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全新版大学英语综合教程2课文原文及翻译1111

全新版大学英语综合教程2课文原文及翻译1111
全新版大学英语综合教程2课文原文及翻译1111

Unit1

Learning, Chinese-Style

Howard Gardner 1 For a month in the spring of 1987, my wife Ellen and I lived in the bustling eastern Chinese city of Nanjing with our 18-month-old son Benjamin while studying arts education in Chinese kindergartens and elementary schools. But one of the most telling lessons Ellen and I got in the difference between Chinese and American ideas of education came not in the classroom but in the lobby of the Jinling Hotel where we stayed in Nanjing.

中国式的学习风格

霍华德·加德纳

1987年春,我和妻子埃伦带着我们18个月的儿子本杰明在繁忙的中国东部城市南京住了一个月,同时考察中国幼儿园和小学的艺术教育情况。然而,我和埃伦获得的有关中美教育观念差异的最难忘的体验并非来自课堂,而是来自我们在南京期间寓居的金陵饭店的大堂。

2 The key to our room was attached to a large plastic block with the room number on it. When leaving the hotel,

a guest was encouraged to turn in the key, either by handing it to an attendant or by dropping it through a slot into a box. Because the key slot was narrow, the key had to be positioned carefully to fit into it.

我们的房门钥匙系在一块标有房间号的大塑料板上。酒店鼓励客人外出时留下钥匙,可以交给服务员,也可以从一个槽口塞入钥匙箱。由于口子狭小,你得留神将钥匙放准位置才塞得进去。

3 Benjamin loved to carry the key around, shaking it vigorously. He also liked to try to place it into the slot. Because of his tender age and incomplete understanding of the need to position the key just so, he would usually fail. Benjamin was not bothered in the least. He probably got as much pleasure out of the sounds the key made as he did those few times when the key actually found its way into the slot.

本杰明爱拿着钥匙走来走去,边走边用力摇晃着。他还喜欢试着把钥匙往槽口里塞。由于他还年幼,不太明白得把钥匙放准位置才成,因此总塞不进去。本杰明一点也不在意。他从钥匙声响中得到的乐趣大概跟他偶尔把钥匙成功地塞进槽口而获得的乐趣一样多。

4 Now both Ellen and I were perfectly happy to allow Benjamin to bang the key near the key slot. His exploratory behavior seemed harmless enough. But I soon observed an interesting phenomenon. Any Chinese staff member nearby would come over to watch Benjamin and, noting his lack of initial success, attempt to assist. He or she would hold onto Benjamin's hand and, gently but firmly, guide it directly toward the slot, reposition it as necessary, and help him to insert it. The "teacher" would then smile somewhat expectantly at Ellen or me, as if awaiting a thank you ─and on occasion would frown slightly, as if considering us to be neglecting our parental duties.

我和埃伦都满不在乎,任由本杰明拿着钥匙在钥匙的槽口鼓捣。他的探索行为似乎并无任何害处。但我很快就观察到一个有趣的现象。饭店里任何一个中国工作人员若在近旁,都会走过来看着本杰明,见他初试失败,便都会试图帮忙。他们会轻轻握紧本杰明的手,直接将它引向钥匙的槽口,进行必要的重新定位,并帮他把钥匙插入槽口。然后那位“老师”会有所期待地对着我和埃伦微笑,似乎等着我们说声谢谢——偶尔他会微微皱眉,似乎觉得我俩没有尽到当父母的责任。

5 I soon realized that this incident was directly relevant to our assigned tasks in China: to investigate the ways of early childhood education (especially in the arts), and to throw light on Chinese attitudes toward creativity. And so before long I began to introduce the key-slot anecdote into my discussions with Chinese educators. 我很快意识到,这件小事与我们在中国要做的工作直接相关:考察儿童早期教育(尤其是艺术教育)的方式,揭示中国人对创造性活动的态度。因此,不久我就在与中国教育工作者讨论时谈起了钥匙槽口一事。

TWO DIFFERENT W AYS TO LEARN

6 With a few exceptions my Chinese colleagues displayed the same attitude as the staff at the Jinling Hotel. Since adults know how to place the key in the key slot, which is the ultimate purpose of approaching the slot, and since the child is neither old enough nor clever enough to realize the desired action on his own, what possible gain is achieved by having him struggle? He may well get frustrated and angry ─certainly not a desirable outcome. Why not show him what to do? He will be happy, he will learn how to accomplish the task sooner, and then he can proceed to more complex activities, like opening the door or asking for the key ─both of which accomplishments can (and should) in due course

be modeled for him as well.

两种不同的学习方式

我的中国同行,除了少数几个人外,对此事的态度与金陵饭店工作人员一样。既然大人知道怎么把钥匙塞进槽口——这是处理槽口一事的最终目的,既然孩子还很年幼,还没有灵巧到可以独自完成要做的动作,让他自己瞎折腾会有什么好处呢?他很有可能会灰心丧气发脾气——这当然不是所希望的结果。为什么不教他怎么做呢?他会高兴,他还能早些学会做这件事,进而去学做更复杂的事,如开门,或索要钥匙——这两件事到时候同样可以(也应该)示范给他看。

7 We listened to such explanations sympathetically and explained that, first of all, we did not much care whether Benjamin succeeded in inserting the key into the slot. He was having a good time and was exploring, two activities that did matter to us. But the critical point was that, in the process, we were trying to teach Benjamin that one can solve a problem effectively by oneself. Such self-reliance is a principal value of child rearing in middle-class America. So long as the child is shown exactly how to do something ─whether it be placing a key in a key slot, drawing a hen or making up for a misdeed ─he is less likely to figure out himself how to accomplish such a task. And, more generally, he is less likely to view life ─as Americans do ─as a series of situations in which one has to learn to think for oneself, to solve problems on one's own and even to discover new problems for which creative solutions are wanted.

我俩颇为同情地听着这一番道理,解释道,首先,我们并不在意本杰明能不能把钥匙塞进钥匙的槽口。他玩得开心,而且在探索,这两点才是我们真正看重的。但关键在于,在这个过程中,我们试图让本杰明懂得,一个人是能够很好地自行解决问题的。这种自力更生的精神是美国中产阶级最重要的一条育儿观。如果我们向孩子演示该如何做某件事——把钥匙塞进钥匙的槽口也好,画只鸡或是弥补某种错误行为也好——那他就不太可能自行想方设法去完成这件事。从更广泛的意义上说,他就不太可能——如美国人那样——将人生视为一系列的情境,在这些情境中,一个人必须学会独立思考,学会独立解决问题,进而学会发现需要创造性地加以解决的新问题。

TEACHING BY HOLDING HIS HAND

8 In retrospect, it became clear to me that this incident was indeed key ─and key in more than one sense. It pointed to important differences in the educational and artistic practices in our two countries.

把着手教

回想起来,当时我就清楚地意识到,这件事正是体现了问题的关键之所在——而且不仅仅是一种意义上的关键之所在。这件事表明了我们两国在教育和艺术实践上的重要差异。

9 When our well-intentioned Chinese observers came to Benjamin's rescue, they did not simply push his hand down clumsily or uncertainly, as I might have done. Instead, they guided him with extreme facility and gentleness in precisely the desired direction. I came to realize that these Chinese were not just molding and shaping Benjamin's performance in any old manner: In the best Chinese tradition, they were ba zhe shou jiao ─"teaching by holding his hand" ─so much so that he would happily come back for more.

那些善意的中国旁观者前来帮助本杰明时,他们不是简单地像我可能会做的那样笨拙地或是犹犹豫豫地把他的手往下推。相反,他们极其熟练地、温和地把他引向所要到达的确切方向。我逐渐认识到,这些中国人不是简单地以一种陈旧的方式塑造、引导本杰明的行为:他们是在恪守中国传统,把着手教,教得本杰明自己会愉快地要求再来一次。

10 The idea that learning should take place by continual careful shaping and molding applies equally to the arts. Watching children at work in a classroom setting, we were astonished by their facility. Children as young as 5 or 6 were painting flowers, fish and animals with the skill and confidence of an adult; calligraphers 9 and 10 years old were producing works that could have been displayed in a museum. In a visit to the homes of two of the young artists, we learned from their parents that they worked on perfecting their craft for several hours a day.

学习应通过不间断的精心塑造与引导而得以实现,这一观念同样适用于艺术。我们观看了孩子们在教室里学习艺术的情景,他们的娴熟技艺令我们惊讶。年仅5、6岁的孩子就带着成人的那种技巧与自信在画花、画鱼和动物;9岁、10岁的小书法家写出的作品满可以在博物馆展示。有一次去两位小艺术家的家里参观,我们从孩子的父母处得知,他们每天练习数小时以完善他们的技艺。

CREATIVITY FIRST?

11 In terms of attitudes to creativity there seems to be a reversal of priorities: young Westerners making their boldest departures first and then gradually mastering the tradition; and young Chinese being almost inseparable from

the tradition, but, over time, possibly evolving to a point equally original.

创造力第一?

从对创造力的态度来说,优先次序似乎是颠倒了:西方的年轻人先是大胆创新,然后逐渐深谙传统;而中国的年轻人则几乎离不开传统,但是,随着时间的推移,他们同样可能发展到具有创新的境界。

12 One way of summarizing the American position is to state that we value originality and independence more than the Chinese do. The contrast between our two cultures can also be seen in terms of the fears we both harbor. Chinese teachers are fearful that if skills are not acquired early, they may never be acquired; there is, on the other hand, no comparable hurry to promote creativity. American educators fear that unless creativity has been acquired early, it may never emerge; on the other hand, skills can be picked up later.

美国人的立场可以概括起来这么说,我们比中国人更重视创新和自立。我们两种文化的差异也可以从我们各自所怀的忧虑中显示出来。中国老师担心,如果年轻人不及早掌握技艺,就有可能一辈子掌握不了;另一方面,他们并不同样地急于促进创造力的发展。美国教育工作者则担心,除非从一开始就发展创造力,不然创造力就有可能永不再现;而另一方面,技艺可于日后获得。

13 However, I do not want to overstate my case. There is enormous creativity to be found in Chinese scientific, technological and artistic innovations past and present. And there is a danger of exaggerating creative breakthroughs in the West. When any innovation is examined closely, its reliance on previous achievements is all too apparent (the "standing on the shoulders of giants" phenomenon).

但我并不想夸大其辞。无论在过去还是在当今,中国在科学、技术和艺术革新方面都展示了巨大的创造力。而西方的创新突破则有被夸大的危险。如果仔细审视任何一项创新,其对以往成就的依赖则都显而易见(“站在巨人肩膀之上”的现象)。

14 But assuming that the contrast I have developed is valid, and that the fostering of skills and creativity are both worthwhile goals, the important question becomes this: Can we gather, from the Chinese and American extremes, a superior way to approach education, perhaps striking a better balance between the poles of creativity and basic skills?

然而,假定我这里所说的反差是成立的,而培养技艺与创造力两者都是值得追求的目标,那么重要的问题就在于:我们能否从中美两个极端中寻求一种更好的教育方式,它或许能在创造力与基本技能这两极之间获得某种较好的平衡?

Finding a way of teaching children to appreciate the value of money can be a problem. Yet the solution, David Owen suggests, is simple -- just open a bank. Easier said than done? Well, it turns out to be not quite so difficult as it sounds, as you'll discover in reading about the First National Bank of Dave.

