书城外语英语PARTY——小品生活
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第4章

No one knows who made the first cheese,but an old legend says that it was an Arabian merchant.He put his milk in a pouch made from a sheep,s stomach and set off across the desert.The jouncing of his camel,the desert heat,and the chemicals in the pouch lining made the milk separate into curds and whey.The thick part,or curd,was the first cheese.

Ancient records show that cheese has been eaten for more than four thousand years.From earliest times it has been considered a very nourishing food.Americans eat less cheese than people in some countries do,yet they still consume eight to ten pounds a year per person.

Today cheese is made all over the world.Most cheese is made from cow,s milk,because the suppply of this milk is greater throughout the world.Smaller quantities come from the milk of other animals-goats,sheep,camels,and even reindeer.

关于乳酪的一个古老传说

没有人知道谁制成了第一块乳酪,但是一则古老的传奇故事说,那是一位阿拉伯商人。他把牛奶放在用羊胃做成的旅袋里,动身穿过沙漠。骆驼的摇动,沙漠的灼热,以及旅袋里层中的化学物质使牛奶离析成凝乳和乳清。这稠的部分,或者说凝乳,便是第一块乳酪。

古老的记载表明,人们食用乳酪已有4,000多年的历史了。从最远古的时代起,它就被看成是营养丰富的食品。美国人比某些国家的人吃乳酪要少些,然而,每人一年仍要消耗8到10磅。

今天,世界各地都制造乳酪了。大部分乳酪是用牛的奶做的,因为在全世界这种奶的供应量较大。少量乳酪来自其他动物的奶,如山羊,绵羊,骆驼,甚至驯鹿。

Army Life in the American Civil War

For every man in the Civil War who died in battle,two or three men died of disease.Doctors of that time knew very little about causes of sickness or ways of preventing it.Thousands of men in poor health became soldiers.Hundreds of others had never had childhood diseases.Many of these soldiers could not withstand the epidemics of measles,mumps,and whooping cough that went through the camps.

Army life was hard.Soldiers got few fruits or vegetables.There was no milk unless they happened to find a cow.Neither their clothes nor their shelters protected the troops from rain,snow,and cold.Sickness and disease were spread by insects,rats,and impuredrinking water.Often the men drank straight from muddy streams.

Gunshot wounds were serious,as in any war,but they did not cause as much death and suffering as disease did.

美国南北战争中的军旅生活

在南北战争中,有1人战死疆场,就有2人或3人死于疾病。那时的医生对致病原因和防病方法知之甚少。数以千计身体不佳的人当上了军人。另有数以百计的人还从未患过幼儿病。许多士兵经不住在军营中蔓延的麻疹、腮腺炎和百日咳等流行病的袭击。

军旅生活是艰苦的。士兵们几乎吃不到什么水果和蔬菜,也喝不到牛奶,除非他们碰巧发现一头奶牛。他们的衣着和栖身之处都不能使他们免受雨、雪和寒冷的袭击。普通病和传染病都是通过昆虫、老鼠和不洁水传播的,士兵们常常直接饮用混浊的溪水。

像每次战争一样,枪炮致伤的情况严重,但是它不及传染病带来的死亡和痛苦那么多。

Ballet,a Combination of Four Arts

Although the first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word ballet is a graceful baller in a gliding across the stage,the ballet is not just dancing.The final production is a combination of four arts:dancing,music,drama and painting.It is also a combination of the efforts of many people.

The ballerina and her partner dance the main roles.It may be hard to realize that behind their seemingly effortless movements are long years of practice.She had to dance in minor roles for many years.The premier danseur had to learn the art of partnering,of showing off the ballerina so that she appears to be perfect.

Some of the people who create a ballet never appear on stage.They are responsible for the music to which the dancers move,the theme of the ballet,s story,the sets,and the costumes.It is the fusion of these many talents that creates the one,overall effect that is a ballet.

芭蕾舞是四门艺术的结合

虽然我们一听到芭蕾舞这个词,首先便想到在舞台上迅速滑行、动作优美的芭蕾舞女星,然而芭蕾舞却不只是舞蹈。最后出现在舞台上的芭蕾舞作品,是四门艺术——舞蹈、音乐、戏剧和美术的综合产物。它也是许多人努力协作的结晶。

芭蕾舞女星和她的舞伴在芭蕾舞中扮演主要角色。人们也许很难了解:在他们那看起来毫不费力的轻盈舞步后面,有着多年训练的艰辛。她必须先跳许多年的小角色。首席芭蕾舞男演员必须学习伴舞艺术——给女星当陪衬,从而使她显得完美。

创作芭蕾舞的人中,有一些从不在舞台上露面。他们负责创作演员的舞蹈音乐,确定芭蕾舞剧情的主题,设计道具和服装。靠这许多有才能的人的协作,创作出一部具有多方面艺术效果的作品,这就是芭蕾舞。

Beautiful Smile and Love

The poor are very wonderful people. One evening we went out and we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible condition,and I told the sisters: You take care of the other three. I take care of this one who looked worse. So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand as she said just the words “thank you” and she died. I could not help but examine my conscience before her and I asked what would I say if I was in her place. And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said I am hungry, that I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain, or something, but she gave me much more-she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face. As did that man whom we picked up from the drain, half eaten with worms, and we brought him to the home. “I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, loved and cared for.” And it was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that, who could die like that without blaming anybody, without cursing anybody, without comparing anything. Like an angel-this is the greatness of our people. And that is why we believe what Jesus had said: I was hungry, I was naked, I was homeless, I was unwanted, unloved, uncared for, and you did it to me.

I believe that we are not real social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of the people, but we are really contemplatives in the heart of the world. For we are touching the body of Christ twentyfour hours...And I think that in our family we don’t need bombs and guns, to destroy, to bring peace, just get together, love one another, bring that peace, that joy, that strength of presence of each other in the home. And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the world.