胡敏读故事记托福词汇100：横渡河流 The River Crossing
The fall foliage had turned colors. The weather forecast indicated sunshine and cool temperatures. It was a wonderful day to be outside. I folded my notepaper and headed for the library.
秋天，树叶改变了颜色。气象预报说天气晴朗，气温凉爽。这是一个外出的好日子。我折叠起笔记本，往图书馆走去。
As I walked along the river towards the ford, I thought about my forefathers. Did they have the foresight to predict how strong this nation would become? My early forebears were simple farmers. They were probably too busy to foresee anything. Little did they know that they were the forerunners for modern agriculture? Because of their efforts, the pioneers who followed didn’t have to forage for food. However, it wasn’t long before agriculture gave way to industrialization. Our country’s rapid advances during the industrial revolution foreshadowed its development into the world’s most powerful nation. Presently, we’re at the forefront of high technology. There’s no reason why we can’t continue to foment high-level development. Perhaps we should limit the number of military forays into foreign countries and concentrate on domestic matters. An expensive folly could significantly inhibit our economic growth.
我一边沿着河边朝浅滩走去，一边想我的祖先们。他们是否有远见预知这个国家将变得何等强大?我早期的祖先们是淳朴的农民。他们可能忙得没有时间预见任何事情。他们并不知道自己是现代农业的先驱。由于他们的努力，他们以后的先锋们就不用搜寻食物了。然而，不久以后，农业就被工业化取代了。我们国家在工业革命时期的迅速发展预示着它将成为世界上最强大的国家。现在，我们处于高科技的最前沿。我们没有理由不继续促进高水平的发展。或许我们应该限制对外国的军事偷袭的次数，把精力集中在国内事务上。一个代价高昂的愚蠢的举动可能严重阻碍我国经济的增长。
My thoughts were beginning to digress. Today, my foremost concern should be to research the folklore of my home country so that I can finish the footnote to my report.
我的思想开始开小差了。今天，我最主要关心的应该是研究祖国的民间传说，那样我就可以完成我的报告的脚注了。
As I arrived at the ford in the river, I pulled up my pant legs and prepared to cross. There was a sign there. It said that the law forbids anyone from entering the river. I ignored the sign and started to cross. Then I saw a police officer with a forbidding look on his face.
我来到河的浅滩处，挽起裤腿，准备趟过去。那有一块牌子，写明法律禁止任何人进入这条河。我不理会牌子，开始趟水。然后，我看到一位警官，一脸令人生畏的表情。
As I backed out of the river water, I wondered what my forebears would have though if they had had to put up with so many silly laws.
我从河水中退出去的时候想，如果祖先们必须忍受那么多愚蠢的法律，不知道他们做何感想。
Words:
fold v. 折痕，折
foliage n. 树叶，植物
folklore n. 民俗学，民间传说
folly n. 愚笨，愚蠢
foment v. 煽动，助长
footnote n. 脚注
forage v. 搜寻(食物);n. (牛马等家畜的)饲料
foray n. 突袭，偷袭
forbid v. 禁止
forbidding adj. 可怕的，令人难亲近的，令人生畏的
ford n. 浅滩，水浅可涉处
forebear n. 祖先
forecast n. 预测，预报;v. 预测
forefather n. 祖先，祖宗
forefront n. 最前沿
foremost adj. 最初的，最重要的
forerunner n. 先驱，前身
foresee vt. 预见，预知
foresight n. 远见，深谋远虑
foreshadow vt. 成为先兆，预示
