大学体验英语综合教程1 课文翻译及重点词汇解析 Unit 1 ~ Unit 8
(546 words)
Passage A
Translation
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A篇 玛塞娜的工作经历
进大学不久我就下定决心，在进入\现实世界\前先到国外呆一段。四年级的时候，我的大多数同学都在忙着为\现实世界\的工作面试，我却在研究怎么才能去另外一个国家工作。刚开始打听的时候，我对去哪儿，干什么都很随便。我就是很想出国，让我干什么都行。 不久我就听说了一个叫\北美学生英国大学俱乐部\的计划，像是专为想出国工作的学生制定的。它给在读或是刚毕业的学生提供工作签证，让他们能到海外工作。因为语言相通和找工作容易的关系，在六个可供选择的国家中我选择了英国。
毕业两个月后我横渡大西洋，到伦敦之前花六个礼拜把整个欧洲跑了一遍。1997年8月24日，我带着一张工作签证来到伦敦，但却没有工作，也没地方可住。我得承认那确实挺让人害怕的！到的第二天，我度过了我的第一个英国假日--银行休假日。这是个全国性的假日，到处关门歇业。直到第三天，我才去了\北美学生英国大学俱乐部\的办事处，熟悉了一下情况。在此过程中,我了解到一切有关在英国生活工作的细节。我知道了该怎么逛街，怎么写英国式的履历，交税，买健康保险，旅游，找住的地方，最重要的是，怎么找份工作。我最关心怎么找工作，因为我所带的钱已所剩无几，得尽快弄一份薪水。
事实证明找工作就像写履历一样简单！\北美学生英国大学俱乐部\计划在伦敦很有知名度，许多雇主都加入了这项计划。因此很多领域都有许多工作机会可供选择。我找工作的时候，我选择了三个不同的雇主，将自己的简历和附函传真给了他们。第一个星期我进行了三场面试，接受了我的第一个工作机会，为美林银行工作。我在美林的办公室是在一幢漂亮古老的楼房里，离白金汉宫只有两个街区。那儿的人都很友好，工作也很有意思。
适应伦敦的生活并非难事。不光如此，这儿值得一看的东西太多了。我在这儿呆了六个月，可能只走了一半我打算要去的地方。
在伦敦工作有许多好处。其中一个就是能融入到上班族中，真正领略一番英国的文化。我的大多数同事都是英国人，因此，通过大量接触英国人的日常生活，我确实觉得自己了解学习了英国的文化。其次，像这样在另一个国家生活、旅游也是很经济的，因为大部分工作都足以让你支付房租，生活费和旅游费。第三，你有机会得到宝贵的工作经历，让你的履历看起来也更加国际化。
迄今为止，到伦敦工作是我做过的最好的决定。我毫不犹豫地把它推荐给大家！
Passage A Notes to the Text
1. I decided early in my college years that I wanted to experience living abroad before
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大学体验英语综合教程1 课文翻译及重点词汇解析 Unit 1 ~ Unit 8
entering the \
Shortly after I entered college I made the decision that I should not find a job after graduation. I would first go and live in a foreign country for a while.
进大学不久我就下定决心，在进入\现实世界\前先到国外呆一段。 experience - v. to suffer, feel, or know 经历
n. knowledge or skill which comes from practice rather than from books, or the gaining of it.经验
Examples:
I experienced my first British holiday. 我经历了我的第一个英国假日。
You have the chance to gain valuable work experience. 你有机会得到宝贵的工作经历。
... before entering the \world\This is a prepositional phrase of time. The same idea may be expressed by using an adverbial clause \I entered the real world.\
Examples:
We are supposed to work out an outline before writing our compositions. (...before we write our compositions.)
在写作文之前，我们应该先写一个提纲。
They were so confident before having the exam (...before they had the exam), but after it they realized that there was still much for them to learn.
考试之前，他们信心十足，但考完之后，他们意识到要学的东西还很多。
2. During my senior year, while most of my friends were interviewing for \I was investigating how I could go work in a different country.
During the last year of my 4 years at college, most of my classmates were looking for jobs and having interviews while I was asking for information about how I could go and work in a foreign country.
四年级的时候，我的大多数同学都在忙着为\现实世界\的工作面试，我却在研究怎么才能去另外一个国家工作。
3. At the early stage of my inquiry I was pretty open about where to go and what kind of work to undertake.
When I first asked about the possibility of experiencing living abroad, I didn't have a specific idea as to where to go and what kind of work to take while facing several options. 刚开始打听的时候，我对去哪儿，干什么，都很随便。 open: not completely decided
Examples:
Let's leave it open. 我们暂不作决定。
Try to keep an open mind on the subject until you have heard all the fact.
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大学体验英语综合教程1 课文翻译及重点词汇解析 Unit 1 ~ Unit 8
在你了解到所有的事实之前，不要先存偏见。
undertake: to take up or accept ( a duty or piece of work, esp. one that is difficult or needs effort.) 承担
Examples:
She undertook the responsibility for the changes. 对此变化她承担责任。
The lawyer undertook the case without a fee. 律师免费承办这一案件。
4. learn about:get to know about, become informed of 了解，得知
Examples:
I like reading historical stories because I learn about the lives that people led long ago. 我喜欢阅读历史故事，因为可以了解到早期人们的生活情况。 How did you learn about our product? 你是怎么知道我们产品的？
5. It wasn't until my third day that I visited the BUNAC office and went through orientation. On the third day I visited the BNUAC office and had a formal process of learning about the new situation
直到第三天，我才去了\北美学生英国大学俱乐部\的办事处，熟悉了一下情况
\ is an emphatic pattern.
Examples:
It wasn't until 10 o'clock that he came back to his dorm. (At 10 o'clock he finally came back.)
直到10点钟，他才回到宿舍。
It wasn't until 10 years later that they found their lost son. (10 years later they finally found their lost son.)
直到10年后，他们才找到了他们丢失的儿子。
orientation: an introduction, as a tour, that helps one to adjust to new surroundings or introductory instruction concerning a new situation
Examples:
The university required that all new students arrive early for a ten-minute orientation to the library facilities.
学校要求所有的新生提前到达，花10分钟熟悉图书馆的设施。
In many companies the orientation of new employees is the duty of the training office. 在许多公司里，培训新职员是培训处的职责。
6. I was most scared about finding a job since my financial resources were running low and I
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大学体验英语综合教程1 课文翻译及重点词汇解析 Unit 1 ~ Unit 8
needed to get a paycheck soon.
I was not sure and thus worried if I can find a job but I needed a job badly because I had very little money left and no easy way to get any.
我最担心怎么找工作，因为我带的钱已所剩无几，得尽快弄一份薪水。
run low: not much left
Examples:
The gasoline in the car's tank was running low. 汽车油箱里的汽油不多了。
I was very tired and my energy was running low. 我累坏了，没劲了。
7. It turns out that... :
In the end, it happens to be ... 结果（是）
Examples:
It turned out that the person seated next to me on the train was one of my old friends. 火车上坐在我旁边的那个人原来是我一个老朋友。 It turned out that my new job was much easier than I expected. 结果我的新工作比我想象的要简单得多。
8. participate in: be involved in 参与，参加
Examples:
It's good for students to participate in a variety of activities. 参加各种活动对学生有好处。
Some people are too shy to participate in karaoke. 有些人很腼腆，不好意思唱卡拉OK。
9. ... there are many employers in many different fields to choose from: many different types of jobs are available … 很多领域都有许多工作机会可供选择
choose from:
to pick out or select (sb. / sth. that one prefers or considers the best, most suitable, etc.) from a number of alternatives. 供挑选
Examples:
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