新编英语教程第二册Unit17

Unit 17

DIALOGUE I

Traditional Chinese Medicine

A: Hi, Qian. I heard you were sick. How do you feel now?
B: Oh, thank you, Ray, for coming to see me. It was a very bad cold. But I feel much better today. My fever's gone and so is the cough. I'm almost myself again.
A: A bad cold almost gone in a few days' time? That's a quick recovery. Who's been treating you? And what medication are you on?
B: I went to a traditional Chinese doctor who prescribed some herbal medicine for me.
A: So you've been taking the magical herbal remedy.
B: Yes, I've always found Chinese medicinal herbs especially effective for treating bad colds. (Someone is knocking at the door)
B: Oh, it's the doctor. Come in, Dr. Wang. Ray, meet Dr. Wang. Dr. Wang, this is Ray Taylor, a friend of mine from Canada.
A: How do you do, Dr. Wang? It's a great pleasure to meet you.
C: How do you do, Mr. Taylor? I'm very glad to meet you, too.
A: I've always wanted to meet someone who specializes in traditional Chinese medicine. I hope you won't mind me asking you some questions.
C: Not at all, but if you don't mind, please let me attend to my patient first.
A: Sure. We can't neglect our patient. (After a little while)
C: Now, Mr. Taylor, what would you like to know?
A: I have a question about traditional Chinese medicine which bothers me all the time. We believe our Western medical practice is by nature scientific. Do you consider your medical practice also scientifically based?
C: It all depends on what you mean by "scientific". That's a big topic for a casual chat. But let me try to explain in a few words. Traditional Chinese medicine bases itself on the belief that human ailments¹ result from a loss of balance between yin and yang, two complementary forces of vital energy called chi that are supposed to make up all aspects and phenomena² of life. The herbal medication, when properly used, and supported by the acupuncture³ treatment when necessary, will help restore the harmonious⁴ state of balance of yin and yang vital energy in the body of a patient. Does that make sense to you?
A: Not quite. But this yin and yang theory sounds quite mystical! I've heard about acupuncture therapy, and also moxibustion and cupping therapies. These treatments are effective, aren't they?
C: Yes, they are. They work on the same principles as the herbal medicine.
A: How do you compare yourself with those Chinese doctors who practise Western medicine?
C: We specialize in different fields, but the relationship of the two medical practices is one of complementation. We learn from each other's strengths to make up for our deficiencies.
A: Do you receive very different training?
C: We have some basic training in common. Many doctors of Western medicine have learned the theories and clinical practice of herbal medicine, while traditional Chinese doctors have received training in the techniques of scientific diagnosis⁵ and treatment.
A: What an excellent combination! Now one more question. How do traditional doctors usually diagnose illnesses?
C: The first thing we do is to feel the patient's pulse. The pulse tells about a person's state of health. Then we also look at the colour of the patient's tongue and face.
A: Oh, the whole thing is just beyond me. But I'll do my best to keep my yin and yang in balance.

DIALOGUE II

Dialogue:

A Chinese student and an American student talk about their similarities and differences.
A: Have you ever heard of Rudyard Kipling's "East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet"?
C: Yes. Are you implying that you and I are very different in our ideas and habits?
A: No. To my great surprise, I've discovered we have much in common.
C: And Kipling was crudely Chauvinistic⁶ and showed unpleasant arrogance⁷ to peoples then ruled by Britain. I don't like him.
A: I don't like him either, though his early stories show his capacity to feel for the humble⁸ and the suffering.
C: I haven't read any of those stories. To do him justice, I will in future. But on the whole he's just too arrogant⁹.
A: I quite agree with you. Neither of us likes Chauvinism. Both of us believe in equality among the peoples.
C: Speaking of similarities and differences, do you like the way we steam our bread instead of baking it? Most foreigners find it unique.
A: For me, either steamed or baked bread is OK, but neither of my American roommates likes it steamed.
C: Some Chinese feel the same way, especially those from the South. They like rice, three times a day.
A: Oh, I can't stand having rice all the time for my meals.
C: Neither can I. I hate having rice for every meal.
A: But sometimes I have to. So whenever I'm in Beijing, I have bread, steamed or baked, but in Shanghai, I have rice.
C: There are many other respects in which people from our two countries are different. For example, Chinese people like soccer. None of us have ever seen an American football match.
A: Strange to say, I don't like either of those games. Baseball is my favourite game.
C: It's my favourite too. Let's go and watch a game one of these days.

