周二下了场沙尘暴，漫天黄沙能见度极低。这些天起来都连打噴嚏，想起在德国居住的这个季节，早上起来也打噴嚏，吸进去的不是沙尘而是花粉。要问与发达国家差距，差距在环境。我们成了世界最大的加工厂，开足马力为全世界生产，同时排放污染物也快成了世界第一。

　　周三院里参加钱理群先生学术座谈。他谈孔子鲁迅与当代中国。问他对顾彬对中国现代文学的批评，话题自然转到当代知识分子的生存状态。钱先生认为，副教授职称以上的知识分子没理由为生存蝇营苟狗。当下即便教授院士蝇营狗苟也海了去了。虽然这个世界还是由西方学者操纵诺贝尔奖的话语权，这对许多中国作家是不公平的。但是没有日瓦格医生的境界，也就没有《日瓦格医生》。

　　多年来边缘生存，不愿巴结，体制内“好事”——那种打出脑浆的事一概与我绝缘。上帝是公平的，种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。写的书有出版社愿意出，比那些拿了钱出不了书的心理压力小的多。上周末和朋友登山，爬到半道谈今后应选择什么生活？一致认为，活到这把年纪，最好不去做重复的事，要多经历。到了退休如果还在同一个地方为多吃这一口争岂不悲哀？

　　走在边缘能呼吸新鲜空气，结识有意思的人，一路看风景．．．这比猪油蒙心有意思的多。刚收到两封信，过些天该忙了。

Dear .....,

You are cordially invited to come  to attend a Training Programme on Combating Desertification, which is mandated to give training to those potential volunteers who are willing to support the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The training will be conducted at the UN campus. During the three-month programme, some field trips might be organized depending on the needs and requests of the trainees and the availability of resources......

Dear....,

We are pleased to inform you that we have been requested to undertake the necessary steps in recruiting volunteers for the CBD conference (COP 9 and MOP 4) which will be held from 12 until 30 May 2008.Qualified candidates are cordially invited to contact me by indicating their interest and availability during the complete above-mentioned period, enclosing a Curriculum Vitae (possibly P-11 form), specifically pointing out bilingual language skills with a priority of English and French. Any other language such as Spanish and, of course, German, will be an asset.Besides the qualifications required by CBD any incumbent should be willing and able to do overtime on certain days, especially into the late hours of the evening......

临阵磨枪，上外文书店买《日常交际法语》（带光盘）。第二挡事还在等答复，同志还需努力。ll n'y a pas de roses sans epines!