
The Most Important Day in My Life 我一生中最重要的那一天
Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog when it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut you in,and the great ship,tense and anxious, groped her way toward the shore? 你曾经在浓雾茫茫的时候到过海上吗?那时会有这样的感觉,周围是白茫茫的一片,什么也看不见。轮船焦急万分又小心翼翼地摸索着靠近海岸。I was like that ship before my education began,only I had no way of knowing how near the harbor was.开始接受教育之前,我就好像是那条船,只是不知道海岸还有多远。
The most important day I remember in all my life is the one on which my teacher,Anne Mansfield Sullivan,came to me.我的老师--安·曼斯菲尔德·萨莉文小姐来到我家的那一天,是我一生中最重要的日子。I am filled with wonder when I consider the immeasurable contrast between the two lives which it connects.每当我回想起正是那一天连接了我生活的两个完全不同的阶段时,心中就感慨万端。It was the third of March,1887,three months before I was seven years old.那是1887年3月5日,再过三个月,我就满七周岁了。
On the afternoon of that exciting day,在那个激动人心的下午, I guessed vaguely from my mother's signs and from the hurrying to and fro in the house that something unusual was about to happen,我从妈妈的活动和家里人们的忙乱中猜到要有什么不平常的事情发生。so I went to the door and waited on the steps.我走到门口,在台阶上等着。
I felt approaching footsteps.我感到有入朝我走来,I thought it was my mother and stretched out my hand.以为是妈妈,就伸出了手,Someone took it,有个人握住它,and then 1 was caught up and held close in the arms of the person who had come to reveal all things tome,and,more important than that ,to love me.把我拉了过去,紧紧地抱在怀里。
这个抱我的人,就是那个将为我揭开生活的帷幕,也将把她满腔的爱倾注给我的人。
The morning after my teacher came she led me into her room and gave me a doll.第二天上午,老师把我领进她的小屋里,给我一个洋娃娃。When I had played with it a little while,玩了一会儿后,Miss Sullivan slowly spelled into my hand the word"d-o-1-1".萨莉文小姐在我的手掌上慢慢地拼写着''洋娃娃"这个单词。I was at once interested in this finger play and tried to imitate it.我对这个手指游戏非常感兴趣,尽力照着去做。When I finally succeeded in making the letters correctly I was filled with childish pleasure and pride.最后终于成功地把这个单词拼对了,自己非常高兴和骄傲。Running downstairs to my mother I held up my hand and made the letters for doll.我下楼向妈妈跑去,伸善手指,拼出了"洋娃娃"这个单词。I did not know that 1 was spelling a word or even that words existed;当时我并不知道我在拼写单词,甚至也不知道单词的存在,I simply made my fingers go in monkey-like imitation.我只不过用手指像小猴子般地模仿老师。In the days that followed I learned to spell in this uncomprehending way many words.among them,后来的几天,用这种我也不理解的方法,我学会了拼写很多单词,"pin","hat","cup",and a few verbs like "sit","stand'' and "walk".其中有"别针"、"帽子"、"杯子"和几个动词,比如"坐"、"站"、"走"等。but my teacher had been with me several weeks before I understood that everything has a name.我和老师生活了几个星期之后,我才明白了每个东西都有自己的名称。
One day while I was playing with my new doll,那天,我正在玩一个新洋娃娃,Miss Sullivan gave me my old doll,too.萨莉文小姐把以前那个旧的也给了我,She then spelled"d-o-1-1"and tried to make me understand that"d-o-1-1"applied to both.然后她拼写出"洋娃娃",想让我明白"洋娃娃"这个词对两个东西都适用。Earlier in the day,那天早些时候,we had a struggle(n.斗争;争斗) over the two words "m-u-g" and "w-a-t-e-r".我俩就一直在做"杯子"和"水"两个词的文章,Miss Sullivan had tried to impress it on me that "m-u-g'' is ''mug'' and "W-a-t-e-r'' is "water",她想让我明白"杯子"就是"杯子","水"就是"水"。but I persisted in mixing up the two.但我总是弄混,I became impatient and, seizing the new doll,I dashed it on the floor,我烦了,抓起那个新洋娃娃,摔到地上, breaking it into pieces.成了碎片。I was not sorry after my fit of temper.我发脾气之后,一点也不后悔。In the dark,still world,I had no strong sentiment for anything.在这个黑暗、寂静的世界中,我对任何东西都没有太深的感情。
