| 美文欣赏－千金一课
|
|
A cab driver taught me a million dollar lesson in customer satisfaction and expectation. Motivational speakers charge thousands of dollars to impart this kind of training to corporate executives and staff. It cost me a $12 taxi ride.
I had flown into Dallas for the sole purpose of calling on a client. Time was of the essence and my plan included a quick turnaround trip from and back to the airport. A spotless cab pulled up. The driver rushed to open the passenger door for me and made sure I was comfortably seated before he closed the door. As he got in the driver's seat, he mentioned that the neatly folded Wall Street Journal next to me was for my use. He then showed me several tapes and asked me what type of music I would enjoy. Well! I looked around for a "Candid Camera!" Wouldn't you? I could not believe the service I was receiving! I took the opportunity to say, "Obviously you take great pride in your work. You must have a story to tell."
"You bet," he replied, "I used to be in Corporate America. But I got tired of thinking my best would never be good enough. I decided to find my niche in life where I could feel proud of being the best I could be. I knew I would never be a rocket scientist, but I love driving cars, being of service and feeling like I have done a full day's work and done it well. I evaluate my personal assets and… wham! I became a cab driver. One thing I know for sure, to be good in my business I could simply just meet the expectations of my passengers. But, to be great in my business, I have to exceed the customer's expectations! I like both the sound and the return of being 'great' better than just getting by on 'average'".
Did I tip him big time? You bet! Corporate America's loss is the travelling folk's friend!
更多美文 |
| 想笑就笑－一分之差
|
|
One Point
Hanging in the hallway at Whites High School in Wabash, Ind., and the basketball team pictures from the past 40 years. A player in the center of the front row in each picture holds a basketball identifying the year －"62-63", "63-64", "64-65", etc.
One day I spotted a freshman looking curiously at the photos. Turning to me, he said, "Isn't it strange how the teams always lost by one point?"
一分之差
位于印第安那州瓦巴西的怀兹中学，其门厅里悬挂着过去四十年间样篮球队的照片。每幅照片前排中间的队员举着一个篮球，上面标明年份－"62-63"，"63-64"，"64-65"等等。
一天，我看到一个新生很困惑地看着照片。他朝我转过身来，说道："多奇怪呀，这些队都是以一分之差输掉的！"
更多笑话 |
| 情感故事－We are Family
|
|
When I broke up with yet another boyfriend, this time after a three?year relationship, I decided it was time for me to face the facts-I was just not lucky in love. Yet even though I had given up on men, I wasn't ready to go without love in my life, so I decided to get a dog.
I found the perfect puppy after a careful search, and one hot June day, I brought home the little golden retriever puppy I'd named Cognac.
Like all puppies, Cognac was adorable; immediately, I felt love and sweetness flowing in my life again. Why hadn't I thought of this sooner?
A few days later, I received a call from a man who'd gotten my name through a computer?dating club. I had joined the club before the start of my last relationship and had never cancelled my membership. I hadn't been very impressed with the people I'd met through the club's services, but this guy, Brad, seemed nice enough on the phone, so when he asked me to meet him at the lake in a nearby park the next evening, I thought, I've got to walk Cognac anyway . . . sure, why not?
Brad had said he was no longer in the service, but that he had been an air force tech sergeant. That wasn't the kind of guy I usually dated, but I had liked his voice on the phone and decided to keep an open mind. When I got to the park for our date, I looked around for a blond man with a buzz cut and a military bearing. There was no one like that at the park-the only blond man was a gorgeous guy with hair almost to his shoulders. I thought, Now why can't a guy like that ask me out? ~ Then the gorgeous guy walked over to me and said, "Are you Jan?"
I immediately decided to give men another chance.
Cognac's enthusiastic greeting made our introductions easy. He jumped up on Brad's legs and ran in circles, wagging his whole body madly while trying to lick every part of Brad he could. We started to walk around the lake, and everybody we met fussed over the puppy. By the time we were halfway around the lake, Brad was holding Cognac's leash, and he and I were chatting away like old friends.
At the end of our walk, we weren't ready to say goodbye, so we found a cafe and picked an outdoor table so the puppy could be with us. From the very start, our relationship included Cognac.
