英语 英语 日语 日语 韩语 韩语 法语 法语 德语 德语 西班牙语 西班牙语 意大利语 意大利语 阿拉伯语 阿拉伯语 葡萄牙语 葡萄牙语 越南语 越南语 俄语 俄语 芬兰语 芬兰语 泰语 泰语 泰语 丹麦语 泰语 对外汉语

美国国家公共电台 NPR Loss and Renewal: Moving Forward After A Door Closes

时间:2019-01-07 05:58来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
特别声明:本栏目内容均从网络收集或者网友提供,供仅参考试用,我们无法保证内容完整和正确。如果资料损害了您的权益,请与站长联系,我们将及时删除并致以歉意。
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

 

SHANKAR VEDANTAM, HOST:

This is HIDDEN BRAIN. I'm Shankar Vedantam. The turn of the year is a time when we set the old aside and welcome the new into our lives. And so today, we bring you a tale of loss and renewal1 from December 2015. It appeals to me for two reasons. The first is it's a universal story.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)

MAYA SHANKAR: I was really devastated2 to lose something that I was completely in love with and so passionate4 about and that had really constituted such a large part of my life and my identity, you know? I was first and foremost a violinist.

VEDANTAM: The second reason is that this is also about social science research and its applications in the real world.

SHANKAR: What we found was a 9 percent increase in college enrollment6 rates as a result of eight text messages. I mean, that is really profound. Eight text messages is what I send my best friend on any given day.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

VEDANTAM: This is HIDDEN BRAIN. I'm Shankar Vedantam. Today, we're telling you a story that begins in the attic7 of a home in Connecticut and ends at the White House. And on our theme of loss and reinvention, we'll bring you a poem I came across from Elizabeth Bishop8 read by musician Aimee Mann.

AIMEE MANN: (Reading) Then practice losing farther, losing faster, places and names and where it was you meant to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

SHANKAR: My grandmother was an Indian classical violinist. And so my mom had her old violin in our attic for many years.

VEDANTAM: This is Maya Shankar - no relation.

SHANKAR: Each of my three older siblings9 had rejected the violin, saying that it wasn't cool enough. And my mom finally gave me the instrument. And I was immediately taken kind of by the tactile10 sensation of the instrument - I mean, the wood and the bow. I just loved the feeling of playing the violin.

VEDANTAM: Even as a child, Maya immediately loved everything about the violin - the way it looked, the way it felt, the way it sounded. Maya's mother didn't know much about Western classical music. But she signed up her daughter for lessons using the Suzuki method. The focus was on playing by ear and making beautiful sound. Maya practiced constantly.

SHANKAR: I had a special schedule at school to lump all my classes together so that I'd come home a little bit early and get a little bit more practice in. And especially with all the traveling, most days were devoted11 exclusively to music.

VEDANTAM: She got good - very good. Now, the part of her musical education that was missing was the formal part. She didn't know how to read music very well, but she had a fine ear, and she had ambition. In the pursuit to find a teacher who would take her to the next level, Maya's mother did something quite daring.

SHANKAR: Yeah. So my mom - she was really a go-getter when it came to my violin life because, like I said, she didn't really have a lot of experience or exposure to the music community and kind of had to innovate12 in order to find opportunities.

VEDANTAM: They were in New York one day, close to the Juilliard School - one of the world's most famous and exclusive music institutions - when her mother came up with an idea. She said...

SHANKAR: Why don't we just go to Juilliard? I mean, why not, right? What can we lose?

VEDANTAM: Just walk in the door?

SHANKAR: We just walked in. So we walked into the building. And just by happenstance, we happened to run into a student in the elevator who studied with a music teacher. And my mom talked to that family in the elevator and said, would you mind if we just had about five or 10 minutes at the end of your lesson where Maya could play for your teacher? And they were really gracious. And they said, sure, no problem.

VEDANTAM: Well, of course, you know what happened next. Maya played for the other student's music teacher, wowed the teacher and got accepted into a summer program. Soon she was taking classes at Juilliard. She was playing with other talented musicians. She was even being featured on NPR.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CHRISTOPHER O'RILEY, BYLINE13: Joining us now is the Juilliard pre-college violin quartet. They are 17-year-old Emilie Gendron from Glastonbury, Conn., 15-year-old Maya Shankar from Cheshire, Conn. - Maya, by the way, is a From The Top veteran. She's been with us since the early '50s.

