Reading style in the subway
"The New York Times" September 3, 2009
Author ALEXIS MAINLAND
This one is wearing black The middle-aged woman in a cardigan has been standing like this: her feet are shoulder-width apart, her arms are slightly bent, and her palms are lightly clenched. Her muscles are relaxed, but she also remains alert.
She is not preparing for a taekwondo competition, but amidst the crowds of millions of New Yorkers, she is performing the daily drama of commuting on the subway - the night shift of the No. 4 subway (D train) has been Whistling towards Brooklyn, people crowded in the carriage and read carefully.
“I’m from New York,” Robin Kornhaber, a 54-year-old woman, told reporters these five words simply. "I can do anything on the subway."
Reading on the subway is a tradition in New York City culture. Not only for Ms. Kornhaber, who lives in Park Slope but works in the Upper East Side, she can read many beautifully bound newspapers when taking the subway; for those who often flip through magazines, This is true for young girls, actors who memorize lines, company employees who plan projects, and immigrants who are just adapting to the environment. In today's New York City, a few crumpled newspapers may no longer be the highlight of the city, but since the subway has withdrawn network and mobile phone signals, taking the subway has become a rare relaxing time in the fast-paced and busy city. Therefore, everyone uses this time to read.
Even if you don’t occupy a seat, you are crowded in the middle of a sea of ??strangers, and you may even hear someone playing the harmonium next to you, or throwing coins into the coin box, or stumbling around after drinking with friends. Back home, people still can't change the habit of reading in the subway.
Some people can just read all the articles in the "Talking about Town and Country" section of "The New Yorker" magazine before the subway arrives. Some people use this time to read classic works carefully, and some people carry two books with them. This novel is so that after reading the first one on the slow six route, you will have nothing to do. A Brooklyn lawyer spent the last two months sorting out the books read by subway passengers, and she posted the results on her blog. A student from the "Subway Book Club" and the New School in New York spent the entire summer vacation distributing more than 600 donated books to passengers, passing on his passion for reading to more people.
Some people observed the readers on the subway and imagined the stories they were reading. The man in formal clothes in the No. 2 subway is reading "Rosta Shi's Level 3 Italian". He may be going to visit his fiancée's parents; is the woman reading children's novels on No. 81 Street a teacher preparing lessons? ? Most people tend to just guess, but I spent 12 hours shuttling between four subway stations to understand what they were reading and why they liked reading the books in their hands.
Bob Alderson, a 46-year-old male who studies Italian, is a patent lawyer. He has no clear travel plans, but he yearns to go to distant places. "I will go to Italy one day, so I want to start learning Italian now." He told reporters.
What about the woman who is reading "Glass City"? Did she think of slobbering demons and dashing wizards? Kimberly Nessel, a 26-year-old dog walker with a degree in forensic psychology, told us that she became obsessed with dark plots in science fiction novels while working in a bookstore.
Just browsing
135 Street No. 3 subway at 9:30 in the morning
A blue bag full of management materials and documents of medical institutions. But Deborah Hairston, who works at the Cancer Center at Columbia Mission Hospital in New York, has been reading the shopping guides mailed to her every week from the store.
“Sometimes I find something I want to buy, but most of the time, I just browse around.” She said while turning the page introducing beaded sweaters. “I don’t want to watch depressing news because I’m exposed to too much.
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Insist on reading one page every day
96 Street No. 2 subway at 10:00 in the morning
In order to understand the 2711 pages of the Jewish classic "Talmud", Many apprentices insist on reading one page every day, and it helps readers find their own learning partners. Harry and David, two Tseng brothers who live in Fort Washington, have been reading the Talmud from home to their work place in the West Outer Ring. On the road, they spend time studying Jewish classics.
Wednesday is the day off for brother Harry Zeng, who is 28 years old and runs a small Jewish restaurant called Mike's Bar on West 72nd Street. . Every Wednesday, Harry Zeng takes a break from the Talmud to read articles from the New York Times’ food section.
