●筷子的故事-中国人的自豪●
Having their origins〖起源〗 in China, chopsticks are used in many Asian countries. The first chopsticks were made from bone and jade. In the Spring and Autumn period〖春秋时代〗, copper and iron chopsticks came into being〖产生〗.
In ancient times the rich used jade or gold chopsticks to display their wealth. Many kings and emperors used silver chopsticks to see if their food was poisoned.
Chopsticks are traditionally placed in bride's dowries〖新娘的嫁妆〗, for "Chopsticks" in Chinese is pronounced "kuaizi", which sounds like "soon to get a son."
Many foreign friends used chopsticks when they visited China. Nixon also used chopsticks at the welcoming banquet in his honor. As soon as he left his table, a foreign diplomat grabbed〖抓取〗his chopsticks as historic souvenir〖纪念品〗.
Closing the Digital Divide 消除数位化的区隔
Cell phones technology is narrowing the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
手机科技正逐渐消减科技拥有者和非拥有者间的鸿沟。
Iqbal Quadir, a boy living in rural Bangladesh, was sent by his parents to the nearest town to buy some medicine. "After walking for most of the morning, I arrived at my destination only to learn that the pharmacist had left for the city to replenish his supplies," he said. "It took me all afternoon to walk back home." A simple telephone call could have saved Iqbal the trip, but nobody in his village had a phone.
住在孟加拉共和国乡下的小男孩依克博夸迪尔，被他的父母叫去最近的镇上买药。“走了近一整个上午，我抵达目的地，却发现药剂师已经离开镇上去补充他的库存。”他说。“我花了一整个下午才回到家。”只要一通简单的电话，就可以省去依克博这一趟旅程，但是他住的村子里没有人有电话。
Iqbal's wasted day may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but consider this: over half of the people in the world have never made a telephone call. The "digital divide," or the gap between the technological haves and have-nots, seems to grow daily, with communications improving rapidly in the industrialized countries, and the rest of the world lagging far behind.
从整体来看，依克博浪费掉的一天可能没什么大不了，但是想想看：全球有一半以上的人从未打过电话。随着工业化国家通讯快速进步，世界上其余的国家却远远落后，“数位化的区隔”或者说科技的拥有者和非拥有者间的鸿沟似乎越来越大。
But there are signs that new technology and lower prices may be changing that situation. Cell phone networks are faster and cheaper to set up than fixed-line networks, making it easier for poor communities to use telephones. Some local entrepreneurs are also setting up phone kiosks, renting out their cell phones by the minute. Farmers can now call to get information on market prices, families can stay in touch with relatives working in the cities or abroad, and people like Iqbal can call ahead to make sure the person they need to see is around.
但是有迹象显示新科技和低价位可能会改变这个形况。设立手机（无线行动通讯）网路比固网快且便宜，让贫困的社区使用电话更容易。有些本地的创业家也设立了电话亭，以分钟计费出租他们的手机。现在农夫可以打电话询问市场价格讯息，家人们可以和在城市里或国外工作的亲戚保持联络，而像依克博这样的人可以先打电话确认他们要见的人在不在。
"Wireless" is increasingly referred to as a "leapfrog" technology, allowing poorer communities to jump over the need for building fixed-line communications. In fact, the absence of fixed-line systems in these places may encourage people to become early adopters of future innovations in communications. It's possible that, someday, Iqbal and his fellow villagers will be teaching the industrialized world a thing or two about communications technology.
“无线科技”被越来越多人称为“跳蛙”（跳跃）科技，它让较为贫穷的社区跳过建构固网通讯的需求。事实上，这些地区在固网系统方面的缺乏，可能会鼓励人们成为未来通讯新设备的早期采用者。有一天，可能依克博和他的同乡们可以教导工业化世界一些关于通讯科技方面的事。
．in the grand scheme of things 就整体来看
In the grand scheme of things, whether you agree to this plan is really not that significant.
．teach sb. a thing or two 教会某人一些事
The next time Heather is late again, go without her. That should teach her a thing or two about being punctual.
1. rural (adj.) 乡村的
The area is still very rural and undeveloped.
2. destination (n.) 目的地
We arrived at our destination tired and hungry.
3. pharmacist (n.) 药剂师
You'd better check with the pharmacist before you buy any medicine.
4. replenish (v.) 补充
Food stocks were replenished by imports from the USA.
