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現(xiàn)代大學(xué)英語(yǔ)Lesson10(A)精讀重點(diǎn)講解
引言：
每個(gè)地方對(duì)于生活在那里的人們來(lái)說(shuō)都有特殊的意義，在某種程度上來(lái)說(shuō)，每個(gè)地方都代表世界的中心。世上有無(wú)數(shù)個(gè)這樣的中心，沒(méi)有一個(gè)學(xué)生或旅行者能全部經(jīng)歷到。
世界的文化中到處是富有特殊價(jià)值和意義而預(yù)料不到的青香蕉。多年來(lái)它們一直在那里，慢慢地成熟，或許在耐心地等待人們走過(guò)去發(fā)現(xiàn)它們。事實(shí)上，假如我們?cè)敢怆x開(kāi)我們自己的世界的中心，去感受其他的地方，青香蕉在等待我們每一個(gè)人。
The Green Banana---Donald Batchelder
Although it might have happened anywhere, my encounter with the green banana started on a steep mountain road in the central area of Brazil. My ancient jeep was straining up through beautiful countryside when the radiator began to leak, and I was ten miles from the nearest mechanic. The over-heated engine forced me to stop at the next village, which consisted of a small store and a few houses that were scattered here and there. People came over to look. They could see three fine streams of hot water spouting from holes in the jacket of the radiator. "That's easy to fix," a man said. He sent a boy running for some green bananas. He patted me on the shoulder, assuring me that everything would work out. "Green bananas," he smiled. Everyone agreed.
We chattered casually while all the time I was wondering what they could possibly do to my radiator with their green bananas. I did not ask them, though, as that would show my ignorance, so I talked about the beauty of the land that lay before our eyes. Huge rock formations, like Sugar Loaf in Rio, rose up all around us. "Do you see that tall one right over there?" asked the man, pointing to a particularly tall, slender pinnacle of dark rock. "That rock marks the center of the world."
I looked to see if he was teasing me, but his face was serious. He, in turn, inspected me carefully, as if to make sure I grasped the significance of his statement. The occasion called for some show of recognition on my part. "The center of the world?" I repeated, trying to show interest if not complete acceptance. He nodded. "The absolute center. Everyone around here knows it."
At that moment the boy returned with an armful of green bananas. The man cut one in half and pressed the cut end against the radiator jacket. The banana melted into a glue against the hot metal, stopping the leaks instantly. I was so astonished at this that I must have looked rather foolish and everyone laughed. They then refilled me radiator and gave me extra bananas to take along in case my radiator should give me trouble again. An hour later, after using the green banana once more, my radiator and I reached our destination. The local mechanic smiled. "Who taught you about the green banana?" I gave him the name of the village. "Did they show you the rock marking the center of the world?" he asked. I assured him they had. "My grandfather came from there," he said. "The exact center. Everyone around here has always known about it."
As a product of American education, I had never paid the slightest attention to the green banana, except to regard it as a fruit whose time had not yet come. Suddenly, on that mountain road, its time had come to meet my need. But as I reflected on it further, I realized that the green banana had been there all along. Its time reached back to the very origins of the banana. The people in that village had known about it for years. It was my own time that had come, all in relation to it. I came to appreciate the special genius of those people, and the special potential of the green banana. I had been wondering for some time about what educators like to call "learning moments," and I now knew I had just experienced two of them at once.
It took me a little longer to fully grasp the importance of the rock which the villagers believed marked the center of the world. I had at first doubted their claim, as I knew for a fact that the center was located somewhere else in New England. After all, my grandfather had come from there. But gradually I realized the village people had a very reasonable belief and I agreed with them. We all tend to regard as the center that special place where we are known, where we know others, where things mean much to us, and where we ourselves have both identity and meaning: family, school, town and local region could all be our center of the world.
The lesson which gradually dawned on me was actually very simple. Every place has special meanings for the people in it, and in a certain sense every place represents the center of the world. The world has numerous such centers, and no one student or traveler can experience all of them. But once a conscious breakthrough to a second center is made, a life-long perspective and collection can begin.
