笑嘻嘻地-婚礼讲话

（北师大版新教材）高中英语选择性必修一课文及翻译
Unit 1
Lesson 1 Teachers
第一课 老师
My teacher
我的老师

I haven’t seen Mr Jenkins since I left school, but I often think about him. I
wasn’t very good at most school subjects before I met Mr Jenkins. I suppose I was a
bit lazy, especially in maths. The only thing I can remember from school maths is that
the angles of a triangle add up to 180 degrees! But when I was 15 and went into Mr
Jenkins’ class, I really became interested in a subject for the first time.
虽然离开学校之后再也没有见过詹金斯先生，但我经常想起他。在遇到詹金
斯先生之前，大多数 科目我都不是很擅长。我想我那时候有点懒惰，特别是在数
学方面。我唯一还记得的数学课内容是三角形 的内角和180度！但是在15岁那
年，我走进了詹金斯先生的课堂，第一次对一个学科真正产生了兴趣 。

Before Mr Jenkins taught me, science had simply been a subject full of strange
words to me. I had no idea what hydrogen was, and I didn’t really want to know,
either! I found it all so boring and difficult. But Mr Jenkins made everything
interesting. He used to explain things which seemed difficult with lots of practical
examples and in simple language. One day, he took us outside, and we built a rocket!
I remember that he let me pour some fuel into the rocket, and then another student
lit a match to set it off. It was great fun. < br>在上詹金斯先生的课之前，科学课对我来说就是一堆奇怪的词语。我不知道
氢是什么，而且也不想 知道！我觉得这些东西既无聊又难以理解。但詹金斯先生
让一切变得有趣起来。他结合很多实际例子用简 单的语言解释看似很难的知识。
有一天，他把我们带到户外，一起制造了一枚火箭！我记得他让我把燃料 倒进火
箭，然后另一名学生点燃了一根火柴发射火箭。这非常有趣。

I know that I wasn’t a willing student, but I wasn't slow to learn new things. The
problem was that I lacked confidence in myself. Mr Jenkins made me feel that I had
my own strengths. I was interested in the study of the stars and planets and he asked
me to give a presentation to the class. That was really the first time I tried to explain
science to an audience and now it’s my job! Often when I’m preparing a programme,
I think about how Mr Jenkins would have done it. Sometimes I think, if only I could
call him and ask for his opinion!
我知道自己不是一个主动学习的学生，但我学习 新事物并不慢，问题是对自
己缺乏信心。詹金斯先生让我认识到我有自己的长处。我对恒星和行星的研究 很
感兴趣，他让我给全班同学做一个展示。这是我第一次尝试向观众讲解科学知识，
现在这成了 我的工作！在准备一个项目时，我常会想如果是詹金斯先生，他会怎

1

（北师大版新教材）高中英语选择性必修一课文及翻译
么做。有时甚至想，如果能打电话征求他的意见就好了！
My student
我的学生

I’ve read a couple of Graham's books and seen him on TV. I always say to my
wife, “Oh look, I used to teach him!” I remember Graham was very difficult before
he came into my class. I had heard stories about his bad behaviour. Once I caught him
and his friends seeing who could jump the farthest off the school stage! But when he
got interested, he changed. The first day he walked into my class, he was dragging his
schoolbag behind him and looking bored, but as soon as I set up an experiment to
show how the human stomach works using acid and an onion, he gave me his full
attention. He loved science! He was very bright and he had done very well in science
subjects.
我读了几本格雷厄姆的书，也在电视上看到过他。我总会对妻子说：“喏 ，
看，我曾经教过他！”我记得格雷厄姆来我的班上之前学习很成问题。我听说过
一些他的不良 行为。有一次我撞见他和几个朋友比赛，看谁能从学校的舞台上跳
得最远。但当他对学习产生兴趣时，他 变了。第一次走进我的班级时，他书包在
身后拖着，一幅百无聊赖的样子，当我用酸和洋葱做了一个展示 人类的胃如何运
作的实验时，他全神贯注。他爱科学！他非常聪明，科学课学得非常好。

