书城外语英语口语900句袋着走
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第30章 生活(6)

Marine[m'ri:n] adj.船舶的;海生的;海产的;航海的,海运的 n.海运业;舰队;水兵;(海军)士兵或军官

station ['stein] n.站;驻地;地位;身份 vt.配置;安置;驻扎

relocate [,ri:lu'keit,ri:'lukeit] vt.重新安置;迁移 vi.重新安置;迁移新址 n.浮动

transferable phone number可转移的电话号码

mediocre [,mi:di'uk,'mi:diuk] adj.普通的;平凡的;中等的

whereabouts ['hwεr,bauts] n.下落;行踪;去向;所在之处 adv.在何处;靠近什么地方

drastically ['drstikli] adv.彻底地;激烈地

catch up简要介绍,简述

pick up获得,学到

falter ['f:lt] vi.支吾;蹒跚地走 vt.支吾地说;结巴地讲出 n.踌躇;支吾;颤抖

参考译文

剪不断的缘分

我在牙买加平原长大,那是美国马萨诸塞州波士顿市郊的一个城镇。在20世纪40年代,那是个生气勃勃而又老式别致的小社区。那是我的家乡,我热爱的地方。那时,我以为自己永远不会离开。我最好的朋友罗斯和我常常一起梦想着有一天各自拥有自己的家庭。我们什么都计划好了,还想着以后要挨着住,做邻居。

我们的这一梦想历经小学、中学,甚至之后的岁月,从未变更。1953年当我嫁给我一生的挚爱--迪克时,罗斯是我的伴娘。那时,她甚至开玩笑说,她就差结婚了,要不就完美了--这样就可以离我们的梦想更近了。就在那时,迪克决心成为一名海军陆战队军官,而我则全力支持他的雄心壮志。我意识到,他可能会在牙买加平原以外很远的地方驻扎,不过我告诉他我可以重新安家并适应下来。和他一起体验新天地的生活,这想法对我来说有些浪漫。

于是,1955年迪克被安排驻扎在阿拉斯加,我们搬家了。罗斯对我的离开感到很难过,但仍祝我好运。接下来的几年里,我们通过定期打电话来保持联络,但不久我们便失去了彼此的音讯。20世纪50年代那会,要想和远方的人保持联络并不太容易,特别是当你每隔几年就要搬家时。那时还没有电子邮箱或者搬家不换号的服务,姓名地址查询服务也不甚完善。

这些年来,我有好几次想起了她。20世纪60年代中期,有一次在我去大波士顿区时,我尝试追寻她的下落,但却搜寻未果。在我离开后的10年里,牙买加平原发生了巨变。外来人口的大量迁入影响了我的旧社区。我家早已搬离了那个地区,从前认识的邻居中有很多也搬走了。罗斯则杳无音讯,无迹可寻。

52年过去了,我们再未说过话。后来,我有了一个五口之家,现在孩子们也全都有了自己的家庭,而迪克也在几年前去世了。基本上,我的一生就这么过去了。如今,在我即将迈入八十大寿之际,在一个空闲的周三下午我接到了一个陌生来电。"喂?”我打招呼道。"嗨,纳塔利,我是罗斯。”电话那头的声音回应道。"已经过了这么久了。我不知道你还记不记得我,过去还是小孩子的时候,在牙买加平原,我们是最好的朋友。”她说道。

我们到现在也还没再见过面,但我们花了很长的时间在电话里互诉了这52年里我们各自的生活。有意思的是,即使是分别了52年,我们的个性和兴趣仍然极其相似。我们都钟情于某些爱好,而那是在我们失去联络几年后各自养成的。这感觉简直就像我们才刚刚分别就又重聚了一样,考虑到现实情况,这确实让人感到有些奇怪。

她的丈夫也在几年前去世了,但她寄了几张那些年里拍的家庭合影给我。令人兴奋不已的是,仅仅是看着这些照片,听她描述着她的家庭就让我想起了我自己的家庭--一个相当健康的大家庭。内心深处,我感到我们有着极其相似的人生。

我们两个人的生命中有如此多的相似之处,我并不认为这仅仅是巧合。我认为这表示,我们视彼此为最好的朋友,不只是嘴上说的,而是真真切切地曾经为彼此最好的朋友,即使到了现在,我们还是可以成为最好的朋友。真正的朋友有两个共同点:相容的个性和坚强的品格。相容的个性是最初连接两人的纽带,而这一纽带的维系则有赖于双方所拥有的坚强品格。如果一段友谊里有着这两者的存在,那么这段友谊就是真的,这样一来,它就能经受住时间和长久分离的考验而毫不"褪色”。

26

Being Late for the

Appointment

约会迟到

前几天联系好了一家公司,约好了今天上午来面试,这可是我大学期间的第一个兼职工作。可这糟糕的交通,闹得我马上就要迟到了……

1、句子

01

I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.

