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英文励志短文《曼德拉的菜园》赏析

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Mandela's Garden

曼德拉的菜园

In early 1977, the authorities announced the end of manual labor and arranged some type of work for us to do in the courtyard, so we could spend our days in our section. The end of manual labor was liberating. I could now spend the day reading, writing letters, discussing issues with my comrades, or preparing legal documents. The free time also allowed me to pursue what became two of my favorite hobbies on Robben Island: gardening and tennis.

To survive in prison, one must develop ways to take satisfaction in one's daily life. One can feel fulfilled by washing one's clothes so that they are particularly clean, by sweeping a hallway so that it is empty of dust, by organizing one's cell to save as much space as possible. Just as one takes pride in important tasks outside of prison, one can find the same pride in doing small things inside prison.

Almost from the beginning of my sentence on Robben Island, I asked the authorities for permission to start a garden in the courtyard. For years, they refused without offering a reason. But eventually they gave in, and we were able to cut out a small garden on a narrow patch of earth against the far wall.

The soil in the courtyard was dry and rocky. The courtyard had been constructed over the garage dump, and in order to start my garden, I had to remove a great many rocks to allow the plants room to grow. At the time, some of my comrades joked that I was a miner at heart, for I spent my days in a wasteland and my free time digging in the courtyard.

The authorities supplied me with seeds. I at first planted tomatoes, chilies, and onions ?hardy plants that did not require rich earth or constant care. The early harvests were poor, but they soon improved. The authorities did not regret giving permission, for once the garden began to flourish, I often provided the wardens with some of my best tomatoes and onions.

While I have always enjoyed gardening, it was not until I was behind bars that I was able to tend my own garden. My first experience in the garden was at Fort Hare, as part of university's manual labor requirement, I worked in one of my professors' garden and enjoyed the contact with the soil as an alternative to my intellectual labors. Once I was in Johannesburg studying and then working, I had neither the time nor the space to start a garden.

I began to order books on gardening. I studied different gardening techniques and types of fertilizers. I did not have many of the materials that the books discussed, but I learned through trial and error. For a time, I attempted to grow peanuts, and used different soils and fertilizers, but finally I gave up. It was one of my few failures.

A garden was one of the few things in prison that one could control. To plant a seed, watch it grow, to tend it and harvest it, offered a simple but enduring satisfaction. The sense of being the owner of the small patch of earth offered a small taste of freedom.

In some ways I saw the garden as a metaphor for certain aspects of my life. Leaders must also look after their gardens; they, too, plant seeds, and then watch, cultivate, and harvest results. Like gardeners, leaders must take responsibility for what they cultivate; they must mind their work, try to drive back enemies, save what can be saved, and eliminate what can not succeed.

I wrote Winnie two letters about a particularly beautiful tomato plant, how I made it grow from a tender seedling to a strong plant that produced deep red fruit. But then, either through some mistake or lack of care, the plant began to wither and decline, and nothing I did would bring it back to health. When it finally died, I removed the roots from the soil, washed them, and buried them in a corner of the garden.

I told her this small story at great length. I don't know what she read into that letter, but when I wrote it I had a mixture of feelings: I did not want our relationship to go the way of that plant, and yet I felt that I had been unable to nourish many of the most important relationships in my life. Sometimes there is nothing one can do to save something that must die.

曼德拉的菜园


这篇文章选自美国1994年出版的纳尔逊·曼德拉自传《自由路漫漫》(Long Walk to Freedom)一书,是杨立民教授主编的《现代大学英语》(精读I)的第7 课课文。这篇选文内容深刻,语言精 练,是学英语的一篇好范文。下面我们就从内容和语言两个方面来讨论这段选文。

南非黑人领袖纳尔逊·曼德拉是二十世纪的风云人物,他为在南非取消种族隔离制,实现种族平等而奋斗了一生,并最终取得胜利,使南非黑人有了自己的家园。在几十年的斗争中,他百折不挠。他曾身陷囹圄27 年,但凭着对正义的坚定信念,监狱里非人的生活从未摧垮过他那钢铁般的意志。他不畏强bao,不怕牺牲,与当时的南非种族歧视当局进行了殊死的斗争!他这种大无畏的气概一直为世人景仰。1993年他获得了诺贝尔和平奖,1994当选为南非共和国总统。他主政期间,高风亮节,不谋私利,胸怀宽广,坚持原则。对妻子温妮的错误行为,他做到了仁至义尽,最后不得不离婚时,他伤心至极。他与温妮几十年悲欢离合,对于他们之间饱含辛酸、历经沧桑的爱情,在本文结尾处他无比伤感地悲叹:有时候,你无法挽救必定要死亡的东西(Sometimes there is nothing one can do to save something that must die.)。曼德拉在担任南非总统期间,日理万机, 勤勤恳恳为人民谋利益。正当他的事业如日中天时,他急流勇退,让比自己更年轻有为的人去管理国家,他这种美德在世界政坛传为佳话,令世人敬佩!