The cultures of the world are full of unexpected green bananas with special value and meaning. They have been there for ages, ripening slowly, perhaps waiting patiently for people to come along to encounter them. In fact, a green banana is waiting for all of us if we would leave our own centers of the world in order to experience other places.
青香蕉
這件事在任何地方都可能發(fā)生，而我遇到青香蕉是在巴西中部的一條陡峭山路上。我那輛老吉普車(chē)在美麗的鄉(xiāng)村艱難穿行時(shí)，水箱開(kāi)始漏水，而離最近的修車(chē)處還有十英里。過(guò)熱的發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)迫使我在附近一個(gè)四處散布著一些小店子和房屋的村子停下來(lái)。村民們走過(guò)來(lái)看發(fā)生了什么事，他們看到三小股熱水從水箱外殼的洞里涌出來(lái)。“這很容易修”，一個(gè)人邊說(shuō)邊派一個(gè)男孩去取一些青香蕉。他拍拍我的肩膀，向我保證事情能得到圓滿解決。“青香蕉派得上用場(chǎng)”，他笑道。在場(chǎng)的人都很認(rèn)同。
我們隨意地聊起天來(lái)，同時(shí)我一直在想他們?cè)趺从们嘞憬缎蘩砦业乃洌欢覜](méi)有問(wèn)他們，因?yàn)槟菚?huì)顯得無(wú)知。所以我只談了談眼前這塊美麗的土地。巨大的巖層，像里約熱內(nèi)盧的蘇格羅浮山，在我們四周聳立著�！翱吹侥菈K高聳的巖石了嗎?”那人指著一塊特別高且頂部線條柔和的黑巖石問(wèn)道，“那塊巖石標(biāo)志著世界的中心�！�
我盯著他看，看他是不是在騙我，但他表情嚴(yán)肅認(rèn)真。而他，反過(guò)來(lái)也審視著我，好像要確認(rèn)我是否理解他話中的真諦。這種情形需要我表示出對(duì)他的話的認(rèn)可�！笆澜绲闹行�?”我又問(wèn)了一遍，在完全接受他的觀點(diǎn)之前努力顯出興趣。他點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭�！耙粋�(gè)絕對(duì)的中心。這兒的人都知道�！�
就在這時(shí)，那男孩抱著一抱青香蕉回來(lái)了。男人將一支香蕉切成兩半，把切口處壓在水箱表面。香蕉立即熔成糊狀堵住了金屬殼的裂縫，止住了漏水�？吹竭@一切我太驚訝了。隨后他們重新灌滿了我的水箱，還額外送給了我一些青香蕉以防水箱又給我找麻煩。在接下來(lái)的一小時(shí)，又用了一次青香蕉后，我和我的水箱抵達(dá)了目的地。當(dāng)?shù)氐男蘩砉の⑿χ鴨?wèn)我，“誰(shuí)教你用青香蕉的?”我告訴他那個(gè)村的名字�！八麄冎附o你看標(biāo)志世界中心的巖石沒(méi)有?”他問(wèn)。我說(shuō)他們這樣問(wèn)了�！拔覡敔攺哪莾簛�(lái)，”他說(shuō)，“它是純粹的中心。這兒的人都知道。”
在美國(guó)教育的“造就”下，我一點(diǎn)也沒(méi)注意過(guò)青香蕉，只認(rèn)為它是一種尚未成熟的水果。突然間，在那條山路上，青香蕉被用來(lái)修補(bǔ)我的水箱的時(shí)機(jī)到了。但當(dāng)我進(jìn)一步思考時(shí)，我發(fā)現(xiàn)青香蕉其實(shí)一直存在，它可追溯到香蕉的起源。那個(gè)村的人多年以來(lái)就知道這一點(diǎn)，而現(xiàn)在是我認(rèn)識(shí)這種青香蕉以及一切與它相關(guān)的事情的時(shí)候了。我開(kāi)始欣賞那些人特別的智慧和青香蕉潛在的獨(dú)特價(jià)值。好長(zhǎng)一段時(shí)間我一直在想教育者們所說(shuō)的“瞬間領(lǐng)悟到的東西”，我知道我剛剛一下子感受到了兩樣?xùn)|西：青香蕉的特殊用途和有關(guān)世界中心的說(shuō)法。
