TED演讲: 一人饰演地球村内多个角色(7)

 　　So, that was Noraida, and just like Lorraine and everybody else you're meeting today, 好吧，这就是诺埃达，就像珞琳和其他每一位你们今天要见到的人一样

　　these are folks who are based on real people from my real life: friends, neighbors, family members. 这些朋友们的原型都来自我的真实生活，她们是我的朋友们邻居们和家人

　　I come from a multicultural¹ family.  我来自一个多元文化的大家庭

　　In fact, the older lady you just met: very, very loosely based on a great aunt on my mother's side. 事实上，你们刚刚见到的那位老太太，有那么一点点像我妈妈家的一位阿姨

　　It's a long story, believe me.  说来话长了，相信我

　　But on top of my family background, my parents also sent me to the United Nations school, 但除了我的家庭背景之外，我的父母还把我送进了联合国学校

　　where I encountered a plethora² of new characters, including Alexandre, my French teacher, okay. 在那里我结识了太多的新人，包括亚历山大，我的法语老师

　　Well, you know, it was beginner French, that I am taking with her, you know.  要知道，那时候她教我们初级法语

　　And it was Madame Bousson, you know, she was very...  布松女士非常...

　　It was like, you know, she was there in the class, you know, she was kind of typically French. 要知道，在课堂上，她是那种典型的法国人

　　You know, she was very chic³, but she was very filled with ennui⁴, you know.  她很时髦很优雅，但她又十分倦怠

　　And she would be there, you know, kind of talking with the class, you know,  她在课堂上给我们讲

　　talking about the, you know, the existential futility⁵ of life, you know.  讲生命的存在徒劳无益

　　And we were only 11 years old, so it was not appropriate. But... 我们当时只有11岁，这个话题不太恰当。但是...

　　Yes, I took German for three years... 是的，我学过三年德语...

　　and it was quite the experience because I was the only black girl in the class, even in the UN school. 这个经历很特别，因为我是班里唯一的黑人姑娘，即便我上的是联合国学校

　　Although, you know, it was wonderful. The teacher, Herr Schtopf, he never discriminated⁶. Never. 但这经历很棒。我的德语老师施托普先生从来没有歧视过任何人。从来没有过。

　　He always, always treated each of us, you know, equally unbearably⁷ during the class. 他一直从来都是公平对待我们每一个人，让我们每一个人在课堂上都不好受。

1 multicultural   

adj.融合多种文化的，多种文化的

参考例句：

• Children growing up in a multicultural society.在多元文化社会中长大的孩子们。
• The school has been attempting to bring a multicultural perspective to its curriculum.这所学校已经在尝试将一种多元文化视角引入其课程。

2 plethora   

n.过量，过剩

参考例句：

• Java comes with a plethora of ready-made types.Java配套提供了数量众多的现成类型。
• A plethora of new operators will be allowed to enter the market.大批新的运营商将获准进入该市场。

3 chic   

n./adj.别致(的)，时髦(的)，讲究的

参考例句：

• She bought a chic little hat.她买了一顶别致的小帽子。
• The chic restaurant is patronized by many celebrities.这家时髦的饭店常有名人光顾。

4 ennui   

n.怠倦，无聊

参考例句：

• Since losing his job,he has often experienced a profound sense of ennui.他自从失业以来，常觉百无聊赖。
• Took up a hobby to relieve the ennui of retirement.养成一种嗜好以消除退休后的无聊。

5 futility   

n.无用

参考例句：

• She could see the utter futility of trying to protest. 她明白抗议是完全无用的。
• The sheer futility of it all exasperates her. 它毫无用处，这让她很生气。

6 discriminated   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的过去式和过去分词 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• His great size discriminated him from his followers. 他的宽广身材使他不同于他的部下。
• Should be a person that has second liver virus discriminated against? 一个患有乙肝病毒的人是不是就应该被人歧视？

7 unbearably   

adv.不能忍受地，无法容忍地；慌

参考例句：

• It was unbearably hot in the car. 汽车里热得难以忍受。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She found it unbearably painful to speak. 她发现开口说话痛苦得令人难以承受。 来自《简明英汉词典》