大一上学期b版全新版大学英语原文 及翻译.doc

Unit 1Watchingvideo SCRIPTNarrator: The cheetah. With an astonishing ability to sprint from zero to eighty kilometers per hour in just three seconds, its the fastest animal on land. At full speed, it can reach almost 100 kilometers per hour. Nothing can escape a cheetah at full sprint. Unfortunately, this beautiful, shy animal is in serious danger of becoming extinct. In order to help, National Geographic is sending a team into the Moremi Wildlife Reserve of Botswana. Their goal is to help save these magnificent creatures by capturing them on film.The city of Johannesburg, South Africa, is the final stop before the teams journey into the wilds of Africa. Heading the expedition is Chris Johns, a photographer for more than 25 years. Chris has been planning this trip for a long time, and accompanying him is guide Dave Hamman. Dave has lived in southern Africa most of his life and knows the region well. His knowledge will be useful as the two men head more than 800 kilometers north into Botswana and the wonderful Okavango Delta.The Moremi Reserve is a truly magical place. It seems that Africas entire animal kingdom resides in the region. Zebras, buffaloes, and elephants are easily viewed from the rough dirt road. Even a giraffe makes an appearance. Chris and Dave continue their drive into the evening. They need to be far into the wilderness to begin their task: finding cheetahs. Narrator: The next day, theyre up early to begin their search.Chris Johns, National Geographic Photographer: “You cant just drive out there and order up a cheetah. It doesnt happen like that. You know that it could take days, weeks.”Narrator: But then something incredibly unexpected occurs . . .Dave Hamman: “I dont believe this.”Narrator: Its a female and five of her young.Hamman: “This is just not normal.”Narrator: During all of his years in the bush, Dave has never located so many cheetahs this quickly. This is exactly what they had been hoping for. The discovery is especially promising for Chris.Johns: “Cheetahs are a metaphor for some of Africas conservation problems. Because cheetahs need range, and theyre a good way to explain to people that loss of habitat means the potential loss of species. And its possible that in my lifetime cheetahs could become extinct in the wild, and thats to me a tragedy thats unspeakable.”Narrator: The Moremi Wildlife Reserve has offered Chris one of the last windows into the natural world of the cheetah. It will take a while for the cheetahs to trust Chris, but if he succeeds, he knows hell be able to take the photographs he really wants: a shot of a cheetah pursuing and killing its prey, or a “kill sequence.”Johns: “We know there are certain things that a cheetah story has to have. One of the most important things it has to havewhich is an incredibly difficult thing to getis a kill sequence, and youre always looking for that picture.”Narrator: Cheetahs are capable of tremendous bursts of speed, and have the capacity to gain speed more quickly than a sports car. However, while they can reach almost 100 kilometers an hour, cheetahs cant maintain such speeds for more than 200 to 300 meters.The cheetahs failed to catch her dinner this time. Cheetahs must make a kill every few days. After missing the reedbuck, the mother is exhausted, and her cubs are still hungry. The two men drive back to camp, leaving the cheetah family to rest in the shade.Narrator: The next day, Chris and Dave return to where they last saw the family and find that the mother and her cubs are gone. The female has probably taken the cubs away to protect them. They must now look for the cheetahs all over again.Johns: “We still havent seen the mother with five cubs for several days now. The challenge is to keep your concentration, to constantly look. I mean, were looking for at least eight to ten hours a day.”Narrator: The tiring and difficult search turns from days into a week. The two men scan everything from heavy bushes to open grasslands, hoping to catch sight of the mother. Then, suddenly, their efforts become worth it.Hamman: “There! Lets go, lets go!”Johns: “Did you see her?”Hamman: “Yeah! Shes in the grass, just down, just down the break . . .”Narrator: Theyve found her and she looks fine. Chris must now wait to see if the mother cheetah will let him back into her trust so that he can photograph her. Only she can decide if and when.Chriss opportunity for shooting a kill sequence presents itself later in the morning. Suddenly, the mother sits up, watching and listening carefully. Shes seen something: two reedbucks.Johns: “Twelve o clock. Two reedbucks, twelve o clock.”Narrator: With her cubs hidden safely away, the brave hunter moves toward her target.Johns: “There she goes! There she goes!”Hamman: “Hang on!”Narrator: The men must drive as quickly as possible in order to get the shot.Johns: “She just moved. Did you see her? Hang on. She nailed it. Got em! Good job, girl. Well done! Shes a good hunter. Shes a real good hunter.”Narrator: In typical cheetah style, the mother chokes her prey. Then, she takes time to recover from her sprint.Johns: “Its a vulnerable time because if a hyena or another predator moved in on her, she could be ambushed. She is going to be very cautious.”Narrator: Satisfied for the moment that no other predators are in the area, the female calls her cubs to join her for their meal.Johns: “Its lunchtime . . .”Narrator: The mother and cubs are finally trusting Chris more than he ever expected.Johns: “Its amazing that the cheetahs are letting me this close. These are the pictures Ive been waiting for for ten years.”Hamman: “You only see things like this if youre extremely lucky, but also patient. How many hours have we spent with these cheetahs now to actually get this far? You know, you just have to put in the time to get the results.”Narrator: Finally, all of