【A recommended book】Stuff Parisians Like: Discovering the Quoi in the Je Ne Sais Quoi

這其實是一本有關巴黎人 (Parisians) 閒話家常的小品。
“Stuff Parisians Like” 意指巴黎人喜歡的事物，而 “Je Ne Sais Quoi.” 是一句法文，如果照著字面翻譯成英文就是 “I don't know what.”
雖然作者狀似自我調侃巴黎人的食、衣、住、行、育、樂的種種偏好，但同時也藉機展現了巴黎人的生活品味及智慧。

先摘要作者 Olivier Magny 的簡介如下：
http://www.amazon.com/Olivier-Magny/e/B004DSEKBK
Olivier Magny is a French sommelier, entrepreneur and best selling author.
After graduating from one of France's "Grande Ecole", he decided to follow his real passion and became a sommelier. At age 23, he started his wine tasting company in Paris, called O Chateau. A few thousand bottles of wine later, O Chateau has become Paris' prime wine tasting school and wine bar.
Besides wine, Olivier's other passion is writing. His first book "Dessine-moi un Parisien" got French critics enthusiastic and became a bestseller in France in a matter of weeks.
On top of his activities as a sommelier and author, Olivier Magny is also the host of a TV show about wine. When he's not filming or writing, Olivier is usually behind his bar, serving clients, soaking up the Parisian life.

這本書並沒有任何章節的分類或順序，事實上可以隨興挑選比較吸引你的主題進行閱讀，每一個主題大概都是 2 頁的篇幅，裡頭偶有夾雜法文，但大部分也都會同時加註英文說明。

你想像中的巴黎人是哪一種模樣呢？巴黎人究竟喜歡什麼？
這位道地的巴黎人作家 Olivier Magny 提供了以下的看法：
巴黎人認為三件最酷的事：擁有 iPhone、穿 Converse 的鞋以及吃壽司 (There are three dimensions to being cool in Paris：owning an iPhone, wearing Converse shoes, and eating sushi—at least twice a week. p.17)；
巴黎人喜歡遊艇 (Parisians are dreamers. La Seine is their ocean. Seine River cruises are their odyssey. p.84)；
巴黎人喜歡航行 (Sailing is elegant and poetic. It is therefore Parisian. ~p.112)巴黎人喜愛南美 (All Parisians know that South America is colorful, authentic, and happy. p.3)；喜愛泰國 (In the summertime, there are more Parisians in Thailand than in Paris. p.193)；喜愛巴塞隆納 (Barcelona is the coolest city in the world. p.242)；
巴黎人喜歡穿牛仔褲 (All Parisians under fifty years old always wear jeans. p.74)；
巴黎人喜歡穿黑色衣服 (love to wear black：black pants、black shoes、black coats... p.86)；
巴黎人認為只要是人就該被尊敬，但穿白襪者除外 (Parisians do believe that most human beings are respectable. Except for those wearing white socks. p.64)；
巴黎人認為藝術家都是無所事事、偷懶的人 (Parisians all know that one category of people never works: that is artists. Artists are the biggest slackers. Parisians hardly have any respect for them. The only respectable artists are the dead ones. All other artists – in the Parisian’s mind – are just crooks. p.54)；
巴黎人喜愛喝氣泡水 (Parisians can’t resist the attraction of San Pé’s precise and gentle bubble. p.50)；
巴黎人喜歡融岩巧克力 (Le moelleux au chocolat)，聲稱伊甸園有蘋果，巴黎則有融岩巧克力 (Eden’s garden had the apple, Paris has the moelleux. p.109)
……

雖然乍看之下，這些有關巴黎人的 image 或 snap-shot 可能過於片面，也極可能造成囫圇吞棗般的偏見，但卻是讓人如此印象深刻，或許還是可以成為一種快速擷取巴黎這個城市文化的方式之一。
在你計劃到巴黎旅遊之前，不妨先找到這本書研究一下吧！


【書籍簡介】
http://www.books.com.tw/exep/prod/booksfile.php?item=F012434961
Stuff Parisians Like: Discovering the Quoi in the Je Ne Sais Quoi
作者：Magny, Olivier
出版社：Penguin Group USA
出版日期：2011年07月05日
語言：英文 ISBN：9780425241189
裝訂：平裝

In the tradition of the New York Times bestseller Stuff White People Like, a tongue-in-cheek homage to Parisians.
To be mistaken for a Parisian, readers must buy the newspaper Le Monde, fold it, and walk. Then sit at a cafe and make phone calls. Be sure to order San Pellegrino, not any other kind of fizzy water. They shouldn’t be surprised when a waiter brings out two spoons after they order le moelleux au chocolat- it is understood that the dessert is too sinfully delicious not to share. Go to l’ile Saint-Louis-all Parisians are irredeemably in love with that island. Feel free to boldly cross the street whenever the impulse strikes-pedestrian crosswalks are too dangerous. If they take a cruise on the Seine, they will want to stand outside, preferably with their collar popped up. If they want to decorate, may we suggest the photographs of Robert Doisneau? To truly be cool in Paris, own an iPhone, wear Converse sneakers, and order sushi. And as they stroll through the Luxembourg Gardens, remember-they can’t go wrong wearing black.

http://www.amazon.com/Stuff-Parisians-Like-Discovering-Quoi/dp/0425241181
Book Description
Release Date: July 5, 2011
This book describes like no others what truly makes Paris life so unique. Olivier Magny is a real Parisian: he was born and raised in the City of Lights and shares here his spot-on analyses and priceless insights about his city.
And he does all that with great humor and wit. The series of articles presented in that book even conquered the hearts of the French, where it became a national best-seller.
So if you want to know Paris as it is, understand things beyond clichés, learn the tricks and phrases that will make you blend in and have a good laugh all at the same time - this might just be the book for you.


【作者官網】
http://www.o-chateau.com/stuff-parisians-like

【延伸閱讀】
http://www.commeunefrancaise.com/2012/04/24/book-review-stuff-parisians-like/
Book review: Stuff Parisians like

http://hagar.pixnet.net/blog/post/13491212
[巴黎] O-Chateau品酒課