子华书摘：Stories of My Life

　　杜子华先生从事英语教育十余年，“新东方”创始人之一，北京华诚研修学院校长，北京市民讲外语活动组委会顾问。著有《杜子华英语成功学》，英语电影视听说教材《杜子华英语大课堂》系列丛书，《TSE口语超级教程》及《2004全国硕士研究生入学考试英语系列丛书》等，曾在中央电视台“百家讲坛”中主讲“英语成功学”，在中央人民广播电台二套节目“英语之夜”中主讲 “英语电影赏析”。从今年开始，杜子华将与您分享“读书”的感悟和“行动”的力量。

　　前几期的 “子华书摘”多是对business books 和books on education的评论。这样选择的原因，一则是基于“Business seems to rule our world”，且本人曾阅读了大量的商业书籍，也就此想发表一点看法；再者是我从事教育工作，在一定程度上便难免“王婆卖瓜，自卖自夸”的“陋习”。

　　近日收到读者反馈，建议我在选材时要多元化、多视角，这样才能更好地满足多方面的读者需求。因此本期我选了一位电影演员的自传，目的就是想说明这样一个道理：一个人不应只忙于“business”，或接受“education”。其实，学会生活亦是人生大事。

　　读凯瑟琳·赫本的自传使我想起许多小时候的事情。那时，孩子的确是大自然的孩子，他们都享受过选段四中描写的种种活动的乐趣。然而，现在的孩子却是计算机的孩子，是电视机的孩子，是工业化的孩子。成人也无法常常享受回归大自然的乐趣。最近恰好读过另一本书，书名是“Enough ?Staying human in an engineered age”。 这本书提出这样的问题：人类社会的工业化是否过了头，从而导致人已不是具有人性的人。在读凯瑟琳·赫本这本自传的时候, 我情不自禁地回忆起她出演过的几十部电影，里面充满了“人情味”和“自然的生活”。于是，我不禁自问：“物质财富就是一切吗？”“人是否正在失去人的本性？”照此想下去，就有点恐怖了。

　　现在言归正传，来谈一谈凯瑟琳·赫本其人。凯瑟琳·赫本的电影演员生涯长达60年,并且是自始至终辉煌的60年。She truly demonstrated remarkable staying power in a screen career that spanned more than six decades, winning three of her four Best Actress Oscars after the age of 60. Her independent life and strong-willed movie characters made her a role model for generations of women and a beloved heroine to moviegoers. 在演艺圈，演员都有“黄金期”。女演员的“黄金期”更容易和她的年轻美貌联系在一起。赫本却在60岁以后三次获得奥斯卡最佳女演员奖，的确非同一般。在谈到自己的成就时，她说：“The single most important thing anyone needs to know about me is that I am totally, completely the product of two damn fascinating individuals who happened to be my parents.”在选段三中，她强调了她母亲的信念 “Independence is the only solution. Don誸 moan. Don誸 complain. Think positively.”对她的影响。在选段一中，她道出了 “人品”决定人的一切的观点。在她的生日那天，她的父亲认为她应该玩别人想玩的游戏，在生日这天要使别人快乐。父母对孩子的影响不可谓不大。

　　在选段七中，她遇到一个真正爱她的人，让她明白什么是无条件的爱。对此，她很感激。在选段八中，Katharine描写了自己的女管家，并把她形容成“天使”。从中可以看出Katharine对自己身边的人充满了人情味。

　　的确，会感恩的人才会给予爱。Katharine Hepburn和Spencer Tracey之间的爱情让她体会到什么是爱的真谛。在自传中她写到：“It seems to me I discovered what ‘I love you' really means. It means I put you and your interests and your comfort ahead of my own interests and my own comfort because I love you.”

　　那么，Katharine Hepburn成功的演员生涯和幸福的人生来自哪里？在第10段和第11段中，她把幸福归功于“热爱生活”，事业的成功则归功于她的支持者和大救星。写到这儿，我想引用The Washington Post的一段报道： Well into her 70s, she could easily have retired, but she preferred not to. “Work is the only thing that ever made anyone happy,” she once said. “The notion that work is a burden is a terrible mistake.”这正道出了天道酬勤的道理。

　　我喜欢看电影，不只是为了娱乐。在美国有一系列关于电影的书，说从电影中可以学到如何交友、如何管理、如何做股票、如何教书、如何做领导……。嗨，我怎么又开始说教了，大概教书匠的毛病又犯了。还是你自己来读一读吧！

　　(1) Well, I'm me. I'm what is called the power behind the throne. I am your ?your character. Isn't that what they call it?  Your "Do this, don't do that." Your fundamentals.

　　(2) To learn responsibility. each of us has to learn responsibility.

　　Here we are. Live up to your potential.

　　(3) Don't give in.

　　Fight for your future.

　　Independence is the only solution.

　　You don't have too much money but you do have independent spirits. Knowledge! Education! Don't give in! Make your own trail.

　　Don't moan.

　　Don't complain.

　　Think positively.

　　(4) On Sundays and holidays we'd walk in the woods. We'd climb. We'd swing trees, climb up as high as we could,then, holding on as tight as possible, we'd swing our legs out and bend the treetop over to the ground. Birches were best. They are very bendable. It was exciting.

　　(5) I remember once it was my birthday and I thought, well now, my birthday! I can choose prisoner's base. I liked it much better than baseball.

　　"Prisoner's base," I said.

　　"Oh no, baseball!" They all cried.

　　"But, Dad ?it's my birthday. Certainly I have the right to ?"

　　"You have the privilege of making everyone happy," said Dad. "It's your birthday."

　　We played baseball. Unfair!

　　(6) Dad always said if you want to get something, don't write. Don't telephone. Be there yourself. In person. Harder to turn down a living presence.

　　(7) Luddy could make anything work ,my life, the car, the furnace,the this,the that. Carpenter, mechanic, plumber. It was great. But mostly from the beginning. what shall I say? He was there. Whatever. He was always there. As no one. Well, how can I describe to you my relationship with Luddy? He really was close to me.

　　I could ask him anything. He would do anything. You just don't find people like that in life. Unconditional love.

　　(8) She is a totally selfless person (well, I have to say to you what just came into my mind) working for a totally selfish person.

　　She can do everything, which through the years has been wildly handy for me. She is a very good cook. She can talk to anyone from the President to the doorman. She never takes a vacation. She backs me up. And she is what should I say, she is there to help me, to keep me company to let me be alone, to do things for other people which I should be doing for other people.

　　Well,what the hell, make it brief. She's unique. She's an angel.

　　(9) It seems to me I discovered what "I love you" really means. It means I put you and your interests and your comfort ahead of my own interests and my own comfort because I love you.

　　What does this mean?

　　I love you. What does this mean?

　　Think.

　　We use this expression very carelessly.

　　LOVE has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get only with what you are expecting to give which is everything.

　　You give because you love and you cannot help giving.

　　It really implies total devotion. And total is all-encompassing the good of you, the bad of you, I am aware that I must include the bad.

　　(10) How can I say? well, who is happy? I am happy. I have a happy nature. I like the rain. I like the sun, the heat,the cold,the mountains, the sea, the flowers, the...Well, I like life and I've been so lucky. Why shouldn't I be happy?

　　(11) So through sixty-odd years the group has grown. My backers, my saviors. They gave me courage. This is what you have to have to come out on top.

　　编辑：趴趴