内容提要
我们拥有个名字叫中国
我多年前的两次旅行中，有两件令我至今难忘的事。 二000年深秋，我首度踏足欧洲这片国土，来到了风光如画的瑞士名城日内瓦，晚上在下榻的酒店遇见了来自家乡顺德的一位乡亲，一位已经在这里生活了大半辈子的长者，可能是他乡遇亲人的缘故吧，几个团友兴致甚浓，在大堂一直聊到深夜，他十多岁跟随家人离开中国来到瑞士这个陌生的国度，几十年来在这片异国他乡的土地上打拼，半生漂泊，目睹中国在国际社会的日渐强大，海外华人的地位不断提升，用老人家的话说，就是“腰杆挺直，扬眉吐气”，中国人现在去到哪里都令人刮目相看，老人家的喜悦之情和朴实的话语令我感触良多。翌年秋天，一帮朋友从西藏出发穿越喜马拉雅山来到了神秘的佛教国度—尼泊尔，在中尼边境等候接待我们的恰巧也是一位祖籍顺德的老导游，导游的热情、异国的风光开始让我们激动了好一阵子，但几个小时后一抵达首都加德满都酒店我们就像泄了气的皮球一样，怎么也兴奋不起来，原以为十多天的风尘仆仆来到尼泊尔可以好好的休整一下，想不到下榻的酒店比从西藏沿途过来的招待所好不了多少，虽然尼泊尔算不上发达国家，但加德满都毕竟是依靠旅游为支柱产业的首都城市，接待条件真的这么差吗？带着疑问我们和导游进行了沟通，才知道这位热心的导游好心帮了倒忙，原来在他的印象里中国还是像几十年前那样贫穷落后，为了让来自家乡的客人省点钱，才把我们安排在这间相对便宜的老式酒店，以致于后来几天的行程中我们不断地向他进行“宣传教育”，才令这位长居海外的老人对他的祖国有了新的认识，“有生之年一定回家乡走走”，这是临别时老人对我们说的一番话，也是我们由衷的期盼，毕竟，今日的中国已是“当惊世界殊”了。
同样是“少小离家”，同样是在异国他乡生活了大半辈子的两位老人家，为什么对祖国的认识和印象竟是这样的迥异？带着这个问题，我一直在寻找答案。诚然，中国是发展中国家，东西部地区经济文化的差异，影视作品对中国贫穷一面的过分渲染，极少数中国游客在国外的不雅行为……令不少外国人对中国的印象还是落后愚昧的，然而“大鹏一日同风起，扶摇直上九万里”，三十年改革开放中国所取得举世瞩目的巨大成就，中国在国际社会扮演着越来越重要的角色，同样也是不争的事实，如何向世界展现一个文明古国的新风采，或许正是我们这一辈、甚至后一辈所要承担的一份责任了。
前人曾教诲道，“读万卷书，不如行万里路”，多年来旅途上的经历感受让我深深领悟到这个道理。中国之大，疆域辽阔，气象万千，既有奔腾不息的大江，也有烟波浩渺的湖泊；既有纵横绵亘的高山，更有一望无垠的沙漠。五十六个民族和谐共处，五千年华夏文明薪火相传，新中国改革开放日新月异，香港澳门相继回归，北京奥运成功举办，神舟探空嫦娥奔月，无不展现中华民族泱泱大国的凛然风采。每当在电视上听到雄壮的国歌奏响，凝望着五星红旗冉冉升起，我都忍不住热泪盈眶，我为自己是一个中国人感到骄傲，更为有幸见证着祖国的日益繁荣富强而感到无比的自豪。
“一把黄土，塑成千万个你我，静脉是长城，动脉是黄河；五千年的文化是生生不息的脉搏，提醒你，提醒我，我们拥有个名字叫中国”。上世纪八十年代，香港歌手张明敏的励志歌曲风靡大江南北，不知激起了多少热血青年的爱国情怀。时至今天，当我背起行囊，游走行摄在祖国的大地上，面对着雄伟广袤的壮丽山河，仍会情不自禁地吟唱起这首歌。
是的，无论过去，无论将来，无论我们走到世界的每一个角落，我们都拥有一个响亮的名字—中国。 二○○八年十一月 We All Have a Name Called China ( Preface ) I enjoy two unforgettable stories about my two journeys I made many years ago. In late autumn in 2000, I paid my initial visit to Genevese in scenic Switzerland as a European country and that night I stayed in a hotel where I met an overseas Chinese from my hometown Shunde, Guangdong—he was a senior man and lived here in Switzerland more than half of his lifetime. Some of our team members chatted with that man late at that night in the lounge of our hotel—perhaps it was lucky for them to encounter a fellowman here in a foreign country. He left with his family for Switzerland in his teens from China and had worked hard here for more than some decades. He knew that China was growing up and becoming stronger and stronger and the position of overseas Chinese had been improved—in such case, overseas Chinese can “square their shoulders and hold their heads high” as expressed by this elderly. Chinese would attract attention of others wherever they went. I was touched by the joyance and words of the old man. In autumn in 2001, some of my friends and I came to Nepal as a Buddhism country from Tibet via Himalaya and we were lucky enough to be received by an senor tour guide originally coming from Shunde, Guangdong. He waited and met us at the border between China and Nepal. We were excited for a while at his enthusiasm and alien scenes, but we were disappointed a few hours late when we arrived hotel in Katmandu—we thought that we could have a good rest in a good hotel after a hard tour of more than ten days, but the hotel we checked in was no better than those hostels we stayed on our tour starting from Tibet. Although Nepal was not a developed country, the hotel in Katmandu should not be so inferior—Katmandu with tourism as its pillar industry was the capital of Nepal at all. It was unbelievable! We talked with our guide and knew that he