Things went from good to better. One evening, three months later, Brad and I went to a restaurant that we liked for dinner. It was one of those places that have paper over the tablecloths and when they bring you the menu, they also bring crayons so that you can draw or writ e poetry while you're waiting for your meal. Brad and I always played Hangman while we waited and that night, we were playing our usual game. As I guessed the letters and the words started to form themselves, a sentence emerged: Will you marry me?
I gasped and turned towards Brad, "Are you kidding?"
Brad looked nervous, but his eyes were shining and he smiled at me. "No, I'm not kidding-what's your answer?"
I took a crayon and wrote a huge YES across the paper.
We sat grinning at each other for a few minutes and then began to plan our wedding.
From the start, we were sure about two things: We wanted an outdoor wedding and we wanted Cognac to be a part of the ceremony.
The day of the wedding dawned perfect and clear. Our families and friends gathered near the natural spring that we'd chosen as the spot where we would say our vows. My bridesmaids were dressed in rich purple gowns. I had on my wedding dress, and my heart felt as if it were overflowing with love and joy. Yet I was slightly apprehensive, wondering if we had lost our minds expecting Cognac, now ten months old and goofy in the way that only young dogs can be, to handle his responsibilities as ringbearer without creating chaos.
Cognac wore a white collar and a purple satin bow tie. My bridesmaids, who knew we had lost our minds having a dog at the ceremony, ran around with lint rollers, trying to keep their dark gowns free of golden hair-an almost impossible task.
Cognac's job was to carry a heart?shaped basket containing our rings to Brad. The basket held a heart?shaped pillow to which Brad had secured our rings with pieces of wire. This would prevent a disaster, in case Cognac decided to go for a swim in the spring, basket and all, instead of delivering it to Brad as we'd planned. As I began to walk to the aisle, in preparation for following the bridesmaids, I panicked. I realized I needed another hand! I held my bouquet in one hand, Cognac on his leash in the other, but I needed to hold the basket as well. If I gave the basket to Cognac to carry, he would take it as the signal to run to Brad, just as he'd been trained and I'd be dragged after him-spoiling the effect I'd had in my mind for my appearance on the scene.
Somehow I managed to get to the aisle, unhook
Cognac's leash and put the basket in his mouth. He was off like a shot, racing toward Brad with his beautiful golden ears streaming behind him, as if he was hot on the trail of a speeding rabbit. There was a swell of laughter as our guests appreciated the dedication of our furry ring- bearer.
When Cognac reached Brad, he dropped the basket at feet and, panting, looked up at Brad for approval. As Brad reached down to pick up the rings, a suddenly quiet Cognac solemnly raised his paw to meet my almost- husband's hand-a canine "Way to go, Brad."
Our guests, dog?lovers and non?dog?lovers alike, were completely undone and to this day, when anyone talks about our wedding they may not remember what year it was or what I was wearing, but they always mention the dog's pawshake.
For me, it was the perfect start to our new life together. Just the way I always dreamed it would be-Brad and me ... and Cognac.
更多内容 |
| 节日大观－Halloween（万圣节）
|
|
Halloween
October 31
On October 31st, dozens of children dressed incostumes（节日服装）knock on their neighbors' doors and yell "Trick or Treat" when the door opens. Pirates and princesses, ghosts and popular heroes of the day all hold bags open to catch the candy or other goodies that the neighbors drop in. As they give each child a treat the neighbors exclaim over the costumes and try to guess who is under the masks.
Since the 800's November 1st is a religious holiday known asAll Saints' Day（万圣节）. The Mass that was said on this day was called Allhallowmas. The evening before became known as All Hakkiw e'en, or Halloween. Like some other American celebrations, its origins lie in both pre-Christian and Christian customs.
October 31 st was the eve of theCeltic（凯尔特人的）new year. The Celts were the ancestors of the present-day Irish, Welsh and Scottish people. On this day ghosts walked and mingled with the living, or so the Celts thought. The townspeople baked food all that day and when night fell they dressed up and tried to resemble the souls of the dead. Hoping that the ghosts would leave peacefully before midnight of the new year.
Much later, when Christianity spread throughout Ireland and October 31 was no longer the last day of the year, Halloween became a celebration mostly for children. "Ghosts" went from door to door asking for treats, or else a trick would be played on the owners of the house. When millions of Irish people immigrated to the United States in the 1840s the tradition came with them.
