团结合作，共抗疫情

2020-11-27马克力文MarkLevine史聪一

国际人才交流 2020年11期

文/马克·力文（Mark Levine）译/史聪一

2020年年初，我原计划同我的一位中国同事及其家人共度新春佳节。回首数载，我便曾同包括她在内的一些同事们欢度过春节。彼时，她向我发出除夕夜的邀约，我便欣然应允。

然而，新冠病毒的消息使我重新审视了这一计划。于是我谢绝了她的邀约，索性决定留在家里。其实，那便是我开始“定点隔离”的时间。我坚持了近3个月，每隔3—4天才会去15分钟左右路程的超市。

突如其来的疫情影响着大多数人的计划。就我个人而言，疫情通过“多种方式”影响着我新书完成的进度。

第一，我意识到：如果不在书中涉及病毒及其后果，这本书的创作将难以完成。众所周知，尽管我相信对于那些拒绝承认此次疫情的人而言，我在书中其实无须提及他们的姓名，但这次疫情毕竟是一件惊天动地的大事，对每个人的生活产生了巨大的影响。那么，我怎能不讲呢？然而，现在谈及这一切仍然为时尚早。我需要看看接下来会发生什么？疫情如何防控？其影响又是什么？而非仅仅谈论这场疫情的发生。

第二，我很快便接到通知：一个月后开始春学期，课程全部网上进行。然而，我并没有这方面的经验。我的课程包括辩论、公共演讲和英国文化，虽然我已教授多年，且每年都会进行一些改动，但我仍需要弄懂如何作出调整，以适应在线教学。然后，还需要熟悉网络教学或会议平台，当时我甚至不知道这些平台的名称，更不用讲其操作方式了。幸运的是，我有一位助教，以及诸多能够求助的学生。这些都成为整个学期的重点，因而我专注于写作的精力变得非常有限。

一旦开启线上教学，电脑或网络信号方面的技术问题便接踵而至，但这些仅是我与学生们所面临的困难之一。因为学生们全部在家，家庭的期望或义务转变为阻碍的情况并不少见。其中几位学生告诉我，当他们坐在电脑前上课时，妈妈会告诉他们吃午饭。

珍妮弗是我公共演讲课程的一名学生，她在家里的汽车上完成了这门课程的最后一次演讲。“马克老师，我对此深表歉意。我的父母说我们需要去乡下，不能及时赶回来。”

颜坡是我的另一名学生，藏族人，住在四川境内的山区。我们通过腾讯的在线会议平台进行授课，并且我时常要求学生们开启摄像头。有一天，我注意到颜坡关掉了他的摄像头。“颜坡，请你打开摄像头。”但是他没有回复。我先是通过会议平台发信息给他，然后又通过微信，但还是没有回复。最后，在下课约30分钟后，他给我发了一段骑在牦牛背上的视频。接着他又发了一条语音信息：“马克老师，我很抱歉，我们全家都是牧民，因为有一头牦牛跑了，所以我必须去把它找回来。”

两天后，我与在安徽省一所大学教书的美国人戴夫·埃比（Dave Eby）进行了交谈。几年前，我们曾在一次公开演讲比赛中初次见面，并在此后保持联系。我向戴夫讲述了颜坡的故事，他也向我讲述了其学生的故事。

“近期，一名学生加入了我的班级，在授课过程中，她那边的风声非常大。她很抱歉并告诉我，她的父母都是茶农，他们一起在外面采茶，因为天气预报说次日会有大风暴，所以家里需要将所有的茶叶都收好，这样茶叶才不会损毁。”

尽管我们要花时间和精力去理解如何在这些环境下工作，但是通过这种方式可以更好地了解到学生们的生活环境。此外，我相信，这将帮助我们所有拥有这种宝贵经验的人，成为更加出色的教师。至少，对于我及与我交谈过的人来说，应是如此。

第三，在开课之前，我一直忙着同在中国各地及国外认识的朋友们保持联系。有时我联系他们，有时他们联系我。我们关切彼此的健康与家庭，分享中国不同地区正在发生的事情。通过微信（大部分情况下），我与许多人保持着联络，有现在及之前的学生和同事，在许多讲座中访问过学校的师生，在评判演讲比赛时第一次遇到的人，全国各地许多参加过我音乐表演的人。在我开始教学前的一个月里，我经常同200多人保持沟通，等到一个月后我开始上课，这个数字仍在持续增长。

第四，在网络教学的消息发布后，便有几家媒体联系我，希望我能够谈谈自己前期的准备工作。然后，他们表示开课后，也希望我可以谈谈我们这群人取得的进展和经历的困难，以及我们如何通过实践来克服这些困难。这便有了一系列的电话采访与视频采访。

