reading：Buying a House
John and Linda are worried about their future. They both have good jobs, but they are concerned about the economy. Of the two of them, Linda is the most worried. She wants the security of owning her own home. Her husband disagrees. As a result, they often fight about money. They live in a nice apartment, but the rent goes up every year. So now they are trying to decide whether or not to buy a house.
约翰和琳达担心他们的未来。他们都有好工作，但他们关心经济。其中，琳达最担心。她想要拥有自己家的安全感。她丈夫不同意。因此，他们经常为钱而争吵。他们住在一套漂亮的公寓里，但租金每年都上涨。所以现在他们正试图决定是否买房。
Linda wants to buy a house, but John is against the idea. He thinks prices are too high, and he doesn't want to be trapped. If they owned a house, it would be more difficult to move somewhere else if things changed. For example, what would happen if he lost his job? If he lost his job, they might want to move to another city or country. If they owned a home or flat, it would be more difficult to move. If they decided to move, they would probably have to sell. If prices had risen, they would be okay. In fact, they might even make a profit. However, if prices were down when they had to sell, they would lose money.
琳达想买房子，但约翰反对这个主意。他认为价格太高，他不想被困住。如果他们有房子，如果情况发生变化，搬到别的地方会更困难。例如，如果他失业了会怎么样？如果他失业了，他们可能想搬到另一个城市或国家去。如果他们有房子或公寓，搬家会更困难。如果他们决定搬家，他们可能不得不卖掉。如果价格上涨了，就没问题了。事实上，他们甚至可以盈利。然而，如果价格下跌时，他们不得不出售，他们会赔钱。
Last week John got some bad news. His company is downsizing and moving its head office to another city. It's moving because it can no longer afford to do business where they are now. Expenses are too high, especially salaries, so it's more difficult to compete with other companies. In fact, several other companies will be moving out too. Office space is expensive in the area, along with the cost of living for employees. As a result, it's becoming more difficult to hire good employees. Nobody wants to live there unless their salary can support a good standard of living.
上周约翰有个坏消息。他的公司正在裁员，并将总部迁往另一个城市。它在移动，因为它再也负担不起现在的业务了。费用太高，尤其是工资，所以与其他公司竞争更为困难。事实上，其他几家公司也将迁出。这个地区的办公空间很贵，员工的生活费也很贵。因此，雇佣优秀员工变得越来越困难。没有人愿意住在那里，除非他们的工资能维持良好的生活水平。
With all of these changes, John thinks there's a good chance that he will be transferred to the new head office. This could happen fairly soon. If so, it would be foolish to buy a house at this time. Linda still disagrees about buying a house, but she is willing to wait a year to see what happens. She hopes that they won't have to move, but they may have to unless John is willing to change companies. She would prefer not to move, because she doesn't want to lose her job.
有了这些变化，约翰认为他很有可能被调到新的总公司。这可能很快就会发生。如果是这样的话，在这个时候买房是愚蠢的。琳达仍然不同意买房，但她愿意等一年看看会发生什么事。她希望他们不必搬家，但除非约翰愿意改变公司，否则他们可能不得不搬家。她宁愿不搬家，因为她不想失业。
Now they have to consider what they'll do if he's transferred. John has to decide whether or not he should begin to look for a new company. If he could find another job in the area, it would put less stress on his wife. If they stay and can wait for a while, maybe housing prices will begin to come down. If prices don't come down, then he and his wife will continue to disagree about buying a house. Sooner or later they are going to have to make a decision and stop fighting about it.
现在他们得考虑如果他被调走了他们会怎么做。约翰必须决定是否应该开始寻找一家新公司。如果他能在这个地区找到另一份工作，他妻子的压力就会减轻。如果他们留下来等一段时间，也许房价会开始下降。如果房价不降下来，那么他和妻子在买房的问题上会继续存在分歧。他们迟早会做出决定，不再为之争吵。
Dialogue : AI Girlfriend
Are you having any luck finding a new girlfriend?
No, I'm not. I haven't found anyone I like. So far they are all after my money and a fancy lifestyle. What will happen to real love?
I don't know. The same thought has occurred to me lately. I'm afraid I'm becoming a bit of a cynic.
I was just reading about some new robots called AIs. They have artificial intelligence or AI.
Yes, AIs. I've heard about it, and they've been in some movies too.
你找到新女朋友了吗？
不，我没有。我没找到我喜欢的人。到目前为止，他们都在追求我的钱和奢侈的生活方式。真爱会怎样？
我不知道。最近我也有同样的想法。恐怕我有点愤世嫉俗了。
我刚看到到一些被称为AI的新机器人。他们有人工智能或人工智能。
是的，AI。我听说过，他们也出现在电影中。
Evidently, these new AIs can be very attractive companions. What do you think about that?
