讀故事記單詞第二十一篇

 

    WORDS

 

    overpass n.天橋，立交橋

 

    override vt.1.不顧，不理睬，否決 2.壓倒，優(yōu)先于

 

    overt a.公開(kāi)的，不隱蔽的

 

    overthrow vt.1.****，**** 2.使終止，摒棄 n.****，終止，結(jié)束

 

    overturn vt.1.使翻轉(zhuǎn)，使顛覆，使倒下 2.顛覆，**** vi.顛覆，翻轉(zhuǎn)，翻倒

 

    overwhelm vt.1，（感情上）使受不了，使不知所措 2.征服，制服

 

    overwhelming a.1.勢(shì)不可擋的，壓倒的 2.巨大的

 

    owl n.貓頭鷹

 

    oxide n.氧化物

 

    oyster n.牡蠣

 

    ozone n.臭氧

 

    pact n.契約，協(xié)定，條約

 

    paddle n.1.短槳，槳 2.（用腳拍打）玩水，涉水 vi.1.劃槳前進(jìn)，蕩槳 2.（用腳拍打）玩水，涉水 vt.1.用槳?jiǎng)潱ù��?2.用木板打

 

    pamphlet n.小冊(cè)子

 

    panda n.熊貓

 

    pang n.一陣（劇痛、悲痛等）

 

    panorama n.1.全景 2.概括，綜述，概觀

 

    pant vi.1.喘，氣喘 2.（for）渴望 vt.氣喘吁吁地說(shuō) n.氣喘，喘息

 

    paperback n.平裝本，簡(jiǎn)裝本

 

    parachute n.降落傘 vi.跳傘 vt.傘投，空投

 

    No Hope？

 

    Some people will do anything to overturn bad policy and save the planet. Environmentalists， in particular， are known for their overt attempts to overwhelm businesses and governments to change. The issues they stand against are well known： the shrinking ozone layer， the protection of pandas， the destruction of spotted owl habitat， and even over fishing in areas where oysters beds are threatened. These people parachute into dangerous areas， paddle alongside massive fishing boats，or release pamphlets from airplanes because of their internal pact with each other to make a differnce.

 

    Against the panorama of these activities， it is sometimes difficult for normal people not to feel a pang of regret for how our own needs sometimes override those of nature. We cry when we see a baby seal killed， we pant when the air feels too full of carbon dioxide， and we weep that so many trees are being cut down to print the paperback books we love to read. But we don't know what to do. It all seems so overwhelming. Sometimes we even want to throw ourselves over the overpass into oncoming traffic because it is all so sad and we know that we can't overthrow our own governments.

 

    It is as if we really are like a virus on this planet， destroying all of nature to satisfy our own needs. While we may think of something to do that might make a small amount of change， we really don't know if we can make a big enough difference. And we fear that it will all be too late anyway！ Have we really come this far to have it all end like this？

 

    希望渺茫？

 

    有些人會(huì)不惜一切****不好的政策、拯救這個(gè)地球。環(huán)境保護(hù)主義者在這方面尤為出名，因?yàn)樗麄児�開(kāi)想制服企業(yè)和政府，讓它們做出改變。他們關(guān)心的問(wèn)題是眾所周知的：不斷縮小的臭氧層、熊貓的保護(hù)、已被發(fā)現(xiàn)的貓頭鷹棲息地的破壞、甚至還有在牡蠣繁殖地受到威脅的區(qū)域過(guò)度捕魚的問(wèn)題。這些人跳傘到危險(xiǎn)地區(qū)和巨大的漁船一起劃槳前進(jìn)、或者從飛機(jī)上散發(fā)小冊(cè)子，因?yàn)樗麄兿嗷ブ�間有個(gè)內(nèi)部協(xié)定要與眾不同。

 

    綜述所有這些活動(dòng)，正常人有時(shí)會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)很難不感到一陣后悔，因?yàn)槲覀冏约旱男枨蟛恢獮楹螘?huì)那樣壓倒自然的需求。看到一只小海豹被殺死我們會(huì)哭起來(lái)，感覺(jué)空氣中有太多的二氧化碳我們會(huì)氣喘，那么多樹(shù)被砍倒印制我們喜歡看的平裝書會(huì)使我們流淚，但我們不知道該做些什么，一切都似乎那么勢(shì)不可擋。有時(shí)候我們甚至想把自己從天橋上扔到滾滾車流中去，因?yàn)橐磺卸寄敲戳钊藗���，而我們又知道我們不�?***我們自己的政府。

 

    我們真像是這個(gè)星球上的病毒，我們破壞整個(gè)自然以滿足自己的需求。雖然我們可能會(huì)想起來(lái)做點(diǎn)什么、帶來(lái)一些小小的變化，我們實(shí)在不知道我們是否能夠扭轉(zhuǎn)乾坤，并且我們還擔(dān)心無(wú)論如何已經(jīng)為時(shí)已晚！我們真的到了一切只能這樣結(jié)束的地步嗎？