5. gap (n.) 缺口；差异
He has a gap between his front teeth.
6. industrialized (adj.) 工业化的
Many industrialized nations are facing serious pollution problems.
7. lag (v.) 落后
She's lagging behind a bit - I think we'd better wait for her to catch us up.
8. network (n.) 网状系统
Massive investment is needed to modernize the country's telephone network.
9. entrepreneur (n.) 创业家
He was one of the entrepreneurs of the eighties who made their money in property.
10. phone kiosk (phr.) 电话亭
Where can I find some phone kiosks in this building?
11. adopter (n.) 采用者
These people will be the first adopters of this new transport system.
12. innovation (n.) 新的事物或方法
The high-tech industry is driven by constant innovation.
［此帖子已被 Reader 在 2004-09-05 20:40:20 编辑过］
CHILDREN'S WORDS 孩子的话
When you tell (1) a lie (2), you have to (3) keep (4) telling a lie.
你说过谎话，便要一直说谎话。
When your parents get divorced (5), you have to move on (6).
父母离婚，你也要好好生活下去。
You only have one life. So be careful (7).
你只有一条命，因此要活得谨慎认真。
When your friends do something stupid (8), you don't have to follow (9).
你的朋友做蠢事，不表示你要效尤。
If you think (10) something will taste (11) bad, it will. If you think something will taste good...(12) it might (13) .
若你估计某些东西难吃，它肯定难吃。若你估计某些东西好吃……它可能好吃。
If you write somebody's name wrong (14) , it makes them feel bad(15).
你若写错别人的名字，会令对方难受。
注释
1. tell：说谎、讲大话，动词用Tell。
2. lie：在这裏作名词，指大话、谎言。它也可直接作动词。Lie=tell a lie。
3. have to：必须、不得不。它有迫不得已的意思，而must很多时则指道德上或规则上的必须、应当。
4. keep：保持、令……继续。留意后面要用gerund (telling)。
5. divorced：离婚。使用的动词是get。 Divorce本身已可作动词。Divorce=get divorced。此外，divorce也可作名词，同样指离婚。
6. move on：继续前进、不停留。
7. careful：除了指小心，也指谨慎、认真。
8. stupid：愚蠢的、呆笨的、过分的。可用作形容人或事。
9. follow：跟随、仿效。
10. think：在这裏指认为、估计、觉得。
11. taste：味道是、给人……的味道。此字也同时可指品尝食物饮品。I taste it. It tastes bad.
12. 这的省略号(ellipsis)，有意犹未尽、一点迟疑的味道。
13. might：可能、也许。这表示不大确定。
14. 留意这个的wrong虽没有ly，但也是用作副词。当然，wrong也可作形容词。
15. feel bad：不好受、难受。
探讨中美贸易摩擦的对策
Today trade imbalance〖贸易失衡〗between the United States and our country is becoming worse〖日益恶化〗. We cannot leave this problem unattended〖置之不理〗, because the make a couple of proposals 〖提出若干建议〗to improve the whole situation.
First, we need to do more public relations activities〖公关活动〗to promote understanding, because some of their criticisms are based on misconceptions〖误解〗about our country. We have to communicate with them more by sending lobbyists〖游说人员〗, producing more movies, publishing books, and so on.
Second, we have to make an effort to encourage American companies to do business in our country. We should revise our projectionist practices in trade〖贸易保护主义〗, and promote free trade and competition.
At any rate〖总而言之〗, our country and the United States need each other, and we have to maintain〖保持；维持；继续〗communication to understand each other.
Well, I almost had a heart attack〖心脏病发作；心脏麻痹〗a few moments ago, when I was asked to speak in English. I guess I didn't have one, fortunately, because I am still standing here firmly on my feet〖仍好端端地站在这里〗.
From childhood, I have been a poor student of foreign languages〖从小我的外语就不好〗. Throughout my education〖学生时代〗, I have been exposed to〖接触〗languages such as English, Spanish, and French, but I flunked all these classes. But through my experience in business at home and abroad〖国内外〗I have learned the most important language by meeting a wide range of people from different cultures. It's the language of human relationship that is based on trust, openness, and under standing〖这就是基于信任、开放和理解的人际关系的语言〗. This universal language〖这种世界性的语言〗has always brought people of different cultures close together〖将不同文化的人们紧密地结合在一起〗. And I believe it is through this language of human relationship that our company has grown into what it is today〖达到它今日的成长/发展到今日的规模〗.
