两位数经济增长时期的中国是什么样的？
正文翻译
图
图
评论翻译
Anubisred
Lives in China (1976–present)Aug 12
I was born in Shenyang in 1976, an old industrial base in China. My generation, while not starving, has experienced widespread malnutrition.
Because of the lack of productivity in that era, there was a shortage of materials, and many things had to be supplied by ticket, including: grain, meat, tofu, matches, fabrics, etc. Home appliances you say? When I was a kid, there were only lights and radios.
At that time, my parents' salary was 30.8 yuan (this figure should be a common memory of many Chinese people), and expenses must be calculated carefully, and I rarely had snacks when I was a child. So I have obvious symptoms of malnutrition (many kids do)
The area I live in is located in northeastern China and has a cold climate, so in winter, there are very few kinds of vegetables, only cabbage, potatoes, radishes, and only apples and oranges as fruits. At that time, people stored winter vegetables in cellars, and families without cellars stored them in corridors.
However, thanks to my parents, I never lacked books when I was a child, whether it was ancient Chinese poetry, translated novels, or small books, my parents were called "intellectuals" at the time, and they attached great importance to knowledge.
我1976年出生于沈阳，一个中国的老工业基地。我们这一代人虽然没有挨饿，但却普遍的营养不良。
因为那个时代生产力不高，商品短缺，很多东西都要靠票据供应，包括:粮食、肉、豆腐、火柴、织物等。家用电器呢?我小的时候，家里只有灯和收音机。
那时候，我父母的工资是30.8元(这个数字应该是很多中国人的共同记忆)，必须仔细计算费用，我小时候很少吃零食。所以我有明显的营养不良症状(很多孩子都有)
我居住的地区位于中国东北，气候寒冷，所以在冬天，蔬菜种类很少，只有白菜、土豆、萝卜，水果只有苹果和橙子。当时，人们把冬菜贮藏在地窖里，没有地窖的家庭把菜贮藏在走廊里。
但是，感谢我的父母，我从小不缺少书，无论是中国古诗、翻译小说，还是小人书，我的父母在当时被称为“知识分子”，他们非常重视知识。
Lives in China (1976–present)Aug 12
I was born in Shenyang in 1976, an old industrial base in China. My generation, while not starving, has experienced widespread malnutrition.
Because of the lack of productivity in that era, there was a shortage of materials, and many things had to be supplied by ticket, including: grain, meat, tofu, matches, fabrics, etc. Home appliances you say? When I was a kid, there were only lights and radios.
At that time, my parents' salary was 30.8 yuan (this figure should be a common memory of many Chinese people), and expenses must be calculated carefully, and I rarely had snacks when I was a child. So I have obvious symptoms of malnutrition (many kids do)
The area I live in is located in northeastern China and has a cold climate, so in winter, there are very few kinds of vegetables, only cabbage, potatoes, radishes, and only apples and oranges as fruits. At that time, people stored winter vegetables in cellars, and families without cellars stored them in corridors.
However, thanks to my parents, I never lacked books when I was a child, whether it was ancient Chinese poetry, translated novels, or small books, my parents were called "intellectuals" at the time, and they attached great importance to knowledge.
我1976年出生于沈阳，一个中国的老工业基地。我们这一代人虽然没有挨饿，但却普遍的营养不良。
因为那个时代生产力不高，商品短缺，很多东西都要靠票据供应，包括:粮食、肉、豆腐、火柴、织物等。家用电器呢?我小的时候，家里只有灯和收音机。
那时候，我父母的工资是30.8元(这个数字应该是很多中国人的共同记忆)，必须仔细计算费用，我小时候很少吃零食。所以我有明显的营养不良症状(很多孩子都有)
我居住的地区位于中国东北，气候寒冷，所以在冬天，蔬菜种类很少，只有白菜、土豆、萝卜，水果只有苹果和橙子。当时，人们把冬菜贮藏在地窖里，没有地窖的家庭把菜贮藏在走廊里。
但是，感谢我的父母，我从小不缺少书，无论是中国古诗、翻译小说，还是小人书，我的父母在当时被称为“知识分子”，他们非常重视知识。
Around the early 1980s, we had black and white televisions at home, and life was different. After a few more years, washing machines were added. You know, our generation has never taken anything "for granted", so owning these things is like owning a fabled treasure.
Throughout the 1980s, I almost remembered every time my family went to a restaurant for dinner, because it was very rare.
However, by the end of the 1980s, household incomes had increased markedly, throughout the country, and there were more and more commodities. When I grew up, I realized that this is the result of "reform and opening up".
