星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙系列之一
A question of rights
一項權力問題
Unfortunately, a crime was about to committed but at that moment Lesley was unaware of the impending event, which would affect her life so drastically for the next two years.
一項犯罪就要得逞了。而不幸的是，就在那時，萊斯利對即將發生的事毫無察覺。這件事將徹底改變她此後兩年的生活。
For the moment at least, her holiday at the cottage had been ideal. She had spent many idle hours relaxing on the deck: reading, eating a sandwich when she was hungry and in the evening watching the sky turn from brilliant orange to peach and finally to pale purple, eventually the light becoming dim. It was about this time that the mist would begin to rise from the cool water hiding in the dense forest that hugged the shoreline. Late evening dew glistened on every bush and soon the loons’ call would resound across the water. She decided to take one last dip in the lake. As the cool night air touched her arms, she gave a little shiver and decided it was time to move inside.
至少在那個時候，她在小別墅的假期還是很愜意的。她在平臺上度過了很多閒適輕鬆的時光，讀書、餓了吃塊三明治；晚上，看着天空由鮮橙色變爲桃紅色，然後變爲淡紫色，最後光線終於黯淡下來。就在這時，薄霧開始從隱藏在環繞岸邊的密林裏的冷水中升起；再晚些，灌木上的露珠開始閃爍，不久，潛水鳥的叫聲就會在水面上迴盪起來。她決定在湖裏最後再泡一會兒。當她的手臂觸到夜晚涼爽的空氣時，不禁有些發抖，於是她決定該是回到屋裏去的時候了。
This was to be her last evening alone as Jeff, her former mate, would be returning Zac to her early in the morning. As the case in many marriages these days, problems had arisen between Lesley and Jeff, but they did not extend to Zac. He was a good kid, just entering kindergarten. The couple had come to a mutual agreement, as dictated by the legal custody agreement. It stated that each parent would share Zac’s care every second weekend and this had been her weekend to be alone.
這是她在家中獨處的最後一個晚上，因爲她的前夫傑夫會在早上把扎克送回來。與當時許多婚姻情況一樣，萊斯利和傑夫之間出現了許多問題，但並未影響到扎克。他是個好孩子，剛剛上幼兒園。他們達成了一個依法監護的協議，協議規定雙親每兩個週末輪換照顧孩子，這是她獨處的週末。
Jeff was an architect, with a high-profile reputation, who worked in downtown
傑夫是個建築師，名聲很大，在多倫多市區工作，是一傢俬人公司的合夥人，該公司主要爲大學做諮詢工作。萊斯利的公司已經接下了爲新的科學綜合大樓做廣告的工作，以便爲計劃中的大樓籌集合作基金。她喜歡她的工作，並且心懷抱負：有一天她要管理這個部門。
After a whirlwind courtship and a fairytale wedding the couple had settled down to an urban lifestyle. However, after three years and one child the dreamlike marriage came smashing down. One disadvantage of being young and ambitious was that both of them needed to devote untold hours to their busy schedules. As a result of these late hours, Lesley became suspicious of Jeff’s after hours activities. She accused him of making her part of a love triangle. The whole miserable scene was to set the proceedings for an ugly divorce in motion.
在一段旋風般的熱戀和一個童話式的婚禮之後，夫妻倆定居下來，過起了都市生活。然而，在過了三年並有了孩子之後，這段夢幻般的婚姻開始破裂了。年輕而又雄心勃勃的不利之處，就是兩個人都要把數不清的時間花在忙不完的事業上。由於經常工作到很晚，萊斯利開始懷疑傑夫工作之餘的活動，她指責他讓她成了三角愛情的一部分。事情發展到最痛苦的場面就是提出不愉快的離婚訴訟。
Daydreaming about those earlier days would not help tonight. So with a shrug of her shoulders she tackled the advertising assignment she needed to complete. Tomorrow would be a busy day with Zac arriving home.
那些對最初美好時光的回憶，對今夜也無濟於事。於是，她聳了聳肩，着手處理她必須完成的廣告業務。明天扎克到家後將會非常忙碌。
The next day, as the morning wore on, Lesley became more and more agitated, and her mood became apprehensive, when Jeff did not appear. When noon hour arrived and he still had not appeared, she started making some phone calls. None of their mutual friends had either seen or talked with Jeff that day. Until today, Jeff had always been very punctual about returning the boy at the appointed time. Lesley felt a knot forming in her stomach as a crazy thought persisted at the back of her mind. She was absolutely sure something was wrong.
第二天，隨着上午的時間慢慢逝去，萊斯利越來越感到不安。傑夫沒有出現，她變得焦躁起來。到了中午，他還沒出現，於是她開始打電話。他們共同的朋友都說那天沒看見他，也沒和他通過電話。以前，傑夫總是非常準時地將孩子送回來。一種不祥的想法在下意識地困擾着她，萊斯利感到恐懼。她絕對肯定是出事了。
Jeff sat with his head bowed. He was undecided what to do. The domestic arrangement with his former wife was proving to be awkward. He was frustrated at being able to see his son only on weekends and felt he was always making concessions to accommodate Lesley’s work schedule. Every meeting was turning into a competition for the boy’s affection. His one desire was to take Zac away for good. The enormous decision to undertake this plan appeared to be presenting it self. Today he would depart for a conference in
傑夫低頭坐着，他不知該做些什麼。和前妻商定的對家庭的安排看來是蠢笨的，只能在週末看看兒子令他沮喪極了。爲了萊斯利的工作安排，他覺得一直在遷就。每次相見都變成一場爭奪“孩子到底愛誰”的競爭。他有一個心願就是把扎克永遠帶走，現在就應做出實施這個計劃的重大決定了。今天，他要前往加利福尼亞參加一個會議，這顯然是一個帶走孩子，永遠離開這個國家的絕好機會。他確信他能夠把足夠多的行李裝上車，然後跨過邊境，進入美國後就消失掉。如果被警察抓住，這種行爲是可以構成犯罪的，可他不再多想了。
Meanwhile, for Lesley the nightmare continued to unfold as the reality of the situation deepened. After 48 hours, the spokesman for the district police department assured her they would investigate Zac’s disappearance. Her faith that justice would be realized was faint. The shock of the past two days’ events made her realize that possibly her son would become one more statistic in the missing children file. The police completed a preliminary survey after asking hundreds of detailed questions. Hot lines proved of fruitless.
與此同時，對於萊斯利，隨着事件真相的不斷深入，噩夢也在繼續顯現。48小時後，地區警察部門發言人向她保證，他們將對扎克的失蹤展開調查。她對正義會得到伸張的信心減弱了。最近兩天發生的事使她認識到，他的兒子很可能成爲失蹤兒童名單中增加的又一個新數字。在詢問了許許多多的細節問題之後，警察完成了初步調查。熱線電話絲毫沒有結果。
Meanwhile, over the next year there were countless visits and interviews at the police station and her home. The police appeared to be making no progress in trailing Zac’s whereabouts. As the days passed, Lesley’s frustration mounted and she felt a sense of alarm. Eventually, she decided to take the initiative in continuing the search and she began to use well-established child find agencies. At times, boosted by hopes, she appeared to be on the right trail with a sense of disgust, but her hopes were dashed at the final moment. These obstacles only made her more determined not to quit or to abandon hope. After Zac’s picture was circulated nationwide, telephone calls followed from strangers reporting sightings of a Zac look alike. Month by month her plan evolved into a campaign equal to a full-scale battle plan. She paid an exceedingly high fee for specialized help, such as the services of an attorney. Lesley became determined to target every major city where Jeff normally contracted business. As the months slipped by, Lesley’s exhaustion became noticeable in her eyes. Her cheeks became hollow pits. Most days she felt as though she did not have an ounce of energy left because proof of Zac’s existence seemed impossible to find.
在接下來的一年多時間裏，她在警察局和家中接受了無數次的訪問和會見。在尋找禮物的下落上，警察似乎並沒有取得什麼進展。時間一天天地過去，萊斯利感到日益失望，她有一種恐慌的感覺。終於，她決定要爭取主動，繼續找尋，她開始求助於專門的兒童尋找機構。有時，儘管感到有些厭煩，由於希望的驅使，她還是加入到搜尋線索的行列，但她的希望都在最後時刻破滅了。這些挫折只會令她更堅定不放棄尋找或不喪失希望的決心。扎克的照片在全國傳閱，不斷有陌生人打來電話，報告說看見了像扎克模樣了人。一月又一月，她參與活動的計劃安排相當於一場大規模的戰役部署。她出高薪請專家幫忙，例如聘請代理人爲她服務。萊斯利開始決定在傑夫平日聯繫生意的每一個主要城市去尋找目標。幾個月過去了，從萊斯利的眼裏，可以明顯感覺到她的確精疲力竭了。她的臉頰深深地凹了下去。大多數日子裏，她覺得好像一點兒精力也沒有了，因爲證明扎克還在的證據看來是不可能找到了。
Another year passed and her hopes dimmed. Unexpectedly, late in August a promising lead brought her to
又一年過去了，她的希望變得更加渺茫。但出乎意料，八月底，一個很有希望的線索把她帶到了洛杉磯。
The interior of the bar was dark. Her quest to locate Jeff and Zac had taken two years. She had paid private investigators in American currency to help her locate her ex-husband. In her handbag she carried the necessary proof that would identify her to the authorities if she was successful in being able to bring Zac home again, to
酒吧裏面很暗。追尋傑夫和扎克和下落已經花了她現年時間。她付費給在美國的私家偵察機構，幫她查找前夫的下落。在她的手提包裏，有可以向當局證明的必要材料，一旦成功，她就可以將扎克帶回家，回到加拿大。她焦急地等待着這一刻的到來已經很久了，而現在她只想找回她的兒子，發行量不要出什麼亂子。就在這個時候，一個高個的陌生人溜進酒吧坐下來。她一眼就認出那是傑夫。他看起來很疲憊，顯得更蒼老了，但還是相當熟悉。一陣寒氣掠過她的背脊。馬上就要成功了！她拒絕承認失敗，這正是治療巨大傷痛的時刻。這次，她要確保成功。她帶着迷茫的神情凝視着前方，努力要抓住這重要的時刻。過去兩年的搜尋情景，一幕幕清晰地在她的腦海中閃現。
The following day, happily for Lesley, the headline of the local paper read, “Father turns over child. Mother slams system.”
翌日，使萊斯利感到高興的是當地報紙的頭條新聞：“父親將孩子送回，母親猛烈抨擊體制”。
Lesley and Zac’s subsequent life could now resume some form of normalcy, however, the stress and strain of the past two years would always remain as a part of this renewed relationship in the memory
至於萊斯利和扎克後來的生活，現在可能恢復到某種正常狀態了。然而，過去兩年的壓力和緊張將成爲這種重新恢復起來的關係中的一部分，永遠留在記憶裏。
星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙系列之二
一次機會One chance
The tiny antique silver pin lay in my hand. I stared hard at the solemn face looking back at me from the oval frame. I was looking for some resemblance between my ancestor and my self. Her brow was broad and strong, the eyes kind and forgiving. She wore a stiff black bonnet, a high white collar and a coarsely woven shawl around her shoulders. In examining her face more closely, maybe I could identify some similarity around the eyes and the nose. An inner strength shone from the eyes of this diminutive lady who had helped head her family from
那枚小小的舊銀別針就放在我的手上。我緊盯着那張從橢圓形鏡框裏反過來看着我的嚴肅面孔。我在尋找我的祖先和我自己之間的某些相似之處。她的眉毛寬大濃密，眼睛裏溫和慈祥。她戴着一頂繃緊的黑色軟帽，高白領，肩上披着一條做工粗糙的披肩。再近點觀察她的臉孔，或許我能在眼睛和鼻子周圍辨認出一些相似的地方。從這位身材矮小的女士的眼裏，透射出一種內在的力量，她曾幫助和帶領她的家庭，從愛爾蘭來到了新世界。
The times, in
那時候，在18世紀70年代的愛爾蘭，人人處境艱難。一場特大洪水毀掉了他們的莊稼之後，約翰和莉莉•洛夫一家像其他所有的巴倫斯宮廷莊園的佃戶一樣痛苦不堪。莊園主還算慷慨，鑑於這個艱難時期，允許佃戶們拖欠租金。然而，天氣狀況持續惡化，這個小家庭變得悲觀起來，對他們的生活前途感到絕望。那個時候，幾乎每個家庭至少有一名家庭成員出走前往新世界。飽受饑荒之苦的憔悴面容到處都是，要靠一英畝耕地生活是不可能的。
Last one night, after the children were in bed, John and Lily discussed the possibility of making a reservation aboard a sailing ship bound for
一天夜裏，孩子們入睡以後，約翰和莉莉討論起預定船隻前往美國的可能性。就在當天，約翰在市鎮廣場上看到一張海報，是船主張貼出來招攬乘客的。約翰知道船上的條件對莉莉不大合適，她有一個剛出生的嬰兒和兩個大點的男孩。但是，她認爲在美國定居將是這個家庭取得獨立和謀生的唯一出路。更重要的是，據說在那個新國家土地是免費的。莉莉也贊成出去。
In port, the sailing ship, Hannah, under the command of Captain Mitchell lay at anchor. The adventure of crossing the Atlantic Ocean bound for
在港口，那艘帆船“漢納”號，在米切爾船長的指揮下，正拋錨停泊。跨越大西洋前往費城的冒險要花兩到三個月。乘客們被許諾有最好的食品供應和充足的淡水。暴風雨可能很猛烈，甲板下面的生活條件將是很單調的。約翰加入到了那長長的隊列裏，等了很久以後，終於來到付款臺前。他在合同上籤了字，按要求爲乘坐那艘船的每個人付5英鎊。辦事員爲約翰開了收據，表示錢已付清。
Once under sail the three hundred passengers found them crowded into miserable conditions. The smell of so many people crowded together was offensive. The breadth of the vessel was narrow and the headroom below deck minimal.
可是一上船，三百名乘客發現船上非常擁擠，條件很惡劣。這麼多人擠在一起，氣味簡直讓人受不了。船艙狹窄又很低矮。
As the tiny craft sailed out of Laugh Foyle, and entered the
小船駛離洛夫福伊進入大西洋的時候，就開始不祥地搖晃起來，船上的人擔心他們是否能夠安全完成航程還是會被巨浪吞噬。到處都是暈船的，人們沒有食慾。伙食沒有承諾的那麼好，還常常是腐爛的，水也有鹹味。
Eventually, the winds lessened and the Captain was able to set his sights towards
終於風浪減弱了，船長能夠看準美國的方向，成功地駕船工行駛在平靜的航線上。八個星期零一天之後，“漢納”號靠岸，洛夫一家在美國登陸，成爲美國最早的移民。經過這麼多天的航行，凝視着這片大地，的確令人心曠神怡。看來在船上過的那些艱苦的日子還是值得的。碼頭上的搬運工在忙着搬運行李。頭髮上帶着絲帶的小姑娘們環視着甲板，希望第一眼看到他們到來的父親。對於莉莉來說，登記和辦理移民手續好像沒完沒了。
John said that he would go ahead to scout out some land in the far west of the state. He would push on to the frontier with a bunch of other Irish chaps. Lily and the children could follow more slowly, harnessing the horse and cart to convey their scanty possessions. The stuff in the cart would include a kettle, dishes, blankets, a chair, a bucket and an axe.
約翰說他要先出發，在這個州遙遠的西部找一些土地。他和一幫愛爾蘭小夥子一起趕往邊疆。莉莉和孩子們可以在後面慢慢地跟，坐馬車把他們僅有的一點家產運來。車上的那些東西包括一個壺、一個盤子、毯子、一把椅子、一個提桶和一把斧頭。
There was a perception by the government at this time that the feisty Irish would resist any hostile natives refusing to retreat and thus maintaining the western boundary. The Irish, too, were pleased to settle as far away from the government as possible. Instead of purchasing land, they would “squat” on the property erecting only a temporary, humble shelter to stave off the weather. Once their families arrived, they would inspire the men to build proper cabins. Neither fancy nor elegant, these log structures would be their first real homes. Property boundaries at this time were not marked out with iron rods or stakes in a standard fashion, but rather designated by natural objects such as rocks, trees and creeks. Confusion and disputes must often have followed later, when these survey points disappeared.
那時候，政府認爲，好鬥的愛爾蘭人會抵抗那些有敵意的當地人，拒絕妥協讓步，以保住西部邊疆。而愛爾蘭人也樂得儘量遠離政府定居。不需要購買，他們只要支起一個能遮蔽風雨的臨時簡陋住所，就算佔用了這片土地。一旦家人到達，他們會鼓勵男人們建造合適的房屋。既不奇特也不優雅，這些原木結構的建築物將是他們第一個真正的家。那時，地產邊界不是用標準的鐵棍或木樁來做標誌，而是用象岩石、樹木和小溪等自然物來界定。後來因爲這些測量點消失了，混亂和爭執時常發生。
After exploring the area around Shirley’s burg, John and his sons rode over
在探究了歇里斯伯格周圍的地區之後，約翰和他的兒子們翻過桑迪山脈，在布萊克拉格山下面勘察了土地，他們決定就在這條狹長的山谷裏定居下來。因此這個山谷被稱爲洛夫山谷，直到今天還這樣叫。
At the time, drums were used to fore warn that the natives were going to capture the forts, which guarded the western frontier. Daily life in this new land, for the early settlers, was harsh and difficult. First they needed to tame the land, chopping down trees, in order to be able to plant crops. At times they needed to defend their land and be wary of attacks from wild animals, such as wolves and bears. Mosquito bites caused severe reactions of swelling and itchiness. Once the work was done, neighbors would gather for an occasional social function. The children would play for hours chasing butterflies and looking for girls with them. There would be a delicious picnic lunch spread on the grass. John asked Lily to bring some freshly squeezed lemon juice for the picnic. He found the sour taste of lemonade was refreshing on a hot summer’s day. Some of the men would have a drink of homemade in the moonshine before striking up a tune on the fiddle. Square dancing was popular among the young people and the young lads would leap up to dance with the eligible young ladies. Rivals for a young lady’s hand in marriage would tend to compete to walk her home at the end of an evening. The romantic times were few and contrasted sharply with the stern reality of everyday life.
那時候，當土著人來奪取防護西部邊界的那些城堡時，他們就使用鼓聲作爲預先的示警。在這塊新土地上的日常生活對於早期的定居者來說是非常艱辛和困苦的。首先，他們需要開墾土地，砍倒樹木，以便能夠種上莊稼。有時，他們需要保衛他們的土地，提防狼和熊等野獸的攻擊以及蚊子叮咬造成的腫痛和奇癢。幹完活後，鄰居們偶爾會聚在一起舉行社交活動。孩子們會玩上好幾個小時，去捕蝴蝶，掏鳥窩，男孩子們會逮青蛙去捉弄女孩們，還有佈置在草地上的美味午餐。約翰叫莉莉爲野餐帶去一些鮮榨檸檬汁，他發現檸檬的酸味在炎熱的夏天令人清爽，使人振奮。月光下，有的人還會來一杯自家釀的酒，然後便趁興用小提琴拉上一曲。青年人中很流行方塊舞，年輕的小夥子們就會跳出來與中意的姑娘們一起跳舞。晚上，向姑娘們求婚的競爭對手們往往會競相來到她們的家裏。浪漫的時候雖然很少，但卻和每天嚴酷的現實生活形成鮮明的對照。
Neighbors were also few and Lily found she was very lonely. She looked forward to the occasional visits of the minister, Robert Ayers, who was a Methodist circuit rider. Meetings would be held in fields or small barns, three to four times a year. At other times neighbor women from over the mountain would meet to make quilts, blankets and cushions and to gossip about their respective lives. They would share their secret fears regarding their new lives, their hopes for their children’s future and enjoy each other’s companionship.
