Talk of the town is the new Yangtze River Shanghai-Nanjing High-speed Railway which opened to fare-paying passengers ahead of the holiday. Auspicious for many be it; in theory it can usher in prosperity all around. In one particular place along the line, they’re banking on it.
备受关注的话题是新的长江沪宁高铁在假期前向付费乘客开放。对许多人来说这是吉祥的；理论上它可以带来各地的繁荣。在沿线的一个特定地方，他们指望着这一点。
At 09:25 on 28 September, the G7799 train departed Wuhan Station headed towards Shanghai Hongqiao Station, courtesy of the Yangtze River Shanghai-Nanjing High-speed Railway along the way. The brand new line had officially opened.
9月28日9时25分，G7799次列车从武汉站出发，沿长江沪宁高铁开往上海虹桥站。全新线路正式开通。
On that morning, there was a crowd of people in front of the newly-completed Wujin High-speed Railway Station. Many locals had turned out to witness the high-speed train arriving on their doorstep.
当天早上，刚刚竣工的武进高铁站前，人头攒动。许多当地人都来见证高铁抵达家门口。
“I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time!”, said Pan Yanxing, a native of Wujin. Holding the national flag in her hand, she boarded that first service and excitedly explained to reporters that her home is a 20-minute drive from Wujin Station. Pan is looking forward to breakfast at home and going to Shanghai to eat pan-fried buns at noon. “As a Wujin person, I am so happy!”, she exclaimed.
“我期待很久了！”武进人潘彦兴说。她手握国旗，登上首班车，兴奋地向记者解释，她家距离武进站有20分钟车程。潘盼着在家吃早餐，中午去上海吃生煎包。 “作为武进人，我很幸福！”她感叹道。
But while Ms Pan invests in her ticket and buns, a bit more is on the line in Changshu City of Suzhou. For that’s where authorities have decided to heed the mantra, “Where a railway goes, economic prosperity is sure to follow”.
不过，尽管潘女士投资了门票和包子，但苏州常熟市的投资却更大。为此，当局决定遵循“铁路所到之处，经济繁荣必将随之而来”的口号。
They’re banking on the new railway being key to bringing in smart folk to base themselves in the recently-capped Ivy International Talent Port.
他们指望新铁路成为吸引聪明人在最近封顶的常春藤国际人才港扎根的关键。
Zoned for production, R&D, office space and apartments for all that talent, the Port’s concepts are, “accelerated industrialisation”, and, “high-speed rail + enclave”, in hopes of create a gathering highland for entrepreneurship.
临港以“加速工业化”、“高铁+飞地”为理念，规划生产、研发、办公、人才公寓等功能区，打造创业聚集高地。
Changshu has also wisely focused on the key little things about which incoming talent is most concerned, making sure to allow for children’s education and housing security, as well as medical and senior care.
常熟还明智地关注新来人才最关心的关键小事，确保孩子的教育、住房保障、医疗和养老。
But will it be enough? History reminds of the Pullman Strike, of May thru July of 1894, when railway workers paralysed trains across the American Midwest. It was only then that the true significance of railways to economic activity was fully understood.
但这就足够了吗？历史让人想起 1894 年 5 月至 7 月的普尔曼罢工，当时铁路工人导致美国中西部的火车瘫痪。直到那时，人们才充分认识到铁路对经济活动的真正意义。
But in Changshu, they are not hedging their bets. Increased tourism and educational initiatives, again thanks to that new Railway, are the back-up plan.
但在常熟，他们并没有两面下注。得益于新铁路，旅游业和教育活动的增加成为了后备计划。
In recent years, Changshu has branded its tourism as “A city with mountains, rivers and a comfortable life”. But now, a rapid shift toward the integration of transportation and tourism is underway; “culture tourism + high-speed rail” is the new development model.
近年来，常熟将旅游打造成“山水之城、安居之城”。但现在，交通与旅游一体化正在快速转变。 “文化旅游+高铁”是新的发展模式。
Realising this is an upgrade to tourist facilities in Changshu; the Ma Zhai Gongwang Hotel, Yuxi Courtyard Hotel and Huajianfu Yanboli Hotel with its Jiangnan water town characteristics, are all complete and ready to receive high-speed rail passengers.
认识到这是常熟旅游设施的升级；具有江南水乡特色的马寨公望酒店、玉溪四合院酒店、花间府烟波里酒店等已全部竣工，准备接待高铁旅客。
On the education front, the reduction in travel time from half a day to 1 hour can bring about increased exchanges between schools and commerce.
在教育方面，出行时间从半天减少到1小时，可以增加学校和商业之间的交流。
Zhu Xiaomin, Deputy Dean of the School of Foreign Languages of Changshu Institute of Technology, spoke with the Yangtze Evening News to explain. “Convenient transportation not only helps students broaden their horizons and increase their knowledge, but also promotes cooperation and exchanges between schools in different regions, and between schools and enterprises, further improving the quality of education”, said Zhu.
常熟理工学院外国语学院副院长朱晓敏接受扬子晚报采访时进行了解释。 “便利的交通不仅有助于学生开阔视野、增长知识，也促进了不同地区学校之间、学校与企业之间的合作与交流，进一步提高了教育质量。”朱说。
“I told my parents last year that after it [the new railway] is opened, I will take them to Changshu by high-speed rail and have fun for a few days. It is finally coming true!”
“我去年就跟父母说，等新铁路开通后，我要带他们坐高铁去常熟玩几天，终于实现了！”
