the_joy_luck_club_喜福会(英文原版)

THEJOYLUCKCLUBBYAMYTANACKNOWLEDGMENTSTHEAUTHORISGRATEFULTOHERWEEKLYWRITERSGROUPFORKINDNESSANDCRITICISMDURINGTHEWRITINGOFTHISBOOKSPECIALTHANKSALSOTOLOUISDEMATTEI,ROBERTFOOTHORAP,GRETCHENSCHIELDS,AMYHEMPEL,JENNIFERBARTH,ANDMYFAMILYINCHINAANDAMERICAANDATHOUSANDFLOWERSEACHTOTHREEPEOPLEWHOMIHAVEHADTHEJOYANDTHELUCKTOKNOWMYEDITOR,FAITHSALE,FORHERBELIEFINTHISBOOKMYAGENT,SANDRADIJKSTRA,FORSAVINGMYLIFEANDMYTEACHER,MOLLYGILES,WHOTOLDMETOSTARTOVERAGAINANDTHENPATIENTLYGUIDEDMETOTHEENDTHEJOYLUCKCLUBTHEMOTHERS,ANDTHEDAUGHTERSSUYUANWOOJINGMEI“JUNE“WOOANMEIHSUROSEHSUJORDANLINDOJONGWAVERLYJONGYINGYINGSTCLAIRLENASTCLAIREFORWARDBORNIN1952INOAKLAND,CALIFORNIATOCHINESEIMMIGRANTPARENTS,AMYTANFOLLOWEDHEROWNPATHOVERTHEOBJECTIONSOFHERMOTHER,SHEMAJOREDINCOLLEGEINWRITINGANDLINGUISTICSANDPURSUEDACAREERINBUSINESSWRITINGANYTANSRELATIONSHIPWITHHERMOTHERWASVERYDIFFICULTANOPPORTUNITYTOTRAVELWITHHERMOTHERBACKTOCHINABROUGHTANEWPERSPECTIVEAMYTANSFIRSTFICTIONEFFORTSWERESHORTSTORIESTHESEATTRACTEDANAGENT,SANDRADIJKSTRA,WHOSOLDWHATBECAMETHEJOYLUCKCLUBTOPUTNAMSWHENPUBLISHEDIN1986THEJOYLUCKCLUBSPENT40WEEKSONTHENEWYORKTIMESBESTSELLERLISTITWASNOMINATEDFORTHENATIONALBOOKAWARDANDTHENATIONALBOOKCRITICSCIRCLEAWARDANDWASARECIPIENTOFTHECOMMONWEALTHGOLDAWARDANDTHEBAYAREABOOKAWARDTHEJOYLUCKCLUBWASADAPTEDINTOAFEATUREFILMIN1994,FORWHICHAMYTANWASACOSCREENWRITERWITHRONBASSANDACOPRODUCERWITHBASSANDWAYNEWANGASTUNNINGLITERARYACHIEVEMENT,THEJOYLUCKCLUBEXPLORESTHETENDERANDTENACIOUSBONDBETWEENFOURDAUGHTERSANDTHEIRMOTHERSTHEDAUGHTERSKNOWONESIDEOFTHEIRMOTHERS,BUTTHEYDONTKNOWABOUTTHEIREARLIERNEVERSPOKENOFLIVESINCHINATHEMOTHERSWANTLOVEANDOBEDIENCEFROMTHEIRDAUGHTERS,BUTTHEYDONTKNOWTHEGIFTSTHATTHEDAUGHTERSKEEPTOTHEMSELVESHEARTWARMINGANDBITTERSWEET,THISISANOVELFORMOTHER,DAUGHTERS,ANDTHOSETHATLOVETHEMFEATHERSFROMATHOUSANDLIAWAYTHEOLDWOMANREMEMBEREDASWANSHEHADBOUGHTMANYYEARSAGOINSHANGHAIFORAFOOLISHSUMTHISBIRD,BOASTEDTHEMARKETVENDOR,WASONCEADUCKTHATSTRETCHEDITSNECKINHOPESOFBECOMINGAGOOSE,ANDNOWLOOKITISTOOBEAUTIFULTOEATTHENTHEWOMANANDTHESWANSAILEDACROSSANOCEANMANYTHOUSANDSOFLIWIDE,STRETCHINGTHEIRNECKSTOWARDAMERICAONHERJOURNEYSHECOOEDTOTHESWAN“INAMERICAIWILLHAVEADAUGHTERJUSTLIKEMEBUTOVERTHERENOBODYWILLSAYHERWORTHISMEASUREDBYTHELOUDNESSOFHERHUSBANDSBELCHOVERTHERENOBODYWILLLOOKDOWNONHER,BECAUSEIWILLMAKEHERSPEAKONLYPERFECTAMERICANENGLISHANDOVERTHERESHEWILLALWAYSBETOOFULLTOSWALLOWANYSORROWSHEWILLKNOWMYMEANING,BECAUSEIWILLGIVEHERTHISSWANACREATURETHATBECAMEMORETHANWHATWASHOPEDFOR“BUTWHENSHEARRIVEDINTHENEWCOUNTRY,THEIMMIGRATIONOFFICIALSPULLEDHERSWANAWAYFROMHER,LEAVINGTHEWOMANFLUTTERINGHERARMSANDWITHONLYONESWANFEATHERFORAMEMORYANDTHENSHEHADTOFILLOUTSOMANYFORMSSHEFORGOTWHYSHEHADCOMEANDWHATSHEHADLEFTBEHINDNOWTHEWOMANWASOLDANDSHEHADADAUGHTERWHOGREWUPSPEAKINGONLYENGLISHANDSWALLOWINGMORECOCACOLATHANSORROWFORALONGTIMENOWTHEWOMANHADWANTEDTOGIVEHERDAUGHTERTHESINGLESWANFEATHERANDTELLHER,“THISFEATHERMAYLOOKWORTHLESS,BUTITCOMESFROMAFARANDCARRIESWITHITALLMYGOODINTENTIONS“ANDSHEWAITED,YEARAFTERYEAR,FORTHEDAYSHECOULDTELLHERDAUGHTERTHISINPERFECTAMERICANENGLISHJINGMEIWOOMYFATHERHASASKEDMETOBETHEFOURTHCORNERATTHEJOYLUCKCLUBIAMTOREPLACEMYMOTHER,WHOSESEATATTHEMAHJONGTABLEHASBEENEMPTYSINCESHEDIEDTWOMONTHSAGOMYFATHERTHINKSSHEWASKILLEDBYHEROWNTHOUGHTS“SHEHADANEWIDEAINSIDEHERHEAD,“SAIDMYFATHER“BUTBEFOREITCOULDCOMEOUTOFHERMOUTH,THETHOUGHTGREWTOOBIGANDBURSTITMUSTHAVEBEENAVERYBADIDEA“THEDOCTORSAIDSHEDIEDOFACEREBRALANEURYSMANDHERFRIENDSATTHEJOYLUCKCLUBSAIDSHEDIEDJUSTLIKEARABBITQUICKLYANDWITHUNFINISHEDBUSINESSLEFTBEHINDMYMOTHERWASSUPPOSEDTOHOSTTHENEXTMEETINGOFTHEJOYLUCKCLUBTHEWEEKBEFORESHEDIED,SHECALLEDME,FULLOFPRIDE,FULLOFLIFE“AUNTIELINCOOKEDREDBEANSOUPFORJOYLUCKIMGOINGTOCOOKBLACKSESAMESEEDSOUP“DONTSHOWOFF,“ISAID“ITSNOTSHOWOFF“SHESAIDTHETWOSOUPSWEREALMOSTTHESAME,CHABUDWOORMAYBESHESAIDBUTONG,NOTTHESAMETHINGATALLITWASONEOFTHOSECHINESEEXPRESSIONSTHATMEANSTHEBETTERHALFOFMIXEDINTENTIONSICANNEVERREMEMBERTHINGSIDIDNTUNDERSTANDINTHEFIRSTPLACEMYMOTHERSTARTEDTHESANFRANCISCOVERSIONOFTHEJOYLUCKCLUBIN1949,TWOYEARSBEFOREIWASBORNTHISWASTHEYEARMYMOTHERANDFATHERLEFTCHINAWITHONESTIFFLEATHERTRUNKFILLEDONLYWITHFANCYSILKDRESSESTHEREWASNOTIMETOPACKANYTHINGELSE,MYMOTHERHADEXPLAINEDTOMYFATHERAFTERTHEYBOARDEDTHEBOATSTILLHISHANDSSWAMFRANTICALLYBETWEENTHESLIPPERYSILKS,LOOKINGFORHISCOTTONSHIRTSANDWOOLPANTSWHENTHEYARRIVEDINSANFRANCISCO,MYFATHERMADEHERHIDETHOSESHINYCLOTHESSHEWORETHESAMEBROWNCHECKEDCHINESEDRESSUNTILTHEREFUGEEWELCOMESOCIETYGAVEHERTWOHANDMEDOWNDRESSES,ALLTOOLARGEINSIZESFORAMERICANWOMENTHESOCIETYWASCOMPOSEDOFAGROUPOFWHITEHAIREDAMERICANMISSIONARYLADIESFROMTHEFIRSTCHINESEBAPTISTCHURCHANDBECAUSEOFTHEIRGIFTS,MYPARENTSCOULDNOTREFUSETHEIRINVITATIONTOJOINTHECHURCHNORCOULDTHEYIGNORETHEOLDLADIESPRACTICALADVICETOIMPROVETHEIRENGLISHTHROUGHBIBLESTUDYCLASSONWEDNESDAYNIGHTSAND,LATER,THROUGHCHOIRPRACTICEONSATURDAYMORNINGSTHISWASHOWMYPARENTSMETTHEHSUS,THEJONGS,ANDTHESTCLAIRSMYMOTHERCOULDSENSETHATTHEWOMENOFTHESEFAMILIESALSOHADUNSPEAKABLETRAGEDIESTHEYHADLEFTBEHINDINCHINAANDHOPESTHEYCOULDNTBEGINTOEXPRESSINTHEIRFRAGILEENGLISHORATLEAST,MYMOTHERRECOGNIZ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