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美国国家公共电台 NPR Struggling For Words, A Boy And His Grandfather Are 'Drawn Together' At Last

时间:2018-06-20 08:49:39

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(单词翻译)

 

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

The relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren can be a special one. But it can also be challenging, especially when it spans cultures and sometimes language.

ANOT TANTA SUNTHORN: (Speaking Thai).

THOMAS R GROVES1: (Reading) So what's new, Grandpa?

CORNISH: A new picture book called "Drawn2 Together" colorfully bridges the divide between a young boy and his Thai grandfather. It's written by Minh Le, and he joins us now in the studio. Welcome to the program.

MINH LE: Thank you for having me.

CORNISH: So the illustrations to this book are done by Dan Santat, and I want to bring it up because he is Thai. You are not, right?

LE: That's correct.

CORNISH: What's the connection here?

LE: So I'm actually Vietnamese-American, and I wrote the manuscript from that perspective. But with a picture book, you want the illustrator to kind of, like, take it on and make it their own. I wrote it based on my relationship with my grandfather, but he had a personal connection with his grandmother that was very similar.

CORNISH: Walk us through the basic plot of the book. What happens?

LE: OK. So in this story, a boy goes to visit his grandfather. And they have dinner. They watch a movie. And they - but they struggle to connect because of a language barrier. So it's only when they discover a mutual3 love of art that they're able to connect and find that common ground. And then the relationship kind of takes off from there.

CORNISH: Tell us a little bit about your grandparents, when they came to the U.S. And how old were you when you first kind of had a real relationship with them?

LE: My parents came over right before the war got really bad in Vietnam, and my grandparents came shortly thereafter. So we grew up in Connecticut. And my grandfather was also naturally a man of few words. I keep telling people there's no question in my mind that he and I knew how much we meant to each other. But we weren't quite able - I wasn't quite able to, like, convey that to him through words. That distance that you see at the beginning of the book was very much something that I grappled with throughout my time.

CORNISH: And that distance is embodied4 by silence, right? We have panel on panel of this little boy kind of going about his day, unpacking5 his backpack and the grandfather in the background, and them looking at each other kind of furtively6, I would say. (Laughter) Is that a good description?

LE: Yeah, no. Dan did an amazing job, since there are very few words, of capturing all those little moments in the facial expressions or, like, a slump7 of the shoulders and just kind of really capturing the depth of emotion without using words, which is - for a book about the power of relationships and a world beyond words, that really comes through in the illustrations I think beautifully.

CORNISH: I want to zero in on another moment where they connect. And I was wondering if you could turn to the page where the grandfather goes to his own sketchbook.

LE: So up to this point, there hasn't been any narration8. That was kind of done on purpose to kind of, like, build up that tension and that awkward silence. And then once the grandfather comes back with the sketchbook and they kind of discover that connection, the narration kicks in. And it says, right when I gave up on talking...

THOMAS: (Reading) Right when I gave up on talking, my grandfather surprised me by revealing a world beyond words. And in a flash, we see each other for the first time.

LE: So in the book, the boy draws a picture of himself as a wizard, like, one of the heroes of his imagination. And the grandfather sees that and has this, like, epiphany. He runs to his room and grabs his own art supplies and draws a picture of himself as one of the heroes from his childhood. And for me, when you turn that page, it's almost like peeling back the layers of their identities. And they see each other for the first time.

CORNISH: And the adventure they draw involves a dragon and - right? - like, and fights.

LE: Yeah, I wanted to have a book that was both, like, emotionally resonant9 but also exciting for kids and, like, that had that, like, dynamic element. So there is a dragon that appears, and he's very ferocious10. So for me, like, to see the grandfather as, oh, he has these, like, amazing imagination, like, hopes and dreams...

CORNISH: Right. He imagines himself as this warrior11, basically - right? - with this huge sword. And in the - on the other page, you've got the little boy, and he's got his magic wand and his cape12.

LE: Yeah. So to have that connection and to kind of find those similarities on that page I thought was important to the story.

CORNISH: Yeah. I mean, it's so interesting when you have - when you're an immigrant. I am, too. My grandparents, who are no longer with us, were back on the island. And, yeah, you - you're just this American kid, and you don't always really know who they are.

