大俠行天下日記 我見我聞我思0325

               墨西哥的中國通

在參加休斯敦一场拳擊賽上， 遇見了墨西哥前駐北京的外交官胡安塞達先生， 他的一口京片子让我們非常佩服和驚訝。

胡安先生於一九七二年代首度外放到墨西哥駐中國大使館擔任一等秘書， 從此他努力勤學中文， 老大都在北京出生 ，他說 ：“除了走訪各地大小城市之外 ，他常到北京古玩琉璃市場去尋寶， 當他述說五十前的往事時， 面帶笑容充滿對中華文化之響往和回憶。”

他今天穿著唐裝來訪我們相谈甚歡， 並且在有虎的新春賀幅前留影， 因為他說他是屬虎的 ，我帶領他參觀了電視攝影棚、 印報廠， 他表現出高度興趣 ，我們更是交流無礙。

他離去時 ，一再提起他在北京時吃的北方水餃和天津狗不理包子， 我答應他我們再見時一定會請他吃餃子和包子。

許多國外人士非常熱愛中華文化， 他們不但熟讀中國史書， 瞭解人民之生活習慣， 更是文化交流之橋樑， 胡安先生就是其中之一 ，他還告訴我他在北京出生的老大目前是墨西哥大學的中文老師呢。

在美國出生的第二代華裔 ，你們要向他學習， 一定要學會中文， 多瞭解中華文化， 才會有更多諸如趙小蘭和谷愛凌之出現。

Mexico’s Diplomatic Chinese Connection

At an event held at the Texas Boxing Hall of Fame Museum hosted by my dear friend Rosemary, I met Mr. Juan Cerda Benitez, a former diplomat stationed in Beijing, China. We hit it off immediately and I was very surprised that he spoke perfect Chinese with a Beijing accent.

Consul Benitez first went to Beijing in 1972 as First Secretary at the Mexico Embassy. His first son was born in China. Since then, he has worked hard to learn Chinese and he also studied the Chinese culture. He traveled to many places in the country. He often went to the Beijing antique markets to hunt for treasures and enjoyed very much the Chinese cooking. He was smiling when he told me all his stories in Chinese.

He came to visit me yesterday and showed me a book he wrote in Chinese and took a photo in front of a Tiger poster because he was born in the year of the Tiger.

Consul Benitez has many beautiful memories of his time in China and he is very experienced in eating dumplings and steamed buns. I promised him that next time we will invite him to eat the same foods here in Houston.

Consul Benitez is one of those special people who love Chinese culture and has devoted his life to promote it. He also told me that his elder son was born in Beijing and is now still teaching Chinese in Mexico.

We also want to remind our next generation that you need to learn Chinese and study the Chinese culture like Juan Benitez has done. We also would like to see more Chinese such as Secretary Elaine Chao and Ailing Gu active in the American culture in the future.