深藏于捐贈書中的愛

文/許紫瑩

杭州國家版本館開館前，許多海外友人捐贈的書籍無疑為杭州館增添了不少文化的世界性。在杭州館籌備工作的采訪中，工作人員特別提到了來自一位英國友人的捐贈。

這位友人是Therese Hesketh，中文名“何麗莎”，是全球衛(wèi)生研究領(lǐng)域?qū)＜?、倫敦大學(xué)學(xué)院全球衛(wèi)生研究所共同創(chuàng)始人、英國公共衛(wèi)生局顧問，曾在聯(lián)合國兒童基金會、英國國際發(fā)展部、歐盟等組織機構(gòu)擔任顧問，目前擔任浙江大學(xué)醫(yī)學(xué)院全球衛(wèi)生中心負責人。

何麗莎于1986年第一次來到杭州，在此工作已近36年。這些年來，她幾乎每年都會在中國工作9個月，在英國工作3個月，早已把中國視為第二故鄉(xiāng)。她對杭州的愛，全部深藏在她向杭州館捐獻的書籍里。

44本，從英國“背”來的原版書

2021年11月的一天，剛從英國歸來并結(jié)束隔離的何麗莎踏入辦公室時，她的助理吳葉平對她說 ：“杭州國家版本館開館在即，正進行海外版本的征集工作，外國專家局托我向您詢問，是否愿意捐獻海外出版物？”

何麗莎聽后，絲毫沒有猶豫地說：“我有好多書呢，很樂意捐給杭州館。你直接去我的書架上挑選吧，要多選一些?！?/p>

后來確認捐贈的44本海外書籍是何麗莎萬里迢迢從英國“背”來的，可稱得上是她的珍藏。

作為一名愛書之人，何麗莎尤其偏愛紙質(zhì)書，她閑來無事就喜歡在英國倫敦當?shù)氐拇壬茣晏詴旧厦總€星期就要買上四五本。經(jīng)年累月下來，家里的書房已經(jīng)有成千上萬本書了，“書架根本放不下”。每次來中國工作，她都會帶上一些未看過的書，以供閑暇時賞閱?！斑@些都是很好的書，很多甚至是我十幾年前買的。有些是我精心挑選過才買的，有些是我朋友讀完后覺得很好贈送給我的，所以我也樂意把這些書分享給他人，我相信將來讀到這些書的人一定不會失望?！焙嘻惿V定地說。

2018年10月，何麗莎榮獲“西湖友誼獎”。（資料圖片）In October 2018, Therese Hesketh received the West Lake Friendship Award. File photo.

這些海外出版物大多是歷史小說和經(jīng)典小說，何麗莎表示，她讀小說時可以在想象中體驗不同人群的生活，加深對人性的了解。其中，她最愛的一本是馬修 · 尼爾的《英國旅人》，其主題是1857年一位牧師對澳洲塔斯馬尼亞伊甸園的可笑探險。而與此同時，在塔斯馬尼亞本土，英國定居者正交替地試圖“文明化”和消滅原住民。“很少有當代作家有如此想象力或耐力來寫就這種小說。”

何麗莎認為，她所捐贈的這些原版書大多是基于西方文化背景創(chuàng)作的，中國讀者在閱讀時可以感受不同國家的文化、見識不同的社會、了解不同人的心理特點，這是一場深入的跨文化體驗與交流。

談及捐贈海外出版物給杭州國家版本館的初衷，何麗莎說 ：“我?guī)Я撕芏鄷鴣碇袊驗閷嵲谔?、太重，又不可能再把它們?nèi)繋Щ赜?。這些書我已經(jīng)看完，放在我這兒也很可惜，如果捐出去，能讓更多的人享受這些書給他們帶來的驚奇、感動和嘆惋，這是一件很好的事。”

2018年9月和10月，何麗莎分別獲得了“杭州市榮譽市民”“西湖友誼獎”，當記者問到“捐獻海外書籍是否為一種履行責任的表現(xiàn)”時，何麗莎笑道 ：“不是，我當時根本沒想這么多，況且捐書也并不能稱作是履行責任或義務(wù)，這是每一個人都能做的事情。我手里正好有這些書，所以就捐出去了，如此而已?！?/p>

