课文原文.docx
《课文原文.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《课文原文.docx(17页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
课文原文
Unit1
Time-ConsciousAmericans
Americansbelievenoonestandsstill.Ifyouarenotmovingahead,youarefallingbehind.Thisattituderesultsinanationofpeoplecommittedtoresearching,experimentingandexploring.TimeisoneofthetwoelementsthatAmericanssavecarefully,theotherbeinglabor.
"Weareslavestonothingbuttheclock,"ithasbeensaid.Timeistreatedasifitweresomethingalmostreal.Webudgetit,saveit,wasteit,stealit,killit,cutit,accountforit;wealsochargeforit.Itisapreciousresource.Manypeoplehavearatheracutesenseoftheshortnessofeachlifetime.Oncethesandshaverunoutofaperson'shourglass,theycannotbereplaced.Wewanteveryminutetocount.
Aforeigner'sfirstimpressionoftheUSislikelytobethateveryoneisinarush—oftenunderpressure.Citypeoplealwaysappeartobehurryingtogetwheretheyaregoing,restlesslyseekingattentioninastore,orelbowingothersastheytrytocompletetheirshopping.Racingthroughdaytimemealsispartofthepaceoflifeinthiscountry.Workingtimeisconsideredprecious.Othersinpubliceating-placesarewaitingforyoutofinishsothey,too,canbeservedandgetbacktoworkwithinthetimeallowed.Youalsofinddriverswillbeabruptandpeoplewillpushpastyou.Youwillmisssmiles,briefconversations,andsmallexchangeswithstrangers.Don'ttakeitpersonally.Thisisbecausepeoplevaluetimehighly,andtheyresentsomeoneelse"wasting"itbeyondacertainappropriatepoint.
ManynewarrivalsintheStateswillmisstheopeningexchangesofabusinesscall,forexample.Theywillmisstheritualinteractionthatgoeswithawelcomingcupofteaorcoffeethatmaybeaconventionintheirowncountry.Theymaymissleisurelybusinesschatsinarestaurantorcoffeehouse.Normally,Americansdonotassesstheirvisitorsinsuchrelaxedsurroundingsoverextendedsmalltalk;muchlessdotheytakethemoutfordinner,oraroundonthegolfcoursewhiletheydevelopasenseoftrust.Sincewegenerallyassessandprobeprofessionallyratherthansocially,westarttalkingbusinessveryquickly.Timeis,therefore,alwaystickinginourinnerear.
Consequently,weworkhardatthetaskofsavingtime.Weproduceasteadyflowoflabor-savingdevices;wecommunicaterapidlythroughfaxes,phonecallsoremailsratherthanthroughpersonalcontacts,whichthoughpleasant,takelonger—especiallygivenourtraffic-filledstreets.We,therefore,savemostpersonalvisitingforafter-workhoursorforsocialweekendgatherings.
Toustheimpersonalityofelectroniccommunicationhaslittleornorelationtothesignificanceofthematterathand.Insomecountriesnomajorbusinessisconductedwithouteyecontact,requiringface-to-faceconversation.InAmerica,too,afinalagreementwillnormallybesignedinperson.However,peoplearemeetingincreasinglyontelevisionscreens,conducting"teleconferences"tosettleproblemsnotonlyinthiscountrybutalso—bysatellite—internationally.
TheUSisdefinitelyatelephonecountry.Almosteveryoneusesthetelephonetoconductbusiness,tochatwithfriends,tomakeorbreaksocialappointments,tosay"Thankyou",toshopandtoobtainallkindsofinformation.Telephonessavethefeetandendlessamountsoftime.Thisisduepartlytothefactthatthetelephoneserviceissuperbhere,whereasthepostalserviceislessefficient.
Somenewarrivalswillcomefromcultureswhereitisconsideredimpolitetoworktooquickly.Unlessacertainamountoftimeisallowedtoelapse,itseemsintheireyesasifthetaskbeingconsideredwereinsignificant,notworthyofproperrespect.Assignmentsare,consequently,givenaddedweightbythepassageoftime.IntheUS,however,itistakenasasignofskillfulnessorbeingcompetenttosolveaproblem,orfulfillajobsuccessfully,withspeed.Usually,themoreimportantataskis,themorecapital,energy,andattentionwillbepouredintoitinorderto"getitmoving".
Unit2
LearningtheOlympicStandardforLove
NikolaiPetrovichAnikinwasnothalfasintimidatingasIhadimaginedhewouldbe.No,thissurelywasnottheex-Sovietcoachmyfatherhadshippedmeouttomeet.
ButNikolaihewas,Petrovichandall.Heinvitedmeinsideandsatdownonthecouch,pattingtheblanketnexttohimtogetmetositnexttohim.Iwassonervousinhispresence.
"Youareyoung,"hebeganinhisRussian-styleEnglish."IfyouliketotryforOlympicGames,Iguessyouwillbeabletodothis.NaganoOlympicstoosoonforyou,butfor2002inSaltLakeCity,youcouldbeready."
"Yes,whynot?
"herepliedtotheshockedlookonmyface.Iwasapromisingamateurskier,butbynomeansthetopskierinthecountry."Ofcourse,therewillbemanyhardtrainingsessions,andyouwillcry,butyouwillimprove."