In the 1990s, the market was further opened up, and more and more people started doing business. My father contracted a factory and opened a restaurant. As the editor of the newspaper, my mother's income is enough for expenses. Our family even owns a sedan! (Soviet Volga brand)
I got my own computer around 1992. I was the only person I knew who had a computer at the time, and my father believed that computers were the future. (Thanks to my father, I became the first generation of netizens in China, and I am still in this industry today)
大约在20世纪80年代初，我们家里有了黑白电视，生活就不一样了。几年后，又增加了洗衣机。你知道，我们这一代人从来没有把任何事情当作“理所应当”，所以拥有这些东西就像拥有一个传说中的宝藏。
在整个80年代，我几乎记得我们一家人每一次去餐厅吃饭，因为这是非常罕见的。
然而，到20世纪80年代末，全国各地的家庭收入明显增加，商品越来越多。长大后才知道，这是“改革开放”的结果。
20世纪90年代，市场进一步开放，越来越多的人开始经商。我父亲承包了一家工厂，开了一家餐馆。作为报社的编辑，我母亲的收入足够应付日常开支。我们家甚至有一辆轿车!(苏联伏尔加河品牌)
1992年左右我有了自己的电脑。我是当时周围唯一一个拥有电脑的人，我父亲相信电脑就是未来。(感谢我的父亲，我成为了中国第一代网民，我现在就在这个行业)
Throughout the 1980s, I almost remembered every time my family went to a restaurant for dinner, because it was very rare.
However, by the end of the 1980s, household incomes had increased markedly, throughout the country, and there were more and more commodities. When I grew up, I realized that this is the result of "reform and opening up".
In the 1990s, the market was further opened up, and more and more people started doing business. My father contracted a factory and opened a restaurant. As the editor of the newspaper, my mother's income is enough for expenses. Our family even owns a sedan! (Soviet Volga brand)
I got my own computer around 1992. I was the only person I knew who had a computer at the time, and my father believed that computers were the future. (Thanks to my father, I became the first generation of netizens in China, and I am still in this industry today)
大约在20世纪80年代初，我们家里有了黑白电视，生活就不一样了。几年后，又增加了洗衣机。你知道，我们这一代人从来没有把任何事情当作“理所应当”，所以拥有这些东西就像拥有一个传说中的宝藏。
在整个80年代，我几乎记得我们一家人每一次去餐厅吃饭，因为这是非常罕见的。
然而，到20世纪80年代末，全国各地的家庭收入明显增加，商品越来越多。长大后才知道，这是“改革开放”的结果。
20世纪90年代，市场进一步开放，越来越多的人开始经商。我父亲承包了一家工厂，开了一家餐馆。作为报社的编辑，我母亲的收入足够应付日常开支。我们家甚至有一辆轿车!(苏联伏尔加河品牌)
1992年左右我有了自己的电脑。我是当时周围唯一一个拥有电脑的人，我父亲相信电脑就是未来。(感谢我的父亲，我成为了中国第一代网民，我现在就在这个行业)
Of course, in the 90s, my family was relatively wealthy (but not the kind of super rich), so it doesn't mean everyone was so wealthy, but people's lives did improve a lot. Items are no longer supplied by ticket, nutrition is no longer an issue, and there are more and more types of vegetables. This is thanks to the government's "Vegetable Basket Project". Since the late 1980s, it has vigorously built production bases for vegetables, meat, eggs, milk, and aquatic products, including a series of processing and transportation, to ensure that fresh vegetables are available throughout the country.
But this is only the case in big cities, there is still a serious poverty problem in the vast rural areas.
In terms of urban construction, there were also great changes in the 1990s. High-rise buildings, new residential buildings, and city squares continued to appear. I served in the army from 1995 to 1997. After returning from the army, I hardly knew my hometown.
当然，在90年代，我的家庭是比较富有的(但不是超级富有的那种)，所以这并不意味着每个人都很富有，但人们的生活确实改善了很多。商品不再按票据供应，营养也不再是问题，蔬菜的种类也越来越多。这要感谢政府的“菜篮子项目”。从20世纪80年代末开始，大力建设蔬菜、肉、蛋、奶、水产品等一系列加工运输生产基地，确保新鲜蔬菜遍布全国。
但这只是大城市的情况，在广大农村地区仍然存在着严重的贫困问题。
在城市建设方面，90年代也发生了很大的变化。高楼大厦、新住宅和城市广场不断出现。我从1995年到1997年在军队服役。从部队回来后，我几乎不认识我的家乡了。
But this is only the case in big cities, there is still a serious poverty problem in the vast rural areas.
In terms of urban construction, there were also great changes in the 1990s. High-rise buildings, new residential buildings, and city squares continued to appear. I served in the army from 1995 to 1997. After returning from the army, I hardly knew my hometown.
