时间:2018-12-11 作者:英语课 分类:新视野大学英语:视听说教程 4


英语课

Task 2: Americans’ Work Ethic 1

Script

For four hundred years or more, one thing has been a characteristic of Americans. It is called their “work ethic”. Its (S1) roots were in the teaching of the Christian 2 Puritans who first settled in (S2) what is now the northeastern state of Massachusetts. They believed that it was their (S3) moral duty to work at every task to please God by their

(S4) diligence, honesty, attention to details, skill, and attitude. To these Puritans, it was a (S5) sin to be lazy or to do less than your best in any task. They and later Americans tried to follow the Bible’s (S6) teachings, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

Therefore, Americans have for (S7) centuries believed that they were guilty of sin if they did not work as carefully and hard as they could when they did anything. God would punish those who were careless or lazy in their work. (S8) Even as children they were taught, “If it’s worth doing at all, it’s worth doing well.”

But some people have gone beyond the usual sense of diligence. They are especially attracted to the notion of “climbing the ladder” so as to increase their status, financial position, and sense of self-worth. (S9) In English a new word has been created to describe people who work compulsivelly. The word “workaholic” describes an individual who is as addicted 3 to work as an alcoholic 4 is to alcohol.

There are conflicting points of view about workaholics. Those concerned with problems of mental stress believe workaholics abuse themselves physically 5 and mentally. (S10) Others hold that workaholics are valuable members of society because they are extremely productive. The American culture values achievement, efficiency, and production, and a workaholic upholds these values.



1 ethic
n.道德标准,行为准则
  • They instilled the work ethic into their children.他们在孩子们的心中注入了职业道德的理念。
  • The connotation of education ethic is rooted in human nature's mobility.教育伦理的内涵根源于人本性的变动性。
2 Christian
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
3 addicted
adj.沉溺于....的,对...上瘾的
  • He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
  • She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。
4 alcoholic
adj.(含)酒精的,由酒精引起的;n.酗酒者
  • The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
  • Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。
5 physically
adj.物质上,体格上,身体上,按自然规律
  • He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服,心绪也很乱。
  • Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。
学英语单词
ambidextral
amphibolid
arctiums
astillen
body-surf
bond investment trust
boundary sign
bundesbanks
bypass line
chamness
cheekyne
Chick-Martin butter
chromaticity value
comptrollers-general
conventional systems analysis and design
crookings
cross-rate
cymba conchae
damage-control
dead lime
decurio
defect of finger tip
dentiovula tadashigei
direct start
dominquez
drawing capstan
during the process of
durobrivae
dustdevil
eugenia jamboss
extended-service
fersko
filter leaf group
finertopology
flere
forbid sb to do
fore-and-aft axis
Fresnel approximation
fundamental frequency
general-purpose flip-flop
GM general manager
halophilous bacteria
home-bred
htp
Huanglian Yanggan Wan
hypoisotonic
interconnectional
inverse multiplexor
investment company institute
Ishikari-dake
jaw spanner
joining magnetic tape
Kefspor
klias
lady's maid
least-squares analysis
material procurement
motor pacing
move-out
National Library of Medicine
neobumidin
nil-ductility transition
NNI (non-nuclear instrumentation)
non-deterministic information structure
nonmoney
O-ethyl (O-2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)ethylphosphonothioate
on-line digital input
oniche
outer phase
pain au levain
parasitic light
pedantocrat
pedestal wheel
pewter-greys
Pidgin-English
planting season
pranciest
price ordinance
random coding
retrocollis
reversible pawl
Ringer lactate solution
rufas
saccharated ferric phosphate
searchlight coil
sequalae
single-piston brake cylinder
slatterns
spray tip velocity
stand upon ceremony
Steinbrocker
subbass
sulciform
take someone hostage
taking-in charge
tarso-conjunctival flap
to take the biscuit
trichopter
turret rotation
vacuum nozzle
well deck waggon
wet patch