2024年3月3日发(作者：)

Unit 1

1 As I approach the hospital wearing my white coat, I look just like any other

doctor. That is until I put on my curly rainbow wig, big red nose, and add my

name badge “Doctor Larry Laugh-Out-Loud”. I walk through the doors into the

waiting area, where there’s a familiar atmosphere of boredom and tension.

People sit uncomfortably on plastic chairs, looking through old magazines, all

of which have been read hundreds of times previously. Anxious parents do what

they can to comfort nervous and crying children.

当我穿着白大褂走进医院时，我看起来和其他医生没什么两样——直到我戴上卷曲的彩虹色假发和大红鼻子，别上我的名牌“拉里，笑哈哈医生”。我穿过一道道门进入候诊区，这里充斥着常见的厌烦和紧张情绪。人们别扭地坐在塑料椅上，翻阅着那些已经被读过数百遍的旧杂志。焦虑的父母们正尽其所能安抚紧张哭闹的孩子。

2 In the middle of this particular scene I spot a small girl whose ankle is

twice its normal size. I speak with the on-duty nurse, who tells me that Lara’s

parents rushed her to the hospital after she fell off her bicycle. Since getting

here, Lara has spent her time crying in pain. Although it’s the doctors and

nurses who will treat her injury, it’s my job to make her feel better.

在这个特别的场景里，我注意到一个小女孩，她的脚踝肿成了原来的两倍。我和值班护士交谈时她告诉我，劳拉从自行车上摔下来，她父母赶紧将她送到医院。自从来到这里，劳拉就因为疼痛而一直大哭。尽管为她治疗伤痛的是医生和护士，但让她的心情变好则是我的工作。

3 Scientific studies show that laughter produces chemicals to make people feel

better, which means clown doctors can be helpful. We are specially trained

clowns who work as part of a programme known as “hospital clowning”. I chose

this career because of my experience of going to hospital when I was a kid.

Although the doctors and nurses did a great job, hospitals weren’t really

designed for children. I spent much of the time when I was there feeling

frightened and more than little bored! Being a clown doctor means I can help

people by entertaining them.

科学研究表明，欢笑能产生使人心情变好的化学物质，这就意味着小丑医生能帮到患者。我们是受过专门培训的小丑，是“医院小丑”项目的成员。我之所以选择这个职业，是因为我自己小时候去医院的经历。尽管当时医生和护士都尽职尽责，但医院实在不是个适合孩子们待的地方。我在那里度过的大部分时间要么觉得害怕，要么感到非常无聊！而成为小丑医生意味着我可以通过娱乐人们的方式来帮助他们。

4 Visiting hospitals and other health care facilities, we clown doctors work

together with medical professionals. On a typical day, we spend our time

cheering up patients, their families, and more often than not, the hospital

staff, too! We do this by doing magic tricks, singing songs, telling stories

and, of course, telling silly jokes. Some children, though, don’t feel like

laughing, especially if they’re in pain. We have to be very sensitive and work

closely with the doctors and nurses, who keep us updated on each patient.

我们小丑医生和专业医疗人员一起工作，要走访医院和其他的医疗机构。我们一天的工作内容通常是为病人、病人家属，甚至是医院的工作人员带来欢乐！为此，我们会变魔术、唱歌、讲故事，当然还会讲一些滑稽的笑话。不过，有些孩子并不想笑，特别是在他们很疼痛的时候。所以我们必须非常善解人意，并且与医护人员密切合作，他们会为我们提供每个病人的最新情况。

5 And my magic medicine does indeed seem to do the trick. While the doctor

concentrates on examining Lara’s ankle, I get her attention by doing a magic

trick. Although she is clearly still in some pain, her scared and anxious look

has been replaced—first by a small smile, and then by loud laughter as I

“magically” produce her sock from out of my pocket. Seeing their daughter so

much happier has in turn made Lara’s parents more relaxed.

而我的灵药似乎确实起作用了。当医生集中精力检查劳拉的脚踝时，我用魔术来吸引劳拉的注意力。尽管她显然仍然有些痛苦， 但她恐惧和焦虑的表情已经不见了：先是一个小小的微笑，接着变成了大笑——因为我“魔术般地”从我的口袋里变出了她的一只袜子。看到女儿破涕为笑，劳拉的父母也松了一口气。

6 And as for me? Well, when I take off my wig and my red nose, I’m still

wearing a big smile, as I remember all the fun and laughter of the day. While

there might be more hospital visits ahead for Lara and others, I hope that clown

doctors help make it a friendlier place to visit. After all, it really is true

that “laughter is the best medicine”.

至于我呢？当我摘下假发和红鼻子的时候，我脸上仍然带着大大的微笑，因为我记得这天所有的乐趣和欢笑。也许将来，对于劳拉或者其他人来说，他们还有更多到医院就诊的需要，但我希望，小丑医生能够帮助医院成为一个更温暖友善的就诊场所。毕竟，“欢笑是最佳灵药”，这句话是真的。

Unit 2 We Regret to

我们抱歉地通知您……

1 “We regret to ” These are the words that every writer dreads

receiving, but words every writer knows well. The response from a publisher

comes back and the writer eagerly opens and reads it, their hearts sinking when

they reach that final sentence. You may have spent years giving up your weekends

and free time to write your life’s work, yet still this is often not enough.

Everyone knows that success rarely happens overnight, but perhaps not many know

that a lot of highly successful writers have previously faced rejection.

“我们抱歉地通知您……” 这句话对每个作家而言既害怕又熟悉。出版商给了反馈，作家急切地拆开来读，但读到这最后一句，心随即跌落谷底。你可能已经花费数年时间，放弃了周末和空闲时间去创作你的毕生作品，但这往往还不够。大家都明白，成功不是一蹴而就的；但也许很多人都不知道，许多卓越的作家也都曾被拒稿。

2 Take for example J.K. Rowling. When she received her first rejection letter,

she decided that it meant she now had something in common with her favourite

writers, and stuck it on her kitchen wall. Rowling had spent years surviving on

little money, spending all her time writing. When she finally finished her first

book, she received comments from publishers along the lines of “too difficult

for children”, “too long”, “Children would not be interested in it”.

