胡敏读故事记单词托福词汇002

（单词翻译）

Lesson 2 Love of Numbers

Words:

absenteeism n. 旷课，旷工

absentee n. 缺席者

absolve¹ v. 宽恕；赦免（罪行、过失等），解除（责任等）

absorb vt. 吸引（液体、知识等）；理解，掌握

absorbing adj. 吸引人的，引人入胜的

abstain² v. 自制，自动放弃；戒绝，有意回避

abstinence n. 自制，节制（禁欲、戒酒等）

abstract adj. 抽象的；难解的 ，深奥的

abstraction n. 抽象概念

abstruse³ adj. 难懂的，深奥的

absurd adj. 荒谬的，可笑的

abundant adj. 丰富的，充裕的；大量的

abuse n. （权利等的）滥用；（物品等的）不精心使用

abut⁴ vi. 邻接，毗邻

abyss n. 深渊，深坑

academic adj. 学术的；学院的；理论的

academician n. 学会会员；院士；学者

accelerate v. 加快，加速；促进，促进。。。早日发生

accentuate⁵ v. 突出，强调

access n. 接触，接近（的机会）；入口，通道

As an academician, I think Mathematics is an intriguing⁶ and absorbing science. How ever, many of my students consider it an abstract science and they hate it because the equations are too difficult to absorb and to remember. I think my students would laugh if they knew how I became so interest in Math.

When I was a freshman⁷ in college, I also believe Math was a mere⁸ abstraction. Study it was like falling into a spinning abyss of numbers and symbols. Just thinking about it seems like an abuse of my brain. However, my entire tuition was financed by an academic scholarship, so I have to maintain high marks in all of my classes, including Math.

My most abstruse class was Advanced Calculus⁹ Mathematics. It was taught in a large lecture hall which abutted¹⁰ the North access gate of the University. Unlike many absentees in my class who often abstained¹¹ from attending the boring lectures, I dare not absolve myself from this responsibility. Any degree of absenteeism would cause me to fail Math and to lose my scholarship. I was so afraid of failing that I even pledged abstinence from my abundant supply of alcohol.

It wasn't until the fourth week of Math class when I met the wonderful person who would accelerate my interest and understanding of this absurd subject. She was a foreign exchange student from Beijing. She was also a brilliant mathematician¹². She would come to the class everday in a coulorful silk scraf that accentuated¹³ her lovely smile.

It was so nice to meet someone from my home country. She inspired me to love Math. Although we now live and teach in different countries, I still see her smiling face between every number I write!

作为一名学者，我认为数学是一门既有趣又引人入胜的科学。然而，我的许多学生却认为这是一门抽象科学，他们憎恨数学，因为数学公式太难理解又太难记住。我想如果我的学生知道我是如何对数学产生兴趣的，一定会哄堂大笑。

上大一时，我也觉得数学无非就是一种抽象，学数学就好像掉进了数字和符号那令人眩晕的深渊。仅仅是思考数学问题似乎都在浪费大脑。但由于我的学费全靠学习奖学金，因此我不得不每门功课都拿高分，这自然也包括数学。

最深奥难懂的课非微积分莫属。当时在一个大讲堂上课，这个课堂紧靠学习北门的入口。班里诸多缺席者常常是刻意回避那些无聊的讲座，我却不敢自作主张的免除听课的责任。旷课次数无论多少都可能导致我数学的不及格，甚至还发誓要对自己充裕的酒类供应加以节制。

数学课上到第四周，我才遇到那位促使为对这门荒谬的学科产生兴趣继而理解它的好人。她是从北京来的交换生，也是一位卓越的数学家。每天她都会系着一条色彩鲜艳的围巾来上课，那条围巾更衬托出她的笑脸。

能遇到同胞真是太好了。她激起了我对数学的热爱。尽管我们现在在不同的国家生活和教学，我仍能在我写下的各个数字间看到她微笑的脸庞！