Great time travel

Chapter 620, Entering India

Chapter 20. Entering India

Delhi, the capital of India, is actually divided into two cities, New Delhi and Old Delhi. Old Delhi is the ancient capital of India. As early as 200 BC, according to the records of the famous Indian epic Mahabharata, there was already an ancient Indian state. The country once established its capital here.Later, the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Dynasty also successively established their capitals here.The capital of modern India, New Delhi, is a brand-new artificial city designed and constructed before the British evacuated. It was still an empty wasteland at the beginning of the 1911th century. It was not built until [-]. The famous India Gate, as well as the Congress and the Presidential Palace The entire Indian central government agencies, including the Central Government Building, as well as a series of five-star hotels for foreign tourists, are located here.In the middle of the twin cities of New and Old Delhi, there is a Delhi Gate, and it is bounded by the famous Ramlila Square. The south of the square is New Delhi, and the north of the square is Old Delhi.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport, where Wang Qiu and the others got off the plane, is located further south of New Delhi. Originally, they could directly enter the city center of New Delhi without passing through the Old City of Delhi. If it is blocked, we have to take a detour from Old Delhi.

So, under the cursing of Bai Quanyi, the health commissioner of the embassy, ​​and the helpless rolling of the eyes of Wang Qiu, Li Wei and Ju Chuan Shizuka, the half-old Mazda car turned around in the traffic flow with difficulty, and slowly left the traffic jam. The main road in the city began to drill down into the small road, preparing to drive to the outskirts first, and then try to find a way to get into the urban area... Then, Wang Qiu saw more messy scenes in this Indian capital.

On the way out from the airport, although the two sides were a bit messy and there were a lot of homeless people, they were all modern houses anyway.The road is a relatively spacious four-lane road, and there are street lights and green belts on both sides of the road. Let’s not mention the software, but the hardware already has the appearance of a modern metropolis (I didn’t know until later, that area is already New Delhi. affluent and middle-class areas).

However, in the suburban fringe near Old Delhi, it is completely similar to the scene in the old photos of the Republic of China before the liberation of China—the roads are all narrow two-lane or even one-way roads, or simply dirt roads, and the roadsides are It is a dilapidated building with a height of two or three floors. Bullock carts, bicycles, and electric vehicles are flooded in the narrow alleys, crawling slowly like tortoises, not even walking as fast as the pedestrians on the sidewalk next to it.The crowds and vehicles were so crowded that Bodhidharma was almost shoulder-to-shoulder. Small vendors selling things could be seen everywhere on both sides of the road, directly blocking the doorways of other people's shops to do business.Vendors, crowds, bullock carts, horse-drawn carriages, tricycles, and bicycles all shuttled freely in the traffic formation, completely ignoring traffic rules.

All kinds of noisy and cursing voices rose and fell in the car formation, and the air was filled with countless disgusting smells such as car exhaust, vegetables, garbage, animals, and feces. There is no way to filter out these smells.

For Chinese drivers, the streets of this place can really make people collapse in minutes. The sound of Didi’s horns is everywhere, and they compete who is the loudest. Motorcycles, bicycles, tricycles, all kinds of exotic cars, and so on All the god cows are crowded together, there are no traffic lights, no traffic police and urban management, no traffic rules, and the car will solve everything by itself... It is a miracle that the road is still passable after all this.

Well, many urban villages in China seem to have similar appearances due to lack of planning.However, no matter how remote the country is, it is estimated that there will not be so many kinds of vehicles full of medieval style in Delhi, India. Some of the styles of the cars seem to be manufactured before World War II.What's even more astonishing is that Indian cars are just like trains. The roof and both sides of the car are always full of people. The acrobatic talent really amazes the Chinese——Wang Qiu saw a car with his own eyes. Thirty Indians in the pickup truck are doing snail crawling.

Alas, this is India. Rape is culture, laziness is tradition, arhats on motorcycles are spirit, and defecating everywhere is the quintessence of the country...

Moreover, apart from the fact that Indian cars are always loaded with passengers, cattle, sheep, or other goods, overloaded by five or six times, and they also look like they were picked from a car scrapping factory, often even the doors and engine covers If not, I went to the street in tatters.Wang Qiu also encountered a "super-simplified version" with only four wheels and an engine. car”——I really don’t know how this car inspection passed... Sure enough, the Indian people are much happier...

However, what really frightens people is not these overloaded vehicles with missing arms and legs, but all kinds of animals crossing the road.Not just cattle, all kinds of animals are free to shuttle in it, monkeys, horses, goats, sows can be seen everywhere, dogs are drilling under the wheels, hens and chicks are looking for food under the big trees, and occasionally there are large groups The crows or pigeons suddenly landed en masse in the middle of the road.There are even camels and elephants!

