search_index.json

[{"b":"NCE1","l":"125&126－Tea for Two","t":"Tea for Two","c":[[0,"Lesson 125","第125课"],[1,"Tea for two","“Tea for two” 的意思是“为两个人准备的茶”。"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Does Susan have tea by herself?","彼得，你现在不能进来喝杯茶吗？"],[4,"Can't you come in and have tea now, Peter?","彼得，你现在就不能进来喝杯茶吗？"],[5,"Not yet.","还没有。"],[6,"I must water the garden first.","我必须先给花园浇水。"],[7,"Do you have to water it now?","现在需要给它浇水吗？"],[8,"I'm afraid I must.","恐怕我必须这么做。"],[9,"Look at it!","看啊！"],[10,"It's terribly dry.","它干得厉害。"],[11,"What a nuisance!","真烦人！"],[12,"Last summer it was very dry, too.","去年夏天也非常干燥。"],[13,"Don't you remember?","你不记得了吗？"],[14,"I had to water it every day.","我每天都必须给它浇水。"],[15,"Well, I'll have tea by myself.","好吧，我就自己喝杯茶吧。"],[16,"That was quick!","真快啊！"],[17,"Have you finished already?","你已经完成了吗？"],[18,"Yes.","是的。"],[19,"Look out of the window.","往窗外看。"],[20,"It's raining!","下雨了！"],[21,"That means you don't need to water the garden.","这意味着你不需要给花园浇水了。"],[22,"That was a pleasant surprise.","这真是个令人愉快的惊喜。"],[23,"It means I can have tea, instead.","那我可以喝茶了。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"067&068－The Weekend","t":"The Weekend","c":[[0,"Lesson 67","第67课"],[1,"The weekend","周末"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听录音，然后回答这个问题："],[3,"What are the Johnsons going to do at the weekend?","约翰逊一家周末打算做什么？"],[4,"Hello. Were you at the butcher's?","你好。你去过肉店吗？"],[5,"Yes, I was.","是的，我去了。"],[6,"Were you at the butcher's, too?","你也去肉店了吗？"],[7,"No, I wasn't.","没有，我没去。"],[8,"I was at the greengrocer's.","没有，我去的是蔬菜店。"],[9,"How's Jimmy today?","吉米今天怎么样？"],[10,"He's very well, thank you.","他很好，谢谢。"],[11,"Was he absent from school last week?","他上周缺课了吗？"],[12,"Yes, he was.","是的，他缺课了。"],[13,"He was absent on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.","他周一、周二、周三和周四都缺席了。"],[14,"How are you all keeping?","大家最近怎么样？过得还好吗？"],[15,"Very well, thank you.","好的，谢谢您。"],[16,"We're going to spend three days in the country!","我们打算在乡下待三天！"],[17,"We're going to stay at my mother's for the weekend.","我们这个周末将住在妈妈家。"],[18,"Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the country!","周五、周六和周日都在乡下！"],[19,"Aren't you lucky!","你真幸运啊！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"085&086－Paris in the Spring.","t":"\"Paris in the Spring.\"","c":[[0,"Lesson 85","第85课"],[1,"'Paris in the Spring'.","《春天的巴黎》。"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"At what time of year did Ken visit Paris?","肯是在一年中的什么时候去巴黎的？"],[4,"Hello, Ken.","你好，肯。"],[5,"Hi, George.","嗨，乔治。"],[6,"Have you just been to the cinema?","你刚从电影院出来吗？"],[7,"Yes, I have.","是的，我刚去过。"],[8,"What's on?","在演什么？"],[9,"'Paris in the Spring'.","《春天的巴黎》。"],[10,"Oh, I've already seen it.","哦，我已经看过了。"],[11,"I saw it on television last year.","我去年在电视上看到过它。"],[12,"It's an old film, but it's very good.","这是一部老电影，不过非常精彩。"],[13,"Paris is a beautiful city.","巴黎是一座美丽的城市。"],[14,"I've never been there.","我从未去过那里。"],[15,"Have you ever been there, Ken?","你曾经去过那里吗，肯？"],[16,"Yes, I have.","是的，我去过。"],[17,"I was there in April.","我四月份去过那里。"],[18,"Paris in the spring, eh?","春天的巴黎，对吧？"],[19,"It was spring, but the weather was awful.","虽然是春天，但天气却糟透了。"],[20,"It rained all the time.","雨一直下个不停。"],[21,"Just like London!","就像伦敦一样！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"089&090－For Sale","t":"For Sale","c":[[0,"Lesson 89","第89课"],[1,"For sale","待售"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","请先听这段录音，然后回答这个问题："],[3,"Why couldn't Nigel decide?","为什么尼格尔无法做出决定？"],[4,"Good afternoon.","下午好。"],[5,"I believe that this house is for sale.","我认为这栋房子正在出售。"],[6,"That's right.","没错。"],[7,"May I have a look at it, please?","我可以看看吗？"],[8,"Yes, of course.","当然可以，请进来。"],[9,"Come in.","请进。"],[10,"How long have you lived here?","您在这里住了多久？"],[11,"I've lived here for twenty years.","我在这里已经住了二十年。"],[12,"Twenty years!","二十年了！"],[13,"That's a long time.","那真是很长的时间啊。"],[14,"Yes, I've been here since 1976.","是的，我从1976年就住在这里了。"],[15,"Then why do you want to sell it?","那你为什么想卖掉它呢？"],[16,"Because I've just retired.","因为我刚刚退休了。"],[17,"I want to buy a small house in the country.","我想在乡下买一座小房子。"],[18,"How much does this house cost?","这房子多少钱？"],[19,"￡68, 500.","68,500英镑。"],[20,"That's a lot of money!","那可是一大笔钱啊！"],[21,"It's worth every penny of it.","不过这笔钱花得很值。"],[22,"Well, I like the house, but I can't decide yet.","嗯，我很喜欢这房子，但我还没决定下来。"],[23,"My wife must see it first.","我得先让我妻子看看才行。"],[24,"Women always have the last word.","女人总是有最终发言权。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"055&056－The Sawyer Family","t":"The Sawyer Family","c":[[0,"Lesson 55","第55课"],[1,"The Sawyer family","索耶一家"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"When do the children do their homework?","孩子们什么时候做作业？"],[4,"The Sawyers live at 87 King Street.","索耶一家住在国王街87号。"],[5,"In the morning, Mr. Sawyer goes to work and the children go to school.","早上，索耶先生去上班，孩子们去上学。"],[6,"Their father takes them to school every day.","他们的父亲每天送他们去上学。"],[7,"Mrs. Sawyer stays at home every day.","索耶夫人每天都待在家里。"],[8,"She does the housework.","她做家务。"],[9,"She always eats her lunch at noon.","她总是在中午吃午饭。"],[10,"In the afternoon, she usually sees her friends.","下午，她通常会和朋友见面。"],[11,"They often drink tea together.","他们经常一起喝茶。"],[12,"In the evening, the children come home from school.","傍晚，孩子们放学回家。"],[13,"They arrive home early.","他们很早就到家了。"],[14,"Mr. Sawyer comes home from work.","索耶先生下班回家。"],[15,"He arrives home late.","他很晚才回到家。"],[16,"At night, the children always do their homework.","晚上，孩子们总是做作业。"],[17,"Then they go to bed.","然后他们就上床睡觉了。"],[18,"Mr. Sawyer usually reads his newspaper, but sometimes he and his wife watch television.","索耶先生通常会读报纸，但有时候他和他妻子也会一起看电视。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"141&142－Sally's First Train Ride","t":"Sally's First Train Ride","c":[[0,"Lesson 141","第141课"],[1,"Sally's first train ride","莎莉的第一次火车旅行"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","请听录音，然后回答这个问题："],[3,"Why was the mother embarrassed?","为什么那位母亲感到尴尬？"],[4,"Last week, my four-year-old daughter, Sally, was invited to a children's party.","上周，我四岁的女儿莎莉被邀请参加一个儿童派对。"],[5,"I decided to take her by train.","我决定带她坐火车去。"],[6,"Sally was very excited because she had never travelled on a train before.","莎莉非常兴奋，因为她以前从未坐过火车。"],[7,"She sat near the window and asked questions about everything she saw.","她坐在窗边，对看到的一切都充满了好奇，不停地提问。"],[8,"Suddenly, a middle-age lady got on the train and sat opposite Sally.","突然，一位中年女士上了火车，坐在莎莉的对面。"],[9,"'Hello, little girl,' she said.","“你好，小姑娘，”女士说道。"],[10,"Sally did not answer, but looked at her curiously.","莎莉没有回答，只是好奇地盯着她看。"],[11,"The lady was dressed in a blue coat and a large, funny hat.","那位女士穿着一件蓝色外套，戴着一顶又大又有趣的帽子。"],[12,"After the train had left the station, the lady opened her handbag and took out her powder compact.","火车离开车站后，那位女士打开她的手提包，拿出了她的粉饼。"],[13,"She then began to make up her face.","然后她开始化妆。"],[14,"'Why are you doing that?' Sally asked.","“你为什么要那么做？”莎莉问道。"],[15,"'To make myself beautiful,' the lady answered.","“为了让自己变得更美丽，”那位女士回答道。"],[16,"She put away her compact and smiled kindly.","她收起了她的粉饼，然后露出了友善的微笑。"],[17,"'But you are still ugly,' Sally said.","“但你还是很难看，”莎莉说。"],[18,"Sally was amused, but I was very embarrassed!","莎莉觉得这很有趣，但我却感到非常尴尬！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"007&008－Are You a Teacher","t":"Are You a Teacher?","c":[[0,"Lesson 7","第7课"],[1,"Are you a teacher?","你是一名老师吗？"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","请听录音，然后回答这个问题。"],[3,"What is Rober's job?","罗伯特的工作是什么？"],[4,"I am a new student.","我是一名新学生。"],[5,"My name's Robert.","我的名字叫罗伯特。"],[6,"Nice to meet you.","很高兴见到你。"],[7,"My name's Sophie.","我的名字叫索菲。"],[8,"Are you French?","你是法国人吗？"],[9,"Yes I am.","是的，我是。"],[10,"Are you French too?","你也是法国人吗？"],[11,"No I am not.","不，我不是。"],[12,"What nationality are you?","你是什么国籍的？"],[13,"I'm Italian.","我是意大利人。"],[14,"Are you a teacher?","你是一名老师吗？"],[15,"No I'm not.","不，我不是。"],[16,"What's your job?","你的工作是什么？"],[17,"I'm a keyboard operator.","我是一名打字员。"],[18,"What's your job?","你的工作是什么？"],[19,"I'm an engineer.","我是一名工程师。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"043&044－Hurry Up","t":"Hurry Up!","c":[[0,"Lesson 43","第43课"],[1,"Hurry up!","快点！"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","你怎么知道山姆不常泡茶呢？"],[3,"How do you know Sam doesn't make the tea very often?","你怎么知道山姆不经常泡茶的？"],[4,"Can you make the tea, Sam?","你能泡茶吗，山姆？"],[5,"Yes, of course I can, Penny.","当然能，佩妮。"],[6,"Is there any water in this kettle?","这个水壶里有水吗？"],[7,"Yes, there is.","有。"],[8,"Where's the tea?","茶在哪里？"],[9,"It's over there, behind the teapot.","就在那儿，茶壶后面。"],[10,"Can you see it?","你能看到它吗？"],[11,"I can see the teapot, but I can't see the tea.","我能看到茶壶，但看不到茶。"],[12,"There it is!","在那儿呢！"],[13,"It's in front of you!","它就在你面前！"],[14,"Ah yes, I can see it now.","啊，对，我现在看到了。"],[15,"Where are the cups?","杯子在哪里？"],[16,"There are some in the cupboard.","橱柜里有几个。"],[17,"Can you find them?","你能找到它们吗？"],[18,"Yes. Here they are.","能。在这儿呢。"],[19,"Hurry up, Sam!","快点，萨姆！"],[20,"The kettle's boiling!","水壶已经烧开了！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"075&076－Uncomfortable Shoes","t":"Uncomfortable Shoes","c":[[0,"Lesson 75","第75课"],[1,"Uncomfortable shoes","不舒服的鞋子"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"What's wrong with the fashionable shoes?","这些时髦的鞋子有什么问题？"],[4,"Do you have any shoes like these?","你们有类似的鞋子吗？"],[5,"What size?","什么尺寸？"],[6,"Size five.","尺码五。"],[7,"What colour?","什么颜色？"],[8,"Black.","黑色。"],[9,"I'm sorry.","对不起。"],[10,"We don't have any.","我们没有（这样的鞋子）。"],[11,"But my sister bought this pair last month.","但我姐姐上个月买了这双鞋。"],[12,"Did she buy them here?","她是在这里买的吗？"],[13,"No, she bought them in the U. S.","不，她是在美国买的。"],[14,"We had some shoes like those a month ago, but we don't have any now.","我们一个月前还有一些那样的鞋子，但现在一只都没有了。"],[15,"Can you get a pair for me, please?","能帮我弄一双吗？"],[16,"I'm afraid that I can't.","恐怕不行。"],[17,"They were in fashion last year and the year before last.","它们在去年和前年都很流行。"],[18,"But they're not in fashion this year.","但它们今年已经过时了（不再流行了）。"],[19,"These shoes are in fashion now.","这双鞋现在非常流行。"],[20,"They look very uncomfortable.","这双鞋看起来很不舒服。"],[21,"They are very uncomfortable.","这双鞋确实很不舒服。"],[22,"But women always wear uncomfortable shoes!","但是女性总是穿着不舒服的鞋子啊！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"093&094－Our New Neighbour","t":"Our New Neighbour","c":[[0,"Lesson 93","第93课"],[1,"Our new neighbour","我们的新邻居"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Why is Nigel a lucky man?","为什么奈杰尔是个幸运的人？"],[4,"Nigel is our new next-door neighbour.","奈杰尔是我们的新邻居，住在我们隔壁。"],[5,"He's a pilot.","他是一名飞行员。"],[6,"He was in the R.A.F.","他曾在英国皇家空军（R.A.F.）服役。"],[7,"He will fly to New York next month.","他下个月将飞往纽约。"],[8,"The month after next he'll fly to Tokyo.","下下个月，他将飞往东京。"],[9,"At the moment, he's in Madrid.","目前，他在马德里。"],[10,"He flew to Spain a week ago.","他一周前飞去了西班牙。"],[11,"He'll return to London the week after next.","他将在下下周回到伦敦。"],[12,"He's only forty-one years old,","他才四十一岁。"],[13,"and he has already been to nearly every country in the world.","他已经去过世界上几乎所有的国家了。"],[14,"Nigel is a very lucky man.","奈杰尔是个非常幸运的人。"],[15,"But his wife isn't very lucky.","不过他的妻子运气不太好。"],[16,"She usually stays at home!","她通常待在家里！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"003&004－Sorry, Sir.","t":"Sorry, Sir.","c":[[0,"Lesson 3","第3课"],[1,"Sorry sir.","对不起，先生。"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Does the man get his umbrella back?","那个男人能拿回他的伞吗？"],[4,"My coat and my umbrella please.","请给我我的外套和雨伞。"],[5,"Here is my ticket.","这是我的票。"],[6,"Thank you sir.","谢谢您，先生。"],[7,"Number five.","五号。"],[8,"Here's your umbrella and your coat.","这是你的伞和外套。"],[9,"This is not my umbrella.","这不是我的伞。"],[10,"Sorry sir.","对不起，先生。"],[11,"Is this your umbrella?","这是你的伞吗？"],[12,"No it isn't.","不，它不是。"],[13,"Is this it?","是这把吗？"],[14,"Yes it is.","是的，这就是它。"],[15,"Thank you very much.","非常感谢您。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"053&054－An Interesting Climate","t":"An Interesting Climate","c":[[0,"Lesson 53","第53课"],[1,"An interesting climate","有趣的气候"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"What is the favourite subject of conversation in England?","在英格兰，人们最喜欢谈论的话题是什么？"],[4,"Where do you come from?","你来自哪里？"],[5,"I come from England.","我来自英格兰。"],[6,"What's the climate like in your country?","你们国家的气候是怎样的？"],[7,"It's mild, but it's not always pleasant.","气候温和，但并非总是宜人。"],[8,"The weather's often cold in the North and windy in the East.","北方常常寒冷，东部则多风。"],[9,"It's often wet in the West and sometimes warm in the South.","西部常常潮湿，而南方有时温暖。"],[10,"Which seasons do you like best?","你最喜欢哪些季节？"],[11,"I like spring and summer.","我喜欢春天和夏天。"],[12,"The days are long and the nights are short.","白天长，夜晚短。"],[13,"The sun rises early and sets late.","太阳升得早，落得晚。"],[14,"I don't like autumn and winter.","我不喜欢秋天和冬天。"],[15,"The days are short and the nights are long.","白天短，夜晚长。"],[16,"The sun rises late and sets early.","太阳升得晚，落得早。"],[17,"Our climate is not very good, but it's certainly interesting.","我们的气候不是很好，但确实很有趣。"],[18,"It's our favourite subject of conversation.","这是我们最喜欢谈论的话题。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"117&118－Tommy's Breakfast","t":"Tommy's Breakfast","c":[[0,"Lesson 117","第117课"],[1,"Tommy's breakfast","汤米的早餐"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"What does she mean by 'change' in the last sentence?","她在最后一句话里说的“change”是什么意思？"],[4,"When my husband was going into the dining room this morning,","今天早上，当我丈夫走进餐厅的时候……"],[5,"he dropped some coins on the floor.","他把一些硬币掉在了地上。"],[6,"There were coins everywhere.","硬币到处都是。"],[7,"We looked for them, but we could not find them all.","我们寻找过它们，但没能全部找到。"],[8,"While we were having breakfast,","当我们正在吃早餐的时候……"],[9,"our little boy, Tommy, found two small coins on the floor.","我们的小男孩汤米在地板上发现了两枚小硬币。"],[10,"He put them both into his mouth.","他把它们都放进了嘴里。"],[11,"We both tried to get the coins, but it was too late.","我们都试图拿到那些硬币，但已经太晚了。"],[12,"Tommy had already swallowed them!","汤米已经把它们吞下去了！"],[13,"Late that morning, when I was doing the housework,","那天上午晚些时候，当我正在做家务时……"],[14,"My husband phoned me from the office.","我丈夫从办公室给我打了电话。"],[15,"'How's Tommy?' he asked.","“汤米怎么样了？”他问道。"],[16,"'I don't know,' I answered,","“我不知道，”我回答道。"],[17,"'Tommy's been to the toilet three times this morning, but I haven't had any change yet!'","“今天早上汤米已经上了三次厕所了，但我还没有收到任何零钱呢！”"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"029&030－Come In, Amy.","t":"Come In, Amy.","c":[[0,"Lesson 29","第29课"],[1,"Come in, Amy.","进来，艾米。"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"How must Amy clean the floor?","艾米应该怎样打扫地板呢？"],[4,"Come in, Amy.","进来，艾米。"],[5,"Shut the door, please.","请把门关上。"],[6,"This bedroom's very untidy.","这个卧室非常乱糟糟的。"],[7,"What must I do, Mrs. Jones?","我该怎么办，琼斯太太？"],[8,"Open the window and air the room.","打开窗户让房间通风。"],[9,"Then put these clothes in the wardrobe.","然后把这些衣服放进衣柜里。"],[10,"Then make the bed.","接着整理床铺。"],[11,"Dust the dressing table.","擦掉梳妆台上的灰尘。"],[12,"Then sweep the floor.","然后扫地。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"103&104－The French Test","t":"The French Test","c":[[0,"Lesson 103","第103课"],[1,"The French test","法语测试"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"How long did the exam last?","考试持续了多长时间？"],[4,"How was the exam, Richard?","理查德，考试考得怎么样？"],[5,"Not too bad.","还不错。"],[6,"I think I passed in English and Mathematics.","我想我英语和数学都考及格了。"],[7,"The questions were very easy.","这些问题非常简单。"],[8,"How about you, Gary?","那你呢，加里？"],[9,"The English and Maths papers weren't easy enough for me.","英语和数学的试卷对我来说不够简单。"],[10,"I hope I haven't failed.","我希望我没挂科。"],[11,"I think I failed the French paper.","我觉得我法语考试没及格。"],[12,"I could answer sixteen of the questions.","我能够回答其中的十六个问题。"],[13,"They were very easy.","它们非常简单。"],[14,"But I couldn't answer the rest.","但我无法回答其余的问题。"],[15,"They were too difficult for me.","这些对我来说太难了。"],[16,"French tests are awful, aren't they?","法语考试太糟糕了，不是吗？"],[17,"I hate them.","我讨厌它们。"],[18,"I'm sure I've got a low mark.","我肯定我的分数很低。"],[19,"Oh, cheer up!","哦，振作起来吧！"],[20,"Perhaps we didn't do too badly.","也许我们的表现还不错。"],[21,"The guy next to me wrote his name at the top of the paper.","坐在我旁边的人在纸的顶部写下了自己的名字。"],[22,"Yes?","然后呢？"],[23,"Then he sat there and looked at it for three hours!","然后他就坐在那里，盯着它看了三个小时！"],[24,"He didn't write a word!","他一个字都没写！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"047&048－A Cup of Coffee","t":"A Cup of Coffee","c":[[0,"Lesson 47","第47课"],[1,"A cup of coffee","一杯咖啡"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","安喜欢什么样的咖啡？"],[3,"How does Ann like her coffee?","安喜欢她的咖啡吗？"],[4,"Do you like coffee, Ann?","你喜欢咖啡吗，安？"],[5,"Yes, I do.","是的，我喜欢。"],[6,"Do you want a cup?","你想来一杯吗？"],[7,"Yes, please, Christine.","是的，请给我来一杯，克里斯汀。"],[8,"Do you want any sugar?","要加糖吗？"],[9,"Yes, please.","需要，请加一些。"],[10,"Do you want any milk?","要加牛奶吗？"],[11,"No, thank you.","不需要，谢谢。"],[12,"I don't like milk in my coffee.","我不喜欢在咖啡里加牛奶。"],[13,"I like black coffee.","我喜欢黑咖啡。"],[14,"Do you like biscuits?","你喜欢饼干吗？"],[15,"Yes, I do.","是的，我喜欢。"],[16,"Do you want one?","要来一块吗？"],[17,"Yes, please.","是的，请给我来一块。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"109&110－A Good Idea","t":"A Good Idea","c":[[0,"Lesson 109","第109课"],[1,"A good idea","一个好主意"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听录音，然后回答这个问题："],[3,"What does Jane have with her coffee?","简喝咖啡时带了什么？"],[4,"Shall I make some coffee, Jane?","“我给你煮点咖啡吧，简？”"],[5,"That's a good idea, Charlotte.","“那是个好主意，夏洛特。”"],[6,"It's ready.","“咖啡煮好了。”"],[7,"Do you want any milk?","“你要加牛奶吗？”"],[8,"Just a little, please.","“请加一点点。”"],[9,"What about some sugar?","“那加点糖怎么样？”"],[10,"Two teaspoonfuls?","“两茶匙？”"],[11,"No, less than that.","“不，少一点就好。”"],[12,"One and a half teaspoonfuls, please.","请给我一茶匙半。"],[13,"That's enough for me.","对我来说，这就够了。"],[14,"That was very nice.","这咖啡真不错。"],[15,"Would you like some more?","您还要再来一些吗？"],[16,"Yes, please.","好的，再来一点。"],[17,"I'd like a cigarette, too.","我也想抽根烟。"],[18,"May I have one?","我可以要一个吗？"],[19,"Of course.","当然。"],[20,"I think there are a few in that box.","我想那个盒子里有几支烟。"],[21,"I'm afraid it's empty.","恐怕它是空的。"],[22,"What a pity!","真遗憾！"],[23,"It doesn't matter.","没关系。"],[24,"Have a biscuit instead.","“那就吃块饼干吧。”"],[25,"Eat more and smoke less!","“多吃点，少抽烟！”"],[26,"That's very good advice!","这真是很好的建议！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"001&002－Excuse Me","t":"Excuse Me!","c":[[0,"Lesson 1","第1课"],[1,"Excuse me!","打扰一下！"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Whose handbag is it?","这是谁的手提包？"],[4,"Excuse me!","打扰一下！"],[5,"Yes?","什么事？"],[6,"Is this your handbag?","这是你的手提包吗？"],[7,"Pardon?","什么？请再说一遍。"],[8,"Is this your handbag?","这是你的手提包吗？"],[9,"Yes it is.","是的，它是。"],[10,"Thank you very much.","非常感谢您。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"121&122－The Man in a Hat","t":"The Man in a Hat","c":[[0,"Lesson 121","第121课"],[1,"The man in a hat","戴帽子的男子"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","请听录音，然后回答这个问题："],[3,"Why didn't Caroline recognize the customer straight away?","为什么卡罗琳没有立刻认出那位顾客？"],[4,"I bought two expensive dictionaries here half an hour ago, but I forgot to take them with me.","半小时前我在这里买了两本昂贵的词典，但忘记带走了。"],[5,"Who served you, sir?","先生，是谁接待您的？"],[6,"The lady who is standing behind the counter.","是站在柜台后面的那位女士。"],[7,"Which books did you buy?","您买了哪些书？"],[8,"The books which are on the counter.","就是放在柜台上的那些书。"],[9,"Did you serve this gentleman half an hour ago, Caroline?","卡罗琳，半小时前你接待过这位先生吗？"],[10,"He says he's the man who bought these books.","他说他就是买这些书的人。"],[11,"I can't remember.","我记不起来了。"],[12,"The man who I served was wearing a hat.","我接待过的那位男士戴着帽子。"],[13,"Have you got a hat, sir?","先生，您有帽子吗？"],[14,"Yes, I have.","是的，我有。"],[15,"Would you put it on, please?","请您戴上它好吗？"],[16,"All right.","好的。"],[17,"Is this the man that you served, Caroline?","卡罗琳，这就是你接待过的那位男士吗？"],[18,"Yes.","是的。"],[19,"I recognize him now.","我现在认出他来了。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"035&036－Our Village","t":"Our Village","c":[[0,"Lesson 35","第35课"],[1,"Our village","我们的村庄"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Are the children coming out of the park or going into it?","孩子们是从公园里出来，还是正要进入公园呢？"],[4,"This is a photograph of our village.","这是一张我们村庄的照片。"],[5,"Our village is in a valley.","我们的村庄在一个山谷里。"],[6,"It is between two hills.","它在两座小山之间。"],[7,"The village is on a river.","这个村庄在一条河边。"],[8,"Here is another photograph of the village.","这是另一张村庄的照片。"],[9,"My wife and I are walking along the banks of the river.","我和我的妻子正在河边散步。"],[10,"We are on the left.","我们在左边。"],[11,"There is a boy in the water.","水里有一个男孩。"],[12,"He is swimming across the river.","他正在游过这条河。"],[13,"Here is another photograph.","这是另一张照片。"],[14,"This is the school building.","这是学校大楼。"],[15,"It is beside a park.","它在一个公园旁边。"],[16,"The park is on the right.","公园在右边。"],[17,"Some children are coming out of the building.","一些孩子正从大楼里走出来。"],[18,"Some of them are going into the park.","其中一些人正前往公园。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"045&046－The Boss's Letter","t":"The Boss's Letter","c":[[0,"Lesson 45","第45课"],[1,"The boss's letter","老板的信"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Why can't Pamela type the letter?","为什么帕梅打不了这封信呢？"],[4,"Can you come here a minute please, Bob?","鲍勃，你能过来一下吗？"],[5,"Yes, sir?","先生，有什么事吗？"],[6,"Where's Pamela?","帕梅拉在哪里？"],[7,"She's next door.","她在隔壁。"],[8,"She's in her office, sir.","她现在在她的办公室里，先生。"],[9,"Can she type this letter for me?","她能帮我打这封信吗？"],[10,"Ask her please.","请去问她。"],[11,"Yes, sir.","是的，先生。"],[12,"Can you type this letter for the boss please, Pamela?","帕梅拉，你能帮老板把这封信打出来吗？"],[13,"Yes, of course I can.","当然可以。"],[14,"Here you are.","给你。"],[15,"Thank you, Bob.","谢谢你，鲍勃。"],[16,"Bob!","鲍勃！"],[17,"Yes?","怎么了？"],[18,"What's the matter?","怎么了？"],[19,"I can't type this letter.","我打不了这封信。"],[20,"I can't read it!","我看不懂！"],[21,"The boss's handwriting is terrible!","老板的笔迹太糟糕了！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"023&024－Which Glasses","t":"Which Glasses?","c":[[0,"Lesson 23","第23课"],[1,"Which glasses?","哪些眼镜？"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后回答这个问题。"],[3,"Which glasses does the man want?","那个男人想要哪些眼镜？"],[4,"Give me some glasses please, Jane.","简，请给我拿些眼镜来。"],[5,"Which glasses?","哪些眼镜？"],[6,"These glasses?","这些眼镜？"],[7,"No, not those.","不，不是那些。"],[8,"The ones on the shelf.","架子上的那些（眼镜）。"],[9,"These?","这些（眼镜）？"],[10,"Yes, please.","对，请（就这些）。"],[11,"Here you are.","给你。"],[12,"Thanks.","谢谢。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"027&028－Mrs. Smith's Living Room","t":"Mrs. Smith's Living Room","c":[[0,"Lesson 27","第27课"],[1,"Mrs. Smith's living room","史密斯夫人的客厅"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Where are the books?","书在哪里？"],[4,"Mrs. Smith's living room is large.","史密斯太太的客厅非常大。"],[5,"There is a television in the room.","房间里有一台电视机。"],[6,"The television is near the window.","电视机放在窗户旁边。"],[7,"There are some magazines on the television.","电视机上有几本杂志。"],[8,"There is a table in the room.","房间里有一张桌子。"],[9,"There are some newspapers on the table.","桌子上有一些报纸。"],[10,"There are some armchairs in the room.","房间里有一些扶手椅。"],[11,"The armchairs are near the table.","那些扶手椅都放在桌子旁边。"],[12,"There is a stereo in the room.","房间里有一台立体声音响。"],[13,"The stereo is near the door.","音响在门旁边。"],[14,"There are some books on the stereo.","音响上有几本书。"],[15,"There are some pictures in the room.","房间里有几幅画。"],[16,"The pictures are on the wall.","画在墙上。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"025&026－Mrs. Smith's Kitchen","t":"Mrs. Smith's Kitchen","c":[[0,"Lesson 25","第25课"],[1,"Mrs. Smith's Kitchen","史密斯夫人的厨房"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"What colour is the electric cooker?","这个电炉是什么颜色的？"],[4,"Mrs. Smith's kitchen is small.","史密斯太太的厨房很小。"],[5,"There is a refrigerator in the kitchen.","厨房里有一台冰箱。"],[6,"The refrigerator is white.","冰箱是白色的。"],[7,"It is on the right.","它在右边。"],[8,"There is an electric cooker in the kitchen.","厨房里有一台电炊具。"],[9,"The cooker is blue.","这个电炉是蓝色的。"],[10,"It is on the left.","它在左边。"],[11,"There is a table in the middle of the room.","厨房中央有一张桌子。"],[12,"There is a bottle on the table.","桌子上有一个瓶子。"],[13,"The bottle is empty.","这个瓶子是空的。"],[14,"There is a cup on the table, too.","桌子上还有一个杯子。"],[15,"The cup is clean.","这个杯子是干净的。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"061&062－A Bad Cold","t":"A Bad Cold","c":[[0,"Lesson 61","第61课"],[1,"A bad cold","重感冒"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","请听录音，然后回答以下问题："],[3,"What is good news for Jimmy?","对吉米来说，有什么好消息？"],[4,"Where's Jimmy?","吉米在哪里？"],[5,"He's in bed.","他在床上。"],[6,"What's the matter with him?","他怎么了？"],[7,"He feels ill.","他感觉不舒服。"],[8,"He looks ill.","他看起来也很不舒服。"],[9,"We must call the doctor.","我们必须叫医生来。"],[10,"Yes, we must.","是的，我们必须这么做。"],[11,"Can you remember the doctor's telephone number?","你能记住医生的电话号码吗？"],[12,"Yes. It's 09754.","是的，号码是 09754。"],[13,"Open your mouth, Jimmy.","张开你的嘴，吉米。"],[14,"Show me your tongue. Say, 'Ah'.","把你的舌头伸出来，然后说“Ah”。"],[15,"What's the matter with him, doctor?","医生，他到底怎么了？"],[16,"He has a bad cold, Mr. Williams, so he must stay in bed for a week.","他得了重感冒，威廉姆斯先生，所以他必须卧床一周。"],[17,"That's good news for Jimmy.","这对吉米来说是个好消息。"],[18,"Good news? Why?","好消息？为什么？"],[19,"Because he doesn't like school!","因为他不喜欢上学！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"037&038－Making a Bookcase","t":"Making a Bookcase","c":[[0,"Lesson 37","第37课"],[1,"Making a bookcase","制作一个书架"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"What is Susan's favourite colour?","苏珊最喜欢的颜色是什么？"],[4,"You're working hard, George.","你工作得很努力，乔治。"],[5,"What are you doing?","你在做什么？"],[6,"I'm making a bookcase.","我正在制作一个书架。"],[7,"Give me that hammer please, Dan.","请把那把锤子递给我，丹。"],[8,"Which hammer?","哪把锤子？"],[9,"This one?","这个吗？"],[10,"No, not that one.","不，不是那个。"],[11,"The big one.","那个大的。"],[12,"Here you are.","给你。"],[13,"Thanks, Dan.","谢谢，丹。"],[14,"What are you going to do now, George?","乔治，你现在打算做什么？"],[15,"I'm going to paint it.","我打算给它刷漆。"],[16,"What colour are you going to paint it?","你打算把它涂成什么颜色？"],[17,"I'm going to paint it pink.","我打算把它涂成粉色。"],[18,"Pink!","粉色！"],[19,"This bookcase isn't for me.","这个书架不是给我做的。"],[20,"It's for my daughter, Susan.","这是给我女儿苏珊的。"],[21,"Pink's her favourite colour.","粉色是她最喜欢的颜色。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"143&144－A Walk Through the Woods","t":"A Walk Through the Woods","c":[[0,"Lesson 143","第143课"],[1,"A walk through the woods","在树林中散步"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"What was so funny about the words on the sign?","那个招牌上的文字有什么好笑的呢？"],[4,"I live in a very old town which is surrounded by beautiful woods.","我住在一个非常古老的城镇里，这个城镇被美丽的树林环绕着。"],[5,"It is a famous beauty spot.","这是一个著名的风景区。"],[6,"On Sundays, hundreds of people come from the city to see our town and to walk through the woods.","每到周日，都会有数百人从城里来到我们这个小镇，然后漫步在树林里。"],[7,"Visitors have been asked to keep the woods clean and tidy.","游客们被要求保持树林的整洁。"],[8,"Litter baskets have been placed under the trees, but people still throw their rubbish everywhere.","虽然树底下已经放置了垃圾篓，人们仍然把垃圾扔得到处都是。"],[9,"Last Wednesday, I went for a walk in the woods.","上周三，我去树林里散步了。"],[10,"What I saw made me very sad.","我所看到的一切让我感到非常难过。"],[11,"I counted seven old cars and three old refrigerators.","我数了七辆旧汽车和三台旧冰箱。"],[12,"The little baskets were empty and the ground was covered with pieces of paper,","那些小篮子都是空的，地上到处是纸片、"],[13,"cigarette ends, old tyres, empty bottles and rusty tins.","烟头、旧轮胎、空瓶子以及生锈的铁罐。"],[14,"Among the rubbish, I found a sign which said, 'Anyone who leaves litter in these woods will be prosecuted!'","在那些垃圾中，我发现了一张告示，上面写着：“任何在这些树林里乱扔垃圾的人都将受到法律追究！”"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"071&072－He's Awful","t":"He's Awful!","c":[[0,"Lesson 71","第71课"],[1,"He's awful!","他太糟糕了！"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"How did Pauline answer the telephone at nine o'clock?","保罗琳在九点钟是如何接电话的？"],[4,"What's Ron Marston like, Pauline?","罗恩·马斯顿是个什么样的人啊，保罗琳？"],[5,"He's awful!","他太糟糕了！"],[6,"He telephoned me four times yesterday and three times the day before yesterday.","他昨天给我打了四次电话，前天则打了三次电话。"],[7,"He telephoned the office yesterday morning and yesterday afternoon.","他昨天上午和昨天下午都给办公室打了电话。"],[8,"My boss answered the telephone.","我的老板接了电话。"],[9,"What did your boss say to him?","你的老板对他说了什么？"],[10,"He said, 'Pauline is typing letters.","他说：“保罗琳正在打信件。"],[11,"She can't speak to you now!'","“她现在没法和你说话！”"],[12,"Then I arrived home at six o'clock yesterday evening.","然后我昨天晚上六点钟回到了家。"],[13,"He telephoned again.","他又打了一次电话。"],[14,"But I didn't answer the phone!","但我没有接电话啊！"],[15,"Did he telephone again last night?","他昨晚又打电话来了吗？"],[16,"Yes, he did.","是的，他确实这么做了。"],[17,"He telephoned at nine o'clock.","他是在九点钟打来的电话。"],[18,"What did you say to him?","你对他说了什么？"],[19,"I said, 'This is Pauline's mother.","我说：“我是保罗琳的母亲。"],[20,"Please don't telephone my daughter again!'","“请不要再给我女儿打电话了！”"],[21,"Did he telephone again?","他又打电话来了吗？"],[22,"No, he didn't!","不，他并没有！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"005&006－Nice to Meet You.","t":"Nice to Meet You.","c":[[0,"Lesson 5","第5课"],[1,"Nice to meet you.","很高兴见到你。"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Is Chang-woo Chinese?","昌宇是中国人吗？"],[4,"Good morning.","早上好。"],[5,"Good morning Mr. Blake.","早上好，布莱克先生。"],[6,"This is Miss Sophie Dupont.","这位是索菲·杜邦小姐。"],[7,"Sophie is a new student.","索菲是一名新学生。"],[8,"She is French.","她是法国人。"],[9,"Sophie this is Hans.","索菲，这位是汉斯。"],[10,"He is German.","他是德国人。"],[11,"Nice to meet you.","很高兴见到你。"],[12,"And this is Naoko.","这是直子。"],[13,"She's Japanese.","她是日本人。"],[14,"Nice to meet you.","很高兴见到你。"],[15,"And this is Chang-woo.","这是昌宇。"],[16,"He's Korean.","他是韩国人。"],[17,"Nice to meet you.","很高兴见到你。"],[18,"And this is Luming.","这位是鲁明。"],[19,"He's Chinese.","他是中国人。"],[20,"Nice to meet you.","很高兴见到你。"],[21,"And this is Xiaohui.","这是小辉。"],[22,"She is Chinese too.","她也是中国人。"],[23,"Nice to meet you.","很高兴见到你。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"105&106－Full of Mistakes","t":"Full of Mistakes","c":[[0,"Lesson 105","第105课"],[1,"Full of mistakes","满是错误"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","请听录音，然后回答这个问题："],[3,"What was Sandra's present?","桑德拉收到了什么礼物？"],[4,"Where's Sandra, Bob?","鲍勃，桑德拉在哪里？"],[5,"I want her.","我找她。"],[6,"Do you want to speak to her?","你想和她说话吗？"],[7,"Yes, I do.","是的，我想。"],[8,"I want her to come to my office.","我希望她能来我的办公室。"],[9,"Tell her to come at once.","告诉她立刻过来。"],[10,"Did you want to see me?","你是想见我吗？"],[11,"Ah, yes, Sandra.","啊，是的，桑德拉。"],[12,"How do you spell 'intelligent'?","“intelligent”怎么拼写？"],[13,"Can you tell me?","你能告诉我吗？"],[14,"I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-T.","I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-T。"],[15,"That's right.","没错。"],[16,"You've typed it with only one 'L'.","你只打了一个'L'。"],[17,"This letter's full of mistakes.","这封信里满是错误。"],[18,"I want you to type it again.","我要你重新打一遍。"],[19,"Yes, I'll do that.","好的，我会的。"],[20,"I'm sorry about that.","真抱歉。"],[21,"And here's a little present for you.","这里有一个小礼物给你。"],[22,"What is it?","是什么礼物呢？"],[23,"It's a dictionary.","是一本字典。"],[24,"I hope it'll help you.","希望这能对你有所帮助。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"069&070－The Car Race","t":"The Car Race","c":[[0,"Lesson 69","第69课"],[1,"The car race","汽车比赛"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Which car was the winner in 1995?","哪辆车在1995年赢得了比赛？"],[4,"There is a car race near our town every year.","每年我们镇附近都会举行一场汽车比赛。"],[5,"In 1995, there was a very big race.","1995年，有一场规模非常大的比赛。"],[6,"There were hundreds of people there.","那里有数百人。"],[7,"My wife and I were at the race.","我和我的妻子一起去了那场比赛。"],[8,"Our friends Julie and Jack were there, too.","我们的朋友朱莉和杰克也都在那里。"],[9,"You can see us in the crowd.","你们可以在人群中看到我们。"],[10,"We are standing on the left.","我们站在左边。"],[11,"There were twenty cars in the race.","比赛中有二十辆汽车。"],[12,"There were English cars, French cars, German cars, Italian cars, American cars and Japanese cars.","有英国汽车、法国汽车、德国汽车、意大利汽车、美国汽车和日本汽车。"],[13,"It was an exciting finish.","比赛的结尾非常激动人心。"],[14,"The winner was Billy Stewart.","获胜者是比利·斯图尔特。"],[15,"He was in car number fifteen.","他驾驶的是十五号车。"],[16,"Five other cars were just behind him.","还有另外五辆车紧跟在他后面。"],[17,"On the way home, my wife said to me, 'Don't drive so quickly!","在回家的路上，我的妻子对我说：‘别开得太快！’"],[18,"You're not Billy Stewart!'","“你又不是比利·斯图尔特！”"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"129&130－Seventy Miles an Hour","t":"Seventy Miles an Hour","c":[[0,"Lesson 129","第129课"],[1,"Seventy miles an hour","每小时七十英里"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"What does Ann advise her husband to do next time?","安建议她丈夫下次该怎么做？"],[4,"Look, Gary!","看，加里！"],[5,"That policeman's waving to you.","那个警察正在向你挥手。"],[6,"He wants you to stop.","他希望你停下来。"],[7,"Where do you think you are?","你以为自己在哪里啊？"],[8,"On a race track?","在赛道上？"],[9,"You must have been driving at seventy miles an hour.","你当时肯定是以每小时70英里的速度在开车。"],[10,"I can't have been.","我不可能开那么快。"],[11,"I was doing eighty when I overtook you.","我超过你的时候，时速是八十英里。"],[12,"Didn't you see the speed limit?","你没看到限速标志吗？"],[13,"I'm afraid I didn't, officer.","恐怕我没有，警官。"],[14,"I must have been dreaming.","我肯定是在做梦。"],[15,"He wasn't dreaming, officer.","他并没有在做梦，警官。"],[16,"I was telling him to drive slowly.","我当时在告诉他要开慢一点。"],[17,"That's why I didn't see the sign.","这就是为什么我没有看到那个标志的原因。"],[18,"Let me see your driving licence.","请让我看一下你的驾驶执照。"],[19,"I won't charge you this time.","这次我就不罚你了。"],[20,"But you'd better not do it again!","但你最好别再这么做了！"],[21,"Thank you.","谢谢。"],[22,"I'll certainly be more careful.","我一定会更加小心的。"],[23,"I told you to drive slowly, Gary.","我早就告诉过你要开慢一点，加里。"],[24,"You always tell me to drive slowly, darling.","你总是让我开慢车，亲爱的。"],[25,"Well, next time you'd better take my advice!","嗯，下次你最好还是听我的建议吧！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"039&040－Don't Drop It","t":"Don't Drop It!","c":[[0,"Lesson 39","第39课"],[1,"Don't drop it!","别把它掉下来！"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听录音，然后回答这个问题："],[3,"Where does Sam put the vase in the end?","最后萨姆把花瓶放在了哪里？"],[4,"What are you going to do with that vase, Penny?","佩妮，你打算怎么处理那个花瓶？"],[5,"I'm going to put it on this table, Sam.","我要把它放在这张桌子上，萨姆。"],[6,"Don't do that.","别那么做。"],[7,"Give it to me.","把它给我。"],[8,"What are you going to do with it?","你打算怎么处理它？"],[9,"I'm going to put it here, in front of the window.","“我要把它放在这里，窗子前面。”"],[10,"Be careful! Don't drop it!","小心！别把它掉下来！"],[11,"Don't put it there, Sam.","“别放在那儿，萨姆。”"],[12,"Put it here, on this shelf.","把它放在这儿，这个架子上。"],[13,"There we are!","好了，放好了！"],[14,"It's a lovely vase.","这是一个很漂亮的花瓶。"],[15,"Those flowers are lovely, too.","那些花也很漂亮。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"095&096－Tickets, Please.","t":"Tickets, Please.","c":[[0,"Lesson 95","第95课"],[1,"Tickets, please.","请给我票。"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Why did George and Ken miss the train?","为什么乔治和肯错过了火车？"],[4,"Two return tickets to London, please.","请给我两张去伦敦的往返票。"],[5,"What time will the next train leave?","下一班火车什么时候出发？"],[6,"At nineteen minutes past eight.","八点十九分。"],[7,"Which platform?","哪个站台？"],[8,"Platform Two.","第二站台。"],[9,"Over the bridge.","过桥。"],[10,"What time will the next train leave?","下一班火车什么时候出发？"],[11,"At eight nineteen.","八点十九分。"],[12,"We've got plenty of time.","我们还有充足的时间。"],[13,"It's only three minutes to eight.","现在才八点差三分。"],[14,"Let's go and have a drink.","我们一起去喝一杯吧。"],[15,"There's a bar next door to the station.","车站旁边有一家酒吧。"],[16,"We had better go back to the station now, Ken.","我们最好现在就回车站去，肯。"],[17,"Tickets, please.","请给我票。"],[18,"We want to catch the eight nineteen to London.","我们要赶八点十九分去伦敦的火车。"],[19,"You've just missed it!","你刚刚错过了它！"],[20,"What!","什么！"],[21,"It's only eight fifteen.","现在才八点十五分。"],[22,"I'm sorry, sir.","对不起，先生。"],[23,"That clock's ten minutes slow.","那个钟慢了十分钟。"],[24,"When's the next train?","下一班火车什么时候开？"],[25,"In five hours' time!","五小时后！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"101&102－A Card From Jimmy","t":"A Card From Jimmy","c":[[0,"Lesson 101","第101课"],[1,"A card from Jimmy","一张来自吉米的卡片"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Does grandmother seem pleased to get a card from Jimmy? Why/Why not?","奶奶收到吉米送的卡片时，看起来很高兴吗？