新概念英语第三册课文(全60课) 本文简介：

新概念英语第三册（共60课）Lesson1?ApumaatlargePumasarelarge,cat-likeanimalswhicharefoundinAmerica.WhenreportscameintoLondonZoothatawildpumahadbeenspottedforty-fiv

新概念英语第三册课文(全60课) 本文内容：

新概念英语第三册（共60课）
Lesson1?
A
puma
at
large
Pumas
are
large,
cat-like
animals
which
are
found
in
America.
When
reports
came
into
London
Zoo
that
a
wild
puma
had
been
spotted
forty-five
miles
south
of
London,
they
were
not
taken
seriously.
However,
as
the
evidence
began
to
accumulate,
experts
from
the
Zoo
felt
obliged
to
investigate,
for
the
descriptions
given
by
people
who
claimed
to
have
seen
the
puma
were
extraordinarily
similar.
?
The
hunt
for
the
puma
began
in
a
small
village
where
a
woman
picking
blackberries
saw
'a
large
cat'
only
five
yards
away
from
her.
It
immediately
ran
away
when
she
saw
it,
and
experts
confirmed
that
a
puma
will
not
attack
a
human
being
unless
it
is
cornered（adj.被困得走投无路的）.
The
search
proved
difficult,
for
the
puma
was
often
observed
at
one
place
in
the
morning
and
at
another
place
twenty
miles
away
in
the
evening.
Wherever
it
went,
it
left
behind
it
a
trail
of
dead
deer
and
small
animals
like
rabbits.
Paw
prints
were
seen
in
a
number
of
places
and
puma
fur
was
found
clinging
to
bushes.
Several
people
complained
of
'cat-like
noises'
at
night
and
a
businessman
on
a
fishing
trip
saw
the
puma
up
a
tree.
The
experts
were
now
fully
convinced
that
the
animal
was
a
puma,
but
where
had
it
come
from
?
As
no
pumas
had
been
reported
missing
from
any
zoo
in
the
country,
this
one
must
have
been
in
the
possession
of
a
private
collector
and
somehow
managed
to
escape.
The
hunt
went
on
for
several
weeks,
but
the
puma
was
not
caught.
It
is
disturbing
to
think
that
a
dangerous
wild
animal
is
still
at
large
in
the
quiet
countryside.
?美洲狮是一种体形似猫的大动物，产于美洲。当伦敦动物园接到报告说，在伦敦以南45英里处发现一只美洲狮时，这些报告并没有受到重视。可是，随着证据越来越多，动物园的专家们感到有必要进行一番调查，因为凡是声称见到过美洲狮的人们所描述的情况竟是出奇地相似。
搜寻美洲狮的工作是从一座小村庄开始的。那里的一位妇女在采摘黑莓时的看见“一只大猫”，离她仅5码远，她刚看见它，它就立刻逃走了。专家证实，美洲狮非被逼得走投无路，是决不会伤人的。事实上搜寻工作很困难，因为常常是早晨在甲地发现那只美洲狮，晚上却在20英里外的乙地发现它的踪迹。无论它走哪儿，一路上总会留下一串死鹿及死兔子之类的小动物，在许多地方看见爪印，灌木丛中发现了粘在上面的美洲狮毛。有人抱怨说夜里听见“像猫一样的叫声”；一位商人去钓鱼，看见那只美洲狮在树上。专家们如今已经完全肯定那只动物就是美洲狮，但它是从哪儿来的呢？由于全国动物园没有一家报告丢了美洲狮，因此那只美洲狮一定是某位私人收藏豢养的，不知怎么设法逃出来了。搜寻工作进行了好几个星期，但始终未能逮住那只美洲狮。想到在宁静的乡村里有一头危险的野兽继续逍遥流窜，真令人担心。
Lesson
2?

Thirteen
equals
one
Our
vicar
is
always
raising
money
for
one
cause
or
another,
but
he
has
never
managed
to
get
enough
money
to
have
the
church
clock
repaired.
The
big
clock
which
used
to
strike
the
hours
day
and
night
was
damaged
many
years
ago
and
has
been
silent
ever
since.One
night,
however,
our
vicar
woke
up
with
a
start:
the
clock
was
striking
the
hours!
Looking
at
his
watch,
he
saw
that
it
was
one
o'clock,
but
the
bell
struck
thirteen
times
before
it
stopped.
Armed
with
a
torch,
the
vicar
went
up
into
the
clock
tower
to
see
what
was
going
on.
In
the
torchlight,
he
caught
sight
of
a
figure
whom
he
immediately
recognized
as
Bill
Wilkins,
our
local
grocer.?
'Whatever
are
you
doing
up
here
Bill
?'
asked
the
vicar
in
surprise.
'I'm
trying
to
repair
the
bell,'
answered
Bill.'
I've
been
coming
up
here
night
after
night
for
weeks
now.
You
see,
I
was
hoping
to
give
you
a
surprise.''You
certainly
did
give
me
a
surprise!'
said
the
vicar.
'You've
probably
woken
up
everyone
in
the
village
as
well.
Still,
I'm
glad
the
bell
is
working
again.'
'That's
the
trouble,
vicar,'
answered
Bill.
'It's
working
all
right,
but
I'm
afraid
that
at
one
o'clock
it
will
strike
thirteen
times
and
there's
nothing
I
can
do
about
it.'
'We'll
get
used
to
that
Bill,'
said
the
vicar.
'Thirteen
is
not
as
good
as
one
but
it's
better
than
nothing.
Now
let's
go
downstairs
and
have
a
cup
of
tea.'?我们教区的牧师总是为各种各样的事筹集资金。但始终未能筹足资金把教堂的钟修好。教堂的钟很大，以前不分昼夜打点报时，但很多年前遭到毁坏，从此便无声无息了。
一天夜里，我们的牧师突然被惊醒了，大钟又在“打点”报时了！他一看表，才1点钟，可是那钟一边敲了13下才停。牧师拿着一支电筒走上钟楼想去看看究竟发生了什么事情。借着电筒光。他看见一个人，马上认出那是本地杂货店主经比尔.威尔金斯。
“你究竟在这上面干什么，比尔？”牧师惊讶地问。
“我想把这口钟修好，”比尔回答说。“好几个星期了，我天天夜里到钟楼上来。嗯，我是想让你大吃一惊。”
“你确实使我大吃了一惊！”牧师说，“也许同时你把村里所有的人都吵醒了。不过，钟又能报时了，我还是很高兴的。”
“问题就在这里，牧师，”比尔回答说。“不错，钟能报时了，但是，恐怕每到1点钟，它总要敲13下，对此我已无能为力了。”
“大家慢慢就习惯了，比尔，”牧师说。“13下是不如1下好，但总比1下也不敲强。来，咱们下楼去喝杯茶吧。”
Lesson
3

An
unknown
goddess
Some
time
ago，an
interesting
discovery
was
made
by
archaeologists
on
the
Aegean（adj.爱琴海的；n.）island
of
Kea．An
American
team
explored
a
temple
which
stands
in
an
ancient
city
on
the
promontory
of
Ayia
Irini．The
city
at
one
time
must
have
been
prosperous，for
it
enjoyed
a
high
level
of
civilization．Houses--often
three
storeys
high--were
built
of
stone．They
had
large
rooms
with
beautifully
decorated
walls．The
city
was
even
equipped
with
a
drainage
system，for
a
great
many
clay
pipes
were
found
beneath
the
narrow
streets．
The
temple
which
the
archaeologists
explored
was
used
as
a
place
of
worship
from
the
fifteenth
century
B.C.
until
Roman
times.
In
the
most
sacred
room
of
the
temple,
clay
fragments
of
fifteen
statues
were
found.
Each
of
these
represented
?a
goddess
and
had,
at
one
time,
been
painted.
The
body
of
one
statue
was
found
among
remains
dating
from
the
fifteenth
century
B.C.
Its
missing
head
happened
to
be
among
remains
of
the
fifth
century
B.C.
This
head
must
have
been
found
in
Classical
times
and
carefully
preserved.
It
was
very
old
and
precious
even
then.
When
the
archaeologists
reconstructed
the
fragments,
they
were
amazed
to
find
that
the
goddess
turned
out
to
be
a
very
modern-looking
woman.
She
stood
three
feet
high
and
her
hands
rested
on
her
hip.
She
was
wearing
a
full-length
skirt
which
swept
the
ground.
Despite
her
great
age,
she
was
very
graceful
indeed,
but,
so
far,
the
archaeologists
have
been
unable
to
discover
her
identity.

不久之前，在爱琴海的基亚岛上，考古工作者有一项有趣的发现。一个美国考古队在阿伊亚.依里尼海角的一座古城里考察了一座庙宇。这座古城肯定一度很繁荣，因为它曾享有高度的文明，房子一般有3层楼高，用石块修建。里面房间很大，墙壁装饰华丽。城里甚至还敷设了排水系统，因为在狭窄的街道底下发现了许许多多陶土制作的排水管道。
考古工作者考察的这座庙宇从公元前15世纪直到罗马时代一直是祭祀祈祷的场所。在庙中最神圣的一间殿堂里发现了15尊陶雕像的碎片。每一尊雕像代表一位女神，而且一度上过色。其中有一尊雕像，她的躯体是在公元前15世纪的历史文物中发现的，而她那身异处的脑袋却碰巧是在公元前5世纪的文物中找到的。她的脑袋一定是在古希腊罗马时代就为人所发现，并受到精心的保护。却使在当时，它也属历史悠久的珍奇之物。考古工作者把这些碎片重新拼装起来后，惊奇地发现那位女神原来是一位相貌十分摩登的女郎。她身高3英尺，双手叉腰。身穿一条拖地长裙，尽管上了年纪，但体态确实优美。不过，考古工作者至今未能确定这位女神的身份。
Lesson4

The
double
life
of
Alfred
Bloggs
These
days,
people
who
do
manual
work
often
receive
far
more
money
than
clerks
who
work
in
offices.
People
who
work
in
offices
are
frequently
referred
to
as'
white
collar
workers'
for
the
simple
reason
that
they
usually
wear
a
collar
and
tie
to
go
to
work.
Such
is
human
nature,
that
a
great
many
people
are
often
willing
to
sacrifice
higher
pay
for
the
privilege
of
becoming
white
collar
workers.
This
can
give
rise
to
curious
situations,
as
it
did
in
the
case
of
Alfred
Bloggs
who
worked
as
a
dustman
for
the
Ellesmere
Corporation.
?When
he
got
married,
Alf
was
too
embarrassed
to
say
anything
to
his
wife
about
his
job.
He
simply
told
her
that
he
worked
for
the
Corporation.
Every
morning,
he
left
home
dressed
in
a
smart
black
suit.
He
then
changed
into
overalls
(n.工作服)
and
spent
the
next
eight
hours
as
a
dustman.
Before
returning
home
at
night,
he
took
a
shower
and
changed
back
into
his
suit.
?Alf
did
this
for
over
two
years
and
his
fellow
dustmen
kept
his
secret.
Alf's
wife
has
never
discovered
that
she
married
a
dustman
and
she
?never
will,
for
Alf
has
just
found
another
job.
He
will
soon
be
working
in
an
office
as
a
junior
clerk.
He
will
be
earning
only
half
as
much
as
he
used
to,
but
he
feels
that
his
rise
in
status
is
well
worth
the
loss
of
money.
From
now
on,
he
will
wear
a
suit
all
day
and
others
will
call
him
'Mr.
Bloggs',
not
'Alf'.
如今，从事体力劳动的人的收入一般要比坐办公室的人高出许多。坐办公室的之所以常常被称作“白领工人”，就是因为他们通常是穿着硬领白衬衫，系着领带去上班。许多人常常情愿放弃较高的薪水以换取做白领工人的殊荣，此乃人之常情。而这常常会引起种种奇怪的现象，在埃尔斯米尔公司当清洁工的艾尔弗雷德.布洛斯就是一个例子。
艾尔弗结婚时，感到非常难为情，而没有将自己的职业告诉妻子。他只说在埃尔斯米尔公司上班。每天早晨，他穿上一身漂亮的黑色西装离家上班，然后换上工作服，当8个小时清洁工。晚上回家前，他洗个淋浴，重新换上那身黑色西服。两年多以来，艾尔弗一直这样，他的同事也为他保守秘密。艾尔弗的妻子一直不知道她嫁给了一个清洁工，而且她永远也不会知道了，因为艾尔弗已找到薪职，不久就要坐办公室里工作了。他将来挣的钱只有他现在的一半。不过他觉得，地位升高了，损失点儿钱也值得。从此，艾尔弗可以一天到晚穿西服了。别人将称呼他为“布洛格斯先生”，而不再叫他“艾尔弗”了。
Lesson
5

The
facts
Editors
of
newspapers
and
magazines
often
go
to
extremes
to
provide
their
readers
with
unimportant
facts
and
statistics.
Last
year
a
journalist
had
been
instructed
by
a
well-known
magazine
to
write
an
article
on
the
president's
palace
in
a
new
African
republic.
When
the
article
arrived,
the
editor
read
the
first
sentence
and
then
refused
to
publish
it.
The
article
began:
'Hundreds
of
steps
lead
to
the
high
wall
which
surrounds
the
president's
palace.'
The
editor
at
once
sent
the
journalist
a
fax
instructing
him
to
find
out
the
exact
number
of
steps
and
the
height
of
the
wall.
?
The
journalist
immediately
set
out
to
obtain
these
important
facts,
but
he
took
a
long
time
to
send
them.
Meanwhile,
the
editor
was
getting
impatient,
for
the
magazine
would
soon
go
to
press.
He
sent
the
journalist
two
urgent
telegrams,
but
received
no
reply.
He
sent
yet
another
telegram
informing
the
journalist
that
if
he
did
not
reply
soon
he
would
be
fired.
When
the
journalist
again
failed
to
reply,
the
editor
reluctantly
published
the
article
as
it
had
originally
been
written.
A
week
later,
the
editor
at
last
received
a
telegram
from
the
journalist.
Not
only
had
the
poor
man
been
arrested,
but
he
had
been
sent
to
prison
as
well.
However,
he
had
at
last
been
allowed
to
send
a
cable
in
which
he
informed
the
editor
that
he
had
been
arrested
while
counting
the
1084
steps
leading
to
the
15-foot
wall
which
surrounded
the
president's
palace.
?报刊杂志的编辑常常为了向读者提供成立一些关紧要的事实和统计数字而走向极端。去年，一位记者受一家有名的杂志的委托写一篇关于非洲某个新成立共和国总统府的文章。稿子寄来后，编辑看第一句话就拒绝予以发表。文章的开头是这样的：“几百级台阶通向环绕总统的高墙。”编辑立即给那位记者发去传真，要求他核实一下台阶的确切数字和围墙的高度。
记者立即出发去核实这些重要的事实，但过了好长时间不见他把数字寄来，在此期间，编辑等得不耐烦了，因为杂志马上要付印。他给记者先后发去两份传真，但对方毫无反应。于是他又发了一份传真，通知那位记者说，若再不迅速答复，将被解雇。但记者还是没有回复。编辑无奈，勉强按原样发稿了。一周之后，编辑终于接到记者的传真。那个可怜的记者不仅被捕了，而且还被送进了监狱。不过，他终于获准发回了一份传真。在传真中他告诉编辑，就在他数通向15英尺高的总统府围墙的1，084级台阶时，被抓了起来。
Lesson
6?
Smash-and-grab
The
expensive
shops
in
a
famous
arcade
near
Piccadilly
were
just
opening.
At
this
time
of
the
morning,
the
arcade
was
almost
empty.
Mr
Taylor,
the
owner
of
a
jewellery
shop
was
admiring
a
new
window
display.
Two
of
his
assistants
had
been
working
busily
since
8
o'clock
and
had
only
just
finished.
Diamond
necklaces
and
rings
had
been
beautifully
arranged
on
a
background
of
black
velvet.
After
gazing
at
the
display
for
several
minutes,
Mr
Taylor
went
back
into
his
shop.
The
silence
was
suddenly
broken
when
a
large
car,
with
its
headlights
on
and
its
horn
blaring,
roared
down
the
arcade.
It
came
to
a
stop
outside
the
jeweler's.
One
man
stayed
at
the
wheel
while
two
others
with
black
stockings
over
their
faces
jumped
out
and
smashed
the
window
of
the
shop
with
iron
bars.
While
this
was
going
on,
Mr
Taylor
was
upstairs.
He
and
his
staff
began
throwing
furniture
out
of
the
window.
Chairs
and
tables
went
flying
into
the
arcade.
One
of
the
thieves
was
struck
by
a
heavy
statue,
but
he
was
too
busy
helping
himself
to
diamonds
to
notice
any
pain.
The
raid
was
all
over
in
three
minutes,
for
the
men
scrambled
back
into
the
car
and
it
moved
off
at
a
fantastic
speed.
Just
as
it
was
leaving,
Mr
Taylor
rushed
out
and
ran
after
it
throwing
ashtrays
and
vases,
but
it
was
impossible
to
stop
the
thieves.
They
had
got
away
with
thousands
of
pounds
worth
of
diamonds.

?皮卡迪利大街附近的一条著名拱廊街道上，几家高档商店刚刚开始营业。在早晨的这个时候，拱廊街上几乎空无一人。珠宝店主泰勒先生正在欣赏新布置的橱窗。他手下两名店员从早上8点就开始忙碌，这时刚刚布置完毕。钻石项链、戒指漂亮地陈列在黑色丝绒上面。泰勒先生站在橱窗外凝神欣赏了几分钟就回到了店里。
宁静突然被打破，一辆大轿车亮着前灯，响着喇叭，呼啸着冲进了拱廊街，在珠宝店门口停了下来。一人留在驾驶座上，另外两个用黑色长筒丝袜蒙面的人跳下车来。他们用铁棒把商店橱窗的玻璃砸碎。这开始发生时，泰勒先生正在楼上。他与店员动手向窗外投掷家具，椅子，桌子飞落花流水在拱廊街上。一个窃贼被一尊很重的雕像击中，但由于他忙着抢钻石首饰，竟连疼痛都顾不上了。这场抢劫只持续了3分钟，因为窃贼争先恐后地爬上轿车，以惊人的速度开跑了。就在轿车离开的时候，泰勒先生从店里冲了出来，跟在车后追赶，一边还往车上扔烟灰缸、花瓶。但他已无法抓住那些窃贼了。他们已带着价值数千镑的首饰逃之夭夭了。
Lesson
7
Mutilated
ladies
Children
often
have
far
more
sense
than
their
elders.
This
simple
truth
was
demonstrated
rather
dramatically
during
a
civil
defence
exercise
in
a
small
town
in
Canada.
Most
of
the
inhabitants
were
asked
to
take
part
in
the
exercise
during
which
they
had
to
pretend
that
their
city
had
been
bombed.
Air-raid
warnings
were
sounded
and
thousands
of
people
went
into
special
air-raid
shelters.
Doctors
and
nurses
remained
above
ground
while
Police
patrolled
the
streets
in
case
anyone
tried
to
leave
the
shelters
too
soon.
The
police
did
not
have
much
to
do
because
the
citizens
took
the
exercise
seriously.
They
stayed
underground
for
twenty
minutes
and
waited
for
the
siren
to
sound
again.
On
leaving
the
air-raid
shelters,
they
saw
that
doctors
and
nurses
were
busy.
A
great
many
people
had
volunteered
to
act
as
casualties.
Theatrical
make-up
and
artificial
blood
had
been
used
to
make
the
injuries
look
realistic.
A
lot
of
People
were
lying
'dead'
in
the
streets.
The
living
helped
to
carry
the
dead
and
wounded
to
special
stations.
A
Child
of
six
was
brought
in
by
two
adults.
The
child
was
supposed
to
be
dead.
With
theatrical
make-up
on
his
face,
he
looked
as
if
he
had
died
of
shock.
Some
people
were
so
moved
by
the
sight
that
they
began
to
cry.
However,
the
child
suddenly
sat
up
and
a
doctor
asked
him
to
comment
on
his
death.
The
child
looked
around
for
a
moment
and
said,
'I
think
they're
all
crazy!'?

