
一个怕黑的女孩Marina ,虽然父母多次耐心地给她解释始终不能解开她心理的恐惧感,一个偶然的机会,Valerie阿姨的小实验使她豁然开朗,明白了那个黑夜的影子是什么,同时不再怕黑了。
Fear is soft and smooth
Marina was extremely afraid of the dark. ①Her parents explained to her with great patience, but she could not stop feeling an awful fear whenever it was dark.
One day her Aunt Valerie came to visit. ②Valerie was famous for her courage, so she asked her Aunt how she became so brave, and whether she had ever been frightened.
"A great many times, Marina," answered her Aunt, "I remember when I was small and I was terribly afraid of the dark. ".
Marina became very excited. How was it possible that someone so courageous could have been afraid of the dark?
"I’ll tell you a secret, Marina. It was some blind children who taught me how to be brave. Since blind children can’t see, their hands are their eyes. Shut the eyes of your face and open the eyes of your hands. Let’s make a deal : tonight, when you go to bed and ③put out the light, if anything makes you afraid, close your eyes, carefully get out of bed, ④and try to see what it is that’s making you scared. But do it using your hands as eyes... and tomorrow tell me how you’re getting on with the fear".
Marina accepted, however,she was rather worried. When her parents took her to bed, she herself put out the light. After a little while, she felt afraid of one of the shadows in the bedroom.
⑤Following the advice of Aunt Valerie, she closed the eyes of her face and opened the eyes of her hands. And she went over to touch that mysterious shadow bravely...
The next morning Marina came running into the kitchen, a big smile on her faces. "The monster is so soft and smooth!..." she cried, "It’s my teddy bear!"
恐惧是软软的滑滑的
玛丽娜非常怕黑。她的父母非常耐心地向她解释,但在晚上的时候她无法阻止可怕的恐惧的感觉。
有一天,她的阿姨瓦莱丽来访。瓦莱丽以她的勇气而出名,所以她问她的阿姨是如何变得如此勇敢的,她是否曾经被吓坏过。
“有许多次,玛丽娜”,她的阿姨说,“我记得小时候,我非常害怕黑暗”。
玛丽娜变得非常兴奋。一个如此勇敢的人怎么可能会怕黑呢?
“我要告诉你一个秘密,玛丽娜,是一些盲童教我如敢起来的。由于盲童不能看,他们的手就是他们的眼睛。闭上您头上的眼睛,张开你手中的眼睛。让我们做个约定:今晚,当你去睡觉闭灯时,如果有什么东西使你害怕,请闭上眼睛,慢慢地从床上起来,尽力看看是什么使你害怕。但用你的双手作为眼睛......明天告诉我,你是如何克服恐惧的”。
玛丽娜同意了,然而她非常担心。当她的父母带她到床上时,她自己闭灯。一会儿之后,卧室里好像有个影子出现她感到很害怕,她按照瓦莱丽给的建议闭上面部的眼睛,打开手中的眼睛。她走过去勇敢地去摸那个神秘的影子…
第二天早上玛丽娜跑进厨房,一个大大的笑容在她的脸上。 “那个怪物是如此柔软和光滑!......”她叫到,“它是我的玩具熊!”
1. extremely [ɪkstri:mli] adv.非常
2. patience [peɪʃns] n.耐性
3. awful [ɔ:fl] adj.可怕的
4. courageous [kəreɪdʒəs] adj.勇敢的
5. mysterious [mɪstɪəriəs] adj.神秘的
6. shadow [ʃædəʊ] n.阴影; 影子
7. secret [si:krət] n.秘密
8. smooth [smu:ð] adj.光滑的
1. Her parents explained to her with great patience, but she could not stop feeling an awful fear whenever it was dark.
玛丽娜非常怕黑。她的父母非常耐心地向她解释,但在晚上的时候她无法阻止可怕的恐惧的感觉。
在本句中whenever 是连词,意为“ 每当”,例如
Whenever she comes, she brings a friend.
她每次来都带个朋友
同时whenever 还是副词,意为“不论何时, 每逢”,例如:
I’ll discuss it with you whenever you like.
你愿意什么时候我就什么时候和你商量这件事.
2. Valerie was famous for her courage, so she asked her Aunt how she became so brave, and whether she had ever been frightened.
瓦莱丽以她的勇气而出名,所以她问她的阿姨是如何变得如此勇敢的,她是否曾经被吓坏过。
be famous for“因…而出名”
句中的how和whether属于并列成分,在句中引导宾语从句。例如:
I wonder if /whether you are getting well along with your classmates.
