Unit 9 Section a Stop Brain Drain I. Background Information 1. Coca-Cola Founded in 1886, the Coca-Cola Company is the world's leading manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, used to produce nearly 400 beverage brands. The headquarters are in Atlanta, with local operations is over 200 countries around the world 2. Sputnik History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The worlds first artificial satellite was about the size of a basketball, weighted only 183 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. That launch ushered in new political, military, technological and scientific developments. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start of the space age and the U.S. ------U.SSR space race 3. The green revolution The world's worst recorded food disaster happened in 1943 in British---ruled India Known as the Bengal Famine, an estimated four million people died of hunger that year alone in eastern India( that included today's Bangladesh). One of the reasons of for the lacks of food was found that the Indian leaders hoarded ood in order to sell at higher prices However, the term"Green Revolution"is applied to the period from 1967 to 1978. Between 1947 and 1967, efforts at achieving food self-sufficiency were not entirely successful. Efforts until 1967 largely concentrated on expanding the farming areas. But starvation deaths were still being reported in the newspapers. In a perfect case of Malthusian economics, population was growing at a much faster rate than food production. This called for drastic action to increase yield. The action came in the form of the Green Revolution The term"Green Revolution"is a general one that is applied to successful agricultural experiments in many Third World countries. It is NOT specific to India. But it was most successful in India. There were three the method of the Green Revolution: 1)Continued expansion of farming areas; 2) Double-cropping existing farmland; 3) Using seeds with improved genetics 4. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, leader of the Indian nationalist movement, was one of the greatest national leaders of the 20th century. His methods and philosophy of nonviolent confrontation, or civil disobedience, not only led his own country to independence but influenced political activists of many persuasions throughout the world 5.Jawaharal Nehru Jawaharal Nehru(1889-1964)was the first prime minister of independent India. Nehru studied at Cambridge and was admitted to the english bar and then returned to India very westernized. After World War II he participated in the discussions between the United Kingdom and India's leaders that eventually created the separate states of India and Pakistan. When independence came in 1947, Nehru became Prime Minister of India
Unit 9 Section A Stop Brain Drain I. Background Information 1. Coca-Cola Founded in 1886, the Coca-Cola Company is the world’s leading manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, used to produce nearly 400 beverage brands. The headquarters are in Atlanta, with local operations is over 200 countries around the world. 2. Sputnik History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world’s first artificial satellite was about the size of a basketball, weighted only 183 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. That launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start of the space age and the U.S. ------ U.S.S.R space race. 3. The Green Revolution The world’s worst recorded food disaster happened in 1943 in British---ruled India. Known as the Bengal Famine, an estimated four million people died of hunger that year alone in eastern India ( that included today’s Bangladesh). One of the reasons of for the lacks of food was found that the Indian leaders hoarded food in order to sell at higher prices. However, the term “ Green Revolution” is applied to the period from 1967 to 1978. Between 1947 and 1967, efforts at achieving food self-sufficiency were not entirely successful. Efforts until 1967 largely concentrated on expanding the farming areas. But starvation deaths were still being reported in the newspapers. In a perfect case of Malthusian economics, population was growing at a much faster rate than food production. This called for drastic action to increase yield. The action came in the form of the Green Revolution. The term “ Green Revolution” is a general one that is applied to successful agricultural experiments in many Third World countries. It is NOT specific to India. But it was most successful in India. There were three basic elements in the method of the Green Revolution: 1) Continued expansion of farming areas; 2) Double-cropping existing farmland; 3) Using seeds with improved genetics. 4. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, leader of the Indian nationalist movement, was one of the greatest national leaders of the 20th century. His methods and philosophy of nonviolent confrontation, or civil disobedience, not only led his own country to independence but influenced political activists of many persuasions throughout the world. 5.Jawaharal Nehru Jawaharal Nehru (1889-1964)was the first prime minister of independent India. Nehru studied at Cambridge and was admitted to the English bar and then returned to India very westernized. After World War Ⅱ he participated in the discussions between the United Kingdom and India’s leaders that eventually created the separate states of India and Pakistan. When independence came in 1947, Nehru became Prime Minister of India
