钓鱼台往事（一）周总理要求服务员学英语
作者简介
鲁秋莲 钓鱼台国宾馆大连山庄总经理，1974年至2015年在钓鱼台国宾馆工作至退休，先后在钓鱼台国宾馆总统楼从事服务接待工作，在国宾馆业务部担任楼经理；在当时局长朱贵玉的要求和指导下，查找、收集、整理、存档自国宾馆建馆以来接待国宾的档案；钓鱼台大酒店担任办公室主任等职。
通过成人高考，进入外交学院夜大学英语专业学习，先后被国宾馆选派去参加瑞士饭店集团在北京港澳中心举行的饭店管理培训、德国大西洋饭店学习饭店管理、美国杨伯翰大学夏威夷分校学习饭店行政管理。
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Foreword
我在钓鱼台国宾馆从事外事服务接待几十年，工作得心应手，得益于熟练掌握了英语这门基本技能。
退休后，我依然把英语学习作为爱好来充实自己的生活。一个偶然的机会，我接触到集古雅与博学于一身的齐文昱老师的课程——以演讲方式讲授英语，非常新颖，也非常符合我的喜爱，毅然报名，参加了学习。
学习结束了，受益匪浅，欣然提笔，做个小结，于是，许多在钓鱼台工作期间的往事浮现眼前……
在齐老师的讲座中，有一讲的主题是“小”，其中讲到了“small talk”这个词，他这样阐述它的含义：“small talk”是指在社交场合，不太熟悉的人们出于礼貌的寒暄。既然是出于礼貌的寒暄，这样的话题一定是缺乏深度，往往是讲一些关于天气、美食、新闻热点之类泛泛的话题。
我相信，经过老师的讲解，我的同学，包括我在内，对“small talk”有了明确的认识。不过，当老师讲解这个词时，我的思绪被穿越到了另一时空，回到了许多年前我刚走上工作岗位时，我的师傅给我讲的一个由“small talk”引发的真实而又令我终生难忘的故事。
这个故事发生在钓鱼台国宾馆建馆初期的一个外交场合。一天上午，周恩来总理来到国宾馆，礼节性地拜望先一天下榻国宾馆的斯里兰卡总理班达拉奈克夫人。两人一见面，宾主就开始寒暄。周总理问客人休息得怎样，饭菜是否符合口味……
通常，这种寒暄本来应该是一种亲切、友好、轻松的交谈，没想到，客人竟然带着沮丧的表情，向周总理诉说：“我想吃个苹果，你们服务员不给我吃。”
这到底怎么回事呢？于是，周总理叫来了总统楼的负责人了解情况。后来得知，当时，班达拉奈克夫人确实找了服务员，服务员能感觉出她需要东西，但因为当时服务员英语水平低，没听懂客人的话。雪上加霜的是，楼内没找到懂英语的翻译。（注：翻译不负责外宾在宾馆内的翻译工作，不过遇听不懂时，服务员如同抓救命稻草一样，会向翻译求助。）
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毛主席、周总理等国家领导人会见班达拉奈克夫人的两个瞬间(Two moments when Chairman Mao, Premier Zhou and other state leaders met with Mrs. Bandaranaike)
因此，服务员只好抱着试一试的想法，忙上忙下，取来了几样东西给夫人，可她一次又一次摇头说 “不是”。到最后，她就放弃了。
或许是需求没有得到满足，或许是自尊心受到了伤害的阴云难以在心中散去，所以第二天一见到周总理，这位夫人就把这事说了出来。于是，就发生了周总理与班达拉奈克夫人见面时，令周总理尴尬而不解的一幕。
显然，这样的外事服务人员，尽管她工作热情很高，也不乏勤奋，但缺乏符合工作要求的英语能力，仍然是不称职的。
从那件事之后，周总理提出了服务员学习英语的要求。后来，钓鱼台国宾馆、人民大会堂作为接待国宾的场所，有了专职英语老师，每周给相关人员上英语课，教授日常接待的英语口语。
正如那些工作在外交场合的先辈们的经验之谈——“外交场合无小事”，周总理和班达拉奈克夫人的这次寒暄，不正是证明了这一点吗？这也说明，在外事接待服务中，掌握与工作相关的英语是必不可少的。只有这样，才能圆满完成外事接待任务。
非常幸运，一进入工作岗位，我就从前辈讲的真实故事中认识到了学好英语对做好外宾接待工作的重要性。同时，我明确认识到，认真倾听长辈对外事服务的见解，尽可能多的学习他们的经验，不但没有坏处，而且还能达到事半功倍的结果。但是，我发现，由于单位里大部分同事英语基础几乎是零，我们每周两次的英语指导课学习进度很慢，因此学习效果甚微。
巧合的是，我发现广播电台正在播放一个叫《每日英语》的口语教程，于是，我边工作边跟着学了起来。为了及时解决学习中的问题，我买了一本《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》，作为我全天候的“老师”，随时请教。
