ACT 1-1  “他的眼睛和 Richard的像极了。”

【故事梗概】

Ellen 和Susan 正在Marilyn的房间里，她们在为迎接Richard和Marilyn的新生婴儿Max回家而作准备。两人看着Max的照片，在评论他长得更像谁。

Ellen: There's nothing more joyous than the arrival of a new baby.
Susan: I am so excited, Mother! Just imagine -- Marilyn and Richard must be thrilled! Oh, a new baby!
Ellen: Max…Max… Max. Oh, it's a sweet-sounding name for a sweet little boy. My first grandchild.
Susan: And my first nephew. Isn't he just adorable? He looks a lot like you, Mom. He does.
Ellen: Do you think so? Well, I guess. He does look a lot like Richard, and I guess he looks a lot like me. Oh, he's got Richard's eyes, though.
Susan: I really want Harry and Michelle to see Max.
Ellen: When are they coming?
Susan: Tomorrow. Harry has an account to work on today. Yes, he does have Richard's eyes. Big blue eyes. The baby even looks at you like Richard does.
Ellen: Well, children usually resemble their parents.
Susan: It's true. Michelle is a lot like Harry in so many ways. And she's shy with new people, just like he is.
Ellen: You really like Michelle, don't you?
Susan: Yes, I'm very fond of her.
Ellen: And Harry, too?
Susan: Well…

【语言点精讲】

1. There's nothing more joyous than the arrival of a new baby.
再没有比新出生的婴儿回家来更叫人高兴的了。
there is nothing more…than sth.: 没有比某事更让人……的了。这个结构虽然表面上看是比较级的形式，但是实际上表达的是最高级的含义。

2. Isn't he just adorable?
他不是简直可爱极了吗？
这里的just起强调作用，意思等于simply。
adorable: 可爱的。

3. Well, I guess.
嗯，我想是的。等于I guess so 或 I guess you are right。

4. He's got Richard's eyes, though.
他的眼睛和 Richard的像极了。
表达某人与某人相像时, 除了用look like, resemble, alike 等词外, 还可以说 sb. has got sb.'s features, 具体说明哪个部位相像。
though这里是副词，放在句中或句尾，用逗号隔开，起补充说明的作用，意思是“然而，可是，不过”，表明前面加上去的话虽似乎与更前面的话相反，但仍是对的。在这里是说明“他虽像我，然而眼睛却不像我，而像Richard”。

5. When are they coming?
他们什么时候来？
come, go等动词常用进行时态表示将来时, 例如:The rain is coming. 雨要来了。

6. The baby even looks at you like Richard does.
这孩子连看人的时候的神气都像Richard。
like Richard does: 像 Richard 那样（看）。这是非正式用法，相当于 as Richard does。like也有“像……一样”的意思，但后面一般接名词或代词，而不接句子。

7. Michelle is a lot like Harry in so many ways.
Michelle在很多方面都像Harry。在这里 a lot起状语作用，相当于very much。
in so many ways: 在很多方面。

8. I'm very fond of her.
我很喜欢她。
be fond of : 喜爱，喜欢，喜好。感情上，be fond of不如love强烈。

9. Well…
嗯……。说话时, 如果一时回答不上来, 或犹豫不决, 可用Well…拖延时间。

ACT 1-2  “又一代人来把Stewart家的姓传下去。”

【故事梗概】

Grandpa走进了房间，他已经为Max挂起了欢迎的标语。他也为自己的第一个曾孙即将回家来而兴奋不已。

Ellen: Uh, it's four-thirty. Oh my! Marilyn and Richard will be home from the hospital any minute, and we must prepare this room.
Susan: Where will we put all the presents?
Ellen: Well, let's take everything to the living room. Marilyn and Richard and the baby need the space. It's crowded in here.
Grandpa: The welcome sign is up: “Welcome home, Max.”
Ellen: Isn't it exciting, Grandpa?
Susan: Your first great-grandchild.
Grandpa: Yes. Yes, sir. A great-grandchild. A great-grandson. Another generation to carry on the Stewart name.
Susan: I love you, Grandpa. You make me feel so proud to be part of our family.
Grandpa: And one day, you'll have your own family, and I'll be proud to be part of it.
Ellen: Now you understand my feelings, Susan. I'm Grandpa's daughter-in-law, but I feel like a Stewart. He's always made me feel like his own daughter.
Grandpa: Well, that's because you're so much like us, wonderful!

【语言点精讲】

1. Oh my! Marilyn and Richard will be home from the hospital any minute, and we must prepare this room.
天哪！Marilyn和Richard随时都可能从医院回来了，咱们得把这间屋子准备好。
Oh my!: 啊, 天哪！表示惊讶的感叹句。Oh my！源于 Oh my God！因宗教上禁忌随意说上帝之名，故简略一字。
any minute: 随时，在这里等于at any minute。

2. It's crowded in here. 
这里太拥挤了。
在here前面加了in，是强调“在这里”。

3. The Welcome sign is up.
欢迎的标语已经挂起来了。

4. Yes. Yes, sir.
是的，一点不错。这里Grandpa用的sir只是男人在回答的时候的一种说法，并不是用sir在指代Susan。

5. Another generation to carry on the Stewart name.
又一代人来把Stewart家的姓传下去。
generation: 这里指“一代人”。
to carry on the Stewart name: 继承Stewart 家的姓；传宗接代。

6. You make me feel so proud to be part of our family.
你使我因为自己是这家里的人而感到自豪。
feel so proud to be: 为……而感到自豪。也可以说 feel/ be proud of doing sth.

