Switzerland, a small nation with only seven million people, is right in the middle of Europe, surrounded by the industrialised countries of Germany, France, Italy and Austria. How does this small country maintain its independence？ How does Switzerland, with one of the highest incomes per capita in the world, earn respect from the international community？ What are the factors contributing to its success？
During my recent three-week stay in Switzerland, I visited the German-, French- and Italian-speaking districts of the country. There, I came into constant contact with the Swiss people and I spoke with them. I arrived at several conclusions.
First of all, the fine qualities of the Swiss people are evident. A typical Swiss is hardworking, frugal and neat. Swiss society is stable and orderly, the people are law-abiding and self-disciplined. Let us take an ordinary, everyday example. Switzerland is famed for its physical beauty, its mounains and lakes, its crisp, clean air. In the spirit of environmentalism, the people exercise self-discipline to maintain and care for their pristine surroundings. I had stayed in a relative's apartment near Lake Constance. It was a small town, but all the residents were mindful of protecting the envionrment and the streets were all neat and clean. Lake Constance used to be polluted but it had been cleaned up in recent years. All the households had to pay a fee for the maintenance of the lake, but no one complained. They even sought to keep the environs clean and the drains unpolluted.
Besides keeping their tastefully furnished homes spick-and-span, ordinary Swiss housewives also maintain cleanliness outside their own homes as well. Nobody litters, whether in the mountains, the lakes or the cities and towns. The housewives separate their garbage into wet refuse, dry refuse, bottles and cans and so on. They put them into separate plastic bags and dispose of them in the large garbage bin at the bottom of the apartment blocks. Once, in a mountain area, I was throwing a plastic bag of rubbish into one such garbage bin. I opened the bin and found many plastic bags of rubbish inside, but there was no odour at all！ The garbage truck comes only twice a week, why are the garbage bins still so clean？ This shows that every Swiss takes his or her own initiative to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of the environment.
Most Swiss housewives have green thumbs and like to arrange their colourful potted plants and flowers on their windowsills. Wherever we went, we could see all the windows dotted with splendid colours, each a pretty little vignette of serenity. It can be seen that the Swiss take it upon themselves to beautify their country and keep it clean, and in the process, earning praise from the world over.
The Swiss standard of cleanliness and hygiene is not only evident in the streets and houses, it is also found in the public toilets. The toilets which we had used, whether in cafes or the public toilets by the road, were all extraordinarily clean and free from odours. What a stark contrast to Singapore. Our toilets in our homes may be clean, but we all know what our coffeeshop and public toilets are like, don't we？
The Swiss standard of living is high. As such, groceries and clothes are rather expensive. Ordinary Swiss dress and live simply. Their most lovable traits are their honesty and reliability. Shop assistants are friendly, courteous and helpful. In the supermarkets, souvenir shops or small shops I went to, the shop assistants were always smiling and patient with their customers. As I had problems differentiating between the various Swiss currency notes and coins, I always opened my purse when I was paying and let the cashier take out whatever sum that was to be paid. My Swiss relative told me that the Swiss shop assistants were very honest and would not take advantage of their customers.
Tourism is a booming trade in Switzerland and it is a favourite destination for tourists all over the world. Their success is not only due to the natural beauty of its scenery, but also due to the excellent service offered by its people. Tourism is important to the Swiss because it contributes to the wealth of the nation. At the moment, Singapore is facing an economic downturn and tourist arrivals have been falling. The Singapore Tourism Board is trying very hard to woo tourists to Singapore. I feel that much improvements can be made with regards to the attitudes of the people in our service sector. Too often, our shop assistants do not smile, are not courteous and have no patience. They could very well take a leaf from their genteel, polite, honest and reliable Swiss counterparts.
The fine attributes of the Swiss are the prerequisites for any civilised society. As Singapore strives towards a better 21st century, not only must our economic development catch up with the developed nations, we must also not overlook the graciousness and other finer qualities, as epitomised by the Swiss, which are basic tenets of a more civilised society.
