Lesson 87 A perfect alibi 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 inspector.
'Of course I do,' answered the man. 'I must be at work at 10 o'clock. My employer 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 accidental.
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 pub was haunted.
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 pointed 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
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