教師的遺產(chǎn)

文/約翰·勞倫斯·哈里伯頓 （John Lawrence Halliburton）譯/張慧生

勞動(dòng)將人類世代相連。前人栽樹，后人乘涼；前人蓋屋，后人居住。同樣地，教師育人，育的是要在幾十年后塑造世界的人才。

為了更光明的未來，與所有職業(yè)一樣，教學(xué)使我們與人大量接觸。我們的學(xué)生不一定能成為這個(gè)時(shí)代最偉大的科學(xué)家或最多產(chǎn)的作家，但他們一定會(huì)受到我們教學(xué)的影響。不管他們將來成為什么樣的人，護(hù)士、出租車司機(jī)、銷售或是任何其他角色，教學(xué)的影響都會(huì)滲透到他們每天的日常中。我們的課堂和師生互動(dòng)可以對(duì)這些塑造未來世界的人產(chǎn)生深遠(yuǎn)的影響。學(xué)生在學(xué)期末的那一聲道謝“老師，謝謝您”，不僅是出于禮貌，也是在向我們對(duì)他們所付出的一切表達(dá)深深的敬意。

諸多際遇，不能一一道來。但確實(shí)有一些關(guān)鍵事件讓我意識(shí)到，我多少參與塑造了我們的未來。這些年輕人身上攜帶著我的遺產(chǎn)，我讓他們的人生變得更好了。

我與許多外教一樣，都體會(huì)到了讓學(xué)生（甚至是大學(xué)生）在口語課堂上開口說話的困難。我發(fā)現(xiàn)，穿得休閑隨意一些，能拉近和學(xué)生的距離。因?yàn)槲餮b革履會(huì)營造一種正式感，也就會(huì)在師生之間形成溝通阻礙。所以，放低自己，可以讓學(xué)生愿意與你親近，還可以讓他們前所未有地敞開心扉。這一點(diǎn)，對(duì)男生尤其奏效。畢竟，英語是女生主導(dǎo)的學(xué)習(xí)領(lǐng)域，所以在我們的課堂上也幾乎找不到男生。那一兩個(gè)男生突然扎在女生堆兒里，往往會(huì)感到不適而不愿開口。很榮幸我最早的課堂有過好幾個(gè)男生。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)我是一個(gè)可以對(duì)話并且談得來的對(duì)象，所以他們非常樂于和我做朋友。我融入他們中間。在我的英語課堂上，我不強(qiáng)調(diào)規(guī)則，而更多地重視語言體驗(yàn)。我?guī)退麄冋业阶约旱穆曇舨⑾硎艿秸Z言的美妙。有那么一個(gè)男生，在其他中文老師的課堂上學(xué)得很吃力，但在我的課堂上輕輕松松就能成為最優(yōu)秀的學(xué)生。他對(duì)我坦白說，其實(shí)自己當(dāng)初擇校時(shí)并不是出于對(duì)英語的興趣，只是想盡可能地逃離他在陜西的父母。他學(xué)得很吃力，而且寫作和閱讀總是規(guī)矩多多、枯燥無趣。但在我的課堂上，他可以脫穎而出，還可以說他所想，真正享受課堂。他承認(rèn)，第一個(gè)學(xué)期他的成績很糟糕，甚至讓他起了退學(xué)的念頭。好在他從我的課堂得到了鼓勵(lì)，他希望將英語學(xué)習(xí)變成一段旅程而不是一場斗爭。他盡力完成了所有必修課程。兩年后，他繼續(xù)選修了我的文學(xué)課程。盡管文學(xué)對(duì)他來說也很困難，在我的文學(xué)熱情的影響下，他在艾米莉·狄金森的詩歌中找到了自己的興趣。他沉下心來，又一次在英語中發(fā)掘出了超越語法結(jié)構(gòu)的條條框框之外的興趣點(diǎn)。若不是從我們的關(guān)系中得到了鼓勵(lì)，他說不定早已放棄學(xué)位，潛力尚未激發(fā)就逃回家鄉(xiāng)。我很自豪，我?guī)椭@個(gè)年輕人找回了自己的人生，他不可限量的未來將有一部分歸功于我們一起度過的時(shí)間以及這段亦師亦友的情誼。

Work is the one thing that binds humanity across the generations. The builder of today builds the houses occupied tomorrow. The shop keeper sells the milk to raise the babies. And teachers teach those minds who will shape the world in the decades to come.