However, I have not done as well with all my students as I have with Graham. I
think it's important to understand that there's no such thing as a good or a bad
student. Look at Graham! Everyone is good at something and it's important to find
out what that is for each student. We teachers should have more time to make
friends with all our students and really understand them. Then we could make sure
that we found the path to success, both at school and in later life, for all of them.
不过，并不是每一个学生我都能像教格雷厄姆那么成功。我认为重要的是要
知道没有所谓的好学生或者坏学生。看看格雷厄姆!每个人都有擅长的事，重要
的是要找出每个 学生擅长的是什么。我们老师应该花更多的时间和所有的学生交
朋友，真正了解他们。这样才能确保我们 为他们都找到了通向成功的道路，不管
在学业上还是以后的生活中。

I knew I had chosen a job with a lot of stress but I love what I do. The thing
about being a teacher is that you have access to children's minds when they are open
and eager to learn. If what I do as a teacher can help turn a child like Graham into
such a successful adult, then I know what I’m doing is worthwhile. As John Dewey,
the famous educationalist, said, “Education is not preparation for life; education is
life itself.”
我知道我选择了一份压力很大的工作，但我爱我的工作。做教师意味着，你
有机会在孩子们敞开心扉、渴望学习的时候，走进他们的心灵。作为老师如果可
以帮助像格雷厄姆这样 的孩子成长为如此成功的人，那么我知道我做的是值得
的。正如著名教育家约翰·杜威所说：“教育不是 为生活做准备；教育就是生活
本身。”

2

（北师大版新教材）高中英语选择性必修一课文及翻译
Mark never stops socialising with his friends online. But he’s also never felt
more alone.
马克一直在和网上的朋友们交往却也从未感到如此孤独。

Where am I? What am I doing? If you're one of my 500 friends online, you’ll
always be the first to know. My phone and laptop are never out of touching distance,
so I’m constantly posting updates on social media—whether I’m having a coffee, on
my way to school, watching TV... even when I’m in the shower. As soon as I open my
eyes in the morning, I check through all my social networking apps, read my emails
and answer text messages. I do the same thing all over again while I’m having
breakfast.
我在哪里？我在做什么？如果你 是我的500个网友之一，你总会第一个知
道。我的手机和笔记本电脑一直在身边，所以我可以不断地在 社交媒体上更新—
—无论是在喝咖啡、上学的路上、看电视……甚至在洗澡的时候。早上一睁开眼，我就会立刻查看所有社交网络应用程序，阅读电子邮件并回复短信。我在吃早餐
的时候会再做一遍这 些事情。

I live in a university dorm with a couple of great roommates. I have a
never- ending flow of messages and updates from all the people I associate with
online. Yet the truth of the matter is: I feel lonely.
我住在大学宿舍里，室友们 都很好。我总是不停地收到交往的网友发来的信
息和最新消息。然而事实却是：我感到孤独。

I’m barely the only person who feels this way. According to research, over
two-thirds of young people find it easier to make friends online than it is “in real
life”. I’m way beyond a shy or reserved person, but I’m wired up every day, like
most of my friends. On the surface, I have an active social life. I attend parties and
play sports but I’m always distracted. They say that phones bring people closer
together but in reality, my mind is always a million miles away. I obsess over exactly
how many followers I have on my account, but I can’t remember the birthdays of
some of my oldest mates.
我不是唯 一个有这种感觉的人。研究显示，超过三分之二的年轻人发现在网
上交朋友比在“现实生活中”交朋友更 容易。我远非一个害羞或含蓄的人，但是
我每天都在网上，我的朋友们大多也是如此。从表面上看，我的 社交生活很丰富。
我也参加派对和体育运动，但总是不能专心。他们说手机让人们联系更加紧密，
但实际上，我的思绪总是“飞到十万八千里之外。我总是掂记自己的账号有多少
人关注，但却记不起一 些老朋友的生日。

