Lesson 61
Trouble with the Hubble
哈勃望远镜的困境
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What is the special importance of a telescope in space?
The Hubble telescope was launched into space by NASA on April 20,1990 at a cost of over a
billion dollars. Right from the start there was trouble with the Hubble. The pictures it sent us were
very disappointing because its main mirror was faulty! NASA is now going to put the telescope
right, so it will soon be sending up four astronauts to repair it. The shuttle Endeavour will be
taking the astronauts to the Hubble. A robot-arm from the Endeavour will grab the telescope and
hold it while the astronauts make the necessary repairs. Of course, the Hubble is above the earth's
atmosphere, so it will soon be sending us the clearest pictures of the stars and distant galaxies that
we have ever seen. The Hubble will tell us a great deal about the age and size of the universe. By
the time you read this, the Hubble's eagle eye will have sent us thousands and thousands of
wonderful pictures.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
Hubble n. 哈勃
telescope n. 望远镜
launch v. 发射
space n. 空间
NASA n.(National Aeronautics and Space Administration) 国家航空和航天局
billion n. 10 亿
faulty adj. 有错误的
astronaut n. 宇航员
shuttle n. 航天飞机
Endeavour n. “奋进”号
robot-arm n. 机器手
grab v. 抓
atmosphere n. 大气层
distant adj. 遥远的
galaxy n. 星系
universe n. 宇宙
eagle eye 鹰眼
参考译文
哈勃望远镜于 1990 年 4 月 20 日由国家航空航天局发射升空，耗资 10 多亿美元。从最
开始哈勃望远镜就有问题。它传送给我们的图像很令人失望，因为它的主要镜子有误差。国
家航天局准备纠正这一错误，为此将把 4 名宇航员送入太空修复望远镜。“奋进”号航天飞
机将把宇航员送上哈勃。当宇航员进行必要的修复工作时，“奋进”号上的一只机器手将抓
住望远镜并托住它。当然，哈勃位于地球的大气层之外，因此，它很快就会给我们传送我们
所见到过的、有关行星和远距离星系的最清晰的照片。哈勃将告诉我们有关宇宙的年龄和大
小的许多事情。等到你读到这篇文章时，敏锐的哈勃望远镜已经为我们送来了成千上万张精
彩的照片。
Lesson 62
After the fire
大火之后
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What was the danger to the villages after the fire?
Firemen had been fighting the forest for nearly three weeks before they could get it under
control. A short time before, great trees had covered the countryside for miles around. Now, smoke
still rose up from the warm ground over the desolate hills. Winter was coming on and the hills
threatened the surrounding villages with destruction, for heavy rain would not only wash away the
soil but would cause serious floods as well. When the fire had at last been put out, the forest
authorities ordered several tons of a special type of grass-seed which would grow quickly. The
seed was sprayed over the ground in huge quantities by aeroplanes. The planes had been planting
seed for nearly a month when it began to rain. By then, however, in many places the grass had
already taken root. In place of the great trees which had been growing there for centuries patches
of green had begun to appear in the blackened soil.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
control n. 控制
smoke n. 烟
desolate adj. 荒凉的
threaten v. 威胁
surrounding adj. 周围的
destruction n. 破坏，毁灭
flood n. 洪水，水灾
authority n. （常用复数）当局
grass-seed n. 草籽
spray v. 喷撒
quantity n. 量
root n. 根
century n. 世纪
patch n. 小片
blacken v. 变黑，发暗
参考译文
消防队员们同那场森林大火搏斗了将近 3 个星期才最后把火势控制住。就在不久之前，
参天大树还覆盖着方圆数英里的土地。而现在，发热的地面上仍然升腾着烟雾，弥漫在荒凉
的山丘上。冬季即将来临，这些山丘对周围的村庄具有毁灭性的威胁，因为大雨不仅会冲走
土壤，而且还会引起严重的水灾。在大火最后被扑灭后，森林管理当局订购了好几吨一种生
长迅速的特殊类型的草籽。飞机把这种草籽大量地撒播在地上。飞机撒播近一个月后，开始
下起雨来。然而到那时，很多地方的草已经生了根。一片片的绿草开始出现在这片烧焦的土
地上，代替了多少世纪以来一直生长在那里的参天大树。
Lesson 63
She was not amused
她并不觉得好笑
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why did Jenny want to leave the wedding reception?
Jeremy Hampden has a large circle of friends and if very popular at parties. Everybody
admires him for his great sense of humour -- everybody, that is, except his six-year-old daughter,
Jenny. Recently, one of Jeremy's closest friends asked him to make a speech at a wedding
reception. This is the sort of thing that Jeremy loves. He prepared the speech carefully and went to
the wedding with Jenny. he had included a large number of funny stories in the speech and, of
course, it was a great success. As soon as he had finished, Jenny told him she wanted to go home.
Jeremy was a little disappointed by this but he did as his daughter asked. On the way home, he
asked Jenny if she had enjoyed the speech. To his surprise, she said she hadn't. Jeremy asked her
why this was so and she told him that she did not like to see so many people laughing at him!
New words and expressions 生词和短语
circle n. 圈子
admire v. 赞美，钦佩
close adj. 亲密的
wedding n. 婚礼
reception n. 招待会
sort n. 种类
参考译文
杰里米.汉普登交际甚广，是各种聚会上深受大家欢迎的人。人人都钦佩他那绝妙的幽
默感 -- 人人，就是说，除他 6 岁的女儿珍妮之外的每一个人。最近，杰里米的一个最亲密
的朋友请他在一个婚礼上祝词。这正是杰里米喜欢做的事情。他认真准备了讲稿，带着珍妮
一道去参加了婚礼。他的祝词里面加进了大量逗人的故事，自然大获成功。他刚一讲完，珍
妮就对他说她要回家。这不免使杰里米有点扫兴，但他还是按照女儿的要求做了。在回家的
路上，他问珍妮是否喜欢他的祝词。使他吃惊的是，她说她不喜欢。杰里米问他为何不喜欢，
她说她不愿意看到那么多的人嘲笑他！
Lesson 64
The Channel Tunnel
海峡隧道
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why was the first tunnel not completed?
In 1858, a French engineer, Aime Thome de Gamond, arrived in England with a plan for a
twenty-one-mile tunnel under the English Channel. He said that it would be possible to build a
platform in the centre of the Channel. This platform would serve as a port and a railway station.
The tunnel would be well-ventilated if tall chimneys were built above sea level. In 1860, a better
plan was put forward by an Englishman, William Low. He suggested that a double railway-tunnel
should be built. This would solve the problem of ventilation, for if a train entered this tunnel, it
would draw in fresh air behind it. Forty-two years later a tunnel was actually begun. If, at the time,
the British had not feared invasion, it would have been completed. The world had to wait almost
another 100 years for the Channel Tunnel. It was officially opened on March 7,1994, finally
connecting Britain to the European continent.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
tunnel n. 隧道
port n. 港口
ventilate v. 通风
chimney n. 烟囱
sea level 海平面
double adj. 双的
ventilation n. 通风
fear v. 害怕
invasion n. 入侵，侵略
officially adv. 正式地
connect v. 连接
European adj. 欧洲的
continent n. 大陆
参考译文
1858 年，一位名叫埃梅.托梅.德.干蒙的法国工程师带着建造一条长 21 英里、穿越英吉
利海陕的隧道计划到了英国。他说，可以在隧道中央建造一座平台，这座平台将用作码头和
火车站。如果再建些伸出海面的高大的烟囱状通风管，隧道就具备了良好的通风条件。1860
年，一位名叫威廉.洛的英国人提出了一项更好的计划。他提议建一条双轨隧道，这样就解
决了通风问题。因为如果有列火车开进隧道，它就把新鲜空气随之抽进了隧道。42 年以后，
隧道实际已经开始建了。如果不是因为那时英国人害怕入侵，隧道早已建成了。世界不得不
再等将近 100 年才看到海峡隧道竣工。它于 1994 年 3 月 7 日正式开通，将英国与欧洲大陆
连到了一起。
Lesson 65
Jumbo versus the police
小象对警察
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why did the police have to push Jumbo off the main street?
Last Christmas, the circus owner, Jimmy Gates, decided to take some presents to a children's
hospital. Dressed up as Father Christmas and accompanied by a 'guard of honour' of six pretty
girls, he set off down the main street of the city riding a baby elephant called Jumbo. He should
have known that the police would never allow this sort of thing. A policeman approached Jimmy
and told him he ought to have gone along a side street as Jumbo was holding up the traffic.
Though Jimmy agreed to go at once, Jumbo refused to move. Fifteen policemen had to push very
hard to get him off the main street. The police had a difficult time, but they were most amused.
'Jumbo must weigh a few tons,' said a policeman afterwards, 'so it was fortunate that we didn't
have to carry him. Of course, we should arrest him, but as he has a good record, we shall let him
off this time.'
New words and expressions 生词和短语
versus prep.
Christmas n.
circus n.
present n.
accompany v.
approach v.
ought modal verb.
weigh v.
fortunate adj.
