第一篇:新世纪大学英语3-Unit8课文翻译及单词解析
行为准则
为了建设一个健康和谐的社会,我们必须对所处环境当中的自我加以认识与了解。在这一认识和了解自己的过程中,我们会意识到那些儿童时期就已经潜移默化了的行为准则。有了这种自我认识,我们就有可能强化那些行之有效的准则,纠正妨碍我们进步的规范,从而与同伴们建立和谐的人际关系。
行为准则对人际关系有着至关重要的影响,不应把它们只看作社会习俗而不认真对待。正如我们得说相同的语言才能彼此理解一样,我们需要行为准则,行为准则构成了互相尊重的基础,而良好关系的确立就来自这里。在尊重他人的过程中,我们会不知不觉地心怀仁爱。
并非人人都对行为准则 —— 尤其是对礼貌——给予必要的重视。虽说没有规矩我们无法生活,但有时我们却很反感规矩。一方面,我们不愿束缚自己,可另一方面,我们不想因他人缺乏约束而让自己承担后果。结果,为了大家在一定程度上和平共处,即使是最叛逆的人也被迫遵从最起码的规范。
礼貌待人的确是建立行为准则的一个必备条件。有时即使我们本意是好的,还会经常在人际关系上出现问题,原因在于我们并没有认识到自己考虑不周或行为鲁莽。人际关系会因为甚至仅有的一次不当言行而受到无可挽回的伤害。礼貌可以帮助我们克服最困难的境况,是我们处理人际关系中不可替代的资产。不过,我们需要记住一点:倘若在每天的人际关系中任由自己的感情和本能冲动无所羁绊,只在某些情形下才举止得体,那只会削弱我们为学会生活而付出的努力。例如,在公共场合彬彬有礼,回到家里却撒野耍横、毫无耐心,诸如此类的行为就不能成为我们的行为准则。
优越感和傲慢有损于人际关系,因此谨防这两种心态是十分有益的。一个人尽管本意是好的,但是他会将帮助和劝说与发号施令混淆起来。只要别人听从他的意见,他便会为他们殚精竭虑;一旦别人不顺从他的意思,他便开始对人家大加指责,要恩断义绝。这种态度引起很多人际关系上的问题,会引起负面的情绪和怨恨,非但不能助人一臂之力,实际上反倒令人气馁。当我们处于这种思想状态时,我们会指出别人的错误和不足,却忘记鼓励和赏识人家。我们不要提出“别人能为我做什么?”的问题,但我们可提出“我能为别人做什么?我怎样才能将我的一生、劳动和经验奉献出来?”等问题。也就是说,我们把指责他人的态度搁置一边,采取为他人服务的态度。其他人是我们生活的一部分。
言及于此,礼貌待人和清晰的评判都不足以帮助他人。如果没有无私的爱心,没有积极的态度,一切善意的努力都是徒劳。
如果我们的态度通过提供实际、有益、可行的建议激励他人,传递爱心,那么这种态度就是积极的。积极的态度可以支持和培育他人,帮助他人建立信心,赋予他人面对困难的勇气。积极的态度也可以生成快乐、健康的人际关系。尤其在我们经受磨难和心情沮丧时,这种态度本身就是一种很大的帮助。积极的态度不是流于表面的乐观主义。相反,积极的态度会在我们自身和周围人身上激发起付出一切必要努力和为崇高事业牺牲自我的愿望。
积极的态度不取决于成功和运气。因此,抱有这一态度的人无论是悲伤还是高兴,无论在奋斗中是否成功,其行为举止总是一致的。
第二篇:新世纪大学英语课文翻译--1-
新世纪大学英语课文翻译
第一册
Unit 1 A Language Teacher’s Personal Opinion
Will Pidcroft 一名语言教师的个人看法
Every day I see advertisements in the newspaper and on the buses claiming that it is easy to learn English.According to these advertisements, with very little effort on the student’s part, he will be able to speak the language fluently in three months or even ten days.There is often a reference to Shakespeare or Charles Dickens to encourage him even more.When I see advertisements like this, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.If it were as easy to learn English as they say, I would have to look for another job, because very few qualified teachers would be needed.But a large number of people must believe these ridiculous claims, or else the advertisements would not appear.我每天都会在报纸上、公共汽车上看到各种广告,声称轻轻松松就能学好英语。这些广告号称,学生不必费什么力气,要说一口流利的英语只需短短3个月,甚至10天就行。广告还常常提到威廉·莎士比亚和查尔斯·狄更斯等英语文学大师的名号来增强吸引力。每当看到诸如此类的广告时,我真是哭笑不得:如果学英语真像这些广告所说的那么轻松,我恐怕得另谋出路了,因为不需要那么多合格的英语教师了。但是肯定有许多人相信这些可笑的噱头,不然的话这些广告也不可能出现。
It is natural for students to be attracted to methods that will teach them as quickly and efficiently and cheaply as possible.But it is difficult for anyone to explain in simple language why one method is better than another, and it is no use pretending that anyone has discovered a perfect way of teaching English in every possible situation.Some experts even argue that there are many good methods of teaching a language as there are good teachers, because every teacher is an individual with his own personality.No doubt this is true to a certain extent, but it is not very helpful to students.学生们喜欢实惠的速成学习方法也在情理之中,但要用浅显易懂的语言去解释为什么某一方法比另一方法更有效并不是一件简单的事,而且也无需装模作样地声称有什么人已经找到了一个万能的适合所有学习环境的教学方法。一些专家甚至认为,有多少个好老师就有多少种好的教学方法,因为每一个老师都有其自身的特点。这种说法无疑是有几分道理的,但对学生来说不是很有帮助。
For a long time people believed that the only way to learn a language was to spend a great deal of time in a country where it was spoken.Of course it is clear that students who go to England to learn English have a great advantage over others, but a larger number of students cannot afford to do so.Some students go to the opposite extreme and think they can teach themselves at home with dictionaries.But it is wrong to assume that each word in English has a precise equivalent in another language and vice versa, and it is impossible for any translation method to provide students with the natural forms of a language in speech, let alone produce good pronunciation and intonation.有很长一段时间,人们认为要学好一门语言,只有去使用那种语言的国家待上一段时间。当然去英国、美国、或者澳大利亚等国家学英语的学生肯定比那些不能去的学生具有很大优势,但是很多学生支付不起那笔费用。有些学生走向另一极端:他们认为可以借助词典在家自学。如果你认为英语中的每一个词在另一语言中都有完全对等的词(或反之亦然),那就错了。通过翻译法来给学生讲解口语的自然形式是不可能的,更不要说做到语音、语调地道了。
A great deal of teaching is still based on behaviourist psychology.Behaviourists are fond of making students repeat phrases and making them do exercises where they continually have to change one word in a sentence.If we were parrots or chimpanzees, these methods might be successful.A large number of theorists seem to think it is a pity we aren’t, because it would make it easier to use their methods.现在大量的教学活动还是建立在行为主义心理学的基础之上。行为主义者热衷于让学生复述短语,不断做一些只需更换句中某个词的练习。假如我们是鹦鹉或黑猩猩,那这些方法或许能奏效,可惜我们不是,这似乎让很多理论家引以为憾,否则他们提出的那些方法用起来就会容易得多了。
In my personal opinion, no one can ever learn to speak English or any other language unless he is interested in it.Human beings, unlike parrots and chimpanzees, do not like making noises unless they understand what the noises mean and can relate them to their own lives.It is worth remembering that language is a means of communication.What people want to say and write in another language is probably very similar to what they want to say and write in their own.What they listen to and read cannot be a formula.It must be real.我个人认为,假如没有兴趣,任何人都不可能学好英语或其他任何语言。与鹦鹉或黑猩猩不同,人类不会无缘无故地发出噪音,除非他们明白这些声音是什么意思,并且能将其与自己的生活联系起来。值得牢记的是:语言是一种交际手段,人们在母语中怎么说怎么写,用另一种语言表达时也大同小异。因此,人们所听所读的不应该是程式化的东西,听的读的材料必须真实自然。
There is another relevant point worth mentioning here.We need other people to talk to and listen to when we communicate.If what we are learning is strange to us, it will be helpful if there are other students around us who can work with us and practise the unfamiliar forms with us in real situations, talking to each other about real life in real language.还有一个相关的问题值得一提:在交际时我们需要有交谈或倾听的对象。在学习较生疏的内容时,如果有其他学生和我们在实战中一起学习和练习那些陌生的语言形式,用真实的语言去谈论真实的生活,那一定会受益匪浅。
