彭納
提到“巴鐵”一詞,每個國人都不會感到陌生,那些關(guān)于兩國友好交往的點滴仿佛早已留存在記憶里。而今天,當我們踏上巴基斯坦的國土,“巴鐵”這個詞終于從口口相傳的故事變得鮮活生動起來。
在巴基斯坦的半個月,數(shù)不清有多少人用中文“你好”向我們打招呼,“中國和巴基斯坦之間的友誼源遠流長”是我們來到這里后最常聽到的一句話。那些在巴基斯坦小學課本里所描述的中國,如今,也在中巴經(jīng)濟走廊的建設(shè)中變得立體起來。
在這個時代,兩個古老的國度因一個偉大工程變得愈加緊密,來自不同背景、不同文化的年輕人,正通過學習彼此的語言而愈加了解對方,并追尋自己人生的新方向。
在距離伊斯蘭堡180多公里的白沙瓦市,穿著一襲白色長袍的慕德已經(jīng)等候我們多時,一打照面,這個年輕的小伙兒便用流利的中文跟每一個人打招呼,“你好,我叫慕德,羨慕的慕,美德的德?!?/p>
4年前,慕德還一句中文都不會講,剛剛大學畢業(yè)的他在白沙瓦工作時漸漸發(fā)現(xiàn),成批的中國人走進了白沙瓦?!拔液芟敫麄兘涣鳒贤ǎ换I莫展、一竅不通?!笨偪渴謩萁涣饕膊皇寝k法,于是,這個小伙兒萌生了學中文的念頭。
最初,慕德靠著網(wǎng)絡(luò)自學,“太難啦,中文是全世界最難學的語言?!弊詫W了一段時間后,慕德發(fā)現(xiàn)想要學好中文,必須系統(tǒng)學習。于是在2015年,他毅然決然地離開了家鄉(xiāng)白沙瓦,來到首都伊斯蘭堡從頭開始學,這一次,他真正地走進了中文的世界。
學習期間,慕德偶然得知了一個可以去中國留學的消息,通過筆試、面試,他最終拿到了獎學金,順利考入了四川大學?!斑@個考試很難,很嚴格的?!闭f到那次改變他人生方向的考試,慕德有點驕傲地強調(diào),“招考是面向全巴基斯坦的,參加考試的人數(shù)很多,白沙瓦就錄取了我一個人呢!”
第一次到中國的慕德還鬧了不少“笑話”。出國前,慕德認為每個中國人都應(yīng)該會功夫;而四川作為中國國寶大熊貓的故鄉(xiāng),應(yīng)該家家戶戶都有一只熊貓?!拔疫€想跟熊貓親近親近,結(jié)果到了四川才知道,原來不是每個四川家庭都有熊貓?!彪m然想象與現(xiàn)實有些不同,慕德笑了笑告訴記者,后來,他還是問道青城山,在那里學習了太極拳,圓了“功夫夢”。
三年半的學習很快結(jié)束,操著一口流利中文的慕德選擇回到他的家鄉(xiāng),“回巴基斯坦,是想通過自己,為中國和巴基斯坦搭建溝通的橋梁?!卑咨惩呤莻€很美的地方,慕德希望未來,他能講好白沙瓦的故事,讓更多的中國游客到家鄉(xiāng)旅游,“另外,我還想辦一個中文學習班?!苯┠?,慕德身邊越來越多的人想要學習中文,想到中國留學,而這種現(xiàn)象絕不僅僅只在白沙瓦出現(xiàn)。
據(jù)教育部數(shù)據(jù)顯示,2018年巴基斯坦來華留學生人數(shù)達到28023人,在來華留學國別排序中位居第三位。這些巴基斯坦留學生中,有專門為學習語言而來,也有為了學習別的專業(yè)知識而來,薩米就是其中之一。
在中國水電七局的項目地上,踩著機械轟鳴聲匆匆趕來的薩米,是項目地不可或缺的“寶貝”,會說烏爾都語和中文的他,是中巴雙方員工交流的紐帶。個頭高高的他,穿著標準“理工男”的格子襯衫、牛仔褲,一打聽才知道,這個從土木工程畢業(yè)的帥小伙是如假包換“made in China”的理工男。
2013年剛到中國的薩米連“你好”都不會說,“當時覺得中文太難,有點畏難情緒,不想學。”但要在中國生活學習,不會中文寸步難行,于是薩米一頭扎進了中文的學習。光報補習班還不夠,課后他還一筆一畫地練習寫漢字,現(xiàn)在,他的漢語詞匯量已經(jīng)2000多了,“我還有個小目標,幾年后,詞匯量要達到5000。”
掌握了中文后,薩米順利地考取了武漢海事職業(yè)學院的土木工程專業(yè),畢業(yè)后,他順利應(yīng)聘到水電七局項目部工作,“雖然現(xiàn)在我做的是翻譯工作,但在未來,我希望自己能夠成為一名工程師。”
在薩米的規(guī)劃中,他還想到中國進修土木工程的碩士?!斑@也是我爸爸的愿望?!彼_米很早就沒了母親,父親帶著他們兄弟6人,即使生活條件并不富足,但父親在他們兄弟讀書的問題上卻立場堅定,“我們從小就知道中巴友誼深厚,如今又有很多中國企業(yè)到巴基斯坦搞建設(shè),所以爸爸很支持我到中國來學習?!比缃?,薩米的弟弟在爸爸的鼓勵下,也拿到了中國一所大學的錄取通知書。未來,在中巴經(jīng)濟走廊的項目地上,將會看到兄弟倆一起建設(shè)祖國的身影。
Chinese people are very familiar with the phrase“Iron friendship with Pakistan” as memories of the fond China-Pakistan friendship have long been carved into our minds. Today, as we step onto the land of Pakistan, the phrase is getting more vivid.
