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Unit 12
Public Speaking
After-Class Reading
PASSAGE I Food for Thought[1]
I am very happy to be invited to talk to the International Club this afternoon. This group does so much for our school and community that I couldn't resist accepting your invitation. I'm a firm believer in better international relations. To prove it, I ate pizza with Italian sausage last night, French toast this morning, and tacos for lunch. While I might overdo eating sometimes, I'm not too unusual. Americans have a love affair with food. We simply love food in all forms, shapes, and sizes.
You've all heard the remark, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."[2] That's probably a few years before modern medicine found that the way to a man's heart is to turn right at the liver. You may have heard Napoleon's famous saying, "An army marches on its stomach."[3] Perhaps that accounts for the slowness of some armies. To these celebrated quotations, I add one more: "The way to express Americanism is through your stomach."[4] My quote probably won't go down in history; nevertheless, it is true.
As a matter of fact, it was a foreign exchange student[5] sponsored by your club who really first convinced me about the importance of food in understanding people. Her name was Carmen Morales, and some of you might remember her. She came from Colombia and spent a year at our school. One winter's day after school, Carmen and I had a conversation. I was having my usual after-school candy bar[6] when I saw her. She looked a little glum, so I thought I'd cheer her up.
"What's the matter?" I asked, unwrapping my candy bar.
"Isn't it obvious?" she said. "Just look at me!"
"You look fine to me," I said. In fact, she didn't look fine. She looked as if she might cry.
"I've gained fifteen pounds since I've been in this country," she said.
"What's the problem? Are you eating because you miss your folks back home?" She looked at me and shook her head. And I washed the candy bar down with the last swallow of Coke.
"It's you Americans," she exclaimed. "Eat, eat, eat! Wherever you go, you eat! And I'm becoming one of you."
Well, that did surprise me. I thought to be an American you had to take a citizenship test, be sworn in, and everything. I didn't know wolfing down a couple of hamburgers would do it. When I told her this, it was some time before I could calm her down. She finally told me, "You Americans love food. There are doughnuts at our club meetings before school. When I go out at night with my American sister, we almost always stop off for a snack. And a snack to her is a hamburger and fries. In my country, we have breakfast, a large afternoon meal, and a light evening meal — without all these snacks."
She was right. It took a foreign exchange student to show me something important about us Americans. We are very much in love with food. It's part of being American. As I began to think about it, I noticed the importance food has for us. What's another word used worldwide for American? Yankee. How do we use it? Yankee pot roast.[7] Southern culture has given us some of our finest authors and our noblest traditions. What do we remember? Southern fried chicken.[8] Why this kind of thing is as American as apple pie![9]
Think about the important American symbols that are closely tied to food. Baseball — America's national pastime. But what's a ballgame without hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jacks?[10] Or think about Hollywood. Hollywood is a symbol the world over of America's glamour and excitement, but how often do you watch a movie with your fingers glistening in the dim glow of the theater with the extra butter you asked for in the extra large tub of popcorn?
Even if you watch the movie at home, it's likely that food will be there. We have TV trays[11] from which we eat our TV dinners[12]. And do you really watch those commercials, or are you one of the dozen or so of us who know that commercials are put on TV so we can have a break during which to raid the refrigerator[13]?
Carmen really got me to thinking. Even our nation's most important cultural heroes are identified with food. Popeye[14] eats his spinach, usually not even stopping to cook it. Dagwood[15] has his "hero" sandwich. Snoopy[16] has his chocolate chip cookies. Even President Reagan had his jelly beans.[17] Our space program promises to "boldly go where no man has gone before", and what goes with them? Instant orange drink![18]
To Americans, food means much more than nutrition, more than the basic three meals a day. The tacos guiltily squeezed in during the trip to the mall. The cupcake that beckoned you and pleaded until you put it out of its misery.[19]
Some of us even have a new hobby — recreational eating. We eat at parties, meetings, brunches, and coffee breaks. We eat to have a good time. We even have fad food with absolutely no purpose other than to pass time. Bubble gum[20] is a kind of food that serves as a toy. Even after the flavor is gone, it's there to pop, snap, stretch, and chomp.[21]
However, nowhere is our love affair with food more evident than in our passion for the hamburger. There are enough hamburger restaurants to feed us all three meals a day every day. We are told that we "deserve a break today". To do what? To eat, naturally! How big will the hamburger be? Three ounces? Four? A third of a pound? Carmen didn't understand that the simple snack of a burger and fries that her host-sister had at night was more than a snack: it was a display of patriotism.
