[00:00.00]foundation-frustrating A frustrating foyer
[00:03.50]令人沮丧的门厅
[00:07.00]It was so frustrating building a home by yourself,
[00:09.43]自己盖房实在是太令人沮丧
[00:11.86]even if the fragrant smell of fresh wood made him feel good,
[00:14.43]尽管新木材的芬芳味道好闻
[00:17.01]Joe thought as he went to the fridge to get a beer.
[00:19.23]乔走向冰箱拿啤酒时想.
[00:21.45]"I don't know if I'll ever see this thing through to fruition."
[00:23.97]真不知道自己能不能看到大功告成的那一天，
[00:26.49]Maybe I should just hire a freelance carpenter and be done with this.
[00:29.22]"也许我真的需要请个干自由职业的木匠来把它干完算了。"
[00:31.95]But he was a little bit afraid of fraud.
[00:34.13]不过他有点儿担心被骗，
[00:36.31]He had heard that some freelancers were not so honest.
[00:38.64]因为他听说有些自由职业者不太诚实。
[00:40.96]Joe walked back to the foyer where he was putting on an addition to his home
[00:43.99]乔走回门厅，他正在那里给房屋搞扩建。
[00:47.02]He had finished the foundation several weeks earlier
[00:49.25]几个星期前他已经打好了地基，
[00:51.49]and was now working on the frame.
[00:53.32]现在正在做框架。
[00:55.14]He stepped over the fragments of the framework and swore to himself.
[00:57.81]他不小心踩到了框架的碎片，不禁骂了起来。
[01:00.47]His work was fraught with problem
[01:02.35]他的工作老有问题，
[01:04.24]and he had to make frequent trips to the hardware store.
[01:06.66]他得常跑五金店。
[01:09.09]The frequency of his visits was so great
[01:11.22]由于跑得太频繁了，
[01:13.35]that the staff at the store now greeted him by name.
[01:15.62]店里的人现在已经对他直呼其名。
[01:17.90]He was sitting only a fraction of a moment
[01:20.03]他才坐了一小会儿
[01:22.16]when the whole frame fell apart.
[01:23.98]整个框架就散了。
[01:25.81]It had been too fragile,just as he feared.
[01:28.19]正如他担心的那样，这个框架太不结实了。
[01:30.57]He didn't even get angry;he just got up and went to the phone.
[01:33.30]他甚至都没有生气，直接站起来去打电话。
[01:36.03]"Hello,Carpenter School?"
[01:37.91]喂，木工学校吗?
[01:39.79]Can you send over one of your freshers to help with some home repair?"
[01:42.77]你们能派个新生来帮我家做点儿修理吗?"
[01:45.74]The helper arrived the next day and immediately began to improve Joe's work.
[01:49.02]第二天帮忙的人来了，他立即开始改进乔的工作.
[01:52.30]He was a frail guy,but he knew what he was doing.
[01:54.64]他是个瘦弱的小伙子，但干活很在行。
[01:56.98]Joe,not wanting to cause any friction about how things should be done,
[01:59.90]乔不想在活儿该怎样干的问题上引起摩擦，
[02:02.83]even began to stand on the fringes just to let the young man work.
[02:05.70]为了让这位年轻人干活，他甚至开始站到边上。
[02:08.57]And sure enough the foyer was done by the end of the week.
[02:10.95]果然，门厅在周末前做好了。
[02:13.33]Thank god for schools of education.
[02:15.30]真要感谢这些培训学校!
[02:17.27]fuel-gearThe galactic garbage collector
[02:21.65]银河垃圾清理员
[02:26.02]Gus,the best garbage collector in the Galaxy,
[02:29.30]古斯是银河系中最优秀的垃圾清理员，
[02:32.58]put on his space gear and set out to clean up another galactic mess.
[02:35.96]他穿上宇航服，开始清扫另外一堆银河垃圾。
[02:39.35]He hated all of these star wars,but it paid his bills.
[02:42.17]他痛恨一切星球大战，但他是靠它过日子的。
[02:44.99]Arriving at the part of space where the most recent battle had occurred,
[02:48.56]古斯来到最近一次战斗的战场，
[02:52.12]Gus put on his helmet to protect himself from fumes,
[02:54.80]他戴上头盔，以防受到烟雾的侵害，
[02:57.48]fussed over the controls of his equipment,
[02:59.46]并且他手忙脚乱地检查了一下设备的控制系统，
[03:01.45]and then decided to fly around to gauge the extent of the mess.
[03:04.12]然后决定飞到周围，估计有多少垃圾。
[03:06.80]It was always a gamble cleaning up the wreckage of spaceships.
