2017-07-30

【Aiden in English】

        My current experience with debates has been uneventful, unsuccessful, and boring. Best of all, none of it was my fault. However, the only way to completely … feel the atmosphere, competitive attitude, and torturous, hair-pulling, nail-biting stress was to enter a camp. A sleepover, a ten-day period of nothing but the debate and some stress-relieving activities.

        To be completely honest, I will say preparing for this camp has already greyed some imaginary hairs on my scalp. From scrambling for items to pack, to cramming my Latin II course to essentially twenty days, I really, really don’t think this camp is worth the rush, hassle, and three thousand dollars.

        The camp itself is situated at Rider University near Princeton, NJ. You know the college sounds great when its location is referred to through other prestigious colleges. I also strongly believe that Rider University was the cheaper camp hosting area. If the surroundings weren’t enough, the sheer number of other camps using the college was very discouraging.

        Regardless, the first day usually is an easy stroll, learning the environment, but it also is the moment of decisive action of making friends. Luckily, I joined the increasing group of teens from many cultures. This leads me to the topic of race at this camp.

        The debate is an enormous program in the eyes of Asians, generally speaking, Indian and Chinese. Therefore, it isn’t a surprise to see this camp to be not only dominated by these cultures. Furthermore, the white race in the campers was non-existent. I found this a bit shocking, as the debate is not strictly unpopular within the white culture.

        Many Chinese, however, appeared at the camp. I discovered one to be a traveler from Shanghai, which was cool. What interesting was his English, which was quite fluent and had a little accent? We quickly became friends among a much larger group of Chinese.

        At the end of the day, it was really only the beginning. Being a debate camp, I have much to learn. Setting a goal now I feel is quite important. So by the end of the camp, I want to be able to create a strong case for any debate without issue. I understand this goal takes more of my skill than what is taught at camp, but I hope the instructors can hurry me along the process.

【红霞译文】

        我现有辩论经历平平，毫无成功体验，因此聊不出啥玩艺，幸亏所有一切并非我之错，不过要想充分感受辩论氛围增加竞争意识，乃至饱尝心理磨难、揪头发、咬指甲等各项压力，唯一的方法就是参加夏令营，十天寄宿生涯中除了辩论及适当放松活动而外别无它求。

        说句大实话，光是准备这个夏令营足以叫脑袋瓜上原本带有一定想象力的头发变得苍白起来，从匆匆打理出门行头，到基本上仅用廿天功夫突击完成一门中级拉丁语，我切身感到犯不上豪掷三千大洋来这个夏令营自讨苦吃。

        夏令营设在新泽西普林斯顿附近的瑞德大学，你知道这所大学好像挺牛，常被用来确认别的名校地理位置。我敢说瑞德营条件比较简陋，假如周围环境不很提气，那么大批借用瑞德大学校舍的夏令营肯定非常失望。

        不管怎样，第一天要熟悉环境，一般都轻松闲在，但这也是结交朋友付诸行动的时刻，幸亏我所参加的小组青少年兼有多元性文化背景，以至于我能在夏令营里谈论种族话题。

        在亚裔人（一般指印度人和中国人）看来，辩论可谓宏大项目，因此也就没啥奇怪该夏令营起主导作用的远不止这两种文化。此外，夏令营罕见白人，委实让我跌破眼镜，毕竟在白人文化里辩论并不是绝对不受欢迎的。

        不过夏令营有很多华裔子弟，其中一位竟然来自上海，好酷咧。有趣的是他讲英语十分流利，况且没带什么口音。在华人圈里，我俩很快结成朋友。

        今天过后才是夏令营开始，既然走近辩论擂台，我有不少东西要学，当务之急就是要制定一个目标，这样一旦夏令营结束，自己会在任何辩论场合做到辩护有据说服有力。我明白这个目标的实现主要取决于个人技巧发挥而非夏令营灌输的东西，但还是希望辅导员能帮我速成。

Today in History(历史上的今天):

2015: 76ers Overnight Camp─Playoff(七六人队篮球寄宿营─决赛)

2014: YMCA Camp─Stuck @ Home Day-2(基督教青年会营─第二天病休在家)