Nevertheless, she persevered. “I wasn’t going to give up until every single

publisher turned me down, but I often feared that would happen,” she later

posted. After a total of twelve rejections, one publisher eventually agreed to

print 500 copies of her first book, and as we know,Harry Potter became a global

success, with over 400 million books sold and translated into more than seventy

different languages.

以J. K. 罗琳为例。当她收到第一封拒稿信时，她决定把这看作是自己与喜爱的作家之间有了共同之处，并把这封信贴在厨房的墙上。罗琳过了很多年拮据的生活，她把所有时间都用在写作上。当她终于完成第一本书时，出版商给出的评价却是“对孩子来说太难理解”

“太长” “孩子们不会对它感兴趣”等等。尽管如此，她还是坚持了下来。“我不会放弃的，除非所有的出版商都拒绝我。不过我常常担心这真的会发生。”她后来说。在收到12封拒稿信后，终于有一家出版商同意将她的第一本书印刷500册。我们都知道，《哈利·波特》后来在全球大获成功，销量超过4亿册，被翻译成了70多种不同的语言。

3 All too often writers of great works have had to face criticism along with

rejection. J.D. Salinger started writing short stories in high school, but later

struggled to get his works published. “We feel that we don’t know the central

character well enough” was the criticism he received on his manuscript for The

Catcher in the Rye. Despite rejections from several publishers, J.D. Salinger

refused to give up. Even when serving in the US Army during the Second World

War, he carried six chapters of The Catcher in the Rye with him and worked on

the novel throughout his war service. When it was eventually published, the book

became an immediate best-seller and went on to sell millions and millions of

copies.

伟大作品的作家也常常在被回绝的同时还要遭受批评。J. D. 塞林格从高中就开始写短篇小说了，但之后他的作品却难以发表。“我们觉得自己无法充分理解主人公。” 这是他的《麦田里的守望者》的手稿收到的批评。即使被多家出版商回绝，J. D. 塞林格也从未放弃。甚至在二战期间在美国陆军服役时，他还随身携带了《麦田里的守望者》一书的六章内容，并在整个服役期间一直致力于小说的修改。最终，这本书一经出版，便立刻成为畅销书，卖出了上千万册。

4 Perhaps the overall prize for perseverance should go to three sisters from

Victorian England who dreamt of seeing their words in print. This, however, was

a time when women were not encouraged to become writers. As the then Poet

Laureate, Robert Southey, wrote to one of them: “Literature cannot be the

business of a woman’s life, and it ought not to be.” Nevertheless, the sisters

didn’t stop trying. Their response was to write a book of poems under male

names. Even when the book sold only two copies, the sisters still didn’t give

up. They started writing novels, and today Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Emily

Brontë’s Wuthering Heightsand Anne Brontë’s Agnes Grey are regarded as

classics of world literature. In fact, it is within the pages of Jane Eyre that

we can find these words: “I honour endurance, perseverance, industry, talent;

because these are the means by which men achieve ”

也许坚持不懈的最高荣誉应该颁给来自英国维多利亚时代的三姐妹。她们梦想着看到自己的作品出版。然而，这是一个不鼓励女性成为作家的时代。正如当时的桂冠诗人罗伯特·骚塞在给她们其中一位的信中所说：“文学不可能也不应该成为女人的事业。”尽管如此，三姐妹并没有放弃尝试。她们的应对方式是以男性名字为笔名写了一本诗集。虽然这本诗集只卖出了两册，但她们还是没有放弃，转而开始写小说。如今，夏洛蒂·勃朗特的《简·爱》、艾米莉·勃朗特的《呼啸山庄》和安妮·勃朗特的《艾格妮丝·格雷》被认为是世界文学的经典之作。其实，这正印证了我们在《简·爱》中读到的：“我崇尚忍耐、坚毅、勤奋、天赋；因为只有依靠这些，人们才能实现宏大的目标……”

5 So, it seems that talent alone isn’t enough to guarantee success. While a lot

of hard work and a touch of luck play a part, perseverance is the key. Keep

trying and eventually you will read the words “We are delighted to inform

”

因此，似乎仅凭天赋不足以保证成功。不懈的努力和一点点运气固然很重要，但坚持不懈才是关键。坚持下去，你终会收到这样的回复：“我们高兴地通知您……”

Unit 3 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

成功之路

1 Near the small town of Grottoes, Virginia, a narrow dirt road goes from the

house of Stephen Curry’s grandfather to the woods nearby. A far cry from the

bright lights and shiny courts of the National Basketball Association (NBA), it

was along this road that Stephen’s grandfather built a simple basket by

attaching a piece of plastic to a telephone pole.

在弗吉尼亚州格罗托斯小镇附近，一条狭窄的土路从斯蒂芬·库里的祖父家延伸至附近的树林。这与美国男子职业篮球联赛(NBA)赛场上明亮的灯光和闪亮的球场相去甚远。正是在这条路上，斯蒂芬的祖父把一块塑料贴到电线杆上，建了一个简易篮筐。

2 Like his father, basketball star Dell Curry, Stephen spent many childhood

hours playing on this muddy basketball court. He probably didn’t realise it at

the time, but it was where he learnt to be creative and flexible as a player.

You see, with every shot, the weak plastic backboard gave way. The bumps and

rocks that lined the road under the basket caused the ball to bounce in all

directions. Knowing where the ball would go wasn’t easy. He had to adjust his

own playing style as a result. Shooting with great accuracy was another thing he

learnt. Only shots perfectly aimed at its centre went into the heavy, thick

basket. In this way, practising day in and day out helped Stephen sharpen his

skills.

