中石油職稱英語考試文章選讀
以下是中石油職稱英語考試文章選讀系列，來看看如何?
一、The Value of Time 時間的價值
1."Time" says the proverb "is money". This means that every moment well-spent may put some money into our pockets. If our time is usefully employed, it will either produce some useful and important piece of work which will fetch its price in the market, or it will add to our experience and increase our capacities so as to enable us to earn money when the proper opportunity comes. There can thus be no doubt that time is convertible into money. Let those who think nothing of wasting time remember this; let them remember that an hour misspent is equivalent to the loss of a banknote; and that an hour utilized is tantamount to so much silver or gold; and then they will probably think twice before they give their consent to the loss of any part of their time.
翻譯：諺語說：“時間就是金錢。”這句話的意思是，一時片刻只要用得有效， 都會讓我們的口袋增添一些錢。如果我們的時間使用得當，就能生產出有用 的、重要的產品，在市場上賣得一定的價錢;就能充實經(jīng)驗，增長才干，等 到適當?shù)臅r機來臨時，我們就能掙得金錢。因此，毫無疑問，時間可以轉化 為金錢。讓那些對浪費時間滿不在乎的人記住這一點。讓他們記住，浪費一 小時等于損失一張鈔票，而利用一小時就等于得到若干金銀。這樣，他們想 浪費時間時或許會三思而后行。
2.Moreover, our life is nothing more than our time. To kill time is therefore a form of suicide. We are shocked when we think of death, and we spare no pains, no trouble, and no expense to preserve life. But we are too often indifferent to loss of an hour or of a day, forgetting that our life is the sum total of the days and of the hours we live. A day or an hour wasted is therefore so much life forfeited. Let us bear this in mind, and waste of time will appear to us in the light of a crime as culpable as suicide itself.
翻譯：再說，我們的生命無非就是我們活在人世的時間。因此，浪費時間也 就是一種自殺。我們想到死，便驚恐不已，因而不惜一切努力、麻煩和費用 來保全我們的生命�？墒�，我們對于損失一個小時或者一天的時間卻往往漠 不關心、無動于衷，忘記了我們的生命原本就是我們生活的每一天、每一小 時的總和。因此，浪費一天或一小時也就是喪失一天或一小時的生命。讓我 們記住這一點，這樣就會把浪費時間看作一種罪過，跟自殺一樣應該受到懲罰。
3.There is a third consideration which will also tend to warn us against loss of time. Our life is a brief span measuring some sixty or seventy years in all, but nearly one half of this has to be spent in sleep; some years have to be spent over our meals; some over dressing and undressing; some in making journeys on land and voyages by sea; some in merry-making,either on our own account or for the sake of others; some in celebrating religious and social festivities; some in watching over the sick-beds of our nearest and dearest relatives .Now if all these years were to be deducted from the term over which our life extends, we shall find about fifteen or twenty years at our disposal for active work. Whoever remembers this can never willingly waste a single moment of his life. "It is astonishing" says Lord Chesterfield, "that anyone can squander away in absolute idleness one single moment of that portion of time which is allotted to us in this world. Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it!"
翻譯還有第三層考慮，也會提醒我們別浪費時間。人生短暫，總共不過六 七十年，可是將近一半時間必須用于睡眠;吃飯時間加起來也得花去一些年; 穿衣脫衣又是一些年;水陸、陸路旅行又是一些年;再加上一些年娛樂時間 (不論是為自己還是為別人);一些年宗教節(jié)日和社會節(jié)日的慶�；顒�;還有 一些年在病床邊照看至親至愛�，F(xiàn)在如果從我們的壽命中扣除所有這些歲月， 我們將會發(fā)現(xiàn)，能受我們支配的有效的工作時間大約僅十五或二十年而己。 誰能記住這一點，誰就不會心甘情愿地浪費他生命的分分秒秒和每時每刻。 查斯特菲爾德勛爵說過，“對于分配給我們這一生的時間，若有人游手好閑， 即使浪費片刻，也是令人吃驚的。要認識到時間的真正價值，要爭分奪秒， 充分利用有限的時間。”
4.All time is precious; but the time of our childhood and of our youth is more precious than any other portion of our existence, for those are the periods when alone we can acquire knowledge and develop our faculties and capacities. If we allow these morning hours of life to slip away, unutilized, we shall never be able to recoup the loss. As we grow older, our power of acquisition gets blunted, so that the art or science which is not acquired in childhood or youth will never be acquired at all. Just as money laid out at interest doubles and trebles itself in time, so the precious hours of childhood and youth, if properly used, will yield us incalculable advantages. "Every moment you lose" says Lord Chesterfield "is so much character and advantage lost; as on the other hand, every moment you now employ usefully is so much time wisely laid out at prodigious interest."