鄰居也很少，莉莉覺得孤獨。她盼望着衛理公會教派騎馬巡迴的羅伯特•埃亞牧師的偶然造訪。一年有三、四次在田地裏或小庫房進行。另外，有時候，翻山過來的鄰家婦女會聚在一起做被子，織地毯和墊子，聊聊各自生活中的瑣事。他們分擔着對新生活的暗自擔心，對孩子前程的殷切期望，併爲相互間的友誼高興不已。
Twenty years slipped by and John Love died at the early age of 47. Several years later, son James and his family, as well as widow Lily, his Mother, made the decision to leave
20年過去了，約翰•洛夫在47歲時就過早地去世了。幾年後，兒子詹姆斯和他的家庭，還有他的母親——寡婦莉莉，決定離開賓夕法尼亞到加拿大定居。他們經過艱難跋涉，沿着印第安人的足跡，渡過尼亞加拉河，在今天我們稱之爲安大略的地方定居下來。
I am a Canadian. Having traced my roots and followed in the footsteps of these early settlers, I feel a sense of gratitude to my ancestors who faced extreme difficulties and severe hardship to settle in a new land.
我是加拿大人。追根溯源，沿着這些早期移民的足跡，一種感激之情油然而生。我的祖先們面對艱難困苦，克服重重困難纔在這片土地上定居下來。不論那時還是現在，自由都是寶貴的遺產。
Once more, I glanced at the silver pin before returning it to the velvet box. Once again, I questioned, “What did I inherit from my Love ancestors?” I realize the answer has been revealed while writing this story. I have determination, strength, loyalty and a love of adventure. This is my inheritance.
在把那枚銀別針放回絲絨盒之前，我又看了它一眼。我再次問到：“我從洛夫祖先那裏繼承了什麼呢？”在寫這個故事的時候，我知道我有了答案。我所擁有的決心、力量、忠誠和對冒險的熱愛就是我繼承到的遺產。
星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙系列之三～四
一個大人物和他的城堡A man and his castle
魔幻城堡是世界上最著名的展示才能與激情的名勝之一。這個奇蹟般的遊覽地，就是現在著名的赫斯特聖西蒙國家歷史博物館，它作爲赫斯特城堡，則更爲有名。它位於舊金山以南6小時、洛杉磯以北5小時車程的地方。這座隱蔽在聖路易斯•奧比斯波郡北部羣山之中的綜合建築有165個房間，佔地127英畝，有花園、遊廊、水池、噴泉和小徑，每年吸引大約80萬名遊客來到這裏。要了解這座城堡，你就得了解建造它的那個人——威廉•倫道夫•赫斯特，而要了解這個人，你就得了解他把夢想建在其上的這塊土地。
Born on April 29, 1863, William Randolph Hearst was the only child of Gorge Hearst and his wife, Phoebe. George was a multimillionaire who amassed his fortune through partnerships in three of the ever largest mining discoveries of copper, silver, and gold ores. In 1865, George began to accumulate parcels of land by obtaining 46,000 acres of the Piedra Blanco Ranch on
威廉•倫道夫•赫斯特，生於
William loved the ranch where he spent his summer vacations as a youngster and a youth, playing in the rugged canyons, descending the cliffs and camping in colorful Arab-style tents in the mountains with his family.
威廉熱愛這個青年時期渡過暑假的牧場。在崎嶇不平的溪谷裏遊玩，攀登懸崖，和家人一起在山裏華美的阿拉伯式的帳篷裏野營。
Phoebe was delighted in exposing her darling child to the beauties and wonders of the world and spared no expense doing so. During one of their adventures, an 18-month tour of the historic palaces and castles of
菲比很喜歡讓她心愛的孩子去認識這個美麗而奇妙的世界，花費多少都無所謂。在一次冒險活動期間，他們用18個月遊覽了歐洲歷史上著名的宮殿和城堡，從那時起威廉開始養成收集的終身愛好。他從最初收集德國的圖畫書開始，進行了長達78年的超級消費。他承認一生中對精美物品的癡迷和熱愛，而且因爲有一個用不完的錢包，他對想要的任何東西從不吝惜金錢。
In 1887, while William was at
1887年，當威廉在哈佛大學讀書時，他決定接管一家小報紙《舊金山問詢報》，幾年前他的父親將其作爲一筆賭債接收了下來。喬治更希望他的兒子把興趣放在採礦和經營牧場上，但威廉拒絕了這個建議並於1887年3月接手成爲《問詢報》的主人。他決定購置最好的設備，邀請最好的作者撰稿，提升報紙的聲望。
William’s resolve to succeed inspired him to publish juicy tales of vice and stories full of drama and motivation. In 1895, he purchased the New York Morning Journal, putting him in direct competition with the distinguished Joseph Pulitzer and a circulation war began.
威廉渴望成功的決心，促使他出版有趣的下流傳聞和充滿戲劇性、引人入勝的故事。1895年，他買下《紐約晨報》，與著名的約瑟夫•普利策展開直接的競爭，開始了一場擴大發行量的商戰。
Both the Hearst and Pulitzer newspapers started to include sensational stories about the Cuban Insurrection. The stories greatly exaggerated claims of Spanish troops placing Cubans in concentration camps, forcing them to live under substandard conditions, disease-ridden, starving and dying. This style of reporting became known as “Yellow Journalism”. The newspapers were transformed as the scope of the news broadened and became less conservative. Circulation soared as the public could get enough of the banner headlines and abundant illustrations. At the time, many people believed William actually might have initiated the Spanish-American War to encourage sales. According to one report, when one of his correspondents, Frederick Remington, requested to return from
赫斯特和普利策的報紙都開始刊登有關古巴起義的聳人聽聞的故事。這些故事極大地誇大了西班牙部隊的行爲：他們把古巴人關進集中營，迫使他們在惡劣的條件下生活，飽受疾病、飢餓和死亡的折磨。這種報道形式成了有名的“黃色新聞”。報紙在向擴大新聞範圍方面轉變，並變得不那麼保守了。因爲能夠使公衆獲得足夠的頭條新聞和豐富的插圖，發行量激增。那時，很多人相信威廉實際上可能會發動西班牙——美國戰爭以增加發行量。據一篇報道說，當他的一個通訊記者弗雷德裏克雷明頓請求從哈瓦那回來時，威廉回答說如果雷明頓能提供圖片，他就可以發起這場戰爭。曾有一篇社論引用過他的格言：“跟蹤新聞到底。報道所有新聞。必要時濃縮新聞。濃縮後的新聞常常更出色。”
Another classic example of his influence occurred when; merely months after he advocated political assassination in an editorial, American President McKinley was assassinated.
關於受他影響的另一個典型例子是，他在一篇社論中鼓吹政治暗殺，僅僅幾個月後，麥金利總統就遇刺身亡。
As an intelligent and dynamic business man, William generated increased readership by employing some of the most talented writers in the
作爲一個聰明能幹的商人，威廉通過僱傭美國最有才華的作者，從文學團體中聘用大人物，像馬克•吐溫和斯蒂芬•克萊恩，以及前面提到過的插圖畫家弗雷德裏克•雷明頓，造就了不斷增長的讀者羣。他還顯示了他的創新能力。當時，他包租了一條遊艇，把裝備成一個小型的報社總部，停在古巴海岸邊，讓他的採訪隊伍進入戰場。
William’s interests led him to follow in his father’s footsteps, inspiring him to enter into politics. He was elected to the U.S. Congress as a senator representing the State of
威廉的興趣愛好引領他、激勵他繼承父業進入政界。1902年作爲紐約州的代表，他以參議員的身份被選進美國國會，一起任職到1907年。他還是紐約市市長和紐約州州長職位的候選人，但這兩次努力都失敗了。
While honeymooning in
1903年與米莉森特•威爾遜結婚。在歐洲渡蜜月期間，他以《汽車雜誌》擴張他出版帝國的疆土。赫斯特公司迅速成長以來，總共有包括《問詢報》在內的12種報紙，和包括《大都會》在內的25種雜誌。他並不滿足於出版行業，還把他的事業擴展到電臺，後來還生產新聞記錄片。
This influential media giant was not without his faults. His prejudices were common knowledge. His career was blemished by his offensive remarks about Spaniards, Japanese, Filipinos, and Russians. He printed lies, forged documents, falsified stories of violence, wrote provocative editorials, and published sensational cartoons and photographs to support his opinions.
這個有巨大影響的媒體巨人也不是沒有缺點。他的偏見是衆所周知的。他對西班牙人、日本人、菲律賓人和俄羅斯人的攻擊性評論是對他職業的玷污。爲支持自己的觀點，他刊載謊言，僞造文獻，編選暴力故事，寫煽動性的社論，出版蠱惑人心的卡通和照片。
William hated minorities. He took advantage of every opportunity to heighten racial tensions. His real motive for his hatred of Mexicans may have been the loss of 800,000 acres of prime timber land to the Mexican outlaw, Pancho Villa. His papers described them as marijuana-smoking, job-stealing, lazy, wicked, and violent degenerates. Some suggest he saw the Mexicans as a threat to his empire.
威廉憎恨少數民族。他利用一切機會加劇種族間的緊張關係。他憎恨墨西哥人的真正原因，可能是由於那個墨西哥逃犯Pancho Villa讓他損失了800,000英畝的原始樹林。他的報紙把他們描繪成抽大麻、磨洋工、懶惰、邪惡和喜歡暴力的墮落者。有人說他認爲墨西哥人對他的帝國是一個威脅。
During this period, William met and fell in love with a young actress, Marion Davies. Millicent, his wife and the mother of his five sons, including a set of twins, refused to dissolve the marriage, which obliged William to “live in sin” with the woman whom the tour guides refer to as his “friend” or “companion”.
在這個時期，威廉遇見了年輕的女演員馬裏恩戴維斯並愛上了她。他的妻子，他5個兒子其中有一對雙胞胎的母親米莉森特，拒絕解除婚姻，迫使威廉與那個女人過着姘居的生活，導遊提到她時就說是他的“朋友”或“同伴”。
With the death of his mother in 1919, William inherited the beloved quarter-million-acre ranch. At first, he planned to build modest ranch house on his favorite campsite but as he became more involved in the project, his vision of a monument to display his collections gained momentum. Working closely with family architect, Julia Morgan, William created a glorious and extraordinary castle-like structure, blending Spanish, European, and Californian architectural styles. Huge warehouses were built in San Simeon to store the shiploads of splendid antiques, including entire carved ceilings and walls hung with enormous tapestries. They could be installed in the completed rooms. Landscaping integrated exotic plants, hedges, and trees with native flora. As William was in his
1919年，他母親去世，威廉繼承了那個他深愛着的25萬英畝的牧場。起初，他計劃在他最喜歡的宿營地建一所普通的低矮平房，但當他更多地介入這個工程時，建一個紀念館來展示他的收藏品的想法佔了上風。威廉與家庭建築師朱莉亞•摩根進一步密切協作，創造了一種氣派顯赫的像城堡一樣的結構，整合了西班牙、歐洲和加利福尼亞的建築風格。在聖西蒙創造了巨大的倉庫存放成船的貴重古董，全部雕花的天花板以及用巨大掛毯裝飾的牆壁。它們可以安置到已完工的房間裏來。把外來的植物、灌木和樹木結合進當地的植物種羣，進一步美化景觀。威廉已經60多歲了，他清楚地知道他可能等不到它們長大，但他是樂觀的。他定購了成噸肥沃的表層土，覆蓋地面達5英尺深，把這些植物長好的樣品用卡車運到山上種植。
With thousands of acres of land covered with grassland, trees, natural ponds, and man-made reservoirs available for use, William stocked the estate with herds of rare oxen and deer, and flocks of sheep and lambs. These animals flourished as they were allowed to wander freely. Larger, more dangerous beasts, including tigers, ostriches, buffalo, yaks, emus, kangaroos, llamas, zebras and giraffes were enclosed in the largest private zoo in the world.
在可以利用的數千英畝的土地上，有草地、樹林、天然水池和人工水庫，威廉在莊園裏放養了珍稀的牛羣和鹿羣，還有一羣羣的綿羊和小羊羔。因爲允許它們自由漫遊，這些動物健壯而活躍。那些大傢伙，比較危險的野獸，包括老虎、鴕鳥、水牛、犛牛、鴯鶓(產於澳洲的大型鳥)、袋鼠、駱駝、斑馬和長頸鹿，則被關在這個世界上最大的私人動物園裏。
The “complex” was ready for occupancy in 1927, but additions continued until 1947. Eventually it comprised the main house and three cottages, all of which are furnished with a variety of valuable antiques. Even the lavatories were specially equipped. William’s favorite room was said to be the library with its collections of more than 5,000 books, ancient Greek vases, and an antique Spanish ceiling suspended by cables so it will sway in the event of an earthquake (all the antique furnishings and treasures are anchored as a precaution as this is earthquake country).
那座“綜合性建築”在1927年就已經可以使用，但擴建工程一直持續到1947年。最後，它包含了一幢主樓和三棟別墅，每一座的傢俱配備都使用各種貴重的古董。連廁所的設施都很特別。威廉最喜歡的房間據說是圖書室，裏面有收藏的5，000多本書籍，古希臘的花瓶，以及一個用纜索懸吊起來的古代西班牙吊頂，一旦發生地震，吊頂就會搖擺(所有的古代傢俱和珍寶都被事先用鉸鏈固定住，因爲這是一個多地震的國家)。
In the ‘20s, ‘30s, and ‘40s, William loved part-time at the estate with his mistress, Marion Davies. They entertained to an excessive extent. To be invited to the castle was a privilege. Movie stars, politicians, businessmen, and even royalty were frequent guests. Many of these guests, including a British lord, Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith, Amelia Ear hart, and Charles Lindbergh, flew to the ranch, landing on the private airstrip.
20年代到40年代，威廉時常與他的情人馬裏恩•戴維斯居住於此。他們待客極盡奢華。被邀請到城堡是一種殊榮。電影明星、政治家、商人，還有皇室成員都是他們的常客。這些客人當中的很多人，包括一名英國的勳爵、查爾斯•金福特•史密斯先生、阿梅莉亞•埃爾哈特、查爾斯•林德伯格，曾直接飛到這個莊園，降落在這裏的私人飛機跑道上。
Life on the “hill” was never dull. The visitors stayed in the main house or the cottages, depending on their prominence or their intimacy with the family and were free to roam the grounds, go riding on their choice of horses on the property. Company was expected, however, to meet in the main drawing room at 7:30 p.m. sharp, principally to amuse their host. Dinner was a formal affair beginning at 9:00 p.m. this meal was held in the immense dining room, the walls of which are lined with priceless panels from ancient European cathedrals. Following dinner, movies were shown in the private theater, starting at 11:00.
“山”上的生活從來都不乏味。來訪者按他們的顯赫程度或與這個家庭的親密關係，或住在主樓裏，或住在別墅中，在園子裏自由散步，去馬廄裏挑匹馬來騎，到水池裏去游泳，或者在這塊領地上的私人球場上玩高爾夫球。不過，大家還是急切期盼着晚上7點30分在主畫室裏同主人相見，顯然主要是想讓他們的主人高興。宴會是一項正式的活動，在晚上9點開始。這頓飯在巨大的餐廳進行，餐廳牆壁是用來自古代歐洲天主教堂的珍貴的鑲板拼成的。飯後，在私人影院上映電影，11點開始。
There were, however, three rules guests had to follow: do not get drunk; do not swear or tell off-color jokes; sleep in separate bedrooms if an unmarried couple. Food was not allowed in the rooms. If you wanted to eat, you could visit the kitchen… if you could find it.
不過，有三條規矩客人必須遵守：不能醉酒；不能賭咒或開傷風敗俗的玩笑；還沒結婚的一對戀人要睡在不同的臥室。食物不能帶進房間。如果你想吃東西，可以到廚房去……只要你找得到。
Although William was closely involved in all aspects of the construction and decoration of the mansion, he continued his business and social interest. No stranger to scandal, in November 1924, he found himself in the topic of headlines. The most enduring rumor was that, during a party on his yacht, he had found
儘管威廉積極參與了這所豪宅的建設和裝飾的各個方向，他仍然在繼續他的商業和社交活動。對流言蜚語習以爲常的他，1924年11月，發現自己上了頭條新聞。那是一個流行已久的謠言：在遊艇上的一次聚會上，他發現馬裏恩在親吻查裏•卓別林，他妒火中燒，於是向卓別林開了一槍，偏了，卻意外地擊中了托馬斯•因斯，殺死了他。不過，儘管早上的報紙登載了這個故事，但晚上的報紙和更多的版面就登出因斯死於急性消化不良。
In 1945, William initiated the Hearst Foundation and created the California Charities Foundation in 1948 (the name was changed to the William Randolph Hearst Foundation soon after his death in 1951). The Great Depression took its toll on even the wealthiest and William Randolph Hearst was no exception. His fantastically decadent lifestyle couldn’t last forever, and gradually his finances began to suffer, beginning the next chapter in the saga of excesses. He came close to being bankrupt but
1945年，威廉建立赫斯特基金會。1948年創立加利福尼亞慈善基金會（在他1951年去世後不久，改爲威廉•倫道夫•赫斯特基金會）。大蕭條對即使是最富有的人都會帶來損失，威廉•倫道夫也不例外。他那種荒誕放縱的生活方式不能再繼續下去了，他的財政開始逐漸吃緊。這種放蕩生活的下一篇章開始了。就在他行將破產的時候，馬裏恩在把他從債務中挽救出來。她無私地賣掉了她的珠寶和一些其他的地產，籌集了100多萬美元。
In 1947, due to his poor health, he was forced to move permanently to
1947年，由於健康狀況惡化，他被迫永久地住在貝弗莉山上。馬裏恩在此期間一直照顧他，幾乎沒有離開過他的身邊。當他於1951年88歲去世時，她卻被他的家庭有意避開，並被禁止參加葬禮。
The castle, its furnishings, the artworks in the gallery, and 127 acres of land were given to the state of
這座城堡，連同裏面的傢俱設施，走廊裏的藝術品，以及127英畝的土地在1957年給了加利福尼亞政府。從那時起，加利福尼亞公園和娛樂部一直把這座城堡向遊人開放。
Today a visit to the estate begins near the site of the old airstrip. Guests are transported to the top of the hill via bus. One can still see the signs giving wandering animals the “right-of-way” on the lanes. Deer, cattle, and sheep often halt the buses’ progress up or down the mountain as they meander to the salt licks.
今天遊覽到這個莊園，起點就在舊飛機跑道所在位置附近。客人們乘巴士到山頂。路上，仍然可以看見讓放養的動物們“優先通行”的標示牌。鹿、牛和羊悠閒地在鹽漬地舔食時，常常迫使正在行駛的上下山巴士停下來。
Depending on the tour one chooses, guides escort the public through a variety of rooms, gardens, cottages, and pools. The luxury of a bygone era is evident at every turn. From the moment you arrive at the stairway to the Neptune Pool until you bid farewell to your guides at the magnificent, golden and blue Roman Pool, you are reminded that a man had a dream. He had power and influence. Furthermore, he was prosperous enough to achieve his objectives and implement his dream.
星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙系列之五
加籍華人阿壽Yip Sang, a Chinese-Canadian
The British and Chinese signed the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, each providing their respective subjects with the right to benefit from full security and protection for their persons and property within each other’s boundaries. Even though
1842年，中英兩國簽訂《南京條約》，雙方爲各自的國民提供在彼此的疆域內享有人員和財產受到完全保護的權利。儘管中國沒有公開允許移民出境，但1860年通過的一條法律規定尋求在英國殖民地或其他地方工作的華人有這種移民自由。他們及其家人只要登上在中國任一個開放港口裏的任一艘英國船隻即可。1868年，另一個條約——一個與美國簽訂的條約——給予那些觀光、貿易或永久定居爲目的的華人將家庭及對國家的效忠從一個國家轉移到另一個國家的權利。從而打開了從中國移民出境的大門。
The gold boom in
1850年不列顛哥倫比亞的淘金熱開始了華人從美國移民到加拿大的歷程。在這些早期移民中間，很多人是從福建省、廣東省乘船到達舊金山的。當聽說在不列顛哥倫比亞發現了金礦，很多人從陸路穿越俄勒岡州，過邊境進入加拿大，或者乘船到達維多利亞港。當金礦被淘盡的時候，這些早期的定居者留了下來，轉而從事園藝、農業、家政服務、道路和鐵路建設等行業。到1871年，這個省大約有3,000名華裔居民，其中只有53名婦女。
Since Chinese workers were know to be conscientious and reliable, several companies actively recruited them. As a result, it was estimated that 10,000 workers arrived between 1882 and 1884. In an effort to restrict they entry of Chinese immigrants, an act was passed in the Canadian Parliament confining the proportion to one person for every 50 tons of vessel tonnage. A head tax was also imposed. Records of those who paid the head tax are still available for viewing in the National Archives of Canada.
