三十多年前，我在學習《新概念英語》時，特別喜歡其中的一篇文章：A Puma At Large（一隻美洲虎從動物園跑掉了）。
最近，我讀英國文化協會前主席Gerald Lemos 去年出版的書：中國夢的終結（The Eng of The ChineseDream)。其中兩段，也許可以加到《新概念英語》裡面。
其中一段描寫他到重慶農村參觀。當地政府"安排"了一戶農家接待他，但是，那個安排太粗糙，一看就知道做假，做得太低級：床墊上的塑料包裝尚未取下來，電視機和音箱都是尚未用過的。參觀時，氣氛太緊張了！他因為被騙，所以一言不發。....
The couple who had been instructed to say they lived thereconfirmed that they still farmed a small plot of land. They werealso attending the skills training centre in the village. All inall, they claimed implausibly, they were quite happy with howthings had turned out. My incredulity was expressed inuncharacteristic silence...(In their house,) an enormous televisionand a stereo with huge speakers looked similarly virgin...Theplastic wrapping had not been removed from themattress....(Finally,) the local officials were relieved that thevisit had passed off uneventfully and delighted that they could nowjoin in an excellent meal along with plenty of alcohol at officialexpense; paid for in other words by taxes on the universally poorlocal people.
第二段也很有趣。他講中國人在酒席上頻頻舉杯，許諾，山盟海誓，建立新的友誼，達成生意，該給領導進貢的就進貢，該巴結的就巴結。他精煉地寫道：
Behind these closed doors business dinners and banquets take placeout of sight of prying eyes. Relationships are established;promises made; Party officials wooed; bribes agreed; dealsdone.