Chapter 3 Chapter 2 Distress Signal

According to the statistics of UNESCO, there are more than 4,200 known languages ​​in the world. This multilingual phenomenon of human beings has long brought insurmountable troubles and obstacles to the communication of people of all ethnic groups.Language differences have always been a cultural obstacle that plagues mankind in seeking common progress, restricting the depth and breadth of civilization development to varying degrees. How can we bridge this gap and find a way for people all over the world to communicate together without obstacles?Since the 17th century, Bacon, Descartes and others have been trying to create a new language.In 1887, Polish ophthalmologist Dr. Zamenhof finally created a language with standard pronunciation, beautiful tones, concise grammar, and easy-to-remember words, which he named ESPERANTO.It means "hopeful", and in China, it is called Esperanto.However, this language is only used for scientific research and teaching in a small range. In real life, basically no one will use it in daily conversations.

Esperanto is a language that is only mastered by a few people, but I used to learn it for a while to pass the time when I was bored.Later, because I couldn't find anyone else to practice with me, I had to give up. So when I was on a tourist train in this small country in Southeast Asia, I suddenly heard two men, one old and one young, talking in fluent Esperanto, and my first reaction was of course inexplicable surprise. But I immediately recovered the calmness on my face while they didn't notice my surprise.After all, I am a boring person with excessive curiosity, I would like to see what the three strange passengers opposite me want to do.

When the old and the young spoke, the woman sitting in the middle didn't react strangely, it seemed that she didn't understand such a language.Two people speak an uncommon language, but the woman walking with them in the middle cannot understand it. What does this mean?I can't help but have doubts in my heart.There is only one answer, what the two of them said did not want the woman to know. There must be something weird about it! I began to pay attention to what the old and the young continued to say, but the bald old man looked at me suspiciously, opened his mouth, and spoke another language that I couldn't understand.He said something to the boy, and they started talking in that language.

I began to feel even more confused that these two people could speak another language, which I did not understand. Although I never dare to say that I am a language genius, I have more talents in language than ordinary people.For example, it took me three months to learn Tibetan, and it took me three weeks to learn a language that is almost extinct in the Pacific island countries. I also have a little understanding of dialects from all over the country.But now I can't understand a word they're saying. This is a language that uses both monosyllabic and polysyllabic words. The pitch fluctuates from high to low, fluttering up like whistling for a while, and falling down like holding your breath for a while.

I bet I've never heard such a language.I secretly felt ashamed of my ignorance, but I was soon relieved.Because I've got the answer, the language they speak is not any language that the world has ever had.In other words, the language they now speak is a new language, a language of their own creation. It's like a password. What kind of person uses passwords when speaking?With code language, there are only gangs besides spies.As far as I know, in old China, the Qing Gang brothers in Shanghai had their own group of code-like incisions. Except for the members of the gang, outsiders could not understand a word.The Pao family dormant in the southwest also often use incision conversations, and even use incision in daily life.

The two people who use the code language, one is an old man and the other is a child, of course they cannot be spies.No country will train such a young child to be a spy, because children are the most vulnerable to leaking secrets.The only explanation is that they are gang members. In my impression, in this southeast Asian country, no gang has the possibility to use Esperanto as a gang entry, let alone a self-created password language.Who are these two people?I can't help but secretly speculate about their origins. It's really a confusing question. Even though Su Muzhe is well-informed, I can't guess their origins at all.

Just as I was wandering, I suddenly heard a very small sound, "Da da da— da da da—", as if the soles of high heels touched the floor of the car. I opened my eyes suddenly and looked up.The voice came from the young woman sitting in the middle on the opposite seat.At this moment, she is tapping the heel of her high-heeled shoes on the floor lightly, and she can't help but glance at me, her eyes are full of longing. Her eyes seemed to speak. Could it be that she is interested in me?I have long heard that girls in this country are known for being unrestrained and bold, and I have never objected to having an affair during a trip, so my heart trembled for a while, and I couldn't help but start to pay attention to her actions.

Seeing that I was paying attention to her, this woman quickly lowered her eyelids slightly, and her eyes fell on her pair of high-heeled shoes. I also focused on her feet.I saw that the heel of her left foot touched the ground lightly three times, but there was no sound.Then I touched my right foot three times, and then touched my left foot three times.At this time, she raised her head and looked at me with a little anxiety. What is she trying to tell me?My brain was spinning fast. Three times to the left, three times to the right, and three times to the left? Is it the password again?My mind suddenly brightened.Is it the internationally accepted Morse code?The left foot represents 0, the right foot represents 1?Was it because she was afraid of making a sound and being discovered by those two mysterious traveling companions that she adopted such a method?

Three long, three short, and three long? SOS? !An international distress signal? ! I suddenly felt dizzy.What kind of people did I, Su Muzhe, meet on this foreign train today?First, there are two people, one old and one young, who can speak Esperanto and use their own password language.Now I meet a young woman who can use Morse code to call for help! Oh my god, is it time for the heavens to descend on the people again? I felt the tension on my back and spine, and a trace of cold sweat seeped out of my skin.