当然，在90年代，我的家庭是比较富有的(但不是超级富有的那种)，所以这并不意味着每个人都很富有，但人们的生活确实改善了很多。商品不再按票据供应，营养也不再是问题，蔬菜的种类也越来越多。这要感谢政府的“菜篮子项目”。从20世纪80年代末开始，大力建设蔬菜、肉、蛋、奶、水产品等一系列加工运输生产基地，确保新鲜蔬菜遍布全国。
但这只是大城市的情况，在广大农村地区仍然存在着严重的贫困问题。
在城市建设方面，90年代也发生了很大的变化。高楼大厦、新住宅和城市广场不断出现。我从1995年到1997年在军队服役。从部队回来后，我几乎不认识我的家乡了。
Computers are also becoming more and more popular in ordinary people's homes. Although parents do not use them, they firmly believe that their children need to master computer knowledge.
As a veteran gamer and computer enthusiast, during my 3 years in the military, I kept myself connected to the world through periodicals. In 1998, a few months after I returned from the military, I was connected to the Internet—the world changed completely. If there are first-generation netizens here, they should understand the greatness of that era.
After 2000, everything has become faster, daily expenses take up less and less money, "eating" is no longer the biggest expense item, of course, for ladies, "dressing" is still and always will be the biggest expenditure item. People pay more attention to investing and buying a house. There are more and more cars on the streets, and at this time cars are still a feature of the "more affluent families".
With the rapid spread of the Internet, the entire country has entered into an information revolution. For income, I resigned from the government, went to work in an enterprise, and engaged in the Internet industry.
Until now, in 2022, almost every household owns a car, my wife and I have two (Lincoln Corsair and Toyota Prado), and everyone uses a smartphone. Sanitation and greenery in the city are also very good.
电脑在普通家庭中也越来越受欢迎。虽然父母不使用电脑，但他们坚信孩子需要掌握电脑知识。
作为一名资深游戏玩家和电脑爱好者，我在军队服役的3年里，通过期刊与世界保持联系。1998年，我从军队回来几个月后，我连上了互联网——我的世界完全改变了。如果读者中有第一代网民，他们应该明白那个时代的伟大。
2000年以后，一切都变得越来越快，日常开支所占的比例越来越低，“吃”不再是最大的开支项目，当然，对于女士们来说，“穿衣”仍然是而且永远是最大的开支项目。人们更注重投资和买房。街上的汽车越来越多，此时汽车仍然是“富裕家庭”的一个特征。
随着互联网的迅速普及，整个国家都进入了一场信息革命。收入方面，我从政府辞职，进入企业工作，从事互联网行业。
直到现在，也就是2022年，几乎每家每户都有一辆车，我和妻子有两辆(林肯海盗和丰田普拉多)，每个人都使用智能手机。城市的卫生和绿化也很好。
As a veteran gamer and computer enthusiast, during my 3 years in the military, I kept myself connected to the world through periodicals. In 1998, a few months after I returned from the military, I was connected to the Internet—the world changed completely. If there are first-generation netizens here, they should understand the greatness of that era.
After 2000, everything has become faster, daily expenses take up less and less money, "eating" is no longer the biggest expense item, of course, for ladies, "dressing" is still and always will be the biggest expenditure item. People pay more attention to investing and buying a house. There are more and more cars on the streets, and at this time cars are still a feature of the "more affluent families".
With the rapid spread of the Internet, the entire country has entered into an information revolution. For income, I resigned from the government, went to work in an enterprise, and engaged in the Internet industry.
Until now, in 2022, almost every household owns a car, my wife and I have two (Lincoln Corsair and Toyota Prado), and everyone uses a smartphone. Sanitation and greenery in the city are also very good.
电脑在普通家庭中也越来越受欢迎。虽然父母不使用电脑，但他们坚信孩子需要掌握电脑知识。
作为一名资深游戏玩家和电脑爱好者，我在军队服役的3年里，通过期刊与世界保持联系。1998年，我从军队回来几个月后，我连上了互联网——我的世界完全改变了。如果读者中有第一代网民，他们应该明白那个时代的伟大。
2000年以后，一切都变得越来越快，日常开支所占的比例越来越低，“吃”不再是最大的开支项目，当然，对于女士们来说，“穿衣”仍然是而且永远是最大的开支项目。人们更注重投资和买房。街上的汽车越来越多，此时汽车仍然是“富裕家庭”的一个特征。
随着互联网的迅速普及，整个国家都进入了一场信息革命。收入方面，我从政府辞职，进入企业工作，从事互联网行业。
直到现在，也就是2022年，几乎每家每户都有一辆车，我和妻子有两辆(林肯海盗和丰田普拉多)，每个人都使用智能手机。城市的卫生和绿化也很好。
With expressways, viaducts and underpasses all over the city, transportation is much more convenient than it used to be. Suburbs and rural areas are littered with highways and high-speed rail. Yes, in terms of infrastructure construction, China is fully qualified to be proud. There is a slogan in China that everyone knows: If you want to be rich, build roads first.
