Lesson 39  Nothing to worry about

【New words and expressions】 单词讲解

 

★rough  adj. 崎岖不平的/粗糙/粗鲁

The ways of truth are hard and rough to walk on. 真理之路多坎坷，行走起来甚艰辛。

The uphill path is rough and steep. 山上的小路既崎岖又陡峭。

Are the walls rough or smooth? 墙壁是光滑的还是粗糙的？

Her hands were rough with work. 她的双手因工作而变得粗糙。

His manners are rough, but he is a kind man at heart. 他虽然举止粗鲁, 但心地善良。

Don’t be rough on your friends.

 

★boul-der  n.   大石块

A massive boulder blocked the entrance of the cave. 一块巨大的圆石堵住了山洞的入口。

He was unable to budge the boulder. 他搬不动那块大圆石。

 

★pit  v.   使得坑坑洼洼/深坑, 深渊, 陷阱 n

The ground was pitted by the heavy rain.  大雨使场地变得坑坑洼洼。

be pitted with被充满

The surface of the moon is pitted with craters. 月球表面有很多环形坑.

His face was pitted with smallpox. 他长着一张麻脸。

 

pit深坑, 深渊, 陷阱 n

A sheep fell into a pit,and I helped it out. 一只羊掉进坑里,我把它救了出来。

Dig a pit and bury the garbage. 挖一个坑把垃圾埋了。

A fall into the pit,a gain in your wit. 吃一堑，长一智。

 

★per-turb  v.   使不安

We were perturbed to hear of his disappearance. 我们听说他失踪了, 都很不安.

She was much perturbed by her son's illness. 她被儿子的病弄得慌张不已。

Her sudden appearance did not seem to perturb him in the least.她的突然出现似乎一点也没有令他不安。                                               丝毫不

perturbing rumours令人不安的谣言/perturbing tendency令人不安的倾向

 

★un-der-es-ti-mate  v.   低估

Never underestimate your opponent, ie think that you will beat him easily. 千万不要低估对手.

He should not underestimate oneself. 他不应低估自己。

Don't underestimate him. He looks stupid but he has great intelligence. 别低估他,他看起来愚笨,其实很聪明。

Don't underestimate the difficulties of the work. 不要低估了这项工作的艰巨性。

we shouldn't underestimate the problems that we still face. 我们不能低估所面临的问题。

 

estimate估计, 估价, 评估

It is estimated that the damage was over one million dollars. 据估计，损失超过了一百万元。

The project was estimated to have cost 570,000 yuan. 估计这项工程花费了57万元。

She estimated that the work would take three months. 她估计这项工作需要叁个月.

 

overestimate评价过高

I overestimated his abilities he's finding the job very difficult.

You overestimated his play, it's just so so.你对他的剧本评价过高，那部剧其实很一般。

The failing of the project forced us to conclude that we had overestimated项目的失败使我们得出结论:我们过高估计了他的能力

 

★swerve  v.   急转变/突然转向/改变

Cyclists who swerve to avoid dogs may fall off their bicyles. 骑自行车转向躲狗的人非从车上摔下来不可。

Don't race or swerve or suddenly hit your brakes. 不要赛车或者忽然转向或者忽然刹车。

 

Nothing will swerve him from his determination. 没有任何事能改变他的决心。

Don't swerve from your purpose. 不要改变你的目标。

One ought not to swerve from the path of duty. 一个人不应做出有失本分的事。

 

 

★scoop v.  挖出（用勺子）挖出，铲出

The boy scooped out a hole in the sand. 那个男孩在沙中挖了个洞。

Scoop out the rotten part of the apple.把苹果烂的地方剜掉。

She scooped some ice cream up of the tub. 她从纸杯里舀了些冰淇淋出来。

He scooped some instant coffee into a cup.他用勺子舀了些速溶咖啡放入杯子.

 

★ham-mer  v.   （用锤）击打，锤打

He hammered the nail in the wood.他往木头里钉钉子。

He hammered out “NO” on the keyboard.他在键盘上用力敲出“不”字。

She hammered out a tune on the piano.她在钢琴上弹奏一支曲子。

 

★o-mi-nous-ly   adv. 有预兆的，不祥的

The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car.车轮搅起的石块，在车身下发出不吉祥的锤击声。

The sky looked ominously dark.天空阴沉沉的，像要变天.