Today' school dances and neighborhood parties called "block parties" are popular among young and old alike. More and more adults celebrate Halloween. They dress up like historical or political figures and go tomasquerade parties（化妆舞会）. In larger cities, costumed children and their parents gather at shopping malls early in the evening. Stores and businesses give parties with games and treats for the children.Teenagers enjoy costume dances at their schools and the more outrageous the costume the better!
Certainpranks（恶作剧）such as soaping car windows and tipping over garbage cans are expected. But partying and pranks are not the only things that Halloweeners enjoy doing. Some collect money to buy food and medicine for needy children around the world.
Symbols of Halloween
Halloween originated as a celebration connected with evil spirits. Witches flying on broomsticks with black cats, ghosts,goblins（小精灵）and skeletons have all evolved as symbols of Halloween. They are popular trick-or-treat costumes and decorations for greeting cards and windows. Black is one of the traditional Halloween colors, probably because Halloween festivals and traditions took place at night. In the weeks before October 31, Americans decorate windows of houses and schools withsilhouettes（轮廓）of witches and black cats.
Pumpkins are also a symbol of Halloween. The pumpkin is an orange-colored squash, and orange has become the other traditional Halloween color. Carving pumpkins into jack- o'lanterns is a Halloween custom also dating back to Ireland. A legend grew up about a man named Jack who was sostingy（吝啬的）that he was not allowed into heaven when he died, because he was amiser（吝啬鬼）. He couldn't enter hell either because he had played jokes on the devil. As a result, Jack had to walk the earth with his lantern untilJudgement Day（审判日）. The Irish people carved scary faces out ofturnips（芜菁根）,beets（甜菜根）or potatoes representing "Jack of the Lantern," or Jack-o'lantern. When the Irish brought their customs to the United States, they carved faces on pumpkins because in the autumn they were more plentiful than turnips. Today jack-o'-lanterns in the windows of a house on Halloween night let costumed children know that there are goodies（糖果）waiting if they knock and say "Trick or Treat!"
Halloween Treats
Dried Pumpkin Seeds
After carving your pumpkin, separate the pulp from the seeds.Rinse（冲洗）the seeds and spread them out to dry. The next day, add enough melted butter ormargarine（人造黄油）to coat each seed. Spread the seeds onto acookie sheet（甜酥饼干）and bake for 20 minutes in a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes or until they are slightly brown.
Caramel Apples
Take the paper wrapping off about 100caramels（饴糖）and put them in asaucepan（炖锅）. Put the saucepan over a pan of boiling water. Boil the water until the caramels melt. Put a wooden stick into the top of each apple, dip the apple into the caramel. Let them cool on wax paper and enjoy!
Scary Stories
No Halloween party is complete without at least one scary story. Usually one person talks in a low
voice while everyone else crowds together on the floor or around a fire. The following is a retelling of a tale told in Britain and in North Carolina and Virginia.
"What Do You Come For?"
There was an old woman who lived all by herself, and she was very lonely. Sitting in the kitchen one night, she said, "Oh, I wish I had some company."
No sooner had she spoken than down the chimney tumbled two feet from which the flesh had rotted. The old woman's eyes bulged with terror.
Then two legs dropped to the hearth and attached themselves to the feet.
Then a body tumbled down, then two arms, and a man's head.
As the old woman watched, the parts came together into a great, tall man. The man danced around and around the room. Faster and faster he went. Then he stopped, and he looked into her eyes.
"What do you come for? she asked in a small voice that shivered and shook.
"What do I come for?" he said. "I come for YOU!"
The narrator shouts and jumps at the person near him!
更多内容 |
| 科普知识－少睡一点 延年益寿
|
|
Sweet dream: Sleep less, live longer
美梦：少睡一点 延年益寿
Contrary to popular belief, people who sleep six to seven hours a night live longer, and those who sleep eight hours or more die younger, according to the latest study ever conducted on the subject. The study, which tracked the sleeping habits of 1.1 million Americans for six years, undermines the advice of many sleep doctors who have long recommended that people get eight or nine hours of sleep every night.
与人们的普遍观念恰恰相反，就睡眠所做的最新研究发现每晚睡6-7个小时的人要比睡8个小时或更长时间的人寿命长。这项对110万美国人的睡眠习惯进行为期6年跟踪调查的研究削弱了很多睡眠医生长期以来建议人们每晚要睡8-9个小时的说法。
"There's an old idea that people should sleep eight hours a night, which has no more scientific basis than the gold at the end of the rainbow," said Daniel Kripke, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Diego who led the study, published in a recent issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. "That's an old wives' tale."
