M1B4 Cultural Corner
Famous Last Words没有实现的著名预言
Not all predictions come true。并非所有的预言都能成真。 Many of them are wrong， and some are very wrong. 许多预言是错的,并且有些还是大错特错。Here are just a few of the bad predictions people made in the twentieth century about the twenty-first century:下面就是人们在20世纪对21世纪所作出的一些错误的预言： AIRPLANES飞机
”No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris。\"“将不会有从纽约飞往
巴黎的飞机.\"
Orville Wright, 1908。奥维尔·赖特,1908。
COMPUTERS电脑
”I think there is a world market for maybe five computers。”“我认为将会有一个
大约有五台电脑的世界市场。”
Thomas Waston， chairman of IBM， 1943.托马斯·沃森，IBM主席，1943.
CLOTHES衣服
\"Thirty years from now people will be wearing clothes made of paper which they will be able to throw away after wearing them two or three times.”“从现在起30年
后人们将穿纸制的衣服，穿过两三次后就可以把它们扔掉.”
Changing Times Magazine， 1957。《流年杂志》,1957。
MEN ON THE MOON月球上的人类
”With the first moon colonies predicted for the 1970’s， work is now in progress on the types of building required for men to stay in when they're on the moon.”“因
为预测在20世纪70年代会有第一批到月球的移民，现在正在修建几种类型的建筑物，当人类在月球上时,他们需要住在里面。”
Arnold B. Barach in The Changes to Come， 1962.阿诺德·B。 贝拉克在《未来
变化》中，1962。
THE BEATLES甲壳虫乐队
”We don't like their sound， and guitar music is on the way out.\"“我们不喜欢
他们的歌声，吉他音乐即将过时.”
Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962。反对甲壳虫乐队的台卡唱
片公司，1962。
ROBOTS IN THE HOUSE家庭机器人
\"By the year 2000， housewives will probably have a robot shaped like a box with one large eye on the top, several arms and hands, and long narrow pads on the side for moving about。”“到2000年之前，家庭主妇们可能会有一个盒状的机器人，它
的顶部有一只大眼睛,它还有几只胳膊和手，身体两边还有又长又窄的用来四处移动的脚。”
New York Times， 1966。《纽约时报》，1966。
KEYS钥匙
\"By the mid—1980’s no one will ever need to hide a key under the doormat again, because there won’t be any keys。”“到20纪世80年代中期人们将没有必要把
钥匙藏在门口的擦鞋垫下面了，因为那时将不会有钥匙了。”
Computer scientist Christopher Evans,
The Micro Millennium, 1979.
电脑科学家克里斯多弗埃文斯，《微机黄金时代》，1979。
M1B4 Cultural Corner Famous Last Words
Not all predictions come true。 Many of them are wrong, and some are very wrong。 Here are just a few of the bad predictions people made in the twentieth century about the twenty—first century: AIRPLANES
\"No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris.”
Orville Wright, 1908.
COMPUTERS
\"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers。”
Thomas Waston， chairman of IBM, 1943。
CLOTHES
\"Thirty years from now people will be wearing clothes made of paper which they will be able to throw away after wearing them two or three times.\"
Changing Times Magazine， 1957.
MEN ON THE MOON
\"With the first moon colonies predicted for the 1970’s, work is now in progress on the types of building required for men to stay in when they're on the moon。”
Arnold B. Barach in The Changes to Come, 1962.
THE BEATLES
”We don't like their sound， and guitar music is on the way out。”
Decca Recording Co。 rejecting the Beatles， 1962。
ROBOTS IN THE HOUSE
”By the year 2000， housewives will probably have a robot shaped like a box with one large eye on the top, several arms and hands， and long narrow pads on the side for moving about。\"
New York Times, 1966.