参考译文
去年圣诞节，马戏团老板吉米.盖茨决定送些礼物给儿童医院。他打扮成圣诞老人，在
由 6 个漂亮姑娘组成的“仪仗队”的陪同下，骑上一头名叫江伯的小象，沿着城里的主要街
道出发了。他本该知道警察绝不会允许这类事情发生。一个警察走过来告诉吉米，他应该走
一条小路，因为江泊阻碍了交通。虽然吉米同意马上就走，但江伯却拒绝移动。15 个警察
不得不用很大的力气把它推离主要街道。警察虽然吃了苦头，但他们还是感到很有趣。“江
伯一定有好几吨重，”一个警察事后这样说，“值得庆幸的是它没让我们抬它走。当然，我们
应该逮捕它，但由于它一贯表现很好，这次我们饶了它。”
Lesson 66
Sweet as honey!
像蜜一样甜！
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What was 'sweet as honey' and why?
In 1963 a Lancaster bomber crashed on Wallis Island, a remote place in the South Pacific, a
long way west of Samoa. The plane wasn't too badly damaged, but over the years, the crash was
forgotten and the wreck remained undisturbed. Then in 1989, twenty-six years after the crash, the
plane was accidentally rediscovered in an aerial survey of the island. By this time, a Lancaster
bomber in reasonable condition was rare and worth rescuing. The French authorities had the plane
packaged and moved in parts back to France. Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the
plane restored. It has four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, but the group will need to have only three
of them rebuilt. Imagine their surprise and delight when they broke open the packing cases and
found that the fourth engine was sweet as honey -- still in perfect condition. A colony of bees had
turned the engine into a hive and it was totally preserved in beeswax!
New words and expressions 生词和短语
Lancaster n. 兰开斯特
bomber n. 轰炸机
remote adj. 偏僻的
Pacific n. 太平洋
damage v. 毁坏
wreck n. 残骸
rediscover v. 重新发现
aerial adj. 航空的
survey n. 调查
rescue v. 营救
package v. 把......打包
enthusiast n. 热心人
restore v. 修复
imagine v. 想像
packing case 包装箱
colony n. 群
bee n. 蜂
hive n. 蜂房
preserve v. 保护
beeswax n. 蜂蜡
参考译文
1963 年，一架兰开斯特轰炸机在瓦立斯岛毁。那是南太洋中一个很偏僻的小岛，位于
萨摩亚群岛以西，距离群岛还有很长一段距离。飞机损坏的程度并不严重，但是，多年来这
起飞机失事已被遗忘，飞机残骸也没受到破坏。于是，到了 1989 年，飞机失事 26 年后，在
对小岛的一次航空勘查中那架飞机被意外地发现了。到了那个时候，状况良好的兰开斯特轰
炸机实属罕见，值得抢救。法国政府让人把飞机包装起来，一部分一部分地搬回法国。一群
热心人计划修复这架飞机。该飞机装装配有 4 台罗尔斯-罗伊斯的默林发动机，但是他们只
需要修复其中的 3 台。想一想他们所感受到的惊奇和兴奋 —— 当他们拆开包装箱时，他们
发现第 4 台发动机就像蜂蜜一样甜 —— 发动机完好无损。一群蜜蜂把发动机当作了蜂房，
发动机在蜂蜡中被完整地保存了下来。
Lesson 67
Volcanoes
火山
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why does Tazieff risk his life like this?
Haroun Tazieff, the Polish scientist, has spent his lifetime studying active volcanoes and deep
caves in all parts of the world. In 1948, he went to Lake Kivu in the Congo to observe a new
volcano which he later named Kituro. Tazieff was able to set up his camp very close to the
volcano while it was erupting violently. Though he managed to take a number of brilliant
photographs, he could not stay near the volcano for very long. He noticed that a river of liquid
rock was coming towards him. It threatened to surround him completely, but Tazieff managed to
escape just in time. He waited until the volcano became quiet and he was able to return two days
later. This time, he managed to climb into the mouth of Kituro so that he could take photographs
and measure temperatures. Tazieff has often risked his life in this way. He has been able to tell us
more about active volcanoes than any man alive.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
volcano n. 火山
active adj. 活动的
Kivu n. 基伍湖
Congo n. 刚果
Kituro n. 基图罗
erupt v. （火山）喷发
violently adv. 猛烈地，剧烈地
manage v. 设法
brilliant adj. 精彩的
liquid adj. 液态的
escape v. 逃脱
alive adj. 活着的
参考译文
波兰科学家哈罗恩.塔捷耶夫花了毕生的精力来研究世界各地的活火山和探洞。1948 年
他去了刚果的基伍湖，对一座后来被他命名为基图罗的新火山进行观察。当火山正在猛烈地
喷发时，塔捷耶夫有办法把帐篷搭在离它非常近的地方。尽管他设法拍了一些十分精彩的照
片，但他却不能在火山附近停留太长的时间。他发现有一股岩浆正向他流过来，眼看就要将
他团团围住，但塔捷耶夫还是设法及时逃离了。他等到火山平静下来，两天以后又返回去。
这次他设法爬进了基图罗火山口，以便能拍摄照片和测试温度。塔捷耶夫经常冒这样的生命
危险。他能告诉我们的有关活火山的情况比任何在世的人都要多。
Lesson 68
Persistent
纠缠不休
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why did Elizabeth tell Nigel that she was going to the dentist?
I crossed the street to avoid meeting him, but he saw me and came running towards me. It
was no use pretending that I had not seen him, so I waved to him. I never enjoy meeting Nigel
Dykes. He never has anything to do. No matter how busy you are, he always insists on coming
with you. I had to think of a way of preventing him from following me around all morning.
'Hello, Nigel,' I said. 'Fancy meeting you here!'
'Hi, Elizabeth,' Nigel answered. 'I was just wondering how to spend the morning -- until I saw
you. You're not busy doing anything, are you?'
'No, not at all,' I answered. 'I'm going to...'
'Would you mind my coming with you?' he asked, before I had finished speaking.
'Not at all,' I lied, 'but I'm going to the dentist.'
'Then I'll come with you,' he answered. 'There's always plenty to read in the waiting room!
New words and expressions 生词和短语
persistent adj. 坚持的，固执的
avoid v. 避开
insist v. 坚持做
参考译文
我穿过马路以便避开他，但他看到我并朝我跑过来。若再装作没看见他已是没有用了，
我只好向他招手。我就怕遇到奈杰尔.戴克斯。他从来都是无事可做，不管你多忙，他总是
坚持要跟你去。我得想办法不让他整个上午缠着我。
“你好，奈杰尔，想不到在这儿见到你。”我说。
“你好，伊丽莎白，”奈杰尔回答说，“我正不知道怎么消磨这一上午呢，正好见到好。
你不忙，是吗？”
“不，不忙，我打算去......”我回答。
“我跟你一道去行吗？”没等我说完话他就问道。
“没关系，但我准备去牙医那里。”我说了个谎。
“那我也跟你去，候诊室里总有很多东西可供阅读！”他回答。
Lesson 69
But not murder!
并非谋杀！
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Do you think that the writer passed his driving test? Why?
I was being tested for a driving licence for the third time. I had been asked to drive in heavy
traffic and had done so successfully. After having been instructed to drive out of town, I began to
acquire confidence. Sure that I had passed, I was almost beginning to enjoy my test. The examiner
must have been pleased with my performance, for he smiled and said. 'Just one more thing,
Mr.Eames. Let us suppose that a child suddenly crosses the road in front of you. As soon as I tap
on the window, you must stop within five feet.' I continued driving and after some time, the
examiner tapped loudly, Though the sound could be heard clearly, it took me a long time to react. I
suddenly pressed the brake pedal and we were both thrown forward. The examiner looked at me
sadly. 'Mr.Eames,' he said, in a mournful voice, 'you have just killed that child!'
New words and expressions 生词和短语
murder n. 谋杀
instruct v. 命令，指示
acquire v. 取得，获得
confidence n. 信心
examiner n. 主考人
suppose v. 假设
tap v. 轻敲
react v. 反应
brake n. 刹车
pedal n. 踏板
mournful adj. 悲哀的
参考译文
我第 3 次接受驾驶执照考试。按照要求在车辆拥挤的路上驾驶，我圆满地完成了。在接
到把车开出城的指令后，我开始有了信心。确信我已通过考试，所以我几乎开始喜欢起这次
考试。主考人对我的驾驶想必是满意的，因为他微笑着说：“埃姆斯先生，只剩 1 项了。让
我们假设一个小孩子突然在你前面穿过马路。我一敲车窗，你必须把车停在 5 英尺之内。”
我继续往前开着。过了一会儿，主考人砰砰地敲了起来。虽然声音听得很清楚，但我过了好
一会儿才作出反应。我突然用力踩紧刹车踏板，结果我俩的身体都向前冲去。主考人伤心地
看着我。“埃姆斯先生，”他以悲伤的声调说，“你刚刚把那个小孩压死了！”
Lesson 70
Red for danger
危险的红色
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
How was the drunk removed from the ring?
