人的未来
陈美君 (Meei Jiun Chan)
晓岚今年十三岁，是一名肺癌末期的女患者。按照她学校的老规矩，患有重病的学生理所当然的不能来学校上课。但是随着地球污染的恶化，这个校规早在2100年就被迫更改了，因为学校里一半的学生都与晓岚一样，是癌症的患者。因此，这些学生忍着病痛，用他们剩下的日子享受上学的乐趣。
下课铃终于“叮当”地响了。学生们纷纷从教室里涌出，只剩下晓岚与其他几个坐轮椅的学生还留在教室里，等待家人来接他们回家。像往常一样，晓岚的哥哥下了班就来教室接她回家。晓岚看见了哥哥，便以她微微颤抖着的手勉强得来向他打招呼。哥哥走上前，推着她往回家的方向去。外面的天空像是被一层厚厚的毛毯给覆盖住了，一片灰暗，不分日夜。城市里的大街小巷都堆满了清不完的垃圾，恶臭熏天。一路上还到处可见被酸雨腐蚀的建筑和枯树，景象一片凄凉。但是这一切对晓岚和她哥哥来说已经没有什么好大惊小怪的了，因为他们就是在这种环境下长大的。
晓岚看着天空对哥哥说道：“今天老师讲起了有关上海城的历史。据说上海是全中国最繁华美丽的城市。街道上竟没有垃圾和肮脏的积水，反而处处可见装饰着霓虹灯的大树。那里还有许多大型的公园，每到周末的时候，许多家庭都会到那里去骑自行车或在草坪上野餐。只可惜在七十年前上海跟许多大城市一样，在北极和南极的冰层溶化以后就被海水淹没了。”
“是啊，”哥哥愤怒地回答道，“如果我们的祖先肯减少他们对地球的破坏，多关心大自然的变化，那么我们今天就不会落到这种下场。总之，我们的祖先实在是太自私了。”晓岚听了点点头，沉默了好久。她多希望自己和其他生病的孩子都能过上正常的生活，天天蹦蹦跳跳的，没有因为祖先对地球的迫害而染上不可医治的病。如今，她知道自己走投无路了，只能勇敢地等待病魔结束她的生命。
词汇 Vocabulary:
| 1. 癌 | ái | Cancer (n.) |
| 例句: 晓岚今年十三岁，是一名肺癌末期的女患者。
Example: Lan, a thirteen year old girl, was a victim of lung cancer. |
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| 2. 规矩 | guī jǔ | Rules (n.) |
| 例句: 按照她学校的老规矩，患有重病的学生理所当然的不能来学校上课。
Example: According to her school’s regulations, any student who was suffering from serious illness reasonably would not be allowed to come to school. |
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| 3. 理所当然 | lǐ suǒ dāng rán | Go without saying (adj.) |
| 例句: 按照她学校的老规矩，患有重病的学生理所当然的不能来学校上课。
Example: According to her school’s regulations, any student who was suffering from serious illness reasonably would not be allowed to come to school. |
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| 4. 污染 | wū rǎn | Pollution (n.);pollute (v.) |
| 例句: 但是随着地球污染的恶化，这个校规早在2100年就被迫更改了。
Example: As the pollution levels became more severe, this regulation was no longer effective. |
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| 5. 病痛 | bìng tong | Illness and pain (n.) |
| 例句: 这些学生忍着病痛，用他们剩下的日子享受上学的乐趣。
Example: Disregarding their pain and illness, these students try to enjoy schooling with their remaining days. |
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| 6. 享受 | xiǎng shòu | Enjoy (v.) |
| 例句: 这些学生忍着病痛，用他们剩下的日子享受上学的乐趣。
Example: Disregarding their pain and illness, these students try to enjoy schooling with their remaining days. |
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| 7. 涌 | yǒng | Pour out (v.) |
| 例句: 学生们纷纷从教室里涌出。
Example: Students poured out from the classrooms. |
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| 8. 轮椅 | lún yǐ | Wheel chair (n.) |
| 例句: 学生们纷纷从教室里涌出，只剩下晓岚与其他几个坐轮椅的学生还留在教室里。
Example: Students poured out from the classrooms after the school bell rang, only Lan and several students on wheelchairs stayed back waiting for their family to take them home. |
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| 9. 颤抖 | chàn dǒu | Tremble (v.) |
| 例句: 晓岚看见了哥哥，便以她微微颤抖着的手勉强得来向他打招呼。
Example: When Lan saw his brother, she tried to use her trembling hands to greet him. |
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| 10. 勉强 | miǎn qiǎng |
Do with difficulty (v.) |
| 例句: 晓岚看见了哥哥，便以她微微颤抖着的手勉强得来向他打招呼。
Example: When Lan saw his brother, she tried to use her trembling hands to greet him. |
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| 11. 覆盖 | fù gài | Cover (v.) |
| 例句: 外面的天空像是被一层厚厚的毛毯给覆盖住了，一片灰暗，不分日夜。
Example: The sky was dark and gloomy, regardless of day and night, as if it was covered by a thick blanket. |
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| 12. 大街小巷 | dà jiē xiǎo xiàng | Streets and lanes (n.) |
| 例句: 城市里的大街小巷都堆满了清不完的垃圾，恶臭熏天。
Example: Trash plied up on the city streets, creating a horrible odor. |
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| 13. 腐蚀 | fǔ shí | Corrode (v.) |
| 例句: 一路上还到处可见被酸雨腐蚀的建筑和枯树，景象一片凄凉。
Example: Along the way dreary sights of acid rain corrosions on buildings and trees could be seen everywhere. |
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| 14. 凄凉 | qī liáng | Dreary, dismal (adj.) |
| 例句: 一路上还到处可见被酸雨腐蚀的建筑和枯树，景象一片凄凉。
Example: Along the way dreary sights of acid rain corrosions on buildings and trees could be seen everywhere. |
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| 15. 大惊小怪 | dà jīng xiǎo guài | Surprising and strange (adj.) |
| 例句: 这一切对晓岚和她哥哥来说已经没有什么好大惊小怪的了。
Example: None of these were surprising to Lan and her brother. |
