1988年夏天,我从北京参加一个会议回来,乘的是软卧。那趟车于傍晚时分由北京站开出,将于翌日中午抵达合肥。时值酷暑季节,软卧车厢配有空调,让人感觉还是很舒服的。我是下铺,对面是一个老人。他的衣着很简朴,模样像个老农。我便有些奇怪,那年月坐软卧是要凭什么特殊证明的。心想,这老人大概有什么人在北京,否则是进不了这种车厢的。 In the summer of 1988, I returned from a conference in Beijing and took a soft sleeper. The train was driven from Beijing Station in the evening and arrived in Hefei at noon the following day. During the hot summer season, the soft sleeper cabin is air-conditioned, making people feel comfortable. I am the lower berth. The opposite is an old man. His dress is simple and looks like an old farmer. I was a bit strange, and what special certification was used to sit in soft sleep that year? I thought, this old man probably has someone in Beijing, or else he can’t get into this kind of car.