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現代大學英語Lesson10(A)精讀重點講解
英語是一種西日耳曼語支，最早被中世紀的英國使用，并因其廣闊的殖民地而成為世界使用面積最廣的語言。下面是小編為大家整理的現代大學英語Lesson10(A)精讀重點講解，歡迎閱讀與收藏。
引言：
每個地方對于生活在那里的人們來說都有特殊的意義，在某種程度上來說，每個地方都代表世界的中心。世上有無數個這樣的中心，沒有一個學生或旅行者能全部經歷到。
世界的文化中到處是富有特殊價值和意義而預料不到的青香蕉。多年來它們一直在那里，慢慢地成熟，或許在耐心地等待人們走過去發現它們。事實上，假如我們愿意離開我們自己的世界的中心，去感受其他的地方，青香蕉在等待我們每一個人。
The Green Banana---Donald Batchelder
Although it might have happened anywhere, my encounter with the green banana started on a steep mountain road in the central area of Brazil. My ancient jeep was straining up through beautiful countryside when the radiator began to leak, and I was ten miles from the nearest mechanic. The over-heated engine forced me to stop at the next village, which consisted of a small store and a few houses that were scattered here and there. People came over to look. They could see three fine streams of hot water spouting from holes in the jacket of the radiator. "That's easy to fix," a man said. He sent a boy running for some green bananas. He patted me on the shoulder, assuring me that everything would work out. "Green bananas," he smiled. Everyone agreed.
We chattered casually while all the time I was wondering what they could possibly do to my radiator with their green bananas. I did not ask them, though, as that would show my ignorance, so I talked about the beauty of the land that lay before our eyes. Huge rock formations, like Sugar Loaf in Rio, rose up all around us. "Do you see that tall one right over there?" asked the man, pointing to a particularly tall, slender pinnacle of dark rock. "That rock marks the center of the world."
I looked to see if he was teasing me, but his face was serious. He, in turn, inspected me carefully, as if to make sure I grasped the significance of his statement. The occasion called for some show of recognition on my part. "The center of the world?" I repeated, trying to show interest if not complete acceptance. He nodded. "The absolute center. Everyone around here knows it."
At that moment the boy returned with an armful of green bananas. The man cut one in half and pressed the cut end against the radiator jacket. The banana melted into a glue against the hot metal, stopping the leaks instantly. I was so astonished at this that I must have looked rather foolish and everyone laughed. They then refilled me radiator and gave me extra bananas to take along in case my radiator should give me trouble again. An hour later, after using the green banana once more, my radiator and I reached our destination. The local mechanic smiled. "Who taught you about the green banana?" I gave him the name of the village. "Did they show you the rock marking the center of the world?" he asked. I assured him they had. "My grandfather came from there," he said. "The exact center. Everyone around here has always known about it."
As a product of American education, I had never paid the slightest attention to the green banana, except to regard it as a fruit whose time had not yet come. Suddenly, on that mountain road, its time had come to meet my need. But as I reflected on it further, I realized that the green banana had been there all along. Its time reached back to the very origins of the banana. The people in that village had known about it for years. It was my own time that had come, all in relation to it. I came to appreciate the special genius of those people, and the special potential of the green banana. I had been wondering for some time about what educators like to call "learning moments," and I now knew I had just experienced two of them at once.
It took me a little longer to fully grasp the importance of the rock which the villagers believed marked the center of the world. I had at first doubted their claim, as I knew for a fact that the center was located somewhere else in New England. After all, my grandfather had come from there. But gradually I realized the village people had a very reasonable belief and I agreed with them. We all tend to regard as the center that special place where we are known, where we know others, where things mean much to us, and where we ourselves have both identity and meaning: family, school, town and local region could all be our center of the world.
The lesson which gradually dawned on me was actually very simple. Every place has special meanings for the people in it, and in a certain sense every place represents the center of the world. The world has numerous such centers, and no one student or traveler can experience all of them. But once a conscious breakthrough to a second center is made, a life-long perspective and collection can begin.
The cultures of the world are full of unexpected green bananas with special value and meaning. They have been there for ages, ripening slowly, perhaps waiting patiently for people to come along to encounter them. In fact, a green banana is waiting for all of us if we would leave our own centers of the world in order to experience other places.