6. Eton College Eton College, founded by King Henry IV in 1440, is a private secondary school for boys in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton's academic and social importance is so great that children are registered at birth to attend there when they are older. Many of England's most famous and admired men were educated there. Eton has an educational system similar to those at Oxford and Cambridge universities, in which each student(for small group of students) has a single, private teacher 7. Silicon vall Silicon Valley is an area that"located on the San Francisco, California, peninsula, radiates outward from Stanford University. It is contained by the san francisco Bay on the east, the Santa Cruz Mountains on the west, and the Coast Range to the southeast. It is best known for its high tech industry 8. Microsoft Microsoft is the manufacturer of the Windows operating systems that include MS-DOS/ 8/NT/2000/Me/XP and other software applications such as Microsoft Office and Internet 9. Intel Intel is the manufacturer of Pentium microprocessors as well as other computer chips 10. The term "welfare state"has been used since World War ll to refer to the acceptance by so governments of the responsibility to make the lives of all their people socially and economically satisfactory The programs of the welfare state have been aimed primarily to reduce the hardships caused by unemployment, disability, and old age and to secure a minimal but appropriate amount of medical care and other essential services for all. regardless of income II. Text Analysis Text Summary Policies have been made in the u.s. to steal brain from the third world brain drain in india has been a serious problem. The India Institute of Technology offered students free room and board, even salary. Indian taxpayers footed the bill in the hope that one day the graduates would help reconstruct the nation. But many students left for America, never return. Although the government set up special IT graduates played a major role in founding California's Silicon valley. India had gone from an agricultural society to the ber-revolution, without passing through intermediate stages such as the welfare state and the creation of social services. It is time to pass legislation calling for a" Brain Trust", helping to create the social structure needed in the next century Text structure Part I( paras. 1-3)Policies have been made in the U.S. to steal brain from the third world Part Il( paras. 4-18)Brain drain in India has been a serious problem but the government has taken no Part Ill( para. 19) It is time to pass legislation calling for a" Brain Trust The writing method of making contrast between two things is very common in argumentation Here are 3 points for our attention 1. Signals of contrast
6.Eton College Eton College, founded by King Henry Ⅳ in 1440, is a private secondary school for boys in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton’s academic and social importance is so great that children are registered at birth to attend there when they are older. Many of England’s most famous and admired men were educated there. Eton has an educational system similar to those at Oxford and Cambridge universities, in which each student (for small group of students) has a single, private teacher. 7. Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is an area that “ located on the San Francisco, California, peninsula, radiates outward from Stanford University. It is contained by the San Francisco Bay on the east, the Santa Cruz Mountains on the west, and the Coast Range to the southeast.. It is best known for its high tech industry. 8. Microsoft Microsoft is the manufacturer of the Windows operating systems that include MS-DOS/ Windows95/98/NT/2000/Me/XP and other software applications such as Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer. 9. Intel Intel is the manufacturer of Pentium microprocessors as well as other computer chips. 10. The term “welfare state” has been used since World War II to refer to the acceptance by some governments of the responsibility to make the lives of all their people socially and economically satisfactory. The programs of the welfare state have been aimed primarily to reduce the hardships caused by unemployment, disability, and old age and to secure a minimal but appropriate amount of medical care and other essential services for all, regardless of income. II. Text Analysis Text Summary Policies have been made in the U.S. to steal brain from the third world. Brain drain in India has been a serious problem. The India Institute of Technology offered students free room and board, even salary. Indian taxpayers footed the bill in the hope that one day the graduates would help reconstruct the nation. But many students left for America, never return. Although the government set up special IT graduates played a major role in founding California’s Silicon Valley. India had gone from an agricultural society to the cyber-revolution, without passing through intermediate stages such as the welfare state and the creation of social services. It is time to pass legislation calling for a “Brain Trust”, helping to create the social structure needed in the next century. Text structure Part I ( paras. 1-3) Policies have been made in the U.S. to steal brain from the third world. Part II ( paras. 4-18) Brain drain in India has been a serious problem but the government has taken no effective measures. Part III ( para.19) It is time to pass legislation calling for a “ Brain Trust”. The writing method of making contrast between two things is very common in argumentation. Here are 3 points for our attention: 1. Signals of contrast
