全新版大學(xué)英語(yǔ)綜合教程第一冊(cè)單元4課文介紹
導(dǎo)語(yǔ)：美國(guó)夢(mèng)意味著與不同的人不同的東西。但對(duì)許多人來(lái)說(shuō)特別是移民，這意味著有機(jī)會(huì)為自己謀生。對(duì)他們來(lái)說(shuō)夢(mèng)想是，人才和辛勤工作可以把你從木屋帶到白宮。下面是一篇講述主人公的美國(guó)夢(mèng)并沒(méi)有如此高漲，而是設(shè)法讓自己的夢(mèng)想成真。
AmericanDream PartIPre-readingTask
Listentotherecordingtwoorthreetimesandthenthinkoverthefollowingquestions:
1.AccordingtoDr.Hertz,whatdidtheAmericanDreammeantohisgrandparents?
2.InDr.Hertz'sopinion,whowantspeopletobelieveintheAmericanDream?Why?
3.WhydoesDr.HertzsaytheAmericanDreamisinone'sheadandinone'spocket?
4.WhatdoyouunderstandbytheAmericanDream?
Thefollowingwordsintherecordingmaybenewtoyou:
poverty
n.貧窮
advertising
n.廣告宣傳
PartII
Text
TheAmericanDreammeansdifferentthingstodifferentpeople.Butformany,particularlyimmigrants,itmeanstheopportunitytomakeabetterlifeforthemselves.ForthemthedreamisthattalentandhardworkcantakeyoufromlogcabintoWhiteHouse.TonyTrivisonnodidnotrisequitesohigh,yethemanagedtomakehisowndreamcometrue.
TONYTRIVISONNO'SAMERICANDREAM
FrederickC.Crawford
HecamefromarockyfarminItaly,somewheresouthofRome.HoworwhenhegottoAmerica,Idon'tknow.ButoneeveningIfoundhimstandinginthedriveway,behindmygarage.Hewasaboutfive-foot-sevenoreight,andthin.
Imowyourlawn,hesaid.ItwashardtocomprehendhisbrokenEnglish.
Iaskedhimhisname.TonyTrivisonno,hereplied.Imowyourlawn.ItoldTonythatIcouldn'taffordagardener.
Imowyourlawn,hesaidagain,thenwalkedaway.Iwentintomyhouseunhappy.Yes,theseDepressiondaysweredifficult,buthowcouldItoturnawayapersonwhohadcometomeforhelp?
WhenIgothomefromworkthenextevening,thelawnhadbeenmowed,thegardenweeded,andthewalksswept.Iaskedmywifewhathadhappened.
Amangotthelawnmoweroutofthegarageandworkedontheyard,sheanswered.Iassumedyouhadhiredhim.
Itoldherofmyexperiencethenightbefore.Wethoughtitstrangethathehadnotaskedforpay.
Thenexttwodayswerebusy,andIforgotaboutTony.Weweretryingtorebuildourbusinessandbringsomeofourworkersbacktotheplants.ButonFriday,returninghomealittleearly,IsawTonyagain,behindthegarage.Icomplimentedhimontheworkhehaddone.
Imowyourlawn,hesaid.
Imanagedtoworkoutsomekindofsmallweeklypay,andeachdayTonycleaneduptheyardandtookcareofanylittletasks.Mywifesaidhewasveryhelpfulwhenevertherewereanyheavyobjectstoliftorthingstofix.
Summerpassedintofall,andwindsblewcold.Mr.Craw,snowprettysoon,Tonytoldmeoneevening.Whenwintercome,yougivemejobclearingsnowatthefactory.
Well,whatdoyoudowithsuchdeterminationandhope?Ofcourse,Tonygothisjobatthefactory.
Themonthspassed.Iaskedthepersonneldepartmentforareport.TheysaidTonywasaverygoodworker.
OnedayIfoundTonyatourmeetingplacebehindthegarage.Iwanttobe'prentice,hesaid.
Wehadaprettygoodapprenticeschoolthattrainedlaborers.ButIdoubtedwhetherTonyhadthecapacitytoreadblueprintsandmicrometersordoprecisionwork.Still,howcouldIturnhimdown?