学好英语，不容易，自学更难。为了进一步提高英语学习效果，我利用晚上的时间报补习班上课，去学习本来应该在中学阶段学完的功课，准备通过成人考试，进入成人夜大学英语。
或许你会纳闷，我已经高中毕业了，上成人大学前为什么不直接参加入学考试，还要去参加功课补习班呢？因为受当时大背景影响，我的学习成绩未能达到中学毕业生的水准。
不过，与我的同学运势不同，高中一毕业我就被招工到了钓鱼台国宾馆工作。当我写到这里，齐先生在第71课中“18岁的时候，他收拾好行囊，离开了家乡” 的例句再次回响在我耳际。我清晰记得，当时，老师在课堂朗读这个例句时，我真真切切感觉到，这就是我当年离开家乡的真实情景描述：
那年，18岁的我，在父母身边和兄弟姐妹一起，在家乡度过了无忧无虑的童年，被幸福环绕的青少年的我，怀着百感交集之情，收拾行李，从家乡启程，离开家人，第一次独自出远门，开启了我人生的新征程，朝北京进发。
我离开家人的前一天夜里，家乡下了一场鹅毛大雪，早晨起来，迎接我的是一个白雪皑皑的世界。家乡的冬天下雪是常事，可下那样的大雪实属罕见，我相信，那是无所不能的上苍给我铺好的洁白无暇的人生大道，为我送行。
临行前，吃过母亲做的早餐，父亲送我去县城，他挑着行囊在前，我紧随其后，踏着父亲为我踩出的深深的洁白的雪印到了县城。在那里稍作停留，我和另外一名被招工的男生一起，乘船离开县城，前往下一个中继站——益阳市。
当船缓缓离岸，我眸子噙满了泪水，很快，泪水像断了线的珠子直往外溢，顺着我的面庞流淌。同时，我一直挥着手和伫立在码头的父亲告别，和我一样，父亲也在不停地向我挥手。船离岸越来越远，父亲的身影越来越模糊，最后，消失在我的视野。
在益阳吃过午饭，我和另外被选拔的11名同学一起，向省城出发。因为到达省城已经错过了当天的火车，我们在省委招待所住下，第二天登上了北去的列车，在火车上度过了一天一夜，终于到达了目的地——远离我家乡的北京城。
如今的公共交通系统非常便捷，比如我早餐后从北京出发，乘坐高铁只需要5个多小时就到了省城长沙，不用出站，直接转乘城际列车，不到1个小时就到了益阳市，一出站台就可以乘坐开往县城的汽车，不到1小时的车程就可以到达县城，可于当天从容回到老家吃晚饭。
遥想当年，回老家可是件几经周折，非常不容易的事呢！你可知道，当时，交通比较落后，从北京到家乡1200千米上下的距离，乘车速最快的火车到中转站长沙省城也需要20几个小时，到那里后必须就地过夜，因为赶不上每天一趟的通往县城的汽车，到县城后还要转乘船或步行1小时才能到达终点站——我的家乡。
另外，当时通讯也不发达，没有电话，没有手机，更没有微信，与家人联系的方式或是写信，或是拍电报。写信用于日常联系，拍电报用于急事。当时，从我在北京发出一封信到收到父母的回信，通常需要两个星期左右的时间。整个北京市只有电报大楼可以拍电报，而且拍电报价格很贵，是以字数多少计费的。所以，在拍电报表述事项时会尽可能少用字，以节省费用。因此，因为对方不能完全理解电报内容而误事或困惑的情形时有发生。
附 | 上下滑动阅览译文
I have been engaged in foreign affairs service and reception work in Diaoyutai State Guesthouse for decades, thanks to a good command of the basic skills of English. After retirement, I still study English as a hobby to enrich my life. By chance, I found a set of lectures that combining elegance and vast knowledge by mister Qi Wenyu who teaches English in the way of speech is very novel, but also very in line with my favorite, I resolutely signed up and took part in the study. Learning is over, I benefit a lot, cheerfully, click-to-start keyboard, do a summary, as a result, many memories during the work in the past in the Diaoyutai emerge in front of me ...