chose such a poor hotel for us on purpose—he thought China was as poor as a few decades ago and was afraid of that we could afford a better hotel. He was kind, but he was wrong--He checked us in a conventional and cheap hotel in order to allow us as his countrymen to save some expense. We “brainwashed” the senior guide having lived in Nepal for years repeatedly in following days on our tour and he finally knew about our new China. He told us that he would come back to his hometown some day when we bade farewell to him. We expected that day. China was different and he would be surprised when he saw our new China.
Both men left China in their teenagers and lived in a foreign country for many years, but they enjoyed different views and understandings about China as their motherland. Why? I am trying to find the solution. Many foreigners have a memory of poor and underdeveloped China because of the facts that China is a developing nation, that economic and cultural disparity exists between West China and East China and that some movies “show off” the poverty of China and few Chinese tourists act indecently in some foreign countries. China, however, enjoys many radical changes and is quite different from before, which “changes with each passing day”. China has achieved a lot after the reform and opening of more than three decades and plays an increasingly important role in the international community. Then how to show our new China with a long history and proud ancient achievements to the outside world is the mission and responsibility of our generation and even the next generation. We are taught to “travel ten thousand miles while reading ten thousands books”—for this maxim, I have known more on the basis of my experience of years’ travel. China is large and vast, with a nature abounding in changes and long rivers, attractive lakes, high mountains and boundless deserts. On this land, people of 56 nationalities coexist harmoniously and the Chinese civilizations of five thousands years have been carried on and on. With the implementation of policy of reform and opening to the outside world, China have been changed and is changing—the return of Hong Kong and Macao to the motherland, the successful hosting of Beijing Olympic Games, wonderful launch of Shenzhou Spacecraft and other accomplishments demonstrate the pride and confidence of the Chinese Nation. Whenever hearing the national anthem and watching the national flag on TV, I cannot hold back my eyes brimming over with warm excited tears—I am proud of me as a Chinese and I am proud that I am lucky to witness our homeland becoming more prosperous and stronger.
As sung by a Hong Kong singer Mr. Zhang Mingming in a song “a handful yellow earth is modeled into you and me, with Great Wall as the vein and the Huanghe River as the artery; the Chinese civilizations of five thousands years mean the uninterrupted pulsation reminding you and me that we all have a name called China” in the 1980s, many young people were touched and their patriotism was aroused. When I carry my luggage and make a journey on the land, I cannot help singing this song with the beautiful and attractive landscape in front of me.
Well, we all have a name called China anytime and anywhere we go in the world.
November 2008
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