Dezasseis: Intensidade, Hong Kong 1968 Sechzehn: Intensität, Hongkong 1968 Sixteen: Intensity, Hong Kong 1968 Dieciséis: Intensidad, Hong Kong 1968 Sedici: Intensità, Hong Kong 1968 Sixteen: Intensity, Hong Kong 1968

Eu imaginava Hong Kong uma cidade romântica com telhados chineses curvos e salgueiros-chorões. Ich stellte mir Hongkong als eine romantische Stadt mit geschwungenen chinesischen Dächern und Trauerweiden vor. I imagined Hong Kong a romantic city with curved Chinese roofs and weeping willows.

Estava ansioso por me imergir neste ambiente exótico. Ich freute mich darauf, in diese exotische Umgebung einzutauchen. I was anxious to immerse myself in this exotic environment. Foi em Junho de 1968, aos vinte e dois anos, que eu me dirigi à Ásia pela primeira vez. Im Juni 1968, im Alter von 22 Jahren, reiste ich zum ersten Mal nach Asien. It was in June 1968, at the age of twenty-two, that I first went to Asia. Tirei umas férias a caminho de Hong Kong e tive a oportunidade de conhecer partes do mundo que antes só tinha visitado na minha imaginação: em Itália, a magnificiência de Roma e o seu trânsito desordenado; em Israel, a intemporalidade duma noite de Verão estrelada sobre a cidade antiga de Jerusalém e a tensão dum país após uma Guerra recente; no Irão, o exotismo do bazar de Teerão e os seus táxis guiados imprudentemente e decorados com luzes de Natal em Junho; na Índia, o esplendor do Taj Mahal e a agitação da vida em Nova Deli; e na Tailândia, as cores vivas de Banguecoque e a elegância do seu povo e da sua cultura. I took a vacation on my way to Hong Kong and had the opportunity to visit parts of the world that I had only previously visited in my imagination: in Italy, the magnificence of Rome and its disordered traffic; in Israel, the timelessness of a starry summer night over the ancient city of Jerusalem and the tension of a country after a recent war; in Iran, the exoticism of Tehran's bazaar and its recklessly guided taxis decorated with Christmas lights in June; in India, the splendor of the Taj Mahal and the bustle of life in New Delhi; and in Thailand, the vivid colors of Bangkok and the elegance of its people and culture. O meu entusiasmo com a minha nova tarefa em Hong Kong estava a crescer com a minha viagem. My enthusiasm for my new assignment in Hong Kong was growing with my trip.

Finalmente cheguei a Hong Kong, onde fui recebido pelo carro oficial da Alta Comissão Canadiana. Schließlich kam ich in Hongkong an, wo ich vom Dienstwagen der kanadischen High Commission begrüßt wurde. Finally I arrived in Hong Kong, where I was greeted by the official car of the Canadian High Commission. À medida que passávamos pela congestionada Kowloon com as suas florestas de edifícios de apartamentos cinzentos e monótonos, fui subitamente trazido de volta à realidade. Als wir durch das verkehrsreiche Kowloon mit seinen Wäldern aus tristen, grauen Wohnhäusern fuhren, wurde ich plötzlich in die Realität zurückgeholt. As we passed congested Kowloon with its forests of dull gray apartment buildings, I was suddenly brought back to reality. Hong Kong não era nenhuma Shangri-la. Hongkong war kein Shangri-la. Hong Kong was no Shangri-la. Contudo, à medida que o nosso carro subia para o barco para nos levar de Kowloon à ilha de Hong Kong, fui subitamente recebido por um caleidoscópio flutuante de cargueiros, barcaças, navios de guerra, barcos chineses e iates com um fundo de arranha-céus modernos e edifícios coloniais imponentes, todos sendo contemplados do alto por Victoria Peak do lado de Hong Kong. Als unser Auto jedoch auf das Boot kletterte, das uns von Kowloon nach Hong Kong Island bringen sollte, wurde ich plötzlich von einem schwimmenden Kaleidoskop aus Frachtern, Lastkähnen, Kriegsschiffen, chinesischen Schiffen und Yachten vor einer Kulisse aus Wolkenkratzern begrüßt.moderne und imposante Kolonialgebäude, alle von Victoria Peak auf der Hongkonger Seite übersehen. However, as our car climbed onto the boat to take us from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island, I was suddenly greeted by a floating kaleidoscope of freighters, barges, warships, Chinese boats and high-rise yachts. imposing colonial buildings, all overlooked by Victoria Peak on the Hong Kong side.