这种事情在你身上出现过吗？你有没有把裤子塞洗衣机，然后又想在裤子的后兜有一张大面值的纸币？当你把裤子抢救出来时，你有没有发现那张纸币已经变得比白纸还白？当英国人犯这种错误时，他们不必感到绝望（而许多国家的人都有这种绝望的感觉）。对英国人来说，值得庆幸的是英国银行有一个残钞鉴别组，负责理那些把钱塞进机器或塞给狗的人提出的索赔要求。看起来，狗很喜欢咀嚼钱币。
最近的一个案例与简.巴特林有关，她的未婚夫约翰拥有一家生意兴隆家具店。有一天约翰的生意很好，他把一只装有3,000
英镑的钱包放进微波炉内保存。然后，他和简一起去骑马。回家后，简用微波炉煮了晚饭，无意中之中把她未婚夫的钱包也一起煮了。可以想像他们发现一只煮得很好看的钱包，钞票已化成灰时的沮丧心情。约翰去找银行经理，经理把约翰的钱包和纸币的残留物送到英国银行在纽卡斯尔的一个专门部门——残钞鉴别组。他们鉴定了这些残留物。约翰拿回了他损失的全部数额。“只要有东西可供识别，我们会把钱还给人家的，”银行的一位女发言人说。“去年，我们对21，000
起索赔要求支付了150万英镑。”
Lesson8
?A
famous
monastery
The
Great
St
Bernard
Pass
connects
Switzerland
to
Italy.
At
2470
metres,
it
is
the
highest
mountain
pass
in
Europe.
The
famous
monastery
of
St
Bernard,
which
was
founded
in
the
eleventh
century,
lies
about
a
mile
away.
For
hundreds
of
years,
St
Bernard
dogs
have
saved
the
lives
of
travellers
crossing
the
dangerous
Pass.
These
friendly
dogs,
which
were
first
brought
from
Asia,
were
used
as
watch-dogs
even
in
Roman
times.
Now
that
a
tunnel
has
been
built
through
the
mountains,
the
Pass
is
less
dangerous,
but
each
year,
the
dogs
are
still
sent
out
into
the
snow
whenever
a
traveller
is
in
difficulty.
Despite
the
new
tunnel,
there
are
still
a
few
people
who
rashly
?attempt
to
cross
the
Pass
on
foot.
?During
the
summer
months,
the
monastery
is
very
busy,
for
it
is
visited
by
thousands
of
people
who
cross
the
Pass
in
cars,
As
there
are
so
many
people
about,
the
dogs
have
to
be
kept
in
a
special
enclosure.
In
winter,
however,
life
at
the
monastery
is
quite
different.
The
temperature
drops
to
-30
and
very
few
people
attempt
to
cross
the
Pass.
The
monks
Prefer
winter
to
summer
for
they
have
more
privacy.
The
dogs
have
greater
freedom,
too,
for
they
are
allowed
to
wander
outside
their
enclosure.
The
only
regular
visitors
to
the
monastery
in
winter
are
parties
of
skiers
who
go
there
at
Christmas
and
Easter.
These
young
people,
who
love
the
peace
of
the
mountains,
always
receive
a
warm.
Welcome
at
St
Bernard's
monastery.
?
圣伯纳德大山口连接着瑞士与意大利，海拔2,473O米，是欧洲最高的山口。11世纪建造的著名的圣伯纳德修道院位于离山口1英里远的地方。几百年来，圣伯纳德修道院驯养狗拯救了许多翻越这道山口的旅游者的生命。那些最先从亚洲引进的狗，待人友好，早在罗马时代就给人当看门狗了。如今由于山里开挖了隧道，翻越山口已不那么危险了。但每年还要派狗到雪山地里去帮助那些遇到困难的旅游者，尽管修通了隧道，但仍有一些人想冒险徒步跨越圣伯纳德山口。
夏天的几个月里，修道院十分忙碌，因为有成千上万的人驾车通过山口，顺道来修道院参观。由于来人太多，狗被关在专门的围栏里。然而到了冬天，修道院里的生活则是另一番景象。气温下降到零下30度，试图跨越山口的人寥寥无几。修道士们喜欢冬天，而不太喜欢夏天。因为在冬天，他们可以更多地过无人打扰的生活。狗也比较自由，被放出围栏，四处遛达。冬天常来修道院参观的只有一批批滑雪者。他们在圣诞节或复活节到那儿去。这些热爱高山清静环境的年轻人每年都受到圣伯纳德道院的热烈欢迎。
Lesson9
Flying
cats
飞猫
Cats
never
fail
to
fascinate
human
beings.
They
can
be
friendly
and
affectionate
towards
humans,
but
they
lead
mysterious
lives
of
their
own
as
well.
They
never
become
submissive
like
dogs
and
horses.
As
a
result,
humans
have
learned
to
respect
feline
independence.
Most
cats
remain
suspicious
of
humans
all
their
lives.
One
of
the
things
that
fascinates
us
most
about
cats
is
the
popular
belief
that
they
have
nine
lives.
Apparently,
they
is
a
good
deal
of
truth
in
this
idea.
A
cat’s
ability
to
survive
falls
is
based
on
fact.
Recently
the
New
York
Animal
Medical
Centre
made
a
study
of
132
cats
over
a
period
of
five
months.
All
these
cats
had
one
experience
in
common:
they
had
fallen
off
high
buildings,
yet
only
eight
of
them
died
from
shock
or
injuries.
Of
course,
New
Yorkis
the
ideal
place
for
such
an
interesting
study,
because
there
is
no
shortage
of
tall
buildings.
There
are
plenty
of
high-rise
windowsills
to
fall
from!
One
cat,
Sabrina,
fell
32
storeys,
yet
only
suffered
from
a
broken
tooth.
‘
Cats
behave
like
well-trained
paratroopers,’
a
doctor
said.
It
seems
that
the
further
cats
fall,
the
less
they
are
likely
to
injure
themselves.
In
a
long
drop,
they
reach
speeds
of
60
miles
an
hour
and
more.
At
high
speeds,
falling
cats
have
time
to
relax.
They
stretch
out
their
legs
like
flying
squirrel.
This
increases
their
air-resistance
and
reduces
the
shock
of
impact
when
they
hit
the
ground.?猫总能引起人们的极大兴趣。它们可以对人友好，充满柔情。但是，它们又有自己神秘的生活方式。它们从不像狗和马一样变得那么顺从。结果是人们已经学会尊重猫的独立性。在它们的一生中，大多数猫都对人存有戒心。最使我们感兴趣的一件事情就是一种通俗的信念——猫有九条命。显然，这种说法里面包含着许多真实性。猫在跌落时能够大难不死是有事实作为依据的。
最近，纽约动物医疗中心对132只猫进行了为期5个月的综合研究。所有这些猫有一个共同的经历：它们都曾从高层建筑上摔下来过，但只有其中的8只猫死于震荡或跌伤。当然，纽约是进行这种有趣的试验的一个理想的地方，因为那里根本不缺乏高楼大厦，有的是高层的窗槛从上往下坠落。有一只叫萨伯瑞的猫从32层楼上掉下来，但只摔断一颗牙。“猫就像训练有素的跳伞队员，”
一位医生说。看起来，猫跌落的距离越长，它们就越不会伤害自己。在一个长长的跌落过程中，它们可以达到每小时60里甚至更快的速度。在高速下落中，猫有时间放松自己。它们伸展四肢，就像飞行中的松鼠一样。这样就加大了空气阻力，并减少了它们着地时冲击力带来的震动。
Lesson10
The
loss
of
Titanic
The
great
ship,
Titanic,
sailed
for
New
York
from
Southampton
on
April
10th,
1912.
She
was
carrying
1316
passengers
and
a
crew
of
89l.
Even
by
modern
standards,
the
46,000
ton
Titanic
was
a
colossal
ship.
At
that
time,
however,
she
was
not
only
the
largest
ship
that
had
ever
been
built,
but
was
regarded
as
unsinkable,
for
she
had
sixteen
water-
tight
compartments.
Even
if
two
of
these
were
flooded,
she
would
still
be
able
to
float.
The
tragic
sinking
of
this
great
liner
will
always
be
remembered,
for
she
went
down
on
her
first
voyage
with
heavy
loss
of
life.
Four
days
after
setting
out,
while
the
Titanic
was
sailing
across
the
icy
waters
of
the
North
Atlantic,
a
huge
iceberg
was
suddenly
spotted
by
a
look-out.
After
the
alarm
had
been
given,
the
great
ship
turned
sharply
to
avoid
a
direct
collision.
The
Titanic
turned
just
in
time,
narrowly
missing
the
immense
wall
of
ice
which
rose
over
100
feet
out
of
the
water
beside
her.
Suddenly,
there
was
a
slight
trembling
sound
from
below,
and
the
captain
went
down
to
see
what
had
happened.
The
noise
had
been
so
faint
that
no
one
thought
that
the
ship
had
been
damaged.
Below,
the
captain
realized
to
his
horror
that
the
Titanic
was
sinking
rapidly,
for
five
of
her
sixteen
water-
tight
compartments
had
already
been
flooded
!
The
order
to
abandon
ship
was
given
and
hundreds
of
people
plunged
into
the
icy
water.
As
there
were
not
enough
life-boats
for
everybody,
1500
lives
were
lost.?巨轮“泰坦尼克”号1912年4月10日从南安普敦起锚驶向纽约。船上载有1,316名乘客与891名船员。却使用现代标准来衡量，45,000
吨的“泰坦尼克”号与算得上一艘巨轮了。当时，这艘轮船不仅是造船史上建造的最大的一艘船，而且也被认为是不会沉没的。因为船由16个密封舱组成，即使有两个舱进水，仍可漂浮的水面上。然而，这艘巨轮首航就下沉，造成大批人员死亡。人们将永远记着这艘巨轮的沉没惨剧。
“泰坦尼克”起航后的第4天，它正行驶在北大西洋冰冷的海面上。突然，了望员发现一座冰山。警报响过不久，巨轮急转弯，以避免与冰山正面相撞。“泰坦尼克”这个弯拐得及时，紧贴着高出海面100英尺的巨大的冰墙擦过去。突然，从船舱下部传来一声微颤音，船长走下船舱去查看究竟。由于这个声音非常轻，没人会想到船身已遭损坏。在下面，船长惊恐的地发现“泰坦尼克”号正在急速下沉，16个密封舱已有5个进水。于是，他发出弃船的命令，几百人跳进了冰冷刺骨的海水里。由于没有足够的救生艇运载所有乘客，结果，1,500
人丧生。
Lesson11
Not
guilty
Going
through
the
Customs
is
a
tiresome
business.
The
strangest
thing
about
it
is
that
really
honest
people
are
often
made
to
feel
guilty.
The
hardened
professional
smuggler,
on
the
other
hand,
is
never
troubled
by
such
feelings,
even
if
he
has
five
hundred
gold
watches
hidden
in
his
suitcase.
When
I
returned
from
abroad
recently,
a
particularly
officious
young
Customs
Officer
clearly
regarded
me
as
a
smuggler.
'Have
you
anything
to
declare?'
he
asked,
looking
me
in
the
eye.
'No,'
I
answered
confidently.
'Would
you
mind
unlocking
this
suitcase
please
?'
'Not
at
all,'
I
answered.
The
Officer
went
through
the
case
with
great
care.
All
the
things
I
had
packed
so
carefully
were
soon
in
a
dreadful
mess.
I
felt
sure
I
would
never
be
able
to
close
the
case
again.
Suddenly,
I
saw
the
Officer's
face
light
up.
He
had
spotted
a
tiny
bottle
at
the
bottom
of
my
case
and
he
pounced
on
it
with
delight.
'Perfume,
eh?'
he
asked
sarcastically.
'You
should
have
declared
that.'
Perfume
is
not
exempt
from
import
duty.'
'But
it
isn't
perfume,'
I
said.'
It's
hair-oil.'
Then
I
added
with
a
smile,'
It's
a
strange
mixture
I
make
myself.'
As
I
expected,
he
did
not
believe
me.
'Try
it!'
I
said
encouragingly.
The
Officer
unscrewed
the
cap
and
put
the
bottle
to
his
nostrils.
He
was
greeted
by
an
unpleasant
smell
which
convinced
him
that
I
was
telling
the
truth.
A
few
minutes
later,
I
was
able
to
hurry
away
with
precious
chalk-marks
on
my
baggage.
?现在的海关官员往往相当宽容。但是，当你通过绿色通道，没有任何东西需要申报时，他们仍可以拦住你。甚至是最诚实的人也常弄得觉得有罪似的，而老练的职业走私犯却使手提箱里藏着500只金表，却也处之泰然。最近一次，我也出国归来，碰上一位特别好管闲事的年轻海关官员，他显然把我当成走私犯。
“您有什么需要申报的吗？”他直盯着我的眼睛问。
“没有。”我自信地回答说。
“请打开这只手提箱好吗？”
“好的。”我回答说。
那位官员十分仔细地把箱子检查了一遍。所有细心包装好的东西一会儿工夫就乱成一团。我相信那箱子再也关不上了。突然，我看到官员脸上露出了得意的神色。他在我的箱底发现了一只小瓶，高兴地一把抓了起来。
“香水，嗯？”他讥讽地说道，“你刚才应该申报，香水要上进口税的。”
“不，这不是香水，”我说，“是发胶。”接着我脸带微笑补充说：“这是一种我自己配制的奇特的混合物。”
“你就闻一闻吧！”我催促说。
海关官员拧开瓶盖，把瓶子放到鼻子底下。一股怪味袭来，使他相信了我说的真话。几分钟后，我终于被放行，手提划着宝贵的粉笔记号的行李，匆匆离去。
Lesson12
Life
on
a
desert
island
Most
of
us
have
formed
an
unrealistic
picture
of
life
on
a
desert
island.
We
sometimes
imagine
a
desert
island
to
be
a
sort
of
paradise
where
the
sun
always
shines.
Life
there
is
simple
and
good.
Ripe
fruit
falls
from
the
trees
and
you
never
have
to
work.
The
other
side
of
the
picture
is
quite
the
opposite.
Life
on
a
desert
island
is
wretched.
You
either
starve
to
death
or
live
like
Robinson
Crusoe,
waiting
for
a
boat
which
never
comes.
Perhaps
there
is
an
element
of
truth
in
both
these
pictures,
but
few
of
us
have
had
the
opportunity
to
find
out.
Two
men
who
recently
spent
five
days
on
a
coral
island
wished
they
had
stayed
there
longer.
They
were
taking
a
badly
damaged
boat
from
the
Virgin
Islands
to
Miami
to
have
it
repaired.
During
the
journey,
their
boat
began
to
sink.
They
quickly
loaded
a
small
rubber
dinghy
with
food,
matches,
and
tins
of
beer
and
rowed
for
a
few
miles
across
the
Caribbean
until
they
arrived
at
a
tiny
coral
island.
There
were
hardly
any
trees
on
the
island
and
there
was
no
water,
but
this
did
not
prove
to
be
a
problem.
The
men
collected
rain-water
in
the
rubber
dinghy.
As
they
had
brought
a
spear
gun
with
them,
they
had
plenty
to
eat.
They
caught
lobster
and
fish
every
day,
and,
as
one
of
them
put
it
'ate
like
kings'.
When
a
passing
tanker
rescued
them
five
days
later,
both
men
were
genuinely
sorry
that
they
had
to
leave.
我们许多人对于荒岛生活有一种不切实际的想法。我们有时想象荒岛是阳光终日普照的天堂。在那里，生活简单又美好。成熟的水果从树上掉下来，人们根本无需劳动。另一种想法恰恰相反，认为荒岛生活很可怕，要么饿死，要么像鲁滨孙那样，天天盼船来，却总没见船影。也许，这两种都像都有可信之处。但很少有人能有机会去弄个究竟。
最近有两个人在一座珊瑚岛上呆了5天，他们真希望在那儿再多呆一些日子。他们驾着一条严重损坏的小船从维尔京群岛阿密修理。途中，船开始下沉，他们迅速把食物、火柴、罐装啤酒往一只救生筏上装。然后在加勒比海上划行了几英里，到了一座珊瑚岛上。岛上几乎没有一颗树，也没有淡水，但这不算什么问题。他们用像皮艇蓄积雨水。由于他们随身带了一支捕鱼枪，因此，吃饭不愁。他们天天捕捉龙虾和鱼，正如其中一位所说，吃得“像国王一样好”。5天后，一条油轮从那儿路过，搭救了他们。这二位不得不离开那个荒岛时，还真的感到遗憾呢！
Lesson13
It’s
only
me
After
her
husband
had
gone
to
work,
Mrs
Richards
sent
her
children
to
school
and
went
upstairs
to
her
bedroom.
She
was
too
excited
to
do
any
housework
that
morning,
for
in
the
evening
she
would
be
going
to
a
fancy
dress
party
with
her
husband.
She
intended
to
dress
up
as
a
ghost
and
as
she
had
made
her
costume
the
night
before,
she
was
impatient
to
try
it
on.
Though
the
costume
consisted
only
of
a
sheet,
it
was
very
effective.
After
putting
it
on,
Mrs
Richards
went
downstairs.
She
wanted
to
find
out
whether
it
would
be
comfortable
to
wear.
Just
as
Mrs
Richards
was
entering
the
dining-room,
there
was
a
knock
on
the
front
door.
She
knew
that
it
must
be
the
baker.
She
had
told
him
to
come
straight
in
if
ever
she
failed
to
open
the
door
and
to
leave
the
bread
on
the
kitchen
table.
Not
wanting
to
frighten
the
poor
man,
Mrs
Richards
quickly
hid
in
the
small
store-room
under
the
stairs.
She
heard
the
front
door
open
and
heavy
footsteps
in
the
hall.
Suddenly
the
door
of
the
store-room
was
opened
and
a
man
entered.
Mrs
Richards
realized
that
it
must
be
the
man
from
the
Electricity
Board
who
had
come
to
read
the
meter.
She
tried
to
explain
the
situation,
saying'
It's
only
me',
but
it
was
too
late.
The
man
let
out
a
cry
and
jumped
back
several
paces.
When
Mrs
Richards
walked
towards
him,
he
fled,
slamming
the
door
behind
him.
?理查兹夫人等丈夫上班走后，把孩子送去上学，然后来到楼上自己的卧室。那天上午，她兴奋得什么家务活都不想做，因为晚上她要同丈夫一起参加一个化装舞会。她打算装扮成鬼的模样。头天晚上她已把化装服做好，这时她急于想试试。尽管化装服仅由一个被单制成，却十分逼真。理查兹夫人穿上化装服后下了楼，想看穿起来是否舒服。
理查兹夫人刚刚走进餐厅，前门就传来敲门声。她知道来了一定面包师。她曾告诉过面包师，如果她不去开门，他可直接进门，把面包放在厨房的桌上。理查兹夫人不想吓唬这个可怜人，便赶紧躲到了楼梯下的小储藏室里。她听见前门被打开，走廊里响起重重的脚步声。突然贮藏门开了，一个男人走了进来。理查兹夫人这才想到一定是供电局来人查电表了。她说了声“是我，别怕！”然后想进行一番解释，但已来不及了。那人大叫了一声，惊退了几步。理查兹夫人朝他走去，只见他“砰”的一声关上门逃走了。
Lesson14
A
noble
gangster
There
was
a
time
when
the
owners
of
shop
and
businesses
in
Chicago
had
to
pay
large
sums
of
money
to
gangsters
in
return
for'
protection'
If
the
money
was
not
paid
promptly,
the
gangsters
would
quickly
put
a
man
out
of
business
by
destroying
his
shop.
Obtaining
'protechon
money'
is
not
a
modern
crime.
As
long
ago
as
the
fourteenth
century,
an
Englishman,
Sir
John
Hawkwood,
made
the
remarkable
discovery
that
people
would
rather
pay
large
sums
of
money
than
have
their
life
work
destroyed
by
gangsters.
Six
hundred
years
ago,
Sir
John
Hawkwood
arrived
in
Italy
with
a
band
of
soldiers
and
settled
near
Florence.
He
soon
made
a
name
for
himself
and
came
to
be
known
to
the
Italians
as
Giovanni
Acuto.
Whenever
the
Italian
city-states
were
at
war
with
each
other,
Hawkwood
used
to
hire
his
soldiers
to
princes
who
were
willing
to
pay
the
high
price
he
demanded.
In
times
of
peace,
when
business
was
bad,
Hawkwood
and
his
men
would
march
into
a
city-state
and,
after
burning
down
a
few
farms,
would
offer
to
go
away
if
protection
money
was
paid
to
them.
Hawkwood
made
large
sums
of
money
in
this
way.
In
spite
of
this,
the
Italians
regarded
him
as
a
sort
of
hero.
When
he
died
at
the
age
of
eighty,
the
Florentines
gave
him
a
state
funeral
and
had
a
picture
painted
which
was
dedicated
to
the
memory
of
'the
most
valiant
soldier
and
most
notable
leader,
Signor
Giovanni
Haukodue'.
?曾经有一个时期,芝加哥的店主和商行的老板们不得不拿出大笔的钱给歹徒以换取"保护"。如果交款不及时,歹徒们就会很快捣毁他的商店,让他破产.榨取"保护金"并不是一种现代的罪恶行径.早在14世纪,英国人约翰.霍克伍德就有过非凡的发现:"人们情愿拿出大笔的钱,也不愿毕生的心血毁于歹徒之手.
600年前,约翰.霍克伍德爵士带着一队士兵来到意大利,在佛罗伦萨附近驻扎下来,很快就出了名.意大利人叫他乔凡尼.阿库托.每次意大利各城邦之间打伏,霍克伍德把他的士兵雇佣给愿给他出高价的君主。和平时期,当生意萧条时,霍克伍德便带领士兵进入某个城邦,纵火烧毁一两个农场,然后提出,如向他们缴纳保护金,他们便主动撤离。霍克伍德用这种方法挣了大笔钱.尽管如此,意大利人还是把他视作某种英雄。他80岁那年死去时,佛罗伦萨人为他举行了国葬,并为他画像以纪念这位"骁勇无比的战士、杰出的领袖乔凡尼.阿库托先生."
Lesson15
Fifty
pence
worth
of
trouble
Children
always
appreciate
small
gifts
of
money.
Father,
of
course,
provides
a
regular
supply
of
pocket-money,
but
uncles
and
aunts
are
always
a
source
of
extra
income.
With
some
children,
small
sums
go
a
long
way.
If
sixpences
are
not
exchanged
for
sweets,
they
rattle
for
months
inside
money-boxes.
Only
very
thrifty
children
manage
to
fill
up
a
money-box.
For
most
of
them,
sixpence
is
a
small
price
to
pay
for
a
satisfying
bar
of
chocolate.
My
nephew,
George,
has
a
money-box
but
it
is
always
empty.
Very
few
of
the
sixpences
I
have
given
him
have
found
their
way
there.
I
gave
him
sixpence
yesterday
and
advised
him
to
save
it.
Instead,
he
bought
himself
sixpence
worth
of
trouble.
On
his
way
to
the
sweet
shop,
he
dropped
his
sixpence
and
it
rolled
along
the
pavement
and
then
disappeared
down
a
drain.
George
took
off
his
jacket,
rolled
up
his
sleeves
and
pushed
his
right
arm
through
the
drain
cover.
He
could
not
find
his
sixpence
anywhere,
and
what
is
more,
he
could
not
get
his
arm
out.
A
crowd
of
people
gathered
round
him
and
a
lady
rubbed
his
arm
with
soap
and
butter,
but
George
was
firmly
stuck.
The
fire-brigade
was
called
and
two
firemen
freed
George
using
a
special
type
of
grease.
George
was
not
too
upset
by
his
experience
because
the
lady
who
owns
the
sweet
shop
heard
about
his
troubles
and
rewarded
him
with
a
large
box
of
chocolates.
?孩子们总是喜欢得到一些零花钱。爸爸妈妈当然经常给孩子零花钱，但是，叔舅婶姨也是孩子们额外收入来源。对于有些孩子来说，少量的钱可以花很长一段时间。如果50便士不拿来换糖吃，则可以放在储蓄罐里叮当响上好几月。但是能把储蓄罐装满的只有屈指可数的几个特别节俭的孩子。对大部分孩子来说，用50便士来买一大块好的巧克力，是算不了什么的。
我的外甥乔治有一个储蓄罐，但总是空空的。我给了不少50便士的硬币，但没有几个存到储蓄罐里。昨天，我给了他50便士让存起来，却拿这钱给自己买了50便士的麻烦。在他去糖果店的路上，50便士掉在地上，在人行道上跳了几下，掉进了阴沟里。乔治脱掉外套，卷起袖子，将右胳膊伸进了阴沟盖。但他摸了半天也没找到那50便士硬币，他的胳膊反倒退不出来了。这时在他周围上了许多人，一位女士在乔治胳膊上抹了肥皂，黄油，但乔治的胳膊仍然卡得紧紧的。有人打电话叫来消防队，两位消防队员使用了一种特殊的润滑剂才使乔治得以解脱。不过，此事并没使乔治过于伤心，因为糖果店老板娘听说了他遇到的麻烦后，赏给他一大盒巧克力。
Lesson16
Mary
had
a
little
lamb
Mary
and
her
husband
Dimitri
lived
in
the
tiny
village
of
Perachora
in
southern
Greece.
One
of
Mary's
prize
possessions
was
a
little
white
lamb
which
her
husband
had
given
her.
She
kept
it
tied
to
a
tree
in
a
field
during
the
day
and
went
to
fetch
it
every
evening.
One
evening,
however,
the
lamb
was
missing.
The
rope
had
been
cut,
so
it
was
obvious
that
the
lamb
had
been
stolen.
When
Dimitri
came
in
from
the
fields,
his
wife
told
him
what
had
happened.
Dimitri
at
once
set
out
to
find
the
thief.
He
knew
it
would
not
prove
difficult
in
such
a
small
village.
After
telling
several
of
his
friends
about
the
theft,
Dimitri
found
out
that
his
neighbour,
Aleko,
had
suddenly
acquired
a
new
lamb.
Dimitri
immediately
went
to
Aleko's
house
and
angrily
accused
him
of
stealing
the
lamb.
He
told
him
he
had
better
return
it
or
he
would
call
the
police.
Aleko
denied
taking
it
and
led
Dimitri
into
his
back-yard.
It
was
true
that
he
had
just
bought
a
lamb,
he
explained,
but
his
lamb
was
black.
Ashamed
of
having
acted
so
rashly,
Dimitri
apologized
to
Aleko
for
having
accused
him.
While
they
were
talking
it
began
to
rain
and
Dimitri
stayed
in
Aleko's
house
until
the
rain
stopped.
When
he
went
outside
half
an
hour
later,
he
was
astonished
to
find
that
the
little
black
lamb
was
almost
white.
Its
wool,
which
had
been
dyed
black,
had
been
washed
clean
by
the
rain
!
?玛丽与丈夫迪米特里住在希腊南部一个叫波拉考拉的小村庄里。玛丽最珍贵的财产之一就是丈夫送给她的一只白色小羔羊。白天，玛丽把羔羊拴在地里的一颗树上，每天晚上把它牵回家。可是，一天晚上，那只小羔羊失踪了。绳子被人割断，很明显小羔羊是被人偷走了。
迪米特里从地里回来，妻子把情况跟他一说，他马上出去找偷羔羊的人。他知道在这样一个小村庄里抓住小偷并不困难。把失窃的事告诉几个朋友后，迪米特里发出他的邻居阿列科家突然多了一只小羔羊。迪米特里立刻去了阿列科家，气呼呼地指责他偷了羔羊，告诉他最好把羊交还，否则就去叫警察。阿列科不承认，并把迪米特里领进院子。不错，他的确刚买了一只羔羊，阿列科解释说，但他的羔羊是黑色的。迪米特里为自己的鲁莽而感到不好意思，向阿列科道了歉，说是错怪了他。就在他俩说话的时候，天下起了雨，迪米特里便呆在阿列科家里避雨，一直等到雨停为止。半小时后，当他从屋里出来时，他惊奇地发现小黑羔羊全身几乎都变成白色。原来羊毛上染的黑色被雨水冲掉了！

