I suddenly thought about this today when I was just wandering in my room, boiling water for my bath.
今天，当我在房间里为了泡澡烧水而来回走动的时候，突然想到这个话题。
Then I began to talk to myself, like I am talking to my kids, in English and then Chinese. I thought what I talked was really enlightening even to myself, the speaker, so I decided to write the sentences that I still remember out, to see if you could also be enlightened by it.
然后我就像在对着我的孩子们说那样，先说英文再用中文翻译。我后来认为我说出的那些话很具有启发性，即使我就是说的那个人，那些都是我的思想，我也为之倾倒。所以，我决定将我还记得的那些句子写出来，分享给大家，看看你是否也能得到启发。
I don’t remember how it all started.
我不记得那一切是怎么开始的。
I just remember, when I was talking in English, my mind suddenly had an idea of“What foreign languages have brought me”, and I just followed the flow and talked and talked, then I got enlightened.
我只记得，当我开始说英语，我的脑子里突然蹦出了“外语带给我的”这个点子，然后我就只是跟随着这个感觉不停去说，然后就受到了启发。
I said that, (specifically about English), I suddenly realized that what English has brought me most is that I could express my feelings and heart more easily.
我说道（当时只想着英语），我突然意识到英语带给我最大的好处是我可以更容易随心地表达自己的想法和自己的心。
Why？
为什么这么说呢？
Because I could express love, thankfulness and whatever my heart feels to express more easily in English than in Chinese.
因为用英语的时候，能比用中文时更轻松地表达爱、感谢和任何我的心想表达出的东西。
English has become part of me. When I use English, I don’t think in Chinese, it is just a very natural part of me now.
英语已成为我的一部分。当我使用英语的时候，我从不会想到中文，英语就是我非常整体的一个部分。
English is also a more open language compares to Chinese.
英语和中文相比是一门更开放的语言。
You can see foreign actors and actress saying“I love you. Thank you.”all the time in dramas. But in Chinese? Maybe not.
你可以经常在电视剧中看到很多外国演员们用英文说“我爱你。谢谢你。”但是在中国呢？可能没那么多吧。
I always have the feeling that, saying“I love you.”is far more easily than saying the same thing in Chinese.
我总有种感觉，那就是用英文说“我爱你。”比用中文说要简单无数倍。
I think it is because of what Chinese culture has imprinted on us. A more traditional, inward culture that did not encourage expressing feelings and love in an outgoing way--saying it, but just keeps it inside and expresses by doing.
我认为这是因为中国的文化在我们身上打下了烙印。中国的文化更加传统和内敛，她并不鼓励人们露骨地表达自己的情感和爱，比如说出来。而是鼓励人们转向将其保留在内心里，并且通过行动来表达。
It is actually a very beautiful culture.
这其实是一种非常美的文化。
Think about it! Feel it!
想一想！感受一下！
We sometimes miss the ancient times, thinking Chinese people in the past treasure love and relations more than today.
我们有时会怀念古老的过去，认为古代的中国人比今天更加珍惜爱和关系。
And that is what the beautiful culture has imprinted in our blood, since we were born.
那就是古老的文化在我们的血液里留下的烙印，从我们出生那一刻开始就存在。
I kept saying it is beautiful, so why do we need foreign languages?
也许你已经注意到，我一直在强调这种文化是十分美好的，那没为什么我们又需要外语呢？
Most people would say that foreign languages are for communications.
很多人应该会说外语是为了交流。
Yes, I agree with that.
是的，我也同意这个观点。
In fact, I used to think of foreign languages as bridges that could bridge people with different backgrounds together. Beautiful right?
事实上，我一直认为外语就像桥梁一样，架在不同文化背景之间，连接着人们。多美，不是吗？
But today, I realized that it is more than that.
但今天，我意识到不仅仅是这样。
Foreign languages like English also have brought me peace.
像英语这样的外语，还带给了我平静。
Our heat is so limitless, it has lots of great great ideas and opens to all possibilities.
我们的心是那么的无限，她拥有着无数的好想法并且永远接纳任何可能性。
When we try to talk to our hearts, sometimes, our native language is not enough.
有时，当我们尝试去和我们的心对话的时候，我们的母语是不够的。
Native languages have many many limits, like the culture they represent and the limited number of words they have.
母语存在很多限制，例如她所代表的文化以及有限的词汇。
Sometimes, after I learned English, Japanese and French, I found when I couldn’t use Chinese to express some feelings well, I could use English or Japanese or French to express well. And when the right words came out of my mouth, no matter English or Japanese or French, I just got the feeling that“Yes, that’s it! That’s the word!” And I would feel sincere happiness and peacefulness.
有时，当我学会英语.日语和法语之后，我会发现当我无法用中文准确表达某种情感是，我可以用英语或日语或法语去很好地表达出来。并且当我用那个准确的词说出来的时候，无论我用的是英语.日语还是法语，我都会有一种“就是这个词！”的感觉。并在之后感到真实的快乐和平和。
It is a“びみょうな”（日语微妙）feeling.
这是一种非常微妙的情感，并且用日语说出“微妙”一次的发音，真的就会有“微妙”的感觉。
I think that is what foreign languages have brought me. They are the most precious gifts that have been gifted to me. If you have been enlightened.
我想这就是外语带给我的。她们是我被赐予的最珍贵的礼物。如果你有被启发到的话。
I wish you would find your gifts from foreign languages and enjoy them with an open heart.
我希望你能从外语中找到属于你的礼物，并且用一颗开放的心去享受她们。
Bless you all, who have read to this end.
祝福所有读到最后的你们。
I love you, thank you!
我爱你，谢谢你！
