环球英语 — 210：The Slave Trader Who Found God

　　Voice 1
Hello. Welcome to Spotlight¹. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Amazing grace², how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch³ like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
This is a very famous song. It is over two hundred [200] years old. The man who wrote it was once a slave⁴ trader⁵. He bought and sold people. But God changed him. And this man ended his life fighting against slavery⁶. His name? John Newton.
Today”s Spotlight programme tells the story of John Newton. We go back in time to the late eighteenth [18th] century. John Newton was now an old man. We join him as he sits at home in England:
Voice 2
“I always loved the sea. My father was a sea captain — the chief of his ship. And I knew I wanted to be a ship”s captain just like him. I was only eleven when I started to work on my father”s ship. No more school for me! Over the next eighteen [18] years, I travelled the world. And I had many wonderful — and frightening — experiences.
I remember when I was twenty [20] years old. The British navy⁷ needed many sailors at that time. So they sent groups of men to towns and cities near the sea. These men kidnapped other men. The navy authorities⁸ forced these kidnapped men to work as sailors on navy ships. That is what happened to me. Oh, I tried, I tried to run away. But the authorities caught me. They were about to hang me for not obeying the rules. But my father knew the ship”s captain. And he asked him for mercy⁹. So instead of hanging me, the sailors punished me by beating me. I hated them. But I had escaped death. Still, I had to get away.
You know about the slave trade? Well, for ten years, I was involved with it. I still feel shame when I think about it. But at the time, I did not see that it was wrong. For me, it began as an escape from the British navy. A slave ship”s captain asked our captain for two sailors. He needed extra help on his ship. I persuaded our captain to let me go. And he agreed. I think he was happy that I was leaving. I know I was!
On the new ship, I travelled around the West coast of Africa. My job was to collect slaves¹⁰ from the storehouses on the land. I went to see how these storehouses worked. Traders¹¹ brought slaves from their villages to the coast. The traders kept the slaves in these storehouses until the slave ships came. The ships then took the slaves across the ocean. For me, it was just a business. I did not think about the slaves” suffering. I just wanted to learn the trade quickly. Then, I could be captain of my own ship and make lots of money. I got a good job on another slave ship. And my future seemed good.
Life as a sailor hardened¹² my heart. I used terrible language. I made fun of any sailor who believed in God. I drank a lot of alcohol¹³.
Once, I was very drunk¹⁴. I almost fell over the side of the ship and drowned. But again, I escaped death. It felt like someone was looking after me. Was it God, maybe?
Another night, there was a terrible storm. The sea wrecked¹⁵ most of the ship in a few minutes. I climbed up onto the deck¹⁶. But the captain ordered me to go down again. He needed a knife to cut something. So I went to get it. A man climbed up on deck in my place. He was washed away by a huge wave. I had been saved from death once again. After many hours, the weather became calm. But I was not so calm. I wondered about the times I had survived danger and death. My heart softened¹⁷. I believed that God had been helping¹⁸ me. And so I started to pray...
Let me move forward two years — that was ... the year 1750. I would still pray often and think about God. But I had other things to think about too. First, I had a new wife — Polly. I loved her from the minute I saw her. And second, my new slave ship. Yes, I was a captain at last! I had thirty [30] sailors working for me. And I wanted to be a good example for them. I only drank water — no alcohol. And, I kept the ship, and the slaves, as clean as possible. Only six slaves died on the first crossing from Africa. It was terrible that any of them died, I know. But you must understand what things were like then. Usually many more slaves died on such a trip. Like I said before, I am not happy about what I did. But I did try to care for those poor people.
On my travels, I made a new friend. He was Doctor Alexander Clunie. He was a great influence on me. He was also a sea captain. But he was not involved in the slave trade. He was a good Christian¹⁹ man. And we often talked together about God and the Bible²⁰. He helped me to understand more about what I believed. I did think there was a God. I also believed that this God cared for me. But Alexander Clunie said that believing was not enough. My behaviour had to show that I understood God”s love for me. And that meant my life needed to change even more. I started to pray out loud. And my faith in God grew more and more.
I made one more trip carrying slaves across the ocean. Then I became very sick. I could no longer work on a ship. So I found a job on land. God took care of my wife and me at this time. I missed the sea. But I found many new friends who shared my Christian faith. I trained to become a minister, a priest²¹ in the Church. I also met some brave people. They were struggling against the slave trade. I joined the struggle with them. And I started to write poems about God. My favourite was, “Amazing Grace”. It speaks of my experience of God. You see, ‘grace’ is when God reaches out to you. I did not deserve²² God”s love. I had laughed at people who loved God. I had treated my African brothers and sisters as things, not human beings. I was bad, but God still loved me. God’s amazing grace ‘saved a wretch like me’.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 grace   

n.优雅，雅致，魅力，恩惠，慈悲

参考例句：

• She is a beautiful girl with the grace and poise.她是一位仪态优雅的佳丽。
• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。