(LAUGHTER)

VEDANTAM: That was Maya on NPR's From The Top. She had found her classical music home. She was talented, hardworking, and the path before her seemed clear.

SHANKAR: I really wanted to be a violinist. I was so passionate about it. I never felt more comfortable than when I was performing. For some reason, that's where I experienced flow and, you know, the ability to spend a lot of time, you know, practicing and trying to perfect the art. And then you go on stage, and you kind of just surrender. And, you know, you play to the best of your abilities. There's just something beautiful and elegant about that process. And I just really, really loved it.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

VEDANTAM: She was so good and so enthusiastic that opportunities kept presenting themselves. One day, her teacher at Juilliard arranged for her to play for a famous violinist - a very famous violinist.

SHANKAR: I nearly fell over in my seat because no reasonable musician thinks they're going to get the opportunity to meet Itzhak Perlman, let alone, play for Itzhak Perlman.

VEDANTAM: Do you remember what you played?

SHANKAR: I played the Barber "Violin Concerto14." I played the first movement.

(SOUNDBITE OF BARBER'S "VIOLIN CONCERTO, OP. 14")

VEDANTAM: Perlman decided15 to take her on as a student.

SHANKAR: In addition to Saturdays, I was also going to New York multiple times during the week, either for studio classes at his home in Manhattan or for private lessons or chamber16 music lessons. And at that point, it was very clear to me that I wanted to become a concert violinist.

ITZHAK PERLMAN: Well, I remembered that she sounded - she had a very lovely way of making music. And that, for me, usually is the most important thing.

VEDANTAM: To concert violinist Itzhak Perlman, it was OK that Maya had learned to play music by ear rather than by reading music. The technical stuff was important, but it could be learned.

PERLMAN: You know, it's more important for me to have somebody musical. And let's say that technique-wise - you know, you have to work on the technique. But the important thing is the music. And I felt that she had a very lovely way of phrasing and so on and so forth17. And so we worked on that. But then we also worked on, you know, how do you accomplish, technically18, certain things? For example, the Barber "Concerto," the last movement is a little bit tricky19. So how do you practice that?

VEDANTAM: But Perlman didn't just teach Maya how to play the violin. He taught her something much more important - how to teach herself to play the violin.

SHANKAR: I remember at lots of lessons where instead of telling me, Maya, OK, clearly, you're unsatisfied with that phrase, here's what you should do to make it better, he would instead say, Maya, clearly, you're unsatisfied with that phrase. What do you think you should do in order to make that phrase better? Let's talk about it. Let me hear what your aspirations20 are for the arc of this musical phrase. What tools do you have at your disposal, either with your bow arm or your vibrato or your tone, in order to make it beautiful? And it's really frustrating21. I mean, in the moment, you're thinking, OK, man, like, you're the expert here (laughter), you know?

VEDANTAM: Just tell me what to do.

SHANKAR: Can please just tell me what to do, and make this easier for both of us?

PERLMAN: So the more you learn to think for yourself and to try and solve problems on your own, the better it is for you for the future.

VEDANTAM: It was all going so well. When Maya was 15, she was practicing at a program run by Itzhak Perlman.

SHANKAR: And I was playing a passage from a very challenging Paganini caprice. And I simply overstretched my finger on one note. And I felt a - kind of a popping. And so I overstretched the tendon. And it didn't really heal as expected.

VEDANTAM: And so how did you spend the next months? What did you do?

SHANKAR: Well, Mr. Perlman was such a gem22. Because I'd injured my left hand, he continued to teach me violin just with my bow arm. So for over a year, I went to him. And we just worked on perfecting my bow arm. And I would just play open strings23 in every lesson. And he would teach me about how to produce a beautiful sound.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

PERLMAN: You know, you always feel that, you know, it will resolve itself. So usually, what happens - if one hand doesn't particularly, you know, respond or anything like this, you work on the other hand just, you know, not to waste time, just to do - so if you've got your left hand and there's a problem, then you work on the right hand and vice24 versa.

She was good. You know, her attitude was - you know, I mean, obviously, she wasn't - I mean, I'm sure that she was feeling good about it. But it was never like, what's the use?

VEDANTAM: Maya's hand didn't heal. Doctors finally told her she had to stop playing completely.

