風中葫蘆:《武汉封城日记》连载(八)中英文对照



 

今天是2020219日星期三 第五篇

 

今天天氣晴朗,溫度持續回升。

 

昨天就計劃,今天一定要給母親買到她需要的美沙拉嗪,還有父親的降壓藥硝苯地平緩釋片,我有種不好的預感,必須在今天辦好這些事情。先做自己的事再去做單位的事是我一直以來的態度。想想這幾十年來的人生,我自認是個沒有覺悟的人,不愛國也不愛組織。從小到大,我最大的人生理想就是找一個漂亮的老婆,但現在連這個也看淡了許多。

 

今天小區的出入口變得森嚴了。我昨天中午才到社區辦理的出入證已經作廢,現在像我這種每天上下班的人還需要持有工作單位的證明,否則不能進出小區,好在這裏的社區居委會主任也在現場,給我解了圍。

 

現在各個居民小區把守出入口的全都換成了政府機關人員,個個表情嚴肅,社區一般幹部說話都已經不怎麼管用。守門的人相當多,只要遠遠走來一個小區居民,一幫子人立刻就圍上去,量體溫的、詢問的、做記錄的、查驗證件的等等,膽小的居民被圍在當中其窘態可想而知,而且出入口外還停著一輛印有特警標志的汽車,一旁站著七八個身著警服的壯漢。顯然,這些都在表明,今天是一個很重要的日子,說是重要的轉折點也不為過。所以如果不趁著今天把該辦的事情辦完,還真的會有大麻煩。

 

以前聽過一個笑話,一位很著名的學者說,現在所有的人才精英都進了公務員隊伍,那社會上的其他行業可該怎麼辦。

 

總之,形勢有些緊迫,一到單位,我們立刻打印了一份出入證明,蓋上章,填上各自的名字。我所居住的小區的管控幹部說,有了這個證明到什麼地方去都可以,但我到父母住的小區去取我母親的重症病曆和醫保卡時,那裏的管控幹部卻攔住我說,這個證明根本沒用。

 

拿到我母親的病曆和醫保卡後,我立刻趕往黃石路重症大藥房。不出意料,藥房外已經集聚了很多來取藥的人,我問清楚情況,急忙忙領了一個號,大約半個小時後,前來拿重症藥的人已經排到了400多號。大約10點半時分,藥房的大喇叭喊,300號以後人的下午再來,趕緊回去。我很幸運地屬於300號以內。又是在十一時三十分左右的時候,我終於被允許進入這家大藥房,上了二樓,遞上了我母親的病曆醫保卡,辦理人員核對一下病曆和醫保卡,又查了一下電腦說,你的藥都沒有。我說那怎麼辦,那人說沒有藥能有什麼辦法?你去別的藥店再看看。我當時就懵了,操你大爺的,老子從上午8點多鐘排隊等到現在,就等到一句話,藥沒了。我頓時破口大罵,把所有的王八蛋都罵了一個遍,但沒人理我。

 

真是沒辦法,情況就是這樣。對有權有勢的人來說一個電話就可以解決的事情,老百姓跑斷腿也沒用。想想那些躺在家中,等不到一張病床的患者,他們又該是何等的淒涼,絕望.......。昨天有居民投訴說,他們樓上有人死了,為什麼還沒人給樓棟消毒。有人在力爭維護自己的安全,有人卻已經告別這個人世。作家方方說,武漢人已經適應了被封禁的日子,人們在局促的空間變著花樣讓自己的生活富有生機(大意)。她老人家可真是有涵養有品位,但那是在文聯大院,是幹部們的住宅區域,我的大姐。故人仙逝也好,撕心裂肺也罷,都改變不了一些人對歲月靜好的追求。

 

事情沒辦成,沒法交代,最重要的是病人一旦停藥,後果不堪設想。我決定還是去其他的地方碰碰運氣。還真要感謝在這座城市隨處可見的共享單車,否則單靠兩條腿,在這麼大的城市晃蕩還真是很難。也許是神的保佑,到下午一時許,終於在航空路新特藥藥店找到美沙拉嗪。聽到營業員說,美沙拉嗪啊,有!我的天啊!心中的一塊石頭終於落地。我一口氣買了七盒這種藥,足夠母親服用兩個多月。若說為什麼不幹脆買上八盒十盒,我也不知道為什麼。按照我母親吩咐,只需要買兩盒就好了,因為她認為情況馬上就會好轉的,按照我父親的話說,曆朝曆代,不安頓好百姓的生活都會出大亂子,政府怎麼會想不到這一點,所以根本不需要擔心。也許吧,我也不知道該說些什麼,該怎麼說。父親的降壓藥也在另外一家藥店買到,這回我真的買了十盒。降壓藥很便宜,十盒才65元,而美沙拉嗪一盒就要598元。

