每日英语练习 - 2026-06-13（星期六）
📌 今日主题
Steve Jobs 斯坦福大学毕业演讲（2005）— 经典名篇选段
📝 英文原文
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. Truth be told, I never graduated from college, and this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today, I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots. I dropped out of Reed College after the first six months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out? It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates. So everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife, except that when I popped out, they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking, “We’ve got an unexpected baby boy, do you want him?” They said, “Of course.”
🔍 重点词汇
| 单词/短语 | 音标 | 中文释义 | 例句 |
|---|---|---|---|
| commencement | /kəˈmensmənt/ | 毕业典礼 | The commencement ceremony was held in the main auditorium. |
| truth be told | /truːθ biː toʊld/ | 说实话 | Truth be told, I was nervous about the presentation. |
| dropping out | /ˈdrɒpɪŋ aʊt/ | 退学 | He considered dropping out to start his own business. |
| drop-in | /ˈdrɒp ɪn/ | 旁听生 | She remained a drop-in student for two semesters. |
| unwed | /ʌnˈwed/ | 未婚的 | She was an unwed mother raising two children alone. |
| adoption | /əˈdɒpʃən/ | 收养 | The adoption process took nearly a year to complete. |
| put up for adoption | /pʊt ʌp fɔːr əˈdɒpʃən/ | 送人收养 | The mother decided to put the baby up for adoption. |
| set for | /set fɔːr/ | 安排好 | Everything was set for the meeting to start at noon. |
| popped out | /pɒpt aʊt/ | 出生（口语） | The baby popped out right on schedule. |
| at the last minute | /ət ðə ˈlæst ˈmɪnɪt/ | 在最后一刻 | They changed their minds at the last minute. |
| waiting list | /ˈweɪtɪŋ lɪst/ | 候补名单 | We are on the waiting list for the apartment. |
| in the middle of the night | /ɪn ðə ˈmɪdl əv ðə naɪt/ | 深夜 | The phone rang in the middle of the night. |
💡 实用表达
- Truth be told, … — 说实话，……（用于坦诚地引出真实想法，比 “to be honest” 更有力）
- That’s it. No big deal. — 就这些，没什么大不了的。（演讲中用来制造轻松感和反差）
- stayed around as a drop-in — 以旁听生身份留下来（描述”非正式”地留在某个环境）
- everything was all set for … — 一切都已经安排好了（口语中强调准备就绪）
- at the last minute — 在最后一刻（描述临时变故，非常实用的高频表达）
🎯 练习步骤
- 通读全文：先完整读一遍英文原文，理解大意
- 精读标记：逐句阅读，标记不熟悉的词汇和表达
- 跟读练习：大声朗读 3 遍，注意断句、重音和语调
- 特别注意 “That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.” 的节奏感
- 模仿 Jobs 的停顿和强调方式
- 脱稿复述：合上文本，用自己的话复述大意（中英文都可以）
- 结构化输出：用以下框架组织你的复述：
- 这段话在说什么？（一句话概括）
- 主要观点是什么？（列 2-3 个要点）
- 我的感受/看法？（一句话）
🗣️ 口才小贴士
如何用故事开场？
Steve Jobs 的这段演讲是”故事化开场”的教科书级范例。他用了三个技巧：
- 先自嘲降低姿态：“I never graduated from college” — 在名校毕业典礼上坦承自己没毕业，瞬间拉近距离
- 用数字锚定听众：“three stories” — 明确告诉听众接下来的结构，降低认知负担
- 轻松语气消解压力：“That’s it. No big deal.” — 让听众觉得接下来的内容不会枯燥
你可以这样用：下次需要做演讲或汇报时，试着用一个个人小故事开头，而不是直接念 PPT。先说”我今天想分享三个观察”或”让我讲一个小故事”，给听众一个明确的期待框架。