《中国故事》第三集The Story of China3The Song Dynasty中英文对照.docx

《中国故事》第三集The Story of China3The Song Dynasty中英文对照.docx

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《中国故事》第三集TheStoryofChina3TheSongDynasty中英文对照

TheStoryofChina（3）

1．TheHistoryofTheSongDynasty

Goldenage

I.Script

Inthetenthcentury,Chinaalmostbrokeapartforeverincivilwar.ThesoldierpoetWangRenyuwitnessedthedestructionofhiscountry."ThebarbarianshaveoverthrowntheTangDynasty,"hewrote."Ourcitieshavebeenabandoned.Ourtemplecourtyardslieinruin."Chinahasenteredatrulydarktime."Butthingscannotgoonlikethisforever."Thewaysurelyhasnotbeenfinallylost."Ibelieveheavenwillsoonannounceanewdynasty."Andinaroundtheyear960,itdid.IntheWest,weseehistoryastheriseandfallofdifferentcivilisations.InChina,there'sonecivilisation,whichhasgonethroughcyclesoforderanddisorder.AndintheMiddleAges,likeEuropeaftertheSecondWorldWar,theChinesesetouttobuildabravenewworld.InthestoryofChina,we'vereachedtheSongDynasty.We'reinthecityofKaifenginthemiddleofChina.

“Mushroom!

”

“Mushroom,yeah,yeah,yeah,OK.”

Athousandyearsago,thiswasthegreatestandmostexcitingplaceonEarth.ItscreativityandinventivenesssurpassedandofcourseprecededtheEuropeanRenaissance.IntheSongRenaissance,theChinesesetouttomakethemostenlightenedsocietyonEarth,withthebestgovernance,housingandfood,thebesteducationandscience.Andthisistheirstory.SincethegreatageoftheTangDynasty,Chinahadshrunkdramatically.After907,itfragmentedinto16dynastiesinalittleover50years,warlordsfightingeachotherfortheEmpire.Atthispoint,therewasnocertaintythatChinawouldeverbereunited.ButasitsaysinChina'sfamousnovel,TheRomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms,"Itisatruthuniversallyacknowledged"thateverythinglongunitedwillfallapart"andeverythinglongdividedwillcomebacktogetheragain."TheSongwouldtransformKaifengfromaprovincialbackwaterintothegreatestcityonEarth.Andnowit'srebuildingagain.Afterthestrugglesofthe20thcentury,today'sChinesepeoplearefascinatedbythespectacleofwhattheirancestorsachievedandtheywanttotouchthattimeagain.AndasalwaysinChinesehistory,greateventswereforetoldbysignsandomens.HereinKaifeng,themostfamoustellsofthebirthoftwobrotherswho,likeRomulusandRemus,wouldbecomethefirstemperorsofthenewdynasty.Storygoeslikethis-atthetimeofchaosandwaranddestruction,afterthefalloftheTangDynasty,amancalledChenTuanfledtothesacredmountainHuashan,wherehelivedinacaveandbecameahermit.Andheacquiredpropheticvisionarypowers.Andonedayhecameoffthemountainandintheroadhemetacrowdofrefugeesandtherewasapoormancarryingtwobasketsonapoleonhisshoulders.Andwhenthehermitlookedintothebasket,thereweretwobabyboys,butthehermitsawdragonsandheroaredoutwithlaughter.Andeverybodysaid,"Whyareyoulaughing?

"andhesaid,"IneverexpectedthattheMandateofHeaven"wouldcomebacktoearthsoquickly."

“Ah,great.Ah,fantastic.”

There'sthesurvivingdragon,thelastdragonofTwinDragonAlley.Anydaynow,TwinDragonAlleywillberedevelopedandsoononlythememorywillremain.Butthat'sKaifengforyou,China'scityofmemory.In960,theolderbrother,Taizu,announcedthenewdynasty,theSong.Andhemadethecapitalhereavastnewmetropolisofwoodandbrick,thrownupinafeverishconstructionboom.

ThisisSongbuildingmanual,commissionedintheearly12thcentury.Ifyouareofacertainsocialstatusandifyoucanaffordityoucanbuildyourhouseaccordingtothese...styles.

“Sothistellsyouhowtobuildacity,almost,doesn'tit?

”

“Well,foracityofoveramillionpeopleyouwouldneedlotsofbuildings.”

“Biggestcityintheworld,perhaps,atthatpoint?

”

“Yes,definitely,atthattime.”

“Andtogowiththenewbuildings'wasawholenewconceptionofcitylife.”

'Kaifengwasamuchmoreopencity,thelifestylemuchmorevibrantthantheTangChang'an.Allsortsofshops,allsortsofrestaurants,evenfastfood,there'smentionoffastfood.Andtherewasnocurfew.Thatwas,er,veryimportant.Beforethis,residentsinthecity,theseurbandwellers,weresupposedtostayintheirownwardsafterthebell.ButinKaifengtheywereallowedtojustflocktothemarketsand...enjoytheirtime.

“Soallthepleasuresofcitylifereallystarttounfoldatthistime.”

“Yes.”

Soanewcapitalforanewage.ThelargestcityanywhereonEarthuntilthe19thcentury.Andjustliketoday'sChina,thecitybecameamagnetforpeoplefloodingin.Inafewyears,itwentfromonesquaremileto16.Onlyafewancientbuildingssurvivetodayaboveground.OneofthemisthefamousIronPagoda,socalledbecauseofthemetallicsheenofitstiles.We'reoutinthenortheastcorneroftheoldcityhere.TheIronPagodaisonabitofraisedgroundinthiscorner.TheEmperorhadbuiltthisartificialmountaincalledtheHillofLongevity.Wonderful,theseChinesenames,aren'tthey?

