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1 China is the fastest-growing market for American goods, an ally in the war on terror and, at the same time, an emerging rival to U.S. pre-eminence in Asia. In coming years, its major cities will host the Olympic Games and a World's Fair while its movie, fashion and sports stars attract growing numbers of fans. China in the 21st century appears poised to reclaim the greatness it enjoyed for thousands of years before it slid into the eclipse in the late 1840s. 2 Yet Beijing's leaders face daunting challenges. An authoritarian political system demands reform. Economic vitality and growing regional clout coexist with woes that bedevil all developing countries: environmental degradation, poverty and preventable illnesses. Understanding the world's most populous nation has never been more vital. So throughout this year, USA TODAY will offer an occasional story on contemporary China to illustrate how much has changed and how much remains to be done if this is truly to be "The Chinese Century".
BEIJING
2 In cities across China, signs of the better life spawned by 25 years of economic growth abound. Gleaming glass towers form proud, modern skylines. Private sedans throng roads once navigated only by bicyclists. Welldressed men and women stride briskly past ads for foreign brands such as McDonald's and Microsoft.
3 China today little resembles the impoverished, hermetic land that existed before its leaders began freeing the economy in 1978. But these visible improvements mask the dangers of moving too swiftly from its scarcity to abundance. Today's spreading prosperity is redrawing traditional Chinese living patterns to mimic Western habits—for good and ill 3 .
4 There is perhaps no better way to appreciate how much has changed in China than by examining the people themselves. Consider what today's Chinese eat and drink. In a country where a famine killed 30 million people as recently as the early 1960s, more than one-fifth of adults are now dangerously overweight or obese. The proportion is expected to approach 40% in two decades.
5 Washing down 4 all that food, the average Chinese person now drinks more than four times as much alcohol per year as in 1978, the beginning of China's economic opening. Alcoholism—though still low by Western standards—appears to be surging in more prosperous urban areas.
Affluence's effects showing up
6 As China strives toward its goal of a xiaokang or moderately well-off society, many Chinese are trading a venerable lifestyle that emphasized restraint for something closer to Western indulgence. The public health consequences are as predictable as they are deadly. From 1995 to 2025, deaths from diet-related illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes and adult-onset diabetes 5 are expected to increase 10 times faster than population growth, according to Barry Popkin, a University of North Carolina economist who studies dietary changes in developing countries.
7 "The increase in life expectancy they've seen could slow down or turn around. 6 Certainly, the burden of health care costs is going to go up immensely," he says. "With China so important economically, this is one of those things that could drag it (down) 7 if they don't deal with it.
Sedentary lifestyles
8 China today is an emerging economic power, eagerly anticipating a national coming-out party at the 2008 Beijing Olympics 8 . In 1978, when Deng Xiaoping launched market-oriented reforms, the typical city-dweller earned less than $200 annually. There were no private restaurants; many everyday goods were in chronic short supply; most people could consume little more than what they needed to survive.
9 From a beachhead in four special economic zones along China's coast, Deng gradually expanded permissible free-market activities. Starting in the 1980s, consumer luxuries such as televisions and stereos as well as labor-saving products such as washing machines and refrigerators became commonplace.
10 At the same time, hundreds of millions of people swapped the rigors of farm life for more sedentary jobs on assembly lines or in offices. People who once walked or bicycled long distances to work increasingly began driving. In 1985, there were fewer than 1,100 private cars in Beijing. Today, there are more than 2 million. As people grew wealthier—and less active—they ate fewer vitamin-and fiber-rich cereals and more meat, chicken and eggs. And they began using pricey, and fattening, vegetable oil to stir-fry more elaborate meals. "In the past, we had meat, but not as much as now. For instance, if we had four dishes, three would be vegetables and one would be meat. Today, it's the opposite," says Zhang Shuying, 56, a Beijing homemaker.
11 Over the past 20 years, the amount of fat in the diet has more than doubled. In cities like Beijing, where fast-food restaurants such as KFC have proliferated, one-third of the calories in the typical diet now comes from fat—an amount equal to the USA's unhealthy levels. Even vegetables have been corrupted. One popular dish that makes doctors cringe is zha qiehe, eggplant stuffed with pork and then fried.
12 From 1989 through 1997, the percentage of overweight males in China almost tripled. By 2025, more than 38% of Chinese adults will be fighting the battle of the bulge, according to Popkin.