Social networking dominates my life in so many ways. Sometimes I set deadlines
for myself: I will start doing my homework at 8 pm, and aim to finish in two hours. At
7.50 pm, I'm still scrolling through my friends’ silly posts and photos. Before I know
it, it's 9.30 pm and I still haven’t moved an inch from the sofa. I download song after
song, video after video, but I’m not really paying attention. The stimulation is in
chasing after the next song rather than truly enjoying it. My friends try to drag me

3

（北师大版新教材）高中英语选择性必修一课文及翻译
away from my phone, but as soon as I’m alone again, I’m desperate to get back to
the online world and the intense activity that it provides.
社交网络在很多方面都控制着我的生活。 有时我会为自己设定截止时间：我
要在晚上8点开始做作业，并且要在两小时内完成。晚上7:50，我 还在浏览朋友
们发的无聊帖子和照片。等我意识到的时候已经是晚上9:30了，我还在沙发上
坐着一动没动。我下载一首又一首歌曲、一个又一个视频，但其实并不在意。刺
激来自于获取下一首歌而 不是真正欣赏音乐。朋友们试图让我远离手机，但是一
旦我独自一人，就会不顾一切地回到网络世界和网 上紧张的活动中。

I constantly feel depressed, dissatisfied and alone. Since I spend so much time
socialising online, I keep delaying things that are important in my real life: homework,
tasks, connecting with my friends and family members in a meaningful way. It’s
funny that my friends and I chatter away online so much, but we end up having
nothing to say when we meet.
我经常感到沮丧、不满和孤独。因为我花了很多时间上网社交，所以我一直
在推迟现实生活中重 要的事情：家庭作业、任务、以有意义的方式和家人朋友联
系。有趣的是，我和朋友们经常在网上聊天， 但我们见面时却无话可说。

A few days ago, I went out for a dinner get-together with some friends. My best
friend left the table for 30 minutes because he had to take a call. Some spent the
dinner bent over their phones, texting friends online but ignoring the ones who sat
right in front of them. And the extraordinary thing is nobody thought this was rude;
it’s just how life is nowadays. On a family holiday last summer, my sister spent all her
time complaining that she needed to charge her phone. When it was charged, she
just spent hours reading about her favourite popstar; not once did she lift her head
to enjoy the view outside her window.
几天前，我和一些朋友出去吃晚饭。我最好的朋友因为接听电话而离席30
分钟。有些人整个晚餐都埋 头看手机，给网上的朋友发短信，却忽略了坐在他们
面前的人。不可思议的是没有人认为这不礼貌，这就 是现在的生活方式。去年夏
天一次全家去度假，我妹妹一直抱怨说她的手机需要充电。手机充上电后，又 花
了数小时浏览她最喜欢的流行歌星的消息，一次也没有抬起头欣赏窗外的景色。

What is really worrying is that no one I know, including myself, could go cold
turkey. I can't even imagine going without social networking for a wee—think of all
the important appointments, invitations and news updates you would miss!
Alcoholics who want to quit drinking can avoid booze, but how do we give up our
phones? After all, I need it for my studies because my teachers and classmates need
to contact me at any time.
令人真正担心的是，我认识的每 个人，包括我自己，都不能够戒掉互联网。
我甚至无法想象一周没有社交网络的生活——想想你会错过的 所有重要约会、邀
请和新闻更新！想要戒酒的酗酒者可以避免饮酒，但我们如何放弃手机呢？毕竟，我需要它来学习，因为我的老师和同学需要随时与我联系。

So, that’s the problem with social networking. We're hard- wired in, but we’re

4

（北师大版新教材）高中英语选择性必修一课文及翻译
more disconnected than ever.
所以，这就是社交网络的问题。我们被网线连接，但人与人却比以往更加疏
远。

Unit 2
Lesson 1 Money VS Success
第一课 金钱VS成功
Angela Johnson interviews ex- millionaire Jason Harley
安吉拉·约翰逊采访前百万富翁詹森·哈利。