因领导黑人进行反对种族隔离的斗争,曼德拉于1963年被捕入狱,判刑后被囚禁于罗本岛 (Robben Island)。14年后,也就是本文开头所提及的1977年, 他才被免于野外苦役(the end of manual labor)——采石灰石,而可以在监狱大院内劳动 (...arranged some type of work for us to do in the courtyard)。对他来说, 这是一种解放(liberating)。至此他才稍稍有点自由去读书、写信、和囚友们讨论问题以及准备文件为自己打官司申诉。在罗本岛上的监狱里他养成了两个爱好:园艺和网球(gardening and tennis)。

那么,曼德拉是怎么在监狱中养成这两个爱好,尤其是园艺爱好的呢?这是本文着重要讨论的。曼德拉说,要想在监狱中求生存,你必须用自己的方式在每天残酷的生活中寻找一点慰藉(one must develop ways to take satisfaction in one's daily life),所以,在洗衣服、清扫过道、收拾牢房的过程中,他都用积极的态度对待每一天的生活。他认为,在监狱里做这些零碎小事(doing small things)和在监狱外做那些重要大事(important tasks)一样令人有成就,关键在于你胸中是否有理想,人生是否有坚定的信念。

几乎从曼德拉入狱起,他就开始要求当局允许他开垦一片菜园,自己种菜。可是若干年过去了,当局一直拒绝他的请求。不过最终他们还是允许他在监狱大院最远的墙边开垦了一片狭长的菜园(cut out a small garden on a narrow patch of earth against the far wall)。对于他来说,这是为自由而斗争的一个胜利!监狱的大院是建在垃圾堆上的(The courtyard had been constructed over the garage dump.),那片岩质地土质干燥(The soil in the courtyard was dry and rocky.),为了开垦这片菜地,他把所有的业余时间都用来在地里刨石头、捡石头、清理土地,囚友们都笑话他,说他生来就是矿工(a miner at heart)。

曼德拉最后终于有了自己的菜园,监狱当局给他提供蔬菜种子,他种了西红柿、辣椒、洋葱,因为这些都是耐贫瘠土壤、无需精心栽培的蔬菜(hardy plants that did not require rich earth or constant care.)。在监狱中种菜,对曼德拉来说是一种寄托,他的菜园是一种象征:自由的象征!对一小块菜地的拥有使他尝到了点自由的甜头(The sense of being the owner of the small patch of earth offered a small taste of freedom.),这对他的精神是巨大的安慰。

在种植菜园的过程中,曼德拉经历了许多困难,也学到了许多园艺技能。最关键的是,他从园艺中感悟了人生的许多道理。 他认为种菜好比人生中的事业(I saw the garden as a metaphor for certain aspects of my life.),作为领导人的他,要精心照顾自己事业的“菜园”:要播种、要看护、要耕耘、要收获(plant seeds, and then watch, cultivate, and harvest results)。领导人对自己所耕耘的(what they cultivate)要负责任,他们要认真履行自己的职责(mind their work),要力图击退敌人(try to drive back enemies),挽救能够挽救的一切(save what can be saved),清除不可能成功的一切(eliminate what can not succeed)。

在选文的最后两段中,曼德拉讲到了自己与妻子温妮的关系。这是令他最伤感的事。在给温妮的两封信中,他给她详细讲了种西红柿的故事,内含他们之间关系的寓意。他精心种植了一株西红柿苗,使它长出了鲜红的西红柿,可是,不知怎么搞的,由于某种错误或者疏忽(either through some mistake or lack of care),那株苗开始枯萎,他尽了全力也无法把它救活(nothing I did would bring it back to health)。 此处的语言表达出了曼德拉悲哀的心情 (Sometimes there is nothing one can do to save something that must die.)。

现在让我们来讨论选段的语言。大家读完选段肯定觉得曼德拉的语言通俗易懂,简练而琅琅上口。的确如此,但是他那浅白的语言却包含着深邃的人生哲理。第一段中的The end of manual labor was liberating.,第四段中的The soil in the courtyard was dry and rocky., 第五段中的The authorities supplied me with seeds., 第七段中的 I began to order books on gardening., 第十一段中的 I told her this small story at great length., 这些句子都是简单结构,但却极其准确地表达了他的心情和意思。由此可见他语言功底的深厚。

此外,他的平行结构用得非常恰当,给读者一种文笔工整的感觉。第一段中的I could now spend the day reading, writing letters, discussing issues with my comrades, or preparing legal documents.是四个动名词短语平行的结构;第二段中的One can feel fulfilled by washing one's clothes so that they are particularly clean, by sweeping a hallway so that it is empty of dust, by organizing one's cell to save as much space as possible.是三个介词短语平行的结构;第六段中的I had neither the time nor the space to start a garden.是两个名词短语平行的结构;第八段中的To plant a seed, watch it grow, to tend it and harvest it, offered a simple but enduring satisfaction.是四个不定式短语做主语的平行结构;第九段中的they must mind their work, try to drive back enemies, save what can be saved, and eliminate what can not succeed.是四个谓语动词短语并列使用的排比结构。从这些平行结构中可见他运用语言的功力。

再者,曼德拉在文中很注意长句和短句、复合句和简单句的搭配使用,使读者不会觉得语言乏味或手法单调。例如文章最后一段中的这句话:I don't know what she read into that letter, but when I wrote it I had a mixture of feelings: I did not want our relationship to go the way of that plant, and yet I felt that I had been unable to nourish many of the most important relationships in my life.

他没有用什么大词、长词或所谓的雅词,但是他运用常用词和常用表达法的技能可谓炉火纯青,他的语言流畅、清新,让人百读不厌。总之,这是一段非常精彩的英文选读,我很乐意推荐给大家。以上的讨论如有不当之处,敬请大家批评指正。

 




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