Tobesure,therewerecountlesstrainingsessionsfullofpainandmorethanafewtears,butinthefiveyearsthatfollowedIcouldalwayscountonbeingencouragedbyNikolai'samusingstoriesandsenseofhumor.
"Myfriends,theygointhemovies,theygointhedance,theygooutwithgirls,"hewouldstart."ButI,"hewouldcontinue,loweringhisvoice,"Iampractice,practice,practiceinthestadium.Andbythenextyear,Ihadcut1-1/2minutesoffmytimeinthe15-kilometerrace!
"Myfriendsaskedme,'Nikolai,howdidyoudoit?
'AndIreplied,'Yougointhemovies,yougointhedance,yougooutwithgirls,butIampractice,practice,practice.'
Herethestoryusuallyended,butononeoccasion,whichwelaterlearnedwashis25thweddinganniversary,hestoodproudlyinawornwoolensweaterandsmiledandwhispered,"AndItellyou,Iam26yearsoldbeforeIeverkissagirl!
ShewasthewomanIlatermarry."
Romanticandotherwise,Nikolaiknewlove.Hisconsistentgoodhumor,quietgratitude,perceptivity,andsinceritysetanOlympicstandardforlovethatIcontinuetoreachfor,eventhoughmyskiingdaysareover.
Still,heneverbabiedme.OneFebruarydayIhadamassiveheadacheandfeltquitefatigued.Icameuponhiminaclearing,andafterapproximately15minutesofstridingintothecoldbreezeoverthewhitepowdertocatchhim,Ifussed,"Oh,Nikolai,IfeellikeIamgoingtodie."
"Whenyouareahundredyearsold,everybodydies,"hesaid,indifferenttomypain."Butnow,"hecontinuedfirmly."Nowmustbeski,ski,ski."
And,onskis,Ididwhathesaid.Onothermatters,though,Iwasrebellious.Once,hepacked10ofusintoaFinnishbachelor'stinyhomeforalow-budgetskicamp.WeawokethefirstmorningtofindNikolaimakingbreakfastandthenmadequickworkwithourspoonswhilesittingonmakeshiftchairsaroundatinycardtable.Whenwewerefinished,Nikolaistackedthestickybowlsinfrontofmysolefemaleteammateandme,asserting,"Now,girlsdodishes!
"
Ithrewmynapkinonthefloorandsworeathim,"Askthedamnboys!
Thisisunfair."Heneveraskedthisofmeagain,nordidhetakemuchnoticeofmyoutburst.Hesavedhispassionforskiing.
Whencoaching,hewouldsingouthisinstructionskeepingrhythmwithourstride:
"Yes,yes,one-two-three,one-two-three."Adearladyfriendofmygrandfather,afterviewingacopyofavideoofmetrainingwithNikolai,asked,"Doeshealsoteachdance?
"
Intraining,IworkedwithoutresttocorrectmistakesthatNikolaipointedoutandIaskedaftereachpassifitwasbetter.
"Yes,it'sOK.Butthefasterkneedown,thebetter."
"Butisitfastenough?
"I'dpersist.
Finallyhewouldfrownandsay,"Billiontimesyoumakemotion—thenbeperfect,"remindingmeinanI've-told-you-a-billion-timestone,"Youmustbepatient."
Nikolai'spatienceandmyhardworkearnedmeafourth-placenationalrankingheadingintothepre-Olympicseason,butthenImissedthecutforthe2002Olympics.
Lastsummer,IreturnedtovisitNikolai.Hemademetea...anddidthedishes!
Wetalkedwhilesittingonhiscouch.MissingtheOlympicTeamthepreviousyearhadmademepauseandreflectonwhatIhadgained—nottheleastofwhichwasaquiet,indissolublebondwithashortmaninatropicalshirt.
Nikolaitaughtmetohavethecourage,heart,anddisciplinetopersist,evenifittakesabilliontries.Hetaughtmetobethankfulinadvanceforacenturyoflifeonearth,andtoremindmyselfeverydaythatdespitethechallengesathand,"Nowmustbelove,love,love."
Unit3
MarrigeAcrossNations
GailandIimaginedaquietwedding.Duringourtwoyearstogetherwehadexperiencedtheusualupsanddownsofacouplelearningtoknow,understand,andrespecteachother.Butthroughitallwehadhonestlyconfrontedtheweaknessesandstrengthsofeachother'scharacters.
Ourracialandculturaldifferencesenhancedourrelationshipandtaughtusagreatdealabouttolerance,compromise,andbeingopenwitheachother.GailsometimeswonderedwhyIandotherblacksweresoinvolvedwiththeracialissue,andIwassurprisedthatsheseemedtoforgetthesubtlerformsofracialhatredinAmericansociety.
GailandIhadnoillusionsaboutwhatthefutureheldforusasamarriedmixedcoupleinAmerica.Thecontinualsourceofourstrengthwasourmutualtrustandrespect.
Wewantedtoavoidthemistakemadebymanycouplesofmarryingforthewrongreasons,andonlyfindingoutten,twenty,orthirtyyearslaterthattheywereincompatible,thattheyhardlytookthetimetoknoweachother,thattheyoverlookedseriouspersonalityconflictsintheexpectationthatmarriagewasanautomaticwaytomakeeverythingworkoutright.ThatpointwasemphasizedbythefactthatGail'sparents,afterthirty-fiveyearsofmarriage,weregoingthroughabitterandpainfuldivorce,whichhaddestroyedGailandforati