“Racing Against a Chinese” 与中国人赛跑

This habit of fighting for your own "pace" under the sun must have formed thousands of years ago at the dawn of the Chinese civilization, when people had to compete for territory and resources. Today, amid rapid economic growth, survival skills are just as relevant. In today's China, many people, especially small business owners, work 16-18 hours a day in order to feed their families. In Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, I observed carts and trays gathering near a Guangzhou Street intersection minutes before sunrise, which stayed open until late at night. Fruit and vegetable vendors spent their nights working under canvas roofs.

这种在阳光下为自己的“地盘”而战的习惯，一定是在几千年前中华文明开始萌芽的时候形成的，那时人们不得不为了领土和资源而争夺。如今，在经济快速增长的情况下，生存技能也同样重要。在今天的中国，很多人，尤其是小企业主，为了养家糊口，每天要工作16-18个小时。中国江苏省东部的南京市，日出前几分钟我看到，在广州的一个十字路口，一些手推车和托盘聚集在一起，一直开到深夜。卖水果和蔬菜的小贩晚上便在棚子下做生意。

Speed and flexibility have allowed Chinese to move forward at a pace that few have predicted. This country has quickly become the leading manufacturer and exporter of solar panels while the rest of the world dallies over the advantages of solar energy. At the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, I was surprised to see a futuristic solution to a new generation housing complex presented by joint ventures of Chinese and German conglomerates. Such a house saves up to 90 percent of energy compared with traditional buildings: triple-plated glass windows keep the interior warm in the winter and cool in the summer; wasted energy—such as excess heat from the refrigerator or human body—is converted into electricity used to power lights. Nanotechnology is another area where China is striving to become a leading manufacturer.

速度和灵活性让中国人能够以很少有人预料到的速度前进。这个国家已经迅速成为太阳能电池板的主要制造商和出口商，而世界其他国家却在浪费太阳能的优势。在2010年上海世博会上，我惊讶地发现，中国和德国的合资企业为新一代住宅小区提供了一个未来主义的解决方案。与传统建筑相比，这样的房子可以节省90%的能源: 三层玻璃窗使室内冬暖夏凉；被浪费的能量，如冰箱或人体的余热，被转化为电能，用来点亮电灯。纳米技术是中国努力成为领先制造商的另一个领域。

“Tai Chi Goes Global” 太极走向全球

对人们来说，理解太极并不容易。中国的传统运动不是一种宗教、科学或运动。相反，它可以被看作是一个系统，用来发展人们与他们内在的能量或生命力相连接的能力，并用它来赋予身体和精神力量。

It's not easy for people to understand tai chi. The traditional Chinese exercise is not a religion, a science or a sport. Instead, it can be thought of as a system for developing people's ability to connect with their inner energy, or life force, and to use it to empower the body and mind.

太极很可能是几个世纪前道教开始练习的，目的是净化心灵，增强身体抵御疾病的能力。许多实践者都取得了成功:一代又一代的大师们在没有疾病的长寿过程中，享受着无忧无虑的纯洁心灵。

Tai chi was likely first practiced by Taoists centuries ago with the objective of purifying the mind and building the body's ability to ward off disease. Many practitioners succeeded: Generations of masters have enjoyed anxiety-free pure souls over the course of disease-free long lifespans.