安德鲁·狄士礼（英国）：

　　在中国留学的头半年，虽然我们享受着最好的待遇，但是我们的中文水平、对中国政治、历史和文化的了解都十分有限。有一天我决定一个人走出留学生楼的大门，去交我的第一个中国朋友，我决定谁对我说：“嗨，你会说英语吗？”我就和谁做朋友。就这样，我一层一层地剥开了中国的神秘面纱，同时开始了我内心漫长的东方之旅，成就了今天的我，有着一个中国心的老外！

　　

Andrew Disbury, United Kingdom

　　We were treated extremely well during the first six months studying in China, but our Chinese skills and understanding of China’s politics, history and culture were extremely limited. One day I headed out of the international students building and decided to make friends with the first Chinese person who asked if I could speak English. That was the start of my long inner journey to the East and how I slowly managed to fathom the mystery that is China. It has made me the person I am today: a foreigner with a Chinese heart!

　　

　　韩诚（美国）：

　　我来中国之前在斯坦福大学接受了美国记者的采访。她问我去中国怕不怕。我犹豫了一下，我没有考虑过我该不该害怕。我回答她：“我们是第一批被中国政府邀请去中国学习的美国学者，说明中美关系的转变，我相信中国政府会很好地照顾我们。”我并没有说错。我还见证和参与了中国的经济建设和社会转变。经常有人问我：“老韩，你这个典型的美国人，你为什么在中国待了35年？”其实很简单，开始是因为工作有意思，有了儿子以后是为了他们。为了把他们养成“国际人”，以便他们更好地面对一个国际一体化的世界。他们在北京长大了，讲两门母语，是双文化的人。他们很顺畅地把两种大文化融合到一起。两种文化都不妨碍他们作为君子，作为有道德的人，追求他们的梦想。而且他们的梦不是美国梦，也不是中国梦，是自己的梦。

Frank Hawke, USA

I was interviewed by a US journalist at Stanford University before I came to China. She asked whether I was afraid of going to China. I hesitated because I had never considered whether or not I should be afraid. I answered, “We are the first group of US students to be invited to study in China by the Chinese government, which illustrates the changes that have taken place in Sino-US relations. I’m sure the Chinese government will look after us very well.” I wasn’t mistaken. I have witnessed and participated in China’s economic development and social transformation. People often ask me, “Frank, why would a typical American such as yourself stay in China for 35 years?” It’s really very simple. To begin with, it was because I enjoyed my work, and once I had my sons it was for them. It’s so that they become international people and are equipped to deal with an international and integrated world. They grew up in Beijing speaking two languages, so they’re bicultural. They easily integrate two great cultures, and being bicultural doesn’t stop them from being noble and moral people or pursuing their dreams. Their dreams aren’t the American dream or the Chinese dream; they have their own dreams.

莫大伟（美国）：

　　我1987年第一次来北京。大山是我的一位校友。1988年，他上了一次电视台的小品，一下子红了，一夜成名。我们每次跟中国人聊天，开口说一句中文，对方就会说：“你的中文说得跟大山差不多了。”或者更气人：“你的中文说得比大山差多了。”或者：“你认识大山吗？”，最让我哭笑不得的是：“朋友，请问，你是大山吗？”那么多人喜欢大山，这并不奇怪。这就是语言的魅力，幽默的魅力。大山就是一个文化桥梁。那个时候，我们拼命地学中文，就是为了用中文直接跟中国的老百姓沟通、交流，甚至开玩笑，这种“草根外交”是最有意义的，也是最管事的一种外交方法。

　　说桥梁，其实中美留学生都是桥梁，桥梁是对话，是双行线。我们得承认，总的来说，中国人了解美国文化的程度远比美国人了解中国文化更多、更深。好几千万中国的90后看美剧《生活大爆炸》，美国年轻人看什么中国节目吗？所以，我们的任务很清楚，要让更多的美国人来中国学习中文和中国文化。

　　

David Moser, USA

　　The first time I came to Beijing was in 1987. I was at school with Dashan (Mark Rowswell). He appeared on television for the first time in 1988 performing a comedic skit. It made him famous overnight. When I speak to Chinese people, they often say after just one sentence, “Your Chinese is almost as good as Dashan’s.” Or more annoyingly, “Your Chinese isn’t as good as Dashan’s,” or “Do you know Dashan?” Or, and it always makes me laugh, they say, “Excuse me, are you Dashan?” It’s not surprising that so many people like Dashan. That is the beauty of language and humor. Dashan is a cultural bridge. Back then, we studied really hard so we could converse and maybe even share a joke with ordinary Chinese people. This type of grassroots diplomacy is very interesting and it is an effective diplomatic method.

