EN： Passive Voice (be + past participle): Used when the focus is on the person or thing experiencing the action. Here, 'was adopted' emphasizes the event happening to Steve.
中文： 被动语态 (be 动词 + 过去分词)：用于强调动作的承受者而非执行者。此处 'was adopted' 强调发生在史蒂夫身上的事件。
The lost dog was found by a kind neighbor.
那只走失的狗被一位好心的邻居找到了。
EN： Subordinating Conjunction 'after': Used to connect two clauses and indicate the chronological order of events, where the action in the 'after' clause happens first.
中文： 从属连词 'after'：用于连接两个从句并指示事件的时间顺序，'after' 引导的从句动作发生在前。
She went to sleep after she finished her homework.
她完成作业后去睡觉了。
EN： In Western cultures, 'open' or 'closed' adoption is a common topic. The phrase 'biological mother' is used to distinguish from 'adoptive mother', reflecting a focus on clarity regarding family origins, which is a significant theme in Steve Jobs' life story.
中文： 在西方文化中，領養是一個常見的話題。使用 'biological mother'（生母）一詞是為了與 'adoptive mother'（養母）做區分，這反映了對家庭起源清晰度的重視，這也是史蒂夫·賈伯斯生平故事中的一個重要主題。
EN： The Noun Clause in Apposition: The word 'that' introduces a noun clause that explains the content of the preceding noun 'promise'. It functions as an appositive, providing specific details about what the promise was.
中文： 同位语从句：单词 'that' 引导一个名词从句，用来解释前面的名词 'promise'（承诺）的具体内容。它作为同位语，提供关于该承诺细节的说明。
There is a rumor that the company will close down.
有一个传言说公司将会倒闭。
EN： Future in the Past: The auxiliary verb 'would' is used here to express a future action from the perspective of a point in the past. Since 'made' is in the past tense, 'will' changes to 'would'.
中文： 过去将来时：助动词 'would' 在此用于表达从过去某个时间点来看将要发生的动作。因为主要动词 'made' 是过去式，所以 'will' 需改为 'would'。
She said she would call me later.
她说她晚点会打给我。
EN： In American culture, graduating from a university is often seen as a key milestone for social mobility, especially for working-class families like the one Steve was adopted into.
中文： 在美國文化中，大學畢業通常被視為社會流動的關鍵里程碑，特別是對於像史蒂夫被收養的那種工人階級家庭而言。
EN： The Past Continuous Tense (was + verb-ing) is used here to describe an ongoing action or a developing situation in the past that provides the background for another event.
中文： 过去进行时（was + 动词-ing）在此用于描述过去正在发生或持续发展的情况，为另一个事件提供背景。
The heavy rain was flooding the streets, so we stayed home.
大雨正淹没街道，所以我们待在家里。
EN： The phrasal verb 'drop out of' means to stop participating in something, such as a school or a competition, before finishing it.
中文： 短语动词「drop out of」意指在完成之前停止参与某事，例如退学或退出比赛。
She had to drop out of the race due to an injury.
她因为受伤不得不退出比赛。
EN： The term 'working-class' highlights the financial struggle many American families face regarding the rising cost of higher education, which is a central theme in Steve Jobs' early life story.
中文： 「working-class」（勞工階層）一詞強調了許多美國家庭在面對日益增長的高等教育費用時所面臨的經濟掙扎，這也是史蒂夫·賈伯斯早年生活故事中的一個核心主題。
EN： The phrase 'have no idea' is followed by a noun clause (interrogative clause) acting as the object. These clauses use 'wh-' words like 'what' or 'how' but follow statement word order (subject + verb) rather than question word order.
中文： 「have no idea」后面接名词从句（疑问从句）作为宾语。这些从句使用 what 或 how 等疑问词引导，但必须使用陈述句语序（主语 + 动词），而非疑问句语序。
She had no idea where she was going.
她那时完全不知道自己要去哪里。
EN： The phrasal verb 'figure out' means to understand or solve something after thinking about it. When the object is a pronoun like 'it', it must be placed between 'figure' and 'out'.
中文： 短语动词「figure out」意为经过思考后理解或解决某事。当宾语是代词（如 it）时，必须放在 figure 与 out 之间。
This math problem is tough, but I will figure it out.