我想知道你和你的同学相处的是否融洽。
3. put out the light把灯熄灭
put out 还有“伸出”“扑灭”的意思。例如:
The doctor told him to put out his tongue.
医生要他伸出舌头。
Tell the children to put out the fire.
叫孩子们把火熄灭。
4. and try to see what it is that’s making you scared
尽力看看是什么使你害怕
what引导的是从句做see的宾语。同时后面是个强调句型结构,用陈述语序表达。例如:
I wonder what it is that makes you so angry.
我想知道到底是什么使你如此生气。
5. Following the advice of Aunt Valerie, she closed the eyes of her face and opened the eyes of her hands.
她按照瓦莱丽给的建议闭上面部的眼睛,打开手中的眼睛。
本句中的Following the advice of Aunt Valerie属于现在分词短语做伴随状语,主语she和follow之间是主动关系。例如:
Seeing the top of the hill, I can see my beautiful hometown.
从山顶上看,我能看到我的美丽的家乡。
美文02 David Smith Lost Over 400 Pounds Using the Reshape the Nation Weight Loss System
本文是一篇记叙文。主要讲述一个已经被医生宣布几个月可活的肥胖病人David在听完电台Chris讲述关于锻炼和饮食的讲座后,深感启发,同时Chris帮助David减肥成功,出现奇迹,在接下来的生活中,David把自己的经历和营养与锻炼知识传递给每一个人。
David Smith Lost Over 400 Pounds Using the Reshape the Nation Weight Loss System
"Change always seems harder than it really is. I learned motivation is over-rated, but determination is not" — David Smith, Founder
An act of courage brought David Smith and Chris Powell together. At the time, David Smith weighed over 650 pounds, rarely left his parents’ house, and doctors had given him only a few more years to live. ①Running out of options and having just seen Chris discussing exercise and nutrition on a local Arizona television station, David pooled his courage and called to ask for help. ②Little did either of them know that they were both about to change each other’s lives forever.
Twenty-six challenging but incredible months later, Chris had helped David lose over 400 pounds ③thanks to all natural diet and exercise. The person who had once felt lonely, alone, and hopeless suddenly had a renewed sense of joy and a second chance at life. He promised both Chris and himself that he wouldn’t waste it. David Smith used his inspirational story to show the world that nothing is impossible. No hole is too deep to climb out of, and no person is ever worth giving up on. But just telling people wasn’t enough for him. ④He wanted to help people change their lives the same way Chris Powell had helped him, so he joined with Chris to start Reshape the Nation. Today, David Smith isn’t just a founder of Reshape the Nation, he’s also one of its most active participants. When you join the Reshape community, you’ll see David around discussing nutrition, explaining exercises, and giving others the same kind of support Chris Powell had given him help change his life.
大卫·史密斯使用重塑减肥机制减掉超过400磅
“改变一直似乎比真实的事情要难,我知道动机能被高度评价,但是决心不行。”
- 大卫·史密斯,方德。
是勇敢的行为使大卫·史密斯和克里斯·鲍威尔走到一起。当时,大卫·史密斯的体重超过650磅,很少离开他的父母的房子里,医生说他只能多活几年。看到克里斯大卫在亚利桑那州的当地电视台讨论锻炼和营养学,他汇集勇气,呼吁寻求帮助。他们两个都不知道这即将永远改变彼此的生活。
具有挑战性但令人难以置信的二十六个月后,Chris曾帮助大卫经过自然的饮食和锻炼减去400多磅,曾经感到寂寞,孤独,无望的人突然有了一个重新快乐和第二次生命的意义。他答应克里斯和自己,他不会浪费它。大卫·史密斯用他的励志故事向世界展示了,没有什么是不可能的。没有一个洞是太深而爬不出来的,没有人是永远值得放弃。但只是告诉人们是不够的。他想用克里斯·鲍威尔帮助他的同样的方式来改变他们的生活,所以他加入克里斯队伍开始给全国的人民重塑体形。今天,大卫·史密斯不只是重塑民族的创始人之一,他也是最活跃的参与者之一。当您加入重塑社区,你会看到大卫在附近商讨营养,解释锻炼,并给予他人当时克里斯·鲍威尔帮助改变他的生活的同样的支持。
1. determination [dɪˌtɜ:mɪˈneɪʃn] n.决心,
2. option [‘ɒpʃn] n.选择(的自由),
3. incredible [ɪnˈkredəbl] adj 难以置信的,
4. inspirational [ˌɪnspə’reɪʃənl] adj. 鼓舞人心的,
5. participant [pɑ:ˈtɪsɪpənt] n.参加者,
6. nutrition [njuˈtrɪʃn] n.营养
1. run out of用完;耗尽,主语是人, 例如:
What if you were to run out of money?
