下面，出国留学网小编为大家带来的英语听力材料是：亚伯罕林肯真正影响了我。希望能对大家的英语听力练习有所帮助!
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Host: What person inspired you as a young person?
主持人：你年轻的时候谁影响了你?
Herbert Bush: Abraham Lincoln truly inspired me. It wasn’t just the freeing of the slaves, he kept the Union together. Some people even forget that today. What I think inspired me was the fact that in spite of being the President of the United States he retained a certain down-to-earth quality. He never got to be a big shot，and he cared about people.
赫伯特布什：亚伯罕林肯真正影响 了我。不仅仅是他解放奴隶的成就影响 了我，更重要的是他维护了美国统一。 今天甚至有人忘了这一点。我认为他激 励我的一点是，尽管他贵为总统，但是 他仍然保持着实事求是的品质。他从来 不一鸣惊人，他关心人民。
Host: Was there a book that inspired you?
主持人：有没有哪本书影响了你?
Herbert Bush: One of the historians here in Williamsburg talked about War and Peace. I had to read that in school. It was an inspiring, lengthy treatise. I read it twice. It taught me a lot about life. There was a marvelous book by Salinger called Catcher in the Rye. There was a book about discrimination called Gentleman’s Agreement. These books I think helped shape my life. But to be honest with you, not one book stands out as the defining book for me.
赫伯特布什：威廉姆斯堡的一名历史 学家谈论了《战争与和平》。我上学的 时候必须得读这本书。那是本发人深省 的厚厚的名著。我读了两遍。这本书教 会了我很多人生的道理。还有一本很出色的书，是塞林格写的《麦田里的守望 者》。这本书讲的是关于所谓的绅士协 议的歧视。我认为这些书帮助我塑造了 我的人生。但是说实话，没有哪本书成 就了我。
Host: Was there an experience that changed your life?
主持人：有没有改变你人生的特别经历?
Herbert Bush: I think the major event that shaped my life was being a Naval aviator. I got my commission and j wings at 18 years old, and then I went into combat at 19. And I think, as I look back on it, that whole experience probably shaped my life more than any incident, or any I event. Although I remember when I was shot down in that war. I remember how terrified I was. And it made ! me feel close to my family, and to God, and to life, and I was scared. Then we lost a child, there was that incident, I a four year-old little girl. It had a profound effect on me and on Barbara. You know, when you lose a child some families go apart. There’s a common wisdom that the loss of a loved one for parents divides them later on. 1 People cite divorce statistics. In our case it was just the * other way around. And our family has been close, close, close. And Barbara and I have been married for over 50 years, and I think that horrible incident drew us even closer together.
赫伯特布什：我认为影响我人生的主 要经历是我做了海军飞行员。我18岁 得到任务开飞机，19岁就参加战斗。我 想，当我回头看那段经历，可能那是影 响我最深的事情了。尽管我记得我在那 场战争中被击中，坠机了。我还记得当 时我很害怕。那让我觉得我和家人很 近，离上帝和死亡很近，我吓坏了。后 来我们失去了一个孩子，4岁的女孩， 很意外。那给我和芭芭拉留下了很深的 阴影。你知道，失去了一个孩子，很多 家庭都可能破裂。大家都知道，失去一 个至爱的孩子，父母后来可能就会离 婚。人们参考过离婚数据的。我们家的 情况相反。我们家人团结得更紧密。芭 芭拉和我结婚50多年了，我认为那次 惨痛的意外让我们彼此更近了。
Host: If you had a tip to share with young people, what would that be?
主持人：如果让你和年轻人分享你的一 个心得，你想告诉他们什么?
Herbert Bush: If I were to give advice to young people, high-achieving young people for example, I’d have to say, don’t neglect your family. Politics is important; sitting at the head table is glamorous. Traveling around the world, trying to do something for world peace was wonderful. But... Family and friends and faith are what are really matters in life. And I know that. I see it so clearly now. And so, as they climb the ladder of I achievement, I，d simply say, remember what Barbara Bush told those girls at Wellesley: “What happens in your house is more important than what happens in the White House.” And it’s true. It’s so 100 percent true. And that means we — each of these achievers — must find some way, not only stay in touch with family, but to help others who might not be blessed with family. It’s family, and it’s faith, and it’s friends, and it，s not the glamour of the Presidency, or the wonder of going to receive the Nobel Prize. All those are important, of course. But maybe it’s just that I’m 71 years old now. It’s family, and it’s faith, and it’s friends. I would tell them that. Don’t forget that. In your brilliance, don’t turn your back on your friends. Don’t think you’re entitled to something, because you’re smarter than the next guy.