My teacher brought me my hat,老师给我拿来帽子,and I knew we were going out into the warm sunshine.我知道要出去沐浴和煦的阳光了。We walked down the path to the well house.我们顺着小路向井房走去,Someone was drawing water,有人正在打水,and my teacher placed my hand under the spout.老师把我的手放到出水口上. As the cool stream gushed over one hand,当清凉的水流过我的一只手时,she spelled into the other word water,她在另一只手上写出了"水"这个单词,first slowly,then rapidly.先是慢慢的,然后逐渐加快。I stood still:我一动不动地站着,my whole attention was fixed upon the movements of her finger.全神贯注地感觉她手指的动作。Suddenly I seemed to remember something I had forgotten——a thrill of returning thought ——and the mystery of language was revealed to me.突然,我好像记起了某些我已经忘掉的东西,觉得一种过去的印象又回到了头脑中。从此,语言对我不再神秘,I knew then that the "w-a-t-e-r" meant that wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand.我明白了"水"就是那股清凉的、奇妙的、从我手上流过的东西。 That living word awakened my soul and set it free.这个活生生的词唤醒了我的灵魂,打开了我智慧的窗户。
I left the well-house eager to learn.我离开井房,急切地想学更多的东西,Everything had a name and each name gave birth to a new thought.任何事物都有自己的名称,每个名称都给我带来了一个新的概念。 As we returned to the house, every object which I touched seemed to be full of life.回家的路上,我触摸到的一切都充满了生命的活力,That was because I saw everything with a strange, new sight that had come to me.这是因为我以一种陌生的新眼光来看待一切。0n entering the door I remembered the doll I had broken.走进家门,我想起了摔碎的洋娃娃, I felt my way to the fragments and tried in vain to put them together.摸索着向那堆碎片走去,想把它们弄在一起,没有成功。Then my eyes were filled with tears , 这时,我跟里噙满了泪水,for I realized what I had done,and for the first time I felt sorry.因为我意识到我做错了事情,而且,第一次觉得后悔。
I learned a lot of new words that day.那天,我学会了很多生词。It would have been difficult to find a happier child than me when I lay in my small bed that night and thought of the joys that day had brought to me,夜里躺在床上,想起了白天的欢乐,我觉得世界上几乎没有比我更幸福的孩子了。and for the first time I longed for a new day to come.有生以来,我第一次向往新的黎明的到来。
CLOZE Ⅳ.Cloze.Please pay attention that there are more words than are necessary·
Forgot drew happened patient meant
understanding fragment tried movements arrival
game challenge contrast revealed gushed
What a challenge I must have been to Miss Sullivan! I remember the many times she tried to spell words into my small hand.But neither words nor letters meant anything to me.I thought her finger movements were some kind of game.But at last。On April 5,1887,she reached my understanding About a month after her arrival,she taught me the word "water".
我对萨利文小姐是个多大的挑战呀!我记着她多次努力,在我小手里拼写单词,但无论单词还是字母对我都毫无意义。在我看来。她手指的运动就是一种游戏,但1887年4月5日,她最终触到了我的思维。她到后一个月,教会了我"水"这个字。
It happened at the well where 1 was holding a mug while my teacher drew water.As the water gushed over my hand,she kept spelling w-a-t-e-r into my other hand with her fingers.Suddenly I understood!