"旧的观念认为人们每晚应睡足8小时，但其实这个观点就如同彩虹末端的金色一样毫无科学依据，"圣狄哥加州大学的精神病学教授Daniel Kripke说道，他领导进行的这项研究的结果发表在最近一期的《大众精神病学档案》上。"这一观点不过是老妇人的老生常谈而已。"
The study was not designed to answer why sleeping longer may be deleterious or whether people could extend their life span by sleeping less.
这项研究目的不是试图解释为何睡得多可能是有害的，也不是解释人们能否通过减少睡眠来延长寿命。
But Kripke said it was possible that people who slept longer tended to suffer from sleep apnea, a condition where impaired breathing puts stress on the heart and brain. He also speculated that the need for sleep was akin to food, where getting less than people want may be better for them.
但Kripke说这有可能是由于睡得多的人就容易遭受睡眠中的呼吸暂停，这是一种减弱呼吸给心脏和大脑带来压力的状况。他还认为人们对睡眠的需求就如同对食物需求一样，实际摄入量比需求量少一点可能对健康有益。
The study quickly provoked cautions and criticism, with some sleep experts saying that the main problem in America's sleep habits was deprivation, not sleeping too much.
这项研究立刻引发了很多告诫和批评，一些睡眠专家说美国人睡眠习惯存在的主要问题是人们缺少睡眠，而不是已经睡得太多。
"None of this says sleep kills people," said Daniel Buysse, a University of Pittsburgh psychiatrist and the immediate past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
匹兹堡大学精神病学家，即美国睡眠医学会刚刚离任的前任会长Daniel Buysse说："这决不是说睡眠导致死亡。"
"You should sleep as much as you need to feel awake, alert and attentive the next day," Buysse added. "I'm much more concerned about people short-changing themselves on sleep than people sleeping too long."
"你的睡眠要足够使你第二天保持清醒、警觉和专心致志，"Buysse补充道。"我对人们减少自己睡眠时间的担心要远远超过对他们睡得太多的担心。"
Sleeplessness produces a variety of health consequences that were not measured in the study, critics said.
批评者们说这项研究未能考虑失眠对人们健康所造成的种种后果。
"The amount of sleep you get impacts how alert you are, your risk for accidents, how you perform at work and school," said James Walsh, president of the National Sleep Foundation, a non-profit that advocates for better sleep habits. "There's much more to life than how long you live."
"睡眠时间的长短会影响你的警觉程度、出事故的可能性和你工作表现以及学习成绩，"James Walsh说，他是国家睡眠基金会主席，该基金会是一家致力于提倡改善睡眠习惯的非赢利性机构。"生命的意义远不只是在于它的长短。"
The study used data from an extensive survey conducted by the American Cancer Society from 1982 to 1988. Women sleeping 8, 9 and 10 hours a night had 13 percent, 23 percent and 41 percent higher risk of dying, respectively, than those who slept 7 hours, the study found. Men sleeping 8, 9 and 10 hours a night had 12 percent, 17 percent and 34 percent greater risk of dying within the study period.
这项研究利用了美国癌症学会在1982-1988年期间开展的一次广泛调查所获得的数据，它发现每晚睡8、9和10个小时的女性与睡7小时的女性相比，死亡率分别上升了13%、23%和41%。在此研究期间，每晚睡8、9和10个小时的男性与睡7小时男性相比，死亡率则上升了12%、17%和34%。
By contrast, sleeping five hours a night increased the risk for women by only 5 percent, and for men, by 11 percent. Among people who slept just three hours a night, women had a 33 percent increase in death, and men had a 19 percent increase, compared with those who slept seven hours.
与此相比，每晚睡5个小时的女性的死亡率仅上升了5%，男性上升了11%。在每晚仅睡3个小时的人群中，与睡7个小时的人相比，女性死亡率上升33%，男性上升19%。
Kripke, the new study's leader, pointed out that relatively few people slept so little-1 in 1,000 - where as almost half of all people slept eight hours or more.
领导此项研究的Kripke指出：相对而言，睡这么少的人比较少--千分之一而已，而近乎有一半的人要睡8个小时甚至更多。
The study also found that taking a sleeping pill every day increased the risk of death by 25 percent.
