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选择你所喜欢的Pick what you like

http://www.sina.com.cn 2004/05/27 10:14 英语沙龙

　　编者按：斯蒂芬·范怀克(Stephen Van Wyck)先生是一位普通的外籍教师，在中国已经从事了8年的英语教学工作。他的热情、执著和生动活泼的授课方式，让英美文学课成了他的学生们的最爱。如果我们把英语语言学习当作一把打开西方大门的钥匙，那么英美文学的学习无疑是深入了解西方历史和文化背景的有效方式。但是目前，较之日渐高涨的英语学习热潮，英美文学的学习似乎冷寂了许多。范怀克先生对此怎么看呢？

　　E Huiyuan: What attracted you to come to China as a teacher of literature?

　　Stephen Van Wyck：I first taught English in China in 1994, in Bengbu, Anhui Province. It was a summer job, lasting five weeks. I knew very clearly this was what I liked and wanted, so I returned to China one year later. I like the freedom and dignity associated with this work. Within clearlydesigned boundaries, one has a large measure of personal and professional autonomy. Without having to deal with the trauma1 of severe competition, one can nonetheless struggle hard to achieve one’s own professional goals. Pay is low, but the professional, students, and “quality of life” rewards are great. Besides, I like Xinjiang and Qinghai very much, on account of their remote and beautiful mountains and deserts.

　　E: Nowadays, more and more Chinese people are keen on English, but many of them only pay attention to the practical side of English, ignoring the improvement of their literary accomplishments. According to their opinions, learning English means only some knowledge of practical English and the ability to talk in English. Do you agree with them?

　　Stephen Van Wyck：It all boils down to2 motivation. Raw, naked motivation accounts for at least 50% of learning a language. Have it, and you can go anywhere; have it not, and your language learning is futile1. English learning in China (and in many other parts of the world) is inextricably linked to getting and holding a job. We live in a very utilitarian age, where English as a practical tool is considered of more worth than an aesthetic appreciation of literature, culture or history. The “zeitgeist2” is largely, very largely in favor of upward economic mobility. Therefore, “literary appreciation” is discarded as superfluous3 according to the present philosophy, this is reasonable. “What is the use of this” will be asked by many students, who are careerminded. I think this is doomed to fail, because the underlying “philosophy of English learning” in China，that is learning English is only a “tool” to social economic improvement, is following a different drummer, and will not be led in a new direction.

　　E: Quite a few students prefer reading simplified editions of British and American masterpieces or even replacing reading of masterpieces with revised films. What do you say about this phenomenon?

　　Stephen Van Wyck：It is alright, if you accept the following conditions: First, you only want a broad, brief idea of the story. Second, your English is not too good, making a reading of the original work difficult or impossible. Third, you clearly recognize and admit that you are reading/watching a summary, and not “the real thing”! Otherwise, you are degrading beauty and truth.

　　E: Could you give some suggestions or advice to our readers who love English and British and American literature?

　　Stephen Van Wyck：As an English teacher, I believe in encouraging my students to synthesize4 language, not only memorize it. I also ask them to not laugh at each other, lest certain students be afraid of speaking English. I am very happy that some Chinese students like reading literature work. Read it on your own terms, away from the clutter of “undesirable others.” You have your whole life ahead of you: pick what you like; you can’t have it all. Follow your heart, not what others say you must do. Read for fun and personal interest, not for externalities such as grades, diplomas, “professional upgrading,” and the like. Do not read to memorize  that is a “ hard disk's” responsibility; read to enjoy and learn on your terms  that is a human being’s gift, like the air we are given to breathe. Do it yourself; few people will help you on your terms.

　　E: Have you ever read any English version of Chinese literature? Which literature work of which writer do you like best? And why?

　　Stephen Van Wyck：Shen Congwen in English. I read some stories about his unconventional childhood in Hunan, when he was avoiding school. His writing was very vivid. Alas, I have read no more of him!

选择你所喜欢的Pick what you like

　　鄂慧媛：是什么吸引您来中国做一名文学教师的呢？

　　斯蒂芬·范怀克：我第一次来中国教英文是在1994年，在安徽的蚌埠。那是一份为期5个星期的暑期工作。我非常清楚这就是我喜欢的，也是我所追求的，所以一年后我又回到中国。我喜欢这份工作的自由和尊严。在明确的工作范围内，你可以有很大程度的个人和职业自由。你无需应付激烈竞争带来的精神冲击，反而可以努力奋斗实现自己的职业目标。薪水不高，但是职业上的、学生和“生活质量”的回报却是丰厚的。此外，我非常喜欢新疆和青海，喜欢那里遥远美丽的群山和沙漠。

　　鄂：如今，越来越多的中国人热衷于学习英语，但许多人只注重英语的实用性，而忽视了自身文学修养的加强。他们认为，学英语不过就是学一些实用英语的知识，或是能够用英语交谈。您同意他们的观点吗？

　　斯蒂芬·范怀克：这都要归结为学习的动机。学习一门语言至少50%要靠纯朴、自然的动机。如果有这样的动机，学什么语言都没问题；如果没有，你学习语言就不会有什么成果。在中国(以及世界上的许多其他国家)，人们把学习英语和得到并保住一份工作完全联系在一起。我们生活在一个非常功利的时代，在这个时代，英语作为一种实用工具，被认为比对文学、文化或历史的审美更加有价值。时代的潮流在很大程度上倾向于顺应日益高涨的经济活动。因此，根据当今的人生观，“文学鉴赏”被认为是多余的东西而被遗弃了，这是可以理解的。许多关心谋生之道的学生会问：“学习这个有什么用？”我认为这种想法注定要失败的，因为在中国，基本的“英语学习观”——英语学习仅仅是推动社会经济进步的一种工具——是与众不同的，不会形成一个新的方向。

　　鄂：不少学生更喜欢“简写本”的英美文学名著，甚或用看改编的电影来代替阅读名著。对这个现象您怎么看呢？

　　斯蒂芬·范怀克：如果是以下这几种情况，那是可以的。首先，你只是想了解故事梗概。第二，你的英语水平不是很高，阅读原著太难或是不可能。第三，你很清楚地认识到并承认自己是在读或看一个故事的大概内容，而不是正宗的东西！否则的话，你是在贬低美丽和真实。

　　鄂：您能为我们喜欢英语和英美文学的读者提一些建议和忠告吗？

　　斯蒂芬·范怀克：作为英语教师，我主张鼓励学生去学习综合语言，而不仅仅是记忆。我也要求学生不能笑话其他人，以免一些同学不敢说英语。我很高兴一些中国学生喜欢阅读文学作品。根据自己的喜好来读，摈弃其他那些乱七八糟不中意的东西。来日方长，全由自己决定：选择你所喜欢的，你不可能什么都读。自己想读什么就读什么，不要听人说你该读什么就读什么。读书是为了快乐和个人喜好，而不是为了一些外在的东西，如分数、文凭和“职位晋升”之类的。读书不是为了记住什么，那是电脑硬盘的工作；读书是为了按自己爱好去学习，去享受乐趣，这是我们作为人的享有之物，就好像赐给我们呼吸的空气一样。自己去选择，很少人能帮助你去选择你自己喜欢的东西。

　　鄂：您读过一些英文版本的中国文学作品吗？您最喜欢哪位作家的哪部文学作品呢？为什么？

　　斯蒂芬·范怀克：我很喜欢沈从文的作品。我读过一些他的故事，记述他在湖南逃学的不同寻常的童年生活。他的描写非常生动活泼。真可惜，我就读过这些！　(本文未经许可不得转载)

　　□本刊记者　鄂慧媛

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