（作者：徐燕 Xu_Yan）

擁有約20萬外籍人口的北京是一座千面之城。要是初來乍到者以為北京可用“傳統(tǒng)”、“西化”一言蔽之的話，他就大錯特錯了。只消坐黃包車，圍什剎海轉(zhuǎn)一圈，他就會有別樣的感受。

不久前，在什剎海邊，黃包車夫帶著我在什剎海邊及迷宮似的胡同、四合院中轉(zhuǎn)悠。車夫告訴我，什剎海附近的居民因?yàn)樽〉碾x紫禁城最近，特別有一種皇城根下的優(yōu)越感，

“可這哪是什么“?！卑。幻髅魇菐讞l湖嗎？”什剎海波光粼粼，我指著湖面不禁問道。

“這道理很簡單。”車夫回答，什剎海的確是條湖，只是因?yàn)榕徎蕦m，而皇帝是出于海的真龍?zhí)熳樱噪u犬升天，湖也成了“?！?。

我聽了，呵呵一樂。這位車夫看來是個天生會講故事的人，話匣子一開，他開始侃侃而談。不過，越聽，我對這個有故事的地方越感興趣，也越困惑。我看見了另一個北京。這個北京，有小翔鳳胡同口的牽?；ㄌ傧轮v故事的白發(fā)老人，有以1.1億元購得四合院的俄羅斯巨富，有昔日的醇親王府、今日的國家宗教事務(wù)局，有被查封的酒吧…… 各種元素生動地糅雜在一起，很獨(dú)特，也很陌生。

那次什剎海之行，是我在美國生活多年后第一次回中國小住，也是我第一次去什剎海。雖然出生于距北京東南部1100公里的小城，但對中國的首都，我從不認(rèn)為自己是陌生人。在來美國之前，我大學(xué)本科畢業(yè)后的第一份工作就是在北京。而且我以為最難得的是，作為非北京生源的畢業(yè)生，我還曾拿到了寶貴的北京戶口。

記得當(dāng)時(shí)，遠(yuǎn)道而來的我對北京一見如故。每天騎著自行車，穿梭于三環(huán)的單位與五環(huán)的住處之間，看著身邊的人流，心中常涌起“我也是北京人”的豪言壯語。即使后來出了國，也常不自覺地把美國的城市與北京作比。紐約像上海，時(shí)髦卻冷漠，洛杉磯卻如北京，大氣而親切，因此我選擇了洛杉磯。

可為何現(xiàn)在，看著湖一樣大的“?！?，我對自己說，這個水，怎么這么深？這個北京，我怎么從未了解過？難道說，以往與北京的親近感，都只是由于不了解而產(chǎn)生的幻覺？

這樣的感覺并不好，甚至有一種被好友欺騙之感，但很快，我就釋懷了。什剎海邊，有一對夫妻在彈古箏。

琴聲流暢親切，一如我曾了解的北京。

什剎海水，雖淺，卻有厚重的政治文化底蘊(yùn)，讓觀者不得不敬畏其“深”。

這正如它所代表的城市。作家老向曾說，“我在北平住了30年了，但是我不能說已經(jīng)認(rèn)識了北平”。我在北京總計(jì)不過5年，更不敢奢言北京。但我相信，世間萬物都是有靈性的，城市更是如此。

其實(shí)，北京還是那個北京。它有人之靈性，也有人之多層面性。大學(xué)畢業(yè)初來乍到的我看北京，是一個層面；海外歸來思鄉(xiāng)心切的我看北京，是一個層面；三環(huán)五環(huán)間的北京，是一個層面；什剎海邊的北京，又是一個層面。

每個層面都是真實(shí)的，但并不全面。而北京的可貴之處就在于，無論老少新舊、中外遠(yuǎn)近，都能在這里找到自己的層面，并從中感受到親切。北京的親切正是北京包容之所在，也是北京最可貴之處。

想起樸樹那首歌，“這是一個多美麗又遺憾的世界…… 我從遠(yuǎn)方趕來，赴你一面之約……”不能窮盡層面，看到北京的全貌，不能不說是遺憾，但彼此若有真心赴“一面之約”，也就足矣。 

英文對照：

A  city  of  many  layers

（作者：徐燕 Xu_Yan）

For those of us who believe Beijing is either thoroughly old-fashioned or highly Westernized, it might be a good idea to take a rickshaw ride in the Shi Cha Hai area.

I did so during a short stay in Beijing some time ago. While carrying me around the warren-like maze of narrowhutongs, and along the banks of the three Shi Cha Hai lakes, the rickshaw puller told me that the residents there have long taken pride in living in a neighborhood next to the Forbidden City, where the imperial palace stands.

"Why do we call them 'hai' (sea)? They are three shallow lakes after all," I asked, pointing to the lakes shimmering in the sun.

"Pretty simple," the rickshaw puller replied. "The emperors claimed to be real dragons and sons of Heaven. How can dragons live next to lakes, not seas?"

That made me laugh. As the talented story-teller continued, I found myself increasingly intrigued, yet bewildered, by stories abounding in the place: Here, the lavish ancient compound was bought out by a mysterious Russian billionaire for 110 million yuan ($16.9 million) in 2007. Over there, underground prostitution once boomed in some night bars and cafes, which have since been forced to close down in the recent clampdown on vice.

That was on my very first visit to Beijing after years of studying and working in the US. Though born in a city 1,100 kilometers southeast of Beijing, I had never considered myself a stranger to the nation's capital. I got my first job offer here before leaving for the US over a decade ago. More importantly, I had a Beijinghukou(residence permit), which is kind of rare for non-Beijing-native graduates. 

I recall riding a bicycle every day between my office on the North Third Ring Road and my poky little dormitory on the North Fifth Ring Road, feeling so close to the nation's heart.

Why then, wandering along the banks of the "sea", do I suddenly feel stranger to the city? Why do I feel puzzled, even lost, in the intricate maze of tradition and modernity? Was the once-close bond with the city essentially an illusion arising from my poor, but presumed, knowledge of the city? 

Such were the thoughts I was lost in. Until a flow of smooth and melodious music caught my ears. Looking around, I found it was a silver-haired couple enjoying themselves by playing the Chinese zither on the shore.

The music struck a chord in my heart.

Seemingly shallow like lakes, the waters here, witness to various historical and political tides down the ages, could leave us in awe of its depth.

Just like the city it runs through. There is much more here than meets the eye, layers and depths not easily perceived. As the renowned writer Lao Xiang (1901-68) once wrote, "Despite being living here for over 30 years, I can never say I know Beijing." Much less can I, after a mere five years in Beijing.

All the dream-seekers in Beijing are eager to live life to the fullest. Yet no matter how hard we work, we still end up living in our layer of life.

The layer perceived by a new college graduate is different from that in the eye of a compatriot returning from abroad. The layer of life between the North Third and Fifth Ring roads is different from that in the Shi Cha Hai area.

Each layer, however different, is an integral, proud part of the whole piece of Beijing. Each layer provides a genuine, complex picture of where we live, imparting to it new dynamism and strength.

It may be a pity to miss the other, diverse layers of the city in our lifetime, but it has to be accepted. It is okay. Even when waters run deep, and we can still take a sip and enjoy ourselves, isn't it?

(646  words)