The Oath1 of the Peach Garden Comes to America

Leo Luo

“I am proud to call you brothers of Delta Phi Epsilon2. Delta Phi Epsilon: 以三个希腊字母ΔΦΕ命名的兄弟会。!”With those words, the entire room of tuxedo-clad men erupted into cheers.3.tuxedo:（正式场合穿的）男式无尾礼服；-clad:（与某些名词连用，构成形容词）表示“穿着……的”；erupt: （强烈的情感）突然爆发。“Huzzah!” they yelled, with smiles illuminating each face.4. huzzah: 好哇（表示喜悦、赞同等）；illuminate: 使（某人）面露喜色，使容光焕发。“Huzzah!” I exclaimed5. exclaim: 感叹，惊叫。at the top of my lungs. As the cheers melted6. melt: （逐渐地）消失。into conversation amongst the gathered students, I was swept up in a wave of smiles. With each hand that I shook, I heard the words“congratulations brother!” The distinctions between races and religions fell away as all these fine gentlemen warmly welcomed me and 27 other young men into their fraternity.7. distinction: 差别，不同； fraternity: （大学里的）男生联谊会，兄弟会。Despite the negative portrayals of fraternities in both the mainstream media and popular culture, these organizations can act as stepping stones for aspiring students to not only learn important social skills, but also forge bonds that transform strangers into family.8. portrayal: 描绘，描写；stepping stone:（尤指工作中的）进身之阶； aspiring: 有抱负的；forge:（与其他人、团体或国家）建立关系；bond: 联系，关系。

One of the hallmarks of universities in the U.S.A is the presence of fraternities and sororities, otherwise known as Greek life.9. hallmark: 特点，特征；sorority: （美国大学的）女生联谊会；Greek life: 希腊生活。Derived from10. be derived from: 源于。the Latin words frater and soror, which mean brother and sister, these organizations serve a wide range of purposes for students.Each fraternity or sorority identifies itself by adopting two or three Greek letters as their symbol.11. 每个兄弟会或姐妹会都会选用两到三个希腊字母作为会标。For example,my fraternity is named ΔΦΕ, read as Delta Phi Epsilon. Joining Greek life always involves a process called “pledging12. pledge: 宣誓入会。.”This usually occurs over a period of several weeks, during which “pledges” accomplish various tasks for the Greek life organization. At the end of this process, the “pledges” undergo an initiation that is always conducted away from prying eyes.13. 完成宣誓入会任务后，宣誓人需参加联谊会内部举行的入会仪式。undergo: 经历，经受；initiation:（加入俱乐部或社团的）正式仪式；prying: 窥探的。Only then are they acknowledged as full-fledged14. full-fledged: 经过全面训练的，成熟的。brothers or sisters. These organizations are not limited to individual schools,for nearly every school can establish a branch, otherwise known as a chapter,15. branch: 分部，分支；chapter:（俱乐部、组织的）地方分会，支部。of a fraternity or sorority provided that there is enough interest. The influence of Greek life at American universities varies with each school, as some schools do not officially acknowledge their Greek life, while others base their entire student social scene around it. In certain cases, joining Greek life is the only way to establish a tight-knit group of friends at university, because gone are the days during high school when no classmate was a stranger.16. 有时候，只有加入联谊会才能在大学里找到一群亲密无间的好朋友。高中时，所有同学都很熟络，可那样的日子已经一去不返。tight-knit: 紧密团结的，组织严密的。

上大学之前，校园很小，同学之间相互熟络；上大学之后，校园太大，如何找到志同道合的朋友呢？美国的大学生选择加入“兄弟会”或“姐妹会”。可是，外界对这些社团的评价参差不齐，有些溺爱独子的母亲甚至觉得这些社团像是黑社会的黑手党！兄弟会里的生活到底是怎么样的呢？来听听兄弟会成员的说法吧——

Perhaps as a result of the prevalence17. prevalence: 流行，盛行。of Greek life in American culture, they have acquired reputations that are less than positive. Various myths and urban legends speak of fraternities or sororities as exclusive clubs where students gather to host the craziest parties and drink themselves into a stupor.18. 外界传闻说兄弟会或姐妹会就像高级俱乐部，入会学生整天在一起无比疯狂地聚会玩乐，喝酒喝到烂醉。urban legend: 都市神话（许多人相信且广为流传的据称曾发生在普通人身上的不寻常或可怕事件）；exclusive: 高级的，高档的；stupor: 不省人事，神志不清。Apparently, only jocks join fraternities and beautiful blondes join sororities: in other words, the popular students.19. 据我所知，加入兄弟会的都是体育生，加入姐妹会的都是金发美女。换言之，入会的都是高人气学生。apparently: 据我所知，似乎；jock: （尤指参与很多运动项目，给人印象蠢笨的）大学生运动员；blonde: 金发女郎。Other more paranoid people, such as mothers who dote on their only son, may even see sinister implications in Greek life, for the trials and secrecy surrounding Greek life traditions harken back to the customs of triads or mafia organizations that rule the criminal underworld.20. paranoid: 多疑的，疑神疑鬼的；dote on: 溺爱，宠爱；sinister: 阴险的，邪恶的；implication: 可能的影响，可能的结果；harken back to: 追忆（往事）；triad:三合会（华人秘密犯罪组织）；mafia: （尤指意大利和美国的）黑手党；underworld:黑社会。Thus Greek life in the mainstream mindset becomes a synonym for a culture of bullying and hedonistic behaviour.21. mindset: 思维倾向，思维定式；synonym:同义词；bullying: 恃强凌弱，以大欺小；hedonistic: 享乐主义的。

