Emperor Cuckoo: Human interest in China

Jiangsu "welcomes the God of Wealth"
江苏 水乡“迎财神” Jiāngsū shuǐxiāng “Yíng Cáishén”

According to the lunar calendar, January 27th is fifth day of the first month of the new year, and traditionally this also is the birthday of "Caishen," the God of Wealth.  In the water-town of Zhou in Jiangsu province, people hold "God of Wealth Day" performances.  A photo taken at a performance shows people touching a "cornucopia" for "luck in becoming wealthy."
1月27日是农历正月初五，民间传说是“财神”的生日。江苏水乡周庄举办“财神节”民俗表演活动。图为人们在活动现场摸“聚宝盆”讨“财气”。
1 yuè 27 rì shì nónglì zhēngyuè chūwǔ, mínjiān chuánshuō shì “Cáishén” de shēngri. Jiāngsū shuǐxiāng Zhōuzhuāng jǔbàn “Cáishén jié” mínsú biạ̌oyǎn huódòng. Tú wèi rénmen zài huódòng xiànchǎng mō “jùbǎopén” tǎo “cáiqì”.


Source: 《人民日报海外版》 2012-01-28 online

January 24, at the Sanya Nanshan Buddhist Culture Park, many residents and tourists write their hopes and desires on “petitions" and hang them on a "prayer tree" as a way of praying for blessings in the new year.

24日，众多市民和游客将写有愿望和祝语的“心愿带”悬挂在三亚南山佛教文化苑的“祈愿树”上，为新年祈福。 

24 rì, zhòngduō shìmín hé yóukè jiāng xiě yǒu yuànwàng hé zhù yǔ de “xīnyuàn dài” xuánguà zài Sānyà Nánshān Fójiào Wénhuà Yuàn de “qí yuàn shù” shàng, wèi xīnnián qífú.

Source: 《每日新报》 2012-01-26 第A6版：图片新闻  online

This year will be the happiest
今年最高兴 Jīnnián zuì gāoxìng

Photo:  Su Jinna and her two daughters, Ke'ai and Kexin [names changed] having fun together 
苏金娜与女儿可爱、可心（化名）一起玩耍。Sū Jīnna yǔ nǚ'ér Kě'ài, Kěxīn (huàmíng) yī̠qǐ wánshuǎ.

At the end of 2007, when her twin daughters were born with cerebral palsy, Su Jinna's ordinary and peaceful life was shattered.  She accepted reality, made the decision to sell her marital home, and did everything in her power to take care of the children.  Over the years, Su Jinna has never given up taking care of the children.  Today, the kids have just passed their fourth birthday and have reached the standards for healthy children, and can be said to be a miracle of medical science.  With the 2012 Spring Festival close at hand, this will be their happiest and most relaxed new year in the past five years.   

2007年年底，两个双胞胎脑瘫女儿的出生打破了苏金娜平凡而宁静的生活。她接受了现实，决定卖掉婚房，尽一切努力给孩子最好的治疗。几年来，苏金娜始终没有放弃对孩子的治疗。现在，两个孩子刚过完4岁生日，并且都已经基本达到健康孩子的水准，可以说创造了医学上的奇迹。2012年春节马上就要到了，这是他们一家5年来最轻松、最高兴的一个新年。
2007 nián niándǐ, liǎng gè shuāngbāotāi nǎo tān nǚ'ér de chūshēng dǎpòle Sū Jīnna píngfán ér níngjìng de shēnghuó. Tā jiēshòule xiànshí, juédìng màidiào hūn fáng, jìn yị̄qiè nǔlì gěi háizi zuìhǎo de zhìliáo. Jǐ nián lái, Sū Jīnna shǐzhōng méiyǒu fàngqì duì háizi de zhìliáo. Xiànzài, liǎng gè háizi gāng guo wán 4 suì shēngri, bìngqiě dōu yǐjing jīběn dádào jiànkāng háizi de shuị̌zhǔn, kẹ̌yǐ shuō chuàngzàole yīxué shàng de qíjì. 2012 nián Chūnjié mǎshàng jiùyào dàoliǎo, zhè shì tāmen yījiā 5 niánlái zuì qīngsōng, zuì gāoxìng de yī gè xīnnián.