their patience has brought the expedition the results they had been waiting to achieve, but theres still one more surprise for them . . .Each day, mother and cubs open up more to the humans, and allow them to get closer. Then finally, something truly wonderful happens.Johns: “That was a fantastic experience, for me one of the highlights of my life. But I think with that experience goes a lot of responsibility on my part.”Narrator: Chris now feels that he has a special responsibility. He wants to communicate the endangered status of these beautiful animals to the world both through his photographs and the National Geographic article.Johns: “Shes just given me a tremendous privilege, one of the finest privileges of my life. So with that privilege goes a great deal of responsibility, I think, on my part.”Narrator: Hopefully, Chris can fulfill this responsibility by bringing the endangerment of these animals into worldwide focus. Maybe his actions will help save the cheetahs of the Okavango, and the world.HOME LISTENINGaudio SCRIPTUnderstanding Extinction A species is considered extinct when careful scientific surveys show that the last individual of that species has died. The loss of many species of plants and animals has been attributed to changes in climate, genetic weaknesses, and human activities such as hunting and environmental destruction. Studies have shown that almost all living things will eventually become extinct. In fact, more than 99 percent of the species that have ever lived on Earth have now disappeared permanently. Although this sounds like a terrible situation, it is important to understand that the earth seems to recover from the loss of great numbers of species. In many cases, replacement species emerge over time; however, extinction does decrease the diversity of life on the planet in the short term. These replacement species often require recovery periods of millions of years. Human beings have had a huge impact on the extinction rates of various species. Therefore, scientists have recently begun to examine humankinds effects on the numbers of species that have become extinct. Through the use of geographical and biological research, a “background extinction rate” has been established. These figures show the numbers of species which have disappeared during specific time periods. By comparing rates of extinction before and after human existence, researchers were able to discover the exact effects of humankind on nature. Studies now cite that the extinction rates after human life began are 100 to 1,000 times greater than before human influence on Earth. Future rates are forecasted to be even higher. This demonstrates the tremendous negative impact that human activity is having on extinction rates. Scientists are currently researching methods of dealing with this astonishing trend. As individuals, educators, and governments try to manage species survival, one key factor they find is that without help, some of the worlds species cannot survive. In addition, scientists must learn to make difficult decisions based on incomplete information. They must also deal with groups that may have a vested interest in not protecting certain species. For example, people interested in developing oil fields in the Arctic may not think the protection of the wildlife in the region is of primary importance.Unit 3Watchingvideo SCRIPTNarrator: In a small village in Provence, France, residents have gathered to give thanks. While they sing and pray to Saint Anthony, these church members are praying for something different: a good truffle harvest. At the annual truffle mass, the collection plate is filling up, and not just with cash. In Richerenches, truffles are sometimes called “black diamonds”. At a price of up to $1,000 U.S. per pound, theyre one of the worlds most expensive foods. The name Richerenches means “rich earth”, appropriate for this village. Half of Frances black truffles are transported through the towns market, up to $180,000 U.S. worth a day. Theyre all looking for truffles, and not just any one will do, either.Pierre-Andre Valayer, Truffle Broker: “Its a most important market of truffles in France. So if you want to buy some truffle, you have to be in Richerenches to buy something. So for the sellers, its the same thing. If you want to sell well, they have to come to Richerenches.”Narrator: Provence generally brings to mind summer holidays, lazy afternoons, and ancient customs. In winter though, the small towns pace speeds up considerably. Many of the regions farmers also work as truffle hunters. Most of the business is done discretely from the backs of the brokers cars. One small bag of truffles is worth hundreds of U.S. dollars, so the trade is certainly lucrative.Philippe Oger, Truffle Eater: “I do think they buy apartments and so on . . . on the Riviera with this money. I know that.”Narrator: The buying and selling of truffles is mainly a cash business, its usually under the table. This means that the brokers often dont pay any taxes on the money they earn and neither do the hunters. Most people presume that truffles are only an expensive luxury for the rich; however, regular people who cook at home often spend money on them, too. Frances gourmet food companies also buy truffles from the brokers and export them to restaurants in the U.S., Japan, and elsewhere. The demand is high, but unfortunately, the supply is decreasing.Herve Poron, Truffle Exporter: “Today, if you find one hundred tons, its a very good production. In fact, its most of the time its more like twenty, thirty, or fifty tons . compared to one thousand, one hundred years ago.”Narrator: The best truffles are deep black, with white veins, but there are fewer and fewer of them available these days. One major reason for the decrease could be the recent changes in Provences truffle-growing environment.Poron: “Because