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影视英语

VOA 慢速英语视频

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voa标准英语2007年10月

参加直播英语课堂，和老师在线同步学英语

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Three Peach Stones

　　Observe a child; any one will do. You will see that not a day passes in which he does not find something or other to make him happy, though he may be in tears the next moment. Then look at a man; any one of us will do. You will notice that weeks and months can pass in which day is greeted with nothing more than resignation1, and endure with every polite indifference. Indeed, most men are as miserable as sinners, though they are too bored to sin-perhaps their sin is their indifference2. But it is true that they so seldom smile that when they do we do not recognize their face, so distorted is it from the fixed mask we take for granted3. And even then a man can not smile like a child, for a child smiles with his eyes, whereas a man smiles with his lips alone. It is not a smile; but a grin; something to do with humor4, but little to do with happiness. And then, as anyone can see, there is a point (but who can define that point?) when a man becomes an old man, and then he will smile again.

　　It would seem that happiness is something to do with simplicity, and that it is the ability to extract pleasure form the simplest things-such as a peach stone, for instance.

　　It is obvious that it is nothing to do with success. For Sir Henry Stewart was certainly successful. It is twenty years ago since he came down to our village from London , and bought a couple of old cottages, which he had knocked into one. He used his house a s weekend refuge5. He was a barrister. And the village followed his brilliant career with something almost amounting to paternal pride.

　　I remember some ten years ago when he was made a King's Counsel6, Amos and I, seeing him get off the London train, went to congratulate him. We grinned with pleasure; he merely looked as miserable as though he'd received a penal sentence. It was the same when he was knighted; he never smiled a bit, he didn't even bother to celebrate with a round of drinks at the "Blue Fox"7. He took his success as a child does his medicine. And not one of his achievements brought even a ghost of a smile to his tired eyes.

　　I asked him one day, soon after he'd retired to potter about his garden,8 what is was like to achieve all one's ambitions. He looked down at his roses and went on watering them. Then he said "The only value in achieving one's ambition is that you then realize that they are not worth achieving." Quickly he moved the conversation on to a more practical level, and within a moment we were back to a safe discussion on the weather. That was two years ago.

　　I recall this incident, for yesterday, I was passing his house, and had drawn up my cart just outside his garden wall. I had pulled in from the road for no other reason than to let a bus pass me. As I set there filling my pipe, I suddenly heard a shout of sheer joy come from the other side of the wall.

　　I peered over. There stood Sir Henry doing nothing less than a tribal war dance9 of sheer unashamed ecstasy. Even when he observed my bewildered face staring over the wall he did not seem put out10 or embarrassed, but shouted for me to climb over.

　　"Come and see, Jan. Look! I have done it at last! I have done it at last!"

　　There he was, holding a small box of earth in his had. I observed three tiny shoots out of it.

　　"And there were only three!" he said, his eyes laughing to heaven.

　　"Three what?" I asked.

　　"Peach stones", he replied. "I've always wanted to make peach stones grow, even since I was a child, when I used to take them home after a party, or as a man after a banquet. And I used to plant them, and then forgot where I planted them. But now at last I have done it, and, what's more, I had only three stones, and there you are, one, two, three shoots," he counted.

　　And Sir Henry ran off, calling for his wife to come and see his achievement-his achievement of simplicity.

　　R. Duncan

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 三颗核桃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 罗纳德;邓肯

　　仔细观察一个小孩，随便哪个小孩都行，你会发现，他每天都会发现一两件令他快乐的事情，尽管过一会儿他可能会哭哭啼啼。再看看一个大人，我们中间任何人都行。你会发现，一周复一周，一月又一月，他总是以无可奈何的心情迎接新的一天的到来，以温文尔雅、满不在乎的心情忍受这一天的消逝。确实，大多数人都跟罪人一样苦恼难受，尽管他们太百无聊赖，连罪恶都不犯--也许他们的冷漠就是他们的罪孽。真的， 他们难得一笑。如果他们偶尔笑了，我们会认不出他们的容貌，他们的脸会扭曲走样，不再是我们习以为常的固定不变的面具。即使在笑的时候，大人也不会像小孩儿那样，小孩儿用眼睛表示笑意，大人只用嘴唇。这实际上不是笑，只是咧列嘴；表示一种心情，但跟快乐无关。然而，人人都能发现，人到了一定地步（但又有谁能解释这是什么地步呢？），成了老人，他又会笑了。

