全新版大学英语综合教程3课文原文和翻译

第一篇：全新版大学英语综合教程3课文原文和翻译

unit 1 Mr.Doherty Builds His Dream Life

In America many people have a romantic idea of life in the countryside.Many living in towns dream of starting up their own farm, of living off the land.Few get round to putting their dreams into practice.This is perhaps just as well, as the life of a farmer is far from easy, as Jim Doherty discovered when he set out to combine being a writer with running a farm.Nevertheless, as he explains, he has no regrets and remains enthusiastic about his decision to change his way of life.在美国，不少人对乡村生活怀有浪漫的情感。许多居住在城镇的人梦想着自己办个农场，梦想着靠土地为生。很少有人真去把梦想变为现实。或许这也没有什么不好，因为，正如吉姆·多尔蒂当初开始其写作和农场经营双重生涯时所体验到的那样，农耕生活远非轻松自在。但他写道，自己并不后悔，对自己作出的改变生活方式的决定仍热情不减。

Mr.Doherty Builds His Dream Life

Jim Doherty

There are two things I have always wanted to do--write and live

on a farm.Today I'm doing both.I am not in E.B.White's class as a writer or in my neighbors' league as a farmer, but I'm getting by.And after years of frustration with city and suburban living, my wife Sandy and I have finally found contentment here in the country.多尔蒂先生创建自己的理想生活

吉姆·多尔蒂

有两件事是我一直想做的――写作与务农。如今我同时做着这两件事。作为作家，我和E·B·怀特不属同一等级，作为农场主，我和乡邻也不是同一类人，不过我应付得还行。在城市以及郊区历经多年的怅惘失望之后，我和妻子桑迪终于在这里的乡村寻觅到心灵的满足。

It's a self-reliant sort of life.We grow nearly all of our fruits and vegetables.Our hens keep us in eggs, with several dozen left over to sell each week.Our bees provide us with honey, and we cut enough wood to just about make it through the heating season.这是一种自力更生的生活。我们食用的果蔬几乎都是自己种的。自家饲养的鸡提供鸡蛋，每星期还能剩余几十个出售。自家养殖的蜜蜂提供蜂蜜，我们还自己动手砍柴，足可供过冬取暖之用。

It's a satisfying life too.In the summer we canoe on the river, go

picnicking in the woods and take long bicycle rides.In the winter we ski and skate.We get excited about sunsets.We love the smell of the earth warming and the sound of cattle lowing.We watch for hawks in the sky and deer in the cornfields.这也是一种令人满足的生活。夏日里我们在河上荡舟，在林子里野餐，骑着自行车长时间漫游。冬日里我们滑雪溜冰。我们为落日的余辉而激动。我们爱闻大地回暖的气息，爱听牛群哞叫。我们守着看鹰儿飞过上空，看玉米田间鹿群嬉跃。

But the good life can get pretty tough.Three months ago when it was 30 below, we spent two miserable days hauling firewood up the river on a sled.Three months from now, it will be 95 above and we will be cultivating corn, weeding strawberries and killing chickens.Recently, Sandy and I had to retile the back roof.Soon Jim, 16 and Emily, 13, the youngest of our four children, will help me make some long-overdue improvements on the outdoor toilet that supplements our indoor plumbing when we are working outside.Later this month, we'll spray the orchard, paint the barn, plant the garden and clean the hen house before the new chicks arrive.但如此美妙的生活有时会变得相当艰苦。就在三个月前，气温降到华氏零下30度，我们辛苦劳作了整整两天，用一个雪橇沿着河边拖运木柴。再过三个月，气温会升到95度，我们就要给玉米松土，在草莓地除草，还要宰杀家禽。前一阵子我和桑迪不得不翻修后屋顶。过些时候，四个孩子中的两个小的，16岁的吉米和13岁的埃米莉，会帮着我一起把拖了很久没修的室外厕所修葺一下，那是专为室外干活修建的。这个月晚些时候，我们要给果树喷洒药水，要油漆谷仓，要给菜园播种，要赶在新的小鸡运到之前清扫鸡舍。

In between such chores, I manage to spend 50 to 60 hours a week at the typewriter or doing reporting for the freelance articles I sell to magazines and newspapers.Sandy, meanwhile, pursues her own demanding schedule.Besides the usual household routine, she oversees the garden and beehives, bakes bread, cans and freezes, drives the kids to their music lessons, practices with them, takes organ lessons on her own, does research and typing for me, writes an article herself now and then, tends the flower beds, stacks a little wood and delivers the eggs.There is, as the old saying goes, no rest for the wicked on a place like this--and not much for the virtuous either.在这些活计之间，我每周要抽空花五、六十个小时，不是打字撰文，就是为作为自由撰稿人投给报刊的文章进行采访。桑迪则有她自己繁忙的工作日程。除了日常的家务，她还照管菜园和蜂房，烘烤面包，将食品装罐、冷藏，开车送孩子学音乐，和他们一起练习，自己还要上风琴课，为我做些研究工作并打字，自己有时也写写文章，还要侍弄花圃，堆摞木柴、运送鸡蛋。正如老话说的那样，在这种情形之下，坏人不得闲――贤德之人也歇

不了。

None of us will ever forget our first winter.We were buried under five feet of snow from December through March.While one storm after another blasted huge drifts up against the house and barn, we kept warm inside burning our own wood, eating our own apples and loving every minute of it.我们谁也不会忘记第一年的冬天。从12月一直到3月底，我们都被深达5英尺的积雪困着。暴风雪肆虐，一场接着一场，积雪厚厚地覆盖着屋子和谷仓，而室内，我们用自己砍伐的木柴烧火取暖，吃着自家种植的苹果，温馨快乐每一分钟。

了几个星期。接着一次是生长季节到了，一波又一波的农产品潮涌而来，弄得我们应接不暇。我们的冰箱里塞满了樱桃、蓝莓、草莓、芦笋、豌豆、青豆和玉米。接着我们存放食品罐的架子上、柜橱里也开始堆满一罐罐的腌渍食品，有番茄汁、葡萄汁、李子、果酱和果冻。最后，地窖里遍地是大堆大堆的土豆、西葫芦、南瓜，谷仓里也储满了苹果和梨。真是太美妙了。

The next year we grew even more food and managed to get through the winter on firewood that was mostly from our own trees and only 100 gallons of heating oil.At that point I began thinking seriously about quitting my job and starting to freelance.The timing was terrible.By then, Shawn and Amy, our oldest girls were attending expensive Ivy League schools and we had only a few thousand dollars in the bank.Yet we kept coming back to the same question: Will there ever be a better time? The answer, decidedly, was no, and so--with my employer's blessings and half a year's pay in accumulated benefits in my pocket--off I went.第二年我们种了更多的作物，差不多就靠着从自家树林砍斫的木柴以及仅仅100加仑的燃油过了冬。其时，我开始认真考虑起辞了职去从事自由撰稿的事来。时机选得实在太差。当时，两个大的女儿肖恩和埃米正在费用很高的常春藤学校上学，而我们只有几千美金的银行存款。但我们一再回到一个老问题上来：真的会有更好的时机吗？答案无疑是否定的。于是，带着老板的祝福，口袋里揣着作为累

积津贴的半年薪水，我走了。

There have been a few anxious moments since then, but on balance things have gone much better than we had any right to expect.For various stories of mine, I've crawled into black-bear dens for Sports Illustrated, hitched up dogsled racing teams for Smithsonian magazine, checked out the Lake Champlain “monster” for Science Digest, and canoed through the Boundary Waters wilderness area of Minnesota for Destinations.那以后有过一些焦虑的时刻，但总的来说，情况比我们料想的要好得多。为了写那些内容各不相同的文章，我为《体育画报》爬进过黑熊窝；为《史密森期刊》替参赛的一组组狗套上过雪橇；为《科学文摘》调查过尚普兰湖水怪的真相；为《终点》杂志在明尼苏达划着小舟穿越美、加边界水域内的公共荒野保护区。

minor expenses, our premium is low--only $560 a year--and we are covered against catastrophe.Aside from that and the policy on our two cars at $400 a year, we have no other insurance.But we are setting aside $2,000 a year in an IRA.我挣的钱远比不上担任全职工作时的收入，可如今我们需要的钱也没有过去多。我挣的钱足以应付每月600美金的房屋贷款按揭以及一家人的日常开销。那些开销包括了所有支出，如音乐课学费、牙医账单、汽车维修以及大学费用等等。至于保险，我们买了一份低收入者的主要医疗项目保险。我们需要为每一位家庭成员的任何一项医疗费用支付最初的500美金。医疗保险则支付超出部分的80％。虽然我们仍要支付小部分医疗费用，但我们的保险费也低--每年只要560美金--而我们给自己生大病保了险。除了这一保险项目，以及两辆汽车每年400美金的保险，我们就没有其他保险了。不过我们每年留出2000美元入个人退休金账户。

We've been able to make up the difference in income by cutting back without appreciably lowering our standard of living.We continue to dine out once or twice a month, but now we patronize local restaurants instead of more expensive places in the city.We still attend the opera and ballet in Milwaukee but only a few times a year.We eat less meat, drink cheaper wine and see fewer movies.Extravagant Christmases are a memory, and we combine vacations with story assignments...我们通过节约开支而又不明显降低生活水准的方式来弥补收入差额。我们每个月仍出去吃一两次饭，不过现在我们光顾的是当地餐馆，而不是城里的高级饭店。我们仍去密尔沃基听歌剧看芭蕾演出，不过一年才几次。我们肉吃得少了，酒喝得便宜了，电影看得少了。铺张的圣诞节成为一种回忆，我们把完成稿约作为度假的一部分„„

I suspect not everyone who loves the country would be happy living the way we do.It takes a couple of special qualities.One is a tolerance for solitude.Because we are so busy and on such a tight budget, we don't entertain much.During the growing season there is no time for socializing anyway.Jim and Emily are involved in school activities, but they too spend most of their time at home.我想，不是所有热爱乡村的人都会乐意过我们这种生活的。这种生活需要一些特殊的素质。其一是耐得住寂寞。由于我们如此忙碌，手头又紧，我们很少请客。在作物生长季节，根本就没工夫参加社交活动。吉米和埃米莉虽然参加学校的各种活动，但他俩大多数时间也呆在家里。

The other requirement is energy--a lot of it.The way to make self-sufficiency work on a small scale is to resist the temptation to buy a tractor and other expensive laborsaving devices.Instead, you do the work yourself.The only machinery we own(not counting the lawn mower)is a little three-horsepower rotary cultivator and a 16-inch chain saw.另一项要求是体力――相当大的体力。小范围里实现自给自足的途径是抵制诱惑，不去购置拖拉机和其他昂贵的节省劳力的机械。相反，你要自己动手。我们仅有的机器（不包括割草机）是一台3马力的小型旋转式耕耘机以及一架16英寸的链锯。

How much longer we'll have enough energy to stay on here is anybody's guess--perhaps for quite a while, perhaps not.When the time comes, we'll leave with a feeling of sorrow but also with a sense of pride at what we've been able to accomplish.We should make a fair profit on the sale of the place, too.We've invested about $35,000 of our own money in it, and we could just about double that if we sold today.But this is not a good time to sell.Once economic conditions improve, however, demand for farms like ours should be strong again.没人知道我们还能有精力在这里再呆多久--也许呆很长一阵子，也许不是。到走的时候，我们会怆然离去，但也会为自己所做的一切深感自豪。我们把农场出售也会赚相当大一笔钱。我们自己在农场投入了约35，000美金的资金，要是现在售出的话价格差不多可以翻一倍。不过现在不是出售的好时机。但是一旦经济形势好转，对我们这种农场的需求又会增多。

know we've found just what we were looking for.但我们主要不是为了赚钱而移居至此的。我们来此居住是因为想提高生活质量。当我看着埃米莉傍晚去收鸡蛋，跟吉米一起在河上钓鱼，或和全家人一起在果园里享用老式的野餐，我知道，我们找到了自己一直在寻求的生活方式。

Donna Barron describes how American family life has changed in recent years.She identifies three forces at work.What are they? Read on to find out.Then ask yourself whether similar forces are at work within China.Will family life here end up going in the same direction?

唐娜·巴伦描述了美国家庭生活近几年来的变化。她指出有三种力量在起作用。是哪三种力量？请读本文。读后问一下自己，同样的力量在中国是否也在起作用。中国的家庭生活最终是否会朝着同一个方向变化？

The Freedom Givers

Fergus M.Bordewich

A gentle breeze swept the Canadian plains as I stepped outside the small two-story house.Alongside me was a slender woman in a black dress, my guide back to a time when the surrounding settlement in

Dresden, Ontario, was home to a hero in American history.As we walked toward a plain gray church, Barbara Carter spoke proudly of her great-great-grandfather, Josiah Henson.“He was confident that the Creator intended all men to be created equal.And he never gave up struggling for that freedom.” 给人以自由者弗格斯·M·博得威奇

我步出这幢两层小屋，加拿大平原上轻风微拂。我身边是一位苗条的黑衣女子，把我带回到过去的向导。那时，安大略省得雷斯顿这一带住着美国历史上的一位英雄。我们前往一座普普通通的灰色教堂，芭芭拉·卡特自豪地谈论着其高祖乔赛亚·亨森。“他坚信上帝要所有人生来平等。他从来没有停止过争取这一自由权利的奋斗。”

得一个美国小说人物问世：汤姆叔叔，哈丽特·比彻·斯陀的小说《汤姆叔叔的小屋》中那个逆来顺受的黑奴。具有讽刺意味的是，这一人物所象征的一切在亨森身上一点都找不到。一个不愿奋起力争、背叛种族的黑人？卡特对此颇为愤慨。“乔赛亚·亨森是个有原则的人，”她肯定地说。

I had traveled here to Henson's last home--now a historic site that Carter formerly directed--to learn more about a man who was, in many ways, an African-American Moses.After winning his own freedom from slavery, Henson secretly helped hundreds of other slaves to escape north to Canada--and liberty.Many settled here in Dresden with him.我远道前来亨森最后的居所――如今已成为卡特曾管理过的一处历史遗迹――是为了更多地了解此人，他在许多方面堪称黑人摩西。亨森自己摆脱了黑奴身份获得自由之后，便秘密帮助其他许多黑奴逃奔北方去加拿大――逃奔自由之地。许多人和他一起在得雷斯顿这一带定居了下来。

Railroad to freedom.但此地只是我所承担的繁重使命的一处停留地。乔赛亚·亨森只是一长串无所畏惧的男女名单中的一个名字，这些人共同创建了这条“地下铁路”，一条由逃亡线路和可靠的人家组成的用以解放美国南方黑奴的秘密网络。在1820年至1860年期间，多达十万名黑奴经由此路走向自由。

In October 2000, President Clinton authorized $16 million for the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center to honor this first great civil-rights struggle in the U.S.The center is scheduled to open in 2004 in Cincinnati.And it's about time.For the heroes of the Underground Railroad remain too little remembered, their exploits still largely unsung.I was intent on telling their stories.2000年10月，克林顿总统批准拨款1600万美元建造全国“地下铁路”自由中心，以此纪念美国历史上第一次伟大的民权斗争。中心计划于2004年在辛辛那提州建成。真是该建立这样一个中心的时候了。因为地下铁路的英雄们依然默默无闻，他们的业绩依然少人颂扬。我要讲述他们的故事。

go,” he said, pushing a pair of pistols into his pockets.听到轻轻的敲门声，约翰·帕克神情紧张起来。他开门窥望，夜色中认出是一位可靠的邻居。“有一群逃亡奴隶躲在肯塔基州的树林里，就在离河20英里的地方，”那人用急迫的口气低语道。帕克没一点儿迟疑。“我就去，”他说着，把两支手枪揣进口袋。

Born a slave two decades before, in the 1820s, Parker had been taken from his mother at age eight and forced to walk in chains from Virginia to Alabama, where he was sold on the slave market.Determined to live free someday, he managed to get trained in iron molding.Eventually he saved enough money working at this trade on the side to buy his freedom.Now, by day, Parker worked in an iron foundry in the Ohio port of Ripley.By night he was a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, helping people slip by the slave hunters.In Kentucky, where he was now headed, there was a $1000 reward for his capture, dead or alive.20年前，即19世纪20年代，生来即为黑奴的帕克才8岁就被从母亲身边带走，被迫拖着镣铐从弗吉尼亚走到阿拉巴马，在那里的黑奴市场被买走。他打定主意有朝一日要过自由的生活，便设法学会了铸铁这门手艺。后来他终于靠这门手艺攒够钱赎回了自由。现在，帕克白天在俄亥俄州里普利港的一家铸铁厂干活。到了晚上，他就成了地下铁路的一位“乘务员”，帮助人们避开追捕逃亡黑奴的人。在他正前往的肯塔基州，当局悬赏1000美元抓他，活人死尸都要。

Crossing the Ohio River on that chilly night, Parker found ten fugitives frozen with fear.“Get your bundles and follow me, ” he told them, leading the eight men and two women toward the river.They had almost reached shore when a watchman spotted them and raced off to spread the news.在那个阴冷的夜晚，帕克渡过俄亥俄河，找到了十个丧魂落魄的逃亡者。“拿好包裹跟我走，”他一边吩咐他们，一边带着这八男二女朝河边走去。就要到岸时，一个巡夜人发现了他们，急忙跑开去报告。

Parker saw a small boat and, with a shout, pushed the escaping slaves into it.There was room for all but two.As the boat slid across the river, Parker watched helplessly as the pursuers closed in around the men he was forced to leave behind.帕克看见一条小船，便大喝一声，把那些逃亡黑奴推上了船。大家都上了船，但有两个人容不下。小船徐徐驶向对岸，帕克眼睁睁地看着追捕者把他被迫留下的两个男人围住。

The others made it to the Ohio shore, where Parker hurriedly arranged for a wagon to take them to the next “station” on the Underground Railroad--the first leg of their journey to safety in Canada.Over the course of his life, John Parker guided more than 400 slaves to safety.其他的人都上了岸，帕克急忙安排了一辆车把他们带到地下铁路的下一“站”――他们走向安全的加拿大之旅的第一程。约翰·帕克在有生之年一共带领400多名黑奴走向安全之地。

While black conductors were often motivated by their own painful experiences, whites were commonly driven by religious convictions.Levi Coffin, a Quaker raised in North Carolina, explained, “The Bible, in bidding us to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, said nothing about color.”

黑人去当乘务员常常是由于本人痛苦的经历，而那些白人则往往是受了宗教信仰的感召。在北卡罗来纳州长大的贵格会教徒利瓦伊·科芬解释说：“《圣经》上只是要我们给饥者以食物，无衣者以衣衫，但没提到过肤色的事。”

Terminal of the Underground Railroad.在19世纪20年代，科芬向西迁移前往印第安纳州的新港（即今天的喷泉市），在那里开了一家小店。人们传说，逃亡黑奴在科芬家总是能得到庇护。有时他一次庇护的逃亡者就多达17人，他还备有一组人员和车辆把他们送往下一段行程。到后来有三条主要路线在科芬家汇合，科芬家成了地下铁路的中央车站。

For his efforts, Coffin received frequent death threats and warnings that his store and home would be burned.Nearly every conductor faced similar risks--or worse.In the North, a magistrate might have imposed a fine or a brief jail sentence for aiding those escaping.In the Southern states, whites were sentenced to months or even years in jail.One courageous Methodist minister, Calvin Fairbank, was imprisoned for more than 17 years in Kentucky, where he kept a log of his beatings: 35,105 stripes with the whip.科芬经常由于他做的工作受到被杀的威胁，收到焚毁他店铺和住宅的警告。几乎每一个乘务员都面临类似的危险――或者更为严重。在北方，治安官会对帮助逃亡的人课以罚金，或判以短期监禁。在南方各州，白人则被判处几个月甚至几年的监禁。一位勇敢的循道宗牧师卡尔文·费尔班克在肯塔基州被关押了17年多，他记录了自己遭受毒打的情况：总共被鞭笞了35,105下。

As for the slaves, escape meant a journey of hundreds of miles through unknown country, where they were usually easy to recognize.With no road signs and few maps, they had to put their trust in directions passed by word of mouth and in secret signs--nails driven into trees, for example--that conductors used to mark the route north.至于那些黑奴，逃亡意味着数百英里的长途跋涉，意味着穿越自己极易被人辨认的陌生地域。没有路标，也几乎没有线路图，他们赶路全凭着口口相告的路线以及秘密记号――比如树上钉着的钉子――是乘务员用来标示北上路线的记号。

Many slaves traveled under cover of night, their faces sometimes caked with white powder.Quakers often dressed their “passengers,” both male and female, in gray dresses, deep bonnets and full veils.On one occasion, Levi Coffin was transporting so many runaway slaves that he disguised them as a funeral procession.许多黑奴在夜色掩护下赶路，有时脸上涂着厚厚的白粉。贵格会教徒经常让他们的“乘客”不分男女穿上灰衣服，戴上深沿帽，披着把头部完全遮盖住的面纱。有一次，利瓦伊·科芬运送的逃亡黑奴实在太多，他就把他们装扮成出殡队伍。

Canada was the primary destination for many fugitives.Slavery had been abolished there in 1833, and Canadian authorities encouraged

the runaways to settle their vast virgin land.Among them was Josiah Henson.加拿大是许多逃亡者的首选终点站。那儿1833年就废除了奴隶制，加拿大当局鼓励逃亡奴隶在其广阔的未经开垦的土地上定居。其中就有乔赛亚·亨森。

As a boy in Maryland, Henson watched as his entire family was sold to different buyers, and he saw his mother harshly beaten when she tried to keep him with her.Making the best of his lot, Henson worked diligently and rose far in his owner's regard.还是孩子的亨森在马里兰州目睹着全家人被卖给不同的主人，看到母亲为了想把自己留在她身边而遭受毒打。亨森非常认命，干活勤勉，深受主人器重。

Money problems eventually compelled his master to send Henson, his wife and children to a brother in Kentucky.After laboring there for several years, Henson heard alarming news: the new master was planning to sell him for plantation work far away in the Deep South.The slave would be separated forever from his family.经济困顿最终迫使亨森的主人将他及其妻儿送到主人在肯塔基州的一个兄弟处。在那儿干了几年苦工之后，亨森听说了一个可怕的消息：新主人准备把他卖到遥远的南方腹地去农庄干活。这名奴隶

将与自己的家人永远分离。

There was only one answer: flight.“I knew the North Star,” Henson wrote years later.“Like the star of Bethlehem, it announced where my salvation lay.”

只有一条路可走：逃亡。“我会认北斗星，”许多年后亨森写道。“就像圣地伯利恒的救星一样，它告诉我在哪里可以获救。”

At huge risk, Henson and his wife set off with their four children.Two weeks later, starving and exhausted, the family reached Cincinnati, where they made contact with members of the Underground Railroad.“Carefully they provided for our welfare, and then they set us thirty miles on our way by wagon.”

亨森和妻子冒着极大的风险带着四个孩子上路了。两个星期之后，饥饿疲惫的一家人来到了辛辛那提州，在那儿，他们与地下铁路的成员取得了联系。“他们为我们提供了食宿，非常关心，接着又用车送了我们30英里。”

river to Canada.亨森一家继续往北走，最后来到纽约州的布法罗。在那儿，一位友善的船长指着尼亚加拉河对岸。“‘看见那些树没有？’他说，‘它们生长在自由的土地上。’”他给了亨森一美元钱，安排了一条小船，小船载着这位黑奴及其家人过河来到加拿大。

“I threw myself on the ground, rolled in the sand and danced around, till, in the eyes of several who were present, I passed for a madman.'He's some crazy fellow,' said a Colonel Warren.”

“我扑倒在地，在沙土里打滚，手舞足蹈，最后，在场的那几个人都认定我是疯子。‘他是个疯子，’有个沃伦上校说。”

“'Oh, no!Don't you know? I'm free!'”

“‘不，不是的！知道吗？我自由了！’”

Jesse Jackson, a well-known leader of black Americans, reviews the progress they have made in recent years.Despite this, he argues, there is still much left to be done before they enjoy full equality.著名美国黑人领袖杰西·杰克逊回顾了近几年来民权运动所取得的成就。成绩固然不少，但他指出，要享受完全的平等权利，仍有许多工作要做。

unit 3 The Land of the Lock

Years ago in America, it was customary for families to leave their doors unlocked, day and night.In this essay, Greene regrets that people can no longer trust each other and have to resort to elaborate security systems to protect themselves and their possessions.许多年前，在美国，家家户户白天黑夜不锁门是司空见惯的。在本文中，格林叹惜人们不再相互信任，不得不凭借精密的安全设备来保护自己和财产。

The Land of the Lock Bob Greene

In the house where I grew up, it was our custom to leave the front door on the latch at night.I don't know if that was a local term or if it is universal;“on the latch” meant the door was closed but not locked.None of us carried keys;the last one in for the evening would close up, and that was it.锁之国鲍伯·格林

小时候在家里，我们的前门总是夜不落锁。我不知道这是当地的一种说法还是大家都这么说；“不落锁”的意思是掩上门，但不锁住。我们谁都不带钥匙；晚上最后一个回家的人把门关上，这就行了。

Those days are over.In rural areas as well as in cities, doors do not stay unlocked, even for part of an evening.那样的日子已经一去不复返了。在乡下，在城里，门不再关着不锁上，哪怕是傍晚一段时间也不例外。

Suburbs and country areas are, in many ways, even more vulnerable than well-patroled urban streets.Statistics show the crime rate rising more dramatically in those allegedly tranquil areas than in cities.At any rate, the era of leaving the front door on the latch is over.在许多方面，郊区和农村甚至比巡查严密的城市街道更易受到攻击。统计显示，那些据称是安宁的地区的犯罪率上升得比城镇更为显著。不管怎么说，前门虚掩不落锁的时代是一去不复返了。

patios, with steel bars elegantly built in so no one can pry the doors open.取而代之的是防盗锁、防护链、电子报警系统，以及连接警署或私人保安公司的报警装置。郊区的许多人家在露台上安装了玻璃滑门，内侧有装得很讲究的钢条，这样就没人能把门撬开。

It is not uncommon, in the most pleasant of homes, to see pasted on the windows small notices announcing that the premises are under surveillance by this security force or that guard company.在最温馨的居家，也常常看得到窗上贴着小小的告示，称本宅由某家安全机构或某个保安公司负责监管。

The lock is the new symbol of America.Indeed, a recent public-service advertisement by a large insurance company featured not charts showing how much at risk we are, but a picture of a child's bicycle with the now-usual padlock attached to it.锁成了美国的新的象征。的确，一家大保险公司最近的一则公益广告没有用图表表明我们所处的危险有多大，而是用了一幅童车的图片，车身上悬着如今无所不在的挂锁。

psychic payment for the transformation of America from the Land of the Free to the Land of the Lock?

广告指出，没错，确是保险公司理赔失窃物品，但谁来赔偿互不信任、担心害怕这种新氛围对我们的生活方式所造成的影响呢？谁来对美国从自由之国到锁之国这一蜕变作出精神赔偿呢？

For that is what has happened.We have become so used to defending ourselves against the new atmosphere of American life, so used to putting up barriers, that we have not had time to think about what it may mean.因为那就是现状。我们已经变得如此习惯于保护自己不受美国生活新氛围的影响，如此习惯于设置障碍，因而无暇考虑这一切意味着什么。

For some reason we are satisfied when we think we are well-protected;it does not occur to us to ask ourselves: Why has this happened? Why are we having to barricade ourselves against our neighbors and fellow citizens, and when, exactly, did this start to take over our lives?

出于某种原因，当我们觉得防范周密时就感到心满意足；我们没有问过自己：为什么会出现这种情况？为什么非得把自己与邻居和同住一城的居民相隔绝，这一切究竟是从什么时候开始主宰我们生活的？

And it has taken over.If you work for a medium-to large-size company, chances are that you don't just wander in and out of work.You probably carry some kind of access card, electronic or otherwise, that allows you in and out of your place of work.Maybe the security guard at the front desk knows your face and will wave you in most days, but the fact remains that the business you work for feels threatened enough to keep outsiders away via these “keys.”

这一切确是主宰了我们的生活。如果你在一家大中型公司上班，你上下班很可能不好随意进出。你可能随身带着某种出入卡，电子的或别的什么的，因为这卡能让你进出工作场所。也许前台的保安认识你这张脸，平日一挥手让你进去，但事实明摆着，你所任职的公司深感面临威胁，因此要借助这些“钥匙”不让外人靠近。

It wasn't always like this.Even a decade ago, most private businesses had a policy of free access.It simply didn't occur to managers that the proper thing to do was to distrust people.这一现象并非向来有之。即使在十年前，大多数私营公司仍采取自由出入的做法。那时管理人员根本没想到过恰当的手段是不信任他人。

Look at the airports.Parents used to take children out to departure gates to watch planes land and take off.That's all gone.Airports are no longer a place of education and fun;they are the most sophisticated of security sites.且看各地机场。过去家长常常带孩子去登机口看飞机起飞降落。这种事再也没有了。机场不再是一个有趣的学习场所；它们成了拥有最精密的安全检查系统的场所。

With electronic X-ray equipment, we seem finally to have figured out a way to hold the terrorists, real and imagined, at bay;it was such a relief to solve this problem that we did not think much about what such a state of affairs says about the quality of our lives.We now pass through these electronic friskers without so much as a sideways glance;the machines, and what they stand for, have won.凭借着电子透视装置，我们似乎终于想出妙计让恐怖分子无法近身，无论是真的恐怖分子还是凭空臆想的。能解决这一问题真是如释重负，于是我们不去多想这种状况对我们的生活质量意味着什么。如今我们走过这些电子搜查器时已经看都不看一眼了，这些装置，还有它们所代表的一切已经获胜。

Our neighborhoods are bathed in high-intensity light;we do not want to afford ourselves even so much a luxury as a shadow.我们的居住区处在强光源的照射下；我们连哪怕像阴影这样小小的享受也不想给自己。

Businessmen, in increasing numbers, are purchasing new machines that hook up to the telephone and analyze a caller's voice.The machines are supposed to tell the businessman, with a small margin of error, whether his friend or client is telling lies.越来越多的商人正购置连接在电话机上、能剖析来电者声音的新机器。据说那种机器能让商人知道他的朋友或客户是否在撒谎，其出错概率很小。

All this is being done in the name of “security”;that is what we tell ourselves.We are fearful, and so we devise ways to lock the fear out, and that, we decide, is what security means.所有这一切都是以“安全”的名义实施的：我们是这么跟自己说的。我们害怕，于是我们设法把害怕锁在外面，我们认定，那就是安全的意义。

But no;with all this “security,” we are perhaps the most insecure nation in the history of civilized man.What better word to describe the way in which we have been forced to live? What sadder reflection on all that we have become in this new and puzzling time?

其实不然；我们虽然有了这一切安全措施，但我们或许是人类文明史上最不安全的国民。还有什么更好的字眼能用来描述我们被迫选择的生活方式呢？还有什么更为可悲地表明我们在这个令人困惑的新时代所感受到的惶恐之情呢？

We trust no one.Suburban housewives wear rape whistles on their station wagon key chains.We have become so smart about self-protection that, in the end, we have all outsmarted ourselves.We may have locked the evils out, but in so doing we have locked ourselves in.我们不信任任何人。郊区的家庭主妇在客货两用车钥匙链上挂着防强暴口哨。我们在自我防卫方面变得如此聪明，最终聪明反被聪明误。我们或许是把邪恶锁在了门外，但在这么做的同时我们把自己锁在里边了。

That may be the legacy we remember best when we look back on this age: In dealing with the unseen horrors among us, we became prisoners of ourselves.All of us prisoners, in this time of our troubles.那也许是我们将来回顾这一时代时记得最牢的精神遗产：在对付我们中间无形的恐惧之时，我们成了自己的囚徒。在我们这个问题重重的时代，所有的人都是囚徒。

Many people in America own handguns.Some, like Gail Buchalter, buy a gun for self-defense.Others, like her friends, refuse to do so because they think that guns cause more problems than they solve.Gail used to share her friends' views, but eventually changed her mind.Read what she has to say and decide whether she made the right choice.在美国，许多人拥有手枪。有人为了自卫买枪，如盖尔·巴卡尔特。另外一些人则拒绝这么做，比如她的许多朋友，因为他们认为，枪支引发的问题比解决的更多。以前盖尔与她的朋友们持有相同的观点，但后来她改变了看法。读一读她所说的一切，并判定她的选择是否明智。

Writing Three Thank-You Letters

Alex Haley

It was 1943, during World War II, and I was a young U.S.coastguardsman.My ship, the USS Murzim, had been under way for several days.Most of her holds contained thousands of cartons of canned or dried foods.The other holds were loaded with five-hundred-pound bombs packed delicately in padded racks.Our destination was a big base on the island of Tulagi in the South Pacific.写三封感谢信亚利克斯·黑利

那是在二战期间的1943年，我是个年轻的美国海岸警卫队队员。我们的船，美国军舰军市一号已出海多日。多数船舱装着成千上万箱罐装或风干的食品。其余的船舱装着不少五百磅重的炸弹，都小心翼翼地放在垫过的架子上。我们的目的地是南太平洋图拉吉岛上一个规模很大的基地。

I was one of the Murzim's several cooks and, quite the same as for folk ashore, this Thanksgiving morning had seen us busily preparing a traditional dinner featuring roast turkey.我是军市一号上的一个厨师，跟岸上的人一样，那个感恩节的上午，我们忙着在准备一道以烤火鸡为主的传统菜肴。

Well, as any cook knows, it's a lot of hard work to cook and serve a big meal, and clean up and put everything away.But finally, around sundown, we finished at last.当厨师的都知道，要烹制一顿大餐，摆上桌，再刷洗、收拾干净，是件辛苦的事。不过，等到太阳快下山时，我们总算全都收拾停当了。

I decided first to go out on the Murzim's afterdeck for a breath of

open air.I made my way out there, breathing in great, deep draughts while walking slowly about, still wearing my white cook's hat.我想先去后甲板透透气。我信步走去，一边深深呼吸着空气，一边慢慢地踱着步，头上仍戴着那顶白色的厨师帽。

I got to thinking about Thanksgiving, of the Pilgrims, Indians, wild turkeys, pumpkins, corn on the cob, and the rest.我开始思索起感恩节这个节日来，想着清教徒前辈移民、印第安人、野火鸡、南瓜、玉米棒等等。

Yet my mind seemed to be in quest of something else--some way that I could personally apply to the close of Thanksgiving.It must have taken me a half hour to sense that maybe some key to an answer could result from reversing the word “Thanksgiving”--at least that suggested a verbal direction, “Giving thanks.”

可我脑子里似乎还在搜索着别的事什么――某种我能够赋予这一节日以个人意义的方式。大概过了半个小时左右我才意识到，问题的关键也许在于把Thanksgiving这个字前后颠倒一下――那样一来至少文字好懂了：Giving thanks。

Giving thanks--as in praying, thanking God, I thought.Yes, of course.Certainly.表达谢意――就如在祈祷时感谢上帝那样，我暗想。对啊，是这样，当然是这样。

Yet my mind continued turning the idea over.可我脑子里仍一直盘桓着这事。

After a while, like a dawn's brightening, a further answer did come--that there were people to thank, people who had done so much for me that I could never possibly repay them.The embarrassing truth was I'd always just accepted what they'd done, taken all of it for granted.Not one time had I ever bothered to express to any of them so much as a simple, sincere “Thank you.”

过了片刻，如同晨曦初现，一个更清晰的念头终于涌现脑际――要感谢他人，那些赐我以诸多恩惠，我根本无以回报的人们。令我深感不安的实际情形是，我向来对他们所做的一切受之泰然，认为是理所应当。我一次也没想过要对他们中的任何一位真心诚意地说一句简单的谢谢。

pictured the three who were still alive and, within minutes, I was down in my cabin.至少有七个人对我有过不同寻常、影响深远的帮助。令人难过的是，我意识到，他们中有一半已经过世了――因此他们永远也无法接受我的谢意了。我越想越感到羞愧。最后我想到了仍健在的三位，几分钟后，我就回到了自己的舱房。

Sitting at a table with writing paper and memories of things each had done, I tried composing genuine statements of heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to my dad, Simon A.Haley, a professor at the old Agricultural Mechanical Normal College in Pine Bluff, Arkansas;to my grandma, Cynthia Palmer, back in our little hometown of Henning, Tennessee;and to the Rev.Lonual Nelson, my grammar school principal, retired and living in Ripley, six miles north of Henning.我坐在摊着信纸的桌旁，回想着他们各自对我所做的一切，试图用真挚的文字表达我对他们的由衷的感激之情：父亲西蒙·A·黑利，阿肯色州派因布拉夫那所古老的农业机械师范学院的教授；住在田纳西州小镇亨宁老家的外祖母辛西娅·帕尔默；以及我的文法学校校长，退休后住在亨宁以北6英里处的里普利的洛纽尔·纳尔逊牧师。

The texts of my letters began something like, “Here, this Thanksgiving at sea, I find my thoughts upon how much you have done

for me, but I have never stopped and said to you how much I feel the need to thank you--” And briefly I recalled for each of them specific acts performed on my behalf.我的信是这样开头的：“出海在外度过的这个感恩节，令我回想起您为我做了那么多事，但我从来没有对您说过自己是多么想感谢您――”我简短回忆了各位为我所做的具体事例。

For instance, something uppermost about my father was how he had impressed upon me from boyhood to love books and reading.In fact, this graduated into a family habit of after-dinner quizzes at the table about books read most recently and new words learned.My love of books never diminished and later led me toward writing books myself.So many times I have felt a sadness when exposed to modern children so immersed in the electronic media that they have little or no awareness of the marvelous world to be discovered in books.例如，我父亲的最不同寻常之处在于，从我童年时代起，他就让我深深意识到要热爱书籍、热爱阅读。事实上，这一爱好渐渐变成一种家庭习惯，晚饭后大家围在餐桌旁互相考查近日所读的书以及新学的单词。我对书籍的热爱从未减弱，日后还引导我自己撰文著书。多少次，当我看到如今的孩子们如此沉迷于电子媒体时，我不由深感悲哀，他们很少，或者根本不了解书中所能发现的神奇世界。

I reminded the Reverend Nelson how each morning he would open our little country town's grammar school with a prayer over his assembled students.I told him that whatever positive things I had done since had been influenced at least in part by his morning school prayers.我跟纳尔逊牧师提及他如何每天清晨和集合在一起的学生做祷告，以此开始乡村小学的一天。我告诉他，我后来所做的任何有意义的事，都至少部分地是受了他那些学校晨祷的影响。

In the letter to my grandmother, I reminded her of a dozen ways she used to teach me how to tell the truth, to share, and to be forgiving and considerate of others.I thanked her for the years of eating her good cooking, the equal of which I had not found since.Finally, I thanked her simply for having sprinkled my life with stardust.在给外祖母的信中，我谈到了她用了种种方式教我讲真话，教我与人分享，教我宽恕、体谅他人。我感谢她多年来让我吃到她烧的美味菜肴，离开她后我从来没吃过那么可口的菜肴。最后，我感谢她，因为她在我的生命中撒下美妙的遐想。

Before I slept, my three letters went into our ship's office mail sack.They got mailed when we reached Tulagi Island.睡觉前，我的这三封信都送进了船上的邮袋。我们抵达图拉吉岛后都寄了出去。

We unloaded cargo, reloaded with something else, then again we put to sea in the routine familiar to us, and as the days became weeks, my little personal experience receded.Sometimes, when we were at sea, a mail ship would rendezvous and bring us mail from home, which, of course, we accorded topmost priority.我们卸了货，又装了其它物品，随后我们按熟悉的常规，再次出海。一天又一天，一星期又一星期，我个人的经历渐渐淡忘。我们在海上航行时，有时会与邮船会合，邮船会带给我们家信，当然这是我们视为最紧要的事情。

Every time the ship's loudspeaker rasped, “Attention!Mail call!” two hundred-odd shipmates came pounding up on deck and clustered about the two seamen, standing by those precious bulging gray sacks.They were alternately pulling out fistfuls of letters and barking successive names of sailors who were, in turn, shouting back “Here!Here!” amid the pushing.每当船上的喇叭响起：“大伙听好！邮件点名！”200名左右的水兵就会冲上甲板，围聚在那两个站在宝贵的鼓鼓囊囊的灰色邮袋旁的水手周围。两人轮流取出一把信，大声念收信水手的名字，叫到的人从人群当中挤出，一边应道：“来了，来了！”

One “mail call” brought me responses from Grandma, Dad, and the Reverend Nelson--and my reading of their letters left me not only astonished but more humbled than before.一次“邮件点名”带给我外祖母，爸爸，以及纳尔逊牧师的回信――我读了信，既震惊又深感卑微。

Rather than saying they would forgive that I hadn't previously thanked them, instead, for Pete's sake, they were thanking me--for having remembered, for having considered they had done anything so exceptional.他们没有说他们原谅我以前不曾感谢他们，相反，他们向我致谢，天哪，就因为我记得，就因为我认为他们做了不同寻常的事。

Always the college professor, my dad had carefully avoided anything he considered too sentimental, so I knew how moved he was to write me that, after having helped educate many young people, he now felt that his best results included his own son.身为大学教授的爸爸向来特别留意不使用任何过于感情化的文字，因此，当他对我写道，在教了许许多多的年轻人之后，他认为自己最优秀的学生当中也包括自己的儿子时，我知道他是多么地感动。

The Reverend Nelson wrote that his decades as a “simple, old-fashioned principal” had ended with schools undergoing such swift changes that he had retired in self-doubt.“I heard more of what I had done wrong than what I did right,” he said, adding that my letter had brought him welcome reassurance that his career had been appreciated.纳尔逊牧师写道，他那平凡的传统校长的岁月随着学校里发生的如此迅猛的变化而结束，他怀着自我怀疑的心态退了休。“说我做得不对的远远多于说我做得对的，” 他写道，接着说我的信给他带来了振奋人心的信心：自己的校长生涯还是有其价值的。

A glance at Grandma's familiar handwriting brought back in a flash memories of standing alongside her white rocking chair, watching her “settin' down” some letter to relatives.Character by character, Grandma would slowly accomplish one word, then the next, so that a finished page would consume hours.I wept over the page representing my Grandma's recent hours invested in expressing her loving gratefulness to me--whom she used to diaper!