KEYS
\"By the mid—1980’s no one will ever need to hide a key under the doormat again, because there won't be any keys.\"
Computer scientist Christopher Evans,
The Micro Millennium， 1979。
M1B4 Cultural Corner译文
没有实现的著名预言
并非所有的预言都能成真。许多预言是错的,并且有些还是大错特错。下面就是人们在20世纪对21世纪所作出的一些错误的预言： 飞机
“将不会有从纽约飞往巴黎的飞机。” 奥维尔·赖特，1908. 电脑
“我认为将会有一个大约有五台电脑的世界市场。” 托马斯·沃森，IBM主席,1943。 衣服
“从现在起30年后人们将穿纸制的衣服,穿过两三次后就可以把它们扔掉。” 《流年杂志》，1957。 月球上的人类
“因为预测在20世纪70年代会有第一批到月球的移民，现在正在修建几种类型的建筑物,当人类在月球上时，他们需要住在里面。\"
阿诺德·B. 贝拉克在《未来变化》中，1962。 甲壳虫乐队
“我们不喜欢他们的歌声,吉他音乐即将过时。” 反对甲壳虫乐队的台卡唱片公司，1962。 家庭机器人
“到2000年之前，家庭主妇们可能会有一个盒状的机器人,它的顶部有一只大眼睛,它还有几只胳膊和手，身体两边还有又长又窄的用来四处移动的脚。”
《纽约时报》，1966。 钥匙
“到20纪世80年代中期人们将没有必要把钥匙藏在门口的擦鞋垫下面了，因为那时将不会有钥匙了。”
电脑科学家克里斯多弗埃文斯，《微机黄金时代》，1979.
M2B4 Cultural Corner
The London Congestion Charge伦敦的交通拥堵费
Beijing isn’t the only city with traffic problems。 北京不是唯一有交通阻塞问题的
城市。You can get stuck in a traffic jam anywhere in the world。在世界任何地方你都可能遭遇堵车. The worst problems occur in cities which are growing fast, such as Sao Paolo in Brazil and Lagos in Nigeria。 发展快的城市问题最严重，如巴西的圣保罗和尼日利亚的拉各斯.But even cities in developed countries such as the US suffer。 Los Angeles, which was built with the motor car in mind, 但甚至在一些像美国这样的发达国家的城市里也有这样的问题。洛杉矶，and is famous for its six—lane highways, is now the USA's most congested city.一座在建设时就考虑了机动车辆并以其六车道公路闻名的城市，现在却是美国交通最拥挤的城市。
In Europe most capital cities were planned and built before cars， 大多数欧洲
的首都城市在小汽车大量涌现之前就已规划建设好了，and city centre traffic jams have been part of daily life for a long time.因此市中心的堵车长久以来成为人们日常生活的一部分。 The situation in central London， where drivers spent fifty
percent of their time in queues， became so bad that the local government decided to do something about it。伦敦市中心的交通状况变得如此糟糕,司机们要用
50％
的时间来排队，于是当地政府决定就此采取一些措施。 In February 2003 the
Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone， introduced a \"congestion charge”-a tax for cars entering the centre of the city.2003
年2月，伦敦市长肯•利文斯通宣布进入市
中心的车要交“交通拥堵费\"。
The idea is simple： every car coming into the centre has to pay £5 a day.想法很简单：每辆进入市中心的车一天要交5英镑的费用。 Drivers can pay the charge at any of 10，000 pay points in the capital before 10 p。m。 司机们可以在晚上10点之前在首都的10000个收费点中的任何一个上缴该费用。As the cars
come into the centre， video cameras record their registration numbers， and these are checked with a list of drivers who have paid the charge for that day。 进入市
区的小汽车都会被摄像机拍下车牌号码，用以检查当天司机是否缴费。People who do not pay the charge will face a fine of £80.不缴费者将会面临80英磅的罚
款.
Most Londoners are not happy with the idea. 大多数伦敦人对此都不开心。They agree that London has a traffic problem， but the congestion charge is expensive， and limits their freedom ...他们承认伦敦存在交通问题,但是“交通拥堵费”太高，
而且限制了他们的自由……
But does the congestion charge work？ 但是“交通拥堵费”发挥作用了吗？A survey carried out at the end of 2003 suggests it does。 2003
年年底进行的一项
调查结果显示效果很不错。After only six months, traffic coming into central London was reduced by about 30 percent， and journey times by 15 percent.仅仅只是6个月之后,进入伦敦市中心的车减少了约30%，旅程的次数减少了15%. More
people used public transport to get to work, and bicycles were suddenly very popular。 更多的人乘公共交通工具上班,自行车突然流行起来。What's more， central London shops did not lose business even though there were fewer cars。更
值得一提的是，虽然车少了，但伦敦市中心的商铺并没有减少营业额。
But there are a few people who think the charge should be much higher, for example rich businessmen who work in the city centre and can easily afford it. 但
是，有些人认为收费应该更高，（因为)像那些在市中心工作的富有的商务人士能轻松支付此项费用.This would keep even more cars out of central London, and the roads would be nearly empty。 这(收费更高）会避免更多的车辆进入伦敦市中心,道路也几乎会是空的。However， there are no plans to increase the charge.但是，伦敦还没有提高该费用的计划。
M2B4 Cultural Corner译文
M2B4 Cultural Corner The London Congestion Charge
Beijing isn’t the only city with traffic problems。 You can get stuck in a traffic jam anywhere in the world。 The worst problems occur in cities which are growing fast, such as Sao Paolo in Brazil and Lagos in Nigeria. But even cities in developed countries such as the US suffer. Los Angeles， which was built with the motor car in
mind, and is famous for its six—lane highways, is now the USA’s most congested city.
