Unit 3 Diverse Cultures
Reading and Thinking
Wednesday, 21 June
6月21日，星期三Today was my first day back in San Francisco after camping in the Redwood Forest and visiting the wine country of Napa Valley. I have to admit that it definitely feels good to be back in the city again. And what a city—a city that was able to rebuild itself after the earthquake that occurred in 1906. There are so many beautiful old buildings—many siting on top of big hills, offering great views of the city, the ocean, and the Golden Gate Bridge.
在红杉林露营并参观了纳帕谷酒乡后，今天是我回到旧金山的第一天。我得承认，再次回到城里的感觉实在是太棒了。多么神奇的一座城市啊——一座1906年大地震后重建的城市。这里有众多美丽的古建筑——不少坐落于大山之巅，城市、大海和金门大桥美景尽收眼底。
My hotel is near downtown, in the Mission District, one of the oldest parts of the city. Many of the people living here are from Mexico or Central America. This district used to be a poor area of town, but is now a centre for art, music, and food. In fact, an art movement called the “Mission School” started here. It’s influenced by graffiti art and comic art. I walked around looking at the street art for a few hours. It was quite modern and lively. Afterwards, I ate some delicious Mexican-Chinese noodles from a food truck. A real mix of cultures here!
我住的旅馆靠近市中心，位于教会区，这是旧金山最古老的街区之一。这里的许多居民来自墨西哥或中美洲。这个区过去是城里的一个贫困区域，而现在是艺术、音乐和美食中心。事实上，一场名为“教会派”的艺术运动就发源于
此。这一运动深受涂鸦艺术和漫画艺术的影响。一连好几个小时，我四处走着，欣赏街头艺术。这些艺术十分现代，也很生动。随后，我吃了一份快餐车售卖的美味的墨西哥式中国面。这真是文化的交融啊!
In the afternoon, I headed to a local museum that showed the historical changes in California.I learnt that America got California from Mexico in 1848. In the same year, gold was discovered near San Francisco, which started a gold rush. Over 300,000 people came from all over the world to seek their fortune, and San Francisco quickly became a big city. Many Chinese arrived during this period. To earn a living, some opened up shops and restaurants in Chinatown. Many others found jobs on farms, joined the gold rush, or went to build the railway that joined California to the eastern region of the country. The museum did a really good job of showing how America was built by immigrants from different countries and cultures. When these immigrants left their countries, they carried a bit of home in their hearts, and built a new home here.
下午，我前往当地一家博物馆参观，博物馆展示了加利福尼亚的历史变迁。我了解到，1948年美国从墨西哥手中得到加利福尼亚。同年，旧金山附近发现黄金，引发了淘金热。世界各地30多万人蜂拥而至，在这里谋出路，旧金山迅速成为一座大都市。很多中国人也在这个时期来到此地。为了谋生，有些人在唐人街开商店、开餐馆。更多的人则在农场打工、加入淘金大军，或者参与修建加州通往美国东部的铁路。这家博物馆完美地展示了美国是如何由不同国家和文化的移民建设起来的。这些移民离开他们的祖国时，心中装着一片故土，最终在这里建立了新家园。
This evening, I went to Chinatown. There were so many cafés and restaurants to choose from. I selected a Cantonese restaurant that served its food on beautiful china plates. What great food!
今晚，我去了唐人街。这里有很多不错的咖啡馆和餐馆可供选择。我挑了一家粤菜馆，他们端出来的菜肴是放在精美的瓷盘子上的。太好吃了！
That’s enough for today. Tomorrow evening, I’m going to a jazz bar in the Richmond Distinct. Can’t wait!
今天就写到这里吧。明天晚上，我要去里上满区的一家爵士酒吧。我已经迫不及待了!
