11-7 传统的法国人

The French Are Traditionalists

 

The French are at heart traditionalists. Though they dearly love revolutions, pulling everything down and starting from scratch, they disapprove¹ of shifts in behaviour. Everything must be done comme il faut (properly), an expression that applies equally to getting married and getting drunk, stuffing¹ a duck and filling in a form, addressing an envelope and addressing a teacher. There is an established order of things, and the order was established by the French.

 

The desire to maintain standards is best seen on any holiday in the summer. Where the Spanish, the Italians, the British, and even the Germans, relax sufficiently² to let a little stubble² grow, or mealtimes become irregular, or dress become bizarre and ill coordinated³, the French behave as though they were still under the microscope of real life.

 

French men and women take two hours over their morning toilette³. Watch any Frenchman at a campsite⁴ in the summer and see how long he spends shaving, trimming his moustache, and on general ablutions⁵. By the time he has finished, it is the hour of the apéritif⁴.

 

Wives cook three course luncheons⁶ which they serve to their husbands in the sweltering⁷ heat at little tables with linen⁶ napkins and polished cutlery⁸. The white wine stands in an ice bucket; the red wine is chambré in the tent. Everything is correct the bread, the cheese, the sauce.

 

Monsieur eats greedily. Madame stands behind him, and a little to the side, nodding happily. She will do the washing up immediately the meal is finished. All will neat and tidy before any other activity is even considered. Meanwhile, all over the rest of the campsite, foreigners are dropping food out of their hands, their mouths, their pockets.

　　

注释：

1. stuff [stQf] vt. 把填料（或佐料等）塞入（鸡、鸭、鱼等），给……装馅

2. stubble [5stQbl] n. 发茬，须茬

3. toilette [twB:5let] n. 梳妆，打扮

4. campsite [kAmp5sait] n. （野）营地

5. ablution [E5blu:FEn] n. [常作～s]沐浴，洗澡

6. luncheon⁵ [5lQntFEn] n. 午餐

7. sweltering [5sweltEriN] a.（天气、季节）闷热的，热得难受的

8. cutlery [5kQtlEri] n. [总称]（刀、叉、匙等）餐具

 

传统的法国人

 

法国人骨子里是传统主义者。虽然他们深爱革命，喜欢推翻一切之后从头再来，但他们却不赞同任何不符合规矩的行为。事事都要按规矩办，结婚、醉酒是这样，填鸭、填表是这样，书写信封、称呼老师也是这样。事情都有既定的规矩，而这些规矩是由法国人自己定的。

　　夏天度假时最能看出法国人要保持规范的愿望了。当西班牙人、意大利人、英国人、甚至德国人都在充分放松的时候，比如让胡须茬子多长一点呀，就餐时间变得不规律呀，衣服也穿得希奇古怪或者不配套的时候，法国人却一如既往像平常一样地过，仿佛有显微镜在检验着他们的一举一动。

　　法国人，男人也好女人也好，早上要花两个小时梳洗打扮。在夏天的营地，随便找一位法国男士，看看他剃须、修髭、沐浴花多少时间。待他做完这一切，就到喝开胃酒的时候了。

　　在闷热的天气里，妻子们做好三道菜的午餐，放在小桌上供她们的丈夫食用。小桌上放好了亚麻餐巾和擦得锃亮的餐具。白葡萄酒搁在冰桶里；而红葡萄酒则应存放在室温中。面包、奶酪、调味汁——一切都符合规矩。

先生大吃大喝，太太站在他身后靠边一点的地方愉快地点着头。饭一吃完她就立即去洗刷餐具。不把一切收拾得干净整齐是决不考虑其他任何活动的。而与此同时，在营地所有其他的地方，其他国家人的食物正从他们的手里、嘴里、口袋里掉到地上。

 

 

1 disapprove   

v.不赞成，不同意，不批准

参考例句：

• I quite disapprove of his behaviour.我很不赞同他的行为。
• She wants to train for the theatre but her parents disapprove.她想训练自己做戏剧演员，但她的父母不赞成。

2 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

3 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

4 aperitif   

n.饭前酒

参考例句：

• It is as an aperitif or with strong cheeses and desserts.此酒是开胃酒，可配合甜品及味道较浓郁的芝士食用。
• This beer is also very suitable as an aperitif.这款啤酒很适合作为开胃酒。

5 luncheon   

n.午宴，午餐，便宴

参考例句：

• We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。
• I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。

6 linen   

n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的

参考例句：

• The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
• Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。