VOA标准英语2011--Writer Takes Trans-Pacific Journey in Ne

Writer Takes Trans-Pacific Journey in New Novel

The writer Lisa See takes readers on a trans-Pacific journey in her latest novel, Dreams of Joy.
The book is a sequel to See's 2009 novel Shanghai Girls, which tells the story of two sisters, Pearl and May, who live through the turbulence¹ of 1930s China and escape the Japanese invasion and occupation of Shanghai. They reach Los Angeles Chinatown, where restrictions² on immigration have led to networks of fictitious³ relationships, with so-called "paper sons" claiming the right to immigrate⁴ based on forged documents.
The relationships often created real bonds as the immigrants formed family groups and struggled to survive in a new country.
The success of China's communists in 1949 created a crisis for some Chinese Americans. Many were hostile to the new government, but See says others, especially among the young, were sympathetic.
"Actually, there were a lot of Chinese going back to the People's Republic of China at that time, 90,000 in one year from Fukien [Fujian] Province alone," noted⁵ See. "But also a lot of other people who weren't Chinese, who were going to China kind of inspired by what was going on there, or even hoping to start a business."
Once there, it was not easy to get out, and some who returned to China, both Chinese and Westerners, became victims of the political turmoil⁶.
In the late 1950s, the government under Chairman Mao Zedong imposed sweeping⁷ changes that wreaked⁸ economic havoc⁹.
This is the backdrop for See's story, as Joy, the young Chinese American woman, returns to a homeland she has never known against her family's wishes, and her Chinese-born mother, Pearl, follows her.
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"Her delicate eyebrows¹⁰, pretty nose and full lips register absolute astonishment¹¹ at seeing me. Her eyes widen and become even brighter. Then I see not happiness, sadness or even anger that I'm here. It's worse than any of those. The cool shadows of indifference¹² fall over her features. She stares at me but doesn't say a word."
Lisa See has written several best-selling novels with Chinese-related themes. She says those themes have special appeal for her.
"I'm part Chinese. Your listeners can't see me, but I have red hair and freckles¹³, so I don't look very Chinese, but I did grow up in a very traditional Chinese American family. I live in Los Angeles and today in Los Angeles, I have about 400 relatives, of which the majority of them are still full Chinese, and then there's this spectrum¹⁴ with me on one end - there are about a dozen that look like me - but this spectrum all the way up to the majority being full Chinese," noted See.
See says she is also part Irish and that like most Americans, she celebrates her ethnic¹⁵ heritage.
"I think all of us here in the United States, we all had someone in our families who was brave enough, scared enough, dumb enough, crazy enough to leave their home country to come here," added See. "But there is a still a part of us that is tied to our original homeland, and we all share in that feeling no matter where you came from."
See is already working on her next book. It concerns a nearly forgotten part of Chinese American culture from the 1920s through the 1940s, when Asian American entertainers performed at night clubs in cities like New York and San Francisco, popularly known as the Chop Suey Circuit, named after the Chinese dish that became a standard in American Chinese restaurants.
She says the entertainers were billed as Asian American versions of popular singers and dancers of the day.
"It's like the Chinese Fred Astaire and Ginger¹⁶ Rogers, the Chinese Sophie Tucker, the Chinese Frank Sinatra, the Chinese Bing Crosby," See explained. "They all kind of were billed that way because that was so immediately recognizable to a customer."
See says that novel will offer yet another glimpse of the Chinese American experience.

1 turbulence   

n.喧嚣，狂暴，骚乱，湍流

参考例句：

• The turbulence caused the plane to turn over.空气的激流导致飞机翻转。
• The world advances amidst turbulence.世界在动荡中前进。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 fictitious   

adj.虚构的，假设的；空头的

参考例句：

• She invented a fictitious boyfriend to put him off.她虚构出一个男朋友来拒绝他。
• The story my mother told me when I was young is fictitious.小时候妈妈对我讲的那个故事是虚构的。

4 immigrate   

v.（从外国）移来，移居入境

参考例句：

• 10,000 people are expected to immigrate in the next two years.接下来的两年里预计有10，000人会移民至此。
• Only few plants can immigrate to the island.只有很少的植物能够移植到这座岛上。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

7 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

8 wreaked   

诉诸（武力），施行（暴力），发（脾气）( wreak的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city. 地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• They have wreaked dreadful havoc among the wildlife by shooting and trapping. 他们射杀和诱捕野生动物，造成了严重的破坏。

9 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

10 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

11 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

12 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

13 freckles   

n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She had a wonderful clear skin with an attractive sprinkling of freckles. 她光滑的皮肤上有几处可爱的小雀斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• When she lies in the sun, her face gets covered in freckles. 她躺在阳光下时，脸上布满了斑点。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

15 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

16 ginger   

n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气

参考例句：

• There is no ginger in the young man.这个年轻人没有精神。
• Ginger shall be hot in the mouth.生姜吃到嘴里总是辣的。