Here's a photo of my hometown from the 80s and 2022, now, you can see how much has changed.
No matter in any season, we can buy all vegetables, "eating" is no longer a problem worth considering. As someone who has lived through difficult times, I occasionally feel dizzy in the supermarket: looking at all kinds of food piled on the ceiling, countless meat, milk, eggs... these precious "nutrition products" of our childhood , they are desperately trying to add to your cart, I just can't imagine the difficult times of the past, it's like a dream.
The most important thing is that most of the country's rural areas have been lifted out of poverty. Although I live in the city, don't forget that there are 900 million farmers in China. This is the greatest achievement. Every Chinese is a descendant of farmers.
Thanks to everyone who gave.
随着高速公路、高架桥和地下通道遍布城市，交通比以前方便多了。郊区和农村地区到处都是高速公路和高速铁路。是的，在基础设施建设方面，中国完全有资格感到自豪。在中国有一句众所周知的口号:要想富，先修路。
这是我家乡的一张照片，从80年代到2022年，现在，你可以看到发生了多大的变化。
在任何季节，我们都可以买到所有蔬菜，“吃”不再是一个值得考虑的问题。作为一个经历过困难时期的人，在超市里偶尔会感到头晕:看着各种各样的食物堆在柜台上，数不清的肉、奶、蛋……我们童年的这些珍贵的“营养品”，我简直无法想象过去的艰难时光，就像一场梦。
最重要的是，我国大部分农村地区已经摆脱了贫困。虽然我住在城市，但别忘了中国有9亿农民。这是最大的成就。每个中国人都是农民的后代。
感谢每一个付出的人。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Here's a photo of my hometown from the 80s and 2022, now, you can see how much has changed.
No matter in any season, we can buy all vegetables, "eating" is no longer a problem worth considering. As someone who has lived through difficult times, I occasionally feel dizzy in the supermarket: looking at all kinds of food piled on the ceiling, countless meat, milk, eggs... these precious "nutrition products" of our childhood , they are desperately trying to add to your cart, I just can't imagine the difficult times of the past, it's like a dream.
The most important thing is that most of the country's rural areas have been lifted out of poverty. Although I live in the city, don't forget that there are 900 million farmers in China. This is the greatest achievement. Every Chinese is a descendant of farmers.
Thanks to everyone who gave.
随着高速公路、高架桥和地下通道遍布城市，交通比以前方便多了。郊区和农村地区到处都是高速公路和高速铁路。是的，在基础设施建设方面，中国完全有资格感到自豪。在中国有一句众所周知的口号:要想富，先修路。
这是我家乡的一张照片，从80年代到2022年，现在，你可以看到发生了多大的变化。
在任何季节，我们都可以买到所有蔬菜，“吃”不再是一个值得考虑的问题。作为一个经历过困难时期的人，在超市里偶尔会感到头晕:看着各种各样的食物堆在柜台上，数不清的肉、奶、蛋……我们童年的这些珍贵的“营养品”，我简直无法想象过去的艰难时光，就像一场梦。
最重要的是，我国大部分农村地区已经摆脱了贫困。虽然我住在城市，但别忘了中国有9亿农民。这是最大的成就。每个中国人都是农民的后代。
感谢每一个付出的人。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
----------------
Jesuan Wu
Lives in Panama City, Panama (2018–present)upxed 11mo
We lived through the transformation first hand.
I’m from a 2.5 tier city in China called Changsha, so my timeline maybe different from that of some other Chinese Quorans.
In the 80s, we had all kinds of food stamps and toward end of the decade, every family was getting a television, B&W or in color. Phoenix bicycles were the regular fancy transportation at the time. Some within the establishment could occasionally drive public-owned Beijing Jeeps around, and that would attract the envy of the neighbors. This photo was taken near downtown. I bet people today wouldn’t even know where this was.
In the early 90s, we started getting rid of the food stamps, and meat was becoming a more frequent part of our diet. Every family got a telephone, and we kids played with them together, dialing all kinds of strange numbers, and would later get beaten up by the parents when the bills started coming in. Domestic rip-off game consoles also became available. It was around this time that the living standards started diverging. But back then, all the kids played with the same kinds of toys, all the kids read the same kinds of extra-curriculum books. Towers started appearing in the city.
