在華過(guò)個(gè)中國(guó)年

Spring Festival Enchants Foreigners

自從2014年來(lái)到北京之后，每年春節(jié)薩巴·阿里·埃爾·塔伊布就會(huì)買(mǎi)一個(gè)毛絨動(dòng)物玩具。

因?yàn)榻衲晔请u年，所以她就在王府井買(mǎi)了一個(gè)小雞玩具。去年是猴年，她就買(mǎi)了一個(gè)可愛(ài)的小猴子。

塔伊布來(lái)自蘇丹，目前正在北京語(yǔ)言大學(xué)學(xué)習(xí)文學(xué)，她說(shuō)道：“在我完成學(xué)業(yè)之后，我會(huì)把這些玩具帶回家，它們會(huì)讓我回想起在中國(guó)的時(shí)光。”塔伊布說(shuō)：“在中國(guó)過(guò)春節(jié)讓我更愛(ài)中國(guó)了。”

塔伊布所在的大學(xué)舉辦了一場(chǎng)活動(dòng)，外國(guó)學(xué)生們可以嘗試親手包餃子。塔伊布說(shuō)對(duì)于春節(jié)，她最喜歡的就是這件事兒了：“在我的國(guó)家我們也有類(lèi)似的很重要的餐宴，我們會(huì)吃特殊的食物,并互相送上最好的祝福。”

除了吃餃子以外，中國(guó)新年也是看廟會(huì)、掛燈籠、剪紙、祈福和祭祖的日子。

巴斯馬也是北京語(yǔ)言大學(xué)的學(xué)生，她來(lái)自埃及，她說(shuō)想去朝陽(yáng)公園看廟會(huì)。

這個(gè)姑娘從2012年開(kāi)始就一直在北京，曾經(jīng)在距離北京300公里遠(yuǎn)的石家莊一位中國(guó)同學(xué)的家里度過(guò)一個(gè)春節(jié)。

2014年的春節(jié)給巴斯馬留下了深刻的印象。她現(xiàn)在還記得她同學(xué)的父親是怎樣留下幾盤(pán)菜肴以供家里逝去的先人享用的。

類(lèi)似的，埃及人也會(huì)在祖先的墳?zāi)股狭粝滤兔姘燃榔贰?jù)巴斯馬說(shuō)，中國(guó)和埃及兩種文化都源于對(duì)家人的尊重。

和中國(guó)人一樣，許多外國(guó)人也會(huì)在大門(mén)上貼對(duì)聯(lián)，祈求好運(yùn)。

瑪麗是一名住在北京的英國(guó)翻譯，她的一名中國(guó)朋友送了她一副對(duì)聯(lián)。她把對(duì)聯(lián)貼在了公寓門(mén)上、拍了一張自己站在門(mén)前的照片，然后發(fā)給了她遠(yuǎn)在英國(guó)的父母。她說(shuō)：“這副對(duì)聯(lián)表達(dá)了對(duì)未來(lái)的希望，還包含中國(guó)人的‘和諧’精神?！?/p>

Since arriving in Beijing to study in 2014, every Chinese New Year Sabaa Ali El-Tayeb has bought a stuffed toy animal.

This year, the Year of the Rooster, she bought a rooster on Wangfujing, a busy commercial street in downtown Beijing. Last year, the year of the Monkey, she bought a lovely monkey toy.

"I will take these toys back home, and when I finish my degree they will remind me of my time in China." said the Sudanese woman, who is studying literature at Beijing Language and Culture University.

"Celebrating Spring Festival in China makes me love China even more." said Tayeb.

Tayeb’s university organized an event where foreign students could try their hands at making dumplings, a traditional food eaten during the festival.

Tayeb said she liked this aspect of the festival the most. "Back home we have similar important meals where we eat specific food and extend our best wishes to each other."

Besides dumplings, Chinese New Year is a time for temple fairs, red lanterns, paper-cuts, blessings of good fortune and ancestor worship. Basma Bayomy, an Egyptian student at the same university, said she planned to visit a temple fair in Chaoyang Park.

The girl, who has been in Beijing since 2012, spent one Spring Festival at her Chinese classmate’s home in Shijiazhuang, a city 300 km south of Beijing.

Bayomy was deeply impressed with the Spring Festival in 2014. She remembers how her classmate’s father left out plates of food for their families’ ancestors.

Similarly, Egyptians leave offerings of fruit and bread on the graves of their ancestors. Both traditions, Bayomy said, are rooted in respect for the family.

Like Chinese, many foreigners put couplets, Chinese characters wishing for good fortune, on their front doors.

Marie, a British translator in Beijing, was sent a couplet by her Chinese friend. She stuck them on the door of her apartment, took a photo of herself standing in front of it, and shared it with her parents in Britain.

"These couplets are an expression of hope for the future and contain the Chinese spirit of harmony." she said.