Even those of us who diet still love to eat. Dieters find themselves drawn toward diet foods and health foods[22] as a substitute for the real thing. A bean curd[23] sandwich may be a poor substitute for a hot dog, but as Shakespeare said, "Love is blind." I believe that was in Hamlet or maybe Macbeef.[24] American food lovers will fall for anything they can chew and swallow.
But perhaps our love affair with food isn't all bad. After all, it broadens international understanding, something the International Club really cares about. We Americans love all kinds of food: Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Greek, French, Japanese, German, and many others. We are a virtual United Nations of food.
Not only that, did you know eating keeps the crime rate down? Why, if more people were sticking ribs in their mouths instead of a gun in someone's ribs, we could solve the crime problem entirely.
Eating also keeps the farmers in business. If we weren't so intent on consuming so much, many family farms might go under.
Eating keeps teenagers employed. How many of you have worked at a fast food place — building pizzas, stuffing tacos, or flipping hamburgers?
And eating is better than fighting.
As I reflect on it, it's a good thing I talked to Carmen that day. She did make me realize something about Americans and food. Eating is part of being American. We eat because it's fun. We eat to be friendly and sociable. We eat because we are free to do what we want to do. We eat what we want, when we want — and that's American. That's something we can teach the foreign exchange students we look forward to having this year — our eating habits reflect Americ's value on freedom.
By bringing people like Carmen Morales to America, you in the International Club help Americans like me learn about America, as well as about other countries of the world.
Now will you excuse me? I have to grab a snack. After all this talking, I'm just starved. (1320 words)
Proper Names
Americanism
崇美主义（指对美国及其制度、习俗的信仰或效忠感情）
Carmen Morales
（女子名）卡门.莫拉莱斯
Coke
可口可乐
Colombia
哥伦比亚（南美洲西北部国家）
Hollywood
好莱坞（美国电影业中心）
Napoleon
（男子名）拿破仑
Reagan
（男子名）里根
Shakespeare
（男子名）莎士比亚
Yankee
（英口）美国佬
New Words
ballgame
n. (AmE) a baseball game （美）棒球运动
beckon
v. signal or direct to come near （以点头或打手势）向......示意，召唤
e.g. He beckoned (to) me and I went into his office.
boldly *
adv. courageously 勇敢地
e.g. One little girl came boldly up to me and held out her hand.
chomp
v. bite food noisily 大声地咀嚼
citizenship *
n. the legal right of belonging to a particular country 公民资格，公民身份
e.g. He holds joint citizenship in Sweden and Peru （秘鲁）.
cracker
n. a small thin unsweetened biscuit （无甜味的）薄脆饼干
cupcake
n. small round cake for dessert or snack 纸杯蛋糕
curd
n.
1) the thick white substance which is formed when milk turns sour 凝乳
2) something suggesting the curd of milk 凝乳状物
dim
adj. not bright 暗淡的，昏暗的
e.g. They peered into the dim interior of the cave.
doughnut
n. a small round cake with a hole in the middle 炸面圈
fad
n. an interest or activity that is followed very keenly but usually only for a short time 流行一时的嗜好
flavor
n. the particular taste of food or drink 味，味道
e.g. Extra salt would certainly improve the flavor of the soup.
flip
v. turn something over with a quick, sudden movement 快速翻动
e.g. He was flipping through a magazine in the living room.
glamour
n. attractive or exciting quality 魅力，吸引力
e.g. She enjoys working in Hollywood, with all its glamour.
glisten
v. shine and look wet or oily 闪亮
glum
adj. sad and not talking much 闷闷不乐的
ounce
n. a unit of weight 盎司
e.g. Do these scales measure in ounces or grams?
overdo
v. (overdid, overdone) do something more than is suitable or natural 把......做得过分
e.g. After a heart attack you have to be careful not to overdo things.
pastime
n. something that you do because you find it enjoyable or interesting 消遣，娱乐
e.g. My favorite pastime is reading.
patriotism
n. love of one's country and readiness to defend it 爱国主义，爱国心，爱国精神
e.g. The politician invoked patriotism in his campaign speech.
peanut
n. a nut which grows in a soft shell under the ground and which can be eaten 花生
e.g. Peanuts are usually roasted, but are sometimes eaten green.
popcorn
n. corn that bursts open into a white mass when heated 玉米花
e.g. David put the bag of popcorn in the microwave.
quotation
n.