我们亲身经历了这种改变。
我来自中国一个叫长沙的2.5线城市，所以我的经历可能和其他中国人不同。
在80年代，我们有各种各样的食品券，80年代末，每个家庭都有一台电视，黑白的或彩色的。凤凰自行车是当时常见的高级交通工具。政府内部的一些人偶尔会开着北京吉普到处跑，这会引起邻居们的嫉妒。这张照片是在市中心附近拍的。我打赌现在的人都不知道这是哪里。
90年代初，我们开始废除食品券，肉类在我们饮食中变得更常见了。每个家庭都有一部电话，我们这些孩子在一起玩电话，拨打各种奇怪的号码，后来当账单开始寄来时，我们就会被父母责骂。国产山寨游戏机也开始出现。大约在这个时候，生活水平开始分化。但在那个时候，所有的孩子都玩同样的玩具，所有的孩子都读同样的课外书籍。高楼开始在城市中出现。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Jesuan Wu
Lives in Panama City, Panama (2018–present)upxed 11mo
We lived through the transformation first hand.
I’m from a 2.5 tier city in China called Changsha, so my timeline maybe different from that of some other Chinese Quorans.
In the 80s, we had all kinds of food stamps and toward end of the decade, every family was getting a television, B&W or in color. Phoenix bicycles were the regular fancy transportation at the time. Some within the establishment could occasionally drive public-owned Beijing Jeeps around, and that would attract the envy of the neighbors. This photo was taken near downtown. I bet people today wouldn’t even know where this was.
In the early 90s, we started getting rid of the food stamps, and meat was becoming a more frequent part of our diet. Every family got a telephone, and we kids played with them together, dialing all kinds of strange numbers, and would later get beaten up by the parents when the bills started coming in. Domestic rip-off game consoles also became available. It was around this time that the living standards started diverging. But back then, all the kids played with the same kinds of toys, all the kids read the same kinds of extra-curriculum books. Towers started appearing in the city.
我们亲身经历了这种改变。
我来自中国一个叫长沙的2.5线城市，所以我的经历可能和其他中国人不同。
在80年代，我们有各种各样的食品券，80年代末，每个家庭都有一台电视，黑白的或彩色的。凤凰自行车是当时常见的高级交通工具。政府内部的一些人偶尔会开着北京吉普到处跑，这会引起邻居们的嫉妒。这张照片是在市中心附近拍的。我打赌现在的人都不知道这是哪里。
90年代初，我们开始废除食品券，肉类在我们饮食中变得更常见了。每个家庭都有一部电话，我们这些孩子在一起玩电话，拨打各种奇怪的号码，后来当账单开始寄来时，我们就会被父母责骂。国产山寨游戏机也开始出现。大约在这个时候，生活水平开始分化。但在那个时候，所有的孩子都玩同样的玩具，所有的孩子都读同样的课外书籍。高楼开始在城市中出现。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Around this time the sense of making money really started dawning on a previously socialist public. Many neighbors left for Shanghai and Shenzhen, and their letters spoke of a dreamland, attracting more people to the gold rush. Changsha changed too, everywhere, people were trying to fast pace or cut corners and make some dollars on the side. I vividly remember the municipal government cutting off both roads to a residencial area for urban renovation, when they could have constructed one first then the other, to avoid people trekking through mud to get home. Schools openly promoted dubious programs of “magical” food or study programs. I remember the newly installed slide in my school collapsing the first time it was used, and in another school they had 1000 kids perform a large scale dance for an ad shoot of the local cigarette company. Every week or so, there seemed to be a major explosion with multiple deaths in the firework making town of Liuyang next door. People and ideas clashed in every corner of the city. The short version, in the end, it wasn’t the most righteous people, but the most flexible ones that came out on top.
Toward the end of the 90s, computers started appearing in people’s households, and air-conditioning became common. There was a new clear division in people’s living standard, on whether they took the $0.13 per ride air-condition-less normal buses or the $0.26 fancy air-conditioned buses in the drowning heat of Changsha summer. The local air-conditioner company “Broad” even started its own small fleet of aircrafts, occasionally flying ad banners above the city, and only stopping after crashing one of their helicopters into the river due to typical careless Changsha stunt. Entertainment took over. Strategically located between the inflow of fancy and new ideas from Guangzhou in the South and the more traditional Chinese heartland toward the north, the city became a melting pot of culture especially good at adapting foreign exotic entertainment programs to Chinese audiences. Streets in downtown were filled with mid-night shows around every corner and local channels started producing better and better contents, which made the citizens feel happier than their material wealth suggested. Cars were still a luxury though. In fact, back then I dreamed that one day China would become “a developed country”, that normal families would be able to afford cars. Other Western goods were increasingly available in our city, but just too expensive dangling out of the reach of common citizens. I still vividly remember when the girl next door passed her college entrance exam, her mom took her to celebrate in the “luxury” restaurant of KFC, where the daughter ate, and the mother only watched.
