Kindling1 the Fire

By Leo Luo

The symbol of fire has shadowed human civilization ever since our primitive ancestors huddled around flames for warmth.2. primitive: 原始的，未開化的；huddle:聚在一起，擠成一團。Not only was it a beacon of safety,but also a vessel of power.3. beacon: 燈塔，信號燈；vessel: 容器，器皿。By gathering around a fire,one could lay the foundation for a civilization that may grow to encompass4. encompass: 包含，包括。the entire world. Yet a crucial step in building the flames is the kindling. Without the frail twigs and brittle dry leaves to ignite the initial sparks, a fire could never burn brightly.5. 如果沒有纖細的樹枝和脆干的樹葉去擦燃星火，就無法燃起明亮的火焰。frail:脆弱的；twig: 細枝，嫩枝；brittle: 易碎的。The same metaphor extends to an education. Although university is the place to attend specialized classes and interact with complex ideas, the true value of university is to be a gateway into the real world. All of the little experiences outside of class, whether they are with friends or social situations, build up one’s mettle6. mettle: 氣質(zhì)，性情。. Once that kindling is set, it only takes a spark to light the flame to set the world on fire.

A troupe of students congregated around the stacks and stacks of pizza boxes.7. troupe: 一班；congregate: 聚合，聚集；stack:〈口〉大量，許多。Some busied themselves with lading their plates with pizza, while others sipped their drinks in silence.8. lade: （以勺子等）舀（水等）；sip: 小口地喝，啜飲。A couple pockets of nervous chatter sprung up here and there.9. pockets of: 一些；spring up: 出現(xiàn)。Most just conversed with their eyes, flitting from one unfamiliar face to another, all the while rehearsing what to say in their minds.10. 很多人只是用眼睛交流著，從一張陌生的臉快速掠到另一張陌生的臉，同時在心里默練著開場白。converse: 談話，交談；flit: 輕快地掠過，快速地變換。I took one last swig11. swig:〈口〉大口喝，痛飲。of my Coke and leapt into the crowd. The

moment my eyes met another stranger’s, I approached them with my hand extended. The usual questions flowed out: “So where are you from? What dorm do you live in?” I received the usual replies, and then the dreaded silence descended. My mind simply drew a blank as to what to say to get a conversation going. Thus my eyes flicked12. flick: （急速地）輕輕轉(zhuǎn)動。to my watch, then to the other students, and then back to the one who I just met. I gave a silly smile, which she returned. The longer the silence dragged on13. drag on: 拖時間，拖延。, the more awkward the situation would become. And the worst part, I had already forgotten her name after only 5 minutes! Hastily trying to save myself, I gave her a nod and mumbled, “Well, it was nice meeting you.” Without even waiting for a reply, I turned away and buried myself in the crowd.

要燃起絢麗的火焰，需要用枯枝干葉去擦燃火苗。讀大學(xué)也是一樣，你需要強迫自己走出舒適區(qū)，去接受一次次的歷練；你會遇上形形色色既有趣又有見地的人，他們終會成為你最寶貴的財富；你不需要背誦太多東西，但你需要學(xué)會獨立思考……進入大學(xué)，你就站到了世界的入口。這一次次或大或小的經(jīng)歷，都將成為你點燃人生之火所需的枝葉！來吧，熱情擁抱你的大學(xué)生活，這將是你一生中最寶貴的經(jīng)歷和最美好的回憶！

Perhaps the scariest part about university is not the difficult classes or the constant state of being broke, but the first interaction with all the other new students.14. 大學(xué)最令人害怕的地方也許不是難懂的功課或經(jīng)常陷入身無分文的困境，而是與其他新同學(xué)的第一次交往。Not only is everyone out of their comfort zone, but also no one holds your hand at university.15.不僅每個人都要走出自己的“舒適區(qū)”，在大學(xué)里更沒有人會握住你的手。comfort zone: 舒適區(qū)，安逸的生活狀態(tài)。Everything must be done by yourself,especially introducing yourself to others.Yet one of my friends who is in university now once told me that the first year is the only time when it is socially acceptable to simply walk up to people and say “Hi! Nice to meet you!” Meeting new students can certainly be scary, and you may fail multiple times to strike up16. strike up: 開始（交談），建立起（友誼等）。a conversation. But this can also be seen asthe first lesson of university: be brave enough to fail. You might not find your best friend after the second, third, or even tenth try. But if you have that courage to put on your best smile once more for that eleventh person, then may just meet a friend who would stay with you for the rest of your life.