我花了更長(zhǎng)一點(diǎn)的時(shí)間來(lái)理解村民們所信仰的標(biāo)志著世界中心的巖石。剛開(kāi)始我懷疑他們的話，因?yàn)槭聦?shí)上世界的中心在新英格蘭，畢竟，我祖父來(lái)自那兒。但漸漸地，我發(fā)現(xiàn)村民們的信念很有道理，我認(rèn)同他們。我們傾向于把某個(gè)特殊的地方看作是世界的中心，在那里我們被他人所了解，并了解其他人，那地方對(duì)我們很重要，在那里我們擁有認(rèn)同感和生活的意義。比如家庭、學(xué)校、城鎮(zhèn)，還有地方區(qū)域，都會(huì)成為我們心目中的世界的中心。
我漸漸悟到的這一課其實(shí)很簡(jiǎn)單。每個(gè)地方對(duì)于生活在那里的人們來(lái)說(shuō)都有特殊的意義，在某種程度上來(lái)說(shuō)，每個(gè)地方都代表世界的中心。世上有無(wú)數(shù)個(gè)這樣的中心，沒(méi)有一個(gè)學(xué)生或旅行者能全部經(jīng)歷到。一旦有意識(shí)地進(jìn)入到第二個(gè)世界中心，一個(gè)人一生觀點(diǎn)的形成和收集便開(kāi)始了。
世界的文化中到處是富有特殊價(jià)值和意義而預(yù)料不到的青香蕉。多年來(lái)它們一直在那里，慢慢地成熟，或許在耐心地等待人們走過(guò)去發(fā)現(xiàn)它們。事實(shí)上，假如我們?cè)敢怆x開(kāi)我們自己的世界的中心，去感受其他的地方，青香蕉在等待我們每一個(gè)人。
1.encounter n. 意外的相見(jiàn),遭遇
例句：
His encounter with the guard dog had completely unnerved him.
他遇上了警衛(wèi)犬, 把他嚇壞了.
2.radiator n. 暖氣片,散熱器
例句：
The radiator is giving out a lot of heat.
散熱器釋放出很多熱量.
3.refill v. 再充滿,再注滿
例句：
Allow me to refill your cup.
請(qǐng)?jiān)试S我給您再斟上一杯。
4.slightest adj. 最少的
例句：
Do be careful with those fireworks; the slightest spark could set them off.
這些煙火要格外小心, 稍有火星就能引起爆炸.
5.dawn on v.漸漸被理解
例句：
The truth began to dawn on him.
他開(kāi)始弄明白真相.
6. perspective n. 遠(yuǎn)景,看法,透視
例句：
You must get the story in its right perspectives.
你必須正確地了解這件事。
7.grasp v. 抓住,緊握,領(lǐng)會(huì)
例句：
I grasped the main point of the speech.
我領(lǐng)會(huì)了這篇演講的要點(diǎn)。
8.reflect on v.思考, 反省, 懷疑, 導(dǎo)致, 責(zé)備
例句：
I always reflect on life when listening to beethoven's symphony.
每當(dāng)聽(tīng)貝多芬交響樂(lè)的時(shí)候，我總會(huì)仔細(xì)思考人生。
9.astonished adj. 驚訝的
例句：
I was astonished at the news of his escape.
