雅美之途
教育，人文，社會
兒子這周末剛剛在美國舊金山完成婚禮，喜慶的氛圍無法用中文和英文形容，但是我仍然在飛機上寫下這篇演講稿，表達了我當時的感受。現在趁著大隊人馬去遊玩的機會，我在旅館試著把英文稿翻譯成中文。尺把長的兒子伴隨我們成長，見證了太多美國第一代移民所經曆的一切，我們為兒子驕傲和自豪。媳婦的加入不僅為我們帶來耶魯和斯坦福的兩個學位，更是使我們家成為擁有美國特征的中國、美國、日本和瑞典的文化融合。
婚禮按照美國傳統由新娘家負責，我們的所有開稍隻是正式婚禮前一天的彩排晚餐（Rehearsal Dinner)，以及補帖蜜月的部分費用。女方父母為非嚴格宗教信仰人士，所以選擇在相當高級的賓館舉行婚禮，費用是新娘家頭痛的事。整個婚禮莊重而溫馨，除了類似教堂婚禮的儀式外，還有兒子和媳婦的大學同學的朗誦詞。
結婚正式儀式結束後進入晚餐部分（Reception)，開始由新娘父親歡迎來賓。在晚餐中間還安排了五位親友致祝酒詞，分別為新娘父親、新娘外祖父、新郎父親、新郎好友（兒子的高中同學，哈佛本科畢業)，新娘好友（兒子和媳婦的耶魯同學，紐約詩人)。
我在兒子婚禮上的祝酒詞（Toast):
We are so excited to be here for the celebration! Thank you, Frank and Laura, for hosting this. I don't know if we can call this an American Dream or Chinese Dream, but it is the proudest moment in our extended family. My mother and so many of our relatives have traveled all the way from China, I have to say on their own expenses.
（我們非常興奮地來到這裏參加這個慶祝儀式！謝謝你們，弗蘭克和蘿拉，操辦這個婚禮。我不知道稱這是美國夢還是中國夢，這確實是我們大家庭最為自豪的時刻。我母親和這麽多親人從中國遠道趕來，我應該說所有旅程費用均來自他們自己).
I was a little emotional when the flight staff announced this time that we were approaching San Francisco, actually San Francisco was where I took my first step on American soil. I can tell you a story showing how China has been transformed in such a short period. During my first day in America at San Francisco International Airport almost twenty-seven years ago, when I walked toward the airport automatic door, the door opened to me. I said to myself: "That door is so smart”，I would like to remind you that I was from a top five city in China.
(當飛機乘務人員這次通知我們，飛機已經臨近舊金山時，我的心情有些激動，其實舊金山正是我踏上美國土地的第一步。我可以告訴大家一個故事，可以說明中國在如此短的時間裏發生了多麽大的變化。在幾乎27年前，也就是我在美國的第一天，在舊金山國際機場，當我走向機場的自動門時，那門自動為我打開了。我當時對自己說：“這門真聰明”，我必須提醒大家：我當時來自中國前五位的大城市)。
Actually Jason helped himself immigrate to America. When his mom carried him to Beijing to apply for a US Visa, it was so hard to obtain an American visa during that time. But Jason immediately identified me from the passport photo, and they gave him the visa. Once Jason and his mom arrived in St. Louis, I didn't have a car, so my cardiologist friend agreed to go with me to the airport.
（其實，傑森幫助他自己移民到了美國。當時他媽媽帶著他去北京申請美國簽證時，獲得美國簽證相當困難。但是傑森很快認出了護照照片中的我，這樣簽證官更容易給他們簽證。當傑森和他媽媽抵達聖路易斯時，我沒有車子，我的心髒病學家的朋友陪我去的機場)。
Jason is such an excellent son and we as the young parent virtually grew up together with him. He fully experienced all those joys and challenges that first-generation Americans face. Jason is also such an independent man, we had the privilege to raise him and to be friends with him. We also have to say sorry to him at this occasion that we should not leave him at library or bookstore for long hours when we were studying hard to pass our medical boards or exams. Jason's independence was shown to us like this: when we were at his first Christmas party came back home from Yale, one of our friends, an ER physician, asked him: "How was the life at Yale? Did you meet any girls?" We all looked at Jason when he responded: "Yes, I met a girl from Virginia ". This was our first time to know that he met Julia, they’ve been in love since their Yale blind date. Thank you for raising such a wonderful daughter for us as well, we are all so happy that Julia is joining our family for the long and prosperous journey ahead.
(傑森是位卓越的兒子，我們作為年輕的父母幾乎是與他共同成長的。 他完全經曆了第一代美國移民所麵對的歡樂和挑戰。傑森也是一位獨立的人，我們榮幸能夠輔育他成人並且成為他的朋友。我們也必須借此機會向他表達歉意，我們在他小時候不應該把他放在圖書館和書店的時間太長，當時我們需要努力通過美國醫學執照和其他考試。
傑森的獨立性反應在這個場景中：在他從耶魯回來的第一個聖誕節，我們出去參加聚會，一位我們的急診科的醫生朋友問他：“耶魯的生活怎麽樣？遇到任何女朋友沒有？”。我們都望著傑森而他這樣回答：“對呀，我遇到一位來自弗吉尼亞的女孩”。 這是我們第一次知道朱麗婭，他們在那個“從未謀麵的耶魯男女生約會”活動中相遇，戀愛至今。謝謝你們也為我們培養了如此優秀的女兒，我們非常高興朱麗婭能夠加入我們的家庭，也祝福他們未來豐富而長久的旅程)。
I was thinking to give Jason and Julia three suggestions, but I realized Jason already followed two of them, the father and the son are the soulmates here. But anyway I will give them now: 1。Marry your classmate; 2。Marry a girl who is a few months older than you. These are two of our family's traditions; 3. Don't bring your stress or challenges from outside into the family's dinner table.
（我想著給傑森和朱麗婭三點建議，然而，我後來發現其中的兩條已經被傑森實現了，父子心靈之相通由此可見一斑。但是我還是應該將這些建議給出：1。與你的同學結婚；2。與那位比你年長幾個月的女孩結婚。這兩條是我們家的傳統；3。不要把你在外麵的壓力或挑戰帶到家庭的晚餐飯桌上。讓我們為傑森和朱麗婭幹杯，祝福幸福美滿的婚姻！）
照片為我手機所攝，他們還聘了專業攝影師。
這 Frank應該是Francis吧. 不會把親家名字都搞錯了? :)
For those who judged the speech, be easy! There is Not a right or wrong way to give a wedding speech! or a formula to follow. It is a deserved opportunity for the dad to say whatever he wants to say.
非常優秀的孩子，祝福他們婚姻美滿。
真摯的演講就是好演講。為你們高興。
下一個喜訊就是你抱孫輩啦。
順便提一句，現在比較流行的是孩子們自己付所有的結婚開銷，而且也不收禮金。????????
一直在跟讀您的大作。
然後對所有有疑問，反問以及質問的人說，給別人一個祝福，而不是“噴”有那麽難嗎？！
與人溫暖，自己也開心。
再次祝福樓主！
恭喜JASON & JULIA!
You tried to be humorous but I'm not sure if people got it. It's like Chinese way of thinking translated into English.
A top five city in China? What is that? Never heard of such saying.
祝福Jason and Julia!