Unit 2 The Doctor's Son Harold EppleywithRochelle Melander My parents moved toVermontwhen I was still aninfant.Asoft-spokenman, my fathersettled quietly intohis medical practice in a small town calledEnosburg.Soon thelocalpeople accepted him as one of their own.Word passes quickly in smallVermonttowns.They know good people when they meet them.Around town the neighbors greeted my father as “Doc Eppley.” And I soon learned that as long as I lived in Enosburg I would always be known as “Doctor Eppley's son”.On the first day of school, my classmates crowded around me because I was the doctor's son.“If you're anything like your father, you'll be a smart boy,” my first-grade teacher said.I couldn't stop Beaming.Somewherein themidstofmy teenage years, however, something changed.I was sixteen years old and the neighbors still called me “Doctor Eppley's son.” They said that I was growing up to be an honorableandindustriousyoung man, living an honest life just like my father.I groaned whenever I heard their compliments.I wondered how I would everfit in withmy teenage friends.I hated being followed by my father's good name.And so when strangers asked me if I was Doctor Eppley's son, I replied emphatically, “My name is Harold.And I can manage quite wellon my own.” As an act of rebellion, I began to call my father by his first name,Sam.“Why are you acting sostubbornlately?” my father asked me one day in the midst of anargument.“Well, Sam,” I replied, “I suppose that bothers you.”
“You know it hurts me when you call me Sam,” my father shouted.“Well, it hurts me when everybody expects me to be just like you.I don't want to be perfect.I want to be myself.”
I survivedmy last years of high school until finally I turned eighteen.The next fall Ienrolledin college.I chose toattenda school far from Enosburg, a place where nobody called me “Doctor Eppley's son.” One night at college I sat with a group of students in thedormitoryas we shared stories about our lives.We began to talk about the things we hated most about ourchildhoods.“That's easy,” I said.“I couldn't stand growing up in a town where everybody alwayscompared me with my father.”
The girl sitting next to mefrowned.“I don't understand,” she said.“I'd be proud to have a father who's so well respected.” Her eyes filled with tears as she continued,“I'd give anything tobe called my father's child.But I don't know where he is.He left my mother when I was only four.”
There was anawkwardsilence, and then I changed the subject.I wasn't ready to hear her words.I returned home for winter break that year, feeling proud of myself.In four months at college, I had made a number of new friends.I had become popularin my own right, without my father's help.For two weeks I enjoyed being back in Enosburg.The maintopicof interest at home was my father's new car.“Let me take it out for a drive,” I said.My father agreed, but not without his usual warning,“Be careful.”
I glaredat him.“Sam, I'm sick ofbeing treated like a child.I'm in college now.Don't you think I know how to drive?”
I could see the hurt in my father's face, and I remembered how much he hated it whenever I called him “Sam.” “All right then,” he replied.Ihoppedinto the car and headed down the road,savoringthe beauty of the Vermont countryside.My mind waswandering.At a busyintersection, I hit the car right in front of mine before I knew it.The woman in the car jumped out screaming: “Youidiot!Why didn't you look where you were going?”
I surveyedthe damage.Both cars hadsustainedseriousdents.I sat there like aguiltychild as the woman continuedcomplaining.“It's your fault,” she shouted.I couldn'tprotest.My knees began to shake.Ichokedbackmy tears.“Do you haveinsurance? Can you pay for this? Who are you?” she kept asking.“Who are you?”
I panickedand, without thinking, shouted, “I'm Doctor Eppley's son.”
I sat t here stunned.I couldn't believe what I had just said.Almost immediately, the woman's frown became a smile ofrecognition.“I'm sorry,” she replied, “I didn't realize who you were.” An hour later, I drove my father'sbatterednew car back home.With my head down and my knees still shaking, Itrudgedinto the house.I explained what had happened.“Are you hurt?” he asked.“No,” I replied.“Good,” he answered.Then he turned and headed toward the door.“Harold,” he said as he was leaving, “Hold your head up.”
That night wasNew Year'sEve, and my family attended a small party with friends to celebrate the beginning of another year.When midnight arrived, people cheered and greeted each other.Across the room I saw my father.I stepped toward him.My father and Irarelyhug.But recalling the day's events, I wrappedmy arms around his shoulders.And I spoke his real name for the first time in years.I said, “Thank you, Dad.Happy New Year.”
医生的儿子
我还是个婴儿的时候,我的父母亲搬到了佛蒙特州。我那温文尔雅的父亲在一个名叫伊诺斯堡的小镇上毫不张扬地开业行医了。很快,当地人就把他当成了自己人。在佛蒙特州的小镇上,消息传播得很快。人们分得清谁是好人。邻居们都称我的父亲为埃普利医生。我很快意识到,只要我住在伊诺斯堡镇,我就永远只是“埃普利医生的儿子”。
入学的第一天,同学们就簇拥着我,因为我是医生的儿子。“要是你多少有点像你父亲的话,你就会是个聪明的孩子。”我的一年级老师这么说。我忍不住眉开眼笑。
•可是在我十几岁的时候,事情起了变化。•我都十六岁了,邻居们还是称呼我“埃普利医生的儿子”。他们说我长大了一定会是一个可敬又勤劳的年轻人,会像我父亲那样过着体面的生活。每当我听到这些赞美,我都很不以为然地哼哼几声。
我不知道自己怎样才能融入我那些少年朋友的圈子。我讨厌父亲的好名声像影子一样跟着我。所以当陌生人问起我是不是埃普利医生的儿子时,我会带着强调的口气说:“我叫哈罗德。我自己能管好自己的事。”出于反叛,我开始对父亲直呼其名,不叫他“爸爸”,而叫他“萨姆”。
“你最近为什么这么犟?”有次争吵时,我父亲这样问我。
“哼,萨姆。我想你难过了吧!”
