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認識Marine Sweet是一次偶然的機會,那天她也去參加在黃唯律師事務所舉辦的“
歡迎美國第一位華裔國會議員趙美心到訪克城”的活動,當日因爲她的提問引起了我的注意,便請她到我們伊利華報的報社辦公室小坐叙談,她爽快地答應了我的邀請。在這里她向我表達了她對中華文化的感受和熱愛,還給我看了她收藏的由克利夫蘭民族樂團演奏的中國民族音樂CD光碟。談話之間剛巧音樂CD光碟的演奏者之一、克利夫蘭民族樂團的一位酷愛中國藝術並能演奏多種中國樂器的樂團成員美國人David也來到報社辦公室,有緣相識大喜過望,大家不免就有關中國的話題熱議一番。(David的故事《四海一家愛中國》已經在上期華報刋登)。爲什么這么喜愛中國,Marine
Sweet女士給我講述了她和中國的一段情緣!
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Marine
Sweet女士是一位專業英文敎師,對敎授英文有着極爲豐富的經驗和素質。她的先生去世後,她就想利用她的專業知識做一些對社會和公益有意義的事情並能有些經濟收入。去年她隨同愛克隆一個商會一起前往中國,此次旅行原本只是2周的行程,但充滿活力的中國吸引着她,結果使她在中國北京的豐台區一獃就是三個月,要不是因爲生病住院需要治療,她今天還會一直在中國住下去,
Marine Sweet女士説她喜歡中國,更喜歡中國的老百姓。
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Marine
Sweet女士説她在中國時認識了一位王女士的祖母,這是一位90多歲的普通中國老太太,但這位老人給她留下了深刻的影響。在Marine
Sweet的眼里中國的母親是天下最善良、最無私的母親。她們個個面容慈祥,爲人謙和,生活儉樸,爲兒女做家務,帶孩子,任勞任怨。另外中國人眞誠勤勞。
Marine
Sweet女士還給我講述了一件讓她十分感動的事:那是她在中國時一次在一家餐廳吃飯,這家餐廳的女老闆見她是外國人就和她聊過幾句天,互相之間只是彼此有印象。一次她從旅店去學校時,一只手提着電腦,另一只手拿着一個大提包,剛剛出來就在路上碰見這位飯店女老闆,當知道Marine
Sweet女士手提這么多重東西是要趕到學校時,女老闆就用手比劃説可以幫忙她把提包和電腦送到她上課的學校,Marine
Sweet當時被她的熱情感動,眼看着女老闆帶着她的電腦和提包騎着輕便車遠去時,那一刻Marine
Sweet突然感到有點擔心和害怕,這么貴重的東西交給一個不是很熟悉的人,會不會有意外呢?當Marine
Sweet女士快步走到學校時,看到她的電腦和提包已經放在辦公桌上,那一刻她的擔心和害怕全部化爲欣慰和感激。這件事也Marine
Sweet女士加深了對中國的認識和再次返回中國敎學的意願和信心。這里我們祝願Marine Sweet女士能夠中國工作生活順利愉快！
社會背景的不同、中西文化之間和風土人情的差異,美國人是如何認識中國人的呢?Marine
Sweet女士回答了我的提問:
Why am I returning to China next month for another extended
stay?
Because the country of 50-plus ethnic groups fascinates me and
challenges me, intellectually, emotionally, and physically. Allow me
to synchronize your need for Western knowledge and culture with my
need for Chinese patience and good temper.
China slowly reveals its ancient mysteries and tempts
me with glimpses of a well-planned future. This is Godiva chocolate to
a cultural geographer and urban planner like me, who was raised in
mountainous SW Pennsylvania where coal dust and coke ash coated every
internal and external surface for decades. The beautiful river in
which we children swam became polluted with brown sulphuric swill for
twenty years, the fish died.
When the steel industry moved south and to Asia, a cultural
'Renaissance' transformed a former rust-belt region into one of the
top 20 areas in the United States to live, work, and raise a family. I
envision much the same happening to many cities in China.
What I offer to my new Chinese friends are my language
skills, knowledge of etiquette and cross-cultural communication,
extensive travel experience, curiosity, respect, and commitment to
creating long-term 'guan xi' (relationships).
Although my knowledge of Mandarin is minimal, I have
discovered that a quick nod of the head, a broad smile, and a
heart-felt 'ni hao' (hello) unfurrows the most distracted brow and I
am treated to a surprised smile as bright as the sun. 'Wai. Ni hao.'
I'm coming Beijing, WuLaTe Qing Qi, Shanghai, Kaifeng. I'm coming.
Caring. Sharing. Teaching. Learning. Together. Xie xie.
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