中国日报外籍专家的“抗疫”故事

I returned to Beijing last month from the United States with concerns about the developing coronavirus outbreak. But while being careful, I was determined not to panic. When friends and family expressed deep concern, I tried to reassure them to the best of my ability.

我上个月从美国回到北京，担心着这里肺炎疫情的发展。不过我觉得只要小心一些，就不必惊慌。朋友和家人很担心我的安危，我也尽量宽慰他们。

I have lived in China for nearly eight years, and for right now, Beijing is home.

我已经在中国生活了快八年，现在北京就是我的家。

These unusual circumstances have created scenarios that I have never seen before. Beijing Capital International Airport, for years the world’s second-busiest airport, seemed almost empty. Yet airport officials and workers, wearing masks, were helpful and polite. Even though I am a foreigner, it felt like a nice “welcome home”, despite the difficult circumstances.

疫情让我见到了从未见过的北京。首都机场一直是全球第二繁忙的机场，现在却空荡荡的。但是戴着口罩的工作人员都很彬彬有礼。虽然我是个外国人，也能感到“回家”了。

I usually have a bit of the theme song for the Beijing 2008 Olympics playing in my head when traveling from the airport into downtown: “Beijing huan ying ni,” or Beijing welcomes you. This time was no different.

每次我从机场回市区的时候，脑海中都会响起《北京欢迎你》的旋律，这次也不例外。

Highways and streets were mostly empty, more so than toward the end of a normal Spring Festival.

现在接近春节的尾声，高速路和街道上几乎空无一人。

Since my arrival, the virus emergency has grown, but actions to combat it also have expanded. As part of this, I was asked to remain in my apartment in self-quarantine, going out only as necessary – to buy groceries, for example – and always with a mask.

疫情严峻，防护行动也在升级。我被要求待在家中自我隔离，只有买东西时才戴着口罩出去。

Days cooped up in my apartment  – a tiny sacrifice compared with what many others are making – have been, nonetheless, challenging. There is a sense of isolation, and even when I went to deliver some requested items to a friend in my apartment building, we both wore masks.

和很多人相比，足不出户只是小小的牺牲，不过也充满挑战。居家隔离很孤独，我给楼里的朋友送东西时，我们都戴着口罩。

People often complain about going to work, but when you suddenly can’t, you realize the importance of seeing your friends and colleagues at work. Most of us spend many hours on the job, and work becomes not just a way to earn a paycheck, but an important part of our social lives. You feel like you have a place, and you’re working shoulder-to-shoulder with others to accomplish a goal. Sitting in front of a computer on your couch, in pajamas if you wish, isn’t really as appealing as it sounds.

大家经常抱怨上班，但突然不能上班了，就会意识到见到同事和朋友的重要性。我们大多投身于工作，不仅为了挣钱，也是重要的社交方式。你会有归属感，和大家并肩作战完成目标。而穿着睡衣在沙发上看电脑，可没有听上去那么美好。

That’s why most telecommuters typically have an adjustment period, and find it necessary to create other social outlets. 

所以多数远程工作的人都需要适应期，还要创造其它的社交平台。

My cat, Meimei, who had been looked after by kind co-workers, fussed at me for being gone but quickly warmed up. Having her as company has been very welcome, and I have been preparing treats for her to help make up for my absence.

But while I can tell from her tone what different “meows” may mean, her conversational abilities are, nonetheless, limited.

我的猫之前被同事照看着，刚开始对我比较冷淡，不过很快就热情起来。有它陪伴我感觉好多了，但是尽管我可以听出它“喵喵”叫的不同意思，但它的交流能力毕竟有限。

I’m reading two novels simultaneously, and I watch a little television. But I haven’t done much in the way of exercise, which I know I should be doing. I could walk up and down the stairs, lift some weights, stretch … but I just haven’t been very motivated, even when I know it would make me feel better.

我在同时看两部小说，也看一些电视节目，但锻炼太少了。我应该上下楼梯、举重、拉伸……但就是懒得动。

It’s like what some people experience in higher latitudes during snowy winters – seasonal affective disorder or SAD, also called the winter blues, is correlated with homebound conditions and decreased sunshine. I’ve gotten a taste of what a newcomer must feel during a winter in northern Finland.

这就像高纬度地区的人在雪天的经历——冬季抑郁症，待在家里，缺乏阳光。我理解了刚去芬兰北部的人在冬天时的感受了。

China Daily recently reported that some residents in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak — have gotten more inventive than I have in staying occupied at home by doing such things as playing ping-pong on their dinner table or entertaining themselves with movies or video games.

中国日报最近报道了武汉人在家如何自娱自乐，比如在餐桌上打兵乓球、看电影和打电动。

 I’m not much of a video game fan, and Meimei is not much of a ping-pong player, but I know we’ll all get through this by working together.

我不太喜欢打电动，我的猫也不会打兵乓球，但是我知道，我们会携手度过这个时期。