Name : Karla M. Gurley

姓名：Karla M. Gurley

Country of Origin : USA

国籍：美国

Occupation : Kindergarten English Teacher

职业：幼儿园英语老师

Years in China : 4 years

在华居住时间：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!

说实话，每个小女孩长大之后都想做公主吧！大家都这样，我也不例外。作为一个在德克萨斯州长大的小孩，我总是想方设法地穿上漂亮精致的裙子，戴上配套的王冠。长大之后，我也经常和家人朋友去迪士尼旅游。所以，当2017年我成功选上迪士尼英语的老师时，我高兴极了！

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.

迪士尼英语是华特·迪士尼公司的子公司，该公司旨在利用沉浸式教育项目在中国各地教授儿童英语。我是在寻找海外教学机会时了解到这家公司的。当我入选之后，本德州女孩就开始收拾行囊，奔赴世界另一端，去开始一场公主的冒险。我会扮成蒂安娜公主，这是第一个与我相似的迪士尼公主。这一切都给我带来了太多的快乐，我也经常同上海的孩子们分享这种快乐。每一天都过得太不真实了！

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!

我在迪士尼英语工作了一年，是一段非常愉快的工作经历。我在那里给上海的小朋友讲述迪士尼的传奇魅力故事。这一切就像童年的美梦成真！

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.

在迪士尼英语工作了一段时间后，我转到了一所传统学校，在那里我可以更好地利用我的教育培训经验和专业知识。我拥有教育学硕士学位，并且在美国任教多年。

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，距离我第一次收拾行李搬到中国的一年多一点，我成为了一名双语幼儿园老师。有人曾说:“怀一颗温暖之心,开启学生智慧,引领学生成长”，我很荣幸能在上海教书育人，它给了我太多美好的经历和机会！

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.

我从未想过我会如此喜欢教小朋友，但事实就是如此。我原本打算 2019 年离开中国，但这些孩子俘获了我的心。引用我一直以来最喜欢的迪士尼电影《POLLY》中的一句话，当我走进校园大门时，“我被至上快乐淹没了”，那就是教我的幼儿园学生。

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).

正如你所见，我喜欢教书。不过与此同时，我也非常热爱生活。在中国，总是有各种机会去做不同的事情：参加烹饪课、逛街头集市，体验文化盛事，品尝来自世界各地的餐馆，在公园做瑜伽，参加黑人展会和各种文化庆典，去读书俱乐部，参加慈善活动或者志愿活动。还在得克萨斯州和加利福利亚洲（两个我在美国待最长时间的地方）时我都不敢想能有机会去做这些事情。

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.

简单来说，在上海的生活是一段美妙的体验。其中最棒的环节就是交到了许多相伴一生的好朋友。如果不是住在上海，我不会遇见这么多善良友爱的人。比方说解封之后，我在静安区参加了一场街区聚会。在那里，我注意到了一群人正在交谈，其中一位在比划手势（你没有看错，是比划，而不是像我经常被人纠正的唱歌）。这极大地吸引了我的兴趣，因为过去在美国，我也是我们教堂的一名美国手语译员，所以我上前向他们做了自我介绍。

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，我报名了一家中文手语工作室，并且开始学习中文手语。你们可能会好奇，不同国家的手语也不同吗？事实上有些单词还是相似的。我很高兴能够学习中文手语。因为在美国的时候，手语对我来说就十分重要，而现在在中国也是如此。

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，登上安徽黄山也是我非常难忘的经历之一。去年夏天我和几个朋友一起游黄山。我预估可能要花四个小时，不过最后花了整整六小时。黄山景色非常优美，不过爬山的环节充满挑战。我必须要感谢我的同伴们，也很庆幸自己最后做到了。登上山顶所看到的一切，让所有的疲惫都烟消云散了。

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.

我在中国的生活就像《阿甘正传》中那句名言一样：“人生就像一盒巧克力，你永远不知道你将会遇到什么。”每一天都是新的冒险，一场于公主而言的冒险。

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.

接下来聊聊我的家乡——德州达拉斯。你一定喜欢欢乐时光(酒吧的减价时段)和成人饮品（含酒精饮料），对吧？事实上冰玛格丽特饮酒机就是于 1971 年在德州达拉斯问世的。欢迎来我的家乡。

作者：Karla M. Gurley 翻译：余欣阳

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