家族历史：探寻根源的4个缘由
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老桑说
探/寻/根/源/之/旅
纪念我祖先的记忆，
记录他们的历史，
更好地了解自己的过去，
并与我的家人——
以及大家分享这些故事。
▾
「 朋友，你好，我是老桑。」
天普大学罗马分校
我最近刚刚结束为期两周的意大利之旅。这趟旅程主要是公务出行，与米兰、罗马和那不勒斯的法学院以及律师事务所会面，同时也在天普大学罗马校区度过了一段时间。在意大利期间，我还访问了位于南部偏远地区的波滕扎省。在某种程度上，我去那里是为了寻根。
我在中国生活了多年，曾经也陪同过中国朋友寻访他们的故乡。我还参加过清明节扫墓仪式。在徐州,我参观了刘氏宗祠，与刘邦的后代亲切交流。在广州，我拜访过陈家祠，探寻那些当代仍然现存的家族礼仪。
我还访问了很多中国姓氏相同的村庄。不管他们是否真的有血缘关系，来自同一个地方的人之间仍然有着kinship（血脉的联系）。我也对中国家庭保存详细记录的方式感到惊讶，“族谱”或家族记录甚至可以追溯到几个世纪以前——它们甚至被刻在石头上。
在美国，缅怀过去的传统并没有那样盛行。在《追风筝的人》一书中，作者卡勒德·胡赛尼(Khaled Hosseini)把美国称为“一条咆哮的河流，不曾回首”。他认为，当那些移民的人来到美国时，他们会一头扎进去，随波逐流，忘记自己的根。
许多美国人会同意这一点。例如，许多第三代美国人对他们的祖父母或曾祖父母来自哪里的了解有限，没有多少好奇心。他们可能有一个模糊的印象，但从来没有想过要了解更多的信息。
万灵节相当于清明节。在基督教传统中，这是一个人们向先人表达敬意的节日，向他们祈祷，请求他们为我们祈福——这并不直接产生作用，而是通过上帝来实现。然而，不同于清明节的是，它不是一个全国性的节日，也一般并不能在美国体验到。
我对中国人尊敬祖先传统的思考唤起了我对自己过去的兴趣。为了更好地理解中国人的经历，我决定去我母亲祖辈的村庄旅行，感受我外曾祖父母走过的路：地处意大利偏远省份波滕扎的邻近城镇阿维利亚诺(Avigliano)和府杜雷的里奥内罗(Rionero in Vulture)。
阿维利亚诺
府杜雷的里奥内罗
我父亲的祖先来自乌克兰，我也十分希望有一天我能够去探索那里。由于我会说一些意大利语，这次意大利之行对我来说更容易一些。但我不会讲乌克兰语，所以探索那里将会更有挑战性!
这次旅行的一些感悟启发了我来分享四个研究自己家族史的原因。
在中国，当我们在春节或清明节燃放烟花爆竹祭奠祖先时，我们表达了对那些已经成为自己历史一部分的人的敬意。这其中既有男女族长，有premature（过早）死亡的婴儿，有那些为家庭和社会做出牺牲的人，还有很多为下一代留下资产的人。
当我们缅怀祖先时，我们就是在培养一种感恩的态度，这种重要的特性让我们能够健康快乐的生活到今天。当然，我们的forebear（祖先）并不完美，在人生历程中犯过很多错误。但在大多数情况下，我认为可以说他们在当时尽了最大努力。无论如何，我们的身体里正流淌着他们的血脉。
阿维里亚诺的卡尔米内山顶的彩虹
当我爬到阿维里亚诺的卡尔米内山顶的卡梅洛圣母教堂时，恰好阴云散去，彩虹显现。虽然这一现象有科学的解释，但对我来说，这也是一种精神上的震撼。感觉就像我的祖先在欢迎我“回家”，向我保证一切都会好起来。
“系谱学”（Genealogy）是一门研究和跟踪人类兴衰与发展的学科。
当你保存你的家族史时，你永远不知道将来谁会利用上你的研究成果。
在这次的意大利之行中，我在我外祖父和外曾祖父的家乡的市政府办公室里找到了他们的出生证明。奇怪的是，旅行到这么远的地方，仍然能找到个人的联系，真是非常令人欣慰的。那里的工作人员帮了我很大的忙，还告诉我了一些当地过去的风俗习惯。
我了解到当地的传统是儿子由祖父的名字命名。因此，我的外祖父安杰洛是以他祖父的名字命名的，所以他的名字也是安杰洛。他的两个祖母甚至可能发生过冲突，争论他的起名应该用爷爷的名字还是用外公的名字!
