At the western end of Bellmere, an inner metropolitan district, stood an old hall on Eighth Street.
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在贝尔米尔这个都市内城区的西端，第八街上坐落着一座旧礼堂。
Reading 02：朋友、邻里与社区互助——逐句中英对照翻译
淡黄色表示本篇首次学习单元。无论中文是否展开，任何英文单词都可以随时点击，查看有道释义和发音；展开中文后，英文生词与下方词义标签还会联动高亮。
正文
It seemed to nestle between a library and a row of small shops.
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它仿佛安静地依偎在一座图书馆和一排小商店之间。
For years, every resident had walked past its locked door.
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多年来，每位居民都曾从它紧锁的大门前走过。
Dust covered the upright piano, the garden had become frightful, and a leaking pipe had turned one room upside-down.
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立式钢琴上落满了灰尘，花园变得十分糟糕，一根漏水的管道还把其中一个房间弄得一团糟。
The hall supposedly belonged to the whole community, but ownership was complicated.
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据说这座礼堂属于整个社区，但它的所有权关系很复杂。
A local union had built it eighty years earlier.
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八十年前，一个当地工会修建了它。
Later, a charitable association became its owner, and an inactive committee was meant to superintend it.
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后来，一个慈善协会成了它的所有者，而一个早已不再活跃的委员会本应负责管理它。
The committee had grown inert, however, and no member knew who could authorize repairs.
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然而，这个委员会已经陷入停滞，没有成员知道究竟由谁批准维修。
Maya Chen, a library user who lived in the adjacent building, wanted to reopen the hall.
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住在邻楼、经常使用图书馆的玛雅·陈想让礼堂重新开放。
Unemployment had increased, elderly inhabitants were becoming isolated, and young people had nowhere to gather.
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失业人数有所增加，老年居民日渐孤立，年轻人也没有可以聚会的地方。
Maya imagined a place for job-hunt advice, language classes, shared meals, and a weekly get-together.
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玛雅设想把这里变成一个可以提供求职建议、开设语言课程、共享餐食并每周举行聚会的场所。
She did not expect the project to be easy, but she believed its benefits would outweigh the cost.
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她并不认为这个项目会很容易，但她相信它带来的益处会超过成本。
Her first ally was Tom, a former marine and military veteran.
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她的第一位盟友是汤姆，一名退役海军陆战队员和退伍军人。
His local veterans’ chapter needed a meeting room.
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他所在的当地退伍军人分会需要一间会议室。
Tom’s younger brother had also struggled after losing his job, so he understood how quickly confidence could disappear.
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汤姆的弟弟失业后也曾苦苦挣扎，因此他明白人的自信可能消失得多么快。
“People need useful work and trustworthy companions,” he said.
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“人们需要有意义的工作，也需要值得信赖的伙伴。”他说。
“They do not need somebody to command them.”
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“他们不需要某个人来命令他们。”
Maya and Tom invited every neighbor to an open meeting.
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玛雅和汤姆邀请每一位邻居参加一场公开会议。
A curious crowd arrived: shopkeepers, tenants, homeowners, students, parents, and volunteers.
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一群怀着好奇心的人来了，其中有店主、租户、房主、学生、家长和志愿者。
One inhabitant was a foreign engineer; another was a college freshman.
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一位居民是外籍工程师，另一位是大学一年级新生。
A school dropout came with a teenager known as a truant.
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一名辍学者和一个出了名经常逃学的少年一起来了。
Two former classmates met there for the first time in twenty years.
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两位昔日的同学在那里二十年来第一次重逢。
A frail woman came with her companion, while a gaunt man stood silently near the door.
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一位身体虚弱的女士由同伴陪同前来，而一个憔悴瘦削的男人默默站在门边。
People who dwell in the same street do not necessarily know every other dweller.
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住在同一条街上的人未必认识其他每一位居民。
The group did not immediately display unity.
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这群人并没有立刻表现出团结一致。
Raj, the proprietor of the corner shop, supported the plan.
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街角商店的店主拉杰支持这个计划。
Clara, who owned three apartments, continued to oppose it.
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拥有三套公寓的克拉拉则继续反对。
“I suspect the noise will lower property values,” she said.
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“我怀疑噪声会使房产贬值。”她说。
A political party representative wanted to use the hall as an office.
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一名政党代表想把礼堂用作办公室。
An international charity offered aid but demanded control of the programme.
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一家国际慈善机构愿意提供援助，却要求掌控该项目。
Several residents argued so fiercely that the meeting almost reached a standstill.
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几位居民争论得如此激烈，以至于会议几乎陷入僵局。
Then Mrs. Okafor, a retired teacher with a calm mien, asked everyone to use a courteous tone.
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这时，神态沉静的退休教师奥卡福夫人请大家用礼貌的语气说话。
She represented an ethnic cultural group and had organized community work across the Commonwealth.
