Module 1
PARIS
巴黎
Paris is the capital and largest city of France, situated on the River Seine. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and is visited by more than eight million tourists every year. The most popular place for tourists is the Eiffel Tower, the famous symbol of Paris. One of the world's largest art galleries, the Louvre, is also located in Paris. The city is also famous for its restaurants, cafes and theatres. About two-thirds of France's artists and writers live in Paris.
巴黎是法国的首都,也是法国最大的城市,坐落在塞纳河畔。巴黎是世界上最漂亮的城市之一,每年有超过八百万的游客来这里旅游。最受游客欢迎的旅游景点是埃菲尔铁塔,它是巴黎著名的象征。世界上最大的美术馆之一--卢浮宫,也在巴黎。这个城市也以餐馆、咖啡馆和剧院而闻名。这里生活了法国大约三分之二的艺术家和作家。
BARCELONA
巴萨罗那
Barcelona is the second largest city of Spain and is situated on the northeast coast, about five hundred kilometers east of the Spanish capital, Madrid. One of Barcelona's most famous landmarks is the Church of the Sagrada Familia, which was designed by an architect called Antonio Gaudi. Gaudi worked on the project from 1882 until his death in 1926. The church hasn't been finished yet!
巴塞罗那是西班牙的第二大城市,它位于西班牙东北海岸,大概离西班牙首都马德里东边五百千米的地方。巴塞罗那最著名的标志性建筑之一是由建筑师安东尼奥.高迪建造的圣家大教堂。高迪从1882年起从事这项工程,直至1926年逝世,这座教堂到现在仍没有竣工。
FLORENCE
佛罗伦萨
Florence is an Italian city which became famous because of the Renaissance, a great artistic movement which began in the 1300s and lasted for three hundred years. During the Renaissance, some of the greatest painters of all time lived and worked in Florence. Many of Florence's most beautiful paintings and sculptures were produced by great artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Florence is visited each year by about a million tourists who come to seethe art galleries, churches and museums. The Uffizi Palace is the most famous art gallery in the city.
佛罗伦萨是意大利的一座城市,这座城市因文艺复兴而变得著名。文艺复兴是一次大型的文艺运动,开始于13世纪,持续了三百年。在文艺复兴时期,历史上一些最伟大的画家在佛罗伦萨生活和工作。佛罗伦萨很多非常漂亮的油画和雕塑都是由伟大的艺术家如莱昂纳多、达.芬奇和米开朗琪罗创作。每年大约有一百万游客来佛罗伦萨参观美术馆、教堂和博物馆,乌菲齐美术馆是这座城市最著名的美术馆。
ATHENS
雅典
Athens, the capital of Greece, is known as the birthplace of western civilization. Two thousand four hundred years ago, it was the world's most powerful city. Buildings such as the Parthenon on the Acropolis Hill were built during this period. Greece's best writers lived in ancient Athens. Their work has influenced other writers ever since.
雅典是希腊的首都,作为西方文明的发祥地而闻名于世。2,400年前,它是世界上最强大的城市。一些诸如雅典卫城山上的帕台农神庙那样的建筑都是在这段时期建造的。希腊最为著名的作家就居住在古雅典。他们的作品影响了后世作家。
Module 2
In the year 2000,147 world leaders agreed to work together to reduce poverty by 2015 or earlier. From this agreement came the Human Development Report.
在2000年,来自世界各国的147位领导人一致同意共同努力,到 2015年或在更早的时间减少贫困。由此产生了人类发展报告。
One of the most important sections of this report is the Human Development Index. This examines the achievements of 175 countries. The Index measures a country's achievements in three ways: life expectancy (how long people usually live),education and income. The index has some surprises. Norway is at the top of the list, while the US is at number 7. The other top five countries are: Iceland (2), Sweden(3), Australia (4), the Netherlands(5). The UK is in the thirteenth position, while China is in the middle of the list. The bottom ten countries are all African countries, with Sierra Leone (in West Africa) at the bottom of the list.
这份报告一个最重要的部分是人类发展指标。它评价了175个国家的发展成就。这项指标从三个方面衡量一个国家的成就:寿命、教育和收入。这项指标显示了一些令人感到意外的情况。挪威高居榜首,而美国则排在第七。位于前五位的其他国家是:冰岛(2)、瑞典(3),澳大利亚(4)和荷兰(5)。英国位居第十三位,而中国处于中等地位。处于末端的十个国家均是非洲国家,塞拉利昂(西非)排在最后。
The report describes eight Development Goals. The most important goals are to:
-reduce poverty and hunger;
-make sure that all children have education up to the age of 11;
-fight AIDS and other diseases;
-improve the environment of poor people, e.g. make sure they have safe drinking water;
-encourage developed countries to give more help to other countries.
报告描述了八个发展目标。其中最重要的是:
-减少贫穷和饥饿:
-确保所有儿童11岁之前都能接受教育,
-与艾滋病和其他疾病抗争;
-改善贫困人群的环境,例如:确保他们有安全饮用水;
-鼓励发达国家给予其他国家更多的帮助。
The 2003 Human Development Report gives examples of successful development. For example, in nine years (1953-1962),China increased life expectancy by 13 years. In the last ten years in China, 150 million people moved out of poverty. However, the challenges are still great. Every day 799 million people in developing countries are hungry. Over half of these are in South Asia or Africa. Although more than 80% of children in developing countries go to primary school, about 115 million children are not being educated. More than 1 billion people in developing countries do not drink safe water. However, in other regions of the world, e.g. Eastern Europe, water is now mostly safe to drink.
