたる。

　　夏は夜。月のころはさらなり、やみもなほ蛍とびちがびたる、雨などのふるさへをかし。

　　秋は夕暮れ。夕日はなやかにさして山ぎはいと近くなりたるに、烏のねどころへ行くとて、三つ四つ二つなど、飛び行くさへあはれなり。まして雁などのつらねたるが、いと小さく見ゆる、いとをかし。日入り果てて、風の音、虫の音など。

　　冬はつとめて。雪の降りたるは言ふべきにもあらず。霜などのいと白く、またさらでもいと寒さに、火などいそぎおこして、炭も手わたるも、いとつきづきし。昼になりて、ぬるくゆるびもて行けば、炭櫃、火桶の火も、白い灰がちになりぬるはわろし。

現代語訳：

　　春はあけぼの。だんだん白くなっていく山ぎわが、少し明るくなって、紫がかった雲が細く横になびいている。

　　夏は夜がいい。月のあるころはいうまでもない、闇もやはり蛍が入り乱れて飛んでいるのはいい。雨など降るのも面白い。

　　秋は夕暮れがいい。夕日がはなやかにさして山ぎわにたいへん近くなっている時に、烏がねぐらへ行くというので、三つ四つ二つなど、飛んで行く。しみじみとした感じがする。まして雁などの列を作っているのが、たくさん小さく見えるのは、たいへんおもしろい。日がすっかりはいってしまって、風の音や虫の音などがするのもおもしろい。

　　冬は早朝がいい。雪が降っているのは、そのよさはいうまでもない。霜などがたいへん白く、またそうでなくてもたいへん寒い時に、日など急いで起こして、炭火をもって廊下などを通るのもたいへんおりに似つかわしい。昼になって、だんだん寒気が薄らいでゆるむ一方になってゆくと、いろりや火鉢の火も、白い灰がちになってしまうのは劣った感じがする。

解説：

　　　　　　　　　　　　清少納言と枕草子について

日本の三大古典随筆のひとつである「枕草子」の冒頭部分です。「枕草子」は、清少納言（生没年未詳）が、ちょうど1０００年頃に書いた随筆で、約300段からなっています。清少納言は、宮廷で中宮定子に仕え、漢籍にも通じた才女でした。事実、「枕草子」に、白居易の「香炉峰の雪は～」や、鶏鳴狗盗で有名な孟嘗君の故事をふまえたエピソードを書き込んでいます。しかし、せいしょうなごん、漢文ではなく、ひらがなの和文体で表現しました。この冒頭で春夏秋冬をテーマにして、季節ごとにその良さを奔放にスケッチしています。文体は、省略が多く、切れ味の良さが特徴です。

ある断片を切り取って、簡潔でつややかに表現するという才能を、清少納言は自在に「枕草子」で発揮しました。宮廷生活の美意識を超えることはなかったとはいえ、その解放された鋭敏な感覚と簡潔な文体は、現在なお、とりわけ詩的表現をする際、日本人に影響を与えているものです。

　　　　　　　　　　　　「日本の名作を一日で読んでしまおう」から

先日同じの学部の同士と福建省の武夷山へ遊びに行った。あそこの風景はすばらしいから、本当に楽しかった。帰ったあとで、日本語を学び続くことにする。この間なんとなくだんだん日本文学に夢中になった。今朝家に川端康成の小説からの「古都」という映画を見た。日本の作家の中にはこの方が一番好きし、日本の詩人の中にはやっぱり芭蕉さんが大好きだ。この詩人は病に倒れても旅への情熱を失わないのひたむきさに心を打たれる。面白いことに、彼氏はよく悲しさや寂しさを描く。今日は彼氏のいくつかの俳句を読んだった。もっと深く理解させる。

前天早上，我还在甜美的睡梦中，忽然手机鸣响，迷迷糊糊地拿起手机，原来是经管学院的王鑫印弟发来了短信。

在我结交的学院同事里，鑫印弟是难得的真性情的人。去年刚认识他时，他刚 从复旦博士毕业，学的虽然是跟经济相关的专业，骨子里却流淌着浓厚的文学情怀。去年五六月间的一个晚上，我第一次在南汇教师宿舍遇见他。是晚连床夜话，谈古论今，纵横捭阖，甚是投缘，从此便成了好友。

据他的一个同事告诉我，鑫印弟还在复旦大学读博士期间，就是“复旦诗社”的成员之一，难怪此兄至今于闲暇之余，还很喜欢舞文弄墨，这在当今这个缺少诗情画意、物欲横流的社会里，竟然还能让自己的心灵保持得如此纯粹，实在难能可贵。大概他以为我是他的同好之故，所有他每有新作，必会让我先睹为快。

这次贤弟发给我的短信，是一首名为《颂玉》的仿古诗赋。为了避免让这次的交流湮没在岁月的尘烟里，今在此将彼此的唱和照实抄录，或许若干年后，再看到这些文字，依然会有所回味。

王：“拙作，赐教！《颂玉》：坚韧如玉兮铿锵有声，纯粹如玉兮超逸绝尘，致密如玉兮慧通灵动，温润如玉兮光彩照人。”

Robert Chou：“玉如人兮人似玉。王兄颇得赋之神韵，而玉之特性，亦节囊括尔！然古人做诗或赋，皆以物起兴或喻人，或明志，或针砭非为颂而颂也！此乃拙见，君勿笑耳！”

王：“呵呵，讲得很好，其实每句的前半部分咏物，后半部分喻人，中间用一个拟声词过渡，‘如玉’，就是人如玉的意思。”

Robert Chou：“然‘坚韧’、‘纯粹’，‘致密’、‘温润’之词过于直白！古人吟诗作赋，多用单字，而非词，汝岂可不知乎？今既仿古，效之当为上尔！吾或苛之过矣，姑妄言之。”

王：“讲得很好，呵呵！有修改建议吗？”

Robert Chou：“汝乃聪慧之人，周某岂须明言乎？”

王：“: ) 兄之所言极是。”

Robert Chou：“贤弟现在何处？有佳作而不忘与兄品评，吾为之感也。晨起而阅得友之近作，不亦乐乎？”

王：“过奖了，很开心能和你一起聊聊这些。我争取年底前整理个集子出来。”

Robert Chou：“吾翘首以待也。”

王：“他日若出，当首赠仁兄阅。”