假设你的钱用完了呢?
run out of 常常和run out进行辨析,run out 用光,用尽,主语是物,例如:
Conditions are getting worse and supplies are running out...
情况越来越糟糕,贮备物资也快用完了。
2. Little did either of them know that they were both about to change each other’s lives forever.
他们两个都不知道这即将永远改变彼此的生活。
little 属于否定词提前放于句首,用部分倒装语序,像这样的常见词还有seldom, hardly, few, never,not until等等,例如:
Seldom do I go to work by bus. 我很少乘公共汽车上班。
Not until twelve o’clock did she go to bed last night. 她昨晚十二点才上床睡觉。
3. thanks to幸亏, 多亏, 由于
Now it’s all my fault, thanks to you.
一切都是我的错,多亏了你。
I was late thanks to the traffic.
由于交通路况不佳我迟到了
4. He wanted to help people change their lives the same way Chris Powell had helped him.
他想用克里斯·鲍威尔帮助他的同样的方式来改变他们的生活。
本句中the same way后面的句子是定语从句,省略了先行词that,当先行词为the way的时候,引导词用that,in which或者省略,例如:
I like the way in which / (that) the teacher gives his lessons.
我喜欢老师讲课的方式。
人生难免起起落落。有人因为得意而踌躇满志,有人因为失意而怨天尤人。面对人生的坎坎坷坷,我们要保持淡定。因此就要时时提醒自己一切都是过眼云烟。
This Too Shall Pass
One day Solomon decided to humble Benaiah ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister. He said to him, "Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which gives you six months to find it."
"If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty," replied Benaiah, "I will find it and bring it to you, but what makes the ring so special?"
"It has magic powers," answered the king. "If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy." Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility.
Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant who had begun to set out the day’s wares on a shabby carpet. "Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows?" asked Benaiah.
He watched the grandfather take a plain gold ring from his carpet and engrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile.
That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity. "Well, my friend," said Solomon, "have you found what I sent you after?" All the ministers laughed and Solomon himself smiled.
To everyone’s surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, "Here it is, your majesty!" As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face. The jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: _gimel, zayin, yud_, which began the words "Gam zeh ya’avor_" -- "This too shall pass."
At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day he would be nothing but dust.
这也会过去
有一天,所罗门决定羞辱一下他最信任的一位大臣,本奈·本·耶海雅达。于是对他说:“本奈,我想你去为我找一枚戒指。我要在住棚节上佩带,你有六个月的时间去寻找它。”
“如果世上真有这枚戒指,陛下,”本奈答道,“我愿将它找到并带给您,但是这枚戒指有什么特殊之处呢?”
“它有着神秘的力量。”国王说,“如果开心的人见了它,会变得悲伤;而悲伤的人见了它,会变得高兴。”所罗门知道世上压根就没有这种戒指,他只是想给他的大臣一个下马威。
春去夏来,本奈还不清楚他上哪儿找到这枚戒指。就在住棚节前夜,他决定去耶路撒冷最贫穷的地方去走一走。当他从一个正在往一个破毯子上当天出售的货物的商贩身边经过的时候,他忍不住问:“您可听说过一枚魔戒,高兴的人戴上它就会忘记欢笑,而伤心的人戴上它就会忘记痛苦?”
他看着这位老者从毯子上拿起一枚普通的戒指并在上面刻上一些东西。当本奈看到戒指上的话,立刻笑逐颜开。
当晚,全城的人都喜迎住棚节。“啊,我的朋友,”所罗门说,“你是否找到了我要的东西呢?”所有的大臣都哄堂大笑,所罗门也很洋洋得意。
令每个人都惊讶的是,本奈举起一枚小小的戒指大声宣布:“它在这儿,陛下”所罗门一看到上面刻的字,脸上的笑容立即消失得无影无踪。那个珠宝商在上面刻上了三个希伯来文字gimel, zayin, yud带出了Gam zeh ya’avor(与物俱往)这也会过去。
就在那一瞬间,所罗门明白了:他的智慧,他的无尽的财富与无边的权利只不过是过眼云烟,因为将来有一天他也会化为尘土。
1. humble [‘hʌmbl] v轻松打败(尤指强大的对手),
2. humility [hju:ˈmɪləti] n下马威,
3. merchant [‘mɜ:tʃənt] n. 商人,
4. shabby[‘ʃæbɪ] adj. 破旧的,衣衫褴褛的,
5. plain [pleɪn] adj. 普通的
6. engrave [ɪn’ɡreɪv] vt. (使)铭记
7. festivity [fe’stɪvətɪ]n. 欢庆,
8. inscription [ɪnˈskrɪpʃn] n.碑文,;
9. vanish [‘vænɪʃ] vi. 消失
Have you by any chance heard of你是否听说过…吗?其中by any chance意为可能,也许。例如:
Have you by any chance heard of Sudoku?