LE: Right. And I think sometimes, like - because I have grandparents in Vietnam as well. And it's like sometimes, it's a literal physical distance. Like, here you are halfway13 across the globe. Sometimes it's a more metaphorical14 distance of, like, just, like, not being able to connect. You start to question the depth of your relationship if you can't speak in the most basic ways, right?

What's been great, if you don't mind me saying, is other people say I spoke15 English with my grandparents, but we just couldn't connect for the longest time until we figured out some other way to bridge that gap. So I feel like it's been very gratifying to have a story that's very personal and very specific resonate, kind of like a cross-cultural experience and have those universal themes that kind of are - resonate with people.

CORNISH: Well, Minh Le, thank you so much. It was a beautiful story.

LE: Oh, thank you. Thank you so much for having me.

CORNISH: Minh Le - his new picture book is called "Drawn Together." It's illustrated16 by Dan Santat. Earlier, we heard two readers. Anot Tanta Sunthorn (ph) was reading the part of the grandfather and Thomas R. Groves (ph) read the part of the grandson.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 groves eb036e9192d7e49b8aa52d7b1729f605     
树丛,小树林( grove的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The early sun shone serenely on embrowned groves and still green fields. 朝阳宁静地照耀着已经发黄的树丛和还是一片绿色的田地。
  • The trees grew more and more in groves and dotted with old yews. 那里的树木越来越多地长成了一簇簇的小丛林,还点缀着几棵老紫杉树。
2 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
3 mutual eFOxC     
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的
参考例句:
  • We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
  • Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。
4 embodied 12aaccf12ed540b26a8c02d23d463865     
v.表现( embody的过去式和过去分词 );象征;包括;包含
参考例句:
  • a politician who embodied the hopes of black youth 代表黑人青年希望的政治家
  • The heroic deeds of him embodied the glorious tradition of the troops. 他的英雄事迹体现了军队的光荣传统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 unpacking 4cd1f3e1b7db9c6a932889b5839cdd25     
n.取出货物,拆包[箱]v.从(包裹等)中取出(所装的东西),打开行李取出( unpack的现在分词 );拆包;解除…的负担;吐露(心事等)
参考例句:
  • Joe sat on the bed while Martin was unpacking. 马丁打开箱子取东西的时候,乔坐在床上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They are unpacking a trunk. 他们正在打开衣箱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 furtively furtively     
adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地
参考例句:
  • At this some of the others furtively exchanged significant glances. 听他这样说,有几个人心照不宣地彼此对望了一眼。
  • Remembering my presence, he furtively dropped it under his chair. 后来想起我在,他便偷偷地把书丢在椅子下。
7 slump 4E8zU     
n.暴跌,意气消沉,(土地)下沉;vi.猛然掉落,坍塌,大幅度下跌
参考例句:
  • She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
  • Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。
8 narration tFvxS     
n.讲述,叙述;故事;记叙体
参考例句:
  • The richness of his novel comes from his narration of it.他小说的丰富多采得益于他的叙述。
  • Narration should become a basic approach to preschool education.叙事应是幼儿教育的基本途径。
9 resonant TBCzC     
adj.(声音)洪亮的,共鸣的
参考例句:
  • She has a resonant voice.她的嗓子真亮。
  • He responded with a resonant laugh.他报以洪亮的笑声。
10 ferocious ZkNxc     
adj.凶猛的,残暴的,极度的,十分强烈的
参考例句:
  • The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。
  • The ferocious panther is chasing a rabbit.那只凶猛的豹子正追赶一只兔子。
11 warrior YgPww     
n.勇士,武士,斗士
参考例句:
  • The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
  • A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。
12 cape ITEy6     
n.海角,岬;披肩,短披风
参考例句:
  • I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
  • She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。
13 halfway Xrvzdq     
adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途
参考例句:
  • We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路,天就黑了。
  • In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上,最忌讳的是有始无终。
14 metaphorical OotzLw     
a.隐喻的,比喻的
参考例句:
  • Here, then, we have a metaphorical substitution on a metonymic axis. 这样,我们在换喻(者翻译为转喻,一种以部分代替整体的修辞方法)上就有了一个隐喻的替代。
  • So, in a metaphorical sense, entropy is arrow of time. 所以说,我们可以这样作个比喻:熵像是时间之矢。
15 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
16 illustrated 2a891807ad5907f0499171bb879a36aa     
adj. 有插图的,列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
  • The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。

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