“In addition to the Talmud, I read this. " He told reporters, while talking, he stuffed a thick-covered Babylon book into the delivery bag for next time. "It's a good time to read this book while taking the subway. "
My younger brother David Zeng is 19 years old. He is also learning Islamic, but he has been helping his brother with things this summer. He is sitting aside and reading an English translation paper on Aramaic. "I Read the Talmud every day on the subway," he said. "Wednesday is no exception. ”
Busy work
No. 23 Street No. 1 subway at 12:30 in the morning
Whether in the middle of a crowded crowd or in an empty car, how many Donalay Thomas likes to carve out a private space for herself outside of her busy work. Thomas hangs up his headphones, listens to K'Jon's "On the Sea", and puts a copy of Eric Jerome on his lap. ·I read Eric Jerome Dickey's thick new work "Resurrecting Midnight" with my head down and carefully, ignoring all the noise.
"I often read while listening to music. , music can help me quickly integrate into the storyline. "21-year-old Miss Thomas told reporters. She has engaged in many professions and was rushing from Edge Market in New Jersey to West Fourth Street. She was going to participate in the afternoon skateboard competition. "When I was reading, I felt like I was in the story. of a role. "
But she will not be obsessed with the story and forget about the passengers around her. "I will talk to the passengers around me about the books we both like. Thomas said.
Then she turned to a woman in the aisle and said, "You're almost there." "It can be seen that she is also paying attention to the things around her.
Subway Stage
42nd Street Subway No. 2 1:30 pm
If every restaurant in New York If we hire one actor, there will be at least two 25-year-old actress Rachel on every subway train, whether they are preparing to audition or dreaming of acting. ) believes that wearing sunglasses can help her get into the role. She took the train from Los Angeles and rushed to various production crews to audition. She is now going to audition for Sosa in "The A-Team". ), "Operation One" is a TV series shot in the 1980s and will be adapted into a movie in 2010. "Souza is the assistant to the Secretary of Defense. "She explained to reporters. "I'm trying to experience this role. She's sexy, but she's also a government official. "
In the subway aisle, 31-year-old James Wright, wearing a white T-shirt and black jacket, was sitting on the railing. He was rushing to "As the World Turns" ) On the way to the set, he held a copy of the late playwright Arthur Miller's award-winning masterpiece "Death of a Salesman" in his hands and read it intently. Playing the role of Biff was his dream. He was concentrating on warming up for the audition.
A few minutes later, the actor Angelica Ayala began to recite her lines and gesture to herself. The 45-year-old woman with multiple personalities doesn’t feel there is anything inappropriate about doing this on the subway. “I just do what I have to do,” she said. “Others may look at me strangely, but I have to rehearse. "Her play Peccatoribus has been performed at the Plymouth Theater in the Bronx.
“This is a story that reflects people’s self-struggle.” She told reporters.
Use this time to read, read and write
59th Street and 19th Street subway at 4:30 pm
Alicia took the early subway home ·Alysia Vallas has just finished reading the short story collection "The Nimrod Flipout" by the Egyptian writer Edgar Keret. Her home is in the Western Outer Ring Road. Villas opened her diary, which was filled with her impressions of New York City over the summer.
“I usually write something to record the unforgettable things every day,” she said. "I will write down the good places I have been to, the strange people I met on the subway, etc."
This ordinary-looking notepad also recorded what she learned from the New York Public Library. Copied guitar chord charts.
Vilas, 21, is a student at Grinnell College in Iowa and is interning at the Queens Library Health and Medical Joint Center this summer. She said that she especially likes to use the time on the subway to read and write.
“This period of time truly belongs to me. There are no heavy tasks and it is very relaxing.” She thinks so. "Although I am surrounded by strangers, they don't care."
Little readers in the subway
Route 42, Route 2, 5:00 pm
Several of the five- to eight-year-old campers from Tremont United Methodist Church looked exhausted. They have been busy running around various activities since 7:30 in the morning, and also visited the New York Science and Technology Museum in Queens.
