【前言】

      对于正在美国接受教育的小学生来说，一年到底有多少写作练习？究竟怎样培养文字表达？一直是我十分好奇的话题。

      从一年级到四年级，每当春秋两季开家长会的时候，我都会面对不同的老师询问同样的问题。显然，我关注的既不是人人爱好的数学计算，也不是个个厌倦的语文词汇，而是很少能从考试成绩反映出来、却极易被大家忽视的写作能力。

      过去四年来，我发觉班主任的教学心境，决定了适龄学童的作文水平。具体地讲，年纪越大的老师往往擅长启发孩子观察事物的好奇心，有助于调动孩子抒发情感，进一步拓展想象力，因为她们更花精力来发掘大家的学习兴趣，更有心情去放飞各自的梦想，似乎与教学经验并无太大关系。我家童少二、三年级两届班主任便属于这样的老师。相反，年纪越轻的老师不是忙于恋爱结婚，就是疲于家务缠身，一旦自己也有2～3个小不点需要照顾，最终能够按照教学大纲指导全班差不多廿几口子写作，已经算是学生们莫大的造化。儿子一年级和现在四年级的老师恰好处在这个时期。

    如果有一天你像我一样发现，即使博览着书刊杂志，游历过名川大山，体验了五味生活，观察到自然景象，孩子依然漫天刷浆糊，毫无厚集薄发之举，那么你我都不必大惊小怪，因为写作的门径贵在练习，只有长期坚持，才会有话可说，才能有物可写，才使笔下生花。

      这次出游南美四个星期，我家童少每天花少许时间练习写作，随时记录所见所闻所为所感，有话则长，无话可短，尽兴而写，随意且止。孩子一路走、一路看、一路写、一路成长，留下不少游记观感、心得体会、日记报道、随笔散文，收获了大量课外教育所期待的珍贵记忆。

【游记】

      Today it was my first day to explore in South America after connecting a series of the flights more than 23 hours. As soon as I stepped off the plane on Easter Island in Pacific Ocean- the Navel of the World, I knew this would be an extremely hot trip (not including Antarctica).

      今天，在经历23小时连续转乘飞机之后，出游南美的第一天终于到来了。一走进位於太平洋中号称地球肚脐的复活节岛时，我立刻意识到，如若排除南极不计，这将是一趟战高温斗酷暑的旅行。

     When I woke to the sound of the rooster doing its morning chorus of "COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO", I surprised that breakfast time had already started in my hotel- Explora Rapa Nui. After getting dressed and putting on our shoes, we walked to the restaurant. My mom ordered well-done fried egg and she didn't like a raw yolk at all. I had an omelet with cheese, tasty ham, and fresh mushrooms. It was an excellent meal for a king.

      清晨，屋外公鸡喔喔叫个不停，把我从睡梦中吵醒，才知早餐临近。我们梳理打扮，穿好行装，立刻赶往“拉帕•努伊探险酒店”餐厅。妈妈要来一份炸熟的荷包蛋，她一点都不喜欢吃生蛋黄；我点了奶酪火腿蘑菇煎蛋，味道鲜美得足以供奉国王。

      As I accompanied with our morning tour guides, there were no other people with us. I really thought that the tour I was taking with my mom was popular. But oh how wrong I was. No one came to join us. So at 9:30 am, we left our hotel to see the Moai in Rapa Nui National Park which had been designated as a UNESCOUNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) heritage site.

      我紧随上午导游其后，发现除我们之外，没有任何人将与我们同行。本以为要去的景点非常流行，一定会有很多游客前往，我真看走了眼。九点半钟，我们动身朝拉帕•努伊国家公园进发，那里因摩艾石像而引人注目，被世界科教文组织列为《世界遗产名录》。

      Moai mean "the Living Face" in Polynesian and are the stone statues carved and shaped like human statues. Some Moai seemed to be unique and others looked like each other. I learned that about 1,000 years ago, there were different Rapa Nui tribes lived on Easter Island. Each tribe carved its respective leader differently from the rest of the tribes. There were supposed to be 15 Moai at Ahu Tongariki, the most popular spot in the world. But when I counted, it actually had 17. One was lying down and another was apart from a group of 15 Moai standing on a platform next to each other. All had some resemblance facing inland. The one standing but apart from the others had a special name called Traveler. He had a long journey to Japan in order to raise money for Moai restoration.