ComparedwithRomeorConstantinople,verylittlesurvivesfromKaifeng'sgoldenage.Andyoucanseewhywhenyoulookbelowtheground.Downhereisevidenceof20devastatingfloodsoftheYellowRiversincetheSongDynasty.Thispitisametaphorforthestoryofthecity.I'vecalledKaifengthecityofmemory,China'scapitalofmemory.AndinthispitunderneaththeWestGateyoucanseewhy!

ThatistheQingDynastycitywall,the18th-and19th-centuryQingDynastycitywall.Andthissmallerbrickworkhere,theMingDynastywall,Tudorperiod-partofitcarriesondown.AndtheSongDynastycitywall...maybe20feetbelowthefloorlevelhere.It'sanamazingthought,isn'tit?

Andthereasonwhy?

ThathugedepositofYellowRivermud,whichisonlyafewmilesfromthecity.ThesefloodshavebeenincrediblydestructiveallthewaythroughChinesehistory,sweepingthroughthewholecity,destroyingalmosteverything,eveninrecenttimes-1842,forexample.Nowonder,then,thatcityhasbeenmemorialised,ifyoulike,notinstone,notingreatbuildings,butinwordsandinpaintings.

"Amillionpeoplethrongedthesestreets,"saidaSongpoet."Therewererestaurantsasfarastheeyecouldsee."Everywheretherewasmusicintheair."Whatwouldwegivetoseethatageagain?

"ButweCANstillseeSongKaifeng...inChina'smostfamousworkofart.Ashistoricalsourcesgo,thisisoneofthemostfabulousthatexistsintheworld.It'sascroll.It'snearly20feetlong.I'dneedtounrollitacrossthemiddleofthestreetifweweregoingtodothat.It'ssimplyadepictionofthecityasitwasjustbefore1127byacourtpainter,andit'sthelifeoftheordinarypeople.Thereisnothinglikethisinthewholeofhistory.Itgivesyouthestreets,thealleyways,thehutongs,theshops.Thetavernsandrestaurants,andallofthemrealplaces.MrWang'shouse,theSpiceShop,Shenyang'sLicensedTavern.PhysicianZhao'sResidence,theSugarCaneShop,DrYang'sClinic.AnamazingimageofthesheervitalityofSongDynastyChina.Here,400yearsbeforetheEuropeanRenaissancewithitscommitmenttohumanvalues,wasacitydedicatedtotheprosperityandwellbeingofitspeople.Acityforthemany,notjustthefew.NotkingsorwarriorsortheChurch,butthelivesofordinarypeople.It'sanimageofthemselvestheChinesehavelovedeversince.Somuchsothattheycouldn'tresistbringingitbacktolife.Ajourneybackintoagoldenage,asonecitizenrecalled.

"Theyweresuchhappytimes."Somanypeopleandanabundanceofthingsintheshops."Thewonderfulfestivals."Somanysightsfortheeyetoenjoy."Aboveall,Irememberthehumaneandcongenialcharacterof"thecitizens,alwaysreadytohelpastranger.

"Agoodtimetolive,doyouthink?

"

“Thelamp-litnights,"thesoundsofmusicfromthemyriadtavernsandwinebars."Butyouseethen,thiswasatimeofpeace."

TherearemanylegaciesoftheSongintoday'sChina.Andonethat'sbecomecelebratedacrosstheworldisChinesecuisine.TheSongthoughtthatpeopleshouldbewell-fedandeatingbecamethegreatsocialritualitistoday.Chinesecooking,ofcourse,isoneofthegreatcuisinesoftheworldandtheoldestcuisineintheworld.Butthebeginningslieinpoorpeople'sfood.Heretheyfedboththeposhandtheworkingman.Peoplehavehadtogetusedtomakingthebestoutofwhateverfoodsourcetheycouldlaytheirhandsonandtomakeitpalatable.ButbythetimeoftheSongDynasty,it's,well,thefirstgreatrestaurantcultureoftheworld.TheChinesepeoplebythenarethebest-fedpeopleintheworld,probablythebest-fedthathadeverbeeninhistory.Andthere'swonderfulaccountsoftherestaurantcultureofthetime-70greatrestaurantshereinKaifeng,thewaitersrushingfromtabletotable,takingtheorders,andrushingbackfromthehatch,withthreedishesoffooddownonearmand20bowlsdowntheother.Andnevermakingamistake,saysonecontemporary.Andthatrestaurantculturebringsyouetiquette,howtobehaveattable,howtobeconsideratetoyourfellowdiners,nottorush,nottochewloudly,tobecarefulwhenyou'realleatingfromthesamebowl.Andthatinturn,ofcourse,bringsyouakindoffoodieculture.They'vegotcookbooksbackintheSongDynasty.Oneofthemhasbeenreprintedeversince,thelasttimein2004.PurerecipesfromtheMountainHouseCookbook.Orangesstuffedwithcrabmeat.Beancurdsteamedwithhibiscusflowers.Andeachoneoftheserecipeshasgotdelightfulnotesbytheauthortellingyouwherehefirstpickeditup.Takethisone,plum-blossomnoodle-cakesoup."Ipickedupthisrecipefromanoldscholar"intheZimouMountainsonabeautifulsnowynight,"andwheneverItasteit"theexquisitemomentcomesfloodingbacktome."

“Let'sjustmovesomespace.”

'InarestaurantinoldKaifeng,weaskedthecheftomake'oneofthese11th-centuryrecipes-adaptedforthevegetarian.'

“There's