The Midwest‏

hen American humorist Mark Twain was once asked where he was born, the author of Tom Sawyer proudly stated the Midwest—Missouri to be exact— because it was an unknown area “and needed attractions.” The region certainly got one in Samuel Clemens. Thousands travel to Hannibal, Missouri, each year to visit the great man’s birthplace and boyhood home. But not all Midwesterners agree that the Midwest needed Mark Twain as an attraction to lure folks onto its Great Plains.
當美國幽默作家馬克‧吐溫有一次
被問到他的出生地時，這位「湯
姆歷險記」的作者很驕傲地說：「中西
部，嚴格來說應該是密蘇里州，因為那
是一個沒沒無名的地方，所以需要有吸
引人之處。」而該地區當然因為他——
撒木爾‧克萊門斯（馬克吐溫的本名）
——就有了一處吸引人的地方。每年有
數以千計的遊客到密蘇里州的漢尼拔去
探訪這位偉人的出生地及童年時代的
家。但並不是所有中西部的人都同意當
地需要以馬克‧吐溫為誘餌，來吸引人
們到這片大草原來。

During the 19th century, plenty of people poured into America’s heartland to carve
out farms on the windswept prairies and later, to join the Industrial Revolution in the
region’s up-and-coming cities. Farms producing many varieties of grain cover America’s
center states, making it the breadbasket of the nation. Iowa is 90 percent farmland and
famous for mile after mile of rustling cornfields. Kansas wheat farms and Nebraska cattle also feed the nation and the world.
在十九世紀時，許多人蜂擁地來到
美國心臟地區，在這微風吹拂的草原上
開墾農地。隨後，並在這個地區中積極
進取的城市裡參與工業革命。生產各種
穀物的農場遍佈美國中部各州，使它成
為美國的穀倉。愛荷華州百分之九十的
土地是農田，並以綿延數哩沙沙作響的
玉米田聞名。堪薩斯州的小麥田及內布
拉斯加州的牛群也供應美國及全世界的
食物所需。

The Midwest’s hardy farmers characterize the region. They dedicate themselves to the Protestant ethic of hard work and believe strongly in self-reliance and self-determination. The Midwest is celebrated for its small-town, farm-based conservatism and is home to historic American populism. Midwesterners are straightforward and unpretentious, with a reputation as resolute individualists who
can be somewhat hardheaded. Missouri’s nickname is the “Show-me State,” because people there tend to be a skeptical sort who live by the motto “seeing is believing.”
中西部刻苦耐勞的農人就是這個區
域的寫照。他們自律於新教徒辛勤工作
的倫理規範，並深植於自信及自決的原
則。中西部以小鎮和以農為本的保守主
義為名，也是美國歷史上的人民黨主義
之發源地。中西部的人直截了當而不矯
飾，他們一向被認為是堅決的個人主義
者，但可能有點固執。密蘇里州的別號
是「眼見為信之州」，因為那裡的人傾向
多疑，且秉持「眼見為信」的座右銘。
就像美國其他地區的居民一樣，由
於有數以千計到此定居的北方人及南方
人，中西部的人沒有一個特別的共同方
言。

Like citizens of other regions of America, Midwesterners don’t have one particular dialect in common, thanks to the thousands of Northerners and Southerners who came to settle in the region. They carried with them their linguistic characteristics, which show up in pockets around the Midwest. Some areas, such as sections of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois insert an “r” in words like wash and gosh. So a resident might get up in the morning and say, “Gorsh, I must do my warsh today if I want clean clothes.”
他們帶來的語言特性在中西部各地
不同的小團體中突顯出來。在某些區
域，像是俄亥俄州、印第安那州及伊利
諾州，居民會在像w a sh及g o sh等字加入
「r」。所以人們早上起來會說：「哎呀
( Gorsh )，假如我想要有乾淨的衣服穿，
我今天必須洗衣服( warsh )。」