Source: 《渤海早报》 2012-01-19 第17版: "一家过新年 今年最高兴" online

Eleven-year-old Xiao Hei                                            十一岁的小黑  Shíyī suì de xiǎo hēi
always rushes through these woods and over ridges      总是飞快地穿过这些树林和田埂 zǒngshì fēikuài de chuānguò zhèxiē
                                                                                                     shùlín he tiángěng
This is the path he takes to go to school         这是他上学的路 zhè shì tā shàngxué de lù
He does this four times a day                        每天来回四趟 měitiān láihuí sì tàng
The trip takes about 30 minutes                     一趟要走三十分钟 yī tàng yào zǒu sānshí fēnzhōng
but to save time for doing his homework         为了节省时间写作业 wèile jiéshěng shíjiān xiě zuòyè
Xiao Hei allows himself only 10 minutes          小黑只允许自己用十分钟 Xiǎo Hēi zhǐ yụ̌nxǔ zìjǐ yòng shífēn zhōng

Once when it was raining                                有一次天下了雨 Yǒu yī cì tiānxiàle yǔ
as he was crossing a bamboo bridge               在过一道竹子搭成的桥时 zàiguo yị̄dào zhúzi dāchéng de qiáo shí
he stepped on a patch of mud and fell down     他踩到一块泥巴摔了一跤 tā cǎi dào yị̄kuài níbā shuāile yī jiāo

"When I got home I just stayed in bed                           “回去在家里一直在床上  “Huíqu zài jiālǐ yī̠zhí zài chuáng shàng,
and slept for more than a month"                                  睡了一个多月” shuìle yī gè duō yuè”
"You didn't go to the hospital?"                                     “没去医院吗?"  “Méi qù yīyuàn ma? "
"No money...didn't go...asked a rural doctor for herbs"  "没钱...没去...请个草医医的”  "Méi qián...méi qù...qǐng ge cǎoyī yī de”

For six months after that                 在这之后的半年里 Zài zhè zhī hòu de bànnián lǐ
Xiao Hei went to school limping      小黑一直瘸着腿上学 Xiǎo Hēi yī̠zhí quézhe tuǐ shàngxué
Recently he got all better                直到不久能才完全恢复 zhídào bùjiǔ néng cái wánquán huīfù

He runs along the path just as before         他依然每天都飞奔在路上  Tā yīrán měitiān dōu fēibēn zài lùshang
It's only when he reaches the riverbank      只会在来到河边时 zhǐ huì zài láidào hébiān shí
that he slows down                                   才放慢他的脚步 cái fàngmàn tā de jiǎobù

Source: CCTV- [看见～周末版] 2012-01-08（3 of 4）梦想的桥 [online at YouTube]

On January 12, rural workers demonstrate at Xianyang airport [in Xi'an] for salaries owed; more than 20 worker representatives carry a red banner that reads, "Welcome back president Zhang  Give us our wages," as a way of greeting the president of their company, Mr. Zhang, at the airport.  According to reports, representatives for the workers went many times to the company to ask for the money, but the boss never appeared.  Hearing people at the compay say, "On January 12, he'll be flying back from Beijing," they passed the word on to each other that on January 11, workers from Yulin, Yangling and other places would go to Xi'an to discuss preparing a welcoming ceremony at the airport.  The workers hoped to use this method to "stimulate" the boss to give them their wages.
1月12日，咸阳机场上演农民工讨薪一幕，20名农民工代表，手持鲜花，拉着“欢迎张总回来给我们发工资”的红色横幅，为总经理接机。据称，农民工代表去公司多次要钱，结果连老板的面都没见着。听公司的人说，“12号会从北京坐飞机回来。”于是大家相互转告，1月11日，农民工们从榆林、杨凌等地赶到西安，一起商量准备办一个接机仪式。农民工希望用这种方式“刺激”领导，讨回工资。
1 yuè 12 rì, xián yáng jīchǎng shàngyǎn nóngmín gōng tǎo xīn yī mù, 20 míng nóngmín gōng dàibiǎo, shǒuchí xiānhuā, lāzhe “Huānyíng Zhāng zǒng huílai gěi wǒmen fā gōngzī” de hóngsè héngfú, wèi zǒngjīnglǐ jiē jī. Jùchēng, nóngmín gōng dàibiǎo qù gōngsī duōcì yàoqián, jiéguǒ lián lạ̌obǎn de miàn dōu méi jiànzhe. Tīng gōngsī de rén shuō, “12 hào huì cóng Běijīng zuò fēijī huílai.” Yúshì dàjiā xiānghù zhuǎngào, 1 yuè 11 rì, nóngmín gōng men cóng yú lín, yáng líng děng de gǎndào Xī'ān, yī̠qǐ shāngliang zhǔnbèi bàn yī gè jiē jī yíshì. Nóngmín gōng xīwàng yòng zhè zhǒng fāngshì “cìjī” lị̌ngdǎo, tǎo huí gōngzī.
　
But from the expression on president Zhang's face, it looks like the workers owe him money.  　
看张总这表情，好像是农民工欠他钱似的。
Kàn Zhāng zǒng zhè biǎoqíng, hǎoxiàng shì nóngmín gōng qiàn tā qián shìde.

