Earn your stripes
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>, “<span word="stripes">stripes</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="particular">particular</span>: “<span word="When">When</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="provinces">provinces</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="know">know</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="earn">earn</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="stripes">stripes</span>.”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Here">Here</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> <span word="addresses">addresses</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fact">fact</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="provinces">provinces</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="doubly">doubly</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="prove">prove</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="locals">locals</span> <span word="tend">tend</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="distrust">distrust</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="upon">upon</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="cities">cities</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="countryside">countryside</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="earn">earn</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="stripes">stripes</span>, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="nobody">nobody</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="anything">anything</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="everything">everything</span>, <span word="earn">earn</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="Stripes">Stripes</span> <span word="refer">refer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="narrow">narrow</span> <span word="stripes">stripes</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="braid">braid</span> <span word="embroidered">embroidered</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="shoulders">shoulders</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="army">army</span> <span word="men">men</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="distinguish">distinguish</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="rank">rank</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="experience">experience</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="higher">higher</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rank">rank</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="experience">experience</span> (<span word="length">length</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="service">service</span>), <span word="the">the</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="stripes">stripes</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="gets">gets</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="wear">wear</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="an">an</span> <span word="army">army</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="wearing">wearing</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="stripes">stripes</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="arm">arm</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="distinguished">distinguished</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="stripe">stripe</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="example">example</span>, “<span word="earn">earn</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="stripes">stripes</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="metaphor">metaphor</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="stripes">stripes</span>, <span word="stars">stars</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="badges">badges</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="earn">earn</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="ordinary">ordinary</span> <span word="walk">walk</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="city">city</span>. <span word="Instead">Instead</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="earn">earn</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="stripes">stripes</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="city">city</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="outsider">outsider</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="earn">earn</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="trust">trust</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="respect">respect</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="dweller">dweller</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="harbor">harbor</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="sorts">sorts</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="prejudices">prejudices</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="fellowmen">fellowmen</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="countryside">countryside</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="outsiders">outsiders</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="called">called</span> “<span word="those">those</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="places">places</span>” <span word="and">and</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="jeered">jeered</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sneered">sneered</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="lifestyle">lifestyle</span> <span word="habits">habits</span>.</p>
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