READING I

The Parent in Us

There are psychologists who believe that the Parent is a large collection of "recordings¹¹" that is stored in a person's brain. These recordings were made during the first five years of the person's life. They are quite complete, and they contain a record of everything the little person heard or saw. Almost all of them can be recalled under the proper conditions.
A very important part of these recordings is the set of rules and laws that was imposed by the young person's parents. These rules and laws helped shape the young person's beliefs about himself or herself and about the world. And, as the child had no way to judge them, these rules and laws were recorded in his brain as "truth."
What do these rules and laws say? Well, that depends upon what the parent said and did. Some common ones might be: "Be kind." "Be careful." "Don't lie." "Don't steal." "Mother loves you." "Father is wise." "Work is good." Such rules help socialize and comfort a child.
However, some of the other rules might be upsetting, demeaning or misleading: "Do it this way." "Don't do it that way." "You're bad." "You're stupid." "You're mean." "You're ridiculous." "Never give a sucker an even break." Such statements and rules can damage a person.
Every person's parent recording¹⁰ is different. Each of us had a unique childhood. One psychologist simply points out two things: (1) each has a parent recording in our brain, and (2) this recording sometimes "comes on" and tells us what to do. It's a voice out of the past, telling us what to do in the present.
This may give us problems. First, the information or rules in our parent may be incorrect or out of date. Second, our parent sometimes can influence us without our being aware of it. When that happens, we may do things or make decisions without fully¹² considering more correct or up-to-date information.
As you work toward choosing your occupation, you may be sure that your parent will get into the act. You really can't prevent this -- in fact, you might not want to. The point is that you should be aware of this parent that is influencing you. Try to take advantage of its good advice, but also try to avoid being hurt by the bad.

READING II

My Forever Valentine

The traditional holidays in our house when I was a child were spent timing¹³ elaborate meals around football games. My father tried to make pleasant chitchat and eat as much as he could during halftime. At Christmas he found time to have a cup or two of holiday cheer and don his hollyshaped bow tie. But he didn't truly shine until Valentine's Day.
I don't know whether it was because work at the office slowed during February or because the football season was over. But Valentine's Day was the time my father chose to show his love for the special people in his life. Over the years I fondly thought of him as my "Valentine Man."
My first recollection of the magic he could bring to Valentine's Day came when I was six. For several days I had been cutting out valentines for my classmates. Each of us was to decorate a "mailbox" and put it on our desk for others to give us cards. That box and its contents ushered¹⁴ in a succession of bittersweet memories of my entrance into a world of popularity contests marked by the number of cards received, the teasing about boyfriends / girlfriends, and the tender care I gave to the card from the cutest boy in class.
That morning at the breakfast table I found a card and a gift-wrapped package at my chair. The card was signed "Love, Dad," and the gift was a ring with a small piece of red glass to represent my birthstone, a ruby¹⁵. There is little difference between red glass and rubies¹⁶ to a child of six, and I remember wearing that ring with a pride that all the cards in the world could not surpass.
As I grew older, the gifts gave way to heart-shaped boxes filled with my favourite chocolates and always included a special card signed "Love, Dad." In those years my thank-yous became more of a perfunctory response. The cards seemed less important, and I took for granted the valentine that would always be there. Long past the days of having a "mailbox" on my desk, I had placed my hopes and dreams in receiving cards and gifts from "significant others," and "Love, Dad" just didn't seem quite enough.
If my father knew then that he had been replaced, he never let it show. If he sensed any disappointment over valentines that didn't arrive for me he just tried that much harder to create a positive atmosphere, giving me an extra hug and doing what he could to make my day a little brighter.
My mailbox eventually had a rural address, And the job of hand delivering candy and cards was relegated¹⁷ to the U. S. Postal¹⁸ Service. Never in ten years was my father's package late -- nor was it on the Valentine's Day eight years ago when I reached into the mailbox to find a card addressed to me in my mother's handwriting.
It was the kind of card that comes in an inexpensive assortment¹⁹ box sold by a child going door-to-door to try to earn money for a school project. It was the kind of card you used to get from a grandmother or an aging aunt or, in this case, a dying father. It was the kind of card that put a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes because you knew the person no longer was able to go out and buy a real valentine. It was a card that signaled this would be the last you would receive from him.
The card had a photograph of tulips on the outside, and on the inside my mother had printed "Happy Valentine's Day." Beneath it, scrawled²⁰ in barely legible hand-writing, was "Love, Dad."
His final card remains²¹ on my bulletin board today. It's a reminder²² of how special fathers can be and how important it has been to me over the years to know that I had a father who continued a tradition of love with a generosity²³ of spirit. Simple acts of understanding and an ability to express happiness over the people in his life.
Those things never die, nor does the memory of a man who never stopped being my valentine.

