摘 要
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新冠疫情给了我们全人类一个教训，教会我们要多理解和包容那些孤身在外和饱受情绪折磨的人们。爱和团结不仅仅只意味着对待家人、邻居和朋友的态度，而是要对我们遇到的所有人都如此。希望人类可以意识到我们需要同舟共济，无关国界、人种和宗教，为团结全球大家庭而努力。
Getting Sick in a Foreign Land
The rapid spread of COVID-19 is an important reminder to the citizens of our present world that global events can’t be limited by national borders. At the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020 I had a scary experience that made me painfully aware of my own human frailty, but also of goodness and charity of others.新冠肺炎的肆虐提醒着全球公民，对待全球性事件不应受到国界意识的约束。2020年初疫情刚开始爆发时，我经历了一件很糟糕的事情，对于我来说是痛苦的经历，但是这件事也展现了身边的好人与友善。
As an international student at CUC, I came to Beijing in September 2019 on scholarship set up by China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) designed to strengthen cooperation between China and developing nations, which need to upgrade the skills of their younger government officials by receiving Master’s and Ph.D.degrees.中国商务部为加强中国与发展中国家的合作而建立了奖学金项目，旨在帮助发展中国家的年轻政府官员来华进行硕士和博士等多层面的学历教育，从而提升个人能力。我在2019年获得该奖学金并来到北京成为中国传媒大学的一名留学生。
After 3 months of classes, I thought it was time for exposure and to explore, I journeyed with my colleagues on a holiday trip to Yiwu, which turned out to be more adventurous than initially planned. After two days of shopping for our families we got invited to Shanghai by a local Chinese friend. That same evening upon arrival at our accommodation I started feeling sick.
上了3个月的课后，我觉得是时候去探索和接触一些新事物了，于是我和一些同事假期去了义乌旅游，这场旅行比原本计划的要更加刺激。旅行的前两天，我们为家人购买了各种物品，然后，一个中国朋友邀请我们去上海。然而，抵达住所的那个晚上我开始感觉到，身体出现了问题。
We enjoyed a home-cooked meal of African tilapia fish, tofu, parsley and other leafy vegetables. We had a hotpot, which is a popular social meal served through a simmering pot of fragrant soup stock, where a variety of ingredients are cooked on a table. 在那里，我们一起做饭吃，准备了非洲式罗非鱼菜肴、豆腐、荷兰芹和其他叶菜。还有一个火锅，这是一种适合于聚餐的食物，煮一锅香浓的汤放在桌子上，在汤里放入各种食材煮熟而用。
We couldn’t finish the meal, because I got a severe abdominal attack with sharp pain accompanying my every breath.Since I was feeling very cold, Mr. Bob, as we called our Chinese friend, got me a huge military jacket and drove me to the hospital. The full body test results came out negative. Supposedly everything was normal.
但是，由于在吃饭过程中我身体感到不适，伴随着每一次呼吸，我的腹部都会剧烈疼痛。因此，我们并没有享用完这顿大餐。我开始感到发冷，我们的中国朋友鲍勃先生给我披了一件军大衣并且开车载我去了医院。我身体的各项检测指标都呈阴性。看起来应该是一切正常。
We spent the whole night at the hospital and I was given a painkiller that could last the whole day for the duration of my return trip to Beijing. In Beijing the pain grew worse and things seemed to get no better. 我们在医院待了一整个晚上。我吃了一颗止疼药，然后坚持着回到了北京。然而，回到北京后这种疼痛变得更重了，丝毫没有好转的迹象。
The security guard took me to the emergency department for flu testing. The new coronavirus had just broken out; everyone was in panic and was wearing masks. The staff members were helpful though we couldn’t understand each otherwell.
医院的警卫带我去急诊科做了病毒检测。那时，新冠肺炎疫情刚刚爆发，每个人都很惶恐，并且佩戴着口罩。尽管我和医院工作人员无法顺畅地用语言沟通，但是他们都帮了很大的忙。
Then I lost my data network and was out of cash unable to pay my procedures. I couldn’t find my student card nor my visa bank card in my bag so I was really worried about how I would pay for my treatment. Just as I was getting hopeless and desperate a miracle happened. An old Chinese man spoke up and asked me what was happening. His English was good and after hearing my explanation, he reached into his wallet and with a blink of an eye blessed me with a 1000 RMB. I refused to accept the money, but he insisted me to take it as a goodwill gift. He told me he knew how it felt to be alone and sick while far from home. That money was exactly sufficient to cover all my needed procedures that night at the hospital. 不久以后，我的手机就没有信号了，并且现金也用光了，没法支付接下来的医疗费用。我在自己的包里没找到学生卡和信用卡，所以当时我非常担心，不知道自己该如何支付这笔治疗费用。正当我感到绝望的时候，奇迹出现了。一位中国老人问我发生了什么事。他的英语说得很棒，当他听完我的解释之后，立马从自己的钱包中拿出了1000元现金给我，还有些顽皮地冲我眨了眨眼说希望我能够康复。我起初拒绝收下这笔钱，但是他一再坚持，说这算是他给我的善意的礼物。他还告诉我说，自己明白背井离乡时的孤独难熬的感受。那笔钱刚好够我支付当天晚上在医院治疗所花费的全部费用。
Even though a financial miracle had taken place, I began having other worries while spending another night at a hospital. Deep in my heart I felt traumatised, but also petrified of the new Coronavirus. Then I got referred to another doctor who placed me on a four-day treatment assuring me I would be fine. 尽管费用的问题得到了解决，但是我整晚在医院接受治疗的时候开始有了一些别的担忧。我的内心深处感觉受到了创伤，并且对于新冠肺炎病毒的肆虐也十分恐惧。随后，另一个医生通知我进行一个为期四天的治疗，以确保我的康复。