2003年人类发展报告列举了一些成功发展的例子。譬如:在九年(1953-1962)的时间里,中国的人均寿命增加了13岁。过去的十年之内,中国有1.5亿人脱贫。然而,挑战仍很严峻,在发展中国家,每天有7.99亿人在挨饿。其中一半以上的人来自南亚或非洲。虽然发展中国家80%以上的儿童能上小学,但仍有1.15亿的孩子得不到教育。发展中国家里十多亿的人喝不上安全的饮用水。当然在世界的其他地方,例如东欧,现在的饮用水大多是安全的。
The report shows that we are making some progress but that we need to make greater efforts. Although developed countries give some financial help, they need to give much more. Interestingly, the countries that give the most money are the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. These are among the five richest countries in the world, so it is right that they should do so.
报告显示:我们正在进步,但是我们必须做出更大的努力。虽然发达国家提供了一些经济援助,但是提供援助的数量应该大大增加。有趣的是,捐钱最多的国家是荷兰、挪威和瑞典。它们都属于世界上五个最富的国家,所以他们这样做是合情合理的。
Module 3
What Is a Tornado?
什么是龙卷风?
A tornado is a rotating column of air from a thunderstorm to the ground. The most violent have winds of more than 400 kilometres per hour. Almost all of them occur in the US, in the area from Texas in the southeast to South Dakota in the north.
龙卷风是指一个从空中的雷暴延伸到地面而生成的旋转气柱。最厉害的一次风速达到每小时400 公里。几乎所有的龙卷风都发生在美国,从东南部的得克萨斯州直到北部的南达科他州。
Tornadoes can pick up cars, trains and even houses and put them down in the next street--or even in the next town. They can take the fur off the back of a cat and the feathers off a chicken. They can destroy houses, but leave the furniture inside exactly where it was.
龙卷风能卷起汽车、火车,甚至房子,把它们卷到旁边的街道—甚至能卷到邻近的城镇。龙卷风可以卷走猫背上的皮毛、鸡身上的羽毛。它们能毁掉房子,却把房内的家具留在原处。
On average, there are 800 tornadoes in the US each year, causing about 80 deaths and 1,500 injuries. The worst tornado of all time occurred in1925, affecting three US states: Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. By the time it ended, more than 700 people had been killed and 2,700 had been injured.
平均来说,美国每年发生800次龙卷风,造成大约80人死亡、l,500人受伤。最恶劣的一场龙卷风发生在1925 年,波及到了美国的三个州:密苏里州、伊利诺伊州和印第安纳州。等到风停时,已有700多人死亡,2,700多人受伤。
What Is a Hurricane?
什么是飓风?
Hurricanes are strong tropical storms, and they usually occur in the southern Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. There are violent winds of 120 kilometres per hour or more, which cause huge waves, heavy rain and floods. There are on average six Atlantic hurricanes each year and they usually affect the east coast of the US from Texas to Maine.
飓风是强劲的热带风暴,通常发生在南大西洋、加勒比海和墨西哥海湾。飓风发生时,风暴速度达到每小时120公里或者更快,引发巨浪、暴雨和洪灾。每年平均有六次大西洋飓风,通常会影响到从得克萨斯州到缅因州的美国东部海岸。
The worst hurricane disaster of all time occurred on the 8th September 1900 in Galveston, Texas. Winds of 200 kilometers per hour and five-metre high waves hit the city. The disaster killed 6,000 people in a population of 37,000 and destroyed 3,600 buildings.
最恶劣的一次飓风是1900 年 9月8日发生在得克萨斯州加尔维斯顿。时速高达200 公里的狂风和五米高的巨浪袭击了加尔维斯顿城。37,000人口中有6,000人遇难,3,600幢大楼被摧毁。
An Extraordinary Event
一个离奇的事件
This is a story about the 1900 Galveston hurricane.
这是关于1900 年加尔维斯顿飓风的故事。
Charles Coghlan was a nineteenth-century Irish actor who went to live in Canada. He then moved to New York, where he became famous. By the late 1890s, he had moved to Galveston, where he died in 1899, a year before the hurricane struck. The cemetery where Coghlan was buried was destroyed by the hurricane and Coghlan's coffin ended up in the sea.
查尔斯·科格伦是19世纪一位定居加拿大的爱尔兰演员。后来他移居纽约,并在那里获得了成功。19世纪90 年代后期,他迁居加尔维斯顿,直到 1899 年在那里去世,也就是飓风袭击的前一年。掩埋科格伦的公墓被飓风所摧毁,他的棺材最后被卷入了大海。
Eight years later, the coffin was found by fishermen in the sea near his home on Prince Edward Island in the east of Canada. The Gulf Stream had carried it 3,000 kilometres up the eastern US coast to Prince Edward Island. Coghlan travelled back to Canada--after he had been buried in Texas!
八年后,渔民们在位于加拿大东部爱德华王子岛他家附近发现了他的棺材。墨西哥湾流沿着美国东海岸把它(棺材)一直带到爱德华王子岛,行程3,000公里。埋葬于得克萨斯州的查尔斯·科格伦又回到了加拿大。
Module 4
Sandstorms in Asia
亚洲的沙尘暴
Sandstorms have been a major disaster for many Asian countries for centuries. Scientists have tried many ways to solve this problem and in China, a mass campaign has been started to help solve it.