In Europe most capital cities were planned and built before cars, and city centre traffic jams have been part of daily life for a long time. The situation in central London， where drivers spent fifty percent of their time in queues， became so bad that the local government decided to do something about it. In February 2003 the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, introduced a ”congestion charge\"—a tax for cars entering the centre of the city.
The idea is simple: every car coming into the centre has to pay £5 a day. Drivers can pay the charge at any of 10,000 pay points in the capital before 10 p.m。 As the cars come into the centre, video cameras record their registration numbers， and these are checked with a list of drivers who have paid the charge for that day. People who do not pay the charge will face a fine of £80。
Most Londoners are not happy with the idea。 They agree that London has a traffic problem， but the congestion charge is expensive, and limits their freedom ...
But does the congestion charge work? A survey carried out at the end of 2003 suggests it does。 After only six months, traffic coming into central London was reduced by about 30 percent, and journey times by 15 percent. More people used public transport to get to work, and bicycles were suddenly very popular。 What’s more, central London shops did not lose business even though there were fewer cars。
But there are a few people who think the charge should be much higher， for example rich businessmen who work in the city centre and can easily afford it。 This would keep even more cars out of central London, and the roads would be nearly empty. However, there are no plans to increase the charge。
M2B4 Cultural Corner译文 伦敦的交通拥堵费
北京不是唯一有交通阻塞问题的城市。在世界任何地方你都可能遭遇堵车.发展快的城市问题最严重，如巴西的圣保罗和尼日利亚的拉各斯。但甚至在一些像美国这样的发达国家的城市里也有这样的问题。洛杉矶，一座在建设时就考虑了机动车辆并以其六车道公路闻名的城市，现在却是美国交通最拥挤的城市。
大多数欧洲的首都城市在小汽车大量涌现之前就已规划建设好了,因此市中心的堵车长久以来成为人们日常生活的一部分。伦敦市中心的交通状况变得如此糟糕，司机们要用50％的时间来排队,于是当地政府决定就此采取一些措施。2003年2月，伦敦市长肯•利文斯通宣布进入市中心的车要交“交通拥堵费”。 想法很简单：每辆进入市中心的车一天要交5英镑的费用。司机们可以在晚上10点之前在首都的10000个收费点中的任何一个上缴该费用.进入市区的小汽车都会被摄像机拍下车牌号码,用以检查当天司机是否缴费.不缴费者将会面临80英磅的罚款。
大多数伦敦人对此都不开心。他们承认伦敦存在交通问题，但是“交通拥堵费”太高，而且限制了他们的自由……
但是“交通拥堵费”发挥作用了吗？2003年年底进行的一项调查结果显示效果很不错。仅仅只是6个月之后,进入伦敦市中心的车减少了约30%，旅程的次数减少了15%。更多的人乘公共交通工具上班，自行车突然流行起来。更值得一提的是，虽然车少了，但伦敦市中心的商铺并没有减少营业额。
但是，有些人认为收费应该更高，（因为）像那些在市中心工作的富有的商务人士能轻松支付此项费用。这（收费更高)会避免更多的车辆进入伦敦市中心，道路也几乎会是空的。但是,伦敦还没有提高该费用的计划。
M3 B4 Cultural Corner
Clapping鼓掌
Why do we clap? 我们为什么鼓掌？To show we like something, of course.当然
是为了表示我们喜欢某件东西。 But we don’t clap at the end of a television programme or a book， however good they are。 但不论一个电视节目或一本书有多好，在结束时我们都不鼓掌。We clap at the end of a live performance, such as a play， or a concert， to say thank you to the performers。 我们在现场表演，如戏剧或音乐会结束时鼓掌，以表示对演出者的感谢。First they give， and then we give。 首先他们给予精彩的表演，然后我们给予热烈的掌声。Without us—the audience—the performance would not be complete.没有我们——观众--表演就是不完整的。
The custom of clapping has early beginnings.鼓掌的习俗很早就开始了. In classical Athens， applause meant judgement and taking part。在古代雅典，掌声意味着
评判和参与。 Plays were often in competition with each other， and prolonged clapping helped a play to win。 戏剧常常是彼此竞争的，延长的掌声可以帮助某出戏剧获胜。The theatre was large—it could hold 14，000 people,剧场很大——可容纳14000人, half the adult male population of the city, which meant that the audience could make a lot of noise.是城市成年男性人口的一半,这就意味着观众们可以制造出很多声响。
