[00:00.00]I read an article in The New York Times Magazine on changes in New York’s little cultural colony of Chinatown,#
我在《纽约时报杂志》上读到过一篇文章，描述的是纽约市内的中国城这一小块文化聚居地的变迁。#
[00:09.60]where the author mentioned that the interwoven configuration of Chinese language and culture renders its speech indirect and polite.#
作者在文章中提到，中国语言与文化错综交织，使中文十分委婉和客套。#
[00:21.03]Chinese people are so “discreet and modest”, the article started, that there aren’t even words for “yes” and “no”.#
中国人是如此“谨慎和谦虚”，文章开头写道，以至于他们都没有词语来表达“是”和“不是”。#
[00:32.18]Why do people keep fabricating these rumors? I thought.#
我思索着，为什么人们会不断地编造这样的谣言呢？#
[00:38.34]They describe us as though we were a tribe of those little dolls sold in Chinatown tourist shops,#
他们把我们描述得就像是唐人街旅游品商店里出售的一批小布娃娃。#
[00:46.20]heads moving up and down in contented agreement!#
那些布娃娃的头不停地上下晃动，似乎对一切都心满意足，完全赞同。#
[00:50.19]As any child of immigrant parents knows, there is a special kind of double bind attached to knowing two languages.#
生于移民家庭的孩子都清楚，有一种特殊的两难境地与说两种语言的生活联系在一起。#
[01:00.87]My parents, for example, spoke to me in both Chinese and English. I spoke back to them in English.#
比如我父母，他们和我说话时中文和英文都用，但我和他们说话时只用英文。#
[01:09.91]”Amy-ah!” they’d scold me. “what?” I’d answer back.#
“艾米啊！”他们会这样责备我。“怎么啦？”我会回问道。#
[01:15.70]”Do not question us when we call,” they’d scold in Chinese. “It’s not respectful.” “what do you mean?”#
“我们叫你时，不要对我们反问，”他们会用中文训斥道。这是不礼貌的！你们什么意思？#
[01:25.36]”A-i! Didn’t we just tell you not to question ?” #
“哎！我们不是刚刚说过，叫你不要反问吗？”#
[01:30.36]If I consider my upbringing carefully,#
仔细想想自己的成长过程#
[01:33.43]I find there was nothing discreet about the Chinese language I grew up with, no censorship for the sake of politeness.#
我发现，我从小到大所接触到的中文并不是什么特别谨慎的语言，也不存在出于客气而对所说的话进行仔细检查的现象。#
[01:41.69]My parents made everything abundantly clear in their consecutive demands:#
我父母向我提一连串的要求时，总是把一切都表述得清清楚楚：#
[01:47.89]”Of course you will become a famous aerospace engineer, they prodded.#
“你当然会成为著名的航空工程师，”他们会鼓励我说，#
[01:53.69]And yes, a concert pianist on the side.”#
对了，你业余时间还要做音乐会的钢琴师。#
[01:57.44]It seems that the more forceful proceedings always spilled over into Chinese:#
似乎更加强硬的事情总是通过中文倾泻出来：#
[02:03.80]Not that way! You must wash rice so not a single grain is lost.#
不能那样！你淘米的时候，必须一粒都不漏。#
[02:10.06]Having listened to both Chinese and English,#
由于一直同时听着中英文两种语言，#
[02:14.85]I’m suspicious of comparisons between the two languages,#
故而我对它们之间的任何对比总是心存怀疑，#
[02:18.74]as I notice the reciprocal challenges they each present.#
因为我注意到它们各自都有对方所没有的难点。#
[02:22.87]English speakers say Chinese is extremely difficult because different words can be denoted by very subtle variations in tone.#
说英文的人会认为中文极其难，因为中文用非常微妙的声调变化就可以表示不同的词语。#
[02:33.69]English is often bracketed with the label of inconsistency, a language of too many broken rules.#
而英文则常常被认为缺乏一致性，因为英文具有太多不合规则的用法。
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