SHANKAR: I was really devastated to lose something that I was completely in love with and so passionate about and that had really constituted such a large part of my life and my identity, you know? I was first and foremost a violinist. And so I was anxious because I was worried that I would never find something that I felt as passionately25 about as I did with music.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

VEDANTAM: Just like that, Maya's dream to become a concert violinist was over. Back home for the summer in Connecticut, she started to ask herself how she could pick up the pieces. Would she ever find anything that could make her as happy as the violin?

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

O'RILEY: Our next guest appeared as a violinist on a pilot episode when she was just 12 years old. She's now 23. And during those intervening years - well, brace26 yourself because what she's accomplished27 is a little humbling28 to us mere29 mortals. Please welcome Maya Shankar.

(APPLAUSE)

VEDANTAM: To find out what Maya did, stay with us.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

VEDANTAM: This is HIDDEN BRAIN. I'm Shankar Vedantam. On our last podcast of the year, we're exploring the idea of closing the book on one chapter of your life and opening another. We're doing it through the story of Maya Shankar. After learning she could no longer play the violin due to an injury to her left hand, Maya retreated to her parents' home in Connecticut. Her life felt in disarray30.

SHANKAR: The summer before, doctors basically told me I had to stop playing completely. And just by luck, I was helping31 my parents clean their basement in Cheshire, Conn. And I stumbled upon an old course book of my sister's. It was called "The Language Instinct" by Steven Pinker.

VEDANTAM: Maya started reading. And the more she read, the more excited she became.

SHANKAR: It was remarkable32 for me to learn about just how complex our minds were and just what was required in order for us to have our day-to-day experiences. And so it really whet33 my appetite for learning more about the mind and for exploring in more depth kind of the brilliance34 of the brain.

VEDANTAM: She started to study cognitive35 science. She went on to get her Ph.D. at Oxford36 on a Rhodes Scholarship. She got a postdoctoral fellowship. A promising37 career in academia lay ahead of her. But here again came another unexpected turn.

SHANKAR: So over Thanksgiving break of the final year of my postdoc, I was at home. And I was visiting my undergraduate adviser38 from college. Her name's Laurie Santos. And she was telling me about the U.S. Department of Agriculture's efforts to get free and reduced-price lunches - school lunches - into the hands of more eligible39 students.

VEDANTAM: Students were going hungry because the process of getting certified40 for the lunch program was cumbersome41. The Department of Agriculture came up with a simple idea. Instead of having a multistep sign-up system, states could use information they already had about poor families to help enroll5 children in the lunch program.

SHANKAR: And it's just a matter of data matching and cross-enrolling these students. But as a result of this common-sense reform, you know, 12.4 million students, as of 2015, were automatically enrolled42 into the school lunch program and had access to lunches and were able to thrive at school. And I remember being so moved by this example.

VEDANTAM: To Maya, it was magical.

SHANKAR: It was just like a light bulb went off in my head. And I thought, OK, this is what I need to be doing with my life. I want to be taking research insights from the behavioral sciences and allowing them to find their way into public policy so that they can be in the service of Americans and people around the world.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

VEDANTAM: So how do you break into the world of policy when you're just a lowly postdoc? Maya knew nothing of politics. She didn't have connections in the world of government. But she did remember a lesson her mother had taught her standing43 outside the Juilliard School years earlier. She tracked down an email address for Thomas Kalil, who was helping the Obama administration with its science policy.

SHANKAR: I sent Tom, again, a cold email (laughter).

VEDANTAM: This is the Juilliard method, again.

SHANKAR: This is the - this is my mom's Juilliard - I need to give her full credit for this.

VEDANTAM: (Laughter).

SHANKAR: She is totally fearless and kind of inspired this trait. And I went over to his home. And he asked me to pitch to him ideas that I had around interventions44 where behavioral science could improve public policy outcomes.

VEDANTAM: What did you tell him?

SHANKAR: I talked to him about a number of things, like the importance of using social norms to motivate behavior. So we know from research that if you tell people that their neighbors use less energy than they do - right? - they're more likely to use less energy. And there's a lot of domains45 in which just telling people what the data shows about people's actions and decisions can actually drive actions that are more in alignment46 with people's long-term goals or with policy objectives. And something that struck me about that conversation is I had been talking for years with my academic colleagues about the potential applications of using behavioral insights to improve people's lives. And this was the first time that, when I told him an idea that I had, his response was, oh, we can find a way to do that.

