名校励志英语演讲 51:拯救世界 拯救儿童

 　　When I recently met with Shirley Temple Black, the great child star of the 1930s and 40s, we said nothing to each other at first, we simply cried together, for she could share a pain with me that only others like my close friends Elizabeth Taylor and McCauley Culkin know.

　　近来，我有幸见到了三四十年代的一位非常出名的童星秀兰·邓波儿·布莱克，一见面我们什么都不说，只是一起哭，因为她能分担我的痛苦，这种痛苦只有我的一些密友，像伊丽莎白·泰勒和麦考利·库尔金才能体会到。

　　I do not tell you this to gain your sympathy but to impress upon you my first important point : It is not just Hollywood child stars that have suffered from a non-existent childhood. Today, it's a universal calamity¹, a global catastrophe². Childhood has become the great casualty of modern-day living. All around us we are producing scores of kids who have not had the joy, who have not been accorded the right, who have not been allowed the freedom, or knowing what it's like to be a kid.

　　我说这些并不是要博得大家的同情，只是想让你们牢记我的这一个重点：遭遇这种没有童年的痛苦的不只是好莱坞的童星。如今，这个问题已经成为世界性的灾难、全球的灾难。童年已经成为了现代生活的牺牲品。我们使很多孩子不曾享受童年的欢乐，不曾得到应有的权利，不曾获得自由，甚至不知道童年是什么样子的。

　　Today children are constantly encouraged to grow up faster, as if this period known as childhood is a burdensome stage, to be endured and ushered³ through, as swiftly as possible. And on that subject, I am certainly one of the world's greatest experts.

　　现在，人们经常鼓励孩子要快点长大，好像这个叫做童年的时期是一个累赘的阶段，是一个折磨人的、需要被尽快度过的时期。在这个问题上，我无疑是世界上最专业的人士之一了。

　　Ours is a generation that has witnessed the abrogation⁴ of the parent-child covenant⁵. Psychologists are publishing libraries of books detailing the destructive effects of denying one's children the unconditional⁶ love that is so necessary to the healthy development of their minds and character.

　　我们这一代人见证了亲子盟约的废除。心理学家出版了大量的书籍详细表述了不给予孩子无条件的爱会导致的毁灭性影响，这种爱对孩子的思想和性格的健康发展极其重要。

　　calamity

　　n. 灾难；不幸事件

　　eg. Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt⁷ us.

　　再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。

　　catastrophe

　　n. 大灾难；大祸

　　eg. He is teetering on the edge of catastrophe.

　　他在大灾难的边缘徘徊。

　　casualty

　　n. 意外事故；伤亡人员

　　eg. They rushed her to Casualty but she was dead on arrival.

　　他们赶紧把她送到急救室,但是她刚到那儿就死了。

　　accord

　　vt. 使一致；给予

　　eg. He was accorded the praise due him.

　　他受到了应有的表扬。

　　abrogation

　　n. 废除；取消

　　eg. Measures for the abrogation shall be stipulated⁸ by the State Council.

　　废除的办法由国务院制定。

　　covenant

　　n. 契约，盟约

　　eg. He signed a covenant against under letting the premises⁹.

　　他签署了一个反对廉价出租屋的契约。

1 calamity   

n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件

参考例句：

• Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。

2 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

3 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 abrogation   

n.取消，废除

参考例句：

• China regrets the abrogation of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. 中国对《反弹道导弹条约》失效感到遗憾。
• Measures for the abrogation shall be stipulated by the State Council. 废除的办法由国务院制定。

5 covenant   

n.盟约，契约；v.订盟约

参考例句：

• They refused to covenant with my father for the property.他们不愿与我父亲订立财产契约。
• The money was given to us by deed of covenant.这笔钱是根据契约书付给我们的。

6 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

7 daunt   

vt.使胆怯，使气馁

参考例句：

• Danger did not daunt the hero.危险并没有吓倒这位英雄。
• Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us.再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。

8 stipulated   

vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的

参考例句：

• A delivery date is stipulated in the contract. 合同中规定了交货日期。
• Yes, I think that's what we stipulated. 对呀，我想那是我们所订定的。 来自辞典例句

9 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。