为什么呢？"],[4,"Read Jimmy's card to me please, Penny.","请把吉米的卡片内容读给我听，佩妮。"],[5,"'I have just arrived in Scotland and I'm staying at a Youth Hostel.'","我刚到苏格兰，现在住在一家青年旅舍里。"],[6,"Eh?","啊？"],[7,"He says he's just arrived in Scotland.","他说他刚刚抵达苏格兰。"],[8,"He says he's staying at a Youth Hostel.","他说他现在住在一家青年旅舍里。"],[9,"You know he's a member of the Y.H.A.","你知道他是 Y.H.A. 的成员。"],[10,"The what?","什么协会？"],[11,"The Y.H.A., Mum.","是Y.H.A.，妈妈。"],[12,"The Youth Hostels Association.","青年旅舍协会。"],[13,"What else does he say?","他还说了什么？"],[14,"'I'll write a letter soon.","我很快就会写一封信。"],[15,"I hope you are all well.'","我希望你们大家都一切都好。"],[16,"What? Speak up, Penny.","什么？大声点，佩妮。"],[17,"I'm afraid I can't hear you.","恐怕我听不清你的话。"],[18,"He says he'll write a letter soon.","他说他很快就会写一封信。"],[19,"He hopes we are all well.","他希望我们都很好。"],[20,"'Love, Jimmy.'","“爱你的，吉米。”"],[21,"Is that all?","就这些吗？"],[22,"He doesn't say very much, does he?","他说话不多，对吧？"],[23,"He can't write very much on a card, Mum.","妈妈，他在卡片上写不了太多内容。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"091&092－Poor Ian","t":"Poor Ian!","c":[[0,"Lesson 91","第91课"],[1,"Poor Ian!","可怜的伊恩！"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Who wanted to sell the house?","谁想卖掉这栋房子呢？"],[4,"Has Ian sold his house yet?","伊恩已经卖掉他的房子了吗？"],[5,"Yes, he has.","是的，他已经卖了。"],[6,"He sold it last week.","他上周把它卖掉了。"],[7,"Has he moved to his new house yet?","他已经搬进新房子了吗？"],[8,"No, not yet.","不，还没有。"],[9,"He's still here.","他还在这里。"],[10,"He's going to move tomorrow.","他明天就要搬家了。"],[11,"When? Tomorrow morning?","什么时候？明天早上吗？"],[12,"No. Tomorrow afternoon.","不，明天下午。"],[13,"I'll miss him.","我会想念他的。"],[14,"He has always been a good neighbour.","他一直是个很好的邻居。"],[15,"He's a very nice person.","他是个非常友善的人。"],[16,"We'll all miss him.","我们都会想念他的。"],[17,"When will the new people move into this house?","新搬来的人什么时候会入住这栋房子呢？"],[18,"I think that they'll move in the day after tomorrow.","我认为他们会在后天搬进来。"],[19,"Will you see Ian today, Jenny?","珍妮，你今天会见到伊恩吗？"],[20,"Yes, I will.","是的，我会的。"],[21,"Please give him my regards.","请代我向他问好。"],[22,"Poor Ian! He didn't want to leave this house.","可怜的伊恩！他根本不想离开这栋房子。"],[23,"No, he didn't want to leave, but his wife did!","不，他不想离开，但他妻子想！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"127&128－A Famous Actress","t":"A Famous Actress","c":[[0,"Lesson 127","第127课"],[1,"A famous actress","一位著名的女演员"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","请听这段录音，然后回答这个问题："],[3,"Who is only twenty-nine, and why is it so unclear?","谁的年龄只有29岁？为什么这一点如此难以确定呢？"],[4,"Can you recognize that woman, Liz?","你能认出那个女人吗，莉兹？"],[5,"I think I can, Kate.","我想我能认出来，凯特。"],[6,"It must be Karen Marsh, the actress.","那一定是凯伦·马什，那位女演员。"],[7,"I thought so.","我也这么认为。"],[8,"Who's that beside her?","她旁边的是谁？"],[9,"That must be Conrad Reeves.","那一定是康拉德·里夫斯。"],[10,"Conrad Reeves, the actor?","康拉德·里夫斯，那位演员？"],[11,"It can't be.","不可能是他。"],[12,"Let me have another look.","让我再看看。"],[13,"I think you're right!","我觉得你是对的！"],[14,"Isn't he her third husband?","他不是她的第三任丈夫吗？"],[15,"No.","不是。"],[16,"He must be her fourth or fifth.","他一定是她的第四或第五任丈夫。"],[17,"Doesn't Karen Marsh look old!","凯伦·马什看起来真老啊！"],[18,"She does, doesn't she!","是啊，她看起来是挺老的。"],[19,"I read she's twenty-nine, but she must be at least forty.","我记得她才29岁，但实际上她至少有40岁了。"],[20,"I'm sure she is.","我肯定她有。"],[21,"She was a famous actress when I was still at school.","我还在上学的时候，她就已经是著名演员了。"],[22,"That was a long time ago, wasn't it?","那已经是很久以前的事了，对吧？"],[23,"Not that long ago!","没那么久吧！"],[24,"I'm not more than twenty-nine myself.","我自己也才29岁。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"097&098－A Small Blue Case","t":"A Small Blue Case","c":[[0,"Lesson 97","第97课"],[1,"A small blue case","一个蓝色的小箱子。"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Does Mr. Hall get his case back?","霍尔先生能拿回他的箱子吗？"],[4,"I left a suitcase on the train to London the other day.","前几天，我把一个行李箱忘在了开往伦敦的火车上。"],[5,"Can you describe it, sir?","先生，您能描述一下它吗？"],[6,"It's a small blue case and it's got a zip.","这是一个蓝色的小箱子，上面有一个拉链。"],[7,"There's a label on the handle with my name and address on it.","把手上有一个标签，上面写着我的名字和地址。"],[8,"Is this case yours?","这是你的箱子吗？"],[9,"No, that's not mine.","不，那不是我的。"],[10,"What about this one?","这个怎么样？"],[11,"This one's got a label.","这个箱子有一个标签。"],[12,"Let me see it.","让我看看。"],[13,"What's your name and address?","你叫什么名字，住在哪里？"],[14,"David Hall, 83, Bridge Street.","大卫·霍尔，桥街83号。"],[15,"That's right.","没错。"],[16,"D. N. Hall, 83, Bridge Street.","D·N·霍尔，桥街83号。"],[17,"Three pounds fifty pence, please.","请给我三磅五十便士。"],[18,"Here you are.","给你。"],[19,"Thank you.","谢谢。"],[20,"Hey!","嘿！"],[21,"What's the matter?","怎么了？"],[22,"This case doesn't belong to me!","这个箱子不是我的！"],[23,"You've given me the wrong case!","你给我拿错箱子了！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"019&020－Tired and Thirsty","t":"Tired and Thirsty","c":[[0,"Lesson 19","第19课"],[1,"Tired and thirsty","又累又渴"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Why do the children thank their mother?","为什么孩子们要感谢他们的母亲呢？"],[4,"What's the matter children?","孩子们，怎么了？"],[5,"We're tired ...","我们累了……"],[6,"... and thirsty  Mum.","……而且渴了，妈妈。"],[7,"Sit down here.","请坐在这里。"],[8,"Are you all right now?","现在好点了吗？"],[9,"No we aren't.","不，不好。"],[10,"Look!","看！"],[11,"There's an ice cream man.","有一个卖冰淇淋的叔叔。"],[12,"Two ice cream please.","请来两份冰淇淋。"],[13,"Here you are children.","孩子们，给你们。"],[14,"Thanks Mum.","谢谢妈妈。"],[15,"These ice creams are nice.","这些冰淇淋很好吃。"],[16,"Are you all right now?","现在好点了吗？"],[17,"Yes we are thank you!","是的，我们很好，谢谢！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"139&140－Is That You, John","t":"Is That You, John?","c":[[0,"Lesson 139","第139课"],[1,"Is that you, John?","那是你吗，约翰？"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Which John Smith does Graham Turner think he is talking to?","格雷厄姆·特纳认为他正在和哪个叫“约翰·史密斯”的人交谈呢？"],[4,"Is that you, John?","那是你吗，约翰？"],[5,"Yes, speaking.","是的，我就是。"],[6,"Tell Mary we'll be late for dinner this evening.","告诉玛丽，我们今晚吃晚饭会迟到。"],[7,"I'm afraid I don't understand.","恐怕我不太明白。"],[8,"Hasn't Mary told you?","玛丽不是已经告诉你了吗？"],[9,"She invited Charlotte and me to dinner this evening.","她邀请了夏洛特和我今晚一起吃晚餐。"],[10,"I said I would be at your house at six o'clock, but the boss wants me to do some extra work.","我说过六点会去你家，但老板让我去做一些额外的工作。"],[11,"I'll have to stay at the office.","我得留在办公室。"],[12,"I don't know when I'll finish.","我不知道我什么时候能弄完。"],[13,"Oh, and by the way, my wife wants to know if Mary needs any help.","哦，顺便问一下，我妻子想知道玛丽是否需要帮忙。"],[14,"I don't know what you're talking about.","我不明白你在说什么。"],[15,"That is John Smith, isn't it?","你是约翰·史密斯，对吧？"],[16,"Yes, I'm John Smith.","是的，我就是约翰·史密斯。"],[17,"You are John Smith, the engineer, aren't you?","你是那位工程师约翰·史密斯，对吗？"],[18,"That's right.","没错。"],[19,"You work for the Overseas Engineering Company, don't you?","你在海外工程公司工作，对吗？"],[20,"No, I don't.","不，我不在那里工作。"],[21,"I'm John Smith the telephone engineer and I'm repairing your telephone line.","我是电话工程师约翰·史密斯，我正在修理你们的电话线路。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"083&084－Going on Holiday","t":"Going on Holiday","c":[[0,"Lesson 83","第83课"],[1,"Going on holiday","去度假"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Where did Sam go for his holiday this year?","今年山姆去哪里度假了？"],[4,"Hello, Sam.","你好，萨姆。"],[5,"Come in.","请进来。"],[6,"Hi, Sam.","嗨，萨姆。"],[7,"We're having lunch.","我们正在吃午饭。"],[8,"Do you want to have lunch with us?","你想和我们一起吃午饭吗？"],[9,"No, thank you, Tom.","不，谢谢你，汤姆。"],[10,"I've already had lunch.","我已经吃过午饭了。"],[11,"I had lunch at half past twelve.","我十二点半吃了午饭。"],[12,"Have a cup of coffee then.","那就喝杯咖啡吧。"],[13,"I've just had a cup, thank you.","我刚刚喝了一杯，谢谢。"],[14,"I had one after my lunch.","我午饭后喝了一杯"],[15,"Let's go into the living room, Carol.","我们一起去客厅吧，卡罗尔。"],[16,"We can have our coffee there.","我们可以在那里喝咖啡。"],[17,"Excuse the mess, Sam.","萨姆，不好意思，屋里有点乱"],[18,"This room's very untidy.","这个房间非常乱。"],[19,"We're packing our suitcases.","我们正在打包行李箱。"],[20,"We're going to leave tomorrow.","我们明天就要出发了。"],[21,"Tom and I are going to have a holiday.","我和汤姆打算去度个假。"],[22,"Aren't you lucky!","你真幸运啊！"],[23,"When are you going to have a holiday, Sam?","萨姆，你什么时候去度假？"],[24,"I don't know.","我不知道。"],[25,"I've already had my holiday this year.","我今年已经度过了假期。"],[26,"Where did you go?","你去哪里度假了？"],[27,"I stayed at home!","我待在家里！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"057&058－An Unusual Day","t":"An Unusual Day","c":[[0,"Lesson 57","第57课"],[1,"An unusual day","一个不同寻常的日子"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"What is Mr. Sawyer doing tonight?","索耶先生今晚在做什么？"],[4,"It is eight o'clock.","现在是八点钟。"],[5,"The children go to school by car every day,","孩子们每天都乘车去上学。"],[6,"but today, they are going to school on foot.","但是今天，他们要步行去上学。"],[7,"It is ten o'clock.","现在是十点钟。"],[8,"Mrs. Sawyer usually stays at home in the morning,","索耶太太早上通常待在家里。"],[9,"but this morning, she is going to the shops.","但是今天早上，她要去商店。"],[10,"It is four o'clock.","现在是四点钟。"],[11,"In the afternoon, Mrs. Sawyer usually drinks tea in the living room.","下午，索耶夫人通常会在客厅里喝茶。"],[12,"But this afternoon, she is drinking tea in the garden.","但今天下午，她正在花园里喝茶。"],[13,"It is six o'clock.","现在是六点钟。"],[14,"In the evening, the children usually do their homework,","晚上，孩子们通常会做作业。"],[15,"but this evening, they are not doing their homework.","但是今晚，他们没有做作业。"],[16,"At the moment, they are playing in the garden.","他们现在正在花园里玩耍。"],[17,"It is nine o'clock.","现在是九点钟。"],[18,"Mr. Sawyer usually reads his newspaper at night.","索耶先生通常在晚上读报纸。"],[19,"But he's not reading his newspaper tonight.","但他今晚没在看报纸。"],[20,"At the moment, he's reading an interesting book.","此刻，他正在读一本有趣的书。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"063&064－Thank You, Doctor.","t":"Thank You, Doctor.","c":[[0,"Lesson 63","第63课"],[1,"Thank you, doctor.","谢谢您，医生。"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Who else is in bed today? Why?","今天还有谁在床上？为什么？"],[4,"How's Jimmy today?","Jimmy今天怎么样？"],[5,"Better.","更好了。"],[6,"Thank you, doctor.","谢谢您，医生。"],[7,"Can I see him please, Mrs. Williams?","请问威廉姆斯夫人，我能见见他吗？"],[8,"Certainly, doctor.","当然可以，医生。"],[9,"Come upstairs.","上来吧。"],[10,"You look very well, Jimmy.","你看起来气色很好，吉米。"],[11,"You are better now, but you mustn't get up yet.","你现在好多了，但还不能起床哦。"],[12,"You must stay in bed for another two days.","你必须再卧床休息两天。"],[13,"The boy mustn't go to school yet, Mrs. Williams.","这个男孩还不能去上学，威廉姆斯夫人。"],[14,"And he mustn't eat rich food.","而且他也不能吃油腻的食物。"],[15,"Does he have a temperature, doctor?","医生，他发烧了吗？"],[16,"No, he doesn't.","没有，他没有发烧。"],[17,"Must he stay in bed?","他必须继续卧床吗？"],[18,"Yes. He must remain in bed for another two days.","是的，他必须再卧床两天。"],[19,"He can get up for about two hours each day, but you must keep the room warm.","他每天可以起来大约两个小时，但你们必须保持房间温暖。"],[20,"Where's Mr. Williams this evening?","威廉姆斯先生今晚在哪儿？"],[21,"He's in bed, doctor.","他也在床上，医生。"],[22,"Can you see him please?","您能去看看他吗？"],[23,"He has a bad cold, too!","他也得了重感冒！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"123&124－A Trip to Australia","t":"A Trip to Australia","c":[[0,"Lesson 123","第123课"],[1,"A trip to Australia","澳大利亚之旅"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","听完录音后，请回答这个问题："],[3,"Who is the man with the beard?","那个留着胡子的男人是谁？"],[4,"Look, Scott.","看，斯科特。"],[5,"This is a photograph I took during my trip to Australia.","这是我在澳大利亚旅行时拍的照片。"],[6,"Let me see it, Mike.","让我看看，迈克。"],[7,"This is a good photograph.","这张照片真不错！"],[8,"Who are these people?","这些人是谁？"],[9,"They're people I met during the trip.","他们是我在旅行中遇到的人。"],[10,"That's the ship we travelled on.","那就是我们乘坐的船。"],[11,"What a beautiful ship!","多漂亮的船啊！"],[12,"Who's this?","这是谁？"],[13,"That's the man I told you about.","就是我跟你提过的那个人。"],[14,"Remember?","记得吗？"],[15,"Ah yes.","啊，对。"],[16,"The one who offered you a job in Australia.","就是那个在澳大利亚给你提供工作机会的人。"],[17,"That's right.","没错。"],[18,"Who's this?","这是谁？"],[19,"Guess!","猜猜看！"],[20,"It's not you, is it?","肯定不是你吧？"],[21,"That's right.","没错。"],[22,"I grew a beard during the trip, but I shaved it off when I came home.","我在旅途中留了胡子，但回家后就把它刮掉了。"],[23,"Why did you shave it off?","你为什么要刮掉胡子呢？"],[24,"My wife didn't like it!","我妻子不喜欢！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"013&014－A New Dress","t":"A New Dress","c":[[0,"Lesson 13","第13课"],[1,"A new dress","一条新裙子"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"What colour is Anna's hat?","安娜的帽子是什么颜色的？"],[4,"What colour's your new dress?","你的新裙子是什么颜色的？"],[5,"It's green.","它是绿色的。"],[6,"Come upstairs and see it.","上来看看吧。"],[7,"Thank you.","谢谢。"],[8,"Look!","看！"],[9,"Here it is!","给你！"],[10,"That's a nice dress.","那条裙子真漂亮。"],[11,"It's very smart.","它很时髦。"],[12,"My hat's new too.","我的帽子也是新买的。"],[13,"What colour is it?","它是什么颜色的？"],[14,"It's the same colour.","颜色是一样的。"],[15,"It's green  too.","也是绿色的。"],[16,"That is a lovely hat!","那是一顶非常漂亮的帽子！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"033&034－A Fine Day","t":"A Fine Day","c":[[0,"Lesson 33","第33课"],[1,"A fine day","美好的一天"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Where is the Jones family?","琼斯一家在哪里？"],[4,"It is a fine day today.","今天是个美好的日子。"],[5,"There are some clouds in the sky,","天空中有一些云朵。"],[6,"but the sun is shining.","但是太阳在照耀着。"],[7,"Mr. Jones is with his family.","琼斯先生和他的家人在一起。"],[8,"They are walking over the bridge.","他们正在过桥。"],[9,"There are some boats on the river.","河上有一些船。"],[10,"Mr. Jones and his wife are looking at them.","琼斯先生和他的妻子正在看着它们。"],[11,"Sally is looking at a big ship.","莎莉正在看一艘很大的船。"],[12,"The ship is going under the bridge.","船正从桥下穿过。"],[13,"Tim is looking at an aeroplane.","蒂姆正在看一架飞机。"],[14,"The aeroplane is flying over the river.","那架飞机正在河的上空飞行。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"137&138－A Pleasant Dream","t":"A Pleasant Dream","c":[[0,"Lesson 137","第137课"],[1,"A pleasant dream","一个美好的梦想"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","请听完录音后回答这个问题："],[3,"What would Julie like to do, if she had the money?","如果朱莉有钱，她想做什么？"],[4,"Are you doing the football pools, Brain?","你在填足球彩票吗，布莱恩？"],[5,"Yes, I've nearly finished, Julie.","是的，我快完成了，朱莉。"],[6,"I'm sure we'll win something this week.","我肯定我们这周会中奖的。"],[7,"You always say that, but we never win anything!","你总是这么说，但我们从来都没赢过！"],[8,"What will you do if you win a lot of money?","如果你赢了很多钱，你会做什么？"],[9,"If I win a lot of money I'll buy you a mink coat.","如果我赢了很多钱，我会给你买一件貂皮大衣。"],[10,"I don't want a mink coat!","我可不要貂皮大衣！"],[11,"I want to see the world.","我想去看看这个世界。"],[12,"All right.","好的。"],[13,"If we win a lot of money we'll travel round the world and we'll stay at the best hotels.","如果我们赢了很多钱，我们就环游世界，住最好的酒店。"],[14,"Then we'll return home and buy a big house in the country.","然后我们就回家，在乡下买一座大房子。"],[15,"We'll have a beautiful garden and...","我们将拥有一个美丽的花园，还有……"],[16,"But if we spend all that money we'll be poor again.","但是如果我们把所有的钱都花掉了，我们又会变得穷困了。"],[17,"What'll we do then?","那我们该怎么办呢？"],[18,"If we spend all the money we'll try and win the football pools again.","如果我们把所有的钱都花光了，我们就再试着去赢足球彩票。"],[19,"It's a pleasant dream but everything depends on 'if' !","这真是个美梦，但一切都取决于'如果'！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"119&120－A True Story","t":"A True Story","c":[[0,"Lesson 119","第119课"],[1,"A true story","一个真实的故事"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Who called out to the thieves in the dark?","是谁在黑暗中向那些小偷喊叫的？"],[4,"Do you like stories?","你喜欢故事吗？"],[5,"I want to tell you a true story.","我想告诉你一个真实的故事。"],[6,"It happened to a friend of mine a year ago.","这件事发生在我一个朋友身上，是在一年前。"],[7,"While my friend, George, was reading in bed,","当我的朋友乔治在床上读书的时候，"],[8,"two thieves climbed into his kitchen.","两个小偷爬进了他的厨房。"],[9,"After they had entered the house,","他们进入房子后，"],[10,"they went into the dining room.","他们走进了餐厅。"],[11,"It was very dark, so they turned on a torch.","天非常黑，于是他们打开了一个手电筒。"],[12,"Suddenly, they heard a voice behind them.","突然，他们听到身后传来一个声音。"],[13,"'What's up? What's up?' someone called.","“怎么了？出什么事了？”有人喊道。"],[14,"The thieves dropped the torch and ran away as quickly as they could.","小偷们扔掉了手电筒，然后飞快地逃跑了。"],[15,"George heard the noise and came downstairs quickly.","乔治听到了那个声音，立刻快步下楼去了。"],[16,"He turned on the light, but he couldn't see anyone.","他打开了灯，却看不到任何人。"],[17,"The thieves had already gone.","小偷们已经逃走了。"],[18,"But George's parrot, Henry, was still there.","但是乔治的鹦鹉亨利还在那里。"],[19,"What's up, George? he called.","“怎么了，乔治？”他问道。"],[20,"'Nothing, Henry,' George said and smiled.","“没什么，亨利。”乔治微笑着说。"],[21,"'Go back to sleep.'","回去睡觉吧。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"041&042－Penny's Bag","t":"Penny's Bag","c":[[0,"Lesson 41","第41课"],[1,"Penny's bag","佩妮的包"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Who is the tin of tobacco for?","这罐烟草是给谁用的呢？"],[4,"Is that bag heavy, Penny?","那个包很重吗，Penny？"],[5,"Not very.","不太重。"],[6,"Here!","给你！"],[7,"Put it on this chair.","把它放在这把椅子上。"],[8,"What's in it?","里面有什么？"],[9,"A piece of cheese.","一块奶酪。"],[10,"A loaf of bread.","一条面包。"],[11,"A bar of soap.","一块肥皂。"],[12,"A bar of chocolate.","一块巧克力。"],[13,"A bottle of milk.","一瓶牛奶。"],[14,"A pound of sugar.","一磅糖。"],[15,"Half a pound of coffee.","半磅咖啡。"],[16,"A quarter of a pound of tea.","四分之一磅茶叶。"],[17,"And a tin of tobacco.","还有一罐烟草。"],[18,"Is that tin of tobacco for me?","那罐烟草是给我的吗？"],[19,"Well, it's certainly not for me!","嗯，那肯定不是给我的！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"107&108－It's Too Small.","t":"It's Too Small.","c":[[0,"Lesson 107","第107课"],[1,"It's too small.","它太小了。"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"What kind of dress does the Lady want?","这位女士想要什么样的裙子呢？"],[4,"Do you like this dress, madam?","夫人，您喜欢这条裙子吗？"],[5,"I like the colour very much.","我非常喜欢这个颜色。"],[6,"It's a lovely dress, but it's too small for me.","这条裙子很漂亮，不过对我来说太小了。"],[7,"What about this one?","这个怎么样？"],[8,"It's a lovely dress.","这是一条非常漂亮的裙子。"],[9,"It's very smart.","它很时髦。"],[10,"Short skirts are in fashion now.","短裙现在很流行。"],[11,"Would you like to try it?","你想试试吗？"],[12,"All right.","好的。"],[13,"I'm afraid this green dress is too small for me as well.","恐怕这条绿色的裙子对我来说也太小了。"],[14,"It's smaller than the blue one.","它比那条蓝色的要小。"],[15,"I don't like the colour either.","我也不喜欢这个颜色。"],[16,"It doesn't suit me at all.","这完全不适合我。"],[17,"I think the blue dress is prettier.","我觉得那条蓝色的裙子更漂亮。"],[18,"Could you show me another blue dress?","能给我看看另一件蓝色的连衣裙吗？"],[19,"I want a dress like that one, but it must be my size.","我想要一条像那样的裙子，但它必须是我的尺码。"],[20,"I'm afraid I haven't got a larger dress.","恐怕我没有更大号的裙子了。"],[21,"This is the largest dress in the shop.","这是店里最大号的连衣裙。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"021&022－Which Book","t":"Which Book?","c":[[0,"Lesson 21","第21课"],[1,"Which book?","哪本书？"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听录音，然后回答这个问题。"],[3,"Which book does the man want?","那个男人想要哪本书？"],[4,"Give me a book please, Jane.","请给我一本书，简。"],[5,"Which book?","“哪本书？”"],[6,"This one?","“这一本吗？”"],[7,"No, not that one. The red one.","“不，不是那一本。是红色的那本。”"],[8,"This one?","“这一本吗？”"],[9,"Yes, please.","是的，请给我。"],[10,"Here you are.","“给你。”"],[11,"Thank you.","“谢谢。”"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"059&060－Is That All","t":"Is That All?","c":[[0,"Lesson 59","第59课"],[1,"Is that all?","就这些吗？"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Does the lady buy any chalk?","那位女士会买粉笔吗？"],[4,"I want some envelopes, please.","请给我一些信封。"],[5,"Do you want the large size or the small size?","您想要大号的还是小号的？"],[6,"The large size, please.","请给我大号的。"],[7,"Do you have any writing paper?","你们有写字用的纸吗？"],[8,"Yes, we do.","是的，我们有。"],[9,"I don't have any small pads.","我没有小本的信纸。"],[10,"I only have large ones.","我只有大本的。"],[11,"Do you want a pad?","您需要一本吗？"],[12,"Yes, please.","好的，请给我一本。"],[13,"And I want some glue.","我还需要一些胶水。"],[14,"A bottle of glue.","一瓶胶水。"],[15,"And I want a large box of chalk, too.","我还要一大盒粉笔。"],[16,"I only have small boxes.","我只有小盒的。"],[17,"Do you want one?","您要一盒吗？"],[18,"No, thank you.","不，谢谢。"],[19,"Is that all?","就这些吗？"],[20,"That's all, thank you.","就这些，谢谢。"],[21,"What else do you want?","你还想要什么？"],[22,"I want my change.","我想要我的零钱。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"135&136－The Latest Report","t":"The Latest Report","c":[[0,"Lesson 135","第135课"],[1,"The latest report","最新报告"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","请先听录音，然后回答这个问题："],[3,"Is Karen Marsh going to retire, do you think?","你觉得凯伦·马什会退休吗？"],[4,"Are you really going to retire, Miss Marsh?","马什小姐，你真的打算退休吗？"],[5,"I may.","我可能会吧……"],[6,"I can't make up my mind.","我还没拿定主意。"],[7,"I will have to ask my future husband.","我得问问我的未婚夫。"],[8,"He won't let me make another film.","他不会允许我再拍电影了。"],[9,"Your future husband, Miss Marsh?","你的未婚夫吗，马什小姐？"],[10,"Yes.","是的。"],[11,"Let me introduce him to you.","让我把他介绍给你。"],[12,"His name is Carlos.","他的名字叫卡洛斯。"],[13,"We're going to get married next week.","我们下周就要结婚了。"],[14,"Look, Liz!","看，莉兹！"],[15,"Here's another report about Karen Marsh.","这是另一份关于凯伦·马什的报告。"],[16,"Listen: 'Karen Marsh: The latest.","听着：“凯伦·马什：最新消息。”"],[17,"At her London Hotel today Miss Marsh told reporters she might retire.","今天在伦敦的酒店里，马什小姐对记者们表示她可能会退休。"],[18,"She said she couldn't make up her mind.","她说她拿不定主意。"],[19,"She said she would have to ask her future husband.","她说她必须先征求她未来丈夫的意见。"],[20,"She said her future husband would not let her make another film.","她说她的未来丈夫不会允许她再拍电影了。"],[21,"Then she introduced us to Carlos and told us they would get married next week.'","然后她把我们介绍给了卡洛斯，并告诉我们他们下周就要结婚了。"],[22,"That's sensational news, isn't it, Kate?","这真是个惊人的消息，对吧，凯特？"],[23,"It certainly is.","确实如此。"],[24,"He'll be her sixth husband!","他将成为她的第六任丈夫！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"115&116－Knock, Knock","t":"Knock, Knock!","c":[[0,"Lesson 115","第115课"],[1,"Knock, knock!","咚咚！"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后回答这个问题："],[3,"What does Jim have to drink?","吉姆要喝什么？"],[4,"Isn't there anyone at home?","家里没人吗？"],[5,"I'll knock again, Helen.","我再敲一次门，海伦。"],[6,"Everything's very quiet.","这里非常安静。"],[7,"I'm sure there's no one at home.","我肯定家里没人。"],[8,"But that's impossible.","但那不可能。"],[9,"Carol and Tom invited us to lunch.","卡罗尔和汤姆邀请我们吃午饭了。"],[10,"Look through the window.","从窗户看看。"],[11,"Can you see anything?","你能看到什么吗？"],[12,"Nothing at all.","什么也没有。"],[13,"Let's try the back door.","我们试试后门吧。"],[14,"Look! Everyone's in the garden.","看！大家都在花园里。"],[15,"Hello, Helen. Hello, Jim.","你好，海伦。你好，吉姆。"],[16,"Everybody wants to have lunch in the garden.","大家都想在花园里吃午饭。"],[17,"It's nice and warm out here.","外面又暖和又舒服。"],[18,"Come and have something to drink.","过来喝点东西吧。"],[19,"Thanks, Carol.","谢谢，卡罗尔。"],[20,"May I have a glass of beer please?","可以给我一杯啤酒吗？"],[21,"Beer?","啤酒？"],[22,"There's none left.","啤酒没有了。"],[23,"You can have some lemonade.","你可以喝点柠檬水。"],[24,"Lemonade!","柠檬水！"],[25,"Don't believe her, Jim.","别相信她，吉姆。"],[26,"She's only joking.","她只是在开玩笑而已。"],[27,"Have some beer!","喝点啤酒吧！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"133&134－Sensational News","t":"Sensational News!","c":[[0,"Lesson 133","第133课"],[1,"Sensational news!","惊人的新闻！"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"What reasons did Karen Marsh give for wanting to retire?","凯伦·马什提出了哪些想要退休的理由？"],[4,"Have you just made a new film, Miss Marsh?","马什小姐，您刚刚完成了一部新电影的制作吗？"],[5,"Yes, I have.","是的。"],[6,"Are you going to make another?","您还准备再拍一部吗？"],[7,"No, I'm not.","不，不拍了。"],[8,"I'm going to retire.","我打算退休了。"],[9,"I feel very tired.","我感到非常疲倦。"],[10,"I don't want to make another film for a long time.","我很长时间都不想再拍电影了。"],[11,"Let's buy a newspaper, Liz.","我们买份报纸吧，莉兹。"],[12,"Listen to this!","你听听这个！"],[13,"'Karen Marsh: Sensational News!","凯伦·马什：轰动性新闻！"],[14,"By our reporter, Alan Jones.","本报记者艾伦·琼斯报道。"],[15,"Karen Marsh arrived at London Airport today.","凯伦·马什今天抵达了伦敦机场。"],[16,"She was wearing a blue dress and a mink coat.","她穿着一条蓝色的连衣裙和一件貂皮大衣。"],[17,"She told me she had just made a new film.","她告诉我她刚刚完成了一部新电影的制作。"],[18,"she said she was not going to make another.","她说她不会再拍了。"],[19,"She said she was going to retire.","她说她打算退休了。"],[20,"She told reporters she felt very tired and didn't want to make another film for a long time.'","她对记者们表示，她感到非常疲惫，暂时不想再拍电影了。"],[21,"I wonder why!","真不知道为什么！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"113&114－Small Change","t":"Small Change","c":[[0,"Lesson 113","第113课"],[1,"Small change","零钱；小额货币"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Who has got some small change?","谁有零钱吗？"],[4,"Fares, please!","请买票！"],[5,"Trafalgar Square, please.","请去特拉法尔加广场。"],[6,"I'm sorry, sir.","对不起，先生。"],[7,"I can't change a ten-pound note.","我无法兑换一张十英镑的纸币。"],[8,"Haven't you got any small change?","你没有零钱吗？"],[9,"I've got no small change,","我没有零钱了。"],[10,"I am afraid.","恐怕没有。"],[11,"I'll ask some of the passengers.","我会去问问一些乘客。"],[12,"Have you any small change, sir?","先生，您有零钱吗？"],[13,"I'm sorry.","对不起。"],[14,"I've got none.","我一个都没有。"],[15,"I haven't got any either.","我一个也没有。"],[16,"Can you change this ten-pound note, madam?","女士，您能帮我兑换这张十英镑的纸币吗？"],[17,"I'm afraid I can't.","恐怕我做不到。"],[18,"Neither can I.","我也不能。"],[19,"I'm very sorry, sir.","非常抱歉，先生。"],[20,"You must get off the bus.","你必须下车。"],[21,"None of our passengers can change this note.","我们的乘客都换不开这张钞票。"],[22,"They're all millionaires!","他们都是百万富翁！"],[23,"Except us.","除了我们之外。"],[24,"I've got some small change.","我有一些零钱。"],[25,"So have I.","我也有。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"009&010－How Are You Today","t":"How Are You Today?","c":[[0,"Lesson 9","第9课"],[1,"How are you today?","你今天好吗？"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","请听录音，然后回答这个问题。"],[3,"How is Emma?","艾玛最近怎么样？"],[4,"Hello Helen.","你好，海伦。"],[5,"Hi Steven.","嗨，史蒂文。"],[6,"How are you today?","你今天好吗？"],[7,"I'm very well thank you.","我很好，谢谢。"],[8,"And you?","你呢？"],[9,"I'm fine thanks.","我也很好，谢谢。"],[10,"How is Tony?","托尼好吗？"],[11,"He's fine thanks.","他也很好，谢谢。"],[12,"How's Emma?","艾玛好吗？"],[13,"She's very well too Helen.","她也很好，海伦。"],[14,"Goodbye Helen.","再见，海伦。"],[15,"Nice to see you.","很高兴见到你。"],[16,"Nice to see you too Steven.","我也很高兴见到你，史蒂文。"],[17,"Goodbye.","再见。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"111&112－The Most Expensive Model","t":"The Most Expensive Model","c":[[0,"Lesson 111","第111课"],[1,"The most expensive model","最昂贵的型号"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Can Mr. Frith buy the television on instalments? How does it work?","弗里斯先生可以分期付款购买这台电视机吗？具体是怎么付款的？"],[4,"I like this television very much.","我非常喜欢这台电视机。"],[5,"How much does it cost?","这需要多少钱？"],[6,"It's the most expensive model in the shop.","这是店里最贵的型号。"],[7,"It costs five hundred pounds.","它的价格是五百英镑。"],[8,"That's too expensive for us.","那对我们来说太贵了。"],[9,"We can't afford all that money.","我们负担不起那么多钱。"],[10,"This model's less expensive than that one.","这个型号比那个便宜。"],[11,"It's only three hundred pounds.","它只要三百英镑。"],[12,"But, of course, it's not as good as the expensive one.","但是，当然了，它没有那个昂贵的模型好。"],[13,"I don't like this model.","我不喜欢这个型号。"],[14,"The other model's more expensive, but it's worth the money.","另一个型号虽然更贵，但它的价格确实物有所值。"],[15,"Can we buy it on instalments?","我们可以分期付款购买吗？"],[16,"Of course.","当然可以。"],[17,"You can pay a deposit of thirty pounds,","你可以先支付30英镑的定金，"],[18,"and then fourteen pounds a month for three years.","然后每月支付14英镑，共分三年。"],[19,"Do you like it, dear?","你喜欢吗，亲爱的？"],[20,"I certainly do, but I don't like the price.","我当然喜欢，但我不喜欢这个价格。"],[21,"You always want the best, but we can't afford it.","你总是想要最好的，但我们负担不起。"],[22,"Sometimes you think you're a millionaire!","有时候你真觉得自己是个百万富翁啊！"],[23,"Millionaires don't buy things on instalments!","百万富翁才不会分期付款买东西呢！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"099&100－Ow","t":"Ow!","c":[[0,"Lesson 99","第99课"],[1,"Ow!","哎哟！"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听一下录音，然后回答这个问题："],[3,"Must Andy go to see the doctor?","安迪必须去看医生吗？"],[4,"Ow!","哎哟！"],[5,"What's the matter, Andy?","怎么了，安迪？"],[6,"I slipped and fell downstairs.","我在楼梯上滑倒了。"],[7,"Have you hurt yourself?","你受伤了吗？"],[8,"Yes, I have.","是的，我受伤了。"],[9,"I think that I've hurt my back.","我觉得我的背部受了伤。"],[10,"Try and stand up.","试着站起来吧。"],[11,"Can you stand up?","你能站起来吗？"],[12,"Here.","给你。"],[13,"Let me help you.","让我来帮你吧。"],[14,"I'm sorry, Lucy.","对不起，露西。"],[15,"I'm afraid that I can't get up.","恐怕我站不起来了。"],[16,"I think that the doctor had better see you.","我觉得医生最好还是来看看你。"],[17,"I'll phone Dr. Carter.","我会给卡特医生打电话。"],[18,"The doctor says that he will come at once.","医生说他会立刻过来。"],[19,"I'm sure that you need an X-ray, Andy.","我肯定你需要做一次X光检查，安迪。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"087&088－A Car Crash","t":"A Car Crash","c":[[0,"Lesson 87","第87课"],[1,"A car crash","车祸"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","请听录音，然后回答以下问题："],[3,"Can the mechanics repair Mr. Wood's car?","修车师傅们能修好伍德先生的车吗？"],[4,"Is my car ready yet?","我的车准备好了吗？"],[5,"I don't know, sir.","我不知道，先生。"],[6,"What's the number of your car?","您的车车牌号是多少？"],[7,"It's LFZ 312 G.","车牌号是LFZ 312 G。"],[8,"When did you bring it to us?","您是什么时候把车送到我们这里的？"],[9,"I brought it here three days ago.","我三天前把车送到这里的。"],[10,"Ah yes, I remember now.","啊，对了，我现在想起来了。"],[11,"Have your mechanics finished yet?","您的修车师傅们修好了吗？"],[12,"No, they're still working on it.","不，他们还在修呢。"],[13,"Let's go into the garage and have a look at it.","我们进去车库看看吧。"],[14,"Isn't that your car?","那不是你的车吗？"],[15,"Well, it was my car.","嗯，那辆车是我的。"],[16,"Didn't you have a crash?","你不是出车祸了吗？"],[17,"That's right.","没错。"],[18,"I drove it into a lamp-post.","我把车撞到路灯柱上了。"],[19,"Can your mechanics repair it?","你们的机械师能修理它吗？"],[20,"Well, they're trying to repair it, sir.","嗯，他们正在尝试修理它，先生。"],[21,"But to tell you the truth, you need a new car!","但说实话，你真的需要一辆新车了！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"015&016－Your Passports, Please.","t":"Your Passports, Please.","c":[[0,"Lesson 15","第15课"],[1,"Your passports please.","请出示你们的护照。"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Is there a problem with the Customs officer?","海关官员有什么问题吗？"],[4,"Are you Swedish?","你是瑞典人吗？"],[5,"No we are not.","不，我们不是。"],[6,"We are Danish.","我们是丹麦人。"],[7,"Are your friends Danish too?","你的朋友们也是丹麦人吗？"],[8,"No  they aren't.","不，他们不是。"],[9,"They are Norwegian.","他们是挪威人。"],[10,"Your passports please.","请出示你们的护照。"],[11,"Here they are.","给您。"],[12,"Are these your cases?","这些是你的箱子吗？"],[13,"No they aren't.","不，它们不是。"],[14,"Our cases are brown.","我们的箱子是棕色的。"],[15,"Here they are.","给您。"],[16,"Are you tourists?","你们是游客吗？"],[17,"Yes we are.","是的，我们是。"],[18,"Are your friends tourists too?","你们的朋友也是游客吗？"],[19,"Yes they are.","是的，他们也是游客。"],[20,"That's fine.","好了。/ 没问题了。"],[21,"Thank you very much.","非常感谢你们。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"073&074－The Way to King Street","t":"The Way to King Street","c":[[0,"Lesson 73","第73课"],[1,"The way to King Street","通往国王街的路"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Why did the man need a phrasebook?","为什么那个人需要一本短语手册呢？"],[4,"Last week Mrs. Mills went to London.","上周，米尔斯夫人去了伦敦。"],[5,"She does not know London very well, and she lost her way.","她对伦敦不太熟悉，结果迷路了。"],[6,"Suddenly, she saw a man near a bus stop.","突然，她在公交车站附近看到一个男人。"],[7,"'I can ask him the way,' she said to herself.","“我可以问他路该怎么走，”她自言自语道。"],[8,"'Excuse me,' she said.","“对不起，”她说。"],[9,"'Can you tell me the way to King Street, please?'","“请问您能告诉我去King Street的路吗？”"],[10,"The man smiled pleasantly.","那个男人愉快地笑了。"],[11,"He did not understand English!","他不懂英语！"],[12,"He spoke German.","他会说德语。"],[13,"He was a tourist.","他是一名游客。"],[14,"Then he put his hand into his pocket, and took out a phrasebook.","然后他把手伸进口袋，拿出一本短语手册。"],[15,"He opened the book and found a phrase.","他打开书，找到了一句话。"],[16,"He read the phrase slowly.","他慢慢地读了这个短语。"],[17,"'I am sorry,' he said.","“我很抱歉，”他说。"],[18,"'I do not speak English.'","“我不会说英语。”"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"081&082－Roast Beef and Potatoes","t":"Roast Beef and Potatoes","c":[[0,"Lesson 81","第81课"],[1,"Roast beef and potatoes","烤牛肉配土豆"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","听完录音后回答这个问题："],[3,"Why is Carol disappointed?","为什么卡罗尔感到失望？"],[4,"Hi, Carol! Where's Tom?","嗨，Carol！Tom在哪儿？"],[5,"He's upstairs.","他在楼上。"],[6,"He's having a bath.","他正在洗澡。"],[7,"Tom!","汤姆！"],[8,"Yes?","怎么了？"],[9,"Sam's here.","山姆来了。"],[10,"I'm nearly ready.","我差不多准备好了。"],[11,"Hello, Sam.","你好，山姆。"],[12,"Have a cigarette.","来一支烟吧。"],[13,"No, thanks, Tom.","不，谢谢，汤姆。"],[14,"Have a glass of whisky then.","那就喝一杯威士忌吧。"],[15,"OK.","好的。"],[16,"Thanks.","谢谢。"],[17,"Is dinnner ready, Carol?","卡罗尔，晚餐准备好了吗？"],[18,"It's nearly ready.","差不多准备好了。"],[19,"We can have dinner at seven o'clock.","我们可以在七点钟吃晚饭。"],[20,"Sam and I had lunch together today.","今天我和山姆一起吃了午饭。"],[21,"We went to a restaurant.","我们去了餐厅。"],[22,"What did you have?","你吃了什么？"],[23,"We had roast beef and potatoes.","我们吃了烤牛肉和土豆。"],[24,"Oh!","哦！"],[25,"What's the matter, Carol?","怎么了，卡罗尔？"],[26,"Well, you're going to have roast beef and potatoes again tonight!","嗯，今晚你又可以吃烤牛肉和土豆了！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"031&032－Where's Sally","t":"Where's Sally?","c":[[0,"Lesson 31","第31课"],[1,"Where's Sally?","莎莉在哪里？"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后回答这个问题。"],[3,"Is the cat climbing the tree?","那只猫在爬树吗？"],[4,"Where's Sally, Jack?","莎莉在哪里，杰克？"],[5,"She's in the garden, Jean.","她在花园里，琼。"],[6,"What's she doing?","她在做什么？"],[7,"She's sitting under the tree.","她正坐在树下。"],[8,"Is Tim in the garden, too?","蒂姆也在花园里吗？"],[9,"Yes, he is.","是的，他在。"],[10,"He's climbing the tree.","他正在爬树。"],[11,"I beg your pardon?","什么？请再说一遍。"],[12,"Who's climbing the tree?","谁在爬树？"],[13,"Tim is.","是蒂姆。"],[14,"What about the dog?","那狗呢？"],[15,"The dog's in the garden, too.","狗也在花园里。"],[16,"It's running across the grass.","它正在穿过草地。"],[17,"It's running after a cat.","它正在追一只猫。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"131&132－Don't be So Sure","t":"Don't be So Sure!","c":[[0,"Lesson 131","第131课"],[1,"Don't be so sure!","别那么确定！"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听一下录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"What's the problem about deciding on a holiday?","在决定度假这件事上有什么问题吗？"],[4,"Where are you going to spend your holidays this year, Gary?","加里，今年你打算在哪里度过假期呢？"],[5,"We may go abroad.","我们可能会出国旅行。"],[6,"I'm not sure.","我还不确定。"],[7,"My wife wants to go to Egypt.","我妻子想去埃及。"],[8,"I'd like to go there, too.","我也想去那里。"],[9,"We can't make up our minds.","我们还是拿不定主意。"],[10,"Will you travel by sea or by air?","你们会乘船去还是乘飞机去？"],[11,"We may travel by sea.","我们可能会选择乘船。"],[12,"It's cheaper, isn't it?","这更便宜，不是吗？"],[13,"It may be cheaper, but it takes a long time.","可能便宜是便宜，但是要花很长时间。"],[14,"I'm sure you'll enjoy yourselves.","我相信你们会玩得很开心的。"],[15,"Don't be so sure.","别这么确定。"],[16,"We might not go anywhere.","我们可能哪儿也去不成。"],[17,"My wife always worries too much.","我妻子总是过于担心了。"],[18,"Who's going to look after the dog?","谁来照顾这只狗呢？"],[19,"Who's going to look after the house?","谁来负责照看这栋房子呢？"],[20,"Who's going to look after the garden?","谁来负责照看这个花园呢？"],[21,"We have this problem every year.","我们每年都会遇到这个问题。"],[22,"In the end, we stay at home and look after everything!","最终，我们还是待在家里，负责照顾所有的事情！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"051&052－A Pleasant Climate","t":"A Pleasant Climate","c":[[0,"Lesson 51","第51课"],[1,"A pleasant climate","宜人的气候"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","请听录音，然后回答以下问题："],[3,"Does it ever snow in Greece?","希腊会下雪吗？"],[4,"Where do you come from?","你来自哪里？"],[5,"I come from Greece.","我来自希腊。"],[6,"What's the climate like in your country?","你们国家的气候是怎样的？"],[7,"It's very pleasant.","气候非常宜人。"],[8,"What's the weather like in spring?","春天的天气是怎样的？"],[9,"It's often windy in March.","三月份经常有风。"],[10,"It's always warm in April and May, but it rains sometimes.","四月和五月总是很温暖，但有时会下雨。"],[11,"What's it like in summer?","夏天的天气是怎样的？"],[12,"It's always hot in June, July and August.","六月、七月和八月总是很热。"],[13,"The sun shines every day.","每天都阳光明媚。"],[14,"Is it cold or warm in autumn?","秋天是冷还是暖呢？"],[15,"It's always warm in September and October.","九月份和十月份总是很暖和的。"],[16,"It's often cold in November and it rains sometimes.","十一月份天气通常很冷，有时还会下雨。"],[17,"Is it very cold in winter?","冬天会很冷吗？"],[18,"It's often cold in December, January and February.","十二月、一月和二月通常都很冷。"],[19,"It snows sometimes.","有时候会下雪。