1) a word, phrase, sentence, or passage taken from a book, speech, etc. and repeated 引语，引文
e.g. The critic's review of the novel included many quotations from the book itself.
2) a written statement of exactly how much money a piece of work will cost 报价
e.g. They submitted quotations and agreed on prices for the work on the house.
raid
v.
1) take something from a place 劫掠，攫取
e.g. The children raided their mother's purse to get money to buy sweets.
2) make a sudden armed attack against a place 袭击
e.g. Warplanes raided the capital of Croatia （克罗地亚）.
3) (police) go to a place suddenly to search for something illegal （警方进行的）突击搜捕，查抄
e.g. Their headquarters in London were raided by the police.
n. a short attack on a place by soldiers, planes, or ships intended to cause damage but not to take control （突然）袭击，侵袭
e.g. The air force has carried out a low-level bombing raid.
roast
n. a large piece of roasted meat 烤肉
e.g. Come into the kitchen. I've got to put the roast in.
v. cook something, such as meat, in an oven or over a fire 烤，烘
e.g. Jane roasted the beef at 350 degrees.
sausage
n. a small tube of skin filled with a mixture of meat, spices, etc. 香肠
e.g. We cooked sausages over an open fire.
spinach
n. a vegetable with large green leaves 菠菜
e.g. Spinach is very rich in iron and vitamins.
taco
n. a type of Mexican food consisting of a flat circle made of corn flour wrapped over meat and vegetables 墨西哥煎玉米卷
tub
n.
1) a small container made of paper or plastic with a lid, in which food is bought or stored 盛食物的桶，塑料杯，纸杯
e.g. Liz set the plates out on the table and Barry went around them dropping a swirl of cream in each, out of a plastic tub.
2) (AmE) a bathtub 洗澡盆
e.g. Anne filled the tub with hot water and took a relaxing bath.
worldwide
adv. everywhere in the world 在全世界，在世界各地
e.g. His books have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.
adj. found in or affecting the whole world 世界范围的，全世界的
e.g. The local battle grew into a worldwide war.
Phrases and Expressions
account for
give or be a satisfactory explanation for 对......作出满意的解释
e.g. How do you account for the missing money?
calm (somebody) down
make calm （使）安静，（使）平静
e.g. I) Calm down for a minute and listen to me.
II) She sat down and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.
cheer (somebody) up
(cause to) become happier （使）高兴起来，（使）振作起来
e.g. I) When I was ill, several friends sent me flowers to cheer me up.
II) Cheer up, better times may be ahead.
fall for
fall in love with somebody or something 倾心于......，被......迷上
e.g. She fell for him in a big way.
go down
be recorded or remembered in a particular way 被记录下来
e.g. The talks went down as a landmark in the peace process.
go under
become unable to continue in operation or in existence （商行等）倒闭，垮掉
e.g. Unless the company's sales improve soon, it will go under.
look forward to
expect with pleasure （欣然）期望，期待
e.g. I'm really looking forward to your party.
stop off
make a short visit to a place or person, especially to rest or to see someone （在旅程中）中途逗留
e.g. Shall we stop off somewhere on the way to London?
wash down
swallow (food or medicine) with the help of liquid （借助水等）吞服（食物或药物）
e.g. We washed down our steak and chips with a glass of wine.
PASSAGE II The Eulogy[1]
I stand before you today, the representative of a family in grief, in a country in mourning before a world in shock. We are all united not only in our desire to pay our respects to Diana but rather in our need to do so.
For such was her extraordinary appeal that the tens of millions of people taking part in this service all over the world via television and radio who never actually met her feel that they, too, lost someone close to them in the early hours of Sunday morning.[2] It is a more remarkable tribute to Diana than I can ever hope to offer her today.
Diana was the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty. All over the world she was a symbol of selfless humanity, a standard-bearer for the rights of the truly downtrodden, a very British girl who transcended nationality,[3] someone with a natural nobility who was classless, who proved in the last year that she needed no royal title[4] to continue to generate her particular brand of magic.[5] Today is our chance to say thank you for the way you brightened our lives, even though God granted you but half a life. We will all feel cheated always that you were taken from us so young, and yet we must learn to be grateful that you came along at all.
Only now you are gone do we truly appreciate what we are now without, and we want you to know that life without you is very, very difficult.
We have all despaired at our loss over the past week, and only the strength of the message you gave us through your years of giving has afforded[6] us the strength to move forward.