VEDANTAM: Maya joined the White House. She was asked to put together a team that could marshal ideas from social science research and apply them to public policy challenges.

You had a chance in your current role to actually work on this project that started you on this mission, the school lunch program. Can you tell me a little bit about that?

SHANKAR: So we have been working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and also local school districts to redesign communications that they're sending to families to help promote the verification process so that their kids can stay on that benefit. So we've done a few things. So there's a few behavioral insights that we used. One is we've taken a very long list of, you know, action steps required for verification and condensed them into three easy-to-understand steps that you can take. Two, we've worked with school districts to translate the communications into multiple languages in order to support comprehension among the diverse population that this program serves.

One issue is that, at present, families might only think the way to recertify or to verify their information is to send snail47 mail back to their - to the school district. And instead, there's the opportunity for them to take a picture of their information using their mobile phones and actually email it back. And we simply notified people of the opportunity to go through that process. And then, in other instances, we included prepaid envelopes to help ease the process of verifying eligibility48.

VEDANTAM: So I'm trying to think about why it is we often have trouble sort of thinking about programs like this because, as someone who has been interested in human behavior for a while, it seems to me that programs like these really are, you know - no pun intended - a no-brainer, that this is really something that we should be doing. It seems obvious that we should be doing it. But I think part of the issue is that I think many people might say, if you want to stay in a program that's giving you benefits and these are the steps you need to do in order to get the benefits and you deserve those benefits, rationally speaking, you should be willing to do those steps in order to get the benefits. And I think it fails to take into account the difference between how human beings are supposed to behave as rational creatures and how they actually behave. And I feel like that's the central divide that your work is trying to bridge.

SHANKAR: And I think, additionally, you know, the onus49 is on the government to present information clearly, to present choices clearly so that people understand what program exists and what their options are and can make the best decisions for themselves and their families. But there's one example that I wanted to point to, which is a phenomenon known as summer melt.

VEDANTAM: This is the phenomenon where talented high school students who are on track to go to college at the start of the summer somehow lose their way and don't show up at college in the fall. Maya and her team have worked on simple, low-cost interventions that can help these students get to college. Their idea - send the students eight text messages over the summer reminding them of impending50 deadlines.

SHANKAR: What we found was a 9 percent increase in college enrollment rates as a result of eight text messages. I mean, that is really profound. Eight text messages is what I send my best friend on any given day.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

VEDANTAM: It seems to me that what you did and what happened to you is - actually happens to lots of people all the time where doors close and they feel like it's unbearable51 that this door has closed because this is where I thought I lived. And then another door opens, and you realize there are actually many, many houses in which we can live.

SHANKAR: I think that's exactly right. And I think, you know, one thing that violin - one of the great blessings52 of playing the violin is that it allowed me to see what it really felt like to be in love with something and to be really passionate about something. And so if anything, you see sort of features or traits that are extracted in you from engaging with that pursuit. And then your hope is that, in the new explorations, those disciplines or those areas can extract those same qualities from you.

VEDANTAM: I'm wondering, as you think about your own life, do you feel that your career now has been set? This is the house you're going to live in forever. Or do you actually believe, on the other hand, that there might be many other houses you will one day come to live in?

SHANKAR: Well, I've certainly never been happier than I am right now working in public service and using my background to help improve people's lives. So I think that will continue to be a common theme of whatever it is that I end up doing and working in. That said, I think there are so many ways in which that passion can manifest, right? And I think that one thing the past has taught me is that there - you know, the world has endless opportunities to positively53 impact people's lives.

And, you know, along the way, I might explore various different paths in order to get there. But as long as I stick to that core value of trying to help people and improve people's lives, I think that there are many ways to do that.

VEDANTAM: And, of course, you have the cold call Juilliard method to aid you.

SHANKAR: (Laughter) Yeah. So I think that - yeah, again, thanks to my mom, I think that there is always that foolproof method of the standard cold call.

VEDANTAM: That was Maya Shankar. She served as senior adviser for the social and behavioral sciences at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Obama. Since then, Maya has left the White House and become Google's first head of behavioral insights.