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"049&050－At the Butcher's","t":"At the Butcher's","c":[[0,"Lesson 49","第49课"],[1,"At the butcher's","在肉铺里"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"What does Mr. Bird like?","伯德先生喜欢什么？"],[4,"Do you want any meat today, Mrs. Bird?","伯德夫人，今天您想要吃点肉吗？"],[5,"Yes, please.","好的，请来点。"],[6,"Do you want beef or lamb?","您想要牛肉还是羊肉？"],[7,"Beef, please.","请给我来一份牛肉。"],[8,"This lamb's very good.","这块羊肉很不错。"],[9,"I like lamb, but my husband doesn't.","我喜欢羊肉，但我丈夫不喜欢。"],[10,"What about some steak?","来点牛排怎么样？"],[11,"This is a nice piece.","这块很不错。"],[12,"Give me that piece, please.","请给我那块肉。"],[13,"And a pound of mince, too.","还要一磅肉末。"],[14,"Do you want a chicken, Mrs. Bird?","伯德夫人，您想要鸡肉吗？"],[15,"They're very nice.","这些鸡很不错。"],[16,"No, thank you.","不用了，谢谢。"],[17,"My husband likes steak,","我丈夫喜欢牛排，"],[18,"but he doesn't like chicken.","但他不喜欢鸡肉。"],[19,"To tell you the truth, Mrs. Bird,","说实话，伯德夫人，"],[20,"I don't like chicken either!","我也不喜欢鸡肉！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"065&066－Not a Baby","t":"Not a Baby","c":[[0,"Lesson 65","第65课"],[1,"Not a baby","我可不是小孩子了。"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Does Jill take the key to the front door?","吉尔会拿前门的钥匙吗？"],[4,"What are you going to do this evening, Jill?","今晚你打算做什么，吉尔？"],[5,"I'm going to meet some friends, Dad.","爸爸，我要去见一些朋友。"],[6,"You mustn't come home late.","你千万不要回家太晚。"],[7,"You must be home at half past ten.","你必须在十点半到家。"],[8,"I can't get home so early, Dad!","爸爸，我没办法这么早就回家啊！"],[9,"Can I have the key to the front door, please?","请问，能给我前门的钥匙吗？"],[10,"No, you can't.","不，你不能。"],[11,"Jill's eighteen years old, Tom.","吉尔已经十八岁了，汤姆。"],[12,"She's not a baby.","她已经不是小孩子了。"],[13,"Give her the key.","把钥匙给她。"],[14,"She always comes home early.","她总是很早就回家。"],[15,"Oh, all right!","哦，好吧！"],[16,"Here you are.","给你。"],[17,"But you mustn't come home after a quarter past eleven.","但是你绝对不能在十一点一刻之后才回家。"],[18,"Do you hear?","你听到了吗？"],[19,"Yes, Dad.","是的，爸爸。"],[20,"Thanks, Mum.","谢谢，妈妈。"],[21,"That's all right.","不客气。"],[22,"Goodbye.","再见。"],[23,"Enjoy yourself!","玩得开心！"],[24,"We always enjoy ourselves, Mum.","我们总是玩得很开心，妈妈。"],[25,"Bye-bye.","再见。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"077&078－Terrible Toothache","t":"Terrible Toothache","c":[[0,"Lesson 77","第77课"],[1,"Terrible toothache","牙痛太厉害了！"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听这段录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"What time of day is it, do you think? How do you know?","你觉得现在是什么时间？你是怎么知道的？"],[4,"Good morning, Mr. Croft.","早上好，克罗夫特先生。"],[5,"Good morning, nurse.","早上好，护士。"],[6,"I want to see the dentist, please.","我想去看牙医，请。"],[7,"Do you have an appointment?","您有预约吗？"],[8,"No, I don't.","不，我没有。"],[9,"Is it urgent?","这很紧急吗？"],[10,"Yes, it is.","是的，很紧急。"],[11,"It's very urgent.","这件事非常紧急。"],[12,"I feel awful.","我感觉糟透了。"],[13,"I have a terrible toothache.","我牙疼得非常厉害。"],[14,"Can you come at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 24th?","你能于4月24日星期一上午10点来吗？"],[15,"I must see the dentist now, nurse.","我现在必须去看牙医了，护士。"],[16,"The dentist is very busy at the moment.","牙医现在非常忙。"],[17,"Can you come at 2 p.m. ?","你能下午2点来吗？"],[18,"That's very late.","那已经太晚了。"],[19,"Can the dentist see me now?","牙医现在可以见我了吗？"],[20,"I'm afraid that he can't, Mr. Croft.","恐怕他不行，克罗夫特先生。"],[21,"Can't you wait till this afternoon?","你就不能等到今天下午吗？"],[22,"I can wait, but my toothache can't!","我可以等待，但我的牙痛却无法忍受！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"011&012－Is This Your Shirt","t":"Is This Your Shirt?","c":[[0,"Lesson 11","第11课"],[1,"Is this your shirt?","这是你的衬衫吗？"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听录音，然后再回答这个问题。"],[3,"Whose shirt is white?","谁的衬衫是白色的？"],[4,"Whose shirt is that?","那是谁的衬衫？"],[5,"Is this your shirt Dave?","这是你的衬衫吗，戴夫？"],[6,"No. Sir.","不，先生。"],[7,"It's not my shirt.","这不是我的衬衫。"],[8,"This is my shirt.","这是我的衬衫。"],[9,"My shirt's blue.","我的衬衫是蓝色的。"],[10,"Is this shirt Tim's?","这是蒂姆的衬衫吗？"],[11,"Perhaps it is sir.","也许是的，先生。"],[12,"Tim's shirt's white.","蒂姆的衬衫是白色的。"],[13,"Tim!","蒂姆！"],[14,"Yes sir?","先生，什么事？"],[15,"Is this your shirt?","这是你的衬衫吗？"],[16,"Yes sir.","是的，先生。"],[17,"Here you are.","给你。"],[18,"Catch!","接住！"],[19,"Thank you sir.","谢谢您，先生。"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"079&080－Carol's Shopping List","t":"Carol's Shopping List","c":[[0,"Lesson 79","第79课"],[1,"Carol's shopping list","卡罗尔的购物清单"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","请听录音，然后回答这个问题："],[3,"What is Carol not going to buy?","卡罗尔不会买什么？"],[4,"What are you doing, Carol?","你在做什么，卡罗尔？"],[5,"I'm making a shopping list, Tom.","我在列购物清单呢，汤姆。"],[6,"What do we need?","我们需要些什么？"],[7,"We need a lot of things this week.","这周我们需要很多东西。"],[8,"I must go to the grocer's.","我必须去杂货店。"],[9,"We haven't got much tea or coffee, and we haven't got any sugar or jam.","我们的茶和咖啡都不多了，糖和果酱也用完了。"],[10,"What about vegetables?","蔬菜呢？"],[11,"I must go to the greengroce's.","我必须去蔬菜水果店。"],[12,"We haven't got many tomatoes, but we've got a lot of potatoes.","我们的番茄不多，但是土豆有很多。"],[13,"I must go to the butcher's, too.","我也必须去肉店一趟。"],[14,"We need some meat.","我们需要一些肉。"],[15,"We haven't got any meat at all.","我们根本没有任何肉了。"],[16,"Have we got any beer and wine?","我们还有啤酒和葡萄酒吗？"],[17,"No, we haven't.","没有了，我们没有。"],[18,"And I'm not going to get any!","而且我也不打算买！"],[19,"I hope that you've got some money.","我希望你有些钱。"],[20,"I haven't got much.","我的钱不多了。"],[21,"Well, I haven't got much either!","唉，我的钱也不多了！"]]},{"b":"NCE1","l":"017&018－How do you do","t":"How do you do?","c":[[0,"Lesson 17","第17课"],[1,"How do you do?","你好！"],[2,"Listen to the tape then answer this question.","先听录音，然后回答这个问题。"],[3,"What are Michael Baker and Jeremy Short's jobs?","迈克尔·贝克和杰里米·肖特是做什么工作的？"],[4,"Come and meet our employees Mr.Richards.","理查兹先生，来认识一下我们的员工吧。"],[5,"Thank you Mr. Jackson.","谢谢杰克逊先生。"],[6,"This is Nicola Grey","这位是尼古拉·格雷，"],[7,"and this is Claire Taylor.","这位是克莱尔·泰勒。"],[8,"How do you do?","你好！"],[9,"Those women are very hard-working.","那些女士工作很勤奋。"],[10,"What are their jobs?","她们是做什么工作的？"],[11,"They're keyboard operators.","她们是键盘操作员。"],[12,"This is Michael Baker","这位是迈克尔·贝克，"],[13,"and this is Jeremy Short.","这位是杰里米·肖特。"],[14,"How do you do?","你好！"],[15,"They aren't very busy!","他们不怎么忙！"],[16,"What are their jobs?","他们是做什么工作的？"],[17,"They're sales reps.","他们是销售代表。"],[18,"They're very lazy.","他们很懒。"],[19,"Who is this young man?","这个年轻人是谁？"],[20,"This is Jim.","这位是吉姆。"],[21,"He's our office assistant.","他是我们的办公室助理。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"86－Out of Control","t":"Out of Control","c":[[0,"What was the danger?","危险是什么？"],[1,"As the man tried to swing the speedboat round, the steering wheel came away in his hands.","当那个男人试图调转快艇时，方向盘突然从他手中脱落了。"],[2,"He waved desperately to his companion, who had been water skiing for the last fifteen minutes.","他拼命地向他的同伴挥手，而他的同伴已经滑水滑了十五分钟了。"],[3,"Both men had hardly had time to realize what was happening when they were thrown violently into the sea.","两人几乎还没来得及反应发生了什么，就被猛地抛进了海里。"],[4,"The speedboat had struck a buoy, but it continued to move very quickly across the water.","快艇撞到了一个浮标上，但仍然以极快的速度继续在水面上行驶。"],[5,"Both men had just begun to swim towards the shore,","两人刚刚开始朝岸边游去，"],[6,"when they noticed with dismay that the speedboat was moving in a circle.","就惊恐地发现快艇正在打转。"],[7,"It now came straight towards them at tremendous speed.","现在，快艇正以惊人的速度朝他们直冲过来。"],[8,"In less than a minute, it roared past them only a few feet away.","不到一分钟的时间，它就从他们身边呼啸而过，距离他们只有几英尺远。"],[9,"After it had passed, they swam on as quickly as they could because they knew that the boat would soon return.","快艇驶过后，他们拼命地继续游动，因为他们知道快艇很快就会再次回来。"],[10,"They had just had enough time to swim out of danger when the boat again completed a circle.","他们刚好来得及游出危险区域，这时快艇又转了一圈。"],[11,"On this occasion, however, it had slowed down considerably.","然而这一次，它的速度明显慢了很多。"],[12,"The petrol had nearly all been used up.","汽油几乎已经用完了。"],[13,"Before long, the noise dropped completely and the boat began to drift gently across the water.","没过多久，引擎声完全消失了，小船开始在水面上缓缓漂动。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"61－Trouble with the Hubble","t":"Trouble with the Hubble","c":[[0,"What is the special importance of a telescope in space?","望远镜在太空中具有怎样的特殊重要性？"],[1,"The Hubble telescope was launched into","哈勃望远镜于1990年4月20日由美国国家航空航天局（NASA）发射升空，耗资超过10亿美元。"],[2,"space by NASA on April 20, 1990 at a cost of over a billion dollars.","这艘航天器是由美国国家航空航天局（NASA）于1990年4月20日发射的，耗资超过10亿美元。"],[3,"Right from the start there was trouble with the Hubble.","从一开始，哈勃望远镜就麻烦不断。"],[4,"The pictures it sent us were very disappointing because its main mirror was faulty!","它发给我们的照片非常令人失望，因为它的主镜有问题（即主镜无法正常工作）。"],[5,"NASA is now going to put the telescope right,","NASA现在将着手修复这台望远镜。"],[6,"so it will soon be sending up four astronauts to repair it.","因此，他们很快就会派遣四名宇航员去修理它。"],[7,"The shuttle Endeavour will be taking the astronauts to the Hubble.","“奋进号”航天飞机将把宇航员送往哈勃望远镜。"],[8,"A robot-arm from the Endeavour will grab the telescope and hold it while the astronauts make the necessary repairs.","“奋进号”的机械臂会抓住望远镜，并在宇航员进行必要维修时将其固定。"],[9,"Of course, the Hubble is above the earth's atmosphere,","当然，哈勃望远镜位于地球大气层之外。"],[10,"so it will soon be sending us the clearest pictures of the stars and distant galaxies that we have ever seen.","因此，它很快就会向我们发送迄今为止最清晰的恒星和遥远星系的图像。"],[11,"The Hubble will tell us a great deal about the age and size of the universe.","哈勃望远镜将帮助我们了解宇宙的年龄和规模。"],[12,"By the time you read this, the Hubble's eagle eye will have sent us thousands and thousands of wonderful pictures.","等你读到这篇文章时，哈勃望远镜那“鹰眼”已经为我们传回了成千上万张精彩的照片。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"39－Am I All Right","t":"Am I All Right?","c":[[0,"Why did Mr. Gilbert telephone Dr. Millington?","为什么吉尔伯特先生给米林顿医生打了电话？"],[1,"While John Gilbert was in hospital,","在约翰·吉尔伯特住院期间，"],[2,"he asked his doctor to tell him","他请求医生告诉他"],[3,"whether his operation had been successful,","他的手术是否成功。"],[4,"but the doctor refused to do so.","但是医生拒绝这样做。"],[5,"The following day,","第二天，"],[6,"the patient asked for a bedside telephone.","患者要求配备一台床边电话。"],[7,"When he was alone,","当他独自一人时，"],[8,"he telephoned the hospital exchange","他拨打了医院的电话总机。"],[9,"and asked for Doctor Millington.","然后他要求找米林顿医生接电话。"],[10,"When the doctor answered the phone,","当医生接听电话时，"],[11,"Mr. Gilbert said he was inquiring about a certain patient,","吉尔伯特先生说，他正在询问关于某位病人的情况。"],[12,"a Mr. John Gilbert.","一位名叫约翰·吉尔伯特的先生。"],[13,"He asked if Mr. Gilbert's operation had been successful","他询问吉尔伯特先生的手术是否成功。"],[14,"and the doctor told him that it had been.","医生告诉他，手术是成功的。"],[15,"He then asked when Mr. Gilbert would be allowed to","他接着询问吉尔伯特先生什么时候可以"],[16,"go home and the doctor told him","回家，医生告诉他"],[17,"that he would have to stay","他必须"],[18,"in hosptial for another two weeks.","他还需要在医院住院两周。"],[19,"Then Dr. Millington asked the caller","然后，米林顿博士询问了来电者。"],[20,"if he was a relative of the patient.","他是不是病人的亲属。"],[21,"'No,' the patient answered,","“不，”病人回答道。"],[22,"'I am Mr. John Gilbert.'","我是约翰·吉尔伯特先生。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"42－Not Very Musical","t":"Not Very Musical","c":[[0,"What happened when the snake charmer began to play jazz?","当那个耍蛇的人开始演奏爵士乐时，发生了什么？"],[1,"As we had had a long walk through one of the markets of old Delhi,","我们沿着旧德里的一个市场走了很长一段路后，"],[2,"we stopped at a square to have a rest.","我们在一个广场上停下来休息。"],[3,"After a time, we noticed a snake charmer with","过了一段时间，我们注意到有一个耍蛇的人……"],[4,"two large baskets at the other side of the square,","在广场的另一边，带着两个大篮子。"],[5,"so we went to have a look at him.","于是我们便走过去看看他。"],[6,"As soon as he saw us,","他一看到我们，"],[7,"he picked up a long pipe which was covered with coins and opened one of the baskets.","他拿起一根缀满硬币的长笛，然后打开了其中一个篮子。"],[8,"When he began to play a tune,","当他开始演奏一首曲子时，"],[9,"we had our first glimpse of the snake.","我们第一次看到了那条蛇。"],[10,"It rose out of the basket and began to follow the movements of the pipe.","它从篮子里探出身来，开始随着笛子的摆动而舞动。"],[11,"We were very much surprised when the snake charmer","当那个耍蛇的人突然开始演奏爵士乐和现代流行歌曲时，我们非常惊讶。"],[12,"suddenly began to play jazz and modern pop songs.","他突然开始演奏爵士乐和现代流行歌曲。"],[13,"The snake, however, continued to 'dance' slowly.","然而，那条蛇仍然继续缓慢地“跳舞”。"],[14,"It obviously could not tell the difference between Indian music and jazz!","显然，它根本分不清印度音乐和爵士乐的区别！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"55－Not a Gold Mine","t":"Not a Gold Mine","c":[[0,"What did the team find?","团队发现了什么？"],[1,"Dreams of finding lost treasure almost came true recently.","最近，找到失宝藏的梦想几乎成真了。"],[2,"A new machine called 'The Revealer' has been invented","一种名为“The Revealer”的新机器已经被发明出来了。"],[3,"and it has been used to detect gold which has been buried in the ground.","它已被用于探测埋藏在地下的黄金。"],[4,"The machine was used in a cave near the seashore where--it is said--pirates used to hide gold.","这台机器被用于海边附近的一个洞穴中；据说，海盗们过去常常在那里藏匿黄金。"],[5,"The pirates would often bury gold in the cave and then fail to collect it.","海盗们经常把黄金埋藏在洞穴里，但后来却没能把那些黄金取出来。"],[6,"Armed with the new machine, a search party went into the cave hoping to find buried treasure.","带着这台新机器，一支搜寻队进入了洞穴，希望能找到埋藏的宝藏。"],[7,"The leader of the party was examining the soil near the entrance to the cave when the machine showed that there was gold under the ground.","当队长正在检查洞穴入口附近的土壤时，机器显示地下有黄金。"],[8,"Very excited, the party dug a hole two feet deep.","非常兴奋，大家一起挖了一个两英尺深的坑。"],[9,"They finally found a small gold coin which was almost worthless.","他们终于找到了一枚小金币，但这枚金币几乎毫无价值。"],[10,"The party then searched the whole cave thoroughly but did not find anything except an empty tin trunk.","随后，他们彻底搜查了整个洞穴，但除了一个空铁皮箱外什么也没找到。"],[11,"In spite of this, many people are confident that 'The Revealer' may reveal something of value fairly soon.","尽管如此，许多人仍然相信，“揭示者”很快就会揭示出有价值的东西。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"77－A Successful Operation","t":"A Successful Operation","c":[[0,"Did the doctors find out how the woman died?","医生们查明这名妇女的死因了吗？"],[1,"The mummy of an Egyptian woman who died in 800 B.C. has just had an operation.","这位埃及女性的木乃伊（她死于公元前800年）刚刚接受了一次手术。"],[2,"The mummy is that of Shepenmut who was once a singer in the Temple of Thebes.","这具木乃伊属于谢彭穆特（Shepenmut），她曾经是底比斯神庙中的一名歌手。"],[3,"As there were strange marks on the X-ray plates taken of the mummy,","由于在拍摄木乃伊的X光片上发现了奇怪的痕迹，"],[4,"doctors have been trying to find out whether the woman died of a rare disease.","医生们一直在试图确定这名女性是否死于一种罕见的疾病。"],[5,"The only way to do this was to operate.","唯一的方法就是进行手术。"],[6,"The operation, which lasted for over four hours,","这次手术持续了四个多小时。"],[7,"proved to be very difficult because of the hard resin which covered the skin.","由于皮肤上覆盖着一层坚硬的树脂，手术被证明非常困难。"],[8,"The doctors removed a section of the mummy and sent it to a laboratory.","医生们取下木乃伊的一部分，把它送到了实验室。"],[9,"They also found something which the X-ray plates did not show: a small wax figure of the god Duamutef.","他们还发现了一些X光片未能显示的东西：一个微小的、用蜡制成的杜阿穆特夫神像。"],[10,"This god which has the head of a cow was normally placed inside a mummy.","这个长着牛头的神像通常被放置在木乃伊的体内。"],[11,"The doctors have not yet decided how the woman died.","医生们尚未确定这名妇女的死因。"],[12,"They feared that the mummy would fall to pieces when they cut it open,","他们担心在打开木乃伊时，木乃伊会碎成碎片。"],[13,"but fortunately this has not happened.","但幸运的是，这种情况并没有发生。"],[14,"The mummy successfully survived the operation.","这具木乃伊成功度过了手术。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"79－By Air","t":"By Air","c":[[0,"Why did the plane turn back?","飞机为什么返航了？"],[1,"I used to travel by air a great deal when I was a boy.","我小时候经常坐飞机旅行。"],[2,"My parents used to live in South America and I used to fly there from Europe in the holidays.","我的父母曾住在南美洲，假期里我常从欧洲飞往他们那里。"],[3,"A flight attendant would take charge of me and I never had an unpleasant experience.","每次都有空乘人员来照顾我，而我从未有过任何不愉快的经历。"],[4,"I am used to travelling by air and only on one occasion have I ever felt frightened.","我习惯乘坐飞机出行，只有一次感到过害怕。"],[5,"After taking off, we were flying low over the city and slowly gaining height,","起飞后，我们低空飞过城市，然后逐渐开始上升。"],[6,"when the plane suddenly turned round and flew back to the airport.","突然，飞机掉头飞回了机场。"],[7,"While we were waiting to land, a flight attendant told us to keep calm","在我们等待降落的期间，一位空乘人员让我们保持冷静。"],[8,"and to get off the plane quietly as soon as it had touched down.","并且要在飞机一降落就立刻悄悄地离开飞机。"],[9,"Everybody on board was worried and we were curious to find out what had happened.","机上的每个人都很担心，我们都好奇想知道发生了什么事。"],[10,"Later we learnt that there was a very important person on board.","后来我们得知，机上有一位非常重要的人物。"],[11,"The police had been told that a bomb had been planted on the plane.","警方接到消息称，飞机上被安置了一枚炸弹。"],[12,"After we had landed, the plane was searched thoroughly.","我们降落之后，飞机被彻底搜查了一遍。"],[13,"Fortunately, nothing was found and five hours later we were able to take off again.","幸运的是，什么也没找到，五小时后我们又能起飞了。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"90－What's for Supper","t":"What's for Supper?","c":[[0,"What kind of fish are they?","这是什么鱼？"],[1,"Fish and chips has always been a favourite dish in Britain,","炸鱼薯条一直是英国人喜爱的美食，"],[2,"but as the oceans have been overfished, fish has become more and more expensive.","但由于海洋过度捕捞，鱼类的价格越来越高。"],[3,"So it comes as a surprise to learn that giant fish are terrifying the divers on North Sea oil rigs.","因此，当人们得知巨大的鱼类正在北海石油钻井平台恐吓潜水员时，确实感到十分惊讶。"],[4,"Oil rigs have to be repaired frequently and divers, who often have to work in darkness a hundred feet under water,","这些石油钻井平台需要频繁维修，而潜水员往往必须在百英尺深的水下工作；"],[5,"have been frightened out of their wits by giant fish bumping into them as they work.","巨大的鱼类在潜水员作业时突然撞上他们，把他们吓得魂不附体。"],[6,"Now they have had special cages made to protect them from these monsters.","现在，他们专门制作了防护笼来保护自己免受这些怪物的伤害。"],[7,"The fish are not sharks or killer whales,","这些鱼既不是鲨鱼，也不是虎鲸，"],[8,"but favourite eating varieties like cod and skate which grow to unnatural sizes,","而是人们常吃的鳕鱼和鳐鱼等鱼类，它们长得异常巨大，"],[9,"sometimes as much as twelve feet in length.","有些甚至长达十二英尺。"],[10,"Three factors have caused these fish to grow so large:","导致这些鱼类体型如此庞大的原因有三个："],[11,"the warm water round the hot oil pipes under the sea;","一是海底热油管道周围的温暖海水；"],[12,"the plentiful supply of food thrown overboard by the crews on the rigs;","二是钻井平台工作人员扔到海里的大量食物；"],[13,"the total absence of fishing boats around the oil rigs.","三是石油钻井平台周围完全没有渔船。"],[14,"As a result, the fish just eat and eat and grow and grow in the lovely warm water.","因此，鱼儿在这片温暖舒适的海水里不停地吃啊吃，长啊长。"],[15,"Who eats who?","到底谁吃谁呢？"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"09－A Cold Welcome","t":"A Cold Welcome","c":[[0,"What does 'a cold welcome' refer to?","“冷遇”（a cold welcome）指的是一种不热情、冷漠或甚至带有敌意的接待方式。"],[1,"On Wednesday evening, we went to the Town Hall.","周三晚上，我们去了市政厅。"],[2,"It was the last day of the year","那是这一年中的最后一天。"],[3,"and a large crowd of people had gathered under the Town Hall clock.","一大群人聚集在市政厅的钟楼下方。"],[4,"It would strike twelve in twenty minutes' time.","二十分钟后，钟声就会敲响十二下。"],[5,"Fifteen minutes passed and then,","十五分钟过去了，然后……"],[6,"at five to twelve, the clock stopped.","在十二点差五分的时候，钟停了。"],[7,"The big minute hand did not move.","那个大型的分针一动也没有动。"],[8,"We waited and waited,","我们等啊等啊，"],[9,"but nothing happened.","但是什么事情都没有发生。"],[10,"Suddenly someone shouted.","突然，有人喊了一声。"],[11,"'It's two minutes past twelve!","已经十二点过两分了！"],[12,"The clock has stopped!'","“时钟停了！”"],[13,"I looked at my watch.","我看了看我的手表。"],[14,"It was true.","确实如此。"],[15,"The big clock refused to welcome the New Year.","那座大钟拒绝迎接新年。"],[16,"At that moment, everybody began to laugh and sing.","就在那一刻，所有人都开始大笑起来，还唱起了歌。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"85－Never Too Old To Learn","t":"Never Too Old To Learn","c":[[0,"How long has Mr. Page been teaching?","佩奇先生教书已经有多久了？"],[1,"I have just received a letter from my old school, informing me that my former headmaster, Mr. Stuart Page, will be retiring next week.","我刚刚收到我母校寄来的一封信，信中告诉我，我的前任校长斯图尔特·佩奇先生将于下周退休。"],[2,"Pupils of the school old and new, will be sending him a present to mark the occasion.","学校的历届学生都会送他一份礼物来纪念这个时刻。"],[3,"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.","所有为这份礼物出过力的人都会在一本大纪念册上签名，这本纪念册将被送到校长家中。"],[4,"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.","我们都会永远铭记佩奇先生——他总是充满耐心与理解，每当我们极不情愿地去上学时，他总会给予我们鼓励与支持。"],[5,"A great many former pupils will be attending a farewell dinner in his honour next Thursday.","许多他的老同学将会参加下周四为他举办的告别晚宴。"],[6,"It is a curious coincidence that the day before his retirement, Mr. Page will have been teaching for a total of forty years.","巧合的是，在佩奇先生退休的前一天，他教书正好满四十年。"],[7,"After he has retired he will devote himself to gardening.","退休后，他将全身心投入到园艺活动中去。"],[8,"For him, this will be an entirely new hobby.","对他来说，这将是一个全新的爱好。"],[9,"But this does not matter, for, as he has often remarked, one is never too old to learn.","但这并不重要，因为正如他经常说的那样：人永远都不应该停止学习。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"33－Out of the Darkness","t":"Out of the Darkness","c":[[0,"Why was the girl in hospital?","为什么那个女孩要住院呢？"],[1,"Nearly a week passed before","差不多过了一个星期，那个女孩才"],[2,"the girl was able to explain","能够解释清楚"],[3,"what had happened to her.","她身上到底发生了什么事。"],[4,"One afternoon she set out","一天下午，她"],[5,"from the coast in a small boat","从海岸乘坐一艘小船出发。"],[6,"and was caught in a storm.","结果被一场暴风雨困住了。"],[7,"Towards evening,","到了傍晚时分，"],[8,"the boat struck a rock and","船撞上了一块岩石。"],[9,"the girl jumped into the sea.","那个女孩跳进了海里。"],[10,"Then she swam to the shore","然后她游到了岸边。"],[11,"after spending the whole night in the water.","在水中度过了一整夜之后，"],[12,"During that time she covered","游了"],[13,"a distance of eight miles.","八英里的距离。"],[14,"Early next morning,","第二天清晨，"],[15,"she saw a light ahead.","她看到前方有一道光。"],[16,"She knew she was near the shore","她知道自己已经接近海岸了。"],[17,"because the light was high up on the cliffs.","因为灯光位于悬崖的高处。"],[18,"On arriving at the shore,","到达岸边后，"],[19,"the girl struggled up the cliff towards","那个女孩费力地爬上悬崖，朝着"],[20,"the light she had seen.","她看到的那道光爬去。"],[21,"That was all she remembered.","那就是她所记得的全部内容了。"],[22,"When she woke up a day later,","一天后醒来时，"],[23,"she found herself in hospital.","她被送进了医院。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"92－Asking for Trouble","t":"Asking for Trouble","c":[[0,"Why did the policeman ask the writer to come to the police station?","为什么警察让那位作家去警察局呢？"],[1,"It must have been about two in the morning when I returned home.","我回到家时，大概已经是凌晨两点左右了。"],[2,"I tried to wake up my wife by ringing the doorbell,","我试着按门铃叫醒我的妻子，"],[3,"but she was fast asleep,","但她睡得很熟，"],[4,"so I got a ladder from the shed in the garden, put it against the wall,","于是我从花园里的棚屋里拿了一把梯子，把它靠在墙上，"],[5,"and began climbing towards the bedroom window.","然后开始往卧室的窗户爬去。"],[6,"I was almost there when a sarcastic voice below said.","我刚快爬到窗户时，下面传来一个讽刺的声音说："],[7,"'I don't think the windows need cleaning at this time of the night.'","‘我看这大半夜的，窗户不需要擦吧。’"],[8,"I looked down and nearly fell off the ladder when I saw a policeman.","我低头一看，看到一名警察时，差点从梯子上摔下来。"],[9,"I immediately regretted answering in the way I did, but I said, 'I enjoy cleaning windows at night.'","我立刻后悔自己那样回答，但还是说：‘我就是喜欢在晚上擦窗户。’"],[10,"'So do I,' answered the policeman in the same tone.","‘是啊，’警察用同样讽刺的语气回答。"],[11,"Excuse my interrupting you.","请原谅我打扰你。"],[12,"I hate to interrupt a man when he's busy working, but would you mind coming with me to the station?'","“我真不想在别人忙的时候打扰他，不过您能跟我去一趟警察局吗？”"],[13,"'Well, I'd prefer to stay here,' I said.","“嗯，我宁愿待在这里，”我说。"],[14,"'You see, I've forgotten my key.'","“是这样的，我忘带钥匙了。”"],[15,"'Your what?' he called.","“你说什么？”他大声问。"],[16,"'My key,' I shouted.","“我的钥匙！”我喊道。"],[17,"Fortunately, the shouting woke up my wife who opened the window just as the policeman had started to climb towards me.","幸运的是，我的喊声吵醒了妻子。就在警察开始朝我爬来时，她打开了窗户。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"05－No Wrong Numbers","t":"No Wrong Numbers","c":[[0,"What does 'No wrong numbers' mean?","“没有错误的数字”是什么意思？"],[1,"Mr.James Scott has a garage in Silbury","詹姆斯·斯科特先生在塞尔伯里（Silbury）有一间车库。"],[2,"and now he has just bought another garage in Pinhurst.","现在他又在 Pinhurst 买了一个车库。"],[3,"Pinhurst is only five miles from Silbury,","平赫斯特（Pinhurst）距离西尔伯里（Silbury）只有五英里。"],[4,"but Mr. Scott cannot get a telephone for his new garage,","但是斯科特先生无法为他的新车库配备一部电话。"],[5,"so he has just bought twelve pigeons.","所以他刚刚买了十二只鸽子。"],[6,"Yesterday, a pigeon carried the first message from Pinhurst to Silbury.","昨天，一只鸽子把第一封信从平赫斯特送到了塞尔伯里。"],[7,"The bird covered the distance in three minutes.","这只鸽子花了三分钟飞完了这段路程。"],[8,"Up to now,","到目前为止，"],[9,"Mr.Scott has sent a great many requests for spare parts","斯科特先生已经从一个车库向另一个车库发送了大量索取备件的请求"],[10,"and other urgent messages from one garage to the other.","以及其他紧急信息。"],[11,"In this way, he has begun his own private 'telephone' service.","通过这种方式，他开始了自己的私人“电话”服务。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"84－On Strike","t":"On Strike","c":[[0,"Who will be driving the buses next week?","下周谁来负责驾驶这些公交车呢？"],[1,"Busmen have decided to go on strike next week.","公交司机们已经决定下周举行罢工。"],[2,"The strike is due to begin on Tuesday.","罢工定于周二开始。"],[3,"No one knows how long it will last.","没有人知道这种情况会持续多久。"],[4,"The busmen have stated that the strike will continue until general agreement is reached about pay and working conditions.","公交司机们表示，罢工将持续进行，直到就工资和工作条件达成全面共识为止。"],[5,"Most people believe that the strike will last for at least a week.","大多数人认为这次罢工至少会持续一周。"],[6,"Many owners of private cars are going to offer 'free rides' to people on their way to work.","许多私家车主打算为上班途中的人们提供“免费搭乘”服务。"],[7,"This will relieve pressure on the trains to some extent.","这将在一定程度上缓解火车的运行压力。"],[8,"Meanwhile, a number of university students have volunteered to drive buses while the strike lasts.","与此同时，许多大学生志愿在罢工期间驾驶公交车。"],[9,"All the students are expert drivers,","所有的学生都是驾驶技术高超的驾驶员。"],[10,"but before they drive any of the buses, they will have to pass a special test.","但在他们驾驶任何一辆公交车之前，都必须通过一项特殊的测试。"],[11,"The students are going to take the test in two days' time.","学生们将在两天后参加考试。"],[12,"Even so, people are going to find it difficult to get to work.","即便如此，人们仍然会发现上班变得很困难。"],[13,"But so far, the public has expressed its gratitude to the students in lettters to the Press.","不过到目前为止，公众已经通过致信媒体的方式表达了对学生的感激之情。"],[14,"Only one or two people have objected that the students will drive too fast!","只有寥寥一两个人提出反对意见，认为学生们开车时可能会太快！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"57－Can I Help You, Madam","t":"Can I Help You, Madam?","c":[[0,"Did the woman get what she wanted?","那个女人得到了她想要的东西吗？"],[1,"A woman in jeans stood at the window of an expensive shop.","一个穿着牛仔裤的女人站在一家高档商店的窗前。"],[2,"Though she hesitated for a moment,","虽然她犹豫了一会儿，"],[3,"she finally went in and asked to see a dress that was in the window.","她终于走进店里，要求看一看橱窗里的那件连衣裙。"],[4,"The assistant who served her did not like the way she was dressed.","接待她的店员不喜欢她的穿着打扮。"],[5,"Glancing at her scornfully, he told her that the dress was sold.","他轻蔑地瞥了她一眼，然后告诉她那条裙子已经卖掉了。"],[6,"The woman walked out of the shop angrily and decided to punish the assistant next day.","那位女士怒气冲冲地走出商店，决定第二天要教训一下那个店员。"],[7,"She returned to the shop the following morning dressed in a fur coat,","第二天早上，她穿着一件皮草大衣回到了店里。"],[8,"with a handbag in one hand and a long umbrella in the other.","一只手拿着手提包，另一只手拿着一把长伞。"],[9,"After seeking out the rude assistant,","找到那个无礼的店员后，"],[10,"she asked for the same dress.","她又要看同一条裙子。"],[11,"Not realizing who she was, the assistant was eager to serve her this time.","由于没认出她是谁，这次店员殷勤地为她服务。"],[12,"With great difficulty, he climbed into the shop window to get the dress.","他费了很大的劲才爬进商店的橱窗里，去拿那条裙子。"],[13,"As soon as she saw it, the woman said she did not like it.","她一看到那件衣服，就说不喜欢。"],[14,"She enjoyed herself making the assistant bring almost everything in the window","她乐此不疲地让店员把橱窗里几乎所有的东西都拿了出来，"],[15,"before finally buying the dress she had first asked for.","最后才买下她最初要看的那条裙子。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"27－A Wet Night","t":"A Wet Night","c":[[0,"What happened to the boys in the night?","那些男孩们晚上发生了什么事？"],[1,"Late in the afternoon, the boys put up their tent in the middle of a field.","傍晚时分，男孩们在田野中央搭起了帐篷。"],[2,"As soon as this was done, they cooked a meal over an open fire.","帐篷一搭好，他们就在篝火上做饭了。"],[3,"They were all hungry and the food smelled good.","大家都很饿，食物闻起来非常香。"],[4,"After a wonderful meal, they told stories and sang songs by the campfire.","吃完美味的饭菜后，他们在篝火旁讲故事、唱歌。"],[5,"But some time later it began to rain.","但不久之后，天开始下雨了。"],[6,"The boys felt tired so they put out the fire and crept into their tent.","男孩们感到累了，于是他们熄灭了篝火，钻进了帐篷。"],[7,"Their sleeping bags were warm and comfortable, so they all slept soundly.","他们的睡袋温暖舒适，大家都睡得很香。"],[8,"In the middle of the night, two boys woke up and began shouting.","半夜时分，有两个男孩突然醒来，开始大喊大叫。"],[9,"The tent was full of water!","帐篷里充满了水！"],[10,"They all leapt out of their sleeping bags and hurried outside.","他们一下子从睡袋里跳出来，赶紧跑到外面。"],[11,"It was raining heavily and they found that a stream had formed in the field.","雨下得很大，他们发现田野里形成了一条小溪。"],[12,"The stream wound its way across the field and then flowed right under their tent!","小溪蜿蜒流过田野，然后从他们的帐篷下方流过！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"71－A Famous Clock","t":"A Famous Clock","c":[[0,"Has Big Ben ever gone wrong?","大本钟曾经出过故障吗？"],[1,"When you visit London, one of the first things you will see is Big Ben,","当你游览伦敦时，首先会看到的大概就是大本钟（Big Ben）了。"],[2,"the famous clock which can be heard all over the world on the B.B.C.","那座著名的钟，它的钟声可以通过英国广播公司（BBC）的广播传遍全世界。"],[3,"If the Houses of Parliament had not been burned down in 1834,","如果英国议会大厦没有在1834年被烧毁的话……"],[4,"the great clock would never have been erected.","那座大钟就永远也不会被建造起来了。"],[5,"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.","大本钟的名字来源于本杰明·霍尔爵士（Sir Benjamin Hall）——他在英国新议会大厦建造期间负责这座钟的制造工作。"],[6,"It is not only of immense size, but is extremely accurate as well.","它不仅体积庞大，而且精度极高。"],[7,"Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.","格林尼治天文台的官员每天会检查这台时钟两次。"],[8,"On the B.B.C. you can hear the clock when it is actually striking because microphones are connected to the clock tower.","在BBC的广播中，你可以听到钟声的实际敲击声——因为麦克风是直接连接到钟楼的。"],[9,"Big Ben has rarely gone wrong.","大本钟几乎从未出过故障。"],[10,"Once, however, it failed to give the correct time.","然而，有一次它没能准确地显示时间。"],[11,"A painter who had been working on the tower hung a pot of paint on one of the hands and slowed it down!","一位在钟塔上工作的油漆工，把一罐油漆挂在了一根指针上，结果使钟走慢了！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"35－Stop Thief","t":"Stop Thief!","c":[[0,"How did Roy stop the thieves?","罗伊是如何阻止那些小偷的？"],[1,"Roy Trenton used to drive a taxi.","罗伊·特伦顿以前开过出租车。"],[2,"A short while ago, however,","然而，就在不久前……"],[3,"he became a bus driver","他成了一名公交车司机。"],[4,"and he has not regretted it.","他从未为此感到后悔。"],[5,"He is finding his new work far more exciting.","他发现自己的新工作要有趣得多。"],[6,"When he was driving","当他开车的时候"],[7,"along Catford Street recently,","最近，在卡特福德街（Catford Street）上……"],[8,"he saw two thieves rush out of a shop","他看到两个小偷从商店里冲了出来。"],[9,"and run towards a waiting car.","然后跑向一辆正在等待的车辆。"],[10,"One of them was carrying a bag full of money.","其中一个人带着一个装满钱的袋子。"],[11,"Roy acted quickly and drove the bus","罗伊反应迅速，立刻驾驶着公交车"],[12,"straight at the thieves.","直接冲向那些小偷。"],[13,"The one with the money got such a fright","那个拿钱的人吓了一大跳"],[14,"that he dropped the bag.","以至于他掉了那个袋子"],[15,"As the thieves were trying to get away in their car,","当小偷们试图开车逃跑时，"],[16,"Roy drove his bus into the back of it.","罗伊驾驶他的公交车撞上了那辆车的后部。"],[17,"While the battered car was moving away,","当那辆被撞坏的汽车开走时"],[18,"Roy stopped his bus and telephoned the police.","罗伊停下了他的公交车，然后拨打了报警电话。"],[19,"The thieves' car was badly damaged and easy to recognize.","小偷们的汽车损坏严重，因此很容易被辨认出来。"],[20,"Shortly afterwards,","不久之后，"],[21,"the police stopped the car and both men were arrested.","警察拦下了那辆车，两名男子都被逮捕了。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"13－The Greenwood Boys","t":"The Greenwood Boys","c":[[0,"Why will the police have a difficult time?","为什么警察会遇到困难呢？"],[1,"The Greenwood Boys are a group of pop singers.","The Greenwood Boys是一支流行歌手组合。"],[2,"At present, they are visiting all parts of the country.","目前，他们正在全国巡回演出。"],[3,"They will be arriving here tomorrow.","他们明天会到达这里。"],[4,"They will be coming by train and most of the young people in the town will be meeting them at the station.","他们将乘火车前来，镇上的大多数年轻人都会在火车站迎接他们。"],[5,"Tomorrow evening they will be singing at the Workers' Club.","明晚他们将在工人俱乐部演出。"],[6,"The Greenwood Boys will be staying for five days.","格林伍德男孩们将在此逗留五天。"],[7,"During this time, they will give five performances.","在这段时间里，他们将进行五场演出。"],[8,"As usual, the police will have a difficult time.","像往常一样，警方会遇到很大的困难。"],[9,"They will be trying to keep order.","他们会努力维持秩序。"],[10,"It is always the same on these occasions.","每逢这种场合，情况总是如此。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"49－The End of a Dream","t":"The End of a Dream","c":[[0,"How did the dream end?","这个梦是怎么结束的？"],[1,"Tired of sleeping on the floor,","受够了睡在地板上……"],[2,"a young man in Teheran saved up for years to buy a real bed.","在德黑兰，一个年轻人为了买一张真正的床，攒了多年的钱。"],[3,"For the first time in his life,","他生平第一次……"],[4,"he became the proud owner of a bed which had springs and a mattress.","他骄傲地拥有了一张配有弹簧和床垫的床。"],[5,"Because the weather was very hot,","因为天气非常炎热，"],[6,"he carried the bed on to the roof of his house.","他把那张床搬到了自己房子的屋顶上。"],[7,"He slept very well for the first two nights,","他在头两个晚上睡得非常好。"],[8,"but on the third night, a storm blew up.","但是到了第三天晚上，一场暴风雨突然降临了。"],[9,"A gust of wind swept the bed off the roof and sent it crashing into the courtyard below.","一阵大风把床从屋顶上吹了下去，哐当一声掉进了下面的院子里。"],[10,"The young man did not wake up","那个年轻人没有醒来。"],[11,"until the bed had struck the ground.","直到床砸到地上他才醒来。"],[12,"Although the bed was smashed to pieces,","尽管床被砸得粉碎，"],[13,"the man was miraculously unhurt.","那个人却奇迹般地毫发无伤。"],[14,"When he woke up, he was still on the mattress.","当他醒来时，发现自己仍然躺在床垫上。"],[15,"Glancing at the bits of wood and metal that lay around him,","他瞥了一眼散落在周围的木头和金属碎片，"],[16,"the man sadly picked up the mattress and carried it into his house.","他伤心地捡起床垫，把它搬回了屋里。"],[17,"After he had put it on the floor,","把床垫放在地板上后，"],[18,"he promptly went to sleep again.","他立刻又睡着了。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"73－The Record-Holder","t":"The Record-Holder","c":[[0,"Did the boy go where he wanted to?","那个男孩去他想去的地方了吗？"],[1,"Children who play truant from school are unimaginative.","那些逃学玩耍的孩子缺乏想象力。"],[2,"A quiet days' fishing,","安安静静地钓一天鱼，"],[3,"or eight hours in a cinema seeing the same film over and over again, is usually as far as they get.","或者，他们最多也就会在电影院里待上八个小时，一遍又一遍地看同一部电影而已。"],[4,"They have all been put to shame by a boy who, while playing truant travelled 1, 600 miles.","他们都被一个男孩给比下去了；这个男孩虽然逃学了，却还是跋涉了1,600英里（约2,560公里）去旅行。"],[5,"He hitchhiked to Dover and towards evening went into a boat to find somewhere to sleep.","他搭便车到了多佛，傍晚时分上了一艘船想找个地方睡觉。"],[6,"When he woke up next morning, he discovered that the boat had, in the meantime, travelled to Calais.","第二天早上他醒来时，发现船已经驶到了加来。"],[7,"No one noticed the boy as he crept off.","没有人注意到那个男孩悄悄地离开了。"],[8,"From there, he hitchhiked to Paris in a lorry.","从那里，他搭上一辆卡车去了巴黎。"],[9,"The driver gave him a few biscuits and a cup of coffee and left him just outside the city.","司机给了他几块饼干和一杯咖啡，然后把他留在了城外。"],[10,"The next car the boy stopped did not take him into the centre of Paris as he hoped it would,","男孩接下来拦下的那辆车并没有像他希望的那样带他前往巴黎市中心。"],[11,"but to Perpignan on the French-Spanish border.","而是前往位于法西边境的佩皮尼昂（Perpignan）。"],[12,"There he was picked up by a policeman and sent back to England by the local authorities.","他被一名警察带走，随后由当地政府送回了英格兰。"],[13,"He has surely set up a record for the thousands of children who dream of evading school.","他无疑为成千上万梦想逃学的孩子们创造了一项纪录。