有人问我你究竟是哪里好，
这么多年我还忘不了。
春风再美也比不上你的笑，
没见过你的人不会明了。
是啊，苏州，到底是哪里好？值得我们一再探寻，一再报道？
小桥流水，粉墙黛瓦，这是有着2500多年历史的古城苏州留给大多数人的印象。
然而，苏州另外一面呈现的，又是开放包容，气象万千的现代都市形象。
作为改革开放排头兵，历经四十余载发展巨变，苏州已坐上国内地级市的头把交椅。2019年苏州的经济总量仅次于北上广深渝，位居国内第六。今年上半年，苏州实现规模以上工业总产值1.55万亿元，成功超越上海、深圳，成为全国第一大工业城市。
一古一今，一旧一新，苏州在同一块底料上，“绣”出了完全不同却又和谐共生的美好风景。
2019年11月8日，《中国日报》作为国家英文日报，充分发挥对外传播独特优势，以国际化视角，以闻名海内外的“双面绣”为灵感，推出苏州八联版，致敬了一个“鹤发童颜”、蓬勃发展的苏州。
十个月后，《中国日报》再次以同样的方式，震撼推出“Signature Suzhou, Sublime Suzhou”苏州八联版。这一次，《中国日报》想要和你一起读懂的，是苏州的江南文化。
上古吴国崛起、项羽称雄，宋明琴棋诗画、小桥流水，改革开放后乡镇企业异军突起。千年江南文化在苏州这片土地上演进、发展，如今仍然焕发着勃勃生机。
“粉墙黛瓦风清雅，昼夜交织姑苏城”，白日沉敛的清雅与黑夜绽放的激扬，是江南文化的本质，她穿越了漫长岁月，将丰厚的积淀默默呈现于现代繁华都市，这是此次八联版两位主创——田驰与王欣，想要通过这两幅画卷传达的思想。
八联版正面四个稿件分别介绍了苏州慢生活、美食、苏绣和园林，找寻苏州秀丽风景中江南诗意和文化认同。
A group of elderly men and women sit together and play cards under the sweeping eaves of a small pagoda. They are surrounded on three sides by emerald green water interspersed with shimmering gold koi and an old flat-bottomed boat.
People wander slowly past. The crape myrtle trees which line the pathways sway in the midmorning breeze, their delicate pink leaves occasionally breaking away and floating to the ground.
The scenery is timeless in the Humble Administrator’s Garden, the jewel in the crown of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou — a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
一群上了年纪的人坐在一起，在一座小塔的屋檐下打牌。他们三面被翠绿的湖水包围着，水中金色锦鲤闪闪发光，一艘旧船停在一边。
人们缓缓地经过历史留下的痕迹。小径两旁的紫薇树在晨风中摇摆，它们娇嫩的粉红色叶子偶尔会散开，飘到地上。
在拙政园，风景是永恒的。拙政园是联合国教科文组织认定的世界文化遗产苏州古典园林的皇冠上的宝石。
In Suzhou, its food has been heavily influenced by not just the city’s location, but also its culture, history and art. Jiangnan cuisine is often associated with sweetness, and locals like to add a small amount of sugar while cooking to improve the flavor, just like people in northern China do with salt. There is a popular phrase in Suzhou, roughly meaning “don’t eat food unless it’s in season”.
苏州的美食不仅受到城市地理位置的影响，还受到其文化、历史和艺术的影响。江南菜肴往往与甜味联系在一起，当地人喜欢在烹饪时加入少量糖来改善味道，就像中国北方人喜欢放盐一样。苏州还有句俗话叫“不时不食”。
They paint with needles and their fine needlework can rival the works of nature — so are Su-style embroidery artists described by Chinese media. Known for its exquisite presentation of literati paintings, Su embroidery originated more than 2,000 years ago in Suzhou of East China’s Jiangsu province and is one of the four major embroidery styles in China.
他们用针来绘画，他们的精美刺绣可以与大自然的作品相媲美——中国媒体是这样描述苏绣艺术的。苏绣是中国四大名绣之一，它以工笔画般巧妙细致的技巧而闻名于世，它起源于2000多年前的苏州。
While China is a country replete with natural splendor and beauty, it is also a place where the harmony between people and the natural environment can be seen, especially in East China’s Suzhou, which is famed the world over for its classical gardens. More than 60 carefully and lovingly landscaped gardens can be spotted throughout the city of Suzhou in Jiangsu province, with some dating back as far as the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC).