因爲華人勞工以勤勞守信聞名，多家公司爭相僱傭他們。結果，在1882年至1884年期間，估計來了10,000名工人。爲了有效地限制華人入境，加拿大國會通過了一項法令，限制每50噸排水噸位只能運載1人，還徵收人頭稅。那些交了人頭稅的人，其檔案至今還可以在加拿大國家檔案館查閱到。
An article in the Illustrated London News in January 1875 gave some insight into the emigration process of the Chinese by conveying the ideas of changes they might undergo. The author thought the modifications would be slight and principally external. He believed that, in an attempt to blend in, the Chinese would adopt American language, culture, and dress. However, because the Chinese brought with them a strong sense of their own identity, it wasn’t necessary for them to cultivate a North American way of life, nor did they feel an obligation to abandon their traditions. Much of the article would be considered insulting by today’s standards.
1875年元月刊登在《倫敦新聞畫報》上的一篇文章，通過揭示華人一些觀念的改變，對移民過程做了某些深層的透視。其作者認爲，他們的變化是很小的，而且基本上都是外在的。他相信在努力融入當地社會的過程中，華人接受了美洲的語言、文化和服飾。然而，因爲華人總是帶有一種對他們自己身份的強烈認同感，要他們養成北美的生活方式是沒有必要的，他們也認爲沒有義務放棄自己的傳統。以今天的標準來看，這篇文章的大部分內容可以被認爲是帶有侮辱性的。
In the
在美國，存在兩種對立的觀點。一方面，華人被看成廉價的勞動力，爲這個國家的財富積累提供了必要的人力資源，大多數通常從事危險的職業。另一方面，又有人污衊他們是這個國家的“禍根”。有些美國人讚揚中國人，另一些人則指責他們是惡棍。還有些人憂心忡忡於如果所有移民都決定留下來可能會發生的問題。然而，他們的擔心毫無道理，因爲大多數華人並沒打算留下來。他們最大的願望就是儘可能地攢錢，然後回到中國。
Guilds were set up to provide lodging and employment for the emigrants, for a fee of course. The fee ensured that the worker would be paid a decent wage and that his employer would not deceive him. The accumulated fees amounted to a large sum, allowing the Guilds to help those who were ill or out of work. They not only saw that the worker received whatever was due to him, they also made him pay all his debts. The worker wasn’t allowed to return to his own country without a certificate from his agent stating he owned nothing.
爲移民提供食宿和就業的行會建立了起來。當然，這是要付錢的。所付費用可以保證工人得到合理的工資，不受僱主欺騙。會費累積到很大一筆的時候，行會就能夠幫助生病或失業的人。他們不僅要注意工人是否得到應得的收入，還要使他還清所有的債務。沒有其代理人出具的無欠債的證明，工人是不允許回到自己國家的。
Many Chinese were able to save a portion of their earnings to take with them to their family back home. Often, after workers returned to
很多華人能夠存下一部分收入，回家時帶回他們的祖國。工人們回到中國後，常常會再次到北美掙更多的錢。然而，在中國，被允許上船之前，他們必須證明自己是自願走的，並不是受勞動合同的約束。在開船之前，當局會上來檢查，保證船上所有的人都檢過票，並且不是違反他們的意願離開這個國家的。
Yip Sang, born in
阿壽，1845年出生於廣東，19歲時離開中國到美國謀生。1864年到達舊金山後，靠打工過活，先是當洗碗工，然後是廚師，最後是雪茄捲菸工。從一開始，他就認識到，只要他有耐心，能夠表現出最佳的能力，就會實現他的價值。
Possibly the attraction of high wages rumored to be offered by Canadian railroad companies roused Yip San to leave
也許是受傳聞中加拿大鐵路公司所給的高工資的吸引，阿壽離開了舊金山。1881年他到溫哥華。1882年至1884年，他在加拿大太平洋鐵路的西段工作。先是做簿記員，然後是記工員，出納員，最後被提拔爲供應公司的華人主管。這次晉升使他負責僱傭合同的事務，他把幾千人從中國運送到不列顛哥倫比亞的鐵路線上工作。在建設高峯期間，他管理的華工達六、七千人。
In 1885, he returned to
1885年，他用在加拿大太平洋鐵路公司掙的錢回到中國，並從1885年住到1888年。在那裏，他娶了四個妻子。那時，對富有的年輕人來說這種情況很普遍。他和他的第一位妻子李氏有一個兒子和一個女兒。李氏在婚後得了重病，力勸他再娶一位妻子，以便照顧他們的孩子。他的第二位妻子汪氏，很年輕，有一雙“多情”的眼睛，但卻得不到李氏的認可。她堅持要他再結第三次婚，這次一定會選一個能夠照顧孩子的。第三位妻子董氏比較成熟，有能力管理家務和照顧孩子。董氏又說服他要了第四位妻子金氏，她的主要角色是董氏的幫手。他與他的四個妻子有二十三個孩子，其中一個成爲加拿大知名的第一位加籍華人醫生。他和他的三個妻子於1888年回到加拿大——李氏在他們走之前已經去世。
On his return to
這次回到加拿大，他創辦了一家新企業。他成了一位商人，在溫哥華唐人街的中心地段開了一家進出口公司。Wing Sang公司的業務是從中國進口貨物。該公司爲華裔加拿大人供應在溫哥華不容易買到的商品，並把加拿大的食品出口到中國。
His formula of pouring as much money as he could afford into building and expansion couldn’t help but succeed. In 1889, Yip Sang bought land on
他傾其所有投資房地產的方式和擴展經營的方法大獲成功。1889年，阿壽在唐人街的彭得街買地，開始建一座綜合大樓，這座大樓至今猶在。最初是一座兩層大樓，一樓作店面，二樓住人，這也許是唐人街上用耐用磚建造的第一座樓房。顧客進商店前，要走過鋪在土路街上的木板平臺，以免把灰塵和泥土帶進屋裏。
With the tone of success, Yip Sang added to his building. In 1901, he widened the street to accommodate three more shops, each with a second story above. He also added a third floor to the original building in the same year. In 1912, to house both his growing family and his business, he built a new six-story brick building behind the old one and connected to it by a narrow corridor at ground level, and by an enclosed stairway extension on the third floor that stretched above the alley between the two buildings. Most of the new building was used to warehouse goods for the import/export business.
伴隨成功的步伐，阿壽擴建了他的房屋。1901年，他加寬了街道以適應另外三個商店的需要，每個都是兩層的。同年，他在原來的房屋上加了第三層。1912年，爲滿足不斷增長的家庭和事業的用房需要，他在舊房子的後面建了一座六層的磚房。兩座房屋之間的地面有個狹小的走廊相連，在三樓上架設了一個跨過兩座樓之間小巷的樓梯。大多數房間用於儲存進出口貨物。
Yip’s Sang’s involvement with shipping companies and his own business demonstrated his understanding of the freight industry and his ability to work fluently in both Chinese and English languages. In 1889, the CPR rehired Yip Sang to act as their Chinese Passenger Agent for their Canadian Steamship Line, a position he held until his death in 1927 at the age of 82.
阿壽與船運公司的聯繫以及他自己的事業，展示了他對運輸業的瞭解和熟練使用漢語和英語工作的能力。1889年，加拿大太平洋鐵路公司再次請他擔任加拿大輪船公司的華人旅客代理。他擔任這個職務一直到1927年82歲去世時爲止。
The demand for salted herring in china, in conjunction with huge catches being brought in by the fishing fleet, spurred Yip Sang to build a fish packing plant in
對中國鹹鯡魚的大量需求，再加上漁船船隊帶回來的巨大捕獲量，促使阿壽在南奈莫建立了魚片加工廠。這個廠的成功又促使他不久就在溫哥華島開了第二家。兩個廠僱傭了大量的華工，幫助在南奈莫城中心建立了一個很大的華人社區。
Consistent with Yip Sang’s devotion to growth and improvement, he promoted and fostered education. Not only did he found the Ok Kuo Night School, he also served as its principal for over ten years. His children went to public school, but they also received schooling at home from tutors hired from
與對事業發展壯大的投入相一致的是，阿壽支持和鼓勵教育。他不僅建了Ok Kuo夜校，還擔任這所學校的校長達十多年。他的孩子們進的是公立學校，但他們在家還要接受教育。他從香港僱來家庭教師教他們漢語。阿壽以極大的興致關心孩子們的學習。他的哲學是，把基礎漢語加入到孩子們的加拿大教育中，綜合起來將培養出更全面、更負責的公民。
As a keen advocate of education in
作爲一個加拿大教育的熱心倡導者，身在國外的阿壽還贊助中國的教育。他家鄉廣東的Ling-nan大學和Toi-shan中學就是在他的幫助下建立的。
Throughout his life, he maintained an active role in
縱觀他的一生，他始終是溫哥華唐人街裏的活躍人物。他是當時一起建立華人慈善協會的十一個人之一，協會有一個部門是照顧無家可歸的生病、年邁或有困難的華人的。
When he died at the age of 82, Yip Sang was not only one of the wealthiest merchants in
在他82歲去世的時候，阿壽不僅是溫哥華最富有的人之一，還被認爲是社會的棟樑。阿壽的後代一直以他的成熟爲榮，繼續在溫哥華社會中發揮着積極的作用。
星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙系列之六
理想職業An ideal position
Life is good. My career in elementary education in
生活是美好的。在加拿大教小學的職業生涯，如今成了美好的回憶。回顧多年的工作，我想起了我教的許多班級，我工作過的多所學校，我出席過的數不清的教職員工會議，以及我參與服務的衆多委員會。我估計，這些年來，和我一起工作過的同事有好幾百人了，而有一千多名學生叫過我老師。我要是說我走在學校走廊上總是覺得很愉快，沒什麼奇怪吧？
Sometimes I worked with students at the intermediate level. In
有時，我的工作是教中年級的學生。在加拿大，這個階段的學生和十幾歲的青少年都是青春期前的孩子。
When I decided to retire, I knew that the first step in the procedure was to write a letter to my employer, a school board, to resign my position. I postponed mailing the letter. I was reluctant to add the postage to the letter, knowing that once I mailed it, the decision could not be reversed.
當我決定退休的時候，我知道辦手續的第一步是寫一封信給我的老闆，即學校董事會，要求辭去我的工作。我推遲了寄信。我不太願意把郵票貼到信封上，因爲我知道一旦把信寄出，這個決定就不能更改了。
Because I was a veteran teacher of many years, I would be eligible to receive a pension. I calculated that the revenue I would receive each month would be sufficient to sustain my current lifestyle. If I was smart about my spending habits, I might even have a surplus of money. I certainly would not need to pinch every penny. I knew the money would not come to me in the form of a check. Instead, it would be deposited directly into my bank account. I could withdraw cash from my investments if I needed to supplement my income, my credit rating would allow me to be eligible for a loan when some unforeseen financial crisis a rose. I knew, therefore, that there was no reason to panic, as my future was secure even if inflation increased or a recession occurred. In either case my income would only be minus a few dollars, a fraction of the total amount.
因爲我是工作多年的老教師，我有資格領取一份退休金。我算出我每月領到的退休金足夠維持我現在的生活方式。如果在花錢時精打細算，我甚至可能還有剩餘。當然，我不需要去節省每個便士。這些錢不會以一張支票的形式發到我手上，而是直接存入到我的銀行賬戶。如果我需要補貼收入，可以撤回一些投資換成現金。而且，我的信用等級使我有資格在出現無法預料的財政危機時得到銀行貸款。因此，我知道沒有理由驚惶失措，即使是通貨膨脹或者出現經濟衰退，我的將來也是有保障的。不論出現哪種情況，我的收入只不過是減少這些錢，那只是總數中的一小部分而已。
I decided to take the plunge, but waited another fortnight before I mailed the letter. I even paused briefly with the letter part way into the mail slot before I thrust the letter into the mailbox. I knew that the simple act of mailing that letter would alter my life.
我決定冒險一試，但我又等了兩個星期才把信發出去。甚至在信已經部分插入投信口時，還猶豫了一會兒才把它推進郵筒。我知道寄出這封信的這一簡單舉動將改變我的生活。
I looked for clues to determine how striking the changes in my daily life would be. How would I spend my time? In spite of having many long yearly vacations when I could pursue other interests, I had not bothered to make an earnest effort to confine my activities to one particular hobby. Would I find life as a retiree boring? What new adventures might await me? Would I use my time to volunteer at a hospital or maybe work for a local charity? Maybe I would apply for membership in a golf league. Maybe I would donate my time and work with the Better Business Bureau. I night decide to enter local politics and run for a position on town council or I could run for the position of Deputy Mayor of my town, or maybe even consider submitting my name to be a candidate in an election for member of parliament. I would need to campaign and then wait to see if people would vote for me on Election Day at the polls.
我在尋找一些線索，以便決定如何就會日常生活的改變。我該如何消磨時光？儘管有了很多一年一次的假期，可以讓我追求其他的興趣愛好，我還是想盡力把我的活動放在追求一個特別的愛好上。我會厭煩退休人員的生活嗎？會有什麼新的冒險生活在等着我嗎？我會利用我的時間在一所醫院或者本地的一家慈善機構做自願服務者嗎？也許我會申請成爲一個高爾夫球協會的會員。也許我會把時間貢獻出來爲商業扶助局工作。我可以決定進入本地的政界，競選市議會議員的位置，或者可以競選一下本市的副市長，甚至可以考慮讓自己成爲國會議員選舉中的一位候選人。我需要參加競選活動，然後，等着看是否有人會在選舉日到投票處把票投給我。
In spite of the fact that the possibilities all had merit, I had to admit that I only had a superficial interest in pursuing any of them. In fact, I was indifferent to most of the options. Did I think they might interfere with other commitments or mean I would have to cancel other appointments? or was I just too attached to the idea of teaching, feeling that it formed part of my identity?
儘管這些可能的選擇都是有益的，我必須承認我對它們之中的任何一個都沒有多大興趣。事實上，我對其中的大多數選擇都不動心。是否因爲我認爲它們可能干擾我決定要做的其他事情，或者意味着我將不得不取消其他的約會呢？還是我對教書的想法太執着，覺得那已經成爲我自身的一部分？
I examined my emotions about the new direction my life would take. Would retirement add a new dimension to my life and multiply my feeling of satisfaction or would the world apprehension be more applicable?
我在心裏仔細衡量着我的新生活究竟要走向何方。是退休給我的生活帶來一種全新的方式，使我倍感稱心呢，還是（走出去與人）溝通交流更切實可行？
Did I feel guilty about not being gainfully employed when I was qualified and capable? As a certified teacher, did I feel obligated to work in the field of education? Did I feel entitled to sleep in late each day, or would that bother my conscience? Would I simply grow old gracefully or would feel that ridiculous?
當我夠資格有能力但沒被高薪聘用時，我會覺得慚愧嗎？作爲一個有執業資格的教師，我是覺得有義務在教育領域裏工作嗎？我覺得有資格每天睡懶覺呢，還是那樣會使我良心不安？我是這樣悠閒地衰老下去呢，還是會覺得那樣很可笑？
My instincts told me that although I would feel grateful for my good health, curiosity about other countries and lifestyles would overtake the desire to spend my time with senior citizens, playing board games, such as chess all day. Wouldn’t I rather learn about other cultures and at the same time be an ambassador for my own country?
我本能地告訴我，儘管我覺得身體很健康，應該保持，但對其他國家和其他生活方式的好奇心，超過了希望把時間花在與老人們整天玩像國際象棋這樣的棋盤遊戲上。難道我不能學習其他文化，同時做一名我自己國家文化的使者嗎？
I began to inquire about opportunities and whenever I searched the internet for jobs, I always seemed be drawn like a magnet to the category of teaching. It did not take long before I found that there were countless positions available in many countries. Amid the listings I identified several that were for teaching positions in
我開始尋找機會，每當我搜索互聯網尋找工作時，我總是像一塊磁石一樣被吸引到教學目錄上。沒過多久，我就發現在許多國家可以得到數不盡的工作。在這些目錄表中，我挑選了幾個在中國的教書工作。
I decided that I would communicate with some of the people offering these positions. I sent e-mails and made phone calls to several prospective employers. The feedback that I got from most of them was that they expected me to bring all the resources necessary. How could I pack enough in my baggage to provide what was needed? I was inclined to look for a situation where books were provided. I wanted to sign a contract for only one semester but found that most positions were for one or two years. I could sympathize with the amount of paper work needed to arrange for a person to accept one of those positions and realized that it was wiser for people to spend a year or two in one location. I attended seminars by companies trying to recruit teachers. I found several companies that captured my interest.
我決定與提供這些工作的人聯繫。我給幾個有希望僱用我的僱主發電子郵件，打電話。他們中的大部分回答說，他們希望我帶上所有必需的資料。我怎樣才能在我的行李中裝上足夠的東西以備所需呢？我傾向於找一個能提供書籍的地方。我只想籤一個學期的合同，但發現大多數的職位是一年或二年。我可以理解，要安排一個人擔任其中一個職位，要做的工作量相當大，並認識到受聘人員在一個地方呆一年或兩年是更明智的。我參加了想招聘老師的公司的討論會。我發現了幾個我感興趣的公司。
I began to review my options. I asked specific questions about the positions with companies that sincerely interested me. I inquired about how many suitcases I would be allowed to bring and what the living accommodations would be. It was refreshing to realize that there was a big demand for people who could teach English. Several positions seemed superior in their benefits and they sparked my interest even more. I especially wanted to teach students at the secondary or high school level rather than middle school.
我開始覈實我的選擇。我向真正對我感興趣的公司問了幾個特定的有關職位方面的問題。我詢問我可以帶多少個手提箱，食宿條件如何。瞭解到對教英語的人有這麼大的需求，真是令人振奮不已。有幾個職位在待遇方面好像不錯，這更加激發了我的興趣。我特別想教的是高中而不是初中。
I could hardly believe that I was contemplating dong this at this age of my life. At times I felt that it was a radical idea but I also realized that I had always had the desire to have this kind of experience but circumstances never seemed quite right. Now they were. I decided to proceed.
我幾乎不相信在我一生中的這個階段還希望做這件事。有時，我覺得這是一個過激的想法，但是我也知道我一直有想獲得這種經歷的慾望，只是環境從來沒有這麼合適。現在是時候了。我決定堅持下去。
I made an oral agreement with a company. I read their written contracts, clause by clause; to be sure nothing had been omitted from the oral agreement. In spite of wanting the clause about staying two years to be deleted, I signed the legal contract after a few minor changes were made and initialed in the margin.
我與一家公司達成了一個口頭協議。然後我一條一條地讀了他們的書面合同，確信沒有從口頭協議中漏掉什麼。儘管很想刪掉關於工作二年的那一條，但在做了一些較小的變動後，我簽署了法律合同並在頁邊簽字。
There were many details to consider. After choosing the company that I wanted to work for, I still had to take a long time look at my circumstances. I decided that I would sell my car, put my personal belongings in storage and rent my house. A lot of time and effort was required to make all the arrangements. I decided to tackle one aspect at a time.
還有很多細節要考慮。在選定了我要去工作的公司後，我還花了很長時間認真地考慮我現在的狀況。我決定賣掉我的汽車，把我的個人財產保存好，並把我的房子租出去。做好所有這些安排要花許多時間和精力。我決定一件一件來處理。
The first thing I targeted was to sell my car. As a matter of principle, I felt that the value of the car would depreciate over the time I was out of the country. The sensible strategy was to sell it. Fortunately, my niece wanted to buy the car.
