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。
AmericanDream PartIPre-readingTask
Listentotherecordingtwoorthreetimesandthenthinkoverthefollowingquestions:
1.AccordingtoDr.Hertz,whatdidtheAmericanDreammeantohisgrandparents?
2.InDr.Hertz'sopinion,whowantspeopletobelieveintheAmericanDream?Why?
3.WhydoesDr.HertzsaytheAmericanDreamisinone'sheadandinone'spocket?
4.WhatdoyouunderstandbytheAmericanDream?
Thefollowingwordsintherecordingmaybenewtoyou:
poverty
n.贫穷
advertising
n.广告宣传
PartII
Text
TheAmericanDreammeansdifferentthingstodifferentpeople.Butformany,particularlyimmigrants,itmeanstheopportunitytomakeabetterlifeforthemselves.ForthemthedreamisthattalentandhardworkcantakeyoufromlogcabintoWhiteHouse.TonyTrivisonnodidnotrisequitesohigh,yethemanagedtomakehisowndreamcometrue.
TONYTRIVISONNO'SAMERICANDREAM
FrederickC.Crawford
HecamefromarockyfarminItaly,somewheresouthofRome.HoworwhenhegottoAmerica,Idon'tknow.ButoneeveningIfoundhimstandinginthedriveway,behindmygarage.Hewasaboutfive-foot-sevenoreight,andthin.
Imowyourlawn,hesaid.ItwashardtocomprehendhisbrokenEnglish.
Iaskedhimhisname.TonyTrivisonno,hereplied.Imowyourlawn.ItoldTonythatIcouldn'taffordagardener.
Imowyourlawn,hesaidagain,thenwalkedaway.Iwentintomyhouseunhappy.Yes,theseDepressiondaysweredifficult,buthowcouldItoturnawayapersonwhohadcometomeforhelp?
WhenIgothomefromworkthenextevening,thelawnhadbeenmowed,thegardenweeded,andthewalksswept.Iaskedmywifewhathadhappened.
Amangotthelawnmoweroutofthegarageandworkedontheyard,sheanswered.Iassumedyouhadhiredhim.
Itoldherofmyexperiencethenightbefore.Wethoughtitstrangethathehadnotaskedforpay.
Thenexttwodayswerebusy,andIforgotaboutTony.Weweretryingtorebuildourbusinessandbringsomeofourworkersbacktotheplants.ButonFriday,returninghomealittleearly,IsawTonyagain,behindthegarage.Icomplimentedhimontheworkhehaddone.
Imowyourlawn,hesaid.
Imanagedtoworkoutsomekindofsmallweeklypay,andeachdayTonycleaneduptheyardandtookcareofanylittletasks.Mywifesaidhewasveryhelpfulwhenevertherewereanyheavyobjectstoliftorthingstofix.
Summerpassedintofall,andwindsblewcold.Mr.Craw,snowprettysoon,Tonytoldmeoneevening.Whenwintercome,yougivemejobclearingsnowatthefactory.
Well,whatdoyoudowithsuchdeterminationandhope?Ofcourse,Tonygothisjobatthefactory.
Themonthspassed.Iaskedthepersonneldepartmentforareport.TheysaidTonywasaverygoodworker.
OnedayIfoundTonyatourmeetingplacebehindthegarage.Iwanttobe'prentice,hesaid.
Wehadaprettygoodapprenticeschoolthattrainedlaborers.ButIdoubtedwhetherTonyhadthecapacitytoreadblueprintsandmicrometersordoprecisionwork.Still,howcouldIturnhimdown?
Tonytookacutinpaytobecomeanapprentice.Monthslater,Igotareportthathehadgraduatedasaskilledgrinder.Hehadlearnedtoreadthemillionthsofaninchonthemicrometerandtoshapethegrindingwheelwithaninstrumentsetwithadiamond.MywifeandIweredelightedwithwhatwefeltwasasatisfyingendofthestory.
