疫情期間兩人看了不少《西瓜視頻》，真可謂不出家門而知古今中外天下事。自從知道玩自媒體可以賺錢，人們躍躍欲試，各顯神通，紛紛把自己身邊的人和物拍成視頻。視頻的內容上及天文地理，下至柴米油鹽，從自家孩子吃法、說話、玩耍，到挖掘自家門口的奇珍異草，從美食，美景，到世界經濟趨勢格局分析; 從玩玉石，玩收藏到古玩古物鑒定，從風景如畫的中國新疆到異國風情風俗的介紹。一句話，隻有你想不到沒有你找不到的。每看完一個視頻，更多相應的視頻馬上推薦過來，讓人目不暇接，而我們也趁機留心視頻下方的點擊率和粉絲量，借此了解大眾的口味和喜愛。最近幾乎每期必看的"小哥兒在非洲"，短短幾分鍾的視頻讓我們看到非洲一家人的生活和真實麵貌，不禁感歎人其實是生而不平等的，有人可以生在 Bill Gates家，而有人卻隻能生在非洲窮人家，家徒四壁，吃不好穿不暖。
It’s been almost a year since the pandemic hijacked us. Life becomes mostly a grinding cycle of working at home, eating and sleeping. Like a chicken tired of being encircled in a coop to lay eggs every day, I yearn for outdoor life, where I can roam on a free ranch and to be enveloped in the sun-drenched nature.
Come late February, my imagination of the valley becomes wilder. I remember the undulating hills start putting on green in mid-February, dotted with blooming golden poppies here and there, though more poppies explode in March. Then comes April, time for wild mustard flowers to put on the show, setting the whole valley ablaze with its brightening yellow. But when yesterday we arrived at the destination, an old trail we haven’t been on for more than a year, my excitement fizzled. Tinted with some greenness, the dominant color throughout the ranch is still lifelessly brown. The densely clusters of the last-year’s dead stalks of mustard only reminded us how they were once vibrant and vigorous.
The trail is purposely made one-way, and a placard of reminding people to keep 6 feet apart stood at the entrance. It’s high noon time and only a few visitors were visible on the trail. I took off the mask, to immerse myself in the warm breeze. The temperature must be above 70F. We walked at our leisure, stepping aside for some brisk hikers or bikers. But as the trail narrows, flanked by the newly added barbed-wired fences on both sides, we found no place to yield but to hasten our steps to keep the proper distance. So, at the end of the short trail, without much to see, we decided to turn back.
What highlighted the scene that day was a huge cluster of cacti. Though no budding flowers were seen, nor any new sprout, this cacti family, with its resilience and vitality, erects strikingly against the parched land.
回複 '7grizzly' 的評論 : Thanks, my friend, for reading and comments. Your comments matter:)), as we have the same fondness of the language. I know your dream of your last day could be like the lady runner who rested after finishing the marathon:).
I did a brief research on "canola" and "mustard". From the pictures online they look the same. But then I found sentences like "canola is in the mustard family, and mustard oil is healthier than canola oil":) I guess they are just similar.
Thanks for liking the words. The word "grinding" is recently acquired, from a magazine. (I love "The Economist", by the way). I like the word "fizzle" too, the opposite of "sizzle", which here can be replaced by the words like ebb, dwindle, or retreat maybe.
Thanks again, my friend. I heard spring has come in the North. Enjoy!
7grizzly 發表評論於
> 走的時候最好也不要拖泥帶水
That's so true and I think one needs to consciously strive for it.
Your description of the wild mustard reminded me of a tract of land near where I live. It used to boast acres of vivid yellow flowers and I thought they were canola. From the images of their blossoms, it's hard for me to tell.
Nice use of words. I liked "grinding," "fizzle," "ablaze," etc.
回複 '魏薇' 的評論 : 魏微好！早上在看股票,上班，剛剛開完會，給你回複，讓你等了。
Thanks for your reading and comments. I must say your English amazingly progresses, 讓我刮目了：））
1. CA is well-known for its year-round sunshine and warmth, and summer is pleasant too. But drought is also common here, and for 12 months in a year, the valleys or hills are only green for around two months, and the greenness actually hinges on the rainfall in the winter. Last winter we saw very low precipitation, and that may explain the bare hilltop this spring.
