(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Now, a special English program for the New Years.
I'm Faith Lapidus.
The New Year is the time for new beginnings. It is also the time to buy a new calendar. Yet it can take a lot of time just to choose the right one. There are lots and lots of choices. There are small ones. Big ones. Calendars that sit on a desk. Calendars that hang on the wall. Calendars to carry around. Calendars that show a whole month or one day at a time.
Trains are a popular subject for calendars (Steve Ember/VOA)
Of course, in one way all calendars are the same. They all list the same days of the year in exactly the same order. But people do not buy calendars just to know what day it is. Calendars have become popular gifts because many are filled with beautiful pictures.
Some have pictures of famous art works. It is like hanging a different painting on your wall each month. You can even learn from calendars. They often give information about their subject -- such as famous writers or American Indians or flower gardens.
There are calendars about food and about beautiful places in the world. Calendars about sports and about movies. Funny calendars with popular cartoon characters. Calendars of famous people, like Elvis Presley or Marilyn Monroe.
For pet lovers, there are calendars with pictures of cats doing unusual things. Three hundred sixty-five of them – one for each day of the year. Calendars of dogs wearing clothes. And calendars of beautiful women in swimming suits, not wearing much at all.
Would you rather look at pictures of cars? There are calendars with those, too. There are even calendars for children who can draw the pictures themselves.
Some people do not just look at their calendars. They use them to write down important things they must remember, like meetings or doctor's appointments. Busy people can buy small calendars to carry around to help them organize and plan their life.
But what if they forget to look at their calendar? Do not worry, there are electronic organizers that make sounds to remind people of things they must do. These days, if you forget something, it is getting harder and harder to find a good excuse.
Some people do not like little calendars, or big ones, or noisy electronic ones. They are happy just to write down notes to themselves on small pieces of paper -- the smaller the better, usually.
These people never worry about all the time it takes them to find their small pieces of paper when they need them.
I'm Faith Lapidus wishing all our listeners a Happy New Year.
译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载
词汇解释
1.cartoon n. 卡通片，[电影] 动画片；连环漫画
One of my favorite cartoon characters is Snoopy.
史努比是我最喜爱的卡通人物之一。
2.appointment n. 任命；约定；任命的职位
Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment.
磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。
3.excuse n. 借口；理由
I can't buy his excuse.
我不能相信他的借口。
内容解析
1.Do not worry, there are electronic organizers that make sounds to remind people of things they must do.
remind of 提醒；使记起；使回想起
I've forgotten his name—will you remind me of it?
我忘记了他的名字——请提醒我一下好吗？
The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.
奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语新年特别节目，我是费斯·拉皮德斯。
新年是一年新的开始，也是购买新日历的时候。但要挑选合适的日历需要花费大量时间，有很多种选择，有小的日历，大的日历。有放在桌子上的日子，有挂在墙上的日历，有可随身携带的日历，也有一次显示一个月或一天的日历。
当然所有的日历都一个共同点，它们都以相同的顺序排列出同一天。但人们购买日历不仅是为了知道日期，因为日历里满是漂亮的图片，所以也成为受欢迎的礼物。
有的日历里上印有著名的艺术作品，挂日历就像是每个月挂上不同的画作。你还可以从日历上学到东西，日历通常给出有关主题的信息，比如著名作家、美国印第安人或花园。
有些日历是关于全世界的美食和美景，有关于体育和电影的日历。有关于卡通人物的趣味日历，有的日历上是名人，比如埃尔维斯·普雷斯利或玛丽莲·梦露。
还有些给宠物爱好者提供的日历，上面满是不同造型的猫咪的图片，共365张，每天一张。有穿着衣服的狗的日历，有穿着泳装几乎没怎么穿衣服的美女的日历。
你喜欢看汽车图片吗？有这样的日历。甚至还有给孩子提供的日历，孩子们可以亲自在上面画画。
有的人不只是看日期，还在上面几下要记住的重要事情，比如开会或医生的预约。大忙人会买小日历，可以随身带着走，帮助他们组织和计划生活。
但是如果忘了看日历怎么办呢？别担心，有可以发出声音提醒人们必做事务的电子日历。如今如果你忘记什么事，是很难找出借口来的。
有的人不喜欢小日历、大日历或吵闹的电子日历，他们喜欢在小纸片上写笔记，通常越小越好。
这些人从不担心寻找这些小纸片会花费时间。
我是费斯·拉皮德斯，祝愿每位听众新年好！
