高铁上的家

星期xīng qī五wǔ下午xià wǔ五wǔ点diǎn，陈chén静jìng把bǎ笔记本bǐ jì běn电脑diàn nǎo放fàng进jìn包bāo里lǐ，快kuài步bù走zǒu出chū办公室bàn gōng shì。她tā要yào赶gǎn六lìu点diǎn十shí五wǔ分fēn的de高铁gāo tiě回家huí jiā。

At five on Friday afternoon, Chen Jing puts her laptop away and hurries out of the office to catch the 6:15 high-speed train home.

陈chén静jìng在zài上shàng海hǎi工作gōng zuò，家jiā在zài两liǎng百bǎi多duō公里gōng lǐ外wài的de杭háng州zhōu。十shí年前nián qián，这zhè段duàn路lù坐zuò普通pǔ tōng火车huǒ chē要yào四sì个gè多duō小时xiǎo shí；现在xiàn zài，高铁gāo tiě只要zhǐ yào五wǔ十shí五wǔ分钟fēn zhōng。

She works in Shanghai; her home is in Hangzhou, over two hundred kilometers away. Ten years ago the trip took over four hours by regular train; now the high-speed train takes fifty-five minutes.

检jiǎn票piào口kǒu前qián，她tā拿出ná chū手机shǒu jī刷shuā了liǎo一yī下xià二维码èr wéi mǎ，不用bù yòng取qǔ票piào，直接zhí jiē进jìn站zhàn。车厢chē xiāng里lǐ干gàn干净gān jìng净jìng，座位zuò wèi又yòu宽kuān又yòu软ruǎn。

At the gate she scans her phone, no paper ticket needed. The carriage is spotless, the seats wide and soft.

车chē开kāi了liǎo。速度sù dù表biǎo上shàng的de数字shù zì一直yī zhí往wǎng上升shàng shēng：两liǎng百bǎi八bā十shí公里gōng lǐ，三sān百bǎi公里gōng lǐ，三sān百bǎi二èr十shí公里gōng lǐ。可是kě shì桌zhuō上shàng的de一yī杯bēi水shuǐ，连lián晃huàng都dōu不bù晃huàng一yī下xià。

The train pulls out. The speed display climbs: 280, 300, 320 kilometers an hour. Yet the cup of water on the tray does not even tremble.

陈chén静jìng打开dǎ kāi电脑diàn nǎo，准备zhǔn bèi把bǎ没méi做zuò完wán的de工作gōng zuò做zuò完wán。旁边páng biān坐zuò着zhuó一yī位wèi老人lǎo rén，正zhèng用yòng手机shǒu jī和hé孙子sūn zi视频shì pín通话tōng huà。

She opens her laptop to finish some work. Beside her an old man video-chats with his grandson.

老人lǎo rén告诉gào su她tā，自己zì jǐ每měi个gè星期xīng qī都dōu坐zuò这zhè趟tàng车chē去qù上shàng海hǎi看kān儿子ér zi一yī家jiā。以前yǐ qián想xiǎng都dōu不bù敢gǎn想xiǎng，现在xiàn zài就jìu像xiàng坐zuò公交车gōng jiāo chē一样yī yàng。

He tells her he takes this train every week to see his son's family in Shanghai. Unthinkable before; now it is like a bus.

七qī点diǎn过guo十分shí fēn，车chē到dào站zhàn了liǎo。陈chén静jìng走zǒu出chū车站chē zhàn，丈夫zhàng fu已经yǐ jīng在zài外面wài miàn等děng她tā，女儿nǚ ér跑pǎo过来guò lái抱bào住zhù她tā的de腿tuǐ。

At ten past seven the train arrives. Her husband waits outside; her daughter runs to hug her legs.

晚饭wǎn fàn桌zhuō上shàng，一家人yī jiā rén说shuō说笑shuō xiào笑xiào。妈mā妈mā问wèn她tā累lèi不bù累lèi，她tā说shuō：不bù累lèi，高铁gāo tiě上shàng还huán能néng睡shuì一yī觉jiào呢ne。

At dinner the family chats and laughs. Her mother asks if she is tired; she says no, you can even nap on the train.

十shí年前nián qián她tā刚gāng上shàng大学dà xué的de时候shí hou，每měi次cì放假fàng jià回家huí jiā都dōu要yào提前tí qián去qù车站chē zhàn排队pái duì买mǎi票piào。绿lǜ皮pí车chē里lǐ人rén挤jǐ人rén，一yī站zhàn就是jìu shì好hào几jǐ个gè小时xiǎo shí。

Ten years ago, as a new college student, she had to queue at the station for tickets; the green trains were so packed you stood for hours.

车上chē shàng很hěn安静ān jìng，她tā戴dài上shàng耳机ěr jī，打开dǎ kāi电脑diàn nǎo把bǎ白天bái tiān没méi做zuò完wán的de报告bào gào写xiě完wán。到dào站zhàn前qián十分shí fēn钟zhōng，她tā合hé上shàng电脑diàn nǎo，化huà了liǎo个gè淡dàn妆zhuāng。

The carriage is quiet. She puts on earphones and finishes the report left over from the day; ten minutes before arrival she closes the laptop and touches up her makeup.

车厢chē xiāng的de屏幕píng mù上shàng放fàng着zhuó沿途yán tú的de风景fēng jǐng。爸bà爸bà发fā来lái消息xiāo xi：晚上wǎn shang给gěi你nǐ做zuò你nǐ最zuì爱ài吃chī的de西xī湖hú醋cù鱼yú。陈chén静jìng看kān着zhuó窗chuāng外wài，笑xiào了liǎo。

The carriage screen shows the passing landscape. Her father messages: tonight I'll cook your favorite, West Lake vinegar fish. She looks out the window and smiles.

她tā的de很hěn多duō同事tóng shì和hé她tā一样yī yàng，在zài一yī个gè城市chéng shì工作gōng zuò，在zài另lìng一yī个gè城市chéng shì生活shēng huó。高铁gāo tiě让ràng两liǎng个gè城市chéng shì之间zhī jiān，变biàn得děi像xiàng同一tóng yī个gè城市chéng shì的de两liǎng端duān。

Many colleagues live like her, working in one city and living in another. High-speed rail makes two cities feel like two ends of the same one.

列车liè chē准zhǔn点diǎn进jìn站zhàn。走zǒu出chū站台zhàn tái的de时候shí hou，她tā闻wén到dào了liǎo空气kōng qì里lǐ那nà股gǔ熟悉shú xī的de、江jiāng南nán的de湿润shī rùn味道wèi dao，脚步jiǎo bù一下子yī xià zi轻qīng快kuài了liǎo。

The train arrives on time. Stepping off the platform she breathes in the familiar damp Jiangnan air, and her steps lighten at once.

中国zhōng guó的de四sì万wàn多duō公里gōng lǐ高铁gāo tiě，把bǎ一yī个gè个gè城市chéng shì连lián在zài了liǎo一起yī qǐ，也yě把bǎ像xiàng陈chén静jìng这样zhè yàng的de人rén，每měi周zhōu都dōu安ān安全ān quán全quán地dì送sòng回huí了liǎo家jiā。

China's forty thousand kilometers of high-speed rail link city after city, and carry people like Chen Jing safely home every week.