The children were standing on the platform in Times Square, making small plans on how to grab seats. If there were few seats, who would hold whom and sit in a seat. The two little girls held hands and rested their heads for a few minutes.
The train pulled into the 42nd Street station, and instructor Jesus Figueroa, who had hosted six camping trips, greeted the students to get on the train. He told the students: "Everyone, prepare yourselves." "Books." All of a sudden, the students took out various books from their backpacks - "Jig and Mag", "A Rose, a Bridge," and a Wild Black Horse), "The Kid Who Invented the Popsicle"...
The church stipulates that if the little campers occupy a seat on the subway, they must sit down and read. The young campers will bring a book from the church library or home every day, and train their reading speed in a short period of time according to regulations. No matter where they are, they must read for more than 20 minutes, and then write down what they read in their diary. progress.
“This will allow children to concentrate on reading while riding the subway, and it will also help improve their reading ability.” 20-year-old teacher Fugueroa told us.
In the subway car, children who could not find a seat were also reading books. Eight-year-old boy Christopher wrapped his feet around the lever to maintain his center of gravity, holding "Time Together" in his hand and reading with relish. Next to him, Steven, who is seven or eight years old, held teacher Fugueroa with one hand and opened "50 Little Things Children Can Do to Save the Earth" with the other hand and read with interest.
Eight-year-old Larenda sat between two men reading newspapers, pointing at each sentence on page four of "Mary Ann's Rescue," a book in the Baby-Sitters Club series. Part of a series of books. She raised her head and answered our interview briefly. "There's a lot of homework," she said. "But it's fun." Then he lowered his head and read a book.
Join the Book Club
Grand Avenue Line 4 at 5:45 p.m.
Passengers may not notice Carlton Clark in the crowd. Carlton Clarke, was almost overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of people around him.
He was carrying a bag with the logo of an accounting company on his shoulder and holding a stack of documents in his left hand, giving the impression that he was taking his work home to do it.
In fact, the pile of paper in his hand was the first three chapters of J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" novel, which Clark downloaded and printed from the company's book club. The club met once a week, and each meeting became a literary review meeting for him and his colleagues.
"I can only read during this time, but I also have to see where the next stop is and whether I am going to the station." The train passed the Manhattan Bridge and suddenly tilted. He grabbed Hold the bar and keep your center of gravity.
In recent months, members of the company's book club have been reading the first two books in Art Spiegelman's Maus series. “The writing of these two novels is vivid and extraordinary to read,” Clark told reporters. "I have never seen such a unique genre."
When it comes to "The Catcher in the Rye," Clark can't remember whether he has read it before. "Maybe I read it when I was in school, but when I read it now, I feel different." He answered the reporter, "I definitely didn't read this novel when I took the subway before."
中文字幕 Wu Jing
Queensboro Plaza Line 7 at 6:15 pm
On the train speeding to Jackson Heights, Panee Ma felt like sitting in meditation Like, meditate alone.
For two years, Mapani traveled between Queens and fashionable neighborhoods, spending a lot of time designing his own beaded clothing. She has been reading the six-volume Buddhist masterpiece The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra. On this warm Wednesday night, she picked up the last volume of Buddhist classics on the subway.
Mapani, 68, is a native Korean who came to the United States from Thailand in 1981. Her accent is mixed with a thick dialect. Her purpose of reading is very simple. According to her words: "Read more of these books to make yourself more tolerant and learn English better."
"I work hard every day," she I added, meditating on the unity of the worldly world and the spiritual world. "Let go of distracting thoughts and live each day well. I don't want to waste time."
Why did Chiang Kai-shek give up on regaining Hong Kong after Japan surrendered in 1945?
