中石油职称英语考试文章选读
以下是中石油职称英语考试文章选读系列，来看看如何?
一、The Value of Time 时间的价值
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.
翻译：谚语说：“时间就是金钱。”这句话的意思是，一时片刻只要用得有效， 都会让我们的口袋增添一些钱。如果我们的时间使用得当，就能生产出有用 的、重要的产品，在市场上卖得一定的价钱;就能充实经验，增长才干，等 到适当的时机来临时，我们就能挣得金钱。因此，毫无疑问，时间可以转化 为金钱。让那些对浪费时间满不在乎的人记住这一点。让他们记住，浪费一 小时等于损失一张钞票，而利用一小时就等于得到若干金银。这样，他们想 浪费时间时或许会三思而后行。
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.
翻译：再说，我们的生命无非就是我们活在人世的时间。因此，浪费时间也 就是一种自杀。我们想到死，便惊恐不已，因而不惜一切努力、麻烦和费用 来保全我们的生命。可是，我们对于损失一个小时或者一天的时间却往往漠 不关心、无动于衷，忘记了我们的生命原本就是我们生活的每一天、每一小 时的总和。因此，浪费一天或一小时也就是丧失一天或一小时的生命。让我 们记住这一点，这样就会把浪费时间看作一种罪过，跟自杀一样应该受到惩罚。
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!"
翻译还有第三层考虑，也会提醒我们别浪费时间。人生短暂，总共不过六 七十年，可是将近一半时间必须用于睡眠;吃饭时间加起来也得花去一些年; 穿衣脱衣又是一些年;水陆、陆路旅行又是一些年;再加上一些年娱乐时间 (不论是为自己还是为别人);一些年宗教节日和社会节日的庆祝活动;还有 一些年在病床边照看至亲至爱。现在如果从我们的寿命中扣除所有这些岁月， 我们将会发现，能受我们支配的有效的工作时间大约仅十五或二十年而己。 谁能记住这一点，谁就不会心甘情愿地浪费他生命的分分秒秒和每时每刻。 查斯特菲尔德勋爵说过，“对于分配给我们这一生的时间，若有人游手好闲， 即使浪费片刻，也是令人吃惊的。要认识到时间的真正价值，要争分夺秒， 充分利用有限的时间。”
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."
翻译：所有的时间都是宝贵的，而我们童年和青年时期的光阴比一生中的其他阶段都更为宝贵，因为只有在这两个阶段我们才能获取知识、增长才干和发展各种才能。如果我们让这些生命的早晨时光悄悄溜走，这损失将永远也 无法弥补。等我们长大了，获得知识的能力就变得迟钝了，因此在童年和青年时期未能获得的知识和技能将永远不能获得了。储蓄金钱，产生利息，到 时候会翻两三倍;同样，童年和青年时期的宝贵时光，如果使用得当，必将带来不可估量的收益。查斯特菲尔德勋爵还说过，“丧失的每一时刻就等于丧失了与之相当的名和利。从另一方面看，你现在有效利用的每一时刻正是明 智地以这时间作为投资，将来定会获取巨额的利息。”
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.
翻译：从道德的观点来看，恰当地利用时间对我们也有很大的好处。懒惰是心灵上的锈迹，懒人的头脑是撒旦的作坊，这话说得很有理。犯错误大多数是由于无所事事、百无聊赖所致。懒人只会自寻烦恼和作茧自缚。正如艾萨克，瓦茨所说，“我要勤快地工作，不管是粗活还是细活;因为撒且还有些坏事，专借懒人的手去做。”
二、English is a Crazy Language 英语是一门疯狂的语言
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.
翻译：让我们接受现实吧--英语是一种疯狂的语言。茄子(eggplant，字面意为鸡蛋植物)里并没有鸡蛋，汉堡包(hamburger，字面意为火腿夹饼)里也没有火腿。同样，菠萝(pineapple，字面意为松树苹果)里既没有松树也没有苹果。松饼(English muffin，字面意为英式松饼)并不是英国人发明的，而炸薯条(French fries，字面意为法式油炸食品)也不是法国人的发明。“甜肉”(sweetmeat)指的是蜜饯，而“甜面包”(sweetbread)不是甜的，它指的是牛杂碎。
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?
翻译：我们理所当然地接受了英语的一切，但是如果我们分析一下英语中似是而非的情况，我们马上就会发现“快的沙子”(quicksand，流沙，也指陷阱，困境)往往走得很慢，“拳击的圆圈”(boxing rings，拳击场)是方的，“几内亚猪”(guinea pig，天竺鼠)既不是来自几内亚，也不是猪。还有，既然名词作家(writers)去掉词尾的rs 就可以成为动词“写作(write)”，那为什么名词“手指”(fingers)、杂货店(grocers)、锤子(hammers)去掉rs就不能成为各自相应的动词呢?如果牙齿的复数是teeth，那为什么售货亭的复数不是beeth?一只鹅我们用goose，两只鹅用geese，那么，一只驼鹿用moose(单复数同形)，两只驼鹿就应该是meese了?为什么一条索引是index，两条索引却成了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?