翻譯：所有的時間都是寶貴的，而我們童年和青年時期的光陰比一生中的其他階段都更為寶貴，因為只有在這兩個階段我們才能獲取知識、增長才干和發(fā)展各種才能。如果我們讓這些生命的早晨時光悄悄溜走，這損失將永遠也 無法彌補。等我們長大了，獲得知識的能力就變得遲鈍了，因此在童年和青年時期未能獲得的知識和技能將永遠不能獲得了。儲蓄金錢，產生利息，到 時候會翻兩三倍;同樣，童年和青年時期的寶貴時光，如果使用得當，必將帶來不可估量的收益。查斯特菲爾德勛爵還說過，“喪失的每一時刻就等于喪失了與之相當?shù)拿屠�。從另一方面看，你現(xiàn)在有效利用的每一時刻正是明 智地以這時間作為投資，將來定會獲取巨額的利息。”
5.A proper employment of time is of great benefit to us from a moral point of view. Idleness is justly said to be the rust of the mind and an idle brain is said to be Satan's workshop. It is mostly when you do not know what to do with yourself that you do something ill or wrong. The mind of the idler preys upon itself. As Watts has said: In works of labor or of skill
Let me be busy too;
For Satan finds some mischief still
For idle hands to do.
翻譯：從道德的觀點來看，恰當?shù)乩脮r間對我們也有很大的好處。懶惰是心靈上的銹跡，懶人的頭腦是撒旦的作坊，這話說得很有理。犯錯誤大多數(shù)是由于無所事事、百無聊賴所致。懶人只會自尋煩惱和作繭自縛。正如艾薩克，瓦茨所說，“我要勤快地工作，不管是粗活還是細活;因為撒且還有些壞事，專借懶人的手去做。”
二、English is a Crazy Language 英語是一門瘋狂的語言
1.Let's face it-English is a crazy language .There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England nor French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads,which aren't sweet,are meat.
翻譯：讓我們接受現(xiàn)實吧--英語是一種瘋狂的語言。茄子(eggplant，字面意為雞蛋植物)里并沒有雞蛋，漢堡包(hamburger，字面意為火腿夾餅)里也沒有火腿。同樣，菠蘿(pineapple，字面意為松樹蘋果)里既沒有松樹也沒有蘋果。松餅(English muffin，字面意為英式松餅)并不是英國人發(fā)明的，而炸薯條(French fries，字面意為法式油炸食品)也不是法國人的發(fā)明。“甜肉”(sweetmeat)指的是蜜餞，而“甜面包”(sweetbread)不是甜的，它指的是牛雜碎。
2.We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes,we find that quicksand can work slowly,boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why it is that writers write but fingers don't fing,grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth,why isn't the plural of booth beeth? If you have one goose,two geese,why not one moose,two meese,or one index,two indices?
翻譯：我們理所當然地接受了英語的一切，但是如果我們分析一下英語中似是而非的情況，我們馬上就會發(fā)現(xiàn)“快的沙子”(quicksand，流沙，也指陷阱，困境)往往走得很慢，“拳擊的圓圈”(boxing rings，拳擊場)是方的，“幾內亞豬”(guinea pig，天竺鼠)既不是來自幾內亞，也不是豬。還有，既然名詞作家(writers)去掉詞尾的rs 就可以成為動詞“寫作(write)”，那為什么名詞“手指”(fingers)、雜貨店(grocers)、錘子(hammers)去掉rs就不能成為各自相應的動詞呢?如果牙齒的復數(shù)是teeth，那為什么售貨亭的復數(shù)不是beeth?一只鵝我們用goose，兩只鵝用geese，那么，一只駝鹿用moose(單復數(shù)同形)，兩只駝鹿就應該是meese了?為什么一條索引是index，兩條索引卻成了indices?