　　All Chinese and US overseas students are a bridge. The bridge is dialogue and a two-way line of communication. In general, though, Chinese people understand a lot more about the US than people in the US understand about China. Millions of young Chinese watch the US sit-com The Big Bang Theory, but which Chinese shows do young Americans watch? It is therefore our mission to encourage more Americans to come to China to study the Chinese language and learn about Chinese culture.

　　

　　尚洁（美国）：

　　1992年，我来到中国广州的中山大学。当时一个汉字都不会说，所以我开始学习普通话。尽管学习中文很难，中国文化和美国文化也不一样，但我还是选择留在中国。有一次，我跟朋友们一起去阳朔旅行，到了一个小村子，那里的人从来没见过黑人，他们看到我们跟他们打招呼，都特别害怕地跑掉了。只有小孩子很热情地跟我们招手。我想告诉他们，我们和他们一样，没有他们想的那么可怕，可是他们已经跑掉了。这样的经历太多了，但是我从来没有再也不来中国的想法。我想我必须留在中国让他们了解我们黑人，也了解美国人。

　　从20世纪90年代到现在，中国和中国人都改变了很多。从经济、建筑、交通到想法都有改变。比如说，我在中山大学读书的时候，学校附近没有西餐厅，现在学校对面就有一家麦当劳。我非常幸运当时我能很快地习惯广东菜。

　　在中国的生活让我成长，变得自信，变得强大。我希望大家能帮助我们维持这样的关系，帮助各种各样聪明的美国学生和中国学生互相交流，更深地互相了解彼此的文化。

Sandra Jeffrey, USA

　　In 1992, I went to study at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou. I didn’t know a word of Chinese so I started to learn. Although it was very difficult and Chinese culture is very different to US culture, I decided to stay on in China. I once traveled to a small village in Yangshuo. The people there had never seen a black person before and ran away when we tried to speak to them. Only the children waved at us. I wanted to tell them that we are the same as them and not as scary as they might think, but they had already gone. I’ve had a lot of experiences like that, but I’ve never thought about leaving. I want to stay in China so that Chinese people can learn more about black people and about Americans.

　　From the 1990s to now, China and the Chinese people have changed a lot. The economy, buildings, traffic and opinions have all changed a lot. For example, when I was studying at Sun Yat-sen University there were no Western restaurants nearby, but now there is a McDonald’s across from the college. It was lucky I got used to Cantonese food so quickly.

　　Living in China has made me more confident and stronger. I hope people can help us maintain this relationship and help all sorts of smart American and Chinese students interact with each other and understand each other’s cultures better.

　　

　　

　　

　　张虹琳（美国）：

　　我代表了一类很特殊的美国人——美籍华人。有10多年的时间，我的生活一直很困惑、很郁闷。到我20多岁之后，我和父母的关系已经变成冷战，可以很长时间不说话，不见面。

　　后来，我来到北京清华大学学习中文，变成一个普通的美国留学生。学了一点中文之后，我和父母的关系有了很大的改善。我们可以做朋友了。由此我想到，如果中美两国的人不多沟通，耐心地分享彼此的看法，问题肯定会越来越严重。

Holly Chang, USA

　　I’m a special kind of American — Chinese American. My life was very difficult for about a decade. After I turned 20, my relationship with my parents deteriorated, and we didn’t speak or see each other for long periods.

　　I then came to Beijing to study Chinese at Tsinghua University, becoming an ordinary American student. After learning a little Chinese, my relationship with my parents improved significantly, and we became friends. This makes me think that if people in the USA and China don’t communicate and patiently share their views, things will definitely only get worse.