几百年以来,沙尘暴一直是许多亚洲国家面临的主要灾难。科学家尝试过多种方法解决这个问题,在中国,也发动了群众运动来对付沙尘暴。
Sandstorms are strong, dry winds that carry sand. They are often so thick that you cannot see the sun, and the wind is sometimes strong enough to move sand dunes. The four main places in the world where there are sandstorms are Central Asia, North America, Central Africa and Australia. Ren Jianbo, from Inner Mongolia described a terrible sandstorm he experienced as a child in the desert. “To have been caught in a sandstorm was a terrible experience,” he said. “There was nothing to be done. It was the most frightening and the most dangerous situation I've ever been in. You just had to hope you'd survive. I thought I was going to disappear under the sand.”
沙尘暴是夹带沙尘的强烈而干燥的风。沙尘暴夹带的沙尘含量常常很大,以致于可以遮天蔽日。风力强大时可以搬动沙丘。世界上沙尘暴发生的四个主要地区是中亚、北美、中非和澳大利亚。来自内蒙的任建波是这样来描述他小时候遭遇的一次沙尘暴的:“遇上沙尘暴是一种可怕的经历,”他说,“你一点办法也没有。那是我遭遇过的最可怕、最危险的境况。你只能祈求会活下来。那时候我觉得我会消失在沙尘下。”
Northwest China is part of the sandstorm centre in Central Asia. Sandstorms begin in desert areas. Sandstorms in China appear to have increased in recent years as a result of “desertification”. This is a process that happens when land becomes desert because of climate changes and because people cut down trees and dig up grass.
中国的西北地区是中亚沙尘暴中心的一部分。沙尘暴发端于沙漠地区。因“荒漢化”越发严重,中国近年来发生沙尘暴的次数明显增加了。这是由于气候变化和人们伐树挖草,使土地变成荒漠后产生的一种作用。
Sandstorms sometimes affect Beijing. Citizens wake up to an orange sky and strong winds that cover the city in a thick, brown-yellow dust. The storms sometimes continue all day and traffic moves very slowly because the thick dust makes it difficult to see.
沙尘暴有时候会影响北京。居民醒来时,看到昏黄的天空,狂风夹着黄沙在城里肆虐。暴风有时持续一整天,车辆开得很慢,因为浓浓的尘埃降低了能见度。
The Chinese Central Weather Station can forecast a sandstorm some weeks before it arrives in Beijing, but the strength of the storm sometimes surprises people. When a sandstorm arrives in the city, weather experts advise people not to go out. Huang Xiaomei, who lives in Beijing says, “To be cycling in a sandstorm is frightening. The winds are very strong. It's difficult to breathe and the dust makes me ill. So if you want to go out, you'd better wear a mask.”
中国中央气象站能在沙尘暴到达北京前几周预报沙尘暴,但沙尘暴的力量有时很惊人。沙尘暴到来时,气象专家建议人们不要外出。家住北京的黄小梅说:“在沙尘暴中骑车真可怕。风力很强,呼吸困难,沙尘使人难受。所以要出门,最好带上口罩。”
The desert is only 250 kilometres away to the west of Beijing. To prevent it coming nearer, the government is planting trees. Already the government has planted more than 30 billion trees and plans to continue planting for the next five years.
沙漠离北京西境只有250公里。为阻止沙漠的逼近,政府已经开始植树。政府已经种了300亿棵树,并准备在未来的五年里继续种植。
Module 5
Philosophersof Ancient China
中国古代的哲学家
Ancient China was a place where states were often at war with each other. But it was also a time when there were many great philosophers. Confucius (551BC-479BC) is the philosopher whose influence has been the greatest.He stressed the importance of kindness, duty and order in society. Chinese society was influenced by these ideas for more than 2,000 years.
古代中国各诸侯国之间经常发生战争,但那也是一个产生了许多哲学家的时期。孔子(公元前551-公元前479)是影响最大的哲学家。他强调了仁爱、责任和社会秩序的重要性。中国社会受这些思想的影响达2,000多年。
Mencius was a thinker whose teachings were very similar to those of Confucius. Mencius was born in 372 BC. His father died when he was young, and he was brought up by his mother. He became a student of Confucius's ideas, and was then given an important position in the government of a state. However, when he saw that the ruler was not following his advice, he resigned. For many years he travelled from state to state, teaching the principles of Confucius. He then became an adviser to another ruler. He spent his last years preparing a book of his teachings called The Book of Mencius. Mencius believed that the reason why man is different from animals is that man is good. He taught that if the government was kind, then people would be good. He believed that people were more important than rulers, and hated the state when it treated people badly.
孟子是一位思想家,他的理论和孟子的理论很相似。孟子生于公元前 372 年。父亲在他年幼时去世,母亲把他抚养成人。他学习了孔子的学说,后来在一个诸侯国的政府内居要职。但是,当他看到统治者不采纳他的意见时,就辞去了官职。许多年来,他周游列国,传授孔子的思想,后来成为另一位统治者的谋士。他晚年写了一本介绍他思想的书,名为《孟子》。孟子认为,人之所以不同于动物,是因为人性本善。他告诫人们,假若政府仁慈,人民就会有善行。他认为人民比政府更重要,憎恨对人民残暴的政权。
Mozi was another teacher who was very influential. Born in 476 BC, he came from a family which was very poor. He became famous for his unusual clothes and behaviour. Mozi founded the philosophy called Mohism. In some ways, his beliefs were similar to those of Confucius. For example, he considered that government was most important. As a result, he spent many years trying to find a state where people would follow his teachings. Mozi believed that all men were equal. His idea of love was different from the Confucian idea of kindness. Mozi taught that we should love all human beings and look after those who are weaker than ourselves. He hated the idea of war. Mozi died in 390 BC.
