Romanian "Lin Family"'s Chinese Affection

Romanian "Lin Family"'s Love for China

Among the Chinese learners in the Confucius Institute at the University of Bucharest (hereinafter referred to as the "Confucius Institute at Bucharest"), Romania, one family was affectionately referred to as the "Lin family" by the teachers and students of the Confucius Institute. The "Lin Family" are truly Romanians and have a deep affinity with the Confucius Institute in Budapest. My mother, Mei Lidan, graduated from the Department of Foreign Languages, University of Bucharest, majoring in Chinese. She is the foreign dean of the Confucius Institute, University of Bucharest, and the proud student of Professor Bai Romi, Department of Chinese Language, University of Bucharest. The rigorous academic spirit and interesting teaching of the teachers made her fall in love with Chinese.

"The Chinese characters are beautiful and harmonious, and the tone changes like music. Those Chinese poems and essays full of ancient civilization make people feel good after reading them," said Mei Lidan. She passed on her love for Chinese and Chinese culture to her three children. Every night, she will take the children to speak Chinese and read Chinese characters, and decorate the warm nights with beautiful Chinese stories and children's songs. Under the guidance of Mei Lidan, the children have become small "China fans". In 2015, Mei Lidan decided to let the children study Chinese at the Confucius Institute in Budapest. She recalled: "On that day, I held my eldest daughter in my left hand, my second daughter in my right hand, and my youngest daughter, who was two or three months old, on my back, just like a Chinese mother returning to her parents' home on holidays."

The Chinese names of the three children Linna, Lin An and Lin Li combine the Romanian pronunciation and Mei Lidan's expectations for them. "Lin" comes from Wang Wei's famous line "People in deep forest don't know, but the moon will come to see you".

Mei Lidan also formulated a detailed "family Chinese teaching plan" for children to supplement classroom learning, including allowing children to learn the evolution of Chinese characters, grammar rules and learn about Chinese history and culture through a lot of reading. The two sisters took the initiative to teach their little sister Lin Li to learn Chinese. Reading bedtime stories to her in Chinese was one of their most anticipated evening activities.

The timely introduction of Chinese animation, movies and music has aroused children's interest in learning; Tasting Chinese food, watching Chinese traditional festivals, copying calligraphy and painting, and making various Chinese handicrafts brought them rich experience of Chinese culture. Mei Lidan's carefully created learning atmosphere makes better understanding and mastery of Chinese a desire of children. "Going to China" is a dream reward for children.

In order to achieve this dream, the children worked hard to improve their Chinese level. In just one year, Linna, 8 years old, passed all the examinations from Grade 1 to Grade 4 of the Chinese Language Test for Primary and Secondary School Students (YCT).

Today, the "Lin Family" has made three trips to China, each of which is unforgettable. When they grow up, they go to China to study and become translators and writers, which has become the common ideal of children. They are looking forward to using their own efforts to pass on Chinese culture to Romanians and write about China that they aspire to.

Lin Na likes the poem "A bosom friend in the sea is like a neighbor in the world". "Language is the link between different cultures and countries. I want to learn Chinese and Chinese culture as well as I can, so as to contribute to the cultural communication between Romania and China in the future," said Linna.

Lin An, 12, likes reading poetry. She believes that poetry is the expression of people's deepest thoughts and feelings, which can span race and culture.

"I can feel the friendship between Li Bai and Wang Lun deeper than the water of the lake. Poetry has come through thousands of years, linking Li Bai and me, ancient times and modern times, China and Romania, which is a moving resonance." Lin An said, "I want to learn Chinese well, and then write poems. I believe that the meaning of Chinese literature will also take root in my writing, and together with the Romanian literary spirit, it will become the unique language for me to write my soul."

Little sister Lin Li's wish is simple and pure. She hopes that she can understand Chinese like her sisters, understand the cartoons of Journey to the West and Nezha, read more Chinese characters, and read Chinese myths and stories by herself. At present, her biggest wish is to go to China on her birthday this year - "I want to talk to many Chinese people, and eat sugar coated haws with my sisters." Lin Li is seriously learning "Beijing accent".

The child's efforts paid off. In the 2022 "Chinese Bridge" World Chinese Competition for Primary and Middle School Students, the three children all achieved good results. Lin An also represented Romania in the global finals and won the group championship.

The children's Chinese learning path is still "a long way to go", but with the help of their mother and the inspiration of their ideals, they are moving forward step by step.

(People's Daily Overseas Edition)

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