英语畅谈中国文化50主题 15

　　15. Beijing’s Identity
A: Are you a Beijinger?
B: Not really. I was born in Shandong, but was raised in Hubei. I came to Beijing when I was ten and have lived here ever since. So, you tell me if I qualify as a Beijinger?
A: No, you are not a real Beijinger.
B: It’s no hard to find a family that has lived in Beijing for more than three generations.
A: Some people say that Beijing is very generous and open-minded. Do you agree?
B: Generous, maybe. A friend of mine had a small accident once. Her car got stuck in a ditch. Four young men, all non-Beijingers, happened to pass by. They refused to help. Then an old man came over. He was a Beijinger. Without any hesitation¹, he helped my friend pull the car out. He also told her to drive carefully.
A: That’s a typical Beijinger. Such a person is always ready to help when someone is in need.
B: I guess this has something to do with the fact that Beijing has been a capital city for several dynasties. People living here always feel obligated by a sense of honor. Also, face is very important for a Beijinger. When doing business, especially with a friend, a Beijinger doesn’t want to appear too fussy² about the contract or making concessions³. He cares more about friendship and esteem⁴.
A: Tolerant may not be the right word to describe a Beijinger. About twenty years ago, Beijing residence usually looked down upon non-Beijingers, believing them to be rustic⁵ and ignorant.
B: That’s true. Beijing has used to look down upon outsiders. In the past, due to strict residential⁶ permit requirement, it was extremely difficult to become a Beijing resident. There’s more mobility⁷ now, and anyone can find a job in Beijing. Pick someone in the street a most likely that person isn’t a real Beijinger. True Beijingers do not have a feeling of superiority, and that may be why they appear to be more tolerant nowadays.
A: This is quite similar to New York. There are fewer and fewer real Americans there. Some say New York is no longer a city of Americans. I think the same is true with Beijing.

1 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

2 fussy   

adj.为琐事担忧的，过分装饰的，爱挑剔的

参考例句：

• He is fussy about the way his food's cooked.他过分计较食物的烹调。
• The little girl dislikes her fussy parents.小女孩讨厌她那过分操心的父母。

3 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

4 esteem   

n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• The veteran worker ranks high in public love and esteem.那位老工人深受大伙的爱戴。

5 rustic   

adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬

参考例句：

• It was nearly seven months of leisurely rustic living before Michael felt real boredom.这种悠闲的乡村生活过了差不多七个月之后,迈克尔开始感到烦闷。
• We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.我们希望新鲜的空气和乡村的氛围能帮他调整自己。

6 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

7 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。