星火贯通CET-4四级词汇系列之二

《星火贯通CET-4四级词汇系列之二》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在教育资源-天天文库。

1、星火贯通CET-4四级词汇系列之二Thetimes,inIrelandduringthe1770’s,weredifficultforeveryone.JohnandLilyLoveandallthetenantsoftheBarren’sCourtEstateweresufferingafterterriblefloodsdestroyedtheircrops.Thelandlordwasgenerousinallowingthelandrenttofallintoarrears,duetothedifficulttimes.However,asweat

2、herconditionscontinuedtoworsen,thelittlefamilybecamepessimisticandfeltdesperateaboutthedirectionoftheirlives.NearlyeveryfamilyatthistimehadatleastonememberoftheirfamilywhohadleftfortheNewWorld.Theuglyfaceoffaminewaslurkingeverywhere.Itwasnotpossiblewithoneacreofarablelandtomakeali

3、ving.那时候，在18世纪70年代的爱尔兰，人人处境艰难。一场特大洪水毁掉了他们的庄稼之后，约翰和莉莉•洛夫一家像其他所有的巴伦斯宫廷庄园的佃户一样痛苦不堪。庄园主还算慷慨，鉴于这个艰难时期，允许佃户们拖欠租金。然而，天气状况持续恶化，这个小家庭变得悲观起来，对他们的生活前途感到绝望。那个时候，几乎每个家庭至少有一名家庭成员出走前往新世界。饱受饥荒之苦的憔悴面容到处都是，要靠一英亩耕地生活是不可能的。Lastonenight,afterthechildrenwereinbed,JohnandLilydiscussedthepossibilityofmak

4、ingareservationaboardasailingshipboundforAmerica.Johnhadnoticedaposterinthetownsquare,thatpostedbyaship’sownertryingtorecruitpeopleforhisship.JohnknewthatconditionsaboardshipwouldnotbeidealforLily,hernewinfantsonandthetwoelderboys;however,sheacknowledgedthatsettlinginAmericawouldb

5、etheonlywayforthefamilytogainsomeindependenceandtoearnaliving.Moreimportantly,itwasrumoredthatlandwasfreeinthenewcountry.Lilygaveherconsenttoleave.一天夜里，孩子们入睡以后，约翰和莉莉讨论起预定船只前往美国的可能性。就在当天，约翰在市镇广场上看到一张海报，是船主张贴出来招揽乘客的。约翰知道船上的条件对莉莉不大合适，她有一个刚出生的婴儿和两个大点的男孩。但是，她认为在美国定居将是这个家庭取得独立和谋生的唯一出路。更

6、重要的是，据说在那个新国家土地是免费的。莉莉也赞成出去。Inport,thesailingship,Hannah,underthecommandofCaptainMitchelllayatanchor.TheadventureofcrossingtheAtlanticOceanboundforPhiladelphiawouldtaketwotothreemonths.Passengerswereassuredtherewouldbethebestprovisionsandplentyofbarrelsoffreshwater.Stormscouldbefi

7、erceandlivingconditionsbelowdeckwouldbeprimitive.Johnjoinedthelongqueueandeventuallyafteralengthywait,reachedtherevenuetable.Heaffixedhissignaturetothecontractpromisingtopayfivepoundsperpersonforberthsaboardship.TheclerkreturnedthereceipttoJohnindicatingthatthesumofmoneyhadbeenpai

8、d.在港口，那艘帆船“汉纳”号，在米切尔船长的指挥下，正抛锚停泊。