Boisterous, Booming Beijing

欣欣向荣的北京（4）

我望着两旁那些闪闪发亮的高楼大厦，简直不能置信。
印象中的北京正深受“文化大革命”的摧残，风沙扑面，死气沉沉，落后闭塞。
如今北京已敞开大门，并且已迈开大步奔向21世纪。
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。

By Paul Raffaele
保罗·拉菲尔

A fading Past.
消亡的过去

[18]Over the following days I visit long-time favorites-the Summer Palace, the Temple of the Sun, the Marco Polo Bridge, the Ancient Observatory 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 modernization 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 Hoof 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 random『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 cane 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 chirps『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 skyscraper, 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."

[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 motifs『图案；色彩』, leads into the small auditorium 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 throb 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 warrior 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 cymbals. Beijing Opera is a seamless amalgam『混合物；结合』of acting, recitation『朗诵；吟诵』, mime『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。

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