　　

鲍安娜（法国）

　　我1982年10月初次来到武汉大学。我的丈夫被中国深深吸引，他在中国得到了一份法语助教的工作，而我的目标是：学习汉语，并且今后要为法国学生们开设这门课程。我在武汉大学待了7年。我翻烂了词典学习中文，并尽我所能地学习我能学的一切，从书法到国画。回到法国之后，我在波尔多学区执教7年，带着我的热情和深切的渴望，希望能让我的学生到中国去亲身了解这个国度，并在武汉和波尔多两个城市之间建立起了合作伙伴关系。随后，全新的拉罗歇尔大学创立了新的中文系，我有幸被聘为教师。我带着对中国深深的感激之情，将所有能量投身于中文事业。

Anne-Marie Bordas, France

　　I first went to Wuhan University in October 1982. My husband is deeply interested in China and he got a job here as a French teacher. My aim was to study Chinese and one day to teach it to French students. I studied at Wuhan University for seven years. My dictionary was completely dog-eared from studying it so much, and I learned everything I could, including Chinese calligraphy and painting. When I went back to France, I taught in the Bordeaux school district for seven years. I hoped my passion and deep interest would encourage students to travel to China to understand it for themselves. I also helped establish a cooperative relationship between Wuhan and Bordeaux. Subsequently, the new La Rochelle University created a Chinese department and I was fortunate enough to be hired as a teacher. I am extremely grateful to China and devote all my energy to teaching Chinese.

　　

　　

　　银兰芝（法国）

　　1982年9月2日，我在取得普罗旺斯大学的中文学士学位后，获得了中国政府提供的为期两年的奖学金，来到北京语言学院（现北京语言大学）学习。仅仅3天之后，我觉得我已经融入了这里的环境。太不可思议了！我要学习所有的知识，这里的一切都令我如此着迷！我仔细观察，用心倾听，渐渐地，我开始学着享受我的新生活。我喜欢中国人的热情，喜欢乘火车旅行，喜欢睡硬卧卧铺，喜欢和中国人交谈。故宫之旅深深震撼了我。故宫美景无出其右者，令人叹为观止。时至今日，我已游览故宫60余次，在我心中，它是地球上最为壮观的古迹。自1988年起，我开始在法国的中学教授中文，还组织了10余次赴中国的游学活动。我希望能够将自己对中国、中国人，以及中文的热爱传递给我的学生们。

Isabella Sciallano, France

After I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Chinese from the University of Provence on September 2, 1982, I was awarded a two-year scholarship from the Chinese government to study at Beijing Language and Culture University. I felt at home there after just three days. It was incredible! I wanted to study everything. I was fascinated by everything there. I observed closely and listened carefully, and gradually I learned to enjoy my new life. I loved how welcoming Chinese people were. I loved traveling by train, especially in hard sleeper class, and I loved speaking to Chinese people. I was deeply affected by my first visit to the Forbidden Palace. The beauty of the Forbidden Palace is second to none. It is amazing. I’ve now visited the Forbidden Palace more than 60 times. In my opinion, it is the most spectacular historical site in the world. In 1988 I started teaching Chinese to middle school students in France, and I have organized more than 10 school trips to China. I hope to pass on my love of China, the Chinese people and Chinese language to my students.

　　邹杰（法国）

　　我是北京语言大学2009-2010届的校友，这次经历带给我一种完全不同的感受，我在一年之内的收获完全出我所料，我观察、品味、感受、聆听、呼吸着中国，每一次经历就像是不能被磨灭的影像一样镌刻在了我的记忆中。我热切地想一展法国的风采，我参加了地区和国家级的演讲比赛，例如“汉语桥”在华留学生汉语大赛，每每参赛都希望有所斩获。现在，我回到了法国，我将自己挚爱将近20年的语言教授给我的学生，希望他们能像我当年一样体会中文的细致和巧妙。在我工作的法国汉语教学协会和法国留华同学会，我乐于分享我对中国和中文的爱，总有一种声音在我的耳畔回响：这不会停歇！

Alexandre Zouaghi, France

　　I studied at Beijing Language and Culture University for one year starting in 2009. It was a unique experience, and I took more from it than I ever expected to. I ate, slept and breathed China. It is like all my experiences from that time are engraved in my memory. I was keen to represent France in regional and national language competitions, such as the Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students. I am now back in France teaching others the language I have loved for 20 years in the hope that they will appreciate the detail and subtleties of Chinese as much as I do. In my work for the French Chinese Language Teachers Association and the Association of French Students in China I enjoy sharing my love for China and the Chinese language. There is always a voice that echoes in my ears that says, “This will never end!”