Of course, the cow with the largest number and the most arrogant attitude is naturally the cow, just like a local hooligan, often lying in the middle of the road with a big thorn, completely ignoring the passing vehicles blocked by it, sometimes hungry, even rude Walking into the store without hesitation, he directly ate the fruits and vegetables that were ready to be sold.If the owner of the shop saw it, they would only dare to drive the cow out with a mop or something, and they didn't even dare to beat it too hard, let alone kill it.

No way, this cow is really very noble in the eyes of Hindus.Because everyone in India worships cows as sacred animals, the number of cows in India is quite close to 3000 million. Almost every two to three Indians can be allocated one cow on average.And most of the cattle are not kept in pastures or farms, but wander around towns like homeless people...

In addition to the sacred cows that fill the streets, there are so many other animals that are astonishing, and they are not afraid of people at all, which is very surprising to the Chinese.

"...In India, this is what makes people feel the most interesting. Whether it is in the urban area or in the suburbs, it is easy to encounter wild animals when walking. What kind of cows, sheep, pigs, monkeys, all kinds of animals Wandering on the street. These animals are vigilant and not in awe of humans. If you have something to eat, they will come to you, otherwise they will go their own way without interfering with each other. Various travel guides are urging tourists not to try to play Self-driving. Because you not only have to avoid people and cars, but also all kinds of animals that come out at any time. Except for local drivers in India, we foreigners don’t have this ability..."

Pointing to a monkey that jumped onto the trunk of the car at some point, Bai Quanyi, the health commissioner, said casually with a smile, "...Many people in China only know that Indians worship cows. In fact, their concept basically belongs to polytheism." Worship, as long as anything involves the gods in mythology, even flowers, trees, and livestock can become idols to be worshiped. Therefore, Indians do not only worship cows, but include elephants, monkeys, mice, cats, and dogs , cobras and many other animals are also the objects of their worship. In short, India is definitely a paradise for animals. Several times, I saw the squirrels on the trees were almost too fat to walk, but the poor people under the trees, Beggars and ascetics are basically as thin as human beings..."

Hearing this, Wang Qiu turned his head to look at the blind beggars on the side of the road, and found that no matter old or young, male or female, everyone was skinny and naked, with only a piece of rag wrapped around their bodies. Lying on the side of the road, no one cares about it. From a distance, I don't know whether it is life or death.

"...Well, since these poor Indians are starving like this, why don't they catch these animals and roast them?"

Wang Qiu asked curiously, "... I remember that Chinese people went to work in Australia at the end of the last century. All the pigeons were secretly caught and eaten. I saw them sleeping on the side of the road, looking like they were about to starve to death, and the animals here are not afraid of people at all, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to catch! Will the police come to take care of them? Is there a policeman in the planting place?"

"...the police don't care at all! Most Indians are extremely devout vegetarians! They would rather starve to death than eat meat!"

Bai Quanyi curled his lips, seeming to be very disdainful about it, "...Everyone knows that Buddhism requires everyone not to kill and to be vegetarian, right? In fact, Hinduism is the same, and it is even stricter! Chinese monks do not eat meat at most. , devout Hindus even taboo radishes and potatoes!"

"...Huh? You can't eat carrots and potatoes?" Wang Qiu was a little dumbfounded, "...What kind of commandment is this?"

"...Because radishes and potatoes grow under the soil... How should I put it? This is a very complicated concept."

Bai Quanyi explained, "...I have listened to several lectures by religious people, and then found that Hinduism's fasting, vegetarianism and opposition to killing are not completely consistent with our modern humanitarian concepts, but are based on a primitive religion. Belief, or animism. In the thinking of ancient Indians, all things must absorb the essence of heaven and earth, so everything in the world, from cattle and horses to vegetation, to mountains and rivers, is life.

As the source of all life, the earth is endowed with feminine characteristics by the Indians, called dagara, which is the same concept as our mother earth.In Indian mythology and religion, everything that comes into contact with the ground is the hair and skin of Mother Earth, such as animals such as cattle and sheep, and the roots and stems of plants. To hurt them is to hurt Mother Earth Dhagara, and to kill The more the cutting, the more the mother earth will lose its vitality, and finally all things will die, and the human beings who depend on them will also perish.Therefore, human beings must be abstinent and restrained in order to achieve sustainable development.

The above logic is easy to understand!Following this logic, for strict Hindu vegetarians, not only cattle, sheep, fish and shrimps cannot be eaten, but also plants that grow underground such as potatoes and carrots, because they are born on the "skin" of Mother Earth. Next, to obtain these crops, one must cut open the mother's skin, which is a treasonous thing! "

"...this logic...is absolutely amazing!" Li Wei interjected, "...but this one can't move, that one can't move, what should they eat?"

