個人簡介:
Name :?Karla M. Gurley
姓名:Karla M. Gurley
Country of Origin :?USA
國籍:美國
Occupation :?Kindergarten English Teacher
職業(yè):幼兒園英語老師
Years in China :?4?years
在華居住時間:4年
Let’s be honest, every little girl wants to grow up to be a princess. We all do! I know I sure did. As a child in Texas, I often found any excuse to don a fancy gown with a matching tiara. As an adult I have made numerous treks to Disneyland with friends and family. So, imagine my excitement in the fall of 2017 when Disney English (“DE”) selected me to teach!
說實話,每個小女孩長大之后都想做公主吧!大家都這樣,我也不例外。作為一個在德克薩斯州長大的小孩,我總是想方設(shè)法地穿上漂亮精致的裙子,戴上配套的王冠。長大之后,我也經(jīng)常和家人朋友去迪士尼旅游。所以,當(dāng)2017年我成功選上迪士尼英語的老師時,我高興極了!
DE was a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company designed to use immersive educational programs to teach English to children across China. I learned about them while researching opportunities to teach abroad. When DE selected me, it began the adventure of a Texas girl packing her bags to go to the other side of the world to be a princess. Dressing as Princess Tiana, the first Disney princess who looked like me, brought me so much joy, a joy I regularly share with children in Shanghai. Daily, it all feels surreal.
迪士尼英語是華特·迪士尼公司的子公司,該公司旨在利用沉浸式教育項目在中國各地教授兒童英語。我是在尋找海外教學(xué)機會時了解到這家公司的。當(dāng)我入選之后,本德州女孩就開始收拾行囊,奔赴世界另一端,去開始一場公主的冒險。我會扮成蒂安娜公主,這是第一個與我相似的迪士尼公主。這一切都給我?guī)砹颂嗟目鞓罚乙步?jīng)常同上海的孩子們分享這種快樂。每一天都過得太不真實了!
I had a lovely time working for DE, where I spent a year using the magic of Disney’s inspiring stories to teach English to children across Shanghai. It was a childhood dream come true!
我在迪士尼英語工作了一年,是一段非常愉快的工作經(jīng)歷。我在那里給上海的小朋友講述迪士尼的傳奇魅力故事。這一切就像童年的美夢成真!
After my time with DE, I transitioned to a traditional school where I could use my educational training and expertise more naturally. I have a Master’s in education and spent years teaching in various settings in the US.
在迪士尼英語工作了一段時間后,我轉(zhuǎn)到了一所傳統(tǒng)學(xué)校,在那里我可以更好地利用我的教育培訓(xùn)經(jīng)驗和專業(yè)知識。我擁有教育學(xué)碩士學(xué)位,并且在美國任教多年。
In December of 2018, a little more than a year from when I first packed up and moved to China, I became a bilingual kindergarten teacher. Someone once said, “It takes a big heart to shape little minds,” and I am honored to shape little minds here in Shanghai. It has given me a plethora of beautiful experiences and opportunities!
2018 年 12 月,距離我第一次收拾行李搬到中國的一年多一點,我成為了一名雙語幼兒園老師。有人曾說:“懷一顆溫暖之心,開啟學(xué)生智慧,引領(lǐng)學(xué)生成長”,我很榮幸能在上海教書育人,它給了我太多美好的經(jīng)歷和機會!
I never thought I would enjoy teaching people under four feet so much, but I do. I planned on leaving China in 2019, but these children have captured my heart. To quote my all-time favorite Disney movie, POLLY, when I walk through the doors of my campus, “I am profoundly inundated with maximum pleasure” teaching my kindergarten students.
我從未想過我會如此喜歡教小朋友,但事實就是如此。我原本打算 2019 年離開中國,但這些孩子俘獲了我的心。引用我一直以來最喜歡的迪士尼電影《POLLY》中的一句話,當(dāng)我走進校園大門時,“我被至上快樂淹沒了”,那就是教我的幼兒園學(xué)生。
As you can see, I love teaching, but I also greatly enjoy living life to the fullest. There is always something to do here. From cooking classes, street fairs, cultural events, restaurants from around the world, yoga in the park, the Black EXPO, galas, book clubs, charity events, and volunteer opportunities, it’s all here, and I have had the chance to do them all. I would have never dreamt of such things while in Texas or California (the two US states where I lived the longest).
