Verb Master 動詞達人

#一分鐘英語聽力訓練

From Those to Whom Much is Given, Much is Expected(1)

- Bill Gates, Harvard 2007

* 按照順序聽六遍，聽力從0到100

第一次見到Bill Gates在是2012年拉斯維加斯CES(消費類電子展)，他經過我們的Booth，一個枯瘦的老頭在四名保鑣中間顯得特別矮小，我眼睛盯著他看，他隨口問我展出的是什麼，然後笑笑離開…

Bill Gates當年幾乎以SAT榜首的成績進入哈佛大學數學系，1590分(滿分1600)，因此，他的英文程度想必已經到美國人最高境界

今天起，聽這位英文高手如何用英文來演說

進入一分鐘演講之前，先看主題，” From Those to Whom Much is Given, Much is Expected”

有沒有覺得Bill Gates這句話狗屁不通？

其實他是引述媽媽，而他媽媽引述耶穌基督：

“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required”

(多得者須要多付出)

蜘蛛人的叔叔也說過類似的話：

”With great power comes great responsibility”

(能力越大，責任越大)

【聽音造句】
我被公認為是最成功的中輟生(recognize)
你是我的最佳損友(bad influence)
我想旁聽這堂課(sit in on)
這不是我報名參加的目的(sing up for)
我能認同你的感受(validate)
機會提高不保證一定成功(odds)
* 答案在演講中 *

【聽力挑戰1】

 

【聽力挑戰2 英文原文】

President Bok, former President Rudenstine, incoming President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers, members of the faculty, parents, and especially, the graduates:

I’ve been waiting more than 30 years to say this, “Dad, I always told you I’d come back and get my degree.”

I want to thank Harvard for this honor. I’ll be changing my job next year and it will be nice to finally have a college degree on my resume.

I applaud the graduates today for taking a much more direct route to your degrees.

For my part, I’m just happy that the Crimson has called me “Harvard’s most successful dropout.”

I guess that makes me valedictorian of my own special class I did the best of everyone who failed.

But I also want to be recognized as the guy who got Steve Ballmer to drop out of business school.

I’m a bad influence.

That’s why I was invited to speak at your graduation.

If I had spoken at your orientation, fewer of you might be here today.

Harvard was just a phenomenal experience for me.

Academic life was fascinating.

I used to sit in on lots of classes I hadn’t even signed up for.

And dorm life was terrific.

I lived up at Radcliffe, in Currier House.

There were always lots of people in my dorm room late at night discussing things, because everyone knew I didn’t worry getting up in the morning.

That’s how I came to be the leader of the anti-social group.

We clung to each other as a way of validating our rejection of all those social people.

Radeliffe was a great place to live.

There were more women up there, and most of the guys were math-science types.

That combination offered me the best odds, if you know what I mean.

This is where I learned the sad lesson that improving your odds doesn’t guarantee success.

 

【聽力挑戰3 英文 + 中文提示】

President Bok, former President Rudenstine, incoming(即將來臨的) President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation(哈佛公司，哈佛校董委員會) and the Board of Overseers(哈佛監督委員會), members of the faculty(教職員), parents, and especially, the graduates:

I’ve been waiting more than 30 years to say this, “Dad, I always told you I’d come back and get my degree.”

I want to thank Harvard for this honor. I’ll be changing my job next year and it will be nice to finally have a college degree on my resume.

I applaud(鼓掌稱讚) the graduates today for taking a much more direct route(直接路線) to your degrees.

For my part(對我而言), I’m just happy that the Crimson(哈佛校報哈佛紅) has called me “Harvard’s most successful dropout(輟學生).”

I guess that makes me valedictorian(學生畢業致詞代表) of my own special class I did the best of everyone who failed.

But I also want to be recognized as(被公認為) the guy who got Steve Ballmer(比爾蓋茲哈佛同學, 史丹佛商學研究所輟學) to drop out of(輟學) business school(商學院).

I’m a bad influence(壞榜樣).

That’s why I was invited to speak at your graduation.

If I had spoken at your orientation(迎新、新生訓練), fewer of you might be here today.

Harvard was just a phenomenal(驚人重大的) experience for me.

Academic life(校園生活) was fascinating(神魂顛倒的).

