The concept of “congestion” is referenced widely in modern Chinese culture. It is present in conversations whining about public transport, city traffic, lines at a tourist attraction, hospital or service desk; in fact, almost any public space. An “uncrowded” place carries a favourable connotation; it is free of the disturbance and turmoil of everywhere else. This phenomenon is hardly surprising, considering the ever-expanding Chinese megacities and population.
“拥堵”的概念在中国现代文化中被广泛引用。 它出现在关于公共交通、城市交通、旅游景点、医院或服务台的排队的谈话中；事实上，几乎任何公共场所都存在。 一个“不拥挤”的地方带有有利的内涵；它不受其他地方的干扰和混乱。 考虑到不断扩大的中国特大城市和人口，这种现象并不令人驚訝。
Such contemporary congestion is all too familiar. But what about a much more traditional interpretation, as in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)?
这种当代的拥堵太熟悉了。 但是，像中医（TCM）那样更传统的解释呢？
Founded upon the principle that harmony in the body leads to long-term health and wellbeing, TCM assists with imbalances and disruptions in the body that lead to ailments, whether physical or psychological. TCM regards “Qi” as a fundamental concept. Representing vital universal energy, the force behind all organic activity in the universe, Qi is in constant flux, manifested in material life as well as in movement, heat, thoughts and emotions. Qi can also be medically portrayed as vital fluids and energy flowing through the body. “Xue”, the blood, is another fluid, likewise circulating the body, literally to sustain life.
基于身体和谐导致长期健康和福祉的原则，中医有助于身体失衡和中断，导致身体或心理疾病。 中医将“气”视为一个基本概念。 气代表着重要的宇宙能量，是宇宙中所有有机活动背后的力量，在不断变化中，表现在物质生活以及运动、热、思想和情绪中。 气在医学上也可以被描述为流经身体的重要液体和能量。 “Xue”，血液，是另一种液体，同样在身体中循环，字面意思是维持生命。
So, you can imagine how congestion of Qi and Xue can upset the body and mind. According to small talk I have overheard between aunts and grandpas, along with cursory searches online, congestion in the Qi and Xue should be treated with more green tea, less greasy and spicy food, more exercise, regular sleep and more of an outdoors and social life. This all sounds like solid advice, paired with a set of composed, serene philosophical principles.
所以，你可以想象气和雪的充血会如何扰乱身心。 根据我无意中听到的阿姨和爷爷之间的闲聊，以及网上粗略的搜索，Q和Xue的拥堵应该用更多的绿茶，少吃油腻和辛辣的食物，多锻炼，规律的睡眠，以及更多的户外和社交生活来治疗。 這一切聽起來都是可靠的建議，搭配一套沉穩、寧靜的哲學原則。
In popular culture, this diet and lifestyle have been associated with “养生” (yangsheng); maintaining good health, and in turn, with stereotypically, those advancing in years. While younger generations also aspire to longevity and health, their 养生 really isn’t pulled off with the same rigour, neither under the same circumstances.
在流行文化中，这种饮食和生活方式与“养生”有关；保持健康，反过来，与那些多年来进步的人。 虽然年轻一代也渴望长寿和健康，但他们的养生真的不是以同样的严谨性，也不是在同样的情况下。
Specifically, their 养生 often accompanies situational irony; staying up all night while chugging down a concoction of health products, feasting on spicy hot pot before taking digestive tablets, adding goji to beer, dangshen to coca cola and perhaps most commonly, and perplexingly, intending to go for a 养生 night out.
具体来说，他们的养生往往伴随着情景讽刺；熬夜喝着健康产品，在服用消化药片之前大快朵颐，在啤酒中加入枸杞，在可口可乐中加入dangshen，也许最常见的是，令人困惑的是，打算去一个养生之夜。
Some of these examples may be exaggerations, but there nonetheless exists a chasm between TCM’s teachings and the unescapable “temptations” of a modern lifestyle.
其中一些例子可能是夸大其词，但尽管如此，中医的教义与现代生活方式不可避免的“诱惑”之间仍然存在着鸿溝。
“Staying up all night” might have been for catching up on the latest TV show, or keeping up with the demands of an unpredictable, but steadily growing workload.
“熬夜”可能是为了赶上最新的电视节目，或者跟上不可预测但稳步增长的工作量的需求。
“Having a carnivorous feast” might be a fantastic time with friends and family, or a sociocultural ritual between employees and clients in the business world.