In addition to the Northerners and Southerners who relocated further west, thousands of German, Dutch, Irish, Polish, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and Finnish immigrants added their particular accents to the Midwest melting pot. Some of their vocabulary found its way into the language, too. Americans can thank the Germans for words such as kindergarten, delicatessen, ouch, sauerkraut and dumb.
The Dutch also brought their own words: pit (as in a fruit stone), boss, snoop, coleslaw, cookie and waffle. Scandinavians contributed the sauna and the smorgasbord.
若要區分
出是有北方血統或是南方血統，你只要
問問他們用什麼裝食品雜貨就可以了。
南方人會說sack，而北方人會說bag。
除了往更西部遷徙的北方人及南方
人之外，數以千計的德國人、荷蘭人、
愛爾蘭人、波蘭人、挪威人、丹麥人、
瑞典人及芬蘭人都把它們獨特的口音加
入了中西部這個大鎔爐中。而他們用的
某些字彙也融入英語中。美國人應該要
謝謝德國人帶來了像是 kindergarten（幼
稚園）、delicatessen（特製熟食店）、ouch
（哎喲）、sauerkraut（泡甘藍菜）及dumb（啞或笨）這些字眼。荷蘭人也將他們自
己的字彙帶了進來； pit（果核）、boss
（老闆）、snoop（窺伺）、coleslaw（涼拌
生菜絲）、cookie（餅乾）以及 waffle（鬆
餅）。斯堪地那維亞人提供了sauna（蒸
汽浴）及smorgasbord（百匯自助餐）。

In addition to the Northerners and Southerners who relocated further west, thousands of German, Dutch, Irish, Polish, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and Finnish immigrants added their particular accents to the Midwest melting pot. Some of their vocabulary found its way into the language, too. Americans can thank the Germans for words such as kindergarten, delicatessen, ouch, sauerkraut and dumb. The Dutch also brought their own words: pit (as in a fruit stone), boss, snoop, coleslaw, cookie and waffle. Scandinavians contributed the sauna and the smorgasbord.
若要區分
出是有北方血統或是南方血統，你只要
問問他們用什麼裝食品雜貨就可以了。
南方人會說sack，而北方人會說bag。
除了往更西部遷徙的北方人及南方
人之外，數以千計的德國人、荷蘭人、
愛爾蘭人、波蘭人、挪威人、丹麥人、
瑞典人及芬蘭人都把它們獨特的口音加
入了中西部這個大鎔爐中。而他們用的
某些字彙也融入英語中。美國人應該要
謝謝德國人帶來了像是 kindergarten（幼
稚園）、delicatessen（特製熟食店）、ouch
（哎喲）、sauerkraut（泡甘藍菜）及dumb（啞或笨）這些字眼。荷蘭人也將他們自
己的字彙帶了進來； pit（果核）、boss
（老闆）、snoop（窺伺）、coleslaw（涼拌
生菜絲）、cookie（餅乾）以及 waffle（鬆
餅）。斯堪地那維亞人提供了sauna（蒸
汽浴）及smorgasbord（百匯自助餐）。

Ask any American to name a city in the Midwest, and most will reply, “Chicago.” Famous for Michigan Avenue, Frank Lloyd Wright and the Sears tower, the Windy City has made quite a name for itself outside the Midwest. But the Midwest has other “big name” cities, too. Detroit builds autos for the country and the world. Kansas City, Missouri, is home to the headquarters of Hallmark Cards.
隨便請一個美國人說出一個中西部
的城市名，大多數的人都會回答「芝加
哥」。以密西根大道、建築設計師法蘭
克‧萊特及席爾斯塔著名，這個風城確
實為自己在中西部以外之地打響了名
號。但是中西部也有其他赫赫有名的都
市。底特律生產的汽車行銷全美國及全世界。密蘇里州的堪薩斯市是 Hallmark
（賀軒）卡片總公司所在地。

In addition to cities and farms, the Midwest is known for its “comfort food”—cuisine that is neither nouvelle nor exotic, just good, solid sustenance: meat loaf and mashed potatoes, for instance. In spite of their good, hearty cooking, the Midwest gave rise to a staple of today’s fast food fad: hamburgers. Before McDonald's dominated the fast-food world, the Midwest had White Castle.
Its hamburgers were a nickel apiece and not very big, but they were so good nobody could eat just one.
除了城市及農場之外，中西部還以
它「美味營養」的食物而聞名——其烹
調既不新奇也不奇特，但卻好吃又營養
豐富。例如碎肉烤餅及馬鈴薯泥。儘管
它有好吃又豐盛的烹調，中西部也帶起
了一個重要的今日速食流行風潮——漢
堡。在麥當勞支配速食世界之前，「白
城堡」速食店就崛起於中西部。它的漢
堡不大，一個才五分錢，但是它太好吃
了，沒有人忍得住只吃一個。