13 Those figures pale in comparison with the United States, where an estimated 60% of all adults are overweight. But for China, the emergence of a weight problem represents a change without precedent in the country's modern history. Dietary and lifestyle changes that emerged in the United States over several generations of industrialization have swept urban China in just one.
14 His countrymen's swelling waistlines are no mystery to Liang Yong, 25, who still hopes to lose another 50 pounds. "Life is getting better," he says. "That's why they're getting fat."
Imported beers, breweries
15 Seated at a table in the rear of Nashville, an intimate, Western-themed bar 9 , four friends enjoy a drink and quiet conversation. In the next room, a guitarist reprises old Sting 10 songs. The shelves behind the bar hold bottles of Budweiser, Heineken and about a dozen other imported beers and liquors such as Glenfiddich scotch and Grand Marnier cognac. 11
16 Hao Jun, 30, one of the patrons, used to come to this same spot in the late 1980s, when it was home to a neighborhood market. For 1 kuai (a little more than 12 cents), he could buy enough vegetables to last all day. "Now, one glass of this Boddington's (ale) 12 that we're drinking costs 50 kuai," Hao says.
17 Before Deng's economic reforms, alcohol supplies were limited. But as the economy welcomed foreign investment, breweries sprang up in almost every Chinese province. By 1981, beer output was 91 times what it had been when the communists seized control in 1949, according to the World Health Organization.
18 Increased supplies of alcohol, together with rising disposable income, have spurred drinking. The WHO—measuring consumption by the amount of the intoxicating agent ethyl alcohol people ingest—found the typical Chinese person consumed 176 ounces of ethyl alcohol in 2000. That was a 320% jump since 1978. Actual consumption likely is about one-third higher, since the WHO's figure doesn't include homemade brews produced in rural stills.
19 "I'm convinced China is on track for major alcohol problems 13 ," says Ian Newman, professor of health education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "Per-capita consumption of alcohol is going up as fast as anywhere in the world."
20 At the end of the 1970s, alcoholism care like that offered here by Anding Hospital was virtually unknown. But demand for such services has risen sharply during China's decade-long boom. Last year, the program treated roughly 300 people, almost three times the figure from two years earlier. The vast majority are men. But in 2000, for the first time, the center began seeing female alcoholics.
A problem of the future
21 If nothing is done to halt the spread of unhealthy eating and drinking, China will face substantial financial costs. In 1995, China spent almost $12 billion to treat diet-related diseases. Popkin says that by 2025, that figure is likely to increase by at least 25%. Heart disease, strokes and adult-onset diabetes, linked to unhealthy diet and inactivity, already are on the rise.
22 If China achieves its goal of quadrupling the size of the economy by 2020, its people will enjoy a standard of living roughly comparable to that of the West in 1990. But as it rushes to duplicate the comfort and convenience of life in the developed world, China risks copying the Western lifestyle's worst attributes, some Chinese health professionals are warning.
23 In January, officials began training doctors throughout China to apply new national guidelines aimed at achieving a healthier diet. And Beijing newspapers are full of ads promoting quick-acting diet plans that use a "secret formula" to strip away excess fat 14 .
