来中国后的第一次烧烤

　　因为我爱人调到南通来工作,我们于2016年12月从日本来了南通。在这之前连来中国旅行都没有过,当然也完全不懂中文,来了以后看到、听到的“中国”就是南通了。

　　我刚来南通第三天,闲逛着走进了一家店,一个素未蒙面的女性问我:“您是日本人吗?”她原来是个会说日语的笑容和蔼可亲的中国人。本来买东西,我都是靠写汉字给店主看的,这回可好了,她很亲切地帮助我。就这样,她成了我来南通后结识的第一个朋友,成了我的姐姐。她教给我中国文化、中国习惯、中国人的思维方式,意见不统一的时候我们也会争论一番。我觉得人不论国籍,有个共性,都是“地球人”。她也一定有着同样的观念吧,所以我们才有缘结识的。现在我们不仅是朋友,还是盟友,我帮助她打理一些公司的日本业务。

　　在这之后,我的南通朋友渐渐多了起来。我感觉到一个共性,南通人对关系好的人以“哥哥、姐姐、弟弟、妹妹”相称,真的把对方当成家人一样关心、关爱。感受特别深的一次是在几个月前,我在上海丢了东西的时候。丢的东西虽然找到了,却因为时间耽搁了,回不了南通了。我不会讲中文,怎么找宾馆、第二天怎么回南通?我像个孩子茫然不知所措。听到我的情况,我朋友三个人驱车两个小时,特地从南通赶来上海接我回家。“这没什么,咱们是朋友啊,朋友困难的时候互相帮助是当然的。”他们轻描淡写地说。就为了我一个人,花了时间、金钱、精力飞奔过来,又说了这么暖心的话,我深深感动的同时,也陷入了沉思。帮助有困难的人,这是人情,这就是中国的社会常识吧。你可以在南通人的日常生活,朋友相处之间自然而然地看到他们胸怀宽广、热情友善。

参观朋友在南通开办的公司

　　不仅是情,我也通过在南通的生活,感受到了中国人的理。

　　我也像南通人一样,每天骑着电瓶车,真的很方便。今年夏天,我见识了中国人的理性思维。那天,骄阳似火,我骑车到了红绿灯路口。因为太晒了,大家都躲在离路口远一点的树荫下等红灯。我也不再是一根筋,也跟在他们后面躲到了树荫底下。这在日本是不可能发生的,可能大多数人是不管天气有多热,也会等在规定的线后乖乖地让太阳晒吧。去选一块凉快的地方呆着,让人看了该多难为情啊!可是,真的需要这么死板吗?天气这么热,在凉快的地方呆一会儿又有什么问题呢?当我看到中国人灵活机动地处理事情时,很钦佩中国人的做法。

　　日本也讲人情、讲合理,但终究跟中国有点不一样。

　　中国是个多民族多人口的大国家,正是在这样的大国坏境下,才知人本来就是千差万别的,才能真正做到求同存异、和谐自由、诚信友善吧。

　　我接下来还会在南通住三四年,能在这样一个富强民主、文明和谐的城市里用心生活、学习是我的缘分和福气。

　　作者简介:宫川千鹤,日本籍,随先生来南通,家庭主妇。

　　译文

Nantong – A City with Friendship and Adaptability

Miyakawa Chizuru (Japan)

I came to China from Japan in December 2016 with my husband because he was transferred to Nantong, Jiangsu Province. Before this, I had never visited China for a single time, nor had I understood Chinese. After I set foot on this place, my life in China has been all about Nantong.

Juston thethird day in Nantong, I came across a store where a woman I had never met asked me: "Are you Japanese?" She turned out to be an amiable and gracious Chinese who spoke Japanese. She was so kind to help me get what I wanted to buy. Previously, I could buy things only by writing down the Chinese characters to shop owners. Because of this, she became my first friend in Nantong. She took care of me as if I were her younger sister. She taught me the Chinese culture, and the way the Chinese people do and think about things. We would also argue when we disagreed on something. As for me, every human being, regardless of nationality, has one thing in common: we all live on one and the same planet we call earth. She must have seen eye to eye with me on this. Now we are friends and partners. I am helping her with some business in Japan.

As I lived in Nantong for some time, I started getting to know people and making more friends. It is pretty common that people in Nantong call each other "brothers and sisters" if they are close, and they do care about each other like a real family. A few months ago when I was in Shanghai, I lost some of my belongings by accident. Although I found them anyway, it was too late for me to go back as scheduled. Because I did not speak Chinese, I had no idea how I could find somewhere to stay for the night and go to Nantong on the next day. I felt helpless at the time. After learning about this, three friends of mine drove all the way from Nantong for two hours to pick me up. "It is not a big deal. We are friends. Friends help each other for sure!" they said casually. I was deeply moved and inspired by what they had done for me and said to me. In China, It is a common practice to give a hand to anyone in need. You can see this traditional code of conduct in our everyday life in Nantong. Friends are always sincere and inclusive to each other.

What impresses me most during my stay in Nantong is not only the way people get on with friends, but also how adaptable they are to changing circumstances in their lives.

Like most people in Nantong, I ride a scooter every day because it is convenient. One day in this summer, I rode my scooter and stopped at a red light. It was crazy hot and the sunshine was too strong. Instead of waiting behind the stop line for the light to turn green, everyone stood in the shade of a tree a little farther away from the intersection. I did the same, although I knew this was unlikely to happen in Japan. Given the same situation, the Japanese people would rather expose themselves to the sun than find a cool place to stay for just a little while, no matter how hot it is. They are ashamed of doing this, but I do not think so. Does it really matter if we do it the same way as the Chinese people do in such a hot day? As for me, I appreciate how flexibly the Chinese people work things out.

Like China, Japan also values friendship and adaptability. It is just that we do it in different ways.

China is a large country withmultiple ethnic groups and a great population. It is such a super power that acknowledges every human being is different and unique. It is such a super power that is open to differences as long as all parties share common ground. It is such a super power that is genuinely harmonious, free, honest, and friendly.

I will stay in Nantong for three or four more years. I feel lucky and proud to live and study in such a prosperous, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious city.