Section B

Experiences in Exile

We are in Montreal, in an echoing, dark train station, and we are squeezed together on a bench waiting for someone to give us some guidance. Eventually, a man speaking broken Polish approaches us, takes us to the ticket window, and then helps us board our train. And so begins yet another segment of this longest journey — all the longer because we don't exactly know when it will end, when we'll reach our destination. We only know that Vancouver is very far away.
The people on the train look at us indirectly, and avoid sitting nearby. This may be because we've brought suitcases full of dried cake, canned sardines, and sausages, which would keep during the long journey. We don't know about dining cars, and when we discover that this train has such a thing, we can hardly afford to go there once a day on the few dollars that my father has brought with him. Two dollars could buy a bicycle, or several pairs of shoes in Poland. It seems like a tremendous sum to pay for four bowls of soup.
The train cuts through infinite territory, most of it flat and boring, and it seems to me that the ceaseless rhythm of the wheels is like scissors cutting a three-thousand-mile rip through my life. From now on, my life will be divided into two parts, with the line drawn by that train.
After a while, I shrink into a silent indifference, and I don't want to look at the landscape anymore; these are not the friendly fields, the farmyards of Polish countryside; this is vast, tedious, and formless. By the time we reach the Rockies, my parents try to make me look at the spectacular landscapes we're passing by. But I don't want to. These peaks and valleys, these mountain streams and enormous rocks hurt my eyes; they hurt my soul. They're too big, too forbidding, and I can't imagine feeling that I'm part of them, and that I'm in them. I retreat into sleep; I sleep through the day and the night, and my parents can't shake me out of it. My sister, perhaps recoiling even more deeply from all this strangeness, is ill with a fever and can hardly raise her head.
On the second day, we briefly meet a passenger who speaks Yiddish. My father enters into a dynamic conversation with him and learns some entertaining tales. For example, there's the story of a Polish Jew who came to Canada and became prosperous (he's now a millionaire!) by producing Polish pickles. Pickles! If one can make a fortune on that, well — it shouldn't be hard to achieve prosperity in this country. My father is excited by this story, but I retreat into an even more determined silence. "Millionaire" is one of those words from a fairy tale that has no meaning to me whatsoever — like the words "emigration" and "Canada." In spite of my parents' objections, I go back to sleep, and I miss some of the most magnificent scenery on the North American continent.
By the time we've reached Vancouver, there are very few people left on the train. My mother has dressed my sister and me in our best clothes — identical navy blue dresses with sailor collars and gray coats. My parents' faces reflect anticipation and anxiety. "Get off the train on the right foot," my mother tells us. "For luck in the new life."
I look out of the train window with a heavy heart. Where have I been brought? As the train approaches the station, it's a rainy day, and the platform is nearly empty. Everything is the color of gray. From out of this grayness, two figures approach us — an unremarkable middle-aged man and woman — and after making sure that we are the right people, the arrivals from the other side of the world, they embrace us; but I don't feel much warmth in their half-embarrassed embrace. "You should kneel down and kiss the ground," the man tells my parents. "You're lucky to be here." My parents' faces fill with a kind of simple hope. Perhaps everything will be well after all.
Then we get into an enormous car — yes, this is North America — and drive into the city that is to be our home.
Words: 720

NEW WORDS

▲exile
n. 1. [U] being sent away from one's native country or home, esp. for political reasons or as a punishment 放逐，流放，流亡
2. [C] a person who lives away from his own country by choice or because he is forced to 自己选择或被迫居留国外的人
vt. send sb. into exile 放逐, 充军

echo
vi. (of places) repeat a sound 发出回声, 产生回响
vt. (of places) send back (an echo) （指地方）发回声
n. [C] reflection and repetition of a sound from a wall or inside space 回音，回声

guidance
n. [U] guiding or being guided; direction 引导；领导，指导

destination
n. [C] a place to which sb. or sth. is going or being sent 目的地

directly
ad. 1. in a direct line or way; straight 直接地, 一直地, 直截了当地
2. very soon or at once 立刻, 立即, 马上

indirectly
ad. not going in a straight line 间接地

■sardine
n. [C] 沙丁鱼

sausage
n. [C, U] 香肠，腊肠

▲dine
vt. eat dinner 吃饭，进餐

tremendous
a. 1. very large 巨大的，极大的
2. very good; excellent 很好的，非常好的

infinite
a. without limits; endless 无限的，无穷的

territory
n. 1. [C, U] (area of) land under the control of a ruler, country, city, etc. 领土，领地，版图
2. [C, U] area ruled by one person, group or animal and defended against others 领域，势力范围

