英語聽力小短文走遍全世界51: 綠卡，完美的解決方案？

英語聽力原文：

Seven years ago, when I was visting Germany, I met with a n official who explained to me that the country had a perfect solution to its economic problems. Watching the U.S. economy soar during the '90s, the Germans had decided that they, too, needed to go the high-technology route. But how? In the late '90s, the answer seemed obvious: Indians.

七年前我到德國訪問。在那里我遇到了一個官員，他說這個國家已經(jīng)找到了能夠完美解決經(jīng)濟問題的方法。回首美國在20世紀(jì)90年代的經(jīng)濟騰飛，德國也走上了構(gòu)建高新科技為核心的經(jīng)濟發(fā)展道路。但事實如何呢?在90年代后期，效果顯而易見。

After all, Indian entrepreneurs accounted for one of every three Silicon Valley start-ups. So the German government decided that it would lure Indians to Germany just as America does: by offering green cards. Officials created something called the German Green Card and announced that they would issue 20,000 in the first year.

印度人創(chuàng)建了硅谷三分之一的企業(yè)。所以德國政府決定走美國的老路，直接給印度人發(fā)綠卡讓他們成為經(jīng)濟發(fā)展計劃的主體。政府官員創(chuàng)造了一個叫做“德國綠卡”的東西，并宣布第一年會發(fā)放20000張。

Naturally, the Germans expected that tens of thousands more Indians would soon be begging to come, and perhaps the quotas would have to be increased. But the program was a failure. A year later barely half of the 20,000 cards had been issued. After a few extensions, the program was abolished.

自然而然，德國人盼望著數(shù)以萬計的印度人涌入德國，或許綠卡的配額也要提高。可是計劃失敗了。一年后不到一半的份額發(fā)放了出去。再過了一段時間，這個計劃被徹底廢除。

I told the German official at the time that I was sure the initiative woudl fail. It's not that I had any particular expertise in immigration policy, so I understood something about green cards, because I had one (the American version).

我告訴那個德國官員當(dāng)時我就覺得這個計劃會失敗。這并不是我在移民政策方面是個地道的專家，但我了解綠卡，因為我就有一張美國綠卡。

The German Green Card was misnamed, I argued, because it never, under any circumstances, translated into German citizenship. The U.S. green card, by contrast, is an almost automatic path to becoming American (after five years and a clean record). The official dismissed my objection, saying that there was no way Germany was going to offer these people citizenship. "We need young tech workers," he said. "That's what this program is all about."

我說，德國綠卡是不合理的，因為就形式來說，它根本無法轉(zhuǎn)換德國公民身份。而美國綠卡在其內(nèi)涵上來說就像是一個讓你成為美國人的道標(biāo)(5年守法的留美經(jīng)歷)。這個德國官員反對了我所提出的異議，表示為大多數(shù)移民提供德國公民身份是個門都沒有的事情。“我們需要的是年輕的技術(shù)人員”他說“這才是這個項目的目的所在”。

So Germany was asking bright young professionals to leavve their country, culture and families, move thousands of miles away, learn a new languaged and work in a strange land - but without any prospect of ever being part of their new home. Germany was sending a signal, one that was clearly received in India and other countries, and also by Germany's own immigrant community.

因此，德國讓那些既年輕又精明的專家離開他們的國家、文化和家庭，跋涉數(shù)萬英里，學(xué)一門全新的語言然后在陌生的國度上工作，但卻永遠(yuǎn)無法在這塊土地上獲得能夠讓他建一個新家的空間。德國的這個信號正在清晰并不斷地向印度和其他國家，以及那些屬于德國的殖民地區(qū)傳遞。

英語詞匯整理：

1. solution n. 解決方案

eg: The solution of the problem has just come to me.

我剛想起如何解答這個問題。

相關(guān)短語：

solution to 解決……的辦法

solution for/of the problem 解決問題的辦法

in solution (物質(zhì))在溶解中,(思想)在變化中

hit on a solution 突然想到一個解決方法

apply a solution of 用……解決方法

2. soar v. 騰飛

eg: A bird is soaring into the sky.

一只鳥正飛向云端。

相關(guān)短語：

soar up 高飛,翱翔,升高

soar above 在……上飛翔

soar into 飛入……

soar on 憑……高飛

soar over 在……上飛過

soar through 穿過……

soar to 升至……

3. route n. 路線

eg：The climbers tried to find a new route to the top of the mountain.

登山者試圖尋出一條通到山頂?shù)男侣贰?/p>

相關(guān)短語：

the route round 繞……的路線

air route 航線

along a route 沿途

by a different route 從不同的路線

the route for... ……的路線

4. obvious adj. 明顯的

eg: It is obvious that she is very clever.

很明顯，她挺聰明。

相關(guān)短語：

obvious to 對……是明顯的

5. entrepreneur n. 企業(yè)

eg: He is a shipping entrepreneur.

他是個航運企業(yè)家。

相關(guān)短語：

entrepreneur spirit 企業(yè)家精神;事業(yè)心

joint entrepreneur 聯(lián)合企業(yè)家

6. account v. 算做，占

eg: A man is accounted innocent until he is proven guilty.

一個人未被證明有罪前，被視為是清白的。

相關(guān)短語：

account of 記帳

account for 對…負(fù)有責(zé)任;對…做出解釋;說明……的原因

be taken into account [俚]被考慮

take into account 考慮;重視;體諒

on account 記帳，賒帳

on account of 由于;因為

of account 重要的;有價值的

no account 沒用的;無交易

open an account 開立帳戶

take account of 考慮到;顧及;體諒

詞義辨析：

take account of, take an account of 這兩個短語意思不同。take account of的意思是“考慮到,顧及”;take an account of 的意思是“清算;算賬”。

7. Silicon Valley 硅谷

eg: Not every place can be Silicon Valley.