一看到外祖母那熟悉的笔迹，我顿时回想起往日站在她的白色摇椅旁看她给亲戚写信的情景。外祖母一个字母一个字母地慢慢拼出一个词，接着是下一个词，因此写满一页要花上几个小时。捧着外祖母最近花费不少工夫对我表达了充满慈爱的谢意，我禁不住流泪――从前是她给我换尿布的呀。

Much later, retired from the Coast Guard and trying to make a living as a writer, I never forgot how those three “thank you” letters gave me an insight into how most human beings go about longing in secret for more of their fellows to express appreciation for their efforts.许多年后，我从海岸警卫队退役，试着靠写作为生，我一直不曾忘记那三封“感谢”信是如何使我认识到，大凡人都暗自期望着有更多的人对自己的努力表达谢意。

Now, approaching another Thanksgiving, I have asked myself what will I wish for all who are reading this, for our nation, indeed for our whole world--since, quoting a good and wise friend of mine, “In the end we are mightily and merely people, each with similar needs.” First, I wish for us, of course, the simple common sense to achieve world peace, that being paramount for the very survival of our kind.现在，感恩节又将来临，我自问，对此文的读者，对我们的祖国，事实上对全世界，我有什么祝愿，因为，用一位善良而且又有智慧的朋友的话来说，“我们究其实都是十分相像的凡人，有着相似的需求。”当然，我首先祝愿大家记住这一简单的常识：实现世界和平，这对我们自身的存亡至关重要。

And there is something else I wish--so strongly that I have had

this line printed across the bottom of all my stationery: “Find the good--and praise it.”

此外我还有别的祝愿――这一祝愿是如此强烈，我将这句话印在我所有的信笺底部：“发现并褒扬各种美好的事物。”

Thanksgiving, like Spring Festival, brings families back together from across the country.Waiting for her children to arrive, Ellen Goodman reflects on the changing relationship between parents and children as they grow up and leave home, often to settle far away.如同春节那样，散居各处的美国人到感恩节就回家团聚。埃伦·古德曼在等待着子女回家的同时，思索着当子女长大离家，常常在远方定居之后，父母与子女关系的不断变化。

unit 6 The Last Leaf

When Johnsy fell seriously ill, she seemed to lose the will to hang on to life.The doctor held out little hope for her.Her friends seemed helpless.Was there nothing to be done?

约翰西病情严重，她似乎失去了活下去的意志。医生对她不抱

什么希望。朋友们看来也爱莫能助。难道真的就无可奈何了吗？

The Last Leaf

O.Henry

At the top of a three-story brick building, Sue and Johnsy had their studio.“Johnsy” was familiar for Joanna.One was from Maine;the other from California.They had met at a cafe on Eighth Street and found their tastes in art, chicory salad and bishop sleeves so much in tune that the joint studio resulted.最后一片叶子欧·亨利

在一幢三层砖楼的顶层，苏和约翰西辟了个画室。“约翰西”是乔安娜的昵称。她们一位来自缅因州，一位来自加利福尼亚。两人相遇在第八大街的一个咖啡馆，发现各自在艺术品味、菊苣色拉，以及灯笼袖等方面趣味相投，于是就有了这个两人画室。

隐形客闯入了这一地区，用它冰冷的手指东碰西触。约翰西也为其所害。她病倒了，躺在床上几乎一动不动，只能隔着小窗望着隔壁砖房那单调沉闷的侧墙。

One morning the busy doctor invited Sue into the hallway with a bushy, gray eyebrow.一天上午，忙碌的医生扬了扬灰白的浓眉，示意苏来到过道。

“She has one chance in ten,” he said.“And that chance is for her to want to live.Your little lady has made up her mind that she's not going to get well.Has she anything on her mind?

“她只有一成希望，”他说。“那还得看她自己是不是想活下去。你这位女朋友已经下决心不想好了。她有什么心事吗？”

”She--she wanted to paint the Bay of Naples some day,“ said Sue.“她――她想有一天能去画那不勒斯湾，”苏说。

”Paint?--bosh!Has she anything on her mind worth thinking about twice--a man, for instance?“

“画画？――得了。她有没有别的事值得她留恋的――比如

说，一个男人？”

”A man?“ said Sue.”Is a man worth--but, no, doctor;there is nothing of the kind.“

“男人？”苏说。“难道一个男人就值得――可是，她没有啊，大夫，没有这码子事。”

”Well,“ said the doctor.”I will do all that science can accomplish.But whenever my patient begins to count the carriages in her funeral procession I subtract 50 per cent from the curative power of medicines.“ After the doctor had gone Sue went into the workroom and cried.Then she marched into Johnsy's room with her drawing board, whistling a merry tune.“好吧，”大夫说。“我会尽一切努力，只要是科学能做到的。可是，但凡病人开始计算她出殡的行列里有几辆马车的时候，我就要把医药的疗效减去一半。”大夫走后，苏去工作室哭了一场。随后她携着画板大步走进约翰西的房间，口里吹着轻快的口哨。

Johnsy lay, scarcely making a movement under the bedclothes, with her face toward the window.She was looking out and counting--counting backward.约翰西躺在被子下几乎一动不动，脸朝着窗。她望着窗外，数

着数――倒数着数！

”Twelve,“ she said, and a little later ”eleven“;and then ”ten,“ and ”nine“;and then ”eight“ and ”seven,“ almost together.“12，”她数道，过了一会儿“11”，接着数“10”和“9”；再数“8”和“7”，几乎一口同时数下来。

Sue looked out of the window.What was there to count? There was only a bare, dreary yard to be seen, and the blank side of the brick house twenty feet away.An old, old ivy vine climbed half way up the brick wall.The cold breath of autumn had blown away its leaves, leaving it almost bare.苏朝窗外望去。外面有什么好数的呢？外面只看到一个空荡荡的沉闷的院子，还有20英尺开外那砖房的侧墙，上面什么也没有。一棵古老的常青藤爬到半墙高。萧瑟秋风吹落了枝叶，藤上几乎光秃秃的。

”Six,“ said Johnsy, in almost a whisper.”They're falling faster now.Three days ago there were almost a hundred.It made my head ache to count them.But now it's easy.There goes another one.There are only five left now.“

“6”，约翰西数着，声音几乎听不出来。“现在叶子掉落得快

多了。三天前差不多还有100片。数得我头都疼。可现在容易了。又掉了一片。这下子只剩5片了。”

”Five what, dear? “

“5片什么，亲爱的？”

”Leaves.On the ivy vine.When the last one falls I must go, too.I've known that for three days.Didn't the doctor tell you?“

“叶子。常青藤上的叶子。等最后一片叶子掉了，我也就得走了。三天前我就知道会这样。大夫没跟你说吗？”

”Oh, I never heard of such nonsense.What have old ivy leaves to do with your getting well? Don't be so silly.Why, the doctor told me this morning that your chances for getting well real soon were ten to one!Try to take some soup now, and let Sudie go and buy port wine for her sick child.“

“噢，我从没听说过这种胡说八道。常青藤叶子跟你病好不好有什么关系？别这么傻。对了，大夫上午跟我说，你的病十有八九就快好了。快喝些汤，让苏迪给她生病的孩子去买些波尔图葡萄酒来。”

”You needn't get any more wine,“ said Johnsy, keeping her eyes fixed out the window.”There goes another.No, I don't want any soup.That leaves just four.I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark.Then I'll go, too.I'm tired of waiting.I'm tired of thinking.I want to turn loose my hold on everything, and go sailing down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves.“

“你不用再去买酒了，”约翰西说道，两眼一直盯着窗外。“又掉了一片。不，我不想喝汤。这一下只剩下4片了。我要在天黑前看到最后一片叶子掉落。那时我也就跟着走了。我都等腻了。也想腻了。我只想撇开一切, 飘然而去，就像那边一片可怜的疲倦的叶子。”

”Try to sleep,“ said Sue.”I must call Behrman up to be my model for the old miner.I'll not be gone a minute.“

“快睡吧，”苏说。“我得叫贝尔曼上楼来给我当老矿工模特儿。我去去就来。”

himself as guard dog to the two young artists in the studio above.老贝尔曼是住在两人楼下底层的一个画家。他已年过六旬，银白色蜷曲的长髯披挂胸前。贝尔曼看上去挺像艺术家，但在艺术上却没有什么成就。40年来他一直想创作一幅传世之作，却始终没能动手。他给那些请不起职业模特的青年画家当模特挣点小钱。他没节制地喝酒，谈论着他那即将问世的不朽之作。要说其他方面，他是个好斗的小老头，要是谁表现出一点软弱，他便大肆嘲笑，并把自己看成是楼上画室里两位年轻艺术家的看护人。

Sue found Behrman smelling strongly of gin in his dimly lighted studio below.In one corner was a blank canvas on an easel that had been waiting there for twenty-five years to receive the first line of the masterpiece.She told him of Johnsy's fancy, and how she feared she would, indeed, light and fragile as a leaf herself, float away, when her slight hold upon the world grew weaker.Old Behrman, with his red eyes plainly streaming, shouted his contempt for such foolish imaginings.苏在楼下光线暗淡的画室里找到了贝尔曼，他满身酒味刺鼻。屋子一角的画架上支着一张从未落过笔的画布，在那儿搁了25年，等着一幅杰作的起笔。苏把约翰西的怪念头跟他说了，并说约翰西本身就像一片叶子又瘦又弱，她害怕要是她那本已脆弱的生存意志再软下去的话，真的会凋零飘落。老贝尔曼双眼通红，显然是泪涟涟的，他大声叫嚷着说他蔑视这种傻念头。

”What!“ he cried.”Are there people in the world foolish enough to die because leafs drop off from a vine? I have never heard of such a thing.Why do you allow such silly ideas to come into that head of hers? God!This is not a place in which one so good as Miss Johnsy should lie sick.Some day I will paint a masterpiece, and we shall all go away.Yes."

“什么！”他嚷道。“世界上竟然有这么愚蠢的人，因为树叶从藤上掉落就要去死？我听都没听说过这等事。你怎么让这种傻念头钻到她那个怪脑袋里？天哪！这不是一个像约翰西小姐这样的好姑娘躺倒生病的地方。有朝一日我要画一幅巨作，那时候我们就离开这里。真的。”

Johnsy was sleeping when they went upstairs.Sue pulled the shade down, and motioned Behrman into the other room.In there they peered out the window fearfully at the ivy vine.Then they looked at each other for a moment without speaking.A persistent, cold rain was falling, mingled with snow.Behrman, in his old blue shirt, took his seat as the miner on an upturned kettle for a rock.两人上了楼，约翰西已经睡着了。苏放下窗帘，示意贝尔曼去另一个房间。在那儿两人惶惶不安地凝视着窗外的常青藤。接着两人

第二篇：全新版大学英语综合教程3课文原文及翻译

unit 4

Was Einstein a Space Alien? 1 Albert Einstein was exhausted.For the third night in a row, his baby son Hans, crying, kept the household awake until dawn.When Albert finally dozed off...it was time to get up and go to work.He couldn't skip a day.He needed the job to support his young family.1.阿尔伯特.爱因斯坦精疲力竭。他幼小的儿子汉斯连续三个晚上哭闹不停，弄得全家人直到天亮都无法入睡。阿尔伯特总算可以打个瞌睡时，已是他起床上班的时候了。他不能一天不上班，他需要这份工作来养活组建不久的家庭。Walking briskly to the Patent Office, where he was a “Technical Expert, Third Class,” Albert worried about his mother.She was getting older and frail, and she didn't approve of his marriage to Mileva.Relations were strained.Albert glanced at a passing shop window.His hair was a mess;he had forgotten to comb it again.2.阿尔伯特是专利局三等技术专家。在快步去专利局上班的路上，他为母亲忧心忡忡。母亲年纪越来越大，身体虚弱。她不同意儿子与迈尔娃的婚事，婆媳关系紧张。阿尔伯特瞥了一下路过的商店的橱窗，看见自己头发凌乱，他又忘了梳头了。Work.Family.Making ends meet.Albert felt all the pressure and responsibility of any young husband and father.3.工作，家庭，维持生计——阿尔伯特感受到了一位年轻丈夫和年轻父亲所要承担的全部压力和责任。

To relax, he revolutionized physics.他想放松下，却使物理学发生了突破性进展 In 1905, at the age of 26 and four years before he was able to get a job as a professor of physics, Einstein published five of the most important papers in the history of science--all written in his “spare time.” He proved that atoms and molecules existed.Before 1905, scientists weren't sure about that.He argued that light came in little bits(later called “photons”)and thus laid the foundation for quantum mechanics.He described his theory of special relativity: space and time were threads in a common fabric, he proposed, which could be bent, stretched and twisted.4.1905年，在他被聘为物理学教授的前四年，26岁的爱因斯坦发表了科学史上最重要论文中的五篇——这些论文都是他在“业余时间”完成的。他证明了原子和分子的存在。1905年之前，科学家们对此没有把握。爱因斯坦论证说光以微粒形态出现（后来被称为“光子”），这为量子力学奠定了基础。他把狭义相对论描写为：时空如同普通织物中的线，他提出，这些线可以弯曲、拉长和交织在一起。Oh, and by the way, E=mc2.5.对了，顺便提一下，E = mc2。Before Einstein, the last scientist who had such a creative outburst was Sir Isaac Newton.It happened in 1666 when Newton secluded himself at his mother's farm to avoid an outbreak of plague at Cambridge.With nothing better to do, he developed his Theory of Universal Gravitation.6.在爱因斯坦之前，最近一位迸发出如此创造性思想的科学家当数艾萨克牛顿

爵士。事情发生在1666，为了躲避在剑桥爆发的瘟疫，牛顿去母亲的农场隐居。由于没有什么更好的事可做，他便建立万有引力理论。For centuries historians called 1666 Newton's “miracle year”.Now those words have a different meaning: Einstein and 1905.The United Nations has declared 2005 “The World Year of Physics” to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Einstein's “miracle year.” 7.几个世纪以来,历史学家称为1666牛顿的“奇迹年”。现在这些话有不同的意义：爱因斯坦和1905。联合国已经宣布2005年“世界物理年“庆祝爱因斯坦“奇迹年”的100周年。8 Modern pop culture paints Einstein as a bushy-haired superthinker.His ideas, we're told, were improbably far ahead of other scientists.He must have come from some other planet--maybe the same one Newton grew up on.8.现代流行文化把爱因斯坦绘画成一位长着蓬乱头发的超级思想家。据说他的思想不可思议地远远超过其他科学家。他一定是从其他星球来的——也许是牛顿长大的同一个星球。9 “Einstein was no space alien,” laughs Harvard University physicist and science historian Peter Galison.“He was a man of his time.” All of his 1905 papers unraveled problems being worked on, with mixed success, by other scientists.“If Einstein hadn't been born, [those papers] would have been written in some form, eventually, by others,” Galison believes.9.“爱因斯坦决不是外星人，”哈佛大学物理学家、科学史家彼得加里森笑着说。“他是他那个时代的人。”他所有发表于1905年的论文解决了当时其他科学家正多多少少在解决的问题，“如果没有爱因斯坦，其他科学家最终也会以某种形式撰写出这些论文来的”加里森相信。What's remarkable about 1905 is that a single person authored all five papers, plus the original, irreverent way Einstein came to his conclusions.10.1905年不同寻常的是，爱因斯坦一个人撰写的五篇论文，而且他得出结论的方法既富原创性又显得不合常规。For example: the photoelectric effect.This was a puzzle in the early 1900s.When light hits a metal, like zinc, electrons fly off.This can happen only if light comes in little packets concentrated enough to knock an electron loose.A spread-out wave wouldn't do the photoelectric trick.11.例如：光电效应。这在20世纪初期的一道难题。当光照射到金属（如锌）上时，电子飞速飞离电子表面，这种现象只有当光的粒子集聚的程度足以把电子击撞松动的时候才会发生。漫延波不会产生光电效应。The solution seems simple--light is particulate.Indeed, this is the solution Einstein proposed in 1905 and won the Nobel Prize for in 1921.Other physicists like Max Planck(working on a related problem: blackbody radiation), more senior and experienced than Einstein, were closing in on the answer, but Einstein got there first.Why? 12.答案似乎很简单——光是粒子。事实上，这是爱因斯坦1905年提出的解答，并因此于1921年获得诺贝尔奖。其他物理学家们，比如比爱因斯坦资历更深、经验更丰富的麦克斯普兰克（从事研究相关的问题：黑体辐射），其研究正接近

该问题的答案，但爱因斯坦捷足先登。为什么？ It's a question of authority.这是对权威的看法问题 “In Einstein's day, if you tried to say that light was made of particles, you found yourself disagreeing with physicist James Clerk Maxwell.Nobody wanted to do that,” says Galison.Maxwell's equations were enormously successful, unifying the physics of electricity, magnetism and optics.Maxwell had proved beyond any doubt that light was an electromagnetic wave.Maxwell was an Authority Figure.13.“在爱因斯坦的时代，如果你试图说光由粒子组成，你就会发现自己与物理学家杰姆斯.克拉克.马克斯威尔持不同观点。没有人想那么做，”加里森说道。马克斯威尔的方程式把物理学中的电学、磁学和光学统一起来，获得了巨大的成功。麦克斯威尔毫无疑问地证明了光是电磁波。他可是权威人物。Einstein didn't give a fig for authority.He didn't resist being told what to do, not so much, but he hated being told what was true.Even as a child he was constantly doubting and questioning.“Your mere presence here undermines the class's respect for me,” spat his 7th grade teacher, Dr.Joseph Degenhart.(Degenhart also predicted that Einstein “would never get anywhere in life.”)This character flaw was to be a key ingredient in Einstein's discoveries.14.爱因斯坦豪不在乎权威。他不太反对别人要求他做什么，但是他不喜欢别人告诉他什么是正确的。即使在小时候他也不停地质疑和问问题。“你呆在这里损害了全班学生对我尊敬，”他第七年级的老师约瑟夫狄根哈特博士愤怒地说。（狄根哈特还预言爱因斯坦“永远不会有出息”）这一性格缺陷成为日后爱因斯坦作出种种发现的主要因素。“In 1905,” notes Galison, “Einstein had just received his Ph.D.He wasn't beholden to a thesis advisor or any other authority figure.” His mind was free to roam accordingly.15.“在1905年，”加里森着重指出，“爱因斯坦刚刚获得博士学位，他不感激于论文导师或任何其他权威人士。”因此，他的思想在自由漫游。In retrospect, Maxwell was right.Light is a wave.But Einstein was right, too.Light is a particle.This bizarre duality baffles Physics 101 students today just as it baffled Einstein in 1905.How can light be both? Einstein had no idea.16.回想起来，麦克斯威尔是正确的。光是一种波。但爱因斯坦也是对的。光是粒子。这种异乎寻常的二象性使今天选修无力101课程的同学们感到困惑，就像在1905年使爱因斯坦感到困惑一样。光怎么可能既是波又是粒子呢？爱因斯坦无法理解。That didn't slow him down.Disdaining caution, Einstein adopted the intuitive leap as a basic tool.“I believe in intuition and inspiration,” he wrote in 1931.“At times I feel certain I am right while not knowing the reason.” 17.困惑并没有使爱因斯坦放慢探究的脚步。爱因斯坦不屑谨小慎微，他采用直觉跳跃思维作为基本工具。“我相信直觉和灵感，”他在1931年写道。“有时尽管不知道原因，但是我肯定我是对的。Although Einstein's five papers were published in a single year, he had been thinking about physics, deeply, since childhood.“Science was dinner-table conversation in the Einstein household,” explains Galison.Albert's father Hermann and uncle Jakob ran a German company making such things as dynamos, arc lamps, light bulbs and telephones.This was high-tech at the turn of the century, “like a Silicon Valley company would be today,” notes Galison.“Albert's interest in science and technology came naturally.” 18.虽说爱因斯坦在短短的一年内发表了五篇论文，其实他童年时代就一直深入地思考物理的问题。“科学是爱因斯坦在餐桌上聊天的话题。”加里森解释道。爱因斯坦的父亲赫尔曼和叔叔雅各布经营一家德国公司，制造发电机，电弧灯，灯泡、电话等诸如此类的产品。这是（20）世纪之初属于高科技，“像今天的硅谷公司，”加里森着重提到。“艾伯特对科学技术与生俱来怀有兴趣。” Einstein's parents sometimes took Albert to parties.No babysitter was required: Albert sat on the couch, totally absorbed, quietly doing math problems while others danced around him.Pencil and paper were Albert's GameBoy!19.爱因斯坦的父母有时会带儿子参加聚会。她们不常请人看孩子：当其他人在他周围跳舞时，阿尔伯特坐在沙发上，全神贯注，静静地做数学题。笔和纸是阿尔伯特的玩具！20 He had impressive powers of concentration.Einstein's sister, Maja, recalled “...even when there was a lot of noise, he could lie down on the sofa, pick up a pen and paper, precariously balance an inkwell on the backrest and engross himself in a problem so much that the background noise stimulated rather than disturbed him.” 20.他有极强的集中思想的能力。爱因斯坦的妹妹玛雅，回忆说：“„„即使周围非常吵闹，他也能躺在沙发上，拿起纸和笔，悠悠地把墨水池放在一个靠背上，专心致志得解题，北京声音不但没有打扰他，反而激励他。” Einstein was clearly intelligent, but not outlandishly more so than his peers.“I have no special talents,” he claimed, “I am only passionately curious.” And again: “The contrast between the popular assessment of my powers...and the reality is simply grotesque.” Einstein credited his discoveries to imagination and pesky questioning more so than orthodox intelligence.21.爱因斯坦显然很聪明，但不比他的同龄人超出多少。“我没有什么特别的才能，”他说，“只是我的好奇心非常强烈。”还有：“大众对我能力的评估„和现实之间的差异简直大得荒唐。”爱因斯坦把他的发现更多地归功于想象力和不断提问而不是普通所谓的智慧。Later in life, it should be remembered, he struggled mightily to produce a unified field theory, combining gravity with other forces of nature.He failed.Einstein's brainpower was not limitless.22.应该记住的是，爱因斯坦在晚年竭尽全力想象提出统一场论，把万有引力和自然界中其他的力结合起来。但他失败了。爱因斯坦的智力不是无限的。Neither was Einstein's brain.It was removed without permission by Dr.Thomas Harvey in 1955 when Einstein died.He probably expected to find something extraordinary:Einstein's mother Pauline had famously worried that baby Einstein's head was lopsided.(Einstein's grandmother had a different concern: “Much too fat!”)But Einstein's brain looked much like any other, gray, crinkly, and, if anything, a trifle smaller than average.23.爱因斯坦的大脑也是如此。他1955年去世的时候，托马斯哈维医生在未经许可的情况下解剖了他的大脑。也许他期盼发现一些惊人的东西。但是爱因斯坦死的大脑看起来和其他人的大脑很相似，灰色，波状的。如果非要说什么不同，那就是他的大脑比正常人的小一点。

轶事爱因斯坦

废纸篓他的错误时，艾伯特爱因斯坦抵达美国，在54岁驶入纽约港的远洋班轮westernland十月171933，官方欢迎委员会正在等着他。爱因斯坦和他的随行人员，然而，不知去向。亚伯拉罕弗莱克斯纳，导演在普林斯顿高等研究院，新泽西，被屏蔽他的名人教授从宣传。所以他派拖船精神伟人从westernland尽快通过检疫。他的头发拨出一个宽边黑帽，爱因斯坦偷偷地到拖船上岸，这使他和他的党下曼哈顿，在车接送到普林斯顿。”爱因斯坦博士是想求得和平和安静，”弗莱克斯纳告诉记者。诺贝尔奖得主在1921他对理论物理学，爱因斯坦得到一个办公室在学院。他问他需要什么设备。”一个写字台或桌子，椅子，纸和铅笔，”他回答说。“哦，和一个大篓，所以我可以扔掉我所有的错误。”他和埃尔莎，他的妻子，租了一个房子和定居生活在普林斯顿。他喜欢美国的事实，尽管其不平等的财富和种族不公正，更多的是一个精英比欧洲。”让新来的

致力于这个国家的民主特质的人，”他后来奇迹。”没有人谦卑自己，在另一个人。”不是一个爱因斯坦爱因斯坦，然而，没有爱因斯坦的时候他还是一个孩子的成长。在慕尼黑，德国，第一个孩子的赫尔曼和保罗爱因斯坦，他在缓慢的学习说话。“我的父母非常担心，”他回忆道，“他们找医生。”当他开始使用的话2岁之后，他制定了一个怪癖，促使他的保姆给他迟钝的人。”他所说的每一句，无论多么常规，”回忆起他的妹妹，玛雅，”他轻声地反复，动动嘴唇。”他缓慢发展的结合是一个厚脸皮的叛逆的权威，从而导致一个德国校长把他包装。另一个说，爱因斯坦不会多。“当我问自己这是怎么发生的，我发现了相对论，它似乎躺在下面的情况，”爱因斯坦后来解释说。“普通成人不会困扰他的头问题的空间和时间。这些都是他认为作为一个孩子。但我发展很慢，我开始思考的空间和时间，当我已经长大了。我更深入探讨的问题不是一个普通的孩子都有一个快乐的科学。”鼓励他的和蔼的父亲，谁经营家族生意，和他热爱音乐的母亲，爱因斯坦花了几个小时的工作上的难题和建筑塔的玩具。”的毅力和韧性是他性格中的一部分，”他的妹妹说。一次，爱因斯坦生病在床上作为一个孩子，他的父亲带他一个指南针。爱因斯坦后来想起这么激动，当他检查了它的神秘力量，他颤抖着越来越冷。磁针的表现好像受到一个隐藏的力场，而不是通过机械的方法接触或接触。”深深的藏得背后的东西，”他说。他对磁域，重力，惯性和光束。他保留的能力，将两个念头的同时，感到困惑时，冲突和喜悦时，他看到一个潜在的团结。”像你我这样的人是永远不会老的，”他写道，一个朋友多年以后我们从来没有停止过。”都是好奇的孩童面前的伟大神秘的，我们是天生的。”普遍的看法相反，爱因斯坦擅长数学。在13岁的时候，他已经有了一个偏爱解决复杂问题的应用数学，他的妹妹回忆说。一个叔叔，雅各布爱因斯坦，工程师，把他介绍给欢乐的代数，称它是“快乐的科学，”当爱因斯坦取得了胜利，他“很高兴不已。”他从阅读科普书籍，这表明他“圣经不可能是真的，”爱因斯坦制定了一个抵制一切形式的教条。他写了1901，“一个愚蠢的信仰权威是真理最大的敌人。”

一个骄傲的美国在15岁时，爱因斯坦离开德国去了意大利北部，在那里他的父母迁往自己的业务，并在16，他写了他的第一篇文章在理论物理。爱因斯坦发现了相对论，他毕业于苏黎世理工大学1900当他21，涉及的直觉知识以及个人的经验。他发展的理论，从1905开始，后一个工作在瑞士专利局。但他的理论并不完全接受，直到1919，当观测在一次日食证实他的预测多少太阳的引力弯曲的光束。在年龄40，1919，爱因斯坦突然被世界著名。他也结婚的埃尔莎和他的妻子，是父亲的儿子从他的第一次婚姻。1921的春天，他的名声大爆炸导致盛大月访问美国，在那里他收到热烈欢迎，他会唤起大众疯狂所到之处。世界从未见过这样一个科学名人明星。爱因斯坦热爱美国，欣赏其连发繁荣的结果，自由和个人主义。在3月1933，希特勒在德国，爱因斯坦意识到他可以不再生活在欧洲的。秋天，他定居在普林斯顿，和1940，他是美国公民，自豪地称自己美国。自然界的和谐和数学

他的第一个万圣节生活在美国，爱因斯坦解除了一些捣蛋的小夜曲惊讶他们在门口和小提琴。在圣诞节，当成员的本地教会来唱圣诞颂歌，他走到外面，借了一把小提琴，愉快地陪他们。爱因斯坦很快获得的图像，它长到附近的一个传说，是一个亲切的教授，分散在次但始终甜，谁很少梳头穿袜子。”我已经到了一岁时，如果有人告诉我穿袜子，我不去，”他告诉当地的一些孩子。他曾经帮助一个15岁的学生，亨利·罗索，以新闻类。我们的老师提供了一个高档的人得分采访的科学家，所以我们出现在爱因斯坦的家，却被拒绝在门外。送牛奶的人给了他一个提示：爱因斯坦走了一段路每早晨9: 30.rosso溜出学校，同他搭讪。但学生，突然所有的困惑，不知道问什么。所以爱因斯坦提出的问题，关于数学的。”我发现大自然是建造在一个美妙的方式，我们的任务就是找到我们的[它]的数学结构，”爱因斯坦解释了自己的教育。”它是一种信念，帮助我通过我的整个生活。”访谈获得亨利罗索A。

unit 5 Writing Three Thank-You Letters

Alex Haley served in the Coast Guard during World War ll.On an especially lonely day to be at sea--Thanksgiving Day--he began to give serious thought to a holiday that has become, for many Americans, a day of overeating and watching endless games of football.Haley decided to celebrate the true meaning of Thanksgiving by writing three very special letters.亚历克斯·黑利二战时在海岸警卫队服役。出海在外，时逢一个倍感孤寂的日子――感恩节，他开始认真思考起这一节日的意义。对许多美国人而言，这个节日已成为大吃大喝、没完没了地看橄榄球比赛的日子。黑利决定写三封不同寻常的信，以此来纪念感恩节的真正意义。

Writing Three Thank-You Letters

Alex Haley

I decided first to go out on the Murzim's afterdeck for a breath of open air.I made my way out there, breathing in great, deep draughts while walking slowly about, still wearing my white cook's hat.我想先去后甲板透透气。我信步走去，一边深深呼吸着空气，一边慢慢地踱着步，头上仍戴着那顶白色的厨师帽。

Giving thanks--as in praying, thanking God, I thought.Yes, of course.Certainly.表达谢意――就如在祈祷时感谢上帝那样，我暗想。对啊，是这样，当然是这样。

Yet my mind continued turning the idea over.可我脑子里仍一直盘桓着这事。

At least seven people had been particularly and lastingly helpful to me.I realized, swallowing hard, that about half of them had since died--so they were forever beyond any possible expression of gratitude from me.The more I thought about it, the more ashamed I became.Then I pictured the three who were still alive and, within minutes, I was down in my cabin.至少有七个人对我有过不同寻常、影响深远的帮助。令人难过的是，我意识到，他们中有一半已经过世了――因此他们永远也无法接受我的谢意了。我越想越感到羞愧。最后我想到了仍健在的三位，几分钟后，我就回到了自己的舱房。

The texts of my letters began something like, “Here, this Thanksgiving at sea, I find my thoughts upon how much you have done for me, but I have never stopped and said to you how much I feel the need to thank you--” And briefly I recalled for each of them specific acts performed on my behalf.我的信是这样开头的：“出海在外度过的这个感恩节，令我回想起您为我做了那么多事，但我从来没有对您说过自己是多么想感谢您――”我简短回忆了各位为我所做的具体事例。

And there is something else I wish--so strongly that I have had this line printed across the bottom of all my stationery: “Find the good--and praise it.”

此外我还有别的祝愿――这一祝愿是如此强烈，我将这句话印在我所有的信笺底部：“发现并褒扬各种美好的事物。”

找不到b了

unit 6 The Last Leaf

When Johnsy fell seriously ill, she seemed to lose the will to hang on to life.The doctor held out little hope for her.Her friends seemed helpless.Was there nothing to be done?

约翰西病情严重，她似乎失去了活下去的意志。医生对她不抱什么希望。朋友们看来也爱莫能助。难道真的就无可奈何了吗？

The Last Leaf

O.Henry

That was in May.In November a cold, unseen stranger, whom the doctors called Pneumonia, stalked about the district, touching one here and there with his icy fingers.Johnsy was among his victims.She lay, scarcely moving on her bed, looking through the small window at the blank side of the next brick house.那是5月里的事。到了11月，一个医生称之为肺炎的阴森的隐形客闯入了这一地区，用它冰冷的手指东碰西触。约翰西也为其所害。她病倒了，躺在床上几乎一动不动，只能隔着小窗望着隔壁砖房那单调沉闷的侧墙。

One morning the busy doctor invited Sue into the hallway with a bushy, gray eyebrow.一天上午，忙碌的医生扬了扬灰白的浓眉，示意苏来到过道。

“She has one chance in ten,” he said.“And that chance is for her to want to live.Your little lady has made up her mind that she's not going to get well.Has she anything on her mind?

“她只有一成希望，”他说。“那还得看她自己是不是想活下去。你这位女朋友已经下决心不想好了。她有什么心事吗？”

”She--she wanted to paint the Bay of Naples some day,“ said Sue.“她――她想有一天能去画那不勒斯湾，”苏说。

”Paint?--bosh!Has she anything on her mind worth thinking about twice--a man, for instance?“

“画画？――得了。她有没有别的事值得她留恋的――比如说，一个男人？”

”A man?“ said Sue.”Is a man worth--but, no, doctor;there is nothing of the kind.“

“男人？”苏说。“难道一个男人就值得――可是，她没有啊，大夫，没有这码子事。”

“6”，约翰西数着，声音几乎听不出来。“现在叶子掉落得快多了。三天前差不多还有100片。数得我头都疼。可现在容易了。又掉了一片。这下子只剩5片了。”

”Five what, dear? “

“5片什么，亲爱的？”

”Leaves.On the ivy vine.When the last one falls I must go, too.I've known that for three days.Didn't the doctor tell you?“

“叶子。常青藤上的叶子。等最后一片叶子掉了，我也就得走了。三天前我就知道会这样。大夫没跟你说吗？”

”Try to sleep,“ said Sue.”I must call Behrman up to be my model for the old miner.I'll not be gone a minute.“

“快睡吧，”苏说。“我得叫贝尔曼上楼来给我当老矿工模特儿。我去去就来。”

Old Behrman was a painter who lived on the ground floor beneath them.He was past sixty and had a long white beard curling down over his chest.Despite looking the part, Behrman was a failure in art.For forty years he had been always about to paint a masterpiece, but had never yet begun it.He earned a little by serving as a model to those young artists who could not pay the price of a professional.He drank gin to excess, and still talked of his coming masterpiece.For the rest he was a fierce little old man, who mocked terribly at softness in any one, and who regarded himself as guard dog to the two young artists in the studio above.老贝尔曼是住在两人楼下底层的一个画家。他已年过六旬，银白色蜷曲的长髯披挂胸前。贝尔曼看上去挺像艺术家，但在艺术上却没有什么成就。40年来他一直想创作一幅传世之作，却始终没能动手。他给那些请不起职业模特的青年画家当模特挣点小钱。他没节制地喝酒，谈论着他那即将问世的不朽之作。要说其他方面，他是个好斗的小老头，要是谁表现出一点软弱，他便大肆嘲笑，并把自己看成是楼上画室里两位年轻艺术家的看护人。

When Sue awoke from an hour's sleep the next morning she found Johnsy with dull, wide-open eyes staring at the drawn green shade.第二天早上，只睡了一个小时的苏醒来看到约翰西睁大着无神的双眼，凝望着拉下的绿色窗帘。

”Pull it up;I want to see,“ she ordered, in a whisper.“把窗帘拉起来；我要看，”她低声命令道。

Wearily Sue obeyed.苏带着疲倦，遵命拉起窗帘。

But, Lo!after the beating rain and fierce wind that had endured through the night, there yet stood out against the brick wall one ivy leaf.It was the last on the vine.Still dark green near its stem, but with its edges colored yellow, it hung bravely from a branch some twenty feet above the ground.可是，瞧！经过一整夜的急风骤雨，竟然还存留一片常青藤叶，背靠砖墙，格外显目。这是常青藤上的最后一片叶子。近梗部位仍呈暗绿色，但边缘已经泛黄了，它无所畏惧地挂在离地20多英尺高的枝干上。

”It is the last one,“ said Johnsy.”I thought it would surely fall during the night.I heard the wind.It will fall today, and I shall die at the same time.“

“这是最后一片叶子，”约翰西说。“我以为夜里它肯定会掉落的。我晚上听到大风呼啸。今天它会掉落的，叶子掉的时候，也是我死的时候。”

The day wore away, and even through the twilight they could see the lone ivy leaf clinging to its stem against the wall.And then, with the coming of the night the north wind was again loosed.白天慢慢过去了，即便在暮色黄昏之中，他们仍能看到那片孤零零的常青藤叶子，背靠砖墙，紧紧抱住梗茎。尔后，随着夜幕的降临，又是北风大作。

When it was light enough Johnsy, the merciless, commanded that the shade be raised.等天色亮起，冷酷无情的约翰西命令将窗帘拉起。

The ivy leaf was still there.常青藤叶依然挺在。

Johnsy lay for a long time looking at it.And then she called to Sue, who was stirring her chicken soup over the gas stove.约翰西躺在那儿，望着它许久许久。接着她大声呼唤正在煤气灶上搅鸡汤的苏。

”I've been a bad girl, Sudie,“ said Johnsy.”Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how wicked I was.It is a sin to want to die.You may bring me a little soup now, and some milk with a little port in it and--no;bring me a hand-mirror first, and then pack some pillows about me, and I will sit up and watch you cook.“

“我一直像个不乖的孩子，苏迪，”约翰西说。“有一种力量让那最后一片叶子不掉，好让我看到自己有多坏。想死是一种罪过。你给我喝点汤吧，再来点牛奶，稍放一点波尔图葡萄酒――不，先给我拿面小镜子来，弄几个枕头垫在我身边，我要坐起来看你做菜。”

An hour later she said:

一个小时之后，她说：

”Sudie, some day I hope to paint the Bay of Naples.“

“苏迪，我真想有一天去画那不勒斯海湾。”

The doctor came in the afternoon, and Sue had an excuse to go into the hallway as he left.下午大夫来了，他走时苏找了个借口跟进了过道。

”Even chances,“ said the doctor, taking Sue's thin, shaking hand in his.“现在是势均力敌，”大夫说着，握了握苏纤细颤抖的手。

”With good nursing you'll win.And now I must see another case I have downstairs.Behrman, his name is--some kind of an artist, I believe.Pneumonia, too.He is an old, weak man, and the attack is acute.There is no hope for him;but he goes to the hospital today to be made more comfortable.“

“只要精心照料，你就赢了。现在我得去楼下看另外一个病人了。贝尔曼，是他的名字――记得是个什么画家。也是肺炎。他年老体弱，病来势又猛。他是没救了。不过今天他去了医院，照料得会好一点。”

The next day the doctor said to Sue: ”She's out of danger.You've won.The right food and care now--that's all.“

第二天，大夫对苏说：“她脱离危险了。你赢了。注意饮食，好好照顾，就行了。”

And that afternoon Sue came to the bed where Johnsy lay and put one arm around her.当日下午，苏来到约翰西的床头，用一只手臂搂住她。

”I have something to tell you, white mouse,“ she said.”Mr.Behrman died of pneumonia today in the hospital.He was ill only two days.He was found on the morning of the first day in his room downstairs helpless with pain.His shoes and clothing were wet through and icy cold.They couldn't imagine where he had been on such a terrible night.And then they found a lantern, still lighted, and a ladder that had been dragged from its place, and some scattered brushes, and a palette with green and yellow colors mixed on it, and--look out the window, dear, at the last ivy leaf on the wall.Didn't you wonder why it never fluttered or moved when the wind blew? Ah, darling, it's Behrman's masterpiece--he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell."