　　看起来，幸福同纯真的赤子之心有关系，幸福是一种能从最简单的事物里--譬如说，核桃--汲取快乐的能力。

　　幸福显然同成功毫不相干。因为亨利•斯图亚特爵士当然是个十分成功的人。20年前，他从伦敦来到我们的村子，买了好几座旧房屋，推倒后建了一所大房子。他把这所房子当作度周末的场所。他是位律师。我们村里的人带着一种几近父辈的骄傲心情追随他那辉煌的业绩。

　　我记得，大约十年前他被任命为王室法律顾问，阿莫斯和我看见他走下伦敦开来的火车便上前去表示祝贺。我们高兴的笑着；而他的表情却跟接到判刑通知书一样悲惨。他受封当爵士时也是如此，他没有一丝笑容，他甚至不屑于在蓝狐狸酒馆请我们大家喝杯酒。他对待成功就像小孩吃药一样，任何一项成就都未能使他疲惫的眼睛里露出一丝笑意。

　　他退休以后可以在花园里随便走走，干些轻松的闲活。有一天，我问他一个问题：一个人实现了一切雄心壮志是什么滋味？他低头看这玫瑰花，浇他的水。过了一会儿，他说："实现雄心壮志的唯一价值是你发现他们都不值得追求。"他立刻改变话题讨论有实际意义的事情，我们很快谈论起万无一失的天气问题。这是两年前的事。

　　我想起这件事情，因为昨天我经过他的家，把我的大车停在他花园的院墙外边。我从大路把车赶到他花园外边是为了给一辆公共汽车让路。我坐在车上装烟斗时忽然听见院墙里面传来一声欣喜欲狂的欢呼。

　　我向墙内张望。里面是亨利爵士，他欢蹦乱跳像在跳部落出征的舞蹈，表现出毫无顾忌的真正的快乐。他发现了我在墙头张望的迷惑不解的面孔，他似乎毫不生气，也不感到窘迫，而是大声呼喊叫我爬过墙去。

"快来看，杰。看呀！我终于成功了！我终于成功了！"

　　他站在那里，手里拿着一小盒土。我发现土里有三颗小芽。

　　"就只有这三歌！"他眉开眼笑地说。

　　"三个什么东西？"我问。

　　"核桃。"他回答道，"我一直想种核桃，从小就想，当时我参加晚会后老是把核桃带回家，后来长大成人参加宴会后也这样。我以前常常种核桃，可是过后就忘了我种在什么地方。现在，我总算成功了。还有，我只有三个核桃。你瞧，一、二、三颗芽。"他数着说。

　　亨利爵士跑了起来，叫他的妻子来看他的成功之作--他的单纯纯朴的成功之作。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 更多美文

　　A man was standing at a corner, with a hat in each hand, waiting for handouts. A passer-by stopped and dropped a coin in one hat, then asked, "What's the other hat for?"

　　"Business has been so tremendous lately. " the man replied. " that I decided to open a branch office . "

Notes:

　　(1) handout n. 施舍

　　(2) tremendous adj.极好的

Exercises:

根据短文判断下列句子正（T）、（F）：

　　① The man was sitting at a comer.

　　② Before the man, there were two hats on the ground

　　③ The man was waiting for a certain person.

　　④ The passer-by put a coin in each of the two hats

　　⑤ The man would really open a branch office.

137.分店

　　一个人站在墙角处，两手各托一顶帽子，乞求施舍。有个路过的行人停下来，往一顶帽子里扔了一枚硬币，然后问道："另一顶帽子是干什么用的？"

　　"近来生意兴隆，我决定开一个分店，"那人答道。

练习参考答案：

①F②F③F④F⑤F

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 更多笑话

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Choosing a Bride

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

　　There was a young herdsman who wanted very much to marry, and was acquainted with three sisters. Each one was just as beautiful as the other, so it was difficult for him to make a choice, and he could not decide to give the preference to any one of them. Then he asked his mother for advice, and she said, "Invite all three, and set some cheese before them, and watch how they cut off a slice."

　　The youth did so. The first one ate the cheese with the rind on. The second one hastily cut the rind off the cheese, but she cut it so quickly that she left much good cheese with it, and threw that away also. The third peeled the rind off carefully, and cut neither too much nor too little. The shepherd told all this to his mother, who said, "Take the third for your wife."

　　This he did, and lived contentedly and happily with her.