“你知道的,你叫我萨姆让我很伤心。”我父亲大声地说。
“哦,那人人都指望我像你一样,也很让我伤心呢。我不要完美,我只想做我自己。”
我好不容易挨完高中,总算满了十八岁。第二年秋天我上了大学。我选中了一所远离伊诺斯堡的学校,一个没人管我叫“埃普利医生的儿子”的地方。
在大学里,有天晚上我和一帮学生在宿舍聊起我们的生活。我们开始谈起我们童年最讨厌的事情。“想都不用想,”我说,“我受不了在一个每个人都拿我跟我父亲比的地方生活。”
坐在我身边的女孩皱起眉头说:“这我就不理解了。要是有这么个令人尊敬的父亲我一定会很骄傲的。”她的眼里噙着泪继续说,“要是有人把我叫做我父亲的孩子,那我会不惜一切地珍重这荣誉!但我不知道他在哪里。他抛弃了我的母亲,那时我才四岁。”
大家陷入了尴尬的沉默,然后我转开了话题。她的话我当时还听不进去。
那年寒假我回了家,心中充满了自豪感。在大学的四个月中,我交了好些朋友。我没有靠父亲,而是靠自己的本事赢得了众人的欢心。
回到伊诺斯堡的两个星期里,我一直都很高兴。父亲的新车成了家里人感兴趣的话题。
“让我开出去转转。”我说。
父亲同意了,但跟往常一样提醒我,“小心点。”
我瞪了他一眼,“萨姆,我讨厌你老把我当成个孩子。我都上大学了。你以为我不会开车啊?”
从父亲的脸上看得出我伤了他的心,也想起每次直呼“萨姆”时他是多么不高兴。
“那去吧。”他说。
我跳进车里,•沿路开去,•享受着佛蒙特乡间的美丽风景。我有点心神不定。在一个繁忙的十字路口,不知怎么地就跟我前面的车撞了个正着。
车里的妇人跳出来尖叫,“你这个白痴!你开车难道不看路吗?”
我看了一眼,两辆车都被撞蹩了。
我像个犯了错的孩子一样,坐在那儿听着那妇人不停地抱怨。“全怪你!”她尖叫道。我无法反驳,双腿发抖,泪水在眼眶里转。她不停地问,“你是谁?”
我害怕起来,•想也没想就叫道,•“我是埃普利医生的儿子。”
我坐在那里惊呆了。我简直不相信我自己会这么说。几乎同时,•妇人皱起的眉头变成了似曾相识的笑容。“对不起。•”她答道,“我刚才不知道你是谁。”
一小时后,我开着被撞破了的车回了家。我低着头,迈着发颤的双腿,•拖着步子走进家门。•我解释了所发生的一切。
“受伤了吗?”他问。
“没有。”我回答。
“那就好。”他答道,然后转身向门口走去。“哈罗德,抬起头来。”他边走边说。
那晚是除夕之夜,我们全家与朋友参加了一个小型晚会庆祝新年。午夜来临,每个人都欢呼并互相祝福。我看到父亲在房间的另一头,我向他走去。父亲与我很少拥抱,但我想起了白天的事,我用双臂搂着他的肩膀,很多年来第一次用他“真实的”名字来称呼他。我说,“谢谢你,爸爸。新年快乐!”
第三篇:新世纪大学英语读写第一册课文翻译
When we are writing we are often told to keep our readers in mind, to shape what we say to fit their tastes and interests.But there is one reader in particular who should not be forgotten.Can you guess who? Russell Baker surprised himself and everyone else when he discovered the answer.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。
Writing for Myself Russell Baker 1 The idea of becoming a writer had come to me off and on since my childhood in Belleville, but it wasn't until my third year in high school that the possibility took hold.Until then I've been bored by everything associated with English courses.I found English grammar dull and difficult.I hated the assignments to turn out long, lifeless paragraphs that were agony for teachers to read and for me to write.为自己而写 拉塞尔·贝克
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。When our class was assigned to Mr.Fleagle for third-year English I anticipated another cheerless year in that most tedious of subjects.Mr.Fleagle had a reputation among students for dullness and inability to inspire.He was said to be very formal, rigid and hopelessly out of date.To me he looked to be sixty or seventy and excessively prim.He wore primly severe eyeglasses, his wavy hair was primly cut and primly combed.He wore prim suits with neckties set primly against the collar buttons of his white shirts.He had a primly pointed jaw, a primly straight nose, and a prim manner of speaking that was so correct, so gentlemanly, that he seemed a comic antique.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,领带端端正正地顶着白衬衣的领扣。他长着古板的尖下巴,古板的直鼻梁,说起话来一本正经,字斟句酌,彬彬有礼,活脱脱一个滑稽的老古董。I prepared for an unfruitful year with Mr.Fleagle and for a long time was not disappointed.Late in the year we tackled the informal essay.Mr.Fleagle distributed a homework sheet offering us a choice of topics.None was quite so simple-minded as “What I Did on My Summer Vacation,” but most seemed to be almost as dull.I took the list home and did nothing until the night before the essay was due.Lying on the sofa, I finally faced up to the unwelcome task, took the list out of my notebook, and scanned it.The topic on which my eye stopped was “The Art of Eating Spaghetti”.我作好准备,打算在弗利格尔先生的班上一无所获地混上一年,不少日子过去了,还真不出所料。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,出了不少题目供我们选择。像“暑假二三事”那样傻乎乎的题目倒是一个也没有,但绝大多数一样乏味。我把作文题带回家,一直没写,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一看。我的目光落在“吃意大利细面条的艺术”这个题目上。This title produced an extraordinary sequence of mental images.Vivid memories came flooding back of a night in Belleville when all of us were seated around the supper tableand Aunt Pat served spaghetti for supper.Spaghetti was still a little known foreign dish in those days.Neither Doris nor I had ever eaten spaghetti, and none of the adults had enough experience to be good at it.All the good humor of Uncle Allen's house reawoke in my mind as I recalled the laughing arguments we had that night about the socially respectable method for moving spaghetti from plate to mouth.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,我们大家一起围坐在晚餐桌旁——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,没有一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,当晚我们笑作一团,争论着该如何地把面条从盘子上送到嘴里才算合乎礼仪。Suddenly I wanted to write about that, about the warmth and good feeling of it, but I wanted to put it down simply for my own joy, not for Mr.Fleagle.It was a moment I wanted to recapture and hold for myself.I wanted to relive the pleasure of that evening.To write it as I wanted, however, would violate all the rules of formal composition I'd learned in school, and Mr.Fleagle would surely give it a failing grade.Never mind.I would write something else for Mr.Fleagle after I had written this thing for myself.突然我就想描述那一切,描述当时那种温馨美好的气氛,但我把它写下来仅仅是想自得其乐,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一个不及格。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。When I finished it the night was half gone and there was no time left to compose a proper, respectable essay for Mr.Fleagle.There was no choice next morning but to turn in my tale of the Belleville supper.Two days passed before Mr.Fleagle returned the graded papers, and he returned everyone's but mine.I was preparing myself for a command to report to Mr.Fleagle immediately after school for discipline when I saw him lift my paper from his desk and knock for the class's attention.等我写完时已是半夜时分,再没时间为弗利格尔先生写一篇循规蹈矩、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。我正准备着遵命一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。7 “Now, boys,” he said.“I want to read you an essay.This is titled, 'The Art of Eating Spaghetti.'” “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。And he started to read.My words!He was reading my words out loud to the entire class.What's more, the entire class was listening.Listening attentively.Then somebody laughed, then the entire class was laughing, and not in contempt and ridicule, but with open-hearted enjoyment.Even Mr.Fleagle stopped two or three times to hold back a small prim smile.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,好抑制他那一丝拘谨的微笑。I did my best to avoid showing pleasure, but what I was feeling was pure delight at this demonstration that my words had the power to make people laugh.In the eleventh grade, at the eleventh hour as it were, I had discovered a calling.It was the happiest moment of my entire school career.When Mr.Fleaglefinished he put the final seal on my happiness by saying, ”Now that, boys, is an essay, don't you see.It'sit's of the very essence of the essay, don't you see.Congratulations, Mr.Baker.“ 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。就在十一年级,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一刻。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——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。
How do you feel when old friends are far away? Do you make an effort to keep in touch? Sometimes it is easy to put off writing a letter, thinking that there will be plenty of time tomorrow.But then sometimes, as this story shows, we leave it too late.Perhaps reading it will make you want to reach for your pen.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。
All the Cabbie Had Was a Letter Foster Furcolo 1 He must have been completely lost in something he was reading because I had to tap on the windshield to get his attention.出租车司机拥有的就剩一封信
福斯特·弗克洛
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。”Is your cab available?“ I asked when he finally looked up at me.He nodded, then said apologetically as I settled into the back seat, ”I'm sorry, but I was reading a letter.“ He sounded as if he had a cold or something.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。3 ”I'm in no hurry,“ I told him.”Go ahead and finish your letter.“ “我不着急,”我对他说,“你接着把信读完吧。” He shook his head.”I've read it several times already.I guess I almost know it by heart.“ 他摇了摇头。“我已经读了好几遍了。我想我都能背出来了。” ”Letters from home always mean a lot,“ I said.”At least they do with me because I'm on the road so much.“ Then, estimating that he was 60 or 70 years old, I guessed: ”From a child or maybe a grandchild?“ “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:“是孩子还是孙子写来的?” ”This isn't family,“ he replied.”Although,“ he went on, ”come to think of it, it might just as well have been family.Old Ed was my oldest friend.In fact, we used to call each other 'Old Friend'--when we'd meet, that is.I'm not much of a hand at writing.“ “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。” ”I don't think any of us keep up our correspondence too well,“ I said.”I know I don't.But I take it he's someone you've known quite a while?“ “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?” 8 ”All my life, practically.We were kids together, so we go way back.“ “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。” 9 ”Went to school together?“ “一起上的学?” ”All the way through high school.We were in the same class, in fact, through both grade and high school.“ “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。” 