Ayearortwopassed,andagainIfoundTonyinhisusualwaitingplace.Wetalkedabouthiswork,andIaskedhimwhathewanted.
Mr.Craw,hesaid,Ilikeabuyahouse.Ontheedgeoftown,hehadfoundahouseforsale,acompletewreck.
Icalledonabankerfriend.Doyoueverloanmoneyoncharacter?Iasked.No,hesaid.Wecan'taffordto.Nosale.
Now,waitaminute,Ireplied.Hereisahard-workingman,amanofcharacter,Icanpromiseyouthat.He'sgotagoodjob.You'renotgettingadamnthingfromyourlot.Itwillstaythereforyears.Atleasthewillpayyourinterest.
Reluctantly,thebankerwroteamortgagefor$2,000andgaveTonythehousewithnodownpayment.Tonywasdelighted.Fromthenon,itwasinterestingtoseethatanydiscardedoddsandendsaroundourplaceabrokenscreen,abitofhardware,boardsfrompackingTonywouldgatherandtakehome.
Afterabouttwoyears,IfoundTonyinourfamiliarmeetingspot.Heseemedtostandalittlestraighter.Hewasheavier.Hehadalookofconfidence.
Mr.Craw,Isellmyhouse!hesaidwithpride.Igot$8,000.
Iwasamazed.But,Tony,whereareyougoingtolivewithoutahouse?
Mr.Craw,Ibuyafarm.
Wesatdownandtalked.Tonytoldmethattoownafarmwashisdream.HelovedthetomatoesandpeppersandalltheothervegetablesimportanttohisItaliandiet.HehadsentforhiswifeandsonanddaughterbackinItaly.Hehadhuntedaroundtheedgeoftownuntilhefoundasmall,abandonedpieceofpropertywithahouseandshed.Nowhewasmovinghisfamilytohisfarm.
Sometimelater.TonyarrivedonaSundayafternoon,neatlydressed.HehadanotherItalianmanwithhim.HetoldmethathehadpersuadedhischildhoodfriendtomovetoAmerica.Tonywassponsoringhim.Withanamusedlookinhiseye,hetoldmethatwhentheyapproachedthelittlefarmhenowoperated,hisfriendstoodinamazementandsaid,Tony,youareamillionaire!
Then,duringthewar,amessagecamefrommycompany.Tonyhadpassedaway.
Iaskedourpeopletocheckonhisfamilyandseethateverythingwasproperlyhandled.Theyfoundthefarmgreenwithvegetables,thelittlehouselivableandhomey.Therewasatractorandagoodcarintheyard.Thechildrenwereeducatedandworking,andTonydidn'toweacent.
Afterhepassedaway,IthoughtmoreandmoreaboutTony'scareer.Hegrewinstatureinmymind.Intheend,Ithinkhestoodastall,andasproud,asthegreatestAmericanindustrialists.
Theyhadallreachedtheirsuccessbythesamerouteandbythesamevaluesandprinciples:vision,determination,self-control,optimism,self-respectand,aboveall,integrity.
Tonydidnotbeginonthebottomrungoftheladder.Hebeganinthebasement.Tony'saffairsweretiny;thegreatestindustrialists'affairsweregiant.But,afterall,thebalancesheetswereexactlythesame.Theonlydifferencewaswhereyouputthedecimalpoint.
TonyTrivisonnocametoAmericaseekingtheAmericanDream.Buthedidn'tfindithecreateditforhimself.Allhehadwere24precioushoursaday,andhewastednoneofthem.