我要做的第一件事是賣掉我的汽車。事實上，我覺得在我出國這段時間裏汽車會貶值，明智的辦法就是賣掉它。正好，我的侄女想買這輛汽車。
I made a list of things to take with me. I was advised to take auxiliary light. I packed battery-operated flashlights to be used to case of power failure. I included a waterproof jacket in case I needed to walk to school in the rain.
我列出了一個我要帶走的物品的清單。有人勸我帶上輔助照明設備。我在包裏裝進了使用電池的手電筒，以備萬一停電時使用。我也沒忘帶上一件防水夾克，以防下雨時需要步行。
I needed to sort my belongings. I had to decide what to save and what to pitch out. For example, I decided I no longer needed my typewriter, as I only used my computer for word processing now, so I decided to give it away.
我需要的把我的財產分類。我必須決定哪些東西保留，哪些東西扔掉。例如，我決定不再需要打字機了，因爲現在我只用計算機作文字處理，於是我決定把它贈送給別人。
I made many lists and developed a cold as a way to catalogue my possessions. As I packed items in cardboard boxes, I made a list regarding the contents on the outside of each box. I packed dishes in towels to protect them. Many times I had to undo a box because I forgot to list the contents. When I finally snapped the lid of a box shut, I sealed it with transparent tape and checked to be sure that it would not loosen. I also included another tag, which gave each box a number because all cardboard boxes look identical. I was careful not to abbreviate the names of items in the lists lest that would mislead me as to the contents. I continued with this method, which also created an index of items. It seemed the rational way to coordinate and organize things. I remarked many times during this phase of my preparations that I had not realized I had so much gear.
我做了許多目錄，還作了編碼，作爲對我的東西進行分類的一個辦法。當我把這些物品裝入紙板箱時，在每個箱子的外面，我再作一個所裝物品的目錄。我用毛巾把盤子包起來保護它們不會破碎。有很多次，我因爲忘記列出所裝的東西而不得不再次把箱子打開。當我在最後啪嗒一聲關上箱子蓋子的時候，我就用透明膠帶把它封好，並進行檢查，確信它不會鬆動。我還準備了另一個標籤，爲每個箱子編一個數字，因爲所有的紙板箱看上去是一樣的。我很小心，不在目錄中縮寫每一件的名字以免使我認錯裏面的東西。我繼續使用這個方法，還編制了一個物品索引。看來這是一個組織協調的合理方法。在準備期間，我多次感嘆，我怎麼會有這麼多雜物。
At times I had to laugh at myself. My activities seemed like they would make a good script for a comedy. Maybe I should write a play about what I was doing and copyright it. It certainly would be good for a few scenes on a soap opera.
有時，我不得不自我解嘲。我的活動好像可以作爲一出喜劇的好素材。也許我應該把我正在做的事情寫成一個劇本並取得版權，作爲一出肥皂劇裏面的幾幕肯定是不錯的。
On the spur of the moment I decided to loan my sofa and my rug to my niece who was moving to a larger home. That would mean a few less things to put into storage.
我不假思索地就決定把我的沙發和我的小地毯借給我的侄女，她就要搬到一個較大的家了。這意味着可以少儲藏幾件東西了。
I fulfilled my obligation to provide proof of good health. I had a chest x-ray taken. I had a complete physical examination. I had dental check up. Because my health reports all indicated I was in excellent health, all of the health care professionals I visited encouraged me to pursue my adventure.
我履行了提供身體健康證明的義務。我作了X光胸透，還作了一個全面的體檢，並且檢查了牙齒。因爲所有的健康報告都表明我身體很好，我拜訪過的那些保健專家都鼓勵我去從事我的冒險活動。
I renewed my passport, my proof of identity as a Canadian citizen. I knew that once I arrived in
我延長了護照的期限，那是確認我是一個加拿大公民的證明。一旦抵達中國，我還要在加拿大使館登記。
My family’s reaction when I told them about my plans was as expected. Although they sanctioned my idea and supported me the endeavor, they were sad to think that I would be half way across the world for such a long time. The frown on my grandson’s face told me that the situation would be especially difficult for him and that he might feel neglected by me.
當我把我的計劃告訴我的家人時，他們的反應和我預料的一樣。雖然他們同意我的想法而且盡力支持我，但想到我要橫跨半個世界，離開如此長的時間，他們還是有點難過。我孫子眉頭緊鎖的表情告訴我，他尤其難過，他可能覺得我忽視了他。
Although I could scarcely argue with the comments of my family about their feelings, for their sake I talked about the time away from home as if it was just a few short days. I would be back home before they knew it. They suggested that I come back after one year for the summer and then return for the second year. I agreed to this plan.
對於我家人的擔心，雖然我不用就他們的意見進行解釋，但爲了讓他們放心，我說這次離家的時間就好像只是短短几天罷了，不知不覺我就回家了。他們提議我在一年之後回來過夏天，然後再返回去繼續第二年的工作。我同意了這個計劃。
Five years ago, would I have thought that this was in the realm of possibility? I doubt that I would have. But here I am in
在五年前，我會想到這是可能的嗎？我想我不會。但是，現在我就在另，已經是在這個正以驚人的速度前進的文明國度裏的第二年了。我可以真誠地說，對於在中國教書的決定，我從不曾後悔過。我還得承認，我從學生們那裏學到的東西，遠多於他們從我這裏學到的。我欽佩他們對知識的渴望，他們含金量在挑戰之中成長。他們從不設法走捷徑，總是刻苦學習，付出最大的努力。他們對他們的英語老師對中國習俗缺乏瞭解的寬容，值得讚賞。他們總是以肯定的態度待我，並且儘可能給我幫助。有時，他們要堅持爲我做我能夠做的事。滿足他們要幫忙的願望已經變成一個習慣了。有一個學生很特別，總是幹幫我提包的事，說他很高興當我的搬運工。
When I started to plan this adventure I had only a vague idea of what the country of china would be like. I could recognize their flag but was not even familiar with their national anthem. My comprehension of the customs of the country was very limited I felt almost ashamed at how little I knew. I did not know if they used the metric or the imperial system of measurement. Would I buy fluids such as milk and soda in quarts or liters? Would I need to learn the Chinese word for gram or for inch? Indeed I had never heard the word jin before.
當我開始計劃這次冒險時，對於中國到底是個什麼樣子，我只有一個模糊的概念。我可以認出他們的國旗，但還不熟悉他們的國歌。我對這個國家的習俗的瞭解也非常有限。 我覺得慚愧得很，我知道得太少了。我不知道他們是用公制還是英制單位。我要按夸脫還是按升去買牛奶和蘇打等液體商品？我需要學習表示“克”或“英寸”的中國字嗎？的確，我以前從未聽到過“斤”這個字。
I knew little about the food I would be eating. Would dairy products such as skim milk and cheese and yoghurt be available? Would I eat only rice and noodles or would the variety of foods be endless? May be I would be enjoying a rack of lean pork ribs as a delicious treat.
對於我將要吃的食品，我知道得很少。可以買到像脫脂牛奶、乳酪和酸酪這樣的奶製品嗎？我只能吃米飯和麪條，還是有各種各樣的食品？也許我能享受到作爲美味款待的烤瘦肉豬排。
I was unaware that there were so many dialects in the Chinese language. I had no idea how I would communicate but when I arrived in china, I soon found myself having a limited dialogue with Chinese people. They would try to speak a few words of English and I would attempt a few words in Chinese. However, I resorted to sign language more than words.
我不知道漢語有這麼多方言。我一點兒不知道如何進行交流，但是當我抵達中國後，很快發現我自己可以和中國人進行有限的對話。他們常常試着說幾句英語，而我就嘗試幾句漢語。不過，我藉助手勢語的時候超過口語。
How much I have learned! It has been a wonderful, rewarding experience and the one comment that comes to my mind is “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!”
星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙系列之七
聖誕節的歷史A History of Christmas
Christmas is the most cheerful and holy of holidays in the Christian world, which boasts of an estimated 1.8 billion people. Although the origin of this holiday was purely religious, it has evolved into a highly secular celebration each year. However, strong religious components are still conveyed in various ways each year. The two are intrinsically mixed in the midst of modern commercialism and attached to.
聖誕節是號稱有大約18億教徒裏的基督教世界裏最愉快、最神聖的節日。儘管這個節日的起因純粹是宗教性的，但它已演變成了每年的非常世俗化的慶祝活動。不守，純粹宗教性的部分每年還是在以各種方式進行着。二者在現代重商主義中，很自然地融合在一起。
Christmas day fall on December 25th each year, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of a carpenter living over two thousand years ago. Christianity, the movement following the teachings of Christ, roused the world over the next many centuries. It is said that the first celebration of Christmas took place in
聖誕節時值每年的
Many secular symbols of Christmas have emerged over several centuries. Santa Claus, in his present form, is a fairly recent development whereas his origin, in part, goes back to Roman times.
聖誕節的很多世俗象徵已經出現好幾個世紀了。現在這種形象的聖誕老人，可以說是最近纔出現的。然而，他的起源卻可以部分追溯到古羅馬時代。
St. Nicholas was an early Christian Bishop of Patara of the Lycian seaport (in present-day
聖•尼古拉斯是公元4世紀時利西亞海港的帕塔拉(在現今的土耳其)的一個早期的基督教主教。迫害基督教徒的羅馬皇帝戴克裏以非法宣揚基督教的罪名把他關進了監獄。後來，羅馬的第一位信仰基督教的皇帝康士坦丁釋放了他。尼古拉斯的慷慨、仁慈和聖蹟爲他贏得了廣泛的聲譽，最終被尊爲聖徒。據說，他恢復了被他們那屠夫父親砍成碎片的孩子們的生命。還說他在三個可憐女孩掛起來用火烘烤的長襪子裏放了一些金幣，希望這些女孩能用這些錢結婚，以免淪爲妓女，而在那個時代，這種女孩的命運大多就是這樣。在聖誕節，把特大號的空長襪掛在壁爐上面讓聖誕老人放一些小禮物的傳統，就來自這個故事。根據這些傳說，現代的聖誕老人的形象似乎顯現出來。
In some European countries, the image of Father Christmas is identified more closely with Saint Nicholas than with Santa Claus. The red and white suit, that Santa wears, is said to have come from the traditional color of early Christian Bishops’ robes. Santa, flying in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, and going down chimneys, originated from an American poem written in the
在一些歐洲國家，聖誕老人的形象更多的是與聖•尼古拉斯聯繫在一起，而不是與Santa Claus聯繫在一起。聖誕老人穿的紅白相間的服裝，據說是來自早期基督教主教的長袍的傳統顏色。在馴鹿拉的雪橇上飛翔、從煙囪裏下來的聖誕老人，源自19世紀20年代克萊門特•摩爾寫的一首美國詩“聖誕節的前夜”。19世紀60年代，另一個美國人制作了一幅版畫，叫做“聖誕老人的作坊”，上面的聖誕老人被描繪成在美麗的落日餘暉下，撓着下巴，讀着信，檢查一份清單(每年在聖誕節以音樂和故事的形式反覆告訴孩子們的各種活動都列在這份清單上)。每年，孩子們在聖誕節之前給聖誕老人寫信，請他帶來他們最喜歡的玩具。
Santa traditionally navigates the frosty night skies December 24th without using a compass or a chart to plot his course. He, in his sleigh pulled by nine reindeer, usually lands on slippery sloped roofs. Clumsily, with his big bag heaped with toys and slung over his shoulder, he jumps down chimney and dumps toys under Christmas trees. Gifts often include a doll for a little girl or a train for a little boy. He does all of this without disturbing the inhabitants. Santa then crawls vertically back up the chimneys and, without a trace, flies off, exclaiming the resounding phrase, “Merry Christmas to all, good night”. He is back at his home at the North Pole before dawn on Christmas morning, tired but very happy after his very speedy sweep around the world. After a big yawn, Santa falls asleep.
根據傳說，聖誕老人在
Christmas carols, or Christmas religious songs, began in the middle Ages when people danced and sang religious songs on village greens (central gathering areas in small towns and villages) in Anglo-Saxon England. A Christmas carol today is a religious tune without the dance associated with it.
聖誕節頌歌，也叫基督教宗教歌曲，始於中世紀時期。那時，在盎格魯撒克遜人的英格蘭，人們在鄉村草地上（小鎮或村莊的聚集中心）跳舞，唱宗教歌曲。今天的聖誕節頌歌只是一道宗教曲子，沒有與之相配合的舞蹈。
A strong religious tradition today, as in other times, is to go to church at midnight of Christmas Eve or on Christmas morning. A priest may say mass (in a Catholic Church) or preach a sermon about the significance of the birth of Christ.
今天的一項強烈的宗教傳統，像其他時期一樣，是在聖誕節前夕午夜或聖誕節早晨去教堂做禮拜。牧師可能作彌撒（在天主教堂）或者佈道宣講救世主誕生的重要性。
Another very prominent symbol of Christmas is the Christmas tree. There are several explanations for its origin. One story suggests that Martin Luther was walking through a wood on a clear winter night admiring the beauty of the bright stars glowing through the branches of trees. He decided to cut down a small evergreen tree and take it home. He put candles in it to represent the stars he had seen earlier because he wanted to share that beautiful image with his family.
聖誕節另一個顯著的象徵是聖誕樹。關於它的起源有好幾種說法。有一個故事說，在一個清冷的冬季夜晚，馬丁路德走過一個樹林，十分驚羨明亮的星光灑過樹枝的美麗。他決定砍下一棵常青樹帶回家。他在樹上放上蠟燭代替他看到過的星星，因爲他想與家人一起分享那美麗的景色。
Another story tells of the bringing of an evergreen tree inside the home during winter solstice (December 21st) symbolizing the renewal of life in the dead of winter. It became associated with Christmas, which occurs only four days later. The Christmas tree was firmly established as a Christmas symbol by the Germans who eventually brought it to
另一個故事講的是，在冬至(
The first Christmas cards were sent in the
第一批聖誕賀卡是19世紀40年代在英格蘭和美國寄出的。贈送禮物可能源於《聖經》，裏面寫到，耶穌誕生時三個國王帶着禮物從東方來訪問伯利恆。我們知道聖•尼古拉斯也送禮物。後來發展起來的傳統是在聖誕節的12天裏，從聲稱耶穌誕生的
We understand that Macy’s Department Store in
我們知道，每年的聖誕節或聖誕老人是在19世紀80年代，由紐約市的梅西百貨公司引入的。如今，在11月底或12月初，聖誕節幾乎在歐美的每個城鎮舉行。
Early on the night before Christmas (Christmas Eve), children are encouraged to go to bed early if they expect Santa to come. They lay their heads on their pillows with visions of what the next day will bring. Santa is invisible to children since no one has actually seen him, his sleigh, or reindeer on Christmas Eve.
聖誕節前的晚上(聖誕節前夕)，孩子們被鼓勵說，如果他們希望聖誕老人來的話，就要早些上牀睡覺。他們把頭放到枕頭上時，就在幻想第二天會帶來什麼東西。在聖誕節前夕，孩子們是看不見聖誕老人的，因爲實際上沒有人看見過他、他的雪橇以及他的馴鹿。
On Christmas Day, families usually get together for a roast goose or turkey dinner served with mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and pie or pudding for dessert. Grown-ups will pour a glass or two of wine or other spirits. Together, families will openly exchange gifts and gratitude. Children, including cousins, nieces and nephews, often kneel on the floor in front of the tree, excitedly trying to find presents with their names on them. On that day, warm receptions are extended to everyone, friend or stranger.
在聖誕節，一家人通常聚在一起吃烤鵝或者烤火雞，還有土豆泥、肉湯、酸果沙司和作爲餐末甜點的餡餅或布丁。大衆們會倒上一、兩杯葡萄酒或其他烈酒。聚到一起時，家人們公開地交換禮物和表達感謝之情。孩子們，包括堂、表兄弟姐妹，侄兒、侄女，外甥、外甥女，常常跪在樹前的地板上，興奮地尋找上面定有他們名字的禮物。那天每一個人都會受到熱情接待，不管是朋友還是陌生人。
For many merchants, Christmas has become the economic boom season of the year. It is estimated that a major percentage of the annual yield of revenue from sales is generated during the month or more of intense Christmas shopping before Christmas. As a matter of fact, there has been some debate for years that Christmas has become too commercialized and that the true meaning of Christmas is gradually disappearing. An escalating tendency has been to buy more and more expensive gifts each year. Some people go into debt, sometimes owing more than they can easily pay back. Some people are personally beginning to rethink this commercial approach to Christmas. However, toy manufacturers and their contemporaries in advertising make a killing during this period. Christmas shopping hits a peak on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, when stores offer great discounts to unload the unsold Christmas merchandise. This is usually the busiest shopping day of the year.
對於很多商人來說，聖誕節成了一年中生意電繁榮的時節。據估計，全年銷售收入的很大一部分，來自在聖誕節前聖誕大采購的一個多月裏。實際上，已經爭論多年的話題是，聖誕節太商業化了，而其真正意義在逐漸消失。一個日益明顯的傾向是每年要買越來越多的貴重禮物。有些人已經私下開始反思這種聖誕節的商業行爲了。玩具製造商及其廣告業的同夥們，在這個期間大大地賺了一筆。聖誕採購在聖誕節後的一天即節禮日達到高峯，這個時候商店大打折扣，傾銷沒有賣完的聖誕商品。通常，這是一年中最忙的採購日。
Christmas has spread far and wide across the globe. My wife and I lived in
聖誕節在全球廣泛傳播開來。去年，我和妻子住在北京時，在聖誕節期間，我們在百貨商店裏看到了很多聖誕節裝飾品，聽到了許多西方聖誕音樂。與加拿大多倫多幾乎沒什麼區別。除了不是和我們的家人在一起，我們就像是在加拿大一樣，慶祝了聖誕節。在我們家鄉，這個季節是一個特別適合全家一起過的節日。我們對過去的聖誕節還有很深刻的印象，也盼望將來有更多值得回憶的聖誕節。
星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙系列之八
相知相識A time to say hello
The year began softly. The weather in
這一年悄然開始了。在中國的南方，氣候溫暖宜人，學生們熱情有加。來年中那些意想不到的事情開始展現出來，很快，又會變成清純美好的回憶。應當把握真情，不言放棄。那是一年的驚喜，一年的愛意。對此，漢語裏有個說法叫做“緣分”。西方人可能只會問爲什麼，怎麼了。要是你願意的話，那麼就請與我一起來分享這段經歷吧。
He sat at the front of the classroom looking anxious but attentive. In those first few days, his eyes bright with anticipation sought approval from me, his teacher. He claims now that he understood very little content in the lessons of the first few weeks. However, he successfully managed to give the appropriate illusion of understanding well. He made me laugh and his peering was also delighted in his sense of humor. He dressed with attention to detail, and his neat appearance, whether in jeans or current fashion, was distinct, a cool guy! There was always something enchanting in his smile, he was charming and handsome and he knew it! Moreover, he was a gentleman. His eyes revealed so much when they crinkled with laughter, the mask removed, or conversely remained inscrutable like still pools of liquid chocolate, containing only a hint of belief.
他坐在教室的前面，看起來有些焦急憂慮，但很專心。最初的那幾天，他那明亮的眼睛裏，充滿了得到我這個老師認同的渴望。現在，他承認，對於頭幾個星期的課程，他幾乎沒聽懂。然而，他卻設法裝成了理解得差不多的樣子。我禁不住感到好笑，他那很有幽默感的凝視也顯露出高興的樣子。他的穿着很注意細節，外表整潔，不管是牛仔褲還是時裝都別具一格，簡直酷極了。他的微笑總是那麼迷人。他英俊瀟灑，討人喜歡，他自己也深知這一點。而且，他也是紳士。他有時眯着眼笑的時候，就拋掉了所有的掩飾，有時又故作神祕，像一杯平靜的熱巧克力，叫價難以捉摸。不管怎樣，他的眼睛都流露出他的紳士風範。
His first writing assignment revealed the fact that he liked me and that he hoped we could be friends, “very good friends”. At that time neither of us suspected just how true that prophecy would eventually become. Inwardly, I just laughed. This was the first of several laughs that showed how little I understood. His presence permeated my classroom and my world.