 

下班時,在路上看見有人提著大袋小袋的蔬菜和食品,便問,現在超市還在營業嗎?那人說,馬上就要停了,最後一天了。好嘛,我立刻竄到附近的那家的大超市,搶著買了一袋食物,特別買了一袋20斤的大米,用了270多元錢。當我拎著大袋子,扛著大米走進小區,把守出入口的公務員用懷疑而警惕的口氣問,你這是從超市回來?我回答說,下班!

 

明天,超市可能真的會停業。我進去時,工作人員正在給賣剩下的商品打包、裝箱。貨架上的商品寥寥無幾,並最終從貨架上消失。據說今後超市只向社區等組織提供團購服務,不再對個人開放營業。

 

其實對這場巨大的災難,很多人在很早的時候就有了一些莫名的預感.......

 

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19, 2020

The weather is sunny today, and the temperature continues to rise.
Yesterday, I planned to get my mother the Mesalazine she needed. My father runs out of antihypertensive medicine (nifedipine tablets) too. I had a feeling that I had to do all these things today. I've always handled personal business before I do the work of my unit. I think about the past few decades of my life. I am a person with no patriotism and no love for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party). Since childhood, my greatest ideal has been finding a beautiful wife, but now, even this simple desire seems unattainable.
Today, the entrance of the building complexes has been checked strictly. I went to the community office yesterday at noon to apply for a pass that has been invalidated. So now people like me who commute to work every day need proof from their workplace. Otherwise, they cannot enter and leave their buildings. Fortunately, the director of the community service center committee member was here at the gate. He let me go.
Now the security guards at the gates of the various residential buildings have been replaced by government agents, each with a serious expression. So, asking for a favor from community personnel is no longer working. Many agents were guarding the entrance. As soon as residents came to the gate, a group of agents immediately surrounded them, taking body temperature, questioning them, taking notes, checking documents, etc. The timid residents are embarrassed by being surrounded by so many agents. There is a car park with a unique police logo and seven or eight strong men in police uniforms standing next to the car outside the gate. All this was an indication that today is a significant day, possibly a significant turning point. So, if you do not complete all your errands today, you may not get it done for a while.

I have heard a joke before. A very famous scholar said, "Now all the elite, talented people are into the country's national civil service. What can other non-government sectors of society do!"
All in all, the situation was somewhat urgent, and once we arrived at the office, we immediately printed out a certificate of access, stamped it, and filled in our names. The manager in my apartment building said that I could go anywhere with this certificate. However, the security guard there stopped me when I went to the apartment building where my parents live to get my mother's critical illness records and medical insurance card. He said that they did not accept the certificate from other facilities.
After getting my mother's medical records and health insurance card, I rushed to the pharmacy on Huangshi Road. But, unfortunately, a lot of people were already waiting here.
I asked about the situation and hastily got a number. About half an hour later, already over 400 people were coming to get the medication. At about 10:30, the loudspeaker at the pharmacy shouted, "Come back in the afternoon for people after 300. Go home now." I was lucky enough to be within the 300 number. I was finally allowed to enter the pharmacy at around 11:30 am. I went up to the second floor and handed in my mother's medical records and health insurance card. The staff checked them, then checked the computer and said, "We don't have any medication you need." I said, "What do I do?" The man replied, "There is no medicine in stock. What can we do? You go to another pharmacy and look over there." I felt like I'd been hit with a baseball bat. I had waited in line from 8:00 am and without explanation, the drug was gone. "Fuck your uncle. " I immediately cursed all the bastards I could curse at a time, but no one paid attention to me.
The situation is like this. I can't do anything. For the people with the power, a phone call can solve their problem. For the people without power, they will be pushed around. I think about those patients lying at home, waiting for a hospital bed. They would be miserable, desperate.