この学期にはずっと忙しくてしていた。期待していた夏休みは、やっと来た。昨年いつか地方へ遊びに行ったから、この休みには、どこかへ遊びに行きたくない。面白い本を読んだり、友達と卓球をしたり、買い物にしたり、とにかく、大好きなことをするのは、楽しいはずだね。なつやすみに楽しみている。

この夏休みには、いくつか日本語で書かされた小説を読みたい。恥ずかしいことに、もう数年日本語を学びしたが、なかなか上手になれない。年をとりにつれて、記憶力はもっと弱くになった。日本語はさすが悪魔の言葉だね。日本へ旅行に行く機会があれば、ぜっひいきたいだよ。でも、日常会話がもちろんできるが、日本人と自由に交流したければ、やっぱりやや難しいだろう。それでは、周さん、頑張って続きてください。

でも、いままではまだ一人で暮らして、たまには自然に寂しいと思う。両親へ電話を掛けてあげるたび、「早めに結婚してください」といつも勧められた。男の事業は確かに大切だが、もし愛している人と一緒に生活すれば、もっといいじゃないか。こんなの人生は完璧じゃないか。これからも、新しい生活を憧れ始めた。

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Today I’d like take this opportunity to say something about the relationship between “culture” and “civilization”. When it comes to the relationship between them, people hold different opinions towards it. Many people, especially the anthropologists and ethnologists think that both the terms mean quite the same, so they often take them as synonyms. But is culture really tantamount to civilization? The answer is absolutely “No”.

Culture is very rich in meaning. It is said that it has hundreds of definitions. Most scholars hold the view that civilization is the most sophisticated form of culture. It came into being after the emergence of languages, cities and divisions of labor. Some scholars argue that culture and civilization are two parts with different properties. Culture attaches importance to spiritual wealth while civilization lays particular emphasis on material wealth. For these scholars, science and technology, and all the inventions are the products of civilization while culture includes ethics, morality and arts.

Of all the definitions and viewpoints about culture and civilization, I think that I will prefer that civilization is derived from culture in the broad sense. We can identify them from different perspectives. In the terms of space, civilization doesn’t have definite borders because it is beyond nations. And culture in the broad sense can be used to refer to the one that belongs to all the mankind. Historically, the making of civilization is closely related to the making of a nation. Only those peoples who have established their own countries can create their own civilization; otherwise they would only have the culture that belongs to them. Semantically, the word “culture” is neutral and can be used in a wider extent while the word “civilization” is positive and narrowed down in a limited extent. For example, it is safe for us to say “wine culture” or “tea culture” but we will never say “wine civilization” or “tea civilization”. 

Once we make out the similarities and differences between culture and civilization, we will find it easier to tell the term “Chinese culture” from “Chinese civilization”.

Such is my humble opinion about the relationship between culture and civilization. It is definitely difficult for me to cover such big topics in such a short time. I am sincerely looking forward to your advice and suggestions.

Thank you very much! 

          —— 姚乃强教授莅临外语系畅谈美国文学

4月9日下午，原洛阳解放军外国语学院博士生导师姚乃强教授应邀莅临我校外语系，为全系学生奉上了一场文化盛宴。姚教授早年毕业于北京大学西语系，迄今执教已50年有余，对美国文学研究颇有造诣。此番姚教授高屋建瓴，从统揽全局的角度对经历数世纪风风雨雨的美国文学做了一次总结性的梳理与回顾，指出美国文学无论在表现内容与形式上如何改变，但万变不离其宗，大致离不开三个重要主题，可谓是“沧海桑田，本源依旧”。讲座结束后，大家纷纷表示受益匪浅，认为姚教授的讲座内容非常富有启发性，也有助于加深对美国文化和文学的理解。近年来，外语系非常重视“走出去，引进来”，此次邀请姚教授来外语系做讲座，正是对此理念的贯彻，而全系师生，特别是对美国文化与文学感兴趣的学生，则是最大的受益者。

                              供稿者：Robert Chou

活着的滋味

   谌容

第一个人说：活得太累了。没完没了的解释，无休无止的小心，成年累月为别人活着。为人子、为人夫、为人父、为人同事、为人哥儿们、为人“喽喽”、为人“头头”。看别人的脸色，讨别人的喜欢，避别人的忌讳，给别人以好感。摇旗呐喊，插科打诨，不想笑要笑，哭不出来要哭……累了，太累了。
　　第二个人说，活腻味了。爱过了，恨过了，哭过了，笑过了，乐过了，苦过了。金银财宝，身外之物。功名利禄，过眼云烟。香酥鸡、肯德鸡、道口烧鸡，大同小异。长城饭店、昆仓饭店、建国饭店，千篇一律。台球、保龄球、高尔夫球，无非是球。人生不过如此，该收场了。游戏人生，我够了。你们爱玩儿玩去吧，别拉扯上我。
　　第三个人说，怎么能这样对待生活！怎么能说活得太累，怎么能说活得太腻？在这大变革的年代，难道你们就没有一点社会责任感？人生在世，难道就为自己活着！我们的国家能有今天，这容易吗？同志们，振兴中华，匹夫有责，开放改革，重担就落在你、我、他身上。我们应该对社会负责，对国家负责，对后代负责。否则就是犯罪。振作起来啊，前进！

English Version

                            The Taste of Life

                                                               By Chen Rong 

   One person sighs, “What an exhausting life! With making endless explanations and taking precautions against the adversities, we have been living for other people year in and year out. We play different roles as a son, as a husband, as a father, as a colleague, and as a buddy. We run errands for others or work as a managing staff in a work unit. We have to read other peoples’ faces, dance attendance on them, avoid stepping on the mine fields of other people and try to win other people’s favor. We cheers, we amuse, and we tease. We force smiles and we cry against our will…Tired, really too tired!”

