Podcasts about we chinese

Greetings to everybody! Time flies fast, and the new year will be with us shortly. I extend my best wishes to you all from Beijing.大家好！时间过得很快，新的一年即将到来，我在北京向大家致以美好的祝福！In 2024, we have together journeyed through the four seasons. Together, we have experienced winds and rains and seen rainbows. Those touching and unforgettable moments have been like still frames showing how extraordinary a year we have had.2024年，我们一起走过春夏秋冬，一道经历风雨彩虹，一个个瞬间定格在这不平凡的一年，令人感慨、难以忘怀。We have proactively responded to the impacts of the changing environment at home and abroad. We have adopted a full range of policies to make solid gains in pursuing high-quality development. China's economy has rebounded and is on an upward trajectory, with its GDP for the year expected to pass the 130 trillion yuan mark. Grain output has surpassed 700 million tons, and China's bowls are now filled with more Chinese grain. Coordinated development across regions has gained stronger momentum, and mutually reinforcing advances have been made in both new urbanization and rural revitalization. Green and low-carbon development has been further enhanced. Indeed, a more beautiful China is unfolding before us.我们积极应对国内外环境变化带来的影响，出台一系列政策“组合拳”，扎实推动高质量发展，我国经济回暖向好，国内生产总值预计超过130万亿元。粮食产量突破1.4万亿斤，中国碗装了更多中国粮。区域发展协同联动、积厚成势，新型城镇化和乡村振兴相互融合、同频共振。绿色低碳发展纵深推进，美丽中国画卷徐徐铺展。We have fostered new quality productive forces in light of actual conditions. New business sectors, forms and models have kept emerging. For the first time, China has produced more than 10 million new energy vehicles in a year. Breakthroughs have been made in integrated circuit, artificial intelligence, quantum communications and many other fields. Also for the first time, the Chang'e-6 lunar probe collected samples from the far side of the moon. The Mengxiang drilling vessel explored the mystery of the deep ocean. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link now connects the two cities across the sea. The Antarctic Qinling Station is now in operation on the frozen continent. All this epitomizes the lofty spirit and dreams of the Chinese people to explore stars and oceans.我们因地制宜培育新质生产力，新产业新业态新模式竞相涌现，新能源汽车年产量首次突破1000万辆，集成电路、人工智能、量子通信等领域取得新成果。嫦娥六号首次月背采样，梦想号探秘大洋，深中通道踏浪海天，南极秦岭站崛起冰原，展现了中国人逐梦星辰大海的豪情壮志。This year, I have visited many places across the country and seen how our people enjoy their enriching lives. I saw the big, red Huaniu apples in Tianshui, Gansu and the fishing boats in Aojiao Village, Fujian loaded with their catches. I watched the millenium-old "Eastern Smile" in the Maiji Mountain Grottoes, and I learned more about good-neighborliness passed from generation to generation in Liuchixiang Alley. I enjoyed the hustle and bustle in Tianjin's Ancient Culture Street, and I saw how the people in Yinchuan's mixed-ethnic residential communities live together as one family. The concerns of the people about jobs and incomes, elderly and child care, education and medical services are always on my mind. This year, basic pension has been raised, and mortgage rates have dropped. Cross-province direct settlement of medical bills has been expanded, making it easier for people to seek medical treatment across the country. And consumer goods trade-in programs have improved people's lives... All these are real benefits to our people.今年，我到地方考察，看到大家生活多姿多彩。天水花牛苹果又大又红，东山澳角村渔获满舱。麦积山石窟“东方微笑”跨越千年，六尺巷礼让家风代代相传。天津古文化街人潮熙攘，银川多民族社区居民亲如一家。对大家关心的就业增收、“一老一小”、教育医疗等问题，我一直挂念。一年来，基础养老金提高了，房贷利率下调了，直接结算范围扩大方便了异地就医，消费品以旧换新提高了生活品质……大家的获得感又充实了许多。In the Paris Olympics, Chinese athletes raced to the top and achieved their best performance in Olympic Games held overseas, fully demonstrating the vigor and confidence of young Chinese. The PLA Navy and Air Force celebrated their 75th birthdays, and our servicemen and women are full of drive. When floods, typhoons and other natural disasters struck, members of the Communist Party of China and officials stepped forward to lead disaster relief efforts, and our people were of one mind and reached out to each other. People in all fields -- workers, builders and entrepreneurs, among others -- are working hard to fulfill their dreams. I presented awards to recipients of national medals and honorary titles. The honor belongs to them; it also belongs to every hard-working person who has lived up to their responsibilities.巴黎奥运赛场上，我国体育健儿奋勇争先，取得境外参赛最好成绩，彰显了青年一代的昂扬向上、自信阳光。海军、空军喜庆75岁生日，人民子弟兵展现新风貌。面对洪涝、台风等自然灾害，广大党员干部冲锋在前，大家众志成城、守望相助。无数劳动者、建设者、创业者，都在为梦想拼搏。我为国家勋章和国家荣誉称号获得者颁奖，光荣属于他们，也属于每一个挺膺担当的奋斗者。In a world of both transformation and turbulence, China, as a responsible major country, is actively promoting global governance reform and deepening solidarity and cooperation among the Global South. We are making deeper and more substantive advances in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was a full success. We put forward China's vision at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, APEC, G20 and other bilateral and multilateral forums. We have contributed greatly to the maintenance of world peace and stability.当今世界变乱交织，中国作为负责任大国，积极推动全球治理变革，深化全球南方团结合作。我们推进高质量共建“一带一路”走深走实，成功举办中非合作论坛北京峰会，在上合、金砖、亚太经合组织、二十国集团等双边多边场合，鲜明提出中国主张，为维护世界和平稳定注入更多正能量。We celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of New China. With deep affection, we looked back at the sea change that has taken place across China since the birth of the People's Republic. Nurtured by our 5,000-plus years of continuous civilization, our country, China, is engraved not only on the bottom of the ancient bronze ritual wine vessel of He Zun, but also in the heart of every Chinese. At its Third Plenary Session, the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China sounded a clarion call for further deepening all-round reform. We will march forward in great strides to advance reform and opening up as the trend of our times. We will surely embrace even broader prospects in pursuing Chinese modernization in the course of reform and opening up.我们隆重庆祝新中国成立75周年，深情回望共和国的沧桑巨变。从五千多年中华文明的传承中一路走来，“中国”二字镌刻在“何尊”底部，更铭刻在每个华夏儿女心中。党的二十届三中全会胜利召开，吹响进一步全面深化改革的号角。我们乘着改革开放的时代大潮阔步前行，中国式现代化必将在改革开放中开辟更加广阔的前景。In 2025, we will fully complete the 14th Five-Year Plan. We will implement more proactive and effective policies, pursue high-quality development as a top priority, promote greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and maintain sound momentum in economic and social development. The Chinese economy now faces some new conditions, including challenges of uncertainties in the external environment and pressure of transformation from old growth drivers into new ones. But we can prevail with our hard work. As always, we grow in the wind and rain, and we get stronger through hard times. We must be confident.2025年，我们将全面完成“十四五”规划。要实施更加积极有为的政策，聚精会神抓好高质量发展，推动高水平科技自立自强，保持经济社会发展良好势头。当前经济运行面临一些新情况，有外部环境不确定性的挑战，有新旧动能转换的压力，但这些经过努力是可以克服的。我们从来都是在风雨洗礼中成长、在历经考验中壮大，大家要充满信心。Of all the jobs in front of us, the most important is to ensure a happy life for our people. Every family hopes that their children can have a good education, their seniors can enjoy good elderly services, and their youngsters can have more and better opportunities. These simple wishes are our people's aspirations for a better life. We should work together to steadily improve social undertakings and governance, build a harmonious and inclusive atmosphere, and settle real issues, big or small, for our people. We must bring more smiles to our people and greater warmth to their hearts.家事国事天下事，让人民过上幸福生活是头等大事。家家户户都盼着孩子能有好的教育，老人能有好的养老服务，年轻人能有更多发展机会。这些朴实的愿望，就是对美好生活的向往。我们要一起努力，不断提升社会建设和治理水平，持续营造和谐包容的氛围，把老百姓身边的大事小情解决好，让大家笑容更多、心里更暖。On the eve of the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland, I visited the city again, and I was gratified to see the new progress and changes there. We will unswervingly implement the policy of One Country, Two Systems to maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao. We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same family. No one can ever sever the bond of kinship between us, and no one can ever stop China's reunification, a trend of the times.在澳门回归祖国25周年之际，我再到濠江之畔，新发展新变化令人欣喜。我们将坚定不移贯彻“一国两制”方针，保持香港、澳门长期繁荣稳定。两岸同胞一家亲，谁也无法割断我们的血脉亲情，谁也不能阻挡祖国统一的历史大势！As changes unseen in a century accelerate across the world, it is important to rise above estrangement and conflict with a broad vision, and care for the future of humanity with great passion. China will work with all countries to promote friendship and cooperation, enhance mutual learning among different cultures, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. We must jointly create a better future for the world.世界百年变局加速演进，需要以宽广胸襟超越隔阂冲突，以博大情怀关照人类命运。中国愿同各国一道，做友好合作的践行者、文明互鉴的推动者、构建人类命运共同体的参与者，共同开创世界的美好未来。Dreams and wishes may be far, but they can be fulfilled with dedicated pursuit. On the new journey of Chinese modernization, everyone is a key actor, every effort counts, and every ray of light shines.梦虽遥，追则能达；愿虽艰，持则可圆。中国式现代化的新征程上，每一个人都是主角，每一份付出都弥足珍贵，每一束光芒都熠熠生辉。Splendor adorns our motherland, and starlight graces every home. Let us greet the new year with hope. May our great country enjoy harmony and prosperity! May all your dreams come true! May you all have a new year of happiness and peace!河山添锦绣，星光映万家。让我们满怀希望，迎接新的一年。祝祖国时和岁丰、繁荣昌盛！祝大家所愿皆所成，多喜乐、长安宁！quantumn.量子

On New Year's Eve, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered his 2024 New Year message via China Media Group and the Internet. The following is the full text of the message:大家好！冬至阳生，岁回律转。在这辞旧迎新的美好时刻，我在北京向大家致以新年的祝福！Greetings to you all! As energy rises after the Winter Solstice, we are about to bid farewell to the old year and usher in the new. From Beijing, I extend my best New Year wishes to each and every one of you!2023年，我们接续奋斗、砥砺前行，经历了风雨洗礼，看到了美丽风景，取得了沉甸甸的收获。大家记住了一年的不易，也对未来充满信心。In 2023, we have continued to forge ahead with resolve and tenacity. We have gone through the test of winds and rains, have seen beautiful scenes unfolding on the way, and have made plenty real achievements. We will remember this year as one of hard work and perseverance. Going forward, we have full confidence in the future.这一年的步伐，我们走得很坚实。疫情防控平稳转段，我国经济持续回升向好，高质量发展扎实推进。现代化产业体系更加健全，一批高端化、智能化、绿色化新型支柱产业快速崛起。粮食生产“二十连丰”，绿水青山成色更足，乡村振兴展现新气象。东北全面振兴谱写新篇，雄安新区拔节生长，长江经济带活力脉动，粤港澳大湾区勇立潮头。中国经济在风浪中强健了体魄、壮实了筋骨。This year, we have marched forward with solid steps. We achieved a smooth transition in our COVID-19 response efforts. The Chinese economy has sustained the momentum of recovery. Steady progress has been made in pursuing high-quality development. Our modernized industrial system has been further upgraded. A number of advanced, smart and green industries are rapidly emerging as new pillars of the economy. We have secured a bumper harvest for the 20th year in a row. Waters have become clearer and mountains greener. New advances have been made in pursuing rural revitalization. New progress has been made in fully revitalizing northeast China. The Xiong'an New Area is growing fast, the Yangtze River Economic Belt is full of vitality, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is embracing new development opportunities. Having weathered the storm, the Chinese economy is more resilient and dynamic than before.这一年的步伐，我们走得很有力量。经过久久为功的磨砺，中国的创新动力、发展活力勃发奔涌。C919大飞机实现商飞，国产大型邮轮完成试航，神舟家族太空接力，“奋斗者”号极限深潜。国货潮牌广受欢迎，国产新手机一机难求，新能源汽车、锂电池、光伏产品给中国制造增添了新亮色。