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Foramonthinthespringof1987,mywifeEllenandIlivedinthebustlingeasternChinesecityofNanjingwithour18-month-oldsonBenjaminwhilestudyingartseducationinChinesekindergartensandelementaryschools.ButoneofthemosttellinglessonsEllenandIgotinthedifferencebetweenChineseandAmericanideasofeducationcamenotintheclassroombutinthelobbyoftheJinlingHotelwherewestayedinNanjing.DR_Text11.LEARNING,CHINESE-STYLERussellBakerageandincompleteunderstandingoftheneedtopositionthekeyjustso,hewouldusuallyfail.Benjaminwasnotbotheredintheleast.Heprobablygotasmuchpleasureoutofthesoundsthekeymadeashedidthosefewtimeswhenthekeyactuallyfounditswayintotheslot.DR_Text2Thekeytoourroomwasattachedtoalargeplasticblockwiththeroomnumberonit.Whenleavingthehotel,aguestwasencouragedtoturninthekey,eitherbyhandingittoanattendantorbydroppingitthroughaslotintoabox.Becausethekeyslotwasnarrow,thekeyhadtobepositionedcarefullytofitintoit.Benjaminlovedtocarrythekeyaround,shakingitvigorously.Healsolikedtotrytoplaceitintotheslot.BecauseofhistenderDR_Text3NowbothEllenandIwereperfectlyhappytoallowBenjamintobangthekeynearthekeyslot.Hisexploratorybehaviorseemedharmlessenough.ButIsoonobservedaninterestingphenomenon.AnyChinesestaffmembernearbywouldcomeovertowatchBenjaminand,notinghislackofinitial(adj.最开始的)success,attempttoassist.HeorshewouldholdontoBenjamin’shandand,gentlybutfirmly,guideitdirectlytowardtheslot,repositionitasnecessary,andhelphimtoinsertit.The“teacher”wouldthensmilesomewhatexpectantlyatEllenorme,asifawaiting(vt.Waitfor)athankyou—andonoccasion(在某个时候)wouldfrownslightly,asifconsideringustobeneglecting(vt.不够注意)ourparentalduties.Isoonrealizedthatthisincidentwasdirectlyrelevant(adj.有关的)toourassignedtasksinChina:toinvestigate(vi./vt.调查)thewaysofearlychildhoodeducation(especiallyinthearts),andtothrowlighton(有助于理解)Chineseattitudestowardcreativity.AndsobeforelongIbegantointroducethekey-slotanecdoteintomydiscussionswithChineseeducators.TWODIFFERENTWAYSTOLEARNWithafewexceptions(n.例外)myChinesecolleaguesdisplayedthesameattitudeasthestaffattheJinlingHotel.Sinceadultsknowhowtoplacethekeyinthekeyslot,whichistheultimatepurposeofapproachingtheslot,andsincethechildisneitheroldenoughnorcleverenoughtorealizethedesiredactiononhisown,whatpossiblegainisachievedbyhavinghimstruggle?DR_Text4Hemaywellgetfrustratedandangry—certainlynotadesirable(adj.有价值的)outcome.Whynotshowhimwhattodo?Hewillbehappy,hewilllearnhowtoaccomplish(vt.)thetasksooner,andthenhecanproceedtomorecomplexactivities,likeopeningthedoororaskingforthekey—bothofwhichaccomplishmentscan(andshould)induecourse(在适当时候)bemodeledforhimaswell.Welistenedtosuchexplanationssympatheticallyandexplainedthat,firstofall,wedidnotmuchcarewhetherBenjaminsucceededininsertingthekeyintotheslot.Hewashavingagoodtimeandwasexploring,twoactivitiesthatdidmattertous.Butthecritical(adj.非常重要)pointwasthat,intheprocess,weweretryingtoteachBenjaminthatonecansolveaproblemeffectivelybyoneself.DR_Text5DR_Text6Suchself-relianceisaprincipal(n./adj.首要的)valueofchildrearing(v.照料/n.后部)inmiddle-classAmerica.Solongasthechildisshownexactlyhowtodosomething—whetheritbeplacingakeyinakeyslot,drawingahenormakingupFor(补回)amisdeed—heislesslikelytofigureouthimselfhowtoaccomplishsuchatask.And,moregenerally,heislesslikelytoviewlife—asAmericansdo—asaseriesofsituationsinwhichonehastolearntothinkforoneself,tosolveproblemsonone’sownandeventodiscovernewproblemsforwhichcreativesolutionsarewanted.TEACHINGBYHOLDINGHISHANDInretrospect(回顾),itbecamecleartomethatthisincidentwasindeedkey—andkeyinmorethanonesense.Itpointedtoimportantdifferencesintheeducationalandartisticpracticesinourtwocountries.Whenourwell-intentionedChineseobserverscametoBenjamin’srescue,theydidnotsimplypushhishanddownclumsilyoruncertainly,asImighthavedone.Instead,theyguidedhimwithextremefacility(n.潜能)andgentlenessinpreciselythedesireddirection.IcametorealizethattheseChinesewerenotjustmoldingandshapingBenjamin’sperformanceinanyoldmanner:InthebestChinesetradition,theywerebazheshoujiao—“teachingbyholdinghishand”—somuchsothathewouldhappilycomebackformore.DR_Text7DR_Text8Theideathatlearningshouldtakeplacebycontinualcarefulshapingandmoldingapplies(vi.请回，适用)equallytothearts.Watchingchildrenatworkinaclassroomsetting,wewereastonishedbytheirfacility.Childrenasyoungas5or6werepaintingflowers,fishandanimalswiththeskillandconfidenceofanadult;calligraphers9and10yearsoldwereproducingworksthatcouldhavebeendisplayedinamuseum.Inavisittothehomesoftwooftheyoungartists,welearnedfromtheirparentsthattheyworkedonperfectingtheircraftforseveralhoursaday.CREATIVITYFIRST?Intermsofattitudestocreativitythereseemstobeareversalofpriorities(n.居首位):youngWesternersmakingtheirboldestdeparturesfirstandthengraduallymasteringthetradition;andyoungChinesebeingalmostinseparablefromthetradition,but,overtime,possiblyevolving(vi.逐渐形成)toapointequallyoriginal.OnewayofsummarizingtheAmericanpositionistostatethatwevalueoriginalityandindependencemorethantheChinesedo.Thecontrast(v.对比)betweenourtwoculturescanalsobeseenintermsofthefearswebothharbor(vt./n.港湾).Chineseteachersarefea