与父亲戴尔·库里这位篮球明星一样，斯蒂芬在这个泥泞的篮球场上度过了许多童年时光。尽管当时他可能并没有意识到，但就是在这里，他学会了如何成为一名有创造力、能够灵活变通的篮球运动员。你看，每次投篮，不牢固的塑料篮板都摇摇欲坠。篮筐下的小路凹凸不平，布满了石块，篮球也因此弹向四面八方。能够判断出球反弹的方向并不容易，因此斯蒂芬必须调整自己的打球方式。他在这里学到的另一项技能是精准的投篮技术。只有完美地瞄准中心，篮球才能进入厚重的篮筐。如此日复一日地练习，斯蒂芬的篮球技术变得炉火纯青。

3 Despite his father’s successful career, Stephen was thought by many people,

including his high school teammates and coaches, to be too short, too thin and

too weak to follow in his father’s footsteps. But Stephen carried on. Playing

basketball was his dream. He would not give up. He finally ended up playing

college ball at a small, little-known school, Davidson College, not too far from

where he lived. His creativity and perseverance made him Davidson’s star

player.

尽管父亲的职业生涯很成功，但是很多人，包括斯蒂芬的高中队友和教练，都认为他太矮太瘦弱，无法延续他父亲的荣耀。但斯蒂芬还是坚持了下来。打篮球是他的梦想，他绝不会放弃。终于，斯蒂芬在规模不大且鲜为人知的戴维森学院成为了一名大学篮球赛的球员，这所学院离他家不算远。斯蒂芬凭借自己的创造性和毅力成为了戴维森学院的明星球员。

4 Selected for the NBA in 2009, Stephen joined the Golden State Warriors. He

performed beyond everyone’s expectations with his accurate shooting and

continuous efforts. In 2015, Stephen won his first NBA championship, and he led

the Warriors to their first championship since 1975.

2009年，斯蒂芬入选NBA，加入了金州勇士队。凭借精准的投篮和不懈的努力，他的表现令人刮目相看。2015年，斯蒂芬赢得了他的第一个NBA总冠军，这也是他带领勇士队获得的自1975年以来的第一个冠军。

5 After receiving the Most Valuable Player award for two years in row, Stephen

explained his philosophy, “I never really set out to change What I

wanted to do was just I know it inspires a lot of the next

generation, a lot of people who love the game of basketball to value the skill

of it, value the fact that you can work every single day to get better. You’ve

got to be able to put in the time and the work. That’s how I got here. That’s

how I continue to get better every single day.” Inspiring others to believe in

themselves, Stephen Curry is living proof that what other people think of you

does not have to influence what you become. Through self-belief, hard work,

perseverance and some help from an old hoop, he has shown that anything is

possible.

在连续两年获得“最有价值球员”奖后，斯蒂芬阐释了他的人生观：“我从未真正想过改变比赛……我只想做我自己……我知道这激励着很多后辈、很多热爱篮球比赛的人，让他们认识到技术的重要性，认识到你可以通过每天的不断努力而变得更好。你必须肯花时间和精力。这是我走到今天的方法，也是我每一天都能更进一步的原因。”斯蒂芬·库里激励着所有人去相信自己，他也生动地证明了别人对你的看法并不一定会影响你成为什么人。通过自

信、勤奋、毅力，以及一只旧篮筐的帮助，他向人们证明了一切皆有可能。

Unit 4 What inspires you?

你的灵感从哪儿来？

Every artist’s wish is to create something that expresses an idea. But where do

artists get their ideas from? Who or what inspires them? Here we find out more

about the influences behind the successes of three very different artists.

每位艺术家都希望创作出能表达自己理念的作品。但艺术家们的这些理念从何而来？是谁，抑或是什么启发了他们？下面，我们进一步发掘了三位截然不同的艺术家成功背后的因素。

Florentijn Hofman, visual artist

弗洛伦泰因·霍夫曼，视觉艺术家

1 Florentijn Hofman is a Dutch artist, whose large sculptures are on display all

over the world. One way for him to find inspiration is turning to his

children’s toys. These objects have given him ideas for his animal sculptures,

such as the famousRubber Duck. A more recent work of his is the huge Floating

Fish, which was set among the beautiful landscape of Wuzhen West Scenic Zone.

弗洛伦泰因·霍夫曼是一位荷兰艺术家，他创作的大型雕塑在世界各地进行展出。他的孩子们的玩具是他的一个灵感来源。霍夫曼从这些玩具身上得到启发，从而创作出动物形状的雕塑，比如著名的“大黄鸭”。他最近的新作是一条巨大的“浮鱼”，位于风景宜人的乌镇西栅景区内。

2 Hofman’s inspiration for Floating Fish came from Chinese folk tales passed

down through the generations. He was particularly interested in the old story

about a fish jumping through the “Dragon Gate”. This story came to life for

Hofman when he visited Wuzhen and saw how people lived there.

霍夫曼表示，“浮鱼”的灵感源自世代相传的中国民间故事。他对“鲤鱼跃龙门”的古老故事尤其感兴趣。当他游览乌镇，看到当地居民的生活时，这个故事立马生动地浮现于他的脑海中。

3 “During the walk and my stay here in the town, I saw the fish being fed by

people. You see also some fish sculpted on the wall.” These sights set

Hofman’s idea for Floating Fish in motion.

“我住在镇上期间，当我散步的时候，看到人们在喂鱼。墙上还有鱼形的浮雕。”这些画面让霍夫曼渐渐浮现创作“浮鱼”的念头。

Tan Dun, composer

谭盾，作曲家

4 “There is no territory in the world of music.” These are the words of

Chinese composer Tan Dun. He is most widely known for composing music for the

filmCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

“音乐的世界没有边界。” 中国作曲家谭盾如是说。这位著名的作曲家曾为电影《卧虎藏龙》配乐，并为2008年北京奥运会创作音乐。

5 To listen to Tan’s music is to experience a mix of Chinese musical traditions

and Western influences. Since his first opera, Nine Songs, Tan Dun has been

using a combination of Chinese music and sounds from all over the world to tell

stories. As Tan once said, Chinese music should carry “universal expression”

of the human spirit so as to be recognised by the whole world.

欣赏谭盾的音乐，就是在感受中国音乐传统和西方影响的交融。从他的第一部歌剧《九歌》开始，谭盾一直在用中国音乐和来自世界各地的乐音讲述故事。他曾说过，中国音乐要承载人文精神的“共同理念”，才能被世界认可。

Yang Liping, dancer

杨丽萍，舞蹈家

6 Yang Liping’s passion is dancing. After winning a national competition in

1986 with her Spirit of the Peacock dance, she has been known as the “Peacock

Princess”. The inspiration for her famous dances has come from the time she

spent in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province.