墨子是又一位极具影响力的先哲。他生于公元前 476 年,出身贫寒。他因不修边幅、行为怪异而闻名。墨子创立了墨家学说。他的学说在某些方面和孔子学说很相似。例如:他认为政府很重要。因此,他花了许多年的时间,寻找一个人们愿意遵从他思想的国家。墨子认为,人生来平等。他的仁爱思想与孔子不同。墨子告诫人们要博爱,要帮助弱者。他憎恨战争。墨子死于公元前390年。
Module 6
The Three Gorges Dam
三峡大坝
Mao Zedong wrote a poem in which he dreamed of “Walls of stone to hold back clouds and rain till a smooth lake rises in the narrow gorges”. Now his dream has come true. The power of the Yangtze River, which is the world's third longest river, has been harnessed by the Three Gorges Dam.
毛泽东写过一首词,在词中,他想象了“更立西江石壁,截断巫山云雨,高峡出平湖”的壮丽景观。如今,他的理想变成了现实。三峡大坝制服了世界第三大河流—长江的激流。
The Three Gorges Dam, which is the biggest construction project in China since the building of the Great Wall and the Grand Canal, has been built to control flooding and provide hydro-electric power for the central region of China. The dam is nearly 200 metres high and 1.5 kilometres wide. It is the largest hydro-electric power station and dam in the world and has cost more than any other construction project in history.
修建三峡大坝是自修筑长城和开凿大运河以来中国最大的建筑工程,它控制了长江的洪灾并为我国中部地区提供电力。大坝高度接近200米,宽l,500米。它是世界上最大的水力发电站和大坝,造价超过历史上的任何一项工程。
Sun Yat-sen, who was the leader of the 1911 Revolution, first suggested the ides of a dam across the Yangtze River in 1919. Three quarters of China's energy is produced by burning coal. In 1993, China used 1.2 billion tons of coal for heating and generating electricity. Unfortunately, burning coal causes serious air pollution and increases global warming. The dam will generate electricity equal to about 40 million tons of coal without causing so much air pollution.
早在1919 年,领导了辛亥革命的孙逸仙(中山)先生就首次提出了要在长江修筑大坝的设想。中国四分之三的能量是通过燃煤获得的。1993年,中国燃掉了12亿吨煤用于供热和发电。不幸的是,燃煤造成了严重的大气污染,加剧了全球变暖。大坝将要生产相当于燃烧4,000万吨所产生的电量,但却不会造成那么严重的空气污染。
The reservoir has flooded 2 cities, 11 counties, 140 towns and more than 4,000 villages. More than a million people who lived in the region have moved from their homes. Now they're living a happy new life in different areas.
水库淹没了两个城市、11个县、140个镇和4,000多座村庄。生活在这些地区的100多万人已经搬迁了。现在,他们在不同的地区开始了新的幸福生活。
The Three Gorges area is one of the most beautiful areas of China and the project has flooded some of China's most famous historical sites, including the Qu Yuan Temple, the Han Watchtower and the Moya Cliff carvings. About 800 historical relics have been submerged. Some of them are being removed and some are being put into museums.
三峡是中国风光最美丽的地区之一。由于大坝工程,一些著名的历史遗迹被水淹没,包括屈原祠、汉望塔和摩崖石刻。大约800多处历史遗迹已被淹没。其中有一部分被转移,还有一部分被博物馆收藏。
Module 7
I decided to spend a year between school and university travelling round the world.I worked hard and saved quite a lot of money for the trip. I started my trip in France and after visiting the capital Paris, I travelled down to the south of France, which is known for its lovely beaches. Then I spent a month walking in the mountains in northern Italy. I then travelled to Rome, the capital of Italy, and spent a week visiting the city's wonderful art galleries, churches and museums. From there I flew to Athens, Greece, and took a boat to a small Greek island. I had planned to meet a friend of mine there and we took an apartment on a beach and had a wonderful time swimming and sunbathing.
我决定中学毕业后,在上大学之前,花一年的时间周游世界。我非常努力地工作,为这次旅行攒了一大笔钱。我的旅行从法国开始,游览了首都巴黎之后,我就沿法国南下,去了一个以美丽可爱的海滩而闻名于世的地方。然后我花了一个月行走于意大利北部的山脉之间。之后我去了意大利的首都罗马,在那里花了一个星期参观这个城市精彩绝伦的美术馆、教堂和博物馆。然后从那里飞往希腊的雅典,并坐小船去了希腊的一个小岛。我早就计划去那里会见一个朋友,我们相约在海滩上,在那里游泳、洗日光浴,度过了非常快乐的时光。
Next, I flew to India, and travelled round it for about three months. Although the cities were crowded, the countryside was beautiful. I stayed in a small fishing village on the west coast and it was the happiest time of my life. I then flew to northeast India, where there had been a terrible flood three months ago.The water had gone but the damage to crops and homes was terrible.
接下来我飞往印度,花了大约三个月在那里周游。 虽然那里的城市很拥挤,但是乡下很漂亮。我待在西部海岸的一个小渔村,那是我生命中最快乐的时光。接着我飞往印度东北部,三个月前那里发生了一场严重的洪灾。虽然洪水退了,但是庄稼和家园所受的损害极其严重。
I then flew to China, a country I had always wanted to visit. I saw Beijing, of course, and the Great Wall, and also took a trip to see some villages on the Yangtze River which would soon be under water because of the Three Gorges Dam. While I was in China, I read a lot about ancient Chinese history and became particularly interested in the ideas of the great philosopher Confucius.