青香蕉
這件事在任何地方都可能發生，而我遇到青香蕉是在巴西中部的一條陡峭山路上。我那輛老吉普車在美麗的鄉村艱難穿行時，水箱開始漏水，而離最近的修車處還有十英里。過熱的發動機迫使我在附近一個四處散布著一些小店子和房屋的村子停下來。村民們走過來看發生了什么事，他們看到三小股熱水從水箱外殼的洞里涌出來。“這很容易修”，一個人邊說邊派一個男孩去取一些青香蕉。他拍拍我的肩膀，向我保證事情能得到圓滿解決。“青香蕉派得上用場”，他笑道。在場的人都很認同。
我們隨意地聊起天來，同時我一直在想他們怎么用青香蕉修理我的水箱，然而我沒有問他們，因為那會顯得無知。所以我只談了談眼前這塊美麗的土地。巨大的巖層，像里約熱內盧的蘇格羅浮山，在我們四周聳立著�！翱吹侥菈K高聳的巖石了嗎?”那人指著一塊特別高且頂部線條柔和的黑巖石問道，“那塊巖石標志著世界的中心�！�
我盯著他看，看他是不是在騙我，但他表情嚴肅認真。而他，反過來也審視著我，好像要確認我是否理解他話中的真諦。這種情形需要我表示出對他的話的認可�！笆澜绲闹行�?”我又問了一遍，在完全接受他的觀點之前努力顯出興趣。他點點頭�！耙粋�絕對的中心。這兒的人都知道�！�
就在這時，那男孩抱著一抱青香蕉回來了。男人將一支香蕉切成兩半，把切口處壓在水箱表面。香蕉立即熔成糊狀堵住了金屬殼的裂縫，止住了漏水�？吹竭@一切我太驚訝了。隨后他們重新灌滿了我的水箱，還額外送給了我一些青香蕉以防水箱又給我找麻煩。在接下來的一小時，又用了一次青香蕉后，我和我的水箱抵達了目的地。當地的修理工微笑著問我，“誰教你用青香蕉的?”我告訴他那個村的名字。“他們指給你看標志世界中心的巖石沒有?”他問。我說他們這樣問了�！拔覡敔攺哪莾簛�，”他說，“它是純粹的中心。這兒的人都知道。”
在美國教育的“造就”下，我一點也沒注意過青香蕉，只認為它是一種尚未成熟的水果。突然間，在那條山路上，青香蕉被用來修補我的水箱的時機到了。但當我進一步思考時，我發現青香蕉其實一直存在，它可追溯到香蕉的起源。那個村的人多年以來就知道這一點，而現在是我認識這種青香蕉以及一切與它相關的事情的時候了。我開始欣賞那些人特別的智慧和青香蕉潛在的獨特價值。好長一段時間我一直在想教育者們所說的“瞬間領悟到的東西”，我知道我剛剛一下子感受到了兩樣東西：青香蕉的特殊用途和有關世界中心的說法。
我花了更長一點的時間來理解村民們所信仰的標志著世界中心的巖石。剛開始我懷疑他們的話，因為事實上世界的中心在新英格蘭，畢竟，我祖父來自那兒。但漸漸地，我發現村民們的信念很有道理，我認同他們。我們傾向于把某個特殊的地方看作是世界的中心，在那里我們被他人所了解，并了解其他人，那地方對我們很重要，在那里我們擁有認同感和生活的意義。比如家庭、學校、城鎮，還有地方區域，都會成為我們心目中的世界的中心。
我漸漸悟到的這一課其實很簡單。每個地方對于生活在那里的人們來說都有特殊的意義，在某種程度上來說，每個地方都代表世界的中心。世上有無數個這樣的中心，沒有一個學生或旅行者能全部經歷到。一旦有意識地進入到第二個世界中心，一個人一生觀點的形成和收集便開始了。
世界的文化中到處是富有特殊價值和意義而預料不到的青香蕉。多年來它們一直在那里，慢慢地成熟，或許在耐心地等待人們走過去發現它們。事實上，假如我們愿意離開我們自己的世界的中心，去感受其他的地方，青香蕉在等待我們每一個人。
1.encounter n. 意外的相見,遭遇
例句：
His encounter with the guard dog had completely unnerved him.
