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弹指一挥间, 我们已到第二个学期啦 --- 时间還過的真快啊/TIME PASSES LIKE A FLEETING MOMENT AND WE ARE ALREADY IN OUR SECOND SEMESTER-WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?

 BY LIBBY SWAN AND TRANSLATED BY CHI CHEUNG

七个月前，我从北京來到了英国，這也就是說， 我在中国留学的阅历已經结束了。虽然我在埃克赛特的生活多姿多彩，但我還是經常不由自主地想念中国的生活，尤其是我跟中国的朋友出去玩儿，并且尝尝各种各样的中国菜。不过，在我准备回来英国的這個阶段，想念我過去的中国生活并不是让我心烦意乱的原因，而是我非常害怕把学会的中文能力忘掉。在中国的最后几个月，我跟幾個最好的中国朋友们朝夕相处了，天天一起其乐融融地利用中文交流。对我来说，这种机会难能可贵，我活得其所。記得刚到中国的时候，我感到非常惶惑，總是摸着石头过河，不过在这短短时间内，我开始感到坦然自若，不用再装样子了！我说话的表答能力提高了、学会了怎樣自然地用合适的成语，并且我并再害怕开口说话了。

到英国后，我膽心这些习得中文势所必然会消失吧？另一个忧虑是，我回到埃克塞特大学以后会有一個口试，那在這整个暑假中我該怎麼保持这些所學的语言呢？

首先，幸好我的中国朋友们每一个都很乐意每星期跟我打电话，聊一聊家常便飯。这对我的口语水平有很大的改善，因为令人惊讶的是，忘记简简单单词语如此之快，因此和他們经常联系非常重要。再说开学以后，我變得更容易保持我的中文水平，因为我们每个星期有六个小时的课，再加上作业，所以用中文的时间更长。还有我找到了别的优秀的中国朋友，我相信我能夠跟他们常常见面，练习一下。对于语言方面来讲，英国的生活当然比不上中国的，不过如果能刻苦努力，勤奋练习，掌握一門语言就好像涣然冰释。我们就该相信啦 -- 加油！

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This also means that seven months ago, when I went from Beijing to the UK, my experience of studying in China was over. Although my life in Exeter has been nothing to complain about, I can't help but miss the life I used to have in China, especially going out with my Chinese friends and eating all kinds of mouth-watering Chinese food. However, when I was in the early stages of my return to the UK, missing the life that I had in China was not the reason that upset me. The thing that I am most afraid of is losing the language-Chinese that I have learnt in the past few months. During the last period of time in China, I have been spending time with my really good Chinese friends and communicate happily with them in Chinese every single day. For me, this kind of opportunity is valuable, and I’m living it. When I first arrived in China, I was always overwhelmed with the bewilderment, but in this short period of time, I begin to feel more comfortable, and not pretending anymore. I became more spontaneous to speak with others, I learned how to use the idioms in a natural way, and I'm not afraid to talk with people anymore. These acquired skills might disappear in the UK, right? Another worry is that when I am back in Exeter there will be an oral exam, how am I supposed to maintain the Chinese that I have learnt throughout the whole summer? First of all, I am fortunate enough that my friends are happy to give me a call every week to chat in Chinese. This has had a big impact on my speaking level, because, surprisingly, it is really easy to forget some of the simple words that I have learnt, so it's important to keep in touch with my Chinese friends. Besides, after school starts, it is easier to maintain our Chinese level, because we have six hours of classes per week plus homework, so we use Chinese for a longer period of time. Also, I have found some new Chinese friends and by meeting them often, I can practice with them. For the language, the life that I have in the UK is certainly not comparable to China, but if you work and practice hard, mastering the language will not be challenging. We're supposed to believe in it – Go for it!

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