1.The World's Greatest Swordsman
At an exhibition of the world's best swordsman, the third-place fencer took the stage. A fly was released, and with an arc of his sword he cut the fly in half. The crowd cheered. Then the second-place man sliced a fly into quarters. A hush fell in anticipation of the world's greatest swordsman.
His blade came down in a mighty arc - but the insect continued on its way! The crowd was aghast. The greatest swordsman had missed his target completely, yet he continued to smile.
"Why are you so happy?" someone yelled. "You missed!"
"Ah," replied the swordsman, "you weren't watching very carefully. They fly lives, yes - but he will never be a father."
世界上最偉大的擊劍手
在一場世界最佳擊劍手表演中,排名第三的擊劍手上場了.一只蒼蠅放了出來,劍劃了一個弧,他將蒼蠅劈成了兩半.觀眾歡呼起來.緊接著排名第二的人將一只蒼蠅切成了四半.現(xiàn)場一陣沉默,人們期盼著世界上最偉大的擊劍手出場.
他的劍鋒以一個巨大的弧線劃了下來－－然而那只昆蟲還在繼續(xù)飛行!觀眾被驚呆了.最偉大的擊劍手完全錯過了他的目標(biāo),然而他還在微笑著.
“你為什么這么高興?”有人嚷道,“你沒擊中!”
“啊,”劍手答道,“你剛才沒有很仔細(xì)地看.蒼蠅還活著,是的－－但他永遠(yuǎn)也做不成爸爸了.”
2.How Much Is It?
It was winter, and Mrs. Hermann wanted to do a lot of shopping, so she waited until it was Saturday, when her husband was free, and she took him to the shops with her to pay for everything and to carry her parcels. They went to a lot of shops, and Mrs. Hermann bought a lot of things. She often stopped and said, "Look, Joe! Isn't that beautiful!"
He then answered, "All right, dear, How much is it?" and took his money out to pay for it.
It was dark when they came out of the last shop, and Mr. Hermann was tired and thinking about other things, like a nice drink by the side of a warm fire at home. Suddenly his wife looked up at the sky and said, "Look at that beautiful moon, Joe!"
Without stopping, Mr. Hermann answered, "All right, dear, How much is it?"
多少錢?
嚴(yán)冬來臨,荷曼太太想采購一大批東西,所以她就一直等到周六丈夫有空的時候,她拖著他去商店付錢連帶拎包裹.他們?nèi)チ嗽S多商店,荷曼太太買了一大堆東西.她經(jīng)常停下腳步說道：“看,喬伊!那個多漂亮!”
他總是回答：“好吧!親愛的,多少錢?”然后掏錢去付款.
他們從最后一家商店出來的時候夜幕已經(jīng)降臨,荷曼先生已精疲力盡了.他心里想著其它事情,比如在家里暖暖的火爐邊呷口美酒.突然他太太仰望天空,說道：“看那月亮多美,喬伊!”
荷曼先生不加思索答道：“好吧,親愛的,多少錢?”
3.Weather Predict
A film crew was on location deep in the desert. One day an old Indian went up to the director and said, "Tomorrow rain." The next day it rained.
A week later, the Indian went up to the director and said, "Tomorrow storm." The next day there was a hailstorm.
"This Indian is incredible," said the director. He told his secretary to hire the Indian to predict the weather.
However, after several successful predictions, the old Indian didn't show up for two weeks.
Finally the director sent for him. "I have to shoot a big scene tomorrow," said the director, "and I'm depending on you. What will the weather be like?"
The Indian shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know," he said. "Radio is broken."
天氣預(yù)報
一個電影攝制組在沙漠深處工作.一天,一個印度老人到導(dǎo)演跟前告訴導(dǎo)演說"明天下雨."第二天果然下雨了.
一周后,印度人又來告訴導(dǎo)演說,"明天有風(fēng)暴."果然,第二天下了雹暴.
"印度人真神,"導(dǎo)演說.他告訴秘書雇傭該印度人來預(yù)報天氣.
幾次預(yù)報都很成功.然后,接下來的兩周,印度人不見了.
最后,導(dǎo)演派人去把他叫來了."我明天必須拍一個很大的場景,"導(dǎo)演說,"這得靠你了.明天天氣如何啊?"
印度人聳了聳肩."我不知道,"印度人說,"收音機(jī)壞了."
4.A Nail Or A Fly?
An old gentleman whose eyesight was failing came to stay in a hotel room with a bottle of wine in each hand. On the wall there was a fly which he took for a nail. So the moment he hung them on, the bottles fell broken and the wine spilt all over the floor. When a waitress discovered what had happened, she showed deep sympathy for him and decided to do him a favour.
So the next morning when he was out taking a walk in the roof garden, she hammered a nail exactly where the fly had stayed.
Now the old man entered his room. The smell of the spilt wine reminded him of the accident. When he looked up at the wall, he found the fly was there again! He walked to it carefully adn slapped it with all his strength. On hearing a loud cry, the kind-hearted waitress rushed in. To her great surprise, the poor old man was there sitting on the floor, his teeth clenched and his right hand bleeding!
釘子還是蒼蠅?
一位視力正在衰退的老紳士住進(jìn)了一家旅館的客房.他雙手各拿一瓶酒.在墻上有只蒼蠅,他誤以為是枚釘子.他把兩只瓶子朝上一掛,瓶子掉下來摔碎了,酒灑了一地.一個女服務(wù)員發(fā)現(xiàn)發(fā)生的事情以后,對他深表同情,決定幫他個忙.