3.Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend,or that you can comb through the annals of history but not a single annal? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them,what do you call it?
翻譯：如果你賠償時只能賠償復數(shù)不能賠償單數(shù)，這是不是很莫名其妙?你可以梳理歷史的編年史，為什么卻不能復習某一個單個的編年史?如果你有一堆麻煩，那么在你把其他的都解決了只剩下一個的時候該怎么說呢?
4.If teachers taught,why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables,what does a humanitarian eat?
翻譯：如果教師教學是taught，那為什么傳教士不是praught?如果素食主義者(vegetarian)吃蔬菜(vegetable)，那人道主義者(humanitarian)吃什么?
5.Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital; ship by truck and send cargo by ship; have noses that run and feet that smell; park on driveways and drive on parkways?
翻譯：有時候我覺得根據(jù)英國人說話時瘋狂的用詞可以將他們送進精神病院。哪一種語言人們可以在一出戲中朗誦，在朗誦中玩(分別指演戲和開獨唱會)?用卡車運船，用船運貨(分別只用卡車運輸和用船運輸)?鼻子可以跑而腳可以聞味道(分別指流鼻涕和腳有臭味)?車可以停在駕駛路上，而且在停車路上駕駛(driveway從字面上理解是駕駛路，parkway從字面上理解是停車路)。
6.How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,while a wise man and wise guy are opposites,and quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell another?
翻譯：為什么一個苗條的機會(slim chance，指沒機會)和一個肥胖的機會(fat chant，也指沒機會)意思是一樣的，而一個聰明的人(wise man，聰明人)和一個聰明的家伙(wise guy，自作聰明的人)卻意思相反?為什么相當多(quite a lot)和相當少(quite a few)意思一樣?(實際上quite a lot和quite a few都是相當多的意思。)為什么天氣可以熱的像地獄也可以冷得像地獄?(as hell字面意思像地獄一樣，指非常)
7.You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down,in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm clock goes off by going on.
翻譯：你不得不對這種精神病一樣的語言表示驚奇，在這種語言中，你的房子在被燒下去(burn down，意為燒為平地)的同時又被燒上去(burn up，意為燒起來，燒掉)。你用填出來(fill out，意為填寫)的方法填進去(fill in,意思也是填寫)一個表格。鬧鐘在走(go on)的時候響(go off)了。
8.English was invented by people,not computers,and it reflects the creativity of the human race. That is why,when the stars are out,they are visible,but when the lights are out,they are invisible. And why,when I wind up my watch,I start it,but when I wind up this essay,I end it?
翻譯：英語是人而不是機器創(chuàng)造出來的語言，它反映了人類的創(chuàng)造性。這也是為什么當星星出來的時候，我們是看得見的，當陽光出來(out)的時候是看不見的。同理，我“處理”我的手表之后，它就開始(走)了;而我“處理”完這篇文章后，它卻結束了。
三、Can Money Buy Happiness 金錢能買到快樂?
1.Many of us dream of having thousands and thousands of dollars to spend on anything we desire. We buy lottery tickets,enter contests or spend hours building a business or playing the stock market. We're sure when we have plenty of money,we will be happy. But will we?
1.我們很多人都夢想擁有萬貫錢財來滿足自身欲望。我們會買樂透彩券、參加比賽或付出很多時間發(fā)展事業(yè)或投資股市。我們深信一旦我們有很多錢，就會很開心，但真的會嗎?
2.While having some money does have an impact on our level of happiness,having a lot of money docs not. People in the United States whose income goes from US$20,000 a year to US$50,000 a year are more likely to be happy.