Sempre me senti um pouco encurralado enquanto vivi na Colónia da Coroa de Hong Kong, como lhe chamávamos naqueles tempos. Ich fühlte mich immer ein bisschen in die Enge getrieben, als ich in der Kronkolonie Hongkong lebte, wie wir es damals nannten. I always felt a little cornered while living in the Hong Kong Crown Colony, as we called it back then. Para poder ir aonde quer que fosse, tinha de apanhar um avião ou um barco. Um irgendwohin zu gelangen, musste ich ein Flugzeug oder ein Boot nehmen. In order to go wherever he went, he had to catch a plane or a boat. A China estava basicamente fechada, e isto podia ser deprimente. China war im Grunde geschlossen, und das konnte deprimierend sein. China was basically closed, and this could be depressing. Apesar disso, a forma mais barata de me animar era pagar dez ou quinze cêntimos de Hong Kong para atravessar o porto no Star Ferry. Trotzdem war die billigste Art, mich aufzuheitern, zehn oder fünfzehn Hongkong-Cents zu zahlen, um den Hafen mit der Star Ferry zu überqueren. Nevertheless, the cheapest way to cheer me up was to pay ten or fifteen cents from Hong Kong to cross the harbor on the Star Ferry. Nunca me cansava de estudar a linha do horizonte e o trânsito portuário durante esta travessia de quinze minutos. Ich wurde nie müde, während dieser fünfzehnminütigen Überfahrt die Skyline und den Hafenverkehr zu studieren. I never tired of studying the skyline and the port traffic during this fifteen-minute crossing. Nunca me cansé de estudiar el horizonte y el tráfico del puerto durante este cruce de quince minutos.

Durante os primeiros meses vivi do lado de Hong Kong, perto de Stanley e Repulse Bay. Die ersten paar Monate lebte ich auf der Hongkonger Seite, in der Nähe von Stanley und Repulse Bay. For the first few months I lived on the Hong Kong side, near Stanley and Repulse Bay. Eu tinha vista desobstruída para uma pequena e romântica baía onde podia satisfazer o meu desejo pelo exótico estudando os barcos de transporte chineses a ir e vir pelas brilhantes àguas azul-turquesa do Mar do Sul da China. Ich hatte einen ungehinderten Blick auf eine kleine, romantische Bucht, in der ich meine Sehnsucht nach Exotik stillen konnte, indem ich chinesische Transportboote beobachtete, die über das glitzernde türkisfarbene Wasser des Südchinesischen Meeres kamen und gingen. I had an unobstructed view of a small, romantic bay where I could satisfy my desire for the exotic by studying Chinese transport boats to and fro through the sparkling turquoise waters of the South China Sea. Esta parte relativamente pouco povoada da Colónia da Coroa tinha praias, vegetação semitropical e uma grande população europeia. Dieser relativ dünn besiedelte Teil von Colonia da Coroa hatte Strände, halbtropische Vegetation und eine große europäische Bevölkerung. This relatively sparsely populated part of the Crown Colony had beaches, semitropical vegetation and a large European population. Era como um local turístico. Es war wie ein Touristenort. It was like a tourist spot. Era suposto eu viver ali e frequentar a Universidade de Hong Kong, onde todos os estudantes diplomáticos tinham estudado antes. Ich sollte dort leben und die Universität von Hongkong besuchen, wo zuvor alle Diplomatenstudenten studiert hatten. I was supposed to live there and attend the University of Hong Kong, where all diplomatic students had studied before. Se suponía que debía vivir allí y asistir a la Universidad de Hong Kong, donde todos los estudiantes diplomáticos habían estudiado antes. Mas depois de alguns meses, eu escolhi viver e estudar na parte mais densamente povoada de Kowloon, e inscrevi-me na Universidade Chinesa de Hong Kong. Aber nach ein paar Monaten entschied ich mich, im am dichtesten besiedelten Teil von Kowloon zu leben und zu studieren, und schrieb mich an der Chinese University of Hong Kong ein. But after a few months, I chose to live and study in the most densely populated part of Kowloon, and enrolled at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Tal como tinha decidido submergir-me na cultura francesa para aprender francês, tomei a mesma atitude para com o meu estudo do chinês. So wie ich beschlossen hatte, in die französische Kultur einzutauchen, um Französisch zu lernen, nahm ich die gleiche Einstellung zu meinem Chinesischstudium ein. Just as I had decided to immerse myself in French culture to learn French, I took the same attitude towards my study of Chinese.