“我跟你说件事，小白鼠，”她说。“贝尔曼先生今天在医院里得肺炎去世了。他得病才两天。发病那天上午人家在楼下他的房间里发现他疼得利害。他的鞋子衣服都湿透了，冰冷冰冷的。他们想不出那么糟糕的天气他夜里会去哪儿。后来他们发现了一个灯笼，还亮着，还有一个梯子被拖了出来，另外还有些散落的画笔，一个调色板，和着黄绿两种颜色，――看看窗外，宝贝儿，看看墙上那最后一片常青藤叶子。它在刮风的时候一动也不动，你没有觉得奇怪吗？啊，亲爱的，那是贝尔曼的杰作――最后一片叶子掉落的那天夜里他画上了这片叶子。”

He did not trust the woman to trust him.And he did not trust the woman not to trust him.And he did not want to be mistrusted now.他不敢相信这个女人居然会信任自己。他也不认为这个女人就不信任自己。不过，现在他不想失去别人对自己的信任。

第三篇：全新版大学英语综合教程3课文原文及翻译

unit 1 Mr.Doherty Builds His Dream Life

Mr.Doherty Builds His Dream Life

Jim Doherty

There are two things I have always wanted to do--write and live on a farm.Today I'm doing both.I am not in E.B.White's class as a writer or in my neighbors' league as a farmer, but I'm getting by.And after years of frustration with city and suburban living, my wife Sandy and I have finally found contentment here in the country.多尔蒂先生创建自己的理想生活

吉姆·多尔蒂

It's a satisfying life too.In the summer we canoe on the river, go picnicking in the woods and take long bicycle rides.In the winter we ski and skate.We get excited about sunsets.We love the smell of the earth warming and the sound of cattle lowing.We watch for hawks in the sky and deer in the cornfields.这也是一种令人满足的生活。夏日里我们在河上荡舟，在林子里野餐，骑着自行车长时间漫游。冬日里我们滑雪溜冰。我们为落日的余辉而激动。我们爱闻大地回暖的气息，爱听牛群哞叫。我们守着看鹰儿飞过上空，看玉米田间鹿群嬉跃。

When spring came, it brought two floods.First the river overflowed, covering much of our land for weeks.Then the growing season began, swamping us under wave after wave of produce.Our freezer filled up with cherries, raspberries, strawberries, asparagus, peas, beans and corn.Then our canned-goods shelves and cupboards began to grow with preserves, tomato juice, grape juice, plums, jams and jellies.Eventually, the basement floor disappeared under piles of potatoes, squash and pumpkins, and the barn began to fill with apples and pears.It was amazing.开春后，有过两次泛滥。一次是河水外溢，我们不少田地被淹了几个星期。接着一次是生长季节到了，一波又一波的农产品潮涌而来，弄得我们应接不暇。我们的冰箱里塞满了樱桃、蓝莓、草莓、芦笋、豌豆、青豆和玉米。接着我们存放食品罐的架子上、柜橱里也开始堆满一罐罐的腌渍食品，有番茄汁、葡萄汁、李子、果酱和果冻。最后，地窖里遍地是大堆大堆的土豆、西葫芦、南瓜，谷仓里也储满了苹果和梨。真是太美妙了。

I'm not making anywhere near as much money as I did when I was employed full time, but now we don't need as much either.I generate enough income to handle our $600-a-month mortgage payments plus the usual expenses for a family like ours.That includes everything from music lessons and dental bills to car repairs and college costs.When it comes to insurance, we have a poor man's major-medical policy.We have to pay the first $500 of any medical fees for each member of the family.It picks up 80% of the costs beyond that.Although we are stuck with paying minor expenses, our premium is low--only $560 a year--and we are covered against catastrophe.Aside from that and the policy on our two cars at $400 a year, we have no other insurance.But we are setting aside $2,000 a year in an IRA.我挣的钱远比不上担任全职工作时的收入，可如今我们需要的钱也没有过去多。我挣的钱足以应付每月600美金的房屋贷款按揭以及一家人的日常开销。那些开销包括了所有支出，如音乐课学费、牙医账单、汽车维修以及大学费用等等。至于保险，我们买了一份低收入者的主要医疗项目保险。我们需要为每一位家庭成员的任何一项医疗费用支付最初的500美金。医疗保险则支付超出部分的80％。虽然我们仍要支付小部分医疗费用，但我们的保险费也低--每年只要560美金--而我们给自己生大病保了险。除了这一保险项目，以及两辆汽车每年400美金的保险，我们就没有其他保险了。不过我们每年留出2000美元入个人退休金账户。

We didn't move here primarily to earn money though.We came because we wanted to improve the quality of our lives.When I watch Emily collecting eggs in the evening, fishing with Jim on the river or enjoying an old-fashioned picnic in the orchard with the entire family, I know we've found just what we were looking for.但我们主要不是为了赚钱而移居至此的。我们来此居住是因为想提高生活质量。当我看着埃米莉傍晚去收鸡蛋，跟吉米一起在河上钓鱼，或和全家人一起在果园里享用老式的野餐，我知道，我们找到了自己一直在寻求的生活方式。

American Family Life: The Changing Picture

Donna Barron

It's another evening in an American household.美国家庭生活：变化中的景象

唐娜·巴伦

这是美国家庭一个寻常的傍晚。

The door swings open at 5:30 sharp.“Hi, honey!I'm home!” In walks dear old Dad, hungry and tired after a long day at the office.He is greeted by Mom in her apron, three happy children, and the aroma of a delicious pot roast.门在5：30准时推开。“嗨，亲爱的！我回来了！”亲爱的老爸走了进来，他在办公室上了一天的班，肚子饿了，人也累了。迎接他的是系着围裙的妈妈，3个快乐的孩子以及炖肉诱人的香味。

After a leisurely meal together, Mom does the dishes.That, after all, is part of her job.The whole family then moves to the living room.There everyone spends the evening playing Scrabble or watching TV.全家人从容地吃完饭后，妈妈就刷洗碗碟。反正这是她的活。接着全家人聚在起居室。一个晚上大家玩玩牌，看看电视。

Then everyone is off to bed.And the next morning Dad and the kids wake up to the sounds and smells of Mom preparing pancakes and sausages for breakfast.随后各自上床睡觉。第二天早上，爸爸和孩子们在妈妈准备早餐发出的声响和薄饼、香肠散发的香味中醒来。

(1)What? You say that doesn't sound like life in your house? Well, you're not alone.In fact, you're probably in the majority.什么？你说那听起来不像你府上的生活？其实，不仅仅是你一个人这么想。事实上，大多数人很可能都跟你一样这么想的。

At one time in America, the above household might have been typical.You can still visit such a home--on television.Just watch reruns of old situation comedies.(2)Leave it to Beaver, for example, shows Mom doing housework in pearls and high heels.Dad keeps his suit and tie on all weekend.But the families that operate like Beaver Cleaver's are fewer and fewer.They're disappearing because three parts of our lives have changed: the way we work, the way we eat, and the way we entertain ourselves.Becoming aware of the effects of those changes may help us improve family life.上面描述的家庭可以说在美国曾一度相当典型。如今你仍能见到这样的家庭――不过得在电视里。只要看一看那些重播的情景剧老片子。例如，《交给比弗吧》一剧中妈妈带着珍珠项链、穿着高跟鞋做家务。爸爸整个周末都穿着西装，戴着领带。但像比弗·克立弗那样的家庭越来越少了。那样的家庭正在消失，因为我们生活中的三个部分发生了变化：我们的工作方式，餐饮方式以及娱乐方式。了解这些变化所带来的影响也许有助于我们改善家庭生活。

Let's look first at the changes in the way we work.Today the words “Hi, honey!I'm home!” might not be spoken by dear old Dad.Dear old Mom is just as likely to be saying them.A generation ago, most households could get along on one paycheck--Dad's.Mom stayed home, at least until the children started school.But today, over half the mothers with young children go to work.An even greater percentage of mothers of older children are in the workforce.And the number of single-parent homes has mushroomed in the last thirty years.我们先来看一下我们工作方式的变化。今天，“嗨，亲爱的，我回家了！”这句话可能不是出自亲爱的老爸之口。亲爱的老妈也同样可能说这句话。在上一代，大多数家庭可以靠一份工资――爸爸的工资――维持。妈妈呆在家里，至少在孩子上学前是如此。但今天，一半以上有幼儿的母亲外出工作。在职人员中有大孩子的母亲的比例更高。而单亲家庭的数量在过去30年中急剧增长。

These changes in work have affected children as well as parents.When only Dad went out to work, children came home from school to Mom.(In TV situation comedies, they came home to Mom and home-baked cookies)Today, we'll find them at an after-school program or a neighbor's house.Or they may come home to no one at all.In every community, children are caring for themselves until their parents return from work.Are these children missing out on an important part of childhood? Or are they developing a healthy sense of self-reliance? These are questions that Mrs.Cleaver never had to deal with.工作方面的这些变化影响着家长以及孩子。当父亲一人外出上班时，孩子们放学回家有妈妈在。（在情景电视剧里，他们回家有妈妈在，还有家里做的饼干）如今，我们会在晚托班或邻居家里见到他们。要不他们就回到空无一人的家。在各社区，孩子们都自己照管自己，直到父母下班回家。这些孩子会不会失去童年时期本应有的一些重要的东西？还是会因此培养起一种健康的自立意识？这些问题是克立弗太太过去从来不用操心的。

In addition, Dad and now Mom are often gone from home longer than ever.Not too long ago, most men worked close to home.The office or factory was just downtown.Dad often walked to work or hitched a ride with a friendly neighbor.But no more.此外，爸爸，如今还有妈妈，在外的时间常常比以往任何时候都长。不多久前，大多数男人还就近工作。办公室或者工厂就在市区。爸爸经常走着去上班，或者顺路搭友好邻居的车。但现在不一样了。

Today's working men and women are commuters.They travel distances to work that would have made their parents gasp.Commutes of forty-five minutes or an hour are common.Workers travel on buses, subways, and crowded highways.Many leave their suburban homes at dawn and don't return until dark.No running home for lunch for today's commuter.今天的上班男女都是坐车来回的。他们上班距离之远会让他们的父母惊讶得倒抽一口凉气。45分钟或1小时的车程是常见的。上班族坐公共汽车、地铁，或开车行驶在交通拥挤的公路上。不少人一清早就离开位于郊区的家，一直要到天黑了才回来。今天的通勤族不再赶回家吃午饭。

And speaking of lunch, there's been a second big change in American family life.If both parents are away from home for long hours, who's whipping up those delicious meals in the kitchen? The answer, more and more, is nobody.说起午饭，那正是美国家庭生活的第二大变化。要是父母都长时间不在家，那谁在厨房里忙着准备美味的菜肴呢？越来越多听到的回答是没有人做饭。

These days, few people have time to shop for and prepare “home-style” meals.The Cleavers were used to dinners of pot roast or chicken.Potatoes, salad, and vegetables went with the main course, with pie or cake for dessert.But this kind of meal takes several hours to fix.People can't spend hours in the kitchen if they get home at 5:30.如今，很少人有时间采购、烹制“家常”饭菜。克立弗一家常常吃炖肉或炖鸡，除主菜外还有土豆、色拉、蔬菜，甜食是馅饼或蛋糕。但烧这种饭菜要花几个小时。要是人们5：30才回到家，就无法在厨房里呆上几个小时。

So what do working families eat? They choose meals that are easy to prepare or are already prepared.Fast food, takeout, and heat-and-serve dishes make up much of the modern American diet.Dad may arrive home with a bag of Big Macs and shakes.Mom may phone out for Chinese food or ask the local pizza parlor to deliver.And more and more people rely on microwaves to thaw frozen food in minutes.那么双职工家庭吃什么呢？他们选择容易烹制或已经烹制好的食品。快餐，外卖食物，加热即食的菜肴构成了当今美国食谱的很大一部分。爸爸可能带回家一大包巨无霸汉堡包和饮料。妈妈可能电话定购中国菜，或让附近的比萨店外送。越来越多的人依赖微波炉在几分钟内把冷冻食品解冻。

One consequence of these quickly prepared meals is that families spend less time dining together.And classic fast foods, like hamburgers and fries, are meant to be eaten on the run, not slowly enjoyed at the dinner table.The modern family no longer shares the evening meal.As a result, it no longer shares the day's news...or the feeling of togetherness.这些烹制简易的菜肴造成的后果之一是，一家人一起坐下吃饭的时间少了。传统的快餐，如汉堡包，炸薯条，是让人匆匆忙忙吃的，而不是坐在餐桌旁慢慢享用的。现代家庭不再一起享用晚餐。其结果是，大家不再相互交流一天的事，也感觉不到合家团聚的气氛。

Finally, what about after dinner? Is the family evening at least something the Cleavers could relate to?

最后一点，晚饭之后又如何？晚上的家居生活总该跟克立弗家多少有几分相似了吧？

Not a chance.没有丝毫相似之处。

We don't have to look outside the home to see the changes.The modern American family entertains itself in ways the Cleavers would never have dreamed of.我们不必走出家门去看有什么变化。当今美国家庭的娱乐方式是克立弗家无从想像的。

Thirty years ago, families gathered around a radio each evening.Later, television took over.Most families had just one set, which they watched together.Today, television and computers bring a dizzying array of entertainment into the home.Cable television provides everything from aerobics classes to Shakespeare.VCRs expand the choices even more.(3)If there's nothing good on network TV or cable, the video store offers the best and worst of Hollywood: recent movies, cartoons, “adult” films, exercise programs, travel, sports, how-to tapes.Computer games, which make viewers part of the action, also provide excitement.Players can compete in the Olympics, search out aliens, or wipe out entire civilizations on their little screens.三十年前，家家户户每天晚上围坐着听收音机。后来电视机取而代之。大多数家庭只有一台电视机，全家人一起收看。如今，电视机和电脑将多得令人眩目的娱乐活动带入家庭。有线电视播出的节目从有氧操到莎士比亚戏剧无所不有。录像机更是扩大了选择性。要是网络电视或有线电视没有中意的节目，录像制品商店可提供好莱坞制作的品质迥异的各种节目：新近发行的电影、动画片、“成人”电影、体育锻炼节目、旅游、体育以及入门指南录像带。让收看人参与其间的电脑游戏也提供了相当的刺激。游戏者能在奥运会上施展身手，寻找外星人，或者在小小的屏幕上摧毁整个文明国家。

With all these choices, it makes sense to own more than one television set.The two-or-more-TV family used to be rare.(4)Nowadays, Dad might want to rent an action movie when Mom's cable shopping service is on.Or Junior is playing a let's-blow-up-Saturn video game while Sis wants to see The Simpsons.Why not invest in several sets? Then each family member can enjoy himself or herself in peace.有了那么多的选择，拥有一台以上的电视机也就合乎情理了。过去很少有人家拥有一台以上电视机。如今，妈妈在看她的有线电视销售服务节目的时候，爸爸可能想租一部动作片。而在女儿想看《辛普森一家》时，儿子却在玩《让我们炸毁土星》的电子游戏。何不多买几台呢？那样每一个家庭成员都可以互不干扰地看各自喜爱的节目。

What's wrong with this picture of today's family?

当今家庭的这一景象有何弊端呢？

Only this.Today's Cleavers spend their evenings in front of their separate TV screens.Then they go to bed.The next morning, they rush off to their separate jobs(work and school).They come home at separate times.They eat separately.Finally, they return to their separate TV screens for another evening's entertainment.During all these times, when do they talk to each other or even see each other? When are they a family?

只有一个弊端。今天的克立弗一家晚上各自守着自己的电视机。随后他们各自上床。第二天早上，他们匆匆忙忙各奔各的岗位（上班或上学）。他们在各自不同的时间回家。他们分头吃饭。最后，他们又各自回到自己的电视机前，各自进行晚上的娱乐活动。在所有这些时段当中，他们什么时候相互交谈或见面呢？家人什么时候才相聚呢？

Certain realities of modern life cannot change.One is the need, in most families, for both parents to bring home a paycheck.Another is the distance many of us must travel to work or to school.But must everything change? And must we lose the family structure in the process?

现代生活的某些现实无法改变。其一是大多数家庭需要父母两个人的工资收入。其二是许多人必得去较远处上班或上学。可是，非得为此改变一切吗？我们非得在这一过程中丧失原有的家庭结构吗？

No one is suggesting that we go back to the 1950s.The Cleaver household was a fantasy even then, not reality.But we might borrow one important lesson from the Cleavers.It is that family life is just as important as work or play.If we agree, we'll find ways of spending more time together.We'll find things to share.And then there will be something right with the picture.没有人说我们应该回到五十年代去。克立弗家庭即使在当时也只是虚构而非现实。但我们或许能从这一人家获得一个重要的借鉴，即家庭生活和工作、娱乐同样重要。如果我们同意这一看法，我们就能设法找到更多时间聚在一起。我们就能找到共同的兴趣。那样的话，我们家庭生活的情景就颇为美妙了。

unit 2 The Freedom Givers

In 2004 a center in honor of the “underground railroad” opens in Cincinnati.The railroad was unusual.It sold no tickets and had no trains.Yet it carried thousands of passengers to the destination of their dreams.2004年，一个纪念“地下铁路”的中心将在辛辛那提州成立。这条铁路不同寻常，它不出售车票，也无火车行驶。然而，它将成千上万的乘客送往他们梦想中的目的地。

The Freedom Givers

Fergus M.Bordewich

A gentle breeze swept the Canadian plains as I stepped outside the small two-story house.Alongside me was a slender woman in a black dress, my guide back to a time when the surrounding settlement in Dresden, Ontario, was home to a hero in American history.As we walked toward a plain gray church, Barbara Carter spoke proudly of her great-great-grandfather, Josiah Henson.“He was confident that the Creator intended all men to be created equal.And he never gave up struggling for that freedom.” 给人以自由者

弗格斯·M·博得威奇

Carter's devotion to her ancestor is about more than personal pride: it is about family honor.For Josiah Henson has lived on through the character in American fiction that he helped inspire: Uncle Tom, the long-suffering slave in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.Ironically, that character has come to symbolize everything Henson was not.A racial sellout unwilling to stand up for himself? Carter gets angry at the thought.“Josiah Henson was a man of principle,” she said firmly.卡特对其先辈的忠诚不仅仅关乎一己之骄傲，而关乎家族荣誉。因为乔赛亚·亨森至今仍为人所知是由于他所激发的创作灵感使得一个美国小说人物问世：汤姆叔叔，哈丽特·比彻·斯陀的小说《汤姆叔叔的小屋》中那个逆来顺受的黑奴。具有讽刺意味的是，这一人物所象征的一切在亨森身上一点都找不到。一个不愿奋起力争、背叛种族的黑人？卡特对此颇为愤慨。“乔赛亚·亨森是个有原则的人，”她肯定地说。

Yet this stop was only part of a much larger mission for me.Josiah Henson is but one name on a long list of courageous men and women who together forged the Underground Railroad, a secret web of escape routes and safe houses that they used to liberate slaves from the American South.Between 1820 and 1860, as many as 100,000 slaves traveled the Railroad to freedom.但此地只是我所承担的繁重使命的一处停留地。乔赛亚·亨森只是一长串无所畏惧的男女名单中的一个名字，这些人共同创建了这条“地下铁路”，一条由逃亡线路和可靠的人家组成的用以解放美国南方黑奴的秘密网络。在1820年至1860年期间，多达十万名黑奴经由此路走向自由。

John Parker tensed when he heard the soft knock.Peering out his door into the night, he recognized the face of a trusted neighbor.“There's a party of escaped slaves hiding in the woods in Kentucky, twenty miles from the river,” the man whispered urgently.Parker didn't hesitate.“I'll go,” he said, pushing a pair of pistols into his pockets.听到轻轻的敲门声，约翰·帕克神情紧张起来。他开门窥望，夜色中认出是一位可靠的邻居。“有一群逃亡奴隶躲在肯塔基州的树林里，就在离河20英里的地方，”那人用急迫的口气低语道。帕克没一点儿迟疑。“我就去，”他说着，把两支手枪揣进口袋。

In the 1820s Coffin moved west to Newport(now Fountain City), Indiana, where he opened a store.Word spread that fleeing slaves could always find refuge at the Coffin home.At times he sheltered as many as 17 fugitives at once, and he kept a team and wagon ready to convey them on the next leg of their journey.Eventually three principal routes converged at the Coffin house, which came to be the Grand Central Terminal of the Underground Railroad.在19世纪20年代，科芬向西迁移前往印第安纳州的新港（即今天的喷泉市），在那里开了一家小店。人们传说，逃亡黑奴在科芬家总是能得到庇护。有时他一次庇护的逃亡者就多达17人，他还备有一组人员和车辆把他们送往下一段行程。到后来有三条主要路线在科芬家汇合，科芬家成了地下铁路的中央车站。

Canada was the primary destination for many fugitives.Slavery had been abolished there in 1833, and Canadian authorities encouraged the runaways to settle their vast virgin land.Among them was Josiah Henson.加拿大是许多逃亡者的首选终点站。那儿1833年就废除了奴隶制，加拿大当局鼓励逃亡奴隶在其广阔的未经开垦的土地上定居。其中就有乔赛亚·亨森。

There was only one answer: flight.“I knew the North Star,” Henson wrote years later.“Like the star of Bethlehem, it announced where my salvation lay.”

只有一条路可走：逃亡。“我会认北斗星，”许多年后亨森写道。“就像圣地伯利恒的救星一样，它告诉我在哪里可以获救。”

The Hensons continued north, arriving at last in Buffalo, N.Y.There a friendly captain pointed across the Niagara River.“'Do you see those trees?' he said.'They grow on free soil.'” He gave Henson a dollar and arranged for a boat, which carried the slave and his family across the river to Canada.亨森一家继续往北走，最后来到纽约州的布法罗。在那儿，一位友善的船长指着尼亚加拉河对岸。“‘看见那些树没有？’他说，‘它们生长在自由的土地上。’”他给了亨森一美元钱，安排了一条小船，小船载着这位黑奴及其家人过河来到加拿大。

“I threw myself on the ground, rolled in the sand and danced around, till, in the eyes of several who were present, I passed for a madman.'He's some crazy fellow,' said a Colonel Warren.”

“我扑倒在地，在沙土里打滚，手舞足蹈，最后，在场的那几个人都认定我是疯子。‘他是个疯子，’有个沃伦上校说。”

“'Oh, no!Don't you know? I'm free!'”

“‘不，不是的！知道吗？我自由了！’”

The Dream, the Stars and Dr.King

Jesse Jackson

Last week in Memphis, we commemorated the death of Dr.Martin Luther King.He was struck down 27 years ago--not a dreamer, but a man of action.We have come a long way since then, in part as a fruit of his labors.梦想、星辰与金博士

杰西·杰克逊

上个星期在孟菲斯，我们纪念马丁·路德·金博士逝世。27年前他被击倒了――不是作为一个梦想家，而是作为一个实干家。从那以后，我们取得了巨大进展，其中一部分是他努力的结果。

In less than 30 years, as schools opened and ceilings lifted, a large African American middle class has been created.High school graduation rates, even intelligence test results, grow closer between whites and blacks with each passing year.在不到30年的时间内，由于兴办学校、种种限制被取消，一个为数众多的非洲裔美国中产阶级得以形成。白人与黑人的高中毕业率，甚至智力测试成绩，也都一年比一年更接近。

The civil-rights movement that Dr.King led also helped women gain greater opportunity.The same laws that guarantee equal opportunity for African Americans apply to women, to other minorities, to the disabled.(1)Our society benefits as fewer of its people have their genius suppressed or their talents wasted.金博士领导的民权运动也帮助妇女获得更多的机会。保障非洲裔美国人平等机会的法律同样适用于妇女、其他少数民族以及残疾人。如今天才遭受压抑、才华被浪费的人数减少了，我们的社会因此而受益。

We have come a long way--but we have far to go.Commission after commission, report after report, show that systematic discrimination still stains our country.我们取得了巨大进展――但我们还有大量的工作要做。一个个委员会的调查，一份份的报告都表明，蓄意的歧视依然玷污我们的国家。

African Americans have more difficulty obtaining business loans, buying homes, getting hired.Schools and housing patterns are still largely separate and unequal.Women still face glass ceilings in corporate offices.Ninety-seven percent of the corporate CEOs of the Fortune 500 are white men.That does not result from talent being concentrated among males with pale skin.非洲裔美国人在商业贷款、购房、就业方面遇到更多的困难。学校与居住格局在很大程度上仍黑白分隔，无平等可言。妇女在企业管理阶层的发展仍面临着无形的限制。财富杂志500强企业名录中97％的首席执行官是男性白人。这并不是白肤色男士具有才能优势的结果。

(2)Today, Dr.King's legacy--the commitment to take affirmative actions to open doors and opportunity--is under political assault.Dr.King worked against terrible odds in a hopeful time.America was experiencing two decades of remarkable economic growth and prosperity.It was assumed, as the Kerner Commission made clear, that the “growth dividend” would enable us to reduce poverty and open opportunity relatively painlessly.But the war on poverty was never fought;instead, the dividend and the growth were squandered in the jungles of Vietnam.今天，金博士的遗产――采取积极行动打开大门、提供机会的承诺――正受到政治上的攻击。金博士在一个充满希望的时代冲破重重困难奋力斗争。美国当时正经历着持续20年的令人惊叹的经济增长与繁荣。正如克纳调查委员会所清楚表明的那样，当时人们认为，“增长红利”会使我们相对来说较为容易地减少贫困、创造机会。但从来不曾发起过消除贫困的战争，相反，那些红利、那些经济增长，都被耗在了越南的丛林之中。

Three decades later, the country is more prosperous but the times are less hopeful.Real wages for working people have been declining for 20 years.People are scared for good reason, as layoffs rise to record levels even in the midst of a recovery.30年之后，国家更加繁荣昌盛，但时势不再那么充满希望。劳动者的实际工资连续20年一路下跌。人们有充分的理由感到恐惧，因为即使在经济复苏之时，下岗人数仍达到创纪录的高度。

In this context, prejudice flourishes, feeding on old hates, keeping alive old fears.What else could explain the remarkably dishonest assault on affirmative-action programs that seek to remedy stubborn patterns of discrimination?

在这种情形之下，政治上掠夺成性者利用宿怨和往昔的恐惧变得越发猖獗。不然如何解释对积极行动计划如此颠倒是非的攻击呢？该计划旨在疗治歧视这一痼疾。

House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a history professor, sets the tone by simply erasing history.The Washington Post reported: “Gingrich dismissed the argument that those who benefit from affirmative action, commonly African Americans, have been subjected to discrimination over a period of centuries.That is true of virtually every American, Gingrich said, noting that the Irish were discriminated against by the English, for example.”

众议院议长纽特·金里奇，一位历史教授，以完全抹杀历史的方式定下了基调。《华盛顿邮报》报道说：“对于受益于积极行动计划的人――通常是非洲裔美国人――几个世纪以来遭受歧视的论点，金里奇拒不接受。金里奇说，几乎每一个美国人都曾受到歧视。他举例说，爱尔兰人曾受到英国人的歧视。”

As Roger Wilkins writes in a thoughtful essay in the Nation magazine, this is breathtakingly dishonest for a history professor.Blacks have been on the North American continent for nearly 375 years.For 245 of those, the country practiced slavery.For another 100 or so, segregation was enforced throughout the South and much of the North, often policed by home-grown terrorists.We've had only 30 years of something else, largely the legacy of the struggle led by Dr.King.正如罗杰·威尔金斯在《国家》杂志上发表的一篇颇具思想深度的文章中所写的那样，对一位历史教授而言，这是骇人听闻的欺骗。黑人来到北美大陆将近375年了。其中的245年中，美国实行奴隶制。在另外大约100年间，南方各州及北方大部分地区实行种族隔离，通常由地方恐怖分子监督实施。我们只有30年免受奴役、隔离的历史，而这在很大程度上是金博士所领导的斗争的产物。

The media plays up the “guilt” African Americans supposedly suffer about affirmative action.I can tell you this.Dr.King felt no guilt when special laws gave us the right to vote.He felt no guilt about laws requiring that African Americans have the opportunity to go to schools, to enter universities, to compete for jobs and contracts.This supposed guilt is at best a luxurious anxiety of those who now have the opportunity to succeed or fail.媒体渲染了所谓非洲裔美国人对于积极行动心怀“愧疚”的说法。我可以告诉你。当特别法令赋予我们投票权时，金博士没有丝毫愧疚。对于那些规定非洲裔美国人有上学、读大学、参与就业竞争与赢得合同竞争的平等机会的法律，金博士没有丝毫愧疚。这种臆想的愧疚充其量是那些业已获得成功或失败的机会的人过分装模作样的忧虑罢了。

If Dr.King were alive today, he would be 66, younger than Senator Bob Dole who suggests that discrimination ended “before we were born.” Unlike Dole, Dr.King would be working to bring people together, not drive them apart.如果金博士仍在人世，他今年66岁，比声称“早在我们出生之前”歧视就不再存在的参议员鲍伯·多尔更年轻。不同于多尔的是，金博士会致力于团结人民，而不是分裂人民。

(3)Modern-day conservatives haven't a clue about what to do with an economy that is generating greater inequality and reducing the security and living standards of more and more Americans.So they seek to distract and divide.今天的经济正造成更大的不平等，并使越来越多的美国人安全感减少、生活水准降低；对于如何应对目前的这种经济形势，当今的保守分子一无所知。于是他们试图分散人们的注意力，分裂人民。

As Dole reaffirmed his abandonment of affirmative action, fellow Republican Senator Phil Gramm of Texas called for more cuts from the poor.正当多尔重申摒弃积极行动计划时，得克萨斯州同样属于共和党的参议员菲尔·格拉姆呼吁进一步削减对穷人的帮助。

As we head into this troubling time, we would do well to remember Dr.King's legacy.No matter how desperate things were, no matter how grave the crisis, no matter how many times his dreams were shattered, Dr.King refused to grow bitter.(4)Men and women, he taught, “have the capacity to do right as well as wrong, and [our] history is a path upward, not downward.It's only when it is truly dark that you can see the stars.”

我们正进入这样一个多难的时期，此时此刻我们最好记取金博士的遗训。无论情况多么糟糕，无论危机多么严重，无论梦想多少次破碎，金博士都决不会怨恨失望。他教导说，人，无论是男是女，“既有能力做好事，也有能力做坏事，而我们的历史的道路是向上走的，不是向下走的。只有在天空漆黑的时候，你才能望见星星。”

unit 3 The Land of the Lock

The Land of the Lock Bob Greene

It has been replaced by dead-bolt locks, security chains, electronic alarm systems and trip wires hooked up to a police station or private guard firm.Many suburban families have sliding glass doors on their patios, with steel bars elegantly built in so no one can pry the doors open.取而代之的是防盗锁、防护链、电子报警系统，以及连接警署或私人保安公司的报警装置。郊区的许多人家在露台上安装了玻璃滑门，内侧有装得很讲究的钢条，这样就没人能把门撬开。

The ad pointed out that, yes, it is the insurance companies that pay for stolen goods, but who is going to pay for what the new atmosphere of distrust and fear is doing to our way of life? Who is going to make the psychic payment for the transformation of America from the Land of the Free to the Land of the Lock?

Why I Bought A Gun

Gail Buchalter

I was raised in one of Manhattan's more desirable neighborhoods.My upper-middle-class background never involved guns.If my parents felt threatened, they simply put another lock on the door.我为什么买枪

盖尔·巴卡尔特

我在曼哈顿一个相当不错的社区长大。我的中上阶级的社会背景从来与枪支无涉。我的父母要是觉得有威胁存在，他们仅仅是在门上再加把锁。

By high school, I had traded in my cashmere sweaters for a black arm band.I marched for Civil Rights, shunned Civil Defense drills and protested the Vietnam war.It was easy being 18 and a peacenik.I wasn't raising an 11-year-old child then.高中时，我用一件开司米羊毛衫跟人换了个黑色的臂章。我参加人权游行，反对国防演习，抗议越南战争。作为妙龄18的少女，当一名反战分子，真是轻松自在。那时我还没有一个11岁的孩子要抚养。

(1)Today, I am typical of the women whom gun manufactures have been aiming at as potential buyers--and one of the millions who have taken the plunge.时至今日，我成了一个典型的被枪支制造商看重并视为其潜在买主的那种女人--成了成千上万个采取这种行动的人中的一员。

I began questioning my pacifist beliefs one Halloween night in Phoenix, where I had moved when I married.I was almost home when another car nearly hit mine head-on.With the speed of a New York cabbie, I rolled down my window and screamed curses as the driver passed.He instantly made a U-turn, almost climbing on my back bumper.By now, he and his two friends were hanging out of the car windows, yelling that they were going to rape, cut and kill me.一个万圣节的晚上，在我婚后移居的凤凰城，我开始怀疑自己的和平主义信条。一辆车与我的车差点迎头相撞时，我几乎都到家了。我以纽约城出租车司机的敏捷，快速摇下车窗高声咒骂那位开车的。他当即掉转车头，几乎撞上我的车后保险杠。这时，他和两个同伴从车窗伸出头来，嚷嚷着要强奸我，砍我，杀了我。

I already had turned into our driveway when I realized my husband wasn't home.I was trapped.The car had pulled in behind me.I drove up to the back porch and got into the kitchen, where our dogs stood waiting for me.The three men spilled out of their car and into our yard.我开进车道才想起丈夫不在家。这下我进退两难。那辆车尾随着跟了进来。我把车开到后门廊停下，冲进厨房，我家的那两条狗站在那儿等我。那三个家伙从汽车里一拥而出，进了院子。

My heart was pumping.I grabbed the collars of Jack, our 200-pound Irish wolfhound, and his 140-pound malamute buddy, Slush.Then I kicked open the back door--I was so scared that I became aggressive--and actually dared the three creeps to keep coming.With the dogs, the odds had changed in my favor, and the men ran back to the safety of their car, yelling that they'd be back the next day to blow me away.Fortunately, they never returned.我的心怦怦直跳。我抓起杰克和斯露西的颈圈――一条是200磅重的爱尔兰狼狗，另一条是它的伙伴，140磅重的北极犬。随后我一脚踢开后门――我吓坏了，变得暴躁好斗――事实上我要激那三人过来。有狗相助，局势变得对我有利，他们退回安全的车里，嚷嚷着说要明天来宰了我。总算幸运，他们没再露面。

A few years and one divorce later, I headed for Los Angeles with my 3-year-old son, Jordan(the dogs had since departed).When I put him in preschool a few weeks later, the headmistress noted that I was a single parent and immediately warned me that there was a rapist in my new neighborhood.几年后，我离了婚，带着3岁的儿子乔丹前往洛杉矶（那两条狗也死了）。几个星期后我送他去幼儿园，老师发现我是个单身母亲，马上提醒我，我刚搬入的居住区里有个强奸犯。

I called the police, who confirmed this fact.The rapist followed no particular pattern.Sometimes he would be waiting in his victim's house;other times he would break in while the person was asleep.Although it was summer, I would carefully lock my windows at night and then lie there and sweat in fear.Thankfully, the rapist was caught, but not before he had attacked two more women.我给警察局打了个电话，他们证实了这一情况。那个强奸犯没有什么特别的作案规律。有时他在受害者家里等候，有时他趁人入睡时潜入。当时正是夏天，可夜间我还是谨慎地锁住窗户，然后躺在床上，吓得浑身是汗。谢天谢地，那个强奸犯被逮捕了，可那是在他又强暴了两名女子之后。

Soon the papers were telling yet another tale of senseless horror.Richard Bamirez, who became known as “The Walk-In Killer,” spent months crippling and killing before he was caught.(2)His alleged crimes were so brutal, his desire to inflict pain so intense, that I began to question my beliefs about not taking human life under any circumstances.The thought of taking a human life disgusts me, but the idea of being someone's victim is worse.And how, I began to ask myself, do you talk pacifism to a murderer or a rapist?