Like no other career, teaching brings us into contact with large numbers of people that we must seek to enhance for the sake of the future. Our students may not become the greatest scientists or the most proli fi c writers of the ages, but every one of them is changed by our teaching and that passes into their everyday lives as nurses, taxi drivers, salespeople, etc. Our classes and our interactions with students can have a profound affect upon these up-coming people. When a student tells us ‘thank you,teacher’ at the end of a term, we know that it is not just a common courtesy but a deep respect for all of the time that you have given them.

To write about every single encounter would be an impossibility but there are several key incidents that make me realise just how much of the future I have single-handedly shaped. My legacy is within these young people, whose lives I have altered for the better.

As many foreign teachers are likely familiar with, getting students, even university students, to open up and talk in an oral English class can be a monumental task. It is almost as rare to fi nd males in these classes as English is predominantly the fi eld of study for women. In my experience I attempt to dress down for these classes. A suit creates formality and this, in turn, creates a barrier between yourself and the students. Bringing oneself down to their level allows them familiarity with you and,therefore, and openness you couldn’t attain otherwise. This especially works on the young men, who are often overwhelmed into silence by the presence of so many women around them.One of my earliest classes had the luxury of several boys that were eager to make my acquaintance when they found I was someone they could talk to and relate to. I was one of them. I made my English classes less about the rules and more about the experience of English, helping them fi nd a voice and enjoy the language. One of them in particular seemed to have a lot of problems in other classes with his Chinese teachers but he was easily the best student in my own class. When confronted he confessed that he had little interest in English when he applied,he was merely seeking to get as far away from his parents, in Shaanxi, as he could. Studying was difficult for him and he found the rules of writing and reading to be tedious. But in my class he could shine brightly. He spoke his mind. He expressed his feelings. He enjoyed himself. He admitted that he had considered dropping out at the end of one year when his fi rst term went so poorly. My class, however, encouraged him to do better. He wanted to experience English as a journey and not as a struggle. Two years later and he was in my literature class, having ploughed through his courses as best as he could. Though literature was a hard subject for him, through my own enthusiasm for the subject he found a niche of his own in the poetry of Emily Dickinson. He poured his heart into these poems and,once again, found something in English to inspire him beyond the formula of structure and grammar. If not for the rapport he may have abandoned his degree and scurried back home with fewer prospects and stifled potential. I take pride that I have managed to help this young man fi nd his place in life and his future will, in part, be a result of the time we have spent together and teacher-and-student and as friends.

This story is probably all-too-familiar with a talented voice being hampered by unwillingness, lack of con fi dence or a student feeling lost. One student I feel I failed was a talented young woman with English fl uency far exceeding her years. After she was chosen for a trip to the U.S.A. she came back disillusioned and seemed to have lost her spirit and motivation for her studies. She skipped classes and spent more time playing on her skateboard than practicing her English skills. After I insisted that she should attend classes and asserted my fi rm belief that her skill in literary is incredible and I believed in her ability.Though she still skipped many others’ classes she started to arrive at mine and she showed great promise. The greatest problem with many Chinese students is their inability to think around a problem, see different sides to an issue and reach profound conclusions that stray far from the accepted, mundane path of inquiry. Literature requires this talent in order to fi nd new answers to old questions, especially as there is no one true answer to any question. This student had that talent. She could see more in a paragraph than any other student in the class. I encouraged and promoted her time in the subject but then, in the exam, I realised I had made the mistake. I had not ensured she understood to keep within the limits of the topic at hand.When answering the question, her brilliant English was wasted as she didn’t address the actual question being asked and went in a tangent that took her essay in a wayward direction. I was disappointed with myself for not being a better captain to the ship that was her progress. Fortunately she is talented with or without me and her ambition will take her to Europe for her Masters degree, which I did encourage her to continue to do despite her misgivings. Sometimes we must remember to promote temperance as well as foster critical thinking.

