英語聽力小短文走遍全世界47: 美國革命

英語聽力原文：

The American Revolution was not a revolution in the sense of a radical or total change.

美國革命其實并不算是一場革命，因為它并未導致完全的和徹底的變化。

It was not a sudden and violent overturning of the political and social framework, such as later occurred in France and Russia, when both were already independent nations.

這次革命并不是對政治和社會框架的一次突然和猛烈的顛覆——像后來在已經(jīng)是獨立國家的法國和俄國所爆發(fā)的革命那樣。

Significant changes were ushered in, but they were not breathtaking. What happened was accelerated evolution rather than outright revolution. During the conflict itself people went on working and praying, marrying and playing. Most of them were not seriously disturbed by the actual fighting, and many of the more isolated communities scarcely knew that a war was on.

革命帶來了重大的變化，但并非翻天覆地，所發(fā)生的只是進化的加速，而不是一場徹底的革命;在沖突期間，人們仍然上班、做禮拜、結婚、玩耍。多數(shù)人并沒有受到實際戰(zhàn)斗的嚴重影響。在許多較閉塞的社區(qū)對這場戰(zhàn)爭幾乎一無所知。

America's War of Independence heralded the birth of three modern nations. One was Canada, which received its first large influx of English-speaking population from the thousands of loyalists who fled there from the United States. Another was Australia, which became a penal colony now that America was no longer available for prisoners and debtors. The third newcomer-the United States-based itself squarely on republican principles. Yet even the political overturn was not so revolutionary as one might suppose.

美國獨立戰(zhàn)爭宣布了三個現(xiàn)代國家的誕生，其中一個是加拿大。加拿大的第一大批講英語的流入人口來自于成千上萬英王的效忠者，這些人從美國逃到了加拿大。另一個國家是澳大利亞，因為美國不再是容納罪犯和欠債者的國度了，澳大利亞就變成了一個懲治罪犯的殖民地(注：獨立戰(zhàn)爭前，英國政府將罪犯流放到美國)。第三個國家就是美國，它完全建立在共和原則基礎上。即使政治上的顛覆也不如人們可能想象的那樣具有革命性。

In some states, notably Connecticut and Rhode Island, the war largely ratified a colonial self-rule already existing. British officials, everywhere ousted, were replaced by a home-grown governing class, which promptly sought a local substitute for king and Parliament.

在一些州，特別是康涅狄格和羅德島，戰(zhàn)爭基本上只是承認了已經(jīng)存在的殖民地的自治。四處被驅逐的英國官員都被本土的統(tǒng)治階級所替代，這個統(tǒng)治階級迅速地以地方權力機關的形式來替代國王和議會。

英語詞匯整理：

1. radical adj. 激進的，徹底的，基本的 n. 激進分子

eg: The country needs a period of calm without more surges of radical change.

這個國家需要一段平靜的時期，不再有重大變化所引發(fā)的動蕩。

短語：

free radical [化]自由基;游離基

sulfate radical 硫酸根

radical operation 根治手術

2. accelerate v. (使)加快，(使)增速

eg: Growth will accelerate to 2.9 percent next year.

增長明年將加快到2.9%。

詞語用法：

accelerate的意思是“(使)加快; (使)加速”,可指(使)某事比預期的更快或更早發(fā)生,也可指(使)車輛或人加快速度?？捎米骷拔飫釉~,也可用作不及物動詞。用作及物動詞時,其賓語可以是具體名詞,也可以是抽象名詞,可用于被動結構。

3. disturb vt. 打擾，妨礙;使不安，使煩惱;弄亂

eg: I am sorry to disturb you.

很抱歉我妨礙到你了。

短語：

disturb in one's sleep 打擾某人睡眠

disturb with 用……攪動

disturb about 對……感到擔憂

disturb at work 打擾某人工作

4. scarcely adv. 幾乎不，簡直不，剛剛，決不

eg: I can scarcely hear.

我?guī)缀跏裁匆猜牪灰姟?/p>

短語：

scarcely any 幾乎沒有

scarcely ever 幾乎從不，極少

scarcely less 簡直一樣(簡直相等)……

5. herald vt. 預示……的來臨;宣布，歡呼 n. 信使;預兆

eg: One falling leaf heralds the coming of autumn.

一片落葉預示著秋天的來臨。

The returning of the swallows are the heralds of the spring.

燕子歸來預示著春天的來臨。

短語：

international herald tribune 國際前鋒論壇報

sydney morning herald 悉尼先驅晨報

6. loyalist n. (對統(tǒng)治者)效忠者

eg: Party loyalists responded as they always do, waving flags and carrying placards.

黨的忠誠支持者們一如既往地以揮舞旗幟和高舉海報作為回應。

短語：

loyalist force 效忠派

Loyalist College 皇家學院;皇家理工學院

7. squarely adv. 成方形地，成直角地，直接地，堅定地

eg: The responsibility lies squarely with them.

責任直接在于他們。

短語：

hit squarely 命中，擊中

8. revolutionary adj. 革命的 n.革命者

eg: A revolutionary's life used to be beset with dangers and hardships.

一個革命者的生活中往往充滿危險和艱難。

短語：

revolutionary leader 革命領袖

revolutionary committee 革命委員會

9. ratify vt. 正式批準，使正式生效

eg: The parliaments of Australia and Indonesia have yet to ratify the treaty.

澳大利亞和印度尼西亞議會還未批準該條約。

短語：

ratify anaccord 簽署協(xié)議

ratify the arrest 批準逮捕

ratify and admire 認可與贊美

10. substitute n. 代用品，代替者 v. 代替，代以(for);替代

eg: Water is not a proper substitute for wine.

水不是酒的適當代用品。

短語：

substitute for 用……代替……，(使)代替……

substitute as 代替為……

substitute by/with 用……代替……

佳句采摘：

It was not a sudden violent overturning of the political and social framework, such as later occurred in France and Russia, when both were already independent nations.

這次革命并不是對政治和社會框架的一次突然和猛烈的顛覆——像后來在已經(jīng)是獨立國家的法國和俄國所爆發(fā)的革命那樣。