Yesterday, a resident complained that someone had died on their floor and why no one had disinfected the building. Some people are fighting to keep themselves safe, while others have already left this world. Writer Fang Fang says, "The people of Wuhan have adapted to life in lockdown, and that people are trying to make their lives come alive in the confined spaces." She was having a good taste of living during the lockdown. That is because she lives in a luxury building, where government cadres live. The death of people in a pandemic or the heartbreaking news happening in the city will not change their pursuit of a beautiful and good life. What they don't experience doesn't bother them.
The most important thing is that the consequences are unimaginable once the patient stops taking the medication. So, I decided to try my luck elsewhere. I had to thank bike-sharing everywhere in the city. Otherwise, it would not have been easy to move around such a big city with just my two legs. Maybe it was God's blessing that I finally found Mesalazine at the new specialty drugstore on Airline Road at around 1:00 pm. I heard the salesperson say, "Mesalazine is available! Oh my God! A stone in my heart finally fell to the ground. I bought seven packs of this medicine, enough for my mother to take for more than two months." I don't know why I didn't just buy eight or ten packs. My mother only needed to buy two packs because she thought the situation would get better soon. According to my father, the country will be in chaos throughout history if it doesn't get people's lives well. Maybe, I do not know what to say or how to say it. I also bought antihypertensive for my father at another pharmacy, and this time, I bought ten packs. The antihypertensive medicine is very cheap. It is only 65 yuan for ten packs, while Mesalazine costs 598 yuan for one pack.
When I was leaving work, I saw someone carrying bags of vegetables and food on the road, so I asked, "Is the supermarket still open?" The man said, "It's going to be closed soon, like the last day". Well, I immediately ran to the nearby supermarket. I grabbed a bag of food, including a 20-pound bag of rice, which cost over 270 yuan. When I

walked into the apartment buildings with a big bag of rice, the security guard at the gate asked in a suspicious and wary tone, "Are you back from the supermarket?" I replied, "I am just back from work!"
Tomorrow the supermarket may close. When I went in, the staff was packing and boxing up the remaining items. There were very few items on the shelves, and they all eventually disappeared. From now on, it is said that the supermarket will only provide group buying services to community centers and other organizations and will no longer be open to individuals.
Many people had some inexplicable premonitions for this huge disaster at a very early stage.

 

 
民主中国 | minzhuzhongguo.org

風中葫蘆:《武汉封城日记》连载(八)中英文对照



 

今天是2020219日星期三 第五篇

 

今天天氣晴朗,溫度持續回升。

 

昨天就計劃,今天一定要給母親買到她需要的美沙拉嗪,還有父親的降壓藥硝苯地平緩釋片,我有種不好的預感,必須在今天辦好這些事情。先做自己的事再去做單位的事是我一直以來的態度。想想這幾十年來的人生,我自認是個沒有覺悟的人,不愛國也不愛組織。從小到大,我最大的人生理想就是找一個漂亮的老婆,但現在連這個也看淡了許多。

 

今天小區的出入口變得森嚴了。我昨天中午才到社區辦理的出入證已經作廢,現在像我這種每天上下班的人還需要持有工作單位的證明,否則不能進出小區,好在這裏的社區居委會主任也在現場,給我解了圍。

 

現在各個居民小區把守出入口的全都換成了政府機關人員,個個表情嚴肅,社區一般幹部說話都已經不怎麼管用。守門的人相當多,只要遠遠走來一個小區居民,一幫子人立刻就圍上去,量體溫的、詢問的、做記錄的、查驗證件的等等,膽小的居民被圍在當中其窘態可想而知,而且出入口外還停著一輛印有特警標志的汽車,一旁站著七八個身著警服的壯漢。顯然,這些都在表明,今天是一個很重要的日子,說是重要的轉折點也不為過。所以如果不趁著今天把該辦的事情辦完,還真的會有大麻煩。

 

以前聽過一個笑話,一位很著名的學者說,現在所有的人才精英都進了公務員隊伍,那社會上的其他行業可該怎麼辦。

 

總之,形勢有些緊迫,一到單位,我們立刻打印了一份出入證明,蓋上章,填上各自的名字。我所居住的小區的管控幹部說,有了這個證明到什麼地方去都可以,但我到父母住的小區去取我母親的重症病曆和醫保卡時,那裏的管控幹部卻攔住我說,這個證明根本沒用。

 