中国以自强不息的精神奋力攀登，到处都是日新月异的创造。This year, we have marched forward with robust steps. Thanks to years of dedicated efforts, China's innovation-driven development is full of energy. The C919 large passenger airliner entered commercial service. The Chinese-built large cruise ship completed its trial voyage. The Shenzhou spaceships are continuing their missions in space. The deep-sea manned submersible Fendouzhe reached the deepest ocean trench. Products designed and made in China, especially trendy brands, are highly popular with consumers. The latest models of Chinese-made mobile phones are an instant market success. New energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products are a new testimony to China's manufacturing prowess. Everywhere across our country, new heights are being scaled with dogged determination, and new creations and innovations are emerging every day.这一年的步伐，我们走得很见神采。成都大运会、杭州亚运会精彩纷呈，体育健儿勇创佳绩。假日旅游人潮涌动，电影市场红红火火，“村超”、“村晚”活力四射，低碳生活渐成风尚，温暖的生活气息、复苏的忙碌劲头，诠释了人们对美好幸福的追求，也展现了一个活力满满、热气腾腾的中国。This year, we have marched forward in high spirits. The Chengdu FISU World University Games and the Hangzhou Asian Games presented spectacular sports scenes, and Chinese athletes excelled in their competitions. Tourist destinations are full of visitors on holidays, and the film market is booming. The "village super league" football games and "village spring festival gala" are immensely popular. More people are embracing low-carbon lifestyles. All these exhilarating activities have made our lives richer and more colorful, and they mark the return of bustling life across the country. They embody people's pursuit of a beautiful life, and present a vibrant and flourishing China to the world.这一年的步伐，我们走得很显底气。中国是一个伟大的国度，传承着伟大的文明。在这片辽阔的土地上，大漠孤烟、江南细雨，总让人思接千载、心驰神往；黄河九曲、长江奔流，总让人心潮澎湃、豪情满怀。良渚、二里头的文明曙光，殷墟甲骨的文字传承，三星堆的文化瑰宝，国家版本馆的文脉赓续……泱泱中华，历史何其悠久，文明何其博大，这是我们的自信之基、力量之源。This year, we have marched forward with great confidence. China is a great country with a great civilization. Across this vast expanse of land, wisps of smoke in deserts of the north and drizzles in the south invoke our fond memory of many millennium-old stories. The mighty Yellow River and Yangtze River never fail to inspire us. Discoveries at the archeological sites of Liangzhu and Erlitou tell us much about the dawn of Chinese civilization. The ancient Chinese characters inscribed on oracle bones of the Yin Ruins, the cultural treasures of the Sanxingdui Site, and the collections of the National Archives of Publications and Culture bear witness to the evolution of Chinese culture. All this stands as testament to the time-honored history of China and its splendid civilization. And all this is the source from which our confidence and strength are derived.中国不仅发展自己，也积极拥抱世界，担当大国责任。我们成功举办中国－中亚峰会、第三届“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛，一系列主场外交迎来五洲宾朋。我也访问了一些国家，出席了一些国际会议，会晤了不少老朋友、新伙伴，分享中国主张，深化彼此共识。世事变迁，和平发展始终是主旋律，合作共赢始终是硬道理。While pursuing its development, China has also embraced the world and fulfilled its responsibility as a major country. We held the China-Central Asia Summit and the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, and hosted leaders from across the world at many diplomatic events held in China. I also paid visits to a number of countries, attended international conferences, and met many friends, both old and new. I shared China's vision and enhanced common understandings with them. No matter how the global landscape may evolve, peace and development remain the underlying trend, and only cooperation for mutual benefit can deliver.前行路上，有风有雨是常态。一些企业面临经营压力，一些群众就业、生活遇到困难，一些地方发生洪涝、台风、地震等自然灾害，这些我都牵挂在心。大家不惧风雨、守望相助，直面挑战、攻坚克难，我深受感动。辛勤劳作的农民，埋头苦干的工人，敢闯敢拼的创业者，保家卫国的子弟兵，各行各业的人们都在挥洒汗水，每一个平凡的人都作出了不平凡的贡献！人民永远是我们战胜一切困难挑战的最大依靠。Along the way, we are bound to encounter headwinds. Some enterprises had a tough time. Some people had difficulty finding jobs and meeting basic needs. Some places were hit by floods, typhoons, earthquakes or other natural disasters. All these remain at the forefront of my mind. When I see people rising to the occasion, reaching out to each other in adversity, meeting challenges head-on and overcoming difficulties, I am deeply moved. All of you, from farmers in the fields to workers on factory floors, from entrepreneurs blazing the trail to service members guarding our country -- indeed, people from all walks of life -- have done your very best. Each and every ordinary Chinese has made an extraordinary contribution! You, the people, are the ones we look to when we fight to prevail over all difficulties or challenges.明年是新中国成立75周年。我们要坚定不移推进中国式现代化，完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念，加快构建新发展格局，推动高质量发展，统筹好发展和安全。要坚持稳中求进、以进促稳、先立后破，巩固和增强经济回升向好态势，实现经济行稳致远。要全面深化改革开放，进一步提振发展信心，增强经济活力，以更大力度办教育、兴科技、育人才。要继续支持香港、澳门发挥自身优势，在更好融入国家发展大局中保持长期繁荣稳定。祖国统一是历史必然，两岸同胞要携手同心，共享民族复兴的伟大荣光。Next year will mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. We will steadfastly advance Chinese modernization, fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, speed up building the new development paradigm, promote high-quality development, and both pursue development and safeguard security. We will continue to act on the principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, promoting stability through progress, and establishing the new before abolishing the old. We will consolidate and strengthen the momentum of economic recovery, and work to achieve steady and long-term economic development. We will deepen reform and opening up across the board, further enhance people's confidence in development, promote vibrant development of the economy, and redouble efforts to boost education, advance science and technology and cultivate talents. We will continue to support Hong Kong and Macao in harnessing their distinctive strengths, better integrating themselves into China's overall development, and securing long-term prosperity and stability. China will surely be reunified, and all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be bound by a common sense of purpose and share in the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.我们的目标很宏伟，也很朴素，归根到底就是让老百姓过上更好的日子。孩子的抚养教育，年轻人的就业成才，老年人的就医养老，是家事也是国事，大家要共同努力，把这些事办好。现在，社会节奏很快，大家都很忙碌，工作生活压力都很大。我们要营造温暖和谐的社会氛围，拓展包容活跃的创新空间，创造便利舒适的生活条件，让大家心情愉快、人生出彩、梦想成真。Our goal is both inspiring and simple. Ultimately, it is about delivering a better life for the people. Our children should be well taken care of and receive good education. Our young people should have the opportunities to pursue their careers and succeed. And our elderly people should have adequate access to medical services and elderly care. These issues matter to every family, and they are also a top priority of the government. We must work together to deliver on these issues. Today, in our fast-paced society, people are all busy and face a lot of pressure in work and life. We should foster a warm and harmonious atmosphere in our society, expand the inclusive and dynamic environment for innovation, and create convenient and good living conditions, so that the people can live happy lives, bring out their best, and realize their dreams.当前，世界上还有一些地方处在战火硝烟之中。中国人民深知和平的珍贵，我们愿同国际社会一道，以人类前途为怀、以人民福祉为念，推动构建人类命运共同体，建设更加美好的世界。As I speak to you, conflicts are still raging in some parts of the world. We Chinese are keenly aware of what peace means. We will work closely with the international community for the common good of humanity, build a community with a shared future for mankind, and make the world a better place for all.此时此刻，夜色斑斓，万家灯火。让我们一起，祝愿祖国繁荣昌盛、世界和平安宁！祝愿大家福暖四季、顺遂安康！Right at this moment, when the lights in millions of homes light up the evening sky, let us all wish our great country prosperity, and let us all wish the world peace and tranquility! I wish you happiness in all the four seasons and success and good health in the year ahead!谢谢大家！Thank you!来源：新华社

英语新闻∣中国空间站上为什么只写中文？美版知乎的回答亮了！Recently, the successful launch ofWentianlab module hashitheadlines at home and abroad. A question about China's space flight on Quora, aQ&A platform,a year ago has become popular again, prompting comments from foreign netizens.近日，问天实验舱发射成功的新闻，成功登上国内外媒体的头条。在美版知乎Quora上一年前的一个关于中国航天的问题再次翻红，引发国外网友留言关注。“On the new-launched spaceship, only the Chinese language is used. Is it a proof that the country is superself-sealedthat they are getting rid of scientists from other countries by using an uninternational language?”有人提问道：“在新发射的太空船上只使用中文，这是否说明这个国家超级自我封闭，要通过使用一种非通用语言来摆脱其他国家的科学家吗？”Jim Bertagnolli, a retired electrical engineer, said: “Firstly, most of the Chinese space program is manned by Chinese engineers and scientists. What language do you think they would choose to speak? Do you think China is so backwards that they could only achieve space operations by hiring outside help? China is one of the most technologically advanced nations on the planet. I know that scares a lot of people but it's a fact. They may be late comers to high technology but they have made great strides in the last 30 years. They are not dependent on foreign aid to launch spacecraft or possibly designing and building the smart 5G phone you are using. And more people speak Mandarin Chinese than any other language. Why would you think they would use some‘international' language in their own space program? How arrogant that sounds.”一位名为Jim Bertagnolli的退休的电气工程师称，“首先，中国的大部分太空计划都由中国工程师和科学家负责。你认为中国人该选择说什么语言？还是你认为中国太落后了，只能靠外援来实现太空计划呢？他们可能是高科技的后来者，但他们在过去30年中取得了长足进步。中国人没有依赖外援来发射航天器，也没有依赖外援来设计和制造你正在使用的5G智能手机。说普通话的人比说其他任何语言的都多。你凭什么认定他们要在自己的太空项目中使用‘国际'语言？这听起来多么傲慢。”“Are you stupid? The US banned China from the‘INTERNATIONAL' SPACE STATION and now you expect China to use a Western language in their own space station? The oddity.”一位在荷兰工作的网友指出美国的双标行为：“你傻吗？美国禁止中国进入‘国际'空间站，现在你希望中国在自己的空间站用西方语言？有毛病吧！”“Although English is widely thought of as an international language. In fact it is number 3 with 4.922% English speakers, 5.994% Spanish and 11.922% Mandarin Chinese. Chinese is recognized as an international language, so the most widely spoken international language is being used. ”“虽然英语被广泛认为是一种国际语言。事实上，讲英语的只占4.922%，才排名第三，讲西班牙语的占5.94%，而讲普通话则的占11.922%。汉语是公认的国际语言，因此（空间站使用的是）最广泛的国际语言。”“As USA are prohibited from participating in any exchange, it makes little sense to use English. Russian participants in the program have no problem with using Chinese. ”“由于美国被禁止参与任何交流，所以使用英语没有什么意义。参加该项目的俄罗斯人使用汉语没有问题。”“The message sent by the Western world talks ofdecoupling from the Chinese, so more and more English will loose importance in the East.”“西方世界发出的信息是要与中国脱钩，因此的英语将越来越在东方失去其重要性。”“Well done, a textbook example for typical classic Western arrogance. If using Chinese on our own space station is super self-sealed, I guess you are assuming all 7 billion people on this planet should speak English. Which cannot be more arrogant. We Chinese built that space station, we own that space station, it is our call to use Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese or oracle-bone inscriptions. Feel free to bring a dictionary if you want to board. Oh, and we provide chopsticks only. So please be prepared.”有网友说道，“干得好，典型的、经典西方傲慢的教科书式案例。如果在我们自己的空间站上使用中文是超级自我封闭的，我猜你假设这个星球上所有70亿人都应该说英语。这简直再傲慢不过了。这是我们中国人建造的空间站，我们自己的空间站，我们可以呼吁使用简体中文、繁体中文或甲骨文。如果您想登上这座空间站，请随时带上字典。对了，我们只提供筷子。 所以请做好准备！”