于是,第二天早上他到樓頂花園散步時,她把一枚釘子釘在了蒼蠅停過的地方.
這里,老人回到了房里.倒灑的酒味讓他想起了那件事.他抬頭往墻上一看,蒼蠅又停在了那兒!他輕手輕腳地走近,使盡全力拍了一掌.聽到一聲大叫,好心的女服務(wù)員沖進(jìn)房來.讓她大為吃驚的是,可憐的老頭正坐在地板上,牙關(guān)緊咬,右手滴血不止.
Lesson 12—Goodbye and good luck
課文內(nèi)容
Our neighbour, Captain Charles Alison, will sail from Portsmouth tomorrow. We shall meet him at the harbour early in the morning. He will be in his small boat, Topsail.Topsail is a famous little boat. It has sailed across the Atlantic many times. Captain Alison will set out at eight o'clock so we shall have plenty of time. We shall see his boat and then we shall say goodbye to him. He will be away for two months. We are very proud of him. He will take part in an important race across the Atlantic.
課文注釋
1.Captain Charles Alison.查爾斯.艾利森船長
2.the Atlantic 大西洋,全稱為'the Atlantic Occan'.
參考譯文
我們的鄰居查爾斯.艾利森船長明天就要從撲次茅斯啟航了.明天一大早我們將在碼頭為他送行.他將乘坐他的‘濤波賽’號小艇.“濤波賽”號是艘有名的小艇,他已經(jīng)多次橫渡大西洋.艾利森船長將于8點鐘啟航,因此我們有充裕的時間.我們將參觀他的船,然后和他告別.他要離開兩個月,我們真為他感到自豪,他將參加一次重大的橫渡大西洋的比賽.
I had an amusing experience last year. After I had left a small village in the south of France, I drove on to the next town. On the way, a young man waved to me. I stopped and he asked me for a lift. As soon as he had got into the car, I said good morning to him in French and he replied in the same language. Apart from a few words, I do not know any French at all. Neither of us spoke during the journey. I had nearly reached the town, when the young man suddenly said, very slowly, 'Do you speak English?' As I soon learnt, he was English himself!
課文注釋
1.I drove on the next town.我繼續(xù)是駛往下一個城鎮(zhèn).
句中的副詞 on 有“繼續(xù)地”,“不停頓地”意思.
2.on the way,在途中.
3.ask for a lift,要求搭車.
4.apart form,除了……以外.
5.As I soon learnt,he was English himself!我很快就知道,他自己就是個英國人.
參考譯文
去年我有過一次有趣的經(jīng)歷.在離開法國南部的一個小村莊后,我繼續(xù)駛往下一個城鎮(zhèn).途中,一個青年人向我招手.我把車停下,他向我提出要求搭車.他一上車,我就用法語向他問好,他也同樣用法語回答我.除了個別幾個單詞外,我根本不會法語.旅途中我們誰也沒講話.就要到達(dá)那個鎮(zhèn)時,那青年突然開了口,慢慢地說道“你會講英語嗎?” 我很快了解到,他自己就是個英國人!
Lesson 58: blessing in disguise?
是因禍得福嗎?
First listen and then answer the question.
聽錄音,然后回答以下問題.
Why does the vicar refuse to cut down the tree?
The tiny village of Frinley is said to possess a 'cursed tree'. Because the tree was mentioned in a newspaper, the number of visitors to Frinley has now increased. The tree was planted near the church fifty years ago, but it is only in recent years that it has gained an evil reputation. It is said that if anyone touches the tree, he will have bad luck; if he picks a leaf, he will die. Many villagers believe that the tree has already claimed a number of victims. The vicar has been asked to have the tree cut down, but so far he has refused. He has pointed out that the tree cut down, but so far he has refused. He has pointed out that the tree is a useful source of income, as tourists have been coming from all parts of the country to see it. In spite of all that has been said, the tourists have been picking leaves and cutting their names on the tree-trunk. So far, not one of them has been struck down by sudden death!
New words and expressions 生詞和短語
blessing n. 福分,福氣
disguise n. 偽裝
tiny adj. 極
New words and expressions 生詞和短語
blessing n. 福分,福氣
disguise n. 偽裝
tiny adj. 極小的
possess v. 擁有
cursed adj. 可恨的
increase v. 增加
plant v. 種植
church n. 教堂
evil adj. 壞的
reputation n. 名聲
claim v. 以.為其后果
victim n. 受害者,犧牲品
vicar n. 教區(qū)牧師
source n. 來源
income n. 收入
trunk n. 樹干
參考譯文
據(jù)說弗林利這個小村里有一棵“該詛咒的樹”.就因為報上提到過這棵樹,所以現(xiàn)在來弗林利參觀的人越來越多.該樹是50年前栽在教堂附近的,但只是近幾年才得到了一個壞名聲.據(jù)說,誰要是觸摸了這棵樹,誰就會交上惡運；如果誰摘了一片樹葉,誰就會死去.很多村民相信此樹已經(jīng)害了不少人.人們曾請求教區(qū)的牧師叫人把樹砍掉,但他直到現(xiàn)在也沒有同意.他指出,由于人們從全國各地紛紛前來參觀這棵樹,它成了一個有用的財源.盡管有上述種種說法,但游客們還是照常摘樹葉和把他們的名字刻在樹干上.然而到目前為止,還沒有一個人暴死呢!