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| 16. 肮脏 | āng zāng | Dirty (adj.) |
| 例句: 街道上竟没有垃圾和肮脏的积水。
Example: The streets were not filled with garbage and dirty water. |
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| 17. 霓虹灯 | ní hóng dēng | Neon lights (n.) |
| 例句: 反而处处可见装饰着霓虹灯的大树。
Example: The streets were decorated with beautiful trees and neon lights. |
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| 18. 自私 | zì sī | Selfish (adj.) |
| 例句: 我们的祖先实在是太自私了
Example: Our ancestors were too selfish. |
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| 19. 沉默 | chén mò | Keep silent (v.);silent (adj.) |
| 例句: 晓岚听了点点头，沉默了好久。
Example: Lan nodded and kept silent for a long time. |
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| 20. 迫害 | pò hài | Persecute (v.) |
| 例句: 她多希望自己和其他生病的孩子都能过上正常的生活，天天蹦蹦跳跳的，没有因为祖先对地球的迫害而染上不可医治的病。
Example: How she wished the other sick children and herself were not infected with this incurable disease and could live a normal life. |
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| 21. 走投无路 | zǒu tóu wú lù | No way out (adj.) |
| 例句: 她知道自己走投无路了。
Example: She knew there were no other solutions. |
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| 22. 勇敢 | yǒng gǎn | Brave (adj.) |
| 例句: 她知道自己走投无路了，只能勇敢地等待病魔结束她的生命。
Example: she knew there were no other solutions but to wait courageously for the disease to end of her life. |
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讨论的问题：
1. 学校里一半的学生都与晓岚都怎么了？
What happen to Lan and half of the students at school?
2. 晓岚和她哥哥在怎样的环境下长大？
In what kind of environment did Lan and her brother grow up?
3. 原来的上海是什么样子的？
What was the old Shanghai like?
4. 哥哥认为是谁导致的现在的情况？
Who does the brother think are the causes of their current situation?
5. 在你的想象中，未来会是一种怎么样的世界？
Can you image the future world for human beings?
Transcript:
Future of Human
Lan, a thirteen year old girl, was a victim of lung cancer. According to her school’s regulations, any student who was suffering from serious illness reasonably would not be allowed to come to school. However, as the pollution levels became more severe, this regulation was no longer effective, since almost half of the student population in school was suffering from the same illness as Lan, cancer. Therefore, disregarding their pain and illness, these students try to enjoy schooling with their remaining days, alive.
Students poured out from the classrooms after the school bell rang, only Lan and several students on wheelchairs stayed back waiting for their family to take them home.
As usual, Lan’s brother came to her classroom after work to take her home. When Lan saw his brother, she tried to use her trembling hands to greet him. Her brother came forward and pushed her wheelchair towards home.
The sky was dark and gloomy, regardless of day and night, as if it was covered by a thick blanket. Trash plied up on the city streets, creating a horrible odor. Along the way dreary sights of acid rain corrosions on buildings and trees could be seen everywhere. However, none of these were surprising to Lan and her little brother since this was the environment they grew up in.
Lan looked up at the sky and said “Today our teacher talked about the history ofShanghaiCity. It is said thatShanghaiwasChina’s most beautiful and prosperous city. The streets were not filled with garbage and dirty water, but were decorated with beautiful trees and neon lights. There were many parks as well, where families would bike or have picnics on the lawn during weekends. Unfortunately, seventy years ago, together with many major cities of the world,ShanghaiCitywas washed out by the ocean water when the ice caps in the North and South Poles melted”
“Exactly,” Lan’s brother replied angrily, “If our ancestors tried to reduce their destructions to Earth’s environment and be more concerned about the changes in nature, things would not end up this way. In short, our ancestors were too selfish”. Lan nodded and kept silent for a long time thinking about her life. How she wished the other sick children and herself were not infected with this incurable disease and could live a normal life. Sadly, she knew there were no other solutions but to wait courageously for the disease to end of her life.