这道数学题很难，但我会把它解出来。
EN： This quote is from Steve Jobs' famous 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech. It reflects a common 'quarter-life crisis' or period of uncertainty experienced by many university students in Western culture, emphasizing that it is acceptable not to have a clear career path immediately.
中文： 這段話出自史蒂夫於 2005 年在史丹佛大學畢業典禮上的著名演講。它反映了西方文化中許多大學生都會經歷的「青年危機」或迷惘期，強調在當下沒有明確的職業規劃是可以被接受的。
EN： The passive voice 'be fascinated by' is used to describe a state of being extremely interested in something. The subject receives the action or feeling.
中文： 被动语态 'be fascinated by' 用于描述被某事物深深吸引的状态。主语是该情感的接受者。
She was fascinated by the ancient ruins.
她被那些古代遗迹深深吸引。
EN： The structure 'spend time (in) doing something' indicates the amount of time dedicated to a specific activity. The preposition 'in' is usually omitted.
中文： 结构 'spend time (in) doing something' 表示投入多少时间在特定活动上。介词 'in' 通常会被省略，后面接动名词 (V-ing)。
They spent their weekend cleaning the garden.
他们花了一整个周末清理花园。
EN： In Western history, calligraphy often refers to the artistic practice of handwriting and lettering with a pen or brush. For Steve Jobs, this interest in typography later influenced the aesthetic design of personal computers.
中文： 在西方歷史中，'calligraphy'（書法）通常指使用筆或刷子進行的手寫藝術。對於史蒂夫而言，對字體排印學的興趣後來深深影響了個人電腦的美學設計。
EN： The conjunction 'even though' is used to introduce a clause that expresses a fact that makes the main statement surprising or unexpected. It is a stronger version of 'although'.
中文： 连接词「even though」用于引导一个表示让步的从句，表达某个事实使得主句的陈述显得令人惊讶或出乎意料。它的语气比「although」更强。
Even though it was raining, they decided to go for a hike.
尽管下着雨，他们还是决定去徒步。
EN： The phrase 'at the time' is an adverbial of time used to refer to a specific point in the past that has already been mentioned or is understood from the context.
中文： 短语「at the time」是一个时间状语，用来指代过去已经提到过或从上下文可以理解的某个特定时间点。
I didn't have a car at the time, so I took the bus.
我当时没有车，所以坐公交车。
EN： This sentence reflects a common theme in Western biographical narratives, especially regarding innovators like Steve Jobs: the idea that seemingly 'useless' intellectual curiosity can lead to major breakthroughs later in life. It emphasizes the value of liberal arts and aesthetic education alongside technical skills.
中文： 這句話反映了西方傳記敘事中的一個常見主題，特別是關於像史蒂夫·賈伯斯這樣的創新者：即看似「無用」的求知慾可能會在日後的人生中帶來重大突破。它強調了人文藝術與美感教育在技術技能之外的價值。
EN： The use of 'everything' followed by a relative clause (he knew about...) without a relative pronoun like 'that'. This is a common way to define a specific set of knowledge or objects.
中文： 先行词 'everything' 后面接一个关系从句 (he knew about...)，省略了关系代词 'that'。这是限定特定知识或事物的常见用法。
She shared everything she learned during her trip to Japan.
她分享了她在日本旅行期间所学到的一切。
EN： The past simple tense is used here to describe completed actions in a narrative sequence (designed, included).
中文： 一般过去时用于描述叙事序列中已完成的动作（设计、包含）。
He opened the door and walked into the room.
他打开了门并走进了房间。
EN： The Macintosh, released in 1984, was revolutionary for being the first personal computer to offer a wide variety of beautiful fonts, inspired by Steve Jobs' interest in calligraphy.
中文： 1984 年推出的麥金塔電腦具有革命性意義，它是第一台提供多種美觀字體的個人電腦，這源於史蒂夫·賈伯斯對西洋書法（calligraphy）的興趣。
EN： Mixed Conditionals: This structure combines a past condition (If + past perfect) with a present result (would + base verb). It is used to describe how a different action in the past would affect the current situation.
中文： 混合条件句：此结构结合了过去的假设（If + 过去完成时）与现在的结果（would + 动词原形）。用于描述过去不同的行动会如何影响现状。
If I had studied harder in school, I would have a better job now.