“举行食肉盛宴”可能是与朋友和家人共进的美妙时光，也可能是商业界员工和客户之间的社会文化仪式。
China’s rapid economic development has led to a tectonic shift in the expectations and prioritisation of work, leisure and health. The remark that, “Everything is so fast-paced”, has become a platitude. Congestion is arguably omnipresent. Traffic is congested on the city streets. Qi is congested when we occupy ourselves with work and life, and when we deceptively perform 养生.
中国经济的快速发展导致了工作、休闲和健康的期望和优先次序的构造转变。 “一切都节奏如此之快”的言论已经成为一种陈词滥调。 拥堵可以说是无处不在的。 城市街道交通拥堵。 当我们忙于工作和生活，以及欺骗性地进行养生时，气就会充血。
Even on a psycho-spiritual level, we are congested by an overabundance of thoughts and questions, without clear intent or answers. Everything going through all at once is bound to lead to congestion.
即使在心理-精神层面上，我们也被过多的想法和问题所堵塞，没有明确的意图或答案。 一次经历的一切必然会导致拥堵。
As a response to this pervasive congestion, there are countless sources of advice, from, “lead a slow-paced life”, to “relax one’s body and mind” and “enjoy the world around us”. The fantasy of “escaping the city” or an idyllic or “olde-worlde” life is growing, as indicated by trends in tourism.
作为对这种普遍拥堵的回应，有无数的建议来源，从“过慢节奏的生活”到“放松身心”和“享受我们周围的世界”。 正如旅游业的趋势所表明的，「逃離城市”或田园诗般的或「古老的世界」生活的幻想正在增長。
Rising incomes have enabled people to indulge in these fantasies temporarily. In 2019, the total instances of domestic tourism in China had reached more than six billion, an 8.4 percent increase from 2018. Current popular destinations are natural or historical sites, such as the Sanhuan pastureland in Dalian or Tai’erzhuang Ancient Town in Zaozhuang. Metropolitan centers, such as Hong Kong, are dwindling in their appeal, as people are generally accustomed to urbanity, no longer enthralled by skyscrapers.
收入的上升使人们能够暂时沉迷于这些幻想。 2019年，中国国内旅游总数超过60亿，比2018年增长了8.4%。 目前热门目的地是自然或历史遗迹，如大连的三环牧场或枣庄的太二庄古镇。 香港等大都市的吸引力正在下降，因为人们普遍习惯于城市化，不再被摩天大楼迷住。
Common criticism of popular natural and historical sites are of overcrowding, excessive commercialisation, and degradation of the natural landscape and historical artefacts. While these points are certainly valid, they also reflect the fantasy of tourism. People spend money on tourism as a service, while expecting monetary aspects to be cleanly concealed.
对流行的自然和歷史遺蹟的普遍批评是過度擁擠、過度商業化以及自然景观和歷史文物的退化。 虽然这些观点当然是有效的，但它们也反映了旅游业的幻想。 人们把钱花在旅游作为一种服务上，同时期望金钱方面被干净利落地掩盖。
They should not be reminded of crowded city streets, ubiquitous billboard advertising, nor the grime and pollution left behind from the linear economy of production to consumption, and straight to waste.
他们不应该被提醒拥挤的城市街道，无处不在的广告牌广告，也不应该被提醒从生产到消费的线性经济留下的污瘠和污染，再到直接浪费。
This same “fantasy” possibly fulfilled by tourism is also present in the stereotype of 养生; TCM-guided, middle-aged people, perhaps more accurately. Their WeChat profiles are caricatured as portraits of themselves in picturesque scenery, accompanied by a name such as (roughly translated) “Morning Sunlight”, “Life is but a Stage”, “Sound and Auspicious” or “Prosperity Yearlong”.
旅游业可能實現的同樣的「幻想」也存在于养生的刻板印象中；中医指導的中年人，也许更准确地说。 他们的微信个人资料被漫画化为风景如画的风景中的肖像，并附有（大致翻译）“早晨的阳光”、“生活只是一个舞台”、“声音和吉祥”或“全年繁荣”等名字。
Despite the ridicule of this stereotype, I believe it powerfully characterises a certain Chinese lifestyle of minimalism. It represents a symbolic divide between generations. The youth coexist with congestion while the middle-aged reject it.
尽管这种刻板印象被嘲笑，但我相信它有力地代表了某种极简主义的中国生活方式。 它代表了代际之间的象征性鸿沟。 年轻人与拥堵共存，而中年人则拒绝拥堵。
Initially, congestion is viewed as the “overwhelming number of possibilities and opportunities in the world”.
