大学英语精读预备级课文翻译(4)

第二单元父母

TEXT A

The author sees a father and a son riding an airport shuttle train for fun, leading him to reflect on the upbringing of children today

作者看到一对父子以乘坐机场区间车为乐，由此使他反省了当代的孩子教育问题。

A father, a son and an answer

父亲、儿子和答案

Passing through the Atlanta airport one morning, I caught one of those trains that take travelers from the main terminal to their boarding gates. Free, the trains run back and forth all day long. Not many people consider them fun, but on this Saturday I heard laughter.

一天早晨经过去亚特兰大机场，我赶上一辆列车载着旅客从主航站楼抵达登机口。这类免费列车，每天长时间的来来往往，没有人觉得他有趣，但这个周六我却听到了笑声。

At the front of the first car – looking out the window at the track that lay ahead –were a man and his son. We had just stopped to let off passengers, and the doors wee closing again. “Here we go!Hold on to me tight!” the father said. The boy, about five years old, made sounds of pure delight.

在头节车厢的最前面，坐着一个男人和他的儿子。他们正透过窗户观赏着一直往前延伸的轨道。我们刚刚停下来让旅客下车，之后，车门再次关上了。“出发。拉紧我!”父亲说。儿子大约5岁吧，一路喜不自禁。

I know we’re supposed to avoid making racial distinction s these days, so I hope no one will mind if I mention that most people on the train were white, dressed for business trips or vacations – and that the father and son were black, dressed in clothes that were just about as inexpensive as you can buy.

我知道如今我们应该避免种族歧视，所以我希望我这样描述没人介意。车上坐的大部分是衣冠楚楚，或公差或度假的白人，只有这对父子是的黑人并穿着朴素简单。

“Look out there!” the father said to his son. “See that pilot? I bet he’s walking to his plane.” The son stretched his neck to look.

“快看!”父亲对儿子说：“看见那位飞行员了吗?我敢打赌他是去开飞机的。”儿子伸长脖子看。

As I got off, I remembered something I’d wanted to buy in the terminal. I was early for my flight, so I decided to go back.

下了车后我突然想起还得在主航站楼买点东西。离起飞时间还早，于是我决定再乘车回