ACT 1-3  “没有中间名字。”

【故事梗概】

Susan找到了礼物的包装纸。她走进了起居室。 Ellen和Grandpa 在包礼物的时候，Susan开始在她给Marilyn和Richard买的婴儿纪念册上填写一些信息。

Susan: Mom, got it. This will make a nice gift for Marilyn and Richard. They can keep a record of all of the important dates and information about Max's life here. Let's see. Name: Max Stewart. Does he have a middle name?
Ellen: No, just Max. I like that. No middle name. No middle initial.
Grandpa: Like me. I'm Malcolm Stewart. Just Malcolm Stewart.
Susan: And Max has your initials, Grandpa: M.S.
Ellen: Uh, it must mean something.
Susan: Weight: eight pounds six ounces.
Grandpa: Eight-six. Big boy! All the Stewart men were big.
Ellen: Well, Robbie was eight pounds two ounces, and Richard was eight pounds three.
Susan: And me?
Ellen: Eight pounds six. You were big, just like Max.
Susan: Eight pounds six, just like me. That's nice. Length. Length?
Ellen: Richard says Max is twenty-one inches long.
Susan: Twenty-one inches. Is that tall or average or what?
Grandpa: Tall.

【语言点精讲】

1. Mom, got it.
got it: 找到了。got it是I've got it的省略，这是口语中省略主语的用法。

2. This will make a nice gift for Marilyn and Richard.
This will make a nice gift: 这是一件好礼物。句中的make不是“制作”的意思，而是“成为、构成”的意思，属于非正式用法。

3. They can keep a record of all of the important dates and information about Max's life here.
他们可以在这里面记下Max生活中一切重要的日期和事情。
keep a record of: 为……作记录。

4. No middle name. No middle initial.
没有中间名字，也没有中间名字的第一个字母。
middle name: 中间名字。美国人一般有 first name, middle name和 last name。有的没有middle name。first name也称given name, 是名。last name也称 family name或 surname, 是姓氏。middle name有时是母亲的姓氏，有时是为了纪念某位亲人而取的。
initial: 名字的第一个字母。后面Susan说的“And Max has your initials, Grandpa: M.S. ”中的initials 是指姓和名的第一个字母的组合, 如Malcolm Stewart 的initials就是M.S.

5. Weight: eight pounds six ounces. --Eight-six. Big boy!
weight: 重量。
eight pounds and six ounces: 8磅 6盎司, 约 4公斤。美国人通常用英制计量单位。虽然美国政府曾经积极推广采用公制单位, 但人们还是习惯用英制单位。科技和医药用公制单位。
Eight-six. : 等同于 Eight pounds six ounces（8磅 6盎司）。讲重量时, 常常省略单位名称。

6. Length.
length: 身高, 身长。length 是形容词long的名词形式。在谈婴儿时, 身长用length, 但在谈及年龄稍大的人或成年人时, 身高需用height。

7. Richard says Max is twenty-one inches long.
twenty-one inches long: 21英寸（约53厘米）长。
表示长度或宽度时, 用be+ 数字+ 长度单位+形容词 long或 wide。例如:The table is five inches long and four inches wide。

ACT 1-4  “一个真正的 Stewart家的后代。”

【故事梗概】

Grandpa听到了汽车的声音。Max终于被接回家了。他的到来使全家人都非常高兴。

Grandpa: All the Stewart men are tall.
Ellen: Well, Grandpa, you're about five-nine or five-ten. I wouldn't call that tall.
Grandpa: I take after my mother's family. They were…they were…they were average.
Susan: Mother, Marilyn. Father, Richard. And lots of pages for Richard's photos of Max.
Grandpa: Speaking of mother and of father-and speaking of Max-I hear the car. They're here!
Ellen: Oh! Oh, quickly! Go, go, go!

[Ellen, Susan, and Grandpa rush to open the door. Marilyn, Richard, Philip, and Robbie enter the house. Marilyn is carrying Max. ]

Ellen: Let's see. Oh, welcome home. Oh, let her in. Wait with your pictures for a second. Come on, darlings. Sweetheart…Sit down right here.
Susan: Oh, he's so cute! Oh, Marilyn!
Robbie: Max looks just like Grandpa.
Grandpa: A real Stewart.
Marilyn: I'm so happy to be home with my family - and with Max.

【语言点精讲】

1. Well, Grandpa, you're about five-nine or five-ten. I wouldn't call that tall.
哦，爷爷，你大约身高5英尺9英寸或是5英尺10英寸。我不认为这叫个子高。
Grandpa 因为有了接辈人乐得几乎忘形。他夸口说All the Stewart men are tall. (斯图尔特家男人个子都高)时，Ellen委婉的纠正了他。
five-nine: 指的是five feet nine inches，5英尺9英寸。1英尺为12英寸，等于30.48厘米。
I wouldn't call that tall.: 我不认为这个身高很高。I wouldn’t call that是一种委婉的矫正别人的话的说法。

2. I take after my mother's family. They were…they were…they were average.
我像我母亲家的人，他们……他们……他们身材都是中等。
take after: 指像某个直系亲属，否则不能用这个短语，因为它的意思是“因遗传或血缘的关系而像”。例如，He takes after his grandfather. 他像他爷爷。
average: 平均, 一般。这里 average 指“中等身材”。

3. Speaking of mother and of father - and speaking of Max - I hear the car.
说起孩子的父亲和母亲——说起Max——我听见汽车来了
speak of:谈到, 说起。在这里等于speak about。

4. Let her in.
让她进来。相当于“Let her enter or come in. ” 反义词是“ Let her out.”

5. Wait with your pictures for a second.
先别忙着拍你的照片。

6. A real Stewart.
一个真正的 Stewart家的后代。Stewart一家人常用这个短语，指某一成员确实具备Stewart家族的优良品质。