精彩导读

少林寺是世界著名的佛教寺院，被誉为“天下第一名刹”。因其历代少林武僧潜心研创和不断发展的少林功夫而名扬天下，素有“天下功夫出少林，少林功夫甲天下”之说。在文中，作为一名美国女孩，作者有幸和男友去少林寺旅游，了解到少林文化的内涵。

Autumn is a tourist season，and many foreigners gather to see Beijing's historic sights.But another attraction deserves mention—the Shaolin Temple.Think of Kung Fu Panda， Jet Li and Bruce Li—kungfu counts among China's most popular cultural exports to the West，and Westernersappear to havea lasting love with it.

Kungfu， or Chinese martial arts， includes hundreds of fighting styles and different classification，with the most famous perhaps beingthe difference between“Northern Kicks”and“Southern Fists”.

My Chinese boyfriend loves kungfu movies，and said that when he was a child heused to watchthem during his summer and winter vacations.When I asked him why， he said kungfu is “full of feelings”， and the theme song of Jet Li's 1982 movie Shaolin Temple even brings tears to his eyes.In fact，the Shaolin Temple in central China's Henan Province has its own brand of kungfu，which is why we went to visit it.

We had a short conversation with a monk （和尚）after we arrived there.When my boyfriend inquired （询句）into studying kungfu at the temple for several months， the monk replied studentsin their thirtiesare a rarity， and usually they are younger.In fact， we met with some students who seemed to be in their teens，but I am not sure how studying kungfumatchestheir study schedules.

When wesaid goodbye tothe monks， I extended （伸出）my hand but they didn't shake it—my gesture was considered inappropriate （不合适的）.I later learned that I should have put my palms（手掌）together and bowed.

We met two pilgrims （朝圣者）on our way up the mountain.Both travelers cheered us on with the Chinese words “jiayou” and gave us a walking stick.A Buddhist nun （佛教尼姑）showed me how to take the walking stick correctly by grabbing it from the top.On our way down，I passed the walking stick on to an elderly lady for her journey，wondering if she had practiced kungfu in her younger years.

When I came out from the monastery （寺院），I began to understand that kungfu is not just about demonstrating some deft （灵巧的）moves，but a philosophy and a way of life that are cultivated both inside and outside of Shaolin's walls.

译文助读

秋天是旅游旺季，许多外国人聚集在这里观看北京的历史名胜。但另一个景点值得一提，它就是少林寺。想一想功夫熊猫，想一想李连杰，想一想李小龙，在向西方输出最流行的中国文化中，功夫起到举足轻重的作用，西方人似乎对它有着持久的热爱。

功夫，或中国武术，包括数百种格斗风格和不同的分类方法，其中最著名的可能是“北腿”和“南拳”的区别。

我的中国男友喜欢看功夫电影，说他小时候常在暑假和寒假看。当我问他为什么时，他说功夫“充满感情”，李连杰1982年的电影《少林寺》的主题曲甚至让他流泪。事实上，中国中部河南省的少林寺有自己的功夫品牌，这就是我们去参观的原因。

我们到达少林寺后和一个和尚进行了简短的交谈。当我男朋友询问是否可以在寺院学习几个月的功夫时，和尚回答说，三十多岁的学生是罕见的，他们通常更年轻。事实上，我们遇到了一些学生，他们似乎十几岁，但我不知道他们学习功夫的时间是怎么和他们的文化学习时间相配合的。

当我们向和尚道别时，我伸出我的手，但他们没有握手——我的手势被认为是不合适的。后来我知道我应该把手掌放在一起并且鞠躬。

我们在上山的路上遇到了两个朝圣者。两位旅行者用中文为我们加油，并给了我们一根手杖。一个尼姑教我如何正确地拿手杖，要从上面抓住它。在我们下山的路上，我把手杖递给了一位年迈的女士，想知道她年轻时是否练过功夫。

当我从寺院出来的时候，我开始明白功夫不仅仅是展示一些灵巧的动作，而且是在少林寺内外培养的一种哲学和生活方式。

Language study

Vocabulary

1.appear to do sth似乎要做某事

2.the difference between...and...……和……的区别

3.used to do sth过去常常做某事

4.in fact事实上；实际上

5.in one's thirties在某人三十几岁时

6.say goodbye to sb和某人告别

Difficult sentence

In fact，the Shaolin Temple in central China's Henan Province has its own brand of kungfu，which is why we went to visit it.事实上，中国中部河南省的少林寺有自己的功夫品牌，这就是我们去参观的原因。

【点石成金】句中含有两个复合句，which引导非限制性定语从句，在从句中作主语；why引导表语从句，this is why...表示 “这是……的原因”。

句式仿写

昨天他病得很厉害，这就是他不去上学的原因。（用上which引导非限制性定语从句和why引导的表语从句）

Critical reading

What does the author know about the cultural meaning of kungfu and the Shaolin Temple？