Lesson16 A polite request 彬彬有礼的要求
What was the polite request?
If you park your car in the wrong place,
a traffic policeman will soon find it.
You will be very lucky if he lets you go without a ticket.
However, this does not always happen.
Traffic police are sometimes very polite.
During a holiday in Sweden, I found this note on my car:‘Sir, we welcome you to our city.
This is a“No Parking”area.
You will enjoy your stay here if you pay attention to our street signs.
This note is only a reminder. ’
If you receive a request like this, you cannot fail to obey it!
New words and expressions 生词和短语
- park /pa:k/ v. 停放(汽车)
- sign /sain/ n. 指示牌
- traffic /’træfik/ n. 交通
- reminder /ri’maində/ n. 提示
- ticket /’tikit/ n. 交通违规罚款单
- fail /feil/ v. 无视，忘记
- note /nəut/ n. 便条
- obey /əˈbeɪ/ v. 服从
- area /’eəriə/ n. 地段
Notes on the text 课文注释
- if he lets you go without a ticket, 如果他没给你罚款单就放你走，let (someone) go是“放开”的意思。
- traffic police, 交通警察。police 是集合名词，后面用复数动词。
- “No Parking area, 禁止停放汽车的地段。
- street signs, 交通标志。
参考译文
一旦你把汽车停错了地方，交通警很快就会发现。如果他没给你罚款单就放你走了，算你走运。然而，情况并不都是这样，交通警有时也很客气。有一次在瑞典度假，我发现我的车上有这样一个字条：“先生，欢迎您光临我们的城市。此处是‘禁止停车’区。如果您对我们街上的标牌稍加注意，您在此会过得很愉快的。谨此提请注意。”如果你收到这样的恳求，你是不会不遵照执行的！
Lesson17 Always young 青春常驻
Why doesn’t Aunt Jennifer tell anyone how old she is?
My aunt Jennifer is an actress.
She must be at least thirty-five years old.
In spite of this, she often appears on the stage as a young girl.
Jennifer will have to take part in a new play soon.
This time, she will be a girl of seventeen.
In the play, she must appear in a bright red dress and long black stockings.
Last year in another play,
she had to wear short socks and a bright, orange-coloured dress.
If anyone ever asks her how old she is, she always answers,
‘Darling, it must be terrible to be grown up!’
New words and expressions 生词和短语
- appear /ə’piə/ v. 登场，扮演
- stocking /’stokiŋ/ n. (女用)长筒袜
- stage /’steidʒ/ n. 舞台
- sock /sok/ n. 短袜
- bright /’brait/ adj. 鲜艳的
Notes on the text 课文注释
- She must be at least thirty-five years old. 她至少也有35岁了。 must be, 一定是，表示对现在情况的一种推测，带有一定的肯定程度。at least，至少。
- in spite of, 尽管。
- in a bright red dress, 穿一身鲜红色的裙子。介词in表示“穿着”。
- orange-coloured, 橘红色的。
- grown up, 成熟的，成人的。
参考译文
我的姑姑詹妮弗是位演员，她至少也有35岁了。尽管如此，她却常在舞台上扮演小姑娘。詹妮弗很快又要参加一个新剧的演出。这一次，她将扮演一个17岁的少女。演出时她必须穿一条鲜红色的裙子和黑色的长筒袜。去年在演另一个剧时，她不得不穿短袜和一件鲜艳的橘红色的衣服。一旦有人问起她有多大年纪，她总是回答：“亲爱的，长成大人真可怕啊！”
Lesson18 He often does this! 他经常干这种事！
What had happened to the writer’s bag?
After I had had lunch at a village pub, I looked for my bag.
I had left it on a chair beside the door and now it wasn’t there!
As I was looking for it, the landlord came in.
‘Did you have a good meal?’he asked.
‘Yes, thank you, ’I answered, ‘but I can’t pay the bill . I haven’t got my bag. ’
The landlord smiled and immediately went out.
In a few minutes he returned with my bag and gave it back to me.
‘I’m very sorry, ’he said. ‘My dog had taken it into the garden. He often does this!’
New words and expressions 生词和短语
- pub /pʌb/ n. 小酒店
- bill /bil/ n. 帐单
- landlord /’lændlɔ:d/ n. 店主
Notes on the text 课文注释
- pay the bill, 付帐。
- He often does this. 他经常干这种事。句中的He是指店主的狗。英语国家人士常用人称代词he或she来指自己喂养的宠物。
参考译文
我在一家乡村小酒店吃过午饭后，就找我的提包。我曾把它放在门边的椅子上，可这会儿不见了！当我正在寻找时，酒店老板走了进来。 “您吃得好吗？”他问。 “很好，谢谢。”我回答，“但我付不了帐，我的提包没有了。” 酒店老板笑了笑，马上走了出去。一会儿工夫他拿着我的提包回来了，把它还给了我。 “实在抱歉，”他说，“我的狗把它弄到花园里去了，他常干这种事！”
Lesson19 Sold out 票已售完
When will the writer see the play?
