Chapter 6 The growth of the first little urchin-4

There's an Italian radio station in Brooklyn, New York, and I listened to their programs all the time as a kid.I love the rolling sound of Italian, it makes me feel like I'm floating in a calm sea - I love being immersed in this beautiful sea of ​​Italian speech. There are often scenes in the show where mom and dad are arguing at home.You'll hear a high-pitched voice say, "Neo-Tyco-Tie-Coppetto-Tuto..." and then a low voice: "Dro-Tone-Palla- Tutuo..." and the sound of high fives. awesome!So I learned to express all kinds of emotions in different tones; I can cry and laugh, and Italian is such a lovely language.

At that time, there were quite a few Italians in my neighborhood.Once I was riding a bicycle, and some Italian truck drivers behind me were so annoyed because they thought I was in the way, they stuck their heads out of the car window and yelled with gestures: "Mi-Arucha-Lampe-ah Ta-Tiche!" I feel like a dork.What the hell is he talking about?I would love to say something back to him. So I asked my Italian classmate at school, and he taught me: "You just say: 'A Tie!A post! ' means 'you too!the same as you! 'That's it! " Great idea.From then on, I always replied: "A Tie! A Tie!" and added gestures.After I became more and more confident, I also made some performances by myself.For example, once when I was riding a bicycle, some ladies were driving in my way, and I said: "Pugia-a-la-malosh!" They quickly moved away in fear, probably thinking , the dreadful Italian boy just said some dreadful incantations!

It was not easy to spot that I was speaking fake Italian.When I was in graduate school at Princeton, I was riding my bicycle into the parking lot of the Palmer Laboratory when someone blocked my way.I habitually said to that guy while gesticulating: "Oriz——Kapengka——Mitch!" On a large meadow far away, an Italian gardener was arranging flowers and plants. He stopped, waved his hands, and shouted joyfully, "Reza-ma-lia!" I yelled back, "Londi-Porta!" He didn't know that I didn't understand what he was saying, and in fact he didn't know what I was saying either.But it doesn't matter!We can still make sense like this!It's wonderful!

Often when I open my mouth like that, they immediately assume it's Italian—maybe it's a Milanese accent or a Roman accent—and they assume I'm Italian! As long as you have absolute self-confidence, just put it on, there will be absolutely no problems. Latin?Italian? Once, when I went home for vacation, I found that my sister was a little unhappy and was about to cry.It turned out that the Girl Scouts she belonged to were going to hold a father-daughter meeting, but her father was away on a business trip.So I said I would take her there as a big brother.Since I'm a year older than her, it's not too far-fetched to do so.

When we got to the father-daughter meeting, I sat on my father's side first, but soon got bored.These dads bring their daughters to such a nice little party and they're all talking about the stock market!In fact, they don't know how to talk to their own children, let alone their children's friends. During the banquet, the girl scouts stood up and performed skits, reciting poems and other entertainment programs.Suddenly they brought out a funny dress that looked like an apron, with a hole in it so that it could be pulled over the head.Now, they announced, it was the father's turn to entertain them.

So every dad got to get up, put on that weird suit, and say something.They didn't quite know what to do, and one dad recited the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb."I didn't know what to do, but when it was my turn to go on stage, I told everyone that I was going to recite a poem, and although I'm sorry it wasn't in English, I'm sure they would appreciate it just the same.Then I read: Danto-Saka-Turnati, Napta-Tuqi-Putitila. Rento - Kata Janto - Qiangta - Manto - Chilatida. Alta - Kara - Sulda - Mi - Chata - Piccia - Pitta - Titobraalda - Petti - China - Nana - Chuanda Lala - Chindalala!

I just read three or four verses like this, using all the emotional voices I heard from the Italian radio, and the girls were so happy that they ran up and down the aisle, laughing non-stop. After the banquet, the Scoutmaster and the schoolteacher came up to me and told me they had been discussing my poem.One thought I read Italian, another thought it was Latin.The school teacher asked me: "Who guessed right?" I replied, "You'll have to ask the girls—they all know what I'm reading!"