1 / 18 OP-ED COLUMNIST China, the World's Capital By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF Published: May 22, 2005 KAIFENG, China As this millennium dawns, New York City is the most important city in the world, the unofficial capital of planet Earth. But before we New Yorkers become too full of ourselves, it might be worthwhile to glance at dilapidated Kaifeng in central China. Kaifeng-on-the-Hudson Unofficial Capitals of the World Kaifeng, an ancient city along the mud-clogged Yellow River, was by far the most important place in the world in 1000. And if you've never heard of it, that's a useful warning for Americans - as the Chinese headline above puts it, in a language of the future that many more Americans should start learning, "glory is as ephemeral as smoke and clouds." 2 / 18 从开封到纽约——辉煌如过眼烟云（英汉对照） China, the World's Capital 中国，世界的首都 From Kaifeng to New York, glory is as ephemeral as smoke and clouds 从开封到纽约——辉煌如过眼烟云 As this millennium dawns, New York City is the most important city in the world, the unofficial capital of planet Earth. But before we New Yorkers become too full of ourselves, it might be worthwhile to glance at dilapidated Kaifeng in central China. 译文一：新的千禧年破晓之际，纽约市俨然已成全世界最重要的城市、全(地)球非正式的首都。然而趁我们纽约人还没过度踌躇满志之前，不妨对华夏中原那座破落的开封城回眸一瞥。 3 / 18 译文二：历史走进了一个新的千年，纽约成了全世界最重要的城市。虽然没什么官方认可，但说是世界的首都恐怕没人会不同意。然而，我们这些纽约客切不可狂妄自大，回望中国中部消失在历史尘埃里的大都会开封，也许会使我们更清醒。 译文三：在这个新千年降临之初，纽约是这个世界上最重要的城市，或许可以称作我们这个星球的非官方首都。但纽约人在满足于自己地位之前，有必要了解一下一个位于中国中原地区的破败城市——开封的兴衰。 Kaifeng,...