杨丽萍热爱舞蹈。1986年，她凭借《雀之灵》在全国舞蹈大赛上折桂。此后，她成为了家

喻户晓的“孔雀公主”。她许多著名舞蹈作品的灵感都来源于她在云南西双版纳度过的一段时光。

7 “I feel very grateful for the years in Xishuangbanna,” says Yang. “It gave

me a chance to go deeper into the lives of various Our ethnic

groups, especially the Dai people, admire the peacock. They think the peacock

represents the beauty of nature. I especially like the dance style of the Dai

people and it gives me lots of inspiration. My dance comes from their

traditional belief and aims to bring out the Dai women’s beauty.”

杨丽萍说：“我很感激在西双版纳的那些年，它让我有机会深入到各个民族的生活里面……我们的少数民族，特别是傣族人民，特别喜爱孔雀。他们认为孔雀展现了自然之美。我特别喜欢傣族人的舞蹈风格，这给了我很多灵感。我的舞蹈源自他们的传统信仰，同时也致力于展现傣族女性的美。”

Unit 5 A Journey of Discovery

发现之旅

1 The captain of the ship, the Beagle, wanted someone who would “profit by the

opportunity of visiting distant countries yet little known”. The person who

answered the call was not the captain’s first choice. It was a young man who

had left medical school without completing his degree. What’s more, he had

recently received a letter from his father predicting that he would be “a

disgrace to yourself and all your family”. Despite all this, his adventures on

this ship would lead to one of the most important scientific discoveries of all

time.

贝格尔号的船长想要招募这样一名船员，这名船员将能“借此机会访问遥远而鲜为人知的国家并从中受益”。然而来应聘的人并不是船长心中的理想人选。这个年轻人从医学院肄业，并且在他刚收到父亲的来信，信中预言他将会成为“自己和全家人的耻辱”。尽管如此，他的这次乘船探险之旅将带来有史以来最重要的一项科学发现。

2 The young man in question, Charles Darwin, was a geologist and naturalist,

fascinated by rocks, plants and animals. He left England on the ship, the

Beagle, in 1831. The journey gave him the chance to study various living things

in their natural environments. After Darwin had spent some time in South

America, his room on the ship was crowded with samples of the plants and animals

he had collected. As he studied these, he asked himself the question: how did

different species come to exist?

我们提到的这个年轻人就是地质学家和博物学家查尔斯·达尔文，他对岩石和动植物有着浓厚的兴趣。1831年，他搭乘贝格尔号从英格兰启程。这次旅程给了他研究自然环境中各种生物的契机。在南美洲度过一段时间后，他的船舱里堆满了收集到的动植物样本。当他研究

这些样本时，他产生了疑问：这些不同的物种是如何产生的?

3 At that time, people believed that all species had appeared on Earth at the

same time, and had not changed since. But Darwin began to think differently. He

noticed that some species of animals were very similar to each other. Maybe

animals evolved as they adapted to their changing environments? It was just an

idea, but enough to inspire Darwin to look for more evidence.

当时，人们认为所有的物种都是同时出现在地球上的，并从此再无变化。但达尔文开始有了不同的想法。他注意到，有些不同物种的动物彼此间很相似。也许动物为了适应不断变化的环境会逐渐进化？虽然这只是一个设想，但足够激励达尔文去寻求更多证据。

4 When the Beagle reached the Galápagos Islands in 1835, Darwin saw a variety of

new species, but it was the birds that interested him the most. Darwin noticed

that there was a difference between the finches on each of the islands. It

seemed their beaks had evolved according to what food was available on that

particular island.

1835年，当贝格尔号抵达加拉帕戈斯群岛时，达尔文发现了各种各样的新物种，但最令他感兴趣的是鸟类。达尔文注意到，在群岛中的每一个小岛上，雀鸟之间有所不同。它们的喙似乎是根据所在岛屿上可觅得的食物进化而来的。

5 Darwin suspected that the finches had evolved from a common ancestor, which

had arrived on the islands a long time before. Over time, it had slowly evolved

into many new species. And that was the answer to how new species of plants and

animals came to exist: they evolved from earlier ancestors.

达尔文猜想这些雀鸟是由共同的祖先进化而来的。很久以前，雀鸟的祖先来到这片群岛，随着时间的推移，慢慢进化成许多新的种类。于是，关于动植物的新种类是如何产生的这个问题就有了答案：它们是从早期的祖先进化而来的。

6 It was a completely new idea—a theory of evolution. Darwin explained this

theory in his book, On the Origin of Species. It was not published until 1859

and immediately caused a storm. Many people refused to believe that living

things, including humans, had evolved from lower forms of life. They were

shocked. But Darwin’s scientific studies were so convincing that more and more

people started to believe his theory.

这是一个全新的观点——进化论。达尔文在他的《物种起源》一书中解释了这一理论。这本书直到1859年才出版，出版后立即引起轰动。很多人拒绝相信包括人类在内的所有生命都是从更低级的生命形式进化而来的。他们对此感到震惊。然而达尔文的科学研究很有说服力，越来越多的人开始接受他的理论。

7 Today, On the Origin of Species is regarded as one of the most important works

ever written. It has changed ideas about life on Earth forever. And it all began

with the journey on the Beagle.

如今，《物种起源》被认为是迄今为止最重要的著作之一。它彻底地改变了人类对于地球上生命的认识。而这一切都开始于贝格尔号的探索之旅。

Unit 6 The Sky Railway

天路

1 Sitting back in my seat, I can’t quite believe that I’m about to travel

along the railway that many foreign experts claimed was “impossible”. The

train has been racing along steadily since it left Xining. All this time, the

song “Sky Railway” has been playing inside my head. The words “railways like

massive dragons are winding among the mountains” seem particularly vivid as I

travel across the “roof of the world”.

