英语专业晨读美文-文化篇 6 Dreaming about Future

[00:01.40]Dreaming about Future
[00:04.68]Now is the time to dream.
[00:08.94]When things are at their worst,
[00:10.69]when people say there is no hope,
[00:12.66]when the future looks bleak¹, now is the time to dream.
[00:17.04]Forget about transport hikes, CPF cuts, ERP and GST raises.
[00:23.49] There is so much more in store, greater things to see,
[00:27.53]new heights to reach, new depths to hollow.
[00:30.93]Now is the time to dream.
[00:33.33]If we have a large enough ambition to serve an entire community ourselves
[00:38.03] instead of looking to the government for answers,
[00:40.66]would not ours be a better place?
[00:42.96]If we enlarge our thinking
[00:44.81]and invite a wider circle to contribute to the vision of a better Singapore,
[00:49.30] is it not better than complaining about long queues and less savings²?
[00:54.11]Is it not better that we dream dreams
[00:56.84]and reach for more instead of concentrating on what we have less?
[01:01.10]So let us meet, let us talk,
[01:04.05]let us gather in discussion for a better Singapore.
[01:07.55]Let us articulate our hopes, our missions, our values and our vision
[01:13.13]instead of waiting for the government to state it for us.
[01:16.63]Let us recognize and respect diverse approaches and questions
[01:21.11]and celebrate our unique Singapore culture, a blend of many races,
[01:26.37] born out of adversity but perhaps spoiled in prosperity.
[01:30.30]And let us not laugh, declare foolish or cower³ in alarm
[01:35.12]if different views result from our efforts.
[01:37.63] Those who emerge strongest, as Singapore did 37 years ago,
[01:42.55] belonged to many races, many aptitudes⁴, many interests,
[01:47.03]and many points of view but happened to pull together.
[01:50.75]Should we be fired with a passionate⁵ vision to work on something
[01:54.69] that needs doing, let us not wait for the government to give us a grant,
[01:58.63]a handout⁶ or a memo⁷ on how to go about doing it.
[02:02.45]Let us move, on our own accord, with the community,
[02:07.27] expecting nothing but seeing everything.
[02:10.44]We are not hopeless. We are not children without voices.
[02:15.80] But we are restricted in our own minds.
[02:18.64]We self censor⁸ our thoughts for fear of reprisal⁹.
[02:22.47]We hush¹⁰ our voices for fear of being heard.
[02:25.43]And perhaps we are also bound by our own laziness.
[02:29.03]The government, after all, can do the thinking for us.
[02:32.75]Our sense of civic¹¹ duty to engage in public debate and
[02:37.02] critical thinking is lost
[02:38.65]except unfortunately for issues that affect our pockets.
[02:42.48]But understand this: we may not be in government
[02:46.86] but we are whom the government works for.
[02:49.27]We can contribute and do instead of follow.
[02:52.33]We can let go of our parent's hand and grow up.
[02:55.93] Now is the time to dream.
[02:58.89]Perhaps all of us have tentative notions about the future.
[03:02.83] Some of us fear, some of us rejoice.
[03:06.11]Only a few of us will probably see
[03:08.73] correctly and understand how to get there.
[03:11.57]Not all of us will be good at identifying and analysing problems.
[03:15.63]Solutions will perhaps escape most of us. But without discourse¹²,
[03:20.76] without sharing,
[03:22.08]we do not even give ourselves the simple chance
[03:25.14]of being able to try to work things out.
[03:27.98]Would you gather to discuss a better vision for our Singapore?

 

1 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

2 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

3 cower   

v.畏缩，退缩，抖缩

参考例句：

• I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.我决不会在任何一位大师面前发抖，也不会为任何恐吓所屈服。
• Will the Chinese cower before difficulties when they are not afraid even of death?中国人死都不怕，还怕困难吗？

4 aptitudes   

（学习方面的）才能，资质，天资( aptitude的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They all require special aptitudes combined with special training. 他们都应具有专门技能，并受过专门训练。
• Do program development with passion. has aptitudes for learning. research. innovation. 热爱程序开发工作。具有学习。钻研。创新的精神。

5 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

6 handout   

n.散发的文字材料；救济品

参考例句：

• I read the handout carefully.我仔细看了这份分发的资料。
• His job was distributing handout at the street-corner.他的工作是在街头发传单。

7 memo   

n.照会，备忘录；便笺；通知书；规章

参考例句：

• Do you want me to send the memo out?您要我把这份备忘录分发出去吗？
• Can you type a memo for me?您能帮我打一份备忘录吗？

8 censor   

n./vt.审查，审查员；删改

参考例句：

• The film has not been viewed by the censor.这部影片还未经审查人员审查。
• The play was banned by the censor.该剧本被查禁了。

9 reprisal   

n.报复，报仇，报复性劫掠

参考例句：

• There is no political alternative but a big reprisal.政治上没有旁的选择只能是大规模报复。
• They bombed civilian targets in reprisal.他们炮轰平民目标作为报复。

10 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

11 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

12 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。