Author: Anonymous Source of article: Original clicks on this site: 165 Update time: 2009-8-17
It is natural for China to take back Hong Kong
On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender. On the third day after Japan surrendered, MacArthur, commander of the Allied Forces in the Far East, issued the first surrender order under the authorization of President Truman: All Japanese troops in the Republic of China and Vietnam north of the 16th parallel should surrender to Chairman Chiang Kai-shek. . Hong Kong is located just north of the 16th degree north latitude, and was part of the Guangzhou Combat Area of ??the China Theater during the war. All this shows that the Japanese troops stationed in Hong Kong should surrender to the Chinese army and that it is natural for China to take back Hong Kong.
After receiving the No. 1 surrender order from the Allies, Chiang Kai-shek appointed Zhang Fakui, commander of the Second Front Army, as the surrender officer for Guangzhou, Hainan, Hong Kong and other places. Zhang Fakui's New First Army and Thirteenth Army were ordered to gather in the Bao'an area near Hong Kong to implement Hong Kong's surrender.
The Face of British Colonialism
As for MacArthur’s No. 1 surrender order, the British government argued that the war zone could not cover sovereignty and made it clear that it refused to allow Chinese troops to surrender in Hong Kong.
In fact, it is Britain's established policy to restore colonial rule in Hong Kong. As early as 1943, at the Cairo meeting between China, Britain and the United States, Churchill declared to Chiang Kai-shek on the Hong Kong issue: "Nothing can be taken away from Britain without a war!" The colonialists' face was clear.
In early 1944, the British government established an organization called the Hong Kong Planning Group, which was responsible for planning the reoccupation of Hong Kong and determining the policy of occupying Hong Kong by force after the war. At the same time, the British know very well that in the struggle between China and Britain over the ownership of Hong Kong, the attitude of the United States is very important. Whichever side the balance of the United States leans towards, Hong Kong will belong to whichever side. On August 18, 1945, the new British Prime Minister Attlee called President Truman, stating that the United Kingdom could not accept MacArthur's surrender order No. 1, and strongly requested Truman to instruct MacArthur to reissue the order to allow the Japanese troops stationed in Hong Kong to surrender to the British troops.
The attitude of Americans plays a key role
After the outbreak of the Pacific War, the United States supported China in taking back Hong Kong. Through this move, it wanted to encourage the Chinese government to continue fighting against Japan to alleviate the The pressure of the US military on the Pacific battlefield also took the opportunity to squeeze out British and French forces in the Far East and replace them. Therefore, at the Cairo Conference, President Roosevelt urged Britain to return Hong Kong to China after the war and make it an international free port under Chinese control, but Churchill refused.
After Germany surrendered, the United States and the former Soviet Union launched a fierce competition in Europe, and the United States needed Britain's support. Therefore, on the Hong Kong issue, the United States' position in supporting China's takeover of Hong Kong has changed. So Truman supported Britain's return to Hong Kong. He informed MacArthur: "In order to more smoothly accept the surrender of Japanese soldiers in Hong Kong, Hong Kong must be separated from the Chinese war zone."
Since the United States does not want China to take back Hong Kong, it is begging the Americans for help. Chiang Kai-shek, who was fighting a civil war, had no choice but to obey. But when giving up Hong Kong, Chiang Kai-shek still wanted to gain some face for himself. On August 20, in his telegram to Truman, he changed his original intention of demanding the return of Hong Kong and only asked that, as the supreme commander of the Chinese theater, he appoint a British officer to accept the Japanese surrender in Hong Kong. After the surrender ceremony, the British will send military forces to land in Hong Kong under the authorization of the Supreme Commander of the Chinese Theater Command.
However, the Americans and British did not even give this face. Chiang Kai-shek was angry. He told Truman that regardless of whether the British accepted it or not, he would appoint British Pacific Fleet Rear Admiral Xia Ke as his surrender representative as the supreme commander of the Chinese theater. At the same time, he expressed his intention to use force to resist the actions taken by the British in the Chinese theater.
China’s attitude makes the British feel uneasy. In order to return to Hong Kong, they had to accept Chiang Kai-shek's suggestion and agreed that Xia Ke would accept the Japanese surrender in Hong Kong on behalf of the British government and Chiang Kai-shek at the same time.