Lesson17
The
longest
suspension
bridge
in
the
world
Verrazano,
an
Italian
about
whom
little
is
known,
sailed
into
New
York
Harbour
in
1524
and
named
it
Angouleme.
He
described
it
as
'a
very
agreeable
situation
located
within
two
small
hills
in
the
midst
of
which
flowed
a
great
river.'
Though
Verrazano
is
by
no
means
considered
to
be
a
great
explorer,
his
name
will
probably
remain
immortal,
for
on
November
21st,
1964,
the
greatest
bridge
in
the
world
was
named
after
him.
The
Verrazano
Bridge,
which
was
designed
by
Othmar
Ammann,
joins
Brooklyn
to
Staten
Island.
It
has
a
span
of
4260
feet.
The
bridge
is
so
long
that
the
shape
of
the
earth
had
to
be
taken
into
account
by
its
designer.
Two
great
towers
support
four
huge
cables.
The
towers
are
built
on
immense
underwater
platforms
made
of
steel
and
concrete.
The
platforms
extend
to
a
depth
of
over
100
feet
under
the
sea.
These
alone
took
sixteen
months
to
build.
Above
the
surface
of
the
water,
the
towers
rise
to
a
height
of
nearly
700
feet.
They
support
the
cables
from
which
the
bridge
has
been
suspended.
Each
of
the
four
cables
contains
26,108
lengths
of
wire.
It
has
been
estimated
that
if
the
bridge
were
packed
with
cars,
it
would
still
only
be
carrying
a
third
of
its
total
capacity.
However,
size
and
strength
are
not
the
only
important
things
about
this
bridge.
Despite
its
immensity,
it
is
both
simple
and
elegant,
fulfilling
its
designer's
dream
to
create
'an
enormous
object
drawn
as
faintly
as
possible'.
?1524年，一位鲜为人知的意大利人维拉萨诺驾船驶进纽约港，并将该港名为安古拉姆。他对该港作了这样的描述：“地理位置十分适宜，位于两座小山的中间，一条大河从中间流过”。虽然维拉萨诺绝对算不上一个伟大的探险家，但他的名字将流芳百世，因为1964年11月21日建成的一座世界上最长的吊桥是以他的名字命名。
维拉萨诺大桥由奥斯马.阿曼设计，连结着布鲁克林与斯塔顿岛，桥长4,260英尺。由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。平台深入海底100英尺。仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。塔身高出水面将近700英尺。高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。据估计，若桥上摆满了汽车，也只不过是桥的总承载力的1/3。然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，实现了设计者企图创造一个“尽量用细线条勾画出一个庞然大物”的梦想。
Lesson18
Electric
currents
in
modern
art
Modern
sculpture
rarely
surprises
us
any
more.
The
idea
that
modern
art
can
only
be
seen
in
museums
is
mistaken.
Even
people
who
take
no
interest
in
art
cannot
have
failed
to
notice
examples
of
modern
sculpture
on
display
in
public
places.
Strange
forms
stand
in
gardens,
and
outside
buildings
and
shops.
We
have
got
quite
used
to
them.
Some
so-called
'modern'
pieces
have
been
on
display
for
nearly
fifty
years.
In
spite
of
this,
some
people--including
myself--were
surprised
by
a
recent
exhibition
of
modern
sculpture.
The
first
thing
I
saw
when
I
entered
the
art
gallery
was
a
notice
which
said:
'Do
not
touch
the
exhibits.
Some
of
them
are
dangerous!'
The
objects
on
display
were
pieces
of
moving
sculpture.
Oddly
shaped
forms
that
are
suspended
from
the
ceiling
and
move
in
response
to
a
gust
of
wind
are
quite
familiar
to
everybody.
These
objects,
however,
were
different.
Lined
up
against
the
wall,
there
were
long
thin
wires
attached
to
metal
spheres.
The
spheres
had
been
magnetized
and
attracted
or
repelled
each
other
all
the
time.
In
the
centre
of
the
hall,
there
were
a
number
of
tall
structures
which
contained
coloured
lights.
These
lights
flickered
continuously
like
traffic
lights
which
have
gone
mad.
Sparks
were
emitted
from
small
black
boxes
and
red
lamps
flashed
on
and
off
angrily.
It
was
rather
like
an
exhibition
of
prehistoric
electronic
equipment.
These
Peculiar
forms
not
only
seemed
designed
to
shock
people
emotionally,
but
to
give
them
electric
shocks
as
well
!
?现代雕塑不再使我们感到惊讶了。那种认为现代艺术只能在博物馆里才能看到的观点是错误的。即使是对艺术不感兴趣的人也不会注意到在公共场所展示的现代艺术品。公园里、大楼和商店外竖立着的奇形怪状的雕塑，对这些，我们已经司空见惯了。有些所谓的“现代”艺术品在那里已经陈列了近80年了。
尽管如此，最近举办的一次现代雕塑展览还是使一些人（包括我在内）大吃了一惊。走进展厅首先看到的是一张告示，上面写着“切勿触摸展品，某些展品有危险！”展品都是些活动的雕像。人们所熟悉的是悬挂在天花板上、造型奇特、随风飘荡的雕塑品。这些展品却使人大开眼界。靠墙排列着许多细长的电线，而电线又连着金属球。金属球经过磁化，互相之间不停地相互吸引或相互排斥。展厅中央是装有彩色灯泡的许多高高的构件，灯泡一刻不停地闪烁着，就像失去了控制的红绿灯。小黑盒子里迸出火花，红色灯泡发怒似地忽明忽暗。这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。好像设计这些奇形怪状的展品不仅是为了给人感情上的强烈刺激，而且还想给人以电击似的！
Lesson19
A
very
dear
cat
Kidnappers
are
rarely
interested
in
Animals,
but
they
recently
took
considerable
interest
in
Mrs
Eleanor
Ramsay's
cat.
Mrs
Eleanor
Ramsay,
a
very
wealthy
old
lady,
has
shared
a
flat
with
her
cat,
Rastus,
for
a
great
many
years.
Rastus
leads
an
orderly
life.
He
usually
takes
a
short
walk
in
the
evenings
and
is
always
home
by
seven
o'clock.
One
evening,
however,
he
failed
to
arrive.
Mrs
Ramsay
got
very
worried.
She
looked
everywhere
for
him
but
could
not
find
him.
Three
day
after
Rastus'
disappearance,
Mrs
Ramsay
received
an
anonymous
letter.
The
writer
stated
that
Rastus
was
in
safe
hands
and
would
be
returned
immediately
if
Mrs
Ramsay
paid
a
ransom
of
&1000.
Mrs
Ramsay
was
instructed
to
place
the
money
in
a
cardboard
box
and
to
leave
it
outside
her
door.
At
first,
she
decided
to
go
to
the
police,
but
fearing
that
she
would
never
see
Rastus
again
--the
letter
had
made
that
quite
clear--she
changed
her
mind.
She
drew
&1000
from
her
bank
and
followed
the
kidnapper's
instructions.
The
next
morning,
the
box
had
disappeared
but
Mrs
Ramsay
was
sure
that
the
kidnapper
would
keep
his
word.
Sure
enough,
Rastus
arrived
punctually
at
seven
o'clock
that
evening.
He
looked
very
well,
though
he
was
rather
thirsty,
for
he
drank
half
a
bottle
of
milk.
The
police
were
astounded
when
Mrs
Ramsay
told
them
what
she
had
done.
She
explained
that
Rastus
was
very
dear
to
her.
Considering
the
amount
she
paid,
he
was
dear
in
more
ways
than
one!
?绑架者很少对动物感兴趣。最近，绑架者却盯上了埃莉诺.拉姆齐太太的猫。埃莉诺.拉姆齐太太是一个非常富有的老妇人，多年来，一直同她养的猫拉斯一起住在一所公寓里。拉斯特斯生活很有规律，傍晚常常出去溜达一会儿，并且总是在7点钟以前回来。可是，有一天晚上，它出去后再也没回来。拉姆齐太太急坏了，四处寻找，但没有找着。
拉斯特斯失踪3天后，拉姆齐太太收到一封匿名信。写信人声称拉斯特斯安然无恙，只要拉姆齐太太愿意支付1,000
英镑赎金，可以立即将猫送还。他让拉姆齐太太把钱放在一个纸盒里，然后将纸盒放在门口。一开始拉姆齐太太打算报告警察，但又害怕再也见不到拉斯特斯——这点，信上说得十分明白——于是便改变了主意。她从银行取出1,000
英镑，并照绑架者的要求做了。第二天早晨，放钱的盒子不见了。但拉姆齐太太确信绑架者是会履行诺言的。果然，当天晚上7点正，拉斯特斯准时回来了。它看上去一切正常，只是口渴得很，喝了半瓶牛奶。拉姆齐太太把她所做的事告诉了警察，警察听后大为吃惊。拉姆齐太太解释说她心疼她的猫拉斯特斯。想到她所花的那笔钱，她的心疼就具有双重意义了。
Lesson20
Pioneer
pilots
In
1908
Lord
Northcliffe
offered
a
prize
of
&1000
to
the
first
man
who
would
fly
across
the
English
Channel.
Over
a
year
passed
before
the
first
attempt
was
made.
On
July
19th,
1909,
in
the
early
morning,
Hubert
Latham
took
off
from
the
French
coast
in
his
plane
the
'Antoinette
IV'.
He
had
travelled
only
seven
miles
across
the
Channel
when
his
engine
failed
and
he
was
forced
to
land
on
the
sea.
The
'Antoinette'
floated
on
the
water
until
Latham
was
picked
up
by
a
ship.
Two
days
later,
Louis
Bleriot
arrived
near
Calais
with
a
plane
called
'No.
XI'.
Bleriot
had
been
making
planes
since
1905
and
this
was
his
latest
model.
A
week
before,
he
had
completed
a
successful
overland
flight
during
which
he
covered
twenty-six
miles.
Latham,
however
did
not
give
up
easily.
He,
too,
arrived
near
Calais
on
the
same
day
with
a
new
'Antonette'.
It
looks
as
if
there
would
be
an
exciting
race
across
the
Channel.
Both
planes
were
going
to
take
off
on
July
25th,
but
Latham
failed
to
get
up
early
enough.
After
making
a
short
test
flight
at
4.15
a.m.,
Bleriot
set
off
half
an
hour
later.
His
great
flight
lasted
thirty
seven
minutes.
When
he
landed
near
Dover,
the
first
person
to
greet
him
was
a
local
policeman.
Latham
made
another
attempt
a
week
later
and
got
within
half
a
mile
of
Dover,
but
he
was
unlucky
again.
His
engine
failed
and
he
landed
on
the
sea
for
the
second
time.
?1908年，诺斯克利夫勋爵拿出1,000英镑，作为对第一个飞越英吉利海峡的人的奖励。然而一年多过去了才有人出来尝试。1909年7月19日凌晨，休伯特.莱瑟姆驾驶“安特瓦特4号”飞机从法国海岸起飞，但他只在海峡上空飞行7英里，引擎就发生了故障，他只好降落在海面上。“安特瓦特”号飞机在海上漂浮，后来有船经过，莱瑟姆方才获救。
两天之后，路易斯.布莱里奥驾驶一名为“11号”的飞机来到加来附近。布莱里奥从1905年起便开始研制飞机，“11号”飞机是他制作的最新型号。一周以前，他曾成功地进行了一次26英里的陆上飞行。但是莱瑟姆不肯轻易罢休。同一天，他驾驶一架新的“安特瓦特”号飞机来到了加来附近。看来会有一场激烈的飞越英吉利海峡的竞争。两天飞机都打算在7月25日起飞，但莱瑟姆那天起床晚了。布莱里奥凌晨4点15分作了一次短距离试飞，半小时后便正式出发了。他这次伟大的飞行持续37分钟。当他在多佛着陆后，第一个迎接他的是当地一名警察。莱瑟姆一周以后也作了一次尝试，飞到离多佛不到半英里的地方。这次他又遭厄运，因引擎故障第二次降落在海面上。
Lesson21
Daniel
Mendoza
Boxing
matches
were
very
popular
in
England
two
hundred
years
ago.
In
those
days,
boxers
fought
with
bare
fists
for
Prize
money.
Because
of
this,
they
were
known
as
'prize-fighters'.
However,
boxing
was
very
crude,
for
there
were
no
rules
and
a
prize-fighter
could
be
seriously
injured
or
even
killed
during
a
match.
One
of
the
most
colourful
figures
in
boxing
history
was
Daniel
Mendoza
who
was
born
in
1764.
The
use
of
gloves
was
not
introduced
until
1860
when
the
Marquis
of
Queensberry
drew
up
the
first
set
Of
rules.
Though
he
was
technically
a
prize-fighter,
Mendoza
did
much
to
change
crude
prize-fighting
into
a
sport,
for
he
brought
science
to
the
game.
In
his
day,
Mendoza
enjoyed
tremendous
popularity.
He
was
adored
by
rich
and
poor
alike.
Mendoza
rose
to
fame
swiftly
after
a
boxing-match
when
he
was
only
fourteen
years
old.
This
attracted
the
attention
of
Richard
Humphries
who
was
then
the
most
eminent
boxer
in
England.
He
offered
to
train
Mendoza
and
his
young
pupil
was
quick
to
learn.
In
fact,
Mendoza
soon
became
so
successful
that
Humphries
turned
against
him.
The
two
men
quarrelled
bitterly
and
it
was
clear
that
the
argument
could
only
be
settled
by
a
fight.
A
match
was
held
at
Stilton
where
both
men
fought
for
an
hour.
The
public
bet
a
great
deal
of
money
on
Mendoza,
but
he
was
defeated.
Mendoza
met
Humphries
in
the
ring
on
a
later
occasion
and
he
lost
for
a
second
time.
It
was
not
until
his
third
match
in
1790
that
he
finally
beat
Humphries
and
became
Champion
of
England.
Meanwhile,
he
founded
a
highly
successful
Academy
and
even
Lord
Byron
became
one
of
his
pupils.
He
earned
enormous
sums
of
money
and
was
paid
as
much
as
&100
for
a
single
appearance.
Despite
this,
he
was
so
extravagant
that
he
was
always
in
debt.
After
he
was
defeated
by
a
boxer
called
Gentleman
Jackson,
he
was
quickly
forgotten.
He
was
sent
to
prison
for
failing
to
pay
his
debts
and
died
in
poverty
in
1836.
?两百年前，拳击比赛在英国非常盛行。当时，拳击手们不戴手套，为争夺奖金而搏斗。因此，他们被称作“职业拳击手”。不过，拳击是十分野蛮的，因为当时没有任何比赛规则，职业拳击手有可能在比赛中受重伤，甚至丧命。
拳击史上最引人注目的人物之一是丹尼尔.门多萨，他生于1764年。1860年昆斯伯里侯爵第一次为拳击比赛制定了规则，拳击比赛这才用上了手套。虽然门多萨严格来讲不过是个职业拳击手，但在把这种粗野的拳击变成一种体育运动方面，他作出了重大贡献。是他把科学引进了这项运动。门多萨在的全盛时期深受大家欢迎，无论是富人还是穷人都对他祟拜备至。
门多萨在14岁时参加一场拳击赛后一举成名。这引起当时英国拳坛名将理查德.汉弗莱斯的注意。他主动提出教授门多萨，而年少的门多萨一学就会。事实上，门多萨不久便名声大振，致使汉弗莱斯与他反目为敌。两个人争吵不休，显而易见，只有较量一番才能解决问题。于是两人在斯蒂尔顿设下赛场，厮打了一个小时。公众把大笔赌注下到了门多萨身上，但他却输了。后来，门多萨与汉弗莱斯再次在拳击场上较量，门多萨又输了一场。直到1790年他们第3次对垒，门多萨才终于击败汉弗莱斯，成了全英拳击冠军。同时，他建立了一所拳击学校，办得很成功，连拜伦勋爵也成了他的学生。门多萨挣来大笔大笔的钱，一次出场费就多可达100英镑。尽管收入不少，但他挥霍无度，经常债台高筑。他在被一个叫杰克逊绅士的拳击手击败后很快被遗忘。他因无力还债而被捕入狱，最后于1836年在贫困中死去。
Lesson22
By
heart
Some
plays
are
so
successful
that
they
run
for
years
on
end.
In
many
ways,
this
is
unfortunate
for
the
poor
actors
who
are
required
to
go
on
repeating
the
same
lines
night
after
night.
One
would
expect
them
to
know
their
parts
by
heart
and
never
have
cause
to
falter.
Yet
this
is
not
always
the
case.
A
famous
actor
in
a
highly
successful
play
was
once
cast
in
the
role
of
an
aristocrat
who
had
been
imprisoned
in
the
Bastille
for
twenty
years.
In
the
last
act,
a
gaoler
would
always
come
on
to
the
stage
with
a
letter
which
he
would
hand
to
the
prisoner.
Even
though
the
noble
was
expected
to
read
the
letter
at
each
performance,
he
always
insisted
that
it
should
be
written
out
in
full.
One
night,
the
gaoler
decided
to
play
a
joke
on
his
colleague
to
find
out
if,
after
so
many
performances,
he
had
managed
to
learn
the
contents
of
the
letter
by
heart.
The
curtain
went
up
on
the
final
act
of
the
play
and
revealed
the
aristocrat
sitting
alone
behind
bars
in
his
dark
cell.
Just
then,
the
gaoler
appeared
with
the
precious
letter
in
his
hands.
He
entered
the
cell
and
presented
the
letter
to
the
aristocrat.
But
the
copy
he
gave
him
had
not
been
written
out
in
full
as
usual.
It
was
simply
a
blank
sheet
of
paper.
The
gaoler
looked
on
eagerly,
anxious
to
see
if
his
fellow-actor
had
at
last
learnt
his
lines.
The
noble
stared
at
the
blank
sheet
of
paper
for
a
few
seconds.
Then,
squinting
his
eyes,
he
said:
'The
light
is
dim.
Read
the
letter
to
me.'
And
he
promptly
handed
the
sheet
of
paper
to
the
gaoler.
Finding
that
he
could
not
remember
a
word
of
the
letter
either,
the
gaoler
replied:
'The
light
is
indeed
dim,
sire.
I
must
get
my
glasses.'
With
this,
he
hurried
off
the
stage.
Much
to
the
aristocrat's
amusement,
the
gaoler
returned
a
few
moments
later
with
a
pair
of
glasses
and
the
usual
copy
of
the
letter
which
he
proceeded
to
read
to
the
prisoner.
?有些剧目十分成功，以致连续上演好几年。这样一来，可怜的演员们可倒霉了。因为他们需要一夜连着一夜地重复同样的台词。人们以为，这些演员一定会把台词背得烂熟，绝不会临场结巴的，但情况却并不总是这样。
有一位名演员曾在一出极为成功的剧目中扮演一个贵族角色，这个贵族已在巴士底狱被关押了20年。在最后一幕中，狱卒手持一封信上场，然后将信交给狱中那位贵族。尽管那个贵族每场戏都得念一遍那封信。但他还是坚持要求将信的全文写在信纸上。
一天晚上，狱卒决定与他的同事开一个玩笑，看看他反复演出这么多场之后，是否已将信的内容记熟了。大幕拉开，最后一幕戏开演，贵族独自一人坐在铁窗后阴暗的牢房里。这时狱卒上场，手里拿着那封珍贵的信。狱卒走进牢房，将信交给贵族。但这回狱卒给贵族的信没有像往常那样把全文写全，而是一张白纸。狱卒热切地观察着，急于想了解他的同事是否记熟了台词。贵族盯着纸看了几秒钟，然后，眼珠一转，说道：“光线太暗，请给我读一下这封信。”说完，他一下子把信递给狱卒。狱卒发现自己连一个字也记不住，于是便说：“陛下，这儿光线的确太暗了，我得去眼镜拿来。”他一边说着，一边匆匆下台。贵族感到非常好笑的是：一会儿工夫，狱卒重新登台，拿来一副眼镜以及平时使用的那封信，然后为那囚犯念了起来。
Lesson23
One
man’s
meat
is
another
man’s
poison
People
become
quite
illogical
when
they
try
to
decide
what
can
be
eaten
and
what
cannot
be
eaten.
If
you
lived
in
the
Mediterranean,
for
instance,
you
would
consider
octopus
a
great
delicacy.
You
would
not
be
able
to
understand
why
some
people
find
it
repulsive.
On
the
other
hand,
your
stomach
would
turn
at
the
idea
of
frying
potatoes
in
animal
fat--
the
normally
accepted
practice
in
many
northern
countries.
The
sad
truth
is
that
most
of
us
have
been
brought
up
to
eat
certain
foods
and
we
stick
to
them
all
our
lives.
No
creature
has
received
more
praise
and
abuse
than
the
common
garden
snail.
Cooked
in
wine,
snails
are
a
great
luxury
in
various
parts
of
the
world.
There
are
countless
people
who,
ever
since
their
early
years,
have
learned
to
associate
snails
with
food.
My
friend,
Robert,
lives
in
a
country
where
snails
are
despised.
As
his
flat
is
in
a
large
town,
he
has
no
garden
of
his
own.
For
years
he
has
been
asking
me
to
collect
snails
from
my
garden
and
take
them
to
him.
The
idea
never
appealed
to
me
very
much,
but
one
day,
after
a
heavy
shower,
I
happened
to
be
walking
in
my
garden
when
I
noticed
a
huge
number
of
snails
taking
a
stroll
on
some
of
my
prize
plants.
Acting
on
a
sudden
impulse,
I
collected
several
dozen,
put
them
in
a
paper
bag,
and
took
them
to
Robert.
Robert
was
delighted
to
see
me
and
equally
pleased
with
my
little
gift.
I
left
the
bag
in
the
hall
and
Robert
and
?I
went
into
the
living-room
where
we
talked
for
a
couple
of
hours.
I
had
forgotten
all
about
the
snails
when
Robert
suddenly
said
that
I
must
stay
to
dinner.
Snails
would,
of
course,
be
the
main
dish.
I
did
not
fancy
the
idea
and
I
reluctantly
followed
Robert
out
of
the
room.
To
our
dismay,
we
saw
that
there
were
snails
everywhere:
they
had
escaped
from
the
paper
bag
and
had
taken
complete
possession
of
the
hall!
I
have
never
been
able
to
look
at
a
snail
since
then.
?在决定什么能吃而什么不能吃的时候，人们往往变得不合情理。比如，如果你住在地中海地区，你会把章鱼视作是美味佳肴，同时不能理解为什么有人一见章鱼就恶心。另一方面，你一想到动物油炸土豆就会反胃，但这在北方许多国家却是一种普通的烹任方法。不无遗憾的是，
我们中的大部分人，生来就只吃某几种食品，而且一辈子都这样。
没有一种生物所受到的赞美和厌恶会超过花园里常见的蜗牛了。蜗牛加酒烧煮后，便成了世界上许多地方的一道珍奇的名菜。有不计其数的人们从小就知道蜗牛可做菜。但我的朋友罗伯特却住在一个厌恶蜗牛的国家中。他住在大城市里的一所公寓里，没有自己的花园。多年来，他一直让我把我园子里的蜗牛收集起来给他捎去。一开始，他的这一想法没有引起我多大兴趣。后来有一天，一场大雨后，我在花园里漫无目的散步，突然注意到许许多多蜗牛在我的一些心爱的花木上慢悠悠的蠕动着。我一时冲动，逮了几十只，装进一只纸袋里，带着去找罗伯特。罗伯特见到我很高兴，对我的薄礼也感到满意。我把纸袋放在门厅里，与罗伯特一起进了起居室，在那里聊了好几个钟头。我把蜗牛的事已忘得一干二净，罗伯特突然提出一定要我留下来吃晚饭，这才提醒了我。蜗牛当然是道主菜。我并不喜欢这个主意，所以我勉强跟着罗伯特走进了起居室。使我们惊愕的是门厅里到处爬满了蜗牛：它们从纸袋里逃了出来，爬得满厅都是！从那以后，我再也不能看一眼蜗牛了。
Lesson24
A
skeleton
in
the
cupboard
We
often
read
in
novels
how
a
seemingly
respectable
person
or
family
has
some
terrible
secret
which
has
been
concealed
from
strangers
for
years.
The
English
language
possesses
a
vivid
saying
to
describe
this
sort
of
situation.
The
terrible
secret
is
called
'a
skeleton
in
the
cup
board
'.
At
some
dramatic
moment
in
the
story
the
terrible
secret
becomes
known
and
a
reputation
is
ruined.
The
reader's
hair
stands
on
end
when
he
reads
in
the
final
pages
of
the
novel
that
the
heroine,
a
dear
old
lady
who
had
always
been
so
kind
to
everybody,
had,
in
her
youth,
poisoned
every
one
of
her
five
husbands.
It
is
all
very
well
for
such
things
to
occur
in
fiction.
To
varying
degrees,
we
all
have
secrets
which
we
do
not
want
even
our
closest
friends
to
learn,
but
few
of
us
have
skeletons
in
the
cupboard.
The
only
person
I
know
who
has
a
skeleton
in
the
cupboard
is
George
Carlton,
and
he
is
very
proud
of
the
fact.
George
studied
medicine
in
his
youth.
Instead
of
becoming
a
doctor,
however,
he
became
a
successful
writer
of
detective
stories.
I
once
spent
an
uncomfortable
week-end
which
I
shall
never
forget
at
his
house.
George
showed
me
to
the
guestroom
which,
he
said,
was
rarely
used.
He
told
me
to
unpack
my
things
and
then
come
down
to
dinner.
After
I
had
stacked
my
shirts
and
underclothes
in
two
empty
drawers,
I
decided
to
hang
in
the
cupboard
one
of
the
two
suits
I
had
brought
with
me.
I
opened
the
cupboard
door
and
then
stood
in
front
of
it
petrified.
A
skeleton
was
dangling
before
my
eyes.
The
sudden
movement
of
the
door
made
it
sway
slightly
and
it
gave
me
the
impression
that
it
was
about
to
leap
out
at
me.
Dropping
my
suit,
I
dashed
downstairs
to
tell
George.
This
was
worse
than
'a
terrible
secret';
this
was
a
real
skeleton
!
But
George
was
unsympathetic.
'Oh,
that,'
he
said
with
a
smile
as
if
he
were
talking
about
an
old
friend.
'That's
Sebastian.
You
forget
that
I
was
a
medical
student
once
upon
a
time.'
?在小说中，我们经常读到一个表面上受人尊重的人物或家庭，却有着某种多年不为人所知的骇人听闻的秘密。英语中有一个生动的说法来形容这种情况。惊人的秘密称作“柜中骷髅”。在小说的某个戏剧性时刻，可怕的秘密泄漏出来，接着便是某人的声誉扫地。当读者到小说最后几页了解到书中女主人公，那位一向待大家很好的可爱的老妇人年轻时一连毒死了她的5个丈夫时，不禁会毛骨悚然。
这种事发生在小说中是无可非议的。尽管我们人人都有各种大小秘密。连最亲密的朋友都不愿让他们知道，
但我们当中极少有人有柜中骷髅。我所认识的唯一的在柜中藏骷嵝的人便是乔治.卡尔顿，他甚至引以为自豪。乔治年轻时学过医，然而，他后来没当上医生，却成了一位成功的侦探小说作家。有一次，我在他家里度周末，过得很不愉快。这事我永远不会忘记。乔治把我领进客房，说这间很少使用。他让我打开行装后下楼吃饭。我将衬衫、内衣放进两个空抽屉里，然后我想把随身带来的两套西服中的一套挂到大衣柜里去。我打开柜门，站在柜门前一下惊呆了。一具骷髅悬挂在眼前，由于柜门突然打开，它也随之轻微摇晃起来，让我觉得它好像马上要跳出柜门朝我扑过来似的。我扔下西服冲下楼去告诉乔治。这是比“骇人听闻的秘密”更加惊人的东西，这是一具真正的骷髅啊！但乔治却无动于衷。“噢，是它呀！他笑着说道，俨然在谈论一位老朋友。“那是塞巴斯蒂安。你忘了我以前是学医的了。”
Lesson25
The
Cutty
Sark
One
of
the
most
famous
sailing
ships
of
the
nineteenth
century,
the
Cutty
Sark,
can
still
be
seen
at
Greenwich.
She
stands
on
dry
land
and
is
visited
by
thousands
of
people
each
year.
She
serves
as
an
impressive
reminder
of
the
great
ships
of
the
past.
Before
they
were
replaced
by
steam-ships,
sailing
vessels
like
the
Cutty
Sark
were
used
to
carry
tea
from
China
and
wool
from
Australia.
?The
Cutty
Sark
was
one
of
the
fastest
sailing
ships
that
has
ever
been
built.
The
only
other
ship
to
match
her
was
the
Thermopylae.
Both
these
ships
set
out
from
Shanghai
on
June
18th,
1872
on
an
exciting
race
to
England.
This
race,
which
went
on
for
exactly
four
months,
was
the
last
of
its
kind.
It
marked
the
end
of
the
great
tradition
of
ships
with
sails
and
the
beginning
of
a
new
era.
The
first
of
the
two
ships
to
reach
Java
after
the
race
had
begun
was
the
Thermopylae,
but
on
the
Indian
Ocean,
the
Cutty
Sark
took
the
lead.
It
seemed
certain
that
she
would
be
the
first
ship
home,
but
during
the
race
she
had
a
lot
of
bad
luck.
In
August,
she
was
struck
by
a
very
heavy
storm
during
which
her
rudder
was
torn
away.
The
Cutty
Sark
rolled
from
side
to
side
and
it
became
impossible
to
steer
her.
A
temporary
rudder
was
made
on
board
from
spare
planks
and
it
was
fitted
with
great
difficulty.
This
greatly
reduced
the
speed
of
the
ship,
for
there
was
danger
that
if
she
travelled
too
quickly,
this
rudder
would
be
torn
away
as
well.
Because
of
this,
the
Cutty
Sark
lost
her
lead.
After
crossing
the
equator
,
the
captain
called
in
at
a
port
to
have
a
new
rudder
fitted,
but
by
now
the
Thermopylae
was
over
five
hundred
miles
ahead.
Though
the
new
rudder
was
fitted
at
tremendous
speed,
it
was
impossible
for
the
Cutty
Sark
to
win.
She
arrived
in
England
a
week
after
the
Thermopylae.
Even
this
was
remarkable,
considering
that
she
had
had
so
many
delays.
There
is
no
doubt
that
if
she
had
not
lost
her
rudder
she
would
have
won
the
race
easily.
?人们在格林威治仍可看到19世纪最有名的帆船之一“卡蒂萨克”号。它停在陆地上，每年接待成千上万的参观者。它给人们留下深刻的印象，使人们回忆起历史上的巨型帆船，在蒸汽船取代帆船之前。“卡蒂萨克”号之类的帆船被用来从中国运回茶叶，从澳大利亚运回羊毛。“卡蒂萨克”号是帆船制造史上建造的最快的一艘帆船。唯一可以与之一比高低的是“塞姆皮雷”号帆船。两船于1872年6月18日同时从上海启航驶往英国，途中展开了一场激烈的比赛。这场比赛持续了整整4个月，是这类比赛中的最后一次，它标志着帆船伟大传统的结束与一个新纪元的开始。
比赛开始后，“赛姆皮雷”号率先抵达爪哇岛。但在印度洋上，“卡萨萨克”号驶到了前面。看来，它首先返抵英国是确信无疑的了，但它却在比赛中连遭厄运。8月份“卡蒂萨克”号遭到一场特大风暴的袭击，失去了一只舵。船身左右摇晃，无法操纵。船员用备用的木板在船上赶制了一只应急用的舵，并克服重重困难将舵安装就位，这样一来，大大降低了船的航速。因为船不能开得太快，否则就有危险，应急舵也会被刮走。因为这个缘故，“卡蒂萨克”号落到了后面。跨越赤道后，船长将船停靠在一个港口，在那儿换了一只舵。但此时，“赛姆皮雷”号早已在500多英里之遥了。尽管换装新舵时分秒必争，但“卡蒂萨克”号已经不可能取胜了，它抵达英国时比“塞姆皮雷”号晚了1个星期。但考虑到路上的多次耽搁，这个成绩也已很不容易了。毫无疑问，如果中途没有失去舵，
“卡帝萨克”号肯定能在比赛中轻易夺冠。Lesson26
Wanted:
a
large
biscuit
tin
No
one
can
avoid
being
influenced
by
advertisements.
Much
as
we
may
pride
ourselves
on
our
good
taste,
we
are
no
longer
free
to
choose
the
things
we
want,
for
advertising
exerts
a
subtle
influence
on
us.
In
their
efforts
to
persuade
us
to
buy
this
or
that
product,
advertisers
have
made
a
close
study
of
human
nature
and
have
classified
all
our
little
weaknesses.
Advertisers
discovered
years
ago
that
all
of
us
love
to
get
something
for
nothing.
An
advertisement
which
begins
with
the
magic
word
FREE
can
rarely
go
wrong.
These
days,
advertisers
not
only
offer
free
samples
but
free
cars,
free
houses,
and
free
trips
round
the
world
as
well.
They
devise
hundreds
of
competitions
which
will
enable
us
to
win
huge
sums
of
money.
Radio
and
television
have
made
it
possible
for
advertisers
to
capture
the
attention
of
millions
of
people
in
this
way.
During
a
radio
programme,
a
company
of
biscuit
manufacturers
once
asked
listeners
to
bake
biscuits
and
send
them
to
their
factory.
They
offered
to
pay
$2
a
pound
for
the
biggest
biscuit
baked
by
a
listener.
The
response
to
this
competition
was
tremendous.
Before
long,
biscuits
of
all
shapes
and
sizes
began
arriving
at
the
factory.
One
lady
brought
in
a
biscuit
on
a
wheelbarrow.
It
weighed
nearly
500
pounds.
A
little
later,
a
man
came
along
with
a
biscuit
which
occupied
the
whole
boot
of
his
car.
All
the
biscuits
that
were
sent
were
carefully
weighed.
The
largest
was
713
pounds.
It
seemed
certain
that
this
would
win
the
prize.
But
just
before
the
competition
closed,
a
lorry
arrived
at
the
factory
with
a
truly
colossal
biscuit
which
weighed
2400
pounds.
It
had
been
baked
by
a
college
student
who
had
used
over
1000
pounds
of
flour,
800
pounds
of
sugar,
200
pounds
of
fat,
and
400
pounds
of
various
other
ingredients.
It
was
so
heavy
that
a
crane
had
to
be
used
to
remove
it
from
the
lorry.
The
manufacturers
had
to
pay
more
money
than
they
had
anticipated,
for
they
bought
the
biscuit
from
the
student
for
$4800.
?没有人能避免受广告的影响。尽管我们可以自夸自己的鉴赏力如何敏锐，但我们已经无法独立自主地选购自己所需的东西了。这是因为广告在我们身上施加着一种潜移默化的影响。做广告的人在力图劝说我们买下这种产品或那种产品之前，已经仔细地研究了人的本性，并把人的弱点进行了分类。
做广告的人们多年前就发现我们大家都喜欢免费得到东西。凡是用“免费”这个神奇的词开头的广告很少会失败的。目前，做广告的人不仅提供免费样品，而且还提供免费汽车，免费住房，免费周游世界。他们设计数以百计的竞赛，竞赛中有人可赢得巨额奖金。电台、电视使做广告的人可以用这种手段吸引成百万人的注意力。
有一次，在电台播放的节目里，一个生产饼干的公司请听众烘制饼干送到他们的工厂去。他们愿意以每磅10美元的价钱买下由听众烘制的最大的饼干。这次竞赛在听众中引起极其热烈的反响。不久，形状各异，大小不一的饼干陆续送到工厂。一位女士用手推车运来一个饼干，重达500磅左右。相隔不一会儿，一个男子也带来一个大饼干，那个饼干把汽车的行李箱挤得满满的。凡送来的饼干都仔细地称量。最重的一个达713磅，看来这个饼干获奖无疑了。但就在竞赛截止时间将到之际，一辆卡车驶进了工厂，运来了一个特大无比、重达2,400磅的饼干。它是由一个大学生烘制的，用去1,000多磅的面粉、800磅食糖、200磅动物脂肪及400磅其他各种原料。饼干份量太重了，用了一台起重机才把它从卡车上卸下。饼干公司不得不付出比他们预计多得多的钱，因为为买下那学生烘制的饼干他们支付了24,000美元。
Lesson27
Nothing
to
sell?
and
nothing
to
buy
It
has
been
said
that
everyone
lives
by
selling
something.
In
the
light
of
this
statement,
teachers
live
by
selling
knowledge,
philosophers
by
selling
wisdom
and
priests
by
selling
spiritual
comfort.
Though
it
may
be
possible
to
measure
the
value
of
material
goods
in
terms
of
money,
it
is
extremely
difficult
to
estimate
the
true
value
of
the
services
which
people
perform
for
us.
There
are
times
when
we
would
willingly
give
everything
we
possess
to
save
our
lives,
yet
we
might
grudge
paying
a
surgeon
a
high
fee
for
offering
us
precisely
this
service.
The
conditions
of
society
are
such
that
skills
have
to
be
paid
for
in
the
same
way
that
goods
are
paid
for
at
a
shop.
Everyone
has
something
to
sell.
Tramps
seem
to
be
the
only
exception
to
this
general
rule.
Beggars
almost
sell
themselves
as
human
beings
to
arouse
the
pity
of
passers-by.
But
real
tramps
are
not
beggars.
They
have
nothing
to
sell
and
require
nothing
from
others.
In
seeking
independence,
they
do
not
sacrifice
their
human
dignity.
A
tramp
may
ask
you
for
money,
but
he
will
never
ask
you
to
feel
sorry
for
him.
He
has
deliberately
chosen
to
lead
the
life
he
leads
and
is
fully
aware
of
the
consequences
He,
may
never
be
sure
where
the
next
meal
is
coming
from,
but
he
is
free
from
the
thousands
of
anxieties
which
afflict
other
people.
His
few
material
possession
make
it
possible
for
him
to
move
from
place
to
place
with
ease-
By
having
to
sleep
in
the
open,
he
gets
far
closer
to
the
world
of
nature
than
most
of
us
ever
do.
He
may
hunt,
beg,
or
steal
occasionally
to
keep
himself
alive;
he
may
even
in
times
of
real
need,
do
a
little
work;
but
he
will
never
sacrifice
his
freedom.
We
often
speak
of
tramps
with
contempt
and
put
them
in
the
same
class
as
beggars,
but
how
many
of
us
can
honestly
say
that
we
have
not
felt
a
little
envious
of
their
simple
way
of
life
and
their
freedom
from
care?
?据说每个人都靠出售某种东西来维持生活。根据这种说法，教师靠卖知识为生，哲学家靠卖智慧为生，牧师靠卖精神安慰为生。虽然物质产品的价值可以用金钱来衡量，但要估算别人为我们为所提供的服务的价值却是极其困难的。有时，我们为了挽救生命，愿意付出我们所占有的一切。但就在外科大夫给我们提供了这种服务后，我们却可能为所支付的昂贵的费用而抱怨。社会上的情况就是如此，技术是必须付钱去买的，就像在商店里要花钱买商品一样。人人都有东西可以出售。
在这条普遍的规律前面，好像只有流浪汉是个例外，乞丐出售的几乎是他本人，以引起过路人的怜悯。但真正的流浪并不是乞丐。他们既不出售任何东西，也不需要从别人那儿得到任何东西，在追求独立自由的同时，他们并不牺牲为人的尊严。游浪汉可能会向你讨钱，但他从来不要你可怜他。他是故意在选择过那种生活的，并完全清楚以这种方式生活的后果。他可能从不知道下顿饭有无着落，但他不像有人那样被千万桩愁事所折磨。他几乎没有什么财产，这使他能够轻松自如地在各地奔波。由于被迫在露天睡觉，他比我们中许多人都离大自然近得多。为了生存，他可能会去打猎、乞讨，偶尔偷上一两回；确实需要的时候，他甚至可能干一点儿活，但他决不会牺牲自由。说起流浪汉，我们常常带有轻蔑并把他们与乞丐归为一类。但是，我们中有多少人能够坦率地说我们对流浪汉的简朴生活与无忧无虑的境况不感到有些羡慕呢？

Lesson28
Five
pounds
too
dear
Small
boats
loaded
with
wares
sped
to
the
great
liner
as
she
was
entering
the
harbour.
Before
she
had
anchored,
the
men
from
the
boats
had
climbed
on
board
and
the
decks
were
soon
covered
with
colourful
rugs
from
Persia,
silks
from
India,
copper
coffee
pots,
and
beautiful
hand-made
silver-ware.
It
was
difficult
not
to
be
tempted.
Many
of
the
tourists
on
board
had
begun
bargaining
with
the
tradesmen,
but
I
decided
not
to
buy
anything
until
I
had
disembarked.
I
had
no
sooner
got
off
the
ship
than
I
was
assailed
by
a
man
who
wanted
to
sell
me
a
diamond
ring.
I
had
no
intention
of
buying
one,
but
I
could
not
conceal
the
fact
that
I
was
impressed
by
the
size
of
the
diamonds.
Some
of
them
were
as
big
as
marbles.
The
man
went
to
great
lengths
to
prove
that
the
diamonds
were
real.
As
we
were
walking
past
a
shop,
he
held
a
diamond
firmly
against
the
window
and
made
a
deep
impression
in
the
glass.
It
took
me
over
half
an
hour
to
get
rid
of
him.
The
next
man
to
approach
me
was
selling
expensive
pens
and
watches.
I
examined
one
of
the
pens
closely.
It
certainly
looked
genuine.
At
the
base
of
the
gold
cap,
the
words
'made
in
the
U.S.A.'
had
been
neatly
inscribed.
The
man
said
that
the
pen
was
worth
&10,
but
as
a
special
favour,
he
would
let
me
have
it
for
&8.
I
shook
my
head
and
held
up
a
finger
indicating
that
I
was
willing
to
pay
a
pound.
Gesticulating
wildly,
the
man
acted
as
if
he
found
my
offer
outrageous,
but
he
eventually
reduced
the
price
to
&3.
Shrugging
my
shoulders,
I
began
to
walk
away
when,
a
moment
later,
he
ran
after
me
and
thrust
the
pen
into
my
hands.
Though
he
kept
throwing
up
his
arms
in
despair,
he
readily
accepted
the
pound
I
gave
him.
I
felt
especially
pleased
with
my
wonderful
bargain--until
I
got
back
to
the
ship.
No
matter
how
hard
I
tried,
it
was
impossible
to
fill
this
beautiful
pen
with
ink
and
to
this
day
it
has
never
written
a
single
word
!
当一艘大型班船进港的时候，许多小船载着各种杂货快速向客轮驶来。大船还未下锚。小船上的人就纷纷爬上客轮。一会儿工夫，甲板上就摆满了色彩斑斓的波斯地毯。印度丝绸。铜咖啡壶以及手工制作的漂亮的银器。要想不为这些东西所动心是很困难的。船上许多游客开始同商贩讨价还价起来，但我打定主意上岸之前什么也不买。
我刚下船，就被一个人截住，他向我兜售一枚钻石戒指。我根本不想买，但我不能掩饰这样一个事实：其钻石之大给我留下了深刻的印象。有的钻石像玻璃球那么大。那人竭力想证明那钻石是真货。我们路过一家商店时，他将一颗钻石使劲地往橱窗上一按，在玻璃上留下一道深痕。我花了半个多小时才摆脱了他的纠缠。
向我兜售的第二个人是卖名贵钢笔和手表的。我仔细察看了一枝钢笔，那看上去确实不假，金笔帽下方整齐地刻有“美国制造”字样。那人说那支笔值50英镑，作为特别优惠，他愿意让我出30英镑成交。我摇摇头，伸出5根手指表示我只愿出5镑钱。那人激动地打着手势，仿佛我的出价使他不能容忍。但他终于把价钱降到了10英镑。我耸耸肩膀掉头走开了。一会儿，他突然从后追了上来，把笔塞到我手里。虽然他绝望地举起双手，但他毫不迟疑地收下了我付给他的5镑钱。在回到船上之前，我一直为我的绝妙的讨价还价而洋洋得意。然而不管我如何摆弄，那枝漂亮的钢笔就是吸不进墨水来。直到今天，那枝笔连一个字也没写过！
?
lesson29
Funny
or
not?
Whether
we
find
a
joke
funny
or
not
largely
depends
on
where
we
have
been
brought
up.
The
sense
of
humour
is
mysteriously
bound
up
with
national
characteristics.
A
Frenchman,
for
instance,
might
find
it
hard
to
laugh
at
a
Russian
joke.
In
the
same
way,
a
Russian
might
fail
to
see
anything
amusing
in
a
joke
which
would
make
an
Englishman
laugh
to
tears.
Most
funny
stories
are
based
on
comic
situations.
In
spite
of
national
differences,
certain
funny
situations
have
a
universal
appeal.
No
matter
where
you
live,
you
would
find
it
difficult
not
to
laugh
at,
say,
Charlie
Chaplin's
early
films.
However,
a
new
type
of
humour,
which
stems
largely
from
America,
has
recently
come
into
fashion.
It
is
cal1ed'
sick
humour
'.
Comedians
base
their
jokes
on
tragic
situations
like
violent
death
or
serious
accidents.
Many
people
find
this
sort
of
joke
distasteful.
The
following
example
of
'sick
humour'
will
enable
you
to
judge
for
yourself.
A
man
who
had
broken
his
right
leg
was
taken
to
hospital
a
few
weeks
before
Christmas.
From
the
moment
he
arrived
there,
he
kept
on
pestering
his
doctor
to
tell
him
when
he
would
be
able
to
go
home.
He
dreaded
having
to
spend
Christmas
in
hospital.
Though
the
doctor
did
his
best,
the
patient's
recovery
was
slow.
On
Christmas
day,
the
man
still
had
his
right
leg
in
plaster.
He
spent
a
miserable
day
in
bed
thinking
of
all
the
fun
he
was
missing.
The
following
day,
however,
the
doctor
consoled
him
by
telling
him
that
his
chances
of
being
able
to
leave
hospital
in
time
for
New
Year
celebrations
were
good.
The
man
took
heart
and,
sure
enough,
on
New
Year's
Eve
he
was
able
to
hobble
along
to
a
party.
To
compensate
for
his
unpleasant
experiences
in
hospital,
the
man
drank
a
little
more
than
was
good
for
him.
In
the
process,
he
enjoyed
himself
thoroughly
and
kept
telling
everybody
how
much
he
hated
hospitals.
He
was
still
mumbling
something
about
hospitals
at
the
end
of
the
party
when
he
slipped
on
a
piece
of
ice
and
broke
his
left
leg.
?我们觉得一则笑话是否好笑，很大程度取决于我们是在哪儿长大的。幽默感与民族有着神秘莫测的联系。譬如，法国人听完一则俄国笑话可能很难发笑。同样的道理，一则可以令英国人笑出泪来的笑话，俄国人听了可能觉得没有什么可笑之处。
大部分令人发笑的故事都是根据喜剧情节编写的。尽管民族不同，有些滑稽的情节却能产生普遍的效果。比如说，不管你生活在哪里，你看查理.卓别林的早期电影很难不发笑。然而，近来一种新式幽默流行了起来，这种幽默主要来自美国。它被叫作“病态幽默”。喜剧演员根据悲剧情节诸如暴死，重大事故等来编造笑话。许多人认为这种笑话是低级庸俗的。下面是个“病态幽默”的实例，你可据此自己作出判断。
圣诞节前几周，某人摔断了右腿被送进医院。从他进医院那一刻时，他就缠住医生，让医生告诉他什么时候能回家。他十分害怕在医院过圣诞。尽管医生竭力医治，但病人恢复缓慢。圣诞节那天，他的右腿还上着石膏，他在床上郁郁不乐地躺了一天，想着他错过的种种欢乐。然而，第二天，医生安慰他说，出院欢度新年的可能性还是很大的，那人听后振作了精神。果然，除夕时他可以一瘸一拐地去参加晚会了。为了补偿住院这一段不愉快的经历，那人喝得稍许多了一点。在晚会上他尽情娱乐，一再告诉大家他是多么讨厌医院。晚会结束时，他嘴里还在嘟哝着医院的事，突然踩到一块冰上滑倒了，摔断了左腿。
Lesson30
The
death
of
a
ghost
For
years
villagers
believed
that
Endley
farm
was
haunted.
The
farm
was
owned
by
two
brothers,
Joe
and
Bert
Cox.
They
employed
a
few
farm
hands,
but
no
one
was
willing
to
work
there
long.
Every
time
a
worker
gave
up
his
job,
he
told
the
same
story.
Farm
labourers
said
that
they
always
woke
up
to
find
the
work
had
been
done
overnight.
Hay
had
been
cut
and
cow
sheds
had
been
cleaned.
A
farm
worker,
who
stayed
up
all
night,
claimed
to
have
seen
a
figure
cutting
corn
in
the
moonlight.
In
time,
it
became
an
accepted
fact
that
the
Cox
brothers
employed
a
conscientious
ghost
that
did
most
of
their
work
for
them.
No
one
suspected
that
there
might
be
someone
else
on
the
farm
who
had
never
been
seen.
This
was
indeed
the
case.
A
short
time
ago,
villagers
were
astonished
to
learn
that
the
ghost
of
Endley
had
died.
Everyone
went
to
the
funeral,
for
the
'ghost'
was
none
other
than
Eric
Cox,
a
third
brother
who
was
supposed
to
have
died
as
a
young
man.
After
the
funeral,
Joe
and
Bert
revealed
a
secret
which
they
had
kept
for
over
forty
years.
Eric
had
been
the
eldest
son
of
the
family.
He
had
been
obliged
to
join
the
army
during
the
first
World
War.
As
he
hated
army
life
he
decided
to
desert
his
regiment.
When
he
learnt
that
he
would
be
sent
abroad,
he
returned
to
the
farm
and
his
farther
hid
him
until
the
end
of
the
war.
Fearing
the
authorities,
Eric
remained
in
hiding
after
the
war
as
well.
His
father
told
everybody
that
Eric
had
been
killed
in
action.
The
only
other
people
who
knew
the
secret
were
Joe
and
Bert.
They
did
not
even
tell
their
wives.
When
their
father
died,
they
thought
it
their
duty
to
keep
Eric
in
hiding.
All
these
years,
Eric
had
lived
as
a
recluse（隐遁者,
寂寞者）.
He
used
to
sleep
during
the
day
and
work
at
night,
quite
unaware
of
the
fact
that
he
had
become
the
ghost
of
Endley.
When
he
died,
however,
his
brothers
found
it
impossible
to
keep
the
secret
any
longer.
?多年来，村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。他们雇了几个农工，但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。雇工们说，常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了，干草已切好，牛棚也打扫干净了。有一个彻夜未眠的雇工还声称他看见一个人影在月光下收割庄稼。随着时间的流逝，考科斯兄弟雇了一个尽心尽责的鬼，他们家的活大部分都让鬼给干了，这件事成了公认的事实。
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。但事实上确有此人。不久之前，村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。大家都去参加了葬礼，因为那“鬼”不是别人，正是农场主的兄弟埃里克.考科斯。人们以为埃里克年轻时就死了。葬礼之后，乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多，第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。他讨厌军旅生活，决定逃离所在部队。当他了解自己将被派遣出国时，他逃回农场，父亲把他藏了起来，直到战争结束。由于害怕当局，埃里克战后继续深藏不露。他的父亲告诉大家，埃里克在战争中被打死了。除此之外，只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。父亲死后，他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。这些年来，埃里克过着隐士生活，白天睡觉，夜里出来干活，一点不知道自己已成了恩得利家场的活鬼。他死后，他的弟弟们才觉得无法再保守这个秘密了。