24 "This is the right time to do something," says Chen Chunming of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. "If we take action now, we're not going to repeat the experience of the Western world." (From USA Today, May 19, 2004)
New Words
acupuncture /ˈækjuˌpʌŋktʃə/ n. the treatment of illness or pain by sticking the ends of needles into a person's body at particular places 针刺疗法
affluence /ˈæfluəns/ n. a plentiful supply of material goods; wealth
alcoholic /ˌælkəˈhɔlik/ n. a person who drinks alcoholic substances habitually and to excess or who suffers from alcoholism 酗酒者；酒鬼
alcoholism /ˈælkəhɔlizəm/ n. the condition of being addicted to alcohol; the diseased condition caused by alcohol dependency 酗酒；酒精中毒
attribute /ˈætribjuːt/ n. a quality or characteristic inherent in or ascribed to sb or sth 特征
beachhead /ˈbiːtʃhed/ n. a first achievement that opens the way for further developments; a foothold 立足点
bedevil /biˈdevl/ v. to worry, annoy, or frustrate; plague
brewery /ˈbruːəri/ n. an establishment for the manufacture of malt liquors, such as beer and ale 酿酒厂
bulge /bʌldʒ/ n. swelling; a sudden, usually temporary increase in number or quantity
chapter /ˈtʃæptə/ n. a local branch of an organization, such as a club or fraternity
clout /klaut/ n. influence and power to get things done
cognac /ˈkɔnjæk/ n. 法国白兰地酒（产于法国的科纳克）
cringe /krindʒ/ v. to be embarrassed about sth 畏缩；局促不安
daunting /ˈdɔːntiŋ/ adj. worrying because sth is difficult or frightening
dietary /ˈdaiətəri/ adj. of or relating to diet
disposable /diˈspəusəbl/ adj. remaining to a person after taxes have been deducted; free for use; available 税后的；可自由支配的
doctrinaire /ˌdɔktriˈnɛə/ adj. (of a person) inflexibly attached to a practice or theory 教条主义的
downside /ˈdaunsaid/ n. a disadvantageous aspect
eclipse /iˈklips/ n. a fall into obscurity or disuse; a decline
ethyl /ˈeθil/ n. 乙基
hermetic /həːˈmetik/ adj. impervious to outside interference or influence 密封的；与外界隔绝的
heyday /ˈheidel/ n. the period of greatest popularity, success, or power; prime
impoverish /imˈpɔvəriʃ/ v. to reduce to poverty; make poor
ingest /inˈdʒest/ v. to take into the body by the mouth for digestion or absorption 摄取；咽下
inpatient /ˈinpeiʃənt/ n. a patient who is admitted to a hospital or clinic for treatment that requires at least one overnight stay
intoxicating /inˈtɔksikeitiŋ/ adj. (of drink) containing alcohol and making sb drunk 醉人的
mimic /ˈmimik/ v. to copy or imitate closely, esp. in speech, expression, and gesture
navigate /ˈnævigeit/ v. to travel or find your way through a difficult or dangerous place
obese /əuˈbiːs/ adj. very fat in a way that is unhealthy
per-capita /pəˈkæpitə/ each person 人均
pre-eminence /priːˈeminəns/ n. the quality of being more important, powerful, or capable than other people or things in a group
pricey /ˈpraisi/ adj. expensive
proliferate /prəˈlifəreit/ v. to increase or spread at a rapid rate
proof /pruːf/ adj. used after a number to show the alcoholic strength of a drink 标准酒精度数的
pudgy /ˈpʌdʒi/ adj. short and fat
quadruple /ˈkwɔdrupl/ v. to multiply or be multiplied by four
quick-acting adj. functioning or producing results quickly
reclaim /riˈkleim/ v. to bring back sth that you have lost or sth that has been taken away from you, or ask it back 要求收回；恢复
redraw /riːˈdrɔː/ v. to draw again and change
reprise /riˈpraiz/ v. to repeat or resume an action
rigor /ˈriɡə/ n. a harsh or trying circumstance; hardship
sedentary /ˈsedəntəri/ adj. characterized by or requiring much sitting 久坐的
solace /ˈsɔləs/ n. comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or distress; consolation
spawn /spɔːn/ v. to produce in large numbers; to give rise to; engender
spotty /ˈspɔti/ adj. lacking consistency; uneven 缺乏连续性的；不稳定的
spur /spəː/ v. to incite or stimulate
still /stil/ n. an apparatus used for distilling alcoholic drinks 蒸馏器；酒厂
stir-fry v. to cook small pieces of vegetables, meat, etc. quickly by stirring them in a small quantity of very hot oil 用旺火炒
surge /səːdʒ/ v. to increase suddenly
swap /swɔp/ v. to exchange or trade one thing for another
upheaval /ʌpˈhiːvəl/ n. a sudden, violent disruption or upset 动乱；剧变
venerable /ˈvenərəbl/ adj. worthy of respect, esp. by religious or historical association
woe /wəu/ n. sadness; deep distress or misery; misfortune; calamity
Notes
1．the bulge and the bottle—the rapid increase in people's weight and in the amount of alcohol they drink
2．China in the 21st century... in the late 1840s．—看来中国在21世纪已做好一切准备，恢复它在19世纪40年代后期的衰落前所享有的几千年的强盛。
a. be poised to—be completely ready to take action at any moment
b. slide into—change to a particular state, attitude, or kind of behavior gradually and smoothly（不知不觉地陷入，逐渐陷入）
3．for good and ill—whether it may tend to good or evil（无论是好是坏）
4．wash down—swallow (food) with the help of liquid
5．adult-onset diabetes—diabetes that begins after one has grown up or has entered adulthood
6．The increase... turn around. —It is possible that life expectancy（预期寿命）will increase more slowly or begin to decrease.
