讀點好英文:Paving a BriIIiant Way　鋪就輝煌之路

所屬教程:英語漫讀

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2022年03月04日

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Paving a BriIIiant Way　鋪就輝煌之路

·Barack Obama·

Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let's face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely. My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya.He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin-roof shack.His father, my grandfather, was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.

But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son. Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place：America, which shone as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before.

While studying here, my father met my mother. She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas.Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression.The day after Pearl Harbor, my grandfather signed up for duty, joined Patton's army, marched across Europe.Back home, my grandmother raised a baby and went to work on a bomber assembIy line.After the war, they studied on the GI Bill, bought a house through FHA, and later moved west, all the way to Hawaii, in search of opportunity.

And they, too, had big dreams for their daughter. A common dream, born of two continents.My parents shared not only an improbable love, but they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation.

They would give me an African name, Barack, or“blessed，”believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren't rich, because in a generous America you don't have to be rich to achieve your potential.They are both passed away now.Yet, I know that, on this night, they look down on me with great pride.

巴拉克·奧巴馬

對我而言，今晚是特別榮耀的時刻。的確，從現(xiàn)實來看，我今天能現(xiàn)身在這個舞臺上，簡直就是不可能的事。我的父親是一位外籍學生，在肯尼亞的小村莊出生、長大。他從小以羊為伴，在一間鐵皮屋學校接受教育。他的父親，也就是我的祖父，是英國人的家仆，擔任廚師的工作。

但祖父對兒子懷抱著更遠大的夢想。因此，靠著艱苦的努力和頑強的意志力，父親獲得了獎學金，在一個充滿魔力的地方學習，那就是美國。這里閃爍著自由與機會的光芒，照亮了許多之前來到這里的人。

父親在這里讀書時，遇見了母親。她出生在世界另一端的堪薩斯州的一個小鎮(zhèn)。在大蕭條時期，她的父親，也就是我的外祖父，大部分時候在從事石油鉆井工作或務(wù)農(nóng)。在珍珠港事件后的第二天，外祖父自愿入伍，投入巴頓將軍旗下，遠征整個歐洲。在家鄉(xiāng)，我的外祖母邊撫養(yǎng)孩子，邊到轟炸機裝配線上工作。戰(zhàn)后，他們利用美國軍人權(quán)利法案的資助繼續(xù)深造，并通過聯(lián)邦住宅管理局買了一棟房子。之后，為了尋找新的機會，他們遷往西部，就這樣一路來到了夏威夷。

而他們對女兒也同樣懷抱著遠大的夢想。是的！一個共同的夢想，誕生在兩大洲。我的雙親不僅擁有一份不同尋常的愛，還懷抱著同樣不變的信念——他們相信在這個國度里，沒有不可能的事。

他們?yōu)槲胰×艘粋€非洲式的名字——巴拉克，意思是受祝福。他們相信，在兼收并蓄的美國，名字絕對不會是成功的障礙。他們雖然并不富裕，但仍期望我能去這個國家最好的學校學習，因為在有容乃大的美國，你不一定要多富裕才能發(fā)揮你的潛能。他們現(xiàn)在都過世了，但我知道，就在今晚，他們正驕傲地俯瞰著我。

Practising&Exercise　實戰(zhàn)提升篇

核心單詞

herd[h?：d]n.畜群；牧群v.放牧

perseverance[,p?：si'vi?r?ns]n.堅持不懈；堅韌不拔

beacon['bi：k?n]n.烽火；燈塔；浮標

assembIy[?'sembli]n.與會者；集合

continent['k?ntin?nt]n.大陸，大洲adj.自制的，克制的

barrier['b?ri?]n.障礙物；路障；柵欄

實用句型

Yet, I know that, on this night, they Iook down on me with great pride.但我知道，就在今晚，他們正驕傲地俯瞰著我。

①on this night在這里是插入語，其位置靈活，常常用逗號或破折號與其他成分隔開。

②look down on輕視，向下看。類似的表達還有l(wèi)ook forward to盼望，look back on回顧、回頭看，look ahead考慮到將來。