瑞士——新加坡的好榜樣
瑞士人口只有700萬,是位于歐洲中部的一個小國,環(huán)繞著它的是德、法、意、奧工業(yè)國。為什么一個小國,竟能獨立而成為世界上受尊重而人均收入之一的國家？它的成功要素有哪些？
我最近在瑞士逗留了三個星期,周游了瑞士境內的講德、法、意語的好多個地區(qū),也與瑞士人接觸及交談,得到的結論有幾個。
首先,我認為瑞士人表現出他們的國民素質優(yōu)秀。從普通人民的生活看來,瑞士人勤儉清潔,社會安定而有紀律,人民奉公守法,富有自律精神。且從小的日常例子說起吧：瑞士全國以風景優(yōu)美,到處山湖交錯、空氣清新,人民都能自我克制,愛護環(huán)境,實現環(huán)保精神。
我住在康士頓斯湖附近的親戚家里,雖是個小鎮(zhèn),但是人人都注意環(huán)保,大街小巷都整潔非常。康湖過去是受過污染的,但近年來經過清理后,家家戶戶須多付些保管費,人們不但無怨言,還能保持環(huán)境清潔,而不污染水道。
普通家庭主婦,除了把家里打理整潔,布置優(yōu)雅外,還保持屋外環(huán)境的清潔。不論在山區(qū)、湖區(qū)或城市內,人們不隨便倒垃圾。她們把垃圾分類,濕的,乾的,空瓶罐等分放在塑膠袋里,然后放入屋底層的大垃圾桶內。
在山區(qū),我曾把垃圾袋拿去放入大垃圾桶內,打開桶蓋一看,里面滿裝垃圾袋,但氣味全無。垃圾車每周只來收集兩次,垃圾桶怎能保持如此乾凈？可見公寓內家家戶戶都能主動保持清潔衛(wèi)生,不亂丟垃圾。
其次,一般主婦都喜愛栽種花卉,并把五顏六色的盆花排列在窗外,以美化環(huán)境,所以,我們無論去到哪里,都看到五彩繽紛的花朵擺設在設計優(yōu)美的窗戶外,構成一幅幅美麗、幽靜的景致,可見瑞士人能自動自覺地保護環(huán)境,使整個國家整潔美觀,獲得全世界的贊許。
瑞士人的整潔和衛(wèi)生,不只表現在街道與屋宇上,在公共廁所內的清潔程度,尤其令人佩服。無論在小餐室或路旁公廁,我們使用過的都是清潔異常,無絲毫臭味。這可與新加坡的情況成一強烈對照：我們的住家?guī)?可能保持得干凈,然而,在普通餐館與公廁內的缺德情形,不必我多說,大家都心知肚明了。
瑞士的生活費高,日用品和衣物都昂貴。普通人家都衣著樸素、生活簡單。他們的可愛處是誠實可靠。普通店員態(tài)度友善有禮、樂于助人。我到任何超級市場、紀念品商店或小店鋪里購物時,服務員都是滿臉笑容,耐心為顧客效勞。我付款時,因為難分辨錢幣,老是把錢包打開,任由店員自取。我的瑞士籍親戚說,這些服務員都很老實,不會亂敲竹杠的。
瑞士的旅游業(yè)旺盛,全世界的旅客都樂于把瑞士作為旅游的目的地。他們旅游業(yè)的成功,不單只靠天然景色絕美,還須靠優(yōu)良的人民服務精神,旅游業(yè)也是增進他們財富的一個主要行業(yè)。我國正處在經濟蕭條的當兒,游客人數也減少,旅游局正在設法吸引更多的游客前來。我想,我們各行業(yè)服務員的態(tài)度,還須改善的地方多得很,如缺乏笑容、禮貌、有問無答等等,他們大可向瑞士人的溫文有禮,誠實可靠的表現學習學習呢！
另外一點是,瑞士人民素質的優(yōu)秀表現,也是文明社會該有的基本條件。我國現在有邁向21世紀的美好理想,除了經濟建設要跟得上先進國家外,文明社會該顯現的文化素養(yǎng),如瑞士人身上所表露出來的,我們也絕不能忽視??！
During my recent three-week stay in Switzerland, I visited the German-, French- and Italian-speaking districts of the country. There, I came into constant contact with the Swiss people and I spoke with them. I arrived at several conclusions.