I used to sit in on(旁聽) lots of classes I hadn’t even signed up for(報名選課).

And dorm life(宿舍生活) was terrific(非常棒的).

I lived up at Radcliffe(拉德克利夫學院女子學院), in Currier House(哈佛研究生宿舍).

There were always lots of people in my dorm room late at night discussing things, because everyone knew I didn’t worry getting up in the morning.

That’s how I came to be(變成為) the leader of the anti-social group(不合群的團體).

We clung to(緊緊抱住) each other as a way of validating(認可、認同) our rejection of all those social people.

Radcliffe(拉德克利夫學院女子學院) was a great place to live.

There were more women up there, and most of the guys were math-science types(數理工型的人).

That combination offered me the best odds(最佳機會), if you know what I mean.

This is where I learned the sad lesson(慘痛的教訓) that improving your odds(提升機會) doesn’t guarantee success(保證成功).

 

《關鍵詞彙》

Bad Influence

[詞組] 壞榜樣、損友

* 海綿寶寶稱派大星是他的最家損友：You’re the best influence ever!

 

Orientation [ˌorɪɛnˈtеʃǝn]

[名詞] 迎新、新生訓練

* 給新生或新進員工進行介紹或訓練的期間，不可數名詞

 

Validate [ˈvælǝˌdеt]

[動詞] 認可某件事情

 

【聽力挑戰4 中譯 + 英文提示】

校長、前校長、即將上任的校長、哈佛校董會、哈佛監督委員會、哈佛教職員、各位父母、最重要的是全體畢業生們：

有一句話我等了三十多年，爸爸，「我就跟你說我一定會回學校拿到我的學位的」

感謝哈佛大學給我這份榮譽，我明年要換工作，終於可以在我的履歷表(resume)上填大學學位(college degree)，真好

我為今天在座的畢業生掌聲鼓勵(applaud)，因為你們採用比較直接的手段(direct route)拿到學位

對我來說，哈佛校報(Crimson)稱我是「哈佛最成功的退學生(dropout)」，我太開心了

我猜想這是讓我當這一屆特殊畢業班學生致詞代表(valedictorian)的原因，因為我是沒拿到學位的學生(who failed)裡面表現最傑出的

但是我也希望自己是被公認為讓Steve Ballmer從商學院退學的人

我是個壞榜樣(a bad influence)

這就是為什麼我被邀請參加畢業典禮演講

如果我參加的是新生訓練(orientation)演講，今天在座的人可能會少一點

哈佛對我是一個非凡重大的(phenomenal)經歷

校園生活(academic life)令人神往(fascinating)

我經常沒有報名(sing up for)就去旁聽很多課程(sit in on classes)

宿舍生活(dorm life)也是非常棒(terrific)

我住在Radcliffe女子學院上頭的哈佛研究生宿舍Currier House

總是有很多人三半夜來我宿舍房間講話談事情，因為大家都知道我隔天早上不用早起

我因此變成這群反社會團體的領袖

我們緊緊團結在一起(cling to each other)，這樣才能感覺到我們被社會人士否定是值得肯定的(validate our rejection)

Radeliffe女子學院附近是最適合人居住的地方

那上頭女生很多，而且大部分的男生都是呆呆理工科的人(math-science types)

這樣的組合給我們絕佳的機會(the best odds)，應該知道我的意思吧

這裡也正是我學到這個慘痛的教訓(sad lesson)，提升你的機會(improve your odds)不保證你就會成功(guarantee success)

 

【聽力挑戰5 中英對照】

President Bok, former President Rudenstine, incoming(即將來臨的) President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation(哈佛校董委員會) and the Board of Overseers(哈佛監督委員會), members of the faculty(教職員), parents, and especially, the graduates:

校長、前校長、即將上任的校長、哈佛校董會、哈佛監督委員會、哈佛教職員、各位父母、最重要的是全體畢業生們：

 

I’ve been waiting more than 30 years to say this, “Dad, I always told you I’d come back and get my degree.”

有一句話我等了三十多年，爸爸，「我就跟你說我一定會回學校拿到我的學位的」

 

I want to thank Harvard for this honor. I’ll be changing my job next year and it will be nice to finally have a college degree on my resume.

