SUMMER in rural France is a time for street fêtes(节日，庆祝活动), jugs of chilled rosé—and American line-dancing. To get locals on their feet, a DJ need only utter the words “Le Madison”, a line-dance that originated in America’s Midwest in the 1950s, and villagers will step into row formation.(要让当地人起身跳舞，DJ只需说出“Le Madison”这个词——一种起源于20世纪50年代美国中西部的排舞——村民们就会排成队列。) The Francophone Federation of Country Dance and Line Dance lists over 500 clubs nationwide, with such names as American Spirit Country or Froggy Stomp. Another count records over 2,000 “danse country” groups. A poll(民意调查) suggests that nearly one in ten French adults has taken part in line-dancing. In May France held a national line-dance “open”, in the southern town of Salon-de-Provence.
法国乡村的夏天是街头节日、冰镇桃红葡萄酒——以及美国排舞的季节。要让当地人起身跳舞，DJ只需说出“Le Madison”这个词——一种起源于20世纪50年代美国中西部的排舞——村民们就会排成队列。法语国家乡村舞和排舞联合会列出了全国500多家俱乐部，名字诸如“美国精神乡村”或“青蛙跺脚”。另一项统计记录了超过2000个“乡村舞”团体。一项民调显示，近十分之一的法国成年人参加过排舞。今年5月，法国在南部小镇普罗旺斯沙龙举办了全国排舞公开赛。
In Camaret-sur-Aigues in the Rhône valley, a town of just 4,500 inhabitants(居民，住户), American Spirit Country holds two classes of line-dancing and le country each week. Participants range from ten years old to 73. Some turn up(出现，露面) in Stetsons and cowboy boots; others, jeans and trainers. “In the past two years le line has really taken off(突然流行，起飞),” says Zorah Lesbros, president of the club, who observes a burst(突然爆发，迸发) of interest among the young. “People of any shape and size can do it, you make friends, and it’s fun.”
在罗讷河谷的卡马雷叙艾格镇，这个仅有4500名居民的小镇，美国精神乡村俱乐部每周举办两堂排舞和乡村舞课程。参与者年龄从十岁到73岁不等。有些人戴着斯泰森帽、穿着牛仔靴出现；其他人则穿牛仔裤和运动鞋。“过去两年，排舞真的火了起来，”俱乐部主席佐拉·莱斯布罗斯说，她观察到年轻人中涌现出一波兴趣。“任何体型和身材的人都能跳，能交到朋友，而且很有趣。”
What explains this unexpected passion(热情，酷爱) for a slice of Americana(美国文化特色，美国文物)? France thinks of itself as a place of highbrow(高雅的，精英文化的) culture and artistic sophistication(精致，复杂，老练). Charles de Gaulle(夏尔·戴高乐，法国前总统) invented the Ministry of Culture in 1959 to bring such art to all. In reality(实际上，事实上) the country has long held a secret fascination(迷恋，吸引力) for American popular culture. Of the top ten box-office(票房) hits in France last year, nine were American. In Johnny Hallyday(约翰尼·哈利戴，法国摇滚歌手), of part-Belgian descent, France had its own wildly popular Elvis. Disneyland Paris is Europe’s only outpost(前哨，据点) of the theme park. At its Disney Village, Billy Bob’s Country Western Saloon holds line-dancing events.
是什么解释了这种对美国文化片段的意外热情？法国自视为高雅文化和艺术精致之地。1959年，夏尔·戴高乐创立了文化部，旨在将此类艺术带给所有人。实际上，这个国家长期以来对美国流行文化怀有秘密的迷恋。去年法国票房前十的电影中，有九部是美国片。在约翰尼·哈利戴——部分比利时血统——身上，法国拥有自己广受欢迎的“猫王”。巴黎迪士尼乐园是欧洲唯一的主题公园据点。在其迪士尼村，比利·鲍勃乡村西部沙龙举办排舞活动。