Unit-6-A-French-Fourth课文翻译综合教程四.docx

Unit6AFrenchFourthCharlesTrueheanAlongaboutthistimeeverjyear,asIndependenceDayapproaches,IpullanoldAmeriCanflagoutofabottomdrawerwhereitisfoldedawayfoldedinasquare,Iadmit,nottheregulationtriangle.vehaditalongtimeandhavealwaysflownitoutsideonJuly4.HereinParisithangsfromafourth-floorbalconyvisiblefromthestreet.veneverseenanyonelookup,butinmymind'seyeanAmericantouristmaynoticeitandsmile,andaFrenchpasserbymayberemindedofthedateandtheoccasionthatpromptitsappearance.Ihopeso.Formyexpatriatedfamily,too,theflagismeaningful,inpartbecausewedon'tdoanythingelsetocelebratetheFourth.Peopledon'thavebarbecuesinParisapartments,andmostotherAmericansIknowwhohavesettledheresuppresssuchoutwardsignsoftheirheritageortheygobackhomeforthesummertorefuel.Ourchildrenthinktheflag-hangingisacoolthing,andIlikeitbecauseitgivesusafewmomentsoffamilyQ&Aaboutourcitizenship.MywifeandIhavebeenawayfromtheUnitedStatesfornineyears,andourchildrenareelevenandnine,soAmericanhistoryismostlysomethingtheyhavelearnedorhaven'tlearnedfromIheirparents.July4isoneofthetimeswhentheAmericaninmefeelsatwingeofuneaseaboutthegreatlacunaeinourchildrensunderstandingofwhotheyareandispromptedtot11tofillthegaps.Ifsalsoatime,oneamongmany,whenmythoughtsturnmoregenerallytothecostsandbenefitsofraisingchildreninaforeignculture.1.ouiseandHenr>speakFrenchfluently：thej,aretaughtinFrenchatschool,andmostoftheirfriendsareFrench.Theymovefromlanguagetolanguage,seldommixingthemup,withouteffortorevenawareness.Tliisisawonderfulthing,ofcourse.Andourphysicalseparationfromournativelandisnotmuchofanissue.MyWifeandIaregratefuleverydayforallthatourchildrenarenotexposedto.AmericanschoolshootingsareagoodobjectlessonforourchildreninthefolliesoftheSoCietyWeholdatadistance.Naturally,wealsowanttoremindthemofreasonstotakeprideinbeingAmericanandtotryIoconveytothemwhatthatmeans.Itisadifficultthingtodofromafar,andthedistanceseemsmorethanjustamatterofmiles.IsometimesthinkthatthestorieswetellthemmustseemlikeAesops(or1.aFontaines)fables,nytlswithnofixedplaceinspaceortime.Still,connectionscanbemade,lessonslearned.61.astsummerwespentaweekWithmybrotherandhisfamily,wholiveinConcord,Massachusetts,andwetookthechildrentotheNorthBridgetogivethemaglimpseoftheAmericanReVOhltion.Wehappenedto11nacrossareenactmentoftheskirmishthatlaunchedthewar,Witheveryonedressedpinthree-corneredhatsandcottonbonnets.Thisprobablyonlyconfirmedtoourgoggle-eyedkidsthemake-believequalityofAmericanhistory.7Sixmonthslater,whenwewererecallingtheexperienceatthefamilydinnertablehere,Iasked1.ouisewhattheRevolutionhadbeenabout.Shethoughtthatithadsomethingtodowiththemanwhorodehishorsefromtowntotown."A1,Isaid,satisfactionswellinginmybreast>“andwhatwasthatman'sname?"*Gulliver?"1.ouisereplied.Henrylforhispart,knewthattheRevolutionwasl>etwecntheBritishandtheAmericans,andthoughtthatitwasprobablyaboutslavery.8Aswepursuedthisconversation,though,welearnedwhatthechildrenknewinstead.1.OuiSUtoldusthattheFrenchRevolutioncameattheendoftheEnlightenment,whenpeoplelearnedalotofideas,andonewasthattheydidn'tneedkingstotellthemwhattothinkordo.Onanotheroccasion,whenHenryaskedwhatmakesapersona"junior*orauIFora"III"，1.ouisehelpedmeanswerbybringingpkingslike1.ouisQuatorzeandQuinzeandSeize;HenryripostedwithHenlyvn1.9Ican'tsayIworrymuchaboutourchildrensEuropeanframeofreference.TherewillbeplentyoftincforthemtolearnAmerica'spitifullybriefhistoryandtofindoutwhoThomasJeffersonandFranklinRooSeVeItwere.AlreadytheyknowagreatdealmorethanIwouldhavewishedaboutBillClinton.ioIfallofthisresonateswithrncfitmaybebecausernyfamilymovedtoParisin1954.whenIwasthree,andIwasenrolledinFrenchschlsformostofmygrade-schlyears.Idon'tremembermuchinstructioninAmericanstudiesatSChoOIorathome.IdorememberthatmymothertookmeoutofSehoOloneafternoontoseethemovieOklahoma!Icanrecallwhatafarawayplaceitseemed:allthatsunshineandsquaredancingandsurreysWithfringeontop.Thesinister.JudFrypersonifiedevilforquitesometimeafterward.CowboysandIndianswereanAmericanclichethathadalreadyreachedParisthroughthemovies,andIaskedagrandparenttosendmeaDaVyCrocketthatsothatIcouldliveoutthatfairytaleagainstthebackdropofgraypostwarMontparnasse.11 Althoughmychildrenarelivinginthesameplaceatroughlythesametimeintheirlives,theirexperienceasexpatriatesisverjrdifferentfrommine.TheparticularnarrativesofAmericanhisloryaside.AmericancultureisnottheirsalonebutthatoftheirFrenchclassmates,too.,hemusictheylistentoiseither“American"or"European,”butitisoftenhardtotellthedifference.InmydaylittleFrenchkidslkedlikenothingotherthanlittleFrenchkids;but1.ouiseandHenryandIheirclassmatesdressmuchastheirpeersintheUnitedStatesdo,thoughwithperhapsless1.ands*End(Ieedness.WhenIreturnedtorisittheUnitedStatesinthe1950s,itwasafive-dayoceancrossingforamonthshomeleaveeverytwoyears;nowweyoverforaweekortwo,althoughnotVeryoften.VirtuallyeveryimaginableproductavailabletomychildrensAmericancousinsisnowobtainablehere.12 IftimeandglobalizationhavemadeFrancemuchmoreliketheUnitedStatesthanitwasinmyyouth,thenIcanconcludeacoup