2.雖然有“一些”錢的確會影響我們的快樂程度，擁有“很多”錢則不然。在美國，年薪為2萬~5萬美元的人比較可能感到快樂。
3.But after USS50.000,happiness does not increase as salaries go up. Why is that? It's because we are never satisfied. "We always think if we just had a little more money,we'd be happier," says Catherine Sanderson,a psychology professor at Amherst College. "But when we get there,we're not."
3.但薪水超過5萬美元后，快樂程度會不隨著薪水增多而升高。此話怎講?原因是我們永遠不會滿足。安默斯特學院心理學教授凱薩琳·珊德森說：“我們總是以為只要我們的錢再多一點，我們就會比較快樂，但是當我們走到那一步，我們卻不快樂。”4.'The more you make,the more you want. The more you have,the less it brings you joy," says Daniel Gilbert,a psychology professor at Harvard. "We incorrectly assume we'll get more pleasure from more,and we don't."
4.“你賺得越多，欲望就越多。你擁有的越多，得到的喜悅就越少。”哈佛大學心理學教授丹尼爾·吉爾勃特說：“我們誤以為我們會因為擁有越多而更快樂，其實不會。”5.The things money can buy don't make you happy either. A lot of research suggests that you won't find the "good life" buying expensive "toys." You finally buy that BMW you've always wanted and it soon loses its appeal. Then,instead of wondering if a new car is what really makes you happy,you decide you just need a different new car. It's an endless cycle.
5.能用金錢買到的東西也不會讓你開心。很多研究顯示你不會因為買了昂貴的“玩具”而得到“美滿人生”。你終于買的夢寐以求的寶馬汽車，它很快就喪失了吸引力，然后你不思考一部新車是否真能令你快樂，你認定自己只要再買一部新車就好了，這種循環(huán)沒完沒了。
6.To really be happy,you need to understand what makes you happy in the first place. One secret of happiness: people. Surveys have found that people need people. Those who have five or more close friends are 50 percent more likely to describe themselves as "very happy." Good relationships have a far greater effect on happiness than large raises in salary. Andrew Oswald is an economist at England's University of Warwick. He says,"If you're looking for happiness in life,find the right husband or wife rather than trying to double your salary."
6.為了要真正的快樂，首先你必須了解什么讓你快樂�？鞓返囊粋�秘訣在于人。一些調查報告發(fā)現(xiàn)人與人彼此需要。擁有五個或更多親密朋友的人自認“非�？鞓�”的機會高出他人50%。美滿的人際關系對能否快樂的影響程度遠勝于薪水大幅調升。安德魯·奧斯瓦德是英國華威大學的經(jīng)濟學家，他說：“如果你在尋覓幸福人生，找一個合適的配偶吧，而不是想辦法賺兩倍的薪水。”7.So invest your time and energy in people. The payoff is much bigger in terms of happiness!
7.所以把時間和精力投資在人身上吧，就快樂而言，回報會更大!
四、How Americans View Love 美國人的愛情觀
1.An old song says that "love makes the world go around." If you watch Americans on Valentine's Day,you can believe it.The whole country breaks out with little red hearts. Love-struck people give cards,flowers and candy to their sweethearts. You might call it an annual celebration of love.
1、有一首老歌中唱道“愛讓世界轉動”。如果你看到美國人是如何慶祝情人節(jié)的，你便會相信這句話。這一天在美國不論你走到哪里都能看到一顆顆小紅心。墜入愛河中的人向自己的心上人贈送卡片、鮮花和糖果。你可以將情人節(jié)稱之為一年一度的愛的慶賀日。
2. The American concept of love and romance begins with dating.Young people date in several ways.At first they might have group dates with several boys and girls together. Later,they start going on single dates-just one boy and one girl.Sometimes a boy and a girl will go to a movie.Maybe they will go to a party at a friend's house.Or they might go out to eat.
