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(单词翻译)
Lesson 43:Fully insured 全保险
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
听录音,然后回答以下问题。
Who owned the pie and why?
Insurance companies are normally willing to insure anything. Insuring public or private property is a standard practice in most countries in the world. If, however, you were holding an open air garden party or a fete it would be equally possible to insure yourself in the event of bad weather. Needless to say, the bigger the risk an insurance company takes, the higher the premium1 you will have to pay. It is not uncommon2 to hear that a shipping3 company has made a claim for cost of salvaging4 a sunken ship. But the claim made by a local authority to recover the cost of salvaging a sunken pie dish must surely be unique.
Admittedly it was an unusual pie dish, for it was eighteen feet long and six feet wide. It had been purchased by a local authority so that an enormous pie could be baked for an annual fair. The pie committee decided5 that the best way to transport the dish would be by canal, so they insured it for the trip. Shortly after it was launched, the pie committee went to a local inn to celebrate. At the same time, a number of teenagers climbed on to the dish and held a little party of their own. Dancing proved to be more than the dish could bear, for during the party it capsized and sank in seven feet of water.
The pie committee telephoned a local garage owner who arrived in a recovery truck to salvage6 the pie dish. Shivering in their wet clothes, the teenagers looked on while three men dived repeatedly into the water to locate the dish. They had little difficulty in finding it, but hauling it out of the water proved to be a serious problem. The sides of the dish were so smooth that it was almost impossible to attach hawsers8 and chains to the rim9 without damaging it. Eventually chains were fixed10 to one end of the dish and a powerful winch was put into operation. The dish rose to the surface and was gently drawn11 towards the canal bank. For one agonizing12 moment, the dish was perched precariously14 on the bank of the canal, but it suddenly overbalanced and slid back into the water. The men were now obliged to try once more. This time they fixed heavy metal clamps to both sides of the dish so that they could fasten the chains. The dish now had to be lifted vertically15 because one edge was resting against the side of the canal. The winch was again put into operation and one of the men started up the truck. Several minutes later, the dish was again put into operation and one of the water. Water streamed in torrents17 over its sides with such force that it set up a huge wave in the canal. There was danger that the wave would rebound18 off the other side of the bank and send the dish plunging19 into the water again. By working at tremendous speed, the men managed to get the dish on to dry land before the wave returned.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
admittedly
adv. 公认地
purchase
v. 买
annual
adj. 一年一度的
teenager
n. (13至19岁的)青少年
capsize
v. (船)翻
shiver
v. 打颤,发抖
dive
v. (头向下)跳水
haul
v. 拖曳
rim
n. (圆形物品的)外沿,边
winch
n. 绞车
agonizing
adj. 精神紧张的,提心吊胆的
precariously
adv. 危险地,不稳固地
overbalance
v. 失去平衡
clamp
n. 夹钳,夹板
vertically
adv. 垂直地
rebound
v. 弹回
参考译文
保险公司一般说来愿意承保一切东西。承办公共财产或私人财产保险是世界上大部分国家的正常业务。如果你要举办一次露天游园会或盛宴,为避免碰上不好的天气而遭受损失也同样可以保险,不用说,保险公司承担风险越大,你付的保险费也就越高。航运公司为打捞沉船而提出索赔,这是常有的事,但某地当局为打捞一只焙制馅饼的盘子提出索赔,倒是件新鲜的事儿。
这个馅饼盘子确实少见,有18英尺长,6英尺宽。某地方当局买下它用来焙制一个巨大的馅饼为一年一度交易会助兴。馅饼委员会确认运输这只盘子的最佳方案是通过运河水运。于是,他们对这只盘子的运输安全投了保。盘子下水后不久,馅饼委员会成员们来到当地一家小酒店庆贺。就在这个时候,许多十几岁的孩子爬盘子举行他们自己的集会。他们跳起了舞,盘子难以承受。舞会进行过程中,盘子倾覆,沉入了7英尺深的水中。
馅饼委员会给当地汽车修理库老板打电话,他闻讯后开着一辆急修车前来打捞盘子。那些孩子们穿着湿衣服哆嗦,看着3个工人轮潜入水中以确定盘子的位置。他们没费多大事儿就找到了盘子。可是把盘子捞出却是一个很大的难题。盘子四边十分光滑,要在盘边拴上绳索或链条而同时又不损坏它是很难办到的。不过,他们终于将链条固定在盘子的一端,一台大功率的绞车开动起来。盘子慢慢浮出水面,被轻轻地拽向运河岸边。在令人忐忑不安的瞬间,盘子晃晃悠悠地上了岸,但它突然失去了平衡,又跌回水中。工人们只得再来一次。这次,他们用沉重的金属夹子把盘子夹住,以便往盘子上安装铁链。这次,盘子必须垂直吊出水面,因为盘子的一边紧靠着运河河岸。绞盘机再次启动,一位工人发动了急修车的引擎。几分钟后,盘子被成功地拽出了水面。波浪从盘子两侧急涌而出,在运河里掀起一股大浪。但是当波浪从河对岸折回来时,就有再次把盘子拖进水里的危险。工人们动作迅速,终于赶在那股大浪返回之前把盘子拽到了岸上。
自学导读
课文详注 Further notes on the text
1.In 1929, three years after his flight over the North Pole, the American explorer, R. E. Byrd, successfully flew over the South Pole for the first time. 美国探险家 R·E·伯德在飞越北极3年之后,于1929年第1次飞越了南极。
(1)这句话包含两个同位语。three years after…为 1929的同位语,作插入性的补充说明;R.E.Byrd 作 the American explorer 的同位语。
(2)for the first time 表示“第一次”,time在这里表示“次”、“回”,还可以说 this time, last time, next time, another time, each time, for the last time等:
I remind you for the last time that if you don't hurry, you'll miss the train.
