Unit-6-Being-There-课文翻译

Unit6BeingThereAnatoleBroyard1.Travelislikeadultery:oneisalwaystemptedtobeunfaithfultoone’sowncountry.Tohaveimaginationisinevitablytobedissatisfiedwithwhereyoulive.Thereisinmenacentrifugaltendency.Inourwanderlust,weareloverslookingforconsummation.2.Onlywhiletravelingcanweappreciateage.Athome,forAmericansatleast,everythingmustbeyoung,new,butwhenwegoabroadweareinterestedonlyintheold.Wewanttoseewhathasbeensaved,defendedagainsttime.3.Whenwetravel,weputasideourdefenses,ouranxiety,andinviteregression.Wegobackwardinsteadofforward.Wecultivateourhysteria.4.Itisourbestselvesthattravel,justaswedressinourbestclothes.Onlyourpassportremindsushowordinaryweactuallyare.Wegoabroadtomeetourforeignpersona,thatthrillingstrangerbornontheplane.We’regoingtoseeinEuropeeverythingwehaveeliminatedoreditedoutofourowncultureinthenameofconvenience:religion,royalty,picturesqueness,otherness—andpassion.Weclingtothebeliefthatotherpeoplesaremorepassionatethanweare.5.There’sanimpostorineachofus—whyelsewouldweputondarkglassesandtrytospeakandlooklikethenativesofanotherplace?Athome,weimpersonateourselves;whenwe’reabroad,wecantrytobewhatwe’vealwayswantedtobe.Inspiteofalltherecenttalkaboutroots,manyofusaretiredofourroots,whichmaybeshallowanyway,andsowetravelinsearchofrootlessness.6.Travelingbeganwhenmengrewcurious.Theinfluenceofthechurch,thetraditionalpatternoflife,thelackofmoneyandleisurehadallrestrainedcuriosityuntiltheseventeenthcentury,whenunderpressureofscientificdiscoveries,thephysicalworldbegantogapeopen.Itwasthenthatpeoplebegantotravelinsearchoftheprofane.7.Travelarrivedtogetherwithsophistication,withtheabilitytoseethroughorbeyondone’sownculture,withthemodernfacultyofboredom.SomethingoftheCrusadessurvivesinthemoderntraveler—onlythisisapersonalcrusade,animpulsetogooffandfightcertainobscurebattlesofhisownspirit.8.Ofcourse,oneofthemostcommonreasonsfortravelingissimplytogetaway.Freudsaidthatwetraveltoescapefatherandthefamily,andwemightaddthefamiliar.Thereisarecurrentdesiretodropourlives,tosimplywalkoutofthem.9.Whenwetravel,weareonvacation—vacant,waitingtobefilled.Thefrenziedshoppingofsometravelersisanattempttobuyanewlife.Togetawaytoastrangeplaceproducesaluxuriousfeelingofdisengagement,ofirresponsiblefreeassociation.Oneisanonlooker,impregnable.10.Wetravelinsummer,whenlifecomesoutofdoors,andsoweseeonlysummerypeople,nothingoftheirsadfalls,theirlong,darkwintersandcruelsprings.Theplaceswevisitaregold-platedbythesun.Theflowersandtreesarelikebouquetsthrowntohistory.11.Andlanguage—whatapleasuretoleaveourownlanguage,withitsclichésstuckinourteeth.Howmuchbetterthingssoundinanothertongue!It’slikehavingourearscleanedout.Solongaswedon’tunderstandittoowell,everyotherlanguageispoetry.12.Becausewetravelforsomanyreasons—someofthemcontradictory—travelwritingislikeasuitcaseintowhichthewritertriestocrameverything.Atitsmostinteresting,it’sacontinualtasting,theexpressionofanostalgiafortheparticular.It’sachildishgameofplayingcountries,asweusedtoplayhouse.13.Travelwritingdescribesatragicarc:itbeginswitharisingofthespiritandendsinadyingfall.Theearliesttravelerswenttoseemarvels,toadmirethewonderfuldiversityoftheworld—butthelatesttravelersarelikevisitorssittingatthebedsideofdyingcultures.Earlytravelersfellinloveatfirstsightwithforeignplaces—butnowweknowonlyloveatlastsight,akissbeforedying,abreathinginofthelastgasp.Insomeancientsocieties,itusedtobethecustomforthesontoinhalehisfather’slastbreath,whichcontainedhisdepartingsoul,andtoday’stravelersdosomethinglikethis,too.14.Travelwritinghasbecomeaquintessentiallymodernthing,thepresentregrettingthepast.Wetravellikeinsuranceappraisers,assessingthedamage.Militantlyopposedtoanykindofethnicdistinctionsathome,weadoreethnicityabroad.Ironically,AmericansneedEuropemorethanEuropeansdo.ToParisians,forexample,Parisisaplacetolive;forAmericans,it’saplacetodream.15.“Idonotexpecttoseemanytravelbooksinthenearfuture,”EvelynWaughwrotein1946.Hesawtheworldturningintoa“monoculture,”thesenseofplacegivingwaytoplacelessness.WhatWaughdidn’tforeseewasthattravelbookswouldchangeasnovelsandpoetryhave,thateveryslippageofculturewouldprovokeitspeculiarliterature.Heunderestimatedthevariousnessofourreasonsfortraveling.16.Therehavealwaysbeentravelerswhowenttolookfortheworst,tofindrationalizationsfortheiranxietyordespair,tocovertheirdisillusionmentwithlabels,assteamertrunksusedtobecoveredwiththem.WhyelsewouldPaulTherouxgotoSouthAmerica,whichhesoobviouslydetested?ShivaNaipaul’sworstfearswereconfirmedinAfrica,justashisbrother’swereinAsia.GrahamGreenespentfourmonthstravelingintheLiberianjungleasaprivatepenance.17.Evenruinshavechanged.Insteadoftheclassicalruinsofantiquity,wenowhaveplacesthataremerely“ruined.”Andtherearetravelerswhotakeapositivedelightinthem,wholoveawfulnessforitsownsake.Forthem,awfulnessisthecontemporaryequivalentoftheexotic.It’sanegativesublime,aswoonorecstasyofspoliation.18.Asothercountriesofferfewerexoticphenomena,thetravelwriterisforcedtofindtheexoticinhimself—andthepicturesqueaswell.Thecentrifugaltendencyturnscentripetal,andmoderntravelbooksmay