Em Hong Kong fala-se cantonês, por isso eu não me podia submergir no mandarim. In Hongkong wird Kantonesisch gesprochen, also konnte ich mich nicht in Mandarin vertiefen. In Hong Kong, Cantonese is spoken, so I could not immerse myself in Mandarin. Apesar disso, Hong Kong fica na China e eu fui fortemente exposto à cultura chinesa. Trotzdem liegt Hongkong in China und ich war der chinesischen Kultur stark ausgesetzt. Nevertheless, Hong Kong is in China and I was heavily exposed to Chinese culture. Fui arrastado para fora do meu confortável casulo ocidental e exposto diariamente aos sons e odores das ruas e dos mercados movimentados, às lojas de medicina chinesa e de outros produtos exóticos, à energia de tanta gente movimentando-se nas oficinas rurais ou a vender na rua produtos que muitas vezes transportavam equilibrados numa vara. Ich wurde aus meinem bequemen westlichen Kokon gezerrt und täglich den Geräuschen und Gerüchen der geschäftigen Straßen und Märkte ausgesetzt, den Läden für chinesische Medizin und anderen exotischen Produkten, der Energie so vieler Menschen, die sich in ländlichen Werkstätten bewegten oder auf der Straße verkauften ... Produkte, die sie oft balancierend auf einer Stange trugen. I was dragged out of my comfortable Western cocoon and exposed daily to the sounds and smells of busy streets and markets, Chinese medicine and other exotic stores, the energy of so many people moving around in rural workshops or selling on the street. products they often carried balanced on a stick. Perto da minha escola ou no distrito soperpovoado de Tsimshatsui de Kowloon, eu podia comer esparguete ou arroz de caril de graça ao almoço com operários ou disfrutar de refeições cantonesas sumptuosas em restaurantes de luxo. In der Nähe meiner Schule oder im überbevölkerten Stadtteil Tsimshatsui in Kowloon konnte ich mit Fabrikarbeitern kostenlos Spaghetti oder Curryreis zum Mittagessen essen oder in gehobenen Restaurants üppige kantonesische Gerichte genießen. Near my school or in the crowded Tsimshatsui district of Kowloon, I could eat free spaghetti or curry rice for lunch with factory workers or enjoy sumptuous Cantonese meals in upscale restaurants. Havia muitos restaurantes que representavam a culinária das diferentes partes da China: Pequim, Shandong, Sichuan, Chao Zhou, entre outras, todos apertados em ruas estreitas e apinhadas de gente. Es gab viele Restaurants, die die Küche verschiedener Teile Chinas repräsentierten: unter anderem Peking, Shandong, Sichuan, Chao Zhou, alle in engen, überfüllten Straßen zusammengepfercht. There were many restaurants representing the cuisine of different parts of China: Beijing, Shandong, Sichuan, Chao Zhou, among others, all crammed into narrow, crowded streets. Este era o ambiente em que eu vivia diariamente quando estava a estudar chinês. In dieser Umgebung lebte ich täglich, als ich Chinesisch lernte. This was the environment in which I lived daily when I was studying Chinese. Eu estava a ser indirectamente condicionado a aceitar a língua. Ich wurde indirekt darauf konditioniert, die Sprache zu akzeptieren. I was being indirectly conditioned to accept the language.

