<p class="ql-block"><b>Getting a Driver's License for the First Time Was a Charm for Me</b></p><p class="ql-block">In the last century, China was still a developing country, while Japan had already become the world's second-largest economy after the United States. In November 1986, as a dispatched Chinese student, I was sent to Tokyo. In April 1987, I passed the exams for English, Japanese, and some specialized courses and entered the graduate school of my dreams, Tokyo Institute of Technology. After enrollment, I discovered that there were already dozens of international students from various countries, including China, studying here, both as undergraduates and graduates.</p><p class="ql-block">Compared to Beijing, Tokyo had narrow streets, but its urban transportation was highly developed. In addition to the extensive railway lines on the ground and underground, there was a dense network of roads. Moreover, Tokyo was bustling with skyscrapers and heavy traffic. It was rare to see pedestrians on the roads, which was quite different from the scene in Beijing where bicycles and pedestrians filled the streets.</p><p class="ql-block">Daily study was arduous. The pressure stemmed from being in this prestigious institution: English and Japanese were equally important (my mother tongue, Chinese, was of no use), in-depth research was required in the specialized field, and the research results had to be written into papers and published in mainstream journals. Normally, we commuted by train, bicycle, or on foot. However, without realizing it, a trend of international students obtaining driver's licenses and driving started to emerge. It aimed to alleviate the tension and pressure caused by studying and research, allowing us to travel by car during breaks, just like Japanese students. However, since none of us had licenses or any driving experience, the first step was to acquire a driver's license.</p><p class="ql-block">In Japan, due to the high attention paid to traffic safety by the society and the rigorous working attitude of the driver's license examiners, the driver's license test is recognized as the most stringent in the world. To save on expensive tuition fees, none of us wanted to attend driving schools, so we rented cars on campus for practice. We knew that during exams, examiners pay extra attention to us "self-taught" students (i.e., they will scrutinize us more rigorously).</p><p class="ql-block">After more than a month of studying traffic rules and repeatedly practicing driving, I finally passed the driver's license exam and obtained the long-awaited license. At the moment I received the license from the police station, I reminisced about all the efforts made to obtain it and the realization of my dream. It worked like a dream come true.</p><p class="ql-block">Later, in order to buy a car, in addition to studying, I also worked at a company as a translator. After a year, I used my savings to purchase a second-hand car. Although it was used, it was safe and comfortable. When I drove the car I had acquired through my hard work on the roads of a foreign land, I once again experienced the infinite charm that can only be worked through perseverance.