初见津巴(7) First Impressions of Zimbabwe

十几个小时的飞行像一场漫长的跋涉，当飞机即将降落在哈拉雷机场时，我早已被疲惫裹挟。降落时机身不断传来的失重感，更让人心神不宁，让我无暇去憧憬即将展开的新生活。

The more than ten-hour flight felt like an endless trek. By the time the plane was about to land at Harare Airport, I was already wrapped in exhaustion. The constant sensation of weightlessness during descent made me even more restless, leaving no room to fantasize about the new life about to unfold.

拖着大包小包的行李，好不容易办完签证，到行李转盘处却发现，同行伙伴的一个大箱子不翼而飞。这趟旅程的开局，实在算不上美好。好在大家都还算冷静，一起去工作人员那里登记了相关信息，又经历了最后一道开箱检查，才终于走出机场。直到看见来迎接我们的老师，那颗悬着的心才稍稍落地，整个人也像是重新活了过来。

Dragging along our luggage, we finally completed the visa process, only to find that one of my companions’ large suitcases was missing from the baggage carousel. It wasn’t the most promising start to the journey. Fortunately, everyone remained relatively calm. Together, we reported the incident to the staff, went through one last baggage inspection, and finally stepped out of the airport. It wasn’t until we saw the teacher who had come to pick us up that our hanging hearts settled slightly, and it felt as if we had come back to life.

郭老师开车载着我们前往津大，沿途窗外的街景与国内截然不同。陌生的建筑、迥异的风土人情扑面而来，我这才真切地感受到，自己真的来到了非洲，来到了津巴布韦。到宿舍放好行李后，老师带我们去了一家中餐厅，那是我们在哈拉雷吃的第一顿饭，熟悉的味道让人倍感温暖。

Guo Laoshi drove us to the University of Zimbabwe, and the scenery outside the window along the way was completely different from what we were used to back home. Unfamiliar architecture and distinctly different customs greeted us at every turn. It was then that I truly felt: I had really arrived in Africa, in Zimbabwe. After dropping our luggage at the house, the teacher took us to a Chinese restaurant—our first meal in Harare. The familiar flavors brought a deep sense of warmth.

宿舍的环境比预想中好不少，厨房和厕所都挺宽敞，院子里更是绿意盎然，生机勃勃的景象让人的心情也跟着明媚起来。

The environment at our house was better than expected: the kitchen and bathroom are quite spacious, and the yard is lush and green, vibrant with life—a sight that lifted our moods.

第二天一早，我们就出发去办电话卡，顺便采购生活用品和食材。当地的中超让人惊喜—— 商品琳琅满目，应有尽有。来之前还一直担心买不到想要的调料，现在看来是多虑了。虽然价格比国内贵了很多，但还在可接受范围内，而且调料这类东西买一次就能用很久，也算是划算。之后我们又去了当地的 Food Lover’s 超市，这里的蔬菜和肉类都十分丰富，价格也相对较低。最让人惊喜的是，这里的蓝莓格外便宜，终于能实现“蓝莓自由” 了。

Early the next morning, we set off to get SIM cards and also took the opportunity to buy daily necessities and groceries. Walking into a local Chinese supermarket, we were pleasantly surprised— the products inside were diverse and well-stocked. Before coming, I was worried about not being able to find the seasonings I wanted, but upon realizing that I could get the seasonings, the worry completely disappeared. Although the prices were much higher than in China, they were still within an acceptable range. Besides, seasonings are something you buy once and use for a long time, so it felt like a reasonable deal. Afterward, we went to a local Food Lover’s Market. The vegetables and meats there were plentiful and relatively affordable. The biggest surprise was how cheap the blueberries were—finally, I could achieve “blueberry freedom”!

工作来得比想象中快太多。采购完的当天晚上，我才得知马上要给津大法律专业的 200 多名学生上中文课，而留给我备课的时间，只有短短一个晚上。当走进上课的礼堂，看到那偌大的场地时，我心里十分紧张，只能努力深呼吸让自己平静下来。

Work turned out to be much busier than expected. On the very evening after our shopping trip, I found out that I was soon to teach a Chinese class to more than 200 Law students at the University of Zimbabwe—and I had only one night to prepare. When I walked into the lecture hall and saw the vast space, I could hardly believe my eyes. I was extremely nervous and could only try to calm myself with deep breaths.

可当正式上课，站在讲台上开始授课后，我反而变得从容起来，教学过程也十分顺利。第一节课结束后，连我自己都惊讶于刚才的表现。那一刻我忽然明白，人进步最快的时候，正是这样被“逼一把” 的时刻。

However, once the class began and I stood at the podium to teach, I gradually found my composure. The lesson went surprisingly smoothly. After the first class, I was even amazed by my own performance. In that moment, I suddenly understood: people improve the fastest precisely when they are “pushed to the edge.”

在这边，无论是与人日常交流，还是给津大的学生上课，都得用英语。以前因为缺乏英语环境，我的口语能力一直不算太好。但我对未来充满期待，也坚信，在这样沉浸式的英语环境中生活一段时间后，我的口语能力一定能得到很大的提升。当地人还说绍纳语，目前我只学会了“明天见”，希望之后能学习到更多。

Here, English is essential for everyday communication and for teaching University of Zimbabwe students. In the past, due to a lack of an English-speaking environment, my spoken English wasn’t very good. But I am full of expectations for the future and firmly believe that after living in this immersive English environment for a while, my speaking skills will improve significantly. Locals also speak Shona; so far, I’ve only learned “see you tomorrow,” but I hope to learn more in the future.

这一周，我们基本都是在宿舍和教室之间两点一线，还没来得及好好逛逛津大的校园，也没能交到太多朋友。不过没关系，津巴布韦的故事才刚刚开始，这些未知的精彩，就留待我们之后慢慢去探索吧……

This week, we’ve mostly been shuttling between the house and the classroom. We haven’t had the chance to properly explore the University of Zimbabwe campus or make many friends yet. But that’s alright—the story in Zimbabwe has only just begun. All these unknown wonders are left for us to slowly discover in the days to come......

编  辑 | 周兴祥

审  核 | 李丽琴 Ms Shoko