2.美國人的愛情和浪漫始于約會。年輕人有幾種約會方式。最開始，他們可能是好幾個男孩和女孩都參加的集體約會。之后，他們單獨出去約會――只有一男一女。有時他們會去看電影，也可能一起去參加朋友的聚會，或一起出去吃飯。
3.When two couple go out together,it's called double dating. A friend might even arrange a blind date for you with someone you don't know. That doesn't mean you keep your eyes closed the whole evening! You just don't know who your partner will be until the time of the date. If someone asks you out on any kind of date,and you don't want to go,you may politely say,"No,thanks."
3.如果兩對男女一起出去，這叫做雙重約會。一個朋友還可能為你和陌生人安排一個“蒙眼約會”。那并不是說你整個晚上都緊閉雙目。只是在約會之前你并不知道你的約會對象是誰。如果有人請你出去約會，不管是哪種約會，假若你不想去，你都可以禮貌地說聲“不，謝謝!”4. Americans view dating differently from people in other culture. American young people see a date as a time just to have fun.They don't always have a romantic interest in mind. Someone may go out with one person this week,and another person the next.After a while,a boy and a girl may decide they want to go steady. This means they think of each other as boyfriend and girlfriend. It also means they don't want to date anyone else. Romance is beginning to bloom.
4、對于約會，美國人與別的文化國度的人有不同的看法。美國的年輕人把約會看成是玩得開心的時間，并不一定就抱著浪漫的念頭。有的人可能這星期與一個人出去，下星期又與另外一個人出去。經(jīng)過一段時間后，一個男孩和一個女孩可能決定保持穩(wěn)定的關系。這意味著他們把彼此看成“男朋友和女朋友”，這也意味著他們不想與別的人約會。浪漫之花開始綻放。
5. Romantic love is very much a part of American culture. Movies,TV shows and books in America all picture people falling in love. Americans know no romance is perfect,but still they try to find the ideal person. Actually,love is a pan of every culture,not just American culture. People all over the world search for happiness in a loving relationship. Maybe love does make the world go around.
5、浪漫愛情是美國文化的重要組成部分。美國的電影、電視和書籍都描繪人們如何墜入愛河。美國人知道沒有哪段愛情是完美的.，但他們還是努力去尋找自己的意中人。事實上，愛不僅僅是美國文化，而是每種文化的組成部分。全世界的人們都在愛中尋求幸福。也許確實是愛使世界轉動。
五、A Gentleman 何為紳士
The Victorian gentleman must have been really something to behold if the following article is true.For any woman who has dreamed of "Knight in shining armor",the perfect man,or just a man who would give up the TV remote control,you have found him here.Remember,these gentleman mostly existed in the Victorian era.Few of us may be lucky enough to find one in the 20th century.For those of you still looking,you may get some good tips on things to look for in a man. For those of you who are married,take heart and remember,your husband may not resemble the "Victorian Gentleman",but you love him anyway.
如果下面這篇文章是真實的，那莪維多利亞女王的紳士真的值得關注了。對于那些夢想找到一個“身穿光亮鎧甲的騎士”、一個完美男人或者一個僅僅是放棄電視要哦那個的男人的女人來說，你在這里就可以找到了。記住，這些紳士大多存在于維多利亞時代.在21世紀，很少有人能夠幸運地找到一個。對于那些在尋找的人，你可能在尋求的標準上得到一些好的提示，對于那些已經(jīng)結婚的人來說，你們要有信息并且記得，你的丈夫可能不像“維多利亞女王時代的紳士”，但是不管怎么樣，你愛他。
What is a gentleman?
到底什么樣的人才算得上一個紳士呢It is almost a definition of a gentleman to say he is one who never inflicts pain. This description is both refined and,as far as it goes,accurate. He is mainly occupied in merely removing the obstacles which hinder the free and unembarassed action of those about him,and he concurs with their movements rather than takes the initiative himself.
紳士是個從來都不會給人帶來痛苦的人，這幾乎成了紳士的定義。這一描述不僅精煉，而且現(xiàn)在看來也依然是準確的。他的主要職責就是消除那些阻礙周圍的人自如行動的障礙。而且他與其他人行動一致，而不是采取主動。
His benefits may be considered as parallel to what are called comforts or conveniences in arrangements of a personal nature: like an easy chair or a good fire,which do their part in dispelling cold and fatigue,though nature provides both means of rest and animal heat without them.
