发布时间 : 星期六 文章全新版大学英语【第二版】综合教程1课文翻译更新完毕开始阅读05af4dbb03768e9951e79b89680203d8cf2f6a3b
what we've become over the years--old friends. And there aren't many of us left.
信里接下来的那段我觉得有点凄凉：“信的开头我写着‘老朋友’，因为这么多年来，我们这对老朋友渐渐都老了。我们这些人当中留下的也不多了。”
25 \time I go to a class reunion, for example, there are fewer and fewer still around.\
“你要知道，”我对他说，“信里说我们这些人当中留下的不多了，说得一点不错。比如说，每次我去参加老同学聚会，来的人总是越来越少。” 26 \ “时间不饶人啊，”司机说。
27 \ “你们俩以前在一起工作吗？”我问他。
28 \to go to each other's house every now and then. But for the last 20 or 30 years it's been mostly just Christmas cards. Of course there'd be always a note we'd each add to the cards--usually some news about our families, you know, what the kids were doing, who moved where, a new grandchild, things like that--but never a real letter or anything like that.\
“不，不过没成家时我俩总在一起闲荡。后来，两人都成了家，就不时相互串门。可最近这二三十年来，主要就是寄寄圣诞卡了。当然，我俩都总在卡上写几句 —— 通常是关于各自家里的情况，不是吗，孩子们在干些什么，谁搬到哪儿，添了个小孙子，都是这类事 —— 可一直都没正儿八经地写过信什么的。” 29 \ Your friendship over the years has meant an awful lot to me, more than I can say because I'm not good at saying things like that.\\
“这一处写得好，”我说，“这里写道：‘你多年的友谊对我非常重要，远比我能说出来的重要得多，因为我不擅长说这样的话。’”我颔首称是。“这话准让你听着开心，是吧？”
30 The driver said something that I couldn't understand because he seemed to be all choked up, so I continued: \
司机说了句什么，可我没听明白，因为他似乎哽噎得厉害。于是我接着说：“我也真想收到这样一封老朋友的来信。”
31 We were getting close to our destination so I skipped to the last paragraph. So I thought you'd like to know that I was thinking of you. And it was signed, Your Old Friend, Tom.
我们快到目的地了，于是我跳到最后一段。“因此我想你一定想知道我惦记着你。”信末署名： “老朋友汤姆”。
32 I handed back the letter as we stopped at my hotel. \out of the cab. Tom? The letter was signed Tom? 我们在我的旅店前停下，我把信递了回去。“很高兴能和你聊聊，”我将衣箱从车上提下时说。汤姆？信的署名是汤姆？
33 \ “我记得你朋友叫埃德，”我说，“为什么他署名汤姆呢？”
34 \died. So I never mailed it.\
“这封信不是汤姆写给我的，”他解释说，“我是汤姆。这是我在得知他去世前写给他的信。所以我一直没寄出。”
35 He looked sort of sorrowful, or as if he were trying to see something in the distance. \written it sooner.\
他神情有点悲伤，似乎想看清远处什么东西。“我想我真该早些写这封信。”
36 When I got to my hotel room I didn't unpack right away. First I had to write a letter — and mail it.
我进了旅馆房间之后，没有马上打开箱包。首先我得写封信 —— 而且要寄出去。
·Answers the questions
1 What does the story begin with?
Answer: The story begins with the cab driver reading a letter.
2 What helped start a conversation between the cab driver and the passenger? Answer: The letter Tom wrote to his friend Ed. 3 What was their conversation centered on?
Answer: Their conversation was centered on the lifelong friendship between the driver and Old Ed. 4 How did the author get to learn more about the friendship between the driver and Ed? Answer: The author got to learn more about their friendship by reading the letter himself.
·Main ideas
Part One (Paras 1-20) From a conversation with the cab driver the author learned how much he regretted failing to keep up correspondence with his old friend Ed.
Part Two (Paras 21-35) Reading the letter by himself, the author learned more about the lifelong friendship between the driver and Old Ed.
Part Three (Paras 36) The driver's experience urged the author to reach for his pen.
Text B
Never Let a Friend Down
Jim Hutchison
1 \to the football match this afternoon?\Bill McIntosh asked 59-year-old Royce Wedding as they drank beer at the Eureka Hotel in the Australian town of Rainbow. Royce shook his head. \burn off the weeds on one of our fields.\
决不抛弃朋友
吉姆·赫奇森
\下午去看足球赛吗？\比尔·麦金托什问59岁的罗伊斯·韦丁。他们两人正在澳大利亚的虹镇尤里卡饭店喝啤酒。罗伊斯摇摇头。\我答应我妈给我家的一块地烧荒。\
2 Bill, who was thin but strong, looking far less than his 79 years, peered outside at the heat. A light breeze was blowing from the north, making conditions perfect for the burn. But Bill felt uneasy about Royce doing the job alone. The farmer had a bad leg and walked with great difficulty.