boring
a. uninteresting; dull 无趣的；令人厌烦的

cease
n. [U] stop; end 停止，终止
v. end; stop 停止

ceaseless
a. not stopping; without end 不停的，连续的，无休止的

scissors
n. (pl.) 剪刀

shrink
vi. 1. move back or from sb./sth., esp. through fear or not liking 退缩，畏缩
2. become smaller, esp. because of water or heat or cold （尤指因受潮、受热或受冷）收缩；缩小
vt. cause sth. to become smaller 使收缩，使缩小

landscape
n. 1. [C] scenery of an area of land 陆上风景
2. [C] a view or picture of the countryside 风景画

tedious
a. tiring, because of being too long, slow or dull; boring 冗长的，沉闷的；乏味的

spectacular
a. making a very fine display or show 壮观的，场面富丽的

stream
n. [C] a small river 小溪，川，河
vi. flow or move as a stream, pour out 流（出）, 涌（出）

forbid
vt. order sb. not to do sth. 不许，禁止

recoil
vi. move back because of fear or not liking 退却，退缩，畏缩

dynamic
a. 1. having a lot of ideas and excitements; with much energy 精力充沛的，有活力的
2. of power or forces that produce movement 动力的
n. (sing.) force that produces change, action, or effects 产生变化、行动或影响的力量

prosperous
a. successful, esp. financially 成功的，繁荣的，兴盛的

▲millionaire
n. [C] a person who has a million pounds, dollars, etc.; a very rich person 百万富翁，大富豪，大财主

■pickle
n. [C, U] 腌菜，泡菜

prosperity
n. [U] state of being successful or rich 繁荣，昌盛，成功

fairy
n. [C] an imaginary being which looks like a small person with wings and has unnatural powers 仙女，仙子

whatsoever
ad. whatever（用在no+名词、nothing、none的后面，以加强语气）任何

▲emigrate
vi. leave one's own country to go and live in another （自本国）移居它国

emigration
n. [U, C] leaving a country and going to live in another one 移民，移居（外国）

objection

n. 1. [C, U] (expression of a) feeling of not liking 厌恶，异议，反对
2. [C] a reason for objecting 反对的理由

magnificent
a. 1. very beautiful; striking 壮丽的，宏伟的
2. very good 极好的

scenery
n. 1. [U] general natural qualities of an area, e.g. mountains, rivers, forests 景色，风光，风景
2. [U] equipment used on a theatre stage as the place of action 舞台布景，道具

identical
a. 1. similar in every detail 一模一样的，完全相同的
2. the same 同一的

sailor
n. [C] a person who works on a ship; seaman 水手，海员

gray (英grey)
a. 1. of the color between black and white 灰色的，灰白的
2. cloudy with little light 阴沉的，昏暗的
n. [U, C] the color between black and white 灰色

rainy
a. (of a day, period, etc.) on or in which much rain falls; (of sky, weather, etc.) bringing much rain （指某日、某时期）多雨的，雨水连绵的；（指天空、天气）下雨的，阴雨的，多雨的

remarkable
a. worthy of attention; striking, unusual 值得注意的，引人注目的，不寻常的

unremarkable
a. not worthy of attention; usual 不值得注意的，不显著的，平凡的

embrace
n. [C] an act of embracing 拥抱
vt. 1. take (a person, etc.) into one's arms as a sign of liking 拥抱
2. (of things) include 包含，包括