For a lot of people, becoming a millionaire is a symbol of success and they set
this as their ultimate goal. They spend half of their time dreaming up ways of getting
rich and achieving the success they expect, and the rest of their time thinking about
all the things they will do once they become rich. But do all millionaires get the sense
of success they were looking for after they achieve their goals? Some continue to
worry about money when they become millionaires—they worked hard to become
wealthy, but then they need to continue making money so they don’t lose the sense
of success they have achieved. However, there are people who have turned their
backs on their millions and found other forms of success in their lives. Jason Harley is
one example.
对于很多人来说，成为百万富翁是成功的象 征，并将此作为最终目标。他们
花一半时间想象各种发财和达到他们期望的成功的方法，另一半时间则用 来考虑
一旦发了财他们会干什么。但是，百万富翁们都在实现目标后获得所寻求的成功
感了吗？ 有些人成为百万富翁后仍然担心金钱问题——他们努力工作，变得富
有，但他们需要继续赚钱，这样才不 会丧失已经获
得的成就感。然而有些人却放弃了他们的百万财富，找到了人生中其他形式
的成 功。詹森·哈利就是一个例子。

Sixteen years ago, Jason was a college professor with a huge six-bedroom house
and a fortune of two million dollars. Today he lives in a small dormitory room with
only second-hand furniture. There are certainly no signs that Jason is a rich and
successful man! There is a small garden outside with a few fruit trees, which Jason
enjoys taking care of. He also grows some vegetables and a few flowers. He gets his
clothes and a lot of other things from charity shops.
十六年前，詹森是一名大学教授，拥有一套6间卧室的大房子和200万美元
的 财富。现在他住在一间只有二手家具的小宿舍里。根本没有迹象能表明詹森是
一个富有而成功的人！房子 外面有一个小花园，里面有几棵果树，詹森很喜欢侍
弄它们。他还种了一些蔬菜和花。他从慈善商店买衣 服和许多其他的东西。


5

（北师大版新教材）高中英语选择性必修一课文及翻译
But Jason appreciates this change. He is pleased to give up the lifestyle of a rich
man. He was tired of being regarded as living a successful life, as a person who had
everything while many people had nothing. He made the choice to give all his money
away. And this, he said, brought him happiness and a sense of success in life. “I don’
t need a lot of money. I don’t want to buy more things. I have enough,” said Jason.
“What I want is to live simply and be helpful to others. A few years ago, I was a
millionaire, but I knew millions of people died of hunger every year, and there were
places with no schools and no teachers. So many people could never go to school.
They didn’t have the chance to learn and get on in life. This worried me a lot and I
felt very guilty being a rich man without doing anything.” < br>但是詹森喜欢这种变化。他很高兴能放弃富人的生活方式。他厌倦了过别人
眼中成功的生活，在很 多人一无所有的时候自己能够拥有一切。他决定把自己的
钱财都捐赠出去。他说这给他的生活带来了快乐 和成功感。“我不需要有很多钱，
也不想再买更多的东西。我拥有的已经够多了，”詹森说。“我想要简 单的生活
并乐于帮助别人。几年前，我是百万富翁，但我知道每年有数百万人死于饥饿，
而且有 些地方没有学校和老师。这么多人永远不能上学，他们没有接受教育和开
启新生活的机会。这让我非常担 心，作为一位富人不能有所为，我感到非常内疚。”

Therefore he gave away all his money to charities. Whenever he had more than
two thousand dollars, he would give away small bank notes to homeless people in
the streets of local areas. “It was a kind of satisfaction and a real sense of success
that I had never felt before,” said Jason. “Sure, many people think that ‘success’
means having millions in the bank or a well-paid job. But I think my sense of
achievement comes from helping others and finding true meaning in life.”
因此，他把所有的钱都捐给了慈善机构。每当他的钱超过两千美元时，他就
会给当地街头无家可 归的人赠送小额钞票。“这是一种我从未感受过的满足感和
真正的成功感，”詹森说。“当然， 很多人 认为‘成功’意味着有数百万银行
存款或高薪的工作。但我认为我的成就感来自于帮助他人并找到生活真 正的意
义。”