On August 20, 1945, a British naval task force from Subic Bay in the Philippines landed in Hong Kong. On September 1, Xia Ke established a military government as the commander of the British forces in Hong Kong. On the same day, the military delegation sent by Chiang Kai-shek arrived in Hong Kong and reached an agreement with Xia Ke: the National Government agreed to the British occupation of Hong Kong. On May 1, 1946, former Hong Kong Governor Yang Muqi, who had been imprisoned by the Japanese army for 3 years and 8 months after the fall of Hong Kong, returned to Hong Kong and resumed his duties as Governor, restoring British rule over Hong Kong.
Alcoholism and the disaster of a nation
Author: Anonymous Source of article: Original number of clicks on this site: 150 Update time: 2009-10-27
In Russia In people's daily life, the "status" of wine is no less than that of salt and bread. Indeed, uncontrolled drinking has caused a host of social problems in Russia. 70% of the fatalities in Russia's 300,000 traffic accidents every year are caused by drunk driving. President Medvedev even called alcoholism a national disaster
“This is an extremely serious and acute problem, especially for our country. Frankly speaking, alcoholism has become a national disaster in our country. "On August 20, Russian President Medvedev said at a meeting on measures to reduce alcohol consumption in Russia. This is the first time Medvedev has publicly criticized the nation's drinking habits so harshly.
In the daily life of Russian people, the "status" of wine is no less than that of salt and bread. Some people say that Russians will do anything to drink. Indeed, uncontrolled drinking has caused a host of social problems in Russia.
The number of people dying from drunk driving has increased dramatically
In Russian news programs, you can see news related to alcohol almost every day, or traffic accidents caused by drunk driving. Or they may freeze to death on the streets because of drinking too much, or they may cause troubles, fights, etc. due to drinking.
According to statistics, 70% of the deaths in Russia's 300,000 traffic accidents every year are caused by drunk driving. In the first half of this year alone, there were 5,000 car accidents in Russia caused by drunk driving, resulting in 8,000 deaths and injuries. This is indeed not a small number for Russia, which has a population of only 142 million. This phenomenon is particularly serious in the cold climate regions of central and eastern Russia. In regions such as the Kurgan region, more than a quarter of traffic accidents are related to alcohol abuse.
Alcoholism has become a major public hazard in Russian society
On July 29, a survey released by the Russian "All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center" showed that 74% of Russian people drink alcohol regularly. . Among the people surveyed, 13% of men drink alcohol several times a week; 32% of men drink alcohol two or three times a month; 19% of men drink alcohol about once a month; only 18% of men drink alcohol once a month. The number of drinks is less than once a month, and 16% of men do not drink at all. In addition, 3% of Russian women drink alcohol several times a week; 15% drink alcohol two or three times a month; and 18% drink alcohol about once a month. This poll result once again shows the seriousness of the alcohol problem among Russian people.
The average life expectancy of Russian men ranks 136th in the world, and alcoholism is the third largest culprit after suicide and traffic accidents. According to statistics from the Russian Ministry of Health, 1/3 of adult men and 1/7 of adult women in Russia are "addicted to drinking." Currently, an average of more than 100 people die from alcohol poisoning every day across the country.
Nothing is unique. According to recent media disclosures, “among Russians aged 15 to 54, the male mortality rate is five times higher than in Western Europe, and the female mortality rate is three times higher than in Western Europe. About three-quarters of the male deaths in this age group in Russia The cause of death was directly or indirectly caused by alcohol; about 1/2 of the female deaths were directly or indirectly caused by alcohol.”
Russian Interior Minister Nurgaliyev once confirmed that Russians The average amount of alcohol consumed exceeds twice the maximum limit set by the World Health Organization, which has seriously threatened the health of the entire Russian nation. He said: "40,000 people die from alcohol poisoning in Russia every year; 1 in every 5 criminal cases is caused by drunkenness."