I want to thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak to you. And next time, please ask me in advance to make a speech. (我要感谢大家给我一个机会向各位讲话/和各位交流。不过，下一次请事先通知我一声要作演讲喔/下一次可别再给我来个突然袭击喔！)
1. be exposed to: 暴露；(比喻)遇到；接触
2. flunk: 失败；(使)不及格
She flunked her English examination.
The teacher flunked him in geography. (老师给他的地理打不及格。)
下面是一段非常实用的"表示谦虚"的开场白：
It is generally believed that Chinese are poor public speakers, especially when it comes to speaking in English, and fortunately or unfortunately, I am no exception to that rule.
一般人认为中国人是不擅长公众演讲，特别是要用英文来演说。不知是有幸还是不幸，对于这项通则我也不例外。
Who Has Seen the Wind?
By Christina Rossetti
Who has seen the wind? 誰見过风?
Neither I nor you: 你我都不曾﹔
But when the leaves hang trembling但當樹葉枝頭乱顫，
The wind is passing through. 風正吹过。
Who has seen the wind? 誰見过风?
Neither you nor I: 你我都不曾﹔
But when the trees bow down their heads 但當樹木俯首低頭，
The wind is passing by. 風正吹过。
［此帖子已被 Reader 在 2004-08-15 21:43:48 编辑过］
Someday soon, we might not have to be 1)embarrassed when we open our inboxes. Today, the 2)majority of 3)emails are 4)unwanted advertisements for anything from sex to 5)diet pills to 6)low-interest loans. But top 7)executives in the computer industry are 8)predicting an end to this 9)annoying flood by 2006.
不久的将来，我们打开电邮收件匣时或许不用再感到难为情了。今日，大多数的电子邮件都是些没人要看的广告，内容从色情到减肥药丸到低利贷款都有。不过电脑业的高级主管预测，西元二○○六年就能遏止这股讨人厌的邮件泛滥。
1) embarrassed (a.) 尴尬的
2) majority (n.) 大多数
3) email (n.) 电子邮件
4) unwanted (a.) 不想要的
5) diet pill (n.) 减肥药丸
6) low-interest loan (n.) 低利贷款
7) executive (n.) 主管
8) predict (v.) 预测
9) annoying (a.) 烦人的
Microsoft Corp. 1)founder Bill Gates said in Davos, Switzerland this year that the problem of unwanted 2)commercial email would soon be solved by his company. Then, Enrique Salem, president of Brightmail Inc., a leading 3)anti-spam company, 4)boasted that his own company would solve the problem by 2005.
微软公司创办人比尔盖兹今年在瑞士达沃斯市表示，他的公司很快就会解决垃圾广告邮件的问题。随即，反垃圾邮件领导公司“聪明邮件”的总裁安立奎赛伦夸口说，他的公司在二○○五年就能解决这个问题。
1) founder (n.) 创办人
2) commercial (a.) 商业的，广告的
3) anti- (pref.) 表示“反”的字首
4)boast (v.) 夸口，吹嘘
Brightmail Inc. has created a “1)reputation service,” a type of program that 2)differentiates between “clean” emails from friends and good businesses and spam. America Online has created an email service that allows users to 3)identify the 4)sender of an email. Other 5)techniques include fees for commercial email unless the 6)receiver chooses to accept it, and 7)complex 8)puzzles that could slow down spammers.
聪明邮件公司已经推出了一项“信誉服务”，这是一种能够将来自朋友或是正当公司的“干净”邮件与垃圾邮件区分开来的程式。美国线上公司也发明了一种电子邮件服务，让使用者能够分辨送件人是谁。还有一些技术包括除非使用者愿意收信，否则就要向寄发广告邮件的业者索取费用，或以复杂的谜题来减慢寄发垃圾邮件者的速度。
1) reputation (n.) 名誉，名声
2) differentiate (v.) 区分
3) identify (v.) 辨认
4) sender (n.) 发送者，传送者
5) technique (n.) 技术
6) receiver (n.) 接受者
7) complex (a.) 复杂的
8) puzzle (n.) 谜题
Despite all this, spam numbers are still up this year. Brightmail research shows that the 1)percentage of spam has increased from 58% of all email in December to 60% in February. They expect it will 2)peak at around 65% later this year and then start to 3)decline.