然后我飞往了中国,这是我做梦都想去的国家。当然,我游了北京,看到了万里长城,还去了长江沿岸的一些村庄,这些村庄很快就要因为建三峡大坝而被淹没了。在中国的那段时间,我阅读了很多关于中国古代历史的书籍,并对伟大的哲学家孔子的思想特别感兴趣。
Then I flew to Japan where I spent two interesting weeks. I was astonished to see that some people in the big cities wear masks to protect their lungs from pollution.I hope that never happens in my city! Then, at last, I flew all the way home again. It had been a great experience, but, yes, it was good to be home!
接着我飞往日本,在那里我度过了有趣的两周。我惊讶地发现大城市里有些人因为环境污染,戴着面具以保护他们的肺。我希望我所在的城市永远都不会发生那样的事情。最后,我乘飞机按照原路返回。这是一次非常不错的经历,但是,当然了,还是在家里好!
《高中英语必修第四册》
Module 1
The City of the Future
未来的城市
What will the city of the future look like? No one knows for sure, and making predictions is a risky business. But one thing is certain – they are going to get bigger before they get smaller. In the future, care for the environment will become very important as earth’s natural resources run out. We will use lots of recycled materials, such as plastic, aluminum, steel, glass, wood and paper, and we will waste fewer natural resources. We will also have to rely more on alternative energy, such as solar and wind power. All this seems certain, but there are plenty of things about city life in the future which are not certain.
未来的城市将会是什么样子呢?没有人确切地了解,预测也是一件很冒险的事。但有一件事是可以肯定的—它们将会先变大,然后再变小。在未来,爱护环境将会很重要,因为地球的资源将濒临枯竭。我们将会使用大量的可回收材料,例如,塑料、铝、钢铁、玻璃、木头和纸。我们浪费自然资源的程度将会有所减弱。我们也将不得不更多地依赖其他能源。例如,太阳能和风能。所有这些似乎是肯定的,但是还有许多关于城市生活的事情仍是未知的。
To find out what young people think about the future of urban life, a teacher at a university in Texas in the United States asked his students to think how they would run a city of 50,000 people in the year 2025. Here are some of the ideas they had:
为了获知年轻人对未来城市生活的想法,美国得克萨斯州的一位大学老师让他的学生们思考如何管理一个在2025 年拥有5万人口的城市,下面是他们的一些构想:
Garbage ships
To get rid of garbage problems, the city will load huge spaceships with waste materials and send them towards the sun, preventing landfill and environmental problems.
垃圾船
为了摆脱垃圾问题的困扰,城市将会用巨型宇宙飞船装载废弃材料,朝太阳发射,这样做防止了垃圾填埋和环境问题。
Batman Nets
Police will arrest criminals by firing nets instead of guns.
勤务兵网
警察逮捕罪犯时,将会向罪犯射出网状物而不是用枪。
Forget smoking
No smoking will be allowed within a future city’s limits. Smoking will be possible only outside cities, and outdoors.
戒烟
在未来城市范围内将禁止吸烟。只有在郊区和户外才允许吸烟。
Forget the malls
In the future all shopping will be done online, and catalogues will have voice commands to place orders.
告别商厦
将来所有的购物将会在网上进行,商品目录将会有语音指令来排序。
Telephones for life
Everyone will be given a telephone number at birth that will never change no matter where they live.
电话人生
每个人一出生就会给予一个电话号码,将来无论他们居住在哪儿,这个电话号码部不会更改。
Recreation
All forms of recreation, such as cinemas, bowling, softball, concerts and others, will be provided free of charge by the city.
娱乐
所有的娱乐形式,例如,电影院、保龄球、垒球、音乐会和其他等等都将由该市政府免费提供。
Cars
All cars will be powered by electricity, solar energy or wind, and it will be possible to change the colour of cars at the flick of a switch.
汽车
所有的汽车都将由电能、太阳能或风能提供动力,并且只要轻轻按一下开关就能够改汽车的颜色。
Telesurgery
Distance surgery will become common as doctors carry out operations from thousands of miles away, with each city having its own telesurgery outpatient clinic.
远程手术
随着每个城市拥有自己的远程手术门诊部,医生将能在数千里以外实施手术,远程手术将会变得十分普通。
Holidays at home
Senior citizens and people with disabilities will be able to go anywhere in the world using high-tech cameras attached to their head.
居家度假
年长的市民和残疾人通过使用绑在头上的高新技术相机可以周游世界。
Space travel
Travelling in space by ordinary citizens will be common. Each city will have its own spaceport.
太空遨游
普通市民遨游太空将会变得很平常,每个城市都将有自己的太空港。
Module 2
Getting Around in Beijing
行在北京
Taxis
Taxis are on the streets 24 hours a day. Simply raise your hand, and a taxi appears in no time. They are usually red, and they display the price per kilometer on the window. You should check the cab has a business permit, and make sure you ask for a receipt.
