Where Should I Sit?
在美國“打的”,如果你坐副座，司機會一路與你談笑風生；你若坐在了后面,司機便板著臉一言不發(fā)。要知究竟何故，請讀 “坐在哪兒？”
When you take a taxi in the United States, if you sit up in the front seat, the driver will be pleased and talk with you all the way; if you sit in the back seat, though, the driver may be unhappy and reluctant to speak, he is unlikely to say much.
At first, I thought this was owing to differences in the characters of the drivers. Later, after I'd had some more experiences with taxis, I discovered that it was a more general phenomenon. Only when I arrived in San Francisco, did I find out the reason.
Sonia lives in San Francisco. One day, Sonia and I went out together. Sonia drove the car while her husband, Ji An, sat by her side; I sat behind Ji An. After a while, Ji An got out of the car and suggested that I sit where he had been sitting. The destination wasn't that far away, so I told him I'd just as soon stay where I was. But Ji An insisted. So I had to move, wondering what all the fuss was about.
"Do you know why Ji An asked you to sit here?" Sonia asked me. I shook my head. "If you sit in the front, it means you and I are friends; if you sit in the back, it's as if I'm just your driver and our relationship is one of employer to employee.
" With those words, I understood at once. No wonder then that taxi drivers were so pleased when I sat in the front. At face value, the only issue was where one sat. As a matter of fact, though, where one sat also reflected the degree of one's respect for the driver.
Although it is true that the relationship between driver and passenger is a business relationship - or in other words, a money relationship - people still place an emphasis on the respect and friendship beyond the monetary transaction.
One day in New York. Sonia and I once took a taxi to go out. In the car, we both sat in the back seat. Speaking in Chinese, Sonia introduced New York's social background to me. As we were talking animatedly, the driver suddenly interrupted us, "There is a law here stipulating that if you do not speak English in this taxi, you will be fined $ 200." I was very surprised.
Sonia immediately asked him, "How come I haven't ever heard of that law before? I'm going to check this law in court." The driver laughed, "I'm only kidding. I just feel frustrated that I can't understand what you're saying.
" As we got out of the taxi, Sonia said, "Our sitting behind made him feel like he was employed by us; on top of that, he couldn't understand what we were saying. So naturally, he wasn't very happy. I wouldn't put it past him to try to trick us. But I'd rather believe he was really was just kidding. Anyway, he wasn't too pleased with both of us sitting in the back."
在美國“打的”，如果你坐前邊，司機會高興得很，一路與你談笑風生；你若坐在
了后面, 司機便板著臉一言不發(fā)，即使你主動搭話，人家也愛搭不理的。
一開始我以為是司機秉性不同所致，“打的”次數多了，竟然發(fā)覺是共性。這其中的奧秘，到了舊金山方才揭曉。
索妮婭家住舊金山，一日，我與索妮婭夫婦同出，索妮婭開車，其夫紀安和她并排坐在
前面，我坐在后面。不一會，他走下車，讓我坐到前面。我說離目的地不遠了，不用換了，
就坐后面吧。不想紀安執(zhí)意要我坐到前面，我只好從命。但心里覺得紀安太多事。
“你知道紀安為什么要你坐前面？”索妮婭問我，我搖搖頭，“你坐前面，表明咱倆是朋友；你若坐在后面，我便成了為你服務的司機，咱倆就是雇傭關系了。”
一句話使我茅塞頓開，怪不得“打的”時坐前面能讓司機那么高興，看上去只是個座位問題，但去體現了人與人之間的尊重。
說起來司機與客人的確是雇傭關系，說得更明了些，是金錢關系,但是人們還尋求金錢關系之外的尊重與友誼。
在紐約的一天，我和索妮婭“打的”，二人一起坐到了后排，索妮婭用漢語向我介紹紐約社會背景。當我倆正談得熱鬧時，司機突然插了一句：“我們這里有條法律，坐車不講英語的人罰款２００美元。”我一聽怔了。
索妮婭馬上反問：“我怎么沒聽說過？我要去法院核實。”司機立刻笑了：“開個玩笑而已，我不過是悶得慌，又聽不懂你們的話”。
下車后索妮婭說，“我們坐在后面，他有受雇于人之感，再加上聽不懂我們的話，心中自然不痛快，想個招兒訛一下也未嘗不可能，不過我還是相信他開玩笑的可能性大。不管怎么說，我倆都坐后面，他是不太高興的。”
Puzzle(謎語)
There is a thing that nothing is, and yet it has a name. It's sometimes tall and sometimes short, joins our talks and joins our sports, and plays at every game. What is it?――
TONGUE TWISTER （繞口令）
A pleasant peasant keeps a pleasant pheasant and both the peasant and the pheasant are having a pleasant time together.
