英语听力精选进阶版 6824

(Finn and Feifei on a visit to the zoo)

Feifei: Hi. I'm Feifei and joining us here in the zoo to present Authentic¹ Real English is Finn.

Finn: Hello.

Feifei: What's the matter, Finn? 怎么不高兴呢？动物园这么多动物，多好看呀！

Finn: Yes, I love animals too. But I don't know what I'm going to do with that white elephant.

Feifei: 你不知道应该如果应对 a white elephant? 你是说远处的那头白象？

Finn: No. The one my uncle is giving me.

Feifei: 什么？你叔叔送你一头象？

Finn: He is moving to South Africa and he's giving away some of his things.

Feifei: 如果我要搬到南非的话，估计我也会把带不走的东西都送人。可是你真打算养一头大象吗 Finn?

Finn: That's the problem. I am not. Well, it is beautiful…

Feifei: 是呀，大象长得太好看了。

Finn: …and it is powerful…

Feifei: 非常健壮。

Finn: But it needs too much petrol!

Feifei: 汽油？给大象喝？

Finn: Yes. Old sports cars need a lot of petrol, you know.

Feifei: 就说嘛，吓死我了。我以为你要给大象喝汽油。Finn 是说跑车很费油。

Finn: Yes, of course! It wasn't talking about an actual elephant.

Feifei: 你听，大象也松了一口气。

Finn: Yes, he did. In English, when you call something a 'white elephant', you mean it's large, costs a lot of money to keep and has no useful purpose.

Feifei: 我们用 'white elephant' 这个短语来描述贵而无用的，华而不实的东西。不过我知道你喜欢骑自行车，跑车对你来说用处不太大吧。

Finn: That's right. Let's listen to some examples of how to use this expression.

I've paid a lot of money for this posh designer² dress that I never use. It is a white elephant!

The new airport is a white elephant! It's got four runways and it's equipped³ with the latest technology, but not many people visit this region⁴.

Feifei: White elephant 还可以用来描述一样看起来漂亮，但是在实际生活中浪费空间的东西。

Finn: That's right.

Feifei: 所以说呀，这些华而不实的玩意儿可远远比不上动物园里这些大象的人气。

Finn: Feifei, shall we go and have a look?

Feifei: 好的，咱们去看看可爱的大象们 and these are certainly not white elephants! Bye.

Finn: Bye.

1 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

2 designer   

n.设计者，制图者

参考例句：

• Carolyne is a fashion designer.卡罗琳是一名时装设计师。
• He was a set designer.他是一个布景设计者。

3 equipped   

装备的

参考例句：

• The kitchen was compact but well equipped. 这间厨房虽然空间小但设备齐全。
• Rooms vary in size and come equipped with hairdriers, television and telephone. 房间大小不同，均配有吹风机、电视和电话。

4 region   

n.地区，地带，区域；范围，幅度

参考例句：

• The students went to study the geology of that region.学生们去研究那个地区的地质情况。
• It is unusual to see snow in this region.这个地区难得见到雪。