出租车
北京大街上的出租车是24小时服务的。只要你招招手,立刻就会有出租车。它们通常都是红色车身,并且在车窗上显示每公里的路价。你要确认司机有营运执照,并且索要发票。
Buses and trolleybuses
Public transport provides a cheap way to get around in Beijing. There are 20,000 buses and trolleybuses in Beijing, but they can get very crowded. It’s a good idea to avoid public transport during the rush hour (6:30 am – 8:00 am and 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm). Fares are cheap, starting at 1 yuan. Air-conditioned buses cost more.
公交车和电车
公共交通为人们游览北京提供了低价位的出行方式。北京大约有两万多辆公交车和电车,但是,它们有时会很拥挤。最明智的做法是避免在高峰期(上午6:30-8:00,下午 5:00-6:30)乘坐公交车和电车。这些车车票价格便宜,一元起价。空调车则要贵一些。
Buses numbered 1 to 100 are limited to travel within the city centre. Higher numbers have destinations in the suburbs. Tourists shouldn’t miss the 103 bus which offers one of the most impressive routes, past the Forbidden City and the White Pagoda in Beihai Park. If you get on a double-decker bus, make sure you sit upstairs. You’ll have a good view of the rapidly changing city.
公交线1 到 100路都是仅限于市中心,车号更高一些的线路,可以通达郊区。对于游人来说,最不该错过的是103路电车,它途经紫禁城和北海白塔,沿途风景令人印象深刻。如果你乘坐双层公共汽车,请务必坐在上层,这样你会一览这个飞速发展城市的亮丽风景。
Most buses run from about 5:00 am to midnight. However, there is also a night bus service, provided by buses with a number in the 200s.
大多数公交车的运营时间是从早晨 5点一直到午夜。而那些线路号介于200至300之间的公交车,也夜间运行。
Minibuses
Minibuses with seats for 12 passengers offer an alternative to expensive taxis and crowded public transport in some areas. They run regular services and follow the same routes as large public buses. And in a minibus you always get a seat even in rush hours.
小公共汽车
一些地区,这种12个座位的小型公共汽车给人们在昂贵的出租车和拥挤的公共汽车外,提供了第三种选择。它们跟大公共汽车走同样的路线,提供有规律的服务。在小公共汽车上,即使在高峰期也能找到空位。
Underground
There are four underground lines in Beijing, and several lines are under construction. Trains are fast and convenient, but rush hours can be terrible. A one-way trip costs 3 yuan. Station names are marked in pinyin. The underground is open from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm.
地铁
北京有四条地铁线,还有几条线也正在建设之中。地铁方便快捷,但在高峰期,情况会很糟糕。地铁票价单程为三元,站名用拼音标注,运营时间为上午 5点到晚上11点。
Pedicabs
Tourists like these human-pedalled “tricycle taxis”, but they can be expensive. You should talk to the driver, and make sure you know the price before you begin the journey, for example, if it is per person, single or return. Tricycles are worth using if you want to explore the narrow alleys (hutong) of old Beijing.
三轮脚踏车
游客们喜欢这些人力驱动的“三轮脚踏车”,但价格可能会较贵。因此坐之前要先弄清楚价格,明确价钱是否按人数计算、是单程还是往返双程的问题。如果想去老北京的胡同探秘,三轮脚踏车绝对是值得一坐的。
Module 3
Body Language and Non-verbal Communication
交流
If you say the word “communication”, most people think of words and sentences. Although these are very important, we communicate with more than just spoken and written words. Indeed, body positions are part of what we call “body language”. We see examples of unconscious body language very often, yet there is also “learned” body language, which varies from culture to culture.
说起“交流”,大多数人会想到单词或句子,虽然单词与句子十分重要,但我们并不只是用口语和书面语进行交流,身体姿态是我们所称的“身势语”的一部分。我们经常看到无意识的身势语,但也有“习得”的身势语,但习得的身势语在不同的文化中各不相同。
We use “learned” body language when we are introduced to strangers. Like other animals, we are on guard until we know it is safe to relax. So every culture has developed a formal way to greet strangers, to show them we are not aggressive. Traditionally, Europeans and Americans shake hands. They do this with the right hand – the strongest hand for most people. If our right hand is busy greeting someone, it cannot be holding a weapon. So the gesture is saying, “I trust you look, I’m not carrying a threatening weapon.” If you shake hands with someone, you show you trust them: we shake hands when we make a deal. It means,” We agree and we trust each other.”
当我们被介绍给生人时,我们使用“习得的”身势语。跟其他动物一样,我们会保持警觉,直至知道安全的时候才放松。因此,在所有的文化中人们都有一种向陌生人打招呼的正规的方式,以表示他们并不具有侵犯倾向。欧美人的传统是握手,他们用右手握手—右手对多数人来说更有力一些。假如右手用于忙着与人打招呼就不可能握武器。因此,这种手势的意思是“我信任你,瞧,我没带威胁性的武器”,假如你和人握手,就是在表明你信任他们。我们在做交易时与人握手,意思就是“我们达成了协议,相互信任”。
Greetings in Asian countries do not involve touching the other person, but they always involve the hands. Traditionally in China, when we greet someone, we put the right hand over the left and bows lightly. Muslims give a “salaam”, where they touch their heart, mouth and forehead. Hindus join their hands and bow their heads in respect. In all of these examples, the hands are busy with the greeting and cannot hold a weapon.
亚洲人打招呼是不接触他人身体的,但他们要用手。与人打招呼时,中国人的传统方式是右手放在左手上,拱手,稍稍躬身而行礼。穆斯林行额手鞠躬礼,用手触左胸、嘴和额。印度人双手交合,恭敬地鞠躬。在上述例子中,手都在忙于打招呼,不可能拿武器。
Even today, when some people have very informal styles of greeting, they still use their hands as a gesture of trust. American youths often greet each other with the expression, “Give me five!” One person then holds up his hand, palm outwards and five fingers spread. The other person raises his hand and slaps the other’s open hand above the head in a “high five”. Nowadays, it is quite a common greeting.
