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蜕变

时间：2023-01-19 03:23:22 下载该word文档

龙源期刊网http://www.qikan.com.cn蜕变
作者：ByTaraWestover
来源：《英语学习》2019年第06期
塔拉·韦斯托弗（TaraWestover）1986年9月出生于爱达荷州的摩门教家庭，17岁前从未进过正规学校，然而她通过惊人的刻苦和努力，不但以优异的成绩完成了杨百翰大学历史专业的课程，还获得了剑桥大学的博士学位，并成为哈佛大学访问学者。她把自己的成长经历撰写成书，自2018年2月出版以来，她的回忆录《受教者》（Educated）连续几周登上《纽约时报》最佳图书榜单第一名。
作者的父亲脾气暴躁，对家庭拥有绝对的控制权，他以回收破铜烂铁为生，不信任政府和学校教育，不让家里的七个孩子上学；他抗拒现代医疗，家人生病受伤都是靠母亲自制的草药医治。塔拉在三哥的支持和帮助下靠自学通过ACT考试，进入了杨百翰大学。大学教育彻底改变了塔拉，她开始自我反思，自我发现，她对家庭的揭露也导致她与家人渐行渐远，并最终决裂。尽管最要好、最支持她的三哥泰勒不完全同意书中的某些细节和塔拉的记忆，觉得有夸张的成分，但他不否认塔拉所叙述的是她所认为的真实情况。塔拉的父母也否认他们在她二哥虐待她时袖手旁观。草本疗法使塔拉的母亲名声远扬，她的父母都成为了当地非常成功的商人，而且共有三个子女获得了博士学位。
这一期选登的是塔拉在剑桥大学作研究时的经历。尽管可以用“一张白纸”来形容塔拉先前的教育背景，因为她连“犹太人大屠杀”（Holocaust）都没有听说过，但是她的导师乔纳森·斯坦伯格非常欣赏她的论文，认为她极具学术潜力，并极力推荐她到剑桥攻读博士学位，而塔拉却觉得自己不属于剑桥这样的学术象牙塔。克里博士试图说服她，他提起萧伯纳的《皮格马利翁》（Pygmalion，或译《卖花女》），剧中的卖花女伊丽莎虽然在教授的专业指教下改掉了自己的伦敦土腔，但真正使她蜕变的是她自己内心的信念。
Iwantedthemindofascholar，butitseemedthatDr.Kerrysawinmethemindofaroofer（盖屋顶者）.Theotherstudentsbelongedinalibrary；Ibelonginacrane（起重机，吊车）1.Thefirstweekpassedinabluroflectures.Inthesecondweek，everystudentwasassignedasupervisortoguidetheirresearch.Mysupervisor，Ilearned，wastheeminent（杰出的，有名望的）ProfessorJonathanSteinberg，aformervicemasterofaCambridgecollege，whowasmuchcelebratedforhiswritingsontheHolocaust（二战期间纳粹对犹太人的大屠杀）.MyfirstmeetingwithProfessorSteinbergtookplaceafewdayslater.Iwaitedattheporter’slodge（旅馆或宿舍楼的门房，传达室）untilathinmanappearedand，producingasetofheavykeys，unlockedawoodendoorsetintothestone.Ifollowedhimupaspiralstaircaseandintotheclocktoweritself，wheretherewasawell-litroomwithsimplefurnishings：twochairsandawoodentable.
龙源期刊网http://www.qikan.com.cnIcouldhearthebloodpoundingbehindmyearsasIsatdown.ProfessorSteinbergwasinhisseventiesbutIwouldnothavedescribedhimasanoldman.Hewaslithe（行動灵巧的），andhiseyesmovedabouttheroomwithprobingenergy.Hisspeechwasmeasured（慎重的，经仔细斟酌的）andfluid.“IamProfessorSteinberg，”hesaid.“Whatwouldyouliketoread？”
Imumbledsomethingabouthistoriography（撰史，修史）.Ihaddecidedtostudynothistory，buthistorians.IsupposemyinterestcamefromthesenseofgroundlessnessI’dfeltsincelearningabouttheHolocaustandthecivilrightsmovements—sincerealizingthatwhatapersonknowsaboutthepastislimited，andwillalwaysbelimited，towhattheyaretoldbyothers.Iknewwhatitwastohaveamisconceptioncorrected—amisconceptionofsuchmagnitudethatshiftingitshiftedtheworld.NowIneededtounderstandhowthegreatgatekeepersofhistoryhadcometotermswith（与妥协）theirownignoranceandpartiality（偏袒，偏好）.IthoughtifIcouldacceptthatwhattheyhadwrittenwasnotabsolutebutwastheresultofabiasedprocessofconversationandrevision，maybeIcouldreconcile（使和解）myselfwiththefactthatthehistorymostpeopleagreeduponwasnotthehistoryIhadbeentaught.Dadcouldbewrong，andthegreathistoriansCarlyleandMacaulayandTrevelyancouldbewrong，2butfromtheashesoftheirdisputeIcouldconstructaworldtolivein.Inknowingthegroundwasnotgroundatall，IhopedIcouldstandonit.IdoubtImanagedtocommunicateanyofthis.WhenIfinishedtalking，ProfessorSteinbergeyedmeforamoment，thensaid，“Tellmeaboutyoureducation.Wheredidyouattendschool？”Theairwasimmediatelysuckedfromtheroom.“IgrewupinIdaho，”Isaid.“Andyouattendschoolthere？”