"...According to the logic of these Hindu believers, humans can eat leaves and grains, because they are not directly connected to Mother Earth, but are gifts from Mother Earth that grow to feed humans. However, the stems connected to the earth still have to be considered .”

Bai Quanyi said with relish, "...Therefore, according to their degree of devotion to Hinduism, they can be divided into several levels. First of all, a very small number of Indians are influenced by modern thinking. It’s no different from us, you can eat wine and meat. Next, most ordinary Indians just don’t eat meat, but they can eat eggs and drink milk. Buddha Sakyamuni is such a person. When he was enlightened under the bodhi tree After fainting from hunger, he was rescued only after being fed a bowl of milk—in terms of vegetarianism, it can only be regarded as the average level in India.

Indians who are a little more devout than the Buddha Sakyamuni do not eat meat and eggs, do not drink milk, and are completely vegetarian.And there are some more devout Indians, not only meat, eggs and milk are not allowed to be imported, but also crops that grow underground such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots.

If you want to be more pious, then not only do you not eat root crops such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, you should not even eat foods with strong tastes such as peppers and candies, because the pungent taste will bring desire, and Hinduism The purpose is abstinence... But this is not the most devout believer, the most devout believer is not only strict with self-discipline, but also educates all living beings - not only not eating meat himself, but also not letting others around him eat meat.If it is such a guy, once he sees someone killing chickens and pigs, he will dissuade him; once he finds out that his business partner is producing slaughtering equipment, he would rather break the contract and lose money than do business with him; once a friend joins the army and becomes a life killer, I'm going to break up with him quickly..."

"...This, this, this... sounds like fundamentalists from the Arab side!" Wang Qiu snapped.

"...Yes, these are the fundamentalists of Hinduism, but their symbol is not human explosives, but non-violent non-cooperation, which is the practice I just mentioned. The most consistent implementation of non-violent non-cooperation and vegetarianism Thoroughly, it is a branch of Hinduism, Jainism. And the place with the most followers of Jainism is in Gujarat, India today. Mahatma Gandhi was born in Gujarat, and his mother is a Jainist believer-so you understand why Gandhi back then would have launched a non-violent non-cooperation movement..."

Bai Quanyi raised his eyebrows, "...So, on the streets of India today, animals are fat to death, but people are skinny to death..."

"...But this is too absurd. Chinese people also eat fast and chant Buddha's name, but if they are really hungry, they will stuff their stomachs with all kinds of birds, beasts, tree bark and grass roots. How can we care about beliefs and precepts! "Wang Qiu shook his head and sighed.

"...But Indians are not Chinese, and their degree of religious devotion is not comparable to that of Chinese. Let's put it this way! Chinese culture has always been centered on the secular world from ancient times to the present, and there is room for supernatural existence in dealing with ghosts and gods. Naturally, we have to pay respects when we are alive. If the living are starving to death, then no one will bother to burn incense in the temple. However, Indian culture is centered on the afterlife and believes that this world is false. Yes, the destination of the soul after death is real. People live to endure all kinds of sufferings, and death is happiness and liberation..."

Bai Quanyi replied, "...so, since ancient times, Indians have been very pious, very docile, and very easy to rule. Moreover, they regard starvation as a kind of practice, and they think it is a very decent and honorable thing. Peacock The first emperor of the dynasty, the great emperor who competed with Alexander the Great, starved himself to death on his own initiative for his pious belief. Modern Indian farmers commit suicide by the hundreds and thousands , instead of hunting birds and beasts to fill their stomachs, as for the rebellion on the mountain..."

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On the other hand, although they are so self-disciplined and desireless in terms of diet, Indians seem to be equally tough when driving.Unless the car is overloaded too much, you can't get up fast if you want to.Otherwise, even Indian drivers who have always been lazy and not punctual, as long as they hold the steering wheel, they will often race against the clock. Compared with the traffic in the suburbs of New Delhi, the capital of India, the traffic in almost any place in China can be said to be "In order"!The cars with mirrors here are all new Japanese and Korean cars, and the cars that are a little bit old have either had the mirrors removed, or it seems that they have never been installed!Because reflectors are pretty much useless on this side of the road!

As long as it is in a place where the traffic police cannot be seen, the traffic laws are useless.When Indian drivers want to change lanes while driving, they will change lanes. If someone honks behind them, they will change back, and if no one presses the horn, they will change back!The gaps between cars when parking and changing lanes are surprisingly tight, with doors sticking to doors and bumper to bumper.With such road conditions, Indians can actually drive two lanes out of six lanes, and at the same time gallop on the road with a speed limit of [-] at a speed of more than [-] kilometers!

——When the Indian driver was driving the Mazda of the embassy, ​​surrounded by a group of large trucks, and had to drive at a speed of [-] kilometers per hour, Wang Qiu and others in the car were all so nervous that they couldn’t help it legs trembling...

