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　　她翻开另一页，补充道"他热情、幽默、善良、稳重"。对于这个与她共同生活并相爱了大半辈子的人，她这样写道："他总会在我需要的时候陪伴我。"

　　My friend John McHugh is always telling me things, things that younger men need wiser, older men to tell them. Things like whom to trust, how to love, how to live a good life.

　　Not long ago John lost his wife, Janet, to cancer. God knows she was a fighter, but in the end the disease won their eight-year battle.

　　One day John pulled a folded paper from his wallet. He'd found it, he told me, while going through drawers in his house. It was a love note, in Janet's handwriting. It looked a little like a schoolgirl's daydream note about the boy across the way. All that was missing was a hand-drawn heart and the names John and Janet. Except this note was written by the mother of seven children, a woman who had begun the battle for her life, and very probably was within months of the end.

　　It was also a wonderful prescription for holding a marriage together. This is how Janet McHugh's note about her husband begins:" Loved. Cared. Worried. "

　　As quick with a joke an John is, apparently he didn't joke with his wife about cancer. He'd come home, and she'd be in one of the moods cancer patients get lost in, and he'd have her in the car faster than you can say DiNardo's, her favorite restaurant. "Get in the car," he'd say," I'm taking you out to dinner."

　　He worried, and she knew it. You don't hide things from someone who knows better.

　　"Helped me when I was sick." is next. Maybe Janet wrote her list when the cancer was in one of those horrible and wonderful remission periods, when all is as it was-almost-before the disease, so what harm is there in hoping that it's behind you, maybe for good?

　　"Forgave me for a lot of things."

　　"Stood by me."

　　And then, good service to those of us who think giving constructive criticism is our religious calling: "Always complimentary."

　　"Provide everything I ever needed." Janet McHugh next wrote.

　　Then she'd turned the man she had lived with and been in love with for the majority of her life. She'd written:" Always there when I needed you."

　　The last thing she wrote sums up all the others. I can picture her adding it thoughtfully to her list. "Good friend."

　　I stand beside John now, unable even to pretend that I know what it feels like to lose someone so close. I need to hear what he has to say, much more than he needs to talk.

　　"John," I ask," how do you stick by someone through 38 years of marriage. "let done the sickness too? How do I know I'd have what it takes to stand by my wife if she got sick?"

　　"you will," he says. "If you love her enough, you will."

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　　I complimented one of my co-workers on having lost ten pounds. However, I couldn't resist bragging that when I was 17, 1 weighed 225 pounds and today I tip the scales at 224. 1 added, "That's not bad for a man of my age."

　　Overhearing this, a woman remarked, "You mean to say it took you all this time to lose one pound?"

Notes:

　　(1) compliment (sb. on sth. ) v.恭维；称赞

　　(2) brag v.自夸；夸耀

　　(3) tip the scale at称量

Exercises:

根据短文选择正确答案：

　　① How much had the man's co-worker lost in weight?

　　A. one pound

　　B. ten pounds

　　C. seventeen pounds

　　D. eleven pounds

　　② What was the man's attitude towards his cc,-worker having lost in his weight?

　　　　A. jealous

　　B. unconcerned

　　C. admiring

　　D. worried

　　③ How much did the man weigh when he was 17?

　　A. 224 pounds

　　B. 225 pounds

　　C. 223 pounds

　　D. 222 pounds

　　④ "Tip the scales at" in paragraph one possibly means_____ .

　　A. weigh

　　B. make a tip for scales

　　C. weigh more than

　　D. weigh less than

　　⑤ How did the man feel on his losing one pound?

　　A. disappointed

　　B. proud

　　C. ashamed

　　D. puzzled

减掉一磅

　　我称赞我的一个同事减肥10磅。可是，我禁不住夸耀说我17岁时，体重225磅，而目前体重是224磅。我还说："这对我这样年龄的男子来说，是不错的。"

　　一个女子听到了这些话，她说道："你是说你花了这么长时间才减了1磅？"

练习参考答案：

①B②C③B④A⑤B

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　　Once upon a time, a peasant worked hard to make a living from his land. Every year his pear tree produced four basketfuls of fruit which had to be given to the king, a greedy ruler who grew rich at the expense of the poor.

