汉语世界（2015年第2期）总第51期汉语世界（The World of Chinese）

In the thousands of years of history held in the footsteps along the Silk Road, there are millions of stories. We bring you three of them. The first is from the Tang Dynasty, following a grizzled Chinese general to the gates of Central Asia where he fights a brutal battle to maintain his country’s most important trade route. The second tale follows a humble servant, an attendant to the Portuguese Jesuit Benedict Goës, as the two travel in search of a mythical Christian kingdom hidden in Cathay. Finally, we take a look at a humble truck driver who follows the twists and turns of the modern Silk Road through China and beyond—a modern look at a trade route that has weathered millennia. Off the Silk Road and into the sky, we also look at how China became a haven for odd architecture. Next, the microscope is put on China's recent plastic surgery craze and its sometimes shocking consequences. You can also have a look at how a sport gets off the ground in China, this time with under the lens of American football. Beyond that, we have fiction on ancient Chinese medicine, paintings from a prodigy changing to a darker hue, book reviews that span the universe, and even a little bit of hospital advice—all accompanied by the usual news, photography, and interviews that you've hopefully come to expect from TWOC. Enjoy!

封面故事： 丝绸之路上有多少脚印就有多少故事。 想当年，大唐将领高仙芝翻越葱岭远击黑衣大食，却兵败丝路要塞怛罗斯；17世纪初，忠诚的仆人Issac追随葡萄牙旅者 Benedict Goës 沿丝绸之路东行，寻找传说中失落的基督教帝国，最终中国经历了一段奇遇；时光流转，朝代更迭，英雄与平民俱归于尘埃，只有丝绸之路绵延至今。奔波在乌鲁木齐至中亚的公路上的卡车司机周师傅就从事着对外贸易这个古老又现代的职业。

主题故事：
1. 后奇葩建筑时代：“大裤衩”、“铜钱楼”、“福禄寿酒店”，这些奇异的建筑是经济蓬勃发展的副产品，不少外形超前的建筑更是国外知名建筑师的作品。“奇葩建筑”被叫停之际，我们跟建筑师一起来看看它的前因后果吧！
          
2. 看脸的世界，咋“整”？：整容在这个看脸的时代是一件再平常不过的事，但对于许多整容主力军来说，外貌易改，心病却难医。
          
3. “橄榄球在中国”：橄榄球号称可以锻炼团队合作的精神，但对于中国橄榄球玩家的太太和老妈们来说，磕磕碰碰真是太野蛮了！加上许多其他阻碍，在美国万千宠爱集一身的橄榄球，在中国会不会水土不服？

镜像中国：人与蜂的和谐：福建板寮村的野蜂蜜

三味书屋： 古风传奇小说《药王》英译版

好书有笺： 中国科幻小说巅峰之作《三体》英译版书评

群观： 如何鉴定文艺青年

社交汉语：医院生存必备汉语

 

The Silk Road Endures
丝绸之路：一个脚印一个故事
A warlike general from the Tang Dynasty, the servant of a Jesuit priest looking for a lost Christian Kingdom in Cathay, and a simple truck driver from Xinjiang making a life from the ancient route to the West—every footstep on the Silk Road leaves a story
Beneath Skin-Deep
看脸的世界，咋“整”？
China’s boom in plastic surgery in recent years has had some severe consequences; we take a look at what this modern obsession with medically-assisted beauty and the toll it is taking on those searching for solace in surgery
Boomtown Blues
后奇葩建筑时代
We’ve all been told that “weird buildings” have to go, but there’s far more to China’s odd architecture landscape than meets the eye. We’re told that the halcyon days of China’s architecture boom are over, but there may be some life in the old girl yet.
Pigskin in Peking
橄榄球在中国
You would be hard-pressed to think of a sport more North American than American Football, but, believe it or not, there is a burgeoning professional league of players and teams right here in China. And, what’s more, it looks like it’s catching on.
Gallery
Nostalgia and the Camera
杨福东：怀旧与新女性
Blending Eastern and Western cinematography with a decidedly feminine focus, Yang Fudong explores nostalgic themes of old Shanghai by bringing influences from his painting background to the foreground of his cinematic works
Dragon’s Digest
Lord of Medicine
《药王》
Zeng Jianhui tells a gripping tale of two ancient doctors locked in an intense rivalry. As they rush to avert plagues and save lives, each is also desperate to prove they deserve the title of Lord of Medicine.
The Bees of Banliao
人与蜂的和谐：板寮村野蜂蜜
There’s nothing sweeter than honey, and in Banliao, they make it the old-fashioned way. Take a peek at how these villagers have been making honey for centuries; be quick, this tradition might not last for long.
On the Road
Donning the Yellow Hat
青海：格鲁派寺院之旅
It was over 150 years ago that two French Catholic missionaries weathered the harsh landscapes around Xining in West China’s Qinghai Province, probing new forms of enlightenment. Katharin Tai traces their path to the Yellow Hat Buddhist sect.
Group Think
On the Trail of the Chinese Hipster
如何鉴定文艺青年
Love ‘em, hate ‘em or try your best to ignore them, China has hipsters too, but naturally, they come in a particular Chinese flavor. Wenyi qingnian can be a complimentary term or a slur, depending on who you ask, so find out how to spot them
Bookmark
Three-Body Barnburner
中国科幻小说的巅峰之作《三体》
Scientists are committing suicide, jaded detectives are baffled, and readers are enthralled as extraterrestrial influence prompts the decay of society, hope, and the very laws of physics in a science fiction work taking China by storm.
Social Chinese
The Hospital Labyrinth
医院生存必备汉语
We all get under the weather from time to time, but navigating the maze of Chinese hospital procedures can be a nightmare. Take a look at this little guide and hopefully it’ll help you get in and out quickly.
Zoetrope
The Taking of Tiger Mountain
《智取威虎山》
A modern rehash of old Chinese Communist propaganda tells the tale of soldiers locked in a wintery struggle to seize a mountain fortress against all odds