Ainda me lembro das minhas conversas em mandarim à hora do almoço com os meus professores, enquanto comíamos Hui Guo Rou (porco assado em alho), Man Tou (pão no vapor) e sopa de enguia. Ich erinnere mich noch gut an meine Mittagsgespräche auf Mandarin mit meinen Lehrern, als wir Hui Guo Rou (Schweinebraten mit Knoblauch), Man Tou (gedämpftes Brot) und Aalsuppe aßen. I still remember my conversations in Mandarin at lunchtime with my teachers, while we ate Hui Guo Rou (pork roasted in garlic), Man Tou (steamed bread) and eel soup. Estas reuniões informais foram as minhas experiências de aprendizagem mais agradáveis e relaxantes. Diese informellen Treffen waren meine angenehmsten und entspannendsten Lernerfahrungen. These informal meetings were my most enjoyable and relaxing learning experiences. Os professores costumavam falar sobre a sua infância na China ou sobre outros temas interessantes. Früher haben die Lehrer über ihre Kindheit in China oder andere interessante Themen gesprochen. Teachers used to talk about their childhood in China or other interesting topics. Numa refeição chinesa, toda a gente se serve a partir da mesma travessa com os seus pauzinhos. Bei einem chinesischen Essen bedienen sich alle mit ihren Stäbchen aus dem gleichen Gericht. At a Chinese meal, everyone serves themselves from the same dish with their chopsticks. Sempre tive um bom apetite, e como era o único canadiano à mesa, deram-me a alcunha “jia na da” (“Canadá” em mandarim) com ênfase em “na da”, que significa “alcançar e levar um grande pedaço.” Ich hatte immer einen guten Appetit, und da ich der einzige Kanadier am Tisch war, bekam ich den Spitznamen „jia na da“ („Kanada“ auf Mandarin) mit Betonung auf „na da“, was „erreichen und nehmen“ bedeutet ein großes Stück." I always had a good appetite, and since I was the only Canadian at the table, they gave me the nickname “jia na da” (“Canada” in Mandarin) with an emphasis on “na da”, which means “reach and take a big chunk. "

Tomei a decisão correcta ao escolher a Universidade Chinesa de Hong Kong. Mit der Wahl der Chinese University of Hong Kong habe ich die richtige Entscheidung getroffen. I made the right decision when choosing the Chinese University of Hong Kong. A Escola da Língua Chinesa era dirigida por um dos professores de línguas mais eficazes que alguma vez conheci, o Sr. Die chinesische Sprachschule wurde von einem der effektivsten Sprachlehrer, den ich je getroffen habe, Mr. The Chinese Language School was run by one of the most effective language teachers I have ever met, Mr. Liu Ming. Liu Ming. Ele recebia bem as pessoas que vinham aprender a língua chinesa e fazia os estrangeiros sentirem que podiam aprender mandarim. Er begrüßte Menschen, die kamen, um die chinesische Sprache zu lernen, und gab Ausländern das Gefühl, Mandarin lernen zu können. He welcomed people coming to learn the Chinese language and made foreigners feel that they could learn Mandarin. Ele insistia no trabalho duro para o estudante, porque ele próprio era um homem enérgico e trabalhador. Er bestand auf harte Arbeit für den Studenten, weil er selbst ein tatkräftiger und fleißiger Mann war. He insisted on hard work for the student, because he himself was an energetic and hard-working man. Ele inspirou-me a dedicar-me ao meu novo desafio linguístico e era sempre flexível face aos meus pedidos. Er hat mich dazu inspiriert, mich meiner neuen Sprachherausforderung zu widmen und ist immer flexibel auf meine Wünsche eingegangen. He inspired me to devote myself to my new linguistic challenge and was always flexible with my requests. O pessoal da escola de línguas era muito amigável e encorajador. Das Personal der Sprachschule war sehr freundlich und ermutigend. The staff at the language school was very friendly and encouraging.