However, even though the low-caste driver drove such a thrilling speed, the destination was still far away—after driving for more than an hour, it seemed that he was still circling in the suburban junction... Finally, in Baiquanyi Sanitary Under the commissioner's beard blowing and staring, the dark-skinned young driver admitted with a simple and honest smile: he himself didn't know where he was driving, that is to say, he was lost now!

——This young driver is not a native of New Delhi, but he ran from his hometown in the countryside of West Bengal to the capital New Delhi to break into the world half a year ago, and then left. I don’t know what the relationship is, and he got this job as a driver for the Chinese embassy Work.Now, he is fairly familiar with the roads in New Delhi, but he can only read the map in Old Delhi... What's more, because he didn't expect to go to Old Delhi today, he didn't bring a map of Old Delhi with him at all, and he didn't have a map of Old Delhi in his car. Without GPS navigation, right now I can only make do with the impression in my head... The result is naturally predictable...

This discovery almost made Wang Qiu and others feel numb in the car, but the matter has come to this point, and they had to try their best to remedy it. At first, Bai Quanyi, the health commissioner, ordered the Indian driver to find a way to ask for directions, but unexpectedly met I encountered an unimaginable trouble: the language barrier!

Wait, Indian drivers can't speak the language in their own country's capital?Are you right?Is he Indian?

But the fact is that, although the official language of India is Hindi, about [-]% of the people in the country can't speak it!

Because India has more than 30 states, each state has its own official language.This is not a dialect like Cantonese and Shanghainese in China, but a completely different language from writing to grammar!In order to indicate the denomination on Indian banknotes, it is printed one by one in 23 major languages.This is not to mention that there are many small languages ​​in each state. If you add them up, there are more than 300 languages ​​in India.

Of course, there are different dialects within various languages. Even Hindi, which is the official language, has five main dialects in India. The differences between them are no smaller than Cantonese and Mandarin. difficult.

What kind of trouble will this language barrier cause?The first is that it will be very difficult for the Indian government to eradicate illiteracy.A certain Indian can finally write in the language of his own state in his own state, but he is still illiterate in the next state!Second, this creates a lot of obstacles for Indians to migrate and travel within the country.Some people can't even leave their village for the rest of their lives, because the language he speaks is different from that of the surrounding places!

As the capital of India, Delhi speaks the official Hindi language.The young driver is from West Bengal and speaks Bengali, which is naturally very distressing for communication... Fortunately, Indians also have English left over from the British colonial era, which can connect people across the country.And the young driver from West Bengal sitting in front of Wang Qiu and the others relied on his Indian accent to come to the capital to make a living.

But the problem is that in this country with a very high illiteracy rate, Indians who can master English only account for a very small part of the total population.The driver called more than a dozen people for help, either pretending not to hear, or really not understanding... It was hard to find a guy who could communicate in English, but this guy with glasses who looked like an intellectual was just as unreliable as the driver. Spectrum, actually pointing nonsense in a serious manner-no way, most Indians are so unreliable, you say something to him, and then ask him if he understands, will they, they will shake their heads to express Got it, or confidently said no problem.Then the driver got lost when he drove out, the food served was wrong, and he waited for hours...

In the end, Bai Quanyi, who was almost impatient, got out of the car and went to a roadside newsstand to buy a map. He also found a potbellied Indian policeman, communicated with gestures, and finally found the general direction to the embassy area. direction.

However, the next journey is still full of ups and downs - in the eyes of strangers, all the roads in Delhi look similar, forming a circle, with a large piece of grass in the middle, many people sit on the grass to sleep and eat. or play cards, and then there are four roads sticking out straight out of the grass; if you drive on any of them, you will soon see circles one after another, with a large grass in the middle, and many people sitting on the ground. Sleep, eat or play cards on the grass.Therefore, Wang Qiu's car kept getting lost, lost, and lost in Delhi...

Compared with the wild animal parks in the suburban fringe, the urban area has a lot less animals, but it is a little more troublesome, because thousands of homeless people live on both sides of the roads in Derry.All of them were thin and dirty, huddled among the bushes in the green belt, and under the bridge or overpass.Cars whizzed past them while they built fires to cook, fetch water to wash and pick lice out of their hair.

These homeless people are a big problem for drivers.They never waited for a red light, and always rushed across the road as they wished, forcing the driver to slam on the brakes again and again to avoid them, and also made Wang Qiu and other passengers terrified.

In short, when the car finally drove to Ramlila Square, which divides old and new Delhi, and looked at the bustling tourists in the square, as well as the landmark Delhi Gate, Wang Qiu and others couldn't help but burst into tears. ——When we got here, the young driver was finally familiar with the road ahead.However, Wang Qiu and the others were already so hungry that their stomachs were growling, so they decided to find a place to eat nearby first...