第五，当中国新冠肺炎疫情非常严峻时，我知道必须再谱写一首歌曲，通过音乐充实我在中国的生活。

然而，在那时，我尚未准备进行创作。因为我不是忙于备课，便是忙于上课，但这并不是唯一的原因。因为，我需要更多的信息：我希望知道中国政府将如何应对这次疫情；我希望知道中国人民会如何对政府的行为作出回应；此外，我还希望知道政府与人民联手应对疫情的结果。所以，除了同中国各地的人民进行交流，我每天也会花时间关注国内外的新闻，去了解这些事情。

因此，我了解到中国的行动，以及在战胜病毒方面取得的成功。通过与学生们及他人的交流，我了解到在早期危急情况下，我曾看到的和所描绘的那种集体精神再次发挥有利作用。在中国各地，那些与我交谈过的人们，尤其是来自湖北及武汉的人们，都意识到这将会是每一个人的苦难，尽管倍感不安，且牺牲在所难免，但那些杀不死你的一切，终将让你变得更强大。

不仅如此，我还了解到，对于中国抗击疫情所采取的措施，世界卫生组织给予了积极的评价。

当我得知，一些人特别是美国人将病毒归咎于中国，而不是承认这是一个需要国际社会共同努力才能克服的普遍问题时，我感到非常沮丧。事实上，我不仅在媒体报道中看到了这一点，还从在美国的中国朋友那里也听说了这一点，他们自己也被指控将病毒带到美国，而这不过是2000多起与此相关的反对亚裔事件中的几起罢了。

第六，尽管我起初并未意识到这些，但我已然准备好谱写我的新歌。我对歌词的创作过程各不相同。有时当我决定写一些东西，便会来到笔记本或台式机前坐下，开始琢磨歌词。而有些歌曲则不然，我所创作关于新冠病毒的歌，便是其中之一。

3月份的第三周，我走在前往超市的路上，脑子里满是关于新冠病毒的歌词。实际上，就像我来到中国后发生的许多事情一样，这本不在我的计划之列，但我就是无法停止思考。回到家时，我已在脑海中完成了约一半的歌词，并迅速拿起笔记本，在我忘记它们之前将其记录下来。

同时，第二天午后旋律也开始浮现在我的脑海中。下课后，我拿出吉他，坐下来唱完这首歌。我尝试了许多旋律、节奏、和弦和吉他技巧，在那一天结束时，我的歌《团结合作，共同抗击新冠病毒》便完成了。

我将歌曲发送给国内外的朋友们，得到了他们的积极反响。许多人表示：他们欣赏歌曲的精神，并在回复我的短信中重复着歌曲的最后两句话。一些人把这首歌发布在他们自己的社交网站上，几天后，便有更多的中国媒体联系到我，他们希望通过采访我了解这首歌曲背后的故事。我十分清楚，虽然我写了很多关于中国的歌曲，但迄今为止，这首歌无疑最为重要。

I had planned to spend Spring Festival in 2020 at the home of one of my Chinese colleagues, and her family. I had spent Spring Festival with them a few years ago and she invited me to return on Spring Festival Eve.And then it happens.

News of the novelcorona virus causes me to rethink my plan. I thank her for the invitation and decide to simply stay home. That is when I begin my “sheltering in place.” Lasting for almost three months, I only venture outside of my apartment to take a 15-minute walk to a nearby supermarket which I do about every 3-4 days.

The arrival of the virus effects most people’s plans and in my own case, it affects my plan to finish my new book in multiple ways.

First, I realize that there is no way that I can possibly complete the book without at least a little discussion about the virus and its consequences. As the entire world knows, although some whose names I do not believe I need to mention refuse to admit, it is an earth-shattering event and at the time is beginning to play a major role everyone’s lives.So how could I not speak about it? But, it is too early. I need to see what happens. How is it dealt with? What is its impact? I can’t just talk about its arrival.

Second, I am soon informed that my spring semester classes, which are to begin in one month, are to be conducted online. I have zero experience with this. My classes include debate, public speaking and British culture. I have been teaching all of these classes for many years and while I make some changes from year-to-year, I need to figure out how to adjust these for online teaching. Then, I need to become familiar with online teaching or conference platforms which, at the time,I do not even know the names let alone how they work. Fortunately,I have a teaching assistant and many students who I can turn to for assistance. As all of this becomes a preoccupation both before and throughout the semester, my ability to focus on writing becomes quite limited.

Once the online teaching begins, both my students and I have ongoing technical problems with computers or internet reception but those are just part of the difficulties that we face. Because my students are all at home, it is not uncommon for family expectations or obligations to get in the way. Several of my students tell me that while they are sitting in class at their computer their mother will tell them to come eat lunch.

Jennifer, one of my public speaking students, gives her final speech while riding in their family car. “Mark, I am sorry about this. My parents said we had to go to the countryside for something and we didn’t get back in time.”