虽然如此，今年垃圾邮件的数目仍在上升。聪明邮件公司的研究显示，垃圾邮件占总邮件的比例，从十二月份的百分之五十八攀升至二月份的百分之六十。他们预期今年下半年垃圾邮件的比例会达到百分之六十五的高峰，然后开始下降。
1) percentage (n.) 百分比
2) peak (v.) 达到高峰
3) decline (v.) 下降
［此帖子已被 Reader 在 2004-08-23 10:50:41 编辑过］
After 12 years of searching for buried 1)treasure, sea 2)explorers finally 3)struck gold on November 6. The team of 4)marine 5)archaeologists found 80 loose gold coins. They also 6)spotted at least two wooden 7)crates that may 8)prove to be 9)packed with hundreds of coins.
做了十二年寻找埋藏宝藏的工作之后，海洋探险家总算在去年十一月六日挖到金矿了。这队海洋考古学家发现了八十枚散落的金币。他们还看到至少有两个大木箱，裏面可能装满数以百计的硬币。
1) treasure (n.) 宝藏
2) explorer (n.) 探险家
3) strike gold (phr.) 挖到金矿，寻到宝
4) marine (a.) 海洋的
5) archaeologist (n.) 考古学家
6) spot (v.) 发现
7) crate (n.) 大木箱
8) prove (v.) 证明，证实
9) pack (v.) 塞满，装满
The team from Odyssey Marine 1)Exploration, a company that 2)investigates 3)shipwrecks, discovered the gold along with the 4)remains of the S.S. Republic. The shipwreck lies deep below the 5)surface of the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 miles off the 6)border of Florida and Georgia.
这支队伍由专门调查沉船的奥迪赛海洋探险公司组成，找到沈没的蒸气船“共和号”残骸时同时发现了金币。这艘沉船深深躺在大西洋海底，距离佛罗里达州和乔治亚州边界大约有一百英里。
1) exploration (n.) 探险
2) investigate (v.) 调查
3) shipwreck (n.) 沈船
4) remains (n.) 残骸
5) surface (n.) 表面
6) border (n.) 边界
In 1865, the 1)steamship left New York City for New Orleans, Louisiana. According to old newspaper reports, the ship carried 59 to 81 2)passengers. It held at least 20,000 gold coins. It is 3)likely that 4)bankers and other business people in the North had shipped the coins to New Orleans to help the southern city rebuild after the Civil War. When a 5)violent 6)hurricane struck, the Republic sank. Most of the passengers 7)survived. The gold coins went down with the ship.
一八六五年，这艘蒸气船从纽约出发前往路易斯安纳州纽奥良市。根据旧报纸报导，船上搭载了五十九到八十一名乘客，并且装载至少两万枚金币。这些钱币很可能是北方的银行家和其他的商人，要运到纽奥良帮助这个南方城市在南北战争之后重建使用。猛烈的飓风来袭，“共和号”沉没，大部分的乘客生还。金币则随着船只沈没。
1) steamship (n.) 蒸汽船
2) passenger (n.) 乘客
3) likely (a.) 很可能
4) banker (n.) 银行家
5) violent (a.) 遽烈的，凶暴的
6) hurricane (n.) 飓风
7) survive (v.) 生存，幸存
“It could be a very 1)valuable 2)find,” says Laura Lionetti Barton, who is a 3)spokesperson for Odyssey. Valuable, 4)indeed! 5)Experts say the coins could be 6)worth more than $120 million.
“这可能是非常宝贵的发现。”奥迪赛公司发言人萝拉李奥耐提巴顿表示。当然宝贵啦！专家说这些金币可能价值超过一亿两千万美金。
1) valuable (a.) 有价值的，宝贵的
2) find (n.) 发现
3) spokesperson (n.) 发言人
4) indeed (adv.) 确实
5) expert (n.) 专家
6) worth (prep.) 值得……
Odyssey's team is still searching for more coins and 1)artifacts from the ship. Barton expects almost all of the treasures to become the 2)property of Odyssey. The company plans to sell most of them. The others, says Barton, will be 3)exhibited in museums. Then the public will learn the story behind what was lost, and found, at sea.
