The Simplicity and Joy of Recorded Conversations

劉嫻

（廣東省中山市第二中學）

人們常用視頻、照片記錄孩子成長的每一個精彩瞬間，見證陪伴孩子長大的每一個階段，但是記錄意味著不刻意的展示，在無意識的錄音記錄中，也許會更真實更自然。音頻記錄，簡單美好。

Recently I stumbled across a file of conversations I’d recorded with my seven-year-old son Frank back when he was four.

It was only by listening to these voice notes three years later that I understood just how precious audio recordings are,and also how under-used.The conversations I taped illustrate the nuances（差異）of Frank’s four-year-old self more vividly than any photo or video could.

Listening to that old conversation with my son Frank,I so badly wished I’d made hundreds.In fact I would love nothing more than to listen to an archive of all my lost conversations with loved ones—it’s this that we miss most when people are gone.To be able to hear and replay the words they once said to us—in their actual voices—is comforting and exciting.It’s like digging up buried treasure from the past.

I remember why I taped those early conversations with Frank.Frank loved talking in the bath（he still does）.This was the place where his little mind fully opened up.He was at that magical point in childhood where he had just acquired a full grasp of language but had not yet learned to distinguish between fantasy and reality.I wanted to bottle him in a jar half the time;the other half I was so exhausted that I wanted to cry.

I noticed that if I was able to give Frank my full,undivided attention he would tell me the most astonishing things,but because bath time occurs at the end of the day I would often feel myself becoming impatient.I realised I was missing things,hurrying him into the future.He could sense this,of course,and it irritated him.On the worst nights,what could have been a tender discursive chat devolved into prebedtime bickering,which never speeds anything up.

Aware of what I was missing,and that I would come later to regret it,I tried making bath-time videos.But Frank’s awareness of the camera changed the way he behaved.He’d either become self-consciously cute and performative or crabby—the videos just didn’t work.The voice notes were a discovery.They did not alter Frank’s behaviour,but hitting record did force me to slow down and be a better listener.

With the tape rolling I became more aware of myself,in a way that helped me to be present.The result was that Frank opened up and gave me a full tour of his amazing four-year-old brain—a lost landscape I will never get to visit again but,through the magic of audio,was miraculously able to preserve.

After finding the“Frank bath file”,I’ve resolved to try to record more everyday family conversations just for posterity—a resolution of sorts.

【文章內容簡介】作者偶然發現了她兒子小時候與她的一段對話的錄音，感悟到錄音記錄的珍貴和價值——不僅可以真實記錄過去，而且讓她更加投入當下，學會傾聽。

全篇譯文

錄音談話的簡單和快樂

最近，我偶然發現了三年前與四歲的兒子弗蘭克進行的對話的錄音文件。

三年后再次聆聽這些語音記錄，我才意識到音頻記錄的珍貴性，也意識到它們未被充分利用。我所記錄的這些對話比任何照片或視頻都更生動地展現了四歲時的弗蘭克。

聽著和兒子弗蘭克的舊對話，我多么希望自己記錄了更多這樣的對話。事實上，我最渴望的無非是能回顧和親人們曾經的那些消逝在風中的對話——當人們離我們而去，我們最懷念的也正是這些。能夠聽到和重放他們曾經對我們說過的話——用他們真實的聲音——是令人欣慰和激動的。這就像從過去的歲月中挖掘出埋藏的珍寶。

我記得為什么要錄下與弗蘭克早期的那些對話。弗蘭克喜歡在洗澡時聊天（他現在仍然喜歡）。這是他的小腦袋完全開放的地方。他正處于童年的神奇階段，剛剛掌握了語言，但還沒有學會區分幻想和現實。有時我想把他裝在瓶子里；而另一些時候，我又感到如此疲倦，幾乎要哭出來。

我發現，只要我能全神貫注地傾聽弗蘭克，他會告訴我一些驚人的事情。然而，由于洗澡時間總是在一天結束之際，我經常會不耐煩。我意識到自己正在錯過一些東西，急切地推著他步入未來。他當然能察覺到這一點，這讓他感到煩躁。在最糟糕的夜晚，原本可能是一場溫柔的討論式聊天，最后卻變成了睡前的爭吵，而這并未讓任何事情加快進程。