靠坐在火车的座位上，我简直不敢相信，我将要沿着许多外国专家声称“不可能建成”的铁路旅行。火车从西宁出发，向前平稳行驶。一路上，《天路》这首歌一直在我的脑海中回响。当火车开过“世界屋脊”时，“一条条巨龙翻山越岭”的歌词显得格外生动鲜活。

2 I was one of the people who came from all parts of China to work on this

railway. Taking years to complete, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is a record of all

of our efforts to overcome the most difficult engineering challenges. How to

protect the delicate ecosystem was among the top concerns.

修建青藏铁路的工人来自全国各地，而我就是其中之一。它历时数年建成，凝聚着我们攻克种种工程难题的全部心血。其中，如何保护脆弱的生态系统是需要我们首要问题之一。

3 The first landmark to catch my eye is the splendid Qingshuihe Bridge, the

world’s longest bridge built over permafrost. Look! A group of Tibetan

antelopes is moving under the bridge, with some stopping to eat grass at their

leisure. Thirty-three passages have been built under the railway to allow the

animals to move safely and freely in their natural habitat. Wild animals such as

these Tibetan antelopes have now been using these passages for years. They seem

totally unaware that we are speeding past at over 100 kilometres an hour.

最先映入眼帘的地标性建筑是壮观的清水河大桥，它是世界上最长的高原冻土铁路桥。看！一群藏羚羊正从桥下走过，有的停下来悠闲地吃草。铁路桥下修建了三十三条野生动物通道，让动物得以在自然栖息地中安全自由地通行。就像现在的这群藏羚羊一样，野生动物们使用这些通道已有数年，它们似乎完全没有意识到我们正以每小时100多千米的速度呼啸而过。

4 To prevent damage to wetlands and grasslands, 675 bridges with a total length

of about 160 kilometres were built between Golmud and Lhasa. We even moved

140,000 square metres of wetland to a new area in order to protect its distinct

ecosystem.

为了避免破坏湿地和草原，我们在格尔木和拉萨之间建造了675座大桥，总长度约160千米。我们甚至将一块14万平方米的湿地迁往一个新的区域，以保护其独特的生态系统。

5 The journey has been flying by, and before I know it, we have reached Tanggula

Station. Located at over 5,000 metres above sea level, this is the highest

railway station in the world. In locations such as this, the thin air,

changeable weather and high levels of UV radiation presented perhaps the

greatest challenge for railway workers. To make sure we stayed healthy, several

oxygen-making stations were constructed. We were also able to enjoy regular

breaks in lower areas.

火车一路疾驰，还没等我反应过来，我们就已经到达了唐古拉车站。它位于海拔5,000多米的地方，是世界上海拔最高的火车站。在这样的高海拔环境中，稀薄的氧气，多变的天气，还有强烈的紫外线辐射，这些恐怕是我们铁路工人面临的最大挑战。为了确保工人的身体健康，我们建造了多个制氧站。我们还会定期到低海拔地区休整。

6 As we pass Cuona Lake, I feel a sense of pride and achievement. Using

thousands and thousands of sandbags, we built a twenty-kilometre wall along the

lake to protect it from construction waste. Cuona Lake is so close to the

railway that I want to reach out and touch its pale blue mirror-like surface.

Water birds playing in the lake, and cattle and sheep wandering the grasslands

bring the scenery to life.

火车经过措那湖时，一股自豪感和成就感在我心中油然而生。当年，我们沿着措那湖边用成千上万个沙袋筑起了一道二十千米的保护墙，使它免受建筑废料的污染。现在，措那湖离火车这么近，我好想伸手去触摸它那镜面似的浅蓝色湖面。湖中嬉戏的水鸟，在草原上游荡的牛羊，让这片风景充满勃勃生机。

7 The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been attracting people’s admiration for

centuries. Now, thanks to our efforts, passengers from all over the country have

been enjoying these magical landscapes. I am proud that we built our

“impossible” railway, and did so with the care that the environment deserves.

It truly is an extraordinary “Sky Railway”.

几个世纪以来，青藏高原是无数人向往的地方。如今，由于我们的努力，来自全国各地的旅客都能亲眼观赏到这片神奇的土地。我们建成了一条“不可能建成”的铁路，并且给予当地

环境充分的保护，我为此感到骄傲和自豪。青藏铁路真是一条了不起的“天路”。

Unit 1 The Age of Majority成年

In most countries, turning 18 marks the start of adulthood. But what does

reaching this milestone, the age of majority, really mean? Will you be

completely in charge of your own life and able to express yourself in new and

exciting ways? What new responsibilities will this freedom bring? Here, three

young people tell us what turning 18 means, or meant, to them.

在大多数国家,进入18岁便意味着成年。但是到达成年这里程碑到底意味着什么呢?你将完全主宰自己的生活吗?你能够用新奇的、激动人心的方式来表达自己吗?获得这种自由又会带来什么新的责任呢?接下来,有三位年轻人会为我们讲述年满18岁对他们意味着什么,或是曾经意味了什么。

Bethany 16, Victoria, Australia

贝萨妮16岁,澳大利亚维多利亚州

I can't wait to be 18. One reason is that although I've been working ever since

leaving school, I won't be voting in the next general election. Why? Because I

still won't be old enough Surely, if you're old enough to earn a wage and pay

taxes, you should be allowed to have a say on how the government spends them!

I've also been taking driving lessons, and in fact I will be taking my driving

test on the very day I turn 18. My mum worries about me being behind the wheel.