Yanpo, another one of my students is Tibetan and he lives in the mountainous area in Sichuan Province. We are using the Tencent Meeting online conference platform and I always ask students to keep their cameras on. One day I notice that Yanpo has turned his camera off. “Yanpo, please turn on your camera,” but he doesn’t answer. I send him messages first through the conference platform and then through WeChat, but again no answer. Finally about 30 minutes after the class is over, he sends me a video clip of him riding on the back of a yak. He follows this up with a voice message. “I’m sorry Mark but my family are herders and one of our yaks ran away and I had to go get it.”

Two days later I am speaking with Dave Eby, an American who is teaching at a university in Anhui Province. First meeting several years ago at a public speaking competition, we periodically keep in touch. I tell Dave Yanpo’s story and he responds with one of his own.

“Recently one of my students joined our class and apologized for the noise of the strong wind in the background. She tells me her parents are tea growers and she is outside with them picking the tea because a big storm was forecast for the next day and they needed to get it all harvested so that it would not be ruined.”

Although it takes time and attention to understand how we can work around or even with these circumstances it is really good to learn more about the circumstances of our students’ lives. Furthermore, I am confident that it helped all of us who had this experience become better teachers. I know that’s the case for me and others I speak with.

Third, beginning even before my classes start, I am busy working to maintain ongoing communication with people I know across China,as well as some abroad. Sometimes I contact them and sometimes they contact me. We check on each other’s health, families and share information about what is happening in different parts China. Mostly through WeChat, I stay in contact with current and former students and colleagues. I stay in contact with students and faculty from schools I have visited through my many lectures. I speak with people I who I first meet during the many speaking competitions I have judged. I stay in contact with people who have attended my many musical performances around the country. During the month before I start teaching I am regularly in touch with easily more than 200 people and once my classes start one month later, that number continues to grow.

Fourth, once with announcement of online teaching is made, I am contacted by several media outlets to talk about my preparations. Then,once classes begin, they want me to talk about the progress we are making, the difficulties we are experiences and what we are doing to overcome them. This results in a number of telephone interviews and video interviews.

Fifth, once China is struck by the novel coronavirus, I know that I have to write another song to add to my musical stories of my life in China.

At the time however, I am not ready to write it. One reason is because I am busy preparing for or teaching classes that is not the sole reason.I need for more information. I need to know how the Chinese government will address this epidemic. I need to know how Chinese people will respond to the government actions. And, I need to have some idea of the results of these joint responses by the government and the people. So, in addition to communicating with people all over China,I also spend time everyday paying attention to news from both inside and outside of China to learn about these things.

I learn of China’s actions and about the success that is being achieved in overcoming the virus. My communications with my students and others show me that the collective spirit I’ve seen and written about during earlier critical situations is once again predominant. Those I speak with all over China, especially people from Hubei Province and Wuhan, recognize that this is everyone’s problem and regardless of discomfort, sacrifice is necessary and will ultimately benefit all.

I also learn about the World Health Organization’s positive evaluation of the steps taken by China to combat the virus.

Furthermore, it was with great dismay that I learn of the effort of a few, particularly in the U.S., to blame China for the virus rather than recognizing this as a universal problem that requiring an international effort to overcome. I see this not only in media reports but, in fact,hear from Chinese friends in the U.S. who themselves are accused of bringing the virus there as just a few of the more than 2000 anti-Asian incidents connected to it.

Finally, although I don’t actually realize it at first, I am ready to write my song. My process of writing songs varies from one to another.Sometimes I decide to write something and I sit down with a notebook or at my computer and start figuring out the lyrics. Some songs are different and my song about the coronavirus was one of those.

On one of my walks to the supermarket during the third week of March, my mind is occupied as I start to think of potential song lyrics about the coronavirus. Actually, like much of what has happened since I have been in China, this is not my plan but, I just can’t stop thinking about it. By the time I get home I have about half of the lyrics done and I quickly grab my notebook to write them down before I can forget them. I keep thinking, I move the lyrics from my notebook to my computer and before the day is over the lyrics are done.

Coming up with a melody also begins in my mind but on the following afternoon. After my classes, I pull out my guitar and sit down to finish the song. I try a number of melodies, rhythms, chord progressions and guitar techniques and by the end of that day, my song, “Together We Must Take a Stand - Defeat the Novelcorona Virus” is done.

I send it to friends both inside and outside of China and get a great response. Many say they appreciate its spirit and repeat the last two lines in their messages to me. Some post it on their own social media sites and within a few days I am contacted by more Chinese media outlets who now want to interview me the story behind the song. As a result, it becomes clear to me that although I have written many songs about China, this one is by far the most important.

Near the end of the year 2-0-1-9,

we thought that everything was so fine.

But we didn’t know the troubles we’d soon face.

Coronavirus came around.

No quick solution could be found.

Health workers treated patients case-by-case.

And Hubei Province was shut down,

every city and every town.

People sacrificed to stop the illness’ flow.

The novel virus still did spread,

and left so many people dead.

Until its growth in China did finally slow.