翻译：如果你赔偿时只能赔偿复数不能赔偿单数，这是不是很莫名其妙?你可以梳理历史的编年史，为什么却不能复习某一个单个的编年史?如果你有一堆麻烦，那么在你把其他的都解决了只剩下一个的时候该怎么说呢?
4.If teachers taught,why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables,what does a humanitarian eat?
翻译：如果教师教学是taught，那为什么传教士不是praught?如果素食主义者(vegetarian)吃蔬菜(vegetable)，那人道主义者(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?
翻译：有时候我觉得根据英国人说话时疯狂的用词可以将他们送进精神病院。哪一种语言人们可以在一出戏中朗诵，在朗诵中玩(分别指演戏和开独唱会)?用卡车运船，用船运货(分别只用卡车运输和用船运输)?鼻子可以跑而脚可以闻味道(分别指流鼻涕和脚有臭味)?车可以停在驾驶路上，而且在停车路上驾驶(driveway从字面上理解是驾驶路，parkway从字面上理解是停车路)。
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?
翻译：为什么一个苗条的机会(slim chance，指没机会)和一个肥胖的机会(fat chant，也指没机会)意思是一样的，而一个聪明的人(wise man，聪明人)和一个聪明的家伙(wise guy，自作聪明的人)却意思相反?为什么相当多(quite a lot)和相当少(quite a few)意思一样?(实际上quite a lot和quite a few都是相当多的意思。)为什么天气可以热的像地狱也可以冷得像地狱?(as hell字面意思像地狱一样，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.
翻译：你不得不对这种精神病一样的语言表示惊奇，在这种语言中，你的房子在被烧下去(burn down，意为烧为平地)的同时又被烧上去(burn up，意为烧起来，烧掉)。你用填出来(fill out，意为填写)的方法填进去(fill in,意思也是填写)一个表格。闹钟在走(go on)的时候响(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?
翻译：英语是人而不是机器创造出来的语言，它反映了人类的创造性。这也是为什么当星星出来的时候，我们是看得见的，当阳光出来(out)的时候是看不见的。同理，我“处理”我的手表之后，它就开始(走)了;而我“处理”完这篇文章后，它却结束了。
三、Can Money Buy Happiness 金钱能买到快乐?
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.我们很多人都梦想拥有万贯钱财来满足自身欲望。我们会买乐透彩券、参加比赛或付出很多时间发展事业或投资股市。我们深信一旦我们有很多钱，就会很开心，但真的会吗?
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.虽然有“一些”钱的确会影响我们的快乐程度，拥有“很多”钱则不然。在美国，年薪为2万~5万美元的人比较可能感到快乐。
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.但薪水超过5万美元后，快乐程度会不随着薪水增多而升高。此话怎讲?原因是我们永远不会满足。安默斯特学院心理学教授凯萨琳·珊德森说：“我们总是以为只要我们的钱再多一点，我们就会比较快乐，但是当我们走到那一步，我们却不快乐。”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.“你赚得越多，欲望就越多。你拥有的越多，得到的喜悦就越少。”哈佛大学心理学教授丹尼尔·吉尔勃特说：“我们误以为我们会因为拥有越多而更快乐，其实不会。”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.能用金钱买到的东西也不会让你开心。很多研究显示你不会因为买了昂贵的“玩具”而得到“美满人生”。你终于买的梦寐以求的宝马汽车，它很快就丧失了吸引力，然后你不思考一部新车是否真能令你快乐，你认定自己只要再买一部新车就好了，这种循环没完没了。
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.为了要真正的快乐，首先你必须了解什么让你快乐。快乐的一个秘诀在于人。一些调查报告发现人与人彼此需要。拥有五个或更多亲密朋友的人自认“非常快乐”的机会高出他人50%。美满的人际关系对能否快乐的影响程度远胜于薪水大幅调升。安德鲁·奥斯瓦德是英国华威大学的经济学家，他说：“如果你在寻觅幸福人生，找一个合适的配偶吧，而不是想办法赚两倍的薪水。”7.So invest your time and energy in people. The payoff is much bigger in terms of happiness!
7.所以把时间和精力投资在人身上吧，就快乐而言，回报会更大!