在英语中，“血浓于水”是一个成语，意思是家庭内部关系和忠诚是最强大也是最重要的联系。
”在我访问波滕扎的过程中，有一件事让我印象深刻，那就是这里的社交网络有多么的紧密。当我回顾自己的家庭时，我看到了他们同甘共苦的过往。尽管困难重重，性格也有冲突，但家人们还是坚持了下来。我知道中国也有类似的传统。以家庭为中心的传统源于一个家庭的过去。
阿维里亚诺的教堂
府杜雷里奥内罗的教堂
一张照片，一个故事，或者一个关于祖先生活的惊人发现，都会让你觉得这是生命中比自己更重要的一部分。这些故事证明了你在自己的历史中所克服的困难——展示了你内在的力量。这些奇闻轶事也揭示了你过去的性格。最后，这都是你自己故事的一部分。
例如，我知道了我的外曾曾祖父路易吉（Luigi）在65岁时有了我的外曾祖母安东尼塔（Antonietta）——这在19世纪是很不寻常的事情。我还读到我的外曾祖父安东尼奥（Angelantonio）在我外祖父出生前不久移民到美国的故事，这让我开始疑惑引发这股移民热潮的原因是什么。是贫穷？还是机遇?
绿皮书
在电影《绿皮书》中，保镖托尼载着钢琴家音乐博士唐开始了一段美国南部之旅。托尼来自纽约的一个意大利裔美国大家族，他迫不及待地想回到家庭成员的身边。唐没有这样的家庭，在电影的最后，他和托尼一家一起享用了圣诞晚餐。这部电影中就描绘了一个紧密团结的意大利裔家庭。
家庭摩擦很常见。无论是在中国还是美国，我都遇到过各种各样的冲突，包括个人恩怨、根深蒂固的仇恨、对已故亲人财产的争夺、其他的金钱纠纷，还有时甚至会让他人颜面扫地。
然而，尽管有这些冲突，作为一个家庭，我们都有着共同的历史，流淌着同样的血脉。如果我们纵观全局，看看我们有什么共同点，也许我们能想出更好的办法来解决冲突。至少，家里的长辈们都会非常感激，最后，我想我们都希望有一个和美的家庭。
随着你深入delve（研究）你的历史，你可能会发现一些新的亲戚。例如，我了解到我的外曾祖父安东尼奥有一个仍居住在意大利的弟弟朱塞佩（Giuseppe）。朱塞佩有一个儿子叫安吉洛，安吉洛后来又生了几个孩子，他们的年龄和我差不多。谁知道呢?在这样的旅行中，你可能会发现一些你失散已久的表兄妹!
老桑与一位可能的亲戚
那些与表兄弟姐妹和其他亲属之间发生的有趣交往经历可能超过家谱所涵盖的内容。你会惊讶地发现一些长期以来经历的故事。
我的朋友，中国尊重祖先的传统激励我去探索自己的根源。通过纪念我祖先的记忆，记录他们的历史，更好地了解自己的过去，并与我的家人——以及大家分享这些故事，这都让我感到既欣慰又gratifying（满足）。如果你愿意，欢迎在下面的评论中与我分享你的家庭故事。
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英文版
English
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Your family tree:
4 reasons to explore your roots
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「 Hello, my friend！
I'm John Smagula. 」
Temple University Rome
I recently returned from a two-week trip to Italy. I was there mostly for business, meeting with law schools and law firms in Milan, Rome, and Naples while also spending time at our Temple University Rome campus. While in Italy, I also visited Potenza province, in a remote section of southern Italy. I went there, in part, to find myself.
