Part 1: Rules, Rituals, and First Signs第一部：規則、儀式與最初的徵兆
Chapter 1: Apprehensive第 1 章：忐忑不安
這課一眼看
Summary情節摘要
- Release釋放: The community's gentle-sounding word for sending a person away to Elsewhere. Rule-breakers, the Old, and some newchildren are released.
- Precision of language精確用語: The community's rule that people must always use exact words, which also keeps them from expressing strong feelings.
- Ceremony of Twelve十二歲儀式: The yearly ceremony at which children who turn Twelve receive their lifelong Assignments.
- Nurturer養育員: A worker who cares for newchildren at the Nurturing Center, like Jonas's father.
- Newchild新生兒: The community's word for a baby.
1Summary情節摘要
注意
Before you read:
- Think of a time you felt nervous about a big event. What word describes that feeling most exactly?
- The story is set in a community with many rules. What rules would you expect a "perfect" community to have?
閱讀前：
- 想想你曾對某件大事感到緊張的時候。哪個字最能精確描述那種感覺？
- 故事發生在一個規則很多的社區。你認為一個「完美」的社區會有哪些規則？
At a glance:
- Jonas searches for the right word and settles on "apprehensive" about the Ceremony of Twelve.
- A year earlier, a Pilot-in-Training flew over the community by mistake and was to be "released."
- At dinner, each family member shares feelings; Father worries about a newchild who is not thriving.
本章重點：
- 喬納斯努力尋找精確的字，最後用「apprehensive」（忐忑不安）形容自己對十二歲儀式的心情。
- 一年前，一名受訓中的飛行員誤飛越社區上空，廣播宣布他將被「釋放」。
- 晚餐時全家分享感受；父親擔心一名發育不佳的新生兒。
It is almost December, and eleven-year-old Jonas is searching for the right word to describe how he feels. He remembers the day a pilot-in-training flew over the community by mistake, frightening everyone, and the announcement that the pilot would be "released." He finally decides that he feels "apprehensive" about the coming Ceremony of Twelve. At dinner, the family shares their feelings, as required: Lily is angry at a visiting child who broke the rules at the play area, Mother is worried about a citizen who has broken the rules twice, and Father, a Nurturer, is concerned about a newchild who is not growing as he should.十二月將近，十一歲的喬納斯努力尋找最精確的字詞來形容自己的感受。他想起一名受訓中的飛行員誤飛越社區上空、讓所有人驚慌的事件，以及隨後廣播宣布該飛行員將被「釋放」。最後他決定，自己對即將到來的十二歲儀式感到「apprehensive」（忐忑不安）。晚餐時，全家依規定進行感受分享：莉莉對一名在遊樂區不守規矩的外來孩子感到生氣；母親擔心一名已經違規兩次的居民；身為養育員（Nurturer）的父親，則擔心一名發育不如預期的新生兒。
2Characters本章人物
- Jonas: almost Twelve, careful with words, and nervous about the coming Ceremony.
- Lily: Jonas's younger sister, a Seven who says exactly what she feels.
- Father: a Nurturer who cares for newchildren and worries about one who is not growing well.
- Mother: works at the Department of Justice and deals with people who break rules.
- Asher: Jonas's best friend, cheerful and often late.
- 喬納斯：快滿十二歲，用字謹慎，對即將到來的儀式感到不安。
- 莉莉：喬納斯的妹妹，七歲，有什麼感覺就直接說。
- 爸爸：養育員，照顧新生兒，擔心其中一個長得不好的孩子。
- 媽媽：在司法部門工作，處理違規的人。
- 亞瑟：喬納斯最好的朋友，個性開朗，常常遲到。
3Themes & symbols主題與象徵
- Rules and control: the loudspeakers, the apologies, and the required sharing of feelings show a community where almost everything is managed.
- Language: the community insists on the exact word. Watch which words sound gentle but may hide something.
- Release: the word is used for punishment, for the Old, and for some newchildren. The chapter does not explain what it means.
- 規則與控制：擴音器、道歉、規定的感受分享，顯示這個社區幾乎一切都被管理。
- 語言：社區要求用最精確的字。留意哪些字聽起來溫和，卻可能藏著什麼。
- 釋放：這個字用在受罰的人、老人和某些新生兒身上。本章沒有說明它到底是什麼意思。
4Author's craft文學手法
Lowry opens inside Jonas's head. We see the community only through what he notices and accepts as normal, so ordinary details, like a speaker ordering everyone indoors, feel calm to him but strange to us.作者從喬納斯的內心寫起。我們只能透過他注意到、並視為理所當然的事來認識這個社區，所以像擴音器命令所有人進屋這種事，他覺得平常，讀者卻覺得奇怪。
5Think about it想一想
自我檢查
Why does Jonas reject the word "frightened"?喬納斯為什麼不用 frightened 這個字？
看答案
"Frightened" describes a deep, terrible fear, like the day the plane flew over. He only feels nervous about the coming Ceremony, so "apprehensive" is more precise.frightened 指的是深沉而可怕的恐懼，像飛機飛過的那天。他對即將到來的儀式只是感到不安，所以 apprehensive 更精確。
自我檢查
Why might a community want people to share their feelings every evening?為什麼一個社區會要求大家每天晚上分享感受？
看答案
It lets parents and the community notice problems early and calm strong feelings before they grow. It is also a way of watching people.這能讓父母和社區及早發現問題，在強烈情緒擴大前把它平息。這也是一種監看的方式。