   Another person complains, “What a boring life! We love, we hate, we cry and we laugh. We have tasted the bitterness and sweetness of life. Gold and silver have never belonged to us from the very beginning. The exploits, the fame and the fortunes are transient as the floating clouds. Chickens are chickens, be it Fried Crisp Chicken, KFC chicken or Red-cooked Chicken. And hotels are hotels, be it the Great Wall Hotel, Kunlun Hotel or Jianguo Hotel. Can you say that the snooker, bowling or golf is not a ball? Life is just like that. It’s time I quitted it. It’s much enough for me to play this life. Just go ahead if you still want to play on. But don’t bother me any more! ”

  A third person retorts, “How can you treat life like this? How can you say that life is too exhausting and too boring? ” Don’t you have a sense of responsibility in this great age of vicissitudes? Can we live for ourselves only? Do you think it easy for our country to enjoy the present peace and stability? My friends, it’s our responsibility to rejuvenate our Chinese nation. We must undertake the heavy task of implementing the policy of opening to the outside world and reform. We have responsible for our society, for our country, and for our descendants. Otherwise we would feel guilty. Now come on! Let’s go. “   

车祸使我不禁想起几年前还在上大读书时的一些事情。大概是四五年前年底的一天，我和老师还有其他同学，顶着刺骨的冷风，去给院里一位因为车祸而英年早逝的老师送别。那位老师是山东人，30岁出头，待人很亲切，工作很敬业，我到现在还记得他和蔼的样子。那时他刚结婚，正是美好生活的开始。听说出车祸前两天，他因为妻子有喜而特意邀请了一些亲朋好友来家聚会，没想到过两天就发生了不幸的事情。出事那天早上，天空下着雨，像往常一样，他骑着电动车出了门，结果……他是家中的独子，听说他很年幼时父亲就去世了，是母亲含辛茹苦地把他拉扯大，供他读完了大学。我想所有来自中国农村的人们，都一定能够深切体会其中的不易。如果没有发生车祸，可以想见一切将是多么的圆满。当我们听到那个噩耗时，我们简直不敢相信自己的耳朵。一条鲜活的生命，就这样顷刻间消失在我们面前。在龙华殡仪馆里，我们见到了那位欲哭无泪的母亲，那位人到老年却要送黑发人的白发人，不禁陷入了巨大的悲痛之中。那一刻，我不敢看她的眼睛，那也许是世界上最绝望最悲痛的眼睛了。雨，依然淅淅沥沥的下着，不知道是老天爷在忏悔，还是全然的不解人意。一个原本美满的家庭，因为一场突如其来的车祸，就这样分崩离析了。当我走近他的遗体向他告别时，我知道他一定有太多不甘。对他来说，生命还没开始就突然划上了休止符，有很多想说的话都还来不及说。如果，如果……然而现实是很残忍的，永远不给人一个“如果”的机会。

那一刻，我感觉死神离我们是如此之近，如此不近人情。也是在那时，我才能更加深刻地体会到孙悦那首《祝你平安》歌里蕴藏的深刻内涵。生活在这个艰难的人世，所谓的名利得失其实真的是过眼烟云，而平安与健康才是最重要的，唯有它们，才是构成我们幸福生活的基础。然而环顾身边的人们，有多少不是在缘木求鱼呢？

人生从来就不是完满的。但我没想到今年春节对我们竟然是如此的残忍。

昨天下午，兄长特意抽出时间，带我们去惠城区、惠阳、博罗交界一个叫做“山里头”农场的地方玩。晚上回到妹妹家吃晚饭。大家正有说有笑吃着饭时，父亲突然起身去接电话，我还半开玩笑地说他业务很繁忙，然而父亲的一句话，一下子使大家的情绪陷入了冰谷，大家不约而同地放下手中的碗筷。电话那头的大姐早就哭得稀里哗啦。当那我们最不愿意听到两个字侵入耳朵时，我们惊呆了。

方才的美味佳肴，一下子变得味如嚼蜡起来。

草草吃过晚饭，哥开始四处打电话询问情况，从姐姐断断续续的叙述里，我们逐渐了解到事情发生的经过。

昨天天气晴朗，是出行的好日子，也是姐夫他们回沪的日子。可令他们万万没想到的是，车行驶到浙江金华时，车胎突然爆了，坐在车后座的几个人都从车窗里甩了出去，跌落在高速公路中间，而我表哥刚满20岁的独子（他在我姐夫的厂里打工），从车里甩出来后头撞在高速公路的护栏上，当场气绝。不幸中的大幸是，事发时，他们车后没过来什么车辆，否则后果真的将不堪设想。表哥已过知天命之年，他和我嫂子都是老实巴交的农民。在我的印象里，他是闰土式的中国农民：善良、宽厚、勤劳、谦卑，一辈子与世无争。如今儿女渐渐长大，眼见再过几年，就可以享享清福。然而好人似乎总没好报，而苍天似乎也总是无眼。这突如其来的横祸，将给他们带来多大的伤痛，我不敢去想，也不愿去想。

客厅那边，父母不断地跟姐夫和姐姐他们联系，不停地给他们安慰，也焦急地试图与我表哥——他们的外甥联系。父母终于与表哥他们联系上了，我也试图安慰他们几句，却哽咽到无语。此时此刻，语言已经丧失了它犀利的锋芒，但我们又能做些什么呢？唯有说一些于事无补苍白的安慰话而已。

车祸给人带来如此巨大的心灵上的伤痛，它的威力不亚于一颗原子弹。以至于每次出行时，我总因心有余悸而小心翼翼。我自认是胆小之人，所以我想这辈子就算买得起车，我也不会去买。一方面是为了环保，二来我也不想沦为“马路杀手“，或让自己成为别的“马路杀手”的牺牲品。看看街上那些无视红绿灯横冲直撞耀武扬威的主儿，就更让我坚定了不买车子的决心。即使在市民综合素质相对较高的上海，不遵守交通规则的人依然大有人在。看到那些俨然暴发户出身，拿自己和别人生命开玩笑的主儿开着车子横冲直撞，有谁能不提心吊胆呢？毫无疑问，中国是逐渐崛起的大国，但国民的素质，与日益积累的财富相比，确实是不成正比的。由此带来的影响是：我们行走在闹市街头，总觉得少了一点安全感。

在新春佳节里失去亲人，任谁碰上都应是人世间最悲惨的事情吧？陶潜曾有诗云：“亲戚或余悲，他人亦已歌。死去何足道，托体同山阿！”从中我们可以看到诗人对死亡怀抱一种泰然与豁达的态度，但如果是生老病死，我想大家倒可以坦然接受，毕竟自然规律是人们不可抗拒的事情，但如果这种事情要是搁他老人家身上，怕也是久久不能释怀的吧？不过，逝者终究已矣，生者还需坚强。今发此文，惟愿那些不幸遭遇车祸而离我们而去的人们，能够一路走得安详，愿他们的灵魂能在天堂里得到永久的安息。只是不知道，天堂里是否也有车来车往？

                                                                                                  2009年2月3日星期二

    Several days ago, we watched a Walter Disney cartoon Beauty and the Beast. The story of the beauty and the prince-turned beast made me think a lot about it.

