The incredible Chinese high-speed rail

Is this a magic trick, or scientific experiment? Well, it's maybe a bit of both. All aboard a high-speed train hurtling across the Chinese landscape at speeds up to 300 kilometers an hour!

這是一個神奇的魔術嗎？還是一場科學實驗？嗯，也可以說兩者都是。其實,這是一個來自瑞士的小伙伴,在時速300公里的中國高鐵上做的“立硬幣”實驗！

During this nine-minute video, the coin kept its balance, prompting a surge in online viewers worldwide. Some took to performing similar experiments on high-speed trains in their own countries… with varying levels of success!

在剛剛長達九分鐘的視頻里，立著的硬幣始終保持著平衡，這在全世界引發了巨大的關注。國外的小伙伴紛紛開始在自己的國家效仿高鐵試驗，結果……

Although the Japanese high-speed train is also great, do you think that it is the safest? Or Shinkansen is the fastest? Think again! Chinese high-speed rail – or CRH – stands out in front, commanding the top-6 places in world speed rankings and some 60% of global high-speed track mileage.

雖然日本高鐵也很厲害，但你還認為世界上最安全的高鐵在日本？最快的是新干線？NO! 中國高鐵，不僅承包了世界高鐵平均速度的前六名，而且中國的運營里程數占據世界高鐵總里程的60%以上。

The Beijing-to-Shanghai high-speed train has even clocked in speeds up to 480 kilometers an hour. That's about 300 miles an hour! And with this high speed, the time to travel from New York to Washington could be shortened from the original 3h50min to 53.5min.

中國京滬高鐵的最高時速更是達到480公里。按這個最高時速，紐約到華盛頓的時間可以從現在的3小時50分鐘一下縮短到53.5分鐘。

In 2017, the Renaissance EMU train achieved an average 350 km-per-hour journey between Beijing and Shanghai. That kind of speed would get you from London to Edinburgh in less than two hours. But the price is just a mere 20 pounds or so. In fact, China sells the cheapest high-speed train tickets in the world, which means if a Londoner gets on a Chinese high-speed train on Friday after work, it will be very easy to travel to Edinburgh and enjoy the most authentic Scotch whisky there.

2017年，中國高鐵“復興號”在京滬高鐵開展了時速350公里的體驗運營。如此神速，能夠讓人在不到兩小時內從倫敦去到愛丁堡，而票價卻只要20多英鎊。是的，中國高鐵票價是全世界最便宜的。所以，如果是乘坐中國高鐵，一個倫敦人周五下班去愛丁堡喝一杯最地道的蘇格蘭威士忌，會是一件很容易的事。

"High-speed rail changes life." That is why China keeps building it. Since high-speed rail debuted in China with the Beijing-to-Tianjin link in 2008, China has built four east-west high-speed lines across the country and four north-south routes.

“高鐵改變生活”，這就是中國不斷建造高鐵的原因。自2008年中國第一條高鐵線路“京津城際高鐵”開通運營以來，中國在八年內開創了“四縱四橫”的局面。

Along with its extensive high-speed rail networks, China has been transformed into a vast, economically-connected transportation network. Departing from Beijing in the morning, you can go to Shanghai to have a meeting and arrive in Hangzhou in the afternoon to enjoy beautiful scenery and eat local delicious sweet and sour fish near West Lake. At night, you can return to Beijing at 10pm, right on time. It is easy to shuttle between three cities in just one day.

伴隨著高鐵的建造，中國也已經成功打造了一日經濟圈。早晨從北京出發，中午去上海開個公司會，下午再去杭州感受一下西湖美景吃個西湖醋魚，晚上妥妥地十點準時回到北京，一天三個城市穿梭很輕松。

Nowadays, there are many young people choosing to live a twins life -- living in a quiet city while working in a bustling city. The transportation time is only an hour while the cost is as low as 16 US dollars.

如今，中國很多年輕人都會選擇雙城生活，在安靜的城市居住在繁華的城市上班。雙城交通時間只需1小時，來回花費不過16美元。

Different from other countries, high-speed rail construction in China receives government subsidies and support. It has also been constantly upgraded in the past five years. As high-speed rail increases the flow of economic and trade exchanges, it also facilitates the mobility of population and enterprises, allowing smaller cities to develop alongside major metropolises.

與其他國家不同，中國高鐵由政府出資建設，并在五年來不斷升級高鐵“超能力”。高鐵也讓經濟貿易的交流多了起來，人口和企業都能快速流動，大城市的經濟更好地帶動周邊小城市的發展。

As you know that in comparison to other forms of transportation, high-speed rail means reductions in noise, pollution, and energy consumption. Therefore, China can protect the environment with its best efforts, while still pursuing fast economic development. There are so many benefits about high-speed rail, no wonder that China has never stopped with its upgrades.

你知道嗎？相較于其他交通方式，高鐵是污染最低的。在發展經濟的基礎上還能最大程度地保護生態環境。這么多好處，怪不得中國對高鐵“超能力”的提升一直沒停過。

In the past five years, under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping, China is no longer satisfied with just having high-speed rail and its national system. The country continues to strive for a faster, safer and cheaper high-speed train.

近五年，在中國當代領導人習近平的帶領下，中國已不僅僅滿足于“有高鐵”和“全國通車”，而是在不斷追求更快、更安全和更便宜。

On August 30, 2017, China announced the development of "flying train" capable of traveling at up to 4,000km/h, which will achieve "low-altitude flight" and float. If the train is launched, with its speed 5 times faster than an existing civilian aircraft, it could transform the world's travel mode.

2017年8月，中國宣布將研制最高時速達4000公里的高速飛行列車，真正實現超聲速“近地飛行”。這個比現有的民航飛機快5倍的飛速列車一旦建成，預計將改變整個世界的出行方式。

Just imagine the picture: you close your eyes as soon as you get on the train. After taking a quick nap and waking up, congrats: Welcome to China!

想像一下，上了列車， 閉上眼睛，睡個好覺。當你醒來，歡迎來到中國！