【雙語閱讀】自由是什麼

美國日曆中最重要的日子是7月4日。自1776年以來，美國人把這個日子作爲獨立紀念日來慶祝。每逢這個節日，遊行、野餐和煙火營造出一派節日的歡樂氣氛;紅、白、藍三色彩帶模仿“星條旗”的顏色;充滿愛國熱忱的演講使美國人想起他們的傳統。但是7月4日不僅只是個國定假日，它更代表了美國人的最高嚮往——自由。

如果問普通的美國人，“自由是什麼?”你聽到的可能是“自由就是能做想做的事”。美國人一想到自由，通常想到的是個人主義。他們更多地把自己看成是一個個人，勝過把自己看成是某一家庭或社會團體的成員。美國式的民主力求保護個人權利不受侵犯，並保證人人都享有選擇的自由。生活在其他文化裏的人也許不理解這種對個人的重視。在認爲社會權利更爲重要的文化裏，強調個人權利似乎很奇怪。

隱私權就是說明個人權利的一個很好的例子。在美國，個人自由通常代表擁有自己生活空間的權利。在許多美國家庭裏，小孩都有自己的臥室，父母認爲進孩子的房間也要敲門。美國人拜訪朋友或親戚時，通常會預先打個電話。即使和拜訪的人非常熟，他們也不想打擾別人，使人家不能清靜。在有些文化裏，人們很看重親戚關係，他們公開地與家屬分享時間、金錢和信息。美國人卻不這樣，寧願私下處理“家事”。對美國人來說，一個“家庭單位”只包括丈夫、妻子和孩子，而不喜歡有親戚或外人來干預他們的事。同樣地，個人也不在日常談話中談及私事。如果有陌生人詢問美國人的薪水、年齡、婚姻狀況、宗教信仰等，他們可能會感到尷尬或不快。

在美國文化裏，自由還包含着平等的意義。獨立宣言提出“人人生而平等”。這並不是指能力或地位的平等。對美國人來說，平等是指價值的均等和機會的均等。每個人都應有均等的機會來改善自己的生活。當然，美國也並非完全做到了這個理想的完美境界。這些年來，美國土著、黑人和移民一直在爲他們所受的不平等待遇而抗議。但是美國文化還是教導人們，只要努力工作就能把夢想變爲現實。不管這種想法是真還是假，人們會經常聽到脫貧致富的事蹟，這就足以使這種想法在許多人的腦海中確信無疑。

自由可以激起美國人的強烈情感。自由的理想把這塊“自由之地”的人們結合在一起。然而，問題還是有的，一個人的自由可能與他人的權利發生衝突。有人曾經說過：“你有隨意揮舞你拳頭的自由，但你的自由只到我的鼻子前爲止。”人們也可能變得過於關心自己的權利，他們還可能會要求得到特殊的待遇。不，通往自由的道路並不是完全平坦的。即使這樣，對美國人來說，除此也別無另外一條道路真正值得一行。

The heart of the American calendar is July 4th. Americans have celebrated this date as Independence Day since 1776. On this holiday, parades, picnics and fireworks create a festive atmosphere. Red, white and blue ribbons mimic the colors of the “stars and stripes”. Patriotic speeches remind Americans of their heritage. But July 4th is more than a national holiday. It represents the heartbeat of America: freedom.

Ask the average American, “What is freedom?” You will probably hear, “It’s being able to do what I want to do.” When Americans think of freedom, they often think of individualism. They see themselves more as individuals than as members of a family or social group. American-style democracy tries to protect individual rights. It also promises each person the freedom to make choices. People in other cultures may not understand this emphasis on individuals. Stressing individual human rights seems strange to cultures where the rights of society are more important.

Privacy is one good example of individual rights. Personal freedom in America often means the right to one’s own space. In many American homes, each child has his or her own bedroom. Parents feel they should knock before entering. When Americans want to visit friends or relatives, they usually call first. They don’t want to invade someone’s privacy, even if they know the person quite well. Also, in some cultures people have strong ties to their extended family. They openly share time, money and information with their kinfolks. Americans, on the other hand, prefer to keep many “family matters” private. For them, a “family unit” is just a husband and wife and their children. They dislike having relatives or outsiders meddle in their affairs. Likewise, individuals may not want to share private information in everyday conversation. If a stranger asks about their salary, age, marital status or religion, Americans might feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.

In American culture, freedom also implies equality. The Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal”. That does not mean equal in abilities or status. For Americans, equality refers to equal worth and equal opportunity. Every individual should have an equal chance to improve his life. The truth is that America has not always lived up to that ideal. For many years, Native Americans, African Americans and immigrants have protested their unequal treatment. But American culture still teaches that people can work hard and fulfill their dreams. Whether this idea is true or not, people hear rags-to-riches stories often enough to confirm it in the minds of many.

Freedom arouses strong feelings for Americans. The idea of liberty binds people together in this “land of the free”. However, problems still exist. One individual’s freedom can conflict with the rights of others. Someone once said, “You have the freedom to swing your fist around if you want. But your freedom ends where my nose begins.” People can also become too concerned about their own rights. They might demand special treatment. No, the path to freedom is not completely smooth. Even so, for Americans, no other road is really worth traveling.