    The prince has paid a high price for his indifference and cruelty when he turns the witch down, who came to his castle on a rainy and thundering night and asked him for a night stay. Being humiliated, the witch enchants him into an ugly beast and puts all the things in his castle under the spell.

    Belle is a beautiful girl from a mountainous village. She likes to read books very much. Like other girls, she dreams of meeting a white-horse prince. But unfortunately, she encounters the beast while trying to rescue her father. To save her father, she has to stay with the beast although she is very afraid. However, she is ready to give up everything she has for her father because she loves him very deeply. This kind of love is unselfish because it never expects any returns.  

  As she gets along with the beast, she finds that he is gentle in fact and he has a beautiful mind, although he has an ugly appearance. She is no longer afraid of him and even comes closer to him. Finally she finds herself much attracted to him. While living with Belle, the prince-turned beast begins to learn how to love and respect other people. When she decides to go home and help her father in trouble, the beast let her go almost without hesitation despite that he loves her so much. Gaston, another hero in the cartoon, seems to form a striking contrast with the beast. In appearance, he is handsome and strong. That’s why he is the idol of his town fellows and the dream-lover of many girls in the town. But he is selfish with a strong desire of possession. He is hot-tempered, conceited and arrogant and he doesn’t respect his followers. Finally, he falls into the moral abyss and ruins himself.

   The beast has been changed into a beast for his heart of stone but he resumes his human form because of his sincerity and deep love for Belle. When Belle bends her head over his wounded body and utters the words “I love you” out of her lips, the last petal of the rose falls and a miracle works.

   Cruelty can reduce a man to a beast while love can save us from sufferings. Beauty and the Beast is the very fable of love. If we live in a world where people love one another instead of hating, it will change into a paradise; otherwise we will go to the hell.

    Love is a wonderful word. And love can move mountains. By watching this cartoon, we can feel the strong power of love. And also I realized that if we want to be loved, we have to learn how to love others first. 

  The story goes like that on a rainy and thundering night, a witch in the incarnation of a tattered ugly skinny old woman breaks into a castle and begs the prince, the owner of the castle, for a place to stay for one night with a rose for exchange. However, the lofty and stone-hearted prince shows no sympathy for her and he turns her away rudely without any hesitation. The witch has no way out, so she transforms herself into a beautiful young lady. Seeing this, the prince immediately changes his attitude and makes an apology only to find that it is too late. Obviously, the prince is the very person who judges people by their appearances.

  To revenge and punish him, the witch enchants the prince and turns him into a beast. She tells him that the spell will be broken automatically when the last petal of the rose falls ten years later if he learns how to love and respect other people; he will resume his human form if he learns to love somebody and also he has somebody to love him. If not, he will be doomed to be a beast through his life.

  The prince was indeed hopelessly rude, hot-tempered and conceited at first. And he might have once felt depressed and become despaired after the witch put him under the spell. All his servants hold great awe to him. But everything changes when he meets the girl Belle, who is as beautiful both in appearance and in mind as her name itself. During the days he spends with Belle, the prince has gradually learned how to behave gracefully and love other people and understand them in their positions. When he finds that he has been much attracted to the girl, his fierce eyes can’t help becoming very gentle and his voice soft. Of course, he has finally succeeded in tasting the sweetness of love in return. As expected, the beast, the enchanted prince eventually gets married with his beloved Belle to his heart’s content.

  Many people think that this movie is only just a cartoon for children. They laugh and then forget all about it. But actually it is far from that simple. It gives us so much food to think that from it we can learn so many lessons.

  It is human instinct to desire for the love from other people, say, from our parents, friends or relatives. Since we came to the world, our mothers have been devoting their unselfish love to us from the cradle to grave yet they never expect any returns. But it is surely unfair if we always want to get yet never to give. Unlike unselfish maternal love, friendship always demands mutual understanding, respect, appreciation and trust; otherwise it wouldn’t last long.

  Just as a saying goes to the effect that if we want to make friends with others, we have to be a friend first, if we want to be loved, of course we have to learn how to love other people. It is hard to imagine that a selfish, rude, conceited and self-centered person would be loved. The prince has been severely punished for his indifference and cruelty but he does deserve the love from Belle for his true love, generosity and deep understanding of other people shown in the ensuing days. Noticeably, Gaston, another counterpart who forms a striking contrast to the prince, has to pay a high price for his dirty mind, although he is the idol of many of his town fellows and the dream-lover of many other girls because he is very strong and handsome. Like the prince, this guy seems to be always selfish and conceited and never cares about other people’s feelings. Also he has a strong desire of possession, which drives him crazy and in the end he meets his death and falls to the moral abyss. The prince and Gaston seem to be the two sides of a coin, but from them we can see two totally different fates clearly and meanwhile we can tell a beautiful mind from a dirty mind. The heroes in the movie get or lose respectively for their moral choices.      

   Thanks to the cartoon Beauty and the Beast, it helps us understand what true beauty is. What’s more, it makes us comprehend that if we want to be loved, we have to love other people because love is never a one-way road. If we love other people and treat them kind, we will find that sometimes we can get more than expected. Just as a famous Chinese saying goes, “All those who love other people will always be loved.” （爱人者人恒爱之）  

                                                         December 1^st, 2008

  Since last week, I have begun to play the Walter Disney movie Beauty and the Beast for my students. But I made a deal with them that they had to do something after watching it. I requested them to write a short essay with at least 150 English words to give their opinions about the movie as they will.

  When they watched it attentively, they burst into laughter now and then. Obviously the well-woven plots have attracted their attention and aroused their great interest. But I do wonder whether they will be able to fulfill the assignment I gave to them on time. Anyway, they are just some freshmen and most of them still have a very limited vocabulary. But what if you have a large vocabulary if you just learn them by rote yet never practice them? To ensure that they will have enough time to fulfill their tasks, I gave them a spun of two weeks intentionally. And I told them that they can refer to some relevant critical essays, websites and magazines. If they don’t know how to express themselves properly, they can input the Chinese words at first and then search for their English equivalents via some websites or dictionaries. I just want them to realize that study is their own business and every one of them has to rely on himself or herself. As non-English majors, they don’t have much chance to practice their English writing and it seems that few of them will develop their writing skills on their initiative. I don’t think I am giving them only just a writing assignment. Instead, I hope that they will form the habit of trying to express themselves in English.