</p><p class="ql-block">After graduating from graduate school, I went through internships at research institutes in Japan, returned to work at a university in China, and eventually ended up in the United States. Each time I arrived in a different country, I had to go through the process of obtaining a driver's license again. However, when I acquired driver's licenses in those different countries, I did not feel the same dreamy and charming sensation as the first time. I have come to look at it in a normal state of mind.</p><p class="ql-block">Living in California, the public railway and bus transportation here are not as developed as in Japan, but the construction of roads, highways, and parking lots is highly advanced. Therefore, driving a car is the primary choice for people when it comes to transportation.</p><p class="ql-block">Nowadays, the dream-like feeling I had while driving has long disappeared. Nevertheless, the happiness I experienced when obtaining my first driver's license and owning a car is forever engraved in my heart.</p><p class="ql-block">Since leaving China at the end of 1986, I have followed the footsteps of modernization, embracing the convenience of using cars instead of walking or biking. However, the side effects of relying on cars are evident. For example, car emissions are detrimental to the environment, and a lack of physical activity negatively impacts health. To minimize the impact on the environment, ten years ago, I switched from a gasoline car to a hybrid vehicle, making a small contribution to reduce environmental pollution. Recently, with the widespread adoption of electric cars, I planned to switch to a fully electric vehicle to further reduce emissions. Additionally, since last year, I have made it a habit to walk at least 6,000 steps every day to compensate for the negative effects on health caused by relying on cars instead of physical activity.</p> <p class="ql-block"><b>考取駕照對我來說是一個很大的魅力</b></p><p class="ql-block">上個世紀，中國還是一個發(fā)展中國家，而日本已經(jīng)成為僅次于美國的世界第二大經(jīng)濟體。 1986年11月，我作為中國派遣留學生被派往東京。 1987年4月，我通過了英語、日語和一些專業(yè)課的考試，進入了我夢寐以求的大學院——東京工業(yè)大學。入學后才發(fā)現(xiàn)，已有數(shù)十名來自包括中國在內(nèi)的各國留學生在這里學習，既有本科生也有研究生。</p><p class="ql-block">與北京相比，東京街道狹窄，但城市交通發(fā)達。除了地面和地下廣泛的鐵路線外，還有密集的公路網(wǎng)。此外，東京摩天大樓林立，交通繁忙。路上很少看到行人，這與北京自行車和行人滿街的景象截然不同。</p><p class="ql-block">每天的學習很辛苦。壓力源于這所名校：英語和日語同等重要（我的母語中文沒用），需要在專業(yè)領域深入研究，研究成果要寫成論文并發(fā)表在主流期刊上。通常，我們乘坐火車、自行車或步行上下班。然而，不知不覺中，一股留學生考駕照駕車的風潮開始興起。它旨在緩解學習和研究帶來的緊張和壓力，讓我們像日本學生一樣在休息時間乘車旅行。然而，由于我們都沒有駕照，也沒有任何駕駛經(jīng)驗，所以第一步是獲得駕照。</p><p class="ql-block">在日本，由于日本人一絲不茍和注重安全的工作作風，駕駛執(zhí)照考試被公認為最嚴格的考試。為了節(jié)省昂貴的學費，我們都不想上駕校，所以我們就在校園里租了輛車練習。我們知道，在考試過程中，考官對我們這些“自學成才”的學生格外關注——他們的要求更高。</p><p class="ql-block">經(jīng)過一個多月的學習交通規(guī)則和反復練習駕駛，我終于通過了駕照考試，拿到了期待已久的駕照。當我拿到派出所的駕照的那一刻，我想起了為獲得它所做的所有努力以及我的夢想的實現(xiàn)。感覺就像夢想成真。</p><p class="ql-block">后來為了買車，除了讀書，還在一家公司做翻譯。一年后，我用積蓄買了一輛二手車。雖然用過，但安全舒適。當我開著自己辛辛苦苦得來的車走在異鄉(xiāng)的道路上時，我又一次體會到了堅持不懈才能獲得的無窮魅力。</p><p class="ql-block">大學院畢業(yè)后，我在日本的研究機構實習，回到中國的大學工作，最后去了美國。每次到達不同的國家，我都必須重新辦理駕照手續(xù)。然而，當我在那些不同的國家考取駕照時，卻沒有了第一次的那種夢幻和迷人的感覺。我以冷靜的心態(tài)接近它。</p><p class="ql-block">生活在加州，這里的公共鐵路和公共汽車交通不如日本發(fā)達，但道路、高速公路和停車場的建設非常先進。因此，汽車是人們出行的首選。</p><p class="ql-block">如今，開車時那種如夢似幻的感覺早已蕩然無存。盡管如此，拿到第一張駕照、擁有一輛汽車時的那種快樂，卻永遠銘刻在我的心中。</p><p class="ql-block">自從1986年底離開中國，我就跟隨著現(xiàn)代化的腳步，享受著汽車代替步行或騎車的便利。然而，依賴汽車的副作用是顯而易見的。例如，汽車尾氣排放對環(huán)境有害，缺乏體育鍛煉對健康有負面影響。為了盡量減少對環(huán)境的影響，十年前，我從汽油車換成了混合動力車，為減少環(huán)境污染做出了小小的貢獻。最近，隨著電動汽車的普及，我打算改用全電動汽車，以進一步減少排放。此外，從去年開始，我養(yǎng)成了每天至少步行 6,000 步的習慣，以彌補因依賴汽車而不是身體活動而對健康造成的負面影響。</p>