11 ”There are not too many people who've had such a long friendship,“ I said.“保持这么长久友谊的人可真不多见啊,”我说。”Actually,“ the driver went on, ”I hadn't seen him more than once or twice a year over the past 25 or 30 years because I moved away from the old neighborhood and you kind of lose touch even though you never forget.He was a great guy.“ “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,因为我从原来住的街区搬了出来,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。” 13 ”You said 'was'.Does that mean-?“ “你刚才说他‘在的时候’。你是说——?” 14 He nodded.”Died a couple of weeks ago.“ 他点了点头。“前几个星期过世啦。” ”I'm sorry,“ I said.”It's no fun to lose any friend--and losing a real old one is even tougher.“ “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。” He didn't reply to that, and we rode on in silence for a few minutes.But I realized that Old Ed was still on his mind when he spoke again, almost more to himself than to me: ”I should have kept in touch.Yes,“ he repeated, ”I should have kept in touch.“ 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,“我真该一直保持联系。” ”well,“ I agreed, ”We should all keep in touch with old friends more than we do.But things come up and we just don't seem to find the time.“ “是啊,”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。” He shrugged.”We used to find the time,“ he said.”That's even mentioned in the letter.“ He handed it over to me.”Take a look.“and mail it.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。
Professor Hawking thinks it important to keep everybody in touch with what science is about.In this article he explains why.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。
Public Attitudes Toward Science Stephen Hawking 1 Whether we like it or not, the world we live in has changed a great deal in the last hundred years, and it is likely to change even more in the next hundred.Some people would like to stop these changes and go back to what they see as a purer and simpler age.But as history shows, the past was not that wonderful.It was not so bad for a privileged minority, though even they had to do without modern medicine, and childbirth was highly risky for women.But for the vast majority of the population, life was nasty, brutish, and short.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。Anyway, even if one wanted to, one couldn't put the clock back to an earlier age.Knowledge and techniques can't just be forgotten.Nor can one prevent further advances in the future.Even if all government money for research were cut off(and the present government is doing its best), the force of competition would still bring about advances in technology.Moreover, one cannot stop inquiring minds from thinking about basic science, whether or not they are paid for it.The only way to prevent further developments would be a global state that suppressed anything new,and human initiative and inventiveness are such that even this wouldn't succeed.All it would do is slow down the rate of change.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科学,无论他们是否会为此得到酬劳。惟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。If we accept that we cannot prevent science and technology from changing our world, we can at least try to ensure that the changes they make are in the right directions.In a democratic society, this means that the public needs to have a basic understanding of science, so that it can make informed decisions and not leave them in the hands of experts.At the moment, the public is in two minds about science.It has come to expect the steady increase in the standard of living that new developments in science and technology have brought to continue, but it also distrusts science because it doesn't understand it.This distrust is evident in the cartoon figure of the mad scientist working in his laboratory to produce a Frankenstein.It is also an important element behind support for the Green parties.But the public also has a great interest in science, particularly astronomy, as is shown by the large audiences for television series such as The Sky at Night and for science fiction.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。在一个民主社会里,这意味着公众需要对科学有一个基本的了解,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一个重要因素。但公众同时也对科学深感兴趣,尤其是对天文学,诸如《夜空》之类的电视系列节目观众不少以及科幻小说读者甚多就是明证。What can be done to harness this interest and give the public the scientific background it needs to make informed decisions on subjects like acid rain, the greenhouse effect, nuclear weapons, and genetic engineering? Clearly, the basis must lie in what is taught in schools.But in schools science is often presented in a dry and uninteresting manner.Children learn it by rote to pass examinations, and they don't see its relevance to the world around them.Moreover, science is often taught in terms of equations.Although equations are a brief and accurate way of describing mathematical ideas, they frighten most people.When I wrote a popular book recently, I was advised that each equation I included would halve the sales.I included one equation, Einstein's famous equation, E=mc2.Maybe I would have sold twice as many copies without it.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,他们看不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一种简单而精确的方式,它们却使大多数人望而生畏。前不久我写了一本通俗读物,当时有人告诫我说,我每使用一个公式就会使销量减半。我只使用了一个公式,即爱因斯坦那个著名的公式,E=mc2。如果不用这个公式的话,也许我能多卖出一倍的书。Scientists and engineers tend to express their ideas in the form of equations because they need to know the precise values of quantities.But for the rest of us, a qualitative grasp of scientific concepts is sufficient, and this can be conveyed by words and diagrams, without the use of equations.科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。6 The science people learn in school can provide the basic framework.But the rate of scientific progress is now so rapid that there are always new developments that have occurred since one was at school or university.I never learned about molecular biology or transistors at school, but genetic engineering and computers are two of the developments most likely to change the way we live in the future.Popular books and magazine articles about science can help to put across new developments, but even the most successful popular book is read by only a small proportion of the population.Only television can reach a truly mass audience.There are some very good science programmes on TV, but others present scientific wonders simply as magic, without explaining them or showing how they fit into the framework of scientific ideas.Producers of television science programmes should realize that they have a responsibility to educate the public, not just entertain it.人们在学校学到的科学知识可以提供一个基本的框架。但如今科学进步的速度如此之快,一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一小部分人阅读。只有电视能赢得真正广大的观众。电视上有一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,也不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。The world today is filled with dangers, hence the sick joke that the reason we have not been contacted by an alien civilization is that civilizations tend to destroy themselves when they reach our stage.But I have sufficient faith in the good sense of the public to believe that we might prove this wrong.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。”
第四篇:新世纪 高一英语 unit 2课文文本
UNIT 2 TEXT
Michelangelo Michelangelo(米开朗琪罗,1475-1564,意大利文艺复兴时期成就卓著的科学家、艺术家)was an Italian artist about 500 years ago.Today he is still remembered as a great sculptor, painter, and architect.Michelangelo came from a poor family.He was trained at an early age like any other craftsman in Italy.At thirteen, he started to work and learn in a workshop.The workshop belonged to one of the leading masters at that time.In the workshop Michelangelo was able to learn all the skills of sculpture.However, he wasn’t satisfied, and went on to study the work of the great masters of the past.Michelangelo worked hard and he mastered one problem after another.By the time he was 30, he was generally regarded as one of the outstanding sculptors of the age.In 1508, Michelangelo was given a task---to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel(位于罗马梵蒂冈的西斯廷教堂).At first, he tried to turn down this job, saying that he was not really a painter, but a sculptor.Finally, he agreed to do it.He then shut himself up in the chapel, let no one come near him, and got ready to work alone.It took him four years to complete the paintings on the ceiling.Any ordinary person would find it hard to imagine what Michelangelo had gone through in those four years of hard and lonely work.Michelangelo, while working, had to lie on his back and paint.As a result, he became so used to looking upward that when he received a letter during that period, he had to hold it over his head to read it.Finally, the paintings were completed.The great and huge paintings on the ceiling and walls of the chapel have ever since become a fascination to people in Italy and all over the world.Michelangelo left us with a great number of sculptures and paintings.Today his works are still examples for art students to study and follow.Home and overseas visitors can’t help but admire these masterpieces.