即使是现在,人们在非正式场合打招呼时,还会用手来表示信任对方。美国青年常常说着“击掌”来打招呼。说完后这个人举起手,手掌向外,五指展开。另一个人同样举起手,拍打对方举过头顶的手。这是现代常见的打招呼方式。
Body language is fascinating for anyone to study. People give away much more by their gestures than by their words. Look at your friends and family and see if you are a mind reader!
身势语对于任何研究者来说都具有吸引力。人们通过姿势表达的意思要比通过话语表达得更多。看看你的朋友和家人,你能洞悉他们的心思吗?
Module 4
The Student Who Asked Questions
问问题的学生
In a hungry world, rice is a staple food and China is the world’s largest producer. Rice is also grown in many other Asian countries, and in some European countries like Italy. In the rice-growing world, the Chinese scientist, Yuan Longping, is a leading figure.
在当前的世界,水稻是主要食粮。中国是世界上最大的水稻产地。亚洲其他国家和一些欧洲国家,如意大利等,都种植水稻。在水稻种植界,中国科学家袁隆平是一位重要人土。
Yuan Longping was born and brought up in China. As a boy he was educated in many schools and was given the nickname, “the student who asked questions”.
袁隆平生长在中国。小时候,他在许多学校读过书,得了个“问问题的学生”的绰号。
From an early age he was interested in plants. He studied agriculture in college and as a young teacher he began experiments in crop breeding. He thought that the key to feeding people was to have more rice and to produce it more quickly. He thought there was only one way to do this – by crossing different species of rice plant, and then he could produce a new plant which could give a higher yield than either of the original plants.
袁隆平从小就对植物感兴趣。他在大学里研究农学。作为一个年轻的教师,他开始了作物育种的实验。他想,养活世人的关键是更多更快地生产水稻。他认为,唯一的办法是使不同种类的水稻杂交,这样就能产生比原先任何一种水稻产量都要高的新品种。
First Yuan Longping experimented with different types of rice. The results of his experiments were published in China in 1966. Then he began his search for a special type of rice plant. It had to be male. It had to be sterile. Finally, in 1970 a naturally sterile male rice plant was discovered. This was the breakthrough. Researchers were brought in from all over China to develop the new system. The research was supported by the government.
首先,袁隆平对不同种类的水稻进行实验。1966 年,他的研究成果在中国发表。接着,他开始寻找一种特殊的稻种。这种稻种必须是雄性的,必须是不结果的(注:属于生物学所称的“雄性不育系”)。最后于1970 年,一种天然的雄性不育稻种被发现,这是一个突破性的发现。全国各地的研究者们被召集在一起开发新的水稻种。研究得到了政府的赞助。
As a result of Yuan Longping’s discoveries Chinese rice production rose by 47.5 percent in the 1990’s. There were other advantages too. 50 thousand square kilometers of rice fields were converted to growing vegetables and other cash crops. Following this, Yuan Longping’s rice was exported to other countries, such as Pakistan and the Philippines.
由于袁隆平的发现,中国的水稻产量在20世纪90年代增长47.5%。也带来其他益处,5万平方公里原来的稻田现在被用来种植蔬菜和其他经济作物。除此以外,袁隆平研制的水稻还出口到巴基斯坦和菲律宾等国家。
In Pakistan rice is the second most important crop after wheat and will be grown in many parts of the country. The new hybrid rice has been developed by the Yuan Longping High-tech Agricultural Company of China. Its yield is much greater than the yield of other types of rice grown in Pakistan.
在巴基斯坦,水稻是继小麦之后的第二种最重要的作物并将在许多地方种植。中国袁隆平高科技农业公司已开发出一种新的杂交水稻。这种杂交水稻的产量远高于巴基斯坦其他种类的水稻。
Module 5
A Trip Along the Three Gorges
三峡之旅
In August 1996, Peter Hessler, a young American teacher of English, arrived in the town of Fuling on the Yangtze River. He and a colleague were to spend two years there teaching English at a teacher training college. They were the only foreigners in the town. The first semester finished at the end of January and they had four weeks off for the Spring Festival. They could go anywhere they wished. They decided to take a boat downstream.
1996 年 8月。一位年轻的美国英语教师彼得.赫斯勒,来到长江之滨的涪陵。他和另一位同事将在那里的一所教师进修学院任教两年。整个城里只有他们两名外国人。元月底,第一学期结束了,他们有四周的春节假期,可以随处旅游。他们决定顺流而下。
We decided to buy tickets for the Jiangyou boat. Our colleagues said, “You shouldn’t go on those ships. They are very crowded. They are mainly for goods and people trading along the river. They don’t stop at the temples and there won’t be any other foreigners.” That sounded fine to me. We just had to show our passports and they let us get on the boat.
我们打算买到“江油号”的船票。同事们说:“你们不要坐那种船。它们太拥挤,主要是用来运货的。乘客多是沿江做生意的人。那些船不停靠庙宇,也不会有别的外国游人乘坐。”我觉得听起来还不错。我们出示护照后便上了船。
We left the docks on a beautiful afternoon. The sun was shining brightly as we sailed downstream through a hilly region. Men rode bamboo rafts along the river’s edge and coal boats went past. As the sun set we docked at Fengdu. We could see the sun setting behind the white pagoda. It was beautiful.