Lesson31
A
lovable
eccentric
True
eccentrics
never
deliberately
set
out
to
draw
attention
to
themselves.
They
disregard
social
conventions
without
being
conscious
that
they
are
doing
anything
extraordinary.
This
invariably
wins
them
the
love
and
respect
of
others,
for
they
add
colour
to
the
dull
routine
of
everyday
life.
Up
to
the
time
of
his
death,
Richard
Colson
was
one
of
the
most
notable
figures
in
our
town.
He
was
a
shrewd
and
wealthy
business-man,
but
the
ordinary
town-folk
hardly
knew
anything
about
this
side
of
his
life.
He
was
known
to
us
all
as
Dickie
and
his
eccentricity
had
become
legendary
long
before
he
died.
Dickie
disliked
snobs(势利小人)
intensely.
Though
he
owned
a
large
car,
he
hardly
ever
used
it,
preferring
always
to
go
on
foot.
Even
when
it
was
raining
heavily,
he
refused
to
carry
an
umbrella.
One
day,
he
walked
into
an
expensive
shop
after
having
been
caught
in
a
particularly?
heavy
shower.
He
wanted
to
buy
a
&300
fur
coat
for
his
wife,
but
he
was
in
such
a
bedraggled
condition
that
an
assistant
refused
to
serve
him.
Dickie
left
the
shop
without
a
word
and
returned
carrying
a
large
cloth
bag.
As
it
was
extremely
heavy,
he
dumped
it
on
the
counter.
The
assistant
asked
him
to
leave,
but
Dickie
paid
no
attention
to
him
and
requested
to
see
the
manager.
Recognizing
who
the
customer
was,
the
manager
was
most
apologetic
and
'reprimanded
the
assistant
severely.
When
Dickie
was
given
the
fur
coat,
he
presented
the
assistant
with
the
cloth
bag.
It
contained
&300
in
pennies.
He
insisted
on
the
assistant's
counting
the
money
before
he
left
72,000
pennies
in
all!
On
another
occasion,
he
invited
a
number
of
important
critics
to
see
his
private
collection
of
modern
paintings.
This
exhibition
received
a
great
deal
of
attention
in
the
press,
for
though
the
pictures
were
supposed
to
be
the
work
of
famous
artists,
they
had
in
fact
been
painted
by
Dickie.
It
took
him
four
years
to
stage
this
elaborate
joke
simply
to
prove
that
critics
do
not
always
know
what
they
are
talking
about.
?真正古怪的人从不有意引人注意。他们不顾社会习俗，意识不到自己所作所为有什么特殊之处。他们总能赢得别人的喜爱与尊敬，因为他们给平淡单一的日常生活增添了色彩。
理查德.科尔森生前是我们镇上最有名望的人之一。他是个精明能干、有钱的商人，但镇上大部分人对他生活中的这一个方面几乎一无所知。大家都管他叫迪基。早在他去世前很久，他的古怪行为就成了传奇故事了。
迪基痛恨势利小人。尽管他有一辆豪华小轿车，但却很少使用，常常喜欢以步代车。即使大雨倾盆，他也总是拒绝带伞。一天，他遇上一场瓢泼大雨，淋得透湿。他走进一家高级商店，要为妻子买一块价值300英镑的手表。但店员见他浑身泥水的样子，竟不肯接待他。迪基二话没说就走了。一会儿，他带着一个大布口袋回到店里。布袋很沉，他重重地把布袋扔在柜台上。店员让迪基走开，他置之不理，并要求见经理。经理认出了这位顾客，表示了深深的歉意，还严厉地训斥了店员。店员为迪基拿出了那块手表，迪基把布口袋递给他，口袋里面装着300镑的便士。他坚持要店员点清那些硬币后他才离去。这些硬币加在一起共有30,000枚！
还有一次，他邀请一些著名评论家来参观他私人收藏的现代画。这次展览引起报界广泛注意，因为这些画名义上是名家的作品，事实上是迪基自己画的。他花了4年时间策划这出精心设计的闹剧，只是想证明评论家们有时并不解他们所谈论的事情。
Lesson32
A
lost
ship
The
salvage
operation
had
been
a
complete
failure.
The
small
ship,
Elkor,
which
had
been
searching
the
Barents
Sea
for
weeks,
was
on
its
way
home.
A
radio
message
from
the
mainland
had
been
received
by
the
ship's
captain
instructing
him
to
give
up
the
search.
The
captain
knew
that
another
attempt
would
be
made
later,
for
the
sunken
ship
he
was
trying
to
find
had
been
carrying
a
precious
cargo
of
gold
bullion.
Despite
the
message,
the
captain
of
the
Elkor
decided
to
try
once
more.
The
sea-bed
was
scoured
with
powerful
nets
and
there
was
tremendous
excitement
on
board
when
a
chest
was
raised
from
the
bottom.
Though
the
crew
were
at
first
under
the
impression
that
the
lost
ship
had
been
found,
the
contents
of
the
sea-chest
proved
them
wrong.
What
they
had
in
fact
found
was
a
ship
which
had
been
sunk
many
years
before.
The
chest
contained
the
personal
belongings
of
a
seaman,
Alan
Fielding.
There
were
books,
clothing
and
photographs,
together
with
letters
which
the
seaman
had
once
received
from
his
wife.
The
captain
of
the
Elkor
ordered
his
men
to
salvage
as
much
as
possible
from
the
wreck.
Nothing
of
value
was
found,
but
the
numerous
items
which
were
brought
to
the
surface
proved
to
be
of
great
interest.
From
a
heavy
gun
that
was
raised,
the
captain
realized
that
the
ship
must
have
been
a
cruiser.
In
another
sea-chest,
which
contained
the
belongings
of
a
ship's
officer,
there
was
an
unfinished
letter
which
had
been
written
on
March
14th,
1943.
The
captain
learnt
from
the
letter
that
the
name
of
the
lost
ship
was
the
Karen.
The
most
valuable
find
of
all
was
the
ship's
log
book,
parts
of
which
it
was
still
possible
to
read.
From
this
the
captain
was
able
to
piece
together
all
the
information
that
had
come
to
light.
The
Karen
had
been
sailing
in
a
convoy
to
Russia
when
she
was
torpedoed
by
an
enemy
submarine.
This
was
later
confirmed
by
a
naval
official
at
the
Ministry
of
Defence
after
the
Elkor
had
returned
home.
All
the
items
that
were
found
were
sent
to
the
War
Museum.
?打捞工作彻底失败了。小船“埃尔科”号在巴伦支海搜寻了几个星期之后，正在返航途中。返航前，该船船长收到了大陆发来的电报，指示他们放弃这次搜寻。船长知道日后还会再作尝试，因为他试图寻找的沉船上载有一批珍贵的金条。
尽管船长接了电报，他还是决定再试一试。他们用结实的网把海床搜索了一遍。当一只箱子从海底被打捞上来时，甲板上人们激动不已。船员们开始认为沉船找着了，但海底沉箱内的物品证明他们弄错了。事实上，他们发现的是另一艘沉没多年的船。
木箱内装有水手艾伦.菲尔丁的私人财物，其中有书箱、衣服、照片以及水手收到的妻子的来信。“埃尔科”号船长命令船员们尽量从沉船中打捞物品，但没发现什么值钱的东西，不过打捞出来的众多的物品还是引起了大家极大的兴趣。从捞起的一门大炮来看，船长认为那艘船一定是艘巡洋舰。另一只海底沉箱中装的是船上一位军官的财物，其中有一封写于1943年3月14日的信，但没有写完。从这封信中船长了解到沉船船名是“卡伦”号。打捞到的东西中最有价值的是船上的航海日志，其中有一部分仍然清晰可读。据此，船长可以将所有的那些已经搞清的材料拼凑起来。“卡伦”号当年在为其他船只护航驶往俄国的途中突然遭到敌方潜水艇鱼雷的袭击。这一说法在“埃尔科”号返航后得到的国防部一位海军官员的证实。那次打捞到的所有物品均被送往军事博物馆。
Lesson33
A
day
to
remember
We
have
all
experienced
days
when
everything
goes
wrong.
A
day
may
begin
well
enough,
but
suddenly
everything
seems
to
get
out
of
control.
What
invariably
happens
is
that
a
great
number
of
things
choose
to
go
wrong
at
precisely
the
same
moment.
It
is
as
if
a
single
unimportant
event
set
up
a
chain
of
reactions.
Let
us
suppose
that
you
are
preparing
a
meal
and
keeping
an
eye
on
the
baby
at
the
same
time.
The
telephone
rings
and
this
marks
the
prelude
to
an
unforeseen
series
of
catastrophes.
While
you
are
on
the
phone,
the
baby
pulls
the
table-cloth
off
the
table
smashing
half
your
best
crockery
and
cutting
himself
in
the
process.
You
hang
up
hurriedly
and
attend
to
baby,
crockery,
etc.
Meanwhile,
the
meal
gets
burnt.
As
if
this
were
not
enough
to
reduce
you
to
tears,
your
husband
arrives,
unexpectedly
bringing
three
guests
to
dinner.
Things
can
go
wrong
on
a
big
scale
as
a
number
of
people
recently
discovered
in
Parramatta,
a
suburb
of
Sydney.
During
the
rush
hour
one
evening
two
cars
collided
and
both
drivers
began
to
argue.
The
woman
immediately
behind
the
two
cars
happened
to
be
a
learner.
She
suddenly
got
into
a
panic
and
stopped
her
car.
This
made
the
driver
following
her
brake
hard.
His
wife
was
sitting
beside
him
holding
a
large
cake.
As
she
was
thrown
forward,
the
cake
went
right
through
the
windscreen
and
landed
on
the
road.
Seeing
a
cake
flying
through
the
air,
a
lorry-driver
who
was
drawing
up
alongside
the
car,
pulled
up
all
of
a
sudden.
The
lorry
was
loaded
with
empty
beer
bottles
and
hundreds
of
them
slid
off
the
back
of
the
vehicle
and
on
to
the
road.
This
led
to
yet
another
angry
argument.
Meanwhile,
the
traffic
piled
up
behind.
It
took
the
police
nearly
an
hour
to
get
the
traffic
on
the
move
again.
In
the
meantime,
the
lorry-
driver
had
to
sweep
up
hundreds
of
broken
bottles.
Only
two
stray
dogs
benefited
from
all
this
confusion,
for
they
greedily
devoured
what
was
left
of
the
cake.
It
was
just
one
of
those
days!
我们大家都有过事事不顺心的日子。一天开始时，可能还不错，但突然间似乎一切都失去了控制。情况经常是这样的，许许多多的事情都偏偏赶在同一时刻出问题，好像是一件无关紧要的小事引起了一连串的连锁反应。假设你在做饭，同时又在照看孩子。这时电话铃响了。它预示着一连串意想不到的灾难的来临。就在你接电话时，孩子把桌布从桌子上扯下来，将家中最好的陶瓷餐具半数摔碎，同时也弄伤了他自己。你急急忙忙挂上电话，赶去照看孩子和餐具。这时，饭又烧糊了。好像这一切还不足以使你急得掉泪，你的丈夫接着回来了，事先没打招呼就带来3个客人吃饭。
就像许多人最近在悉尼郊区帕拉马塔发现的那样，有时乱子会闹得很大。一天傍晚交通最拥挤时，一辆汽车撞上前面一辆汽车，两个司机争吵起来。紧跟其后的一辆车上的司机碰巧是个初学者，她一惊之下突然把车停了下来。她这一停使得跟在后头的司机也来个急刹车。司机妻子正坐在他身边，手里托着块大蛋糕。她往前一冲，蛋糕从挡风玻璃飞了出去掉到马路上。此时，一辆卡车正好从后边开到那辆汽车边上，司机看见一块蛋糕从天而降，紧急刹车。卡车上装着空啤酒瓶。成百只瓶子顺势从卡车后面滑出车外落在马路上。这又引起一场唇枪舌剑的争吵。与此同时，后面的车辆排成了长龙，警察花了将近一个小时才使车辆又开起来。在这段时间里，卡车司机不得不清扫那几百只破瓶子。只有两只野狗从这一片混乱中得到好处，它们贪婪地吃掉了剩下的蛋糕。这就是事事不顺心的那么一天！
Lesson34
A
happy
discovery
Antique
shops
exert
a
peculiar
fascination
on
a
great
many
people.
The
more
expensive
kind
of
antique
shop
where
rare
objects
are
beautifully
displayed
in
glass
cases
to
keep
them
free
from
dust
is
usually
a
forbidding
place.
But
no
one
has
to
muster
up
courage
to
enter
a
less
pretentious
antique
shop.
There
is
always
hope
that
in
its
labyrinth
of
musty,
dark,
disordered
rooms
a
real
rarity
will
be
found
amongst
the
piles
of
assorted
junk
that
litter
the
floors.
No
one
discovers
a
rarity
by
chance.
A
truly
dedicated
searcher
for
art
treasures
must
have
patience,
and
above
all,
the
ability
to
recognize
the
worth
of
something
when
he
sees
it.
To
do
this,
he
must
be
at
least
as
knowledgeable
as
the
dealer.
Like
a
scientist
bent
on
making
a
discovery,
he
must
cherish
the
hope
that
one
day
he
will
be
amply
rewarded.
My
old
friend,
Frank
Halliday,
is
just
such
a
person.
He
has
often
described
to
me
how
he
picked
up
a
masterpiece
for
a
mere
&5.
One
Saturday
morning,
Frank
visited
an
antique
shop
in
my
neighbourhood.
As
he
had
never
been
there
before,
he
found
a
great
deal
to
interest
him.
The
morning
passed
rapidly
and
Frank
was
about
to
leave
when
he
noticed
a
large
packing-case
lying
on
the
floor.
The
dealer
told
him
that
it
had
just
come
in,
but
that
he
could
not
be
bothered
to
open
it.
Frank
begged
him
to
do
so
and
the
dealer
reluctantly
prised
it
open.
The
contents
were
disappointing.
Apart
from
an
interesting-looking
carved
dagger,
the
box
was
full
of
crockery,
much
of
it
broken.
Frank
gently
lifted
the
crockery
out
of
the
box
and
suddenly
noticed
a
miniature
Painting
at
the
bottom
of
the
packing-case.
As
its
composition
and
line
reminded
him
of
an
Italian
painting
he
knew
well,
he
decided
to
buy
it.
Glancing
at
it
briefly,
the
dealer
told
him
that
it
was
worth
&5.
Frank
could
hardly
conceal
his
excitement,
for
he
knew
that
he
had
made
a
real
discovery.
The
tiny
painting
proved
to
be
an
unknown
masterpiece
by
Correggio
and
was
worth
thousands
of
pounds.
?古玩店对许多人来说有一种特殊的魅力。高档一点的古玩店为了防尘，把文物漂亮地陈列在玻璃柜子里，那里往往令人望而却步。而对不太装腔作势的古玩店，无论是谁都不用壮着胆子才敢往里进。人们还常常有希望在发霉、阴暗、杂乱无章、迷宫般的店堂里，从杂乱地摆放在地面上的、一堆堆各式各样的破烂货里找到一件稀世珍品。
无论是谁都不会一下子就发现一件珍品。一个到处找便宜的人必须具有耐心，而且最重要的是看到珍品时要有鉴别珍品的能力。要做到这一点，他至少要像古董商一样懂行。他必须像一个专心致志进行探索的科学家那样抱有这样的希望，即终有一天，他的努力会取得丰硕的成果。
我的老朋友弗兰克.哈利戴正是这样一个人。他多次向我详细讲他如何只花50英镑便买到一位名家的杰作。一个星期六的上午，弗兰克去了我家附近的一家古玩店。由于他从未去过那儿，结果他发现许多有趣的东西。上午很快过去了，弗兰克正准备离去，突然看见地板上放着一只体积很大的货箱。古董商告诉他那只货箱刚到不久，但他嫌麻烦不想把它打开。经弗兰克恳求，古董商才勉强把货箱撬开了。箱内东西令人失望。除了一柄式样别致、雕有花纹的匕首外，货箱内装满陶器，而且大部分都已破碎裂。弗兰克轻轻地把陶器拿出箱子，突然发现在箱底有一幅微型画，画面构图与纸条使他想起一幅他所熟悉的意大利画，于是他决定将画买了下来。古董商漫不经心看了一眼那幅画，告诉弗兰克那画值50英镑。弗兰克几乎无法掩饰自己兴奋的心情，因为他明白自己发现了一件珍品。那幅不大的画原来是柯勒乔的一幅未被发现的杰作，价值几十万英镑。

