經典雙語美文賞析
優美的文字於細微處傳達出美感,並浸潤著人們的心靈。通過英語美文,不僅能夠感受語言之美,領悟語言之用,還能產生學習語言的興趣。度過一段美好的時光,即感悟生活,觸動心靈。下面是小編為大家帶來,希望大家喜歡!
經典雙語美文:隱私如國境
There are quite a few questions that are supposednever to be asked about. It is impolite or rude evento mention them in a conversation. These topicsinclude one’s age, income, marriage, religious beliefand political position as well as any other fields ofprivacy.
In order to understand the American or westernidea of a personal concept of privacy, one may think of theconcept of “territory”. As wellknown, a nation has borders or boundaries with other countries and everything within theborder belongs to the nation alone and no one else.
One’s home - one’s castle
Is one able to enter another country without a passport - a permit from another? Absolutelynot. It is thesame for one’s home.
If one enters someone else’s home without asking for permission, he is likely to be chargedwith trespassing or even burglary. Inside the house everything is within the territory of theowner, no one else. A bedroom is his or her castle. No one may visit it without permission.
Inside the room - confidential
No one has the right to open a closet, desk or drawer in the room - these are something secretin the hostor hostess’ castle. On top of the desk there may be letters, business papers orexercise books, these tooare within the owner’s territory. Never touch them or read them!Similarly never read over one’s shoulder when he or she is reading something!
You don’t want to behave like a spy, do you? Anything one is reading is his or her privateproperty. Don’t invade it!
Income - a top secret
In the United States, one’s income is the top secret. Never even try to ask any questions aboutit! Avoidasking for dishonor. In the same way, it is impolite to inquire about one’s property orthe cost of some articles. You may say how cool something is, but never ask about the price.
Age - taboo for everyone
Age is considered a taboo, especially for the ladies. They hate any topics about age, simplybecause they hate to get old, because they want to stay young forever! They are very sensitiveto questions like: “When were you born?” or “Do you have artificial teeth?”
Never make any comment like “You have grey hair”, otherwise the males and females alike willbeat you black and blue.
Religion - sensitive
Religion is what one believes in personally. It is totally a personal matter. Never ask,“Why doyou worship as a Christian”, it is none of your business. Everyone has the freedom to believeas they choose in belief.
Politics - big men’s affairs
Politics is a sensitive topic too. It’s completely of personal opinion. There is no argument abouttaste,anyway. Besides, such questions as “Do you believe Israel will accept the conditions forpeace talks?” should be on the agenda of those “big men”, not for a “nobody” like you and me.
有一些話題在談話中永遠不要涉及,提一提都是無禮、甚或粗魯的行為。這些話題包括一個人的年齡、收入、婚姻狀況、宗教信仰、政治立場以及其他個人領域的事物。為了理解美國以及其他西方國家有關個人隱私的觀念,我們不妨從“領土”這個概念說起。眾所周知,一國總以邊境或邊界與他國為界,而之內的一切亊物僅屬於該國所有,別國不得侵犯。
住宅—個人城堡
假如沒有護照***進入一國的許可證***,任何人能夠進入他國嗎?絕不可能。同理,進入他人住宅也必須得到許可。
如果未經允許就闖進別人家裡,輕則告你“撞闖民宅”,重則告你“入室行竊_”。同樣,家裡的一切都是主人領土上的財產,他人不得擅動。而臥室簡直就是他或她的"城堡"——未經允許不得參觀。
室內——保密
任何人都無權亂翻他人室內的衣櫃、書桌或者抽屜——這些是主人城堡裡的祕密!書桌上也許有信件、商務文函或練習本——這些也是他人境內的財產。千萬別碰它們,也別拿來讀。同樣,當別人在閱讀什麼的時候,千萬不要站在別人後面“偷”看!你不想成為一個間諜,是吧?別人正在閱讀的一切都是他的私人財產,千萬不要侵犯!
收入——最高機密
在美國,個人收入是最高機密。你甚至不要試圖去打聽有關的問題,不要自討沒趣!同樣,詢問他人的財產或某件物品的價格也是不禮貌的。你可以說某樣東西多麼多麼酷,但就是別問價格!