I told you at the start of this episode that Maya's story is a universal story. Now, not all of us are going to be concert violinists or Rhodes scholars or presidential advisers54, but I don't think any of those things are the real point of Maya's story.

The reason I wanted to tell you the story, at the turn of the new year, is because all of us have chapters in our lives that close. And when they do, especially if it's a chapter we have known and loved for a long time, it can feel like the whole book is over, that there's nothing left to do, maybe even nothing left to live for.

But I think each of us has stories in our lives that reflect the fact that the people we are today are not the same people we were a few years ago. We often underestimate our capacity to reinvent ourselves.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

VEDANTAM: I was talking some years ago with Rick Potts. He's a paleoanthropologist and the head of the Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program. And something he said stuck in my head. He told me that the thing that distinguished55 early humans from other species was our remarkable capacity to adapt to different conditions, different situations. Uniquely, humans live in very cold places and very hot places at altitude and sea level. Some of us live long periods underwater or even in outer space.

Most of that isn't about our physical abilities. It's really about the mind. And each year, around this time, we need to remind ourselves that as one door closes, we have the ability to find other doors to open. I want to leave you with a lovely poem by Elizabeth Bishop. Singer Aimee Mann happened to be at NPR, and we asked her to read the poem for us.

MANN: "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop - (reading) the art of losing isn't hard to master. So many things seem filled with the intent to be lost, that their loss is no disaster. Lose something every day except the fluster56 of lost door keys, the hour badly spent. The art of losing isn't hard to master. Then practice losing farther, losing faster, places and names and where it was you meant to travel. None of these will bring disaster. I lost my mother's watch. And look, my last or next-to-last of three loved houses went. The art of losing isn't hard to master. I lost two cities, lovely ones - and, vaster, some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent. I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster. Even losing you, the joking voice, a gesture I love, I shan't have lied. It's evident the art of losing's not too hard to master, though it may look like - write it - like disaster.

VEDANTAM: That was Aimee Mann reading "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop. Aimee was at NPR with Ted3 Leo to perform for the All Songs Considered podcast.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

VEDANTAM: This episode was produced by Maggie Penman and Kara McGuirk-Allison. Our team includes Jenny Schmidt, Parth Shah, Rhaina Cohen, Laura Kwerel, Tara Boyle, Thomas Lu and Camila Vargas Restrepo.

Our unsung hero this week is someone who helped me reinvent my own life. Paul Ginsberg (ph) is a longtime NPR supporter and donor57. In December 2013, Paul came to me and told me I should be doing more than just weekly stories for radio. What about a podcast, he asked. Paul did more than just simply toss out an idea. He helped to make it a reality.

He raised funds to launch HIDDEN BRAIN, and he's been a trusted friend and adviser ever since. More than time and money, Paul gave me what might be the most valuable gift one person can give another. He helped me see something in myself that I had not seen on my own. Thanks, Paul.