3 wretch   

n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人

参考例句：

• You are really an ungrateful wretch to complain instead of thanking him.你不但不谢他，还埋怨他，真不知好歹。
• The dead husband is not the dishonoured wretch they fancied him.死去的丈夫不是他们所想象的不光彩的坏蛋。

4 slave   

n.奴隶，附件，卑鄙的人；vi.拼命工作

参考例句：

• Don't be a slave to custom.不要做风俗习惯的奴隶。
• Why should I slave away all my life!我为什么要辛辛苦苦地干一辈子呀！

5 trader   

n.商人；商船

参考例句：

• The old man was a trader in tea.那老头曾是茶商。
• He was a foxy old trader.他是个老奸商。

6 slavery   

n.奴隶的身分，奴隶状态，奴隶制度

参考例句：

• The Americans abolished slavery in 1863.美国于1863年废除奴隶制度。
• He is in a state of virtual slavery.他实际上处于一种被奴役的状态。

7 navy   

n.海军，海军人员，海军军力，藏青色

参考例句：

• My brother is in the navy.我兄弟在海军服役。
• He has transferred from the army to the navy.他从陆军转到海军。

8 authorities   

n.当局，权力，权威；权威( authority的名词复数 )；权力；学术权威；[复数]当权者

参考例句：

• They interceded with the authorities on behalf of the detainees. 他们为被拘留者向当局求情。
• At his instigation we conceal the fact from the authorities. 我们受他的怂恿向当局隐瞒了事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 mercy   

n.仁慈，宽恕，怜悯

参考例句：

• Mercy to the enemies means cruelty to the people.对敌人的仁慈就意味着对人民的残忍。
• It is a mercy that you did not go.你幸好没有去。

10 slaves   

n.奴隶( slave的名词复数 )；苦工；完全受（某事物）控制的人；完全依赖（某事物）的人v.奴隶般地工作，做苦工( slave的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Slaves were not emancipated until 1863 in the United States. 美国奴隶直到1863年才获得自由。
• fashionistas who are slaves to the latest trends 被潮流牵着鼻子走的赶时髦者

11 traders   

n.商人( trader的名词复数 )；经商者；商船；（证券交易中不为他人作代理而自行交易的）交易人

参考例句：

• Beware of dishonest traders in the tourist areas. 在旅游区一定要谨防奸商。
• Many traders went under during the war. 战争时期，许多商人破产。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 hardened   

adj.变硬的，坚毅的v.（使）变硬( harden的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）坚固；（使）硬化；（使）变得坚强

参考例句：

• His mind hardened as he became used to difficulty. 他坚强起来了，因为他已习惯于困难。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her mind hardened at the thought of the difficulties awaiting her. 当她想到面临着许多困难时，她的意志更坚定了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。

14 drunk   

adj.醉酒的；(喻)陶醉的；n.酗酒者，醉汉

参考例句：

• People who drives when they are drunk should be heavily penalised.醉酒驾车的人应受重罚。
• She found him drunk when she came home at night.她晚上回家时，经常发现他醉醺醺的。

15 wrecked   

adj.失事的，遇难的

参考例句：

• the hulk of a wrecked ship 遇难轮船的残骸
• the salvage of the wrecked tanker 对失事油轮的打捞

16 deck   

n.甲板；公共汽车一层的车厢；纸牌；vt.装饰

参考例句：

• Let's have a walk round the deck.我们去甲板上散步吧。
• The sea wind swept over the deck.海风席卷过甲板。

17 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
• The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

18 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

19 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

20 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。

21 priest   

n.神父，牧师，司铎，司祭，领导者，神甫；vt.使成为神职人员

参考例句：

• He confessed to a priest that he had sinned.他向神父忏悔他犯了罪。
• The priest visited all the old people in the parish.牧师探望了教区里的所有老人。

22 deserve   

vt.应受，值得；vi. 应受报答，值得受赏

参考例句：

• You really deserve a good beating,you naughty boy.你这个调皮孩子真该打。
• I do not deserve all the praises bestowed upon me.我不配得到这些赞扬。