莫林中心是由魁北克文史學(xué)會(huì)負(fù)責(zé)的英語(yǔ)文化中心,，位于老城區(qū)的中心，其歷史與圖書(shū)館里的大部頭一樣令人興奮,，因?yàn)榇颂幨浅侵形ㄒ徊赜写罅坑⑽臅?shū)籍的地方,。

然而，比該建筑的過(guò)去相比,，當(dāng)前其在魁北克市文化領(lǐng)域發(fā)揮的作用更令人驚訝,。當(dāng)?shù)刂挥?%的人口講英語(yǔ)，為何會(huì)出現(xiàn)最受歡迎的景點(diǎn)之一與英語(yǔ)相關(guān),？而且,，著名的Québécois,，即討厭在魁北克說(shuō)英語(yǔ)而不是法語(yǔ)的人們對(duì)此處有何感想？

The Morrin Centre, an English-language cultural center operated by the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec in the heart of the old city, boasts a history as exciting as the tomes found within its library—the only one in town carrying a wide selection of books written in English.

Yet even more surprising than the building’s past is its current role within Quebec City’s cultural sphere. Given that only 2% of the population are English speakers, how is it that one of the most visited local attractions is completely dedicated to the language? And how do les Québécois—famously frosty about the use of English over French in town—feel about the destination?

莫林中心所在的大樓建于1812年,，當(dāng)時(shí)叫魁北克普通監(jiān)獄，也立第一座專(zhuān)門(mén)建造的監(jiān)獄,。1867年,，監(jiān)獄曾因人滿(mǎn)為患而關(guān)閉，搬到了如今魁北克國(guó)立美術(shù)館所在的地方,?！皩?shí)際上是把原來(lái)的監(jiān)獄并入了（現(xiàn)在的）博物館，”莫林中心執(zhí)行主任巴里·麥卡洛說(shuō),?！俺闪耍ńㄖY(jié)構(gòu)）的兩翼之一?！?/p>

靠著蘇格蘭后裔約瑟夫·莫林博士大量捐款,，該大樓后來(lái)變成莫林學(xué)院。莫林博士帶來(lái)的蘇格蘭影響清晰可見(jiàn),，該建筑所在處chaussée des écossais就被翻譯成“蘇格蘭堤道”,。許多長(zhǎng)老會(huì)教堂也稱(chēng)該處為家園。

隨著學(xué)院遷入,，魁北克文史學(xué)會(huì)（=也是加拿大第一個(gè)學(xué)術(shù)團(tuán)體與學(xué)院達(dá)成協(xié)議：學(xué)會(huì)將把圖書(shū)館遷入學(xué)院,，學(xué)生可免費(fèi)進(jìn)入，同時(shí)仍向會(huì)員收取費(fèi)用,。今天圖書(shū)館仍然開(kāi)放，不過(guò)學(xué)院因?yàn)槿雽W(xué)人數(shù)太少已于1902年關(guān)閉,。

The structure now known as the Morrin Centre was born as the Quebec Common Gaol, the first purposely built prison in the city, in 1812. By 1867, the jail had shuttered owing to overcrowding and was moved to where the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec stands today. “They actually integrated the old prison into [today’s] museum,” says Barry McCullough, executive director of the Morrin Centre. “It’s one of the [structure’s] wings.”

Thanks to large donations from Dr. Joseph Morrin, a man of Scottish descent, the building eventually housed Morrin College. Dr. Morrin’s Scottishness shouldn’t be overlooked: The chaussée des écossais, where the edifice still stands, translates to “Scottish causeway.” A slew of Presbyterian churches also call the neighborhood home.

As the college moved in, the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec—the first scholarly society in Canada—struck a pact with the school: The organization would move its library within the college, granting students free access while still charging members a fee. Although the library remains open today, the college closed down in 1902 because of low enrollment numbers.

雖然付費(fèi)會(huì)員可以進(jìn)入圖書(shū)館,，但圖書(shū)館所在大樓空置過(guò)幾十年,。“大樓一部分曾當(dāng)過(guò)看門(mén)人的公寓數(shù)年,，”麥卡洛說(shuō),。“但上世紀(jì)90年代重新啟用”,，當(dāng)?shù)厣鐓^(qū)代表在市長(zhǎng)支持下成立了“方便英語(yǔ)社區(qū)體驗(yàn)文化的地方”,。

此后的修復(fù)工程將建筑改造成了如今的莫林中心，顯然也是對(duì)之前學(xué)院的一種致敬,?！氨M管我們都說(shuō)中心正式成立時(shí)間是2006年，但實(shí)際上直到2011年才全面投入運(yùn)營(yíng)，”麥卡洛指出,。

重建包括翻新圖書(shū)館,、以前的監(jiān)獄牢房、曾經(jīng)屬于學(xué)校的實(shí)驗(yàn)室,、舞廳,，還有樓上一些辦公室，大樓變成了不錯(cuò)的旅游景點(diǎn),。

Though paying members still enjoyed access to the library, the building where it was housed remained vacant for decades. “There was a part of it that was used as an apartment for the caretaker for a number of years,” McCullough says. “But things really started up again in the 1990s” when local community representatives enlisted the help of the mayor to establish a “place for the English-speaking community to go and experience culture.”

The resulting restoration project converted the structure into today’s Morrin Centre—clearly an homage to the former college. “Even though we say that the Centre’s official inauguration date was in 2006, in reality it wasn’t fully operational until 2011,” McCullough notes.