不久，报纸上又报道起另一个丧心病狂的恐怖人物的事来。此人名叫理查德·巴米里，人称“入室杀手”，被抓获前，一连几个月残害、杀死他人。据称他的犯罪行为非常野蛮，他加害于人的欲望非常强烈，这使我开始对自己在任何情况下决不杀人的信念产生了怀疑。取人性命的想法令我憎恨，但成为他人受害者的念头更可怕。我开始问自己，你怎么跟一个杀人犯或强奸犯来谈论和平呢？

Finally, I decided that I would defend myself, even if it meant killing another person.(3)I realized that the one-sided pacifism I once so strongly had advocated could backfire on me and worse, on my son.Reluctantly, I concluded that I had to insure the best option for our survival.My choices: to count on a cop or to own a pistol.最后，我决定要自我防卫，哪怕这意味着杀死他人。我意识到，自己曾积极提倡的一厢情愿的和平主义会为害自身，更糟的是，会为害我的儿子。于是我极不情愿地决定：为了我们的生存，我必须确保有一个最佳选择方案。我的选择：依靠警察，或拥有一支枪。

I called a man I had met a while ago who, I remembered, owned several guns.He told me he had a Smith & Wesson 38 Special for sale and recommended it, since it was small enough for me to handle yet had the necessary stopping power.我给不久前认识的一个人打电话，我记得他有好几支枪。他告诉我，他有一支史密斯－韦森0.38口径特种枪要出售，建议我买下，因为那支枪小巧好使，又有必要的威慑力。

I bought the gun.That same day, I got six rounds of special ammunition with plastic tips that explode on impact.These are not for target practice;these are for protection.我买下了枪。在同一天，我弄到了6发包着塑料头、一撞击就崩碎的特别的子弹。这些子弹不是打靶练习用的，是防身用的。

For about $50, I also picked up a metal safety box.Its push-button lock opens with a touch if you know the proper combination, possibly taking only a second or two longer than it does to reach into a night-table drawer.Now I knew that my son, Jordan, couldn't get his hands on it while I still could.花了大约50美元，我还买了个金属安全盒。如果知道正确的暗码，它的按钮式锁一碰就开，大概比伸手去床头柜抽屉取他只慢一两秒钟。我知道儿子乔丹拿不到它，但我拿得到。

When I brought the gun home, Jordan was fascinated by it.He kept picking it up, while I nervously watched.But knowledge, I believe, is still our greatest defense.And since I'm in favor of education for sex, AIDS and learning to drive, I couldn't draw the line at teaching my son about guns.我把枪拿回家，乔丹兴奋得不得了。他不停地拿起来看，我紧张地瞧着。但我相信，知识仍是我们最有力的防范手段。由于我主张对孩子进行性知识教育，艾滋病知识教育，以及让孩子学会开车，我不能不赞成教儿子关于枪的知识。

Next, I took the pistol and my son to the target range.I rented a 22-caliber pistol for Jordan.(A.38 was too much gun for him to handle.)I was relieved when he put it down after 10 minutes--he didn't like the feel of it.随后，我携枪带儿子去射击场。我给乔丹租了一支0.22口径的手枪。（0.38口径的他摆弄不了。）10分钟后他放下了枪，我不禁松了口气――他不喜欢握枪的感觉。

But that didn't prevent him from asking me if he should use the gun if someone broke into our house while I wasn't home.I shouted “no!” so loud, we both jumped.I explained that, if someone ever broke in, he's young and agile enough to leap out the window and run for his life.但他并不因此不来问我，如果我不在家时有人闯入，他能不能用枪。我大喝一声“不行！”，喊声响得把我们都吓得跳了起来。我解释说，要是真有人闯入，他人小，又灵活，完全可以跳窗逃生。

Today he couldn't care less about the gun.Every so often, when were watching television in my room, I practice opening the safety box, and Jordan times me.I'm down to three seconds.I'll ask him what's the first thing you do when you handle a gun, and he looks at me like I'm stupid, saying: “Make sure it's unloaded.But I'm not to touch it or tell my friends about it.” Jordan's already bored with it all.如今他对那支枪早没了兴趣。两人在我的卧室一起看电视时，我常常练习开启安全盒，乔丹替我计时。我已经快到只需要3秒钟了。我会问他，拿枪时第一件要做的事是什么，他像看傻瓜似的看着我，说：“要看看子弹是不是没上膛。不过我是不会去碰它，也不会跟朋友们说的。”乔丹对枪已经厌倦了。

I, on the other hand, look forward to Mondays--“Ladies' Night” at the target range--when I get to shoot for free.I buy a box of bullets and some targets from the guy behind the counter, put on the protective eye and ear coverings and walk through the double doors to the firing lines.而我则盼着每个星期一――射击场的“女士专场”――我可以免费练习射击。我在柜台上买一盒子弹，几个靶子，戴上护眼罩和护耳罩，穿过双层门，来到射击区。

Once there, I load my gun, look down the sights of the barrel and adjust my aim.I fire six rounds into the chest of a life-sized target hanging 25 feet away.As each bullet rips a hole through the figure drawn there, I realize I'm getting used to owning a gun and no longer feeling faint when I pick it up.The weight of it has become comfortable in my hand.And I am keeping my promise to practice.Too many people are killed by their own guns because they don't know how to use them.到了那儿，我把子弹装上膛，看着枪管上的瞄准器调整瞄准方向。我对着25英尺开外的真人大小的靶子的胸部连发6弹。随着一发发子弹洞穿对面画着的图像，我意识到，自己正在习惯拥有枪支，拿枪时不再害怕了。枪的重量在手上已觉得挺舒服。我坚持练习。太多的人由于不知如何使用枪而死在自己的枪下。

It took me years to decide to buy a gun, and then weeks before I could load it.It gave me nightmares.我花了好多年才决定买枪，又花了好几个星期才学会把子弹装上膛。枪让我恶梦不断。

One night I dreamed I woke up when someone broke into our house.I grabbed my gun and sat waiting at the foot of my bed.Finally, I saw him turn the corner as he headed toward me.He was big and filled the hallway--an impossible target to miss.I didn't want to shoot, but I knew my survival was on the line.(4)I wrapped my finger around the trigger and finally squeezed it, simultaneously accepting the intruder's death at my own hand and the relief of not being a victim.I woke up as soon as I decided to shoot.一天夜晚，我梦见自己醒来，发现有人闯进屋子。我一把抓起枪，坐在床脚处等着。最后我看着他拐过墙角朝我走来。他很高大，把过道都堵住了――根本不可能击不中。我不想开枪，但我知道生死在此一搏。我手指扣住扳机，最后用力一扣，准备在亲手结束侵入者性命的同时庆幸自己没有成为牺牲品。就在我决定开枪时我醒了。

I was tearfully relieved that it had only been a dream.我如释重负，不由得热泪长流，幸亏这只是个梦。

I never have weighed the consequences of an act as strongly as I have that of buying a gun--but, then again, I never have done anything with such deadly consequences.Most of my friends refuse even to discuss it with me.They believe that violence leads to violence.我从来没有像在买枪一事上对某种行为的后果如此反复权衡――可是，我也从来没做过后果如此严重的事。我的大多数朋友甚至不肯跟我谈论这事。他们认为，暴力只能导致暴力。

They're probably right.他们或许是对的。

unit 4 The Watery Place

It was just an error, a stupid error, the kind anyone could make.Only now Earth is never going to have another visitor from space.Not ever.这仅仅是一个错误，一个愚蠢的错误，那种人人都可能犯的错误。只是从今往后再也不会有太空客前来访问地球了。再也不会了。

The Watery Place

Issac Asimov

We're never going to have visitors from space.No extraterrestrials will ever land on Earth--at least, any more.水乡

伊萨克·阿西莫夫

我们不会再有太空游客前来了。外星人将不会登陆地球――至少是再也不会了。

I'm not just being a pessimist.As a matter of fact, extraterrestrials have landed.I know that.Space ships are crisscrossing space among a million worlds, probably, but they will never come here.I know that, too.All on account of a ridiculous error.我这不是悲观。事实上，外星人登陆过地球。这个我知道。在宇宙的千百万颗星球当中穿梭往来的太空飞船可能有许多，可它们永远不会再来我们这儿了。这我也知道。而这一切都是由于一个荒唐的错误导致的。

I'll explain.且听我解释。

It was actually Bart Cameron's error and you'll have to understand about Bart Cameron.He's the sheriff at Twin Gulch, Idaho, and I'm his deputy.Bart Cameron is an impatient man and he gets most impatient when he has to work up his income tax.You see, besides being sheriff, he also owns and runs the general store, he's got some shares in a sheep ranch, he's got a kind of pension for being a disabled veteran(bad knee)and a few other things like that.Naturally, it makes his tax figures complicated.这实际上是巴特·卡默伦的错，所以你得对巴特·卡默伦这人有所了解。他是爱达荷州特温加尔奇的治安官，我是他的副手。巴特·卡默伦是个脾气暴躁的人，到了他不得不整理个人应缴多少所得税时更是容易光火。你想，他除了当治安官，还经营着一家杂货铺，并拥有一家牧羊场的股份，同时还享有残疾退伍军人（膝盖受过伤）津贴，以及其他某些类似的津贴。这样一来他的个人所得税计算起来自然就变得复杂。

It wouldn't be so bad if he'd let a taxman work on the forms with him, but he insists on doing it himself and it makes him a bitter man.By April 14, he isn't approachable.要是他让税务人员帮他填表就不至于那么糟糕，可他非得要自己填，于是填得他牢骚满腹。每年到了4月14日，他就变得难以接近。

So it's too bad the flying saucer landed on April 14, 1956.那个飞碟在1956年4月14日这一天登陆真是大错特错。

I saw it land.My chair was backed up against the wall in the sheriff's office, and I was looking at the stars through the windows and wondering if I ought to knock off and hit the sack or keep on listening to Cameron curse real steady as he went over his columns of figures for the hundred twenty-seventh time.我是看着它降落的。当时我的椅子背靠着治安官办公室的墙，我正望着窗外的星星，琢磨着是不是该下班去睡觉，还是继续听卡默伦骂个不停，他正在第127次核对他在税单上填写的一栏栏数字。

It looked like a shooting star at first, but then the track of light broadened into two things that looked like rocket exhausts and the thing came down without a sound.一开始像是颗流星，可接着那轨迹越来越亮，变成两个光点，就像是火箭喷出的气流，那个东西一点没出声就着落了。

Two men got out.两个人走了出来。

I couldn't say anything or do anything.I couldn't choke or point;I couldn't even bug my eyes.I just sat there.我没法说话，也无法做事。喉部肌肉僵直，也没法用手示意，甚至眼睛都没法瞪大。我就那么呆坐着。

Cameron? He never looked up.卡默伦？他压根儿就没抬起过头。

There was a knock on the door.It opened and the two men from the flying saucer stepped in.I would have thought they were city fellows if I hadn't seen the flying saucer land.They wore gray suits, with white shirts and dark red-brown ties.They had on black shoes and black hats.They had dark complexions, black wavy hair and brown eyes.They had very serious looks on their faces and were about five foot ten apiece.They looked very much alike.有敲门声。门开了，飞碟上的那两个人走了进来。要不是我看着飞碟降落，我还会以为他们就是镇上的人。两人身着灰套装、白衬衣，戴着深红棕色的领带。他们穿着黑皮鞋，戴着黑帽子，肤色黑黑的，卷曲的头发黑黑的，眼睛呈棕色。两人神情严肃，身高都在5.10英尺左右，看上去非常相象。

God, I was scared.天哪，我害怕极了。

But Cameron just looked up when the door opened and frowned.He said, “What can I do for you, folks?” and he tapped his hand on the forms so it was obvious he hadn't much time.可卡默伦只是在门开的那会儿略一抬头，皱了皱眉头。“有什么事吗，伙计？”他边说边用手拍着税单，显然正忙着呢。

One of the two stepped forward.He said, “We have had your people under observation a long time.” He pronounced each word carefully and all by itself.那两人中的一个走上前说道：“我们对你们的人已经观察很久了。”他说话时小心翼翼一字一顿的。

Cameron said, “My people? All I got's a wife.What's she been doing?”

卡默伦说：“我们的人？我只有老婆一个人。她干什么来着？”

The fellow in the suit said, “We have chosen this locality for our first contact because it is isolated and peaceful.We know that you are the leader here.”

穿西装的那人说：“我们选择此地作为第一接触点，因为这里偏僻安静。我们知道您是这里的首领。”

“I'm the sheriff, if that's what you mean, so spit it out.What's your trouble?”

“我是治安官，这是你要说的吧，有什么话就直说, 你们遇到什么麻烦了？”

“We have been careful to adopt your mode of dress and even to assume your appearance.We have also learned your language.”

“我们非常谨慎，沿用了你们的衣着模式，甚至采用了你们的外貌。我们还学习了你们的语言。”

You could see the light break in on Cameron.He said, “You guys foreigners?” Cameron didn't go much for foreigners, never having met many outside the army, but generally he tried to be fair.你可以看到卡默伦脸上开始现出领悟的神情。他说：“你俩是外国人？”卡默伦不怎么喜欢外国人，退伍后就没怎么见过外国人，不过总的来说他尽力做到为人公正。

The man from the saucer said, “Foreigners? Indeed we are.We come from the watery place your people call Venus.”

飞碟来人说：“外国人？正是如此。我们来自你们称之为金星的水乡。”

Cameron never blinked an eye.He said, “All right.This is the U.S.A.We all got equal rights regardless of race, color, or nationality.I'm at your service.What can I do for you?”

卡默伦连眼也没眨一下便说：“好吧。这里是美国。我们这儿不论种族、肤色、国籍，一律平等。我为你们效劳。你们有何贵干？”

“We would like to have you make immediate arrangements for the important men of your U.S.A., as you call it, to be brought here for discussions leading to your people joining our great organization.”

“我们希望您马上与贵国，即你们所说的美国的要人联系，前来此地商讨加入我们组织的事宜。”

Slowly, Cameron got red.“Our people join your organization.We're already part of the U.N.and God knows what else.And I suppose I'm to get the President here, eh? Right now? In Twin Gulch? Send a hurry-up message?” He looked at me, as though he wanted to see a smile on my face, but I couldn't as much as fall down if someone had pushed the chair out from under me.卡默伦的脸色渐渐涨红。“我们加入你们的组织。我们已经是联合国的成员了，天知道还有别的什么。我想是让我把总统找来，呃？就现在？前来特温加尔奇？要我送去一封加快信？”他看了看我，似乎想在我脸上看到一丝笑意，可此刻若有人从我身后把椅子抽开，我也不会摔倒在地。

The saucer man said, “Speed is desirable.”

飞碟来人说：“事不宜迟。”

“You want Congress, too? The Supreme Court?”

“你们想不想要国会也来？还有最高法院？”

“If they will help, sheriff.”

“那也无妨，治安官。”

And Cameron really went to pieces.He banged his income tax form and yelled, “Well, you're not helping me, and I have no time for wise guys who come around, especially foreigners.If you don't get the hell out of here straight away, I'll lock you up for disturbing the peace and I'll never let you out.”

这下卡默伦真的气坏了。他把税单向桌上重重地一摔，叫道：“好啊，你们跟我添乱，我可没时间跟你们这些自作聪明的人纠缠，尤其是外国人。要是你们不马上从这里滚出去，我就以扰乱治安罪把你们关起来，永远不放你们出来。”

“You wish us to leave?” said the man from Venus.“您是要我们离开？”金星人问。

“Right now!Get the hell out of here and back to wherever you're from and don't ever come back.I don't want to see you and no one else around here does.”

“这就走！滚出去，滚回你们老家去，别再回来。我不想见到你们，这儿谁都不想见到你们。”

The two men looked at each other.那两人对望了一眼。

Then the one who had done all the talking said, “I can see in your mind that you really wish, with great intensity, to be left alone.It is not our way to force ourselves or our organization on people who do not wish us or it.We will respect your privacy and leave.We will not return.We will put a warning around your world and none will enter.”

一直作为发言人的那人于是说：“看得出您确实极其不愿受到打搅。我们从不愿将我们自己或我们组织的意见强加于无意接受者。我们尊重您的私人自由，马上离开。我们将不再返回。我们会在你们地球周围发布警告，不再会有人前来。”

Cameron said, “Mister, I'm tired of this garbage, so I'll count to three--”

卡默伦说：“先生，够了，别再胡说八道了，我要开始数3――”

They turned and left, and I just knew that everything they said was so.I was listening to them, you see, which Cameron wasn't, because he was busy thinking of his income tax, and it was as though I could hear their minds, know what I mean? I knew that there would be a kind of fence around earth, keeping others out.那两人转身离去，我当然知道他们说的句句是实话。你知道，我一直在听他们说，卡默伦可没有，他一心只想着他的税单，而且我似乎知道了他们脑子里在想什么，你明白我的意思吗？我知道地球周围会竖起一道屏障，使他人无法进入。

And when they left, I got my voice back--too late.I screamed, “Cameron, for God's sake, they're from space.Why'd you send them away?”

他们走了之后，我才能又开口说话――已经太迟了。我高声叫起来：“天哪，卡默伦，他们是从太空来的。你为什么要赶他们走？”

“From space!” He stared at me.“从太空来的！”他两眼瞪着我。

I yelled, “Look!” I don't know how I did it, he being twenty-five pounds heavier than I, but I heaved him to the window by his shirt collar.我大喝一声：“你看！”我到现在都不明白是怎么一回事，他比我重了25英磅，可我竟然扯着他的衣领把他拽到了窗前。

He was too surprised to resist and when he recovered his wits enough to make like he was going to knock me down, he caught sight of what was going on outside the window and the breath went out of him.他震惊之下都没有反抗，等他回过神来想要把我击倒时，正好看见窗外的情景，顿时气都喘不出来了。

They were getting into the flying saucer, those two men, and the saucer sat there, large, round, shiny and kind of powerful, you know.Then it took off.It went up easy as a feather and a red-orange glow showed up on one side and got brighter as the ship got smaller till it was a shooting star again, slowly fading out.他们正在进入飞碟，就是那两人，飞碟就在那儿，知道吗，大大的，圆圆的，亮晶晶的，挺有气势的。接着飞碟起飞了。它轻轻巧巧地上升，像根羽毛似的，一侧发出一道桔红色的光芒，那光越来越强烈，飞碟变得越来越小，最后重新变成一颗流星渐渐消失。

And I said, “Sheriff, why'd you send them away? They had to see the President.Now they'll never come back.”

我说：“治安官，你什么要赶他们走？他们要见总统。这下他们再也不会回来了。”

Cameron said, “I thought they were foreigners.They said they had to learn our language.And they talked funny.”

卡默伦说：“我当他们是外国人。他们说的，要学我们的语言。而且他们说的话莫名其妙。”

“Oh, fine.Foreigners.”

“哼，得了，还外国人呢。”

“They said they were foreigners and they looked Italian.I thought they were Italian.”

“他们说自己是外国人，两人看上去像是意大利人。我以为他们是意大利人。”

“How could they be Italian? They said they were from the planet Venus.I heard them.They said so.”

“他们怎么会是意大利人呢？他们说他们是从金星来的。我听见的。他们是这么说的。”

“The planet Venus.” His eyes got real round.“金星。”他的眼睛瞪得越发圆了。

“They said it.They called it the watery place or something.You know Venus has a lot of water on it.”

“他们是这么说的。他们把它叫做水乡什么的。要知道，金星上多的是水。”

But you see, it was just an error, a stupid error, the kind anyone could make.Only now Earth is never going to have another Venusian visit us.That dope, Cameron, and his income tax!

所以你瞧，这仅仅是个错误，一个愚蠢的错误，那种人人都可能犯的错误。只是从今往后地球上再也不会有任何金星人来访了。卡默伦这个笨蛋，还有他那该死的税单！

Because he whispered, “Venus!When they talked about the watery place, I thought they meant Venice!”

只听他嘀咕道：“金星！他们说水乡的时候，我还以为他们指的是威尼斯呢！”

Is there life on other planets? Not on those surrounding our sun, it seems.But what of other stars? Do they have planets capable of supporting life? This article sets out to explore the possibilities.其他行星上是否有生命存在？太阳周围的那些行星上似乎没有。但在其他星系呢？它们是否拥有能维持生命的行星？本文试图探索这种可能性。

Is There Life on Planets Circling Other Stars?

Isaac Asimov

There is probably no life of our type in the solar system outside Earth itself.But is there life on planets circling other stars?

绕其他恒星运行的行星上有生命吗？伊萨克·阿西莫夫

除了地球，在太阳系或许没有类似我们这样的生命的存在。可是，环绕其他恒星运行的星球上有生命吗？

Before we can really try to answer that, we have to ask if there are planets circling other stars.Over five hundred years ago, Nicholas of Cusa took it for granted that there were.Modern astronomers think he is likely to have been right, for if our solar system was formed from a cloud of dust and gas that automatically formed planets, that should be true of many other stars as well, and even, perhaps, of nearly all stars.在试图回答这个问题之前，我们得问一下是否有行星环绕其他恒星运行。五百多年前，库萨的尼古拉斯想当然地认为是有的。现代天文学家认为他很可能是对的，因为如果我们的太阳系在由尘埃和气体组成的云团生成的同时也自动生成了若干行星的话，那么其它许多恒星，甚至可能几乎所有恒星，也应该如此。

But that is risky reasoning.It would be much better if one star, aside from our own sun, were actually found to have a planetary system.Unfortunately, even with our present-day instruments, we can't see any planets circling other stars.Such a planet would be 4.4 light-years away, even if it were circling the very nearest star, and it would be shining only by the reflected light of that star, so that it would not deliver enough light to be seen at that distance.There is an answer, however.Sirius B was discovered by Bessel because its gravitational pull was forcing Sirius A to move in a wavy line, not because it was seen through a telescope.Might a planet, or group of planets, do the same for the stars they circle?

但这只是大胆的推理。如果能在太阳系以外真的发现一颗有行星系统的恒星，那这一推理就有根据多了。很遗憾，即使借助于当今的先进仪器，我们还是没法看到任何行星环绕其他恒星运行。哪怕环绕着距离我们最近的恒星运行，这种行星也将会远在4.4光年以外，而且由于行星仅仅依靠恒星的反射而发光，因此它发出的光在如此之远处是不可能被看见的。不过，答案还是有的。贝塞尔发现天狼B星不是通过望远镜看见的，而是由于其引力作用使得天狼A星呈波浪形运行。会不会有一颗行星，或一组行星，对它们所环行的恒星产生同样的作用呢？

In theory, yes, though the effect would be extremely small.(1)The best chance for detecting a planet outside our solar system is to choose a star that is very close to us so that we can measure any deviation from its path most accurately.It should also be small, so that a planet could affect its motion sufficiently, and the planet itself would have to be very large to produce a sizable effect.这在理论上是成立的，尽管其作用将是极其微小的。探测太阳系外行星最有可能的机会是选择一颗离我们相当近的恒星，这样我们就能非常精确地测量其运行轨道的任何偏离。这颗恒星要小，这样行星就能明显地影响其运行，而那颗行星一定要相当之大，足以对其产生相当的影响。

The Dutch-American astronomer Peter Van de Kamp investigated nearby small stars for just that purpose.He felt that he had detected tiny irregularities in the motion of nearby stars such as 61 Cygni, Lalande 21185, and, in particular, Barnard's Star.In addition to being very near us, Barnard's Star is quite small and Van de Kamp thought that from its motion he had detected a Jupiter-sized planet circling it.He found similar large planets in connection with the other stars he studied.But his work was at the very edge of what his instruments could detect, and later astronomers since have decided that his results were not reliable.荷兰裔美国天文学家彼得·范德肯普为此观测了附近的小恒星。他认为自己观测到了附近恒星运行的细微的异常之处，如天鹅座61，拉兰德21185，尤其是巴纳德恒星。巴纳德恒星不仅与地球距离相当接近，而且比较小。彼得·范德肯普认为，他在该恒星的运行过程中发现有一颗与木星一样大小的行星环绕其运行。他发现同样大小的行星与他所研究的其他恒星也有这种联系。但他的研究超出了他的器材所能观测的范围，后来的天文学家认定，他的研究结果并不可靠。

On the other hand, in the last couple of years some bright stars have been found to be surrounded by bands of dust.It is hard to avoid thinking these might be asteroid belts, and where asteroids exist, larger planets ought to exist, too.Nevertheless, we still have not actually observed any planets circling other stars, and must be satisfied with reasoning they are very likely to exist just the same.在另一方面，近年来发现有一些光线强烈的恒星为尘埃团所环绕。人们不禁要猜测，这些尘埃团可能是小行星带，而小行星带存在之处，也应该有较大的行星存在。然而，我们尚未能真正观测到任何环绕其他恒星运行的行星，只能推测它们是有可能存在的。

If, however, there are planets circling most stars, what does that tell us about the possibility of life on those planets?

然而，即使大多数恒星都有行星环绕运行，这与行星上是否可能存在生命又有什么联系呢？

Life certainly can't exist on any world that is part of another planetary system, just as it cannot exist on any world in our own planetary system.The planet has to be suitable for life.生命当然不会在别的行星系的任何一个星球上存在，正如生命并不存在于我们的行星系中的任何一颗星球上一样。有生命存在的行星必须拥有适合生命存在的条件。

For one thing, a planet would have to have a reasonably stable orbit.(2)If it had an erratic orbit, there might be times when its temperature would rise above the boiling point of water or, at other times, drop below Antarctic temperatures, and there would not be much chance of finding life as we know it.What's more, a planet would have to be massive enough to hold on to an atmosphere and an ocean, but not so massive that it collected hydrogen and helium.首先，这样的行星要有相对固定的运行轨道。如果运行轨道不定，很可能行星的温度时而会高于水的沸点，时而又会低于南极气温，那样就不太有可能找到我们所熟悉的生命。还有，这样的行星必须具有相当规模，足以保持住大气层以及大片水面，但又不能过于巨大，不然会积聚氢气和氦气。

(3)But even assuming that a planet is the right size and has the proper chemical composition and a stable orbit neither too far from its star nor too close, so that its temperature is at all times in the range of liquid water(as is true of Earth except for the polar regions), a great deal would still depend on the kind of star it was revolving about.Stars that are much more massive than the sun, for instance, would not be very apt to have such planets;their lives on the main sequence are too short.After all, here on Earth, organisms as advanced as primitive shellfish did not appear until life had existed on the planet for 3 billion years.If that is the normal rate of evolution, then a planet circling a star such as Sirius could never have life advanced beyond the simplest form of bacterial life, for after a mere half-billion years, Sirius would become a red giant and destroy the planet.但是即使假定有一颗行星，它的大小正好，化学成分适宜，运行轨道稳定，与恒星的距离既不太远也不太近，气温始终保持在液态水温的范围之内（正如地球上极地以外地区的温度一样），那儿是否存在生命，在很大程度上仍得取决于它所围绕运转的是什么样的恒星。例如，远比太阳巨大的恒星不太可能拥有这类行星；在主星序中它们的生命过于短暂。在我们的地球上，即便像原始壳类动物这样的生物也直到生命在地球上出现了30 亿年后才刚刚进化而成。如果这是正常的进化速度，那么一颗环绕着像天狼星这样的恒星运行的行星顶多只能进化到像细菌这样的最简单的生命体，因为只需5亿年时间，天狼星就会成为一颗红巨星将该行星毁灭。

Furthermore, if a star is very small and dim, a planet must be very close to it to get enough light and heat to support life as we know it.But at that close distance, tidal effects would cause the planet to face only one side to the sun, so that half the planet would be too hot and half too cold.再者，如果一颗恒星又小又暗，行星要获得足够的光和热以维持我们所熟悉的生命，就必须与该恒星靠得相当近。但距离过近，潮汐作用就会导致其一面朝向恒星，这样该行星的一半球体会过于炎热，另一半则太冷。

In other words, we need stars about the size of our sun.换言之，我们需要大小接近于我们的太阳的恒星。

Then again, such stars cannot be part of close binaries or in other regions where there would be too much energetic radiation from surrounding stars.Suppose we decide that only one out of three hundred stars has a chance of possessing a planet that would be hospitable to our kind of life, and only one out of three hundred of such stars has a planet of the right size, chemical composition, and temperature to actually support life.That might still mean the existence of millions of life-bearing planets scattered among the stars.可是，这类恒星还不能是相邻的双星中的一颗，也不能处于周围恒星能量辐射活动过于强烈的区域。我们不妨假定，300颗恒星中只有一颗有可能拥有适宜于类似地球生命的行星，300颗这类恒星中只有一颗星大小合适，有着适宜的化学构成与温度以真正维持生命。那仍可能意味着星际间散布着数百万颗蕴含生命的行星。

However, what are the chances that on one of these planets intelligent life has developed, capable of developing a technology like ours?

可是，在这些行星当中，出现具有智慧的生命，能够发展类似于地球的科技文明的可能性又有多大？

There are no optimistic answers to that question.After all, Earth had to exist for 4.6 billion years before a life form appeared that was capable of developing technology.对这一问题没有乐观的回答。应该记住，地球在形成了46亿年之后方出现了能发展科技的生命体。

Even if the chances of its happening are small, it might still be that thousands of technologies have developed among the stars, but then there's a still more difficult question: How long would such technologies endure?

即使这一情形发生的可能性很小，星际间仍可能已经出现了成千上万种科技文明，但这就引发了一个更难以回答的问题：这些科技文明会持续多久？

Intelligent beings, as they learn to dispose of great sources of energy, might use them for self-destructive purposes.Certainly, now that mankind has developed advanced technologies, we have begun to use them in ruinous wars and are in the process of destroying our environment with them.If this is typical, then the universe might be full of life-bearing planets that have not yet achieved a technology, and equally full of others that have already achieved an advanced technology and have destroyed themselves.There would be only a very, very few besides ourselves who had achieved the technology and had not yet had time to destroy themselves.具有智慧的生命在学会大量运用能源之后，或许会把能源用于自毁目的。的确，人类在发展了先进的科技之后，已经开始将其用于毁灭性的战争，我们也正在运用这些技术破坏自己的生存环境。如果这一情形具有典型性，那么宇宙之中既可能充满了无数尚未发展科技文明的有生命的行星，同样也可能有着许多业已拥有先进科技、并已自我毁灭的其他行星。除了地球之外，有为数极少的行星可能也已经发展了科技，但还没来得及将自身摧毁。

In about 1950, the Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi asked the question: Where are they? What he meant was, if the stars are rich in technologies, why hasn't some alien life form reached us?(4)(We can't count wild tales of flying saucers and ancient astronauts, because the evidence in their favor is extremely weak.)

大约在1950年，意大利裔美国物理学家安里克·费米问道：它们在何方？他的意思是，如果星际间充满了科技文明，何以没有外星人前来造访？（我们不能把那些有关飞碟和古代太空人的荒诞传说当真，因为能对此加以证实的证据微乎其微。）

Perhaps aliens have not appeared because the distances between the stars is too great to cross, or they have reached us and decided to let us develop in peace, or have failed to appear for any number of other reasons.We can't be sure that simply because no alien is here, there are no aliens somewhere out there.也许外星人尚未现身是由于星际间距离太遥远，或是他们曾经造访并决定任由人类自行发展，或是由于种种其他原因未能前来。我们不能仅仅因为外星人没有在我们这里出现，便断言他处并无外星人。

unit 5 Writing Three Thank-You Letters

Writing Three Thank-You Letters

Alex Haley

Giving thanks--as in praying, thanking God, I thought.Yes, of course.Certainly.表达谢意――就如在祈祷时感谢上帝那样，我暗想。对啊，是这样，当然是这样。

Yet my mind continued turning the idea over.可我脑子里仍一直盘桓着这事。

And there is something else I wish--so strongly that I have had this line printed across the bottom of all my stationery: “Find the good--and praise it.”

此外我还有别的祝愿――这一祝愿是如此强烈，我将这句话印在我所有的信笺底部：“发现并褒扬各种美好的事物。”

Where Is Home?

Ellen Goodman

“The kids are coming home for the holiday.” 何处是家? 埃伦·古德曼

“孩子们要回家过节了。”

My friend announces this as we swap recipes and plans for Thanksgiving.我们在相互交流着感恩节的菜单和节日安排时，我的朋友郑重其事地这么说。

I stop;amused for a moment at the language we now share.“When,” I ask, “did we become the people who call their adult children, 'the kids'?”

我愣了一下，不由对我俩用词相同感到有趣。“从什么时候起，”我问道，“咱们成了把长大成人的子女叫做‘孩子’的人？”

We laugh briefly at the passage of time, at thoughts of our own mothers who still refer to us as 'the girls,' and then she pauses.想到时光流逝，想到我们自己的母亲仍把我们叫做 “丫头”，我俩不由得笑出声来，随后她止住了笑。

“When,” asks my old friend, “did our kids become the people who come home only at holidays?” There is a moment as bittersweet as cranberry sauce.“从什么时候起，”我的老朋友问道，“我们的孩子成了到节假日才回家的人？”两人心头一时又酸又甜。

(1)This is the week when our friends bring in the younger generation, eagerly harvesting them from bulging airports.We noisily arrange children, nieces, nephews, cousins around tables, placing them like good china that we take out for special occasions.这个星期是我们的朋友们将小辈带回家的时候，是急切地把子女从人满为患的机场接回去的时候。我们忙乱地安排子女，侄子侄女，堂兄弟表姐妹什么的在餐桌旁一一就坐，就跟摆放在特殊场合才偶尔一用的精美餐具似的。

These energetic offspring do not come over the river and through the woods anymore.They struggle past check-in counters and wrestle their gear into stuffed overhead bins.They migrate back on airlines whose owners pray with their overbooked hearts that the weather will hold.这些精力旺盛的后辈不再穿林过河而来。他们挤过检票处，使劲地把行李塞进座位上方满满的行李箱。他们搭乘着民航客机飞回家，那些公司心里想着客满的航班，祈祷着好天气持续下去。

(2)It is a testimony to the joyful pull of family that Americans saturated the air and highways this week to return to the place they no longer live but nevertheless call home.To get home for the holidays.这个星期美国人挤满飞机和公路，都想回到他们已不再居住，却仍称之为家的地方。这证明了家庭具有能给人带来喜悦的吸引力的一个明证。回家去过节。

Yet my old friend has touched, however delicately, on that other truth about a country scattered over generations and geography.We have gone from family life as everyday, from knowing every sock in our children's drawers and every frown on their faces, to welcoming them home to designated guest rooms.但我的老朋友很微妙地触及了另外一个事实，即这个国家一代又一代的人散布在天南地北。我们的家庭生活原本平平淡淡，没有变化，连孩子抽屉里的袜子，他们脸上任何一道不悦神情都一清二楚，现在却要迎接他们回家，把他们安置在指定的客房里。

We have visitation rights in each other's lives now, say my friend, a mother in 617 who looks forward to greeting the children from 415 and 011.We keep in touch, we catch up, we say hellos and goodbyes.But we are still trying to learn how to compress “quality time” into small quantities.我们相互拥有探视权，我的朋友说。她是位母亲，住在电话区号为617的地方，盼望着迎接分别住在区号为415和011地区的子女回家。我们保持联系，我们互通信息，我们相互问好，再依依道别。但我们仍试图学会如何把团圆的“美好时光”压缩的短些，但相聚的次数要多些。

My friend is not complaining.Neither of us longs to return to those wonderful yesterdays.The nests that once felt empty now feel roomy.我的朋友并没有抱怨。我们谁都无意退回到那美好的往昔。一度显得空落落的老巢如今显得宽宽敞敞。

More to the point we raised our children to look over the horizons.We told them, the world is yours, go for it.One by one, they went for it, to 305 and 215 and 406.It is, after all, the American way.更重要的是，我们把子女养育成人，是要他们眺望远方。我们跟他们说，世界是你们的，去拥有这个世界。他们一个个去拥有世界了，有的去了305，有的去了215，有的去了506。毕竟，这就是美国的生活方式。

So we email and travel and are grateful at how much easier it is to keep in touch--at least virtual touch--today than when our parents were young.We take joy in the “kids” creating their own lives.于是我们收发电子邮件，我们旅行，想到如今保持联系――至少是虚拟的联系――要比我们自己父母年轻时便捷得多，不由心存感激。我们为孩子们创建自己的生活而深感欢欣。

Yet at times an unpatriotic thought crosses our minds.Is this American way, this long-distance family, an odd tradition as unique to our people as Thanksgiving?

然而，偶尔我们脑子里会掠过一个不那么爱国的念头。难道这就是美国方式，家庭成员相距如此遥远，这种与感恩节同样独特的不同寻常的国民传统？

We are a nation of movers, founded by people on pilgrimages, populated by those who were willfully or forcibly uprooted.Our national mythology is based on the lure of kicking out and starting fresh.(3)We moved west and west again on a promise of the last best place, which turned out to be just a way station.我们是一个迁徙者的国度，由清教徒前辈移民创立，有意或被迫离乡背井者曾在这里居住。我们的民族神话建立在离开家园，重新开始这一诱惑之上。我们西进再西进，期待得到最后那片最好的土地，而那却只是路上一个小站而已。

Even Robert Frost's most familiar and most American definition--“home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in”--has another subtext, Home is not where you stay.就连罗伯特·弗罗斯特那最为人所知,最美国化的定义――“家就是那个当你不得不前往时，他们必须接纳你的所在”――也带有其潜台词，家不是羁留之所。

From the middle of the age spectrum, my friend and I have seen elders move from house to condo, north to south, aging sunbirds still migrating.On the other side of the generational sandwich we watch our children's words.They are “coming home” on Tuesday and “going back home” on Sunday.作为中年人，我和朋友见过年长者从独立的住宅搬入公寓套间，从北方迁往南方，老了的太阳鸟仍迁徙不已。在一代又一代人的夹层的另一端，我们留意着自己子女的用词。他们星期二“回家来”，星期天 “回家去”。

Today many Americans find it hard to answer the question “Where are you from?” Do we all hold dual citizenship? Does the national concern about weaker family ties say less about our feelings than about our geography?

今天，许多美国人觉得难以回答“你是哪儿人”这个问题。我们是否都拥有双重籍贯？国民对越发薄弱的家庭纽带的关注难道更着眼于地域，而非我们的情感？

These questions hang lightly in the November air as we turn the subject from comings and goings of children to the advantages and disadvantages of chestnuts in the stuffing.This is the time, after all, of celebrating reunion, not musings about separation.这些问题在11月的气氛中并不显得重要，我们的话题从子女归来转到火鸡填料里加栗子的好处与缺陷。毕竟这是欢庆团圆之时，不是默想离别痛苦的时候。

“The kids” are coming home.It is not the scarcity of food that brings us back to this full table.It is each other.And somewhere between the turkey and pies we settle down to savor togetherness.“孩子们”就要回家了。把我们带回摆满食物的餐桌旁的，不是食品匮乏，而是我们彼此。在享用火鸡与馅饼的间隙，我们定下心来品味团圆的温馨。

(4)Over this Thanksgiving holiday and in this restless country, we stop and feast on family.在这个人们流动不停的国度里，整个感恩节期间我们始终留在家中享受天伦之乐。

unit 6 The Last Leaf

When Johnsy fell seriously ill, she seemed to lose the will to hang on to life.The doctor held out little hope for her.Her friends seemed helpless.Was there nothing to be done?

约翰西病情严重，她似乎失去了活下去的意志。医生对她不抱什么希望。朋友们看来也爱莫能助。难道真的就无可奈何了吗？

The Last Leaf

O.Henry

One morning the busy doctor invited Sue into the hallway with a bushy, gray eyebrow.一天上午，忙碌的医生扬了扬灰白的浓眉，示意苏来到过道。

“She has one chance in ten,” he said.“And that chance is for her to want to live.Your little lady has made up her mind that she's not going to get well.Has she anything on her mind?

