海外中国留学生专区


高中生申请本科名校:最震撼的Essay美文-2

(为帮助学生、尤其是家长朋友们更好理解欣赏原文,本文提供中文参考译文)



                                             Reaching Out

On the stage, Kimani and I were dancing together, to distinctively different music and with distinctively different choreography. To the Rock music, Kimani was the lead dancer, dancing with dynamic rhythm and energy. When the music switched to strikingly Chinese melody of flowing peace and tranquility, I led the dance with oriental grace and lyrical expressiveness. Our dance was a perfect fusion, conflicting elements yoked together to produce a unique harmony. As our dance concluded on the final lingering note, the audience, our classmates at the New Year Evening Show, burst into thunderous applauses, not only for our artistic creativity but also for a seemingly impossible reconciliation.

Kimani and I have been roommates but it was a known secret to all that we were sworn enemies. The first year at XXX School, plunged into a different country with different culture, I was diffident and reserved, naturally alienated from Kimani Keaton, a typical Brooklyn girl, distinctively different in appearances and cultural backgrounds. Our conflicts over trivialities aggravated the alienation.

As the freshman year went on, our direct communication was minimal and our dorm became an arena of cold war stalemate, interspersed by open confrontations and music would be our weapon. Kimani turned on her Ihome speaker to play loud Rock music while I might be engrossed in wrestling with a challenging calculus problem. To retaliate, I would instantly download a high-pitched national revolutionary song and played it loud to drown Kimani’s favorite Miley Cyrus’ voice. The whole freshman hall was loud enough to wake the dead. Surrounded by enmity, I felt as if living in a prison house.

Bur secretly, I was envious of Kimani. She had many friends who came to chat with her and have fun. Her enthusiasm and optimistic energy won her great popularity. But I was all alone and isolated. In my despair, I remembered reading about Nelson Mandela and the speech he made the day he was released from the prison—“when I walked out of the prison cell towards the door leading to freedom, I have made it clear that, if I could not leave behind me my pains and resentments, I would still be in prison.”

In my diary on Oct. 12, 2008, I thus wrote “Lily, no more complaining about Kimani and self-pitying. Be brave to talk to her and learn about her culture and habits. You can do it!”

The next day, I invited Kimani to coffee. “Fancy listening to Chinese rock’n’roll?” I asked. “Chinese rock’n’roll, really?” Kimani’s eyes shone with interest and excitement. I played one to her which I downloaded the night before and told her a list of Chinese rock’n’roll stars. Soon we were heatedly discussing the characteristics of the music of two countries. “You did not tell me you have rock’n’roll in China. I thought you hated it,” she said. “No, that was a misunderstanding; I only wanted to concentrate on my studies.” I lost no time apologizing to her for not communicating with her and not stepping out of my shadow of inhibition. Kimani was surprised at my apology, but she knew I was sincere. She said sorry too, for her lack of knowledge and appreciation of another culture.

For the first time, we talked truly heart to heart and our coffee session ended up in a big hug. We started becoming great roommates as any great roommates could ever be. I stopped disliking New York as a noisy party city because Kimani invited me to a tour there, introducing me to some of the city’s best cultural highlights. On my part, I took her to Chinese restaurants and exposed her to some of the greatest delicacies of Chinese cuisine. From then on, our gossips covered any topics that girls love to talk about—music, food, dress, sports, books, and hobbies. Before the New Year Evening Show, we made music arrangements and rehearsed hard, and put on the best performance of the evening.

Now, as president of “International Students Organization,” I love to use my own experiences and lessons to help international students who face barriers in cross-cultural communication. As I tell them, “the barriers are as thin as a sheet of paper; and breaking them up does not require efforts, but only courage.”

                               不要作茧自缚

        舞台上,Kimani和我正跳着双人舞,伴随着迥然不同的音乐,呈现出迥然不同的舞姿。摇滚乐响起,Kimani 为主舞,节奏强烈,动作劲爆。当音乐切换到具有显著中国特色的宁静幽远的旋律时,我变成领舞者,一展东方的优雅和充满抒情性的表现力。我们的舞蹈节目成为天合之作,大相径庭的元素搭配在一起,制造出一种独特的和谐。随着我们的舞蹈在最后一个余声缭绕的音符上戛然而止,我们的观众——新年演出上的同学们,报之以雷鸣般的掌声,不仅仅因为我们的艺术创造力,也因为我们实现了一次近乎不可能的和解。

        Kimani和我是室友,但一个公开的秘密是,我们俩是不共戴天的敌人。入美国XXX中学的第一年,突然置身于文化迥异的异国他乡,我信心不足,沉默寡言,与Kimani Keaton 格格不入,而Kimani则是一个典型的Brooklyn女孩,每天以奇装异服示人,文化背景与众不同。我们生活琐事上的摩擦使我们俩人的格格不入每况愈下。

