湖边小雷-lakeshore
Readings & Translations
The bridge from 2007 to 2008
“Bridges” “ 春天已经来了...我到了, ji “ 桥 的断想 ”To bridge the 2007 to 2008?
新春一语, 元旦日记
- Monday, December 31, 2007
The latest and hottest News about China and Japan was the good timing visit of the New PM of Japan, almost immediately after Christmas. He was a good speaker, humorous, and well understood the culture shared by the people of two nations at either side of the sea.
His speech had brought him a smooth start for his China Trip, and students in Beijing University seemed enjoyed his speech, which full of Chinese poems, sayings and sentences cited from famous Lu_xun: “ there is no natural road in the world, only had people stepped many times, and non-stop, then it would have become a road”
His visit was in very good timing too. When Christmas is over, along the East China Coast cities, already, people have been waiting their New Year to come; it might be same as for Japanese people, even including other people whose Luna calendar tells the days remained before the New Year of 2008.
‘Christmas’ is number one important holidays in the west, when families gather, relatives came far to join and meet all members, friends dined out or having parties; bottles opened; Turkey ? a must, could be ordered, ready to serve, at your convenience just a click way, at price about $230 dollars. A bit of costty, but it has everything, packed in a hard-carton box.
Soon after, people are in the mood of having another party for the New Year. All business stopped, streets were quite. the best moment for a walk. I took a walk along the old lakeshore road where I can see the lake, and the bridge, a special bridge that I loved to see: 
This is very unique bridge connects the town I lived and Hamilton, a use-to-be steel city on the lake; the whole bridge is made of steel; of cause, from the structure and way it was designed I could tell it is very old one; the photo was taken in summer, and was named "Old Bridge- 老桥 “ ； another why that I love the bridge and the photo I took is that we might see the people some times sails their light boat crossing under the bridge.
When I travel, I love taking photos of buildings, but bridges were loved motifs too: unfortunately some of my earlier photos were missing. In reality, there is no bridge over the East China Sea, to 'bridge the land of China and Japan. But I received a e-mail from a friend in Japan. so, in the internet times, the e-mails some times in mind are 'bridges" too.
I started to search internet when it turned dark outside, till the night deeper and my area for studying became quieter. 'Japan' and "bridge" were used as key words.
I found a unnamed 'bridge', I edited it into black and white for better 'effect' as following: 
To my great surprise, the News caught my eyes; I read the followings:
从 “ 吊桥 ” 到 “ 铁桥 ”- 继前首相安倍的 “ 破冰 ” 和温家宝总理的 “ 融冰 ” 之后，福田在演讲中将他的这次访问喻为 “ 迎春之旅 ” 。他说，当前的两国关系正在迎来第二个春天，在两国到处都能看到期待构筑崭新关系的萌芽。
The diplomatic relations were described as the "Second Spring' as it was in its Chinese term; and this one reads pleasant too: After the 'ice-breaking' and 'defreeze visiting paid earlier this year by Chinese PM Went, The visiting , as the Japanese PM said in his speech at Beijing university: " if my father had build a suspension bridge over Japan to China, then this time, I would have been building a bridge of Steel"
So, I went on my late night surfing: I find another two pictures of bridges:
This is very old bridge in Japan, as we see it, but I know very little, so: 
田畑の中の平担地に架けられた大窪橋
大窪橋（おおくぼばし）は名工 丈八 ( 橋本勘五郎 ) が造った平地にある石橋です。この名工 丈八 ( 橋本勘五郎 ) は幕末から明治初期に活躍した種山石工を代表する石工で、国の重要文化財に指定されている通潤橋や 霊台橋、東京の皇居の旧二重橋や日本橋、神田橋、万世橋などを架けた人物であり石橋架設の石工としては超有名人です。大窪橋（おおくぼばし）は、今は通る人もなく雑草におおわれているが昔はいろいろな人がこの橋を通り農作業
に勤しんだのであろう．．． ・ 形式：単一石造アーチ ・ 橋長： 18.2m ・ 完成： 1849 年
I don't know Japanese language, however, thanks to the Chinese Characters, I guess it was built in 1849, and was made of stones, we can still see the sign of times passes. and green grass under the bridge, or maybe we guess there is no water under the bridge.
Another one: is a famous Bridge in Wuxi- 无锡， （ about 2 hours form shanghai by express bus or train) :
If you had visited the area, you would had had the memory that the 'bridge" was also contracted with 'Stones"; if you are familiar with the area, there is another famous 'Bridge' of ‘wood’ in another town called "Tongli- 同理 " another small town not very far, -where you may have the similar beautiful scene shown in above. 
As usual, my mind escaped, very far this time, my mind flew across the land and sea to Europe- where during my first visit, I had a very nice picture taken almost same as the one I 'googled' out:
As I could remember, 'as the prisoners crossed the 'Bridge', the crossing ,which means he or she was walking towards the destiny of the life, and no returns." said the Italian tourist guide then many years ago. 
After watching few more photos of 'Bridges" ; my mind returned to the Topic I really wanted to find out: This is another News:
“ 吊桥 ” 与 “ 铁桥 ”- 福田在北京大学演讲时说。如今，每年５００多万中日民众通行在中日友好之桥上。
Bridges may vary, from how they were built, and how they were designed: but he said during at Beijing University: "about 5 million people traveled through the "bridge" between the China and Japan.”
News report said he was a good speaker, very well understood the shared cultures between two nations; his 40 minute long speech was interrupted 10 times by the listeners and audience with the applauses.
Some poems, famous sayings, and sentences from known writer Lun_xun were mentioned. he said: " Spring is coming, I am coming, ‘Fu_Tian’ is coming" - which in Chinese tradition, the 'Fu- 福， happiness, normally when written in its calligraphy format is " 倒 “ upside down, shown in the following picture: in Chinese when it was pronounced as "Fu Dao Le" -means: the happiness is coming.
It was really a good and humorous opening of a speech, and only he can use it, a ' 福田， Fu_tian,'s diplomatic 'gambit' smartly used - which also become the title of my post today to share with of you:
Now is almost New Year now in China, Happy Year 2008, as if I was standing on a 'bridge' that lead to the new year of 2008
一语湖边 johnlakeshore
Posted :2008-01-06 17:04:20
Personal notes, future reference, readers discretion advised!
