抗戰

近來我們看了許多抗戰的歷史，才知道這個故事需要從清朝的墮落開始說起。首先是全民吸鴉片，再是鴉片戰爭，再是義和團和八國聯軍，再是軍閥割據，等等等等。雖然最後贏了，卻還是覺得很惋惜。這世界本來不必是這樣的，只是人的私心總是有這樣多，不停地互相傷害，像是沒有歇止的時候。我忽然記起古人常提起堯舜禹的時候。那時雖然沒什麼厲害的科技，可或許人人都生活得很幸福吧，因為互相殘害的情況很少，與人為善的情況很多。

Recently, we have watched much history of WWII in China and thus knew that this story was begun from the corruption of Dynasty Qing. First, there was everyone smoking opium, then the war of opium, then yihetuan movement and the Eight-Power Allied Forces, and then the dividing of warlords, etc. Though winning in the end, I still felt it was a regret. This world cou ld not have been like that, but there was always so much darkness in our hearts, continuousl y harming each other as if we would never stop. I suddenly remember that ancient people often mentioned the time of Yao Shun Yu. There was no advanced technology then, but all the people might have a peaceful and good life, because there were not many situations of harming each other, but those of helping each other.

愛荷華大學的同意錄取決定也下來了，真是令人驚喜。不過俄亥俄州立的還沒有，因為我看錯了時間，看成了俄勒岡大學的決定時間，它們的縮寫都是OSU。愛荷華這所大學很神奇，神奇在它的總和排名雖然不高，卻有著全美國第一的寫作項目，且愛荷華這座被愛荷華大學佔去中心。四周全是玉米地的小城在2008 年被聯合國評為了文學之城。我曾看過汪曾祺的散文裡說，愛荷華大學裡有個國際寫作計劃，當時比整個大學都要有名，是當地有名的作家保羅和他同為作家的妻子，一個叫聶華苓的、自從抗戰以後到臺灣去的中國人一起建立的。所以說，美國的大學真是各有所長和特點，而這也許是因為它們各有各自的歷史的緣故吧。

The university of Iowa’s acceptance letter also came down, which was really surprising. But that of Ohio State has not, because I mistook the time, regarding the time of Oregon State as Ohio State’s, since their shortened names were both OSU. The UI is an interesting universit y, because though its ranking is not high, it has the most excellent writing programme in US A, and Iowa city, the centre of which is the UI and around the centre of which is fields of corn, was awarded with the city of literature in 2008 by the United Nations. I once read it in some of articles of Wang Zengqi that there was an International Writing Programme in the UI, whi ch was established the famous local writer Paul and his wife, a Chinese writer called Nie Hual ing who had gone to Taiwan after WWII. So, American universities each has its own features and fortes. This might be because that they each had their own history.