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她代表一个族裔文化团体，并曾在英联邦多个地区组织社区工作。
“A hall cannot create cohesion by itself,” she said.
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“一座礼堂本身无法创造凝聚力。”她说。
“Trust grows when people participate freely and keep reciprocal promises.”
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“当人们自由参与并信守彼此的承诺时，信任才会增长。”
Maya suggested that the committee remain politically neutral.
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玛雅建议委员会保持政治中立。
No party, business, or religious group would control the building.
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任何政党、企业或宗教团体都不能控制这栋建筑。
Organizations could affiliate with the project, but they had to comply with shared rules.
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各类组织可以加入这个项目，但必须遵守共同规则。
The hall would not segregate users by income, origin, age, or belief.
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礼堂不会按照收入、出身、年龄或信仰把使用者隔离开来。
Freedom of expression would be protected, although hostile or insulting conduct would not.
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言论自由会受到保护，但带有敌意或侮辱性的行为不会被容许。
This last rule led to a subtle but important discussion about language.
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最后一条规则引出了一场有关语言的细致而重要的讨论。
One resident had called a homeless man a beggar.
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一位居民曾把一个无家可归的男人称作“乞丐”。
Another referred to a disabled neighbor as a cripple, and a boy had called a peculiar classmate stupid and a freak.
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另一个人把一位残障邻居称为“瘸子”，还有一个男孩说一位行为有些特别的同学“愚蠢”而且是个“怪胎”。
Mrs. Okafor explained that such labels reduced a person to one condition.
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奥卡福夫人解释说，这样的标签会把一个完整的人简化为他的某一种状况。
Even the word foreigner could mark a long-term neighbor as permanently outside; calling that person an alien was worse.
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即使是 *foreigner*（外国人）这个词，也可能把一位长期居住于此的邻居永远标记成外来者；把这个人称为 *alien*（异乡人／外人）则更糟。
The committee could not force friendship, but it could refuse language that encouraged people to shun their fellow inhabitants.
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委员会无法强迫人们成为朋友，但可以拒绝使用会鼓动人们排斥其他居民的语言。
Tom agreed.
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汤姆对此表示赞同。
His old comrade had returned from service with a disability and hated being treated as helpless.
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他的一位老战友退役归来时落下了残疾，而且非常讨厌被当成无能为力的人。
Respect, Tom said, meant asking what support a person wanted.
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汤姆说，尊重意味着询问一个人希望得到怎样的支持。
It did not mean speaking for them.
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它并不意味着替对方发言或作主。
A righteous speech about kindness was superfluous if the speaker never listened.
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如果说话的人从不倾听，那么一番自以为正义、宣扬善意的演说就是多余的。
Not everyone was convinced.
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并非所有人都被说服了。
Clara remained sullen and said the plan relied on emotion rather than commonsense.
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克拉拉仍然闷闷不乐，并说这个计划依赖的是感情，而不是常识。
She wanted evidence that the volunteers could be dependable.
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她想看到能够证明这些志愿者值得信赖的证据。
Maya answered that caution was reasonable.
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玛雅回答说，谨慎是合理的。
The project could not rely on goodwill alone.
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这个项目不能仅仅依靠善意。
She proposed a three-month trial with public accounts, written duties, and a clear complaints process.
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她提议进行为期三个月的试运行，同时公开账目、写明职责，并建立清晰的投诉处理流程。
If the committee ignored a serious problem, residents would have recourse to the charity that legally owned the hall.
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如果委员会无视严重问题，居民可以向在法律上拥有礼堂的慈善机构寻求救济。
The trial created an incipient partnership.
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这次试运行促成了一种刚刚萌芽的合作关系。
Raj became treasurer because other shop owners held him in high esteem.
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拉杰当上了财务主管，因为其他店主都很敬重他。
Tom coordinated repairs.
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汤姆负责协调维修工作。
Mrs. Okafor led volunteer orientation.
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奥卡福夫人主持志愿者入职说明活动。
Maya managed bookings and communication.
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玛雅负责预约安排和沟通工作。
A young associate from the library designed a membership system, while two residents from a housing cooperative advised the committee about democratic decisions.
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一位来自图书馆的年轻同事设计了会员制度，同时，两位来自住房合作社的居民就民主决策向委员会提出建议。
They also sought a sponsor.
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他们还寻找了赞助方。
A regional foundation offered a grant, but only if the hall could muster fifty unpaid volunteers and raise a small portion of the repair cost.
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一个地区基金会愿意提供一笔资助，但条件是礼堂必须召集到五十名无偿志愿者，并自行筹集一小部分维修费用。
Some residents thought the requirement unfair.
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一些居民认为这个要求不公平。
Others said outside funding should strengthen local commitment rather than replace it.