During a bullfight, a drunk suddenly wandered into the middle of the ring. The crowd began
to shout, but the drunk was unaware of the danger. The bull was busy with the matador at the time,
but it suddenly caught sight of the drunk who was shouting rude remarks and waving a red cap.
Apparently sensitive to criticism, the bull forgot all about the matador and charged at the drunk.
The crowd suddenly grew quiet. The drunk, however, seemed quite sure of himself. When the bull
got close to him, he clumsily stepped aside to let it pass. The crowd broke into cheers and the
drunk bowed. By this time, however, three men had come into the ring and they quickly dragged
the drunk to safety. Even the bull seemed to feel sorry for him, for it looked on sympathetically
until the drunk was out of the way before once more turning its attention to the matador.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
bullfight n. 斗牛
drunk n. 醉汉
wander v. 溜达，乱走
ring n. 圆形竞技场地
unaware adj. 不知道的，未觉察的
bull n. 公牛
matador n. 斗牛士
remark n. 评论；言语
apparently adv. 明显地
sensitive adj. 敏感的
criticism n. 批评
charge v. 冲上去
clumsily adv. 笨拙地
bow v. 鞠躬
safety n. 安全地带
sympathetically adv. 同情地
参考译文
在一次斗牛时，一个醉汉突然溜达到斗牛场中间，人们开始大叫起来，但醉汉却没有意
识到危险。当时那公牛正忙于对付斗牛士，但突然它看见了醉汉，只见他正大声说着粗鲁的
话，手里挥动着一顶红帽子。对挑衅显然非常敏感的公牛完全撇开斗牛士，直奔醉汉而来。
观众突然静了下来，可这醉汉像是很有把握似的。当公牛逼近他时，他踉跄地住旁边一闪，
牛扑空了。观众欢呼起来，醉汉向人们鞠躬致谢。然而，此时已有 3 个人进入斗牛场，迅速
把醉汉拉到安全的地方。好像连牛也在为他感到遗憾，因为它一直同情地看着醉汉，直到他
的背影消逝，才重新将注意力转向斗牛士。
Lesson 71
A famous clock
一个著名的大钟
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Has Big Ben ever gone wrong?
When you visit London, one of the first things you will see is Big Ben, the famous clock
which can be heard all over the world on the B.B.C. If the Houses of Parliament had not been
burned down in 1834, the great clock would never have been erected. Big Ben takes its name from
Sir Benjamin Hall who was responsible for the making of the clock when the new Houses of
Parliament were being built. It is not only of immense size, but is extremely accurate as well.
Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day. On the B.B.C. you can
hear the clock when it is actually striking because microphones are connected to the clock tower.
Big Ben has rarely gone wrong. Once, however, it failed to give the correct time. A painter who
had been working on the tower hung a pot of paint on one of the hands and slowed it down!
New words and expressions 生词和短语
parliament n. 议会，国会
erect v. 建起
accurate adj. 准确的
official n. 官员，行政人员
Greenwich n. 格林尼治
observatory n. 天文台
check v. 检查
microphone n. 扩音器，麦克风
tower n. 塔
参考译文
当你游览伦敦时，首先看到的东西之一就是“大本”钟，即那座从英国广播公司的广播
中全世界都可以听到它的声音的著名大钟。如果不是国会大厦在 1834 年被焚毁的话，这座
大钟永远也不会建造。“大本”钟得名于本杰明.霍尔爵士，因为当建造新的国会大厦时，他
负责建造大钟。此钟不仅外型巨大，而且走时也非常准确。格林尼治天文台的官员们每天两
次派人矫正此钟。当大钟打点的时候，你可以从英国广播公司的广播中听到，因为钟塔上接
了麦克风。“大本”钟很多出差错。然而有一次，它却把时间报错。在钟塔上干活的一位油
漆工把一只油漆桶挂在了一根指针上，把钟弄慢了！
Lesson 72
A car called bluebird
“蓝鸟”汽车
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What mistake was made?
The great racing driver, Sir Malcolm Campbell, was the first man to drive at over 300 miles
per hour. He set up a new world record in September 1935 at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. Bluebird,
the car he was driving, had been specially built for him. It was over 30 feet in length and had a
2,500-horsepower engine. Although Campbell reached a speed of over 304 miles per hour, he had
great difficulty in controlling the car because a tyre burst during the first run. After his attempt,
Campbell was disappointed to learn that his average speed had been 299 miles per hour. However,
a few days later, he was told that a mistake had been made. His average speed had been 301 miles
per hour. Since that time, racing drivers have reached speeds over 600 miles an hour. Following in
his father's footsteps many years later, Sir Malcolm's son, Donald, also set up a world record. Like
his father, he was driving a car called Bluebird.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
racing n. 竞赛
per prep. 每
Utah n. 犹他（美国州名）
horsepower n. 马力
burst v. 爆裂
average adj. 平均的
footstep n. 足迹
参考译文
杰出的赛车选手马尔科姆.坎贝尔爵士是第一个以每小时超过300英里的速度驾车的人。
他于 1935 年 9 月在犹他州的邦纳维尔盐滩创造了一项新的世界纪录。他驾驶的“蓝鸟”牌
汽车是专门为他制造的。它的车身长 30 英尺，有一个 2,500 马力的发动机。尽管坎贝尔达
到了每小时超过 304 英里的速度，但他很难把汽车控制住，因为在开始的行程中爆了一只轮
胎。比赛结束后，坎贝尔非常失望地得知他的平均时速是 299 英里。然而，几天之后，有人
告诉他说弄错了。他的平均时速实际是 301 英里。从那时以来，赛车选手已达到每小时 600
英里的速度。很多年之后，马尔科姆爵士的儿子唐纳德踏着父亲的足迹，也创造了一项世界
纪录。同他父亲一样，他也驾驶着一辆名叫“蓝鸟”的汽车。
Lesson 73
The record-holder
纪录保持着
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Did the boy go where he wanted to?
Children who play truant from school are unimaginative. A quiet day's fishing, or eight hours
in a cinema seeing the same film over and over again, is usually as far as they get. They have all
been put to shame by a boy who, while playing truant, travelled 1,600 miles. He hitchhiked to
Dover and, towards evening, went into a boat to find somewhere to sleep. When he woke up next
morning, he discovered that the boat had, in the meantime, travelled to Calais. No one noticed the
boy as he crept off. From there, he hitchhiked to Paris in a lorry. The driver gave him a few
biscuits and a cup of coffee and left him just outside the city. The next car the boy stopped did not
take him into the centre of Paris as he hoped it would, but to Perpignan on the French-Spanish
border. There he was picked up by a policeman and sent back to England by the local authorities.
He has surely set up a record for the thousands of children who dream of evading school.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
record-holder 纪录保持者
truant n. 逃学的孩子
unimaginative adj. 缺乏想像力的
shame n. 惭愧，羞耻
hitchhike v. 搭便车旅行
meantime n. 其间
lorry n. 卡车
border n. 边界
evade v. 逃避，逃离
参考译文
逃学的孩子们都缺乏想像力。他们通常能够做到的，至多也就是安静地钓上一天鱼，或
在电影院里坐上 8 个小时，一遍遍地看同一部电影。而有那么一个小男孩，他在逃学期间旅
行了 1,600 英里，从而使上述所有逃学的孩子们都相形见绌了。他搭便车到了多佛，天快黑
时钻进了一条船，想找个地方睡觉。第二天早上他醒来时，发现船在这段时间已经到了加。
当男孩从船里爬出来时，谁也没有发现他。从那里他又搭上卡车到了巴黎。司机给了他几块
饼干和一杯咖啡，就把他丢在了城外。男孩截住的下一辆车，没有像他希望的那样把他带到
巴黎市中心，而是把他带到了法国和西班牙边界上的佩皮尼昂。他在那儿被一个警察抓住了，
之后被当局送回了英国。他无疑为成千上万梦想逃避上学的孩子们创造了一项纪录。
Lesson 74
Out of the limelight
舞台之外
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why was their disguise 'too perfect'?
An ancient bus stopped by a dry river bed and a party of famous actors and actresses got off.
Dressed in dark glasses and old clothes, they had taken special precautions so that no one should
recognize them. But as they soon discovered, disguises can sometimes be too perfect.
'This is a wonderful place for a picnic,' said Gloria Gleam.
'It couldn't be better, Gloria,' Brinksley Meers agreed. 'No newspaper men, no film fans! Why
don't we come more often?'
Meanwhile, two other actors, Rockwall Slinger and Merlin Greeves, had carried two large
food baskets to a shady spot under some trees. When they had all made themselves comfortable, a
stranger appeared. He looked very angry. 'Now you get out of here, all of you!' he shouted. 'I'm
sheriff here. Do you see that notice? It says "No Camping" -- in case you can't read!'
'Look, sheriff,' said Rockwall, 'don't be too hard on us. I'm Rockwall Slinger and this is
Merlin Greeves.'