We usually recognize contrasts on the basis of meaning. If the meaning of two things( such as the parts of a sentence, two objects or two thoughts) can be identified as being greatly different from each other in some way, we can say they are in a relationship of contrasts. Different words of groups of words are used to signal contrasts, depending on the subject. These signals often include: but, however, while, meanwhile, whereas, instead of. instead on the one hand on the other hand etc 2. Making contrasts for different purposes Writers use contrasts to do different things. For instance, the contrast between Para. 7 and Para. 8 tells that what really happens at the Indian Institute of Technology runs against its initial purpose: cultivating talents for the reconstruction of the nation. However, in Para l7 the sharp contrast between Indias remarkable electronics industry and the ever-worsening condition of Indias interior framework draws the reader to consider the reasons for this difference 3. Making contrasts on the paragraph level, or within one paragraph or sentence a writer can illustrate a point by using contrast on several different levels. The contrast may be found on the paragraph level, that is, by putting the contrasting items in separate paragraphs. This is shown in Paras 7&8 It is also possible to place both parts of the contrast in the same paragraph, such as in Para. 17 Finally, contrast can also be shown within a single sentence. For example:"This new leadership has abandoned all talk of economic imperialism in favor of market economics"( Para. 16, passage A, unit 9)In other words, the new leaders favor market economics instead of economic imperialism III. Language point New words phrase 1. drain D)n. sth. that uses up strengths, energy, or resources e.g. I think looking after her elderly mother is quite a drain on her energy.我想照顾她年迈的母亲把她 的精力都耗尽了。 2)v( cause to flow off gradually or completely eg. The water drained slowly out of the sink.水慢慢从洗涤槽流出去 With illness, her strength drained away.她生病了,身体很虚弱。 ( cause to )become gradually dry, as water or liquid is removed eg. They drained water from land他们把地面上的水排掉 The war drained the country of its resources.战争使该国的资源枯竭了 2.“post-” is a prefix which means "later than?”of“ after e. g. post-war years战后岁月 pre-war years战前岁月 3. thumb 1)n.(手的)拇指 2)v. get a free ride by raising the thumb as a signal e.g. We thumbed a lift to London for the weekend.我们免费搭车去伦敦度周末 thumb through: look or search through quickly Y e.g. A clerk thumbed through the files looking for a letter.办事员翻遍了案卷,寻找一封信件。 foot the bill: (infml )pay
We usually recognize contrasts on the basis of meaning. If the meaning of two things ( such as the parts of a sentence, two objects or two thoughts) can be identified as being greatly different from each other in some way, we can say they are in a relationship of contrasts. Different words of groups of words are used to signal contrasts, depending on the subject. These signals often include: but, however, while, meanwhile, whereas, instead of, instead, on the one hand ,on the other hand, etc. 2. Making contrasts for different purposes Writers use contrasts to do different things. For instance, the contrast between Para.7 and Para.8 tells that what really happens at the Indian Institute of Technology runs against its initial purpose: cultivating talents for the reconstruction of the nation. However, in Para.17 the sharp contrast between India’s remarkable electronics industry and the ever-worsening condition of India’s interior framework draws the reader to consider the reasons for this difference. 3. Making contrasts on the paragraph level, or within one paragraph or sentence A writer can illustrate a point by using contrast on several different levels. The contrast may be found on the paragraph level, that is, by putting the contrasting items in separate paragraphs. This is shown in Paras.7&8. It is also possible to place both parts of the contrast in the same paragraph, such as in Para.17. Finally, contrast can also be shown within a single sentence. For example: “This new leadership has abandoned all talk of economic imperialism in favor of market economics” ( Para.16, passage A, unit 9) In other words, the new leaders favor market economics instead of economic imperialism. III. Language Points New Words & Phrases 1. drain: 1) n. sth. that uses up strengths, energy, or resources e.g. I think looking after her elderly mother is quite a drain on her energy. 我想照顾她年迈的母亲把她 的精力都耗尽了。 2) v. ( cause to ) flow off gradually or completely e.g. The water drained slowly out of the sink. 水慢慢从洗涤槽流出去。 With illness, her strength drained away. 她生病了,身体很虚弱。 (cause to ) become gradually dry, as water or liquid is removed e.g. They drained water from land.他们把地面上的水排掉。 The war drained the country of its resources. 战争使该国的资源枯竭了。 2. “post-” is a prefix which means “later than” of “after”. e.g. post-war years 战后岁月 pre-war years 战前岁月 3. thumb: 1) n. (手的)拇指 2) v. get a free ride by raising the thumb as a signal e.g. We thumbed a lift to London for the weekend. 我们免费搭车去伦敦度周末。 thumb through: look or search through quickly e.g. A clerk thumbed through the files looking for a letter. 办事员翻遍了案卷,寻找一封信件。 4. foot the bill: (infml.) pay the bill