研究还发现每天服一粒安眠药会导致死亡率上升25%。
"It appears there is no mortality risk to having insomnia," Kripke said.
"这似乎在说明失眠并不会导致死亡，"Kripke说。
He recommended that people should not routinely take pills to get eight hours of sleep. While acknowledging that the sleeping pills used from 1982 to 1988 were not the same pills being used today, Kripke said, "without data showing that contemporary pills are safe, these data provide the best information about whether sleeping pills are safe for long-term use."
他建议人们不要为了达到8小时的睡眠就经常服用安眠药。虽然Kripke承认1982-1988年期间所使用的安眠药和今天的安眠药不一样了，但是他说，"只要还没有数据表明当今的安眠药是安全的，这些数据在说明安眠药长期服用是否安全方面就仍有说服力。"
Kripke, whose study was funded by federal tax dollars, said doctors' recommendations that everyone get eight hours of sleep a night may have been partly influenced by the drug companies that make sleeping pills. He cited a report from a public relations firm representing the medicine Ambien, which gave money to the National Sleep Foundation to alert people about an insomnia "public health crisis" as part of a marketing campaign.
Kripke的研究是由联邦政府资助的，他说医生们之所以建议每人每晚睡8小时，这在一定程度上可能是受到了安眠药生产公司的影响。他引用了一家公共关系公司撰写的关于Ambien药厂的报告作为例子。该报告指出Ambien药厂资助了国家睡眠基金会来警告人们失眠问题已造成一场"公共健康危机"，而这其实是Ambien药厂营销活动的一部分。
Both Buysse and Walsh have served as paid consultants to makers of sleeping pills, but both denied being influenced by that role. Walsh said most researchers in the field had accepted consulting fees from the companies, because "99 percent of the funding to support this type of research is from pharmaceutical companies."
Buysse和Walsh都在担任安眠药生产厂家的顾问，而且拿薪水，但是他们两人都否认受到了这一职位的影响。Walsh说这个领域的大多数研究者都接受药厂支付的咨询费，因为"这类研究经费有99%是医药公司资助的。"
Buysse, who wrote an editorial accompanying Kripke's article, said more research was needed to pin down exactly what the connection was between sleep and the risk of death. The study relied on people's own reports of their sleeping habits, which can be faulty. When people are asked how long they sleep, they usually report how long they spend in bed, Buysse said.
Buysse为Kripke的文章配发了一篇社论，他说有必要做进一步的研究以确定睡眠和死亡率之间究竟是什么联系。他说这一研究靠的是人们对自己睡眠习惯的汇报，而这有可能会出错。当问人们睡多长时间时，他们通常汇报的是他们在床上呆的时间。
That could mean that people who reported sleeping eight hours were really sleeping around seven and a half hours, which would bring them into the study's lower risk category. Buysse also disagreed that sleep was like food, arguing that while people can restrict sleep, they cannot "choose" to sleep longer.
这就意味着那些汇报8小时睡眠者实际睡了7.5个小时左右，而这就会把他们列入该项研究的低危险率一类。Buysse也不同意睡眠如饮食的观点，他反驳说虽然人们可以限制自己的睡眠，他们却无法"选择"睡得更久些。
Donald Bliwise, a psychologist at Emory University, in Atlanta, said studies had shown that when people were allowed to sleep however long they wanted, without cues from alarm clocks and watches, they often slept 14 to 15 hours a day for the first few days.
位于亚特兰大的Emory大学的心理学家Donald Bliwise说已有研究表明，当让人们随心所欲，不受闹钟和手表提示地去睡时，他们经常在最初几天中每天会睡14-15个小时。
"Everyone," Bliwise said, "walks around somewhat sleep deprived."
Bliwise说："每个人在一定程度上都没有睡够。"
更多内容 |
| 奥运英语1000句：我感觉筋疲力尽
|
|
I feel exhausted.
我感觉筋疲力尽。
A: You look tired. It's been a long day.
A: 你看起来疲惫。你忙了一整天。
B: Yes, it has. I'm exhausted. I'm so tired.
B: 是的，是这样。我筋疲力尽了。我太累了。
A: Well, I'm not surprised. We've done a lot today. Lots of walking.
