Chapter 8 Resend Little Reader Newsletter 2

Dear children: In January of this year, I just came back from Egypt, and while my memory is still fresh, I would like to share some impressions of Egypt with the children. When we went to Egypt, we took the northern route, that is, we took a plane from Beijing, passed through the Mongolian People's Republic, the Soviet Union, and Czechoslovakia, and finally arrived in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. ——Here I would like to add a word. The world situation is developing so fast. Less than three weeks after my return, Egypt and Syria have jointly organized a new country, the United Arab Republic, across Asia and Africa!This is the further unity of the Arab people in the Middle East in their desire to oppose colonialism and strive for national independence. This is also a milestone in the further development of world peace forces!

We looked down from the plane window all the way, and the ice and snow were shining white, but when we arrived at the sky above Cairo, it was sunny. It is a light gray farmhouse, and rows of tall date palm trees are lined up on the field ridges.But beyond this riverside area, there is a vast expanse of yellow sand, thick green and light yellow, forming a stark contrast! This long river, the world-famous Nile, is the only natural river in Egypt.Egypt is located in the northeast corner of Africa, between 22° and 32° north latitude, and between 24° and 37° east longitude. The climate is hot and the rainfall is very little, so the Nile River is also their only source of irrigation.It is for this reason that the Egyptian people affectionately call the Nile River "Daddy Nile".

This reminds me of twenty years ago, I saw a statue of the Nile in the museum of the Vatican in Rome, the capital of Italy - the Pope's city.Here, the Nile is a kind old man, leaning on the sphinx with his right arm, lying on his side on the ground, next to a pile of tall ears of wheat and grapes.The most vivid thing is his body, surrounded by many lively and laughing, naked children!Some stood on his shoulders, some rode on his arms, some sat on the wheat pile beside him, and some played in twos and threes with the crocodiles in the river beside him.This statue left a deep impression on me, but I never realized that the desert area of ​​Egypt accounts for 96% of the country, nor did I know that the rainfall in Egypt is so low:

A simple farmhouse does not need to be covered with a roof, but only covered with sorghum stalks.When I saw and heard these phenomena, I couldn't help but love the Nile River! We took a short trip in Egypt, that is, we went south by train, all the way upstream along the Nile River.The wet fields, the lush crops, and the men and women wearing headscarves and long robes, hoeing, carting, sheep herding, and donkey drivers... At the same time, I saw the farmhouses and houses beside the road. They are all like our southern "patio" In the same way, there are windows and doors, but no roof.It was winter at that time, the room was full of sunlight during the day, and sleeping under the moon and stars at night, the air was fresh, it must have been very comfortable.

This is very new to me, but I still can't make a turn in my heart. I asked my Egyptian friend: "In summer, covering the roof with sorghum stalks can certainly block the scorching sun, but I'm afraid it can't block the heavy rain and prolonged rain; in case What if there is going to be heavy rain, long rain?" She smiled and said, "You are overthinking, except for the area along the Mediterranean Sea where there is more rainfall, there will be no heavy rain or long rain in ten thousand places." !" The smart and brave Egyptian people know that in addition to relying on their "Nile father", they have to constantly fight hard against the climate and soil and ask for food from nature.Now their work of building water conservancy and developing deserts is being carried out extensively.Bless them, lovely sons and daughters of the Nile!

Let’s talk about it in the next letter, I wish you all the best!Your friend Bing Xin March 15, 1958, Beijing. Collection of poems. ) Newsletter Three Dear children: On March 8th, I went to the construction site of the Ming Tombs Reservoir and participated in a few hours of labor. I felt so excited and happy that I couldn't describe it. The Ming Tombs are located in the northeast of Changping County in the suburbs of Beijing. They are the mausoleums of thirteen emperors after the capital moved northward in the Ming Dynasty. The Wenyu River runs through the south, and there are mountains on three sides. The scenery is beautiful.But every summer rainy season, the mountain torrents rush down along several ravines in this mountain ring, like giant waves.Houses and fields on both sides of the Wenyu River are often flooded.The previous ruling dynasties only cared about building tall mausoleums and sacrificial halls in the middle of the mountain, and only planted verdant trees around these mausoleum sacrificial halls.

The people became their own masters, and everything changed!With the subsidy from the government and the support of the masses, the people of Changping began to build the Ming Tombs reservoir by themselves starting from January 21 this year.They plan to build a barrage at Dongshankou, the exit of the Dashan Ring, to store the mountain torrent in a lake more than seven feet deep.The area of ​​this water lake is equivalent to three times that of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace.On the west side of the dam, a hydroelectric power station will also be built, which can generate electricity by hydropower during the annual irrigation period.In the future, here will be: thousands of hectares of fertile fields, green trees, ducks swimming on the water, fish jumping in the water, and children can come here in groups for camping, mountain climbing, and sightseeing; how happy and beautiful this life should be!

This reservoir must be completed before the rainy season in June. Therefore, tens of thousands of people are sweating and toiling every day and night on this construction site, racing against the flood, and the flow of people has already rushed ahead of the river!I am here, only doing a little labor, but looking forward and looking back, there are groups of people on the mountainside and the endless sand on the three sides, pushing carts and picking soil nervously. The red flag is fluttering in the breeze!Thinking that three months from now, this place will be the center of the water lake, and that I can do my part in this galloping work, which makes me feel ashamed and happy.I will leave the motherland temporarily for about two or three months, and when I return, this place will already be full of lakes.I heard that the children will also go to the lake to plant trees recently. I think the trees you planted at that time have already grown green leaves.What a beautiful and happy world has been created by collective labor!

In the past two days, the wind has been soft and the clouds have been thin. This kind of flower-making weather is called "Chunyin" in Chinese and "Huatan" in Japanese.As soon as the flower pan passes, cherry blossoms bloom all over Japan.Our place is also sunny, the willow leaves are green and the apricot blossoms are in full bloom!The cloudy weather in spring always makes me have the joy of indescribable anticipation, like sitting in front of the stage, the moment the lights go out, we are waiting happily, waiting for the curtain to open, and the mythical colorful splendor will appear on the stage. Wonderland... Do you feel the same way?

By the time you read this letter, I will already be in beautiful Italy. If I have time during the trip, I will definitely write to you again.I wish you a happy spring! Your friend Bing Xin March 20, 1958, Beijing. song collection. )