拿到我母親的病曆和醫保卡後,我立刻趕往黃石路重症大藥房。不出意料,藥房外已經集聚了很多來取藥的人,我問清楚情況,急忙忙領了一個號,大約半個小時後,前來拿重症藥的人已經排到了400多號。大約10點半時分,藥房的大喇叭喊,300號以後人的下午再來,趕緊回去。我很幸運地屬於300號以內。又是在十一時三十分左右的時候,我終於被允許進入這家大藥房,上了二樓,遞上了我母親的病曆醫保卡,辦理人員核對一下病曆和醫保卡,又查了一下電腦說,你的藥都沒有。我說那怎麼辦,那人說沒有藥能有什麼辦法?你去別的藥店再看看。我當時就懵了,操你大爺的,老子從上午8點多鐘排隊等到現在,就等到一句話,藥沒了。我頓時破口大罵,把所有的王八蛋都罵了一個遍,但沒人理我。

 

真是沒辦法,情況就是這樣。對有權有勢的人來說一個電話就可以解決的事情,老百姓跑斷腿也沒用。想想那些躺在家中,等不到一張病床的患者,他們又該是何等的淒涼,絕望.......。昨天有居民投訴說,他們樓上有人死了,為什麼還沒人給樓棟消毒。有人在力爭維護自己的安全,有人卻已經告別這個人世。作家方方說,武漢人已經適應了被封禁的日子,人們在局促的空間變著花樣讓自己的生活富有生機(大意)。她老人家可真是有涵養有品位,但那是在文聯大院,是幹部們的住宅區域,我的大姐。故人仙逝也好,撕心裂肺也罷,都改變不了一些人對歲月靜好的追求。

 

事情沒辦成,沒法交代,最重要的是病人一旦停藥,後果不堪設想。我決定還是去其他的地方碰碰運氣。還真要感謝在這座城市隨處可見的共享單車,否則單靠兩條腿,在這麼大的城市晃蕩還真是很難。也許是神的保佑,到下午一時許,終於在航空路新特藥藥店找到美沙拉嗪。聽到營業員說,美沙拉嗪啊,有!我的天啊!心中的一塊石頭終於落地。我一口氣買了七盒這種藥,足夠母親服用兩個多月。若說為什麼不幹脆買上八盒十盒,我也不知道為什麼。按照我母親吩咐,只需要買兩盒就好了,因為她認為情況馬上就會好轉的,按照我父親的話說,曆朝曆代,不安頓好百姓的生活都會出大亂子,政府怎麼會想不到這一點,所以根本不需要擔心。也許吧,我也不知道該說些什麼,該怎麼說。父親的降壓藥也在另外一家藥店買到,這回我真的買了十盒。降壓藥很便宜,十盒才65元,而美沙拉嗪一盒就要598元。

 

下班時,在路上看見有人提著大袋小袋的蔬菜和食品,便問,現在超市還在營業嗎?那人說,馬上就要停了,最後一天了。好嘛,我立刻竄到附近的那家的大超市,搶著買了一袋食物,特別買了一袋20斤的大米,用了270多元錢。當我拎著大袋子,扛著大米走進小區,把守出入口的公務員用懷疑而警惕的口氣問,你這是從超市回來?我回答說,下班!

 

明天,超市可能真的會停業。我進去時,工作人員正在給賣剩下的商品打包、裝箱。貨架上的商品寥寥無幾,並最終從貨架上消失。據說今後超市只向社區等組織提供團購服務,不再對個人開放營業。

 

其實對這場巨大的災難,很多人在很早的時候就有了一些莫名的預感.......

 

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19, 2020

The weather is sunny today, and the temperature continues to rise.
Yesterday, I planned to get my mother the Mesalazine she needed. My father runs out of antihypertensive medicine (nifedipine tablets) too. I had a feeling that I had to do all these things today. I've always handled personal business before I do the work of my unit. I think about the past few decades of my life. I am a person with no patriotism and no love for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party). Since childhood, my greatest ideal has been finding a beautiful wife, but now, even this simple desire seems unattainable.
Today, the entrance of the building complexes has been checked strictly. I went to the community office yesterday at noon to apply for a pass that has been invalidated. So now people like me who commute to work every day need proof from their workplace. Otherwise, they cannot enter and leave their buildings. Fortunately, the director of the community service center committee member was here at the gate. He let me go.
Now the security guards at the gates of the various residential buildings have been replaced by government agents, each with a serious expression. So, asking for a favor from community personnel is no longer working. Many agents were guarding the entrance. As soon as residents came to the gate, a group of agents immediately surrounded them, taking body temperature, questioning them, taking notes, checking documents, etc. The timid residents are embarrassed by being surrounded by so many agents. There is a car park with a unique police logo and seven or eight strong men in police uniforms standing next to the car outside the gate. All this was an indication that today is a significant day, possibly a significant turning point. So, if you do not complete all your errands today, you may not get it done for a while.

