Prof. Peteris Pidegovics accepted an interview with the People’s Daily
当地时间2019年2月25日上午，人民日报记者谭武军来到拉脱维亚大学孔子学院办公室，对拉脱维亚大学孔子学院外方院长贝德高教授进行采访。
贝教授和中国的缘分始于一份报纸。“1949年10月，我的父亲拿着一份报纸告诉我：‘在世界地图上一个新的国家诞生了，这个国家叫中华人民共和国。’”那时起，贝教授便开始对中国的新闻越来越感兴趣。
20世纪60年代，贝教授在莫斯科大学东方学院开始真正系统地学习汉语。贝教授当时的汉语老师多是来自中国东北地区，因而贝教授现在也说着一口流利的北方话。大学毕业后，贝教授随夫人一同去往符拉迪沃斯托克的远东大学，并在其中文系任教。在此期间，贝教授还曾赴新加坡南洋大学进修一年。十年后，贝教授重回拉脱维亚，成为拉脱维亚大学第一位汉语教师，并培养出许多优秀的人才。
除此之外，贝德高教授还曾在拉脱维亚外交部任职，为中拉友谊作出了巨大贡献。1991年，贝教授受拉脱维亚外交部邀请，前往外交部工作并创建了“亚洲处”。1996年赴立陶宛，担任拉脱维亚驻立陶宛大使馆参赞。1998年赴中国，担任拉脱维亚驻中国临时代办，一人身兼数职，为拉脱维亚驻中国大使馆的设立做了很多工作。
2004年，贝教授再次回到拉脱维亚大学，继续从事汉语教育工作。2011年，在贝教授的努力下，拉脱维亚大学孔子学院成功建立。至今，贝教授仍坚持为汉学研究的推广和中拉友谊的建设贡献自己的力量。
此次采访中，贝教授所展现出的对中国的热情和对汉语的热爱令谭记者十分钦佩和感动。最后，谭武军记者在拉脱维亚大学孔子学院两位院长的带领下一同前往拉脱维亚大学食堂用餐，此次采访圆满结束。
On the morning of February 25, 2019, Reporter Tan Wujun of the People’s Daily came to the Office of the Confucius Institute at the University of Latvia to interview Prof. Peteris Pidegovics, Latvian-side Director of LUCI.
The fate between Prof. Peteris Pidegovics and China began from a newspaper. “In October 1949, my father holding a newspaper said: ‘A new country was born on the world map. This country is called the People’s Republic of China.'” At that time, Prof. Peteris Pidegovics began to be more and more interested on China.
In the 1960s, Prof. Peteris Pidegovics began to systematically learn Chinese at the Oriental Institute of Moscow University. Most Chinese teachers at the time were from Northeast China, so Prof. Peteris Pidegovics now speaks fluent Northern dialect. After graduating from college, Prof. Peteris Pidegovics went to the Far East University with his wife and taught in the Chinese department. During this period, Prof. Peteris Pidegovics also went to Nanyang University in Singapore for one year. Ten years later, Prof. Peteris Pidegovics returned to Latvia to become the first Chinese language teacher at the University of Latvia and cultivated many outstanding talents.
In addition, Prof. Peteris Pidegovics also served in Latvia’s Foreign Ministry and made great contributions to China – Latvia friendship. In 1991, Prof. Peteris Pidegovics was invited by Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and set up the ” Asia Office”. He went to Lithuania in 1996 and served as counsellor of Latvian embassy in Lithuania. He went to China in 1998 and served as Charge d’affaires of the Latvia’s Embassy in China, one person held several positions and did a lot of work for the establishment of Latvia’s Embassy in China. In 2004, Prof. Peteris Pidegovics returned to Latvia University to continue his Chinese teaching .In 2011, Due to the efforts of Prof. Peteris Pidegovics, the Confucius Institute at the University of Latvia was successfully established. So far, Prof. Peteris Pidegovics still insists on contributing his own strength to the promotion of Sinology and the construction of China – Latvia friendship.
In this interview, Reporter Tan was greatly impressed and moved by Prof. Peteris Pidegovics’s passion for China and his love for Chinese. Finally, Reporter Tan Wujun led by the two deans of Confucius Institute of Latvian University went to the dining hall of Latvian University for lunch. The interview ended successfully.