第五篇:新世纪大学英语阅读教程2课文翻译
新世纪大学英语阅读教程翻译
Unit 1
塞克哈尔觉得,事实就像太阳一样。大概没有谁能直视太阳而不眨眼,不觉眩晕。他发觉人际关系的精髓在于时时刻刻调和事实,避免冲突。他设定了一个特殊的日子——一年中至少有一天无论如何必须说实话。否则生命还有什么意义。他对这一天充满无数期待,也没有告诉任何人要做这个实验。这是个秘密的决定,一件永远不为人知的事。首次尝试便从妻子准备的早餐开始。他对一道美味举筷不定,这可是妻子自认为的厨中之冠。“怎么啦?不好吃吗?”她问道。要是往常,为了照顾她的情绪,他肯定说:“没有,我吃饱了而已。”可今天他却说:“不好吃。我咽不下去。”看到妻子眉头紧锁,他对自己说:“没办法,事实就像太阳一样。”
第二次尝试是在教师休息室,一个同事走过来说:“某某死了听说了吗?觉得很遗憾吧。”“不觉得,”赛克哈尔回答。“他的确是个好人„„”另一个还没说完。塞克哈尔就抢过来说:“好什么啊,对我他可是个刻薄、自私的家伙。”
塞克哈尔给三年级A班上最后一节地理课时,收到校长递来的便条:回家前请过来一趟。他自言自语道:“肯定是那些可怕的试卷。一百多份字迹潦草的男生的试卷;他已经消极怠工几个礼拜了,感觉头顶像是悬了一把利剑,随时都有刺下来的可能。”
下课铃响起,孩子们潮水般涌出教室。塞克哈尔在校长门口停了会儿,扣好上衣扣子;扣子也是校长经常训诫的目标。
他进了门,彬彬有礼地说了句:“晚上好,校长。” 校长抬起头看着他,十分友善地问道:“今晚有空吗?” 塞克哈尔回答:“答应过家里的孩子要出去„„” “那,可以改天再带他们出去。现在跟我回家。”
“噢„„好的,校长,当然没问题„„”然后怯生生地问:“有什么要紧事吗,校长?” “是的,”校长回答,像是在对自己笑„„“你真的不知道我缺乏音乐天赋吗?” “噢,知道,校长„„”
“我一直在偷偷地学习和练习,今晚想让你听听我演唱。我约好了一个鼓手和一个小提琴手为我伴奏。这还是我的第一次正式演出,想听听你的建议。我知道你的建议弥足珍贵。” 塞克哈尔的音乐品味无人不知。他是小镇里最令人生畏的音乐评论人。可他怎么也没想到,他的音乐爱好将它引入这层磨难„„。“对你来说,有点突然是吧?”校长问。“我已经关上门花了不知道多少钱„„”他们开始往校长家走。“上帝没能给我一个孩子,可至少没有剥夺音乐给我的慰藉,”他们边走校长边悲戚戚地说。他喋喋不休地说着音乐的事:如何完全因打发无聊起步;如何被音乐老师取笑,又被给予希望;他人生的雄心壮志又是如何在音乐的世界里达到忘我的境界。
一到家,校长就大献殷勤。他请塞克哈尔坐在红丝毯上,敬上几样碟中美味,在旁边忙来忙去像是招待上门女婿。他甚至说:“你务必完全放松去听。别为那些试卷烦心。”然后不无幽默的加了一句:“我会给你一周的时间。” “十天怎么样,校长?”塞克哈尔请求。
“好,同意,”校长慷慨地说。塞克哈尔彻底松了口气——他可以一天干掉十份,彻底除掉这件烦心事。
校长点上熏香。“营造点气氛。”他解释说。鼓手和小提琴手已经到位,坐在缅甸仰光进口的小毯子上等他。校长在两人中间坐下来,像音乐会专业演出一般,清清喉咙,起了调子又停下来问:“可以吗,卡亚尼?(塞克哈尔的姓)”塞克哈尔假装没听到校长叫他。校长继续了,唱了一整首提亚咖拉迦(印度作曲家)谱写的歌曲,接下来又唱了两首。从校长一开唱,塞克哈尔就开始在心里默默评论他:“一会儿像是一群青蛙在呱呱叫。一会儿 又像是水牛在哞哞叫。现在则听起来像是暴风雨中摇曳的破窗户扇子。” 熏香快烧完了。塞克哈尔脑袋的剧痛也随着混杂的乐声颤抖起来,这声音至今已经侵袭他的耳鼓几个小时了。他感觉已经有点不省人事。校长的声音近乎嘶哑,他停下来问道:“还要继续吗?” 塞克哈尔感到他真是个无比可怜的家伙。可他也无能为力。他此时比任何即将宣判罪状的法官都感觉痛苦和无奈。塞克哈尔发觉校长的妻子从厨房往这边偷偷张望,一脸的好奇。鼓手和小提琴手终于卸下包袱,松了口气。校长摘下眼镜,抹了把眉毛,问道:“现在说说你的看法吧。”
“我可以明天说嘛,校长?” 塞克哈尔试探着问。“不行。我马上要听——你坦诚的看法。唱的好吗?” “不好,校长„„” 塞克哈尔回答。“噢!„„还有必要继续上音乐课吗?”
