四六级必读美文系列:选择安家之地什么最重要

 　　Where we choose to live can have a huge impact 00 our juggle¹. Living in an unfriendly neighborhood, or one where residents move often, can make it harder to find child-care help or other support. On the other hand, settling in a peaceful rural hamlet may seem like a great way to calibrate² your juggle-until you realize you can't make a living relying on the slow dial-up Internet access available there.

　　选择住在哪里，可能会对我们生活的天平产生巨大的影响。住在邻里关系不太好的社区，或者居民经常搬家的社区，你会很难找到托儿服务或者其他帮助。另一方面，安顿在一片宁静的乡间小村，看上去或许是一种很好的平衡的办法，直到你终于意识到，你根本无法依赖那里慢吞吞的上网速度而长期生活下去。

　　A recent survey tackled the question of what bonds us to the places we live, and its findings suggest the quality of our juggle is a more influential³ factor than economists⁴ might think. (1) Given a choice, most people don't care as much about the local economy as they do about the social offerings, physical beauty and openness of a locale, says a recently released survey of about 14,000 people in 26 communities by Gallup and the Knight⁵ Foundation.

　　最近的一份调查正是希望揭示到底是哪些因素促使我们选择安家之地，结果发现，生活质量是一个比经济学家想象的可能还要更具影响的因素。(1)这份由盖洛普和Knight Foundation联合对26个社区的大约14000人进行的调查显示，如果有选择，大多数人更加关心这个地点的社会服务、自然环境以及开阔程度，而不是当地经济如何。

　　Those intangibles-how warm, welcoming and fun a community seems to be-are apparently⁶ why people living in Miami tend to like it even more than they did last year. Residents of Minneapolis-St. Paul had an above-average regard for their town even "B.F.-Before Favre" joined the Vikings, this article reports. (2) Even in hard-pressed Detroit, citizens are liking⁷ life a little more than recent years，perhaps because of better parks, green spaces and recreational opportunities, marked by Investments in bike paths.

　　这些无形的因素一一气候温暖、邻里友好、生活有趣的社区环境，显然是住在迈阿密的居民为何比去年更喜欢住在这里的原因。根据这项调查，即便橄榄球明星Favre加入本城的维京人队之前，明尼阿波利斯一圣保罗的居民对自己居住地的评价也高于平均水平。 (2)就算是压力很大的底特律，当地居民现在也比近年来更加热爱生活，也许原因在于美化的公园、绿色的空间以及丰富多彩的娱乐设施，其标志则是对自行车车道的大力投资。

　　In my case, living in the Pacific Northwest is a trade off. My town of Portland offers wonderful outdoor-sports access, edgy⁸ culture and natural beauty. However，as one who has worked in journalism⁹ and publishing all my life, I find many of my career contacts are a continent away, in New York.

　　我自己呢，选择住在西北太平洋地区则代表一种生活的取舍。我所在的波特兰有极好的户外运动设施，先锋派的文化，还有优美的自然环境。不过，对于一生都在新闻和出版界工作的我，我发现跟我事业有关的诸多联系人都远在大陆彼岸的纽约。

　　Juggle readers, you have commented in the past on regiona1 differences in the juggle. (3) Dressing¹⁰ everyone, including srnal1 kids, for frigid¹¹ weather cornp1icates the daily routine. And the quirky amenities¹² some of you have cited in your comments-such as the feral pigs and ducks wandering in parts of Hawaii-can lighten one's mood and outlook.

　　必须做出取舍的读者们，你们在过去已经对地域的不同发表过很多评论。 (3)给包括幼儿在内的所有家人添衣御寒已成了每天的功课。而你们中的一些人在自己的评论中提到的稀奇古怪的好玩事儿一一如在夏威夷部分地区晃荡的野猪和鸭子，则会点亮人们的心情和希望。

　　四六级句型讲解

　　1. Given a choice, most people don't care as much about the local economy as they do about the social offerings, physical beauty and openness of a locale, says a recently released survey of about 14,000 people in 26 communities by Gallup and the Knight Foundation.

　　本句是一个复合句，says前面的成分充当says的宾语。of about 14000 people...Foundation介词短语作后置定语，修饰survey。 given a choice过去分词短语作条件状语。

　　语法重点：宾语从句，介词短语作定语，分词短语作状语

　　2. Even in hard-pressed Detroit, citizens are liking life a little more than in recent years, perhaps because of better parks, green spaces and recreational opportunities， marked by investments in bike paths

　　本句是一个简单句，句子主干是citizens are liking life a little more than in recent year so even in hard-pressed Detroit介词短语作地点状语。 because of...opportunities介词短语作原因状语。 marked by...paths. 过去分词短语作后置定语，修饰opportunities。

　　语法重点：介词短语作状语，分词短语作定语

　　3. Dressing everyone, including small kids, for frigid weather complicates¹³ the daily routine.

　　本句是一个简单句，句子主干为dressing everyone complicates the daily routine，其中 dressing everyone是动名词短语作主语，including small kids现在分词短语作后置定语，修饰everyone. for frigid weather 介词短语作目的状语。

　　语法重点：动名词短语作主语，分词短语作定语，介词短语作状语

1 juggle   

v.变戏法，纂改，欺骗，同时做；n.玩杂耍，纂改，花招

参考例句：

• If you juggle with your accounts,you'll get into trouble.你要是在帐目上做手脚，你可要遇到麻烦了。
• She had to juggle her job and her children.她得同时兼顾工作和孩子。

2 calibrate   

校准；使合标准；测量（枪的）口径

参考例句：

• Pesticide levels in food are simply too difficult to calibrate.食品中杀虫剂的含量很难精确测定。

3 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

4 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

6 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

7 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

8 edgy   

adj.不安的；易怒的

参考例句：

• She's been a bit edgy lately,waiting for the exam results.她正在等待考试结果，所以最近有些焦躁不安。
• He was nervous and edgy, still chain-smoking.他紧张不安，还在一根接一根地抽着烟。

9 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

10 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

11 frigid   

adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的

参考例句：

• The water was too frigid to allow him to remain submerged for long.水冰冷彻骨，他在下面呆不了太长时间。
• She returned his smile with a frigid glance.对他的微笑她报以冷冷的一瞥。

12 amenities   

n.令人愉快的事物；礼仪；礼节；便利设施；礼仪( amenity的名词复数 )；便利设施；（环境等的）舒适；（性情等的）愉快

参考例句：

• The campsite is close to all local amenities. 营地紧靠当地所有的便利设施。
• Parks and a theatre are just some of the town's local amenities. 公园和戏院只是市镇娱乐设施的一部分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 complicates   

使复杂化( complicate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• What complicates the issue is the burden of history. 历史的重负使问题复杂化了。
• Russia as a great and ambitious power gravely complicates the situation. 俄国作为一个强大而有野心的国家，使得局势异常复杂。