这篇文章会让不少人回忆起无忧无虑的快乐童年,文章里描述的邻里情谊也会让不少人嘴角泛起微笑。在当今这个人与人之间的关系日趋功利和淡漠的世界里,往日温情显得尤为珍贵。
美式发音 适合精听
On this summer day, we have a chance to think about American culture by looking at the way it differs with some places abroad. Like America, Spain has hot summers, but at night, when it’s cooler, the village squares come alive and children roam free.
Miraflores de la Sierra is a typical Spanish village with old stone houses crowded onto streets and 1)geraniums in pink, purple, and red spilling from the balconies. The village square or plaza is closed to traffic. So when the sun goes down and the mercury drops, it teams with life.
The bars and cafes that ring the plaza have filled it with tables. Families stop here after their evening stroll, or paseo, for a glass of wine. Senior citizens meet and share gossip over a beer. Everyone seems to have bumped into someone they know. And even though it’s 10:00 P.M., there’re children everywhere. They’re full of energy because many have had a 2)siesta. They treat the plaza like their own backyard. Some weave in and out of tables playing hide and seek. Others are involved in a game of soccer between the newspaper stand and the tobacco shop.
There seems to be an unwritten rule in Spain that anyone within a 30-foot radius of a parent shares responsibility for that person’s children. Those who 3)stray or get hurt are returned to their parents. In fact, siblings are often dressed identically to make the identification process easier. The 30-foot rule also applies to affection. For an American, it might feel like an 4)intrusion if a neighbor, let alone a complete stranger, comes up and pinches your child’s cheeks or 5)smothers him in kisses and marvels at his looks. But here it’s the custom to shower a bystander’s kids with adoration.
There have been high profile cases of missing children here in Spain, but the belief that everyone is collectively responsible for each other’s offspring is still strong enough that parents can sit back with a drink and let theirs run riot on the village square until late in the night.
在这个夏日里,我们有机会通过观察我们与异国的不同之处,反省一下美国的文化。西班牙也和美国一样,有着炎热的夏天,但在晚上,当气温下降后,社区广场就会活跃起来,孩子们在那里无拘无束地奔跑。
Miraflores de la Sierra是一个典型的西班牙社区,街上是密密麻麻的古老石头房子,各家阳台上粉色、紫色、红色的天竺葵翩然怒放。车辆禁止在社区广场内行驶,所以,当太阳落山、温度下降后,这里就热闹非凡。
广场周围的酒吧、咖啡馆在外面摆满了桌子,人们晚上一家人散步到这里,会停下来喝上一杯。老人们聚集在这里一边喝着啤酒,一边闲聊。似乎每一个人都会在这里碰到熟人。即使是在晚上十点,他们的孩子还在到处跑着,因为许多孩子都睡了午觉,此时他们都精力充沛。他们将广场当作自家的后院,孩子们有些在桌子间穿来穿去,玩着捉迷藏的游戏,另一些则在报纸架及香烟小店之间踢起足球来。
在西班牙似乎有一条不成文的规定,任何人只要在某一位家长的周边30英尺范围内,都要与这位家长一起负起照顾小孩的责任。那些迷路或受伤的小孩会被送回父母身边。事实上,同一个家庭的孩子常常会穿同样的衣服以方便辨认。这个30英尺惯例也适用于表露对孩子的喜爱之情。对美国人来说,如果你的邻居走过来,捏你孩子的脸颊,或是给孩子一连串热吻,称赞他长得漂亮,你会觉得被冒犯了,更不要说一个陌生人这样做了。但在这里,对旁人的孩子表达自己的爱是一种风俗。
在西班牙也发生过引人注目的丢失儿童事件,但认为人人都有责任相互照顾彼此的后代的想法依然根深蒂固,所以家长们还是能放松地坐在那里喝着酒,让他们的孩子在社区广场上疯跑到深夜。
翻译:Wendy