36年，為公共衛(wèi)生事業(yè)初心不改

1986年，一家美國醫(yī)療機構(gòu)想在中國的一些省市建立新生兒和兒童專用的重癥監(jiān)護病房，基地就設(shè)立在杭州。當年29歲的何麗莎受聘于這個醫(yī)療機構(gòu)，于是來到杭州市兒童醫(yī)院擔任兒科醫(yī)生。

那時候，中國才實行改革開放不到10年，杭州的一切基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施都有待完善?！?986年物資相對短缺，兒童死亡率很高。如果有人在那時候告訴我，杭州會發(fā)展成如今這樣，我是絕不會相信的?！?/p>

到杭州后，她和美國同事一起建立了全中國第一家規(guī)范化的新生兒重癥監(jiān)護中心，并制定了11個省的新生兒基礎(chǔ)護理規(guī)范，還開展免疫接種、瘧疾控制、安全孕產(chǎn)等其他項目。

何麗莎告訴筆者，她印象最深刻的一件事是成功看護了杭州市的第一例四胞胎。

1988年，杭州市兒童醫(yī)院入住了四個特殊的病人—當時中國國內(nèi)罕見的單卵四胞胎姐妹，其他醫(yī)院的醫(yī)護們沒有護理如此孱弱小嬰兒的經(jīng)驗，所以把她們送到了何麗莎手上。何麗莎第一次看見這四胞胎時吃了一驚 ：“真的都是好小好小的一個個生命，像四條小魚兒?！?/p>

如此小、如此孱弱的四胞胎，要過喂養(yǎng)、吸氧等多道“關(guān)卡”，以當時的醫(yī)療條件，稍有不慎就很可能一個也保不住。由于情況特殊，何麗莎持續(xù)觀察監(jiān)護了孩子們一個月，才放心讓她們出院。四胞胎父親一手兩個娃，歡歡喜喜地把她們抱出院的畫面，何麗莎至今記憶猶新?，F(xiàn)在這四胞胎已經(jīng)長成了四個健康漂亮的姑娘，她由衷地感到欣喜與慰藉。

除了在城市行醫(yī)，何麗莎還會去最艱苦的農(nóng)村地區(qū)，向鄉(xiāng)村醫(yī)生普及基礎(chǔ)的兒童護理、新生兒急救知識，開展項目引導(dǎo)醫(yī)生規(guī)范用藥。何麗莎和她當時的同事們還與聯(lián)合國兒童基金會一起推動了浙江等13個中國省份的鄉(xiāng)村醫(yī)院新生兒急救培訓(xùn)項目的建立，并將先進的醫(yī)療設(shè)備贈送給當?shù)兀铝τ诟纳菩律鷥航】登闆r與醫(yī)護水平。這是她最驕傲、最有成就感的一項工作，因為確確實實拯救了不少中國嬰幼兒的生命。

“現(xiàn)在，杭州的兒童死亡率已經(jīng)和美國城市的死亡率很接近了，甚至比美國很多城市都還要優(yōu)秀，中國在提高人口基本生存方面做得非常好。現(xiàn)在是提高居民生活質(zhì)量和健康水平的時候了。”何麗莎說。

因此，何麗莎團隊著重加強關(guān)于人口遷移與健康、兒童保護、抗生素耐藥性、醫(yī)療制度改革等領(lǐng)域研究，并積極探索中外醫(yī)學(xué)交流，開展與共建“一帶一路”沿線國家和地區(qū)的科研學(xué)術(shù)交流。2019年，何麗莎與中國醫(yī)療專家一同前往西非國家馬里，發(fā)揮自己所長，將中國和英國的先進醫(yī)療經(jīng)驗介紹到非洲，助力中國援非醫(yī)療隊工作。

1990年，何麗莎在浙江溫嶺與農(nóng)村孩子們交流。（資料圖片）In 1990, Therese Hesketh went to Wenling city, Zhejiang province. In this file photo, she is seen talking with local children.

何麗莎捐贈的海外出版物。The books donated by Therese Hesketh.

2019年，何麗莎在中國援建的馬里醫(yī)院與醫(yī)護人員合影。（資料圖片）Therese Hesketh takes a photo with medical workers at a hospital in Mali, which China helped build, in 2019. File photo.