四、How Americans View Love 美国人的爱情观
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“爱让世界转动”。如果你看到美国人是如何庆祝情人节的，你便会相信这句话。这一天在美国不论你走到哪里都能看到一颗颗小红心。坠入爱河中的人向自己的心上人赠送卡片、鲜花和糖果。你可以将情人节称之为一年一度的爱的庆贺日。
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.美国人的爱情和浪漫始于约会。年轻人有几种约会方式。最开始，他们可能是好几个男孩和女孩都参加的集体约会。之后，他们单独出去约会――只有一男一女。有时他们会去看电影，也可能一起去参加朋友的聚会，或一起出去吃饭。
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.如果两对男女一起出去，这叫做双重约会。一个朋友还可能为你和陌生人安排一个“蒙眼约会”。那并不是说你整个晚上都紧闭双目。只是在约会之前你并不知道你的约会对象是谁。如果有人请你出去约会，不管是哪种约会，假若你不想去，你都可以礼貌地说声“不，谢谢!”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、对于约会，美国人与别的文化国度的人有不同的看法。美国的年轻人把约会看成是玩得开心的时间，并不一定就抱着浪漫的念头。有的人可能这星期与一个人出去，下星期又与另外一个人出去。经过一段时间后，一个男孩和一个女孩可能决定保持稳定的关系。这意味着他们把彼此看成“男朋友和女朋友”，这也意味着他们不想与别的人约会。浪漫之花开始绽放。
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、浪漫爱情是美国文化的重要组成部分。美国的电影、电视和书籍都描绘人们如何坠入爱河。美国人知道没有哪段爱情是完美的.，但他们还是努力去寻找自己的意中人。事实上，爱不仅仅是美国文化，而是每种文化的组成部分。全世界的人们都在爱中寻求幸福。也许确实是爱使世界转动。
五、A Gentleman 何为绅士
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.
如果下面这篇文章是真实的，那莪维多利亚女王的绅士真的值得关注了。对于那些梦想找到一个“身穿光亮铠甲的骑士”、一个完美男人或者一个仅仅是放弃电视要哦那个的男人的女人来说，你在这里就可以找到了。记住，这些绅士大多存在于维多利亚时代.在21世纪，很少有人能够幸运地找到一个。对于那些在寻找的人，你可能在寻求的标准上得到一些好的提示，对于那些已经结婚的人来说，你们要有信息并且记得，你的丈夫可能不像“维多利亚女王时代的绅士”，但是不管怎么样，你爱他。
What is a gentleman?
到底什么样的人才算得上一个绅士呢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.
绅士是个从来都不会给人带来痛苦的人，这几乎成了绅士的定义。这一描述不仅精炼，而且现在看来也依然是准确的。他的主要职责就是消除那些阻碍周围的人自如行动的障碍。而且他与其他人行动一致，而不是采取主动。
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.
他的益处相当于个人生活中给人们带来舒适或便利的事物，就像安乐椅或温暖的火，能够驱除寒冷和疲劳，尽管没有它们，大自然也能提供休息的场所，人也可以靠体温来保持温暖。
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.
同样，真正的绅士会小心避免给接触到的人造成思想上的混乱或震动。他会小心避免给接触到的人造成思想上的混乱或震动。他会小心避免一切意见上的冲突，情感上的冲撞，避免一切拘束、怀疑、忧郁或怨恨;对他来说，让每个人都觉得轻松自在是头等大事。
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.
他关注他周围所有的人，他对害羞的人体贴，对冷淡的人温和，对愚蠢的人宽容，他会注意谈话的对象，他会提防不恰当的影射，或是一些可能令人不安的话题。他很少在谈话中突出自己。但也不令人感到乏味。在给别人帮助时，他会轻描淡写，让人感觉他似乎是在接受帮助而不是给予帮助。
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.
他从不谈论自己，除非情势所迫，他从不为自己辩护，就连一句反驳也不说，他从不听信闲言碎语，当有人妨碍自己时，他会极为审慎地推测他们这么做的动机;他会尽量把事情往好处想。
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.
争论时他从不采取卑劣的手段，从不利用别人的弱点，从不把他人的个性或尖锐的言辞当作吵架的由头，也不会含沙射影地说一些他不敢直接说出来的令人不舒服的话。基于有先见之明的深谋远虑，他尊奉先贤的格言，那就是我们对待敌人的态度要好像他将来某一天会成为我们的朋友一样。
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.
他极为明智，能避免遭到侮辱，他非常忙碌，以至于记不住别人对他的伤害，他又十分懒散，不会去怨恨别人。从哲学原则上讲，他是耐心的，宽容的，顺从的。他承受痛苦，因为这是不可避免的。他忍受丧亲之痛，因为这是无法挽回的，它直面死亡，因为这是他最终的命运。如果他陷入任何争议之中，他训练有素的智力会使他免于做错事情。
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