赫伯特布什：如果给年轻人建议，比 如很高成就的年轻人，我必须说，不要 忽略你的家庭。政治很重要，坐在桌子 旁最尊贵的位置很有吸引力。环游世界， 为世界和平做些贡献也是很美好的。但 是……家庭、朋友和信仰是生命中真正 有意义的。我明白这一点。现在我看得 很明白了。所以，如果他们爬上了成就 的阶梯，我会说，记住芭芭拉布什 对卫斯理的女孩们讲的那些话，“你家里发生的事情比白宫更 重要。”确实是这样， 这是百分百正确的。这 意味着，每一个取得成 就的人，必须想办法做 到不仅和家庭保持亲 密的关系还要帮助那些 没有家庭温暖的人。家 庭、信仰和朋友最重要，而不是总统的光 辉，也不是获得诺贝尔奖的荣耀。那些 当然也重要。但是我现在已经71岁了。 对我来说重要的就是家人、信仰和朋友。 我会这么告诉他们。不要忘了，你飞黄 腾达时不要不理你的朋友。不要认为你 有了某种权利，是因为你比别人聪明。
Host: What does the American Dream to you?
主持人：美国梦对你来说意味着什么?
Herbert Bush: The American Dream means being what you want to be. Achieving something. Giving it your all to achieve. But it means helping others. It means understanding that we are the kindest and most generous nation on the face of the earth. We’ve got huge social problems, I'm afraid that some bright young people today, and older people, don’t really appreciate the blessings of living in the most decent, strongest, fairest, most generous country on the face of the earth. And I say that with some historical perspective. The American Dream means giving it your all, trying your hardest, accomplishing something. And then I’d add to that, giving something back. No definition of a successful life can do anything but include serving others.
赫伯特.布什：美国梦意味着成为你想 做的人。成就一些事情，付出所有来成 就梦想。但是也意味着帮助他人。意味 着理解，我们是地球上最友善、最慷慨的国家。我们有很多大的社会问题，我 担心今天的一些聪明的年轻人和年纪大 一些的人并没有真正意识到生活在地球 上最高尚、最强大、最公正和最慷慨的 国家的幸福。我想借助历史角度讲一下 这个。美国梦意味着付出你的所有，付 出最大的努力完成一些事情。我还要补 充一下，就是回馈。任何成功的生活都 要包括服务他人这一条。
Host: How important is passion to achievement?
主持人：热情对于成就有多重要?
Herbert Bush: Passion is terribly important. You’ve got to feel something strongly. If you don’t feel something strongly you’re not going to achieve. You're not going to go the extra mile. Passion is important in relationships. It's important in a man/woman relationship. Let the other person know that you really love her and that you care. And so，it’s a powerful word, but without passion， without really believing something, it's hard to achieve.
赫伯特.布什：热情异常重要。你内心 会有强大的力量。如果你内心没有这种 力量，你就不会成功。你就不能多迈出 一步。交际中有热情也很重要。在男女关系中很重要。让对方知道你是真的爱 他/她，真的在乎他/她。所以热情是有 着巨大力量的词，如果没有热情，不是 真正的相信某些事的话，那就很难成功。
Host: How does vision affect performance, particularly in public service work?
主持人：那么远见又是如何影响人的表 现呢?尤其是在公益活动中?
Herbert Bush: Vision is an interesting word. I’m the President that the national press corps felt had no vision， and yet I worked for a more peaceful world. And we did something to say to a totalitarian dictator in Iraq, you’re not going to take over your neighboring country. There’s a vision there, which was peace. So，I’m a little defensive in the use of the word. Because I think the pundits had it down that I had no vision, but I did. You need a vision, you need a central core. You need to say, “Here，s what I，m going to try to do to make life better for others.”It doesn’t have to be proclaimed in the fanciest prose. It doesn’t have to be done with the most rhetorical flourish. It has to be your inner self. It’s got to drive you. It can be a personal thing. It can be your set of values. Your vision can be，“I want to live to this code of behavior.”It can be so many different things for one person or another. But I think you need it. I think you need to have an idea of where you want to be the next day, and ten years from now. I’ve got a vision now. I’ve been President of the United States, and my vision is being the best grandfather in the entire world. It’s a good vision. You let all these kids talk about all these marvelous books they，re going to write, Nobel Prizes they’re going to win, political mountains they're going to climb, but I can tell them, having been there，it’s family that’s important. My vision is to stay the hell out of the press and to be a good father and a good grandfather. That's a good vision, because there are families under great stress these days.