Most people believe when they are living comfortably and earning enough
money, they will have no worries. However, most people never feel they have earned
enough. Jason Harley decided to drop out of this kind of lifestyle, and he discovered
that having only a little money made him free. Are there any things he misses from
his past? “No, I’m much happier now, because I am living according to my values.
Success is not measured by how much money you have but by how you understand
the true meaning of life.”
大多数人 相信，当他们生活舒适并赚到足够的钱时，就可以高枕无忧了。但
是，大多数人从未觉得自己赚够了。詹 森·哈利决定放弃这种生活方式，他发现
只拥有少量的金钱使他获得了自由。和过去相比，他错过了什么 吗？“不， 现
在我更开心，因为我依照自己的价值观在生活。衡量成功与否不在于有多少金钱，
而是如何理解生命的真正意义。”



6

（北师大版新教材）高中英语选择性必修一课文及翻译
Lesson 3 Getting to the Top
第三课 到达顶峰
Why do Olympic athletes push themselves to the limits? As one of the Olympic
athletes, I miss birthday parties, ruin family holidays and skip nights out, but there is
a very good reason for giving up so much. “We’re worried about you,” said my
friend from across the table. He was worried that I had no longer become fun to train
with and that I was in danger of being left with only a world championship medal and
no one to share it with.
为什么奥林匹克运动员要将自己逼到极限呢？作为一名 奥林匹克运动员，我
错过生日聚会、放弃节日与家人团聚、不参加派对，但是放弃这么多是有合理的理由的。“我们很担心你，”坐在我对面的朋友说。他担心和我一起训练不再是
一件愉悦的事情，担 心我处于只剩下世界冠军的奖牌而无人可以分享的危险境
地。

I could have become angry or defensive. Don’t they know how hard it is to be at
the top in sport? Don’t they know what it takes to get there? However, deep down I
knew elements of what he was saying were right. I was always tired and every
workout had a mental intensity that seemed too much for most to handle. I was
pushing the limits and extremes beyond what most thought were healthy.
我本可以生气或者辩解一下的。难道他们不 知道在运动中处于顶峰有多难
吗？难道他们不知道走向顶峰需要付出多少吗？然而，在内心深处，我知道 他说
的是对的。我总是疲惫不堪，每次锻炼带来的心理压力对于大多数人来说都太难
应对。我把 极限逼到了大多数人认为的健康范围之外。

These are the fears I face as a professional athlete on a day-to-day basis. Who
am I doing this for? How much is too much? Why am I doing this? How can I be so
selfish? What are the sacrifices for?
这些是我 作为职业运动员日常面临的恐惧。我这样做是为了谁？太多是多
少？我为什么要这样做？我怎么能这么自 私？这些牺牲是为什么？

I think of countless birthday parties and nights out I have missed, ruining a
family holiday in France because of the endless search for a swimming pool to train
in, almost missing my brother’s wedding because I was too busy hiring a car in
downtown Johannesburg and driving through the “no-go” areas in order to do a
group ride with the local triathletes. The list is endless.
我想 到了曾经错过的无数生日派对和本来可以外出狂欢的夜晚；因为一直寻
找可以训练的游泳池，而破坏了一 次去法国的全家旅行；为了和当地的铁人三项
运动员一起骑行训练，我忙着在约翰内斯堡市中心租车，开 车闯过“禁行”区，
差点错过哥哥的婚礼。这样的事情不计其数。

It boils down to this: I was born with an enormous amount of drive and
determination. From a small girl, I would stay in at lunch time just to get ahead on

7

（北师大版新教材）高中英语选择性必修一课文及翻译
class work rather than go out and play; I would get the bus on my own at ten years
old and go to swim 100 lengths of the pool while other kids played pool games; I was
the only girl in a rugby club of 250 boys. I have always lived my life to extremes. Call it
unhealthy if you want, but that is the way I roll, no matter what it is I’m applying
myself to.
归根结底：我天生就是个特别有干劲儿和意志力的人。我还是个小女孩 时，
为了在课业上名列前茅，午餐时间我会留下来学习而不出去玩。十岁的时候，我
会自己坐公 共汽车去游泳池游50个来回，而其他孩子在游泳池里嬉戏；橄榄球
俱乐部里，我是250个男孩中唯一 的女孩。生活中我一向把事情做到极致。你若
说这是一种病态也行，但这就是我的做事风格，不管做什么 我都会全力以赴。