 

ominous  adj不吉利的

These clouds are ominous. They portend a severe storm. 这些云是不祥的预兆, 预示着一场大风暴即将来临。

That evening has an ominous silence. 那晚有着不祥的寂静。

 

★rip    v.   划破，撕，扯=tear

He ripped the cover from the book. 他撕掉了那本书的封面。

The wind ripped the sail. 风撕破了的船帆。

 

★pe-trol      n.   汽油=<</SPAN>美>gasoline

petrol station

We' d better first fill the car up with petrol at the petrol station. 我们最好先到加油站去给汽车加满汽油。

The price of petrol is going down. 汽油价正在下跌.

 

★stretch  n.   一大片（平地或水）

a stretch of…

a stretch of land 一大片平地

a stretch of water 一大片水域

In front of us we see a stretch of open field眼前我们看到一片开阔的田野

Give me a seed, return a stretch of forest to you.经营理念:给我一粒种子,还你一片森林。

There is a stretch of hills near the village. 在村子附近有一片连绵的小山。

 

stretch out伸出；到了极限

He stretched out his hand to get the apple.

There are forests stretching for hundreds of miles.

Transport was rather stretched in the Spring Festival.

 

★obs-ta-cle  n.   障碍

Lack of education is an obstacle to success. 缺乏教育是成功的障碍。

clean away every obstacle排除每个障碍

Her parents' opposition is an obstacle to her marriage. 父母的反对是她结婚的障碍。

She has the determination to overcome all the obstacle to success.  她有决心克服通往成功路上的一切障碍。

 

★clump  n.   丛，簇

a clump of…一丛/一群…

a clump of buildings

a clump of trees

a clump of Bushes一丛灌木

 

★fissure  n.   （石，地的）深缝

Just ahead of us there was a huge fissure.离我们不远处，出现一个大裂缝。

There is a fissure on the wall. 墙上有条裂缝.

 

★re-new  v.   重复/使更新, 使恢复

People need to continually renew their ideas.

Time is lost, which never will renew. 一旦时间逝去，它将永不复返。

Today, I make a decision. I will renew myself.今天，我做出决定，我要重塑自己的人生。

 

★plea-ding  n.   恳求

there was a pleading note in her voice. 声音里有一丝恳求。

His pleading melted her. 他的乞求软化了她.

The family's pleading won him one more day of hospital care. 家人的恳求让他得以在医院多接受了一天的治疗

 

★gear    n.   汽车排档

Change into second gear when you go up the hill. 上山时要换第二挡。

When a car is out of gear it cannot run. 汽车脱档后，就不能开动了。

 

★as-tride  prep.骑，跨

That pretty girl rode astride the horse.那位漂亮的小姑娘两腿叉开骑在马上。

the bridge astride the river横跨河上的桥

 

★crack  n.   缝隙

There is a crack in this window.  这扇窗户上有个裂纹。

Don't pour hot water into the glass or it will crack.  别把热水倒进玻璃杯里，不然它会炸的。

 

★zig-zag  n.  “之”字形

The path runs zigzag up the hill. 这条小道曲里拐弯地通往山上。

Take care when driving on this zigzag mountain road.在这曲折的山路上开车要当心。

 

★sha-llow  adj. 浅的

It is only shallow people who judge by appearances.  只有浅薄的人才会以貌取人。

This small river is more shallow than that.这条小河比那条更浅。

The river is shallow here; we can walk across.

这里河水很浅，我们可以趟过去。

 

★grind (ground, ground)   v.   磨擦

Grind wheat into flour

I have to grind the knife; it is blunt. 我得磨刀;它钝了。

To grind the spear just before Battle临阵磨枪

 

★halt  n.   停

No one can halt [stop] the advance of history. 谁也不能挡住历史的前进。

He halted the car at the traffic lights. 他在红绿灯前停住了汽车。

All the trains were halted when the storms started. 暴风雨来时所有的火车都停下来了。

He halted between two opinions他拿不定主意。

 

★dash-board  n.   （汽车上的）仪表盘

A yellow light on the dashboard flashed angrily仪表盘一盏黄灯闪着刺眼的光芒，

 

【Text】 

 

 

Lesson 39   Nothing to worry about  不必担心

        

Listen to the tape then answer the question below.

