书城外语用耳朵听最优美的名著
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第16章 观英伦跌宕史感人本精神之衰落(15)

hover/"hv/v.徘徊

精彩文字,耳听心受!

好英文娓娓动听Words and Expressions

A News of the death had arrived some hours earlier;indeed, I had myself knocked on the door of her parlour that morning to hand her the letter.I had stepped inside for a brief moment to discuss some professional matter, and I recall we were seated at her table and in mid-conversation at the moment she opened the letter.She became very still, but to her credit she remained composed, reading the letter through at least twice.

Then she put the letter carefully back in its envelope and looked across the table to me.

“It is from Mrs Johnson, a companion of my aunt. She says my aunt died the day before yesterday.”She paused a moment, then said:“The funeral is to take place tomorrow.B I wonder if it might be possible for me to take the day off.”

“I am sure that could be arranged, Miss Kenton.”

“Thank you, Mr Stevens. Forgive me, but perhaps I may now have a few moments alone.”

“Of course, Miss Kenton.”

I made my exit, and“it was not until after I had done so that it occurred to me I had not actually offered her my condolences. I could well imagine the blow the news would be to her, her aunt having been, to all intents and purposes, like a mother to her, and I paused out in the corridor, wondering if I should go back, knock and make good my omission.C But then it occurred to me that if I were to do so, I might easily intrude upon her private grief.

Indeed, it was not impossible that Miss Kenton, at that very moment, and only a few feet from me, was actually crying. The thought provoked a strange feeling to rise within me, causing me to stand there hovering in the corridor for some moments.But eventually I judged it best to await another opportunity to express my sympathy and went on my way.

难点重点,一目了然!

长难句解析Sentence Structures

A

News of the death had arrived some hours earlier;indeed, I had myself knocked on the door of her parlour that morning to hand her the Letter.

其姑母逝世的噩耗早在几小时前就已送到;说实话,那天上午我曾迫使自己敲响了她起居室的门,以便将那封信交给她。

have+复合宾语(oneself+v-ed)使某人自己做某事。例如:She had to have herself stayed at home on weekends.她不得不迫使自己周末留在家里。

B

I wonder if it might be possible for me to take the day off.

不知我能否休假一天。

take……off 休假。例如:We take five days off every months.我们每个月休假五天。

C

But then it occurred to me that if I were to do so, I might easily intrude upon her private grief.

可转念一想,倘若我真要这么做的话,那我极有可能会唐突地干扰她独处时刻的悲伤。

occur to 想到,意识到。例如:It occurs to me that he might be interested in the problem we had discussed.我想起来了他也许对我们讨论过的那个问题感兴趣。

if条件句中出现虚拟语气是现在时态,表达的是与现在事实相反的虚拟假设。例如:If I were you, I would marry her.如果我是你,我就娶她。

Lucky Jim幸运的吉姆

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总词汇量:0334词汇

每篇好故事都有灵魂!

今日关键语导读Today’s Key Points

《幸运的吉姆》是英国当代作家金斯利·艾米斯的着名讽刺喜剧作品,讲述大学临时聘任讲师詹姆斯·狄克逊为求保住教职,忍辱负重,疲于奔命,纠缠于各种麻烦之中,但他对于正统的教授学者们始终持批判嘲讽的态度,这导致他最终与正统教授学者彻底决裂,重获自由独立的生活和真正的爱情。当时的艾米斯用它来讽刺他从来就不喜欢的精英文化、学院生活,以及战前现代派那种实验主义。

文中障碍词抢先攻克!

障碍词先听为快Words and Expressions

effeminate/?"fem?n?t/adj.女人气的

protrude/pr?"tru:d/v.伸出

squeeze/skwi:z/v.紧握

fruity/"fru:ti/adj.圆润的

imminent/"?m?n?nt/adj.即将发生的,临近的

beret/"berei/n.贝雷帽,扁圆的无檐帽子

guise/ɡa?z/n.装束

waxwork/"w?ksw?(:)k/n.蜡像

denounce/d?"na?ns/v.谴责,指责

ajar/?"d?ɑ:/adj.微开的,半开的

rictus/"rikt?s/n.露齿咧嘴

moan/m??n/v.呻吟

精彩文字,耳听心受!

好英文娓娓动听Words and Expressions

A Just as they drew level with the shop-window, the door opened and a crowd of Welches came out and blocked the pavement.One of them was clearly the effeminate writing Michel, on stage at last just as the curtain was about to ring down.He was a tall pale young man with long pale hair protruding from under a pale corduroy cap.Sensing the approach of passers-by, the whole group, with the natural exception of Welch himself, began automatically shifting about out of the way.Dixon squeezed Christine’s arm encouragingly and walked up to them.“Excuse me,”he said in a fruity comic-butler voice.

B On Mrs Welch"s face appeared an expression of imminent vomiting;Dixon inclined his head indulgently to her.(He remembered something in a book about success making people humble, tolerant, and kind.)The incident was almost closed when he saw that not only were Welch and Bertrand both present, but Welch"s fishing-hat and Bertrand"s beret were there too. The beret, however, was on Welch"s head, the fishing-hat on Bertrand"s.In these guises, and standing rigid with popping eyes, as both were, they had a look of being Gide and Lytton Strachey, represented in waxwork form by a prentice hand.C Dixon drew in breath to denounce them both, then blew it all out again in a howl of laughter.His steps faltered;his body sagged as if he"d been knifed.With Christine tugging at his arm he halted in the middle of the group, slowly doubling up like a man with the stitch, his spectacles misting over with the exertion of it, his mouth stuck ajar in a rictus of agony.“You"re……”he said.“He"s……”

The Welches withdrew and began getting into their car. Moaning, Dixon allowed Christine to lead him away up the street.The whinnying and clanging of Welch"s self-starter began behind them, growing fainter and fainter as they walked on until it was altogether overlaid by the other noises of the town and by their own voices.

难点重点,一目了然!

长难句解析Sentence Structures

A

Just as they drew Level with the shop-window, the door opened and a crowd of Welches came out and blocked the pavement.

正当他们走到茶馆的窗前时,门突然打开,威尔奇家的人走了出来,挡住了人行道。

draw Level(with)拉平(相齐)。例如:The two ships draw level.这两条船并排行驶。

B

On Mrs Welch"s face appeared an expression of imminent vomiting;

顿时,威尔奇太太的脸上露出了一副即将呕吐的表情;

这个句子是一个倒装句,地点状语提前,后面句子完全倒装。正常语序应为:An expression of imminent vomiting appeared on Mrs Welch’s face.

C

Dixon drew in breath to denounce them both, then blew it all out again in a howl of Laughter.

狄克逊吁了一口气,准备把这两个人痛斥一顿,然而把气喷出来时却变成了一声狂笑。

draw in breath 吸气。例如:I could hear the Harvard fans draw in their breath.我能听见那些哈佛球迷倒吸一口冷气。