Source: 《每日新报》 2012-01-15 第A2版 : "看图说话(图)"  online

A broken-finger five-mao dispute
一场弄断了手指五毛钱的纠纷 Yī chǎng nòngduàn le shọ̌uzhǐ wǔ máoqián de jiūfēn

As a salesperson in Nanjing's Confucian Temple store was taking money from a woman customer, perhaps because the salesperson didn't quite catch it, a five mao coin fell into the counter.  The salesperson asked the customer to pay another five mao, but the customer said she wanted to use a broom to sweep it out.  So the two got into a heated argument, and unfortunately the woman's finger was broken, and the salesperson was forced to pay the woman's medical expenses, which amounted to more than 4,000 RMB [$635.00]. 
南京夫子庙一家商店营业员在收女顾客钱的时候，或因营业员没接好，一枚5角的硬币掉进柜台里。营业员遂要求女顾客再支付5毛，而女顾客表示想用扫帚扫出来。结果双方为此发生争执，女顾客的手指不慎被掰断，营业员不得不赔偿伤者医疗费等费用四千多元。
Nánjīng Fūzǐ Miào yījiā shāngdiàn yíngyèyuán zài shōu nǚ gùkè qián de shíhou, huò yīn yíngyèyuán méi jiē hǎo, yī méi 5 jiǎo de yìngbì diàojìn guìtái lǐ. Yíngyèyuán suì yāoqiú nǚ gùkè zài zhīfù 5 máo, ér nǚ gùkè biǎoshì xiǎng yòng sàozhou sǎo chūlai. Jiéguǒ shuāngfāng wèicǐ fāshēng zhēngzhí, nǚ gùkè de shọ̌uzhǐ bùshèn bèi bāi duàn, yíngyèyuán bùdébù péicháng shāngzhě yīliáofèi děng fèiyong sìqiān duōyuán.

[Cartoon:  Pay another five mao!  再给五毛！Zài gěi wǔ máo!]

Because of a dispute over 5 mao [eight cents], one side got a broken finger, and one side had to pay 4,000 RMB, which is 8,000 times the five mao.  For even a slight advantage, some people will stand on principle, "stake their reputation on it," defy death to defend that principle, never hesitating to get into a free-for-all that brings about disastrous consequences, while people looking on think it's all pretty silly.
为五毛钱的纠纷，一方弄断了手指，一方赔偿4000元，即五毛钱的8000倍。对些微小利，许多人常会上升到原则的高度，“人活一口气”，誓死捍卫，不惜大打出手，引发灾难性后果，让旁人看了觉得无聊。
Wèi wǔ máoqián de jiūfēn, yī̠fāng nòngduàn le shọ̌uzhǐ, yī̠fāng péicháng 4000 yuán, jí wǔ máoqián de 8000 bèi. Duì xiēwēi xiǎolì, xǔduō rén chánghuì shàngshēng dào yuánzé de gāodù, “rén huó yī̠kǒuqì”, shìsǐhànwèi, bùxī dàdǎchūshǒu, yǐnfā zāinànxìng hòuguǒ, ràng pángrén kànle juéde wúliáo.