In mister Qi's lecture, there is one on the theme of "small", and the phrase "small talk" is mentioned by him. He explained the meaning of the word this way: small talk refers to polite conversation between people you do not know well in social situations. Since it is a polite conversation, such a topic must be a lack of depth, often about the weather, food, news hot topics, such general subjects.
I consider that after the teacher's explanation, my classmates, including me have a clear understanding of small talk. However, when the teacher explained this word, my mind was transported back into another time and space, back to a true and unforgettable story triggered by Small Talk told by my mentor many, many years ago when I just started my career.
The story took place in a diplomatic occasion in the early days of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. One morning, Premier Zhou Enlai came to the State Guesthouse and paid a courtesy call on Mrs. Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, who had stayed in the State Guesthouse the previous day. As soon as the two met, the host and the guest began their small talk. The premier Zhou asked the guest how her rest was, whether the food was good...
In the ordinary course of event, it should be a cordial, friendly and relaxed conversation, but unexpectedly, the guest, with a very depressed expression, complained to the Premier Zhou: "I want to eat an apple, but your waitress didn't give me one."
What's going on in the horizon? As a result, the Premier Zhou called in the head of the presidential villa to understand what happened. Later, he got it that Mrs. Bandaranaike did find a waitress, who could sense that she needed something, but because of the inadequate English, the waitress did not understand what the guest said. To add insult to injury , even an English interpreter was not available to find accidently (note: The interpreter was not responsible for the daily life interpretation work of foreign guests in the guesthouse, However, when the waiter/ waitress didn't understand the guest, one could ask the interpreter for help，just like clutching at straws, you know). Therefore, the waitress had to embrace trying one method after another, was busy up and down, took a few things to the madam, but she shook her head and said NO again and again. In the end, she just gave up.
Perhaps the need had not been met, perhaps the dark cloud of pride hurt was hard to lift, so, when the madam as soon as saw Premier Zhou the next day, she told him about it. Thus, the sight which embarrassed and puzzled Premier Zhou happened as he and the lady Bandaranaike met. It's significant that such a foreign service personnel, although she worked with great enthusiasm and diligence, were still inadequate because she lacked the English ability to meet the requirements of her job.
After that, Premier Zhou put forward the requirement that attendants must learn English. Later, Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and the Great Hall of the People as places to receive state guests, had English teacher who gave English classes to relevant personnel every week to learn spoken English for daily reception.
It just as those predecessors who worked in diplomatic occasion/arena said that there are no small things in diplomatic affairs. Didn't that small talk between Premier Zhou and Mrs. Bandaranaike proved this point, did it? It also observed that in foreign reception and service, a good command of job-related English is essential. Only in this way can the tasks of foreign reception be successfully accomplished.
Fortunately, as soon as I started my work, I realized the importance of learning English well for the reception of foreign guests from the real story told by my predecessor. At the same time, it made plain that one carefully Listen to the elders' voices/opinions on foreign service and learning their experience as much as possible will never only hurt, but also achieve twice the result with half the effort. But I found, the majority of the colleagues in my unit almost had zero English foundation, our twice a week English class like a turtle crawling, was so slow in progress, therefore, the learning effect was little. Coincidentally, I found that an oral English teaching program called《Everyday English》in a radio station was broadcasting, Therefore, I followed it while working. In order to solve the problems in study in time, I bought an Oxford Advanced English-Chinese Dictionary, as my round-the-clock teacher, ready to consult.
