19.calligraphy [k??liɡr?fi] n. 书法
例：His effortless calligraphy has an unconventional grace of its own.他的书法， 信笔写来， 十分超脱。
情景对话
A： Peter， are you interested in Chinese culture？
彼得，你对中国文化感兴趣吗？
B：Yes. I think Chinese culture is fascinating. Can you talk to me about it？
是的。我觉得中国文化很迷人。你能给我讲讲吗？
A：Sure. I went to Shanghai a week ago. My friend Lucy told me about some Shanghai traditions. They are very enchanting.
当然可以。我一星期前去上海来着。我的朋友露西给我讲了一些上海的传统。很引人入胜。
B： Really Tell me about it. I am so eager to hear that.
真的吗？快给我讲讲，我很想听呢。
A： Calm down. I will tell you all I know.
别急，我会把所有我知道的告诉你。
B： Okay， okay. I am all ears， please.
好的，好的。我洗耳恭听，讲吧。
A：Shanghai culture is generally called Shanghai School， which originates from “Songjiang School”. Actually， if you want to know more， you can read the Chapter called “Shanghai School”.
上海文化通常被叫做海派文化，起源于“松江画派”。其实，你要是想知道更多，可以读读“海派文化”那章内容。
B：OK. What you know is less than I need. I'd better figure it out on my own.
好的。你知道的都不够我听的。我还是自己弄明白吧。
管中窥豹
中国华夏五千年，各民族辛勤劳动，创立了各自风格不同的文化。除了上海的海派文化（Shanghai School），神州大地(the Wonderful land of China)上还孕育了像岭南文化、纳西文化等优秀的文化传统。从地域上来说，岭南文化大体分为广东文化、桂系文化和海南文化三大块，主要以属于广东文化的广府文化(Guangfu Culture)、客家文化(Hakka Culture)和潮汕文化为主，这是岭南文化的主体。
纳西族是一个古老文明的民族，他们的文字是云南最古老的少数民族象形文字。纳西族信奉多神的“东巴教”。东巴文化就源于东巴教。 东巴文化包括象形文字(hieroglyph)、东巴经、东巴绘画、东巴音乐舞蹈等。
弄堂文化
Longtang Culture
Longtang， unique to Shanghai and Shanghainese， is a special form of residence that solved the conflict between a large population and limited houses in the past. The timeworn Longtangs record the stories of Shanghai， and reflect the traditions the life style and attitude of Shanghainese. They concentrate many different people from all over China who have brought with them diverse cultures . Examine Longtang and you will understand the society and the history of Shanghai.
弄堂是上海和上海人独具特色的居住形式，它解决了过去人多房少的冲突。历史悠久的弄堂记载了上海的故事，反映了上海的传统、生活方式以及上海人的态度。这里集聚了中国各地不同的人们，他们有着自己各种各样的文化。审视弄堂，你就会明白上海的社会生活及其历史。
Thousands upon thousands of Shanghai people are sentimentally attached to the Longtangs till now. The main reason is that a strong human relationship prevails in the Longtang.A good and close neighborhood relationship has taken shape there， which can hardly appear in other modern residences. Longtang is such a place that provided the residents more chances to communicate with each other. In the Longtangs， people always meet together， all the residents are closely associated and conglomerated， thus bringing forth a strong sense of localism， safety and family-likeness. The main social activities in Longtangs are those of the old people and children. In a Longtang they are never neglected as they are nowadays in other places. The special space arrangement in the Longtang can provide people places for the old people and children to carry on public activities. Some of the old people are keen on doing public welfare activities， for example， doing the cleaning work， taking care of each other and looking after the children. Such activities are carried on spontaneously， and have strong sense of humanity and life’s pleasure.
成千上万的上海人直到现在都眷恋着弄堂。主要原因就是弄堂里邻里关系很融洽。那里已经形成了良好紧密的邻里关系，这在其他现代建筑中很难出现。弄堂给居民提供了很多交流的机会。在弄堂里，人们朝夕相处，所有的居民联系紧密，聚集在一起，这样就产生了一种归属感、安全感和家一样的感觉。弄堂里主要的社会活动是老人和孩子的。在弄堂里他们从来不会像他们现在在别的地方那样被忽视，弄堂的特殊布局让老人小孩有了活动的场所。一些老人很热衷于做好事，比如说：帮着打扫打扫，互相照顾，还有照看孩子们。这样的事都是自发的，更有人情味儿和生活的情趣。
The Longtang is also a diversified and complicated living space. The residents， with different professions， different backgrounds and different cultural levels have brought a diversified life here. People of different social status， have learned from each other and influenced each other， thus shaping a special civil culture. This kind of civil culture， due to the diversity and complexity of the living conditions here， can neither be degenerated， nor turn into an elegant culture. Thus the culture of Longtangs becomes secular as well as harmonious ， constituting the main content of the civil culture in Shanghai.
弄堂也是一个多元化的、复杂的居住场所。不同职业的、不同背景、不同文化水平的人们带来了这里丰富多彩的生活。不同社会地位的人们互相学习、互相影响，这样形成了特殊的城市文化。这种城市文化，由于居住环境的多样性和复杂性，既不会变得很庸俗也不会太高雅。弄堂文化是一种世俗化的和谐市民文化，是上海市民文化的主体。
With the rapid growth of the urban population in Shanghai and due to some historical reasons， the housing problem in the city is becoming very serious. Each unit of the Longtang house， formerly occupied by one family， now has been shared by several families. The residents even built sheds in the places where buildings are not allowed to be built by law. There are too many houses built in a lane area that is overpopulated， thus causing the deteriorating of the quality of the residences. There has been the peculiar phenomenon of dozens of families living in a single house under such special condition. Some parts of the house， such as the kitchen and washroom， formerly were used only by one family and now are used by several families.
随着上海人口激增和一些历史原因，上海的住房问题日益严峻。弄堂里每个单元之前只住一户人家，现在是几户人家合住。居民们甚至在法律不允许的地方搭建小屋。在人口过剩的小巷子里建造许多房屋，这样就导致了居住环境的恶化。在这种特殊情况下，出现了几十户人家居住在同一栋房子里的特别现象。房子的个别地方，例如厨房和洗手间，之前本是一户使用，现在多户合用。
The life in the Longtangs is rich and full of vitality. People like to describe Longtangs as a kaleidoscope of the city life and as a museum of life and customs. It is in the Longtangs where you can notice the peculiar feelings of people there， you can know the origin of the personality of Shanghai people， and you can feel the pulse and life of the whole Shanghai.
弄堂生活丰富，充满了活力。人们喜欢把弄堂比喻成城市生活的万花筒，比喻成人们生活习俗的博物馆。在弄堂里，你会嗅到那里居民的特殊气息，你会知道上海人个性的起源，你还能感受整个上海的脉搏和生活。
核心词汇
1.unique[ju??ni?k]adj. 独特的；稀罕的；唯一的；独一无二的
例：She was a woman of unique talent and determination.
她是一个有独特天赋和决心的女人。
2.Shanghainese[??a?hai?ni：z] n. 上海话；，沪语；上海人；上海菜