On the internet, the "five mao" incident has one side hurling insults at the other; in reality, the five mao have brought about a tragedy, because people on the internet hear the news and rush to criticize:  "In China, five mao can cause trouble" ... If the posts had stopped here, it would have been fine, but they are growing more and more crooked, and this is developing into prejudice against people from Nanjing, then people from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, then people from all of the south of China ... Sometimes, the disputes on the internet over "five mao" are more boring than the dispute in real life.
“五毛”还是网络互殴中一派对另一派的辱称，现实中五毛钱引发了悲剧，网友们便闻讯赶来，评道：“在中国，五毛就是能生事”。仅此倒也罢了，可后面的楼越建越歪，演变成了针对南京人，进而针对全体江浙人及所有南方人的地域歧视———有时，网络的五毛纠纷比现实中的五毛纠纷更无聊。
 “Wǔ máo” háishi wǎngluò hù'ōu zhōng yī pàiduì lìngyī pài de rǔ chēng, xiànshí zhōng wǔ máoqián yǐnfāle bēijù, wǎngyǒu men biàn wénxùn gǎnlái, píng dào: “zài Zhōngguó, wǔ máo jiùshì néng shēngshì”. Jǐn cǐ dàoyěbàle, kě hòumian de lóu yuè jiàn yuè wāi, yǎnbiàn chéngle zhēnduì Nánjīng rén, jìn'ér zhēnduì quántǐ Jiāng-Zhè rén jí suọ̌yǒu nánfāngrén de dìyù qíshì———yǒushí, wǎngluò de wǔ máo jiūfēn bǐ xiànshí zhòngdì wǔ máo jiūfēn gèng wúliáo.

Source:  tianjinwe.com 2012-01-05 online

In a sea of people  
在人海中 Zài rénhǎi zhōng

On January 8, in the waiting room at the Beijing train station, a mother peels a tangerine for her child.  On that day, China's Spring Festival travel season began, and during this period many children set out on a journey, and in a boundless sea of people experience their own Spring Festival travel season.
1月8日，在北京站的候车室里，母亲正在给孩子剥橘子。当日，中国的交通运输开始进入春运时段，很多孩子也在这一时间里踏上旅途，在茫茫人海中经历自己的春运生活。 
1 yuè 8 rì, zài Běijīng zhàn de hòuchēshì lǐ, mǔqin zhèngzài gěi háizi bāo júzi. Dāngrì, Zhōngguó de jiāotōng yùnshū kāishǐ jìnrù chūnyùn shíduàn, hěn duō háizi yě zài zhè yī shíjiān lǐ tà shàng lǚtú, zài mángmáng rénhǎi zhōng jīnglì zìjǐ de chūnyùn shēnghuó. 

Source:  www.workercn.cn 2012-01-09

Mama, when will we get home?  
妈妈，我们什么时候能回家啊?  Māma, wǒmen shénme shíhou néng huíjiā a?

According to reports, starting from today and for the next 40 days, the Chinese will log some 3.158 billion trips, making this the first time in recent years that the number will exceed 3 billion, and again breaking a record. Because this year's Spring Festival falls a little early, the number of people getting on and off trains at the Tianjin railroad station will be about 4.5 million.  Every year, the "Spring Festival travel season" brings all sorts of stories.  In 2012, a system for buying train tickets was put into effect, and one could go online or call to order tickets,  but does the new system make the return trip home easier?  
据了解，从这一天开始的40天里，中国将累计有31.58亿人次出行，历年春运中出行人数首次突破30亿人次，再次刷新纪录。由于今年春节较早，学生流、务工返乡客流及探亲流叠加，春运期间天津站总上下车人数将达450万人。每年“春运”期间，总会发生各种各样的故事。2012年，购买火车票实行实名制，可通过网络和电话订票，这些新变化能否让回家路更顺畅些?
Jù liǎojiě, cóng zhè yī tiān kāishǐ de 40 tiān lǐ, Zhōngguó jiāng lěijì yǒu 31.58 yì réncì chūxíng, lìnián chūnyùn zhōng chūxíng rénshù shǒucì tūpò 30 yì réncì, zàicì shuāxīn jìlù. Yóuyú jīnnián Chūnjié jiào zǎo, xuésheng liú, wùgōng fǎnxiāng kèliú jí tànqīn liú dié jiā, chūnyùn qījiān Tiānjīn zhàn zǒng shàng-xià chē rénshù jiāng dá 450 wàn rén. Měi nián “chūnyùn” qījiān, zǒnghuì fāshēng gèzhǒnggèyàng de gùshi. 2012 nián, gòumǎi huǒchēpiào shíxíng shí míng zhì, kě tōngguò wǎngluò hé diànhuà dìng piào, zhèxiē xīn biànhuà néngfǒu ràng huíjiā lù gèng shùnchàng xiē?