比尔瘦削而结实，79岁，但看上去远没有那么老。他望着外面的炎热空气。一阵轻风自北向南吹，这条件最适宜烧荒了。不过比尔对罗伊斯独自干这活不放心。这个农夫有条腿不好，行走很费劲。
3 The pair had been best of friends for 30 years, ever since the days when they traveled together from farm to farm in search of work. Now, living alone 12 miles east of town, Bill scraped a living hunting foxes and rabbits. Once a fortnight he went to town to buy supplies and catch up with Royce, who helped run the Wedding family's farm. \
两人曾一起从一个农场走到另一个农场寻些活儿干，迄今已是30年的好朋友了。如今比尔独自一人住在镇东12英里处，靠打狐狸和野兔勉强过活。他两个星期一次前来小镇购物，会会帮着经管自家的农场的罗伊斯。\我帮你一把，\比尔说。
4 The pair set off in Royce's car. Soon they were bumping over a sandy track to the weed-choked 120-acre field. \Soaking the tire with gasoline, Bill put a match to it and jumped in the car.
两人坐着罗伊斯的车动身了。没多一会儿他们就颠簸在一条沙土路上，朝一块面积120公顷、杂草丛生的田地开去。\火是除去这玩意儿的惟一办法，\比尔说。他们用根50英尺长的链条把一个旧轮胎绑在
牵引杆上。比尔在轮胎上浇透汽油，划根火柴一点，便跳进车里。
5 Driving slowly from the southern edge of the field, they worked their way upwind, leaving a line of burning weeds in their wake. Half way up the field, and without warning, the car pitched violently forward, plowing into a hidden bank of sand.
两人从农田的南边缓缓开车逆风而行，所过之处留下一条燃着的草带。开到地当中，车猛地朝前一颠，没等察觉，就陷进了一个被草遮着的沙堆。
6 The breeze suddenly swung around to their backs and began to gather strength. Fanned to white heat, the fire line suddenly burst into a wall of flame, heading directly toward them. \
微风突然转向，朝两人身后吹来，而且越吹越强。火仗风势，烧得炽热，一条火带顿时就变成一道火墙，直扑两人而来。\咱们快离开这儿！\罗伊斯说道。
7 Desperately he tried to back the car out of the sand bank. But the wheels only spun deeper in the soft sand. 他拼命想把车倒出沙堆。可车轮在软沙里越转陷得越深。
8 Suddenly the fire was on them. Bill pushed open his door only to find himself flung through the air as, with a roar, the gasoline tank exploded and the car leapt three feet off the ground. When it crashed back down Royce found himself pinned against the steering wheel, unable to move. The car's seats and roof were now on fire.
火顿时就扑到两人身上。比尔推开车门，却听得一声巨响，油箱爆炸了，车子飞离地面三英尺，他自己则被抛到空中。车子摔回地面后，罗伊斯发现自己被方向盘卡住，动弹不得。这时，车座和车顶也都烧着了。
9 Bill lay where he fell, all the breath knocked out of him. The front of his shirt, shorts, bare arms and legs were soaked in burning gasoline. Then the sight of the car in flames brought him upright with a start. \struggling to his feet and heading for the car.
比尔躺在跌落的地方，摔得气都喘不过来。他的衬衣前襟、短裤、光裸的手臂和双腿都浸在燃烧着的汽油里。接着汽车着火了，见此情景他惊坐起来。\罗伊斯！\他边喊边挣扎着站起身来，向汽车冲去。 10 Pulling open the door, he seized Royce's arms through the smoke. \away!\
他拉开车门，在烟雾中抓住罗伊斯的手臂。\我给卡住了，\罗伊斯说，\你快走！\
11 The fire bit at Bill's arms, face and legs, but he tightened his grip on Royce. \said.
火舌舔着比尔的双臂、脸和双腿，但他紧紧地抓住罗伊斯不放。\我不会把你丢弃在这儿的，\他说道。
12 Now Bill dug his heels into the sand and pulled as hard as he could. Suddenly he fell backward. Royce was free and out of the car. As soon as he had dragged him away he patted out the flames on Royce's body and on his own legs and arms with his bare hands.
