2008年4月,葡萄牙里斯本大學孔子學院揭牌成立。里斯本大學校長對此合作項目寄予厚望。他深知跨文化交流所伴隨的挑戰(zhàn),經(jīng)過再三思量,最終決定由校長辦公室的安娜 · 羅德里格斯(Ana Rodrigues)女士出任孔子學院的首任秘書,協(xié)助孔子學院順利起航。校長希望通過孔子學院打開一扇了解中國文化的窗口,增進兩國人民的相互理解和友誼。
In April 2008, the Confucius Institute at the University of Lisbon in Portugal was officially established. The president of the university had high expectations for this cooperation project. He fully understood the challenges that come with crosscultural exchanges, and after much consideration, he decided to appoint Ms Ana Rodrigues from the President’s Office as the first secretary of the Confucius Institute to ensure its successful launch. The president hoped that the Confucius Institute would open a window for understanding Chinese culture and promote mutual understanding and friendship between the people of both countries.
安娜,這位之前對中國文化了解甚少的葡萄牙女士,自接手孔子學院的工作起,便面臨著層出不窮的新挑戰(zhàn)。因為事務(wù)繁忙,加班成了她的日常,這在葡萄牙的工作文化中并不常見。經(jīng)過緊鑼密鼓的籌備,2008年9月,孔子學院迎來了首批社會班學員,他們對學習漢語充滿了好奇和期盼。安娜承擔著學生咨詢的接待工作,她總是耐心解答學員們的各種問題,幫助他們填寫報名表、辦理繳費、發(fā)放教材。她常工作至夜幕降臨,辦公樓的保安告知她大樓要鎖門了,她才會離開辦公室,疲憊地驅(qū)車駛向幾十公里之外的家。
Ana, a Portuguese woman who had little prior knowledge of Chinese culture, faced a series of unexpected challenges from the moment she began her work at the Confucius Institute. Due to the heavy workload, working overtime became a daily routine for her, which was not common in Portuguese work culture. After intense preparation, in September 2008, the Confucius Institute welcomed its first batch of community class students, who were filled with curiosity and anticipation about learning Chinese. Ana took on the task of student reception, patiently answering questions from the students, helping them fill out registration forms, processing payments, and distributing textbooks. She would work to nightfall until the building’s security guard informed her that the building was about to close. Only then would she leave the office and drive home dozens of kilometers away, feeling exhausted.
隨著孔子學院的工作逐漸步入正軌,安娜開始接觸書法、茶藝、剪紙、古箏……這些豐富多彩的活動讓她對中國文化產(chǎn)生了興趣。她認真地詢問中方老師“中國茶有哪些種類?”“學習書法需要哪些準備?”“為什么中國人春節(jié)吃餃子?”等問題。她積極參與每一場文化活動的準備工作,關(guān)注工作的種種細節(jié)。她的努力贏得了中方老師的敬佩,也讓越來越多的葡萄牙學生加深了對中國文化的 熱愛。
As the work of the Confucius Institute gradually settled into a routine, Ana began to engage more with Chinese culture, participating in activities like calligraphy, tea art, paper cutting, and guzheng (a traditional Chinese instrument). These colorful activities sparked her interest in Chinese culture. She began asking Chinese teachers questions such as, “What types of Chinese tea are there?”, “What do I need to prepare to learn calligraphy?”, and “Why do Chinese people eat dumplings during the Spring Festival?” She took an active part in the preparation of every cultural event, focusing on every detail. Her hard work earned the admiration of her Chinese colleagues and deepened the love for Chinese culture among more Portuguese students.
