Gisela Jia
The pick up person and the destination
接机人和目的地
July 12th Thursday of 2018, midnight, I arrived at the Burlington Airport. A young man in his 20s waited for me at the pickup area, got me smoothly into a car, and drove me to my destination.
2018年7月12号周四半夜，我到达伯灵顿机场。一个二十多岁的年轻人在接人处等着我，把我带上车，向我的目的地出发了。
Each summer, I had been totally tied up in the CCBG Summer Camp and always felt I should not leave it for even a day. But this summer, I decided to relieve myself for a few days for a visit to Middlebury College
每年夏天，我的时间全部投入了CCBG 夏令营，感觉一天都不能离开。今年夏天，我下决心来到佛蒙特的 Middlebury College 访问几天。
Middlebury College is a small liberal art college situated in Vermont with a long history. In the summer, it turns into a castle of language studies. Students come from all over the world to study one of eight languages, by living on campus for eight weeks. They need to sign a “language pledge”, to promise that while on campus, they only use their target language of study. These mostly college age students make up the main residents of the summer school.
Middlebury College 是坐落在佛蒙特州的一座小型文理学院。夏天，学院变成一座语言学习的城堡。八个语种的学生从全世界聚集在这里，生活、学习八个星期。他们要签署并遵循一个语言誓约，那就是，在校期间，只说他们在学习的目标语言。这些大多大学生年龄的学生占下小学生的多数。
I was invited to offer two workshops for the Master’s Students in the Summer Chinese School. They make up the other subgroup of students. They are Chinese teachers from all over the US (a minority from other countries) pursuing their MA degree in teaching Chinese. They teach learners from elementary school to college, though most concentrate on middle and high school students. As a new curriculum requirement, they will receive systematic training in child and adolescence psychological development. My workshops served as a starter for this effort.
我呢，是去给夏校的硕士研究生举办工作坊。他们是来自全美各地的在校的中文教师，少数来自国外，学年当中教学学生从小学到大学都有，大多集中在中小学。通过几个夏天在夏校学习完成研究生学业。任教的学校开始要求他们系统地掌握儿童青少年心理学发展的知识，便从专业的研修班开始了。
As the Summer Chinese School has an all-Chinese policy, even MA courses are offered in Chinese.
因为中文夏校是全中文环境，上课、生活使用的语言是全中文，所以，连研究生的心理学都要用中文教。
As a trained Psychologist who can teach Psychology in Chinese language, I was given this honor to conduct the workshops. Before my arrival, in my communication with the school staff, I noticed that the Chinese name for Middlebury College was already used by the staff consistently. It is Ming De Xue Xiao 明德学校. Xue Xiao 学校 means school. Ming De 明德 means “possessing a clear understanding of the virtues”.
我很荣幸地承担了这个任务。在去之前，和中文学校的工作人员的沟通，就已经是全中文的了。从中我学到了，Middlebury College 的中文名字是 “明德学院”。“明德” 就是 “明白什么是真正的道德”。
Back to the car. Driving in the signature quiet and darkness of New England, I suddenly realized that I had been speaking in Mandarin to the driver since we first caught sight of each other. It took me 30 minutes to realize this because he spoke Mandarin fluently and naturally.
话回车上。车稳稳地奔驰在静谧漆黑的新英格兰特夜色中。三十分钟后车程过半，我突然意识到自己从和开车的人打照面就一直说中文。我刚刚反应过来，因为他的中文流利、自然。
I learned that the driver’s adopted Chinese name is An Yi 安毅. His was one of the three bilingual assistants of the Middlebury Summer Institute Chinese Program. He grew up in Kentucky, attended a college there, majoring in Mathematics and Philosophy. In college, his intrigue in ancient Chinese philosophy moved him to pick up Chinese, and after college to study in mainland China and Taiwan. He told me that while in Taiwan, one of his teachers thought his name was 安逸 (pronounced as An Yi), instead of 安毅 (also pronounced as An Yi with the same tones). “It is not the 安逸 An Yi that means a comfortable life. It is the An for ‘holding grounds’ and Yi for ‘tenacity’”, as An Yi explained his Chinese name.
开车人中文名叫安毅，是这个中文暑期学校的三名双语助理之一。他在肯塔基州长大，大学主修数学和哲学。大学期间，对中国古代哲学产生了强烈兴趣，就决定学习中文。大学毕业后，去中国大陆和台湾留学。在台湾上学的时候，曾经有老师一直以为他的名字是“安逸”。“不是安逸生活的安逸，是安定的安，毅力的毅。”
After one hour of drive, we reached the Middlebury campus. In the quiet I rarely experience in NYC, I had a good sleep.