“And we thought this was what you guys adopted long ago when you were dictating all the rules and all people had to play along since they don't have a choice. All we did was to offer another choice, and it's hilarious to see you whine about yourmonopolystatus taken away from you. If it bothers you that much, you can always opt out.”另一位名叫Tian Lan的网友表示，“我们知道这是你们很久以前采用的，当时你们制定所有规则，所有人都必须配合，因为他们别无选择。我们（中国）所做的只是提供另一种选择。看到你抱怨你们的垄断地位被剥夺了，这很有趣。如果这种状况让你感到困扰，你可以随时选择退出。”Self-sealed? I heard it was America who sealed its own space programs and refused to let China participate some 10 years ago? So what would you do if you are being negated in something you can be good at? Work on your own! So why is it now that China's effort without outside help is being smeared as a“proof” of“super self-seal” or“getting rid” of others when in truth it all happened because America was trying to“get rid” of people or contender they don't want?还有一位网友对博主所提到的“自我封闭”提出了反驳：“我听说是美国在10年前封闭了自己的太空计划，并拒绝让中国参与？所以，如果你擅长的事情被否定了，你会怎么做？独立工作！那么，为什么现在中国在没有外界帮助的情况下的努力，被抹黑为‘超级自我封闭'或‘摆脱'他人的‘证据'？实际上这一切都是因为美国试图‘摆脱'他们不想要的人或竞争者所造成的。”TheChinesespace station welcomes astronauts from all countries.使用中文的空间站欢迎各国的宇航员Ironically, the Chinese space stationconsidered by some people inthe West as "super self-sealed", in fact, does not reject any country,butwelcomes astronauts and research projects from all countries instead. In contrast,the International Space Station which uses English, excludes China.令人感到讽刺的是，西方有些人口口声声说中国空间站“超级自我封闭”，但事实上，使用中文的空间站，没有拒绝任何一个国家，反而是欢迎来自各国的宇航员和科研项目，然而使用英文的国际空间站，却将中国拒之门外。2015年5月27日，中国载人航天工程办公室主任余同杰与欧洲航天局（ESA）局长多丹在北京举行会谈，继续深入推动双方战略合作，确认双方合作《长远目标及实施步骤》并明确了三个领域的工作组职责。On May 27, 2015, Yu Tongjie, Director General of CMSA met with Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of ESA in Beijing. The two chiefs agreed to further promote CMSA-ESA strategic cooperation in manned space program. They confirmed cooperation in Long-term Objectives and Implementation Plan and identified the responsibilities of three working groups.According to the cooperation agreement, the two sides will continue to exchange astronauts for comprehensive training, with the goal of sending European astronauts to China's space station starting from 2022.根据欧洲空间局与中国航天局2015年达成的合作协议，双方将持续互派航天员进行综合性训练，目标是从2022年起开始让欧洲的航天员登上中国空间站。According to a report in June 2021, three European astronauts from Germany, France and Italy have begun to study Chinese intensively and look forward to cooperating with their Chinese counterparts in the future.据2021年6月相关报道，来自德国、法国和意大利的三位欧洲航天员，已经开始紧锣密鼓地学习中文，期待未来与中国同行顺利开展合作。“This is the first opportunity for European astronauts to come to China to train withChinese astronauts,”Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti said in the video.“Our team work is very good, very good.”意大利宇航员萨曼莎·克里斯托佛蕾蒂在视频中说：“这是第一个机会，中国航天员和欧洲航天员来中国一起训练。我们的团队合作很顺利，很好”。In December 2, 2021,Qi Faren,the space technology expert,Shenzhou spacecraft's first chief designer, member of Chinese Academy of Engineering, said in Macao that thedevelopmentof China Aerospaceis open and inclusive. China's space station willinclude foreign research projectsandforeign astronauts during the operation. To this end,the relevant departments have started a lot ofpreparatorywork.早在2021年12月2日，空间技术专家、神舟号飞船首任总设计师、中国工程院院士戚发轫曾在澳门出席活动时对外发出过邀请，他表示，中国的航天发展是开放的，同时也是包容的，中国空间站在运营期间将有外国的科研项目，也希望有外国的航天员到空间站工作，为此有关部门已经着手大量的筹备工作。Just recently, Dr. Tricia Larose, a researcher at the University of Oslo in Norway, tweeted that she may be aboard the Chinese space station for a 31-day mission in the future. Larose is currently training as apayloadspecialist and is expected to board China's Tiangong Space Station between 2025-2026.就在近日，挪威奥斯陆大学的研究员特里西娅·拉罗斯（Tricia Larose）博士在推特上发文称，她或将在未来登上中国空间站执行为期31天的任务。目前，拉罗斯正以载荷专家的身份展开训练，预计2025-2026年，她将登上中国的天宫空间站。self-sealed英[si:ld]美[sild]adj. 故步自封的Decouple英[di:ˈkʌpl]美[diˈkʌpəl]v. 减弱（核爆炸）震波; 分离，隔断monopoly英[məˈnɒpəli]美[məˈnɑːpəli]n. 垄断; 专卖; 垄断者; 专利品preparatory英[prɪˈpærətri]美[prɪˈpærətɔːri]adj. 预备的，准备的，筹备的; 初步的payload英[ˈpeɪləʊd]美[ˈpeɪloʊd]n. 有效载荷; （航天器、卫星的）装备; （车辆等的）装载货物; （炸弹、导弹的）爆炸力

I have been fervently praying for America. There is a fierce spiritual battle going on in this country, and it often appears that the dark forces are winning. I am convinced of a different reality, however. Defeat is not the future of America. Though our natural eyes see a bleak situation, our eyes of faith allow us to see a spiritual reality of hope and restoration. Through countless dreams, God has shown me that a great revival is coming to many countries, including America and China. The intense spiritual battles that are going on around us are the enemy's attempt to stop these future revivals, but God's plans will not be defeated.   A few weeks ago, I was invited to lead an online Chinese Christian Bible study. This group had been reading the book of Deuteronomy and learning about Moses' prophecies regarding the Twelve Tribes. The group didn't understand the meaning of these prophecies, so they invited me to share my perspective. The Holy Spirit led me to compare Moses' prophecies with Jacob's prophecies in Genesis 49. Both passages offer prophetic visions about the Twelve Tribes. I believed that comparing these two chapters would give them a better understanding. As we were talking about Jacob and Moses' prophecies of Joseph, the Holy Spirit spoke though my mouth. I began to proclaim that America is the Joseph of today and that her branches run over the wall. Each Christian who is fighting for America can also be the Joseph of today. When countless “Josephs” strengthen their bows to resist the enemy, God will begin to save the world. The difficult environment that America is currently facing will be a catalyst for change. Countless Josephs can arise making America, the collective Joseph, even stronger.   I felt the Holy Spirit on these words to the group. In fact, I felt as if these were God's hidden plans for America. As we examine this prophecy deeper, it becomes obvious that the Spirit was using pictorial language based on the biblical images of trees and branches. First, I was led to Genesis 49:22 which says, “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a fountain; His branches run over the wall.” The Holy Spirit explained this metaphor: Joseph represents America today. She is a fruitful bough. Her branches run over the wall, bearing abundant fruit all over the world. Although the archers (49:23) tried their best to attack her, her bows will be unmoved, and her arm will still be agile (49:24). God will certainly rise to help her (49:25) and bless her greatly. What a great thing to hear about the condition of America! God's calling for America is also represented by Moses' prophecy over Joseph: “His horns are the horns of a wild ox; with them he shall gore the peoples, all of them, to the ends of the earth” (Deuteronomy 33:17). This verse prophetically speaks about America's role. They should continue to play the role of the “horns of the wild ox.” That is, they should spread the gospel to every country in the world and “gore” the people and nations who resist the Gospel.   Joseph Is A Fruitful Vine Let's look deeper at the prophetic implication of these verses in Genesis. The Bible says that Joseph is a fruitful bough. He's a lovely vine by a fountain; his branches run over the wall (Genesis 49:22). Using the same metaphor, the Lord Jesus told us, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Joseph was a branch that depended on God as his vine. Joseph was the fruit of the prayers of his mother, Rachel, after an extended period of infertility. He was his father's favorite, a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joseph embraced the God of his fathers and his roots were Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. He was firmly attached to the vine of God. Even after a series of life hardships, Joseph still flourished like a vine because he was deeply rooted in the soil. We don't know how Joseph spent his years in prison, but it is not hard to imagine that Joseph stayed connected to God through prayer. Hardship and the prayer it inspires, help us root our lives and identities in God.   Joseph's Branches Run Over the Wall One of my hobbies is planting fruit trees. I also enjoy reading articles about effective horticulture. On the internet, I saw pictures of a fruit tree planted close to the neighbors' yard. A heavy bough, laden with fruit, was hanging over the fence into the next yard. In many cases, tall courtyard walls hide the branches that spill over the wall into the next yard. Because of this, the owner of the fruit tree may not be able to see the fruit hanging on the branches in their neighbor's yard.   Joseph originally lived in Canaan with Jacob and his eleven brothers. Suddenly, his brothers attacked him, sold him to the Ishmaelites, and brought him to Egypt. Metaphorically, we can say that the archers (his brothers) attacked him. Later, Potiphar's wife (who was another archer used by the enemy) falsely accused him of rape and sent him to prison. Genesis 49:23 describes this series of tragedies: “The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely.” Why? Because Joseph had God's calling on his life. God wanted to save the world through him. Because of God's calling on his life, evil spirits used humans to vigorously attack Joseph. These “archers” tried their best to attack Joseph. Psalm 105:18-19 says of Joseph, “His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.”   But this suffering did not knock Joseph down. On the contrary, God was with him wherever he went. God helped him, strengthened him, and turned his life into a beautiful testimony of salvation. Through Joseph, the world was saved from famine. Because of his godliness, Joseph received the firstborn rights which the eldest son, Reuben, lost because of his immorality. Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, received double portions of the land and became two separate tribes of Israel. This fulfills the prophecy of Genesis 49:24: “Yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel).”   These words of prophecy were not solely heartfelt words of blessing from Jacob to his son Joseph, but they were also words inspired by God. Jacob went on, “By the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers" (Genesis 49:25-26). In the life of Joseph, we see an example of God's wishes for America.   America, A Modern-Day Joseph If we as Christians are rooted in the Lord, we can become like Joseph, a fruitful vine that extends over the wall. Joseph does not just represent individuals but also countries that are called by God to witness for Him. In the Old Testament, Joseph represents Israel. God wanted Israel to be His witness to the nations in order to attract them to Him.   Today, Joseph represents America. America was founded so that Christians could worship Jesus freely. Modern-day America is like Israel in the Old Testament: a city on a hill, a light to the world, and a witness for Jesus Christ. I have often heard it said that since its founding, America is responsible for sending more financial aid and missionary witnesses than any country in history. America is a modern-day Joseph. Her branches run over the wall, bearing fruit outside her borders.   