摘要:本篇短文讲述的是环境运动勇士Wilma Subra 的事迹,一直以环保为己任的她每年要在全美及世界各地进行100多场演讲。
英语听力原文:
Wilma Subra had no intention of becoming a public speaker. After graduating from college with degress in chemistry and microbiology, she went to work at Gulf South Research Institute in Louisiana.
威尔玛·苏夫拉原来没有想过要成为一名公共演说家。她大学毕业拿到了化学和微生物学学位后,就职于路易斯安那州南海湾研究所。
As part of her job, she conducted field research on toxic substances in the environment, often in minority communities located near large industrial pollutrs. She found many families were being exposed to high, sometimes deadly levels of chemicals and other toxic substances. But she was not allowed to make her information public.
作为工作职责的一部分,她从事环境有害物质方面的土地研究,调研地区经常是大型工业污染源附近的少数族裔社区。她发现许多家庭暴露于高度的,甚至是致命的化学物和其他有害物质中。但是她无权将她的信息公之于众。
Frustrated by these restrictions, Subra left her job in 1981, created her own company and has devoted the past two decades to helping people fight back against giant industrial polluters. She works with families and community groups to conduct environmental tests and hybrid test results, and organize for change.
受困于这些制约,苏夫拉在1981年离开了她的工作,创立了自己的公司,并且在过去的20年中帮助人们与大型工业污染源抗争。她与居民家庭和社区团体一起努力进行环境测试,混合测试结果,组织活动以改变环境。
Because of her efforts, dozens of toxic sites across the counry have been cleaned up. And one chemical industry spokesperson calls her "a top gun" for the environmental movement.
因为她的努力,遍及全国的大量有害地区被清理干净了。一家化工企业的发言人称她是环境运动的“勇士”。
How has Subra achieved all this? Partly through her scientific training, partly through her commitment to environmental justice. But just as important is her ability to communicate with people through public speaking. "Public speaking," she says, "is the primary vehicle I use for reaching people."
苏夫拉是怎样做到这一切的呢?部分原因是她科学的训练,部分是因为她追求环境公平的奉献精神。但是,同样重要的原因还有她借助公共演说与他人交流的能力。“公共演说,”她谈到,“是我与人们沟通的主要工具。”
If you had asked Subra before 1981, do you see yourself as a major public speaker? She would have laughed at the idea. Yet today she gives more than one hundred presentations a year. Along the way, she's lectured at Harvard, testified before congress, and addressed audiences in 40 states, as well as in Mexico, Canada, and Japan.
如果在1981年之前,我问苏夫拉,你认为自己是一位重要的公共演说家吗?她可能会对此一笑置之。然而,在今天,她每年要进行100多场演讲。她一直坚持这条路,她在哈佛大学发表演说,在国会发表声明,向来自于美国40个州,以及墨西哥、加拿大和日本的观众进行演说。
英语词汇整理:
1. microbiology n. 微生物学
eg: His work advanced the science of microbiology.
他的工作促进了微生物学这门科学。
短语:
medical microbiology 医学微生物学
food microbiology 食品微生物学
environmental microbiology 环境微生物学
2. minority n. 少数
eg: Only a minority of British households do (does) not have a car.
英国只有少数家庭没有汽车。
短语:
ethnic minority = minority nationality = national minority 少数民族
be in a minority of one 得不到任何人的支持
be in a minority = be in the minority 占少数
3. polluter n. 污染源,污染者
eg: The steel mill is the city's major polluter.
这个钢厂是这个城市主要的污染者。
短语:
polluter pays principle 污染者付费原则
T Polluter 另类摇滚
4. be exposed to 暴露于
eg: This liquid is not to be exposed to air, for it will soon evaporate.
这种夜体不可暴露在空气中,因为它会很快蒸发掉。
短语:
be fully exposed to 完全暴露于
be exposed to view 看得见;暴露
5. frustrate v. 挫败
eg: This is the place that we frustrate enemy.
这是我们挫败敌人的地方。
短语:
frustrate at 对……感到沮丧
frustrate sb's plan 破坏某人的计划
frustrate in (使某人)在……方面失败
frustrate out 使……无法实现
6. restriction n. 限制,约束
eg: There are currency restrictions on the sums allowed for foreign travel.
到国外旅行允许携带的款额有所限制。
短语:
restriction factor 制约因素
credit restriction 信用限额
trade restriction贸易限制
7. fight back against 与......斗争
eg: It is time to fight back against street crime.
现在是打击街头犯罪行为的时候了。
相关短语:
make a fight of it 奋力抵抗
fight or flight 或进或退
ight off 抵抗,击退
8. giant adj. 巨人般的;巨大的
eg: That is one small step for a man, but one giant leap for mankind.
对于个人来说那是小小的一步,但对于整个人类来说却是一次巨大的飞越。
短语:
giant panda 大熊猫
giant planet 巨行星
giant star 巨星
9. conduct v.实施;处理;经营,管理
eg: They hired agents to conduct their company.
他们雇请代理人来管理他们的公司。
短语:
infamous conduct 违反职业道德的行为
conduct out 赶走;驱逐
conduct to (into) 领着(某人)到……
conduct like 表现得像……
conduct sb into 领某人去
conduct sb over... 引导某人参观……
conduct sb through 领某人去……
under the conduct of sb 在某人引导下
conduct for… 行为
conduct toward 对……的行为
10. hybrid n.混血儿,杂种,混合物
eg: She is a hybrid of the African and the Chinese.
她是中非混血儿。
短语:
hybrid rice 杂交稻;杂种稻
hybrid technology 混合技术
hybrid network 混合网络
11. commitment n. 承诺,保证,确定
eg: We made a commitment to keep working together.
我们作了承诺要继续在一起工作。
短语:
organizational commitment 组织承诺;组织认同感
professional commitment 专业承诺
make a commitment 承诺
12. presentation n. 陈述
eg: I was asked to give a short presentation on the aims of the plan.
他们要求我就这计划的目的作一个简短的陈述。
短语:
at presentation 呈示即付
give a presentation of 对……作陈述
presentation of document 提交单据
oral presentation 口头报告;口头陈述;口头演讲
佳句采摘:
How has Subra achieved all this? Partly through her scientific training, partly through her commitment to environmental justice. But just as important is her ability to communicate with people through public speaking.
苏夫拉是怎样做到这一切的呢?部分原因是她科学的训练,部分是因为她追求环境公平的奉献精神。但是,同样重要的原因还有她借助公共演说与他人交流的能力。 |