　　从前，有个牧羊人急於想娶个老婆。他一下子认识了三姐妹，发现个个貌美，哪个也不差。这下他可为难了，一时不知该选哪一个好。他只好去问他母亲，母亲说：请她们三个一块儿来我们家，在她们面前摆些奶饼，看看她们怎么个吃法，年轻人照做了。第一个连皮把奶饼一口吞了下去；第二个想先削皮，但一时匆忙，削去的皮上还留有许多奶酪，就把它给扔了；第三个去皮时很仔细，切得不多也不少。牧羊人把这一切都看在眼里，然后告诉了他母亲，母亲说："就挑第三个做你的媳妇吧！"牧羊人照办了，从此他俩过着幸福美满的生活。

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　October 15th

　　October 15, 1970 was declared International White Cane Safety Day for the first time by the President of the International Federation of the Blind. This date was adopted at the first quinquennial convention of the IFB, held in Colombo on October 4, 1969. The object of the exercise is to stimulate the general public to a better understanding of blindness and visual handicap, and to make people more aware of the white cane as a mobility aid.

　　Peguilly d'Herbemont was born on 25th June 1888 into an old French noble family of the same name. In her youth she led the conventional and protected existence, devoid of great activity, of a girl from a "good family", an existence reminiscent of the life of the aristocracy before the French Revolution. She never visited a public school, but was educated by German and English governesses and convent sisters. Her movements were restricted and were mainly confined to the family positions in Paris and Belgium, but she spent most of her time at the castle of Charmois not far from Verdun.

　　In the process of helping individual blind people across the road, Mademoiselle d'Herbemont was made aware by narrow scrapes which almost led to accidents, of the precarious situation of the visually impaired brought about by the steadily increasing traffic on the roads. She first spoke about measures to protect the blind against street hazards to her mother in 1930, but she was of the opinion that it was unfit for a lady of good society to create a public outcry and advised her to stick to the transcription of books, a popular pastime of ladies of rank at the time.

　　But the idea did not leave her. The urgent wish to encourage the integration of the blind into society by providing them with a means of moving about more freely without endangering others, and at the same time attracting the attention of passers-by ready to offer assistance, caused her to take the, unusual step of writing to the editor of the Paris daily "Echo de Paris" in which she suggested issuing the blind of the Paris region with white sticks similar to those used by the traffic police.

　　The editor took up the idea, published it in November 1930 and saw to it that the relevant authorities acted with atypical speed. Thus it was that the white cane received official backing, and on 7th February 1931.

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　　Penguin（皇企鹅）: A father Emperor penguin（皇企鹅） withstands the Antarctic cold for 60 days or more to protect his eggs, which he keeps on his feet, covered with a feathered flap. During this entire time he doesn't eat a thing. Most father penguins lose about 25 pounds while they wait for their babies to hatch. Afterward, they feed the chicks （刚出生的小企鹅） a special liquid from their throats. When the mother penguins return to care for the young, the fathers go to sea to eat and rest.

　　皇企鹅是唯一在南极大陆沿岸过冬的鸟类，并在冬季繁殖。雄性皇企鹅为了呵护雌企鹅产下的卵，会在随后的两个月或更长时间内不吃不喝，全心尽力用自己的身体给后代取暖。孵卵时，雄企鹅将卵放在两脚的蹼上并用肚皮盖住，在这其间，雄企鹅的体重将减轻11公斤。

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　　1.事件：明天突然要去参加商务午餐。

　　困难：虽想积极展开交谈，无奈没有聊天的话题。

　　方法和对策：看当天的新闻，了解当地的生活情况。

　　实践范例：Is there anything new?

　　The New York Times this morning says...

　　2.事件：在会议中，必须发表有关新产品的介绍演讲。

　　困难：虽然事先拟了草稿，但在会议进行中，没有把握能讲的和草稿一样流畅。

　　方法和对策：把资料的要点前后连贯地写在纸上。每个项目要条理分明，这样别人才能听得懂。

　　实践范例：

　　Let me begin with...

　　I have three major points to discuss with you.

　　Are there any questions?

　　Thank you very much (for your attention).

　　3.事件：到机场去迎接客户。

　　困难：由于是第一天见面，不知道开始要说什么话。

　　方法和对策：深呼吸一下，然后以简单的寒暄和对方打招呼。记得要面带微笑。

　　实践范例：

　　Hello, Mr. C!

　　I suspect you're tired after a long flight.

