---Madam, could I have a quick word? Where are you from?
--- I live in England, actually. I’ve lived in England for 11 years. But I’m from
   Holland originally.
--- By comparison, I think British Rail is just appalling.
--- What’s wrong with British Rail?
--- It doesn’t run on time. It breaks down half the time. You just can’t rely on it. Trains
   are dirty.
--- Have you experience of other railways around the world?
--- France, Holland. I think that’s about it. I travel in Portugal a bit, not very much.
--- And British Rail doesn't?
--- It doesn’t compare favorably to any of those.

The final exams r approching us,finally. I've been waiting 4 it ,with joy and scare.
When I pass each test, I feel like a stone has been lifted away from my shoulder. I can relax a little bit. It's great!
Although there is still 2 games to go,I've already felt that a protent is emerging from the corner ,where hustle and bustle is packed with.
THE SLUGGISHNESS IS LUKING AROUND ME. ALERT!
While staying in the week of test,I find myself indulging in FANTACIES and movies,and continue to let loose,in a wildest way.
It's obvious I'm more carefree than before,I 'm free from the assignments from the associations and clubs,when I lived in the daily fear.

It seems that the old days return,I throw away the books,which were useful to me only before the tests.THINGS CAN BE EASILY LEFT BEHIND,DYING AWAY WITHOUT being noticed.They may never be worthy of the glance I will hardly  it down their covers ,only to sleep on the shelf quietly,waiting the dust to wake them up,gathereing dirt,gently.
Instead,MAX WAKES UP.she is here to present what kind of good the passed on to her. ACTION!

if I don't put down what I've been armed with,
I can never breathe with relief,
never know where the memory can 
be set  BEST.
TIME WILL BE GRACIOUS ENOUGH
 TO LET ME 
REGRET.
BUT I DON'T WANNA
THAT.

1. President Bush is slated to address the nation at 9 pm Eastern time Wednesday. On the agenda, his new approach for the war in Iraq which will reportedly include a surge of 20,000 US troops in the war-torn country.

2. Officials are probing the source of a mysterious gas-like odor wafting to the streets of Manhattan. Despite temporary transit disruptions and building evacuations, Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he is confident the air is safe to breathe.

3. Fierce 150-mile-per-hour winds whipped up fallen snow along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains creating near blizzard-like conditions and forcing the shutdown of various schools and roads.

4. And a group of researchers says it has discovered stem cells in the amniotic fluid of pregnant women. The find will allow scientists to sidestep the controversy over destroying embryos for research.
  
 notes:
1. be slated to : PHR
If something is slated to happen, it is planned to happen at a particular time or on a particular occasion.

2. waft : V-ERG 飘荡
If sounds or smells waft through the air, or if something such as a light wind wafts them, they move gently through the air.

3. whip up : PHR-V  鞭打 搅动
If a force such as the wind whips up dust or water, it makes it rise up.
...clouds of smoke and sand whipped up by a strong wind.

4. amniotic fluid : N
The fluid within the amnion(羊膜）that surrounds the fetus and protects it from injury.

It 's christmas time,and on the eve,I didn't sleep a wink.
It's not so cold,actually,but without my best-ever friend,Ann,I feel lonely,utterly depress.
I dare not call her,I dont no why,and keep my heart slient for all the time.Out of shyness?No,probrabely not. I rather consider myself a jerk, a lazy-bone,never stop make believe.
Mr.Shark is all right,but he didn't tell me whether Ann was with him.And I hope I could swim across my fearness to reach them,no matter where them r settled ,how many roads lead to this secret garden.
now,I'm talking nonsenses. only my daring Ann could figure it out.
She must be sitting near her piano,playing all day,without a stop,and dip every single note into MAX's heart.
 Merry christmas!
if god can hear me,please let me be a chore boy
singing the holy night,and put the hallmark into her pillow,
then she could dream about it and
catch me until the dawn  breaks.