设法教育孩子珍惜钱财会是件难事。然而,大卫·欧文说,方法也很简单——开个银行就行。说来容易做起来难?其实,这事并没听上去那么难,你读一读戴夫第一国家银行的故事就知道了。

Unit2

A LEFT FULL OF RICHES

1. It was early December 2003, my first season as a Salvation Army bell ringer, when I was confronted with the question. I was standing just outside the doorway of a Wal-Mart, offering a "thank you" and a smile to each person who dropped a donation into my red kettle. A neatly dressed woman and her young son walked up to the kettle stand. While she searched her purse for some cash, the boy looked up at me. I can still see the confusion and curiosity in his eyes as he asked, "Are you poor?"

2. "Well," I stammered, trying to think, "I have more than some people, but not as much as others." His mother scolded him for the social no-no, and they hurried off to do their shopping. His question, however, did not leave me.

3. I've never thought of myself as "poor," but I can't deny certain facts. Every time I fill out my 1040 form, I fall into one of the lowest income brackets. In the past 35 years, I've taken just one vacation trip. My TV is a black-and-white set that someone gave me eight years ago.

4. Yet I feel nothing more than a passing whim to attain the material things so many other people have. My 1999 car shows the wear and tear of 105,000 miles. But it is still dependable. My apartment is modest, but quiet and relaxing. My clothes are well suited to my work, which is primarily outdoors. My minimal computer needs can be met at the library.

5. In spite of what I don't have, I don't feel poor. Why? I've enjoyed exceptionally good health for 53 years. It's not just that I've been illness-free, it's that I feel vigorous and spirited. Exercising is actually fun for me. I look forward to long, energizing walks. And I love the "can do" attitude that follows.

6. I also cherish the gift of creativity. When I write a beautiful line of poetry, or fabricate a joke that tickles someone, I feel rich inside. I'm continually surprised at the insights that come through my writing process. And talking with so many interesting writer friends is one of my main sources of enjoyment.

7. But there is one vital area of my life where I am not so well off. In a society that spends so much emotional energy on the pursuit of possessions, I feel out of place.

8. When I was younger, there was an exceptionally interesting person I dated. What was most important to her, she told me, was "what's on the inside." I thought I had found someone special to share my life with. Then I took her to see my apartment. At the time, I lived in a basement efficiency with a few pieces of dated furniture. The only new, comfortable chair was the one at my desk. Shortly after her visit, our relationship went straight south.

9. The seemingly abrupt change in her priorities was jolting. It remains a most memorable turning point in my personal journey.

10. In contrast to relationships, stuff just doesn't mean that much to me. I think most people feel the same way—except when there are social consequences to not having particular items. There is a commercial on the radio that begins, "Everybody wants a high-end TV …" The pressure to purchase is real. It may be true that everybody wants a high-end TV. After all, nobody wants to be a nobody.

11. But I'm happy to live without one. In fact, not being focused on material goods feels quite natural to me. There are many people throughout the world who would consider my lifestyle to be affluent.

12. Near the end of the year, when I put on the Salvation Army's red apron, something changes inside me. Instead of feeling out of place economically, I begin to feel a genuine sense of belonging. As I ring my bell, people stop to share their personal stories of how much it meant to be helped when they were going through a rough time. People helping people is something I feel deeply connected to. While I'm ringing the bell, complete strangers have brought me hot chocolate, leaving me with a lingering smile. Countless individuals have helped to keep me warm with the sentiments of the season: "Thank you for ringing on such a cold day." "Can I get you a cup of coffee?" "Bless you for your good work." December is the time of year I feel wealthiest.

13. Over the past four years, I've grown to understand more about myself because of a single question from a curious child. As I've examined what it means to be poor, it has become clear to me what I am most thankful for: both my tangible and my intangible good fortune.

富足的一生卡尔?格林

1. 首次面对这个问题,是在2003年12月初,我第一次为救世军摇铃募捐的时候。当时我就站在沃尔玛商场

入口处门外,对每一位向我的红壶里投入捐款的人都报以一声“谢谢”和一个微笑。一位穿着整洁的妇人牵着她的幼子向放壶的台子走过来。她在钱包里摸着找钱时,孩子抬头看了我一眼,问我:“你穷吗?”当时他眼里充满疑惑和好奇,时至今日仍历历在目。

2. “嗯,”我结结巴巴,边想边回答,“我比有些人拥有的多,但比其他人拥有的少。”母亲因为孩子问了一个在社交上不该问的问题,训斥了他一顿,他俩便匆匆的赶去购物。但是孩子的问题却一直留在我的心头挥之不去。

3. 我从不认为自己“穷”,但有些事实我不可否认。每当我填1040税务申报表时,我都属于收入最低的档次之一。在过去的三十五年中,我只出去度过一次假。我的电视机是黑白的,还是八年前别人送给我的。

4. 然而,想要得到其他那么多人都有的物质的东西,对我来说,只不过是转瞬即逝的念头而已。我的汽车是1999年的产品,到现在开了十万五千英里,已经很破很旧了,但是它依然可靠。我的住房不大,但是很安静,住着挺舒心。我的衣服很适合于我的工作,主要都在户外。我对计算机的很少的需求,可以在图书馆得到解决。

5. 尽管有些东西我没有,我并不感到贫穷。这是为什么?五十三年来我一直非常健康。我不但不生病,而且精力充沛,情绪饱满。锻炼对我而言是确确实实的快事,我乐意长距离步行,越走越有劲。我喜爱步行后随之产生的一种“什么都干得了”的心态。

6. 我还十分珍惜我的创作才能。当我写出美丽的诗句或编造出能把人逗乐的笑话时,我内心感到很富有。通过写作而获得的洞察力,不断地令我惊奇。而与那么多写作朋友交谈,是我乐趣的主要源泉之一。

7. 但是在我生活中,有一个重要方面我并不那么富有。在一个对物资财富的追求投入如此之多心力的社会中,我觉得很不自在。

8. 我年轻时曾与一位非常有趣的女士谈过朋友。她对我说,对她而言,最重要的是“一个人的内心”。我以为我找到了非同一般的生活伴侣。后来我就带她到我的寓所。当时我住的是一个地下室经济型小套间,只有几件陈旧的家具。唯一新而舒适的椅子是书桌旁的那把。她来访后不久,我们的关系就急转直下。

9. 她所看重的东西似乎突然有了变化,使我大为震动。在我的人生旅途上,这仍然是一个最难以忘怀的转折点。

10. 相对于人际关系而言,物质财富对我并不那么重要。我认为大多数人与我同感——除非当某一物品的缺失会引发社会后果时,人们才会有不同的想法。电台播放的一个商业广告开头这样说:“每个人都想拥有一台高档电视…”,购买这种电视机的压力千真万确。也许每个人真的都想要一台高档电视机,毕竟没有人想做一个无名之辈。 11. 但是没有这样的电视机我也照样活得快乐。事实上不专注于物质财富,对我而言相当自然。在这个世界上有很多人认为我活得很富足。

12. 临近岁末每当我系上救世军的红围裙时,我的内心会发生变化。我非但不感到经济上不自在,还开始感到一种真正的归属感。我摇铃时,人们会停下脚步,给我讲述他们的故事,讲述他们遇到困难时受到帮助对他们多么重要。我感到我与人助人这件事深深地联系在一起。在我摇铃的时候,从未谋面的陌生人给我拿来热乎乎的巧克力饮料,留给我一个久不消逝的微笑。无数的路人向我表达圣诞节的祝愿,使我感到温暖。“谢谢你在这样的冷天摇铃。”“要不要我给您弄一杯咖啡?”“你做好事,上帝保佑你。”十二月是一年中我感到最富足的时候。

13. 由于一个好奇的孩子提了一个简单问题,我在过去的四年中对自己的了解进了一步。当我审视贫穷究竟意味着什么时,我清楚了我最应感恩的是什么:我的有形和无形的好运气。

Unit3

Father Knows Better

Marsh Cassady 1 .CHARACTERS: FATHER; MOTHER; HEIDI, 14; DIANE, 17; SEAN, 16; RESTAURANT MANAGER, 20s; MRS. HIGGINS.

SETTING: Various locations including a fast-food restaurant, the Thompson family dining room, and an office at a high school.

AT RISE: As the lights come up, HEIDI enters and crosses Down Right to the edge of the stage. SEAN and DIANE enter and cross Down Left to the edge of the stage. They listen as HEIDI addresses the audience.

老爸英明

马什·卡萨迪

人物:父亲;母亲;海蒂,14岁;黛安,17岁;肖恩,16岁;饭店经理,20多岁;希金斯太太

场景:快餐店,汤普森家餐厅,一所中学的办公室等

幕启:随着灯光亮起,海蒂上,走至舞台右前方。肖恩与黛安上,走至舞台左前方。海蒂对观众说话,两人倾听。

2 .HEIDI: My dad's a nice man. Nobody could possibly believe that he isn't. Yet he's...well, he's always doing these stupid things that end up really embarrassing one or more of us kids. One time, see, my brother wanted to buy this guitar. Been saving money for it for a long time. Then he got a job at this fast-food place, OK? Waiting tables. It was Sean's first actual job, and he was real happy about it. He figured in two or three months he'd have enough money to buy exactly the kind of guitar he wanted. Mom and Dad were proud of him, and well, OK, he's my big brother, and he's always pulling these dumb things on me. But, well, I was proud of him too. You know what happened? I hate to tell you because:

SEAN, DIANE and HEIDI: (In unison) Father knows better!

海蒂:我老爸是个大好人。没人会相信他不好。可是他……唉,他老是干那些蠢事,弄得我们当儿女的到头来无地自容。瞧,我哥曾一度想买把吉他。他都积攒了好一阵子钱了。后来他在这家快餐店找了份活,不错吧?当服务员。这是肖恩第一次正经打工,他真的挺开心。他算计着,再过两三个月,他就能攒够钱买他想要的那把吉他了。老爸老妈都为他感到骄傲。唔,是啊,他是大哥,老是要捉弄我。不过嘛,我也同样为他感到骄傲。你猜后来怎么了?我都不想说这事,因为:

肖恩、黛安、海蒂:(齐声)老爸英明!

3 (The lights come Up Left on the fast-food restaurant where SEAN works. It consists of a counter and couple of small tables. The MANAGER stands behind the counter. SEAN is busily cleaning the tables when FATHER walks in. ) MANAGER: Good evening, sir. May I help you?

FATHER: Good evening.

SEAN: (To himself) Oh, no! (He squats behind one of the tables trying to hide from FATHER. )

FATHER: I'm looking for the manager.

MANAGER: That would be me, sir.

FATHER: I'm Sam Thompson. My son works here.

MANAGER: Oh, you're Sean's father.

FATHER: Yes. It's his first job, you know. I just wanted to check that he's doing OK.

MANAGER: Oh, fine. No problem.

(左后方灯光亮起,肖恩打工的快餐店。有柜台和几张小桌子。经理站在柜台后面。父亲进店时,肖恩正忙着擦桌子。)

经理:晚上好,先生,能为您效劳吗?

父亲:晚上好。

肖恩:(自言自语)噢,不!(他在一张桌子后蹲下,欲躲过父亲的视线。)

父亲:我找经理。

经理:我就是,先生。

父亲:我是萨姆·汤普森。我儿子在这儿打工。

经理:哦,您是肖恩的父亲。

父亲:是啊。知道嘛,这是他第一次打工。我只想看看他干得怎么样。

经理:噢,不错。没问题。

4 .SEAN: (Spreading his hands, palms up, speaking to himself) What did I do to deserve this? Tell me what? FATHER: Hiring him was a good thing then?

MANAGER: Well, yeah, I suppose so.

SEAN: (Still to himself) Go home, Dad. Go home. Go home.

FATHER: I'm sure he's a good worker but a typical teenager, if you know what I mean.

MANAGER: (Losing interest) I wouldn't know.