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"94－Future Champions","t":"Future Champions","c":[[0,"What kind of race do the children compete in?","孩子们参加的是什么样的比赛呢？"],[1,"Experiments have proved that children can be instructed in swimming at a very early age.","实验已经证明，儿童可以在非常年幼的时候就开始学习游泳。"],[2,"At a special swimming pool in Los Angeles,","在洛杉矶的一个特殊游泳池里，"],[3,"children become expert at holding their breath under water even before they can walk.","孩子们甚至在还不会走路的时候，就已经能够熟练地在水下屏住呼吸了。"],[4,"Babies of two months old do not appear to be reluctant to enter the water.","两个月大的婴儿似乎并不抗拒进入水中。"],[5,"It is not long before they are so accustomed to swimming that they can pick up weights from the floor of the pool.","没过多久，他们就习惯了游泳，甚至能够从泳池底部捡起重物了。"],[6,"A game that is very popular with these young swimmers is the underwater tricycle race.","在这些年轻游泳运动员中非常受欢迎的一项游戏是水下三轮车比赛。"],[7,"Tricycles are lined up on the floor of the pool seven feet under water.","三轮车被整齐地排列在水池底部——那里的水深达七英尺。"],[8,"The children compete against each other to reach the other end of the pool.","孩子们互相比赛，看谁先游到泳池的另一端。"],[9,"Many pedal their tricycles but most of them prefer to push or drag them.","有些孩子骑着三轮车，但大多数更喜欢推着或拉着它们。"],[10,"Some children can cover the whole length of the pool without coming up for breath even once.","有些孩子可以游完全程而一次都不用换气。"],[11,"Whether they will ever become future Olympic champions, only time will tell.","他们是否能够成为未来的奥运冠军，只有时间才能告诉我们。"],[12,"Meanwhile, they should encourage those among us who cannot swim five yards before they are gasping for air.","与此同时，他们应该鼓励我们这些游不了五码就气喘吁吁的人。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"96－The Dead Return","t":"The Dead Return","c":[[0,"What happens to the lanterns at the end of the festival?","节庆结束时，那些灯笼会怎么样呢？"],[1,"A Festival for the Dead is held once a year in Japan.","在日本，每年都会举行一次“亡灵节”（Festival for the Dead）。"],[2,"This festival is a cheerful occasion,","这个节日是一个充满欢乐的场合。"],[3,"for on this day, the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living.","因为据说在这一天，死者会回到他们的家中，而生者会迎接他们。"],[4,"As they are expected to be hungry after their long journey, food is laid out for them.","由于他们在长途旅行后很可能会感到饥饿，所以已经为他们准备好了食物。"],[5,"Specially-made lanterns are hung outside each house to help the dead to find their way.","每户人家的外面都挂有特制的灯笼，目的是帮助逝者找到回家的路。"],[6,"All night long, people dance and sing.","整晚，人们都在跳舞和唱歌。"],[7,"In the early morning the food that had been laid out for the dead","清晨时分，那些原本为死者准备的食物……"],[8,"is thrown into a river or into the sea as it is considered unlucky for anyone living to eat it.","这些食物会被扔进河流或海洋中，因为人们认为活人吃了会不吉利。"],[9,"In towns that are near the sea, the tiny lanterns which had been hung in the streets the night before,","在那些靠近海边的小镇上，前一晚被挂在街上的那些小灯笼……"],[10,"are placed into the water when the festival is over.","这些灯笼会在节日结束后被放入水中。"],[11,"Thousands of lanterns slowly drift out to sea guiding the dead on their return journey to the other world.","成千上万的灯笼缓缓被放流入海，为逝者指引返回另一个世界的道路。"],[12,"This is a moving spectacle, for crowds of people","这是一场令人感动的场面，成群的人们都聚集在一起观看。"],[13,"stand on the shore watching the lanterns drifting away until they can be seen no more.","站在岸边，看着那些灯笼渐渐远去，直到它们完全消失在视线之外。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"52－A Pretty Carpet","t":"A Pretty Carpet","c":[[0,"What is the writer's carpet made of?","作者的“地毯”（这里可能指作者的办公环境或工作场所）是由什么材料制成的呢？"],[1,"We have just moved into a new house and I have been working hard all morning.","我们刚搬进了一栋新房子，我一整个早上都在努力工作。"],[2,"I have been trying to get my new room in order.","我一直在努力把我的新房间整理得井井有条。"],[3,"This has not been easy because I own over a thousand books.","这并不容易，因为我有超过一千本书。"],[4,"To make matters worse,","更糟糕的是……"],[5,"the room is rather small,","这个房间相当小。"],[6,"so I have temporarily put my books on the floor.","所以我暂时把我的书放在了地板上。"],[7,"At the moment, they cover every inch of floor space","目前，它们已经覆盖了每一寸的地面空间。"],[8,"and I actually have to walk on them to get in or out of the room.","实际上，我必须踩在这些东西上才能进入或离开房间。"],[9,"A short while ago, my sister helped me to carry one of my old bookcases up the stairs.","不久前，我的姐姐帮我把其中一个旧书柜搬上了楼梯。"],[10,"She went into my room and got a big surprise when she saw all those books on the floor.","她走进我的房间，看到地板上堆满了书，顿时感到非常惊讶。"],[11,"'This is the prettiest carpet I have ever seen,' she said.","“这是我见过最漂亮的地毯了，”她说。"],[12,"She gazed at it for some time then added,","她凝视着它一会儿，然后补充道："],[13,"'You don't need bookcases at all.","“你根本不需要书架。"],[14,"You can sit here in your spare time and read the carpet!'","你可以在空闲时间坐在这里，直接在地毯上阅读！”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"59－In or Out","t":"In or Out?","c":[[0,"Why did Rex run away?","为什么雷克斯会逃跑呢？"],[1,"Our dog, Rex, used to sit outside our front gate and bark.","我们的狗雷克斯过去常常坐在前门外吠叫。"],[2,"Every time he wanted to come into the garden he would bark until someone opened the gate.","每次他想进入花园时，都会不停地吠叫，直到有人打开大门。"],[3,"As the neighbours complained of the noise, my husband spent weeks training him to press his paw on the latch to let himself in.","由于邻居们抱怨噪音太大，我丈夫花了好几个星期训练它用爪子按门闩，好让它自己进来。"],[4,"Rex soon became an expert at opening the gate.","雷克斯很快就掌握了开门的技巧。"],[5,"However, when I was going out shopping last week, I noticed him in the garden near the gate.","然而，上周我去购物的时候，我在大门附近的花园里看到了他。"],[6,"This time he was barking so that someone would let him out!","这次他大声吠叫，就是为了有人能放他出去！"],[7,"Since then, he has developed another bad habit.","从那以后，他又养成了一个坏习惯。"],[8,"As soon as he opens the gate from the outside, he comes into the garden and waits until the gate shuts.","他一从外面打开大门，就走进花园，然后等待大门关上。"],[9,"Then he sits and barks until someone lets him out.","然后他就坐着，不停地叫，直到有人放他出去。"],[10,"After this he immediately lets himself in and begins barking again.","之后，他立刻自己进了门，又开始吠叫起来。"],[11,"Yesterday my husband removed the gate and Rex got so annoyed we have not seen him since.","昨天我丈夫把门拆了，雷克斯气坏了，从那以后我们就再也没见过它了。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"62－After the Fire","t":"After the Fire","c":[[0,"What was the danger to the villages after the fire?","火灾过后，村庄面临着哪些危险？"],[1,"Firemen had been fighting the forest fire for nearly three weeks before they could get it under control.","消防员们与这场森林火灾抗争了近三周，才终于将其控制住。"],[2,"A short time before, great trees had covered the countryside for miles around.","就在不久之前，这片乡村的周围几英里范围内，都长满了高大的树木。"],[3,"Now, smoke still rose up from the warm ground over the desolate hills.","此刻，烟雾仍从那片荒凉山丘上温暖的地面中升起。"],[4,"Winter was coming on and the hills threatened the surrounding villages with destruction,","冬天即将来临，那些山丘威胁着周围的村庄，随时可能将其摧毁。"],[5,"for heavy rain would not only wash away the soil but would cause serious floods as well.","因为大雨不仅会冲走土壤，还会引发严重的洪水。"],[6,"When the fire had at last been put out,","当大火终于被扑灭后，"],[7,"the forest authorities ordered several tons of a special type of grass-seed which would grow quickly.","森林管理部门订购了几吨一种特殊的草籽，这种草籽生长速度非常快。"],[8,"The seed was sprayed over the ground in huge quantities by aeroplanes.","这些种子被飞机大量喷洒到地面上。"],[9,"The planes had been planting seed for nearly a month when it began to rain.","这些飞机已经在进行播种作业近一个月了，就在这时，雨开始下了。"],[10,"By then, however, in many places the grass had already taken root.","然而，到那时为止，草已经在许多地方生根发芽了。"],[11,"In place of the great trees which had been growing there for centuries,","取而代之的是，那些已经生长了几个世纪的参天大树不见了。"],[12,"patches of green had begun to appear in the blackened soil.","在烧焦的土壤中，开始出现了一小块块绿色的斑点。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"30－Football or Polo","t":"Football or Polo?","c":[[0,"What happened to the man in the boat?","船上的那个男人怎么了？"],[1,"The Wayle is a small river that cuts across the park near my home.","韦尔河是一条小河，流经我家附近的公园。"],[2,"I like sitting by the Wayle on fine afternoons.","我喜欢在天气好的下午坐在韦尔河畔。"],[3,"It was warm last Sunday, so I went and sat on the river bank as usual.","上周日天气很暖和，所以我像往常一样去河边坐着。"],[4,"Some children were playing games on the bank and there were some people rowing on the river.","有些孩子在河岸上玩游戏，还有一些人在河上划船。"],[5,"Suddenly, one of the children kicked a ball very hard and it went towards a passing boat.","突然，其中一个孩子用力踢了一个球，球飞向了一艘正在经过的船。"],[6,"Some people on the bank called out to the man in the boat, but he did not hear them.","河岸上的一些人向船上的男人喊话，但他没有听到。"],[7,"The ball struck him so hard that he nearly fell into the water.","球重重地打在他身上，差点把他撞进水里。"],[8,"I turned to look at the children, but there weren't any in sight: they had all run away!","我转身看向那些孩子，但他们已经不见了——他们都跑掉了！"],[9,"The man laughed when he realized what had happened.","当那个男人意识到发生了什么时，他笑了起来。"],[10,"He called out to the children and threw the ball back to the bank.","他朝孩子们喊了一声，然后把球扔回了岸上。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"37－The Olympic Games","t":"The Olympic Games","c":[[0,"When was the last time this country","这个国家上一次举办奥运会是什么时候？"],[1,"hosted the Olympic Games?","举办奥运会？"],[2,"The Olympic Games will be held","奥运会将在我们国家举行"],[3,"in our country in four years' time.","由于将有大量游客来访"],[4,"As a great many people will be","政府将建造新酒店"],[5,"visiting the country,","访问这个国家"],[6,"the government will be building new hotels,","政府将会建造新的酒店。"],[7,"an immense stadium,","一个巨大的体育场。"],[8,"and a new Olympic-standard swimming pool.","以及一个符合奥运标准的游泳池。"],[9,"They will also be building new roads","他们还将修建新的道路。"],[10,"and a special railway line.","以及一条专门的铁路线。"],[11,"The Games will be held just outside the capital","比赛将在首都郊外举行。"],[12,"and the whole area will be called 'Olympic City'.","整个区域将被命名为“奥林匹克城”。"],[13,"Workers will have completed the new roads","工人们将在今年年底前完成新道路建设"],[14,"by the end of this year.","到今年年底为止。"],[15,"By the end of next year,","到明年年底为止，"],[16,"they will have finished work on the new stadium.","他们将在明年年底前完成新体育场的建设"],[17,"The fantastic modern buildings have been designed","这些宏伟的现代建筑由库尔特·冈特设计"],[18,"by Kurt Gunter.","设计者是库尔特·冈特"],[19,"Everybody will be watching anxiously","大家都会急切地关注着"],[20,"as the new buildings go up.","新建筑的拔地而起"],[21,"We are all very excited and are looking forward to","我们都非常兴奋，都在期待着……"],[22,"the Olympic Games because","因为奥运会……"],[23,"they have never been held before in this country.","这个国家从未举办过奥运会"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"29－Taxi","t":"Taxi","c":[[0,"Does Captain Fawcett think any trip is too dangerous?","福塞特船长认为有哪次旅行是过于危险的吗？"],[1,"Captain Ben Fawcett has bought an unusual taxi and has begun a new service.","本·福塞特船长买了一辆与众不同的出租车，并开始提供一项新的服务。"],[2,"The 'taxi' is a small Swiss aeroplane called a 'Pilatus Porter'.","这架“出租车”其实是一架小型瑞士飞机，被称为“Pilatus Porter”。"],[3,"This wonderful plane can carry seven passengers.","这架出色的飞机可以搭载七名乘客。"],[4,"The most surprising thing about it, however, is that it can land anywhere: on snow, water, or even on a ploughed field.","然而，最令人惊讶的是：它可以在任何地方降落——无论是雪地上、水面上，还是已经翻耕过的田地里。"],[5,"Captain Fawcett's first passenger was a doctor who flew from Birmingham to a lonely village in the Welsh mountains.","福塞特船长的第一位乘客是一位医生，他乘坐飞机从伯明翰飞往威尔士山区的一个偏远村庄。"],[6,"Since then, Captain Fawcett has flown passengers to many unusual places.","从那以后，福塞特船长已经把乘客送到了许多不寻常的地方。"],[7,"Once he landed on the roof of a block of flats and on another occasion, he landed in a deserted car park.","有一次，他把飞机降落在一栋公寓楼的屋顶上；还有一次，他降落在一个废弃的停车场里。"],[8,"Captain Fawcett has just refused a strange request from a businessman.","福塞特船长刚刚拒绝了一位商人的奇怪请求。"],[9,"The man wanted to fly to Rockall, a lonely island in the Atlantic Ocean,","这个人想要飞往罗卡尔岛（Rockall），那是大西洋上一座孤寂的岛屿。"],[10,"but Captain Fawcett did not take him because the trip was too dangerous.","但是福塞特船长没有带他去，因为这次旅行太危险了。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"72－A Car Called Bluebird","t":"A Car Called Bluebird","c":[[0,"What mistake was made?","出了什么差错？"],[1,"The great racing driver, Sir Malcolm Campbell, was the first man to drive at over 300 miles per hour.","伟大的赛车手马尔科姆·坎贝尔爵士（Sir Malcolm Campbell）是第一个驾驶汽车时速超过300英里的人。"],[2,"He set up a new world record in September 1935 at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah.","他在1935年9月于犹他州的博纳维尔盐滩（Bonneville Salt Flats）创造了新的世界纪录。"],[3,"Bluebird, the car he was driving, had been specially built for him.","他驾驶的那辆名为“Bluebird”的汽车，是专门为他定制制造的。"],[4,"It was over 30 feet in length and had a 2, 500-horsepower engine.","它的长度超过了30英尺（约9米），配备了一台功率为2500马力的发动机。"],[5,"Although Campbell reached a speed of over 304 miles per hour,","尽管坎贝尔的速度超过了每小时304英里，"],[6,"he had great difficulty in controlling the car because a tyre burst during the first run.","他在控制汽车时遇到了很大的困难，因为在第一次试跑中一个轮胎爆了。"],[7,"After his attempt, Campbell was disappointed to learn that his average speed had been 299 miles per hour.","尝试之后，坎贝尔得知自己的平均速度仅为每小时299英里，这让他感到非常失望。"],[8,"However, a few days later, he was told that a mistake had been made.","然而，几天后他被告知，原来出现了一个错误。"],[9,"His average speed had been 301 miles per hour.","他的平均速度是每小时301英里。"],[10,"Since that time, racing drivers have reached speeds over 600 miles an hour.","从那时起，赛车手的行驶速度已经超过了每小时600英里。"],[11,"Following in his father's footsteps many years later, Sir Malcolm's son, Donald, also set up a world record.","多年以后，马尔科姆爵士的儿子唐纳德追随父亲的足迹，也创造了一项世界纪录。"],[12,"Like his father, he was driving a car called Bluebird.","和他父亲一样，他驾驶着一辆名叫“Bluebird”的汽车。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"32－Shopping Made Easy","t":"Shopping Made Easy","c":[[0,"Who was the thief?","谁是小偷？"],[1,"People are not so honest as","人们并没有那么诚实……"],[2,"they once were.","他们曾经那么诚实。"],[3,"The temptation to steal is greater than","偷窃的诱惑力比……（原句后半部分缺失，无法完整翻译）"],[4,"ever before--especially in large shops.","前所未有——尤其是在大型商店里。"],[5,"A detective recently watched a well-dressed","最近，一名侦探观察了一名穿着考究的人……"],[6,"woman who always went into a large store","她总是去一家大型商店"],[7,"on Monday mornings.","每周一早上。"],[8,"One Monday,","一个星期一的早晨，"],[9,"there were fewer people in the shop","商店里的人变少了。"],[10,"than usual when the woman came in,","当那位女士走进来时，商店里的人比平时少。"],[11,"so it was easier for the detective to watch her.","因此，侦探更容易监视她了。"],[12,"The woman first bought a few small articles.","这位女士首先购买了几件小商品。"],[13,"After a little time,","过了一会儿，"],[14,"she chose one of the most expensive dresses","她选了一条价格最贵的裙子。"],[15,"in the shop and handed it to an assistant","然后把它交给一个店员"],[16,"who wrapped it up for her as quickly as possible.","店员尽快为她包好了衣服。"],[17,"Then the woman simply took the parcel","然后，那个女人直接拿走了那个包裹。"],[18,"and walked out of the shop without paying.","然后没付钱就走出了商店。"],[19,"When she was arrested,","当她被逮捕时，"],[20,"the detective found out that","侦探发现……"],[21,"the shop assistant was her daughter.","那位店员其实是她的女儿。"],[22,"The girl 'gave' her mother","那个女孩每周'给'她母亲"],[23,"a free dress once a week!","每周可以免费获得一件连衣裙！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"36－Across the Channel","t":"Across the Channel","c":[[0,"What is Debbie going to try to do?","黛比打算做什么呢？"],[1,"Debbie Hart is going to swim","黛比·哈特将要游泳"],[2,"across the English Channel tomorrow.","横渡英吉利海峡。"],[3,"She is going to set out from the French coast","她将从法国海岸出发。"],[4,"at five o'clock in the morning.","早上五点。"],[5,"Debbie is only eleven years old","黛比只有十一岁。"],[6,"and she hopes to set up a new world record.","她希望能够创造一项新的世界纪录。"],[7,"She is a strong swimmer and many people feel","她是个游泳健将，很多人都认为"],[8,"that she is sure to succeed.","她一定会成功。"],[9,"Debbie's father will set out with her","黛比的父亲会和她一起出发。"],[10,"in a small boat.","乘坐一艘小船。"],[11,"Mr. Hart has trained his daughter for years.","哈特先生多年来一直在训练他的女儿。"],[12,"Tomorrow he will be watching her anxiously","明天，他会焦急地注视着她。"],[13,"as she swims the long distance to England.","当她游向遥远的英格兰时。"],[14,"Debbie intends to take short rests every two hours.","黛比打算每两小时休息一会儿。"],[15,"She will have something to drink","她会喝点东西"],[16,"but she will not eat any solid food.","但她不吃任何固体食物。"],[17,"Most of Debbie's school friends will be","黛比的大多数同学都会"],[18,"waiting for her on the English coast.","在英格兰的海岸边等待着她。"],[19,"Among them will be Debbie's mother,","其中会包括黛比的母亲。"],[20,"who swam the Channel herself","她自己也曾经游过英吉利海峡"],[21,"when she was a girl.","当她还是个女孩的时候。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"60－The Future","t":"The Future","c":[[0,"Does what Madam Bellinsky said come true?","贝尔林斯基夫人说的话会成真吗？"],[1,"At a village fair, I decided to visit a fortune-teller called Madam Bellinsky.","在一个乡村集市上，我决定去拜访一位名叫贝林斯基夫人的算命师。"],[2,"I went into her tent and she told me to sit down.","我走进她的帐篷，她让我坐下。"],[3,"After I had given her some money, she looked into a crystal ball and said:","在我给了她一些钱之后，她看了看那个水晶球，然后说道："],[4,"'A relation of yours is coming to see you.","你的一个亲戚要来看你。"],[5,"She will be arriving this evening and intends to stay for a few days.","她将于今晚到达，并打算在这里待上几天。"],[6,"The moment you leave this tent, you will get a big surprise.","你一离开这个帐篷，就会大吃一惊。"],[7,"A woman you know well will rush towards you.","一个你非常熟悉的女人会冲向你。"],[8,"She will speak to you and then she will lead you away from this place. That is all.'","她会和你说话，然后带你离开这个地方。就这些。"],[9,"As soon as I went outside, I forgot all about Madam Bellinsky because my wife hurried towards me.","我一走到外面，就把贝林斯基夫人忘得一干二净了，因为我的妻子正朝我匆匆走来。"],[10,"'Where have you been hiding?' she asked impatiently.","你跑哪儿去了？她不耐烦地问道。"],[11,"'Your sister will be here in less than an hour and we must be at the station to meet her. We are late already.'","你妹妹将在一小时内到达，我们必须赶到车站去接她。我们已经迟到了。"],[12,"As she walked away, I followed her out of the fair.","她转身走开时，我便跟着她离开了集市。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"47－A Thirsty Ghost","t":"A Thirsty Ghost","c":[[0,"What evidence is there of a ghost?","有什么证据表明有鬼存在呢？"],[1,"A public house which was recently bought by Mr.Ian Thompson is up for sale.","一家最近被伊恩·汤普森先生购买的酒吧正在出售中。"],[2,"Mr.Thompson is going to sell it because it is haunted.","汤普森先生打算卖掉它，因为那里闹鬼。"],[3,"He told me that he could not go to sleep one night","他告诉我，有一天晚上他无法入睡"],[4,"because he heard a strange noise coming from the bar.","因为他听到从酒吧里传来一阵奇怪的声音。"],[5,"The next morning,","第二天早上，"],[6,"he found that the doors had been blocked by chairs and the furniture had been moved.","他发现门被椅子堵住了，家具也被挪动了。"],[7,"Though Mr.Thompson had turned the lights off before he went to bed,","尽管汤普森先生在睡觉前已经关掉了灯，"],[8,"they were on in the morning.","早上灯却亮着。"],[9,"He also said that he had found five empty whisky bottles","他还说，他发现了五个空威士忌酒瓶。"],[10,"which the ghost must have drunk the night before.","肯定是鬼前一天晚上喝掉的。"],[11,"When I suggested that some villagers must have come","当我提出“肯定有一些村民来过这里”这个想法时……"],[12,"in for a free drink, Mr.Thompson shook his head.","汤普森先生摇了摇头。"],[13,"The villagers have told him that","村民们告诉他："],[14,"they will not accept the pub even if he gives it away.","“就算他把酒吧免费送出去，他们也不会接受的。”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"28－No Parking","t":"No Parking","c":[[0,"What is Jasper White's problem?","贾斯珀·怀特遇到了什么麻烦？"],[1,"Jasper White is one of those rare people who believes in ancient myths.","贾斯珀·怀特是少数相信古代神话的人之一。"],[2,"He has just bought a new house in the city, but ever since he moved in, he has had trouble with cars and their owners.","他刚在城里买了一套新房子，但从搬进去之后，他就一直为汽车和车主们的事而烦恼。"],[3,"When he returns home at night, he always finds that someone has parked a car outside his gate.","每当他晚上回到家时，总会发现有人把车停在了他家大门的外面。"],[4,"Because of this, he has not been able to get his own car into his garage even once.","正因为如此，他一次都无法将自己的汽车开进自己的车库。"],[5,"Jasper has put up 'No Parking' signs outside his gate, but these have not had any effect.","贾斯珀在他的大门外竖起了“禁止停车”的标志，但这些标志根本没有任何作用。"],[6,"Now he has put an ugly stone head over the gate.","现在，他在大门上方安放了一个丑陋的石像头。"],[7,"It is one of the ugliest faces I have ever seen.","这是我见过的最丑陋的面孔之一。"],[8,"I asked him what it was and he told me that it was Medusa, the Gorgon.","我问他那是什么，他告诉我那是蛇发女妖美杜莎。"],[9,"Jasper hopes that she will turn cars and their owners to stone.","贾斯珀希望她能够将汽车及其车主变成石头。"],[10,"But none of them has been turned to stone yet!","但是，它们当中还没有任何一个变成石头呢！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"70－Red for Danger","t":"Red for Danger","c":[[0,"How was the drunk removed from the ring?","那个醉汉是如何被从斗牛场里带走的呢？"],[1,"During a bullfight, a drunk suddenly wandered into the middle of the ring.","在一场斗牛比赛中，一个醉汉突然走进了斗牛场的中央。"],[2,"The crowd began to shout, but the drunk was unaware of the danger.","人群开始大声呼喊，但醉汉并没有意识到危险。"],[3,"The bull was busy with the matador at the time,","当时公牛正与斗牛士搏斗，"],[4,"but it suddenly caught sight of the drunk who was shouting rude remarks and waving a red cap.","突然它注意到了那个醉汉——醉汉正在大声说脏话，并挥舞着一顶红色帽子。"],[5,"Apparently sensitive to criticism,","显然，这头公牛对批评很敏感，"],[6,"the bull forgot all about the matador and charged at the drunk.","它立刻忘记了斗牛士的存在，冲向了醉汉。"],[7,"The crowd suddenly grew quiet.","人群顿时安静了下来。"],[8,"The drunk, however, seemed quite sure of himself.","然而，醉汉似乎对自己很有信心。"],[9,"When the bull got close to him, he clumsily stepped aside to let it pass.","当公牛靠近时，他笨拙地躲到一边，让公牛从自己身边经过。"],[10,"The crowd broke into cheers and the drunk bowed.","人群爆发出欢呼声，醉汉也鞠了一躬。"],[11,"By this time, however three men had come into the ring and they quickly dragged the drunk to safety.","然而这时，已经有三个人走进了斗牛场，他们迅速把醉汉拖到了安全的地方。"],[12,"Even the bull seemed to feel sorry for him,","就连那头公牛似乎也对他感到同情。"],[13,"for it looked on sympathetically until the drunk was out of the way before once more turning its attention to the matador.","它同情地看着那个醉汉，直到他被带走后，才再次把注意力转向斗牛士。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"74－Out of the Limelight","t":"Out of the Limelight","c":[[0,"Why was their disguise 'too perfect' ?","为什么他们的伪装“过于完美”呢？"],[1,"An ancient bus stopped by a dry river bed and a party of famous actors and actresses got off.","一辆古老的公交车停在了干涸的河床旁，一群著名的演员从车上走了下来。"],[2,"Dressed in dark glasses and old clothes,","他戴着墨镜，穿着旧衣服。"],[3,"they had taken special precautions so that no one should recognize them.","他们采取了特别的预防措施，以确保没有人能够认出他们来。"],[4,"But as they soon discovered, disguises can sometimes be too perfect.","但他们很快发现，伪装有时候会过于完美（即伪装得过于逼真，反而容易暴露真相）。"],[5,"'This is a wonderful place for a picnic,' said Gloria Gleam.","“这是一个非常适合野餐的好地方，”格洛丽亚·格莱姆说道。"],[6,"'It couldn't be better, Gloria,' Brinksley Meers agreed.","“再好不过了，格洛丽亚，”布林克斯利·米尔斯同意道。"],[7,"'No newspaper men, no film fans! Why don't we come more often?'","“没有记者，也没有电影迷……我们为什么不多来几次呢？”"],[8,"Meanwhile, two other actors Rockwall Slinger and Merlin Greeves,","与此同时，另外两位演员——Rockwall Slinger 和 Merlin Greeves——"],[9,"had carried two large food baskets to a shady spot under some trees.","她把两个装满食物的大篮子搬到了树荫下的一处阴凉处。"],[10,"When they had all made themselves comfortable, a stranger appeared.","当他们都安顿好自己后，一个陌生人出现了。"],[11,"He looked very angry.","他看起来非常生气。"],[12,"'Now you get out of here, all of you!' he shouted.","“现在，你们所有人都给我滚出去！”他大声喊道。"],[13,"'I'm sheriff here. Do you see that notice? It says \"No Camping\"  -- in case you can't read!'","“我是这里的警长。你们看到那个告示了吗？上面写着‘禁止露营’——以防你们看不清楚！”"],[14,"'Look, sheriff,' said Rockwall,","“听着，警长，”罗克沃尔说道，"],[15,"'don't be too hard on us. I'm Rockwall Slinger and this is Merlin Greeves.'","“别对我们太苛刻了。我是 Rockwall Slinger，这位是 Merlin Greeves。”"],[16,"'Oh, is it?' said the sheriff with a sneer.","“哦，是吗？”警长冷笑着说。"],[17,"'Well, I'm Brinksley Meers, and my other name is Gloria Gleam. Now you get out of here fast!'","“好吧，我叫布林克斯利·米尔斯，我的另一个名字是格洛丽亚·格莱姆。现在，你赶紧离开这里！”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"87－A Perfect Alibi","t":"A Perfect Alibi","c":[[0,"What was wrong with the man's story?","这个男人的故事有什么问题吗？"],[1,"'At the time the murder was committed, I was travelling on the 8 o'clock train to London,' said the man.","“谋杀案发生的时候，我正在乘坐早上8点的火车前往伦敦，”那名男子说道。"],[2,"'Do you always catch such an early train?' asked the inspector.","“你总是这么早赶火车吗？”检查员问道。"],[3,"'Of course I do,' answered the man.","“当然了，”那个男人回答道。"],[4,"'I must be at work at 10 o'clock.","我必须在10点钟去上班。"],[5,"My employer will confirm that I was there on time.'","我的雇主会证实我确实准时到达了。"],[6,"'Would a later train get you to work on time?' asked the inspector.","“晚一点的火车能让你准时到达工作地点吗？”检查员问道。"],[7,"'I suppose it would, but I never catch a later train.'","“我想应该是这样的，但我从来都赶不上晚点的火车。”"],[8,"'At what time did you arrive at the station?'","你什么时候到达车站的？"],[9,"'At ten to eight. I bought a paper and waited for the train.'","八点十分的时候，我买了一张报纸，然后等待火车的到来。"],[10,"'And you didn't notice anything unusual?'","“那你没有注意到任何异常的情况吗？”"],[11,"'Of course not.'","“当然不会。”"],[12,"'I suggest,' said the inspector,' that you are not telling the truth.","“我认为，”检查员说，“你并没有说实话。”"],[13,"I suggest that you did not catch the 8 o'clock train,","我认为你可能没有赶上8点的火车。"],[14,"but that you caught the 8.25 which would still get you to work on time.","不过你赶上了8点25分的班车，这样仍然可以准时到达工作地点。"],[15,"You see, on the morning of the murder, the 8 o'clock train did not run at all.","你知道吗，在谋杀案发生的那个早晨，8点的火车根本就没有运行。"],[16,"It broke down at Ferngreen station and was taken off the line.'","它在费恩格林车站发生了故障，随后被从铁路上撤下（即不再允许列车在该站停靠或通过）。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"08－The Best and the Worst","t":"The Best and the Worst","c":[[0,"Why is Joe's garden","为什么乔的花园是"],[1,"the most beautiful one in the town?","镇上最漂亮的那一个？"],[2,"Joe Sanders has the most beautiful garden","乔·桑德斯拥有最美丽的花园。"],[3,"in our town.","在我们镇上。"],[4,"Nearly everybody enters for","几乎每个人都参加"],[5,"'The Nicest Garden Competition' each year,","“最美丽花园竞赛”"],[6,"but Joe wins every time.","但是乔每次都能赢。"],[7,"Bill Frith's garden is larger than Joe's.","比尔·弗里斯的花园比乔的大。"],[8,"Bill works harder than Joe","比尔比乔工作更努力。"],[9,"and grows more flowers and vegetables,","并且能种植出更多的鲜花和蔬菜。"],[10,"but Joe's garden is more interesting.","不过乔的花园更有趣。"],[11,"He has made neat paths","他修了整洁的小路"],[12,"and has built a wooden bridge over a pool.","还在池塘上建了一座木桥。"],[13,"I like gardens too,","我也喜欢花园。"],[14,"but I do not like hard work.","但我不喜欢辛苦的工作。"],[15,"Every year","每年"],[16,"I enter for the garden competition too,","我也会参加花园比赛。"],[17,"and I always win a little prize","而且我总能赢得一个小奖品。"],[18,"for the worst garden in the town!","因为镇上最差的花园！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"69－But not Murder","t":"But not Murder!","c":[[0,"Do you think that the writer passed his driving test? Why?","你认为那位作者通过了驾驶考试吗？为什么？"],[1,"I was being tested for a driving licence for the third time.","这是我第三次参加驾照考试了。"],[2,"I had been asked to drive in heavy traffic and had done so successfully.","我曾被要求在繁忙的交通中驾驶，而且我成功地做到了。"],[3,"After having been instructed to drive out of town, I began to acquire confidence.","在接到“开车离开城镇”的指令后，我开始有了信心。"],[4,"Sure that I had passed, I was almost beginning to enjoy my test.","当我确定自己已经通过了考试后，我甚至开始享受这个考试过程了。"],[5,"The examiner must have been pleased with my performance, for he smiled and said, 'Just one more thing Mr. Eames.","考官一定对我的表现很满意，因为他微笑着对我说：“还有一件事，埃姆斯先生。”"],[6,"Let us suppose that a child suddenly crosses the road in front of you.","假设突然有一个孩子在你面前横穿马路。"],[7,"As soon as I tap on the window, you must stop within five feet.'","“我一敲窗户，你就必须在五英尺内停下来。”"],[8,"I continued driving and after some time, the examiner tapped loudly.","我继续开车，过了一会儿，考官大声地敲了敲车窗。"],[9,"Though the sound could be heard clearly, it took me a long time to react.","虽然那个声音听得非常清楚，但我还是花了很长时间才做出反应。"],[10,"I suddenly pressed the brake pedal hard and we were both thrown forward.","我突然猛踩刹车，结果我们俩都被向前甩了出去。"],[11,"The examiner looked at me sadly.","考官难过地看着我。"],[12,"'Mr. Eames,' he said, in a mournful voice, 'you have just killed that child!'","“埃姆斯先生，”他用悲伤的语气说道，“你刚刚撞死了那个孩子！”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"67－Volcanoes","t":"Volcanoes","c":[[0,"Why does Tazieff risk his life like this?","为什么塔齐夫要这样冒生命危险呢？"],[1,"Haroun Tazieff, the Polish scientist, has spent his lifetime studying active volcanoes and deep caves in all parts of the world.","波兰科学家哈鲁恩·塔齐夫（Haroun Tazieff）毕生致力于研究世界各地的活火山和深洞穴。"],[2,"In 1948, he went to Lake Kivu in the Congo to observe a new volcano which he later named Kituro.","1948年，他前往刚果的基伍湖（Lake Kivu），观察一座新发现的火山，并将其命名为“基图罗”（Kituro）。"],[3,"Tazieff was able to set up his camp very close to the volcano while it was erupting violently.","塔齐夫能够在火山剧烈喷发的时候，将他的营地搭建得离火山非常近。"],[4,"Though he managed to take a number of brilliant photographs, he could not stay near the volcano for very long.","尽管他拍到了许多精彩的照片，但他却无法在火山附近停留太久。"],[5,"He noticed that a river of liquid rock was coming towards him.","他注意到一股熔岩流正朝他涌来。"],[6,"It threatened to surround him completely, but Tazieff managed to escape just in time.","岩流眼看就要将他完全包围，但塔齐夫及时脱险了。"],[7,"He waited until the volcano became quiet and he was able to return two days later.","他一直等到火山平息下来，两天后才得以返回。"],[8,"This time, he managed to climb into the mouth of Kituro so that he could take photographs and measure temperatures.","这一次，他设法爬进了基图罗火山口，以便拍照和测量温度。"],[9,"Tazieff has often risked his life in this way.","塔齐夫经常以这种方式冒着生命危险。"],[10,"He has been able to tell us more about active volcanoes than any man alive.","他比在世的任何人都更了解活火山的相关情况，能够向我们提供更多关于活火山的详细信息。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"17－Always Young","t":"Always Young","c":[[0,"Why doesn't Aunt Jennifer tell anyone how old she is?","为什么詹妮弗阿姨从不告诉别人她的真实年龄呢？"],[1,"My aunt Jennifer is an actress.","我的阿姨詹妮弗是一名演员。"],[2,"She must be at least thirty-five years old.","她至少有三十五岁了。"],[3,"In spite of this, she often appears on the stage as a young girl.","尽管如此，她仍然经常以年轻女孩的形象出现在舞台上。"],[4,"Jennifer will have to take part in a new play soon.","詹妮弗很快将出演一部新剧。"],[5,"This time, she will be a girl of seventeen.","这一次，她将是一个十七岁的女孩。"],[6,"In the play, she must appear in a bright red dress and long black stockings.","在剧中，她必须穿着鲜红色的连衣裙和黑色长筒袜出场。"],[7,"Last year in another play,","去年，在另一部戏剧中……"],[8,"she had to wear short socks and a bright, orange-coloured dress.","她不得不穿短袜和一条鲜艳的橙色连衣裙。"],[9,"If anyone ever asks her how old she is,","如果有人问她多大了，"],[10,"she always answers, 'Darling, it must be terrible to be grown up!'","她总是回答：“亲爱的，长大一定很可怕吧！”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"56－Faster Than Sound","t":"Faster Than Sound!","c":[[0,"How fast did the winning car go?","那辆获胜的汽车速度有多快？"],[1,"Once a year, a race is held for old cars.","每年都会举办一场专为老爷车设计的比赛。"],[2,"A lot of cars entered for this race last year and there was a great deal of excitement just before it began.","去年有很多车报名参加了这场比赛，比赛开始前气氛十分热烈。"],[3,"One of the most handsome cars was a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost.","其中最引人注目的汽车之一是劳斯莱斯银魅（Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost）。"],[4,"The most unusual car was a Benz which had only three wheels.","最不寻常的汽车是一辆只有三个轮子的奔驰（Benz）汽车。"],[5,"Built in 1885, it was the oldest car taking part.","这辆汽车建于1885年，是参赛车辆中历史最悠久的一辆。"],[6,"After a great many loud explosions, the race began.","在一阵巨大的轰鸣声后，比赛开始了。"],[7,"Many of the cars broke down on the course and some drivers spent more time under their cars than in them!","许多汽车在赛道上发生了故障；有些司机花在检查汽车故障上的时间，甚至比他们实际驾驶汽车的时间还要长！"],[8,"A few cars, however, completed the race.","然而，还是有几辆车完成了比赛。"],[9,"The winning car reached a speed of forty miles an hour -- much faster than any of its rivals.","获胜的汽车达到了每小时40英里的速度——这比它的所有竞争对手都要快得多。"],[10,"It sped downhill at the end of the race and its driver had a lot of trouble trying to stop it.","比赛结束时，这辆车飞速冲下山坡，驾驶员费了好大劲才把它停下来。"],[11,"The race gave everyone a great deal of pleasure.","这场比赛给大家带来了极大的乐趣。"],[12,"It was very different from modern car races but no less exciting.","这与现代的汽车比赛非常不同，但同样令人兴奋。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"78－The Last One","t":"The Last One?","c":[[0,"For how long did the writer give up smoking?","作者戒烟坚持了多久？"],[1,"After reading an article entitled 'Cigarette Smoking and Your Health' I lit a cigarette to calm my nerves.","在读完一篇题为《吸烟与健康》的文章后，我点燃了一支烟来缓解自己的紧张情绪。"],[2,"I smoked with concentration and pleasure as I was sure that this would be my last cigarette.","我专注而愉悦地抽着这支烟，因为我知道这将是我的最后一支烟了。"],[3,"For a whole week I did not smoke at all and during this time my wife suffered terribly.","整整一个星期里，我都没有抽烟；而在这期间，我的妻子却承受了极大的痛苦。"],[4,"I had all the usual symptoms of someone giving up smoking: a bad temper and an enormous appetite.","我出现了所有典型的戒烟后症状：脾气变得暴躁，食欲变得异常旺盛。"],[5,"My friends kept on offering me cigarettes and cigars.","我的朋友们一直不停地给我提供香烟和雪茄。"],[6,"They made no effort to hide their amusement whenever I produced a packet of sweets from my pocket.","每当我从口袋里掏出一包糖果时，他们总是毫不掩饰自己的好笑。"],[7,"After seven days of this I went to a party.","这样过了七天之后，我去参加了一个聚会。"],[8,"Everybody around me was smoking and I felt extremely uncomfortable.","我周围的每个人都在抽烟，这让我感到非常不舒服。"],[9,"When my old friend Brian urged me to accept a cigarette, it was more than I could bear.","当我的老朋友布莱恩坚持要我抽一支烟时，我真的再也无法忍受了。"],[10,"I took one guiltily, lit it and smoked with satisfaction.","我带着一丝内疚感拿了一支烟，点燃它后，心满意足地抽了起来。"],[11,"My wife was delighted that things had returned to normal once more.","我的妻子很高兴，因为一切终于恢复了正常。"],[12,"Anyway, as Brian pointed out, it is the easiest thing in the world to give up smoking.","不管怎样，正如布莱恩指出的那样，戒烟是世界上最容易的事情。"],[13,"He himself has done it lots of times!","他自己也做过很多次了！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"50－Taken for a Ride","t":"Taken for a Ride","c":[[0,"Why did the writer not get off the bus at Woodford Green?","为什么作者没有在伍德福德格林（Woodford Green）下车呢？"],[1,"I love travelling in the country,","我喜欢在乡村旅行。"],[2,"but I don't like losing my way.","但我不喜欢迷路。"],[3,"I went on an excursion recently,","我最近去参加了一次短途旅行。"],[4,"but my trip took me longer than I expected.","但是我的旅行花费的时间比我预期的要长。"],[5,"'I'm going to Woodford Green,'","“我要去伍德福德格林。”"],[6,"I said to the conductor as I got on the bus,","当我登上公交车时，我对售票员说："],[7,"'but I don't know where it is.'","“但我不知道它在哪里。”"],[8,"'I'll tell you where to get off.' answered the conductor.","“我会告诉您在哪下车。”售票员回答道。"],[9,"I sat in the front of the bus to get a good view of the countryside.","我坐在公交车的前排，以便能更好地欣赏乡村的景色。"],[10,"After some time, the bus stopped.","过了一段时间，公交车停了下来。"],[11,"Looking round, I realized with a shock that I was the only passenger left on the bus.","环顾四周后，我震惊地发现自己是公交车上唯一剩下的乘客。"],[12,"'You'll have to get off here,'","“你得从这里下去。”"],[13,"the conductor said. 'This is as far as we go.'","售票员说：“我们就到这儿了。”"],[14,"'Is this Woodford Green?' I asked.","“这是伍德福德格林（Woodford Green）吗？”我问道。"],[15,"'Oh dear,' said the conductor suddenly.","“哦，天哪，”售票员突然说道。"],[16,"'I forgot to put you off.'","“我忘了让您下车。”"],[17,"'It doesn't matter,' I said. 'I'll get off here.'","“没关系，”我说，“我就在这儿下车。”"],[18,"'We're going back now,' said the conductor.","“我们现在要返回了，”售票员说。"],[19,"'Well, in that case,","“嗯，既然是这样的话，"],[20,"I prefer to stay on the bus,' I answered.","“我更愿意待在公交车上，”我回答道。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"19－Sold Out","t":"Sold Out","c":[[0,"When will the writer see the play?","作者什么时候能看到这部剧呢？"],[1,"'The play may begin at any moment,' I said.","“演出随时可能开始，”我说。"],[2,"'It may have begun already,' Susan answered.","“可能已经开始了，”苏珊回答。"],[3,"I hurried to the ticket office.","我赶紧跑向售票处。"],[4,"'May I have two tickets please?' I asked.","“请给我两张票，好吗？”我问。"],[5,"'I'm sorry, we've sold out,' the girl said.","“很抱歉，票已经卖完了，”女孩说。"],[6,"'What a pity!' Susan exclaimed.","“真遗憾！”苏珊感叹道。"],[7,"Just then, a man hurried to the ticket office.","就在这时，一个男人匆匆跑到了售票处。"],[8,"'Can I return these two tickets?' he asked.","“我可以退掉这两张票吗？”他问道。"],[9,"'Certainly,' the girl said.","“当然可以，”女孩回答。"],[10,"I went back to the ticket office at once.","我立刻又回到了售票处。"],[11,"'Could I have those two tickets please?' I asked.","“请把那两张票给我，好吗？”我问。"],[12,"'Certainly,' the girl said,","“当然可以，”女孩说道。"],[13,"'but they're for next Wednesday's performance.","但这是下周三演出的票。"],[14,"Do you still want them?'","你还要吗？"],[15,"'I might as well have them,' I said sadly.","“那我就要了吧，”我沮丧地说。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"45－A Clear Conscience","t":"A Clear Conscience","c":[[0,"How did Sam get his money back?","萨姆是怎么把钱拿回来的？"],[1,"The whole village soon learnt that a large sum of money had been lost.","整个村庄很快都知道有一大笔钱丢失了。"],[2,"Sam Benton, the local butcher,","山姆·本顿，当地的肉铺老板……"],[3,"had lost his wallet while taking his savings to the post office.","他在去邮局存钱的时候丢失了钱包。"],[4,"Sam was sure that the wallet must have been found by one of the villagers,","萨姆确信那个钱包一定是被某个村民找到的。"],[5,"but it was not returned to him.","但是，那个东西并没有被归还给他。"],[6,"Three months passed, and then one morning, Sam found his wallet outside his front door.","三个月过去了，一天早晨，山姆发现他的钱包放在自家前门外面。"],[7,"It had been wrapped up in newspaper and it contained half the money he had lost,","它被用报纸包了起来，里面装着他丢失的钱的一半。"],[8,"together with a note which said:","还附有一张纸条，上面写着："],[9,"'A thief, yes, but only 50 per cent a thief!'","“他确实是个小偷，但只能算是个‘50%的小偷’罢了！”"],[10,"Two months later,","两个月后，"],[11,"some more money was sent to Sam with another note:","又有一些钱被寄给了萨姆，并附上了一张便条。"],[12,"'Only 25 per cent a thief now!'","“现在只有25%的人是小偷了！”"],[13,"In time, all Sam's money was paid back in this way.","随着时间的推移，山姆的所有钱都通过这种方式被还清了。"],[14,"The last note said: 'I am 100 per cent honest now!'","最后一张纸条上写着：“现在我100%是诚实的了！”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"26－The Best Art Critics","t":"The Best Art Critics","c":[[0,"Who is the student's best critic?","谁是这位学生最好的评论家？"],[1,"I am an art student and I paint a lot of pictures.","我是一名艺术学生，经常画很多画。"],[2,"Many people pretend that they understand modern art.","很多人假装自己理解现代艺术。"],[3,"They always tell you what a picture is 'about'.","当然，很多画其实什么也不是。"],[4,"Of course, many pictures are not 'about' anything.","当然，很多图片其实并没有明确的主题或意义（即它们“并不表达任何特定的内容”）。"],[5,"They are just pretty patterns.","它们只不过是一些漂亮的图案罢了。"],[6,"We like them in the same way that we like pretty curtain material.","我们喜欢它们的方式，就如同我们喜欢漂亮的窗帘面料一样。"],[7,"I think that young children often appreciate modern pictures better than anyone else.","我认为，小孩子往往比任何人都更懂得欣赏现代画。"],[8,"They notice more.","他们看到的更多。"],[9,"My sister is only seven,","我妹妹才七岁。"],[10,"but she always tells me whether my pictures are good or not.","但她总会告诉我我的画好不好。"],[11,"She came into my room yesterday.","她昨天进了我的房间。"],[12,"'What are you doing?' she asked.","“你在做什么？”