他第一次寫作業，就表露出他喜歡我，並希望我們成爲朋友，“非常好的朋友”。那時，我們都沒想到這個預言最終會變成現實。我只在心裏笑了笑。那是表露我毫不知情的幾次笑聲中的第一次。從此，他出現在我的課堂和我的生活裏。
About a month later our lives began to intertwine and the delicately woven pattern of our lives began to become more intricate in the coming year. Relationships occur on many levels. Layer upon layer must separate in order for us to speak of inner feelings. It is up to the individual to analyze the variety of feelings at each level.
大約一個月後，我們的交往變得密切起來。這種精心培植的生活模式，在新的一年中變得更加微妙。關係涉及到諸多層次，只有把各個層次分開，我們才能說出內心感受。我們必須按各自的觀點去分析在每個層次的不同感受。
As time passed, we shared our viewpoints and feelings through conversation while chatting over tea and coffee, arousing the emotion deep in our hearts.
隨着時間的流逝，我們快樂地在一起交談，一邊品茶、飲咖啡，一邊聊天，述說自己的觀點和感受，在我們內心深處涌動着熱烈的情誼。
One day flowed smoothly into another. Familiar experience for me proved to be exciting and stimulating for him. Western festival celebrations like Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day provided an avenue to celebrate together, to share warmth and good times. Traveling to new places introduce me to an enticing new world.
不知不覺中，日子一天一天地過去了。我所熟悉的那些感覺竟然也使他興奮、激動。像萬聖節前夕、聖誕節和情人節這些西方的喜慶節日，爲我們提供了在一起慶祝的機會，共享溫馨美好的時光。我們還到一些新的地方旅遊，把我帶入一個迷人的新世界。
Every day there was laughter and underlying cares that carried both of us along to some degree of happiness. We learned together English and learned about life that year. Strangely the gap in our ages did not create any barrier for our friendship, he young and vital, and I was feeling young again.
每天的笑聲和深情的關懷，使我們總是生活在幸福之中。這一年，我們一起學習英語，也學習如何生活。很奇怪，我們的年齡代溝沒有給我們的友誼帶來一點障礙。他年輕，充滿活力。我也感覺自己年輕了。
He offered his assistance, whenever I needed it. He offered his company for comfort, when death visited my door. What did he drive from this agenda, but a few paltry words in a foreign language? May be it was all worthwhile, maybe it will open a window wide and provide a pass port to a new world for his future.
無論我何時需要，他都能提供幫助。當死神光顧我的時候，他陪伴我，給我安慰。從這些事情中，他得到了什麼呢？僅僅爲了幾個微不足道的外語單詞？也許那就足夠了，或許會爲他的將來打開一扇窗戶，爲他提供一種通往一個新世界的手段。
Time continues to slip by as a rushing river. You no longer inhabit my daily world, only my memory. From a distance your voice informs me that you are continuing to learn, you are growing. Some days you are happy, others not quite so much.
時間像奔流的江水，不停地逝去。你不再出現在我每天的世界裏，只留在了我的記憶中。 從你遠方傳來的聲音裏，我知道了你在繼續學習，不斷成長，有時快樂，有時也並不如意。
However, here around me, there is nothing and yet there is everything. My mind remains idle, with only fragments of images drifting in and out. I can no longer be absolutely certain whether this was only a dream.
然而現在，我身邊空無一物，只有一個夢幻般的身影從你的窗戶裏翩然而至，還有那每當我站在你的新課桌旁時那熟悉的氣息。一無所有，但又擁有一切。我頭腦空空如也，進進出出的都是那些映像的片斷。我再也無法肯定這是否只是一場夢幻。
We no longer occupy the same space, but I remind myself that we still occupy the same world. When we chance to meet, hands reach out; hearts embrace, and once again confirm the same magic feeling. Such friendships come rarely in a lifetime. Thereby, I feel blessed and lucky.
我們不再擁有同一片空間，但我清楚，我們依然擁有同一個世界。倘若還有機會相遇，我們會伸出雙手，真心擁抱，再次重溫這奇妙的感覺。真誠友誼，終生難求。對此，我覺得很幸福，很幸運。
星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙系列之九
謀殺端倪A preface to murder
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Sometimes life deals a bad hand. Sometimes it is hard to go on. Sometimes evil triumphs over good.
有時， 事實比小說還離奇。生活有時候使人無助，有時又讓人難以爲繼。有時，邪惡還戰勝了正義。
南希深深地嘆了口氣，從抽屜裏取出女兒的日記。她身體前傾，仔細地看着那熟悉的筆跡。一張彩色素描明信片從杯子裏掉落下來。畫面上是一個熱帶島嶼上一處蜿蜒的沙灘美景。自然，那就是蒙特塞拉特島。在她屈膝去揀明信片時，她感到手腳有些不聽使喚了。她決不會饒恕或忘記那些殘害她美麗的梅根的兇手。一想到一年前發生的不幸，南希就禁不住感到痛苦。她抓起一張面巾紙，擦去眼中的淚水。女兒被害後的這一年中，她不知道流了多少眼淚。南希知道自己患上了心理障礙，她確實變得對日常生活中的事情漠不關心了。她身體開始顫抖，接着抽泣起來。這該死的噩夢何時纔會一個答案呢？
Megan had attended secondary school at a private girls’ school five hundred kilometers from home. In junior school she had been a straight A student. Now in high school she continued to study hard, play sports, join the school orchestra, plus a variety of school clubs. As a joke, her friends labeled her a genius, often just to make her angry. As well as being a high academic achiever she had a great capacity for fun. She thrived on an active social life. Slender, pretty and vivacious, she was the apple of her parents’ eye.
梅根在離家
Every year in accordance with school policy, a student candidate was chosen to travel and live in another commonwealth country for six months. As Megan had an interest in a diplomatic career after completing university, she figure she would be considered a prime applicant if she applied for the position. A detailed essay was necessary to provide the committee with a clear idea of her intention. The selection committee would spend a fortnight reviewing the applications in an attempt to identify the ideal student. Megan also needed to undergo a rigorous personal interview, which would validate her academic background and evaluate her general behavior.
按照學校的規定，每年要挑選一名學生到另一個英聯邦國家去旅行和生活六個月。因爲梅根的計劃是在讀完她上的大學後從事外交工作，她認爲如果提出申請，自己將是被考慮的一個主要人選。這需要向委員會提交一篇文章，明確闡明她的意圖。選拔委員會要花兩個星期對申請人進行評定，以確定人選。梅根還要接受嚴格的單獨面試，以驗證她的學業水平並評估她的綜合素質。
The interview preceded well, Megan taking the initiative to underline her strengths. After school some of her friends gathered for coffee in the café near the school. They confessed to Megan that they were rather envious of the opportunity she might have to live in another country. They enquired about the details of the interview. Two weeks later Megan received a phone call notifying her of the successful results of the interview.
面試進行得很順利，梅根積極主動地展示了她的實力。放學後，她與一些朋友聚在學校附近的咖啡館一塊喝咖啡。她們對梅根很坦承對她要在另一個國家生活相當嫉妒。她們還詢問了面試的細節。兩個星期後，梅根接到電話，通知她成功地通過了面試。
Her parents were slightly nervous experiencing some negative feelings about Megan leaving the safety of home to live in another country. They knew the experience would broaden her horizons however, her destination,
對於梅根要離開安全的家到另一個國家去生活，她的父母略感不安，有一些不祥的感覺。不過，他們知道，這次經歷將會拓寬她的視野。她的目的地蒙特塞拉特，去年發生了一次巨大的火山爆發，使人民的生活陷於混亂之中。局勢動盪、無家可歸和對火山再次爆發的恐懼都在困擾這個島國的窮人。她父母擔心梅根的安全。
Departure day dawned clear and bright. Farewells were made to family and friends and she was off for the adventure of a lifetime.
出發的那天清早，天氣晴朗。在與家人和朋友們告別後，她踏上了她的冒險旅途。
Megan’s arrival on
梅根到蒙特塞拉特後受到歡迎，最初也平安無事。她要在島上住六個月的那個家庭，讓她覺得就像在自己家一樣。島上的生活節奏比在家裏更輕鬆，她感到很高興。她的新同學們接納了她，把她當作他們當中的一員，她很快便適應了。能夠在溫暖的海水裏暢遊，在生長於溫和氣候帶、搖曳的棕櫚樹下閒坐，與寒冷的北方冬天相比，這種改變令人心曠神怡。
One Saturday evening a gang of kids piled into a taxi, heading off for a barbecue on the beach. Some of the girls decided to walk along the beach. Megan joined them, lagging slightly behind. She knew she ought to hurry to catch up but the moist sand felt good under her feet. Water lapped at her toes; the tide was coming in. the violet light of dusk began to darken the sky.
一個星期六的晚上，一幫孩子們擠進一輛出租車，前往海灘吃燒烤野餐。幾個女孩子決定沿海灘漫步。梅根也加入進來，跟在後面慢慢地走着。她知道她應該快一點趕上她們，但腳下溼潤的沙子讓她覺得很舒適。潮水涌來，海水拍打着她的腳趾。紫羅蘭色的黃昏降臨，天空開始暗下來。
In the growing darkness a van pulled alongside her,stopping with a squeal of brakes.Before she kewn what was happening two masked men leapt out of the car and began to chase her,grabbing her and finally throwing her to the ground.The gross attack that followed was brutal and unexplainable.Initially Megan tried to fight off her attackers by clawing at their faces with her nails.Using a coil of rope to bind her hands,the men were free to proceed.First a fist broke her upper jaw leaving her unconscions.Then the hoodlums used a metal rod to crush Megan's skull and finally a knife blade penetrated her neck piercing an artery.After the crude act was completed her body was bundled into the back of a cab and discarded in a ditch in an isolated district far from the beach.
在越來越暗的夜色裏，一輛貨車向她身邊駛來，在尖銳的剎車聲中突然停下。沒等她明白過來是怎麼回事，兩個戴面罩的男人從車上跳出來追上她，抓住她，最後把她摔倒在地。接下來就是不分青紅皁白的粗暴毆打。起初，梅根設法反抗襲擊者，用指甲抓他們的臉。可他們用一卷繩子綁住她的雙手後，他們開始爲所欲爲。他們先是一拳打破她的上頜，使她昏了過去。然後，這幫流氓用一根金屬棒敲碎了梅根的顱骨，最後用刀片扎進她的脖子，刺穿了動脈。暴行結束後，他們把她的屍體捆起來，放到車子後面，再丟棄在遠離沙灘的一個偏僻小區的溝裏。
Realizing that Megan had disappeared, her friends dialed an emergency number, notifying the authorities of the situation. Once Megan’s body was discovered, a warrant was issued for the immediate arrest of the two wanted men. Megan’s parents were notified by the embassy. They in turn retained legal counsel and an intense inquiry began into the case. Those officials with an intimate knowledge of the island felt that the mugging was a case of mistaken identification and a complete misunderstanding, a misguided outlet for mounting frustrations on the island.
得知梅根失蹤後，她的朋友們撥打了緊急電話，把情況報告給當局。梅根的屍體被發現後，馬上發出了立即捉拿那兩名兇犯的通緝令。大使館通知了梅根的父母。他們聘請了法律顧問，並開始緊張地調查此案。非常熟悉這個島嶼的那些官員們認爲，這次行兇是一起認錯對象的事件，完全是一個誤會，罪犯被帶錯路後錯誤地登上了這個島。
Megan’s parents, Nancy and Don, cancelled all their immediate plans and flew to the island. Rather than wait for the small island ship to transport them to the island they were flown in by helicopter. After hiring a lawyer as an advocate for their cause, they began to work with the local police tracking down any angle of the case that would bring these creeps first to court and then to trial before a jury, who in turn would convict them to lengthy jail sentences. As the days slipped by without any answers, they experienced severe emotional fatigue and life became a living hell.
梅根的父母，南希和唐，取消了他們當時所有的計劃，飛往該島。他們來不及乘坐送他們到島上去的島內小船，改乘直升機飛過去。在請了一名律師作爲該訴訟案的辯護律師後，他們開始與當地的警察一起工作，收集與此案有關的各種證據，要把那些傢伙送上法庭，交陪審團進行審判，判定他們有罪並予以長期監禁。但時間一天天過去，沒有任何結果。他們感到身心憔悴，彷彿生活在人間地獄。
The investigation seemed to lag at first, but they were reluctant to interfere. The initial reports from this mess were inconclusive; many of the details not being addressed. As paying clients they lodged a complaint with the Governor of the island. After several months passed, the authorities had a frank discussion with Megan’s parents stating that as each day passed they were less and less liable to solve the murder. They cited other examples of unsolved cases and encouraged
調查工作一開始就有些拖沓，但他們不願意去幹預。在這種混亂狀況下，最初的報告沒有什麼結論，很多細節都沒有提到。作爲付過費用的委託人，他們向該島總督提出申述。幾個月過去後，當局在與梅根父母的一次坦率談話中明確表示，隨着時間一天天過去，查明這宗兇案的希望越來越小。他們還舉出其他沒有解決的案例作爲佐證，勸南希和唐回家。在氣惱和失望之餘，南希和唐明白目前在這裏他們已經無能爲力了。
Once at home again,
回到家中後，南希不再參加社交活動，而是獨自一人消磨時光。這些天，要是你出去走走，經常會看到唐正在當地的一個酒吧喝着一、兩杯啤酒。一年下來，他也忍受不了使家庭支離破碎的這一系列不幸事件的折磨。只要一想起梅根，他就喉嚨哽咽，天旋地轉。
As time passed, it was becoming more and more evident that the stack of paperwork pertaining to his daughter’s case was not going to provide any answers immediately, if ever. Tips provided by the public proved to lead nowhere. The records will remain open until the case is solved, however for the moment the natural rhythm of life has been destroyed. Can a family withstand such a tragedy? Only time will tell.
隨着時間的過去，越來越清楚地表明，有關她女兒案件的那堆文件不會馬上給出什麼答案，也許永遠也不會了。公衆提供的線索也得不出什麼結果。訴狀還會保留，直到破案爲止。然而，現在正常的生活節奏被破壞了。一個家庭能夠承受得了這樣的悲劇嗎？只有時間才能回答。
星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙系列之十
加拿大建國Canada Becomes a Nation
Before Canada became a nation in 1867, the area of North America that now composes Canada was a large expanse of widely scattered communities of British and French origins. It was an area with diverse landscapes that physically divided them from the north of the
在1867年加拿大成爲一個國家之前，組成現在的加拿大的北美地區，遼闊寬廣，到處是分散的英國人和法國人的移民社區。這片土地景色多變，很自然觀地將其與美國的北方分辨開來。這些社區之間很少有政治或經濟上的聯繫。傳統上，這些英屬的北美殖民地與英國和美國進行貿易，而相互之間卻少有往來。這些殖民地甚至還沒有關稅，在一定程度上限制貿易往來。19世紀中期發生的幾件重大事件，使情況有了變化。
英國撕毀了給好幾代殖民地人帶來經濟利益的穀物法和航行法案，並開始對殖民地課以與其他所有貿易國家同樣高的稅率，這是殖民地從未遇到過的情況。
From 1861to 1864, Americans were involved in a major civil war.
1861到1864年，美國陷入全面內戰。過去是美國南方爲英國市場提供棉花，英國與之有着緊密的傳統經濟聯繫。在此期間，由於這實際上是一場南北方之間的戰爭，北方當然不滿英國與南方之間的這種傳統關係。此外，在美國內戰的最後一年(1864年)，佔據優勢並最終獲勝的北方的美國政府，拒絕延續與聯合加拿大——英屬北美中部最大的英國殖民地——簽訂的十年自由貿易協議。這些獨斷專橫的事件帶給這些殖民地的是擔憂甚至是恐懼。傳統貿易協議的廢除和以北方作爲勝利者的內戰的結束，使殖民者們害怕美國人可能會轉而對付英屬殖民地，以報復英國對南方的道義支持。
The need for new markets, and a solid defense system from potential invasion by the
對新市場的需求，以及爲了建立對付美國潛在入侵的可靠防禦系統，使這些鬆散的殖民地清醒地認識到，它們應該共同尋求解決這些問題的辦法。它們急於設法處理這些難題。聯合加拿大的約翰•A•麥克
In the summer of 1864, the maritime colonies of
1864年夏，新斯科舍的沿海殖民地，愛德華太子島和紐芬蘭計劃召開會議討論建立關稅聯盟或自由貿易區的可能性，以彌補最近在與英國和美國貿易關係上遭到的損失。麥克唐納設法得到許可讓聯合加拿大的一些代表作爲觀察員出席。多年來，聯合加拿大都面臨着政治僵局的難題。加拿大西部以說英語爲主，而東部則以說法語爲主。1841年成立的中央政府，則要求一切法案成爲法律之前，要得到加拿大西部和加拿大東部的多數同意。在兩種對立觀點爭論不休，法律草案一再被否決的情況下，要通過重要的法案非常困難。加拿大人認識到一個更爲廣泛的新型的聯盟，一種可能的新型國家制度或中央政府，可以作爲避免這種時常發生的政治混亂的一個可行的解決辦法。
The Canadian delegates sailed on board a cruise ship down the St. Lawrence River, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to
加拿大的代表們乘坐一艘遊船沿勞倫斯河航行到勞倫斯灣，抵達愛德華太子島的夏洛特敦。在那裏，大會廣泛討論了聯合所有英屬殖民地建立一個國家的可能性。
After much complicated debate at another convention in
同年，在魁北克城的另一次會議上，經過錯綜複雜的討論後，代表們提交了一份建立加拿大國家的協議草案。大部分工作是由一些那時德高望重的人完成的，他們成爲歷史上有名的“聯邦國父”。聯合加拿大被劃分爲安大略省和魁北克省。一些特權給了魁北克，因爲它與其他省不同，是一個以說法語爲主的天主教省，有其特殊需要。新斯科舍和新布倫斯威克。這四個省形成了新國家的雛形。在以後的歲月裏，他們以靈活的方式說服了其他殖民地加入了這個國家。
A federal system, with powers distributed between the central and provincial governments, was created. The provinces were assigned powers to have their own governments to deal with more local or provincial issues, the federal system would promote harmony among provinces, with different perspectives on nationhood. This was a compromise, so that the bigger provinces of
一種在中央和省政府之間分享權力的聯邦體制創建起來了。各省被賦予權力，擁有自己的政府以處理更多的地方事務。這種聯邦體制可望促進各省之間彼此協調，儘管它們站在本民族立場上有不同的觀點。這是一種折衷的辦法，致使較大的安大略省和魁北克省不能完全支配較小的省。這個國家被稱爲加拿大自治領，但仍然是大英帝國的一個成員，效忠英國。
The new legislation that created
使加拿大成爲一個國家的新法案是一項叫做“1867年英屬北美法案”的英國國會法案。
The development of the country, as we know it today, was an evolutionary process over more than eight decades.