[Photo:  A Spring Festival travel season story: "A little migratory bird's first time returning home in a sleeper-car"  2012春运故事：“小候鸟”第一次坐卧铺回家  2012 Chūnyùn gùshi: “Xiǎo hòuniǎo” dì-yī cì zuò wòpù huíjiā]

Every year on the Spring Festival roads home, there are those tagging along with their temporary-worker parents who are returning to their native towns to visit family.  Always in train station waiting rooms, or else amusing themselves on the swaying train cars, these to-and-from home towns and distant places "little migratory birds," when compared with the grown-ups, stand out as relatively calm, because they don't yet understand the meaning of this wandering life of hardships.
一年一度的春运路上，有这样一些人，他们随打工的父母来到异乡，年底再回家探望亲人。尽管也许要在候车室等待，也许要在晃来晃去的火车上玩耍，不过与焦急的大人们相比，往返于故乡和他乡的“小候鸟”们显出几分“淡定”，因为他们还没懂得漂泊的含义与生活的艰辛。
Yī̠nián-yị̄dù de chūnyùn lùshang, yǒu zhèyàng yī̠xiē rén, tāmen suí dǎgōng de fùmǔ láidào yìxiāng, niándǐ zài huíjiā tànwàng qīnrén. Jị̌nguǎn yẹ̌xǔ yàozài hòuchēshì děngdài, yẹ̌xǔ yàozài huàngláihuàngqù de huǒchē shàng wánshuǎ, buguò yǔ jiāojí de dà rénmen xiāngbǐ, wạ̌ng-fǎn yú gùxiāng hé tāxiāng de “xiǎo hòuniǎo” men xiǎnchū jǐfēn “dàn dìng”, yīnwèi tāmen hái méi dǒngde piāobó de hányì yǔ shēnghuó de jiānxīn.

"Mama, when will we get home?"  On January 10, at 9:00, on a chair in Main Hall #2 of the Tianjin train station, five-year-old "little Shuai," clutching a "milk tea" that she normally wouldn't get to drink, had very little appetite and could barely keep her eyes open -- this was her third day at the train station.  "Tomorrow afternoon we'll get on the train, and the day after that you'll be able to see Daddy."  Leaning over, Zhang Shuqun, the mother, comforted little Shuai by wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. 
“妈妈，我们什么时候能回家啊？”1月10日9点，天津站二楼候车大厅一张椅子上，5岁的小帅抓着平时难得喝到的奶茶没有一点食欲，眼睛困得睁不开，这已是她在候车室度过的第三天了。“明天下午我们就上车了，后天就能见着爸爸了。”侧了侧身子，妈妈张术群抹去眼角的泪，安慰着小帅。
“Māma, wǒmen shénme shíhou néng huíjiā a?” 1 yuè 10 rì 9 diǎn, Tiānjīn zhàn èrlóu hòuchē dàtīng yī zhāng yǐzi shàng, 5 suì de xiǎo Shuài zhuāzhe píngshí nándé hē dào de nǎichá méiyǒu yī̠diǎn shíyù, yǎnjing kùn de zhēngbukāi, zhè yǐ shì tā zài hòuchēshì dùguò de dì-sān tiān le. “Míngtiān xiàwǔ wǒmen jiù shàngchē le, hòutiān jiù néng jiànzhe bàba le.” Cèle cè shēnzi, māma Zhāng Shùqún mǒqù yạ̌njiǎo de lèi, ānwèizhe xiǎo Shuài.