一个小时后，到达了明德校园。这么安静的环境中，我睡了一个好觉。
Breakfast on Friday - My Initial Test of the Language Pledge
周五早餐 - 餐厅初试 “语言誓约”
The next morning, Friday morning, I went to one of the school cafeterias to eat. This one is a medium-sized typically looking school cafeteria, rectangular or round tables spread out evenly across the space. I chose a corner seat, so that I could view the whole cafeteria.
第二天周五早上，我去餐厅吃饭。这是一个典型的中型大小的学校餐厅，桌子有长有圆。我选了一个角落的座位，可以看见整个餐厅。
I wanted to see what languages people were speaking.
我想看看大家都在说什么话。
Right in front, not far from me, on a rectangular table, a group of Chinese-looking young people was chatting in Chinese. (Later in the day, I saw them again at my workshop. It turned out that they were the MA students, Chinese language teachers. Most of them have Chinese as their native language, but a minority are native speakers of other languages, such as English and Napoli.)
不远处，我的正前方，长条桌上，有一群华人模样的青年男女，说着中文。（当天中午我的研修班上，又遇到了他们，知道他们是硕士班的学生。大多母语为中文，少数是其它语种，比如英语和尼泊尔语。）
On the table to my left, two people were speaking in Spanish.
左手边的桌上，两个人在用西班牙语打招呼。
Far away to my right, a man and a woman were eating across the table from each other. The woman wore a blue T-shirt, with large Hebrew letters on her back. I guessed that they might be members of the Hebrew school.
远处右边桌子，一男一女两人在面对面吃饭。女士穿着蓝色体恤衫，背后有希伯来语字母。我想，他们可能是希伯来语学校的人。
Recently I have started planning to learn another language, and have basically locked down Hebrew as the target. Upon seeing the environment in Middlebury, I immediately began to entertain the idea of learning Hebrew here.
我近一年开始考虑再学一门外语，并且基本锁定希伯来语。来到明德看到这里的环境后，我马上产生了来这里学习希伯来语的念头。
I came up to these two people, asking in English “Are you teachers in the Hebrew school?”
我走到两人桌边，用英文问 “你们是希伯来语的老师吗？”
The woman nodded, and uttered a word. I guessed it was Hebrew, and it means “Yes”.
女士点头，说了一个词。我猜是希伯来语，意思是 “对”。
I continued in English to explain that I wanted to learn Hebrew, and asked if I came to study in Middlebury, based on their experiences, would they recommend me to come when I had some existing skills or not.
我接着用英语说，自己想学希伯来语。如果来明德学，根据他们的经验，我应该先有点基础再来，还是直接一张白纸就来了。
The lady looked at me, with evident hesitance. It seemed that she wanted to abide by her language pledge not to speak English. At the same time, she knew that if she had spoken to me in Hebrew, I would not understand her. My question called for an answer with content not easily expressed through body language.
女士看着我，面露犹豫。看来她要遵守规矩不说英语。但她也知道她用希伯来语给我一个答案，我肯定听不懂。这个答案的内容不是身体语言好提供的。
The man across from her, however, couldn’t control himself and did speak in English, “It’s better to come when you have some foundation.”
她对面的男士呢，憋不住便开口说英语了，“你还是有点基础再来最好。”
When I asked why, with an emerging awkward look, he uttered his second and last English sentence “You should go to the Hebrew school office to get the information.” Obviously, I was a language disaster to them who should disappear as quickly as possible.
当我想再问为什么的时候，他神态不自然地又说了一句英语也是最后一句英语 “这个问题，你去问希伯来语招生办公室的人。”口气明显是赶紧把我支走。
I got it. Just as I made the turn back to my table, the lady uttered a sentence in Hebrew. It must have meant “Good luck!”
我只好告辞离开。走前，那位女士说了一句希伯来语，我听不懂，大意应该是“祝你好运”吧。
Well, it looks like the Middlebury language pledge is put to work in this cafeteria.
看来，这个语言誓约还是真的呢。
Lunch on Friday – Weekend Activity Announcements
周五午餐 - 周末活动发布会
After breakfast, I stayed in my dorm, doing last minute preparation for my workshop that would start at 1:30pm. Around 11:30pm, Director Chang and Teacher He Xiaoman came to take me to lunch.