也就是这个时代，从前的社会主义人民真正开始意识到赚钱的意义。许多邻居去了上海和深圳，长沙也变了，到处都是变化，人们在努力加快节奏或走捷径赚点外快。我清楚地记得，市政府为了进行城市改造，把通往居民区的两条路都切断了，他们本可以先修一条路再修另一条路，以免人们在泥泞中跋涉回家。我记得我们学校新安装的滑梯在第一次使用时就倒塌了，在另一所学校，他们有1000个孩子为当地烟草公司的广告拍摄表演了群体舞蹈。大约每个星期，隔壁的烟花厂小镇都会发生一次大爆炸，造成多人死亡。在这座城市的每一个角落，人们俄思想都发生了冲突。简而言之，最终胜出的不是最正直的人，而是最灵活的人
到了90年代末，电脑开始出现在人们的家中，空调也开始普及。长沙的人们生活水平上又开始了新的分化，他们乘坐的是每次0.13美元的无空调普通公交车，还是在酷热的夏天乘坐0.26美元的豪华空调公交车。当地的空调公司“远大”甚至有了自己的飞机，偶尔在城市上空悬挂广告横幅，在他们的一架直升机坠落到河里后才停止飞行。在市中心的大街小巷，午夜档节目随处可见，地方电视台的节目质量也越来越高，市民们的幸福感大大超过了物质生活水平。汽车仍然是一种奢侈品。事实上，那时我梦想有一天中国会成为一个“发达国家”，普通家庭都能买得起车。西方国家商品在我们城市越来越多，但太贵了，普通市民买不起。我还清楚地记得，隔壁的女孩高考时，她的妈妈带着她去“豪华”的肯德基餐厅庆祝，女儿在那里吃饭，妈妈只是看着。
Toward the end of the 90s, computers started appearing in people’s households, and air-conditioning became common. There was a new clear division in people’s living standard, on whether they took the $0.13 per ride air-condition-less normal buses or the $0.26 fancy air-conditioned buses in the drowning heat of Changsha summer. The local air-conditioner company “Broad” even started its own small fleet of aircrafts, occasionally flying ad banners above the city, and only stopping after crashing one of their helicopters into the river due to typical careless Changsha stunt. Entertainment took over. Strategically located between the inflow of fancy and new ideas from Guangzhou in the South and the more traditional Chinese heartland toward the north, the city became a melting pot of culture especially good at adapting foreign exotic entertainment programs to Chinese audiences. Streets in downtown were filled with mid-night shows around every corner and local channels started producing better and better contents, which made the citizens feel happier than their material wealth suggested. Cars were still a luxury though. In fact, back then I dreamed that one day China would become “a developed country”, that normal families would be able to afford cars. Other Western goods were increasingly available in our city, but just too expensive dangling out of the reach of common citizens. I still vividly remember when the girl next door passed her college entrance exam, her mom took her to celebrate in the “luxury” restaurant of KFC, where the daughter ate, and the mother only watched.
也就是这个时代，从前的社会主义人民真正开始意识到赚钱的意义。许多邻居去了上海和深圳，长沙也变了，到处都是变化，人们在努力加快节奏或走捷径赚点外快。我清楚地记得，市政府为了进行城市改造，把通往居民区的两条路都切断了，他们本可以先修一条路再修另一条路，以免人们在泥泞中跋涉回家。我记得我们学校新安装的滑梯在第一次使用时就倒塌了，在另一所学校，他们有1000个孩子为当地烟草公司的广告拍摄表演了群体舞蹈。大约每个星期，隔壁的烟花厂小镇都会发生一次大爆炸，造成多人死亡。在这座城市的每一个角落，人们俄思想都发生了冲突。简而言之，最终胜出的不是最正直的人，而是最灵活的人
到了90年代末，电脑开始出现在人们的家中，空调也开始普及。长沙的人们生活水平上又开始了新的分化，他们乘坐的是每次0.13美元的无空调普通公交车，还是在酷热的夏天乘坐0.26美元的豪华空调公交车。当地的空调公司“远大”甚至有了自己的飞机，偶尔在城市上空悬挂广告横幅，在他们的一架直升机坠落到河里后才停止飞行。在市中心的大街小巷，午夜档节目随处可见，地方电视台的节目质量也越来越高，市民们的幸福感大大超过了物质生活水平。汽车仍然是一种奢侈品。事实上，那时我梦想有一天中国会成为一个“发达国家”，普通家庭都能买得起车。西方国家商品在我们城市越来越多，但太贵了，普通市民买不起。我还清楚地记得，隔壁的女孩高考时，她的妈妈带着她去“豪华”的肯德基餐厅庆祝，女儿在那里吃饭，妈妈只是看着。
In early 2000s, I managed to get accepted into an university in Beijing, just as cars were becoming availble to the individual families in my city, a dream that came true faster than I could’ve imagined. By then TV shows in Changsha were considered amongst the best in China, definitely the most entertaining though.