Being a professional athlete is no different. If you want to be an Olympic
champion, it’s all about that little extra thing you have done in your preparation that
will set you apart from your competitors.
成为一名职业运动员也不例外。如果你想成为奥运冠军，就要在训练中多付
出那额外的一点点，它将使你 从竞争者中脱颖而出。

Can this be overdone? Absolutely. But if your dream is to be the best and reach
the winner’s platform, you had better be totally committed to your sport. In the
words of the British triathlete Alistair Brownlee, even if it means getting injured, “I’
d prefer to have three or four outstanding years of winning stuff than having ten
years of being average.”
这过分吗？当然。但如果梦想成为最棒的并站上胜利者的奖台 ，你最好全身
心致力于运动项目中。用英国铁人三项运动员阿利斯特尔·布朗利的话来说，即
使 这意味着受伤，“我宁愿有三到四年的胜利辉煌，而不选择十年的平庸无为。”

Doing what we do as athletes sets us apart because we are willing to do that
extra little bit that might take us to the top. It is certainly not a balanced way to live
and it is certainly not normal but those words are generally not used for anyone who
is striving for greatness.
做运动员 让我们与众不同，因为我们愿意做到那额外的一点点，这可能让我
们走向顶峰。它当然不是一种平衡的生 活方式，也肯定不寻常，但寻常、平衡这
些词是不会用来形容追求伟大的人的。

Unit 3
Lesson 1 The Sixth Extinction
第一课 第六次灭绝
Extinctions, where entire species are wiped out, are not unusual in our Earth’s
history. In fact, over 90 percent of all species that ever lived are now extinct. In the
last 500 million years, there have been five times when life on Earth has almost
ended. These include the third mass extinction, known as the “Great Dying”, which

8

（北师大版新教材）高中英语选择性必修一课文及翻译
killed 90% to 96% of all species. And the fifth event, which
occurred 66 million years ago, caused the death of the dinosaurs. The reasons
for extinctions are varied. According to scientists, they include volcanic eruptions,
asteroids hitting the Earth from space, changes in sea levels, the decrease of the
oxygen content of the sea and global warming. Many scientists say we are now
entering the Earth’s sixth mass extinction. This time, human activity will be to
blame.
物种灭绝，即某个物种的完全消失，在地球的历史上并不罕见。事实上，曾经存在的物种中90%以上现在都已经灭绝。在过去的五亿年中，地球上出现过五
次生物几乎全部灭 绝的情况。这其中包括称为“大灭绝”的第三次灭绝，期间
90%至96%的物种灭亡。6600万年前 发生的第五次灭绝导致了恐龙的灭亡。灭绝
的原因各不相同，科学家认为原因包括火山爆发、小行星从太 空撞击地球、海平
面变化、海洋氧含量下降和全球变暖。许多科学家认为地球的第六次大灭绝即将
来临，这一次，人类活动是主要原因。

Although it is not unusual for species to die out naturally, the rate at which this
is now happening is cause for concern. A 2015 study by scientists who were based at
Brown University and Duke University in the US, looked at how quickly species die
out due to natural causes, that is, the
“background extinction rate”. They found that human activity is causing
species to die out 1,000 times faster than normal. There is a long list of reasons why
so many species are dying out: air and water pollution, forests being destroyed,
factory farming and overfishing. It is clear that human activity has negatively affected
all other species on Earth, including animals and plants.
虽然物种的自然灭绝并不罕见，但现在灭绝的速度让人担忧。2015年在美
国布朗大学和杜克大学的科学家进行的一项研究，调查了物种自然状态下灭亡的
速度，即“背景 灭绝率”。他们发现人类活动导致物种灭亡的速度比正常情况快
1000倍。这么多物种正在消亡的原因 有很多：空气和水污染、森林被毁、工厂
化畜牧和过度捕捞。显然，人类活动对地球上所有
其他物种产生了负面影响，包括动物和植物。