I came to the United States in 2002. Although there was a Gospel revival in China at that time, most of the revival took place in rural areas where the Chinese government's control was less strict. In cities and universities, intellectuals have almost no or little chance to hear the Gospel. So, God created an environment, allowing many Chinese scholars to study in the US. It is estimated that half of the students from mainland China who came to the US received the Gospel. Almost every campus in the US maintains campus fellowship groups to preach the Gospel to Chinese students. These groups include Chinese Christians and Chinese churches but also American Christian campus ministries such as Campus Crusade. I was saved in one of these campus fellowship groups in Southern California.   Without America, I may not have received Christ. After I was saved, I continued to study Christian literature available in English. I am now currently finishing a Doctor of Ministry degree program. As I have studied, I realized that the richness of American Christianity rooted me more firmly in America and in the Christian traditions of Europe and the ancient church. Although we are all rooted in Christ directly, we are also rooted in our Christian traditions through our language and culture. Many Christian works have not yet been translated into Chinese, and I would not have been able to access this information were it not for English translations available in America. Through the English Christian classics, I have become rooted in thousands of years of Christian tradition.   Just like Joseph was rooted by the fountain, the United States is rooted in thousands of years of rich history of European Christian civilization. Their roots go all the way back to Paul's gospel work in Europe, which can be traced back to the ministry of Jesus Christ on earth. God has called America to be rooted by the fountain, like Joseph, and send her fruit-bearing branches over the wall to many nations. As a result, however, archers are attacking America severely. Evil spirits are finding numerous ways to shoot at her, seeking to lure her into sin. Through the sins of the flesh and of the worldly nations that are against America, evil spirits attack her simultaneously from both the inside and the outside. Their purpose is to cut down America, the expansive vine that is rooted in God.   America Will Not Be Taken Down! After I received the revelation about America being like Joseph, I exclaimed, “Now, they are cutting America off from its roots, which is the same as cutting me off from my roots. They absolutely can't do that! Not on my watch!” I explained to the Chinese Christians in the meeting why I felt so strongly to resist the opposition with my proclamation, “Not on my watch!” It's not because I'm arrogant. Instead, it's because I've made up my mind to become a modern-day Joseph. No matter how hard the archers try to attack us, we must remain unmoved. Our arms must remain agile because the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob will help us. He will bless us. He will bless America, just like he blessed Joseph. The all-sufficient God of Jacob will bless Joseph with blessings of heaven from above, blessings of the deep that lie beneath, and blessings of the breasts and of the womb.   Each Christian has the opportunity to stand as a modern-day Joseph. Meanwhile, America is the collective modern-day Joseph. Jacob's blessings to Joseph surpass the blessings of Jacob's ancestors, reaching the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills; these blessings will be on Joseph's head and on the crown of the heads of those who are separated from their brothers (Genesis 49:25-26). These words are for Americans today. Although I thank God for using President Trump, he is not our salvation. Our salvation comes through the rising of the Church as every Christian becomes like Joseph. As each of us rises to become like Joseph, rooted in God, our branches will bear fruit, run over the wall, and make an impact on people outside the church walls. Our relatives, friends, and those who have not yet believed in the Lord will be reached by our low-hanging branches of Christian fruit and testimony.   Therefore, I said, “Don't lose hope.” I encouraged the Chinese American Christians in that meeting. Because of the current difficulties, some of them were believing the lie that America was about to be defeated and abandoned by God. “God will not abandon America,” I said. America will not be defeated. America is Joseph. Although the archers are trying to attack her, her bow remains unmoved. As American Christians wake up, they will use their agile arms to fight back. The God of Jacob will help us. This is Jacob's prophecy to Joseph and it's the Holy Spirit's words for America today. If American Christians ever needed encouragement, it's now. We Chinese believers are fruits of America's branches that ran over the wall. America's branches have borne countless fruits and have run all over the world.   I don't know about the rest of the world, but I know that in America and China alone, there are millions of Chinese Christians praying for America. We stand like Aaron and Hur, who held up Moses' hands and prayed while Joshua was fighting his battle against his enemies. There are countless Christians in other countries praying that America (Joseph) will be able to fight her battles well. This battle will end with victory. God will definitely help America because God is the Shepherd and the Stone of Israel (and America as well) (Genesis 49:24).   Horns Of A Wild Ox Moses' prophecy to Joseph has some similarities to Jacob's prophecy. In it, Joseph received all the blessings in heaven and on earth (Deuteronomy 33:13-15). Like Jacob, Moses described Joseph as a “prince among his brothers” (Deuteronomy 33:16). In addition, Joseph was described as “a firstborn bull—he has majesty, and his horns are the horns of a wild ox; with them he shall gore the peoples, all of them, to the ends of the earth; they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh” (Deuteronomy 33:17).   Joseph had authority and power. He was the steward in the house of Pharaoh in Egypt. His brothers bowed before him. Joseph dealt harshly with his brothers, even throwing Simeon in jail. In the end, he led his brothers to repent of their sins. Likewise, a modern-day Joseph will not only bring the Gospel of Life to the world but will also be a majestic bull with the horns of a wild ox. America is like Joseph in this respect as well. God has blessed her, and she has become the most powerful country in the world. She upholds justice and spreads the Gospel to the ends of the world. America will fiercely gore the nations and people who resist God and the Gospel, with the horns of a wild ox. This is why nations unite to try to knock America down. Unfortunately for them, God has already ordained Joseph's future and thus America's too.   Written by Sean Song on October 19, 2021. (All scriptures are quoted from English Standard Version.)

WX: jessica66001,获得卡卡老师的英语学习干货分享更多卡卡老师福利公号：卡卡课堂You are What You DO行为决定命运很多人说，思维决定命运，也有人说，性格决定命运。但不管是思维还是性格，体现在每天的生活中，便是你的表现出来的行为。我们每个人都渴求知道自己最终的命运和归宿。但命运，时时刻刻，都紧紧掌握在你的自己的手中。而决定这一切的，就是你当下的所思所做。过去的你，也许会犯错，但是当下这一刻，才是决定你未来命运的关键。If the past has taught us anything, it is that every cause brings effect, every action has a consequence.过去的日子若曾经教过我们些什么的话，那便是有因必有果，每一个行为都有一种结果。This thought, in my opinion, is the moral foundation of the universe;依我之见，这种想法是宇宙的道德基础:it applies equally in this world and the next.它不仅适用于今生也适用于来世。We Chinese have a saying: "If a man plants melons, he will reap melons; if he sows beans, he will reap beans."我们中国人有句谚语说:“种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。”And this is true of every man's life: good begets good，and evil leads to evil.而这就是每个人生活的.写照:善有善报，恶有恶报。True enough, the sun shines on the saint and sinner alike, and too often it seems that the wicked wax and prosper.说实在，圣人与罪人皆会受到阳光的泽被，而且常常似乎是恶者大行其道。But we can say with certitude that, with the individual as with the nation, the flourishing of the wicked is an illusion,但是我们可以确信地说，不管是对个人或是对国家而言，恶人猖獗只是一种幻象，for, unceasingly，life keeps books on us all.因为生命无时无刻不将我们的所作所为像账本一样一笔一笔记录下来。In the end, we are all the sum total of our actions.到最后，我们就是我们的行为总合。Character cannot be counterfeited, nor can it be put on and cast off as if it were a garment to meet the whim of the moment.品德是无法伪装的，也无法像衣服一样随兴地穿上或脱下来丢在一边。Like the markings on wood which are ingrained in the very heart of the tree, character requires time and nurture for growth and development.就像木头的纹路发自于树木的中心深处，品德的成长与发育也需要时间和滋养。Thus also, day by day, we write our own destiny，for inexorably we become what we do.也因此，我们日复一日地写下我们自己的命运，因为我们的 所为将不留情面地决定我们的命运。This，I believe，is the supreme logic and the law of life.我相信这就是最高的逻辑及人生的法则。

WX: jessica66001,获得卡卡老师的英语学习干货分享更多卡卡老师福利公号：卡卡课堂You are What You DO行为决定命运很多人说，思维决定命运，也有人说，性格决定命运。但不管是思维还是性格，体现在每天的生活中，便是你的表现出来的行为。我们每个人都渴求知道自己最终的命运和归宿。但命运，时时刻刻，都紧紧掌握在你的自己的手中。而决定这一切的，就是你当下的所思所做。过去的你，也许会犯错，但是当下这一刻，才是决定你未来命运的关键。If the past has taught us anything, it is that every cause brings effect, every action has a consequence.过去的日子若曾经教过我们些什么的话，那便是有因必有果，每一个行为都有一种结果。This thought, in my opinion, is the moral foundation of the universe;依我之见，这种想法是宇宙的道德基础:it applies equally in this world and the next.它不仅适用于今生也适用于来世。We Chinese have a saying: "If a man plants melons, he will reap melons; if he sows beans, he will reap beans."我们中国人有句谚语说:“种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。”And this is true of every man's life: good begets good，and evil leads to evil.而这就是每个人生活的.写照:善有善报，恶有恶报。True enough, the sun shines on the saint and sinner alike, and too often it seems that the wicked wax and prosper.说实在，圣人与罪人皆会受到阳光的泽被，而且常常似乎是恶者大行其道。But we can say with certitude that, with the individual as with the nation, the flourishing of the wicked is an illusion,但是我们可以确信地说，不管是对个人或是对国家而言，恶人猖獗只是一种幻象，for, unceasingly，life keeps books on us all.因为生命无时无刻不将我们的所作所为像账本一样一笔一笔记录下来。In the end, we are all the sum total of our actions.到最后，我们就是我们的行为总合。Character cannot be counterfeited, nor can it be put on and cast off as if it were a garment to meet the whim of the moment.品德是无法伪装的，也无法像衣服一样随兴地穿上或脱下来丢在一边。Like the markings on wood which are ingrained in the very heart of the tree, character requires time and nurture for growth and development.就像木头的纹路发自于树木的中心深处，品德的成长与发育也需要时间和滋养。Thus also, day by day, we write our own destiny，for inexorably we become what we do.也因此，我们日复一日地写下我们自己的命运，因为我们的 所为将不留情面地决定我们的命运。This，I believe，is the supreme logic and the law of life.我相信这就是最高的逻辑及人生的法则。

