基础英语轻松学：美国人的道德观

文章作者 100test 发表时间 2007:11:28 14:20:38
来源 100Test.Com百考试题网

本课您将学到：all the while和once in a while句型，need和in need

　　在美国人心目中，什么样的人最值得尊重呢？今天，我们就来聊聊美国人的道德观。

　　Compassion（同情心） may be the queen（女王） of American virtues（道德）. The story of "The Good Samaritan" from the Bible describes a man who showed compassion. On his way to a certain city, a Samaritan man found a poor traveler lying on the road. The traveler had been beaten and robbed（抢劫）. The kind Samaritan, instead of just passing by, stopped to help this person in need.

　　Another virtue Americans respect is perseverance（坚持不懈）. Remember Aesops fable about the turtle（海龟） and the rabbit that had a race（赛跑）? The rabbit thought he could win easily, so he took a nap（打盹）. But the turtle finally won because he did not give up. Another story tells of a little train that had to climb a steep（陡峭的） hill. The hill was so steep that the little train had a hard time trying to get over it. But the train just kept pulling, all the while saying, "I think I can, I think I can." At last, the train was over the top of the hill. "I thought I could, I thought I could," chugged（发出轧轧声前进） the happy little train.

　　Virtues are the foundation（基础） of American culture-and any culture.

　　「读书笔记」

　　同情心，可能是美国的道德之最了。（may be the queen of American virtues）圣经（the Bible）中的“好撒玛利亚人”的故事，描述一个流露同情心的人。在这个撒玛利亚人出发去某城市的途中，看到一个可怜的旅客躺在路旁。（found a poor traveler lying on the road）这旅客被鞭打、抢劫。（had been beaten and robbed）这位仁慈的撒玛利亚人没有视而不见，（instead of just passing by）而是停下来帮助这位处于困境中的人。（stopped to help this person in need）

　　因为传说，Good Samaritan就成了专有名词，用来指“乐善好施的人”。

　　另外一个为美国人所尊崇的美德为坚忍。（perseverance）记得再龟兔赛跑这则伊索寓言（Aesops fable）吗？兔子以为牠可以赢的很轻松，便睡了个午觉，（took a nap）但是乌龟再最后终因不放弃而赢了这场比赛。另一个故事谈到一个必须爬过陡峭山头（a steep hill）的小火车，山头是这么陡，以至于小火车很难爬上去，（to get over it）但是它仍不断地爬，（the train just kept pulling）并不停地（all the while）说：“我想我能做到，（I think I can）我能做到。”最后，火车终于爬过了山头，“我就知道我可以。（I thought I could）”这个快乐的小火车继续往前去。

　　道德是美国文化──和任何其它国家的文化之基础。（Virtue is the foundation of American culture-and any culture）