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A Letter from 13,000 km Away 一封1.3万公里外的来信

2024-09-09 12:51:24 来源: 非洲时报 阅读 (10475次)

一个平常的工作日,浙江省国际传播中心的邮箱收到了一封特殊的来信,这封信的收件人是“叶村村的家人们”,而写信人是肯尼亚编辑协会成员、高级编辑Ken Bosire。

“我们安全到家了,并且迫不及待想预定一张回程票。在叶村村,我们被热情地欢迎、拥抱,让我们感到在远方也有了一个家,甚至想一直待在那里。”Ken的来信,把我们的思绪拉回到了6月18日,一个下着雨的夏日。那天,我们有幸见证了一场没有血缘的“亲人”聚会。

It was a common working afternoon and an email, attached with a letter addressed to “in-laws in Yecun village”, was sent to the mailbox of Zhejiang International Communication Center.

This email was sent from Ken Bosire, a senior editor based in Nairobi, Kenya. And his sensational letter drew our memory back to June 18, a rainy summer day on which the story began.

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Ken写给叶村村村民的信。

A letter from Ken to “in-laws in Yecun village”.

Ken所代表的肯尼亚编辑协会媒体团6月到访浙江,在很多地方做了停留,其中一站是丽水市遂昌县金竹镇叶村村。单单提起这个地名,有些陌生。但是如果说到乌干达媳妇Rose,这位拥有超过1000万粉丝的短视频博主可以说家喻户晓。

As a member of Kenya Editors Guild (KEG), a professional association of editors in Kenya, Bosire visited East China’s Zhejiang province with his colleagues in June and paid a visit to Yecun village in Suichang county of Lishui city.

Rosemary Adikin is a Ugandan girl who lives in this village with her Chinese husband Wu Jianyun and two kids. More commonly known as Rose on the internet, the African girl shares her life in rural China with short videos and has over 10 million followers on social media.

“We are proud to associate with our Rose, 30, a celebrity in China, Africa, and globally. She has a very popular live-streaming and vlogging channel that gives her legion of followers, especially in Africa, a peek into how she lives her enchanting life in the land of mouth-watering dishes, scenic countryside, and lifestyle,” Bosire wrote in his letter.

媒体团一行5人专程赶往那里,探望了他们的非洲“亲人”Rose。团长Zubeida Kananu说,Rose在肯尼亚很有名,几乎每个人都知道她。“她的视频有一种亲切感,所以我们特别想跟她聊一聊,再把她的故事带回非洲。”她说。

Zubeida Kananu, president of KEG, has also put out that Rose is very popular in Kenya that almost everybody knows her.

“We feel like she is close at home, telling us about the food, the tradition, about the neighbors, introducing her daily life,” she said.

And they had the chance to meet her in real life.

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今年6月,肯尼亚编辑协会媒体团赴遂昌探望Rose一家(左一为Ken)。

Members of Kenya Editors Guild paid a visit to Rose’s family in June (Ken on the left).

那天中午,遂昌下起了大雨,Rose和丈夫吴建云早早就在门前迎候。许是他乡遇“亲人”的激动,双方一见面便热情地拥抱。媒体团载歌载舞为Rose送上祝福。Rose也跟着熟悉的舞蹈一起律动。腼腆的吴建云则在旁边切西瓜、倒茶。

Though not blood-connected, the Kenyan delegation just seemed to have natural bound with Rose and her family.

They danced and sang songs to celebrate the birth of new baby to the family, delivered blessings, and regarded themselves as grandpa, grandma and aunties from Africa.

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今年6月,肯尼亚编辑协会媒体团赴遂昌探望Rose一家(右一为Ken)。

Members of Kenya Editors Guild paid a visit to Rose’s family in June (Ken on the right).

回忆起刚到中国的情景,Rose说,丈夫吴建云一家和叶村村的村民给了她无尽的爱,使她逐渐适应了这里的生活。“我喜欢这里的天气,这里的环境,这里的人。邻居们做了好吃的都会给我送来。他们爱我,我也爱他们。”她说。得知Rose在中国生活幸福,“家人们”很欣慰。

“我们在Rose的家里体验到了中非结合的热情。我们给Rose女儿唱的歌,表达了我们对吴家的祝福。这真是一场令人感动的聚会。” Ken在信中回忆了当时的场景。“我们的中国领队在看到吴建云的表嫂抱着Rose满月不久的女儿,在她耳边轻轻说道:‘宝宝,你的非洲外公外婆来看你了’时,瞬间泪目。”

在场的我们也是。

When one of the Chinese aunties cuddled Rose’s three-month-old baby and emotionally whispered into her ear in Chinese: Baby, your grandparents and aunties from Africa are here to see you, some of them were left in tears.

“We were happy that our girl from Uganda had found true and enduring love in your Yecun village, a land bubbling with beauty, life, and love enveloped in rural humility,” said Bosire in his letter.