FATHER: He's a good boy. And I assure you that if there are any subjects that need to be addressed, Sean and I will have a man-to-man talk.

MANAGER: I don't think that will be necessary...

FATHER: Oh, no problem. I'm proud of my son. Very, very proud. And I just wanted you to know that I'll do anything I can to help him through life's dangerous sea.

肖恩:(双手摊开,掌心向上,自言自语)我干了什么了要受这份罪?倒是告诉我啊?

父亲:那么雇用他没错啦?

经理:呃,对,我想是的。

肖恩:(仍然自言自语)回家去,老爸。回家去。回家去。

父亲:我肯定他是一把干活的好手,可他也跟其他孩子一个样,明白我的意思吗?

经理:(不再有兴趣)我怎么知道。

父亲:他是个好孩子。你放心,要是有什么问题需要解决的话,我和肖恩会开诚布公谈一谈的。

经理:我看没必要吧……

父亲:噢,没事儿。我为我儿子感到骄傲,我为他深感骄傲。我只是想让你知道,我将竭尽全力帮助他驶过人生的惊涛骇浪。

5 .SEAN: (Standing up and screaming) Aaaargh! Aaaargh! Aaaaaaargh!

FATHER: Son, I didn't know you were here.

SEAN: It's where I work, Dad.

FATHER: Of course. I mean, I didn't see you.

SEAN: I can't imagine why.

FATHER: Your manager and I were just having a nice chat.

(DIANE enters Down Left just as HEIDI enters Down Right. They look at SEAN and FATHER. )

SEAN, DIANE, HEIDI: (In unison) Father, you know better than that. 肖恩:(站起身,高声喊叫)唉!唉!唉!

父亲:儿子,不知道你在这儿。

肖恩:这是我打工的地方嘛,爸!

父亲:那自然。我是说,刚才没看见你。

肖恩:我真弄不明白。

父亲:经理和我正聊得起劲呢。

(黛安从左前方上,海蒂自右前方上。两人看着肖恩和父亲。)

肖恩、黛安、海蒂:(齐声)老爸,你这是干什么呀。

6 .(The lights quickly fade to black and then come up a second or two later. SEAN stands alone at the Down Right edge of the stage. HEIDI and DIANE cross to Down Left edge of the stage. )

SEAN: If that sort of thing happened only once in a while, it wouldn't be so bad. Overall, I wouldn't want to trade my dad for anyone else's. He loves us kids and Mom too. But I think that's sometimes the problem. He wants to do things for us, things he thinks are good. But he needs to give them more thought because:

SEAN, HEIDI and DIANE: (In unison) Father knows better!

(灯光迅速暗下,片刻之后又亮起。肖恩独自站在舞台右前边。海蒂、黛安走至舞台左前边。)

肖恩:这类事要是偶尔发生一两次,那倒也没什么。总的来说,我是不肯把自己老爸跟别人的老爸换的。他爱我们当子女的,也爱老妈。不过我想,有时问题就出在这儿。他一心想帮助我们,他自以为在为我们做好事呢。可他应该多想想才对,因为:

肖恩、海蒂、黛安:(齐声)老爸英明!

7 .(The lights fade to black and come up on the Center Stage area where FATHER and the three children are seated around the dining room table. MOTHER enters carrying a dish, which she sets on the table. FATHER quickly rises and pulls out her chair. She sits. The family starts eating dinner. )

FATHER: I have a surprise for you, Diane.

DIANE: (Knows it can't be good. ) You have... a surprise?

MOTHER: Well, whatever it is, dear, don't keep us in suspense.

FATHER: Well, you know, Dan Lucas and I work together?

DIANE: Kyle's father?

MOTHER: Don't interrupt, dear, your father is trying to tell you something.

HEIDI: (Stage whisper to SEAN) Something Diane won't want to know, I'll bet.

SEAN: (Whispering to HEIDI) Whatever would make you think that?

MOTHER: Sean, dear. Heidi, sweetheart, don't distract your father.

SEAN and HEIDI: (Simultaneously) Sorry, Mom.

(灯光暗下,旋即又在舞台中央亮起。父亲与三个孩子围坐在餐桌旁。母亲端菜上,把菜放在桌上。父亲迅速起身为她拉出椅子。母亲坐下。全家开始用餐。)

父亲:我要给你一个惊喜,黛安。

黛安:(知道不会有好事)你要给我……一个惊喜?

母亲:哎,是什么事啊,亲爱的,别卖关子了。

父亲:呃,你们知道,丹·卢卡斯和我是同事。

黛安:凯尔的父亲?

母亲:别插嘴,亲爱的,你父亲正有事要跟你们说呢。

海蒂:(与肖恩耳语)我敢肯定准是黛安不要听的事儿。

肖恩:(与海蒂耳语)你怎么会知道?

母亲:肖恩,亲爱的。海蒂,宝贝儿,别打扰你们的父亲。

肖恩、海蒂:(同时地)对不起,妈妈。

8.FATHER: Now then. As I was saying, I know how much you like young Kyle.

DIANE: Father!

FATHER: It's true, isn't it? Didn't I hear you tell your mother that you wish Kyle would ask you to the senior prom? SEAN: Uh-oh!

HEIDI: Oops!

MOTHER: Please, children, please. Your father is trying to speak.

DIANE: (Through clenched teeth, the words are in a monotone and evenly spaced. ) Yes-I-said-that-why-are-you-asking?

FATHER: Well then.

DIANE: (Becoming hysterical)"Well then" what?!

FATHER: What did I say? Did I say something wrong?

HEIDI: (To SEAN) Not yet, he didn't.

SEAN: (To HEIDI) But you know it's coming.

MOTHER: Children, please. Do give your father the respect he deserves.

HEIDI and SEAN: (Rolling their eyes) Yes, Mother.

父亲:好吧。我说了,我知道你挺喜欢小凯尔。

黛安:爸爸!

父亲:是这么回事,对吗?我不是听你跟你妈说,你希望凯尔邀请你在高年级舞会上跳舞吗?

肖恩:喔!

海蒂:哎哟!

母亲:静一下,孩子们,静一下。你们父亲在说话呢。

黛安:(咬紧牙,一字一顿地)对-我-是-说-过-你-问-这-干-嘛?

父亲:那就算了。

黛安:(歇斯底里地)什么算了?

父亲:我说什么啦?我说错什么了吗?

海蒂:(对肖恩)这会儿还没有,还没说错什么。

肖恩:(对海蒂)等着吧,这就来了。

母亲:静一下,孩子们。对父亲应该尊敬一点。

海蒂、肖恩:(一边转着眼珠)是,妈妈。

9 .FATHER: Well, today I saw Dan and asked if he'd like to go to lunch at that French restaurant on Third Street. Y ou know the one, Mother.

MOTHER: Well, yes, I believe I do.

FATHER: My treat, I told him. And, of course, he was glad to accept.

MOTHER: Why wouldn't he be?

FATHER: (Somewhat surprised) Well, yes.

DIANE: What-has-this-to-do-with me?!

MOTHER: Diane, sometimes I just don't understand your behavior. I try my best.

DIANE: (Very short with her) I'm sorry.

MOTHER: Thank you, Diane. (To FATHER) Please do go on, dear.

FATHER: As I said --

HEIDI: We know what you said, Daddy.

FATHER: Er...uh, what's that?

SEAN: She said,"We know what you said, Daddy."

FATHER: Yes, yes, of course.

MOTHER: Do get on with it, dear. I've made the most glorious dessert. An old recipe handed down to me by my great Aunt Hilda --

DIANE: Mother, please!

MOTHER: Yes, dear?

父亲:嗯,今天我见到丹时,问他想不想去第三街上的那家法国餐馆吃午饭。孩子他妈,你是知道那家餐馆的。

母亲:对,是啊,我知道。

父亲:我请客,我对他说。当然,他挺乐意去了。

母亲:他哪能不乐意呢?

父亲:(略为惊讶地)对,是啊。

黛安:这-跟-我-有-什-么-关-系-呢?

母亲:黛安,你的行为有时我真弄不懂。无论怎样我就是弄不懂。

黛安:(没好气地)那就抱歉了。

母亲:多谢了,黛安。(对父亲)请说下去,亲爱的。

父亲:我说过……

海蒂:我们知道你说过什么,爸爸。

父亲:嗯……哦,你说什么?

肖恩:她说,“我们知道你说过什么,爸爸。”

父亲:是啊,是啊,当然。

母亲:快说吧,亲爱的。我做了特别好吃的甜点。是我姨祖母希尔达传下来的老配方……

黛安:妈妈,好了!

母亲:怎么啦,宝贝?

10 .(DIANE shakes her head and lets her body fall against the back of the chair. )

FATHER: At any rate, Dan's a nice guy. Never knew him well. Found we have a lot of the same interests. Our families, our community, global peace, human welfare.

HEIDI: (Mumbling to herself) That narrows it down, all right.

SEAN: Father?

FATHER: Yes, son?

SEAN: I do believe Diane would like to know the surprise.

DIANE: (Breathing hard as if exhausted, she turns to SEAN, nodding her head up and down repeatedly.) Thank you, Sean. I owe you one.

(黛安摇着头,身体仰靠在椅背上。)

父亲:不管怎么说,丹人不错。过去我跟他不熟。发现我俩还有不少志趣相同之处。家庭,社区,世界和平,人类幸福。

海蒂:(咕哝着自言自语)就要说到正题了。

肖恩:爸爸?

父亲:嗳?儿子?

肖恩:我肯定黛安很想知道是什么惊喜。

黛安:(粗粗地喘气,好像精疲力竭的样子,她转向肖恩,连连点头)多谢了,肖恩。我记着你的情。

11 .FATHER: Well, yes. Here it is then. I told Dan of your interest in his son.

DIANE: You what?

MOTHER: Diane, what has come over you? I just don't understand the younger generation. Why back in my day -- DIANE: Mother, please!

MOTHER: What, what? What?

HEIDI: Mother, I believe she wants Father to continue.

SEAN: (To himself) Get this over with, more likely.

DIANE: Daddy, please, tell me. Now. Right away. What did you say, Daddy? Please. Tell me, what did you tell Mr. Lucas? Tell me, please. Please tell me.

FATHER: Well, now, isn't this nice. It looks like my little scheme is a success. You're so eager to find out... makes a man feel as if it's all worthwhile.

父亲:啊,对。我就说吧。我告诉丹,你对他儿子很感兴趣。

黛安:你说什么?

母亲:黛安,你怎么啦?我真不明白你们年轻人。唉,在我那个时候……

黛安:妈,好啦!

母亲:怎么啦,怎么啦?又怎么啦?

海蒂:妈妈,我知道她想听爸爸说完。

肖恩:(自言自语)还不如说是快把这份罪受完算了。

黛安:爸爸,请你告诉我。现在,马上告诉我。你说什么啦,爸爸?求你了,快说,你跟卢卡斯先生说什么啦?请快告诉我。请快说。

父亲:嗨,瞧,太妙了。看来我的小计策成功了。如今你急着想知道……这可让人觉得我做的这一切还真值。

12 .HEIDI: (To SEAN) Can you believe this?

SEAN: (To HEIDI) Oh, sure. Can't you?

FATHER: Yes, well, I told him how much you liked young Kyle, and how you'd been wishing he'd ask you to the prom. DIANE: You didn't! Tell me you didn't!

FATHER: Oh, yes. Anything for my children.

DIANE: (Swallowing hard) And...and --

MOTHER: Diane, are you all right?

DIANE: (She juts out her chin at MOTHER and quickly jerks her head around to face FATHER. ) Well...what did he say?!

FATHER: Well, of course, being the sort of man he is -- frank, understanding, he said he'd speak to the young man, insist he give you a call.