我最后一次提醒你,如果不快点,你会误了火车的。
Give him these photos next time you see him.
下次你见到他时把这些相片给他。
2.Though, at first, Byrd and his men were able to take a great many photographs of the mountains that lay below, they soon ran into serious trouble. 虽然开始时伯德和他的助手们拍下了飞机下面连绵群山的大量照片,但他们很快就陷入了困境。
(1)连词though引导的是让步状语从句,其含义为“虽然……”、“尽管……”。这个从句中的时间状语at first被单独用逗号隔开了,它如果按正常的词序应放在从句的末尾,但有可能会引起误解。
(2)at first与主句中的 soon形成时间上的照应,表示先后次序。
(3)take a photograph of 表示“拍……的照片”:
He took a photograph of his house before he left home.
他离家前给他家的房子拍了一张照片。
(4)that lay below为 the mountains的定语从句,that为从句的主语。
(5)run into trouble的含义与 get into trouble相似,表示“陷入困境”:
Each time he ran into trouble, he asked his parents for help.
每当他陷入困境时,他都向他父母求助。
3.At one point, it seemed certain that their plane would crash. 在有个地方,飞机似乎肯定要坠毁了。
(1)at one point在此处可以解释为“在有个地方”,但它通常的含义为“在某一时刻”,point指时间上的某一点:
At one point, he made up his mind to become a painter.
他曾一度下决心要当个画家。
(2)it为“先行主语”,真正的主语为that引导的从句。it作先行主语时经常与seem,appear,look等连用:
It now looks certain that the meeting is going to be put off.
现在似乎可以肯定会议将被推迟。
4.rise to,飞机“上升至……”。
5.… it cleared the mountains by 400 feet. ……它在离山头400英尺的高度飞越了过去。
clear在这里表示“(不接触地)越过”:
He cleared 2. 10 metres.
他跳过了2.10米。
by表示“以……之差”:
I missed the train by ten minutes.
我晚了10分钟,没赶上火车。
He is younger than me by two years.
他比我小两岁。
6.…for there were no more mountains in sight. ……因为前面再没有山了。
for表示“因为”。 in sight表示“在看得见的范围内”、“在可看见之处”:
No man was in sight.
一个人也看不见。
7.white plains, 白色原野。
因为南极到处覆盖着雪,因此是白色的。
语法 Grammar in use
can, could与 be able to
在第19课的语法中,我们学习了情态助动词 can/could用于表示请求别人允许或答复时的情况:
Can/Could I borrow your unbrella (please)?
(请问)我可以借用一下你的雨伞吗?(could 比can更客气、委婉)
can有时可以用于表示可能性:
在表示天生的或学到的能力时,can/could可用于现在时和过去时:
Billy is only 9 months old and he can already stand up. 比利只有9个月,而他已经能站起来了。
在现在时和一般过去时中,can/could与 be able to通常可以互换,be able to往往用于表示学到的技能:
I tried again and found I could swim/was able to swim. 我再次努力,就发现自己会游泳了。
在谈到说话时正在发生的事时,一般不用 be able to:Look! I can stand on my head.
看!我能倒立。
在表示成功地完成某一具体动作时,通常不用could,而用be able to;如果表示某一动作没有取得成功,则可用 couldn't:
It's a pity he couldn't visit Mary.
