在秘鲁，有一股中文学习热潮

During my flight to Lima for the APEC meeting, a simple mistake about my profession sparked an unexpected discovery about Peruvian students' enthusiasm for Chinese language and culture. 

在飞往利马参与报道亚太经合组织领导人非正式会议的途中，一个关于我职业的小误会意外地让我发现了秘鲁学生对中国语言和文化的热情。

Peru boasts one of Latin America's largest Chinese communities —approximately 10 percent of the country's total population.

A Chinese construction company manager, thinking I was a Confucius Institute teacher, approached me about recruiting student volunteers. His assumption wasn't entirely off the mark — 22 years ago, as a graduate student in Beijing, I taught English at a night college. 

秘鲁拥有拉丁美洲最大的华人社区之一，居住其中的华人约占该国总人口的10%。一位中国电建驻秘鲁的项目经理误以为我是孔子学院的教师，向我询问招募学生志愿者的事宜。这个误会也不算完全离谱——22年前，我在北京读研究生时，曾在一所夜大教过英语。

The serendipitous mistake brought back fond memories of my teaching days and piqued my curiosity about Chinese-language learners in Peru, one of the most distant countries from China. 

这个不经意的小误会不禁唤起了我教书时的美好回忆，也激起了我对这个离中国最遥远的国家之一——秘鲁的汉语学习者的好奇心。

My curiosity was quickly rewarded at the International Media Center. I asked the information desk about any Chinese-speaking volunteers. Moments later, an exuberant young lady, wearing glasses and an APEC volunteer uniform, appeared before me.

在国际媒体中心，我的好奇心很快就得到了满足。我试着在信息台询问是否有会说中文的志愿者，片刻之后，一位戴着眼镜、身穿志愿者制服的女生热情洋溢地出现在我面前。

This was Ibeeth Medina, a junior studying international relations at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. She spoke with evident pride about her university's Confucius Institute, boasting, "My teacher was trained at the prestigious Peking University."

她是伊比斯·梅迪娜（Ibeeth Medina），秘鲁天主教大学国际关系专业的大三学生。她自豪地谈起了她所在大学的孔子学院，还骄傲地告诉我：“我的老师在北京大学学习过。”

Having studied Chinese for 10 months, her enthusiasm wasn't dampened by the language's challenges. "The more I learn it, the more difficult it gets," she admitted, yet she sees those difficulties as stepping stones toward her career goals.

梅迪娜已经学了十个月的中文。虽然“越学越觉得难” ，但面对中文的挑战，她学习的热情丝毫未减，因为她把这些困难视为自己未来职业发展道路上的垫脚石。

"I see growing interest in Chinese. I think three in 10 students at PCUP are enrolled in Confucius Institute programs," Medina said, reflecting a broader trend at Lima’s universities.

At Ricardo Palma University (URP), another Confucius Institute has developed specialized programs combining language courses with cultural workshops and internships to meet the surging demand.

“我周围的人对中文的兴趣越来越大。我觉得我们学校大约十个人中有三个都在参加孔子学院的课程。”梅迪娜分享道。不仅在她的大学如此，这几乎是一个普遍趋势。在里卡多·帕尔马大学（URP）的孔子学院，专门为学生的职业发展量身定制了一套将语言课程与文化研讨以及实习相结合的专业课程。

"Peruvian students are increasingly recognizing the value of learning Chinese, driven by various factors such as the growing economic ties between Peru and China," Cecilia Tello, director of the Confucius Institute at URP, told me.

里卡多·帕尔马大学孔子学院院长塞西莉亚·特洛（Cecilia Tello）告诉我说：“秘鲁学生越来越意识到学习中文的价值，这受到多种因素的驱动，比如秘鲁和中国之间不断繁荣的经济联系。”

The Chancay Port project, backed by Chinese investment, has catalyzed interest in Chinese studies among Peruvian students, encouraging the institute to align its education with emerging economic opportunities, according to Tello.

据特洛介绍，由中国投资建设的钱凯港项目激发了秘鲁学生对中国的兴趣，促使学院将教育与新兴的经济机遇相结合。

The $3.5 billion mega-port located 70 kilometers from Lima will serve as a major hub connecting Latin America and Asia.