If a sixth mass extinction occurs, scientists who have studied the issue believe
that up to three quarters of all species on Earth could die out. Of course, as we
humans depend on so many species for our survival, we would also be at risk of
dying out. Our world and our lives depend on the balance in nature between animals
and plants. Without forests, we would have no air to breathe, and without clean
water we would be unable to survive.
虽然物种的自然灭绝并不罕见，但现在灭绝的速度让人担忧。2015年在美
国布朗大学和杜克大学的科学家进行的一项研究，调查了物种自然状态下灭亡的
速度，即“背景灭绝率 ”。他们发现人类活动导致物种灭亡的速度比正常情况快
1000倍。这么多物种正在消亡的原因有很多 ：空气和水污染、森林被毁、工厂
化畜牧和过度捕捞。显然，人类活动对地球上所有其他物种产生了负面 影响，包
括动物和植物。


9

（北师大版新教材）高中英语选择性必修一课文及翻译
Can a sixth extinction be avoided? Experts say that it is not yet too late, if we
take action now. This would mean we have to significantly change the way we live.
For example, we need to take steps to save endangered species, including setting up
special areas where plants and animals can be protected. We need to change how we
work and travel by using cleaner, more natural sources of energy, such as wind and
solar energy. We also need to improve our farming methods to reduce water, air and
land pollution. In short, if we want to survive, we need to stop destroying the planet
that we live on and start to protect it.
第六次灭绝可以避免吗？专家说，如果我们现在采取行动还为时不晚。这意
味着我们必 须极大地改变生活方式。例如，采取措施拯救濒临灭绝的物种，包括
建立动植物的特殊保护区。通过使用 更清洁、更自然的能源来改变我们的工作和
出行方式，例如风能和太阳能。我们还需要改进耕作方式，减 少水、空气和土地
污染。简而言之，如果想要生存，就需要停止破坏我们生活的星球并开始保护它。

The Black Robin
黑知更鸟
Black robins are the birds that humans saved from extinction. In 1980, there
were only five black robins left in the world. They all lived on a small island off the
coast of New Zealand. Only one of those birds, a female called Old Blue, was able to
lay eggs. Wildlife workers began a programme for raising black robin chicks. They
protected Old Blue’s eggs, helped them to hatch, and took care of the chicks. Thanks
to their efforts, there are now more than 250 black robins, and the population is
spreading. To help them survive, people are restoring their habitats and removing
small animals that hunt them, such as mice and cats from the islands where they live.
黑知更鸟是人类从灭绝危机中拯救出来的鸟类。1980年，世界上只剩下五< br>只黑知更鸟。它们栖息在新西兰海岸附近的一个小岛上，其中只有一只名叫老蓝
的雌鸟能够产卵。 野生动物工作者开始了一项黑知更鸟繁殖计划。他们保护老蓝
的蛋，帮助孵化并照顾幼鸟。由于他们的努 力，现在黑知更鸟已超过250只，而
且数量还在增加。为了它们的生存，人们正在恢复黑知更鸟的栖息 地并移除捕杀
它们的小动物，例如岛上的老鼠和猫。

Lesson 3 The Road to Destruction
第三课 毁灭之路
Part 1
第1部分

“This morning, it took me 40 minutes to go downtown. More roadworks on the
A10!”
“今天早上，我花了40分钟去市中心。A10公路上的很多地方在施工!”

“Oh really? It took me over an hour. There was an accident on the M11.”
“真的吗？我花了一个多小时。M11公路上发生了一起事故。”

10

（北师大版新教材）高中英语选择性必修一课文及翻译

How often have you heard these conversations? How often do we get stuck in
traffic jams? How often do we arrive at work or school, stressed out, tired and angry?
For many people, the answer is every day. But personal anger and stress are nothing
compared to the real costs socially. Here are some figures about Britain:
你每隔多久会听到这样的谈话？有多少次我们碰到交通阻塞而动弹不得 ？
又有多少次，当我们抵达工作地点或学校时感到心力交瘁、心烦气躁？对很多人
来说，答案是 每天。但是和真正的社会损失相比，个人的愤怒和焦虑根本不值一
提。以下是一些关于英国的数据：