                                                                                                                                                      

There are marching bands, children dressed as Santa Claus and clergymen in / Camps gathering in center of Bethlehem to celebrate Christman Eve. They are all doing their best to dispel the gloom hovering over the Jesus' traditional Birth Place as fighting in the region continues.

Pope Benedict is telling all that Christmas is the time to overcome prejudices. He delivered his weekly remarks to thousands of people gathered in Saint Peter Square as he prepared for midnight Mass.

Planes leaving Denver's jammed Airport teamed passengers, many of who 's been jammed when a two-day blizzard shut down the runways last week. The travelers in the Washington D.C.area are having an easier travel. "I'm so glad about flying out of Denver today".

A Chicago companie's working on a virtual dinner system that allows friends and family to share a meal, even though they /may be miles apart. The idea is to use web cameras, broadband internet and video monitors to bring loved ones together.

dispel: [ dis'pel ]

v. 驱散,驱逐

1.2006年12月20上午10点左右，著名相声演员马季因突发心脏病抢救无效逝世。在相声艺术面临困境的今天，相声界又少了一名大师级人物。回顾最近几年，相声已被二人转和小品挤到悬崖的边缘，正当相声逐渐淡出人们的视线时，从北京天桥剧场杀出一个郭德纲给喜爱相声的人带来一阵惊喜。然而一个郭德纲却难以一俊遮百丑，况且如今他在忙于拍电视做节目频于走穴，重走前辈的老路，正在淡出相声本行之外。大师们相继离开，新生代的艺术家也要淡出本行，相声的出路又在何方

2.2006年12月18日，美国好莱坞动画界的“传奇人物”约瑟夫·巴伯拉去世，享年95岁。巴伯拉创造的《猫和老鼠》系列动画片曾获得七项奥斯卡奖，是获得奥斯卡金奖最多的动画片；《史酷比》连续在美国播放长达17年，刷新电视史纪录。巴伯拉一生成就斐然，堪称漫画明星之父。
·1911生于纽约市；曾担任银行职员，随后在美柯里亚杂志社觅得插画家一职，之后开始研习美术，进入纽约范伯伦工作室开始动画生涯；
·1937年起，在米高梅影片公司任故事编写人；
·1940年，巴伯拉和动画家威廉·汉纳合作了他们的第一部动画短片《飞毛脚女郎》；
·之后，他们又同制片人弗雷德．昆比一起创作了《猫和老鼠》。这一巴伯拉负责动画、汉纳负责故事的经典动画片曾先后7获奥斯卡金奖，是获得奥斯卡金奖最多的动画片。
·1957年，巴伯拉和汉纳离开了米高梅影片公司，创立汉纳—巴伯拉制片公司，摄制了《史酷比》等电视动画喜剧片

 

