Starting every broadcast with the words, “Hello viewers, welcome to ‘Hongqi Talks Traffic’”, a plain-old traffic cop who became a broadcasting legend has made his retirement. Today, The Nanjinger salutes him for the countless ways he has made Nanjing’s roads safer.
17 years and more than 6,000 daily broadcasts. No weekends off. With a reach of 7 percent, Hongqi Talks Traffic (宏琪说交通) was one of the highest-rated programmes on Nanjing TV station, NBS. Its host, Wang Hongqi (王宏琪), retired today, 25 August, on his 60th birthday.
17年，日播放量超过6000次。周末没有休息。 《宏琪说交通》以7%的收视率成为国家广播公司南京电视台收视率最高的节目之一。主持人王宏琪于8月25日退休，恰逢他的60岁生日。
But what was this mini-cult show all about and why was it so popular?
但这个迷你邪教节目到底讲的是什么呢？为什么如此受欢迎？
Wang was essentially on a mission to civilise. Nanjing’s traffic, that is. Whether that be helping road users to put into practice new traffic laws, or pointing out the foolishness of some drivers’ actions for the benefit of others, Hongqi Talks Traffic was unmissable early-evening TV.
王本质上是肩负着文明的使命。南京的交通，就是这样。无论是帮助道路使用者实施新的交通法规，还是指出一些司机为了他人利益而做出的愚蠢行为，《红旗谈交通》都是不容错过的早晚电视节目。
Born in Shandong Province, Wang served in the Chinese Navy for 6 years before becoming a traffic policeman. By the end of 2005, Wang had been a traffic cop for nearly 20 years, rising to become a senior member in the command room of Nanjing Traffic Management Bureau.
王出生于山东省，在成为一名交警之前，曾在中国海军服役六年。 2005年底，王某已经当了近20年的交警，晋升为南京市交管局指挥室的一名高级干部。
Therein, the constant monitoring of our city’s road conditions made him familiar with every twist and turn in Nanjing and an ideal candidate for a cop-hosted TV show.
其中，对南京路况的持续监控让他熟悉了南京的一举一动，成为了警察主持的电视节目的理想人选。
Having got the job, Wang’s daily routine was very different from every other traffic cop. With a cameraman and a driver, the roads of Nanjing were his office, the tarmac his desk and the scene of an incident his library.
得到这份工作后，王的日常生活与其他交警截然不同。有一名摄影师和一名司机，南京的道路是他的办公室，停机坪是他的办公桌，事故现场是他的图书馆。
Wang’s day would begin by surveying the many altercations on Nanjing’s roads and deciding which one his show was going to cover that day.
王的一天将从调查南京道路上的许多争吵开始，并决定他的节目当天要报道哪一场。
There was no script. Upon arriving at the scene, Wang had to quickly judge the news value and educational significance of the incident, as well as sort out the applicable laws. And then make it all entertaining.
没有剧本。到达现场后，王必须迅速判断事件的新闻价值和教育意义，并梳理适用的法律。然后让一切变得有趣。
All in, episodes of Hongqi Talks Traffic have accumulated six billion views, attracting more than 100 million likes. To put that former figure in perspective, Wang would be number 4 on YouTube. The China Radio and Television Association awarded the show as a “First-class Programme” and Wang himself as one of the “National Top Ten Traffic Hosts”.
截至目前，《红旗谈交通》剧集已累计播放量60亿，点赞数超1亿。从前一个数字来看，王在 YouTube 上排名第四。 中国广播电视协会授予该节目为“一级节目”，王本人也被评为“全国十佳流量主持人”之一。
For interested readers who have not seen the show, several episodes are available to watch on the page that is Wang’s entry on the encyclopaedia, Baidu Baike.
对于没有看过该剧的有兴趣的读者，可以在王的百科全书条目“百度百科”页面上观看几集。
Wang was also well known for his style of reporting. While not a professionally-trained broadcaster, the nature of his reports demanded an immediacy which could only be afforded by speaking directly. With his distinct Northern Mandarin, it was a style he made all his own.
王也因其报道风格而闻名。虽然他不是受过专业训练的广播员，但他的报告的性质要求即时性，而这只能通过直接讲话才能实现。凭借他独特的北方官话，这是他自己的风格。
This correspondent recalls one early broadcast in particular. In his own charismatic way, Wang stops a driver who has failed to obey the relevant signage, his conversation with the driver then going thus:
记者特别回忆起早期的一次广播。王以他自己的魅力方式拦住了一名不遵守相关标志的司机，他与司机的对话是这样的：
Wang: “You see that sign?”.
王：“你看到那个标志了吗？”。
Driver: “Yeah”.
司机：“是啊”。
Wang: “What does it say?”.
王：“上面写的是什么？”
Driver: “Stop”.
司机：“停车”。
Wang: “Yep. And what do you think that means?”.
王：“是的。你认为这意味着什么？”。
Driver: “I don’t know”.
司机：“我不知道”。