在一个美丽的午后,我们离开码头。当我们顺流而下穿过山区的时候,阳光很灿烂。男人们乘坐着江边的竹筏,运煤的小船来来往往。太阳落山时,我们的船在丰都靠岸。我们目睹太阳在白塔后西沉,美丽极了。
We slept through the first gorge, which is called the Qutang Gorge. The gorge narrows to 350 feet as the river rushes through the tow-mile-high mountains. “Oh, well,” my friend said, “at least we have two more left.”
穿过长江第一峡—瞿塘峡时,我们正在睡梦中。江水在两英里高的峰峦间奔流,峡谷狭窄处只有350英尺。我朋友说:“至少我们能看见另外两个峡谷。
At Wushan we made a detour up the Daning River to see some of the smaller gorges. The next day we went through the big gorges on the Yangtze River. It was a lovely morning as we went through the Wu Gorge. We passed the Xiang River, home of Qu Yuan, the 3rd century BC poet. There was so much history long the Yangtze River. Every rock looked like a person or animal, every stream that joined the great river carried its legends, every hill was heavy with the past.
船到巫山时,我们绕道溯游大宁河,观赏了几处小峡谷。第二天,我们经过了长江的大峡谷。在一个美丽的上午轮船驶过巫峡。我们还经过了湘江,那是公元前三世纪一位诗人—屈原的家乡。长江有太多的历史。块块巨石形象各异,条条支流都流淌着传说,座座小山承载着过往。
As we came out of the third gorge, the Xiling Gorge, we sailed into the construction site of the dam. All the passengers came on deck. We took pictures and pointed at the site, but we weren’t allowed to get off the boat. The Chinese flag was blowing in the wind. On a distant mountain was a sign in 20-foot characters. “Build the Three Gorges Dam, Exploit the Yangtze River,” it said.
穿过长江第三峡—西陵峡后,轮船驶入大坝建设处的江面。所有的乘客都上了甲板,大家拍照片,对着工地指指点点,但不可以下船。五星红旗在风中飘扬着。远山上写着20英尺大的汉字“建造三峡大坝,开发长江资源”。
Module 6
The Monster of Lake Tianchi
天池里的怪物
The “Monster of Lake Tianchi” in the Changbai Mountains in Jilin province, northeast China, is back in the news after several recent sightings. The director of a local tourist office, Meng Fanying, said the monster, which seemed to be black in colour, was ten metres from the edge of the lake during the most recent sighting. “It jumped out of the water like a weal – about 200 people on Changbai’s western peak saw it,” he said. Although no one really got a clear look at the mysterious creature, Xue Junlin, a local photographer, claimed that its head looked like a horse.
在最近几次露面后,中国东北吉林省长白山的“天池怪物”又成了新闻。据当地的旅游办公室主任孟凡迎介绍,最近有人看见怪物就在离湖边十米的地方,怪物的颜色似乎是黑色的。他说:“大约有两百多人从长白山的西峰看见过怪物,它像海豹一样跃出水面。”尽管谁也没有看肯楚这神秘怪物的真面目,但当地一位摄影师薛俊林声称:怪物的头看起来像马头。
In another recent sighting, a group of soldiers claim they saw an animal moving on the surface of the water. The soldiers, who were walking along the side of the lake, watched the creature swimming for about two minutes. “It was greenish-black and had a round head with 10-centimetre horns”, one of the soldiers said.
最近另有一次,一群战士证实:他们看见湖的水面上有东西在游动。正在湖边行走的战士看见怪物游弋了大约两分钟。其中一名战士说:“怪物的颜色浅绿带黑,圆形的头上有十厘米左右的角。”
A third report came from Li Xiaohe, who was visiting the lake with his family. He claims to have seen a round black creature moving quickly through the water. After three or four hundred metres it dived into the water. Ten minutes later the monster appeared again and repeated the action. Mr Li Xiaohe said that he and his family were able to see the monster clearly because the weather was fine and the lake was calm.
又一次报导来自李小和,当时他和家人正在湖边游玩。他说他看见圆形黑色的东西在湖面快速游过三四百米后潜入水中。十分钟后,怪物再次出现,并重复了相同的动作。李小和先生说他和家人看清楚了怪物,因为当时天气好,湖水平静。
There have been reports of monsters in Lake Tianchi since the beginning of the last century, although no one has seen one close up. Some photos have been taken but they are not clear because it was too far away. Many people think the monster may be a distant cousin of the Loch Ness monster in Scotland. They also think that there might be similar creatures in other lakes around the world. Scientists, however, are skeptical. They say that the low-temperature lake is unlikely to be able to support such large living creatures.
自上世纪初以来,一直就有关于天池怪物的报导,尽管还不曾有人近距离目睹过。虽然拍有怪物的一些照片,但由于距离太远,看起来模糊不清。许多人认为,天池里的怪物或许是苏格兰尼斯湖中怪物的远亲。他们还认为,在世界其他地方的湖泊中可能也有类似的怪物。然而,科学家们表示怀疑。他们说,温度低的湖中不可能存活如此大的生物。
Lake Tianchi is the highest volcanic lake in the world. It is 2,189 metres high and covers an area of about ten square kilometers. In places it is more than 370 metres deep.
天池是世界上最高的火山湖,海拔2,189 米,面积10 平方公里,有的地方水深达370米。
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