Applause was a sign of being part of the community， and of equality between actors and audience. 掌声是一个人成为团体一员的标志，是演员与观众平等的标志.The important thing was to make the noise together， to add one's own small handclap to others。 重要的是整齐地制造声响，将一个人微弱的鼓掌声与其他人的融合起
来。Clapping is social， like laughter：鼓掌具有其社会性，就像笑声： you don't very often clap or laugh out loud alone.你独自一人时不会经常鼓掌或大笑。 It is like laughter in another way, too：鼓掌在另一方面也很像笑声： it is infectious， and spreads very quickly。会传染，而且传播得很快. Clapping at concerts and theatres is a universal habit.在音乐会上和剧场里鼓掌是世界性的习惯. But some occasions on which people clap change from one country to another。但是每个国家人们鼓掌的习惯在某些场合是不同的。 For example， in Britain people clap at a wedding， but in Italy they sometimes clap at a funeral。例如，在英国人们在婚礼上鼓掌，而在意大利人们有时会在葬礼上鼓掌。
M3 B4 Cultural Corner
Clapping
Why do we clap? To show we like something， of course。 But we don’t clap at the end of a television programme or a book， however good they are. We clap at the end of a live performance, such as a play, or a concert， to say thank you to the performers。 First they give， and then we give. Without us—the audience—the performance would not be complete.
The custom of clapping has early beginnings。 In classical Athens, applause meant judgement and taking part。 Plays were often in competition with each other， and prolonged clapping helped a play to win。 The theatre was large—it could hold
14,000 people, half the adult male population of the city， which meant that the audience could make a lot of noise.
Applause was a sign of being part of the community, and of equality between actors and audience。 The important thing was to make the noise together, to add one’s own small handclap to others。 Clapping is social, like laughter: you don’t very often
clap or laugh out loud alone. It is like laughter in another way， too: it is infectious, and spreads very quickly. Clapping at concerts and theatres is a universal habit。 But some occasions on which people clap change from one country to another。 For example, in Britain people clap at a wedding， but in Italy they sometimes clap at a funeral。
M3B4 Cultural Corner译文
鼓掌
我们为什么鼓掌？当然是为了表示我们喜欢某件东西。但不论一个电视节目或一本书有多好，在结束时我们都不鼓掌。我们在现场表演，如戏剧或音乐会结束时鼓掌,以表示对演出者的感谢。首先他们给予精彩的表演，然后我们给予热烈的掌声。没有我们——观众—-表演就是不完整的。
鼓掌的习俗很早就开始了.在古代雅典,掌声意味着评判和参与。戏剧常常是彼此竞争的，延长的掌声可以帮助某出戏剧获胜。剧场很大-—可容纳14000人，是城市成年男性人口的一半，这就意味着观众们可以制造出很多声响。 掌声是一个人成为团体一员的标志，是演员与观众平等的标志。重要的是整齐地制造声响，将一个人微弱的鼓掌声与其他人的融合起来。鼓掌具有其社会性，就像笑声：你独自一人时不会经常鼓掌或大笑。鼓掌在另一方面也很像笑声：会传染，而且传播得很快。在音乐会上和剧场里鼓掌是世界性的习惯。但是每个国家人们鼓掌的习惯在某些场合是不同的。例如，在英国人们在婚礼上鼓掌，而在意大利人们有时会在葬礼上鼓掌。
M4 B4 Cultural Corner
Rockets火箭
Today rockets are very advanced machines which we can use to send astronauts into space. 今天,火箭是我们用来将宇航员送入太空的非常先进的机
器。They are also used in firework displays to celebrate great events, such as the
end of the Olympic Games or the beginning of the new millennium in the year 2000。
它们也被用在庆祝重大事件的焰火表演中，像奥运会的闭幕式或2000年新千年的开始。
Rockets were probably invented by accident about 2，000 years ago。火箭
大概是大约两千年前被偶然发明出来的。 The Chinese had a form of gunpowder
which was put in bamboo tubes and thrown into fires to make explosions during festivals。中国人有一种装在竹管里的火药,这种火药是节日中被用来扔进火里爆
