第二十篇(农业):2 d* `. a. X1 o( m* B
One of the most popular (myths) about the United States in the nineteenth century was that of the (free) and simple life of the farmer. It was said that farmers (worked hard) on their own land to produce whatever their family needed. They might sometimes trade with <neighbors>; but in general, they could get alone just find by relying on themselves, not on <commercial ties> with others.
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This is how Thomas Jefferson idealized the farmer at the beginning of nineteenth century, and, at that time, this made things close to the truth—especially, on the (frontier). By the mid-century, sweeping changes as <agriculture> were well under way as farmers began to specialize in the raising of crops such as cotton or corn or wheat.8 ~$ L+ W4 d7 z" T: {" s, h
+ {* W" O, F) IBy late in the century, revolutionary <advances> in farm <machinery> had <vastly> increased production of specialized crops. And extensive network of railroads had (linked) farmers <throughout> the country to markets in the East and even (overseas). By raising and selling specialized crops, farmers could afford more and finer goods and <achieve> a much higher <standard> of living—but at a price.
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! v& P6 q/ |8 ~# |# INow, farmers were no longer depending just on the weather (and their own) efforts. Their (lives) were increasingly controlled by banks, which had power to grant and (deny loans) for new machinery, and by the railroads, which (set the rates) for shipping their crops to market. As businessman, farmers now had to worry about national economic depression and the influence of world supply and demand on, for example, the price of wheat in Kansas.# w, w6 Z4 T$ R0 C; P
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And so, by the end of nineteenth century, the (era) of Jefferson <independent> farmer had come to a close.& }8 h: y0 a/ F5 H4 @8 o
myth: [ miθ ]
6 F( R8 k1 {1 q- c/ K( kcommercial: [ kə'mə:ʃəl ] # z& ~2 M5 J8 ~8 g% r3 R x/ R6 A7 U
tie: [ tai ] ; Q, A, {2 o1 J* R( l& _
frontier: [ 'frʌntjə ] 边疆;边界
! ?- A' B2 q9 _: ^边疆的- S, _- h# t& B3 j/ ]/ M
sweep: [ swi:p ] 扫除! k# }' }5 A4 ?% m5 ]
席卷
& u) Z% A- Z5 i* M( j7 N" Ragriculture: [ 'ægrikʌltʃə ]
( Y) `' h% v ~# C3 ]8 Zspecialize: [ 'speʃəlaiz ] 特殊化
- P* i3 |' {) b5 u: t' X2 @idealize: [ ai'diəlaiz ]8 R* ?3 r* p' }% q+ O+ c; w$ t
raise: [ reiz ]
' J; F1 N, S k; @# `7 u9 P& E* P+ Q) crise: [ raiz ]
. k% B: J) N4 Q9 ?* ]machinery: [ mə'ʃi:nəri ] (总称)机器,机械: o" l$ W, v, t2 T/ T8 D- ?
vast: [ və:st ]/ z& c0 M n% n( Y
link: [ liŋk ]) i/ I$ j! o+ }" D
achieve: [ ə'tʃi:v ]
+ a% z! E! U- o5 ~standard: [ 'stændəd ] 名词
5 o. e7 Q' T5 Q2 }7 c形容词, ~; e6 A" j& z2 g5 }
grant: [ grɑ:nt ] 授予,同意,承认
0 a3 s" X% L' z8 W& G& Q, vdeny: [ di'nai ] 否认 g5 E% A+ f$ S4 O6 j
loan: [ ləun ] 名词
* [+ }- P, ^4 C/ Z0 b6 t动词0 d7 i ^0 s0 _
rate: [ reit ] n. 比率,等级,价格8 E% z2 O% w1 R
v. 估价,认为,检定等级8 Q+ a: y4 l4 b5 l. @% U
depression: [ di'preʃən ]3 ^* C6 }4 X# l2 y. T% X* s, C
demand: [ di'mɑ:nd ]& b: @# R$ i l% o! c# ~6 f4 N
era: [ 'iərə ] 纪元;年代,时代" c0 j, Y; B" G: q
5 `' d. _3 ~+ C" T6 Y3 e 其中第二段第一句at that time, this made things close to the truth在提供的文本中是this may have been close to the truth.