The Oath1 of the Peach Garden Comes to America

Leo Luo

“I am proud to call you brothers of Delta Phi Epsilon2. Delta Phi Epsilon: 以三個希臘字母ΔΦΕ命名的兄弟會。!”With those words, the entire room of tuxedo-clad men erupted into cheers.3.tuxedo:（正式場合穿的）男式無尾禮服；-clad:（與某些名詞連用，構(gòu)成形容詞）表示“穿著……的”；erupt: （強烈的情感）突然爆發(fā)。“Huzzah!” they yelled, with smiles illuminating each face.4. huzzah: 好哇（表示喜悅、贊同等）；illuminate: 使（某人）面露喜色，使容光煥發(fā)。“Huzzah!” I exclaimed5. exclaim: 感嘆，驚叫。at the top of my lungs. As the cheers melted6. melt: （逐漸地）消失。into conversation amongst the gathered students, I was swept up in a wave of smiles. With each hand that I shook, I heard the words“congratulations brother!” The distinctions between races and religions fell away as all these fine gentlemen warmly welcomed me and 27 other young men into their fraternity.7. distinction: 差別，不同； fraternity: （大學(xué)里的）男生聯(lián)誼會，兄弟會。Despite the negative portrayals of fraternities in both the mainstream media and popular culture, these organizations can act as stepping stones for aspiring students to not only learn important social skills, but also forge bonds that transform strangers into family.8. portrayal: 描繪，描寫；stepping stone:（尤指工作中的）進身之階； aspiring: 有抱負的；forge:（與其他人、團體或國家）建立關(guān)系；bond: 聯(lián)系，關(guān)系。

One of the hallmarks of universities in the U.S.A is the presence of fraternities and sororities, otherwise known as Greek life.9. hallmark: 特點，特征；sorority: （美國大學(xué)的）女生聯(lián)誼會；Greek life: 希臘生活。Derived from10. be derived from: 源于。the Latin words frater and soror, which mean brother and sister, these organizations serve a wide range of purposes for students.Each fraternity or sorority identifies itself by adopting two or three Greek letters as their symbol.11. 每個兄弟會或姐妹會都會選用兩到三個希臘字母作為會標(biāo)。For example,my fraternity is named ΔΦΕ, read as Delta Phi Epsilon. Joining Greek life always involves a process called “pledging12. pledge: 宣誓入會。.”This usually occurs over a period of several weeks, during which “pledges” accomplish various tasks for the Greek life organization. At the end of this process, the “pledges” undergo an initiation that is always conducted away from prying eyes.13. 完成宣誓入會任務(wù)后，宣誓人需參加聯(lián)誼會內(nèi)部舉行的入會儀式。undergo: 經(jīng)歷，經(jīng)受；initiation:（加入俱樂部或社團的）正式儀式；prying: 窺探的。Only then are they acknowledged as full-fledged14. full-fledged: 經(jīng)過全面訓(xùn)練的，成熟的。brothers or sisters. These organizations are not limited to individual schools,for nearly every school can establish a branch, otherwise known as a chapter,15. branch: 分部，分支；chapter:（俱樂部、組織的）地方分會，支部。of a fraternity or sorority provided that there is enough interest. The influence of Greek life at American universities varies with each school, as some schools do not officially acknowledge their Greek life, while others base their entire student social scene around it. In certain cases, joining Greek life is the only way to establish a tight-knit group of friends at university, because gone are the days during high school when no classmate was a stranger.16. 有時候，只有加入聯(lián)誼會才能在大學(xué)里找到一群親密無間的好朋友。高中時，所有同學(xué)都很熟絡(luò)，可那樣的日子已經(jīng)一去不返。tight-knit: 緊密團結(jié)的，組織嚴密的。

上大學(xué)之前，校園很小，同學(xué)之間相互熟絡(luò)；上大學(xué)之后，校園太大，如何找到志同道合的朋友呢？美國的大學(xué)生選擇加入“兄弟會”或“姐妹會”?？墒牵饨鐚@些社團的評價參差不齊，有些溺愛獨子的母親甚至覺得這些社團像是黑社會的黑手黨！兄弟會里的生活到底是怎么樣的呢？來聽聽兄弟會成員的說法吧——