No início eu estava dependente das minhas sessões cara a cara com os professores. Anfangs war ich auf meine persönlichen Sitzungen mit den Lehrern angewiesen. At first I was dependent on my face to face sessions with the teachers. Contudo, em breve comecei a sentir que as aulas me sobrecarregavam. Allerdings hatte ich bald das Gefühl, dass mich der Unterricht überwältigte. However, soon I began to feel that the classes overwhelmed me. Eu era obrigado a ir às aulas três horas todos os dias de manhã. Ich musste jeden Morgen drei Stunden zum Unterricht gehen. I was required to go to class three hours every morning. Às vezes estava cansado e quase sem poder prestar atenção. Manchmal war er müde und konnte kaum aufpassen. Sometimes I was tired and almost unable to pay attention. A eficácia dos professores variava. The effectiveness of the teachers varied. Alguns professores insistiam em explicar-me as coisas em inglês, algo que eu achava particularmente aborrecido. Einige Lehrer bestanden darauf, mir Dinge auf Englisch zu erklären, was ich besonders nervig fand. Some teachers insisted on explaining things to me in English, which I found particularly annoying. Naquele tempo a moda era fazer exercícios que eram frequentemente cansativos e irritantes. Damals war es Mode, Übungen zu machen, die oft ermüdend und irritierend waren. At that time the fashion was to do exercises that were often tiring and annoying. As melhores sessões eram aquelas em que o professor se limitava a falar dum assunto interessante. Die besten Sitzungen waren diejenigen, in denen der Lehrer nur über ein interessantes Thema sprach. The best sessions were those in which the teacher merely talked about an interesting subject. A maior parte da minha aprendizagem foi feita durante estas conversas informais e durante o meu estudo intenso em casa. Den größten Teil meines Lernens habe ich während dieser informellen Gespräche und während meines intensiven Studiums zu Hause gemacht. Most of my learning was done during these informal conversations and during my intense study at home.

Foi a energia do Director Liu Ming, que nos vigiava e desafiava que me inspirou realmente a trabalhar arduamente. Es war die Energie von Direktor Liu Ming, die über uns wachte und uns herausforderte, die mich wirklich dazu inspirierte, hart zu arbeiten. It was the energy of Director Liu Ming, who watched and challenged us that really inspired me to work hard. Os textos que usávamos eram do program Yale-in-China. Die verwendeten Texte stammten aus dem Yale-in-China-Programm. The texts we used were from the Yale-in-China program. O primeiro texto chamava-se Diálogos Chineses e passava-se na China do período que precedeu a Libertação. Der erste Text hieß Chinesische Dialoge und spielte in China in der Zeit vor der Befreiung. The first text was called Chinese Dialogues and was set in China from the period before Liberation. Os diálogos descreviam um tal Sr. Die Dialoge beschrieben einen Mr. The dialogues described one such Mr. Smith que vivia, trabalhava e viajava pela China, desde Xangai a Nanking e a Beiping (como lhe chamavam no tempo de Kuomingtang). Smith who lived, worked, and traveled in China, from Shanghai to Nanking to Beiping (as they called it in Kuomingtang time). Isto estava fora do contexto da China do final dos anos 60 que estava em plena Revolução Cultural. Dies stand außerhalb des Kontexts des China der späten 1960er Jahre, das sich mitten in der Kulturrevolution befand. This was outside the context of late 60's China that was in the midst of the Cultural Revolution. Lembro-me de muito pouco acerca deste livro, mas compreendo que seja necessário um texto artificial como este na fase inicial da aprendizagem duma língua. I remember very little about this book, but I understand that an artificial text like this is needed in the early stages of language learning.