There is a temptation to rush to canonize your memory.[7] There is no need to do so. You stand tall enough as a human being of unique qualities not to need to be seen as a saint.[8] Indeed, to sanctify your memory[9] would be to miss out on the very core of your being[10], your wonderfully mischievous sense of humor[11] with the laugh that bent you double[12], your joy for life transmitted wherever you took your smile and the sparkle in those unforgettable eyes, your boundless energy, which you could barely contain.[13]
But your greatest gift was your intuition, and it was a gift you used wisely. This is what underpinned all your wonderful attributes. And if we look to analyze what it was about you that had such a wide appeal, we find it in your instinctive feel for what was really important in all our lives.
Without your God-given sensitivity, we would be immersed in greatest ignorance at the anguish of AIDS and HIV sufferers, the plight of the homeless, the isolation of lepers, the random destruction of land mines. Diana explained to me once that it was her innermost feelings of suffering that made it possible for her to connect with people rejected by the society.
And here we come to another truth about her. For all the status, the glamour, the applause, Diana remained throughout[14] a very insecure person at heart, almost childlike in her desire to do good for others so she could release herself from deep feelings of unworthiness of which her eating disorders[15] were merely a symptom.
The world sensed this part of her character and cherished her for her vulnerability, whilst admiring her for her honesty. The last time I saw Diana was on July the first, her birthday, in London, when typically she was not taking time to celebrate her special day with friends but was guest of honor at a fund-raising charity evening.
She sparkled, of course, but I would rather cherish the days I spent with her in March, when she came to visit me and my children in our home in South Africa. I am proud of the fact that, apart from when she was on public display, meeting President Mandela,[16] we managed to contrive to stop the ever-present paparazzi from getting a single picture of her.
That meant a lot to her.
These are days I will always treasure. It was as if we'd been transported back to our childhood, when we spent such an enormous amount of time together, the two youngest in the family.
Fundamentally she hadn't changed at all from the big sister who mothered me as a baby, fought with me at school and endured those long train journeys between our parents' homes[17] with me at weekends. It is a tribute to her levelheadedness and strength that despite the most bizarre life imaginable after her childhood, she remained intact, true to herself.[18]
There is no doubt that she was looking for a new direction in her life at this time. She talked endlessly of getting away from England, mainly because of the treatment she received at the hands of the newspapers. I don't think she ever understood why her genuinely good intentions were scorned by the media, why there appeared to be a permanent quest on their behalf to bring her down.[19] It is baffling. My own, and only, explanation is that genuine goodness is threatening to those at the opposite end of the moral spectrum.[20]
It is a point to remember that of all the ironies about Diana, perhaps the greatest is this: that a girl given the name of the ancient goddess of hunting was, in the end, the most hunted person of the modern age.[21]
She would want us today to pledge ourselves to protecting her beloved boys, William and Harry[22], from a similar fate. And I do this here, Diana, on your behalf. We will not allow them to suffer the anguish that used regularly to drive you to tearful despair.
Beyond that, on behalf of your mother and sisters, I pledge that we, your blood family, will do all we can to continue the imaginative and loving way in which you were steering these two exceptional young men so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition but can sing openly as you planned.[23]
We fully respect the heritage into which they have both been born, and will always respect and encourage them in their royal role. But we, like you, recognize the need for them to experience as many different aspects of life as possible to arm them spiritually and emotionally for the years ahead. I know you would have expected nothing less from us.[24]
William and Harry, we all care desperately for you today. We are all chewed up with sadness at the loss of a woman who wasn't even our mother. How great your suffering is we cannot even imagine.
I would like to end by thanking God for the small mercies he has shown us at this dreadful time: for taking Diana at her most beautiful and radiant and when she had joy in her private life.[25]
Above all, we give thanks for the life of a woman I am so proud to be able to call my sister: the unique, the complex, the extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana, whose beauty both internal and external, will never be extinguished from our minds. (1202 words)
Proper Names
Diana
（女子名）戴安娜
Harry
（男子名）哈里
Mandela
（男子名）曼德拉
William
（男子名）威廉
New Words
anguish
n. mental or physical suffering caused by extreme pain or worry 痛苦
e.g. The Foreign Office said that it understood the anguish of relatives of the hostages (人质).
applause
n. approval expressed especially by clapping one's hands together 喝彩，鼓掌
e.g. The conference greeted the speech with deafening applause.
beloved
adj. dearly loved 所钟爱的
e.g. The rich man left each of his beloved grandchildren a large inheritance.
boundless *
adj. having no limit or end 无限的，巨大的
e.g. The work demanded boundless and theatrical imagination.
