口语大师脱口成章成就篇Courage by Mark Twain-勇气 马克•吐温
- 听力原文
- 参考译文
In the matter of courage we all have our limits. There never was a hero who did not have his [1] bounds. I suppose it may be said of Nelson and all the others whose courage has been advertised that there came times in their lives when their bravery knew it had come to its limit.
I have found mine a good many times. Sometimes this was expected often it was unexpected. I know a man who is not afraid to sleep with a [2] rattlesnake, but you could not get him to sleep with a [3] safety razor.
I never had the courage to talk across a long, narrow room. I should be at the end of the room facing all the audience. If I attempt to talk across a room I find myself turning this way and that, and thus at [4] alternate periods I have part of the audience behind me. You ought never to have any part of the audience behind you; you can never tell what they are going to do.
advertise // v. 做广告
rattlesnake // n. 响尾蛇
razor // n. 剃刀
audience // n. 观众
attempt // n. v. 尝试
alternate // adj. 轮流的，交替的
在勇气问题上，人人都有极限。从来就没有无所不畏的英雄好汉。我想，可以说，纳尔逊和所有那些被大量宣传的勇士，一生中也有勇气达到极限的时候。
我就多次发现自己的勇气到了极限。有时是意料之中的--经常是出乎意料的。我认识一个人。此君不怕与响尾蛇共寝，可你无法让他与安全剃刀同眠。
我从来没有勇气站在狭长的房子中间讲话。我得站在房间的一头，面对全体听众。如果我试图站在房间中间讲话，我就会不断地转身，这样，就不断有部分听众在我背后。你永远不能让自己背后有听众；你永远闹不清他们要干什么。
增值英语
1. bounds：“界限、范围、止境”等意思，“there is no bounds to his foolishness”，（他的愚蠢无止境）。“out of bounds to”表示“禁止入内”。看来，英雄们的勇气也是有止境的。
2. rattlesnake：在美语里也写作rattler，是“响尾蛇”的意思。rattlesnake原产于美洲，因发怒时尾部会有响声而得名。
3. safety razor：“安全剃刀、保险剃刀”。这个人敢睡在响尾蛇旁边，却不敢睡在剃须刀旁边，可见，“勇气”是个很奇怪的东西，它没有绝对的标准。
4. Alternate：“轮流的、交替的”等意思，由此，大家肯定可以猜出alternating current表示“交流电 ”。