Tonytookacutinpaytobecomeanapprentice.Monthslater,Igotareportthathehadgraduatedasaskilledgrinder.Hehadlearnedtoreadthemillionthsofaninchonthemicrometerandtoshapethegrindingwheelwithaninstrumentsetwithadiamond.MywifeandIweredelightedwithwhatwefeltwasasatisfyingendofthestory.
Ayearortwopassed,andagainIfoundTonyinhisusualwaitingplace.Wetalkedabouthiswork,andIaskedhimwhathewanted.
Mr.Craw,hesaid,Ilikeabuyahouse.Ontheedgeoftown,hehadfoundahouseforsale,acompletewreck.
Icalledonabankerfriend.Doyoueverloanmoneyoncharacter?Iasked.No,hesaid.Wecan'taffordto.Nosale.
Now,waitaminute,Ireplied.Hereisahard-workingman,amanofcharacter,Icanpromiseyouthat.He'sgotagoodjob.You'renotgettingadamnthingfromyourlot.Itwillstaythereforyears.Atleasthewillpayyourinterest.
Reluctantly,thebankerwroteamortgagefor$2,000andgaveTonythehousewithnodownpayment.Tonywasdelighted.Fromthenon,itwasinterestingtoseethatanydiscardedoddsandendsaroundourplaceabrokenscreen,abitofhardware,boardsfrompackingTonywouldgatherandtakehome.
Afterabouttwoyears,IfoundTonyinourfamiliarmeetingspot.Heseemedtostandalittlestraighter.Hewasheavier.Hehadalookofconfidence.
Mr.Craw,Isellmyhouse!hesaidwithpride.Igot$8,000.
Iwasamazed.But,Tony,whereareyougoingtolivewithoutahouse?
Mr.Craw,Ibuyafarm.
Wesatdownandtalked.Tonytoldmethattoownafarmwashisdream.HelovedthetomatoesandpeppersandalltheothervegetablesimportanttohisItaliandiet.HehadsentforhiswifeandsonanddaughterbackinItaly.Hehadhuntedaroundtheedgeoftownuntilhefoundasmall,abandonedpieceofpropertywithahouseandshed.Nowhewasmovinghisfamilytohisfarm.
Sometimelater.TonyarrivedonaSundayafternoon,neatlydressed.HehadanotherItalianmanwithhim.HetoldmethathehadpersuadedhischildhoodfriendtomovetoAmerica.Tonywassponsoringhim.Withanamusedlookinhiseye,hetoldmethatwhentheyapproachedthelittlefarmhenowoperated,hisfriendstoodinamazementandsaid,Tony,youareamillionaire!
Then,duringthewar,amessagecamefrommycompany.Tonyhadpassedaway.
Iaskedourpeopletocheckonhisfamilyandseethateverythingwasproperlyhandled.Theyfoundthefarmgreenwithvegetables,thelittlehouselivableandhomey.Therewasatractorandagoodcarintheyard.Thechildrenwereeducatedandworking,andTonydidn'toweacent.
Afterhepassedaway,IthoughtmoreandmoreaboutTony'scareer.Hegrewinstatureinmymind.Intheend,Ithinkhestoodastall,andasproud,asthegreatestAmericanindustrialists.
Theyhadallreachedtheirsuccessbythesamerouteandbythesamevaluesandprinciples:vision,determination,self-control,optimism,self-respectand,aboveall,integrity.
Tonydidnotbeginonthebottomrungoftheladder.Hebeganinthebasement.Tony'saffairsweretiny;thegreatestindustrialists'affairsweregiant.But,afterall,thebalancesheetswereexactlythesame.Theonlydifferencewaswhereyouputthedecimalpoint.
TonyTrivisonnocametoAmericaseekingtheAmericanDream.Buthedidn'tfindithecreateditforhimself.Allhehadwere24precioushoursaday,andhewastednoneofthem.
