In fact, most Americans are always in a rush, not only in getting around from place to place, but in various aspects of life.
We take out loans instead of making deposits, or we use our credit card to get that furniture or vacation trip--relax now, pay later. (para4)
take out: to obtain an official document or service e.g. to take out an insurance policy
relax now, pay later: to do/buy what we want now, and pay later
Today, instead of saving up, we borrow from the banks or use our credit card to buy the furniture or make the trip; our motto has become “relax now, pay later”.
And if we are in a hurry to lose weight, we try the latest miracle diet, guaranteed to take away ten pounds in ten days… unless we’re rich enough to afford liposuction. (Para. 4)
If we want to lose weight quickly, we try the most recent miracle diet which is said to be effective and is sure to make us lose a pound per day. If we are rich enough to pay for the operation, we can have our unneeded fat removed from our bodies.
What’s more, we don’t even want all of it. (para6) what’s more: in addition, more importantly
The more important thing is that we not only want to get information fast, but also just want to get a general idea-we no longer want to learn anything thoroughly.
Once, we listened to every note of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Today, we don’t have the time; instead, we can enjoy… on our “Greatest Moments of the Classics” CD. (para6)
It’s the same with classic musical compositions. We no longer listen from beginning to end. Instead, we buy a CD called “Greatest Moments of the Classics” and enjoy 100 musical classics, in excerpts, including the 26 seconds for the famous “da-da-da-DUM” opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.
Even our personal relationships have become compressed. Instead of devoting large parts of our days to our loved ones… is no time at all. (para6)
Even our personal relationships are affected. Instead of spending much of our time with our loved ones, we now talk about giving them full attention in the limited time after work. But usually we have no time to do that at all.
As we rush from book to music to news item to relationship, we do not realize that we are living our lives by the iceberg principle-paying attention only to the top and ignoring the 8/9 that lies just below the surface. (para6)
When we rush through books, music, news items and relationship, we are paying attention to the surface to everything and will never get into the heart of anything.
But I am saying that all of us need to think more seriously about putting the brakes on our “we-want-it-all-and-we-want-it-nor” lifestyle before we speed completely out of control. (Para. 8) to slow down or stop doing something
But what I do want to say is this: before we go too far, all of us need to think seriously about changing our lifestyle of seeking a quick fix in our lives.
UNIT6
I spent most of my time roaming the woods and fields alone, playing Robin Hood, daydreaming, collecting bugs and bird-watching.
I spent most of my time wandering in the forests and the fields alone, acting Robin Hood, daydreaming, collecting bugs and bird-watching.
Keeping to myself was my way of not forming attachments that I would only have to abandon the next time we moved. (3)
I did not try to make any friends because in that way I could avoid having to give up my friendship the next time I had to move.
Familiarity sometimes makes people physically invisible, for you find yourself talking to the heart—to the essence, as it were, rather than to the face. (26)
When people get to know each other really well, sometimes they don't notice physical changes. The boy did not see that his friend, the old lady, was getting weaker and weaker because all the time he was talking to her heart, rather than to her face.
But one day I became attached through no design of my own. But one day I began a friendship just by chance.
I started hiking…to an almost impenetrable stand of trees called Bear Wood. I started to take a long walk…to a dense growth of trees called Bear Wood.
Yes, they are wary. But then, gamekeepers have been shooting them ever since they got here. They’ re introduced, you know, not native.
Yes, they’ re watchful. But the bad thing is that some gamekeepers have been killing them since they got here and they were brought into this place from somewhere else, not born and raised here.
I gazed … at the glass-fronted cases containing figures of ivory and carved stone, … trays of pinned butterflies and… a dozen or so stuffed birds.
I look at the cabinets with glass windows that contained statues and models carved out of ivory and stone, … trays of butterflies fastened with pins and … about twelve birds that were made into specimens.
(para.18)很快我便看见一栋夕阳西下中粉红色的小砖房。罗伯特—格拉斯科太太打开房门，邀请我入内。我静静凝视着眼前的书架和装着象牙和石头雕刻的玻璃门柜子、装满各种化石标本的贮藏柜和一盘盘用大头针钉着的蝴蝶标本，我简直惊呆了。尤其是那十多只鸟类标本，最为奇妙了，其中包括一只用玻璃作为眼珠的雕鸮。
It is a wisdom tutored by nature itself, about the seen and the unseen, about things that change
and things that are changeless, and about the fact that no matter how seemingly different two souls may be, they possess the potential for that most precious, rare thing---an enduring and rewarding friendship.
I learn a lot of knowledge, taught by nature itself, about the things I can see--- the birds, insects, trees, and flowers, and the things I cannot see--- ideas, scientific laws and principles. I also learn a lot about the things that change, including life itself, as well as the things that are changeless like friendship, love, care, concern, affection and many basic values.
