盘点：中国十大突出壮举[1]

中国足球不太好，但是他们在体操、乒乓球、跳水等室内运动方面一直处于领先水平。中国的茶文化和书法也是历史悠久的资产。一起来看看中国表现突出的十个领域。

Pork

猪肉

As the first place to domesticate pigs, we can be sure China knows a thing or two about making pork delicious.

作为最早出现家猪驯养的国家，我们可以肯定中国对于烹调猪肉的方法略知一二。

According to the U.S. National Pork Board, the earliest evidence of domestication of the wild boar can be dated to 4900 BC in China.

据美国国家猪肉局介绍，野猪驯化的证据最早可以追溯到公元前4900年的中国。

Historically, the animal has been so integral to Chinese society that the Chinese character for "home" is a pictogram of a pig with a roof over its head.

长久以来，猪这种动物已经成为中国社会不可或缺的一部分。汉字“家”就是一个很好的证明，它由一个头上有屋顶的猪象形而成。

Today, China is the world's top producer and consumer of hogs -- and, wow, how it's consumed.

如今，中国是世界上最大的猪肉生产国和消费国——那么这些猪肉都是如何被消费的呢？

There are arguably two pinnacles of pork cooking in China: dongbo rou, a glistening block of braised pork belly prized for the melt-in-mouth fat and char siu, a sweet-salty cut of meat barbecued til tender and smoky.

在中国，东坡肉和叉烧肉可以说是猪肉料理的两座高峰：东坡肉即为一块块晶莹剔透的扣肉，食之有味，入口即化；叉烧肉，甜咸参半，烧烤至柔软且具有烟熏味时即可食用。

Both dishes are tricky and time-consuming to create, but so worth it.

虽然这两道菜的工序复杂，制作耗时，但很值得。

We love and respect the traditions of the entire world of barbecue out there, but China's unparalleled experience and variety of dishes places it atop the pork pile.

我们热爱和尊重整个世界的烧烤传统，而中国有着无与伦比的经验以及花样繁多的美味，位居猪肉烹调之巅。

Indoor sports

室内运动

So China isn't all that great at football -- so what?

中国人不擅长足球——那又怎样？

Its state system of athletic training has perfected a foolproof method for producing top gymnasts, ping pong champs, badminton aces and diving divas.

中国针对运动员训练的国家体制已经十分完善，涌现出众多顶尖的运动员，包括体操、乒乓球、羽毛球和跳水等多个项目。

Since it first participated in the modern Olympics in 1984, it's steadily risen toward the top of the medals table.

自从1984年第一次参加现代奥运会后，中国就以奖牌榜榜首为目标而不断努力。

Chinese-style athleticism reached a climax at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing when the country garnered 51 gold medals and ranked number one overall.

在2008年北京奥运会上，中国式体育运动到达顶峰：中国代表团摘得51枚金牌，在奖牌榜上登顶。

Although a top contender in diving and gymnastics, Chinese competitors are practically unbeatable at badminton and table tennis, winning more gold medals in these events than any other country at the Olympics.

跳水和体操项目是中国队的优势项目。不过，中国在羽毛球和乒乓球上的表现则更为亮眼，获得的金牌也超过其他任何国家。

In comparison, the United States is undeniably the long-standing king of the Olympics, but it's had an 18-Olympic head start on China.

尽管相比之下，美国无疑才是屹立不倒的奥运会之王，但是美国的奥运会历史比中国早18年，自然有先到优势。

Pragmatism

实用主义

China's achievements today, including several of the items on this list, can be credited to a deep sense of pragmatism, which assesses most situations by looking at the practical consequences of actions.

中国今天的成就，包括本文列举的一些项目，都归功于深层次的实用主义。多数情况下，中国人通过观察行为的实际结果来作出评估、判断。

As Deng Xiaoping, architect of modern China, famously said: "It doesn't matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice."

中国改革开放的总设计师邓小平就曾说：“不管黑猫白猫，能抓到耗子的就是好猫。”

On a grassroots level, Chinese people embrace pragmatism on a daily basis.