The reconstruction—which involved an update of the library itself, the former prison cells, a lab that used to be part of the school, a ballroom, and some offices on the upper floors—transformed the building into a viable tourist destination.

現(xiàn)在，魁北克文史學(xué)會(huì)以永借方式租賃,，實(shí)際上擁有建筑99年,，無(wú)需支付租金，但要承擔(dān)維護(hù)和保養(yǎng)費(fèi)用,。（“數(shù)額相當(dāng)大,，”麥卡洛表示。）為了滿(mǎn)足經(jīng)濟(jì)需求,，員工們要帶游客參觀,，去年就有25000多人報(bào)名，大樓也會(huì)出租給私人活動(dòng),。協(xié)會(huì)申請(qǐng)政府補(bǔ)助金,，也接受私人捐款。目前,，個(gè)人會(huì)員費(fèi)為每年20加元（15美元）,，家庭會(huì)員費(fèi)為每年25加元（19美元）。

雖然整個(gè)建筑都值得一看,，但通常最吸引人注意的還是圖書(shū)館,。此處有2.6萬(wàn)本由志愿者委員會(huì)挑選的書(shū)籍，這是本市唯一一家藏有英語(yǔ)書(shū)籍的圖書(shū)館,，盡管英語(yǔ)是加拿大兩大官方語(yǔ)言之一（另一種當(dāng)然是法語(yǔ)）,。

Today, the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec operates the venue under an emphyteutic lease, effectively owning the building for 99 years without having to pay rent but responsible for upkeep and maintenance costs. (“A hefty sum,” McCullough says.) To meet those financial demands, the staff lead on-site tours—more than 25,000 people signed up for one just last year—and the building rents out the space for private events. The society also applies for government grants and benefits from private donations. Dues currently amount to $20 Canadian ($15 U.S.) a year for individuals and $25 Canadian ($19 U.S.) for families.

Although the entire structure is worth seeing, it is the on-site library that usually draws the most attention: Housing 26,000 books selected by a committee of volunteers, this is the only library in the city that carries works written in English—despite the fact that English is one of the two official languages of Canada (the other being French, of course).

麥卡洛表示,，19世紀(jì)60年代，當(dāng)?shù)厝死镉?0%講英語(yǔ),。如今該比例已降至5%以下,。英語(yǔ)使用者人數(shù)減少還會(huì)持續(xù)，因?yàn)榭笨耸∏『檬强笨朔ㄕZ(yǔ)語(yǔ)言辦公室（OQLF）所在地,，很多人稱(chēng)之為“語(yǔ)言警察”,，該組織負(fù)責(zé)貫徹魁北克省的語(yǔ)言政策,。根據(jù)福特訴魁北克案中加拿大最高法院的裁決，商業(yè)標(biāo)志外表法語(yǔ)要“占明顯主導(dǎo)地位”,。

人們不禁想問(wèn)：莫林中心在不太認(rèn)同英語(yǔ)的城市里扮演怎樣的角色,？

據(jù)麥卡洛介紹，“莫林中心的（任務(wù)）實(shí)際上是為當(dāng)?shù)厣鐓^(qū)提供娛樂(lè)消遣,，也提供英語(yǔ)文化項(xiàng)目,。”被問(wèn)到如何應(yīng)付當(dāng)?shù)厝藢?duì)英語(yǔ)的反感時(shí),，這位執(zhí)行主任表示最近態(tài)度有所轉(zhuǎn)變,，至少?gòu)哪种行慕嵌葋?lái)看是這樣?！案鶕?jù)調(diào)查,，我們估計(jì)40%左右的會(huì)員實(shí)際上講法語(yǔ)，” 他說(shuō),?！耙虼耍覀兎?wù)的不僅僅是英語(yǔ)社區(qū),?！?/p>

According to McCullough, back in the 1860s, English-speaking locals amounted to 40% of the population. Today, that number has dropped to below 5%. That narrative continues as Quebec province happens to be home to the Office Québécois de la Langue Fran?aise (OQLF), also known as the Québec Board of the French Language and referred to by many as the “l(fā)anguage police.” The organization seeks to enforce the province’s linguistic policies, as defined by the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling in the case of Ford v. Québec, requiring that French be “markedly predominant” on exterior business signs.

Which raises the question: What role does the Morrin Centre play in a city that doesn’t necessarily identify with the English language?

According to McCullough, “the [task] of the Morrin Centre really is to provide entertainment and engaging cultural programming in English for the local community.” When confronted with the supposed local antipathy toward the English language, the executive director mentions a recent shift in attitudes, at least when measured within the Centre’s context. “We estimate, based on surveys, that somewhere in the neighborhood of 40% of our members are actually francophones,” he says. “So it’s not solely the English-speaking community that uses our services. ”

麥卡洛接著提到,，莫林中心已成為舉辦英語(yǔ)相關(guān)活動(dòng)的聚會(huì)場(chǎng)所，無(wú)論是與美國(guó)作家交談,，還是家長(zhǎng)為讓孩子們接觸不同語(yǔ)言和文化參加的“故事時(shí)間”,。“可以說(shuō),，如果想在魁北克體驗(yàn)英語(yǔ)文化,，這里最合適，”麥卡洛說(shuō),。（財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者：Charlie

審校：夏林

McCullough goes on to mention that the Morrin Centre has become a meeting place for folks seeking English-related activities—whether they be talks with American authors or “story-time sessions” for children whose parents want to expose them to a different language and culture. “I like to say [this is] the place where you come to experience culture in English in Quebec City,” McCullough notes.