Unit-6-A-French-Fourth课文翻译综合教程四

Unit6AFrenchFourthCharlesTrueheart1Alongaboutthistimeeveryyear,asIndependenceDayapproaches,IpullanoldAmericanflagoutofabottomdrawerwhereitisfoldedaway－foldedinasquare,Iadmit,nottheregulationtriangle.I’vehaditalongtimeandhavealwaysflownitoutsideonJuly4.HereinParisithangsfromafourth-floorbalconyvisiblefromthestreet.I’veneverseenanyonelookup,butinmymind’seyeanAmericantouristmaynoticeitandsmile,andaFrenchpasserbymayberemindedofthedateandtheoccasionthatpromptitsappearance.Ihopeso.2Formyexpatriatedfamily,too,theflagismeaningful,inpartbecausewedon’tdoanythingelsetocelebratetheFourth.Peopledon’thavebarbecuesinParisapartments,andmostotherAmericansIknowwhohavesettledheresuppresssuchoutwardsignsoftheirheritage－ortheygobackhomeforthesummertorefuel.3Ourchildrenthinktheflag-hangingisacoolthing,andIlikeitbecauseitgivesusafewmomentsoffamilyQ&Aaboutourcitizenship.MywifeandIhavebeenawayfromtheUnitedStatesfornineyears,andourchildrenareelevenandnine,soAmericanhistoryismostlysomethingtheyhavelearned－orhaven’tlearned－fromtheirparents.July4isoneofthetimeswhentheAmericaninmefeelsatwingeofuneaseaboutthegreatlacunaeinourchildren’sunderstandingofwhotheyareandispromptedtotrytofillthegaps.It’salsoatime,oneamongmany,whenmythoughtsturnmoregenerallytothecostsandbenefitsofraisingchildreninaforeignculture.4LouiseandHenryspeakFrenchfluently;theyaretaughtinFrenchatschool,andmostoftheirfriendsareFrench.Theymovefromlanguagetolanguage,seldommixingthemup,withouteffortorevenawareness.Thisisawonderfulthing,ofcourse.Andourphysicalseparationfromournativelandisnotmuchofanissue.MywifeandIaregratefuleverydayforallthatourchildrenarenotexposedto.Americanschoolshootingsareagoodobjectlessonforourchildreninthefolliesofthesocietyweholdatadistance.5Naturally,wealsowanttoremindthemofreasonstotakeprideinbeingAmericanandtotrytoconveytothemwhatthatmeans.Itisadifficultthingtodofromafar,andthedistanceseemsmorethanjustamatterofmiles.IsometimesthinkthatthestorieswetellthemmustseemlikeAesop’s(orLaFontaine’s)fables,mythswithnofixedplaceinspaceortime.Still,connectionscanbemade,lessonslearned.6Lastsummerwespentaweekwithmybrotherandhisfamily,wholiveinConcord,Massachusetts,andwetookthechildrentotheNorthBridgetogivethemaglimpseoftheAmericanRevolution.Wehappenedtorunacrossareenactmentoftheskirmishthatlaunchedthewar,witheveryonedressedupinthree-corneredhatsandcottonbonnets.Thisprobablyonlyconfirmedtoourgoggle-eyedkidsthemake-believequalityofAmericanhistory.7Sixmonthslater,whenwewererecallingtheexperienceatthefamilydinnertablehere,IaskedLouisewhattheRevolutionhadbeenabout.Shethoughtthatithadsomethingtodowiththemanwhorodehishorsefromtowntotown.“Ah”,Isaid,satisfactionswellinginmybreast,“andwhatwasthatman’sname?”“Gulliver?”Louisereplied.Henry,forhispart,knewthattheRevolutionwasbetweentheBritishandtheAmericans,andthoughtthatitwasprobablyaboutslavery.8Aswepursuedthisconversation,though,welearnedwhatthechildrenknewinstead.LouisetoldusthattheFrenchRevolutioncameattheendoftheEnlightenment,whenpeoplelearnedalotofideas,andonewasthattheydidn’tneedkingstotellthemwhattothinkordo.Onanotheroccasion,whenHenryaskedwhatmakesapersona“junior”ora“II”ora“III”,LouisehelpedmeanswerbybringingupkingslikeLouisQuatorzeandQuinzeandSeize;HenryripostedwithHenryVIII.9Ican’tsayIworrymuchaboutourchildren’sEuropeanframeofreference.TherewillbeplentyoftimeforthemtolearnAmerica’spitifullybriefhistoryandtofindoutwhoThomasJeffersonandFranklinRooseveltwere.AlreadytheyknowagreatdealmorethanIwouldhavewishedaboutBillClinton.10Ifallofthisresonateswithme,itmaybebecausemyfamilymovedtoParisin1954,whenIwasthree,andIwasenrolledinFrenchschoolsformostofmygrade-schoolyears.Idon’tremembermuchinstructioninAmericanstudiesatschoolorathome.IdorememberthatmymothertookmeoutofschooloneafternoontoseethemovieOklahoma!Icanrecallwhatafarawayplaceitseemed:allthatsunshineandsquaredancingandsurreyswithfringeontop.ThesinisterJudFrypersonifiedevilforquitesometimeafterward.CowboysandIndianswereanAmericanclichéthathadalreadyreachedParisthroughthemovies,andIaskedagrandparenttosendmeaDavyCrocketthatsothatIcouldliveoutthatfairytaleagainstthebackdropofgraypostwarMontparnasse.11Althoughmychildrenarelivinginthesameplaceatroughlythesametimeintheirlives,theirexperienceasexpatriatesisverydifferentfrommine.TheparticularnarrativesofAmericanhistoryaside,AmericancultureisnottheirsalonebutthatoftheirFrenchclassmates,too.Themusictheylistentoiseither“American”or“European,”butitisoftenhardtotellthedifference.InmydaylittleFrenchkidslookedlikenothingotherthanlittleFrenchkids;butLouiseandHenryandtheirclassmatesdressmuchastheirpeersintheUnitedStatesdo,thoughwithperhapslessLands’Endfleeciness.WhenIreturnedtovisittheUnitedStatesinthe1950s,itwasafive-dayoceancrossingforamonth’shomeleaveeverytwoyears;nowweflyoverforaweekortwo,althoughnotveryoften.Virtuallyeveryimaginableproductavailabletomychildren’sAmericancousinsisnowobtainablehere.12IftimeandglobalizationhavemadeFrancemuchmoreliketheUnitedStatesthanitwasinmyyouth,thenIcanconcludeacoupleofthings.Ontheonehand,ourchildrena