WX: jessica66001,获得卡卡老师的英语学习干货分享更多卡卡老师福利公号：卡卡课堂You are What You DO行为决定命运很多人说，思维决定命运，也有人说，性格决定命运。但不管是思维还是性格，体现在每天的生活中，便是你的表现出来的行为。我们每个人都渴求知道自己最终的命运和归宿。但命运，时时刻刻，都紧紧掌握在你的自己的手中。而决定这一切的，就是你当下的所思所做。过去的你，也许会犯错，但是当下这一刻，才是决定你未来命运的关键。If the past has taught us anything, it is that every cause brings effect, every action has a consequence.过去的日子若曾经教过我们些什么的话，那便是有因必有果，每一个行为都有一种结果。This thought, in my opinion, is the moral foundation of the universe;依我之见，这种想法是宇宙的道德基础:it applies equally in this world and the next.它不仅适用于今生也适用于来世。We Chinese have a saying: "If a man plants melons, he will reap melons; if he sows beans, he will reap beans."我们中国人有句谚语说:“种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。”And this is true of every man's life: good begets good，and evil leads to evil.而这就是每个人生活的.写照:善有善报，恶有恶报。True enough, the sun shines on the saint and sinner alike, and too often it seems that the wicked wax and prosper.说实在，圣人与罪人皆会受到阳光的泽被，而且常常似乎是恶者大行其道。But we can say with certitude that, with the individual as with the nation, the flourishing of the wicked is an illusion,但是我们可以确信地说，不管是对个人或是对国家而言，恶人猖獗只是一种幻象，for, unceasingly，life keeps books on us all.因为生命无时无刻不将我们的所作所为像账本一样一笔一笔记录下来。In the end, we are all the sum total of our actions.到最后，我们就是我们的行为总合。Character cannot be counterfeited, nor can it be put on and cast off as if it were a garment to meet the whim of the moment.品德是无法伪装的，也无法像衣服一样随兴地穿上或脱下来丢在一边。Like the markings on wood which are ingrained in the very heart of the tree, character requires time and nurture for growth and development.就像木头的纹路发自于树木的中心深处，品德的成长与发育也需要时间和滋养。Thus also, day by day, we write our own destiny，for inexorably we become what we do.也因此，我们日复一日地写下我们自己的命运，因为我们的 所为将不留情面地决定我们的命运。This，I believe，is the supreme logic and the law of life.我相信这就是最高的逻辑及人生的法则。

Sheldon: Hello my audience, welcome to today's Campus Interview from VOE Foreign Language Radio. I'm your old friend Sheldon.Latisha: Hi 大家好，欢迎翻开今天的校园访谈录，我是你们的老朋友费丹力。今天来到我们演播室的是又一位来自美国的朋友，他将和我们谈谈在中国六个月里的所闻所感。Sheldon: Hello Sir! Welcome to China! And may I have your name?Gary: Sure, my name is Gary Wright.Sheldon: And where do you come from? Gary: I came from Missouri in the United States, which is central of United States.Latisha: 哦~原来你的家乡在密苏里州啊。那最初是什么原因让你来到中国的呢？And What brought you to China in the first place?Gary: Well, I came to China for many reasons. Umm…mostly because I want to familiar eyes myself with Chinese culture Chinese history and most importantly is the Chinese people. Latisha: Oh it's nice. 说到中国文化你对它了解多少呢？ Gary: Unfortunately very little. I've been here about 6 months and my friends do enjoy educating me. Regarding Chinese culture, but unfortunately I have not really learned as much as I would like yet.Sheldon: Oh it's doesn't matter. We Chinese people are willing to share the culture with you. And could you tell us which part of China culture do you like best and you want to learn? The literature the art the food or the martial art… （文学、艺术、食物、武术）oh you know there are many areas.（嗯，还有很多） Gary: All of it! It's not possible to really to say this is what I want to learn or that is what I want to learn. That's not possible because there are so many areas that are fascinating. I can't just limited one or two. I want to learn as much as I can learn in the time that I'm here. Umm…because of that I planned to stay in China for a long time.Latisha: Wow, 希望你在中国能度过一段美好的时光! (Thank you) And live in China, you must have eaten some Chinese food, so do you like it?Gary: Ah…I'm extremely picky eater. I don't eat vegetables so it is incredibly difficult for me to find food that I really enjoy here. But I've found some unfortunately. But to be honesty I typically tend to what more eat western food because of that.Latisha: 这样啊，我听说许多外国人都很喜欢中国菜的啊… Gary: Yes! My entire family love Chinese food. I'm the only one who doesn't like vegetables.Sheldon: OK… What sort of food do you like? Gary: Red meat. Red meat, yes, like steak beef pork… chicken duck lamb. I enjoy most meat or bases meat foods. Latisha: How about fruit? Gary: I love fruit! Sheldon: OK, another question, how many cities have you been to in China? Gary: I so far have only been to two cities, here obviously and Dandong it's very close train ride but beautiful place. I really enjoyed it. Umm… I didn't its as much as I enjoy Shenyang than though. This is… I love the city.Sheldon: And what is the reason that you like the city? Gary: Part of is the sights. I love the good sights city. Part of is also the people. Since I been here I have encountered countless very friendly very easy-going people who really take the time to help me out. Umm… educate me and become my friend.Latisha: 嗯，那你一定交到不少中国朋友吧？Do you have any close Chinese friends? Gary: Yes, I have several close Chinese friends. As matter fact I would say I have more Chinese friends than I do foreign friends.Latisha: Wow虽然我知道探听别人的隐私不好但是我还是很好奇诶~在你的several close Chinese friends 中是不是有一个女生已经变成了你的girlfriend? You've found a Chinese girlfriend yeah? Gary: YES! YES, I did.Sheldon: Oh cool! And could you tell us how you met each other? Gary: We met at a pizza restaurant but I can't remember the name… Oh Green Mile. We met at Green Mile.Latisha: 哦！原来是在沈阳和平区的那个绿里酒吧啊！ Gary: Yes in Shenyang. And we started to talking and really well. So we start to seeing each other.Latisha: Wow那你有没有和你的女朋友讨论有关英语学习的问题啊？今天也和听众朋友们一起分享一下学习英语的好方法吧~ Gary: Well, I honestly say the most important thing to practice speaking it. Umm.., many students try to get better just by watching television or listening to music and that dose work? But nothing work better than just getting together with your friends and speaking English to each other. That is the best way to learn. Even if you don't have any native English speakers around. It doesn't matter. Just get one of your friends who also speak little English and speak to each other. You will get better quickly.Sheldon: So practice makes perfect? Gary: Yes much better than more passive approaches which is like I said watching shows or movies or listening to music.Sheldon: So do you mean speaking is more significant than reading writing and listening? Gary: Well listening is obviously huge of importance whenever you are speaking. Without listening ,there is no speaking. As far as what's more important? That's depend on what your goal is. If you want to develop friendships with using English prominently. Then speaking and listening are more important. If you are wanting to develop yourself academically then reading and writing is more important.Latisha: 的确，在不同的目标下听说读写有着不同的重要性。那你觉得通过听外语广播来学习英语的这个方法怎么样呢？ Gary: I think it is a good way. Especially practicing the listening ability, broadcasting gives more students opportunity to listen to English been spoken, which is a huge of importance. As matter facts, today this week we've been practicing our listening skills in class and broadcasting plays an important part on that. Sheldon: Oh, that's great! In addition, you know nowadays in China more and more students choose to study abroad. So do you want to say something to the students who are going to study to America? Gary: Well I think the most important advice I could give is forget what you think you know about Americans. Everything you think you know is probably wrong. Just like my thoughts regarding China was completely wrong. For the most part have fun! Go to America study and learn but don't forget to make friendships don't forget to have fun because without those things it's not all about hard work about rewarding friendships and have a good time.Latisha: 没错，出国留学，不能让学习成为你的全部，广交挚友也是必不可少的一部分。Well that's almost today's questions. Thank you very much. Gary: Thank you.Sheldon: Bye节目监制：刘子含编辑：刘子含播音：刘子含 费丹力制作：刘子含记者：周 熠 杨理程 刘子含

He Yang:A recent study conducted by the University of Massachusetts in Boston found that climbing up the earnings ladder might be harder than you think. Their results indicated that your first job’s income will determine your level of earnings in the future. So if you start off making little money, chances are you’re stuck there. Well, this is a study that looks at the American’s story, but let’s go through it and see if it makes sense?Yu Yang:Well, according to a new study, individuals employed from the 1980s to 2000s are having a difficult time moving up the income ladder in the United States. And according to Michael D. Carr , who did the study, “It is increasingly the case that no matter what your educational background is, where you start has become increasingly important for where you end. The general amount of movement around the distribution has decreased by a statistically significant amount.” Ok, that’s pertinent simple language. The theme of the whole study is if you are poor at 20, you might be poor for your whole life. I hope it’s not true.Ryan:Oh, I disagree whole-heartedly with this actually, upon really looking and getting into this research. At least for my point of view, I see this as, you know, this doesn’t even apply to me, because into my twenties, into my mid-twenties, I was pursuing higher education. So I wasn’t really thinking about a job. At the same time, the reason why I think this is happening is because higher education is becoming more and more common. So you need something else to make you stand out. Those middle-class jobs now are harder to get, so if you just had your first job with working at a grocery store, that’s not experience, I’m sorry. If you want that, what we call in the US , a big kidjob, then you need to have experience relevant to that field as well as the higher education. And I think this is becoming something now that people, this is becoming that common knowledge now that people are starting to get.He Yang:And also I have a question regarding to the study that is if it looking at the individuals employed from the 1980s to 2000s, and its what year now- 2016, what’s the end job for these people, we haven’t even reached that time slot yet , so I don’t really get that this can determine the end, because we don’t see the end yet.Ryan:Yeah, imagine the 1980s to the 2000s, so much has changed in between that time. Take a look at the phone from the 90s to your phone currently now, it’s so different. How we operate, how business is operating, the emergence of apps, the world is changingfolks. So this kind of large datasampling, I also think, could lead to some problems.He Yang:And what about the Chinese story here?Yu Yang:Er, the Chinese, it reminds me a Chinese proverb like 三十而立，四十不惑. We Chinese usually say that when you are thirty, you must have established your career, your family and when you are forty, you are no longer perplexed to buy any confusion. But I think it applied to the older generation, because nowadays as Ryan said, the higher education is becoming more and more common. In your thirties, you might be pursuing a PHD degree, so it’s normal that you cannot super rich at twenty, because you are still a student and limited financial resources.He Yang:That’s true, but also I see that in today’s Chinese society, social mobility has become an increasing stagnant for today’s Chinese young people. And that is a huge social issue actually. Because I think this is not a study, maybe I think we cannot agree whole-heartedly, but I think itpoints are attention to the stagnation and that is a problem.Yu Yang:Yes, let me pick one sentence by a netizen, I think it’s very interesting, “Poor at the age of 20 is normal. If you’re poor at the age of 30, you’re not working hard enough and if you’re still poor at age 40, then it’s hopeless.”Ryan:Totally agree, twenty to thirty isestablishing yourself. Don’t stress it, enjoy your life, try to establish yourself, get those skills, get that experience, come thirty, that’s when the alarm needs to go off.He Yang:Woo, the alarm needs to go off. AndJamie, our Wechat listener says I totally disagree with this. Asmy first job, I was only paid 800 Yuan, but now my current annual income is 500,000.Yu Yang:Wow, very inspirationalHe Yang:Yes, that’s from first-hand experience of our listeners.