她问。"],[13,"'I'm hanging this picture on the wall,' I answered. 'It's a new one. Do you like it?'","“我在把这幅画挂在墙上。”我回答说，“这是一幅新画。你喜欢吗？”"],[14,"She looked at it critically for a moment.","她挑剔地看了一会儿。"],[15,"'It's all right,' she said, 'but isn't it upside down?'","“还行吧，”她说，“不过它不是倒挂了吗？”"],[16,"I looked at it again.","我又看了一遍。"],[17,"She was right! It was!","她说得对！确实是这样！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"91－Three Men in a Basket","t":"Three Men in a Basket","c":[[0,"Where was the station's Commanding Officer?","空军基地的指挥官在哪里？"],[1,"A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force station nearby.","一名飞行员注意到一个气球，它似乎正朝附近的一个英国皇家空军基地飞去。"],[2,"He informed the station at once, but no one there was able to explain the mystery.","他立即通知了基地，但那里没有人能够解开这个谜团。"],[3,"The officer in the control tower was very angry when he heard the news,","当控制塔里的官员听到这个消息时，他非常生气。"],[4,"because balloons can be a great danger to aircraft.","因为气球对飞机来说可能构成很大的危险。"],[5,"He said that someone might be spying on the station and the pilot was ordered to keep track of the strange object.","他说可能有人在监视这个基地，因此飞行员被命令密切关注那个奇怪的物体。"],[6,"The pilot managed to circle the balloon for some time.","飞行员设法绕着气球盘旋了一段时间。"],[7,"He could make out three men in a basket under it and one of them was holding a pair of binoculars.","他能看清气球下面的篮子里有三个人，其中一人正拿着一副双筒望远镜。"],[8,"When the balloon was over the station, the pilot saw one of the men taking photographs.","当气球飞到基地上空时，飞行员看到其中一个人正在拍照。"],[9,"Soon afterwards, the balloon began to descend and it landed near an airfield.","不久之后，气球开始下降，并降落在了一个机场附近。"],[10,"The police were called in, but they could not arrest anyone,","警察被叫来了，但他们没能逮捕任何人。"],[11,"for the basket contained two Members of Parliament and the Commanding Officer of the station!","因为篮子里装着两名国会议员和该基地的指挥官！"],[12,"As the Commanding Officer explained later, one half of the station did not know what the other half was doing!","正如指挥官后来解释的那样，该基地的一半人员根本不知道另一半在做什么！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"68－Persistent","t":"Persistent","c":[[0,"Why did Elizabeth tell Nigel that she was going to the dentist?","为什么伊丽莎白告诉奈杰尔她要去看牙医？"],[1,"I crossed the street to avoid meeting him but he saw me and came running towards me.","我穿过马路想避开他，但他看见了我，就朝我跑了过来。"],[2,"It was no use pretending that I had not seen him, so I waved to him.","假装没看见他是没用的，所以我向他挥了挥手。"],[3,"I never enjoy meeting Nigel Dykes.","我从来都不喜欢见到尼格尔·戴克斯。"],[4,"He never has anything to do.","他总是无所事事。"],[5,"No matter how busy you are, he always insists on coming with you.","无论你有多忙，他总是坚持要跟着你。"],[6,"I had to think of a way of preventing him from following me around all morning.","我得想办法阻止他一整个早上都跟着我。"],[7,"'Hello, Nigel,' I said 'Fancy meeting you here!'","“你好，尼格尔，”我说，“真没想到在这里遇见你！”"],[8,"'Hi, Elizabeth,' Nigel answered. 'I was just wondering how to spend the morning--until I saw you.","“嗨，伊丽莎白，”奈杰尔回答，“我正琢磨着怎么打发这个上午——直到看见了你。"],[9,"You're not busy doing anything, are you?'","“你现在不忙，对吧？”"],[10,"'No, not at all,' I answered. 'I'm going to...'","“不忙，”我回答，“我正要去……”"],[11,"'Would you mind my coming with you?' he asked, before I had finished speaking.","“你介意我陪你一起去吗？”他还没等我说完就问了。"],[12,"'Not at all,' I lied, 'but I'm going to the dentist.'","“当然不介意，”我撒谎说，“不过我要去看牙医。"],[13,"'Then I'll come with you,' he answered.","“那我就跟你一起去，”他回答。"],[14,"'There's always plenty to read in the waiting room!'","“候诊室里总有好多东西可以看！”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"07－Too Late","t":"Too Late","c":[[0,"Did the detectives save the diamonds?","侦探们保住那些钻石了吗？"],[1,"The plane was late and detectives were waiting at the airport all morning.","飞机晚点了，侦探们一整个上午都在机场等待。"],[2,"They were expecting a valuable parcel of diamonds from South Africa.","他们正在等待一个从南非来的装有钻石的贵重包裹。"],[3,"A few hours earlier,","几个小时之前，"],[4,"someone had told the police that","有人告诉警方说"],[5,"thieves would try to steal the diamonds.","小偷会企图偷走那些钻石。"],[6,"When the plane arrived,","当飞机降临时，"],[7,"some of the detectives were waiting","一些侦探正在等待。"],[8,"inside the main building","在主楼内"],[9,"while others were waiting on the airfield.","而其他人则在停机坪上等待。"],[10,"Two men took the parcel off the plane","两名男子从飞机上取下了那个包裹。"],[11,"and carried it into the Customs House.","然后把它搬进了海关大楼。"],[12,"While two detectives were keeping guard at the door,","当两名侦探在门口守卫时，"],[13,"two others opened the parcel.","另外两名侦探打开了那个包裹。"],[14,"To their surprise,","令他们惊讶的是，"],[15,"the precious parcel was full of stones and sand!","那个贵重的包裹里装满了石头和沙子！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"20－One Man in a Boat","t":"One Man in a Boat","c":[[0,"Why is fishing the writer's favourite sport?","为什么钓鱼是这位作家最喜爱的运动呢？"],[1,"Fishing is my favourite sport.","钓鱼是我最喜欢的运动。"],[2,"I often fish for hours without catching anything.","我经常花好几个小时钓鱼，却什么也没钓到。"],[3,"But this does not worry me.","但这并不让我担心。"],[4,"Some fishermen are unlucky.","有些渔民运气不好。"],[5,"Instead of catching fish,","与其去捕鱼，"],[6,"they catch old boots and rubbish.","他们收集旧靴子和垃圾。"],[7,"I am even less lucky.","我的运气更差了。"],[8,"I never catch anything  --  not even old boots.","我从来什么也抓不到——连一双旧靴子都抓不到。"],[9,"After having spent whole mornings on the river,","在河边度过了整个上午之后……"],[10,"I always go home with an empty bag.","我每次回家时，包里总是空空的。"],[11,"'You must give up fishing!' my friends say. 'It's a waste of time.'","“你必须放弃钓鱼！”我的朋友们说，“那纯粹是浪费时间。”"],[12,"But they don't realize one important thing.","但他们没有意识到一件重要的事情："],[13,"I'm not really interested in fishing.","我其实对钓鱼并不感兴趣。"],[14,"I am only interested in sitting in a boat and doing nothing at all!","我真正感兴趣的，只是坐在船上什么都不做而已！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"22－A Glass Envelope","t":"A Glass Envelope","c":[[0,"How did Jane receive a letter from a stranger?","简是怎么收到一封来自陌生人的信的？"],[1,"My daughter, Jane, never dreamed of receiving a letter from a girl of her own age in Holland.","我的女儿简，从未想过会收到来自荷兰的一个同龄女孩的信。"],[2,"Last year, we were travelling across the Channel and Jane put a piece of paper with her name and address on it into a bottle.","去年，我们在渡英吉利海峡时，简把一张写有她名字和地址的纸条放进了瓶子里。"],[3,"She threw the bottle into the sea.","她把瓶子扔进了海里。"],[4,"She never thought of it again, but ten months later, she received a letter from a girl in Holland.","她再也没有想起过这件事，但十个月后，她收到了一封来自荷兰女孩的信。"],[5,"Both girls write to each other regularly now.","现在，这两个女孩经常互相写信。"],[6,"However, they have decided to use the post office.","然而，她们决定用邮局寄信。"],[7,"Letters will cost a little more, but they will certainly travel faster.","信件的费用会稍高一些，但它们的传递速度肯定更快。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"54－Sticky Fingers","t":"Sticky Fingers","c":[[0,"What two interruptions did the writer have?","作者遇到了哪两种打扰？"],[1,"After breakfast, I sent the children to school and then I went to the shops.","早餐后，我送孩子们去了学校，然后去了商店。"],[2,"It was still early when I returned home.","当我回到家时，时间还早。"],[3,"The children were at school, my husband was at work and the house was quiet.","孩子们都在学校，我丈夫也在上班，家里一片安静。"],[4,"So I decided to make some meat pies.","所以我决定做一些肉馅派。"],[5,"In a short time I was busy mixing butter","没过多久，我就忙着搅拌黄油了。"],[6,"and flour and my hands were soon covered with sticky pastry.","和面粉，很快我的双手就沾满了粘糊糊的油酥面团。"],[7,"At exactly that moment, the telephone rang.","就在那一刻，电话响了。"],[8,"Nothing could have been more annoying.","没有什么比这更让人恼火了。"],[9,"I picked up the receiver between two sticky fingers and was dismayed when I recognized the voice of Helen Bates.","我用两个沾满油酥的手指拿起听筒，当听出是海伦·贝茨的声音时，我感到非常沮丧。"],[10,"It took me ten minutes to persuade her to ring back later. At last I hung up the receiver.","我花了十分钟的时间才说服她稍后回电话。最后，我终于挂断了电话。"],[11,"What a mess! There was pastry on my fingers, on the telephone, and on the doorknobs.","真是一团糟！我的手指上、电话上，还有门把手上都沾满了油酥面团。"],[12,"I had no sooner got back to the kitchen than the doorbell rang loud enough to wake the dead.","我刚回到厨房，门铃就响得震天响，仿佛连死人都会被吵醒。"],[13,"This time it was the postman and he wanted me to sign for a registered letter!","这次来的是邮递员，他让我签收一封挂号信！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"65－Jumbo Versus the Police","t":"Jumbo Versus the Police","c":[[0,"Why did the police have to push Jumbo off the main street?","为什么警察不得不把 Jumbo 从主街上推走？"],[1,"Last Christmas, the circus owner, Jimmy Gates, decided to take some presents to a children's hospital.","去年圣诞节，马戏团老板吉米·盖茨决定把一些礼物送到儿童医院去。"],[2,"Dressed up as Father Christmas and accompanied by a 'guard of honour' of six pretty girls,","他装扮成圣诞老人，由六位漂亮的女孩组成的“仪仗队”陪同着他。"],[3,"he set off down the main street of the city riding a baby elephant called Jumbo.","他骑着一只名叫“Jumbo”的小象，沿着城市的主街道出发了。"],[4,"He should have known that the police would never allow this sort of thing.","他本应该知道，警察绝不会允许这种事情发生的。"],[5,"A policeman approached Jimmy and told him he ought to have gone along a side street as Jumbo was holding up the traffic.","一名警察走过来对吉米说：“你应该走小路，因为‘Jumbo’正在阻碍交通。”"],[6,"Though Jimmy agreed to go at once, Jumbo refused to move.","虽然吉米立刻同意离开，但“Jumbo”却拒绝移动。"],[7,"Fifteen policemen had to push very hard to get him off the main street.","十五名警察费了很大劲才把他从主街上弄走。"],[8,"The police had a difficult time, but they were most amused.","警察们遇到了不少困难，不过他们觉得这件事非常有趣（或者说：虽然过程很艰难，但他们觉得这件事很有趣）。"],[9,"'Jumbo must weigh a few tons,' said a policeman afterwards,","“Jumbo肯定有好几吨重，”一名警察事后说道，"],[10,"'so it was fortunate that we didn't have to carry him.","“所以我们很幸运，不必抬着他走。"],[11,"Of course, we should arrest him, but as he has a good record, we shall let him off this time.'","“当然，我们应该逮捕他，但鉴于他表现良好，这次我们就放他一马吧。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"76－April Fools' Day","t":"April Fools' Day","c":[[0,"What was the joke?","那个笑话是什么？"],[1,"'To end our special news bulletin,'","“为了结束我们的特别新闻播报，”"],[2,"said the voice of the television announcer, 'we're going over to the macaroni fields of Calabria.","电视播音员的声音说道：“我们现在正前往卡拉布里亚地区的通心粉种植区。”"],[3,"Macaroni has been grown in this area for over six hundred years.","在这个地区，人们种植通心粉已经有六百多年的历史了。"],[4,"Two of the leading growers Giuseppe Moldova and Riccardo Brabante,","两位主要的种植者——朱塞佩·莫尔多瓦（Giuseppe Moldova）和里卡多·布拉班特（Riccardo Brabante）"],[5,"tell me that they have been expecting a splendid crop this year and harvesting has begun earlier than usual.","告诉我，他们一直期待今年会有大丰收，而且收割工作也比往年提前开始了。"],[6,"Here you can see two workers who, between them,","在这里，你可以看到两名工人；他们两人一起"],[7,"have just finished cutting three cartloads of golden brown macaroni stalks.","刚刚割完了三车金黄色的通心粉秸秆。"],[8,"The whole village has been working day and night gathering and threshing this year's crop before the September rains.","全村人都在日夜忙碌，收割和脱粒今年的庄稼，赶在九月雨季到来之前完成。"],[9,"On the right, you can see Mrs. Brabante herself.","在右边，你可以看到布拉班特夫人本人。"],[10,"She has been helping her husband for thirty years now.","她已经帮丈夫干了三十年了。"],[11,"Mrs. Brabante is talking to the manager of the local factory where the crop is processed.","布拉班特夫人正在和当地加工厂的经理说话，这家工厂负责加工这些通心粉。"],[12,"This last scene shows you what will happen at the end of the harvest:","这最后一个镜头展示了丰收结束时会发生什么："],[13,"the famous Calabrian macaroni-eating competition!","那就是著名的卡拉布里亚地区“吃通心粉比赛”！"],[14,"Signor Fratelli, the present champion, has won it every year since 1991.","现任冠军弗拉泰利先生（Signor Fratelli）自1991年以来每年都夺冠。"],[15,"And that ends our special bulletin for today, Thursday, April 1st.","今天的特别播报就到这里，今天是4月1日，星期四。"],[16,"We're now going back to the studio.'","现在我们回到演播室。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"38－Everything Except the Weather","t":"Everything Except the Weather","c":[[0,"Why did Harrison sell his house so quickly?","为什么哈里森这么快就卖掉了他的房子？"],[1,"My old friend, Harrison, had lived in","我的老朋友哈里森曾经住在这里。"],[2,"the Mediterranean for many years","在地中海地区生活了许多年"],[3,"before he returned to England.","在他回到英格兰之前。"],[4,"He had often dreamed of retiring in England","他经常梦想着在英格兰退休。"],[5,"and had planned to settle down in the country.","并且计划在乡下安顿下来"],[6,"He had no sooner returned than he bought","他一回来就买了"],[7,"a house and went to live there.","一栋房子并搬去那里住"],[8,"Almost immediately he began to complain","几乎立刻，他就开始抱怨起来。"],[9,"about the weather,","抱怨天气"],[10,"for even though it was still summer,","因为尽管还是夏天"],[11,"it rained continually and it was often bitterly cold.","雨一直下个不停，天气也常常非常寒冷。"],[12,"After so many years of sunshine,","在享受了多年阳光之后"],[13,"Harrison got a shock.","哈里森感到非常震惊。"],[14,"He acted as if he had never lived in England before.","他的举止就好像他以前从未在英国生活过一样。"],[15,"In the end, it was more than he could bear.","最终，这超出了他的承受能力。"],[16,"He had hardly had time to settle down","他几乎还没来得及安顿下来呢。"],[17,"when he sold the house and left the country.","就卖掉了房子离开了这个国家"],[18,"The dream he had had for so many years ended there.","他怀揣多年的梦想就此破灭"],[19,"Harrison had thought of everything except the weather.","哈里森考虑到了所有可能的因素，唯独没有考虑到天气。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"88－Trapped in a Mine","t":"Trapped in a Mine","c":[[0,"Why is the rescue taking so long?","为什么救援工作需要这么长时间？"],[1,"Six men have been trapped in a mine for seventeen hours.","六名男子已在矿井中被困了十七个小时。"],[2,"If they are not brought to the surface soon they may lose their lives.","如果他们不能尽快被救上来，他们可能会丧命。"],[3,"However, rescue operations are proving difficult.","然而，救援工作却非常困难。"],[4,"If explosives are used, vibrations will cause the roof of the mine to collapse.","如果使用了炸药，震动会导致矿井的屋顶坍塌。"],[5,"Rescue workers are therefore drilling a hole on the north side of the mine.","因此，救援人员正在矿井的北侧钻孔。"],[6,"They intend to bring the men up in a special capsule.","他们打算用一个特制的救生舱把这些矿工救上来。"],[7,"If there had not been a hard layer of rock beneath the soil,","如果土壤下面没有坚硬的岩层的话……"],[8,"they would have completed the job in a few hours.","他们本可以在几个小时内完成这项工作。"],[9,"As it is, they have been drilling for 16 hours and they still have a long way to go.","到目前为止，他们已经连续钻探了16个小时，但距离完成工作还有很长的路要走。"],[10,"Meanwhile, a microphone, which was lowered into the mine two hours ago,","与此同时，两小时前被放入矿井中的那个麦克风……"],[11,"has enabled the men to keep in touch with their closest relatives.","这让这些矿工能够与他们最亲近的家人保持联系。"],[12,"Though they are running out of food and drink,","尽管他们的食物和饮用水即将耗尽，"],[13,"the men are cheerful and confident that they will get out soon.","这些矿工依然很乐观，相信自己很快就能获救。"],[14,"They have been told that rescue operations are progressing smoothly.","他们被告知救援行动正在顺利推进。"],[15,"If they knew how difficult it was to drill through the hard rock, they would lose heart.","如果他们知道在坚硬的岩石中钻孔有多么困难，他们恐怕会失去信心。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"48－Did You Want to Tell Me Something","t":"Did You Want to Tell Me Something?","c":[[0,"Why did the writer become very worried?","为什么作者会变得非常担心呢？"],[1,"Dentists always ask questions when it is impossible for you to answer.","牙医总是在你无法回答问题的时候提问。"],[2,"My dentist had just pulled out one of my teeth and had told me to rest for a while.","我的牙医刚刚拔掉了我的一颗牙齿，然后让我休息一会儿。"],[3,"I tried to say something,","我试图说些什么，"],[4,"but my mouth was full of cotton wool.","但我的嘴里塞满了棉花。"],[5,"He knew I collected match boxes and asked me whether my collection was growing.","他知道我收集火柴盒，便问我收藏的火柴盒是不是越来越多了。"],[6,"He then asked me how my brother was and whether I liked my new job in London.","接着他又问我弟弟的情况，以及我是否喜欢在伦敦的新工作。"],[7,"In answer to these questions I either nodded or made strange noises.","对于这些问题，我只能点头或者发出一些奇怪的声音作为回答。"],[8,"Meanwhile, my tongue was busy searching out the hole where the tooth had been.","与此同时，我的舌头不停地探寻着那颗牙齿被拔掉后留下的窟窿。"],[9,"I suddenly felt very worried, but could not say anything.","我突然感到非常担心，但却什么也说不出来。"],[10,"When the dentist at last removed the cotton wool from my mouth,","直到牙医终于把嘴里的棉花取出来，"],[11,"I was able to tell him that he had pulled out the wrong tooth.","我才告诉他，他拔错了牙齿。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"15－Good News","t":"Good News","c":[[0,"What was the good news?","那条好消息是什么呢？"],[1,"The secretary told me that Mr. Harmsworth would see me.","秘书告诉我，哈姆斯沃思先生会见我。"],[2,"I felt very nervous when I went into his office.","当我走进他的办公室时，我感到非常紧张。"],[3,"He did not look up from his desk when I entered.","我进去的时候，他头也没抬，眼睛一直盯着书桌。"],[4,"After I had sat down,","在我坐下之后，"],[5,"he said that business was very bad.","他说生意非常糟糕。"],[6,"He told me that the firm could not afford to pay such large salaries.","他告诉我，公司无力支付如此高的薪水。"],[7,"Twenty people had already left.","已经有二十个人离开了。"],[8,"I knew that my turn had come.","我知道轮到我了。"],[9,"'Mr. Harmsworth,' I said in a weak voice.","“哈姆斯沃思先生，”我虚弱地说道。"],[10,"'Don't interrupt,' he said.","“不要打断我，”他说。"],[11,"Then he smiled and told me I would receive an extra thousand pounds a year!","然后他笑了，告诉我每年还能多拿一千英镑！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"58－A Blessing in Disguise","t":"A Blessing in Disguise?","c":[[0,"Why does the vicar refuse to cut down the tree?","为什么牧师拒绝砍倒那棵树呢？"],[1,"The tiny village of Frinley is said to possess a 'cursed tree'.","据说，弗林利这个小村庄里有一棵“被诅咒的树”。"],[2,"Because the tree was mentioned in a newspaper,","因为这棵树在报纸上被提及后，"],[3,"the number of visitors to Frinley has now increased.","来弗林利参观的游客数量现在已经增加了。"],[4,"The tree was planted near the church fifty years ago, but it is only in recent years that it has gained an evil reputation.","这棵树是在五十年前种在教堂附近的，但直到最近几年，它才获得了“邪恶”的名声。"],[5,"It is said that if anyone touches the tree, he will have bad luck; if he picks a leaf, he will die.","据说，如果有人触碰这棵树，就会遭遇厄运；如果他摘下一片叶子，就会死亡。"],[6,"Many villagers believe that the tree has already claimed a number of victims.","许多村民认为，这棵树已经害死了不少人。"],[7,"The vicar has been asked to have the tree cut down, but so far he has refused.","牧师被要求把那棵树砍掉，但他至今仍然拒绝这样做。"],[8,"He has pointed out that the tree is a useful source of income,","他指出，这棵树能带来可观的收入，"],[9,"as tourists have been coming from all parts of the country to see it.","因为游客们从全国各地纷纷前来参观它。"],[10,"In spite of all that has been said,","尽管有这么多传言，"],[11,"the tourists have been picking leaves and cutting their names on the tree-trunk.","游客们一直在摘树叶，并在树干上刻下自己的名字。"],[12,"So far, not one of them has been struck down by sudden death!","到目前为止，他们当中还没有一个人突然死亡！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"06－Percy Buttons","t":"Percy Buttons","c":[[0,"Who is Percy Buttons?","珀西·巴顿斯（Percy Buttons）是谁？"],[1,"I have just moved to a house in Bridge Street.","我刚刚搬到了 Bridge Street 上的一栋房子里。"],[2,"Yesterday a beggar knocked at my door.","昨天，一个乞丐敲了我的门。"],[3,"He asked me for a meal and a glass of beer.","他向我要了一顿饭和一杯啤酒。"],[4,"In return for this,","作为对此的回报，"],[5,"the beggar stood on his head and sang songs.","那个乞丐倒立着，同时还在唱歌。"],[6,"I gave him a meal.","我给他准备了一顿饭。"],[7,"He ate the food and drank the beer.","他吃了食物，喝了啤酒。"],[8,"Then he put a piece of cheese in his pocket and went away.","然后他把一块奶酪放进口袋里，就离开了。"],[9,"Later a neighbour told me about him.","后来，一位邻居跟我讲起了他的情况。"],[10,"Everybody knows him.","每个人都知道他。"],[11,"His name is Percy Buttons.","他的名字叫珀西·巴顿斯（Percy Buttons）。"],[12,"He calls at every house in the street once a month","他每个月都会挨家挨户地拜访这条街上的每一户人家。"],[13,"and always asks for a meal and a glass of beer.","并且总是要求吃一顿饭和喝一杯啤酒。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"34－Quick Work","t":"Quick Work","c":[[0,"How long had the police taken to find his bicycle?","警察花了多长时间才找到他的自行车？"],[1,"Dan Robinson has been worried all week.","丹·罗宾逊整个星期都一直很担心。"],[2,"Last Tuesday he received a letter","上周二，他收到了一封信。"],[3,"from the local police.","来自当地警方。"],[4,"In the letter he was asked to call at the station.","信中要求他去一趟警察局。"],[5,"Dan wondered why","丹想知道为什么。"],[6,"he was wanted by the police,","警察找他有什么事。"],[7,"but he went to the station yesterday","但他昨天去车站了。"],[8,"and now he is not worried anymore.","现在他不再担心了。"],[9,"At the station,","在车站里，"],[10,"he was told by a smiling policeman","一位面带微笑的警察告诉他"],[11,"that his bicycle had been found.","他的自行车已经被找到了。"],[12,"Five days ago, the policeman told him,","五天前，警察对他说："],[13,"the bicycle was picked up in a small village","这辆自行车是在一个小村庄里被发现的。"],[14,"four hundred miles away.","四百英里之外。"],[15,"It is now being sent to his home by train.","现在正通过火车运往他家。"],[16,"Dan was most surprised","丹感到非常惊讶。"],[17,"when he heard the news.","当他听到这个消息时……"],[18,"He was amused too,","他也很觉得有趣。"],[19,"because he never expected","因为他从没想过"],[20,"the bicycle to be found.","这辆自行车还能被找到。"],[21,"It was stolen twenty years ago","它是在二十年前被偷走的。"],[22,"when Dan was a boy of fifteen!","那是丹十五岁的时候！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"40－Food and Talk","t":"Food and Talk","c":[[0,"Was Mrs. Rumbold a good companion at dinner?","兰博尔德夫人在晚餐时是个不错的交谈伙伴吗？"],[1,"Last week at a dinner party,","上周在一个晚宴上，"],[2,"the hostess asked me to sit next to Mrs. Rumbold.","女主人让我坐在兰博尔德夫人旁边。"],[3,"Mrs. Rumbold was a large,","兰博尔德太太身材高大，"],[4,"unsmiling lady in a tight black dress.","那位面无笑容的女士穿着一件紧身的黑色连衣裙。"],[5,"She did not even look up when I took my seat beside her.","当我坐在她旁边时，她甚至都没有抬头看我一眼。"],[6,"Her eyes were fixed on her plate and in a short time,","她的目光紧紧盯着自己的盘子，不一会儿……"],[7,"she was busy eating.","她当时正忙着吃饭。"],[8,"I tried to make conversation.","我试着和她交谈。"],[9,"'A new play is coming to \"The Globe\" soon,'","一部新剧很快将在“The Globe”剧院上演。"],[10,"I said. 'Will you be seeing it?'","我说：“您会去看吗？”"],[11,"'No,' she answered.","“不，”她回答道。"],[12,"'Will you be spending your holidays abroad this year?' I asked.","“今年你打算在国外度过假期吗？”我问道。"],[13,"'No,' she answered.","“不，”她回答。"],[14,"'Will you be staying in England?' I asked.","“那你会留在英国吗？”我又问。"],[15,"'No,' she answered.","“不，”她回答。"],[16,"In despair, I asked her whether she was enjoying her dinner.","我有些绝望，便问她晚餐吃得怎么样。"],[17,"'Young man,' she answered,","“年轻人，”她说道，"],[18,"'if you ate more and talked less, we would both enjoy our dinner!'","“如果你多吃点、少说点话，我们俩的晚餐都会更愉快！”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"04－An Exciting Trip","t":"An Exciting Trip","c":[[0,"Why is Tim finding this trip exciting?","为什么蒂姆觉得这次旅行如此令人兴奋呢？"],[1,"I have just received a letter from my brother, Tim.","我刚刚收到了我哥哥蒂姆的一封信。"],[2,"He is in Australia.","他在澳大利亚。"],[3,"He has been there for six months.","他已经在那里待了六个月了。"],[4,"Tim is an engineer.","蒂姆是一名工程师。"],[5,"He is working for a big firm and he has already visited","他在一家大公司工作，并且已经去过澳大利亚的许多不同地方。"],[6,"a great number of different places in Australia.",""],[7,"He has just bought an Australian car and has gone to Alice Springs,","他刚买了一辆澳大利亚产的汽车，然后去了爱丽丝泉（Alice Springs）。"],[8,"a small town in the centre of Australia.","澳大利亚中部的一个小镇。"],[9,"He will soon visit Darwin.","他很快将会去达尔文。"],[10,"From there, he will fly to Perth.","从那里，他将飞往珀斯。"],[11,"My brother has never been abroad before,","我哥哥以前从未出过国。"],[12,"so he is finding this trip very exciting.","所以他觉得这次旅行非常令人兴奋。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"24－It Could be Worse","t":"It Could be Worse","c":[[0,"Had the writer's money been stolen?","那位作家的钱被偷了吗？"],[1,"I entered the hotel manager's office and sat down.","我走进酒店经理的办公室，坐了下来。"],[2,"I had just lost ￡50 and I felt very upset.","我刚刚损失了50英镑，感到非常沮丧。"],[3,"'I left the money in my room,' I said, 'and it's not there now.  '","“我把钱放在房间里了，但现在钱不见了。”我说。"],[4,"The manager was sympathetic, but he could do nothing.","经理很同情我，但他无能为力。"],[5,"'Everyone's losing money these days,' he said.","“如今大家都在丢钱，”他说。"],[6,"He started to complain about this wicked world but was interrupted by a knock at the door.","他开始抱怨这个邪恶的世界，但被一阵敲门声打断了。"],[7,"A girl came in and put an envelope on his desk.","一个女孩走了进来，把一个信封放在他的桌子上。"],[8,"It contained ￡50.","信封里装着50英镑。"],[9,"'I found this outside this gentleman's room,' she said.","“我在这位先生的房间外面发现了这个。”她说。"],[10,"'Well,' I said to the manager,'there is still some honesty in this world!'","“嗯，”我对经理说，“这个世界上还是有一些诚实的人的！”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"51－Reward for Virtue","t":"Reward for Virtue","c":[[0,"Why did Hugh's diet not work?","为什么休的节食计划没有效果呢？"],[1,"My friend, Hugh, has always been fat,","我的朋友休一直都很胖。"],[2,"but things got so bad recently that he decided to go on a diet.","但最近情况变得非常糟糕，以至于他决定开始节食。"],[3,"He began his diet a week ago.","他一周前开始节食了。"],[4,"First of all, he wrote out a long list of all the foods which were forbidden.","首先，他列出了一份长长的清单，上面列出了所有被禁止食用的食物。"],[5,"The list included most of the things Hugh loves:","这份清单上列出了休最喜欢的大多数东西。"],[6,"butter, potatoes, rice, beer, milk, chocolate, and sweets.","黄油、土豆、米饭、啤酒、牛奶、巧克力和糖果。"],[7,"Yesterday I paid him a visit.","昨天我去拜访了他。"],[8,"I rang the bell and was not surprised to see that Hugh was still as fat as ever.","我按响了门铃，看到休还是和以前一样胖，并没有感到惊讶。"],[9,"He led me into his room and hurriedly hid a large parcel under his desk.","他把我带进了他的房间，然后匆忙地把一个大包裹藏在了桌子下面。"],[10,"It was obvious that he was very embarrassed.","很明显，他感到非常尴尬。"],[11,"When I asked him what he was doing,","当我问他正在做什么时，"],[12,"he smiled guiltily and then put the parcel on the desk.","他内疚地笑了笑，然后把包裹放在了桌子上。"],[13,"He explained that his diet was so strict that he had to reward himself occasionally.","他解释说，他的饮食控制非常严格，因此偶尔需要奖励自己一下。"],[14,"Then he showed me the contents of the parcel.","然后他向我展示了包裹里的物品。"],[15,"It contained five large bars of chocolate and three bags of sweets!","里面是五块大巧克力和三袋糖果！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"44－Through the Forest","t":"Through the Forest","c":[[0,"How did Mrs. Sterling get her bag back?","斯特林夫人是怎么拿回她的包的？"],[1,"Mrs. Anne Sterling did not think of the risk","安妮·斯特林夫人并没有考虑到其中的风险。"],[2,"she was taking when she ran through a forest after two men.","她追赶那两个男人时，穿过了一片森林。"],[3,"They had rushed up to her while she was having a picnic at the edge of a forest","当她在森林边缘野餐时，他们立刻跑向了她。"],[4,"with her children and tried to steal her handbag.","她带着孩子们野餐时，他们冲上来试图偷她的手提包。"],[5,"In the struggle, the strap broke and,","在挣扎的过程中，那根带子断了。"],[6,"with the bag in their possession,","拿着那个包，"],[7,"both men started running through the trees.","两名男子开始在树林中奔跑。"],[8,"Mrs. Sterling got so angry that she ran after them.","斯特林太太气得冲了上去追赶他们。"],[9,"She was soon out of breath,","她很快就气喘吁吁了。"],[10,"but she continued to run.","但她还是继续奔跑着。"],[11,"When she caught up with them,","当她追上他们时，"],[12,"she saw that they had sat down and were going through the contents of the bag,","她看到他们已经坐下来，正在翻看包里的东西。"],[13,"so she ran straight at them.","于是她直接朝他们冲了过去。"],[14,"The men got such a fright that they dropped the bag and ran away.","那两个男人吓了一大跳，扔下包就跑了。"],[15,"'The strap needs mending,' said Mrs. Sterling later, 'but they did not steal anything.'","“这条带子需要修理了，”斯特林夫人后来说道，“但他们什么也没偷。”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"23－A New House","t":"A New House","c":[[0,"Why is the new house special?","为什么这栋新房子这么特别呢？"],[1,"I had a letter from my sister yesterday.","我昨天收到了姐姐的一封信。"],[2,"She lives in Nigeria.","她住在尼日利亚。"],[3,"In her letter, she said that she would come to England next year.","她在信中说，她明年会来英格兰。"],[4,"If she comes, she will get a surprise.","如果她来了，她会收到一个惊喜。"],[5,"We are now living in a beautiful new house in the country.","我们现在住在乡下的一栋漂亮的新房子里。"],[6,"Work on it had begun before my sister left.","我妹妹离开前，这栋房子就已经开始建了。"],[7,"The house was completed five months ago.","这栋房子是在五个月前建成的。"],[8,"In my letter, I told her that she could stay with us.","我在信里告诉她，她可以和我们住在一起。"],[9,"The house has many large rooms and there is a lovely garden.","这栋房子有很多宽敞的房间，还有一个非常漂亮的花园。"],[10,"It is a very modern house, so it looks strange to some people.","这是一栋非常现代化的房子，因此有些人会觉得它看起来很奇怪。"],[11,"It must be the only modern house in the district.","这一定是这个地区唯一的一栋现代化房子了。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"81－Escape","t":"Escape","c":[[0,"Why did the prisoner attack the driver?","为什么囚犯会攻击司机？"],[1,"When he had killed the guard, the prisoner of war quickly dragged him into the bushes.","当他杀死了那个卫兵后，这名战俘立刻把他拖进了灌木丛中。"],[2,"Working rapidly in the darkness, he soon changed into the dead man's clothes.","他在黑暗中迅速行动，很快就换上了那具死者的衣服。"],[3,"Now, dressed in a blue uniform and with a rifle over his shoulder,","现在，他穿着蓝色制服，肩上扛着一把步枪。"],[4,"the prisoner marched boldly up and down in front of the camp.","这名囚犯在营地前大胆地来回踱步。"],[5,"He could hear shouting in the camp itself.","他能听到营地里传来的喊叫声。"],[6,"Lights were blazing and men were running here and there: they had just discovered that a prisoner had escaped.","营地里灯火通明，人们四处奔忙——他们刚刚发现有一名囚犯逃走了。"],[7,"At that moment, a large black car with four officers inside it, stopped at the camp gates.","就在那一刻，一辆载有四名军官的黑色轿车停在了营地的门口。"],[8,"The officers got out and the prisoner stood to attention and saluted as they passed.","军官们下了车，囚犯立正敬礼，目送他们经过。"],[9,"When they had gone the driver of the car came towards him.","当他们离开后，那辆车的司机朝他走了过来。"],[10,"The man obviously wanted to talk.","显然，这个人想说话。"],[11,"He was rather elderly with grey hair and clear blue eyes.","他年纪较大，头发已经花白，眼睛则是清澈的蓝色。"],[12,"The prisoner felt sorry for him, but there was nothing else he could do.","囚犯对他感到同情，但他无能为力。"],[13,"As the man came near the prisoner knocked him to the ground with a sharp blow.","当那个人靠近时，囚犯用一记猛烈的打击将他打倒在地。"],[14,"Then, jumping into the car, he drove off as quickly as he could.","随后，他跳进车里，以最快的速度驾车逃离。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"16－A Polite Request","t":"A Polite Request","c":[[0,"What was the polite request?","那个礼貌的请求是什么？"],[1,"If you park your car in the wrong place,","如果你把车停在了错误的地方，"],[2,"a traffic policeman will soon find it.","交通警察很快就会发现它。"],[3,"You will be very lucky if he lets you go without a ticket.","如果你能不被开罚单就放你走，那你就非常幸运了。"],[4,"However, this does not always happen.","不过，这种情况并不总是发生。"],[5,"Traffic police are sometimes very polite.","有时候，交通警察会非常礼貌。"],[6,"During a holiday in Sweden,","在瑞典的一个假期里，"],[7,"I found this note on my car:","我在我的车上发现了一张纸条："],[8,"'sir, we welcome you to our city. This is a No Parking area.","“先生，欢迎您来到我们的城市。这里是禁止停车区。"],[9,"You will enjoy your stay here if you pay attention to our street signs. This note is only a reminder.'","如果您注意看街道上的标志，您的停留会非常愉快。这张纸条只是为了提醒您而已。”"],[10,"If you receive a request like this, you cannot fail to obey it!","如果你收到这样的请求，你一定会遵守的！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"53－Hot Snake","t":"Hot Snake","c":[[0,"What caused the fire?","是什么导致了这场火灾？"],[1,"At last firemen have put out a big forest fire in California.","消防员们终于扑灭了加利福尼亚州的那场大规模森林火灾。"],[2,"Since then, they have been trying to find out how the fire began.","从那以后，他们一直在试图查明火灾的起因。"],[3,"Forest fires are often caused by broken glass or by cigarette ends which people carelessly throw away.","森林火灾通常是由碎玻璃或人们随意丢弃的烟头引起的。"],[4,"Yesterday the firemen examined the ground carefully,","昨天，消防员们仔细地检查了那片地面。"],[5,"but were not able to find any broken glass.","但他们没有发现任何碎玻璃。"],[6,"They were also quite sure that a cigarette end did not start the fire.","他们也非常确定，火灾并不是由烟头引起的。"],[7,"This morning, however, a firemen accidentally discovered the cause.","然而，今天早上，一名消防员意外地发现了火灾的原因。"],[8,"He noticed the remains of a snake which was wound round the electric wires of a 16, 000-volt power line.","他发现了一条蛇的残骸，那条蛇缠绕在一条16,000伏高压电线上。"],[9,"In this way, he was able to solve the mystery.","通过这种方式，他终于解开了这个谜团。"],[10,"The explanation was simple but very unusual.","这个解释很简单，但却非常不寻常。"],[11,"A bird had snatched up the snake from the ground and then dropped it on to the wires.","一只鸟从地上抓起了那条蛇，然后把它扔到了电线上。"],[12,"The snake then wound itself round the wires.","然后，那条蛇缠住了那些电线。"],[13,"When it did so, it sent sparks down to the ground and these immediately started a fire.","当它这样做时，火花溅到了地上，立刻引发了火灾。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"21－Mad or Not","t":"Mad or Not?","c":[[0,"Why do people think the writer is mad?","为什么人们认为这位作者疯了？"],[1,"Aeroplanes are slowly driving me mad.","飞机正慢慢地把我逼疯。"],[2,"I live near an airport and passing planes can be heard night and day.","我住在机场附近，无论白天还是黑夜，都能听到飞机的轰鸣声。"],[3,"The airport was built years ago, but for some reason it could not be used then.","这个机场几年前就建好了，但不知为何当时无法投入使用。"],[4,"Last year, however, it came into use.","然而去年，它终于开始运营了。"],[5,"Over a hundred people must have been driven away from their homes by the noise.","肯定有一百多人被噪音逼得离开了家。"],[6,"I am one of the few people left.","我是少数还留在这里的人之一。"],[7,"Sometimes I think this house will be knocked down by a passing plane.","有时候我觉得这房子会被飞过的飞机撞倒。"],[8,"I have been offered a large sum of money to go away, but I am determined to stay here.","有人出高价让我搬走，但我坚决要留在这里。"],[9,"Everybody says I must be mad and they are probably right.","大家都说我一定是疯了，也许他们是对的。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"93－A Noble Gift","t":"A Noble Gift","c":[[0,"Where was the Statue of Liberty made?","自由女神像是在哪里制造的？"],[1,"One of the most famous monuments in the world, the Statue of Liberty,","自由女神像是世界最著名的纪念碑之一。"],[2,"was presented to the USA in the nineteenth century by the people of France.","这座雕像是在十九世纪由法国人民赠送给美国的。"],[3,"The great statue, which was designed by the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, took ten years to complete.","这座宏伟的雕像由雕塑家奥古斯特·巴托尔迪设计，耗时十年才完成。"],[4,"The actual figure was made of copper supported by a metal framework which had been especially constructed by Eiffel.","雕像主体由铜制成，由埃菲尔特别设计的金属框架支撑。"],[5,"Before it could be transported to the United States,","在它被运往美国之前，"],[6,"a site had to be found for it and a pedestal had to be built.","必须为它找到一个安放地点，并建造一个基座。"],[7,"The site chosen was an island at the entrance of New York Harbour.","所选的位置是一座位于纽约港入口处的岛屿。"],[8,"By 1884, a statue which was 151 feet tall had been erected in Paris.","到1884年，一座151英尺高的雕像已在巴黎建成。"],[9,"The following year, it was taken to pieces and sent to America.","第二年，它被拆解后运往美国。"],[10,"By the end of October 1886,","到1886年10月底，"],[11,"the statue had been put together again and it was officially presented to the American people by Bartholdi.","到1886年10月底，雕像已重新组装完毕，由巴托尔迪正式赠予美国人民。"],[12,"Ever since then, the great monument has been a symbol of liberty","从那时起，这座宏伟的纪念碑就成为了自由的象征。"],[13,"for the millions of people who have passed through New York Harbour to make their homes in America.","对于数百万通过纽约港来到美国安家落户的人们来说……"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"75－SOS","t":"SOS","c":[[0,"How did the woman get help?","这个女人是如何得到帮助的？"],[1,"When a light passenger plane flew off course some time ago,","不久前，一架轻型客机偏离了预定航线。"],[2,"it crashed in the mountains and its pilot was killed.","飞机在山区坠毁，飞行员不幸遇难。"],[3,"The only passengers, a young woman and her two baby daughters, were unhurt.","唯一的乘客是一位年轻女子和她的两个女儿，她们都没有受伤。"],[4,"It was the middle of winter.","当时正值隆冬。"],[5,"Snow lay thick on the ground.","地上积满了厚厚的雪。"],[6,"The woman knew that the nearest village was miles away.","那个女人知道，最近的村庄离这里有好几英里远。"],[7,"When it grew dark, she turned a suitcase into a bed and put the children inside it,","天黑后，她把一个行李箱改成了“床”，然后把孩子们放了进去。"],[8,"covering them with all the clothes she could find.","她用所有能找到的衣服把他们盖住了。"],[9,"During the night, it got terribly cold.","到了晚上，天气变得非常寒冷。"],[10,"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.","那位女士尽可能地靠近孩子们，甚至还试图自己钻进箱子里，但箱子太小了。"],[11,"Early next morning,","第二天清晨，"],[12,"she heard planes passing overhead and wondered how she could send a signal.","她听到飞机从头顶飞过，思考着该如何发出求救信号。"],[13,"Then she had an idea. She stamped out the letters 'SOS' in the snow.","接着她想到了一个主意。她在雪地上踩出了“SOS”三个字母。"],[14,"Fortunately, a pilot saw the signal and sent a message by radio to the nearest town.","幸运的是，一名飞行员看到了这个求救信号，并通过无线电向最近的城镇发送了消息。"],[15,"It was not long before a helicopter arrived on the scene to rescue the survivors of the plane crash.","很快，一架直升机赶到现场，营救了这次空难的幸存者。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"66－Sweet as Honey","t":"Sweet as Honey","c":[[0,"What was 'sweet as honey' and why?","什么东西“甜如蜜”？为什么这么说呢？"],[1,"In 1963 a Lancaster bomber crashed on Wallis Island,","1963年，一架兰开斯特轰炸机在沃利斯岛上坠毁了。"],[2,"a remote place in the South Pacific, a long way west of Samoa.","一个位于南太平洋的偏远之地，在萨摩亚以西很远的地方。"],[3,"The plane wasn't too badly damaged,","飞机的损坏程度并不严重。"],[4,"but over the years the crash was forgotten and the wreck remained undisturbed.","然而，随着时间的推移，这场坠机事故被人们遗忘了，飞机残骸也一直无人打扰。"],[5,"Then in 1989, twenty-six years after the crash, the plane was accidentally rediscovered in an aerial survey of the island.","然后在1989年，也就是飞机失事26年后，这架飞机在一次对该岛屿的航空勘测中被意外重新发现了。"],[6,"By this time, a Lancaster bomber in reasonable condition was rare and worth rescuing.","到了这个时候，一架状况良好的兰开斯特轰炸机已经非常稀少，值得抢救。"],[7,"The French authorities had the plane packaged and moved in parts back to France.","法国当局将飞机打包，分部件运回了法国。"],[8,"Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored.","现在，一群爱好者正着手修复这架飞机。"],[9,"It has four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines but the group will need to have only three of them rebuilt.","这架飞机有四台罗尔斯-罗伊斯“梅林”发动机，但这群人只需要重建其中三台。"],[10,"Imagine their surprise and delight when they broke open the packing cases","想象一下，当他们打开包装箱时，他们的惊讶和喜悦之情吧！"],[11,"and found that the fourth engine was sweet as honey--still in perfect condition.","结果发现第四台发动机“甜如蜜”——状况依然完好。"],[12,"A colony of bees had turned the engine into a hive and it was totally preserved in beeswax!","一群蜜蜂将那台发动机改造成了一个蜂巢，并且整个发动机都被完美地保存在了蜂蜡之中！