loving-and-hating-new-york-课文和翻译

LovingandHatingNewYorkThomasGriffith1ThoseadcampaignscelebratingtheBigApple,thoseT-shirtswithaheartdesignproclaiming“IloveNewYork,”aresigns,patheticintheirdesperation,ofhowthemightyhasfallen.NewYorkCityusedtoleavethebraggingtoothers,forbraggingwas“bush”Beingunique,thebiggestandthebest,NewYorkdidn’thavetoasserthowspecialitwas.2Itisn’tthetopanymore,atleastifthetopismeasuredbywhobegetsthestylesandsetsthetrends.NowadaysNewYorkisoutofphasewithAmericantasteasoftenasitisoutofstepwithAmericanpolitics.Onceitwasthenation’sundisputedfashionauthority,butittoolongresistedtheincomingcasualstyleandlostitsmonopoly.Nolongersolookeduptoorcopied,NewYorkevenpridesitselfonbeingaholdoutfromprevailingAmericantrends,aplacetoescapeCommonDenominatorLand.3Itsdeficienciesasapacesetteraremoreandmoreevident.AdozenothercitieshavebuildingsmoreinspiredarchitecturallythananybuiltinNewYorkCityinthepasttwentyyears.ThegiantManhattantelevisionstudioswhereToscanini’sNBCSymphonyonceplayednowsitemptymostofthetime,whilesitcomsclonedandcannedinHollywood,andtheJohnnyCarsonshowlive,preempttheairwaysfromCalifornia.TinPanAlleyhasmovedtoNashvilleandHollywood.VegascasinosroutinelypayheavysumstosingersandentertainerswhomnonightspotinManhattancanaffordtohire.Insports,thebiggersuperdomes,themoreexcitingteams,themostenthusiasticfans,areoftenfoundelsewhere.4NewYorkwasneveragoodconventioncity–beingregardedasunfriendly,unsafe,overcrowded,andexpensive–butitismakingsomethingofacomebackasatouristattraction.Evenso,mostAmericanswouldprobablyrateNewOrleans,SanFrancisco,Washington,orDisneylandhigher.Adozenothercities,includingmyhometownofSeattle,arewidelyconsideredbettercitiestolivein.5Why,then,domanyEuropeanscallNewYorktheirfavoritecity?TheytakemorereadilythandomostAmericanstoitscosmopolitancomplexities,itssurviving,aloof,Europeanstandards,itsalienmixtures.PerhapssomeoftheseEuropeansarereassuredbythesight,onthetwinfashionavenuesofMadisonandFifth,ofallthosefamiliarinternationalnames–thejewelers,shoestores,anddesignershopsthatexisttoflatterandbilkthefrivolousrich.Butno;whatmostexcitesEuropeansisthecity’scharged,nervousatmosphere,itsvulgardynamism.6NewYorkisaboutenergy,contention,andstriving.Andsinceitcontainsitsshareofarticulatelosers,itisalsoaboutmockery,theput-down,theloser’sshrug(“whaddyagonnado?”).Itisaboutconstantbattlesforsubwayseats,foracabdriver’soraclerk’sorawaiter’sattention,forafoothold,achance,abetteraddress,alargerbilling.TowininNewYorkistobeuneasy;toloseistoliveinjostlingproximitytothefrustratedmajority.7NewYorkwasneverMeccatome.AndthoughIhavelivedtheremorethanhalfmylife,youwon’tfindmewearingan“ILoveNewYork”T-shirt.Butallinall,Ican’,tthinkofmanyplacesintheworldI’dratherli,ve.It’,snoteasytodefinewhy.8Nature’spleasuresaremuchqualifiedinN,ewYork,.Youneverseeastar-filledsky;thecity’sbrightglowarrogantlyobscurestheheavens.Sunsetscanbespectacular:orangesandredstintingtheskyovertheJerseymeadowsandgaudilyreflectedinathousandwindowsonManhattan’sjaggedskyline.NatureconstantlyyieldstomaninNewYork:witnessthosefragilesidewalktreesgamelystrugglingagainstencroachingcementandpetrolfumes.CentralPark,whichFrederickLawOlmsteddesignedaslungsforthecity’spoor,isinplacesgrasslessandfilledwithtrash,nolongerpristineyetlivelywiththenoiseandvivacityofpeople,largelyyouths,blacks,andPuertoRicans,enjoyingthemselves.Onparkbenchessitolderpeople,mostlywhite,lookingdisplaced.Ithasbecomelessatranquilparkthananuntidycarnival.9Nottheglamourofthecity,whichneverbeckonedtomefromadistance,butitsopportunity–topracticethekindofjournalismIwanted–drewmetoNewYork.Iwasn’tevensurehowI’dmeasureupagainstotherswhohadbeenmoresoundlyeducatedatIvyLeagueschools,orwhetherIcouldcompeteagainstthattoughlocalbreed,thoseintellectualsonsofimmigrants,sohighlymotivatedandsingle-minded,suchasAlfredKazin,whofordiversion(forheaven’tsake!)playedBach’sUnaccompaniedPartitasontheviolin.10Atestingofoneself,afearofgivingintothemostbanalandmarketableofone’stalents,stilldrawsmanyoftheyoungtoNewYork.Thatand,asalways,thecompanyofothersfleeingsomethingconstrictingwheretheycamefrom.Togethertheseyoungshareafreedom,acommunityofinexpensiveamusements,acasualliving,andsomeroughtimes.Itcan’tbethelivingconditionsthatappeal,foronlyfondmemorywillforgivetheinconvenience,risk,andsqualor.CommercialBroadwaymaybeinaccessibletothem,butthereisoff-Broadway,andthenoff-off-Broadway.IfpaintersdisdainMadisonAvenue’splushartgalleries,MadisonAvenuedealerssetupshopinthegrubbyprecinctsofSoho.Butthepurityofabohemiandedicationcanbeexaggerated.TheartisticyounginhabitthesameGreenwichVillageanditsfringesinwhichtheexperimentalistsintheartslivedduringtheDepression,unitedbyaworldagainstthem.Butthepresentgenerationisenoughofasubculturetobeasourceofprofitableboutiquesandcoffeehouses.Anditisnotallthatestranged.11ManhattanisanislandcutoffinmostrespectsfrommainlandAmerica,butintwoareasitremainsdominant.ItisthebankingandthecommunicationsheadquartersforAmerica.Inboththeserolesitratifiesmorethanitcreates.WallStreetwilladvancethemillionstomakeaHollywoodmovieonlyifconvincedth