In this episode, photographer M. Scott Brauer joined us to discuss his latest project about the New Hampshire primary called 'This is the worst party I've ever been to,' blogging about photojournalism at dvafoto, living and photographing in China, as well two brilliant books. dvafoto launched around the same time I started the first incarnation of LPV, which was around the time social media started to take off. There was a small group of bloggers that I followed and dvafoto was one of them. They were very active back then and would write about issues and controversies in the photojournalism community. I also featured Scott's portrait project We Chinese on LPV so his work has been on my radar for many years. Yet again, another instance where I was finally able to meet someone I'd known online for several years. For the photobook segment, we discussed Will Steacy's brilliant Deadline, and My America by Christopher Morris. Thanks, once again to Brett A. Davis for joining us for the conversation and making some memorable photographs.  M. Scott Brauer was born 1982, Landstuhl, Germany, to American parents. Grew up in various locations in the US, but Montana is home. Currently based in Boston, Massachusetts. Graduated with honors from the University of Washington with dual degrees in philosophy and Russian literature and language in 2005. Interned at Black Star and VII New York in 2005. Worked for daily newspapers in 2006 and 2007: the Northwest Herald in suburban Chicago, and the Flint Journal in Flint, Michigan. Moved to China in 2007, back to the US in 2010. Periodic trips to Russia, China, and Montana. Co-founder and editor of the photojournalism blog dvafoto. To view the book spreads and behind the scenes photos, visit blog.lpvshow.com Recorded April 1st, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bryan-formhals/message

Seventh Day of the Seventh MoonBy Ken Liu“Tell me a story,” said Se. She had changed into her pajamas all by herself and snuggled under the blankets.Se’s big sister, Yuan, was just about to flip the switch next to the bedroom door. “How about you read a story by yourself? I have to … go see a friend.”“No, it’s not the same.” Se shook her head vigorously. “You have to tell me a story or I can’t sleep.”Yuan glanced at her phone. Every minute tonight was precious. Dad was out of town on business, and Mom was working late and wouldn’t be home till midnight. Yuan needed to be home before then, but if she could get her little sister to sleep quickly, she’d still have a couple of hours to see Jing on this, her last night in China.Full transcript appears after the cut.----more----[Intro music plays.]Hello! Welcome to GlitterShip episode 15 for September 15th, 2015. This is your host, Keffy, and I'm super excited to be sharing this story with you.Our story today is "Seventh Day of the Seventh Moon" by Ken Liu.Ken Liu (http://kenliu.name) is an author and translator of speculative fiction, as well as a lawyer and programmer. A winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards, he has been published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Asimov’s, Analog, Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, and Strange Horizons, among other places. He also translated the Hugo-winning novel, The Three-Body Problem, by Liu Cixin, which is the first translated novel to win that award.Ken’s debut novel, The Grace of Kings, the first in a silkpunk epic fantasy series, was published by Saga Press in April 2015. Saga will also publish a collection of his short stories, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, in March 2016. He lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.We also have a special guest reader this week, which is awesome.Our reader this week is S. Qiouyi Lu. You can visit their site at http://s.qiouyi.lu/ and follow them on Twitter at @sqiouyilu.Seventh Day of the Seventh MoonBy Ken Liu“Tell me a story,” said Se. She had changed into her pajamas all by herself and snuggled under the blankets.Se’s big sister, Yuan, was just about to flip the switch next to the bedroom door. “How about you read a story by yourself? I have to … go see a friend.”“No, it’s not the same.” Se shook her head vigorously. “You have to tell me a story or I can’t sleep.”Yuan glanced at her phone. Every minute tonight was precious. Dad was out of town on business, and Mom was working late and wouldn’t be home till midnight. Yuan needed to be home before then, but if she could get her little sister to sleep quickly, she’d still have a couple of hours to see Jing on this, her last night in China.“Come on, Yuan,” Se begged. “Please!”Yuan came back to the side of the bed and stroked Se’s forehead gently. She sighed. “All right.”She texted Jing: Late by half hour. Wait?The crystal cat charm, a gift from Jing, dangled from her phone. It twirled and glittered in the warm bedroom light as she waited impatiently for the response.Finally, the phone beeped. Of course. Won’t leave until we meet.“Tell the story about the Qixi Festival,” said Se, yawning. “That’s tonight, isn’t it?”“Yes, yes it is.”Long ago, a beautiful young woman, the granddaughter of the Emperor of Heaven, lived in the sky by the eastern shore of the Silver River—that’s the broad band of light you can sometimes see in the sky at night, when the air is clear.She was skilled at the loom, and so that’s why people called her—“You skipped the part where you describe her weaving!”“But you’ve heard this story a hundred times already. Can’t I just get it over with?”“You have to tell it right.”—as I had apparently neglected to mention: her works were displayed proudly by the Heavenly Court in the western sky at every sunset: glorious clouds of crimson, amethyst, periwinkle, and every shade in between. So people called her Zhinü, the Weaver Girl. And though she was the youngest of seven immortal sisters, we mortals addressed her by the honorific Big Sister Seven.But over time, Zhinü grew wan and thin. Her brows were always tightly knit into a frown, and she did not wash her face or comb out her hair. The sunset clouds she wove were not as lovely as before, and mortals began to complain.The Emperor of Heaven came to visit. “What ails you, my granddaughter?”“Haha, you do that voice so well. You sound just like Grandfather.”“I’m glad you approve. Now stop interrupting.”“Oh, Gonggong, I’m so lonely. Living all by myself in this hut, my only company are my loom—jiya, jiya, it squeaks all day long—and a few magpies.”The Emperor took pity on her and found her a good match. The young man tended to cows on the western shore of the Silver River, so people called him Niulang, the Cowherd. He was handsome and kind and full of funny stories, and Zhinü loved him, and he her, the moment they set eyes on each other.“See, I’m not such a bad matchmaker.” The Emperor of Heaven smiled as he stroked his beard. “Now I know you’re young, and you should have fun. But now that you have a companion, please don’t neglect your work.”Zhinü moved to the western shore of the Silver River to be with Niulang, and the two of them married. They had two boys, and there never was a happier family.“Oh, no, here comes the boring part. You can skip it if you want to.”“No way! This is the best part. You’ll understand when you’re older. Now pay attention.”Every morning, as Niulang got up before sunrise to take the cows to their favorite pasture, Zhinü could not bear the thought of being separated from him. So she would come along. She’d put the two babies in two baskets draped on each side of an old, gentle ox, and she would ride on the back of a pure white bull led by Niulang. They’d sing together, tell each other stories from before they met, and laugh at the jokes that only they understood.Zhinü’s loom sat unused back at the hut, gathering dust.Sunsets became ugly affairs. The few clouds that remained became tattered, wispy, colorless. The people laboring in the fields lost the beauty that had once lifted up their hearts at the end of a hard day, and their laments rose to the Heavenly Court.“My maritorious child,” said the Emperor of Heaven—“What does that word mean?”“It means loving your husband too much.”“How can you love someone too much?”“Good question. I don’t know either. Maybe the Emperor of Heaven didn’t have enough love in his heart to understand. Maybe he was too old.”—“I warned you about neglecting your duty. For your disobedience and neglect, you must now move back to the eastern shore of the Silver River and never see Niulang and your children again.”Zhinü begged for reprieve, but the Emperor’s word was as irreversible as the flow of the Silver River.At the Emperor’s decree, the Silver River was widened and deepened, and Zhinü forever parted from her husband. Today, you can see the star that is Zhinü on one side of the Silver River and the star that is Niulang on the other, their two sons two faint stars on each side of Niulang. They stare at each other across that unbridgeable gap, the longing and regret as endless as the flowing river.“Why did you stop?”“It’s nothing. My throat just felt itchy for a bit.”“Are you sad for Niulang and Zhinü?”“Maybe … a little bit. But it’s just a story.”But the magpies that once kept Zhinü company took pity on the lovers. Once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh moon by the lunar calendar, on Qixi, the day when Zhinü is at her highest position in the sky, all the magpies in the world fly up to the Silver River and make a bridge with their bodies so that the lovers can spend one night together.This is the day when all the young women in old China would pray to Big Sister Seven for love.Oh, I know you want to hear more about the bridge of magpies. You love this part. Well, I imagine it’s a lot of work for the birds. They probably have to go to magpie bridge-building school, and those who’re a bit slow have to go to cram school for extra study sessions …Yuan turned out the light and tiptoed out of her sister’s bedroom.On my way, she texted.She made sure the air conditioning was set comfortably low, locked the door of the apartment, and ran down the stairs. And then she was in the hot, humid evening air of Hefei in August.She biked through the streets, dodging an endless stream of cars beeping their horns. She liked the physicality of the ride, the way it made her body come alive, feel awake. She passed the sidewalks filled with people browsing past stores and kiosks filled with everything imaginable: discount electronics, toys, clothes, fancy European soups and cakes, mouth-watering sweet potatoes baked in tinfoil and fried, smelly tofu. The heat and the exertion stuck her shirt to her skin, and she had to wipe her forehead from time to time to keep the sweat out of her eyes.And then she was at the coffee shop, and Jing—slender, graceful in a plain white dress and a light jacket (for the air conditioning), a faint whiff of the floral perfume that always made Yuan dizzy—greeted Yuan with that bright smile that she always wore.As if this wasn’t the night the world ended.“Are you done packing?” Yuan asked.“Oh, there’s always more to pack.” Jing’s tone was light, breezy, careless. “But I don’t have to get to the airport ‘til nine in the morning. There’s plenty of time.”“You should dress in layers, with something long-sleeved on top,” said Yuan—mainly because she feared saying nothing. “It can get cold on the plane.”“Want to take a walk with me? The next time I walk around at night I’ll be in America. Maybe I’ll miss all this noise.”Yuan left her bike locked to the light post outside the coffee shop, and they strolled along the sidewalk like the rest of the crowd. They did not hold hands. In Shanghai, perhaps no one would have cared, but in Hefei, there would have been looks, and whispers, and maybe worse.Yuan imagined Jing walking about the campus of the American high school at night. Jing had shown her pictures of the red brick buildings and immaculate lawns. And the smiling boys and girls: foreigners. Yuan felt out of breath; her heart seemed unable to decide on a steady rhythm.“Look at that,” said Jing, pointing to the display window of a pastry shop. “They’re selling Qixi Lovers’ Cakes now. So overpriced. And you know some stupid girl is going to throw a fit if her boyfriend doesn’t buy it for her. I want to throw up.”“Not quite as bad as Valentine’s Day,” Yuan said. “I think the vendors are pretty restrained. Relatively speaking.”“That’s because people aren’t into Qixi any more. We Chinese always get more enthusiastic for Western imports, even holidays. It’s a national character weakness.”“I like Qixi,” Yuan said. She said it more emphatically than she meant to.“What, you want to set out an altar under a melon trellis, offer up a plate of fruits, pray to Big Sister Seven, and hope for a spider to weave a web over the offering by morning so you’ll get a nice husband in the future?”Yuan’s face grew hot. She stopped. “You don’t have to mock everything Chinese.”Jing cocked her head, a teasing smile in her eyes. “You suddenly getting all patriotic on me now?”“Your father has the money to pay for you to go to an American boarding school. That doesn’t make you better than everyone else.”“Oh, lay off that wounded tone. You’re hardly some migrant worker’s daughter.”They stared at each other, the neon lights from the nearby stores flickering over their faces. Yuan wanted to kiss Jing and scream at her at the same time. She had always liked Jing’s irreverence, the way she wanted to turn everything into a joke. She knew her anger had nothing to do with this conversation about Qixi at all.Jing turned and continued down the sidewalk. After a moment, Yuan followed.When Jing spoke again, her tone was calm, as if nothing had happened. “Remember the first time we went hiking together?”That had been one of the best days of Yuan’s life. They had skipped their cram school sessions and taken the bus to Emerald Lake, an artificial pond bordering several college campuses. Jing had showed Yuan how to set up her phone so that her mom couldn’t see the messages Jing sent her, and Yuan had showed Jing her baby pictures. They had bought a lamb chuanr from a street vendor and shared it as they walked along the lakeshore. Her heart had beaten faster with each bite of roasted meat off the skewer, thinking that her lips were touching where hers had touched. And then, as they strolled through one of the campuses, Jing had boldly taken her hand: it was a college, after all.And then that first kiss behind the willow tree, tasting the hot spices from the lamb kebab on Jing’s tongue, the calls of wild geese behind her somewhere…“I remember,” she said. Her voice still sounded wounded, and she didn’t care.