这发生在井边,我拿着大杯子,老师汲水。水从我手上流过,她用手指不停地拼写"水"这个单词,突然,我理解了。
Text B He Led a Useful Life 有价值的一生
Benjamin Franklin would seem right at home among us if he were alive today. 如果本杰明.富兰克林还活着,我们会对他很熟悉。In fact,he did a lot to shape our way of life.事实上,他做了许多对我们的生活方式发生重大影响的事情。Right now you are probably nodding your head and thinking,"Oh,yes-we learned a11 about old B.F.in the fifth grade".你可能会立刻点头说:"对,是的,我们在五年级的时候就知道富兰克林的故事了。But let's see whether you really know "all about him"."但是-让我们来看一下,你是否真正"完全了解他"。
You probably know that he was a stout old fellow with a bald head who flew a kite with a key fastened to it and signed the Declaration of Independence.你或许知道他是位健壮的秃顶老人,曾经把钥匙系在风筝线上,还签署了《宣言》。All that is true,这都是真的,but there is a lot more to know about this man who had so many useful ideas and served his country in so many different ways.但是关于他还有许多事情有待我们了解,他还有许多有价值的想法,并为自己的国家在许多方面做出了贡献。
Franklin had a practical mind.富兰克林擅长实践, When he saw a problem,he tried to do something about it.一旦发现问题就立即着手解决。The houses of Philadelphia were built of wood and easily caught fire.费城的房子都是木制的结构,很容易着火。Neighbors tried to help each other,but they could do little to save a burning house.一发生火灾,即使邻里之间都来帮忙救火,也作用不大。So Franklin organized a fire-fighting company.因此,富兰克林就组建了一个消防公司。Philadelphia's fire loss became so low that the first fire-insurance company in the United Sates was soon set up there.这大大降低了费城的火灾损失,这使美国第一家火灾保险公司得以很快成立了。Ben Franklin was one of its directors.富兰克林担任了其中一个部门的经理。He also persuaded the city to pave and light its streets.他还说服市为城市铺设道路并安装路灯。Again,the fact that people had trouble keeping their houses warm in winter set Franklin's active mind to work.此外,富兰克林活跃的思想甚至使他还考虑如何解决人们冬天房间取暖困难这一问题。He decided that the big fireplaces were to blame.他判断出问题出在大壁炉这儿,Because they were set deep into the wall.因为壁炉深深地砌在墙里, they did not let enough heat reach the middle of the room.热量不能充分散发到房间里。So he drew some plans and hired an ironworker to make the potbellied Franklin stove.于是他就画了一张设计图,并雇铁匠按图纸铸造了一个大肚子的炉子--被称为富兰克林炉子。It stood in the middle of a room and threw off heat in every direction.把炉子放到房间,这样热量就能向各个方向散发了。
He did not patent the invention.富兰克林没有申请发明专利,He was too busy with his discoveries to bother with making money.因为他总是忙于发现新问题,根本无暇顾及挣钱。Although he was a wealthy man by the time he was forty-two,虽然四十二岁时,他已经是位富翁了,money by itself did not interest him.但并不是金钱本身使他感兴趣。He valued it because it enabled him to retire from business.他在乎钱是因为有了钱他就不至于为了谋生而忙碌不止,Then he had time to spend on other things that seemed more worthwhile.他就能摆脱繁琐事务的羁绊把精力投入到他认为更有意义的事情上。What he really cared for most of all was science.他真正喜欢的是科学本身。
Franklin was always trying to answer the question:富兰克林一直在试图回答这么一个问题:What makes things act the way they do? 是什么使物体按照各自的规律运行?At that time learned men were puzzled被动,过去式 about electricity.当时知识界都对电的现象迷惑不解。They wondered whether it was in some way like the lightning in a thunderstorm.人们猜测这是不是像雷雨时闪电一样。It might be,可能如此,but how could you prove it--by coaxing (v.哄,耐心使……) some electricity down his kite string.但怎样证实呢?富兰克林证实了这一问题--他通过风筝线把闪电从天空导下来。That act made him famous in America and Europe.这使他一下子名声响誉欧美。But,of course,Franklin did not stop here.但是,富兰克林当然不会就此止步。He found a way to make the knowledge useful:he invented the lighting rod.他发现了利用这一知识的方法:那就是避雷针。