你是否听说过数独游戏(九宫格游戏)?
2. As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face.
所罗门一看到上面刻的字,脸上的笑容立即消失得无影无踪
as soon as 一……就……;例如:
He got down to his work as soon as he got to his office.
他一到办公室就开始工作。
3. At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things
就在那一瞬间,所罗门明白了:他的智慧,他的无尽的财富与无边的权利只不过是过眼云烟。
句中的but 是除了的意思。例如 have no choice but to do 除了干……之外别无选择。例如:
I have no choice but to take his advice. 我除了采纳他的建议外别无选择。
朋友,你是否因纠结于过去的经历而痛苦。你是否因为以前的某个错误而抱憾终身。电影阿甘正传中有一句台词说得好。“You’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on”(要往前走,你就必须忘记过去)。只有放眼未来,才能有更好的明天。
Eyes Are On The Future
Arthur Gordon is a favorite writer of mine. Once he came to New York to interview Dr. Blanton, a co-founder of the American Foundation for Religion and Psychiatry. Mr. Gordon sat in a restaurant waiting for the esteemed psychiatrist to arrive. As he waited, his mind went back over his life. By the time Mr. Blanton arrived, Mr. Gordon was sitting there with a frown and a very sad look on his face.
"What’s the matter, Arthur?"
"Oh," the writer replied, "I’ve just been sitting here thinking about all the ‘ifs’ in my life."
Dr. Blanton suggested, "Let’s drive over to my office after lunch; I want you to hear something."
Later in his office, Dr. Blanton put on a tape and said, "I’m going to let you listen to three different people; they’re all patients of mine and they are mentally ill. Listen carefully."
For one hour the great author listened. When the tape was finished, Dr. Blanton asked, "Tell me what single trait all these people had in common."
Arthur Gordon thought a moment and then answered, "I can’t think of anything."
"Then I’ll tell you," the psychiatrist said. "All of them kept repeating the phrase, ‘③If only...if only...if only.’ These words cause mental sickness. They are like poison. These people must learn to say, ‘Next time...next time...next time.’ These words point to the future, to a new day, to healing and health!"
I trust my past to God. My eyes are on the future!
放眼未来
亚瑟.戈登是我最喜欢的一位作家。有一次,他去纽约采访布兰顿博士。布兰顿博士是美国宗教与精神病学基金会的共同发起人。戈登先生坐在一家饭店等待这位令人尊敬的精神病专家的到来。就在这个时候戈登先生突然想到往事。当布兰顿先生到达的时候,戈登先生正紧锁双眉,满面忧伤。
“怎么了,亚瑟?”
“哦,”作家答道,“我正坐在这儿思考我生活中的’假如’呢。”
布兰顿先生提议:“吃完午饭后,我们一起到我的办公室怎么样,我想让你听点东西。”
后来在他的办公室,布兰顿先生播放了一段录音并且说:“我要让你听一听三个不同的人的故事。他们都是我的病人而且精神上有问题。现在仔细听。”
这位伟大的作家听了一个多钟头。当录音放完后,布兰顿先生问:“告诉我这些人的一个共同的特点是什么。”
亚瑟戈登想了老半天之后回答说:“我想不出来。”
“那么,我告诉你。”心里医生说,“他们所有人都一直在重复一个短语’要是…就好了,要是…就好了,要是…就好了’。这些话语导致了精神病。它们就像毒药。他们必须要学会说’下次…,下次…,下次…’这些话指向未来,指向新的生活。指向康复和痊愈。”
我把我的过去交给上帝,我的眼睛始终关注着我的未来。
1. psychiatry[saɪˈkaɪətri] n. 精神病学,
2. esteemed [ɪs’ti:md] adj. 受人尊敬的
3. psychiatrist [saɪˈkaɪətrɪst] n. 精神病专家
4. phrase [freɪz] n. 短语;成语,
5. poison [‘pɔɪzn] n. 毒药
1. Mr. Gordon sat in a restaurant waiting for the esteemed psychiatrist to arrive.
戈登先生坐在一家饭店等待这位令人尊敬的精神病专家的到来
句中waiting for做伴随状语。例如:
Wang Peng sat in his restaurant feeling very frustrated.