Lesson35
Justice
was
done
The
word
justice
is
usually
associated
with
courts
of
law.
We
might
say
that
justice
has
been
done
when
a
man's
innocence
or
guilt
has
been
proved
beyond
doubt.
Justice
is
part
of
the
complex
machinery
of
the
law.
Those
who
seek
it,
undertake
an
arduous
journey
and
can
never
be
sure
that
they
will
find
it.
Judges,
however
wise
or
eminent,
are
human
and
can
make
mistakes.
?There
are
rare
instances
when
justice
almost
ceases
to
be
an
abstract
conception.
Reward
or
punishment
are
out
quite
independent
of
human
interference.
At
such
times,
justice
acts
like
a
living
force.
When
we
use
a
phrase
like
it
serves
him
right,
we
are,
in
part,
admitting
that
a
certain
set
of
circumstances
has
enabled
justice
to
act
of
its
own
accord.
?
When
a
thief
was
caught
on
the
premises
of
a
large
fur
store
one
morning,
the
shop
assistants
must
have
found
it
impossible
to
resist
the
temptation
to
say
'it
serves
him
right'.
The
shop
was
an
old-fashioned
one
with
many
large,
disused
fireplaces
and
tall,
narrow
chimneys.
Towards
midday,
a
girl
heard
a
muffled
cry
coming
from
behind
one
of
the
walls.
As
the
cry
was
repeated
several
times,
she
ran
to
tell
the
manager
who
promptly
rang
up
the
fire-brigade.
The
cry
had
certainly
come
from
one
of
the
chimneys,
but
as
there
were
so
many
of
them,
the
firemen
could
not
be
certain
which
one
it
was.
They
located
the
right
chimney
by
tapping
at
the
walls
and
listening
for
the
man's
cries.
After
chipping
through
a
wall
which
was
eighteen
inches
thick,
they
found
that
a
man
had
been
trapped
in
the
chimney.
As
it
was
extremely
narrow,
the
man
was
unable
to
move,
but
the
firemen
were
eventually
able
to
free
him
by
cutting
a
huge
hole
in
the
wall.
The
sorry-looking,
blackened
figure
that
emerged,
at
once
admitted
that
he
had
tried
to
break
into
the
shop
during
the
night
but
had
got
stuck
in
the
chimney.
He
had
been
there
for
nearly
ten
hours.
Justice
had
been
done
even
before
the
man
was
handed
over
to
the
police.
?“正义”这个词常常是同法庭连在一起的。当某人被证据确凿地证明无罪的时候，我们也许会说正义得到了伸张。正义是复杂的法律机器组成部分。那些寻求正义的人走的是一条崎岖的道路，从来没有把握他们最终将到正义。法官无论如何聪明与有名，毕竟也是人，也会出差错的。
在个别情况下，正义不再是一种抽象概念。奖惩的实施是不受人意志支配的。在这种时候，正义像一种有生命的力量行使其职能。当我们说“他罪有应得”这句话的时候，我们部分承认了某种特定的环境使得正义自动地起了作用。
一天上午，当一个小偷在一家大型珠宝店里被人抓住的时候，店员一定会忍不住说：“他罪有应得。”那是一座老式的、经过改造的房子，店里有许多废置不用的大壁炉和又高又窄的烟囱。快到中午的时候，一个女售货员听见从一堵墙里传出一种闷声闷气的叫声。由于这种喊叫声重复了几次，她跑去报告经理，经理当即给消防队挂了电话。喊叫声肯定是从烟囱里传出来的，然而，因为烟囱太多，消防队员无法确定到底是哪一个。他们通过叫击烟囱倾叫声而确定传出声音的那个烟囱。他们凿透了18英寸厚的墙壁，发现有个人卡在烟囱里。由于烟囱太窄，那人无法动弹。消防队员在墙上挖了个大洞，才终于把他解救出来。那个看来满脸沮丧、浑身漆黑的家伙从烟囱里一出来，就承认头天夜里他企图到店里行窍，但让烟囱卡住了。他已经在烟囱里被困了将近10个小时。甚至在那人还没被送交给警察之前，正义就已得到了伸张。
Lesson36
A
chance
in
a
million
We
are
less
credulous
than
we
used
to
be
In
the
nineteenth
century,
a
novelist
would
bring
his
story
to
a
conclusion
by
presenting
his
readers
with
a
series
of
coincidences
--most
of
them
wildly
improbable.
Readers
happily
accepted
the
fact
that
an
obscure
maid-servant
was
really
the
hero's
mother.
A
long-lost
brother,
who
was
presumed
dead,
was
really
alive
all
the
time
and
wickedly
plotting
to
bring
about
the
hero's
down-
fall.
And
so
on.
Modern
readers
would
find
such
naive
solutions
totally
unacceptable.
Yet,
in
real
life,
circumstances
do
sometimes
conspire
to
bring
about
coincidences
which
anyone
but
a
nineteenth
century
novelist
would
find
incredible.
A
German
taxi-driver,
Franz
Bussman,
recently
found
a
brother
who
was
thought
to
have
been
killed
twenty
years
before.
While
on
a
walking
tour
with
his
wife,
he
stopped
to
talk
to
a
workman.
After
they
had
gone
on,
Mrs
Bussman
commented
on
the
workman's
close
resemblance
to
her
husband
and
even
suggested
that
he
might
be
his
brother.
Franz
poured
scorn
on
the
idea,
pointing
out
that
his
brother
had
been
killed
in
action
during
the
war.
Though
Mrs
Bussman
was
fully
acquainted
with
this
story,
she
thought
that
there
was
a
chance
in
a
million
that
she
might
be
right.
A
few
days
later,
she
sent
a
boy
to
the
workman
to
ask
him
if
his
name
was
Hans
Bussman,
Needless
to
say,
the
man's
name
was
Hans
Bussman
and
he
really
was
Franz's
long-lost
brother.
When
the
brothers
were
re-united,
Hans
explained
how
it
was
that
he
was
still
alive.
After
having
been
wounded
towards
the
end
of
the
war,
he
had
been
sent
to
hospital
and
was
separated
from
his
unit.
The
hospital
had
been
bombed
and
Hans
had
made
his
way
back
into
Western
Germany
on
foot.
Meanwhile,
his
unit
was
lost
and
all
records
of
him
had
been
destroyed.
Hans
returned
to
his
family
home,
but
the
house
had
been
bombed
and
no
one
in
the
neighbourhood
knew
what
had
become
of
the
inhabitants.
Assuming
that
his
family
had
been
killed
during
an
air-raid,
Hans
settled
down
in
a
Village
fifty
miles
away
where
he
had
remained
ever
since.
?
我们不再像以往那样轻易相信别人了。在19世纪，小说家常在小说结尾处给读者准备一系列的巧合——大部分是牵强附会，极不可能的。当时的读者却愉快地接受这样一些事实，一个低贱的女佣实际上是主人公的母亲；主人公一位长期失散的兄弟，大家都以为死了，实际上一直活着，并且正在策划暗算主人公；如此等等，现代读者会觉得这种天真的结局完全无法接受。不过，在现实生活中，有时确实会出现一些巧合，这些巧合除了19世纪小说家外谁也不会相信。
当我是个孩子的时候，我祖父给我讲了一位德国出租汽车司机弗朗兹。巴斯曼如何找到了据信已在20年前死去的兄弟的事。一次，他与妻子徒步旅行。途中，停下来与一个工人交谈，接着他们继续往前走去。巴斯曼夫人说那工人与她丈夫相貌很像，甚至猜测他可能就是她丈夫的兄弟。弗朗兹对此不屑一顾，指出他兄弟已经在战争中阵亡了。尽管巴斯曼夫人熟知这个情况，但她仍然认为自己的想法仍有百万分之一的可能性。几天后，她派了一个男孩去问那人是否叫汉斯.巴斯曼。不出巴斯曼夫人所料，那人的名字真是汉斯.巴斯曼，他确实是弗朗兹失散多年的兄弟。兄弟俩团聚之时，汉斯说明了他活下来的经过，战争即将结束时，他负伤被送进医院，并与部队失去联系。医院遭到轰炸，汉斯步行回到了西德。与此同时，他所在部队被击溃，他的所有档案材料全部毁于战火。汉斯重返故里，但他的家已被炸毁，左邻右舍谁也不知原住户的下落，汉斯以为全家人都在空袭中遇难，于是便在距此50英里外的一座村子里定居下来，直至当日。
Lesson37
The
Westhaven
Express
We
have
learnt
to
expect
that
trains
will
be
punctual.
After
years
of
pre-conditioning,
most
of
us
have
developed
an
unshakable
faith
in
railway
time-tables.
Ships
may
be
delayed
by
storms;
air
flights
may
be
cancelled
because
of
bad
weather;
but
trains
must
be
on
time.
Only
an
exceptionally
heavy
snow
fall
might
temporarily
dislocate
railway
services.
It
is
all
too
easy
to
blame
the
railway
authorities
when
something
does
go
wrong.
The
truth
is
that
when
mistakes
occur,
they
are
more
likely
to
be
ours
than
theirs.
After
consulting
my
railway
time-table,
I
noted
with
satisfaction
that
there
was
an
express
train
to
Westhaven.
It
went
direct
from
my
local
station
and
the
journey
lasted
a
mere
hour
and
seventeen
minutes.
When
I
boarded
the
train,
I
could
not
help
noticing
that
a
great
many
local
people
got
on
as
well.
At
the
time,
this
did
not
strike
me
as
odd.
I
reflected
that
there
must
be
a
great
many
people
besides
myself
who
wished
to
take
advantage
of
this
excellent
service.
Neither
was
I
surprised
when
the
train
stopped
at
Widley,
a
tiny
station
a
few
miles
along
the
line.
Even
a
mighty
express
train
can
be
held
up
by
signals.
But
when
the
train
dawdled
at
station
after
station,
I
began
to
wonder.
It
suddenly
dawned
on
me
that
this
express
was
not
roaring
down
the
line
at
ninety
miles
an
hour,
but
barely
chugging
along
at
thirty.
One
hour
and
seventeen
minutes
passed
and
we
had
not
even
covered
half
the
distance.
I
asked
a
passenger
if
this
was
the
Westhaven
Express,
but
he
had
not
even
heard
of
it.
I
determined
to
lodge
a
complaint
as
soon
as
we
arrived.
Two
hours
later,
I
was
talking
angrily
to
the
station-master
at
Westhaven.
When
he
denied
the
train's
existence,
I
borrowed
his
copy
of
the
time-table.
There
was
a
note
of
triumph
in
my
voice
when
I
told
him
that
it
was
there
in
black
and
white.
Glancing
at
it
briefly,
he
told
me
to
look
again.
A
tiny
asterisk
conducted
me
to
a
footnote
at
the
bottom
of
the
page.
It
said:
'This
service
has
been
suspended.'
?我们已经习惯于相信火车总是准点的。经过多年的适应，大多数人对火车时刻表产生了一种不可动摇的信念。轮船船期可能因风暴而推延，飞机航班可能因恶劣天气而取消，唯有火车必然是准点的。只有非同寻常的大雪才可能暂时打乱铁路运行。因此，一旦铁路上真出了问题，人们便不加思索地责备铁路当局。事实上，差错很可能是我们自己，而不是铁路当局的。
我查看了列车时刻表，满意地了解到有一趟去威斯特海温的快车。这是趟直达车，旅途总共才需1小时17分钟。上车后，我不禁注意到许多当地人也上了车。一开始，我并不感到奇怪，我想除我之外，想利用快车之便的也一定大有人在。火车开出几英里即在一个小站威德里停了下来。对此，我不觉得奇怪，因为即便是特别快车也可能被信号拦住。但是，当火车一站接着一站往前蠕动时，我便产生了怀疑。我突然感到这趟快车并没以时速90英里的速度呼啸前进，而是卟哧卟哧地向前爬行，时速仅30英里。1小时17分过去了，走了还不到一半路程。我问一位乘客，这是不是开往威斯特海温的那趟快车，他说从未听说过有这么一趟快车。我决定到目的地就给铁路部门提意见。两小时后，我气呼呼地同威斯特海温站站长说起此事。他说根本没有这趟车。于是我借他本人的列车时刻表，我带着一种胜利者的调子告诉他那趟车白纸黑字。明明白白印在时刻表上。他迅速地扫视了一眼，让我再看一遍。一个小小的星形符号把我的目光引到了那页底部一个说明上。上面写着：“此趟列车暂停运行。”
Lesson38
The
first
calendar
Future
historians
will
be
in
a
unique
position
when
they
come
to
record
the
history
of
our
own
times.
They
will
hardly
know
which
facts
to
select
from
the
great
mass
of
evidence
that
steadily
accumulates.
What
is
more
they
will
not
have
to
rely
solely
on
the
written
word.
Films,
gramophone
records,
and
magnetic
tapes
will
provide
them
with
a
bewildering
amount
of
information.
They
will
be
able,
as
it
were,
to
see
and
hear
us
in
action.
But
the
historian
attempting
to
reconstruct
the
distant
past
is
always
faced
with
a
difficult
task.
He
has
to
deduce
what
he
can
from
the
few
scanty
clues
available.
Even
seemingly
insignificant
remains
can
shed
interesting
light
on
the
history
of
early
man.
Up
to
now,
historians
have
assumed
that
calendars
came
into
being
with
the
advent
of
agriculture,
for
then
man
was
faced
with
a
real
need
to
understand
something
about
the
seasons.
Recent
scientific
evidence
seems
to
indicate
that
this
assumption
is
incorrect.
Historians
have
long
been
puzzled
by
dots,
lines
and
symbols
which
have
been
engraved
on
walls,
bones,
and
the
ivory
tusk
of
mammoths.
The
nomads
who
made
these
markings
lived
by
hunting
and
fishing
during
the
last
Ice
Age,
which
began
about
35,000
B.C.
and
ended
about
10,000
B.C.
By
correlating
markings
made
in
various
parts
of
the
world,
historians
have
been
able
to
read
this
difficult
code.
They
have
found
that
it
is
connected
with
the
passage
of
days
and
the
phases
of
the
moon.
It
is,
in
fact,
a,
primitive
type
of
calendar.
It
has
long
been
known
that
the
hunting
scenes
depicted
on
walls
were
not
simply
a
form
of
artistic
expression.
They
had
a
definite
meaning,
for
they
were
as
near
as
early
man
could
get
to
writing.
It
is
possible
that
there
is
a
definite
relation
between
these
paintings
and
the
markings
that
sometimes
accompany
them.
It
seems
that
man
was
making
a
real
effort
to
understand
the
seasons
20,000
years
earlier
than
has
been
supposed.
?未来的历史学家在写我们这一段历史的时候会别具一格。对于逐渐积累起来的庞大材料，他们几乎不知道选取哪些好，而且，也不必完全依赖文字材料。电影、录像、光盘和光盘驱动器只是能为他们提供令人眼花缭乱的大量信息的几种手段。他们能够身临其境般地观看我们做事，倾听我们讲话。但是，历史学家企图重现遥远的过去可是一项艰巨的任务，他们必须根据现有的不充分的线索进行推理。即使看起来微不足道的遗物，也可能揭示人类早期历史的一些有趣的内容。
历史学家迄今认为日历是随农业的问世而出现的，因为当时人们面临着了解四季的实际需要，但近期科学研究发现，好像这种假设是不正确的。
长期以来，历史学家一直对雕刻在墙壁上、骨头上、古代长毛象的象牙上的点、线和形形色色的符号感到困惑不解。这些痕迹是游牧人留下的，他们生活在从公元前约35，000年到公元前10，000年的冰川期的末期，以狩猎、捕鱼为生。历史学家通过把世界各地留下的这种痕迹放在一起研究，终于弄懂了这种费解的代码。他们发现代码与昼夜更迭和月亮圆缺有关，事实上是一种最原始的日历。大家早就知道，画在墙上的狩猎图景并不是单纯的艺术表现形式，它们有着一定的含义，因为它们已接近古代人的文字形式。有时，这种图画与墙壁上的刻痕共存，它们之间可能有一定的联系。看来人类早就致力于探索四季变迁了，比人们想像的要早20,000年。
Lesson39
Nothing
to
worry
about
The
rough
road
across
the
plain
soon
became
so
bad
that
we
tried
to
get
Bruce
to
drive
back
to
the
village
we
had
come
from.
Even
though
the
road
was
littered
with
boulders
and
pitted
with
holes,
Bruce
was
not
in
the
least
perturbed.
Glancing
at
his
map,
he
informed
us
that
the
next
village
was
a
mere
twenty
miles
away.
It
was
not
that
Bruce
always
underestimated
difficulties.
He
simply
had
no
sense
of
danger
at
all.
No
matter
what
the
conditions
were,
he
believed
that
a
car
should
be
driven
as
fast
as
it
could
possibly
go.
As
we
bumped
over
the
dusty
track,
we
swerved
to
avoid
large
boulders.
The
wheels
scooped
up
stones
which
hammered
ominously
under
the
car.
We
felt
sure
that
sooner
or
later
a
stone
would
rip
a
hole
in
our
petrol
tank
or
damage
the
engine.
Because
of
this,
we
kept
looking
back,
wondering
if
we
were
leaving
a
trail
of
oil
and
petrol
behind
us.
What
a
relief
it
was
when
the
boulders
suddenly
disappeared,
giving
way
to
a
stretch
of
plain
where
the
only
obstacles
were
clumps
of
bushes.
But
there
was
worse
to
come.
Just
ahead
of
us
there
was
a
huge
fissure.
In
response
to
renewed
pleadings,
Bruce
stopped.
Though
we
all
got
out
to
examine
the
fissure,
he
remained
in
the
car.
We
informed
him
that
the
fissure
extended
for
fifty
yards
and
was
two
feet
wide
and
four
feet
deep.
Even
this
had
no
effect.
Bruce
engaged
low
gear
and
drove
at
a
terrifying
speed,
keeping
the
front
wheels
astride
the
crack
as
he
followed
its
zig-zag
course.
Before
we
had
time
to
worry
about
what
might
happen,
we
were
back
on
the
plain
again.
Bruce
consulted
the
map
once
more
and
told
us
that
the
village
was
now
only
fifteen
miles
away.
Our
next
obstacle
was
a
shallow
pool
of
water
about
half
a
mile
across.
Bruce
charged
at
it,
but
in
the
middle,
the
car
came
to
a
grinding
halt.
A
yellow
light
on
the
dash-
board
flashed
angrily
and
Bruce
cheerfully
announced
that
there
was
no
oil
in
the
engine!
?穿越平原的道路高低不平，开车走了不远，路面愈加崎岖。我们想劝说布鲁斯把车开回我们出发的那个村庄去。尽管路面布满石头，坑坑洼洼，但布鲁斯却一点儿不慌乱。他瞥了一眼地图，告诉我们前面再走不到20英里就是一个村庄。这并不是说布鲁斯总是低估困难，而是他压根儿没有一点儿危险感。他认为不管路面情况如何，车必须以最高速度前进。
我们在尘士飞扬的道路上颠簸，车子东拐西弯，以躲开那些大圆石。车轮搅起的石块锤击车身，发出不祥的锤击声。我们想念迟早会飞起一个石块把油箱砸开一个窟窿，或者把发动机砸坏。因此，我们不时地掉过头，怀疑车后是否留下了机油和汽油的痕迹。
突然大石块不见了，前面是一片平地，唯一的障碍只有一簇簇灌木丛。这使我们长长地松了口气。但是更糟糕的事情在等着我们，离我们不远处，出现一个大裂缝。我们再次央求布鲁斯小心，他这才把车停了下来。我们纷纷下车察看那个大裂缝，他却呆在车上。我们告诉他那个大裂缝长50码，宽2英尺，深4英尺。这也没有对他产生任何影响。布鲁斯挂上慢档，把两只前轮分别搁在裂缝的两边，顺着弯弯曲曲的裂缝，以发疯的速度向前开去。我们还未来得及担心后果，车已重新开上了平地。布鲁斯又看了一眼地图，告诉我们那座村庄离我们只有15英里了。下一个障碍是一片约半英里宽的浅水塘。布鲁斯向水塘冲去，但车开到水塘当中，嘎吱一声停住了。仪表盘一盏黄灯闪着刺眼的光芒，布鲁斯兴致勃勃地宣布发动机里没油了！Lesson40
Who’s
who
It
has
never
been
explained
why
university
students
seem
to
enjoy
practical
jokes
more
than
anyone
else.
Students
specialize
in
a
particular
type
of
practical
joke:
the
hoax.
Inviting
the
fire-brigade
to
put
out
a
non-existent
fire
is
a
crude
form
of
deception
which
no
self-respecting
student
would
ever
indulge
in,
Students
often
create
amusing
situations
which
are
funny
to
everyone
except
the
victims.
When
a
student
recently
saw
two
workmen
using
a
pneumatic
drill
outside
his
university,
he
immediately
telephoned
the
police
and
informed
them
that
two
students
dressed
up
as
workmen
were
tearing
up
the
road
with
a
pneumatic
drill.
As
soon
as
he
had
hung
up,
he
went
over
to
the
workmen
and
told
them
that
if
a
policeman
ordered
them
to
go
away,
they
were
not
to
take
him
seriously.
He
added
that
a
student
had
dressed
up
as
a
policeman
and
was
playing
all
sorts
of
silly
jokes
on
people.
Both
the
police
and
the
workmen
were
grateful
to
the
student
for
this
piece
of
advance
information.
The
student
hid
in
an
archway
nearby
where
he
could
watch
and
hear
everything
that
went
on.
Sure
enough,
a
policeman
arrived
on
the
scene
and
politely
asked
the
workmen
to
go
away.
When
he
received
a
very
rude
reply
from
one
of
the
workmen,
he
threatened
to
remove
them
by
force.
The
workmen
told
him
to
do
as
he
pleased
and
the
policeman
telephoned
for
help.
Shortly
afterwards,
four
more
policemen
arrived
and
remonstrated
with
the
workmen.
As
the
men
refused
to
stop
working,
the
police
attempted
to
seize
the
pneumatic
drill.
The
workmen
struggled
fiercely
and
one
of
them
lost
his
temper.
He
threatened
to
call
the
police.
At
this,
the
police
pointed
out
ironically
that
this
would
hardly
be
necessary
as
the
men
were
already
under
arrest.
Pretending
to
speak
seriously,
one
of
the
workmen
asked
if
he
might
make
a
telephone
call
before
being
taken
to
the
station.
Permission
was
granted
and
a
policeman
accompanied
him
to
a
call-box.
Only
when
he
saw
that
the
man
was
actually
telephoning
the
police
did
he
realize
that
they
had
all
been
the
victims
of
a
hoax.
?谁也弄不清为什么大学生好像比任何人都更喜欢恶作剧。大学生擅长一种特殊的恶作剧——戏弄人。请消防队来扑灭一场根本没有的大火是一种低级骗局，有自尊心的大学生决不会去做。大学生们常常做的是制造一种可笑的局面，使大家笑上一场，当然受害者是笑不出来的。
最近有个学生看见两个工人在学校门外用风钻干活，马上打电话报告警察，说有两个学生装扮成工人，正在用风钻破坏路面。挂上电话后，他又马上来到工人那儿，告诉他们若有个警察来让他们走开，不要把他当回事，还对工人说，有个学生常装扮成警察无聊地同别人开玩笑。警察与工人都对那个学生事先通报情况表示感谢。
那个学生躲在附近一拱形的门廊里，在那儿可以看见、听到现场发生的一切。果然，警察来了，不礼貌地请工人离开此地；但其中一个工人粗鲁地回了几句。于是警察威胁要强行使他们离开。工人说，悉听尊便。警察去打电话叫人。一会儿工夫，又来了4个警察，规劝工人离开。由于工人拒绝停下手中的活，警察想夺风钻。两个工人奋力抗争，其中一个发了火，威胁说要去叫警察。警察听后讥讽地说，这大可不必，因为他俩已被逮捕了。其中一个工人装模作样地问道，在被带往警察局之前，是否可以打一个电话。警察同意了，陪他来到一个投币地电话前，当他看到那个工人真的是给警察挂电话，才恍然大悟，原来他们都成一场骗局的受害者。
Lesson41
Illusions
of
Pastoral
peace
The
quiet
life
of
the
country
has
never
appealed
to
me.
City
born
and
city
bred,
I
have
always
regarded
the
country
as
something
you
look
at
through
a
train
window,
or
something
you
occasionally
visit
during
the
week-end.
Most
of
my
friends
live
in
the
city,
yet
they
always
go
into
raptures
at
the
mere
mention
of
the
country.
Though
they
extol
the
virtues
of
the
peaceful
life,
only
one
of
them
has
ever
gone
to
live
in
the
country
and
he
was
back
in
town
within
six
months.
Even
he
still
lives
under
the
illusion
that
country
life
is
somehow
superior
to
town
life.
He
is
forever
talking
about
the
friendly
people,
the
clean
atmosphere,
the
closeness
to
nature
and
the
gentle
pace
of
living.
Nothing
can
be
compared,
he
maintains,
with
the
first
cock
crow,
the
twittering
of
birds
at
dawn,
the
sight
of
the
rising
sun
glinting
on
the
trees
and
pastures.
This
idyllic
pastoral
scene
is
only
part
of
the
picture.
My
friend
fails
to
mention
the
long
and
friendless
winter
evenings
which
are
interrupted
only
by
an
occasional
visit
to
the
local
cinema-virtually
the
only
form
of
entertainment.
He
says
nothing
about
the
poor
selection
of
goods
in
the
shops,
or
about
those
unfortunate
people
who
have
to
travel
from
the
country
to
the
city
every
day
to
get
to
work.
Why
people
are
prepared
to
tolerate
a
four
hour
journey
each
day
for
the
dubious
privilege
of
living
in
the
country
is
beyond
my
ken.
They
could
be
saved
so
much
misery
and
expense
if
they
chose
to
live
in
the
city
where
they
rightly
belong.
If
you
can
do
without
the
few
pastoral
pleasures
of
the
country,
you
will
find
the
city
can
provide
you
with
the
best
that
life
can
offer.
You
never
have
to
travel
miles
to
see
your
friends.
They
invariably
live
nearby
and
are
always
available
for
an
informal
chat
or
an
evening's
entertainment.
Some
of
my
acquaintances
in
the
country
come
up
to
town
once
or
twice
a
year
to
visit
the
theatre
as
a
special
treat.
For
them
this
is
a
major
operation
which
involves
considerable
planning.
As
the
play
draws
to
its
close,
they
wonder
whether
they
will
ever
catch
that
last
train
home.
The
city
dweller
never
experiences
anxieties
of
this
sort.
The
latest
exhibitions,
films,
or
plays
are
only
a
short
bus
ride
away.
Shopping,
too,
is
always
a
pleasure.
There
is
so
much
variety
that
you
never
have
to
make
do
with
second
best.
Country
people
run
wild
when
they
go
shopping
in
the
city
and
stagger
home
loaded
with
as
many
of
the
necessities
of
life
as
they
can
carry.
Nor
is
the
city
without
its
moments
of
beauty.
There
is
something
comforting
about
the
warm
glow
shed
by
advertisements
on
cold
wet
winter
nights.
Few
things
could
be
more
impressive
than
the
peace
that
descends
on
deserted
city
streets
at
week-ends
when
the
thousands
that
travel
to
work
every
day
are
tucked
a
way
in
their
homes
in
the
country.
It
has
always
been
a
mystery
to
me
why
city
dwellers,
who
appreciate
all
these
things,
obstinately
pretend
that
they
would
prefer
to
live
in
the
country.
?宁静的乡村生活从来没有吸引过我。我生在城市，长在城市，总认为乡村是透过火车车窗看到的那个样了，或偶尔周末去游玩一下景象。我的许多朋友都住在城市，但他们只要一提起乡村，马上就会变得欣喜若狂。尽管他们都交口称赞宁静的乡村生活的种种优点，但其中只有一个人真去农村住过，而且不足6个月就回来了。即使他也仍存有幻觉，好像乡村生活就是比城市生活优越。他滔滔不绝地大谈友好的农民，洁净的空气，贴近大自然的环境和悠闲的生活节奏。他坚持认为，凌晨雄鸡第一声啼叫，黎明时分小鸟吱喳欢叫，冉冉升起的朝阳染红树木、牧场，此番美景无与伦比。但这种田园诗般的乡村风光仅仅是一个侧面。我的朋友没有提到在电视机前度过的漫长寂寞的冬夜——电视是唯一的娱乐形式。他也不说商店货物品种单调，以及那些每天不得不从乡下赶到城里工作的不幸的人们。人们为什么情愿每天在路上奔波4个小时去换取值得怀疑的乡间的优点，我是无法理解的。要是他们愿意住在本来属于他们的城市，则可以让他们省去诸多不便与节约大量开支。
如果你愿舍弃乡下生活那一点点乐趣的话，那么你会发出城市可以为你提供生活最美好的东西。你去看朋友根本不用跋涉好几英里，因为他们都住在附近，你随时可以同他们聊天或在晚上一起娱乐。我在乡村有一些熟人，他们每年进城来看一回或几回戏，并把此看作一种特殊的享受。看戏在他们是件大事，需要精心计划。当戏快演完时，他们又为是否能赶上末班火车回家而犯愁。这种焦虑，城里人是从未体验过的。坐公共汽车几站路，就可看到最新的展览、电影、戏剧。买东西也是一种乐趣。物品种繁多，从来不必用二等品来凑合。乡里人进城采购欣喜若狂，每次回家时都买足了外来商品，直到拿不动方才罢休，连走路都摇摇晃晃的。城市也并非没有良辰美景。寒冷潮湿的冬夜里，广告灯箱发出的暖光，会给人某种安慰。周末，当成千上万进城上班的人回到他们的乡间寓所之后，空旷的街市笼罩着一种宁静气氛，没有什么能比此时的宁静更令人难忘了。城里人对这一切心里很明白，却偏要执拗地装出他们喜欢住在乡村的样子，这对我来说一直是个谜。
Lesson42
Modern
Cavemen
Cave
exploration,
or
potholing,
as
it
has
come
to
be
known,
is
a
relatively
new
sport.
Perhaps
it
is
the
desire
for
solitude
or
the
chance
of
making
an
unexpected
discovery
that
lures
men
down
to
the
depths
of
the
earth.
It
is
impossible
to
give
a
satisfactory
explanation
for
a
pot-holer's
motives.
For
him,
caves
have
the
same
peculiar
fascination
which
high
mountains
have
for
the
climber.
They
arouse
instincts
which
can
only
be
dimly
understood.
Exploring
really
deep
caves
is
not
a
task
for
the
Sunday
afternoon
rambler.
Such
undertakings
require
the
precise
planning
and
foresight
of
military
operations.
It
can
take
as
long
as
eight
days
to
rig
up
rope
ladders
and
to
establish
supply
bases
before
a
descent
can
be
made
into
a
very
deep
cave.
Precautions
of
this
sort
are
necessary,
for
it
is
impossible
to
foretell
the
exact
nature
of
the
difficulties
which
will
confront
the
potholer.
The
deepest
known
cave
in
the
world
is
the
Gouffre
Berger
near
Grenoble.
It
extends
to
a
depth
of
3723
feet.
This
immense
chasm
has
been
formed
by
an
underground
stream
which
has
tunnelled
a
course
through
a
flaw
in
the
rocks.
The
entrance
to
the
cave
is
on
a
plateau
in
the
Dauphine
Alps.
As
it
is
only
six
feet
across,
it
is
barely
noticeable.
The
cave
might
never
have
been
discovered
had
not
the
entrance
been
spotted
by
the
distinguished
French
potholer,
Berger.
Since
its
discovery,
it
has
become
a
sort
of
potholers'
Everest.
Though
a
number
of
descents
have
been
made,
much
of
it
still
remains
to
be
explored.
A
team
of
potholers
recently
went
down
the
Gouffre
Berger.
After
entering
the
narrow
gap
on
the
plateau,
they
climbed
down
the
steep
sides
of
the
cave
until
they
came
to
a
narrow
corridor.
They
had
to
edge
their
way
along
this,
sometimes
wading
across
shallow
streams,
or
swimming
across
deep
pools.
Suddenly
they
came
to
a
waterfall
which
dropped
into
an
underground
lake
at
the
bottom
of
the
cave.
They
plunged
into
the
lake,
and
after
loading
their
gear
on
an
inflatable
rubber
dinghy,
let
the
current
carry
them
to
the
other
side.
To
protect
themselves
from
the
icy
water,
they
had
to
wear
special
rubber
suits.
At
the
far
end
of
the
lake,
they
came
to
huge
piles
of
rubble
which
had
been
washed
up
by
the
water.
In
this
part
of
the
cave,
they
could
hear
an
insistent
booming
sound
which
they
found
was
caused
by
a
small
water-spout
shooting
down
into
a
pool
from
the
roof
of
the
cave.
Squeezing
through
a
cleft
in
the
rocks,
the
potholers
arrived
at
an
enormous
cavern,
the
size
of
a
huge
concert
hall.
After
switching
on
powerful
arc
lights,
they
saw
great
stalagmites—some
of
them
over
forty
feet
high--rising
up
like
tree-trunks
to
meet
the
stalactites
suspended
from
the
roof.
Round
about,
piles
of
lime-stone
glistened
in
all
the
colours
of
the
rainbow.
In
the
eerie
silence
of
the
cavern,
the
only
sound
that
could
be
heard
was
made
by
water
which
dripped
continuously
from
the
high
dome
above
them.
?洞穴勘查——或洞穴勘探——是一项比较新的体育活动。寻求独处的愿望或寻求意外发现的机会的欲望吸引人们来到地下深处。要想对洞穴探险者的动机作出满意的解释是不可能的。对洞穴探险者来说，洞穴有一种特殊的魅力，就像高山对登山者有特殊魅力一样。为什么洞空能引发人的那种探险本能，人们对此只能有一种模模糊糊的理解。
探测非常深的洞穴不是那些在星期日下午漫步的人所能胜任的。这种活动需要有军事行动般的周密布署和预见能力。有时需要花费整整8天时间来搭起绳梯，建立供应基地，然后才能到一个很深的洞穴里。作出这样的准备是必要的，因为无法预见到洞穴探险者究竟会遇到什么性质的困难。世界上最深的洞穴是格里诺布尔附近的高弗.伯杰洞，深达3,723英尺。这个深邃的洞穴是由一条地下暗泉冲刷岩石中的缝隙并使之慢慢变大而形成的。此洞的洞口在丹芬阿尔卑斯山的高原上，仅6英尺宽，很难被发现。若不是法国著名洞穴探险家伯杰由于偶然的机会发现了这个洞口的话，这个洞也许不会为人所知。自从被发现以后，这个洞成了洞穴探险者的珠穆朗玛峰，人们多次进入洞内探险，但至今尚有不少东西有待勘探。
最近，一队洞穴探险者下到了高弗.伯杰洞里。他们从高原上的窄缝进去，顺着笔直陡峭的洞壁往下爬。来到一条狭窄的走廊上。他们不得不侧着身子往前走，有时过浅溪，有时游过深潭。突然，他们来到一道瀑布前，那瀑布奔泻而下，注入洞底一处地下湖里。他们跳入湖中，把各种器具装上一只充气的橡皮艇，听任水流将他们带往对岸。湖水冰冷刺骨，他们必须穿上一种特制的橡皮服以保护自己。在湖的尽头，他们见到一大堆一大堆由湖水冲刷上岸的碎石。在这儿，他们可以听见一种连续不断的轰鸣声。后来他们发现这是由山洞顶部的一个小孔里喷出的水柱跌落到水潭中发出的声音。洞穴探险者从岩石缝里挤身过去，来到一个巨大的洞里，其大小相当于一个音乐厅。他们打开强力弧光灯，看见一株株巨大的石笋，有的高达40英尺，像树干似地向上长着，与洞顶悬挂下来的钟乳石相接。周围是一堆堆石灰石，像彩虹一样闪闪发光。洞里有一种可怕的寂静，唯一的可以听见的声响是高高的圆顶上不间断地滴水的嘀嗒声。Lesson43
Fully
insured
Insurance
companies
are
normally
willing
to
insure
anything.
Insuring
public
or?
private
property
is
a
standard
practice
in
most
countries
in
the
world.
If,
however,
you
were
holding
an
open
air
garden
party
or
a
fete
it
would
be
equally
possible
to
insure
yourself
in
the
event
of
bad
weather.
Needless
to
say,
the
bigger
the
risk
an
insurance
company
takes,
the
higher
the
premium
you
will
have
to
pay.
It
is
not
uncommon
to
hear
that
a
ship-ping
company
has
made
a
claim
for
the
cost
of
salvaging
a
sunken
ship.
But
the
claim
made
by
a
local
authority
to
recover
the
cost
of
salvaging
a
sunken
pie
dish
must
surely
be
unique.
Admittedly
it
was
an
unusual
pie
dish,
for
it
was
eighteen
feet
long
and
six
feet
wide.
It
had
been
purchased
by
a
local
authority
so
that
an
enormous
pie
could
be
baked
for
an
annual
fair.
The
pie
committee
decided
that
the
best
way
to
transport
the
dish
would
be
by
canal,
so
they
insured
it
for
the
trip.
Shortly
after
it
was
launched,
the
pie
committee
went
to
a
local
inn
to
celebrate.
At
the
same
time,
a
number
of
teenagers
climbed
on
to
the
dish
and
held
a
little
party
of
their
own.
Modern
dances
proved
to
be
more
than
the
disk
could
bear,
for
during
the
party
it
capsized
and
sank
in
seven
feet
of
water.
The
pie
committee
telephoned
a
local
garage
owner
who
arrived
in
a
recovery
truck
to
salvage
the
pie
dish.
Shivering
in
their
wet
clothes,
the
teenagers
looked
on
while
three
men
dived
repeatedly
into
the
water
to
locate
the
dish.
They
had
little
difficulty
in
finding
it,
but
hauling
it
out
of
the
water
proved
to
be
a
serious
problem.
The
sides
of
the
dish
were
so
smooth
that
it
was
almost
impossible
to
attach
hawsers
and
chains
to
the
rim
without
damaging
it.
Eventually
chains
were
fixed
to
one
end
of
the
dish
and
a
powerful
winch
was
put
into
operation.
The
dish
rose
to
the
surface
and
was
gently
drawn
towards
the
canal
bank.
For
one
agonizing
moment,
the
dish
was
perched
precariously
on
the
bank
of
the
canal,
but
it
suddenly
overbalanced
and
slid
back
into
the
water.
The
men
were
now
obliged
to
try
once
more.
This
time
they
fixed
heavy
metal
clamps
to
both
sides
of
the
dish
so
that
they
could
fasten
the
chains.
The
dish
now
had
to
be
lifted
vertically
because
one
edge
was
resting
against
the
side
of
the
canal.
The
winch
was
again
put
into
operation
and
one
of
the
men
started
up
the
truck.
Several
minutes
later,
the
dish
was
successfully
hauled
above
the
surface
of
the
water.
Water
streamed
in
torrents
over
its
sides
with
such
force
that
it
set
up
a
huge
wave
in
the
canal.
There
was
danger
that
the
wave
would
rebound
off
the
other
side
of
the
bank
and
send
the
dish
plunging
into
the
water
again.
By
working
at
tremendous
speed,
the
men
managed
to
get
the
dish
on
to
dry
land
before
the
wave
returned.
保险公司一般说来愿意承保一切东西。承办公共财产或私人财产保险是世界上大部分国家的正常业务。如果你要举办一次露天游园会或盛宴，为避免碰上不好的天气而遭受损失也同样可以保险，不用说，保险公司承担风险越大，你付的保险费也就越高。航运公司为打捞沉船而提出索赔，这是常有的事，但某地当局为打捞一只焙制馅饼的盘子提出索赔，倒是件新鲜的事儿。
这个馅饼盘子确实少见，有18英尺长，6英尺宽。某地方当局买下它用来焙制一个巨大的馅饼为一年一度交易会助兴。馅饼委员会确认运输这只盘子的最佳方案是通过运河水运。于是，他们对这只盘子的运输安全投了保。盘子下水后不久，馅饼委员会成员们来到当地一家小酒店庆贺。就在这个时候，许多十几岁的孩子爬盘子举行他们自己的集会。他们跳起了舞，盘子难以承受。舞会进行过程中，盘子倾覆，沉入了7英尺深的水中。
馅饼委员会给当地汽车修理库老板打电话，他闻讯后开着一辆急修车前来打捞盘子。那些孩子们穿着湿衣服哆嗦，看着3个工人轮潜入水中以确定盘子的位置。他们没费多大事儿就找到了盘子。可是把盘子捞出却是一个很大的难题。盘子四边十分光滑，要在盘边拴上绳索或链条而同时又不损坏它是很难办到的。不过，他们终于将链条固定在盘子的一端，一台大功率的绞车开动起来。盘子慢慢浮出水面，被轻轻地拽向运河岸边。在令人忐忑不安的瞬间，盘子晃晃悠悠地上了岸，但它突然失去了平衡，又跌回水中。工人们只得再来一次。这次，他们用沉重的金属夹子把盘子夹住，以便往盘子上安装铁链。这次，盘子必须垂直吊出水面，因为盘子的一边紧靠着运河河岸。绞盘机再次启动，一位工人发动了急修车的引擎。几分钟后，盘子被成功地拽出了水面。波浪从盘子两侧急涌而出，在运河里掀起一股大浪。但是当波浪从河对岸折回来时，就有再次把盘子拖进水里的危险。工人们动作迅速，终于赶在那股大浪返回之前把盘子拽到了岸上。
Lesson44
Speed
and
comfort
People
travelling
long
distances
frequently
have
to
decide
whether
they
would
prefer
to
go
by
land,
sea,
or
air.
Hardly
anyone
can
positively
enjoy
sitting
in
a
train
for
more
than
a
few
hours.
Train
compartments
soon
get
cramped
and
stuffy.
It
is
almost
impossible
to
take
your
mind
off
the
journey.
Reading
is
only
a
partial
solution,
for
the
monotonous
rhythm
of
the
wheels
clicking
on
the
rails
soon
lulls
you
to
sleep.
During
the
day,
sleep
comes
in
snatches.
At
night,
when
you
really
wish
to
go
to
sleep,
you
rarely
manage
to
do
so.
If
you
are
lucky
enough
to
get
a
couchette,
you
spend
half
the
night
staring
at
the
small
blue
light
in
the
ceiling,
or
fumbling
to
find
your
passport
when
you
cross
a
frontier.
Inevitably
you
arrive
at
your
destination
almost
exhausted.
Long
car
journeys
are
even
less
pleasant,
for
it
is
quite
impossible
even
to
read.
On
motor-ways
you
can,
at
least,
travel
fairly
safely
at
high
speeds,
but
more
often
than
not,
the
greater
part
of
the
journey
is
spent
on
narrow,
bumpy
roads
which
are
crowded
with
traffic.
By
comparison,
trips
by
sea
offer
a
great
variety
of
civilized
comforts.
You
can
stretch
your
legs
on
the
spacious
decks,
play
games,
swim,
meet
interesting
people
and
enjoy
good
food--always
assuming,
of
course,
that
the
sea
is
calm.
If
it
is
not,
and
you
are
likely
to
get
sea-sick,
no
form
of
transport
could
be
worse.
Even
if
you
travel
in
ideal
weather,
sea
journeys
take
a
long
time.
Relatively
few
people
are
prepared
to
sacrifice
up
to
a
third
of
their
holidays
for
the
pleasure
of
travelling
on
a
ship.
Aeroplanes
have
the
reputation
of
being
dangerous
and
even
hardened
travellers
are
intimidated
by
them.
They
also
have
the
grave
disadvantage
of
being
the
most
expensive
form
of
transport.
But
nothing
can
match
them
for
speed
and
comfort.
Travelling
at
a
height
of
30,000
feet,
far
above
the
clouds,
and
at
over
500
miles
an
hour
is
an
exhilarating
experience.
You
do
not
have
to
devise
ways
of
taking
your
mind
off
the
journey,
for
an
aeroplane
gets
you
to
your
destination
rapidly.
For
a
few
hours,
you
settle
back
in
a
deep
armchair
to
enjoy
the
flight.
The
real
escapist
can
watch
a
free
film
show
and
sip
champagne
on
some
services.
But
even
when
such
refinements
are
not
available,
there
is
plenty
to
keep
you
occupied.
An
aeroplane
offers
you
an
unusual
and
breathtaking
view
of
the
world.
You
soar
effortlessly
over
high
mountains
and
deep
valleys.
You
really
see
the
shape
of
the
land.
If
the
landscape
is
hidden
from
view,
you
can
enjoy
the
extraordinary
sight
of
unbroken
cloud
plains
that
stretch
out
for
miles
before
you,
while
the
sun
shines
brilliantly
in
a
clear
sky.
The
journey
is
so
smooth
that
there
is
nothing
to
prevent
you
from
reading
or
sleeping.
However
you
decide
to
spend
your
time,
one
thing
is
certain:
you
will
arrive
at
your
destination
fresh
and
uncrumpled.
You
will
not
have
to
spend
the
next
few
days
recovering
from
a
long
and
arduous
journey.
?出远门的人常常需要决定是走旱路、水路，还是坐飞机。很少有人能够真正喜欢坐几个小时以上的火车。车厢很快就变得拥挤、闷热，想摆脱开旅途的困扰是很难的。看书只能解决部分问题。车轮与铁轨间单调的嘎喳声很快就会送你进入梦乡。白天是忽睡忽醒，到了夜晚，你真想睡了，却很难入睡。即使你走运弄到一个卧铺，夜间有一半时间你会盯着车顶那盏小蓝灯而睡不着觉；要不然就为查票摸索你的车票。一旦抵达目的地，你总是疲惫不堪。乘汽车作长途旅行则更加不舒服，因为连看书都几乎不可能。在公路上还好，你至少能以相当快的速度安全地向前行。但旅行的大部分时间都花在路上，而且只有很少的服务设施，交通也很拥挤。相比之下，坐船旅行或环游可以得到文明世界的各种享受。你可以在甲板上伸展四肢、做游戏，还能也很见到各种有趣的人，能享用各种美味佳肴——当然，这一切只有在大海风平浪静的情况下才有可能。如果大海肆虐起来，你就可能晕船，那种难受劲儿是任何一种别的旅行的方式都不会带来的。即使风平浪静，坐船旅行也要占用很长时间。没有多少人会为享受坐船旅行的乐趣而牺牲假期的时间。
飞机以危险而著称，连老资格的旅行者也怕飞机。飞机另一个缺点是昂贵。但就速度与舒适而言，飞机是无与伦比的。腾云驾雾，在30，000
英尺高空以500英里的时速旅行，这种经历令人心旷神怡。你不必想办法去摆脱旅途的困扰，因为飞机会迅速地把你送到目的地。几小时之内，你躺在扶手椅上，享受着旅途的欢乐。真正会享受的人还可以在某些航班上看一场电影和喝香槟。即使没有这些消遣条件，也总是有事可做。飞机上，你可以观察世界上非同寻常的奇妙的美景。你毫不费劲地飞越高山幽谷，你确能饱览大地的风貌。如果这种景色被遮住了，你可以观赏一下展现在你面前的、一望数英里的、连绵不断的云海，同时阳光灿烂，天空清澈明朗。旅途平稳，丝毫不妨碍你阅读或睡眠。不管你打算如何消磨时间，有件事是可以肯定的，即当你抵达目的地时，你感到精神焕发，毫无倦意，用不着因为漫长的旅途的辛苦而花几天时间休息来恢复精神。
Lesson45
The
power
of
press
In
democratic
countries
any
efforts
to
restrict
the
freedom
of
the
press
are
rightly
condemned.
However,
this
freedom
can
easily
be
abused.
Stories
about
people
often
attract
far
more
public
attention
than
political
events.
Though
we
may
enjoy
reading
about
the
lives
of
others,
it
is
extremely
doubtful
whether
we
would
equally
enjoy
reading
about
ourselves.
Acting
on
the
contention
that
facts
are
sacred,
reporters
can
cause
untold
suffering
to
individuals
by
publishing
details
about
their
private
lives.
Newspapers
exert
such
tremendous
influence
that
they
can
not
only
bring
about
major
changes
to
the
lives
of
ordinary
people
but
can
even
overthrow
a
government.
The
story
of
a
poor
family
that
acquired
fame
and
fortune
overnight,
dramatically
illustrates
the
power
of
the
press.
The
family
lived
in
Aberdeen,
a
small
town
of
23,000
inhabitants
in
South
Dakota.
As
the
parents
had
five
children,
life
was
a
perpetual
struggle
against
poverty.
They
were
expecting
their
sixth
child
and
faced
with
even
more
pressing
economic
problems.
If
they
had
only
had
one
more
child,
the
fact
would
have
passed
unnoticed.
They
would
have
continued
to
struggle
against
economic
odds
and
would
have
lived
in
obscurity.
But
they
suddenly
became
the
parents
of
quintuplets,
four
girls
and
a
boy,
an
event
which
radically
changed
their
lives.
The
day
after
the
birth
of
the
five
children,
an
aeroplane
arrived
in
Aberdeen
bringing
sixty
reporters
and
photographers.
The
news
was
of
national
importance,
for
the
poor
couple
had
become
the
parents
of
the
only
quintuplets
in
America.
The
rise
to
fame
was
swift.
Television
cameras
and
newspapers
carried
the
news
to
everyone
in
the
country.
Newspapers
and
magazines
offered
the
family
huge
sums
for
the
exclusive
rights
to
publish
stories
and
photographs.
Gifts
poured
in
not
only
from
unknown
people,
but
from
baby
food
and
soap
manufacturers
who
wished
to
advertise
their
products.
The
old
farmhouse
the
family
lived
in
was
to
be
replaced
by
a
new
$100,000
home.
Reporters
kept
pressing
for
interviews
so
lawyers
had
to
be
employed
to
act
as
spokesmen
for
the
family
at
press
conferences.
The
event
brought
serious
changes
to
the
town
itself.
Plans
were
announced
to
build
a
huge
new
highway,
as
Aberdeen
was
now
likely
to
attract
thousands
of
tourists.
Signposts
erected
on
the
outskirts
of
the
town
directed
tourists
not
to
Aberdeen,
but
to
'Quint-City
U.S.A.'
The
local
authorities
discussed
the
possibility
of
erecting
a
'quint
museum'
to
satisfy
the
curiosity
of
the
public
and
to
protect
the
family
from
inquisitive
tourists.
While
the
five
babies
were
still
quietly
sleeping
in
oxygen
tents
in
a
hospital
nursery,
their
parents
were
paying
the
price
for
fame.
It
would
never
again
be
possible
for
them
to
lead
normal
lives.
They
had
become
the
victims
of
commercialization,
for
their
names
had
acquired
a
market
value.
The
town
itself
received
so
much
attention
that
almost
every
one
of
the
inhabitants
was
affected
to
a
greater
or
less
degree.
?在民主国家里，任何限制新闻自由的企图都理所当然地受到谴责。然而，这种自由很容易被滥用。常人轶事往往比政治事件更能引起公众注意。我们都喜欢看关于别人生活的报道，但是否同样喜欢看关于自己生活的报道，就很难说了。记者按事实至上的论点行事，发表有关别人生活的细节，有时会给当事人造成极大的痛苦。新闻具有巨大的威力。它们不仅可以给寻常人家的生活带来重大的变化，甚至还能推翻一个政府。
下面这户穷人一夜之间出名发财的故事戏剧性地说明了新闻报道威力。这户人家住在南达科他州一个人口为23，000
的小镇上，镇名为阿拜丁。家里已有5个孩子，全家人常年在贫困中挣扎。第6个孩子即将问世，他们面临着更为严峻的经济问题。如果他们只添了1个孩子，这件事本来就不会引起任何人的注意。这家人会继续为克服经济上的拮据而奋斗，并默默无闻地活下去。但是他们出人意料生了个五胞胎，4女1男。这事使他们的生活发生了根本的变化。五胞胎降生第二天，一架飞机飞抵阿拜丁，随机带来60名记者与摄影师。
这一家迅速出了名。电视摄像机和报纸把消息传送到全国。报纸、杂志出高价向他们购买文字、图片的独家报道权。不但素昧平生的人寄来了大量的礼物，而且婴儿食品、婴儿肥皂制造厂商为了替自己产品做广告也寄来了大量的礼物。这家人住的旧家舍将由一座价值50万美元的新住宅所取代。由于记者纷纷要求会见，他们不得不请了律师充当他们家的发言人举行记者招待会。眼下，五胞胎还静静地躺在医院婴儿室的氧气帐里，他们的父母却为这名声付出了代价，他们再也无法过正常的生活。他们成了商业化的受害者，因为他们的名字具有了市场价值。这些孩子立即成了商品，而不是5个新的家庭成员。

