“我想回中国吃火锅！” 安哥拉小哥哥用中国之所学，在非洲抗疫

导读

“作为一名在中国学习的非洲人，我感到自己肩负着重要的责任。我要用自己在中国6年的学习和工作经验帮助非洲人民抗击新冠疫情。”

今年23岁的秦朋和来自安哥拉，是华大基因援建非洲“火眼”实验室技术员。

近日，秦朋和在中国日报新时代大讲堂上分享了他在新冠疫情期间回非洲抗击病毒的故事。他说：“言语无法表达我对中国的感激。”

秦朋和
(Valdemar Rodrigues Augusto Tchipenhe)
华大基因援建非洲“火眼”实验室技术员
“新时代大讲堂”
英文演讲
《 用中国之所学 在非洲抗疫》
（略有删节，中文为译文）

大家好，我是秦朋和。我来自安哥拉。我今年23岁，是华大基因援建非洲火眼实验室的技术人员。

Hello, my name is Valdemar Rodrigues Augusto Tchipenhe. I'm originally from Angola. I'm 23 years old and work as a field-applied scientist at the BGI Genomics Huo-Yan Laboratory in Africa.

疫情发生后，华大基因帮助加蓬、多哥、贝宁三个非洲国家建立了生物核酸检测实验室，并对当地技术人员进行了培训。加蓬的“火眼”病毒检测实验室投用后将成为加蓬最大的实验室。

We have helped three African countries, namely Gabon, Togo, and Benin to do the installation of biological nucleic acid laboratories and provided workflow training to local lab technicians as well. After being put into operation, the Huo-Yan lab in Gabon will be the largest in the country.

“火眼”实验室可以每天检测2万人份新冠病毒样本，将大幅提高当地的核酸检测能力和诊断水平。

In total, these labs will test up to 20,000 COVID-19 samples a day, which will also significantly improve the local capabilities in detection and diagnosis.

今天，我想跟大家分享一下我的故事：“我是在中国学习生物科技的非洲人，我用自己在中国6年的学习和工作经验帮助非洲人民抗击新冠疫情。”

So today, my story is about coming from Africa, learning biotechnology in China, and helping African people in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic with the knowledge I have gained throughout my six-year study and work in China.

老实说，我们的工作并不简单。我每天两点一线往返于实验室和酒店之间。作为入境者，我们需要被隔离，严格遵守防疫要求，减少与当地人的接触，以降低传染风险。我们要安装设备、建实验室、培训当地技术人员、处理可能出现的各种问题。虽然做这些事情会很辛苦，但我知道，这是为了非洲人民的福祉，能帮助他们击败疫情。

Honestly, our job here is not easy. My everyday life is divided solely between the labs and the hotel. As we come from overseas, we need to be quarantined first and follow strict rules to reduce our contact with the local people and lower the risk of contaminations. Installing devices, building up labs, training local technicians, and dealing with all the problems that may occur in the process. Even though the things I do here may look laborious, I still believe that I'm doing good for the benefit of African people, fighting against the coronavirus.

为了确保当地技术人员能够准确地操作设备，我和我的中国同事们一次次地延长了在非洲的工作时间。

Therefore, my Chinese colleagues and I extended our stay in Africa, again and again, to make sure the local technicians can operate the machines and deal with the process in a precise way.

作为一名在中国学习的非洲人，这次把中国的生物科技带回非洲，为家乡人民服务，我感到自己肩负着重要的责任，因为小时候的经历让我深知医疗服务对非洲人民来说有多么重要。

As an African, studying in China and bringing Chinese biotechnology back to serve my people in my home community, I feel as if I have extra responsibilities on my shoulders, as my childhood experience taught me how crucial medical institutions mean to African people.

我的父亲在我们当地是位有名的医生。他在我们家楼下开了一个诊所。他救人无数，但有一次他没能挽救患者的生命，那是我第一次见到他哭。

My father was a well-known doctor in my city where I was born. He actually had a clinic right below our house. I've seen him save countless lives, but on one occasion when he failed to do so, it was the first time I've had ever seen him crying.

患者是我们镇上的一个小男孩，他不小心喝下了汽油。紧接着他开始出现吐血、呼吸困难等症状。当他被送到我们诊所时，一切为时已晚，大部分原因要归咎于有限的医疗资源和设备。他的肺和食道受损，不久后被宣布死亡。

The case was about a little boy in my town that accidentally drank petrol. He then started having symptoms such as vomiting blood, breathing problems, and so on. By the time the boy was sent to our clinic, it was already too late for him to be saved, partially due to limited resources and equipment. There was damage to his lungs and esophagus, which led to his death shortly after.