canonize
v. (especially in the Roman Catholic Church) declare (a dead person) officially saint （尤指罗马天主教）把（死者）封为圣人
childlike
adj. having qualities that are typical of a child 天真的，孩子般的
e.g. The woman spoke in a childlike voice to her baby.
compassion
n. a strong feeling of sympathy for someone who is suffering, and a desire to help them 同情，怜悯
e.g. Whatever choice they make, they deserve our compassion and full support.
contrive
v. manage to do something in spite of difficulties 设法做到
e.g. One way or another, she contrived to make both ends meet.
destruction
n. the action or process of destroying something; the state or fact of being destroyed 破坏，毁灭，毁坏
e.g. We have witnessed in our lifetime both the establishment and destruction of the welfare state.
downtrodden
adj. badly treated and without respect by people who have power over them 受压迫的，被蹂躏的
eulogy
n. (formal) (a speech or piece of writing containing) high praise, usually of the qualities of a person [正式]颂词，颂扬
extinguish
v.
1) destroy an idea or feeling or make it stop existing 压制，压抑
e.g. Nothing could extinguish his love for her.
2) make a fire or light stop burning or shining 熄灭，扑灭（火等）
e.g. A fire on board a cargo ferry in the English Channel has been extinguished.
heritage
n. important qualities, customs, and traditions that have been in a society for a long time 遗产，继承物
e.g. The charity aims to preserve old churches which it sees as an invaluable part of our national heritage.
imaginable *
adj. capable of being imagined 可想像的
e.g. We tried every imaginable means/every means imaginable, but we couldn't wake her up.
immerse
v.
1) become completely involved in an activity 使沉浸在，使深陷于
e.g. That year I immersed myself totally in my work.
2) put someone or something deep into a liquid so that it is completely covered 使浸没在
e.g. Sally immersed the potatoes in boiling water.
innermost
adj. most personal and secret 内心深处的
e.g. This was the diary to which Gina committed all her innermost thoughts and secrets.
instinctive *
adj. based on an instinct （出于）天性的，（来自）直觉的
e.g. It was hard for me to control my instinctive jealousy.
intuition
n. the ability to understand or know something by using one's feelings rather than by carefully considering the facts 直觉，直觉力
e.g. He used his intuition, not a map, to find my house.
irony
n.
1) a state or affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result 具有讽刺意味的事
e.g. The irony is that many officials in Washington agree in private that their policy is inconsistent.
2) a subtle form of humor which involves saying what one does not mean 反语
e.g. Did you mean what you wrote, or were you using irony?
leper
n. someone who suffers from the disease of leprosy 麻风病患者
levelheadedness
n. the state of being calm and sensible in making judgments or decisions 头脑冷静，清醒
nobility *
n. the quality of being noble in character or appearance 高尚的性格
e.g. Because of his nobility, the diplomat was very much respected.
paparazzi
n. (pl.) newspaper writers or photographers who follow famous people 专门追逐名人偷拍照片的摄影者（或记者）
plight
n. a bad, serious, or sad condition or situation 困境，苦境
e.g. I cried when I heard of the refugees' plight.
radiant
adj.
1) full of happiness and love, in a way that shows in one's face, eyes, etc. （面容、目光）洋溢着幸福的
e.g. She was radiant with joy.
2) very bright 明亮照耀的，光辉灿烂的
e.g. Dozens of radiant candle flames lit the room.
random
adj. happening or chosen without any definite plan, aim, or pattern 任意的，随机的
e.g. The magician chose a random volunteer from the audience.
sanctify
v. make holy 使神圣
selfless *
adj. caring about other people more than about oneself 无私的，不考虑自己的
e.g. It was impossible to repay years of selfless devotion.
spiritually *
adv. in the state or quality of relating to people's thoughts rather than to their bodies and physical surroundings 精神上
e.g. Our whole program is spiritually oriented but not religious.
standard-bearer
n. prominent leader in a cause, especially a political one 领导人（尤指政治上的旗手）
tearful *
adj. causing tears; sad or emotional 令人伤心的，使人流泪的
e.g. After a tearful farewell at the station, we went our separate ways.
transcend
v. (formal) go above or beyond the limits of something 超出，超越
e.g. The underlying message of the film is that love transcends everything.
tribute
n. something that one says, does, or makes to show one's admiration and respect for someone （表示敬意的）颂词，称赞
e.g. He paid tribute to the organizing committee.
underpin
v. give strength or support 支持，巩固
unworthiness *
n. the quality or state of not deserving something 不值得，无价值
via
prep.