      摩艾在波里尼西亚语的意思是“活人脸谱”，巨人石像刻得跟现代人形一样，只是摩艾与摩艾之间模样有所不同。据说大约1,000年前，复活节岛有很多拉帕•努伊土著部落，每个部落都有各自敬拜的酋长首领。通伽利基祭坛有15个摩艾石像，是当今世界上最神奇的雕像群。可我仔细清点过，一共有17个才对，第16个躺在地上，最后一个名叫“旅行家”的摩艾则站在远处。后者之所以被称作“旅行家”，是因为它曾远渡重洋，只身到日本游说募集资金，为摩艾石像修复工程做出了重大贡献。

      Back to 1250-1500 when the Rapa Nui native people still carved the Moai statues, an earthquake hit this area severely and knocked all Moai over. Since some weighed over a ton, the Rapa Nui couldn't lift them without special help. So Traveler sailed to Japan and toured the country for monetary collection. With Japanese support, 15 Moai were able to stand up into the original position. I asked the tour guide why the one lying down was not lifted up at the same time. According to his legendary explanation, the islanders had to carry them down from Quarry to their Ahu or the platform at the seaside where the Moai stood on after Moai were made. Each Moai represented an ancestor of a new king or the current king. It was believed that every Moai had its own energy. If the stone statue fell during transportation, a new one would be sculptured and the fallen one was left right there. No one touched the hard stone for a bad luck.

    追溯到公元1250至1500年间，拉帕•努伊土著部落正热衷打造自己的摩艾石像，地震严重破坏了岛民生活，震塌了岛上所有石像。不少石像重达一吨以上，当地人根本无法让石像重新矗立起来。于是，“旅行家”周游日本诸地，不仅唤起了民众对濒危文物的广泛关注，同时还赢得了株式会社的经济赞助。正由于日本企业家鼎力出资，才让15个摩艾石像再度获得新生。我问起为什么没有扶起躺在地上的那个摩艾石像？导游根据民间传说解释道，当岛民将刻好的石像从火山采石场运往海边“阿胡”即祭坛的过程中，一旦石像不幸倒地，人们不能将它扶起，而只能重新打造另外一个。拉帕•努伊认为，每一个首领都有自己超自然的力量，任何人都无法改变这种神威，否则定会天诛地灭。

      On the way to the beaches, we stopped by Ahu Te Pito Kura or the navel of the world where the largest Moai ever transported. It was 10 meters long and weighed over 82 tons. I followed our guide to a magnetic rock that made for a compass. It's said that this was one of the three rocks that the first king brought to Easter Island. When they came near each other, they formed a portal in another dimension totally and became the center on earth. However, the 2nd one was lost over the centuries and the 3rd one was missed in Pacific Ocean. What the fascinating story I had just heard!

      在去海滨的路上，我们路过特•皮托•.库拉祭坛──“世界的肚脐”，看到复活节岛上最大的被运出采石场的摩艾石像。它全长10米，重量超过82吨。我跟随导游来到一块用作指定方向的磁石旁，听他讲述古老传说。复活节岛首位酋长曾从家乡带来三块这样的圆形石头，当三块岩石拼在一起，会变成地标──地球中心。遗憾的是，这是唯一幸存的岩石，另外两块不是几百年前便不知去向，就是早已葬身茫茫太平洋之中。故事听起来多么不可思议！

      We passed by Ovahe Beach that had no sand. In winter, the strong wave sucked out sand into the ocean. In summer, it spit the sand out from the ocean. It was too early to have sand back to the shore at the moment we visited there. Pretty odd and mysterious phenomenon if you asked me. Then we headed for Anakena, the only beach suitable for swimming on Easter Island. Once we arrived, I jumped out the car and ran into turquoise shallows without a second thought. The water seemed so cold that it set my teeth shivering. I immediately popped out as fast as my tired lags would carry me to the shore. I stood gasping for breath and heaving for air. I'd rather spend all rest of my time playing in the white sand under sunshine.