正如我們今天所知道的那樣，這個國家在80多年裏不斷髮展演進。在幾次涉及聯邦政府和梅蒂斯人的有爭議的事件之後，馬尼托巴成爲加拿大的一個省。梅蒂斯人是美洲印第安女孩與法國毛皮貿易商的後裔，講法語。這個族羣定居在加里要塞附近的溫尼伯城，即今馬尼托巴。
John A. Macdonald, the new and first Prime Minister of the new nation, made a deal with the western-most colony in
約翰•A•麥克唐納，這個新興國家的第一任總理，與溫哥華的最西邊的殖民地達成協議，保證說如果該殖民地加入加拿大聯邦，他將建一條從西到東的鐵路。梅蒂斯人的地產——他們認爲是合法擁有的——正好在這條新鐵路線上。聯邦政府完全剝奪了他們的土地。梅蒂斯人被迫向西，但並非沒有抵抗。(梅蒂斯人不可避免地要與聯邦政府進行抗爭。他們的對聯邦政府的兩次反叛考驗了聯邦政府的權威和說法語與說英語的加拿大之間的關係。)在兩次衝突中，聯邦政府都成功以失敗了梅蒂斯人。1885年，梅蒂斯人的領袖路易斯•瑞爾，因帶頭試圖反抗聯邦政府以叛國的罪名被絞死。他成爲說法語的加拿大人的死難者。他的遇難對說法語和說英語的加拿大之間日益激化的糾紛無疑是火上澆油。
Throughout this whole period, 1869 to 1885, the federal (or central) government ignored the appeals of the Métis. It appeared that, according to Macdonald and his followers, the creation of the new nation was more important than relieving the plight of a relatively small minority group. The Métis probably deserved much better of the federal government. Different versions of these events are still debated in Canadian classrooms today.
在整個1869年至1885年期間，聯邦政府都沒有理睬梅蒂斯人的訴求。很顯然，在麥克唐納和他的繼任者們看來，建立一個新國家比解除一個相對弱小的少數民族的困境更重要。也許，梅蒂斯人可以享受到聯邦政府更好的待遇。今天，在加拿大的教室裏，對這些事件的不同看法不在爭論不休。
Macdonald was also criticized for concealing the fact that he took some money illegally to complete the railway. In 1873 as “The Pacific Scandal” became known, the construction of the railway suspended temporarily. The determined Macdonald and his government, obsessed by the possibility of the Americans moving in and taking over the west, boldly pushed railway construction to completion.
麥克唐納還被指責隱瞞事實，非法挪用資金完成鐵路建設。那次有名的1873年的“太平洋醜聞”曾使鐵路建設一度停了下來。後來麥克唐納和他的政府，由於擔心美國人入侵併接管西部，堅定果斷地推動完成鐵路建設。
1870年馬尼托巴成爲一個省，1871年英屬哥倫比亞加入，1873年愛德華太子島加入，1905年艾伯塔和薩斯喀徹溫加入。1949年，紐芬蘭島獲准加入聯邦，使擁有10個省的東岸到西岸的加拿大聯邦完整起來，也就是今天的加拿大。那條鐵路，即加拿大太平洋鐵路在預定完工日期之前也已建成。
加拿大的立國之路崎嶇不平，繼續保持下去更是充滿艱辛。在開始的100多年裏，她面臨許多挑戰一直是並且現在仍然是保持國家的統一。說法語與說英語的加拿大之間的關係是最難處理的。這個加拿大歷史上的房屋主題，始於1756年至1763年的七年戰爭(或者在北美，通常叫做法印戰爭)期間英國打敗新法蘭西的時候。近20年裏，魁北克舉行的旨在使該省脫離加拿大的公民投票，在那裏勉強被失敗。這個挑戰在今後的日子裏還會依然存在。
So far, the country has remained strong, and has traditionally played a significant role in international affairs.
迄今爲止，這個國家還是強大的，並一直在國際事務中扮演着重要角色。加拿大對21世紀寄以厚望。好需要具有創造性的外交策略，避免隱藏在外表下的內部摩擦導致自我毀滅。她需要找到一條道路，實現多年以前“聯邦國父”的夢想。一個美好的期待是，機遇關照加拿大去實現這些夢想，真正成爲最初所設想的那樣一個國家。
星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙系列之十一
天空觀察Sky Watch
Today the wind and rain drove fiercely against my apartment window. It was the tail end of a typhoon. Every year, as the calendar indicates the approach of autumn, these destructive tropical storms account for both death and destruction along
今天暴風雨不在擊打着我的寓所窗戶，不過颱風就要結束了。每年當日歷提示秋天來臨時，這些破壞性極強的熱帶風暴就會給亞洲沿海地區，帶來人員傷亡和財產損失。平均每年可能有15次這樣的暴風雨。面對這些災難，很多居民抱着漫不經心的態度，但提高防範意識纔是明智的。
As the water dripped from my balcony and accumulated into free-flowing rivers on the road beneath, I was reminded of the extreme weather that affected the residents of
雨水從陽臺上滴落下來，在下面的道路上匯聚成肆意流淌的水流。這使我聯想到侵擾北美居民的那些極端惡劣的氣候。颶風、龍捲風、雪暴、冰暴和雷暴，都是可能威脅到整個社會的極端的氣候現象。每次風暴都有其獨特的特點，展現出特有的魔力和恐怖景象。
Every fall hurricanes slam the
每年秋天，颶風都要猛烈攻擊美國海岸。它們打翻船隻，颳倒大樹，沖毀成片的公共海灘，還常常造成人員傷亡。所幸的是，由於有了先進的預警系統，當局能夠將這種混亂不堪的狀況降到最低限度。但不管怎樣，還是有一部分人忽視這些警告。營救這些不負責任的成年人的重任就落在了當局身上。這時，政府預算就顯得很勉強。要調集足夠的物資，保證爲一個國家的所有地區提供幫助，使得財政吃緊。
Hurricanes seldom reach
颶風很少影響到加拿大的安大略省。但在1954年，黑茲爾颶風卻使多倫多的居民遭遇了一個充滿灌水和恐懼的可怕夜晚。爲了應付那次災難，所有救援機構都盡了最大的努力。
In
在安大略，嚴酷的冬天從十一月一直延續到四月，常常有暴風雪。當氣象預報員預報說有惡劣的暴風雪時，人們就得調整他們的旅遊和體育運動計劃，特別是調整他們的衣着。汽車駕駛員在這樣的環境裏必須更加小心。除雪成了北方城市的主要開支之一。家庭調整了他們的週末休假計劃，一起呆在家裏，安全地坐在熾熱的爐火前觀看錄像。當挺拔的常青樹上掛滿蓬鬆的白雪時，人們就可以欣賞在深藍色天空襯托下的美麗雪景了。
In 1998,
1998年，安大略的居民又遭受了一場殘酷的冰暴的蹂躪。電力線路在冰凍的重壓下癱瘓了，人們的生命受到嚴重威脅。好幾個星期，人們的生活中沒有電。該省的偏遠地區幾個月後生活才恢復正常。安大略的加拿大地盾區有大量的岩石、樹木和湖泊。夏天夜晚，雷暴會上演蔚爲壯觀的好戲。鋸齒形的道道閃電相繼劃破長空，聲聲雷鳴在水面上迴響。每次暴風雨都是一次大自然的絕無僅有的精彩演出。
When individuals encounter the impressive forces of nature we are reminded that we are indeed weak and insignificant!
當遭遇到令人難忘的大自然的暴力時，人們就會想到人類的確是柔弱無力而又微不足道的。
星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙系列之十二
管道膠帶The Duet Tape
Among the contents of the toolboxes of most people in the western world you would expect to find a hammer and nails, a drill, screw drivers and some screws. But if you were to ask people from
星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙♪在西方，多數人的工具箱中，你可望找到一把錘子和一些釘子，一把鑽子，幾把螺絲刀和一些螺絲釘。不過，你要是問北美人什麼是他們工具欄裏最有用的東西，多數人會肯定地告訴你那是管道膠帶。的確，在每個人認爲必備的東西中，管道膠帶已經是必不可少的物品了。
Maybe you have never heard of duct tape. It is the brand name of a tape. Not only is it a tape, but also it is a special kind of tape.
也許你還沒有聽說過管道膠帶吧。它是一種帶子的商標名稱。它不僅是帶子，而且是一種很特殊的帶子。
The name of the tape comes from the fact that it was designed as an insulating tape that can be used in duct work (channels or conduits that are used for heat to travel through to get to different areas of a building). Incredible though it seems, someone actually put a picture of a duck on the packaging of the tape from one manufacturer perhaps just as a joke or maybe because the design artist did not understand the origin of the name. Neither the word duck nor duct was on the label. Presumably, it was assumed that everyone could identify the product.
這種帶子原是用於管道工程(用於將熱能傳送到大樓各個部分的管道或導管)的一種絕緣密封帶子，並由此而得名。儘管看來不可思議，但確實有人將一幅鴨子的照片放在了一家生產這種帶子的產品包裝上。這也許只是一個玩笑，抑或是包裝設計師不懂這個名稱的由來。標籤上既沒有鴨子也沒有管道字樣。大概每個人都是能認得這種產品。
You can recognize the genuine tape because of its silver grey color. The color was likely chosen because it closely resembles the color of the pipes the color of the pipes it would be used on. That was the primary intended use of the tape. It was unlikely that the inventor realized how many other uses could be found for this product.
你可以認出這種真正的帶子，它是銀灰色的。之所以選擇這種顏色，很可能是因爲它與管道的顏色相似。那纔是爲這種帶子設計的主要用途。發明人未必想到人們可能會爲它找到許多其他用途。
Ingenious people have found many alternative uses for this tape. The binder on the tape is of good quality and it will stick to most surfaces. The tape is of great strength. It is impossible to tear the tape. It must be cut. The durable nature of the tape is one of its main assets.
聰明的人們發現了這種帶子的許多其他用途。這種帶子上的粘合劑質量很好，能夠粘着在大多數物體的表面。帶子的強度很大，不可能被撕破，所以必須用刀切割。耐久性是這種帶子的最可貴之處。
It comes in a variety of widths and the length of the tape on the roll will vary as well. The number of centimeters wide and the number of meters long will determine the price of the roll.
它被製成多種寬度，一卷帶子的長度也可以變化。一卷帶子有幾釐米寬和幾米長決定了它的價格。
The duct tape is acquiring fame as the number of its uses for it exceeds the thoughts possible. The number of uses for this tape will amaze you. One internet Website started out trying to identify 101 uses for the duct tape and the list has well over 200 uses on it now. Maybe there are an infinite number of uses. Some of the items it lists involve an imagination but others are quite genuine. Not even a kindergarten student requires instruction on how to use it. One idea seems to generate another, inspired by the unique way someone else has decided to make use of the tape. However, some of the uses are not feasible to execute. For instance, the use of the tape as a bandage is not recommended. It could cause injury when it is removed. You must evaluate the list with a sense of humor as some of the uses could embarrass a person. The commercial value of the tape is undoubtedly tremendous with huge profits resulting from the sales. The product practically promotes itself without much need for publicity.
管道膠帶之所以有名，在於它的用途超出人們的想象，多得讓人吃驚。一個互聯網站最開始爲這種帶子列舉了101種用途，而現在這個清單上已經超過200種了。可能有數不完的用途。在這個清單上有的用途可能只是一種想象，但其他一些用途確實是相當實在的。甚至幼兒園的學童不用教就可以學會怎樣使用。別人以獨特的方式使用帶子的富有靈感的一個念頭似乎會引發另外的想法。不過， 有些用途是不可行的。例如，將這種帶子作爲繃帶就不值得推薦。去掉它時會造成傷害。你必須帶着幽默感去評價這份清單，因爲有些用途會給人帶來麻煩。這咱帶子的商業價值毫無疑問是巨大的，能帶來豐厚的銷售利潤。實際上，這種產品不需要廣泛宣傳，本身就可以促銷。
Sometimes you see people, usually male rather than female, wearing shirts that have a slogan written on them that says, “I can fix anything”——and then there is a picture of a duct tape below the saying. The implication presumably is that the duct tape replaces skill.
有時候你看到人們，通常是男性而非女性，穿的襯衫上寫着：“我能維修一切”的字樣，下面有張管道膠帶的圖片。其含義當然是這種管道膠帶能取代技能。
Another good marketing strategy that people enjoy is the use of a calendar. There is one page on the calendar for every day of the year and each page shows and describes a new use of the duct tape.
另一個人們慣用的有效營銷策略是利用日曆。有種日曆上一年中的每一天都有單獨一頁，每頁上都展示和說明管道膠帶的一種新用途。
One of the typical uses of the duct tape is to repair a leak in a faucet or water tap. If the hose of a vacuum cleaner has a hole in it, the duct tape will come to rescue. Almost every household in
管道膠帶的一個典型的用途是修理水龍頭。如果真空吸塵器上面的軟管有個洞，管道膠帶就派上用場了。幾乎北美的每個家庭都至少有一卷管道膠帶。人們身邊有了它，可以修理幾乎所有東西。人人都認爲購買額外的帶子是必要的，所以銷量在繼續攀升。
Many people like to boast about how often they use the tape. They say that the usage of duct tape has allowed them to simplify their life and to decrease the cost of repairs.
許多人喜歡誇耀他們是如何經常地使用這種帶子。他們說使用管道膠帶簡化了他們的生活，並且減少了修理費用。
It can be used indoors in the interior of a house but there are abundant uses outside the house as well. If there is a chip out of a glass object, the duct tape can be used to protect the user from being injured.
它不僅可用於室內，在室外也有廣泛的用途。比如玻璃製品破裂後產生碎片，管道膠帶可用於保護使用者不受傷害。
Repairing or reinforcing a joint on an aluminum ladder that a person is using would be a valuable use of the tape.
修理或加固一個人正在使用的鋁製梯子的接頭時，可以利用這種帶子。
The tape has proved to be bargain. Even if the manufacturers charged twice as much for the tape, it would still be a best seller in the western world. The retail price is very reasonable. In addition it is convenient to store, and despite the number of apparent uses, people are always finding more ways to utilize it. It has become a vital item for every household.
這種帶子的確是廉價品。即使廠家把售價提高一倍，它在西方仍然是暢銷貨。它的零售價非常合理。此外，它容易儲存，雖然有許多明顯的用途，人們仍然可以發現更多新的使用方法。它已經成爲每個家庭必備的物品。
The glue on the tape is a wonderful adhesive agent and will bond well to anything from a piece of crystal to the handle of a broom. There have been reports of people using the tape to trap insects. Crickets, for example, were found stuck to the tape by one person. Maybe the glue was able to attract them or maybe they just were in the wrong place. Criminals have been known to use the tape on their victims. During a robbery, a robber used the duct tape on the witnesses to keep them from reporting the crime until he had escaped. It was apparent that the robber came armed with the duct tape, anticipating the need for its use.
這種帶子的粘膠是一種極好的粘合劑，它能牢固地粘接到任何東西上，不論是一塊水晶還是一個掃帚把。據報道，有人用這種帶子誘捕昆蟲。例如有人曾用帶子粘住蟋蟀。也許是這種粘膠對昆蟲有吸引力，也可能只是認錯了地方。罪犯們也知道將這種帶子用於受害者。在一次搶劫中， 一個劫犯用管道膠帶將目擊者粘住，使他們不能去報案，直到罪犯逃之夭夭。顯然，那個劫犯是帶着管道膠帶來的，事先考慮到它的用途。
One evening a sea breeze was causing a window on a campus dormitory to crash repeatedly as the clasp on it had been broken. The Duct tape put a swift end to the nuisance of the constant banging. Although it was obvious it was not a permanent solution of the problem, nevertheless, the temporary use of the duct tape was appreciated until the window could be replaced or someone could install a better latch.
一天晚上，一陣海風使校園宿舍的一扇窗子碰來碰去，響個不停，因爲上面的鉤子壞了。管道膠帶很快就止住宅樓了那討厭的持續不斷的碰撞聲。儘管那顯然不是解決問題的長遠之計，但在換掉那扇窗子或有人爲它安裝一個好插銷之前，仍不失爲一種值得讚許的臨時辦法。
You can even accomplish repairs on vehicles, which sometimes means the difference between being stopped in traffic or being able to continue your journey. Many motorists have had to resort to the use of the duct tape in an emergency situation. Drivers often keep a roll of duct tape in the trunk of their car for that reason. It is a tremendous relief when you are able to wrap a piece of duct tape around a leaking hose that you discover at a time when it is not convenient to replace it. Thanks to the duct tape, the driver can become mobile again. The fear of being stranded on a lonely stretch of highway is lessened when you carry a duct tape.
你甚至可以成功地修理交通工具，有時候這就決定了你是停止前進還是繼續你的行程。許多機動車駕駛員在緊急情況下不得不求助於管道膠帶。爲此，駕駛員們常常在他們的車廂裏放上一卷管道膠帶。當你發現管子漏了，又不便於更換，而你卻能夠用一段管道膠帶包纏好時，該是多麼的愜意啊。用了管道膠帶，駕駛員又可以上路了。只要你備有管道膠帶，對在公路的偏僻路段上束手無策的擔心就會少多了。
Other forms of transportation make good use of the tape as well. Usage for it can be found on boats, and also on airplanes. For instance, a sky driver once reported that jumping out of a small airplane did not scare her as much as riding in a small plane that appeared to have lots of duct tape.
在其他的交通方式上管道膠帶也有它的用途。在船上有它的用途，在飛機上也有。比如，一個跳傘運動員曾說，如果所乘的小飛機上同時還載有很多管道膠帶的話，從小飛機上跳出來比乘坐小飛機還安全。
Sports and recreational activities make good use of this tape as well. If you’re audio cassette player will not stay closed, use a piece of duct tape to position the tape holder. It might look odd but it will serve the purpose. If a hockey stick needs to be taped, use duct tape!
運動和娛樂活動也是這種帶子的用武之地。如果你的盒式磁帶放音機不緊，就用一節管道膠帶固定磁帶卡吧。看起來有點怪怪的，卻很管用。如果曲棍球棍需要用帶子包纏，那就用管道膠帶吧！運動員們，不管是職業的還是業餘的，都喜歡用它。
It can be used to compress a package, making more cargo fit in a carrier. You can use it repair a leaky toilet, or to fix a crack on a toilet seat.
它可以用來壓緊包裹，使得一件行李中裝進更多的東西。可以用它修補漏水的馬桶，修理馬桶座圈的裂縫。
If you wrap duct tape around a newspaper, it can be used to make a dog’s chew toy.
如果用管道膠帶纏卷一張報紙，就可以用做狗嚼棒。
If you get an opportunity to use this product, you will also discover many uses for it and you will agree that it is one of the world’s best inventions.
你要是有機會使用這種產品，並發現它的許多用途，你就會同意說它是世界上最好的發明之一。
星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙系列之十三
諾爾曼•白求恩：一個在中國的加拿大英雄Norman Bethune: a Canadian Hero in
Norman Bethune was born in
諾爾曼•白求恩於1890年出生在加拿大安大略省的格雷文赫斯特。他的家族有從事公共事業的悠久歷史，這毫無疑問地影響了他以後的發展。從一開始，他還是一個青年大學生的時候，他就立下志向，他的叢生目標就是要有一顆憐憫之心，承擔起社會責任，幫助不幸的人們擺脫貧困的桎梏，獲得自由。他堅定不移地培養了一種無私的精神，這種精神貫穿他的一生，從不考慮個人的得失。他有一次不成功的婚姻，最終以離婚收場。他生活中的唯一目的是讓醫術精益求精和積極從事人道主義活動。在這種情況下，可想而知，比他年輕得多的妻子弗朗西斯是難以接受的。
From 1911to 1912, Bethune worked as a lumberjack and teacher in a remote area of
1911年到1912年，白求恩在安大略的一個偏遠地區做一名伐木工和教師。他在“邊疆學院”教書。那是一所專門爲伐木營地的成年工人提供基礎教育的學校。
During the First World War, he became a stretcher bearer (helping to carry the wounded from the battlefields). He, himself, was wounded by shrapnel (fragments of exploding shells). He was confined, as a patient, to hospitals for months, receiving therapy and recuperating from his injuries.