他遇上了警衛犬, 把他嚇壞了.
2.radiator n. 暖氣片,散熱器
例句：
The radiator is giving out a lot of heat.
散熱器釋放出很多熱量.
3.refill v. 再充滿,再注滿
例句：
Allow me to refill your cup.
請允許我給您再斟上一杯。
4.slightest adj. 最少的
例句：
Do be careful with those fireworks; the slightest spark could set them off.
這些煙火要格外小心, 稍有火星就能引起爆炸.
5.dawn on v.漸漸被理解
例句：
The truth began to dawn on him.
他開始弄明白真相.
6. perspective n. 遠景,看法,透視
例句：
You must get the story in its right perspectives.
你必須正確地了解這件事。
7.grasp v. 抓住,緊握,領會
例句：
I grasped the main point of the speech.
我領會了這篇演講的要點。
8.reflect on v.思考, 反省, 懷疑, 導致, 責備
例句：
I always reflect on life when listening to beethoven's symphony.
每當聽貝多芬交響樂的時候，我總會仔細思考人生。
9.astonished adj. 驚訝的
例句：
I was astonished at the news of his escape.
聽到他逃之夭夭的消息，我感到驚訝。
引自《英語學習》2003年第二期
作者是美國學者Donald Batch elder，文章講的是對待世界上各種不同文化應采取何種態度的問題。隨著國際交往的不斷發展，我們的世界越來越像一個地球村，各種風格迥異的文化彼此遭遇、碰撞，文明之間的沖突大有愈演愈烈之勢，如何看待異域文化和文化差異成了值得人們認真思考的重要問題。本文的作者通過一個小故事，向我們展示了他本人對這個問題的深入思考。
文章可分為兩大部分。第一部分為1-4段，作者以第一人稱的口吻向我們講述了他在巴西的一段經歷。作為一個美國旅行者，當他駕著一輛舊吉普車行進在巴西中部的山路上時，水箱開始漏水，他被迫停在附近的一個小村莊里。熱情的村民用他們古老的辦法為作者解決了問題。他們找來了一些尚未成熟的青香蕉，掰開以后塞到水箱漏水處，由于水箱金屬殼的熱度，香蕉馬上融化成膠汁，粘住了裂縫。同時，在與村民的閑聊中，作者還驚訝地得知，他們堅信附近的一塊巖石就是世界的中心。這一次與當地本土文化不期然的相遇給了作者很大的震動，在第二部分（5-8段）中，作者著重講述了他的感悟。首先，他驚訝于青香焦所展示給他的當地古老文化中的智慧；再次，他驚訝于村民們對世界中心即那塊巖石的信仰，因為他認為世界的中心應該在他祖父的家鄉新英格蘭。后來作者逐步意識到：每一種文化都有自身的精妙之處, "The Green Banana" 即象征著每一種文化中所蘊藏的鮮為人知的寶藏；對每一種族的人來說，他們生活的地方對他們都具有特殊意義，從而在某種意義上說都可代表世界的中心 (Every pla ce has special meanings for the people in it, and in a certain sense every place represents the center of the world.)。 世界因此有無數的中心，但是人們不可能經歷全部。而我們一旦能夠從自己文化的包圍中走出來，去自覺領受另一種文化，我們將會得到影響自己一生的全新視角，并從此開始收藏異域文化中的寶藏 (The world has numerous such c enters, and no one student or traveler can experience all of them. But once a con scious breakthrough to a second center is made, a life-long perspective and colle ction can begin.)。
作者試圖通過他的感悟告訴我們, 每一種文化都有它的"green bananas" 它們慢慢成熟，等待著我們放下偏見，以平等和尊重的眼光去欣賞和領悟 (The cultures of the world are full of unexpected green bananas with special value and meaning...ripening slowly, perhaps waiting patiently for people to come along to encounter them.)。任何的種族優越論(ethnocentrism) 或文化擴張 (cultural imperialism) 都是不可取的。
本文從語言方面看，還存在著一些難點，下面試作分析。
第一段第二句 My ancient jeep was straining up through beautiful countryside... 。 動詞strain在Collins English Dictionary中的第五條釋義為to make intense or violent efforts; strive。 此處的strain up 是指因山路陡峭(steep country road)，汽車只得艱難行進。這一段中還要注意倒數第二句中的 pat me on the shoulder 這種表達方式，類似的說法如 seize sb. by the arm；hit sb. in the back；knock sb. on the head 等等。同時， 這一句還出現了work out 這個詞組，work out 的意思很多，此處是指 to prove satisfact ory or effective (Collins English Dictionary)，例如: Did your plan work out? 我們經常碰到work out 作 to solve or find out by reasoning or calculation (Collins Eng lish Dictionary) 講，如 work out a sum; work out an answer。