Little Shuai's home town is Zhumadian City in Henan province, her mother came to Tianjin three years ago as a temporary worker, bringing her daughter little Shuai with her.  On January 8 in the afternoon, little Shuai arrived with her mother at the Tianjin train station, on the afternoon of the 9th, her mother bought tickets to Zhengzhou (capital of Henan), on January 11 in the afternoon, they will get on the train, and twelve hours later, little Shuai and her mother will reach Zhengzhou.  Fortunately, either by riding the train for another two hours, or going by car for three hours, little Shuai will be able to return home to see her father, whom she has been missing very much. 
小帅的老家在河南省驻马店市，妈妈来津打工3年了，把女儿小帅带在身边。1月8日下午，小帅跟着妈妈来到天津站，9日下午，妈妈买到前往郑州的火车票，11日下午开车，近12个小时后，小帅和妈妈将抵达郑州。运气好的话，转乘两个多小时火车或3个小时左右的汽车，小帅就能回到家里见到朝思暮想的爸爸。
Xiǎo shuài de lǎojiā zài Hénán shěng zhù mǎdiàn shì, māma lái jīn dǎgōng 3 nián le, bǎ nǚ'ér xiǎo shuài dài zài shēnbiān. 1 yuè 8 rì xiàwǔ, xiǎo Shuài gēnzhe māma láidào Tiānjīn zhàn, 9 rì xiàwǔ, māma mǎidào qiánwǎng Zhèngzhōu de huǒchēpiào, 11 rì xiàwǔ kāichē, jìn 12 ge xiǎoshí hòu, xiǎo Shuài hé māma jiāng dǐdá Zhèngzhōu. Yùnqi hǎo dehuà, zhuǎnchéng liǎng gè duō xiǎoshí huǒchē huò 3 ge xiǎoshí zuǒyòu de qìchē, xiǎo Shuài jiù néng huídào jiālǐ jiàndào zhāosīmùxiǎng de bàba.

Although she is only a "little migratory bird," little Shuai seems to understand everything, she is very well-behaved with her mother, she doesn't cry or make trouble.  "In the past, when there were too many people or when the crowds were pressing in, she would cry, but now she's used to it," said Zhang Shuqun.
虽然是只“小候鸟”，不过小帅显得很懂事，规规矩矩地靠着妈妈，不哭也不闹。“以前人多或者太挤时她会哭，现在习惯了。”张术群说。
Suīrán shì zhǐ “xiǎo hòuniǎo”, buguò xiǎo Shuài xiǎn dehěn dǒngshì, guīguijūjū de kàozhe māma, bù kū yě bù nào. “Yǐqián rén duō huòzhě tài jǐ shí tā huì kū, xiànzài xíguàn le,”  Zhāng Shùqún shuō.

On the afternoon of January 8, the restaurant where Zhang Shuqun is a temporary worker closed, and she hurried with her daughter to the Tianjin train station to buy tickets.  "I stood in line for more than an hour and a half, and then the ticket-seller told me there weren't any tickets to Zhumadian for the next three days."  All she could do was to take her daughter to the main hall, find a chair and spend the night there.  Early on the morning of the 9th, Zhang Shuqun again stood in line to buy tickets.  "This time, I had really good luck, there were tickets to Zhengzhou."  But, because Zhang Shuqun's new identification papers weren't in order, the ticket-seller did not sell her the tickets. 
8日下午，张术群打工的饭店停业，她就带着女儿赶到天津站买票。“排了半个多小时队后，售票员告诉我，3天内没有到驻马店的票。”她只好带着小帅在候车大厅的椅子上住了一晚。9日一早，张术群再次排队去买票。“这次运气不错，有张到郑州的站票。”不过，由于张术群的二代身份证还没办下来，售票员没有把车票卖给她。
8 rì xiàwǔ,  Zhāng Shùqún dǎgōng de fàndiàn tíngyè, tā jiù dàizhe nǚ'ér gǎndào Tiānjīn zhàn mǎi piào. “Páile bàn ge duō xiǎoshí duì hòu, shòupiàoyuán gàosu wǒ, 3 tiān nèi méiyǒu dào zhù mǎdiàn de piào.” Tā zhị̌hǎo dàizhe xiǎo Shuài zài hòuchē dàtīng de yǐzi shàng zhùle yī wǎn. 9 rì yī̠zǎo,  Zhāng Shùqún zàicì páiduì qù mǎi piào. “Zhècì yùnqi bụ̀cuò, yǒu zhāng dào Zhèngzhōu de zhànpiào.” Buguò, yóuyú  Zhāng Shùqún de èr dài shēnfènzhèng hái méi bàn xiàlai, shòupiàoyuán méiyǒu bǎ chēpiào màigěi tā.