吃完早饭，我在宿舍里，为下午1:30的研究班讲座做最后的准备。大约11:30，张校长和何小蔓老师带我去吃午餐。
Cecilia Chang 张曼荪 is the Director of the Summer Chinese School in Middlebury. During the regular school year, she is a veteran Chinese professor in the East Asian Studies department of Williams College.
He Xiaoman is a local Vermonter. During the regular school year, she teaches Chinese language to middle school students in Vermont. In the summer Chinese school, she teaches college students, and is also involved in administrative affairs. Speaking to her is just like speaking to any well-educated native Chinese speaker, and I could freely use any big words and jargons.
张曼荪校长是威廉大学东亚系的资深中文教授，英文名字是 Cecilia Chang。 何小蔓老师是佛蒙特州土生土长的美国人，在州里一所中学任教中文老师，在夏校也承担管理任务。和她说中文就像和受过高等教育的中国人说一样，可以无所顾忌地使用任何大词、抽象词、专业词。
For lunch, we went to a cafeteria named Ross. It is bigger than the one I went to in the morning. We three took our food, and sat on a round table off to the side.
这次我们去的餐厅叫 Ross, 比我吃早餐的那个大。我们三人取好食物，坐到靠边的一张桌子上。
The cafeteria was already full of people, students, teachers and staff of the Chinese school. The student body was very diverse.
餐厅里面已经坐满了人，都是中文学校的学生、老师和工作人员。学生群体，放眼看去，族裔多元。
Most of them were college students from colleges across the nation with diverse majors. In the Chinese summer school, they take courses to earn Chinese class credits that can be transferred to their colleges. More importantly, they can immerse themselves in an all-Chinese environment rarely seen anywhere else.
其中大部分是大学生。他们来自美国各地的大学的各种专业，夏天来明德选课，除了获取可以转入自己大学的中文课学分外，更重要的是在一个浸润式的环境中磨练中文表达技能。
Before I settled myself down on my seat, I saw two people standing in the middle of the gigantic cafeteria. I recognized them as two of the three bilingual assistants, Han Ying and An Yi. Both are Americans who speak fluent Mandarin. During the days I was in Middlebury, I rarely heard anyone address them by their original English names.
我还没有定下神来，只见巨大的餐厅中间站着两个人。他们是中文学校的双语助理，韩颖和安毅。两位都是土生土长的美国人中文都很流利。在明德的这几天，我几乎没有听到有人叫他们的英文名字。
Holding a microphone, An Yi announced the weekend activities one by one.
安毅手拿话筒，开始宣布这个周末的活动。
They were many and diverse. Chinese Movie on Friday night. Mountain hike on Saturday morning. Chinese school party on Saturday night. A trip to Lake George on Sunday.
活动好丰富啊。周五晚上电影，周六早上爬山，晚上中文学校派对，周日去乔治湖购物逛湖。
An Yi announced the activities in fluent Chinese. He not only made everything clear, but also had humor mixed in. Look at this --
安毅用流利的中文宣布完活动。不光信息清楚，也夹杂着幽默。
“On Saturday night the Chinese school is hosting the first Chinese Language Party in the student center. Music lovers can listen to music, you can dance, you can play pool, or for those like An Yi, you can awkwardly sit in the dim corner, not say anything to anyone!"
“中文学校周六网上将会举办第一次中文学校派对！喜欢跳舞的可以跳舞，喜欢打台球的可以打台球，喜欢喝酒的可以喝酒，像安毅一样不喜欢派对的人可以孤零零地坐在昏暗的角落里，一声不吭！”
In order for the beginning level students to understand the announcements in full, An Yi announced it again in English. This was the only English I heard during my stay in Middlebury.
接着，因为顾及有低年级的学生听不懂，他就用英文说了一遍。他的这段英文通知翻译，是这次在明德校园里我唯一听到的英文。
【Note: Dr. Cecilia Chang commented on Sept 1 2024: “This was the situation of 2018. Now the announcements in the cafeteria is only done in Mandarin. The written announcements in our weekly newsletter is bilingual. We make our efforts not to use English at all in public so to make our campus a place with zero English heard.】
【注释：张曼荪教授2024年9月1日提供的最新消息： “这是2018年的情况。现在我们在餐厅的口头通知都只用中文了。每周我们也发 newsletter, 上面的活动通知是双语的。我们现在尽量在公众场合不说任何英文，让校园成为一点也听不到英文的地方。】
While I was absorbed in the scene, Dr. Chang told me that we had to exit the cafeteria in a minute. She said the Japanese school crowd was about to come in, when they should have waited longer for their turn.
