The past is another country
数载之后，中国旧貌换新颜
Family saga revisits different era to find out how we got here.
《人世间》这部家族长篇小说重访不同时代，追溯新中国的发展。
The year is 1969 in China's Northeast. When Zhou Zhigang, a construction worker, is dispatched to engage in a large-scale infrastructure project in Southwest China, his eldest son and daughter become zhiqing, a term referring to educated youth sent to the countryside, leaving the youngest son and his mother at home.
该剧的时间地点背景是1969年的中国东北，主人公周志刚是一名建筑工人，被派往中国西南部参与“大三线”建设，他的大儿子和女儿成为了“知青”（从城市去到农村的知识青年），其小儿子和母亲则留在了家中。
Focusing on the ups and downs of Zhou's family over five decades, realistic drama A Lifelong Journey has been a huge hit on TV and online, evoking nostalgia among many viewers, especially those born in the 1960s. It premiered on China Central Television and streaming platform iQiyi on Jan 28.
现实题材电视剧《人世间》近期成为电视和网络热播剧，重点讲述了周家近50年时间内所经历的跌宕起伏的人生，激发起许多尤其是出生于20世纪70年代观众的乡愁情绪。该剧于1月28日在中国中央电视台和流媒体平台爱奇艺首映。
Adapted from Liang Xiaosheng's award-winning novel of the same name, the 58-episode show explores themes of family, friendship and romance in a bittersweet story. Given that A Lifelong Journey is set in the 1960s, it's not surprising that the family has to deal with lots of social changes and turmoil, like the resumption of gaokao (the national college entrance exam), the country's reform and opening-up, the zeal for xiahai ("jumping into the sea" or becoming self-employed in private business) and the nation's anti-graft campaign.
该部58集连续剧改编自梁晓声的同名获奖小说，围绕家人、友谊和爱情讲述了悲喜交加的故事。鉴于故事背景设定在20世纪60年代，周家不可避免地经历了许多社会变革和动荡，比如恢复高考（国家大学入学考试）、改革开放、下海热（“跳入海中”或放弃或保留原来的工作去创业）以及反贪运动。
With the majority of the narrative taking place in a shantytown, Guangzipian, where Zhou's family lives, the show takes viewers down the memory lane for its engaging plot and mesmerizing characters.
该剧讲述的大部分场景是周家居住的棚户区“光字片”，凭借引人入胜的情节和人物，该剧将观众带回到过去。
To create the neighborhood, the shooting crew built a set covering 8,000 square meters in Changchun, Jilin province, collecting many old items, such as vintage televisions and calendars, to re-create the past. The clothing, like Lei Feng-style hats, and interior spaces, also play an integral part, changing with time as the plot develops.
为了创造这样的一个街区，摄制组在吉林省长春市搭建了占地8000平方米的拍摄场景，并收集了大量老物件如古董电视和挂历来重现历史。服装如雷锋帽以及室内空间也起到不可或缺的作用，并随着剧情展开不断变化。
In the set, the Guangzipian neighborhood consists of five streets－Guangren, Guangyi, Guangli, Guangzhi and Guangxin－representing ren (benevolence), yi (righteousness), li (courtesy), zhi (wisdom) and xin (trust), the five virtues in Confucianism.
在拍摄场景中，光字片街区有五条街——光仁、光义、光礼、光智、光信，代表了仁、义、礼、智、信，儒家文化中的五大美德。
The virtues can be found in the lead character Zhou Bingkun, the youngest son played by Lei Jiayin. Lei, who was born in Northeast China's Liaoning province in 1983, says he can almost "see his father" in the script.
剧中主要人物小儿子周秉昆的身上就体现了这些美德，该人物由雷佳音扮演，1983年出生于中国东北辽宁省，他说几乎可以从剧本里“看到自己的父亲”。
Following the lives of Zhou's family, the drama gives viewers an insight into the lives of ordinary Chinese who have turned a country in poverty into the world's second-largest economy.
以周家生活为线索，该剧向观众展示了当时中国普通百姓的生活，他们让积贫积弱的中国变成了世界第二大经济体。
Without further spoilers, A Lifelong Journey is the kind of show that tugs at your heartstrings and lingers on your mind with nostalgic, tear-jerking, heartwarming stories, even if you've already read the book.
在此就不过多剧透了，即使对于读过这本书的人，《人世间》也是一部能够令人心酸、萦绕脑海、乡愁满满的催泪暖心剧。
