2012 Transit of Venus live photo (from http://bbs.imufu.cn/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=228216)
By 苏剑林 | June 07, 2019
Today is the Dragon Boat Festival; I wish everyone smooth sailing in all their endeavors. Additionally, today is also the first day of the Gaokao (National College Entrance Examination); again, I wish everyone the best of luck.
On such festivals or special days, it is always possible to evoke many memories and produce much nostalgia. Yesterday, I also posted this message on my QQ Space and WeChat Moments:
Thinking back to this day years ago, I observed the Transit of Venus. If you haven't seen it yet, I'm sorry, you'll have to wait another 98 years.
The "this day years ago" I mentioned yesterday refers to June 6, 2012, which happened to be the "twice-in-a-century" Transit of Venus. The time before that was June 8, 2004, and the next one won't be until December 11, 2117—truly out of reach. Of course, besides being rare, the Transit of Venus isn't particularly spectacular. It works on the same principle as a solar eclipse: during the day, the Sun is partially blocked by a celestial body. In a solar eclipse, the Sun is blocked by the Moon and is basically clearly visible to the naked eye—a total solar eclipse is even more magnificent. However, during a Transit of Venus, Venus only covers a very tiny point on the Sun; it is generally difficult to see clearly without a telescope equipped with Baader AstroSolar film.
2012 Transit of Venus live photo (from http://bbs.imufu.cn/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=228216)
The reason "this day years ago" is remembered is because the two consecutive days following that Transit of Venus were the days of my Gaokao. Being able to calmly take my equipment out for an observation the day before the Gaokao can be considered "bold (reckless)," haha~ However, whether then or now, I don't feel I was being reckless at all. The Gaokao wouldn't be ruined because I went to observe for a while, but the Transit of Venus would have resulted in potentially never seeing it again in my lifetime if I hadn't gone. Therefore, I have always felt this choice was perfectly natural. I am very glad that I understood this back then and did not use "any means necessary" for the sake of the so-called Gaokao.
Please allow me to use the phrase "any means necessary," because in my view, the behavior of many people—both students and teachers—dealing with the Gaokao today can be described as such. Don't talk to me about "ideals," "having no choice," or "helplessness." By any means necessary is simply what it is; there's no need to find excuses—I didn't say it was "unforgivable." We had pressure back then too, and we had exam papers, but ultimately we felt we lived quite comfortably, pursuing many of our own interests along the way. Many of those things are hard to see in today's students.
Perhaps times have progressed, and our generation has fallen behind, unable to adapt to the new era? Numerous sighs and instances of nostalgia, occasionally saying "back in my day," also prove that we are gradually getting older and becoming outdated~
On special days, we find that we always like to reminisce about certain people, certain events, and certain things—perhaps a song, or perhaps a piece of scenery. Sometimes we indulge in this nostalgia without realizing that perhaps what we miss is not those people or things, but nostalgia itself.
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