美食祈祷与恋爱意大利文化 《美食祈祷和恋爱》Chapter 33 (70):罗马用词

《美食祈祷和恋爱》Chapter 33 (70):罗马用词  

"What's Rome's word?" I asked.
"SEX
" he announced.
"But isn't that a stereotype about Rome?"
“但这不是大家对罗马的成见吗？”
"No."
"But surely there are some people in Rome thinking about other things than sex?"
Giulio insisted: "No. All of them
all day
all they are thinking about is SEX."
"Even over at the Vatican?"
"That's different. The Vatican isn't part of Rome. They have a different word over there. Their word is POWER."
"You'd think it would be FAITH."
"It's POWER
" he repeated. "Trust me. But the word in Rome—it's SEX."
Now if you are to believe Giulio
that little word—SEX—cobbles the streets beneath your feet in Rome
runs through the fountains here
fills the air like traffic noise. Thinking about it
dressing for it
seeking it
considering it
refusing it
making a sport and game out of it—that's all anybody is doing. Which would make a bit of sense as to why
for all its geousness
Rome doesn't quite feel like my hometown. Not at this moment in my life. Because SEX isn't my word right now. It has been at other times of my life
but it isn't right now. Therefore
Rome's word
as it spins through the streets
just bumps up against me and tumbles off
leaving no impact. I'm not participating in the word
so I'm not fully living here. It's a kooky theory
impossible to prove
but I sort of like it.
Giulio asked
"What's the word in New York City?"
I thought about this for a moment
then decided. "It's a verb
of course. I think it's ACHIEVE."
(Which is subtly but significantly different from the word in Los Angeles
I believe
which is also a verb: SUCCEED. Later
I will share this whole theory with my Swedish friend Sofie
and she will offer her opinion that the word on the streets of Stockholm is CONFORM
which depresses both of us.)
I asked Giulio
"What's the word in Naples?" He knows the south of Italy well.
"FIGHT
" he decides. "What was the word in your family when you were growing up?"
That one was difficult. I was trying to think of a single word that somehow bines both FRUGAL and IRREVERENT. But Giulio was already on to the next and most obvious question: "What's your word?"
Now that
I definitely could not answer.