You must be kidding! Relating to a smart robot? It sounds sick to me.
I don't know, maybe not. I wonder what it would be like to have an AI girlfriend. Maybe you could program it to be like your dream woman.
A dream woman, hoho. Well, it's an interesting idea but hard to imagine the reality. I guess it could be fun for a while, but then it would get boring, don't you think?
For sure, no real emotion. Everything would be mechanical and artificial, even the language! There wouldn't be a soul inside, just an empty machine.
显然，这些新的AI可以是非常有吸引力的朋友。你觉得怎么样？
你一定在开玩笑吧！与智能机器人恋爱？听上去很恶心。
我不知道，也许不是吧。我想知道有一个人工智能女朋友会是什么样子。也许你可以把它编程成你的梦中情人。
梦中情人，呵呵。好吧，这是一个有趣的想法，但很难想象实现是怎么样。我想，有段时间会很有趣，但之后会很无聊，你不觉得吗？
当然，没有真正的感情。一切都将是机械和人工的，甚至是语言！里面没有灵魂，只有一台空机器。
Well, not necessarily. That would depend on how intelligent it is. There are some who say that AIs are going to be more intelligent than we are!
Hmm, I've heard of that too. In fact, they may even be a threat to us, right?
Anyway, if it were possible, would you want a woman you could control?
A woman I could control?
No, I can't imagine it. Most of the women I've been with have tried to control me!
嗯，不一定。这将取决于它有多聪明。有人说AI会比我们更聪明！
嗯，我也听说过。事实上，它们甚至可能对我们构成威胁，对吧？
不管怎样，如果可能的话，你想要一个你能控制的女人吗？
一个我能控制的女人？
不，我无法想象。大多数和我在一起的女人都试图控制我！
Well, that's one of the differences between men and women. We see things differently.
We never measure up to their standards! hahaha.
However, if there is real love, the bonds between two people can be very deep. It may not happen very often, but I've seen it.
Yes, that's what I'm looking for! I hope it's not just a dream.
If that's what you want you are probably not going to find her in the bar.
嗯，这是男人和女人的区别之一。我们的看法不同。
我们从来没有达到他们的标准！哈哈哈。
然而，如果有真爱，两个人之间的联系会很深。可能不常发生，但我见过。
是的，这就是我要找的！我希望这不仅仅是一个梦。
如果那是你想要的，你可能不会在酒吧里找到她。
Maybe I'll just let people know I'm looking for someone nice.
Be sure they don't tell her you're rich. Maybe I can help you find someone.
You have my permission.
And just for fun, I'll start checking out some of those smart robots! It sounds crazy, but I'm curious!
With all the lonely people out there, it may turn out to be a huge business!
也许我该让别人知道我在找一个不错的人。
别告诉她你很有钱。也许我可以帮你找个人。
你得到许可了。
为了好玩，我会去看看那些智能机器人！听起来很疯狂，但我很好奇！
有那么多孤独的人在外面，这可能是一个巨大的生意！
reading：Mysteries of the Mona Lisa
Without a doubt, one of the world's most recognizable pieces of art is the Mona Lisa. Painted in the 16th Century by Leonardo da Vinci, it continues to attract crowds of people who are captivated by the mysterious woman in the portrait. Her enigmatic smile and penetrating gaze reach out through the ages as if she were alive today.
毫无疑问，世界上最著名的艺术品之一是蒙娜丽莎。这幅画是16世纪达芬奇的作品，它继续吸引着被画中神秘女子迷住的人群。她神秘的微笑和敏锐的目光历久弥新，仿佛她今天还活着。
Critics and art lovers still argue about her identity.One theory is that the way she posed suggests that she was with child.Another theory argues that her hairless face - no brows or lashes - indicates that she was a prostitute.
评论家和艺术爱好者仍在争论她的身份。一种理论认为，她的姿势表明她有孩子。另一种理论认为，她的无毛脸——没有眉毛和睫毛——表明她是一名妓女。
It seems that in 16th Century Italy women working in the world's oldest profession had hairless faces in order to make themselves more sexually arousing.There is, however,evidence that at one time the woman in the portrait had thick eyebrows. Perhaps they were inadvertently erased when the painting was cleaned. Nobody knows for sure.