远处有高山、梯田,近处有溪流、茶园,还有错落有致的泥坯房和现代化楼房。Rose带着“家人们”在村里转了转,让他们了解自己生活的地方。虽然一直下着大雨,一路都是欢声笑语。

Although itshowered heavily on that day, Rose showed her African relatives around the village, which also left deep impression on Ken.

“Our maiden visit to the serene village, tucked in the breathtaking and lucid mountains, clothed in a blanket of lush greenery, trees, cultivated fields, and meandering clean, energetic, and talking rivers, was memorable,” he recalled in the letter.

在即将完工的新房前,吴建云激动地和他们说:“感谢你们。欢迎更多非洲朋友到中国来,到我家玩玩。”

They also visited the new house of Rose’s family, which is still under construction and is expected to be done in October.


到了告别的时候,Ken在上车前把手按在Rose的头顶,唇部默念。同样的动作,他对吴建云也做了一遍。他说,那是非洲人祈福的一种方式,希望他的“女儿”和“女婿”能一生平安顺遂。从那一刻,他是真心把Rose和吴建云当作自己的孩子看待了。

The visit was brief. Upon their leaving, Ken put his hand on Rose’s head and murmured some words. He said it is a blessing ritual in Africa and he wished all the best for the family.

Rose也与每一位“亲人”紧紧相拥,流下了惜别的泪水。

“Rose不仅是一个勇敢追求美好生活的女性榜样,更是中非文化交流的桥梁。这次采访也让我们知道了遂昌这个与众不同的地方。”团长Zubeida说,他们会把Rose的故事带回肯尼亚,“让更多人知道这朵绽放在中国的非洲玫瑰,了解中国和非洲之间的深厚情谊。”

回到肯尼亚不久,媒体团成员之一Linda Bach就给我们发来了她在肯尼亚主流英文大报《旗帜报》上刊发的整版报道。正如团长Zubeida临别时所说的那样,这篇名为《克服重重困难 在离家数千英里的地方过着童话般的生活》(原文标题:Beating all odds to live fairy tale thousands of miles away from home)的报道,详细讲述了Rose在中国的经历和目前的生活状态。

Linda Bach, a member of the delegation, sent back her report on Rose’s family posted on The Standard, the oldest newspaper in Kenya. Titled Beating all odds to live fairy tale thousands of miles away from home, the report shared a thorough insight on Rose’s life in China.

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肯尼亚《旗帜报》关于Rose的报道。

The report on Rose’s family was posted on The Standard.

Linda在稿子中写道:“Rose带我们去了她正在建造的新房子。从他们的笑容中可以看出,这个家庭取得了了不起的成就。”

"Rose took us to a modern house she is building which is nearing completion. From the smiles, it was evident that this was a great feat for the family," Bach wrote in the story.

而媒体团唯一的男性成员Ken则更为感性。他亲自写了信,并录了视频,希望我们能把他的感谢和祝福带给叶村村的每一位“亲人”。

Bosire, the only male member in the delegation, seems to be more emotional that he wrote a letter and recorded a video,which to pass his gratitude and wishes to people in Yecun village.

“作为来自非洲的 ‘亲人’,我们很高兴看到我们的乌干达女儿Rose能在叶村村这片充满爱和活力的土地找到真爱。”Ken说。“Rose和她的家人,以及村民们以‘亲人’的规格接待了我们。这次团聚不仅是一次深刻的情感交流,也是一次重要的跨文化融合。”

“In a nutshell, Rose, her family, and villagers received our team with a touch of blood kinship—parents, grandparents, and in-laws. The reunion was not only deeply emotional but also a significant intercultural fusion,” he said.

信的最后,他也不忘给Rose讨要嫁妆。“准备好牛吧!不是现金,是四条腿,有着漂亮角的牛!”Ken在信的结尾写道,他们或许会在今年秋天,Rose家新房落成的时候,再次到访叶村村。

And he did not forget to collect dowry for his Ugandan daughter.

“I will soon gather elders from East Africa to return to Yecun village to collect our cow. It will not be in cash, but a real four-legged animal with long and beautiful Abanyankole horns!” Bosire wrote at the end of the letter. “I promised to return soon for it, and hopefully, I will collect this kinship-binding cow when we attend the housewarming in October this year. Prepare for the cow for us!”

当我们把信转交给叶村村党总支书记涂志光,他非常动容。

We handed the letter to Tu Zhiguang, an official with the village, and he responded with a lump in his throat.

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叶村村党总支书记涂志光把Ken的来信读给村民们听。

Tu Zhiguang, an official of Yecun village, read the letter to villagers.

“不光有牛,好吃好喝的,都准备好了!欢迎非洲的‘亲人们’随时来村里。”他说。

“Cows are ready, as well as all the good things we can provide. They are always welcomed here,” he said.

此时,“双向奔赴”四个字,有了具象承载。


(浙江省国际传播中心ZICC)