1) using a particular person, machine, etc. to send something 通过，凭借
e.g. I) It was so kind of you to send message via Tony.
II) Reports are coming in via satellite.
2) traveling through a place on the way to another place 经由，经过
e.g. The flight goes via Los Angeles.
vulnerability *
n. the state of being weak and without protection 脆弱（性）
e.g. David accepts his own vulnerability.
whilst
prep. (BrE, formal) while 当......时候
Phrases and Expressions
above all
most important of all 尤其是，最重要的是
e.g. It's too far, too late, and above all, too dangerous.
at the hands of
from or because of 出自某人之手，由于某人
e.g. They suffered terribly at the hands of the invaders.
be transported back/into
imagine that one is in another place or time because of something one sees or hears 把......带入特定境地（或时间）
e.g. I) In a dream you can be transported back in time.
II) Dr Drummond felt that he had been transported into a world that rivaled the Arabian Nights （天方夜谭）.
bring down
cause to lose power 打倒，击败
e.g. They were threatening to bring down the government by withdrawing from the ruling coalition （政治联盟）.
come along
appear or arrive by chance 偶然出现
e.g. I got the job because I came along at the right time.
chew up
destroy or damage in some way 损害，伤害
e.g. Every spring the ozone （臭氧） is chewed up, and the hole appears.
miss out
1) fail to use an opportunity to enjoy or benefit from something 错过机会
e.g. Britain is missing out on the full benefits of the Channel Tunnel （英吉利海峡海底遂道） by failing to build a highspeed link to the rest of the country.
2) not include someone or something 遗漏，略去
e.g. You can miss out a surprising number of words and still be understood.
on behalf of
instead of someone, or as their representative 代表......一方，作为......的代言人
e.g. Wilkins spoke on behalf of the Labor Party.
on somebody's behalf
1) instead of someone, or as their representative 代表......一方，作为......的代言人
e.g. Unfortunately, George cannot be with us today so I am pleased to accept this award on his behalf.
2) because of someone 为了某人的利益，为了某人
e.g. Please don't leave me on my behalf.
PASSAGE III The Shame of Hunger
Elie Wiesel[1]
A survivor of the concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald[2], Elie Wiesel has won a congressional medal and the 1986 Nobel Prize for Peace[3]. He delivered the following speech at Brown University on April 5, 1990, at the presentation of the Alan Feinstein Awards for the Prevention and Reduction of World Hunger. Wiesel, whose parents and sister died in the Holocaust[4], spoke passionately on this topic.
I have been obsessed with the idea of hunger for years and years because I have seen what hunger can do to human beings. It is the easiest way for a tormenter to dehumanize another human being. When I think of hunger, I see images: emaciated bodies, swollen bellies, long bony arms pleading for mercy, motionless skeletons. How can one look at these images without losing sleep?
And eyes, my God, eyes. Eyes that pierce your consciousness and tear your heart. How can one run away from those eyes? The eyes of a mother who carries her dead child in her arms, not knowing where to go, or where to stop. At one moment you think that she would keep on going, going, going — to the end of the world. Except she wouldn't go very far, for the end of the world, for her, is there. Or the eyes of the old grandfather who probably wonders where creation had gone wrong, and whether it was all worthwhile to create a family, to have faith in the future, to transmit misery from generation to generation, whether it was worth it to wager on humankind.[5]
And then the eyes of all eyes, the eyes of children, so dark, so immense, so deep, so focused and yet at the same time, so wide and so vague. What do they see? What do hungry children's eyes see? Death? Nothingness? God? And what if their eyes are the eyes of our judges?[6]
Hunger and death, death and starvation, starvation and shame. Poor men and women who yesterday were proud members of their tribes, bearers of ancient traditions and culture, and who are now wandering among corpses. What is so horrifying in hunger is that it makes the individual death an anonymous death[7]. In times of hunger, the individual death has lost its uniqueness. Scores of hungry people die daily, and those who mourn for them will die the next day, and the others will have no strength left to mourn.
Hunger in ancient times represented the ultimate curse to society.[8] Rich and poor, young and old, kings and servants, lived in fear of drought. They joined the priests in prayer for rain. Rain meant harvest, harvest meant food, food meant life, just as lack of food meant death. It still does.[9]
Hunger and humiliation. A hungry person experiences an overwhelming feeling of shame. All desires, all aspirations, all dreams lose their lofty qualities and relate to food alone. Diminished by hunger, man's spirit is diminished as well. His fantasy wanders in quest of bread. His prayer rises toward a bowl of milk.
