|
＂When they go low, we go high.＂ 蜜雪兒歐巴馬的演說為什麼打動人？
美國第一夫人蜜雪兒歐巴馬不久前為民主黨候選人希拉蕊站台，她的演說大獲好評，不隨川普仇恨言論起舞，娓娓道來為人父母的經驗與責任之重，然後說道：我們不是要決定投民主黨或共和黨，每一次選舉，我們都在決定下一個四年或八年，誰會塑造我們的孩子。一起來讀演講中精采的幾段話。開始之前，先想想以下單字英文怎麼說：
(A) 把東西裝進 (B) 別搞錯 (斬釘截鐵表達一種態度) (C) 去投票
＂I will never forget that winter morning as I watched our girls, just 7 and 10 years old, (A) pile into those black SUVs with all those men with guns. And with all their little faces pressed up against the window, and the only thing I could think was, 'What have we done?' ＂At that moment, I realized that our time in the White House would form the foundation of who they would become. And how well we manage this experience could truly (1) make or break them.
我永遠忘不了那個冬天早上，我看著我們的女兒，一個7歲，一個10歲，和荷槍實彈的人們一起裝進黑色的SUV。看著她們貼在窗上的小臉，我心裡想的是「我們到底做了什麼？」那一刻，我意識到我們在白宮的時光將成為她們未來人生的基石。我們面對經歷的方式，可能成就她們，也可能毀掉她們。
“…How we insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country. How we explain that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don't (2) stoop to their level. Our motto is, when they go low, we go high.
我們堅決地告訴孩子們，公眾人物在電視上的仇恨言語，不代表這個國家真正的精神。我們向他們解釋，如果有人表現得殘忍、像個惡霸，你不該屈就他們的水準。我們的格言是，他們越走低級路線，我們就要越有格調。
(B) Make no mistake about it, this November, when we (C) get to the polls, that is what we are deciding. Not Democrat or Republican, not left or right. In this election, and every election, it is about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of their lives.
不要搞錯了，今年11月的投票，我們要決定的不是選民主黨或共和黨，也不是左派或右派。這次選舉，和每一次選舉，我們都在決定下一個四年或八年，誰有權力形塑我們的孩子。
“…kids who take the long way to school to avoid the gangs. Kids who wonder how they will ever afford college. Kids whose parents don't speak a word of English, but dream of a better life; who look to us to dream of what they can be. Hillary has spent decades doing the relentless work to actually make a difference in their lives. Advocating for kids with disabilities as a young lawyer, fighting for children's health care as first lady, and for quality child care in the senate.”
那些要避開幫派，繞遠路上學的孩子；那些不知道自己能不能負擔大學學費的孩子；有些孩子的爸媽不會說英語，但是希望給孩子更好的生活；還有那些仰望我們，想像自己未來成就的孩子。希拉蕊數十年來努力不懈，改善他們的生活。年輕時為有殘疾的孩子擔任律師，擔任第一夫人時為孩子們的健康奔走，擔任參議員時，關注有品質的孩童照護。
“…when you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and the military in your command, you can't make snap decisions. You can't have thin skin or a tendency to lash out. You need to be steady and measured and well informed.
當你掌握核彈密碼和軍隊，你不能草率地下決定。你不能愛面子，也不能有猛烈攻擊其他人的傾向。你要夠穩定、慎重、見多識廣。
＂Leaders like Tim Kaine, who show our kids what decency and devotion look like. Leaders like Hillary Clinton, who have the guts and the grace to keep coming back and putting those cracks in the highest and hardest glass ceiling until they finally break through, lifting all of us along with her.＂
像提姆·凱恩（民主黨副總統參選人）這樣的領袖，讓孩子們知道什麼是正直與奉獻；像希拉蕊這樣的領袖，有勇氣與風度，不斷挑戰最高、最困難的玻璃天花板，直到終於打破它，讓我們所有人都和她一起提升。
口語詞彙
(1) Make or break 成也…..敗也….
The army will either make or break him. 軍隊可能塑造他，也可能毀了他。
(2) Stoop to someone’s level; stoop to the level of…降低(道德上的)水準
Andy has made it clear that he won’t stoop to the level of personal attack. 安迪表明他不會降低水準去做人身攻擊。
世界公民，這是商業英語的last mile！
很多人都說，英文好薪水會加倍，可以換到外商工作、可以更輕鬆溝通……英文確實可以為你做很多很多事，但是，它能為你的人生帶來的最大祝福是：找回失去的自信、耐心、膽量……還有，花了二十年還在跟英文纏鬥的人。人生不要一輩子都在跟英文纏鬥吧，要嘛放棄它不要有罪惡感，要不就征服它帶來成就感，英文學習的最後一站。
史嘉琳《英語思維50講》每個人的英語基本功，看課程
|