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另一些人则说，外部资金应当增强当地人的投入，而不是取代这种投入。
After a long debate, the committee accepted.
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经过长时间的辩论，委员会接受了这个条件。
The renovation revealed every person’s main foible.
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翻修过程暴露出了每个人最主要的小毛病。
Tom was loyal and diligent, but his military habits made him impatient.
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汤姆忠诚而勤奋，但军旅习惯使他缺乏耐心。
He occasionally spoke as if every volunteer were his subordinate.
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他偶尔说话时，会表现得仿佛每位志愿者都是他的下属。
Raj was helpful but repeatedly brought more food than anyone could eat.
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拉杰很热心，却一再带来多得根本吃不完的食物。
“That is super helpful, Raj, but we cannot store it all,” Maya told him.
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“你这样真的非常热心，拉杰，但我们没有办法把这些食物全都存起来。”玛雅对他说。
Maya attended to every subtle detail until she exhausted herself.
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玛雅留意每一个细微之处，直到把自己累得精疲力尽。
Mrs. Okafor had great personal grace, yet even she became irritated when people ignored the schedule.
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奥卡福夫人举止十分优雅得体，但当人们无视日程安排时，连她也会感到恼火。
Still, the work moved straight ahead.
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尽管如此，工作仍然不断向前推进。
Volunteers cleared rubbish, repaired windows, and painted walls.
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志愿者们清理垃圾、修理窗户并粉刷墙壁。
The foreign engineer checked the wiring with a retired electrician.
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那位外籍工程师和一位退休电工一起检查了电线线路。
The freshman and the dropout built shelves together.
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那名大学新生和辍学者一起制作了架子。
The truant surprised everyone by arriving early for six consecutive Saturdays.
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那个经常逃学的少年连续六个星期六都早早到场，令所有人吃惊。
A group of teenagers restored the upright piano.
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一群青少年修复了那架立式钢琴。
In the garden, residents planted fragrant herbs and flowers, creating a corner of serenity beside the busy road.
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居民们在花园里种下芳香的草本植物和鲜花，在繁忙的道路旁营造出一个宁静的角落。
They had to abide by safety rules.
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他们必须遵守安全规定。
No volunteer could enter the roof space alone, and every electrical repair required inspection.
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志愿者不得独自进入屋顶夹层，而且每一项电气维修都必须经过检查。
The rules initially seemed superfluous to experienced workers.
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起初，这些规定在有经验的工人看来似乎很多余。
That opinion changed when a ceiling board fell near Tom.
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当一块天花板板材掉落在汤姆附近时，这种看法改变了。
No community was immune to accidents, and unpaid enthusiasm did not remove legal responsibility.
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没有哪个社区能完全免受事故影响，而无偿付出的热情也不能免除法律责任。
The project also faced financial pressure.
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这个项目还面临着财务压力。
Rising material costs left the committee indebted to a supplier.
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不断上涨的材料成本使委员会欠下了一家供应商的钱。
Raj arranged an amicable payment plan, while Maya cut decorative spending.
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拉杰协商出了一项友好的还款计划，而玛雅削减了装饰方面的支出。
Their resources were limited, but the relationship between the members had become interdependent: the shop owners provided tools, tenants supplied labor, and the library offered computers.
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他们的资源有限，但成员之间已经形成了相互依赖的关系：店主提供工具，租户提供劳动力，图书馆则提供电脑。
None could finish the project alone.
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任何一方都无法独自完成这个项目。
Clara gradually changed her position.
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克拉拉逐渐改变了自己的立场。
She had expected a noisy throng, but often found a peaceful group working under soft ambient light.
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她原以为这里会聚集一大群吵闹的人，却经常看到一群人在柔和的环境光线下安静地工作。
She saw the sullen teenager become an eager volunteer and watched the elderly woman teach him how to polish the piano.
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她看见那个闷闷不乐的少年变成了一名热心的志愿者，也看到那位老妇人教他如何擦亮钢琴。
The hall’s effect was not dramatic; it was a series of small, resilient relationships.
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礼堂产生的影响并不轰动；它体现为一连串细小却有韧性的关系。
The committee then planned services.
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随后，委员会开始规划各项服务。
Monday would offer peer support for job seekers.
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星期一将为求职者提供同伴互助。
Tuesday would host language exchange between local and foreign residents.
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星期二将举办本地居民与外籍居民之间的语言交流活动。
Wednesday would provide homework help, including guidance for any student at risk of becoming a dropout or truant.
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星期三将提供作业辅导，其中也包括帮助任何有辍学或逃学风险的学生。
Thursday would be reserved for community meals.
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星期四将专门用于举办社区聚餐。
Friday would allow clubs and associations to meet.
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星期五将供俱乐部和协会举行会议。
Users could propose other activities if they supported the hall’s purpose.
