词汇修辞 2.2.5-2.2.7选文附词语解释.doc

We see that in many things that life is very great. It is incomparably great in its material aspects, in its body of wealth, in the diversity and sweep of its energy, in the industries which have been conceived and built up by the genius of individual men and the limitless enterprise of groups of men. It is great, also, very great, in its moral force?Diversity: it contains many different elements Sweep: a wide scope Enterprise: a purposeful or industrial undertaking, esp. one that need bold or effort. But the evil has come with the good, and much fine gold has been corroded. With riches has come inexcusable waste. We have squandered a great deal of what we might have used, and have not stopped to conserve the exceeding bounty of nature,匴e have been proud of our industrial achievements, but we have not hitherto stopped thoughtfully enough to count the human cost? (Woodrow Wilson: “First Inaugural Address at Mobile,” Mar.4, 1913) Corrode: become destroyed by water, air, or acid. Inexcusable: /?n.?kskju?.z?.b?/. Too bad to be accepted. Squander: to spend or use money or supplies in a wasteful way. Conserve: to keep sth from damage, change or waste. Bounty: the property of copious abundance Hitherto: until now or until a particular time. (2) This tendency toward irresponsibility persists in many of us today; our rivers are poisoned by reckless dumping of sewage and toxic industrial wastes, the air of our cities is filthy and dangerous to breathe from the belching of uncontrolled products from combustion of coal, coke, oil and gasoline. Our towns are girdled with wreckage and the debris of our toys-our automobiles and our packaged pleasure. Through uninhibited spraying against one enemy we have destroyed the natural balances our survival requires. All these evils can and must be overcome if America and the Americans are to survive; but many of us still conduct ourselves as our ancestors did, stealing from the future for clear and present profit. (John