1 ailments   

疾病（尤指慢性病），不适( ailment的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His ailments include a mild heart attack and arthritis. 他患有轻度心脏病和关节炎。
• He hospitalizes patients for minor ailments. 他把只有小病的患者也送进医院。

2 phenomena   

n.现象

参考例句：

• Ade couldn't relate the phenomena with any theory he knew.艾德无法用他所知道的任何理论来解释这种现象。
• The object of these experiments was to find the connection,if any,between the two phenomena.这些实验的目的就是探索这两种现象之间的联系，如果存在着任何联系的话。

3 acupuncture   

n.针灸，针刺法，针疗法

参考例句：

• Written records show that acupuncture dates back to the Song Dynasty.文字记载表明，宋朝就已经有了针灸。
• It's known that acupuncture originated in China.众所周知，针灸起源于中国。

4 harmonious   

adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的

参考例句：

• Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.他们关系融洽的部分原因是他们有着相似的目标。
• The room was painted in harmonious colors.房间油漆得色彩调和。

5 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

6 chauvinistic   

a.沙文主义(者)的

参考例句：

• The tribe has been forced to modify its chauvinistic attitudes. 部族不得不改变它的沙文主义姿态。
• And seeing others' suffering when considering your chauvinistic interests of great America. 在考虑大美沙文利益的时候想想世界的福祉。

7 arrogance   

n.傲慢，自大

参考例句：

• His arrogance comes out in every speech he makes.他每次讲话都表现得骄傲自大。
• Arrogance arrested his progress.骄傲阻碍了他的进步。

8 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

9 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

10 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

11 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

12 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

13 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

14 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》

15 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

16 rubies   

红宝石( ruby的名词复数 )； 红宝石色，深红色

参考例句：

• a necklace of rubies intertwined with pearls 缠着珍珠的红宝石项链
• The crown was set with precious jewels—diamonds, rubies and emeralds. 王冠上镶嵌着稀世珍宝—有钻石、红宝石、绿宝石。

17 relegated   

v.使降级( relegate的过去式和过去分词 )；使降职；转移；把…归类

参考例句：

• She was then relegated to the role of assistant. 随后她被降级做助手了。
• I think that should be relegated to the garbage can of history. 我认为应该把它扔进历史的垃圾箱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

18 postal   

adj.邮政的，邮局的

参考例句：

• A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
• Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。

19 assortment   

n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集

参考例句：

• This shop has a good assortment of goods to choose from.该店各色货物俱全，任君选择。
• She was wearing an odd assortment of clothes.她穿着奇装异服。

20 scrawled   

乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I tried to read his directions, scrawled on a piece of paper. 我尽量弄明白他草草写在一片纸上的指示。
• Tom scrawled on his slate, "Please take it -- I got more." 汤姆在他的写字板上写了几个字：“请你收下吧，我多得是哩。”

21 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

22 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

23 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。