時光荏苒,安娜與中國文化的緣分日益深厚。2022年初,孔子學院決定將多年以來收藏的京劇道具、演出照片和相關(guān)資料進行整合,策劃一場京劇文化展覽,向葡萄牙民眾展現(xiàn)中國傳統(tǒng)文化的魅力??自涸洪L將這一重要任務(wù)交給了安娜。安娜迅速投入到準備工作中,從臉譜、戲服到樂器、道具,每一個細節(jié)她都仔細研究,力求將京劇文化的精髓完美展現(xiàn)。為了突出京劇的歷史感和藝術(shù)性,她還在展廳內(nèi)加入了“中式老井”“中式門樓”等模型進行裝飾,為展覽增添了濃厚的中國文化色彩,給參觀者留下了深刻的印象。籌備過程中,她發(fā)現(xiàn)展覽的服裝道具不全,便通過中國電商平臺進行網(wǎng)購,在中方教師的協(xié)助下,最終把所缺的展品購置齊全。?這場展覽歷時七個月,吸引了五萬多名來自葡萄牙及世界各地的參觀者,京劇的藝術(shù)魅力深深感染了每一位觀眾。今年7月開始,這批展品踏上了去往其他四所孔子學院的巡回展出之旅。
As time went on, Ana’s connection to Chinese culture grew deeper. In early 2022, the Confucius Institute decided to collate the Peking Opera props, performance photos, and related materials it had collected over the years and organize an exhibition showcasing Peking Opera to present the charm of traditional Chinese culture to the Portuguese public. The director of the Confucius Institute entrusted this important task to Ana. She quickly devoted herself to the preparation work, focusing meticulously on every detail, from the facial masks and costumes to the musical instruments and props, in order to perfectly present the essence of Peking Opera culture. To highlight the historical and artistic aspects of Peking Opera, she added models of a “Chinese old well” and“Chinese gatehouse” to the exhibition hall, enriching the display with strong elements of Chinese culture, leaving a deep impression on visitors. During the preparation, she realized that some of the costumes and props were missing, so she turned to Chinese e-commerce platforms to purchase the items. With the assistance of Chinese teachers, she was able to complete the collection of exhibits. The exhibition lasted for seven months and attracted over 50,000 visitors from Portugal and around the world. The charm of Peking Opera deeply touched every visitor. In July of this year, the collection of exhibits began a touring exhibition to four other Confucius Institutes.
安娜不僅是孔子學院的文化使者,還是每位遠赴異國他鄉(xiāng)的中方教師值得依靠的家人。多年來,每當有新任中方教師抵達里斯本,安娜總是盡心盡力幫助他們解決生活和工作上的各種問題。葡萄牙的工作居留許可申請流程十分繁瑣,加之大部分中方教師不能用葡語溝通,申請居留許可就成了一個令人頭疼的問題。為了節(jié)約時間,方便中方教師們的生活安排,安娜不顧路途遙遠,親自駕車帶他們?nèi)ソ俟锿獾某鞘修k理手續(xù)。有一次,一位剛剛赴任的中方教師租住的公寓里缺少家具和廚房用品,安娜毫不猶豫將自家的家具和廚具送過去,解決了這位教師的燃眉之急。
Ana is not only a cultural ambassador at the Confucius Institute, but also a dependable family member for every Chinese teacher working overseas. Over the years, whenever a new Chinese teacher arrived in Lisbon, Ana always went out of her way to help them solve various life and work-related issues. The process for applying for work and residence permits in Portugal is complicated, and since most of the teachers cannot communicate in Portuguese, the application for residence permits becomes a headache. To save time and make it easier for the teachers to settle in, Ana would personally drive them to a city nearly 100 kilometers away to handle their paperwork. On one occasion, a newly arrived Chinese teacher’s rented apartment lacked essential furniture and kitchenware, and Ana did not hesitate to bring her own furniture and kitchen supplies to help solve the teacher’s immediate problem.
不僅如此,安娜對待來訪的中國客人同樣充滿了熱情與關(guān)懷。每當有中國的領(lǐng)導、專家學者或文化交流團體來訪,安娜不僅會親自布置孔子學院的接待室,還常常自己動手做一些葡萄牙的特色美食,帶到孔子學院招待客人。她常說:“我很珍惜這些與中國客人見面的機會,希望他們在短暫的停留中能感受到葡萄牙的友好與文化。”
Furthermore, Ana shows the same warmth and care when welcoming Chinese guests. Whenever Chinese government officials, experts, scholars, or cultural delegations visited, Ana would not only personally arrange the reception room at the Confucius Institute, but she often also prepared Portuguese specialty dishes to treat the guests. She often said, “I cherish these opportunities to meet Chinese guests and hope that they can feel the friendship and culture of Portugal during their short stay.”
17年的光陰一晃而過,安娜與五任葡方院長、四任中方院長以及近30位中方教師共同奮斗在孔子學院的舞臺上。在這些年的歲月中,工作對安娜來說不僅僅是一份責任,更是一種使命。2027年,安娜即將迎來66歲的退休年齡。她透露了一個愿望:希望2025年能夠帶著家人去中國,親眼看看這個她傾注了17年心血進行文化傳播的美麗國度,親身感受和體會中國的文化。
Seventeen years passed in the blink of an eye, and Ana has worked side by side with five Portuguese directors, four Chinese directors, and nearly thirty Chinese teachers at the Confucius Institute. Throughout these years, her work has not only been a responsibility but also a mission. In 2027, Ana will reach the retirement age of 66. She shared a wish: she hopes to visit China in 2025 with her family to see the beautiful country to which she has devoted seventeen years of her life promoting cultural exchange, and to personally experience and feel Chinese culture.