[03:09.92]清除宇宙飞船的残骸永远是一种冒险--
[03:13.04]You never knew what was going to blow up next,
[03:15.23]你永远都不知道下一次会有什么东西要爆炸，
[03:17.41]but Gus made sure he was funded adequately
[03:19.63]但古斯总是确保自己得到足够的资助
[03:21.85]in case of some debilitating accident.
[03:24.07]以防出事受伤。
[03:26.29]That type of protection was fundamental to this type of work.
[03:29.41]这种保护措施对这个工种来说是很重要的，
[03:32.53]It would be futile to work otherwise.
[03:34.61]不然一切都是徒劳。
[03:36.69]When he had gazed long enough he knew that it would be a profitable day.
[03:40.77]凝视良久之后，他知道今天将会很有收获。
[03:44.86]Several pieces could be gathered to sell
[03:47.19]有几个残片可以收集起来卖钱，
[03:49.51]and a few placed in his galactic gallery.
[03:51.64]还有几片可以放在他的银河美术馆里，
[03:53.77]Some might even function as replacement ships for his friends.
[03:57.09]有些甚至还可以给朋友们当替换飞船使用。
[04:00.40]The furniture inside each was definite trash;
[04:03.37]里面的设备无疑都是垃圾，
[04:06.33]the aliens had a totally different body shape.
[04:08.67]因为外星人的体形完全不一样，
[04:11.01]But Gus could furnish each ship with leftovers from other ships.
[04:13.74]但古斯可以用别的飞船上的遗留物装备每条飞船。
[04:16.47]He'd fulfill his quota today and more.
[04:18.76]他将完成今天的配额，甚至超额完成任务。
[04:21.04]Gus was furious,however,
[04:23.97]但是，发现搜集不到燃料时,古斯变得狂怒起来。
[04:26.89]to discover that there was no fuel for him to gather.But his fury subsided
[04:30.52]他的怒气消了一点儿
[04:34.16]when he discovered a functional space blaster
[04:36.44]不过后来他发现了一把还能用的太空喷气枪，
[04:38.73]that he knew he could sell for a large sum of space dollars.
[04:41.51]他知道这件武器可以卖一大笔太空元，
[04:44.29]Yep,the garbage business was good.
[04:46.47]是的，做垃圾生意还真不错。
[04:48.65]gene-glimmer A giant of a man
[04:53.43]巨人
[04:58.21]"If my friends from the ghetto could only see me now!"
[05:00.94]"要是我贫民区的朋友们现在能看到我就好了!"
[05:03.67]Said Tom to his partner
[05:05.41]汤姆对他的伙伴说。
[05:07.15]as he put his hand up to block the glimmer from the gigantic glacier
[05:09.97]他举起手挡住他正在考察的巨大冰川发出的微光
[05:12.79]he was surveying.He was on a survey of unique geological glacial features in Antarctica
[05:17.87]他正在考察南极独一无二的地质冰川特点
[05:22.95]using the newest geometric equipment.
[05:25.17]用最新的几何设备.
[05:27.39]It was a place that he had never thought he would visit when he was a child.
[05:30.36]这是个他小时候从未想过会去的地方。
[05:33.32]But then his teachers had discovered he was a genius
[05:36.20]但青少年时代他就被老师们发现是个天才，
[05:39.07]when he was a teenager and placed him in a school for gifted students.
[05:42.31]因此他就上了天才学生上的学校。
[05:45.55]He flourished under their care.
[05:47.61]他在他们的照料下茁壮成长。
[05:49.68]They even took samples of his genes
[05:52.10]他们甚至取了他的基因样品，
[05:54.53]so that they would be able to decipher his genome
[05:57.20]以便能够破译他的基因组，
[05:59.86]to better understand how he had such a gift.
[06:02.14]更好地理解他为什么会有这么高的天赋。
[06:04.41]It was a glamorous life,playing with the newest gizmos,
[06:07.39]他的生活很令人向往：玩最新的小发明，
[06:10.36]receiving generous funding for research and the like.
[06:12.79]得到慷慨的研究资助等等。
[06:15.22]And Tom had even escaped the curse of geniuses;
[06:17.70]汤姆甚至没有遇到天才们常有的烦恼：
[06:20.19]he had remained genuine and even gentle. Everyone liked him.
[06:23.52]他一直待人真诚，甚至性格也很温和，人人都喜欢他。
[06:26.85]Tom repaid their support by making numerous discoveries
[06:29.88]汤姆回报了他们的支持，因为他有许多新发现，
[06:32.91]that generated even more patents.
[06:35.04]这些发现获得了更多的专利。
[06:37.17]He made a robot to attack germs,
[06:39.35]他研制出了一种能消灭细菌的机器人，
[06:41.53]he programmed a camera to understand hand gestures,
[06:44.06]给摄影机装上了理解各种手势的程序，
[06:46.60]and now he was mapping the planet.
