胡敏读故事记单词托福词汇174

（单词翻译）

　　174. The postgraduate¹ potter preacher拥有研究生身份的制陶传教士 posterity²-precedent³
There was a postgraduate student in postwar England who had had to postpone⁴ his studies because of the war. To avoid living in poverty, he made a meager⁵ living as a potter and by the precarious⁶ profession of preaching to the farmers on the English prairie. He was inhibited⁷ from finding a decent job because of a postoperative condition stemming from an operation to repair a wound he received in the war.
One day, realizing the potentiality of selling pottery⁹ to the English farmers, he loaded up his beat-up, old truck with as much pottery as practicable. He took the precaution of tying it down to avoid any potential accidents. He drove outside the city to the prairie lands and stopped on the property of a farmer he knew. He unloaded his wares¹⁰ from the back of the truck, stood on the back, and as he began to preach, a crowd gathered.
“Posterity may not remember what we will have said here today,” he began to speak of the war. “There have been many who have preceded me in this matter, but never a precedent set.” He postulated¹² the need to remember the war heroes and gave posthumous¹³ praises to one of his comrades that had fallen in battle. He then spoke¹⁴ of the practicality of being generous and giving to war veterans. The crowd was so moved by his potent⁸ sermon that they gave him one British Pound for every pot that he had. Later, he mused¹⁵ that it was indeed a practical way to make ends meet.
posterity n.子孙,后代
postgraduate n.研究生
posthumous adj.死后的,身后的
postoperative adj.手术后的
postpone vt.推迟,使延期
postulate¹¹ vt.要求,假定
postwar adj.战后的
pot n.罐,壶
potent adj.强有力的,有效的
potential adj.可能的,潜在的n.潜力
potentiality n.潜能,潜力
potter n.陶工,制陶工人
pottery n.陶器,陶器场
pound n.磅,英磅vt.强烈打击
poverty n.贫困
practicable adj.可实行的,可用的,可能的
practical adj.实际的,现实的,实用性的
practicality n.实用性
prairie n.大草原
preach v.布道;鼓吹
precarious adj.不稳定的,危险的
precaution n.预防措施,警惕
precede vt.在…之前,早于
precedent n.先例