我正听得静静有味，张校长说，我们要早点离开，因为日语学校的人进来了，并说他们不应该这么早进来。
Japanese school? The past 20 minutes, I was in a complete Chinese world. Now I am reminded that it is not permanent? There is a Japanese school? Once they come in, the place will turn into a Japanese world? What magic can language play on shaping our sense of the world!
日语学校？刚才在餐厅的二十多分钟，感觉这里完全是中文学校的天下。怎么还有日语？是啊，当然有了。等一会儿，日语学校的人进来了，这里不又变成了一个日语世界了吗？语言的魔力太大了，它塑造了你的世界感。
Saturday Night Chinese School Party
周六晚上的派对
I went to the party with Dr. Chang. She said our goal was to support the student activities. I totally agreed. Of course, I was also curious about how it would go.
我和张校长一起去了派对。她说老师去是为了支持学生。我完全赞同。当然也是好奇。
The party was held in a restaurant in the Student Center building. It is an authentic looking restaurant, with large and dark colored tables, and a gigantic semi-circular bar table. The space was dimly lit with many chandeliers. The entire space feels just like a typical Manhattan Bar Restaurant.
派对在校园的学生活动中心举行。这个活动中心有一个餐厅，很大，深色桌子，大大的吧台，多处有吊灯，灯光昏暗，和曼哈顿的大型酒吧没有什么区别。
To the left after entering the door was a dance area. Behind it were two pool tables.
进门吧台左手是一个大大的舞池。舞池边上，是两张台球桌子。
Dr. Chang and I sat down at the bar table. We each ordered a local draft beer.
我和张校长坐上了吧台。我们点了两瓶当地产的生啤，一人一杯。
We watched the party scene with a relaxed smile. Students were chatting or playing pool in clusters of two or three. Some came to say hi to Dr. Chang. The volume of the mixed sounds of music and chattering was at a pleasant level.
我们就坐在那里笑眯眯地看。学生三三两两站在舞池里聊天、打桌球。大批人还在陆续到达，有的过来和张校长打招呼。音乐、聊天的声音吵杂但是适度。
Soon arrived next to us a Chinese-looking teacher. Dr. Chang introduced her as Yao Laoshi, Teacher Yao. Teacher Yao had short hair, and an alert and spirited look. She sat herself down between me and Dr. Chang. I ordered her a draft beer.
一会儿来了一位老师模样的华人。张校长介绍这位是姚老师。姚老师短发、干练。她一屁股坐到了我和张校长之间的高高的吧台椅子上。我给她也点了一杯生啤。
Dr. Chang introduced Yao Laoshi as a Chinese professor in UCLA with almost two decades of teaching experience in the Middlebury Summer Chinese school.
张校长介绍，姚老师是洛杉矶加大的中文教授，已经有二十年暑假都在这里教书的历史。
Soon, to my left came an Indian-looking student. His curly long hair spread over to his shoulders. With me in between them, he struck the following conversation with Teacher Yao, all in Mandarin.
很快，我左手走来一名印度人模样的男生。长长的卷曲的头发披到肩膀。隔着我，他和姚老师的对话。
Student: Teacher, you’ve turned my homework pages into red! (meaning littered with red marks)
学生：老师，我的作业上一片红！
Teacher Yao: (nodded). Yes, cause I want you to improve.
姚老师：（点头）是的，我想让你提高。
Students: Looked like the pages were bleeding.
学生：像流血了。
Teacher Yao: (smiled) Make sure you speak Chinese at this party. I’m watching. (Yao Laoshi pointed to her eyes.)
老师：（笑）派对上你要坚持说中文啊。我在看着呢。（姚老师指指自己的眼睛。）
Student: Yes. Everywhere on campus I see Teacher Yao’s eyes. (His humor made me laugh my tears out.)
学生：好的，到处都有姚老师的眼睛。（男生俏皮地说，两人都让我笑翻了。）
The dance floor gradually became crowded. Some students started to dance, and others continued their chatting. I spotted two students, having a heated conversation of some sort.
舞池里面逐渐热闹起来了，有的人在跳舞，有的人在聊天。其中两名男生一直在说话，看样子在热烈讨论着什么。
Judging by their manner, they were not wrecking their brains to search for the right expressions in Chinese. So, I started to doubt that they were speaking Chinese.
