常春藤解析英语【70】It's Good to Be a Finn波罗的海（在线收听）

It's Good to Be a Finn　波罗的海的女儿

by Kevin Lustig

From language to light shows, Finland has many features to explore.
从语言到北极光，芬兰有许多特点值得大家探索。

When visiting Helsinki, the capital of Finland, for the first time, it is a good idea to enter by way of the sea. Helsinki is said to make a dazzling appearance on the horizon as you sail towards it, which is why it has been poetically called "The Daughter of the Baltic Sea." It is not only the spectacular sight of Helsinki that makes Finland distinct from its neighbors, Norway and Sweden. While the latter countries are in many ways quite similar, Finland has an altogether different language, culture, and history.

The people of Finland, or Finns, are descended from nomads who traveled north from Eastern Europe thousands of years ago. Avoiding the fate of other nomadic groups around Europe, the Finn's ancient traditions survived and evolved over time. For this reason, the Finnish language sounds very different from other European languages. For example, the Finnish word for Finland is actually "Suomi."

The most famous product that has its roots in the ancient Finnish culture is probably the sauna. Saunas are rooms in which water is thrown on heated stones, making the air hot and humid. Visiting a sauna is a great way to relax and escape the cold, but it has also been an important social activity for Finns for centuries. In saunas, Finns celebrate a sense of community; controversial topics of conversation are avoided and formal titles are dispensed with.

For ages, Finnish culture has kept traditions alive that have disappeared almost everywhere else. Luckily for us, modern Finns aren't going to let their unique culture disappear any time soon.

单字小铺

1. dazzling a. 炫目的，灿烂的
2. sail vi. 航行
3. poetically adv. 诗意地
4. Baltic Sea n. 波罗的海
5. spectacular a. 壮观的
6. altogether adv. 完全，全然
7. nomad n. 游牧民族
8. nomadic a. 游牧的
9. sauna n.（芬兰的）蒸汽浴（室），三温暖（室）
10. humid a. 潮湿的
11. escape vt. 避免；逃脱
12. community n. 小区
a sense of community　　小区意识
13. controversial a. 受争议的
controversy n. 争议

文法一点灵

While the latter countries are in many ways quite similar, ...
= While Norway and Sweden are in many ways quite similar, ...

注意:
原句的 the latter countries 指的就是前一句句尾的 Norway（挪威）和 Sweden（瑞典）这两个国家。the latter 亦可作代名词，表两者中的『后者』，而『前者』则用 the former 来代替。

the former...the latter...　　前者……后者……
例: Bill and Jeff are brothers. The former is a college student, and the latter is a lawyer.
（比尔和杰夫是兄弟；前者是大学生，而后者是律师。）

精解字词词组

1. on the horizon　　在地∕水平线上
be on the horizon　　即将到来
= be near at hand
= be around the corner
= be fast approaching
例: The sailors were excited when they saw an island on the horizon.
（水手们在水平线上看到一座岛屿时非常兴奋。）
例: John never studies except when exams are on the horizon.
（除非考试即将到来，否则约翰从不念书。）

2. distinct a. 与其它不同的
be distinct from...　　和……截然不同
例: Our magazine is distinct from other English-teaching magazines.
（我们杂志和其它英语教学杂志迥然不同。）

3. be descended from...　　是……的后代∕后裔
descend vt. 系出（用被动式）
例: My professor is descended from one of China's emperors.
（我的教授是中国某位皇帝的后裔。）

4. evolve vi. 发展；进化
evolve into...　　演变成……；进化成……
例: Though the company started very small, it evolved into a worldwide enterprise.
（该公司虽然一开始规模很小，后来却发展成跨国企业。）

5. have one's roots in...　　根源于∕来自于……
例: Rock has its roots in blues.
（摇滚乐源自于蓝调音乐。）

6. dispense with...　　免除……
dispense vi. 免除
例: Let's dispense with the business talk and have lunch.
（我们不谈公事，好好享用午餐吧。）

7. keep sth alive　　使某物继续存在∕持续下去
例: Sean keeps his dream of owning a coffee shop alive.
（史恩开咖啡店的梦想从没间断过。）

中文翻译

第一次去拜访芬兰的首都赫尔辛基时，经由海路进入这个城市是个不错的点子。据说当你航向这座城市时，地平在线的赫尔辛基会呈现出灿烂的景象，难怪她有个诗意的名字：『波罗的海的女儿』。使芬兰与其邻国挪威和瑞典大不同的，不仅仅是赫尔辛基的壮丽景观而已。后两者在各方面都很相近，但芬兰在语言、文化和历史上却与它们大相径庭。
　　
芬兰人是游牧民族的后裔，他们的祖先几千年前从东欧往北迁移。但芬兰并没有步上其它欧洲游牧民族的后尘，他们的古老传统得以保存，并随着时代演变。基于这个原因，芬兰语听起来和其它的欧洲语言很不一样。例如，Finland 这个字在芬兰语中是 Suomi。
　　
源自古芬兰文化最有名的产物大概就是蒸汽浴了。蒸汽浴室就是把水泼在加热的石头上，因而产生热气和湿气的隔间。去洗蒸汽浴不仅是放松和避寒的好方式，更是数百年来芬兰人重要的社交活动。在蒸汽浴室里，芬兰人有个不成文的习惯，就是不可以讨论争议性的话题，也不用正式头衔称呼对方。
　　
长久以来，芬兰保存了传统文化，相对的，其它地方的传统却几乎消失殆尽。我们何其有幸，现代的芬兰人并不打算让自己独特的文化随着时间消逝。