“她只有一成希望，”他说。“那还得看她自己是不是想活下去。你这位女朋友已经下决心不想好了。她有什么心事吗？”

”She--she wanted to paint the Bay of Naples some day,“ said Sue.“她――她想有一天能去画那不勒斯湾，”苏说。

”Paint?--bosh!Has she anything on her mind worth thinking about twice--a man, for instance?“

“画画？――得了。她有没有别的事值得她留恋的――比如说，一个男人？”

”A man?“ said Sue.”Is a man worth--but, no, doctor;there is nothing of the kind.“

“男人？”苏说。“难道一个男人就值得――可是，她没有啊，大夫，没有这码子事。”

”Five what, dear? “

“5片什么，亲爱的？”

”Leaves.On the ivy vine.When the last one falls I must go, too.I've known that for three days.Didn't the doctor tell you?“

“叶子。常青藤上的叶子。等最后一片叶子掉了，我也就得走了。三天前我就知道会这样。大夫没跟你说吗？”

”Try to sleep,“ said Sue.”I must call Behrman up to be my model for the old miner.I'll not be gone a minute.“

“快睡吧，”苏说。“我得叫贝尔曼上楼来给我当老矿工模特儿。我去去就来。”

”Pull it up;I want to see,“ she ordered, in a whisper.“把窗帘拉起来；我要看，”她低声命令道。

Wearily Sue obeyed.苏带着疲倦，遵命拉起窗帘。

”It is the last one,“ said Johnsy.”I thought it would surely fall during the night.I heard the wind.It will fall today, and I shall die at the same time.“

“这是最后一片叶子，”约翰西说。“我以为夜里它肯定会掉落的。我晚上听到大风呼啸。今天它会掉落的，叶子掉的时候，也是我死的时候。”

When it was light enough Johnsy, the merciless, commanded that the shade be raised.等天色亮起，冷酷无情的约翰西命令将窗帘拉起。

The ivy leaf was still there.常青藤叶依然挺在。

An hour later she said:

一个小时之后，她说：

”Sudie, some day I hope to paint the Bay of Naples.“

“苏迪，我真想有一天去画那不勒斯海湾。”

The doctor came in the afternoon, and Sue had an excuse to go into the hallway as he left.下午大夫来了，他走时苏找了个借口跟进了过道。

”Even chances,“ said the doctor, taking Sue's thin, shaking hand in his.“现在是势均力敌，”大夫说着，握了握苏纤细颤抖的手。

The next day the doctor said to Sue: ”She's out of danger.You've won.The right food and care now--that's all.“

第二天，大夫对苏说：“她脱离危险了。你赢了。注意饮食，好好照顾，就行了。”

And that afternoon Sue came to the bed where Johnsy lay and put one arm around her.当日下午，苏来到约翰西的床头，用一只手臂搂住她。

Thank You, Ma'm

Langston Hughes

She was a large woman with a large purse that had everything in it but a hammer and nails.It was about eleven o'clock at night, dark, and she was walking alone, when a boy ran up behind her and tried to snatch the purse.The strap broke with the sudden single tug the boy gave it from behind.(1)But the boy's weight and the weight of the purse combined caused him to lose his balance.Instead of taking off full blast as he had hoped, the boy fell on his back on the sidewalk and his legs flew up.The large woman simply turned around and kicked him right square in his blue-jeaned sitter.Then she reached down, picked the boy up by his shirtfront, and shook him violently.谢谢您，太太

兰斯顿·休斯

她是个大块头女人，拎着个大包，里边除了榔头钉子什么都有。大约夜晚11点光景，

第四篇：全新版大学英语综合教程2课文原文翻译

Unit1 Howard Gardner, a professor of education at Harvard University, reflects on a visit to China and gives his thoughts on different approaches to learning in China and the West.哈佛大学教育学教授霍华德·加德纳回忆其中国之行，阐述他对中西方不同的学习方式的看法。

Learning, Chinese-Style

Howard Gardner

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。

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。

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。

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。

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 WAYS 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。

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

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。

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。

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?

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。

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。

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）。

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。

Children and Money

David Owen

Parents who decide that the time has come to teach their children about money usually begin by opening savings accounts.The kids are attracted at first by the notion that a bank will pay them for doing nothing, but their enthusiasm disappears when they realize that the interest rate is tiny and, furthermore, their parents don't intend to give them access to their principal.To a kid, a savings account is just a black hole that swallows birthday checks.孩子与金钱

大卫·欧文

当家长觉得该教孩子们懂得如何对待金钱的时候，他们通常先为孩子开个储蓄账户。刚开始的时候，孩子们颇感兴趣，因为他们想自己什么也不干银行还会付给他们钱，可当他们明白利率小得很，而且父母也无意让他们动用本金时，他们的热情一下子就冷却了。对一个孩子来说，一个储蓄账户只不过是一个吞没其生日礼金支票的黑洞。

Kid: “Grandma gave me twenty-five dollars!”

Parent: “How nice.We'll put that check straight into your savings account.”

Kid: “But she gave it to me!I want it!”

Parent: “Oh, it will still be yours.You just have to keep it in the bank so that it can grow.”

Kid(suspicious): “What do you mean by 'grow'?”

Parent: “Well, if you leave your twenty-five dollars in the bank for just one year, the bank will pay you seventy-five cents.And if you leave all of that in the bank for just one more year, the bank will give you another seventy-five cents plus two and a half more cents besides.That's called compound interest.It will help you go to college.”

孩子：“奶奶给了我25美金！”

家长：“太棒了。咱们把支票直接存到你的账户上去。”

孩子：“可这钱她是给我的！我要用！”

家长：“嗳，钱还是你的嘛。你只不过是要把钱放在银行里，好让它增多。”

孩子（狐疑地）：“你说‘增多’是什么意思？”

家长：“哦，要是你把这25美金在银行里放一年，银行就会付给你75美分。要是你连本带息在银行里再放一年，银行会再付给你75美分，另加2.5美分。这叫做复利。这钱能帮你上大学。”

The main defect in such saving schemes is that there's nothing in them for the kids.College is a thousand years away, and they probably think they'd just as soon stay home anyway.Indeed, the true purpose of such plans is usually not to promote saving but to prevent consumption.(1)Appalled by what their children spend on candy and video games(or, rather, appalled by the degree to which their children's overspending seems to mimic their own), parents devise ways to lock up their children's resources.Not surprisingly, kids quickly decide that large sums aren't real money and that all cash should either be spent immediately or hidden in a drawer.这类储蓄计划的主要缺陷在于，孩子本人一无所获。上大学还不知要过多少年，他们或许会想他们宁愿呆在家里。实际上，这类计划的真正目的通常不是促进储蓄而是限制消费。孩子们在糖果、电子游戏上的花费之大令家长们十分震惊（或者更确切地说，令他们吃惊的其实是孩子们的超支行为与他们自己的相似程度），于是他们便设法让孩子们将钱存起来不用。毋怪乎孩子们很快就认定，大额钱款不是实实在在的钱，有了现钱要么赶紧花掉，要么藏在抽屉里。

To avoid this problem with my two children, I started my own bank.It's called the First National Bank of Dave.I set up an account for each child, using the same computer program I use to keep track of my checkbook.Because I wanted my kids' deposits to grow at a pace that would hold their attention, I offered an attractive interest rate-five per cent a month.(2)Compounded, that works out to an annual rate of more than 70 per cent.(No, I don't accept deposits from strangers.)Allowances are deposited automatically on the first day of each month.The kids can make other deposits, or withdrawals, whenever they like.为了避免我的两个孩子产生这一问题，我开设了自己的银行，名叫戴夫第一国家银行。我用记录自己支票簿使用情况的同一个电脑程序给每个孩子开了一个账户。因为我希望孩子存款增长的速度足以引起他们的注意，便给他们一个诱人的利率——月息5厘。以复利计算，年息达到70%以上。（不，我不接受外来存款。）零花钱在每月第一天自动存入。孩子们也可以把别的钱存进来，想存就存，想取就取。

The Bank of Dave, which has been in operation four years, instantly turned both my children into keen savers.My son still comes to me with change he has found on the floor of the car, saying, “And credit this today.” Both kids' accounts grew so fast that after two years I had to roll back my monthly interest rate to three per cent.The kids protested when I announced the change, but they nodded solemnly when I explained that the law of supply and demand applies even to the supply of money.The kids help me calculate their interest--a useful lesson in averaging and percentages.(3)I give them unlimited access to their funds, no questions asked, and I provide printed statements on demand.戴夫银行经营了4年，一下子就把我的两个孩子变成了热心的储蓄者。至今我儿子在车里找到零钱仍会来找我说，“今天就把这个上账。”两个孩子的存款增长很快，两年之后，我不得不将月利率降至3厘。我宣布调低利率时两个孩子反对，可当我解释说供求法则同样适用于货币供应后，两人严肃地点头赞同。两个孩子帮我一起计算他们的利息——这可是学习计算平均值与百分比的颇为有用的一课。他们使用自己的资金我不加任何限制，不作任何询问，我还根据要求随时提供打印的账单。

The high rate of interest is not the only attractive feature of the Bank of Dave.Equally important from the kids' point of view is that their accounts belong to them.When they save, they harvest the benefit;when they want to spend, they don't need permission.Children who have no control over their own funds have no incentive not to beg for money and then spend every dollar that comes into their hands.高利率并非戴夫银行惟一诱人之处。在孩子看来同样重要的是，他们的存款属于他们自己。他们存钱便会获利；他们想花钱也用不着获得许可。孩子对自己的钱没有自主权，就没有什么东西激励他们不去伸手要钱，不把到手的钱花个光。

it away.In a souvenir store on Martha's Vineyard a couple of summers ago my son quietly studied the unpromising merchandise while a friend of his loudly cajoled his parents into paying five dollars for a toy gun, which fell apart almost before we got back to the car.My son ended up spending thirty-three cents for an unopened geode, which he later cracked open by hitting it with a hammer--a good value, it seemed to me.If he had been spending my money instead of his, he undoubtedly would have wanted a toy gun instead.帮助孩子们成为理性消费者的方法是，交给他们更多的，而不是更少的自主权。我们去度假前，我通常额外多给孩子们20块钱左右存在他们账户上。我告诉他们，他们可以在我们出发前用这笔额外的钱买T恤衫、存起来，或者花掉，或随便他们派什么别的用场——但在度假期间，他们就不会从我这儿再拿到任何额外的零用钱了（根据惯例被认为是度假享受的共同消费除外，如糖果、冰淇淋、电影票等）。由于他们花费的任何一笔钱都是他们自己的而不是我的，他们出手时就很谨慎。两年前的一个夏天，在玛莎葡萄园的一家纪念品商店，我儿子一声不响地仔细察看那些不起眼的商品，他的一个朋友则吵着让父母花5美金买了一把玩具枪，可几乎还没等我们回到车上，枪就坏了。我儿子最后花了33美分买了个未打开的空心晶球，后来他用榔头把它砸了开来——我看这钱花得值得。要是他花的是我的而不是他自己的钱，毫无疑问，他肯定也会要买一把玩具枪的。

“Children are instinctive capitalists.If given enough leeway, they quickly become shrewd managers of their own finances.When parents fail in their efforts at financial education, it's usually because for reasons of their own they have managed to make saving seem painful and dull.Money is fun, and it's almost entirely self-explanatory.(4)The only way to teach kids to adopt a long-term perspective is to give them a short-term incentive for doing so.儿童是天生的资本家。只要给予足够的自由活动余地，他们很快就会成为精明的理财者。如果家长的理财教育失败，那往往是因为他们出于自身的原因把存钱弄得似乎既痛苦又无聊。金钱是有趣的，而且几乎完全是不讲自明的。教育孩子们看问题要有长远目光的惟一途径，是让孩子们近期内便能尝到某种甜头，从而激励他们去那样做。

Unit2 Does being rich mean you live a completely different life from ordinary people? Not, it seems, if your name is Sam Walton.有钱是否意味着过一种完全不同于普通人的生活？看来未必，如果你的名字叫萨姆·沃尔顿。

THE RICHEST MAN IN AMERICA, DOWN HOME

Art Harris

He put on a dinner jacket to serve as a waiter at the birthday party of The Richest Man in America.He imagined what surely awaited: a mansion, a ”Rolls-Royce for every day of the week,“ dogs with diamond collars, servants everywhere.美国乡巴佬首富

阿特·哈里斯

他穿上餐服准备到美国首富的生日聚会上去担任侍者。在他的想象里，他定然会看到：豪宅，主人天天要坐的罗尔斯—罗伊斯轿车，戴着钻石颈圈的家犬，到处可见的仆人。

Then he was off to the house, wheeling past the sleepy town square in Bentonville, a remote Arkansas town of 9,920, where Sam Walton started with a little dime store that grew into a $6 billion discount chain called Wal-Mart.He drove down a country road, turned at a mailbox marked ”Sam and Helen Walton,“ and jumped out at a house in the woods.他动身前往那所宅邸，开着车穿过本顿维尔镇冷冷清清的市政广场。本顿维尔镇是阿肯色州一个人口仅有9,920的偏远小镇，萨姆·沃尔顿就在该镇从一个专卖廉价商品的小店起家，逐渐发展成为价值60亿美金资产的廉价连锁店沃尔玛公司。侍者上了一条乡间车道，转过一个标着“萨姆和海伦·沃尔顿”的信箱，在一幢林间住宅前跳下了车。

It was nice, but no palace.The furniture appeared a little worn.An old pickup truck sat in the garage and a muddy bird dog ran about the yard.He never spotted any servants.房子还不错，但绝对不是宫殿。家具略显陈旧，一辆旧的轻便货车停在车库里，一条土褐色的捕禽猎犬在院子里窜来窜去。根本没看见任何仆人的身影。

”It was a real disappointment,“ sighs waiter Jamie Beaulieu.“太令人失望了，”侍者杰米·鲍尤叹道。

Only in America can a billionaire carry on like plain folks and get away with it.And the 67-year-old discount king Sam Moore Walton still travels these windy back roads in his 1979 Ford pickup, red and white, bird dogs by his side, and, come shooting season, waits in line like everyone else to buy shells at the local Wal-Mart.只有在美国，一个亿万富翁才能像普通百姓一样，安稳地过着普普通通的日子。67岁的廉价店大王萨姆·穆尔·沃尔顿仍然开着他那辆红白两色的1979年出厂的福特牌轻型货车穿行在弯弯曲曲的乡间小道上，身边坐着他的捕禽猎犬。当狩猎季节来临时，他跟别人一样在当地的沃尔玛商店排队购买猎枪子弹。

”He doesn't want any special treatment,“ says night manager Johnny Baker, who struggles to call the boss by his first name as a recent corporate memo commands.Few here think of his billions;they call him ”Mr.Sam“ and accept his folksy ways.”He's the same man who opened his dime store on the square and worked 18 hours a day for his dream,“ says Mayor Richard Hoback.“他不要任何特殊待遇，” 夜班经理乔尼·贝克说，他费了好大的劲才如公司最近一份备忘录所规定的那样对自己的老板以名相称。这里几乎没人去想他的亿万身价，他们称他为萨姆先生，丝毫不以他的平民作风为怪。“他还是那个在市政广场开廉价店，为了自己的梦想每天工作18个小时的人，一点没变，”市长理查德·霍巴克说。

By all accounts, he's friendly, cheerful, a fine neighbor who does his best to blend in, never flashy, never throwing his weight around.人人都说他为人友善，性情开朗，是个好邻居；他尽力与人们融洽相处，从不炫耀，也从不盛气凌人。

No matter how big a time he had on Saturday night, you can find him in church on Sunday.Surely in a reserved seat, right? ”We don't have reserved seats,“ says Gordon Garlington III, pastor

of the local church.无论他星期六晚上的夜生活过得多晚，星期日你还是能在教堂见到他。当然是坐在他的包座上，对吗？“我们不设包座，”当地教堂牧师戈登·加林顿第三说。

So where does The Richest Man in America sit? Wherever he finds a seat.”Look, he's just not that way.He doesn't have a set place.At a church supper the other night, he and his wife were in back washing dishes.“

那美国首富坐哪儿呢？哪儿有空位子就坐哪儿。“知道吗，他根本就不是那种人。他没有包座。前几天晚上教堂举行晚餐会，他和太太一起在后面洗盘子。”

For 19 years, he's used the same barber.John Mayhall finds him waiting when he opens up at 7 a.m.He chats about the national news, or reads in his chair, perhaps the Benton County Daily Democrat, another Walton property that keeps him off the front page.It buried the Forbes list at the bottom of page 2.19年来，为他理发的总是同一个师傅。约翰·梅霍早上七点开门会见到他等在门外。他跟人闲聊国内新闻，或是坐在椅子里看报，没准是《本顿民主日报》，这是沃尔顿的又一宗产业。这份报纸从来不让有关他的消息出现在头版上。它将《福布斯》的富人排行榜塞在第二版的报尾。

”He's just not a front-page person,“ a newspaper employee explains.“他压根儿不是那种爱上头版新闻的人，”一位报社雇员解释说。

But one recent morning, The Richest Man in America did something that would have made headlines anywhere in the world: He forgot his money.”I said, 'Forget it, take care of it next time, '“ says barber Mayhall.”But he said.'No, I'll get it,' and he went home for his wallet.“

但最近有天早上，美国首富做了件在任何其他地方准会成为头条新闻的事：他忘了带钱。“我说，‘没事，下次一起付吧，’”理发师梅霍说，“可他说，‘不行，我得回去拿，’就回家去取钱包了。”

Wasn't that, well, a little strange? ”No sir,“ says Mayhall, ”the only thing strange about Sam Walton is that he isn't strange.“

这一切，嗯，是不是有点怪？“一点也不，先生，”梅霍说，“萨姆·沃尔顿惟一不同寻常的就是，他平平常常。”

But just how long Walton can hold firm to his folksy habits with celebrity hunters keeping following him wherever he goes is anyone's guess.Ever since Forbes magazine pronounced him America's richest man, with $2.8 billion in Wal-Mart stock, he's been a rich man on the run, steering clear of reporters, dreamers, and schemers.然而，沃尔顿所到之处名人追星族紧跟不舍，他的平民习惯能保持多久，就很难说了。自从《福布斯》杂志宣布他拥有价值28亿的沃尔玛股票成为美国首富以后，他就成了一个东躲西藏的富人，他得甩开记者、寻梦者，还有图谋不轨者。

”He may be the richest by Forbes rankings,“ says corporate affairs director Jim Von Gremp, ”but he doesn't know whether he is or not--and he doesn't care.He doesn't spend much.He owns

stock, but he's always left it in the company so it could grow.But the real story in his mind is the success achieved by the 100,000 people who make up the Wal-Mart team.“

“他或许是《福布斯》排行榜的首富，”公司事务主管吉姆·冯·格雷姆普说，“但他并不知道自己是不是首富——而且他也不在乎。他不怎么花钱。他是拥有股票，但他一直把股票留在公司里好让公司发展。而他脑子里真正想着的是沃尔玛十万员工共同取得的成功。”

He's usually back home for Friday sales meetings, or the executive pep rally Saturday morning at 7 a.m., when Walton, as he does at new store openings, is liable to jump up on a chair and lead everyone in the Wal-Mart cheer: ”Give me a W!Give me an A!Give me an L!Louder!“

他通常回来参加星期五的销售会议，或是星期六早晨7点的行政人员鼓劲会，届时沃尔顿会像分店新开张时那样，跳上椅子，带领大家呼喊沃尔玛公司口号：“给我一个W！给我一个A！给我一个L！大声点！”

And louder they yell.No one admits to feeling the least bit silly.It's all part of the Wal-Mart way of life as laid down by Sam: loyalty, hard work, long hours;get ideas into the system from the bottom up, Japanese-style;treat your people right;cut prices and margins to the bone and sleep well at night.Employees with one year on board qualify for stock options, and are urged to buy all they can.于是大家越喊越响。没有谁说这样做有点傻。这都是萨姆定下来的沃尔玛生活方式的一部分：忠诚，勤勉，加班加点；从公司最底层起大家集思广益，日本管理方式；善待员工；尽可能降低价格、减少利润，一夜安睡到天亮。员工进公司一年就有资格获得优先认股权，并一再鼓励他们尽能力购买。

After the pep rally, there's bird hunting, or tennis on his backyard court.But his stores are always on his mind.One tennis guest managed to put him off his game by asking why a can of balls cost more in one Wal-Mart than another.It turned out to be untrue, but the move worked.Walton lost four straight games.鼓劲会之后，大家一起去打野禽，或在他家后院打网球。但他的那些商店总搁在他的心上。一位来打网球的客人为了分散他打球的注意力，故意问了一句为什么一筒网球在一家沃尔玛商店卖得比别的一家沃尔玛商店贵。此话并非实情，但这一招却真管用。沃尔顿连输四局。

to change my way of thinking when I came aboard.”

“他会说，‘那人工作努力，奖励一下吧，’”退休的前任总裁费罗尔德·F·阿伦德回忆道。他原先供职的雇主非常吝啬，所以19

Walton set up a college scholarship fund for employees' children, a disaster relief fund to rebuild employee homes damaged by fires, floods, tornadoes, and the like.He believed in cultivating ideas and rewarding success.沃尔顿为员工子女设立了大学奖学基金，为房屋遭受火灾、洪水、龙卷风等破坏的员工重建家园设立了灾难救助基金。他信奉广开思路、褒奖成功。

“He'd say, 'That fellow worked hard, let's give him a little extra,'” recalls retired president Ferold F.Arend, who was stunned at such generosity after the stingy employer he left to join Wal-Mart.“I had离开那里加入沃尔玛公司之后，他对这种慷慨行为深感震惊。“我加盟沃尔

玛后，不得不改变自己的思维方式。”

”The reason for our success,“ says Walton, in a company handout, ”is our people and the way they're treated and the way they feel about their company.They believe things are different here, but they deserve the credit.“

“我们之所以成功，”沃尔顿在公司宣传册上写道，“是由于我们的员工，是由于他们所受到的待遇以及他们对公司的感情。他们认为这里与众不同，但是这种荣誉他们受之无愧。”

Adds company lawyer Jim Hendren: ”I've never seen anyone yet who worked for him or was around him for any length of time who wasn't better off.And I don't mean just financially, although a lot of people are.It's just something about him--coming into contact with Sam Walton just makes you a better person.“

公司律师吉姆· 亨德伦补充说，“我从没见过有谁为他工作或和他接触一段时间后而不受益的。我不仅仅是指钱财方面，当然许多人是更富有了。我是说他的某种内在的东西——与萨姆·沃尔顿交往会使你成为一个更健全的人。”

Making the journey from log cabin to White House is part of the American Dream.But when Jimmy Carter was defeated in his attempt to gain a second term as President of the United States he found himself suddenly thrown out of the White House and back in his log cabin.This is how he coped.从小木屋走向白宫是美国梦的一部分。可是，当吉米·卡特连任美国总统的努力失败后，他发现自己一下子被赶出白宫，回到了自己的小木屋。本文叙述了他是如何应对的。

The Restoration of Jimmy Carter

Sara Pacher

Maybe it's because I, too, was born and raised in a small south Georgia town, but I found sitting down to talk to Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter as comfortable as lazing in a porch swing on a summer afternoon, sipping iced tea.Just such a swing overlooks a roaring mountain stream at the Carters' log cabin retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains.Along with the cabin's other furniture, the swing was designed and built by the former president, a master woodworker who selects and cuts the trees for such projects from his 160-acre farm.He then strips off the bark and shapes the wood into furniture and other items.吉米·卡特的复元

莎拉·帕夏尔

或许因为我本人也生长在佐治亚州的一个南方小镇的缘故，我觉得跟罗莎琳和吉米·卡特夫妇坐下交谈就如同在夏日午后荡在门廊的秋千椅上呷冰茶那么舒服。坐落于蓝岭山脉的卡特夫妇幽居的原木小屋前，恰好就有这样的秋千椅，往下看去是一条咆哮的山间溪流。和小屋里别的家具一样，这秋千椅是前总统卡特设计和制作的。卡特是一位手艺高明的木工，为了制作这些家具，他从其方圆160英亩的农庄上亲自遴选并砍伐树木，而后剥去树皮，将木料制成家具及其他用品。

”My daddy was a good man with tools,“ he recalls, ”so learning how to use them was as natural as breathing for us.If something broke, we had to fix it ourselves.You didn't call somebody in to repair something or replace it with something new.We had these skills--all farmers did during the Depression years.“

“我父亲擅长使用工具，”他回忆道，“因此学习使用工具对我们来说就像呼吸一样自然。要是有什么东西坏了，我们就得自己修。我们不会请人来修理或换新的。我们有这种手艺 —— 大萧条时期，农民都有这一手。”

Over the years, Carter has made some 50 household items, about half of which he has given away as gifts.But some pieces still sit around the family's Plains house and have been in use for over 30 years.His wife is quick to point out, however, that his skills improved as time went on.”When we came home from the Navy in 1953, he built a sofa for the back porch.He used nails then.Now he builds everything without nails.He's studied woodworking and worked at it, and he's made really beautiful furniture for our home--including a pencil-post bed and tables by the side.“

多年来，卡特制作了约50件居家用品，差不多有一半已作为礼物馈赠他人。但有些制品仍留在普兰斯的家里，都用了30多年了。不过，他妻子赶紧指出，他的手艺在不断提高。“1953年我们刚从海军退役回家时，他做了只放在后门廊用的沙发。那时他还用钉子。现在他做什么都不用钉子了。他研究木工工艺，下功夫制作，他给家里做的家具真的非常漂亮，包括一张细柱床和配套的床头柜。”

His woodworking talent served Carter well during his political campaigns, particularly when meeting factory workers.”You don't have to say but a few things to people who work in a factory before they realize that you, yourself, have been a laborer.It may be a different kind of skill from theirs, but there's a bond, sort of like a brotherhood, among people who work with their hands.“

卡特的木工才干在政治竞选中，尤其是在与工厂工人见面时发挥了很好的作用。“你不用跟在工厂干活的人多说，他们就会明白，原来你本人也是个劳动者。你的手艺或许跟他们不一样，但在干体力活的人之间有种天然的纽带，好似手足之情。”

远不变的要素。我认为手艺 —— 不管是耕地，造房子，做家具，拉小提琴，还是画图 —— 这些东西不会因生活的起起落落而改变。至于我，回到农场种地或重返木工场一直是我增进基本技能的机会。无论我在写书，从事政治活动，在爱莫瑞大学教书，还是处理国际事务，我总会设法抽空回到木工场，每次至少呆上几个小时。这对我十分重要。这是一种理疗，同时也是我生活中的一种稳定力量 —— 是身心的完全休息。”

“When I'm in the woodshop,” he continues, “I don't ever think about the chapter I'm writing or the paragraph I can't complete or the ideas that don't come.I'm thinking about the design of a piece of furniture, how the wood's going to fit together, what joint I'm going to use and whether or not my hand tools are sharp.”

“在木工场的时候，”他接着说，“我不会去想正在写的章节，不会去想写不下去的段落或搁浅的思路。我考虑的是一件家具的设计，木料该如何嵌合，用什么样的榫头，还有工具是否锋利。”

(3)In Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter's recently published book, Everything to Gain, they explain frankly how they used back-to-basics skills to confront and resolve their painful political defeat, a sudden departure from Washington and their fears of an empty future.在吉米和罗莎琳·卡特最近出版的书名为《好处说不尽》的书中，他们直言不讳地解释了当他们遭遇痛苦的政治上的失败，突然告别华盛顿以及对茫然的未来感到惧怕时，他们是如何使用返璞归真的技能来面对和化解这些问题的。

“In the book,” Jimmy says, “we try to relate our lives, not to the White House, but to Plains--for a couple of reasons.One, to show the attraction of a small town, and, second, to make it clear that the book is not just about a couple who happened to have been the First Family of the nation;it's also written for the average person who loses a job, has an unexpected career change, has to move to a place not of his or her choice, has a last child leave home.Or for a married couple who suddenly find themselves at retirement age and living together for the first time all day long--not just at night.”

“在书里，”吉米说，“出于几种原因，我们试图将我们的生活与普兰斯而不是跟白宫联系在一起。其一，是为了展示小镇的魅力；其二是要清楚地表明，这本书写的并不仅仅是一对有幸成为美国第一家庭的夫妇的生活，它也是写给普通人看的，例如一个失去工作的人，突然遇到职业变迁的人，并非出于自己的选择而不得不迁居的人，一个连自己最小的孩子也长大成人离家而去的人，或者是写给一对突然发现已届退休年龄、第一次得从早到晚而不仅仅是夜里厮守在一起的夫妇看的。”

The Carters plunged with enthusiasm into such projects as laying a sidewalk and putting a hardwood floor in their unfinished loft.Rosalynn has picked up additional carpentry skills in working with one of their favorite organizations, Habitat for Humanity.This is a housing program for the homeless, helping them to build their own houses together with the help of volunteers.卡特夫妇热情投入了诸如铺设人行道、在尚未完工的阁楼里铺硬木地板这类工程。在与两人最喜欢的一个机构“博爱居家”的共事过程中，罗莎琳学到了不少木工手艺。“博爱居家”是一项为无家可归的人创办的住房工程，帮助他们在志愿者的协助下建造自己的家园。

“And we both spend a good bit of time on our farm,” adds Carter.“We take care of the

timberlands.Sometimes we go for long walks in the woods.I may see a particular tree that I think would be suitable for four or five--perhaps, seven or eight--chairs or for some other piece of furniture.I usually select a tree close to home, though, since I have to carry the pieces back to the woodshop area.“我俩都在农场上花了不少时间，”卡特说，“我们护理林地。有时我们在林子里长时间散步。我或许会看到某棵我觉得适合制作四五把——也许七把、八把——椅子或别的什么家具的树。不过，我通常挑选离家近的树，因为我得自己把木料搬回到木工场地。

”One of my favorite kinds of woodworking involves green wood, but there's a tremendous amount of hard labor involved in that.You have to try to handle the different rates at which the wood dries, so the joints get tight and durable.It's the kind of technical problem that appeals to me,“ says the former nuclear engineer.“我最喜欢的一件木工活是用湿材制作家具，不过这活要费很大的劲。你得处理好木料干燥后引起的不同的收缩率，以保证榫头紧固不松。我喜欢的就是这样的技术难题，”这位前核工程师说。

Obviously, most of today's young people don't grow up routinely learning to use their hands ”as naturally as breathing,“ as Carter did.But he thinks they still have an advantage his parents' generation lacked.很显然，今天大多数的年轻人在成长过程中，不像卡特当年那样，在日常生活中得学会“像呼吸一样自然”地使用自己的双手。但他认为，年轻人还是拥有他们父辈所没有的优势。

”Back then, you'd start working at the age of 16 or 18 and work until you died or were physically incapable of working anymore.You began work at sunrise and worked until dark.But, nowadays, you work 40 hours a week, get a couple of weeks off for vacation and then retire at 55, 60 or 65.You have so much spare time to take on additional exciting things.Sometimes they can be quite useful things;sometimes just enjoyable;sometimes devoted to serving others.In Everything to Gain we try to present a broad range of activities an average person can undertake.We try to point out that no matter what stage of life you may be in--young, middle-aged or retired--there's the possibility of a constantly expanding field of interest, excitement, challenge, fulfillment and adventure.(4)In this book we encourage people to take on new things that might look very difficult, but that become very rewarding once the person is involved.“ ”If you have a crisis of any kind,“ Rosalynn adds, ”one of the best things to do is to learn something new.“

“过去，你16岁或18岁就开始干活，一直干到死或者再也干不动为止。太阳一出来你就开始干活，一直干到天黑。可如今，你一星期只工作40小时，还有两个星期的休息度假，然后到了55岁，60岁，或65岁，你就退休了。你有那么多的空余时间去干别的有趣的事。这些事有时可能是相当有益的，有时仅仅是好玩，有时则旨在服务他人。在《好处说不尽》一书中，我们试图展示一个普通人所能参与的广阔的活动范围。我们试图指出，无论你处于人生的哪个阶段——青年，中年，或退休之年——都有可能不断拓展兴趣的领域，找到新的刺激，迎接新的挑战，获得新的成功和尝试新的冒险。在此书中，我们鼓励人们勇于开拓新天地，看起来也许非常困难，但你一旦投入进去，就会得益匪浅。” “如果你遭遇某种危机，”罗莎琳补充说，“最好的对策之一就是学习新事物。”

Unit3 This comedy centers around a proud father's attempts to help his children, attempts which somehow or other always end up embarrassing them.For the sake of fun it carries things to extremes, but nearly everyone can recognize something of themselves and their parents in it.这出喜剧主要写一位为儿女感到自豪的父亲虽做出种种努力帮助子女，不知怎的，其结果却总是令子女尴尬不已。出于搞笑的目的，故事情节作了极度夸张，但几乎人人都能从中看到自己以及父母的影子。

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。

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！

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。

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。

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！

(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：父亲：黛安：母亲：哎，是什么事啊，亲爱的，别卖关子了。

呃，你们知道，丹·卢卡斯和我是同事。

凯尔的父亲？

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。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。

FATHER: Well, today I saw Dan and asked if he'd like to go to lunch at that French restaurant on Third Street.You 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：母亲：黛安：母亲：这－跟－我－有－什－么－关－系－呢？

黛安，你的行为有时我真弄不懂。无论怎样我就是弄不懂。

（没好气地）那就抱歉了。

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？

(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。

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。

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？

(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, 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！

(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！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。

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。

WHEN FATHER DOESN'T KNOW BEST

Andrew Merton

On November 25, 1983, the prizefighter Marvis Frazier, 23 and inexperienced, was knocked out by the heavyweight champion of the world, Larry Holmes, after 2 minutes and 57 seconds of the first round.Holmes pretended to come in with a left punch and Frazier went for it, leaving himself open for a right.Frazier managed to stay on his feet while Holmes rained down 19 blows in a row.Finally, with three seconds left in the round, the referee stopped the fight.At that moment, Marvis Frazier's father and manager, the former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, embraced his son and repeated over and over: ”It's all right.It's all right.I love you.“ 父亲未必英明

安德鲁·默顿

1983年11月25日，年仅23岁、缺乏临场经验的职业拳击手马维斯·弗雷泽在第一回合比赛打到2分57秒时被重量级世界冠军拉里·霍姆斯击倒。霍姆斯出左拳佯攻，弗雷泽防卫时右侧暴露。霍姆斯重拳出击，雨点般地连打19拳，弗雷泽挺着没有倒下。最后，在第一回合只剩三秒钟时，裁判叫停。当时，马维斯·弗雷泽的父亲兼经纪人、前重量级冠军乔·弗雷泽搂抱着儿子一遍遍地说：“没事儿。没事儿。我爱你。”

Later, responding to criticism that he had overestimated his son's abilities, Joe Frazier said, ”I knew what I was doing.“(1)In the face of clear evidence to the contrary, Joe Frazier was unable to give up the notion that Marvis would succeed him as champion, that he would continue to hold the crown through his son.后来，有人批评他对儿子的实力估计过高，乔·弗雷泽回答说：“我知道自己在做什么。” 尽管事实清楚表明并非如此，但乔·弗雷泽还是坚信马维斯能继承他的衣钵成为冠军，他的荣耀能通过儿子继续下去。

(2)It is a disturbing business, this drive for immortality, usually much more subtle than thrusting one's son naked into the ring.Often it is simply a matter of expecting the boy to repeat one's own boyhood, step for step.这种通常比硬把儿子推上拳坛要微妙得多的对不朽的追求是一件让人苦恼的事。这常常不过是在期待孩子亦步亦趋地重复自己的童年。

In July 1983, my son Gabriel was 4 and extremely conscious of it.In fact, he defined and justified much of his behavior by his age:” Four-year-olds can put on their own clothes.“ Or ”I can run faster than Mike.That's because I'm 4 and he's only 3.“ A 4-year-old, I thought, was ready for a major-league baseball game.So on Saturday, July 16, I drove him to Boston to see the Red Sox play the Oakland A's.1983年7月，我儿子加布里埃尔4岁，并且已经有了强烈的年龄意识。事实上，他的许多行为是以年龄来界定的：“4岁的孩子会自己穿衣服。”或是：“我能比迈克跑得快。因为我4岁了，他才3岁。” 当时我想，一个4岁的孩子可以去看全美职业棒球赛了。于是，7月16日星期六，我开车带他去波士顿看红袜队与奥克兰A队的比赛。

It was a clear, hot day--very hot, in fact, setting a record for Boston on that date at 97 degrees--but, rare for Boston, it was dry.I had packed a bag with fruit and vegetables.Gabe slept through the entire 90-minute drive to Boston, a good sign, he'd be fresh for the game.Another good sign: I found a free, legal parking space.And as we entered the ball park, Gabe seemed excited.Gravely he accepted my advice to go to the bathroom now, so we would not have to move from our seat during the action.那是个晴朗、炎热的日子——事实上那一天非常炎热，气温达到97度，创下了波士顿当天的最高纪录——但没有下雨，这在波士顿是极为罕见的。我装了一大袋果蔬。加布在前往波士顿的90分钟的车程里一直在睡觉，这是个好征兆，看球时他就会有精神了。还有一个好征兆：我找到一个合法的免费泊车位。我俩进场时，加布显得兴致勃勃。他郑重其事地接受了我的建议先去厕所方便，这样在球赛当中我们就不必离开座位了。

As we walked through the tunnel beneath the stadium, I remembered my own first game, in Yankee Stadium in 1952.As my father and I emerged into the sun, I was overwhelmed by the vast, green outfield.A pitcher named Vic Raschi fired strike after strike, A Yankee named Joe Collins hit a home run and the Yankees won, 3-2.The opponent had been the old Philadelphia Athletics, direct ancestors of the Oakland team.I felt joy and anticipation as Gabe and I now emerged into the sun for his first look at the field.Gabe said nothing, but he must have felt the excitement.当我们穿过体育场下的通道时，我想起了1952年在扬基体育场自己第一次看球赛的情景。当我和父亲走进阳光下的体育场时，那绿茵茵的巨大外场令我惊喜万分。一位名叫维克·拉希的投球手投出了一个又一个好球，扬基队球员乔·柯林斯击出一个本垒打，最后扬基队以3 ：2获胜。对手是历史悠久的费城竞技队，就是奥克兰队的前身。此刻，当我和加布走到阳光下，他第一次见到赛场时，我心中不由充满了喜悦与期待。加布没说话，但他一定也感受到了那份激动。

We found our seats, on the right-field side of the park.Good seats, from which we could see every part of the playing field.We were about a half-hour early, and we settled down to watch the end of batting practice.Gabe said he was hungry.I gave him a carrot stick, which he chewed happily.When he finished that, he asked what else I had in the bag.I gave him some grapes, then an apple.Within 15 minutes he had polished off most of the contents of the bag.And then he said:”I think I've had enough baseball.I want to go home now.“

我俩找到了座位，在右外场侧面。位置不错，我们能看清场上的每一个部位。我俩提前了半小时入场，坐了下来看差不多就要结束的击球练习。加布说他饿了。我给了他一根胡

萝卜条，他开心地啃着。吃完了胡萝卜，他问我袋子里还有什么好吃的。我给了他一些葡萄，接着是一个苹果。在15分钟之内，他把袋子里的大多数食品都一扫而光。随后他说：“我想棒球已经看够了。现在我想回家。”

”But the game hasn't started yet,“ I said.”You haven't seen any baseball.“

“可比赛还没开始呢，”我说，“你一点比赛还没看到呢。”

”Yes, I have.And I want to go home.“

“看到了，我已经看到了。我想回家了。”

”That was only batting practice.Don't you want to see the real game?“

“那只是击球练习。你不想看正式比赛吗？”

”No.“

“不想看。”

I considered staying anyway.It was my day with my son that was being ruined here, wasn't it?