“I wish we could go there again,” Jing said.The anger in Yuan disappeared, just like that. Jing always had such a way with her. Yuan felt like putty in her hands.“We can chat on QQ or Skype,” Yuan said. She hurried to catch up so that she was walking next to Jing. “And you’ll come back for visits. This isn’t like the old days. It will be okay. We can still be together.”They had wandered off the main thoroughfare onto a less busy side street. The streetlights on one side were out, and looking up they could see a few stars in the sky. Hefei wasn’t as polluted as some of the cities on the coast.“I’m going to be really busy,” Jing said. Her tone was calm, too calm.“We can text every day, every hour.”“It’s different over there. I’ll be living on my own in a dorm. I have to actually study if I want to go to a good college. My family is paying a lot to give me this.”“Americans don’t study that much.”“It’s not like watching American TV shows. There aren’t subtitles. I’ll meet lots of new people. I have to make a new life over there, new friends. I’ll need to be thinking, talking, breathing English all the time if I want to make it.”“I can text you in English,” Yuan said. “I’ll do whatever you want.”“You’re not listening,” Jing said. She stopped again and looked at Yuan.“What are you trying to say?” As soon as she asked the question, Yuan regretted it. It made her sound so weak, so clingy, like a girl from one of those Korean dramas.“I’m going away, Yuan. I told you this was going to happen last year, when we … started.”Yuan looked away so that Jing would not see her eyes. She pushed the image of Jing with someone else out of her mind. She cursed her eyes and told them to behave and stop embarrassing her.“It will be okay.” Jing’s tone was now comforting, gentle, and that made it worse. “We’ll both be okay.”Yuan said nothing because she knew she couldn’t control her voice. She licked her lips, tasting the salt from the sweat of her ride. She wanted to wipe her eyes so she could see clearly again, but she didn’t want to do it in front of Jing.“I want to make this night a happy memory,” Jing said, but her voice finally cracked. She struggled, but failed, to keep her calm mask on. “I’m trying to make this easier. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do for those you love?”Yuan looked up, blinking her eyes hard. She looked for the Silver River, and she remembered that in English it was called the Milky Way—what a graceless and silly name. She looked for Zhinü and Niulang, and she vaguely remembered that in English they were called Vega and Altair, names as cold and meaningless to her as the stars.Just then, magpies seemed to come out of nowhere and gathered over their heads in a cloud of fluttering wings. While they looked up, stunned, the flock swept out of the night sky, descended over them like a giant spider web, and lifted them into the heavens.Riding on the wings of magpies, Yuan found, was not like riding a magical carpet.Not that she knew what riding a magical carpet felt like—but she was sure that it didn’t involve being constantly poked from below by a hundred—no, a thousand—little winged fists.The magpies would fall a bit below where they were and flap their wings rapidly in an upward burst until they collided with the girls’ bodies. The combined force of all the magpies would push them up until the birds lost their momentum and began to fall away, and then a new wave of upward-thrusting magpies would take their place. The girls resembled two ping-pong balls riding on the water spout from a hose pointing up.In the maelstrom of wings they found each other and clung together.“Are you all right?” They each asked at the same time.“What in the world is happening?” Jing asked, her words jumbled together from fear and excitement.“This is a dream,” Yuan said. “This must be a dream.”And then Jing began to laugh.“It can’t be a dream,” she said. “These magpies carrying us: they tickle!”And Yuan laughed too. It was so absurd, so impossible; yet it was happening.Some of the magpies began to sing, a complicated, trilling, lovely chorus. There were magpies of every description: some with white bellies, some with white beaks, some with iridescent, shimmering, blue wings. Yuan felt as if she and Jing were enclosed inside the beating heart of some giant, flying, alien musical instrument.Arms around each other, gingerly sitting side by side, they peeked out at the world below from between the darting wings of the magpies.They were floating in a dark sea. The lights of the city of Hefei spread out below them like a pulsing, receding jellyfish.“It’s getting cold,” said Yuan. She shivered as the wind whipped her hair around her face.“We’re really high up,” said Jing. She took off her summer jacket and draped it around Yuan’s shoulders. Yuan tucked her nose into the collar of the jacket and breathed in the lingering perfume. It warmed her heart even if the thin fabric did little against the chill.Then Yuan berated herself. Jing had broken up with her, and she didn’t need to look so needy, so pathetic. It was fine to cling to Jing in a moment of weakness, but now they were safe. Gently, she took her arm from around Jing and shrugged out of her arm as well. She lifted her face into the clear, frosty air, and tried to shift away from Jing, keeping some distance between them.“Reminds you of Su Shi’s poem, doesn’t it?” Jing whispered. Yuan nodded reluctantly. Jing was the literary one, and she always knew the pretty words, suitable for every occasion.A half moon, like a half-veiled smile, loomed pale white in the dark sky. It grew brighter and larger as they rose on the backs of the magpies.Jing began to sing the words of the Song Dynasty poem, set to a popular tune, and after a moment, Yuan joined her:When did the Moon first appear?I ask the heavens and lift my wine cup.I know not whether time passes the same wayIn the palace among the clouds. I’d like to ride up with the wind,But I’m afraid of the chill from being so highAmong the jade porticos and nephrite beams. We dance with our shadows.Are we even on earth any more?The silver light dapples the window,Illuminating my sleepless night.Do you hate us, Moon?Why are you always waxing just when we’re parting?Like a dancer and her shadow, the two girls swayed, each separately, to a harmony as young as themselves and as old as the land beneath.“So, it’s all true,” said Jing.The magpies had lifted them above the clouds and leveled off. As they glided over the cottony mists, they could see a celestial city of bread loaf-like buildings, punctuated by spiky towers here and there, gleaming in the late summer moonlight in the distance: blue as ice, green as jade, white like ivory. The styles of the buildings were neither Western nor Chinese, but something that transcended them all: heavenly, the Palace of Immortals.“I wonder if there really are immortals living there,” said Yuan. What she didn’t say out loud was her secret hope: she and Jing had been picked by the magpies for this trip to the heavens because the immortals thought they were as special a pair as Niulang and Zhinü—the thought was tinged with both excitement and sorrow.And then they were at the Silver River. It was broader than the Yangtze, almost like Taihu Lake, with the other shore barely visible on the horizon. The rushing torrent roared past like stampeding horses, and giant waves as tall as the apartment buildings in Hefei pounded against the shore.“Hey, don’t carry us over the water!” Jing shouted. But the magpies ignored her and continued to fly towards the river.“They’re building a bridge,” said Yuan. “It’s Qixi, remember?”Indeed, more flocks of magpies appeared. Along with the flock carrying the girls, they congregated like rivulets coalescing into a mighty river of wings. The magpies hovered over the water, with newcomers extending the flock’s reach towards the other shore. They were forming an arching bridge over the Silver River.“I have to take a picture of this,” said Yuan, and she took out her cell phone.The crystal cat charm dangling from the phone caught the light of the moon and dazzled. The magpies immediately surrounding Yuan trilled and dashed at it, knocking the phone out of her hand. And then it was a free for all as more of the magpies forgot about building the bridge and rushed after the shiny bauble. Even when charged with a magical mission, birds were still just birds.Or maybe even the birds have realized we’re not such a special pair after all, Yuan thought, and the charm is more interesting.She gazed after her phone anxiously. If Se woke up from a nightmare, she might try to call her. And if her mom got home before her, she might wonder where she was. She needed that phone back. She hoped the birds would bounce the phone closer to her so she could snatch it.Then those worries were pushed out of her mind as the magpies that had supported Yuan dropped off to join the chase after the charm, and no new magpies replaced them. Her weight overwhelmed the few magpies that remained on task, and she began to fall. She didn’t even have time to cry out.But then a strong hand caught her right wrist and arrested her descent. Yuan looked up into Jing’s face. She was lying down on the bridge of magpies, and she strained as she reached out and held onto Yuan with one hand while fumbling in her purse with the other.“Let go!” shouted Yuan. “You’ll fall, too!” Her world seemed to shrink down to her hands as they clasped around Jing’s hand, around her warm, pale skin. She willed herself to let go, but she could not.“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Jing, panting.The magpies continued to fight each other for the shiny charm, causing Yuan’s phone to bob up and down over the flock like a stone skipping over water. They had stopped extending the living bridge over the water.Jing finally managed to free her own phone from her purse. She paid no attention as her purse almost tumbled over the side of the bridge, where it would have disappeared into the roiling waves below. By feel, she pressed the first button on the dial pad.Yuan’s phone came to life and began to vibrate and buzz. The shocked magpies backed off in a panic, and the phone stayed still in the air for a second before falling, faster and faster, and finally disappeared into the Silver River without a trace.Yuan felt her heart sink. That cat charm, the first gift Jing had ever given her, now gone forever.“Good thing I have you on speed dial,” Jing said.“How do we still have reception here?”“After all that, that’s what you are worried about?” Jing laughed, and after a moment, Yuan joined her.The magpies seemed to have awakened from a bad dream, and they rushed over and lifted Yuan up onto the bridge. Once the girls were safe, the magpies continued to extend their bridge to the other side of the Silver River, leaving the pair at the middle of the bridge, suspended over the endless water and mist.“We almost caused the magpies to fail to build the bridge,” Yuan said. “It would be so sad if Niulang and Zhinü don’t get to meet this year.”Jing nodded. “It’s almost midnight.” She saw the look on Yuan’s face. “Don’t worry about not being home. Nothing bad can happen on the night of Qixi.”“I thought you weren’t into Qixi.”“Well, maybe just a little bit.”They sat down on the bridge together, watching the moon rise over the Silver River. This time, Yuan did not let go of Jing’s hand.“She’s coming,” said Yuan. She jumped up and pointed down the bridge towards the eastern shore. Now that she had spent some time on the bridge of magpies, she was getting pretty good at keeping her footing over the fluttering wings.In the distance, through the mist that wafted over the bridge from time to time, they could see a small, solitary figure making its way towards them.“So is he,” said Jing. She pointed the other way. Through the mist they could see another tiny figure slowly creep towards them.The girls stood up and waited, side by side, looking first one way and then the other. Being in the presence of the annual reunion of this pair of legendary lovers was exciting, maybe even better than meeting TV stars.The two figures from the opposite ends of the bridge came close enough for Yuan and Jing to see them clearly.Out of the east, an old woman approached. Yuan thought she looked as old as, maybe even older than, her grandmother. Her back bent, she walked with a cane. But her wrinkled face glowed healthily with the exertion of having traveled all the way here. Wearing a Tang Dynasty dress, she looked splendid to Yuan. Her breath puffed out visibly in the cold air.Out of the west, an old man emerged from the mist: straight back, long legs, wiry arms swinging freely. His full head of silvery white hair matched the old woman’s, but his face was even more wrinkled than hers. As soon as he saw the old woman, his eyes lit up in a bright smile.“They’re not—” Jing started to say in a whisper.“—quite what we expected?” finished Yuan.“I guess I always pictured immortals as being … well, I guess there’s no reason to think they wouldn’t grow old.”A wispy tendril of sorrow brushed across Yuan’s heart. She tried to imagine Jing as an old woman, and the tenderness made her almost tear up again. She squeezed Jing’s hand, and Jing squeezed back, turning to smile at her.The old man and the old woman met in the middle of the bridge, a few paces away from where the girls stood. They nodded at Jing and Yuan politely and then turned their full attention to each other.“Glad to see you looking so well,” said Zhinü. “Da Lang told me that you were having some trouble with your back the last time he visited with his family. I wasn’t sure you were going to make it here this year.”“Da Lang always exaggerates,” said Niulang. “When he visits I don’t dare to sneeze or cough, lest he insist that I go to the moon to visit Chang’E for some Osmanthus herbs. This old bag of bones can’t really take any more medicine. I think he’s more upset than you or I that his brother didn’t want to be a doctor.”They laughed and chatted on, talking about children and friends.