从媒体和书本中走出来看中国

A Job in China is Constant Discovery and Fun

我初到北京的日子是令人难忘的,时至今日,当时的种种场景仍历历在目。那是2003年5月的一天,空气中弥漫着春日的气息。如同每一位初到异国他乡的旅行者,我走出机场时,便对我将看到的东西抱有某种期待。对于像我这样看过武术电影,并且关注西方媒体报道及研究的人而言,我期待看到人们练习中国功夫。我也知道中华民族是踏实勤劳的民族,因为连接坦桑尼亚与赞比亚的坦赞铁路,便出自中国工程师与工人之手。来到中国后不久,我就意识到:自己对中国的了解其实是片面的。例如,在短短几周后,我就一睹长城的雄伟;在几个月之后,我见到了大熊猫,但当我被告知如果要想欣赏专业的功夫表演,就必须前往一座遥远的城市时,我在惊讶之余,还略感失落。

Arriving in Beijing was unforgettable,and to this day,I can vividly recall the details.It was back in May of 2003,and springtime was in the air contrasting with the heavy fog although there was no hint of rain.Like any traveler to a new country,I had certain expectations of what I would see as soon as I stepped out of the airport.For those of us who have watched martial arts movies,western media reports,and studies from high schools and universities,I expected to see people practicing Kungfu.Then again,I was also aware that the Chinese are hard-working because of a railway connecting Tanzania and Zambia that Chinese engineers and workers built.Not long after my arrival,I realized I knew only some things correctly about China.For example,after only a few weeks,I saw the Great Wall,and after a few months,I saw the panda.Still,I was surprised and disappointed after being told I had to travel to a distant city to see professional Kungfu.