王鹏坐在他的饭馆里,感到非常沮丧。
2. Tell me what single trait all these people had in common.
告诉我这些人的一个共同的特点是什么。
句中有个短语,have sth in common (with…) (和……)有共同点。 例如:
He has a lot in common with his brother
他和他的哥哥有很多共同点。
3. if only…要是……就好了,后面用虚拟语气。例如:
If only I had passed the driving test then
要是当时我通过了驾驶考试就好了。(实际上我当时没有通过)
我们生活在一个社会群体之中。生活的连通性要求我们不能只关注我们个人的利益而忽视他人的利益。只有互帮互助,共同发展才能实现我们利益的最大化。正所谓:一花独放不是春,百花争艳春满园。
Growing Good Corn
James Bender, in his book How to Talk Well (published in 1994 by McGraw-Hill Book Company Inc.) relates the story of a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.
One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.
“How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?”the reporter asked.
“Why sir,” said the farmer, “didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.’”
He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor’s corn also improves.
So it is in other dimensions of our lives. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each④ is bound up with the welfare of all.
The lesson for each of us is this . . . if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn.
种植优质玉米
詹姆士本德尔在他的书《说话的艺术》(1994年麦克古饶-希尔公司出版)讲述了一个种植获奖玉米的农民的故事。每一年这个农民都把他的玉米拿到他所在的州举行的博览会并拔得头筹。
有一年,一家报社记者采访了他,从他那里了解到了关于如何种植玉米的有趣的事。记者发现这个农民和邻居们分享他的玉米种子。
“既然你的玉米每年都能进入比赛,你又怎么能舍得和你的邻居分享你最好的玉米种呢?”记者问。
“嗨,先生,”农民说,“难道你不晓得吗?风吹走正在成熟玉米上的花粉,一块地一块地地授粉。如果我邻居的玉米品种低劣,异花授粉将会让我的玉米的质量下降。如果我想种优质玉米,我就必须帮助我的邻居种植优质玉米。”
他很清楚生活中的连通性。如果邻居的玉米质量得不到改善,他也种不出优质玉米。
我们生活中其他的方面也是如此。那些想要安宁的人必须帮助他们的邻居安定下来。那些想要过得好的人必须帮助别人过得好。因为生活的价值由它接触的人的生活决定。那些想要幸福的人就必须帮助他人获得幸福。因为我们每个人的福祉注定与所有人的福祉紧密相连。
这就是我们每个人的收获:如果我们要种植优质玉米,我们就必须帮助我们的邻居种植优质的玉米。
1. relate [riˈleit] vt.讲述,叙述,
2. blue ribbon [blu: ˈribən] n.. 最高的荣誉,
3. pollen[‘pɒlən] n. 花粉,
4. swirl [swɜ:l] vt.打转,
5. cross-pollination [ˌkrɔ:sˌpɔləˈneɪʃən, ˌkrɔs-] n. 异花传粉
6. degrade [dɪ’ɡreɪd] vt.. (使)退化
1. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.
记者发现这个农民和邻居们分享他的玉米种子。
句中有个短语 share sth with sb 和…分享…。例如:
Being your best friend, I am willing to share happiness and sorrow with you.
作为你最好的朋友,我愿意和你同甘共苦。
2. How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?
既然你的玉米每年都能进入比赛,你又怎么能舍得和你的邻居分享你最好的玉米种呢?
句中的when和我们以往学过的引导时间状语从句中的when不一样。这里的when翻译成“既然,如果”。例如:
How can you be successful when you refuse to work hard?
如果你拒绝努力工作,你又怎么能成功呢?
3. He is very much aware of the connectedness of life.
他很清楚生活中的连通性。
be aware of sth 知道,意识到。例如:
He doesn’t seem to be aware of the problems. 他好像没有意识到这个问题。
4. be bound up with与……有密切关系,例如:
Her illness is bound up with the pressure of her study and work..
她的疾病与她紧张的学习和工作有密切关系。