我想怎么着都得呆下去。难道我和儿子的这一天就这么毁了不成？

(3)But I knew better.I knew now that if I insisted on staying, it would be his day that would be ruined so Dad could watch a ball game.In a rotten mood, I carried him out of the park on my shoulders just as the Red Sox took the field.但我还是比较明智，放弃了呆下去的念头，我很明白如果我坚持呆着不走，那他的一天就会因为爸爸想看球赛而过得十分扫兴。我情绪糟透了，让他骑在我的肩上，就在红袜队上场击球时走出了体育场。

”Daddy? Can I have an ice-cream?“

“爸爸，我想吃冰淇淋，行吗？”

Without much grace, I bought him an ice-cream.Then we got in the car, and I drove away from my precious parking space, still in a bad temper.He was well aware that I was upset;I could see the troubled look on his face, a combination of fear and pain.I hated that look.But I could not shake my mood.I was not looking forward to the drive back to New Hampshire.我不很情愿地给他买了个冰淇淋。我俩上了车，我开车退出那个宝贵的车位，仍然没有好气。他也很明白我不高兴；我能看到他脸上不安的神情，恐惧中夹杂着痛苦。我讨厌那副神情。可我没法摆脱自己恶劣的心境。我一点都不想开车回新罕布什尔去。

Then on Storrow Drive, I spotted the Boston Museum of Science, just across the Charles River.Gabe had been there before, and he had loved it, although he still referred to it, quite seriously, as the ”Museum of Silence.“ Still angry, I managed to say,” Gabe, would you like to go to the museum?“

随后，在斯托罗街上，我瞥见波士顿科学博物馆，就在查尔斯河对岸。加布以前去

过，而且很喜欢那个地方，不过一直到现在他还郑重其事地把它叫做“静默博物馆”。我压着一肚子火，勉强问了一句：“加布，你想不想去博物馆？”

”Yeah,“ he said.“想，”他说。

We had the museum nearly to ourselves.As we walked through the wonderfully cool exhibition halls, I acknowledged to myself how much I wanted Gabe to be like me.(4)He was supposed to like the baseball game, not for his sake, but for mine, and I had gotten angry at him when he didn't measure up to my expectations.It was those expectations, and not Gabe's actions, that were out of line.And it was those expectations that had to change.博物馆里几乎就我们俩。当我俩穿过一个个凉爽舒适的展厅时，我心里不得不承认，自己是多么希望加布能像我一样。他应该为了我，而不是为了他自己喜欢这场棒球赛，当他辜负了我的期望的时候，我便对他生气了。不是加布的行为不当，而是这种期待不近情理。因此，必须改变的是这种期待。

I also thought about the competition between us: what had happened at the ball park was, after all, a battle of wills.He had won.He had stood up for what he thought was right.我还反思了我俩刚才的对峙：球场上所发生的一切，归根到底，是两种意志的对峙。他赢了。他坚持了自己认为是正确的做法。

We spent three quick hours at the museum, viewing the life-sized tyrannosaurus rex from different angles, trying out the space capsule, making waves and viewing exhibits on everything imaginable.And I was excited.我俩在博物馆里浏览，三个小时转眼就过去了，我们从不同的角度观看与实物一样大小的霸王龙，尝试宇航舱，造波浪，观看各种各样想象得出的展品。我也感到兴致勃勃。

Son and father, together, had saved the day--he by holding out for something he enjoyed and I by having the sense, finally, to realize that he was right, and to let go of my dream of how things should be.儿子和父亲，两个人共同挽救了这一天——他坚持不放弃自己所喜欢的事物，而我，总算明智，最终认识到他是对的，并放弃了自己不切实际的幻想。

This time, anyway.至少这一次是这样的。

And then I remembered something else.When my own father took me to Yankee Stadium, I was 6 years old, not 4.后来我还想起了另一件事。我父亲带我去扬基体育场看棒球的时候，我是6岁，不是4岁。

Maybe in a couple of years...也许再过一两年„„

Unit4

Maia Szalavitz, formerly a television producer, now spends her time as a writer.In this essay she explores digital reality and its consequences.Along the way, she compares the digital world to the ”real“ world, acknowledging the attractions of the electronic dimension.迈亚·塞拉维茨曾是电视制片人，目前从事写作。她在本文中探索了数字化世界及其后果。与此同时，她将数字化世界与真实世界做了比较，承认电子空间自有其魅力。

A Virtual Life

Maia Szalavitz

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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„„

Mother's Mad About the Internuts

Carol Sarler

Tap tap tappa tap-tap.It is the last sound to be heard before sleep.On especially bad days, it is the first sound to be heard in the morning.(1)It is the sound of the only lasting disagreement in a household that is otherwise peaceful.My daughter is hooked on the Internet and I think that it is mad, bad and dangerous.母亲恨死了网虫

卡罗尔·萨尔勒

嗒嗒，嗒嗒，嗒－嗒。这是入睡前最后听到的声音。遇到特别糟糕的日子，早上一醒来就听到这种声音。这是一个原本安宁的家庭中惟一持续不去的不和谐音。女儿沉迷于互联网，我觉得这是一种疯狂的不端行为，而且凶险四伏。

She is in every other respect a sensible young woman.She graduated in the summer, she goes to work each day, she and her friends are on the phone all evening and she goes out with them at weekends.But on top of that she has lately started spending some two hours in intense communication with a computer.And I hate it.她在别的哪个方面都不失为一个明事理的姑娘。她是夏天毕业的，天天上班，晚上和朋友们在电话里聊天，周末和他们一起外出玩耍。但除此之外，近来她每天花两个小时光景与电脑厮守在一起。对此我深恶痛绝。

This is not just fear of new technology.Of course, there is value in instant access to information banks worldwide and, of course, email is revolutionizing the way we correspond with each other.My mistrust is based on the fact that this use of the Internet is such a pale copy of the time-honored way in which people communicate with each other.(2)It leads to intimacy before acquaintance;it scatters secrets outwards, not inwards;and, most worrying of all, it is a vehicle for liars.这不完全是对新科技的恐惧。当然，能随时获取全世界信息库中的信息是很有价值的，电子邮件正在完全改变人们相互间通信联系的方式。我的不信任感是基于这样一个事实：使用互联网通讯与人们传统的相互交流方式相比实在大为逊色。它使人们还未相识就已亲近，它不能保守秘密反而扩散秘密；而最令人担心的是，它是撒谎人传播谎言的工具。

What frightens me is that my daughter rejects all this.The denial is there in the language she uses.”I 'met' Janet in January,“ she says, ”and we've been 'friends' ever since.“ At other times, ”I was 'talking' to Alex the other day and he 'said'...“ ”No, he didn't,“ I argue;friends are friends when, and only when, you have seen the whites of their eyes.She just rolls hers, skywards.最令我心惊胆战的是女儿对我的一切规劝都拒之不理。这在她的言谈间流露无遗。“我是一月份‘遇见’珍妮特的，”她说，“那以后我们就成了‘朋友’。” 有时，她又说“前几天我和亚历克斯‘聊天’，他‘说’„„”“不对，他没有说，”我争辩道；只有当你亲眼见过一个人之后，只有在那个时候，朋友才成其为朋友。她只是朝上翻了翻白眼。

Imagine this.When I was planning to go away for a few days last month, this intelligent 22-year-old announced a plan for a party, the guests to include a variety of Internuts who, coming as they would from all corners, would need to stay overnight.你想象得到吗，上个月我正打算外出数日的时候，这位聪明的22岁的姑娘宣布打算举行一次聚会，客人包括各色网虫，他们来自各地，还要在我家过夜。

Overnight? In my home, my home that contains everything I care about, rather high on the list being my daughter herself.在我家里过夜？在这个有我珍爱的一切的家里，而女儿本身就是我的最珍爱的宝贝之一。

She said: ”Don't be silly.“ She said it would be quite all right, because the people she was planning to invite were those whom she had ”known“ for at least a year and whom she ”knows“ as well as any of her other friends that, on the whole, I tend to like.(3)I said, trying to be reasonable but not altogether succeeding, that in and among the things they ”tell“ each other on the tap-tap, a tendency to murder might just have been overlooked, might it not?

她说，“别傻。”她说不会有事的，因为她准备邀请的那些人都是“认识”了至少有一年的，而且她“了解”他们，就像了解我总的来说比较喜欢的她的其他朋友一样。我说，他们啪哒啪哒“讲”给互相听的事情中，杀人的倾向或许就被忽略了，难道这不可能吗？我说这话时尽量想做到通情达理，但不完全成功。

The party did not happen.The row most certainly did.聚会不了了之。但我和她确实大吵了一场。

When I say that if they are not nutters they are nerds, she tries to reason.Do I think she is a nerd? Absolutely not.Well, then, why should they be? Do I think she is a liar? Just as absolutely not.Seizing the initiative she moves over to the attack.当我说那些人即使不是疯子也一定是些怪人时，她试图跟我争论。那我是不是觉得她就是怪人一个？绝对不是。既然这样，那他们为什么会是怪人呢？我是不是觉得她就是个谎言家？当然也不是。她抓住了主动权，开始反攻。

”You remember that favorite story of yours, the one about how the army captain and the woman whose book he discovered got to know one another solely through writing letters? And how she refused to send him a photograph because she felt that if he really cared, it wouldn't matter what she looked like? Well, they hadn't seen each other either.“ She smiles her self-satisfied smile.Arguing with a daughter is always like that, so annoying.They always know where your weak points are, just where to slip in under your guard.“还记得你最喜欢的那个讲一个上尉和一个女人的故事吗？那个他看到那女的读过的一本书便和她通过书信往来而认识的故事？记得吗，她拒绝给他寄照片，因为她认为如果他真的喜欢她，她长得怎么样并不重要？瞧，他们俩也没见过面嘛。”她得意地笑了。跟女儿争辩总是这个样，总是令你烦恼不堪。她们深知你的弱点，知道如何乘虚而入。

But I cannot clear it from my head, the worries refuse to go away.It is not that, as individuals, I have reason to believe they would lie.But they could.They could lie about their age, their state of mind or even their sex.Indeed, apparently in America it is common for men to tap-tap pretending to be women on the basis that they then get other women to communicate with far greater intimacy.但我总是忘不了这个事儿，种种担忧萦绕心头。并不是说我有理由认为，他们作为个人，一定会撒谎。但他们可能会撒谎。他们可能隐瞒自己的真实年龄、心态，甚至性别。的确，在美国显然有不少上网的男人常常自称女人，认为藉此可使其他女人更无顾忌地与他们讲知心话。

A thought occurs.The worst scenes my mind dreams up play like a horror movie.So I call a friend in Hollywood: has anyone thought of this for a movie plot? He laughs.There are five, to his knowledge alone, in development and one heading into production.(4)Needless to say, it is a

new version of the old tale of innocents calling forth evil forces they cannot control, this time in the form of a visitor with the ever-handy axe packed in his luggage.有一天我突然产生了一个想法。我脑子里虚构出来的最可怕的场景一幕接着一幕，就像一部恐怖片。于是我给一个好莱坞的朋友打了个电话：有没有谁想过用这个题材构思一部电影情节？他哈哈大笑。据他本人所知就有5部正在酝酿之中，一部已经进入制作阶段了。不用说，这又是一些无辜的人引出了邪恶的力量却又不能控制的老故事的翻版，这一次的邪恶力量是以一位来客的面貌出现，但行囊中却藏着斧头，随时可以拿出来杀人。

So now, I say to my daughter, we just wait for life to imitate art and we're home and dry.And murdered in our beds.于是，我对女儿说，我们就等着看生活去模仿艺术吧。我们现在安然无恙。谁知道什么时候被谋杀在自己的卧床上。

She laughs.”See you in the morning, Mum.I'm just going upstairs to talk to my friends.Goodnight.“ Tap tappa tap-tap...她大笑。“明天早上见，妈妈。我要上楼去跟朋友聊天了。晚安。”塔塔，塔塔，塔塔塔„„

Unit5

Look at the following two sayings and then see if the story of Michael Stone bears out the points they make.The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.--Molière

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.--Charles A.Beard

读一读以下两则名言，想一想迈克尔·斯通的故事是否印证了其间的道理。

障碍越是巨大，逾越它也就越感自豪。——莫里哀

只有天空漆黑时，你才可以看到星星。——查尔斯·A·比尔德

True Height

David Naster

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。

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。

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。

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！

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！”

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 17 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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

Fourteen Steps

Hal Manwaring

They say a cat has nine lives, and I am inclined to think that possible since I am now living my third life and I'm not even a cat.十四级台阶

哈尔·马纳林

人们都说猫有九条命，我也觉得这完全可能，因为我现在经历的是自己的第三次人生，而我还不是猫呢。

My first life began on a clear, cold day in November, 1904, when I arrived as the sixth of eight children of a farming family.My father died when I was 15, and we had a hard struggle to make a living.I had to wait until the early years of my marriage before I really began to enjoy my first life.But then I was very happy, in excellent health, and quite a good athlete.My wife and I became the parents of two lovely girls.I had a good job in San Jose and a beautiful home in San Carlos.我的第一次人生始于1904年11月一个晴朗、寒冷的日子，我来到世上，在一户农家8个孩子中排行第6。我15岁那年父亲去世，为了生存，我们苦苦挣扎。我不得不等到成家后才真正开始享受自己的第一次人生。那时我非常幸福，体格健壮，还是个运动好手。我和妻子生有两个可爱的女孩。我在圣何塞有一份很好的工作，在圣卡洛斯有个温馨的家。

Life was a pleasant dream.那时的生活就像是一场美梦。

Then the dream ended and became one of those horrible nightmares that cause you to wake in a cold sweat in the middle of the night.I began to suffer from a slowly progressive disease of the motor nerves, affecting first my right arm and leg, and then my other side.接着美梦终止，变成了一场可怕的噩梦，令你夜半惊醒，出一身冷汗。我得了一种逐渐恶化的进行性运动神经元病，一开始影响我的右臂右腿，后来又侵入身体的另一侧。

Thus began my second life....就这样我的第二次人生开始了„„

In spite of my disease I still drove to and from work each day, with the aid of special equipment installed in my car.And I managed to keep healthy and optimistic, to a degree, because of 14 steps.尽管疾病缠身，我还是借助车上安装的特殊设备每天开车上下班。在某种程度上，我是由于14级台阶才得以保持健康的心态与乐观的情绪的。

Crazy? Not at all.无稽之谈？一点也不。

Our home was a split-level affair with 14 steps leading up from the garage to the kitchen door.Those steps were my yardstick, my challenge to continue living.(1)I felt that if the day arrived when I was unable to lift one foot up one step and then drag the other painfully after it--repeating the process 14 times until, utterly spent, I would be through--I could then admit defeat and lie down and die.我们家住的是错层式的房子，从汽车间通往厨房门有14级台阶。这些台阶是我衡量自己的尺度，是我活下去的一个挑战。我觉得如果有一天我无法再抬起一只脚迈上一个台阶，再痛苦地拖起另一只脚——将这个过程重复14遍，直到精疲力竭爬上去——到那时我就会服输并躺下死去。

So I kept on working, kept on climbing those steps.And time passed.The girls went to college and were happily married, and my wife and I were alone in our beautiful home with the 14 steps.因此我坚持上班，坚持爬那些台阶。时光流逝。两个女儿上了大学，建立了美满的家庭，只剩我和妻子守在我们那个有着14级台阶的温馨的家里。

You might think that here walked a man of courage and strength.Not so.Here hobbled a bitterly disillusioned cripple, a man who held on to his sanity and his wife and his home and his job because of 14 miserable steps leading up to the back door from his garage.你或许会以为，这里生活着一个勇敢坚强的男子汉。事实并非如此。这里一瘸一拐走着的是一个幻想破灭、内心痛苦的跛子，一个靠着从汽车间通往后门的那14级可怜的台阶才没有失去理智、没有丢下妻室并坚持工作的男人。

As I became older, I became more disillusioned and frustrated.I'm sure that my wife and friends had some unhappy times when I chose to talk about my philosophy of life.(2)I believed that in this whole world I alone had been chosen to suffer.I had carried my cross now for nine years and probably would bear it for as long as I could climb those 14 steps.随着年岁的增长，我变得日益失望和沮丧。我想，当我执意谈论自己的人生哲学时，我的妻子和朋友一定都很难受。我认为在这整个世界里，就我一个人被选中去受苦受难。我已经背了9年的十字架，只要我还能爬上那14级台阶，很可能我就要一路背负下去。

Then on a dark night in August, 1971, I began my third life.It was raining when I started home that night, beating down hard on the car as I drove slowly down one of the less-traveled roads.Suddenly the steering wheel jumped in my hands as one of the tires burst with a bang.I fought the car to a stop and sat there as the terrible nature of the situation swept over me.It was impossible for me to change that tire!Utterly impossible!

后来，1971年8月一个漆黑的夜晚，我开始了自己的第三次人生。那天夜里我回家时天正在下雨，我慢慢地开着车走在一条车辆稀少的路上，雨水哗哗拍打着车身。突然，方向盘在我手里猛地一跳，一只车胎啪地一声爆了。我奋力停下车，呆坐着，心想，这下子麻烦可大了。我没法自己去换轮胎！根本不可能！

A thought that a passing motorist might stop was dismissed at once.Why should anyone? I

knew I wouldn't!Then I remembered that a short distance up a little side road was a house.I started the engine and drove slowly along until I came to the house.Lighted windows welcomed me as I pulled into the driveway and honked the horn.开车路过的人会停下帮忙吗？我马上就把这个念头打消了。为什么别人要停下帮忙呢？我知道我自己就不会。这时我想起前面不远处的一条小路上有幢房子。我发动了引擎，慢慢地开到了那幢房子跟前。接着我把车开上了宅旁车道，按了按喇叭，迎接我的是窗口亮起的灯光。

The door opened and a little girl stood there, peering at me.I rolled down the window and called out that I had a flat and needed someone to change it for me because I had a crutch and couldn't do it myself.门开了，一个小女孩站在那儿朝我张望。我摇下车窗，大声说道，我有个轮胎爆了，需要有人帮忙替我换一下，因为我要靠拐杖走路，自己干不了。

She went into the house and a moment later came out bundled in raincoat and hat, followed by a man who called a cheerful greeting.她回到屋内，稍后裹着雨衣、戴着帽子又出来了，身后跟着个男的，愉快地跟我打招呼。

I sat there comfortable and dry, and felt a bit sorry for the man and the little girl working so hard in the storm.Well, I would pay them for it.The rain seemed to be easing a bit now, and I rolled down the window to watch.It seemed to me that they were awfully slow and I was beginning to become impatient.I heard the little girl's voice from the back of the car.”Here's the jack-handle, Grandpa.“ She was answered by the murmur of the man's lower voice and the slow tilting of the car as it was jacked up.我坐在车里，舒舒服服，淋不着一滴雨，而那男人和小女孩却在暴雨里干得那么辛苦，我觉得有点过意不去。得了，我会酬谢他们的。这时，雨似乎小了一些，我摇下车窗看着。我只觉得两人动作慢得出奇，我都开始有点不耐烦了。我听到车后传来小女孩的声音。“千斤顶的柄，爷爷，拿好了。”那人轻轻地应了一声，车微微倾斜着被顶了起来。

There followed a long interval of noises and low conversation from the back of the car, but finally it was done.I felt the car bump as the jack was removed, and I heard the slam of the trunk lid, and then they were standing at my car window.接着有好一会儿，我听到车后的响声和轻轻的说话声，最后总算换好了。我感觉到千斤顶移开时车颠了一下，又听到后车厢盖啪地关上，接着两人就站在了我的车窗前。

He was an old man, bent and slightly built.The little girl was about eight or ten, I judged, with a merry face and a wide smile as she looked up at me.那是位老人，身材瘦小，背有些弯。我看小女孩大约8岁或10岁，神情愉快，她抬头望着我，满脸的笑容。

He said, ”This is a bad night for car trouble, but you're all set now.“

他说：“这种天气又是夜里，车出了问题可真够呛，不过现在都给你修好了。”

”Thanks,“ I said, ”thanks.How much do I owe you?“

“多谢了，”我说，“多谢。我该付你们多少呢？”

He shook his head.”Nothing.Cynthia told me you were on crutches.Glad to be of help.I know you'd do the same for me.There's no charge, friend.“

他摇摇头。“什么也不要付。辛西娅跟我说你靠拐杖走路。很高兴能帮上忙。我知道如果是我遇到这种情况你也会这样帮我的。不要钱，朋友。”

I held out a five-dollar bill.”No!I like to pay my way.“

我拿出一张5美元的钞票。“那不行！我不喜欢欠人家的情。”

He made no effort to take it and the little girl stepped closer to the window and said quietly, ”Grandpa can't see it.“

他没伸手来接，小女孩凑近车窗，轻声说道：“爷爷看不见。”

(3)In the next few frozen seconds the shame and horror of that moment penetrated, and I was sick with an intensity I had never felt before.A blind man and a child!Feeling with cold, wet fingers for bolts and tools in the dark--a darkness that for him would probably never end until death.刹那间，时间凝固了，我感到万分的羞愧和震惊。我从来没有这么难受过。一个盲人和一个孩子！用又冷又湿的双手在黑暗中摸着那些螺栓和工具干活——对他来说，这黑暗很可能永远不能驱散，直至他死亡。

They changed a tire for me--changed it in the rain and wind, with me sitting in comfort in the car with my crutch.I don't remember how long I sat there after they said good night and left me, but it was long enough for me to search deep within myself and find some disturbing traits.他俩替我换了一个轮胎——在风雨交加之中换着轮胎，而我则舒舒服服地倚着拐杖坐在车里。我不记得他俩道别走后我在那儿坐了多久，但时间之长，足以让我内心深刻反省，发现令自己深感不安的品行。

(4)I realized that I was filled to overflowing with self-pity, selfishness, and indifference to the needs of others.我意识到我的自艾自怜、自私，以及对他人需求的冷漠，已到了无可复加的地步。

I sat there and said a prayer.I prayed for strength, for a greater understanding, for keener awareness of my shortcomings.我坐在那里祷告。我祈求力量，祈求更多的理解，祈求对自己的缺点有更加深刻的认识。

I prayed for blessings upon the blind man and his granddaughter.Finally I drove away, shaken in mind, humbled in spirit.我祈祷上帝保佑那位盲人及其孙女。最后我开车离去，心灵上震撼巨大，精神上羞愧难当。

I am trying now not only to climb 14 steps each day, but in my small way to help others.Someday, perhaps, I'll have the chance to help a blind man in equal difficulties--someone as blind as I had been.现在我不仅每天努力去爬那14级台阶，而且尽我微薄之力去帮助他人。或许有一天，我能有机会去帮助一个同样处于困境中的盲人——一个跟我过去一样瞎的盲人。

Unit6

How do some women manage to combine a full-time job with family responsibilities and still find time for doing other things? Adrienne Popper longs to be like them, but wonders whether it is an impossible dream.有些妇女何以能既做一份全职工作又能兼顾家庭的责任，并仍有余暇做其他事情？艾德丽安·波珀渴望能像她们一样，但又怀疑这会不会是一个根本无法实现的梦想。

I'm Going to Buy the Brooklyn Bridge

Adrienne Popper

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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？

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。

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。

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。

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。

Yet 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。

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。

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！”

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。

Beginning Anew

Muriel L.Whetstone

I dreaded Sundays.I began living for the weekend at 8:30 Monday mornings.I felt bitter towards my boss.(1)The thought of answering other people's telephones, typing other people's work and watching other people take credit for my ideas and opinions would throw me into week-long bouts of depression.I hated my job.I hated my life.I hated myself for not having the courage to change either one.重新开始

穆丽尔·L·韦特斯通

我曾经惧怕星期天。那时我从星期一上午八点半开始就盼着周末。我痛恨我的老板。每当我想起给别人回电话、打字，看到我出的主意和见解却让别人去受益时，常常整个星期都会闷闷不乐。我痛恨我的工作。我痛恨我的生活。我痛恨自己既没有勇气改换工作，也没有勇气改变我的生活。

When most of my friends were planning college schedules and partying into the night, I was changing dirty diapers and walking the floor with a crying baby.At 19 years old I was the mother of two, and a pitifully young wife.Everything I did for years, every decision I made, was done with my family in mind.当我的大多数的朋友都在计划上大学，欢聚至深更半夜时，我却在换脏尿布，抱着一个哭闹的孩子在屋里走来走去。才19岁，我就已经是两个孩子的母亲，一个可怜的小媳妇。多年来不管我做什么或是作出什么决定，我总得考虑我的这个家。

And then I turned 29, and 30 was only a breath away.(2)How long could I live like this? Certainly not until I retired.I began to feel that if I didn't do something soon, something quickly, I would die of unhappiness.I decided to follow my childhood dream: I was going to get my undergraduate degree and become a full-time journalist.一晃我就29岁了，离30岁仅一步之遥。这样的生活我能维持多久？肯定不会到我退休之时。我开始觉得，如果我不早日有所作为，马上行动的话，我就会苦闷而死。我决定去追寻儿时的梦想：我要拿到大学本科学位，做一个全职的记者。

I quit my job on one of my good days, a Friday.Almost at once I was filled with anxiety.What would I tell my husband and what would be his reaction? How would we pay our bills? I must be crazy, I thought.I was too old to begin again.I prayed, Lord, what have I done? I wondered if I was experiencing some sort of early mid-life crisis.Perhaps if I crawled back to my boss on my hands and knees and pleaded temporary madness, he'd give me my job back.I spent that entire weekend in the eye of an emotional storm.我在我的一个美好的日子，一个星期五，辞去了工作。我的心中几乎马上充满了焦虑。我怎么跟丈夫说呢？他会怎么反应呢？我们如何付家里那些账单呢？我真是疯了，我心想。我已经不再年轻，没法从头开始了。我祈祷着，天哪，我都做了些什么呀？我怀疑自己是在经历某种早期的中年生活危机。如果我爬回去跪倒在老板跟前，恳求他原谅我一时神志错乱，或许他会让我复职。整个周末我都在忐忑不安中度过。

But while I was feeling uneasy about the bridge I'd just crossed, I also began to feel a renewed sense of hopefulness about the possibilities on the other side.I had had a long love affair with the written word that was separate and apart from any of my roles.What we shared was personal: It belonged to me and would always be mine despite anything going on outside of me.I wasn't quite sure what my journey would involve, but I was positive who would be at the other end.(3)I steeled myself to travel the road that would lead me to a better understanding of who I was and of what I wanted out of life.I shared my mixed feelings with my husband.He was as worried as I was, but he was also warmly supportive.And so I stepped off the bridge and onto the path, nervous but determined.I soon discovered that I loved to learn and that my mind soaked up knowledge at every opportunity.My decision at those times felt right.But sometimes, after realizing what was expected of me, I would be weighed down by self-doubt and uncertainty.然而，就在我对刚刚跨越人生之桥的举动深感不安之际，我同时也开始感到希望的复萌，觉得彼岸有种种机会在等着我。长久以来，我对与自己生活中的种种角色毫不相干的文字情有独钟。我与文字之间有一种默契：它属于我自己，并将永远是我的，无论外面的世界发生什么事情。我并不完全明白我的人生旅途中将要发生什么，但我对到达旅途终点之后的自己怀有信心。我坚定地走下去，这条路将使我更好地了解自己，更好地认清自己生活的目的。我向丈夫坦陈自己的复杂心绪。他和我一样担忧，但同时也热情支持我。于是我走下桥来，踏上征途，紧张但却坚定。我很快发现，我热爱学习，利用一切机会汲取知识。这时候我会觉得我的决定做对了。但有时，每当意识到别人对自己的期待时，我又会由于自我怀疑和对未来捉摸不定而感到心情沉重。

I was older than a few of my instructors and nearly all of my classmates.I felt like an outsider practically that entire first semester.Finally I met a group of older female students who were, like me, making a fresh start.We began to share our experiences of returning to school, dealing with husbands, lovers, children and bills that had to be paid.Over time we have become sisters, supporting ourselves by encouraging and supporting one another.我比个别教师年龄还大，几乎比所有的同班同学都大。差不多整整第一学期，我觉得自己完全是个外人。终于我遇到了一些大龄女生，她们和我一样都在重新开始自己的生活。我们开始交流自己重返校园的体验，谈论怎么与丈夫、男友相处，怎么带孩子，怎么应付各种要付的账单等等。随着时间的推移，我们成了姐妹，通过相互鼓励，相互支持使自己获得勇气和信心。

I eventually had to seek employment to help with expenses.In fact, I've had more jobs in the couple of years than I care to count.Many times I've had to stir a pot with one hand while holding a book with the other.More than a few times I've nearly broken under the pressure.I've shed tears on the bad days, but smiles are plentiful on the good ones.我终于不得不找工作以贴补家用。事实上，在那两年里，我干过许许多多工作，连自己也懒得记数了。我常常不得不一手炒菜，一手拿着书看。好多次过重的负担几乎要把我压垮。在不顺利的日子里我哭泣流泪，但在顺利的日子里我也有许许多多欢笑。

However, I would not take back one tear or change one thing about the last couple of years.It hasn't been a snap: From the beginning I knew it would not be.(4)And it's not so much the results of the action that have reshaped me(although that's important, too)as it is the realization

that I have within myself what it takes to do what I set out to do.I feel more in control these days and less like a flag on a breezy day, blowing this way or that depending on the wind.然而，我不因流泪而后悔，也不想改变过去几年中发生的一切。这几年过得不容易：从一开始我就知道不容易。此外，给我带来新的生活的，与其说是自己努力取得的结果(虽然这也很重要)，不如说是由于意识到自己具有潜在的能力可以做自己想做的事。如今我感到自己更能主宰自己的命运，不再如风中的旗帜，随风飘荡。

I no longer dread Sundays, and Wednesdays are just as pleasant as Fridays.Now I get credit for my ideas, and my opinions are sought after.I love my new career.I love my life again.And I can clearly see a new woman waiting patiently just a little way down the road, waiting for me to reach her.我不再惧怕星期天，星期三也如星期五一样愉快。现在我出了主意，功劳就是我的；我讲的意见，别人认真聆听。我热爱自己的新工作。我重新热爱自己的生活。我清楚地看到，在不远的前方，一个全新的女人正在耐心地等着我去与她拥抱。

Unit7 Some languages resist the introduction of new words.Others, like English, seem to welcome them.Robert MacNeil looks at the history of English and comes to the conclusion that its tolerance for change represents deeply rooted ideas of freedom.有些语言拒绝引入新词。另一些语言，如英语，则似乎欢迎新词的引入。罗伯特·麦克尼尔回顾英语的历史，得出结论说，英语对变化的包容性体现了根深蒂固的自由思想。

The Glorious Messiness of English

Robert MacNeil

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。”

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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

第五篇：全新版大学英语综合教程1-4课文原文及翻译

第一册课文翻译

成长

课文A

我们写作时常常被告诫，脑子里要有读者，笔者所云一定要符合读者的口味和兴趣。但有一位读者特别不该忘记。你能猜出是谁吗?当拉塞尔·贝克找到这个问题的答案时，他自己和别人都感到大为惊讶。

为自己而写

拉塞尔·田克

从孩提时代，我还住在贝尔维尔时，我的脑子里就断断续续地转着当作家的念头，但直等到我高中三年级，这—一想法才有了实现的可能。在这之前，我对所有跟英文课沾边的事都感到腻味。我觉得英文语法枯燥难懂。我痛恨那些长而乏味的段落写作，老师读着受累，我写着痛苦。

弗利格尔先生接我们的高三英文课时，我就准备着在这门最最单调乏味的课上再熬上沉闷的一年。弗利格尔先生在学生中以其说话干巴和激励学生无术而出名。据说他拘谨刻板，完全落后于时代。我看他有六七十岁了，古板之极。他戴着古板的毫无装饰的眼镜，微微卷曲的头发剪得笔齐，梳得纹丝不乱。他身穿古板的套装，白衬衣领扣外的领带打得——丝不苟。他救着古板的尖下巴，古板的直鼻梁，说起话来—·本正经，字斟句酌，彬彬有礼，活脱脱一个橱稽的老古董。

我作好准备，打算在弗利格尔先生的班上一无所获地混上—·年，不少日子过去了，还真率出所料。后半学期我们学写随笔小品文。弗利格尔先生发下一张家庭作业纸，出了不少题供我们选择。像“暑假二三事”那样傻乎乎的题目倒是一个也没有，但绝大多数—样乏味。我把作文题带回家，——直没写，直到要交作业的前一天晚上。我躺在沙发上，最终不得不面对这一讨厌的功课，便从笔记本里抽出作文题目单粗粗—看。我的目光落在“吃意大利细面条的艺术”这个题目上。

„

这个题目在我脑海里唤起了一连串不同寻常的图像。贝尔维尔之夜的清晰的回忆如潮水一般涌来，当时，我们大家——起围坐在晚餐桌旁——艾伦舅舅、我母亲、查理舅舅、多丽丝、哈尔舅舅——帕特舅妈晚饭做的是意大利细面条。那时意大利细面条还是很少听说的异国食品。多丽丝和我都还从来没吃过，在座的大人也是经验不足，没有—个吃起来得心应手的。艾伦舅舅家诙谐有趣的场景全都重现在我的脑海中，我回想起来，当晚我们笑作—团，争论着该如何地把面条从盘子上送到嘴里才算合乎礼仪。

突然我就想描述那„切，描述当时那种温馨美好的气氛，但我把它写下来仅仅是想白得其乐，而不是为弗利格尔先生而写。那是我想重新捕捉并珍藏在心中的一个时刻。我想重温那个夜晚的愉快。然而，照我希望的那样去写，就会违反我在学校里学的正式作文的种种法则弗利格尔先生也肯定会打它—个不及格。没关系。等我为自己写好了之后，我可以再为弗利格尔先生写点什么别的东西。

等我写完时已是半夜时分，再没时间为弗利格尔先生写——篇循规蹈矩、像模像样的文章了。第二天上午，我别无选择，只好把我为自己而写的贝尔维尔晚餐的故事交了上去。两天后弗利格尔先生发还批改过的作文，他把别人的都发了，·就是没有我的。我正准备着遵命—放学就去弗利格尔先生那儿挨训，却看见他从桌上拿起我的作文，敲了敲桌子让大家注意听。

“好了，孩子们，”他说。“我要给你们念一篇小品文。文章的题目是：吃意大利细面条的艺术。”

于是他开始念了。是我写的!他给全班大声念我写的文章。更不可思议的是，全班同学都在听着他念，而且听得很专心。有人笑出声来，接着全班都笑了，不是轻蔑嘲弄，而是乐乎乎地开怀大笑。就连弗利格尔先生也停顿了两三次，好抑制他那丝拘谨的微笑。

我尽力不流露出得意的心情，但是看到我写的文章竟然能使别人大笑，我真是心花怒放。就在十——年级，可谓是最后的时刻，我找到了一个今生想做的事。这是我整个求学生涯中最幸福的——刻。弗利格尔先生念完后说道：“瞧，孩子们，这就是小品文，懂了没有。这才是一知道吗——这才是小品文的精髓，知道了没有。祝贺你，贝克先生。”他这番话使我沉浸在十全十美的幸福之中。

第二单元

友谊

课文A

老朋友天各一方，你心有何感?你是否努力保持联系?有时候写信的事很容易会一拖再拖，总以为明天有的是时间。然而，正如这则故事所表明的，有时我们拖得太晚了。也许读一读这个故事会让你提起笔来。

出租车司机拥有的就剩一封信

福斯特·韩克洛

他准是完全沉浸在所读的东西里了，因为我不得不敲挡风玻璃来引起他的注意。

他总算抬头看我了。“你出车吗?”我问道。他点点头，当我坐进后座时，他抱歉地说：“对不起，我在读一封信。”听上去他像是得了感冒什么的。

“我不着急，”我对他说。“你接着把信读完吧。”

他摇了摇头。“我已经读了好几遍了。我想我都能背出来了。”

“家书抵万金啊，”我说。“至少对我来说是这样，因为我老是在外旅行。”我估量他有六七十岁了，便猜测说：“是孩子还是孙子写宋的?”

“不是家里人，”他回答说。“不过，”他接着说，“想起来，也可以算是一家人了。埃德老伙计是我最老的朋友了。实际上，过去我俩总是以‘老朋友’相称的——就是说，当我俩相见时。我这人就是不大会写东西。”

“我看大家写信都不那么勤快，”我说。“我自己笔头就很懒。我看，你认识他挺久了吧?”

“差不多认识了一辈子了。我俩小时候就一起玩，所以我俩的友谊确实很长了。”

“一起上的学?”

．

“都一起上到高中呢。事实上，我俩从小学到高中都在一个班里。”

“保持这么长久友谊的人可真不多见啊，”我说。

“其实呢，”司机接着说，“近25到30年来，我跟他一年只见一两次面，因为我从原来住的老街坊搬了出来，联系自然就少了，虽说你一直放在心上。他在的时候可真是个大好人。”

“你刚才说他‘在的时候’。你是说——?”

他点了点头。“前两个星期过世啦。”

“真遗憾，”我说。“失去朋友真不是个滋味，失去个真正的老朋友更让人受不了。”

他开着车，没有接话儿。我们沉默了几分钟，可我知道他还在想着老埃德。他又开口时，与其说是跟我说话，还不如说是自言自语：“我真该一直保持联系。真的，”他重复道，“我真该—直保持联系。”

“是明，”我表示赞同，“我们都该与老朋友保持更多的联系。不过总是有事情冒出来，好像就是抽不出空来。”

他耸了耸肩。“我们过去总能抽出空来，”他说。“信里还提到呢。”他把信递给我。“你看看吧。”

“谢谢你，”我说，“不过我不想读你的信。这纯属私事。”

司机耸，一耸肩。“老埃德人都死了。没什么私事不私事了。念吧，”他催促说。

信是用铅笔写的。称呼写着“老朋友”，而开头第一句话让我想到自己。“早就想写信了，可就是——拖再拖。”信里接着写道，他常常回想从前两人住在一个街坊时的快乐时光。信里提到些事，可能对司机很重要，比如“那次蒂姆·谢打破窗子，那年万圣节前夕，我们把老帕克先生的大门拴了起来，还有卡尔弗太太老是在放学后把咱俩留下训斥的那阵子”。

“你们俩准是在一起度过了不少时光，”我对他说。

“就跟信里写的那样，”他回答说，“我俩在那个时候能花的只有时间。”他摇头叹道：“时间吓可。”

信里接下来的那段我觉得有点凄凉：“信的开头我写着‘老朋友’，因为这么多年来，我们这对老朋友渐渐都老了。我们这些人当中留下的也不多了。”

“你要知道，”我对他说，“信里说我们这些人当中留下的不多了，说得一点不错。比如说，每次我去参加老同学聚会，来的人总是越来越少。”

“时间不饶人啊，”司机说。

“你们俩以前在一起工作吗?”我问他。

“不，不过没成家时我俩总在一起闲荡。后来，两人都成了家，就不时相互串门。可最近这二三十年来，主要就是寄寄圣诞卡了。当然，我俩都总在卡上写几句——通常是关于各自家里的情况，不是吗，孩子们在干些什么，谁搬到哪儿，添了个小孙子，都是这类事——可一直都没正儿八经地写过信什么的。”

“这一处写得好，”我说。“这里写道：‘你多年的友谊对我非常重要，远比我能说出来的重要得多，因为我不擅长说这样的话。，，我颔首称是。“这话准让你听着开心，是吧?”