In the last 20 years, the number of cars on the roads has gone up by 25%. There
are now 32 million cars.
在过去的20年里，道路上的汽车数量增加了25%。现在有3200万辆汽车。

Over the last decade, an average of 2,500 people have died every year in vehicle
accidents.
在过去十年中，每年平均有2500人死于交通事故。

Traffic is one of the major causes of global warming and climate change, as car
engines produce various types of greenhouse gases.
交通是全球变暖和气候变化的主要原因之一，因为汽车发动机会产生各类温
室气体。

Almost 30,000 deaths per year are caused by air pollution.
每年有近3万人死于空气污染。

Some types of cancer are related to traffic pollution.
多种癌症与交通污染有关。

Part 2
第2部分

We know that cars are bad for us. But we all make excuses: “The buses are
terrible”; “The trains are always late”; “I haven’t got time to walk”. I’m talking
about myself, too. To be frank, I’m addicted to my car. When I asked Jenny Trowe of
Greenpeace for advice about how to give up, she told me five things:
我们知道汽车带来的危害， 但总能找到借口:“公共汽车很糟糕”“火车总
是晚点”“我没有时间走路”。我说的也包括我自己。坦 率地说，我离不开车。
当我向绿色和平组织的詹妮·特洛维询问如何放弃车时，她给了五条建议：

Use your legs. In 2014, over 55% of car journeys were under eight kilometres.
Instead of taking short car journeys, we could easily walk or cycle. Leg power can
save your money, keep you fit and help you live longer. Regular exercise also cuts the
risk of heart disease by 50%!

11

（北师大版新教材）高中英语选择性必修一课文及翻译
走路。2014年，超过55%的汽车行程不到 8公里。可以轻易地用走路或骑
行来代替短途的开车出行。利用脚力行走可以省钱，保持健康并帮助延长 寿命。
经常锻炼也能降低50%患心脏病的风险！

Use public transport. Up to 90 people can travel in one bus, while the same
number will need at least 18 cars. Sometimes it can take a little bit longer, but so
what? You can relax, read a book, talk to someone—who knows?
使用公共交通工具。一辆公共汽车最多可以乘坐90人 ，而乘坐小轿车这些
人至少需要18辆。有时坐公共汽车可能需要更长的时间，但那又怎样？你可以放松一下、读一本书、和别人交谈——谁知道呢?

Think before you go. Do you really have to go to that shopping centre on the
other side of town? What about the shops around the corner? Before you get into
your car, think about whether you really need to make that journey.
出发之前先想想。你真的要去镇上另一边的那个购物 中心吗？拐角处的商店
怎么样？在上车之前，想想你是否真的需要开车去那个地方。

Share cars. If you really have to use a car, share journeys with someone else. It is
much cheaper and kinder to the environment.
共享汽车。如果不得不用车，与其他人共用一辆车。这样更便宜，也更环保。

Take action! We often think there is nothing we can do about the noise,
pollution and danger of traffic. There is. If your street is full of heavy traffic, talk to
your neighbours about it. Write to the papers. Go to the city government. Ask for a
speed limit. Do whichever of these things that suit you. Don’t just sit around and
complain!
采取行动！我们经常觉得面 对噪音、污染和交通危险，自己无能为力。其实
可以有所为。如果你那条街的交通繁忙，去和邻居们谈谈 ，向媒体反映，去市政
府，申请设置限速。做你能做的任何事情，别光坐在那里抱怨！

All quite simple, isn’t it? Five easy ways to improve our environment. Well, I’
m sorry I have to finish this article, but I’ve got to pick up my daughter from school
at 4 pm. Then I’ve got to drive to the supermarket to do the shopping. After that, I
have to take my son to a party. The traffic is going to be horrible, but what can I do?
这些都很简单，不是吗？五种简单方法就可以改善环境。好吧，很抱歉 我要
结束这篇文章了，因为下午4点我得去学校接女儿。然后开车去超市购物，还得
带儿子去参 加一个派对。交通将会非常糟，但我能怎么办呢？


12