'Oh, is it?' said the sheriff with a sneer. 'Well, I'm Brinksley Meers, and my other name is
Gloria Gleam. Now you get out of here fast!'
New words and expressions 生词和短语
limelight n. 舞台灯光
precaution n. 预防措施
fan n. 狂热者，迷
shady adj. 遮荫的
sheriff n. 司法长官
notice n. 告示
sneer n. 冷笑
参考译文
一辆古旧的汽车停在一条干涸的河床边，一群著名男女演员下了车。他们戴着墨镜，穿
着旧衣裳，特别小心以防别人认出他们。但他们很快就发觉，化装的效果有时过分完美了。
“在这个地方野餐简直太妙了，”格格利亚.格利姆说。
“是再好不过的了，格格利亚。”布林克斯利.米尔斯表示同意，“没有记者，没有影迷！
我们为什么不经常来这里呢？”
“此时，另外两位演员，罗克沃尔.斯林格和默林.格里夫斯，已经把两个大食品篮子提
到了一片树荫下。当他们都已安排舒适时，一个陌生人出现了。他看上去非常气愤。“你们
都从这里走开，全都走开！”他大叫着，“我是这里的司法长官。你们看到那个布告牌了吗？
上面写着‘禁止野营’－－除非你们不识字！”
“好了，好了，司法官，”罗克沃尔说，“别使我们难堪。我是罗克沃尔.斯林格，这位
是默林.格里夫斯。”
“噢，是吗？”那位司法长官冷笑一声说道，“好，我就是布林克斯利.米尔斯。我还有
一个名字叫格格利亚.格利姆。现在你们赶快滚吧！”
Lesson 75
SOS
呼救信号
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
How did the woman get help?
When a light passenger plane flew off course some time ago, it crashed in the mountains and
its pilot was killed. The only passengers, a young woman and her two baby daughters, were unhurt.
It was the middle of winter. Snow lay thick on the ground. The woman knew that the nearest
village was miles away. When it grew dark, she turned a suitcase into a bed and put the children
inside it, covering them with all the clothes she could find. During the night, it got terribly cold.
The woman kept as near as she could to the children and even tried to get into the case herself, but
it was too small. Early next morning, she heard planes passing overhead and wondered how she
could send a signal. Then she had an idea. She stamped out the letters 'SOS' in the snow.
Fortunately, a pilot saw the signal and sent a message by radio to the nearest town. It was not long
before a helicopter arrived on the scene to rescue the survivors of the plane crash.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
thick adj. 厚的
signal n. 信号
stamp v. 跺，踩
helicopter n. 直升飞机
scene n. 现场
survivor n. 幸存者
参考译文
不久前，一架轻型客机偏离了航线，在山区坠毁，飞行员丧生。机上仅有的乘客，一位
年轻的妇女和她的两个女婴却平安无事。此时正值隆冬季节，地上积着厚厚的雪。这位妇女
知道，即使最近的村庄也有数英里远。天黑下来的时候，她把提箱当作小床，把两个孩子放
了进去，又把所有能找到的衣服都盖在了孩子们身上。夜里，天冷得厉害。这位妇女尽可能
地靠近孩子，甚至自己也想钻进箱子里去，只是箱子太小了。第二天一大早，她听到头顶上
有飞机飞过，但不知道怎样才能发个信号。后来她有了一个主意。她在雪地上踩出了“SOS”
这 3 个字母。幸运得很，一位飞行员看到这个信号，用无线电给最近的城镇发了报。不久，
一架直升飞机飞抵飞机失事现场，来搭救这几个幸存者。
Lesson 76
April Fools' Day
愚人节
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What was the joke?
'To end our special news bulletin,' said the voice of the television announcer, 'we're going
over to the macaroni fields of Calabria. Macaroni has been grown in this area for over six hundred
years. Two of the leading growers, Giuseppe Moldova and Riccardo Brabante, tell me that they
have been expecting a splendid crop this year and harvesting has begun earlier than usual. Here
you can see two workers who, between them, have just finished cutting three cartloads of golden
brown macaroni stalks. The whole village has been working day and night gathering and threshing
this year's crop before the September rains. On the right, you can see Mrs. Brabante herself. She
has been helping her husband for thirty years now. Mrs. Brabante is talking to the manager of the
local factory where the crop is processed. This last scene shows you what will happen at the end
of the harvest: the famous Calabrian macaroni-eating competition! Signor Fratelli, the present
champion, has won it every year since 1991. And that ends our special bulletin for today, Thursday,
April lst. We're now going back to the studio.'
New words and expressions 生词和短语
fool n. 傻瓜
bulletin n. 新闻简报
announcer n. （电视、电台）播音员
macaroni n. 通心面，空心面条
leading adj. 主要的
grower n. 种植者
splendid adj. 极好的
stalk n. 梗
gather v. 收庄稼
thresh v. 打（庄稼）
process v. 加工
Signor n. （意大利语）先生
present adj. 目前的
champion n. 冠军
studio n. 播音室
参考译文
“作为我们专题新闻节目的结尾，”电视广播员说，“我们现在到克拉布利亚的通心粉田
里。通心粉在这个地区已经种植了 600 多年了。两个主要种植者，朱塞皮.莫尔道瓦和里卡
多.布拉班特告诉我，他们一直期待着今年获得一个大丰收，收割工作比往年开始要早些。
这里您可以看到两个工人，他们协力割下了 3 车金黄色的通心粉秸。全村的人都日夜奋战，
要赶在 9 月的雨季之前把今年的庄稼收获上来，打完场。在屏幕的右侧，您可以看到布拉班
特太太本人，她已经帮了她的丈夫 30 年了。布拉班特太太现在正和负责通心粉加工的当地
加工厂的经理交谈。这最后一个镜头向您展示了收获之后将发生的事情：著名的克拉布利亚
人吃通心粉大赛！目前的冠军弗拉特里先生，自 1991 年以来，年年获胜。今天 -- 4 月 1 日，
星期四--的专题新闻节目到此结束。现在我们回到电视演播室。”
Lesson 77
A successful operation
一例成功的手术
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Did the doctors find out how the woman died?
The mummy of an Egyptian woman who died in 800 B.C. has just had an operation. The
mummy is that of Shepenmut who was once a singer in the Temple of Thebes. As there were
strange marks on the X-ray plates taken of the mummy, doctors have been trying to find out
whether the woman died of a rare disease. The only way to do this was to operate. The operation,
which lasted for over four hours, proved to be very difficult because of the hard resin which
covered the skin. The doctors removed a section of the mummy and sent it to a laboratory. They
also found something which the X-ray plates did not show: a small wax figure of the god
Duamutef. This god which has the head of a cow was normally placed inside a mummy. The
doctors have not yet decided how the woman died. They feared that the mummy would fall to
pieces when they cut it open, but fortunately this has not happened. The mummy successfully
survived the operation.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
mummy n. 木乃伊
Egyptian adj. 埃及的
temple n. 庙
mark n. 斑点
plate n. （照相）底片
disease n. 疾病
last v. 持续
prove v. 显示出
resin n. 树脂
skin n. 皮肤
section n. 切片
figure n. （人的）体形；人像
normally adv. 通常地
survive v. 幸免于
参考译文
死于公元前 800 年的一位埃及妇女的木乃伊刚刚接受了一次手术。这是曾在底比斯神殿
里当过歌手的赛潘姆特的木乃伊。由于在给这个木乃伊拍摄的 X 光片子上有点奇怪的斑点，
所以，医生们一直试图搞清这位妇女是否死于一种罕见的疾病。搞清的唯一办法就是手术。
手术持续了 4 个多小时，非常难做，因为皮肤上覆盖着一层硬硬的树脂。医生们从木乃伊身
上取下一个切片，送去化验。他们还发现了 X 光片所没有显示的东西：一个蜡制的杜瓦木
特夫神小塑像。这种牛头人身的神像通常被放在木乃伊体内。医生们至今还未确定这位妇女
的死因。他们曾担心在把木乃伊切开后，它会散成碎片，但幸运得很，这种情况并未发生。
这具木乃伊成功地经受了这次手术。
Lesson 78
The last one?
最后一枝吗？
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
For how long did the writer give up smoking?
After reading an article entitled 'Cigarette Smoking and Your Health' I lit a cigarette to calm
my nerves. I smoked with concentration and pleasure as I was sure that this would be my last
cigarette. For a whole week I did not smoke at all and during this time, my wife suffered terribly. I
had all the usual symptoms of someone giving up smoking: a bad temper and an enormous
appetite. My friends kept on offering me cigarettes and cigars. They made no effort to hide their
amusement whenever I produced a packet of sweets from my pocket. After seven days of this I
went to a party. Everybody around me was smoking and I felt extremely uncomfortable. When my
old friend Brian urged me to accept a cigarette, it was more than I could bear. I took one guiltily,
lit it and smoked with satisfaction. My wife was delighted that things had returned to normal once
more. Anyway, as Brian pointed out, it is the easiest thing in the world to give up smoking. He
himself has done it lots of times!