From everyone at HIDDEN BRAIN, we wish you new paths, new dreams and much reinvention this coming year. I'm Shankar Vedantam, and this is NPR.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 renewal UtZyW     
adj.(契约)延期,续订,更新,复活,重来
参考例句:
  • Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
  • Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。
2 devastated eb3801a3063ef8b9664b1b4d1f6aaada     
v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词);摧毁;毁灭;在感情上(精神上、财务上等)压垮adj.毁坏的;极为震惊的
参考例句:
  • The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
  • His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。
3 ted 9gazhs     
vt.翻晒,撒,撒开
参考例句:
  • The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
  • She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。
4 passionate rLDxd     
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的
参考例句:
  • He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
  • He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。
5 enroll Pogxx     
v.招收;登记;入学;参军;成为会员(英)enrol
参考例句:
  • I should like to enroll all my children in the swimming class.我愿意让我的孩子们都参加游泳班。
  • They enroll him as a member of the club.他们吸收他为俱乐部会员。
6 enrollment itozli     
n.注册或登记的人数;登记
参考例句:
  • You will be given a reading list at enrollment.注册时你会收到一份阅读书目。
  • I just got the enrollment notice from Fudan University.我刚刚接到复旦大学的入学通知书。
7 attic Hv4zZ     
n.顶楼,屋顶室
参考例句:
  • Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
  • What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理?
8 bishop AtNzd     
n.主教,(国际象棋)象
参考例句:
  • He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
  • Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。
9 siblings 709961e45d6808c7c9131573b3a8874b     
n.兄弟,姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分
10 tactile bGkyv     
adj.触觉的,有触觉的,能触知的
参考例句:
  • Norris is an expert in the tactile and the tangible.诺里斯创作最精到之处便是,他描绘的人物使人看得见摸得着。
  • Tactile communication uses touch rather than sight or hearing.触觉交流,是用触摸感觉,而不是用看或听来感觉。
11 devoted xu9zka     
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的
参考例句:
  • He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
12 innovate p62xr     
v.革新,变革,创始
参考例句:
  • We must innovate in order to make progress.我们必须改革以便取得进步。
  • It is necessary to innovate and develop military theories.创新和发展军事理论是必要的。
13 byline sSXyQ     
n.署名;v.署名
参考例句:
  • His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
  • We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。
14 concerto JpEzs     
n.协奏曲
参考例句:
  • The piano concerto was well rendered.钢琴协奏曲演奏得很好。
  • The concert ended with a Mozart violin concerto.音乐会在莫扎特的小提琴协奏曲中结束。
15 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
16 chamber wnky9     
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所
参考例句:
  • For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说,牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
  • The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
17 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
18 technically wqYwV     
adv.专门地,技术上地
参考例句:
  • Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说,这是最先进的设备。
  • The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说,西红柿是一种水果,尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。
19 tricky 9fCzyd     
adj.狡猾的,奸诈的;(工作等)棘手的,微妙的
参考例句:
  • I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手,你能帮我吗?
  • He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题,只做了个笼统的表述。
20 aspirations a60ebedc36cdd304870aeab399069f9e     
强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 ); 志向; 发送气音; 发 h 音
参考例句:
  • I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
  • The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。
21 frustrating is9z54     
adj.产生挫折的,使人沮丧的,令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 );挫败;使受挫折;令人沮丧
参考例句:
  • It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间,真令人懊恼。
  • It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 gem Ug8xy     
n.宝石,珠宝;受爱戴的人 [同]jewel
参考例句:
  • The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
  • The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。
23 strings nh0zBe     
n.弦
参考例句:
  • He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上,随意地拨着吉他的弦。
  • She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。
24 vice NU0zQ     
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的
参考例句:
  • He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
  • They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
25 passionately YmDzQ4     
ad.热烈地,激烈地
参考例句:
  • She could hate as passionately as she could love. 她能恨得咬牙切齿,也能爱得一往情深。
  • He was passionately addicted to pop music. 他酷爱流行音乐。
26 brace 0WzzE     
n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备
参考例句:
  • My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
  • You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。
27 accomplished UzwztZ     
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的
参考例句:
  • Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
  • Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。
28 humbling 643ebf3f558f4dfa49252dce8143a9c8     
adj.令人羞辱的v.使谦恭( humble的现在分词 );轻松打败(尤指强大的对手);低声下气
参考例句:
  • A certain humbling from time to time is good. 不时受点儿屈辱是有好处的。 来自辞典例句
  • It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-buildingexperience. 据说天文学是一种令人产生自卑、塑造人格的科学。 来自互联网
29 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
参考例句:
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
30 disarray 1ufx1     
n.混乱,紊乱,凌乱
参考例句:
  • His personal life fell into disarray when his wife left him.妻子离去后,他的个人生活一片混乱。
  • Our plans were thrown into disarray by the rail strike.铁路罢工打乱了我们的计划。
31 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
32 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
参考例句:
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
33 whet GUuzX     
v.磨快,刺激
参考例句:
  • I've read only the fIrst few pages of her book,but It was enough to whet my appetIte.她的书我只看了开头几页,但已经引起我极大的兴趣。
  • A really good catalogue can also whet customers' appetites for merchandise.一份真正好的商品目录也可以激起顾客购买的欲望。
34 brilliance 1svzs     
n.光辉,辉煌,壮丽,(卓越的)才华,才智
参考例句:
  • I was totally amazed by the brilliance of her paintings.她的绘画才能令我惊歎不已。
  • The gorgeous costume added to the brilliance of the dance.华丽的服装使舞蹈更加光彩夺目。
35 cognitive Uqwz0     
adj.认知的,认识的,有感知的
参考例句:
  • As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大,他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
  • The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。
36 Oxford Wmmz0a     
n.牛津(英国城市)
参考例句:
  • At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
  • This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。
37 promising BkQzsk     
adj.有希望的,有前途的
参考例句:
  • The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
  • We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。
38 adviser HznziU     
n.劝告者,顾问
参考例句:
  • They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
  • Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。
39 eligible Cq6xL     
adj.有条件被选中的;(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的
参考例句:
  • He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
  • Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。
40 certified fw5zkU     
a.经证明合格的;具有证明文件的
参考例句:
  • Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
  • The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。
41 cumbersome Mnizj     
adj.笨重的,不便携带的
参考例句:
  • Although the machine looks cumbersome,it is actually easy to use.尽管这台机器看上去很笨重,操作起来却很容易。
  • The furniture is too cumbersome to move.家具太笨,搬起来很不方便。
42 enrolled ff7af27948b380bff5d583359796d3c8     
adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 );登记,招收,使入伍(或入会、入学等),参加,成为成员;记入名册;卷起,包起
参考例句:
  • They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起,他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》
43 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
44 interventions b4e9b73905db5b0213891229ce84fdd3     
n.介入,干涉,干预( intervention的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
  • The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网
45 domains e4e46deb7f9cc58c7abfb32e5570b6f3     
n.范围( domain的名词复数 );领域;版图;地产
参考例句:
  • The theory of thermodynamics links the macroscopic and submicroscopic domains. 热力学把宏观世界同亚微观世界联系起来。 来自辞典例句
  • All three flow domains are indicated by shading. 所有三个流动区域都是用阴影部分表示的。 来自辞典例句
46 alignment LK8yZ     
n.队列;结盟,联合
参考例句:
  • The church should have no political alignment.教会不应与政治结盟。
  • Britain formed a close alignment with Egypt in the last century.英国在上个世纪与埃及结成了紧密的联盟。
47 snail 8xcwS     
n.蜗牛
参考例句:
  • Snail is a small plant-eating creature with a soft body.蜗牛是一种软体草食动物。
  • Time moved at a snail's pace before the holidays.放假前的时间过得很慢。
48 eligibility xqXxL     
n.合格,资格
参考例句:
  • What are the eligibility requirements? 病人被选参加试验的要求是什么? 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望
  • Eligibility for HINARI access is based on gross national income (GNI). 进入HINARI获取计划是依据国民总收入来评定的。
49 onus ZvLy4     
n.负担;责任
参考例句:
  • The onus is on government departments to show cause why information cannot bedisclosed.政府部门有责任说明不能把信息公开的理由。
  • The onus of proof lies with you.你有责任提供证据。
50 impending 3qHzdb     
a.imminent, about to come or happen
参考例句:
  • Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时,严重的战乱爆发了。
  • The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。
51 unbearable alCwB     
adj.不能容忍的;忍受不住的
参考例句:
  • It is unbearable to be always on thorns.老是处于焦虑不安的情况中是受不了的。
  • The more he thought of it the more unbearable it became.他越想越觉得无法忍受。
52 blessings 52a399b218b9208cade790a26255db6b     
n.(上帝的)祝福( blessing的名词复数 );好事;福分;因祸得福
参考例句:
  • Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马,焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
53 positively vPTxw     
adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实
参考例句:
  • She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
  • The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。
54 advisers d4866a794d72d2a666da4e4803fdbf2e     
顾问,劝告者( adviser的名词复数 ); (指导大学新生学科问题等的)指导教授
参考例句:
  • a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
  • She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。
55 distinguished wu9z3v     
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的
参考例句:
  • Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
  • A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。
56 fluster GgazI     
adj.慌乱,狼狈,混乱,激动
参考例句:
  • She was put in a fluster by the unexpected guests.不速之客的到来弄得她很慌张。
  • She was all in a fluster at the thought of meeting the boss.一想到要见老板,她就感到紧张。
57 donor dstxI     
n.捐献者;赠送人;(组织、器官等的)供体
参考例句:
  • In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下,接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
  • The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。
本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎点击提交分享给大家。
------分隔线----------------------------
TAG标签:   NPR  美国国家电台  英语听力
顶一下
(0)
0%
踩一下
(0)
0%
最新评论 查看所有评论
发表评论 查看所有评论
请自觉遵守互联网相关的政策法规,严禁发布色情、暴力、反动的言论。
评价:
表情:
验证码:
听力搜索
推荐频道
论坛新贴