DIANE: (Angry scream! ) Whaaaaaat!

SEAN and HEIDI: (Together) Father, you know better than that.

FATHER: I do? Yes, yes, I guess I do. I've...done it again, haven't I?

海蒂:(对肖恩)你能相信吗?

肖恩:(对海蒂)啊,当然。你还不信?

父亲:嗯,对了,我告诉他你是多么喜欢小凯尔,一心希望他邀你在班级舞会上跳舞。

黛安:你没这么说过!告诉我你没这么说过!

父亲:说了,当然说了。只要为了我孩子好嘛。

黛安:(尽力忍住)那……那……

母亲:黛安,你没事吧?

黛安:(冲着母亲撅起下巴,很快扭头面对父亲)那……他怎么说?!

父亲:嗯,当然啦,以他的为人——坦率,善解人意,他说他会去跟小伙子说的,一定让他给你打电话。

黛安:(愤怒地高喊)什——么!

肖恩、海蒂:(齐声)老爸,你这是干什么呀。

父亲:是吗?对,对,我想是。我又……弄糟了,是吗?

13 .(The lights quickly fade to black and then come up a second or two later. DIANE stands alone at the Down Right edge of the stage. HEIDI and SEAN enter Down Left and cross to the edge of the stage. )

DIANE: Can you imagine how humiliated I was? An honor student, class president. And Father was out asking people to have their sons call and ask me to the prom! But that's dear old dad. Actually, he is a dear. He just doesn't stop to think. And it's not just one of us who've felt the heavy hand of interference. Oh, no, all three of us live in constant dread knowing that at any time disaster can strike because:

DIANE, HEIDI and SEAN: (Shouting in unison) Father knows better.

(灯光迅速暗下,旋即重新亮起。黛安独自站在舞台右前边沿。海蒂、肖恩自左前方上,走至舞台边。)

黛安:你们能想象我觉得自己有多么丢人现眼吗?堂堂的优秀生,班主席。父亲竟然去求别人叫他们的儿子打电话来邀我跳舞!可这就是我那可爱的老爸。他其实挺可爱的。他就是不好好想一想。不止我一个人深受他横加干预之苦。哦,绝非我一个人,我们兄妹三个整天提心吊胆,知道倒霉的事随时可能来临,因为:

黛安、海蒂、肖恩:(齐声)老爸英明!

14 .(The lights fade to black and quickly come up again Stage Left where there is an executive-type desk and chair and two other chairs. Behind the desk sits MRS. HIGGINS, in charge of admitting new students to Benjamin Harrison High School. HEIDI and FATHER sit in the other chairs. )

MRS.HIGGINS: So this is our new student, is it?

FATHER: That's right.

MRS.HIGGINS: What's your name, young lady?

HEIDI: HEIDI Thompson.

MRS.HIGGINS: I'm sure you'll find the students friendly. And the teachers more than willing to answer questions. FATHER: She is an exceptional young woman, you know.

HEIDI: Daddy!

(灯光暗下,旋即在舞台左侧重新亮起。舞台左侧摆放着一套办公桌椅和另两张椅子。希金斯太太坐在办公桌旁办理本杰明·哈里森中学新生入学手续。海蒂和父亲坐在另外两张椅子上。)

希金斯太太:你是我们新来的学生,是吗?

父亲:是的。

希金斯太太:你叫什么名字,小姐?

海蒂:海蒂·汤普森。

希金斯太太:我相信你一定会发现这里的同学们都挺友好。这里的老师也都乐意回答问题。

父亲:您知道,她是个出类拔萃的姑娘。

海蒂:爸爸!

15 .FATHER: Very, very bright.

MRS.HIGGINS: Yes, now if we can get you to fill out --

FATHER: Don't know where she got her brains. Her mother, I suppose. Oh, I was bright enough. But nothing like HEIDI. All her teachers have told Mrs. Thompson -- that's her mother -- and me that she was just about the brightest -- MRS.HIGGINS: (Interrupts as she loses her patience, though trying to be pleasant) As I said, if you have proof of vaccinations --

FATHER: (Interrupts, carrying on with his line of thought) Besides being bright, she's very, very talented.

HEIDI: (Twists her hands over and over in front of her chest. ) Please, Daddy, don't do this.

FATHER: Well, of course I will, darling. I'm proud of you. Your mother and I are proud of you.

(Turns back to MRS. HIGGINS. ) Why just last year, in her last year of junior high school, before we moved, Heidi placed first in the county in the annual spelling bee! Isn't that wonderful? And she plays the piano like an angel. An absolute angel.

父亲:非常非常聪明!

希金斯太太:一定是的,现在你是不是能填一下……

父亲:不知道她怎么会这么聪明。我想是她母亲的遗传。哦,我也不笨。可没法跟海蒂比。教过她的老师都对汤普森太太,就是她妈,还有我说,她差不多是最聪明的一个……

希金斯太太:(不耐烦地打断,但口气仍尽量和缓)我刚才说了,如果你有疫苗接种证明……

父亲:(打断希金斯太太,沿着自己的思路讲下去)她不仅聪明,而且才华出众。

海蒂:(双手置于胸前,搓拧着)行了,爸爸,别说了。

父亲:啊,宝贝儿,我当然要说。我为你感到骄傲。我和你妈都为你感到骄傲。(转回身面向希金斯太太)嗳,就在去年,她初中最后一年,我们还没搬家的时候,海蒂在县里每年一度的拼单词比赛中得了第一名!了不起吧?而且她钢琴也弹得美妙之极。简直就是仙乐。

16 .HEIDI: Daddy, please. Please, please. Daddy, I have to go to class. I want to go to class. Please let me go to class. FATHER: See what I mean? Such an eager learner. I can't imagine anyone's being more eager for knowledge than my Heidi. My little girl.

MRS.HIGGINS: Yes, well, be that as it may --

HEIDI: Aaargh! Aaaaargh! Aaaargh!

(DIANE and SEAN enter Down Right. They look at HEIDI, FATHER, and MRS. HIGGINS. )

HEIDI, DIANE and SEAN: (Shouting in unison) Daddy, you know better than that!

FATHER: Er, uh, I do?

(Curtain)

海蒂:爸爸,行了。求求你了,求求你了。爸爸,我得上课去了。我要去上课。请让我去上课吧。

父亲:瞧见了没有?一个多么好学的学生。我想不出还有谁比我家海蒂更好学了。我的好姑娘。

希金斯太太:是的,嗯,不过……

海蒂: 唉!唉!唉!

(黛安、肖恩从右前方上。两人望着海蒂、父亲和希金斯太太。)

海蒂、黛安、肖恩:(齐声喊)老爸,你这是干什么呀。

父亲:呃,嗯,是吗?

(幕落)Unlike the father in the play which began this unit, here we have a father who is far better at seeing things from his son's point of view. As Merton shows, however, this does not always come easy.

与本单元开始的那场戏里的那位父亲不同,这里我们读到的是一位颇能设身处地为儿子着想的父亲。然而,正如默顿所描述的那样,要做到这点往往并非易事。

Unit4

A Virtual Life

Maia Szalavitz 1 After too long on the Net, even a phone call can be a shock. My boyfriend's Liverpool accent suddenly becomes impossible to interpret after his easily understood words on screen; a secretary's clipped tone seems more rejecting than I'd imagined it would be. Time itself becomes fluid -- hours become minutes, or seconds stretch into days. Weekends, once a highlight of my week, are now just two ordinary days.

虚拟世界的生活

迈亚·塞拉维茨

在网上呆了太久,听到电话铃声也会吓一大跳。显示屏上看多了我男朋友那些一目了然的文字,他的利物浦口音一下子变得难以听懂;而秘书的清脆快速的语调听上去比我想象的要生硬。时间本身变得捉摸不定——几小时变成几分钟,或几秒钟延伸为几天。周末原本是我一周的黄金时段,现在却不过是平平常常的两天。

2 For the last three years, since I stopped working as a television producer, I have done much of my work as a telecommuter. I submit articles and edit them via email and communicate with colleagues on Internet mailing lists. My boyfriend lives in England, so much of our relationship is also computer-assisted.

在我不再当电视制片人的这三年间,我的大部分工作都是在家里使用计算机终端进行的。我通过电子邮件投稿和校订,利用互联网上的人名地址与同行交流。我男朋友住在英国,因此两人的关系也在很大程度上借助于电脑维系。

3 If I desired, I could stay inside for weeks without wanting anything. I can order food, and manage my money, love and work. In fact, at times I have spent as long as three weeks alone at home, going out only to get mail and buy newspapers and groceries. I watched most of the endless snowstorm of '96 on TV.

我要是愿意的话,可以一连几个星期不出门而什么也不缺。我可以在网上订购食品、网上理财、网上恋爱、网上工作。事实上我有时独自呆在家里长达三个星期,只偶尔出去拿信、买报纸及日用品。1996年那一场接一场的暴风雪我大都是在电视上看到的。

4 But after a while, life itself begins to feel unreal. I start to feel as though I've become one with my machines, taking data in, spitting them back out, just another link in the Net. Others on line report the same symptoms. We start to feel an aversion to outside forms of socializing. We have become the Net critics' worst nightmare.

然而,一段时间之后,生活本身就显得不那么真实了。我开始觉得自己似乎与机器融为一体了,我接收信息,再发送出去,就如同互联网的一个连接点。其他上网的人也谈到了同样的症状。我们开始厌恶外面的社交方式。我们的状况成了批评互联网的人们最害怕见到的一幕。

5 What first seemed like a luxury, crawling from bed to computer, not worrying about hair, and clothes and face, has become a form of escape, a lack of discipline. And once you start replacing real human contact with cyber-interaction, coming back out of the cave can be quite difficult. 一下床就上机,不再为发型、服饰、面部化妆烦心,起初看似高级的享受如今却成为一种对生活的逃避,一种缺乏自律的表现。你一旦开始用网络交际取代人与人的真实接触,要走出这种穴居状态就会相当困难。

6 I find myself shyer, more cautious, more anxious. Or, conversely, when suddenly confronted with real live humans, I get overexcited, speak too much, interrupt. I constantly worry if I am dressed appropriately, that perhaps I've actually forgotten to put on a skirt and walked outside in the T-shirt and underwear I sleep and live in.

我发现自己变得比以前怯生、谨慎、焦虑。或者,反过来,当我突然面对现实中活生生的人时,会变得过于兴奋,说个不停,爱打断别人的讲话。我老是担心自己衣着是否得体,担心自己会不会真的忘了穿裙子,只穿着夜间睡觉、白天活动的那件T恤和内衣就出门了。

7 At times, I turn on the television and just leave it to talk away in the background, something that I'd never done previously. The voices of the programs are comforting, but then I'm jarred by the commercials. I find myself sucked in by soap operas, or needing to keep up with the latest news and the weather. "Dateline," "Frontline," "Nightline," CNN, New York 1, every possible angle of every story over and over and over, even when they are of no possible use to me. Work moves into the background. I decide to check my email.

有时我把电视机开着,让它作为背景声音一直响着,以前我从不这样做。电视节目中的说话声让人感到宽慰,可那些广告又叫我心烦。我发现自己沉浸在肥皂剧里,或者不停地收看最新的新闻报道和天气预报。一而再再而三地从“每日新闻”、“一线新闻”、“夜间新闻”、有线新闻电视网、纽约一套上收看有关每一条新闻的各种不同视角的报道,尽管它们对我毫无用处。工作成了次要的。我决定去看一下自己的电子信箱。

8 On line, I find myself attacking everyone in sight. I am bad-tempered, and easily angered. I find everyone on my mailing list insensitive, believing that they've forgotten that there are people actually reading their wounding remarks. I don't realize that I'm projecting until after I've been embarrassed by someone who politely points out that I've attacked her for agreeing with me.