我从父亲那里学到了宝贵的一课，那就是善良是医生必备的品质。但光有善良是不够的，我清楚地知道非洲人民迫切需要发展科技，这样才能切实改善医疗服务。

I learned a valuable lesson from my father, which is being kind is part of being a doctor. Besides, I know clearly that aside from kindness, African people are in bad need of more development on the technology side, which can provide substantial support in the improvement of medical service as well.

17岁来到中国

2013年底是我人生的转折点。高中一毕业，我就收到了浙江师范大学的录取通知书和中国国家留学基金委员会提供的奖学金。这让我成为了第一位在海外获得生物科技奖学金的安哥拉人，并由此开启了职业生涯。

The end of 2013 actually marked a turning point in my life. Right after my high school graduation, I received an offer from Zhejiang Normal University and a scholarship from the Chinese Scholarship Council for my study in China. That made me the first Angolan ever to win an award in biotechnology overseas, marking the start of my career as well.

老实说，在我17岁去中国之前，我对外面的世界了解不多。中国是我走出国门去过的第一个国家。这也是我第一次走出我的舒适区。

Honestly, I did not know much about the world outside my country until I went to China at the age of 17. China was the first country I ever traveled to. It was also the first time I stepped out of my comfort zone.

在校最后一年，我开始在华大基因公司实习。在实验培训期间，大部分实习生只说中文。在这求学路上，整个团队、特别是主管领导给了我很多帮助。言语永远无法表达我对他们的感激，他们给予我的温暖和支持是我走到今天的动力。

In my final year of studies, I joined BGI Genomics as an intern. While in lab training, most of the trainees only spoke Chinese. I received a lot of help along the way, from my team and especially from my supervisor. Words would actually never be enough to express how grateful I am for them. Their warm welcomes and endless support are the reason why I have made it this far in my career.

经过严格培训，我被华大基因聘用为正式员工，成为一名海外实验室的现场应用技术人员。去年年底，新型冠状病毒被发现，随后新冠肺炎成为全球性流行病。

After I was finished with the strict training for interns, BGI Genomics decided to hire me as an official employee with the title of a field-applied scientist for overseas labs. At the end of last year, the novel coronavirus disease was discovered and later became a global pandemic.

奋战在抗击病毒最前线

面对突如其来的新型疾病，华大基因很快设计出RT-PCR试剂盒，并为了及时出具检测样本的结果和作进一步分析，生产了高通量MGISP-960自动化样本制备系统和提取样本的设备。

In the face of the new disease, BGI Group has designed a Real-Time Fluorescent RT-PCR kit for detecting COVID-19, and is also manufacturing a high-throughput automated sample preparation system, called MGISP-960, as well as running a sample extraction kit for results generation and further analysis.

当时，因为需要检测的样本量不断增加，深圳实验室技术人员问我们能不能到实验室帮忙。我的回答是肯定的，我想当科学家，也想向奋战在抗击病毒最前线的人们致敬。

Back then the lab technicians in Shenzhen were asked whether we would like to work in the lab to help the experiments as the sample size for virus detection always tended to increase. My answer was obviously yes because I'm not just as a person that aspires to be a scientist in the future, but as a person with values and respect for all of those risking their own lives in the front line against the virus.

后来我被派去值夜班。这是一次很棒的经历，因为每次轮班，我都能完成一些有益的工作，让我很有成就感。

I ended up joining the night shift team. It has been a great experience, mostly because I have a sense of accomplishment for doing good at the end of every shift I took.

大约一个月前，单位负责人告诉我我被选派参与援建西非火眼实验室项目。“火眼”得名于中国古典神话小说《西游记》。小说中，孙悟空有一双火眼金睛，能够看穿妖魔鬼怪的伪装。

Around a month ago, my boss told me that I was selected to be part of a team going to West Africa (Gabon, Benin, and Togo) for the Huo-Yan Project. "Huo-Yan" in Chinese stands for "Fire Eye" and derives from the classic Chinese novel about the Monkey King, who could spot devils in disguise in the "pupil of the eye".

为了满足当前和未来需求，华大基因建立了火眼实验室，进行新冠病毒的筛查和检测。我有幸作为现场应用技术人员负责建设实验室并为当地技术人员提供实验流程培训。

BGI Genomics launched the Huo-Yan Laboratory for the screening and testing of COVID-19 for both present and future needs. I had the honor of being part of this project as one of the field-applied scientists entrusted with installing the lab and providing experiment workflow training to the local lab technicians.