3.伊朗总统内贾德20日又有惊人之语，称美国、以色列和英国最终将“像埃及的法老一样”从这个世界上消失。内贾德在制裁风声日紧的当口发此言论，不免让人吃惊。 
  据法国媒体报道，内贾德12月20日在伊朗西部城镇发表演讲时说：“那些压迫势力将会消失，而伊朗人民将会存留下来。任何靠近真主的力量都会生存下来，任何远离真主的力量都会像埃及法老一样消失。就今天而言，美国、英国和以色列，由于他们远离真主的教义,注定要从这个世界上消失。这是一个神圣的承诺。”此前他就曾多次预言以色列将从地球上消失，但把美国和英国都纳入“应该消失之列”还是第一次。
一是把相声从地摊搬进了剧场，使相声登上了大雅之堂；
二是把相声从“倒末二”变成了“压大轴”，提高了相声的地位；
三是加工整理了一批传统相声段子，使相声成为一门艺术。　　
解放以来，相声这个短小精悍、喜闻乐见、机动灵活的文艺形式受到各阶层人士的青睐，没有相声就不算晚会，没有相声演员就不是文工团，相声无处不在。虽然相声被当作多功能全方位的宣传工具，但遗憾的是一直没有对相声展开深入细致的理论研究，而是任其发展，这就使相声三起三落。　　
６０年代初，华君武有一幅漫画《听相声》，收音机旁趴着一位愁眉苦脸的老头，卧着一只昏昏欲睡的猫，表明相声第一次跌入低谷。８０年代初，《中国青年报》又展开了一次有关相声危机的大讨论，这是第二次跌入低谷。前一段时间中央电视台播放的《倪萍访谈》，又揭示了相声的第三次低谷。究其原因，主要是没有按照相声艺术的自身规律发展相声。　　
相声具有五个特性：　　第一，“笑的艺术”。没有笑料就不是相声，所以相声不能承担严肃的不宜产生笑料的主题。不能因为相声受欢迎，就什么专题晚会都把相声拽上去，结果只能“搞笑” ，只能“胳肢观众”而令人生厌。
第二，“语言的艺术”。相声以说为主，笑料来自语言，形体、动作、学唱都只能配合语言而不能喧宾夺主。相声的语言来源于生活又还归于生活，只有拥有“马大哈” 、“妻管严”、“冒号”这些被人们反复使用的精妙语言，才能成为相声精品。
第三，“自然的艺术”。相声不化妆，没有角色划分，没有表演程式，没有舞台腔，完全是相声演员自身条件的自然流露，所以，在相声界划分流派实在是东施之举，拜师傅、论班辈更是旧社会“行帮”的陋习，容易形成排斥异己的团伙。
第四，“现场艺术”。相声直接面对观众，根据观众的笑声和掌声来判断“包袱” 成功与否。相声演员还要根据观众的欣赏水平来变换抖包袱的手法。通过“审查”把相声定型化，削弱了演员二次再创作的能力；再通过电视的广泛传播，使相声变成一次性产品，没有了研磨也就没有了精品。
第五，“综合艺术”。相声是由若干母艺术综合而成，相声演员必须直接从母艺术中汲取营养，掌握的母艺术门类越多，创造包袱、抖包袱才能游刃有余。现在已经有了中专级别的相声学校，遗憾的是教师只有清一色的相声演员，而没有京剧、声乐、话剧方面的老师，就难以培养出说学逗唱俱佳的全面人才。
根据上述特点，要发展相声必须从多方面入手。
一是组织一批相声理论的研究人员，深入研究相声的创作理论和表演理论；
二是理顺作者与演员的关系，不能把演员的再创作视为改编，以保证作者的合法权益；
三是电视晚会必须从剧场选拔成熟的段子，避免为晚会单独创作一次性的急就章；
四是停止拜师的传媒报导，打破门户之见，广泛吸收人才，鼓励百花齐放；
五是开放多层次市场，恢复计时收费的小剧场艺术，以给相声创造研磨的条件。

小资料:相声艺术大师侯宝林,一生做的三件大事

 

       法国作家拉封丹写过一则寓言：北风和南风比威力，看谁能把行人身上的大衣脱掉。北风首先来一个冷风，凛凛寒冷刺骨，结果行人为了抵御北风的侵袭，便把大衣裹得紧紧的。南风则徐徐吹动，顿时风和日丽，行人因之觉得春暖上身，始而解开纽扣，进而脱掉大衣。南风最终获胜了。这就是人们经常提到的“南风效应”。我想，对待西方文化的扩张，我们是否也该借鉴、采取这种“南风效应”呢？

　　依我看，单纯地抵制西方节日，不但难以实施，有时甚至会适得其反。因为西方一些节日传达了人们之间的那种亲情与包容，是人性的闪光点，那种人性的表达对我们同样适用。所以，要抵御西方文化的扩张，我们最该做“南风”，要丰富我们本有的传统节日的文化内涵，并且随着时代的进步而赋予其新的含义。 
What happens when the forces of global capitalism and cultural imperialism come robed in red and wearing a white beard? Apparently nothing good. A group of graduate researchers from China's major universities are calling on their fellow Chinese to boycott Christmas. (English article via China Daily)

Citing the increasing popularity of the holiday among the younger generation, protest organizer Wang Dashan published an article, "to awaken the Chinese people and to resist Western cultural expansion."