在网上,我发现自己见谁攻谁。我脾气暴躁,动辄生气。我觉得我与之通信的每一个人都麻木不仁,认为他们已经忘却还有人真会去读他们那些刻薄伤人的言辞。直到有人礼貌地指出,她同意我的观点却遭到我的抨击时,我才意识到,自己是在以己度人,不由得深感尴尬。

9 When I'm in this state, I fight my boyfriend as well, misinterpreting his intentions because of the lack of emotional cues given by our typed dialogue. The fight takes hours, because the system keeps crashing. I say a line, then he does, then crash! And yet we keep on, doggedly.

在这种精神状态下,我也和男朋友吵架,常因键出的对话缺乏情感暗示而误解他的本意。由于系统常出故障,两人一争就是几个小时。我写一句,他回一句,接着系统失灵!可我们俩还是锲而不舍地接着吵。

10 I'd never realized how important daily routine is: dressing for work, sleeping normal hours. I'd never thought I relied so much on co-workers for company. I began to understand why long-term unemployment can be so damaging, why life without an externally supported daily plan can lead to higher rates of drug abuse, crime, suicide.

以前我从未意识到日常的生活起居是多么重要,如穿戴整齐去上班,按时就寝。以前我从未想过自己会那么依赖同事做伴。我开始理解为什么长时间的失业会那么伤人,为什么一个人的生活缺少了外部支持的日常计划就会导致吸毒、犯罪、自杀率的增长。

11 To restore balance to my life, I force myself back into the real world. I call people, arrange to meet with the few

remaining friends who haven't fled New York City. I try to at least get to the gym, so as to set apart the weekend from the rest of my week. I arrange interviews for stories, doctor's appointments -- anything to get me out of the house and connected with others.

为了恢复生活的平衡,我强迫自己回到真实世界中去。我给别人打电话,与所剩无几的仍然住在纽约城的几个朋友安排见面。我至少设法去去健身房,以便使周末与工作日有所不同。我安排采访好写报道,预约看医生——安排任何需要我出门与他人接触的活动。

12 But sometimes being face to face is too much. I see a friend and her ringing laughter is intolerable -- the noise of conversation in the restaurant, unbearable. I make my excuses and flee. I re-enter my apartment and run to the computer as though it were a place of safety.

但有时面对面地与人相处实在难以忍受。我与一位朋友见面,她那种响亮的笑声让人忍无可忍——饭店里的噪杂谈话声也让人受不了。我找了个藉口逃之夭夭。我重新回到我的公寓,冲向电脑,似乎那儿才是一个安全的地方。

13 I click on the modem, the once-annoying sound of the connection now as pleasant as my favorite tune. I enter my password. The real world disappears.

我点击鼠标,打开调制解调器,曾经听了就烦的连接声此刻听起来就如同最心爱的曲子那么悦耳。我键入密码。真实世界转瞬便消逝了。

Thought you were safe sharing secrets with Internet friends? Wait for the doorbell...

你以为与网友分享秘密不会出事儿吗?等着门铃响起来吧……

Unit5

True Height

David Naster 1 His palms were sweating. He needed a towel to dry his grip. The sun was as hot as the competition he faced today at the National Junior Olympics. The pole was set at 17 feet. That was three inches higher than his personal best. Michael Stone confronted the most challenging day of his pole-vaulting career.

真正的高度

大卫·纳史特

他手心在出汗。他需要用毛巾把握竿的手擦干。太阳火辣辣的,与他今天在全国少年奥林匹克运动会上所面临的竞争一样热烈。横杆升到了17英尺。比他个人的最高纪录高出3 英寸。迈克尔·斯通面临的是其撑竿跳高生涯中最具挑战性的一天。

2 The stands were still filled with about 20,000 people, even though the final race had ended an hour earlier. The pole vault is truly the highlight of any track and field competition. It combines the grace of a gymnast with the strength of a body builder. It also has the element of flying, and the thought of flying as high as a two-story building is a mere fantasy to anyone watching such an event.

尽管赛跑决赛一小时前就已经结束,看台上仍然观众满座,足有20,000人上下。撑竿跳高确实是所有田径比赛中最精彩的项目。它融合了体操运动员的优雅与健美运动员的力量。它还具有飞翔的特征,对观看该项目比赛的观众来说,飞跃两层楼的高度简直是一件不可思议的事情。

3 As long as Michael could remember he had always dreamed of flying. Michael's mother read him numerous stories about flying when he was growing up. Her stories were always ones that described the land from a bird's-eye view. Her excitement and passion for details made Michael's dreams full of color and beauty. Michael had this one recurring dream. He would be running down a country road. As he raced between golden wheat fields, he would always outrun the locomotives passing by. It was at the exact moment he took a deep breath that he began to lift off the ground. He would begin soaring like an eagle.

迈克尔自从能记事起就一直梦想着飞翔。从小到大,母亲给迈克尔念过无数关于飞翔的故事。她的故事总是从高空俯瞰描述大地。她对细节的激情和酷爱使得迈克尔的梦境色彩缤纷、绚丽无比。迈克尔总是重复做着一个梦。他在乡间大路上飞奔。当他奔跑在金色的麦田之间时,总是把开过的机车一路甩在身后。就在他深深吸上一口气的瞬间,他开始从地面一跃而起,就像一头雄鹰那样开始翱翔。

4 Where he flew would always coincide with his mother's stories. Wherever he flew was with a keen eye for detail

and the free spirit of his mother's love. His dad, on the other hand, was not a dreamer. Bert Stone was a hard-core realist. He believed in hard work and sweat. His motto: If you want something, work for it!

他飞越的都是母亲故事里描述的地方。无论他飞向何方,他都怀着母爱所赐予他的自由精神,用敏锐的目光观察入微。可他的父亲却不是个梦想家。伯特·斯通是个彻头彻尾的现实主义者。他信奉的是努力与苦干。他的格言是:要想有所收获,就得努力工作!

5 From the age of 14, Michael did just that. He began a very careful training program. He worked out every other day with weightlifting, with some kind of running work on alternate days. The program was carefully monitored by Michael's coach, trainer and father. Michael's dedication, determination and discipline was a coach's dream. Besides being an honor student and only child, Michael Stone continued to help his parents with their farm chores. Mildred Stone, Michael's mother, wished he could relax a bit more and be that "free dreaming" little boy. On one occasion she attempted to talk to him and his father about this, but his dad quickly interrupted, smiled and said, "You want something, work for it!" 从14岁起,迈克尔就是这么做的。他开始按非常周密的计划训练。他每隔一天进行举重训练,其它的日子做些跑步训练。训练计划由迈克尔的教练、训练员兼父亲严加督导。迈克尔的投入、执着、自律正是每一个教练所梦寐以求的。迈克尔在学校是位优秀生,在家是个独生子,但他仍帮助父母在自家的农场上干些杂活。迈克尔的母亲米尔德里德·斯通希望他能更放松些,还是做那个“自由幻想”的小男孩。有一次,她试图跟他及其父亲好好谈一下,可当父亲的马上就打断了她,笑着说:“要想有所收获,就得努力工作!”

6 All of Michael's vaults today seemed to be the reward for his hard work. If Michael Stone was surprised, excited or vain about clearing the bar at 1

7 feet, you couldn't tell. As soon as he landed on the inflated landing mat, and with the crowd on its feet, Michael immediately began preparing for his next attempt at flight. He seemed unaware of the fact that he had just beaten his personal best by three inches and that he was one of the final two competitors in the pole-vaulting event at the National Junior Olympics.

迈克尔今天跃过的所有高度显然都是对他刻苦努力的回报。迈克尔·斯通在成功跃过17英尺的横杆时是感到惊讶、激动还是得意,人们无从知晓。迈克尔身体刚刚落在充气垫上,观众还没坐下,他马上就开始准备下一次飞跃。他似乎并未意识到自己刚刚把个人最好成绩提高了3英寸,已经是全国少年奥林匹克运动会撑竿跳高项目最后两名决赛者之一。

7 When Michael cleared the bar at 17 feet 2 inches and 17 feet 4 inches, again he showed no emotion. As he lay on his back and heard the crowd groan, he knew the other vaulter had missed his final jump. He knew it was time for his final jump. Since the other vaulter had fewer misses, Michael needed to clear this vault to win. A miss would get him second place. Nothing to be ashamed of, but Michael would not allow himself the thought of not winning first place.

当迈克尔成功跃过17英尺2英寸和17英尺4英寸高度的横杆时,他仍没有流露出丝毫感情。他仰面躺着,听到观众在叹息,他知道另一位撑竿跳运动员最后一跳没有成功。他知道自己最后一跳的时刻到了。由于那位运动员失败次数较少,迈克尔这一跳只有成功才能获胜。这一次跳不过就会使自己落到第二名。那也丝毫无愧,但迈克尔决不让自己产生哪怕一丝与冠军无缘的念头。

8 He rolled over and did his routine of three finger-tipped push-ups. He found his pole, stood and stepped on the runway that led to the most challenging event of his 17-year-old life.

他翻了个身,照例指尖撑地做了三下俯卧撑。他找着了撑竿,站起身,踏上那引向其17年生命中最具挑战性的一跃的跑道。

9 The runway felt different this time. It startled him for a brief moment. Then it all hit him like a wet bale of hay. The bar was set at nine inches higher than his personal best. That's only one inch off the National record, he thought. The intensity of the moment filled his mind with anxiety. He began shaking the tension. It wasn't working. He became more tense. Why was this happening to him now, he thought. He began to get nervous. Afraid would be a more accurate description. What was he going to do? He had never experienced these feelings. Then out of nowhere, and from the deepest depths of his soul, he pictured his mother. Why now? What was his mother doing in his thoughts at a time like this? It was simple. His mother always used to tell him when you felt tense, anxious or even scared, take deep breaths.

这一回,那跑道显得有些异样。刹那间,他感到一阵惊吓。一种惶惑不安的感觉向他袭来。横杆升在高出他个人最高纪录9英寸的高度。他想,这一高度与全国纪录只差1英寸了。这一刻紧张异常,他感到焦虑不安。他想摆脱紧张情绪。没有用。他更紧张了。在这种时刻怎么会这样呢,他暗暗思忖着。他有点胆怯起来。说是恐惧也许更为恰当。怎么办?他以前从来不曾有过这种感觉。这时,不知不觉地,在内心最深处,出现了他母亲的身影。为什么是在

这一刻?记忆中,母亲在这种时刻会怎样做呢?很简单。母亲过去总跟他说,当你觉得紧张、焦虑、甚至害怕的时候,就深深地吸气。

10 So he did. Along with shaking the tension from his legs, he gently laid his pole at his feet. He began to stretch out his arms and upper body. The light breeze that was once there was now gone. He carefully picked up his pole. He felt his heart pounding. He was sure the crowd did, too. The silence was deafening. When he heard the singing of some distant birds in flight, he knew it was his time to fly.

于是他深深吸了一口气。在摆脱腿部肌肉紧张的同时,他轻轻地把撑竿放在脚边。他开始舒展双臂和上身。刚才飘过一阵轻风,此刻消失了。他小心翼翼地拿起撑竿,只觉得心怦怦在跳。他相信观众们的心也在怦怦跳动。场上鸦雀无声,令人透不过气来。当他听见远处飞鸟啼鸣时,他知道,自己飞身起跃的时刻到了。

11 As he began sprinting down the runway, something felt wonderfully different, yet familiar. The surface below him felt like the country road he used to dream about. Visions of the golden wheat fields seemed to fill his thoughts. When he took a deep breath, it happened. He began to fly. His take-off was effortless. Michael Stone was now flying, just like in his childhood dreams. Only this time he knew he wasn't dreaming. This was real. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. The air around him was the purest and freshest he had ever sensed. Michael was soaring like an eagle.