炸的. Perhaps some of the tubes jumped out of the fire instead of exploding in it。也许一些竹管从火堆里蹿了出来，而不是在里面炸开. The Chinese discovered that the gas escaping from the tube could lift it into the air.中国人发现从竹管里释放出来的气体可以使其飞向空中. The idea of the rocket was born。于是关于火箭的想法诞生了。
The first military use of rockets was in 1232.火箭第一次被用于军事上是在
1232年。 The Song Dynasty was at war with the Mongols.那时宋朝正与蒙古作战。 During the battle of Kaifeng, the Song army shot \"arrows of flying fire\"。 在开封战役中，宋军射出了“飞火箭\"。The tubes were attached to a long stick which helped keep the rocket moving in a straight direction.这些竹管被绑到一根长棍上，这根长棍可帮助火箭沿笔直的方向飞行。 Soon the Mongols learned how to make rockets themselves and it is possible that they introduced them to Europe.不久，蒙古人学会了怎样自己制造火箭,并且可能是他们将其引入欧洲的。 Between the
13th and 15th centuries there were many rocket experiments in England, France and Italy. 在
13世纪到15世纪期间，在英国、法国和意大利有很多关于火箭的
实验。They were used for military purposes。 One Italian scientist even invented a rocket which could travel over the surface of water and hit an enemy ship.它们都用于军事目的。一个意大利科学家甚至发明了一种可以飞过水面打中敌舰的火箭.
But not everybody wanted to use rockets in battles。 但并不是每个人都想将
火箭用于战争。Wan Hu, a Chinese government official, invented a flying chair。一个名叫万户的中国官员发明了一种“飞椅”。 He attached two big kites to the chair， and 47 rockets to the kites。他把两个大风筝绑到椅子上，又把47个火箭绑一风筝上. The rockets were lit， there was a huge explosion and clouds of thick smoke. 火箭被点燃了,发生了巨大的爆炸,出现了厚厚的浓烟.When the smoke cleared Wan Hu and his chair had disappeared.当烟雾消散时，万户和他的椅子已经不见。 No one knows what happened.没有人知道发生了什么. Did Wan Hu die in the explosion? 万户被炸死了？Or was he carried miles into space, becoming the
world's first astronaut？还是他被载入了数英里远的太空而成为世界上第一个宇
航员了呢？
M4 B4 Cultural Corner
Rockets
Today rockets are very advanced machines which we can use to send astronauts into space. They are also used in firework displays to celebrate great events, such as the end of the Olympic Games or the beginning of the new millennium in the year 2000.
Rockets were probably invented by accident about 2，000 years ago。 The Chinese had a form of gunpowder which was put in bamboo tubes and thrown into fires to make explosions during festivals. Perhaps some of the tubes jumped out of the fire instead of exploding in it。 The Chinese discovered that the gas escaping from the tube could lift it into the air. The idea of the rocket was born。
The first military use of rockets was in 1232。 The Song Dynasty was at war with the Mongols. During the battle of Kaifeng, the Song army shot ”arrows of flying fire”。 The tubes were attached to a long stick which helped keep the rocket moving in a straight direction。 Soon the Mongols learned how to make rockets themselves and it is possible that they introduced them to Europe. Between the 13th and 15th centuries there were many rocket experiments in England， France and Italy. They were used for military purposes. One Italian scientist even invented a rocket which could travel over the surface of water and hit an enemy ship。
But not everybody wanted to use rockets in battles. Wan Hu, a Chinese government official, invented a flying chair。 He attached two big kites to the chair， and 47 rockets to the kites. The rockets were lit， there was a huge explosion and clouds of thick smoke. When the smoke cleared Wan Hu and his chair had
disappeared. No one knows what happened。 Did Wan Hu die in the explosion？ Or was he carried miles into space, becoming the world's first astronaut?
