大学英语精读3ReadingAloud翻译.doc

Unit 1Reading aloud“Very hesitantly I selected a tube of blue paint , and with infinite precaution made a mark about as big as a bean on the snow-white field . At that moment I heard the sound of a motorcar in the drive and threw down my brush in a panic . I was even more alarmed when I saw who stepped from the car: the wife of Sir John Lavery , the celebrated painter who lived nearby.“Painting!she declared,What fun. But what are you waiting for? Let me have the brush-the big one. She plunged into the paints and before I knew it , she had swept several fierce stokes and slashes of blue on the absolutely terrified canvas. Anyone could see it could not hit back. I hesitated no more. I seized the largest brush and fell upon my wretched victim with wild fury. I have never felt any fear of a canvas since.”“我犹豫不决地选了一管蓝色颜料，然后小心翼翼地画了一笔，就像雪白的田野上的一粒蚕豆那么大。就在这时，我听到车道上传来汽车的声音，于是惊恐的丢下画笔。当我看清从汽车里走出来的人时，更是惊慌失措。来者正是住在附近的著名画家约翰，莱佛利爵士的妻子”。“ 在画画呢！她大声说道。 真有趣，可你还在等什么呢？把画笔给我-大的那支。她立即全神贯注地投入作画，还没等我缓过神来，她已经挥笔泼墨在惊恐不已的画布上画下了有力的几道蓝色。谁都看得出画布无法回击。我不再迟疑。我抓起那支最大的画笔，迅猛异常的向我可怜的牺牲品扑了过去。自那以后，我再也不曾害怕过画布。”Unit 2 This belief in hard work is the first of three main factors contributing to Asian students outstanding performance. It springs from Asians common heritage of Confucianism, the philosophy of the 5 th-century-BC Chinese sage whose teachings have had a profound influence on Chinese societh. One of Confuciuss primary teachings is that through effort, people can perfect themselves.Confucianism provides another important ingredient in the Asians success as well. In Confucian philosophy, the family plays a central rolean orientation that leads people to work for the honor of the family, not just for themselves. One can never repay ones parents, and theres a sense of obligation or even guilt that is as strong a force among Asians as Protestant philosophy is among those in the West.这种对于勤奋的信念是成亚洲学生成绩突出的三大要素中的第一个。它来源于亚洲人共同的儒教传统，即公元前5世纪那位中国圣人的哲学思想，他的教义对中国社会产生了深远的影响。孔夫子的主要教义之一是，人们通过努力能够完善自我。 儒教也为亚洲人的成功提供了另一要素。在孔夫子的哲学中，家庭起着最重要的作用-这种定向引导人们为家庭的荣誉而学习工作，而不仅仅是为了自己。一个人永远无法报答父母，而且在亚洲人中间还有一种责任感，乃至负罪感，这是一种如同新教哲学在西方一样的强大力量。Unit 3 The first cultural translator I ever met was an installation engineer, George by name, who worked for an American company where I was the director of international operations. The company had just started a joint venture with a Japanese firm, and the American management needed someone to train the Japanese employees in its unique technology. Georges solid understanding of the equipment, its installation and use made him the best-qualified employee for the job, so everyone was happy when George accepted a two-year contract for temporary transfer to Japan.From the start, George was well accepted by all the Japanese employees. Japanese managers often distrust anyone sent to represent US owners, but George was so naturally nonassertive that no one could see him as a threat to their careers. So they felt comfortable asking his advice on a wide range of matters, including the odd behavior of their partners across the ocean. Engineers throughout the company appreciated Georges expertise and his friendly and capable help, and they got into the habit of turning to him whenever they had a problemany problem. And the secretaries in the office were eager to help this nice bachelor learn Japanese. 