A: 哦，我不惊讶。我们今天做了很多事情。走了太多的路。
B: I know. I'm so tired that I could fall asleep right now.
B: 我知道。我太累了，以至于马上就能睡着。
A: Well, why don't you go and have a rest?
A: 哦，那你为什么不去休息一会?
B: You're right. A good, long sleep. That's what I need.
B: 你说得对。好好地睡一大觉。这正是我所需要的。
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes 注释
1. You can say to people directly: You look tired. / You look tired; or You look good. / You look good.
你可以直接跟某人说：You look tired. / 你看起来很疲惫;或者 You look good. / 你看起来气色很好。
2. You can also suggest things to people by saying: Why don't you . . .? / Why don't you . . .? e.g. Why don't you have a rest? / Why don't you have a rest?; Why don't you take an aspirin? / Why don't you take an aspirin?
你还可以这样给某人提出建议；Why don't you . . .? / 你为什么不 . . .? 例如: Why don't you have a rest? /你为什么不休息一下呢？; Why don't you take an aspirin? / 你为什么不吃一片阿司匹林呢？
3. Remember you can use so/so to emphasise something, e.g. I'm so tired I could fall asleep. / I'm so tired I could fall asleep.
记住你可以用so/太来强调某事，例如：I'm so tired I could fall asleep. / 我太累了，以至于马上就能睡着
更多内容 |
| 英文诗歌－天使之吻 An Angel Kiss
|
|
An Angel Kiss
An Angel kissed my tears away
today when I was sad.
I wasn't feeling quite myself
my day had been so bad.
I felt a warmth brush by me
that quickly dried my tears;
A gentle, kind, and loving touch
that seemed to hold me near.
Immediately, I felt so much better
and the day seemed brighter, too.
I guess that's just the way you feel
when an Angel comforts you.
天使之吻
今天当我感到悲伤
天使吻干了我的泪水
我的生活是如此糟糕
感到自己迷失了方向
突然一个温暖的轻抚
迅速擦干了我的泪水
一个温柔、亲切而深情的抚摸
似乎将我拉近
我立刻感到好了许多
天气似乎更加明亮
我想天使安慰你的时候
你也会有同样的感觉
更多内容 |
| 英文演讲－President's Radio Address
|
|
October 19, 2007
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This weekend, I will join millions of Americans in one of our favorite national pastimes: fishing. I'm going to be on the Chesapeake Bay. For those who love fishing, the most important thing is not the size of your catch but the enjoyment of the great outdoors. Every year, millions of Americans grab their tackle boxes and head out to their favorite fishing holes. No matter where they drop their lines, they build memories that last a lifetime. And in the process, they contribute billions of dollars to our economy.
My Administration is committed to protecting the environment that our sportsmen depend on. We believe that to meet the environmental challenges of the 21st century, we must bring together conservationists, fishermen, sportsmen, local leaders, and Federal, State, and tribal officials in a spirit of cooperation. I call this "cooperative conservation." Instead of the old environmental debates that pit one group against another, we're moving our country toward a system where citizens and government can come together to achieve meaningful results for our environment.
One way we are practicing cooperative conservation is through our efforts to preserve our fisheries. Almost three years ago, I announced an ocean action plan to promote an ethic of responsible stewardship that will make our waterways cleaner, healthier, and more productive. Last year, I was proud to establish a marine conservation area in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. This is the single largest conservation area in the history of our Nation -- and the largest protected marine area in the world. We're also working to clean up marine debris and to address harmful fishing practices in international waters that destroy corals and other vital habitats. Earlier this year, I signed a law that will help end overfishing and create market-based regulations to replenish our fish stocks so we can keep them strong for generations to come.
Prior to my fishing trip I am signing an Executive Order that will preserve two of our Nation's most popular recreational fish -- striped bass and red drum. These two species were once abundant in American waters, but their stocks have been overfished. The Executive Order I sign will protect striped bass and red drum caught in Federal waters by moving to prohibit their commercial sale. It will promote more accurate scientific records about fish population levels. And it will help the Federal Government work with State and local officials to find innovative ways to ensure these two species are conserved for future generations.
As we work to protect our Nation's fisheries, we're also working to help migratory birds thrive. Each year, more than 800 species of birds make their way south for the winter, and then return home to their breeding grounds the following spring. Their ability to survive these long journeys depends on stopover habitat. Unfortunately, some of the areas where birds once stopped and rested on their great migrations have been lost to development. So we're working to protect these species by restoring or replacing their stopover habitats.
