美国有线新闻 CNN 2012-12-29

 In Connecticut, tomorrow, it's going to be an official statewide day of mourning. We begin this hour with lives that were honored today.

 

Jesse Lewis couldn't wait to go to school that Friday, he was excited for the holidays and his dad was going to join him in class that afternoon to make gingerbread houses for Christmas. He was 6 years old, smart, compassionate¹ beyond his years, his dad says Jesse thought he could conquer the world. He says Jesse died bravely trying to lead other children to safety after hearing gunshots in the hallway. That's how he lived his life, his parents say fearless, full of courage and strength. Jesse loved animals, he was learning to ride horses, his favorite toy was a little soldier. Almost every night of his life, Jesse slept in his mother's arms. 

 

His family writes, "the picture that reamains etched in our souls is one of him in his boots, no socks, ripped jeans and T-shirts, and an army helmet strapped² to his head, a smudge of dirt on his cheek, tromping through the pasture, on his way from one adventure to another.

 

Catherine Hubbard was known not only for her bright red curly hair, but also for the bright smile that was always on her face. She too was 6 years old. She had a passion for animals, every single Christmas she'd ask Santa to bring her a pet. Even as a baby before she could form full sentences, she asked Santa to bring her two fish. She would even give animals to others as gifts. For Mother's Day, she bought her mom a concrete squirrel to put in the garden. Her parents are asking for donations to any local animal shelter in honor of their beautiful little girl.

 

Benjamin Wheeler's hero was his older brother Nate, they were both students at Sandy Hook elementary. On Friday, his parents waited anxiously for word of both their sons. Only 9-year-old Nate survived. Ben was also 6 years old. He always said he wanted to be an architect, but on that Friday morning before school, he said to his mother, "I also want to be a paleontologist. Because that's what Nate is going to be, and I want to do everything Nate does." Ben was born in New York city, he loved the Beatles, loved lighthouses and the number 7 train to Sunnyside, Queens. He also play soccer, often running at full speed across the field even when it wasn't necessary. He loved his lessons and couldn't wait to go to school everyday to see his teacher and his friends. He was a Tiger Scout³, at his funeral, members of the local Boy Scout troop formed an honor guard and performed "Taps". His parents write, Ben was a irrepressible bright and spirited boy, whose love of fun and excitement at the wonders of life amd the world could rarely be contained, his rush to experience life was headlong, creative and immediate⁴, and he will be sadly missed.

 

On her last birthday, Allison Wyatt had a pink cake with six pink candles. A first grader at Sandy Hook elementary, she loved to draw, want to be an artist when she grew up. She often would turn parts of her house into a mini-arts studio by tapping rows of her drawings to the wall. Her parents say Allison was a kind-hearted little girl with lots of love to give. She sometimes surprised her parents with random⁵ acts of kindness to strangers. Once even offering her own snacks to fellow passengers on the plane. Allison loved to laugh, was developing her own sense of humor, she sometimes made her parents cry with laughter. They write, Allison made the world a better place for six far too short years, and we now have to figure out how to move on without her. She was a sweet, creative, funny, intelligent little girl who had an amazing life ahead of her. Our world is a lot darker now that she's gone."

 

Dawn Hochsprung was known as a tough educator, who always found time to smile. She was 47 years old, she was principal of Sandy Hook elementary, and her pride in her school was obvious to anyone who knew her. Friends and colleagues alike say she had a positive energy and a strong work ethic⁶. She constantly tweeted about her students' achievement in school, and recent oversaw⁷ the installation of a new security system at Sandy Hook.

1 compassionate   

adj.有同情心的，表示同情的

参考例句：

• She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。
• The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。

2 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 scout   

n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索

参考例句：

• He was mistaken for an enemy scout and badly wounded.他被误认为是敌人的侦察兵，受了重伤。
• The scout made a stealthy approach to the enemy position.侦察兵偷偷地靠近敌军阵地。

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

6 ethic   

n.道德标准，行为准则

参考例句：

• They instilled the work ethic into their children.他们在孩子们的心中注入了职业道德的理念。
• The connotation of education ethic is rooted in human nature's mobility.教育伦理的内涵根源于人本性的变动性。

7 oversaw   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He will go down as the president who oversaw two historic transitions. 他将作为见证了巴西两次历史性转变的总统，安然引退。 来自互联网
• Dixon oversaw the project as creative director of Design Research Studio. 狄克逊监督项目的创意总监设计研究工作室。 来自互联网