宜山经历是非同寻常的，因为我在那里的角色是整个县城惟一的一位外国人。我经历了很多从没经历过的风俗、礼遇和小插曲，至今令我回味不已……
INTRODUCTION：February,1988：IsetouttostartonateachingassignmentinaclosedareaofChinawhereIwastobethesoleforeignerinYishanCounty,populationofabouthalfamillionChinese.
PARTITHEINVITATION
IhadtogetaninvitationfromtheBureauofEducationinNanning,capitalofGuangxiProvinceinordertoacceptanofferfromtheHechiTeachers’College(河池师范学院),YishanCounty,GuangxiProvince.Why?BecauseYishanCountywasclosedtoforeignvisitorsduetoalackofadequatetouristfacilities.ThenameofthecountywaschangedacoupleofyearsagotoYizhouandthrownopentooutside,butthingsweredifferentbackin1988.
FromabackgroundbriefingwhichIhadpriortodepartureIlearntthattheHechiTeachers’Collegetrainsteachersinavarietyoffacultiesand,afterfinishingthecurriculums,sendsthemouttothemiddleschoolsofGuangxiProvince,mainlyinpoorcountryareas,toteachavariedsyllabus,includingEnglishasaforeignlanguage.
MyjobwastointroduceamethodofteachingEnglishknownas"thecommunicativeapproach(交际法)"andnotonlytotraintheEnglishDepartmentundergraduatesinthisapproach,butalsotoimprovetheircommunicativecompetenceintheEnglishlanguage.
IhadquiteajourneybeforeIreachedtheCollege.IflewtoGuangzhouviaBangkok(曼谷)andHongKong(香港)whereIwasmetbyMr.Ye,aforeignaffairsofficialfromtheGuangzhouUniversityofForeignLanguages.HegavemetheVIP(贵宾)treatment.Iwassoontoexperienceasa"foreignexpert(外国专家，中国政府对外教的称呼)"inthePeople’sRepublic.
Heusheredmepastthecustomsintoamini-busandontotheUniversity.Iwasquitetravel-tiredbythenandwasgratefulforthecomfortablesuitewithabathroomwhereIwasabletogetagoodnight’ssleep.
NextmorningafteratastyChinesebreakfastMr.YetoldmethattheUniversitywasfoundedin1965andwasthefirstinstituteofhighereducationincentralandsouthChina.ItissetinabeautifulandtranquilpartofGuangzhou’snorthernsuburbs.
AfterbreakfastIhadamarvelousexperience:avisittotheFlowerMarket(广州花市)inGuangzhou,partoftheSpringFestivalwhenChinesecelebratetheirNewYear.Thewholeofthecity’scentralareawasclosedtotrafficandtransformedintoagiganticmall.Thisarrangementenabledinnumerablecitizensandvisitorstowanderthroughrowafterrowofstallsfilledwithexotic(奇异的)flowers,smalltrees,fishandbirdsofferedforsalebypeasantsfromtheruralregionsofGuangdongProvince.
OnthewayintothecityinabuswithMr.Ye,hiswifeandapartyofforeignexpertsfromtheU.S.A.,wedroveslowlythroughthecrowdsrushingthroughthestreetsonfoot,onwavesofbicycles,inbusesandothervehicles.Thesightwassounusualthatmyeyescouldnottakeitallin!
ForanothertwodaysIwanderedaroundtheUniversitycampusandclimbedBaiyunMountainonthetopofwhichisafascinatinglake.ThescenewassomethingfromadelicatelyChinesegreetingscard.AttheotherendofthelakewasarestaurantofChinesearchitecturaldesignandalongtheshoretotherightIsawsmallcoloredcanoesfluctuatedsidebysidewaitingforsomeonetohirethem.Time,unfortunately,preventedmefromthepleasureofrowingoutintothemiddleofthelakeandenjoyingthetranquilcircumstancefromthatvantagepoint.
Afterafewdaysofthesesimple,yetuniquepleasures,andinspiteofthewonderfulhospitality,IyearnedtoreachthedestinationwhereIwastoliveandworkinthelargecountyofYishan.ThethoughtofbeingtheonlyforeignerinthiscountyofoverhalfamillionChineseexcitedmeandIwantedtogetonwithit.Mr.YeassistedmetocatchatraintothecityofLiuzhouinGuangxiProvince,wherewetransferredtoacar.
PARTⅡTHEARRIVAL
TheDeanoftheEnglishDepartmentattheTeachers’College,Mr.ZhouYi,togetherwithsomeseniorteachersandarepresentativeoftheCollegepresidentgreetedmeatLiuzhouRailwayStation.ThreehourslaterwedrovethroughthegatesoftheCollege.
Myfirstexperienceofawell-establishedChinesecustomcametheeveningaftermyarrivalatHechiTeachers’College.Ihadbeeninstalledinmyspacious,self-containedapartment--aprivilegeforasingleperson--andnowitwastimeformywelcomingbanquet.Becausea"foreignexpert"isregardedasaVIP(atleastinthatremotepartofChina),thebanquetwashostedbythesincereCollegepresident,andattendedbythreevice-presidents,severalseniorteachingandadministrativestaff,somelocalofficers(includingthedeputymayorandthecounty’sHeadofSecurity)andthedriverofthecarwhichhadtransportedmefromLiuzhoutoYishan.