看他们的神态，很自然，不像在努力搜肠刮肚辛苦地使用中文。我便开始怀疑他们是否在说中文。
I tried to tell through their lip movements, but in vain.
我盯着他们的嘴形看了一会儿。看不出来。
I asked Teacher Yao “Are they really speaking Chinese?”
我问姚老师“他们是在说中文吗？”
Teacher Yao also stared at them for a few seconds. Her stares looked serious and piercing. Then she nodded “yes.”
姚老师也盯着他们看了几秒钟，眼神很认真，有穿透感，点点头说，“是的。”
Seeing that I was still doubtful, she said “You can go to check it out yourself.”
看我还将信将疑，她说“不信你自己去看看。”
I went through the crowd, and got close to the two students. The noise level was too high for me to hear anything. I was also a bit shy to get closer to them.
我起身穿过人群，走到他们两位附近。人声音乐声太大，我听不清，也不好意思靠得更近了。
I retuned to my seat.
我只好回到座位。
Upon seeing this, Teacher Yao said with determination “Let me go to take a look!”
姚老师一看，豪气地说“我去看看！”
She swiftly walked close to the two students, allowing her left ear pointing to them, while looking at her front, greeting a dancing Chinese teacher couple with a high five. The two teachers were surprised by her abrupt appearance, but returned her greeting with a smile.
只见她麻利地走到两名男生附近，左耳冲着他们，眼睛则盯着前方一对正在跳舞的中文老师夫妻，和两人击掌打招呼。两名老师虽然被她的突现搞得莫名其妙，但还是微笑回应。
Teacher Yao circled back to me, and said “For sure, Chinese!”
姚老师转身回来，和我说“是中文，没错！”
Having left the party, while entering the front gate of the building Hurpurn where my dorm was, two female students were opening the gate with their key card. They gestured for me to go in. I thanked them.
后来，从派对回到我客房所在的办公楼。进门的时候，两名女学生正在用钥匙开大楼前门。她们开了门，示意我先进去。我说了声 “谢谢。”
The one with a nose ring immediately replied in Chinese “No at all. You please rest well for the night.”
其中一名戴着鼻环的女孩子马上说 “不用！您早点休息。”
I didn’t think much, merely feeling at home. After a minute, I realized that she used such an authentic Chinese expression to wish someone older a good night.
我没有多想，只是感觉很舒服。过后一想，这个表达真是很地道啊。
It was with the home-like comfort brought to me by this phrase, I had my second night of good sleep on the Middlebury campus.
“早点休息”，我就这样带着完全是在中国的感觉，在明德的宿舍里又睡了一个好觉。
The Names of Middlebury Buildings
明德的楼名
Thursday night when I was driven to campus by An Yi, we got off the car in front of a tall white building. An Yi pointed to it and said (in Chinese) “This is He Ping Building. Most classrooms and offices of the Chinese school are here. Your guest room is here also.”
周四半夜，被安毅接到明德校园时，他指着一座高高的白楼，这么说: “这是和平楼。中文学校的教室大多在这里。你的客房也在这里。”
He Ping Building? The name was so Chinese, so China, that I didn’t have to think more. (He Ping in Chinese means Peace.)
和平楼？我没有多想。很中文，很中国。
The following morning, I went out for a stroll on campus. In order to come back to the right building, I took a look at the name plaque on the building.
第二天早上，出去散步，想看看楼名确定自己回来时能找对地方。
It says "Hurpurn".
定睛一看，白色的大楼上赫然写着 Hurpurn。
Hurpurn? He Ping (Peace). What a smart translation!
Hurpurn? 和平。这个翻译够巧妙的。
Later on, I learned from Dr. Chang that the building I would do my workshops is called Pao Mo Building (Pao Mo means bubbles and foam). When I first arrived in front of the Pao Mo building, in the midst of green trees, I saw the building name as “Palmer”. Imaging bubbles and foam on a green campus gave me quite a sense of light-heartedness.
张校长说，我的研究班在“泡沫楼”的教室举行。在绿树掩映中，我到达了独栋小楼，泡沫楼。只见上面写着，Palmer. 这是它的英文名字。
There are several cafeterias on campus. One is called Zai Shui. Its English name is At Water.