司机说了句什么，可我没听明白，因为他似乎哽噎得厉害。于是我接着说：“我也真想收到这样一封老朋友的来信。”

我们快到目的地了，于是我跳到最后一段。“因此我想你一定想知道我惦记着你。”信末署名：“老朋友汤姆”。

我们在我的旅店前停下，我把信递了回去。“很高兴能和你聊聊，”我将衣箱从车上提下时说。汤姆？信的署名是汤姆？

“我节的你朋友叫埃德，”我说。“为什么他署名汤姆呢？”

“这封信不是汤姆写给我的，”他解释说。“我是汤姆。这是我在得知他去世前写给他的信。所以我一直没寄出。”

他神情有点悲伤，似乎想看清远处什么东西。“我想我真该早些写这封信。”

我进了旅馆房间之后，没有马上打开箱包。首先我得写封信——而且要寄出去。

第三单元

理解科学

课文A

霍金教授认为使每个人都了解科学是干什么的非常重要。在这篇文章中，他对其中的缘由作了解释。

公众科学观

斯蒂芬.霍金

无论我们是否愿意，我们生活的世界在过去一百年间已经变化了许多，而且在未来的一百年里可能变化更多。有人想中止这种种变化，回到那个他们认为更纯洁更朴素的时代。但正如历史所表明的，过去并非那么美妙。过去对享有特权的少数人不算太糟，但即便他们也：无从享受现代医疗，而生育对妇女来说风险极大。对占人口大多数的民众而言，生活是艰难、残忍而又短暂的。

不管怎样，即使有人想这么做，他也无法将时钟拨回到早先的时代。知识与技术不可能说忘就忘了。也没有人能阻止未来的进一步发展。即使所有用于研究的政府资金都被取消（现政府最擅此事），竞争的力量仍将继续带来技术的发展。更何况，没有人能阻止探究求索之士去思索基础学科，无论他们是否会为此得到酬劳。唯一能阻止进一步发展的办法或许是一个压制任何新事物的全球政府，但人类的进取心与创造力如此旺盛，即便这个政府也不会成功。它所能做到的只是延缓变化的速度。

如果我们承认，我们无法阻止科学技术改变我们的世界，我们至少可以努力确保科技带来的变化方向正确。在——个民主社会里，这意味着公众需要对科学有—个基本的了解，从而可以作出明达的决定，而不是把决定留给专家去作。目前，公众对科学存有矛盾之心。公众期望科技新发展带来的生活水准的稳定提高能继续，但又怀疑科学，因为他们不懂科学。那个在实验室里设法制造弗兰肯斯泰因的疯狂的科学家的卡通人物清楚地体现了公众的这种怀疑。这也是人们之所以支持各种绿色组织的—个重要因素。但公众同时也对科学深感兴趣，尤其是对天文学，诸如《夜空》之类的电视连续剧观众不少以及科幻小说读者甚多就是明证。

怎么样才能利用这种兴趣，向公众提供所需要的科学知识，以便其在酸雨、温室效应、核武器以及基因工程等问题上作出明达的决定呢?显然，必须把基础建立在学校课程上。但在学校里，科学往往被教得枯燥乏味。孩子们死记硬背应付考试，他们看刁；出科学与他们的周围世界的联系。更有甚者，科学常常是用公式来教的。虽然公式是阐述数学概念的——种简单而精确的方式，它们却使大多数人望而生畏。前不久我写了—“本通俗读物，当时有人告诫我说，我每使用个公式就会使销量减半。我只使用了—个公式，即爱因斯坦那个著名的公式，E=mc2：。如果；用这个公式的话，也许我能多卖出—倍的书。

私学家和工程师倾向于用公式阐述观点，因为他们需要知道量的精确值。但对我们其余的人来说，对科学概念有个质的认识就已足够，这可以用文字和图表来表述，大可不必使用公式。

人们在学校学到的科学知识可以提供—个基本的框架。但如今科学进步的速度如此之快，个人离开学校或大学后新的发展层出不穷。我在学校从未学过分子生物学或晶体管，但基因工程和计算机是极有可能改变我们未来生活的两项发展。有关科学的通俗读物和杂志文章能帮助人们了解新发展，但即使是最畅销的科普读物也只有—部分人阅读。只有电视能赢得真：广大的观众。电视上有些相当优秀的科学节目，但其他的节目把科学奇迹简单地作为魔术播出，既不加以说明，也展现它们与科学观念的整体框架的关系。电视科学节目的制片人应该认识到，他们负有教育民众的重任，而不仅仅是为他们提供娱乐。

当今世界充满危险，因此就有了那个令人毛骨悚然的玩笑，说我们尚未受到外星文明造访的原因在于：但凡文明发展到我们目前的程度，它们往往就自我毁灭了。然而我对公众的明智充满信心，因而相信，我们将证明这一说法是错误的。

第四单元

美国梦

课文A 美国梦对不同的人有不同的意义。但对许多人，尤其是对移民而言，它意味着改善自己生活的机会。对于他们，美国梦的含义就是才能与勤劳能让你从小木屋走向白宫。托尼·特里韦索诺并没有爬到那么高，但他成功地使自己的梦想成真

托尼·特里韦索诺的美国梦

弗雷德里克·c·克罗弗德

他来自意大利罗马以南某地一个满地石子的农庄。他什么时候怎么到美国的，我不清楚。不过，有天晚上，我看到他站在我家车库后面的车道上。他身高五英尺七、八左右，人很瘦。

“我割你的草坪，”他说。他那结结巴巴的英语很难听懂。

我问他叫什么名字。“托尼·特里韦索诺，”他回答说。“我割你的草坪。”我对托尼讲，本人雇不起园丁。

“我割你的草坪，”他又说道，随后便走开了。我走进屋子，心里有点不快。没错，眼下这大萧条的日子是不好过，可我怎么能把一个上门求助的人就这么打发走呢?

等我第二天晚上下班回到家，草坪已修整过了，花园除了草，人行道也清扫过了。我便问太太是怎么回事。

“有个人把割草机从汽车库里推出来就在院子里忙活起来，”她回答说。“我还以为是你雇他来的。”

’

我就把前晚的事跟她说了。我俩都觉得奇怪，他怎么没提出要工钱。

接下来的两天挺忙·，我把托尼的事给忘了。我们在尽力重整业务，要让一部分工人回厂里来。但在星期五，回家略微早了些，我又在汽车库后面看到了托尼。我对他干的活夸奖了几句。

“我割你的草坪，”他说。

我设法凑了一小笔微薄的周薪，就这样托尼每天清扫院子，有什么零活，他都干了。我太太说，但凡有重物要搬或有什么要修理的，他挺派得上用场。

夏去秋来，凉风阵阵。“克罗先生，快下雪了，”有天晚上托尼跟我说。“等冬天到了，你让我在厂里干扫雪的活。”

啊，对这种执着与期盼，你又能怎样呢?自然，托尼得到了厂里的那份活儿。

几个月过去了。我让人事部门送上一份报告。他们说托尼干得挺棒。

一天我在汽车库后面我们以前见面的地方看到了托尼。“我想学徒，”他说。，我们有个挺不错的培训工人的徒工学校。可我怀疑托尼是否有能力学会看图纸、用千分尺，是否胜任做精密加工工作。尽管如此，可我怎么能拒绝他呢?

托尼减了薪水当了徒工。几个月之后，我收到报告，他已从徒工学校毕业，成了熟练磨工。他学会了在千分尺上辨识一百万分之一英寸，会用镶嵌着金刚石的工具制作砂轮。我和太太都挺高兴，觉得他的事总算有了个令人满意的结局。

一两年过去了，我在托尼惯常等我的地方又看到了他。我们聊起了他的工作，接着我问他有什么要求。

“克罗先生，”他说，“我想买房。”在小镇边上，他看到有房出售，完全是幢破房。

我去见——·位当银行家的朋友。“人品贷款你干不干?”我问。“不干，”他说。“我们承担

不起。没门。”

“哎，等等，”我应道。“有个人干活勤勉，人品端正，这一点我担保。他有个好工作。眼下，你从你那块地上—分钱也得不到。那块地空在那儿要好多年呢。至少他会付你利息嘛。”

那位银行家勉强开了两干美金抵押贷款，没要托尼首付就把房子给了他。托尼乐不可支。从那以后，只要我家附近有什么被人扔弃的零星杂物，坏了的屏风啦，五金器具啦，包装纸板啦，托尼都要收起来拿回家，看他这个样子真是有意思。

约摸过了两年，我在我们见面的老地方又看到了托尼。他身子似乎挺直了些，人也见胖了，样子挺自信。

“克罗先生，我卖房子!”他得意地说。“我得了八千美金。”

我非常吃惊。“可是，托尼，没了房子你住哪儿呢?”

“克罗先生，我买农庄。”

我们坐下聊了起来。托尼告诉我说，拥有一个农庄是他的梦想。他喜欢番茄，辣椒以及意大利菜肴中相当重要的其它各种蔬菜。．他把在意大利的妻子和儿子女儿都接来了。他在小镇周边到处找，终于找到一处没人要的一小块地产，有一幢房，还有间小棚。他正在把家搬到农庄去。

又过了一些时候，在一个星期日的下午托尼来了，他穿戴得整整齐齐。和他一起来的还有另一位意大利人。他告诉我，他说服了儿时的，伙伴前来美国。托尼为他作经济担保。他眼里露出顽皮的神情，对我说，他俩来到他经营的小农庄时，他的朋友惊奇地站住说，“托尼，你是个百万富翁啦!”

后来，在战争期间，公司里传出了一个消息。托尼去世了。

我让公司的人去他家看看，确保各项事宜都得到妥善安置。他们看到农场上长着绿油油的蔬菜，小屋布置得舒适温馨，院子里有一辆拖拉机，还有一辆不错的汽车。孩子受过教育都工作了，托尼身前没有分文欠债。

托尼去世后，我一直想着他的经历。他的形象在我心目中越来越高大。最后，我觉得他就和美国那些最大的实业家一样高大、自豪。

他们都通过同样的途径，本着同样的价值观和原则获得了成功：远见、执着、自制、乐观、自尊，以及最重要的，正直。

托尼不是从最低——级阶梯往上爬的，他是从地下室往上爬的。托尼的事业很小，那些最大的实业家的事业很大。但究其实两者的资产负债表完全一样。惟——的不同是你把小数点点在什么地方。

．

托尼•特里韦索诺来到美国寻求美国梦。但他没有找到什么美国梦——他为自己创造了个美国梦。他的全部拥有是天宝贵的二十四小时，而他—刻也没有浪费。

第五单元

爱情

课文A

一个你从没有见过的人给你寄来一封信或打来一个电话，而你不知不觉地想象着这个人是个什么样儿，赋予这个隐秘的声音一张面孔。这事儿你干得来吗?有时候是很容易搞错的。

爱情故事

道络·贝尔

约翰·布兰查德从长凳上站起身来，整了整军装，留意着格兰德中央车站进出的人群。

他在寻找一位姑娘，一位佩带玫瑰的姑娘。他知其心，但不知其貌。十二个月前，在佛罗里达州的一个图书馆，他对她产生了兴趣。他从书架上取下一本书，很快便被吸引住了，不是被书的内容，而是被铅笔写的眉批。柔和的笔迹显示出其人多思善虑的心灵和富有洞察力的头脑。

在书的前页，他找到了前一位拥有人的姓名，霍利斯·梅奈尔小姐。他花了„—番工夫和努力，找到了她的地址。她住在纽约市。他给她写了一封信介绍自己，并请她回复。第二天他被运往海外，参加第二次世界大战。

在接下来的一年当中，两人通过信件来往增进了了解。每——封信都如—颗种子撒入肥沃的心灵之土。浪漫的爱情之花就要绽开。布兰查德提出要一张照片，可她拒绝了。她解释道：如果你对我的感情是真实的，是诚心诚意的，那我的相貌如何并不重要。设想我美丽动人。我将会——直深感不安，惟恐你只是因为我的容貌就贸然与我相爱，而这种爱情令我憎恶。设想本人相貌平平(你得承认，这种可能性更大)。那我一直会担心，你和我保持通信仅仅是出于孤独寂寞，无人交谈。不，别索要照片。等你到了纽约，你会见到我，到时你可再作定夺。且记，见面后我俩都可以自由决定中止关系或继续交往——无论你怎么选择„„”

他从欧洲回国的日子终于到了。他们安排了两人的第一次见面——晚上七点，纽约格兰德中央车站。

“你会认出我的，”她写道，“我会在衣襟上戴一朵红玫瑰。”于是，晚上七点，他候在车站，寻找——位过去一年里在自己生活中占据了如此特殊地位的姑娘，„—位素未谋面，但其文字伴随着他、始终支撑着他精神的姑娘。

且让布兰查德先生告诉你接下来发生的事吧：

一位年轻的姑娘向我走来，她身材颀长纤细。一头卷曲的金发披在秀美的耳后；眼睛碧蓝，如花似玉。她的双唇和下颌线条柔和，却又柔中见刚，她身穿浅绿色套装，犹如春天一般生气盎然。

我朝她走去，完全忘了去看她有没有戴玫瑰花。

我走过去时，她双唇绽开撩人的微笑。“和我同路吗，水兵?”她小声问道。我情不自禁，再向她走近一步。可就在这时，我看到了霍利斯·梅奈尔。她差不多就站在姑娘的正后面，早已年过四十，灰白的头发用卡子向上别着，头上带着一顶旧帽子。

她体态臃肿，粗圆的脚髁上套着一双低跟鞋。

穿着绿色套装的姑娘快步走开了。我觉得自己好像被分成了两半，一方面热切地想去追赶她，但另一方面我又渴望那一位以其心灵真诚陪伴我并成为我的精神支柱的女人。

她站在那儿，苍白的圆脸显得温柔理智，灰色的眼睛透出热情善良。我没有迟疑。

我手里紧握着那本小小的让她辨认我的蓝色羊皮面旧书。这不会是爱情，但将是某种珍贵的、或许比爱情更美妙的东西，一种我曾经感激，并将永远感激的友情。

我挺胸站立，敬了个礼，并举起手中的书奸让那位女士看。不过在我开口说话的时候，失望的痛苦几乎使我哽咽。“我是约翰·布兰查德中尉，想必您就是梅奈尔小姐。很高兴您来见我。可否请您赏光吃饭?”

妇女的脸上绽开了笑容。“我不知道是怎么回事，孩子，”她回答说，“可是刚才走过去的

那位穿绿色套装的姑娘，她央求我把这支玫瑰插在衣服上。她还说，要是你请我吃饭的话；我I

就告诉你，她就在街对面那个大饭店里等你。她说这是一种考验!”

梅奈尔小姐的智慧不难理解，也令人称奇。心灵的本质是从其对不美的事物的态度中反，习

映出来的。

“告诉我你所爱者是谁，”何赛写道，“我就知道你是什么样的人。”

第六单元

动物智能

课文A

温饱，睡眠？它们的思维可能要比这深刻得多。

动物到底想些什么

尤金·林登

多年来，我写了大量关于动物智能实验、以及围绕这些实验所产生的争议的文章。动物真的有思想，即我们所说的意识吗?在考虑是否会有比设计教动物人类手势语的实验更好的方式探索动物智能时，我悟出了现在看来是显而易见的一点：如果动物能思维，它们会在能为自己所用的时候，而不是在科学家让它们思维的时候作出最佳思维。

于是我开始与兽医、动物研究人员以及动物园饲养员交谈。他们大都不研究动物智能，但他们每天都碰到或碰刁；到动物智能。他们讲述的故事开启了我相信是研究动物智能的一扇新的窗口：即动物在对付樊笼生活和地球上的主宰物种一人类——时所表现的高超的思维技技能。

让我们做笔交易

请考虑这一情况：哥伦布动物园的一位动物保护主义者查伦·延德里觉察到一头叫做科洛的雌性大猩猩在玩弄一件可疑的物品。延德里走过去，给了科洛一些花生，却被翻了个白眼。意识到这是在讨价还价，延德里加大了筹码，又给了一片菠萝。这时候，科洛一边望着延德里，一边摊开手，露出了一根钥匙链。

见不是危险或珍贵物品，延德里松了一口气，把菠萝给了考勒。科洛真是个精明的还价者，它把钥匙链拉断，给了延德里一段，或许在算计着，要是每一小段都能换片菠萝，我干嘛要全都给她？

如果动物能在以物换物中显示技能，又何尝不会在使用钱币中再露一手?在田纳西大学人类学家琳·迈尔斯进行的一项手势语研究中，有头名叫夏特克的猩猩就这么做了。夏特克悟出，如果它干些诸如清理房间的事，他就能挣些硬币，好用来买好吃的，还可以坐迈尔斯的车外出兜风。但这头猩猩对钱币的理解似乎远远超出了简单的交易。迈尔斯一开始用塑料片充当硬币，而夏特克竟认定，它可以把塑料片拗成两片，以此扩大钱币供应量。而当迈尔斯改用金属片时，夏特克找到了一些锡箔，试图复制。

迈尔斯还试图教会夏特克一些好习惯，诸如节俭和与人分享。当我在它目前居住的亚特兰大动物园见到这头猩猩时，我果然见到它与人分享的一例，足以令任何人羡慕。迈尔斯给了夏特克——些葡萄，要求它与人分享，它很快吃完了所有的葡萄。随后，它似乎是想起了迈尔斯要它与人分享，便把梗儿递给了迈尔斯。

鲸鱼的故事

动物为什么会愿意与人合作?行为主义者会说，动物认识到合作于已有利时就会这么做。这没有错，但我觉得这一解释尚不充分。

动物行为顾问盖尔·劳尔说起过她了解的一头虎鲸奥基。“在我照管过的动物当中，它是最聪明的，”她说。“它会审时度势，再根据自己的判断采取行动。”

比如有次它救了一个家族成员。奥基的配偶科基生幼鲸时，那条幼鲸一开始情况不妙，饲养员把幼鲸用担架抬出水糟，实施紧急护理。他们把幼鲸送回水槽时，出了事情。当工人把担架停在高出水面几英尺处的时候，幼鲸开始呕吐。饲养员担心它会窒息，但他们无法接近幼鲸提供帮助。

奥基显然看出了问题，它游到担架下，让其中一人站在它头上。这种事从来没有训练它做过。然后，奥基用尾部保持平衡，让饲养员接近，并松开了那条420磅重的幼鲸，以便让它滑入水中，获得帮助。

灵长目动物的骗术

有时动物的智能可以从其欺骗的企图中得以证明。西雅图伍德兰公园动物园饲养员海伦·休曼回忆道，一天她从喂食窗口给猩猩梅拉蒂扔了个桔子。梅拉蒂没有移动身体去接，而是眼睛直视休曼，伸出手来。休曼以为桔子准是滚到一边拿不到了，就又给了它一个。可当梅

拉蒂走开时，休曼却注意到原来那只桔子就藏在它另—只手里。

猩猩园的头领托温目睹了这个把戏。第二天，这头雄猩猩也是眼睛盯着休曼，装作没有接到桔子。“你肯定没拿到吗?”休曼问道。它仍直视着她，同时把手伸了出来。她让步了，又给了它—·个，随后却看见它把桔子藏在脚下。

智能究竟是什么?如果生命就是讲物种的生存——而智能是为了生存——那么我们根本无法与大脑只有豌豆大刁、的海龟相提并论，海龟早在人类出现很久之前便已存在，并经历了使恐龙灭绝的重大灾难而生存下来。尽管如此，想到除了我们人类，尚有其它物种，即便它们的视野比我们还狭小，却也能退后一步，清醒地审视周围的世界，不由人深感宽慰。

第七单元

突发事件

课文A

初看上去像是一个旧盒子或破衣裳。可紧接着他们就明白过来到底是什么了。

“铁轨上有孩子!”

左克·墨菲

1989年5月1日，星期一，新泽西州的拉姆齐上午天气宜人。凯特·普里查德俯身站在车尾行李箱前，费力地收拾着刚买回家的一袋袋食品杂货。她听到远处火车的鸣笛声。联合铁路公司的火车经过的地方离普里查德家不到三百英尺，可在后院与铁轨之间没有栅栏，只有一排长得密密的树木。然而，她的两个儿子，三岁半的托德和十八个月的斯科特，就在近旁私家车道上玩耍。

“就呆在这儿，”凯特说。“妈妈去把食品放好，然后我们进屋吃午饭，好吗?”

“好!”托德一面说，一面竖起大拇指，做着他以前看他父亲做的这个手势。

“好!”斯科特随声应和，试着模仿他哥哥的样子。

他们望着母亲提着几个袋袋走进屋子。

凯特关好冰箱门匆匆走出屋来。还好。两个孩子正在原地玩耍。

当她从车后行李箱里又提出几个袋袋时，凯特听见有一列火车疾驶而过——是特快客车，她根据车速判断。她又将几个袋袋拿进屋去。

火车的声音显然把两个孩子的注意吸引到铁轨上。两人穿过那排树木，爬上笔陡的路基，跪在地上玩了起来。

往西几千英尺处，一辆货车缓缓地朝两个孩子驶宋。头顶上的灯向司机里奇·坎普纳发出信号，指示前面那辆客车已经开走，他们可以每小时40英里的正常速度继续运行。司机调整了加速器，转身面对列车员安东尼·法尔佐。安东尼中等身材，长得结结实实，现年35岁，已经为联合铁路公司干了差不多十六、七年。

“你周末都干点啥，安东尼?”

“唉，不干什么。大多是瞎混——看点儿电视，然后睡觉。还能干什么?”

坎普纳笑了。“嘿，你最好悠着点，安东尼——你都快成派对狂了。”

两人哈哈大笑。就在他们大笑的时候，正以21英里的时速运行的机车开始加速。

里奇和安东尼在同——瞬间发现火车前方有什么东西。

“那前面是什么?”司机问道。安东尼没回答。他日不转睛盯着前方看，试图辨识前方铁

轨上那怪形怪状的东西。是盒子?还是旧衣裳?

猛然间，两个人都明白过来那是什么东西。里奇用尽全力猛地紧急刹车，并拉响了汽笛。

汽笛嘶鸣，与此同时安东尼大声嚷道：“铁轨上有孩子!”

安东尼冲出驾驶室，跳到车轮上方六英尺处一条狭窄人行踏板上，接着跑到摇摆的火车头前。他疾速攀下铁梯，停在梯子最后一级上，离他脚下飞速掠过的铁路路基有两英尺。

现在，他可以清楚地看到两个孩子，他们正坐在铁轨旁边。安东尼拼命挥手示意，并大声喊叫：“走开!走开!”

他心里计算着火车的减速速度，痛苦地哼了一声。我们绝对不可能及时停车的。

托德和斯科特正玩得起劲，没听到火车的声音。最后，当火车轰隆隆驶近时，斯科特抬头—看，惊呆了。

尽管火车在减速，安东尼知道车速仍比他奔跑的速度快。所以，他强迫自己等待，等到离孩子足够近的时候，他再一跃而下一把将他们抓住。在孩子与火车头前的犁雪机锋利的雪铲只有约十英尺的时候，安东尼从梯子上纵身向前一跃。他落在铁轨旁拳头大小的散石上，使尽力气才保持住平衡。他跨出两大步，几乎就要够着两个孩子了。两个孩子吓坏了，目瞪口呆地望着他。安东尼纵身跃起，朝他们扑去。

火车汽笛不停地嘶鸣，凯特·普里查德听着就像是被铁锤猛击了一下。“孩子!”她一声惊叫，冲出屋门。两个孩子不见了!

铁道，她心想。我得去铁道那儿!

安东尼身子砸下地时，他一边护着托德，一边伸出一只手臂去抓斯科特，好把他拉离铁轨。但火车压了过来。安东尼只见雪铲的黑色钢刃击中幼孩的下巴，将他的头往后一推，铲子从他脸上括过。顿时，鲜血从孩子额头溅出。

车身猛撞安东尼工作服的后背，把尼龙布都撕破了。但安东尼还是把斯科特完全拉到了自己身下。

他死了，安东尼心想。他毛骨悚然，一阵恶心。他的脸紧贴在石子上，使尽力气将两个孩子往下压，火车就从他们上面驶过，离他们只有几英寸。

凯特奔到停下的火车前，首先看到的便是托德。她的大儿子失去控制，在那儿乱蹦乱跳，大声哭喊。但凯特看出他没受伤。她抓过他紧紧抱住。随后她看见第三节车厢下一动不动躺着一个人。只见这人身子下面斯科特的脑袋上黑糊糊一片血污。凯特冲过去。“斯科特!”她尖声叫道。

安东尼扭转身子面对着她。“女士，”他对她说，声音很镇静。“回家去。叫警察和救护车来。”凯特没听进他的话，伸着手要抱孩子。安东尼又开口了，口气严厉了许多，“夫人，听着!回家打电话叫警察——叫救护车，快!”

凯特飞奔回家，打了电话，又通过寻呼机找到她丈夫加里。

第一辆警车到达时，安东尼仍然紧抱着年幼的斯科特。列车员从孩子的哭声知道他还活着，但斯科特可能有内伤，稍一动弹就有可能加重伤势。因此安东尼坚持让急救人员先对孩子进行检查，然后才放手。真是奇迹，斯科特伤势不重，只需缝十三针。

雪铲与地面之间只有十四英寸。记者后来问安东尼他在冒生命危险救孩子之前有否犹豫。“没有，”他回答道。“我当时所想到的就是那两个孩子前头还有整个人生，如果我不采取行动，他们必死无疑。我决不能让这样的悲剧发生。”

事故发生后不久，安东尼去普里查德家探望。他还记得他用双臂抱住托德和斯科特并将两人举起的情景。“这让我想起当时在火车底下我护着他们的情景。再一次抱住他们的感觉是奇特的——也是美妙的。”

普里查德夫妇说，自从第一次来探望之后，安东尼几乎成了他们家庭的一员。他们还说，现在有道栅栏把他们的街坊与铁轨隔开了。

第八单元

解决一个教育问题

课文A 本杰明.斯坦编了一个故事，以使美国青年彻底认识他们必须改变对教育的态度。读一读这个故事，看看你是否认为它对我们大家同样也有教育意义。

关于懒散少年的语言故事

本杰明.斯坦

去年一个秋日，我文件夹用完了，便去杂货店买。我拿了一大把文件夹搁在柜台上，问一个十几岁的售货员多少钱。“不知道，”她回答说。“反正单价12美分。”

我数了数文件夹。“二十三个，单价12美分，总共2.76美金，不含税，”我说。“你心算的？”她惊奇地问道。“你怎么会算出来的？” “靠魔力，”我说。“真的？”她问。

略受教育的成年人没有谁不会为这样的经历难过。虽然我们的孩子似乎比以往任何时候都要温厚和气，他们却如此无知——对自己的无知状况也如此无知——以至使我感到可怕。在我最近任教的一所私立大学，一个六十人的四年级班上，没有一个学生写短文时不犯拼写错误。没有一个学生例外。

更有甚者，他们对这种种的无知却毫不在乎，实在令人不寒而栗。一位朋友的聪明但却很懒散的十六岁儿子在解释他为什么不想上加州洛杉矶分校时说的话是对这种态度的高度概括。“我不想去那儿跟亚洲人竞争，”他说。“他们用功，什么都知道。”

其实，无论他是否愿意，这位年轻人都将不得不去跟亚洲人竞争。他不能永远躺在先辈积累的经济、物质与人力资本上。用不了多久，他懒于用脑的结果将严重影响他的生活方式，也将影响我们其他所有的人。一个现代工业化国家无法靠一支懒散、无知的劳动大军运行。飞机会坠落。计算机会出故障。汽车会抛锚。

为使这样的美国青年彻底认识到这„·点，我的愚见是：拍一—部电影，或电视连续剧，生动地描述我们国家的今天如何来之不易——而要丧失这—·切又何其容易。下面我奉献一篇寓言故事。

故事开始时，我们的主人公凯文·汉利1990，一名十七岁的高三学生，正坐在自己房间里，心情痛苦。他父母—千定要他准备欧洲史考试。而他则想去买一副激光唱片随身听的耳机。他被迫要读的书——《各国的财富》——让他打瞌睡。

凯文进入梦乡，时值1835年，他是他本人的曾太祖父，十七岁，是爱尔兰克雷郡的——个农民。他住在小小的陋室里，睡在一头猪旁。他老是挨饿，总是要找吃的。他最大的心愿是学会读书写字，以便找一个职员的工作。有了固定的工资，他就能养活自己，贴补家用。但汉利的贫穷使他无从享受上学这样的奢侈。没有教育，没有钱，他无能为力。他惟一的希望寄托在孩子身上。如果他们能接受教育，他们就会生活得好一些。

我们的寓言故事快速展开。现在凯文·汉利1990成了他自己的曾祖父，凯文·汉利1928。他也是十七岁，在匹兹堡一家钢铁厂工作。他的父亲从爱尔兰来到美国，参加过纽约地铁的修建。凯文·汉利1928比自己的父亲和祖父境遇好多了。他能读书写字。他的工资比先辈在爱尔兰时的收入高多了。

接下来凯文·汉利1990梦见自己成了他自己的祖父凯文·汉利1945。他正在硫黄岛与死敌日本军队作战。他总是又热又饿又害怕。一天晚上他在散兵坑里与一个朋友讲自己为什么在那儿作战：“这样我的儿子、孙子就能生活在和平安全的环境里。等我回国了，我要勤奋工作，让儿子上大学，这样他就可以干脑力活／L，而不是靠卖苦力生活。”

接着凯文·汉利1990成了他自己的父亲凯文·汉利1966。他终日用功，这样就可以上大学，进法学院。他住在漂亮的房子里。他—„生在和平环境中过着富裕的生活。他对女朋友说，等他有了儿子，他不会像他父亲逼他那样逼自己的儿子整天读书。

就在这时，凯文·汉利1990被自己的梦惊醒了。他离开了爱尔兰，离开了那家钢铁厂，离开了硫黄岛，不由松了口气。他又睡着了。

他接着做梦，这次成了他自己的儿子凯文·汉利2020。枪声日夜不停。他那整个一代人忘却了过去为什么要有法律，因此现在没有法律了。人们丝毫不关心政治，政府不为工人阶级提供服务。

凯文2020的父亲，自然就是凯文1990本人，在日本人开的一家工厂当清洁工。凯文2020在一家专为有钱的欧洲人和亚洲人开的酒店里当行李工。公共教育到六年级为止。美国人早就不再要求自己的孩子接受良好的教育。

凯文1990最后梦见的是他自己的孙子。凯文2050没有有用的技能。日本制造的机器包揽了所有复杂的工作，没有什么体力活可做。没有受过教育，没有受过训练，他挣不到足够的钱养活自己。他住在贫民窟，没有暖气，没有卫生设备，无法不受四邻干扰，靠搜捡破烂度日。

总之，他的生活就像凯文·汉利1835在爱尔兰时一模一样。可是有一天，凯文·汉利2050与一位研究美国衰亡史的来访日本人类学家交上了朋友。那人跟凯文解释说，如果一个人没有钱，教育能提供积累金融资本所必需的人力资本。勤奋、教育、节俭、纪律能成就一切。“我们就是这样从一百多年前你们打败我们的战争废墟中站起来的。”

“美国在战争中打败日本?”凯文2050问道。他惊讶之极。这听起来就像说巴西在1990年打败美国一样不可思议。凯文2050发誓，如果他有孩子的话，他一定要让他们工作、上学、学习并约束自己。“能凭自己的脑力，而不是靠偷窃为生，”他说，“那将会是个奇迹。”

凯文1990醒了过来，身旁放着他的那本《各国的财富》他打开书，跳入眼帘的第一句话就是：“一个不能恰当运用人类智力的人极可能比懦夫更可鄙。”

凯文的父亲走了进来。“好了，儿子，”他说。“咱们去看耳机吧。”

“抱歉了，爸爸，”凯文1990说。“我得看书学习了。”

AppendixⅡ

Chinese Translations of Text B（Units 1-8）

参考译文第一单元

成长

课文B

夏天打工时，作者常常替巴卢先生修剪草坪。惟一的问题是，巴卢先生似乎从来没钱支付工钱。然而，他实际上所给予的却远比工钱珍贵。

夏日阅读

迈克尔·多里斯

十四岁那年，我在暑假里替人修剪草坪挣些钱，不出几个星期，我就有了不少客户。客

户们种植的花卉我得记住不能剪去，他们会将东西遗落在草地上或故意插在地里，通过这些

我逐渐认识了他们。我对大多数客户了解至深，事先就能知道他们会抱怨些什么，哪些特别的要求不能掉以轻心。（1）而且，我从邻居偏爱的付款方式中了解到了一点他们的情况：有的按干的活儿给钱，有的按月支付——或者有的压根儿不付钱。

巴卢先生属于最后一类，而且他总有理由。有一天他兑不开一张五十元的钞票，又有一

天他支票用完了，还有一天我上门时他干脆就溜出去了。撇开钱这档子事，他倒也还是个挺

不错的老头，每次看见我，老远就挥手或脱帽致意。我猜他退休金不多，可能出过工伤，整不了自己的园子。没错，我全都记着帐，可我对这点钱并没太在意。(2)也就是剪剪草，何况巴卢先生住宅外面的那一点草坪修剪起来花不了多少时间。

到了一年中最热的七月中旬，一天傍晚前，我走过他家，他开了门，示意我进去。门厅里凉凉的，帘子遮去了阳光，过了一会儿我的眼睛才适应室内的暗淡光线。

“我欠你工钱，”巴卢先生开口道，“不过„„”

我想省得他费神找新的借口了，就说，“没事。别放在心上。”

“银行把我的账弄错了，”他没理我的碴儿，接着说。“一两天里就会改过来。在这当儿，我想你不妨挑——两本书作为我的首付款。”

他朝墙那边指了指，我这才发现到处都堆着书。就跟图书馆一样，只不过没有分门别类罢了。

“别着急，”巴卢先生鼓动说。“读也好，借也好，留着也行。找你喜欢的。你平常都爱读什么书啊?”

“我不知道。”我的确不知道。我通常是弄到什么就读什么，从药房里买到的平装书，图书馆里借得到的书、杂志，到麦片包装盒背面的说明，还有连环漫画，什么都看。有意识地找出一本特别的书来读对我是件新鲜事，不过我觉得这主意挺不错——于是我开始在书堆中翻找起来。

“这么多书你都读过啊?”

“这不算多，”巴卢先生说。“这根本不算多，只不过是我自己的藏书，都是值得再读——遍的。”

“那就替我找一本吧。”

他眉一抬，头一侧，望着我，就像是在给我量体裁衣似的。过了片刻，他略—“点头，便在一堆书中搜寻，然后递给我一本暗红色封面的精装本，挺厚的。

“《最后的正义》，”我念道。“安德烈·施瓦兹巴特著。是讲什么的?”

“你来告诉我，”他说。“下个星期。”

晚饭后我坐在室外一张不舒服的餐椅里打开了书。(3)读了几页，院子就消息了，夏夜也消失了；我一下子就进入了二战期间纳粹对犹太人的大屠杀这一令人悲痛的惨剧中，进入了以一个正派人物为代表的善与恶之间非同寻常的冲突中。书译自法文，译文优美朴素，令人不忍释手。天色终于暗了下来，我回到室内，读了一个通宵。

时至三—卜年后的今天，我仍清晰地记得当时的经历。那是我初次有心地接触世界文学，我被一部小说所能包含的集聚的力量深深震撼。但我缺乏足够的词汇表达我的情感，因此，第二个星期，当巴卢先生问我“怎么样”时，我只回答说：“书真好。”

“那就留着吧，”他说。“要不要我再介绍一本?”

我点点头，拿到了一本平装本的玛格丽特·米德的《萨摩亚人的成年》。

长话短说，无论当年还是次年，巴卢先生分文未付我替他割草的工钱，但我在达特默思大学教了十五年的人类学。(4)盛夏阅读不是我原先认为的仅仅借以消磨时光的娱乐，不是躺在吊床上无忧无虑、打开书本就什么都忘掉的一种消遣（虽然自从那个夏天以来我曾多次以这种方式自娱自乐）。一本书，如果在恰当的时候，恰当的季节，在日常事务的间歇中出现在你的面前，就会改变你此后的人生道路。

第二单元

友谊

课文B

如果我不能挺住的话，我的朋友就会死在那里，老猎手比尔·麦金托什一次又一次地告诫自己。

决不抛弃朋友

吉姆·赫奇森

“下午去看足球赛吗?”比尔·麦金托什问59岁的罗伊斯·韦丁。他们两人正在澳大利亚的虹镇尤里卡饭店喝啤酒。罗伊斯摇摇头。“我答应我妈给我家的一块地烧荒。”

比尔瘦削而结实，79岁，但看上去远没有那么老。他望着外面的炎热空气。——阵轻风自北向南吹，这条件最适宜烧荒了。不过比尔对罗伊斯独自干这活不放心。这个农夫有条腿不好，行走很费劲。

两人曾一起从一个农场走到另一个农场寻些活儿干，迄今已是30年的好朋友了。如今比尔独自一人住在镇东12英里处，靠打狐狸和野兔勉强过活。他两个星期一次前来小镇购物，会会帮着经管自家的农场的罗伊斯。“我帮你一把，”比尔说。

两人坐着罗伊斯的车动身了。没多一会儿他们就颠簸在一条沙土路上，朝一块面积120公顷、杂草丛生的田地开去。“火是除去这玩意儿的惟一办法，”比尔说。他们用根50英尺长的链条把一个旧轮胎绑在牵引杆上。比尔在轮胎上浇透汽油，划根火柴一点，便跳进车里。

两人从农田的南边缓缓开车逆风而行，所过之处留下一条燃着的草带。开到地当中，车猛地朝前——颠，没等察觉，就陷进了一个被草遮着的沙堆。

微风突然转向，朝两人身后吹来，而且越吹越强。火仗风势，烧得炽热，一条火带顿时就变成——道火墙，直扑两人而来。“咱们快离开这儿!”罗伊斯说道。

他拼命想把车倒出沙堆。可车轮在软沙里越转陷得越深。

火顿时就扑到两人身上。比尔推开车门，却听得一声巨响，油箱爆炸了，车子飞离地面三英尺，他自己则被抛到空中。车子摔回地面后，罗伊斯发现自己被方向盘卡住，动弹不得。这时，车座和车顶也都烧着了。

比尔躺在跌落的地方，摔得气都喘不过来。他的衬衣前襟、短裤、光裸的手臂和双腿都浸在燃烧着的汽油里。接着汽车着火了，见此情景他惊坐起来。“罗伊斯!”他边喊边挣扎着站起身来，向汽车冲去。

他拉开车门，在烟雾中抓住罗伊斯的手臂。“我给卡住了，”罗伊斯说。“你快走!”