Thus the shame.
In Hebrew, the word hunger is linked to shame. Of all the diseases, of all the natural diseases and catastrophes, the only one that is linked to shame in Scripture is hunger — the shame of hunger. Shame is associated neither with sickness nor even with death, only with hunger. For man can live with pain, but no man ought to endure hunger.
Hunger means torture, the worst kind of torture. The hungry person is tortured by more than one sadist alone. He or she is tortured, every minute, by all men, by all women. And by all the elements surrounding him or her. The wind. The sun. The stars. By the rustling of trees and the silence of night. The minutes that pass so slowly, so slowly. Can you imagine time, can you imagine time[10], when you are hungry?
And to condone hunger means to accept torture, someone else's torture[11].
Hunger is isolating; it may not and cannot be experienced vicariously[12]. He who never felt hunger can never know its real effects, both tangible and intangible. Hunger defies imagination; it even defies memory. Hunger is felt only in the present.
There is a story about the great French-Jewish composer Daniel Halevy who met a poor poet: "Is it true," he asked, "that you endured hunger in your youth?" "Yes," said the poet. "I envy you," said the composer, "I never felt hunger."[13]
And Gaston Bachelard, the famous philosopher, voiced his view on the matter, saying, "My prayer to heaven is not, 'Oh God, give us our daily bread,' but give us our daily hunger."[14]
I don't find these anecdotes funny. These anecdotes were told about and by people who were not hungry. There is no romanticism in hunger, there is no beauty in hunger, no creativity in hunger. There is no aspiration in hunger. Only shame. And solitude. Hunger creates its own prison walls; it is impossible to demolish them, to avoid them, to ignore them.
Thus, if hunger inspires anything at all, it is, and must be, only the war against hunger.
Perhaps of all of the woes that threaten and plague the human condition, hunger alone can be reduced and ultimately conquered, not by destiny, nor by the heavens, but by human beings. We cannot fight earthquakes, but we can fight hunger. Hence our responsibility for its victims. Responsibility is the key word. Our tradition emphasizes the question, rather than the answer. For there is a "quest" in question, but there is "response" in responsibility.[15] And this responsibility is what makes us human, or the lack of it, inhuman.
Hunger differs from other disasters such as floods in that it can be prevented or stopped so easily. One gesture of generosity, one act of humanity, may put an end to it, at least for one person. A piece of bread, a bowl of rice or soup makes a difference[16]. And I wonder, what would happen, just imagine, what would happen, if every nation, every industrialized or non-industrialized nation, would simply decide to sell one aircraft, and for the money, feed the hungry. Why shouldn't they? Why shouldn't the next economic summit, which includes the wealthiest, most powerful, the richest nations of the world, why shouldn't they decide that since there are so many aircrafts, why shouldn't they say, "Let's sell just one, just one, to take care of the shame and the hunger and the suffering of millions of people."
So the expression, "the shame of hunger", must be understood differently. When we speak of our responsibility for the hungry, we must go to the next step and say that the expression "shame of hunger" does not apply to the hungry. It applies to those who refuse to help the hungry. Shame on those who could feed the hungry, but are too busy to do so.[17] (1202 words)
Proper Names
Alan Feinstein
（男子名）艾伦.范斯坦
Auschwitz
奥斯维辛（波兰南部一城市）
Buchenwald
布痕瓦尔德（德国一村庄名）
Daniel Halevy
（男子名）丹尼尔.阿莱维
Elie Wiesel
（男子名）倚利.威斯
Gaston Bachelard
（男子名）加斯顿.布切拉德
Hebrew
希伯来语
Jewish
adj. 犹太人的
Nobel
（男子名）诺贝尔
New Words
bearer *
n. (formal) someone who is particularly associated with a tradition, idea, etc. and passes it on to other people 传统的保持者或维护者
e.g. Generally, the lower classes are considered to be the bearers of tradition.
bony *
adj. very thin 瘦削的
e.g. Her long bony hands clasped the book.
catastrophe
n. a terrible event in which there is a lot of destruction or many people are injured or die 大灾难
e.g. The flood was a major catastrophe that killed thousands.
concentration
n.
1) a large amount of something in one place or area 集中
e.g. The area has one of the world's greatest concentrations of wildlife.
