- Feb 25

Journey to the East东游记｜Week 3 Review

Week 3 review

Feb 15-Feb 21

Waterloo marked the end of the grand imperial notion that the East was merely a 'provincia' for Western exploitation or, in darker views, a source of barbarism. The pivotal turn of the battle came with the unforeseen, yet timely, arrival of the Prussian chief commander and his forces.

滑铁卢标志着宏大帝国观念的终结。这种观念认为西方将东方视为待剥削的“行省”，或更消极地看为野蛮之源。战役的转折点在于普鲁士指挥官及其军队意外而适时的到达。

In Vienna, last seen as a bastion of Europe during our event, the city's resilience often relied on nuanced strategies to uphold its self-image. Vienna's claim as the ultimate shield against Eastern pressures was forged through three near-defeats to the Ottomans in the 16th and 17th centuries, a legacy that has shaped its character for generations.

在维也纳，我们的活动最后一次将它作为欧洲的堡垒。这座城市的韧性常常依赖于细腻的策略来维护其自身形象。维也纳自诩为抵御东方压力的最终“盾牌”，该称号是通过16至17世纪三次险胜奥斯曼帝国而得，一个世代相传的“遗产”塑造了它的特性。

My journey took me past this 'last bastion' to cities like Bratislava, Budapest, and Belgrade, places where Eastern influences are inextricable from the cultural tapestry. Despite numerous attempts to subjugate or erase these influences, each has withstood the test of time, leaving indelible marks of a shared history.

我的旅程带我经过了这个“最后的堡垒”，前往像布拉迪斯拉发、布达佩斯和贝尔格莱德这样的城市，这些地方的东方影响与文化紧密相连。尽管历史上有无数次试图征服或抹除这些影响的尝试，但每个城市都经受住了时间的考验，留下了共同历史的深刻烙印。

In seeking to understand how the Ottomans — and Muslims at large — have been integrated into the regional identity, it's clear they represented not only formidable power but also a legacy of intellectual and cultural contributions that have shaped the Balkans for centuries. From the decisive Battle of Mohacs to the historic peace of Karlovci, the intermingling of Austrian, Magyar, Serbian, and Turkish influences has created a rich mosaic of cultures.

在探求奥斯曼帝国——以及广泛意义上的穆斯林——如何融入地区身份的过程中，很明显他们不仅代表了强大的力量，还代表了智识和文化贡献的遗产，这些贡献塑造了巴尔干半岛几个世纪的面貌。从决定性的莫哈奇战役到历史性的卡洛维茨和平，奥地利、马扎尔人、塞尔维亚和土耳其的影响交织在一起，创造了丰富多彩的文化”马赛克”。

More recently, the Balkans served as the frontline between German-speaking Nazis, Serbian Partisans, and the Red Army. The Vienna Schwarzenbergplatz's Soviet War Memorial and the Battle of Batina Memorial bear witness to yet another failed 'Drang nach Osten' by German forces.

距今更近的时间，巴尔干地区成为了德语纳粹分子、塞尔维亚游击队和红军之间的前线。维也纳施瓦岑贝格广场上的苏联战争纪念碑和巴蒂纳战役纪念碑，都见证了德军又一次失败的‘向东扩张’。

The third major manifestation of clashing universes are the traces of what came to be called the Cold War. An “Iron Curtain” cut Europe in two parts, with several countries I pass at the frontline: Slovakia, Hungary, and in a more ambivalent position Serbia. For decades these countries have been by and large defined by a war that never broke out in full, but which impact on society and culture cannot be over estimated. Most impressive on my journey through this part of Europe was a visit to the Socialist model industrial city of Donaújváros,, formerly known as Stalin New Town. This was no longer about a facility to produce (steel, weapons); this was nothing less than a comprehensive attempt to design another society.

全面冲突的第三个主要表现是所谓的冷战的痕迹。一道“铁幕”将欧洲一分为二，我所经过的几个国家如斯洛伐克、匈牙利处于前线，而塞尔维亚则处于一个更为模棱两可的位置。几十年来，这些国家在很大程度上被一个从未全面爆发的战争所定义，但这场战争对社会和文化的影响不容低估。在我穿越这部分欧洲的旅程中，最令人印象深刻的是参观了曾经被称为斯大林新城——多瑙新城的社会主义模范工业城市。这不再仅仅是一个生产（钢铁、武器）的场所；这是一次全面尝试去设计另一个社会。

As I venture deeper into the territories once shaped by Ottoman, Serbian, Magyar, and Russian presences, the East sheds its veneer as a mere Western projection and begins to unveil its own rich layers of history and experience. The closer I look at specific facts and circumstances, the less meaning broad labels like 'Balkan' or 'Slavic' seem to hold. My journey south to Belgrade will soon reveal more of this complex tapestry. If I, Godspeed, will make it.

随着我深入探访曾经受到奥斯曼、塞尔维亚、马扎尔和俄罗斯影响的地区，东方开始褪去作为西方附庸的外衣，展露出其丰富的历史和经验层次。我越是仔细研究具体的事实和情况，像“巴尔干”或“斯拉夫”这样的泛泛之词就显得越发失去了意义。我即将南下贝尔格莱德的旅程将揭示更多关于这一复杂文化“织锦”的内容。前提是，我能够顺利抵达。