下面這個(gè)學(xué)生的故事你可能會(huì)覺得有些耳熟——這是一個(gè)一身才華的女孩子卻險(xiǎn)些被自己的不情愿、不自信或迷失感所束縛的故事。有這么一個(gè)能力出眾的女生，英語流利程度遠(yuǎn)超她的同齡人，也因此被選中去美國游學(xué)?；貋硪院?，她仿佛幻想破滅了一樣，整個(gè)人都沒有精神，也沒有學(xué)習(xí)的動(dòng)力。她開始翹課去滑滑板，也不怎么學(xué)英語了。我一再告訴她，她應(yīng)該好好上課，也一再鼓勵(lì)她，她的文學(xué)能力非常出色，我對(duì)她非常有信心。這樣，雖然她還是會(huì)翹課，但在我的課堂的出勤情況好轉(zhuǎn)了很多，也展現(xiàn)出了巨大的潛力。我發(fā)現(xiàn)，中國學(xué)生普遍存在一個(gè)很嚴(yán)重的問題，那就是不善思考，不知道從不同角度來看待問題，不能得出非常深刻的結(jié)論，也就無法跳出傳統(tǒng)和世俗的眼光實(shí)現(xiàn)真正的探索。但是，文學(xué)恰恰需要這樣的探索能力去推陳出新，而且，對(duì)于許多文學(xué)問題來說，并不存在絕對(duì)正確的答案。這個(gè)同學(xué)就具備這樣的能力。同樣一個(gè)段落，她總能看出其他同學(xué)看不出的東西。我不斷鼓勵(lì)她在這門課上花更多的時(shí)間。但后來到了考試階段，我才意識(shí)到自己犯了個(gè)錯(cuò)誤。我沒能教她在話題限度內(nèi)進(jìn)行發(fā)揮。答題時(shí)，她還沒有真正觸及問題本身，就像一條切線一樣任性地跑題了。自然地，她優(yōu)秀的英語能力也沒能展現(xiàn)出來。我對(duì)自己沒能當(dāng)好這個(gè)掌舵的船長感到失望。幸運(yùn)的是，無論是否有我，她都那么優(yōu)秀。她還是會(huì)迷茫，還是會(huì)有顧慮，但是我鼓勵(lì)她，讓她順從自己的理想到歐洲攻讀碩士學(xué)位。有時(shí)候，我們必須要把握好度，培養(yǎng)學(xué)生的批判性思維能力。

接下來這個(gè)故事的基調(diào)就有些憂郁了。學(xué)生心理問題是當(dāng)今世界的一個(gè)共性問題。最開始，我只教兩個(gè)班級(jí)。但是才開學(xué)，我就遇上了一個(gè)讓我措手不及的情況。我接到另一位外教同事的電話，他說我班上的一個(gè)新同學(xué)要跳湖，好在被他暫時(shí)攔下了。我嚇得不輕，那天晚上我盡了全力開導(dǎo)她，但她還是想不開。后來，她總算回了宿舍，睡下了。我拿不準(zhǔn)該怎么處理，生怕稍有不慎弄巧成拙。對(duì)我來說最簡單的辦法莫過于袖手旁觀，繼續(xù)做自己的，假裝自己什么都不知道。但尋死往往是一種呼救訊號(hào)，甚至可能僅僅是在尋求關(guān)注。根據(jù)我的經(jīng)驗(yàn)，許多中國學(xué)生遇到問題以后難以向身邊人傾訴，無論是家人、朋友、老師，還是輔導(dǎo)員。所以我很耐心地告訴她，只要她需要，我都會(huì)在她身邊支持她。中國有句諺語說得好，師傅領(lǐng)進(jìn)門，修行在個(gè)人。她接受了我的提議。畢竟，她沒有告訴班上其他人，也總是自己一個(gè)人坐著，她其實(shí)憋了一肚子的話。而且，我發(fā)現(xiàn)她的英語說得特別好。我們用英語對(duì)話，她在英語中找到了自己的聲音。多數(shù)時(shí)候，她和我談天說地卻對(duì)自己的問題避而不談。但也有時(shí)候，她不得不跟我傾訴她的情感和壓力。就這樣，她慢慢好了起來。后來，這個(gè)女生的父親表示希望當(dāng)面感謝我的幫助。

