讀點好英文:Vive La Paris 我是女生，我叫巴黎

Vive La Paris 我是女生，我叫巴黎

[美]愛斯米·科德爾（EsméRaji Codell）

巴黎，是一個很普通的小女孩。和其他小女孩一樣，她善良、無知、任性、虛榮，想要快點長大，對世界充滿好奇。她在學鋼琴的時候，遇到了諾森太太。諾森太太為她打開了一扇真實世界的窗戶，讓她意識到什么是真正的勇氣，應(yīng)該怎樣用自己的眼睛來看待這個真實的世界，怎樣學會相處，學會寬容。

When I came to school the next day, I no longer cared about being a polite person. It's just like Django and Debergerac say:

1.If you’re likely to get in trouble for doing nothing you might as well get in trouble for doing something.

2.When a fght’s coming, throw the frst punch because then no matter what happens at least you’ll know you got a good one in, and

3.Don’t put your thumb inside your fst when you fght, because you can break it that way.

So when there were only a couple of minutes until recess, I said to Tanaeja,“Guess what, I hope you got some nice ones in on my brother yesterday, because that's the last day you're going to get to do that.”

“You and your brother,”hissed Tanaeja.“You always flaunting him, walking with all your brothers around town. You think you all that.”

What she is saying to me doesn't make sense, but I am wise now, I know things don't have to make sense, just that I have to take her down because This Cannot Continue.“Why do you beat on my brother?”

“What's it to you?He can defend himself,”she said.“Why he gotta be like that?It's wrong.”

“Like what?He never did anything to anybody. He wouldn't even know your name if you weren't up in his face.”I felt myself winding up, like one of Debergerac's toy cars that has a little coil that twists tighter and tighter before it spins so fast it smells like metal melting.“That's not right, Tanaeja, he can't hit you back because you’re a girl.”

“So is he,”said Tanaeja.“He keep acting like that, he's going to die.”

I didn't even feel myself leave my seat. All I hear is the screech of desks sliding and girls screaming.I feel my fingernails digging into the braids against her head.I feel her teeth wet against my cheek, trying to bite down.I feel people pulling us apart, but we're like Velcro, little barbs of a long, long anger hooked into each other.“Stop it, stop i t!”Miss Pointy was shouting.Luz ran to the intercom button, chest heaving and big worried eyes, looking for Miss Pointy to tell her to buzz the office.But the recess bell had rung.

“You want to tell me what's going on?”Miss Pointy demanded, checking my cheek for cuts, checking Tanaeja's scalp for blood.

“Not really.”Tanaeja crossed her arms.

“I'll tell you,”said Darrell.“Tanaeja's been pushing Paris's brother around at recess.”

“Be quiet,”warned Tanaeja.“You-all better mind your business.”

“Oh, yeah?What you gone do about it?”asked Darrell.“Bring it, Miss Dark and Lovely, just don't expect me to stand here and take it. I'm the man.”

“Oh, don't start up, Darrell.”Miss Pointy rolled her eyes.

“It's tru e!My brother has bruises all over his back, Miss Pointy?I told. I tol d!”

“No he doesn' t!”Tanaeja exploded.

“How would you know?”I felt my head reel around on my neck in a nasty way.“You think it's not gone come around, well I got news for you.”

“I'll take you right here, Minnie Mouse.”Tanaeja faced me.

“Ooo,”said the class.

“What are you people still doing here?”Miss Pointy's voice rose.“Usually you can't get to recess fast enough. Trust me, nobody's bringing anything or taking anybody.”The class gave us a wide berth as they filed out.

Miss Pointy looked back and forth between Tanaeja and me.“I'm very disappointed in you both. How do you expect there to be peace in the world if we can't even have peace in this classroom?”

“I don't expect it,”I blurted.

For the second time, Miss Pointy looked at me and didn't seem to recognize who I was. It took her a beat or two before she could speak.“You think your mother needs this right now?”Miss Pointy asked Tanaeja.

“No, ma'am”said Tanaeja, rubbing her head with her forearm. I tried to hide my wondering about what Momma would do if she were called in a second time, but Miss Pointy didn't seem to wonder if my mother needed this.Tanaeja started looking that same miserable way she uses in church.You're kidding, right?Girl, you have got to be kidding.

Then Miss Pointy told Tanaeja to go and cool off in the art teacher's room, and Tanaeja didn't need to be asked twice. Not fair, not fai r!

“How come she gets to go?”I demanded, but then politeness set in.“I mean, you don't have to work on me first.”

“I think I do.”Miss Pointy pulled up a chair so I would sit right beside her. Then there was a long minute with just me and Miss Pointy.“This has been going on a while, huh?A lot going on,”she said, finally.