  Every year, Chinese people invest so much time, money and energy in English study but just guess how much they get from it! Sometimes, I do think that it is a huge waste to do so. But we have to because we are living in an open world and it is impossible for us to shut the door to the outside world any more. I strongly believe that most of us hold the potential to study a foreign language well now that we can learn our mother tongue to the level that we can express ourselves basically freely. But why can’t we speak and write English well even after we have studied it for so many years? Why do we still speak broken English and find it difficult to understand what English-speaking people are talking about after we have made every effort to do it? These are really some questions that we must stop to think.

Many Chinese people make excuses for themselves that they don’t have a good grasp of English language just because they lack an ideal language environment. They thought that they would naturally be able to master it if they had the opportunity to go abroad. Is language environment everything? Sounds so reasonable but practically it has turned out to be wrong.

Last November, one of my friends and I went to Fudan University to attend a lecture by a couple of scholars from Harvard University after we have read the news reports from the local newspapers. Mr. Stephen Owen, whose Chinese name is known as 宇文所安, is about twenty-five years senior to Mr. Tian Xiaofei, his Chinese wife. Mr. Tian went to the United States and followed the former to study Chinese literature at the doctoral level after she had obtained the master degree from Peking University and delve into that of Wei and Jin Dynasties. Mr. Stephen Owen has gentlemanly and refined manners, and even somewhat bashful. Although he speaks Chinese with an American accent, he can speak his mind without any difficulty and make himself understood. He recalled that one day when he was still a kid, he went to the library with his elder sister and fumbled out a collection of poems of Tang Dynasty in English version and immediately turned his head over heels and fell in love with Chinese literature. To taste the original flavor of the poems of Tang Dynasty, he made up his mind to study Chinese. His father has once doubted whether he could make a living by studying Chinese literature but things go that it is quite unnecessary to worry too much about this and that.

Ms. Tian, used to be one of his disciples. After having obtained the doctor degree, she got a teaching profession at Cornell University. But she always kept in touch with her advisor at the doctoral level. Unfortunately, years later, Mr. Stephen Owen’s wife died of a certain disease. And right after that, he began to turn his attention to his former beautiful and intelligent Chinese woman student. As fate would have it, they finally came together and got married because they have so much in common. All their friends who are familiar with them think that they are really a perfect match. Ms. Tian always deems, half jokingly and half seriously, that Mr. Owen is her confidant in literature while the latter holds the view that she is his ideal companion in the journey of his life. And they often talk about their shared interest, i.e., literature, both in Chinese and English.  

I am still deeply impressive of that in an interview Ms. Tian told us a story about some Chinese students, whose parents spent so much money and placed great hopes on them. That’s why they tried ways and means to send them abroad in hope that they would be able to enjoy first-class higher education in the United States and stand out from the crowd in the near future. But to their disappointment, those guys seemed to live in a shell and hide themselves from others. They spent money like water but they have never planned to change the situation that they were poor both in oral and written English. They seldom took the advantage to communicate with the local people. Instead, they often went to Chinese restaurants and made friends only with their Chinese compatriots. You can imagine how much progress they would make under such circumstances! Perhaps they would never be able to master English through their lives if things went on like that, I think.

  Now with sophisticated communication networks and advanced science and technology, people find it more convenient to study a foreign language even they stay indoors. Presently we have so abundant resources on the Internet, videos and audios, to make use of. But we can’t see the expected effects and miracles all the same.

  About ten years ago, like many Chinese people who were studying English, I was crazy about Li Yang and his Crazy English. And I even remitted a sum of money to place an order of a few Crazy English magazines. When I received them, I got so excited that if possible, I would recite and chant the beautifully elegant essays and learn to sing the songs collected in them. But later, I came to understand that the essence of so-called Crazy English is calling for passion. If we practice and practice and practice, some day we will surely be able to speak and write English as well as those native English speakers do. Yes, practice makes perfect indeed.

  Now let’s take a look at how we Chinese students study English. Sure that they also have realized the importance of studying English well. But most of them just take it as a useful tool that will help them go through the competitions. In a word, they all weigh their scores too much. As for whether they can successfully communicate with others, especially with international friends, they don’t care much about that. Most Chinese people are still deaf and dumb even after they have studied English for many years. They never dare to speak English in public because they are afraid that they will lose their faces when they make mistakes. However, they don’t know that language learning demands courage and a willingness to make errors. We may as well say “No errors, no progress.” This saying absolutely applies to the language learning. Who has never made any mistakes in the course of studying his mother language? I appreciate most the saying “Enjoy losing your face” dropped by Li Yang. If we always remain modest and keep silent being afraid of making errors, I am afraid that we will never make any progress in our language study.

  Up till today, I have taught English quite a few years at this university. To my surprise, few of my students have formed the habit of reading aloud in the morning. And I think one has to read English out again and again if he wants to achieve a sharp intuition. What do we study a foreign language for? Don’t we study it for a successful communication with other peoples?

   When I give lessons to my students, off and on I will find some of them holding a book on vocabulary in their palms piously. They think they will do with a large vocabulary. But I am certain that it won’t work if they don’t make the passive words active in their mind.

   When I started to learn English writing skills, I used to make some sentences on my own if I came across a new word. At first, I would try to write a few coherent sentences, and then a paragraph, and then a whole article or an essay. I remember that I used to write some English letters to my friends to develop my writing skills, although actually I have never mailed them out. As a matter of fact, didn’t we learn to write Chinese essays in our school days in the same way when we began writing?

Successful language learning calls for courage, passion, perseverance, constant practice and a willingness to make errors. If we regard the natural laws of studying a language, we will surely overcome the difficulties and embrace a bright future.

I sincerely hope that my students will no longer ask me to polish their resumes before they go hunting jobs because they can manage them on their own.      

今天上午备课时，无意间发现了书里夹带的一张纸条，蓦然想起四五个月前的情景。当时正是四川汶川大地震发生后不久，有个学生让我帮他翻译以下这句标语，以此表达对四川汶川人民遭遇不幸后的强烈关注与同情，以及万众一心，共同救灾的坚定决心。这句标语是这样的：“大灾有大爱，地动人不摇。”

我当时颇为踌躇，虽然它只有短短的十个字，但它承载的信息却不少。略微思索了一下，我给出了他以下译文。

Great care cometh after the huge disaster,

Despite the earthquake we are firmly united.

