本文为编辑过的访谈录。课文内容由采访的对象——一对泰国夫妇的谈话内容组成,结构清晰。由于访谈的内容是老夫妇一番朴实的肺腑之言; 而且采访内容涉及大多数发展中国家在发展过程中与放松否认普遍而又严峻的问题,即农村经济受到现代文明的冲击, 许多优良的传统观念逐渐被淡忘,被遗弃,因此本篇采访录贴近生活。文章通俗易懂。文章通过一对祖祖辈辈居住在伊萨恩地区的农民夫妇的自述,揭示了他们居住地的生活和文化传统受到了现代社会经济发展的冲击,并表达了老一辈人对过去优良传统的珍视以及对家乡土地的眷恋之情。
No,we two haven't changed much, but the village has. In what way? Only ten years ago, you could barter for things, but now it's all cash. Years ago, you could ask your neighbors to help build your house, reap the rice or dig a well. Now they'll do it only if you have money to pay them. Plastic things replace village crafts. Men used to make things with fine bamboo pieces, but no longer.Plastic bags litter the village. Shops have sprung up, filled with colorful plastic things and goods we have no use for. The young go away to towns and cities leaving us old people to work on the land. They think differently, I know, saying that the old are old-fashioned. All my life, I have never had to go to a hairdresser, or to paint my lips or nails. These rough fingers and toes are for working in the mud of our rice fields, not for looking pretty. Now young girls put on jeans, and look like boys and they think it is fashionable. Why? They are willing to sell their pig or water buffalo just to be able to buy a pair of jeans. In my day, if I were to put on a pair of trousers like they do now, lightening would strike me. I know, times have changed, but certain things should not change. We should offer food to the monks every day, go to the temple regularly. Young people tend to leave these things to old people now, and that's a shame.
是的,我们两口子一直没怎么变,可是我们的村子却变了很多。怎么变了?就在10年前你还能和别人换东西,可现在就得用现金了。几年前你还能喊你的邻居们帮着盖房子、割稻子和挖口井。但现在只有付钱给他们,他们才干。塑料制品代替了村里手工做的东西。过去男人们常常用做好的竹子材料做东西,但现在已经不再做了。塑料袋扔得村里哪儿都是。还突然冒出些商店,里面摆满了五颜六色的塑料制品和对我们没什么用的东西。年轻人离开家去了城镇,留下我们这些上了年纪的人种田。我知道他们的想法和我们的不同,他们说我们岁数大的人跟不上时代。我活了这么大岁数,从没进过理发店,没涂过嘴唇,没涂过指甲。我这粗手粗脚是用来在稻田的泥地里干活的,而不是摆样子好看的。现在的年轻姑娘们穿上了牛仔裤,看着像小伙子,可她们却认为这是时髦。为什么,只为了能买条牛仔哭,它们宁愿卖掉猪或水牛。我年轻的时候要是穿上他们那样的裤子,准得遭雷劈。   我知道时代已经变了,但有些东西是不该变的,我们还应该每天为僧人提供吃的,定期去寺庙上香。现在的年轻人往往把这些事留给上了岁数的人去做,这真是太不像话了。