Friendliness is my nature. This is such a deep instinct[本能] that Im always the one saying hello when I pass people in public. In Vienna, when you say hello to strangers, sometimes they cross the street. In Istanbul, sometimes they follow you off the train. In Hastings, Nebraska, they say hello back. In each new place, it may be hit or miss[随意的].
Sitting in a big Chevy truck on the open roads[乡村道路] in Kansas, I delight in[因……高兴] the expansive[广阔的] skies and the tidy rows for planting. And I uncover[揭示] many a mute[无声的] hello. I am on the receiving end of acknowledgement[感谢], greetings, and well wishes from oncoming traffic. The “farm finger”—either the pointer finger or sometimes the first two fingers—raised in a quick salute[致意] to other trucks. The farmers offer a gesture of hello, sometimes accompanied[伴随] with an automatic[自动的] and barely[几乎不能] visible[看得见的] nod of the head. I hear the nod is for someone you know, and“the point” is for general good will. I was told these are automatic.
Because here, well, we HELLO.
友善是我的天性。这种本能如此之深,以至于在公众场合和别人擦肩而过时,我常常是主动打招呼的那个人。在维也纳,当你和陌生人打招呼时,他们有时候会走到路的对面;在伊斯坦布尔,他们有时候会跟着你下火车;在(美国)内布拉斯加州的黑斯廷斯,他们会说“你好”来回应你。在每一个新地方,反应可以是各式各样的。
我坐在一辆庞大的雪佛兰卡车上,在堪萨斯州的乡村道路上驰骋。广阔的天空和一排排整齐的植物让我欢喜。我还发现了很多无声的问候。我从迎面而来的车上接收到了感谢、问候和祝福。人们会举起“农场手指”(食指,有时候也可以是前两根手指),迅速地向其他卡车致意。农夫们会做出打招呼的手势,有时还会无意识地点一下头,几乎看不见的那种。我听说点头这个动作是对认识的人做的,而手指那个动作则表达一种普遍的善意,它们都是自发的。
因为在这里,我们就是会打招呼。