他沿着跑道起跑冲刺,那感觉奇特无比,妙不可言,而又似曾相识。脚下的地面就好似过去常常梦见的乡间大路。金色麦田的景象映现在他的脑海中。他深深吸了一口气,于是奇迹发生了。他飞起来了。他的起跳轻松自如。迈克尔·斯通此刻就像儿时梦境中的那般在飞行。不过这一次他知道自己不是在做梦。这一次他真的在飞。周围一切都似乎在缓缓移动。他感到周围空气从未像这样纯净清新。如同一头雄鹰,迈克尔在翱翔。

12 It was either the eruption of the people in the stands or the thump of his landing that brought Michael back to earth. On his back with that wonderful hot sun on his face, he knew he could only see in his mind's eye the smile on his mother's face. He knew his dad was probably smiling too, even laughing. What he didn't know was that his dad was hugging his wife and crying. That's right: Bert "If You Want It, Work For It" Stone was crying like a baby in his wife's arms. He was crying harder than Mildred had ever seen before. She also knew he was crying the greatest tears of all: tears of pride. Michael was immediately surrounded by people hugging and congratulating him on the greatest accomplishment of his life. He later went on that day to clear 17 feet 6? inches: a National and International Junior Olympics record.

或许是看台上人们爆发出的欢呼声,或许是他着地时嘭的一声响使迈克尔回到现实之中。他仰面躺着,明媚的骄阳映照着他的脸。他知道自己只能想象母亲的笑靥,他知道爸爸或许也在微笑,甚或欢声大笑。他不知道的是,他爸爸正与妻子相拥而泣。没错,这位“要想有所收获,就得努力工作”的伯特·斯通在妻子怀里孩子似地泪流满面。米尔德里德从没见他那样哭过。她也知道,他流淌的是最难得的泪水:骄傲的泪水。迈克尔一下子被围住了,人们拥抱他,祝贺他所取得的一生中最辉煌的成就。那天稍后,他接着越过了17英尺6英寸半,创下了全国和世界少年奥林匹克撑杆跳高的新纪录。

13 With all the media attention and sponsorship possibilities, Michael's life would never be the same again. It wasn't just because he won the National Junior Olympics and set a new world record. And it wasn't because he had just increased his personal best by 9? inches. It was simply because Michael Stone is blind.

随着媒体的关注以及可能随之而来的各种赞助,迈克尔的生活肯定会不同以往。这不仅仅是因为他获得了全国少年奥林匹克冠军并刷新了一项世界纪录,也不是因为他将自己的最高纪录提高了9英寸半,而是因为迈克尔·斯通是个盲人。

A chance encounter can sometimes make all the difference to whether hardship brings out the best in us or the worst.

磨难到底是能让我们显出内在的美德还是暴露出自身的缺陷,有时一次偶然的遭遇可能会起到决定性的作用。

Unit6

I'm Going to Buy the Brooklyn Bridge

Adrienne Popper

1 Not long ago I received an alumni bulletin from my college. It included a brief item about a former classmate:"Kate L. teaches part-time at the University of Oklahoma and is assistant principal at County High School. In her spare time she is finishing her doctoral dissertation and the final drafts of two books, and she still has time for tennis and horse riding with her daughters." Four words in that description undid me: in her spare time. A friend said that if I believed everything in the report, she had a bridge in Brooklyn she'd like to sell me.

我要买下布鲁克林桥

艾德丽安·波珀

不久前,我收到母校一份校友简报。里面有一条是关于一个老同学的消息:“凯特·L在俄克拉荷马大学兼职任教,并任县高中校长助理。她正在利用业余时间完成博士论文以及两本著作的最后定稿,同时她仍有时间与女儿们一起打网球、骑马。”这条短讯中有四个字令我心神不安:业余时间。有位朋友说,要是我对这一报道里的一切都信以为真,那她在布鲁克林还有一座桥要出售给我呢。

2 My friend's joke hit home. What an idiot I'd been! I resolved to stop thinking about Kate's incredible accomplishments and to be suitably skeptical of such stories in the future.

朋友的打趣一针见血。我多蠢啊!于是我打定主意,不再去想凯特那些不可思议的成就,以后看到类似报道也不要轻易相信。

3 But like a dieter who devours a whole box of cookies in a moment of weakness, I found my resolve slipping occasionally. In weak moments I'd comb the pages of newspapers and magazines and consume success stories by the pound. My favorite superwomen included a politician's daughter who cared for her two-year-old and a newborn while finishing law school and managing a company; a practicing pediatrician with ten children of her own; and a television anchorwoman, mother of two preschoolers, who was studying for a master's degree.

可是,就像节食者一时软弱竟把整盒饼干吃个精光一样,我发现自己的决心也有动摇之时。每当不坚定时,我就在报刊上到处搜寻,贪婪地阅读一篇又一篇的成功故事。我最喜欢的女强人有:一位政治家的女儿,她在照料一个两岁幼儿与一个新生儿的同时读完了法学院,同时还经营着一家公司;一位开业儿科医师,她自己有十个子女;还有一位电视主持人,她是两个学龄前儿童的母亲,还在攻读硕士学位。

4 One day, however, I actually met a superwoman face to face. Just before Christmas last year, my work took me to the office of a woman executive of a national corporation. Like her supersisters, she has a husband, two small children and, according to reports, a spotless apartment. Her life runs as precisely as a Swiss watch. Since my own schedule rarely succeeds, her accomplishments fill me with equal amounts of wonder and guilt.

然而,有一天我真的与一位女强人面对面相逢。去年圣诞节前,我因工作需要来到一家全国性公司女总裁的办公室。如同其他女强人一样,她有丈夫,两个孩子,还有一处据说是纤尘不染的公寓。她的生活安排得如瑞士表一般精确。由于我本人的计划安排很少成功,她的成就既令我惊讶不已,又使我深感内疚。

5 On a shelf behind her desk that day were at least a hundred jars of strawberry jam, gaily tied with red-checked ribbons. The executive and her children had made the jam and decorated the jars, which she planned to distribute to her staff and visiting clients. 那天,她办公桌后面的架子上放置了至少一百罐草莓酱,上面扎着鲜艳的红格缎带。这些果酱是总裁和她的孩子们一起制作的,罐子也是他们一起装饰的,她准备把果酱送给员工及来访的客户。

6 When, I wondered aloud, had she found the time to complete such an impressive holiday project? I should have known better than to ask. The answer had a familiar ring: in her spare time.

我不由得惊问,她从哪儿抽出时间完成如此令人钦佩的假日工程?我真不该多此一问。答案听上去相当熟悉:业余时间。

7 On the train ride home I sat with a jar of strawberry jam in my lap. It reproached me the entire trip. Other women, it seemed to say, are movers and shakers -- not only during office hours, but in their spare time as well. What, it asked, do you accomplish in your spare time?

坐火车回家途中,我把那罐草莓酱放在膝头。这罐草莓酱一路上都在责备我。它似乎在说,别的女人不仅在上班之时干得出人头地,而且在工作之余也大有作为。而你,它责问道,在业余时间都做了点什么呢?

8 I would like to report that I am using my extra moments to complete postdoctoral studies in physics, to develop new theories of tonal harmony for piano and horn, and to bake cakes and play baseball with my sons. The truth of the matter is, however, that I am by nature completely unable to get my act together. No matter how carefully I plan my time, the plan always goes wrong.

我很想回答说,我在业余时间从事博士后物理学研究,在研究钢琴与号的声调和谐方面的新理论,在烘烤蛋糕,在跟儿子一起打棒球。然而,实际情形是,我生性就根本做不到事事有条不紊。不论怎么仔细安排时间,我的计划总是出问题。

9 If I create schedules of military precision in which several afternoon hours are given over to the writing of the Great American Novel, the school nurse is sure to phone at exactly the moment I put pencil to paper. One of my children will have developed a strange illness that requires him to spend the remainder of the day in bed, calling me at frequent intervals to bring soup, juice, and tea.

如果我制定像作战计划那样精确的时间表,将下午若干小时用于写作一部伟大的美国小说,那么幼儿园的保育员肯定会在我刚刚提笔的那一瞬间打来电话。我的一个孩子得了一种怪病需要整天卧床休息,还不停地让我端汤倒茶送果汁。

10 Other days, every item on my schedule will take three times the number of minutes set aside. The cleaner will misplace my clothes. My order won't be ready at the butcher shop as promised. The woman ahead of me in the supermarket line will pay for her groceries with a check drawn on a Martian bank, and only the manager (who has just left for lunch) can OK the matter. "They also serve who only stand and wait," wrote the poet John Milton, but he forgot to add that they don't get to be superwomen that way.

别的日子里,我时间表上的每一件事的耗时都超出原计划的三倍。洗衣工不知把我的衣服塞到什么地方去了。肉铺没有把我的订货按时准备好。在超市里,排在我前面的那位女士开出一张“火星银行”的支票为其食品杂货付款,只有经理(他刚出去吃午饭)才能决定可否接受。“站着等候的人们也在效劳,”诗人约翰·弥尔顿写道,但他却忘了补充一句,她们这样站着等候成不了女强人。

11 Racing the clock every day is such an exhausting effort that when I actually have a few free moments, I tend to collapse. Mostly I sink into a chair and stare into space while I imagine how lovely life would be if only I possessed the organizational skills and the energy of my superheroines. In fact, I waste a good deal of my spare time just worrying about what other women are accomplishing in theirs. Sometimes I think that these modern fairy tales create as many problems for women as the old stories that had us biding our time for the day our prince would come.

每天与时间赛跑令人精疲力竭,等我果真有了一些余暇,往往累得都要垮了。我大多瘫倒在椅子里,呆呆地凝视着前方,想象着要是自己拥有那些超级女英雄的组织才能与旺盛精力,生活该会是多么美妙。事实上,我白白浪费了许多闲暇时光不无忧愁地去想着别的女人在业余时间会成就什么事情。有时我想,这些现代神话故事给女人带来的问题并不少于那些害得我们终日等待王子前来相救的古老故事。

12 Y et superwomen tales continue to charm me. Despite my friend's warning against being taken in, despite everything I've learned, I find that I'm not only willing, but positively eager to buy that bridge she mentioned. Why? I suppose it has something to do with the appeal of an optimistic approach to life -- and the fact that extraordinary deeds have been accomplished by determined individuals who refused to believe that "you can't" was the final word on their dreams.

但女强人的故事仍然令我心醉神迷。尽管朋友提醒我不要上当,尽管我也长了不少见识,我还是发现自己不仅愿意,而且还真的渴望买下她说的那座桥。为什么?我想这是因为乐观的生活态度深深地吸引着我——还有,那些就是不肯相信自己的梦想“不能”实现的意志坚定的人确实成就了非凡的业绩。

13 Men have generally been assured that achieving their heart's desires would be a piece of cake. Women, of course, have always believed that we can't have our cake and eat it too-the old low-dream diet. Perhaps becoming a superwoman is an impossible dream for me, but life without that kind of fantasy is as unappealing as a diet with no treats.

男人一般确信,实现自己的心愿不费吹灰之力。女人嘛,当然总是相信鱼与熊掌不能兼得——人们反复灌输的不要好高骛远那一套。我或许无望成为女强人,但如果没有这种梦想,生活就变得平淡无味,就如同日常饮食中缺了美味佳肴一般。

14 I know the idea of admiring a heroine is considered silly today; we working women are too sophisticated for that. Yet the superwomen I read about are my heroines. When my faith in myself falters, it is they who urge me on, whispering, "Go for it, lady!"