原译文中少了一个副词firmly，这是我现在临时加上去的。今将此标语的原文与译文录存于此，一为铭记那个我们中华民族的共同记忆，也愿与路过我家门口的方家切磋技艺。

                          一、与朱家角的初次约会

大约半个月前的一天，我正在网上闲逛，突然有个老乡跳出来，说想无偿转让两张音乐节的门票给我。我一向喜欢音乐，所以立刻来了精神。但诚如人们常说的那样，女人善变。才一会儿功夫，她立刻就变了脸，说心里很犹豫，想留着自己去看。我不禁觉得悻悻然，心想这是什么事儿，不是存心在耍我么。当下颇有些不快，好在她随后给我指点了迷津，说如果我真想去看音乐节开幕式的话，可以自己去“吆喝城”网站里去申请，于是赶快到她告诉我的网站里注册，很顺利地申请到了朱家角水上世界音乐节的开幕式和闭幕式的门票。

虽然去过很多次青浦，但朱家角却还一次没有去过，只知道她是一个处于上海西南很有名的一个江南小镇，不久前好像还被评为中国宜居城市。江南小镇在我的印象里，永远是充满诗情画意的，特别是在细雨蒙蒙的时刻。来上海这么多年，像乌镇、周庄、西塘这样的江南小镇，我一概没有去过，或许我宁愿把我对它们的向往，永远停留在我的想象里。但这回，我却急切地盼望音乐节开幕式的到来，并真诚地渴望投入朱家角的怀抱。

9月30日下午，出发前，我询问了那位老乡是否愿意同去。其实那只是礼节性的询问，即使她不去，我也不会犹豫着自己的脚步。在人民广场普安路坐上沪朱高速专线，转眼出了城，自是另一番景象。9月底10月初的上海，在我是一年中最惬意的季节，既不寒冷也不闷热，舒适得恰到好处。午后阳光透过车窗温暖地照在我身上，美妙悦耳的音乐萦绕在我的耳畔，这是一段多么慵懒而快乐的时光。皆可入画的成片树林，蜿蜒流水，古朴小桥，不断地涌入我的眼帘，又不断地往后退去。在这样一个温暖舒适的午后，我想即使不去观看什么音乐节开幕式，单是出城散心，就足以令人心满意足了。

大约过了一个时辰，车终于到了目的地。这里完全是另一个世界，没有上海市中心的车水马龙，也没有城里特有的喧嚣。与我们每时每刻赛跑的时间，仿佛顷刻间在这里停滞了。我似乎在时空的隧道里穿行。下车的一瞬间，我所想到的第一个词，就是“宁静”。行人不紧不慢地走，胜似闲庭信步。铺陈在我眼前的，是成群富有江南韵味的建筑，还有无数白墙青瓦的民居，恰似多年前在中国画里见到的江南小镇的模样。而我相信，这些浸润在烟雨中的江南小镇，是多少文人墨客心里永远的故乡。而它们于我，也仿佛是笼罩在轻纱上的梦，如此美丽却又如此脆弱，仿佛一不小心，就会将美梦惊醒，将美好毁掉。许多附庸风雅的人来到这里，于是这些“小家碧玉”逐渐花容失色，逐渐失去原有的妩媚，这正是我当初想去乌镇、周庄、西塘那样的江南古镇，但最终没有成行的原因。然而今天，我突然跟朱家角有个约定，而昔日停留在想象的那个小镇，如今就这样真切地用她不露声色的含蓄迎接着我的到来。

走在古色古香却又狭窄得有点逼促的小巷里，彼时的心情，犹如那天空闲散的云，那么的漫不经心，却又是那么的惬意。生活在这个小镇的人们无疑是幸福的，可是他们也许没有意识到，小镇也许正在因为他们的过于热情而逐渐失去她特有的韵味。

由于急于去观看音乐节开幕式的缘故，我无心去看更多的小桥流水。匆匆地吃过晚饭，就连忙往开幕式的举办地——王昶纪念馆奔去。

          （To be continued. 请继续关注二、王昶纪念馆上空的天籁）

记得几年前，我刚到上海读研究生的时候，学校领导来询问我们的近况。当问到是否已习惯这里的生活及饮食时，心直口快的我脱口而出：“这里条件还不错，唯一不习惯的就是这里的饭菜太甜了。我真担心甜食吃得太多，这样下去会得糖尿病！”在座的人都大笑起来。来看望我们的校领导也不禁笑了，但随后他认真地对我说：“如今你既然来到上海，就要学会适应环境，而不是让环境来适应你。要入乡随俗，懂吗？”我点点头，道理大家都懂，只是由老妈花二三十年培养起来的胃，并不是说适应就能适应的。学校的饭菜实在太清淡了，所以到了读研究生的最后一年，我基本上是到学校外面的湘菜馆里吃五六块钱的盖浇饭打发日子。

几年过去了，不要说什么上海本帮菜，即便是日本料理，韩国料理，东北菜，东南亚特色的菜，或者美国式的快餐，我都不会皱着眉头勉为其难地吃下了。所以有时我跟朋友开玩笑说，在上海呆了这么多年，使我造就了一张international mouth（国际嘴）了。

小时候的生活是清苦的，兄弟姐妹多，却只靠父亲微薄的工资和母亲的勤劳及精打细算维持生活。那年月，一年到头难得吃得上肉，只是逢年过节，母亲才会买一些肥肉来给我们解馋。不像现在的我，时不时要去住处附近的素食馆吃上一餐，却只是为了推崇一种更健康的生活理念。那时候，母亲总要在菜里放许多辣椒，因为那是自家种的，不花钱。记得好几次我都被辣得肚子疼而趴在地上，也许是自小经过了如此“残酷”的锻炼，现在的我已拥有一个特别坚强的胃了。

毕业后留在上海，在食堂及外面的小饭店里敷衍了一阵后，我突然觉得既贵又不合乎自己的口味，而且还吃不饱肚子，于是冒出了自己动手做菜的想法。弟弟最初听说我开始动手做菜时，一脸的怀疑与不屑，大概在他的印象里，他老兄是个既懒又馋的家伙。但他似乎忘记了，好吃的人自有他的长处，那就是为了满足自己的口腹之欲愿花时间勤奋钻研。虽说从小到大，我在家一直是饭来张口，在外则主要吃食堂，的确没动手炒过什么菜，但没吃过猪肉难道还没见过猪跑么？一个人在外那么多年，我已经让自己变得越来越强大了。以前的我是自卑的，但现在的我是乐观而自信的，因为在成长的过程中我逐渐发现了自我，并建立起一套挺管用的自我激励机制：只要我愿意尝试，就一定行。诚如那句有名的广告词所言，impossible is nothing（没有什么不可能）。