听录音，然后回答以下问题。

What was the difference between Bruce's behaviour and that of other people?

 

   

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 eh 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 years and was tow feet wide and four feet deep. Even this had no effect. Bruce went into a low gear and drove at a terrifying speed, keeping the front wheels astride the crack as he followed its zigzag 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 half. A yellow light on the dashboard flashed angrily and Bruce cheerfully announced that there was no oil in the engine!

 

【参考译文】

 

   

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！

 

【课文讲解】

 

1.       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. 穿越平原高低不平的道路很快就变得如此糟糕 以至于我们试图让Bruce把车开回我们出发的那个村庄去。

 

get sb to do

I will get him to call you as soon as he comes back. 他一回来我就叫他尽快回你电话。

Can you get us to do the experiment?你能让我们做这个试验吗？

He couldn't get the car to start and went by bus.他因无法发动车子，所以搭公共汽车去了。

get算是使役动词，但使役动词有很多（如let, make, help, allow, have, require, motivate, get, convince, hire, assist, encourage, permit, employ, force等），其中只有have, make, let在主动语态的不定式时才确定不加to。 

 

不带to的不定式情况:
make, let, have等使役动词和hear, see, watch, notice, feel，observe等感官动词后的复合宾语中，动词不定式不带to，但改为被动语态时，不定式要加to,

I saw him cross the road. 

He was seen to cross the road.

I often hear her sing in the next room.   我经常听到她在隔壁唱歌。

They make the baby go to bed at 7:00 p.m. every day.    他们每天让孩子晚上7：00上床睡觉。

 

 

2.       Even though the road was littered with boulders and pitted with holes, Bruce was not in the least perturbed. 尽管路面布满石头，坑坑洼洼，但Bruce却一点儿不慌乱。

be littered with ... : 被...覆盖= be covered with

The streets were littered  with old cans and other rubbish. 街上到处是旧罐子和垃圾

She littered her room with books and papers. 她把书籍报纸乱扔在房间。

 

be pitted with充满了

The road is pitted with holes. 坑坑洼洼

The surface of the moon is pitted with craters. 月球表面有很多环形坑.

His face was pitted with smallpox. 他长着一张麻脸。

not in the least毫不, 全无一点也不= not at all

I am not in the least afraid.我一点也不惧怕。

This book is not in the least difficult. 这本书一点也不难。

I was not surprised in the least. 我一点也不感到惊讶。

 

3.       Glancing at his map, he informed us that the next village was a mere twenty miles away. 看了一眼他的地图，他告诉我们说下个村庄只有20英里远了。

 

inform 通知, 告诉

Can you inform me where he lives? 你能告诉我他住在那吗?

Does she inform you that when they have held a meeting? 她通知你他们什么时候开会了吗？

I'm very pleased to inform you that your application has been accepted. 我非常高兴地通知您,您的申请已被接受。

 

mere 可做adj， 仅仅，只不过。在这里修饰后面的 twenty miles ，mere twenty miles构成一个名词短语表一段距离，表示一个整体，所以要用a

He lives in a factory,it's a good five miles from here. 他住在工厂，离这儿足有五里地。

 

 

4.       It was not that Bruce always underestimated difficulties. 并非Bruce总是低估困难

 

It is/was not that  并不是说

It was not that he was lazy. 这并不是说他懒惰。

It was not that she did not know what he meant. 这并非由于她不明白他的意思。

It was not that I forgot completely, but I had other things on my mind.并不是我完全忘记了，而是我脑子里有别的事。

 

not that...but (that)...表示"不是...而是..."

It was not that Bruce always underestimated difficulties, but he simply had no sence of danger at all. 

It is not that I don't want to, but that I can't不是我不想，而是我不能够这么做。

It is not that I don't want to see you, but that I have no time.不是我不想见你,而是我没时间。

 

5.       He simply had no sense of danger at all.他只是一点危险感都没有。

 

a sense of …: …的感觉

a sense of danger

a sense of duty责任感

a sense of belonging 一种归宿感 

asense of humour 幽默感

When I am with him, I have no sense of danger和他在一起我没有一点安全感。

A sense of humor enabled him to get along well with others.  幽默感使他能与人相处愉快。

 

6.       No matter what the conditions were, he believed that a car should be driven as fast as it could possibly go.无论情况是什么，他认为车应该以它尽可能快的速度行驶。

 

as fast as尽可能的快

Run as fast as you can. 你能跑多快就跑多快.

