高三时我就开始向往西藏，渴望到达那片纯净的土地，渴望在纳木错的湖边望着雪山，看着羊群。可真正的西藏之行，是在十年后的今天。十年后面对西藏，好像变得有些冷静。也许是走的地方多了，也许对它的了解比以前多了，那种神秘感已经不像以前那样强烈了。
It was when I was in my senior year of high school that I started to aspire for Tibet, longing to be at the pure land to see snow mountains and flocks of sheep by the Nam Lake. However my dream to Tibet wasn't made true until today—ten years later from the birth of the desire. Now I seem to become more sober-minded when facing this place where is once my dream land. Maybe it's because of too much travel experience these years or that I have understood it much better, Lhasa has lost its original mysteriouscharming to me.

 
八廓街转经人 
People spinning the prayer wheels on the Barkhor Street ---- photo by Li Zhongying

      当我来到海拔3650米的拉萨，行走在这座"离天堂最近的城市"里时，并没有觉得它有那么神圣。它看上去有点不伦不类，没有自我，像内地一座刚刚学着发展的三线城市。这里人多车也多，到处是正在建设的工地，到处是移动联通的广告牌，散发着浓浓的商业气息。大昭寺门前那家偌大的"德克士"餐厅有点乍眼；通往布达拉宫的大街上，从美特斯邦威、波司登到杰克琼斯、耐克、阿迪所有常见品牌的店铺一应俱全；布达拉宫旁边的大荧幕中轮番播着各类商业广告，声音刺耳；只有房屋建筑顶上那一点点藏式装饰在告诉你这是拉萨，然而它却显得那样单薄，甚至不和谐。当你坐在车上，看到几个手持转经筒的阿妈在车流中走斑马线穿马路，你会恍惚以为两个西藏阿妈来到了北京哪个街头，怎么看怎么别扭。当地人称拉萨是"小四川"，做生意开饭馆的多半是四川人。是汉人建造了一座新的拉萨城，做着"纯净"二字的买卖。
When I finally came here, "the city nearest to the Heaven", and walk along the street 3,650 meters above sea level, I don't think it is that sacred. It bears little resemblance to itself. It is more like a third class city in the mainland China in the initial phase of development. There are crowds of people and flows of motor vehicles. The city is pervaded with thick commercial atmosphere, with advertising boards of China Mobile and China Unicom here and there. The large "Discos" fast food restaurant in front of the gate of the Jokhang Temple is somewhat unpleasant to the eye. The street to the Potala Palace is arrayed with shops as Metersbonwe, Bosideng, Jack &Jones, Nike and Adidas. From the big screen erected beside the Potala Palace, all kinds of commercial advertisements bombed your ears in waves. Only the Tibetan style decorations on the roof top remind you that you are in Lhasa. But they are small to see and even get overshadowed by the bustling surroundings. When I sit on the bus, I seem to have an illusion that I am still in Beijing and even feel awkward to see several Tibetan aunties crossing the street with prayer wheels in hands. No matter how you look at it, it appears quite out of place. The natives call Lhasa the "Little Sichuan", for most shop owners are from Sichuan. Lhasa is actually another city built by the Han Nationality, who are selling its "purity" to the visitors from all over the world.

大昭寺
 The Jokhang Temple ---- photo by Li Zhongying

      据说在十多年前，拉萨只有几条小街，街上还有牛粪马粪，如今却只能见到车了。我想郑钧如果是现在来到拉萨，恐怕不会有 "回到拉萨" 的冲动了吧！
It is said that there were only several small streets in Lhasa a decade ago, and draught animals' dung could be seen everywhere. But what I see today here is only motor vehicles. I am afraid that if Zheng Jun came to Lhasa now, he wouldn't have the impulse to revisit here.

      也许只有大昭寺外，熙熙攘攘的游客和商铺间亘古不变的转经和磕长头的朝圣者，才能给人的心灵些许涤荡——他们永远保持着自己那份关于虔诚的坚定。
Maybe only the pilgrims who are forever spinning the prayer wheels and making long kowtows among the streams of visitors and noisy shops outside the Jokhang Temple, can bring certain soothe and purity to our hearts. They appear to be the only ones who would not be distracted and forever stick firmly to their belief in this clamorous mundane world.

• mysterious [mi´stiəriəs]   a.神秘的；难以理解的   (初中英语单词)
• charming [´tʃɑ:miŋ]   a.可爱的；极好的   (初中英语单词)
• sacred [´seikrid]   a.神圣的；庄严的   (初中英语单词)
• commercial [kə´mə:ʃəl]   a.商业的 n.广告节目   (初中英语单词)
• atmosphere [´ætməsfiə]   n.大气；空气；气氛   (初中英语单词)
• advertising [´ædvətaiziŋ]   n.广告a.广告的   (初中英语单词)
• restaurant [´restərɔnt]   n.饭店，菜馆   (初中英语单词)
• temple [´tempəl]   n.庙宇；寺院；太阳穴   (初中英语单词)
• screen [skri:n]   n.银幕 vt.遮蔽   (初中英语单词)
• remind [ri´maind]   vt.提醒；使记(想)起   (初中英语单词)
• actually [´æktʃuəli]   ad.事实上；实际上   (初中英语单词)
• impulse [´impʌls]   n.推动(力)；冲动；刺激   (初中英语单词)
• purity [´pjuəriti]   n.纯净；贞洁   (初中英语单词)
• firmly [´fə:mli]   ad.坚固地，稳定地   (初中英语单词)
• belief [bi´li:f]   n.相信；信仰，信条   (初中英语单词)
• senior [´si:niə]   a.年长的 n.前辈   (高中英语单词)
• longing [´lɔŋiŋ]   n.&a.渴望(的)   (高中英语单词)
• spinning [´spiniŋ]   n.纺织 a.纺织品的   (高中英语单词)
• resemblance [ri´zembləns]   n.类似；肖像；外表   (高中英语单词)
• initial [i´niʃəl]   a.最初的 n.首字母   (高中英语单词)
• unpleasant [ʌn´plezənt]   a.不愉快的；不合意的   (高中英语单词)
• illusion [i´lu:ʒən]   n.幻觉；幻影；错觉   (高中英语单词)
• awkward [´ɔ:kwəd]   a.笨拙的；为难的   (高中英语单词)
• decade [´dekeid]   n.十年(间)   (高中英语单词)
• draught [drɑ:ft]   n.通风，通气；吸出   (高中英语单词)
• soothe [su:ð]   vt.安慰；镇定；减轻   (高中英语单词)
• aspire [ə´spaiə]   vi.立志要；升高；热望   (英语四级单词)
• mainland [´meinlənd]   n.大陆；本土   (英语四级单词)
• nationality [,næʃə´næliti]   n.国籍；民族   (英语四级单词)
• clamorous [´klæmərəs]   a.喧闹的；吵吵嚷嚷的   (英语六级单词)