乍一看，你不太能把德高和他九千公里外的故鄉(xiāng)——西班牙聯(lián)系在一起。

For someone so deeply rooted in Chinese culture, it's hard to link Diego Rodriguez immediately to the sun-soaked streets of his European hometown.

因?yàn)樗v一口流利的中文，能細(xì)數(shù)中國美食，時(shí)不時(shí)蹦出幾個中文互聯(lián)網(wǎng)俚語，隨口聊的是北京的古樸、廣東的閑適、杭州的詩情畫意……

Fluent in Chinese and naturally easygoing, Diego navigates the country's cultural tapestry with ease. He can name everyday delicacies of Chinese cuisine, casually drop internet slang, and observe and discuss the distinct rhythms of life across different Chinese cities.

德高在清華大學(xué)秀鐘書院就讀環(huán)境工程專業(yè)，學(xué)業(yè)繁忙，節(jié)奏緊張。在這個中國的頂尖學(xué)府，他直言：“我的成績在班上只能算中等水平?！?/p>

但他不甘落后，所以時(shí)常鞭策自己，不斷進(jìn)步——“我覺得得有目標(biāo)和追求，勤奮努力是我很滿足的一種狀態(tài)。”

你很難從一個慣于享受陽光、沙灘和閑適的西班牙人嘴里聽到這樣的一句話。但是在德高身上，他似乎兼具了多種文化狀態(tài)下的性格特質(zhì)：既相信“天道酬勤”，也善于靈活變通。

Now a student in environmental engineering at Tsinghua University, Diego embraces the philosophy that effort and purpose bring fulfillment — a mindset not often associated with the leisurely lifestyle of his native Spain.

他對著鏡頭笑，像對老朋友一樣分享：“我現(xiàn)在覺得自己更適應(yīng)中國這邊的狀態(tài)吧，部分是因?yàn)槲沂菑?1歲的時(shí)候就跟著爸媽到廣州了?！?/p>

“父母欣賞中國人的尊師重道”

德高的故事，始于一對西班牙夫婦決定遠(yuǎn)渡重洋。

2012年，這對夫婦帶著德高和他的弟弟，在完全不會中文、從來沒去過中國的情況下，從西班牙馬德里附近的一個小鎮(zhèn)搬到了正處于高速發(fā)展時(shí)期的中國廣州——那一年德高11歲。

“我爸媽的朋友和親戚都覺得他們瘋了。”德高回憶，“因?yàn)樗麄円稽c(diǎn)中文都不會，也從來沒去過中國，卻帶著全家去一個完全陌生的國家生活?！?br/>

初來乍到的德高對廣州的第一印象是“快節(jié)奏、大都市”，相較于他們之前居住在馬德里附近的小鎮(zhèn)，他覺得那個時(shí)期的廣州似乎更像他心目中現(xiàn)代化都市的模樣。

The story began in 2012, when Diego's parents made a decision their friends called crazy: they packed up their life in a small town near Madrid and moved to Guangzhou, China.

"They didn't speak a single word of Chinese," Diego recalls. "Our relatives thought they were out of their minds."

在看似大膽的決定背后，是德高父母的觀察。他的父母一直相信，中國的教育體系能為兩個孩子提供一個更合適的成長環(huán)境，父母更欣賞中國人居安思危、尊師重道、注重基礎(chǔ)學(xué)科培養(yǎng)的特質(zhì)。

“我爸一直說，人不能甘于平庸。”德高記得很清楚，“他從來沒要求我考多少分，只希望我在進(jìn)步，在學(xué)習(xí)?！?/p>

But his parents saw something others didn't. They admired the discipline of Chinese education, the respect for teachers, and the focus on foundations.

"My dad always said, 'Never settle for mediocrity,'" Diego remembers. "He didn't care about grades. He just wanted me to keep improving."

這個選擇起碼令長大后的德高本人滿意。如今，他與弟弟都在各自希冀的道路上成長，弟弟在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)大廠實(shí)習(xí)，父母時(shí)常在朋友圈分享德高和弟弟的生活碎片，這讓親戚朋友不再質(zhì)疑當(dāng)初移居中國的決定。

Looking back, Diego is satisfied with how things turned out. Today, he and his younger brother are pursuing their own paths — his brother interning at a major tech company — while their parents frequently share snapshots of their lives online, quieting any lingering doubts relatives once had about the family's move to China.