Lesson46
Do
it
yourself
So
great
is
our
passion
for
doing
things
for
ourselves,
that
we
are
becoming
increasingly
less
dependent
on
specialized
labour.
No
one
can
plead
ignorance
of
a
subject
any
longer,
for
there
are
countless
do-it-yourself
publications.
Armed
with
the
right
tools
and
materials,
newly-weds
gaily
embark
on
the
task
of
decorating
their
own
homes.
Men
of
all
ages
spend
hours
of
their
leisure
time
installing
their
own
fireplaces,
laying-out
their
own
gardens;
building
garages
and
making
furniture.
Some
really
keen
enthusiasts
go
so
far
as
to
build
their
own
record
players
and
radio
transmitters.
Shops
cater
for
the
do-it-yourself
craze
not
only
by
running
special
advisory
services
for
novices,
but
by
offering
consumers
bits
and
pieces
which
they
can
assemble
at
home.
Such
things
provide
an
excellent
outlet
for
pent-up
creative
energy,
but
unfortunately
not
all
of
us
are
born
handymen.
Wives
tend
to
believe
that
their
husbands
are
infinitely
resourceful
and
versatile.
Even
husbands
who
can
hardly
drive
a
nail
in
straight
are
supposed
to
be
born
electricians,
carpenters,
plumbers
and
mechanics.
When
lights
fuse,
furniture
gets
rickety,
pipes
get
clogged,
or
vacuum
cleaners
fail
to
operate,
wives
automatically
assume
that
their
husbands
will
somehow
put
things
right.
The
worst
thing
about
the
do-it-yourself
game
is
that
sometimes
husbands
live
under
the
delusion
that
they
can
do
anything
even
when
they
have
been
repeatedly
proved
wrong.
It
is
a
question
of
pride
as
much
as
anything
else.
?Last
spring
my
wife
suggested
that
I
call
in
a
man
to
look
at
our
lawn-mower.
It
had
broken
down
the
previous
summer,
and
though
I
promised
to
repair
it,
I
had
never
got
round
to
it.
I
would
not
hear
of
the
suggestion
and
said
that
I
would
fix
it
myself.
One
Saturday
afternoon,
I
hauled
the
machine
into
the
garden
and
had
a
close
look
at
it.
As
far
as
I
could
see,
it
only
needed
a
minor
adjustment:
a
turn
of
a
screw
here,
a
little
tightening
up
there,
a
drop
of
oil
and
it
would
be
as
good
as
new.
Inevitably
the
repair
job
was
not
quite
so
simple.
The
mower
firmly
refused
to
mow,
so
I
decided
to
dismantle
it.
The
garden
was
soon
littered
with
chunks
of
metal
which
had
once
made
up
a
lawn-mower.
But
I
was
extremely
pleased
with
myself
I
had
traced
the
cause
of
the
trouble.
One
of
the
links
in
the
chain
that
drives
the
wheels
had
snapped.
After
buying
a
new
chain
I
was
faced
with
the
insurmountable
task
of
putting
the
confusing
jigsaw
puzzle
together
again.
I
was
not
surprised
to
find
that
the
machine
still
refused
to
work
after
I
had
reassembled
it,
for
the
simple
reason
that
I
was
left
with
several
curiously
shaped
bits
of
metal
which
did
not
seem
to
fit
anywhere.
I
gave
up
in
despair.
The
weeks
passed
and
the
grass
grew.
When
my
wife
nagged
me
to
do
something
about
it,
I
told
her
that
either
I
would
have
to
buy
a
new
mower
or
let
the
grass
grow.
Needless
to
say
our
house
is
now
surrounded
by
a
jungle.
Buried
somewhere
in
deep
grass
there
is
a
rusting
lawn-mower
which
I
have
promised
to
repair
one
day.
?现在我们自己动手做事的热情很高，结果对于专业工人的依赖越来越少了。由于出版了不计其数的教人自己动手做事的书报杂志，没有人再能说对某事一无所知。新婚夫妇找来合适的工具和材料，喜气洋洋地开始布置新房。特别是男人，常利用空闲时间安装壁炉、布置花园、建造车库、制作家具。有些热衷于自己动手的人甚至自己组装电脑。为了满足自己动手热的需要，商店不仅为初学者提供专门的咨询服务，而且为顾客准备了各种零件，供他们买回家去安装。这些东西为人们潜在的创造力提供了一个绝妙的用武之地。但不幸的是，我们并非人人都是能工巧匠。
妻子常常认为她们的丈夫无比聪明能干。甚至那些连一枚钉子都钉不直的男人都被认为是天生的电工、木匠、水管工和机械师。每当电灯保险丝烧断、家具榫头松动、管道堵塞、吸尘器不动时，有些妻子认为丈夫总有办法。自己动手的例子中最糟糕的是，有时甚至是男人尽管接连失败却还误以为自己什么都行，原因就是要面子。
今年春天，妻子让我请人检查一下我家的割草机。那台割草机去年夏天就坏了，尽管我答应修，但一直没抽出时间，我不愿听妻子的建议，说我自己会修。一个星期六的下午，我把割草机拉到了花园里，仔细检查了一番。在我看来，只需稍加调整即可。这儿紧紧螺丝，那儿固定一下，再加几滴油，就会像新的一样了。事实上，修理工作远不是那么简单。修完后割草机还是纹丝不动。于是，我决定把它拆开。一会儿工夫，割草机便被拆成一个个金属零件，乱七八糟地堆在花园里。但我却非常高兴，因为我找到了毛病所在。驱动轮子的链条断了一节。我买来一根新链条后，面临的就是如何把这些令人眼花缭乱的拼板重新组装起来。等我装完后，那台割草机仍然一动不动，对此我倒并不感到吃惊。原因很简单，因为还剩下几个形状奇特的零件似乎哪里也装不上去。我无可奈何，只好罢休。几个星期过去了，草长了起来。妻子喋喋不休让我想点办法。我告诉她，要么买一台新割草机，要么让草长下去。不用说，我家现在已被丛林包围。深草丛中的某个地方有一台正在生锈的割草机，那就是我曾答应某日要修理的割草机。
Lesson47
Through
the
earth’s
crust
Satellites
orbiting
round
the
earth
have
provided
scientists
with
a
vast
amount
of
information
about
conditions
in
outer
space.
By
comparison,
relatively
little
is
known
about
the
internal
structure
of
the
earth.
It
has
proved
easier
to
go
up
than
to
go
down.
The
deepest
hole
ever
to
be
bored
on
land
went
down
25,340
feet--
considerably
less
than
the
height
of
Mount
Everest.
Drilling
a
hole
under
the
sea
has
proved
to
be
even
more
difficult.
The
deepest
hole
bored
under
sea
has
been
about
20,000
feet.
Until
recently,
scientists
have
been
unable
to
devise
a
drill
which
would
be
capable
of
cutting
through
hard
rock
at
great
depths.
This
problem
has
now
been
solved.
Scientists
have
developed
a
method
which
sounds
surprisingly
simple.
A
new
drill
which
is
being
tested
at
Leona
Valley
Ranch
in
Texas
is
driven
by
a
turbine
engine
which
is
propelled
by
liquid
mud
pumped
into
it
from
the
surface.
As
the
diamond
tip
of
the
drill
revolves,
it
is
lubricated
by
mud.
Scientists
have
been
amazed
to
find
that
it
can
cut
through
the
hardest
rock
with
great
ease.
The
drill
has
been
designed
to
bore
through
the
earth
to
a
depth
of
35,000
feet.
It
will
enable
scientists
to
obtain
samples
of
the
mysterious
layer
which
lies
immediately
below
the
earth's
crust.
This
layer
is
known
as
the
Mohorovicic
Discontinuity,
but
is
commonly
referred
to
as
'the
Moho'.
Before
it
is
possible
to
drill
this
deep
hole,
scientists
will
have
to
overcome
a
number
of
problems.
Geological
tests
will
be
carried
out
to
find
the
point
at
which
the
earth's
crust
is
thinnest.
The
three
possible
sites
which
are
being
considered
are
all
at
sea:
two
in
the
Atlantic
Ocean
and
?one
in
the
Pacific.
Once
they
have
determinded
on
a
site,
they
will
have
to
erect
a
drilling
vessel
which
will
not
be
swept
away
by
ocean
currents.
The
vessel
will
consist
of
an
immense
platform
which
will
rise
to
70
feet
above
the
water.
It
will
be
supported
by
six
hollow
columns
which
will
descend
to
a
depth
of
60
feet
below
the
ocean
surface
where
they
will
be
fixed
to
a
huge
float.
A
tall
steel
tower
rising
to
a
height
of
nearly
200
feet
will
rest
on
the
platform.
The
drill
will
be
stored
in
the
tower
and
will
have
to
be
lowered
through
about
15,000
feet
of
water
before
operations
can
begin.
Within
the
tower,
there
will
be
a
laboratory,
living
accommodation
and
a
helicopter
landing
station.
Keeping
the
platform
in
position
at
sea
will
give
rise
to
further
problems.
To
do
this,
scientists
will
have
to
devise
methods
using
radar
and
underwater
television.
If,
during
the
operations
the
drill
has
to
be
withdrawn,
it
must
be
possible
to
re-insert
it.
Great
care
will
therefore
have
to
be
taken
to
keep
the
platform
steady
and
make
it
strong
enough
to
withstand
hurricanes.
If
the
project
is
successful,
scientists
will
not
only
learn
a
great
deal
about
the
earth,
but
possibly
about
the
nature
of
the
universe
itself.
?污染就是我们为这个人口过密，过度工业化的星球所付出的代价。当我们开始考虑垃圾问题时，我们只有4种对付垃圾的方法：倾倒、焚烧、把垃圾变成再生材料或试图少产生一些垃圾。我们一直在试这4种方式，但是，我们在世界范围内仅产生的垃圾的量就有把我们覆盖的危险。
然而，垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。日益增长的对廉价食物的需求导致了另一种形式的污染。工业化的农作方式生产出廉价的肉类制品——牛肉、猪肉和鸡肉。使用杀虫剂和化肥生产出廉价的谷物和蔬菜。为了廉价食物我们付出代价已经太高了：牛肉中的疯牛病，鸡肉和鸡蛋中的沙门氏菌，奶制品中的利斯特杆菌。如果你想放弃肉类而变成一位素食者，那么你可以两者择一：或是选用价格昂贵、有机培植的蔬菜，或是当你认为在享用新鲜色拉和新鲜蔬菜或饮用一杯无害的水的时候，实际上每次都不断吃进杀虫剂。
但是，还有一种更加隐蔽有害的污染，它专门影响城镇地区，侵袭我们的日常生活，那就是噪音。防盗警报器在白天和黑夜的任何时候都会响起来，它的作用只是骚扰过路行人，而实际上却帮助窃贼入室行窃。在街上，汽车的防盗警报不断对我们吼叫，这是人们极度烦燥的一个原因，最近一个有关噪音的作用的调查（令人吃惊地）指出，夜间连续不断的狗叫声，在一个从1级至7级刻度表上应列为最严重的噪间污染。这个调查揭示了我们所不喜欢的大量的噪间的来源：夏天呜呜作响的割草机，公寓楼里深夜聚会的喧哗声，大声吵闹的邻居，各式各样的车辆，特别是穿越寂静的村庄的集装箱卡车，从头顶飞过的飞机和直升机，被带到公共场所、音量开到最大的大功率收音机。新技术也为噪音作了它的贡献。许多人都反对移动式电话，特别是在如饭店，公共交通车等公共场所使用移动电话。用移动电话大声交谈干扰我们的思路，破坏我们和朋友在一起轻声聊天所得到的乐趣。这个有关噪音的污染调查还揭示了一种出人意外而同时可能会引人意外而同时可能会引人发笑的老式噪音源。它竟然是鼾声。人类是这方面的罪魁祸首。调查指出，20%的35岁左右的男人打鼾；而到60岁这个年龄段，这个数字上升到令人惊愕的60%。与这些数字相比，只有5%
的女性经常打鼾；而其余则经常被与她们同睡、像吹号似地打着呼噜的男人吵醒或弄得睡不着。不管噪声来自何方，有一点是肯定的：看来寂静已变成一种珍贵的回忆。
Lesson48
The
silent
village
In
this
much-travelled
world,
there
are
still
thousands
of
places
which
are
inaccessible
to
tourists.
We
always
assume
that
villagers
in
remote
places
are
friendly
and
hospitable.
But
people
who
are
cut
off
not
only
from
foreign
tourists,
but
even
from
their
own
countrymen
can
be
hostile
to
travellers.
Visits
to
really
remote
villages
are
seldom
enjoyable--as
my
wife
and
I
discovered
during
a
tour
through
the
Balkans.
We
had
spent
several
days
in
a
small
town
and
visited
a
number
of
old
churches
in
the
vicinity.
These
attracted
many
visitors
for
they
were
not
only
of
great
architectural
interest,
but
contained
a
large
number
of
beautifully
preserved
frescoes
as
well.
On
the
day
before
our
departure,
several
bus
loads
of
tourists
descended
on
the
town.
This
was
more
than
we
could
bear,
so
we
decided
to
spend
our
last
day
exploring
the
countryside.
Taking
a
path
which
led
out
of
the
town,
we
crossed
a
few
fields
until
we
came
to
a
dense
wood.
We
expected
the
path
to
end
abruptly,
but
we
found
that
it
traced
its
way
through
the
trees.
We
tramped
through
the
wood
for
over
two
hours
until
we
arrived
at
a
deep
stream.
We
could
see
that
the
path
continued
on
the
other
side,
but
we
had
no
idea
how
we
could
get
across
the
stream.
Suddenly
my
wife
spotted
a
boat
moored
to
the
bank.
In
it
there
was
a
boatman
fast
asleep.
We
gently
woke
him
up
and
asked
him
to
ferry
us
to
the
other
side.
Though
he
was
reluctant
to
do
so
at
first,
we
eventually
persuaded
him
to
take
us.
The
path
led
to
a
tiny
village
perched
on
the
steep
sides
of
a
mountain.
The
place
consisted
of
a
straggling
unmade
road
which
was
lined
on
either
side
by
small
houses.
Even
under
a
clear
blue
sky,
the
village
looked
forbidding,
as
all
the
houses
were
built
of
grey
mud
bricks.
The
village
seemed
deserted,
the
only
sign
of
life
being
an
ugly-looking
black
goat
tied
to
a
tree
on
a
short
length
of
rope
in
a
field
nearby.
Sitting
down
on
a
dilapidated
wooden
fence
near
the
field,
we
opened
a
couple
of
tins
of
sardines
and
had
a
picnic
lunch.
All
at
once,
I
noticed
that
my
wife
seemed
to
be
filled
with
alarm.
Looking
up
I
saw
that
we
were
surrounded
by
children
in
rags
who
were
looking
at
us
silently
as
we
ate.
We
offered
them
food
and
spoke
to
them
kindly,
but
they
remained
motionless.
I
concluded
that
they
were
simply
shy
of
strangers.
When
we
later
walked
down
the
main
street
of
the
village,
we
were
followed
by
a
silent
procession
of
children.
The
village
which
had
seemed
deserted,
immediately
came
to
life.
Faces
appeared
at
windows.
Men
in
shirt
sleeves
stood
outside
their
houses
and
glared
at
us.
Old
women
in
black
shawls
peered
at
us
from
door-ways.
The
most
frightening
thing
of
all
was
that
not
a
sound
could
be
heard.
There
was
no
doubt
that
we
were
unwelcome
visitors.
We
needed
no
further
warning.
Turning
back
down
the
main
street,
we
quickened
our
pace
and
made
our
way
rapidly
towards
the
stream
where
we
hoped
the
boatman
was
waiting.
?在这个旅游频繁的世界上，仍有成千上万个游人足迹未至的地方。人们总是以为偏僻的地方的村民们热情好客。但是，那些不但与外国旅游者隔绝，而且与本国同胞隔绝的人们有可能对游客抱有敌意。到真正偏僻的村庄去旅游并不是一件愉快的事情。我与妻子在一次周游巴尔干半岛时对此深有体会。
我们在一座小镇上逗留了几天，参观了附近的许多古老的教堂。这些教堂吸引大量游客，不仅是因为建筑风格奇特，而且还有大量保存完好的壁画。我们离开小镇的前一天，镇上来了几辆满载游客的公共汽车。人多得使我们难以忍受，于是我们决定利用最后一天去乡间一游。我们走上了一条出镇的小路，穿过几块农田，来到一片茂密的树林。我们原以为小路会到此突然终止。没想到它到树林中继续向前延伸。我们在树林中跋涉了两个多小时，到了一条深溪边。我们可以看到小路在深溪对岸继续向前伸展，但却不知如何越过这道深溪。突然，妻子发现岸边泊着一条小船，船上有一船夫在呼呼大睡。我们轻轻地把他唤醒，请他把我们摆渡过溪。一开始，他很不愿意，但经劝说，终于同意了。
顺着小路，我们来到一个座落在陡峭山坡上的小村庄。这儿有一条未经修筑的弯弯曲曲的道路，路两边排列着一些矮小的农舍。农舍全用灰色的土坯建成，因此，即使在晴朗的蓝天底下，村庄看上去也会令人感到难以亲近。村里似乎无人居住，唯一的生命迹象是附近田里一只面目可憎的黑山羊，用一截短绳拴在一棵树上。我们在田边一堵东倒西歪的篱笆墙上坐下来，打开几听沙丁鱼罐头，吃了一顿野外午餐。突然，我注意到妻子十分惊恐。我抬头一看，发现我们被一群衣衫褴褛的小孩团团围住了，他们在默不作声地看着我们吃饭。我们给他们东西吃，客客气气地同他们交谈，但他们却一动也不动。我认为这不过是他们在陌生人面前表现出的害羞。后来，我们在村里的主要街道上行走的时候，一队默不作声的孩子跟在我们后头。刚才还似乎空荡荡的村庄一下子活跃了起来，窗口露出了一张张面孔，只穿着衬衣的男人们站在屋子外面凶狠地盯着我们，披黑纱巾的老妇人站在门口偷偷地瞅着我们。最令人害怕的是到处没有一点声音。毫无疑问，我们的来访是不受欢迎的。我们不需要进一步的警告了。便掉转身子，沿着那条主要街道加快步伐，快速地朝深溪边走去，希望船夫还在那儿等着我们。
Lesson49
The
Ideal
Servant
It
is
a
good
thing
my
aunt
Harriet
died
years
ago.
If
she
were
alive
today
she
would
not
be
able
to
air
her
views
on
her
favourite
topic
of
conversation:
domestic
servants.
Aunt
Harriet
lived
in
that
leisurely
age
when
servants
were
employed
to
do
housework.
She
had
a
huge,
rambling
country
house
called
'The
Gables'.
She
was
sentimentally
attached
to
this
house,
for
even
though
it
was
far
too
big
for
her
needs,
she
persisted
in
living
there
long
after
her
husband's
death.
Before
she
grew
old,
aunt
Harriet
used
to
entertain
lavishly.
I
often
visited
The
Gables
when
I
was
a
boy.
No
matter
how
many
guests
were
present,
the
great
house
was
always
immaculate.
The
parquet
floors
shone
like
mirrors;
highly
polished
silver
was
displayed
in
gleaming
glass
cabinets;
even
my
uncle's
huge
collection
of
books
was
kept
miraculously
free
from
dust.
Aunt
Harriet
presided
over
an
invisible
army
of
servants
that
continuously
scrubbed,
cleaned,
and
polished.
She
always
referred
to
them
as'
the
shifting
population',
for
they
came
and
went
with
such
frequency
that
I
never
even
got
a
chance
to
learn
their
names,
Though
my
aunt
pursued
what
was,
in
those
days,
an
enlightened
policy
in
that
she
never
allowed
her
domestic
staff
to
work
more
than
eight
hours
a
day,
she
was
extremely
difficult
to
please.
While
she
always
decried
the
fickleness
of
human
nature,
she
carried
on
an
unrelenting
search
for
the
ideal
servant
to
the
end
of
her
days,
even
after
she
had
been
sadly
disillusioned
by
Bessie.
Bessie
worked
for
aunt
Harriet
for
three
years.
During
that
time
she
so
gained
my
aunt's
confidence,
that
she
was
put
in
charge
of
the
domestic
staff.
Aunt
Hariet
could
not
find
words
to
praise
Bessie's
industry
and
efficiency.
In
addition
to
all
her
other
qualifications,
Bessie
was
an
expert
cook.
She
acted
the
role
of
the
perfect
servant
for
three
years
before
aunt
Harriet
discovered
her
'little
weakness'.
After
being
absent
from
The
Gables
for
a
week,
my
aunt
unexpectedly
returned
one
afternoon
with
a
party
of
guests
and
instructed
Bessie
to
prepare
dinner.
Not
only
was
the
meal
well
below
the
usual
standard,
but
Bessie
seemed
unable
to
walk
steadily.
She
bumped
into
the
furniture
and?
kept
mumbling
about
the
guests.
When
she
came
in
with
the
last
course—a
huge
pudding-she
tripped
on
the
carpet
and
the
pudding
went
flying
through
the
air,
narrowly
missed
my
aunt,
and
crashed
on
the
dining
table
with
considerable
force.
Though
this
occasioned
great
mirth
among
the
guests,
aunt
Harriet
was
horrified.
She
reluctantly
came
to
the
conclusion
that
Bessie
was
drunk.
The
guests
had,
of
course,
realized
this
from
the
moment
Bessie
opened
the
door
for
them
and,
long
before
the
final
catastrophe,
had
had
a
difficult
time
trying
to
conceal
their
amusement.
The
poor
girl
was
dismissed
instantly.
After
her
departure,
aunt
Harriet
discovered
that
there
were
piles
of
empty
wine
bottles
of
all
shapes
and
sizes
neatly
stacked
in
what
had
once
been
Bessie's
wardrobe.
They
had
mysteriously
found
their
way
there
from
the
wine-cellar!
?我的姑妈哈丽特好多年前就去世了，这倒是件好事。如果她活到今天，她将不能就她热衷的话题“佣人”发表意见了。哈丽特生活在一个悠闲的年代，家务事都由雇来的佣人代劳。她在乡下有一幢巨大杂乱的房子，叫作“山墙庄园”。她对这幢房子在感情上难舍难分。房子实在太大了，但在丈夫去世多年后，她仍然执意长年住在那儿。哈丽特姑妈年轻时，喜欢大摆宴席，招待宾客。我小时候常去“山墙庄园”作客。不管去多少宾客，大房子里总是收拾得干干净净。镶木地板洁如明镜，擦得发亮的银器陈列在明亮的玻璃柜里，连姑夫的大量藏书也保存得很好，奇迹般地一尘不染。哈丽特姑妈统率着一支看不见的佣人大军，他们不停地擦拭、清扫、刷洗。她称这些佣人叫“流动人口”，因为他们来匆匆，所以我甚至都没有机会知道他们的姓名。姑妈待佣人在当时算是开明的，从来不让佣人每天工作超过8小时，但他们很难使她称心如意。她一方面总是批评人的本性朝三暮四，另一方面她又持之以恒地寻找一个理想的佣人。即使在贝西大大地伤她的心之后，她还在找，一直到她死去。
贝西在哈丽特家干了3年。在此期间，她赢得了姑母的赏识，甚至当上了大管家。哈丽特不知该用什么言辞来赞扬贝西的勤奋与高效。贝西除了有各种本领以外，还是一个烹饪大师。她担任“理想仆人”角色3年之后，哈丽特终于发现她有“小小的弱点”。一次，姑妈有一个星期没在“山墙庄园”住。一天下午，她出其不意地回来了，带来一大批客人，吩咐贝西准备晚饭。结果，不仅饭菜远不如平时做得好，而且贝西走起路来似乎东倒西歪。她撞到了家具上，嘴里还不断咕咕哝哝议论客人。当她端着最后一道菜——一大盘布丁——走进屋来时，在地毯上绊了一跤。布丁飞到半空，从姑母身边擦过，然后狠狠地砸在餐桌上。这件事引起了客人们的欢笑，但哈丽特却着实吓了一跳。她不得不认定贝西是喝醉了。客人们自然从贝西为他们开门那一刻起就看出来了，在好长一段时间里，即最后这个乱子发生前，他们努力克制才没笑出声来。贝西当即被解雇了。贝西走后，哈丽特姑妈发现在贝西以前用过的衣柜里整整齐齐地放着一堆堆形状各导、大小不一的酒瓶子。这些酒瓶神不知鬼不觉地从酒窖来到了这里。
Lesson50
New
Year
Resolutions
The
New
Year
is
a
time
for
resolutions.
Mentally,
at
least,
most
of
us
could
compile
formidable
lists
of
'
do's'
and'
don'ts
'.
The
same
old
favourites
recur
year
in
year
out
with
monotonous
regularity.
We
resolve
to
get
up
earlier
each
morning,
eat
less,
find
more
time
to
play
with
the
children,
do
a
thousand
and
one
jobs
about
the
house,
be
nice
to
people
we
don't
like,
drive
carefully,
and
take
the
dog
for
a
walk
every
day.
Past
experience
has
taught
us
that
certain
accomplishments
are
beyond
attainment.
If
we
remain
inveterate
smokers,
it
is
only
because
we
have
so
often
experienced
the
frustration
that
results
from
failure.
Most
of
us
fail
in
our
efforts
at
self-improvement
because
our
schemes
are
too
ambitious
and
we
never
have
time
to
carry
them
out.
We
also
make
the
fundamental
error
of
announcing
our
resolutions
to
everybody
so
that
we
look
even
more
foolish
when
we
slip
back
into
our
bad
old
ways.
Aware
of
these
pitfalls,
this
year
I
attempted
to
keep
my
resolutions
to
myself.
I
limited
myself
to
two
modest
ambitions:
to
do
physical
exercises
every
morning
and
to
read
more
of
an
evening.
An
all-night
party
on
New
Year's
Eve,
provided
me
with
a
good
excuse
for
not
carrying
out
either
of
these
new
resolutions
on
the
first
day
of
the
year,
but
on
the
second,
I
applied
myself
assiduously
to
the
task.
The
daily
exercises
lasted
only
eleven
minutes
and
I
proposed
to
do
them
early
in
the
morning
before
anyone
had
got
up.
The
self-discipline
required
to
drag
myself
out
of
bed
eleven
minutes
earlier
than
usual
was
considerable.?
Nevertheless,
I
managed
to
creep
down
into
the
living-room
for
two
days
before
anyone
found
me
out.
After
jumping
about
on
the
carpet
and
twisting
the
human
frame
into
uncomfortable
positions,
I
sat
down
at
the
breakfast
table
in
an
exhausted
condition.
It
was
this
that
betrayed
me.
The
next
morning
the
whole
family
trooped
in
to
watch
the
performance.
That
was
really
unsettling
but
I
fended
off
the
taunts
and
jibes
of
the
family
good-humouredly
and
soon
everybody
got
used
to
the
idea.
However,
my
enthusiasm
waned.
The
time
I
spent
at
exercises
gradually
diminished.
Little
by
little
the
eleven
minutes
fell
to
zero.
By
January
10th,
I
was
back
to
where
I
had
started
from.
I
argued
that
if
I
spent
less
time
exhausting
myself
at
exercises
in
the
morning
I
would
keep
my
mind
fresh
for
reading
when
I
got
home
from
work.
Resisting
the
hypnotizing
effect
of
television,
I
sat
in
my
room
for
a
few
evenings
with
my
eyes
glued
to
a
book,
one
night,
however,
feeling
cold
and
lonely,
I
went
downstairs
and
sat
in
front
of
the
television
pretending
to
read.
That
proved
to
be
my
undoing,
for
I
soon
got
back
to
my
old
bad
habit
of
dozing
off
in
front
of
the
screen.
I
still
haven't
given
up
my
resolution
to
do
more
reading.
In
fact,
I
have
just
bought
a
book
entitled
'How
to
Read
a
Thousand
Words
a
Minute'.
Perhaps
it
will
solve
my
problem,
but
I
just
haven't
had
time
to
read
it!
?新年是下决心的时候，至少在大多数人的心里会编排出一份“应做什么”和“不应做什么”的令人生畏的单子。相同的决心以单调的规律年复一年地出现。我们决心每天早晨起得早些；吃得少些；多花点时间与孩子们一起做游戏；做大量的家务；对不喜欢的人友善一些；小心驾车；每天都要带着狗散步；等等。以往的经验告诉我们有些事是办不到的。如果我们烟瘾大，戒不掉，那是因为屡戒屡败，失去信心。我们大多数人想自我完善却遭到失败，这是因为我们的规划过于宏大，而又根本没有时间去实施。我们还犯有一个根本性的错误，即把我们的决心向大家宣布。这样一旦滑回到那些老习惯上去，我们在别人的眼里会显得更加难堪。我深知这些问题，于是，今年我对自己的计划要严加保密，只给自己定下两项适中的任务；每天早上锻炼身体，每天晚上多看点书。新年除夕举办的一次通宵晚会，使我理直气壮地在新年头一天免去了这两项任务。不过，新年第二天，我全力以赴地照着去做了。
早锻炼一共只有11分钟，我打算在别人起床之前进行。这就要求我比平时早11分钟把自己从床上拽起来，这种自我约束是很艰苦的。不过开头两天我还是成功地蹑手蹑脚地来到楼下起居室，被谁也没发现。我在地毯上跳来蹦过去，扭曲身子，摆出各种姿势，弄得浑身不舒服，然后坐到桌边吃早饭，一副筋疲力尽的样子。正是这副模样泄露了我的秘密。第二天早晨全家人结队来到起居室看我表演。这真叫人不好意思，但我心平气和地顶住全家人的嘲笑和奚落。不久，大家对我习以为常了，而这时我的热情却减退了。我花在锻炼上的时间逐渐减少，慢慢地从11分钟减到了零。到了1月10日，我恢复了原来的作息时间。我辩解说，早晨少耗费精力锻炼，晚上下班回家看书时头脑更清醒些。有几天晚上，我极力摆脱了电视的诱惑，坐在自己的房间里，两眼盯在书上。可是，有一天夜里，我感到又冷又孤单，便来到楼下坐在电视机前假装看书。这下我可完了，因为不一会儿，我就恢复了以前的坏习惯，在屏幕前打起瞌睡来。但我还没有放弃多看些书的决心。事实上，我刚买来一本叫《一分钟读一千字的诀窍》的书。也许这本书能解决我的问题，但我一直还没时间去看这本书！
Lesson51
Automation
One
of
the
greatest
advances
in
modern
technology
has
been
the
invention
of
computers.
They
are
already
widely
used
in
industry
and
in
universities
and
the
time
may
come
when
it
will
be
possible
for
ordinary
people
to
use
them
as
well.
Computers
are
capable
of
doing
extremely
complicated
work
in
all
branches
of
learning.
They
can
solve
the
most
complex
mathematical
problems
or
put
thousands
of
unrelated
facts
in
order.
These
machines
can
be
put
to
varied
uses.
For
instance,
they
can
provide
information
on
the
best
way
to
prevent
traffic
accidents,
or
they
can
count
the
number
of
times
the
word
'and'
has
been
used
in
the
Bible.
Because
they
work
accurately
and
at
high
speeds,
they
save
research
workers
years
of
hard
work.
This
whole
process
by
which
machines
can
be
used
to
work
for
us
has
been
called
automation.
In
the
future,
automation
may
enable
human
beings
to
enjoy
far
more
leisure
than
they
do
today.
The
coming
of
automation
is
bound
to
have
important
social
consequences.
Some
time
ago
an
expert,
on
automation,
Sir
Leon
Bagrit,
pointed
out
that
it
was
a
mistake
to
believe
that
these
machines
could
'think'.
There
is
no
possibility
that
human
beings
will
be
'controlled
by
machines'.
Though
computers
are
capable
of
learning
from
their
mistakes
and
improving
on
their
performance
they
need
detailed
instructions
from
human
beings
in
order
to
be
able
to
operate.
They
can
never,
as
it
were,
lead
independent
lives,
or
'rule
the
world'
by
making
decisions
of
their
own.
Sir
Leon
said
that
in
the
future,
computers
would
be
developed
which
would
be
small
enough
to
carry
in
the
pocket.
Ordinary
people
would
then
be
able
to
use
them
to
obtain
valuable
information.
Computers
could
be
plugged
into
a
national
network
and
be
used
like
radios.
For
instance,
people
going
on
holiday
could
be
informed
about
weather
conditions;
car
drivers
could
be
given
alternative
routes
when
there
are
traffic
jams.
It
will
also
be
possible
to
make
tiny
translating
machines.
This
will
enable
people
who
do
not
share
a
common
language
to
talk
to
each
other
without
any
difficulty
or
to
read
foreign
publications.
It
is
impossible
to
assess
the
importance
of
a
machine
of
this
sort,
for
many
international
misunderstandings
are
caused
simply
through
our
failure
to
understand
each
other.
Computers
will
also
be
used
in
hospitals.
By
providing
a
machine
with
a
patient's
symptoms,
a
doctor
will
be
able
to
diagnose
the
nature
of
his
illness.
Similarly,
machines
could
be
used
to
keep
a
check
on
a
patient's
health
record
and
bring
it
up
to
date.
Doctors
will
therefore
have
immediate
access
to
a
great
many
facts
which
will
help
them
in
their
work.
Book-keepers
and
accountants,
too,
could
be
relieved
of
dull
clerical
work,
for
the
tedious
task
of
compiling
and
checking
lists
of
figures
could
be
done
entirely
by
machines.
Computers
are
the
most
efficient
servants
man
has
ever
had
and
there
is
no
limit
to
the
way
they
can
be
used
to
improve
our
lives.
?众所周知，预测未来是非常困难的。举个例子吧，在20世纪70年代中叶又有谁能想得到在20世纪末的时候，家庭用的计算机会像电视机一样普遍？在70年代，计算机已经相当普及了，但只用在大公司，政府部门和大的组织之中，它们被称为主机。计算机主机确实很大，常常占据了装有空调的多间房间，雇用专职的技师，而且得用专门编写的软件才能运行。虽然这种大计算机仍然存在，但它们的许多功能已被体积小但功能齐全的个人电脑——即我们常说的PC机——所代替了。
1975年，美国推出了一台被称为“牛郎星”的原始机型。严格地说起来，它可以被称为第一台“家用电脑”，而且它也指了今后的方向。70年代末，在牛郎星之后又出现了一种被称为“苹果”的机型。80年代初，计算机行业的王牌公司美国国际商用机器公司（IBM）生产出了世界上第一台个人电脑。这种电脑采用了一种被称为磁盘操作系统（DOS）的工作程序，而这种程序是由当时规模不大的微软公司生产的。IBM的个人电脑被大规模地模仿。从那些简陋的初级阶段，我们看到了现在都已普及的、使用简便的家用电脑和多媒体的微机的发展。
想一想这些发展的时间多么短，就更觉得英国人莱昂.巴格瑞特有着非凡的能力。他在60年代就能预言我们今天知道的计算机的一些用途。巴格瑞特根本不接受计算机可以学会自己去“思考”和计算可以“统治世界”这种想法，而这种想法是当时的人们都愿意相信的。巴格瑞特预示有一天计算机可以小到拿在手上，计算机可以使办公室人员和会计免除那些枯燥、重复的劳动。计算机的所有这些功能现在都变得很平常。当然了，莱昂.巴格瑞特根本没有可能预测到国际交互网——就是把计算机连结到电话线路上，以便和世界上任何一个地方的人立即进行联系的一个世界范围的通讯系统——的发展。他也无法预测到我们可以利用国际交互网获取有关任何已知专题的信息，以便在家里的屏幕上阅读，如果愿意的话甚至可以将其打印出来。计算机已经变得体积越来越小，功能越来越多，价格越来越低，这就是莱昂.巴格瑞特的预测非凡的地方。如果他或是像他的什么人今天还活着的话，他大概可以告诉我们下一个50年后会发生什么事情。
Lesson52
Mud
is
mud
My
cousin,
Harry,
keeps
a
large
curiously
shaped
bottle
on
permanent
display
in
his
study.
Despite
the
fact
that
the
bottle
is
tinted
a
delicate
shade
of
green,
an
observant
visitor
would
soon
notice
that
it
is
filled
with
what
looks
like
a
thick
greyish
substance.
If
you
were
to
ask
Harry
what
was
in
the
bottle,
he
would
tell
you
that
it
contained
perfumed
mud.
If
you
expressed
doubt
or
surprise,
he
would
immediately
invite
you
to
smell
it
and
then
to
rub
some
into
your
skin.
This
brief
experiment
would
dispel
any
further
doubts
you
might
entertain.
The
bottle
really
does
contain
perfumed
mud.
How
Harry
came
into
the
possession
of
this
outlandish
stuff
makes
an
interesting
story
which
he
is
fond
of
relating.
Further-
more,
the
acquisition
of
this
bottle
cured
him
of
a
bad
habit
he
had
been
developing
for
years.
Harry
used
to
consider
it
a
great
joke
to
go
into
expensive
cosmetic
shops
and
make
outrageous
requests
for
goods
that
do
not
exist.
He
would
invent
fanciful
names
on
the
spot.
On
entering
a
shop,
he
would
ask
for
a
new
perfume
called
'Scented
Shadow'
or
for
'insoluble
bath
cubes'.
If
a
shop
girl
told
him
she
had
not
heard
of
it,
he
would
pretend
to
be
considerably
put
out.
He
loved
to
be
told
that
one
of
his
imaginary
products
was
temporarily
out
of
stock
and
he
would
faithfully
promise
to
call
again
at
some
future
date,
but
of
course
he
never
did.
How
Harry
managed
to
keep
a
straight
face
during
these
performances
is
quite
beyond
me.
Harry
does
not
need
to
be
prompted
to
explain
how
he
bought
his
precious
bottle
of
mud.
One
day,
he
went
to
an
exclusive
shop
in
London
and
asked
for
'Myrolite'.
The
shop
assistant
looked
puzzled
and
Harry
repeated
the
word,
slowly
stressing
each
syllable.
When
the
girl
shook
her
head
in
bewilderment,
Harry
went
on
to
explain
that
'myrolite'
was
a
hard,
amber-like
substance
which
could
be
used
to
remove
freckles.
This
explanation
evidently
conveyed
something
to
the
girl
who
searched
shelf
after
shelf.
She
produced
all
sorts
of
weird
concoctions,
but
none
of
them
met
with
Harry's
requirements.
When
Harry
put
on
his
act
of
being
mildly
annoyed,
the
girl
promised
to
order
some
for
him.
Intoxicated
by
his
success,
Harry
then
asked
for
perfumed
mud.
He
expected
the
girl
to
look
at
him
in
blank
astonishment.
However,
it
was
his
turn
to
be
surprised,
for
the
girl's
eyes
immediately
lit
up
and
she
'fetched
several
botties
which
she
placed
on
the
counter
for
Harry
?to
inspect.
For
once,
Harry
had
to
admit
defeat.
He
picked
up
what
seemed
to
be
the
smallest
bottle
and
discreetly
asked
the
price.
He
was
glad
to
get
away
with
a
mere
five
guineas
and
he
beat
a
hasty
retreat,
clutching
the
precious
bottle
under
his
arm.
From
then
on,
Harry
decided
that
this
little
game
he
had
invented
might
prove
to
be
expensive.
The
curious
bottle
which
now
adorns
the
bookcase
in
his
study
was
his
first
and
last
purchase
of
rare
cosmetics.
?我的堂兄哈里在他的书房里一直摆着一只形状古怪的大瓶子。尽管那只瓶子呈淡绿色，但细心的客人很快就会发现瓶里装的是一种看上去黏稠，颜色发灰的东西。要是你问哈里瓶里装着什么，他会告诉你是香水泥。如果你表示怀疑或惊奇，他会立即请你闻一闻，然后取出一些抹在你的皮肤上。这一简单的试验会消除你可能存有的一切疑虑。瓶里装的的确是香水泥。哈里如何得到这种稀奇古怪的东西的，这里有个有趣的故事，而且他挺爱把它讲给别人听。此外，得到这瓶香水泥还治好了他多年的一个坏习惯。
哈里曾认为走进一家名贵化妆品商店，荒唐地提出要买一种根本不存在的商品是件开心的事儿。他会当场编造出一些稀奇古怪的货名。他走进商店后，会提出要一种名叫“香影”的新型香水或什么“不溶浴皂”。要是女售货员告诉他从未听说过这些东西，他会装出十分遗憾和不安的样子。他爱听售货员说他想像出来的那种东西暂时脱销，于是他就煞有介事地许诺改天再来光顾。当然，他再也不会来了。我实在想像不出哈里在这些表演中是怎样装出一本正经的样子的。
毋须暗示哈里就会向你讲起他买下那瓶珍贵香水泥的经过。一天，他去伦敦一家高级商店要买一种叫“密诺莱特”的东西，店员露出诧异的神色。哈里又慢慢地，一字一顿说了一遍这个词，那个女售货员还是迷惑不解地摇了摇头。哈里便进一步解释“密诺莱特”是一种质地坚硬、状似琥珀的东西，可以用来除去雀斑。他的解释显然对女售货员有些启示。她一个货架接着一个货架地寻找，拿出各种各样稀奇古怪的化妆品，但没有一样能够符合哈里的要求。哈里装出不高兴的样子时，女售货员答应为他定货。哈里为他的骗术而感到洋洋得意，又提出要买香水泥。他原想女售货员会惊奇地望着他，不知所措，没料到这回该轮到他自己吃惊了。因为那女售货员听完哈里的话后，马上眼睛一亮，拿出几瓶东西放在柜台上让哈里挑选。哈里只好认输。他挑出一个看上去最小的瓶子，谨慎地问了价。他庆幸自己只破费了20英镑便得以脱身。他把那宝贵的瓶子放在腋下夹着，溜之大吉。从那以后，他认识到自己发明的小小恶作剧是要付出很大的代价的。在他书房的书柜里摆着那瓶形状古怪的香水泥就是他第一次也是最后一次购买的稀有化妆品。
Lesson53
In
the
public
interest
The
Scandinavian
countries
are
much
admired
all
over
the
world
for
their
enlightened
social
policies.
Sweden
has
evolved
an
excellent
system
for
protecting
the
individual
citizen
from
high-handed
or
incompetent
public
officers.
The
system
has
worked
so
well,
that
it
has
been
adopted
in
other
countries
like
Denmark,
Norway,
Finland,
and
New
Zealand.
Even
countries
with
large
populations
like
Britain
and
the
United
States
are
seriously
considering
imitating
the
Swedes.
The
Swedes
were
the
first
to
recognize
that
public
officials
like
civil
servants,
collectors
can
make
mistakes
or
act
over-zealously
in
the
belief
that
they
are
serving
the
public.
As
long
ago
as
1809,
the
Swedish
Parliament
introduced
a
scheme
to
safeguard
the
interest
of
the
individual.
A
parliamentary
committee
representing
all
political
parties
appoints
a
person
who
is
suitably
qualified
to
investigate
private
grievances
against
the
State.
The
official
title
of
the
person
is
'Justiteombudsman',
but
the
Swedes
commonly
refer
to
him
as
the
'J.O.'
or
'Ombudsman'.
The
Ombudsman
is
not
subject
to
political
pressure.
He
investigates
complaints
large
and
small
that
come
to
him
from
all
levels
of
society.
As
complaints
must
be
made
in
writing,
the
Ombudsman
receives
an
average
of
1200
letters
a
year.
He
has
eight
lawyer
assistants
to
help
him
and
he
examines
every
single
letter
in
detail.
There
is
nothing
secretive
about
the
Ombudsman's
work,
for
his
correspondence
is
open
to
public
inspection.
If
a
citizen's
complaint
is
justified,
the
Ombudsman
will
act
on
his
behalf.
The
action
he
takes
varies
according
to
the
nature
of
the
complaint.
He
may
gently
reprimand
an
official
or
even
suggest
to
parliament
that
a
law
be
altered.
The
following
case
is
a
typical
example
of
the
Ombudsman's
work.
A
foreigner
living
in
a
Swedish
village
wrote
to
the
Ombudsman
complaining
that
he
had
been
ill-treated
by
the
police,
simply
because
he
was
a
foreigner.
The
Ombudsman
immediately
wrote
to
the
Chief
of
Police
in
the
district
asking
him
to
send
a
record
of
the
case.
There
was
nothing
in
the
record
to
show
that
the
foreigner's
complaint
was
justified
and
the
Chief
of
Police
stoutly
denied
the
accusation.
It
was
impossible
for
the
Ombudsman
to
take
action,
but
when
he
received
a
similar
complaint
from
another
foreigner
in
the
same
village,
he
immediately
sent
one
of
his
lawyers
to
investigate
the
matter.
The
lawyer
ascertained
that
a
policeman
had
indeed
dealt
roughly
with
foreigners
on
several
occasions.
The
fact
that
the
policeman
was
prejudiced
against
foreigners
could
not
be
recorded
in
he
official
files.
It
was
only
possible
for
the
Ombudsman
to
find
this
out
by
sending
one
of
his
representatives
to
check
the
facts.
The
policeman
in
question
was
severely
reprimanded
and
was
informed
that
if
any
further
complaints
were
lodged
against
him,
he
would
be
prosecuted.
The
Ombudsman's
prompt
action
at
once
put
an
end
to
an
unpleasant
practice
which
might
have
gone
unnoticed.
?斯堪的纳维亚半岛各国实行开明的社会政策，受到全世界的推崇。在瑞典，已逐渐形成了一种完善的制度以保护每个公民不受专横的和不称职的政府官员的欺压。由于这种制度行之有效，已被其他国家采纳。
是瑞典人首先认识到政府工作人员如文职人员、警官、卫生稽查员、税务人员等等也会犯错误或者自以为在为公众服务而把事情做过了头。早在1809年，瑞典论会就建立一个保护公民利益的制度。议会内有一个代表各政党利益的委员会，由它委派一位称职的人选专门调查个人对国家的意见。此人官衔为“司法特派员”，但瑞典人一般管他叫“J.O.”，即“司法特派员”。司法特派员不受任何政治压力的制约。他听取社会各阶层的各种大小意见，并进行调查。由于意见均需用书面形式提出，司法特派员每年平均收到1,200封信。他有8位律师作他的助手协助工作，每封信都详细批阅。司法特派员的工作没有什么秘密可言，他的信件是公开的，供公众监督。如果公民的意见正确，司法特派员便为他伸张正义。司法特员采取的行动因意见的性质不同而有所不同。他可以善意地批评某位官员，也可以甚至向议会提议修改某项法律。下述事件是司法特派员工作的一个典型例子。
一个住在瑞典乡村的外国人写信给司法特派员，抱怨说他受到警察的虐待，原因就是因为他是个外国人。司法特派员立即写信给当地警察局长，请他寄送与此事有关的材料。材料中没有任何文字记载证明外国人所说的情况符合事实，警察局长矢口否认这一指控。司法特派员难以处理。但是，当他又收到住在同一村庄的另一个外国人写的一封内容类似的投诉信时，他立即派出一位律师前去调查。律师证实有个警察确实多次粗鲁地对待外国人。警察歧视外国人的事在官方档案中不可能加以记载，司法特派员只有派他的代表去核对事实才能了解真相。当事的警察受到严厉的斥责，并被告知，如果再有人投诉他，他将受到起诉。司法特派员及时采取的行动，迅速制止了这一起不愉快的事件，不然这件事可能因未得到人们注意而不了了之。
Lesson54
Instinct
or
cleverness?
We
have
been
brought
up
to
fear
insects.
We
regard
them
as
unnecessary
creatures
that
do
more
harm
than
good.
Man
continually
wages
war
on
item,
for
they
contaminate
his
food,
carry
diseases,
or
devour
his
crops.
They
sting
or
bite
without
provocation;
they
fly
uninvited
into
our
rooms
on
summer
nights,
or
beat
against
our
lighted
windows.
We
live
in
dread
not
only
of
unpleasant
insects
like
spiders
or
wasps,
but
of
quite
harmless
ones
like
moths.
Reading
about
them
increases
our
understanding
with
out
dispelling
our
fears.
Knowing
that
the
industrious
ant
lives
in
a
highly
organized
society
does
nothing
to
prevent
us
from
being
filled
with
revulsion
when
we
find
hordes
of
them
crawling
over
a
carefully
prepared
picnic
lunch.
No
matter
how
much
we
like
honey,
or
how
much
we
have
read
about
the
uncanny
sense
of
direction
which
bees
possess,
we
have
a
horror
of
being
stung.
Most
of
our
fears
are
unreasonable,
but
they
are
impossible
to
erase.
At
the
same
time,
however,
insects
are
strangely
fascinaing.
We
enjoy
reading
about
them,
especially
when
we
find
that,
like
the
praying
mantis,
they
lead
perfectly
horrible
lives.
We
enjoy
staring
at
them
entranced
as
they
go
about
their
business,
unaware
(we
hope)
of
our
presence.
Who
has
not
stood
in
awe
at
the
sight
of
a
spider
pouncing
on
a
fly,
or
a
column
of
ants
triumphantly
bearing
home
an
enormous
dead
beetle
?
Last
summer
I
spent
days
in
the
garden
watching
thousands
of
ants
crawling
up
the
trunk
of
my
prize
peach
tree.
The
tree
has
grown
against
a
warm
wall
on
a
sheltered
side
of
the
house.
I
am
especially
proud
of
it,
not
only
because
it
has
survived
several
severe
winters,
but
because
it
occasionally
produces
luscious
peaches.
During
the
summer,
I
noticed
that
the
leaves
of
the
tree
were
beginning
to
wither.
Clusters
of
tiny
insects
called
aphides
were
to
be
found
on
the
underside
of
the
leaves.
They
were
visited
by
a
laop
colony
of
ants
which
obtained
a
sort
of
honey
from
them.
I
immediately
embarked
on
an
experiment
which,
even
though
it
failed
to
get
rid
of
the
ants,
kept
me
fascinated
for
twenty-four
hours.
I
bound
the
base
of
the
tree
with
sticky
tape
,
making
it
impossible
for
the
ants
to
reach
the
aphides.
The
tape
was
so
sticky
that
they
did
not
dare
to
cross
it.
For
a
long
time,
I
watched
them
scurrying
around
the
base
of
the
tree
in
bewilderment.
I
even
went
out
at
midnight
with
a
torch
and
noted
with
satisfaction
(and
surprise)
that
the
ants
were
still
swarming
around
the
sticky
tape
without
being
able
to
do
anything
about
it.
I
got
up
early
next
morning
hoping
to
find
that
the
ants
had
given
up
in
despair.
Instead,
I
saw
that
they
had
discovered
a
new
route.
They
were
climbing
up
the
wall
of
the
house
and
then
on
to
the
leaves
of
the
tree.
I
realized
sadly
that
I
had
been
completely
defeated
by
their
ingenuity.
The
ants
had
been
quick
to
find
an
answer
to
my
thoroughly
unscientific
methods!
?我们自幼就在对昆虫的惧怕中长大。我们把昆虫当作害多益少的无用东西。人类不断同昆虫斗争，因为昆虫弄脏我们的食物，传播疾病，吞噬庄稼。它们无缘无故地又叮又咬；夏天的晚上，它们未经邀请便飞到我们房间里，或者对着露出亮光的窗户乱扑乱撞。我们在日常生活中，不但憎恶如蜘蛛、黄蜂之类令人讨厌的昆虫，而且憎恶并无大害的飞蛾等。阅读有关昆虫的书能增加我们对它们的了解，却不能消除我们的恐惧的心理。即使知道勤奋的蚂蚁生活具有高度组织性的社会里，当看到大群蚂蚁在我们精心准备的午间野餐上爬行时，我们也无法抑制对它们的反感。不管我们多么爱吃蜂蜜，或读过多少关于蜜蜂具有神秘的识别方向的灵感的书，我们仍然十分害怕被蜂蜇。我们的恐惧大部分是没有道理的，但去无法消除。同时，不知为什么昆虫又是迷人的。我们喜欢看有关昆虫的书，尤其是当我们了解螳螂等过着一种令人生畏的生活时，就更加爱读有关昆虫的书了。我们喜欢入迷地看它们做事，它们不知道（但愿如此）我们就在它们身边。当看到蜘蛛扑向一只苍蝇时，一队蚂蚁抬着一只巨大的死甲虫凯旋归时，谁能不感到敬畏呢？
去年夏天，我花了好几天时间站在花园里观察成千只蚂蚁爬上我那棵心爱的桃树的树干。那棵树是靠着房子有遮挡的一面暖墙生长的。我为这棵树感到特别自豪，不仅因为它度过了几个寒冬终于活了下来，而且还因为它有时结出些甘甜的桃子来。到了夏天，我发现树叶开始枯萎，结果在树叶背面找到成串的叫作蚜虫小虫子。蚜虫遭到一窝蚂蚁的攻击，蚂蚁从它们身上可以获得一种蜜。我当即动手作了一项试验，这项试验尽管没有使我摆脱这些蚂蚁，却使我着迷了24小时。我用一条胶带把桃树底部包上，不让蚂蚁接近蚜虫。胶带极粘，蚂蚁不敢从上面爬过。在很长一段时间里，我看见蚂蚁围着大树底部来回转悠，不知所措。半夜，我还拿着电筒来到花园里，满意地（同时惊奇地）发现那些蚂蚁还围着胶带团团转。无能为力。第二天早上，我起床后希望看见蚂蚁已因无望而放弃了尝试，结果却发现它们又找到一条新的路径。它们正在顺着房子的外墙往上爬，然后爬上树叶。我懊丧地感到败在了足智多谋的蚂蚁的手下。蚂蚁已很快找到了相应的对策，来对付我那套完全不科学的办法！
Lesson55
From
the
earth:
greatings
Radio
astronomy
has
greatly
increased
our
understanding
of
the
universe.
Radio
telescopes
have
one
big
advantage
over
conventional
telescopes
in
that
they
can
operate
in
all
weather
conditions
and
can
pick
up
signals
coming
from
very
distant
stars.
These
signals
are
produced
by
colliding
stars
or
nuclear
reactions
in
outer
space.
The
most
powerful
signals
that
have
been
received
have
been
emitted
by
what
seem
to
be
truly
colossal
stars
which
scientists
have
named
'quasars'.
A
better
understanding
of
these
phenomena
may
completely
alter
our
conception
of
the
nature
of
the
universe.
The
radio
telescope
at
Jodrell
Bank
in
England
was
for
many
years
the
largest
in
the
world.
A
new
telescope,
over
twice
the
size,
was
recently
built
at
Sugar
Grove
in
West
Virginia.
Astronomers
no
longer
regard
as
fanciful
the
idea
that
they
may
one
day
pick
up
signals
which
have
been
sent
by
intelligent
beings
on
other
worlds.
This
possibility
gives
rise
to
interesting
speculations.
Highly
advanced
civilizations
may
have
existed
on
other
planets
long
before
intelligent
forms
of
life
evolved
on
the
earth.
Conversely,
intelligent
being
which
are
just
beginning
to
develop
on
remote
worlds
may
be
ready
to
pick
up
our
signals
in
thousands
of
years'
time,
or
when
life
on
earth
has
become
extinct.
Such
speculations
no
longer
belong
to
the
realm
of
science
fiction,
for
astronomers
are
now
exploring
the
chances
of
communicating
with
living
creatures
(if
they
exist)
on
distant
planets.
This
undertaking
which
has
been
named
Project
Ozma
was
begun
in
1960,
but
it
may
take
a
great
many
years
before
results
are
obtained.
Aware
of
the
fact
that
it
would
be
impossible
to
wait
thousands
or
millions
of
years
to
receive
an
answer
from
a
distant
planet,
scientists
engaged
in
Project
Ozma
are
concentrating
their
attention
on
stars
which
are
relatively
close.
One
of
the
most
likely
stars
is
Tau
Ceti
which
is
eleven
light
years
away.
If
signals
from
the
earth
were
received
by
intelligent
creatures
on
a
planet
circling
this
star,
we
would
have
to
wait
twenty-two
years
for
an
answer.
The
Green
Bank
telescope
in
West
Virginia
has
been
specially
designed
to
distinguish
between
random
signals
and
signals
which
might
be
in
code.
Even
if
contact
were
eventually
established,
astronomers
would
not
be
able
to
rely
on
language
to
communicate
with
other
beings.
They
would
use
mathematics
as
this
is
the
only
truly
universal
language.
Numbers
have
the
same
value
anywhere.
For
this
reason,
intelligent
creatures
in
any
part
of
the
universe
would
be
able
to
understand
a
simple
arithmetical
sequence.
They
would
be
able
to
reply
to
our
signals
using
similar
methods.
The
next
step
would
be
to
try
to
develop
means
for
sending
television
pictures.
A
single
picture
would
tell
us
more
than
thousands
of
words.
In
an
age
when
anything
seems
to
be
possible,
it
would
be
narrow-minded
in
the
extreme
to
ridicule
these
attempts
to
find
out
if
there
is
life
in
other
parts
of
the
universe.
?天文学方面最新发展使得我们能够在银河系和其他星系发现行星。这是一个重要的成就，因为相对来说，行星很小，而且也不发光。寻找行星证明相当困难，但是要在行星上发现生命会变得无比艰难。第一个需要解答的问题是一颗行星是否有能够维持生命的条件。举例来说，在我们的太阳系里，对于生命来说，金星的温度太高，而火星的温度则太低。只有地球提供理想的条件，而即使在这里，植物和动物的进化也用了40亿年的时间。
一颗行星是否能够维持生命取决于它的恒星——即它的“太阳”——的大小和亮度。设想一下，一颗恒星比我们的太阳还要大，还要亮，还要热20倍，那么一颗行星为了维持生命就要离开的它的恒星非常远。反之，如果恒星很小，维持生命的行星就要在离恒星很近的轨道上运行，而且要有极好的条件才能使生命得以发展，但是，我们如何才能找到这样一颗行星呢？现在，没有一台现存的望远镜可以发现生命的存在。而开发这样一台望远镜将会是21世纪天文学的一个重要的研究课题。
使用放置在地球上的望远镜是无法观察到其他行星的生命的。地球周围温暖的大气层和望远镜散出的热量使得我们根本不可能找到比行星更小的物体。即使是一台放置在围绕地球的轨道上的望远镜——如非常成功的哈勃望远镜——也因为太阳系中的尘埃微粒而无法胜任。望远镜要放置在木星那样遥远的行星上才有可能在外层空间搜寻生命。因为我们越是接近太阳系的边缘，尘埃就越稀薄。一旦我们找到这样一颗行星，我们就要想办法将它的恒星射过来的光线遮暗，这样我们就能彻底“看见”这颗行星，并分析它的大气层。首先我们要寻找植物，而不是那种“小绿人”。行星上最容易生存下来的是细菌。正是细菌生产出我们在地球上呼吸的氧气。在地球上发展的大部分进程中，细菌是地球上唯一的生命形式。作为地球上的居民，我们总存有这样的希望：小绿人来拜访我们，而我们可以和他们交流。但是，这种希望总是只在科幻小说中存在。如果我们能够在另一颗行星上找到诸如细菌的那种低等生命，那么这个发现将彻底改变我们对我们自己的看法。正如美国国家航空和宇宙航空局的丹尼尔.戈尔丁指出的“在其他地方发现生命会改变一切。任何人类的努力和想法都会发生变化。”Lesson56
The
river
beside
our
farm
The
river
which
forms
the
eastern
boundary
of
our
farm
has
always
played
an
important
part
in
our
lives.
Without
it
we
could
not
make
a
living.
There
is
only
enough
spring
water
to
supply
the
needs
of
the
house,
so
we
have
to
pump
from
the
river
for
farm
use.
We
tell
the
river
all
our
secrets.
We
know
instinctively,
just
as
beekeepers
with
their
bees,
that
misfortune
might
overtake
us
if
the
important
events
of
our
lives
were
not
related
to
it.
We
have
special
river
birthday
parties
in
the
summer.
Sometimes
we
go
up-stream
to
a
favourite
backwater,
some-
times
we
have
our
party
at
the
boathouse,
which
a
predecessor
of
ours
at
the
farm
built
in
the
meadow
hard
by
the
deepest
pool
for
swimming
and
diving.
In
a
heat-wave
we
choose
a
midnight
birthday
party
and
that
is
the
most
exciting
of
all.
We
welcome
the
seasons
by
the
river-
side,
crowning
the
youngest
girl
with
flowers
in
the
spring,
holding
a
summer
festival
on
Midsummer
Eve,
giving
thanks
for
the
harvest
in
the
autumn,
and
throwing
a
holly
wreath
into
the
current
in
the
winter.
After
a
long
period
of
rain
the
river
may
overflow
its
banks.
This
is
a
rare
occurrence
as
our
climate
seldom
god
to
extremes.
We
are
lucky
in
that
only
the
lower
fields,
which
make
up
a
very
small
proportion
of
our
farm,
are
affected
by
flooding,
but
other
farms
are
less
favourably
sited,
and
flooding
can
sometimes
spell
disaster
for
their
owners.
One
bad
winter
we
watched
the
river
creep
up
the
lower
meadows.
All
the
cattle
had
been
moved
into
stalls
and
we
stood
to
lose
little.
We
were,
however,
worried
about
our
nearest
neighbours,
whose
farm
was
low
lying
and
who
were
newcomers
to
the
district.
As
the
floods
had
put
the
telephone
out
of
order,
we
could
not
find
out
how
they
were
managing.
From
an
attic
window
we
could
get
a
sweeping
view
of
the
river
where
their
land
joined
ours,
and
at
the
most
critical
juncture
we
took
turns
in
watching
that
point.
The
first
sign
of
disaster
was
a
dead
sheep
floating
down.
Next
came
a
horse,
swimming
bravely,
but
we
were
afraid
that
the
strength
of
the
current
would
prevent
its
landing
anywhere
before
it
became
exhausted.
Suddenly
a
raft
appeared,
looking
rather
like
Noah's
ark,
carrying
the
whole
family,
a
few
hens,
the
dogs,
a
cat,
and
a
bird
in
a
cage.
We
realized
that
they
must
have
become
unduly
frightened
by
the
rising
flood,
for
their
house,
which
had
sound
foundations,
would
have
stood
stoutly
even
if
it
had
been
almost
submerged.
The
men
of
our
family
waded
down
through
our
flooded
meadows
with
boathooks,
in
the
hope
of
being
able
to
grapple
a
corner
of
the
raft
and
pull
it
out
of
the
current
towards
our
bank.
We
still
think
it
a
miracle
that
they
were
able
to
do
so.
?形成我们农场东部边界的一条河流一直在我们生活中发挥着重要作用。要是没有这条河，我们就无法生存下去。泉水只能满足家庭生活用水，因此我们必须从河里抽水以用于农业生产。我们向那条河倾诉我们的秘密。我们本能地懂得，就像养蜂人和他的蜜蜂那样，要是我们不把生活中的重大的事件告诉那条河，就可能大祸临头。
夏天，我们为这条河举办特殊的生日宴会。有时，我们溯流而上来到我们喜爱的回水河汊举办；有时在船坞举办。那船坞是农场一位前辈在一块草地上盖的，草地紧挨着一个专供游泳、跳水的深水池。天气炎热时，我们便选择在半夜举办生日聚会，这种聚会是最令人激动的。我们在河边迎接一年四季。春天在河边为最年轻的姑娘戴上花冠，夏天在河边欢庆“仲夏前夜”，秋天在河边丰收而感恩，冬天往河中抛撒一个冬表花环。
久雨这后，河水会泛滥成灾，但是在我们这里，气候很少发生异常，河水极少泛滥。值得庆幸的是，只有低洼的受到洪水影响，而低洼地在我们农场比例很小。其他农场地势欠佳，洪水有时会给农场主带来灾难。
有一年冬天，天气不好，我们眼看着河水浸没了地势较低的草场。所有的牲口已提前转移到畜圈里，没有造成什么损失。不过，我们很为我们的近邻担心。他们的农场地势低洼，而且他们又新来乍到。由于洪水造成了电话中断，我们无法了解他们情况。从顶楼窗口看去，我们农场与他们农场接壤处的那段河流一览无余。在最紧急的时刻，我们轮流监视那段河流的险情。灾难的第一迹象是一只死羊顺流而下，接着一匹活马勇敢地与水搏击。但我们担心，洪水力量将使它上岸之前就筋疲力尽了。突然，出现了一只筏子，看起来很像诺亚方舟，上面载着他们全家老小，还有几只母鸡、几只狗，一只猫与一只鸟笼，那里头有一只小鸟。我们意识到他们一定是被不断上涨的洪水吓坏了。因为他们的房子地基牢固，即使洪水几乎灭顶也不会倒塌。我家的男人们手拿船篙过被水淹没草场，希望能够钩住筏子一角，将它拽出激流，拖回岸边。他们终于成功了。至今我们仍认为这是个奇迹。Lesson57
The
return
of
the
native
I
stopped
to
let
the
car
cool
off
and
to
study
the
map.
I
had
expected
to
be
near
my
objective
by
now,
but
everything
still
seemed
alien
to
me.
I
was
only
five
when
my
father
had
taken
me
abroad,
and
that
was
eighteen
years
ago.
When
my
mother
had
died
after
a
tragic
accident,
he
did
not
quickly
recover
from
the
shock
and
loneliness.
Everything
around
him
was
full
of
her
presence,
continually
re-opening
the
wound.
So
he
decided
to
emigrate.
In
the
new
country
he
became
absorbed
in
making
a
new
life
for
the
two
of
us,
so
that
he
gradually
ceased
to
grieve.
He
did
not
marry
again
and
I
was
brought
up
without
a
woman's
care;
but
I
lacked
for
nothing,
for
he
was
both
father
and
mother
to
me.
He
always
meant
to
go
back
one
day
but
not
to
stay.
His
roots
and
mine
had
become
too
firmly
embedded
in
the
new
land.
But
he
wanted
to
see
the
old
folk
again
and
to
visit
my
mother's
grave.
He
became
mortally
ill
a
few
months
before
we
had
planned
to
go
and,
when
he
knew
that
he
was
dying,
he
made
me
promise
to
go
on
my
own.
I
hired
a
car
the
day
after
landing
and
bought
a
comprehensive
book
of
maps,
which
I
found
most
helpful
on
the
cross
country
journey,
but
which
I
did
not
think
I
should
need
on
the
last
stage.
It
was
not
that
I
actually
remembered
anything
at
all.
But
my
father
had
described
over
and
over
again
what
we
should
see
at
every
milestone,
after
leaving
the
nearest
town,
so
that
I
was
positive
I
should
recognize
it
as
familiar
territory.
Well,
I
had
been
wrong,
for
I
was
now
lost.
I
looked
at
the
map
and
then
at
the
milometer.
I
had
come
ten
miles
since
leaving
the
town,
and
at
this
point,
according
to
my
father,
I
should
be
looking
at
farms
and
cottages
in
a
valley,
with
the
spire
of
the
church
of
our
village
showing
in
the
far
distance.
I
could
see
no
valley,
no
farms,
no
cottages
and
no
church
spire--only
a
lake.
I
decided
that
I
must
have
taken
a
wrong
turning
somewhere.
So
I
drove
back
to
the
town
and
began
to
retrace
the
route,
taking
frequent
glances
at
the
map.
I
landed
up
at
the
same
corner.
The
curious
thing
was
that
the
lake
was
not
marked
on
the
map.
I
felt
as
if
I
had
stumbled
into
a
nightmare
country,
as
you
sometimes
do
in
dreams.
And,
as
in
a
nightmare,
there
was
nobody
in
sight
to
help
me.
Fortunately
for
me,
as
I
was
wondering
what
to
do
next,
there
appeared
on
the
horizon
a
man
on
horseback,
riding
in
my
direction.
I
waited
till
he
came
near,
then
I
asked
him
the
way
to
our
old
village.
He
said
that
there
was
now
no
village.
I
thought
he
must
have
misunderstood
me.
so
I
repeated
its
name.
This
time
he
pointed
to
the
lake.
The
village
no
longer
existed
because
it
had
been
submerged,
and
all
the
valley
too.
The
lake
was
not
a
natural
one,
but
a
man
made
reservoir.
?我停下车，让汽车发动机冷却一下，同时查看一下地图。我本想离目的地已经不远，但周围一切对我仍很陌生。我5岁那年，父亲就带我出了国，那是18年前的事了。当时我母亲在一次事故中惨死，父亲未能很快从悲痛与孤独中恢复过来。他身边的一切都是母亲的影子不断勾起他的伤感。于是他决定移居他国。在这个新的国家里，父亲专心致志地为我们俩开创一种新的生活，慢慢地不伤心了。父亲没有再娶，因此，我在没有母亲的环境里长大成人。但我却什么都不缺，他既当父亲又当母亲。他总想将来回国看看，但却不愿长期住下去，因为他与我一样已经把根深深地扎在异国的土地上。
但是，他想看一看家乡父老乡亲，为我的母亲扫墓。就在他计划回国的前几个月，他突然身患绝症。他知道自己已奄奄一息，于是他要我答应一定单独回故乡一趟。
我下飞机后租了一辆车，并买了一本详尽的地图册。在乡间行车途中，我觉得它非常有用，但快到家了，我倒觉得它没什么用了。这倒并非是我背熟了地图，而是父亲曾详细给我讲了，在过了离故乡最近的那个小镇后，在每一个路标处可见到些什么。因此，我相信这段路对我来说会是很熟悉的。唉，实际我错了，我现在迷路了。
我看了看地图，又查了一下里程表。从小镇出来，我走了10英里。照父亲的说法，我面前应是一个山谷，有农场与村舍，还可远远望见老家村子里的教堂的尖顶。可现在我却看不出山谷，看不见农舍，也看见教学尖顶，看见只是一片湖泊。我想一定是什么地方拐错了弯儿。于是我驾车返回小镇，重新按路线行驶。结果又来到刚才那个拐弯处。奇怪的是那个湖没有在地图上标出。我感到自己就像平时作梦那样迷迷糊糊地闯进了恶梦境地。就像在恶梦里一样，见不到一个人可以帮助我。不过，我是幸运的，正当我走投无路之时，从天边出现一个骑马的人向我骑来。等他走近了，问他去老家的路。他说那村子已经没有了。我想他一定误解了我的意思，于是又说一遍村庄的名字。这次他用手指了一下那个湖。村庄已不复存在，因为已经为水所淹，山谷也被水淹没了。这不是一个天然湖泊，是一座人工修建的水库。
Lesson58
A
little
spot
of
bother
The
old
lady
was
glad
to
be
back
at
the
block
of
flats
where
she
lived.
Her
shopping
had
tired
her
and
her
basket
had
grown
heavier
with
every
step
of
the
way
home.
In
the
lift
her
thoughts
were
on
lunch
and
a
good
rest;
but
when
she
got
out
at
her
own
floor,
both
were
forgotten
in
her
sudden
discovery
that
her
front
door
was
open.
She
was
thinking
that
she
must
reprimand
her
daily
maid
the
next
morning
for
such
a
monstrous
piece
of
negligence,
when
she
remembered
that
she
had
gone
shopping
after
the
maid
had
left
and
she
knew
that
she
had
turned
both
keys
in
their
locks.
She
walked
slowly
into
the
hall
and
at
once
noticed
that
all
the
room
doors
were
open,
yet
following
her
regular
practice
she
had
shut
them
before
going
out.
Looking
into
the
drawing
room,
she
saw
a
scene
of
confusion
over
by
her
writing
desk.
It
was
as
clear
as
daylight
then
that
burglars
had
forced
an
entry
during
her
absence.
Her
first
impulse
was
to
go
round
all
the
rooms
looking
for
the
thieves,
but
then
she
decided
that
at
her
age
it
might
be
more
prudent
to
have
someone
with
her,
so
she
went
to
fetch
the
porter
from
his
basement.
By
this
time
her
legs
were
beginning
to
tremble,
so
she
sat
down
and
accepted
a
cup
of
very
strong
tea,
while
he
telephoned
the
police.
Then,
her
composure
regained,
she
was
ready
to
set
off
with
the
porter's
assistance
to
search
for
any
intruders
who
might
still
be
lurking
in
her
flat.
They
went
through
the
rooms,
being
careful
to
touch
nothing,
as
they
did
not
want
to
hinder
the
police
in
their
search
for
fingerprints.
The
chaos
was
inconceivable.
She
had
lived
in
the
flat
for
thirty
years
and
was
a
veritable
magpie
at
hoarding;
and
it
seemed
as
though
everything
she
possessed
had
been
tossed
out
and
turned
over
and
over.
At
least
sorting
out
the
things
she
should
have
discarded
years
ago
was
now
being
made
easier
for
her.
Then
a
police
inspector
arrived
with
a
constable
and
she
told
them
of
her
discovery
of
the
ransacked
flat.
The
inspector
began
to
look
for
fingerprints,
while
the
constable
checked
that
the
front
door
locks
had
not
been
forced,
thereby
proving
that
the
burglars
had
either
used
skeleton
keys
or
entered
over
the
balcony.
There
was
no
trace
of
fingerprints,
but
the
inspector
found
a
dirty
red
bundle
that
contained
jewellery
which
the
old
lady
said
was
not
hers.
So
their
entry
into
this
flat
was
apparently
not
the
burglars'
first
job
that
day
and
they
must
have
been
disturbed.
The
inspector
then
asked
the
old
lady
to
try
to
check
what
was
missing
by
the
next
day
and
advised
her
not
to
stay
alone
in
the
flat
for
a
few
nights.
The
old
lady
thought
he
was
a
fussy
creature,
but
since
the
porter
agreed
with
him,
she
rang
up
her
daughter
and
asked
for
her
help
in
what
she
described
as
a
little
spot
of
bother.
?老妇人回到了她居住的公寓楼，心里很高兴。去商店买东西把她搞得筋疲力尽；在回家的路上，她每走一步，就感到手里的篮子又重了一点。她乘上电梯后，只想着午餐和好好休息一下。但她到自己的楼层走出电梯后，就把这两件事忘了个干净，因为她突然发现她家的大门开着。她心想明天上午一定要好好训斥那个干家务的帮手，她竟如此疏忽大意。但突然记起来了，帮手是在她出去买东西之前走的，她还记得曾用了两把钥匙把大门锁上了。她慢慢地走进前厅，立即发现所有的房门都敞开着，而她记得在出门买东西前，她按老规矩是把房门一一锁上的。她往起居室里看去，写字台边一片狼籍。事情很清楚，在她外出时，窃贼曾闯进家门。她第一个条件反射是各个房间搜寻一下窃贼，但转念一想，像她这个年纪，最好找个人一起去。于是她到地下室去找看门的人。这时她两腿累得开始发抖，于是坐了下来，喝了一杯浓茶。与此同时，看门的人给警察挂了电话。此刻老妇人也镇定了下来，准备在看门人的协助下搜寻可能仍躲藏在她房里的窍贼。
他俩搜遍这每一个房间，小心翼翼地不接触任何东西，因为他们怕妨碍警察寻找指纹。房间里的紊乱状况是无法想像的。老妇人在这套公寓里住了30年，她又是个名副其实的收藏家。看来她的每一件东西都被翻了出来，并且被里里外外看了遍。这样一来，她倒是容易将那些几年前就该扔掉的东西找出来了。过了一会儿，一位巡官带着一名警察来了。她向他们讲述了发现公寓遭劫的经过。巡官开始搜寻指纹，警察经检查发现大门锁头并无撬过的迹象。由此可以证明，窍贼或者是用万能钥匙，或者是翻越阳台进来的。巡官没有发现指纹，却发现了一个装有珠宝的、肮脏的红包袱。老妇人说那不是她的。很明显，闯进这套公寓的窃贼那天并不是首次作案，而且他一定受了惊吓。巡官请老妇人在次日之前设法查清丢了些什么，并劝她几夜之内不要独自一人在公寓过夜。老妇人觉得巡官大惊小怪，但既然看门人也同意他的意见，她只得打电话向女儿求援，说她碰到了一点儿小麻烦。
Lesson59
Possession
amassing
and
collecting
People
tend
to
amass
possessions,
some-times
without
being
aware
of
doing
so.
Indeed
they
can
have
a
delightful
surprise
when
they
find
something
useful
which
they
did
not
know
they
owned.
Those
who
never
have
to
change
house
become
indiscriminate
collectors
of
what
can
only
be
described
as
clutter.
They
leave
un-
wanted
objects
in
drawers,
cupboards
and
attics
for
years,
in
the
belief
that
they
may
one
day
need
just
those
very
things.
As
they
grow
old,
people
also
accumulate
belongings
for
two
other
reasons,
lack
of
physical
and
mental
energy,
both
of
which
are
essential
in
turning
out
and
throwing
away,
and
sentiment.
Things
owned
for
a
long
time
are
full
of
associations
with
the
past,
perhaps
with
relatives
who
are
dead,
and
so
they
gradually
acquire
a
value
beyond
their
true
worth.
Some
things
are
collected
deliberately
in
the
home
in
an
attempt
to
avoid
waste.
Among
these
I
would
list
string
and
brown
paper,
kept
by
thrifty
people
when
a
parcel
has
been
opened,
to
save
buying
these
two
requisites.
Collecting
small
items
can
easily
become
a
mania.
I
know
someone
who
always
cuts
out
from
newspapers
sketches
of
model
clothes
that
she
would
like
to
buy,
if
she
had
the
money.
As
she
is
not
rich,
the
chances
that
she
will
ever
be
able
to
afford
such
purchases
are
remote;
but
she
is
never
sufficiently
strongrminded
to
be
able
to
stop
the
practice.
It
is
a
harmless
habit,
but
it
litters
up
her
desk
to
such
an
extent
that
every
time
she
opens
it,
loose
bits
of
paper
fall
out
in
every
direction.
△scoop

