Lesson71 A famous clock 一个著名的大钟
Has Big Ben ever gone wrong?
When you visit London, one of the first things you will see is Big Ben,
the famous clock which can be heard all over the world on the B.B.C.
If the Houses of Parliament had not been burned down in 1834,
the great clock would never have been erected.
Big Ben takes its name from Sir Benjamin Hall who was responsible for the making
of the clock when the new Houses of Parliament were being built.
It is not only of immense size, but is extremely accurate as well.
Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.
On the B.B.C. you can hear the clock when it is actually striking because microphones are connected to
the clock tower. Big Ben has rarely gone wrong. Once, however, it failed to give the correct time.
A painter who had been working on the tower hung a pot of paint on one of the hands and slowed it down!
New words and expressions 生词和短语
- parliament(1.3)/ˈpɑːləmənt/n.议会，国会
- erect(1.4)/ɪˈrekt/v.建起
- accurate(1.7)/ˈækjʊrət/adj.准确的
- official(1.8)/əˈfɪʃəl/n.官员，行政人员
- Greenwich(1.8)/ˈɡrenɪtʃ/n.格林尼治
- observatory(1.8)/əbˈzɜːvətəri/n.天文台
- check(1.8)/tʃek/v.检查
- microphone(1.9)/ˈmaɪkrəfəʊn/n.扩音器，麦克风
- tower(1.10)/ˈtaʊə/n.塔
Notes on the text 课文注释
- Big Ben,大钟的名字，译成”大本”。
- the B.B.C.是英国广播公司（British Broadcasting Corporation）的缩写。
- If the Houses of Parliament had not been burned down in 1834, the great clock would never have been erected. 如果不是因为国会大厦在1834年被烧毁的话，这座大钟永远也不会建造。这是一个表示与过去事实相反的虚拟语气结构。
- take its name from,以……命名。
- when the new Houses of Parliament were being built,注意这个从句中过去进行时的被动结构。
- It is not only of immense size,它不仅外型巨大，”to be of + 名词”用来表示”人或物的特征”。
参考译文
当你游览伦敦时，首先看到的东西之一就是”大本”钟， 这是一座著名的大钟，通过英国广播公司的广播可以让全世界都听到它的声音。 如果不是国会大厦在1834年被焚毁的话，这座大钟永远也不会建造。 “大本”钟是以本杰明.霍尔爵士而命名的，当建造新的国会大厦时，他负责建造这座大钟。 它不仅外型巨大，而且走时也非常准确。 格林尼治天文台的官员每天两次检查这座钟。 由于钟塔上装有麦克风，你可以通过英国广播公司的广播听到钟声。 “大本”钟很少出差错，然而有一次，它却走得不准。 原来一位在钟塔上作业的油漆工把一只油漆桶挂在了一根指针上，把钟弄慢了！
Lesson72 A car called Bluebird “蓝鸟”汽车
What mistake was made?
The great racing driver, Sir Malcolm Campbell, was the first man to drive at over 300 miles per hour. He set up a new world record in September 1935 at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. Bluebird, the car he was driving, had been specially built for him. It was over 30 feet in length and had a 2,500-horsepower engine. Although Campbell reached a speed of over 304 miles per hour, he had great difficulty in controlling the car because a tyre burst during the first run. After his attempt, Campbell was disappointed to learn that his average speed had been 299 miles per hour. However, a few days later, he was told that a mistake had been made. His average speed had been 301 miles per hour. Since that time, racing drivers have reached speeds over 600 miles an hour. Following in his father’s footsteps many years later, Sir Malcolm’s son, Donald, also set up a world record. Like his father, he was driving a car called Bluebird.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
- racing (1.1) /ˈreɪsɪŋ/ n. 竞赛
- per (1.2) /pə:/ prep. 每
- Utah (1.3) /ˈjuːtɑː/ n. 犹他（美国州名）
- horsepower (1.5) /ˈhɔːs paʊə/ n. 马力
- burst (1.7) /bɜːst/ (burst, burst) v. 爆裂
- average (1.8) /ˈævərɪdʒ/ adj. 平均的
- footstep (1.11) /ˈfʊtstep/ n. 足迹
Notes on the text 课文注释
- drive at over 300 miles per hour, 以每小时300多英里的速度驾车。
- 30 feet in length, 30英尺长。
- the first run, 开始的行程。
- Following in his father’s footsteps, 踏着父亲的足迹。
参考译文
杰出的赛车手马尔科姆·坎贝尔爵士是第一个以每小时超过300英里的速度驾车的人。他于1935年9月在犹他州的邦纳维尔盐滩创造了一项新的世界纪录。他驾驶的”蓝鸟”号汽车是专门为他制造的。它的车身长30英尺，有一个2,500马力的发动机。尽管坎贝尔达到了每小时超过304英里的速度，但他很难控制汽车，因为在开始的行程中一个轮胎爆裂了。尝试结束后，坎贝尔得知他的平均速度是每小时299英里，感到很失望。然而，几天后，有人告诉他计算出错了。他的平均速度是每小时301英里。从那时起，赛车手们达到的速度超过了每小时600英里。很多年后，马尔科姆爵士的儿子唐纳德踏着父亲的足迹，也创造了一项世界纪录。和他父亲一样，他驾驶的也是一辆名叫”蓝鸟”的汽车。
Lesson73 The record-holder 记录保持者
Did the boy go where he wanted to?