(1)火舌舔着比尔的双臂、脸和双腿，但他紧紧地抓住罗伊斯不放。“我不会把你丢弃在这儿的，”他知道。

比尔两个脚跟扎在沙堆里，拼命用力拉。突然他仰面倒下，罗伊斯被拉出了汽车。他—把将罗伊斯拉开，便赶紧赤手去扑灭罗伊斯身上以及自己腿上、手臂上的火。

罗伊斯看着又一次爆炸把汽车震得直晃，车—下子被火苗吞噬。“要不是比尔把我拉出来，我这会儿就烧成灰了，”他暗想。他低头„—看，身上伤势之严重令他大为惊讶。他腹部及左臀严重烧伤。更糟糕的是，手指被烧得完全变了形。

比尔仰天躺在地上，也—样被烧得不成样子。前臂以及手和腿上，一块块烧得焦黑的皮肉挂了下来。

比尔朝自己的朋友望去，看出罗伊斯满脸绝望，便说：“我去叫人。你顶住。”罗伊斯点了点头，可当他看着比尔穿过焦黑的田地缓缓走开时，真不知道这位朋友怎么去走那几乎整整两英里的路，还要跨越三道栅栏。

(2)一辈子与居住在澳大利亚灌木地带的那些刚强的硬汉一起生活的人生经历，将两条准则永久地铭刻在比尔的心头：无论多么艰难，决不泄气，决不抛弃朋友。此时此刻，他每迈出一步，浑身上下便针扎似地疼，他完全是靠这两种品质支撑着。(3)如果我不能挺住的话，罗伊斯就会死在那里，比尔一次又一次地告诫自己。

“那条狗怎么啦?”罗伊斯的老母维基·韦了说着朝窗外望去。听到身后响动，她吓了一跳，转身一看，比尔正倚靠在门上。

“天哪，出了什么事?”她惊问道，赶紧扶住正沿着门框瘫坐下去的比尔。

“我们遭火烧了，”他低声道，几乎说不出话来。“快去叫人。”维基扶比尔坐下，用湿毛巾敷在他身上以减轻烧伤的疼痛，随后便拿起了电话。

他们坐上汽车前往霍舍姆的医院，在长达一个半小时的颠簸的路途中，两位伤者只字未提自己的伤痛。“咱们真该去看足球赛，”罗伊斯开口说道，想让自己和朋友振作一下精神。比尔也轻轻——笑。

不久，比尔在镇公所被授予勇敢奖章，以表彰其勇救他人的壮举。(4)但真正最令比尔激动的时刻是火灾放生六个月之后，刚刚出院的罗伊斯走进尤里卡饭店，请他喝啤酒。

“咱们赢了，”两人举杯时，罗伊斯说道。“为生死之交干杯。”

第三单元

理解科学

课文B

科学发现成为新闻时，很少如新闻标题所显示的那么简单。新闻标题通常只字不提科学发现背后的长年努力。新闻报道也很少帮助我们认识，科学绝少提供最终的、经得住挑战的答案。

如何理解科学

大卫·H·利维

新药灭癌

厄尔，尼诺现象将带来毁灭———则警告

2028年10月26日下午6：30：世界末日的最后期限?

这些标题于今年见诸报端时，这类新闻便成为全世界的话题——既掺有乐观又带来混乱的话题。想象—F这些新闻为成千上万与癌症抗争的人们所带来的希望。这些新闻是否意味着这些人再也不用为癌症担忧呢?还是说我们所有的人都得为来自外层空间的大祸，或者更近—点，为厄尔·尼诺现象造成的灾难而忧心忡忡呢?

不幸的是，科学并非这般运作。科学极少提供最终的答案。与癌症搏斗的人们或厄尔·尼诺现象的受害者也许会觉得这太令人沮丧，但事实是，大自然并不轻易袒露其奥秘。科学研究是一步——步进行的，首先要有—个构想，然后用实验检验这个构想，人们希望其结果能成为知识的——种积累。

科学并非„—组无可置疑的结果，而是认识我们周围世界的„—种方法。其实际进程是缓慢的。（1）正如我们很多人在学校里所学的那样，科学方法是一个渐进的过程，这个过程始于某个目的，或某个有待解决或回答的问题。这包括一组材料，一套必须遵循的操作步骤，一系列有待进行的观察，最后是有待得出的结论。医学上，有人提出一种新药可能医治或控制某种疾病时，先是在随意挑选的大量人群中进行试验，然后将这部分人群的用药反应与另——组随意挑选的未用此药的人群的情况进行比较。两组人群的种种反应被一——记录，仔细比较，从而对新药的疗效作出鉴定。所有这些过程需要时间——以及耐心。

成为新闻热点的当然是结果，而非长年默默无闻的努力，而长年默默无闻的努力正是绝大多数科学探索的特点。在实验有了结论，或观察结束之后，其结果仍将受到严格的检测。结果送交发表时，会由一组科学家的同行审阅。如果成果相当重要，那在专业杂志上发表或会议—上宣读该实验报告之前，将会举行新闻发布会，向世人宣布。

世人也许会认为宣布结果标志整个过程的结束，其实不然。发表成果实际上是种挑战：“本人所作结论在此。请证其谬!”(2)别的研究人员会试图重复这一实验，实验成功的次数越多，其结果就越有可能是可靠的。爱因斯坦说得对：“再多的实验也永远不能证明我正确，而一项实验随时就能证明我错误。”

1996年8月，美国国家航天和航空局宣布在南极洲发现了——颗来自火星的陨石，其中可能包含着其他星球存在古老生命的证据。(3)正如克林顿总统那天所说，发现亿万年前火星上可能存在生命这件事，有可能是我们时代最伟大的发现之—。

当兴奋和激动慢慢平息，首批论文发表之后，其他研究人员开始研究取自同颗陨石的样本。(4)有些人得出结论说，这些“生命的证据”大多来自南极冰的污染，或者说那块石头里根本就没有有机物。

这是某些新闻报道所鼓噪的科学的失败吗?

不!这正是科学研究以其应有的方式进行的—个范例。科学家经过多年研究发布成果，其成果再由其他科学家加以检验。我们就是这样增进知识的。正如爬山，我们费力爬上三英尺，又掉下去两英尺。这是个充满失望与挫折的过程，但不管怎样，我们—直往前迈进。

第四单元

美国梦

课文B

他长大成人后，手术刀成为他的职业工具。但他年轻时，小刀几乎使他所有的梦想破灭。

本·卡森：一个创造奇迹的人

克里斯托弗·菲利普斯

本.仁森望着底特律市西南高中1988届的毕业班学生。那天是毕业典礼日。·仁森36岁，是—位杰出的脑外科医生，施行需要小心处理的挽救生命的手术。然而，19年前，他就毕业于这同„所市中心贫民区的学校。他——切记忆犹新——记得这是底特律市一个最贫穷的也是暴力犯罪最严重的街坊，记得那种压抑的环境。他知道这260名学生当中的许多人对未来有一种绝望感。

(1)几个星期以来，他一直苦苦思索，如何才能让这些毕业生相信，他们也能克服似乎难以战胜的困难获取成功，他们也能创造奇迹。此刻，他正起身作贵宾演讲，他举起了双手。“看到吗?”他问学生。“我过去并非总是用我的手作外科手术。在我比你们还年轻—点的时候，常常两于挥舞小刀恐吓别人。我甚至曾经试图杀人。”

学生们难以置信地瞪大了眼睛。

本和哥哥柯蒂斯就在这所学校附近一幢拥挤的公寓大楼里长大。母亲索妮娅13岁结婚，在本8岁时离了婚。她同时干两份，有时甚至三份低报酬的活儿。她想让：两个儿：子过上好日子，拼命地鼓励他俩。但两个孩子刚上学时都学得—团糟，尤其是本。

索妮娅知道本很聪明。他只不过是缺乏动力。“从现在开始，”有天下午她说道，“你们星期只能看两次电视。每星期你们至少得读两本书，要给我写读书报告，我好知道你们真的是读了。”

．

起初，本痛恨读书。后来，渐渐地，他发现了一个充满机会的崭新世界。(2)没多久，他母亲认真审阅读书报告。“写得不错，本尼，”她会对满面笑容的儿子说。她没有告诉本或柯蒂斯的是，她只上过三年学，根本不会读书。

“妈妈，”—天本说道，“等我长大了，我要当医生。”

索妮娅.卜森微微—笑，知道本准是刚读了一本有关医生的书。“心想事成，”她深信不疑地对他说。

有了目标，年轻的本的功课从全班最差跃升至榜首。他的老师都非常惊讶。但是有一件事，本似乎不能克服，那就是他的火爆脾气。(3)他满腔愤怒——对死去的父亲愤怒，对母亲承受的艰辛愤怒，对自己所目睹的身边所有荒废的人生愤怒。

—天下午，在放学回家的路—上，14岁的本跟—个朋友争了起来。本拔出—把野营用小刀

朝那个男孩捅去。钢制刀身扎在男孩的金属带扣上喀嚓——声折断了。本的朋友逃走了。

本站在那儿，呆住了。“我差点儿杀了人!”他默默地说。他当机立断。如果真的还想要

实现自己的医生梦，救死扶伤，他首先必须医治好自己的恶习。他决不再让自己的脾气失控。

1969年，本以全班第三名的成绩从西南高中毕业，并获得耶鲁大学全额奖学金。耶鲁本科毕业后，他获得奖学金去密歇根大学医学院学习。这是他职业生涯的起点，并使他在33岁时便被任命为约翰斯·霍普金斯医院高级脑外科医师。来自世界各地的外科医生都来向他咨询。

1987年4月，—位德国医生带着连体双胎、新生婴儿帕特里克和本杰明·拜恩德的病历前宋找本。两个男婴有各自的大脑，但在连接两人的后脑部，两人共用血管。孪生婴儿的母亲拒绝牺牲—个孩子挽救另—个孩子。医生们束手无策。在许多病例中，连体双胎在后脑部分割时，一个孩子存活，另一个则无法存活，或者将遭受严重脑力损伤。

卡森提出了—个使两个孩子都有最佳存活机会的方案：停止两人心脏搏动，完全停止：供血，直到两人被安全分离后再恢复血液循环。

整个手术花了22小时，投入了—个70人的医疗组。停上了两个婴儿的心脏搏动和供血后，卡森只有一个小时的时间宋分离业已损伤的血管。他娴熟快速地施行手术，将各种手术器械轻轻地切入两个婴儿的大脑深处。供血停止后二十分钟，他动了最后一刀。随后，他与医疗组合作，将用四·卜分钟时间重建被切开的血管，缝合帕特里克的头。另一组医务人员将对本杰明施行同样的手术。

就在一小时时限将到之时，两个孩：广被完全分离，两张手术台被分别推开。

疲倦不堪却又满心欢喜的·卡森医生来到等候室。“你想先看哪个孩子呢?”他问孩·：子的母亲。

底特律市西南高中的学生们静坐着，听本·卡森讲述自己从一个愤怒的街头打手成长为国际知名的脑外科医生的人生旅程。“重要的是要明白人生的道路多种多样，”—卡森医生告诫他们道。“成为一位脑外科医生是完全可能的。但你并不—定要当外科医生。机会无处不在。但你得要肯去利用。(4)要有雄心壮志！没有人生来就是失败者。如果你觉得自己会成功——于是发奋努力——你就会成功！”

本·卡森停顿片刻，朝坐在前排的母亲望去。

“我要为我取得的所有成功感谢我的母亲，”卡森最后说。

西南高中毕业班学生全体起立，鼓掌足足持续了五分钟。泪水从本·卡森的双眸涌出。

后来，索妮娅·卡森深情地搂住儿子。“真的没错，本尼，”她说。“心想事成。你已经做成了!”

第五单元

爱情

课文B

他迟疑着。是任由他俩各自追怀旧梦还是冒昧贸然将两人唤醒?

钱包

阿诺德·法恩

—年前的今天，我在街上发现一个钱包。(1)钱包里面有封信，看上去已经随身携带很多年了。信上署的时间是1924年。信封已经破损了，我所能辨认得出的只有寄信人的地址。我小心翼翼地打开信，希望能找到些有关钱包主人身份的线索。

信的署名是汉纳，是写给一个叫迈克尔的人的。她写道，她不能再见他了，因为她母亲不允许。她将永远爱他，不过她觉得两人最好还是不再见面。

信写得很动人。(2)但是除了迈克尔这个名字以外，没有其他任何能确定信件所有人身份的线索。

寄信人地址就在附近，于是我就打了个电话。我问有没有人知道一个叫汉纳的，对方告诉我说：“噢，当然!这房子是我们前些时从她那儿买的。现在她住在养老院。”

他们告诉我养老院的名字，我给院长打了电话。(3)我解释了一下情况。他邀请我去走一趟。我到达时，他正在跟门卫聊天。寒暄之后，院长带我到大楼三楼汉纳住的房间。

那是位和蔼可亲的银发老妇人，面带热情的微笑，充满活力。我跟她说了捡到钱包一事，并取出那封信。她一看就认了出来。“小伙子，”她说，“这封信是我跟迈克尔伪最后一次联系。我再也没有听到过他的消息。”她转过头，沉思了片刻，接着说道：“那时我非常爱他。当时我十六岁，我母亲认为我还太年轻，与迈克尔见见面也不行。他真是一表人才。”

就在这时，有人叫院长出去，只剩下我们俩。“没错，他叫迈克尔·戈尔德斯坦，”她又开口道。“要是你能找到他，请代我向他问好。告诉他，我仍常常想他。告诉他„„”她迟疑片刻，深深地吸了一口气，接着说：“我仍爱着他。知道吗„„”她含泪笑道。“我一直没结婚。我想没人能比得上迈克尔。”

这时院长回来了。我向汉纳致谢后便告辞了。到了楼下，在前大门值班的门卫看到我便

问：“运气怎么样?老太太帮上什么忙没有?”

我告诉他，她提供了一些线索。“不过我得把这事搁一搁了。为了找这个钱包的主人，我都差不多搭上一整天了。”

我取出钱包，给门卫看。

门卫一见便说：(4)“嗨！等一下。那是戈尔德斯坦先生的钱包。这钱包到哪儿我都能认出来。戈尔德斯坦先生老是丢钱包。”

“戈尔德斯坦先生是谁?”我追问道，手都发颤了。

“他是住在八楼的一个老头。这肯定是迈克尔·戈尔德斯坦的钱包。你愿意的话我带你上去见他。”

我们在戈尔德斯坦先生的房间里见到了他，门卫问他有没有遗失钱包。

戈尔德斯坦先生伸手一摸后裤袋，发现口袋是空的，便说道：“噢，我的天哪。钱包不见了。”

“这是你的吗?”我说着把钱包递了过去。

他一见便如释重负似地笑道，“是的是的，就是这个。多谢你了。”

“不客气，”我回答说。“不过我得告诉你一件事。我读过里面的信了。”

他脸上的笑容消失了。“你读过信了?”

“我不仅读过信，我还知道汉纳在哪里。”

他脸色唰一下子变得灰白。

“汉纳?你知道她在哪里?她好吗?还像以前那么漂亮吗?”

．

门卫望着我，示意我别再说了。

我迟疑着。

“说呀，请快说!”他恳求道。

“她很好„„就像你当初认识她时一样漂亮，”我温言道。

“你能告诉我她在哪里吗?”他抓住我的手问道。“你肯定知道些情况„„当时我那么爱那位姑娘，因此，这封信一来，我的生活似乎就全完了。我一直没结婚。我想我会一直爱她。噢，她那么漂„„那么甜蜜，”他暗自笑了起来。

“迈克尔，”我说，“跟我来。”

我们三人乘电梯到了三楼。汉纳正独自坐着看电视。

“汉纳，”门卫轻声道。“你认识这个人吗?”

她扶了扶眼镜，望了片刻，什么也没说。

“汉纳，我是迈克尔。你还记得我吗?”

“迈克尔?真难以相信!迈克尔?是你!迈克尔!”

他缓步走到她身边。迈克尔搂着她的腰，她也紧紧拥抱他，轻声道：“迈克尔„„我亲爱的迈克尔„„”

两人在沙发上坐下，手拉着手，交谈起来。他们有六十年的衷肠要倾诉。我和门卫退了出去，我俩都流了泪。

三个星期之后，我接到院长的电话。“请你来参加一个婚礼。迈克尔和汉纳最终将用街同心！知道吗，他们两人同在这幢楼里住了好多年了，却从没见过面；或是见过面，相互没认出来。”

婚礼上，汉纳穿着一袭浅褐色的礼服，显得仪态万方。迈克尔身穿藏青色西服，站得笔挺，就像士兵一样。养老院给了两人一个特别安排的房间。要是你想看一看79岁高龄的新娘与一个81岁高龄的信两如何像少男少女一般如漆似胶，就来看看这一对吧。

第六单元

动物智能

课文B 动物也有情？这些令人注目的故事表明它们也许就是如此，不妨读后自作判断。

动物也有情？

杰弗里.M.马森

苏珊.麦卡锡

人类相信自己懂得什么是爱情，并高度珍视它。然而，许多动物行为研究者在谈及动物是否体验爱情时都非常谨慎，他们喜欢说动物表现的不是“真正的情爱”，而仅仅是受各自遗传因子的支配。

情况果真如此简单吗？如何解释那些终生相伴直至死亡的动物呢？进化论生物学家常说，配对是保障足够的亲本照顾的一种方式，但实际情况是否如此，并不总是很清楚。有的动物不在生儿育女的时候依然相伴。而且它们在配偶死后表现出悲哀或是一种失落感。

研究鹅的行为特点的康拉德.洛伦茨讲述了一个典型的例子。厄杜的配偶苏珊娜.伊丽莎白被一头狐狸咬死了。它默默地守着横躺在窝巢里被吃掉一半的尸体。在接下来的日子里，它垂着头，目光也变得迷惘。由于它无心抵抗其它鹅的攻击，它在鹅群里的地位急剧下降。一年过去了。最后阿杜重振精神，另找了一个伴。

动物会戏剧性地相爱。据洛伦茨观察，幼时相知，而后分开，嗣后又重逢的两头鹅最可能‘堕入情网’。(1)他将此比作一位男士遇见一位女士，男士惊讶地发现此人正是自己过去常常看见、身着校服东奔西跑的那个女孩，于是爱上了他，并娶她为妻。根据鹦鹉研究专家

苏·埃森的观察，有些鹦鹉常常会一见钟情。

本能或许促使动物相爱，但本能并不叫它们去爱谁。埃森为了替——只雄鹦鹉找只配偶，买了只羽毛漂亮的雌性幼鹦鹉，并让两只鹦鹉相识。令埃森失望的是，“那只雄鸟表现得就好像雌鸟根本就不在房间里似的。”

几个月之后，有人给了埃森——只形象极其可怕、年纪较大的雌鸟。“它脖子以下就没有一根羽毛，”她说。“她的爪子都扭曲了。眼圈处还有皱纹。可那只雄鸟却认定此鸟乃其一生挚爱。”两只鸟很快就双飞双宿，最终还孵出了幼鸟。

(2)动物园的饲养员知道，许多种动物不会随便就与同类动物交配，他们对此一筹莫展。克利大兰动物园的„·头大猩猩蒂米不肯与介绍给它的两头雌性大猩猩交配。而当它遇见一头名叫凯特的大猩猩时，彼此一见钟情。考虑到凯特年纪太大不能生育，饲养员决定把蒂米送往另一个动物园，在那儿它或许有机会顺利交配。

动物园园长在为该动物园将两头大猩猩分开的决定作辩护时说：“当人们将人类的情感赋予动物时，本人深感厌恶。我们不能将它们视为某种了不起的人：它们仪仪是动物。人们在说动物有感情时，他们就逾越了现实的鸿沟。”简·古多尔的研究工作使人们对黑猩猩的情感生活有所了解，但她在其著作中也写道：(3)“我无法想象黑猩猩之间会产生一种可以与最真挚、最深沉的人类之爱相比的情感，如温柔、呵护、容忍和心灵快乐。然而，一对对动物相互倾注的忠诚之中却有爱的明证。鹅、天鹅以及鸳鸯都是忠于婚姻的象征；野外生物学家告诉我们，实际生活就是如此。常常被看作象征狡猾的北美郊狼也是完美的忠诚的象征，因为，自们也都白头偕老。观察表明，它们在性成熟之前就开始成双成对，相互倾情。

在他的北美郊狼研究文章中，霍普·赖登谈到可以看到成对的北美郊狼依偎在一起、共同捕捉老鼠、煞费苦心地表露情意。赖登描述了两只北美郊狼交配的情景。交配后雌狼用爪子拍打雄狼，舔它的脸。然后双双依偎而睡。这与浪漫的爱情颇为相似。无论人类的男欢女爱与动物雌雄相悦之间有多少区别，两者的本质常常是—致的。

一头被不同种类的动物抚养长大的动物长大后常常会对那种动物中的一员表现出情感。加文·马克斯韦尔谈到—头叫做蒂比的水獭。它是由·—位居住在苏格兰沿海一个岛上、借助拐杖出行的人饲养大的。此人患重病之后，便将蒂比带到马克斯韦尔处，托付他照顾。不久后他便去世了。

蒂比经常要逃到邻近的村子去看看。它在村里找到—个使用拐杖的男子。它试图在他屋檐下做窝，可那人把它赶走了。

过了一段时间，蒂比又失踪了。——天，马克斯韦尔接到一个电话，那人对—头行为怪异，甚至想跟他进屋的水獭感到惊恐不安。“你不会是使用拐杖的吧?”马克斯韦尔问道。

“是呀，”他回答说，声音里露出惊讶，“可你究竟是怎么知道的呢?”

(4)虽然科学界普通不接受动物间存在爱的看法，但是疑问并未消除。因为这些故事表明有些动物可能体验着和我们人类及其相似的快乐、爱情和悲伤。

第七单元

突发事件

课文B

中国常常遭受洪水之害。但是中国并不是惟一的洪水受害国。其它国家的人也

不得不学会接受洪水为害的可能性：他们家门口那条平静的大河也许有一天会漫溢出来，把他们卷走，并彻底改变他们的生活。

夜晚，河水漫溢

威廉·亨德利克斯

丹·迪克斯特勒站在十一岁的女儿詹妮弗身旁，长长的手臂挽住她的肩膀，两人从瓜达卢佩河畔的小木屋里望着大雨如注的茫茫夜色。

(1)雨已经下了差不多一整天乐，南得克萨斯河的河水猛涨，溢出了堤岸。不过看来不用担心。小木屋搭建在高出这一洪水泛滥地几英尺的柱子上。

“看来最糟糕的情况已经过去了，詹，”晚上十点钟光景，迪克斯特勒说。“咱们睡觉吧。”然而詹睡不着。她信赖爸爸，可还是忍不住回想起那些洪水肆虐的电视画面，人们紧抓着树顶，又冷又湿。辗转不眠几个小时之后，她去卫生间。她踩在地毯上，发现地毯湿了。

她停了下来，聚精会神地听着。那是什么声音?奇怪——像是湍流的声音。

正是湍流!而且就在屋子正下面奔涌。她冲到父亲的床边。“爸爸，爸爸，”她一面大声叫喊，一面拼命摇晃他。“醒醒。家里进水了!”

迪克斯特勒光着脚，只穿着短衣裤，走到门口，打开了门。眼前的景象顿时使他睡意全消。他们那条叫达奇斯的狗就站在门外，四条腿浸在六英寸深的水里。(2)这意味着河水已溢出河岸，泛滥到四百英尺之外，淹没了大路——他们脱逃的惟一途径。

他们被困住了。

冰凉的河水拍打他的脚髁。迪克斯特勒急忙把狗拉进木屋，使劲关上门。随后他抓过两

件救生衣。“穿上这个，宝贝，”他对詹妮弗说。

迪克斯特勒朝四周打量了一下。浑浊的河水顺着四壁护墙板一点点上升。“咱们怎么办?”詹问道，她声音在颤抖。

“咱们不会有事的，”迪克斯特勒回答说，尽力掩饰住自己的焦虑。“咱们到楼上去。”

他们攀上梯子般的楼梯，爬到起居间上面的阁楼。在上面，他们听见洪水在往下面的房间涌涨，并慢慢接近他们。窗子在水的压力之下爆裂。电视机被冲着撞上了墙壁。

突然，整个屋子像遇上地震似地摇晃着。接着木屋先是猛地朝上一掀，然后又摔下去几英尺。我的天哪，迪克斯特勒心想。咱们是在水里漂了。

从窗子望出去，他们看到自己在移动，屋子正被河水冲着走。(3)迪克斯特勒害怕木屋下沉会把他们一起拉到水底，于是决定离开木屋。他双臂紧紧搂着女儿，纵身跳进冰冷的水中。

木屋就在两人身后，在黑夜中紧追不舍。迪克斯特勒还没来得及避开，就被冲到—棵被淹没的树上。刹那间，木屋在河水巨大冲力的推动下，把他死死挤压在树上。他肋骨被压断。左腿喀嚓一声折了。他失声惨叫。

紧接着他的脑子失去了控制。迪克斯特勒只觉得自己是在远处遥望着自己。他看到自己和詹沉到了河底。他对自己的平静感到惊讶。“对不起，宝贝，”他说。“真对不起。”接着他就什么也不知道了。

他失去知觉时，屋子移动了一下，松开了他，打着旋漂离了他们。詹妮弗发觉自己顺水漂流而下，身边是不省人事的父亲。“不要死，爸爸!”她叫道。“千万别死!”

或许是小女儿的声音唤回了迪克斯特勒的意识。他轻轻捏了捏詹的手，她的心猛地——跳。

惨淡的月光下，迪克斯特勒——此刻清醒了些——看到缠在树顶上的一些垃圾形成的孤岛。他忍着伤痛，挣扎着逆流而上游了过去。詹爬到那一小堆木头上，把父亲从湍急的水流中拉起。他疼得倒了下去，浑身哆嗦，透不过气来。

他们还远远谈不上安全，詹对此很清楚。那堆垃圾随时可能漂散开来，把他们重新抛入水中。她真想蜷伏在父亲的怀里，可这只会增加他的伤痛。她明白，此刻，得靠她来救爸爸了。

就在这时，她惊讶地发现不知从哪儿现出一个身影。“达奇斯!”她高声喊道，他们的狗浑身湿透，这时爬了上来与他们呆在一起。有狗在，詹感到宽慰了不少。

夜里，每过几分钟詹就要查看一下父亲。“想一些会使人暖和的东西，”她对父亲说，“比如咖啡、火炉。”她为他唱歌，还为他祷告。

清晨来临，但仍无救援人员的踪影。他们痛苦地捱过一小时又一小时。上午十时左右有架飞机几乎就从头顶上飞过，却没有减速。一两个小时之后又有一架飞机飞过。后来，傍晚时分又有第三架飞机飞过。(4)每次詹都跳起来挥舞手臂并大声呼喊，而每次飞机都从地平线上消失，令她沮丧不已。

日光渐渐消退，詹意识到他们有可能要在这个孤岛上冉捱—个漫长而寒冷的夜晚。父亲会顶不住的。要是没有父亲，她知道自己也恐怕活不成。她—想到这儿，就觉得没了希望。“他们不来找我们了，”她绝望地哭出声宋。“我们要死了。”

就在这时，—个声音划破黑暗从远处山坡上传了过来。“嗨!那儿有人吗?” 詹跳了起来。她大声回应道：“喂!喂!” “我们去叫人，”那声音说道。“顶住。”

詹跪在父亲身边，揉着他的背，好让他暖和些。“咱俩一起顶住，”她对父亲说。半夜，一条小船终于在夜色中慢慢划到了他俩跟前。在小木屋被洪水从地基拔起卷走后十八个小时，詹、她父亲以及他们的狗达奇斯被从孤岛救至安全处。他们的小木屋再也未见踪影。

第八单元

解决一个教育问题

课文B

你认为学数学时使用计算器好吗？如果你认为好，也许这篇文章会改变你的看法。

扔了计算器

黛安.亨萨克

看着又一个学生，这次是个九年级学生，费劲地解一道需要运用简单的乘法运算的高级数学题，我暗自叹气。他苦苦地心算着5*6，眼巴巴地望着我桌头那个可望不可及的计算器，最后凭空猜测了一个答案：35。

课堂上使用计算器越来越多，这令我惊讶。我辅导的学生常常告诉我，他们的老师允许无限制地使用这一工具。全国数学教师协会积极鼓励使用计算器。最近我参加了一个数学研讨会，会上一位教师随口说，教师已不再不愿意让学生在课堂上使用计算器了。目前“人人”

都认识到了计算器的重要性，她说。(1)我听到教育机构谈论学校里使用这些工具的好处，听到越多，对于算术有困难的初、高中生需要家庭教师辅导几何、代数„事，我就越觉得不足为怪了。由寸：改行教书前我曾当过六年电气工程师，因此常常建议学生将来从事技术或科学：工作，但看到越来越多的孩子缺乏基本的数学运算技能，我不由深感失望。

教育工作者有诸多理由为使用计算器辩解，但每每都忽略了我们教数学的首要理由。数学能培养智力。我是说，学生能学会逻辑地、理性地思维，学会根据已知信息找到所需信息，进而变得既会运算又善于思维。这类技能是通过数学和科学课程传授的，对青少年

成长为善于思考的、有才·智的社会成员有着重要意义。

有教师争辩道，计算器使学生集中精力解题，而不为繁琐的运算拖累。(2)计算器并不能方便学生确定解数学题的方法。相反，计算器只会鼓励他乱试加减乘除的各种组合，而不考虑哪种纠合更加适当。我的一些小学生看某道应用题立刻就猜测加法是正确的运算方法。当我建议他们不依赖计算器用加法解题时，他们往往在继续运算前先思考一番。如果手里没有计算器，学生更有可能停下宋先对问题思考一番，以减少运算工作。学会用有效的方法解决复杂的问题是必要的，不仅学数学如此，在生活中也一样。

一位中学教师曾对我洗“学生刁；会运算长除法又怎么样?给他个计算器，他就有办法了。”我不敢苟同。我不知道，从什么时候起，背诵和反复解题在教育界变得如此不受重视。没有大脑中储存的大量信息，我们如何相互交流?更不用说创新出主意了。

数学要讲有哪些规则，更要讲这些规则为什么成立。不会做长除法的学生显然小理解长除法所依据的原理。真小理解了所以然常常使得死记硬背毫无必要，因为学生白己就能

算出这些规则。我的那些把乘法表看作——串不相关数字的学生在数学上的困难远比那些懂

得乘法只是连加的学生多得多。计算器妨碍学生认识数学中这类自然结构和美。

学会心算的学生能把注意力集中到如何解题上，然后轻而易举地完成实际运算。他对答案该是个什么样儿心里也更有数，因为经验使他把握了“数字感”，或者说数字间的关系。

一个伴着计算器长大的学生既要对付解题策略又要对付实际运算。三年级时借助计算器算出9 X 4的孩子到了高中仍在借助计算器做同样的运算。届时他们还得应付代数。(3)因为他们在孩提时代对数字计算从未感到过轻松，当他们试图攻读代数这一广义数学时就会处于极其不利的地位。允许广泛使用计算器会使孩子的智力发展停滞不前。如果我们不让学生做那些计算器能代劳的简单的运算，又怎么能期待他们去解决计算器解决不了的更为复杂的问题呢?

学生自己进行数学运算所获得的收益远比依赖计算器多。我辅导过孩子做学业能力倾向测试的模拟试题，他们一坐下就拿计算器算。如果他们对手头的题目略加思考，就很可

能不需要倚靠拐杖就能找到„—种更简单的解题方法。我还观察到学生错把12+32当作112 +32输入计算器，对算出的明显错误的答案连眼都不眨—下。毕竟，他们用的是计算器，所以，一定没错。

教育家们还声称，计算器如此便宜而又普遍，学生必须学会熟练使用。新的数学教材有整节整节关于用计算器解题的内容。大多数人，包括年幼的孩子们，用大约五分钟就能掌握计算器的基本功能。计算器在学校之外的社会中的确有其地位，在高等数学课堂上也有一定的作用，但它们很难算得上是教育工具。

不少老师以及学生坚持认为，“我们为什么不能用计算器?计算器永远就在身边，我们在实际生活中根本不会做长除法运算。”这或许是事实。大多数数学运算也都如此。我们当中没有多少人会出于实际需要而计算圆的周长或求解一项二次方程的因子。但那并非数学教学的惟一目的。(4)我们为培养思维和训练而教数学，这两者都能扩展思维，增强学生为社会作贡献的能力：这是教育的终极目的。

第二册课文翻译

Learning, Chinese-Style

Howard Gardner

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。

TWO DIFFERENT WAYS TO LEARN 6

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

CREATIVITY FIRST?

Children and Money David Owen

Kid: “Grandma gave me twenty-five dollars!”

Parent: “How nice.We'll put that check straight into your savings account.”

Kid: “But she gave it to me!I want it!”

Parent: “Oh, it will still be yours.You just have to keep it in the bank so that it can grow.”

Kid(suspicious): “What do you mean by 'grow'?”

孩子：“奶奶给了我25美金！”

家长：“太棒了。咱们把支票直接存到你的账户上去。”

孩子：“可这钱她是给我的！我要用！”

家长：“嗳，钱还是你的嘛。你只不过是要把钱放在银行里，好让它增多。”

孩子（狐疑地）：“你说‘增多’是什么意思？”

The way to help children become rational consumers is to give them more control, not less.Before we go on vacation, I'll usually give my kids an extra twenty bucks or so, which I deposit in their accounts.I tell them that they can spend the extra money on a T-shirt, save it, spend it before we leave, or do anything else they want with it--but that while we are on vacation, they won't receive any additional pocket money from me(except in the form of communal purchases considered by custom to be vacation entitlements, such as candy, ice cream, movie tickets, and so on).Because any money they spend starts out as theirs, not mine, they think twice before throwing it away.In a souvenir store on Martha's Vineyard a couple of summers ago my son quietly studied the unpromising merchandise while a friend of his loudly cajoled his parents into paying five dollars for a toy gun, which fell apart almost before we got back to the car.My son ended up spending thirty-three cents for an unopened geode, which he later cracked open by hitting it with a hammer--a good value, it seemed to me.If he had been spending my money instead of his, he undoubtedly would have wanted a toy gun instead.帮助孩子们成为理性消费者的方法是，交给他们更多的，而不是更少的自主权。我们去度假前，我通常额外多给孩子们20块钱左右存在他们账户上。我告诉他们，他们可以在我们出发前用这笔额外的钱买T恤衫、存起来，或者花掉，或随便他们派什么别的用场——但在度假期间，他们就不会从我这儿再拿到任何额外的零用钱了（根据惯例被认为是度假享受的共同消费除外，如糖果、冰淇淋、电影票等）。由于他们花费的任何一笔钱都是他们自己的而不是我的，他们出手时就很谨慎。两年前的一个夏天，在玛莎葡萄园的一家纪念品商店，我儿子一声不响地仔细察看那些不起眼的商品，他的一个朋友则吵着让父母花5美金买了一把玩具枪，可几乎还没等我们回到车上，枪就坏了。我儿子最后花了33美分买了个未打开的空心晶球，后来他用榔头把它砸了开来——我看这钱花得值得。要是他花的是我的而不是他自己的钱，毫无疑问，他肯定也会要买一把玩具枪的。

THE RICHEST MAN IN AMERICA, DOWN HOME

Art Harris

”It was a real disappointment,“ sighs waiter Jamie Beaulieu.“太令人失望了，”侍者杰米·鲍尤叹道。

No matter how big a time he had on Saturday night, you can find him in church on Sunday.Surely in a reserved seat, right? ”We don't have reserved seats,“ says Gordon Garlington III, pastor of the local church.无论他星期六晚上的夜生活过得多晚，星期日你还是能在教堂见到他。当然是坐在他的包座上，对吗？“我们不设包座，”当地教堂牧师戈登·加林顿第三说。

”He's just not a front-page person,“ a newspaper employee explains.“他压根儿不是那种爱上头版新闻的人，”一位报社雇员解释说。

Wasn't that, well, a little strange? ”No sir,“ says Mayhall, ”the only thing strange about Sam Walton is that he isn't strange.“

这一切，嗯，是不是有点怪？“一点也不，先生，”梅霍说，“萨姆·沃尔顿惟一不同寻常的就是，他平平常常。”

”He may be the richest by Forbes rankings,“ says corporate affairs director Jim Von Gremp, ”but he doesn't know whether he is or not--and he doesn't care.He doesn't spend much.He owns stock, but he's always left it in the company so it could grow.But the real story in his mind is the success achieved by the 100,000 people who make up the Wal-Mart team.“

”He'd say, 'That fellow worked hard, let's give him a little extra,'“ recalls retired president Ferold F.Arend, who was stunned at such generosity after the stingy employer he left to join Wal-Mart.”I had to change my way of thinking when I came aboard.“

“他会说，‘那人工作努力，奖励一下吧，’”退休的前任总裁费罗尔德·F·阿伦德回忆道。他原先供职的雇主非常吝啬，所以离开那里加入沃尔玛公司之后，他对这种慷慨行为深感震惊。“我加盟沃尔玛后，不得不改变自己的思维方式。”

The Restoration of Jimmy Carter

Sara Pacher

莎拉·帕夏尔

Once he campaigned his way to the presidency, Carter occasionally managed to slip in a few hours at the carpenter's shed at Camp David, because, in his opinion, ”What we need in our lives is a stock of factors that never change.(1)I think that skill with one's own hands--whether it's tilling the soil, building a house, making a piece of furniture, playing a violin or painting a painting--is something that doesn't change with the ups and downs of life.And for me, going back to the earth or going back to the woodshop have always been opportunities to reinforce my basic skills.(2)No matter if I was involved in writing a book, conducting a political campaign, teaching at Emory University or dealing with international affairs, I could always go back--at least for a few hours at a time--to the woodshop.That's meant an awful lot to me.It's a kind of therapy, but it's also a steadying force in my life--a total rest for my mind.卡特一路竞选当上总统之后，偶尔也设法悄悄溜到戴维营的木工场干上几个小时，因为在他看来，“我们在生活中需要一些永远不变的要素。我认为手艺 —— 不管是耕地，造房子，做家具，拉小提琴，还是画图 —— 这些东西不会因生活的起起落落而改变。至于我，回到农场种地或重返木工场一直是我增进基本技能的机会。无论我在写书，从事政治活动，在爱莫瑞大学教书，还是处理国际事务，我总会设法抽空回到木工场，每次至少呆上几个小时。这对我十分重要。这是一种理疗，同时也是我生活中的一种稳定力量 —— 是身心的完全休息。”

“And we both spend a good bit of time on our farm,” adds Carter.“We take care of the timberlands.Sometimes we go for long walks in the woods.I may see a particular tree that I think would be suitable for four or five--perhaps, seven or eight--chairs or for some other piece of furniture.I usually select a tree close to home, though, since I have to carry the pieces back to the woodshop area.“我俩都在农场上花了不少时间，”卡特说，“我们护理林地。有时我们在林子里长时间散步。我或许会看到某棵我觉得适合制作四五把——也许七把、八把——椅子或别的什么家具的树。不过，我通常挑选离家近的树，因为我得自己把木料搬回到木工场地。

Father Knows Better

Marsh Cassady 1

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。

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！

(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。

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。

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、海蒂、黛安：（齐声）老爸英明！

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?

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。

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!

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。

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？

(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?

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。

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?

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。

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？

(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、海蒂、肖恩：（齐声）老爸英明！

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！

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--

希金斯太太：一定是的，现在你是不是能填一下„„

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。

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）

WHEN FATHER DOESN'T KNOW BEST

Andrew Merton

安德鲁·默顿

In July 1983, my son Gabriel was 4 and extremely conscious of it.In fact, he defined and justified much of his behavior by his age:” Four-year-olds can put on their own clothes.“ Or ”I can run faster than Mike.That's because I'm 4 and he's only 3." A 4-year-old, I thought, was ready for a major-league baseball game.So on Saturday, July 16, I drove him to Boston to see the Red Sox play the Oakland A's.1983年7月，我儿子加布里埃尔4岁，并且已经有了强烈的年龄意识。事实上，他的许多行为是以年龄来界定的：“4岁的孩子会自己穿衣服。”或是：“我能比迈克跑得快。因为我4岁了，他才3岁。” 当时我想，一个4岁的孩子可以去看全美职业棒球赛了。于是，7月16日星期六，我开车带他去波士顿看红袜队与奥克兰A队的比赛。

We found our seats, on the right-field side of the park.Good seats, from which we could see every part of the playing field.We were about a half-hour early, and we

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