2. Golden poppy is our state flower:)) I don't know the difference between this poppy and the one that we extract for opium. I was told they are not the same. But if you see the grandiose pictures we took in 2019 below
https://blog.wenxuecity.com/myblog/70796/201904/18542.html , you won't be surprised why it is our state flower:))
3. Thanks for reading so carefully, and for pointing out the word "grinding". I actually learned from a magazine. I was just impressed like you.
Thanks again for your input and writing in English. Keep up the good job, and take care too!
魏薇 發表評論於
It's a very pleasant experience by reading this essay even There are a few vocabularies I don't know. Why the hill was blanketed with green in middle of Feb last year, but not this year? I googled the flower "poppy" since it is the first time I heard the name. It surprised me because poppy is a big family, PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM, a flower in this family,is the source of opium. Obviously it's a Spanish, this help me understand why South American countries are big resource of drugs.
70F, that's the temperature of spring or even early summer in CT. Yesterday and today the highest daily temperature climbed to 50F, a spring-feeling weather, people were excited about it. will write more later. "Grinding" is an vividly and creative word to express your feeling since you were locked down for quite a long time for the pandemic. Take care.
疫情期間兩人看了不少《西瓜視頻》，真可謂不出家門而知古今中外天下事。自從知道玩自媒體可以賺錢，人們躍躍欲試，各顯神通，紛紛把自己身邊的人和物拍成視頻。視頻的內容上及天文地理，下至柴米油鹽，從自家孩子吃法、說話、玩耍，到挖掘自家門口的奇珍異草，從美食，美景，到世界經濟趨勢格局分析; 從玩玉石，玩收藏到古玩古物鑒定，從風景如畫的中國新疆到異國風情風俗的介紹。一句話，隻有你想不到沒有你找不到的。每看完一個視頻，更多相應的視頻馬上推薦過來，讓人目不暇接，而我們也趁機留心視頻下方的點擊率和粉絲量，借此了解大眾的口味和喜愛。最近幾乎每期必看的"小哥兒在非洲"，短短幾分鍾的視頻讓我們看到非洲一家人的生活和真實麵貌，不禁感歎人其實是生而不平等的，有人可以生在 Bill Gates家，而有人卻隻能生在非洲窮人家，家徒四壁，吃不好穿不暖。
It’s been almost a year since the pandemic hijacked us. Life becomes mostly a grinding cycle of working at home, eating and sleeping. Like a chicken tired of being encircled in a coop to lay eggs every day, I yearn for outdoor life, where I can roam on a free ranch and to be enveloped in the sun-drenched nature.
Come late February, my imagination of the valley becomes wilder. I remember the undulating hills start putting on green in mid-February, dotted with blooming golden poppies here and there, though more poppies explode in March. Then comes April, time for wild mustard flowers to put on the show, setting the whole valley ablaze with its brightening yellow. But when yesterday we arrived at the destination, an old trail we haven’t been on for more than a year, my excitement fizzled. Tinted with some greenness, the dominant color throughout the ranch is still lifelessly brown. The densely clusters of the last-year’s dead stalks of mustard only reminded us how they were once vibrant and vigorous.
The trail is purposely made one-way, and a placard of reminding people to keep 6 feet apart stood at the entrance. It’s high noon time and only a few visitors were visible on the trail. I took off the mask, to immerse myself in the warm breeze. The temperature must be above 70F. We walked at our leisure, stepping aside for some brisk hikers or bikers. But as the trail narrows, flanked by the newly added barbed-wired fences on both sides, we found no place to yield but to hasten our steps to keep the proper distance. So, at the end of the short trail, without much to see, we decided to turn back.
What highlighted the scene that day was a huge cluster of cacti. Though no budding flowers were seen, nor any new sprout, this cacti family, with its resilience and vitality, erects strikingly against the parched land.