如果我以前在学校更努力学习，我现在就会有一份更好的工作。
EN： Negative Past Perfect: 'Had not taken' is the negative form of the past perfect tense, used here to hypothesize about an event that actually did happen in the past.
中文： 过去完成时的否定形式：'Had not taken' 是过去完成时的否定形式，此处用于对过去实际发生过的事情进行反事实假设。
If she had not missed the bus, she would be here by now.
如果她当时没有错过公交车，她现在就已经在这里了。
EN： This sentence refers to Steve Jobs' famous 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech. He dropped out of Reed College but stayed to audit a calligraphy class, which later influenced the typography of the first Macintosh. It highlights the idea that seemingly 'useless' experiences can become valuable later.
中文： 這句話源自史蒂夫·賈伯斯 2005 年在史丹佛大學著名的畢業演講。他從里德學院退學後，留下來旁聽了一門書法課，這門課後來影響了第一台麥金塔電腦的字體設計。這體現了「看似無用的經歷在未來可能產生巨大價值」的觀念。
EN： Present Participle Phrase as an Adverbial: 'Looking back' is a reduced clause (When he looked back) used to provide context or timing for the main action. It shares the same subject as the main clause.
中文： 现在分词修饰语：'Looking back' 是一个简化的从句（原为 When he looked back），用来提供主句动作的背景或时间点。其逻辑主语与主句主语一致。
Walking down the street, I met an old friend.
走在街上时，我遇到了一位老朋友。
EN： Noun Clause with 'that': The word 'that' introduces a subordinate clause acting as the direct object of the verb 'believed', expressing the content of his belief.
中文： that 引导的名词从句：'that' 引导一个从属从句，作为动词 'believed' 的宾语，用来表达他所相信的内容。
She believed that hard work would eventually pay off.
她相信努力最终会有回报。
EN： This sentence reflects a core philosophy of Steve Jobs: the idea of 'connecting the dots.' It suggests that while life may seem random in the moment, there is a purposeful narrative that only becomes clear in hindsight.
中文： 這句話反映了史蒂夫·賈伯斯的核心哲學：『連點成線』的概念。它暗示雖然生活在當下可能顯得隨機，但背後其實有一種目標明確的敘事，只有在事後回顧時才會變得清晰。
EN： The use of 'looking forward/backwards' functions as a participle phrase (reduced adverbial clause), indicating the time or circumstances under which the main action occurs.
中文： 使用「looking forward/backwards」作为分词短语（简化的状语从句），用来表示主句动作发生的时间或情况。
Looking at the map, he realized he was lost.
看着地图时，他意识到自己迷路了。
EN： The semicolon (;) is used to link two independent clauses that are closely related in thought, often creating a contrast or parallel structure.
中文： 分号（;）用于连接两个在思想上紧密相关的独立从句，通常用于建立对比或平行结构。
Some people prefer tea; others prefer coffee.
有些人喜欢茶；其他人则喜欢咖啡。
EN： This is one of the most famous quotes from Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech. 'Connecting the dots' has since become a common English idiom meaning to understand the relationship between different events or pieces of information to see the 'big picture'.
中文： 這是史蒂夫在 2005 年史丹佛大學畢業典禮演講中最著名的名言之一。「Connecting the dots」（串聯起點滴）從此成為英語中常見的成語，意指理解不同事件或資訊之間的聯繫，從而看清「大局」。
重要单词附有 IPA 发音、定义、例句和互动式测验。
在本文中： 被收养的
在本文中： 亲生的、生物学上的
在本文中： 学费
在本文中： 着迷的、受吸引的
在本文中： 书法、艺术字体
在本文中： 实际的、实用的
在本文中： 排版、字体设计
在本文中： 命运、天命
片语包含类型标示、双语定义、用法说明和例句。
To stop attending a school or university before you have finished your studies.
退学、辍学
To understand or find a solution to something after thinking about it.
想通、弄明白、解决问题
To understand the relationship between different ideas or experiences.
将点滴串连起来、看清事物的关联
The social group consisting of people who are employed for wages, especially in manual or industrial work.
劳工阶级的
To think about something that happened in the past.
回首、回顾过去