Lesson 24
If could be worse
不幸中之万幸
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音,然后回答以下问题.
Had the writer's money been stolen?
I entered the hotel manager's office and sat down. I had just lost $50 and I felt very upset. 'I left the money in my room,' I said, 'and it's not there now.' The manager was sympathetic, but he could do nothing. 'Everyone's losing money these days,' he said. He started to complain about this wicked world but was interrupted by a knock at the door. A girl came in and put an envelope on his desk. It contained $50. 'I found this outside this gentleman's room,' she said. 'Well,' I said to the manager, 'there is still some honesty in this world!'
New words and expressions 生词和短语
manager n. 经理
upset adj. 不安
sympathetic adj. 表示同情的
complain v. 抱怨
wicked adj. 很坏的,邪恶的
contain v. 包含,内装
honesty n. 诚实
参考译文
我走进饭店经理的办公室,坐了下来.我刚刚丢了50英镑,感到非常烦恼.“我把钱放在房间里,”我说,“可现在没有了.”经理深表同情,但却无能为力.“现在大家都在丢钱,”他说.他开始抱怨起这个邪恶的世道来,却被一阵敲门声打断了.一个姑娘走了进来,把一个信封放在了他桌上.它里面装着50英镑.“这是我在这位先生的房门外捡到的,”她说.“是啊,”我对那位经理说,“这世界上还是有诚实可言的!”
Lesson 25
Do the English speak English?
英国人讲的是英语吗?
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音,然后回答以下问题.
Why does the writer not understand the porter?
I arrived in London at last. The railway station was big, black and dark. I did not know the way to my hotel, so I asked a porter. I not only spoke English very carefully, but very clearly as well. The porter, however, could not understand me. I repeated my question several times and at last he understood. he answered me, but he spoke neither slowly nor clearly. 'I am a foreigner,' I said. Then he spoke slowly, but I could not understand him. My teacher never spoke English like that! The porter and I looked at each other and smiled. Then he said something and I understood it. 'You'll soon learn English!' he said. I wonder. In England, each person speaks a different language. The English understand each other, but I don't understand them! Do they speak English?
New words and expressions 生词和短语
railway n. 铁路
porter n. 搬运工
several quantifier 几个
foreigner n. 外国人
wonder v. 感到奇怪
参考译文
我终于到了伦敦.火车站很大,又黑又暗.我不知道去饭店的路该怎么走,于是向一个搬运工打听.我的英语讲得不但非常认真,而且咬字也非常清楚.然而搬运工却不明白我的话.我把问话重复了很多遍.他终于听懂了.他回答了,但他讲得既不慢也不清楚.“我是个外国人,”我说.于是他说得慢了,可我还是听不懂.我的老师从来不那样讲英语!我和搬运工相视一笑.接着,他说了点什么,这回我听懂了.“您会很快学会英语的!”他说.我感到奇怪.在英国,人们各自说着一种不同的语言.英国人之间相互听得懂,可我却不懂他们的话!他们说的是英语吗?
Lesson 26
The best art critics
最佳艺术评论家
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音,然后回答以下问题.
Who is the student's best critic?
I am an art student and I paint a lot of pictures. Many people pretend that they understand modern art. They always tell you what a picture is 'about'. Of course, many pictures are not 'about' anything. They are just pretty patterns. We like them in the same way that we like pretty curtain material. I think that young children often appreciate modern pictures better than anyone else. They notice more. My sister is only seven, but she always tells me whether my pictures are good or not. She came into my room yesterday.
'What are you doing?' she asked.
'I'm hanging this picture on the wall,' I answered. 'It's a new one. Do you like it?'
She looked at it critically for a moment. 'It's all right,' she said, 'but isn't it upside down?'
I looked at it again. She was right! It was!
New words and expressions 生词和短语
art n. 艺术
critic n. 评论家
paint v. 画
pretend v. 假装
pattern n. 图案
curtain n. 窗帘,幕布
material n. 材料
appreciate v. 鉴赏
notice v. 注意到
whether conj. 是否
hang v. 悬挂,吊
critically adv. 批评地
upside down 上下颠倒地
参考译文
我是个学艺术的学生,画了很多画.有很多人装成很懂现代艺术的样子,总是告诉你一幅画的“意思”是什么.当然,有很多画是什么“意思”也没有的.它们就是些好看的图案,我们喜爱它们就像我们喜欢漂亮的窗帘布一样.我觉得小孩子们往往比任何人都更能欣赏现代绘画,他们观察到的东西更多.我的妹妹只有7岁,但她总能说出我的画是好还是坏.昨天她到我房里来了.