中国不仅有自然美景，还有人与自然和谐共生的景观，比如苏州著名的古典园林。苏州有各色园林60多处，其中一些可以追溯到春秋时期。
每一座城市，都有她自己的乐团。这些乐团耕耘不辍，给观众带来艺术的慰藉与文化的温度。
八联版背面四篇稿件分别介绍了8月28日开幕、10月15日闭幕的第二届中国苏州江南文化艺术·国际旅游节、苏州芭蕾舞团、苏州交响乐团、苏州昆剧院和苏州民族管弦乐团的各项演出。
The Jiangnan culture and arts festival is to comprise more than 30 performances, exhibitions and forums with multiple themes, including Suzhou classical gardens, calligraphy, fine arts and folk handicrafts. Under the context of integrated development between culture and tourism, the international tourism festival is poised to help Suzhou improve the quality of its tourism through culture and boost cultural communication with tourism.
本届江南文化艺术节集中推出各类展览、论坛活动、群文活动30余项，包含古典园林、书法美术和民间工艺等各个艺术门类。在文化与旅游融合发展的背景下，江南文化艺术节将提升苏州旅游质量，促进文化与旅游的交流。
A captivated audience did not hold back with the applause as they watched dancers from the Suzhou Ballet Theatre perform Jiangnan in Misty Rain and The Nutcracker. Jiangnan in Misty Rain incorporates local Jiangnan culture into the performance. The performance of The Nutcracker gripped the audience with its exotic charm and challenging lifts, which “were executed with ease”.
苏州芭蕾舞团的演员们为观众献上了《烟雨江南》《胡桃夹子》的舞蹈表演，他们的表演博得一片喝彩。《烟雨江南》将芭蕾和苏州本土江南元素相结合，《胡桃夹子》极富地域文化特色，“看似轻巧”实则充满高难度的托举揪紧了现场观众的心。
The Suzhou Symphony Orchestra announced on Aug 20 that its 2020-21 season will kick off in September and run through July 2021. In the first phase of the season, a four-month Beethoven-themed concert series will commence in September to celebrate the composer’s 250th birthday. From January to July 2021, the orchestra will perform a diverse symphonic repertoire including works by Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Zhu Jian’er.
苏州交响乐团于8月20日宣布，其2020-21音乐季将于9月开始，于2021年7月结束。为纪念贝多芬诞辰250周年，乐团将推出为期4个月的贝多芬主题系列音乐会。从2021年1月至7月，乐团将献上多样的交响乐曲目，包括柴可夫斯基、莫扎特、朱践耳的作品。
“Kunqu is beautiful, because it combines the very essence of various art forms, including poetry, songs, dances and music,” said Wang Fang, a Kunqu master who has twice won the Plum Performance Award, China’s top award for theater and opera performances. “Kunqu is like biluochun — it is not that strong and tastes seemingly light but its lingering flavor always can capture your heart,” she said. “The longer you reflect on it, the more impressive its aftertaste will stay in your memory.”
曾两次获得中国戏剧表演艺术最高奖项——梅花奖的昆曲大师王芳说：“昆曲很美，因为它融合了包括诗歌、歌曲、舞蹈和音乐在内的各种艺术形式的精华。” 她说：“昆曲就像碧螺春，它没有那么浓，尝起来似乎很淡，但它的回味总能抓住你的心。你咂摸的时间越长，它的余味就会在你的记忆中留下越深刻的印象。”
The Suzhou Chinese Orchestra has announced its 2020-21 music season is scheduled to start in September and will last until next July. During the new season, the orchestra will stage 156 concerts, lectures and performances in theaters, schools and local communities. Performances celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in 2021 will be a highlight of the season.
苏州民族管弦乐团对外发布2020-2021音乐季演出计划。从今年9月到明年7月，苏州民族管弦乐团将举办156场演出。演出包括中大型音乐会、导赏音乐会、高雅艺术进校园、高雅艺术进社区活动。“献礼建党100周年”音乐会将是一大亮点。
苏州的美，读上千遍也不厌倦。灵秀婉约、兼容并蓄的江南文化，从亭台楼阁、烟雨朦胧中，从古今中外的和谐碰撞中，也从苏州文创园、文化旅游节中，穿越千年，款款而来。
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