当然喽，炒菜就像做针线活，看似容易做起来难。起初有好几次，我怀着满腔的热情投入工作，然而炒出来的菜却色香味全无，使我一度备受打击，好在我没有灰心。逐渐地，我开始能炒几道像样的菜了。于是我相信自己在这方面还是有一定天赋的。前不久，我去广东探望父母。中秋节的晚上，大家一起去一家家乡风味的饭店吃饭，有一道菜是用韭黄拌蛋黄炒的，特香，味道极好，令我念念难忘。昨天从朱家角回来后，我便张罗着去附近的菜场买回了一些韭黄，尝试着炒了这样一道菜，没想到味道蛮不错的，为此我心里小小得意了一阵。只是碍于目前的客观条件，我还不能充分施展自己的拳脚。即使有了自己的房子，有了施展拳脚的空间，我想那时的我，一定比现在更忙吧！

小时候每次回家吃上母亲做的饭菜，受之怡然，觉得是天经地义的事情，或许偶尔还要挑剔一番，却全然不知母亲日复一日做菜的艰辛。有些看似简单的事情，也许只有在自己躬亲时，才能体会到其中的大不易。

炒菜的过程其实是很短暂的，但之前的准备工作却是繁杂的，繁杂得会让你失去耐心，如果没有一定的定力，恐怕是很难坚持下去的。不过，每当看到自己的成果，能满足自己的口味时，就觉得再辛苦也值了。

早已过了心气浮躁的年龄，如今的我，更愿意做一个宅男，更愿意享受繁忙生活背后的那份宁静与温馨。工作劳累后回家，炒一两道菜犒劳自己，就觉得非常的满足。只是，目前的生活似乎缺少了点什么，如果有个人能与我一起分享生活，那肯定会比一个人更加快乐。而为了她去接受“人间烟火的洗礼”，我想也是非常值得的，前提是，她必须是我爱的也是爱我的那个人。

国人都知道湖南人特别喜欢吃辣，岂不知江西人吃辣的厉害程度丝毫不亚于他们。对辣味的偏爱，已经深深浸透到我的骨髓里。我到现在还弄不明白，上海人为何如此喜欢吃清淡的饮食，又什么如此喜欢往菜里放上一些糖。其实上海的冬天是非常潮湿阴冷的，多吃一点辣椒，或可驱寒去湿，于身体大有好处。自己动手炒菜，最初虽乃情不得已，但学会炒菜，却让我从此多了一份放松的乐趣。

不知不觉，我已经有很多年没回老家看看了，虽然故乡的一草一木，一山一水，早已定格在我的脑海里，但我似乎对它没有太多的眷恋，因为如今的故乡，早已不是昔日的那个故乡了。我的父母，兄弟姐妹大多已不在那里，没有自己眷恋的人，也就没什么特别具体的情感寄托，也就没了什么回去的理由。其实，我想我这个人即便到了美国，也是可以做到随遇而安的，我就像一颗种子，到哪里都能生根发芽。中国人是个极度眷恋故土的民族，到老都不忘叶落归根，这大概是中国自古是个农业国家，而人民世世代代依靠土地谋生的缘故吧。或许是我还没老到那个程度，又或者是我因为接受了西方文化的熏陶，我在潜移默化中接受了美国人那种“Home is where you put your hat.”（帽子放在哪里，家就在哪里）的观念。但有一件，我相信至死都不会改变，那就是我的这个“中国胃”，更具体地说是“江西胃”。因为爱吃辣，所以不得不学会炒菜，于是炒菜便不再是简单的炒菜，它承载的，其实是我对故乡的那份恒久的回忆与深深的眷恋，是我怀念故乡的另一种独特的方式。

从小都是母亲照顾自己的饮食起居，工作后又大都吃住在单位里，因此还从未伺候过别人。但今年暑假，我邀请外甥来我这里小住备考来年的研究生考试，却让我充分体会到一日三餐的艰辛，更体会到为人父母的不易，但即便如此，当你看到有人因自己的付出而满足时，你就会觉得一切的辛苦都值了。

从上海南站出发

金鞭溪的猴子

巧夺天工的自然美景

坐缆车上天门山

天门山九十九道弯

古色古香的大庸府城

今天晚上，首都体育馆将上演女排决赛的最后一幕好戏，让人遗憾的是，里面的主角没有为大家所熟悉喜爱的中国女排。这样的结果无疑令大家倍感失落。在前几天进行的1/4决赛里，中国女排以3：0的比分干脆利落地赢了俄罗斯女排，看到俄罗斯女排的姑娘们黯然离去的背影，尽管我们深感遗憾，但更为中国女排的胜利感到高兴。而这场振奋人心的胜利，使人们对此前状态低迷起伏不定的中国女排重新燃起了热情，并对她们寄予了主场卫冕的厚望。但很不幸，半决赛她们面对的对手是近来所向披靡、状态神勇的巴西女排，她们将是中国女排卫冕的最大障碍。然而有人回顾了中巴女排以往交手的战绩，并因此对中国女排的卫冕持一种很乐观的态度，但他们不知道，如今的巴西女排已经今非昔比。技战术非常全面不说，更重要的是以往她们在大赛中状态起伏不定的心理顽症，在这次奥运赛事中也似乎已经找到了良好的药方。巴西女排的姑娘们——其实所有来自南美的姑娘们，都是疯狂的、张扬的、热烈而奔放的，似乎个个是“人来疯”，她们在比赛顺利时，其雷霆万钧势不可挡之势，足以令对手望而生畏、望尘莫及；而当她们在比赛中处于下风时，往往会因为急躁而失误连连，直至葬送了自己的“美好前程”。以前的巴西女排如此，曾在世界排坛刮起一股强烈的加勒比旋风的古巴女排亦是如此。只不过古巴女排仍然在延续她们大起大落的状态，在打顺风球时，她们可以很干脆地完胜对手，而在打逆风球时，她们的表现又会令人大跌眼镜，甚至会让人怀疑她们的对手是二流球队。在半决赛对阵美国女排的那场比赛，就是一个很好的证明。在那场关键比赛中，路易斯、卡尔德隆这些曾经风光无限的炮手们，突然无一例外地哑火了。由此可见，古巴女排心态的不够成熟以及把握机会能力的欠缺，是阻碍她们继续前行的“杀手锏”。与其说是美国女排打败了她们，不如说是她们自己打败了自己。