　　Did you have a comfortable fligh？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　更多内容

　　I dreamed that I stood in a valley， and amid sighs，

　　For happy lovers passed two by two where I stood；

　　And I dreamed my lost love came stealthily out of the wood

　　With her cloud-pale eyelids falling on dream- dimmed eyes：

　　I cried in my dream， O women， bid the young men lay

　　Their heads on your knees， and drown their eyes with your hair，

　　Or remembering hers they will find no other face fair

　　Till all the valleys of the world have been withered away.

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THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.

Today I am signing emergency legislation to fund the Federal government for the next seven weeks. This legislation was necessary because Congress failed in its most basic responsibility: to pass the spending bills that fund the day-to-day operations of the government. There are 12 of these bills this year, and Congress did not complete a single one of them, so Congress had to send me a stop-gap measure before the fiscal year ends this Sunday at midnight.

Congress's failure to pass these 12 spending bills is disappointing, but I do thank the Congress for passing this temporary measure, and for passing it without any new spending, new policies or new projects. It would have been wrong to deny essential government services to the American people while Congress works through its annual spending bills.

I also appreciate the way this bill handles our disagreements over the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Congressional leaders have put forward an irresponsible plan that would dramatically expand this program beyond its original intent. And they know I will veto it. But it is good that they kept the program running while they try to work out a more responsible approach.

Congress now has more time to complete its work on its annual spending bills. Earlier this year congressional leaders promised to show that they could be responsible with the people's money. Unfortunately they seem to have chosen the path of higher spending. They have proposed spending increases that would add an extra $205 billion on top of my Administration's budget request over the next five years. There's only one way to pay for such a large spending increase, and that is to raise taxes on the American people. So it is no surprise that the same Members of Congress who are planning this big increase in Federal spending are also planning the biggest tax increase in American history.

If these members get their way, the tax relief my Administration delivered could be taken away from you. Let me explain what this would mean for an average taxpayer. If you have children, your taxes would rise by $500 for each child. If you're a family of four making $60,000 a year, your taxes would be more than $1,800 higher. If you're a single mother with two children, working to make ends meet, your taxes would go up by more than a $1,000. If you're a small business owner working to meet a payroll, your taxes would increase by almost $4,000. And if Congress allows our tax relief to expire, more than 5 million low-income Americans who currently pay no income taxes would once again have to pay taxes.

These are not the only taxes Congress wants to raise. They're proposing higher taxes on dividends and capital gains. They're proposing higher taxes on cigars and cigarettes. They're proposing to raise taxes on domestic oil and natural gas production. They're proposing new taxes on stock and bond transactions. And they refuse to make the Internet tax moratorium permanent. If this tax ban expires, it would open the doors for State and local officials to impose new taxes on your access to the Internet.

At a time when many American families are dealing with rising mortgage rates, college costs, and health care expenses, it is wrong to take even more money out of your paychecks. Washington's elected leaders can do better. By working together, we can keep taxes low, help keep the economy growing, balance the Federal budget, and build on our record of fiscal discipline and greater economic opportunity for all Americans.

Thank you for listening.

END

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?染发

你的头发怎么了？ What have you done to your hair?

A: I hardly recognized you. What have you done to your hair?

我都快认不出你了。你的头发怎么了？

B: Like it? I got a few highlights at the beauty salon.

喜欢吗？我只是在美容院染了几缕头发而己。

我想染头发。 I want to have it dyed.

=I want to dye my hair.

=I'd like to have my hair tinted.

A: I want to have it dyed. 我想染头发。

B: What color were you thinking about?

你想把头发染成什么颜色？

请给我看看颜色表。 Show me a color chart, please.

A: Would you like to do hair coloring? 您染发吗？

B: Show me a color chart, please. 请给我看看颜色表。

我想把头发染成棕色。 I'd like my hair dyed brown.

◆Could you make me a blond? 你能帮我染成金发吗?

◆Could you cover my gray hair? 请将我的白发染色？

会退色吗？ Will it fade?

A: Will it fade? 会退色吗？

B: It won't fade until in three months. 三个月后才会退色。

染发后需要注意些什么？ Are there any tips for my dyed hair?

A: Are there any tips for my dyed hair?

染发后需要注意些什么？

B: You don't wash your hair until next Monday.

你要到下周一才能洗头。

这样行吗？ Is this all right?

A: Is this all right? 这样行吗？

B: Yes, well done. 行，挺好的。

你把我的头发弄得太好了。 You've done a great job with my hair.

A: You've done a great job with my hair.

你把我的头发弄得太好了。

B: I'm glad you like it. That style really suits you fine.

真高兴你喜欢，那发型真的很适合你。

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