第一次大戰期間，他成了一名擔架手(幫助從戰場上運送傷員)。他自己也被流彈(爆炸後彈殼的碎片)所傷。作爲一個病人，他不得不在醫院住了幾個月，接受治療，等待傷口康復。
After the war, he completed his internship at the hospital for sick children in
戰後，他在英國倫敦的兒童醫院完成了實
Later, in the
之後，在美國，白求恩就與貧窮和落後聯繫在一起了。但他的醫術也吸引了富有的病人，他們可以付錢來得到那些通常拒絕對窮人進行的治療。他認識到金錢是如何腐蝕醫療系統的，並開始急切地關注被人忽視的窮人中的醫療需求和苦難。他的使命就是盡其所能地使不幸的人們擺脫困境。他對政府漠視這些情況感到震驚。也就在這時，他自己的健康開始惡化。他的左肺染上了肺結核，於是他進行了一次成功但很危險的手術。健康上出現的這一段插曲，對他的一生產生了極大的影響。這激發了他對心胸科醫學，特別是該領域的外科方面的興趣，促使他在美國的一家肺病醫院工作了幾年。
Following this interval in the
在美國工作的這段時間之後，1929年，他開始成爲蒙特利爾的皇家維多利亞醫院胸科醫學專家。他開始在醫學雜誌上撰寫文章介紹新的外科技術。後來，他發明、研究並改進了外科儀器。
In 1935, he journeyed to the
1935年，他到蘇聯訪問，出席國際生理學大會，是加拿大共產黨和美國共產黨安排他去的。那時，白求恩已經是一名加拿大共產黨員。回到加拿大後，他更加深信民主國家需要建立針對所有公民的公共健康保障體系。早些時候白求恩在蒙特利爾建了一所免費診所。他的良心支配着他爲這些目標而工作。
The Struggle of the
後來，西班牙共和國反抗法西斯侵略的鬥爭使他來到西班牙進行一次醫學上的冒險和挑戰。在馬德里，他首創了一家戰地流動血站。他收集血液，然後沿
He returned to
他回到加拿大繼續巡迴演講，爲西班牙人民的人道主義需要籌集資金。在這次巡迴演講期間，白求恩竭盡所能，詳細描述了那裏的人民的迫切需要。他那卓越的交際能力使得這次巡迴演講獲得成功。他的勿庸置疑的才能引起了廣泛注意，白求恩大夫成了傑出的國際志願者，竭盡所能幫助不幸的人民。
In the meantime,
與此同時，日本開始入侵中國。19世紀30年代是法西斯肆虐全世界的時期。白求恩知道西方對中國長期進行侵略和剝削的歷史，這讓他認定那裏需要他的服務。
In January 1938, he sailed to Mainland
1938年1月，他乘船來到中國大陸。他說，他無法容忍貪婪的人所發動的侵害另一部分人的戰爭。他繼續宣講西班牙和中國都是同一場戰爭(反對法西斯主義)的組成部分。日本人已經把中國人逼近到了中國的西北部。毛澤東只與白求恩見過一面，但他們通過書信保持聯繫。
Bethune almost immediately set out for the hazardous surroundings of the mountain ranges of Yen an. In the company of the Eighth Route Army, Bethune practiced his profession as best as he could. There were no mobile units and there was a desperate need to recruit medical trainees and convey his knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the soldiers. Consequently, there was an urgent requirement for illustrated medical manuals.
白求恩立即投身到延安山區複雜危險的環境中。在八路軍的協助下，白求恩盡其所能地發揮他的專業特長。沒有移動的設備，急需徵召實習醫生，將他的知識和技能傳授給他們，以滿足部隊的需要。相應的，還急需帶圖解的醫療手冊。
Both soldiers and peasants required a good deal of medical attention. Again, under very trying conditions, and with a lot of nerve, determination and courage, Bethune and his crew of Chinese assistants were eventually able to establish and coordinate over twenty medical and nursing teaching hospitals. Because of shortages of personnel and other difficulties, Bethune himself routinely operated for days without reasonable breaks. In one period, he worked continually for sixty-nine hours on a total of one hundred and fifteen patients. His ability to endure such hard conditions and retain his sanity was little short of a miracle. It was under these conditions that his life became abruptly doomed. In October of 1939, possible suffering from extreme fatigue, he accidentally cut his left hand with the blade of his scalpel. Without proper medical supplies and with germs everywhere, his hand became infected and blood poisoning (a disease called septicemia) spread. He died on November 12, 1939.
士兵和農民們都需要醫療。爲此，在極端困難的情況下，憑着膽識、決心和勇氣，白求恩和他的中國助手們終於建立和配備了20多所醫療和護理教學醫院。由於人員短缺和其他困難，白求恩自己整天還要照例進行手術，休息不足。有段時間，他爲115個病人連續工作了69個小時。他忍受這種艱苦條件和保持頭腦清醒的能力真是一個奇蹟。這樣的條件註定了他突如其來的命運。1939年，也許是極度疲勞的緣故，他意外地被他的解剖刀片割破了左手。沒有必需的藥品，到處是細菌，他手上的傷口因而受到感染，血液中毒(一種叫做敗血病的疾病)擴散開來。他於
Dr. Norman Bethune’s stature became even greater in death. The affection of the Chinese people for him swelled Emotions ran high upon the news of his death. His capacity to move people, and his insight into humanity was never so evident as during this period. The Chinese people were extremely grateful that such a man had crossed their paths.
諾爾曼•白求恩大夫的崇高精神在他去世後影響更加深遠。中國人民更加熱愛他。他去世的消息使人們非常悲痛。他激勵人們的這種能力和他對人道主義的洞察力從來都不像這時如此的明顯。中國人民非常感謝這位把足跡留在他們土地上的人。
During this solemn time, tributes to Bethune came from many parts of the world. He was described as an activist, a writer, a teacher, an administrator, and above all, a great doctor. Mao said of him, “… We must all learn the spirit of absolute selflessness from him.”
在這個莊嚴的時刻，對白求恩的悼念來自全世界。他被稱爲活動家、作家、教師、管理者，還有最主要的，是一個偉大的醫生。毛澤東說“……我們必須學習他毫不利已的精神”。
After a very simple funeral, as he, had requested, Dr. Norman Bethune was buried in the Mausoleum of the Martyrs in Shih Chia Chuang, southeast of
在一個按他本人生前要求的非常簡單的葬禮之後，諾爾曼•白求恩大夫埋葬在北京東南的石家莊的烈士陵墓。中國人以他的名字命名了一所醫學院和一所醫院。多年來，各地建了許多懷念他的紀念碑和紀念館。
One ironic tragedy of all of this was that, up until 1973, Dr. Bethune had never received much recognition from his native country of
與此相反，具有諷刺意味的是，直到1973年，白求恩大夫還沒有在他的祖國加拿大得到應有的承認。甚至於連他的造詣都不被認可(可能是因爲他是共產主義者的關係)。1975年，皮爾•特魯多總理，早年在中國度過很長時間的另一位加拿大人，說服了他的政府，買下了安大略省格雷文赫斯特的白求恩的房子，用作“白求恩紀念館”。
Dr. Bethune’s impact on medicine was not singular. His career was very comprehensive, as noted above, as he attained an extraordinary list of accomplishments of highest merit. Among his many goals, was one goal that was not fulfilled until after his death? In 1938, while in china, he recommended a universal health system for
白求恩大夫在醫學上的影響是多方面的。如上所述，他的職業生活涉及面十分廣泛，他取得了一系列卓越成就。在他的許多目標中，有一個直到他去世之後才完成。1938年，還在中國的時候，他建議在加拿大建立全民保健制度。巧合得很，在一部關於白求恩生平的電影“英雄白求恩”中扮演白求恩的加拿大演員，唐納德薩瑟蘭，娶了道格拉斯的女兒。道格拉斯在擔任薩斯喀徹溫省(加拿大西部的一個省份)社會黨總理時，在該省建立了社會醫療制度。後來，在20世紀60年代，作爲中央政府的一名國會議員，道格拉斯在建立全國衛生保健制度的過程中扮演了一個很重要的角色。他最後成爲著名的加拿大醫療保險制度的創始人。
Bethune is probably best known for his introduction of the mobile blood bank to the battlefield, and giving blood transfusions in the midst of heavy fighting.
或許，白求恩因爲他首次把流動血站引進戰場並在激烈戰鬥當中進行輸血治療而聲名遠播。中國幾乎尊他爲聖人。對於他的去世，中國人表示了深切地悼念。他的博愛精神仍然活在許多中國人的心中。作爲在中國的加拿大教師，我們常常受到中國人的禮遇，他們經常提到並讚揚這位偉大的加拿大醫生和人道主義者。不幸的是，許多加拿大人對這位非凡的人所從事過的難以置信的人道主義工作知之甚少。這位正派樸素的人，的確是一位與貧窮和不幸做鬥爭的偉大的國際大使。
星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙系列之十四
遠景還是幻想？Future or Fantasy?
What will our world be like in the future? Can we look ahead twenty five years and dream about the transformations that will take place? The scholars who make it their business to try to predict the future are not all in agreement about what the future holds. If you visit displays at places like
我們的世界未來會是什麼樣？我們能預測未來的25年並設想將會發生什麼變化嗎？未來到底有些什麼特徵，以預測未來爲職業的學者們意見也並非一致。如果你到像迪斯尼世界這樣的地方去觀賞一下，就會得到一些關於對我們生活的一種大體的預測。當我們幻想從現在開始幾十年後我們的生活會是什麼樣子時，我們會推斷出我們生活的各個方面。
Personal
Clothing styles change from year to year and also from culture to culture. Do you think that we will have sleeves in our shirts and blouses? Will we wear socks to protect our feet? Will plastic gloves be used routinely as part of everyday life to avoid transmission of germs? Will we still use buttons to fasten our clothing? Will we all wear the same kind of jeans or pants (like a uniform) or will each culture be different? What textiles will be used in manufacturing our clothing? Will a type of nylon fabric be used in an effort to make our clothing more durable? Synthetic fibers which will no fade can be produced in bright colors such as pink and purple in addition to all the other colors of the rainbow.
個人生活
服裝式樣年年在變，一種文化習俗與另一種文化習俗之間也各不相同。你認爲我們的襯衣和上衣還會有袖子嗎？我們還會穿襪子保護我們的腳嗎？在日常生活中我們會使用塑膠手套來避免細菌的傳播嗎？我們還會用釦子來固定我們的衣服嗎？我們都穿同樣的牛仔褲或短褲(像制服一樣)，還是有各種不同的文化品位？什麼樣的紡織品會用來做我們的服裝？是否會有一種更耐用的尼龍布？不褪色的合成纖維會以粉紅色和紫色等各種鮮豔的色彩製造出來，而且是和彩虹的各種顏色一起吧。
When it comes to matters of personal cleanliness, will we soak in a bath? Will we spray ourselves with water or some other substance in a shower? Will we have a choice of which to use? Will we go to visit a barber for a haircut or will we be able to control the growth of our hair? If growth of a beard could be slowed, the daily ritual of shaving would be unnecessary for men.
在涉及到個人衛生方面，我們還會泡在浴缸裏嗎？我們會在淋浴時噴水還是一些其他物質？我們有使用的選擇嗎？我們還會去理髮店理髮或者我們能控制頭髮的生長？如果鬍鬚的生長速度可以減慢，那男人就無須按老規矩天天刮鬍子了。
Health
In the western world the number of people who smoke cigars or cigarettes has diminished substantially in the last several years. Maybe the use of tobacco will be eliminated completely.
在西方近幾年抽雪茄和香菸的人數已明顯下降。也許，菸草的消費會完全消亡。
保健
Will we be able to heal illnesses and diseases as soon as the symptoms are identified?
我們能夠一發現症狀就治癒這一疾病、解除疾病嗎？
A cure for cancer would be considered a miracle. Could the disease be conquered with adequate commitment of federal funds to furnish financial resources? Accomplishment of this project would be a triumph of enormous proportions. It would be equivalent to sending several rockets to Mars simultaneously. It would improve the welfare of all humanity.
治癒癌症被認爲是一個奇蹟。在有專項聯邦基金保證財力的情況下，能夠戰勝這種疾病嗎？這項工程的完成將是一個巨大的成功，這相當於同時向火星發射幾枚火箭。這將造福於全人類。
Instead of using a thermometer to take our temperature, maybe we will have sensors implanted in our bodies that will be read by a personal health care monitor. The machine could tell us if we are in need of more oxygen in our blood or if the food we just ate in difficult to digest because of too much acid in our stomachs. Will an appointment with a doctor be automatic if we are in need of treatment or will that profession become obsolete?
我們也許會帶有植入體內的傳感器，可以由個人健康檢測器據此讀出數據，無需用體溫計來測量我們的體溫。儀器會告訴我們是否需要在血液裏增加氧氣，是否由於胃酸過多而使我們剛吃的食物難於消化。如果我們需要治療就會自動找醫生，還是醫生這個職業會消失？
The monitor might also have the ability to prescribe a lifestyle program for us. A woman might be able to determine if she is pregnant from the use of this machine. A remedy for a sore limb might be verified if the person is uncertain how to treat it. A sore throat, a cough or a stiff neck might also be diagnosed and treatment prescribed. Tension in parts of our body can be caused by stress and precautions and preventative steps could be recommended.
檢測器可能有能力爲我們設計生命程序。女人或許能夠使用這種儀器確定是否懷孕。如果一個人不知道如何治療肢體疼痛，通過儀器可找到對它的治療方法。喉嚨痛、咳嗽或斜頸也可能診斷出來並指出治療方法。由於壓力導致身體某部分緊張，其預防步驟也可以推薦給你。
A machine might be used for the administration of medicine as well. Could you adjust to the idea of having an injection given to you by a robot using a needle? In fact, the precise dosage might be easier to attain using this method
機器可能會用於藥品管理上。你能夠接受一個機器人用針管對你進行注射嗎？事實上使用這種方法更容易獲得精確的劑量。
It seems logical to make use of equipment that evaluate symptoms and interpret data if the performance proves reliable.
如果證明性能可靠，使用儀器來評價症狀、解讀數據，看來是可行的。
Critical illnesses could be diagnosed earlier and we could be confident that even the diagnosis of a complex disease could be clarified and the disease could be treated before it becomes fatal.
危險病症能夠較早地診斷出來。我們相信即使對一個複雜病症的診斷也能夠做到清楚明瞭，準確無誤，並在它變得致使以前對其進行治療。
Supposing a life-threatening virus could be controlled, by inference viruses would no longer constitute a threat to our well-being.
假如一種致使的病毒能夠得到控制，可以推測，病毒將不再對我們的健康產生威脅。
The concept or idea of people living to an extremely old age has been suggested. Will the consequence of that possibility be that people could also maintain their intellect as they age?
人們會活得很長的概念或觀點已經被提出來了。這種可能性能夠表明人上了年紀後，智力依然保持嗎？
Will people be able to make arrangements to have their body or its parts used after they die? The donation would help others to have some of their body parts replaced. Will people still have funerals and be buried in a grave as is the current custom or will cremation be the common practice?
人們能夠達成協議，在他們死後使用他們的身體或身體的某一部分嗎？這些捐獻將幫助他人移植身體的某些器官。人們還會像現在的傳統那樣舉行葬禮，埋進墳墓裏，或者火葬會更普遍嗎？
If we wear corrective lenses now, perhaps our vision could be improved or restored through laser surgery. We would no longer need to wear glasses.
如果我們現在帶上矯正鏡，或通過激光手術我們的視力就會改善或恢復。我們將不再需要帶眼鏡了。
The tragedy of a stroke and the resulting mental disability could be prevented if a monitor could analyze the person’s condition and recommend changes in lifestyle or treatment that could avert a stroke or a heart attack.
如果監控器能夠分析出人的健康狀況，並且建議改變可能導致中風或心臟病發作的生活方式，提出避免中風和心臟病發作的治療方法，中風這樣的不幸及其引發的智力障礙就可以預防。
An ambulance equipped with sophisticated portable medical diagnostic equipment could have the ability to assess multiple injuries of the victim of an accident. Recovery would be assisted by the provision of prompt treatment.
一輛配備有精密便攜式醫療診斷設備的救護車能診斷出事故受害者的多種傷勢。而及時進行的處理有助於傷者的康復。
The prospect of a joint that swells, being treated by a restraint that causes lack of motion, is not a new idea, but will a synthetic joint be used to replace the joint instead of being treated in the current familiar way? Will replacement of a hip joint become more commonplace? Could a doctor operate on one of our organs without having to invade our bodies? Could surgery be performed with the aid of a small that it would be measured in millimeters? The opening required to insert the camera into our body would be tiny.
治療關節腫痛的前景不是一個什麼新的觀念，用抑制病痛的辦法治療會導致暫時無法活動，那麼會使用合成關節取代我們現在流行的處理方法嗎？更換髖關節會變得很平常嗎？醫生能夠不觸及人體就能對某個器官動手術嗎？手術能夠藉助小型照相機進行嗎？照相機鏡頭的直徑可能小到毫米以下嗎？那樣，需要將照相機送入人體體內的武器將會非常小。
Could a microscope be used in the study of biology to watch the development of a specimen of synthetic bacteria and then the specimen is used to create a treatment for the disease being studied?
顯微鏡會用於生物學研究來觀察合成細菌標本的培育，然後將標本用於製造出一種與所研究的疾病有關的治療方法嗎？
Food
Our diet might contain come of the same foods that we eat now. Will we still use flour to make a loaf of bread? Maybe there will be ways to preserve our food so that bread never goes stale. Will we still eat common food combinations such as liver and onions? Will our favorite meal be roast beef or sausage and be cooked with cabbage? Will a typical breakfast menu include toast and jam? Maybe we will have a substitute for butter which tastes good.
食物
我們的食譜可能包括我們今天正在吃的某些食物。我們還會用麪粉做麪包嗎？也許，會有防止我們的食物變質的辦法來使麪包保持原味。我們還會吃像肝和洋蔥這樣的普通混合食物嗎？我們最喜歡的飯會是烤牛肉或香腸和捲心菜一起煮嗎？典型的早餐會包括土司和果醬嗎？也許我們會有替代黃油的美味食品。
Food might not be purchased from a grocer or from a supermarket. Instead, as customers, we might order our food, using the internet and have it delivered to our residences. Maybe an automatic recorder would be placed when food is removed from a refrigerator. Preparation of food might be eliminated but because people enjoy eating, maybe there will be the option of nourishing our bodies through food or using some other means. Perhaps a series of pills will provide adequate nourishment. Fruits such as grapes, peaches or pears might still be available in several forms such as frozen or dried for our consumption. Candy would be difficult to give up for anyone who enjoys eating sweets. Pie for dessert is a favorite with some people and maybe a way will be found to produce a pie that tastes good and yet will be a healthy food for us to eat. A hot bowl of soup not only nourishes but also comforts people and we would not want to relinquish that. Protein sources that have not been used before will become evident.
食品不需要從雜貨店或超級商場購買。取而代之的是，作爲顧客，我們可以使用互聯網定購食物並把它送到我們的住處。也許，當食品從冰箱裏取出時可以自動記錄下來。備制食品可能會沒有必要了，但因爲人們喜歡吃，也許可以通過選擇食品或者其他方式爲我們的身體提供營養。也許，一系列藥丸就可以提供足夠的營養。我們仍然可能吃像葡萄、桃子或梨這樣的水果，以冰凍或幹縮等幾種形式進行消費。要放棄糖果對喜歡吃甜食的人來說是很難的。作爲飯後甜點的餡餅是一些人喜歡的東西，可能會找到一種方法來生產一種餡餅，味道很好同時還是一種我們食用的保健食品。一碗熱湯不僅有營養而且使人舒心，我們是不會捨棄的。從前沒見過的蛋白質資源將隨處可見。
Provision of a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch might be available through a special appliance that takes our food order and prepares the food and delivers it to us.
一種特殊的設備，能接受我們的食品定單、製作食物並把它送到我們面前，我們就可以在午餐時吃到火腿和乳酪三明治。
Ice-cream could be made, with the option of using either artificial sweetener or sugar. Will we fry foods like bacon and steak or will we be able to cook them by other means? We could combine foods such as peas and carrots with garlic to gain an abundant supply of vitamins from one dish.
冰淇淋可以選用人造甜料或糖來製造。我們會油炸像鹹肉和牛排這樣的食物，還是用其他方法來烹調它們？我們可以把像豌豆、胡蘿蔔和大蒜這樣的食品結合在一起，一道菜就可以提供足夠的維生素。
Household
What kind of accommodations will we enjoy? We are used to having more than adequate housing so we would not enjoy having to convert to a smaller residence. The access to our homes might be controlled for security reasons. Our entry might be gained by having a computer read our fingerprint to see if it will correspond to detect if the right person is trying to enter the residence. Some suggestions are that it would be better to use the print of a thumb so the thumbprint would be used instead of a fingerprint. Both are a possibility.