NewWordsandExpressions driveway
n.宅旁私家车道
mow
v.修剪(草坪)，刈(草)
comprehend
vt.understandfully
lawn
n.草地，草坪
turnaway
refusetohelp(sb.)ortoallow(sb.)toenteraplace拒绝帮助;不让进入
weed
v.除去的杂草;除草
n.杂草，野草
assume
vt.suppose假设;以为
compliment▲
vt.praise赞扬
n.赞美的言辞或行为
workout
plan;solve;calculate制定出;解决;算出
weekly
a.happeningonceaweekoreveryweek每周的;一周一次的
cleanup
makecleanandtidy打扫，清除
helpful
a.givinghelp;useful有帮助的;有用的
dowith
(usedinquestionswithwhat)对待，处理
determination
n.决心，决定
personnel
n.人事部门;全体人员，全体职员
apprentice
n.学徒
capacity
n.theabilitytounderstandordosth.能力，才能
micrometer
n.测微计，千分尺
precision
n.thequalityofbeingexact精密;精确(性)
turndown
refuse拒绝
graduate
v.(使)毕业
n.(尤指大学)毕业生
skilled
a.havingskill;needingskill熟练的，有技巧的;技术性的
grinder
n.磨工
grind(ground)
vt.磨，磨碎，碾碎
instrument
n.工具，器械，仪器
forsale
intendedtobesold待售
wreck
n.残破物;(尤指失事船只、飞机等的)残骸
callon
visit(sb.)forashorttime拜访
banker
n.银行家;银行高级职员
loan
vt.lend(sth.)借，贷
n.贷款;借，贷
character
n.(人的`)品德;品质;性格
damn
a.，n.(infml)(usu.usedinnegatives)ofeventhesmallestamount丝毫
reluctantly
ad.勉强地
reluctanta.
mortgage▲
n.抵押借款，按揭
discard
vt.(fml)throwaway抛弃
oddsandends
零星杂物，琐碎物品
screen
n.纱门，纱窗;屏;荧屏
hardware
n.五金器具;(计算机的)硬件
spot
n.aparticularplace;asmalldirtymark地点;斑点
confidence
n.信心
amaze
vt.surprise(sb.)verymuch使惊愕，使诧异
amazement
n.惊愕，诧异
pepper
n.辣椒;胡椒粉
Italian
a.意大利的
diet
n.foodanddrinkusuallytakenbyapersonorgroup日常饮食
sendfor
askforthearrivalof派人去叫，召唤;派人去取
hunt
v.寻找;打猎
abandon
vt.giveupcompletelyorforever抛弃，放弃
property
n.land,buildingsorbothtogether;sth.whichisowned(房)地产;财产
shed
n.小屋，棚
vt.使脱落;使流出，散发出
sometime
ad.某个时候
sponsor
vt.为做保证人;主办，发起
n.保证人;主办者，发起人
amuse
vt.causetolaughorsmile;causetospendtimeinapleasantmanner逗乐;给提供娱乐
approach
v.comenear(er)to接近
millionaire▲
n.百万富翁
passaway
(euph)(esp.ofaperson)die去世
handle
vt.manage;control管理，处理;操纵
livable
a.fitorpleasanttolivein适于居住的
homey
a.(infml)pleasant;likehome舒适的;像家一样的
tractor
n.拖拉机
stature
n.身材，身高;境界
industrialist
n.工业家，实业家
route
n.路线，路程
principle
n.guidingruleforbehavior;basictruth信条;原则;原理
vision
n.theabilitytomakegreatplansforthefuture;sight;theabilitytosee远见;视觉，视力
optimism▲
n.乐观主义
self-respect
n.properrespectforoneself自尊;自重
aboveall
mostimportantofall最重要的是
integrity▲
n.qualityofbeinghonestandresponsible;stateofbeingcomplete正直;完整
rung
n.(梯子的)横档，梯级
basement▲
n.地下室
giant
a.ofgreatsizeorforce巨大的
n.巨人
balance
n.平衡;余额
balancesheet
资产负债表
decimal▲
小数
create
vt.produceormake(esp.sth.new)创造，创作
ProperNames TonyTrivisonno
托尼特里韦索诺
FrederickC.Crawford
弗雷德里克C克罗弗德
Italy
意大利
Rome
罗马(意大利首都)