After a staff person pointed out what she could do, Zhang Shuqun took her daughter to a building where she could get temporary identification papers.  "I hurried with little Shuai back to the ticket window to buy tickets."  Once again they stood in line, and were told that there were no more tickets, only a ticket for a sleeper-car on Jan 11 to Zhengzhou.  "In the past, there were sitting or standing tickets for returning home, a sleeper-car ticket costs more than 200 yuan [about $32.00], with that money I could buy clothing for my daughter." Although this was distressing, she thought about returning home and spending the new year there, and she made the hard decision to buy the ticket.  
在工作人员的提示下，张术群带着小帅去一楼办理了临时身份证。“我赶紧拉着小帅一路小跑去售票口买票。”再次排到个儿，她们被告知已没有站票了，只有一张11日发车去郑州的卧铺票。“以前都是买坐票或站票回家，卧铺票得200多元，多花的钱够给孩子买件衣服了。”虽然心疼，不过想到总算能回家过年了，张术群狠狠心买下了这张票。
Zài gōngzuò rényuán de tíshì xià,  Zhāng Shùqún dàizhe xiǎo Shuài qù yīlóu bànlǐle línshí shēnfènzhèng. “Wǒ gạ̌njǐn lāzhe xiǎo Shuài yị̄lù xiạ̌opǎo qù shòupiàokǒu mǎi piào.” Zàicì páidào gèr, tāmen bèigào zhī yǐ méiyǒu zhànpiào le, zhị̌yǒu yī zhāng 11 rì fāchē qù Zhèngzhōu de wòpùpiào. "Yǐqián dōu shì mǎi zuò piào huò zhànpiào huíjiā, wòpùpiào de 200 duō yuán, duō huā de qián gòu gěi háizi mǎi jiàn yīfu le." Suīrán xīnténg, buguò xiǎngdào zǒngsuàn néng huíjiā guònián le,  Zhāng Shùqún hẹ̌nhěn xīn mǎixiàle zhè zhāng piào.

When she was asked why she didn't choose to go online or to call and order tickets, Zhang Shuqun said that at first she didn't know you could go online to order tickets, "but even if I did know, I don't have any way to get online."  As for calling, Zhang Shuqun said, she tried to call ten or twenty times in a row, but never got through. 
问起为什么没选择网上订票或电话订票，张术群说，她压根不知道有网上订票这回事，“就算知道了，我也不会上网。”至于电话订票，张术群说，她曾连续拨打过十几次电话，可一直打不通。
Wènqǐ wèishénme méi xuǎnzé wǎng shàng dìng piào huò diànhuà dìng piào,  Zhāng Shùqún shuō, tā yàgēn bùzhīdào yǒu wǎng shàng dìng piào zhè huíshì, “jiùsuàn zhīdao le, wǒ yě bụ̀ huì shàngwǎng.” Zhìyú diànhuà dìng piào, Zhāng Shùqún shuō, tā céng liánxù bō dǎguò shí jǐ cì diànhuà, kě yī̠zhí dǎbùtōng.
　　
Sources: 《天津时报》  2012-01-11: "'小候鸟'第一次坐卧铺回家" online

Twice refused, blind woman finally admitted for exam
两次被拒 盲姑娘终进考场  Liǎng cì bèi jù máng gūniang zhōng jìn kạ̌ochǎng

Note: This story is related to one posted on this blog in October 2011

The Beijing Morning Post has followed with interest the case of Dong Lina, who was the "Blind woman who registers for Broadcasting and Anchoring Exam is refused"; yesterday afternoon, she got her wish and took an exam in a special examination room at the [Beijing] Chaoyang student recruitment center. 　
本报一直关注的“盲女报考播音与主持专业遭拒”的当事人董丽娜，昨日上午终于如愿地在朝阳区招生考试中心特设考场，参加了考试。
Běnbào yī̠zhí guānzhù de “Mángnǚ bàokǎo bōyīn yǔ zhǔchí zhuānyè zāo jù” de dāngshìrén Dǒng Lìna, zuórì shàngwǔ zhōngyú rúyuàn de zài Chāoyángqū zhāoshēng kǎoshì zhōngxīn tèshè kạ̌ochǎng, cānjiāle kǎoshì.