在日常生活中，中国人每天都在实践着实用主义。

The philosophy explains most of China's customs and cultural norms, including the gifting of hongbao (red envelopes filled with cash), the importance of maintaining guanxi (interpersonal relationships) and filial piety.

哲学则解释了中国大部分的习俗和文化规范，包括送红包(装满现金的红色信封)，它是维持“关系”及孝道的重要手段。

Calligraphy

书法

Calligraphy in China is an art form, a meditative practice, a scholarly pursuit and, nowadays, an investment.

书法在中国是一种艺术形式，用以修身养性，追求学术。如今，它还成为一种不错的投资方式。

With a rich tradition of calligraphy tracing back thousands of years, China reveres the works on paper by great masters, as well as the experimental new media calligraphic works of contemporary artists.

书法已经有几千年的悠久历史，中国人崇拜书法大师的纸上作品，当代艺术家也在实验着新媒体书法项目。

At auction, these calligraphic artworks routinely fetch millions of dollars, collected by connoisseurs around the world, such as the paper scroll "Gong Fu Tie," which sold for $8.2 million at Sotheby's New York in September 2013. The ancient work was written by the famous poet Su Shi and consists of just nine characters.

在拍卖会上，这些书法作品经常卖到数百万美元，为世界各地的鉴赏家收藏。如书法长卷“功甫帖”(Gong Fu Tie)，2013年9月在纽约苏富比拍卖行(Sotheby's New York)以820万美元的价格拍出。它是古代著名诗人苏轼所写的作品，只有9个字。

Copying

山寨

China is great at copying other people's version of the wheel and making it more affordable.

中国在山寨方面的能力毋庸置疑，而且价格低廉。

There's a cheap Chinese version of almost everything and anything, from luxury fashions to electronic gadgets.

从奢侈品到电子产品，几乎所有东西都有一个便宜的中国版。

While the iPhone 6 Plus is selling at almost $2,400 in China ($299 in the United States), counterfeit iPhone "models" sell for between $2 and $75 on China's online shop Taobao.

iPhone 6 Plus在中国售价近2400美元，而高仿iPhone“模型”在淘宝网上售价仅仅只有2美元至75美元不等。

A copycat version of the Eiffel Tower? Small fry.

山寨个埃菲尔铁塔？小菜一碟。

Try these ambitious copies of entire towns, such as the historic Austrian town recreated in Guangdong and the one of Manhattan proposed in Tianjin.

有些地方甚至整个城镇都是山寨的。奥地利历史小镇在广东被山寨，翻版曼哈顿则出现在天津。

Building fast

造楼快

A fast-growing middle class and an explosion in domestic travel means China needs hotels.

快速增长的中产阶级以及在国内旅游业的火爆意味着中国需要更多的酒店。

It's meeting the demand with the fastest, quirkiest and most impressive construction boom the world has ever seen.

而为了满足这个需求，世界上最快、最离奇、最令人印象深刻的建筑开始不断涌现。

Budget chain Hanting Inns boasts two hotel openings per day across China. The company expects to be the world's largest chain by 2020.

汉庭连锁酒店每天都预计会有两个连锁店开业。该公司预计，到2020年将成为世界上最大的连锁酒店。

Meanwhile, a 30-story hotel was created in 15 days in Hunan Province at a cost of $17 million. The construction company is now aiming to pull off the same feat in eight days.

与此同时，湖南省一家30层的参天酒店在15天内就拔地而起，耗资仅为1700万美元。建筑公司还计划在8天内完成同样的壮举。

It's not just the cheap and cheerful the country excels in.

不仅仅是价格便宜，建楼速度其他国家也望尘莫及。

Check out these outrageously glamorous hotels that can be visited in China right away.

去中国看看这些迷人的酒店吧，它们随处可见。

Tea

茶

The first in the world to appreciate the simple drink made from steeping leaves in water, China has since developed a profound appreciation for tea.