Children who play truant from school are unimaginative. A quiet day’s fishing, or eight hours in a cinema seeing the same film over and over again, is usually as far as they get. They have all been put to shame by a boy who, while playing truant, travelled 1,600 miles. He hitchhiked to Dover and, towards evening, went into a boat to find somewhere to sleep. When he woke up next morning, he discovered that the boat had, in the meantime, travelled to Calais. No one noticed the boy as he crept off. From there, he hitchhiked to Paris in a lorry. The driver gave him a few biscuits and a cup of coffee and left him just outside the city. The next car the boy stopped did not take him into the centre of Paris as he hoped it would, but to Perpignan on the French-Spanish border. There he was picked up by a policeman and sent back to England by the local authorities. He has surely set up a record for the thousands of children who dream of evading school.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
- record-holder (title) /ˈrekɔːd-ˈhəʊldə/ 纪录保持者
- truant (1.1) /ˈtruːənt/ n. 逃学的孩子
- unimaginative (1.1) /ˌʌnɪˈmædʒɪnətɪv/ adj. 缺乏想像力的
- shame (1.4) /ʃeɪm/ n. 羞愧，羞耻
- hitchhike (1.5) /ˈhɪtʃhaɪk/ v. 搭便车旅行
- meantime (1.7) /ˈmiːntaɪm/ n. 其间
- lorry (1.9) /ˈlɒri/ n. 卡车
- border (1.11) /ˈbɔːdə/ n. 边界
- evade (1.12) /ɪˈveɪd/ v. 逃避，逃离
Notes on the text 课文注释
- play truant from school, 逃学，也可以说 play truant。
- as far as they get, 他们顶多到这种程度而已，as far as 作 “到……程度” 解。
- They have all been put to shame …, 这是被动语态; put sb. to shame, 使某人感到羞愧，使……黯然失色。
- while playing truant 是分词短语作状语，相当于一个状语从句 while he was playing truant。
- in the meantime, 在此期间。
- did not take him into the centre of Paris as he hoped it would, 没有像他希望的那样把他带到巴黎市中心。as he hoped it would 是一个方式状语从句，would 后面省略了动词短语 take him into the centre of Paris。
参考译文
逃学的孩子们都缺乏想象力。他们通常不是去安安静静地钓一天鱼，就是在电影院里坐上8个小时，重复看同一部电影。而有一个男孩在逃学期间旅行了1,600英里，使所有逃学的孩子都相形见绌。他搭便车到了多佛，天快黑时，走进一条船想找个地方睡觉。第二天早晨醒来时，他发现那条船在这期间已经到了加来。当他悄悄溜下船时，谁也没有发现他。从那里他又搭上一辆卡车到了巴黎。司机给了他一些饼干和一杯咖啡，把他放在城外。他截住的下一辆车没有按他的希望把他带到巴黎市中心，而是把他带到了法国和西班牙边境的佩皮尼昂。在那里，他被一个警察抓住，当地政府把他遣送回英国。对于成千上万梦想逃避上学的孩子来说，他无疑创造了一项纪录。
Lesson74 Out of the limelight 舞台之外
Why was their disguise ‘too perfect’?
An ancient bus stopped by a dry river bed and a party of famous actors and actresses got off. Dressed in dark glasses and old clothes, they had taken special precautions so that no one should recognize them. But as they soon discovered, disguises can sometimes be too perfect. ‘This is a wonderful place for a picnic,’ said Gloria Gleam. ‘It couldn’t be better, Gloria,’ Brinksley Meers agreed. ‘No newspaper men, no film fans! Why don’t we come more often?’ Meanwhile, two other actors, Rockwall Slinger and Merlin Greeves, had carried two large food baskets to a shady spot under some trees. When they had all made themselves comfortable, a stranger appeared. He looked very angry. ‘Now you get out of here, all of you!’ he shouted. ‘I’m sheriff here. Do you see that notice? It says “No Camping” — in case you can’t read!’ ‘Look, sheriff,’ said Rockwall, ‘don’t be too hard on us. I’m Rockwall Slinger and this is Merlin Greeves.’ ‘Oh, is it?’ said the sheriff with a sneer. ‘Well, I’m Brinksley Meers, and my other name is Gloria Gleam. Now you get out of here fast!’