warmth
n. 1. [U] liking; kindness 热情，热烈
2. [U] state of being warm 温暖，温和

kneel
vi. go down on one or both knees; rest on the knee(s) 跪下，跪倒

PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS

all the longer
so much longer 更长

be full of
holding or containing as much or as many as possible 满的，充满……的，装满……的

know about (sth)
have knowledge of sth. 知道有关……的情况

bring with (sth)
come carrying sth. 拿来，取来，带来

pay for
give money for 付给，付款

divide into
(cause sth. to) break into parts 划分，分割，分开

make a fortune
make a large amount of money 发财

dress sb. in
put clothes on sb. 给……穿衣服

with a heavy heart
unhappy 心情沉重，不开心

make sure
find out whether sth. is so 查明，证实，了解清楚

after all
in spite of what has been said, done or expected 究竟，终究，毕竟

PROPER NAMES

Montreal
蒙特利尔（加拿大东南部港市）

Vancouver
温哥华（加拿大西南部港市）

Yiddish
意第绪语，依地语（犹太人使用的国际语）

Jew
犹太人

    流放的经历
                                                                                                                                  
    我们到了蒙特利尔，呆在一个嘈杂的、黑暗的火车站里, 紧紧地挤在一起 坐在一条长凳上，等着有人来给我们带路。 终于,一个操着洋泾浜的波兰语的人走了过来，把我们带到了售票处，并帮我们登上了火车。 这样就开始了我们经历过的最漫长的旅程中的又一段路程 --说它漫长，是因为我们既不能确切地知道它究竟什么时候才是个尽头，也不知道我们何时才能到达目的地。 我们只知道温哥华离我们十分遥远。
    车上的人不正面看我们，而且还回避着不和我们坐在一起。 这也许是因为我们带着装满干硬糕点、罐头沙丁鱼和香肠的手提箱的缘故。这些食物在漫长旅途中不会变质。 我们对餐车一无所知，而且当我们发现这辆列车上有这样一个地方时，爸爸随身带来的那几块美元几乎还不够我们一天去那里吃一次。 在波兰，2美元可买一辆自行车或几双鞋子。买四碗汤要花上四美元，这可是一笔不小的钱。
    列车飞快地穿过茫茫无际的大地 -- 大部分土地平坦，但令人感到厌烦。对我来说，车轮不间断地发出的有节奏的声音就象一把剪刀，咔嚓咔嚓地在我的生命长河中剪出了一条长达 3.000 英里的口子。从今以后，我的一生将被划分成两个部分，这列火车的行程划出了其中的分界线。
    过了一会儿，我蜷缩成一团，一声不啃，对什么都不感兴趣，我再也不想看窗外那些景色了。这些田地不象波兰农村的农家场院那样令人感到亲切友好。 这片土地广阔、单调、杂乱。 当我们驶近落基山脉时，我父母想叫我看看我们外面的壮丽景色。 但是我不想看。这些山峰和峡谷、山中小溪和巨大岩石不但刺痛了我的眼睛，而且还刺痛了我的心。 它们太巨大了,令人生畏，很难设想我会感到我是他们中的一部分、而且还身在其中。 我又蒙头睡觉,从早睡到晚，连父母都无法把我从睡梦中摇醒。 也许是因为更想往后退缩、远离所有这一切陌生的东西，我妹妹发热生病了，几乎连头都抬不起来。
    次日，我们遇上了一个说依地语的人。 我父亲则和他进行了一次热烈的谈话，听到了一些让人感到开心的故事。 例如, 有一个波兰籍的犹太人来到加拿大，通过腌制波兰泡菜而发了财！（他现在是个百万富翁！） 泡菜！假如一个人能靠它发大财，那么在这个国家发财致富应该是不难的。 我爸爸听了这个故事感到兴奋不已，而我则越发往后退缩，更加下定决心保持沉默。 象"移民"和"加拿大"这两个词一样，"百万富翁"对我来说只是童话故事词汇中的一个没有任何意义的词而已。 尽管我父母反对，我又蒙头大睡，因此我错过了北美大陆上一些最壮观的景色。
    到温哥华的时候，车上只剩下稀稀拉拉的几个人。 我母亲给我和我妹妹穿上了我们最好的衣服 -- 两人的衣服是一样的-- 都是有水手领的海军蓝裙子和灰色外套。 我父母脸上流露出期待和焦急的神情。 "为了在新生活中交好运。" "下车用右脚先着地。" 母亲嘱咐我们。
    我心情沉重地朝火车窗外望去。 我被带到了哪里？ 火车驶近车站时, 天正在下雨，月台上几乎空无一人。 一切东西都蒙上了一层灰色。 有两个人影从这一片灰色中走近我们 -- 一个不起眼的中年男子和一个女人。 在确认我们正是他们要找的、从世界的另一边来的人后，他们拥抱了我们。 但是我们并没有在他们有点局促不安的拥抱中感到多少温暖。 那个男人对我父母说: "你们应该跪下来，亲吻这里的土地，因为能来这里是你们的运气。" 我父母脸上洋溢着一种纯真而质朴的希望。 也许最终一切都真的会好起来。
    然后我们上了一辆大轿车 -- 是呀，这就是北美 -- 接着就驰进了那座城市，那座城市将是我们的家。