奥迪赛公司这个队伍还在搜寻这艘船上的钱币和文物。巴顿预料几乎所有的宝藏都会成为奥迪赛公司的财产。这家公司计画把大部分宝藏都卖掉。巴顿表示剩余的将在博物馆展出。届时民众就可以了解这宗海上失与得事件，背后隐藏的故事。
1) artifact (n.) 艺品，文物
2) property (n.) 财产
3) exhibit (v.) 展览，展出
Loving France法兰西之恋
Landing in France, a sacred feeling suddenly arises which attracts you to know more about this country.
France, approximately hexagonal in shape, has a boundary on the east with Germany, Switzerland and Italy, and is bounded on the southeast by[1] Monaco and the Mediterranean Sea; on the south are Spain and Andorra, with the Bay of Biscay on the west and the English Channel on the north as natural borders.
A series of massive mountain ranges includes the Alps, which separate France and Italy, and the Jura Mountains that delineate [2] the Franco-Swiss border. The Rhine River, at the northeast corner of France forms the Franco-German boundary. The Pyrenees Mountains, extending along the Franco-Spanish frontier from the Mediterranean to the Bay of Biscay, forms the other mountain boundary of France.
The plains region is a projection[3] of the great plain of Europe. The outstanding features of the plains are the river valleys. Among all the rivers, totaling more than 200 with numerous tributaries[4] which are almost all commercially navigable, the Rhine River is the largest in terms of[5] discharge volume.
The capital and largest city in France is Paris, which attracts many visitors every year. Marseilles is a chief port and Lyon is an industrial center famous for its textiles. Other major cities include Toulouse, an industrial and trade center; Nice, a resort; Strasbourg, a Rhine River port and industrial and commercial center; Bordeaux, a seaport and most famous for its wine.
French perfume, champagne, and bridges in Paris… want to know more? Then next time we will return to Paris, and you will learn more about her.
注释：
1． is bounded on...by...：在某个方向以……为边界。bound也有名词"边界、界限"的意思，和boundary意思相同。
2． delineate：描绘、画出轮廓。这里指侏罗山脉构成了法国和瑞士的国界。
3． projection：在这里是凸起、凸出物的意思。projection通常的意思是"投影、发射"。
4． tributary：支流。作形容词时后面的介词要用of。如：a stream tributary of the Ohio俄亥俄河的支流。
5． in terms of：依据、从……方面来说。如：It has been a terrible year in terms of business. 就生意而论，这是很糟糕的一年。
踏进法国的领土，一种神圣的感觉会油然而生。这种感觉会吸引着你更多的去了解这个国度。
法国从地图上看近似六边形。它东边与德国、瑞士和意大利接壤，东南与摩纳哥和地中海为邻，南边是西班牙和安道尔，比斯开湾和英吉利海峡则分别在西面和北面形成了天然的屏障。
连绵起伏的山脉包括阿尔卑斯山脉横亘于法国和意大利之间，形成了一道天然国界；而侏罗山脉则延绵构成了法国和瑞士难以逾越的国界。在法国东北角，奔涌的莱茵河形成了法国与德国天然的楚河汉界。位于在法-西边界的比利牛斯山脉，由地中海一直延伸到比斯开湾，形成了法国的另一道山界。
法国的平原在欧洲广袤的平原上是一个凸起，它突出的特点就是河流广布。总共有200多条大河和不计其数的支流，其中大部分可做商业航行。如果以流量计算，则莱茵河是法国最大的河流。
首都巴黎是最大的城市，每年吸引了无数的游客；马赛是最大的港口，而里昂则以纺织工业著称于世。其他的大城市大家应当能耳熟能详：图卢兹是工业及贸易中心，尼斯是著名的旅游胜地，斯特拉斯堡是莱茵河上的重要港口，也是工业和商业中心，波尔多是海港城市，它盛产的葡萄酒则更是名扬天下。
还有法国的香水、香槟酒、巴黎的桥……。你想知道的更多吗？下次我们会谈到巴黎，您可以深入地了解她。
Your Amazing Ballpoint Pen 神奇的原子笔
And its slow story of success
以及它漫长的成功故事
Imagine this. You go to a 1)department store and spend US$125 on a new kind of pen. It's 2)advertised as the best pen ever made, and you 3)rush home to 4)try it out. But when you try to write, the pen only 5)scratches the paper and no ink comes out. You press a little harder, and suddenly ink starts 6)pouring out of the pen making a big 7)inky 8)mess! Disappointed? So were the 5,000 people who had this happen to them back in 1945.
