胡敏讀故事記托福詞匯15：走入歧途的理想 Aspirations Gone Astray
Lesson 15 Aspirations Gone Astray 走入歧途的理想
I work in an assembly line in a car factory. Most days, I just assemble car parts. Occasionally, they’ll ask me to assay an unknown drugs substance. Once in a while, I’ll be asked to assist with breaking up a fight. Assault is not common here. But now and then, a frustrated worker will assail his assistant by casting aspersions on some aspect of the other’s work. I’m considered an asset in my company. But before 20 years ago, I was a different kind of asset to an entirely different type of company.
我在一家汽車廠的流水線上工作。大多數(shù)時(shí)候，我只是組裝汽車配件。有時(shí)，他們會(huì)讓我化驗(yàn)?zāi)撤N不明藥物。有時(shí)，我又去幫忙勸架。這里很少有人身攻擊。不過，時(shí)不時(shí)會(huì)有一名灰心喪氣的工人抨擊他的助手，就其工作的某方面進(jìn)行誹謗。我被視為公司的寶貝。但20年前，我被另一家完全不同的公司視為另一種類型的寶貝。
They called it “the company” but it was really a secret government group trained to assassinate political leaders. I never aspired to be an assassin. In fact, I was an aspiring chemist and a regular soldier in the army. All I really wanted was to do something great or important for my country. But sometimes, having too great an aspiration can lead you astray.
他們所謂的“公司”實(shí)際上是一個(gè)受過訓(xùn)練、專門暗殺政界領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人的秘密政府組織。我從未渴望做個(gè)刺客。事實(shí)上，我是個(gè)有抱負(fù)的化學(xué)家，又是部隊(duì)中的一名常備兵。我的全部思想就是成就大事、為國效力。但有時(shí)，理想過于遠(yuǎn)大只會(huì)將你引入歧途。
I still recall the day of the assembly. It was a small gathering of highly skills people like me. “The company” was assessing our abilities in the areas of weaponry and chemistry. I was a top chemist and a natural marksman, probably the best in my group. They ascribed my success to my steady hands and sharp eyes, the same tools I used for chemistry.
我仍記得那天的集會(huì)。那是個(gè)小集會(huì)，與會(huì)者都是些像我這樣的技術(shù)精湛的人員。當(dāng)時(shí)“公司”評(píng)估我們?cè)谖淦骱突瘜W(xué)領(lǐng)域的才能。我既是最優(yōu)秀的化學(xué)家，又是天生的神槍手，很可能是我們小組中最棒的。他們將我的成功歸于我穩(wěn)健的雙手和敏銳的眼睛，這也是我搞化學(xué)時(shí)用的工具。
After the assembly, they gave us our assignments. I was assigned to assimilate into the mainstream society of a Latin American country. It wasn’t long before I was doing things that I will forever be ashamed to admit.
會(huì)后，“公司”給我們下達(dá)了任務(wù)。我的任務(wù)是滲透進(jìn)入一個(gè)拉美國家的主流社會(huì)。不久，我就開始做些我永遠(yuǎn)恥于承認(rèn)的事情。
It’s been over for about 15 years. But I’ll never feel clean and I’ll never be able to assert that I have been a good man all my life.
這一切已經(jīng)過去15年了。但我將永遠(yuǎn)感到自己的骯臟，永遠(yuǎn)無法斬釘截鐵地說我做了一輩子的好人。
Words:
ascribe vt. 把….歸于
aspect n. (問題等的)方面;(事物等的)一部分
aspersion n. 誹謗，中傷
aspire vi. 渴望
aspiring adj. 有抱負(fù)的，有理想的，積極向上的
aspiration n. 雄心，抱負(fù)
assail v. (身體上)攻擊，(言語上)攻擊，批評(píng)
assassin n. 刺客
assassinate vt. 暗殺，行刺
assault n. (武力上的)襲擊;(口頭上的)攻擊
assay v. 化驗(yàn)
assemble vt. 集合，裝配; vi. 聚集
assembly n. 集會(huì);參加集會(huì)的人們(譯成：。。。大會(huì)，。。。議會(huì));裝配，安裝
assembly line 裝配線，流水線
assert vt. 聲稱，堅(jiān)持，斬釘截鐵地說
assess vt. 估計(jì)，分析，評(píng)估
asset n. assests 財(cái)產(chǎn)，資產(chǎn);優(yōu)勢(shì)，重要的品質(zhì);寶貴(或有益)的人(或東西)
assignment n. 任務(wù)，作業(yè);分配
assimilate vt. 學(xué)習(xí)，吸收(知識(shí));吃，吸收(食品或營養(yǎng))
assist vt. 援助，幫助
assistant n. 助手，助教;adj. 輔助的，助理的
