偶像励志英语演讲 第118期:直面恐惧(5)

 　　Some advantages, particularly to this age, are not to be denied. Boredom¹ seems to have been "vanquished²"! There is always something to do, but hasn't this translated into a perpetual distraction³ in our lives? In the bathroom, at the dinner table, in the backseat, at wedding, at embrace, at graduation day. It's always, something to check, something to tweet, something to watch, something to download, something to play, something to share, something to buy, something on a voicemail, something to yank at our attention span and it's all in the palm of our hand for small monthly service fee. It seems technology has allowed for "a surplus of celebrities⁴", and that is nothing to cheer about. Anyone...although that Sam Tusi, he rocks, anyone can enjoy the purpose of note writing now and duration of fame has been lengthened⁵ for many world-hold-breath fifty minutes to good fifteen months if you are willing to do certain things on camera.

　　话说回来，新时代还是带来了新的好处。例如，“无聊”似乎已经消失，因为总是有事情可做，难道这没有变成我们生活中永远的困惑吗？不管在厕所中、餐桌上、车子里，或在毕业典礼上，我们总是不断看简讯、发推文、上网、下载、分享、玩游戏，我们手上的这些装置，以极低的月租，牢牢抓住了我们的注意力，但我们的生活也变成永远都在分心。而且，这些新科技还带来了“名人过多”的现象。但这一点也不值得庆幸。尽管徐山姆的确有一套。现在任何人都有成名的机会，成名持续的时间也从安迪沃荷所说的十五分钟，变成了十五个月——只要你愿意在镜头前面做出某些事。

　　Though our welding language is often the vocabulary of official news speakies booky man with Yelson's Big Brother has never emerged, unless you live in North Korea, or run a red light in Beverly Hills, or shop online, or have done something stupid in the wrong place at the wrong time in front of someone with a camera in their cell phone. That is everybody. So, pardon my junior college Latin, the vulgus populi has become the all-seeing state and if you cross it, Google search will forever display your screw-up.

　　尽管我们大融合语言的词汇总是来自官方新闻上，但Yelson从没有出现过“老大哥”，除非你生活在朝鲜，或者是在贝克维利山闯红灯，或者是网购，或者是在不适当的地方，错误的时段在某人面前做了愚蠢的事，刚好那个人带有摄像功能的手机。人人如此。所以请原谅我蹩脚的拉丁语，大众全部进入了透明状态。如果你阻挠它，谷歌搜索将会永远显示你的破坏行为。

1 boredom   

n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊

参考例句：

• Unemployment can drive you mad with boredom.失业会让你无聊得发疯。
• A walkman can relieve the boredom of running.跑步时带着随身听就不那么乏味了。

2 vanquished   

v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制

参考例句：

• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I vanquished her coldness with my assiduity. 我对她关心照顾从而消除了她的冷淡。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

4 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

5 lengthened   

（时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The afternoon shadows lengthened. 下午影子渐渐变长了。
• He wanted to have his coat lengthened a bit. 他要把上衣放长一些。