As an ambulance driver, shes seen a lot of car accidents involving teenagers and

thinks the legal age for getting a driving licence should be 21. But I think I'm

already mature enough understand that driving a car also means taking

responsibility for my life and the lives of other people

我简直等不及想要到18岁了。其中一个原因是虽然我一毕业就工作了,但是我依然不能在下一届大选中投票。为什么?因为我依然不满18岁。但是我认为如果一个人已经工作并且交税了,那他应该对政府在支配税收方面有一定的话语权。我也一直在学习驾驶,并且我会在18岁当天就去考驾照。妈妈十分担心我开车,作为一名救护车司机,她目睹过太多涉及青少年的

车祸,她认为考驾照的法定年龄应该推迟到21岁。但是我觉得自己已经足够成熟,知道开车也意味着要对自己和他人的生命负责。

Lin Ning 19. Shanghai China

林宁19岁,中国上海

I celebrated my 18th birthday just before I went to university. I expected to

feel instantly different, as if I had closed the door on my childhood and

stepped into a whole new adult world. But it wasn't like that. When I woke up

the next day, there were still rules to obey and lessons to attend. In fact. the

change has been more subtle and gradual than I imagined. Instead of being the

selfish teenager I used to be, I have begun to feel more aware of other people

and to develop a stronger sense of social responsibility. To give an example, I

will be signing an organ donation agreement this time tomorrow. This was a big

decision for me and I made it without asking my parents (although I knew they

would approve). Turning 18 also changed the way that society viewed me. I was

really surprised when a bank contacted me with a credit card offer. Of course. I

would like to have more freedom with money and no doubt I will be getting a

credit card at some point, but I currently don’t have a stead income, so

getting a credit card might tempt me to spend more money than I have

上大学前我刚满18岁。我曾经期待马上会有不一样的感觉,就好像自己关闭了童年的大门,踏进一个全新的成人世界。但是事实并非如此。第二天我醒来时,仍然有需要遵守的规则,需要参加的课程。事实上,这种变化比我想象的更微小,更平缓。相比自己之前那个自私的青少年角色,我已经开始更多地关注别人,并且去培养更强烈的社会责任感。比如说明天这个时候我将会签署器官捐赠意向书。这对我来说是个重大的决定,做出这个决定我并未征求父母的意见(虽然我知道他们会同意的)。满18岁后,社会对待我的方式也改变了。有家银行给我打电话让我办理信用卡的时候,我非常惊讶。虽然我想在花钱方面更为自由,而且毫无疑问我将在未来的某个时间获得一张信用卡,但是我现在还没有稳定的收入,所以现在办理的话可能会让我透支!

Morgan 20, Florida, the US

摩根20岁,美国佛罗里达州

People say that 18 marks a new chapter in our lives, and that we should become

more independent. I used to believe this, but the reality for me has been very

different. I assumed I'd already have a well-paid job and that I'd be moving

into a rented apartment as soon as I turned 18, but how wrong I was My

librarians salary means that I'll be living at home with my parents for a while

longer. Because I contribute to the household bills and my commute to work is

quite expensive, I find it hard to save any money. I'll be starting a new job

next month, however, so maybe things will get easier. I know I could get a bank

loan to pay the deposit on my very own apartment, but I don’t feel ready to

make that kind of commitment, and I do like my mom's cooking I guess some

responsibilities are more about attitude than age

人们都说18岁意味着翻开人生的新篇章,我们应该变得更独立。我曾经也这样认为,但是事实并非如此。我以为我到18岁就能有一份新水不错的工作,能搬进自己租的公寓,我是多么异想天开呀!作为一个图书管理员,我的工资只够我继续长时间和父母住在一起。因为我要分担家庭账单,而且我的通勤费用很高,所以我发现攒钱非常困难。下个月我会开始一份新工作,也许情况能有所好转。我知道我可以通过货款来支付购买自己公寓的订金,但我还无法向银行做出这种重大的承诺,而且我真的很喜欢吃妈妈做的饭。我觉得要想负起一些责任,更多的是关乎态度,而不是年龄。

Unit 2 Social Media Detox社交媒体脱瘾

Moderator主持人

Today marks the last day of the Social Media Detox, Brenton High’s fundraising

campaign for new sports equipment. At the start of the detox, over 100 students

had been persuaded to stop using social media, in ANY form, for seven days. This

meant no messaging friends, no posting photos, no blogging----nothing. They had

been promised money by family and friends for each day spent without using

social media. They were nervous. But could they do it?

布伦顿高中为给购置新的体育设备筹款,举办了一项名为“社交媒体脱瘾”的活动。今天是活动的最后一天。脱瘾活动初期,我们成功说服100多名学生连续七天不得使用任何形式的社交媒体这就意味着他们在这段时间内不能给朋友发短信,不能上传照片,不能发博客,与社交媒体相关的任何形式的活动都不行。脱离社交媒体的每一天,他们都能收到来自家人和朋友的奖励金。对此,他们很兴奋,也很紧张。但他们真的能做到吗？

With the detox finished, they’ve switched on their devices and they’re back

online. I bet you’re as eager as I am to find out just how many have been

motivated enough to last the full seven days! And what, if anything, have been

learnt from the experience?

如今,脱瘾活动已结束,他们纷纷开启电子设备,重返网络。相信你和我一样,迫切想知道多少人有足够的动力坚持了整整七天!而他们,又从此次经历中学到了什么?

Anna 17

I lasted two days. The detox was more difficult to tolerate than I had expected.

I felt like I had lost an arm! Not eating for two days would have been easier!

But on reflection, I can see how much of my time had been occupied with checking

my phone. I’m now trying to spend less time online and more time picking up my

hobbies.

安娜17岁

我坚持了两天。社交媒体脱瘾比我预期的更加难以忍受。没了社交媒体,就像缺少一只胳膊般。让我饿两天可能还更轻松些!但一番反思后,我也意识到平日花在看手机上的时间太多了。现在,我正试图减少上网时间,把更多精力用于重拾自己的爱好。

Devon 16

I lasted four days. On Monday, our classmate and I spoke about what we did at

the weekend—it felt strange not to already know what he had done. We would have

posted pictures and updated our profiles. Doing the detox meant we had to talk

and explain what we were ding and thinking! It made me realise the value of real

contact that I hand forgotten.

德文16岁

我坚持了四天。周一,我和同学讨论了周末各自的活动一一我并不知道他都做了些什么,这感觉太奇怪了。因为平时我们都会上传照片,更新各自的动态。参与这次脱瘾活动,意味着我们不得不互相交流并向对方解释自己的所做所想。这也让我意识到已经遗忘了的真正沟通的重要性。

Cindy 18

I managed the whole week! At first, I really felt I was missing out. Then,

instead of messaging my friend, I went around to her house. Without our phones,

we had a proper conversation for over two hours. Without being distracted by

messages from other people, it felt so good! Then i decided to visit a different

friend every day. By the fifth day, I wondered—was I really missing out by not

constantly checking my phone to see what everyone else was up to?

