英语 英语 日语 日语 韩语 韩语 法语 法语 德语 德语 西班牙语 西班牙语 意大利语 意大利语 阿拉伯语 阿拉伯语 葡萄牙语 葡萄牙语 越南语 越南语 俄语 俄语 芬兰语 芬兰语 泰语 泰语 泰语 丹麦语 泰语 对外汉语

《英语流行话题阅读:语境识词4500》22 The Voices of Time

时间:2012-02-24 08:18来源:互联网 提供网友:fei   字体: [ ]
特别声明:本栏目内容均从网络收集或者网友提供,供仅参考试用,我们无法保证内容完整和正确。如果资料损害了您的权益,请与站长联系,我们将及时删除并致以歉意。
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

  Unit 22
The Voices of Time
Time talks. It speaks more plainly than words. Time communicates in many ways.
Consider the different parts of the day, for example. The time of the day when something is done can give a special meaning to the event. Managers in the US  fully1 realize the importance of an announcement made during the middle of the morning or afternoon that takes everyone away from his work.
In the US, it is not customary2 to call someone very early in the morning. If you telephone him early in the day, while he is shaving or having breakfast, the time of the call shows that the matter is urgent3 and requires immediate4 attention. The same meaning is attached to phone calls made after 11:00 pm. If someone receives a call during sleeping hours, he assumes5 it is a matter of life and death. The time chosen for the call communicates its importance.
Imagine the excitement and fear caused by a crowd of people arriving at the door at 2:00 am. On an island in the South Pacific, a plant manager from the US had just such an experience. The natives of the island met one night to discuss a problem, when they arrived at a solution, they went to see the manager and woke him up to tell him what had been decided6. Unfortunately, it was after 2 o'clock in the morning. They did not know that it is a very serious matter to wake up Americans at this hour. The manager, who did not understand the local culture, thought there was a fight and called out the military troops. it never occurred to him or to the natives that parts of a day have different meanings in different cultures.
In social life, time plays an important part. In the US, guests tend to feel they are not highly7 regarded if the invitation to a dinner party is extended8 only 3 or 4 days before the party date. But in other areas of the world, it may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far in advance because it tends to be forgotten.
Americans look ahead and are concerned with the future. The American idea of future is limited, however. It is the foreseeable future and not the future of the South Asians, which may involve centuries.
Promptness10 is also valued highly in American life. People who are not prompt9 may be regarded as impolite or not fully responsible. A person who is 5 minutes late, he will say a few words of explanation, though perhaps he will not complete the sentence. To an American, being half an hour late is the beginning of the "insult11 period". No matter what is said in apology, there is little that can remove the damage done by a 30-minute wait.
Since time has such different meanings in different cultures, communication is sometimes difficult. We will understand each other a little better if we keep this fact in mind.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
2 customary wyWxb     
adj.习惯上的,惯常的,合乎习俗的
参考例句:
  • He makes his customary visit every week.他每星期都按照惯例造访一次。
  • It is customary with me to do so.这样做是我的习惯。
3 urgent fjSwT     
a.紧急的,急迫的,紧要的
参考例句:
  • He asked to see the manager for something urgent. 他有急事求见经理。
  • A part of this urgent task was allotted to us. 这项紧急任务的一部分分给了我们。
4 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
5 assumes 8c7b603da451b6b3cb8b244705839530     
取得(权力)( assume的第三人称单数 ); 假设; 假定; 呈现
参考例句:
  • The motion of matter always assumes certain forms. 物质的运动总是表现为一定的形式。
  • It is usually the woman who assumes overall care of the baby. 通常由女性负责照顾孩子的方方面面。
6 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
7 highly XdFxR     
adv.高度地,极,非常;非常赞许地
参考例句:
  • It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
  • The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。
8 extended Utcz1H     
adj.延伸的;伸展的;延长的;扩大的v.延伸(extend的过去式和过去分词);伸展;延长
参考例句:
  • an extended lunch hour 延长了的午餐时间
  • France has greatly extended its influence in world affairs. 在世界事务中,法国的影响已大大地扩大了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 prompt dRcxm     
adj.迅速的,敏捷的,立刻的;vt.激起,促进,推动;提示; vi.提示;n.提示;提示的内容;n.[商]付款期限
参考例句:
  • His prompt action prevented the fire from spreading.他的果断行动制止了火势的蔓延。
  • Will you prompt for us at the performance?演出时你给我们提示台词好吗?
10 promptness Sk7zs0     
n.敏捷,迅速,机敏
参考例句:
  • The manager replied with promptness and courtesy. 那经理思路敏捷、彬彬有礼地作了答复。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • This promptness proved how strictly he had held to his word. 这足以表示,他是多么谨守前约。 来自辞典例句
11 insult T5xxs     
vt.侮辱,凌辱;n.侮辱的言词或行为
参考例句:
  • You will insult her if you don't go to her party. 你要是不去参加她举办的聚会,就对她太无礼了。
  • I can't sit down with that insult.我不能忍受那种侮辱。
本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎点击提交分享给大家。
------分隔线----------------------------
顶一下
(1)
100%
踩一下
(0)
0%
最新评论 查看所有评论
发表评论 查看所有评论
请自觉遵守互联网相关的政策法规,严禁发布色情、暴力、反动的言论。
评价:
表情:
验证码:
听力搜索
推荐频道
论坛新贴