One key way we're doing this is by expanding our National Wildlife Refuges, creating new ones, and restoring and improving hundreds of thousands of acres of habitat for migratory birds. At the same time, we're bringing together Federal, State, and tribal agencies to work with private groups and corporations to improve habitat on private lands. The Department of the Interior is also working with cities across our Nation to build stopover habitats in urban areas. And this weekend I'm announcing new policies -- including new efforts with Mexico to foster greater habitat conservation for the migratory birds.
America's national parks also play a vital role in our conservation efforts. Earlier this week, Laura spoke at the first-ever Leadership Summit of the National Park Foundation. She discussed the National Parks Centennial Initiative -- a public-private partnership to raise funds for the park system's 100th anniversary in 2016. This initiative will support many vital projects to improve habitats for local wildlife -- including some that will directly benefit birds.
As Americans, we've been given a beautiful country to live in, and we have an obligation to be good stewards of the environment. With the cooperative conservation policies we have put in place, we show our commitment to preserving our Nation's heritage. By making responsible choices today, we will ensure that our children and grandchildren will enjoy a cleaner and more vibrant environment.
Thank you for listening.
END
更多内容 |
| 翻译技巧-隔行如隔山(谈谈专业英语的翻译)
|
|
刚才在一个英语学习论坛上，看到有一个网友发帖子，询问一个计算机方面的术语non-mapped memory怎样翻译。有四个网友回贴，但答案都不对，比如有一个网友翻译成"非地图化内存"，还有一个网友翻译成"未标出的内存"。其实熟悉计算机软件的朋友都知道，map一般翻译成"映像"，大意是把内存中的某些特定数据复制到另外一个地方。map是动词，名词是mapping。因此上面那个术语，应当翻译为"非映像内存"。
我为什么要聊这个话题呢？这是因为我本人长期兼任北京一家出版社的特约编辑，经常为一些计算机方面的译作进行审稿。我想在这里不客气地指出，现在国内有些译者，胆子真叫大(笑)，一本外文图书，不管自己是否看得懂，只要有稿费，都敢拿过来翻译，这种译作的质量，各位可想而知。
比如去年年初有一本Linux方面的译作，译者自称是中关村某家大公司的技术主管，因此我觉得译文质量应当问题不大。没想到我随便找了某一章某一节的某一段，中文、英文一对照，才发现这位译者好象从未用过Linux，连最基本的常识都没有，比如，他竟然将mount翻译成"增加"，将unmount翻译成"减少"，下面第一行翻译成第二行。
①This section will discuss how to mount or unmount a file system.
②这一部分将讨论如何"增加或减少"一个文件系统。
用过Linux的朋友都知道，mount和unmount是两个最基本的概念，一般翻译成"装载"和"卸载"。后来我琢磨了一下，估计是这位译者，可能并不认识mount，查《英汉词典》后，发现意思太多，于是从中找了一个差不多的意思"增加"，而unmount，一般的《英汉词典》上根本没有这个词，但它的前缀un表明它是mount的反义词，因此把它翻译成"减少"。
现在有些学公共英语的朋友，有一种看法，他们认为：我虽然不懂专业英语，但我可以买一本专业方面的《英汉词典》，看到不懂的单词，查一查，照样可以翻译嘛！其实这种看法是不正确的。以计算机专业的英语为例，有时候一句话，单词都是很熟悉的，内容也很简单，但如果你没有计算机方面的实际工作经验，你就翻译不出来。比如下面第一行，其中的down，应当翻译为"宕机"，也就是服务器关闭，进行维护，如果翻译者不是系统管理员或网络管理员，很难准确翻译出来。
①Our server will be temporarily down for 3 hours.
②我们的服务器将临时"宕机"三个小时。
总之，我写这个帖子的目的，就是想说：隔行如隔山，学一个专业的人，如果没有特殊情况，最好不要翻译另外一个专业的英语文章，以免闹笑话。闹出笑话，你自己丢人现眼还是小事，问题是很可能误导广大读者，甚至还可能给读者造成损失，那后果可就严重了。
更多内容 |
|
收藏] [
推荐] [返回顶部] [打印本页] [关闭窗口] 
当前位置：