“完全没必要了,校长„„”塞克哈尔说,声音有些颤抖。他因为自己不能说的更为缓和而有些难过。事实,他想,不管说出来还是接受都需要同样的勇气。
回家的路上塞克哈尔忧心忡忡。他感觉职业生涯从今以后不可能一帆风顺了。诸多疑问,比如涨工资、考评等等都去取决于校长的意愿。各种各样的忧虑似乎在前面等着他„„哈里什昌德拉国王失去了王位、后妃和子嗣,就因为他无论面对任何情形都只坚持说真话。
回到家,妻子一脸的愠怒。他清楚妻子还在因为早上的事生气。今天发生了两大灾难,塞克哈尔想。要是这样继续一个礼拜,可能一个朋友都没了。
第二天,他在教室接到校长的电话。他站了起来,心提到了嗓子眼。
“你的建议很有用。我已经结清了音乐老师的工资。音乐的事,这些天没人愿意告诉我真话。我一把年纪的人,干么还瞎折腾呢。谢谢你。对了,试卷批得怎么样了?” “你给了我十天时间的,校长。十天批好。”
“噢,我重新考虑过了。明天必须给我送过来„„”一天批完一百份试卷!这意味着要通宵不能睡觉!“再宽限几天吧,校长„„”
“不行。明天务必给我送来。记住,每份试卷都必须一丝不苟的批改。”
“遵命,校长,”赛哈克尔回答,觉得通宵批完一百份试卷就是为这次奢侈的真心话实验而付出的小小代价。
Unit 3 1在普利茅斯湾有一个迷人的年轻女人名叫哈丽特magnis航海的小镇。她有一个痴迷。她想要一个孩子为她的丈夫。地球上所有的东西,她想要一个孩子李察。但她不能有一个。2强迫观念驱使人去做各种奇怪的事情。哈丽特magnis的痴迷使她犯了一个在历史上最奇怪的犯罪。
3李察是英国皇家海军的一名炮手。甚至尽管他在两或三年在一片海,家里只有几天时间,哈里特爱他深深地和她的悲惨的失败给了他一个孩子,她经常在。更糟糕的是,她担心她的丈夫会在他的旅行中找到一些其他的女人,一个能给他什么,她将永远离开她。4但这一天,当她给她的丈夫写信时,她说:“我亲爱的,上帝终于对我们微笑了!我终于和孩子在一起了!你回家的时候,我们的孩子将被出世,你将你的父亲总是wante4d它是。”密封在一个信封里的信,她解决它的下一个港口,她丈夫的船会触及,她把它带到邮局。5只有一件事是错误的。哈丽特没有怀孕。她对她的丈夫撒谎了一个原因。她的信将在圣诞节到达他。她想让他快乐!月过去了。从她出走的丈夫寄来的一封信。那孩子来了吗?是男孩还是女孩? 6她现在告诉他真相,这将拯救哈丽特,但她不能那样做。这会伤害他太多。所以她说孩子已经来了,这是一个男孩。当她丈夫回家的时候她会做什么,想看看他的儿子。哈丽特显然不知道。她很担心这是一个伟大的交易,那么当她得知她丈夫的船在几天内回家时,她就很担心了。
7李察的船来了,哈丽特冲到朴茨茅斯去见他。“我的儿子在哪里?“他喊道。哈丽特思维速度快。“哦,亲爱的,”她说。“我没想到你这么快。医生觉得海边的空气对他不好,所以我把他留在他的祖父母在苏塞克斯郡。”
8她清楚地知道,李察会在港口只有几天时间,没有足够长的时间让他去苏塞克斯。所以她是安全的时间是。下次他回家时,她还有另一个借口。下一次,还有另一个。但他越来越怀疑。他没有发现他根本没有孩子。他只怀疑她藏了孩子,因为那是另一个人的,所以他就把律法放在哈丽特。下一次他回家时,他会看到他的儿子----没有任何理由会被接受。9可怜的哈丽特!她的谎言让她变成了真正的深水。她succe4eded欺骗了他三年,但现在她知道她必须产生一个三岁的男孩看起来像李察,或者把真相给他。于是哈丽特踏上了一个奇妙的计划。她会偷一个孩子。有没有可能找到只是她想在戈斯波特小镇,所以她去伦敦。在那里,一天又一天,她走过的街道寻找她有孩子。同时,查尔斯夫人去了伦敦的一个同事眼前的医生,她带着她的两个孩子:一个小女孩,玛丽,五,和一个男孩,托马斯,三。当她到医生的办公室,她让孩子们在水果店楼下。杂货店老板的妻子,玛丽考克斯,答应去看他们。
10十五分钟后,哈丽特来了,在门口停了一下。她停了下来,盯着小托马斯德洛。令人难以置信的是,孩子不仅是合适的年龄,但他却像极了李察magnis!五分钟后玛丽考克斯发现男孩失踪了。警方被通知。一个全国性的搜索开始,传单遍布全国。早在戈斯波特,哈丽特骄傲地把小托马斯去朴茨茅斯看他爸爸的船来了。李察是多么高兴!一个儿子!最后!在他离开的日子里,他生活在狂喜中,从未梦想过真相。然后他又出海了,还不知道。但他离开后,哈里特变得恐慌,尤其是当邻居们开始提问关于她的“孩子”,甚至更多,所以当通缉告示出现在当地邮局的突然出现。充满了恐惧和悔恨,现在,她带着小托马斯同事回到伦敦,离开了他在警察局前面逃走了。然后她坐下来给她的丈夫写了一封长信,告诉他真相。在适当的时候,这封信是交给李察的船,但不是给他。在他的焦虑再次见到他的儿子,李察跳船,擅离职守(擅离职守)。他的妻子的信,承认一切,被交付给船长,而不是李察。认为它可能会提供一些线索,李察的缺席,他打开它。
11哈丽特magnis被捕并接受审判在汉普郡巡回审判。但法官判定,由于在新罕布什尔州没有犯下的罪行,法院没有管辖权。所以哈丽特被释放了,再也没有尝试过。法官可能比任何人都更了解一点。他自己的妻子也无法忍受孩子。她也有一个痴迷。但她却犯了自杀,而不是偷别人的孩子。
Unit 4 我对姑祖母史提菲娜·鲁斯向来心存敬畏。事实上,我们小时候显然都很畏惧她。她不跟家里人住一起,情愿孤零零一个人住在乡间的小屋里,也不愿住在舒适但有些喧闹的家里---我们长大的地方,这一点更是增强了我们对她原本就有的敬畏之情。她从来不拥抱我们。只是打个招呼,然后用她那美丽却冰凉的手牵着我们热乎乎的小手,她手背上青筋突起,似乎要撑破那脆弱的皮肤。随着年事渐长,我惊奇地发现,居然对这位冷漠的姑祖母产生了十足的好感。直到今天,我依然不知道当时出于什么莫名的冲动,竟让带着乔治去见她,还告诉她我们订婚的事,当然之前我可任何人都没告诉过。让我感到意外的是,她十分的欣喜。
“是英国人啊,”她惊呼。“真是太棒了,太棒了。你,”她转向乔治,“你要在这里安家吗?不打算再回英国了吗?”
