大學(xué)跨文化英語(yǔ) 綜合教程I Unit 3 Are They Typical課文翻譯

Reading&DigestingAreTheyTypical?CathyN.DavidsonUnlikemyAmericanstudents,studentsatKansaiWomen'sUniversityrarelyattendedmyofficehours.Tenonedayalocalnewspaperreporterinterviewedmeforacolumnaboutgaijins'impressionofthetypicalJapanesewoman.BeforemovingtoJapan,Icouldanswerwithouthesitation.IhadthesamepreconceptionsthatmostWesternershaveaboutJapanesewomen—submissive,flirtatiousandaccommodating.AfterteachinginJapanforseveralmonths,IwasunabletocharacterizetheJapanesewomenI'dmet.Iwasimpressed,ingeneral,bytheirstrengthandindependence,butIdidn'tknowhowtodescribe“thetypicalJapanesewoman.”“Isthereone?”Ifinallyaskedhelplessly.ItoldthereporterthatInowknewwhatwasnottypical(I'dseenonlytwogeisha),butIhadnocluewhatatypicalJapanesewomanwas.“IguessI'llhavetospendtherestofmyyeartryingtofindher!”Ijoked.Idon'tknowhowthisjoketranslatedbutaccordingtothearticle,Iwasdescribedasa“feminist”whohadcometoJapanpartlytolearnmoreaboutJapanesewomen.Suddenlystudentsbeganshowingupduringmyofficehours,asifmywordsinthenewspaperwereaninvitationforthemtocometodiscusspersonalmatterswithmeoraskmyadvicewithoutcompromisingtheirownlives.Apparently,IhadsaidpubliclythatIwasinterestedinlearningmoreaboutJapanesewomensostudentscametosharetheiropinions.“IamthetypicalJapanesewoman,”myneighbor,Mrs.Okano,insistsafewmorningsafterreadingthenewspaper.“I'mserious,”myneighborsays,“ifyouwanttoknowanythingabouttypicalJapanesewomen,youcanaskme.”“Whydoyouconsideryourself‘typical'?”Iaskher.“BecauseIam,”shelaughs.“There'snothingunusualaboutmeatall!”“Ithinkit'sunusual,”Isayadmiringly,“forsomebodytoadmitthey'retypical.Mostpeoplethinktheyareprettyspecial.”“Oh,maybeinAmerica,”shelaughs.“ButinJapan,everywomanthinksthey'retypical.”Aswelaugh,themailwomanapproachesandMrs.Okanoexcusesherselftomeether.Sheremindsthemailwomanthatfromnowonhermailshouldbedeliveredtohernewaddress.“You'removingtoday?”Iask,surprisedathowdisappointedIfeel.“Gomennasai,gomennasai,”sheapologizes,realizingthatIwasunaware.ProbablyeveryoneelseatMaisonShowahasknownforweeks.ItellherI'msorrytohearthatsheismoving,butthatIhopeshewillenjoyhernewapartment.“It'sahouse,”shesays,unabletoconcealherpride.Sheisexpectingthemoverssoonbutinsistsoninvitingmetogivemeacopyofamapshehasneatlydrawn,markingthewaytohernewhouse.“Nowyoucancomeandvisitme,”shebeams,handingittome.“Ialsogavemyhusbandamapthismorningsohecanfindittonightafterwork.”Shesaysthiscasually.“Idon'tunderstand.Youmean,hedoesn'tremembertheway?”“He'sneverbeenthere.”“Idon'tunderstand,”Irepeat,thistimeinJapanese.“He'sneverbeenthere?”Nowshe'sconfused,andrepeatsagain,inherbestEnglish.“Excuseme,please,”Isay,uppingmypolitenesslevelinJapanese.“Idon'tunderstand,howhecouldhaveboughtahousewithoutseeingit?”“Hedidn'tbuythehouse,Idid.”“Andheneversawitbeforeyouboughtit?”“Ofcoursenot.That'swoman'swork.ItoldyouI'matypicalJapanesewoman.Isn'tthishowwomendoitinAmerica?”Mrs.OkanoisshockedwhenItellherthatfewAmericanmarriedwomenmakemajorfinancialdecisionswithoutconsultingtheirhusbands.Theremightbesome,butIdon'tknowany“Really?”Sheshockinglyresponds.