M4B4 Cultural Corner译文
火箭 今天，火箭是我们用来将宇航员送入太空的非常先进的机器。它们也被用在庆祝重大事件的焰火表演中，像奥运会的闭幕式或2000年新千年的开始。
火箭大概是大约两千年前被偶然发明出来的。中国人有一种装在竹管里的火药，这种火药是节日中被用来扔进火里爆炸的。也许一些竹管从火堆里蹿了出来，而不是在里面炸开。中国人发现从竹管里释放出来的气体可以使其飞向空中。于是关于火箭的想法诞生了.
火箭第一次被用于军事上是在1232年。那时宋朝正与蒙古作战。在开封战役中，宋军射出了“飞火箭\"。这些竹管被绑到一根长棍上，这根长棍可帮助火箭沿笔直的方向飞行。不久，蒙古人学会了怎样自己制造火箭,并且可能是他们将其引入欧洲的.在13世纪到15世纪期间，在英国、法国和意大利有很多关于火箭的实验。它们都用于军事目的。一个意大利科学家甚至发明了一种可以飞过水面打中敌舰的火箭。
但并不是每个人都想将火箭用于战争.一个名叫万户的中国官员发明了一种“飞椅\"。他把两个大风筝绑到椅子上，又把47个火箭绑一风筝上.火箭被点燃了，发生了巨大的爆炸，出现了厚厚的浓烟。当烟雾消散时，万户和他的椅子已经不见.没有人知道发生了什么.万户被炸死了？还是他被载入了数英里远的太空而成为世界上第一个宇航员了呢?
M5B4 Cultural Corner
Postcards to Myself给自己的明信片
In 50 years of travelling Colin McCorquodale has visited every country in the world, except three.在
50年的旅行中，科林麦科克代尔已经游览过除三个国家以外的
世界各国。 And everywhere he goes, he sends himself a postcard。 无论他去哪儿，他都给自己寄一张明信片.He always chooses a postcard with a beautiful view， and sticks on an interesting stamp.他总是选一张有着美丽风景的明信片。并贴上一枚有趣的邮票。 Usually he writes just a short message to himself. His latest one， from the Malvinas islands， reads Good fishing。通常他只是给自己写一条简短的信息。他最近的一张明信片来自马尔维纳斯群岛，上面写着“钓鱼很好”。
On a wall in his home in London there is a large map of the world。 在伦敦他家
里的一面墙上有一张大的世界地图.There are hundreds of little red pins stuck in it.上面扎着数百个红色的小别针。 \"It's good to get a pin in the map,” says Mr McCorquodale, “在地图上扎个别针很好，”麦科克代尔先生说，”but I follow the
rules。 I'm allowed to stick one in only if I’ve been in a place for more than 24 hours。
“但我遵守规定。\"只有当我在一个地方待24个小时以上,我才允许自己扎一个。” Naturally, Mr McCorquodale has his favourite places.自然，麦科克代尔先生有他最喜欢的地方。 New Zealand he describes as ”wonderful\"。他用“妙极了\"来形容新西兰。 In Europe, Italy is a favourite place。 在欧洲，意大利是他最喜欢的地方。\"There’s a saying in the travel trade that all tourists are ripped off。 “在旅游业有一种说法是所有的游客都被敲了竹杠。Well， at least the Italians rip you off with a smile.\" 不过,至少意大利人是面带微笑地敲你的竹杠。”Of China he says，”This is one country in the world which is completely different。 对于中国，他说:“在这世界上这是一个完全与众不同的国家。There's no European influence. It’s been around for 6，000 years, yet it’s a country of the future。\"它没有受到欧洲的影响。它已经存在了6000年，但仍然是一个充满未来的国家。”
Wherever he goes, Mr McCorquodale takes with him a photo of his wife, a candle， a torch, a shirt with a secret pocket, and a pen for writing his postcards.不管到哪
里，麦科克代尔先生都带着妻子的一张照片、一根蜡烛、一个手电筒、一件有着一个隐秘口袋的衬衫，还有一支用来写明信片的钢笔。
So why does he do it? 那么他为什么要这样做呢？For the postcards or the travel？ 是为了明信片还是为了旅行？Mr McCorquodale laughs。 麦科克代尔先
生笑了.\"I do it for the journey,\" he says. ”I get a kick out of travelling。 And all the planning。\"“为了旅行，”他说。“我喜欢旅行以及所有的计划。\"
M5B4 Cultural Corner
Postcards to Myself
In 50 years of travelling Colin McCorquodale has visited every country in the world， except three. And everywhere he goes, he sends himself a postcard. He always chooses a postcard with a beautiful view, and sticks on an interesting stamp。 Usually he writes just a short message to himself. His latest one， from the Malvinas islands, reads Good fishing。
On a wall in his home in London there is a large