　　One year, part of the pear harvest went bad and the peasant was able to pick only three and a half baskets of fruit. The poor man was beside himself with fear, for the king refused to take less than four basketfuls, and the peasant would be cruelly punished.All he could do was put his youngest daughter into one of the baskets and cover her with a layer of pears, so that the basket looked full. The king's servants took away the four baskets without ever noticing the trick, and the little girl found herself all alone in the pantry, under the pears.

　　One day, the cook went into the pantry and discovered her. Nobody could understand where on earth she had come from, and not knowing what to do with her, it was decided she should become a maid in the castle. Folk called her Violetta, for her eyes reminded them of the colour of violets.

　　Violetta was a pretty girl, sweet and generous. One day, as she was watering the flowers in the royal gardens, she met the king's son, a youth of her own age, and the two became friends. The other maids, jealous of Violetta's beauty and of the affection many people in the castle felt for the girl, did everything they could to get her into trouble, by spreading nasty rumours about her. One day, the king sent for her and said severely:

　　"I'm told you boast of being able to steal the witches' treasure trove. Is that true?"

　　Violetta said 'no,' but the king refused to believe her and drove her out of his kingdom.

　　"You may return only when you have laid hands on the treasure," he said. All Violetta's fondest friends, including the prince, were sorry to hear of the king's decision, but could do nothing to stop her going. The girl wandered through the forest and, when she came to a pear tree, she climbed into its branches and fell

asleep. She was wakened at dawn by an old woman calling her: "What are you doing up there, all by yourself?" Violetta told the old woman her tale. She offered to help the little girl, gave her some round loaves, a broom, a little oil and some good advice, and the girl again set off. She reached a clearing with a large wood stove and saw three women tearing their hair, using it to sweep the ashes from the stove. Violetta offered them the broom and the women pointed out the way to the witches' palace.Suddenly, two hungry mastiffs blocked her path. Violetta threw them the loaves, the dogs ate them and let her pass. Then she came to the bank of a river in flood, but remembering the old woman's advice, she sang:

Clear sparkling river

Let me cross over,

　　and the minute her song wafted into the air, the water stopped flowing. Violetta thus crossed the river and at last reached the witches' palace. The door was unlocked, but Violetta could not push it open for the hinges were rusted. So she rubbed on a little oil and the door swung open. The little girl walked through the empty halls till she came to a splendid room in which lay a magnificent coffer full of jewels. Holding the coffer under her arm, Violetta made for the door, but the coffer, being enchanted, cried out:

　　"Door! Don't let her out!" However, the door did open, for Violetta had oiled the hinges. Down at the river, the coffer cried out. This time it said:

　　"Water! Drown her!" But the river did not stop the little girl from crossing; the two mastiffs did not attack ant the three strange women did not burn her in their stove. For each, in its own way, repaid the girl's courtesy. Back at the king's palace again, the prince ran happily to meet Violetta, telling her:

　　"When my father asks you what you want as a reward, ask him for the basket of pears in the pantry!" And this Violetta did. Pleased at paying such a modest price, the king instantly ordered the humble basket to be brought. But nobody ever imagined for a minute that underneath the pears lay the prince. The young man came out of his hiding place, swore he was in love with Violetta and that he wanted to marry her.

　　In this way, the king was forced to give his consent. Violetta brought her family to court and they all began a new and happy life.

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S

SAM

为SAMSON，SAMUEL的简称。人们印象中的SAM是个强壮的，温和，忠实脚踏实地的人，而且是可以交心的朋友。代表人物是人人皆知的UNCLE SAM

SAMUEL

(希伯?文)，schama(意为『听』)和El(意为『上帝』)连成的。其完整意思为"被上帝听到的人"。这和圣经中的传说有关。圣经说预言家Samuel的母亲把他的降生看作是上帝对她的祷告的报。

SEAN

为John的爱尔兰形式。

SHAWN

被形容为阴晴不定独?独往的人如西恩潘，或是英挺，刺激，上流社会的英国人，如史恩康??。 SHAWN为John,Sean的爱尔兰形式。 SHAWN被形容为英俊的年轻人，活泼，受欢迎，温和。