辛迪18岁

我坚持了整整一周!最初,我真的感觉自己错过了无数消息。但我忍住没给朋友发消息,而是直接去了她家。没有手机的我们、好好地聊了两个多小时,没有被其他人的消息干扰,这感觉真棒!接下来我决定每天去见一位不同的朋友。到第五天时我在想,当我不再忙于查看手机关注他人生活的时候,我真的错过了很多吗?

Gorge 16

I did all seven days, too! To be honest, I didn’t find the detox too difficult,

but I did give my phone to my father to avoid giving in! My brother thought I

should make full use of the time without my phone; so he took me to check out

our local sports centre. An hour’s sport each day left me tired out and sent me

early to bed. The detox made me healthier!

乔治16岁

我也坚持了整整七天!说实话,我觉得社交媒体脱瘾没那么难,但为了让自己不要半途而废,我

还是把手机上交给爸爸了。哥哥觉得我应该充分规划好没有手机的日子,因此他带我去了我们当地的体育中心。每天一小时的运动让人筋疲力尽,想早点上床休息。脱瘾活动让我更健康了！

Max 17

I’m embarrassed to say that I threw in the towel on the first day! I knew there

was a party happening that evening, but without access to social media I

couldn’t remember where it was! In the end, I turn on my phone to check, but

couldn’t resist having a quick look at my social media accounts. What’s worse,

I then spent so much time catching up on news, I almost missed the party.

马克斯17岁

我都不好意思说自己第一天就打了退堂鼓。脱瘾活动开始的当晚有个聚会,但如果不靠社交媒体的话,我怎么也想不起地点在哪儿!最后我还是打开手机查看了一下,结果没忍住,偷看了一眼我的社交媒体眼户。更槽的是,我花了大把时间剧新动态,差点错过了本该要去的聚会！

Moderator

The detox raised a total of $1,632.82 for new school sports equipment! Well

done, everyone who took part! After reading the posts on this forum, it seems

that something rather than money has also been raised through the detox.

Awareness of just how much we rely on social media can help us step away from it

and communicate with each other better.

主持人

此次脱稳活动总共为学校募集了1,632.82英镑,用于购置新的体育设备!每位参与者都做得很看了论坛上的各个帖子,这次活动对人们的影响似乎远远不止通过活动筹集到的钱。脱瘾活动还让我们意识到自己对社交媒体的依赖程度,从而帮助我们摆脱它的束缚,更好地互相沟通。

Unit 3 A New Chapter

新的篇章

The day I heard that the Rainbow Bookstore was closing after 50 years of

business, I was heartbroken. The bookstore, which was a legendary fixture in the

neighbourhood, was a place where anyone could drop in and connect through their

love of books.

听说经营了50年的彩虹书店要停业的那天,我的心都要碎了。这家书店是这片社区鼎鼎大名、永远不变的一家店,谁都可以来这里逛逛,因为热爱书籍而互相认识。

When I hurried to the store. I saw that the books were already being packed into

boxes. I had a long chat with Casey, the stores elderly owner. Sighing deeply,

he told me how becoming difficult to run an independent bookstore. Most people

preferred reading e-books on tablets. More and more customers were being

attracted by chain stores and online discounts. I tried to think of some words

of sympathy, but I had to admit that the Rainbow Bookstore couldn't stay in

business

much longer.

我匆匆赶到书店,看到那些书已经装箱了。我和老店主凯西聊了很久。他深深地叹了口气,告诉我经营独立书店越来越难。大多数年轻人更喜欢用平板电脑读电子书。越来越多的顾客被连锁店和网店的折扣吸引。我想要说些同情的话,却发现自己不得不承认彩虹书店的确开不下去了。

Childhood memories came back to me so clearly, as if the events had happened

only yesterday. A bunch of us kids would frequently drop by the store after

school. We'd look at the new books, or just chat with Old Casey. He knew every

book in the store and would always pick the perfect one for us from a dusty

shelf. We spent hours reading, seated on the stores old but comfortable

furniture. Casey encouraged us to share our ideas and comments on the books, by

writing them on a large board in one corner of the store.

童年的回忆清晰地浮现在我的脑海里,好像那些事就发生在昨天。我们这群孩子放学后经常去书店。我们会看看新书或者只是与老凯西聊几句。他对店里每本书都了如指掌,总能从落了灰的架子上挑一本最好的书给我们。我们会坐在店里陈旧而舒适的家具上,读上好几个钟头的书。凯西鼓励我们把对书的想法和评论分享出来,写在书店一角的大板子上。

When I left the bookstore. it was becoming cold and dark outside. I turned to

wave goodbye to Casey, but both he and his bookstore were already hidden in a

thick mist. It made me realise that the bookstore and all that Old Casey had

given to the community could soon disappear for good

我离开书店的时候,外面已又冷又黑。我转身向凯西挥手告别,但他和书店都已经消失在浓雾中。这让我意识到,书店和老凯西给社区带来的一切都将很快消失殆尽。

A few months later, I was back in the neighbourhood during my spring break

vacation and was surprised to see that the Rainbow Bookstore was still there and

open for business. Its old brick exterior hadn't changed but inside it was like

a different world In one area, a book reading was being delivered. Nearby,

customers were poring over shelves selling stationery, posters and other best-seller-themed gifts. The large board in the corner had been replaced by a big

screen, where customers' comments on the month's best-seller were being

displayed. Clearly, the Rainbow Bookstore was in good, creative hands.