第二段中, "I did not ask them, though, as that would show my ignorance...," 此處 的though是個副詞，表示“然而”。它與although的區別是：although只能作連詞，though既 可作連詞也可作副詞，表示in spite of the fact that; even if（《朗文當代英語詞典》） 。但注意作此種用法時though不出現在句首，例如：
It's hard work; I enjoy it though. He is a bad manager.
There is no reason, though, to dismiss him.
第三段, "The occasion called for some show of recognition on my part.”中，“cal l for” 做 "need or require" 解，on my part 的釋義為of or by me (《朗文當代英語詞典 》)。此句可理解為“當時的情形需要我做出一些認可的表示”。此段還要注意as if 的用法 , "He, in turn, inspeced me carefully, as if to make sure I grasped the signific ance of his statement." as if”為“with the appearance of”，此句中后跟一個以不定式引導的目的狀語。請看下面as if 的常見用法: （例句選自《現代英語用法詞典》）
I've loved you as if you were my son.（后跟從句，動詞一般用虛擬語氣, be 通常用were這個形式，但在一、三人稱主語后用was的情況也不少。）
She cleared her throat as if to speak.（后跟不定式）
From time to time Jason turned round as if searching for someone.（后跟現在分詞）
第四段中“... in case my radiator should give me trouble again”， 讀者可能會對should 在這兒的意思不甚了解。 should 跟在in case引導的從句或條件從句后, 表示未來時間里，某種情況發生的可能性，可譯為“萬一”。例如：Here is a shilling in case you should need it.（《現代英語用法詞典》）
第五段中出現了好幾個time，需要注意�！�...except to regard it as a fruit whose ti me had not yet come.”，這個time指的是水果成熟的季節；“Suddenly, ...its time had come to meet my need.” 這個time 是指青香蕉被用來修補我的水箱的時機；“Its time reached back to the very origins of the banana.” ， 這句是說，其實這種青香蕉一直在那兒，它在那兒的時間可以一直追溯到最初香蕉的出現；最后一句比較難，“It was my o wn time that had come, all in relation to it.” 此句可以用英文解釋為 my own time had come to get to know it, and to know everything connected with it， 意思是我認識這種青香蕉以及一切與它相關的事情的時候來了。
此段中作者還提到這段經歷使他感受到兩個learning moments。那么什么是learning moments？作者指的又是哪兩次呢？learning moments 是一個教育學上的概念，指人們在瞬間突然領悟到的東西。作者所指的，一是青香蕉的特殊用途使他感悟到每一種文化都有其內含的寶藏 ，二是每一個地方的人都有權利和理由認為自己生活在世界的中心。從謀篇布局來看，這句話 既總結了前面的經歷，又引發出后面的評論，起著承上啟下的作用。
另外，不知讀者是否注意到了作者行文的詼諧。在第五段，作者自嘲地稱自己為 “a produ ct of American education”。第六段中“... as I knew for a fact that the center w as located somewhere else in New England.”，fact的用法已很幽默, 而作者證明這個“ 事實”所給出的原因竟然是“After all, my grandfather had come from there.”，這讓人立刻想起當地的修理工所說的同樣的話。
本文的作者從一次具體的經歷入手，引發出對待異域文化應采取的正確態度的感悟，由具體到抽象，由淺及深，一氣呵成。青香蕉和被當地人視為世界中心的巖石，貫穿文章始終，被作者賦予深刻的象征意義，成為理解此文的關鍵。 以上是我就內容和語言兩方面對這篇文章所做的粗淺分析，希望能夠于讀者對這篇文章的深入理解有所幫助。
現代大學英語Lesson1翻譯
The night before I left for Israel was spent in the same kind of conversations that had filled the previous week. "But why Israel?" my father would ask, in the same tone he used when he asked "Why China?" or "Why Russia?" or "why" any other country I had announced I wanted to visit. "There's war over there, you know," he would add. "Yes, Dad, I know. There are wars everywhere," I would answer. He would ask why I insisted on going to such dangerous places. Finally, I would hear the words I've heard all my life: "Well, you've never listened to me before. Why should I think you'd listen now?" In typical fashion, he would close his eyes, heave a long sigh and shake his head.