SIDNEY

(法文)由圣者丹尼士衍生出。SIDNEY这个名字令人联想到学有专长的专家英俊又善良。虽然有人认为SIDNEY是反传统且不按牌理出牌之人。

SIMON

希伯来文，意为听者。SIMON被视作强壮魁梧的男子，若非有着安静样的个性就是聪明而富创造力。

SOLOMON

希伯来文，意为平静的小人。令人联想到矮小，?头犹太教师或先知，强壮温和，又睿智。

SPARK

(美国)"闪闪发光"，SPARK被人们描绘为充满活力的人-反反灵敏，生气蓬勃并为人们?来快东的人。

SPENCER

来自法语，意为仓库保管人或粮食分配者。人们对他的印象直接来自SPENCER TRACY。人们想像中的SPENCER是灰发的年长男子，极为幽默。

SPIKE

又长又重的钉子。SPIKE被描绘为独立强悍的街头老大，可能是莽夫或拳击手。有些人则以为这个名字很适合狗；我就认识一只叫SPIKE的狗。

STANLEY

(古式英文)来自牧草地。STANLEY这个名字给人两种印象：安静，年长蓝领劳工或是瘦骨如柴的怪人。

STEVEN

同Stephen。人们心目中的Steven是高壮，英俊的男子，沉静，斯文有礼，性格和善。

STUART

原为苏格兰语，看管家畜的人，有时可解释成看管物业的人。给人两种印象：雄壮威武的高手或是聪明教养良好的绅士。

T

TERRENCE

(拉丁语)"光滑"，TERENCE这个名字让人们联想到活泼，高挑的黑人或是黑发，温和的男孩。

TERRY

为TERENCE的简写，TERRY是个喜欢追求乐趣的男孩，喜欢运动，善良，而且充满欢笑。

TIMOTHY

原希腊语TIMOTHEOS，意为光荣的上帝。大部份人将提摩西想成是羞涩甜美的可爱小孩。

TOMMY

为THOMAS的简写，TOMMY给人邻家男孩的感觉，长相清秀，可爱的金发小男孩。

TOM

为THOMAS的简写，TOM可说是一般典型美国人的代表，无所不在，自信，讨人喜欢而且做人实在。

THOMAS

古亚拉姆语，意为双胞胎。THOMAS被认为是聪明，可靠，教养良好有机智的男子。

TONY

为ANTHONY的简写。人们眼中的TONY是善良，强壮的运动员，冷静能自理的男孩。

TYLER

古英语，瓦匠。TYLER给人两种印像：富有自大或者肥硕善良无忧无虑的生意人。 V

VAN

(荷兰)"贵族后裔"，为许多荷兰名字的姓。 VERNVernon的简写。Vern有着两个差异颇?大的意义：呆板，单调的怪老头或英俊黑发的年轻男子，勇敢，有着?扫千军的气魄。

VINCENT

(拉丁语)"征服"。大部份的人认为Vincent是沉?，如艺术品般的男人。稳重善解人意。然而有人认为Vincent是邪恶的罪人。

W

WARREN

(古德语)"保卫者"，WARREN这个名字给人两种印象：英俊诡诈，老是与麻烦?不了关系的人；或是努力工作的会计，聪明但乏味。

WESLEY

(老式英语）来自西方草原。WESLEY这个名字给人两种印象：一种是被宠坏，甜美自大的娘娘腔。另一种则是年轻有着顽皮个性的专业人士。

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　　　　　　　　　Face Transplants No Longer Science Fiction

　　Full face transplants are no longer science fiction fantasy, a leading surgeon has said, adding that they are technically feasible but ethically complex. Peter Butler from London's Royal Free Hospital called for a debate on the ethics of such an operation made possible by new drugs which stop the body's immune system rejecting a transplanted face. "It is not 'can we do it?' but 'should we do it?'," he told the BBC. "The technical part is not complex, but I don't think that's going to be the very great difficulty... The ethical and moral debate is obviously going to have to take place before the first facial transplantation." The British Association of Plastic Surgeons will discuss the microsurgical procedure, which could give new skin, bone, nose, chin, lips and ears from deceased donors to patients disfigured by accidents, burns or cancer. But surgeons could have trouble finding enough willing donors. Butler said his survey of doctors, nurses and members of the public showed most would accept a face transplant but few were willing to donate their own after dying. Despite a number of ethical concerns, Christine Piff, who founded the charity Let's Face It after suffering a rare facial cancer 25 years ago, welcomed the possibility of face transplants. She rejected the idea that the procedure would mean people would end up living with a dead person's face. "There are so many people without faces, I have half a face... but we are all so much more than just a face... you don't take on their personality. You are still you," she told reporters. "If we can donate other organs of the body then why not the face. I can't see anything wrong with it."