年齡-個人禁忌
年齡是一個非常忌諱的問題,對於女士尤其如此。她們討厭任何與年齡有關的話題,只因為她們害怕衰老,總想永葆青春!她們對和年齡有關的問題十分敏感,諸如“您什麼時候出生的?”或者“您戴假牙嗎?”。千萬不要說"您的頭髮都白了一類的話,否則人家會把你揍得鼻青臉腫!
宗教——敏感的話題
宗教純粹厲於個人信仰,其完全是個人的亊情。千萬別問“您為什麼信仰基督教”之類的話,這不關你的亊。再者說,人人都有信仰自由。
政治——大人物的亊
政治也是一個敏感的話題。它完全屬於個人看法,無論如何也沒什麼好爭論的。更何況,諸如“您認為以色列會接受和談條件嗎?”之類的問題是“大人物"們關心的事,不是你我這樣的 "無名小卒"該管的。
經典雙語美文:緊迫性
If a man is ever going to admit that hebelongs to the earth, not the other way round,itprobably will be in late June.Then it is that lifesurpasses man’s affairs with incredible urgencyand outreaches him in every direction.Even thefarmer, on whom we all depend for the substance ofexistence,knows then that the best he can do iscooperate with wind and weather, soil and seed.Theincalculable energy of chlorophyll, the green leaf itself, dominates the earth,and the root in thesoil is the inescapable fact. Even the roadside weed ignores man’s legislation.
The urgency is everywhere. Grass blankets the earth, reaching for the sun, spreads itsroots,flowers and comes to seed. The forest widens its canopy, strengthens its boles, nurturesits seedlings, ripens its perpetuating nuts. The birds nest and hatch their fledglings. Thebeetle and the bee are busy at the grassrootand the blossom, and the butterfly lays eggsthat will hatch and crawl and eat and pupate and take to the air once more. Fish spawn andmeadow voles harvest the wild meadows, and owls and foxes feed their young. Dragonflies andswallows and nighthawks seine the air where the minute winged creatures flit out their minutelife spans.
And man, who glibly calls the earth his own, neither powers the leaf nor energizes the fragilewing.Man participates, but his dominance is limited. It is the urgency of life, or growth, thatrules.Late June and early Summer are the ultimate, unarguable proof.
如果一個人願意承認他是屬於地球的而不是地球屬於他,那很可能就是在6月份的晚些時候。這個時候,自然生機那種只爭朝夕的精神比起人類亊務來真是緊迫得令人難人置信,在各方面都勝人類一籌。就連農民***我們依靠他們生產的東西 維持生存***也知道這時候最好是能順應風雨天候,照料土壞種子。主宰著大地的是葉綠素無法估算的能源以及綠葉本身,土壤中有根的存在,這是自不待言的。即使是路邊的野草也都衝破人為的制約蔓生開來。
那種只爭朝夕的緊迫感無處不在。草如綠毯,鋪滿大地,一直伸向太陽;它四處伸延根鬚,開花結籽。森林拓展其華蓋,強固其主幹,給其秧苗輸送養分,並使長了許久的堅果漸趨成熟。鳥雀築巢並孵化雛鳥。甲蟲在草根旁奔忙,蜜蜂在花叢中飛逐。蝴蝶則在產卵,將來孵出的小蟲從爬行、吃食、化蛹到振翅飛舞 再經歷一次迴圈。魚兒也在產卵,田鼠則在野生的牧場上採獲食物。貓頭鷹和狐狸給它們的幼仔餵食。蜻蜓、燕子和夜鷹在天空中像圍網似地捕食,而極小的有翼動物在空中輕快地飛來飛去,頃刻間其想暫的生命便結束了。
然而,人類揚畝地球屬於他們,可是既不能給葉片以能量又不能給脆弱的翅臃以力量。人類只是參與其中,而其主導地位是有限的。駕御一切的是生命或生長只爭朝夕的緊迫性。6月份晚些時候的初夏時節從根本上無可爭辯地證明了這一點。