Even though I hardly visit my hometown these days, the city’s bristling sense of happiness and optimism never left me, and it seems the city never stopped its chaotic fast-paced development. Till this day, I still believe that my city is better than Beijing, at least as far as living standard is concerned.
Nowadays, Changsha remains one of the fastest growing big cities in China. Changsha television remains the highest regarded in China, despite the Central government considering it “not serious enough” and trying to kill it for several times. The air conditioning company that crashed the helicopter moved to making on-line stunts on fast building construction (search “broad” on Youtbe), since their stunt show airspace on the Xiang River was taken over by the equally show-off military pilots of the 18th air division. The town of Liuyang where people were dying left and right during firework production now produces about 60% of the fireworks world wide. The common people that stayed in Changsha, previously struggling to afford American fast food and were unwilling being dragged into the corrupting process of capitalization, now commonly own 2 apartments from the compensation of their old home being torn down due to the urbanization frenzy, and spend their extra money mostly on street food, entertainment and cars.
Today the city looks something like this.
Apart from a few landmark buildings and the permanent Xiang River where Chairman Mao used to swim in, I don’t even recognize my hometown any more.
The only thing better in the 90s was the weekly firework show on the Xiang River when the provincial government was trying to bail out the state-owned firework production of Liuyang from bankruptcy. Now it’s more like a monthly or bi-monthly event only. Damn the Liuyang economic success and the environmentalists that kept making a fuss about air quality!
Edit…
Thank you guys for the upvotes! Just found a drone documentary of my city on Youtube for those who’re interested.
21世纪初，我成功地考入了北京的一所大学，当时我所在城市的每个家庭都有了汽车，这个梦想实现的速度比我想象的要快。那时长沙的电视节目被认为是中国最好的，当然也是最具娱乐性的。
尽管现在我很少回家乡，但这座城市的那种强烈的幸福感和乐观感从未离开过我，这座城市似乎从未停止过它混乱的快节奏发展。直到今天，我仍然认为我的城市比北京好，至少就生活水平而言是这样。
如今，长沙仍然是中国发展最快的大城市之一。尽管中央政府认为长沙电视台“不够严肃”，并多次试图扼杀它，但长沙电视台仍然是中国最受尊敬的电视台。坠毁直升机的空调公司开始在网上进行特技表演。隔壁生产烟花的镇子现在生产的烟花约占全世界市场的60%。留在长沙的普通老百姓，以前吃得起美式快餐，现在也不再愿意被拖进资本主义的腐败中，通常他们拥有两套拆迁补偿的公寓，他们的旧房子因为城市化的而被拆除，他们多余的钱主要花在街头小吃、娱乐和汽车上。
除了一些标志性的建筑和毛主席曾经游泳过的永久的湘江，我甚至认不出我的家乡了。
90年代唯一比这更好的是湘江上每周的烟火表演，当时省政府试图拯救国营烟花生产企业。现在更像是一个月或两个月的活动。
Even though I hardly visit my hometown these days, the city’s bristling sense of happiness and optimism never left me, and it seems the city never stopped its chaotic fast-paced development. Till this day, I still believe that my city is better than Beijing, at least as far as living standard is concerned.
Nowadays, Changsha remains one of the fastest growing big cities in China. Changsha television remains the highest regarded in China, despite the Central government considering it “not serious enough” and trying to kill it for several times. The air conditioning company that crashed the helicopter moved to making on-line stunts on fast building construction (search “broad” on Youtbe), since their stunt show airspace on the Xiang River was taken over by the equally show-off military pilots of the 18th air division. The town of Liuyang where people were dying left and right during firework production now produces about 60% of the fireworks world wide. The common people that stayed in Changsha, previously struggling to afford American fast food and were unwilling being dragged into the corrupting process of capitalization, now commonly own 2 apartments from the compensation of their old home being torn down due to the urbanization frenzy, and spend their extra money mostly on street food, entertainment and cars.
Today the city looks something like this.
Apart from a few landmark buildings and the permanent Xiang River where Chairman Mao used to swim in, I don’t even recognize my hometown any more.
The only thing better in the 90s was the weekly firework show on the Xiang River when the provincial government was trying to bail out the state-owned firework production of Liuyang from bankruptcy. Now it’s more like a monthly or bi-monthly event only. Damn the Liuyang economic success and the environmentalists that kept making a fuss about air quality!
Edit…
Thank you guys for the upvotes! Just found a drone documentary of my city on Youtube for those who’re interested.