First of all, the fine qualities of the Swiss people are evident. A typical Swiss is hardworking, frugal and neat. Swiss society is stable and orderly, the people are law-abiding and self-disciplined. Let us take an ordinary, everyday example. Switzerland is famed for its physical beauty, its mounains and lakes, its crisp, clean air. In the spirit of environmentalism, the people exercise self-discipline to maintain and care for their pristine surroundings. I had stayed in a relative's apartment near Lake Constance. It was a small town, but all the residents were mindful of protecting the envionrment and the streets were all neat and clean. Lake Constance used to be polluted but it had been cleaned up in recent years. All the households had to pay a fee for the maintenance of the lake, but no one complained. They even sought to keep the environs clean and the drains unpolluted.
Besides keeping their tastefully furnished homes spick-and-span, ordinary Swiss housewives also maintain cleanliness outside their own homes as well. Nobody litters, whether in the mountains, the lakes or the cities and towns. The housewives separate their garbage into wet refuse, dry refuse, bottles and cans and so on. They put them into separate plastic bags and dispose of them in the large garbage bin at the bottom of the apartment blocks. Once, in a mountain area, I was throwing a plastic bag of rubbish into one such garbage bin. I opened the bin and found many plastic bags of rubbish inside, but there was no odour at all！ The garbage truck comes only twice a week, why are the garbage bins still so clean？ This shows that every Swiss takes his or her own initiative to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of the environment.
Most Swiss housewives have green thumbs and like to arrange their colourful potted plants and flowers on their windowsills. Wherever we went, we could see all the windows dotted with splendid colours, each a pretty little vignette of serenity. It can be seen that the Swiss take it upon themselves to beautify their country and keep it clean, and in the process, earning praise from the world over.
The Swiss standard of cleanliness and hygiene is not only evident in the streets and houses, it is also found in the public toilets. The toilets which we had used, whether in cafes or the public toilets by the road, were all extraordinarily clean and free from odours. What a stark contrast to Singapore. Our toilets in our homes may be clean, but we all know what our coffeeshop and public toilets are like, don't we？
The Swiss standard of living is high. As such, groceries and clothes are rather expensive. Ordinary Swiss dress and live simply. Their most lovable traits are their honesty and reliability. Shop assistants are friendly, courteous and helpful. In the supermarkets, souvenir shops or small shops I went to, the shop assistants were always smiling and patient with their customers. As I had problems differentiating between the various Swiss currency notes and coins, I always opened my purse when I was paying and let the cashier take out whatever sum that was to be paid. My Swiss relative told me that the Swiss shop assistants were very honest and would not take advantage of their customers.
Tourism is a booming trade in Switzerland and it is a favourite destination for tourists all over the world. Their success is not only due to the natural beauty of its scenery, but also due to the excellent service offered by its people. Tourism is important to the Swiss because it contributes to the wealth of the nation. At the moment, Singapore is facing an economic downturn and tourist arrivals have been falling. The Singapore Tourism Board is trying very hard to woo tourists to Singapore. I feel that much improvements can be made with regards to the attitudes of the people in our service sector. Too often, our shop assistants do not smile, are not courteous and have no patience. They could very well take a leaf from their genteel, polite, honest and reliable Swiss counterparts.
The fine attributes of the Swiss are the prerequisites for any civilised society. As Singapore strives towards a better 21st century, not only must our economic development catch up with the developed nations, we must also not overlook the graciousness and other finer qualities, as epitomised by the Swiss, which are basic tenets of a more civilised society.