[06:48.37]现在他正在给地球绘制地图。
[06:50.15]Previous maps generalized to the nearest 10 meters.
[06:53.18]以前的地图画得比较笼统，最精确只能到10米，
[06:56.21]His map would go to one tenth of a meter.
[06:58.34]而他绘制的地图将精确到十分之一米。
[07:00.47]It would have a tremendous impact.
[07:02.39]他的地图将产生巨大的影响。
[07:04.31]He was a giant in his field and quite famous.
[07:06.68]他是行业内的巨人，而且相当出名。
[07:09.06]But he still remembered his childhoodin the poor regions of New York.
[07:11.79]但他还记得在纽约贫民区度过的童年。
[07:14.52]And that was where the bulk of his income went;
[07:16.79]他把大部分收入都捐给了那里，
[07:19.07]back to improving the lives of other children.
[07:21.43]用于改善其他孩子的生活。
[07:23.79]Tom wanted to give others the same chance that he had been given.
[07:26.43]汤姆想给别人提供他曾经得到过的机会，
[07:29.07]That was the gist of his nature,
[07:30.90]这是他天性中的本质，
[07:32.73]and that was the good that came from the generosity of others.
[07:35.25]也是别人的善举结出的硕果。
[07:37.77]glimpse-gratify The gorgeous blonde
[07:43.36]光彩照人的金发女郎
[07:48.95]The gorgeous blonde made her grand entrance to the delight of all.
[07:52.72]看到光彩照人的金发女郎隆重入场，大家都非常高兴。
[07:56.50]When she took her first steps from the top of the staircase
[07:59.32]她从楼梯的最高处走下来，
[08:02.14]and then handed her hand to her gracious host,
[08:04.32]然后把手递给亲切的主持人，
[08:06.50]the glitter on her cheeks reflected the flashes of cameras.
[08:09.29]照相机的闪光灯使她的脸颊放着光芒。
[08:12.07]Her glorious dress produced oohs and ahhs from the women.
[08:15.10]她的华丽衣裳引起女人们一片惊叹声。
[08:18.13]And the latest gossip about
[08:20.17]最近大家都在议论
[08:22.20]whom she was seeing was on the lips of everyone.
[08:24.42]她的约会对象是谁。
[08:26.64]But her heart was made of granite and she didn't care for any one of them.
[08:31.18]但是她的心是花岗岩做的，所以她对谁都不是那么在乎。
[08:35.71]She only wanted to gratify her own desire for attention,
[08:38.58]她只想满足自己引入注目的欲望，
[08:41.46]grant a few interviews where she would be praised
[08:43.83]只同意接受少数几次吹捧她的采访，
[08:46.21]and then return to her room to gorge herself on chocolate.
[08:48.69]然后回房大吃巧克力。
[08:51.17]Her only goal was to give the public
[08:53.51]她惟一的目的是让公众
[08:55.85]enough of a glimpse of her to leave her alone for months.
[08:58.42]好好地看她一眼，然后让她享几个月的清闲。
[09:01.00]No one grasped this but her sister,the brunette.
[09:04.08]无人理解这一点，除了她妹妹--一位黑发、浅黑皮肤的姑娘。
[09:07.16]She governed every aspect of the blonde's life,
[09:09.73]这位妹妹管理她生活的各个方面--
[09:12.31]including her global public relations campaign,
[09:14.95]包括她的全球公关活动、
[09:17.58]the graphic portrayal of her life
[09:19.71]对她生活的生动描绘，
[09:21.84]and even the glossary that her sister used when she spoke.
[09:24.41]甚至她说话时使用的词汇。
[09:26.99]It seemed to be a gloomy life for the brunette,
[09:29.77]妹妹的这种生活似乎很郁闷，
[09:32.55]but she was the glue that held her sister together.
[09:34.92]但她的形影不离恰好成了姐姐的精神支柱。
[09:37.28]And the brunette felt no need to grab any attention for herself.
[09:41.02]而且妹妹也觉得没必要吸引别人注意自己。
[09:44.75]She was grateful for her sister's fame
[09:47.18]她很感激姐姐的名声，
[09:49.61]because she could be a part of it without it becoming hers.
[09:52.04]因为她也可以跟着小有名气，而又不必为名声所累。
[09:54.47]They were both doing exactly what they wanted to do
[09:57.45]姐妹二人正好如愿以偿，
[10:00.42]and both were happy with who they had become.
[10:02.91]俩人都很满意自己所扮演的角色。
[10:05.39]It was a match made in heaven.
[10:07.96]这对姐妹真是天生的一对! |