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 "改头换面"的问题

　　一位权威外科医生说，人脸的整体移植已不再是科幻小说式的梦想。不过他也补充道，人脸移植虽然技术上可行，但它牵涉的伦理问题却很复杂。新开发的药品能阻止人体免疫系统对移植人脸的排斥作用，这种技术因而成为可能，伦敦皇家自由医院的彼得?巴特勒呼吁人们对与此相关的道德问题进行讨论。他对BBC说："这不是能不能做，而是应不应该做的问题。(这种手术的)技术环节并不复杂，但我认为最大的困难并不在此……很显然，在实施第一例人脸移植手术之前必须就相关的伦理道德问题进行讨论。"英国整形外科医生协会将对这种显微外科技术进行讨论。人们可以利用这种技术将已故捐赠者的皮肤、骨骼、鼻子、下巴、嘴唇和耳朵移植给因事故、烧伤或癌症毁容的患者，问题在于医生们可能找不到那么多愿意捐献的人。巴特勒说，他在医生、护士和普通民众中进行了调查，结果显示大部分人都能够接受人脸移植手术，但很少有人愿意在死后把自己的脸捐出来。尽管有一些伦理上的顾虑，克里斯廷?皮福还是对人脸移植的可能性表示欢迎。25年前，皮福患上了一种罕见的脸部癌病，她随即创立了慈善机构"勇敢面对"。有人认为这意味着接受手术的人会顶着一张死人的面孔生活，皮福不赞成这种看法，她对记者说："那么多人都没有脸(意思是严重毁容--译者)，我只有半张脸……但我们远远不只是一张脸……你不会有移植捐赠者的个性，你还是你。如果其他器官可以捐赠，为什么脸就不行呢？我认为这样做没什么问题。"

　　Remarks：皮福的问题差不多就是：如果其他东西可以不要，为什么一定要脸呢？--其实，物质的"脸"和观念上的"面子"都远不止是一个技术问题。

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　　The marathon was NOT an event of the ancient Olympic games. The marathon is a modern event that was first introduced in the Modern Olympic Games of 1896 in Athens, a race from Marathon northeast of Athens to the Olympic Stadium, a distance of 40 kilometers.

　　The race commemorates the run of Pheidippides, an ancient "day-runner" who carried the news of the Persian landing at Marathon of 490 B.C. to Sparta (a distance of 149 miles) in order to enlist help for the battle. According to the fifth century B.C.ancient Greek historian Herodotus, Pheidippides delivered the news to the Spartans the next day.

　　The distance of the modern marathon was standardized as 26 miles 385 yards or 42.195 km. in 1908 when the Olympic Games were held in London. The distance was the exact measurement between Windsor Castle, the start of the race, and the finish line inside White City Stadium.

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　　If I know my angels，

　　I know what they would say

　　--Joe Henry

　　He came to me

　　In a whisky-blue dream

　　In midtown Manhattan.

　　He wasn't angry anymore.

　　He seemed happy to find

　　Me again， my old self.

　　Picking up his ghost guitar，

　　He played me a new song.

　　He played it sweet and innocent.

　　As if he were the world's only child，

　　His whole future ahead，

　　No pain hidden in that past.

　　In some undeserved way， I felt

　　As though he had forgiven me

　　For the hurtfulness of my words.

　　His kindness to me was more

　　Genuine than all of my love could

　　Ever have been toward him.

　　In my dream， I found myself running

　　Back and forth in search of forgiveness，

　　In search of something greater.