Perhaps as a result of the prevalence17. prevalence: 流行，盛行。of Greek life in American culture, they have acquired reputations that are less than positive. Various myths and urban legends speak of fraternities or sororities as exclusive clubs where students gather to host the craziest parties and drink themselves into a stupor.18. 外界傳聞?wù)f兄弟會或姐妹會就像高級俱樂部，入會學(xué)生整天在一起無比瘋狂地聚會玩樂，喝酒喝到爛醉。urban legend: 都市神話（許多人相信且廣為流傳的據(jù)稱曾發(fā)生在普通人身上的不尋?；蚩膳率录?；exclusive: 高級的，高檔的；stupor: 不省人事，神志不清。Apparently, only jocks join fraternities and beautiful blondes join sororities: in other words, the popular students.19. 據(jù)我所知，加入兄弟會的都是體育生，加入姐妹會的都是金發(fā)美女。換言之，入會的都是高人氣學(xué)生。apparently: 據(jù)我所知，似乎；jock: （尤指參與很多運動項目，給人印象蠢笨的）大學(xué)生運動員；blonde: 金發(fā)女郎。Other more paranoid people, such as mothers who dote on their only son, may even see sinister implications in Greek life, for the trials and secrecy surrounding Greek life traditions harken back to the customs of triads or mafia organizations that rule the criminal underworld.20. paranoid: 多疑的，疑神疑鬼的；dote on: 溺愛，寵愛；sinister: 陰險的，邪惡的；implication: 可能的影響，可能的結(jié)果；harken back to: 追憶（往事）；triad:三合會（華人秘密犯罪組織）；mafia: （尤指意大利和美國的）黑手黨；underworld:黑社會。Thus Greek life in the mainstream mindset becomes a synonym for a culture of bullying and hedonistic behaviour.21. mindset: 思維傾向，思維定式；synonym:同義詞；bullying: 恃強凌弱，以大欺?。籬edonistic: 享樂主義的。

Although each story holds a grain of truth, especially regarding the insane parties, they only offer a jagged view of the wondrous world that is Greek life.22. a grain of truth: 一絲真理，一點兒可信的東西；insane: 愚蠢的，瘋狂的；jagged: 參差不齊的；wondrous: 奇妙的，令人驚嘆的。Each Greek life organization holds a different culture, depending on its mission. My organization, Delta Phi Epsilon, prides itself as a Foreign Service fraternity. As such, each of its members is wellversed23. well-versed: 精通的，熟知的。in their knowledge of the world. Walking in and out of the house that the fraternity owns, I frequently catch snippets of discussions that range from the reliability of American allies in East Asia to the idea of an educational system versus pure education.24. snippet: 片段；ally: 同盟國。But beyond providing an environment for intellectual exchange, Delta Phi Epsilon has taught me crucial social skills that are crucial for anyone hoping to enter the field of politics.Throughout the pledge process, I had to learn how to gain others’ respect using only the image that I projected25. project: 呈現(xiàn)，展現(xiàn)。.Although I am usually a modest individual, I learnt to shed away that personality in favour of one that radiated confidence through a strong handshake and direct eye contact.26. 盡管我為人向來謙遜，此刻還是收起這種性格，堅定有力地與人握手，嘗試與人有直接的眼神交流，努力綻放自信的光彩。modest: 謙遜的，謙虛的；shed: 擺脫，去掉；radiate: 流露，顯示。Once a conversation got rolling, I found myself asking as many questions as possible in order to discover what made them tick.27. get rolling: 開始；what makes sb. tick: 某人做出……舉動的原因，影響某人性格或行為的思想。In other words, let them do most of the talking, as humans—myself included—are vain creatures. But above all else, I discovered that I had to keep the smiles and chuckles flowing with jokes and compliments.28. chuckle: 低聲輕笑；compliment: 贊美，恭維。After all, at the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said, but how you made them feel, especially in a place like America where one’s intentions are scrutinized29. scrutinize: 仔細審視，徹底檢查。almost as highly as one’s actions.

But joining a fraternity cultivated within me far more than the knowledge of how to crack a joke or socialize with others.30. 不過，加入兄弟會教會我的遠不止怎么開玩笑或如何社交。cultivate: 培養(yǎng)，養(yǎng)成；crack a joke: 說笑話。The entire process of pledging links each brother to each other through the trials that have not changed since the 1920s. Whenever we gather together to have a beer, share a meal, or simply watch American football, we see each other not as friends, but family,and relish in all the quirks that come with that concept.31. relish: 喜歡，從……中得到樂趣；quirk: 怪癖。I laughed through more than my fair share of insults and jeers, only to shoot them right back with a grin.32. fair share: 公平分配；jeer: 嘲笑，嘲弄；grin: 露齒笑，咧嘴笑。That laughter is what I associate with Delta Phi Epsilon: an environment where gentlemen can come together to relive their boyhoods.No need for discussing grades or donning fake personalities to impress superiors, just hurling light hearted insults and trading ludicrous stories that ignite the entire room with smiles.33. don: 穿上，披上；hurl insult:謾罵；light hearted: 輕松愉快的；ludicrous: 荒謬的，可笑的；ignite: 引發(fā)，激起。As a man, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to find a community that you can depend on. Although I may not hang out with these brothers often, every moment spent with them is time that I don’t regret wasting, for they are just like family to me.

The idea of fraternal bonds has persisted throughout human history as a symbol of loyalty and joviality34. joviality: 友善，快活。. Perhaps one of the most famous bonds is that of the three brothers in the historical novelRomance of the Three Kingdoms.The author Luo Guanzhong penned pure poetry when he wrote the oath of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei: “We seek not to be born on the same day,same month and same year, but merely hope to die on the same day, same month, and same year.” Just as the bonds between those three warriors35. warrior: 戰(zhàn)士，勇士。strengthened through battle, the bonds between me and my fraternity brothers grow with each laugh we share. I entered the Delta Phi Epsilon pledge process believing that I was only doing it to establish connections for my future. I emerged not only with those professional connections, but with friendships that fill me with pride to announce that I am also “a frat bro.”