美国梦Tony_Trivisonno's_American_Dream

他来自意大利罗马以南某地———个满地石子的农庄。

他什么时候怎么到美国的，我不清楚。

不过，有天晚上，我看到他站在我家车库后面的车道上。

他身高五英尺七、八左右，人很瘦。

“我割你的草坪，”他说。

他那结结巴巴的英语很难听懂。

我问他叫什么名字。

“托尼?特里韦索诺，”他回答说。

“我割你的草坪。

”我对托尼讲，本人雇不起园丁。

“我割你的草坪，”他又说道，随后便走开了。

我走进屋子，心里有点不快。

没错，眼下这大萧条的日子是不好过，可我怎么能把一个上门求助的人就这么打发走呢?等我第二天晚上下班回到家，草坪已修整过了，花园除了草，人行道也清扫过了。

我便问太太是怎么回事。

“有个人把割草机从汽车库里推出来就在院子里忙活起来，”她回答说。

“我还以为是你雇他来的。

”我就把前晚的事跟她说了。

我俩都觉得奇怪，他怎么没提出要工钱。

接下来的两天挺忙，我把托尼的事给忘了。

我们在尽力重整业务，要让一部分工人回厂里来。

但在星期五，回家略微早了些，我又在汽车库后面看到了托尼。

我对他干的活夸奖了几句。

“我割你的草坪，”他说。

我设法凑了一小笔微薄的周薪，就这样托尼每天清扫院子，有什么零活，他都干了。

我太太说，但凡有重物要搬或有什么要修理的，他挺派得上用场。

夏去秋来，凉风阵阵。

“克罗先生，快下雪了，”有天晚上托尼跟我说。

“等冬天到了，你让我在厂里干扫雪的活。

”啊，对这种执着与期盼，你又能怎样呢? 自然，托尼得到了厂里的那份活儿。

几个月过去了。

我让人事部门送上一份报告。

他们说托尼干得挺棒。

一天我在汽车库后面我们以前见面的地方看到了托尼。

“我想学徒，”他说。

我们有个挺不错的培训工人的徒工学校。

可我怀疑托尼是否有能力学会看图纸、用千分尺，是否胜任做精密加工工作。

尽管如此，可我怎么能拒绝他呢?托尼减了薪水当了徒工。

几个月之后，我收到报告，他已从徒工学校毕业，成了熟练磨工。

他学会了在千分尺上辨识一百万分之一英寸，会用镶嵌着金刚石的工具制作砂轮。

我和太太都挺高兴，觉得他的事总算有了个令人满意的结局。

Unit 4, BK 1Tony Trivisonno’s American DreamRead the following quotations and give your interpretation of the one that strikes you as most inspiring.All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers.------Orison Swett Marden If you can imagine it you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it.----- William Arthur Ward What we need is more people who specialize in the impossible.------ Theodore Roethke Luck is when opportunity knocks and you answer.------Anonymous Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.------ Henry David Thoreau Within our dreams and aspirations we find our opportunities------ Sue Ebaugh If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.------ Henry David Thoreau You see things; and you say "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say "Why not?"------George Bernard Shaw Text Organization1. How many parts can the text be divided into? And what’s the main idea of each part?The text can be roughly divided into two parts. The first part revolves around the life story of Tony Trivisonno. That is from Para 1 to Para 29. The main idea of this part is that with determination, vision and perseverance, Tony Trivisonno fulfilled his American dream. The second gives the author’s reflections on the story of Tony. That’s from Para 30 to Para 33. In this part, the author give s his own understanding of why Tony could make his dream come true.2. As is already mentioned, the first part of the text centers on the life story of Tony. The story is, actually, made up of several events which go a long way towards Tony’s realizing his ambition. Go through the first part again and list the main events.1)Tony volunteered to work as a help at Mr. Crawford’s house.2)Tony asked for a job clearing snow at Mr. Crawford’s factory.3)Tony learned to become a skilled worker.4)Tony bought a house with Mr. Crawford’s help.5)Tony bought a farm and sent for his family back in Italy.Language Pointscomprehend understand sth. fully 全面了解、理解、领会I cannot comprehend how you could have been so stupid.He comprehends that he must improve his work, or fail the course.比较comprehensible和comprehensivecomprehensible capable of being understood; clear, intelligible能理解的a book that is comprehensible only to specialistsHer writing is quite comprehensible.comprehensive that includes nearly everything（几乎）包罗万象的；全面的She has a comprehensive grasp of the subject.Our company has a comprehensive health plan that covers expenses for doctors, hospital, medicine and dental care.turn away refuse to allow sb. to enter a place; refuse to give help or support to sb. 