最初，拥堵被视为“世界上压倒性的可能性和机会数量”。
Later, congestion becomes seen as a pathological symptom, obstructing Qi, or life, from flowing and flourishing. Faith in nature, health, and traditional practices and beliefs substitute that placed in congested, modern life.
后来，充血被视为一种病理症状，阻碍了气或生命的流动和繁荣。 对自然、健康以及传统习俗和信仰的信仰取代了被置于拥挤的现代生活中。
Looking at the past few months, I have truly experienced both views of congestion. During the restrictions, I first adopted a stereotypically “middle-aged” stance.
回顾过去几个月，我真的经历了两种拥堵的观点。 在限制期间，我首先采取了刻板的“中年”立场。
“The streets and roads seemed free from their chronic ailment. Once in a while, a car would freely race through. These arteries were so painstakingly laid down and maintained as an essential component of our societal flesh and bones, so worn down with all the people going places, constantly pumping, that it had seemed to develop hypertension. It had time to rest. Anxious, and doubtful, the people had abandoned their four wheels.
“街道和道路似乎摆脱了慢性病。 偶尔，一辆汽车会自由奔跑。 这些动脉被精心铺设和维护，作为我们社会骨肉之躯的重要组成部分，随着人们不断抽水而疲惫不堪，似乎患上了高血压。 它有休息的時間。 人们焦虑又怀疑，抛弃了他们的四轮车。
“My body healed during that time. Less greasy dinners outside, more time for afternoon exercise. More time to make an elaborate breakfast. More time to stop and listen to the cicadas outside.
“在那段时间里，我的身体痊愈了。 在外面吃不那么油腻的晚餐，下午有更多的时间锻炼。 有更多的时间做一顿精心制作的早餐。 有更多的时间停下来听外面的蝉声。
“Even the testing sites were just a manageable-sized line of people patiently scrolling through the news or Douyin or whatever. After hearing traumatic stories, everything was surprisingly ordered, tranquil, and free of confusion and turmoil.”
“即使是测试地点也只是一条可以管理的队伍，耐心地滚动浏览新闻或抖音或其他什么。 听到创伤性故事后，一切都出人意料地有序、平静、没有混乱和动荡。”
However, quite soon later, I realised I could not adopt this stance forever.
然而，不久之后，我意识到我不可能永远采取这种立场。
“Just staring out the window day in, day out. Afternoon exercise is great, fresh air from strolls outside is great, but everything still feels upside down. It would be great to just breathe and simply exist, among people. It doesn’t have to be social; just watching and appreciating all the people going their separate places at a busy intersection or a mall.
“只是日复一日地盯着窗外。 下午的锻炼很棒，在外面散步的新鲜空气很棒，但一切都仍然感觉颠倒了。 在人们中间呼吸，简单地存在，那就太好了。 它不一定是社交的；只是看着和欣赏所有在繁忙的十字路口或商场去不同地方的人。
Everywhere seems deserted. I’m tired of cereal for breakfast and salad for dinner. Time is relative. It’s like everything I’ve done is just being slowly erased and my life turning into a blank page. I just need to feel alive.”
到处似乎都荒凉了。 我厭倦了早餐吃麥片和晚餐吃沙拉。 时间是相对的。 就像我所做的一切都在慢慢被抹去，我的生活变成了一页空白。 我只需要感觉活着。”
Later, as restrictions loosened and fears faded, I felt a lot better mentally. Reflecting, I understood more than just two stereotypical ways of viewing modern life. I do not need to buy into appreciating the congestion of modern life, nor absolutely reject it with ascetic minimalism.
后来，随着限制的放松和恐惧的消退，我的精神感觉好多了。 反思一下，我理解的不仅仅是两种看待现代生活的刻板方式。 我不需要接受现代生活的拥挤，也不需要用俗的极简主义来绝对拒绝它。
People have complex and changing beliefs, which are not dictated by their age group. Perhaps the best approach is to reconsider our view of modern life, experiment, then decide, and remain flexible to change.
人们有复杂且不断变化的信仰，这些信仰不是由他们的年龄组决定的。 也许最好的方法是重新考虑我们对现代生活的看法，进行实验，然后做出决定，并保持灵活地做出改变。
Whether shoving our way through millions awaiting their bubble tea in Xinjiekou station or contemplating the yin and yang on a stone bench at Yangshan Park, or anything in between, in these congested times, feel the Qi coursing within, and have pace in life.
无论是在新街口站等待泡泡茶的数百万人，还是在阳山公园的石凳上沉思阴阳，或者介于两者之间的任何事情，在这个拥挤的时代，感受气在内心流动，并有生活的节奏。