map of the world。 There are hundreds of little red pins stuck in it. \"It's good to get a pin in the map，\" says Mr McCorquodale， \"but I follow the rules. I'm allowed to stick one in only if I’ve been in a place for more than 24 hours.” Naturally， Mr McCorquodale has his favourite places. New Zealand he describes as ”wonderful\"。 In Europe， Italy is a favourite place. \"There's a saying in the travel trade that all tourists are ripped off. Well， at least the Italians rip you off with a smile.” Of China he says，\"This is one country in the world which is completely different. There’s no European influence. It's been around for 6,000 years， yet it’s a country of the future.\"
Wherever he goes， Mr McCorquodale takes with him a photo of his wife, a candle， a torch, a shirt with a secret pocket, and a pen for writing his postcards。
So why does he do it？ For the postcards or the travel? Mr McCorquodale laughs. \"I do it for the journey，” he says。 ”I get a kick out of travelling。 And all the planning。\"
M5B4 Cultural Corner译文
给自己的明信片
在50年的旅行中，科林麦科克代尔已经游览过除三个国家以外的世界各国。无论他去哪儿，他都给自己寄一张明信片.他总是选一张有着美丽风景的明信片。并贴上一枚有趣的邮票。通常他只是给自己写一条简短的信息.他最近的一张明
信片来自马尔维纳斯群岛，上面写着“钓鱼很好\"。
在伦敦他家里的一面墙上有一张大的世界地图.上面扎着数百个红色的小别针。“在地图上扎个别针很好,”麦科克代尔先生说，“但我遵守规定。只有当我在一个地方待24个小时以上，我才允许自己扎一个.”
自然，麦科克代尔先生有他最喜欢的地方。他用“妙极了”来形容新西兰。在欧洲，意大利是他最喜欢的地方。“在旅游业有一种说法是所有的游客都被敲了竹杠。不过，至少意大利人是面带微笑地敲你的竹杠。”对于中国,他说：“在这世界上这是一个完全与众不同的国家。它没有受到欧洲的影响。它已经存在了6000年，但仍然是一个充满未来的国家。”
不管到哪里，麦科克代尔先生都带着妻子的一张照片、一根蜡烛、一个手电筒、一件有着一个隐秘口袋的衬衫,还有一支用来写明信片的钢笔。
那么他为什么要这样做呢？是为了明信片还是为了旅行？麦科克代尔先生笑了。“为了旅行，”他说。“我喜欢旅行以及所有的计划。”
M6B4 Cultural Corner
The Universal Dragon世界上的龙
Dragons can be friendly or fierce, 龙可能是友好的也可能是凶猛的,they can bring good luck or cause death and destruction, 可能会带来好运也可能带来死亡
与毁坏，but one thing is sure—people talk about them almost everywhere in the world. 但有一点是确定的——几乎世界上所有地方的人都谈论它们。For a
creature that doesn’t actually exist, that's quite something.对于一种实际上并不存
在的生物，那是非同寻常的。
In Chinese culture， dragons are generous and wise, although they can be unpredictable。 在中国的文化里，龙是慷慨和智慧的,尽管它们也许是变化莫测
的。The dragon was closely connected to the royal family:龙跟皇室家族是紧密联系在一起的： the emperor’s robes have a symbol of a gold dragon with five claws。 皇袍上有一个五爪金龙的标志。Other members of the royal family were allowed to wear dragon symbols， too, but with fewer claws and of a different colour。 皇室其他成员也被允许穿带有龙的标志的服装，但爪子要少，颜色也不同.According to
popular belief, if you were born in the year of the dragon, you are intelligent， brave， and a natural leader.根据大众的看法,如果出生在龙年，你就聪明、勇敢，并且
是天生的领导者。
But in the west， dragons had a different reputation. 但在西方，龙有不同的名
声。The very first text in English， the Anglo—Saxon poem Beowulf, tells the story of a Scandinavian hero， Beowulf， 最早的英语文章是盎格鲁一撒克逊人的诗《贝奥武夫》,它讲述了这样一个故事：who fights and kills a dangerous dragon but is himself killed in the fight. 一位斯堪的纳维亚英雄贝奥武夫与一条危险的龙战斗并杀死了它,可英雄自己也死于战斗中.However, across the border in Wales, the
red dragon which appears on the Welsh flag is a positive symbol， indicating strength and a sense of national identity。然而,越过威尔士的边境，出现在威尔
