[中英對照]尋找中國的勇氣-- 一位美國外教對中國的感想

尋找中國的勇氣- 一位美國外教對中國的感想 作者：DAVID 文章來源：基督教科學箴言報 Looking for courage in China By DAVID O』ROURKE ZENGCHENG, CHINA THE 50-MILE road from Zengcheng to Guangzhou is lined with small stone or brick buildings that serve as both business and living quarters. Garbage is strewn about, and from my American viewpoint aboard a bus, the scenes reinforce the idea that the occupants live in abject poverty. 從增城到廣州，50英里長的道路兩旁滿是石頭或磚瓦結構的低矮建築，商住彼此不分。我坐在車上，窗外垃圾滿地。用美國人的眼光來打量這一場景，無疑又加深我認為這些居民還生活在赤貧之中看法。 Recently, as the bus came to a jolting halt to pick up a rider from such a building, I was bewildered by the contrast. A stunningly beautiful young woman in clean, bright clothes stepped aboard. We made eye contact. I smiled. She smiled back. Such is China – the unexpected waits around every turn. 然而不久之後，隨著巴士陡然停止，一位攔車的乘客引起了我的注意。從路旁建築中走出來的這位年輕女士，容貌驚艷奪目，衣著光鮮，拾級款款而上，這樣的反差令我感到困惑不已。我們眼神相會，互致微笑。這就是中國——意外無處不在。 You cannot know what to expect, in part, because you will only hear the good from any Chinese national you ask. The ugly is ignored; the bad is tolerated. 你無法預料什麼將會發生，一部分是因為你無論詢問哪個中國人，聽到的只會是美好的一面，醜陋被漠視，而醜惡被容忍。 I had never been outside North America until September 2006. That』s when I began a 10-month teaching contract in China. It』s an extraordinary opportunity for me to learn, explore, and experience this once-forbidden land. I teach oral English at a small college in Guangdong Province. My assignment is to engage firstyear students in conversation. It』s not easy. 在2006年9月之前，我從未離開過北美。而如今，我卻要在中國開始履行一份為期10月的授課合同。這對我來說，真是個非同尋常的機會，可以讓我了解、探索以及體驗這片曾經的禁土。我在廣東省的一所小院校教口語，具體工作是通過會話與大一學生進行交流。但這並非易事。 Forbidden topics禁談的話題 At times, both hands are figuratively tied behind my back. Political discussion is forbidden, as well as topics related to religion, or any subject that could vaguely be seen as inconsistent with the customs and traditions of China. 我時常會覺得雙手被束縛在背後。因為討論政治是不允許的，同樣還包括宗教，或一切可以含糊的視為與中國傳統和習俗不一致的話題。 Customs I can learn, but which tradition? The new tradition of consumerism, which appears to be the driving force in daily life, or the ancient traditions of hospitality, respect for family, and polite reticence? 習俗我倒是可以去學習，但傳統是指什麼？是消費主義的新傳統嗎？這似乎是日常生活的推動力。還是指好客、家庭互敬以及儒雅含蓄的古老傳統？ On my two-hour bus ride back from Guangzhou, cash and credit cards were stolen from my bag in the overhead compartment. I was careless to place my bag there, and foolish to take a nap. I wondered how the thief could manage to carry out his crime without other passengers seeing. 在從廣州返回的2小時車程中，我放在行李架上的提包中的現金和信用卡就被盜了。把提包就放在行李架上，是我不小心；在車上打盹，也是我愚蠢。但我只想知道，小偷是如何避開眾人耳目而行竊得手的。 My Chinese colleagues were sure there were witnesses, but no one would report anything. The culture of silence is still dominant. Another Chinese colleague was robbed by knifepoint at a nearby gas station a week later, but she refused to report the crime. 我的中國同事認為，當時肯定有目擊者，但沒人會站出來告訴我任何事情。中國的沉默文化還是佔據統治地位。例如就在加油站附近，我另一位中國同事被持刀搶劫了，但她拒絕報警。 Tolerating corrupt local leaders, censored Internet access, lack of legal recourse, denial of religious practice, and free speech are some communist-rooted traditions that remain unchanged amid the capitalists』 revolution. Just how much can a polite and reticent people withstand? That is the test for modern China. 縱容腐敗的地方領導、網路管制、缺乏法律追索、否定宗教實踐以及言論自由，這仍然是共產主義根深蒂固的傳統，而這些都沒有在資本主義革命的狂潮中得到改變。現在的問題是，儒雅而沉默的中國人能對此容忍多少，這是對當代中國的一個考驗。 Although policy won』t let me voice my disapproval of some parts of Chinese life, I am allowed to answer questions about my life in the United States. Students have asked my opinion of President Bush and the Iraq war. I answer (in English) honestly, and I receive praise for my honesty. It is not only my right to object to my government』s objectionable actions, I explain, but it is my duty. This point seems lost on them. Maybe it is their youth, but I fear it is the political culture that has raised a generation unwilling to object to anything. 