New words and expressions 生词和短语
- limelight (title) /ˈlaɪmlaɪt/ n. 舞台灯光
- precaution (1.3) /prɪˈkɔːʃən/ n. 预防措施
- fan (1.8) /fæn/ n. 狂热者，迷
- shady (1.10) /ˈʃeɪdi/ adj. 遮荫的
- sheriff (1.11) /ˈʃerɪf/ n. 司法长官
- notice (1.12) /ˈnəʊtɪs/ n. 告示
- sneer (1.14) /snɪə/ n. 冷笑
Notes on the text 课文注释
- Out of the limelight, 这里的 limelight 是指舞台。
- as they soon discovered 中的 as 是关系代词，代替后面的整个主句 disguises can sometimes be too perfect, 作动词 discovered 的结语。
- Why don’t we come more often? 我们为什么不经常来这里呢？这是一个否定的特殊疑问句，表示一种建议。
- get out of here, 从这里走开。
- in case you can’t read, 除非你们不识字。
- be hard on us, 使我们难堪，对我们过于严厉。
参考译文
一辆老旧的汽车停在一条干涸的河床边，一群著名男女演员下了车。他们戴着墨镜，穿着旧衣服，特别小心以防别人认出他们。但他们很快发现，化装有时反倒太完美了。
“这是个野餐的好地方，”格洛丽亚·格利姆说。
“再好不过了，格洛丽亚，”布林克斯利·米尔斯同意道。”没有记者，没有影迷！我们为什么不经常来呢？”
与此同时，另外两位演员，罗克沃尔·斯林格和默林·格里夫斯，已经把两个大食篮提到树下一个遮阳的地方。当他们都安顿好后，一个陌生人出现了。他看上去很生气。”你们都给我离开这儿！”他喊道。”我是这儿的司法长官。你们看见那个告示了吗？上面写着’禁止露营’——除非你们不识字！”
“听着，司法长官，”罗克沃尔说，”别对我们太苛刻。我是罗克沃尔·斯林格，这位是默林·格里夫斯。”
“哦，是吗？”司法长官冷笑着说。”好啊，我是布林克斯利·米尔斯，我还叫格洛丽亚·格利姆呢。现在你们赶快离开这儿！”
Lesson75 SOS 呼救信号
How did the woman get help?
When a light passenger plane flew off course some time ago, it crashed in the mountains and its pilot was killed. The only passengers, a young woman and her two baby daughters, were unhurt. It was the middle of winter. Snow lay thick on the ground. The woman knew that the nearest village was miles away. When it grew dark, she turned a suitcase into a bed and put the children inside it, covering them with all the clothes she could find. During the night, it got terribly cold. The woman kept as near as she could to the children and even tried to get into the case herself, but it was too small. Early next morning, she heard planes passing overhead and wondered how she could send a signal. Then she had an idea. She stamped out the letters ‘SOS’ in the snow. Fortunately, a pilot saw the signal and sent a message by radio to the nearest town. It was not long before a helicopter arrived on the scene to rescue the survivors of the plane crash.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
- thick (1.4) /θɪk/ adj. 厚的
- signal (1.10) /ˈsɪɡnəl/ n. 信号
- stamp (1.10) /stæmp/ v. 跺，踩
- helicopter (1.12) /ˈhelɪkɒptə/ n. 直升飞机
- scene (1.12) /siːn/ n. 现场
- survivor (1.12) /səˈvaɪvə/ n. 幸存者
Notes on the text 课文注释
- SOS = “Save Our Souls”, 国际通用的呼救信号。
- fly off course, 飞行偏离航线。
- Snow lay thick on the ground, 地上积着厚厚的雪。lay 是系动词，thick 是表语，表示主语的状态或性质。
- she heard planes passing overhead, 她听见头顶上有飞机飞过。passing overhead 是现在分词短语，作补语。
- stamp out, 跺出。其中 out 是一个副词，out 与一些动词连用时常常有”看得见”、”听得见”的意思，如 write out, tap out, ring out 等。
- It was not long before a helicopter arrived on the scene to rescue the survivors of the plane crash, 不久，一架直升飞机飞抵现场，来搭救这几个坠机的幸存者。注意这句话中的 before 是连词，引导的是时间状语从句，long 是形容词，是主句的表语。不要把这句话中的 long 和 before 的用法同 long before 或 before long 词组的用法混淆。
参考译文
不久前，一架轻型客机偏离航线，在山区坠毁，飞行员丧生。机上仅有的乘客——一位年轻的妇女和她的两个女婴却平安无事。此时正值隆冬季节，地上积着厚厚的雪。这位妇女知道，即使最近的村庄也有数英里远。天黑下来的时候，她把一只手提箱当作小床，把孩子放了进去，又把所有能找到的衣服都盖在孩子们身上。夜里，天气变得非常寒冷。这位妇女尽可能地靠近孩子，甚至想钻进箱子里去，可是箱子太小了。第二天一大早，她听见头顶上有飞机飞过，在想着如何才能发出求救信号。这时，她有了一个主意。她在雪地上踩出了”SOS”这3个字母。幸运的是，一位飞行员看到了信号，用无线电给最近的城镇发了报。不久，一架直升飞机飞抵现场，来搭救这几个坠机的幸存者。