聽(tīng)到他逃之夭夭的消息，我感到驚訝。
引自《英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)》2003年第二期
作者是美國(guó)學(xué)者Donald Batch elder，文章講的是對(duì)待世界上各種不同文化應(yīng)采取何種態(tài)度的問(wèn)題。隨著國(guó)際交往的不斷發(fā)展，我們的世界越來(lái)越像一個(gè)地球村，各種風(fēng)格迥異的文化彼此遭遇、碰撞，文明之間的沖突大有愈演愈烈之勢(shì)，如何看待異域文化和文化差異成了值得人們認(rèn)真思考的重要問(wèn)題。本文的作者通過(guò)一個(gè)小故事，向我們展示了他本人對(duì)這個(gè)問(wèn)題的深入思考。
文章可分為兩大部分。第一部分為1-4段，作者以第一人稱的口吻向我們講述了他在巴西的一段經(jīng)歷。作為一個(gè)美國(guó)旅行者，當(dāng)他駕著一輛舊吉普車(chē)行進(jìn)在巴西中部的山路上時(shí)，水箱開(kāi)始漏水，他被迫停在附近的一個(gè)小村莊里。熱情的村民用他們古老的辦法為作者解決了問(wèn)題。他們找來(lái)了一些尚未成熟的青香蕉，掰開(kāi)以后塞到水箱漏水處，由于水箱金屬殼的熱度，香蕉馬上融化成膠汁，粘住了裂縫。同時(shí)，在與村民的閑聊中，作者還驚訝地得知，他們堅(jiān)信附近的一塊巖石就是世界的中心。這一次與當(dāng)?shù)乇就廖幕黄谌坏南嘤鼋o了作者很大的震動(dòng)，在第二部分（5-8段）中，作者著重講述了他的感悟。首先，他驚訝于青香焦所展示給他的當(dāng)?shù)毓爬衔幕械闹腔郏辉俅�，他驚訝于村民們對(duì)世界中心即那塊巖石的信仰，因?yàn)樗J(rèn)為世界的中心應(yīng)該在他祖父的家鄉(xiāng)新英格蘭。后來(lái)作者逐步意識(shí)到：每一種文化都有自身的精妙之處, "The Green Banana" 即象征著每一種文化中所蘊(yùn)藏的鮮為人知的寶藏；對(duì)每一種族的人來(lái)說(shuō)，他們生活的地方對(duì)他們都具有特殊意義，從而在某種意義上說(shuō)都可代表世界的中心 (Every pla ce has special meanings for the people in it, and in a certain sense every place represents the center of the world.)。 世界因此有無(wú)數(shù)的中心，但是人們不可能經(jīng)歷全部。而我們一旦能夠從自己文化的包圍中走出來(lái)，去自覺(jué)領(lǐng)受另一種文化，我們將會(huì)得到影響自己一生的全新視角，并從此開(kāi)始收藏異域文化中的寶藏 (The world has numerous such c enters, and no one student or traveler can experience all of them. But once a con scious breakthrough to a second center is made, a life-long perspective and colle ction can begin.)。
作者試圖通過(guò)他的感悟告訴我們, 每一種文化都有它的"green bananas" 它們慢慢成熟，等待著我們放下偏見(jiàn)，以平等和尊重的眼光去欣賞和領(lǐng)悟 (The cultures of the world are full of unexpected green bananas with special value and meaning...ripening slowly, perhaps waiting patiently for people to come along to encounter them.)。任何的種族優(yōu)越論(ethnocentrism) 或文化擴(kuò)張 (cultural imperialism) 都是不可取的。
本文從語(yǔ)言方面看，還存在著一些難點(diǎn)，下面試作分析。
第一段第二句 My ancient jeep was straining up through beautiful countryside... 。 動(dòng)詞strain在Collins English Dictionary中的第五條釋義為to make intense or violent efforts; strive。 此處的strain up 是指因山路陡峭(steep country road)，汽車(chē)只得艱難行進(jìn)。這一段中還要注意倒數(shù)第二句中的 pat me on the shoulder 這種表達(dá)方式，類(lèi)似的說(shuō)法如 seize sb. by the arm；hit sb. in the back；knock sb. on the head 等等。同時(shí)， 這一句還出現(xiàn)了work out 這個(gè)詞組，work out 的意思很多，此處是指 to prove satisfact ory or effective (Collins English Dictionary)，例如: Did your plan work out? 我們經(jīng)常碰到work out 作 to solve or find out by reasoning or calculation (Collins Eng lish Dictionary) 講，如 work out a sum; work out an answer。
第二段中, "I did not ask them, though, as that would show my ignorance...," 此處 的though是個(gè)副詞，表示“然而”。它與although的區(qū)別是：although只能作連詞，though既 可作連詞也可作副詞，表示in spite of the fact that; even if（《朗文當(dāng)代英語(yǔ)詞典》） 。但注意作此種用法時(shí)though不出現(xiàn)在句首，例如：
It's hard work; I enjoy it though. He is a bad manager.