The same could be said of the Midwest’s Eskimo Pie. Originally called an “I-Scream-Bar,” it was invented by an Iowa high school teacher and part-time ice cream salesman.
The public went wild with the dessert combination; within three months of its introduction ,it was selling a million bars a day.
同樣著名的大概就中西部的愛斯基
摩派。它一開始叫做「I - Scream - Bar」，它
是由愛荷華州的一位兼賣冰淇淋的高中
老師所發明的。大眾為此甜點而瘋狂；
在該產品上市的三個月之內，它一天已
可以賣出一百萬支。

That was pretty dramatic action for the Midwest, where citizens want concrete proof that a change is for the better. They will change, mind you, but only when fully convinced that advancement is an improvement. They feel the past—including their language and traditions—is definitely worth preserving— particularly when it is as colorful as theirs.
這對中西部來說是項戲劇性的舉
動，因為那兒的居民對於某項改變能有
更好的結果通常需要具體的證明。我告
訴你們，他們會改變，只要他們相信推
進代表進步。他們覺得過去（包括他們
的語言及傳統），特別是像他們的過去一
樣多采多姿是絕對值得保存的。
?Word BankGreat Plains (n phr pl) 大草原（北美落磯山脈以東美國與加拿大 境內之大草原）

populism (n) 人民黨的主義
unpretentious (adj) 不露鋒芒的；不矯飾的；謙虛的
resolute (adj) 毅然的；堅決的

pocket (n) 孤立或受保護的小團體

relocate (v) 遷徙至另一地方
melting pot (n phr) 鎔爐

relocate (v) 遷徙至另一地方
melting pot (n phr) 鎔爐

nouvelle (adj) 新穎的；新潮的
sustenance (n) 食物；營養物
staple (n) 主要的部份
fad (n) 一時的流行；一時的熱中

The Day's Phrase

Innovations in container gardening are changing the way people grow food
盆栽園藝的創新，正改變人們種植糧作的方式

Put those matches away, son! How many times have I told you, don't play with fire!
把火柴放一邊，兒子！我告訴你少次了，不可以玩火！

Four easy ways to help you become successful
助人成功的四個簡單方法
We haven't decided on which restaurant to eat at. It's still up in the air.
我們還沒決定去哪一家餐廳吃呢。現在仍是懸而未決。
She went above and beyond the call of duty. Not only did she wash the dishes,
but she cleaned the entire kitchen as well.
她所做的已超越其職責。她不但洗了碗盤，連整個廚房都打掃乾淨了。

You’ll smile, laugh and sit on the edge of your seat in the theater this summer
今夏你在電影院裡會眉開眼笑、捧腹大笑及全神貫注興奮異常

It's about time you arrived! I've been waiting for you for half an hour!
你早該到了！我已經等你半個小時了！

I don't want to be part of the planning committee anymore. Can I back out?
我不想再參與籌備委員會了。我可以退出嗎？

Please don't talk about him behind his back. It's not nice.
請不要在他背後談論他。這樣是不好的。

A look at the young woman who will someday be the queen
一瞥有朝一日將成為英國王后的年輕女子

Did he break the news to you that he's getting married?
他告訴過你說他要結婚了嗎？

My homework is coming along fine. I'm almost finished.
我的家庭作業進展得蠻順利的。我快做完了。

You have a chance to give back to the ocean
人類有機會能回饋海洋
I don't tell people what to do here because I'm not in charge. My boss calls the shots.
在這裡我不會告訴人家去做什麼，因為這裡不是我當家。是由我老闆發號施令。

There's something in the water ...
水裡有東西??

Don't worry about your test tomorrow. Just do your best!
不要擔心你明天的考試。盡力而為吧！