名校励志英语演讲 163:服务—衡量成功的真正标准(4)

 　　This type of activism and optimism¹ speaks volumes about the students here, the faculty², the stuff, but also the character and history of Merced—a town built by laborers³ and immigrants from all over the world: early settlers who came her as pioneers and trailblazers in the late 1800s as part of the Gold Rush and built the churches and businesses and schools that exist; Americans who escaped slavery and the racism⁴ of the south to work on the the railways as truck drivers up and sown Route 99; Mexican Americans who travels north to find work on the farms and have since bacome the backbone⁵ of our agricultural industry; Asian Americas who arrived in San Francisco and have slowly branched out to become a part of the community in the San Joaquin Valley.

　　这种行动主义和乐观主义不仅诠释； 这儿的学生和教职员工，也是摩赛德个性和历史的体现。摩赛德是由劳动者和来自世界的移民共同建立的县城。早期的拓荒者以及19世纪末淘金热中的一些先驱来到这里建立了学校、商业区和教堂，这些现在依然存在。当时非裔美国人利用沿99号铁路线做卡车司机的机会逃离了南方奴隶制度和种族主义的压迫。墨西哥裔美国人来到北方在这里的农场找工作，成为我们农业生产的支柱。还有亚裔美国人，他们来到旧金山，在这里扎根繁衍，逐渐成为圣华金河谷社区的一部分。

　　Merced's make-up have changed over the years, but its values and character have not- long, hot days filled with hard work by generations of men and women of all races who wanted an opportunity to build a better life for their children and their grandchildren; hardworking folks who believed that access to a good education would be their building blocks to a brighter future.

　　过去的这些年，摩赛德的人口结构虽发生了变化，但是它的价值观和品格没有改变——在漫长的炎炎烈日下一代又一代的男男女女辛勤劳作，不分种族，他们像得到的就是为了子孙后代建设美好生活的机会；辛勤劳作的人们相信，接受良好教育就是通往更加美好未来的阶梯。

　　最名人档案

　　姓名：米歇尔·奥巴马 (Michelle Obama)

　　性别：女

　　职业：律师

　　籍贯：美国

　　党派：民主党

　　出生日期：1964年1月17日

　　毕业学校：普林斯顿大学以及哈佛大学法学院

　　成功点睛：她是时尚界的偶像，是一位健美的母亲，是毕业于哈佛大学法学专业的杰奎琳·肯尼迪，是来自芝加哥南区的智慧女性。

1 optimism   

n.乐观，乐观主义

参考例句：

• Don't pour cold water on their optimism.别给他们的乐观态度泼冷水。
• Optimism made him alive through the hard days.乐观主义使他在艰难的岁月里活了下来。

2 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

3 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

4 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

5 backbone   

n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气

参考例句：

• The Chinese people have backbone.中国人民有骨气。
• The backbone is an articulate structure.脊椎骨是一种关节相连的结构。