My mouth was doing a crazy twitchy thing, turning down at the corners, and I could not look at her at all for what seemed like forever, but when I looked up, there she was, looking at me with the most concerned, sad expression I have ever seen. I burst out crying so hard that I put my head down on her desk.I could feel her patting me on the place where if I had wings, they would sprout.

“I'm trying to be brave,”I finally said. I wanted her to say,

1.Poor Paris,

2.You are brave,

3.I know you are a polite person and that you would never behave this way if you weren’t pushed.

Instead, she said,“So is Tanaeja.”

“Who cares about Tanaeja?”I snorted.

“I want to tell you something,”said Miss Pointy,“and even though you are angry, I hope you will hear me. Sometimes people become our enemies not because they are so different, but because there is something in them that is so much the same, it hurts us to look at it.”

“There's nothing about me that is the same as Tanaeja,”I insisted.

“Maybe there's something about Tanaeja that is the same as you. Maybe you have something that she also has.Maybe you have something she is about to lose.”

“What?”I asked.

Miss Pointy looked a little torn, like there was something she wanted to tell me but she couldn't.“Let's just say maybe there's something that you share that you don't know you share. That's not to say she can beat on your brother.”Miss Pointy straightened.“That’s going to stop.”

“Miss Pointy, it can't seem like I was the one to stop it.”It was so hard to explain.“He's got to stand up for himself.”

“It's hard to stand up when someone is beating you down,”said Miss Pointy.“Sometimes a person needs a little help. I'd even say usually, Paris.There's no shame in that.”

“There isn't?”I asked, because

1.I felt ashamed so there must be some shame in it, and

2.Louis says some teachers were never kids and maybe she is one of them.

“But don't worry. It will look like I'm stopping it, because I'm the one who is.Got that?”I nodded.“Paris, I'll tell you something else.My best friend when I was a little girl started out as my enemy.”

Luz is already my best friend, I thought, I don't need Goliath for a friend. But I just said,“Really?”

“It's true. She used to try to copy from my math test in class.I thought, She's sneaky, she's a cheat, she's going to get me in trouble, and I didn't want to have anything to do with her.In time, though, I saw that she wanted to do well in school, just like me, and I started helping her with her math before the test.She still calls me, Paris, we’re still friends, twenty years later.But I haven’t really learned my lesson.Even now, there are women I meet, and I’m still so quick to think, Oh, we don’t have anything in common, but it always turns out we have something in common, or they have something about them that is interesting.Maybe not enough to be the best of friends, but it’s enough to have a really good time together.But I wouldn’t know that if I didn’t push the doubts and prejudices aside so there is a little space in my heart for them.”

The bell rang. Miss Pointy looked at the clock and sighed.“That space is where peace lives, Paris.That little spot in our hearts that has room for other people, that place where we try to find our common ground.Maybe it's all the peace we can expect, Paris.But let's try to keep expecting that much.”

“Yes ma'am.”I gulped.“I'll try.”

I felt like I needed to wash my face. But I didn't want to go into the bathroom by myself.I still wasn't prepared to expect that much peace.

第二天去學校的時候，我再也不關(guān)心自己是不是一個有教養(yǎng)的人了。就像迪金格和德貝拉克說的那樣：

1.如果你什么都沒做也會惹來麻煩的話，那么最好還是做點什么吧。

2.打架的時候，一定要先出第一拳，不管怎么樣，你至少知道自己還是打出了一拳的。

3.打架的時候千萬不要把大拇指縮在拳頭里，那樣很容易受傷。

離課間休息還有幾分鐘的時候，我對塔娜佳說：“你昨天打我哥哥的時候打得很痛快吧，不過你以后再也沒機會這么做了?！?/p>

“你和你哥哥，”塔娜佳不屑地說，“你就只會拉著他到處炫耀，你就只會拉著你所有的哥哥到處走來走去?！?/p>

我弄不明白她到底在說什么，不過我現(xiàn)在變聰明了，我知道有些事情沒必要搞明白，我只知道我必須打倒她，因為我不會允許這樣的事情再發(fā)生了?！澳銥槭裁匆蛭腋绺纾俊?/p>

“這跟你有什么關(guān)系？他自己可以還手，”她說，“他為什么要那么做？是他不對?！?/p>

“他做什么了？他從來沒有對任何人做過任何不好的事。你要是不欺負他的話，他甚至連你叫什么都不知道?！蔽腋械阶约簹獾每煲?，就像德貝拉克的玩具車上的小轉(zhuǎn)盤轉(zhuǎn)得越來越緊，幾乎都能聞到金屬熔化的味道了?！斑@不公平，塔娜佳，就因為你是女孩他才不還手的?！?/p>