“36年過去了，但我在這里的初心始終沒變。我的目標一直是幫助中國發(fā)展，幫助中國的公共衛(wèi)生事業(yè)做得更好。盡管取得了一些成就，但是我們需要去做的事情還有很多?！焙嘻惿硎?。

無數(shù)次，暢游西湖深感美不勝收

這幾十年里，何麗莎因工作原因，幾乎跑遍了中國的大江南北，北京、上海、深圳、昆明、西藏、黑龍江等省市都去過，但是，她最愛的還是杭州。

她去過無數(shù)次西湖、靈隱寺，爬過無數(shù)次北高峰，熱愛杭州四季皆有的綠色。“杭州真的很美，和大多數(shù)中國城市相比更具魅力和吸引力。我覺得杭州有些地方當屬中國最美，像西湖周圍還保持著幾十年前原汁原味的風情，這在大城市中可不多見?！焙嘻惿z毫不吝于對杭州的贊美，“除了炎熱的夏天讓我有點不適應(yīng)之外，杭州的確是個宜居的城市”。

作為一個土生土長的英國人，何麗莎的家人都在倫敦，她平日里一個人待在中國，偶爾會生出孤單之感。但是每當工作任務(wù)重、事情繁多時，她忙起來也就什么都顧不得了，因此，何麗莎在中國一向以“工作狂”的面目示人，持續(xù)不斷地接一個又一個的醫(yī)療項目。2016年，她來到浙江大學(xué)任教，帶領(lǐng)學(xué)生們從事各項課題研究，繼續(xù)為中國乃至全球的公共衛(wèi)生事業(yè)服務(wù)。

何麗莎最開心的日子是2000年至2004年，這幾年她的丈夫和兩個男孩來到中國陪伴她。她的小兒子當時只有三歲，所以何麗莎把他送入了杭州的幼兒園接受教育，她自己也作為英語志愿老師，偶爾去教一教孩子們簡單的英語?！靶∨笥言谥袊哪辏蛳铝肆己玫臄?shù)學(xué)基礎(chǔ)?！焙嘻惿ΨQ。

最后，何麗莎總結(jié)自己這些年的工作目標說：“作為一名醫(yī)生，我希望可以救治每一個患者，讓更多的人生活得更好；作為一名老師，我希望能讓中國學(xué)生對這個世界更感興趣，保持好奇心，去探索他們喜歡的領(lǐng)域?！?/p>

From Donated Books, with Love

By Xu Ziying

For the China National Archives of Publications and Culture(Hangzhou), the books donated by overseas friends undoubtedly add cultural diversity to enrich it. A British friend’s donation is especially laudable.

Therese Hesketh is an expert in the field of global health research, co-founder of the Institute of Global Health at University College London, and consultant to Public Health England. She used to be a consultant to UNICEF, the UK Department for International Development and the European Union. Now she is the leader of the Global Health Center at School of Medicine,Zhejiang University. Therese has been working in Hangzhou for nearly 36 years ever since her first visit in 1986. She has been in the habit of spending three quarters of the year in China and one quarter in the UK, regarding Hangzhou as her second hometown.Her love for Hangzhou is all hidden in the books she has donated to the China National Archives of Publications and Culture(Hangzhou).

One day in November 2021, when Therese, back from the UK and out of quarantine, stepped into her office, her assistant Wu Yeping told her, “The China National Archives of Publications and Culture (Hangzhou) is about to open, and the collection for overseas books is underway. The Bureau of Foreign Experts told me to inquire if you are willing to donate overseas publications?”Without hesitation Therese replied, “I have a lot of books which I am willing to donate. Go and pick them from my bookshelf. The more, the better.”

These 44 books of foreign editions, brought by Therese on her shoulders from the UK, are all her treasures. As a book lover, she prefers paper books. She likes to “pick and purchase” books in a local charity bookstore in London, when she is free. She generally purchases four to five books every week. Day after day, thousands of books have been accumulated in her study at home, and “the bookshelf can’t fit them at all”. Every time she came to work in China, she would bring some new books to read in her spare time.

“These are all great books, many of which were bought more than a decade ago. Some were carefully selected and bought, and some were given by my friends who thought they were good after reading them, so I am happy to share these books with others,and I believe that those who read these books in the future will not be disappointed,” Therese said. Most of these publications are historical and classic novels. She believes that Chinese readers can have an in-depth cross-cultural experience and exchange.