Having lived in China for many years, I have accompanied Chinese friends to their ancestral towns. I have participated in Qingming Festival grave sweeping rites. In Xuzhou, I visited the Liu Bang family temple, speaking with Liu Bang’s descendants. In Guangzhou, I visited the Chen Family Temple, observing some of the family rituals that exist to this day.
I have also visited many villages in China where people have the same last name. Whether or not they are actually related, there is still a kinship among people from the same place. I have also marveled at how Chinese families keep detailed records, the zupu or family registry, going back centuries—sometimes even carved in stone.
In the United States, these traditions of remembering the past are not as strong. In The Kite Runner, author Khaled Hosseini refers to America as “a river, roaring along, unmindful of the past.” He suggests that when immigrants come to America, they dive in, move forward with the flow, and forget about their roots.
And many Americans would agree with this. For example, many third-generation Americans have limited awareness, much less curiosity, about where their grandparents or great-grandparents are from. They may have a vague idea, but never really think to ask questions.
All Souls' Day is the rough equivalent of the Qingming Festival. It is a holiday in the Christian tradition where we pay our respects to those who have gone before us, praying to them and asking their prayers for us—not directly, but through God. However, unlike the Qingming Festival, it is not a national holiday and is not commonly observed in America.
Avigliano
Antipasto Buffet in Rionero
My observation of the Chinese respect for ancestors awakened my own interest of my own past. To better understand the Chinese experience, I decided to make a trip to my maternal grandparents’ ancestral village, to walk the steps of my great grandparents: the neighboring towns of Avigliano and Rionero in Vulture in Italy’s remote province of Potenza.
My father's side of the family is Ukrainian, and someday I hope to explore that side as well. As I can speak some Italian, this trip to Italy was a bit easier for me. But I do not speak Ukrainian, so that exploration will be a little more challenging!
This trip inspired me to share four reasons to research your own family history.
In China, when we set off fireworks at the graves of ancestors on Chinese New Year or Qingming Festival, we demonstrate reverence to those who are part of our past. There were matriarchs and patriarchs, babies who died prematurely, people who made sacrifices for the family and society, and many who left a deposit for the next generation.
When we honor our family, we cultivate an attitude of gratitude, which is a key attribute to being healthy and happy today. Sure, our forebears were not perfect, having made plenty of mistakes along the way. But for the most part, I think we can say they did the best they could under the circumstances. And in any event, their blood runs through our veins.
Avigliano
When I climbed to the Madonna of Carmelo church atop Monte Carmine in Avigliano, the rainclouds cleared and a rainbow appeared. Even though there is a scientific explanation for this phenomenon, for me, it was also a spiritual experience. It felt like my ancestors were welcoming me “home,” assuring me that everything is going to be all right.
"Genealogy" is the study and tracing of lines of descent or development.
When you preserve your family history, you never know who in the future will pick up where you left off to continue the research.
On this trip to Italy, I found the birth certificates of my grandfather and great grandparents in the municipal government offices of their hometowns. It is oddly satisfying to travel so far and still find a personal connection. The clerks were exceedingly helpful, and also told me some local customs from the past.
I learned that the local tradition was for a son to be named after the grandfather. Thus, my grandfather Angelo was named after his paternal grandfather, whose first name was also Angelo. There may even have been a conflict between his two grandmothers, arguing over whether he should be named after his maternal or paternal grandfather!
In English, “blood is thicker than water” is a proverb that means relationships and loyalties within a family are the strongest and most important ones.
”One thing that struck me about my visit to Potenza is just how tight the social network is. As I look back on my own family, I saw examples of how they stuck together through thick and thin. Despite the hardships and personality clashes, the family still hung in there. I know a similar tradition exists in China. To be family-oriented stems from a family’s past.
Avigliano church
Rionero in Vulture church
A photo, a story, or a surprising discovery about an ancestor’s life can make you feel a part of something bigger than yourself. The stories are a testament to the hardships that were overcome in your own history—demonstrating the strength already within you. The curiosities also shed light on the personalities of your past. In the end, it’s all a part of your story.
For example, I learned how my great-great grandfather Luigi had my great-grandmother Antonietta when he was 65 years old—a very unusual occurrence in the 1800s. I also read how my great-grandfather Angelantonio immigrated to the United States shortly before my grandfather was born, causing me to question what the rush was. Poverty? Opportunity?