I have heard a joke before. A very famous scholar said, "Now all the elite, talented people are into the country's national civil service. What can other non-government sectors of society do!"
All in all, the situation was somewhat urgent, and once we arrived at the office, we immediately printed out a certificate of access, stamped it, and filled in our names. The manager in my apartment building said that I could go anywhere with this certificate. However, the security guard there stopped me when I went to the apartment building where my parents live to get my mother's critical illness records and medical insurance card. He said that they did not accept the certificate from other facilities.
After getting my mother's medical records and health insurance card, I rushed to the pharmacy on Huangshi Road. But, unfortunately, a lot of people were already waiting here.
I asked about the situation and hastily got a number. About half an hour later, already over 400 people were coming to get the medication. At about 10:30, the loudspeaker at the pharmacy shouted, "Come back in the afternoon for people after 300. Go home now." I was lucky enough to be within the 300 number. I was finally allowed to enter the pharmacy at around 11:30 am. I went up to the second floor and handed in my mother's medical records and health insurance card. The staff checked them, then checked the computer and said, "We don't have any medication you need." I said, "What do I do?" The man replied, "There is no medicine in stock. What can we do? You go to another pharmacy and look over there." I felt like I'd been hit with a baseball bat. I had waited in line from 8:00 am and without explanation, the drug was gone. "Fuck your uncle. " I immediately cursed all the bastards I could curse at a time, but no one paid attention to me.
The situation is like this. I can't do anything. For the people with the power, a phone call can solve their problem. For the people without power, they will be pushed around. I think about those patients lying at home, waiting for a hospital bed. They would be miserable, desperate.

Yesterday, a resident complained that someone had died on their floor and why no one had disinfected the building. Some people are fighting to keep themselves safe, while others have already left this world. Writer Fang Fang says, "The people of Wuhan have adapted to life in lockdown, and that people are trying to make their lives come alive in the confined spaces." She was having a good taste of living during the lockdown. That is because she lives in a luxury building, where government cadres live. The death of people in a pandemic or the heartbreaking news happening in the city will not change their pursuit of a beautiful and good life. What they don't experience doesn't bother them.
The most important thing is that the consequences are unimaginable once the patient stops taking the medication. So, I decided to try my luck elsewhere. I had to thank bike-sharing everywhere in the city. Otherwise, it would not have been easy to move around such a big city with just my two legs. Maybe it was God's blessing that I finally found Mesalazine at the new specialty drugstore on Airline Road at around 1:00 pm. I heard the salesperson say, "Mesalazine is available! Oh my God! A stone in my heart finally fell to the ground. I bought seven packs of this medicine, enough for my mother to take for more than two months." I don't know why I didn't just buy eight or ten packs. My mother only needed to buy two packs because she thought the situation would get better soon. According to my father, the country will be in chaos throughout history if it doesn't get people's lives well. Maybe, I do not know what to say or how to say it. I also bought antihypertensive for my father at another pharmacy, and this time, I bought ten packs. The antihypertensive medicine is very cheap. It is only 65 yuan for ten packs, while Mesalazine costs 598 yuan for one pack.
When I was leaving work, I saw someone carrying bags of vegetables and food on the road, so I asked, "Is the supermarket still open?" The man said, "It's going to be closed soon, like the last day". Well, I immediately ran to the nearby supermarket. I grabbed a bag of food, including a 20-pound bag of rice, which cost over 270 yuan. When I

walked into the apartment buildings with a big bag of rice, the security guard at the gate asked in a suspicious and wary tone, "Are you back from the supermarket?" I replied, "I am just back from work!"
Tomorrow the supermarket may close. When I went in, the staff was packing and boxing up the remaining items. There were very few items on the shelves, and they all eventually disappeared. From now on, it is said that the supermarket will only provide group buying services to community centers and other organizations and will no longer be open to individuals.
Many people had some inexplicable premonitions for this huge disaster at a very early stage.