Sparking Sparkles (4)

Sparking Sparkles (4)

妙语连珠

 

CNN电视台的高级政治分析员Jeff Greenfield分析商业在美国的重要性。

In large measure, I think the dreams that ¹⁾animate¹ Americans and the tens of millions who have ever risked everything to become Americans have always been as much about work and ²⁾prosperity as they’ve been about liberty. This country has become almost ³⁾obsessed with the business of business. Every day, it seems another 25-year-old billionaire ⁴⁾reveals himself as the blood pressure of career middle-aged³, middle-management types ⁵⁾soars higher than a Silicon⁴ Valley ⁶⁾IPO.

我觉得，很大程度上，在推动美国人前进并使许多人不惜冒险成为美国人的梦想中，大量就业机会和繁荣经济这两者的分量与民主自由不相伯仲。这个国家几乎已经变得唯“商”是举了。似乎每天都有一名25岁的亿万富翁出现；中年中层管理人员的血压急升快过硅谷新上市公司的股价。

 

鲜花、掌声、喝彩，明星的生活何其夺目，但美国著名乡村摇滚歌星Jimmy Buffett却毫不讳言：

It’s been wonderful for me and I feel so ⁷⁾privileged to have fans that are that loyal, but on some days I want to go to tell ‘em: Get a life now! It’s just made up!

我觉得这种生活好极了，我很荣幸拥有这些忠实的歌迷，但有时候我会想对他们说：“实实在在地过日子吧！这些都是虚幻的！”

 

诺贝尔文学奖得主Toni Morrison谈论她作品中反映的主要题材--种族关系：

I feel that white people will betray me, that in the final ⁸⁾analysis they’ll give me up. If the ⁹⁾trucks pass and they have to make a choice, they’ll put me on that truck. By the way there are lots of black people who put me on that truck also, so I’m not trying to

¹⁰⁾demonize the white race. It’s just a kind of ¹¹⁾constant ¹²⁾ vigilance and awareness⁵ that maybe these relationships can go just so far. 

我觉得白人会背叛我。根据我最后的分析，他们会舍弃我。要作抉择时，他们就会抛弃我。当然，亦有许多黑人同样会抛弃我；所以说我并不想把白人描绘成恶魔--这不过是不断地提醒与告诫人们，种族关系目前的形态如何。

 

企业财务教授Stephen Carbene提醒现代社会的人们“莫等闲，时不我待”：

Today it is people, people, people, and speed, speed, speed. If you take your time or ¹³⁾hesitate the world can just pass you by.

现在讲求的是“人、人、人”，“快、快、快”，若是你稍一放松或者犹豫一下，世界便会离你而去。

 

通用电气前总裁杰克·韦尔奇的助理Rosanne Badowski谈为人处世的一种方式：

It is if you go in there with the ¹⁴⁾intent that you think you are going to manage some other person or change them or sway them to do things differently, you might help them but that’s just it’s not going to happen.

如果从一开始就指望驾驭、改变别人，或者企图左右别人的处事方式，虽出于好意，但永不会成功。

 

经济学教授McCormick勇言驳斥“金钱万能”说：

Money has always talked in America, but my main answer is no. Do billionaire ¹⁵⁾activitists, so to speak, to coin that phrase there or use that phrase there, are they moving markets? I’m not seeing any ¹⁶⁾evidence of that.

在美国，有钱永远可以使鬼推磨，但我对此不以为然。那些活跃的亿万富豪随便编几句话说说，就指望能推动股市？我认为不会。

 

体育商家Pat Croce的看法是给所有受挫者的最好鼓励：

I can go from a ¹⁷⁾row home in north Philadelphia and stand in the presence of the team in their locker⁶ room then I believe that everyone can achieve their dreams and goals. But it takes dreams and goals and it takes the ¹⁸⁾willpower and the ¹⁹⁾guts⁷ and the courage and the positive ²⁰⁾attitude and the ²¹⁾persistence⁸ because people are going to ²²⁾slam doors in your face. You gotta say OK, there’s other doors, there’s other ²³⁾ hallways, and you just keep coming. If you believe in yourself and you believe in your ability to achieve your dream, good ²⁴⁾ stuff happens. 

连我这个来自北费城、出身平凡的人都能有朝一日统领一支球队，在队员的衣帽间发号施令，那么我相信人人都有能力达到目标，完成心愿。但要想成功，就得有梦想和目标，还有无比的意志力、胆识、勇气、积极的态度和锲而不舍的精神，因为碰壁是必然的事。你要毫不气馁，继续寻觅窍门，另辟蹊径，反复尝试。如果你怀有信心，自信能达成梦想，成功终会降临。

 

注释:

1) animate [5Animeit] v. 激励，鼓舞

2) prosperity [prCs5periti] n. 繁荣，兴旺

3) obsess² [Eb5ses] v. 迷住，使困扰

4) reveal [ri5vi:l] v. 展现，显示

5) soar [sC:] v. 骤升，腾越

6) IPO: Initial Public Offering 首期公开发行股票（上市）

7) privileged [5privilidVd] a. 有荣幸的

8) analysis [E5nAlisis] n. 分析，分解

9) truck [trQk] n. 日本人的卡车，用来装运将被屠杀的人（文中采用比喻说法）

10) demonize [5di:mEnaiz] v. 使成为魔鬼

11) constant [5kCnstEnt] a. 不断的，持续的

12) vigilance [5vidVilEns] n. 警戒，警惕

13) hesitate [5heziteit] v. 犹豫，踌躇

14) intent [intent] n. 目的，意图

15) activitist [Ak5tivitist] n. 活跃者

16) evidence [5evidEns] n. 明显，迹象

17) row home费城的排房，居住的主要是低收入的人

18) willpower [5wilpaJE(r)] n. 毅力，意志力

19) guts [^Qts] n. 勇气，决心

20) attitude [5Atitju:d] n. 态度，意见

21) persistence [pE5sistEns] n. 坚持，持续

22) slam [slAm] v. 砰地关上，冲击

23) hallway [5hC:lwei] n. 走廊

24) stuff [stQf] n. 物质，素材

1 animate   

v.赋于生命，鼓励；adj.有生命的，有生气的

参考例句：

• We are animate beings,living creatures.我们是有生命的存在，有生命的动物。
• The girls watched,little teasing smiles animating their faces.女孩们注视着，脸上挂着调皮的微笑，显得愈加活泼。

2 obsess   

vt.使着迷，使心神不定，（恶魔）困扰

参考例句：

• I must admit that maps obsess me.我得承认我对地图十分着迷。
• A string of scandals is obsessing America.美国正被一系列丑闻所困扰。

3 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

4 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

5 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

6 locker   

n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人

参考例句：

• At the swimming pool I put my clothes in a locker.在游泳池我把衣服锁在小柜里。
• He moved into the locker room and began to slip out of his scrub suit.他走进更衣室把手术服脱下来。

7 guts   

v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠

参考例句：

• I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。
• Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。