In September and October 2018, Therese won the titles of “Hangzhou Honorary Citizen” and “West Lake Friendship Award”. She said, “Donating books can’t be called fulfilling a responsibility or obligation; it’s just an ordinary move. I have them and donate them; that’s all.”

20世紀90 年代，何麗莎曾到杭州臨安橫畈鎮(zhèn)一個小衛(wèi)生院考察。（資料圖片）In the 1990s, Therese Hesketh paid a visit to a local clinic in Hengfan township,Hangzhou’s Lin’an district.

In 1986, an American medical institution planned to establish a dedicated intensive care unit for newborns and children in cities in China, and it was based in Hangzhou. Employed by this institution, then 29-year-old Therese came to Hangzhou Children’s Hospital as a pediatrician.

At that time, the infrastructure in Hangzhou had a lot to be desired. After arriving in Hangzhou, she and her American colleagues established the first standard neonatal intensive care center in China and formulated basic neonatal nursing standards for 11 provinces. She also carried out immunizations, malaria control, safe motherhood and other programs. She explained that one of the most impressive things was the successful care of the first case of quadruplets in Hangzhou. In 1988,Hangzhou Children’s Hospital admitted four special patients —monozygotic quadruplets, which were rare in China at that time.The doctors and nurses in other hospitals had no experience in caring for such weak babies, so they sent them to Therese. She was shocked when she saw the quadruplets for the first time: “They are too small and they are just like four little fish.” Such small and weak quadruplets had to go through multiple “checkpoints”, such as feeding and oxygen inhalation. Therese continued to observe and monitor the babies for a month before they were discharged from the hospital.

Therese not only practiced in the urban area but also in the poor rural areas, popularizing basic childcare and neonatal firstaid knowledge to rural doctors, and carrying out projects to guide doctors to standardize medication. She and her colleagues also worked with UNICEF to promote neonatal first-aid training programs in rural hospitals in 13 Chinese provinces including Zhejiang, and donated advanced medical equipment to the local people. She is dedicated to improving neonatal health conditions and medical care, which is her most proud and ful filling job, as it has saved the lives of many Chinese infants and young children.

Therese’s team now focuses on research in population migration and health, children protection, antibiotic resistance,medical care system reform and medical exchanges between China and foreign countries, and conducts scientific research and academic exchanges with countries and regions along the “Belt and Road". In 2019, Therese and Chinese medical experts went to Mali, a Western African country, giving full play of her strengths,introducing the advanced medical experience of China and Britain to Africa, and assisting the Chinese medical team in Africa.

“Over 36 years have passed, but my original intention here has not changed. My goal is always to help China to develop and push China’s public health cause forward. Although some achievements have been made, there are still more to be done,”Therese said.

In the past decades, she has traveled a lot all over China,including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Kunming, Tibet,Heilongjiang, but her favorite city is Hangzhou. She has been to the West Lake, the Lingyin Temple, and the North Peak for countless times. “Hangzhou is really beautiful and I love its greenness in all seasons. Compared with other Chinese cities,Hangzhou is more charming and attractive. It is rare that the West Lake still maintains the original style of decades ago. Except for the hot sultry summer, Hangzhou is indeed a city suitable for living.”

As British, Therese’s other family members are in London.With herself in China, she occasionally feels lonely. But when she has lots of things to do, she will forget about it. Therefore, always a “workaholic” in China, she continues to do medical projects one after another. In 2016, she came to teach at Zhejiang University,leading students in various research projects and continuing to serve public health in China and around the world.

Therese’s happiest days were from 2000 to 2004, when her husband and two boys came to accompany her in China. Her youngest son was only three years old at the time, so she sent him to a kindergarten in Hangzhou. She herself also serves as a volunteer English teacher, occasionally teaching basic English to children. “My son has been in China for four years, laying a good foundation for mathematics,” Therese smiled.

For the future, Therese said, “As a doctor, I hope to treat every patient and make more people live better; as a teacher, I hope to inspire my Chinese students to be interested in the world, stay curious, and explore areas they love.”

何麗莎在浙江大學(xué)上公開課。Therese Hesketh teaches an open course at Zhejiang University.