2) the ability to think about something carefully or for a long time 专心，专注
e.g. I found that yoga (瑜珈功) improves my powers of concentration.
condone
v. accept or forgive behavior that most people think is morally wrong 宽恕
congressional
adj. related to the US Congress 美国国会的，议会的
e.g. The president explained his plans to congressional leaders.
corpse
n. the dead body of a person 尸体
e.g. Her corpse was found floating in the river.
defy
v.
1) make impossible or unsuccessful 使不可能
e.g. I ) The untidiness of the room defies description.
II) The disease has so far defied all attempts to find a cure.
2) refuse to obey a law or rule, or refuse to do what is told by someone in authority （公然）违抗，藐视
e.g. Dad will be really angry if you defy him again.
dehumanize *
v. deprive of human qualities, personality, spirit, etc. 使失去人性
e.g. He said that disabled people are often treated in a dehumanized way.
demolish
v. pull down (a building) 拆毁
e.g. The old prison was demolished in 1890.
destiny
n. fate 命运
e.g. He accepted his destiny without complaint.
emaciated
adj. extremely thin from lack of food or illness 消瘦的
holocaust
n. a situation in which there is great destruction, especially by fire, and a lot of people die 大屠杀
inhuman *
adj. very cruel without any normal feelings of pity 残酷的，无人性的
e.g. It's inhuman, the way these children are treated.
lofty
adj.
1) noble and morally admirable 崇高的，高尚的
e.g. Such lofty goals justify any means.
2) very high 高耸的，极高的
e.g. The plane flew among the lofty clouds.
obsess
v. think about something all the time and cannot think of something else 困扰
e.g. I ) He's always been obsessed with making money.
II) They are both obsessed with the fear of getting AIDS.
philosopher
n. a person who creates or studies theories about the nature of existence, knowledge, thought, etc., or about how people should live and behave 哲学家
e.g. Plato was a Greek philosopher.
pierce
v.
1) penetrate so as to move or touch the emotions of （忧伤等）强烈地影响，深深地打动
e.g. This sound, like all music, pierced my heart, like a dagger.
2) make a small hole in or through something in using an object with a sharp point 刺入，刺破
e.g. The spear pierced his leg and he fell.
romanticism *
n. thoughts and feelings which are idealistic rather than realistic 浪漫
e.g. His determined romanticism was worrying me.
rustle
v. (leaves, papers, etc.) make a noise as they rub against each other 沙沙作响
e.g. The fallen leaves rustled as they blew by my feet.
sadist
n. someone who enjoys being cruel to other people 虐待狂
skeleton
n.
1) (informal) an extremely thin person 骨瘦如柴的人
e.g. Her long illness reduced her to a skeleton.
2) a structure consisting of all the bones in a human or animal body 骸骨，骨骼
e.g. The police found a skeleton buried in the farmer's field.
starvation *
n. suffering or death caused by lack of food 饥饿，饿死
e.g. Hundreds of thousands of people face possible starvation.
suffering *
n. physical or mental pain and difficulty, or an experience of it 痛苦
e.g. She had to endure years of pain and suffering.
summit
n.
1) a set of meetings between the leaders of several governments 最高级会议
e.g. Western leaders are gathering for this week's Ottawa (渥太华) summit.
2) the top of a mountain 最高点，顶点
e.g. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Everest in 1953.
tormentor *
n. one who torments 折磨者
e.g. A day came when she couldn't tolerate his cruelty anymore-she took a knife and stabbed her tormenter.
torture
n. severe physical or mental suffering 折磨
e.g. Over half of the prisoners were murdered or died after torture or starvation.
v.
1) deliberately cause another person great pain over a period of time 折磨，使痛苦
e.g. Three members of the group had been tortured to death.
2) cause someone to suffer mental pain or anxiety 使苦恼，使为难
e.g. She was tortured by the thought that the accident was her fault.
tribe
n. a group of people of the same race, who share the same customs, religion, language, or land, especially when they are not considered to have reached a very advanced level of civilization 部落
e.g. The tribe held religious ceremonies next to the river.
wager
v. risk or venture on a final result 赌博，打赌
e.g. Golfers had wagered a good deal of money on Nick Faldo winning the champion.
woe
n. (literary) great unhappiness 悲哀，苦恼
Phrases and Expressions
in fear of
always be afraid of 为......提心吊担
e.g. I) The elderly lived in fear of assault and murder.
II) I'm living in fear of dismissal (解雇).
put an end to
stop 使终止
e.g. It's time that they put an end to these abuses.
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