He argues that Christmas is a form of "soft power" that if left unchecked will dilute traditional Chinese culture. Wang and his associates fear that too many Chinese young people are simply "rejecting what is old and embracing what is new" (古非今是) and are adopting an attitude of "what is Chinese is inferior and what is Western is excellent" (中劣西优).

And after watching the most recent "Sexy Beijing" installment from Su Fei and Danwei.tv, it appears Wang might be on to something. Christmas is catching on in China, even if the Chinese aren't real clear what it's all about. But really, with all the problems facing China today is this what keeps China's best and brightest awake at night? Mall Santas and faux-Kenny G renditions of "O Holy Night"?

Anyone know how to say "Grinch" in Chinese?

I am aware of the dangers of cultural imperialism...but I'm not sure that if YJ and I take down the Christmas lights in our living room the neighborhood children are going to take notice, go home, and start reciting the Lun Yu. I mean it's not like a couple of Bible stories and a few Western religious images could incite someone to go on a holy crusade, lead an army to conquer half the country and then establish a pseudo-Christian theocracy that would bring the central government to its knees...okay, maybe that was a bad example.

Anyway and besides, Christmas in China can be fun, if only for the improvised nature of the celebration. YJ and I once spent a merry afternoon in the old Russian shanty shops on Beijing's ya bao lu looking to buy the perfect plastic tree for our living room. The kao ya that Yuehan brought over for Christmas dinner might not have been my Mom's turkey and using erguotou to make eggnog might be a tradition that we'll skip in the future, but with our fiber optic tree, the green and red lights of the karaoke machine, and the stockings hung from the hot water heater with care...well, cultural imperialism be damned...it felt like Christmas to us.

So lighten up, Wang....Oh, and please pass the duck, I'm about to get my karaoke "Jingle Bell Rock" on.
language=javascript type=text/javascript> str2img('in5sait');

“耶诞狂欢”是文化集体无意识

　　西洋文化在中国已由“微风细雨”演变成“狂风骤雨”，最为直接和集中的体现，莫过于“圣诞节”在中国的悄然兴起与日趋流行。在此，我们，十位来自中国不同高校和科研院所的博士研究生，郑重呼吁国人慎对“圣诞节”，走出文化集体无意识，挺立中国文化主体性。
“耶教”传播并非单纯文化和宗教问题

　　国人在文化上陷入集体无意识，根本原因在于中国文化的主位性缺失和主体性沉沦，亦即经过百余年来国人对自家历史文化传统系统而又激烈地批判和颠覆之后，中国文化特别是儒家文化已经呈建制性退场和整体性崩溃，导致中国缺少主干性的价值信仰和文化形态，进而导致中国现代文化的荒漠化和混乱化，从而为“西风劲吹”和“诸神乱舞”打开了方便之门。

　　换而言之，“耶教”在中国泛滥并不是因为其自身具有不可比拟的优势，也不是因为中国历史文化传统不能为国人的生命、生存、生活提供有效的精神支撑，而是因为中国文化的主位性缺失和主体性沉沦，亦即中国缺乏或没有既自信又自主、既具有一贯性又具有民族性的文化与信仰。我们不拟苛责国人在文化上的集体无意识，但我们呼吁国人走出文化集体无意识，挺立中国文化主体性，重建中国人的生命世界和意义世界。

　　历史和现实还告诉我们，“耶教”在中国的传播，不仅仅是一个单纯的文化问题和宗教问题，同时也是西洋国家“软力量”在中国的渗透与扩张。这一点，即使西洋国家内部的欧洲国家也提出了抵制“美式圣诞节”的问题，呼吁过具有欧洲特色的“圣诞节”。

