英语听力精选进阶版 6540

Neil: Hello, welcome to Real English from BBC Learning¹ English, I'm Neil.

Helen: 大家好，我是 Helen。

Neil: In Real English we look at words and phrases people use all the time, but you probably won't find them in your dictionary.

Helen: 希望在今天的地道英语节目中，您能学到在书本里找不到的英语常用表达。

Neil: (yawn)

Helen: What's the matter with you Neil? You seem so tired.

Neil: Oh Helen, I am. I'm working shifts³ at the moment.

Helen: Shifts 工作班次。 Neil's 昨天晚上上的是夜班。

Neil: And last night I worked the graveyard⁴ shift².

Helen: The graveyard shift?

Neil: Yes, that's today's word in Real English. The graveyard shift.

Helen: 墓地，graveyard. What does it mean?

Neil: It's a shift which starts very late at night and ends in the morning.

Helen: So it's a night shift? 就是上夜班吧?

Neil: That's right.

Helen: But why graveyard? 但是这和墓地有什么关系呢?

Neil: Well, we're not sure about the origin but it might be because when you work a night shift it's usually very quiet and there aren't very many people around, like a graveyard.

Helen: 原来你也不是很清楚这个词的由来，可能是因为以前半夜上班的人发现周围都很安静，没什么人，而且午夜以后就是幽灵出没的时候了。

Insert

A: Have you seen Kate recently? She's looks terrible – so pale and with really dark rings under her eyes.

B: I'm not surprised, she's been working the graveyard shift for about six months.

Helen: Do you like working the graveyard shift, Neil?

Neil: No it's awful! What about you?

Helen: No, I'd hate to work the graveyard shift. I'm tired enough during the day anyway!

Neil: We say 'to work' the graveyard shift.

Helen: 上 I work the graveyard shift.

Neil: Or 'to do' the graveyard shift.

Helen: 或者可以用 to do, 做 I do the graveyard shift.

Neil: Or 'to be on' the graveyard shift.

Helen: 也可以前面加 on, 在上 I'm on the graveyard shift.

Neil: Well, that's all for today from Real English. I'm off to bed.

Helen: Goodnight – or day! 你可以在我们网站上下载英语节目，我们的网址是 www.bbcchina.com.cn. 下次节目再见。

Neil: (snoring)

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 shift   

n.交换，变化，移动，接班者；vt.更替，移转，变声；vi.改变，定责，更衣

参考例句：

• Lend me a hand to shift this box,will you?来帮一下忙，把这箱子搬开，好吗？
• A sudden shift in the wind warned of the coming storm.风向的突然改变预示暴风雨来临。

3 shifts   

n.转换( shift的名词复数 )；切换键；（汽车等的）变速；更换v.改变( shift的第三人称单数 )；去掉；摆脱掉；换挡

参考例句：

• The action of the novel shifts from Paris to London. 小说情节从巴黎移到了伦敦。
• I work split shifts in a busy restaurant. 我在一家繁忙的餐馆上间隔班。

4 graveyard   

n.坟场

参考例句：

• All the town was drifting toward the graveyard.全镇的人都象流水似地向那坟场涌过去。
• Living next to a graveyard would give me the creeps.居住在墓地旁边会使我毛骨悚然。