When these "discussions" took place, my sister, Kristy, would always try to diffuse the tension. Although she realized long ago that it would never work, she' d try just the same. "Kath, " she' d suggest, "why don' t you go to England for summer school. It's not dangerous there. " But as always, she didn't understand. None of my family has ever really
understood me. I've never fit my family' s idea of the way I should live my life. England was not exciting enough. I wanted to go somewhere and experience something different. My soul has always been restless to venture into unknown places. My mother has always said that I have "gypsy" in my blood.
My sister and I are three and a half years apart in age, but a world apart in the way we live our lives. She is conservative and quiet. I take too many risks, and the only time I'm really quiet is when I'm asleep. I've spent most of my adult life apologizing to my sister and the rest of my family for being different, for embarrassing them by something I wear, something I do or something I say.
Since my sister is so different from me—or since I' m so different from her—we aren't very close. The older we get, the busier we become, and the less we see of each other, even though we live only half a mile apart. When we do get together, I feel that she's holding her breath and waiting for me to do or say something "wrong" while I'm walking on eggshells and praying that I don't. But inevitably, I do.
Because my sister seemed the least upset with my summer plans, I humbly asked her for a ride to the airport. "No problem, " she said casually, "but don't tell Dad! " I smiled and agreed. It's not that our father is some kind of tyrant. We know that he loves us very much; that's evident from all the sacrifices he has made for us. I would not have gone to law school if it weren't for him. He's just worried and has a hard time separating his worry from his love.
On the way to the airport the next day, my sister was quiet as usual. But for the first time since I'd decided to go, she started asking questions about my trip: where I was planning to travel, where I was going to stay. She seemed truly interested.
My family is not big on emotional goodbyes, so with a "have a good time" and a quick "love you too, " my sister was gone. I was sad because I felt she just couldn't understand. I wished at that moment that she could come with me, but I knew she wouldn't.
I checked in, took my seat and started to get organized. I glanced inside my bag which my sister had loaded in the trunk before we left for the airport. There, along with my passport, traveler's checks and other important items, was a small white envelope with "Kath" written on it in my sister's handwriting. I opened the envelope and found a bon voyage card. It was a lighthearted, funny card with a cartoon on the front. Most cards my family members give are funny cards, and this was no different—or so I thought.
When I opened the card and read what was inside, I realized that my sister—who I had decided just couldn't understand—actually did understand. It seemed there was a small part of her that wished she were me, maybe a small part of her that always had wished she were me. The card was blank except for what my sister had written:
I really admire you for experiencing life in such a full way.
I love you.
