阅读训练

Bobos1 In Shangr i-La

Just when China's new affluents have begun to enjoy their xiaozi, or bourgeois lifestyle( a downtown apartment, flashy automobiles and Starbucks mochaccinos ) , along comes a book from America to stir up their lifestyles. Recently young Chinese have been snapping up2 copies of the newly translated version of“Bobos in Paradise 3”, by American author David Brooks. The book’s thesis — that the bohemian spirit of the 1960 s has come together with the acquisitive impulses of the 1980 s to create the hybrid bourgeois-bohemian, a. k. a. 4 the Bobo — has sparked debate all around China .“All my friends are talking about the Bobos, ”one Beijing book shopper told the official Xinhua News Agency. Clubs have been formed offering lectures and discussions on the Bobo Lifestyle , and Bobo magazines are appearing on newsstands. Chinese Bobos are being targeted by everyone from real- estate agents to mobile phone companies. A local businessman opened the Bar in Beijing, which is fitted with computers so customers can check their e -mail while sitting on rustic Chinese furniture hand-picked by the owner from peasant villages. Web sites keep springing up to help people determine if they are“Bobo qualified”, and if so, how to act appropriately.

As the“ pleased and surprised”Brooks waits to see whether he’ll get his fair share of author royalties out of the phenomenon (“I mean, that’s a billion copies, ”he told journalist) , Beijing is breeding its fair share of Bobo-bashers. Another journalist says the average Chinese person has a strong disdain for the nouveau riche5 . He wonders how many Chinese today earn enough to be considered a Bobo. And, he argues, those who do are more bourgeois than bohemian.“We have people with a lot of money, but there’s no social consciousness. ”He says. “ Rich people don’t care about the environment, unemployment, rural problems or mine disasters. ”

练习题：

Ⅰ. Matching:

1. flashy A. despise

2. hand-picked B. fashionable

3. disdain C. selected

4. trendy D. pastoral

5. rustic E. sparkling

Ⅱ. Questions :

1. Give some examples to represent the lifestyle of“xiaozi”.

2. According to the last paragraph, what can you infer about rich Chinese?

参考答案

Ⅰ. 1. E 2. C 3. A 4 . B 5 . D

Ⅱ. 1. A downtown apartment; flashy automobiles; Starbucks mochaccinos . ..

2. According to the above passage, we know that many Chinese are only to show offrather than to be Bobos. It seems that they have nothing but money. They havesplendid villas, modern cars and luxurious clothes, but they lack social-consciousness.They show little concern about environment, unemployment and rural problems.All of these make them somebody of egoist.

参考译文

香格里拉的波波族

中国的新贵们刚刚开始享受“ 小资” 生活, 或曰资产阶级的生活——— 市中心有一套公寓, 坐花哨汽车和喝斯达巴克的摩卡咖啡。一本来自美国的书搅乱了他们的生活方式。最近, 年轻人争相传阅不久前刚被翻译出版的美国作家大卫· 布鲁克斯的《天堂里的波波族》译本。该书的主题是, 20 世纪60 年代波西米亚精神已经和80 年代物质占有欲糅合在一起, 形成布尔乔亚波西米亚, 即所谓的波波。这一主题在华夏大地上触发了一场辩论。“ 我所有的朋友都在谈论波波族。”北京的一个读者告诉新华社记者。人们成立俱乐部, 举行讲座, 讨论波波式的生活; 波波杂志出现在各个报亭。从房地产代理商到手机厂家都瞄准波波族。北京一家由本地人经营的名为DIY@ Bobo 的网吧里, 顾客可以坐在颇具乡村格调的桌椅前接收电子邮件, 而这些家具是店主特意从乡下购进的。网站也层出不穷, 意欲帮助人们判断自己是否“ 符合波波族的品质”, 如何才能更像波波族。

“ 惊喜”交加的布鲁克斯则等着从该书的版税中渔利(“ 我是说, 发行十亿本, ”他告诉记者) 。同时, 北京也正孕育着相当一批波波族。另一名记者说, 普通中国人对暴发户往往嗤之以鼻。他还质疑中国有多少人的收入高得可堪称波波。他认为, 即使达到标准的也不过是“ 布尔乔亚”, 而非“ 波西米亚”。“ 很多人腰缠万贯, 却毫无社会意识, ”他说,“ 他们漠视环境、失业、农村和矿难等问题。”

阅读讲解

1. Bobos n. 该词由bourgeois 和bohemian 的前两个字母组成。“波波”一词则是Bobo 的音译。波西米亚( bohemian) 原来指捷克斯洛伐克那些试图颠覆资产阶级的哲学家、艺术家和诗人。现在它已经成了流浪、自由、解放和自然特质的象征。布尔乔亚( bourgeois)则指崇尚城市、秩序、节制、勤勉、毅力和谦虚等特质的新兴中产阶层。他们多是城市白 领, 收入丰厚, 追求时尚和高品位的生活。自从资产阶级文明诞生以来, 资产阶级的文化矛盾就一直集中在波西米亚和布尔乔亚的对抗冲突之中, 波西米亚的文化冲动始终和布尔乔亚的商业文明格格不入。而如今, 美国的咖啡文化将两者结合成一体。

2. snap 本来有“迅速抓住, 马上接受”的意思, 这里是指该书为大家所广泛接受; 另外, snap还有“迅速行动”的意思, 如词组in a snap 意为“马上, 立刻”; 还有, 平时日常生活中大家所熟悉的“ 快照”也用snap 这个词表示。

3. 美国作家大卫·布鲁克斯写的书《天堂里的波波族》。据说Bobo 就是在布鲁克斯的大作中登场的。本书描述了称为波波族的新时期富人。他们讲究生活品位和情调,“ 用‘ 长在安哥拉背阴处的杏仁’磨成粉和原糖调制成的冰咖啡才是最好的”这一词句是他们生活品位的一种典型描述。这本书被译介到中国后, 也深深影响了中国部分追求时尚的年轻人。

4. 这是also known as 的缩写, 意思是“又名, 亦称”。

5. 这是个法语词, 字面意思是“new rich”, 即“ 暴发户”; 复数形式为nouveaux riches。