New words and expressions 生词和短语
entitle v. 以......为名
calm v. 使镇定
nerve n. 神经
concentration n. 集中，专心
suffer v. 受苦，受害
symptom n. 症状
temper n. 脾气
appetite n. 胃口，食欲
produce v. 拿出
urge v. 力劝，怂恿
satisfaction n. 满意，满足
delighted adj. 欣喜的
参考译文
读完一篇题为《吸烟与健康》的文章之后，我点上了一枝香烟，来镇定一下自己紧张的
神经。我聚精会神而又愉快地吸着这枝烟。因为我确信这是我最后一枝烟了。整整一个星期
我根本没有吸烟。在此期间，我妻子吃尽了苦头。我具备了戒烟者通常表现出来的所有症状：
脾气暴躁和食欲旺盛。我的朋友们不断地向我递香烟和雪茄。每当我从口袋里掏出一包糖果
时，他们都毫不掩饰地表现出他们对此感到非常好笑。这样过了 7 天以后，我去参加一次聚
会。我周围的每个人都在吸烟，我感到非常不自在。当我的老朋友布赖恩极力劝我接受一枝
香烟时，我再也忍不住了。我内疚地接过一枝点上，心满意足地抽起来。一切又都恢复了正
常，为此我妻子十分高兴。不管怎么说，正如布赖恩指出的那样，戒烟是世界上最容易的事
情，他自己就已戒了很多次了！
Lesson 79
By air
乘飞机
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why did the plane turn back?
I used to travel by air a great deal when I was a boy. My parents used to live in South
America and I used to fly there from Europe in the holidays. A flight attendant would take charge
of me and I never had an unpleasant experience. I am used to traveling by air and only on one
occasion have I ever felt frightened. After taking off, we were flying low over the city and slowly
gaining height, when the plane suddenly turned round and flew back to the airport. While we were
waiting to land, a flight attendant told us to keep calm and to get off the plane quietly as soon as it
had touched down. Everybody on board was worried and we were curious to find out what had
happened. Later we learnt that there was a very important person on board. The police had been
told that a bomb had been planted on the plane. After we had landed, the plane was searched
thoroughly. Fortunately, nothing was found and five hours later we were able to take off again.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
parent n. 父（母）亲
flight attendant 空中乘务员
frightened adj. 害怕，担惊
curious adj. 急于了解，好奇的
bomb n. 炸弹
plant v. 安放
参考译文
我在幼年的时候，曾多次乘飞机旅行。我的父母曾经住在南美洲，所以假期里我常从欧
洲乘飞机到他们那里。我总是由一位空中乘务员照管，从未遇到过不愉快的经历。我习惯了
乘飞机旅行，只是有一次把我吓坏了。起飞之后，我们在城市上空低低地飞行，然后慢慢爬
高。这时飞机突然调转头来，飞回了机场。在我们等待降落时，一位空中乘务员告诉我们要
保持镇静，待飞机一着陆，就马上不声不响地离开飞机。飞机上的人都很着急，大家都急于
想知道究竟出了什么事。后来我们才得知，飞机上坐了一位非常重要的人物。有人报告警察，
说飞机上安放了一枚炸弹。我们降落之后，飞机被彻底搜查了一遍。幸运的是，什么也没有
找到。5 个小时后，我们又起飞了。
Lesson 80
The Crystal Palace
水晶宫
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
How many people visited the Great Exhibition of 1851?
Perhaps the most extraordinary building of the nineteeth century was the Crystal Palace,
which was built in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Crystal Palace was different
from all other buildings in the world, for it was made of iron and glass. It was one of the biggest
buildings of all time and a lot of people from many countries came to see it. A great many goods
were sent to the exhibition from various parts of the world. There was also a great deal of
machinery on display. The most wonderful piece of machinery on show was Nasmyth's steam
hammer. Though in those days, traveling was not as easy as it is today, steam boats carried
thousands of visitors across the Channel from Europe. On arriving in England, they were taken to
the Crystal Palace by train. There were six million visitors in all, and the profits from the
exhibition were used to build museums and colleges. Later, the Crystal Palace was moved to
South London. It remained one of the most famous buildings in the world until it was burnt down
in 1936.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
palace n. 宫殿
extraordinary adj. 不平常的，非凡的
exhibition n. 展览
iron n. 铁
various adj. 各种各样的
machinery n. 机器
display n. 展览
steam n. 蒸汽
profit n. 利润
college n. 学院
参考译文
19 世纪最不寻常的建筑也许要数水晶宫了，它是为 1851 年的“世界博览会”而建在海
德公园的。这座水晶宫不同于世界上所有的其他建筑，因为它是用钢和玻璃建成的。它是有
史以来最高大的建筑物之一，因此，人们从各个国家纷纷前来参观。大量的商品从世界各地
运送到了博览会，参展的还有很多机器，其中最奇妙的是内史密斯的蒸汽锤。尽管在当时旅
行不像现在这么容易，但汽船还是把成千上万的参观者从欧洲大陆送过了英吉利海峡。一到
英国，火车就把他们送到了水晶宫。参观的人数总共是 600 万。博览会的赢利用来建造博物
馆和高等学校。后来，“水晶宫”被移到了伦敦南部。在 1936 年被焚毁之前，它一直是世界
上最著名的建筑物之一。
Lesson 81
Escape
脱逃
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why did the prisoner attack the driver?
When he had killed the guard, the prisoner of war quickly dragged him into the bushes.
Working rapidly in the darkness, he soon changed into the dead man's clothes. Now, dressed in a
blue uniform and with a rifle over his shoulder, the prisoner marched boldly up and down in front
of the camp. He could hear shouting in the camp itself. Lights were blazing and men were running
here and there: they had just discovered that a prisoner had escaped. At that moment, a large black
car with four officers inside it, stopped at the camp gates. The officers got out and the prisoner
stood to attention and saluted as they passed. When they had gone, the driver of the car came
towards him. The man obviously wanted to talk. He was rather elderly with grey hair and clear
blue eyes. The prisoner felt sorry for him, but there was nothing else he could do. As the man
came near, the prisoner knocked him to the ground with a sharp blow. Then, jumping into the car,
he drove off as quickly as he could.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
prisoner n. 囚犯
bush n. 灌木丛
rapidly adv. 迅速地
uniform n. 制服
rifle n. 来福枪，步枪
shoulder n. 肩
march v. 行进
boldly adv. 大胆地
blaze v. 闪耀
salute v. 行礼
elderly adj. 上了年纪的
grey adj. 灰白的
sharp adj. 猛烈的
blow n. 打击
参考译文
那个战俘杀死卫兵以后，迅速地把尸体拖进了灌木丛。他在黑暗中忙活了一阵儿，很快
就换上了死者的衣服。现在他身穿蓝军装，肩扛步枪，在军营门前大胆地来回走看。他听得
军营里面的喧闹声。那里灯米通明，人们在东奔西跑：他们刚刚发现有一个俘虏跑了。正在
此时，一辆黑色大轿车在军营门口停了下来。里面坐了 4 个军官。军官们下了车，战俘立正
站好，并在他们从他面前经过时敬了礼。他们走后，汽车司机向他走来，这人显然是想聊天。
他上了年纪，有着灰白的头发和明亮的蓝眼睛。战俘为他感到惋惜，但却没有别的选择。当
这个人走近时，战俘一拳把他打倒在地，然后跳进车里，以最快的速度把车开走了。
Lesson 82
Monster or fish?
是妖还是鱼？
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What was the monster called?
Fishermen and sailors sometimes claim to have seen monsters in the sea. Though people have
often laughed at stories told by seamen, it is now known that many of these 'monsters' which have
at times been sighted are simply strange fish. Occasionally, unusual creatures are washed to the
shore, but they are rarely caught out at sea. Some time ago, however, a peculiar fish was caught
near Madagascar. A small fishing boat was carried miles out to sea by the powerful fish as it
pulled on the line. Realizing that this was no ordinary fish, the fisherman made every effort not to
damage it in any way. When it was eventually brought to shore, it was found to be over thirteen
feet long. It had a head like a horse, big blue eyes, shining silver skin, and a bright red tail. The
fish, which has since been sent to a museum where it is being examined by a scientist, is called an
oarfish. Such creatures have rarely been seen alive by man as they live at a depth of six hundred
feet.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
monster n. 怪物
sailor n. 海员
sight v. 见到
creature n. 动物，生物
peculiar adj. 奇怪的，不寻常的
shining adj. 闪闪发光的
oarfish n. 桨鱼
参考译文
渔夫和水手们有时声称自己看到过海里的妖怪。虽然人们常常对水手们讲的故事付诸一
笑，但现在看来，人们有时看到的这些“妖怪”很多不过是些奇怪的鱼。一些异常的生物偶
尔会被冲到岸上来，但它们在海上却极少能被捕到。然而不久前，在马达加斯加附近的海里
却捕到了一条奇怪的鱼。一条小渔船被一条咬住钩的强壮的大鱼拖到了几英里以外的海面
上。那位渔民意识到这根本不是一条普通的鱼，于是千方百计不让它受到丝毫伤害。当终于
把它弄上岸后，人们发现它身长超过了 13 英尺。它长着一个像马一样的头，有着大的蓝眼
睛和闪闪发光的银色皮肤，还有一条鲜红色的尾巴。此鱼叫桨鱼，被送进了博物馆，现正接
受一位科学家的检查。人们很少能看到活着的这类动物，因为它们生活在 600 英尺深的水下。
Lesson 83
After the elections
大选之后
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why did Patrick keep on asking the same question?