不准某人进入某处；拒绝帮助或支持某人The security guard turned away people who didn’t have invitations to the party.Hundreds of people had to be turned away from the stadium because it was full.assume accept sth. as true before there is proof 假定；假设；设想；以为I assume that the present situation is going to continue.We must assume him to be innocent until he is proved guilty.put on or display sth. falsely; pretend 装作；假装assume ignorance, indifference, an air of concernThe look of innocence she assumed had us all fooled.begin to act in or exercise sth; undertake; take on 开始从事；承担；担任The winner of the election assumed the office of senator.compliment sb. on sth. express praise or admiration of sb.（对某人）表示赞美或敬佩I comprehended her on her skillful performance.She complimented the nine-year-old boy on his good manners.work out calculate sth. 计算；算出I’ve worked out your share of the expenses at $10.develop, formulate 想出；制订出The president worked out a solution to the company’s problems.capacity the ability to contain, hold or absorb 容量，容积a hall with a seating capacity of 2000That restaurant has a 100 seat capacity.ability to produce, experience, understand or learn sth. 生产、体会、理解或学习的能力She has an enormous capacity for hard work.This book is within the capacity of younger readers.turn sb./sth. down reject or refuse to consider (an offer, a proposal, etc. or the person who makes it) 顶回或拒不理会（好意、建议等或提议的人）He tried to join the army but was turned down because of poor health.He asked Jane to marry him but she turned him down/turned down his proposal.delighted very pleased; showing delight 非常高兴的；显示愉快的I’m delighted at your success/to hear of your success/that you succeeded.I am delighted to accept your invitation to dinner.“Will you come to the party?” “I’d be delighted to!”for sale available for purchase 待售；供出售We don’t want our car anymore; it is for sale.比较on sale available for a lower price than usual 廉价出售；降价销售I bought this coat on sale, for $20 less than the original price.wreck sth. or sb. ruined 被严重破坏之物；受到了严重损害的人After the accident, his car was a wreck.He is a wreck after drinking for so many years.a ship lost at sea 海上失事船只Some divers like to dive for wrecks in the ocean.call on visit sb. 拜访，访问We called on our new neighbors last weekend.request that sb. do sth. 要求The governor called on the state residents to conserve water.down payment a part payment at the time of buying sth. 定金We made a down payment on the refrigerator and agreed to monthly payments on the rest.odds and ends a mix of items, bits and pieces 零星东西；残剩的东西We moved all our things from one apartment to another, except for a few odds and ends, like an old lamp.send for ask for sb. to come, summon 派人去叫；召唤send for a taxi, an ambulance, a doctorsend for sb. to repair the TVhunt search for 搜寻；寻找I hunted for my hat everywhere and finally found it.Police are hunting an escaped criminal.chase and capture or kill 打猎Every autumn, many people hunt deer in this area.sponsor a person, business, or group that helps pay for sth.(cultural or sporting event, TV shows, etc) 发起人；赞助者，资助者The sports equipment store is the sponsor of the local baseball team; it pays for uniforms and transportation.act as a sponsor 发起；赞助，资助A beer company sponsored the baseball game by paying for television advertising.pass away die 去世Her father passed away just last week.check on sth. examine sth. to discover if it is true, safe, correct, etc. 检查某事物（是否真实、安全、正确等）I checked on my facts before going to the meeting.see (to it) that make sure that 一定注意到…；务必…See to it that you’re ready on time.homey like home; cosy 像家一样的；舒适惬意的-y 这是一个口语色彩特别浓厚的后缀，常用来构成临时语，表示“有点…的”“带有…味道或色彩的”等意思。