我意識到自己正在錯過的事物，并知道自己日后會為此感到后悔，我嘗試錄制洗澡時間的視頻。但是弗蘭克一旦意識到攝像機的存在，他的行為就會發生改變。他要么變得自覺可愛和做作，要么就變得暴躁——視頻錄制的效果并不理想。語音記錄是一個發現。它們并沒有改變弗蘭克的行為，但按下錄音鍵確實迫使我放慢速度，成為一個更好的傾聽者。

隨著磁帶的轉動，我更加了解自己，這在某種程度上幫助我活在當下。結果是，弗蘭克敞開心扉，給了我一個完整的游覽他驚人的四歲大腦的機會——一個我永遠無法再次訪問的失去的景觀，但通過音頻的魔力，我奇跡般地保存下這珍貴的記憶。

發現了“弗蘭克洗澡文件”后，我決定嘗試記錄更多的日常家庭對話，以留作紀念——算是一種決心吧。

人教版課標單詞復現

filen.文件；文件夾；檔案（必修二 U3）

preciousadj.珍稀的；寶貴的（必修三 U2）

illustratevt.（舉例）說明；闡明（必修三 U2）

comfortn.安慰；舒服 vt.安慰；撫慰（選修二U2）

buryvt.埋葬；安葬（必修一 U5）

bathn.洗澡 vt.給……洗澡（選修二 U5）

acquirevt.獲得；購得（選修四 U5）

graspvi.理解；領會；抓緊（選修二 U2）

distinguishv.區分；辨別（選修一 U4）

fantasyn.幻想；想象（選修一 U2）

realityn.現實；實際情況；事實（選修一 U5）

occurvi.發生；出現（必修三 U3）

chatvi.聊天；閑聊（必修二 U3）

awareadj.知道；發覺；有……意識的（必修二U2）

behavevt.表現 vi.&vi.表現得體（選修二 U2）

behaviourn.行為；舉止（必修一 U2）

landscapen.（陸上,尤指鄉村的）風景（必修二U4）

preservevt.保存；保護 n.保護區（必修二 U2）

sortn.種類；類別（必修三 U5）

詞匯積累

stumblev.絆腳；蹣跚而行；結結巴巴地說；偶然發現

nuancen.（聲音、感覺、外貌或意義等方面的）細微差別

archiven.存檔材料，檔案；檔案室

irritatev.使不耐煩，激怒；刺激（身體某部位）

discursiveadj.散漫的；離題的；東拉西扯的

bickeringn.爭吵；爭論

crabbyadj.脾氣乖戾的；易怒的

posterityn.后裔；子孫；后代

名詞的動詞化用法

例句：I wanted to bottle him in a jar half the time...有時我真希望能把他裝在一個瓶子里保存起來……

bottle 在這里動詞化的用法，意為“用瓶子裝”，所有有容器性質的名詞，幾乎都可以作動詞。名詞動詞化使句子更簡潔生動。類似的用法如下：

（1）bag 把……裝入袋中=put...into a bag

The supermarket clerk bagged the groceries.超市的店員把食品打好包了。

（2）bottle 把……裝入瓶中=put...into a bottle

The wine was bottled near the vineyard.葡萄酒在葡萄園附近被裝瓶封藏。

（3）barrel 把……裝入桶中=put...into a barrel

They planned to barrel the beer next Monday.他們打算下星期一把啤酒裝桶。

（4）can 把……裝罐=put...into a can

Fruit is often canned in winter.冬天的時候人們常常把水果裝進罐里貯存起來。

（5）pocket 把……裝入袋內=put...into a pocket

She pocketed her wallet and door keys.她把錢包和門鑰匙放進了口袋里。

（6）house 為……提供住所=put...into a house

We should manage to house and feed the poor.我們應該設法解決貧民的食宿問題。

閱讀小練

一、用所給單詞的正確形式填空。

1.On March 7,1907,the English statistician Francis Galton published a paper which __________（illustrate）what has come to be known as the wisdom of crowds effect.

