奥巴马的第二职业——英语教师

>>沪江口语资料“绝密版” 免费赠送活动进行中

在日本东京的一所高中里，学生们有了一位特殊的外教。这就是美国新任总统奥巴马。奥巴马做英语老师？这也太不可思议了吧？
原来，是这所学校的老师把奥巴马在芝加哥发表的精彩演讲作为学习英语的材料。不仅让学生们模仿，还把演讲词也利用起来变成考试题。一起来看个究竟吧！

In this high school English class at suburban Toyko, the teacher is relying on an outside voice.

"The world is watching what we do here."You may have heard of him. "The world is paying attention."

Their textbook is an English language book in CD set, featuring the speeches of Barack Obama. The students mimic his speaking style and take grammer quizzes from the president's election night victory speech in Chicago's Grand Park.

"It belongs to you." The way he speaks is different from us, says Asato Maejima. Their teacher says that difference is inspiring them to learn English.

The book isn't just a hit in high schools. It's a best-seller across Japan. a nation that's embraced guides on learning English with gusto, but never like this.

This book has sold so well that the publisher has followed it up with the sequel. This one featuring the inaugural address of Barack Obama. This is number one on Japan's version of Amazon, this one number two, based on book reservations alone.

"Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real." People wrote us letters saying they we were moved and they cried, says the publisher. Obama is giving Americans hope and Japanese people feel it as well. As far as a book on president Bush, not really best-selling potential, says the publisher. And Japan's own lawmakers? quite a bit more subdued than the American president.

Most readers don't understand all the words, but the publisher says the speeches still manage to capture the Japanese imagination.

It's not just English, says this teacher. It's communication. beyond language, and proving beyond borders.