lis parents footed the bill for the wedding.这次婚礼的钱是他父母出的 5. in the hope that(/of: hoping eg I didn t phone till four o' clock in the hope that you'd be finished.我一直等到四点钟才打电话,希望 那时你已经做完事了。 We left the house early in the hope of avoiding traffic jams.我们早早地走了,希望能避开交通堵塞 e.g So many new ideas! It is too much for me to absorb all at once.这么多新想法!我一下子还接受不了 We closed our offices at2:00pm. to give employees time to absorb the bad news.我们下午两点就下 班了,让雇员们有时间去思考这个坏消息。 eg. They made a firm pledge to reduce taxes.他们坚定地承诺支持我们。 egWe' ve pledged ourselves to fight for justice我们立下誓言,要为正义而战 They have pledged their support for our case.他们承诺支持我们的诉讼 8. scope: n(for/to do) opportunity for activity eg I asked at the job interview whether there would be any scope for me to use my Japanese.求职面试 时,我询问今后是否有机会用得上我的日语 9. mushroom: v grow rapidly and in great numbers e.g The number of computers in schools has mushroomed in recent years.近几年学校里电脑的数量增加 的非常快。 10. were to: This structure is used in an if-clause to make the reader imagine a future condition, esp. one that t likely, not possible, or unreal e.g. If it were to rain tomorrow, the match would have to be cancelled.如果明天下雨,比赛将取消 If it were to reveal its secrets, that organization would collapse in shame.如果机密被揭露,那家机构 就会不体面地倒闭。 11. hold water: seem to be true or reasonable eg. None of his arguments seemed to me to hold water.在我看来他的观点没有一个是站的住脚的。 I'm sorry, but your story just doesn't hold water 12. abandon: vt 1)leave sb. or sth. forever e. g She abandoned her husband and children and went off with another man.她抛下丈夫和孩子,和另 个男人私奔了。 2)stop doing sth. before you have finished e.g The match was abandoned at half time because of the poor weather condition.因为天气不好,比赛进 行到中途就停止了 3)allow(oneself)to be controlled completely by( a feeling, way of living, etc. e.g. The old man abandoned himself to grief..那老人悲痛欲绝 Sentences Paraphrase 1. To those of us who are immigrants, the bill seems simply to sanction a policy secretly implemented by U.S
e.g. His parents footed the bill for the wedding. 这次婚礼的钱是他父母出的。 5. in the hope that (/of): hoping e.g. I didn’t phone till four o’clock in the hope that you’d be finished. 我一直等到四点钟才打电话,希望 那时你已经做完事了。 We left the house early in the hope of avoiding traffic jams. 我们早早地走了,希望能避开交通堵塞 时段。 6. absorb: vt. take in, digest, learn and understand e.g. So many new ideas! It is too much for me to absorb all at once. 这么多新想法!我一下子还接受不了 呢。 We closed our offices at 2:00 p.m. to give employees time to absorb the bad news. 我们下午两点就下 班了,让雇员们有时间去思考这个坏消息。 7. pledge: 1) n. a formal promise e.g. They made a firm pledge to reduce taxes. 他们坚定地承诺支持我们。 2) v. promise formally to do sth. e.g. We’ve pledged ourselves to fight for justice.我们立下誓言,要为正义而战。 They have pledged their support for our case. 他们承诺支持我们的诉讼。 8. scope: n. (for/to do) opportunity for activity e.g. I asked at the job interview whether there would be any scope for me to use my Japanese. 求职面试 时,我询问今后是否有机会用得上我的日语。 9. mushroom: v. grow rapidly and in great numbers e.g. The number of computers in schools has mushroomed in recent years. 近几年学校里电脑的数量增加 的非常快。 10. were to : This structure is used in an if-clause to make the reader imagine a future condition, esp. one that is not likely, not possible, or unreal. e.g. If it were to rain tomorrow, the match would have to be cancelled. 如果明天下雨,比赛将取消。 If it were to reveal its secrets, that organization would collapse in shame. 如果机密被揭露,那家机构 就会不体面地倒闭。 11. hold water: seem to be true or reasonable e.g. None of his arguments seemed to me to hold water. 在我看来他的观点没有一个是站的住脚的。 I’m sorry, but your story just doesn’t hold water. 12. abandon: vt. 1) leave sb. or sth. forever e.g. She abandoned her husband and children and went off with another man. 她抛下丈夫和孩子,和另一 个男人私奔了。 2)stop doing sth. before you have finished e.g. The match was abandoned at half time because of the poor weather condition. 因为天气不好,比赛进 行到中途就停止了。 3) allow (oneself) to be controlled completely by ( a feeling, way of living, etc.) e.g. The old man abandoned himself to grief. 那老人悲痛欲绝。 Sentences Paraphrase 1. To those of us who are immigrants, the bill seems simply to sanction a policy secretly implemented by U.S
ndustry for nearly four decades------namely, stealing brains from the third world Meaning: To those of us who left India and now living in the U.S., the bill seems only to approve officially a policy which has been secretly carried out by U.S. industry for almost forty years---that is draining the third world of intellectual resources 2. During the 1960s and 1970s, politicians in my native country, India, used to wave the slogan"Stop Brain Drain'----a reference to the fact that the cream of India was leaving for the lucrative shores of England and America Meaning: During the 1960s and 1970s, politicians in my native country, India, would protest by waving the slogan "Stop Brain Drain, which referred to the fact that the most talented Indians had abandoned their own country to leave for rich countries as England and America 3. In that post-independent era, when everything foreign was considered contaminated by colonialism, we talked of cottage industries and economic imperialism Meaning: In the years after India achieved its independence, everything which came from other countries was thought to be marked by colonialism and we then turned our attention to small national industries that could be conducted at home, hoping to be independent of those economic powers 4. Our leaders had failed to see that the emphasis on symbol manipulation at IIT left little room for social thought and much scope for the greedy outcomes of capital-driven business Meaning: Our leaders did not realize how the emphasis on symbol manipulation at IIT affected the rest of our development. We did not have much time to think about our responsibilities to society while thinking about the chance to