学校里面有几个餐厅。一个叫“在水”。 At Water. 这是“在水”的英文名字。
“Zai Shui Yi Fang” (Over there at water), if you know this poetic Chinese line, you’ll understand what an elegant name this cafeteria has. I’m sure it deserves it, sitting on the calm waters of Vermont lands.
“在水一方”，你如果知道这句中文的诗意，你就知道这个餐厅的中文名字有多么优雅了。
Lake Dunmore is near Middlebury campus. Dan Mo Lake, is the Chinese name given to the lake by Middlebury people. Similarly, if you know this line form an ancient Chinese poem “Nong Zhuang Dan Mo Zong Xiang Yi”, you’ll know how an impeccable name this is for the lake.
佛州有一个湖，在明德附近，叫 Lake Dunmore. 淡抹湖，这是明德人给它起的中文名字。同样，“浓妆淡抹总相宜”，如果你知道这句诗，就知道“淡漠”作为一个湖的名字，是多么绝了。
The few days at Middelbury, every day I would hear –
在明德的这几天，每天听到的是这个 -
“Ming De’s teachers and students… (Ming De = Middelbury)”
“明德的老师，学生。。。”
“When does Zai Shui open? (Zai Shui = At Water)”
“在水几点开门？”
"The activity will be held in the basement of Pao Mo building. (Pao Mo = Palmer)”
“活动在泡沫楼的地下室举行。”
“We’ll gather in front of He Ping building. (He Ping = Hurpurn)”
“我们在和平楼前集合。”
These names in Chinese, retain the sounds of their respective English names, exist as legitimate Chinese words, and provoke strong imagination about the places they label.
这些名字，非常自然，即能抓住英文的发音，也有独立的中文词语表述，并且赋予了被表达物得体的意义。
The Peace Building (Hurpurn), The Bubble and Foam Building (Palmer), On the Water (At Water), Knowing Virtues (Middlebury). I was immersed in a romantic world given life by a blend of poetic Chinese names and the Green Mountains of Vermont.
“和平楼”，“泡沫楼”，“在水”，“明德”，在 Middlebury 的这几天，这些诗意的中文名字和佛蒙特的连绵青山让我沉浸在一个浪漫的世界里。
But one day, it suddenly occurred to me that I should ask Dr. Chang --
但一天，我突然意识到一个问题，不禁问张校长 --
“Would students of other languages on campus also call Middlebury as Ming De?”
“那学习别的语种的学生，也把这个学校叫‘明德’吗？”
“Of course not!” Dr. Chang smiled, speaking in a tone with a tint of dismissiveness, rare for her.
“那不会！”张校长笑了。稍微带有一点她罕有的不可置疑的口气。
That is to say, those who teach and study Chinese in Middlebury, have created a Chinese world for themselves, in a large part, by infusing Chinese characteristics into the main landmarks and the institution itself through Chinese labels.
那，这就说明，讲中文的人，通过中文的标签，把 Middlebury 塑造成了他们的世界。
Unimaginable. Awesome. What does the Spanish community call Middlebury? What is its name in Japanese, Arabic, or Russian?
不可思议，讲西班牙语的人叫明德什么？讲日语的？阿拉伯语的？俄语的？
I experience, in the first hand and unequivocally, the power of language in shaping the sense of a community.
语言对环境的塑造力，实在太大了。
Trip to Lake George
乔治湖之游
On Sunday, the Chinese school faculty and students went on an trip to Qiao Zhi Hu as they called it. Qiao Zhi Hu means Lake George. I also went with them. About 30 students and teachers of the Chinese school rode on four mini-buses, drove for one hour and half, and arrived at the Lake George area. The driver of my bus was Shi Jiesheng, a Middlebury graduate, a Pennsylavanian. He was the last of the three bilingual assistants I got to interact with. While driving, Jiesheng spoke Chinese throughout the way. His Chinese was not only fluent, and it was enough to handle all the sharp jokes in Chinese that Chinese teachers threw around in the van.
星期天学校组织去乔治湖。乔治湖，是 Lake George。我也一起去了。大约30位中文学校的老师学生，分乘四辆小巴，驱车一个半小时，到达乔治湖区。我的车是施捷胜开的。三名双语助理之三，我最后接触到的一位。宾州长大的美国人。“快速制胜”，他告诉我他的中文名是这个意思。施捷胜开着车，一直说着中文。同车口舌麻利的中文老师们的各种俏皮话，他都应付自如。
After having arrived at Lake George, we had a buffet meal in a Chinese restaurant. Afterwards, the group divided itself and went separate ways, depending on how much they wanted to be on the water or to shop. (The lake area has a large brand outlet.)
