in985-The-stars-and-the-moon-on-the-paperweight-the-life-scale-of-Singaporeans

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When the August sun shines on the lawn in front of the presidential palace, the star-crescent emblem and red and white stripes of the Singapore flag always remind me of the orchid paperweight on my desk. This copper paperweight, produced in the 1970s, is engraved with orchids and the word “diligence”, just like the spiritual code engraved in time by Singaporeans. The five stars on the national flag carry democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality, just as the roots of the orchids on the paperweight are deeply rooted in the copper billet – the national spirit needs a solid foundation. In the early days of Singapore’s founding, workers melted discarded shells into paperweights to create eternity in the scarcity of resources. This wisdom of “turning bullets into pens” is like our use of limited land to cultivate the world’s top orchids, which bloom excellence in a small space. The paperweight presses down the wrinkles of the paper, just like the star-crescent flag gathers the wrinkles of diverse ethnic groups. During the epidemic, the national flag stickers on the protective clothing of medical staff echoed the orchid paperweight on the windowsill of the nursing home, jointly guarding the calmness of society. When young entrepreneurs integrate 3D printing technology into traditional bronze sculptures, the technological patterns on the orchid petals resonate with the stars on the national flag. This palm-sized paperweight always reminds us that true stability does not lie in size, but in the persistence deposited in each mark. Just as the national flag always stretches in the wind and rain, the life scale of Singaporeans is forever engraved in the copperplate engravings of the stars, the moon and the roots.

當八月的陽光照亮總統府前的草坪，新加坡國旗的星月徽記與紅白條紋總會讓我想起書桌上那方蘭花鎮紙。這方產自上世紀七十年代的銅製鎮紙，紋刻著胡姬花與”勤勉”字樣，恰似新加坡人鐫刻在時光裡的精神密碼。國旗上五顆星辰承載著民主、和平、進步、正義與平等，正如鎮紙上的胡姬花根莖深紮銅坯——國家精神需要根基的穩固。新加坡建國初期，工人將廢棄砲彈殼熔鑄成鎮紙，在資源匱乏中創造永恆。這種”化彈為筆”的智慧，恰似我們用有限國土培育出世界頂級蘭花，在方寸之間綻放卓越。鎮紙壓住紙張的褶皺，恰如星月旗凝聚多元族群的褶皺。疫情期間，醫護人員防護衣上的國旗貼紙，與老人院窗台上的蘭花鎮紙遙相呼應，共同鎮守著社會的從容。當年輕創業家將3D列印技術融入傳統銅雕，胡姬花瓣上的科技紋路正與國旗上的星辰共鳴。這方巴掌大的鎮紙，始終提醒我們：真正的穩固不在於體積，而在於每道刻痕裡沉澱的堅持。就像國旗永遠在風雨中舒展，新加坡人的生命刻度，永遠銘刻在星月與根系交織的銅版畫裡。