胡敏讀故事記托福詞匯18：改變步調(diào) A Change of Pace
Lesson 18 A Change of Pace 改變步調(diào)
Joining the Peace Corps is an auspicious start to a career in the Foreign Service. Peace Corps volunteers perform charitable function in developing countries under the auspices of the U.S. Government. They primarily serve as auxiliary advisers or teachers. Most volunteers are average citizens just looking for a change of peace.
加入(美國(guó))和平隊(duì)可謂外事生涯吉利的開端。在美國(guó)政府的支持下，和平隊(duì)志愿者前往廣大發(fā)展中國(guó)家執(zhí)行慈善任務(wù)，主要是作為助理顧問或教師。大多數(shù)志愿者都是想改變?nèi)松秸{(diào)的尋常百姓。
Every volunteer receives a uniform. It's clean but far from avant-garde. You also receive a handbook. It's an authoritative manual for survival in your host country.
每位志愿者都會(huì)拿到一套制服。制服很干凈，但遠(yuǎn)談不上前衛(wèi)。你還會(huì)拿到一本手冊(cè)，這是一本教你在東道國(guó)如何生存的權(quán)威指南。
The handbook contains some useful tips for staying out of trouble in a foreign country:
手冊(cè)中包含一些關(guān)于如何在國(guó)外避免麻煩的好建議：
1. Always respect the authorities in your host country.
1. 始終不渝地尊重所在國(guó)的政府當(dāng)局。
2. Don't authorize anyone to use your identification card.
2. 不要授權(quán)任何人使用你的身份證。
3. When crossing a mountain pass in the winter, beware of avalanche conditions.
3. 冬天過關(guān)隘時(shí)，小心雪崩狀況。
4. Be alert for possible attacks by terrorists trying to avenge a loss.
4. 警惕恐怖分子為所受損失而可能采取的報(bào)復(fù)性攻擊。
5. Make certain that anything valuable you buy is authentic.
5. 確保所購買的貴重物品真實(shí)可靠。
6. Always authenticate large bills before accepting them.
6. 在接受任何大額票據(jù)時(shí)，一定要證明其真實(shí)性。
Some assignments are dangerous. You might be sent to a country with an autocrat for a ruler. You may need to work near an area where rebels are fighting to obtain autonomy. Some regions are already autonomous but are fighting to retain control.
有些任務(wù)很危險(xiǎn)。你可能會(huì)被派到一個(gè)由獨(dú)裁者統(tǒng)治的國(guó)家。你的工作地點(diǎn)附近可能會(huì)有反叛者為獲得自治權(quán)而奮起抗?fàn)?。有些地區(qū)雖已取得自治權(quán)，但為掌握控制權(quán)仍在戰(zhàn)斗。
Most assignments are not dangerous. In my first assignment, I was sent to a small Latin American country to help build an automated water supply system. The only difficult I had in that country was cooking for myself. It's too bad they haven't invented an automaton that can make breakfast in the morning.
大多數(shù)任務(wù)并不危險(xiǎn)。我的第一個(gè)任務(wù)就是被派到一個(gè)拉美小國(guó)，幫助當(dāng)?shù)厝诵藿ㄗ詣?dòng)供水系統(tǒng)。我在該國(guó)遇到的唯一困難就是得自己做飯。真可惜，他們沒有發(fā)明能做飯的機(jī)器人。
If you're available for at least a full year of service, you can apply to join the Peace Corps. Acceptance is not automatic. Perhaps at the end of your service, you will be able to write an autobiography of your adventures abroad.
如果你愿意干上至少一整年，就可以申請(qǐng)加入和平隊(duì)。但申請(qǐng)并不意味著自動(dòng)被錄用。也許到你職業(yè)生涯的最后，你就可以寫一本自傳，描述你在國(guó)外的冒險(xiǎn)經(jīng)歷了。
Words:
auspice n. 前兆;(~s)贊助，支持
auspicious adj. 預(yù)示成功的，有利的，幸運(yùn)的
authentic adj. 真跡的，真的;可靠的，確實(shí)的
authenticate vt. 證明(某物)為真
authoritative adj. 權(quán)威性的，可信的;(有)權(quán)威的，官方的
authority n. 權(quán)力，極限;(某領(lǐng)域的)權(quán)威人士;authorities 當(dāng)局
authorize vt. 授權(quán)，批準(zhǔn)
autobiography n. 自傳
autocrat n. 獨(dú)裁者
automated adj. 自動(dòng)化的
automatic adj. (尤指機(jī)器)自動(dòng)(化)的;(人)無意識(shí)的，機(jī)械的
automaton n. 機(jī)器人
autonomous adj. 自治的，獨(dú)立的
autonomy n. 自治權(quán)，自治
auxiliary adj. 輔助的;補(bǔ)充的
available adj. 自由的，有空的;可利用的，可得到的;有資格干某事的;愿意感某事的
avalanche n. 雪崩
avant-garde n. 先鋒派(藝術(shù)流派之一);先鋒，前衛(wèi)
avenge vt. 復(fù)仇，報(bào)復(fù)
average adj. 一般的，通常的;平庸的;n. 平均水平;平均數(shù);vt. 平分為
