胡同的生活 Life in Hutong

胡同的魅力不仅仅体现在它的历史和名称上，更让人着迷的是生活在其中的给人带来的快乐。坐上老北京特色的人力三轮车，走到胡同深处去，你能更深地了解北京的胡同，了解胡同里平民百姓的生活和传统。
The charm of hutong is not only shown in its history and names, but also lies in the happiness which it brings to hutong residents. If you take a special Beijing tricycle, and go to the depth of hutong, you will have a deeper understanding of hutong and the life and tradition of hutong residents.

主持人：想起那个时候最幸福，最高兴的是什么事？
Host: What was the happiest thing at that time?

中年妇女：最高兴的？夏天坐街上大家一块聊天、玩儿，热了，睡不着觉，拿扇子坐街边上玩，那时没有空调，没有电扇，也没有电视，什么都没有，也挺快乐的，大家裤衩背心一穿，女孩子当然穿的多点，大家都坐一块儿。
Interviewee: The happiest thing? In summer, we used to sit in the street to chat and play with neighbors. It was so hot that we could not fall into sleep. We took fans with us and sat in the street. At that time, there were no air conditioners, no electric fans and no televisions. Although we did have anything at that time, we also felt happy. Guy wore vests and short pants. Girl of course wore more. We all sat together.

主持人：那讲什么呢？
Host: What were you chatting about?

中年妇女：什么都可以讲，天南海北，东西南北，全都能讲。小孩一般，住平房像我们，小孩踢毽子、跳皮筋。热的时候，每个人拿一小板凳儿，有老人小孩，大家一块玩，聊天，听老人讲故事，听老人聊。
Interviewee: We were chatting about everything. Kids like us lived in bungalows. They kicked shuttlecocks and skipped rubber bands. When it was hot, everybody would carry a stool. We all chatted and played together and listened to stories from elders.

胡同里可以悠闲地晒太阳，可以和左邻右舍一起下下棋，玩玩儿牌，唱唱曲儿，连小宠物们也能在这儿找到他们的朋友。
In hutongs, one can have a leisure sun bathing, or play chess or cards with neighbors, and sing song. Even pets can find their friends here.

Aside from Ellen: you know mostly the people you see outside here are old people who enjoy themselves, but that’s because their children who are the workers of the family have gone off to work.

胡同不仅过去是而且现在仍然是许许多多北京人生息与共的地方，胡同生活既保留了以往的一些传统，也悄然发生了许许多多的变化。
Hutongs were and are still places for residence for many Beijing citizens. The life in hutong keeps some traditions, but also has many changes.

采访清华老师：小的时候经常在胡同里，看见小贩叫卖呀，走街串巷的，觉得特别有意思，那种吆喝声，现在还能在耳边响起来，但现在挺遗憾，就再也看不见了。
Interview with teacher from Tsinghua: In my childhood, I lived in a hutong. I used to hear venders peddling their goods from one hutong to another. Their peddling words were really interesting. Even now I can still remember. It is a pity that I cannot see any of vendors in hutongs any more.

采访民俗专家马铁汉：这个卖菜的一般的喉咙都比较清爽，声音高亢，为什么呢？他这么一吆喝，他让你这一条胡同都能听见，他自己捂着耳朵，有这么一个习惯、姿势，所以一吆喝都是这样，他几十种菜加起来，吆喝的非常丰富，一吆喝这味儿……(学卖菜小贩吆喝）香菜，辣青椒，勾葱，嫩芹菜，扁豆，茄子，黄瓜，家冬瓜，买大海茄，买萝卜，胡萝卜，卞萝卜，嫩芽儿的香椿蒜，好韭菜……您看看，您说您买什么，我这儿应有尽有。
Interview with a folk custom expert Mr. Ma Tiehan: A vegetable vender usually has a clear and resounding voice. Why? Because in this way all people in the hutong could hear him when he peddled. He would cover his ears and use a special gesture when peddling. He would put the names of dozens of vegetables together. （Mr. Ma imitates a peddler’s hawking.) He hawked, “coriander，hot chili, scallion, celery, hyacinth beans, eggplant, cucumber, wax gourd, turnip, carrot, Chinese toon, Chinese chives…. Please take a look. I’ve got everything you want.

旁白：饭馆、商铺也开进了胡同，各种健身娱乐设施也盖在了幽深的胡同中，如今的胡同已不仅仅具有单一的居住功能了。如今，各个服务行业几乎都能在胡同中找到。
Aside: Restaurants and shops have been opened in hutongs. You can also find entertainment and sports facilities in the deep hutongs. Nowadays, residence is not the only function of hutongs. Nowadays, you can find all kinds of shops of service industry in hutongs.

Ellen, the host: This is a Hutong. A Hutong is an alley way or a lane that makes up the old historical parts of Beijing, and the thing I loved about the Hutongs is as you turn off from the huge road full of buses and taxies and cars, you feel this great peace descend. Birds, there’s breeze, there’s the lake. And you really get the feeling of living what it must been like to live in old Beijing.