人教版英语选修第四册 Unit 4 Reading and Thinking 1

VOLUNTEERING IN THE BUSH

丛林里的志愿行动

8 March

3 月 8 日

I just got a parcel from home!

我刚收到一个从家里寄来的包裹！

It took about two weeks to arrive, and it was a bit damaged, but it was so nice to get some sweets and jam from home; I’ve been dying to have some of my favourite sweets, and it’s always nice to get mail!

大约花了两周的时间包裹才到达，而且有点破损，但是真高兴能收到家里寄来的一些糖果和果酱；我一直非常渴望吃一些我最喜欢的糖果，而且收到邮包总是令人开心不已！

So I’ve been here in the jungle for about a month now.

到现在我已经在丛林里待了大约一个月了。

My secondary school is a bush school.

我所在的中学是一所丛林学校。

The classrooms are made of bamboo, with clay floors and roofs of grass.

教室是用竹子搭建的，黏土夯的地面，茅草搭的屋顶。

It takes me only a few minutes to walk to school down a dusty track covered in weeds.

沿着杂草丛生、尘土飞扬的小路，我几分钟就能走到学校。

When I reach the school grounds, I’m greeted by a chorus of “good morning” from the boys.

我走进校园时，男孩们齐声对我喊 “早上好”。

Unlike students in our country, these boys do not wear cotton uniforms, and many of them also have to walk a long way, sometimes for up to two hours, just to get to school.

与我们国家的学生不同，这些男孩不穿棉制校服，他们中的很多人得长途跋涉，有时长达两个小时才能到学校。

There’s no electricity, running water or even textbooks, not to mention laptops, tablets, or other modern devices!

这里没有电，没有自来水，甚至也没有教科书，更不用说笔记本电脑、平板电脑或其他现代化设备了！

All the students have are pencils, rubbers, and paper.

学生们只有铅笔、橡皮和纸。

I’m still trying to adapt to these conditions.

我还在努力适应这些条件。

I’ve had to become much more imaginative in my teaching.

在我的教学中，我不得不变得更有想象力。

Science is my most challenging subject as my students have no concept of doing experiments.

科学课是我最具挑战性的科目，因为我的学生没有做实验的概念。

There is no equipment, and since there isn’t even a washroom, if I need water I have to carry it from my house in a basin!

这里没有设备，甚至连洗手间都没有。如果需要水，我得用盆子从我的房子里端来！

It’s important not to be too rigid about rules here, too.

在这里，很重要的一点是也不能太墨守成规。

The other day I was showing the boys a chemistry experiment when, before I knew it, the mixture was bubbling out of the test tube spilling everywhere!

几天前，我正在给男孩们演示一个化学实验，在我反应过来前，混合物冒着泡从试管中涌出，洒得到处都是！

The class became a circus as the boys, who had never come across anything like this before, started jumping out of the windows.

班上乱成了马戏团，男孩们纷纷跳窗跑走，因为他们以前从没遇到过像这样的事情。

Sometimes I wonder how relevant chemistry is to these students—few will ever become chemists—and most will be going back to their villages after Year 8 anyway.

有时，我会想化学对这些学生来说到底有多大的用处 —— 几乎没有人会成为化学家 —— 而且大多数人无论如何在八年级后都要回到自己的村庄。

To be honest, I doubt whether I’m making any difference to these boys’ lives at all.

说实话，我怀疑我是否能给这些男孩们的生活带来不同。

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