英语听力精选进阶版 19580

Smell a rat 起疑心

Li: Hi Neil. How are you today?

Neil: Hello Li. I'm a bit worried. All these bills to pay… there'll be no money left for my holiday.

Li: My problems are over and so are yours, Neil! I'll pay all my bills, and yours, and… where do you want to go for a holiday? How about Dubai? Five star hotel, by the beach, drinking champagne…

Neil: Well, that's very generous of you, Li, but where are you going to get the money for that?

Li: I won the lottery¹!

Neil: The lottery?! That's brilliant! How much?

Li: Yes. I won US$10 million! It's a lot of money, Neil! They sent me an email this morning. 

Neil: An email? 

Li: Yes. The only thing that the organisers are asking is for me to pay them a small fee and give them the details of my bank account so that they can transfer the money. I'm a millionaire! 

Neil: Mmmm… I smell a rat! 

Li: A rat?! Where?! I'm terrified of rats! Where is it? I can't see a rat! 

(Li stands on her chair)

Neil: No, no, no! No need to stand on the chair, Li. There's no rat, no mouse, there're no rodents² at all here. In English, when we say we 'smell a rat', we mean we're suspicious³ of someone, we feel there's something wrong. 

Li: 明白了，原来所谓的 “嗅到了老鼠 smell a rat” 意思就是起疑心，对什么事情感到可疑，感到不对头。So you think there is something wrong with this lottery?

Neil: I'm afraid so. Let's hear some examples of how to use 'smell a rat', today's expression in Authentic⁴ Real English.

A: I read an article about a diet which makes you lose six kilos in one week. It says there is no need for exercise. 

B: Six kilos in one week?! That's impossible! I smell a rat!

Jane smelt⁵ a rat when she read a job advert⁶ for actresses in the newspaper. It said "no training or experience required", but they wanted someone "good-looking and open-minded".

Li: Oh. No money for me then… but are you sure, Neil? Maybe this one is for real… 

Neil: No, it's not, Li. And you shouldn't send emails around with your bank details. It's very dangerous. Someone might steal your money! 

Li: Yes. I should be careful with my email. 

Neil: Think: have you ever entered the Australian lottery? Did you buy a ticket? 

Li: No. I've never even been to Australia. 

Neil: So how could you be the winner? It's a scam, Li. It's a dishonest way to make money by deceiving people like you. 

Li: You are right, Neil. I wanted to win the lottery so much! 

Neil: So let's go out and buy a proper lottery ticket. One we know is real! 

Li: Maybe we will win! 

Neil: Maybe we will! Let's go. Bye. 

Li: Bye.

1 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

2 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

3 suspicious   

adj.可疑的，容易引起怀疑的，猜疑的，疑心的

参考例句：

• A man was hanging about the house in a suspicious manner.一个男人在房子周围可疑地荡来荡去。
• He's so suspicious he would distrust his own mother.他这个人疑心太重，连自己的母亲也不相信。

4 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。

5 smelt   

v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼

参考例句：

• Tin is a comparatively easy metal to smelt.锡是比较容易熔化的金属。
• Darby was looking for a way to improve iron when he hit upon the idea of smelting it with coke instead of charcoal.达比一直在寻找改善铁质的方法，他猛然想到可以不用木炭熔炼，而改用焦炭。

6 advert   

vi.注意，留意，言及；n.广告

参考例句：

• The advert featured a dolphin swimming around a goldfish bowl.该广告的內容为一条在金鱼缸里游动的海豚。
• Please advert to the contents below.I believe you won't be disappointed.敬请留意后面的内容。相信您一定不会失望的。