到了乔治湖，我们先去中餐馆吃了一顿。接着，大家分开去做事情。有的去购物，有的去湖边。（乔治湖边有一个大型的名牌购物城。）
I chose to go to the lakeside. Once I got there, I wanted to see whether I could get on one of those boats to experience the lake.
我选择去湖边。到了湖边，我去了一个渡轮点，想看下能否坐渡轮到湖上转一下。
It was my turn to talk to the ferry ticket agent at the window. I found myself almost utter my question in Chinese. But I caught myself in time. It turned out that I didn’t have enough time to wait and finish one of the boat rides. So, I took a walk around the lake. Sitting on the benches around the lake were friendly Vermonters. I wanted to say hi to those I passed close by. “Ni Hao!” I had to control my urge to utter this greeting.
来到渡轮公司的售票口，我开口就想说中文。突然意识到这里中文行不通，赶紧改口。发现我并没有足够的时间去上湖，只好在湖边散步。看到湖边椅子上坐的人，我象平常那样和他们打招呼。感觉要脱口而出的竟然是“你好！”
That feeling brought to me the memory of our campers in CCBG. The environment is also all-Chinese. A few days before, the teachers and I brought the young campers to the K-Town Pinkberry to eat frozen yogurt. As they lined up to put in their individualized order, all the campers came to teachers to ask for the English Permission Card, which allowed them to speak English without breaking our All-Chinese rule. I was so tickled to see the children, seriously holding an English Permission card, ordering their yogurt from non-Chinese speakers.
这让我想起我们少儿华文书园夏令营的学生。语境也是全中文的。前两天，带他们去 Pinkberry 吃 frozen yogurt, 孩子们自己排队点自己想要的。结果，孩子们都来问老师要 English Permission Card， 感觉自己去用中文象犯规了一样。
For CCBG summer camp, these children only come to us during the day. For Middlebury, I only stayed there for three days. But both created such effects. I can imagine, for students who speak Chinese in Middlebury day and night for eight weeks, their urge to speak Chinese must feel like an erupting volcano!
CCBG 的学生只是白天在夏令营。我在明德，只有三天。两种情况都竟然有这样的效果。可以想象，在明德浸泡八个星期后，中文的感觉会是多么强大，象火山要喷发了吧。
The Volleyball Match at Middlebury
明德的排球比赛
Back to the Middlebury campus from Lake George, I went to see a volleyball match between the Chinese school and the German school.
从乔治湖回到明德校园，我去观看中文学校和德文学校的排球比赛。
The players of the Chinese school wore bright red T-Shirts, with two large Chinese characters 加油 (Jia You) , which means “GO”, on the back.
中文学校队员身着红色体恤，背后是两个大大的中文字“加油！”
The players shouting “Wo De!” (Mine), “Wo De” (Mine) while passing the ball to each other.
队员传球， “我的！”“我的！”的声音此起彼伏。
The passing to prepare for a spike, was always companied by “Yi, Er, San” (One, Two, Three).
队员要扣球，“一，二，三！”的声音干脆响亮。
At critical moments, the supporters cheered “Zhong Wen Xue Xiao, Jia You! Zhong Wen Xue Xiao, Jia You!” (Chinese Language School, Go! Chinese Language School, Go!)
关键时刻，队员们会说 “中文学校，加油！中文学校，加油！”
This chant, often became shortened (in Chinese) as “Zhong Wen, Zhong Wen, Zhong Wen! Jia You, Jia You, Jia You!” (Chinese Language, Go! Chinese Language, Go!)
这又常常简化成 “中文，中文，中文！ 加油，加油，加油！”
“Qiao Luo Da Gu” (hitting the gong and beating the drums), in Modern Chinese, means many people are celebrating the success of a major effort. It came from how ancient Chinese literally celebrated those occasions. However, growing up in China, I had rarely seen anyone literally hit the gong or beat the drum.
“敲锣打鼓”，在现代汉语里面，表示大家都热烈庆祝某一件事情成功了。但是，从小到大，我从来没有看到真正有人敲着锣打着鼓来庆功。
This time on the Middlebury volleyball field, I saw it.
这次，在明德的排球场上，我是真正看到了。
One student held a gong in his hands. Another student sat on the ground, in front of him was a big red drum. Each time when the Chinese team won, the field was immersed in the sounds of gong and drum.
