The-Green-Banana.docx

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1、TheGreenBananaDonaldBalcheklerlthoughitmighthavehappenedanywhere,myencounterwiththegreenbananastartedonasteepmountainroadintheinteriorofBrazil.Myancientjeepwasstrainingupthroughspectacularcountrysidewhentheradiatorbegantoleak,tenmilesfromthenearestmechanic.Theoverheatedengineforcedmetostopatthenextv

2、illage,whichconsistedofasmallstoreandascatteringofhouses.Peoplegatheredtolook.Threefinestreamsofhotwatershotfromholesinthejacketoftheradiator.Thatseasytofix.amansaid.HCsentaboyrunningforsomegreenbananas.Hcpattedmeontheshoulder,assuringmecvcrrthingwouldworkout.*Grecnbananas/,hesmiled.Everjoneagreed.W

3、cexchangedpleasantjokeswhileIwonderedattheramificationsofthegreenbanana.Askingquestionswouldbetraymyignorance,soIremarkedonthebeautyofthestretchofland.Hugerockformations,likeSugar1.oafinRio.roseupallaroundus.Doyouseethattallonerightoverthere?”askedtnybenefactor,pointingtoaparticulartall,slenderpinna

4、cleofdarkrock,Thatrockmarksthecenteroftheworld/Ilookedtoseeifheweremakingfunofme,buthisfacewasserious.HeinturninspectedmecarefullytobesureIgraspedthesignificanceofhisstatcmcnl.Theoccasiondemandedsomeshowofrecognitiononmypart.4tThccenteroftheworld?*1repeated,tryingtoconveyinterestifnotcompleteaccepta

5、nce.Henodded.Theabsolutecenter.Everyonearoundhereknowsii.”Atthatmomenttheboyreturnedwithmygreenbananas.Themanslicedoneinhalfandpressedthecutendagainsttheradiatorjacket.Thebananameltedintoaglueagainstthehotmetal,pluggingtheleaksinstantly.Everyonelaughedatmyastonishment.Theyrefilledmyradiatorandgaveme

6、extrabananastotakealong.Anhourlater,afteronemoreapplicationofgreenbanana,myradiatorandIreachedourdestination.Thelocalmechanicsmiled.,Whotaughtyouaboutthegreenbanana?Inamedthevillage.Didtheyshowyoutherockmarkingthecenteroftheworld?”,heasked.Iassuredhimtheyhad,Mygrand11thcrCamCfromIhCrCJhCSaid,Theexac

7、tcenter.Everyonearoundherehasalwaysknownaboutit/AsaproductofAmericanhighereducation,Ihadneverpaidheslightestattentiontothegreenbanana,excepttoregarditasafruitwhosetimehadnotyetcome.Suddenlyonthatmountainroad,itstimeandmyneedhadconverged.ButasIreflectedonitfurther.1realizedthatthegreenbananahadbeenth

8、ereallalong.Itstinereachelbacktotheveryoriginsofthebanana.ThePeOPleinthatvillagehadknownaboutitforyears.Myowntimehadconicinrelationtoit.ThisChanCCencountershowedmethespecialgeniusofthosepeople,andthespecialpotentialofthegreenbanana.1hadbeenwonderingforsometimeaboutthoseepisodesofclaritywhicheducator

9、slikecalllearningmoments”,andknewIIiadjustexperiencedtwoofthematonce.Theimportanceoftherockmarkingthecenteroftheworldtookawhiletofilterthrough.Ihadinitiallydoubtedtheirclaim,knowingforafactthatthecenterwaslocatedSOinCwhereinNewEngland.Afterall,myg11nd11jthcrhadcomefromthere.ButgraduallyIrealizedthey

10、hadvalidbelief,auniversalconcept,andIagreedwiththem.Wetendtodefinethecenterasthatspecialplacewhereweareknown,whereweknowothers,wherethingsmeanmuchtous,aulwhereweourselveshavebothidentityandmeaning:family,town,andlocalregion.Thelessonwhichgraduallyfilteredthroughwasthesimpleconceptthateveryplacehassp

11、ecialmeaningsforthepeopleinit;everyplacerepresentsthecenterofworld.Thenumberofsuchcentersisincalculable,andnoonestudentortravelercanexperienceallofthem,butonceaconsciousbreakthroughtoasecondcenterismade,alife-longperspectiveandcollectioncanbegin.Theculturesoftheworldarcfullofunexpectedgreenbananaswi

12、thspecialvalueandmeaning.Theyhavebeenthereforages,ripeningslowly,perhapswaitingpatientlyforpeopletoColnealongtoencounterthem.Infact,agreenbananaiswaitingforallofuswholeaveourowncentersoftheworldinordertoexperienceotherplaces.(fromDonaldBatchelder&ElizabethG.Warner(eds.)AnExperientialApproachtoCross-CulturalEducation.ProlinguaAssociates,1974)