'Head and shoulders above almost all other new books about China, this unflinching and yearningly compassionate portrait of the lives and loves of ordinary Chinese workers is quite unforgettable' - Simon Winchester. Every year in China millions of migrant workers leave their rural towns to find jobs in the cities. These people are the driving forces behind China's economic boom: they work very hard and for little money to make the trainers, ornaments, designer handbags and toys which we buy. Through the lives of two young women, Chang vividly portrays a world where you can lose your boyfriend and your friends with the loss of a cell phone; where lying about your age, your education, and your work experience is often a requisite for getting ahead; and, where a few computer or English lessons can catapult you into a completely different social class. This is a powerful and humane portrait of the forces which are shaping China. 'Astonishing ...Heartbreaking ...As one tool in trying to understand today's China, this is a most valuable, if troubling read' - "Irish Times". 'Engrossing ...An exceptionally vivid and compassionate depiction of the day-to-day dramas, and the fears and aspirations, of the real people who are powering China's economic boom' - "Scotsman". 'Chang's elegant book is evidence that the best trips home often require a circuitous approach' - Nell Freudenberger, "Financial Times".
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张彤禾(Leslie T. Chang),前《华尔街日报》驻北京记者,在中国生活了十年,专注于探察社会经济转型如何改变制度和个人的故事。她毕业于美国哈佛大学,曾在捷克、中国香港、中国台湾等地担任记者;同时,也是《纽约客》、《国家地理》等媒体的撰稿人。
她的丈夫彼得·海斯勒(何伟)同样以描写当代中国的非虚构作品而闻名,两人目前定居于埃及开罗。
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CONTENTS
PART ONE The City
1.Going Out
2.The City
3.To Die Poor Is a Sin
4.The Talent Market
5.Factory Girls
6.The Stele with No Name
7.Square and Round
8.Eight-Minute Date
9.Assembly-Line Date
PART TWO The Village
10.The Village
11.The Historian in My Family
12.The South China Mall
13.Love and Money
14.The Tomb of the Emperor
15.Perfect Health
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我认识的那些打工女孩从不抱怨做女人所面对的种种不公。父母重男轻女,老板喜欢漂亮秘书,招工广告公然搞性别歧视,但她们却从容面对这些不公——在东莞这三年,我从来没有听到任何一个人说过任何女权主义论调的话。也许她们理所当然地认为大家过得都不容易。唯一要紧的鸿沟横在农村和城市之间: 一旦你跨过这条线,就能改变你的命运。
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