开始学习中文以前我对中国的了解少之又少,只知道中国是世界上人口最多的国家。

　　在埃及,几乎什么都跟中国有关系,无论衣服、鞋子、还是电子设备、家具等都是中国制造。往常听说世界上每个家都离不开中国的东西。甚至还有很多专家说,再过几年中国会成为可以与美国竞争的一股新力量。听到这类的话,我简直不能相信!我以前认为,对一个国家来说人口众多是很大的问题,那怎么在中国就不是问题了呢?比如在埃及失业率的问题,其中最重要的一个原因就是人口众多。那时我怎么想也找不到合理的解释,于是我就对自己说,去中国吧!去了以后就能更多地了解中国的情况。就这样,我来到了江苏苏州的苏州大学。

　　到苏大的第一个星期,我发现每天吃饭都很麻烦,找到我喜欢的饭是一个很艰难的挑战。每次去食堂都会看到有一个地方人特别多,那儿也是外国学生最多的地方,排很长队,很热闹,每天都这样。

　　我的脑子里产生了很多问题:那个地方到底卖的是什么?为什么有多么人?他们有什么秘诀?后来,我发现了那个地方是“第四食堂随食即递”。

　　从第二个星期开始,我也去那个地方吃饭了。在等他们为我做午饭的时候我就偷偷看他们,越看他们越让我很吃惊:三个人!一个女人帮学生点菜,两个男人做饭。他们怎么能照顾到那么多人!怎么能那么快地把饭做好同时还很好吃!不管什么时候去,都有很多人在等那个地方做的饭。不管他们多么忙,一看到有很多人他们的脸上总是会露出微笑。国庆假的时候,除了那里以外,所有地方都关门了,那时我的一个朋友又开心又吃惊地说:“怎么连假期也工作?”

　　每天我都真的想去问他们:“嗨,你们怎么能每天在这么大的压力中努力地工作?”另外,我要告诉他们,我多么感谢他们,因为每次看他们工作总会给我很多启发。看到他们认真地工作我感到惭愧,我不能像他们一样认真地面对我的作业,因为我觉得它们是乏味的。我想对他们说一声谢谢,因为我找到了问题的答案,现代中国迅速发展的的原因是:“工作。”不过,现在我不敢跟他们说话,只能每天偷偷看他们工作。但我肯定,离开苏州以前会去跟他们交流。我也现在才发现虽然人口众多,但如果每个人都努力工作的话,那么人口的增加并不是灾难而且可能是机遇。拿破仑曾经说:中国是一头沉睡的雄狮,一旦醒来将震惊世界。对我来说,中国这头雄狮已经苏醒了。只要努力地工作,就能完成任何事情,实现任何中国梦。

　　作者:安美慧(埃及)

　　译文

The Most Inspirational Cafeteria

安美惠(Egypt)

Before I started learning Chinese, I knew very little about China. All I knew is that China is the most populated country in the world.

Back in Egypt, almost everything has something to do with China. Whether it is clothes, shoes, electronics, or furniture, they are all made in China. It is said that you can always find Chinese stuff in every household of the world. Many experts even believe that China will become a new force that can compete with the United States in just a few years. I could not take it when I heard these words. I used to see large population as a big problem to any country. At least in Egypt, it did result in a high unemployment rate. How can China survive? At the time, I could not come up with a good explanation for this, so I told myself to go to China and see for myself. Now I am here, studying at Soochow University in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.

Right in the first week after I came, I found it not easy to pick where I can eat and what I like to eat for dinners. It was also interesting to note that, every time I went to the cafeteria, I saw a counter where there were always many people waiting in a long line. That counter was popular even among foreign students.

Questions began to flood in my mind. What exactly are they selling over there? Why are they popular among so many people? Do they have any secret recipes? Later, I was told that it is the famous "order-and-serve counter."

I chose to eat there as well from the second week. While waiting for them to prepare my lunch, I was trying to figure out their secret. To my surprise, there were only three of them! One woman was taking orders, and two men were cooking. How could they make it possible to cover so many students with only three persons? How could they get the food done so fast and so good? They were busy cooking and serving food all the time. No matter how busy, they were always friendly and nice to diners. During National Day holidays when all food-serving counters in the cafeteriawere closed, they were open. "Look, they are still working during holidays," said a friend of mine, surprisingly and happily.

I wonder how they can be so motivated at work to serve so many diners every day, and I want to go ask them about this. I also want them to knowhow much I appreciate them because their dedication to work has inspired me a lot. I feel ashamed for not taking homework as seriously as they do to their work just because I think doing homework is boring. I want to say thank you to them because they have helped me find the answer to the question lingering in me for long. China is booming sharply because the Chinese people are working very hard. Although I am a bit shy now to go and talk to them, I will definitely do it before I leave Suzhou. I also realize that increase in population can be an opportunity rather than a disaster as long as everyone spares no effort in whatever work they do. Napoleon once described China as a sleeping tiger, which will make the whole world tremble when it wakes up. From what I have seen, China has woke up, and furthermore, it is on the rise. As long as we devote ourselves to whatever we do, we can get anything done and make every Chinese dream come true.