become rich and famous IV Reading skills Reading for the key idea in a sentence The particular reading skill reviewed in this unit is reading for the key idea in a sentence. Although a sentence may give a great deal of information, it usually provides one key idea. Readers should learn to find the key idea in order to understand the meaning of a sentence clearly The key idea of a sentence usually tells a)what a person or an object is b)what a person or an object is doing In order to find the key idea of a sentence we have to a)ask who or what the sentence is abor b)ask what the person or object is doing, or what is happening to the person or object; c) learn to separate details from the key idea Many words in a sentence describe things about the subject of the sentence and only add details around it If we ask when, what kind, where, or why, we will find details. As a result it will be easier for us to see the key Section b
industry for nearly four decades------ namely, stealing brains from the third world. ------Meaning: To those of us who left India and now living in the U.S., the bill seems only to approve officially a policy which has been secretly carried out by U.S. industry for almost forty years---- that is, draining the third world of intellectual resources. 2. During the 1960s and 1970s , politicians in my native country, India, used to wave the slogan “Stop Brain Drain”----- a reference to the fact that the cream of India was leaving for the lucrative shores of England and America. -----Meaning: During the 1960s and 1970s , politicians in my native country, India, would protest by waving the slogan “ Stop Brain Drain”, which referred to the fact that the most talented Indians had abandoned their own country to leave for rich countries as England and America. 3. In that post-independent era, when everything foreign was considered contaminated by colonialism, we talked of cottage industries and economic imperialism. ------Meaning: In the years after India achieved its independence, everything which came from other countries was thought to be marked by colonialism and we then turned our attention to small national industries that could be conducted at home, hoping to be independent of those economic powers. 4. Our leaders had failed to see that the emphasis on symbol manipulation at IIT left little room for social thought and much scope for the greedy outcomes of capital-driven business. ----- Meaning: Our leaders did not realize how the emphasis on symbol manipulation at IIT affected the rest of our development. We did not have much time to think about our responsibilities to society while thinking about the chance to become rich and famous. IV. Reading Skills Reading for the key idea in a sentence The particular reading skill reviewed in this unit is reading for the key idea in a sentence. Although a sentence may give a great deal of information, it usually provides one key idea. Readers should learn to find the key idea in order to understand the meaning of a sentence clearly. The key idea of a sentence usually tells” a) what a person or an object is b) what a person or an object is doing In order to find the key idea of a sentence we have to : a) ask who or what the sentence is about; b)ask what the person or object is doing, or what is happening to the person or object; c) learn to separate details from the key idea Many words in a sentence describe things about the subject of the sentence and only add details around it. If we ask when, what kind, where, or why, we will find details. As a result it will be easier for us to see the key idea. Section B
Borderline ridiculousness I. Background Information 1. Heathrow or Heathrow Airport, located in London, U.K., is one of the busiest airports in the world 2. Nazis refer to members of the National Socialist Party of Adolf Hitler which controlled Germany from 1933 to 1945. The Nazis believed that the german race was better than all others and therefore would one day rule the world. They also had a violent hatred of Jews that led to the establishment of Concentration 3. Franco's Spain refers to Spain under the rule of General Francisco Franco. Franco led the Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War(1936-1939) and personally controlled Spains government until his death in 1975. Franco's Spain did not participate in World War Il, although his government sided with Germany in many ways. Like Hitler, Franco believed that people's lives should be completely controlled by the government. In the 1950s, Franco changed his image from"total government control"to a more-or -less anti-Communist"image, which helped gain the approval of the United States, with which he concluded a military bases agreement in 1953 4. Washington: The capital of the United States II. Text Analysis Text Summary When people get to an American airport from abroad, they must make a declaration of all purchases and ifts acquired abroad. Foreign nationals have a lot more questions to answer before being granted a U.S entrance visa. In the authors opinion, this is quite ridiculous. When the author wanted to bring his wife, who was an Italian, to go to America on vacation, an embassy official told him that the immigration officer might not let her in without a green card Because of the complicated procedure, the author and his wife flew on different planes and his wife pretended to be a tourist Text struct Part I( paras. 1---2)People, especially foreign nationals, have a lot more questions to answer before being granted a U.S. entrance visa Part Il( paras. 3-4) In the author's opinion, the question is quite ridiculous Part Ill( paras.5-10) It was challenging for the author to bring his wife, who was an Italian, to go to America on vacation III. Language points New Words phrases 1. likewise. ad 1)in the same way; similarly eg I told my friend to enjoy his vacation, and he said,“ Likewise, I hope you enjoy your,too我对朋友 说祝他假期愉快,他说:“同样,我也祝你假期愉快 2) also in addition