There is no reason, though, to dismiss him.
第三段, "The occasion called for some show of recognition on my part.”中，“cal l for” 做 "need or require" 解，on my part 的釋義為of or by me (《朗文當(dāng)代英語(yǔ)詞典 》)。此句可理解為“當(dāng)時(shí)的情形需要我做出一些認(rèn)可的表示”。此段還要注意as if 的用法 , "He, in turn, inspeced me carefully, as if to make sure I grasped the signific ance of his statement." as if”為“with the appearance of”，此句中后跟一個(gè)以不定式引導(dǎo)的目的狀語(yǔ)。請(qǐng)看下面as if 的常見(jiàn)用法: （例句選自《現(xiàn)代英語(yǔ)用法詞典》）
I've loved you as if you were my son.（后跟從句，動(dòng)詞一般用虛擬語(yǔ)氣, be 通常用were這個(gè)形式，但在一、三人稱主語(yǔ)后用was的情況也不少。）
She cleared her throat as if to speak.（后跟不定式）
From time to time Jason turned round as if searching for someone.（后跟現(xiàn)在分詞）
第四段中“... in case my radiator should give me trouble again”， 讀者可能會(huì)對(duì)should 在這兒的意思不甚了解。 should 跟在in case引導(dǎo)的從句或條件從句后, 表示未來(lái)時(shí)間里，某種情況發(fā)生的可能性，可譯為“萬(wàn)一”。例如：Here is a shilling in case you should need it.（《現(xiàn)代英語(yǔ)用法詞典》）
第五段中出現(xiàn)了好幾個(gè)time，需要注意�！�...except to regard it as a fruit whose ti me had not yet come.”，這個(gè)time指的是水果成熟的季節(jié)；“Suddenly, ...its time had come to meet my need.” 這個(gè)time 是指青香蕉被用來(lái)修補(bǔ)我的水箱的時(shí)機(jī)；“Its time reached back to the very origins of the banana.” ， 這句是說(shuō)，其實(shí)這種青香蕉一直在那兒，它在那兒的時(shí)間可以一直追溯到最初香蕉的出現(xiàn)；最后一句比較難，“It was my o wn time that had come, all in relation to it.” 此句可以用英文解釋為 my own time had come to get to know it, and to know everything connected with it， 意思是我認(rèn)識(shí)這種青香蕉以及一切與它相關(guān)的事情的時(shí)候來(lái)了。
此段中作者還提到這段經(jīng)歷使他感受到兩個(gè)learning moments。那么什么是learning moments？作者指的又是哪兩次呢？learning moments 是一個(gè)教育學(xué)上的概念，指人們?cè)谒查g突然領(lǐng)悟到的東西。作者所指的，一是青香蕉的特殊用途使他感悟到每一種文化都有其內(nèi)含的寶藏 ，二是每一個(gè)地方的人都有權(quán)利和理由認(rèn)為自己生活在世界的中心。從謀篇布局來(lái)看，這句話 既總結(jié)了前面的經(jīng)歷，又引發(fā)出后面的評(píng)論，起著承上啟下的作用。
另外，不知讀者是否注意到了作者行文的詼諧。在第五段，作者自嘲地稱自己為 “a produ ct of American education”。第六段中“... as I knew for a fact that the center w as located somewhere else in New England.”，fact的用法已很幽默, 而作者證明這個(gè)“ 事實(shí)”所給出的原因竟然是“After all, my grandfather had come from there.”，這讓人立刻想起當(dāng)?shù)氐男蘩砉にf(shuō)的同樣的話。
本文的作者從一次具體的經(jīng)歷入手，引發(fā)出對(duì)待異域文化應(yīng)采取的正確態(tài)度的感悟，由具體到抽象，由淺及深，一氣呵成。青香蕉和被當(dāng)?shù)厝艘暈槭澜缰行牡膸r石，貫穿文章始終，被作者賦予深刻的象征意義，成為理解此文的關(guān)鍵。 以上是我就內(nèi)容和語(yǔ)言兩方面對(duì)這篇文章所做的粗淺分析，希望能夠于讀者對(duì)這篇文章的深入理解有所幫助。
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