n.
抢先获得的新闻、利润等；Collecting
as
a
serious
hobby
is
quite
different
and
has
many
advantages.
It
provides
relaxation
for
leisure
hours,
as
just
looking
at
one's
treasures
is
always
a
joy.
One
does
not
have
to
go
outside
for
amusement,
since
the
collection
is
housed
at
home.
Whatever
it
consists
of
,
stamps,
records,
first
editions
of
books,
china,
glass,
antique
furniture,
pictures,
model
cars,
stuffed
birds,
toy
animals,
there
is
always
something
to
do
in
connection
with
it,
from
finding
the
right
place
for
the
latest
addition
to
verifying
facts
in
reference
books.
This
hobby
educates
one
not
only
in
the
chosen
subject,
but
also
in
general
matters
which
have
some
bearing
on
it.
There
are
also
other
benefits.
One
wants
to
meet
like-minded
collectors,
to
get
advice,
to
compare
notes,
to
exchange
articles,
to
select
vt.
挑选；选择show
off
the
latest
?find.
So
one's
circle
of
friends
grows.
Soon
the
hobby
leads
to
travel,
perhaps
to
a
meeting
in
another
town,
possibly
a
trip
abroad
in
search
of
a
rare
specimen,
for
collectors
are
not
confined
to
any
one
country.
Over
the
years
one
may
well
become
an
authority
on
one's
hobby
and
will
very
probably
be
asked
to
give
informal
talks
to
little
gatherings
and
then,
if
successful,
to
larger
audiences.
In
this
way
self-confidence
grows,
first
from
mastering
a
subject,
then
from
being
able
to
talk
about
it.
Collecting,
by
occupying
spare
time
so
constructively,
makes
a
person
contented,
with
no
time
for
boredom.
?人们喜欢收藏东西，有时并没有意识到自己在这样做。确实，一旦无意之中从自己的收藏品中找到某件有用的东西时，可以给人一种惊喜的感觉。那些从来不必搬家的人们成了一种无所无容的收藏家。他们专门收藏那些只能被称作杂货的东西。他们在抽屉里，碗柜中、阁楼上堆放着一些不用的东西，一放就是好几年，相信总有一天需要的正好是那些东西。人们年老之后也喜欢收藏东西，不过是出于两个不同的原因：一是体力，精力均告不佳，这二者是清除无用的东西必不可少的因素；另一原因是感情因素。东西搁得时间久了，便会充满着与过去岁月的联系，比方说与死去的亲戚有关。因此这些东西慢慢获得了一种超出它本身的价值。
construct

