莫林中心是由魁北克文史學會負責的英語文化中心，位于老城區的中心，其歷史與圖書館里的大部頭一樣令人興奮，因為此處是城中唯一藏有大量英文書籍的地方。

然而，比該建筑的過去相比，當前其在魁北克市文化領域發揮的作用更令人驚訝。當地只有2%的人口講英語，為何會出現最受歡迎的景點之一與英語相關？而且，著名的Québécois，即討厭在魁北克說英語而不是法語的人們對此處有何感想？

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，當時叫魁北克普通監獄，也立第一座專門建造的監獄。1867年，監獄曾因人滿為患而關閉，搬到了如今魁北克國立美術館所在的地方。“實際上是把原來的監獄并入了（現在的）博物館，”莫林中心執行主任巴里·麥卡洛說。“成了（建筑結構）的兩翼之一。”

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

隨著學院遷入，魁北克文史學會（=也是加拿大第一個學術團體與學院達成協議：學會將把圖書館遷入學院，學生可免費進入，同時仍向會員收取費用。今天圖書館仍然開放，不過學院因為入學人數太少已于1902年關閉。

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.

雖然付費會員可以進入圖書館，但圖書館所在大樓空置過幾十年。“大樓一部分曾當過看門人的公寓數年，”麥卡洛說。“但上世紀90年代重新啟用”，當地社區代表在市長支持下成立了“方便英語社區體驗文化的地方”。

此后的修復工程將建筑改造成了如今的莫林中心，顯然也是對之前學院的一種致敬。“盡管我們都說中心正式成立時間是2006年，但實際上直到2011年才全面投入運營，”麥卡洛指出。

重建包括翻新圖書館、以前的監獄牢房、曾經屬于學校的實驗室、舞廳，還有樓上一些辦公室，大樓變成了不錯的旅游景點。

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.

現在，魁北克文史學會以永借方式租賃，實際上擁有建筑99年，無需支付租金，但要承擔維護和保養費用。（“數額相當大，”麥卡洛表示。）為了滿足經濟需求，員工們要帶游客參觀，去年就有25000多人報名，大樓也會出租給私人活動。協會申請政府補助金，也接受私人捐款。目前，個人會員費為每年20加元（15美元），家庭會員費為每年25加元（19美元）。

雖然整個建筑都值得一看，但通常最吸引人注意的還是圖書館。此處有2.6萬本由志愿者委員會挑選的書籍，這是本市唯一一家藏有英語書籍的圖書館，盡管英語是加拿大兩大官方語言之一（另一種當然是法語）。

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60年代，當地人里有40%講英語。如今該比例已降至5%以下。英語使用者人數減少還會持續，因為魁北克省恰好是魁北克法語語言辦公室（OQLF）所在地，很多人稱之為“語言警察”，該組織負責貫徹魁北克省的語言政策。根據福特訴魁北克案中加拿大最高法院的裁決，商業標志外表法語要“占明顯主導地位”。

人們不禁想問：莫林中心在不太認同英語的城市里扮演怎樣的角色？

據麥卡洛介紹，“莫林中心的（任務）實際上是為當地社區提供娛樂消遣，也提供英語文化項目。”被問到如何應付當地人對英語的反感時，這位執行主任表示最近態度有所轉變，至少從莫林中心角度來看是這樣。“根據調查，我們估計40%左右的會員實際上講法語，” 他說。“因此，我們服務的不僅僅是英語社區。”

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 “language 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相關活動的聚會場所，無論是與美國作家交談，還是家長為讓孩子們接觸不同語言和文化參加的“故事時間”。“可以說，如果想在魁北克體驗英語文化，這里最合適，”麥卡洛說。（財富中文網）

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.