Franklin would gladly have spent the rest of his days in quiet study and research.富兰克林很高兴把余生的时间投入到安静的学习和研究中。But he was fl very important person now,and the country needed him for public service.但是,他当时已经是位重要人物了,国家需要他为公众事业服务。
Disagreement between the colonies and the British was becoming quite serious.Pennsylvania needed a representative in England.随着殖民地与英国本土之间矛盾的加剧,费城需要一位驻英国的代表。Would Dr.Franklin accept the post ? He would.富兰克林会接受这个位置吗?他接受了。He went to London and stayed there for more than ten years.他来到英国并且一呆就是十多年。He did his best and might have helped to delay the war.他竭力避免战争的爆发。But both sides were too angry to reach agreement.但是双方都怒不可遏,难以达成协议。 Franklin returned home just as the Revolutionary War began,就在战争爆发前,富兰克林回到了美国,arriving in time to sign the Declaration of 1ndependence.及时地赶回来签署了《宣言》。
He was now seventy years old and his health was not good.当时他已经七十多岁了,而且身体情况很不好。He would gladly have settled down at home.他很高兴能回家安享晚年。But America needed help from France to carry on the war,但是,美国要继续这场战争必须取得法国的支持,and she asked Dr.Franklin to win this help.这需要富兰克林博士去赢得支持。 He answered."I am like a worn-out piece of carpet.If there is one corner left which can be useful to my country.1 will be honored."他答复到:"我就像一条破旧的地毯,哪怕有一个残留的角能有益于我的祖国,我也感到万分荣兴。"
His first step was to "turn over" all his money as a loan to the Congress.他采取的第一步措施就是把自己所有的积蓄都作为贷款交给了国会。He wanted to prove his faith in the new American government and encourage others to support it.他想以此来表明他对国会的信任,并鼓励他人支持国会.Then he set sail for France.然后他启程来到法国。
In Paris,Franklin was warmly welcomed.在巴黎,富兰克林受到了热烈的欢迎。Although he was a simple man,he was a shrewd diplomat.他虽然单纯直爽,但同时又是位精明的外交官。He spoke very poor French,but he always chose the right words for the occasion.他法语讲得并不好,但总是能针对不同的场合选择最恰当的语言。He finally persuaded King Louis of France to declare war on England.最后,他终于说服路易国王对英国宣战,That was an important achievement.这是一项重大的成就。It was only with the aid of the French fleet that Washington was able to win the war and American independence.只有在法国舰队的援助下,华盛顿才能率领美国人民赢得这场战争并取得美国。
Benjamin Franklin returned to America.本杰明富兰克林回到了美国。He was very old now,and in poor health.他已步入垂暮之年,身体状况很差。But still he did not settle down and retire to his comfortable home.但他并没有就此停下来,引退回到舒适的家中。He sat through the long arguments on the terms of the Constitution.他坐着听完了关于条款的长时间的争论。Twice,the meetings would have failed if he had not helped the delegates to agree.如果不是他帮助代表们达成一致,有两次会议都要以失败而告终。
Ben Franklin died in 1790 at the age of eighty-four.本杰明富兰克林于1790年逝世,享年84岁。He had spent all his adult life helping people.他倾尽毕生的力量来帮助他人。Years before,he had told his mother that that was his aim.早在多年前他就曾对母亲表达了自己的愿望。When he died he did not want people to say,"He died a rich man."All he hoped was that people would remember him and say,"He led a useful life."他不希望人们在他死后评价说:"他死的时候非常富有。"他所希望的是人们会记着他并说:"他的一生是有价值的。"