而反观巴西女排在这次比赛中的表现，却是气定神闲，场场打得极有耐心。看来巴西女排在训练中引进的瑜伽术以及专门为队员们聘请的心理医生，已经开始对治疗她们的心理顽症发挥了作用。这样一支技战术全面，心理素质逐渐走向成熟的队伍无疑是非常可怕的。其实此前巴西女排在奥运小组赛中以未失一局全胜的战绩挺进半决赛，就已经不动声色地向世人宣告一个排坛新时代的到来。

中国女排——还有所有熟悉中国女排以及世界排坛局势的人们，都知道前面的征程必然凶多吉少。但对继承了老女排顽强拼搏精神的中国女排来说，是不会轻言放弃的。尽管对手的实力十分强大，但并不意味着我们没有一点胜算。古语说：“置之死地而后生。”放低姿态，努力拼搏，也许会杀出一条路来。 

之前我预言这将是一场你死我活的恶战，或许要打满五局才能定胜负。然而，或许是中国女排太想赢得这场比赛了，以至于在比分领先时，突然少有的变得急躁起来，不仅失误连连，而且打不出快速多变的战术，要知道，这可是中国女排一贯用来克敌制胜的法宝。实际上，在那场比赛中，巴西女排的失误也不少，但她们的综合实力实在是太强大了。而中国女排所谓的“天安门城墙”，不过是形同虚设而已。巴西女排在连续拿下了前两局后，士气大增，第三局便以一个8：2的梦幻开局，彻底断送了中国女排志在翻盘的企图，在稍作抵抗后，中国女排便束手就擒。而巴西女排得势不饶人，一点也不照顾东道主的面子，一鼓作气以3：0的比分取得了这场比赛的胜利。

在对阵美国女排的那场小组赛中，当我们看到本是整个女排队伍里的主心骨冯坤因与李娟配合失误而流泪时，我们的心就揪紧了。要知道，她以前是很少在比赛中流泪的。在我们的记忆里，中国女排的姑娘们留给大家的始终是灿烂的微笑，还有“阳光总在风雨后”的希望，莫非这次，真的是“廉颇老矣”？对于中国女排在半决赛中的失利，我想大多数人都会坦然接受，毕竟赛场上没有常胜冠军，毕竟双方的实力差距摆在那里，但同时大家总感觉少了点什么，或许就是中国女排的姑娘们在这次比赛中，少了老女排顽强拼搏的精气神吧。

这样压倒性的胜利，无疑鼓舞了巴西女排的士气，燃起了她们志在夺冠的无限希望。号称“无冕之王”的巴西女排，实在太需要这个冠军来为她们正名了。尽管她们已经获得了不少世界女排大奖赛的冠军，是公认的世界强手，但迄今为止，她们还没有染指世界女排三大赛事的冠军，这样的事实，是任谁都会感到尴尬的。

今晚，她们将与24年后重新杀回决赛的美国女排一决雌雄。早在2005年，当美国排球协会决定聘请郎平担任美国女排时，就有许多人担心郎平执教的美国女排日后会不会成为中国女排卫冕的最大障碍。现在想想，这样的担心是多么的可笑且一厢情愿。事实上，美国女排只是中国女排的对手之一，而每一个球队在战胜对手之前，都必须战胜自己。

如今，随着原本想借占有主场之利志在卫冕的中国女排的倒下，以往媒体渲染的“和平大战”也就烟消云散了。中国女排的失利，也许对某些过于看重得失成败的国人来说是一个解脱，而对执教美国女排的郎平或许也是一个解脱——自她决定出任美国女排的教练以来，她的内心就一直在承受种种的压力和煎熬，而这种心理压力，有很大一部分就是来自她的同胞。而现在，她可以放手一搏了。

这次奥运会，我国体育代表团在某些体育项目上取得了重大突破，如新晋的男子佩剑冠军仲满，在决赛中击败了对手洛佩兹，从而实现了几代击剑人的梦想。值得注意的是，仲满的教练是法国人，就是这位教练，帮助了仲满击败了他的同胞，法国人洛佩兹。对此，法国人倒没多说什么，顶多只是在报纸上调侃，说“法国人击败法国人”而已，而字里行间甚至还流露出几分骄傲之情。试想一下，这样的情形如果发生在中国，肯定要炸开了锅。我想这位教练八成是活得不耐烦了。哪有帮助别人打自家人的道理？这样一来，岂不成了“千夫所指”的汉奸和卖国贼了？十年前的小山智丽，就是一个活生生的教训。对在中国这样独特社会语境里成长的郎平来说，自然是再清楚不过了。好在中国毕竟是越来越开放，理解郎平的人终究比质疑她的人要多，这最终坚定了她的选择。郎平毕竟是郎平，她似乎总有一股化腐朽为神奇、点石成金的力量。她上任美国女排的教练不过两三年，就已把这支队伍整合得有模有样了，于是先前国人的顾虑又重新冒了出来：万一北京奥运会上的女排决赛要上演“和平大战”，而中国女排输给了美国女排怎么办？好在，现在这种顾虑已经不复存在。

前不久，我在网上与一位留学美国攻读博士学位的同学聊天。我跟她说，中国固然是一个逐渐崛起的大国，是国际社会中一股新兴的不可忽视的力量，但目前国民的心态还很不成熟，因为我们太计较得失了。或许是因为我们这个灾难深重的国家有太多不堪回首的经历，我们才需要有更多的金牌来给自己加油打气，从而给自己增添更多的自信。但其实，什么时候，如果我们能够真正笑对输赢，坦然得失，我们才能真正领略奥林匹克精神，才能真正享受奥运带给我们的乐趣。

今天，我们仍然需要顽强拼搏不断进取的精神，体育的兴盛，可以说从侧面反映了一个国家的软实力。但体育是无国界的，正如爱与艺术也是无国界的那样。体育需要相互交流，这样才会推动彼此不断进步。然而，我们对金牌背后承载的东西，实在是看得太重太重了。

好在今晚，我们可以抱着一种轻松的心情去看女排的决赛，可以抱着一种释然的情怀去为郎平大姐喝彩。不管怎么说，郎平能带领美国女排杀进决赛，这本身就是一个奇迹，我们有足够的理由为她喝彩。她的胜利，从某种意义上看也是我们中国体育的光彩。在此遥祝郎平大姐：“祝你和你带领的美国女排好运！”