2.Lots of people who have been to space have described___________（vivid）what it’s like to live in zero gravity.

3.Afterwards,people came from far and wide to see the spot where the dog __________（bury）.

4.When someone __________（acquire）a positive attitude toward life,success and pleasure may be achieved.

5.Her __________（fantasy）include painting the classrooms of shabby schools,leaving hot meals on kitchen tables in the poor part of town,and giving money secretly to a proud old lady.

6.Well before the arrival of freezers,there was a demand for ice for food __________（preserve）.

7.If the engine lacks power,a road accident probably__________（occur）.

二、根據文章內容，選擇最佳答案。

1.What did the author come across recently?

A.A file of conversations with her son Frank.

B.A collection of old photos and videos.

C.A lost treasure from the past.

D.A jar containing her son Frank.

2.Why did the author wish they had made more audio recordings of conversations with her son?

A.To have something to show to her loved ones.

B.To capture real memories of her son’s childhood.

C.To become a better listener.

D.To make her son feel more comfortable.

3.Which word can best describe her 4-year-old son from Para.4 and Para.5?

A.Naughty. B.Impatient.

C.Talkative. D.Determined.

4.What did the author discover about recording

conversations with her son?

A.Videos worked better than voice notes.

B.Videos captured the nuances of her son’s childhood better.

C.Voice notes made her son behave differently.

D.Voice notes helped the author to be present.

三、欣賞文中的句子，并做仿寫。

1.The conversations I taped illustrate the nuances（差異）of Frank’s four-year-old self more vividly than any photo or video could.

仿寫：我認為園藝活動和環保行動比任何旅行或觀光都更明顯地體現我對生命的崇敬和感激。I believe horticultural activities and ________________________________ can ______________my reverence and ______________ for life _____________________________________.

2.It’s like digging up buried treasure from the past.

仿寫：感覺就好像在經歷了一整天的疲憊之后從一杯香濃的咖啡之中找到了活力（vitality）。

That ____________________________ from a cup of rich coffee after ______________________________________________.

3.On the worst nights,what could have been a tender discursive chat devolved into pre-bedtime bickering,which never speeds anything up.

仿寫：在最寧靜的早晨，原本可能平淡無奇的一天演變（evolve into）成了充滿驚喜的冒險，毫無預料可言。

____________________________________,a day that ____________________________ mundane________________________________ filled with surprises,beyond any expectations.

答案與解析

一、1.illustrated 2.vividly

3.was buried 4.acquires

5.fantasies 6.preservation

7.will occur

二、1.A。細節理解題。根據文章第一句話可知，作者最近偶然發現了一些與兒子Frank 在四歲時候的對話文件。故選A。

2.B。推理判斷題。根據文章第二、三段可知，作者錄制與兒子的對話，展現兒子四歲時的差異以及希望以最真實的嗓音再度聽見親人曾經說過的話。故選B。

3.C。推理判斷題。根據文章第四段可知，四歲的兒子喜歡在洗澡時說話，同時也是他掌握語言的奇妙階段，洗澡時間是兒子思維完全展開的神奇時刻，并且根據第五段第一句話可知，作者注意到只要能全心全意地傾聽，兒子就會向作者述說最驚人的事。由此推斷兒子喜歡說話，故選C。

4.D。細節理解題。根據文章第六段可知，作者嘗試制作了洗澡的視頻，但是兒子意識到攝像機的存在，他的行為會發生改變。而語言記錄并未改變兒子的行為，且作者發現錄音幫助自己成為一個更好的傾聽者。文章第七段開頭，隨著錄音的播放，作者更深地認識自己，這種認知以某種方式幫助作者投入當下。故選D。

三、1.environmental actions;demonstrate,gratitude;more clearly than any travel or sightseeing

2.feels like finding vitality;a whole day of exhaustion

3.On the most peaceful morning;could have been;evolved into an adventurous one