German translator of the opera "Rabe's Diary": the brilliance of human nature turns into a beacon to illuminate the future of mankind

　　Editor's note: The Nanjing Massacre by Japanese invaders in 1937 is a dark page in human history.

84 years have passed. The truth of history will not be concealed by time. The belief and persistence of peace for mankind is like a kind of fire that travels through time and space, crossing regions and passing on from generation to generation.

No matter where they are in the world, no matter how old they are, they turn the belief in passing the fire of peace into action, and turn their hope of maintaining peace into a watch. They are peace watchers who travel through time and space.

　　Chinanews.com, Nanjing, December 12th, title:

　　Reporter Zhong Sheng

　　To this day, the German Roque still recalls the ending song of the opera "Rabe's Diary" from time to time.

"That song extols peace and happiness and tells us that the brilliance of humanity that knows no borders in the Nanjing Massacre will be turned into a light to illuminate the future of mankind."

　　In 2004, Rock, who was studying in the United States, was recommended by Zhang Chunru's book "Nanjing Massacre" by a Chinese teacher.

Rock did not expect at that time that he would be so closely related to the Nanjing Massacre one day and make it one of his research topics.

　　Soon after, Roque set foot on the land of Nanjing and became an international student at Nanjing University. During this period, he visited the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese Invaders. He was shocked by the bone-laden mass graves.

But what puzzled Rock was, "When I visited, I always felt a kind of'numbness' in my heart. Just like when I visited a concentration camp where Jews were massacred in Germany."

　　Now, when Rock looks back on this experience, he has understood the origin of this emotion: "In Germany, many older generations who have experienced war and suffering, including my grandparents, are reluctant to mention past events. There is a gap in the inheritance of historical memory between generations. Our younger generation knows what happened in the past, but cannot understand the trauma of the past war well. Only by realizing this trauma can we get closer to that. A piece of history."

　　The life of studying abroad in Nanjing passed by in a flash, but what he saw and felt in the memorial hall lingered in Roque's heart, making him want to learn more about the Nanjing Massacre.

While studying at Oxford University in the United Kingdom and traveling in Japan, Rock has never forgotten to take the time to interview students from China and Japan to learn about their views on each other’s countries, their understanding of the Nanjing Massacre, and to pass on the historical facts of the Nanjing Massacre overseas. .

The trauma of war represented by the Nanjing Massacre has become the direction of his dedicated research, and this period of history has become more and more clear in his mind.

　　In 2007, the Nanjing Massacre Victims Memorial Hall, which was closed and expanded, reopened to the public.

On December 13th of this year, Luo Ke, who came to Nanjing again, participated in the ceremony of offering flowers to the victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

"The moment I put down the flowers, a sorrow struck me." At this time, Rock is no longer a "stranger" in the Nanjing Massacre, and the "numbness" he once felt no longer exists.

　　While continuing to study and work in Nanjing, Roque became a researcher at the UNESCO Chair of Peace Studies at Nanjing University, studying the Nanjing Massacre while spreading the concept of peace.

　　In 2014, China established December 13 as the National Commemoration Day for the Nanjing Massacre Victims in the form of legislation, and the memorial of the Nanjing Massacre victims rose to the national level.

In this regard, Rock said that China's establishment of the National Memorial Day can make the trauma of the Nanjing Massacre known to more young people, pass on the memory, and enable the world to better understand the Nanjing Massacre.

Rabe and International Safety Zone Memorial Hall, Nanjing University.

(Information Photo) Photo by Yang Bo

　　In 2019, the large-scale original opera "Rabe's Diary" with the background of the Nanjing Massacre officially debuted and toured abroad.

In order to facilitate foreign audiences to understand the content of the opera, in April of that year, Nanjing University was commissioned to translate the opera "Rabe's Diary" into the German version within one month, and Roque became one of the translators.

　　Due to time constraints, during the translation, Rock and other translators stayed in the office and only had 5 hours of sleep a day.

He said: "I am proud of what Rabe did, not because he and I are both Germans, but because he did what a person should do in Nanjing, which is like a hell on earth, and showed the glory of humanity. This great spirit transcends nationality, race, time and space, and it is also what our Peace Studies Chair is committed to seeding and spreading."

　　As soon as the translation work was over, Rock went to Germany to attend the meeting.

During the conference, he shared his experience and thoughts about translating the opera "Rabe's Diary" with the participants.

"Some people went to watch it immediately after listening to my introduction. They said that the opera left a deep impression on them, and the German media also made special reports. I think this is a good time to spread Nanjing University to the world. I am also honored to be involved in the attempt to massacre historical facts."

　　This year marks the 84th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre.

Regarding the tragedy 84 years ago, the Chinese people still have fresh memories, and they are working hard to pass on the spirit of inheriting historical memory and safeguarding world peace to the next generation and spread to the world.

Many peace-loving people from overseas, including Rock, also participated in spreading the Chinese people’s wish for peace.

On December 4th, the UNESCO Chair of Peace Studies at Nanjing University where Rooke is located participated in the 2021 China-Japan Peace Studies Online Exchange Conference.

Peace scholars and young students from China and Japan started discussions on the "Relay of East Asian Peace Studies Dialogue", and together they will leave a mark of peace and promote peace.

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