士国旗上的红色的龙则是一个正面象征，暗示着力量与民族特性的认同感。
Why should the dragon have a different character in different parts of the world? 为
什么龙在世界不同地区有不同的特征？Some experts believe it is due to the animals the myths grew out of.一些专家认为是由于这些神话所借助的动物的不同(才有了不同的认识）。 In the west, the idea of the dragon probably came from the snake—an animal which people hated and were afraid of。在西方,龙的概念可能来自蛇——一种人们既憎慨又害怕的动物。
But in China, the idea of the dragon may have come from the alligator—a shy animal which lives in rivers,而在中国,龙的概念可能来自短吻鳄-—一种生活在江河里的
害羞的动物， but which is usually only seen when there is plenty of water—a good sign for agriculture. 但它通常只能在水源充沛的时候才能见到——这对农业来说是好兆头。So the Chinese dragon was a bringer of good fortune.因此，中国的龙是带来好运的使者。
M6B4 Cultural Corner
The Universal Dragon
Dragons can be friendly or fierce， they can bring good luck or cause death and destruction, but one thing is sure—people talk about them almost everywhere in the world. For a creature that doesn't actually exist， that’s quite something.
In Chinese culture, dragons are generous and wise, although they can be unpredictable. The dragon was closely connected to the royal family: the emperor's robes have a symbol of a gold dragon with five claws。 Other members of the royal family were allowed to wear dragon symbols， too， but with fewer claws and of a different colour. According to popular belief， if you were born in the year of the dragon, you are intelligent, brave, and a natural leader.
But in the west， dragons had a different reputation. The very first text in English, the Anglo—Saxon poem Beowulf, tells the story of a Scandinavian hero, Beowulf, who fights and kills a dangerous dragon but is himself killed in the fight. However， across the border in Wales, the red dragon which appears on the Welsh
flag is a positive symbol， indicating strength and a sense of national identity.
Why should the dragon have a different character in different parts of the world？ Some experts believe it is due to the animals the myths grew out of。 In the west, the idea of the dragon probably came from the
snake—an animal which people hated and were afraid of。
But in China, the idea of the dragon may have come from the alligator—a shy animal which lives in rivers， but which is usually only seen when there is plenty of water—a good sign for agriculture. So the Chinese dragon was a bringer of good fortune。
M6B4 Cultural Corner译文
世界上的龙
龙可能是友好的也可能是凶猛的，可能会带来好运也可能带来死亡与毁坏，但有一点是确定的-—几乎世界上所有地方的人都谈论它们。对于一种实际上并不存在的生物，那是非同寻常的。
在中国的文化里，龙是慷慨和智慧的,尽管它们也许是变化莫测的。龙跟皇室家族是紧密联系在一起的:皇袍上有一个五爪金龙的标志.皇室其他成员也被允许穿带有龙的标志的服装，但爪子要少，颜色也不同。根据大众的看法，如果出生在龙年，你就聪明、勇敢，并且是天生的领导者。
但在西方,龙有不同的名声。最早的英语文章是盎格鲁一撒克逊人的诗《贝奥武夫》,它讲述了这样一个故事：一位斯堪的纳维亚英雄贝奥武夫与一条危险的龙战斗并杀死了它，可英雄自己也死于战斗中。然而，越过威尔士的边境，出现在威尔士国旗上的红色的龙则是一个正面象征，暗示着力量与民族特性的认同感。 为什么龙在世界不同地区有不同的特征？一些专家认为是由于这些神话所借助的动物的不同（才有了不同的认识)。在西方,龙的概念可能来自蛇-—一种人们既憎慨又害怕的动物。
而在中国，龙的概念可能来自短吻鳄—-一种生活在江河里的害羞的动物，但它通常只能在水源充沛的时候才能见到——这对农业来说是好兆头。因此，中国的龙是带来好运的使者。
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