When in Romania1

By Edith Tarbescu

英文有句谚语“When in Rome do as the Romans do”，说的是入国问禁，入乡随俗。文中，我随着多年未回祖国的丈夫一起回到了罗马尼亚。受到家里人热情款待的同时，由于语言、习惯的差异，我闹了不少笑话。这些事如今想来，都成为了我独特而甜蜜的回忆。

I have happy memories of trips to Europe, but my trip to Romania was unique. When I was there as recalled, it was like being in a “James Bond”3. The Bicycle Thief: 《偷自行车的人》，由维托里奥·德·西卡执导的意大利电影；ragtag: 下层社会。movie.

My husband was born there, but his family sent him to study in Italy.Before he left, his mother told him, “As long as I write in pencil, don’t come back. When I write to you in pen, it’s safe to return.” She never wrote in pen.

So, like the boy in Vittorio De Sica’s film The Bicycle Thief, he lived a rag-tag life in Italy.3. The Bicycle Thief: 《偷自行车的人》，由维托里奥·德·西卡执导的意大利电影；ragtag: 下层社会。He applied to go to America, but there was a quota and he was rejected. He was accepted by Canada, though, and from Calgary he hopped a train to San Francisco.4. Calgary: 卡尔加里，加拿大西南部城市；hop: 跳跃。There he stayed—illegally. He became a US citizen when we married. By then he was a charming European with a Continental5. Continental: 欧洲大陆的。accent and the manners of a prince.

Seven years, a US passport, and two children later, he felt it was safe to visit Romania. He hadn’t seen his mother, two sisters, and two brothers since he was 16.

We flew to Munich6. Munich: 慕尼黑，德国西南部城市。, Germany; picked up the Volkswagen7. Volkswagen: 大众牌汽车。we had purchased in the States; and drove to Romania via Austria and Hungary.8. Austria: 奥地利，欧洲中部国家；Hungary: 匈牙利，欧洲中部国家。

When we reached Bucharest9. Bucharest: 布加勒斯特，罗马尼亚的首都。, his family was waiting outside his sister’s house to greet us. After lengthy hugging, kissing, and crying, his family also embraced me, the American wife with two young children.

They had great interest in me. Few Americans visited Romania at that time,and most Romanians had little chance to travel.

I had brought an English/Romanian dictionary with me and managed to communicate, albeit10. albeit: 虽然。without verbs. My Romanian improved, and the family’s stock of English words increased, but mostly I spoke in broken, Brooklyn11. Brooklyn: 布鲁克林，美国纽约西南部的一区。-accented Romanian.

The sisters loved their gifts of pantyhose12. Pantyhose: 连裤袜。and purses, the brothers loved the radios, and the children loved the candy. We made side trips to the Black Sea and the Carpathian Mountains.13. side trip: 短途旅行；Carpathian Mountains: 喀尔巴阡山，位于欧洲中部。Dining at outdoor cafes to the sound of gypsy violins was exotic, but nothing was as distinctive as dinners en famille.14. gypsy: 吉普赛人的；en famille: 在家里。

Romania didn’t have many dry cleaners15. dry cleaner: 干洗店。.Most homes had old-fashioned washing machines but no dryers16. dryer: 烘干机。, and it was a hot summer. My husband’s relatives didn’t want to risk staining17. stain: 沾污，染污。their clothes.Their solution was as simple as it was startling: the women dined in their bras and slips.18. startling: 令人惊讶的，很不寻常的；bra: 胸罩；slip:衬裙。The men were shirtless. They all had jobs, so time was precious.Disrobing19. disrobe: 脱衣服。for dinner was a small inconvenience compared with the effort of doing laundry—at least in their household, and perhaps all across Romania.

I, of course, having just met them, ate fully clothed. I washed my clothes by hand and hung them outdoors to dry.

On the last night of our three-week stay, we had a large family dinner. I was tired of washing my clothes. So I pulled my dress over my head and placed it on the chair behind me. The table broke out in applause. Even with my poor Romanian, I understood that they were saying, “She’s part of our family now.”

My children were 4 and 5 at the time, but they still have memories of that trip. They know how to say, “Good morning.” and “There are apricots20. apricot: 杏子。on the tree.” I can still say, “Do you speak Romanian?” and “I swim in the Black Sea.”

But most of all, I remember sitting at a long dining-room table in my bra, supping on meatballs laced with a heavy dose of fresh garlic.21. sup: 呷，啜；meatball: 肉丸；lace with: 在食物中添加；dose: 用量。When in Romania, you do as the Romanians do.