To acquire English is not easy, and self-study is even harder. For further improvement of my English learning, I spent leisure time in the evening taking lessons that I should have been finished in my senior middle school and preparing to pass the adult exam to enter evening college to learn English.
You may wonder, I already graduated from senior high school, why didn't I just take the entrance examination for college, but go to the cram school instead? In a word,due to the influence of the background at that time,my academic performance failed to reach the level of a senior high school graduate should have.
However, unlike my classmates, Luckily, I was selected to work at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse as soon as I graduated from my senior high school. As I write here, the example of "When he was eighteen, he packed his bags and left his hometown" by Mr. Qi in lesson 71 resonated in my ears again. I can remember clearly that when the teacher read this example in class, I felt that this was the true description of my leaving home, as large as life. That year, at the age of 18, after spending the periods of my happy- go-lucky/joyous and carefree childhood, juvenile and adolescence where surrounded/enveloped by happiness around my parents and siblings, with mixed emotions/feelings, packing up, leaving my hometown and family, I went out afar for the first time on my own, and started a new journey of my life, heading for Beijing.
One night before I left my family, there was a heavy snow in my hometown. When I got up in the morning, I was greeted by a snow-covered world. Hometown of winter snow is a common sight, but under the snow was rare, surely, it did mean that the omnipotent God gave me a good white road to see me off. After eating the breakfast made by my mother before my departure, my father went in company with me to the county seat. Carrying my bags, he walked in front, and I followed him tightly, stepping on the deep snow prints he stepped out for me. After a short stop in the county seat, together with a boy who also had been selected, I left the county by boat and headed for the next relay station- the City of Yiyang. When the boat was slowly offshore, my eyes brimmed with tears, no time, the tears spilled out, like a broken line of beads streamed down my face. At the same time, I kept waving goodbye to my father, who was standing on the dock, and my father, too, was waving to me as I did. As the boat drifted away more and more remote, my father's figure grew fainter and fainter until it melted from my view. After lunch in Yiyang, together with 11 other students who had been elected, I set out for the provincial capital. When we arrived there, we stayed in the Guesthouse of the Provincial Party Committee, because we had missed the train of the day. The next day, we boarded the train to the north. After spending a day and night on the train, at last, we arrived at the destination Beijing City, a faraway place from my hometown.
The public transport system today is very convenient and fast, for example, I set out from Beijing after breakfast, it only takes me more than five hours by the highest-speed train to reach Changsha, the provincial capital. After that, no need to leave the station, can directly transfer to the inter-city transit train, less than an hour to the City of Yiyang, out of the platform, I can take the bus, less than an hour's drive, to the county seat, I can easily back hometown for dinner in the same day. But back then, going to my hometown was a very difficult thing after many twists and turns! You know that the traffic was relatively backward. It took more than 20 hours to travel 1200 kilometers from Beijing to the provincial capital of Changsha by the fastest train. Then, I had to spend the night there because I couldn't catch the daily bus to the county seat. After arriving at the county seat, I had to transfer by boat or walk for 1 hour to reach the terminus – my hometown.
In addition, back then, communication was not developed, too. There was no telephone, no cell/mobile phone, no wechat, the way to contact families, one wrote letters or sent telegrams. Wrote letters for daily contact and sent telegrams for emergencies. It usually took me about two weeks from sending a letter in Beijing to receiving a reply from my parents. In those days, there was only one place in the whole City of Beijing-the Telegraph Building-where telegrams could be sent, and the price was very expensive, based on the number of words. Therefore, when telegraphing an item, people used as few words as possible to make economies/to save money. As a result, the other party could not fully understand the contents of the telegram and the situation of misinterpretation or confusion sometimes occurred.
- 未完待续 -
作者 | 鲁秋莲
编辑 | 外交官说事儿 青岩
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