21世纪初，我成功地考入了北京的一所大学，当时我所在城市的每个家庭都有了汽车，这个梦想实现的速度比我想象的要快。那时长沙的电视节目被认为是中国最好的，当然也是最具娱乐性的。
尽管现在我很少回家乡，但这座城市的那种强烈的幸福感和乐观感从未离开过我，这座城市似乎从未停止过它混乱的快节奏发展。直到今天，我仍然认为我的城市比北京好，至少就生活水平而言是这样。
如今，长沙仍然是中国发展最快的大城市之一。尽管中央政府认为长沙电视台“不够严肃”，并多次试图扼杀它，但长沙电视台仍然是中国最受尊敬的电视台。坠毁直升机的空调公司开始在网上进行特技表演。隔壁生产烟花的镇子现在生产的烟花约占全世界市场的60%。留在长沙的普通老百姓，以前吃得起美式快餐，现在也不再愿意被拖进资本主义的腐败中，通常他们拥有两套拆迁补偿的公寓，他们的旧房子因为城市化的而被拆除，他们多余的钱主要花在街头小吃、娱乐和汽车上。
除了一些标志性的建筑和毛主席曾经游泳过的永久的湘江，我甚至认不出我的家乡了。
90年代唯一比这更好的是湘江上每周的烟火表演，当时省政府试图拯救国营烟花生产企业。现在更像是一个月或两个月的活动。
----------
B Pang
McDonald's, KFC.
Before 2008, McDonald's and KFC were high-end restaurants in China. For decades.
Chinese people have birthday parties in McDonald's.
Some Chinese even hold wedding parties in KFC.
McDonald's is a noble luxury restaurant.
A fried chicken burger is 10 RMB, and a McDonald's meal is 50 RMB. It's a fifth of the monthly salary.
The top choice for Chinese college students is to work for McDonald's and KFC.
These highly educated young people take pride in washing dishes at McDonald's.
Now, in 2021, just 12 years. McDonald's has become a luxury restaurant to a civilian restaurant.
No more birthday parties, no more wedding parties at McDonald's.
McDonald's waiters have also changed from young college students to ordinary middle-aged people.
From high-end luxury restaurants to civilian restaurants. The evolution of McDonald's status represents the speed of China's economic development.
麦当劳、肯德基。
在2008年之前，麦当劳和肯德基都是中国的高档餐厅。几十年了。
中国人在麦当劳开生日派对。
一些中国人甚至在肯德基举行婚礼。
麦当劳是一家高贵的豪华餐厅。
一个炸鸡汉堡10元，一份麦当劳套餐50元。这是每月工资的五分之一。
中国大学生的首选是在麦当劳和肯德基工作。
这些受过高等教育的年轻人以在麦当劳洗碗为荣。
现在，到2021年，只有12年。麦当劳从一家豪华餐厅变成了一家平民餐厅。
麦当劳不再有生日派对，也不再有婚礼派对。
麦当劳的服务员也从年轻的大学生变成了普通的中年人。
从高端豪华餐厅到普通餐厅。麦当劳地位的演变代表了中国经济发展的速度。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
B Pang
McDonald's, KFC.
Before 2008, McDonald's and KFC were high-end restaurants in China. For decades.
Chinese people have birthday parties in McDonald's.
Some Chinese even hold wedding parties in KFC.
McDonald's is a noble luxury restaurant.
A fried chicken burger is 10 RMB, and a McDonald's meal is 50 RMB. It's a fifth of the monthly salary.
The top choice for Chinese college students is to work for McDonald's and KFC.
These highly educated young people take pride in washing dishes at McDonald's.
Now, in 2021, just 12 years. McDonald's has become a luxury restaurant to a civilian restaurant.
No more birthday parties, no more wedding parties at McDonald's.
McDonald's waiters have also changed from young college students to ordinary middle-aged people.
From high-end luxury restaurants to civilian restaurants. The evolution of McDonald's status represents the speed of China's economic development.
麦当劳、肯德基。
在2008年之前，麦当劳和肯德基都是中国的高档餐厅。几十年了。
中国人在麦当劳开生日派对。
一些中国人甚至在肯德基举行婚礼。
麦当劳是一家高贵的豪华餐厅。
一个炸鸡汉堡10元，一份麦当劳套餐50元。这是每月工资的五分之一。
中国大学生的首选是在麦当劳和肯德基工作。
这些受过高等教育的年轻人以在麦当劳洗碗为荣。
现在，到2021年，只有12年。麦当劳从一家豪华餐厅变成了一家平民餐厅。
麦当劳不再有生日派对，也不再有婚礼派对。
麦当劳的服务员也从年轻的大学生变成了普通的中年人。
从高端豪华餐厅到普通餐厅。麦当劳地位的演变代表了中国经济发展的速度。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
很赞 3
收藏