【Lesson 1 A private conversation】
Last week I went to the theatre. I had a very good seat. The play was very interesting. I did not enjoy it. A young man and a young woman were sitting behind me. They were talking loudly. I got very angry. I could not hear the actors. I turned round. I looked at the man and the woman angrily. They did not pay any attention. In the end, I could not bear it. I turned round again. ‘I can't hear a word!’ I said angrily.
‘It's none of your business, ’ the young man said rudely. ‘This is a private conversation!’
Notes on the text 课文注释
1 go to the theatre,去看戏。
2 got angry,生气。
3 turn round,转身,也可用turn around。
4 pay attention,注意。
5 I could not bear it.我无法忍受。 其中的it是指上文中的那对男女大声说话又不理会作者的愤怒目光。
6 none of your business,不关你的事。
【参考译文】
上星期我去看戏。我的座位很好,戏很有意思,但我却无法欣赏。一青年男子与一青年女子坐在我的身后,大声地说着话。我非常生气,因为我听不见演员在说什么。我回过头去怒视着那一男一女,他们却毫不理会。后,我忍不住了,又回过头去,生气地说:“我一个字也听不见了!”
“不关你的事,”那男的毫不客气地说,“这是私人间的谈话!”
【自学导读】
1.Last week I went to the theatre.上星期我去看戏。
(1)句首的“Last week”点明叙述的事情发生的时间是上星期。因此整篇课文的时态基本上应是过去时(包括过去进行时),直接引语部分的时态除外。
(2)动词go的原义是离开一个地方去另一个地方,与介词to连用后,常加上主语所要去的目的地来代表主语的动作目的。课文中go to the theatre = go to the theatre to see a play,即去剧场看戏。类似的还有go to the cinema = go to the cinema to see a film(去电*看电影)。这种表达方式简明扼要。请注意在以下的短语中名词前通常不加冠词:
go to school上学
go to bed上床,睡觉
go to church上教堂,去做礼拜(cf.第1册第68课at school, at church;第1册第85课have been to school/church)
2.had a very good seat,座位很好。
seat一般指戏院、汽车等配置的固定座位,也可以抽象地表示“座位”或“位子”的概念:
the front seat of a car汽车的前座
Take a seat, please.
请坐。
3.The play was very interesting. 戏很有意思。
interesting属于现在分词形式的形容词,意思是“使人感兴趣”。
它通常与非人称主语连用或修饰某个事物:
This is an interesting book/idea.
这是一本有趣的书/一个令人感兴趣的主意。
4.…were sitting behind me. They were talking loudly.……坐在我的身后,大声地说着话。
这两句的时态为过去进行时。(cf.第7课语法)
5.I got very angry. 我非常生气。
get在这里有“逐渐变得”的含义,接近become,是个表示过程的动词,表示状态的变化。而I was very angry则仅表示当时的状态是生气,并不暗示过程。
6.in the end, 后,终于。
表示一段较长的时间之后或某种努力之后:
She tried hard to finish her homework by herself. In the end, she had to ask her brother for help.
她试图自已完成家庭作业,但后她不得不请她兄弟帮忙。
7.none of your business, 不关你的事。
(1) sb. 's business指某人(所关心的或份内)的事:
It is my business to look after your health.
我必须照顾你的身体健康。
This is none of his business.
这根本不关他的事。
(2)表示否定的代词none意义上相当于not any或no one,但语气较强:
She kept none of his letters.
他的信件她一封也没有保留。
None of my friends left early.
我的朋友没有一个早离开的。
none of这个短语有时可以表达一种断然、甚至粗暴的口气,
尤其是在祈使句中:
None of your silly remarks!
别说傻话了!
8.a private conversation,私人间的谈话。
在西方文化中人们对private(私人的,个人的)这个概念很看重。这个词的名词形式privacy1有“隐私(权)”的意思。所以课文中的小伙子会振振有词地说“This is a private conversation!”不过他忘了他是在一个public place(公众场合),而且他们的说话声太大,已经影响了别人。
【词汇学习 Word study】
1.enjoy vt.
基本意义为“欣赏”、“享受”、“喜爱”,后面一般跟名词、代词(包括反身代词)或动名词形式。
(1)Jane doesn't enjoy swimming. She enjoys going to the theatre.
简不喜欢游泳。她喜欢去剧院看戏。
(2)Enjoy yourself!
好好玩吧!
We always enjoy ourselves.
我们总是玩得很开心。
2.pay
(1)vt., vi.支付(价款等):
Have you paid the taxi-driver?
你给出租车司机钱了吗?
You can pay a deposit3 of thirty pounds…
您可以先付30英镑的定金……
I paid 50 dollars for this skirt.
我花50美元买了这条裙子。
I'll pay by instalments.
我将分期付款。
(2)vt., vi. 给予(注意等);去(访问):
They did not pay any attention.
他们毫不理会。
We paid a visit to our teacher last Sunday. 上星期天我们去拜访了老师。
(3)n. 工资,报酬:
I have not received my pay yet.
我还没有领到工资。
3.bear vt.
(1)承受,支撑,承担,负担:
Can the ice bear my weight?
这冰能承受我的体重吗?
Who will bear the cost?
谁来承担这笔费用?
(2)忍受(一般与can/could连用于疑问句及否定句中):
She eats too fast. I can't bear to watch/watching her.
她吃得太快。我看着受不了。
How can you bear living in this place?
你怎么能受得了住在这个地方?
In the end, 1 could not bear it.
后,我忍不住了。