听到乔治已在我们农场附近也购置一个农场,准备定居在南非时,她似乎松了口气,变得欢快起来,和乔治拉闲聊起来。
她对我的爱情还是忧心忡忡,总问一些看似奇怪的问题,隐约觉得她似乎在担心会有什么破坏这桩婚姻的事情发生。让我猝不及防的是,当我向她提起乔治考虑在结婚前临时返回英国一趟时,她突然情绪失控。“绝不能让他回去,”她喊道。“伊娜,你千万不能让他回去。答应我一定要阻止他。”她浑身发抖。我使出浑身解数来安慰她,她看起来还是那么疲惫、脸色苍白。我说服她回房间休息,答应明天回来看她。
第二天再来时,看到她坐在屋前的门廊上。她显得如此孤独和悲凉,那是我第一次感到疑惑,为何没有男人愿意娶她,照顾她,爱怜她呢。母亲曾告诉过我,姑祖母年轻时出落得楚楚动人,现如今除了那双褐色的眸子还残留着曾经的风韵外,昔日的美貌早已不见了踪影。尽管如此,她还是那么娇小玲珑、惹人爱怜,凡是男人见了,都难免心生怜香惜玉之情。她欲言又止,似乎不知从何说起。接着她仿佛又在心底振作了起来。“你肯定在纳闷,”她说,“为什么我听说乔治要离开你回英国会很难过。我老了,或许老了就会胡思乱想,可我必须告诉你我的爱情故事,听完后你再来决定让未婚夫在结婚前离开究竟是不是个明智之举。”
第一次邂逅理查德·维斯顿时我还是一个少女。他是英国人,借宿在附近农场的范·伦斯堡家里,离我家有四五英里远。理查德身体虚弱,因为心肺功能不好,医生送他到南非,希望这里干燥空气能治好他。他是范·伦斯堡家孩子们的家庭教师,我比那些孩子年长一些,可经常跟他们一起玩。理查德仅仅以此为乐,并非为了赚钱。
我们虽然一见钟情,但直到我十八岁生日那晚才相互倾诉衷肠。所有的亲朋好友都来赴会,那晚我们在谷仓铺上一条宽大的旧地毯,在上面翩翩起舞。理查德和范·伦斯堡一家一起过来,我们一有机会就斗胆共舞,实际上机会并不多,因为我父亲讨厌在南非的外国人。事实上,他曾一度跟范·伦斯堡家发生过口角,起因就是他们留宿了理查德。后来父亲渐渐接受了事实,尽管始终心有芥蒂,对这位英国人也还总是客客气气的。
那是我一生中最快乐的一个生日,因为理查德在跳舞的间歇时间,把我叫到外面,就在那个清凉宜人、月光皎洁的夜幕中,在漫天星斗的注视下,他向我表达了爱意,并向我求婚。我当然答应了他,当时我早被幸福冲昏了头脑,根本没有考虑父母会怎么想,或者根本什么也没有想。有一天,理查德没有出现在约定的地方。我很失落但并不惊奇,因为有太多的事情可能发生,导致我们不能如期赴约。我想下次拜访范·伦斯堡家时,我就可以知道他究竟为何爽约,也可以继续约定以后的幽会„„
“于是当父亲问我是否愿意一起驱车前往德里方丹时,我高兴极了。”然而,当我们到达范·伦斯堡家,坐在门廊里喝咖啡时,却听说理查德已匆匆离开,回到英国去了。他父亲死了,他作为继承人必须回去料理遗产。
“那天的事我大多不记得了,只记得太阳似乎变得暗淡无光,田野也风采尽失,没了往日欣欣向荣的景象,尽是惨淡和荒凉之感,萧瑟凄凉得跟冬天或大旱时一样。那天午后的晚些时候,霍但托特族的小牧童詹杰交给我一封信,说是英国老爷留给我的。那是我收到的唯一一封情书,让我的所有的心酸和悲伤归于平静,也是我最最接近幸福的感觉。我知道理查德依然爱我,不管怎样,有了这封信在,就算他在英国,我不得不留在农场,我感觉我们也始终未曾分开过。我现在还保留着这封信,尽管已经年老体衰,这封信还能给我以希望和勇气。”
“姑祖母,这封情书肯定写的很精彩吧,”我说。老太太从遥远的爱情美梦中回过神来。“也许吧,”她说,犹豫了一下,“也许,亲爱的,你想看看那封信吗?”
“我乐意之极,姑祖母,”我轻声回答。
她立即起身,疾步走进小屋,像个急匆匆的少女。她回来时,递给我一封信,由于天长日久,信封早已褪色发黄,边角也已磨损,似乎是经受过无数次的抚摸。我正要打开时,却发现封印完好如初。
“拆开,拆开,”姑祖母催促道,声音颤抖。我揭下封印,念了起来。
严格来说,这算不上是一封情书,实际上是几页安排详尽的逃跑指南,指导“我挚爱的菲娜”如何逃脱父亲的监视,趁夜黑逃离家门到浅滩,詹杰会备好马匹跟她碰头,然后将她驮到史密斯多普,在那里投靠“我的至交亨利·威尔森”,他会出钱安排她追随爱人的足迹到达开普敦,经此前往英国。“在英国,亲爱的,我们立刻结为夫妻。但是,我的挚爱,假如你不确信自己能在异国他乡与我一道生活,就不要采取这个重大行动,因为我爱你至深,不愿你经受一丝的不快。倘若你不能前往,或者我未能收到你的回信,我就会知道,你远离自己深爱的国家和亲人是无法得到幸福的。然而,倘若你觉得还可以坚守承诺,但由于胆怯不敢只身面对前往英国的跋涉,就回信给我。我会想方设法回来迎娶我的新娘。”
我没有再念下去。
“可是,姑祖母!”我声音急促地问道。“为什么„„为什么„„”
老太太迫注视着我,因迫切想知道下文而浑身颤抖,她面颊绯红,双目神采奕奕充满期待。“大声念,亲爱的,”她说。“一字一句我都要听。我当时找不到可以信赖的人„„南非的外国人在我年轻的那段岁月是被人深恶痛绝的„„我不敢找人帮忙。” “可是,姑祖母,他信里写的这些你难道都不知道吗”
老太太低下了头,像个不小心做了错事的孩子一样,既不安又羞愧。
“不知道,亲爱的,”她回答,声音极其微弱。“你知道的,我从来没有读过书呀。”
Unit 5
外面天还黑着,我的呼吸像漂浮在寒冷的空气寒冷的云。我为自己感到难过。有一个原因,他们称之为“老鼠赛跑。
一天又一天,同一个古老的东西。在阳光下的房子。一个半小时的通勤到办公室。八到九个小时的工作,然后在同一个通勤回家,仍然是黑暗的外部。短短的几天,我就纳闷:白天太阳出来了吗?我不确定了,如果是,我一定错过了。
我走到火车站,在那个凄凉的星期一早晨。我的一个星期在我面前像一个深黑色的洞。本周可能是新的,但我感觉老和破旧的。短暂的周末休息还不提供救济,洗衣,堆积起来,不提超市、干洗店和无数其他跑腿,吃到什么被认为是我们的家人在一起的时间。我们几乎没有机会的时候还没定闹钟,本周开始再次很快地玩拼字游戏。火车又晚点了。任何尝试放松的想法很快被记忆的堆的纸坐在我的桌子上。这么多的事,和天是从来没有足够长的时间。我调整了我周围的人群开始精神通过排序的优先级就招手,当我到达办公室。电子邮件和传真,报告和会议。这一天会很充实,因为这是本周初的开始。我畏缩了一下,我常常想起我把事情“下周直到。“嗯,“下周”在这里。自注:思考明天的事情”“可能曾为斯嘉丽奥哈拉,但它只创造了我的悲伤。
转移人群把我带到了那一刻。火车进站了,而部队的乘客是一个头脑:抢一个空座位在任何费用。男女机会平等的推动者,推动彼此的平台边缘。即使我让自己被横扫,我也决心抓住第一个可用的座位,我可以找到。我紧紧抓住我的公文包,把我的公文包推到了其中,并获得了我的奖品。坐在一些文书工作上,我会得到一个跳跃,也许是一个备忘录或2个。任何一开始都会有帮助。
这是我的生活恶化到什么?我的一天最精彩的是,我在火车上坐了一个座位吗?当然,我的目标是更大的比。我们工作很辛苦,我丈夫和我。我们的目标是还清房贷,并预留储蓄以备退休。我们几乎都在那里。只是一年或两年,我模仿超人,这样我就可以放松。仅仅一两年。..那是当我看到她。那年轻的女人看上去很熟悉。我在火车站看到她了,还是我只是认出了她脸上的表情?在一个座位上再次错过了反映辞职的样子。这一看,说:“我没有精力去做这件事。”我知道她是怎样的感觉,但我也知道我有工作要做。备忘录回答,要写报告。我有一个座位,她没有。没有人说生活将是公平的。
但有更多的只是她的脸。即使在她那笨重的外套,我也能看到她在等一个孩子。她怀孕是相当远,这是她所有能做的去抓住金属棒的列车突然陷入运动。我感到一阵内疚,然后又与自己争辩。火车上肯定有足够多的人能看到她的情况。骑士还没死,是吗?但是没有人移动。好像每个人都在火车上被刻意避免这个年轻女人的角度为他们埋葬他们的头在他们的报纸,或假装全神贯注于他们的谈话。
我把备忘录和法律垫在我的公文包里,站了起来,示意让她注意。工作可以等待。这肯定是够了,和一个或两个以上的备忘录也不会有多大的差异,在我的日程安排。如果我有什么想法,他们都被她脸上的表情抹去。一种新的看--救济和感恩。话不需要被交换,但是当她说谢谢时,我意识到,这小小的仁慈对我来说就像是对她一样。一个提醒,即使我是一个大鼠比赛的一部分,我没有成为一个大鼠。
这仍然是星期一早晨,但新兴的日出告诉我,这将是一个美好的一天。
Unit 6
1一个真正幸福婚姻的基础是什么?浪漫?沟通?真正的爱情?这当然不是钱,对吗?