vt.
建设；修建居家度日，有目的地收藏某些东西是为了防止浪费。这些东西中我想举出线绳和包装纸为例。节俭的人们打开包裹后便把这两样必备的东西收藏起来。省得日后去买。收集小玩艺儿很容易着迷。我认识一个人，她总喜欢从报纸上剪下流行服装的图样，等以后有钱时去买服装。由于她并不富裕，她买得起这些服装的可能性十分渺茫。但她又缺乏足够坚强的意志把这一收集活动停下来。这种习惯无害，只把写字台里堆得满满当当，以致每次打开抽屉总能带出许多纸片四处飞扬。
have
fun
with
玩得开心作为一种严肃的业余爱好的收藏活动完全是另外一回事，它具有许多益处。它可以使人在闲暇中得到休息，因为欣赏自己收藏的珍品总会充满了乐趣。人们不必走到户外去寻求娱乐，因为收藏品都是存放在家中。不管收藏品是什么，邮票、唱片、头版书籍、瓷器、玻璃杯、老式家具、绘画、模型汽车、鸟类标本，还是玩具动物，从为新增添的收藏品寻找摆放位置到核对参考书中的事实，总归有事可做。这种爱好不仅能使人从选择的专题中受到教育，而且也能从与之有关的一般事物中获得长进。除此之外，还有其他的益处。收藏者要会见情趣相投的收藏者，以获取教益，交流经验、交换收藏品，炫耀自己的最新收藏。朋友的圈子就这样不断扩大。用不了多久，有这种爱好的人便开始旅行，也许是去另一个城市参加会议，也可能是出国寻找一件珍品，因为收藏家是不分国籍的。一人积了多年经验会成为自己这种爱好的权威，很可能应邀在小型集会上作非正式的讲话。如果讲得好，可能向更多人发表演说。这样，你自信心不断增强，先是因为掌握一门学问，接下来是因为能够就此发表见解。收藏活动通过富有建设性地利用业余时间使人感到心满意足，不再有无聊之日。
sickness
n.
疾病；恶心
Lesson60
The
importance
of
Punctuality
wedding

n.
婚礼Punctuality
is
a
necessary
habit
in
all
public
affairs
of
a
civilized
society.
Without
it,
nothing
could
ever
be
brought
to
a
conclusion;
everything
would
be
in
a
state
of
chaos.
Only
in
a
sparsely-
populated
rural
community
is
it
possible
to
disregard
it.
In
ordinary
living
there
can
be
some
tolerance
of
unpunctuality.
The
intellectual,
who
is
working
on
some
abstruse
problem,
has
everything
coordinated
and
organized
for
the
matter
in
hand.
He
is
therefore
forgiven,
if
late
for
a
dinner
party.
But
people
are
often
reproached
for
unpunctuality
when
their
only
fault
is
cutting
things
fine.
It
is
hard
for
energetic,
quick-minded
people
to
waste
time,
so
they
are
often
tempted
to
finish
a
job
before
setting
out
to
keep
an
appointment.
If
no
accidents
occur
on
the
way,
like
punctured
tyres,
diversions
of
traffic,
sudden
descent
of
fog,
they
will
be
on
time.
They
are
often
more
industrious,
useful
citizens
than
those
who
are
never
late.
The
over-punctual
can
be
as
much
a
trial
to
others
as
the
unpunctual.
The
guest
who
arrives
half
an
hour
too
soon
is
the
greatest
nuisance.
Some
friends
of
my
family
had
this
irritating
habit.
The
only
thing
to
do
was
ask
them
to
come
half
an
hour
later
than
the
other
guests.
Then
they
arrived
just
when
we
wanted
them.

pollution

n.
污染；弄脏?
mark
out
划线；标出……界线If
you
are
catching
a
train,
it
is
always
better
to
be
comfortably
early
than
even
a
fraction
of
a
minute
too
late.
Although
being
early
may
mean
wasting
a
little
time,
this
will
be
less
than
if
you
miss
the
train
and
have
to
wait
an
hour
or
more
for
the
next
one;
and
you
avoid
the
frustration
of
arriving
at
the
very
moment
when
the
train
is
drawing
out
of
the
station
and
being
unable
to
get
on
it.
An
even
harder
situation
is
to
be
on
the
platform
in
good
time
for
a
train
and
still
to
see
it
go
off
without
you.
Such
an
experience
befell
a
certain
young
girl
the
first
time
she
was
travelling
alone.
She
entered
the
station
twenty
minutes
before
the
train
was
due,
since
her
parents
had
impressed
upon
her
that
it
would
be
unforgivable
to
miss
it
and
cause
the
friends
with
whom
she
was
going
to
stay
to
make
two
journeys
to
meet
her.
She
gave
her
luggage
to
a
porter
and
showed
him
her
ticket.
To
her
horror
he
said
that
she
was
two
hours
too
soon.
She
felt
in
her
handbag
for
the
piece
of
paper
on
which
her
father
had
written
down
all
the
details
of
the
journey
and
give
it
to
the
porter.
He
agreed
that
a
train
did
come
into
the
station
at
the
time
on
the
paper
and
that
it
did
stop,
but
only
to
take
on
water,
not
passengers.
The
girl
asked
to
see
a
timetable,
feeling
sure
that
her
father
could
not
have
made
such
a
mistake.
The
porter
went
to
fetch
one
and
arrived
back
with
the
stationmaster,
who
produced
it
with
a
flourish
and
pointed
out
a
microscopic
'o'
beside
the
time
of
the
arrival
of
the
train
at
his
station;
this
little
'o'
indicated
that
the
train
only
stopped
for
water.
Just
as
that
moment
the
train
came
into
the
station.
The
girl,
tears
streaming
down
her
face,
begged
to
be
allowed
to
slip
into
the
guard's
van.
But
the
stationmaster
was
adamant:
rules
could
not
be
broken.
And
she
had
to
watch
that
train
disappear
towards
her
destination
while
she
was
left
behind.
ceremony

n.
典礼；仪式；礼节准时是文明社会中进行一切社交活动时必须养成的习惯。不准时将一事无成，事事都会陷入混乱不堪的境地。只有在人口稀少的农村，才可以忽视准时的习惯。在日常生活中人们可以容忍一定程度的不准时。一个专心钻研某个复杂问题的知识分子，为了搞好手头的研究，要把一切都协调一致，组织周密。因此，他要是赴宴迟到了会得到谅解。但有些人不准时常常因为掐钟点所致，他们常常受到责备，精力充沛、头脑敏捷的人极不愿意浪费时间，因此他们常想做完一件事后再去赴约。要是路上没有发生如爆胎、改道、突然起雾等意外事故，他们决不会迟到。他们与那些从不迟到的人相比，常常是更勤奋有用的公民。早到的人同迟到的人一样令人讨厌。客人提前半小时到达是令人讨厌的。我家有几个朋友就有这有令人恼火的习惯。唯一的办法就是请他们比别的客人晚来半小时。这样，他们可以恰好在我们要求的时间到达。
ambulance

n.
救护车如果赶火车，早到总比晚到好，哪怕早到一会儿也好。虽然早到可能意味着浪费一点时间，但这比误了火车等上一个多小时坐下班车浪费的时间要少，而且可以避免那种正好在火车驶出站时赶到车站，因上不去车而感到的沮丧。更难堪的情况是虽然及时赶到站台上，却眼睁睁地看着那趟火车启动，把你抛下。一个小姑娘第一次单独出门就碰到了这种情况。
在火车进站20分钟前她就进了车站。因为她的父母再三跟她说，如果误了这趟车，她的东道主朋友就得接她两趟，这是不应该的。她把行李交给搬运工并给他看了车票。搬运工说她早到了两个小时，她听后大吃一惊。她从钱包里摸出一张纸条，那上面有她父亲对这次旅行详细说明，她把这张纸条交给了搬运工。搬运工说，正如纸条所说，确有一趟火车在那个时刻到站，但它只停站装邮件，不载旅客。姑娘要求看到时刻表，因为她相信父亲不能把这么大的事弄错。搬运工跑回去取时刻表，同时请来了站长。站长拿着时刻表一挥手，指着那趟列车到站时刻旁边一个很小的圆圈标记。这个标记表示列车是为装邮件而停车。正在这时，火车进站了。女孩泪流满面，央求让她不声不响地到押车员车厢里去算了。但站长态度坚决，规章制度不能破坏，姑娘只得眼看那趟火车消逝在她要去的方向而撇下了她。

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