“Never.”“Whataboutacar?”sheasksme.Ishakemyheadno.“Appliances—refrigerator,television?”35“Notusually.”36“Furniture?”“Probablynot.MostAmericanhusbandswouldbemadtocomehomeanddiscovertheirwifehadjustboughtanewcouchordiningroomsetwithoutconsultingthem.”“IthoughtallAmericanwomenwork,earntheirownmoney?”Shestrangelyreplies.“It'struethatmanyAmericanwomenworkoutsidethehome,”Ireply,slowly.“Buteventheoneswhoearntheirownmoneyoftenconsulttheirhusbandsaboutbigpurchases.”“ThisiswhatAmericanscall‘women'slib3'?”Mrs.Okanolaughsbutquicklyapologizesforherrudeness.Bynoon,everyoneinourapartmentcomplexwillhaveheardabouthowthepoorgaijinwomanisafull-timecollegeteacher,butcan'tbuyasofawithoutaskingherhusband'spermission.“Kawaiso!”shesaysfinally,exchangingherlaughterforanexpressionofsympathy(Howridiculous!).Shereachesoutandpatsmyback,asifI'masmallchildbadlyinneedofcomforting.“NowonderyoulikeJapansomuch!”shesays.參考譯文她們夠典型嗎？凱西?N?戴維森關(guān)西女子大學(xué)的學(xué)生與我在美國(guó)的學(xué)生不同，她們很少在答疑時(shí)間露面。一天，一位地方報(bào)紙記者來(lái)采訪我，是有關(guān)“外國(guó)人”眼中的典型日本女性這一欄目。去日本之前，我可以毫不猶豫地回答這個(gè)問(wèn)題。我對(duì)日本女性的印象和大多數(shù)西方人的觀點(diǎn)沒(méi)有兩樣：順從、嫵媚、熱情。在日本執(zhí)教幾個(gè)月后，我卻沒(méi)法說(shuō)清我遇到的日本女性究竟有何特點(diǎn)。我對(duì)她們的毅力和獨(dú)立印象深刻，但不知該如何描述“典型的日本女性”?！罢娴挠袉?？”最后我很無(wú)助地問(wèn)道。我告訴記者，我現(xiàn)在知道非典型的是什么樣的（我只見(jiàn)過(guò)兩名藝伎），但對(duì)什么是典型的日本女性毫無(wú)頭緒。“估計(jì)這一年在日本余下的時(shí)間得用來(lái)尋找她了！”我開(kāi)玩笑道。不知道這句玩笑話是怎么翻譯的，反正這篇文章將我描述成一名“女權(quán)主義者”，更多地了解日本女性是我此次日本之行的目的之一。一下子，學(xué)生們開(kāi)始在答疑時(shí)間來(lái)找我，好像我在報(bào)紙上的言論是對(duì)她們發(fā)出的邀請(qǐng)，希望她們?cè)诓挥绊懽约荷畹那疤嵯拢皝?lái)和我探討個(gè)人的事情，或者向我尋求建議。顯然，我在公開(kāi)場(chǎng)合說(shuō)過(guò)自己有興趣更多地了解日本女性，因此，學(xué)生們紛紛前來(lái)分享她們的想法?！拔揖褪堑湫偷娜毡九?，”我的鄰居岡野太太看完報(bào)紙后，幾個(gè)早晨都這么說(shuō)?！拔沂钦J(rèn)真的，”她說(shuō)，“如果想了解任何有關(guān)典型的日本女性的事，您盡可問(wèn)我。”“為什么你認(rèn)為自己很‘典型'呢？”我問(wèn)道?！耙?yàn)槲揖褪牵彼Φ?。“我沒(méi)有任何特殊的地方！”“如果有人承認(rèn)自己很典型，我覺(jué)得這就不同尋常了，”我欽佩地說(shuō)，“大多數(shù)人都認(rèn)為己很特別?！薄芭?，那或許是在美國(guó)吧！”她笑道。“但是在日本，每一位女性都認(rèn)為自己很典型?！蔽覀冋f(shuō)笑著，一個(gè)女郵遞員過(guò)來(lái)了，岡野太太表示抱歉，轉(zhuǎn)身去招呼她。她提醒這位女郵遞員，從今往后，她的郵件都要投到新住址去。“你今天要搬家？”我問(wèn)的同時(shí)，沒(méi)想到自己竟如此失落。“對(duì)不起，對(duì)不起，”她連忙道歉，意識(shí)到我對(duì)她搬家并不知情。住在昭和公寓的其他人可能幾周前就知道這個(gè)消息了。我對(duì)她說(shuō)，她要搬家真的很可惜，但我希望她喜歡她的新公寓?！澳鞘且淮毙e墅，”她說(shuō)著，難以掩飾自己的自豪感。她正在等待搬家公司來(lái)人，但還是再三請(qǐng)我去她家，拿她親手畫(huà)的一幅地圖，上面清楚地標(biāo)出了去她新家的路線?！斑@樣你就可以來(lái)找我了，”她微笑著把地圖遞給我?！敖裉煸缟衔乙步o了我先生一幅地圖，這樣今晚下班他就能找到新家了?！彼p松地告訴我?！拔覜](méi)搞明白。你的意思是，他不記得路？”“他還沒(méi)去過(guò)呢?！薄拔覜](méi)搞明白，”我重復(fù)了一遍，這次用的是日語(yǔ)?！八麖臎](méi)去過(guò)？”這下子，她糊涂了，她用字正腔圓的英語(yǔ)也重復(fù)了一遍?！皩?duì)不起，”我用了更加禮貌的日語(yǔ)問(wèn)道：“我還是不明白，他怎么可能買(mǎi)下了房子，卻從來(lái)沒(méi)看過(guò)一眼呢？”“不是他買(mǎi)的，是我。”“在你買(mǎi)之前，他難道沒(méi)看一下嗎？”“當(dāng)然不用，那是女人的事兒。我告訴過(guò)你，我是一個(gè)典型的日本女人。美國(guó)的女人不也是這樣做的嗎？”我告訴她，在美國(guó)，很少有女人不經(jīng)過(guò)丈夫的同意，在大的經(jīng)濟(jì)開(kāi)銷(xiāo)上自作主張的?？赡苡幸恍覐臎](méi)見(jiàn)到過(guò)。岡野太太聽(tīng)了大吃一驚?！罢娴膯幔俊彼痼@萬(wàn)分地說(shuō)。“千真萬(wàn)確?！薄澳琴I(mǎi)車(chē)呢？”我搖搖頭。“像冰箱、電視之類(lèi)的家用電器呢？”“也很少。”“家具呢？”“可能也不會(huì)。在美國(guó)，如果丈夫回家發(fā)現(xiàn)妻子沒(méi)經(jīng)過(guò)他同意，在家里添置了沙發(fā)椅或者