感謝哈佛大學給我這份榮譽，我明年要換工作，終於可以在我的履歷表(resume)上填大學學位(college degree)，真好

 

I applaud(鼓掌稱讚) the graduates today for taking a much more direct route(直接路線) to your degrees.

我為今天在座的畢業生掌聲鼓勵(applaud)，因為你們採用比較直接的手段(direct route)拿到學位

 

For my part(對我而言), I’m just happy that the Crimson(哈佛紅) has called me “Harvard’s most successful dropout(輟學生).”

對我來說，哈佛校報(Crimson)稱我是「哈佛最成功的退學生(dropout)」，我太開心了

 

I guess that makes me valedictorian(學生畢業致詞代表) of my own special class I did the best of everyone who failed.

我猜想這是讓我當這一屆特殊畢業班學生致詞代表(valedictorian)的原因，因為我是沒拿到學位的學生(who failed)裡面表現最傑出的

 

But I also want to be recognized as(被公認為) the guy who got Steve Ballmer to drop out of(輟學) business school(商學院).

但是我也希望自己是被公認為讓Steve Ballmer從商學院退學的人

 

I’m a bad influence(壞榜樣).

我是個壞榜樣(a bad influence)

 

That’s why I was invited to speak at your graduation.

這就是我為什麼被邀請參加畢業典禮演講

 

If I had spoken at your orientation(迎新、新生訓練), fewer of you might be here today.

如果我參加的是新生訓練(orientation)演講，今天在座的人可能會少一點

 

Harvard was just a phenomenal(驚人重大的) experience for me.

哈佛對我是一個非凡重大的(phenomenal)經歷

 

Academic life(校園生活) was fascinating(神魂顛倒的).

校園生活令人神往(fascinating)

 

I used to sit in on(旁聽) lots of classes I hadn’t even signed up for(報名選課).

我經常沒有報名(sing up for)就去旁聽很多課程(sit in on classes)

 

And dorm life(宿舍生活) was terrific(非常棒的).

宿舍生活(dorm life)也是非常棒(terrific)

 

I lived up at Radcliffe(拉德克利夫學院女子學院), in Currier House(哈佛研究生宿舍).

我住在Radcliffe女子學院上頭的哈佛研究生宿舍Currier House

 

There were always lots of people in my dorm room late at night discussing things, because everyone knew I didn’t worry getting up in the morning.

總是有很多人三半夜來我宿舍房間講話談事情，因為大家都知道我隔天早上不用早起

 

That’s how I came to be(變成為) the leader of the anti-social group(不合群的團體).

我因此變成這群反社會團體的領袖

 

We clung to(緊緊抱住) each other as a way of validating(認同) our rejection of all those social people.

我們緊緊團結在一起(cling to each other)，這樣才能感覺到我們被社會人士否定是值得肯定的(validate our rejection)

 

Radeliffe was a great place to live.

Radeliffe女子學院附近是最適合人居住的地方

 

There were more women up there, and most of the guys were math-science types(理工型的人).

那上頭女生很多，而且大部分的男生都是呆呆理工科的人(math-science types)

 

That combination offered me the best odds(最佳機會), if you know what I mean.

這樣的組合給我們絕佳的機會(the best odds)，應該知道我的意思吧

 

This is where I learned the sad lesson(慘痛的教訓) that improving your odds(提升機會) doesn’t guarantee success(保證成功).

這裡也正是我學到這個慘痛的教訓(sad lesson)，提升你的機會(improve your odds)不保證你就會成功(guarantee success)

 

【聽力挑戰6 無字天書】

 

【聽力挑戰7 造句練習】

我被公認為是最成功的中輟生(recognized)

你是我的最佳損友(bad influence)

我想旁聽這堂課(sit in on)

這不是我報名參加的目的(sing up for)

我能體同你的感受(validate)

機會提高不保證一定成功(odds)

 

《參考答案》

我被公認為是最成功的中輟生

I was recognized as the most successful dropout.

你是我的最佳損友

You’re the best bad influence ever.

我想旁聽這堂課

I want to sit in on this class.

這不是我報名參加的目的

This is not what I signed up for.

(電影阿凡達)

我能體同你的感受

I can validate your feelings.

機會提高不保證一定成功

Improving your odds doesn’t guarantee success.