“他才是女孩，”塔娜佳說，“他如果還是這樣的話，死了活該?！?/p>

我覺得自己好像并沒有離開座位，但是我聽到課桌倒地的聲音、女孩子們尖叫的聲音；我感覺到我的指甲嵌進她的辮子里；我感覺到她的牙齒抵著我的臉頰，很顯然她想咬我；我感覺到其他人在把我們拉開，可是我們像維可牢尼龍搭扣一樣，這么長時間以來的憤怒像魚鉤一樣咬得緊緊的，誰也沒法拉開。“住手，住手！”波迪小姐大叫道。露茲跑到內(nèi)部電話機旁，胸部一起一伏的，焦急地等待波迪小姐示意她給辦公室打電話。這時下課鈴響了。

“你們想告訴我到底出了什么事嗎？”波迪小姐邊問邊察看我臉上有沒有傷口，塔娜佳頭上有沒有出血。

“沒事。”塔娜佳雙手抱在胸前說道。

“讓我告訴你吧，”德里說，“塔娜佳在課間休息的時候老是欺負巴黎的哥哥。”

“安靜一點?！彼燃丫嫠?，“你最好別管閑事?！?/p>

“哦，是嗎？你想怎么樣？”德里問道，“出手吧，塔娜佳小姐，不過你可別指望我一動不動地站在這兒。我可不是那么好欺負的。”

“哦，德里，你就別挑事了?！辈ǖ闲〗愕芍f。

“他說的是實話！波迪小姐，我哥的背上被撞得青一塊紫一塊的。”我終于說出來了！我說出來了！

“不，他沒有受傷！”塔娜佳大叫道。

“你怎么知道？”我感覺我的腦袋用一種想要恐嚇人的方式轉(zhuǎn)了轉(zhuǎn)，“你以為你能一直這么下去嗎？我會給你點顏色瞧瞧的。”

“我現(xiàn)在就可以把你打趴下，米妮鼠?！彼燃褜χ胰碌馈?/p>

“哦——”同學們炸開了鍋。

“你們還待在這兒做什么？”波迪小姐抬高聲音說，“課間休息的時候，你們不是希望跑得越遠越好嗎？相信我，誰也不會給誰顏色看，誰也不會把誰打趴下的?！彼麄冸x開以后，教室里空出了一大塊。

波迪小姐看看塔娜佳，又看看我?！拔覍δ銈儍蓚€感到很失望。如果連教室里都找不到和平的話，你們還指望在這個世界的哪個地方能找到和平？”

“我一點都不指望世界上能有和平。”我大聲說。

這是第二次，波迪小姐用一種好像根本就不認識我的表情看著我了。她半天說不出一句話來。“你認為你媽媽現(xiàn)在需要知道這件事嗎？”波迪小姐問塔娜佳。

“不，波迪小姐?！彼燃堰呎f邊揉著她的額頭。我不想讓她們看出我的擔憂，我很擔心要是我媽第二次被叫到學校來她會怎么樣，可是波迪小姐并沒有問我。塔娜佳又開始表現(xiàn)出在教堂里的那副悲慘樣子來。你在開玩笑，是嗎？你一定是在開玩笑。

波迪小姐要塔娜佳去美術(shù)老師的辦公室冷靜一下，老師只問了她一次要不要請家長。這太不公平啦！

“她怎么能先走呢？”我追問道，我感到自己有點兒太不禮貌了，“我的意思是，你不一定先要從我開始問起?！?/p>

“我想先和你談?wù)??！辈ǖ闲〗憷^一張椅子讓我坐在她的對面。接下來是一段長時間的沉默?！斑@件事有一段時間了，是嗎？發(fā)生了很多事是嗎？”她最后開口道。

我低下頭看著角落，不想回答?？墒钱斘姨痤^，看到她用最關(guān)注最悲傷的眼神看著我時，我忍不住趴在桌子上放聲大哭起來。我感覺到她在輕輕拍著我的肩膀，如果我有翅膀的話，那里就是長出翅膀的地方。

“我一直想勇敢一些的?！蔽易詈箝_口說。我希望她能這么回答我：

1.可憐的巴黎，

2.你很勇敢，

3.我知道你是個有教養(yǎng)的孩子，如果不是忍無可忍的話，你是絕對不會動手的。

可是，她卻說：“塔娜佳也是這樣?！?/p>

“我才不管塔娜佳呢！”我不屑地說。

“我想告訴你一些事，”波迪小姐說，“雖然你現(xiàn)在很生氣，我還是希望你能聽我說下去。有時候有些人成為我們的敵人，并不是因為他們和我們不同，而是因為他們有些地方和我們太一樣了，只是我們不想看到這些罷了?！?/p>