　　But each time I was returned

　　To wander out my sin in prayer--

　　The sleepless turmoil of my penance

　　Revealed and served

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August 11, 2007

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. In America, August is considered a slow news month. But in the war on terror, America and our allies remain on the offense against our enemies. And this month, we've had some encouraging news from both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Earlier this week, I had a good meeting with President Karzai of Afghanistan at Camp David. He updated me on the work his government is doing to help build a more hopeful future for the Afghan people. He told me that senior officials and tribal leaders from Afghanistan and Pakistan are meeting to discuss how to deal with the extremists who are targeting both their countries. And he explained why he's confident that his government will prevail against the Taliban remnants who continue to launch attacks throughout his country.

Here's how President Karzai put it: "The Taliban do pose dangers to our innocent people .... [But] they are not posing any threat to the government of Afghanistan, they are not posing any threat to the institutions of Afghanistan, or to the buildup of institutions of Afghanistan." He continued: The Taliban "is a force that's defeated" and it is "acting in cowardice by killing children going to school." In other words, the Taliban fighters can still launch attacks on the innocent, but they cannot stop the march of democracy in Afghanistan.

In Iraq, we are working to help put the Iraqi government on the same path. The surge that General Petraeus and our troops are carrying out is designed to help provide security for the Iraqi people, especially in Baghdad -- and aid the rise of an Iraqi government that can protect its people, deliver basic services for all its citizens, and serve as an ally in the war on terror. Our new strategy is delivering good results, and our commanders recently reported more good news.

One encouraging development was a coalition air strike that killed a terrorist named al-Badri earlier this month. Al-Badri was the mastermind of the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, one of Shia Islam's holiest shrines. That bombing sparked the escalation in sectarian violence we saw in 2006. Al-Badri was the most notorious al Qaeda commander in Samarra. He sheltered foreign terrorists, and he was responsible for attacks that claimed many innocent lives. His death is a victory for a free Iraq, and a sign that America and the Iraqi government will not surrender the future of Iraq to cold-blooded killers.

Al-Badri is just one of the many al Qaeda leaders and other extremists who are coming under a withering assault across Iraq. Only a year ago, al Qaeda ruled places like Ramadi, terrorizing the local population and intimidating local authorities. Today al Qaeda has largely been driven out of these cities, markets and schools are reopening, and normal life is returning. And since January, each month we have killed or captured an average of more than 1,500 al Qaeda terrorists and other enemies of Iraq's elected government.

Our surge is seizing the initiative from the enemy and handing it to the Iraqi people. And Iraqis are responding. Local residents are coming forward with tips that are helping U.S. and Iraqi forces rout out terrorists hiding among the population. While political progress has been slower than we had hoped, the Iraqi parliament passed more than 50 pieces of legislation in its most recent session. They approved a $41 billion budget, created an electoral commission and military courts, and laid the groundwork for private sector investment in production of gasoline and diesel fuel. At the same time, Iraqi forces have taken responsibility for security in a number of areas. They are taking losses at a much higher rate than we are. And they're making these sacrifices willingly, because they are determined to see their children live in freedom.

The enemy in Iraq is still dangerous, and the surge is still in its early stages. Changing conditions on the ground is difficult work. But our troops are proving that it can be done. They are carrying out their mission with skill and honor. They are accomplishing great things for the future of our Nation and for the future of a free Iraq.

Thank you for listening.

END

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　　有时候我们说英语用词不对，或者说法不地道，造成误解或者不解。那么我们就有必要换一种说法解释清楚,让人明白。看下面这组对话：

　　Mark: "English is a very easy language to learn."

　　Susan: "What do you mean?"

　　Mark: "Well, what I meant to say was that it is easy if you practice every day."

　　Susan: "Oh, right."

　　以下是几种在日常英语中能把问题解释清楚的地道说法：

　　1、重组语句，换一种说法

　　"What I meant to say was…"

　　"Let me rephrase that…"

　　"Let me put this another way…"

　　"Perhaps I'm not making myself clear…"

　　2、从头再说一次

　　"If we go back to the beginning…"

　　"The basic idea is…"

　　"One way of looking at it is…"

　　"Another way of looking at it is…"

　　3、如果一下子卡了壳,想不起来用英语怎么说

　　"I can't find the word I'm looking for…"

　　"I'm not sure that this is the right word, but…"

"What I want to say is…"

　　不要害怕重复你的话，如果每次解释的话都有稍微的差别，让人可以猜测到你要说什么。

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