According to statistics from the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development , every Russian citizen, including children, drinks nearly 18 liters of pure alcohol every year, which is twice as high as the standard set by the World Health Organization that is harmful to human health and life. "You can convert it yourself, how many bottles of vodka is this equivalent to - it will make you breathless. This poses a serious threat to national recession and population decline." Medvedev told the participants on August 20 explain.
What is forbidden or not is always a question
Russians drink regardless of time of day, season, venue, or purpose. They do not need to drink food or drinks. They just drink whatever they want. , often consume the whole bottle or cup in one gulp, and get drunk to the end. As summer approaches, you will often see people holding wine bottles and drinking while walking on the benches along the boulevards, in bus shelters, on bridges and riversides, and even on the sidewalks.
“It is no exaggeration to say that vodka has been deeply integrated into Russian culture. Russians have a special liking for vodka and love it very much.” A scholar who has studied Russian culture for a long time He once told reporters this. But now, vodka has become one of the biggest headaches for Russian leaders.
Prohibition of alcohol has always been a big problem that has always been faced by Russian leaders. Some people describe it as "no matter who is in power, Russians will always be held hostage by vodka." Russian History There have been many anti-alcohol campaigns launched by the government. However, there are policies from above and countermeasures from below. Every time alcohol is banned, it will encounter strong resistance among the people. The more severe the anti-alcohol measures, the more fake alcohol becomes rampant, and we fall into a "the more prohibited the more alcohol becomes." The vicious cycle of "excess".
In May 1985, Gorbachev promulgated the "Measures to Eliminate Alcoholism", thus becoming the first leader in the history of Russia (formerly the Soviet Union) to ban the drinking of vodka. Unexpectedly, prohibition immediately led to a nationwide sugar shortage. People are snapping up sugar to brew liquor at home. Private brewing in the countryside is flourishing everywhere. This kind of private pot-burning technology and equipment are simple, and many harmful substances cannot be filtered out, which is very harmful to the human body.
To satisfy their cravings, some people even began to drink cologne, nail polish remover and other toxic liquids containing alcohol. Eventually, Gorbachev had to abandon his ban on alcohol. On television, he told a joke to supporters of Prohibition: People were lining up to buy vodka, and one man couldn't stand it anymore and said, "I'm going to the Kremlin to kill Gorbachev." One person. Hours later, he came back.
People who were still queuing up asked him: "Did you kill him?" He replied: "Kill him? The queue over there is longer than here!"
Work together to remove blockages and strive to remove them." "Heart disease"
Although Russia has adopted a series of measures in recent years, such as strictly restricting the production and circulation of alcohol, strictly restricting alcohol advertising, severely punishing drunk driving, etc., the "three stricts" cannot be exchanged for being drunk. . In Medvedev's words, "There is no talk of any change."
"Although alcoholism is an old problem that cannot be eradicated in the short term, anti-alcoholism actions in many countries have achieved results." In Medvedev said this at the meeting that day. He also criticized: “In Russia, they are still repeating cliches, saying that it is impossible to fight alcoholism in our country.” Although it was during the vacation period for Russian officials at all levels, including the president, this meeting except for the first Deputy Prime Minister Zubkov was present on the sidelines, and more than 20 heads of ministries, federal agencies, and governors were also called in to offer advice. It can be seen that alcoholism has become one of the "heart problems" of Russian senior officials.
Medvedev emphasized that domestic and foreign experience shows that as long as systematic and long-term measures are taken, anti-alcoholism can be effective. On the one hand, it is necessary to impose restrictions on the production and circulation of alcohol. On the other hand, it is also necessary to pay attention to guidance and promote a healthy and normal lifestyle. "The main thing is that people should have the desire to live a normal, valuable, healthy, sober lifestyle and be provided with possibilities. All this should be available."
Medvedev Frankly speaking, “anti-alcoholism cannot be solved with an executive order.” He said that the whole society, including the education sector, the media and various social organizations, should be mobilized to pay attention to the alcohol problem of citizens, especially young people. At the same time, the psychology and interests of young people should also be considered, "at a new and modern level. Fighting Alcohol”.