新概念大学英语218课文原文.docx

新概念大学英语218课文原文.docx

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新概念大学英语218课文原文

1

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".

2

NikolaiPetrovichAnikinwasnothalfasintimidatingasIhadimaginedhewouldbe.

No,thissurelywasnottheex-Sovietcoachmyfatherhadshippedmeouttomeet.

ButNikolaihewas,Petrovichandall.

Heinvitedmeinsideandsatdownonthecouch,pattingtheblanketnexttohimtogetmetositnexttohim.

Iwassonervousinhispresence.

"Youareyoung,"hebeganinhisRussian-styleEnglish.

"IfyouliketotryforOlympicGames,Iguessyouwillbeabletodothis.

NaganoOlympicstoosoonforyou,butfor00inSaltLakeCity,youcouldbeready."

"Yes,whynot?

"herepliedtotheshockedlookonmyface.

Iwasapromisingamateurskier,butbynomeansthetopskierinthecountry.

"Ofcourse,therewillbemanyhardtrainingsessions,andyouwillcry,butyouwillimprove."

Tobesure,therewerecountlesstrainingsessionsfullofpainandmorethanafewtears,butinthefiveyearsthatfollowedIcouldalwayscountonbeingencouragedbyNikolai'samusingstoriesandsenseofhumor.

"Myfriends,theygointhemovies,theygointhedance,theygooutwithgirls,"hewouldstart."ButI,"hewouldcontinue,loweringhisvoice,0"Iampractice,practice,practiceinthestadium.

Andbythenextyear,Ihadcut-minutesoffmytimeinthe-kilometerrace!

"Myfriendsaskedme,'Nikolai,howdidyoudoit?

'AndIreplied,'Yougointhemovies,yougointhedance,yougooutwithgirls,butIampractice,practice,practice.'"

Herethestoryusuallyended,butononeoccasion,whichwelaterlearnedwashisthweddinganniversary,hestoodproudlyinaworn0woolen0sweaterandsmiledandwhispered,"AndItellyou,IamyearsoldbeforeIeverkissagirl!

ShewasthewomanIlatermarry."

Romanticandotherwise,Nikolaiknewlove.

Hisconsistentgoodhumor,quietgratitude,perceptivity,andsinceritysetanOlympicstandardforlovethatIcontinuetoreachfor,eventhoughmyskiingdaysareover.

Still,heneverbabiedme.

OneFebruarydayIhadamassiveheadacheandfeltquitefatigued.

Icameuponhiminaclearing,andafterapproximatelyminutesofstridingintothecoldbreezeoverthewhite0powder0tocatchhim,Ifussed,"Oh,Nikolai,IfeellikeIamgoingtodie."

"Whenyouareahundredyearsold,everybodydies,"hesaid,indifferenttomypain."Butnow,"hecontinuedfirmly."Nowmustbeski,ski,ski."

And,onskis,Ididwhathesaid.

Onothermatters,though,Iwasrebellious.

Once,hepacked0ofusintoaFinnishbachelor'stinyhomeforalow-budgetskicamp.

0WeawokethefirstmorningtofindNikolaimakingbreakfastandthenmadequickworkwithourspoonswhilesittingonmakeshiftchairsaroundatinycardtable.

Whenwewerefinished,Nikolaistackedthe0sticky0bowlsinfrontofmysolefemaleteammateandme,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'd0persist0.

Finallyhewouldfrownandsay,"Billiontimesyoumakemotion—thenbeperfect,"remindingmeinanI've-told-you-a-billion-timestone,"Youmustbepatient."

Nikolai'spatienceandmyhardworkearnedmeafourth-placenationalrankingheadingintothepre-Olympicseason,butthenImissedthecutforthe00Olympics.

Lastsummer,IreturnedtovisitNikolai.

Hemademetea...anddidthedishes!

Wetalkedwhilesittingonhiscouch.

0MissingtheOlympicTeamthepreviousyearhadmademepauseandreflectonwhatIhadgained—nottheleastofwhichwasaquiet,indissolublebondwithashortmaninatropicalshirt.

Nikolaitaughtmetohavethecourage,heart,anddisciplinetopersist,evenifittakesabilliontries.

Hetaughtmetobethankfulinadvanceforacenturyoflifeonearth,andtoremindmyselfeverydaythatdespitethechallengesathand,"Nowmustbelove,love,love."

3

GailandIimaginedaquietwedding.

Duringourtwoyearstogetherwehadexperiencedtheusualupsanddownsofacouplelearningtoknow,understand,andrespecteachother.

Butthroughitallwehadhonestlyconfrontedtheweaknessesandstrengthsofeachother'scharacters.

Ourracialandculturaldifferencesenhancedourrelationshipandtaughtusagreatdealabouttolerance,compromise,andbeingopenwitheachother.

GailsometimeswonderedwhyIandotherblacksweresoinvolvedwiththeracialissue,andIwassurprisedthatsheseemedtoforgetthesubtlerformsofracialhatredinAmericansociety.

GailandIhadnoillusionsaboutwhatthefutureheldforusasamarried,mixedcoupleinAmerica.

Thecontinualsourceofourstrengthwasourmutualtrustandrespect.

Wewantedtoavoidthemistakemadebymanycouplesofmarryingforthewrongreasons,andonlyfindingoutten,twenty,orthirtyyearslaterthattheywere0incompatible0,thattheyhardlytookthetimetoknoweachother,thattheyoverlookedseriouspersonalityconflictsintheexpectationthatmarriagewasanautomaticwaytomakeeverythingworkoutright.

ThatpointwasemphasizedbythefactthatGail'sparents,afterthirty-fiveyearsofmarriage,weregoingthroughabitterandpainfuldivorce,whichhaddest