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I am not the same,having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.-Mary Anne Radmacher ***Reading and thinking (pages 14-15)***
--课文翻译--
WELCOME，XIE LEI
BUSINESS STUDENT BUILDING BRIDGES
Six months ago，19-year-old Xie Lei said goodbye to her family and friends and boarded a plane for London. It was the first time that she had left China. “I was very excited but also quite nervous. I didn’t know what to expect,”Xie Lei recalled. Xie Lei is studying for a business qualification at a university in China and has come to our university on a year-long exchange programme. "I chose the exchange programme because I wanted to learn about global business and improve my English. My ambition is to set up a businessin China after graduation, "she explained. At first, Xie Lei had to adapt to life in a different country. “You have to get used to a whole new life.” she said. I had to learn how to use public transport and how to ask for things I didn’t know the English names for. When I got lost, I had to ask passers-by for help,but people here speak fast and use words I’m not familiar with. I ask them to repeat themselves a lot!” Although some foreign students live in campus accommodation, Xie Lei chose to live with a host family，who can help with her adaptation to the new culture. When I miss home, I feel comforted to have a second family，Xie Lei said “When there’s something I don’t know or understand I can ask them.They are also keen to learn about China. Laura, the daughter of my host family, wants to study in China in the future. We take turns to cook each evening. They really love my stir-fried tomatoes and eggs! Laura says she always feels hungry when she smells it, so I taught her how to cook it, too. Another challenge for Xie Lei is the academic requirements. The first time that she had to write an essay, her tutor explained that she must acknowledge what other people had said if she cited their ideas, but that he mainly wanted to know what she thought! Xie Lei was confused because she thought she knew less than other people. Her tutor advised her to read lots of information in order to form a wise opinion of her own. Xie Lei also found many courses included students’ participation in class as part of the final result. Students need to generate ideas, offer examples, apply concepts, and raise questions, as well as give presentations. At first, Xie Lei had no idea what she should say, but what surprised her was that she found herself speaking up in class after just a few weeks. “My presentation on traditional Chinese art was a great success, which boosted my confidence,” she said. “I’ll use these skills back home for presentations. They 'll help me build a strong business in the future.” Now halfway through her exchange year, Xie Lei feels much more at home in the UK.What seemed strange before now appears quite normal to her. "Engaging in British culture has helped, she said. "As well as studying hard, I've been involved in social activities. British people are fascinated by our culture and eager to learn more about it, so I’m keen to share my culture with them. While I‘m learning about business I'm also acting as a cultural messenger building a bridge between us. We will follow Xie Lei’s progress in later editions, but for now we wish her all the best.
“欢迎你，谢蕾!”
商科学生搭建文化交流的桥梁
半年前，19岁的谢蕾告别家人和朋友，登上了飞往伦敦的班机。这是她第一次离开中国。“我很激动，也很紧张，不知道会发生什么。”谢蕾回忆道。
谢蕾在中国一所大学攻读商科，来我校参加为期一年的交流项目。“之所以选择这个交流项目，是因为我想了解全球商务，并提高我的英语水平。我的志向是毕业后在中国创办一家企业。”她解释道。
起初，谢蕾不得不去适应异国他乡的生活。“你必须习惯种全新的生活。”她说，“我得学会使用公共交通，学会要到我不知道英文名称的东西。迷路时，我得向路人求助但是这里的人讲话语速很快，而且使用的是我不熟悉的单词。我老是让他们重复!”
虽然一些留学生住在学校里，但是谢蕾选择住在寄宿家庭有助于她适应异国文化。“有第二个家，想家时我会得到些安慰。”谢蕾说。“当我有不知道或不理解的事情时，我可以咨询他们。他们对中国也很感兴趣，我房东的女儿劳拉将来想到中国求学。我们每晚轮流做饭，他们真的很爱吃我做的番茄炒蛋!劳拉说，每次闻到香味，她就感到饥肠辘辘，于是我教她做这道菜。 谢蕾面临的另一个挑战是学业要求。她第一次写论文时，导师跟她解释说，如果引用别人的观点就一定要注明，不过他主要还是想了解她本人的观点!谢蕾困惑不解，因为她觉得自己懂得没有别人多。她的导师建议她广泛阅读文献，形成自己睿智的观点。
此外，谢蕾发现很多课程的最终成绩都包含学生的课堂参与。学生需要形成观点、提供例子、运用概念、提出问题并且还要进行展示。刚开始的时候，谢蕾不知道该说些什么。但令她惊喜的是，仅仅几周时间，她就能在课堂上大胆发言了。“我的中国传统艺术展示非常成功，提升了我的自信心。”她说，“回国后，我会将这些技能运用到展示中，帮助我未来打造一家强大的企业。”
一年的交换生生涯现已过半，谢蕾感觉在英国过得轻松自如多了。以前看似奇怪的事情现在对她来说显得十分平常。融入英国文化使我受益匪浅。”她说，“努力学习之余我还参加了一些社交活动。英国人对我们的文化十分着迷渴望了解更多中国文化，因此我也乐于同他们分享。攻读商科的同时，我也扮演着文化使者的角色，在中外文化之间架起一座桥梁。 我们会在随后的几期中跟踪报道谢蕾的进展情况，但现在我们祝她一切顺利。 |
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