Although each story holds a grain of truth, especially regarding the insane parties, they only offer a jagged view of the wondrous world that is Greek life.22. a grain of truth: 一丝真理，一点儿可信的东西；insane: 愚蠢的，疯狂的；jagged: 参差不齐的；wondrous: 奇妙的，令人惊叹的。Each Greek life organization holds a different culture, depending on its mission. My organization, Delta Phi Epsilon, prides itself as a Foreign Service fraternity. As such, each of its members is wellversed23. well-versed: 精通的，熟知的。in their knowledge of the world. Walking in and out of the house that the fraternity owns, I frequently catch snippets of discussions that range from the reliability of American allies in East Asia to the idea of an educational system versus pure education.24. snippet: 片段；ally: 同盟国。But beyond providing an environment for intellectual exchange, Delta Phi Epsilon has taught me crucial social skills that are crucial for anyone hoping to enter the field of politics.Throughout the pledge process, I had to learn how to gain others’ respect using only the image that I projected25. project: 呈现，展现。.Although I am usually a modest individual, I learnt to shed away that personality in favour of one that radiated confidence through a strong handshake and direct eye contact.26. 尽管我为人向来谦逊，此刻还是收起这种性格，坚定有力地与人握手，尝试与人有直接的眼神交流，努力绽放自信的光彩。modest: 谦逊的，谦虚的；shed: 摆脱，去掉；radiate: 流露，显示。Once a conversation got rolling, I found myself asking as many questions as possible in order to discover what made them tick.27. get rolling: 开始；what makes sb. tick: 某人做出……举动的原因，影响某人性格或行为的思想。In other words, let them do most of the talking, as humans—myself included—are vain creatures. But above all else, I discovered that I had to keep the smiles and chuckles flowing with jokes and compliments.28. chuckle: 低声轻笑；compliment: 赞美，恭维。After all, at the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said, but how you made them feel, especially in a place like America where one’s intentions are scrutinized29. scrutinize: 仔细审视，彻底检查。almost as highly as one’s actions.

But joining a fraternity cultivated within me far more than the knowledge of how to crack a joke or socialize with others.30. 不过，加入兄弟会教会我的远不止怎么开玩笑或如何社交。cultivate: 培养，养成；crack a joke: 说笑话。The entire process of pledging links each brother to each other through the trials that have not changed since the 1920s. Whenever we gather together to have a beer, share a meal, or simply watch American football, we see each other not as friends, but family,and relish in all the quirks that come with that concept.31. relish: 喜欢，从……中得到乐趣；quirk: 怪癖。I laughed through more than my fair share of insults and jeers, only to shoot them right back with a grin.32. fair share: 公平分配；jeer: 嘲笑，嘲弄；grin: 露齿笑，咧嘴笑。That laughter is what I associate with Delta Phi Epsilon: an environment where gentlemen can come together to relive their boyhoods.No need for discussing grades or donning fake personalities to impress superiors, just hurling light hearted insults and trading ludicrous stories that ignite the entire room with smiles.33. don: 穿上，披上；hurl insult:谩骂；light hearted: 轻松愉快的；ludicrous: 荒谬的，可笑的；ignite: 引发，激起。As a man, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to find a community that you can depend on. Although I may not hang out with these brothers often, every moment spent with them is time that I don’t regret wasting, for they are just like family to me.

The idea of fraternal bonds has persisted throughout human history as a symbol of loyalty and joviality34. joviality: 友善，快活。. Perhaps one of the most famous bonds is that of the three brothers in the historical novelRomance of the Three Kingdoms.The author Luo Guanzhong penned pure poetry when he wrote the oath of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei: “We seek not to be born on the same day,same month and same year, but merely hope to die on the same day, same month, and same year.” Just as the bonds between those three warriors35. warrior: 战士，勇士。strengthened through battle, the bonds between me and my fraternity brothers grow with each laugh we share. I entered the Delta Phi Epsilon pledge process believing that I was only doing it to establish connections for my future. I emerged not only with those professional connections, but with friendships that fill me with pride to announce that I am also “a frat bro.”