几个月后,我在春假期间回到了社区,却惊奇地发现彩虹书店仍然伫立在那里,并且还在营业。它外面的旧砖瓦丝毫未变,但里面却像一个不同的世界。店里开辟了一片阅读区在阅读区附近,顾客们在货架前仔细地挑选着文具、海报和其他畅销主题的礼品。之前书店角落里的大板子换成了一个大屏幕,顾客对本月畅销书的评论展现在上面。显然,彩虹书店经营有方,富有创意。

I was told that the community had decided to work together on a campaign to save

the Rainbow Bookstore. The campaign had been led by Jennifer Oakley, a

saleswoman who had grown up the neighbourhood and who had now taken over the

bookstore from Case

我听说是社区决定发起团结协作拯救彩虹书店的活动。这次活动由珍妮弗・奥克利领导,她是一位售货员,从小在社区长大,现在已经从凯西手中接手了书店。

Under Jennifer’s leadership, the bookstore was being turned into a place for

literature-loving members of the community to get together. It had a cafe

selling organic food, and there were now more community events such as book

readings, poetry recitals and even jazz concerts and movie nights, where people

could gather to share an experience that couldn't be downloaded

在珍妮弗的领导下,这家书店变成了社区文学爱好者聚会的地方。书店里有咖啡馆,出售有机食品;现在还在这里举行更多的社区活动,比如读书会、诗歌朗诵会甚至是爵士音乐会和电影之夜。在这里,人们可以聚在一起分享体验,这种体验是无法从网上下载到的。

I Joined Casey, who was looking up at the screen on which readers comments kept

popping up. "Well, as you can see,corporate knowledge combined with creativity

has brought my humble bookstore into the 2lst century! I'm so pleased to see

that everything I wanted it to offer to the community is still here.”

我湊到凯西旁边,他正看着大屏幕上不断出现的读者评论。嗯,正如你所看到的,集体的智慧和创意把我这个简陋的书店带进了21世纪!我很高兴,我想让书店奉献给社区的一切都还在。”

Unit 3 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

成功之路

1 Near the small town of Grottoes, Virginia, a narrow dirt road goes from the

house of Stephen Curry’s grandfather to the woods nearby. A far cry from the

bright lights and shiny courts of the National Basketball Association (NBA), it

was along this road that Stephen’s grandfather built a simple basket by

attaching a piece of plastic to a telephone pole.

在弗吉尼亚州格罗托斯小镇附近，一条狭窄的土路从斯蒂芬¡¤库里的祖父家延伸至附近的树林。这与美国男子职业篮球联赛(NBA)赛场上明亮的灯光和闪亮的球场相去甚远。正是在这条路上，斯蒂芬的祖父把一块塑料贴到电线杆上，建了一个简易篮筐。

2 Like his father, basketball star Dell Curry, Stephen spent many childhood

hours playing on this muddy basketball court. He probably didn’t realise it at

the time, but it was where he learnt to be creative and flexible as a player.

You see, with every shot, the weak plastic backboard gave way. The bumps and

rocks that lined the road under the basket caused the ball to bounce in all

directions. Knowing where the ball would go wasn’t easy. He had to adjust his

own playing style as a result. Shooting with great accuracy was another thing he

learnt. Only shots perfectly aimed at its centre went into the heavy, thick

basket. In this way, practising day in and day out helped Stephen sharpen his

skills.

与父亲戴尔¡¤库里这位篮球明星一样，斯蒂芬在这个泥泞的篮球场上度过了许多童年时光。尽管当时他可能并没有意识到，但就是在这里，他学会了如何成为一名有创造力、能够灵活变通的篮球运动员。你看，每次投篮，不牢固的塑料篮板都摇摇欲坠。篮筐下的小路凹凸不平，布满了石块，篮球也因此弹向四面八方。能够判断出球反弹的方向并不容易，因此

斯蒂芬必须调整自己的打球方式。他在这里学到的另一项技能是精准的投篮技术。只有完美地瞄准中心，篮球才能进入厚重的篮筐。如此日复一日地练习，斯蒂芬的篮球技术变得炉火纯青。

3 Despite his father’s successful career, Stephen was thought by many people,

including his high school teammates and coaches, to be too short, too thin and

too weak to follow in his father’s footsteps. But Stephen carried on. Playing

basketball was his dream. He would not give up. He finally ended up playing

college ball at a small, little-known school, Davidson College, not too far from

where he lived. His creativity and perseverance made him Davidson’s star

player.

尽管父亲的职业生涯很成功，但是很多人，包括斯蒂芬的高中队友和教练，都认为他太矮太瘦弱，无法延续他父亲的荣耀。但斯蒂芬还是坚持了下来。打篮球是他的梦想，他绝不会放弃。终于，斯蒂芬在规模不大且鲜为人知的戴维森学院成为了一名大学篮球赛的球员，这所学院离他家不算远。斯蒂芬凭借自己的创造性和毅力成为了戴维森学院的明星球员。

4 Selected for the NBA in 2009, Stephen joined the Golden State Warriors. He

performed beyond everyone’s expectations with his accurate shooting and

continuous efforts. In 2015, Stephen won his first NBA championship, and he led

the Warriors to their first championship since 1975.

2009年，斯蒂芬入选NBA，加入了金州勇士队。凭借精准的投篮和不懈的努力，他的表现令人刮目相看。2015年，斯蒂芬赢得了他的第一个NBA总冠军，这也是他带领勇士队获得的自1975年以来的第一个冠军。

5 After receiving the Most Valuable Player award for two years in a row, Stephen

explained his philosophy, “I never really set out to change What I

wanted to do was just I know it inspires a lot of the next

generation, a lot of people who love the game of basketball to value the skill

of it, value the fact that you can work every single day to get better. You’ve

got to be able to put in the time and the work. That’s how I got here. That’s

how I continue to get better every single day.” Inspiring others to believe in

themselves, Stephen Curry is living proof that what other people think of you

does not have to influence what you become. Through self-belief, hard work,

perseverance and some help from an old hoop, he has shown that anything is

possible.

在连续两年获得“最有价值球员”奖后，斯蒂芬阐释了他的人生观：“我从未真正想过改变比赛……我只想做我自己……我知道这激励着很多后辈、很多热爱篮球比赛的人，让他们认识到技术的重要性，认识到你可以通过每天的不断努力而变得更好。你必须肯花时间和精力。这是我走到今天的方法，也是我每一天都能更进一步的原因。”斯蒂芬¡¤库里激励着所有人去相信自己，他也生动地证明了别人对你的看法并不一定会影响你成为什么人。通过自信、勤奋、毅力，以及一只旧篮筐的帮助，他向人们证明了一切皆有可能。