An Italian astronaut posted a group of photos taken from space and attached several lines from a famous ancient Chinese composition, demonstrating her outstanding Chinese language ability that amazed Chinese Internet users and language experts.
Samantha Cristoforetti posted the photos and the Chinese sentences on her Twitter account on Wednesday during her mission at the International Space Station. The images in the group of photos are likely to be the day and night views of China’s Bohai Bay and capital Beijing from space. Attached to the photos were several lines from the Preface to Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion(《兰亭集序》), an ancient Chinese calligraphy masterpiece by famous Chinese calligrapher Wang Xizhi (303-361).
Cristoforetti even gave an accurate translation of the line saying, “Looking up, I see the immensity of the cosmos; bowing my head, I look at the multitude of the world. The gaze flies, the heart expands, the joy of the senses can reach its peak, and indeed, this is true happiness.”
Cristoforetti was born in Milan, Italy in 1977 and became an official astronaut of the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2009. She was also the first Italian female astronaut in space. Cristoforetti can speak Italian, English, German, French, Russian and Chinese. She is also a member of a liaison(联络) group with China from the ESA, whose task is to maintain contact with Chinese peers to determine and implement cooperation plans among astronauts. Cristoforetti visited China in 2017 and participated in a maritime survival drill in the Yellow Sea together with Chinese astronauts, which was also the first time Chinese and foreign astronauts held joint training in China.
Cristoforetti’s post was praised by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Thursday. “The Italian astronaut certainly has my like,” Mao said. “Exploring the universe has been mankind’s dream since ancient times. Countries around the world can and need to work together to look after the planet we all call home and make the world a better place for all.”
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