2024年4月23日发(作者：)

Unit1 A Learning, Chinese-Style

Unit2 A A Life Full of Riches

Unit3 A Father Knows Better

Unit4 A A Virtual Life

Unit5 A True Height

Unit6 A A Woman Can Learn Anything a Man Can

Unit1

Howard Gardner, a professor of education at Harvard University, reflects on a visit to

China and gives his thoughts on different approaches to learning in China and the

West.

哈佛大学教育学教授霍华德·加德纳回忆其中国之行，阐述他对中西方不

同的学习方式的看法。

Learning, Chinese-Style

Howard Gardner

1 For a month in the spring of 1987, my wife Ellen and I lived in the bustling

eastern Chinese city of Nanjing with our 18-month-old son Benjamin while studying

arts education in Chinese kindergartens and elementary schools. But one of the most

telling lessons Ellen and I got in the difference between Chinese and American ideas

of education came not in the classroom but in the lobby of the Jinling Hotel where we

stayed in Nanjing.

中国式的学习风格

霍华德·加德纳

1987年春，我和妻子埃伦带着我们18个月的儿子本杰明在繁忙的中国东

部城市南京住了一个月，同时考察中国幼儿园和小学的艺术教育情况。然而，我

和埃伦获得的有关中美教育观念差异的最难忘的体验并非来自课堂，而是来自我

们在南京期间寓居的金陵饭店的大堂。

2 The key to our room was attached to a large plastic block with the room

number on it. When leaving the hotel, a guest was encouraged to turn in the key,

either by handing it to an attendant or by dropping it through a slot into a box.

Because the key slot was narrow, the key had to be positioned carefully to fit into it.

我们的房门钥匙系在一块标有房间号的大塑料板上。酒店鼓励客人外出时

留下钥匙，可以交给服务员，也可以从一个槽口塞入钥匙箱。由于口子狭小，你

得留神将钥匙放准位置才塞得进去。

3 Benjamin loved to carry the key around, shaking it vigorously. He also liked to

try to place it into the slot. Because of his tender age and incomplete understanding of

the need to position the key just so, he would usually fail. Benjamin was not bothered

in the least. He probably got as much pleasure out of the sounds the key made as he

did those few times when the key actually found its way into the slot.

本杰明爱拿着钥匙走来走去，边走边用力摇晃着。他还喜欢试着把钥匙往

槽口里塞。由于他还年幼，不太明白得把钥匙放准位置才成，因此总塞不进去。

本杰明一点也不在意。他从钥匙声响中得到的乐趣大概跟他偶尔把钥匙成功地塞

进槽口而获得的乐趣一样多。

4 Now both Ellen and I were perfectly happy to allow Benjamin to bang the key

near the key slot. His exploratory behavior seemed harmless enough. But I soon

observed an interesting phenomenon. Any Chinese staff member nearby would come

over to watch Benjamin and, noting his lack of initial success, attempt to assist. He or

she would hold onto Benjamin's hand and, gently but firmly, guide it directly toward

the slot, reposition it as necessary, and help him to insert it. The "teacher" would then

smile somewhat expectantly at Ellen or me, as if awaiting a thank you ─ and on

occasion would frown slightly, as if considering us to be neglecting our parental

duties.

我和埃伦都满不在乎，任由本杰明拿着钥匙在钥匙的槽口鼓捣。他的探索

行为似乎并无任何害处。但我很快就观察到一个有趣的现象。饭店里任何一个中

国工作人员若在近旁，都会走过来看着本杰明，见他初试失败，便都会试图帮忙。

他们会轻轻握紧本杰明的手，直接将它引向钥匙的槽口，进行必要的重新定位，

并帮他把钥匙插入槽口。然后那位“老师”会有所期待地对着我和埃伦微笑，似

乎等着我们说声谢谢——偶尔他会微微皱眉，似乎觉得我俩没有尽到当父母的责

任。

5 I soon realized that this incident was directly relevant to our assigned tasks in

China: to investigate the ways of early childhood education (especially in the arts),

and to throw light on Chinese attitudes toward creativity. And so before long I began

to introduce the key-slot anecdote into my discussions with Chinese educators.

我很快意识到，这件小事与我们在中国要做的工作直接相关 ：考察儿童早期教

育 （尤其是艺术教育）的方式，揭示中国人对创造性活动的态度。因此，不久

我就在与中国教育工作者讨论时谈起了钥匙槽口一事。

TWO DIFFERENT WAYS TO LEARN

6 With a few exceptions my Chinese colleagues displayed the same attitude as the

staff at the Jinling Hotel. Since adults know how to place the key in the key slot,

which is the ultimate purpose of approaching the slot, and since the child is neither

old enough nor clever enough to realize the desired action on his own, what possible

gain is achieved by having him struggle? He may well get frustrated and angry ─

certainly not a desirable outcome. Why not show him what to do? He will be happy,

he will learn how to accomplish the task sooner, and then he can proceed to more

complex activities, like opening the door or asking for the key ─ both of which

accomplishments can (and should) in due course be modeled for him as well.

两种不同的学习方式

我的中国同行，除了少数几个人外，对此事的态度与金陵饭店工作人员一

样。既然大人知道怎么把钥匙塞进槽口——这是处理槽口一事的最终目的， 既

然孩子还很年幼，还没有灵巧到可以独自完成要做的动作，让他自己瞎折腾会有