HSK 5 · Article · 348 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/why-is-there-no-heating-in-southern-china

一条线，两种冬天

Why is there no heating in southern China?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

一yī月yuè的de一个yígè晚上wǎnshang，北京běijīng的de小赵xiǎozhào在zài家里jiālǐ只zhǐ穿chuān一yí件jiàn薄薄báobáo的de衣服yīfu，还hái觉得juéde有点儿yóudiǎnr热rè。同tóng一个yígè晚上wǎnshang，上海shànghǎi的de小陈xiǎochén在zài家里jiālǐ穿chuān着zhe羽绒服yǔróngfú，手里shǒuli抱bào着zhe热水袋rèshuǐdài，说shuō：“我家wǒjiā比bǐ外面wàimiàn还hái冷lěng。”

他们tāmen两liǎng家jiā的de区别qūbié，来自láizì一yì条tiáo线xiàn。这zhè条tiáo线xiàn沿着yánzhe秦岭qínlǐng和hé淮河huáihé，大概dàgài把bǎ中国zhōngguó分成fēnchéng了le北方běifāng和hé南方nánfāng。上shàng世纪shìjì五十wǔshí年代niándài，中国zhōngguó的de能源néngyuán很hěn紧张jǐnzhāng，国家guójiā决定juédìng，只zhǐ给gěi这zhè条tiáo线xiàn以北yíběi的de城市chéngshì集中jízhōng供暖gōngnuǎn。从cóng那nà时候shíhou起qǐ，这zhè条tiáo线xiàn以北yíběi的de城市chéngshì，冬天dōngtiān家家jiājiā都dōu有yǒu暖气nuǎnqì；以南yǐnán的de上海shànghǎi、武汉wǔhàn、长沙chángshā，一般yìbān都dōu没有méiyǒu。

南方nánfāng的de冬天dōngtiān温度wēndù不太bútài低dī，可是kěshì空气kōngqì很hěn湿shī，房子fángzi也yě不太bútài保暖báonuǎn，家里jiālǐ有时候yǒushíhou不到búdào十shí度dù。很hěn多duō人rén说shuō，南方nánfāng的de冷lěng是shì“魔法mófǎ攻击gōngjī”，穿chuān多少duōshao件jiàn衣服yīfu都dōu没用méiyòng。

所以suóyǐ，几乎jīhū每年měinián冬天dōngtiān，都dōu有人yǒurén问wèn：南方nánfāng要不要yàobuyào也yě有yǒu暖气nuǎnqì？

支持zhīchí的de人rén说shuō，现在xiànzài中国zhōngguó已经yǐjīng比bǐ几十年jǐshínián前qián富fù多duō了le，南方人nánfāngrén也yě有yǒu权利quánlì过guò上shàng暖和nuǎnhuo的de冬天dōngtiān。反对fǎnduì的de人rén说shuō，这zhè要yào建jiàn很hěn多duō管道guǎndào，花huā很hěn多duō钱qián，还hái要yào烧shāo更gèng多duō的de煤méi和hé气qì，对duì环境huánjìng不好bùhǎo；而且érqiě南方nánfāng冷lěng的de日子rìzi不bù长cháng，用yòng空调kōngtiáo就jiù够gòu了le。

到dào现在xiànzài，这zhè个gè问题wèntí还hái没有méiyǒu一yí个gè标准biāozhǔn答案dá’àn。如果rúguǒ你nǐ住zhù在zài南方nánfāng，你nǐ支持zhīchí吗ma？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
抱	bào	to hold in one's arms; to hug; to embrace
区别	qūbié	difference; distinction; to distinguish; to differentiate
世纪	shìjì	century
紧张	jǐnzhāng	nervous; tense
温度	wēndù	temperature
低	dī	low; to lower (one's head)
空气	kōngqì	air
支持	zhīchí	to support; to back; support
暖和	nuǎnhuo	warm; nice and warm; to warm up
反对	fǎnduì	to oppose; to object to; to be against
气	qì	air; gas
够	gòu	enough; sufficient

English (for the teacher)

One evening in January, Xiao Zhao in Beijing is wearing just one thin layer at home and still feels a bit hot. That same evening, Xiao Chen in Shanghai is wearing a down jacket at home, hugging a hot-water bottle, and says, “My flat is colder than outside.”

The difference between their two homes comes from a line. Running along the Qinling Mountains and the Huai River, this line roughly splits China into north and south. In the 1950s, energy was short in China, and the state decided to provide central heating only to cities north of the line. Since then, cities north of the line have had heating in every home in winter; south of it, in Shanghai, Wuhan and Changsha, homes generally have none.

Southern winters aren’t especially cold, but the air is very damp and the houses don’t keep heat well, so indoors it is sometimes under ten degrees. Many people say the southern cold is a “magic attack”: however many layers you wear, it’s no use.

So almost every winter someone asks: should the south have heating too?

Supporters say China is much richer than it was decades ago, and southerners have a right to a warm winter too. Opponents say it means building lots of pipes and spending lots of money, and burning more coal and gas, which is bad for the environment; and since the cold days in the south are few, air conditioners are enough.

So far, the question has no standard answer. If you lived in the south, would you support it?