我说华语,而且很有自信
I speak Mandarin and I'm very confident
陈企业By Tan Khee Giap
To Singapore banks keen on providing financial services in China, the phrase “the early bird catches the worm” has significant meaning. In the imminent second wave of China's economic development, foreign direct investment will no longer dominate as portfolio investment will swamp China to provide services for the Chinese middle-class in personal investment, fund management and financing for business start-ups.
China is gradually putting its financial house in order and the growing importance of the Chinese economy in the global economy is increasingly clear to all. But if Singaporeans fail to leverage on the advantages that it enjoys over others in tapping the Chinese market, they are likely to find themselves in an awkward position where they can see the hugh economic pie but are not able to get a share of it.
Singapore's private banking professionals are, of course, well-equipped to compete and make inroads into China. A key concern, however, is to catch up by nurturing banking experts who are proficient in the Chinese language.
I have seen in Hong Kong many top Chinese executives in international banks who are trained in Europe or the US. They are truly conversant with the international rules of the game and are familiar with their homeland as well. Financial institutions in Singapore can consider attracting such talent. But in the long run, we still need to cultivate our very own bilingual financial experts.
More importantly, there is a need to correct the prejudice against the Chinese language that exists in this industry.
Because of my Chinese-educated background and ability to speak Mandarin, I used to be “looked down on” by colleagues at the bank or fellow economists at the university. They regarded me as “old-fashioned” and behind the times. Even now, there are people who have mistaken views about the Chinese-educated.
Having been working and living in an environment dominated by the English language, my chinese-educated background is often “belittled” either consciously or subconsciously by colleagues or people in the same profession. Some call me a “Chinaman” in jest. We should feel a sense of urgency in changing the mentality and narrow view of these people who stand to lose eventually if they continue to be biased against the Chinese language.
Never mind the unnecessary pressure from my contemporaries. I've never felt ashamed of using my mother tongue to express my views in an English-speaking environment. This is because I have absolute confidence and I value Chinese culture. And it is precisely because I've been trying hard to find opportunities to speak Mandarin that today I'm able to express my thoughts in fluent Mandarin. One will lose one's command of any language, including the mother tongue, if one does not practise it over a long period of time.
People who have just begun learning Mandarin in the hope of benefiting from the booming Chinese economy but have never made any serious effort to understand the Chinese culture should, I think, not view the Chinese language just from a utilitarian viewpoint. Otherwise, they will not be able to face up to or withstand the impact arising from a rapidly-growing Chinese economy. They will also not be able to deal with the Chinese on an equal footing.
Efforts must be made to raise the status of the Chinese language here. Government leaders, civil servants and professionals should set an example to correct the long-standing prejudice. This will help change the tendency of some Singaporeans to reject the mother tongue and make them realise that the government's firm stand on the teaching of the mother tongue is absolutely correct and far-sighted.
At a seminar organised by the Singapore Stock Exchange in March this year, I made a casual remark that many Malay Singaporeans did not seem to speak good Malay nowadays. The audience reacted with surprise and incomprehension. But when I asked： “How many Chinese here can speak Mandarin fluently？” the participants fell silent.
I also find it inconceivable that many friends and relatives have been urging me to get more exposure on English-language TV channels. They feel that Chinese-language channels and newspapers are of a lower standard.
More than 10 years ago, my bank colleagues felt that going out carrying a paper bag printed with the Chinese name of a Chinatown shop was “rather embarrassing”. In fact, some Chinese here still cling on to the prejudice that “the Chinese language is always a class below the English language”. They can never get rid of the erroneous image of the embarrassment associated with the paper bag.
It is easy to deduce that they lack a good understanding of how hard it was for their ancestors to seek a livelihood in Singapore. They do not see the significance of the mother tongue and Chinese culture does not strike a chord with them. What is even more crucial is that they do not have enough confidence in Singapore's unique advantage of being at the crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures.
（The writer is Head, Central Banking Policies Research Unit and ASEAN Economies Monitoring Unit at the NTU. He is also a member of the Resource Panel, Chinese newspapers, SPH. Translated by Yap Gee Poh.）
英语 散文 文学
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