英语口语畅谈世界文化之加拿大15:Spirit of Raven乌鸦精灵

英语口语畅谈世界文化

之加拿大15:Spirit of Raven乌鸦精灵

L: Local    V: Visitor
L:当地人    V:参观者

V: Hi, I wonder if you can help me. I'm trying to do some research about the spirit of the raven.  I have some details already, but I would like to hear more.
V:你好不知道你能不能帮帮我。我想研究乌鸦精灵。我已经有了一些详细资料，但我想再多听听。

L: Well. you've come to the right place.  I'm somewhat of a local expert on the spirit of the raven.
L:好的，你算是找对地方了。我可以说是当地这方面的专家。

V: Excellent. Well. I know that the raven stole the sun to light up a dark universe, but I don't really know the details.
V:太好了。我知道乌鸦把太阳偷走，照亮了整个黑暗的世界，但细节我就不太清楚了。

L: That's true, the raven was a thief, but in a good way.
L:是有这么回事，乌鸦是个贼，但，是个义贼。

V: A chief! But this story is very old, isn't it?
V:一个贼！不过这个故事很老了，是不是？

L:Yes, the story stretches back thousands of years. We native Canadians tell this story to children, generation after generation.
L:是的，这个故事有几千年的历史．我们十生十长的加拿大人把这个故事讲给孩子听，就这样一代代流传了下来。

V: So, what do you know about the spirit of the raven?
V:那么，你对乌鸦精灵都知道些什么？

L:This story tells, as you said, of the Raven who stole the sun to light up a dark universe.
L:正像你刚才所说的，这个故事讲述了乌鸦把太阳偷走照亮了整个黑暗的世界。

V: But why did he need to light up the universe? I mean, didn't we have a sun then?
V:但是，为什么他要偷太阳来照亮世界？我是说，那时我们没有太阳吗？

L: It is told by the elders that, at the beginning of time, the Trickster Spirit looked around and saw only darkness.
L:据老人们讲，在远古时代，魔术师神下来到处察看，结果只看见漆黑一片。

V:Right, so there was no sun. But why do we think of the raven? You said the Trickster Spirit stole it?
V:是这样，所以当时没有太阳。但我们为什么会想到乌鸦？你说是魔术师神偷的？

L: The Trickster Spirit transformed himself into the raven and then set out to find the light and bring it to the world.
L:魔术师神把自己变成乌鸦，然后动身去寻找光明，并把光明带给了我们这个世界。

V: So. is this a story used for teaching us lessons about life? What exactly can we learn from it?
V:所以，这个故事就是用来教给我们一些生活经验吗？我们究竟能从这个故事中学到什么呢？

L: Well. We can all identify with the Trickster Spirit, because he is half-human He is creator and spoiler, hero and clown.
L:是这样，我们大家都认同魔术师神，因为他是半人半神。他既是创造者又是毁灭者，是英雄又是小丑。

V: So, he is uNPRedictable, one minute inspiring awe for his creativity, the next moment provoking laughter at his foolishness.
V:所以他是不可预测的，他一发挥创造力就令我们对他肃然趁敬，接着他一糊涂又引起大家对他的讥笑。

L: Exactly. The moral teachings are laced with humour and an easy acceptance of the truth that nobility and foolishness can reside in the same person-and you can never predict which face wiL: 一点不错。道德说教经常要带点幽默，这样大家更容易接受事实的真相。同样一个人也会同时有高贵和愚蠢的一面——而且你永远也无法预测接下来会出现哪张面孔。
ll show itself next.

V: Thanks for giving me this extra information, I didn't realize that the spirit of the raven was so signi6cant in Canadian culture.
V:谢谢你给我那么多新信息，我不知道乌鸦精灵在加拿大文化中如此重要。

【单词词组讲解】
You’ve come to the right place.你找对地方了。
native Canadian 加拿大当地人
be laced d with…  用……装饰
stretch back 追溯
half-human半人的

【背景介绍】
乌鸦精灵：乌鸦被北毫印第安人祀为聪明和富有创造力的象征，主譬根源于印笫安神话故事“乌鸦偷日”。传说一只乌鸭从一个居住于高山之赢的储菽光明的老人那里偷来太阳和月亮，送给了长期在黑暗中生活的人类。许多部落部将乌鸭作为自己的图暗，图腾拄上乌鸦口所含的球就是太阳的象征