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"89－A Slip of the Tongue","t":"A Slip of the Tongue","c":[[0,"Who made the only funny joke that evening and why?","谁在那个晚上讲了唯一一个有趣的笑话？为什么呢？"],[1,"People will do anything to see a free show--even if it is a bad one.","人们会不惜一切代价去看一场免费的演出——哪怕这场演出很糟糕。"],[2,"When the news got round that a comedy show would be presented","当消息传开，说 P. and U. Bird Seed 公司将在我们当地的电影院举办一场喜剧演出时，我们都纷纷赶去观看。"],[3,"at our local cinema by the P. and U. Bird Seed Company, we all rushed to see it.","在我们当地的电影院（该电影院由 P. and U. Bird Seed 公司运营），我们都纷纷赶去观看这部电影。"],[4,"We had to queue for hours to get in and there must have been several hundred people present just before the show began.","我们不得不排队等待数小时才能进入现场；在演出开始前，现场肯定有几百人。"],[5,"Unfortunately, the show was one of the dullest we have ever seen.","不幸的是，这部剧是我们看过的最无聊的剧集之一。"],[6,"Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed,","那些没能进去的人大可不必感到失望，"],[7,"as many of the artistes who should have appeared did not come.","因为许多本该出场的演员都没有来。"],[8,"The only funny things we heard that evening came from the advertiser at the beginning of the programme.","那天晚上我们听到的唯一有趣的话，来自节目开始时的那位广告播报员。"],[9,"He was obviously very nervous and for some minutes stood awkwardly before the microphone.","他显然非常紧张，在麦克风前尴尬地站了好几分钟。"],[10,"As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone burst out laughing.","他一开口，所有人立刻都笑了起来。"],[11,"We all know what the poor man should have said,","我们都知道那个可怜的人本该说什么，"],[12,"but what he actually said was: 'This is the Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company. Good ladies, evening and gentlemen!'","但他实际上说的是：‘这是‘Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company’。女士们、先生们，晚上好！’"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"41－Do You Call That a Hat","t":"Do You Call That a Hat?","c":[[0,"What kind of shopping does the writer enjoy, do you think?","你觉得这位作家喜欢哪种类型的购物呢？"],[1,"'Do you call that a hat?' I said to my wife.","“你那叫帽子吗？”我对我的妻子说道。"],[2,"'You needn't be so rude about it,'","“你没必要这么无礼啊。”"],[3,"my wife answered as she looked at herself in the mirror.","我妻子一边看着镜子中的自己，一边回答了我。"],[4,"I sat down on one of those modern chairs with holes in it and waited.","我坐在一把带洞的现代椅子上等着。"],[5,"We had been in the hat shop for half an hour and my wife was still in front of the mirror.","我们在那家帽子店已经待了半个小时了，而我妻子仍然站在镜子前。"],[6,"'We mustn't buy things we don't need,' I remarked suddenly.","“我们不应该购买那些我们不需要的东西，”我突然说道。"],[7,"I regretted saying it almost at once.","我几乎立刻就后悔说了那句话。"],[8,"'You needn't have said that,' my wife answered.","“你其实没必要那么说，”我的妻子回答道。"],[9,"'I needn't remind you of that terrible tie you bought yesterday.'","“我其实没必要再提醒你昨天你买的那条糟糕的领带了。”"],[10,"'I find it beautiful,' I said. 'A man can never have too many ties.'","“我觉得它很漂亮，”我说，“一个男人有多少领带也不嫌多。”"],[11,"'And a woman can't have too many hats,' she answered.","“而女人的帽子也是有多少都不嫌多，”她回答道。"],[12,"Ten minutes later we walked out of the shop together.","十分钟后，我们一起走出了那家商店。"],[13,"My wife was wearing a hat that looked like a lighthouse!","我妻子戴着一顶看起来像灯塔的帽子！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"03－Please Send Me a Card","t":"Please Send Me a Card","c":[[0,"How many cards did the writer send?","作者寄了多少张明信片？"],[1,"Postcards always spoil my holidays.","明信片总是把我的假期搅得一团糟。"],[2,"Last summer, I went to Italy.","去年夏天，我去了意大利。"],[3,"I visited museums and sat in public gardens.","我参观了博物馆，还坐在公共花园里休息。"],[4,"A friendly waiter taught me a few words of Italian.","一位友好的服务员教了我几句意大利语。"],[5,"Then he lent me a book.","之后他还借给我一本书。"],[6,"I read a few lines, but I did not understand a word.","我读了几行，但一个词儿也不懂。"],[7,"Everyday I thought about postcards.","我每天都想着明信片的事。"],[8,"My holidays passed quickly,","假期很快就过去了，"],[9,"but I did not send cards to my friends.","但我却没有给朋友们寄任何卡片。"],[10,"On the last day I made a big decision.","在最后一天，我下了一个大决心。"],[11,"I got up early and bought thirty-seven cards.","我早早起床，买了三十七张明信片。"],[12,"I spent the whole day in my room,","我一整天都待在房间里，"],[13,"but I did not write a single card!","却一张卡片都没写！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"25－Do the English Speak English","t":"Do the English Speak English?","c":[[0,"Do they speak English?","他们说英语吗？"],[1,"Why does the writer not understand the porter?","为什么作者听不懂那个行李搬运工的话？"],[2,"I arrived in London at last.","我终于到了伦敦。"],[3,"The railway station was big, black and dark.","火车站又大又黑，显得非常阴暗。"],[4,"I did not know the way to my hotel, so I asked a porter.","我不知道怎么去我的酒店，于是我问了一个行李搬运工。"],[5,"I not only spoke English very carefully, but very clearly as well.","我不仅英语说得很仔细，而且发音也很清晰。"],[6,"The porter, however, could not understand me.","然而，那个行李搬运工却听不懂我。"],[7,"I repeated my question several times and at last he understood.","我重复了几次我的问题，最后他才明白了。"],[8,"he answered me, but he spoke neither slowly nor clearly.","他回答了我，但他说得既不慢也不清楚。"],[9,"'I am a foreigner,' I said.","“我是外国人，”我说。"],[10,"Then he spoke slowly, but I could not understand him.","然后他放慢了语速，但我还是听不懂他。"],[11,"My teacher never spoke English like that!","我的老师从来都不会用那样的方式说英语！"],[12,"The porter and I looked at each other and smiled.","那个行李搬运工和我对视了一眼，然后都笑了。"],[13,"Then he said something and I understood it.","接着他说了些什么，我听懂了。"],[14,"'You'll soon learn English!' he said.","“你很快就能学会英语了！”他说。"],[15,"I wonder.","这可不好说。"],[16,"In England, each person speaks a different language.","在英格兰，每个人说着不同的语言。"],[17,"The English understand each other, but I don't understand them!","英国人之间可以互相理解，但我却听不懂他们的话！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"02－Breakfast or Lunch","t":"Breakfast or Lunch?","c":[[0,"Why was the writer's aunt surprised?","为什么作者的阿姨会感到惊讶呢？"],[1,"It was Sunday.","那是星期天。"],[2,"I never get up early on Sundays.","我从来不在周日早起。"],[3,"I sometimes stay in bed until lunchtime.","有时候我会一直躺在床上，直到午餐时间才起床。"],[4,"Last Sunday I got up very late.","上周日，我起得很晚。"],[5,"I looked out of the window.","我望向了窗外。"],[6,"It was dark outside.","外面一片漆黑。"],[7,"'What a day!' I thought.","“真是美好的一天啊！”我想。"],[8,"'It's raining again.'","“又下雨了。”"],[9,"Just then, the telephone rang.","就在这时，电话响了。"],[10,"It was my aunt Lucy.","那是我的阿姨露西。"],[11,"'I've just arrived by train,' she said.","“我刚乘火车到达的，”她说。"],[12,"'I'm coming to see you.'","“我来看你了。”"],[13,"'But I'm still having breakfast,' I said.","“但我还在吃早餐呢，”我说。"],[14,"'What are you doing?' she asked.","“你在做什么？”她问。"],[15,"'I'm having breakfast,' I repeated.","“我在吃早餐，”我重复道。"],[16,"'Dear me,' she said.","“天哪，”她说。"],[17,"'Do you always get up so late?","“你总是起这么晚吗？"],[18,"It's one o'clock!'","现在都一点钟了！”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"82－Monster or Fish","t":"Monster or Fish?","c":[[0,"What was the monster called?","那条怪物叫什么名字？"],[1,"Fishermen and sailors sometimes claim to have seen monsters in the sea.","渔民和水手们有时声称在海上看到了怪物。"],[2,"Though people have often laughed at stories told by seamen,","虽然人们常常嘲笑水手们讲述的故事，"],[3,"it is now known that many of these 'monsters' which have at times been sighted are simply strange fish.","但现在人们知道，许多被目击的“怪物”其实只是奇怪的鱼类而已。"],[4,"Occasionally, unusual creatures are washed to the shore, but they are rarely caught out at sea.","偶尔，一些不寻常的生物会被冲上岸，但在海上捕捉到它们的情况非常罕见。"],[5,"Some time ago, however, a peculiar fish was caught near Madagascar.","然而，不久前，在马达加斯加附近捕获了一条奇特的鱼。"],[6,"A small fishing boat was carried miles out to sea by the powerful fish as it pulled on the line.","这条大鱼使劲拉着渔线，把一艘小渔船拖到了几英里外的海里。"],[7,"Realizing that this was no ordinary fish, the fisherman made every effort not to damage it in any way.","意识到这绝不是一条普通的鱼，渔民竭尽全力避免对其造成任何伤害。"],[8,"When it was eventually brought to shore, it was found to be over thirteen feet long.","当这条鱼最终被带到岸上时，人们发现它的长度超过了十三英尺。"],[9,"It had a head like a horse big blue eyes, shining silver skin, and a bright red tail.","它有着马一样的头部、大大的蓝色眼睛、闪亮的银色皮肤以及鲜红色的尾巴。"],[10,"The fish, which has since been set to a museum where it is being examined by a scientist, is called an oarfish.","这条鱼后来被送往一家博物馆，由一位科学家进行研究。它被称为“桨鱼”。"],[11,"Such creatures have rarely been seen alive by man as they live at a depth of six hundred feet.","由于这种生物生活在六百英尺深的海域，人类很少有机会亲眼见到它们的活体。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"12－Goodbye and Good Luck","t":"Goodbye and Good Luck","c":[[0,"Where is Captain Alison going and how?","艾莉森上尉要去哪里？怎么去？"],[1,"Our neighbour, Captain Charles Alison, will sail from Portsmouth tomorrow.","我们的邻居查尔斯·艾利森上尉明天将从朴次茅斯启航。"],[2,"We'll meet him at the harbour early in the morning.","我们将在清晨在港口与他见面。"],[3,"He will be in his small boat, Topsail.","他会待在他的小船'托普赛尔'号上。"],[4,"Topsail is a famous little boat.","“Topsail”是一艘非常著名的小船。"],[5,"It has sailed across the Atlantic many times.","它已经多次横渡了大西洋。"],[6,"Captain Alison will set out at eight o'clock,","艾莉森船长八点就要出发了，"],[7,"so we'll have plenty of time.","所以我们会有足够的时间。"],[8,"We'll see his boat and then we'll say goodbye to him.","我们会去看看他的船，然后跟他告别。"],[9,"He will be away for two months.","他将会离开两个月。"],[10,"We are very proud of him.","我们为他感到非常骄傲。"],[11,"He will take part in an important race across the Atlantic.","他将参加一场横跨大西洋的重要比赛。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"46－Expensive and Uncomfortable","t":"Expensive and Uncomfortable","c":[[0,"What did the man in this story do?","这个故事里的男人做了什么？"],[1,"When a plane from London arrived at Sydney airport,","当一架从伦敦起飞的飞机抵达悉尼机场时，"],[2,"workers began to unload a number of wooden boxes which contained clothing.","工人们开始卸下许多装有衣物的木箱。"],[3,"No one could account for the fact that one of the boxes was extremely heavy.","没有人能够解释为什么其中一个箱子会异常地重。"],[4,"It suddenly occurred to one of the workers to open up the box.","突然，其中一个工人想到应该打开那个箱子。"],[5,"He was astonished at what he found.","他对自己的发现感到非常惊讶。"],[6,"A man was lying in the box on top of a pile of woollen goods.","一个男人躺在箱子里，躺在一堆羊毛制品的上面。"],[7,"He was so surprised at being discovered that he did not even try to run away.","他发现自己被发现了，惊讶得连逃跑的念头都没有。"],[8,"After he was arrested,","在他被逮捕之后，"],[9,"the man admitted hiding in the box before the plane left London.","那名男子承认在飞机离开伦敦之前躲在了那个箱子里。"],[10,"He had had a long and uncomfortable trip,","他经历了一段漫长而令人不适的旅程。"],[11,"for he had been confined to the wooden box for over eighteen hours.","因为他已经被关在那个木箱里超过十八个小时了。"],[12,"The man was ordered to pay ￡3, 500 for the cost of the trip.","这名男子被责令支付3,500英镑的旅费。"],[13,"The normal price of a ticket is ￡2, 000!","而一张普通机票的价格才2,000英镑！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"83－After the Elections","t":"After the Elections","c":[[0,"Why did Patrick keep on asking the same question?","为什么帕特里克一直重复同一个问题？"],[1,"The former Prime Minister, Mr. Wentworth Lane, was defeated in the recent elections.","前首相温特沃斯·莱恩先生在最近的选举中落败了。"],[2,"He is now retiring from political life and has gone abroad.","我的朋友帕特里克一直是莱恩先生激进进步党的狂热反对者。"],[3,"My friend, Patrick, has always been a fanatical opponent of Mr. Lane's Radical Progressive Party.","我的朋友帕特里克一直是莱恩先生领导的激进进步党的强烈反对者。"],[4,"After the elections, Patrick went to the former Prime Minister's house.","选举结束后，帕特里克去了前首相的住所。"],[5,"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.","当他询问莱恩先生是否住在那里时，值班的警察告诉他，自从落败后，前首相就已经出国了。"],[6,"On the following day Patrick went to the house again.","第二天，帕特里克再次来到那栋房子前。"],[7,"The same policeman was just walking slowly past the entrance, when Patrick asked the same question.","还是那位警察，他正缓缓地从门口走过，这时帕特里克又问了同样的问题。"],[8,"Though a little suspicious this time the policeman gave him the same answer.","虽然这次警察有些起疑，但他还是给出了同样的回答。"],[9,"The day after, Patrick went to the house once more and asked exactly the same question.","第三天，帕特里克再次来到那里，问了完全相同的问题。"],[10,"This time, the policeman lost his temper.","这一次，警察终于发火了。"],[11,"'I told you yesterday and the day before yesterday,' he shouted,","“我昨天和前天都告诉过你！”他大声说道。"],[12,"'Mr.Lane was defeated in the elections.","莱恩先生在选举中落败了。"],[13,"He has retired from political life and gone to live abroad!'","他已经退出政坛，到国外定居去了！"],[14,"'I know,' answered Patrick,' but I love to hear you say it!'","“我知道，”帕特里克回答道，“可我就是爱听你这么说！”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"43－Over the South Pole","t":"Over the South Pole","c":[[0,"How was the plane able to clear the mountains?","这架飞机是如何成功飞越那些山脉的呢？"],[1,"In 1929, three years after his flight over the North Pole,","1929年，在他飞越北极三年后……"],[2,"the American explorer, R.E. Byrd,","美国探险家 R.E. 比尔德（R.E. Byrd）"],[3,"successfully flew over the South Pole for the first time.","它首次成功飞越了南极。"],[4,"Though, at first, Byrd and his men were able to take a","不过，起初伯德和他的手下们确实拍下了大量的照片，"],[5,"great many photographs of the mountains that lay below,","大量的照片记录了下方那些山脉的景象。"],[6,"they soon ran into serious trouble.","他们很快就遇到了严重的麻烦。"],[7,"At one point, it seemed certain that their plane would crash.","有那么一刻，人们确信他们的飞机将会坠毁。"],[8,"It could only get over the mountains if it rose to 10, 000 feet.","只有当它上升到 10,000 英尺的高度时，才能翻越那些山脉。"],[9,"Byrd at once ordered his men to throw out two heavy food sacks.","伯德立刻命令他的手下扔掉两个沉重的食物袋。"],[10,"The plane was then able to rise and it cleared the mountains by 400 feet.","飞机于是得以爬升，并以400英尺的高度飞越了山脉。"],[11,"Byrd now knew that he would be able to reach the South Pole which was 300 miles away,","伯德现在知道，他能够到达300英里外的南极点了，"],[12,"for there were no more mountains in sight.","因为眼前已经没有更多的山脉了。"],[13,"The aircraft was able to fly over the endless white plains without difficulty.","飞机得以毫不费力地飞越那片无尽的白色平原。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"95－A Fantasy","t":"A Fantasy","c":[[0,"Why was the Ambassador particularly lucky?","为什么这位大使特别幸运呢？"],[1,"When the Ambassador of Escalopia returned home for lunch, his wife got a shock.","当埃斯卡洛皮亚大使回家吃午饭时，他的妻子感到非常震惊。"],[2,"He looked pale and his clothes were in a frightful state.","他看起来脸色苍白，衣服也破烂不堪。"],[3,"'What has happened?' she asked.","“发生了什么事？”她问道。"],[4,"'How did your clothes get into such a mess?'","“你的衣服怎么会弄得这么乱糟糟的？”"],[5,"'A fire extinguisher, my dear,' answered the Ambassador drily.","“是灭火器，亲爱的，”大使冷冷地回答道。"],[6,"'University students set the Embassy on fire this morning.'","“今天早上，大学生们把大使馆给点着了。”"],[7,"'Good heavens!' exclaimed his wife.","“我的天啊！”他的妻子惊呼道。"],[8,"'And where were you at the time?'","“那你当时在哪里？”"],[9,"'I was in my office as usual,' answered the Ambassador.","“我像往常一样在办公室里，”大使回答道。"],[10,"'The fire broke out in the basement.","“火是从地下室烧起来的。”"],[11,"I went down immediately, of course, and that fool, Horst,","我立刻就下去了，当然了；还有那个傻瓜，霍斯特……"],[12,"aimed a fire extinguisher at me.","“把灭火器对准了我。”"],[13,"He thought I was on fire.","他以为我着火了。"],[14,"I must definitely get that fellow posted.'","“我一定要把那个家伙调走。”"],[15,"The Ambassador's wife went on asking questions,","大使的妻子不停地提问。"],[16,"when she suddenly noticed a big hole in her husband's hat.","突然，她发现丈夫的帽子上有一个大洞。"],[17,"'And how can you explain that?' she asked.","“那你又该如何解释这件事呢？”她问道。"],[18,"'Oh, that,' said the Ambassador.","“哦，那个……”大使说道。"],[19,"'Someone fired a shot through my office window.","“有人朝我的办公室窗户开了一枪。”"],[20,"Accurate, don't you think?","“非常准确，不是吗？”"],[21,"Fortunately, I wasn't wearing it at the time.","幸运的是，当时我并没有戴着它。"],[22,"If I had been, I would not have been able to get home for lunch.'","“如果我戴着它，我就没法回家吃午饭了。”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"31－Success Story","t":"Success Story","c":[[0,"What was Frank's first job?","弗兰克的第一份工作是什么？"],[1,"Yesterday afternoon Frank Hawkins was telling me about","昨天下午，弗兰克·霍金斯给我讲起了"],[2,"his experiences as a young man.","他年轻时的经历。"],[3,"Before he retired,","在他退休之前，"],[4,"Frank was the head of","弗兰克是一家"],[5,"a very large business company, but as a boy he used to work in a small shop.","这是一家规模非常大的企业，但小时候他曾在一家小商店里工作过。"],[6,"It was his job to repair bicycles","他的工作就是修理自行车。"],[7,"and at that time he used to work fourteen hours a day.","那时，他每天要工作十四个小时。"],[8,"He saved money for years and","他多年来一直存钱，"],[9,"in 1958 he bought a small workshop of his own.","1958年，他买下了属于自己的一个小作坊。"],[10,"In his twenties Frank used to make spare parts for aeroplanes.","二十多岁的时候，弗兰克经常为飞机制造零部件。"],[11,"At that time he had two helpers.","当时他有两个助手。"],[12,"In a few years the small workshop had become a large factory","几年后，那个小作坊已经发展成了一家大工厂。"],[13,"which employed seven hundred and twenty-eight people.","这家工厂雇用了七百二十八名员工。"],[14,"Frank smiled when he remembered his hard early years and the long road to success.","弗兰克想起自己早年艰难的岁月以及通往成功的漫长道路时，露出了微笑。"],[15,"He was still smiling when the door opened and his wife came in.","门打开时，他仍在微笑，他的妻子走了进来。"],[16,"She wanted him to repair their grandson's bicycle!","她让他去修理孙子的自行车！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"11－One Good Turn Deserves Another","t":"One Good Turn Deserves Another","c":[[0,"Who paid for Tony's dinner?","谁付了托尼晚餐的钱？"],[1,"I was having dinner at a restaurant when Tony Steele came in.","我正在餐厅吃晚饭，这时托尼·斯蒂尔走了进来。"],[2,"Tony worked in a lawyer's office years ago,","托尼几年前在一家律师事务所工作过。"],[3,"but he is now working at a bank.","但他现在在一家银行工作。"],[4,"He gets a good salary,","他的薪水很高。"],[5,"but he always borrows money from his friends and never pays it back.","但他总是向朋友借钱，却从不还钱。"],[6,"Tony saw me and came and sat at the same table.","托尼看到我后，走过来坐在了我的旁边。"],[7,"He has never borrowed money from me.","他从来没有向我借过钱。"],[8,"While he was eating, I asked him to lend me twenty pounds.","他正在吃饭的时候，我请他借给我二十英镑。"],[9,"To my surprise, he gave me the money immediately.","令我惊讶的是，他立刻就把钱给了我。"],[10,"'I have never borrowed any money from you,'","“我从来没有向你借过任何钱。”"],[11,"Tony said, 'so now you can pay for my dinner!'","托尼说：“现在你可以付我晚餐的钱了！”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"63－She Was Not Amused","t":"She Was Not Amused","c":[[0,"Why did Jenny want to leave the wedding reception?","为什么珍妮想离开婚礼现场呢？"],[1,"Jeremy Hampden has a large circle of friends and is very popular at parties.","杰里米·汉普登拥有很多朋友，在聚会上非常受欢迎。"],[2,"Everybody admires him for his great sense of humour--everybody, that is, except his six-year-old daughter, Jenny.","大家都很欣赏他的幽默感——当然，除了他六岁的女儿珍妮之外。"],[3,"Recently, one of Jeremy's closest friends asked him to make a speech at a wedding reception.","最近，杰里米的一位密友请求他在一场婚礼招待会上发表演讲。"],[4,"This is the sort of thing that Jeremy loves.","这正是杰里米喜欢做的事情。"],[5,"He prepared the speech carefully and went to the wedding with Jenny.","他仔细准备了演讲稿，然后和珍妮一起参加了婚礼。"],[6,"He had included a large number of funny stories in the speech and, of course, it was a great success.","他在演讲中穿插了许多有趣的故事，当然，这次演讲非常成功。"],[7,"As soon as he had finished Jenny told him she wanted to go home.","他刚说完，珍妮就告诉他她想回家了。"],[8,"Jeremy was a little disappointed by this but he did as his daughter asked.","杰里米对此感到有些失望，但他还是按照女儿的要求做了。"],[9,"On the way home, he asked Jenny if she had enjoyed the speech.","在回家的路上，他问珍妮是否喜欢那场演讲。"],[10,"To his surprise she said she hadn't.","令他惊讶的是，她说她并不喜欢。"],[11,"Jeremy asked her why this was so and she told him that she did not like to see so many people laughing at him!","杰里米问她为什么，她告诉他她不喜欢看到那么多人嘲笑他！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"10－Not for Jazz","t":"Not for Jazz","c":[[0,"What happened to the clavichord?","那架击弦古钢琴后来怎么样了？"],[1,"We have an old musical instrument.","我们有一件古老的乐器。"],[2,"It is called a clavichord.","它叫击弦古钢琴。"],[3,"It was made in Germany in 1681.","它于1681年在德国制造。"],[4,"Our clavichord is kept in the living room.","我们的击弦古钢琴放在客厅里。"],[5,"It has belonged to our family for a long time.","它已经属于我们家族很长时间了。"],[6,"The instrument was bought by my grandfather many years ago.","这件乐器是我祖父多年前买的。"],[7,"Recently it was damaged by a visitor.","最近，它被一位访客损坏了。"],[8,"She tried to play jazz on it!","她竟然用它弹起了爵士乐！"],[9,"She struck the keys too hard and two of the strings were broken.","她用力过猛地敲击琴键，结果有两根琴弦断裂了。"],[10,"My father was shocked.","我父亲非常震惊。"],[11,"Now we are not allowed to touch it.","现在我们不准碰它了。"],[12,"It is being repaired by a friend of my father's.","我父亲的一个朋友正在修理它。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"18－He Often does This","t":"He Often does This","c":[[0,"What had happened to the writer's bag?","作者的包发生了什么事？"],[1,"After I had had lunch at a village pub, I looked for my bag.","在一家乡村酒吧吃过午饭后，我开始寻找我的包。"],[2,"I had left it on a chair beside the door and now it wasn't there!","我之前把它放在门旁边的椅子上，但现在它不见了！"],[3,"As I was looking for it, the landlord came in.","我正在找包的时候，店主进来了。"],[4,"'Did you have a good meal?' he asked.","“你吃得怎么样？”他问道。"],[5,"'Yes, thank you,' I answered, 'but I can't pay the bill. I haven't got my bag.'","“是的，谢谢您，”我回答道，“但我付不了账单。我的包不见了。”"],[6,"The landlord smiled and immediately went out.","店主笑了笑，马上就出去了。"],[7,"In a few minutes he returned with my bag and gave it back to me.","几分钟后，他拿着我的包回来了，并把它交还给了我。"],[8,"'I'm very sorry,' he said.","“我非常抱歉，”他说。"],[9,"'My dog had taken it into the garden. He often does this!'","“我的狗把它叼到花园里去了。它老是干这种事！”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"80－The Crystal Palace","t":"The Crystal Palace","c":[[0,"How many people visited the Great Exhibition of 1851?","有多少人参观了1851年的万国博览会？"],[1,"Perhaps the most extraordinary building of the 19th century was the Crystal Palace","也许19世纪最非凡的建筑当属水晶宫（Crystal Palace）了。"],[2,"which was built in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851.","这座建筑是为1851年的万国博览会而在海德公园建造的。"],[3,"The Crystal Palace was different from all other buildings in the world, for it was made of iron and glass.","水晶宫与世界上所有的其他建筑都不同，因为它是由铁和玻璃建造的。"],[4,"It was one of the biggest buildings of all time and a lot of people from many countries came to see it.","这是有史以来最大的建筑之一，许多来自不同国家的人都前来参观它。"],[5,"A great many goods were sent to the exhibition from various parts of the world.","大量商品从世界各地被运送到这次展览上。"],[6,"There was also a great deal of machinery on display.","展会上还展示了许多机械设备。"],[7,"The most wonderful piece of machinery on show was Nasmyth's steam hammer.","展会上最令人惊叹的机械设备是纳斯米思（Nasmyth）制造的蒸汽锤。"],[8,"Though in those days travelling was not as easy as it is today,","尽管在那个时候旅行并不像现在这样方便，"],[9,"steam boats carried thousands of visitors across the Channel from Europe.","蒸汽船将成千上万的游客从欧洲运送到英吉利海峡对岸。"],[10,"On arriving in England, they were, taken to the Crystal Palace by train.","抵达英格兰后，他们乘火车被送往水晶宫（Crystal Palace）。"],[11,"There were six million visitors in all,","总共有六百万名游客。"],[12,"and the profits from the exhibition were used to build museums and colleges.","展览的收入被用来建设博物馆和学院。"],[13,"Later, the Crystal Palace was moved to South London.","后来，水晶宫被搬到了伦敦南部。"],[14,"It remained one of the most famous buildings in the world until it was burnt down in 1936.","它一直是世界上最著名的建筑之一，直到 1936 年被烧毁。"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"01－A Private Conversation","t":"A Private Conversation","c":[[0,"Why did the writer complain to the people behind him?","为什么作者会向他身后的人抱怨呢？"],[1,"Last week I went to the theatre.","上周我去剧院看戏。"],[2,"I had a very good seat.","我的座位非常好。"],[3,"The play was very interesting.","这出戏非常有趣。"],[4,"I did not enjoy it.","我并不喜欢它。"],[5,"A young man and a young woman were sitting behind me.","一个年轻男子和一个年轻女子坐在我后面。"],[6,"They were talking loudly.","他们说话的声音很大。"],[7,"I got very angry.","我非常生气。"],[8,"I could not hear the actors.","我听不到演员们的声音。"],[9,"I turned round.","我转过身来。"],[10,"I looked at the man and the woman angrily.","我愤怒地看着那个男人和那个女人。"],[11,"They did not pay any attention.","他们根本没有理会。"],[12,"In the end, I could not bear it.","最后，我实在无法忍受下去了。"],[13,"I turned round again.","我又转过身来。"],[14,"'I can't hear a word!' I said angrily.","“我一个字都听不见！”我愤怒地说道。"],[15,"'It's none of your business,'","“这不关你的事。”"],[16,"the young man said rudely.","那个年轻人粗鲁地说道。"],[17,"'This is a private conversation!'","“这可是私人谈话！”"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"14－Do You Speak English","t":"Do You Speak English?","c":[[0,"Did the young man speak English?","那个年轻人会说英语吗？"],[1,"I had an amusing experience last year.","去年我有一段非常有趣的经历。"],[2,"After I had left a small village in the south of France,","我继续开车驶向下一个城镇。"],[3,"I drove on to the next town.","我继续开车前往下一个城镇。"],[4,"On the way, a young man waved to me.","路上，一个年轻人向我招手。"],[5,"I stopped and he asked me for a lift.","我停下车，他问我能否搭个便车。"],[6,"As soon as he had got into the car,","他一上车，"],[7,"I said good morning to him in French and he replied in the same language.","我用法语向他道了早安，他也用法语回应了我。"],[8,"Apart from a few words,","除了几个单词之外，"],[9,"I do not know any French at all.","我完全不会说法语。"],[10,"Neither of us spoke during the journey.","在旅途中，我们俩都没有说话。"],[11,"I had nearly reached the town, when the young man suddenly said, very slowly,","我快到镇上的时候，那个年轻人突然非常缓慢地说："],[12,"'Do you speak English?'","“你会说英语吗？”"],[13,"As I soon learnt, he was English himself!","很快我就发现，他本人就是英国人！"]]},{"b":"NCE2","l":"64－The Channel Tunnel","t":"The Channel Tunnel","c":[[0,"Why was the first tunnel not completed?","为什么第一条隧道没有完成呢？"],[1,"In 1858, a French engineer, Aime Thome de Gamond,","1858年，一位名叫艾姆·托姆·德·加蒙（Aime Thome de Gamond）的法国工程师……"],[2,"arrived in England with a plan for a 21-mile tunnel under the English Channel.","他带着一个在英吉利海峡下建造一条21英里隧道的计划来到了英格兰。"],[3,"He said that it would be possible to build a platform in the centre of the Channel.","他说，在英吉利海峡中央建造一个平台是可行的。"],[4,"This platform would serve as a port and a railway station.","这个平台将用作港口和火车站。"],[5,"The tunnel would be well-ventilated if tall chimneys were built above sea level.","如果在海平面上方建造高耸的烟囱，这条隧道将会拥有良好的通风条件。"],[6,"In 1860, a better plan was put forward by an Englishman, William Low.","1860年，一位名叫威廉·洛（William Low）的英国人提出了一个更完善的方案。"],[7,"He suggested that a double railway-tunnel should be built.","他建议建造一条双线铁路隧道。"],[8,"This would solve the problem of ventilation for if a train entered this tunnel, it would draw in fresh air behind it.","这样就能解决通风问题，因为如果火车进入这条隧道，它就会把新鲜空气吸进来。"],[9,"Forty-two years later a tunnel was actually begun.","四十二年后，一条隧道真的开始修建了。"],[10,"If, at the time, the British had not feared invasion, it would have been completed.","如果当时英国人不担心遭到入侵的话，这项工程就会完成了。"],[11,"The world had to wait almost another 100 years for the Channel Tunnel.","世界又等待了近100年，才看到了英法海底隧道的建成。"],[12,"It was officially opened on March 7, 1994, finally connecting Britain to the European continent.","它于1994年3月7日正式启用，终于将英国与欧洲大陆连接了起来。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"60－Too Early and Too Late","t":"Too Early and Too Late","c":[[0,"Lesson 60","第60课"],[1,"Too early and too late","太早与太晚"],[2,"Why did the young girl miss the train?","为什么那个小女孩错过了火车？"],[3,"Punctuality is a necessary habit in all public affairs in civilized society.","在文明社会的所有公共事务中，守时是一种必不可少的习惯。"],[4,"Without it, nothing could ever be brought to a conclusion; everything would be in a state of chaos.","没有它，任何事情都无法办成；一切都将陷入混乱。"],[5,"Only in a sparsely-populated rural community is it possible to disregard it.","只有在人口稀少的农村社区，人们才可能忽视它。"],[6,"In ordinary living, there can be some tolerance of unpunctuality.","在日常生活中，对于迟到这种行为，人们通常可以有一定的宽容度。"],[7,"The intellectual, who is working on some abstruse problem, has everything coordinated and organized for the matter in hand.","这位正在研究某个复杂问题的学者，已经将自己手头的工作所需的一切资料和信息都整理得井井有条、有条不紊了。"],[8,"He is therefore forgiven if late for a dinner party.","因此，如果他赴宴迟到，也是可以被原谅的。"],[9,"But people are often reproached for unpunctuality when their only fault is cutting things fine.","但是，人们常常因为不守时而受到指责，而他们唯一的过错只是把时间算得太紧。"],[10,"It is hard for energetic, quick-minded people to waste time,","对于那些精力充沛、思维敏捷的人来说，浪费时间是一件很难做到的事情。"],[11,"so they are often tempted to finish a job before setting out to keep an appointment.","因此，他们常常会忍不住在赴约之前先把工作完成。"],[12,"If no accidents occur on the way, like punctured tyres, diversions of traffic, sudden descent of fog, they will be on time.","如果途中没有发生任何意外（比如轮胎爆裂、交通延误、雾突然变浓等情况），他们就能准时到达。"],[13,"They are often more industrious, useful citizens than those who are never late.","他们通常比那些从不迟到的人更勤奋、更有用。"],[14,"The over-punctual can be as much a trial to others as the unpunctual.","过分守时和迟到一样，都可能让人难以忍受。"],[15,"The guest who arrives half an hour too soon is the greatest nuisance.","那位提前半小时就到的客人真是最让人烦恼的人了。"],[16,"Some friends of my family had this irritating habit.","我家的一些朋友有个让人很恼火的习惯。"],[17,"The only thing to do was ask them to come half an hour later than the other guests.","唯一可行的办法就是让他们比其他客人晚半小时到达。"],[18,"Then they arrived just when we wanted them.","然后他们正好在我们需要的时候到了。"],[19,"If you are catching a train, it is always better to be comfortably early than even a fraction of a minute too late.","如果你要赶火车，宁可从容地早到，也绝不迟到哪怕一秒钟。"],[20,"Although being early may mean wasting a little time,","虽然提前行动可能会浪费一些时间，"],[21,"this will be less than if you miss the train and have to wait an hour or more for the next one;","这总比你错过火车、然后不得不等待下一班火车（一个小时或更长时间）要好吧。"],[22,"and you avoid the frustration of arriving at the very moment when the train is drawing out of the station and being unable to get on it.","这样你就避免了那种令人沮丧的情况：当你赶到车站时，火车正好已经启动离开，而你却无法上车。"],[23,"An even harder situation is to be on the platform in good time for a train and still to see it go off without you.","更糟糕的情况是：你虽然及时赶到了站台，却还是眼睁睁看着火车开走，把你丢下。"],[24,"Such an experience befell a certain young girl the first time she was travelling alone.","这样的经历发生在一个年轻女孩第一次独自旅行的时候。"],[25,"She entered the station twenty minutes before the train was due,","她在火车预定到站前二十分钟进了车站。"],[26,"since her parents had impressed upon her","因为她的父母一直向她灌输这样的观念（或：因为她的父母让她明白了这一点）。"],[27,"that it would be unforgivable to miss it and cause the friends with whom she was going to stay to make two journeys to meet her.","错过这班火车是不可原谅的，因为这会让要来接她的朋友们不得不跑两趟。"],[28,"She gave her luggage to a porter and showed him her ticket.","她把行李交给搬运工，并给他看了车票。"],[29,"To her horror he said that she was two hours too soon.","令她惊恐的是，他说她来得太早了——比预定的时间早了两个小时。"],[30,"She felt in her handbag for the piece of paper on which her father had written down all the details of the journey and gave it to the porter.","她在手提包里寻找那张纸，上面写着父亲记录的所有旅行细节，然后把纸交给了行李员。"],[31,"He agreed that a train did come into the station at the time on the paper and that it did stop, but only to take on mail, not passengers.","他承认，根据记录，当时确实有一列火车驶入了车站并且停了下来，但那列火车只是来取邮件的，并没有搭载乘客。"],[32,"The girl asked to see a timetable, feeling sure that her father could not have made such a mistake.","女孩要求查看时刻表，因为她确信她的父亲不可能犯这样的错误。"],[33,"The porter went to fetch one and arrived back with the station master,","搬运工去取时刻表，回来时带着站长。"],[34,"who produced it with a flourish and pointed out a microscopic 'o' beside the time of the arrival of the train at his station;","站长拿着时刻表，夸张地一挥，指出了他车站火车到站时间旁边一个极小的'o'；"],[35,"this little 'o' indicated that the train only stopped for mail.","这个小小的“O”符号表示火车只是为了取邮件而停靠的。"],[36,"Just as that moment the train came into the station.","就在那一刻，火车驶进了车站。"],[37,"The girl, tears streaming down her face, begged to be allowed to slip into the guard's van.","女孩泪流满面，恳求允许她溜进列车员车厢。"],[38,"But the station master was adamant: rules could not be broken.","但站长态度坚决：规定不能违反。"],[39,"And she had to watch that train disappear towards her destination while she was left behind.","她只能眼睁睁看着火车驶向目的地，而自己却被留在了车站。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"22－By Heart","t":"By Heart","c":[[0,"Lesson 22","第22课"],[1,"By heart","牢记在心；熟记"],[2,"Which actor read the letter in the end, the aristocrat or the gaoler?","最后是谁读了那封信——是那位贵族，还是狱卒？"],[3,"Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end.","有些剧目非常成功，以至于可以连续上演多年。"],[4,"In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night.","在很多方面，这对那些可怜的演员来说确实很不公平——他们不得不夜复一夜地重复同样的台词。"],[5,"One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter.","人们会以为他们早就把台词背得滚瓜烂熟，永远不会有结巴的时候。"],[6,"Yet this is not always the case.","然而，情况并不总是如此。"],[7,"A famous actor in a highly successful play was once cast in the role of an aristocrat who had been imprisoned in the Bastille for twenty years.","一位在非常成功的戏剧中表现出色的著名演员，曾饰演过这样一个角色：一位被关押在巴士底狱长达二十年的贵族。"],[8,"In the last act, a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner.","在最后一幕中，总是会有一个狱卒走上舞台，递给囚犯一封信。"],[9,"Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance, he always insisted that it should be written out in full.","尽管人们期望这位贵族在每次演出时都能宣读这封信，但他始终坚持要求必须把信的内容完整地写出来。"],[10,"One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if,","一天晚上，狱卒决定捉弄他的同事，想看看经过这么多次表演后，他是否已经把信的内容背下来了。"],[11,"after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart.","经过这么多次表演后，他已经能够将那封信的内容牢记在心了。"],[12,"The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell.","戏剧的最后一幕开始了：那位贵族独自坐在黑暗的牢房里，被关在铁栅栏后面。"],[13,"Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his hands.","就在这时，狱卒出现了，他手里拿着那封珍贵的信。"],[14,"He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat.","他走进牢房，将那封信交给了那位贵族。"],[15,"But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual.","但他递给他的那份信并没有像往常一样写满字。"],[16,"It was simply a blank sheet of paper.","那只是一张空白的纸而已。"],[17,"The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines.","狱卒热切地注视着，急于想知道他的搭档演员是否终于记住了台词。"],[18,"The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds.","那位贵族盯着那张空白的纸张看了几秒钟。"],[19,"Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim. Read the letter to me.'","然后，他眯起眼睛说：“光线太暗了。把那封信读给我听吧。”"],[20,"And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler.","然后他立刻把那张纸交给了狱卒。"],[21,"Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either,","结果狱卒发现自己也一个字都记不起来。"],[22,"the gaoler replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire.  I must get my glasses.  '","狱卒回答说：“光线确实很暗，大人。我得去拿我的眼镜。”"],[23,"With this, he hurried off the stage.","说完这些，他便匆忙走下了舞台。"],[24,"Much to the aristocrat's amusement,","让贵族觉得好笑的是，"],[25,"the gaoler returned a few moments later with a pair of glasses and the usual copy of the letter which he proceeded to read to the prisoner.","过了一会儿，狱卒拿着一副眼镜和那封熟悉的信回来了，然后开始把信的内容读给囚犯听。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"44－Speed and Comfort","t":"Speed and Comfort","c":[[0,"Lesson 44","第44课"],[1,"Speed and comfort","速度与舒适性"],[2,"Which type of transport does the writer prefer, do you think?","你认为作者更喜欢哪种交通工具呢？"],[3,"People travelling long distances frequently have to decide whether they would prefer to go by land, sea, or air.","长途旅行的人经常需要决定是选择陆路、海路还是航空方式来出行。"],[4,"Hardly anyone can positively enjoy sitting in a train for more than a few hours.","几乎没有人能够真正享受在火车上坐上几个小时以上的时光。"],[5,"Train compartments soon get cramped and stuffy.","火车车厢很快就会变得拥挤不堪、空气也不流通（即非常闷热）。"],[6,"It is almost impossible to take your mind off the journey.","几乎不可能让你把注意力从这段旅程上移开。"],[7,"Reading is only a partial solution, for the monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the rails soon lull you to sleep.","阅读只能提供部分缓解；车轮在铁轨上单调地咔嗒作响，这种声音很快就会让你入睡。"],[8,"During the day, sleep comes in snatches.","白天里，睡眠总是断断续续的。"],[9,"At night, when you really wish to go to sleep, you rarely manage to do so.","到了晚上，当你真的想入睡的时候，却往往难以入睡。"],[10,"If you are lucky enough to get a sleeper,","如果你有幸买到一张卧铺票，"],[11,"you spend half the night staring at the small blue light in the ceiling, or fumbling to find your ticket for inspection.","你会花上半个晚上盯着天花板上的小蓝灯，或者摸索着找票接受检查。"],[12,"Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted.","最终，你几乎精疲力尽地到达了目的地。"],[13,"Long car journeys are even less pleasant, for it is quite impossible even to read.","长途驾车旅行更加令人不适，因为在这种情况下甚至连看书都几乎不可能做到。"],[14,"On motorways you can, at least, travel fairly safely at high speeds,","在高速公路上，至少你可以以较高的速度安全地行驶。"],[15,"but more often than not, the greater part of the journey is spent on roads with few service stations and too much traffic.","但大多数情况下，旅途中的大部分时间都是在那些服务站稀少、交通拥堵严重的道路上度过的。"],[16,"By comparison, ferry trips or cruises offer a great variety of civilized comforts.","相比之下，渡轮旅行或游轮旅行提供了多种舒适的设施和服务。"],[17,"You can stretch your legs on the spacious decks, play games,","你可以在宽敞的甲板上伸展双腿、玩游戏，"],[18,"meet interesting people and enjoy good food--always assuming, of course, that the sea is calm.","结识有趣的人，享受美味的美食——当然，这一切的前提都是海面必须风平浪静。"],[19,"If it is not, and you are likely to get seasick, no form of transport could be worse.","如果海面不平静，而你又容易晕船，那就没有比这更糟糕的交通方式了。"],[20,"Even if you travel in ideal weather, sea journeys take a long time.","即使你在理想的天气条件下旅行，海上航行仍然需要很长时间。"],[21,"Relatively few people are prepared to sacrifice holiday time for the pleasure of travelling by sea.","只有少数人愿意牺牲假期时间，去享受海上旅行的乐趣。"],[22,"Aeroplanes have the reputation of being dangerous and even hardened travellers are intimidated by them.","飞机一直被认为是一种危险的交通工具，就连那些经验丰富的旅客也会对它们感到恐惧。"],[23,"They also have the disadvantage of being an expensive form of transport.","它们的另一个缺点是费用昂贵。"],[24,"But nothing can match them for speed and comfort.","但是，在速度和舒适度方面，没有任何东西能比得上它们。"],[25,"Travelling at a height of 30, 000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is an exhilarating experience.","在30,000英尺的高空飞行——远远高于云层之上——并以每小时500英里的速度前进，确实是一种令人兴奋的体验。"],[26,"You do not have to devise ways of taking your mind off the journey, for an aeroplane gets you to your destination rapidly.","你不必费心去寻找方法来转移自己的注意力，因为飞机能迅速将你送到目的地。"],[27,"For a few hours, you settle back in a deep armchair to enjoy the flight.","你可以安坐在宽大的扶手椅里，享受飞行的乐趣。"],[28,"The real escapist can watch a film and sip champagne on some services.","在有些航班上，真正想放松的人可以看看电影，喝喝香槟。"],[29,"But even when such refinements are not available, there is plenty to keep you occupied.","但即使没有这些精致的服务，也有足够多的事情让你打发时间。"],[30,"An aeroplane offers you an unusual and breathtaking view of the world.","从飞机上，你可以看到一个独特而令人惊叹的世界景象。"],[31,"You soar effortlessly over high mountains and deep valleys.","你轻松地翱翔在高山之上，穿过幽深的山谷。"],[32,"You really see the shape of the land.","你真的能够清楚地看到这片土地的轮廓和地形特征。"],[33,"If the landscape is hidden from view,","如果地面景色被云层遮挡，"],[34,"you can enjoy the extraordinary sight of unbroken cloud plains that stretch out for miles before you, while the sun shines brilliantly in a clear sky.","你可以欣赏到那令人惊叹的景象：连绵不断的云层平铺在眼前，一望无际；而太阳则在清澈的天空下闪耀着耀眼的光芒。"],[35,"The journey is so smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping.","旅途非常平稳，没有任何因素会妨碍你阅读或睡觉。"],[36,"However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: you will arrive at your destination fresh and uncrumpled.","无论你如何度过时光，有一点是确定的：到达目的地时，你会精神焕发，毫无倦意。"],[37,"You will not have to spend the next few days recovering from a long and arduous journey.","在接下来的几天里，你不必花费时间来恢复体力——毕竟你刚刚完成了一段漫长而艰辛的旅程。