Borderline Ridiculousness I. Background Information 1. Heathrow or Heathrow Airport, located in London, U.K. , is one of the busiest airports in the world. 2. Nazis refer to members of the National Socialist Party of Adolf Hitler which controlled Germany from 1933 to 1945. The Nazis believed that the German race was better than all others and therefore would one day rule the world. They also had a violent hatred of Jews that led to the establishment of Concentration Camps(i.e., Death Prison) and to the Holocaust. 3. Franco’s Spain refers to Spain under the rule of General Francisco Franco. Franco led the Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and personally controlled Spain’s government until his death in 1975. Franco’s Spain did not participate in World War II, although his government sided with Germany in many ways. Like Hitler, Franco believed that people’s lives should be completely controlled by the government. In the 1950s, Franco changed his image from “ total government control” to a more-or –less “anti-Communist” image, which helped gain the approval of the United States, with which he concluded a military bases agreement in 1953. 4. Washington: The capital of the United States. II. Text Analysis Text Summary When people get to an American airport from abroad, they must make a declaration of all purchases and gifts acquired abroad. Foreign nationals have a lot more questions to answer before being granted a U.S. entrance visa. In the author’s opinion, this is quite ridiculous. When the author wanted to bring his wife, who was an Italian, to go to America on vacation, an embassy official told him that the immigration officer might not let her in without a green card. Because of the complicated procedure, the author and his wife flew on different planes and his wife pretended to be a tourist. Text structure Part I ( paras.1---2) People, especially foreign nationals, have a lot more questions to answer before being granted a U.S. entrance visa. Part II ( paras. 3—4) In the author’s opinion, the question is quite ridiculous. Part III ( paras.5—10) It was challenging for the author to bring his wife, who was an Italian, to go to America on vacation. III. Language Points New Words & Phrases 1. likewise : ad. 1) in the same way; similarly e.g. I told my friend to enjoy his vacation, and he said, “ Likewise, I hope you enjoy your, too.”我对朋友 说祝他假期愉快,他说:“同样,我也祝你假期愉快。” 2)also , in addition
e.g You must pack plenty of food.. Likewise, you'll need warm clothes., so pack them too你必须多带些 食物。而且,你还会需要暖和的衣服,所以把它们也打在包里 2. oblige: vt 1)force sb. to do sth eg. valentine' s Day is a waste of time, but I still feel obliged to send my wife a card.情人节真是浪费 时间,但我还是觉得该给妻子寄张卡片。 2)do(sb )a favor; fulfill the wishes(of) eg. I would be obliged if you would complete and return the form as soon as possible.请尽快填完表格交 还,不胜感谢 1)vt. unite formally, join or become joined with sb. or sth e.g. Britain has allied itself with other western countries for trade and defense.英国已和其他西方国家 结成贸易及防务方面的同盟。 2)n. a nation, group, or person associated with another or others for some common cause or purpose eg. The USA and great britain were allies in World War I.美国与英国在二战中是盟国。 4 quiver:n. a quiver of fear ran though her.一阵恐惧的颤抖传遍她的全身 vi tremble slightly e.g. I quivered with fear at the sound.我听见这声音害怕得发抖。 Her voice was quivering with anger.她气的声音都发抖了。 5. if not e.g. Many, if not all, of our employees do a wonderful job.可能不是全部,但确有许多员工干得很棒 2) otherwise e.g We'll have the party in the garden if the weather' s good. If not,, it ll have to be inside.天气好的话,我 们将在花园里举办晚会。如果天气不好,就在室内举行 6. drop in: pay an unplanned visit eg. He usually drops in at my place on his way home.他通常是在回家途中顺便来我这。 7. good for: able to be used legally or valid for e.g. Her drive' s permit is good for five years.她的驾照有效期为五年 The jumper may be old but it' s good for another few months.这毛衣或许旧了点,但还能对付几个月 8. as it happens: This expression is used to introduce a statement, esp. one that is rather surprising e.g. As it happens, I have left the book home.恰好我把书忘在家里了 She called Amy to see if she had any idea of her sons whereabouts. As it happened, Amy had just seen him.她给埃米打电话,看她是否知道她儿子在哪里。恰巧埃米见过那孩子。 9.shortly: adv. soon, at once e.g. Shortly after you left, a man came into the office looking for you We're sorry for the delay--------the train will leave shortly 10. on(the )grounds of (that): by reason of e.g. He quit the job on(the)grounds of ill death The former prime minister was not allowed to speak in public on(the) grounds that it would stir up trouble.前首相被禁止发表公开讲话,理由是这样会惹起事端。 11. get away with: not be caught or punished for sth. one has done wrong e.g He was only the child in the class who could be rude to the teacher and get away with it他是班上唯