我知道如今人们认为英雄崇拜是一种愚蠢的想法,我们职业女性业已成熟,不再干这种傻事。然而我所读到的

女强人就是我的英雄。当我对自己失去信心时,正是她们激励我向前进,轻轻对我说:“去争取啊,女士!”

15 One of these days I plan to phone my former classmate Kate and shout "Well done!" into the receiver. I hope she won't be modest about her achievements. Perhaps she will have completed her dissertation and her two books and moved on to some new work that's exciting or dangerous or both. I'd like to hear all about it. After that I'm going to phone the friend who laughed at me for believing all the stories I hear. Then I'll tell her a story: the tale of a woman who bought her own version of that bridge in Brooklyn and found that it was a wise investment after all.

我准备近日给老同学凯特打电话,对着话筒大叫一声“干得好!”我希望她对自己的成就不要谦虚。也许她已经完成了博士论文和两本著作,开始着手某项颇为刺激,或颇具危险,甚或两者兼有的新工作。我愿意听她讲述这一切。随后我要给那个嘲笑我轻信自己听到的成功故事的朋友打电话。我要给她讲一个故事:一个女人的故事,她买下了她自己演绎的布鲁克林的那座大桥,并发现这是一项明智的投资。

When you find yourself tied down to doing a job that just isn't you, it is easy to wish to be able to start off along a completely new path. Unfortunately, this is often easier said than done, the path stony and difficult to follow. For Muriel Whetstone, however, it turned out to be a journey well worth the effort.

当你发现自己被一份你根本不想做的工作束缚住时,很容易希望自己能重新开辟一条全新的路。不幸的是,说来容易做来难,新路往往充满崎岖坎坷。然而,对穆丽尔·韦特斯通来说,这一人生之路还是值得一走的。

Unit7

The Glorious Messiness of English

Robert MacNeil 1 The story of our English language is typically one of massive stealing from other languages. That is why English today has an estimated vocabulary of over one million words, while other major languages have far fewer.

英语中绚丽多彩的杂乱无章现象

罗伯特·麦克尼尔

我们的英语的历史是典型的大量窃取其它语言的历史。正因为如此,今日英语的词汇量据估计超过一百万,而其它主要语言的词汇量都要小得多。

2 French, for example, has only about 75,000 words, and that includes English expressions like snack bar and hit parade. The French, however, do not like borrowing foreign words because they think it corrupts their language. The government tries to ban words from English and declares that Walkman is not desirable; so they invent a word, balladeur, which French kids are supposed to say instead -- but they don't.

例如,法语只有约75,000个单词,其中还包括像snack bar(快餐店)和hit parade(流行唱片目录)这样的英语词汇。但法国人不喜欢借用外来词,因为他们认为这样会损害法语的纯洁性。法国政府试图逐出英语词汇,宣称Walkman(随身听)一词有伤大雅,因此他们造了个新词balladeur让法国儿童用——可他们就是不用。

3 Walkman is fascinating because it isn't even English. Strictly speaking, it was invented by the Japanese manufacturers who put two simple English words together to name their product. That doesn't bother us, but it does bother the French. Such is the glorious messiness of English. That happy tolerance, that willingness to accept words from anywhere, explains the richness of English and why it has become, to a very real extent, the first truly global language.

Walkman一词非常耐人寻味,因为这个词连英语也不是。严格地说,该词是由日本制造商发明的,他们把两个简单的英语单词拼在一起来命名他们的产品。这事儿我们不介意,法国人却耿耿于怀。由此可见英语中绚丽多彩的杂乱无章现象。这种乐意包容的精神,这种不管源自何方来者不拒的精神,恰好解释了英语为什么会这么丰富,解释了英语缘何在很大程度上第一个成了真正的国际语言。

4 How did the language of a small island off the coast of Europe become the language of the planet -- more widely spoken and written than any other has ever been? The history of English is present in the first words a child learns about identity (I, me, you); possession (mine, yours); the body (eye, nose, mouth); size (tall, short); and necessities (food, water). These words all come from Old English or Anglo-Saxon English, the core of our language. Usually short and direct, these are words we still use today for the things that really matter to us.

欧洲沿海一个弹丸小岛的语言何以会成为地球上的通用语言,比历史上任何一种其他语言都更为广泛地被口头

和书面使用?英语的历史体现在孩子最先学会用来表示身份(I, me, you)、所属关系(mine, yours)、身体部位(eye, nose, mouth)、大小高矮(tall, short),以及生活必需品(food, water)的词汇当中。这些词都来自英语的核心部分古英语或盎格鲁-萨克逊英语。这些词通常简短明了,我们今天仍然用这些词来表示对我们真正至关重要的事物。

5 Great speakers often use Old English to arouse our emotions. For example, during World War II, Winston Churchill made this speech, stirring the courage of his people against Hitler's armies positioned to cross the English Channel: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender." 伟大的演说家常常用古英语来激发我们的情感。例如,在二战期间,温斯顿·丘吉尔作了如下的演讲来激励国民的勇气以抵抗屯兵英吉利海峡准备渡海作战的希特勒的军队:“我们要战斗在海滩上,我们要战斗在着陆场上,我们要战斗在田野和街巷,我们要战斗在群山中。我们决不投降。”

6 Virtually every one of those words came from Old English, except the last -- surrender, which came from Norman French. Churchill could have said, "We shall never give in," but it is one of the lovely -- and powerful -- opportunities of English that a writer can mix, for effect, different words from different backgrounds. Yet there is something direct to the heart that speaks to us from the earliest words in our language.

这段文字中几乎每个词都来自古英语,只有最后一个词——surrender 是个例外,来自诺曼法语。丘吉尔原本可以说:“We shall never give in,”但这正是英语迷人之处和活力所在,作家为了加强效果可以糅合来自不同背景的不同词汇。而演说中使用古英语词汇具有直接拨动心弦的效果。

7 When Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 B.C., English did not exist. The Celts, who inhabited the land, spoke languages that survive today mainly as Welsh. Where those languages came from is still a mystery, but there is a theory.

尤利乌斯·凯撒在公元前55年入侵不列颠时,英语尚不存在。当时不列颠的居民凯尔特人使用的那些语言流传下来主要成了威尔士语。这些语言的起源至今仍是个不解之谜,但有一种理论试图解开这个谜。

8 Two centuries ago an English judge in India noticed that several words in Sanskrit closely resembled some words in Greek and Latin. A systematic study revealed that many modern languages descended from a common parent language, lost to us because nothing was written down.

两个世纪前,在印度当法官的一位英国人注意到,梵文中有一些词与希腊语、拉丁语中的一些词极为相似。系统的研究显示,许多现代语言起源于一个共同的母语,但由于没有文字记载,该母语已经失传。

9 Identifying similar words, linguists have come up with what they call an Indo-European parent language, spoken until 3500 to 2000 B.C. These people had common words for snow, bee and wolf but no word for sea. So some scholars assume they lived somewhere in north-central Europe, where it was cold. Traveling east, some established the languages of India and Pakistan, and others drifted west toward the gentler climates of Europe. Some who made the earliest move westward became known as the Celts, whom Caesar's armies found in Britain.

语言学家找出了相似的词,提出这些语言的源头是他们称之为印欧母语的语言,这种语言使用于公元前3500年至公元前2000年。这些人使用同样的词表达“雪”、“蜜蜂”和“狼”,但没有表示“海”的词。因此有些学者认为,他们生活在寒冷的中北欧某个地区。一些人向东迁徙形成了印度和巴基斯坦的各种语言,有些人则向西漂泊,来到欧洲气候较为温暖的地区。最早西移的一些人后来被称作凯尔特人,亦即凯撒的军队在不列颠发现的民族。

10 New words came with the Germanic tribes -- the Angles, the Saxons, etc. -- that slipped across the North Sea to settle in Britain in the 5th century. Together they formed what we call Anglo-Saxon society.

新的词汇随日尔曼部落——盎格鲁、萨克逊等部落——而来,他们在5世纪的时候越过北海定居在不列颠。他们共同形成了我们称之为盎格鲁-萨克逊的社会。

11 The Anglo-Saxons passed on to us their farming vocabulary, including sheep, ox, earth, wood, field and work. They must have also enjoyed themselves because they gave us the word laughter.

盎格鲁-萨克逊人将他们的农耕词汇留传给我们,包括sheep, ox, earth, wood, field 和work等。他们的日子一定过得很开心,因为他们留传给我们laughter一词。

12 The next big influence on English was Christianity. It enriched the Anglo-Saxon vocabulary with some 400 to 500 words from Greek and Latin, including angel, disciple and martyr.

下一个对英语产生重大影响的是基督教。基督教以400至500个希腊语、拉丁语词汇丰富了盎格鲁-萨克逊词汇,如angel(天使), disciple(门徒)和martyr(殉难者)等。

综合英语(一)课文及翻译

Lesson One: The Time Message Elwood N, Chapman 新的学习任务开始之际,千头万绪,最重要的是安排好时间,做时间的主人。本文作者提出了7点具体建议,或许对你有所启迪。 1 Time is tricky. It is difficult to control and easy to waste. When you look a head, you think you have more time than you need. For Example,at the beginning of a semester, you may feel that you have plenty of time on your hands, but toward the end of the term you may suddenly find that time is running out. You don't have enough time to cover all your duties (duty), so you get worried. What is the answer? Control! 译:时间真是不好对付,既难以控制好,又很容易浪费掉,当你向前看时,你觉得你的时间用不完。例如,在一个学期的开始,你或许觉得你有许多时间,但到学期快要结束时,你会突然发现时间快用光了,你甚至找不出时间把所有你必须干的事情干完,这样你就紧张了。答案是什么呢?控制。 2 Time is dangerous. If you don't control it, it will control you. I f you don't make it work fo r you, it will work against you. So you must become the master of time, not its servant. As a first-year college student, time management will be your number one Problem. 译:时间是危险的,如果你控制不了时间,时间就会控制你,如果你不能让时间为你服务,它就会起反作用。所以,你必须成为时间的主人,而不是它的奴仆,作为刚入学的大学生,妥善安排时间是你的头等大事。 3 Time is valuable. Wasting time is a bad habit. It is like a drug. The more time you waste,the easier it is to go on wasting time. If seriously wish to get the most out of college, you must put the time message into practice. 译:时间是珍贵的,浪费时间是个坏习惯,这就像毒品一样,你越浪费时间,就越容易继续浪费下去,如果你真的想充分利用上大学的机会,你就应该把利用时间的要旨付诸实践。 Message1. Control time from the beginning. 4 Time is today, not tomorrow or next week. Start your plan at the Beginning of the term. 译:抓紧时间就是抓紧当前的时间,不要把事情推到明天或是下周,在学期开始就开始计划。 Message2. Get the notebook habit. 5 Go and buy a notebook today, Use it to plan your study time each day. Once a weekly study plan is prepared, follow the same pattern every week with small changes. Sunday is a good day to make the Plan for the following week.

大学英语2翻译原文及答案

Unit1 1.背离传统需要极大的勇气 1) It takes an enormous amount of courage to make a departure from the tradition. 2.汤姆过去很腼腆,但这次却非常勇敢能在大庭广众面前上台表演了。 2) Tom used to be very shy, but this time he was bold enough to give a performance in front of a large audience. 3.很多教育家认为从小培养孩子的创新精神是很可取的。 3) Many educators think it desirable to foster the creative spirit in the child at an early age. 4.假设那幅画确实是名作,你觉得值得购买吗? 4) Assuming (that) this painting really is a masterpiece, do you think it’s worthwhile to buy/purchase it? 5.如果这些数据统计上市站得住脚的,那它将会帮助我们认识正在调查的问题。 5) If the data is statistically valid, it will throw light on the problem we are investigating. Unit2 1.该公司否认其捐款有商业目的。 1) The company denied that its donations had a commercial purpose.

