全新版大学英语第二版第二册Unit2课文译文及参考答案

一个疑惑不解的小孩提的一个问题促使卡尔·格林思考：虽然他没有贵重的财物，但他在其他许多方面却是富有的。

富足的一生

卡尔·格林首次面对这个问题，是在2003年12月初，我第一次为救世军摇铃募捐的时候。当时我就站在沃尔玛商场入口处门外，对每一位向我的红壶里投入捐款的人都报以一声“谢谢”和一个微笑。一位穿着整洁的妇人牵着她的幼子向放壶的台子走过来。她在钱包里摸着找钱时，孩子抬头看了我一眼，问我：“你穷吗？”当时他眼里充满疑惑和好奇，时至今日仍历历在目。

“嗯，”我结结巴巴，边想边回答，“我比有些人拥有的多，但比其他人拥有的少。”母亲因为孩子问了一个在社交上不该问的问题，训斥了他一顿，他俩便匆匆地赶去购物。但是孩子的问题却一直在我的心头挥之不去。

我从不认为自己“穷”，但有些事我不可否认。每当我填1040税务申报表时，我都属于收入最低的档次之一。在过去的三十五年中，我只出去度过一次假。我的电视机是黑白的，还是八年前别人送给我的。

然而，想要得到其他那么多人都有的物质的东西，对我来说，只不过是转瞬即逝的念头而已。我的汽车是1999年的产品，到现在开了十万五千英里，已经很破很旧了，但是它依然可靠。我的住房不大，但是很安静，住着挺舒心。我的衣服很适合于我的工作，主要都在户外。我对计算机的很少的需求，可以在图书馆得到解决。

尽管有些东西我没有，我并不感到贫穷。这是为什么？五十三年来我一直非常健康。我不但不生病，而且精力充沛，情绪饱满。锻炼对我而言是确确实实的快事，我乐意长距离步行，越走越有劲。我喜爱步行后随之产生的一种“什么都干得了”的心态。

我还十分珍惜我的创作才能。当我写出美丽的诗句或编造出能把人逗乐的笑话时，我内心感到很富有。通过写作而获得的洞察力，不断地令我惊奇。而与那么多写作朋友交谈，是我乐趣的主要源泉之一。

但是在我生活中，有一个重要方面我并不那么富有。在一个对物资财富的追求投入如此之多心力的社会中，我觉得很不自在。

我年轻时曾与一位非常有趣的女士谈过朋友。她对我说，对她而言，最重要的是“一个人的内心”。我以为我找到了非同一般的生活伴侣。后来我就带她到我的寓所。当时我住的是一个地下室经济型小套间，只有几件陈旧的家具。唯一新而舒适的椅子是书桌旁的那把。她来访后不久，我们的关系就急转直下。

她所看重的东西似乎突然有了变化，使我大为震动。在我的人生旅途上，这仍然是一个最难以忘怀的转折点。

相对于人际关系而言，物质财富对我并不那么重要。我认为大多数人与我同感――除非当某一物品的缺失会引发社会后果时，人们才会有不同的想法。电台播放的一个商业广告开头这样说：“每个人都想拥有一台高档电视……”，购买这种电视机的压力千真万确。也许每个人真的都想要一台高档电视机，毕竟没有人想做一个无名之辈。

但是没有这样的电视机我也照样活得快乐。事实上不专注于物质财富，对我而言相当自然。在这个世界上有很多人认为我活得很富足。

临近岁末每当我系上救世军的红围裙时，我的内心会发生变化。我非但不感到经济上不自在，还开

始感到一种真正的归属感。我摇铃时，人们会停下脚步，给我讲述他们的故事，讲述他们遇到困难时受到帮助对他们多么重要。我感到我与人助人这件事深深地联系在一起。在我摇铃的时候，从未谋面的陌生人给我拿来热乎乎的巧克力饮料，留给我一个久不消逝的微笑。无数的路人向我表达圣诞节的祝愿，使我感到温暖。“谢谢你在这样的冷天摇铃。”“要不要我给您弄一杯咖啡？”“你做好事，上帝保佑你。”十二月是一年中我感到最富足的时候。

由于一个好奇的孩子提了一个简单问题，我在过去的四年中对自己的了解进了一步。当我审视贫穷究竟意味着什么时，我清楚了我最应感恩的是什么：我的有形和无形的好运气。

Content Questions

1. The Salvation Army is a religious charitable organization. A Salvation Army bell ringer is a volunteer who helps it collect donations.

2. The boy asked him: Are you poor? He did it simply out of confusion and curiosity. Obviously he knew nothing about the Salvation Army bell ringer.

3. He said, “I have more than some people, but not as much as others.”This means that he was neither poor nor rich.

4. The boy’s mother scolded him because the question was socially inappropriate, especially to a person who looked poor.

5. Yes, economically he is poor. He lives in a small basement apartment. He doesn’t even have a color TV. He falls into the lowest income category. And so on.

6. No, the writer does not feel poor. This is because he has enjoyed good health and creativity which he thinks are much more important than material goods.

7. He feels out of place among people who are primarily interested in material things.

8. She told him that she was interested in what’s on the inside. But after he took her to his poorly furnished apartment, she changed her mind completely.

9. It only shows that to her the most important thing was still material goods rather than what she had claimed before.

10. Commercials can put people under pressure to purchase more tan is really necessary.

11. Because December is the time for him to work for the Salvation Army as a bell ringer, which gives him

a genuine sense of belonging and brings him happiness in helping others.

12. The boy’s question has helped the writer realize that, despite his lack of expensive possessions, he is rich in many other ways and should be thankful for that.

Text Organization

1.1) a

2) the essay is meant to explain something, that is, the author’s view of life.

3) that one can live a life full of riches without being rich financially.

2. The writer’s encounter with a boy who raised the question “Are you poor?”

In search of an answer the writer finds that not having expensive possessions doesn’t make him feel poor mainly because he enjoys life in many other ways.

In conclusion, the writer thinks he’s grown to understand more about himself because of the boy’s