谨以此文致敬所有帮助过我们、所有仍在中国和意大利努力抗击病毒的医护人员，致敬两国间的友谊和相互支持。Dates might not be that important, in other times.
但是对我家来说，今天是个特别的日子，因为我们邀请了朋友共进午餐。
But today, today was a special day at home, as we invited our friends to have lunch.
这些朋友当中有的一直待在北京，还有些和我们一样：2月回到了意大利，于3月初返回北京并刚刚度过了隔离期。我们在北京一起度过了春节假期，然后因为中国的学校停课，并且需要参加几个商务会议，所以返回了意大利。为了在远离病毒的同时还能和家人在一起，一路上我们都戴着口罩和手套，尽管当时意大利乃至欧洲的情况还没有那么显而易见。
Some of them stayed in Beijing for the whole time, some of us went back to Italy in February, and like us just completed the quarantine after coming back at the beginning of March. Some of us were together on holidays for the Chinese New Year, and we went back because the schools were closed in China, and for some business meetings. We travelled with masks and gloves through different places, to stay away from the virus and to get close to our families. But the situation was not that clear in Europe and in Italy.
△ 3月17日，“封城”后的意大利米兰大教堂广场只有寥寥数人，绝大部分居民已选择在家隔离。（图片来源：NY Times）
我的家乡非常靠近意大利的第一个重灾区，现在那里正病毒肆虐。我们很幸运，因为我们借鉴了“中国经验”，避免参与一切高风险的活动。我们在意大利的中国朋友率先做出了减少外出的决定。我和亲友一起在家乡度过了几个美好的夜晚，我们在家玩纸牌、享用意大利葡萄美酒。
My home town is very close to the first red zone in Italy and is now badly hit by the virus. We were lucky, but we used our “Chinese experience” to avoid the most “dangerous” activities. Our Chinese friends in Italy were the first who decided to limit going out. We had some nice nights together in my hometown, playing cards and enjoying Italian wine at home!
我在中国生活了很多年，我很清楚中国政府为了抗击疫情付出了多少努力、投入了多少资源。今天，我和意大利的姑姑通话时，建议他们无论在什么时候都应该待在家里，就像很多身在中国的人们至今仍在坚持的那样。居家隔离并非易事，尤其困难的是没法做一些平日里经常会做的事，也不能和家人朋友见面。
I have been in China for long time, and I think I know the capabilities and the resources that the Chinese government has put in place for fighting the virus. I spoke today to my aunt in Italy and recommended that they should stay home at all times, like everybody is still now doing in China. Quarantine is hard, especially when you are restrained from doing the usual things you do during your day, and you cannot meet your family and friends.
我的国家正在经历一个异常艰难的时刻，确诊人数疯狂上升。我知道那代表的不仅仅是数字，而是一条条鲜活的生命，一个个病人和医护人员。在意大利，“封城”一词听起来很吓人，人们尝试了一切可能的手段来抵制它，所以才造成了如今的局面。我在意大利的公司在疫情刚发生时就迅速做出了反应，现在员工们都在家办公。然而我们并不知道疫情还将持续多久，也不知道这对经济会造成怎样的打击。
My country is facing a very difficult time, numbers are going up like crazy, and I know those are not just numbers, they are people. Patients and medical personnel. “Lockdown” in Italy is the most horrible word, and we have tried to resist to it with all possible means, but this is it, right now. My firm in Italy reacted very swiftly to the first signals and we are now all working from home. We do not know how long this will last, and what the consequences of this will be from an economic point of view.
△ 2020年3月14日，意大利斯帕兰扎尼医院的医疗主管弗朗西斯科·瓦尔亚（Francesco Vaia，右侧身着白大褂）与抵达罗马的中国红十字会医学专家相互交流、分享抗疫经验。（图片来源：EPA）
意大利曾在湖北抗击疫情时伸出了援手，就像中国人现在对意大利人也施以帮助一样。社交媒体上偶尔出现的种族主义行为和排外情绪，我以前没看过，现在也不会去关注，我只是从亲身经历中感受到，意大利和中国是亲密的朋友。
Italian people have been close to Hubei people, just like Chinese people are now close to us. I did not look before and I do not look now at those few, small episodes of racism and xenophobia going around on social media, I just know from experience that we are close.
没有哪国政府、哪个公共卫生系统可以提前为这样突然而至的疫情做了充足的准备。人非圣贤孰能无过，但重要的是我们有朋友可以相互依靠，这是双向的，无论是对意大利还是中国。
No government and no health system can be prepared for something like this. And people make mistakes, everybody does. What is important is that we can count on friends, on both sides, Italy and China.
2002至2003年非典期间我就在北京，但面对现在的疫情，我仍然毫无准备。今年2月我回到意大利，意大利人也没有为此做好准备。就像1月时我在北京还会毫无畏惧地出行一样，2月份我们在意大利也是如此，因为那时我们相信病毒已经被遏制。但这就是全球化的另一面，病毒今天在这里出现，明天可能就会蔓延到别处，形势刻不容缓。
I was in Beijing during SARS in 2002/2003 and I was not ready for this. During my stay in February in Italy, we were not prepared for this. Like I went around in Beijing in January without fear, we did the same in Italy in February, trusting that containment was successful. But this is the flip side of globalization. Today here, means tomorrow there, in no time.
△ 在意大利罗马附近奥斯蒂亚的一栋居民楼的窗外悬挂着一个横幅，上面写着“一切都会好起来”（图片来源：EPA）
眼下，我家的狗狗倒是挺开心：因为大多数时候我们都待在家。但是我有几个在意大利的亲人已经确诊，我还非常关注加利福尼亚的情况，因为我的父亲和兄弟都在那里。
The happiest is our dog now: we are most of the times at home. However，my family had a few cases in Italy, and now we are looking at California, as my father and my brother are there.
来自各地的口罩和手套正被运往世界上各个需要帮助的地方，这也是全球化带来的好处——我们可以依靠来自四面八方的朋友。
Masks and gloves, coming from different places, are exchanged, through the world, where help is needed. This is the good side of globalization: you can count on friends from different places.
最重要的是，我们可以依靠国际合作，友邦之间交流经验，就像意大利和中国数百年来一贯坚持的那样。
And mostly, you can count on international cooperation: among friends, exchanging experiences, as Italy and China have been doing already for centuries.
谨以此文致敬所有帮助过我们、所有仍在中国和意大利努力抗击病毒的医护人员，致敬两国间的友谊和相互支持。
This is dedicated to all the doctors in China and in Italy who fought for us and are still fighting against the virus – and for international friendship and support.作者 / 萨拉·马尔凯塔（Sara Marchetta）
翻译 / 高婧
译审 / 王寓帆
“疫情太可怕了，谁来帮帮我们？” “别怕，我们在一起”