        随着第一学年时间的推移,我们之间的直接交流微乎其微,我们的寝室成为冷战僵持状态的阵地,时常也伴随着公开的冲突,而音乐则成为我们的武器。当我正在专心致志地攻克一道艰难的微积分题目时,Kimani会打开苹果家庭音响设备,大声播放摇滚乐。为了报复,我会立刻下载一首音色尖利的中国革命歌曲,开大音量,将Kimani最喜爱的Miley Cyrus  的歌喉淹没殆尽。整座新生宿舍楼声音震耳欲聋,足以把死人也给吵醒。身处这一充满敌意的环境。我觉得仿佛生活在囚牢里。

        但内心深处,我又暗自羡慕Kimani。她有许多朋友,常来寝室聊天,玩得不亦乐乎。她热情大方,乐观,活力四射,使她人气很旺。但我却形只影单,孤立无助。绝望中,我记得曾读过Nelson曼德拉及其出狱之日的名言:“当我走出囚室迈向通往自由的监狱大门时,我已经清楚,自己若不能将痛苦与怨恨留在身后,那么其实我仍在狱中。”

        在我20XX年10月12日的日记中,我如此写道:“Suo,收起你的自我怜悯,不再对Kimani怨天尤人。鼓起勇气跟她谈一次,去了解她得文化与习惯。你能做到的!”

        第二天,我邀请Kimani去喝咖啡。“想不想听听中国的摇滚乐?”我问她。“中国摇滚乐,真的吗?”Kimani眼中立刻来神了,透着兴奋与好奇。我将前一晚上下载的一首曲子放给她听,并告诉她一连串中国乐摇滚歌星的名字。很快,我们就热烈讨论起中美两国这种音乐的各自特点。“你怎么没跟我说过中国有摇滚乐?我还以为你恨这种音乐呢!”她说。“不,那是误会,我只是想专心学习而已。”我不失时机地向她致以歉意,没能与她充分沟通,没能及时走出自我封闭的阴影。Kimani对我的道歉甚感惊讶,但她知道我是真心实意的,她也表示歉意,对他国文化缺乏了解与欣赏。

        在我们的交往中,我们第一次进行了真正的心对心得交谈,整个下午的咖啡时光,最终以我们热烈拥抱而告终。我们开始成为好室友,一如其他好室友那样,要多好有多好。我不再厌恶纽约,因为Kimani邀我到那里玩了一圈,向我介绍了这座大城市里的几处最棒的人文景观。在我这方面,我请她上中国菜馆,让她见识了最美味的几道中国佳肴。自那以后,我们聊天的话题无所不包。凡女孩们喜欢的话题,我们无所不聊——音乐、食物、运动、书籍、业余爱好。在新年演出之前,我们做了些音乐编排,认真排练,我们的舞蹈表演成为当晚的最佳节目。

        现在,作为“国际学生社团”的主席,我喜欢用自己的经验与教训来帮助那些在跨文化交流中遭遇障碍的国际学生。正如我经常跟他们讲得那样,“这些障碍薄得像一层窗户纸,要摧毁它们,其实并不真的需要费什么劲,只要有勇气便行。”





嘉文博译郑重声明:

(1)     本网站所有案例及留学文书作品(包括“个人陈述”Personal Statement,“目的陈述”Statement of Purpose, “动机
          函”Motivation Letter,“推荐信”Recommendations / Referemces “, (小)短文”Essays,“学习计划”Study Plan,“研究计
          划”(Research Proposal),“签证文书”Visa Application Documents 及“签证申诉信”Appeal Letter等等),版权均为嘉文
          博译所拥有。未经许可,不得私自转载,违者自负法律责任。


(2)     本网站所有案例及留学文书作品(包括“个人陈述”Personal Statement,“目的陈述”Statement of Purpose, “动机
          函”Motivation Letter,“推荐信”Recommendations / Referemces “, (小)短文”Essays,“学习计划”Study Plan,“研究计
          划”(Research Proposal),“签证文书”Visa Application Documents 及“签证申诉信”Appeal Letter等等),版权均为嘉文
          博译所拥有。未经许可,不得私自转载,违者自负法律责任。仅供留学申请者在学习参考,不作其他任何用途。任何整句整段
          的抄袭, 均有可能与其他访问本网站者当年递交的申请材料构成雷同,而遭到国外院校录取委员会“雷同探测器”软件的检测。
          一经发现,后果 严重,导致申请失败。本网站对此概不负责。

北京市海淀区上地三街9号金隅嘉华大厦A座808B

电话:(010)-62968808 / (010)-13910795348

钱老师咨询邮箱:qian@proftrans.com   24小时工作热线:13910795348

版权所有 北京嘉文博译教育科技有限责任公司 嘉文博译翻译分公司 备案序号:京ICP备05038804号