环球英语 — 160：The Predicament Question

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Ruby¹ Jones.
Voice 2
And I’m Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight². This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
“I made big mistakes before - but never this big. And I never regretted anything I did before.”
Voice 1
Derrick looked at the jail³ walls surrounding him. He put his head in his hands. How did he get into this predicament?
Voice 2
Have you ever been in a predicament - a bad situation? Have you asked yourself, ‘how did I get here?’ People face difficult situations every day. And often, they do not know how it happened! They are in a predicament. In other Spotlight programmes we looked at Rick Warren’s answers to difficult questions in life. Rick is a famous Christian⁴ leader and advisor⁵. Today we look at some of his answers to the question, ‘How did I get into this predicament?’ Here is Derrick’s story.
Voice 1
Derrick was only fourteen [14] years old when he joined a gang⁶ - a group of young people who perform crimes. They may steal cars, sell drugs, and even hurt other people. Gang members are often troubled young people. They may feel alone in life. They want friends. Derrick was one of these young men. The gang members became his friends. And he felt important. He felt that he was a part of something. However, when he was sixteen [16], his life changed completely.
Voice 2
Derrick was at a New Year’s Eve party. He was there with his gang members. But an enemy gang was there too. One of the enemy gang members, Tim, insulted⁸ Derrick. Derrick felt disrespected. And even worse, it was in front of his friends. Derrick could not accept such a public insult⁷. He remembers that time:
Voice 3
“My friends looked at me. I pulled the gun from under my clothes. And Tim froze - he did not move. I liked the feeling I had. It was a sense of power. Tim begged and cried for me not to shoot him. But I pulled the trigger⁹ of the gun. He fell to the ground. And my friends ran away. Then, I understood that they were not really my friends. I stayed there alone. I waited for the police to arrive. Then, I admitted that I shot Tim. Thankfully Tim lived. The bullets¹⁰ missed his heart. So, I was sent to jail for twelve [12] years.”
Voice 1
That night changed Derrick. He understood that the gang members were not truly his friends. He was all alone. Derrick was in a bad situation. He was there partly because of his behaviour. And he was there partly because of his friends. Rick Warren says that friends can be very important. Everyone needs friends. They can add such joy to life. They can also offer encouragement during hard times. True friends are there in good times and in bad times. But Derrick did not find good friends. He found friends who influenced him to do wrong things. And they did not stay with him during his most frightening time. They were not with Derrick when the police arrested him. These friends all ran away. Rick Warren believes that many people are in bad situations because of the friends they choose. Bad friends can get people into predicaments. He says:
Voice 4
“We are asking for trouble if we choose the wrong friends. Wrong values and wrong ways of thinking will affect our lives.”
Voice 1
Rick believes there are ways to know if a friendship is good or bad. He says that bad friendships make people feel bad. They often find themselves doing things they do not want to do. They feel pressure from their friends to do these things. And these friends may try to control them through anger or fear. Rick says:
Voice 4
“The kind of friends you should have will bring out the best in you. They will lift you up, encourage you, and make you a better person.”
Voice 2
Rick Warren says that another way that people get into bad situations is by repeating their mistakes. Often they do not try to change when they make a mistake. They continue doing the same things over and over. Derrick was in the gang for two years before he wanted to change. He did not want to change until the terrible shooting. That incident made him examine his life. He said:
Voice 3
“The hardest part about being in jail was that no one cared. There was no one to tell me that I needed to change. I had no family. I sat in jail and kept thinking about my crime. I deeply regretted it. So, I asked God to forgive me. I asked him to guide me down a different road. Then, I wrote Tim a letter to apologise. And, now we are friendly. We have both left the gangs¹¹. Also, I started reading in jail. And I finished my high school degree. I made a change. Many people refuse to admit they need to change.”
Voice 1
Rick Warren agrees with Derrick. He says that people need to learn from the past.
Voice 4
“We are asking for trouble if we refuse to learn from our mistakes.”
Voice 2
It is not easy to learn from mistakes. Many people do want to stop what they are doing. But the problem is that they do not know how. They may have a physical or emotional¹² dependence¹³ on something. For example they may be drinking alcohol¹⁴ or taking illegal drugs. And some people simply cannot stop. For them it is necessary to get support. They can get help at treatment centres and from doctors.
Voice 1
Some people are afraid to ask for help. They feel that they have failed so many times before. They may think that it is too late for them. But Rick says it is never too late.
Voice 4
“God can help us when we honestly look at the facts. He has not given up on you. Give him the pieces of your life.”
Voice 1
There is a way out of even the most difficult predicament. With hard work and with God’s help there is always hope.
 

1 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。

2 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。

3 jail   

n.监狱，看守所；vt.监禁，拘留

参考例句：

• The castle had been used as a jail.这城堡曾用作监狱。
• If she carries on shoplifting,she'll end up in jail.她如果还在店铺里偷东西，最终会被抓进监狱的。

4 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。

5 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

6 gang   

n.一伙，一帮；结伴的朋友

参考例句：

• The gang live abroad,beyond reach of the British police.这帮匪徒住在国外，英国警方鞭长莫及。
• Some gang came in and shot the place up.有股匪帮进来对这个地方开枪扫射。

7 insult   

vt.侮辱，凌辱；n.侮辱的言词或行为

参考例句：

• You will insult her if you don't go to her party. 你要是不去参加她举办的聚会，就对她太无礼了。
• I can't sit down with that insult.我不能忍受那种侮辱。

8 insulted   

侮辱，冒犯( insult的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I have never been so insulted in my life! 我一生中从未被如此侮辱过！
• These boys insulted a girl by spitting at her. 这几个男孩向一个女孩吐口水侮辱她。

9 trigger   

n.触发器，板机，制滑机；v.触发（事件）

参考例句：

• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again.他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。
• He pulled the trigger but the gun didn't go off.他打了一枪，没有发火。

10 bullets   

n.弹药；军火

参考例句：

• The bodies of the hostages were found riddled with bullets. 在人质的尸体上发现了很多弹孔。
• The bullets and cannon-balls were flying in all directions. 子弹和炮弹到处乱飞。

11 gangs   

n.（罪犯有组织的）一帮( gang的名词复数 )；一伙；（闹事青少年的）一群；（工人有组织的）一队

参考例句：

• Gangs of youths went on the rampage in the city yesterday. 成群结伙的年轻人昨天在城里横冲直撞。
• a vicious turf war between rival gangs of drug dealers 对立贩毒团伙之间的猛烈火并

12 emotional   

adj.令人动情的；易动感情的；感情(上)的

参考例句：

• Emotional people don't stop to calculate.感情容易冲动的人做事往往不加考虑。
• This is an emotional scene in the play.这是剧中动人的一幕。

13 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

14 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。