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"21－Daniel Mendoza","t":"Daniel Mendoza","c":[[0,"Lesson 21","第21课"],[1,"Daniel Mendoza","丹尼尔·门多萨"],[2,"How many unsuccessful attempts did Mendoza make before becoming Champion of all England?","门多萨在成为全英格兰冠军之前，失败了多少次？"],[3,"Boxing matches were very popular in England two hundred years ago.","两百年前，拳击比赛在英格兰非常流行。"],[4,"In those days, boxers fought with bare fists for prize money.","在那个时候，拳击手们为了奖金而徒手搏斗。"],[5,"Because of this, they were known as 'prizefighters'.","正因如此，他们被称为“职业拳击手”（prizefighters）。"],[6,"However, boxing was very crude,","然而，当时的拳击运动还非常粗糙，"],[7,"for there were no rules and a prizefighter could be seriously injured or even killed during a match.","因为当时没有任何规则可言，拳击手在比赛中很可能会受到严重伤害，甚至丧命。"],[8,"One of the most colourful figures in boxing history was Daniel Mendoza, who was born in 1764.","拳击历史上最富有传奇色彩的人物之一是丹尼尔·门多萨（Daniel Mendoza），他出生于1764年。"],[9,"The use of gloves was not introduced until 1860, when the Marquis of Queensberry drew up the first set of rules.","手套的使用直到1860年才被引入；那一年，昆斯贝里侯爵制定了第一套比赛规则。"],[10,"Though he was technically a prizefighter,","虽然从技术上讲他是一名职业拳击手，"],[11,"Mendoza did much to change crude prizefighting into a sport, for he brought science to the game.","门多萨为将这种原始的拳击比赛转变为一项体育运动做出了巨大贡献，因为他为这项运动引入了科学。"],[12,"In his day, Mendoza enjoyed tremendous popularity.","在门多萨的时代，他享有极高的声望。"],[13,"He was adored by rich and poor alike.","无论贫富，大家都非常喜爱他。"],[14,"Mendoza rose to fame swiftly after a boxing match when he was only fourteen years old.","门多萨在十四岁时参加了一场拳击比赛后，迅速成名。"],[15,"This attracted the attention of Richard Humphries who was then the most eminent boxer in England.","这引起了理查德·汉弗莱斯（Richard Humphries）的注意，他当时是英格兰最著名的拳击手。"],[16,"He offered to train Mendoza and his young pupil was quick to learn.","他主动提出训练门多萨，而他的这位年轻学生学得很快。"],[17,"In fact, Mendoza soon became so successful that Humphries turned against him.","事实上，门多萨很快就取得了巨大的成功，以至于汉弗莱斯转而与他为敌。"],[18,"The two men quarrelled bitterly and it was clear that the argument could only be settled by a fight.","这两个人激烈地争吵起来，很明显，这场争执只能通过打架来解决。"],[19,"A match was held at Stilton, where both men fought for an hour.","比赛在斯蒂尔顿举行，两人打了一个小时。"],[20,"The public bet a great deal of money on Mendoza, but he was defeated.","公众在门多萨身上下了巨额赌注，但他被击败了。"],[21,"Mendoza met Humphries in the ring on a later occasion and he lost for a second time.","后来，门多萨在拳击场上再次与汉弗莱斯相遇，但他又一次输了。"],[22,"It was not until his third match in 1790 that he finally beat Humphries and became Champion of England.","直到1790年的第三次比赛，他才终于击败了汉弗莱斯，成为英格兰冠军。"],[23,"Meanwhile, he founded a highly successful Academy and even Lord Byron became one of his pupils.","与此同时，他创办了一所非常成功的拳击学校，连拜伦勋爵也成了他的学生。"],[24,"He earned enormous sums of money and was paid as much as ￡100 for a single appearance.","他赚了巨额的钱，单次出场费就高达100英镑。"],[25,"Despite this, he was so extravagant that he was always in debt.","尽管如此，他挥霍无度，总是负债累累。"],[26,"After he was defeated by a boxer called Gentleman Jackson, he was quickly forgotten.","在被一位名叫“绅士杰克逊”的拳击手击败后，他很快就被遗忘了。"],[27,"He was sent to prison for failing to pay his debts and died in poverty in 1836.","他因无力偿还债务而被送进监狱，并于1836年在贫困中去世。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"56－Our Neighbour, the River","t":"Our Neighbour, the River","c":[[0,"Lesson 56","第56课"],[1,"Our neighbour, the river","我们的邻居——河流"],[2,"Why had the neighbours left their farm?","邻居为什么离开他们的农场？"],[3,"The river which forms the eastern boundary of our farm has always played an important part in our lives.","没有它，我们就无法谋生。"],[4,"Without it we could not make a living.","这里的泉水仅够满足房屋的需求，因此我们必须从河里抽水来用于农场灌溉。"],[5,"There is only enough spring water to supply the needs of the house so we have to pump from the river for farm use.","我们会把所有的秘密都告诉这条河流。"],[6,"We tell the river all our secrets.","我们凭直觉明白：就像养蜂人对待他们的蜜蜂一样，如果我们生活中的重要事件没有告诉这条河流，不幸就可能降临到我们头上。"],[7,"We know instinctively, just as beekeepers with their bees,","我们凭直觉明白，就像养蜂人对待他们的蜜蜂一样，"],[8,"that misfortune might overtake us if the important events of our lives were not related to it.","如果我们生活中的重要事件没有告诉这条河流，不幸就可能降临到我们头上。"],[9,"We have special river birthday parties in the summer.","夏天，我们会为这条河流举办特别的“生日派对”。"],[10,"Sometimes we go upstream to a favourite backwater,","有时我们会去上游一个我们喜欢的小水湾，"],[11,"sometimes we have our party at the boathouse,","有时则会在船屋里举行派对。"],[12,"which a predecessor of ours at the farm built in the meadow hard by the deepest pool for swimming and diving.","这是我们农场的一位前辈在草地上建造的，就在最深的池塘旁边，供游泳和跳水使用。"],[13,"In a heat wave we choose a midnight birthday party and that is the most exciting of all.","在热浪期间，我们选择在午夜举办生日派对——这真的是所有庆祝方式中最令人兴奋的。"],[14,"We welcome the seasons by the riverside, crowning the youngest girl with flowers in the spring,","我们在河边迎接四季的更替；春天来临时，我们会用鲜花为最年幼的女孩戴上花环。"],[15,"holding a summer festival on Midsummer Eve, giving thanks for the harvest in the autumn, and throwing a holly wreath into the current in the winter.","在仲夏夜举办夏季庆典，感谢秋天的丰收；而在冬天，则将冬青花环抛入河流中。"],[16,"After a long period of rain the river may overflow its banks.","经过长时间的降雨，河流可能会泛滥出河岸。"],[17,"This is a rare occurrence as our climate seldom goes to extremes.","这种情况很少见，因为我们的气候很少会走极端。"],[18,"We are lucky in that only the lower fields,","我们很幸运的是，只有下方的田地，"],[19,"which make up a very small proportion of our farm, are affected by flooding,","这些田地只占我们农场的很小一部分，会受到洪水影响，"],[20,"but other farms are less favourably sited, and flooding can sometimes spell disaster for their owners.","但其他农场的地理位置较为不利，洪水有时会对农场主造成严重的灾难性后果。"],[21,"One bad winter we watched the river creep up the lower meadows.","有一个严冬，我们眼睁睁看着河水逐渐淹没了下游的草地。"],[22,"All the cattle had been moved into stalls and we stood to lose little.","所有的牛都被赶进了牛棚里，所以我们几乎不会有什么损失。"],[23,"We were, however, worried about our nearest neighbours, whose farm was low lying and who were newcomers to the district.","然而，我们很担心我们的近邻——他们的农场位于地势较低的地方，而且他们是刚搬到这个地区来的新居民。"],[24,"As the floods had put the telephone out of order, we could not find out how they were managing.","由于洪水使电话中断，我们无法知道他们的情况如何。"],[25,"From an attic window we could get a sweeping view of the river where their land joined ours,","从阁楼的窗户里，我们可以看到河流的全景；他们的土地与我们的土地在那里交汇。"],[26,"and at the most critical juncture we took turns in watching that point.","在最关键的时刻，我们轮流监视那个地点。"],[27,"The first sign of disaster was a dead sheep floating down.","灾难的第一个征兆是一只死羊漂浮在水面上。"],[28,"Next came a horse, swimming bravely,","接下来是一匹马，它勇敢地游着。"],[29,"but we were afraid that the strength of the current would prevent its landing anywhere before it became exhausted.","但我们担心，水流的力量会使它在精疲力竭之前无法靠岸。"],[30,"Suddenly a raft appeared, looking rather like Noah's ark, carrying the whole family, a few hens, the dogs, a cat, and a bird in a cage.","突然，一只木筏出现了，它看起来很像诺亚方舟；木筏上载着整个家庭、几只母鸡、几只狗、一只猫，以及一只关在笼子里的鸟。"],[31,"We realized that they must have become unduly frightened by the rising flood,","我们意识到，他们一定是被不断上涨的洪水吓坏了。"],[32,"for their house, which had sound foundations, would have stood stoutly even if it had been almost submerged.","他们的房子地基非常坚固，即使几乎被水淹没，也能依然屹立不倒。"],[33,"The men of our family waded down through our flooded meadows with boat hooks,","我们家的男人们拿着船钩，蹚过被洪水淹没的草地。"],[34,"in the hope of being able to grapple a corner of the raft and pull it out of the current towrds our bank.","希望能钩住木筏的一角，把它从急流中拉到我们岸边。"],[35,"We still think it a miracle that they were able to do so.","我们至今仍认为他们能这样做是个奇迹。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"41－Illusions of Pastoral Peace","t":"Illusions of Pastoral Peace","c":[[0,"Lesson 41","第41课"],[1,"Illusions of pastoral peace","田园宁静的假象"],[2,"What particular anxiety spoils the country dweller's visit to the theatre?","乡下人去剧院时，哪种担忧会破坏他们的兴致？"],[3,"The quiet life of the country has never appealed to me.","乡村的宁静生活从来都没有吸引过我。"],[4,"City born and city bred,","我出生并成长在这座城市。"],[5,"I have always regarded the country as something you look at through a train window, or something you occasionally visit during the weekend.","我一直认为乡村就像是通过火车窗户看到的风景，或者是一个偶尔在周末才会去参观的地方。"],[6,"Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country.","我的大多数朋友都住在城市里，然而每当提到乡村时，他们总是表现出极大的热情和向往。"],[7,"Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life,","尽管他们推崇和平生活的种种美德，"],[8,"only one of them has ever gone to live in the country and he was back in town within six months.","他们当中只有一个人真正搬去乡村居住，不过他在六个月后就回到了城里。"],[9,"Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life.","即使他现在也仍然抱有一种错觉，认为乡村生活比城市生活优越。"],[10,"He is forever talking about the friendly people, the clean atmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle pace of living.","他总是谈论那里友好的人民、清新的空气、与自然的亲密关系，以及悠闲的生活节奏。"],[11,"Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds at dawn,","他坚持认为：没有任何东西能够与清晨的第一声鸡鸣、以及鸟儿啁啾的声音相媲美。"],[12,"the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures.","朝阳的光芒在树木和牧场上闪烁的景象。"],[13,"This idyllic pastoral scene is only part of the picture.","这幅田园诗般的景象只不过是整个画面的一部分罢了。"],[14,"My friend fails to mention the long and friendless winter evenings in front of the TV--virtually the only form of entertainment.","我的朋友从未提到那些漫长而孤独的冬夜：那些夜晚，他们只能坐在电视机前，电视几乎是他们唯一的娱乐来源。"],[15,"He says nothing about the poor selection of goods in the shops,","他对商店里商品种类少的问题只字未提。"],[16,"or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to the city every day to get to work.","或者，那些不幸的人——他们每天不得不从乡下赶到城市去上班。"],[17,"Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me.","我实在无法理解：为什么人们愿意每天忍受长达四小时的通勤时间，只为了获得住在乡下的那种可疑的特权。"],[18,"They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live in the city where they rightly belong.","如果他们选择回到自己真正应该居住的城市，就能避免那么多痛苦和开支了。"],[19,"If you can do without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will find the city can provide you with the best that life can offer.","如果你能够舍弃乡村生活中那些宁静、惬意的乐趣，你会发现城市能够为你提供生活中最美好的东西。"],[20,"You never have to travel miles to see your friends.","你再也不需要长途跋涉去见你的朋友了。"],[21,"They invariably live nearby and are always available for an informal chat or an evening's entertainment.","他们总是住在附近，随时可以陪你闲聊或一起享受晚上的娱乐时光。"],[22,"Some of my acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit the theatre as a special treat.","我在乡下的一些熟人每年会来城里一两次，专门为了看戏剧而享受这份特别的乐趣。"],[23,"For them this is a major operation which involves considerable planning.","对他们来说，这是一项规模较大的行动，需要周密的规划。"],[24,"As the play draws to its close, they wonder whether they will ever catch that last train home.","随着戏剧接近尾声，他们开始怀疑自己是否还能赶上回家的最后一班火车。"],[25,"The city dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort.","城市居民从来不会经历这种焦虑。"],[26,"The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away.","最新的展览、电影或戏剧演出，都只需乘坐公交车很短的距离就能到达。"],[27,"Shopping, too, is always a pleasure.","购物也总是一种令人愉悦的体验。"],[28,"There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best.","选择如此丰富多样，以至于你永远不必将就于次优的选择。"],[29,"Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home loaded with as many of the exotic items as they can carry.","乡下人一到城里购物，就会变得兴奋不已，他们会尽可能多地购买各种新奇的物品，然后摇摇晃晃地带着这些东西回家。"],[30,"Nor is the city without its moments of beauty.","这座城市也有它美丽的时刻。"],[31,"There is something comforting about the warm glow shed by advertisements on cold wet winter nights.","在寒冷潮湿的冬夜里，广告散发出的温暖光芒总有一种令人感到舒适的感觉。"],[32,"Few things could be more impressive than the peace that descends on deserted city streets at weekends","没有什么比周末时那些空旷的城市街道上降临的宁静更令人印象深刻的了。"],[33,"when the thousands that travel to work every day are tucked away in their homes in the country.","当每天成千上万通勤的人都安顿在乡下的家里时。"],[34,"It has always been a mystery to me why city dwellers, who appreciate all these things,","我一直很困惑：为什么城市居民——他们明明很享受这些便利和美好的事物——却固执地假装自己更喜欢住在乡下。"],[35,"obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.","他们固执地假装自己更喜欢住在乡下。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"53－In the Public Interest","t":"In the Public Interest","c":[[0,"Lesson 53","第53课"],[1,"In the public interest","为了公共利益"],[2,"What could not be reported in the official files?","有哪些内容是无法被记录在官方文件中的呢？"],[3,"The Scandinavian countries are much admired all over the world for their enlightened social policies.","斯堪的纳维亚国家因其开明的社会政策而受到全世界的广泛赞誉。"],[4,"Sweden has evolved an excellent system for protecting the individual citizen from high-handed or incompetent public officers.","瑞典已经建立了一套非常完善的制度，旨在保护公民免受专横或无能的公职人员的侵害。"],[5,"The system has worked so well, that it has been adopted in other countries too.","该系统运行得非常出色，因此也被其他国家采纳使用了。"],[6,"The Swedes were the first to recognize that public officials like civil servants,","瑞典人是最早意识到像公务员这样的公职人员可能会犯错或行为过激的人。"],[7,"police officers, health inspectors or tax-collectors can make mistakes or act over-zealously in the belief that they are serving the public.","警察、卫生检查员或税务官员都可能犯错，或者因为自认为是在为公众服务而表现得过于热心（即行为过于激进）。"],[8,"As long ago as 1809, the Swedish Parliament introduced a scheme to safeguard the interest of the individual.","早在1809年，瑞典议会就出台了一项旨在保护个人权益的方案。"],[9,"A parliamentary committee representing all political parties appoints a person who is suitably qualified to investigate private grievances against the State.","一个代表所有政党的议会委员会，会任命一位具备适当资格的人来调查公民对政府提出的个人投诉。"],[10,"The official title of the person is 'Justiteombudsman', but the Swedes commonly refer to him as the 'J.O.' or 'Ombudsman'.","这个人的正式头衔是“司法监察专员”（Justice Ombudsman），但瑞典人通常称他为“J.O.”或“Ombudsman”。"],[11,"The Ombudsman is not subject to political pressure.","监察专员不受政治压力的影响。"],[12,"He investigates complaints large and small that come to him from all levels of society.","他负责调查来自社会各个阶层的各种投诉，无论这些投诉的规模大小如何。"],[13,"As complaints must be made in writing, the Ombudsman receives an average of 1, 200 letters a year.","由于投诉必须以书面形式提出，因此监察专员每年平均会收到 1,200 封来信。"],[14,"He has eight lawyer assistants to help him and he examines every single letter in detail.","他有八名律师助理协助他工作，他会仔细审查每一封信的内容。"],[15,"There is nothing secretive about the Ombudsman's work, for his correspondence is open to public inspection.","监察专员的工作没有任何保密性；他的所有通信记录都可供公众查阅。"],[16,"If a citizen's complaint is justified the Ombudsman will act on his behalf.","如果公民的投诉是合理的，监察专员将会代表该公民采取行动。"],[17,"The action he takes varies according to the nature of the complaint.","他采取的行动会根据投诉的性质而有所不同。"],[18,"He may gently reprimand an official or even suggest to parliament that a law be altered.","他可能会温和地告诫某位官员，甚至向议会提出修改法律的建议。"],[19,"The following case is a typical example of the Ombudsman's work.","以下案例是监察专员工作的典型例子。"],[20,"A foreigner living in a Swedish village wrote to the Ombudsman complaining that he had been ill-treated by the police,","一位居住在瑞典村庄的外国人写信给监察专员，投诉称自己受到了警方的虐待。"],[21,"simply because he was a foreigner.","仅仅因为他是外国人。"],[22,"The Ombudsman immediately wrote to the Chief of Police in the district asking him to send a record of the case.","监察专员立即致函该地区的警察局长，要求他提供该案件的详细记录。"],[23,"There was nothing in the record to show that the foreigner's complaint was justified","记录中没有任何内容表明那位外国人的投诉是合理的"],[24,"and the Chief of Police strongly denied the accusation.","警方局长强烈否认了这一指控。"],[25,"It was impossible for the Ombudsman to take action,","监察专员根本无法采取任何行动。"],[26,"but when he received a similar complaint from another foreigner in the same village,","但是当他收到同一村庄里另一位外国人类似的投诉时……"],[27,"he immediately sent one of his lawyers to investigate the matter.","他立即派了自己的律师去调查这件事。"],[28,"The lawyer ascertained that a policeman had indeed dealt roughly with foreigners on several occasions.","律师证实，确实有警察在多次场合中对外国人采取了粗暴的态度。"],[29,"The fact that the policeman was prejudiced against foreigners could not be recorded in the official files.","这名警察对外国人存在偏见这一事实，无法被记录在官方文件中。"],[30,"It was only possible for the Ombudsman to find this out by sending one of his representatives to check the facts.","只有通过派遣他的代表去核实事实，监察专员才得以发现这一情况。"],[31,"The policeman in question was severely reprimanded","这名涉事的警察受到了严厉的训斥。"],[32,"and was informed that if any further complaints were lodged against him, he would be prosecuted.","并且被告知，如果再有人对他提出投诉，他将会被起诉。"],[33,"The Ombudsman's prompt action at once put an end to an unpleasant practice which might have gone unnoticed.","监察专员的迅速行动立即制止了这一可能被忽视的不良行为。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"46－Do It Yourself","t":"Do It Yourself","c":[[0,"Lesson 46","第46课"],[1,"Do it yourself","自己动手做吧。"],[2,"Did the writer repair his lawn mower in the end? Why/Why not?","最后，作者修好了他的割草机吗？为什么（或为什么不）？"],[3,"So great is our passion for doing things for ourselves,","我们对亲自动手做事的热情是如此之强烈，"],[4,"that we are becoming increasingly less dependent on specialized labour.","以至于我们越来越不依赖专业劳动力了。"],[5,"No one can plead ignorance of a subject any longer, for there are countless do-it-yourself publications.","如今，再没有人能够以“对某个主题一无所知”为借口了，因为市面上有数不胜数的 DIY（自己动手做）类出版物可供参考。"],[6,"Armed with the right tools and materials, newlyweds gaily embark on the task of decorating their own homes.","配备了合适的工具和材料后，新婚夫妇便兴高采烈地开始装饰自己的家。"],[7,"Men, particularly, spend hours of their leisure time installing their own fireplaces,","尤其是男性，他们会花费大量的闲暇时间来自己安装壁炉。"],[8,"laying out their own gardens; building garages and making furniture.","他们自己规划花园的布局，建造车库，并制作家具。"],[9,"Some really keen enthusiasts go so far as to build their own computers.","一些非常热衷的爱好者甚至会自己组装电脑。"],[10,"Shops cater for the do-it-yourself craze not only by running special advisory services for novices,","商店不仅通过为新手提供专门的咨询服务，"],[11,"but by offering consumers bits and pieces which they can assemble at home.","还通过向消费者提供各种可以自行组装的零件来迎合这股热潮。"],[12,"Such things provide an excellent outlet for pent up creative energy, but unfortunately not all of us are born handymen.","这类活动为人们提供了释放内心创造力的绝佳途径，可惜并不是每个人天生就擅长动手做事（或：并不是每个人天生都具备动手能力）。"],[13,"Some wives tend to believe that their husbands are infinitely resourceful and can fix anything.","有些妻子总是认为自己的丈夫无所不能，什么问题都能解决。"],[14,"Even men who can hardly drive a nail in straight are supposed to be born electricians, carpenters, plumbers and mechanics.","即使是那些连把钉子都钉不直的男人，也被认为天生就适合从事电工、木匠、水管工或机械师等工作。"],[15,"When lights fuse, furniture gets rickety, pipes get clogged, or vacuum cleaners fail to operate,","当保险丝烧断、家具摇晃、管道堵塞或吸尘器失灵时，"],[16,"some women assume that their husbands will somehow put things right.","有些女性认为，她们的丈夫会想办法把事情解决好。"],[17,"The worst thing about the do-it-yourself game is that sometimes even men live under the delusion that they can do anything,","自己动手这事儿最糟糕的地方在于，有时候连男人自己都会误以为无所不能，"],[18,"even when they have repeatedly been proved wrong.","即使他们的观点已经被多次证明是错误的，他们仍然坚持自己的立场。"],[19,"It is a question of pride as much as anything else.","这主要是面子问题。"],[20,"Last spring my wife suggested that I call in a man to look at our lawn mower.","去年春天，我妻子建议我请一位专业人士来检查一下我们的割草机。"],[21,"It had broken down the previous summer, and though I promised to repair it, I had never got round to it.","它在前一个夏天就坏掉了，虽然我答应过要修理它，但一直没能抽空去修。"],[22,"I would not hear of the suggestion and said that I would fix it myself.","我断然拒绝了她的建议，说我自己能修。"],[23,"One Saturday afternoon, I hauled the machine into the garden and had a close look at it.","一个星期六的下午，我把那台机器搬到了花园里，仔细地观察了它一番。"],[24,"As far as I could see, it needed only a minor adjustment:","据我所见，它只需要进行微小的调整即可。"],[25,"a turn of a screw here, a little tightening up there, a drop of oil and it would be as good as new.","这里拧个螺丝，那里紧一紧，再滴几滴油，它就能焕然一新了。"],[26,"Inevitably the repair job was not quite so simple.","不可避免地，这次维修工作并没有那么简单。"],[27,"The mower firmly refused to mow, so I decided to dismantle it.","割草机就是不肯割草，于是我决定把它拆开。"],[28,"The garden was soon littered with chunks of metal which had once made up a lawn mower.","花园里很快就散落着许多金属碎片——那些碎片原本是割草机的一部分。"],[29,"But I was extremely pleased with myself. I had traced the cause of the trouble.","但我对自己感到非常满意。我已经找到了问题的根源。"],[30,"One of the links in the chain that drives the wheels had snapped.","驱动轮子的链条上有一节断了。"],[31,"After buying a new chain I was faced with the insurmountable task of putting the confusing jigsaw puzzle together again.","买了新链条后，我面临着一个无法完成的任务：把这个令人头疼的拼图重新装回去。"],[32,"I was not surprised to find that the machine still refused to work after I had reassembled it,","当我重新组装好这台机器后，发现它仍然无法正常工作时，我并不感到惊讶。"],[33,"for the simple reason that I was left with several curiously shaped bits of metal which did not seem to fit anywhere.","原因很简单：我手里还剩几块形状古怪的金属片，怎么也装不上去。"],[34,"I gave up in despair.","我绝望地放弃了。"],[35,"The weeks passed and the grass grew.","几周过去了，草也长高了。"],[36,"When my wife nagged me to do something about it,","当妻子催我处理这事时，"],[37,"I told her that either I would have to buy a new mower or let the grass grow.","我告诉她，要么我得买一台新的割草机，要么就任由草继续长下去。"],[38,"Needless to say our house is now surrounded by a jungle.","不用说，我们家现在被一片丛林包围了。"],[39,"Buried somewhere in deep grass there is a rusting lawn mower which I have promised to repair one day.","在茂密的草丛中，埋着一把生锈的割草机；我曾承诺有朝一日一定会把它修好。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"48－The Silent Village","t":"The Silent Village","c":[[0,"Lesson 48","第48课"],[1,"The silent village","寂静的村庄"],[2,"Why was the village silent?","为什么这个村庄如此寂静？"],[3,"In this much-travelled world, there are still thousands of places which are inaccessible to tourists.","在这个充满旅行的世界里，仍然有成千上万的地方对游客来说是无法到达的。"],[4,"We always assume that villagers in remote places are friendly and hospitable.","我们总是认为偏远地区的村民友好且好客。"],[5,"But people who are cut off not only from foreign tourists, but even from their own countrymen can be hostile to travellers.","然而，那些不仅与外国游客隔绝、甚至与本国人隔绝的人，可能会对旅行者怀有敌意。"],[6,"Visits to really remote villages are seldom enjoyable--as my wife and I discovered during a tour through the Balkans.","真正偏远村庄的游览往往并不愉快——我和妻子在巴尔干半岛旅行时就深有体会。"],[7,"We had spent several days in a small town and visited a number of old churches in the vicinity.","我们在一个小镇上待了几天，还参观了附近的几座古老教堂。"],[8,"These attracted many visitors, for they were not only of great architectural interest, but contained a large number of beautifully preserved frescoes as well.","这些教堂吸引了许多游客，因为它们不仅在建筑上很有价值，而且还保存着大量精美的壁画。"],[9,"On the day before our departure, several bus loads of tourists descended on the town.","出发前一天，一大批游客乘巴士来到了这个小镇。"],[10,"This was more than we could bear, so we decided to spend our last day exploring the countryside.","这让我们难以忍受，于是我们决定在最后一天去乡村探索一番。"],[11,"Taking a path which led out of the town, we crossed a few fields until we came to a dense wood.","我们沿着一条小路离开小镇，穿过几片田野，最终来到了一片茂密的森林。"],[12,"We expected the path to end abruptly, but we found that it traced its way through the trees.","我们原本以为这条小路会突然结束，但实际上它蜿蜒穿过树林，继续延伸下去。"],[13,"We tramped through the wood for over two hours until we arrived at a deep stream.","我们跋涉穿过森林，花了两个多小时的时间，终于来到了一条湍急的小溪边。"],[14,"We could see that the path continued on the other side, but we had no idea how we could get across the stream.","我们可以看到小路在另一边继续延伸，但我们完全不知道该如何穿过那条小溪。"],[15,"Suddenly my wife spotted a boat moored to the bank.","突然，我的妻子发现有一艘船停靠在岸边。"],[16,"In it there was a boatman fast asleep.","里面有一个正在熟睡的船夫。"],[17,"We gently woke him up and asked him to ferry us to the other side.","我们轻轻地唤醒了他，然后请他带我们到另一边去。"],[18,"Though he was reluctant to do so at first, we eventually persuaded him to take us.","虽然他一开始并不愿意，但我们最终说服了他带我们一起去。"],[19,"The path led to a tiny village perched on the steep sides of a mountain.","这条小路通向一个坐落在陡峭山坡上的小村庄。"],[20,"The place consisted of a straggling unmade road which was lined on either side by small houses.","这个地方有一条蜿蜒曲折、尚未铺好的道路，道路两旁排列着一些小房子。"],[21,"Even under a clear blue sky, the village looked forbidding, as all the houses were built of grey mud bricks.","即使是在万里无云的蓝天下，这个村庄看起来依然令人望而生畏——所有的房屋都是用灰色的泥砖建造的。"],[22,"The village seemed deserted,","这个村庄看起来像是被遗弃了。"],[23,"the only sign of life being an ugly-looking black goat on a short length of rope tied to a tree in a field nearby.","唯一的生命迹象是一只长相丑陋的黑色山羊，它被用一根短绳子拴在附近田野里的一棵树上。"],[24,"Sitting down on a dilapidated wooden fence near the field, we opened a couple of tins of sardines and had a picnic lunch.","我们坐在田野旁边那道破旧的木栅栏旁，打开了几罐沙丁鱼，然后享用了一顿野餐午餐。"],[25,"All at once, I noticed that my wife seemed to be filled with alarm.","突然间，我注意到我的妻子似乎充满了恐慌（或：显得非常焦虑）。"],[26,"Looking up I saw that we were surrounded by children in rags who were looking at us silently as we ate.","我查了一下后发现，我们周围围着一群衣衫褴褛的孩子们；当我们吃饭时，他们静静地注视着我们。"],[27,"We offered them food and spoke to them kindly, but they remained motionless.","我们给了他们食物，并用温和的语气与他们交谈，但他们依然一动不动。"],[28,"I concluded that they were simply shy of strangers.","我得出结论：他们只是对陌生人感到害羞而已。"],[29,"When we later walked down the main street of the village, we were followed by a silent procession of children.","后来，当我们沿着村庄的主街走去时，有一群沉默的孩子们跟在我们后面。"],[30,"The village which had seemed deserted, immediately came to life.","这个原本看似荒无人烟的村庄立刻变得热闹起来。"],[31,"Faces appeared at windows.","人们的身影出现在窗户前。"],[32,"Men in shirt sleeves stood outside their houses and glared at us.","那些只穿着衬衫、没有穿外套的男人们站在自家房子外面，怒视着我们。"],[33,"Old women in black shawls peered at us from doorways.","那些披着黑色披肩的老妇人从门缝里向我们张望。"],[34,"The most frightening thing of all was that not a sound could be heard.","最可怕的是，竟然一点声音都听不到。"],[35,"There was no doubt that we were unwelcome visitors.","毫无疑问，我们是不受欢迎的访客。"],[36,"We needed no further warning.","我们不需要任何进一步的警告。"],[37,"Turning back down the main street,","拐回主街道后，"],[38,"we quickened our pace and made our way rapidly towards the stream where we hoped the boatman was waiting.","我们加快了步伐，迅速朝小溪走去，希望船夫正在那里等着我们。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"25－The Cutty Sark","t":"The Cutty Sark","c":[[0,"Lesson 25","第25课"],[1,"The Cutty Sark","“Cutty Sark”是一艘著名的帆船，以其独特的船型和卓越的航海性能而闻名于世。"],[2,"What piece of bad luck prevented the Cutty Sark from winning the race?","是什么倒霉的事情导致“Cutty Sark”号没能赢得这场比赛呢？"],[3,"One of the most famous sailing ships of the nineteenth century, the Cutty Sark, can still be seen at Greenwich.","作为19世纪最著名的帆船之一，“Cutty Sark”至今仍可以在格林尼治博物馆看到。"],[4,"She stands on dry land and is visited by thousands of people each year.","她站在陆地上，每年都有成千上万的人前来参观她。"],[5,"She serves as an impressive reminder of the great ships of the past.","她仿佛是一面令人印象深刻的镜子，让人们想起过去那些宏伟的船只。"],[6,"Before they were replaced by steamships,","在它们被蒸汽船取代之前，"],[7,"sailing vessels like the Cutty Sark were used to carry tea from China and wool from Australia.","像“Cutty Sark”这样的帆船曾被用来从中国运输茶叶，从澳大利亚运输羊毛。"],[8,"The Cutty Sark was one of the fastest sailing ships that has ever been built.","“Cutty Sark”是有史以来建造的最快的帆船之一。"],[9,"The only other ship to match her was the Thermopylae.","唯一能与她相媲美的船只就是“Thermopylae”号了。"],[10,"Both these ships set out from Shanghai on June 18th, 1872 on an exciting race to England.","这两艘船都于1872年6月18日从上海出发，参加了一场前往英国的激动人心的竞赛。"],[11,"This race, which went on for exactly four months, was the last of its kind.","这场比赛持续了整整四个月，也是这类比赛中的最后一场比赛。"],[12,"It marked the end of the great tradition of ships with sails and the beginning of a new era.","这标志着帆船这一伟大传统的终结，以及一个新时代的开始。"],[13,"The first of the two ships to reach Java after the race had begun was the Thermopylae,","在比赛开始后，最先抵达爪哇的两艘船只中，第一艘是“Thermopylae”号。"],[14,"but on the Indian Ocean, the Cutty Sark took the lead.","但在印度洋上，库蒂·萨克号（Cutty Sark）却取得了领先地位。"],[15,"It seemed certain that she would be the first ship home,","看起来她肯定会成为第一个返回家的“船只”（即第一个完成任务的成员）。"],[16,"but during the race she had a lot of bad luck.","但在比赛中，她遭遇了很多不幸（或者说：她遇到了很多麻烦或困难）。"],[17,"In August, she was struck by a very heavy storm during which her rudder was torn away.","八月份，她遭遇了一场猛烈的风暴，风暴中她的舵被彻底损坏（即被风暴中的力量扯掉了）。"],[18,"The Cutty Sark rolled from side to side and it became impossible to steer her.","“Cutty Sark”号开始左右摇晃，根本无法再控制它的航向了。"],[19,"A temporary rudder was made on board from spare planks and it was fitted with great difficulty.","他们在船上用多余的木板制作了一个临时舵，并且安装这个临时舵的过程非常困难。"],[20,"This greatly reduced the speed of the ship, for there was a danger that if she travelled too quickly,","这大大降低了船的速度，因为如果船行驶得太快，就存在危险。"],[21,"this rudder would be torn away as well.","这个舵也会被扯掉的。"],[22,"Because of this, the Cutty Sark lost her lead.","正因如此，Cutty Sark失去了领先优势。"],[23,"After crossing the Equator, the captain called in at a port to have a new rudder fitted,","在越过赤道后，船长停靠在一个港口，更换了船上的舵。"],[24,"but by now the Thermopylae was over five hundred miles ahead.","但那时，Thermopylae号已经领先了五百多英里。"],[25,"Though the new rudder was fitted at tremendous speed, it was impossible for the Cutty Sark to win.","尽管新的舵被迅速安装上了，Cutty Sark号还是无法赶上它。"],[26,"She arrived in England a week after the Thermopylae.","Cutty Sark号在Thermopylae号之后一周才抵达英格兰。"],[27,"Even this was remarkable, considering that she had had so many delays.","考虑到途中经历了许多延误，这一成绩已经非常了不起了。"],[28,"There is no doubt that if she had not lost her rudder she would have won the race easily.","毫无疑问，如果她没有失去舵，她本可以轻松赢得比赛。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"29－Funny or Not","t":"Funny or Not?","c":[[0,"Lesson 29","第29课"],[1,"Funny or not?","好笑还是不好笑？"],[2,"What is the basis of 'sick' humour?","“病态”幽默（即那些令人不适、甚至反感的幽默）的依据是什么呢？"],[3,"Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up.","我们是否觉得某个笑话好笑，很大程度上取决于我们的成长环境（即我们是在什么样的环境中长大的）。"],[4,"The sense of humour is mysteriously bound up with national characteristics.","幽默感似乎与一个国家的民族特性有着某种神秘的联系（或者说，幽默感是受民族特性影响的）。"],[5,"A Frenchman, for instance, might find it hard to laugh at a Russian joke.","例如，一个法国人可能很难被一个俄罗斯笑话逗笑。"],[6,"In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing in a joke","同样地，一个俄罗斯人可能根本看不出某个笑话有什么好笑的地方。"],[7,"which would make an Englishman laugh to tears.","而这个笑话却能让英国人笑出眼泪。"],[8,"Most funny stories are based on comic situations.","大多数有趣的故事都是基于一些滑稽、搞笑的情境创作的。"],[9,"In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a universal appeal.","尽管存在文化差异，但某些有趣的情境却具有普遍的吸引力（即能够引起全球人们的共鸣）。"],[10,"No matter where you live,","无论你住在哪里，"],[11,"you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Charlie Chaplin's early films.","你很难不笑出来，比如说，看查理·卓别林的早期电影。"],[12,"However, a new type of humour, which stems largely from U.S., has recently come into fashion.","然而，最近一种新型的幽默风格开始流行起来，这种幽默主要源自美国。"],[13,"It is called 'sick humour'. Comedians base their jokes on tragic situations like violent death or serious accidents.","这被称为“病态幽默”（sick humour）。喜剧演员的笑料往往基于一些悲剧性场景，比如暴力死亡或严重事故。"],[14,"Many people find this sort of joke distasteful.","很多人觉得这种类型的笑话很令人反感（或：很无趣、很糟糕）。"],[15,"The following example of 'sick humour' will enable you to judge for yourself.","以下这个“病态幽默”（sick humour）的例子，可以让你自己判断一下这种幽默风格到底如何。"],[16,"A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas.","一名右腿骨折的男子在圣诞节前几周被送往医院。"],[17,"From the moment he arrived there,","从他到达那里的那一刻起，"],[18,"he kept on pestering his doctor to tell him when he would be able to go home.","他一直缠着医生，想知道自己什么时候可以回家。"],[19,"He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital.","他非常害怕不得不在医院里度过圣诞节。"],[20,"Though the doctor did his best, the patient's recovery was slow.","尽管医生尽了最大努力，患者的康复进程仍然很缓慢。"],[21,"On Christmas day, the man still had his right leg in plaster.","在圣诞节那天，那个人的右腿仍然打着石膏。"],[22,"He spent a miserable day in bed thinking of all the fun he was missing.","他在床上度过了痛苦的一天，一直在想着自己错过的所有乐趣。"],[23,"The following day, however, the doctor consoled him by telling him","然而，第二天医生安慰他说："],[24,"that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good.","他按时出院、能够参加新年庆祝活动的几率很大。"],[25,"The man took heart and sure enough, on New Year's Eve he was able to hobble along to a party.","那男人重新振作起来，果然在除夕夜时，他还能一瘸一拐地赶到参加派对。"],[26,"To compensate for his unpleasant experiences in hospital,","为了弥补他在医院里所经历的不愉快经历，"],[27,"the man drank a little more than was good for him.","那个人喝得有点过量了。"],[28,"In the process, he enjoyed himself thoroughly and kept telling everybody how much he hated hospitals.","在这个过程中，他玩得非常开心，还不停地告诉所有人他有多讨厌医院。"],[29,"He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg.","派对结束时，他还在嘟囔着关于医院的事情；突然，他踩到一块冰，摔倒了，导致左腿骨折。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"04－The Double Life of Alfred Bloggs","t":"The Double Life of Alfred Bloggs","c":[[0,"Lesson 4","第4课"],[1,"The double life of Alfred Bloggs","阿尔弗雷德·布洛格斯的双重生活"],[2,"Why did Alf want a white-collar job?","为什么阿尔夫想要一份白领工作呢？"],[3,"These days, people who do manual work often receive far more money than people who work in offices.","如今，从事体力劳动的人往往比在办公室工作的人赚得更多。"],[4,"People who work in offices are frequently referred to as 'white-collar workers' for the simple reason that they usually wear a collar and tie to go to work.","在办公室工作的人通常被称为“白领工人”，原因很简单：他们上班时通常要穿衬衫、打领带。"],[5,"Such is human nature, that a great many people are often willing to sacrifice higher pay for the privilege of becoming white-collar workers.","人类的天性就是这样：很多人往往愿意放弃更高的薪资，只为获得成为白领员工的特权。"],[6,"This can give rise to curious situations, as it did in the case of Alfred Bloggs who worked as a dustman for the Ellesmere Corporation.","这可能会导致一些奇怪的情况，阿尔弗雷德·布洛格斯就是一例。他曾为埃尔斯米尔公司当清洁工。"],[7,"When he got married, Alf was too embarrassed to say anything to his wife about his job.","当他结婚的时候，阿尔夫太尴尬了，以至于什么都没敢跟妻子说起自己的工作。"],[8,"He simply told her that he worked for the Corporation.","他只是简单地告诉她，自己为那家公司工作。"],[9,"Every morning, he left home dressed in a smart black suit.","每天早上，他都会穿着一套整洁的黑色西装离开家。"],[10,"He then changed into overalls and spent the next eight hours as a dustman.","然后他换上工作服，接下来的八个小时就当起了清洁工。"],[11,"Before returning home at night, he took a shower and changed back into his suit.","在晚上回家之前，他洗了个澡，然后换回了西装。"],[12,"Alf did this for over two years and his fellow dustmen kept his secret.","阿尔夫从事这份工作已经两年多了，他的同事们一直保守着他的秘密。"],[13,"Alf's wife has never discovered that she married a dustman and she never will, for Alf has just found another job.","阿尔夫的妻子从未发现她嫁给了一个清洁工，而且永远也不会发现——因为阿尔夫刚刚找到了另一份工作。"],[14,"He will soon be working in an office.","他很快就会在办公室里工作了。"],[15,"He will be earning only half as much as he used to, but he feels that his rise in status is well worth the loss of money.","虽然他的收入将只有原来的一半，但他觉得社会地位的提升完全值得他损失这些钱。"],[16,"From now on, he will wear a suit all day and others will call him 'Mr.Bloggs', not 'Alf'.","从现在开始，他每天都会穿西装，别人会称呼他为“布洛格斯先生”，而不再是“阿尔夫”。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"07－Mutilated Ladies","t":"Mutilated Ladies","c":[[0,"Lesson 7","第7课"],[1,"Mutilated Ladies","残币清点小组"],[2,"Why did Jane cook John's wallet?","简为什么把约翰的钱包煮了？"],[3,"Has it ever happened to you?","你有没有遇到过这种事？"],[4,"Have you ever put your trousers in the washing machine and then remembered there was a large bank note in your back pocket?","你是否曾经把裤子放进洗衣机，后来才想起后口袋里还有一张大面额的钞票？"],[5,"When you rescued your trousers, did you find the note was whiter than white?","当你把裤子取出来时，发现那张钞票已经变得雪白一片了……"],[6,"People who live in Britain needn't despair when they make mistakes like this (and a lot of people do)!","生活在英国的人们遇到这种错误时不必绝望（其实很多人都遇到过这种情况！）"],[7,"Fortunately for them, the Bank of England has a team called Mutilated Ladies","幸运的是，英格兰银行有一个名为“残币清点小组”的专门部门"],[8,"which deals with claims from people who fed their money to a machine or to their dog.","这个部门负责处理那些把钱喂给机器或狗的人的索赔申请"],[9,"Dogs, it seems, love to chew up money!","看来，狗确实很喜欢咬钱啊！"],[10,"A recent case concerns Jane Butlin whose fiance, John, runs a successful furniture business.","最近有一个案例与简·巴特林有关：她的未婚夫约翰经营着一家成功的家具公司。"],[11,"John had a very good day and put his wallet containing ￡3, 000 into the microwave oven for safekeeping.","约翰那天生意很好，为了安全起见，他把装有3000英镑的钱包放进了微波炉里保管"],[12,"Then he and Jane went horse-riding.","然后他和简一起去骑马了。"],[13,"When they got home, Jane cooked their dinner in the microwave oven and without realizing it, cooked her fiance's wallet as well.","当他们回到家后，简用微波炉做晚饭，不知不觉中，她把未婚夫的钱包也一起加热了"],[14,"Imagine their dismay when they found a beautifully-cooked wallet and notes turned to ash!","可以想象他们当时有多沮丧：当他们发现钱包被烤得焦黑，钞票都变成了灰烬时"],[15,"John went to see his bank manager who sent the remains of wallet and the money","约翰去找他的银行经理，经理把钱包和钱的残骸"],[16,"to the special department of the Bank of England in Newcastle: the Mutilated Ladies!","送到了位于纽卡斯尔的英格兰银行特别部门——残币清点小组！"],[17,"They examined the remains and John got all his money back.","他们检查了这些残骸，约翰拿回了全部的钱"],[18,"'So long as there's something to identify, we will give people their money back,' said a spokeswoman for the Bank.","“只要还能辨认出是什么，我们就会把钱退还给客户，”银行的一位女发言人说"],[19,"'Last year, we paid ￡1.5 million on 21,000 claims.'","去年，我们为21,000起索赔支付了150万英镑。