6年后回来，有些不适应非洲的生活

刚开始在加蓬培训当地技术人员时，我通常会和我的同事们说汉语。一些当地技术人员以为我出生在中国，问我是不是中国人。当听说我来自加蓬的邻国安哥拉时，他们都惊呆了。

When we first started training the local in Gabon, I would generally speak in Mandarin with my colleagues. Some of the local technicians assumed I was also born in China and asked me if I am Chinese. They were all stunned when I said that I was actually from Angola, a neighboring country to Gabon.

那一刻，我意识到在中国六年的学习和工作改变了自己很多。虽然我来自非洲，但我已经习惯了中国的生活方式和便利。到了非洲，我要适应这里的网速和没有外卖、滴滴的生活。我有些想念在中国的生活了。

At that moment, it is when I realized that the six-year study and work in China had changed me a lot. Even though I'm originally from Africa, I have already become accustomed to the lifestyle and how convenient things are in China. So I actually had quite a hard time to get used to things in Africa like internet speed, not being able to call for food delivery or Didi, etc. And that makes me realize how much I miss the life in China.

对每个人来说，2020年确实是不太顺心的一年。随着新冠疫情暴发扩散，各国纷纷采取遏制疫情蔓延的措施：要求学校关闭、员工远程工作、人们居家减少外出等等。

2020 has indeed been an unfortunate year for everybody. Life as we know it has come to a grinding halt since the novel coronavirus pandemic has left countries struggling to respond to the rapidly spreading virus, causing schools to shut down, employees to work remotely, and people to remain inside their homes in an attempt to contain the spread of the disease.

但老实说，我没有资格抱怨，因为我今年在事业和生活上取得了比以往更多的成绩。所有这一切告诉我，无论生活给你带来什么，只要你够专注，就能完成不可思议的事情。必要时可以停下来想一想，但一定要有远大理想。

But honestly, I don't think I am in the position to complain because I have achieved way more this year than I ever did before, both in my career and life. And all of this has made me realize that no matter what life brings to you, as long as you are focused, you can achieve the unthinkable. Pause and reflect when you must, but don't ever settle for less than your grand vision.

“言语无法表达我对中国的感激”

我来自非洲的发展中国家，我的目标是回到家乡，为国家的发展出一份力。为了实现这个目标，我选择留在国外，直到我能有所作为、造福家乡。迄今为止，我在国外的经历让我明白了两件重要的事情。

Coming from a newly developed country in Africa, my goal is to return home and be a part of that same development. To achieve this goal, I chose to stay abroad until I am ready to make a difference there. The exposure I've had so far by being abroad made me realize two important things.

首先，在我家乡那样的社会中，我的声音还不够大，不足以让更多的人听到。出国才是拓宽视野的最好办法，我要尽可能多学习，不断扩大朋友圈。

First, in a society like ours, I still don't have a voice loud enough for most people to hear. The best way to broaden my horizon is by being abroad, learning as much as possible, and expanding my connections as extensively as I can.

第二，当我准备好了，我会回到祖国，为家乡做贡献。当然，短期内还无法实现。这是我人生的终极目标。

Second, once I am ready, I will return home and make contributions there. That is certainly not something that can be accomplished in the short term though. That is a life goal that I am committing myself to achieve eventually.

在过去的六年里，中国一直是我的家。言语永远无法表达我对这个国家和这个国家人民的感激，这里给了我机会、友谊、人生经验和个人成长。我很开心有这个机会在西非帮助同胞抗击新冠疫情。当本地技术人员能够掌握技术，实验室高效运转时，我会感到一种成就感。

China has been my home for the past six years. And frankly, words would never be enough to describe how grateful I am for what this nation and Chinese people have offered me during this period-opportunities, friendships, life lessons, personal growth, and so on. I am enjoying the opportunity to be in West Africa and help my fellow Africans fight this pandemic. After the labs can (be run) functionally and efficiently by local technicians, I will feel a sense of accomplishment.

疫情之后，我想赶快回我的第二个家—中国，在深圳我最喜欢的地方，和最喜欢的人一起享受工作和生活时光。我已经很久没见到我的朋友们了，我想和他们一起逛商场、吃火锅。这是我回中国后最想做的事。

After that, I cannot wait to go back to China, my second home, and enjoy my time with my favorite people at my favorite places in Shenzhen. I'm so looking forward to hanging out in Coco Park with my friends that I actually haven't seen in quite some time now and eating really good hot pot. That's actually at the top of my to-do list when I get back.

编辑：王瑜

实习生：杨畑畑