一个学生手里提着一个锣，另外一个学生坐在地上，面前是一个大红鼓。每当中文队赢了一个球，啦啦队马上敲锣打鼓。
On this historical American campus at the heart of New English, a group of Americans were fighting for their game scores while being immersed in chants in Chinese and sounds of gong and drum. (Due to my attention bias, I ignored the German language elements. But they were intensely German as the Chinese.)
在这样一个新英格兰的历史悠久的美国校园里，一群美国人在喧天的锣鼓、震耳的中文口号之中，激烈地打着排球赛。(因为我的注意力偏心眼，把德语这一块全漏下了，但德语学校的德语氛围和中文学校是不分伯仲的。）
What a romantic encounter with the Chinese language! I could do nothing but join their chants.
我惊艳地无话可说，也加入进去使劲呐喊。
在明德听到的最后一句中文
The last Chinese sentence I heard on Middlebury campus
Late Monday morning I was about to depart the campus to go to Burlington airport. The campus was dead quiet. After three weeks of classes, the students were being tested. However, I did run into two students at a corner behind the Hurpurn building and captured their following conversation.
周一上午我离开明德去伯灵顿机场。校园一片寂静，学生们都在考试。在和平楼后门旁，见到了唯一的两名学生，听到了他们之间的对话。
Student A: How did you do with the exam?
学生一：你考得怎么样？
Student B: So so. Only if I had completed the homework the teacher assigned last time.
学生二：一般般。老师上次布置的作业要是做了就好了。
Both were speaking in Chinese.
两人说的是中文。
Back to CCBG
回到学校
Chinese slang says “Grandma Liu enters the Big Spectacle Garden.” It describes the big shock that a rather unsophisticated person experiences when she suddenly enters into a world she looks up to big time. Without my CCBG work, I could have felt like Grandma Liu. But instead, I felt right at home.
中文有句俗语，“刘姥姥进了大观园”，是说一个没有见过世面的人，突然来到了一个高级事物纷繁杂呈的地方。要是没有CCBG 的工作，我在明德的感觉可能就像刘姥姥。而实际上呢，我好像踏入了自己的家。
I came back to NYC late Monday, and came to CCBG Summer Program the next morning. In the morning meeting, the routine content is story-telling of Journey to the West. But I improvised an additional activity. I showed campers three brief video clips I took in Middlebury.
周一下午从明德回到纽约，第二天周二我来到了儿童中文夏令营。早上的全体学生例会，例行的内容是讲西游记的故事。但是，我插上了一个即兴环节。 我给学生们看了我在明德拍的三个小视频。
One was on the volleyball match field, students of the Chinese school chanting and cheering in Chinese. One was in the cafeteria, An Yi announcing the weekend activities in Chinese. One was at the party on Saturday night. Campers were deeply absorbed in watching the videos.
一个是排球队在打球，用中文喊加油。一个是安毅在用中文宣布周末的活动。 一个是周六晚上派对的景象。小朋友们看得津津有味。
Afterwards, I threw a question at the kids, “When grown up, who wants to go to Middlebury to practice Chinese?”
看完了，我向他们抛出一个问题，“谁长大了下想去明德练习中文？”
After a brief period of dead silence, one child raised his hand. Then another. Then another. One after another. All little hands went up in the air.
一片寂静后，一个孩子举起了手。 又一个孩子举起了手。又一个。又一个。 所有的小手都伸到了空中。
I knew that each hand that was in the air meant a big deal.
我知道，这些小小的脑袋里下的决心可不小啊。
Because prior to this point, I had told them --
因为，之前我告诉他们了 --
“It is only during the day when you’re with us that you’re expected to only speak Chinese. But for these big students, they speak Chinese all day long and for eight weeks straight.”
“要求你们说中文，是白天在我们这里的时候。一离开这里你马上可以说英文了。这些大朋友，他们一天24小时要说中文。他们住在那里八个星期啊。”
Ending thoughts
结束语
My Middlebury trip has affected me like a glass of divine wine, wine of Chinese language. Its aroma infuses me, reaching out to more.
明德之行，让我感觉像喝到了一杯美酒，中文的美酒。它的香气，弥漫我的身心，又从我这儿扩散到我周围的人。
The winemakers have worked many years with tenacity and skills. My heart goes to them, together with my blessings.
酿酒人多年不懈地努力、细致地工作。他们让我倾心，我为他们祝福。
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