很遗憾他没能去看望玛丽。
Oh, didn't you know? He was able to visit her after all.
噢,你不知道吗?他最终还是能去看她了。
在问及过去某一具体活动时可用 could,但回答是肯定的时候则不能:
Could he borrow a car?
他能借到车了吗?
Yes, he was able to borrow a car after all.
是的,他最终还是能借到车了。
No, he couldn't.
不,他没能借到。
词汇学习 Word study
1.lie vi.
(1)躺,(平)卧:
While I sat by the fire, my dog lay beside me.
当我坐在火炉旁时,我的狗躺在我旁边。
Don't lie on the floor! It's too cold.
别躺在地板上!太冷了。
(2)位于:
The mountains lie below us now.
现在群山在我们的下方。
Our village lies between a river and a road.
我们的村子位于一条河流和一条公路之间。
The town lies to the east of London.
这镇子位于伦敦东面。
2.含有介词at的词组
at与许多词可以构成固定词组,其中表示时间的有:at first(开始时,最初),at once(马上,立刻),at present(目前,现在),at last(最后,终于), at times(有时);表示地点的有:at home(在家),at school(在学校);表示程度的有: at least(至少), at any rate(不管怎样)。其他词组有 at heart(内心里,实际上),at a loss(困惑不解,不知怎么办)等。
At first they were able to take photographs.
开始时他们还能照相。
Byrd at once ordered his men to throw out food sacks.
伯德马上命令他的助手们把食物袋扔掉。
At last the plane was able to rise.
最后飞机终于可以上升了。
At times I think this house will be knocked down by a passing plane.
有时我觉得这房子将会被一架飞过的飞机撞倒。
At any rate, I'm determined20 to stay here at present.
不管怎样,目前我决定留在这儿。
At least, I'm not mad yet.
至少我还没疯。
If Billy isn't at school, he must be at home.
如果比利不在学校,他肯定在家。
People have more money now, yet the temptation to steal is greater than ever before Why? I'm at a loss.
人们现在比以前有钱,但偷窃的诱惑力却比以往任何时候都更大。为什么呢?我感到很困惑。
Though he tried to make conversation with the lady, he wasn't interested in her at heart.
虽然他试图与那位妇女聊天,他实际上对她并不感兴趣。
练习答案 Key to written exercises
1.关键句型练习答案
A were able to take(1.3); could…get over(1.6); was then able to rise(1.8); would be able to reach(1.9); was able to fly (1.10)
2.难点练习答案
1 at last 2 at home 3 at once 4 at the moment 5 at times6 was at a loss 7 At first
3.多项选择题答案
1 b 2b 3 a 4 a 5 d 6 d
7 a 8 c 9 c 10 d 11 a 12 c
课堂笔记
exercises:
can--可能性
be able to--可能性,强调成功地做
4......
could与过去时态有关,强调可能性
be able to强调成功地做
用过去式表达,表示在过去发生
过去完成时,强调在过去地过去
5...d...
could rise --有可能,不知道结果
might rise -- 可能
might succeed in rising--可能成功地做
rose--没有情态动词,表示已经成为事实
6...d...
be able to
was/were able to--表示这个动作在过去成功地做
will be able to--将来可能会成=can
1 premium | |
n.加付款;赠品;adj.高级的;售价高的 | |
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2 uncommon | |
adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的 | |
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3 shipping | |
n.船运(发货,运输,乘船) | |
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4 salvaging | |
(从火灾、海难等中)抢救(某物)( salvage的现在分词 ); 回收利用(某物) | |
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5 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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6 salvage | |
v.救助,营救,援救;n.救助,营救 | |
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7 hawser | |
n.大缆;大索 | |
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8 hawsers | |
n.(供系船或下锚用的)缆索,锚链( hawser的名词复数 ) | |
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9 rim | |
n.(圆物的)边,轮缘;边界 | |
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10 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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11 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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12 agonizing | |
adj.痛苦难忍的;使人苦恼的v.使极度痛苦;折磨(agonize的ing形式) | |
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13 perch | |
n.栖木,高位,杆;v.栖息,就位,位于 | |
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14 precariously | |
adv.不安全地;危险地;碰机会地;不稳定地 | |
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15 vertically | |
adv.垂直地 | |
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16 torrent | |
n.激流,洪流;爆发,(话语等的)连发 | |
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17 torrents | |
n.倾注;奔流( torrent的名词复数 );急流;爆发;连续不断 | |
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18 rebound | |
v.弹回;n.弹回,跳回 | |
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19 plunging | |
adj.跳进的,突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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20 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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