新概念英语第二册Lesson 87 A perfect alibi

Lesson 87  A perfect alibi¹ 极好的不在犯罪现场的证据 

First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What was wrong with the man's story?
   
'At the time the murder was committed, I was travelling on the 8 o'clock train to London,' said the man.
'Do you always catch such an early train?' asked the inspector².
'Of course I do,' answered the man. 'I must be at work at 10 o'clock. My employer³ will confirm that I was there on time.'
'Would a later train get you to work on time?' asked the inspector.
'I suppose it would, but I never catch a later train.'
'At what time did you arrive at the station?'
'At ten to eight. I bought a paper and waited for the train.'
'And you didn't notice anything unusual?'
'Of course not.'
'I suggest,' said the inspector, 'that you are not telling the truth. I suggest that you did not catch the 8 o'clock train, but that you caught the 8.25 which would still get you to work on time. You see, on the morning of the murder, the 8 o'clock train did not run at all. It broke down at Ferngreen station and was taken off the line.'

New words and expressions 生词和短语

alibi n. 不在犯罪现场
commit v. 犯（罪、错）
inspector n. 探长
employer n. 雇主
confirm v. 确认，证实
suggest v. 提醒
truth n. 真相
 
参考译文 

“在凶杀发生的时候，我正坐在8点钟开往伦敦的火车上。”那人说。
“您总是赶这样早的火车？”探长问。
“当然是的，”那人回答。“我必须在10点钟上班，我的雇主会证明我是按时到了那儿的。”
“晚一点儿的车也能送您按时上班吗？”
“我认为可以，但我从来不乘晚一点儿的车。”
“您几点钟到的火车站？”
“7点50分。我买了张报纸，等着车来。”
“您没有注意到有什么异常情况发生吗？”
“当然没有。”
“我提醒您，”探长说，“您讲的不是实话。您乘的不是8点钟的火车，而是8点25分的，这次车同样能使您按时上班。您看，在凶杀发生的那天早晨，8点钟的那次车根本没有发。它在芬格林车站出了故障而被取消了。”

 

　　自学导读
课文详注 Further notes on the text
1．A perfect alibi，（标题）极好的不在犯罪现场的证据。
alibi为法律用语，含义是“不在场证明”、“当时不在场的申辩”，是可数名词：
Ian had an alibi/alibis for that morning.
伊恩有那天上午不在场的证据/证明。
与它搭配的动词通常有offer，prove，set up等。
2．…I was there on time.……
我是按时到了那儿的。
on time为固定短语，表示“准时”、“按时”（注意它与in time的区别）：
Can you arrive on time?
你能准时到吗？
Tom is never on time. He always keeps other people waiting.
汤姆从来不准时。他总是让别人等。
3．And you didn't notice anything unusual? 您没有注意到有什么异常情况发生吗？
这是一个陈述疑问句，即它具备与陈述句同样的基本语法结构，但用升调提问。这种句子在英语中不常用：
不定代词如anything，something等被形容词修饰时，形容词必须跟在不定代词之后：
This is something special.
这很特别。
This isn't anything important.
这并不重要。
I'd like something cheaper.
我想买点较为便宜的东西。
4．I suggest…that you are not telling the truth. 我提醒您……您讲的不是实话。
I suggest（that）…在这里用于提出质疑，译为“依我看……”、“恐怕……”：
I suggest that he is not so honest as he looks.
依我看他并不像他看上去那么诚实。
I suggest that the car crash was not accidental⁴.
恐怕这起汽车撞车事故不是偶然的。
5．You see, on the morning of the murder, the  8 o'clock train did not run at all. 您看，在凶杀发生的那天早晨，8点钟的那次车根本没有发。
（1）you see在口语中经常作为插入语出现，句首、句中或句尾均可以，表示“你知道”、“事实上”等含义：
He was not really interested in the film, you see.
事实上，他对那部电影并不是真的感兴趣。
My leg isn't all right yet, you see, so I can't climb the hill with you.
你知道/你看，我的腿还没有完全好，所以我不能和你（们）一起爬山。
（2）run可以指火车、公共汽车、船等“定时/定期行驶”、“（在两地间）往来”：
Buses run every ten minutes here.
这里的公共汽车每10分钟一班。
This ship runs between Dover and Calais.
这条船来往于多佛与加来之间。

　　词汇学习 Word study
1．commit vt.
（1）犯（罪），做（错事、坏事等）：
A murder was committed at 8 o'clock this morning.
今天早上8点钟发生了一起凶杀案。
He has never committed any crime before.
他以前从来没有犯过罪。
（2）承诺，使承担义务，卷入（经常与反身代词连用）：
You should know each other better before committing yourselves to marriage.
在缔结婚姻以前，你们应该更好地互相了解。
He has committed his friend to taking part in the race.
他使他的朋友答应参加比赛。
2．confirm vt.
（1）证实，确定：
My employer will confirm that I was there on time.
我的雇主会证明我是按时到那儿的。
His words are confirmed.
他的话得到了证实。
（2）巩固，加强：
His experiences in that company confirmed his decision to have a factory of his own.
他在那家公司的经历坚定了他想自己拥有一个工厂的决心。
What he saw and heard that night confirmed his belief that the pub⁵ was haunted⁶.
那天晚上的所见所闻使他更加坚信那个小酒店有鬼魂出没。

　　练习答案 Key to written exercises
1．关键句型练习答案
A The man said that he was travelling on the eight o'clock train to London at the time the murder was committed. The inspector asked him if he always caught such an early train. The man said that he did because he had to be at work at ten o'clock, and that his employer would confirm that he was there on time. The inspector then asked him if a later train would get him to work on time. The man supposed that it would, but said that he never caught a later train. The inspector asked at what time he had arrived at the station. The man said that he had arrived at the station at ten to eight. He added that he had bought a paper and waited for the train. When the inspector asked him if he had noticed anything unusual, the man said he hadn't. The inspector suggested that he was not telling the truth and that he did not catch the eight o'clock train, but (caught) the eight twenty-five, which would still get him to work on time. The inspector pointed⁷ out that on the morning of the murder, the eight o'clock train did not run at all, as it had broken down at Ferngreen station and had been taken off the line.
2．多项选择题答案
1c  2d  3c  4d  5a  6c
7c  8a  9d  10a  11a  12d

1 alibi   

n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明；借口

参考例句：

• Do you have any proof to substantiate your alibi? 你有证据表明你当时不在犯罪现场吗？
• The police are suspicious of his alibi because he already has a record.警方对他不在场的辩解表示怀疑，因为他已有前科。

2 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

3 employer   

n.雇用方，雇主

参考例句：

• My employer deducted ten pounds from my wages this week.我的雇主从我本周的工钱中扣除了十英镑。
• His monthly salary is paid into the bank by his employer.他的月薪由雇主替他存入银行。

4 accidental   

adj.偶然的；意外的；无意中的

参考例句：

• It was an accidental meeting.这完全是一次偶然的相会。
• Our meeting in New York was quite accidental.我们在纽约的会见完全是偶然的。

5 pub   

n.[英]旅馆，小店，酒馆

参考例句：

• He is the landlord of this pub.他是这家酒店的店主。
• They saw that four large men marched into the pub.他们看到四个彪形大汉走进了酒吧。

6 haunted   

adj.闹鬼的；受到折磨的；令人烦恼的v.“haunt”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• There was a haunted look in his eyes. 他眼中透露出忧虑的神色。
• The country is haunted by the spectre of civil war. 内战仿佛一触即发，举国上下一片恐慌。

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。