The former Prime Minister, Mr. Wentworth Lane, was defeated in the recent elections. He is
now retiring from political life and has gone abroad. My friend, Patrick, has always been a
fanatical opponent of Mr. Lane's Radical Progressive Party. After the elections, Patrick went to the
former Prime Minister's house. When he asked if Mr. Lane lived there, the policeman on duty told
him that since his defeat, the ex-Prime Minister had gone abroad. On the following day, Patrick
went to the house again. The same policeman was just walking slowly past the entrance, when
Patrick asked the same question. Though a little suspicious this time, the policeman gave him the
same answer. The day after, Patrick went to the house once more and asked exactly the same
question. This time, the policeman lost his temper. 'I told you yesterday and the day before
yesterday,' he shouted, 'Mr. Lane was defeated in the elections. He has retired from political life
and gone to live abroad!"
'I know,' answered Patrick, 'but I love to hear you say it!'
New words and expressions 生词和短语
election n. 选举
former adj. 从前的
defeat v. 打败
fanatical adj. 狂热的
opponent n. 反对者，对手
radical adj. 激进的
progressive adj. 进步的
ex- prefix （前缀，用于名词前）前......
suspicious adj. 怀疑的
参考译文
前首相温特沃兹.莱恩先生在最近的大选中被击败。他现在退出了政界，到国外去了。
我的朋友帕特里克一直是莱恩先生的激进党的强烈反对者。大选结束后，帕特里克来到了前
首相的住处。当他询问莱恩先生是否住在那里时，值班的警察告诉他这位前首相落选后出国
去了。第二天，帕特里克再次来到首相的住处。昨天的那位警察正从门口慢慢走过，帕特里
克上前问了和昨天同样的问题。虽然那位警察这次有点疑心，但还是对他作了同样的回答。
第三天，帕特里克又去了，提出了同前两天完全一样的问题。这一次警察火了。“我昨天和
前天都告诉过您了，”他大叫着，“莱恩先生在大选中被击败了，他已经退出了政界去国外了！”
“这我都知道，”帕特里克说，“可我就是喜欢听你说出这此！”
Lesson 84
On strike
罢工
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Who will be driving the buses next week?
Busmen have decided to go on strike next week. The strike is due to begin on Tuesday. No
one knows how long it will last. The busmen have stated that the strike will continue until general
agreement is reached about pay and working conditions. Most people believe that the strike will
last for at least a week. Many owners of private cars are going to offer 'free rides' to people on
their way to work. This will relieve pressure on the trains to some extent. Meanwhile, a number of
university students have volunteered to drive buses while the strike lasts. All the students are
expert drivers, but before they drive any of the buses, they will have to pass a special test. The
students are going to take the test in two days' time. Even so, people are going to find it difficult to
get to work. But so far, the public has expressed its gratitude to the students in letters to the Press.
Only one or two people have objected that the students will drive too fast!
New words and expressions 生词和短语
strike n. 罢工
busman n. 公共汽车司机
state v. 正式提出，宣布
agreement n. 协议
relieve v. 减轻
pressure n. 压力，麻烦
extent n. 程度
volunteer v. 自动提出，自愿
gratitude n. 感激
Press n. 新闻界
object v. 不赞成，反对
参考译文
公共汽车司机决定下星期罢工。罢工定于星期二开始，谁也不知道会持续多久。司机们
声称此次罢工将一直持续到就工资和工作条件问题达成全面协议的时候为止。多数人认为此
次罢工至少会持续一个星期。很多私人汽车的车主正准备为乘车上班的人们提供“免费乘车”
的服务，这将在某种程度上减轻对火车的压力。与此同时，有一部分大学生自愿在罢工期间
驾驶公共汽车。所有的学生都是开车的能手，但在驾驶公共汽车之前，他们必须通过一项专
门测验。学生们准备在两天后就接受测验。即使这样，人们仍会感到上班有困难。但到目前
为止，公众已经向新闻界写信表达他们对学生们的感激之情了。只有一两个人提出反对意见，
说学生们会把车开得太快！
Lesson 85
Never too old to learn
活到老学到老
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
How long has Mr. Page been teaching?
I have just received a letter from my old school, informing me that my former headmaster,
Mr. Stuart Page, will be retiring next week. Pupils of the school, old and new, will be sending him
a present to mark the occasion. All those who have contributed towards the gift will sign their
names in a large album which will be sent to the headmaster's home. We shall all remember Mr.
Page for his patience and understanding and for the kindly encouragement he gave us when we
went so unwillingly to school. A great many former pupils will be attending a farewell dinner in
his honour next Thursday. It is a curious coincidence that the day before his retirement, Mr. Page
will have been teaching for a total of forty years. After he has retired, he will devote himself to
gardening. For him, this will be an entirely new hobby. But this does not matter, for, as he has
often remarked, one is never too old to learn.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
inform v. 告诉，通知
headmaster n. 校长
contribute v. 捐助，援助
gift n. 礼物，赠品
album n. 签名簿，相册
patience n. 耐心
encouragement n. 鼓励
farewell n. 告别
honour n. 敬意
coincidence n. 巧合
total n. 总数
devote v. 致力于
gardening n. 园艺
hobby n. 爱好，嗜好
参考译文
我刚刚收到母校的一封信，通知我说以前的校长斯图亚特.佩奇先生下星期就退休了。
为了纪念这个日子，学校的学生——无论老同学还是新同学——将送他一件礼物。所有凑钱
买此礼品的人都将自己的名字签在一本大签名簿上，签名簿将被送到校长的家里。我们不会
忘记佩奇先生对我们既有耐心又充满理解，也不会忘记在我们不愿去上学时他给予我们的亲
切鼓励。很多老同学都准备参加下星期四为他举行的告别宴会。佩奇先生退休的前一天正好
是他执教满 40 年的日子，这真是奇妙的巧合。他退休后，将致力于园艺。对于他来说，这
将是一种全新的爱好。但这没有关系，因为正如他常说的那样，人要活到老学到老。
Lesson 86
Out of control
失控
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What was the danger?
As the man tried to swing the speedboat round, the steering wheel came away in his hands.
He waved desperately to his companion, who had been water skiing for the last fifteen minutes.
Both men had hardly had time to realize what was happening when they were thrown violently
into the sea. The speedboat had struck a buoy, but it continued to move very quickly across the
water. Both men had just begun to swim towards the shore, when they noticed with dismay that
the speedboat was moving in a circle. It now came straight towards them at tremendous speed. In
less than a minute, it roared past them only a few feet away. After it had passed, they swam on as
quickly as they could because they knew that the boat would soon return. They had just had
enough time to swim out of danger when the boat again completed a circle. On this occasion,
however, it had slowed down considerably. The petrol had nearly all been used up. Before long,
the noise dropped completely and the boat began to drift gently across the water.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
swing v. 转向
speedboat n. 快艇
desperately adv. 绝望地
companion n. 同伙，伙伴
water ski （由快艇牵引水橇）滑水
buoy n. 浮标
dismay n. 沮丧
tremendous adj. 巨大的
petrol n. 汽油
drift v. 漂动，漂流
gently adv. 缓慢地，轻轻地
参考译文
当那人试图让快艇转弯时，方向盘脱手了。他绝望地向他的伙伴挥手，他的伙伴在过去
的 15 分钟里一直在滑水。他们两个还没来得及意识到究竟发生了什么事情，就被猛地抛入
了海里。快艇撞上了一个浮标，但它仍在水面上快速行驶着。两个人刚开始向岸边游去，就
突然惊愕地发现快艇正在转着圈行驶，它现在正以惊人的速度直冲他们驶来。不到 1 分钟的
工夫，它从离他们只有几英尺远的地方呼啸着驶了过去。快艇过去之后，他们以最快的速度
向前游去，因为他们知道快艇马上就要转回来。他们刚刚来得及游出危险区，快艇就又转完
了一圈。然而这一次它的速度慢多了。汽油几乎已经用光。没过多久，噪音便彻底消失，快
艇开始在水面上慢悠悠地漂流。
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。”
Lesson 88
Trapped in a mine
困在矿井里
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why is the rescue taking so long?
