英国新闻听力 珍惜每天的每时每刻

For some, it's that most dreaded¹ weekend of the year again – the end of the Premier² League season. But football enthusiasts³ can look on the bright side. On 17th June, in 26 days’ time, next seasons’ fixture⁴ list will be announced and then on August 8th, only 78 days from now, the new season begins.

We frequently measure out the amount of time until an event or occasion that we’re really excited about. One often hears children exclaim that there are only a certain number of ‘sleeps’ until their next birthday or before going on holiday.

Somehow, by measuring the number of days (or nights), that distant dream feels a little closer.

Since the early part of Passover last month, Jews around the world have been counting the days until the festival of Shavuot – or Pentecost, which begins tomorrow night. On Shavuot we celebrate the giving of the Torah by God to the Jewish nation at Mount Sinai – perhaps the single most defining event in the creation of Jewish faith. We join with friends, family and community in prayer and joyous⁵ feasting, but uniquely, we also stay up all night to enthusiastically study fresh insights into what it means to live our lives according to our traditional values.

The seven week period of counting is known as the ‘Omer’. Every one of those 49 days is counted individually with a special blessing⁶ – until eventually the day arrives.

Interestingly, we don’t count down to Shavuot. We count up. Instead of starting at 49 and decreasing every day, we count up from 1 to 49. Why?

The Omer is an opportunity to work on one’s character, to develop and grow as a person. The great lesson here is that the journey of time is not something to be endured or tolerated until we reach our desired destination. On the contrary, every moment along the way is precious and must be squeezed for every ounce of potential. There is an expectation that in order to merit receiving the Torah on Shavuot, we must have used every day, leading up to it, to improve ourselves in a meaningful way. By extension, we should consider every moment of our lives as an opportunity to have a truly meaningful and positive impact on those around us, using every second of every day for the betterment of our world.

Life can be measured in seasons, whether football or meteorological but, in reality, every moment of every day counts.

对一些人来说，又到了一年中最令人担心的周末——英超联赛赛季的结束。但是足球的狂热爱好者们却能看到其光明的一面。6月17日，26天后，下一赛季的赛程表即将宣布，随后在8月8日，从现在算起只有78天的时间，新的赛季就将开始了。

我们经常计算我们真正关心，真正爱好的事件的时间。我们听到孩子们惊叫距离下次生日或节日只有几个晚上了。

不知为何，通过计算日子（或晚上），遥远的梦想会感觉更近一点。

自上月逾越节初期以来，世界各地的犹太人一直计算时间，直到即将从明天晚上开始的七七节（或五旬节）。在七七节，我们庆祝上帝在西奈山赋予犹太族的法典——或许这是犹太教信仰的创造过程中最具决定意义的事件。我们会和朋友，家人，邻居一起祈祷，分享大餐。但是最独特的是，我们会整夜不眠，满腔热情地通过传统的价值观学习如何生活的新观点。

七周的计时被叫做“Omer”。这49天中的每一天都有特别的祝福——直到这一天最终到来。有趣的是，我们不会倒计时至七七节，而是一天一天地累加。不是从49开始递减，而是从1数到49。为什么呢？

Omer是剖析自己的性格，帮助一个人发展和成长的机会。其中的深刻意义就是，时间的旅程不是用来煎熬或忍受直到达到渴望的目的地的。恰恰相反，沿途中的每时每刻都是珍贵的，必须争分夺秒，珍惜每个时刻。为了在七七节得到法典，我们充分利用每一天，以有意义的方式提高自己。而更广泛的意义则是，我们应该把生命中的每时每刻视为一个机会，对我们周围的人产生真正有意义的积极的影响，利用每一天的每一秒来改善我们的世界。

生命可以按照季节来计算，无论是足球还是气象方面。实际上，每一天的每一时刻都非常重要。

1 dreaded   

adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The dreaded moment had finally arrived. 可怕的时刻终于来到了。
• He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. 他害怕非得在医院过圣诞节不可。 来自《用法词典》

2 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

3 enthusiasts   

n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册

4 fixture   

n.固定设备；预定日期；比赛时间；定期存款

参考例句：

• Lighting fixture must be installed at once.必须立即安装照明设备。
• The cordless kettle may now be a fixture in most kitchens.无绳电热水壶现在可能是多数厨房的固定设备。

5 joyous   

adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的

参考例句：

• The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
• They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。

6 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。