英语新闻丨缘起北海公园偶遇：中国工程师26年后与普京重逢

Thirty-eight-year-old construction engineer Peng Pai sent a lighthearted message to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of an upcoming reunion, the plans for which were reported by Russia's TASS news agency. Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday night for a state visit.

38岁的建筑工程师彭湃在即将与俄罗斯总统普京重逢前夕，向他发出了一条轻松幽默的问候，俄罗斯塔斯社此前报道了两人见面的安排。普京于5月19日晚间抵京，开始对中国进行国事访问。

"Dear President Putin, you still look the same," Peng said in an interview with Russia Today. "But I have changed from a little boy into a middle-aged man with a bigger belly."

彭湃在接受“今日俄罗斯”电视台采访时说：“尊敬的普京总统，您还是老样子。而我已经从一个小男孩变成了一个肚子有些发福的中年男人。”

In the summer of 2000, Peng and his family visited the Chinese capital from Hunan province. On July 19, while sitting on the stone balustrades along the lake in Beihai Park, a "foreign uncle" approached him from the crowd, lifted him up, and kissed his forehead.

2000年夏天，彭湃和家人从湖南来到北京旅游。7月19日，他正坐在北海公园湖边的石栏杆上，一位“外国叔叔”从人群中走来，将他抱起，亲吻了他的额头。

It was Putin. During his first official visit to China as the Russian president, Putin made an unplanned trip to the park. After boating on the lake, he greeted the boy by the lakeside and took a picture with him.

那个人正是普京。当时，普京首次以俄罗斯总统身份对中国进行正式访问期间，临时决定前往北海公园。泛舟湖上之后，他在岸边向这个小男孩打招呼，并与他合影留念。

"It was a completely spontaneous moment," Peng recalled. "In my memory, he was just a kind, gentle uncle."

“那完全是瞬间发生的事，”彭湃回忆道。“在我的记忆里，他就是一个和蔼可亲的叔叔。”

At the age of 12, Peng didn't fully grasp the meaning of the encounter, but he never forgot it. "This special experience made me more curious about President Putin and his country," he said.

12岁的彭湃当时并未完全理解这次相遇的意义，但他从未忘记。“这段特殊的经历让我对普京总统和他的国家更加好奇，”他说。

That curiosity eventually took him across continents. After finishing high school, Peng decided to learn more about Russia by applying to one of its universities. From 2007 to 2013, he studied bridge and tunnel engineering at the Moscow Automobile and Road Construction State Technical University, earning bachelor's and master's degrees.

这份好奇心最终让他远渡重洋。高中毕业后，彭湃决定申请俄罗斯的大学，以便更深入地了解这个国家。2007年至2013年，他在莫斯科汽车公路国立技术大学学习桥梁与隧道工程，先后获得学士和硕士学位。

"During the seven years in Moscow, I gained a deeper understanding of Russia's vast territory, its rich history, and culture," Peng said.

“在莫斯科的七年里，我对俄罗斯广袤的国土、悠久的历史和丰富的文化有了更深的了解，”彭湃说。

The Russian teachers and fellow students he met along the way left a lasting impression. "They were very kind to international students," he recalled.

他所遇到的俄罗斯老师和同学都给他留下了深刻印象。“他们对外国留学生非常友善，”他回忆道。

After graduation, Peng returned home and joined Hunan Construction Investment Group, a State-owned enterprise based in Changsha, with projects in more than 60 countries. Although he has not returned to Russia, he continues to follow China-Russia bilateral relations with interest.

毕业后，彭湃回国进入总部位于长沙的国有企业湖南建设投资集团，该集团业务遍及60多个国家。尽管他未曾重返俄罗斯，但他始终饶有兴趣地关注着中俄双边关系。

"High-level exchanges between the two sides have been frequent in recent years," he said, "and interactions are active in many fields, including at the grassroots and online levels."

“近年来，双方高层往来频繁，基层及网络平台等各领域的互动也十分活跃，”他说。

As a bridge engineer, he hopes to see more infrastructure cooperation between the two countries. "Both sides have strengths that can complement each other for mutual benefit."

作为一名桥梁工程师，他希望看到两国在基础设施领域开展更多合作。“双方各有优势，可以实现优势互补、互利共赢。”

Now a father of two young children, Peng hopes to take his family to Moscow one day to walk through his old university campus and share with his children everything he knows about the country and its people.

如今，已是两个孩子父亲的彭湃，希望有朝一日带家人重返莫斯科，漫步母校校园，将自己对这个国家和人民的所知所感一一告诉孩子们。

lighthearted /ˌlaɪtˈhɑːtɪd/轻松幽默的，愉快的

vast territory /vɑːst ˈterɪtəri/广袤的领土

bilateral relations /baɪˈlætərəl rɪˈleɪʃənz/双边关系

grassroots /ˈɡrɑːsruːts/基层的，民间的

complement each other /ˈkɒmplɪment iːtʃ ˈʌðə/优势互补