新编大学英语4课文翻译(包括课后文章翻译)和答案

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新标准大学综合英语2 unit1 课文翻译

NUIT1 大学已经不再特别了 有这么一种说法:“要是你能记得20世纪60年代的任何事情,你就没有真正经历过那段岁月。”对于在大麻烟雾中度过大学时光的那些人,这话可能是真的。但是,20世纪60年代有一件事人人都记得,那就是:上大学是你一生中最激动人心、最刺激的经历。 20世纪60年代,加州的高校把本州变成了世界第七大经济实体。然而,加州大学的主校园伯克利分校也以学生示威、罢课以及激进的政治氛围而著名。1966年,罗纳德?里根竞选加州州长,他问加州是否允许“一所伟大的大学被喧闹的、唱反调的少数人征服。”自由派人士回答说,大学之所以伟大正是因为它们有能力容忍喧闹的、唱反调的少数人。 在欧洲的大学校园里,大学生以新的姿态和激情投入到争取自由和正义的事业中去,大规模的社会主义或共产主义运动引发了他们与当权者之间日益升级的暴力冲突。许多抗议是针对越南战争的。可是在法国,巴黎大学的学生与工会联盟,发动了一场大罢工,最终导致戴高乐总统辞职。 20世纪60年代大学生活的特点并不仅仅是激进的行动。不论在什么地方,上大学都意味着你初次品尝真正自由的滋味,初次品尝深更半夜在宿舍或学生活动室里讨论人生意义的滋味。你往往得上了大学才能阅读你的第一本禁书,看你的第一部独立影人电影,或者找到和你一样痴迷吉米?亨德里克斯或兰尼?布鲁斯的志同道合者。那是一段难以想象的自由时光,你一生中最无拘无束的时光。 可如今那份激情哪儿去了?大学怎么了?现在,政治、社会和创造意识的觉醒似乎不是凭借大学的助力,而是冲破其阻力才发生的。当然,一点不假,高等教育仍然重要。例如,在英国,布莱尔首相几乎实现了到2010年让50%的30岁以下的人上大学的目标(即使愤世嫉俗的人会说,这是要把他们排除在失业统计数据之外)。不过,大学教育已不再是全民重视的话题了。如今,大学被视为人们急于逃离的一种小城镇。有些人辍学,但大多数已经有些麻木,还是坚持混到毕业,因为离开学校实在是太费事了。 没有了20世纪60年代大学生所发现的令人头脑发热的自由气氛,如今的大学生要严肃得多。英国文化协会最近做了一项调查,研究外国留学生在决定上哪所大学时所考虑的因素。这些因素从高到低依次是:课程质量、就业前景、学费负担、人身安全问题、生活方式,以及各种便利。大学已变成实现目的的手段,是在就业市场上增加就业几率的一个机会,上大学本身不再是目的,不再是给你提供一个机会,让你暂时想象一下:你能够改变世界。 童年与大学之间的距离已缩小了,大学与现实世界之间的距离也缩小了。其中的一个原因可能和经济有关。在一个没有保障的世界里,现在的许多孩子依赖父母资助的时间比以前的孩子更长。21世纪的学生大学毕业后根本无法自立门户,因为那太昂贵了。另一个可能的原因是通讯革命。儿子或女儿每学期往家里打一两回电话的日子一去不复返了。如今,大学生通过手机与父母保持着脐带式联系。至于寻找痴迷无名文学或音乐的同道好友,没问题,我们有互联网和聊天室来帮助我们做到这一点。

大学英语2翻译全套

There Is Magic in a Word of Praise赞美之词的魔力 一次,一位百老汇喜剧演员做了一个噩梦:他梦见自己在一个座无虚席的剧场里讲故事、唱歌,数以千计的人们看着他—但是没有人笑或拍手。“即使一个星期能赚10万美元,”他说,“那也像人间地狱一般。” 不仅演员需要掌声,没有赞扬和鼓励,任何人都会失去信心。因此,我们都有着双重需求:被别人称赞以及懂得如何去称赞别人。说赞美的话是有技巧的,有正确的说法。比如,因为某些显而易见的成就而去表扬一个人,这不是真正的赞扬。你得运用辨别力和创造力。“您今晚的演讲很精彩、很有说服力,”一次,一位和蔼可亲的女士对一位商人说,“我禁不住想,您肯定也能当一名出色的律师。”听到这意外的溢美之词,那位商人像个男生般地脸红了。 无论声名显赫还是默默无闻,没有一个人会对真诚的赞赏无动于衷。耶鲁著名的英语教授威廉·里昂·费尔普斯讲述道:“一个炎热的夏日,我走进一家拥挤的饭馆吃中饭。服务员递给我菜单时,我说,‘今天厨房里的小伙子们肯定在受罪!’服务员惊讶地看着我说:‘来这儿的人都抱怨菜的味道不好,对服务评头论足,还埋怨太闷热。19年了,你是第一个对后面厨房里的厨师们表示同情的人。’人们所需要的,”费尔普斯下结论道,“是作为人能得到一点点关注。”在那种关注中,真诚是至关重要的。当劳作了一天的男人回家时看见孩子们将脸贴在窗上、张望着等待他,他也许会感到这种无声而珍贵的语言如甘露一般涤荡了他的心灵。 孩子们尤其渴望鼓励。童年时如果得不到善意的赞赏,将会危及性格的发展。一位年轻妈妈向A·W·比文牧师讲述了一件让人伤心的事:“我的小女儿常常不听话,我不得不批评她。但是有一天,她特别乖,没有做一件会挨批评的事。当天晚上,我给她盖好被子、准备下楼时,听见她在抽泣。我走回去,发现她把头埋在枕头里。她一边呜咽一边问:‘难道我今天还不够乖吗?’” “那个问题,” 那位妈妈说,“像把刀一样刺痛了我。当她做错事时,我总是急于纠正,可是当她努力表现得好些时,我却没有注意。我哄她睡觉时连一句称赞的话都没有。” 同样的准则——说友善的话——适用于所有的人际关系。我小时候住在巴尔的摩,当时街坊里开了一家新的药店,为此我们那位技能娴熟、资历颇深的药剂师老派克·巴洛很生气。他指责他的年轻对手出售廉价药品而且在配药时没有经验。最后,那位受到伤害的新来的药剂师考虑以诽谤罪起诉对方,于是他去见了一位明智的律师托马斯·海斯。“别把争端扩大化,”海斯建议说,“试试友善(地处理)。” 第二天,当顾客们告诉他他的对手在讲他坏话时,这位新药剂师说,一定是哪里发生误会了。“派克·巴洛,”他对他们说,“是这个镇上最好的药剂师之一。他能在任何一刻、任何一天或任何一晚配出急救药方。他的细心是我们所有人学习的榜样。这个街坊已经扩大了—有足够的空间同时容下我们俩。我把他的药店当作我学习的典范。” 当那位老人听说这些话时——因为称赞和丑闻一样会长着闲聊的翅膀迅速散播——迫不及待地要亲自见见这个年轻人,给他一些有用的建议。怨恨因真挚诚实的赞扬而化解了。 为什么我们大多数人对于那些能让其他人高兴的事实避而不提呢?“给生者一朵玫瑰,其意义远远胜于送给逝者华丽的花圈。”一位风度翩翩的老绅士以前常常顺路去新罕布什尔州靠近康韦的一家古董店里推销商品。有一天,等他走了以后,古董商的妻子说,她很想告诉他他的来访给他们带来了很多乐趣。丈夫回答说:“下一次我们告诉吧。” 第二年夏天,一个年轻女子来到店里,她自我介绍说是那个销售员的女儿。她说,她的父亲已经去世了。“从那天以后,”古董店老板说,“不管什么时候当我想到一个人的优点,我就会立即告诉他。也许我不再有另一个机会了。” 如同艺术家们在把美展示给别人的过程中能获得满足一样,任何一个掌握赞美艺术的人会发现它对给予者和接受者来说都是一种幸福。它给陈词滥调注入温暖和愉悦,将喧嚣的世界转变成优美的音乐。 每个人身上都有值得称道的地方。我们只是需要把它说出来。

新编大学英语3 课文翻译及习题答案 unit9

Unit 9 Music In-Class Reading Music to Your Gear 参考译文 音乐与开车 安迪·埃利斯 1 尽管音乐能使你胸中的怒气平息,但是开车时听音乐也会损害你的健康。近期研究表明,听声音很响的音乐会严重地影响司机的注意力,而且心理学家也提醒人们,不断地在车里放这种音乐是很危险的,尤其是处于车流中或在高速公路上开车时。 2 音乐有两个极端,任何一个极端都有可能带来危险。重金属音乐以其强烈的节奏会使人莽撞驾驶,而聆听处于另一个极端的优美的、令人舒心的音乐,会使司机过分放松,以至于丧失安全意识,陷入迷迷糊糊的欲睡状态。 3 英国汽车协会一直关注道路安全,它委托搞了一个项目,研究严重车祸与音乐之间的关系。这项研究发现,17至25年龄段的男人是最危险、最易产生车祸的群体。研究还发现,这个群体的人70%的开车时间都在听音乐。 4 快节奏或重金属音乐要是放得很响,会使人易怒好斗,开起车来就会冲劲十足,这种司机也就更容易去冒险。开车的速度受到了音乐的速度和节奏的控制。 5 在试验中,给那些自愿参加实验的司机听声音很响的音乐,他们说尽管他们不一定感到非要开快车,但的确发现自己换档更快了,加速也快了,刹车更急了。若是让这些司机听慢节奏的抒情曲,他们承认经常感到自己走神,他们在高速公路上长途开车时,至少有两位参试的司机发现自己不知不觉地在跨越车道标记。 6 这些自愿参试的司机(有些刚刚拿到驾驶执照)所发表的意见非常说明问题。十八岁的西蒙告诉英国汽车协会,“《走出地狱的蝙蝠》里的快节奏摇滚乐真会让人送命的。我发现自己不知不觉地越开越快。” 7 另一名自愿参试的司机一直在听ZZ Top乐队最流行的曲子,他说,“我一直在快速行驶,扯着嗓门唱歌,没有看见也没有听见那辆一直想超过我的消防车。” 8 还有些人说:“我陷入了深思”…… “人的感觉会变得麻木” …… “听不见别的汽车是个问题”,“我一直在随着音乐的节奏加快速度。” 9 一些慢节奏的背景音乐,如肖邦的音乐,会刺激人的大脑,使思维模式发生变化,激发阿尔法脑波,使人有一种舒服愉快的感觉。处于放松状态在大多数情况下对我们有好处,但开车时则不然。心理学家雪利?费希尔教授提醒人们说:“最大的危险是疲劳驾驶。有些音乐会使你无法集中注意力,甚至陷入轻度睡眠状态,那样就会造成可怕的惨祸。” 10 “问题的关键在于根据具体情况选择合适的音乐。刺激性的音乐适合在漫长、枯燥的道路上听,但是当交通状况糟糕时,或是交通拥挤时,这种音乐会分散你的注意力。” 11 然而,音乐也有其好的一面,正如英国汽车协会的心理学家罗伯特?韦斯特所指出的那样:“如果有些音乐影响我们安全行驶,那么反过来也是有道理的。

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