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，未开化的；huddle:聚在一起，挤成一团。Not only was it a beacon of safety,but also a vessel of power.3. beacon: 灯塔，信号灯；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. 如果没有纤细的树枝和脆干的树叶去擦燃星火，就无法燃起明亮的火焰。frail:脆弱的；twig: 细枝，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: 气质，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，许多。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，啜饮。A couple pockets of nervous chatter sprung up here and there.9. pockets of: 一些；spring up: 出现。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着，从一张陌生的脸快速掠到另一张陌生的脸，同时在心里默练着开场白。converse: 谈话，交谈；flit: 轻快地掠过，快速地变换。I took one last swig11. swig:〈口〉大口喝，痛饮。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）轻轻转动。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: 拖时间，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.

要燃起绚丽的火焰，需要用枯枝干叶去擦燃火苗。读大学也是一样，你需要强迫自己走出舒适区，去接受一次次的历练；你会遇上形形色色既有趣又有见地的人，他们终会成为你最宝贵的财富；你不需要背诵太多东西，但你需要学会独立思考……进入大学，你就站到了世界的入口。这一次次或大或小的经历，都将成为你点燃人生之火所需的枝叶！来吧，热情拥抱你的大学生活，这将是你一生中最宝贵的经历和最美好的回忆！

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. 大学最令人害怕的地方也许不是难懂的功课或经常陷入身无分文的困境，而是与其他新同学的第一次交往。Not only is everyone out of their comfort zone, but also no one holds your hand at university.15.不仅每个人都要走出自己的“舒适区”，在大学里更没有人会握住你的手。comfort zone: 舒适区，安逸的生活状态。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: 开始（交谈），建立起（友谊等）。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: 拖着脚走路。into the classroom. His graying hair was only matched by his full salt and pepper18. salt and pepper: 黑白相间的，深浅色混杂的。beard. Copper-rimmed glasses clung onto his nose.19. rim: 边框，镜框；cling onto: 紧紧抓住，牢牢挂住。Through the lens was a pair of blue eyes that twinkled with his wry smile.20. twinkle:（眼睛）闪烁，闪亮；wry:（指人的脸、 五官等）扭曲的（表示失望、 厌恶或嘲笑）。He was a thin man, with his buttondown shirt only half tucked into his jeans. And were those cushioned21. cushioned: 加上气垫的，加上缓冲垫的。slippers on his feet? Before the apprehensive22. apprehensive: 忧虑的，担心的。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: 发出持续而低沉的声音；indiscernible: 难以辨别的，难以察觉的；mutter: 低声细语，小声抱怨。Nodding, he followed up and asked, “Any questions about life?”Then there was true silence. This was our theology24. theology: 神学。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: 脱口而出，随口说出；thoughtprovoking: 引人思考的，发人深省的。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: 死记硬背，生搬硬套；ponder: 仔细考虑，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，终于。, the time had arrived. We had listened to various ministers and teachers speak to us about starting out our new careers at Georgetown28. Georgetown: 乔治敦，美国华盛顿哥伦比亚特区内的一个时尚的住宅区。乔治敦里有个乔治敦大学（Georgetown University），创建于1789年，是美国最古老的大学之一，美国首都华盛顿特区声誉最高的综合性私立大学。. We had taken the honor pledge and sang our invocation29. invocation: 祈祷，祝愿。for a successful school year. Now, the president of our school was winding down30. wind down: 逐步结束，慢慢停止。his speech. We all waited on the edge of our seats31. sit on the edge of one’s seats: 对眼前正在发生的事情感到很兴奋和期待。,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: 正式集会，convocation robe此处指“入学典礼礼服”。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: 礼堂，会堂；alumni:（男）校友，为 alumnus的名词复数形式；a thunder of applause: 雷鸣般的掌声。A chill shot up my spine.35. 一股寒战顺着我的脊背直窜而上。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. 这种感觉就像是你站在一条蜿蜒长路的入口，而不知道这条路将延伸至何处。winding: 蜿蜒的。Along the way, one would need courage and knowledge. But above all, one would need the drive37. drive: 动力，积极性。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. 借用天主教耶稣会创立人圣依纳爵·罗耀拉的话就是：去吧，让世界燃起熊熊烈火。St. Ignatius Loyola: 圣依纳爵·罗耀拉（1491—1556），西班牙教士，天主教耶稣会（Jesuit Order）的创立人。Are you ready? Because the next generation has just taken its first step on the road to blazing forth a new world!