Sing in the stars

　　”I leave lightly,
　　just as I came lightly;
　　…
　　in the gentle waves of the Kang River,
　　I would rather be a water plant!
　　…”
　　What kind of tenderness makes Xu Zhimo willing to be a water plant in the Kang River” A water plant”?
　　When the first ray of sunlight shines on the waves of the River Cam in the morning, pierces through the steeple of King’s College, and scatter on the mottled bookshelves of the library, Cambridge, the 800-year-old university, opens a new day .
　　If you want to take a photo in front of the gate of Cambridge University, you will be disappointed. In the small town of Cambridge, there are more than 30 colleges scattered in an orderly manner. These colleges were built in different ages, each with its own characteristics, and each college has its own style and personality, and they are all independent teaching institutions. The teaching buildings, libraries, dormitories, and auditoriums of each college are integrated with the town of Cambridge. The unique college system constitutes the University of Cambridge, which also makes it known as “the university in the city”. Strolling in the streets and alleys of Cambridge, you will meet professors, students, local residents and tourists at any time. This special atmosphere of academics, business and life is the beauty of Cambridge.
　　On the lawn to the right of the gate of Trinity College, Cambridge, there is an unremarkable apple tree. Many people have heard that Newton was hit by an apple falling from a tree and was inspired to discover the law of universal gravitation. The tree in Cambridge is a descendant of the magical “Newton Apple Tree”, which was transplanted from Newton’s hometown. In fact, the story about “Newton’s Apple Tree” has long been unable to verify its authenticity, but this does not prevent people from continuing to talk about it. This may be because what people really want to do is to pay tribute to the spirit of scientific exploration.
　　Impressions of Cambridge, in addition to the academic classics of Newton, Bacon, Russell and other masters, is also full of modern colors. You know, the Cambridge Science and Technology Park, founded in the early 1970s, is the first science and technology entrepreneurial park in the UK. The cooperation between academia and business circles is a very representative teaching mode in Cambridge. It advocates the integration of “research”, “experiment” and “application”, and promotes the application of new technology achievements developed by universities to enterprise production. Today, around Cambridge University and its surrounding areas, a large number of high-tech companies have sprung up like mushrooms, ranging from biotechnology to electronic communications, from start-up companies to R&D centers of multinational companies, in various fields and types. Everything is like the “Newton apple tree” that symbolizes science, spreading its branches and leaves.
　　”This place is the place of enlightenment, the source of knowledge.” This Latin is the motto of Cambridge. There are not many class hours in Cambridge, and the guiding principle of its education is to encourage the spirit of questioning and enhance students’ lifelong learning ability. In their view, seeking knowledge does not depend entirely on where to go to university, but on whether the desire for knowledge persists in the heart. Cambridge exams are mostly open-ended questions. There is no standard answer, but students are required to have dialectical thinking and viewpoints, and to demonstrate their understanding of things. Moreover, there is no opportunity for make-up exams for Cambridge exams. In the eyes of Cambridge people, it is the responsibility of students to complete their studies well, so they should not “leave a way out” for exams.
　　The pursuit of academics is not only rigorous, but also full of ritual. As night fell, students and guests in formal attire gathered in the brightly lit college cafeteria. After hearing a sound of gong, the dean, professors and academicians entered the restaurant. At this time, the audience stood up and paid tribute to the masters. Meals are arranged in the order of appetizers, main meals, desserts, fruits, and coffee. This is a “formal dinner” held by every college in Cambridge, and it is also a unique way of socializing in Cambridge. In addition to tasting delicious food, the more important function of the “formal dinner” is to promote academic exchanges between teachers and students and people of different majors and backgrounds. After all, many sparks are generated in collisions.
　　If studying in Cambridge requires calm thinking, then living in Cambridge requires the release of vitality. In the evening of midsummer, lean against the big tree and sit on the green lawn, and enjoy an open-air performance of the “Shakespeare Festival” in Cambridge. Actors dressed in ancient costumes, full of enthusiasm, performed from sunset to starry sky amidst melodious and tortuous medieval music. Immersed in Shakespeare’s classic repertoire and feel the charm of art, people will suddenly realize that nature is the best art theater.
　　The Kang River is flowing, how can there be no rowing competition? Different from ordinary rowing competitions, every year to celebrate the end of summer final exams, the Cambridge Students’ Union organizes a paper rowing competition. Everyone used their whimsy to make a boat out of cardboard boxes, cards, glue, etc., and the work that lasted the longest time in the water without capsizing the boat won. This game does not pursue results, the key lies in creativity. Therefore, even if the opponents interfere with each other, the scene is still very happy.
　　After speculating in the classroom, struggling to prepare for exams in the library, and lingering by the Cam River…Cambridge students finally ushered in a grand graduation ceremony. The graduates wore black academic gowns and set out for the auditorium under the leadership of the dean of the college. The seemingly uniform academic gowns are actually very particular. Gown length, sleeves, ribbons, hoods, buttons, etc. vary by college, major, and degree. As the students walked through the streets of Cambridge, people along the way would applaud and wish. And this day can also be called a festival for the whole city.
　　The novelist Foster once described Cambridge in this way: “Spirit and body, reason and emotion, work and play, architecture and scenery, laughter and seriousness, life and art, these correspondences may be opposites elsewhere, but here they are integrated. One. People and books support each other, wisdom and emotion go hand in hand, and thinking becomes a kind of passion…”
　　Swimming in the ocean of knowledge and singing in the stars, this is probably the charm of Cambridge.