Supplementary Reading >> Culture Notes

1. About the Author

Deborah Norville (born August 8, 1958) is an American television broadcaster and journalist. Since 1995 she has been host of the syndicated American television program Inside Edition. She earlier hosted Today on NBC, substitute anchored both the NBC Nightly News and the weekend CBS Evening News, and was a host and correspondent for two CBS News magazine programs. Born in Dalton, Georgia, she graduated from the University of Georgia in Athens with a degree in journalism.

She has received two Emmy Awards for her television work, the first while at NBC News for coverage of a democratic uprising in Romania, and the second for work on CBS’s 48 Hours covering floods on the Mississippi River.

2. Eudaemonia

“Eudaemonia” is a classical Greek word commonly translated as “happiness”. Although popular usage of the term happiness refers to a state of mind, related to joy or pleasure, “eudaemonia” rarely has such connotations, and the less subjective “human flourishing” is often preferred as a translation. “Eudaemonia” is a central concept in ancient Greek ethics, along with the term “arete”, most often translated as “virtue”, and “phronesis”, often translated as “practical or moral wisdom.”

Supplementary Reading >> Reading

I. Difficult Sentences

1. The one with the most toys wins.
Paraphrase the sentence.
(=The person who owns the most material possessions wins.)

2. And in a follow-up study, those who found something to appreciate every day were less materialistic — less apt to see a connection between life satisfaction and material things.
Translate the sentence into Chinese.
(=后续的研究发现，那些每天都能找到感激之事的人较少追求物质享受——他们不大会把生活的满意度与物质财富联系起来。)

3. The power of gratitude takes just a few minutes a day. But it requires consistency and an open mind — and dedication.
Translate the sentence into Chinese.
(=每天只需花几分钟工夫，感恩就会产生力量。但是它需要始终不渝、心胸开阔以及奉献精神。)

4. The gratitude journal makes you look at life in a positive, concrete way, reminding you of its interconnectedness in a fast-paced, impersonal world and how much others add to the quality of your life.
Translate the sentence into Chinese.
(=感恩日记使你以积极而又具体的方式看待生活，提醒你关注在这个快节奏的、冷漠的世界里生活的相互联系，以及他人在多大程度上提升了你的生活质量。)

5. In a world where personal connections seem increasingly limited, and sometimes stressful when they do occur, gratitude resonates.
Translate the sentence into Chinese.
(=在一个人际联系显得越来越少而有时有了联系又非常紧张的世界里，感恩之情会激起回响。)

II. Words & Expressions

hassle: n.  an angry disturbance

- 节假日出行往往是很麻烦的。

(=Holiday travel can be a hassle.)

- I didn’t think it was worth the hassle to go home again to get our lunch.

home in (on sth.):  move towards or be directed towards (sth.)

- Two missiles homed in on the enemy’s aircraft carrier.

- 有意思的是，在寻找理想伴侣的过程中，男人和女人关注的面部区域并不相同。

(=Interestingly, men and women focus on different parts of the face when they home in on a potential mate they want most.)

enhance: vt.  increase the value or quality of; improve

- The computer can enhance the quality of photographs transmitted from space.

- 他们还将加强在食品安全与质量方面的合作.

(=They will also enhance cooperation on food safety and quality.)

perceive: vt.  become aware of

- 我发觉他的行为有些变化.

(= perceived a change in his behavior.)

- We had already perceived how the temperature fluctuated.

out on a limb:  in a position where one is not joined or supported by anyone else

- 这位候选人在预算问题上陷入困境。

(=The candidate went out on a limb on the budget issue.)

- I don’t mind asking the director in person, but I’m not going out on a limb to get a rise in pay.

compassionate: adj.  showing or feeling sympathy and concern for others

- A compassionate and caring soul possesses deep and genuine concern for others.

- 她是个富有同情心且慷慨大方的人，她给我们的生活增添了如此多的兴奋和灵感。

(=She was such a compassionate and generous soul who added so much excitement and inspiration to our lives.)

round up:  cause to gather in one place

- They are trying to round up those robbers.

- 他们试图把分散的牲口赶在一起。

(=They try to round up a scattered herd of cattle.)

right off the bat:  at the very beginning; straight away

- 我已预备和他大打一场，但是他马上就投降了。

(=I was all prepared to put up a fight, but he gave in right off the bat.)

- They responded right off the bat.

apt: adj.  likely or having a tendency

- 我是一个热爱生活敢于挑战的女孩，也能够积极应对生活中遇到的突发状况。

(=I am a girl apt to enjoy and challenge the life, and can deal with emergencies actively.)

- Young men are apt to think themselves wise enough, as drunken men are apt to think themselves sober enough.

part with:  give up possession of

- The little girl refused to part with her old doll.

- 为了筹集基金，简不得不卖掉她所有的财产。

(=In order to raise funds, Jane had to part with all her property.)

consistency: n.  a harmonious uniformity or agreement among things or parts of a complex thing

- People talk about the importance of consistency in forming good habits.

- 这样做，我们必须在连贯性和公正性之间达到适度的平衡。

(=In doing so, we need to strike an appropriate balance with consistency and equitability.)

uplifted: adj.  exalted emotionally, especially with pride

- We are supposed to be uplifted by these stories but they depress me.

uplift: vt.  raise (sb./sth.), esp. spiritually, morally or emotionally

- 有时，我们需要那么点东西来振奋精神，让我们更好受些。

(=We need a little something to help sometimes, to uplift us and make us feel better.)

concrete: adj.  definite; existing as sth. real or solid

- 针对教学设计中的每一步，文中均给出了具体可行的方法。

(=For every step in the teaching design, it all gives the concrete practicable methods.)

- The achievements of science are more concrete and, therefore, easier to be understood than those of art.

inevitable: adj.  that cannot be avoided; that is sure to happen

- One has to accept the inevitable course of history.

- 看来他们的败局是不可避免的了。

(=It seems inevitable that they’ll lose.)

underscore: vt.  give extra weight to, emphasize

- Let me underscore that you should focus on an important problem.

- 对于已经肥胖的年轻成人, 研究结果强调改变生活方式很重要。

(=For young adults who are already obese, the findings underscore the importance of lifestyle changes.)

highlight: vt.  give special attention to

- 我想着重强调文化传统在发展的过程中所面对的三个挑战。

(=I would like to highlight three challenges in the process of development of cultural traditions.)

- The results highlight the need for better enforcement of existing laws.

entry: n. item written in a list, a diary, an account book, etc.

- 他的日记上没有那一天的记录。

(=There’s no entry in his diary for that day.)

upcoming: adj.  of the relatively near future

- All upcoming conferences and exhibitions are listed in a calendar available in print and on the internet.

- 我们将在即将到来的比赛中再接再厉。

(=We will continue on like this in the upcoming encounters.)

resonate: vi.  resound

- The valley resonated with their laughter.

- 是否有些情形与你产生共鸣？

(=Is there anything that resonates with you?)

reach out to (sth.):  stretch out (one’s hand) in order to touch, grasp or take sth.

- We must reach out to the earthquake victims.

- 现代的政客们企图在广播演讲中与普通民众进行沟通。

(=Modern politicians try to reach out to ordinary people in their broadcast speeches.)

potential: n. power or quality that exists but has not been developed

- 在压力下工作能帮助员工发挥潜力。

(=Working under pressure can help employees fulfill their potential.)

- Your market still has great potential.