to grow truffles you need woods, and the woods have disappeared. And what is left is not often very well taken care of . . . so were desperate for woods. That explains the lower production today.”Narrator: Truffles grow underground, around tree roots. If there arent as many trees left, there are fewer places for truffles to grow. Provence is a farm region where farmers grow lavender, and grapes for the famous wines. Now only a few places remain that allow truffle growth. Truffle hunter Joel Barthelemy is looking for those places with the help of his yellow lab, Jade. Jade is a trained sniffer dog. All dogs have sensitive noses, but sniffer dogs are exceptional. However, there are other factors involved.Joel Barthelemy, Truffle Hunter: “The dog has to pay attention, and he has to love his master. You can do all the training you want, but the dog has to want to please his master.”Narrator: Jade seems to have the capacity for both of these requirements. Shes found something and gets a treat for her effort. As the two hunters continue their search for truffles it seems that for today at least, theres no truffle shortage here. Perhaps Saint Anthony has listened to the truffle hunters prayers after all.HOME LISTENINGaudio SCRIPTTruffle Farming When you think about where truffles come from, you probably picture a small town in the south of France. While the French countryside does produce much of the worlds supply of truffles, other areas are fast becoming important players in this lucrative game. A Difficult Undertaking The situation is clear: truffles cant be grown just anywhere. They must be grown near or under trees since scientists believe that this is what produces their distinctive flavor. It is also extremely difficult to cultivate them the way one would grow other crops. This special product doesnt appear in the spring and summer, but emerges only in the fall and winter. Black truffles, which are the best-known of the French truffles, can be harvested only from November through March. White truffles appear only from September through early January. Furthermore, the weather conditions, such as the temperature, must be just right and the amount of rainfall must be adequate for the truffles to grow properly. Due to these challenges, very few farmers have mastered the skill of successfully planting and harvesting truffles on a regular basis. Truffles from Italy The worlds second best-known supplier of truffles after France is Italy. The Piedmont region near the city of Alba is the center of the Italian truffle business. There, truffles are sold in their original form and are also used in pastas, flavored olive oils, and breads. Alba is best known for its white truffles, which many people feel have a finer and more interesting flavor than black truffles. Truffles are so important in Alba that there has been a truffle festival, which lasts for several weeks, every year since 1899. Thousands of truffle lovers arrive in Alba each fall to enjoy the celebration and the scenery, and most importantly, to sample the truffles. Other Sources of Truffles Other countries, including Spain, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, the U.K., and the U.S. also produce truffles. Currently Australian truffle growers are working hard to increase their share of the worldwide market. Scientists there have analyzed the soils, rainfall levels, and types of trees available in order to maximize their production and produce the finest tasting truffles possible. In certain parts of Australia, growing conditions are very close to those of the south of France and production is increasing year by year. Unit 5WatchINGvideo SCRIPTNarrator:With a population of approximately eight million, the huge cosmopolitan city of New York is a melting pot of immigrant communities. Sometimes, this diversity results in clashes between cultures. Other times, positive outcomes result from the merging of backgrounds and traditions. Artists in particular often use their cultural differences to learn from each other. One such artist, Mingliang Lu, has taken his skills to Harlem to enable others to learn about and understand Chinese art.Born in Shanghai, Ming has studied Chinese art for the majority of his life. At a very young age, he learned about calligraphy and painting from his father and has continued to paint through the more difficult times in his life. Ming moved to the U.S. in 1990, and today lives in New York where he continues to create beautiful landscapes, flowers, animals, and even the symbol of the United States: the eagle.Mingliang Lu, Artist: “When I first came to America, my only skills were art. I didnt have other skills. I used my art to make a living.”Narrator:When he first arrived in the U.S., Ming set up his easel and drew and painted portraits of tourists in order to survive. But even for professional artists, drawing on the street is not the easiest way to make a living. So, Ming eventually stopped painting on the street, and began to work for the New York Chinese Cultural Center. Through them, he brought his skills to Harlem and the children of Public School 36.Ming:“What is this?”Students:“Circle.”Ming:“It is a circle, right? OK. So I just draw. I change the color. What color this?”Students:“Yellow.”Ming:“OK. I just put this you see this? For the ear.”Amy Chin, Executive Director, New York Chinese Cultural Center: “As we all know, a lot of artists are not employed being artists. So Im hoping that what we do is to provide them this opportunity, to really practice in the field that theyve been trained for.” Ming:“OK, this time I take it this way . . . Little circle one . . . Yeah, you very good job. Good.”Narrator:Teaching at the public school, though, is more than just an opportunity for Ming; the program benefits the children as well. School principal Cynthia Mullen Simons says the program is impo