[Photo] A little after 12 p.m., Dong Lina left the exam center holding a copy of "Things Test-takers Should Know"  
中午12点多，董丽娜手持“考生须知”走出了考试中心  Zhōngwǔ 12 diǎn duō, Dǒng Lìna shǒuchí “Kǎoshēng xūzhī” zǒuchūle kǎoshì zhōngxīn]

The exam began at 8:40 a.m.; at 8:00 a.m., Dong Lina arrived at the door of the exam room.  "Although every day after work I studied until very late in the evening, I was very anxious about studying basic history and geography," said Dong Lina. At 8:15 a.m., Dong Lina, accompanied by an examination staff member, entered the exam room.  Mr. Jin, the examination staff member, said that in order to allow Dong Lina to take the exam, the Center set up a special exam room.  "On January 6, 2012, Dong Lina came here to try out the equipment, and indicated there was no problem," Mr. Jin said. 
早上8点40分开考，董丽娜8点便来到了考场门前。“虽然每天下班都复习到很晚，但考历史、地理等公共基础课，多少有些担心。”董丽娜说。8点15分，董丽娜在考场工作人员的陪同下，走进了考场。考场工作人员金先生说，为能让董丽娜参加考试，中心为其设置了特殊考场。“2012年1月6日，董丽娜来这里试用了设备，表示没什么问题。”金先生说。
Zǎoshang 8 diǎn 40 fēnkāi kǎo, Dǒng Lìna 8 diǎn biàn láidàole kạ̌ochǎng mén qián. "Suīrán měitiān xiàbān dōu fùxí dào hěn wǎn, dàn kǎo lìshǐ, dìlǐ děng gōnggòng jīchǔkè, duōshao yǒuxiē dānxīn," Dǒng Lìna shuō. 8 diǎn 15 fēn, Dǒng Lìna zài kạ̌ochǎng gōngzuò rényuán de péitóng xià, zǒujìnle kạ̌ochǎng. Kạ̌ochǎng gōngzuò rényuán Jīn xiānsheng shuō, wèi néng ràng dǒng lì nuó cānjiā kǎoshì, zhōngxīn wèi qí shèzhìle tèshū kạ̌ochǎng. “2012 nián 1 yuè 6 rì, Dǒng Lìna lái zhèlǐ shìyòngle shèbèi, biǎoshì méi shénme wèntí,” Jīn xiānsheng shuō.

A little after 12 p.m., Dong Lina left the exam center holding a copy of "Things Test-takers Should Know." "I've been nervous for the past week, but the exam period is long, and afterwards I wasn't anxious, I answered all the questions, and  as for how correct it all is .... I'll just have to wait for the results, then I'll know,"  said Dong Lina, smiling.
中午12点多，董丽娜手持“考生须知”走出了考试中心。“从一周前我就感到紧张了，但考试时间比较长，后来就不紧张了，我都写上了，至于对不对……回去看答案才知道。”说着董丽娜露出了笑容。
Zhōngwǔ 12 diǎn duō, Dǒng Lìna shǒuchí "Kǎoshēng xūzhī" zǒuchūle kǎoshì zhōngxīn. "Cóng yī zhōu qián wǒ jiù gǎndào jǐnzhāng le, dàn kǎoshì shíjiān bǐjiào cháng, hòulái jiù bù jǐnzhāng le, wǒ dōu xiě shàng le, zhìyú duì bụ̀duì……huíqu kàn dá'àn cái zhīdao," shuōzhe Dǒng Lìna lùchūle xiàoróng.

Dong Lina said that results for basic public courses will be made known in March, and in April she will take the National Broadcasting and Anchoring Exam.  "In my opinion, the specialized course exams are a little easier, I definitely will prepare hard, and I sincerely thank everyone for their support and help."
董丽娜最后说，公共基础课的考试结果要到3月才能出来，4月份她将参加播音与主持专业课的考试。“对我来说，专业课容易些，我一定回去好好准备，真心谢谢大家对我的关心与帮助。”
Dǒng Lìna zuìhòu shuō, gōnggòng jīchǔkè de kǎoshì jiéguǒ yào dào 3 yuè cáinéng chūlai, 4 yuèfèn tā jiāng cānjiā bōyīn yǔ zhǔchí zhuānyèkè de kǎoshì. "Duì wǒ lái shuō, zhuānyèkè róngyì xiē, wǒ yị̄dìng huíqu hǎohāo zhǔnbèi, zhēnxīn xièxie dàjiā duì wǒ de guānxīn yǔ bāngzhù."

Source: 《北京晨报》2012-01-10 "报考播音专业被称'不恰当' 本报给予持续关注"  online