想像一下。你去百货公司，花了一百二十五美金买了支新型笔。这支笔广告上说是有史以来最好的笔，你赶紧回家试写。但是试写之际，这支笔只会刮纸，没有墨水出来。你压重一点，突然间墨水开始大量从笔中流出，弄得到处都是！感到失望吗？一九四五年有五千人曾经碰到这样的事情，他们也都很失望。
1) department store (n.) 百货公司
2) advertise (v.) 做广告
3) rush (v.) 冲，赶忙
4) try ... out (v.) 试用
5) scratch (v.) 刮
6) pour (v.) 倾倒
7) inky (a.) 墨水弄脏的
8) mess (n.) 一团乱
The common pen was once an expensive 1)high-tech 2)item. And in the early days, they did not work very well. It took many years of 3)experimentation before pens became the cheap, 4)disposable writing tools they are today.
普通的笔曾经是件昂贵的高科技产品。在早期，笔不是很好写。经过多年的实验，笔才成为今日廉价又可随意抛弃的书写工具。
1) high-tech (a.) 高科技的
2) item (n.) 项目，物品
3) experimentation (n.)（做）实验
4) disposable (a.) 用完即丢的
Generally speaking, a pen is any tool used for writing or 1)drawing that uses ink. By this 2)definition, the first “pens” were the writing brushes used by the Chinese around 2,500 years ago. The early Egyptians had writing tools made from reeds. And Europeans were using 3)feather, or quill, pens at least as early as the 7th century. The pens we use today are mostly ballpoint pens, and it is this style of pen that has 4)benefited most from improvements in 5)technology.
一般而言，所谓笔是任何使用墨水来书写或绘画的工具。在这个定义下，第一支笔是大约两千五百年前中国人使用的毛笔。古埃及人有芦苇制成的书写工具。欧洲人至少早在第七世纪就已经在使用羽毛笔。如今我们使用的大都是原子笔，这种笔也是自科技进步当中获利最多的笔。
1) draw (v.) 绘图
2) definition (n.) 定义
3) feather (n.) 羽毛
4) benefit from (phr.) 自……获利
5) technology (n.) 科技，技术
A ballpoint pen has a 1)metal ball at its 2)tip. The top of the ball is 3)coated in ink from the ink 4)supply, and the bottom of the ball spreads the ink onto paper as one writes. The ball also acts as a cover to keep the ink supply from drying out when not in use.
原子笔的笔尖有一颗金属球。球的顶端被墨水管中的墨水覆盖，球的底部则在写字时把墨水涂在纸上。这颗球也是一个盖子，防止管中的墨水在不用时会干掉。
1) metal (a.) 金属的
2) tip (n.) 尖端，末端
3) coat (v.) 包裹
4) supply (n.) 补给，供应
The first ballpoint pens were sold in 1895. And they had their 1)share of problems. When the weather was cold, the ink would 2)clog and the pen wouldn't write. When the weather was hot, the ink would flow out of the pen too fast. And if you didn't hold the pen exactly 3)vertical, it wouldn't write at all.
最早的原子笔在一八九五年卖出，这些笔都有些问题。天气冷的时候墨水会阻塞，笔就没办法写。天气热的时候墨水会太快流出笔外。而且你若没把笔管握成九十度垂直，就完全写不出来。
1) share (n.) 一份
2) clog (v.) 阻塞，堵塞
3) vertical (a.) 垂直
The problem with these early pens was not really with the pen itself, but with the ink. By 1949 an American 1)chemist, named Fran Seech, had 2)come up with a better 3)formula for making ink. He sold his formula to Patrick Frawley, who created the first successful pen company.
这些早期笔的问题不是真的出在笔上面，而是出在墨水上。到了一九四九年，一位名叫法兰西区的美国化学家研究出一个更好的墨水制造配方。他把配方卖给派区克法罗利，法罗利开创了第一间成功的笔公司。
1) chemist (n.) 化学家
2) come up with (v.) 想出，研究出
3) formula (n.) 配方，方程式
Nowadays, pens come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. There are pens that can write 1)underwater, pens that write upside down and even pens that write in the low-2)gravity 3)environment of space. Now that is something worth writing about!