“很少有地方像中國一樣平等、友善”

有這樣的結(jié)果，并非輕而易舉。剛到廣州時(shí)，德高一句中文也不會，“自己拿著西班牙語詞典，說幾個詞，翻一下詞典，說幾個詞，翻一下詞典。”他雙手抬高，擺出哭泣的表情，“小時(shí)候因?yàn)檎Z言不通和同學(xué)有了誤會，我會急得哇哇大哭，因?yàn)楹芟胍磉_(dá)自己，但又說不了話?！?/p>

The journey was far from easy. Upon arriving in Guangzhou, Diego spoke no Chinese. As a child, he relied on a Spanish-Chinese dictionary, carefully sounding out words and flipping pages to communicate. Misunderstandings with classmates were common, and he often cried in frustration, eager to express himself but unable to find the words.

語言障礙并未阻擋友誼的自由生長。“朋友對我來說特別重要?！钡赂咛寡?，“我最好的幾個朋友都是中國人，其中一位是我在小學(xué)時(shí)認(rèn)識的，我們在廣州一起長大，如今已經(jīng)是認(rèn)識的第13年了。”

“每次回到廣州，就像回家一樣?！彼f，廣州不僅是他學(xué)習(xí)中文的地方，也是他最初認(rèn)識中國的起點(diǎn)。這種家的感覺，并不僅僅來自熟悉的街道和建筑，更來自人們的接納和包容?！拔胰ミ^很多國家，很少有地方能像中國這樣平等、善意。人們對差異充滿好奇，而不是排斥。”

Yet friendships flourished despite the barrier. Many of his closest friends are Chinese, including one he met in elementary school.

The city of Guangzhou became home not only because of its streets and buildings, but also because of the acceptance and curiosity of its people. "I've been to many countries, but few places are as equitable and kind as China. People are curious about differences rather than rejecting them," Diego said.

在漫長的求學(xué)過程中，德高逐漸融入了集體。他經(jīng)歷了和中國孩子一樣的學(xué)習(xí)壓力，也參加各種校園活動。在課堂上，大家把他當(dāng)成同學(xué)、朋友，而不是“外國人”。

He experienced the same academic pressures as Chinese students and took part in a variety of campus activities. His peers treated him as a classmate, not as a "foreigner".

“西方人對中國印象比較片面，因?yàn)闆]來過”

這些年，德高幾乎走過了中國的全部省份。從內(nèi)蒙古大草原，到大理洱海，再到川渝的熱辣火鍋，每一座城市都給他留下了獨(dú)特的印象。

自從來到中國，德高已經(jīng)有11年沒有回過西班牙了。他說，有時(shí)候和同齡的西班牙人交流，會感到有些隔閡，“甚至有時(shí)候會覺得自己不像西班牙人了。”與西班牙的親戚和朋友交流對中國的認(rèn)知時(shí)，也常常會出現(xiàn)一些理解上的沖突。

Over the past 11 years, Diego has traveled extensively across China, from the grasslands of Inner Mongolia to the waters of Dali. Each city and region left its mark, shaping his understanding of the country's diversity and complexity.

Meanwhile, time away from Spain has created a subtle distance from his European roots, with cultural gaps sometimes emerging even in conversations with Spanish relatives.

德高指出，西方人對中國的印象往往比較片面，這種現(xiàn)象在西班牙也很常見?！昂芏嗳丝吹降闹袊?，只是在媒體或者新聞里看到的一些片段，他們沒有去過中國，也不了解真正的生活面貌。沒有親身經(jīng)歷，很難理解中國的多樣性和復(fù)雜性。”

Diego has come to recognize a broader reality: Western perceptions of China are often fragmented, filtered through media snippets rather than lived experiences. True understanding, he notes, comes from immersion and engagement.

無論身處何地，人們總能找到讓自己有歸屬感的地方。當(dāng)選擇在一個地方生活，這份歸屬感并不完全依賴于所謂的“生活穩(wěn)定”，而是一種適配當(dāng)下狀態(tài)的選擇。

“現(xiàn)階段我想更多地成長，所以會選擇在北京，未來有一天，也許我會回廣州，或者去杭州——都說不準(zhǔn)?！?/p>

在中國的許多城市，德高都能體會到“安心”的感覺?！叭绻x一個我希望能一輩子生活的地方”，德高頓了頓后說，“我覺得我會選擇廣東?！?/p>

For now, Diego has chosen Beijing to continue his growth, while remaining open to future moves — to Guangzhou, Hangzhou, or elsewhere. Across the cities he has called home, Guangdong stands out as a place that offers both comfort and a sense of enduring belonging.

記者：李涵萌

編輯：左卓

實(shí)習(xí)生：孫藝菡

跟著China Daily

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