Since I had some chest pain and shortness of breath, I was almost convinced that I had the virus, but needed to be tested for it. The doctor at the hospital said I didn’t have any of the COVID-19 symptoms. I broke down and thought of going back home, but then I remembered another lady doctorwhom I felt would help me and decided to see her. She was very understanding, spoke English,and the care and hospitality of her colleagues was amazing. She understood everything and said she suspected pneumonia and sent me for a blood test. I had a small lung infection, but not a dangerous pneumonia, according to the results. 自从我开始感受到一些胸部疼痛和呼吸困难时，我几乎确信自己感染了新冠病毒，但是我需要接受检测去确认这个假设。医生却说我没有任何患新冠肺炎的症状。我几乎崩溃了，那一刻只想回家，但是之后我突然想起来另外一位女医生，感觉她可能能够帮助到我。于是，我去找了她。她很通情达理，也会说英语，她同事们的服务和照料也非常周到。她对我的情况充分了解后，怀疑我得的是肺炎，并送我去做了血液检测。结果显示，我有轻微的肺部感染，但是并非是严重的肺炎。
Even though I was still panicking and believing I could have the virus, after 5 days of taking the antibacterial medications, I surprisingly got well. The university also comforted me and promised me I was really OK, and that if I had the COVID virus or was even a suspected case, I would be in the hospital rather than my room. Their uplifting words helped me get through this personal health crisis. This was a profoundly terrifying experience, but I encountered wonderful people who helped me along the way. 尽管我仍然处在深深的惶恐中，坚信自己感染了病毒，但好在经过5天抗菌药物治疗后，我痊愈了。学校也给予我一些安慰并让我宽心，如果我真的得了新冠肺炎或者是疑似患者，我此刻就在医院而不是自己的房间里了。他们振奋人心的话语帮助我度过了这场事关个人健康的危机。这实在是一次可怕的经历，但是我在此期间遇到了许多好人向我伸出援手。
The doctors weren’t just skilled medically; they were also friendly, easy-going people who put me at ease with their limitedEnglish and often made me smile. I also can’t forget the hospital security guard who was with me the whole night taking me from doctor to doctor, from room to room, and finally to the taxi.这些医生不仅医术高超，他们也非常友善并且平易近人，努力用有限的英语沟通使我能够放松。我也不会忘记在医院整晚陪着我的警卫，他带着我去不同的医生那里就诊，在各个诊室间奔波，直到最后送我坐上出租车。
I will never forget the two ladies from our building reception desk who came to my room daily to keep monitoring my temperature. 我永远也不会忘记我们公寓接待处的两位女士，她们每天都来我的房间帮我检测体温。
Daily messages from social media came in from home “when are you coming back? aren’t you leaving China?” People ask and probably think it is an easy decision to make, one need to consider logistics and so many other factors. But people do not seem to know how emotional this is, and how strongly one who goes through this can be affected.
我每天都在社交软件上收到很多条家里发来的信息，他们问我：“你什么时候回来啊？难道你还不离开中国吗？”人们这样问可能是觉得我根本不需要纠结，只需要多方面综合考虑就很容易做决定了。可是大家似乎并不知道这对我的情绪产生了多大的影响，我的情绪因此受到了强烈的波动。
Coronavirus is a highly infectious respiratory disease and it poses a threat to everyone around the world these days. It came as a surprise that has stricken countless global citizens in 2020, and I was no exception.Even though my test for COVID-19 came out negative, the feeling of emotional fear and physical pain at the beginning of this pandemic was a profoundly transformational experience.新冠肺炎病毒是一种具有高度传染性的呼吸道疾病，它对全世界的每一个人的生命都存在着威胁。它的出现让人猝不及防，成为2020年对全人类的一次重大打击。当然，它也对我造成了巨大的创伤。尽管我的新冠肺炎检测呈阴性，但在疫情爆发初期我情感上的恐惧和肉体上的疼痛实实在在对我来说是一次促成我自我观念转变的经历。
In conclusion I would personally join all others around the world to applaud and recognise the Chinese government and people for the amazing leadership in combating the new crown pneumonia. The COVID-19 experience should then teach all of us to show more human understanding and empathy when dealing with others who are going through sickness, isolation, and emotional suffering. Love and solidarity are necessary for the protection of not just our immediate families, neighbours, and friends, but all those we come in contact with. Hopefully, people can realize we are all in the same boat, regardless of nationality, race, or creed, and thus learn to become better members of our global human family.
总而言之，我个人愿意与全世界人民一起为中国政府鼓掌，支持他们的作为，高度认可这个国家和人民在与新冠肺炎疫情的斗争中表现出的卓越领导力。新冠疫情应该给了我们全人类一个教训，教会我们要多理解和包容那些孤身在外和饱受情绪折磨的人们。爱和团结不仅仅只意味着对待家人、邻居和朋友的态度，而是要对我们遇到的所有人都如此。希望人类可以意识到我们需要同舟共济，无关国界、人种和宗教，为团结全球大家庭而努力。
作者 | Katrina Jacob, obtained Master’s degree in International Communication at Communication University of China