NewWordsandExpressions driveway
n.宅旁私家車道
mow
v.修剪(草坪)，刈(草)
comprehend
vt.understandfully
lawn
n.草地，草坪
turnaway
refusetohelp(sb.)ortoallow(sb.)toenteraplace拒絕幫助;不讓進(jìn)入
weed
v.除去的雜草;除草
n.雜草，野草
assume
vt.suppose假設(shè);以為
compliment▲
vt.praise贊揚(yáng)
n.贊美的言辭或行為
workout
plan;solve;calculate制定出;解決;算出
weekly
a.happeningonceaweekoreveryweek每周的;一周一次的
cleanup
makecleanandtidy打掃，清除
helpful
a.givinghelp;useful有幫助的;有用的
dowith
(usedinquestionswithwhat)對(duì)待，處理
determination
n.決心，決定
personnel
n.人事部門;全體人員，全體職員
apprentice
n.學(xué)徒
capacity
n.theabilitytounderstandordosth.能力，才能
micrometer
n.測(cè)微計(jì)，千分尺
precision
n.thequalityofbeingexact精密;精確(性)
turndown
refuse拒絕
graduate
v.(使)畢業(yè)
n.(尤指大學(xué))畢業(yè)生
skilled
a.havingskill;needingskill熟練的，有技巧的;技術(shù)性的
grinder
n.磨工
grind(ground)
vt.磨，磨碎，碾碎
instrument
n.工具，器械，儀器
forsale
intendedtobesold待售
wreck
n.殘破物;(尤指失事船只、飛機(jī)等的)殘骸
callon
visit(sb.)forashorttime拜訪
banker
n.銀行家;銀行高級(jí)職員
loan
vt.lend(sth.)借，貸
n.貸款;借，貸
character
n.(人的`)品德;品質(zhì);性格
damn
a.，n.(infml)(usu.usedinnegatives)ofeventhesmallestamount絲毫
reluctantly
ad.勉強(qiáng)地
reluctanta.
mortgage▲
n.抵押借款，按揭
discard
vt.(fml)throwaway拋棄
oddsandends
零星雜物，瑣碎物品
screen
n.紗門，紗窗;屏;熒屏
hardware
n.五金器具;(計(jì)算機(jī)的)硬件
spot
n.aparticularplace;asmalldirtymark地點(diǎn);斑點(diǎn)
confidence
n.信心
amaze
vt.surprise(sb.)verymuch使驚愕，使詫異
amazement
n.驚愕，詫異
pepper
n.辣椒;胡椒粉
Italian
a.意大利的
diet
n.foodanddrinkusuallytakenbyapersonorgroup日常飲食
sendfor
askforthearrivalof派人去叫，召喚;派人去取
hunt
v.尋找;打獵
abandon
vt.giveupcompletelyorforever拋棄，放棄
property
n.land,buildingsorbothtogether;sth.whichisowned(房)地產(chǎn);財(cái)產(chǎn)
shed
n.小屋，棚
vt.使脫落;使流出，散發(fā)出
sometime
ad.某個(gè)時(shí)候
sponsor
vt.為做保證人;主辦，發(fā)起
n.保證人;主辦者，發(fā)起人
amuse
vt.causetolaughorsmile;causetospendtimeinapleasantmanner逗樂(lè);給提供娛樂(lè)
approach
v.comenear(er)to接近
millionaire▲
n.百萬(wàn)富翁
passaway
(euph)(esp.ofaperson)die去世
handle
vt.manage;control管理，處理;操縱
livable
a.fitorpleasanttolivein適于居住的
homey
a.(infml)pleasant;likehome舒適的;像家一樣的
tractor
n.拖拉機(jī)
stature
n.身材，身高;境界
industrialist
n.工業(yè)家，實(shí)業(yè)家
route
n.路線，路程
principle
n.guidingruleforbehavior;basictruth信條;原則;原理
vision
n.theabilitytomakegreatplansforthefuture;sight;theabilitytosee遠(yuǎn)見;視覺，視力
optimism▲
n.樂(lè)觀主義
self-respect
n.properrespectforoneself自尊;自重
aboveall
mostimportantofall最重要的是
integrity▲
n.qualityofbeinghonestandresponsible;stateofbeingcomplete正直;完整
rung
n.(梯子的)橫檔，梯級(jí)
basement▲
n.地下室
giant
a.ofgreatsizeorforce巨大的
n.巨人
balance
n.平衡;余額
balancesheet
資產(chǎn)負(fù)債表
decimal▲
小數(shù)
create
vt.produceormake(esp.sth.new)創(chuàng)造，創(chuàng)作
ProperNames TonyTrivisonno
托尼特里韋索諾
FrederickC.Crawford
弗雷德里克C克羅弗德
Italy
意大利
Rome
羅馬(意大利首都)