在16世纪的意大利，从事这个世界上最古老职业的女性为了让自己更性感，似乎都没有头发，然而，有证据表明，有一段时间，画像中的女性眉毛很粗。也许他们是在这幅画被清洗时不经意间被擦掉了。没人确切知道。
The painting itself has an interesting history. With the death of Leonardo, it went to his friend King Francois , and then to Louis XV and the Palace of Versailles. It wasn't until 300 years after its completion that it was recognized as a masterpiece. For a time, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte hung it in his bedroom.Eventually, it found a permanent home when it was added to the collection of the Louvre in Paris. In 1911 it was stolen by a museum employee and two accomplices. This theft made the painting famous all over the world. During World War II it was taken away and hidden from the Nazis, as were many important works of art. Today the painting resides at the Louvre,captivating a whole new generation.Whoever she was, the mysteries surrounding the Mona Lisa continue to engage our imaginations.
这幅画本身有一段有趣的历史。列奥纳多死后，它被送到他的朋友弗朗索瓦国王那里，然后又被送到路易十五和凡尔赛宫。直到画成300年后，它才被公认为杰作。有一段时间，拿破仑·波拿巴皇帝把它挂在卧室里，当它被添加到巴黎的卢浮宫收藏中时，终于找到了一个永久的家。1911年，它被一名博物馆职员和两名同伙偷走。这次盗窃使这幅画闻名于世。第二次世界大战期间，它被纳粹夺走并隐藏起来，许多重要的艺术作品也是如此。今天，这幅画被收藏在卢浮宫，吸引了整整一代人。不管她是谁，围绕着蒙娜丽莎的神秘故事继续吸引着我们的想象力。
reading2：Mr.G and Jellybean
This is the story of a donkey named Jellybean and a goat named Mr.G. For ten years they lived together on a farm owned by a woman who loved animals but could barely care for herself. She had dozens of animals, but the living conditions for all of them were deplorable. Finally, an animal rescue organization came and took the animals away, relocating them to animal sanctuaries.
这是一个关于在一个农场里生活了十年的一头名叫果冻豆的驴和一只名叫G先生的山羊的故事，这个农场的主人是一个喜欢动物但几乎不能照顾自己的女人。她有几十只动物，但它们的生活条件都很糟糕。最后，一个动物救援组织来了，把这些动物带走，转移到动物庇护所。
Throughout their years at the farm, Jellybean and Mr.G had been inseparable. Wherever the donkey was, the goat was never far away. For some reason, they had bonded, and nobody suspected how strong the bond had become.
在农场的这些年里，果冻豆和G先生一直形影不离。无论驴在哪里，山羊都不远。由于某种原因，他们之间有了联系，没有人怀疑这种联系有多牢固。
When Jellybean was taken to a local animal rescue center, Mr.G was moved to a center far away. When he arrived, he refused to eat. Not only did he refuse to eat, but he refused to get up or move around. He spent his days lying in a corner of the barn, barely lifting his head. The staff at the center tried feeding him treats, including apples and sweets, but nothing worked.
当果冻被带到当地的动物救助中心时，G先生被转移到了很远的一个中心。当他到达时，他拒绝吃东西。他不仅不肯吃饭，而且不肯起来走动。他整天躺在谷仓的角落里，几乎抬不起头来。中心的工作人员试着喂他吃的东西，包括苹果和糖果，但什么也没用。
As the days went by, he continued to weaken. The staff had to move him physically to ensure he didn't spend too long lying down. Worried that he was ill, they gave him a series of health examinations, but none showed anything wrong. Finally, they realized that he was depressed and mourning the loss of his best friend.
日子一天天过去，他身体继续虚弱。为了确保他不会躺得太久，工作人员不得不把他从身体上挪开。他们担心他病了，给他做了一系列的健康检查，但没有发现任何问题。最后，他们意识到他很沮丧，为失去最好的朋友而悲痛。
With his condition getting worse, drastic measures were required. A volunteer at the center offered to make the 14-hour round-trip journey to fetch Jellybean so the two could be reunited.
随着他的病情恶化，需要采取严厉措施。该中心的一名志愿者主动提出，要进行14小时的往返旅程，去带上果冻豆，这样两人才能团聚。
Once Jellybean arrived and the goat sensed his presence, he rose to his feet, breathed in deeply andrushed to his friend's side. Shortly after that, he began to eat,moving the entire staff to tears. Such a beautiful reunion was inspiring- an amazing testimonial to the depth of nonhuman emotions.
当果冻豆到达，山羊感觉到他的存在，他站起来，深呼吸，并冲到他的朋友的身边。不久，他开始吃东西，感动得所有员工都哭了。如此美丽的重逢令人振奋——这是对非人类情感深度的一个令人惊叹的证明。
Since the video of the reunion was posted on the Internet, it has been viewed by millions. and from now on, the two friends will remain together.
自从这段重聚的视频在网上发布以来，已经有数百万人观看了它。从现在起，这两个朋友将继续在一起。