The train was batting along as fast as it could go.火车正以最高速度行驶。

He finished the work as fast as he could.他尽快完成了工作。

 

7.       As we bumped over the dusty track, we swerved to avoid large boulders. 当我们在尘士飞扬的道路上颠簸的时候，我们东拐西拐，以躲开那些大圆石。

 

bump over= bump up and down 颠簸而行

The car bumped up and down on the rough and rocky road. 小车在崎岖不平的道路上颠簸而行

 

swerve突然转向/改变

The car swerved to avoid knocking the boy down .为了不撞倒那个男孩，汽车突然转向。

The lorry swerved and ran into the tram. 卡车突然转弯,与电车相撞。

Nothing will swerve him from his determination. 没有任何事能改变他的决心。

Don't swerve from your purpose. 不要改变你的目标。

 

8.       The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car. 车轮铲起了的石块，不吉祥地锤击着车身下面。

 

scoop up：铲起/拿起

The children scooped up the snow with their hands t build a snow man.

孩子们用手将雪挖起来做雪人。

I scooped up my books and left the house.我抱起书离开了房子。

 

ominously：恶兆地, 不吉利地

“People now know we know,” he says ominously.他带着不祥的预感说道：“现在人们清楚我们所知道的”。

 

9.       We felt sure that sooner or later a stone would rip a hole in our petrol tank or damage the engine. 我们确信迟早一个石块将在我们油箱砸开一个窟窿，或把发动机弄坏。

 

feel sure that : 确信

She feel sure that she have do the right thing. 她确信自己做得对。

They feel sure that you will fulfill your promise.他们确信你将履行你的诺言。

She felt sure that their friendship would last.她确信他们的友谊会日久天长。

 

sooner or later  迟早,作时间状语.

If you drive like that, sooner or later you'll have an accident.

His dream will come true sooner or later. 他的理想迟早会实现。

Smoking will catch up with you sooner or later. 吸烟迟早会使你受害不浅。

 

rip a hole in our petrol tank在我们油箱砸个洞

 

10.  Because of this, we kept looking back, wondering if we were leaving a trail of oil and petrol behind us. 因为这个，我们不断地回头看，想知道是否在我们后面留下了一连串的机油和汽油。

 

keep doing sth: 除表示连续不断的动作或持续状态外,还表示反复发生的动作.

He kept talking until the meeting was over. 他一直在说，直到会议结束。

He kept eating/ smiling/ walking. 他一直在吃/笑/走。

We kept hoping that they would chance to come to china (again) some day.

 

a trail of一连串的

Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits. 不管美洲狮去哪，它在它的身后都会留下一连串鹿和像兔子之类的小动物的尸体。

leave a trail of trouble behind留下一系列麻烦

 

11.  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. 当大石块突然消失的时候，对我们来说是多么的欣慰，取代它的是一片平原，在这里唯一的障碍只有一簇簇灌木丛。

 

relief安慰/欣慰/松了一口气

It was quite a relief when I heard the result.听到这一结果我松了一口气。

It was quite a relief to hear that he wasn't hit by the bus. 听到他没有被公共汽车撞着，令人十分欣慰。

It was a relief to be able to talk to someone about it.能和别人谈谈这件事，感到舒心多了。

 

give way to 让步，替代，屈服

Steam trains gave way to electric trains soon after the war. 战后不久，蒸汽火车便由电力火车所取代

As winter gave way to spring, the days begin to lengthen. 冬去春来，开始变得昼长夜短

 

 

12.  But there was worse to come. 但是还有更糟糕的事情要来。

 

worse为名词."更糟糕的事情". to come 动词不定式作定语.修饰worse

 

13.  Just ahead of us there was a huge fissure. 就在我们前面，有一个巨大的裂缝。

 

ahead of=in front of ：在...前面 /提前/提早

He is walking ahead of us.

The time here is one hour ahead of Beijing. 这里的时间比北京早一个小时。

They finished the work ahead of time. 他们提前完成了工作。

Try to finish the task ahead of time. 争取提前完成任务。