沒有任何地方可以成為硅谷。

8. start-up n. 啟動，創(chuàng)建

eg: Let's warm up the car engine a bit before we start.

讓我們在出發(fā)前先把汽車引擎啟動一下。

相關(guān)短語：

start-up time 啟動時間

start-up cost 籌備費用;開辦成本

9. lure v. 誘惑，引誘

eg: The travel brochure lured me into taking a Caribbean vacation.

這本旅游小冊子誘使我去加勒比地區(qū)度假。

相關(guān)短語：

lure by 在……的引誘下

lure away 勸說……離開,引誘……離開

lure into 誘惑……做……

lure on 引誘

lure to 引誘至……

10. announce v. 宣布

eg: The government announced a cut in taxes.

政府宣布減稅。

相關(guān)短語：

announce to 向……宣布,告訴……

announce by 被……宣布

announce for 宣布支持……

announce as 作為……發(fā)布

11. issue v. 發(fā)行;發(fā)布

eg: The government issues money and stamps.

政府發(fā)行貨幣及郵票。

相關(guān)短語：

at issue 在審議(爭論)中

make issue of (像對待大事一樣)處理(小事)

take issue with 提出異議

issue from 從……大量涌出;由于……產(chǎn)生

issue with 提供

12. quota n. 份額，配額

eg: The government set a quota on the annual number of immigrants from Italy.

政府規(guī)定了每年接受意大利移民的限額。

13. barely adv. 僅僅

eg: Barely 50% of the population voted.

僅有50%的人口投票。

相關(guān)短語：

barely enough to 勉強夠

詞義辨析：

barely, hardly, scarcely 這組詞意思相近，其區(qū)別是：hardly常用來修飾表示能力的詞;scarcely強調(diào)不足,常與enough, sufficient等詞連用;barely強調(diào)“勉強”。

14. extension n. 寬限期，時期;延伸

eg: He asked for an extension of his visa.

他申請延長簽證有效期。

相關(guān)短語：

by extension 相關(guān)地;引申開來

hair extension 接發(fā)

15. abolish v. 廢除，廢止

eg: The Americans abolished slavery in 1863.

美國于1863年廢除奴隸制度。

詞義辨析：

abolish cancel repeal 這些動詞均含“取消、廢除”之意

1) abolish: 正式用詞，指徹底廢除某種制度、規(guī)章或習(xí)俗。

2) cancel: 用法廣泛，多指取消債務(wù)、合同、證書、比賽、旅行、計劃或約會等。

3) repeal: 書面用詞，指撤銷立法機關(guān)通過的協(xié)議、法案或法律等。

16. initiative n. 開端

eg: The captain took the initiative and led the soldiers out of the danger area.

上尉主動帶領(lǐng)戰(zhàn)士撤出了危險區(qū)。

相關(guān)短語：

on one's own initiative 主動地;自發(fā)地

take the initiative 帶頭;倡導(dǎo);發(fā)起

17. expertise n. 專業(yè)知識

eg: His business expertise will be of great help to us.

他的商業(yè)知識對我們會極其有用。

相關(guān)短語：

business expertise 商業(yè)知識

considerable expertise 高超的技能

special expertise 專門知識

18. immigration n. 外來的移民

eg: The government has decided to tighten its immigration policy.

政府已決定收緊其移民政策。

相關(guān)短語：

immigration status 移民身份;入境身份;在留資格

immigration act 移民法;移民法案

illegal immigration 非法移民;非法入境

immigration office 移民局

immigration policy 移民政策

19. version n. 版本

eg: The new version of this dictionary is not in use yet.

這本字典的新版本還未通行。

相關(guān)短語：

according to sb's version 按某人的說法

have/ hear sb's version 聽取某人的看法

the dramatic version 劇本

20. argue v. 爭論

eg: We argued the point for half an hour.

這一點我們爭論了半小時。

相關(guān)短語：

argue away = argue off 找理由把……搪塞過去

argue back 反駁

argue out 把……辯論清楚,辯出結(jié)果

argue about = argue over = argue with 為……爭論

argue against 為反對……而辯論

argue for 為贊成……而爭論

argue in a circle 爭論不出結(jié)果

argue sb into 說服(某人)(做某事)

argue out of 說服某人使之不做某事

argue on 討論,議論,爭論

21. contrast n. 對照

eg: There is a great contrast between good and evil.

善與惡有明顯的差別。

相關(guān)短語：

contrast between ……之間的對比

contrast of ……的明顯差別(對比)

contrast to sb 與某人相比

contrast with 與……對比

by contrast 對比之下,相反

in contrast to/ with 和……形成對比,和……對照

for the sake of contrast 為了對比起見

22. automatic adj. 自動的

eg: This heating system has an automatic temperature control.

這個暖氣系統(tǒng)有自動溫控裝置。

相關(guān)短語：

automatic system 自動系統(tǒng);自動裝置

full automatic 全自動的

23. dismiss v. 拒絕，擺脫，免除

eg: He dismissed the story as mere rumor.

他認(rèn)為那種傳聞純屬謠言而拒絕考慮。

相關(guān)短語：

dismiss from 解雇;開除

dismiss for 因……而解雇,開除(某人)

dismiss from one's mind 試圖忘記某事或某人

佳句采摘：

So Germany was asking bright young professionals to leavve their country, culture and families, move thousands of miles away, learn a new languaged and work in a strange land - but without any prospect of ever being part of their new home.

因此，德國讓那些既年輕又精明的專家離開他們的國家、文化和家庭，跋涉數(shù)萬英里，學(xué)一門全新的語言然后在陌生的國度上工作，但卻永遠(yuǎn)無法在這塊土地上獲得能夠讓他建一個新家的空間。