Your sister,
Kristy
鋒芒---凱瑟琳.路易絲 史密里
在我去以色列的前一天晚上，我與父親進行了一場對話，同樣的對話貫穿了整個上周。
“但是，為什么去以色列呢？”我父親問。這種口吻，就像問“問什么去中國？”、“為什么去俄羅斯”或“為什么”去其他任何我宣布要去的國家時一樣。
“你知道的，那里有戰爭。”他補充說。
“是的，爸爸，我知道。但是到處都有戰爭�！蔽一卮鹫f。
他會問我為什么堅持去這么危險的地方。
最后，我會聽到我一輩子都能聽到的話：
“好吧，你從來都沒聽過我的話，我怎么能相信你這次會聽呢？”像往常那樣，他閉上眼，長嘆一口氣，搖了搖頭。
每次遇到這種“談話”，我的妹妹克里斯蒂總想試圖緩和這種緊張氣氛。然而，很早以前她就意識到這根本沒用。她總是這樣建議道：“凱思，為什么不去英格蘭上暑期班呢？那里沒有危險�！钡窍裢Ｄ菢�，她是不理解的。我的家人中沒有人真正理解我。我從來沒有按照我家人想的那樣生活，英格蘭不是很精彩，我想去一些地方體驗不同的東西，我的內心總是不安分，渴望去未知的地方冒險。我的母親總說我的血管里流淌著吉普賽人的血。
妹妹和我相差三歲半，但是生活方式的不同將我們隔離開來。她保守、安靜，而我總是在冒險，我唯一真正安靜的時候就是睡覺時。我成年后的大多數時間，總是在向妹妹和其他家人道歉，為我的另類，為我的穿著讓他們尷尬，有時候是因為做事不當，有時候是因為說錯話。
因為妹妹和我不一樣---或者說因為我跟她不一樣---我們并不是很親密。年齡越大，人就越忙，我們見面的機會也越少，盡管我們的住處只有半里遠。每次我們在一起時，我總能感到她屏住呼吸，等著我做錯事或說錯話，這時候我總是如履薄冰，祈禱自己沒錯。但是不可避免的是，我總是錯了。
因為看起來，妹妹最不擔心我的暑期計劃，我謙恭地請她開車送我去機場。“沒問題，”她輕描淡寫地說，“但是別告訴爸爸！”我微笑地答應了她。并不是因為父親有些專政，我知道他很愛我們，從他為我們所做的犧牲就可以看得出來。如果不是因為他，我是不會去法學院學習的。他只是擔心，并且難以將擔心和愛區分開來。
第二天去機場的路上，妹妹很安靜，像往常那樣。在我決定離開后，這是她第一次問我有關旅行的問題：準備去哪旅行？住在哪？她看起來很感興趣。
我的家人不太擅長煽情式的離別，說了“玩的開心”及很快的一句“我也愛你”后，妹妹就回去了。我感到傷心，因為我感到她并不理解我。我希望那時她能和我一起去，但我知道，她不會的。
辦理登機手續，找到座位，開始整理東西。我匆匆看了我的袋子的里面，出發去機場前，妹妹把它放入了旅行箱。那里，和我的護照、旅行支票和其他重要物品在一起的，是一封小小的白色信封，上面寫著“凱思”，是我妹妹的筆跡。我打開信封，是一張送行卡。這是一張讓人心情愉快、有趣的卡片，前面是一幅卡通畫。我家人送出的卡片都是趣味性的，這個也沒什么不同--或者我是這么想的。
當我打開這張卡片，讀里面的文字，我才意識到我的妹妹--我剛剛認定并不理解我的人--事實上是理解的。看起來她身上的一小部分希望她就是我，或者她身上的一小部分一直都希望她就是我。這張卡片上什么都沒有，除了我妹妹寫的這句話：
我真的很羨慕你，可以以這樣圓滿的方式體驗生活！
我愛你
你的妹妹
克里斯蒂
1. tone n. 音調,語氣,品質 v. 調和,以特殊腔調說,配合
例句：
Her friendly opening speech set the tone for the whole conference.
她友好的開幕詞確定了整個會議的基調。
2.diffuse vt. 散布; 傳播；擴散
例句：
Schools and libraries and many television programs diffuse knowledge.
學校、圖書館和很多電視節目都傳播知識。
3.gypsy n. 吉布賽人,吉布賽語,像吉布賽的人
例句：
She has pure gypsy blood in her veins.
她血管里流的是純吉普賽人的血液。
4.conservative adj. 保守的 n. 保守的人
例句：
His views lack consistency: one day he's a conservative, the next he's a liberal.
他的觀點缺乏一貫性: 時而保守, 時而開明.
5.on eggshells 小心翼翼，如履薄冰
6.bon voyage card 送別卡
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