作为世界上第一个将叶子浸泡后饮用的国家，中国对茶有着一种深厚的感情。

Evaluated much in the way that wine is in the West, different teas have distinct characteristics depending on terroir, treatment and storage.

品鉴的方式类似于西方品尝葡萄酒，品味出茶不同的特点，取决于产地，加工处理和存储方式。

Was it picked before or after the rainy season? Were the leaves air dried, wok dried, fermented or aged?

是雨季前还是雨季后采的？风干还是锅干？风干、炒锅烘干、发酵还是老化？

Has the tea been steeped and served in earthenware and, if so, where did the clay for the teapot originate?

茶叶之前已经在陶器里浸泡过了吗，如果是的，放茶的陶器又产自哪里？

The culture of tea has become so integral to China and held in such esteem that prestigious varietals regularly sell for thousands of dollars per kilo -- it's practically currency.

中国茶文化如此不可或缺，他们定期进行品鉴估价，著名的品种一公斤甚至可以卖到几千美元——茶就是货币。

Getting to high places

征服高地

The triumph is in bringing the masses quickly and efficiently to the world's peaks.

中国的成就是迅速、有效地把群众带到世界之巅。

China claims the world's highest railway.

中国完成了世界上海拔最高的铁路。

The Tanggula Pass at more than 5,000 meters in the Tanggula Mountains can be traversed via the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

青藏铁路贯穿海拔5000多米的唐古拉山口。

Meanwhile, the new Daocheng Yading Airport in Sichuan Province lies at 4,411 meters and is the highest civilian airport.

与此同时，新建的四川稻城亚丁机场海拔4411米，是目前最高的民用机场。

It will be usurped by the proposed Nagqu Dagring Airport in Tibet planned at 4,436 meters, when it gets built in 2017.

但这个记录将被刷新，规划中的西藏那曲机场 将在2017年开工，海拔4436米。

Dumplings

饺子

The humble dumpling has been elevated to art form in China.

不起眼的饺子在中国已经被提升到艺术境界了。

Nowhere can you find a diversity and sophistication that matches China's exhaustive list of dumpling variations.

中国饺子变化无穷，再找不到其他东西能与之多样性和复杂性相匹配。

Sure, many cuisines boast a savory or sweet dumpling, maybe even a fried dumpling, but China's got dumplings with transparent wrappers (the classic dim sum, har gow), dumplings in a mouth-numbing sauce (Sichuan's signature longchaoshou), dumplings that burst with soup at first bite (xiaolongbao), dumplings made with fish meat dough (Chiu Chow-style) ... let's just stop there or we'll be here all day.

当然，饺子的烹饪方法有很多，有甜的、咸的，还有煎炸的，但中国的饺子还有透明包装的经典点心、虾饺，口感略麻的四川龙抄手，灌汤的小笼包，用鱼肉面团做成的潮州式饺……种类繁多，单单列举的话我们就得用上一整天。

The dumpling is also a marker of auspicious things in China: families gather during New Year celebrations to wrap and eat dumplings together in the hope of prosperous times ahead.

饺子在中国也是吉祥的标志：全家在新年时团聚，一起包饺子，吃饺子，盼望来年的生活蒸蒸日上。

Olympic opening ceremonies

奥运开幕式

The world is still shaking in its boots from the raucous display of totalitarian jazz hands that opened the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

在顶级爵士乐手带来的震撼中，2008年北京奥运会的大幕拉开。整个世界为之颤抖。

There's no denying it was the opening ceremony that made all others tremble in shock and awe.

你无法否认它使得其它所有开幕式黯然失色。

The hour-long cinematic showcase, directed by celebrated filmmaker Zhang Yimou, incorporated every Chinese art form, from ink painting to acrobatics to tai chi and opera.

长达一小时电影般的展示，由中国著名导演张艺谋执导。他将中国人熟知的艺术形式融入其中：水墨画、杂技、太极和京剧。

It succeeded in stirring patriotism at home and inspiring new fans abroad.

北京奥运会的举办成功地激起了举国民众的爱国精神，使国外的朋友对中国有了一个全新的认识。