Six men have been trapped in a mine for seventeen hours. If they are not brought to the
surface soon they may lose their lives. However, rescue operations are proving difficult. If
explosives are used, vibrations will cause the roof of the mine to collapse. Rescue workers are
therefore drilling a hole on the north side of the mine. They intend to bring the men up in a special
capsule. If there had not been a hard layer of rock beneath the soil, they would have completed the
job in a few hours. As it is, they have been drilling for sixteen hours and they still have a long way
to go. Meanwhile, a microphone, which was lowered into the mine two hours ago, has enabled the
men to keep in touch with their closest relatives. Though they are running out of food and drink,
the men are cheerful and confident that they will get out soon. They have been told that rescue
operations are progressing smoothly. If they knew how difficult it was to drill through the hard
rock, they would lose heart.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
trap v. 陷入，使陷于困境
surface n. 地面，表面
explosive n. 炸药
vibration n. 震动
collapse v. 坍塌
drill v. 钻孔
capsule n. 容器
layer n. 层
beneath prep. 在......之下
lower v. 放下，降低
progress v. 进展，进行
smoothly adv. 顺利地
参考译文
6 个人被困在矿井里已有 17 个小时了。如果不把他们尽快救到地面上来，他们就有可
能丧生。然而，事实证明营救工作非常困难。如果用炸药爆破，震动会引起矿顶塌落。因此，
营救人员在矿井的北侧钻了一个洞。他们准备用一种特制的容器把这 6 个人救上来。如果不
是因为土壤下面有一层坚硬的岩石，他们的营救工作仅用几个小时就可以完成了。实际情况
是，他们已连续钻了 16 个小时了，但离钻透还早着呢。与此同时，两个小时以前放下井去
的一只麦克风使井下的人可以与其亲属保持联系。虽然他们的食物和饮料都快消耗尽了，但
这些人的心情很好，坚信他们很快就会出去。他们一直被告知营救工作进行得非常顺利。如
果他们知道了钻透那坚硬的岩石有多么困难，他们会丧失信心的。
Lesson 89
A slip of the tongue
口误
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Who made the only funny joke that evening and why?
People will do anything to see a free show -- even if it is a bad one. When the news got round
that a comedy show would be presented at our local cinema by the P. and U. Bird Seed Company,
we all rushed to see it. We had to queue for hours to get in and there must have been several
hundred people present just before the show began. Unfortunately, the show was one of the dullest
we have ever seen. Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed, as many of the
artistes who should have appeared did not come. The only funny things we heard that evening
came from the advertiser at the beginning of the programme. He was obviously very nervous and
for some minutes stood awkwardly before the microphone. As soon as he opened his mouth,
everyone burst out laughing. We all know what the poor man should have said, but what he
actually said was: 'This is the Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company. Good ladies, evening and
gentlemen!"
New words and expressions 生词和短语
slip n. 小错误
comedy n. 喜剧
present v. 演出；adj. 出席，到场的
queue v. 排队
dull adj. 枯燥，无味
artiste n. 艺人
advertiser n. 报幕员
参考译文
人们总要想尽办法看不花钱的演出——哪怕是拙劣的演出。当“皮尤”鸟食公司将在我
们当地影院演出喜剧节目的消息传开后，我们都赶紧跑去观看。我们不得不排了好几个小时
才进得场去。在演出开始前场内肯定已有好几百人了。不幸的是，这次演出是我们看过的最
乏味的演出了。那些没能进到场内的人没有必要感到失望，因为很多应该出场的专业演员都
没有来。那天晚上唯一有趣的事情是节目开始时那个报幕员的开场白。他显然非常紧张，局
促不安地在麦克风前站了好几分钟。但他刚一开口说话，人们便哄堂大笑起来。我们都明白
那个可怜的人应该说些什么，而他实际说的却是：“这是‘浦伊’鸟食公司，好女士们，晚
上和先生们！”
Lesson 90
What's for supper?
晚餐吃什么？
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What kind of fish are they?
Fish and chips has always been a favourite dish in Britain, but as the oceans have been
overfished, fish has become more and more expensive. So it comes as a surprise to learn that giant
fish are terrifying the divers on North Sea oil rigs. Oil rigs have to be repaired frequently and
divers, who often have to work in darkness a hundred feet under water, have been frightened out
of their wits by giant fish bumping into them as they work. Now they have had special cages made
to protect them from these monsters. The fish are not sharks or killer whales, but favourite eating
varieties like cod and skate which grow to unnatural sizes, sometimes as much as twelve feet in
length. Three factors have caused these fish to grow so large: the warm water round the hot oil
pipes under the sea; the plentiful supply of food thrown overboard by the crews on the rigs; the
total absence of fishing boats around the oil rigs. As a result, the fish just eat and eat and grow and
grow in the lovely warm water. Who eats who?
New words and expressions 生词和短语
chip n. 油煎土豆片
overfish v. 过度捕捞
giant adj. 巨大的
terrify v. 吓，使恐怖
diver n. 潜小员
oil rig 石油钻塔
wit n. （复数）理智，头脑
cage n. 笼
shark n. 鲨鱼
whale n. 鲸
variety n. 品种
cod n. 鳕
skate n. 鳐
factor n. 因素
crew n. 全体工作人员
参考译文
油煎鱼加炸土豆片一直是英国人喜爱的一道菜，但是随着海洋里的滥捕滥捞，鱼已经变
得越来越昂贵。因此，听说北海石油钻井平台上的潜水员受到巨型鱼类的恐吓，确实很让人
吃惊。钻井平台需要经常修理，潜水员常常要在水面 100 英尺以下摸黑工作，他们曾在工作
时被撞到他们身上的大鱼吓得惊惶失措。现在他们有了特制的笼子，用来保护他们免受大鱼
的侵袭。这些鱼并不是鲨鱼或逆戟鲸，而是深受人们喜爱的食用鱼品种，如鳕鱼和鳐鱼，只
不过它们长得出奇地大，有时长达 12 英尺。这些鱼能长得这么大是由 3 个因素造成的：海
底热的输油管道附近的温暖的海水；钻井平台工作人员抛到海里充足的食物；钻井平台周围
根本没有捕鱼船只。结果是，这些鱼就在可爱的温暖的水流中吃呀吃，长呀长。究竟谁吃谁
呢？
Lesson 91
Three men in a basket
三人同篮
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Where was the station's Commanding Officer?
A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force Station nearby.
He informed the station at once, but no one there was able to explain the mystery. The officer in
the control tower was very angry when he heard the news, because balloons can be a great danger
to aircraft. He said that someone might be spying on the station and the pilot was ordered to keep
track of the strange object. The pilot managed to circle the balloon for some time. He could make
out three men in a basket under it and one of them was holding a pair of binoculars. When the
balloon was over the station, the pilot saw one of the men taking photographs. Soon afterwards,
the balloon began to descend and it landed near an airfield. The police were called in, but they
could not arrest anyone, for the basket contained two Members of Parliament and the
Commanding Officer of the station! As the Commanding Officer explained later, one half of the
station did not know what the other half was doing!
New words and expressions 生词和短语
balloon n. 气球
royal adj. 皇家
spy v. 侦察
track n. 轨迹，踪迹
binoculars n. 望远镱
参考译文
一个飞行员发现了一只气球，它像是正飞往附近的一个皇家空军基地。他马上把情况
报告了该基地，但那里的人没有一个能解释这到底是怎么回事。控制塔上的官员得知这一消
息后，非常气愤，因为气球有可能给飞机造成极大的危险。他说可能有人正对基地进行侦察，
因此命令那个飞行员跟踪那个奇怪的飞行物。飞行员设法绕着气球飞了一阵。他看清了气球
下面有 3 个人呆在一只筐里，其中一个举着望远镜。当气球飞临基地上空时，飞行员看见有
一个人在拍照。不久，气球开始降落，在一个停机坪附近着了陆。警察被召来了，但他们却
不能逮捕任何人，因为筐里是两名国会议员和一名基地的指挥官！正如指挥官后来解释的那
样，基地的这半边不知道那半边正在干什么！
Lesson 92
Asking for trouble
自找麻烦
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why did the policeman ask the writer to come to the police station?
It must have been about two in the morning when I returned home. I tried to wake up my
wife by ringing the doorbell, but she was fast asleep, so I got a ladder from the shed in the garden,
put it against the wall, and began climbing towards the bedroom window. I was almost there when
a sarcastic voice below said, 'I don't think the windows need cleaning at this time of the night.' I
looked down and nearly fell off the ladder when I saw a policeman. I immediately regretted
answering in the way I did, but I said, 'I enjoy cleaning windows at night.'
'So do I,' answered the policeman in the same tone. 'Excuse my interrupting you. I hate to
interrupt a man when he's busy working, but would you mind coming with me to the station?'
'Well, I'd prefer to stay here,' I said. 'You see. I've forgotten my key.'
'Your what?' he called.
'My key,' I shouted.