He shuffled17. shuffle: 拖著腳走路。into the classroom. His graying hair was only matched by his full salt and pepper18. salt and pepper: 黑白相間的，深淺色混雜的。beard. Copper-rimmed glasses clung onto his nose.19. rim: 邊框，鏡框；cling onto: 緊緊抓住，牢牢掛住。Through the lens was a pair of blue eyes that twinkled with his wry smile.20. twinkle:（眼睛）閃爍，閃亮；wry:（指人的臉、 五官等）扭曲的（表示失望、 厭惡或嘲笑）。He was a thin man, with his buttondown shirt only half tucked into his jeans. And were those cushioned21. cushioned: 加上氣墊的，加上緩沖墊的。slippers on his feet? Before the apprehensive22. apprehensive: 憂慮的，擔心的。gaze of his students,he pulled out his desk chair and sat down. “Hello class. How’s life?”A low rumble of replies merged into one indiscernible mutter.23. rumble: 發(fā)出持續(xù)而低沉的聲音；indiscernible: 難以辨別的，難以察覺的；mutter: 低聲細語，小聲抱怨。Nodding, he followed up and asked, “Any questions about life?”Then there was true silence. This was our theology24. theology: 神學(xué)。professor, one of the countless amazing people that you meet at university.

Here was a man who could slip jokes seamlessly into his lectures while talking about the most thought-provoking of topics.25. slip: 脫口而出，隨口說出；thoughtprovoking: 引人思考的，發(fā)人深省的。Perhaps an example would illustrate this point. He had asked the class for questions about life. Being in a theology class, one student asked“What would happen to religion if God were a woman?” Without even hesitating, our professor replied, “What would happen to religion if God were a man?” The class sat in stunned silence, a common feature during our fifty minutes with this man. It is because of questions and answers like those that leave me deep in thought after every session. At university, the classes are harder, but they are so much more rewarding. Now instead of rote memorization of facts, you are given the chance to ponder ideas that have no right answer.26. rote: 死記硬背，生搬硬套；ponder: 仔細考慮，沉思。Independent thought is the key to success in the class,even if the idea is completely wrong.Should you have the courage to present your idea, even if it is wrong, then the lesson will have been learnt.

But what makes a university student?Is it the courage acquired, or the knowledge learned? Again, allow me to tell a story to prove my point.

At long last27. at long last: 最后，終于。, the time had arrived. We had listened to various ministers and teachers speak to us about starting out our new careers at Georgetown28. Georgetown: 喬治敦，美國華盛頓哥倫比亞特區(qū)內(nèi)的一個時尚的住宅區(qū)。喬治敦里有個喬治敦大學(xué)（Georgetown University），創(chuàng)建于1789年，是美國最古老的大學(xué)之一，美國首都華盛頓特區(qū)聲譽最高的綜合性私立大學(xué)。. We had taken the honor pledge and sang our invocation29. invocation: 祈禱，祝愿。for a successful school year. Now, the president of our school was winding down30. wind down: 逐步結(jié)束，慢慢停止。his speech. We all waited on the edge of our seats31. sit on the edge of one’s seats: 對眼前正在發(fā)生的事情感到很興奮和期待。,ever more aware of the black robe in our arms. Then the words came.“Students, please rise, and don your convocation robes.”32. don: 穿上，披上；convocation: 正式集會，convocation robe此處指“入學(xué)典禮禮服”。We unfolded the black robe in our arms. As we slipped into the sleeves and let the robe envelop us in black, the president of our school began to clap.33. slip into: （迅速且容易地）穿上； clap:鼓掌，拍手喝彩。Soon,the entire auditorium, from parents to alumni to all the professors were creating a thunder of applause, all to celebrate the newest members of the Georgetown community.34. auditorium: 禮堂，會堂；alumni:（男）校友，為 alumnus的名詞復(fù)數(shù)形式；a thunder of applause: 雷鳴般的掌聲。A chill shot up my spine.35. 一股寒戰(zhàn)順著我的脊背直竄而上。I smiled. I would never feel that same chill again. It was the feeling that one gets when standing at the head of a long and winding road, not knowing where the path ends.36. 這種感覺就像是你站在一條蜿蜒長路的入口，而不知道這條路將延伸至何處。winding: 蜿蜒的。Along the way, one would need courage and knowledge. But above all, one would need the drive37. drive: 動力，積極性。to carry on past the hard times to reach the end goal, wherever that may be. In the words of the founder of the Jesuit Order, St. Ignatius Loyola, go and set the world on fire.38. 借用天主教耶穌會創(chuàng)立人圣依納爵·羅耀拉的話就是：去吧，讓世界燃起熊熊烈火。St. Ignatius Loyola: 圣依納爵·羅耀拉（1491—1556），西班牙教士，天主教耶穌會（Jesuit Order）的創(chuàng)立人。Are you ready? Because the next generation has just taken its first step on the road to blazing forth a new world!