比尔两个脚跟扎在沙堆里，拼命用力拉。突然他仰面倒下，罗伊斯被拉出了汽车。他一把将罗伊斯拉开，便赶紧赤手去扑灭罗伊斯身上以及自己腿上、手臂上的火。
13 Royce saw a second explosion rock the car, as it was eaten up by flames. I'd be ashes now if Bill hadn't gotten me out, he thought. Looking down, Royce was shocked by the extent of his injuries. His stomach and left hip were covered in deep burns. Worse still, his fingers were burned completely out of shape.
罗伊斯看着又一次爆炸把汽车震得直晃，车一下子被火苗吞噬。\要不是比尔把我拉出来，我这会儿就烧成灰了，\他暗想。他低头一看，身上伤势之严重令他大为惊讶。他腹部及左臀严重烧伤。更糟糕的是，手指被烧得完全变了形。
14 Lying on his back, Bill was in equally bad shape. Pieces of blackened flesh and skin hung from his forearms, hands and legs.
比尔仰天躺在地上，也一样被烧得不成样子。前臂以及手和腿上，一块块烧得焦黑的皮肉挂了下来。 15 Bill looked across at his friend. Reading the despair clouding Royce's face, Bill said, \on.\
was going to walk almost two miles and get over three fences.
比尔朝自己的朋友望去，看出罗伊斯满脸绝望，便说：\我去叫人。你顶住。\罗伊斯点了点头，可当他看着比尔穿过焦黑的田地缓缓走开时，真不知道这位朋友怎么去走那几乎整整两英里的路，还要跨越三道栅栏。
16 (A lifetime spent around the tough people who make their home in the Australian bush had permanently fixed into Bill's soul two principles: never give up no matter how bad the odds and never let a friend down. Now, with every step sending pain piercing through every part of his body, he drew on those twin pillars of character.If I don't make it, Royce will die out there, he told himself over and over.
一辈子与居住在澳大利亚灌木地带的那些刚强的硬汉一起生活的人生经历，将两条准则永久地铭刻在比尔心头：无论多么艰难，决不泄气，决不抛弃朋友。此时此刻，他每迈出一步，浑身上下便针扎似地疼，他完全是靠这两种品质支撑着。如果我不能挺住的话，罗伊斯就会死在那里，比尔一次又一次地告诫自己。
17 \noise behind her, she turned to see Bill leaning against the door. \那条狗怎么啦？\罗伊斯的母亲维基·韦丁说着朝窗外望去。听到身后响动，她吓了一跳，转身一看，比尔正倚靠在门上。
18 \ \天哪，出了什么事？\她惊问道，赶紧扶住正沿着门框瘫坐下去的比尔。
19 \in wet towels to ease the pain of his burns, and then picked up the phone.
\我们遭火烧了，\他低声道，几乎说不出话来。\快去叫人。\维基扶比尔坐下，用湿毛巾敷在他身上以减轻烧伤的疼痛，随后便拿起了电话。
20 Throughout the bumpy, hour-and-a-half ride to the hospital in Horsham, neither of the two injured men spoke of their pain. \grinned weakly.
他们坐上汽车前往霍舍姆的医院，在长达一个半小时的颠簸的路途中，两位伤者只字未提自己的伤痛。\咱们真该去看足球赛，\罗伊斯开口说道，想让自己和朋友振作一下精神。比尔也轻轻一笑。
21 Not long after Bill found himself at Government House being presented with the Bravery Medal for his courageous rescue. But the real highlight for Bill came six months after the fire, when Royce, just out of hospital, walked into the Eureka Hotel and bought him a beer.
不久，比尔在镇公所被授予勇敢奖章，以表彰其勇救他人的壮举。但真正最令比尔激动的时刻是火灾发生六个月之后，刚刚出院的罗伊斯走进尤里卡饭店，请他喝啤酒。
22 \ \咱们赢了，\两人举杯时，罗伊斯说道，\为生死之交干杯。\
Unit 3
Public Attitudes Toward Science
公众科学观
Stephen Hawking斯蒂芬·霍金
1 Whether we like it or not, the world we live in has changed a great deal in the last hundred years, and it is likely to change even more in the next hundred. Some people would like to stop these changes and go back to what they see as a purer and simpler age. But as history shows, the past was not that wonderful. It was not so bad for a privileged minority, though even they had to do without modern medicine, and childbirth was highly risky for women. But for the vast majority of the population, life was nasty, brutish,