“我和塔娜佳沒有任何相同的地方?！蔽覉猿值?。

“也許塔娜佳身上有些東西和你一樣。也許你也有些東西和她一樣。也許你有一些她就要失去的東西?！?/p>

“什么？”我問。

波迪小姐看起來欲言又止的樣子?！斑@么說吧，也許你擁有一些連你自己都沒有意識到的東西。不過，那并不代表她就可以欺負你哥哥?！辈ǖ闲〗銏远ǖ卣f，“這件事不會再發(fā)生了。”

“波迪小姐，這件事不應(yīng)該由我來插手的?！边@件事解釋起來實在太困難了?！拔腋绺鐟?yīng)該靠他自己來解決。”

“一個人被別人打倒時，很難靠自己的力量站起來?！辈ǖ闲〗阏f，“有時候，人們需要其他人的幫助才能站起來，其實我想說的是，大多數(shù)情況下人們都需要其他人的幫助才能站起來。人們不應(yīng)該為此感到羞恥。”

“不會感到羞恥嗎？”我這么問的原因是：

1.我感到很羞恥，所以這里一定有讓人感到羞恥的地方。

2.路易斯說有些老師永遠都是小孩，也許她就是那些老師中的一個。

“不過別擔心，看起來我已經(jīng)解決這件事了。這是我應(yīng)該做的，你明白嗎？”我點點頭?！鞍屠?，我想告訴你一些別的事情。當我還是個小女孩的時候，我最好的朋友一開始卻是我的敵人。”

我心想，露茲已經(jīng)是我最好的朋友了，我可不想再有一個魔鬼做我的好朋友?？晌易焐现徽f了句：“真的嗎？”

“是真的，她經(jīng)常在班上抄我的數(shù)學試卷。我當時想，她太卑鄙了，她是個騙子，她想把我拖下水，我不想和她有任何關(guān)系。后來我看到她其實只是想做個好學生，就像我一樣，所以我開始在考試之前教她數(shù)學。她現(xiàn)在經(jīng)常給我打電話，巴黎，我們?nèi)匀皇呛门笥?，二十多年的好朋友了。但是我并沒有吸取經(jīng)驗，直到現(xiàn)在，當我遇到一些女人的時候，我第一感覺還是不好，我想我們不會有任何相同的地方，可是后來我發(fā)現(xiàn)其實我們也有相同的地方，她們也有很多優(yōu)點。我們之間可能不一定成為最好的朋友，但彼此之間相處得很愉快就已經(jīng)足夠了。我不知道，如果我不把疑問和偏見扔掉的話，我心里是否還有地方能接受和容納她們?！?/p>

上課鈴響了。波迪小姐看了眼鐘表，嘆了口氣說：“巴黎，那個地方就是和平居住的地方。我們心里那個小小的空間可以包容很多人，在那里我們將盡力找到與其他人的相同之處。巴黎，也許這就是我們能夠期待的和平，讓我們期待這樣的和平盡快出現(xiàn)好嗎？”

“好的，波迪小姐?！蔽页橐f，“我會試試看的?！?/p>

我覺得自己該去洗洗臉，但是我不想一個人去衛(wèi)生間。我還沒準備好去迎接和平的到來。

實戰(zhàn)提升

作者介紹

愛斯米·科德爾，曾做過老師、圖書管理員、小說家，現(xiàn)正在經(jīng)營一個點擊率極高的兒童網(wǎng)站www.planetesme.com。她狂愛收集閃亮的貼紙，還有，她是個滑旱冰的好手！她住在美國芝加哥，在那里寫了很多有意思的故事：《特別的女生薩哈拉》獲2004年國際讀者協(xié)會兒童圖書獎；《新老師的新日記》贏得“美國最佳青少年讀物”獎；《我是女生，我叫巴黎》獲2007年希得妮·泰勒書獎。

單詞注解

hook[huk]n.鉤，掛鉤；（衣服的）鉤扣；n.鉤住；用鉤掛

recess[ri5ses]n.休息；休會；休庭

demand[di5mB:nd]n./v.要求，請求

shame[Feim]n.羞恥（心），羞愧（感）；v.使蒙羞；玷辱

prejudice[5predVudis]n.偏見，歧視

名句大搜索

我感覺我的腦袋用一種想要恐嚇人的方式轉(zhuǎn)了轉(zhuǎn)。

我對你們兩個感到很失望。如果連教室里都找不到和平的話，你們還指望在這個世界的哪個地方能找到和平？

她現(xiàn)在經(jīng)常給我電話，巴黎，我們?nèi)匀皇呛门笥?，二十多年的好朋友了?/p>