他的益處相當于個人生活中給人們帶來舒適或便利的事物，就像安樂椅或溫暖的火，能夠驅除寒冷和疲勞，盡管沒有它們，大自然也能提供休息的場所，人也可以靠體溫來保持溫暖。
The true gentleman in like manner carefully avoids whatever may cause ajar or a jolt in the minds of those with whom he is cast;---all clashing of opinion,or collision of feeling,all restraint,or suspicion,or gloom,or resentment; his great concern being to make every one at their ease and at home.
同樣，真正的紳士會小心避免給接觸到的人造成思想上的混亂或震動。他會小心避免給接觸到的人造成思想上的混亂或震動。他會小心避免一切意見上的沖突，情感上的沖撞，避免一切拘束、懷疑、憂郁或怨恨;對他來說，讓每個人都覺得輕松自在是頭等大事。
He has his eyes on all his company; he is tender towards the bashful,gentle towards the distant,and merciful towards the absurd; he can rocollect to whom he is speaking; he guards against unseasonable allusions,or topics which may irritate; he is seldom prominent in conversation,and never wearisome. He makes light of favours while he does them and seems to be receiving when he is conferring.
他關注他周圍所有的人，他對害羞的人體貼，對冷淡的人溫和，對愚蠢的人寬容，他會注意談話的對象，他會提防不恰當?shù)挠吧�，或是一些可能令人不安的話題。他很少在談話中突出自己。但也不令人感到乏味。在給別人幫助時，他會輕描淡寫，讓人感覺他似乎是在接受幫助而不是給予幫助。
He never speaks of himself except when compelled,never defends himself by a mere retort,he has no ears for slander or gossip,is crupulous in imputing motives to those who interfere with him,and interprets everything for the best.
他從不談論自己，除非情勢所迫，他從不為自己辯護，就連一句反駁也不說，他從不聽信閑言碎語，當有人妨礙自己時，他會極為審慎地推測他們這么做的動機;他會盡量把事情往好處想。
He is never mean or little in his disputes,never takes unfair advantage,never mistakes personalities or sharp saying for arguments,or insinuates evil which he dare not say out.From a long-sighted prudence,he ovserves the maxim of the ancient sage,that we should ever conduct ourselves towards our enemy as if he were one day to be our friend.
爭論時他從不采取卑劣的手段，從不利用別人的弱點，從不把他人的個性或尖銳的言辭當作吵架的由頭，也不會含沙射影地說一些他不敢直接說出來的令人不舒服的話。基于有先見之明的深謀遠慮，他尊奉先賢的格言，那就是我們對待敵人的態(tài)度要好像他將來某一天會成為我們的朋友一樣。
He has too much good sense to be affronted at insults,he is too well employed to remember injuries,and too indolent to bear malice. He is patient,forbearing,and resigned,on principles,he submits to pain,because it is inevitable,to bereavement,because it is irreparable,and to death,because it is destiny. If he engages in controversy of any kind,his disciplined intellect preserves him from the blunder.
他極為明智，能避免遭到侮辱，他非常忙碌，以至于記不住別人對他的傷害，他又十分懶散，不會去怨恨別人。從哲學原則上講，他是耐心的，寬容的，順從的。他承受痛苦，因為這是不可避免的。他忍受喪親之痛，因為這是無法挽回的，它直面死亡，因為這是他最終的命運。如果他陷入任何爭議之中，他訓練有素的智力會使他免于做錯事情。
【中石油職稱英語考試文章選讀】相關文章：
中石油職稱英語考試2013版通用選讀02-21
中石油職稱英語考試備考經(jīng)驗05-17
中石油職稱英語考試題型06-03
中石油職稱英語考試題型有哪些？07-11
中石油職稱英語02-15
2010年中石油職稱英語考試閱讀真題07-23
中石油職稱英語與全國職稱英語區(qū)別06-03
中石油職稱英語還考嗎05-20
中石油職稱英語高頻詞匯06-23