大侠行天下日记 我见我闻我思0325

               墨西哥的中国通

在参加休斯敦一场拳击赛上， 遇见了墨西哥前驻北京的外交官胡安塞达先生， 他的一口京片子让我们非常佩服和惊讶。

胡安先生於一九七二年代首度外放到墨西哥驻中国大使馆担任一等秘书， 从此他努力勤学中文， 老大都在北京出生 ，他说 ：“除了走访各地大小城市之外 ，他常到北京古玩琉璃市场去寻宝， 当他述说五十前的往事时， 面带笑容充满对中华文化之响往和回忆。”

他今天穿着唐装来访我们相谈甚欢， 并且在有虎的新春贺幅前留影， 因為他说他是属虎的 ，我带领他参观了电视摄影棚、 印报厂， 他表现出高度兴趣 ，我们更是交流无碍。

他离去时 ，一再提起他在北京时吃的北方水饺和天津狗不理包子， 我答应他我们再见时一定会请他吃饺子和包子。

许多国外人士非常热爱中华文化， 他们不但熟读中国史书， 瞭解人民之生活习惯， 更是文化交流之桥樑， 胡安先生就是其中之一 ，他还告诉我他在北京出生的老大目前是墨西哥大学的中文老师呢。

在美国出生的第二代华裔 ，你们要向他学习， 一定要学会中文， 多瞭解中华文化， 才会有更多诸如赵小兰和谷爱凌之出现。

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.