"The announcement of the Chancay Port project has indeed sparked increased interest in Chinese language and culture studies among Peruvian students," said Tello. "Such projects raise awareness about the global economy, prompting students to consider careers in sectors that may benefit from such developments."

这个耗资35亿美元、距离利马70公里的大型港口将成为连接拉丁美洲和亚洲的重要枢纽。“钱凯港口项目确实增加了秘鲁学生对中国语言和文化学习的兴趣，”特洛说，“这样的项目提高了人们对全球经济的认识，促使学生考虑从事相关行业。”

Responding to those developments, the institute has expanded its offerings to focus on business language skills, business etiquette and negotiation practices. It has partnered with Chinese companies to provide opportunities to work in a bilingual environment, preparing students for roles in industries related to such infrastructure projects.

为了响应这些发展机遇，该学院扩大了课程内容，重点培养商务语言技能、商务礼仪、谈判实践的技能，并与中国企业合作，让学生有在双语环境中工作的机会，为学生将来在这类基础设施项目相关的行业中工作做准备。

Tello explained how Chinese-language proficiency opens doors to opportunities in international trade, logistics and management roles. "Understanding Chinese culture enhances cross-cultural communication skills, which are essential in today's globalized work environment," she added.

特洛解释说，中文语言能力为学生参加国际贸易、物流和管理岗位带来机遇。她补充道：“理解中国文化能够提升跨文化交际能力，这在当今全球化的工作环境中至关重要。”

The practical value of those skills was emphasized by the local project manager at the Power Construction Corp of China, who initially thought I was a Chinese-language teacher. His company, a major infrastructure-project contractor, has expanded its operations in Peru with projects like the newly completed Liberty Hospital in Huancayo, in the Junín region. 

最初误认为我是汉语教师的中国电建集团的项目经理也强调了这些技能的实用价值。他的公司近几年不断扩大在秘鲁的影响力，由其负责修缮的位于胡宁大区的万卡约自由医院将在11月14日竣工。

Local hiring dominates the company's workforce. Only a small number of Chinese employees remain on site for supervision and training, according to the manager. "We need more than just language skills," he told me. "We're looking for technical and business skills as well, and we plan to increase local hiring in the future."

据他介绍，公司主要招聘当地人作员工。目前只有少数中国员工负责监督和培训。“我们需要的不仅仅是语言技能，”他说，“我们还在寻找技术和商务技能的人才，而且我们计划在未来继续增加本地招聘。”

As Chinese companies expand their presence in Peru, enthusiasm for Chinese-language learning has grown. When I first visited Lima more than nine years ago, I would encounter young college students working part time in tourism and hospitality who could offer basic Chinese greetings and share knowledge about kung fu or Chinese New Year celebrations.

随着中国企业在秘鲁的影响力不断扩大，秘鲁人民对中文学习的热情也在增长。九年前我第一次来到利马时，遇到在旅游业和酒店兼职的年轻大学生，他们能说点简单的中文，也能简单地聊一聊中国，比如聊一些中国功夫或者春节。

Today's students, exemplified by Medina, demonstrate deeper engagement. "I'm interested in economy, especially China's entrepreneurship and innovation," she said, adding that she is looking forward to an exchange program in China next year that she hopes will broaden her perspective on international relations.

如今像梅迪娜这样的秘鲁学生，对中国有了更加深入的了解。“我对经济很感兴趣，特别是中国的创业创新，”她说。明年她将有机会参加去中国的交换项目。“希望这能拓宽我对国际关系认识的视野，” 她说。

Her enthusiasm reminded me of my former students from two decades ago who had that same spark of determination in their eyes as they grappled with a foreign language, knowing it could change their lives.

梅迪娜的热情让我想起了二十年前我的学生们——当他们在努力掌握一门外语时，他们眼中也闪烁着同样的决心，因为他们知道，学会一门外语可能改变他们的人生。

Looking at her face brimming with hope, I find myself imagining a classroom full of aspiring Peruvian students. Perhaps being a Confucius Institute teacher would be a rewarding role as well.

看着梅迪娜充满希望的脸，我不禁想象着自己置身于一间教室，身边是充满抱负的秘鲁学生。或许，做一名秘鲁孔子学院的老师也是一件很有成就感的职业。

记者：Lia Zhu

见习编辑：黎霈融