感受浙江

史凱文

2014年，我去杭州進行結婚登記。因為我剛結婚的老婆被工作單位叫走了，我要陪我一天之前才認識的岳父去西湖游覽四個小時。他是第一次跟一個外國人見面。不用說，親情此刻顯得特別尷尬，會令我們兩個心力交瘁。西湖邊當時一輛空的出租車也沒有，我們擠進一輛擁擠的公交車內。公交車后面沒地方站，我們在司機的旁邊站著。

開到一條斑馬線前，正準備往右轉，司機卻重重地踩了剎車。慣性的沖力讓我們兩個撞到了擋風玻璃上，我的岳父厲聲說：“你干嘛？”司機指向一位剛開始過馬路的行人，他離我們至少有一車道左右距離。在我有些驚訝的同時，司機整理了一下領帶，帶著一點驕傲感，說：“規則就是規則，我們要遵守。”

這句話讓我印象深刻。規則就是規則，我們要遵守。不要向行人按喇叭，并且更重要的是，讓行人先走過去，這并不只是合乎法律，也是人與人之間的相互尊重。把規則與尊重結合起來，形成一個耳熟能詳的單詞：文明。以我的經驗而言，杭州市民都把這個單詞放在他們的心上。也是在杭州，我在路上遇到過當地人曾兩次問我：“需不需要幫助？”這本身不是那么特殊，但特殊的是我記得，那兩次我手里沒拿地圖，臉上也沒有任何“我迷路”的表情，我能感覺他們只是想關心我，他們愿意提供幫助。

話說回斑馬線上禮讓行人的例子，也許這就是為什么杭州能成為國家新交通規則示范區的原因。在斑馬線上不讓行人是違法的。法治支持尊重，明確執行規則的標準以取得信任。作為普通行人和利用自行車出行的人，我對這個交通規則已經在杭州牢牢落地感到欣慰。我岳父說他的老友們也開始漸漸接受這個新規則。

諸如斑馬線禮讓行人以明文規定的這些改革不斷擴大到其他地區，同時改革還包含浙江的遺跡與自然之美的文化意義被再一次挖掘。烏鎮，堅持著一個平衡：古老的歷史遺跡與受歡迎的人工智能設計相結合，您很難找到同樣的古鎮了，有一千年歷史的石橋，兩側是行人走過橋時會閃燈的智能斑馬線。

改革也作用于浙江的自然風光。作為一個愛好戶外運動的人，為了逃離城市的混凝土叢林，我周末常常在寧海國家山路健身步道上徒步。穿越過叢叢竹林、清澈透明的龍潭與石頭村，五百多公里的山路都有良好的標識，而且每一處都能在散發自然的魅力。自從2009年以后，當地政府決定免費開放，沒有任何水泥樓梯，沒有商業化的過度加工。一整天的鍛煉之后，在夜晚的星空下露營，不僅令人意識到環境的重要性，更重要的是享受到了環境保護給我們帶來的益處，更加深刻感受到保護地球是每一個人的責任。

對于規則的尊重，對于歷史遺跡和自然環境的保護，都是文明社會的重要組成。不僅在浙江，而且在整個中國，我不斷通過親身體驗，感受到了文明的彰顯。

（作者旅居中國近20年，目前與中國妻子定居上海，

致力于促進中西交流，已出版三部相關著作。）

“Rules are rules， and they should be respected”

By Kevin Smith

It was about seven years ago， in 2014， when I was registering my marriage in Hangzhou. My newly married wife called away for business， I took a four-hour walk around West Lake with a father-in-law I had just met the day before. It was his first time to have ever met a foreigner. It goes without saying the awkward bonding left the two of us both mentally and physically exhausted. West Lake being a tourist hotspot， with no taxis readily available， we squeezed onto a public bus. With no room in the back， we stood up front next to the driver.

Approaching a crosswalk， readying to turn right， the driver tapped his breaks a little too hard. The momentum sending the two of us almost crashing into the windshield， my father-in-law snapped， “Whatd you do that for？” The driver pointed to a pedestrian who had just begun to cross the road. He was at least a lane away. “Rules are rules and they should be respected，” the driver said with a sense of pride， adjusting his tie.

Rules are rules， and they should be respected. Not hitting the horn at a pedestrian， or more importantly， allowing them the right of way isnt just lawful， but a mutual respect between individuals. Combining these two words， law and respect， creates a word that I regularly hear in China： civility or wenming （文明）. In the past， it often fell on deaf ears as an empty motto， a slogan to be repeated without thought or actual practice. But， from my experience， Hangzhou city and the residents there take it to heart. It is the only city in China that I have been stopped twice and asked， “Can I help you？” This in itself may not be special. What left a lasting impression was that there was no map in my hand or a confused look that said “Im lost” upon my face. It was almost as if they only wanted to check in， letting me know they were there if I needed any help.

Perhaps this is why Hangzhou is often a testing ground for new laws prior to their nationwide implementation. Not giving the right of way to pedestrians at a crosswalk became a punishable offense. Rule of law supports respect. Clearly defined consequences that are acted upon creates trust. While it took some time for my second home， Shanghai， to catch on， as a biker and a pedestrian I appreciate a law that is now firmly in place. My father-in-law reports that his fellow townsmen are gradually accepting the new law as well.

These reforms have continued to extend outwards， encompassing Zhejiangs cultural relics as well as its natural beauty. For example， a number of the provinces ancient river towns have had their cultural significance rediscovered. Wuzhen， one of those impressive “water towns”， has balanced itself as both an ancient living museum and a welcomer of Artificial Intelligent design： you would be hard-pressed to find another ancient town that has 1，000-year-old stone bridges alongside smart crosswalks that light up as pedestrians cross.

The provinces abundance of nature is also feeling the effects of reform. A man of the outdoors， I regularly escape Shanghais concrete jungle for weekend hikes along the Ninghai National Trail System （NTS）. Over 500 kilometers of trail through bamboo forests， alongside crystal-clear dragon pools and stone villages is well marked， but retains its natural charm. Since 2009， the local government has kept it free of fees; there are no concrete steps and zero commercialism. Camping beneath the stars after a day of exercise can help us to recognize the importance of the environment and that it is everyones duty to protect what it offers.

Whether respecting the rules， preserving cultural heritage or protecting the natural environment， they are all part and parcel of a wenming or civilized society， which Ive experienced not only in Zhejiang but now increasingly all across China.

Kevin Smith is a published author who is constantly trying to improve his wenming， though seemingly forever losing the battle. Acting as a window， albeit an infinitesimal one， Kevin hopes that his writing can shine a glint of light on a different perspective.