特殊的生命課

湖北 陳望珍

◆語篇導讀

你們學校有開設生命課嗎？如果有，是什么樣的生命課呢？如果沒有，你希望能開設什么樣的生命課？日本的一所高中開設了特殊的生命課，學生需要花費六個月的時間親自孵化、喂養、記錄雞的成長過程，最后需親自宰殺和烹飪來感受雞所做出的犧牲。

For the past 60 years，every new student at a high school in Japan has taken the “Class of Life”，the class lasts six months.The students need to help hatch（孵化）and raise chickens，and then they kill chickens and eat them by themselves.

Last year，the Class of Life at the high school started in October.Under the guidance of a teacher，they prepared for hatching chickens like washing eggs and monitoring（監測）the temperature of the machine.For the next three weeks，they must make sure to have the right conditions for hatching.Once the chickens were born，each student had to pick one and raise it as their own.

The students had to feed them，change their water as often as possible，monitor the temperature of the chicken house，as well as weigh them regularly and record their progress.

As you can imagine，some students have feelings with the chickens and think of them as pets though they know the scary ending of the class.Others try their best not to get to close to the chickens because of the ending.

In May this year，the students had to kill the chickens they had spent six months raising.They must cook and eat them to complete the Class of Life.In the video，the students are shown frying chicken meat and then eating it，and thanking the chickens for their sacrifice（犧牲）.

After many people watched the video，some think it teaches students that life itself may be cruel，and the best way to respect food is to eat up and not waste it.But others think it's unnecessary and possibly harmful to the students'feelings.

◆詞語積淀

make sure to have th e right conditions

確保有合適的條件

as often as possible盡可能經常

as well as也

try one's best not to盡某人最大的努力不……

get to close to與……親近

because of因為

thank...for...為……感謝……

be harmful to對……有害

◆典句賞析

1.As you can imagine，some students have feelings with the chickens and think of them as pets though they know the scary ending of the class.正如你想象的，盡管一些學生知道這堂課的可怕結局，但他們與雞有了感情并把它們當寵物看待。

該句是一個多重復合句，As you can imagine意為“正如你想象的”，As引導方式狀語從句；主句是由though引導的讓步狀語從句；think of...as...是固定搭配，意為“把……看作……”；the ending of是固定搭配，意為“……的結局”。

2.In May this year，the students had to kill the chickens they had spent six months raising.在今年五月，學生們不得不殺了他們花了六個月時間養大的雞。

這是一個含定語從句的復合句，they had spent six months raising是從句，限定先行詞chickens，從句用的是過去完成時態；spend...（in）doing sth.是固定句型結構，意為“花費……做某事”，既可指花費時間，也可以指花費金錢，其中的in可以省略。

3.After many people watched the video，some think it teaches students that life itself may be cruel，and the best way to respect food is to eat up and not waste it.許多人看過視頻后，一些人認為它教會學生生命本身可能很殘酷并且尊重食物最好的方式就是吃光和不浪費食物。

這是一個多重復合句，After引導的是時間狀語從句，主句是由and連接的兩個并列句，第一個分句的賓語從句中還含有一個賓語從句，第二個分句的主語是動詞不定式to respect food作定語限定主語the best way，表語是and連接的兩個不定式短語。

譯文助讀

◆理解自測

閱讀短文，根據其內容判斷下列句子的正（T）誤（F）。

1.The Class of Life at a high school in Japan has been sixty years.

2.It takes little chickens about 21 days to come out of the eggs.

3.Their teachers help them kill chicken at last.

4.Students won't eat children they spent six months raising.

5.After watching the video about Class of Life，all people think it's good for students.

◆詞句微練

根據所給漢語句子，完成下列英語句子。每空詞數不限。

1.你必須確保有足夠的時間來完成這項任務。

You must________enough time to finish the task.

2.我們必須盡可能經常地回家看望我們的父母。

We must go home to visit our parents________.

3.他的哥哥總是盡最大努力不讓他挨餓。

His brother always________him hungry.

4.因為惡劣的天氣，他上學遲到了。

He was late for school__________________.

5.吸煙對人的健康有害。

Smoking_________________people's health.

（答案見第64頁）