e.g. You must pack plenty of food. Likewise, you’ll need warm clothes, so pack them too. 你必须多带些 食物。而且,你还会需要暖和的衣服,所以把它们也打在包里。 2. oblige: vt. 1) force sb. to do sth. e.g. Valentine’s Day is a waste of time, but I still feel obliged to send my wife a card. 情人节真是浪费 时间,但我还是觉得该给妻子寄张卡片。 2) do (sb.)a favor; fulfill the wishes (of) e.g. I would be obliged if you would complete and return the form as soon as possible.请尽快填完表格交 还,不胜感谢。 3. ally: 1) vt. unite formally, join or become joined with sb. or sth. e.g. Britain has allied itself with other western countries for trade and defense. 英国已和其他西方国家 结成贸易及防务方面的同盟。 2) n. a nation, group, or person associated with another or others for some common cause or purpose e.g. The USA and Great Britain were allies in World War II. 美国与英国在二战中是盟国。 4. quiver : n. A quiver of fear ran though her. 一阵恐惧的颤抖传遍她的全身。 vi. tremble slightly e.g. I quivered with fear at the sound. 我听见这声音害怕得发抖。 Her voice was quivering with anger. 她气的声音都发抖了。 5. if not: 1) perhaps e.g. Many, if not all, of our employees do a wonderful job. 可能不是全部,但确有许多员工干得很棒。 2)otherwise e.g. We’ll have the party in the garden if the weather’s good. If not, it’ll have to be inside. 天气好的话,我 们将在花园里举办晚会。如果天气不好,就在室内举行。 6. drop in : pay an unplanned visit e.g. He usually drops in at my place on his way home. 他通常是在回家途中顺便来我这。 7. good for: able to be used legally or valid for e.g. Her drive’s permit is good for five years. 她的驾照有效期为五年。 The jumper may be old but it’s good for another few months. 这毛衣或许旧了点,但还能对付几个月。 8. as it happens: This expression is used to introduce a statement, esp. one that is rather surprising e.g. As it happens, I have left the book home. 恰好我把书忘在家里了。 She called Amy to see if she had any idea of her son’s whereabouts. As it happened, Amy had just seen him. 她给埃米打电话,看她是否知道她儿子在哪里。恰巧埃米见过那孩子。 9.shortly: adv. soon, at once e.g. Shortly after you left, a man came into the office looking for you. We’re sorry for the delay-------- the train will leave shortly. 10. on (the )grounds of (/that): by reason of e.g. He quit the job on (the) grounds of ill death. The former prime minister was not allowed to speak in public on (the) grounds that it would stir up trouble. 前首相被禁止发表公开讲话,理由是这样会惹起事端。 11. get away with: not be caught or punished for sth. one has done wrong e.g. He was only the child in the class who could be rude to the teacher and get away with it. 他是班上唯一
可以对老师没礼貌而不受惩罚的孩子。 Yesterday I managed to get away with parking right outside the theatre in a"no parking"zone 12. on account of: because of. as a result of e.g. She's angry on account of what you said over lunch about her husband We had to move to London on account of my job Sentences Paraphrase 1. An untruthful answer gives authorities another arrow for their attorneys quiver ----Meaning: If a foreign national doesnt tell the truth while filling out the form, his answer could be used as evidence against him by a lawyer on behalf of the American authorities 2. So it is with personal disappointment that I observe the current tendency to keep out new arrivals Meaning: So I notice, and it makes me unhappy that people in general, including the authorities, now tend to prevent newcomers from entering 3. When I met her on the other side we laughed with wicked pleasure, as we'd gotten away with a crime Meaning: When I met her on the other side of the airport gates, we laughed, pleased at the clever trick we had done, as if we had committed a crime but escaped punishment IV. Translation Section a 制止人才外流 一份议案已递交到了国会,这一议案要求给予那些想在美国工作,具有理科和工程学科高级学位的 外国留学生以优厚的待遇。 对我们这些移民来说,这一议案只不过是正式批准一项美国工业界已秘密地执行了近40年的政策而 已-即从第三世界窃取人才的政策。 总的说来,参议员约翰·麦凯恩在1999年下半年递交给参议院的“21世纪技术人才资源及商业领导人 才法案”是为了填补美国对熟练技术人员的需求,以保持美国在高科技工业中的领先地位而制定的。该 议案的一项条款规定:在非移民签证申请者中,政府应优先考虑给那些具有数学、自然科学、工程或 技术方面中级学位的外国公民,这一条款可以为这些领域提供临时性的技术人员”。 在20世纪60和70年代,我的祖国---印度的政客们常常喊着“制止人才外流的口号”,所指的是 这样一个事实:印度的精英们正在离开印度,到能挣到钱的国家--英国和美国去 在独立后的时代里,当每一样外国货都被认为含有殖民主义毒素的时候,我们谈论的是家庭小工业 和经济帝国主义。我们把可口可乐扔出去,然后发明“顶呱呱可乐”。 但这也是个卫星、核能、和绿色革命的时代。每年的独立日,我们的总理尼赫鲁都要讲一讲科学技 术的好处。 我们的技术学院是用欧洲和美国的援助建造的,向学生们提供免费膳宿,甚至还给发薪水。印度的 纳税人支付者税单,希望有朝一日大学毕业生能帮助重建这个国家。 我就是这其中的一个学生。但是,当我深夜在印度技术学院的图书馆里啃着书本的时候,我脑子里 经常想的不是印度,而是美国这个机会之国。许多同我一样的学生确实在那几年里离开了印度,再也 不会回来了
可以对老师没礼貌而不受惩罚的孩子。 Yesterday I managed to get away with parking right outside the theatre in a “no parking” zone. 12. on account of : because of, as a result of e.g. She’s angry on account of what you said over lunch about her husband. We had to move to London on account of my job. Sentences Paraphrase 1. An untruthful answer gives authorities another arrow for their attorney’s quiver. ----Meaning: If a foreign national doesn’t tell the truth while filling out the form, his answer could be used as evidence against him by a lawyer on behalf of the American authorities. 2. So it is with personal disappointment that I observe the current tendency to keep out new arrivals. ----Meaning: So I notice, and it makes me unhappy that people in general, including the authorities, now tend to prevent newcomers from entering. 3. When I met her on the other side we laughed with wicked pleasure, as we’d gotten away with a crime. -----Meaning: When I met her on the other side of the airport gates, we laughed, pleased at the clever trick we had done, as if we had committed a crime but escaped punishment. IV. Translation Section A 制止人才外流 一份议案已递交到了国会, 这一议案要求给予那些想在美国工作,具有理科和工程学科高级学位的 外国留学生以优厚的待遇。 对我们这些移民来说,这一议案只不过是正式批准一项美国工业界已秘密地执行了近 40 年的政策而 已---------- 即从第三世界窃取人才的政策。 总的说来,参议员约翰·麦凯恩在 1999 年下半年递交给参议院的“21 世纪技术人才资源及商业领导人 才法案”是为了填补美国对熟练技术人员的需求,以保持美国在高科技工业中的领先地位而制定的。该 议案的一项条款规定:在非移民签证申请者中,政府应优先考虑给那些具有数学、自然科学、工程或 技术方面中级学位的外国公民,这一条款可以为这些领域提供“临时性的技术人员”。 在 20 世纪 60 和 70 年代,我的祖国---------印度的政客们常常喊着“制止人才外流的口号”,所指的是 这样一个事实:印度的精英们正在离开印度,到能挣到钱的国家------ 英国和美国去。 在独立后的时代里,当每一样外国货都被认为含有殖民主义毒素的时候,我们谈论的是家庭小工业 和经济帝国主义。我们把可口可乐扔出去,然后发明“顶呱呱可乐”。 但这也是个卫星、核能、和绿色革命的时代。每年的独立日,我们的总理尼赫鲁都要讲一讲科学技 术的好处。 我们的技术学院是用欧洲和美国的援助建造的,向学生们提供免费膳宿,甚至还给发薪水。印度的 纳税人支付者税单,希望有朝一日大学毕业生能帮助重建这个国家。 我就是这其中的一个学生。但是,当我深夜在印度技术学院的图书馆里啃着书本的时候,我脑子里 经常想的不是印度,而是美国这个机会之国。许多同我一样的学生确实在那几年里离开了印度,再也 不会回来了
