选篇导读
林语堂先生在书中这样写道：南方中国人民在其脾气上、体格上、习惯上，大抵异于北方人民。那么南方中国人民与北方中国人民又究竟有何不同呢？今日我们且看看语堂先生眼中的北方人。
赏析批注
For on the one hand, we have the northern Chinese, acclimatized to simple thinking and hard-living, tall and stalwart, hale, hearty and humorous, onion-eating and fun-loving, children of nature, who are in every way more Mongolic and more conservative than the conglomeration of peoples near Shanghai and who suggest nothing of their loss of racial vigor. They are the Honan boxers, the Shantung bandits, and the imperial brigands who have furnished China with all the native imperial dynasties, the raw material from which the characters of Chinese novels of wars and adventure are drawn.
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For on the one hand, we have the northern Chinese, acclimatized to simple thinking and hard-living, tall and stalwart, hale, hearty and humorous, onion-eating and fun-loving, children of nature, who are in every way more Mongolic and more conservative than the conglomeration of peoples near Shanghai and who suggest nothing of their loss of racial vigor.
be acclimatized to，指“习惯于”，E.g. The development of vehicle technology must be acclimatized to the two requirements. 汽车驱动技术的趋势正在于适应这两个需求。
stalwart，指“强壮的”，E.g. He has a stalwart figure and walks with an air. 他身材魁梧，走起路来很有气派。
conservative，指“保守的”，E.g. The girl is well dressed, as usual, though in a more conservative style. 这个女孩穿得一如往日那样讲究，只是风格比平日更为传统。
conglomeration，指“聚集”，E.g. To her, it is a wonderful conglomeration of everything great and mighty. 在她看来，那里奇妙地聚集着所有伟大和非凡的事业。
句子分析：此句是对北方人民的性格外貌特征、及其民族习俗文化的描写。其中“acclimatized to simple thinking and hard-living, tall and stalwart, hale, hearty and humorous, onion-eating and fun-loving, children of nature,”作定语，虽看似冗长，实则简而精准地将北方人们豁达豪爽，不拘泥于俗世规则的形象映入读者眼帘。其后是由who引导的两个定语从句，more conservative似贬实褒地道出了北方人民因为思想上的敦实，成就他们为行动的先驱，毕竟纸上谈兵比不及躬行实践。
本句译为：因为一方面，吾们有北方人民，他们服习于简单之思想与艰苦之生活，个子结实高大，筋强力壮，性格诚恳而忭急，喜啖大葱，不辞其臭，爱滑稽，常有天真烂漫之态，他们在各方面是近于蒙古族的；而且比较聚居于上海附近之人民，脑筋来得保守，因之他们对于种族意识之衰颓，如不甚关心者。
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They are the Honan boxers, the Shantung bandits, and the imperial brigands who have furnished China with all the native imperial dynasties, the raw material from which the characters of Chinese novels of wars and adventure are drawn.
brigand，指“盗贼”，这里化意为“篡夺者”，E.g. The brigands have never been really extirpated from the neighborhood of Rome. 罗马附近的盗贼实际上从来没有真正被消灭干净过。
furnish...with..., 指“给……提供……”，E.g. Please furnish us with the necessary information. 请给我们提供必要的情报。
句子分析：此句主句是“They are the Honan boxers, the Shantung bandits and the imperial brigands”，其后的who和which 都是指代they，即北方人民，which指代material。该句通过两个定语从句，总结了北方人民在历朝历代更替中所扮演的重要角色——朝代更替的推波助澜者，同时也点明了他们是中国许多旧小说中“侠”与“义”的化身。
本句译为：他们便是河南拳匪、山东大盗，以及篡争皇位之武人的生产者。此辈供给中国历代皇朝以不少材料，使中国许多旧小说之描写战争与侠义者均得应用其人物。