正如你所見,我喜歡教書。不過與此同時,我也非常熱愛生活。在中國,總是有各種機會去做不同的事情:參加烹飪課、逛街頭集市,體驗文化盛事,品嘗來自世界各地的餐館,在公園做瑜伽,參加黑人展會和各種文化慶典,去讀書俱樂部,參加慈善活動或者志愿活動。還在得克薩斯州和加利福利亞洲(兩個我在美國待最長時間的地方)時我都不敢想能有機會去做這些事情。
In short, living in Shanghai has been a wonderful adventure. One of the best parts of that adventure is having made lifelong friends here to join me along the ride. I’ve met dozens of tremendously kind and accepting people who I would never have met if I did not live in Shanghai. For example, when the city reopened after the pandemic, I attended a block party in Jing’an. While there, I noticed a group of people talking and, one person signing (yes, signing, not singing as I am often corrected by others). This caught my eye because in the US I was an ASL Interpreter at my church, so I introduced myself to the group.
簡單來說,在上海的生活是一段美妙的體驗。其中最棒的環(huán)節(jié)就是交到了許多相伴一生的好朋友。如果不是住在上海,我不會遇見這么多善良友愛的人。比方說解封之后,我在靜安區(qū)參加了一場街區(qū)聚會。在那里,我注意到了一群人正在交談,其中一位在比劃手勢(你沒有看錯,是比劃,而不是像我經(jīng)常被人糾正的唱歌)。這極大地吸引了我的興趣,因為過去在美國,我也是我們教堂的一名美國手語譯員,所以我上前向他們做了自我介紹。
Since this wonderful chance meeting I have attended a Chinese Sign Language (CSL) workshop and I recently started CSL lessons. For those who are wondering sign language is different in different countries though some words can be very similar. I am so excited to learn CSL! This was such a great experience because sign language was such a big part of my life at home, and now it’s also a part of my life in China.
自那之后,我報名了一家中文手語工作室,并且開始學(xué)習(xí)中文手語。你們可能會好奇,不同國家的手語也不同嗎?事實上有些單詞還是相似的。我很高興能夠?qū)W習(xí)中文手語。因為在美國的時候,手語對我來說就十分重要,而現(xiàn)在在中國也是如此。
Finally, hiking to the summit of Yellow Mountain in Anhui was another unforgettable experience I have had living here. I hiked Yellow Mountain with several friends last summer. I anticipated the hike would take about four hours. It took six! It was a beautiful, yet challenging hike, and I’m grateful to have done it with great friends. The view from the mountaintop made each grueling step worth it.
最后,登上安徽黃山也是我非常難忘的經(jīng)歷之一。去年夏天我和幾個朋友一起游黃山。我預(yù)估可能要花四個小時,不過最后花了整整六小時。黃山景色非常優(yōu)美,不過爬山的環(huán)節(jié)充滿挑戰(zhàn)。我必須要感謝我的同伴們,也很慶幸自己最后做到了。登上山頂所看到的一切,讓所有的疲憊都煙消云散了。
My life in China is reminiscent of the famous phrase from Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates—you never know what you’re going to get.” Everyday has been an adventure, one befitting a princess.
我在中國的生活就像《阿甘正傳》中那句名言一樣:“人生就像一盒巧克力,你永遠不知道你將會遇到什么。”每一天都是新的冒險,一場于公主而言的冒險。
Now, here’s a fun and random fact about my hometown, Dallas, Texas. You love Happy Hour and adult beverages-right? The frozen margarita machine was invented in Dallas, Texas in 1971. YOU. ARE. WELCOME.
接下來聊聊我的家鄉(xiāng)——德州達拉斯。你一定喜歡歡樂時光(酒吧的減價時段)和成人飲品(含酒精飲料),對吧?事實上冰瑪格麗特飲酒機就是于 1971 年在德州達拉斯問世的。歡迎來我的家鄉(xiāng)。
作者:Karla M. Gurley 翻譯:余欣陽
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