为你读书：《大雁的团队意识》The Sense of a Goose

 

 

 

原文欣赏

Next autumn, when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying along in 'V' formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it createsuplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in 'V' formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

明年秋天，当你看到雁群一路以“V”字队形飞往南方越冬时，你也许会想到科学己经对这种飞行方式作了解释：鸟儿鼓动双翼时，为紧随其后的鸟儿形成一种浮力。借助“V”字队形飞行，鸟群的飞行里程至少比孤雁单飞增加71％。

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the dragand resistance of trying to go it alone--and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting powerful of the bird in front.

一只大雁脱离队伍时，会立即感到一股动力阻止它离开——藉着前一个伙伴的“支撑力”它很快回到队伍。

When the head goose gets tired, it goes back in the wing and another goose flies point. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

头雁疲倦时，会回到侧翼，另一只大雁飞到前面充当领队。后面的大雁用叫声鼓励前面的同伴继续保持速度。

 

词汇及短语点津

 

1. as to  关于；至于

例句：There has been much gossip in commercial circles as to his resignation.

关于他的辞职, 在商界一直有很多流言蜚语。

 

2.  flock  一群……

a flock of  一群（羊，鸟）

例句：A flock of sheep are ranging over the grassland.

一群羊在草原上来回走动。

 

3.  fall out of   从…跌落(或滑落)下来，从…掉落下来

例句：The pen fell out of his fingers.

钢笔从他手中掉落了下来。

 

4.  get back into   重新回到……

 

5.  keep up   保持……

   Keep up with   跟上某人

例句：He lengthened his stride to keep up with his father.他迈开大步跟上他父亲。

 

原文欣赏

 

 

Finally--and this is important--when a goose gets sick or is woundedbygunshot, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their own.

最后——也是关键的一点——遇有大雁生病或因枪击受伤掉队时，会有两只大雁离队陪着它，跟在后面提供帮助和保护。它们与落队的大雁呆在一起，直到它能够展翅高飞或死去为止；然后，只有到那时候两只大雁才会自行飞走，或加入另一个雁阵追赶自己的队伍。

People who share common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily, because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

 具有共同目标与集体意识的人可以更快、更容易地达到目标，因为他们凭借彼此的推动力向前进。

If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are heading in the same direction as we are.

如果我们拥有大雁一样的意识，我们会和那些与我们前进方向一致的人留在同一队列里。

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.

如果我们拥有大雁的意识，我们也会像它们那样彼此扶持。

 

 

词汇及短语点津

 

1. stay with     和……待在一起；在……家里做客

例句：I'm going to stay with my brother in his house near the sea.

我打算到海滨我哥哥家里去做客。

 

2. fallen  adj. 堕落的；落下来的；

 

3. only then do they launch out on their own

点津：only then  直到那时（后面的句子要倒装）

例句：Only then should the screen update.

只有到那时，屏幕才作出更新。

 

4. sense of community  团队意识

拓展：make sense of  搞清楚……的意思

例句：I try to make sense of my universe.

我试着寻找我的宇宙的意义所在。