ItoccurstomeinretrospectthatsomeonemighthavetoldProfessorSteinbergaboutme，perhapsDr.Kerry.OrperhapsheperceivedthatIwasavoidinghisquestion，andthatmadehimcurious.Whateverthereason，hewasn’tsatisfieduntilIhadadmittedthatI’dneverbeentoschool.“Howmarvelous，”hesaid，smiling.“It’sasifI’vesteppedintoShaw’sPygmalion3.”NoneofmyprofessorsatBYU（BrighamYoungUniversity，杨百翰大学）hadexaminedmywritingthewayProfessorSteinbergdid.Nocomma，noperiod，noadjectiveoradverbwasbeneathhisinterest.Hemadenodistinctionbetweengrammarandcontent，betweenformandsubstance.Apoorlywrittensentencewasapoorlyconceivedidea，andinhisviewthegrammaticallogicwasasmuchinneedofcorrection.“Tellme，”hewouldsay，“whyhaveyouplacedthiscommahere？Whatrelationshipbetweenthesephrasesareyouhopingtoestablish？”WhenIgave
龙源期刊网http://www.qikan.com.cnmyexplanationsometimeshewouldsay，“Quiteright，”andothertimeshewouldcorrectmewithlengthyexplanationsofsyntax（句法）.AfterI’dbeenmeetingwithProfessorSteinbergforamonth，IwroteanessaycomparingEdmundBurkewithPublius，thepersona（人物角色）underwhichJamesMadison，AlexanderHamiltonandJohnJayhadwrittenTheFederalistPapers.4Ibarelysleptfortwoweeks：everymomentmyeyeswereopen，Iwaseitherreadingorthinkingaboutthosetexts.FrommyfatherIhadlearnedthatbooksweretobeeitheradoredorexiled.BooksthatwereofGod—bookswrittenbytheMormonprophets（摩門教先知）ortheFoundingFathers—werenottobestudiedsomuchascherished，likeathingperfectinitself.IhadbeentaughttoreadthewordsofmenlikeMadisonasacastintowhichIoughttopourtheplasterofmyownmind，tobereshapedaccordingtocontours（轮廓）oftheirfaultlessmodel.Ireadthemtolearnwhattothink，nothowtothinkformyself.BooksthatwerenotofGodwerebanished；theywereadanger，powerfulandirresistibleintheircunning.TowritemyessayIhadtoreadbooksdifferently，withoutgivingmyselfovertoeitherfearoradoration.BecauseBurkehaddefendedtheBritishmonarchy（君主制），Dadwouldhavesaidhewasanagentoftyranny.Hewouldn’thavewantedthebookinthehouse.Therewasathrillintrustingmyselftoreadthewords.IfeltasimilarthrillinreadingMaidson，HamiltonandJay，especiallyonthoseoccasionswhenIdiscardedtheirconclusionsinfavorofBurke’s，orwhenitseemedtomethattheirideaswerenotreallydifferentinsubstance，onlyinform.Therewerewonderfulsuppositions（假定，推测）embeddedinthismethodofreading：thatbooksarenottricks，andthatIwasnotfeeble（软弱的，无能的）.IfinishedtheessayandsentittoProfessorSteinberg.Twodayslater，whenIarrivedforournextmeeting，hewassubdued（沉默寡言的）.Hepeeredatmefromacrossthetable.Iwaitedforhimtosaytheessaywasadisaster，theproductofanignorantmind，thatithadoverreached（做得过头），drawntoomanyconclusionsfromtoolittlematerial.“IhavebeenteachinginCambridgeforthirtyyears，”hesaid.“AndthisisoneofthebestessaysI’veread.”
Iwaspreparedforinsultsbutnotforthis.ProfessorSteinbergmusthavesaidmoreabouttheessaybutIheardnothing.Mymindwasconsumedwithawrenching（令人痛苦的）needtogetoutofthatroom.InthatmomentIwasnolongerinaclocktowerinCambridge.Iwasseventeen，inaredjeep，andaboyIlovedhadjusttouchedmyhand.Ibolted（逃跑）.

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