新标准大学英语综合教程第三册重点文章及翻译

Unit1CatchingCrabs1Inthefallofourfinalyear,ourmoodchanged.Therelaxedatmosphereoftheprecedingsummersemester,theimpromptuballgames,theboatingontheCharlesRiver,thelate-nightpartieshaddisappeared,andweallstartedtogetourheadsdown,studyinglate,andattendanceatclassesrosesteeplyagain.Weallsensedwewerecomingtotheendofourstayhere,thatwewouldnevergetachancelikethisagain,andwebecamedeterminednottowasteit.MostimportantofcoursewerethefinalexamsinAprilandMayinthefollowingyear.Noonewantedthehumiliationoffinishinglastinclass,sothepeergrouppressuretoworkhardwasstrong.Librarieswhichwereonceemptyafterfiveo'clockintheafternoonwerestandingroomonlyuntiltheearlyhoursofthemorning,andguysworethebagsundertheireyesandtheirpale,sleepyfaceswithpride,likemedalsprovingtheirdiligence.2Buttherewassomethingelse.Atthebackofeveryone'smindwaswhatwewoulddonext,whenweleftuniversityinafewmonths'time.Itwasn'talwaysthehighflyerswiththetopgradeswhoknewwhattheyweregoingtodo.Quiteoftenitwasthequieter,lessimpressivestudentswhohadthenextstagesoftheirlifemappedout.Onehadlandedajobinhisbrother'sadvertisingfirminMadisonAvenue,anotherhadgotascriptunderprovisionalacceptanceinHollywood.Themostambitiousstudentamonguswasgoingtoworkasapartyactivistatalocallevel.WeallsawhimendingupintheSenateorinCongressoneday.Butmostpeoplewereeitherlookingtocontinuetheirstudies,ortomakealivingwithawhite-collarjobinabank,localgovernment,oranythingwhichwouldpaythemenoughtohaveacomfortabletimeintheirearlytwenties,andthensettledownwithafamily,amortgageandsomehopeofpromotion.3IwenthomeatThanksgiving,andinevitably,mybrothersandsisterskeptaskingmewhatIwasplanningtodo.Ididn'tknowwhattosay.Actually,Ididknowwhattosay,butIthoughtthey'dprobablycriticizeme,soItoldthemwhateveryoneelsewasthinkingofdoing.4Myfatherwaswatchingmebutsayingnothing.Lateintheevening,heinvitedmetohisstudy.Wesatdownandhepouredusadrink.5So?hesaid.6Er…sowhat?7Sowhatdoyoureallywanttodo?heasked.8Myfatherwasalawyer,andIhadalwaysassumedhewantedmetogotolawschool,andfollowhispaththroughlife.SoIhesitated.9ThenIreplied,“Iwanttotravel,andIwanttobeawriter.”10ThiswasnottheanswerIthoughthewouldexpect.Travel?Where?Awriter?Aboutwhat?Ibracedmyselfforsomeresistancetotheidea.11Therewasalongsilence.12Interestingidea,hesaidfinally.13Therewasanotherlongsilence.14IkindofwishI'ddonethatwhenIwasyourage.15Iwaited.16Youhaveplentyoftime.Youdon'tneedtogointoacareerwhichpayswelljustatthemoment.Youneedtofindoutwhatyoureallyenjoynow,becauseifyoudon't,youwon'tbesuccessfullater.17SohowdoIdothis?“18Hethoughtforamoment.Thenhesaid,Look,it'slate.Let'staketheboatouttomorrowmorning,justyouandme.Maybewecancatchsomecrabsfordinner,andwecantalkmore.19Itwasasmallmotorboat,mooredtenminutesaway,andmyfatherhadowneditforyears.Earlynextmorningwesetoffalongtheestuary.Wedidn'ttalkmuch,butenjoyedthesoundoftheseagullsandthesightoftheestuarycoastlineandtheseabeyond.20Therewasnosurfonthecoastalwatersatthattimeofday,soitwasasmoothhalf-hourrideuntilmyfatherswitchedoffthemotor.Let'sseeifwegetlucky,hesaid,pickeduparusty,meshbasketwitharopeattachedandthrewitintothesea.21Wewaitedawhile,thenmyfatherstoodupandsaid,Givemeahandwiththis,andwehauledupthecrabcageontothedeck.22Crabsfascinatedme.Theyweresoeasytocatch.Itwasn'tjustthattheycrawledintosuchanobvioustrap,throughasmallholeinthelidofthebasket,butitseemedasiftheycouldn'tbebotheredtocrawloutagainevenwhenyoutookthelidoff.Theyjustsatthere,wavingtheirclawsatyou.23Thecagewasbrimmingwithdozensofsoftshellcrabs,piledhighontopofeachother.Whydon'ttheytrytoescape?Iwonderedaloudtomyfather.24Justwatchthemforamoment.Lookatthatone,there!He'stryingtoclimbout,buteverytimetheothercrabspullhimbackin,saidmyfather.25Andwewatched.Thecrabclimbedupthemeshtowardsthelid,andsureenough,justasitreachedthetop,oneofitsfellowcrabsreachedout,clampeditsclawontoanyavailableleg,andpulleditback.Severaltimesthecrabtriedtodefyhisfellowcaptives,withoutluck.26Nowwatch!saidmyfather.He'sstartingtogetboredwiththisgame.27Notonlydidthecrabgiveupitslengthystruggletoescape,butitactuallybegantohelpstopothercrabstryingtoescape.He'dfinallychosenaneasywayoflife.28SuddenlyIunderstoodwhymyfatherhadsuggestedcatchingcrabsthatmorning.Helookedatme.Don'tgetpulledbackbytheothers,hesaid.Spendsometimefiguringoutwhoyouareandwhatyouwantinlife.Lookbackattheclassesyou'retaking,andthinkaboutwhichonesweremostproductiveforyoupersonally.Thenthinkaboutwhat'sreallyimportanttoyou,whatreallyinterestsyou,whatskillsyouhave.Trytofigureoutwhereyouwanttolive,whereyouwanttogo,whatyouwanttoearn,howyouwanttowork.Andifyoucan'tanswerthesequestionsnow,thentakesometimetofindout.Becauseifyoudon't,you'llneverbehappy.29Hepaused.30Soyouwanttotravel?heasked.31Yes,Ireplied.32Bettergetyouapassport.Andyouwanttobeawriter?33Ithinkso.34Interestingchoice.We'veneverhadawriterinthefamily,hesaid.35Myfatherstartedthemotorandwesetoffbackhome.抓螃蟹1大学最后一年的秋天，我们的心情变了。刚刚过去的夏季学期的轻松氛围、即兴球赛、查尔斯河上的泛舟以及深夜晚会都不见了踪影，我们开始埋头学习，苦读到深夜，课堂出勤率再次急剧上升。我们都觉得在校时间不多了，以后再也不会有这样的学习机会了，所以都下定决心不再虚度光阴。当然，下一年四五月份的期末考试最为重要。我们谁都不想考全班倒数第一，那太丢人了，因此同学们之间的竞争压力特别大。以前每天下午