‘The play may begin at any moment, ’ I said.
‘It may have begun already, ’ Susan answered.
I hurried to the ticket office. ‘May I have two tickets please?’I asked.
‘I’m sorry, we’ve sold out, ’ the girl said.
‘What a pity!’Susan exclaimed.
Just then, a man hurried to the ticket office.
‘Can I return these two tickets?’ he asked.
‘Certainly, ’ the girl said.
I went back to the ticket office at once.
‘Could I have those two tickets please?’ I asked.
‘Certainly, ’ the girl said, ‘but they’re for next Wednesday’s performance. Do you still want them?’
‘I might as well have them, ’ I said sadly.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
- hurry /’hʌri/ v. 匆忙
- exclaim /ik’skleim/ v. 大声说
- ticket office 售票处
- return /ri’tə:n/ v. 退回
- pity /’piti/ n. 令人遗憾的事
- sadly /’sædli/ adv. 悲哀地，丧气地
Notes on the text 课文注释
- The play may begin at any moment，剧马上就要开演了。在这句话中，说话人指的并不是一种确信不疑的事实，而是可能发生的事情，因此用了may +动词的结构。
- It may have begun already. 可能已经开始了。这句话同样表示可能发生的事情，但与上句的区别在于它指的是可能已经发生的事情，因此，要用“may +动词的完成时”的结构。
- we’ve sold out，票已售完。
- What a pity! 真遗憾！
- at once，立刻。
- Could I… please? 这里could是代替can的一种比较委婉地提出请求的用法。在时间上和can没有区别。
- might as well…作“还是……好”、“不妨”讲，与may as well的意思完全相同，只是前者更为委婉。
参考译文
“剧马上就要开演了，”我说。 “也许已经开演了呢，”苏珊回答说。 我匆匆赶到售票处，问：“我可以买两张票吗？” “对不起，票已售完。”那位姑娘说。 “真可惜！”苏珊大声说。 正在这时，一个男子匆匆奔向售票处。 “我可以退掉这两张票吗？”他问。 “当然可以，”那姑娘说。 我马上又回到售票处。 “我可以买那两张票吗？”我问。 “当然可以，不过这两张票是下星期三的，您是否还要呢？” “我还是买下的好，”我垂头丧气地说。
Lesson20 One man in a boat 独坐孤舟
Why is fishing the writer’s favourite sport?
Fishing is my favourite sport.
I often fish for hours without catching anything.
But this does not worry me.
Some fishermen are unlucky.
Instead of catching fish, they catch old boots and rubbish.
I am even less lucky.
I never catch anything —- not even old boots.
After having spent whole mornings on the river,
I always go home with an empty bag.
‘You must give up fishing!’ my friends say.
‘It’s a waste of time. ’ But they don’t realize one important thing.
I’m not really interested in fishing.
I am only interested in sitting in a boat and doing nothing at all!
New words and expressions 生词和短语
- catch /kætʃ/ (caught /kɔ:t/, caught) v. 抓到
- waste /weist/ n. 浪费
- fisherman /’fiʃəmən/ n. 钓语人，渔民
- realize /’riəlaiz/ v. 意识到
- boot /bu:t/ n. 靴子
Notes on the text 课文注释
- Fishing is my favourite sport. 钓鱼是我最喜欢的一项运动。在这句话中，主语是fishing，这是一个动名词，由动词加上-ing组成。
- I often fish for hours without catching anything. 我经常一钓数小时却一无所获。这句话中的catching也是动名词，它作介词without的宾语。动名词也有动词的特性，它可以有自己的宾语。
- Aftef having spent whole mornings on the river，在河上呆了整整一个上午之后。由于作介词after的宾语的动名词所表示的动作发生在谓语动词go之前，因此，动名词要用完成形式，即having spent。
- be interested in doing sth．，对做……感兴趣。
参考译文
钓鱼是我特别喜爱的一项运动。 我经常一钓数小时却一无所获， 但我从不为此烦恼。 有些垂钓者就是不走运， 他们往往鱼钓不到，却钓上来些旧靴子和垃圾。 我的运气甚至还不及他们。 我什么东西也未钓到过——就连旧靴子也没有。 我总是在河上呆上整整一上午，然后空着袋子回家。 “你可别再钓鱼了！”我的朋友们说， “这是浪费时间。”然而他们没有认识到重要的一点， 我并不是真的对钓鱼有兴趣， 我感兴趣的只是独坐孤舟，无所事事！