by Charlotte King

當你作為外邦人來到一個全新的國度，能讓你感到最為興奮的便是碰觸那個國度里最為民生的部分：小景點、繁忙的交通、做運動的老人家、使著各種招攬伎倆的小販……你見到的一切都那么真實，每個人都在努力地生活著，不知不覺中，你已深深地為這個純樸而真實的國度所吸引……

Halfway up the steep climb to the top of Jingshan hill， I am overtaken by a 1）wiry 2）octogenarian. The narrow steps do not seem to concern him， neither does the dusty summer heat. In China， you soon get used to elderly people being far more energetic than you. I watch his slim brown legs patter up the steps ahead. Below me， through the cover of 3）cypress trees， Beijing traffic honks and swerves on. If I were to turn around I would probably be able to see it far below， a glittering line. Chinas newest Great Wall is one made of traffic， and snakes through most cities in the country.

I reach the top and make for the temple on the apex of the hill. The crowds are thinner here， and its possible to catch your breath and look down on the city. Nobody had advertised this parks presence. Earlier， when I emerged from the Forbidden City， I dived towards this towering hill to escape the cries of 4）peddlers 5）lying in wait. “6）Rickshaw？ Taxi？ Good price！”

Now， on top of the world， the air is clearer and the scream of Beijings busy roads and street stalls muted. From the 7）pagodas shade， the whole of Beijing falls out from under you and away. Houses and 8）pavilion roofs slope away and the lakes of Beihai Park glitter. Below， the Forbidden City unfolds， its red tiles bright in the heat. Jingshan Park is not the most beautiful green space in Beijing， but it does offer that fascinating Chinese contradiction of old and new.

A giant man-made construction， using earth excavated from the Forbidden Citys 9）moat in the Ming Dynasty， it speaks to the 10）sheer manpower on which so much of Chinas greatness has been built. It is a good place to reflect on the countrys past， and wonder about its future. At the base of the hill， people laze in the Sunday heat. This park is a favourite for couples and elderly people， who play music and practise kuai ban under the trees. Feeling wistful， I have just decided to go and join them when the old man who passed me on the hill 11）sidles up. He smiles slyly. In his arms， I am horrified to see， he clasps a 12）gaudy imperial robe—and is that a ceremonial wig in his hand？ “Photo？” he says.“Full emperor gear. Nice view. Good price.”

我步履維艱地往景山山頂攀爬。在半山腰，我被一位硬朗的八旬老人趕上了。那些狹窄的階梯和灰蒙蒙的暑熱天氣似乎沒對他造成任何影響。在中國，你很快就會習慣見到老年人比你還要有活力。我看著他黃棕色的細腿“啪嗒啪嗒”地踏上前方的臺階。從我的下方，透過柏樹林，傳來了北京車流中的鳴笛聲和急轉(zhuǎn)彎聲。假使我轉(zhuǎn)過身，我很可能看得到遠處下方的車流，一道閃閃發(fā)光的車流。中國的新長城由交通組成，在全國大多數(shù)城市，車流蜿蜒緩挪著。

我登上頂峰，而后走向山頂上的那座寺廟。山頂人煙稀少些，我還可以喘口氣兒，俯瞰一下這座城。從未有人介紹過這公園。今天早些時候，我在故宮里稍作停留后，就沖向了這座高聳的小山，以避開虎視眈眈的小販們的吆喝?！包S包車？出租車？算你一個好價錢！”

當下，在世界之巔，空氣更加清新，北京繁忙的馬路和街道上的喧囂暫入一片寂靜。在寶塔的陰影里，整座北京城在你的腳下鋪展開來而后消失。房屋和亭頂交錯延展，北海公園的湖面上閃著波光，山下的故宮在你眼前盡顯，故宮里紅色的瓦片在熱氣之中越發(fā)光亮。景山公園算不上是北京最美的綠地空間，但它的的確確能讓你領(lǐng)略到中國新舊之間的迷人反差。

景山是一座巨大的人工建筑，明朝年間由從故宮護城河中挖出的泥土堆積而成。中國有太多浩瀚的工程純粹由人力建成，景山公園就證明了這點。這兒是一個反思中國歷史和展望其未來的好地方。景山腳下，人們在星期天的酷熱中閑逛。這個公園是夫婦們和老年人的最愛，他們會在樹蔭下奏樂、練快板兒。我覺得不大過癮，剛決定去加入他們的時候，之前爬山趕超我的那位老人悄悄走近我。他詭異地笑著。在他懷里，我惶恐地看到，他正抱著一套艷俗的龍袍——而他手里拿著的是不是一頂儀式用的假發(fā)??？“要拍照嗎？”他說道?！叭椎幕实坌蓄^。漂亮的風景。算你一個好價錢?！?/p>

北京之巔

——景山

景山公園位于故宮（Forbidden City）北面，地處北京城的中軸線（axle wire）上，占地23公頃。南與故宮的神武門（Gate of Godly Prowess）隔街相望，西鄰北海公園。景山公園為元、明、清三代的御苑（Royal Court），高42.6米，海拔88.35米，是北京城的最高點。站在山頂可俯視全城，金碧輝煌的古老故宮與現(xiàn)代化的北京城新貌盡收眼底。文中提及的那座寺廟，便是景山東側(cè)的護國忠義廟，別名關(guān)帝廟（Guandi Temple），是為了供奉三國時期蜀國的大將關(guān)羽而興建的。