Someone who makes spelling easier.
In English, the spelling of words does not always show pronunciation. So when people say /rait/, they spell it correctly, or write, or even perform rituals. Ough as over may have many pronunciations, while some words seem to have too many letters.
For Americans, things are much easier, thanks to noah webster's work. He 1778 graduated from Yale University and is a teacher. When he was young, he fought against the British in the American Revolutionary War, so he felt that written English should have a unique "American" style in the newly independent United States of America.
So he began to study American English. His first book, Elementary Spelling Textbook, suggested simplifying the spelling of English words. This book is very popular. By 1950s, 19 and100000 copies were sold every year, making it one of the most popular school books in history.
Many suggestions were quickly adopted. Center replaces center, program replaces program, and flavor replaces flavor. But others, such as removing silent letters, such as the s in island or the last e in examine, have not been adopted.
Webster is famous for his American English Dictionary, which was first published in 1828. It introduces a lot of new American words, their pronunciation and usage information, and of course, new spelling. The British criticized this dictionary, but it soon became the standard reference book in America. Today, Webster's dictionary is still the favorite dictionary of American students.
Module 2 Translation of Cultural Corner
Employment growth? A developing profession
What kind of work will people do in the next ten years? According to a survey published by an American university, the ten fastest-growing occupations will be related to computers and health. These occupations include computer system analyst, data analyst and database administrator. However, the demand for health care professionals will also rise. Some of them will become new occupations, such as bioinformatics, and they will combine computer skills with biological knowledge. Other occupations will be more traditional. More home care workers will be needed to take care of the rapidly growing elderly population. But there are still many teenagers who need professional care. 654.38+04 million Americans suffer from language or expression disorders, of which 6 million are less than 654.38+08. It is predicted that by 20 12, the number of speech pathologists will double. And the demand for social workers will still be great.
Of course, there will be many new jobs, some of which may even be jobs we can't imagine. However, for those outdoor enthusiasts, the entertainment industry may be a good choice. As more and more countries open their tourism industry, more travel agencies will be needed. However, what is really needed is a tour guide who leads tour groups and individuals on adventure and vacation. For people in this profession, common sense, good health and cheerful personality may be more important than computer skills.
Module 3 Cultural Corner Translation
The Life of Mark Twain
Writers' life experiences are often similar to the characters they create. Mark Twain, the author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, is no exception. First of all, the writer's name-Mark Twain is a creation itself, or "pen name". Mark Twain's real name is Samuel Clemens. "Mark Twain" means "the water is deep", which is the name used by sailors on the Mississippi River to warn their crew that they are about to enter shallow water.
Like Huck, Mark Twain lived an adventurous life. He left school early. When he was young, he decided to go to South America to look for wealth. He left his home in Hannibal, Missouri, and went to New Orleans. He wants to go to the Amazon River by boat, thinking that he will soon become rich there. He came to New Orleans penniless, only to find that there was no boat to South America. After being forced to change his plan, he worked as a navigator on a ship for several years, leading passengers to and from the Mississippi River, which flows from the northern United States near the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico.
Later, he became a reporter and began to write some novels about life on the Mississippi River. Mark Twain vividly and humorously described life on the river, which quickly gained popularity. As one of the greatest American writers, he established a lasting reputation.
Module 4 Cultural Corner Translation
The significance of carnival
Today's carnival is an international and multicultural experience. But how did it evolve? To understand everything about carnival, we need to review the history of the United States and the intersection of two cultures-Europe and Africa.
When Europeans arrived in America, they built huge farms and plantations to grow cotton, fruits and vegetables, which meant the urgent demand for a large number of labor and marked the beginning of the slave trade. In the history of more than 200 years, millions of Africans were forced to leave their homes and transported to the New World as slaves. Until the beginning of the19th century, human trafficking finally stopped. Six million of them were taken to the Caribbean islands, where there were British and French landlords.
Europeans naturally introduced their festivals. Slaves were forced to watch their masters wear masks to eat, drink and dance while celebrating the carnival. In Trinidad, slaves began to hold their own carnival celebrations: they painted their faces white, imitated and made fun of their masters. But at the same time, they continue their African traditions-such as walking around the village wearing masks and singing-which they think will bring good luck.
1838 When the slave trade was abolished, the old slaves followed the carnival. It has become more colorful and exciting than in the past. With gorgeous costumes and bands, Carnival has become a celebration of freedom.
As time went on, the white residents of the island began to participate in the carnival-and were welcomed by early slaves. Carnival has become a way to unite different people, because people will forget their troubles in daily life and enjoy food and dancing. Today, tourists from all over the world participate in the joy of this small Caribbean country. Carnival has become a celebration of life itself.
Module 5 Cultural Corner Translation
Marathon: the ultimate competition of the Olympic Games
The last event of the Olympic Games is the marathon. Usually the best. When the leading athletes enter the stadium to complete the last few meters of the 42 km race, the audience will stand up and cheer. The name of this competition comes from a battle in ancient Greece. It is rumored that a soldier set out from the battlefield-marathon and ran to Athens, bringing back the news of the victory of the Greeks over the Persians. He was dead when he arrived.
Marathon has been an event since 1896 modern Olympic Games. At first, the distance of the race was 40 kilometers-the distance from marathon to Athens. However, in the 1908 London Olympic Games, the competition distance was changed. The king of England wants athletes to start from his Windsor Castle and arrive at the new stadium in central London. The distance is 26 miles-about 42 kilometers. In fact, the marathon of 1908 has a dramatic ending. When the leading athlete, an Italian, entered the stadium, he ran in the wrong direction and fell to the ground. Officials lifted him up and helped him reach the finish line. Just then, the second athlete, an American, walked into the stadium. The Americans protested, and finally the American player was declared the winner. Since then, there have been many more exciting marathons.
In fact, you don't have to wait until the Olympic Games to participate in or watch the marathon. Today, more than 60 countries or hundreds of cities all over the world hold marathon races. One of the most famous races is the New York Marathon, where 2 million people will take to the streets to watch. Participants will cross bridges in five urban areas of new york and pass famous landmarks in new york. But perhaps one of the most beautiful and special marathons is the Great Wall Marathon, which most runners think is the most difficult route.
Marathon is the last event of the Olympic Games, because it is considered to be the most difficult. But experts believe that most people, even those who are not very good at sports, can participate in marathons after training.
Module 6 Cultural Corner Translation
World Wrestling Federation; WWF
WWF is the largest nature conservation organization in the world. 196 1 was established in Britain and opened an international office in Switzerland in the same year. Its purpose is to protect the natural habitat of endangered wild animals. Peter scott, a painter and naturalist, one of the founders of the foundation, designed the famous panda logo. The abbreviation WWF stands for World Wide Fund for Nature. The original name was World Wildlife Fund. Today, the organization has branches in 90 countries on five continents. There are thousands of volunteers and more than five million donors. Since 1985, it has invested more than 1 1000 projects in 130 countries.
The focus of WWF has also changed. In the 1980s, WWF began to be interested in all activities that affect the environment, such as pollution and the way we use energy. WWF believes that as long as people learn to protect nature and save energy, our world will have a future. Therefore, it began to cooperate with the government to promote environmental education in schools.
The cooperation between WWF and the government of China began at 1980, when Dr. George Shanle cooperated with scientists in China on the giant panda project. In order to supervise the operation of the project, WWF China employees who camped in Switzerland 15 left Switzerland for China and set up an office in Beijing on 1985. Today, more than 30 employees have worked in 20 projects all over the country. Their work includes forest, energy, environmental education in primary and secondary schools, and of course, saving giant pandas.