偶像励志英语演讲15:教育的民主化:哥伦比亚女歌手夏奇拉在牛津大学的演讲(2)(在线收听

   I strongly believe that the best is yet to come, with universal access to education to feed our collective intelligence, with our commitment to meet and organize in places like this, with students like you--we can be so close to create a network of intellects, an enormous think tank devoted to share the best ideas and inspiring each other to keep learning, keep informing, and keep advancing our world, and finding solutions to our common issues. Wouldn't that be great?

  我深信最美好的日子还没有来到。通过普及教育来丰富我们集体的知识宝库,通过我们的努力把大家召集到类似今天这种地方,在像你们这样的学生当中——建立起一个知识网络,一个巨大的思想库就近在咫尺,通过知识网络和思想库来分享最好的思想,激励彼此不断学习,不断增长知识,以及让我们的世界不断发展前进,并为我们共同关心的问题找到解决方法。那样该多好啊!
  We have evolved so far in history with so many technological advances in just the past century, so, how will we evolve in the next ten years, or twenty years, or fifty years--now that we know that the world has shrunk and has become just one big neighborhood.
  在人类历史的长河中,我们繁衍生息,不断发展进步,走到今天。在过去一个世纪中我们取得了许多科技进步,那么在未来的十年,二十年,或五十年中我们又将如何发展呢?我们知道现在世界已经变小了,演化成了一个大社区。
  You are the architects of change. So tell me, how many things that seem inconceivable today will be obvious tomorrow? How long will man live? How will society be structured? Will we still be organized in couples, in communities with very nice governance? Sadly, at the current pace of change, we won't have universal access to education in a hundred years, let alone five. That is unacceptable.
  你们是这些新变化的设计师。那么请告诉我,有多少在今天看来不可思议的事情会在明天成为现实?人类将会活多久?社会将会如何组成?我们还会实行夫妻制吗?我们还会以社区为居住单位吗?悲哀的是,按照目前的速度,我们再用100年也无法普及教育,更别说5年了。这个事实让人难以接受。
  Especially, when the world has the resources to feed itself several times over, then, why are children starving? Latin America, alone has 3 times the necessary abundance to feed its entire population.
  尤其是,当这个世界有成倍的资源用来养活自己的时候,为什么孩子们还在挨饿?只拉丁美洲一个洲就拥有能够供给其三倍人口的充裕食物。
  These children can't wait, they can't wait a hundred more years.
  这些孩子不能再等100年了。
  重点讲解:
  1. inspire sb. to do sth.
  激励;鼓舞;驱使某人做某事;
  eg. These herbs will inspire you to try out all sorts of exotic-flavoured dishes!
  这些香草会激发你去品尝各种异国风味的菜肴!
  eg. Our challenge is to motivate those voters and inspire them to join our cause.
  我们面临的挑战是如何调动那些选民的积极性并鼓励他们加入我们的事业。
  eg. And what inspired you to change your name?
  是什么促使你改名的?
  2. have access to
  进入(权);查阅(或使用)的机会(或权利);接近(或面见)的机会(或权利);
  eg. Students must have access to good books.
  学生必须有机会读到好书。
  eg. We have unrestricted access to all the facilities.
  我们可随意使用一切设施。
  3. let alone
  (通常用在否定句后)遑论,更别提,更不用说;
  eg. It is incredible that the 12-year-old managed to even reach the pedals, let alone drive the car.
  12岁的孩子能踩到踏板已经是不可思议,就更不用说开车了。
  eg. We can't afford a bicycle, let alone a car.
  我们连自行车也买不起,更不用说汽车了。
  名人简介:
  夏奇拉(Shakira)来自哥伦比亚,是欧美乐坛著名流行歌手、世界级拉丁天后、国际超级巨星。以演唱和创作拉丁风格的歌曲著称,拥有黎巴嫩、西班牙(加泰罗尼亚)和意大利血统。曾2次获得格莱美奖,八次获得拉丁格莱美奖。同时也是哥伦比亚籍唱片销售量最多的艺人,根据BMI的调查数据显示,她的专辑(包括单曲)的销量已在全球超过7500万张,她的知名度和热心公益的善举更令她被誉为“全球最成功的拉丁女歌手”、“全球最知名的哥伦比亚人”和“哥伦比亚的戴安娜王妃”。2010年为南非世界杯献唱官方指定主题曲《Waka Waka》让她再度红遍全球。除了一再地获得各种音乐奖项的肯定外,Shakira更被美国《时代》杂志选为封面人物,被推举为当今拉丁艺人的代表人物。
  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/oxlzyj/243611.html