一位和氣的農民養(yǎng)了一只伶俐的野雞，而且這位和氣的農民和這只伶俐的野雞在一起度過了一段很美好的時光。
【名片欣賞】
[故事梗概]
故事發(fā)生在動蕩的60年代的美國. 從一個個殘疾人到足球明星, 從越戰(zhàn)英雄到捕蝦大亨，從獲白宮殊榮到終得一生摯愛，主人公福勒斯特(Forrest)經歷著他傳奇的一生。 在它的生命中， 它的母親，愛人珍妮(Jenny)引導他如何用一顆善良、溫暖的心去對待偏見、憎恨、希望、恐懼。 在這個殘酷的社會中， 福勒斯特用自己獨特的方式詮釋著生命和死亡的真諦。相信他的故事在每個人內心深處都會掀起波瀾。
LIFE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES,YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET
福勒斯特自幼身患殘疾, 而且智力低下,但他有幸有位充滿智慧和愛心的母親愛護他、引導他。為了讓福勒斯特和其它孩子一樣受到最好的教育， 母親與校方據理力爭……
FORREST: Mama was a real smart lady. 媽真是個聰明人。
MOTHER: Remember what I told you Forrest. You are no different than anybody else is. Did you hear what I said, Forrest? You are the same as everybody else. You are no different.
福勒斯特, 記住我的話. 你跟所有人一樣, 沒什麼區(qū)別. 福勒斯特, 你聽到我說的話了嗎? 你跟所有人都一樣. 沒什麼區(qū)別的。
(They enter the principle's office. 他們走進校長辦公室)
MR. HILLCOCK: You boy's different , Mrs. Gump. His IQ's 75.
甘普太太, 你兒子……與別人不一樣. 他得智商是75。
MOTHER: Well, we're all different, Mr. Hillcock. 哦, 我們彼此都不一樣, 漢科克先生。
FORREST: She wanted me to have the finest education so she took me to the Greenbow County Central School. I met the principal and all.
她要我受到最好的教育, 于是帶我去綠茵堡中心學校,在那里我看到了校長他們。
MR. HILLCOCK: I'll show you something, Mrs.Gump. Now here is normal . Forrest is right here. This State requires a minimum IQ of 80 to attend public schools, Mrs. Gump. He's going to have to go to a special school, He'll be just fine.
甘普太太, 我給你看些東西。 你看, 這是正常的。 福勒斯特是在這。 州政府規(guī)定智商至少有80才可以讀公立學校。 甘普太太, 他應該去一家特殊的學校，那樣才比較適合。
MOTHER: What does normal mean, anyway? He might be a bit on the slow side, but my boy, Forrest, is going to get the same opportunities as everyone else. He's not going to some special school to learn how to retread tires . We're talking about 5 little points here. There must be something can be done.
到底什麼叫"正常"? 他可能學東西比較慢,但我的孩子福勒斯特也要和別人一樣享有平等機會, 他不去什麼特殊學校去學習怎麼翻新輪胎。我們說的只不過是小小的五分而已, 一定會有辦法的。
MR. HILLCOCK: We're a progressive school system. We don't want to see anybody left behind. Is there a… Mr. Gump, Mrs. Gump?
我們學校的制度是要學生循序漸進, 我們不想有學生跟不上。 甘普太太, 甘普先生在嗎?
MOTHER:He's on vacation.
他度假去了。
（Continue 待續(xù)）
【加拿大朋友亮相】
Michael Murphy:
Thank you all so very much for allowing me to introduce myself. My name is Michael Murphy and I arrived in China last week. I traveled from Canada for the opportunity to teach you English.
I think your school is very beautiful and that all the teachers and students are very friendly.
You have all made both Kelly and I very welcome, and we thank you all very much.
I hope I can help as many students as possible to gain a better understanding of how to speak English. I look forward to teaching you soon.
My favorite sport is football, but I also enjoy basketball any many other events.
I like to cook and look forward to making some Chinese food for Kelly!!!
Kelly Murphy:
Firstly, I would very much like to thank all the teachers and students at Baoying Middle School for the warm welcome that Michael and I received here. Everyone has been so friendly and helpful. I was born in England but have lived in Canada for over 20 years. Canada is a beautiful country and I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about it. I like to watch football on television and I also enjoy reading.
I am looking forward to teaching oral English and being a part of your community. I am also looking forward to learning Mandarin.
【學生詩作】
Dream
寶中高一（8）班祁靜
You are a beacon,
Which is on the way for advancing.
You are a target,
Which people go after.
Without you,
My work will lose power,
My study will lose goal,
My life will have no meaning.
Without you,
Even in the sunshine,
I still feel cold and detached.
Even in a hundred flowers,
I still can't see a bright future.
If you are a sea,
I'm a drop of water.
If you are a mountain,
I'm a grain of sand.
No matter I am tinge enough,
I may get inexhaustible power from you!