Itwasjollyaffairwithwelcomingpreliminaryremarksandaconvivialatmosphere.Iwonderhowyouwouldhavelikedthefoodwhichincludedcrab,chickenliver,andfriedduck’slegsinsauce.Allthiswascomplimentedbythebrimmedricewineandaplentifulsupplyoflocalbeer.
NextmorningIhadaheartybreakfastofricenoodles,cornporridge,somesmallspongycakes,andacoupleofbowlsofwarmmilk.
PARTⅢSETTLINGIN
OnceIbeganteaching,IrealizedthesizeoftheCollege.TheEnglishDepartmenthadnearlytwohundredstudentsand,inthosedays,wasoneofsixdepartmentsofferingcoursestoaboutathousandstudents.Thereweretwohundredteachingstaff.ThestudentscamefromalloverHechi,aremotemountainousareacomposedofseveralcountieswithapopulationofnearlyfivemillionpeople.
Mostofthestudentsenrolledbelongtooneorotherofthefifty-fiveminoritynationalitiesthatmakeupthetrulymulti-culturalnationofChina.ThemajorityofChinesepeoplearetheHannationality.Havingstudentsfromsuchavarietyofbackgroundsenrichedmyeducationalexperience.
Anotherbonusformewasthatmystudentslived,workedandplayedontheCollegecampus.Iwas,therefore,abletoassisttheirlearningduringmostofmywakinghoursbecauseIlived,workedandplayedwiththem.ThiswasquiteacontrasttomysituationatCurtinUniversityofTechnologyinWesternAustralia(西澳大利亚州)wheremymaincontactwithstudentswasduringofficiallessonperiods.
Beingtheonlyforeigneroncampus,IhadquitealotofattentionfromwhatIcalled"staringsquads(注视小队)"bothattheCollegeandinthelittletownofYishan,whichwaslocatedinthebosomofthemountains.Afteramonthorso,however,everyonehadbecomeaccustomedtomyfaceasIwalkedthroughthetownortheCollegegrounds;andsomywalkswerethenusuallypunctuatedwithfriendly"hellos"fromall,includingthedelightfulchildrenfromthekindergartenoppositemyapartmentblock.
OnoneofthesewalksImetwithaChinesecustom,whichslightlypuzzledmeatfirst.OnmydailywalkstothetownareaforshoppingIwouldpassmanyresidences.Insummer,manyoftheoccupantswouldleavetheirfrontdoorsopenbecauseoftheheatandsitinthefrontroomeatingtheirmeals.AsIpassedbytheywouldcalloutfriendlygreetingstomeand,liftingtheirbowlstowardsme,indicatethattheywereinvitingmetojointhem.
AtfirstIhadnonotionofwhatthismeant,anddidn’tknowhowtorespond.However,IlearntfrommystudentsthatthegesturesweremerelysymbolicandtraditionalandthatIwasnotexpectedtoaccept.AfterawhilethecustomceasedtoembarrassmeandIwasabletohandleitbysmilingandsaying,"XieXie"andmoveonwithoutoffendinganyone.
Manyofthestudents,thetownpeopleand,certainly,theruralpeasantshadneverbeforeseteyesonaforeigner.Afteratime,though,theyallgotusedtome.the"staringsquads"diminishedinnumberandfinallydwindled(缩小)totheoccasionalsmallcircle.AsaresultIconstantlygotinvitationstobanquetswithintheCollegeandinthehomesoftownresidentsandteachersfromothereducationalfaculties.
OneschoolcalledtheHongxingElementarySchoolinvitedmetoamusicanddanceperformancestagedespeciallyforme.AtthateventIwaspresentedwithgiftsandwasmadeanhonoraryinstructorandmemberoftheYoungPioneers.ThisentailedbeingthecenterofaceremonyduringwhichIwaspresentedwithaneckerchieftowearasatokenofthehonorconferredonme.
AlloftheseexperienceswerenewtomeasIhadneverlivedandworkedinanAsiancountrybefore.TheYishanexperiencewasuniquebecauseofthestatusthrustuponmeinmyroleastheonlyforeignerintheentireCounty.
注释:
assignment
sole
foreigner
invitation
bureau
priorpre-
priorto
departure
curriculum
undergraduategrade
competence
Mr.mr/sir
republicpublic/republic
gratefulgrace
institute
centralcenter
southeast/north/south/west
festivalfeast
gigantic
innumerablenumber
fish
region
unusual
campus
scenescene
architectural
canoecandy
fluctuate
unfortunately
circumstance
inspiteof
hospitality
assist
transferdifferent
dean
seniormr/sir
representative
privilegeprivate
sincere
administrativeminister
deputy
mayor
transport
jolly
crab
liver
saucesauce
plentiful
hearty
mountainous
area
compose
enrol(l)roll
minoritymini
nationality
enrich
bonus
contrast
bosom
kindergarten
residencesit
notion
symbolic
offend
diminish
occasional
residentsit
elementary
honoraryhonour
instructor
confer
status