When I was 12 years old, my family moved to England, the fourth major move in my short life…(para1)
When I was 12 years old, my family moved to England, which was the fourth major move in my short life.
My father’s government job demanded that he go overseas every few years, so I was used to wrenching myself away from friends.
Because the demand of his job, my father had to go abroad regulary after a few years and I was used to suffering the sorrow of leaving my friends.
Loving nature, however, I was most delighted by the endless patchwork of farms and woodland that surrounded our house. (2)
However, as (because) I loved nature, I was really very happy to enjoy the endless pieces of farms and woods around our house.
My own breathing rang in my ears, and the slightest stirring of any woodland creature echoed through this private paradise. (4)
I could even hear my own breathing, and even the lightest movement of any bird or animal in the wood could be heard throughout this paradise.
Soon I saw a small brick cottage that glowed pinkly in the westering sun. (18)
Soon I saw a small brick cottage shining with a pink color in the sun that was moving toward the west.
…and my well of knowledge about natural history began to brim over.
I began to know much about natural history, too much for a boy of my age. spring or fountain overflow
My mother was regarding me with a strange gentleness. (29)
My mother was looking at me with a strange gentleness because she wanted to break the news gently so that I would not take it too hard.
UNIT9
I am still just as ignorant for all your telling me.
I still don’t know what those flower are in spite of your telling me about them.
But now, as he spoke, that memory faded. He was the truer.
But now he was talking about that afternoon. That memory about the ridiculous scene gradually disappeared. His memory of the party was more accurate. After all, it was a wonderful afternoon.
And in the warmth, as it were, another memory unfolded.
And in the warm sunshine, she felt as if she remembered something else of the past.
He had lost all that dreamy vagueness and indecision.
Now he looked like a man who was very practical, very clear about what he should so with his life.
Now he has the air of a man who has found his place in life. Now he looked like a man who had found a successful career.
As he spoke, … she felt the strange beast that had slumbered so long within her bosom stir, stretch itself, yawn, prick up its ears, and suddenly bound to its feet, and fix its longing, hungry stare upon those far away places.
While he was talking,…she felt that her long-cherished wish to travel to all those distant and mysterious places that had been sleeping so long in her heart seemed to suddenly awakened, yearning to be fulfilled. / Her strong desire to go to those places held so long in her bosom now awoke. The desire became stronger and stronger. She was burst with her desire.
Only did I desire, eventually, to turn into a magic carpet and carry you away to all those lands you longed to see.
What I wanted most is for myself to become a magic carpet so that I would take you to all those distant countries you wanted to see.
\
She smiled because she was very glad to see her old friend. While he frowned because he could not recall where he had met her.
… serious and infuriated out of all proportion to the occasion.
completely uncalled-for, totally unnecessary under the circumstances What had happened that afternoon made a fool of them both.
But what has become of your beautiful piano? But what has happened to your beautiful piano?
… like mournful lovers.
They love each other but feel sad for some reason. The greatest wish for them is to die together, like Romeo and Juliet.
UNIT10
He had opened his eyes with the sun at dawn, scratched, done his business like a dog at a road side.
He has opened his eyes with the sun at dawn, scratched, emptied his bowels like a dog at the roadside.
Live without conventions, which are artificial and false; escape complexities and extravagances:…
One should live without conventions as common people, since these are not genuine, and one should also avoid complex lives and things that are not necessary, only in this way can you live a free life.
They possess him. He is their slave.
They control him. He depends on them. In order to get a certain amount of material properties, which actually have no value and will not last, he has been controlled by these things and has given away his independence which is the only thing that is true and can last.
In order to procure a quantity of false, perishable goods he has sold the only true, lasting good, his own independence. (4)
People get only some false and easily spoiled material goods at the cost of their own everlasting independence.
His life’s aim was clear to him: it was “to restamp the currency”: to take the clean metal of human life, to erase the old false conventional markings, and to imprint it with its true values. (5)
Life is like a metal marked with false and conventional values. His life task is to remove those false markings and imprint a true value on it.
He was the man of the hour, of the century;…
He was most important and powerful person at the moment and in the century;…
Everybody knew him or knew of him. (1)
was familiar with was told or read or heard about the person
It was not a house, not even a squatter’s hut. (2) He did not live even in a deserted hut.
He thought everybody lived far too elaborately, expensively, anxiously.(2)
He thought that our life is too complicated, too costly and gives us too much pressure. In short, he argues that we should simplify our life.
He spent much of his life in the rich, lazy, corrupt Greek city of Corinth, mocking and satirizing