Reading and Thinking
VOLUNTEERING IN THE BUSH
丛林里的志愿行动
I just got a parcel from home! It took about two weeks to arrive, and it was a bit damaged, but it was so nice to get some sweets and jam from home; I've been dying to have some of my favourite sweets, and it's always nice to get mail!
我刚收到一个从家里寄来的包裹！大约花了两周的时间包裹才到达，而且有点破损，但是真高兴能收到家里寄来的一些糖果和果酱；我一直非常渴望吃一些我最喜欢的糖果，而且收到邮包总是令人开心不已！
parceljammail
have been dying to do 渴望
I've been dying to have some of my favourite sweets 中 dying to do 是口语表达，意为"非常渴望/迫不及待想做某事"。现在完成进行时强调渴望持续至今。
So I've been here in the jungle for about a month now. My secondary school is a bush school. The classrooms are made of bamboo, with clay floors and roofs of grass. It takes me only a few minutes to walk to school down a dusty track covered in weeds. When I reach the school grounds, I'm greeted by a chorus of "good morning" from the boys. Unlike students in our country, these boys do not wear cotton uniforms, and many of them also have to walk a long way, sometimes for up to two hours, just to get to school.
到现在我已经在丛林里待了大约一个月了。我所在的中学是一所丛林学校。教室是用竹子搭建的，黏土夯的地面，茅草搭的屋顶。沿着杂草丛生、尘土飞扬的小路，我几分钟就能走到学校。我走进校园时，男孩们齐声对我喊"早上好"。与我们国家的学生不同，这些男孩不穿棉制校服，他们中的很多人得长途跋涉，有时长达两个小时才能到学校。
secondaryclaydustyweedcottona chorus of
be made of + 材料
The classrooms are made of bamboo 中 be made of 表示"由……制成"（看得出原材料）。对比 be made from（看不出原材料）。
There's no electricity, running water or even textbooks, not to mention laptops, tablets, or other modern devices! All the students have are pencils, rubbers, and paper. I'm still trying to adapt to these conditions. I've had to become much more imaginative in my teaching. Science is my most challenging subject as my students have no concept of doing experiments. There is no equipment, and since there isn't even a washroom, if I need water I have to carry it from my house in a basin! It's important not to be too rigid about rules here, too.
这里没有电，没有自来水，甚至也没有教科书，更不用说笔记本电脑、平板电脑或其他现代化设备了！学生们只有铅笔、橡皮和纸。我还在努力适应这些条件。在我的教学中，我不得不变得更有想象力。科学课是我最具挑战性的科目，因为我的学生没有做实验的概念。这里没有设备，甚至连洗手间都没有。如果需要水，我得用盆子从我的房子里端来！在这里，很重要的一点是也不能太墨守成规。
tabletrubbernot to mentionadapt to
not to mention 的递进用法
no electricity, running water or even textbooks, not to mention laptops 中 not to mention 意为"更不用说"，用于引出更极端/更不可能的情况，加强前面的否定。
The other day I was showing the boys a chemistry experiment when, before I knew it, the mixture was bubbling out of the test tube spilling everywhere! The class became a circus as the boys, who had never come across anything like this before, started jumping out of the windows. Sometimes I wonder how relevant chemistry is to these students—few will ever become chemists—and most will be going back to their villages after Year 8 anyway. To be honest, I doubt whether I'm making any difference to these boys' lives at all.
几天前，我正在给男孩们演示一个化学实验，在我反应过来前，混合物冒着泡从试管中涌出，洒得到处都是！班上乱成了马戏团，男孩们纷纷跳窗跑走，因为他们以前从没遇到过像这样的事情。有时，我会想化学对这些学生来说到底有多大的用处——几乎没有人会成为化学家——而且大多数人无论如何在八年级后都要回到自己的村庄。说实话，我怀疑我是否能给这些男孩们的生活带来不同。
was/were doing...when... 结构
I was showing the boys a chemistry experiment when...the mixture was bubbling out 中 when 是并列连词，意为"这时/突然"。was/were doing...when... = 正在做……这时突然……
before I knew it 的用法
before I knew it 意为"在我意识到之前/我还没来得及反应"，表示事件发生得非常快。
Last weekend I made my first visit to a remote village, home to one of our students, Tombe. Another teacher and I walked for two and a half hours to get there—first, up a mountain from where we had fantastic views, and then down a shaded path to the valley below. When we arrived at the village, Tombe's mother, Kiak, saw us coming and started crying "ieee ieee". We shook hands with all the villagers. Everyone seemed to be related to Tombe.
