Unit 5
单元五
Everyday Cruelty
日常残忍
Last week, I found myself worrying less about problems of world politics, and national crime
上周,我发现自己担心世界政治的问题有关的少,国家犯罪
and more about smaller evils. I came home one day with a bad taste in my mouth, the kind I
小多源。我回家的时候,有一天在一个糟糕的滋味,是那种我
get whenever I witness the little cruelties that people inflict on each other. On this
每当我看到得到小残酷的,人们给对方。在这
particular day, I had seen three especially mean-spirited things happen.
一天,我看到三个特别是卑鄙的事情发生。
I first thought about mean-spirited people as I walked from the bus stop to the office where
我第一次想到人们卑鄙,当我走离公共汽车站到办公室去哪里
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I work. I make this walk every day, and it's my first step away from the comforts of home
我的工作。我每天步行,这是我的第一步家里的舒适
and into the tensions of the city. For me, a landmark on the route is a tiny patch of ground
和城市的紧张关系。对我来说,一个里程碑一小片路径的层面甚广
that was once strewn with rubbish and broken glass. The city is trying to make a \
曾是到处是垃圾和碎玻璃。这个城市正在努力做一个“口袋里
park\
这件事公园”种植树木和花草。每一天,这个春天,我看着这么回事
saplings put out tiny leaves. When I walked past, I always noted how big the tulips were
小树伸出微小的叶子。当我走过,我总是意识到大郁金香是什么
getting and made bets with myself on when they would bloom. But last Wednesday, as I reached
对自己越来越使投注在那时他们也许会开花。但是上个星期三,当我到达
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the park I fell sick. Someone had knocked the trees to the ground and trampled the budding
公园里我病倒了。有人撞翻了树在地上,践踏萌芽的
tulips into the dirt. Someone had destroyed a bit of beauty for no reason.
郁金香在泥土上。有人破坏了一些美丽,不需要理由。
At lunchtime on Wednesday, I witnessed more meanness. Along with dozens of other hungry,
在周三中午,我所亲眼目睹更卑鄙。随着许多其他的饿了,
hurried people, I was waiting in line at McDonald 's. Also in line was a young mother with
匆忙的人,我排队时麦当劳的。同样遵循的是一位年轻的母亲
two tired, impatient children clinging to her legs. The mother was trying to calm the
两个累,不耐烦的儿女都能抓住她的双腿。母亲在试图平息
children, but it was obvious that they were about to start crying. The lines barely moved,
孩子,但很显然,他们正准备开始哭了起来。线条几乎一动不动,
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