• 《双语时代》2007年第6期摘录:

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eryonedrovereallybigcarsandtrucksandworeclothesthatlhadneverseenbefore,suchascowboyboots.大家一定对华人在德州成长的情形非常好奇。我对德州的第一印象是——大——所有的东西,房子、街道、人、食物和超市都很大,现在也还是一样。有句俗话说得好:德克萨斯什么都很大,有时候人们也用“德克萨斯尺寸”来形容很大的东西。周围的人说的英语和美国电影里的用词都不一样,还带着浓浓的方言昧儿和鼻音。比方说,他们打招呼时不说“Hello”而说“Howdy”,说“Youall”的时候则简称为“y’all”。我老觉得自己在昕一个西部片儿里的演员说台词。人们都开着庞大的汽车和卡车,穿着我从没见过那种牛仔靴一类的服装。lremember,veryclearly,walkingdownatypicalsuburbansidewalkafterhav’ingarrivedatmynewhomeintheUS.Thestreetwaslinedwithhouseswithwell.manicuredIawns.NooneelsewhoIivedonmystreetwasAsianorChinese.Aslstartedtowalkdownthestreetwithmyaunt(whodoesnotspeakawordofEnglishlikemyselfatthetime),webumpedintoaveryfriendlyAmericanfamily.Theparents,withtheirsonanddaughter,hadjustreturnedfromanoutingandweregettingoutoftheircarfromtheirdriveway.WhentheysawmyauntandI(wewereprobablyquitethesighttosee)approachingtheirhouse,thesonanddaughtercamedowntrOmtheirdrivewaytogreetusontheside。walk.Thedaughtercameuptomeandofferedalittletoyasameansoffriend—shipandgoodwill.1wassotouchedbutIcouldnotexpressmyselfsincelhadnotstartedIearningEnglishyet.我还清楚地记得刚到美国的新家时步行经过一条典型的乡间公路的情形。道路两旁房屋林立,家家的草坪都修葺整齐。在那条街道上,我们是唯一一个中国家庭,乃至亚洲家庭。我和阿姨那时候一句英语也不会说,当我们走在那条路上时,遇到了一个非常友好的美国家庭。那家的爸爸妈妈带着一对儿女刚刚从外出归来的车子中下来。我跟阿姨应该是很显眼,所以当他们看到我们走过他们家时,两个孩子就从车道那边跑过来,站在人行道上跟我们打招呼。小女孩走近我,送给我一个小玩具以示友好。我感动极了,可是由于还没开始学英语,我无法传达给她我想说的话。Irememberthefeelingoftryingtoun’derstandmyneighborwithoutbeingabletospeakthisnewlanguage.LittledidlknowthattheEnglishtheyspokeatthetimehada”southern”accent.1Iookedatmyaunttoseeiflcouldac—ceptthetoy.Whenldid,lremembermyneighborgivingmeawarmandfriend—lyhugbeforesayinggoodbye.WhenIgothome.1wassoexcitedthatIhadtotellmyparentsaboutournewneigh·bors(butinChinese).Fromthischance同时,我的邻居们也从我们这里学到了一些中文。ThreedecadesIater,tothisday,wearestillextremelyclosefriends,despitethefactthatmyfamilyhasmovedoutofthatneighborhood(theystilIoccupythesamehouse).AIIofuskeepintouchandwearealwaysattendingeachoth’ersspecialfamilygatherings.Weoftenbringupthefunnymomentsourfami—liessharedasformerneighbors.TheirsonevenacquiredatasteforChinesetea.IamwaitingfortheirfamilytoonedayvisitmeinChina.三十年过去了,虽然我们家已经搬离那个社区,而他们家还一直住在~JIUL,但直到现在我们两家还是很要好的朋友。我们一直保持着联系,还经常参加对方的家庭聚会。我们常常提起当年还是邻居时一起度过的那些欢乐时光。他们家的儿子甚至养成了品茶的习惯。我还一直期待着他们能到中国来跟我聚聚呢。encounter,ourfamiliesgrewcloser.MyparentsbroughtmebacktoOurnewThisoneparticularencounterhasneighbor’shousetomakeanofficialintroduction.BothofmyparentsspokeEnglishfluently.Wewouldeatdinnerateachothershouse,learningaboutAmericanandChinesefood.MyEnglishimprovedthankstomyneighborsandtheymanagedtopickupsomeChinesefrOmmyfamilyaswell.我还记得那种想要和邻居们交流却语言不通时的感觉,那时我只是稍微地知道他们13中的英语带着一些南部13音。我不知道是不是该收下玩具,只好看着阿姨。我还记得在跟我们说再见之前,邻居给了我一个温暖友好的拥抱。回家之后,我兴奋地跟爸妈说起遇见新邻居的事情,当然是用中文。这次的经历之后,我们两家更亲近了,爸妈把我带到邻居家正式拜访。爸爸妈妈英文都说得很流利。我们总是在对方家中共进晚餐,互相交流中西方的莱肴。在邻居的帮助下,我的英语也进步很快。broughtbothofourfamiliesalifetimeoffondmemoriesandculturalunder‘standingandexchange.Soremembertoloveandembracethyneighbor!这次偶然的相遇给我们两家带来了一生的美好回忆,也带给我们不同文化的交流和分享。所以,要记得,爱你们的邻居,拥抱他们吧!MYfirstdayofschoolintheUSalsomadeastrongimpressiononme.1twasthefirsttimemyparentshadleftmealoneinthisforeignlandandIdidnotknoworcouldnotunderstandanyone.1wasterrified.Mykindergartenteacherseemednicebutldidnotknowwhatshewassaying.Shepointedtothingsbut1wasstillconfused.Noonecouldunderstandmewhichmademesoup—setthatIstartedcrying.IrememberthatJune2007BllingtxdTime063

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