家庭
我們會喜歡什麼樣的住宅？我們習慣於擁有較大的住宅，不喜歡換到較小的地方住。爲了安全，進入我們的家時應該受到監控。要進去，需要由電腦讀出我們的指紋，看你是否與記錄相符合，以察明想要進入住宅的人是否適當。有人建議，最好使用指紋，因此拇指指紋將會代替指紋。兩者都是可能的選擇。
Our garbage will be put in a garbage disposal unit that will eliminate the need for trash collection. Light bulbs will seldom need to be replaced, as they will be made to last a minimum of five and a maximum of ten years. To decorate our homes, we might just give a description of what we want and have it completed by an interior decorator with little interaction required from us. We could have our choice of background music played throughout the house, or varied from room to room. We might hear a symphony orchestra in one room and jazz in another. Will we have the luxury of having a maid do our cleaning or will that be unnecessary, as our home will become self-cleaning? Will we use soap and water to do our laundry or will another method that is friendly to the environment be developed? Will we use a furnace to heat our home or will we control the micro climate indoors by the use of solar power?
我們的垃圾將放進垃圾處理器，不再需要收集垃圾。幾乎不需要更換燈泡，因爲製造出的燈泡至少可以使用5-10年。想裝修我們的家，只需要提供我們所想要的樣子，就可以全部讓室內設計師完成，不用我們操心。我們可以在一個房間聽交響樂，在另一個房間聽爵士樂。我們還有必要僱一個女僕爲我們清理房間呢，或者根本就不需要，因爲我們的家已變成自我清潔式的？我們會使用肥皂或水洗衣服，還是會開發出一種對環境有利的新方法？我們會使用爐子爲房間供暖，還是使用太陽能來控制室內的小氣候？
For people who live in a home in the suburbs will the tedious chore of mowing the lawn be accomplished in an efficient way by a robotic mower? Will weeds in our grass merely vanish as the mower emits a time release chemical to destroy them?
對於家住在市郊的人，除草這種單調乏味的雜務會由機器人除草器這種有效的方法完成嗎？在除草機定時釋放一種化學藥品時，我們草地上的雜草是否會被殺死？
Transportation
Electronics
Will we be able to play any musical instrument such as a guitar easily with a process the machine teaches us? Will other media, such as movies, be interactive? Will we have access to optical discs that can be played by laser? Digital images will more closely imitate reality. They will be so realistic that it will be virtually impossible to tell them from the real thing. Our enjoyment of watching a video will be enhanced by the quality of the images. Will we have equipment capable of manipulating ideas, eliminating the need for journalists to write and edit the news? Will computer software be available to modify what we type so that our errors are corrected automatically? Will computer hardware include massive amounts of memory that will allow us to file an enormous amount of material?
電子器件
我們可能借用機器教學程序使學習吉他等樂器更爲容易嗎？其他媒體，比如電影，可以是互動的嗎？我們可以擁有由激光播放的光盤嗎？數字影像會更真實地模擬現實。事實上，他們是如此逼真，你不可能將他們從真實的東西中區分出來。圖像質量高會增加我們觀看視頻的樂趣。我們會有能夠處理思想而不再需要記者去編寫新聞的設備嗎？電腦軟件能夠對我們的輸入進行優化從而自動改正我們的錯誤嗎？電腦硬件是否會有更大的存儲量，使我們能處理非常多的資料？
Will we be in the habit of carrying a small device with us that can be used as a cell phone, a fax, a microphone and an internet connection?
我們會習慣於隨身攜帶一件小裝置，能夠用作移動電話、傳真、麥克風和上網嗎？
Summary
Look at the world around you and consider some of the concepts discussed in this document. Careful observation will lead you to the conclusion that many of these things have already happened. I urge you to reread each paragraph of this article to see if perhaps they are all things that are available somewhere in the world currently. If that is the case, then you will agree that the future is now!
總結
看看你周圍的世界，考慮一下本文中討論的某些概念。仔細觀察，你就會得出結論，上述的很多理想已經實現了。我勸你把本文中的每一段再讀一遍，看看是否都能在世界上的某個地方遇到。如果事實的確如此，那麼你就會同意未來就是現在！
Will we float over highways or drive on the road surface as we do now? Will the cost of a gallon of fuel still be our concern? What will our vehicles look like? Will the profile of our automobiles look like the shape of space age aircraft? Will the notion of using paint to protect the car’s exterior be obsolete? Perhaps the coating on the car will give a durable shine and we will never to wax or polish it. What kind of battery will we use to power our car? Will we still have a mechanic repair our car at a service garage or will robots that are computerized do it? Will the motor be powered by a new kind of petroleum product or by hydrogen? Will the cars still be equipped with horns as a warning signal or will a new device be available? Will there be a gauge to warn us if our speed is too fast or will radar be used to guide the car so that driver error is no longer a concern?
交通
我們會漂浮在公路上，還是像現在一樣在路面上駕駛？燃油的價格還是我們所要關心的嗎？我們的交通工具會是什麼樣？我們汽車的外形看起來像太空時代的飛行器嗎？使用油漆保護車子外表的觀點會過時嗎？也許，車的塗層會保持持久的光澤，永遠不需要爲車上蠟或進行擦拭。我們會使用什麼樣的電池作爲汽車的動力？我們會在維修車庫請機械師修理汽車，還是讓電腦控制的機器人來做？發動機是用一種新的石油產品還是用氫氣來驅動？汽車仍然配備喇叭作爲警告信號還是使用一種新的裝置？如果車速太快，會有一種裝置警示我們，還是使用雷達引導汽車使得駕駛失誤不再是一個問題？
星火貫通CET-4四級詞彙系列之十五
古代奧運會the Ancient Olympics
With great anticipation, China is busily preparing for the 2008Summer Olympic Games.
中國正滿懷期望，積極爲2008年夏季奧運會做準備。北京將成爲有幸舉辦奧運會的偉大城市之一，屆時她將邀請全世界來嘉獎世界上最偉大的運動員。中國也將成爲這個有2000多年曆史，重要而豐富的傳統的一部分。
The origins of the ancient Olympic Games tend to be submerged in
古代奧運會的起源很容易就被淹沒在浩瀚的希臘神話中。一個廣爲流傳的神話說，珀羅普斯，小亞細亞(現在的土耳其)的呂底亞的一個王子，在一次戰車比賽中用欺騙手段擊敗了求婚對手，贏得了一位公主的婚約。當時失敗者會被判斬首，而對手的戰車被王子做了手腳使其在比賽中被撞毀。後來，車毀人亡。那位公主成了珀羅普斯的新娘，他創立了奧林匹克運動會慶祝他的勝利。不過，另外一些人則聲稱第一次奧運會是爲紀念他死去的對手而舉行的葬禮。
Another myth involved Hercules, the mythical strong man. Hercules was the son of Zeus, the Greek god, and one of the god’s mistresses. Hera, Zeus’ wife, and also his sister, was very upset. She attempted in many ways, to kill Hercules as a baby. Hercules survived. Later, after he had married, Hera successfully put a spell on him, demanding that he kill his wife. Because he was the son of the god, Zeus, Hercules was destined to become a god himself. In order to accomplish this, Hercules had to be cleansed of his wife’s murder. To do this, he was directed to perform twelve difficult labors. If he successfully completed these, he would become an immortal god, like his father.
另一個神話是有關赫爾克里斯的，一個神話中的大力士。他是希臘主神宙斯和他的一個情婦的兒子。赫拉，宙斯的妻子，也是他的姐姐，非常氣憤。在赫爾克里斯還是個嬰兒時，赫拉就使用了很多方法要殺死他。但赫爾克里斯倖存下來。後來，在他結婚後，赫拉成功地對他施以詛咒，讓他殺死他的妻子。因爲他是宙斯的兒子，赫爾克里斯自己註定也會成爲一個神。爲了做到這一點，他必須洗清他謀殺妻子的罪名。爲此，他被要求要完成十二件艱鉅的大事。如果他成功地完成了這些任務，他就會像他父親一樣，成爲不朽的神。
One of the majestic labors was to clean the stables of the King of Elis, in the impossibly brief period of one day. The king had huge stables with very large herds of cattle. Hercules asked the king to give him one tenth of his cattle, if he completed the task in one day. The king, perhaps humoring Hercules, or perhaps believing that this task couldn’t possibly be done in one day, agreed. In one day, Hercules diverted two rivers through the barns, cleaning them, but he did not receive the cattle that were promised in the deal. Hercules waged a successful war on the King, sacking
其中一項任務是，在短短的一天之內清潔好艾麗斯國王的馬廄，這幾乎是不可能的事。艾麗斯國王的馬羣非常大，所以他有一個巨大的馬廄。赫爾克里斯提出，如果他在一天之內完成了任務，國王就給他十分之一的馬羣。也許是覺得赫爾克里斯有點可笑，認爲他根本不可能在一天內完成任務，國王就答應了。在這一天裏，赫爾克里斯把兩條小河引過來，將馬廄沖洗乾淨，但沒有得到承諾的馬羣。赫爾克里斯於是發動了一場戰爭，洗劫了艾麗斯。他舉行了奧林匹克運動會來慶祝這次勝利和表示對父親宙斯的敬仰。他的父親宙斯就住在附近的奧林匹斯山上。這個神話還說，赫爾克里斯測量了運動場的長度，一個
As today, athletes in the ancient world were popular and had tremendous impact on the society of their day. The goal of the well-disciplined, physically trim athletes was to be the best. The champion athlete assumed a position of honor and privilege in Greek society. The status of a triumphant athlete also enhanced the reputation of his home city-state. Every young Greek boy who pursued the dream of being an Olympic champion some day envied the athletes. An important part of a Greek school boy’s curriculum was vigorous physical training in gymnasium.
像今天一樣，古代的運動員很受歡迎，對他們那個時代的社會也有很大的影響。訓練有素、身材勻稱的運動員的目標是成爲最好的運動員。冠軍運動員會得到榮譽，在古希臘擁有特權。獲勝運動員的地位也會增強自己家鄉城市的名望。每一個希臘小夥子都羨慕那些運動員，夢想有一天自己成爲奧林匹克冠軍。古希臘學校裏男孩子的課程裏很重要的一部分就是在體育館內上體育課。
The ancient Olympic Games, which began in 776 BC, lasted for over 1100 years. In 394 AD, the Christian Roman Emperor Theodosius abolished the games, as pagan festivals. At that time the
古代奧運會始於公元前776年，延續了1100多年。公元394年，基督教羅馬皇帝狄奧多西將其視爲異教徒的節日予以廢除。那時的羅馬帝國正在衰落。現代奧林匹克運動會從1896年開始，才100多年。公元前776年的奧運會是有文字記錄的第一屆，但人們相信在此之前這項運動就已經存在了。有證據表明在古埃及和克利特島上的古彌諾斯文化中就舉行過體育比賽。
A plain called
在小城邦艾麗斯的奧林匹亞平原，就是古代希臘運動會的場地。每4年的年初，這個期間叫做“四年週期”，伴隨體育比賽，要在奧林匹亞舉行盛大的宗教節日。在古希臘，早期奧運會不是一個個城市輪流，而總是在奧林匹亞舉行，“奧運會”因此得名。到時如果發生戰爭(這是常有的事)，對抗的軍隊之間就會休戰，戰士們丟下他們的劍和盾牌，與他們的對手一起，安全地來到奧林匹亞，參加狂熱的運動會。運動會後，運動員們將與他們的同伴一起重返戰場，拿起武器，與他們的敵人，也就是僅僅幾天或幾個星期前相遇的體育競賽對手，繼續交戰，常常會戰鬥到死。
In the beginning, only free Greek-speaking male athletes could participate in the games, women, slaves, and foreigners were banned from competition. Women were even barred as spectators, not for sexual reasons, but for from 720 BC the male athletes were usually naked down to their bare feet when they participated.
起初，只有講希臘語的自由男運動員可以參加運動會，婦女、奴隸和外國人是不允許參加競賽的，甚至不準婦女觀看。這並非性別的原因，而是因爲從公元前720年開始，男運動員在參加比賽時常常從頭到腳都是赤裸的。奧林匹亞是隻讓男人蔘加的宗教聖地，是崇拜希臘主神宙斯的地方。然而婦女並沒有完全被排斥在體育比賽之外，她們有自己的運動會，也是每四年舉行一次，叫做赫拉亞，以宙斯的妻子赫拉命名。
The first number of Olympic Games had only one event, called the stade. By the late 8th century BC, events included running, wrestling, boxing, pancratium (a mixture of boxing and wrestling), chariot racing, a footrace with heavy armor, and the pentathlon. The only official prize earned by the champion, was a crown of wild olive branches. Unofficially, some athletes received valuable prizes, including large sums of money from their home city-states. As in modern times, ancient athletes, even though they made pledges of fairness in competition, sought our every advantage, legal or illegal, in order to win. Even then, the concept of amateurism, for which there were no rules in ancient times, and the zeal for the competitive spirit were often sacrificed for the more selfish materialistic considerations.
最初的奧運會只有一個項目，叫做“斯泰底”。在公元前8世紀末，比賽項目包括賽跑、摔跤、拳擊、角鬥(摔跤和拳擊並用)、賽車、負重跑和五項全能運動。冠軍贏得的唯一正式獎品是一個野橄欖樹枝編的桂冠。非正式地，有些運動員得到有價值的獎品，包括他們家鄉城邦給的大筆獎金。像現代一樣，古代的運動員，儘管他們發誓要公平競賽，但是爲了取勝，他們會設法獲取各種優勢，不管是合法的還是非法的。即使在那時，業餘的概念——對此古代沒有規定——和對體育精神的追求常常爲了自私自利的物質報酬而受到褻瀆。
By the 6th century BC, athletes began to specialize in particular sports, and even began to hire coaches. Special diets and new innovated kinds of physical conditioning became popular. Protein, from meat and beans in particular, became the popular nutritional need of Olympic athletes. The rules for events became more numerous and more strictly enforced. For example, a false start of a running event might have been followed by a whipping of the violator. Penalties usually included fines for most violations. It was said that the elegant, elaborate bronze statues of Zeus that lined the route to the Olympic Stadium in the fourth century BC, were financed by revenue created by fines imposed on athletes. Some athletes even became free agents, negotiating and hiring themselves out to the highest bidder, to win races and money for their sponsors. One rather peculiar practice that surrounded the chariot race event was that the owners, rather than the drivers of the chariots, received the honors and prizes. Some owners entered numerous chariots in the same event to increase their chances of winning. To the amusement of Olympic historians, Emperor Nero (famous for burning Rome) apparently entered a chariot race in which he fell from his chariot and did not finish, but still received the champion’s crown of olive branches. Who could argue with the Emperor?
到了公元前6世紀，運動員開始專攻個別項目，甚至開始僱傭教練。專門的飲食和獨特的身體訓練方法開始流行起來。蛋白質，特別是肉類和豆類，成了流行的奧林匹克運動會需要的營養品。體育項目的規則變得複雜起來，也更加嚴格了。例如，賽跑比賽的偷跑者可能會受到鞭笞的懲罰。懲罰通常包括對多數違規者的罰款。據說，公元前4世紀，擺放在奧林匹克運動場的入口處的、精心製作的莊嚴的宙斯青銅像，就是對運動員的罰款得來的收入提供的經費。一些運動員甚至成爲自由代理人，與出價最高者談判並被其僱傭，爲他們的贊助人贏得比賽和金錢。與賽車比賽有關的一個相當特別的慣例是，賽車的主人而不是賽車手得到榮譽和獎品。爲了增加獲勝的機會，一些人在一次比賽中投入許多輛賽車。令奧林匹克歷史學家感到好笑的是，顯而易見尼實祿皇帝(有名的
By the 4th century BC, the Greek-only restriction on participation was eased as the Olympic organizers accepted athletes from overseas, from such territories as
到公元前4世紀，只准講希臘語的人蔘加比賽的限制被放寬了，奧林匹克的組織者接受了來自海外的運動員，如從非洲大陸的埃及和利比亞這樣的領地來的人。許多城邦甚至爲運動員提供財政支持和設施，使他們能夠把全部時間都用在訓練上；有時，訓練在運動會前一年多就開始了。
The ancient Olympics were a strange mix of a religious pilgrimage and a forum for intense athletic competition. As mentioned above,, Emperor Theodosius tried to permanently put an end to the games as pagan exercises, but they emerged again in 1896 after an interval of more than 1600 years. The Olympics maintained a religious theme from the beginning, varying in degree over time. The events were originally dedicated to the worship of gods and heroes, especially deceased heroes. They were, at times, called funeral games (as mentioned in Homer’s Iliad), and sometimes fertility festivals. The games gradually in the worship of the prominent cult of Zeus, the chief god. Today, the Olympics Games are secular events.
古代奧運會是宗教朝聖和激烈的體育比賽的奇特組合。如上所述，狄奧多西皇帝試圖終止這種被當作異教徒活動的運動會，但它們在中斷了1600多年後的1896年又出現了。奧運會保留了最初的宗教主題，但隨着時間的推移，發生了不同程度的變化。比賽項目的設立最初是爲了崇拜衆神和英雄，特別是死去的英雄。有時，它們被叫做“葬禮”活動(如荷馬的《伊利亞特》所提到的)，有時叫做豐收慶典。運動會在祭拜主神宙斯的活動中逐漸達到高潮。而今天奧運會的運動都是與宗教無關的比賽項目。
The most prominent symbols of the Olympic Games today did not originate in classical times. The Olympic torch was an innovation in 1916. The five rings were originally introduced to represent the first five Olympics of the modern era from 1896 to 1912. In 1920 the rings were revived to represent the five continents with North and
現代奧運會最突出的象徵並不是來源於古典時代。奧林匹克火炬是1916年的創新，而引進五環最初是表示從1896年到1912年的頭五屆現代奧運會。1920年，這些環重新被用來代表包括五個大陸，南北美洲用其中一個環表示。在納粹德國舉行的1936年奧運會，是第一次點燃奧林匹克聖火的地方。
The spirit of intense competition in association with heroism and national pride, remain major themes of the Olympics today, much as they were over 2000 years ago. Today, countries send their best, amateur and professional alike, to compete for the highest honors. Athletes also still try to find an advantage to give a better performance than all other competitors, sometimes, unfortunately, not always following the rules.
幾乎與2000多年前一樣，與英雄主義、民族自豪感相聯繫的努力拼搏的精神仍然是現代奧運會的主題。今天，每個國家派出他們最好的選手，不管是業餘的還是職業的，來爭奪最高的榮譽。運動員們仍然要想方設法取得優勢，以勝過其他選手。不幸的是，有時候也會不遵守規則。
Every four years, or every two years when one includes the winter Olympics, which began in 1924, the world focuses on a human event that represents the good of humanity. Motivated for a couple of weeks, in those years, people and nations try to forget their troubles, put aside their differences and conflicts, and become part of a vast promotion of good global relations and cooperation. One sometimes wonders if the Olympics serve as a safety valve in international human relations, attributing to a collective sanity in a world that, not unlike that of ancient times, is perpetually the scene of conflict, strife, and human misery. Certainly one would like to think that that is the case. If not, one can always hope.
從1924年開始，每隔四年（如果你把冬季奧運會算進來的話則爲每隔兩年），全世界的注意力都集中到這一表現人性好的一面的人類活動上。在這些年中的兩個星期裏，各國各民族設法忘掉他們的煩惱，撇開他們的分歧和衝突，參與到這個促進世界關係發展向前和合作的運動中。有人也許會想，在這個與古代沒有什麼兩樣，永遠是衝突、鬥爭、悲劇的世界上，奧運會是否可以成爲國際關係的安全閥，來喚醒人們共同的良知。人們當然願意相信事實就是這樣。如果不是，人們總是可以希望如此。