我遇到的第一位文化翻译是一位设备安装工程师，名叫乔治，他在一家我担任国际业务部主任的美国公司里工作。这家公司刚同一家日本商社开办了一家合资企业，美方管理部门需要有人在它的独特技术方面培训日本雇员。乔治对设备及其安装使用的透彻了解使他成为最能胜任这项工作的雇员，所以当乔治接受了暂时调往日本的一份两年期合同时，大家都高兴。 从一开始，乔治就被所有的日本雇员欣然接受。日方经理往往不信任任何被派去代表美方业主的人，但乔治生性随和，谁也没把他看成是对自己事业的一种威胁。所以他们喜欢就广泛的各种问题征求他的意见，包括大洋彼岸他们的合作伙伴的古怪行为。公司上下的工程师们都珍视乔治的专业知识和他友好而技能熟练的帮助，他们已养成了一有问题-任何问题，就找他帮忙的习惯。办公室里的秘书们都热衷于帮助这个讨人喜欢的单身汉学习日语。Unit 4 Failure is never pleasant. It hurts adults and children alike. But it can make a positive contribution to your life once you learn to use it. Step one is to ask, “Why did I fail?” Resist the natural impulse to blame someone else. Ask yourself what you did wrong, how you can improve. If someone else can help,dont be shy about inquring.Success, which encourages repetition of old behavior, is not nearly as good as a teacher as failure. You can learn from a disastrous party how to give a good one, from an ill-chosen first house what to look for in a second. Even a failure that seems total can prompt fresh thinking, a change of direction. 失败从来就不是什么令人愉快的事情。它让成年人和孩子同样伤心。然而，一旦你学会了去利用失败，它就能对你的生活起到积极的作用。第一步是要问：“我为什么失败了？”要抵制责怪别人的本能冲动，问问自己做错了什么，如何才能改正。如果别人能够给予帮助，那就不要羞于询问。 成功鼓励人们重复过去的行为，因而远不及失败这个老师来的好。你可以从第一次极糟的晚会中学会如何举办一次成功的晚会，从第一次不当的选房中学到下次选房时要注意些什么。即使一次看似彻底的失败也能激发新思路，引起方向上的 改变。Unit 5Balancingworkandschoolwasdifficult.Iwasstayinguplatestudying,andgoingtoworkearlyeverymorning.Iwashavingahardtimeconcentratinginclass,andahardtimeonthejobbecauseIwassotired,shesays.ButsheendedupwithtwoAsinherfirstsemesteranyway.Priscilladecidedtopursueanarchaeologymajor,andinthesummerof1992,shegotherfirstopportunitytoreallytestoutherinterestinthesubject.ThearchaeologicalfieldschoolofWashingtonStateUniversitywassponsoringasummerresearchprojectatasitealongsidetheSnakeRiverinWashington.Priscillathrewherselfintothework,andtheprojectsupervisorswereimpressed.Attheendofthesummer,oneoftheprofessorsofferedherajob.Hesaid,WejustgotacontractforaprojectinNorthDakota.Wewanttohireyouifyourewillingtotakeasemesterofffromschool.TheofferwasadiversionfromPriscillaspursuitofherBA.ButbythenInolongerdoubtedthatIwouldultimatelyfinishschool,soIfeltcomfortablegrabbingthisopportunity,shesays. 要做到工作学习两不误很困难。“我要一直熬夜学习，每天一大早又要去上班。我上课时很难集中思想，上班时也很难受，因为我实在太累了，”她说。不过她第一学期最后还是得了两个A。 普丽西拉决定攻读考古专业，并在1992年夏天获得了检验自己对这一学科兴趣的第一个机会。华盛顿州立大学的野外考古学院正在发起一个夏季研究项目，发掘位于华盛顿州斯内克河边的一个遗址。普丽西拉全力投入这项工作，给项目管理人留下了深刻印象。夏季结束时，有一个教授给她提供了一份工作。“他说， 我们刚拿到本达科他州一个项目的合同。如果你愿意休学一个学期，我们就聘用你。 ”这份工作偏离了普丽西拉要获得学士学位的追求。“但那时我已不再怀疑我最终会完成学业，所以很坦然地抓住了这次机会，”她说。Unit6 He has been proclaimed “the finest mind alive”, “the greatest genius of the late 20th century”, and “Einsteins heir”, Known to millions , far and wide, for his book A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking is a star scientist in more ways than one. His gift for revealing the mysteries of the universe in a style that non-scientists can enjoy made Hawking an instant celebrity and his book a bestseller in both Britain and America. It has earned a place in