“馬馬虎虎”闖出一片“江湖”

山東 李全忠

隨著中國文化在世界各地傳播，很多外國人也開始喜歡并使用“馬馬虎虎”這個詞。它到底有怎樣的精神氣質呢？

主題語境：社會 篇幅：341詞 建議用時：6分鐘

As a kid, I spoke English to my Chinese immigrant parents, who replied to me and my siblings mostly in kind. My grandmother, who lived with us, was different. She could communicate with us only in Mandarin. A few phrases in Mandarin are particularly vivid to me and the most striking of all ismamahuhu.

Out of a sense of pride, my siblings and I transformedmamahuhufrom an adjective into an ethos(精神氣質).It's the name we gave my mother's car,and it's the philosophy behind my brother's repairs around the house or on vehicles.“So-so, good enough,”he told me.“It took a lot of time to repair,but I eventually made it！”

Growing up, I talked aboutmamahuhuonly at home. But lately, as elements of Chinese culture have spread throughout the world, I realize my family isn't alone in our affection for the term: A Michelin-starred chef playfully borrowed the expression for his restaurant in San Francisco,so did sketch comedians in Shanghai who specialized in videos,with their own line ofmamahuhu-logoed clothes, throw pillows and face masks. Various accounts on online platforms used the word in their names.

My sons don't speak Mandarin,but they findmamahuhukind of black humor.It's our family's practice to make do, and as the pandemic (流行病) set in—no in-person school,no travel possible—the philosophy helped us survive.

With this clear-eyed world view, my family don't rely on tradition or priority as their only guide. They understand that best-laid plans are no guarantee of safety or happiness.It's a lesson—one ofmamahuhu's many—that I want to impress upon them most of all.Last summer, our family considered visiting Hawaii, but again for our spring break earlier this year, we repeatedly postponed the vacation because of the pandemic. In the end, we settled for a road trip to Southern California to see their grandparents and baby cousin. As we were driving along the highway, I asked the boys if they were excited.“This trip ismamahuhu,”one joked.Everyone laughed.

Reading Check

1.What can we know from paragraph 1?

B.The author's parents encouraged her to say English.

C.The author's grandmother didn't speak English.

D.The author's grandmother only spoke phrases in Mandarin.

2.Why does the author mention a Michelin-starred chef in paragraph 3?

A.To prove culture shock can be accepted worldwide.

B.To convey a message that every culture has its own function.

自慈溪市國土資源局被原浙江省國土資源廳設立為省“法治國土”聯系點以來，為了推廣法治成果、整合普法經驗、豐富宣傳硬件，更好地展示慈溪市國土資源局在法治國土建設歷程中的成績與風貌，也為了深入總結分析以往工作中的優勢與不足，慈溪市國土資源局籌劃設立了“慈溪法治國土”特色展覽廳，力求打造一個亮點紛呈、特色鮮明，既具欣賞性，又有實質內涵的多功能展廳。

C.To explain the Michelin-starred chef is good at advertising.

D.To show Chinese culture has an increasing influence on the world.

3.In the author's opinion,what doesmamahuhureally mean?

A.Vivid language has no borders.

B.Accepting imperfection is a philosophy.

C.The pursuit of perfection is human nature.

D.Cherishing each moment is the best choice.

4.What can be inferred about the road trip from the last paragraph?

A.The boys considered the road trip a joke.

B.The road trip brought the boys unexpected surprise.

C.The boys were basically satisfied with the road trip.

D.The road trip was kind of judgment ofmamahuhu.

Language Study

Ⅰ.Difficult sentence in the text

As a kid,I spoke English to my Chinese immigrant parents,who replied to me and my siblings mostly in kind.小時候，我和我的中國移民父母說英語，他們也通常用英語回應我和兄弟姐妹們。

【點石成金】本句是一個主從復合句，who replied to me and my siblings mostly in kind 是非限制性定語從句，修飾先行詞parents。

Ⅱ.Text-centered chunks

grow up 長大；成熟

throughout the world 全世界；舉世

rely on 依靠

impress sth upon sb 使某人牢記某事

because of 由于

in the end 最后；終于

settle for 勉強接受；將就