抱歉,让你久等了。

02

My alarm clock didn't go off.

我的闹钟没响。

03

Traffic is really heavy today.

今天的交通太拥堵了。

04

I was working late last night and couldn't get up on time.

我昨天工作太晚今早没及时起床。

05

I wish I had come earlier.You gave me the necessary indications to find my way.But unfortunatelyI got mixed up.

真希望我早点来。你给了我很有用的路线。但不幸的是我给弄混淆了。

06

Could we schedule another appointment.

我们能安排下次再约吗?

07

He was late on the first date.

他第一次约会就迟到了。

2、对话

I'm Sorry I'm a Little Late

Jasmine:Good morning.My appointment with Mr.Smith is at 9 o'clock.I'm sorry I'm a little late.I was delayed by the traffic jam.

Secretary:That's all right.Would you please go up to his office It's Room No.8 on the sixth floor.Mr.Smith is expecting you.

Jasmine:Room No.8 on the Sixth floor.

Secretary:Yes.The elevator is over there.By the way,would you please sign the visitor's book.

Jasmine:Yes,of course.

Secretary:Thanks.

对不起我来晚了

茉莉:早上好,我和史密斯先生的约会在9点。对不起我来晚了。交通堵塞耽误了时间。

秘书:没关系,请您去他的办公室好吗?在6层8号房间。史密斯先生正在等您。

茉莉:6层8号房间。

秘书:是的。电梯在那边。顺便,请在来客簿上签个名好吗?

茉莉:好的。

秘书:多谢。

Notes 注释

appointment n.约会,约定;任命,委派;委任的职位

elevator n.电梯,升降机

3、文化加油站(心灵鸡汤)

If I Were a Boy Again

If I were a boy again,I would practice perseverance more often,and never give up a thing because it was hard or inconvenient.If we want light,we must conquer darkness.Perseverance can sometimes equal genius in its results."There are only two creatures,"says a proverb,"who can surmount the pyramids-the eagle and the snail."If I were a boy again,I would school myself into a habit of attention; I would let nothing come between me and the subject in hand.I would remember that a good skater never tries to skate in two directions at once.The habit of attention becomes part of our life,if we began early enough.I often hear grown-up people say "I could not fix my attention on the sermon or book,although I wished to do so",and the reason is,the habit was not formed in youth.If I were to live my life over again,I would pay more attention to the cultivation of the memory.I would strengthen that faculty by every possible means,and on every possible occasion.It takes a little hard work at first to remember things accurately; but memory soon helps itself,and gives very little trouble.It only needs early cultivation to become a power.

If I were a boy again,I would cultivate courage."Nothing is so mild and gentle as courage,nothing so cruel and pitiless as cowardice,"says a wise author.We too often borrow trouble,and anticipate that may never appear."The fear of ill exceeds the ill we fear."Dangers will arise in any career,but presence of mind will often conquer the worst of them.Be prepared for any fate,and there is no harm to be feared.If I were a boy again,I would look on the cheerful side.Life is very much like a mirror: if you smile upon it,it smiles back upon you; but if you frown and look doubtful on it,you will get a similar look in return.Inner sunshine warms not only the heart of the owner,but of all that come in contact with it."Who shuts love out,in turn shall be shut out from love."If I were a boy again,I would school myself to say no more often.I might write on pages the importance of learning very early in life to gain that point where a young boy can stand erect,and decline doing an unworthy act because it is unworthy.If I were a boy again,I would demand of myself more courtesy towards my companions and friends,and indeed towards strangers as well.The smallest courtesies along the rough roads of life are like the little birds that sing to us all winter long,and make that season of ice and snow more endurable.Finally,instead of trying hard to be happy,as if that were the sole purpose of life,I would,if I were a boy again,I would still try harder to make others happy.

疑难解析

perseverance [,p:s'vrns] n.坚持不懈;不屈不挠