“Why don’t they kiss?” Jing whispered to Yuan.“That’s a Western thing,” Yuan whispered back. “Niulang and Zhinü are old school.”“I’m not sure that’s true. I’ve seen Internet posts arguing people in ancient China used to kiss—but anyway, they’re standing so far apart!”“It’s like they’re friends, not lovers.”“It seems that we have some curious guests,” said Zhinü as she turned around to look at the girls. She didn’t sound angry—more like amused.“We’re sorry,” said Yuan, feeling her face grow hot. “We didn’t mean to be rude.” She hesitated. It didn’t seem right at all to call this old woman “Big Sister Seven.” So she added, “Grandma Zhinü and Grandpa Niulang.”“We just thought,” Jing said, “that … um … you’d be more … passionate.”“You mean less laughing, and more tears and recitation of love poems,” said Niulang, a gentle smile in his eyes.“Yes,” said Jing. “No,” said Yuan, simultaneously.Zhinü and Niulang laughed out loud. Niulang said, “It’s okay. The magpies have been building this bridge for thousands of years, and they sometimes bring guests. We’re used to questions.”Zhinü looked from Yuan to Jing and back again. “You two are together?”“Yes,” said Jing. “No,” said Yuan, simultaneously. They looked at each other, embarrassed.“Now that sounds like a story,” said Zhinü.“We were together,” said Yuan.“But I’m leaving,” said Jing. “We’ll be parted by the Pacific Ocean.” And they told their story to Niulang and Zhinü. It seemed perfectly right to pour their hearts out to the legendary lovers.“I understand,” said Zhinü, nodding sympathetically. “Oh, do I understand.”At first I was inconsolable. I stood on the shore of the Silver River day after day, pining for a glance of my husband and children. I thought the pain in my heart would never go away. I refused to touch my loom. If my grandfather was angry, then let him find someone else to weave the sunsets. I was done.The first time we met over the bridge of magpies, Niulang and I could not stop crying the whole time. My children were growing up so fast, and I felt so guilty. So, when we had to part again, Niulang came up with a stratagem: he asked the magpies to retrieve two large rocks that were about the weight of my babies and carried them home in two baskets on the ends of a pole over his shoulder, the same way he had carried the boys onto the bridge. And everyone thought they had gone home with him. But unbeknownst to anyone else, I carried the boys home with me on my back.And after that, every year, as we met on the bridge, we passed the boys back and forth. They’d spend one year with me, one year with Niulang. They would not have their parents together, but they would have both of them.Each time we met, I told him again and again of the solitude of my hut, the desultory squeak of my loom. And he told me of how he took his herd to the same pastures that we had gone to as a family, to relive the happiness we shared. The grass had grown thin and bare from overgrazing, and his animals were just skin and bones.And then, one year, when the boys were a little older and could walk on their own, Niulang held me and told me that he didn’t want to see me sad any more.“We live a whole year for this one day,” he said. “We’re letting our lives pass us by. It’s not right that you should sit by your loom pining from morning ‘til evening. It’s not right that our sons should think our lives are lives of sorrow. It’s not right that we should come to believe that yearning for what we can’t have is what love is all about.”“What are you saying?” I asked. I was angry, and I didn’t know why. Was he saying that he no longer loved me? I had been faithful to him, but had he been to me?“We know we cannot be together,” he said. “We know that sometimes things happen to people that keeps them apart. But we have refused to look for new happiness. Are we sad because we’re in love? Or are we sad because we feel trapped by the idea of love?”I thought about what he said, and realized that he was right. I had become so used to the story about us, the idea of us living our whole lives for this once-a-year meeting, that I hadn’t really thought about what I wanted. I had become my own legend. Sometimes the stories we tell ourselves obscure our truths.“You’re beautiful when you laugh,” he said.“We’re beautiful when we seek to make ourselves happy,” I said.And so I went back to my loom and poured my love for Niulang into my weaving. I thought those were some of the most beautiful sunsets I had ever woven.And then I found that love was not a limited thing, but an endless fount. I found that I loved the laughter of my children, and the chatter of friends new and old. I found that I loved the fresh breeze that brought smells from far away. I found that other young men made my heart beat faster.And Niulang went and took his herd to new pastures, and he came up with new songs. Young women came and listened to him, and he found that conversation with them gladdened his heart.We told each other these things the next time we met over the bridge. I was glad for him and he for me. We had been clinging to each other as though we were afraid to drown, but in fact, we had been holding each other back from moving on.“And so we each went on and had other loves, joys as well as sorrows,” said Zhinü.“We still meet once a year,” said Niulang, “to catch up on each other’s lives. Old friends are hard to come by.” He and Zhinü looked at each other with affection. “They keep you honest.”“Are you disappointed?” asked Zhinü.Jing and Yuan looked at each other. “Yes,” they said together. Then they said “no,” also together.“Then, are you not in love anymore?” asked Yuan.“You ask that question because you think if we’re no longer in love, then that means the love we had was somehow not real.” Zhinü turned serious. “But the past does not get rewritten. Niulang was the first man I loved, and that would be true no matter how many times I fell in love after him.”“It’s time to go,” Niulang said. The magpies under them were getting restless. The eastern sky was brightening.“You were together, and you’re together now,” said Niulang to the girls. “Whatever comes, that remains a fact.”“You look lovely together, dears,” said Zhinü.Niulang and Zhinü embraced lightly and wished each other well. Then they turned and began to walk in opposite directions.“Look!” said Jing, and gripped Yuan’s hand.Where the old Niulang and Zhinü had been, there was now a pair of ghostly figures: a young man and a young woman. They embraced tightly, as if Yuan and Jing were not there at all.“They were such a handsome couple,” said Yuan.“They still are,” said Jing.And as the bridge of magpies broke up, carrying the girls down to earth, they looked back at the pair of ghost lovers dissolving gradually in the moonlight.Miraculously, Yuan found her bike where she’d left it.The sidewalks were still relatively empty. The first breakfast shops were just getting ready for the day, and the smell of warm soy milk and freshly fried youtiao filled the air.“Better rush home,” said Yuan. “Don’t miss your flight.”“And you need to go, too. Your mom will be worried sick!”Jing pulled her in, wrapping her arms around her. Yuan tried to pull back. “People will see.”“I don’t care,” Jing said. “I lied that day at Emerald Lake. I told you I had kissed other girls before. But you were the first. I want you to know that.”They held each other and cried, and some of the passers-by gave them curious looks, but no one stopped.“I’ll call you every day,” Jing said. “I’ll text you whenever I get a chance.”Yuan pulled back. “No. I don’t want you to think of it as a chore. Do it if you want to. And if you don’t, I’ll understand. Let whatever will happen, happen.”A quick kiss, and Yuan pushed Jing away. “Go, go!”She watched as Jing ran down the street to catch the bus. She watched as the bus pulled into the stream of traffic, a mighty river of steel like the Silver River, and disappeared around the corner.“I love you,” Yuan whispered. And no matter how the stream of time flowed on, that moment would be true forever.END“Seventh Day of the Seventh Moon” was originally published in Kaleidoscope, published by Twelfth Planet Press, edited by Alisa Krasnostein and Julia Rios in 2014.This recording is a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license which means you can share it with anyone you’d like, but please don’t change or sell it. Our theme is “Aurora Borealis” by Bird Creek, available through the Google Audio Library.Thanks for listening, and I’ll have another story for you on September 22nd.[Music plays out]

In the movie "White Vengeance,' director Daniel Lee once again ventures to give an alternative interpretation of an historical event. This time, he is greeted with no less sarcasm than with his previous films. More than two-thousand years ago after China's first empire collapsed, heroes rose up from among the commoners and reconquered the Middle Kingdom. Among them, Xiang Ji and Liu Bang were the most prominent emperor candidates. Xiang Ji, the more powerful of the two warlords, had an opportunity to kill Liu Bang during a banquet at Hongmen. But reluctant to do so, he instead committed the first of a series of blunders that led to his defeat. "White Vengeance" centers on the banquet at Hongmen. But the movie tells quite a different story from historical records, and some of the costumes, weapons and other instruments that are used in the film clearly don't belong to that era. Of course, these aberrations can't escape the keen eyes of viewers, especially so when the director is known for fabricating history in his movies. As a result, the movie was blasted even before it was shown in cinemas. Some critics just looked at Lee's name and said, "Ah, this guy has no respect for history. Better not let him mislead the viewers." Then they gave the movie a meager rating. We Chinese are weird, weird people. We always expect something extra out of what we do. And that extra is a big deal. For example, when ancient historians wrote history, they were not content with just recording exactly what had happened, so they embellished it to show off their literary talent. The result is that we now read these historical records as literature – good literature though – without knowing for sure what exactly happened. Another example: When we watch a movie, we not only expect it to be entertaining, but also want it to be educational. If it's a historical film, we want it to reflect history as it was, although there is no way of ascertaining which version is the true one, because the historical records are more literary than realistic. This unsatisfied expectation for something extra is the reason for all the sarcastic comments that Lee's films usually receive[?]. It is also what keeps some picky viewers from having a good time watching a decent movie. But history aside, "White Vengeance" is presentable. The story is intriguing and provides a thought-provoking analogy to modern events. Furthermore, all the male lead actors breathe life to their characters. There are two ways to appreciate a decent historical movie: You either sit there relaxed and simply enjoy the action, or if you really care that much about history, make it an opportunity to tell your friends or family the TRUE story. That's educational for someone who cares. Anyway, "White Vengeance" is a decent movie that entertains. The plot is arresting, and the actors don't disappoint. So for the debates and ideas it has sparked, it deserves a decent six out of ten.

We Chinese are now living in an age of rapid urbanization. In most inland cities, this process is feeding on the development of resource-based industries, for example the mining and real estate industries. As cities spread their tentacles across the country, the force of urbanization inevitably flows over the rural areas and brings challenge to the lives and values of the locals. The movie ‘Mr. Tree’ is about this confrontation. The main character is a peasant farmer called Shu, or tree in Chinese. When most people in the village are thriving in the process of urbanization, Shu finds it difficult to make a living, and no one pays him enough respect. After a series of failures and humiliations, he finally loses his sanity and becomes a psychic fortune teller, a common figure in Chinese villages. Perhaps many moviegoers' first reaction is to sympathize with a character of such tragic fate. A victim of urbanization, Shu has obviously lost land as the means of living, and is compelled to challenge himself in vain in the city. But on second thought, the viewers may find out more reasons why the director would choose to tell the story of such a victim. Shu is a symbol of Chinese rural values. He is continually haunted by the ghost of his father who represents the strict paternal power upheld in traditional Chinese villages, and Shu himself is a defender of the social system that values the concept of blood relation and intergeneration courtesy. As a man short of ability and achievement, he could only count on his seniority of generation for decent respect from his fellow villagers. But when everyone around him fails to deliver that respect, he suffers a value system breakdown. In his insanity, he forms a bizarre spiritual connection with a tree that gives him supernatural power, a development that coincides with the reality in Chinese villages where superstitions are still common practice. Actor Wang Baoqing, who rose from grass-root to stardom, presents a vivid portrayal of a peasant farmer caught in the clash of urban and rural cultures. Better still is the young director Han Jie, a disciple of realist director Jia Zhangke who is keen on depicting the lives of ordinary Chinese men. Generally the film flows all right but there is noticeable incongruence, for example Shu’s relation with a deaf girl is sped up to marriage, in order to provide the occasion that break Shu’s nerves. However, Han does make up for his drawback through his attention to details, and the use of surrealistic scenes which is, according to many critics, a breakthrough from his master. It takes some romantic courage for a director to turn out realistic products. In terms of box office, Mr. Tree is not even listed in the Top 10, but I have to say it deserves better than most of those in the list. On a scale from one to ten, I give this film 7.5.