赫伯特布什：远见是很有意思的词。 我被美国的媒体认为没有远见，但是我 是为了一个更和平的世界而努力。我们 做了一些事情，对伊拉克的极权主义者 说，你不会颠覆你的邻国的。这里就有 远见，也就是“和平”。所以我在使用 这个词时有一点为自己辩解的意思。权 威们认为我没有远见，但是其实我有。 人们需要远见，需要核心价值。需要 说：“这是我要做的，为了让别人的生 活更加美好。”不一定要写最美好的文 章来宣称。也不需要用最美好的辞藻来 修饰。必须是你的内心在指引你。可以 是很个人的东西。可以是一个人的价值 观。远见可以是：“我想要这样做事。” 对不同的人来说可以是不同的东西。但 是我认为你需要它。我想人们需要有这 么一个以后我想成为什么样的人的想 法，比如说明天，比如说10年后。我 现在也有一个远见。我当过美国总统， 而现在我想成为世界上最伟大的祖父。 这是很好的想法。让所有这些孩子一起 讨论他们想要写的最非凡的书，他们 想要获得的诺贝尔奖，他们想要攀登的 政治高峰，但是我告诉他们，作为过来 人，我认为家庭才是最重要的。我的想法是离媒体远远的，成为一个好父亲、 好爷爷。这个远见很好，因为现在很多 家庭面临着巨大压力。
Host: How do you see the importance of preparation for high achievement?
主持人：你怎么看待为获得很高的成就 而作好准备的重要性?
Herbert Bush: Know what you5re talking about. Get out there and do enough homework, have enough background, understand enough history so that you’re prepared for what you face today, and prepared to achieve your objectives. So, preparation is important. And it could be erudition，studying, so that you’re bright. It could be being schooled in values, so you can be kind and gentle, it could be a lot things. But preparation - particularly for the younger people who haven’t really experienced the real business of living- it means work and it means broadening yourself so that you can better perform, better achieve objectives.
赫伯特.布什：知道自己在说什么。然 后就去做足够的工作，准备好背景，了 解足够多的历史，那么你就能为你所面 对的今天做准备，准备实现自己的目 标。所以，准备很重要。准备可以是博 学，可以是研究，这样你就很聪明。可 能是学习形成一定的价值观，变得友善 平和，可以是很多东西。但是准备，尤 其对还没有真正经历世事的年轻人来 说，就意味着工作，意味着拓展自己的 视野，从而表现得更好，更好地实现自 己的目标。
Host: What role do you think courage plays?
主持人：你认为勇气扮演着怎样的角色?
Herbert Bush: Courage is a terribly important value. It means you don’t run away when things are tough. It means you don’t turn away from a friend when he or she is in trouble. It means standing up against the majority opinion. In a fundamental sense it means: are you willing to give your life so somebody else can save his or hers? Courage is terribly important. There’s a lot of people who won’t wear it on their sleeve, or display it through some heroic act. But courage is having the strength to do what’s honorable and decent.
赫伯特.布什：勇气是价值观中很重要 的部分。这意味着你面对挫折时不会临 阵脱逃，意味着朋友有难时你不会袖手 旁观;意味着不能随波逐流。本质上来 说，这意味着你愿意为救助他人献出自 己的生命。勇气异常重要。很多人平时 不表现出来，或者通过一些英雄行为展 现出来。但是勇气是有能力做荣耀的、 高尚的事情的。
Host: How do you define integrity?
主持人：你怎么定义正直?
Herbert Bush: The word integrity to me means being honest. It means that your word is good for something. I was in business years ago out in west Texas in the late ‘40s，and early ‘50s. You didn’t need escrow agreements and lawyers. Your word was your bond. You shook hands with a person and the deal was kept, it was made. Nobody would run away from a handshake. Integrity is having your word of honor so sacrosanct that others trust you.
赫伯特.布什：对于我来说，正直意味着诚实。意味着不撒谎。我40多岁到 50多岁的时候在西得克萨斯做生意，都 不需要契约和律师。说的话就是契约。 握了手，生意就做成了。没有人握了手 后反悔的。正直就是说话毋庸置疑，别 人就会信任你。
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