儘管政策不允許我對部分中國生活發表不滿，但還是允許我回答有關在美國生活的一些問題。我的學生曾問我對布希總統和伊拉克戰爭的看法。我如實的用英語作答，並且因我的誠懇而獲得了讚揚。我解釋道，這不僅是因為我的確反對政府這一令人反感的行動，也是因為這是我的職責。但他們對我第二個觀點似乎反應冷淡。也許是他們還年輕，我擔心這樣的政治氛圍會使他們都變得不願反對任何事情。 Never before have I believed more firmly that the right to protest, to argue and disagree, and to vote is where America』s true power resides. Take that away and you have China, minus 1 billion 「tolerant」 people. 在此之前，我從沒有向現在這樣堅信，抗議、爭論、爭執以及投票權是美國真實力量的所在。如果沒有了這些， 那美國也變成了中國，只是少了10億「寬宏大量」的人民。 My students like the Americans they have met, but seem to have a low opinion of America in general. They believe it is a nation besieged by crime where there is no respect for marriage, family, or the lives of non-Americans. 我的學生對見過面的美國人很友善，但一般對美國卻知之甚少。他們總認為美國是一個充斥著犯罪的國度，美國人視婚姻為兒戲，家庭觀念淡漠，而且對非美國人很不友好。 Most of their knowledge, however, has been gleaned from movies. If only Hollywood understood how its movies have influenced the opinions of so many, and not in a good way. But Hollywood did not ask to be the sole source of information about America for an entire nation. 當然，他們的很多認識來源於電影。看來要使他們改變認識，只要好萊塢明白他們的電影是如何深刻的影響著中國人的觀念，而且認識到這些電影並不是從一個很好的角度來展示美國即可。但好萊塢沒有被要求成為反映整個美國的唯一信息來源。 Change is coming...變革在即 Maybe change is just over the horizon. Information is power. Can China』s government continue to censor all that is available online? Probably not, but the desire to learn the truth must come before the truth is learned. That desire must be born of frustration, discontent, and yes, intolerance. 也許改變已經悄然而至。信息就是力量，中國政府能夠繼續管制所有網路資源嗎？也許不能吧，但是了解真相的渴望一定要先於真相的到來。而且這一渴望定能在沮喪、不滿中開花。對，沒錯，不能沉默了。 In the few frank conversations I have had with a Chinese teacher, he admitted that China has many problems: overpopulation, crime, pollution, lack of freedom, poverty. I asked why it seems problems are ignored. 「To preserve our sanity」 was the reply. 我曾與一個中國教師簡短而坦誠的交流，他也認為中國確實存在很多問題：如人口過多、犯罪、污染、缺乏自由以及貧窮等等。而當我問他為何這些問題似乎都被忽視時，他回答道「明哲保身」。 In my time here I question why I tolerate China – the crowded buses, packed streets, vendors who see every Westerner as their next target. Then I go to class and see my students. Not unlike their American counterparts, they want to have fun, fit in, find love, and someday secure a worthwhile job and a prosperous life for their families. My efforts may help them reach those goals, I tell myself. 我在中國的這段時間裡，我一直在問自己為什麼能夠容忍中國——擁擠的公車、逼仄的街道以及把每一個西方人都當成目標的小商販。而當我走向課堂面對學生，他們也都像美國學生，想得到的是娛樂、融入、尋找愛以及某天找到一份體面的工作和為家人謀取富裕生活。我的努力應該能幫他們達成這些目標，我暗暗告訴自己。 Most of my students are the only child in the family. Only children aren』t known for handling adversity especially well, and there will be much adversity for them to handle when they graduate. 我的學生中大多數是獨生子女。而獨生子女不懂得應對逆境，尤其是在順境中面對困難。而當他們畢業時，將會有很多麻煩事需要自己去處理。 Because China』s leaders fear chaos, they will continue to control and silence their citizens, even as China experiences profound change. But courage can』t be constrained forever. And everyday Chinese citizens will need extraordinary courage to speak out against injustices. It is in the world』s interest to watch and assist when that starts to happen. 由於中國領導人害怕出現動亂，他們還將持續控制其國民的思想，並讓他們保持沉默，儘管中國已經歷了深刻的變革。然而勇氣不可能永遠都受壓抑。而每一個中國人都需要非凡的勇氣去控訴一切不平。一旦開始了，全世界將會關注和推動事情的發展，因為這符合全世界的利益。 Thirty years ago, few could foresee China』s move to a free-market economy. What unexpected change is around the next turn? Beauty walked out from a garbage heap; maybe progress will emerge from the silence. 30年前，很少有誰能預測中國能加入自由市場經濟體。那麼下一個難以預料的改變是什麼呢？看著鳳凰能從雞窩裡飛出，也許進步將會在沉默中爆發。 David O』Rourke is a writer who teaches oral English at a college in Guangdong Province, China.
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