Fortunately, the shouting woke up my wife who opened the window just as the policeman
had started to climb towards me.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
fast adv. 熟（睡）
ladder n. 梯子
shed n. 棚子
sarcastic adj. 讽刺的，讥笑的
tone n. 语气，腔调
参考译文
我回到家时，肯定已是凌晨两点左右了。我按响了门铃，试图唤醒我的妻子，但她睡得
很熟。于是，我从花园的小棚里搬来了一个梯子，把它靠在墙边，开始向卧室的窗口爬去。
快要爬到窗口时，下面一个人用讽刺的口吻说：“我看不必在夜里这个时候擦窗子吧。”我向
下面看去。当我看清是一个警察时，差一点儿从梯子上掉下去。我回答了他的话，但马上又
后悔不该那样说，我是这样说的：“我喜欢在夜里擦窗子。”
“我也是的，”警察用同样的声调回答，“请原谅我打断了您。当一个人在忙着干活时，
我是不愿意去打断他的，但请您跟我到警察局去一趟好吗？”
“可我更愿意呆在这儿，”我说，“您瞧，我忘带钥匙了。”
“什么？”他大声问。
“钥匙！”我喊道。
幸运得很，这喊声惊醒了我的妻子。就在警察开始向我爬上来时，她打开了窗子。
Lesson 93
A noble gift
崇高的礼物
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Where was the Statue of Liberty made?
One of the most famous monuments in the world, the Statue of Liberty, was presented to the
United States of America in the nineteenth century by the people of France. The great statue,
which was designed by the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, took ten years to complete. The actual
figure was made of copper supported by a metal framework which had been especially constructed
by Eiffel. Before it could be transported to the United States, a site had to be found for it and a
pedestal had to be built. The site chosen was an island at the entrance of New York Harbour. By
1884, a statue which was 151 feet tall had been erected in Paris. The following year, it was taken
to pieces and sent to America. By the end of October 1886, the statue had been put together again
and it was officially presented to the American people by Bartholdi. Ever since then, the great
monument has been a symbol of liberty for the millions of people who have passed through New
York Harbour to make their homes in America.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
noble adj. 高尚的，壮丽的
monument n. 纪念碑
statue n. 雕像
liberty n. 自由
present v. 赠送
sculptor n. 雕刻家
actual adj. 实际的，真实的
copper n. 铜
support v. 支持，支撑
framework n. 构架，框架
transport v. 运送
site n. 场地
pedestal n. 底座
参考译文
世界上最著名的纪念碑之一的自由女神雕像是在 19 世纪时由法国人民赠送给美国的。
这座由雕像家奥古斯特.巴索尔地设计的巨大雕像是用 10 年时间雕像刻成的。这座雕像的主
体是用铜制成的，由艾菲尔特制的金属框架支撑着。在雕像被运往美国之前，必须为它选好
一块场地，同时必须建造一个基座。场地选在了纽约港入口处的一个鸟上。到 1884 年，一
座高度达 151 英尺的雕像在巴黎竖立起来了。第二年，它被拆成若干小块，运到美国。到
1886 年 10 月底，这座雕像被重新组装起来，由巴索尔地正式赠送给美国人民。从那时起，
这座伟大的纪念碑对通过纽约港进入美国定居的千百万人来说就一直是自由的象征。
Lesson 94
Future champions
未来的冠军
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What kind of race do the children compete in?
Experiments have proved that children can be instructed in swimming at a very early age. At
a special swimming pool in Los Angeles, children become expert at holding their breath under
water even before they can walk. Babies of two months old do not appear to be reluctant to enter
the water. It is not long before they are so accustomed to swimming that they can pick up weights
from the floor of the pool. A game that is very popular with these young swimmers is the
underwater tricycle race. Tricycles are lined up on the floor of the pool seven feet under water. The
children compete against each other to reach the other end of the pool. Many pedal their tricycles,
but most of them prefer to push or drag them. Some children can cover the whole length of the
pool without coming up for breath even once. Whether they will ever become future Olympic
champions, only time will tell. Meanwhile, they should encourage those among us who cannot
swim five yards before they are gasping for air.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
instruct v. 指导，传授
Los Angeles 洛杉矶
reluctant adj. 勉强的，不愿意的
weight n. 重物
underwater adj. 水下的
tricycle n. 三轮车
compete v. 比赛，对抗
yard n. 码
gasp v. 喘气
参考译文
实验证明，儿童在很小的时候就可以开始学习游泳。在洛杉矶的一个特设的游泳池里，
孩子们甚至在还没有学会走路时就已经能熟练地在水下屏住呼吸了。两个月的婴儿并未显得
不愿意入水。他们很快便适应了游泳，以致能捡起池底的物品。这些幼小的游泳运动员非常
喜爱的一种游戏是水下三轮车比赛。三轮车并排放在 7 英尺深的游泳池底上。孩子们比赛看
谁先到达游泳池的另一端。很多孩子用脚蹬车，但多数孩子更愿意推或是拉着三轮车。有些
孩子能够跑完游泳池的全长而不用露出水面换气。他们将来是否能成为奥林匹克的冠军，这
只能由时间来作出回答。与此同时，他们对我们中的那些游不了 5 码就已喘不过气来的人应
该是种鼓舞。
Lesson 95
A fantasy
纯属虚构
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why was the Ambassador particularly lucky?
When the Ambassador or Escalopia returned home for lunch, his wife got a shock. He looked
pale and his clothes were in a frightful state.
'What has happened?' she asked. 'How did your clothes get into such a mess?'
'A fire extinguisher, my dear,' answered the Ambassador drily. 'University students set the
Embassy on fire this morning.'
'Good heavens!' exclaimed his wife. 'And where were you at the time?'
'I was in my office as usual,' answered the Ambassador. 'The fire broke out in the basement.
I went down immediately, of course, and that fool, Horst, aimed a fire extinguisher at me. He
thought I was on fire. I must definitely get that fellow posted.'
The Ambassador's wife went on asking questions, when she suddenly noticed a big hole in
her husband's hat.
'And how can you explain that?' she asked.
'Oh, that,' said the Ambassador. 'Someone fired a shot through my office window. Accurate,
don't you think? Fortunately, I wasn't wearing it at the time. If I had been, I would not have been
able to get home for lunch.'
New words and expressions 生词和短语
fantasy n. 幻想故事
ambassador n. 大使
Escalopia n. 艾斯卡罗比亚（虚构的国名）
frightful adj. 可怕的，令人吃惊的
fire extinguisher 灭火器
drily adv. 冷淡地，枯燥无味地
embassy n. 大使馆
heaven n. 天，天堂
basement n. 地下室
definitely adv. 肯定地
post v. 派任
shot n. 子弹
参考译文
当艾斯卡罗比亚国的大使回到家吃午饭时，把他的夫人吓了一跳。他面色苍白，衣服也
搞得不成样子。
“发生了什么事？”她问，“你的衣服怎么搞得一塌糊涂？”
“灭火器弄的，亲爱的，”大使冷冷地回答，“今天上午大学生们放火点着了大使馆。”
“天啊！”他的夫人惊叫，“那你当时在什么地方？”
“我和往常一样，在办公室里，”大使回答说。“地下室突然着火，我当然马上下去了。
但那个傻瓜霍斯特把灭火器对准了我。他认为是我着火了。我一定要把那个家伙打发走。”
大使夫人继续提出问题，她突然又发现丈夫的帽子上有个洞。
“那么你对那又作何解释呢？”她问。
“那个嘛，”大使说，“有人向我办公室窗户开了一枪。真够准的，是不是？幸亏我当时
没戴帽子。如果真戴着它，我现在就不能回家来吃午饭了。”
Lesson 96
The dead return
亡灵返乡
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What happens to the lanterns at the end of the festival?
A Festival for the Dead is held once a year in Japan. This festival is a cheerful occasion, for
on this day, the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living. As they
are expected to be hungry after their long journey, food is laid out for them. Specially-made
lanterns are hung outside each house to help the dead to find their way. All night long, people
dance and sing. In the early morning, the food that had been laid out for the dead is thrown into a
river or into the sea as it is considered unlucky for anyone living to eat it. In towns that are near
the sea, the tiny lanterns which had been hung in the streets the night before, are placed into the
water when the festival is over. Thousands of lanterns slowly drift out to sea guiding the dead on
their return journey to the other world. This is a moving spectacle, for crowds of people stand on
the shore watching the lanterns drifting away until they can be seen no more.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
festival n. 节日
lantern n. 灯笼
spectacle n. 景象，壮观，场面
参考译文
日本每年过一次“亡灵节”。这个节日是个欢乐的日子，因为在这一天，据说死去的人
要回到他们的家里来，活着的人则对他们表示欢迎。因为预料到他们在经过长途旅行之后会
感到饥饿，所以为他们摆放好了食品。特制的灯笼挂在各家的门外，为的是帮助亡灵看清道
路。整个夜晚人们载歌载舞。一大早，人们便把为死者摆放的食品扔进河中或海里，因为人
们认为活着的人吃了这些东西是不吉利的。在靠海的城镇中，头天夜里挂在大街小巷的小灯
笼在节后就放在了水里。成千上万只灯笼慢慢漂向大海，指引着亡灵返回另一个世界。这是
一个感人的场面，人们成群地伫立在海岸上，注视着灯笼远去，直到再也看不见为止。