上周末，我第一次去了一个偏远的村庄，我们的学生汤贝的家在那里。我和另一位老师步行了两个半小时才到达那里。首先，爬上一座山，在山上我们看到了美妙的景色，然后沿着一条树荫遮蔽的小路走到下面的山谷。我们到达村子时，汤贝的母亲齐亚克看见我们到来，就"唉咿唉咿"地叫了起来。我们和所有的村民握手。每个人似乎都是汤贝的亲戚。
be related to
介词+关系副词 where
from where we had fantastic views 中 from where 引导定语从句，修饰 a mountain。from where = from the top of which。
Tombe's father, Mukap, a man with a strong jaw and a wrinkled forehead, led us to his house, a low, round bamboo hut with no windows, with a door just big enough to get through, and with grass sticking out of the roof—this shows it is a man's house. Such housing is dark inside so it took time for our eyes to adjust. Fresh grass had been laid on the floor and there was a platform for Jenny and me to sleep on. There was a fireplace in the centre of the hut. The only possessions I could see were one broom, a few saucers, a kettle, cups, pans, and a couple of jars.
汤贝的父亲穆卡普，一位下巴结实、额头满是皱纹的男人，把我们带到他的房子前：一座低矮的圆形竹屋，没有窗户，门的宽度仅够单人穿过，屋顶伸出一簇茅草——这表明这是一个男人的房子。这样的房屋里面很暗，所以过了一会儿我们的眼睛才适应过来。地上铺着新草，还有一个让我和珍妮睡觉的平台。屋子中央有个火炉。我能看到的物品只有一把扫帚、几个碟子、一个水壶，还有几个杯子、平底锅和罐子。
platform
with 复合结构（with+名词+现在分词）
with grass sticking out of the roof 是 with + 名词 + 现在分词的复合结构，表示伴随状况。sticking out 与 grass 是主动关系。
Mukap built a fire outside and laid stones on it to heat. He then placed the hot stones in an empty oil drum with kaukau (sweet potato), ripe corn, and greens. He then covered the vegetables with banana leaves and left them to steam. It smelled delicious. We ate inside the hut sitting round the fire. I loved listening to the family talking softly to each other in their language, even though I could not participate much in the conversation. Luckily, Tombe interpreted for us.
穆卡普在屋外生了火，然后把石头放在上面加热。接着，他把热石头放入一个空油桶，里面有栲栲（甘薯）、熟玉米和青菜。然后他用香蕉叶盖住蔬菜，把它们蒸上。食物闻起来很香。我们在屋内围着火炉吃饭。我喜欢听这家人用他们的语言轻声地交谈，虽然我无法参与多少他们的谈话。幸好汤贝为我们做了解说。
现在分词作方式状语
We ate inside the hut sitting round the fire 中 sitting round the fire 是现在分词作方式状语，描述吃饭时"围着火炉坐着"的方式。
Later, I noticed a can standing upside down on the grill over the fire. After a while, Tombe threw it out of the doorway. Tombe told me that the can was heated to dry out the leftover food. His family believes that leftovers attract bad spirits in the night, so any leftover food is dried up in a can and the can is then thrown out of the hut.
后来，我注意到有一个罐子倒立在火炉上面的烤架上。过了一会儿，汤贝把它扔出门口去。他告诉我说，加热罐子是为了烤干剩菜。他们家相信剩菜会在夜晚引来恶灵，所以所有的剩菜都放在罐子里烤干，然后再把罐子扔到屋外。
感官动词 + 宾语 + 现在分词
I noticed a can standing upside down 中 noticed 是感官动词，a can standing 是"宾语+现在分词"的复合宾语结构。
文化拓展
巴布亚新几内亚的民间信仰：剩菜会引来恶灵（bad spirits），因此必须烤干后扔出屋外。这反映了当地独特的文化习俗。
We left the village the next morning after many goodbyes and firm handshakes. My muscles were aching and my knees shaking as we dragged ourselves down the mountain towards home. That evening I fell happily into bed. It was such a privilege to have spent a day with Tombe's family.
次日清晨，多次互道再见和紧紧握手之后，我们离开了村庄。当我们拖着沉重的步伐下山回家时，我浑身肌肉酸痛，双膝颤抖。那天晚上，我心满意足地一头栽倒在床上。与汤贝一家共度了一日，真是一种荣幸。
such...that 的省略形式
It was such a privilege to have spent a day with Tombe's family. 注意 to have spent 是完成时的不定式，表示"已经度过"的动作先于谓语 was 发生。
独立主格结构
My muscles were aching and my knees shaking 后半句 my knees shaking 省略了 were，这是独立主格结构的变体：名词+现在分词。
要点摘要
- 3月8日：收到家里寄来的包裹，身处丛林学校一月
- 丛林学校条件：竹屋教室、无水无电、无教科书和现代设备
- 化学实验失败：试管中混合物喷涌，学生吓得跳窗
- 反思：怀疑自己能否改变这些学生的生活
- 4月17日：首次访问偏远村庄汤贝的家
- 村民生活：竹屋、火炉烤石头蒸食物、独特的剩菜处理迷信
- 感悟：与汤贝一家共度一日是莫大的荣幸