如今，笔有各种大小、形状和颜色。有可以在水面下书写的笔、可以上下颠倒写的笔，甚至还有可以在太空低重力环境下写的笔。这倒是件值得大书特书的事！
1) underwater (adv.) 在水里
2) gravity (n.) 重力
3) environment (n.) 环境
What is time? Is it a thing to be saved or spent or wasted, like money? Or is it something we have no control over, like the weather? Is time the same all over the world? That's an easy question, you say. Wherever you go, a minute is 60 seconds, an hour is 60 minutes, a day is 24 hours, and so forth. Well, maybe. But in America, time is more than that. Americans see time as a valuable resource. Maybe that's why they are fond of the expression, "Time is money."
Because Americans believe time is a limited resource, they try to conserve and manage it. People in the U.S. often attend seminars or read books on time management. It seems they all want to organize their time better. Professionals carry around pocket planners-some in electronic form-to keep track of appointments and deadlines. People do all they can to squeeze more life out of their time. The early American hero Benjamin Franklin expressed this view best: "Do you love life? Then do not waste time, for that is the stuff life is made of."
时间是什么？是一种像金钱一样可以节省、花用或浪费的东西吗？或者它像天气那样，是一种我们无法掌握的东西？全世界的时间是不是都一样呢？你会说，那是一个简单的问题，不管你去那里，一分钟都是60秒，一小时是60分钟，一天是24个小时，以此类推。嗯，也许是这样吧。但是在美国，时间的意义不只是如此而已。美国人视时间为一项重要的资源，也许这就是为什么他们喜欢说“时间就是金钱”的缘故。
美国人认为时间是一项有限的资源，所以他们试着去爱惜时间且加以管理。美国人经常参加有关时间管理的研习会或阅读这方面的书籍，他们似乎都希望能把自己的时间安排得更好。专业人士随身带着口袋型记事本，有些甚至是电子的记事本，好随时留意所订的约会与工作截止日期。人们想尽办法要在有限的时间内挤出更多的时间来。早期的美国英雄班哲明．富兰克林将这种想法表达得最淋漓尽致：“你爱生命吗？如果爱就不要浪费时间，因为生命即是由时间组成的。”
conserve (v) 保存
seminar (n) 讲习会；研讨会
squeeze (v) 压榨；挤
keep track of something (v phr) 留意某事的进度或发展过程
［此帖子已被 Reader 在 2004-09-02 10:54:53 编辑过］
When customers are ready to check out, they find the nearest and shortest checkout lane. But as Murphy's Law [(n phr) 莫非定律] would have it, whichever lane they get in, all the other lanes will move faster. Good stores open new checkout lanes when the lanes get too long. Some even offer express [(adj) 快速的；特快的] lanes for customers with 10 items or less. After they pay for their purchases, customers receive a smile and a warm "thank you" from the clerk. Many stores even allow customers to take their shopping carts out to the parking lot. That way, they don't have to carry heavy bags out to the car.
当顾客们要结帐的时候，他们会找一个最近、队伍排得最短的收银台去结帐。不过根据莫非定律的说法，不论你排得是哪一列，结果其他列都会前进得比你这一列要快。当结帐队伍太长时，好的商家会再开放新的收银柜台。有些甚至会为购物项目为十项以内的顾客，提供快速收银的服务。当他们付钱之后，店员会给予顾客一个微笑和一句温暖的“谢谢”。有些商店甚至让他们的顾客将购物推车推到停车场去，这样他们就不必提着重重的袋子到车上去了。
In America, customer service continues long after the sale. Many products come with a money-back guarantee [(n phr) (不满意)保证退款). Expensive items-like cars, computers or stereos-often have a warranty that ensures [(v) 确保] trouble-free use for a period of a year or more. Advertisements regularly include the motto "Your satisfaction is guaranteed." So if there is a problem with the product, customers can take it back. The customer service representative will often allow them to exchange the item or return it for a full refund [(n) 退款]. Here's a trivia [(adj) 无足轻重的] question: Do you know what's the busiest time for most customer service representatives? The week after Christmas.
在美国，顾客服务在成交之后仍持续良久，很多货品都是保证可以退款的，像是车子、电脑或音响这样高价位的商品，通常会有保证期限，以保证一年或更久的时间内使用该产品没有任何问题。广告中通常会有“保证让你满意”的标语。所以产品若是有问题，顾客可以把它送回去，而客户服务人员通常会让他们换商品或是全额退钱。这里有一个小问题：你知道什么时候是大部份顾客服务人员最忙的时候吗？圣诞节过后的那个礼拜。
［此帖子已被 Reader 在 2004-09-03 11:54:20 编辑过］