精美英文欣赏:梦想美好未来

Now is the time to dream. When things are at their worst, when people say there is no hope, when the future looks bleak¹, now is the time to dream.

Forget about transport hikes, CPF cuts, ERP and GST raises. There is so much more in store, greater things to see, new heights to reach, new depths to hollow. Now is the time to dream.

If we have a large enough ambition to serve an entire community ourselves instead of looking to the government for answers, would not ours be a better place? If we enlarge our thinking and invite a wider circle to contribute to the vision of a better Singapore, is it not better than complaining about long queues and less savings²?

Is it not better that we dream dreams and reach for more instead of concentrating on what we have less?

So let us meet, let us talk, let us gather in discussion for a better Singapore. Let us articulate our hopes, our missions, our values and our vision instead of waiting for the government to state it for us.

Let us recognise and respect diverse approaches and questions and celebrate our unique Singapore culture, a blend of many races, born out of adversity but perhaps spoiled in prosperity.

And let us not laugh, declare foolish or cower³ in alarm if different views result from our efforts. Those who emerge strongest, as Singapore did 37 years ago, belonged to many races, many aptitudes⁴, many interests, and many points-of-view but happened to pull together.

Should we be fired with a passionate⁵ vision to work on something that needs doing, let us not wait for the government to give us a grant, a handout⁶ or a memo⁷ on how to go about doing it.

Let us move, on our own accord, with the community, expecting nothing but seeing everything.

Do you know how the future should look? Do you see a better way? There is no need to wait. There is no need to recline and rest in mock desperation. Complaining does nothing.

Waiting for a suggestion from above does nothing. Hoping to strike 4D is nothing. Rather, let us meet, let us talk, let us gather in discussion for a better Singapore.

We are not hopeless. We are not children without voices. But we are restricted in our own minds. We self-censor our thoughts for fear of reprisal⁸.

We hush⁹ our voices for fear of being heard. And perhaps we are also bound by our own laziness.

The government, after all, can do the thinking for us. Our sense of civic¹⁰ duty to engage in public debate and critical thinking is lost except unfortunately for issues that affect our pockets.

But understand this: We may not be in government but we are whom the government works for. We can contribute and do instead of follow. We can let go of our parent's hand and grow up. Now is the time to dream.

Perhaps all of us have tentative notions about the future. Some of us fear, some of us rejoice. Only a few of us will probably see correctly and understand how to get there.

Not all of us will be good at identifying and analysing problems. Solutions will perhaps escape most of us. But without discourse¹¹, without sharing, we do not even give ourselves the simple chance of being able to try to work things out.

Would you gather to discuss a better vision for our Singapore?

梦想美好的未来

现在是梦想美好未来的时候。当情况已经糟透了，当人们表示感到绝望，当前路似乎没有曙光时，我们更应该有梦有理想。

不要再为车资涨价、公积金缴交率削减、公路电子收费和消费税提高耿耿于怀。生命里还有更多的期待和更美好的事物，我们要更深刻的体验生活和攀登更高峰。现在正是梦想美好未来的时候。

如果我们有为社会服务的远大目标，不凡事都要求政府提供答案，我们的社会会不会变得更美好？集思广益让更多人提供创造一个更美好新加坡愿景的意见，会不会比花时间投诉银行的人龙越来越长，户头的储蓄却越来越少来得有意义？

设法实现我们的梦想取得更多收获，难道不比沉湎于我们已经失去多少来得实际？所以，我们应该面对面交换意见，探讨如何把新加坡变成一个更好的家园。让我们说出我们的希望、意见、价值观和期待，不要等政府为我们一一列明。

我们应该认可和尊重不同的问题和处理问题的方式，欢庆新加坡独特的多元种族文化。我们的社会在逆境中成长，国人却可能已经被长期的繁荣宠坏。

如果我们的努力导致不同意见的出现，我们也不应该互相讥讽、嘲笑或感到担忧。我们在37年前建国时，那些经得起考验的强者，来自不同种族，有不同的才能、不同的兴趣和不同的看法，但却因为共同的目标团结一致。

如果我们认为某些事情应该义不容辞的去做，就不需要等政府点头、给我们提供资助或者一份如何进行的书面指示。

让我们自动自发的和社区一起行动起来。我们只问耕耘，不问收获，但是努力的成果总是看得到的。

你所要的是怎么样的未来？你有没有更好的设想？不要再等下去，更不要以绝望无助的姿态坐视不理，怨天尤人并不能解决问题。

祈望上天有所指示或希望中马票都于事无补。我们应该结合大家探讨如何把新加坡变成一个更好的家园。

我们并非无能为力，也不是无法表达自己看法的小孩子，我们只是冲不出思想的桎梏。因为害怕会有严重的后果，我们自行审查我们言行。因为害怕隔墙有耳，我们连说话也得放低声音。当然，惰性也使我们安于现状，反正政府会为人民设想周到。

很不幸的，正是这种想法使我们失去了作为公民应有义务参与辩论和深入分析问题的责任感，除非有关的课题会影响我们的口袋，我们才会有所反应。

我们必须明白，我们虽然不是政府，政府却应该为民服务。不过，我们也可以通过具体行动作出贡献而不是一味追随政府的政策。我们可以放开父母的手，学习自己走路。

我们对于未来都有一些模糊的概念，有些人感到恐惧，有些人则充满喜悦。大概只有一些人能够认清并知道如何达到目标。

不是所有的人都有能力确认和分析，更谈不上解决问题。但是，如果完全没有参与任何讨论和交流，我们就连尝试克服困难的机会都不给自己。

你愿不愿意参与新加坡愿景的讨论？

1 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

2 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

3 cower   

v.畏缩，退缩，抖缩

参考例句：

• I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.我决不会在任何一位大师面前发抖，也不会为任何恐吓所屈服。
• Will the Chinese cower before difficulties when they are not afraid even of death?中国人死都不怕，还怕困难吗？

4 aptitudes   

（学习方面的）才能，资质，天资( aptitude的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They all require special aptitudes combined with special training. 他们都应具有专门技能，并受过专门训练。
• Do program development with passion. has aptitudes for learning. research. innovation. 热爱程序开发工作。具有学习。钻研。创新的精神。

5 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

6 handout   

n.散发的文字材料；救济品

参考例句：

• I read the handout carefully.我仔细看了这份分发的资料。
• His job was distributing handout at the street-corner.他的工作是在街头发传单。

7 memo   

n.照会，备忘录；便笺；通知书；规章

参考例句：

• Do you want me to send the memo out?您要我把这份备忘录分发出去吗？
• Can you type a memo for me?您能帮我打一份备忘录吗？

8 reprisal   

n.报复，报仇，报复性劫掠

参考例句：

• There is no political alternative but a big reprisal.政治上没有旁的选择只能是大规模报复。
• They bombed civilian targets in reprisal.他们炮轰平民目标作为报复。

9 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

10 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

11 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。