所以我国政府制定了专项计划来吸引海外留学生。我们的领导人看到了与诸如尼赫鲁赫甘地这样的 人所发起的独立运动类似的情况:他们在伊顿和牛津这样的学府里吸收了西方的政治思想后,就回来 报效自己的祖国。 但是只有寥寥无几的海外留学生像何鲁尼所说的那样学成后回国“履行他们的诺言”。我们的领导人 没有看到,当印度技术学院在重视计算机编程的时候,几乎没有留下任何空间让学生们去关心社会, 却给受资本驱使的企业的贪欲留下了极大的空间。 在接下来的20年中,印度技术学院的毕业生们----那些用印度纳税人的钱培养出来的毕业生 却在加利福尼亚硅谷的创建过程中发挥了主要作用。个人电脑革命和因特网的诞生导致了对熟练劳动 者的需求猛增,以至从现在起即使每个美国孩子都去学习自然科学,我们在今后的几十年里还是无法 赶上这种需求的增长速度 换句话说,从这个法规获益的不是移民,而是如果没有这项法案就会陷于瘫痪的美国工业界。在此 期间,印度对其整个教育体系进行了调整,以满足美国加算机工业的需要。因为印度技术学院无法培 养足够的毕业生去满足这些需求。现在,每一个街角都引人注目地竖着私人学校的招生广告牌,这些 学校可以颁发电脑编程证书。 在我的家乡那格浦尔最近举办的一次书展上,大群大群的年轻人在仔细翻阅着工程学及软件方面的 书籍。 当每一个政客都有一个儿子或女儿在往国外钻的情况下,有关“人才外流”的批评就不会有实际的意 义 还有,既然人们的唯一目标是抛弃这个国家,为何还要费心去重建它呢?例如,正因为那格浦尔书 展上有关美国最新社会学出版物的缺乏,这些书籍反而变得引人注目起来。此外,印度有政治意识的 领导层已被那些在因特网上冲浪、在短短几年内发了财的新一代人所取代 这些领导人赞成市场经济学,摒弃了所有有关经济帝国主义的言论。印度人现在把鲜花挂在了比尔 盖茨的脖子上,而且还把过去只献给英国女王的盛大欢迎献给了比尔盖茨。而“顶呱呱可乐”也成了可 口可乐公司的一个分号。 像班加罗尔这样的中型城市现在已经是印度的硅谷---那里的工人们激发了市场对他们生产的 产品的需求。但是这个国家正在慢慢地瓦解。印度的人口最近已达到了10亿,但是国内的供水、交通 和保健体系却正在迅速地分崩离析:它的公民们呼吸着对他们又很大危害的、被污染了的空气。 印度已从一个农业社会走向了网络革命,没有经历过诸如福利国家和创立服务体系之类的中间阶段 也许现在是通过一项法规以建立“人才信托机构”的时候了。由像微软和英特尔这样的公司来提供资 金,因为它们几十年来一直在掠夺印度的人才。这个信托机构可以在印度建立一所旨在培养关心社会 而不是计算机编程的学生的新型大学。这种努力使我们创建下个世纪所需要的社会结构的唯一希望所 Section B 发生在边境线上的荒唐事 进入英国最难的事要数在希思罗机场用两条腿去走那段实在是太长的路了。没有任何人来查我的行 李,除了有人来问我打算住在哪里、住多久之外,就再没有人来问我什么了。我访问过的其他欧洲国 家也是如此,但美国却不是这样。我到了那里,不但要申报所有我在国外购买的东西和收到的礼物 还得把每一个我去过的国家的名字列出来。这和财政部的职责有什么相干?这些信息很可能存入某台 电脑,永远也不会删除。虽然我没有什么东西可以隐瞒的,但一想到这些总让我感到不安 这还是我作为美国公民所享受的优待呢。外国人在获得入境签证之前所填的表格更长。其问题包括: 你做过受管制药物(毒品)的推销员吗?做过性奴隶或皮条客吗?你到美国会从事违反出口管制的活 动、破坏性或恐怖性活动、或任何其他非法活动吗?你是恐怖主义组织的成员或代表吗?你是否在德 国的纳粹政府、或任何被纳粹德国政府占领、或与之结盟地区的政府的直接或间接控制下,因为种族
所以我国政府制定了专项计划来吸引海外留学生。我们的领导人看到了与诸如尼赫鲁赫甘地这样的 人所发起的独立运动类似的情况:他们在伊顿和牛津这样的学府里吸收了西方的政治思想后,就回来 报效自己的祖国。 但是只有寥寥无几的海外留学生像何鲁尼所说的那样学成后回国“履行他们的诺言”。我们的领导人 没有看到,当印度技术学院在重视计算机编程的时候,几乎没有留下任何空间让学生们去关心社会, 却给受资本驱使的企业的贪欲留下了极大的空间。 在接下来的20年中,印度技术学院的毕业生们--------- 那些用印度纳税人的钱培养出来的毕业生------ 却在加利福尼亚硅谷的创建过程中发挥了主要作用。个人电脑革命和因特网的诞生导致了对熟练劳动 者的需求猛增,以至从现在起即使每个美国孩子都去学习自然科学,我们在今后的几十年里还是无法 赶上这种需求的增长速度。 换句话说,从这个法规获益的不是移民,而是如果没有这项法案就会陷于瘫痪的美国工业界。在此 期间,印度对其整个教育体系进行了调整, 以满足美国加算机工业的需要。因为印度技术学院无法培 养足够的毕业生去满足这些需求。现在,每一个街角都引人注目地竖着私人学校的招生广告牌,这些 学校可以颁发电脑编程证书。 在我的家乡那格浦尔最近举办的一次书展上,大群大群的年轻人在仔细翻阅着工程学及软件方面的 书籍。 当每一个政客都有一个儿子或女儿在往国外钻的情况下,有关“人才外流”的批评就不会有实际的意 义。 还有,既然人们的唯一目标是抛弃这个国家,为何还要费心去重建它呢?例如,正因为那格浦尔书 展上有关美国最新社会学出版物的缺乏,这些书籍反而变得引人注目起来。此外,印度有政治意识的 领导层已被那些在因特网上冲浪、在短短几年内发了财的新一代人所取代。 这些领导人赞成市场经济学,摒弃了所有有关经济帝国主义的言论。印度人现在把鲜花挂在了比尔 盖茨的脖子上,而且还把过去只献给英国女王的盛大欢迎献给了比尔盖茨。而“顶呱呱可乐”也成了可 口可乐公司的一个分号。 像班加罗尔这样的中型城市现在已经是印度的硅谷----------- 那里的工人们激发了市场对他们生产的 产品的需求。但是这个国家正在慢慢地瓦解。印度的人口最近已达到了 10 亿,但是国内的供水、交通 和保健体系却正在迅速地分崩离析;它的公民们呼吸着对他们又很大危害的、被污染了的空气。 印度已从一个农业社会走向了网络革命,没有经历过诸如福利国家和创立服务体系之类的中间阶段。 也许现在是通过一项法规以建立“人才信托机构”的时候了。由像微软和英特尔这样的公司来提供资 金,因为它们几十年来一直在掠夺印度的人才。这个信托机构可以在印度建立一所旨在培养关心社会 而不是计算机编程的学生的新型大学。这种努力使我们创建下个世纪所需要的社会结构的唯一希望所 在。 Section B 发生在边境线上的荒唐事 进入英国最难的事要数在希思罗机场用两条腿去走那段实在是太长的路了。没有任何人来查我的行 李,除了有人来问我打算住在哪里、住多久之外,就再没有人来问我什么了。我访问过的其他欧洲国 家也是如此,但美国却不是这样。我到了那里,不但要申报所有我在国外购买的东西和收到的礼物, 还得把每一个我去过的国家的名字列出来。这和财政部的职责有什么相干?这些信息很可能存入某台 电脑,永远也不会删除。虽然我没有什么东西可以隐瞒的,但一想到这些总让我感到不安。 这还是我作为美国公民所享受的优待呢。外国人在获得入境签证之前所填的表格更长。其问题包括: 你做过受管制药物(毒品)的推销员吗?做过性奴隶或皮条客吗?你到美国会从事违反出口管制的活 动、破坏性或恐怖性活动、或任何其他非法活动吗?你是恐怖主义组织的成员或代表吗?你是否在德 国的纳粹政府、或任何被纳粹德国政府占领、或与之结盟地区的政府的直接或间接控制下,因为种族
宗教、国籍或政治观点的原因,而下令、致使、帮助或以其他方式参与了对任何人的拷打吗?你曾经 参与过灭绝种族的大屠杀吗? 个不真实的回答会给当局者的律师提供又一个整人的口实。如果他们不能因为非法销售毒品而抓 住你,他们也许会因为你否认自己以前非法销售过毒品而把你驱逐出境。但是哪一个有自尊的恐怖分 子会承认他属于一个“恐怖主义组织”呢?这种意义含糊的语言表明表格的目的不但是修辞性的而且是 法律性的。它要向世界上其他地方表明的是:想捣乱的访问者是不受欢迎的。 其修辞意图在有关纳粹分子的问题上表现得最为清楚。它听上去很符合法律,也很明确,但仔细査 看一下,这问题就宽泛得荒唐可笑。仔细想一下:佛朗哥统治下的西班牙是希特勒德国的一个盟国, 它的许多政府雇员,虽然不是大多数,似乎都可以被假定为曾因“政治观点的原因”参与了“对人的折 磨”。那么一个前西班牙官员又该怎样来回答这个问题呢?鉴于大多数纳粹分子都己死去,为什么还要 对他们表示特别的紧张不安呢! 我母亲是美国的一个移民,而我父亲则是移民的儿子。所以我是带者我个人的失望心情来看待目前 当局者阻止移民美国的倾向的。我本人也是个身在异乡一意大利—的一个异客。因为我跟一位意 大利公民结了婚,因此申请定居意大利很容易。我只是顺道去了一下我们当地的警署,不到2小时就 拿到了有效期为2年的“居住证”。但是如果我和妻子决定居住在美国的话,她必须提前申请签证 般认为这需要2个月,但是一位律师很肯定地对我说这很可能需要6个月。我们幸好不打算住在美国, 但要到那里去度假也是够恼人的 婚后不久我们决定去美国住一、二个月。幸好我事先向一位大使馆官员提起了这件事。他警告我说: “没有绿卡,移民官员可能是不会让她入境的。” 难道她不可以像欧盟国家之间的公民那样凭90天的旅游证件进入美国吗?”我询问道 如果谁与美国公民结了婚,那就被认为他们是打算在那里定居,”他解释道 我说我的妻子无意移居美国。在夏天结束时,她还要回意大利去从事教学工作。我被告知大使馆移 民官员兴许会相信她、兴许不会。以旅游者身份进入美国,然后以结婚为理由留下来的外国人太多 要确认这种婚姻并不是为了取得宝贵的绿卡而耍的花招,需要费很长时间(我后来知道,它有时会使 夫妻分居1年多)。但牵扯到意大利人的结婚骗局案肯定不会多,我这样对他说。几乎没有理由来怀疑 我妻子的话。这个移民官员觉得我太天真而同情地看了看我。他说:“我认为你能理解我们不能为欧洲 的白人制订一项政策,然后再为菲律宾和墨西哥人制定另一项政策。” 所以当我的爱妻到达华盛顿机场时,她没有戴她的结婚戒指,惟恐它会引起令人难堪的问题。为了 安全起见,她甚至没有把它放进行李。她也没有和我搭乘同一架飞机——如乘同一架飞机将意味着当 人们问她是否和任何家庭成员一起乘机时,她必须回答“是”。就这样,她亳无阻碍地通过了机场的大 门。当我在机场门外和她碰头时,我们带着一种恶作剧的快乐大笑起来,因为我们犯了法,却逍遥法 外
宗教、国籍或政治观点的原因,而下令、致使、帮助或以其他方式参与了对任何人的拷打吗?你曾经 参与过灭绝种族的大屠杀吗? 一个不真实的回答会给当局者的律师提供又一个整人的口实。如果他们不能因为非法销售毒品而抓 住你,他们也许会因为你否认自己以前非法销售过毒品而把你驱逐出境。但是哪一个有自尊的恐怖分 子会承认他属于一个“恐怖主义组织”呢?这种意义含糊的语言表明表格的目的不但是修辞性的而且是 法律性的。它要向世界上其他地方表明的是:想捣乱的访问者是不受欢迎的。 其修辞意图在有关纳粹分子的问题上表现得最为清楚。它听上去很符合法律,也很明确,但仔细查 看一下,这问题就宽泛得荒唐可笑。仔细想一下:佛朗哥统治下的西班牙是希特勒德国的一个盟国, 它的许多政府雇员,虽然不是大多数,似乎都可以被假定为曾因“政治观点的原因”参与了“对人的折 磨”。那么一个前西班牙官员又该怎样来回答这个问题呢?鉴于大多数纳粹分子都已死去,为什么还要 对他们表示特别的紧张不安呢! 我母亲是美国的一个移民,而我父亲则是移民的儿子。所以我是带者我个人的失望心情来看待目前 当局者阻止移民美国的倾向的。我本人也是个身在异乡——意大利——的一个异客。因为我跟一位意 大利公民结了婚,因此申请定居意大利很容易。我只是顺道去了一下我们当地的警署,不到 2 小时就 拿到了有效期为 2 年的“居住证”。但是如果我和妻子决定居住在美国的话,她必须提前申请签证。一 般认为这需要 2 个月,但是一位律师很肯定地对我说这很可能需要 6 个月。我们幸好不打算住在美国, 但要到那里去度假也是够恼人的。 婚后不久我们决定去美国住一、二个月。幸好我事先向一位大使馆官员提起了这件事。他警告我说: “没有绿卡,移民官员可能是不会让她入境的。” “难道她不可以像欧盟国家之间的公民那样凭 90 天的旅游证件进入美国吗?”我询问道。 “如果谁与美国公民结了婚,那就被认为他们是打算在那里定居,”他解释道。 我说我的妻子无意移居美国。在夏天结束时,她还要回意大利去从事教学工作。我被告知大使馆移 民官员兴许会相信她、兴许不会。以旅游者身份进入美国,然后以结婚为理由留下来的外国人太多了。 要确认这种婚姻并不是为了取得宝贵的绿卡而耍的花招,需要费很长时间(我后来知道,它有时会使 夫妻分居 1 年多)。但牵扯到意大利人的结婚骗局案肯定不会多,我这样对他说。几乎没有理由来怀疑 我妻子的话。这个移民官员觉得我太天真而同情地看了看我。他说:“我认为你能理解我们不能为欧洲 的白人制订一项政策,然后再为菲律宾和墨西哥人制定另一项政策。” 所以当我的爱妻到达华盛顿机场时,她没有戴她的结婚戒指,惟恐它会引起令人难堪的问题。为了 安全起见,她甚至没有把它放进行李。她也没有和我搭乘同一架飞机——如乘同一架飞机将意味着当 人们问她是否和任何家庭成员一起乘机时,她必须回答“是”。就这样,她毫无阻碍地通过了机场的大 门。当我在机场门外和她碰头时,我们带着一种恶作剧的快乐大笑起来,因为我们犯了法,却逍遥法 外