　　我们认为，有必要从国家安全和文化安全的角度深刻反思中国的“耶教”问题，从建设中国“软主权”、“软力量”、“软边界”的角度重视挺立中国文化主体性，积极引导国人走出文化集体无意识，警惕和防范中国的进一步“耶教化”。

　　挺立中国文化主体性

　　如何慎对“圣诞节”？如何走出文化集体无意识？如何挺立中国文化主体性？我们不揣愚陋，胪列如下几条呼吁和建议以供国人参考：

　　第一，不信奉“耶教”者，效法二十世纪二三十年代中国和现今港台地区的做法，把只对耶教徒而言才具有神圣意味的“基督”、“基督教”、“圣经”、“圣诞节”、“圣诞树”等改称为不带感情色彩和崇拜意味的“耶酥”、“耶教”、“耶经”、“圣诞节”、“耶诞树”等；不以任何形式有意无意地过“圣诞节”，不发送与“圣诞节”有关的短信、邮件、贺卡、礼物；不举行与“圣诞节”有关的联欢、舞会等活动；不去“耶教教堂”祈祷礼拜等等。

　　第二，有关部门应该在尊重宗教信仰自由和法律框架允许的范围内，重新审视和合理规范目前在商场、饭店、宾馆、网络、报刊、电视、电台、学校等部门和行业日渐流行的“耶诞狂潮”。尤其是，我们认为，大中小学及幼儿园内的学生无意识、赶时髦地集体过“圣诞节”，甚至是老师组织孩子们过“圣诞节”，已经违背了宗教不得“防碍国家教育制度”的宪法原则和“教育与宗教相分离”的教育法原则，因而亟需有关部门高度重视和严加规范。

　　第三，对“圣诞节”流行起重要推波助澜作用的厂家和商家，应充分挖掘中国诸多传统节日所蕴含的巨大商机，积极营造传统节日文化氛围，合理创新传统节日活动形式。同时，不必因西洋有个“圣诞节”，中国就必须以孔子诞辰为中国“圣诞节”与之抗衡，但可以考虑将孔诞作为中国教师节，并尽可能使其变得既有神圣肃穆的节日氛围又有为年轻人喜闻乐见的活动形式，这将有可能成为校园内和年轻人有效化解“圣诞节”影响的一个重要举措。

　　第四，反思对宗教问题的传统认识误区，从正面意义上理解宗教的价值与功能，承认人的终极性关怀、超越性追求和团体生活、过宗教生活、精神生活、文化生活的内在愿望与合理诉求。因此既需要尊重中国的耶教徒等洋教教徒的宗教信仰，更需要合理挖掘佛教、道教等中国本土宗教的作用，尤其是需要充分发挥在中国历史文化传统占据主干地位的儒学的宗教性社会功能，高度重视目前民间社会重建儒教的呼声与努力，积极推动儒教的重建与复兴。

　　第五，打破“古非今是”和“中劣西优”的文化偏见，改变“以今非古”和“崇洋媚外”的文化心态，对中国文化持以“了解之同情”与“温情和敬意”的立场，回归传统，承续斯文，创新与发展、恢弘与光大中国文化，树立中国人的自尊心和中国文化的自信心，重建中国人的信仰体系和意义世界。这将是一个综合性、长期性、艰巨性的文化事业，需要全社会的共同努力与全方位的积极参与。每个有着担当意识的中国人，都应自觉肩负起这一神圣的文化使命。

　　无论如何，问题关键在于国人是否能幡然醒悟，是否意识到了自己的文化集体无意识，是否有了走出此种文化集体无意识的自觉和挺立中国文化主体性的决心和勇气、责任和使命。我们以为，中国人，应该而且必须朝此一方向努力！奋进！