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只要符合礼堂的宗旨，使用者也可以提议开展其他活动。
One proposal was fraught with conflict.
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其中一项提议充满了争议。
A private company offered to run a training course, but wanted to charge high fees and keep the income therein.
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一家私人公司提出开办一门培训课程，但它想收取高额费用，并保留由此产生的收入。
Maya argued that this would push low-income residents to the fringe.
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玛雅认为，这会把低收入居民推向边缘。
The company replied that professional teaching could not be free.
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该公司回应说，专业教学不可能免费。
The committee reached a compromise: one paid course could run beside two free workshops, and the company would fund places for people facing unemployment.
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委员会最终达成了妥协：在开设一门收费课程的同时举办两场免费讲习班，并由该公司资助部分失业者参加收费课程。
On opening day, a road tie-up delayed food deliveries, and a sunny morning became unexpectedly hot.
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开放当天，道路堵塞导致食物配送延误，而且原本晴朗的早晨出乎意料地变得炎热。
A crowd gathered before the doors opened.
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大门开启之前，人群便已经聚集起来。
Tom feared a crush, so volunteers formed a queue and kept the entrance clear.
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汤姆担心人群拥挤，于是志愿者组织大家排队，并保持入口畅通。
Raj divided the food into smaller portions to ensure that everyone received something.
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拉杰把食物分成更小的份量，以确保每个人都能分到一些。
His estimate proved accurate, although he had prepared enough bread to feed a small army.
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事实证明他的估算很准确，尽管他准备的面包多得足以供一支小型军队食用。
Inside, the hall no longer looked abandoned.
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礼堂里面已经不再显得荒废。
Music came from the piano, children read near the library corner, and the garden’s fragrance entered through open windows.
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钢琴传出音乐声，孩子们在图书角附近阅读，花园的香气则从敞开的窗户飘进来。
A veteran played chess with a freshman.
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一名退伍军人与一名大学新生下着国际象棋。
The engineer helped a shop proprietor complete an online form.
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那位工程师帮助一名店主填写了一份在线表格。
Two old friends sat beside residents they had never met.
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两位老朋友坐在从未见过的居民旁边。
People who had once passed one another without speaking now exchanged names and offers of help.
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那些曾经彼此擦肩而过却从不交谈的人，如今交换了姓名，也主动表示愿意提供帮助。
A local journalist asked Maya whether the project had “saved” the neighborhood.
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一名当地记者问玛雅，这个项目是否“拯救”了社区。
She rejected the heroic description.
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她不接受这种英雄式的描述。
The community had not been wholly broken, and the committee was not a group of rescuers.
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这个社区并非已经彻底破碎，委员会也不是一群救援者。
Residents had always possessed skills, loyalty, and integrity.
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居民们一直都拥有技能、忠诚和正直的品格。
The hall simply gave their support a structure.
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礼堂只是为他们彼此支持的行为提供了一种组织形式。
Clara approached Maya before leaving.
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离开之前，克拉拉走到玛雅身边。
“I still have doubts,” she said, “but I was wrong to assume the worst.”
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“我仍然有所怀疑，”她说，“但我一开始就往最坏处想，这是错的。”
Maya appreciated her honesty.
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玛雅很欣赏她的坦诚。
Trust did not require complete agreement.
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信任并不要求意见完全一致。
It required a relationship in which disagreement did not become permanent hostility.
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它需要的是一种不会让分歧变成永久敌意的关系。
Three months later, the trial report showed steady participation and few complaints.
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三个月后，试运行报告显示，参与情况稳定，投诉也很少。
The accounts balanced, the owner renewed permission, and the foundation continued its sponsorship.
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账目实现了收支平衡，所有者续批了许可，基金会也继续提供赞助。
The committee remained imperfect, but it was no longer inert.
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委员会仍不完美，但它已经不再停滞不前。
Its members had learned that solidarity was not a warm feeling produced by one successful event.
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委员会成员已经明白，团结并不是由一次成功活动产生的一种温暖感受。
It was the repeated practice of cooperating, sharing authority, and remaining reliable when enthusiasm faded.
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团结是反复践行合作、分享权力，并在热情消退后依然保持可靠。
The hall could not solve every problem in Bellmere.
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这座礼堂无法解决贝尔米尔的所有问题。
It could not remove unemployment, erase social divisions, or make every neighbor a friend.
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它无法消除失业、抹去社会隔阂，也无法让每一位邻居都成为朋友。
Yet it gave residents a place to meet rather than shun one another, to ask for aid without losing dignity, and to offer support without taking control.
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然而，它给了居民一个相聚而非彼此回避的地方，让他们能够在不失尊严的情况下寻求援助，也能在不控制他人的前提下提供支持。
That modest achievement strengthened the community more than any command or grand promise could have done.
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这一朴素的成就给社区带来的力量，胜过任何命令或宏大的承诺。