7．drag it (down) —make it weak; prevent its development
8．eagerly anticipating a national coming-out party at the 2008 Beijing Olympics—热切期待着全民出动，支持2008年奥运会。
national coming-out party—It is expected that all the people in the country will become active in a movement to support the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
9．Western-themed bar—a bar that has been decorated and furnished in Western style
10．Sting—a rock singer born in 1951 in England
11．The shelves... Grand Marnier cognac. —吧台后面的货架上摆放着一瓶瓶百威啤酒、海涅肯啤酒和十余种其他进口啤酒和酒精饮料，例如格兰非帝兹纯麦威士忌和大马尼尔法国白兰地。
12．Boddington's (ale)—It was first produced in Manchester about 200 years ago. Now it is available almost everywhere in the world.（伯丁顿麦芽酒）
13．I'm convinced China is on track for major alcohol problems. —I'm sure China is going to have major alcohol problems.
on track for—heading for; on the way to
14．strip away excess fat—remove or get rid of the fat that is more than needed; lose weight
Questions
1．According to the writer, what is the best way to understand the change that has taken place in China?
2．What did the traditional Chinese lifestyle emphasize? What about the Western lifestyle? How can this change of lifestyle affect people's health? How can it influence China's economic development?
3．What are the two main factors that lead people to gain weight? What have caused the changes in people's lifestyle and diet?
4．According to the writer, is people's drinking habit influenced by alcohol supplies?
5．Will unhealthy eating and drinking lead to substantial financial costs? Why?
新闻体裁（forms of news writing）的划分众说纷纭，不但中外不同，中国也不统一。例如中国有的主张分为五类：（1）消息，包括动态、综合、经验、述评等消息四类。（2）通讯，可分为人物、事件、概貌和工作等通讯及小故事五类。（3）新闻特写，有人物、事件、旅行等特写及速写。（4）调查报告。（5）报告文学，一种介于新闻与文学之间的边缘体裁。有的主张分消息、特写、通讯、专访和述评五类。美英等国有人认为除消息报道体裁外，专稿、述评、采访、杂文、传记等等都是特写体裁。然而，人们较多倾向于将它分为消息、特写和社评三类。
消息（News）
消息报道分两类：一类是通讯社的电讯或报道，短小精悍，内容最真实，被称之为“纯硬性新闻”（pure hard news），有的报纸将之辟为“Brief(ly)”栏。另一类报刊的报道比通讯社的要详细得多，但有的由于夹杂着记者的推测和描绘，往往不如前者真实和经得起推敲。
特写（Feature）
新闻特写常指再现新闻事件、人物或场景的形象化报道。它吸取了一般新闻报道和文艺作品的长处，其结构则取两者之长。消息在导语部分就往往把最重要、最新鲜、最吸引人的内容突出在最前面，而特写虽然也是一种新闻报道，但不少则常采取引人入胜的悬念式（suspended interest form）写作手法，将事件逐渐展开。
社论和评论（Editorial & Commentary）
社论是代表一家报纸或杂志的编辑部发表的权威性评论，所代表的是编辑部的观点。所以说，社论是一家报纸的灵魂，要了解其对某事的倾向需要从社论看起。它常以第三者口吻说话，或对人对事直接发表意见，表明立场、观点和倾向，或提出问题，或号召人们采取行动。评论是署名文章，往往在报道文章后就报道中提及的人和事发表评述，启示读者。这是社论和评论所不同的。社评类文章也报道事实，但以评论表明立场为最终目的，这与新闻报道只叙事而不评论大有区别。在文字上，报道类文章一般较简明，社论则较严肃，评论文章则较活泼。评论最常见的手法是借古讽今。因此后两类文章较难读懂。读社论要了解有关人和事的背景，而读评论则还要有较深的语言功底和较广的知识，因为专栏作家在文章中常引经据典。
社论和评论往往都开门见山，在第一段点出论题，类似引子，引导读者往下读。接着就逐段逐点展开分析评说。末段则为结论。当然，有的写法并非如此，如将事实和结论都置于首段或前两段。这与特写采用的倒叙手法有别。
以上有关消息、特写和社评的写作手法和用语不同，《导读》二版均以文章为例进行解析。