      我们路过欧瓦赫海滩，这里的沙滩随季节的变化而变化。冬季海浪把白沙活生生地吞嗜入海，直到夏季才把卷走的白沙退还回来。我们来得时节稍早，海浪尚未来得及把全部白沙完璧归赵，你说大自然邪乎不邪乎？接着，我们直奔复活节岛唯一可以游泳的阿娜可娜海滨。车子刚刚停稳，我便迫不及待跳入蓝绿色海洋之中。天哪，海水刺骨，冻得牙齿上下不停地打架，我赶紧蹦出水面，拖着疲惫的身躯，三步并作两步逃往沙滩。我张开大口喘着气，好半天才缓不过劲来。说真格的，我情愿待在岸边沐浴阳光。

      For lunch, I ate at the hotel. The green vegetable salad seemed so bitter that I needed to dump salt onto my tongue and washed it down with gulps of water. Other than that, everything looked good. The roasted tuna became my great favorite. With black pepper, salt and rice, it tasted delicious!

      午餐时分，我们返回酒店下榻。绿色沙拉苦不堪言，我恨不能拿起盐罐直接往舌头上洒，然后再用清水漱口。除此之外，一切安好。烧烤的金枪鱼味道真棒，再拌上少许黑胡椒、咸盐和米饭，喷香诱人美不胜收！

      When the time came to meet our afternoon tour guide, I noticed a big difference about the size of our group. There were four times more tourists than the one in the morning! As arrived at Rano Raraku or Quarry, my eyes widened. In front of my eyes, an enormous crater displayed with Moai along to the sides. The tour guide, a Rapa Nui native lady must have seen the look of amaze on my face. Next moment she said to me: "Let's climb that." Before knew it, I was starring with disbelief at the large hole. "Am I supposed to climb that tall edge?" I asked myself. When my mom called for me to move, I bolted toward her and ran up the steepest slope until I was out of energy. A large stone statue showed off in front. It did not draw my attention until I was shocked to hear about one particular piece of information. This rock was a Moai! It was approximately 21 meters high. However it lied down along the hill and blended in with its surroundings, which almost fooled me early on.

      转眼功夫就到了与下午导游会合的时候。我立马注意到眼前游人骤增，大概是上午的四倍。我们驱车来到拉诺•拉拉库采石场，眼前出现的景观叫我目瞪口呆。偌大死火山口脊背上布满了各式各样的摩艾石像。导游是当地土著，一定看到我满脸惊喜。她趁机对我说：“让我们一切爬上去吧。”我茫然地站在原地，不知所措。“我能行吗？”我下意识地揣度自己，一点信心也没有。恰在这时，妈妈鼓动前行，我箭步如飞，一口气跑过最陡峭的山坡，累得呼哧带喘精疲力竭。身边出现一块巨石，没想到这竟是全岛最大的摩艾石像，身高21米，正仰面躺在半山腰乱石丛中，让我难辨庐山真面目。

      We trekked in a small trail that led to the top of the crater and sloped down toward the center. The view turned out absolutely spectacular! There was a clear blue lake with trees around. The ground looked like red. The red soil generated  not only a lot of dust, but also helped to elevate the temperature. Here it was brutally hot. As I descended from the crater, I tripped twice, fell once, and got scratched a half dozen times. The dirt made the steep walk very easy to fall and the sharp edges of the tree branches made me very itchy.

      我们沿着相反方向徒步走过一小段山路，很快爬上火山湖正面。湖水湛蓝，山林青翠，土壤火红，出落得自然秀美！被太阳烘焦的地面尘土飞扬，不时卷起滚滚热浪，令人倍感酷暑难熬。下火山口的时候，我差点绊倒两回、摔跤一次、被灌木丛刮了不止半打乎。斜坡上浮尘滑得要命，让我很难站稳脚跟；身边树杈末梢又特别尖利，我不得不高度警惕，否则皮肤被刺挠得奇痒无比。

       At the end of our sightseeing, each of us enjoyed cold and sweet fruit juice that the tour guide brought from our hotel. After three long droughts, I started toward the green van. Soon I returned to the hotel in no time.

      观光结束后，导游给我们每人送上从酒店带来的水果饮料，清凉爽口。久旱逢甘霖，我连喝三杯，随即登上绿色面包车，一溜烟跑回酒店。

(二O一二年十二月十七日)