偶像励志英语演讲 第80期:做真正的自己(2)

　　Although I did graduate from the school of hard knocks, our mascot¹ was the knockers. I spent a lot of time here growing up. My mom worked at Newcom and I would go there every time I needed to steal something out of her purse. But why am I here today? Clearly not to steal, you're too far away and I'd never get away with it.
但是我确实从历经磨难的生活这所学校毕业了，我们的吉祥物就是磨难和挫折。我在此度过了漫长的成长岁月。我妈妈在纽科姆工作，每当我需要从她的钱包里偷偷拿些东西的时候，我都会去找她。但今天我为什么来这里呢？很明显我不是想要偷你们的钱，你们离我太远了，而且我也跑不了。
I'm here because of you. Because I can't think of a more tenactious, more courageous² graduating class. I mean, look at you all, oh, wearing your robes. Usually when you're wearing a robe at 10 in the morning, it means you've given up. I'm here because I love New Orleans. I was born and raised here, I spent my formative years here, and like you, while I was living here I only did laundry six times. When I finished school, I was completely lost. And by school, I mean middle school, but I went ahead and finished high school anyway. And I-I really, I had no ambition, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I did everything from-I shucked oysters³, I was a hostess, I was a bartender, I was a waitress, I painted houses, I sold vacuum cleaners, I had no idea. And I thought I'd just finally settle in some job, and I would make enough money to pay my rent, maybe have basic cable, maybe not, I didn't really have a plan, my point is that, by the time I was your age, I really thought I knew who I was, but I had no idea.
我来这里是因为你们，没有比你们更坚韧更勇敢的毕业生了。我是说，看看你们每一个人，身着学士袍，通常在上午10点还穿着睡袍，说明你们已经放弃人生了。今天我来这里，因为我热爱新奥尔良。我在这里出生，在这里长大，在这里度过了我的童年时代。和你们一样，我在这里生活时，只洗过6次衣服。当我毕业后，我完全迷失了。这里我指的是中学，但我接着上学，读完了高中。而我当时真的没有什么野心，不知道自己想做什么。可我什么都做。我剥过牡蛎，当过迎宾员，做过酒保、服务员，粉刷过房子，卖过吸尘器。我完全不知道自己想做什么。我想随便找个工作稳定下来，只要有足够的钱付房租，电视机可有可无，我完全没有计划。这里我要强调的是，我像你们这么大的时候，我真的以为我了解自己，但其实并非如此。
重点讲解：
1. get away with
（做坏事而）未受惩罚；（做冒险之事而）未遭遇不测；
eg. Naturally we won't let them get away with this.
很自然，我们不会就这样放过他们。
eg. I won't let him get away with that excuse.
我不会让他用那种借口蒙混过去。
2. give up
放弃；
eg. Coastguards had given up all hope of finding the two divers⁴ alive.
海岸警卫队对两位潜水员生还已完全不抱希望。
eg. When faced with adversity she was never tempted⁵ to give up.
面对逆境她从未想过放弃。
3. settle in
安顿下来；适应；
eg. Later, man began to settle in the places where the food and water were plentiful⁶.
后来，人们开始在有充足的食物和水的地方定居下来。
eg. He can't seem to settle in a steady job; every two years or so he pulls up skates, moves to another city and starts again.
他似乎不能找一份固定的工作安定下来，大概每隔两年他就离开去另一个城市重新开始。
名人简介：
艾伦·德詹尼丝1958年1月26日出生于新奥尔兰一个中产阶级家庭。是美国著名脱口秀喜剧演员，电视节目主持和演员。艾伦·德詹尼丝是历史上唯一一位主持过奥斯卡（AcademyAwards），格莱美奖（Grammy Awards）和艾美奖（Emmy Awards）的主持人。
艾伦的父母在她13岁的时候离婚，她跟随她的母亲去了东德克萨斯。那时候她母亲有深度的忧郁，那个时候Ellen用幽默逗母亲开心，这也是Ellen第一次意识到幽默的力量。

1 mascot   

n.福神，吉祥的东西

参考例句：

• The football team's mascot is a goat.足球队的吉祥物是山羊。
• We had a panda as our mascot.我们把熊猫作为吉详物。

2 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

3 oysters   

牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We don't have oysters tonight, but the crayfish are very good. 我们今晚没有牡蛎供应。但小龙虾是非常好。
• She carried a piping hot grill of oysters and bacon. 她端出一盘滚烫的烤牡蛎和咸肉。

4 divers   

adj.不同的；种种的

参考例句：

• He chose divers of them,who were asked to accompany him.他选择他们当中的几个人，要他们和他作伴。
• Two divers work together while a standby diver remains on the surface.两名潜水员协同工作，同时有一名候补潜水员留在水面上。

5 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

6 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。