瑞士——新加坡的好榜樣
瑞士人口只有700萬,是位于歐洲中部的一個小國,環(huán)繞著它的是德、法、意、奧工業(yè)國。為什么一個小國,竟能獨立而成為世界上受尊重而人均收入之一的國家？它的成功要素有哪些？
我最近在瑞士逗留了三個星期,周游了瑞士境內的講德、法、意語的好多個地區(qū),也與瑞士人接觸及交談,得到的結論有幾個。
首先,我認為瑞士人表現出他們的國民素質優(yōu)秀。從普通人民的生活看來,瑞士人勤儉清潔,社會安定而有紀律,人民奉公守法,富有自律精神。且從小的日常例子說起吧：瑞士全國以風景優(yōu)美,到處山湖交錯、空氣清新,人民都能自我克制,愛護環(huán)境,實現環(huán)保精神。
我住在康士頓斯湖附近的親戚家里,雖是個小鎮(zhèn),但是人人都注意環(huán)保,大街小巷都整潔非常。康湖過去是受過污染的,但近年來經過清理后,家家戶戶須多付些保管費,人們不但無怨言,還能保持環(huán)境清潔,而不污染水道。
普通家庭主婦,除了把家里打理整潔,布置優(yōu)雅外,還保持屋外環(huán)境的清潔。不論在山區(qū)、湖區(qū)或城市內,人們不隨便倒垃圾。她們把垃圾分類,濕的,乾的,空瓶罐等分放在塑膠袋里,然后放入屋底層的大垃圾桶內。
在山區(qū),我曾把垃圾袋拿去放入大垃圾桶內,打開桶蓋一看,里面滿裝垃圾袋,但氣味全無。垃圾車每周只來收集兩次,垃圾桶怎能保持如此乾凈？可見公寓內家家戶戶都能主動保持清潔衛(wèi)生,不亂丟垃圾。
其次,一般主婦都喜愛栽種花卉,并把五顏六色的盆花排列在窗外,以美化環(huán)境,所以,我們無論去到哪里,都看到五彩繽紛的花朵擺設在設計優(yōu)美的窗戶外,構成一幅幅美麗、幽靜的景致,可見瑞士人能自動自覺地保護環(huán)境,使整個國家整潔美觀,獲得全世界的贊許。
瑞士人的整潔和衛(wèi)生,不只表現在街道與屋宇上,在公共廁所內的清潔程度,尤其令人佩服。無論在小餐室或路旁公廁,我們使用過的都是清潔異常,無絲毫臭味。這可與新加坡的情況成一強烈對照：我們的住家?guī)?可能保持得干凈,然而,在普通餐館與公廁內的缺德情形,不必我多說,大家都心知肚明了。
瑞士的生活費高,日用品和衣物都昂貴。普通人家都衣著樸素、生活簡單。他們的可愛處是誠實可靠。普通店員態(tài)度友善有禮、樂于助人。我到任何超級市場、紀念品商店或小店鋪里購物時,服務員都是滿臉笑容,耐心為顧客效勞。我付款時,因為難分辨錢幣,老是把錢包打開,任由店員自取。我的瑞士籍親戚說,這些服務員都很老實,不會亂敲竹杠的。
瑞士的旅游業(yè)旺盛,全世界的旅客都樂于把瑞士作為旅游的目的地。他們旅游業(yè)的成功,不單只靠天然景色絕美,還須靠優(yōu)良的人民服務精神,旅游業(yè)也是增進他們財富的一個主要行業(yè)。我國正處在經濟蕭條的當兒,游客人數也減少,旅游局正在設法吸引更多的游客前來。我想,我們各行業(yè)服務員的態(tài)度,還須改善的地方多得很,如缺乏笑容、禮貌、有問無答等等,他們大可向瑞士人的溫文有禮,誠實可靠的表現學習學習呢！
另外一點是,瑞士人民素質的優(yōu)秀表現,也是文明社會該有的基本條件。我國現在有邁向21世紀的美好理想,除了經濟建設要跟得上先進國家外,文明社會該顯現的文化素養(yǎng),如瑞士人身上所表露出來的,我們也絕不能忽視??！