VOA标准英语2012--China's Rural Decline Documented in Photos

China's Rural Decline Documented in Photos

He Chongyue’s camera captures portraits of some of the people China's rapid modernization¹ has left behind, especially the people he calls the last true peasants.

“Why do I say that? Because afterwards, there won’t be many people left who are fully² farmers. These people’s children are all working in the cities. They are not city people, but they aren’t villagers anymore either,” He notes.

He says these people sacrificed the most in the early decades of Communist China, but still have only one basic demand, having enough to eat.

"You see this man, the clothes he is wearing? His home is probably a very poor one, his clothes were very dirty. He brought his (hukou) household registration³ book with him and asked me ‘Where should I go get the money. I thought you were here to give us money,’" He recalls.

He points to another social problem that his photos illustrate⁴.

"At the beginning, I did not want kids to be in the picture. I wanted only old people. But then, the old people were the ones who took care of the children at home, so once they go out of the house, the kids also go with them," He notes.

Photos are ubiquitous these days, but He says he feels it is his responsibility to record images that people do not commonly see. He documents his portrait sessions of the rural poor through jerky-looking videos produced from a series of still photos.

“It shows the scene from the moment when there is no one. Then people gather and then they walk away again, gather and walk away. These introduce the concept of time," He explains.

He rejects using gimmicks⁵ to alter his photos and says he wants to record real life. He say he hopes his work helps highlight the plight⁶ of a people who may otherwise be forgotten. 

1 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

4 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

5 gimmicks   

n.花招，诡计，骗人的玩意儿( gimmick的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Financial institutions are also often expected yield of gimmicks. 金融机构也往往以预期收益率为噱头。 来自互联网
• However these are just marketing gimmicks that propagate the myth. 然而这些只是噱头的营销传播的神话。 来自互联网

6 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。