胡敏讀故事記托福詞匯15：走入歧途的理想 Aspirations Gone Astray
Lesson 15 Aspirations Gone Astray 走入歧途的理想
I work in an assembly line in a car factory. Most days, I just assemble car parts. Occasionally, they’ll ask me to assay an unknown drugs substance. Once in a while, I’ll be asked to assist with breaking up a fight. Assault is not common here. But now and then, a frustrated worker will assail his assistant by casting aspersions on some aspect of the other’s work. I’m considered an asset in my company. But before 20 years ago, I was a different kind of asset to an entirely different type of company.
我在一家汽車廠的流水線上工作。大多數時候，我只是組裝汽車配件。有時，他們會讓我化驗某種不明藥物。有時，我又去幫忙勸架。這里很少有人身攻擊。不過，時不時會有一名灰心喪氣的工人抨擊他的助手，就其工作的某方面進行誹謗。我被視為公司的寶貝。但20年前，我被另一家完全不同的公司視為另一種類型的寶貝。
They called it “the company” but it was really a secret government group trained to assassinate political leaders. I never aspired to be an assassin. In fact, I was an aspiring chemist and a regular soldier in the army. All I really wanted was to do something great or important for my country. But sometimes, having too great an aspiration can lead you astray.
他們所謂的“公司”實際上是一個受過訓練、專門暗殺政界領導人的秘密政府組織。我從未渴望做個刺客。事實上，我是個有抱負的化學家，又是部隊中的一名常備兵。我的全部思想就是成就大事、為國效力。但有時，理想過于遠大只會將你引入歧途。
I still recall the day of the assembly. It was a small gathering of highly skills people like me. “The company” was assessing our abilities in the areas of weaponry and chemistry. I was a top chemist and a natural marksman, probably the best in my group. They ascribed my success to my steady hands and sharp eyes, the same tools I used for chemistry.
我仍記得那天的集會。那是個小集會，與會者都是些像我這樣的技術精湛的人員。當時“公司”評估我們在武器和化學領域的才能。我既是最優(yōu)秀的化學家，又是天生的神槍手，很可能是我們小組中最棒的。他們將我的成功歸于我穩(wěn)健的雙手和敏銳的眼睛，這也是我搞化學時用的工具。
After the assembly, they gave us our assignments. I was assigned to assimilate into the mainstream society of a Latin American country. It wasn’t long before I was doing things that I will forever be ashamed to admit.
會后，“公司”給我們下達了任務。我的任務是滲透進入一個拉美國家的主流社會。不久，我就開始做些我永遠恥于承認的事情。
It’s been over for about 15 years. But I’ll never feel clean and I’ll never be able to assert that I have been a good man all my life.
這一切已經過去15年了。但我將永遠感到自己的骯臟，永遠無法斬釘截鐵地說我做了一輩子的好人。
Words:
ascribe vt. 把….歸于
aspect n. (問題等的)方面;(事物等的)一部分
aspersion n. 誹謗，中傷
aspire vi. 渴望
aspiring adj. 有抱負的，有理想的，積極向上的
aspiration n. 雄心，抱負
assail v. (身體上)攻擊，(言語上)攻擊，批評
assassin n. 刺客
assassinate vt. 暗殺，行刺
assault n. (武力上的)襲擊;(口頭上的)攻擊
assay v. 化驗
assemble vt. 集合，裝配; vi. 聚集
assembly n. 集會;參加集會的人們(譯成：。。。大會，。。。議會);裝配，安裝
assembly line 裝配線，流水線
assert vt. 聲稱，堅持，斬釘截鐵地說
assess vt. 估計，分析，評估
asset n. assests 財產，資產;優(yōu)勢，重要的品質;寶貴(或有益)的人(或東西)
assignment n. 任務，作業(yè);分配
assimilate vt. 學習，吸收(知識);吃，吸收(食品或營養(yǎng))
assist vt. 援助，幫助
assistant n. 助手，助教;adj. 輔助的，助理的