During the half month stay in Pakistan, numerous people saluted us with “nihao”. The most common sentence we have heard was “China and Pakistan enjoy a long-standing friendship”. The image of China described in the primary school textbooks of Pakistan is becoming more three-dimensional amid the development of China-Pakistan Corridor.
In this age, two ancient states are being linked closer together thanks to a great project. Young people of different backgrounds and cultures are getting to know each other by learning the language, seeking for new life courses.
In Peshawar, some 180km away from Islamabad, white coat-clad Mude had waited us for quite a while.Seeing us, the young man greeted us with fluent Chinese, “How do you do? My Chinese name is Mude. It’s a name made up by Chinese characters meaning‘a(chǎn)dmiration’ and ‘virtue’ respectively.”
Four years ago, Mude cannot speak a word of Chinese. As a fresh college graduate, he worked in Peshawar, where he found Chinese people streamed in. “I wanted to talk with them, but it did not work.”Gesture did not work, either. Then the young boy had the idea of learning Chinese.
At first, Mude studied on his own with internet, “It is too difficult. Chinese is the most difficult language in the world.” After a period of self-study, he realized that he had to study systematically to master the language. In 2015, he left his hometown Peshawar for Islamabad, where he started from scratch and then entered the world of Chinese language.
During that period, Mude chanced to hear a news of studying in China. He passed written examination and interview, got the scholarship, and entered Sichuan University. “That examination was very hard and rigorous.” Talking about the life-changing examination, Mude stressed proudly, “Anyone of Pakistan can apply for it, and many people participated in it. I was the only one enrolled in Peshawar.”
As a newcomer, Mude made many funny mistakes in China. Before leaving Pakistan, he thought that every Chinese people can play kung fu; and in Sichuan, the hometown of panda, each household has a panda. “I wanted to have a close contact with panda. It was till when I arrived in Sichuan that I knew that not every Sichuan household have a panda.” Then he realized the gap between his imagination and the reality. He smiled and told the reporter, later he visited Qingcheng Mountain, where he learned Tai Chi to realize his “kung fu dream”.
When the 3.5 years of study finished, Mude, who spoke fluent Chinese, returned to his hometown,“I want to return to Pakistan to build a bridge of communication between China and Pakistan.”Peshawar is a nice place. Mude hopes to tell the stories of Peshawar in a better way, and bring more Chinese tourists to Peshawar, “I also want to open a Chinese language training course.” In recent years, around Mude, a growing number of people want to learn Chinese and study in China. In fact, it is a phenomenon which can be found in Peshawar and beyond.
According to data from the Ministry of Education, the number of Pakistani students studying in China reached 28,023 in 2018, ranking third among all countries. And Sami was one of those Pakistani students who came to China to learn Chinese or specialized knowledge.
The reporter saw Sami at the project site contracted by Sinohydro Bureau 7 Co., Ltd. amid the hum of mechanical equipment. Speaking Urdu and Chinese, Sami plays an indispensable role in bridging Chinese and Pakistani employees. The young man looks tall and wears plaid shirt and jeans just like a“science geek”. This handsome guy majoring civil engineering is a graduate “Made in China”.
In 2013, when Sami just arrived in China, he could not even speak “Nihao (hello)”. “It’s too hard to learn Chinese. I gave up.” However, Sami found it is extremely inconvenient to live and study in China as he could not speak Chinese, and thus he began to work hard on Chinese. Sami went to tutoring classes and practice writing Chinese characters hard after classes. So far, his has acquired more than 2,000 Chinese vocabularies. “I set a goal for myself, that is, to master 5,000 Chinese vocabularies a few years later,” said Sami.
After acquiring Chinese, Sami successfully enrolled in the civil engineering major of Wuhan Maritime Vocational College. When graduating from the college, he was hired by the project department of Sinohydro Bureau 7 Co., Ltd..“Although I am doing translation now, I hope I can become an engineer in the future.”
Sami also hopes to pursue a master’s degree in civil engineering in China. “That’s what my father wants, too.” In fact, Sami is from a one-parent family, and his father raises six children alone. Even if the family is not rich, Sami’s father supports the education of the six children. “We have known since childhood that China and Pakistan are intimate friends, and now many Chinese enterprises are engaged in construction in Pakistan, so my father supports me to come to China to study.” Now one of Sami’s younger brothers, encouraged by his father, has been accepted to a Chinese university. In the future, Sami and his brother will work on the project sites of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, together building their motherland.