In the movie The Green Book, bouncer Tony Vallelonga took pianist Dr. Don Shirley on a performance tour of the American south. Tony was from a large Italian-American family in New York and couldn’t wait to return to them. Don did not have such a family, and in the end, joined Tony’s family for Christmas dinner. The movie portrayed a tight-knit Italian family.
Family friction is common. In China and the United States, I have encountered all matter of conflict, stemming from personal rancor, stubborn grudges, fights of the assets of deceased relatives, other money disputes, and just plain causing others to lose face.
Yet despite these conflicts, as a family, we all have the same shared history. The bloodlines are the same. If we look at the big picture and see what we have in common, perhaps we can come up with better ways to resolve the conflicts. At the very least, the family elders would be grateful, and in the end, I think we all wish to have peaceful families.
As you delve into your history, you may find some new relatives. For example, I learned that my great grandfather Angelantonio had a younger brother Giuseppe who did not leave Italy. Giuseppe had a son Angelo, who then went on to have kids who would be in my generation. Who knows? You may find some of your own long-lost cousins on this journey!
Some of your most interesting interactions with cousins and other relatives may be over genealogy. You’d be surprised what stories you’ll uncover along the way.
Madonna of Carmelo church
My friend, the Chinese tradition of respecting our ancestors inspired me to explore my own roots. It was both satisfying and gratifying to honor my forebears’ memories, document their history, understand my own past better, and share the stories with my own family—and also with you. If you’d like, please share a family story with me in the comments below.
{ 今日英文速记卡 }
1.Kinship
\ ˈkin-ˌship \
a)含义：n. 家属关系
b)例句：
i.Whether or not they are actually related, there is still a kinship among people from the same place.
不管他们是否真的有血缘关系，来自同一个地方的人之间仍然有着血脉的联系。
ii.Kinship consisted of blood kin and affinal kin, and it is established and extended chiefly through marriage.
亲属关系包括血亲、姻亲，但主要是通过婚姻建立和扩大的。
c)近义词： affinity, connection, relationship
2.Premature
\ ˌprē-mə-ˈtyu̇r \
a)含义： adj. 早产的；不成熟的
b)例句：
i.There were matriarchs and patriarchs, babies who died prematurely, people who made sacrifices for the family and society, and many who left a deposit for the next generation.
这其中既有男女族长，有过早死亡的婴儿，还有那些为家庭和社会做出牺牲的人，还有很多为下一代留下资产的人。
ii.It is premature to talk about success at this stage.
现阶段就谈成功尚为时过早。
c)近义词： early, inopportune, untimely
3.Forebear \ ˈfȯr-ˌber \
a)含义：n. 祖先；祖宗
b)例句：
i.Sure, our forebears were not perfect, having made plenty of mistakes along the way.
当然，我们的祖先并不完美，在人生历程中犯过很多错误。
ii.I'll come back to the land of my forebears.
我将回到祖先的土地上。
c)近义词： ancestor, forefather, progenitor
4.Delve \ ˈdelv \
a)含义：v. 钻研
b)例句：
i.As you delve into your history, you may find some new relatives.
随着你深入研究你的历史，你可能会发现一些新的亲戚。
ii.On the next page, we'll delve into the world of ethology.
下面一页我们将探究一下动物行为学的世界。
c)近义词： investigate, rummage (around), search (through)
5.Gratifying \ ˈgra-tə-ˌfī-iŋ \
a)含义：adj. 令人满足的
b)例句：
i.It was both satisfying and gratifying to honor my forebears’ memories, document their history, understand my own past better, and share the stories with my own family—and also with you.
通过纪念我祖先的记忆，记录他们的历史，更好地了解自己的过去，并与我的家人——以及大家分享这些故事，这都让我感到既欣慰又满足。
ii.I asked her if I could post it, as I found it such a gratifying incident.
我问她能否贴在这里，因为我觉得它是如此一个悦人的故事。
c)近义词： fulfilling, pleasing, satisfying
Thank you for watching me to inspire, encourage, and accompany you.
See you next time.
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