2大多数人都会同意钱不是一个好的婚姻,但根据婚姻顾问,这无疑是一个坏的因素。英国关系咨询服务发现,在1998次调查中,钱是在英国夫妇之间的争论的头号原因之一。我们的顾问认为,钱是一个在许多离婚的主要因素。它不只是缺乏资金,导致问题。3信不信你对金钱的态度比你拥有多少重要。也许这并不浪漫,但离婚50%次婚姻,往往由于财政困难,我们是不是该停在耳边甜言蜜语,开始关于钱的一些直接对话?
4对许多人来说,金钱是最后一个伟大的禁忌主题。“我们在结婚前从来没有谈过钱,”简,一位结婚五年的老师告诉我们。“我甚至不知道戴夫是怎么做的。我们在一起的时候,我们当然不会谈论谁会付帐单,或者任何类似的东西,“戴夫同意:”这似乎不重要,谈论金钱。我从来没有想过。”
5这些态度并不罕见,人们很少谈论金钱。
6浪漫的爱情神话告诉我们,我们会遇到一个人,结婚,并过着幸福的生活。童话里没有什么能告诉我们如何讨论我们的财务,甚至是我们需要的。但是你的伴侣对金钱的态度可能是你需要了解的最重要的事情之一。7每个人都对金钱有着独特的态度。有些人喜欢它可以买他们,也有人认为它是安全的来源。有些人担心他们永远不会有足够的,其他人会讨厌是有钱人。你对钱的态度取决于很多东西:怎么是你带来了,多少钱,你用有,是否你努力工作你钱或支付你所喜欢做的事情。甚至你的人生观会影响你对金钱的影响。对金钱的态度是没有对错的,每一个都是有效的。8他们结婚后,戴夫和简发现他们对金钱有很大的不同看法。“他是一个富豪,我是一个屏幕保护程序,”简说。“起初,这是非常令人沮丧的,当他在本月结束时,他在我和我的借贷,我们仍然得到了大量的战斗。”
9这是一个很常见的问题。大多数情侣在一起讨论他们的目标和梦想,但他们不谈论他们的财务态度。他们谈论有关,他们会喜欢生活,那种职业他们想要的,有多少孩子他们会有,等共享相同的人生目标是什么带来了许多夫妻在一起,许多人花了很多时间(尤其是当约会或结婚第一)讨论他们的希望和梦想。
10然而,许多人不做的事,就是计划如何实现他们的目标。他们知道他们在哪里是一对夫妇,但他们没有路线图的最短或最可靠的路线,他们的梦想。
11这是所有浪漫谈钱来。不仅你有多少,而且你会花多少钱,节省和投资。
12安吉拉,一位35岁的三岁的母亲告诉我们,“钱不是一个问题,我们直到孩子出生。然后我突然发现我们一直在战斗。我的丈夫会花100美元一个晚上出去与朋友,虽然它从来没有困扰我之前突然把我逼疯了。”安吉拉的丈夫看不见的问题;他们共同工作,他能买得起他的慷慨。安吉拉解释道:“那么,有一天我们开始谈论我们对未来的希望,这是一个灯泡似乎是为我的丈夫。我们一直想送我们的孩子去上大学,当我说自己的支出是危及他似乎明白为什么我生气了。它并没有停止所有的战斗,但它帮助。
13一次,安吉拉的丈夫发现了她为什么如此关注自己的花销,他发现很容易尝试去控制它。他们已经同意把所有的孩子送上大学,但他们从来没有谈论过他们是如何实现的。作为一个富豪安吉拉的丈夫没有看到招待他的朋友晚上出来一个问题,而作为一个自然保护安吉拉担心未来和孩子的大学基金。
14直到他们说,谁都不理解对方的态度。了解你的合作伙伴的态度,金钱是避免纠纷的关键。一个很好的问题是问你的伴侣是:“你会做什么,如果你赢得了彩票?“他们会花很多钱吗?他们会把所有的一切,把它投入安全的投资和生活的兴趣?他们会花一些钱存一些吗?你会给他们的答案是什么?
15好吧,这样你就不可能赢得彩票。但是,一旦你有了关于配偶的经济人格的知识,你就可以更好地为婚姻生活中的所有这些问题提供一天的钱。
16如果你的伴侣的财务风格和你的不同?这并不是说关系是注定的。远离它。知道你们两个人如何看待金钱,为什么会有助于你们做出必要的妥协来阻止它的战斗。没有任何关系是一样的,但也有一些基本的步骤,每个人都可以采取帮助赚钱少的问题。17第一:决定你的优先顺序是什么。18这不是关于制作一个预算,虽然你需要一个如果你是管理你的财务。这是关于你的梦想,你的生活愿望。你真的想活吗?让自己的梦想,但也现实。这是关于做出选择。你想每年都去度假还是一辆较新的汽车?你想拥有更大的房子,或者更多的可支配收入吗?找到一些共同点,你的梦想碰撞。这是你的财务目标作为一对夫妇。19二:决定如何满足你的目标。
20当我们听到安吉拉,有些软弱无力,像“我们必须拯救”真的不清楚。储蓄对不同的人意味着不同的东西。一个自然的人可能会认为储蓄意味着把钱会在月底离开;一个程序可能包括杂货店为了节省更多的开支。如果您正在保存,设置一个具体的和合理的数额,您可以在。决定如何投资你的储蓄和谁将管理的钱。你也许想在这里得到财务上的建议,但关键是你要讨论它。
21第三:决定如何处理日常财务。
22谁来平衡支票簿,支付账单,并做出投资决策?而最大的每一个都可以在没有咨询的同时又能用什么呢?
23第四:你会有联合或单独的账户吗?
24对许多夫妻来说,有单独的户口和三分之一的户口是一种方法。另一些人则更倾向于一个共同账户,每个人都可以在他们认为合适的支出上花钱。有许多不同的方式来组织你的财务,但重要的是,每个合作伙伴都有一些钱,他们可以自由地花钱,因为他们认为合适的。这就避免了无数的争论。
25这四个技巧只是你理财计划的开始。最重要的是谈论金钱和你对它的态度。金钱不是关于干的财务计划,它是关于你将如何生活你的生活,实现你的梦想,并保持在一个快乐的关系。
26还有,别以为钱是浪漫的?也许这不是,但这是一个比离婚更浪漫的浪漫,而这就是忽略你的钱的问题可以帮助你。