惠州學(xué)院第二十屆科技文化藝術(shù)節(jié)暨首屆外語文化節(jié)之第十三屆“我心飛翔”英語話劇比賽

就在那一刻，我才意識(shí)到老師對(duì)學(xué)生的影響有多大。除了給予他們鼓勵(lì)，我們甚至可以拯救他們并幫助他們健康陽光地成長。我不忍假設(shè)，如果當(dāng)初她的問題沒有得到善意的引導(dǎo)，會(huì)發(fā)生怎樣可怕的轉(zhuǎn)折。但是目前來看，她比以前好多了，她的家人心存感激，她的未來安全無虞。

簡而言之，通過教育，老師可以將學(xué)生塑造成比老師本身優(yōu)秀百倍的人。我努力讓我的學(xué)生比我有出息，這就是我的遺產(chǎn)。我的中國學(xué)生后代的人生成長和知識(shí)儲(chǔ)備，也會(huì)有一小部分可以追溯并歸功于我和我的教師同事的努力，我們幫助他們在中國這個(gè)不斷發(fā)展的大社會(huì)里找到了自己的一席之地。我十分尊重我的學(xué)生，我也堅(jiān)信，我借助他們的力量在這世上做了一些好事，我為此感到自豪。

Other tales have much darker and worrying tones and the topic of psychological problems amongst students is one that is far too common for comfort in the modern world. The term had just begun and I had only taught two classes before I found myself embroiled in a problematic situation that I was entirely unprepared for. I received a phone call from a fellow foreign teacher who had to wrestle with one of my new students to keep her from jumping into the West Lake. I was horri fi ed. I did my best to help that night but the student was in dire straits. Fortunately, she found her way to her dormitory and slept it off. I was unsure of how to approach the issue. I was terri fi ed of making a mistake and causing her to spiral into a worse state. The easy option would be to wash my hands of the incident and continue as if nothing happened, but suicide attempts are often a cry for help or even just attention. In my experience many Chinese students fi nd it dif fi cult to talk to others about their problems;whether it be their family, friends, teachers or even the councillors. So I gently let her know I was there to support her if she needed it. The Chinese proverb, teachers open doors and students must choose to enter, seemed to be the apt approach.She accepted. She didn’t talk to many other people in her class,always sitting by herself, and so she had a lot to say. Her English, I found, was astounding. In this language she found her voice. Oftentimes she wanted to talk about everything but her problems, which was cathartic enough for her. Other times she had to reveal her emotional problems and unload the stress. She improved over time and even the girl’s father wanted to thank me personally for helping his daughter.

It was at that moment I realised just how much of an affect a teacher has upon students. Aside from encouragement, we can even save our troubled youths and help steer them in healthy directions. I shudder to think that her problems may have taken a nasty turn but even at the most basic level, she was better than she was and her future seems secure. Her family grateful, her future children safe.

In all students can be moulded by their teachers into people who exceed their own capacity. I endeavour to make my students better than myself. That is my legacy. The generations of Chinese men and women that are descended from my students today will owe a small part of their lives, their upbringing, their knowledge to me and the other teachers that helped to build the bedrock of our students’ place in China’s ever-expanding society. I hold all of my students in high esteem and fi rmly believe that I have done some good in the world through them and I am proud of that fact. (The author teaches English at School of Foreign Language, Huizhou University)