全新版大学英语综合教程第一册单元4课文介绍全新版大学英语综合教程第一册单元4课文介绍导语：美国梦意味着与不同的人不同的东西。

但对许多人来说，特别是移民，这意味着有机会为自己谋生。

对他们来说，梦想是，人才和辛勤工作可以把你从木屋带到白宫。

下面是一篇讲述主人公的美国梦并没有如此高涨，而是设法让自己的梦想成真。

American DreamPart I Pre-reading TaskListen to the recording two or three times and then think over the following questions:1. According to Dr. Hertz, what did the American Dream mean to his grandparents?2. In Dr. Hertz's opinion, who wants people to believe in the American Dream? Why?3. Why does Dr. Hertz say the American Dream is in one's head and in one's pocket?4. What do you understand by the American Dream?The following words in the recording may be new to you:povertyn. 贫穷advertisingn. 广告宣传Part IITextThe American Dream means different things to different people. But for many, particularly immigrants, it means the opportunity to make a better life for themselves. For them the dream is that talent and hard work can take you from log cabin to White House. T ony Trivisonno did not rise quite so high, yet hemanaged to make his own dream come true.TONY TRIVISONNO'S AMERICAN DREAMFrederick C. CrawfordHe came from a rocky farm in Italy, somewhere south of Rome. How or when he got to America, I don't know. But one evening I found him standing in the driveway, behind my garage. He was about five-foot-seven or eight, and thin."I mow your lawn," he said. It was hard to comprehend his broken English.I asked him his name. "Tony Trivisonno," he replied. "I mow your lawn." I told Tony that I couldn't afford a gardener."I mow your lawn," he said again, then walked away. I went into my house unhappy. Yes, these Depression days were difficult, but how could I to turn away a person who had come to me for help?When I got home from work the next evening, the lawn had been mowed, the garden weeded, and the walks swept. I asked my wife what had happened."A man got the lawn mower out of the garage and worked on the yard," she answered. "I assumed you had hired him."I told her of my experience the night before. We thought it strange that he had not asked for pay.The next two days were busy, and I forgot about Tony. We were trying to rebuild our business and bring some of our workers back to the plants. But on Friday, returning home a little early, I saw Tony again, behind the garage. I complimented him on the work he had done."I mow your lawn," he said.I managed to work out some kind of small weekly pay, and each day Tony cleaned up the yard and took care of any littletasks. My wife said he was very helpful whenever there were any heavy objects to lift or things to fix.Summer passed into fall, and winds blew cold. "Mr. Craw, snow pretty soon," Tony told me one evening. "When winter come, you give me job clearing snow at the factory."Well, what do you do with such determination and hope? Of course, Tony got his job at the factory.The months passed. I asked the personnel department for a report. They said T ony was a very good worker.One day I found Tony at our meeting place behind the garage. "I want to be 'prentice," he said.We had a pretty good apprentice school that trained laborers. But I doubted whether Tony had the capacity to read blueprints and micrometers or do precision work. Still, how could I turn him down?Tony took a cut in pay to become an apprentice. Months later, I got a report that he had graduated as a skilled grinder. He had learned to read the millionths of an inch on the micrometer and to shape the grinding wheel with an instrument set with a diamond. My wife and I were delighted with what we felt was a satisfying end of the story.A year or two passed, and again I found T ony in his usual waiting place. We talked about his work, and I asked him what he wanted."Mr. Craw," he said, "I like a buy a house." On the edge of town, he had found a house for sale, a complete wreck.I called on a banker friend. "Do you ever loan money on character?" I asked. "No," he said. "We can't afford to. No sale.""Now, wait a minute," I replied. "Here is a hard-working man, a man of character, I can promise you that. He's got a good job.You're not getting a damn thing from your lot. It will stay there for years. At least he will pay your interest."Reluctantly, the banker wrote a mortgage for $2,000 and gave Tony the house with no down payment. Tony was delighted. From then on, it was interesting to see that any discarded odds and ends around our place — a broken screen, a bit of hardware, boards from packing — Tony would gather and take home.After about two years, I found Tony in our familiar meeting spot. He seemed to stand a little straighter. He was heavier. He had a look of confidence."Mr. Craw, I sell my house!" he said with pride. "I got $8,000."I was amazed. "But, Tony, where are you going to live withouta house?""Mr. Craw, I buy a farm."We sat down and talked. T ony told me that to own a farm was his dream. He loved the tomatoes and peppers and all the other vegetables important to his Italian diet. He had sent for his wife and son and daughter back in Italy. He had hunted around the edge of town until he found a small, abandoned piece of property with a house and shed. Now he was moving his family to his farm.Sometime later. T ony arrived on a Sunday afternoon, neatly dressed. He had another Italian man with him. He told me that he had persuaded his childhood friend to move to America. Tony was sponsoring him. With an amused look in his eye, he told me that when they approached the little farm he now operated, his friend stood in amazement and said, "Tony, you are a millionaire!"Then, during the war, a message came from my company. Tony had passed away.I asked our people to check on his family and see thateverything was properly handled. They found the farm green with vegetables, the little house livable and homey. There was a tractor and a good car in the yard. The children were educated and working, and T ony didn't owe a cent.After he passed away, I thought more and more about Tony's career. He grew in stature in my mind. In the end, I think he stood as tall, and as proud, as the greatest American industrialists.They had all reached their success by the same route and by the same values and principles: vision, determination, self-control, optimism, self-respect and, above all, integrity.Tony did not begin on the bottom rung of the ladder. He began in the basement. Tony's affairs were tiny; the greatest industrialists' affairs were giant. But, after all, the balance sheets were exactly the same. The only difference was where you put the decimal point.Tony Trivisonno came to America seeking the American Dream. But he didn't find it — he created it for himself. All he had were 24 precious hours a day, and he wasted none of them. New Words and Expressionsdrivewayn. 宅旁私家车道mowv. 修剪(草坪)，刈(草)comprehendvt. understand fullylawnn. 草地，草坪turn awayrefuse to help (sb.) or to allow (sb.) to enter a place 拒绝帮助;不让…进入weedv. 除去…的杂草;除草n. 杂草，野草assumevt. suppose 假设;以为compliment▲vt. praise 赞扬n. 赞美的言辞或行为work outplan; solve; calculate 制定出;解决;算出weeklya. happening once a week or every week 每周的;一周一次的clean upmake clean and tidy 打扫，清除helpfula. giving help; useful 有帮助的;有用的do with(used in questions with what) 对待，处理determinationn. 决心，决定personneln. 人事部门;全体人员，全体职员apprenticen. 学徒capacityn. the ability to understand or do sth. 能力，才能micrometern. 测微计，千分尺precisionn. the quality of being exact 精密;精确(性)turn downrefuse 拒绝graduatev. (使)毕业n. (尤指大学)毕业生skilleda. having skill; needing skill 熟练的'，有技巧的;技术性的grindern. 磨工grind (ground)vt. 磨，磨碎，碾碎instrumentn. 工具，器械，仪器for saleintended to be sold 待售wreckn. 残破物;(尤指失事船只、飞机等的)残骸call onvisit (sb.) for a short time 拜访bankern. 银行家;银行高级职员loanvt. lend (sth.) 借，贷n. 贷款;借，贷charactern. (人的)品德;品质;性格damna.，n. (infml) (usu. used in negatives) of even the smallest amount 丝毫reluctantlyad. 勉强地reluctant a.mortgage▲n. 抵押借款，按揭discardvt. (fml)throw away 抛弃odds and ends零星杂物，琐碎物品screenn. 纱门，纱窗;屏;荧屏hardwaren. 五金器具;(计算机的)硬件spotn. a particular place;a small dirty mark 地点;斑点confidencen. 信心amazevt. surprise (sb.) very much 使惊愕，使诧异amazementn. 惊愕，诧异peppern. 辣椒;胡椒粉Italiana. 意大利的dietn. food and drink usually taken by a person or group 日常饮食send forask for the arrival of 派人去叫，召唤;派人去取huntv. 寻找;打猎abandonvt. give up completely or forever 抛弃，放弃propertyn. land, buildings or both together; sth. which is owned (房)地产;财产shedn. 小屋，棚vt. 使脱落;使流出，散发出sometimead. 某个时候sponsorvt. 为…做保证人;主办，发起n. 保证人;主办者，发起人amusevt. cause to laugh or smile; cause to spend time in a pleasant manner 逗乐;给…提供娱乐approachv. come near(er) to 接近millionaire▲n. 百万富翁pass away(euph) (esp. of a person) die 去世handlevt. manage; control 管理，处理;操纵livablea. fit or pleasant to live in 适于居住的homeya. (infml) pleasant; like home 舒适的;像家一样的tractorn. 拖拉机staturen. 身材，身高;境界industrialistn. 工业家，实业家routen. 路线，路程principlen. guiding rule for behavior; basic truth 信条;原则;原理visionn. the ability to make great plans for the future; sight; the ability to see 远见;视觉，视力optimism▲n. 乐观主义self-respectn. proper respect for oneself 自尊;自重above allmost important of all 最重要的是integrity▲n. quality of being honest and responsible; state of being complete 正直;完整rungn. (梯子的)横档，梯级basement▲n. 地下室gianta. of great size or force 巨大的n. 巨人balancen. 平衡;余额balance sheet资产负债表decimal▲小数createvt. produce or make (esp. sth. new) 创造，创作Proper NamesTony Trivisonno托尼·特里韦索诺Frederick C. Crawford弗雷德里克·C·克罗弗德Italy意大利Rome罗马(意大利首都)。

Text AThe American Dream means different things to different people. But for many, particularly immigrants, it means the opportunity to make a better life for themselves. For them the dream is that talent and hard work can take you from log cabin to White House. Tony Trivisonno did not rise quite so high, yet he managedto make his own dream come true.美国梦对不同的人有不同的意义。

但对许多人，尤其是对移民而言，它意味着改善自己生活的机会。

对于他们，美国梦的含义就是才能与勤劳能让你从小木屋走向白宫。

托尼?特里韦索诺并没有爬到那么高，但他成功地使自己的梦想成真。

Tony Trivisonno 'S American Dream托尼?特里韦索诺的美国梦Frederick C. Crawford弗雷德里克?C?克罗弗德1 He came from a rocky farm in Italy, somewhere south of Rome. How or when hegot to America, I don't know. But one evening I found him standing in the driveway, behind my garage. He was about five-foot-seven or eight, and thin.他来自意大利罗马以南某地———个满地石子的农庄。

他什么时候怎么到美国的，我不清楚。