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"23－One Man's Meat is Another Man's Poison","t":"One Man's Meat is Another Man's Poison","c":[[0,"Lesson 23","第23课"],[1,"One man's meat is another man's poison","一个人的佳肴，另一个人的毒药。"],[2,"What was it about snails that made the writer collect them for his friend on that day in particular?","究竟是蜗牛的什么特性，让作者在那天特意为他的朋友收集了它们呢？"],[3,"People become quite illogical when they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten.","当人们试图决定什么能吃、什么不能吃时，他们的想法会变得非常不合逻辑。"],[4,"If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider octopus a great delicacy.","例如，如果你生活在地中海地区，你会认为章鱼是一种非常美味的佳肴。"],[5,"You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive.","你无法理解为什么有些人会觉得它令人反感。"],[6,"On the other hand, your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat-the normally accepted practice in many northern countries.","另一方面，一想到要用动物油脂来煎土豆，你就会感到恶心——而在许多北方国家，这种做法却是被普遍接受的。"],[7,"The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we stick to them all our lives.","令人遗憾的事实是，我们大多数人都被教导要吃某些特定的食物，并且一生都坚持吃这些食物。"],[8,"No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail.","没有哪种生物像普通的花园蜗牛那样，既备受赞誉，又饱受诟病。"],[9,"Cooked in wine, snails are a great luxury in various parts of the world.","用葡萄酒烹制的蜗牛，在世界各地都被视为一种高级的美食。"],[10,"There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned to associate snails with food.","有无数的人，从很小的时候起，就学会了将蜗牛与食物联系在一起。"],[11,"My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised.","我的朋友罗伯特住在一个人们非常厌恶蜗牛的国家。"],[12,"As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own.","由于他的公寓位于一个较大的城镇里，所以他并没有自己的花园。"],[13,"For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him.","多年来，他一直让我从我的花园里采集蜗牛，然后带给他。"],[14,"The idea never appealed to me very much, but one day, after a heavy shower,","这个想法我一直不太感兴趣，但有一天，在一场大雨之后……"],[15,"I happened to be walking in my garden when I noticed a huge number of snails taking a stroll on some of my prize plants.","我正好在花园里散步，突然发现大量的蜗牛正在我的那些珍贵的植物上爬来爬去。"],[16,"Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert.","一时冲动之下，我收集了几十只蜗牛，把它们装进一个纸袋里，然后拿给了罗伯特。"],[17,"Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift.","罗伯特见到我非常高兴，对我的小礼物也同样感到满意。"],[18,"I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours.","我把袋子放在门厅里，然后和罗伯特一起进了客厅，我们在那里聊了两个小时。"],[19,"I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner.","我完全把那些蜗牛的事给忘了，直到罗伯特突然说：“你必须留下来吃晚饭。”"],[20,"Snails would, of course, be the main dish.","当然，蜗牛会是主菜。"],[21,"I did not fancy the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the room.","我并不喜欢这个主意，但还是不情愿地跟着罗伯特走出了房间。"],[22,"To our dismay,","令我们惊恐的是……"],[23,"we saw that there were snails everywhere:","我们发现到处都有蜗牛。"],[24,"they had escaped from the paper bag","它们从那个纸袋里逃出来了。"],[25,"and had taken complete possession of the hall! I have never be able to look at a snail since then.","并且完全占领了门厅！从那以后，我再也没法看蜗牛了。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"09－Flying Cats","t":"Flying Cats","c":[[0,"Lesson 9","第9课"],[1,"Flying cats","会飞的猫"],[2,"How do cats try to protect themselves when falling from great heights?","当猫从高处坠落时，它们会如何保护自己呢？"],[3,"Cats never fail to fascinate human beings.","猫总是能让人类着迷。"],[4,"They can be friendly and affectionate towards humans, but they lead mysterious lives of their own as well.","它们对人类可能表现出友好和亲昵的态度，但同时也过着充满神秘的生活。"],[5,"They never become submissive like dogs and horses.","与狗或马不同，猫永远不会变得温顺听话。"],[6,"As a result, humans have learned to respect feline independence.","因此，人类逐渐学会了尊重猫的独立性。"],[7,"Most cats remain suspicious of humans all their lives.","大多数猫一生都对人类保持警惕。"],[8,"One of the things that fascinates us most about cats is the popular belief that they have nine lives.","关于猫最让我们感到好奇的一点，就是人们普遍认为它们有九条命。"],[9,"Apparently, there is a good deal of truth in this idea.","事实上，这个说法确实有一定道理。"],[10,"A cat's ability to survive falls is based on fact.","猫之所以能够在坠落中存活下来，是有科学依据的。"],[11,"Recently the New York Animal Medical Centre made a study of 132 cats over a period of five months.","最近，纽约动物医疗中心对132只猫进行了为期五个月的研究。"],[12,"All these cats had one experience in common: they had fallen off high buildings,","所有这些猫都有一个共同的经历：它们都从高楼上掉了下来。"],[13,"yet only eight of them died from shock or injuries.","然而，只有八只猫因休克或受伤而死亡。"],[14,"Of course, New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no shortage of tall buildings.","当然，纽约是进行这项研究的理想地点——因为那里的高楼大厦实在太多了。"],[15,"There are plenty of high-rise windowsills to fall from!","有足够多的高楼窗台可供坠落！"],[16,"One cat, Sabrina, fell 32 storeys, yet only suffered from a broken tooth.","有一只名叫萨布丽娜的猫从32层楼的高度坠落，却只摔断了一颗牙齿。"],[17,"'Cats behave like well-trained paratroopers,' a doctor said.","“猫的行为就像训练有素的伞兵一样，”一位医生说道。"],[18,"It seems that the further cats fall, the less they are likely to injure themselves.","看起来，猫掉得越远，它们受伤的可能性就越小。"],[19,"In a long drop, they reach speeds of 60 miles an hour and more.","在自由落体的过程中，它们的速度可以达到每小时60英里甚至更高。"],[20,"At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax.","高速下落时，猫有时间放松身体。"],[21,"They stretch out their legs like flying squirrels.","它们像飞鼠一样伸开四肢。"],[22,"This increases their air-resistance and reduces the shock of impact when they hit the ground.","这会增加它们的空气阻力，但同时也能减少它们落地时所受的冲击力。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"05－The Facts","t":"The Facts","c":[[0,"Lesson 5","第5课"],[1,"The facts","事实"],[2,"What was the consequence of the editor's insistence on facts and statistics?","编辑坚持要事实和统计数据，造成了什么后果？"],[3,"Editors of newspapers and magazines often go to extremes to provide their readers with unimportant facts and statistics.","报纸和杂志的编辑们常常不遗余力地提供一些对读者来说其实并不重要的信息或统计数据。"],[4,"Last year a journalist had been instructed by a well-known magazine to write an article on the president's palace in a new African republic.","去年，一位记者受一家知名杂志的委托，撰写了一篇关于某个新成立的非洲共和国总统官邸的文章。"],[5,"When the article arrived, the editor read the first sentence and then refused to publish it.","当这篇文章寄到编辑手中时，编辑读了第一句话，随后便决定拒绝发表它。"],[6,"The article began:'Hundreds of steps lead to the high wall which surrounds the president's palace.'","文章的开头是这样的：“数百级台阶通向环绕总统宫殿的高墙。”"],[7,"The editor at once sent the journalist a fax instructing him to find out the exact number of steps and the height of the wall.","编辑立即给记者发了一份传真，要求他查明台阶的确切数量以及墙的高度。"],[8,"The journalist immediately set out to obtain these important facts, but he took a long time to send them.","记者立即着手收集这些重要的事实，但他花了很长时间才将这些信息发送出去。"],[9,"Meanwhile, the editor was getting impatient, for the magazine would soon go to press.","与此同时，编辑越来越不耐烦了，因为杂志即将付印。"],[10,"He sent the journalist two more faxes, but received no reply.","他又给那位记者发了两封传真，但仍然没有收到任何回复。"],[11,"He sent yet another fax informing the journalist that if he did not reply soon he would be fired.","他又发了一封传真，告知那位记者：如果他不能尽快回复，就会被解雇。"],[12,"When the journalist again failed to reply,  the editor reluctantly published the article as it had originally been written.","当记者再次没有回复时，编辑无奈之下还是按照文章原本的写法将其发表了。"],[13,"A week later, the editor at last received a fax from the journalist.","一周后，编辑终于收到了那位记者发来的传真。"],[14,"Not only had the poor man been arrested, but he had been sent to prison as well.","这个可怜的人不仅被逮捕了，还被关进了监狱。"],[15,"However, he had at last been allowed to send a fax in which he informed the editor that he had been arrested","然而，他终于被允许发送了一份传真，在传真中他告知编辑自己已经被捕了"],[16,"while counting the 1, 084 steps leading to the 15th foot wall which surrounded the president's palace.","在他数着通往总统宫殿那15英尺高墙的1,084级台阶时被捕了。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"36－A Chance in a Million","t":"A Chance in a Million","c":[[0,"Lesson 36","第36课"],[1,"A chance in a million","百万分之一的机会"],[2,"What was the chance in a million?","那百万分之一的机会究竟是什么呢？"],[3,"We are less credulous than we used to be.","我们不再像过去那样容易轻信他人或事物了。"],[4,"In the nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion","在十九世纪，小说家会通过一系列巧合来结束他的故事"],[5,"by presenting his readers with a series of coincidences--most of them wildly improbable.","——其中大多数都极不可能发生。"],[6,"Readers happily accepted the fact that an obscure maidservant was really the hero's mother.","读者们欣然接受了这样一个事实：那位默默无闻的女仆其实就是这位英雄的母亲。"],[7,"A long-lost brother, who was presumed dead, was really alive all the time","一个被认定已经去世的“失散多年的兄弟”，其实一直都活着。"],[8,"and wickedly plotting to bring about the hero's downfall. And so on.","并且一直在暗中策划要毁掉英雄，诸如此类。"],[9,"Modern readers would find such naive solutions totally unacceptable.","现代读者会认为这种天真的解决方案完全不可接受。"],[10,"Yet, in real life, circumstances do sometimes conspire to bring about coincidences which anyone but a nineteenth century novelist would find incredible.","然而，在现实生活中，情况确实有时会凑巧促成一些巧合，这些巧合除了十九世纪的小说家外，任何人都会觉得难以置信。"],[11,"When I was a boy, my grandfather told me how a German taxi driver, Franz Bussman,","当我还是个孩子的时候，我的祖父给我讲过一个德国出租车司机弗朗茨·布斯曼的故事。"],[12,"found a brother who was thought to have been killed twenty years before.","找到了一个被认为在二十年前就已经去世的兄弟。"],[13,"While on a walking tour with his wife, he stopped to talk to a workman.","在与妻子一起散步时，他停下来与一位工人交谈。"],[14,"After they had gone on, Mrs. Bussman commented on the workman's close resemblance to her husband","在他们离开后，巴斯曼夫人评论说那个工人和她丈夫长得非常像。"],[15,"and even suggested that he might be his brother.","甚至暗示他可能是她丈夫的兄弟。"],[16,"Franz poured scorn on the idea,","弗朗茨对这个想法嗤之以鼻。"],[17,"pointing out that his brother had been killed in action during the war.","他指出他的兄弟在战争中阵亡了。"],[18,"Though Mrs. Bussman was fully acquainted with this story,","尽管布斯曼夫人对这件事了如指掌，"],[19,"she thought that there was a chance in a million that she might be right.","她认为自己有百万分之一的可能性是对的。"],[20,"A few days later, she sent a boy to the workman to ask him if his name was Hans Bussman.","几天后，她派了一个男孩去问那个工人，他的名字是不是汉斯·布斯曼（Hans Bussman）。"],[21,"Needless to say, the man's name was Hans Bussman and he really was Franz's long-lost brother.","不用说，这个男人的名字是汉斯·布斯曼，他确实是弗朗茨失散已久的兄弟。"],[22,"When the brothers were reunited,","当兄弟俩重聚时，"],[23,"Hans explained how it was that he was still alive.","汉斯解释了自己是如何活下来的。"],[24,"After having been wounded towards the end of the war,","在战争接近尾声时受伤之后，"],[25,"he had been sent to hospital and was separated from his unit.","他被送到了医院，也因此与他的部队分开了。"],[26,"The hospital had been bombed and Hans had made his way back into Western Germany on foot.","这家医院遭到了轰炸，汉斯只好徒步回到了西德。"],[27,"Meanwhile, his unit was lost and all records of him had been destroyed.","与此同时，他的部队失踪了，关于他的所有记录也被毁掉了。"],[28,"Hans returned to his family home, but the house had been bombed","汉斯回到了他的家庭住宅，但房子已经被炸毁了。"],[29,"and no one in the neighbourhood knew what had become of the inhabitants.","而且邻居中没有人知道住户们后来怎么样了。"],[30,"Assuming that his family had been killed during an air raid,","汉斯以为他的家人在一次空袭中丧生了，"],[31,"Hans settled down in a village fifty miles away where he had remained ever since.","汉斯在五十英里外的一个村庄安顿了下来，从那以后他就一直住在那里。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"58－A Spot of Bother","t":"A Spot of Bother","c":[[0,"Lesson 58","第58课"],[1,"A spot of bother","一个小麻烦；一点小问题。"],[2,"What did the old lady find when she got home?","那位老太太回家后发现了什么？"],[3,"The old lady was glad to be back at the block of flats where she lived.","那位老太太很高兴能够回到她居住的公寓楼。"],[4,"Her shopping had tired her and her basket had grown heavier with every step of the way home.","她的购物让她感到疲惫不堪；而随着她一步步往家走，她手中的购物篮也越来越重了。"],[5,"In the lift her thoughts were on lunch and a good rest;","在电梯里，她的思绪都在午餐和好好休息的事情上。"],[6,"but when she got out at her own floor, both were forgotten in her sudden discovery that her front door was open.","但当她走到自己所在的楼层时，她突然发现前门是开着的，这一发现让她完全忘记了之前发生的一切。"],[7,"She was thinking that she must reprimand her home help the next morning for such a monstrous piece of negligence,","她在想，第二天早上一定要严厉责备她的家政人员，因为这种疏忽实在太严重了。"],[8,"when she remembered that she had gone shopping after the home help had left and she knew that she had turned both keys in their locks.","当她想起家政人员离开后自己去了购物，而且知道自己已经把两把钥匙都插进了相应的锁孔里时……"],[9,"She walked slowly into the hall and at once noticed that all the room doors were open,","她缓缓走进大厅，立刻注意到所有的房间门都敞开着。"],[10,"yet following her regular practice she had shut them before going out.","然而，按照她平时的习惯，她在出门前还是把它们关上了。"],[11,"Looking into the drawing room, she saw a scene of confusion over by her writing desk.","她走进客厅，看到她的书桌旁一片混乱的景象。"],[12,"It was as clear as daylight then that burglars had forced an entry during her absence.","当时就很明显了：在她的不在期间，窃贼强行进入了房子。"],[13,"Her first impulse was to go round all the rooms looking for the thieves,","她的第一反应是去各个房间寻找小偷。"],[14,"but then she decided that at her age it might be more prudent to have someone with her,","但后来她想，以她的年纪来说，有个人陪在身边可能会更稳妥些。"],[15,"so she went to fetch the porter from his basement.","于是她下楼去把门房从他的地下室叫了出来。"],[16,"By this time her legs were beginning to tremble, so she sat down and accepted a cup of very strong tea, while he telephoned the police.","这时，她的双腿已经开始颤抖了，于是她坐下来喝了一杯浓茶；与此同时，他拨打了报警电话。"],[17,"Then, her composure regained, she was ready to set off with the porter's assistance to search for any intruders who might still be lurking in her flat.","随后，她恢复了镇定，便在门卫的协助下准备出发，去搜寻可能还潜伏在她公寓里的入侵者。"],[18,"They went through the rooms, being careful to touch nothing,","他们走过一个又一个房间，小心翼翼地避免触碰任何东西。"],[19,"as they did not want to hinder the police in their search for fingerprints.","因为他们不想妨碍警方寻找指纹的工作。"],[20,"The chaos was inconceivable.","那种混乱简直难以想象。"],[21,"She had lived in the flat for thirty years and was a veritable magpie at hoarding:","她已经在这套公寓里住了三十年，是个十足的“收集狂”——总是喜欢囤积各种东西。"],[22,"and it seemed as though everything she possessed had been tossed out and turned over and over.","仿佛她拥有的一切都被彻底翻了个个儿，被彻底弄乱了。"],[23,"At least sorting out the things she should have discarded years ago was now being made easier for her.","至少，把她那些早就该扔掉的东西整理好这件事，现在对她来说变得容易多了。"],[24,"Then a police inspector arrived with a constable and she told them of her discovery of the ransacked flat.","随后，一名警督带着一名警察来到了现场，她向他们报告了自己发现公寓被洗劫的情况。"],[25,"The inspector began to look for fingerprints, while the constable checked that the front door locks had not been forced,","检查员开始寻找指纹，而警察则确认前门的锁没有被强行破坏。"],[26,"thereby proving that the burglars had either used skeleton keys or entered over the balcony.","由此可以证明，窃贼要么使用了万能钥匙，要么是从阳台上进入屋内的。"],[27,"There was no trace of fingerprints, but the inspector found a dirty red bundle that contained jewellery which the old lady said was not hers.","没有发现任何指纹的痕迹，但检查员发现了一个脏兮兮的红色包裹，里面装着一些首饰。那位老妇人声称这些首饰并不属于她。"],[28,"So their entry into this flat was apparently not the burglars' first job that day and they must have been disturbed.","显然，他们当天进入这套公寓并不是第一次作案；他们肯定遇到了什么干扰（或者：他们的行动被别人发现了）。"],[29,"The inspector then asked the old lady to try to check what was missing by the next day,","然后，检查员让那位老太太在第二天之前试着看看到底少了什么东西。"],[30,"and advised her not to stay alone in the flat for a few nights.","并建议她在接下来的几个晚上不要独自待在公寓里。"],[31,"The old lady thought he was a fussy creature,","那位老太太认为他是个挑剔的人。"],[32,"but since the porter agreed with him, she rang up her daughter and asked for her help in what she described as a little spot of bother.","但由于门房同意了他的请求，她便给女儿打了电话，请求她的帮助来处理这个她所说的“小麻烦”。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"54－Instinct or Cleverness","t":"Instinct or Cleverness?","c":[[0,"Lesson 54","第54课"],[1,"Instinct or cleverness?","是本能，还是智慧？"],[2,"Was the writer successful in protecting his peach tree? Why not?","作者成功保护了他的桃树吗？为什么没有呢？"],[3,"We have been brought up to fear insects.","我们从小就被教导要害怕昆虫。"],[4,"We regard them as unnecessary creatures that do more harm than good.","我们认为它们是毫无必要的生物，带来的危害远大于好处。"],[5,"We continually wage war on them, for they contaminate our food, carry diseases, or devour our crops.","我们一直在与它们作斗争——因为它们会污染我们的食物、传播疾病，或者啃食我们的庄稼。"],[6,"They sting or bite without provocation; they fly uninvited into our rooms on summer nights, or beat against our lighted windows.","它们会无缘无故地蜇人或咬人；在夏夜，它们会不请自来地飞进我们的房间，或者撞击我们亮着的窗户。"],[7,"We live in dread not only of unpleasant insects like spiders or wasps, but of quite harmless ones like moths.","我们不仅害怕像蜘蛛或黄蜂这样的令人不快的昆虫，也害怕像蛾子这样其实完全无害的昆虫。"],[8,"Reading about them increases our understanding without dispelling our fears.","阅读关于他们的信息确实能增加我们的理解，但并不会消除我们的恐惧。"],[9,"Knowing that the industrious ant lives in a highly organized society","我们知道，勤劳的蚂蚁生活在一种高度有序的社会中。"],[10,"does nothing to prevent us from being filled with revulsion when we find hordes of them crawling over a carefully prepared picnic lunch.","这丝毫无法阻止我们看到成群这样的生物爬在我们精心准备的野餐食物上时感到极度厌恶。"],[11,"No matter how much we like honey,","无论我们多么喜欢蜂蜜，"],[12,"or how much we have read about the uncanny sense of direction which bees possess, we have a horror of being stung.","无论我们读过多少关于蜜蜂惊人方向感的描述，我们仍然对被蜜蜂蜇伤感到恐惧。"],[13,"Most of our fears are unreasonable, but they are impossible to erase.","我们的大多数恐惧都是毫无道理的，但它们却无法被彻底消除。"],[14,"At the same time, however, insects are strangely fascinating.","然而，昆虫同时又有一种奇妙的魅力，让人着迷。"],[15,"We enjoy reading about them, especially when we find that, like the praying mantis, they lead perfectly horrible lives.","我们喜欢阅读关于它们的内容，尤其是当发现它们（就像螳螂一样）过着极其恐怖的生活时。"],[16,"We enjoy staring at them, entranced as they go about their business, unaware (we hope) of our presence.","我们喜欢凝视着他们，看着他们忙着自己的事情；希望他们没有察觉到我们的存在。"],[17,"Who has not stood in awe at the sight of a spider pouncing on a fly,","谁没有在看到蜘蛛突然扑向一只苍蝇的瞬间感到惊叹呢？"],[18,"or a column of ants triumphantly bearing home an enormous dead beetle?","或者是一队蚂蚁，胜利地抬着一只巨大的死甲虫回家？"],[19,"Last summer I spent days in the garden watching thousands of ants crawling up the trunk of my prize peach tree.","去年夏天，我在花园里待了好几天，观察成千上万的蚂蚁爬上我那棵珍贵的桃树的树干。"],[20,"The tree has grown against a warm wall on a sheltered side of the house.","这棵树生长在房子背风的一侧，紧靠着一面温暖的墙壁。"],[21,"I am especially proud of it,","我对此感到特别自豪。"],[22,"not only because it has survived several severe winters, but because it occasionally produces luscious peaches.","不仅因为它经受住了几个严冬的考验，还因为它偶尔会结出美味的桃子。"],[23,"During the summer, I noticed that the leaves of the tree were beginning to wither.","夏天时，我注意到树上的叶子开始枯萎了。"],[24,"Clusters of tiny insects called aphides were to be found on the underside of the leaves.","在叶子的背面，可以发现一群被称为蚜虫的微小昆虫。"],[25,"They were visited by a large colony of ants which obtained a sort of honey from them.","有一大群蚂蚁造访了它们，并从它们身上获取了一种类似蜂蜜的物质。"],[26,"I immediately embarked on an experiment which even though it failed to get rid of the ants kept me fascinated for twenty-four hours.","我立刻开始了一项实验。尽管这项实验未能彻底消灭那些蚂蚁，但它让我着迷了整整24个小时。"],[27,"I bound the base of the tree with sticky tape, making it impossible for the ants to reach the aphides.","我用粘性胶带把树干的底部缠了起来，这样蚂蚁就无法接触到蚜虫了。"],[28,"The tape was so sticky that they did not dare to cross it.","胶带非常粘，它们不敢爬过去。"],[29,"For a long time, I watched them scurrying around the base of the tree in bewilderment.","很长时间里，我看着它们困惑地在树根周围慌乱地爬来爬去。"],[30,"I even went out at midnight with a torch and noted with satisfaction (and surprise)","我甚至在午夜时分拿着手电筒出门，满意地（又惊讶地）看到"],[31,"that the ants were still swarming around the sticky tape without being able to do anything about it.","那些蚂蚁仍然在粘性胶带周围团团转，却对此束手无策。"],[32,"I got up early next morning hoping to find that the ants had given up in despair.","第二天早上我早早起床，希望看到蚂蚁们已经绝望地放弃了。"],[33,"Instead, I saw that they had discovered a new route.","相反，我发现他们发现了一条新的路线。"],[34,"They were climbing up the wall of the house and then on to the leaves of the tree.","它们沿着房子的墙壁爬上去，然后又爬到了树上的叶子上。"],[35,"I realized sadly that I had been completely defeated by their ingenuity.","遗憾的是，我发现自己完全被他们的聪明才智给打败了。"],[36,"The ants had been quick to find an answer to my thoroughly unscientific methods!","蚂蚁们很快就找到了对付我那些完全不科学的方法的办法！"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"03－An Unknown Goddess","t":"An Unknown Goddess","c":[[0,"Lesson 3","第3课"],[1,"An unknown goddess","一位未知的女神"],[2,"How did the archaeologists know that the statue was a goddess?","考古学家是如何知道这座雕像是女神的呢？"],[3,"Some time ago, an interesting discovery was made by archaeologists on the Aegean island of Kea.","不久前，考古学家在爱琴海的基阿岛上有了一个有趣的发现。"],[4,"An American team explored a temple which stands in an ancient city on the promontory of Ayia Irini.","一支美国团队考察了一座寺庙，这座寺庙位于阿伊亚·伊里尼（Ayia Irini）海岬上的一座古城里。"],[5,"The city at one time must have been prosperous, for it enjoyed a high level of civilization.","这座城市曾经一定非常繁荣，因为它拥有高度发达的文明。"],[6,"Houses -- often three storeys high -- were built of stone.","房屋通常有三层楼高，是用石头建造的。"],[7,"They had large rooms with beautifully decorated walls.","房间宽敞，墙壁装饰精美。"],[8,"The city was even equipped with a drainage system, for a great many clay pipes were found beneath the narrow streets.","这座城市甚至配备了排水系统；因为在狭窄的街道下方发现了大量的陶土管道。"],[9,"The temple which the archaeologists explored was used as a place of worship from the fifteenth century B.C. until Roman times.","考古学家们探索的那座寺庙，从公元前15世纪起就被用作礼拜场所，一直使用到罗马时代。"],[10,"In the most sacred room of the temple, clay fragments of fifteen statues were found.","在寺庙最神圣的房间里，发现了十五座雕像的陶土碎片。"],[11,"Each of these represented a goddess and had, at one time, been painted.","每一尊雕像都代表一位女神，而且曾经都上过色。"],[12,"The body of one statue was found among remains dating from the 15th century B.C.","一尊雕像的躯干是在可追溯至公元前15世纪的遗迹中被发现的。"],[13,"Its missing head happened to be among remains of the fifth century B.C.","它缺失的头部恰好在公元前5世纪的遗迹中被发现。"],[14,"This head must have been found in Classical times and carefully preserved.","这个头部很可能是后来在古典时期被发现的，并且被精心保存了下来。"],[15,"It was very old and precious even then.","即使在那个时候，这尊雕像也已经非常古老且珍贵了。"],[16,"When the archaeologists reconstructed the fragments, they were amazed to find that the goddess turned out to be a very modern-looking woman.","当考古学家重新拼凑这些碎片时，他们惊讶地发现，这座女神的形象实际上是一位看起来非常现代的女性。"],[17,"She stood three feet high and her hands rested on her hips.","她身高三英尺，双手叉腰。"],[18,"She was wearing a full-length skirt which swept the ground.","她穿着一条及地的长裙。"],[19,"Despite her great age, she was very graceful indeed, but, so far, the archaeologists have been unable to discover her identity.","尽管年代久远，她的姿态依然十分优雅；不过到目前为止，考古学家还未能确定她的身份。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"02－Thirteen Equals One","t":"Thirteen Equals One","c":[[0,"Lesson 2","第2课"],[1,"Thirteen equals one","十三等于一"],[2,"Was the vicar pleased that the clock was striking? Why?","牧师对钟在报时感到高兴吗？为什么？"],[3,"Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another,","我们的牧师总是为各种慈善事业筹款，"],[4,"but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired.","但他始终没能筹集到足够的钱来修理教堂的时钟。"],[5,"The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.","那座曾经日夜报时的大钟在多年前就损坏了，从那以后就一直没再响过。"],[6,"One night, however, our vicar woke up with a start:the clock was striking the hours!","然而一天晚上，我们的牧师突然惊醒：时钟竟然在报时了！"],[7,"Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock,","他看了看手表，发现时间是凌晨一点，"],[8,"but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped.","但钟声却响了十三下才停止。"],[9,"Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on.","牧师拿着手电筒走上钟楼，想看看发生了什么。"],[10,"In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.","在手电筒的光亮中，他看到一个人影，立刻认出那是我们当地的杂货商比尔·威尔金斯。"],[11,"'Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked the vicar in surprise.","“比尔，你到底在这里干什么？”牧师惊讶地问。"],[12,"'I'm trying to repair the bell, ' answered Bill.","“我正在尝试修理这个铃铛，”比尔回答道。"],[13,"'I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now.","“这几周来，我夜夜都来这里。"],[14,"You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.'","你看，我本来想给你一个惊喜的。"],[15,"'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar.","“你确实给了我一个惊喜！”牧师说道。"],[16,"'You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well.","“你可能把全村人都给吵醒了。"],[17,"Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.'","不过，我很高兴这个铃铛又能正常使用了。"],[18,"'That's the trouble, vicar, 'answered Bill. 'It's working all right,","“问题就在这儿，牧师，”比尔回答说，“钟是能走，"],[19,"but I'm afraid that at one o'clock it will strike thirteen times and there's nothing I can do about it.'","但我担心，到了凌晨一点的时候，钟声会敲响十三下，而我对此无能为力。"],[20,"'We'll get used to that, Bill, 'said the vicar.","“我们会慢慢习惯的，比尔，”牧师说道。"],[21,"'Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing.","“十三下虽然不如一下，但总比不响好。"],[22,"Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.'","现在，我们下楼去喝杯茶吧。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"55－From the Earth Greetings","t":"From the Earth: Greetings","c":[[0,"Lesson 55","第55课"],[1,"From the earth: Greetings","来自地球的问候："],[2,"Which life forms are most likely to develop on a distant planet?","哪些生命形式最有可能在遥远的行星上出现？"],[3,"Recent developments in astronomy have made it possible to detect planets in our own Milky Way and in other galaxies.","天文学的最新发展使得我们能够探测到我们自己的银河系以及其他星系中的行星。"],[4,"This is a major achievement because, in relative terms, planets are very small and do not emit light.","这是一个重大成就，因为从相对的角度看，行星体积很小，而且自身并不发光。"],[5,"Finding planets is proving hard enough, but finding life on them will prove infinitely more difficult.","找到行星已经够难了，但在其上寻找生命将更加困难。"],[6,"The first question to answer is whether a planet can actually support life.","首先要回答的问题是：行星是否真的能够支持生命。"],[7,"In our own solar system, for example, Venus is far to hot and Mars is far too cold to support life.","例如在我们的太阳系中，金星太热，火星又太冷，都无法维持生命。"],[8,"Only the Earth provides ideal conditions, and even here it has taken more than four billion years for plant and animal life to evolve.","只有地球提供了理想的条件，但即便如此，植物和动物生命的进化也花费了四十多亿年。"],[9,"Whether a planet can support life depends on the size and brightness of its star, that is its 'sun'.","行星能否支持生命取决于其恒星（也就是它的“太阳”）的大小和亮度。"],[10,"Imagine a star up to twenty times larger, brighter and hotter than our own sun.","设想一颗比我们的太阳大、亮、热都高出二十倍的恒星。"],[11,"A planet would have to be a very long way from it to be capable of supporting life.","行星必须离它非常遥远，才有可能维持生命。"],[12,"Alternatively, if the star were small,","或者，如果那颗恒星很小，"],[13,"the life-supporting planet would have to have a close orbit round it and also provide the perfect conditions for life forms to develop.","这颗能够维持生命的行星必须拥有一个靠近该恒星的轨道，并且必须提供适合生命形式发展的完美条件。"],[14,"But how would we find such a planet?","但是，我们该如何找到这样一颗行星呢？"],[15,"At present, there is no telescope in existence that is capable of detecting the presence of life.","目前，还没有任何现有的望远镜能够探测到生命的存在。"],[16,"The development of such a telescope will be one of the great astronomical projects of the 21st century.","开发这样的望远镜将是21世纪最重要的天文项目之一。"],[17,"It is impossible to look for life on another planet using earth-based telescopes.","使用地球上的望远镜，是不可能在其他行星上寻找生命的。"],[18,"Our own warm atmosphere and the heat generated by the telescope","我们自身的温暖环境，以及望远镜所产生的热量……"],[19,"would make it impossible to detect objects as small as planets.","这将使得检测像行星这样微小的物体变得不可能。"],[20,"Even a telescope in orbit round the earth, like the very successful Hubble telescope,","即使是像哈勃望远镜这样非常成功的、位于地球轨道上的望远镜，"],[21,"would not be suitable because of the dust particles in our solar system.","由于太阳系中存在大量的尘埃颗粒，这种方法并不适用。"],[22,"A telescope would have to be as far away as the planet Jupiter to look for life in outer space,","望远镜必须远到像木星那样远的地方，才能在外太空寻找生命，"],[23,"because the dust becomes thinner the further we travel towards the outer edges of our own solar system.","因为我们越往太阳系外围走，尘埃就越稀薄。"],[24,"Once we detected a planet, we would have to find a way of blotting out the light from its star,","一旦我们发现了一颗行星，我们就必须想办法遮挡掉来自该行星恒星的光线。"],[25,"so that we would be able to 'see' the planet properly and analyse its atmosphere.","这样我们就能清楚地“看到”这颗行星，并分析其大气层了。"],[26,"In the first instance, we would be looking for plant life, rather than 'little green men'.","首先，我们寻找的是植物生命，而不是所谓的“小绿人”。"],[27,"The life forms most likely to develop on a planet would be bacteria.","最有可能在行星上生存的生命形式是细菌。"],[28,"It is bacteria that have generated the oxygen we breathe on earth.","正是细菌产生了我们地球上所呼吸的氧气。"],[29,"For most of the earth's history they have been the only form of life on our planet.","在地球历史的大部分时间里，它们都是地球上唯一的生命形式。"],[30,"As Earth-dwellers, we always cherish the hope that we will be visited by little green men and that we will be able to communicate with them.","作为地球人，我们始终怀揣着这样的希望：有一天，外星的小绿人会来到我们身边，我们能够与他们进行交流。"],[31,"But this hope is always in the realms of science fiction.","然而，这种希望始终只存在于科幻作品的范畴之中。"],[32,"If we were able to discover lowly forms of life like bacteria on another planet, it would completely change our view of ourselves.","如果我们能够在另一颗行星上发现像细菌这样的简单生命形式，那将彻底改变我们对自己的认知。"],[33,"As Daniel Goldin of NASA observed, 'Finding life elsewhere would change everything.","正如NASA的丹尼尔·戈尔丁所说：“在其它地方发现生命将会改变一切。”"],[34,"No human endeavour or thought would be unchanged by it.'","没有任何人类的努力或思想会因此而保持不变。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"08－A Famous Monastery","t":"A Famous Monastery","c":[[0,"Lesson 8","第8课"],[1,"A famous monastery","一座著名的修道院"],[2,"What are the St.Bernard dogs used for?","圣伯纳德犬是用来做什么的？"],[3,"The Great St.Bernard Pass connects Switzerland to Italy.","大圣伯纳德山口（Great St. Bernard Pass）将瑞士与意大利连接起来。"],[4,"At 2,473 metres, it is the highest mountain pass in Europe.","海拔2,473米，它是欧洲最高的山口。"],[5,"The famous monastery of St.Bernard,","著名的圣伯纳德修道院"],[6,"which was founded in the eleventh century, lies about a mile away.","这座修道院建于十一世纪，坐落在约一英里外。"],[7,"For hundreds of years, St.Bernard dogs have saved the lives of travellers crossing the dangerous Pass.","几个世纪以来，圣伯纳德犬一直拯救着那些穿越危险山口的旅行者的生命。"],[8,"These friendly dogs, which were first brought from Asia,","这些友好的狗狗最初是从亚洲引进的。"],[9,"were used as watchdogs even in Roman times.","甚至在罗马时代，它们就被用作看门狗。"],[10,"Now that a tunnel has been built through the mountains, the Pass is less dangerous,","既然已经修建了一条穿山隧道，山口的危险性就降低了，"],[11,"but each year, the dogs are still sent out into the snow whenever a traveller is in difficulty.","但每当有旅行者遇到困难时，这些狗仍会被派往雪地救援。"],[12,"Despite the new tunnel,","尽管有了这条新隧道，"],[13,"there are still a few people who rashly attempt to cross the Pass on foot.","仍然有一些人贸然尝试徒步穿越这个山口。"],[14,"During the summer months, the monastery is very busy,","在夏季，这座修道院非常繁忙。"],[15,"for it is visited by thousands of people who cross the Pass in cars.","因为这里有成千上万的人开车穿过山口前来参观。"],[16,"As there are so many people about, the dogs have to be kept in a special enclosure.","由于周围人太多，这些狗必须被关在专门的围栏里。"],[17,"In winter, however, life at the monastery is quite different.","然而，在冬天，修道院的生活却大不相同了。"],[18,"The temperature drops to -30 degrees,","气温降到了零下30度。"],[19,"and very few people attempt to cross the Pass.","而且，很少有人试图穿越这个山口。"],[20,"The monks prefer winter to summer for they have more privacy.","僧侣们更喜欢冬天，因为那时他们更清静。"],[21,"The dogs have greater freedom, too,","这些狗也拥有更大的自由。"],[22,"for they are allowed to wander outside their enclosure.","因为它们被允许在围栏外四处走动。"],[23,"The only regular visitors to the monastery in winter are parties of skiers who go there at Christmas and Easter.","冬天里，唯一经常造访这座修道院的人是一群滑雪者——他们会在圣诞节和复活节期间来到这里。"],[24,"These young people,","这些年轻人，"],[25,"who love the peace of the mountains,","他们热爱山间的宁静，"],[26,"always receive a warm welcome at St.Bernard's monastery.","在圣伯纳德修道院总是受到热情的欢迎。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"24－A Skeleton in the Cupboard","t":"A Skeleton in the Cupboard","c":[[0,"Lesson 24","第24课"],[1,"A skeleton in the cupboard","柜中骷髅（比喻不可告人的秘密）"],[2,"Who was Sebastian?","塞巴斯蒂安是谁？"],[3,"We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person","我们在小说中经常看到这样的情节：一个表面上看起来很体面、值得尊敬的人……"],[4,"or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years.","或者这个家庭隐藏着一个可怕的秘密，这个秘密多年来一直被对外人隐瞒着。"],[5,"The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation.","英语中有一句非常生动的表达，用来形容这种情况。"],[6,"The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cupboard'.","这个可怕的秘密就叫“柜中骷髅”。"],[7,"At some dramatic moment in the story, the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined.","在故事中的某个关键时刻，那个可怕的秘密被揭露了，从而导致一个人的声誉彻底毁掉。"],[8,"The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine,","当读者读到小说最后几页，发现女主角……"],[9,"a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.","一位一直对所有人都非常友善的善良老妇人，在她年轻时，竟然毒死了她的五位丈夫。"],[10,"It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction.","这种事发生在小说里倒也罢了。"],[11,"To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn,","在某种程度上，我们每个人都有自己不想让最亲密的朋友知道的秘密。"],[12,"but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard.","但我们中很少有人真有“柜中骷髅”。"],[13,"The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact.","我认识的唯一有“柜中骷髅”的人是乔治·卡尔顿，而且他还对此引以为豪。"],[14,"George studied medicine in his youth.","乔治年轻时学习过医学。"],[15,"Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories.","然而，他并没有成为医生，而是成为了一名成功的侦探小说作家。"],[16,"I once spent an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house.","我曾在他的家里度过了一个极其不愉快的周末，那个经历我永远都不会忘记。"],[17,"George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used.","乔治带我去了客房，他说这个房间很少有人使用。"],[18,"He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner.","他让我先把行李收拾好，然后再下来吃晚饭。"],[19,"After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers, I decided to hang one of the two suits I had brought with me in the cupboard.","我把衬衫和内衣整理好后，放进了两个空抽屉里；接着，我决定把带来的两套西装中的一套挂在衣柜里。"],[20,"I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified.","我打开了橱柜的门，然后站在那里，吓得动弹不得。"],[21,"A skeleton was dangling before my eyes.","一具骷髅悬挂在我的眼前。"],[22,"The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me.","门的突然晃动让它也跟着摇摆起来，给我的感觉是它好像要朝我扑过来似的。"],[23,"Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George.","我立刻放下西装，冲下楼去告诉乔治。"],[24,"This was worse than 'a terrible secret'; this was a real skeleton!","这比“一个可怕的秘密”还要糟糕；那简直是一具真正的骷髅！"],[25,"But George was unsympathetic.","但乔治却毫无同情之心。"],[26,"'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend.","“哦，那个啊，”他笑着说，仿佛在谈论一个老朋友一样，"],[27,"'That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time.'","“那是塞巴斯蒂安。你忘了，我曾经也是一名医学生。”"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"11－Not Guilty","t":"Not Guilty","c":[[0,"Lesson 11","第11课"],[1,"Not guilty","“无罪”"],[2,"What was the Customs Officer looking for?","海关官员在寻找什么？"],[3,"Customs Officers are quite tolerant these days, but they can still stop you when you are going through the Green Channel and have nothing to declare.","如今的海关官员通常比较宽容，但即便你通过绿色通道且没有任何需要申报的物品，他们仍有可能拦下你。"],[4,"Even really honest people are often made to feel guilty.","即使是那些非常诚实的人，也常常会因此感到内疚。"],[5,"The hardened professional smuggler, on the other hand, is never troubled by such feelings,","另一方面，那些老练的走私者则完全不会受到这种情绪的困扰——"],[6,"even if he has five hundred gold watches hidden in his suitcase.","即使他们的行李箱里藏着五百块金表。"],[7,"When I returned from abroad recently, a particularly officious young Customs Officer","最近我从国外回来时，一位特别爱管闲事的年轻海关官员"],[8,"clearly regarded me as a smuggler.","明显把我当成了走私者。"],[9,"'Have you anything to declare?' he asked, looking me in the eye.","“您有什么需要申报的吗？”他直视着我的眼睛问道。"],[10,"'No,' I answered confidently.","“没有，”我自信地回答。"],[11,"'Would you mind unlocking this suitcase please? '","“请您把这个行李箱打开好吗？”"],[12,"'Not at all,' I answered.","“一点也不，”我回答道。"],[13,"The Officer went through the case with great care.","这位官员非常仔细地检查了行李箱。"],[14,"All the things I had packed so carefully were soon in a dreadful mess.","我精心打包的所有东西，很快就变得一片狼藉。"],[15,"I felt sure I would never be able to close the case again.","我确信自己再也无法关上这个箱子了。"],[16,"Suddenly, I saw the Officer's face light up.","突然，我看到那位警官的脸上露出了笑容。"],[17,"He had spotted a tiny bottle at the bottom of my case","他在我的行李箱底部发现了一个小瓶子。"],[18,"and he pounced on it with delight.","他高兴地抓住了它。"],[19,"'Perfume, eh?' he asked sarcastically.","“香水，是吗？”他讽刺地问道。"],[20,"'You should have declared that.","你本应该申报这个的。"],[21,"Perfume is not exempt from import duty.  '","香水同样需要缴纳进口关税。"],[22,"'But it isn't perfume, I said. 'It's hair gel.  '","“但这不是香水，”我说，“这是发胶。”"],[23,"Then I added with a smile,","然后我微笑着补充道："],[24,"'It's a strange mixture I make myself.","这是我自己调制的一种奇怪混合物。"],[25,"As I expected, he did not believe me.","正如我所料，他根本不相信我的话。"],[26,"'Try it!' I said encouragingly.","“试试看吧！”我鼓励地说道。"],[27,"The Officer unscrewed the cap and put the bottle to his nostrils.","那位警官拧开了瓶盖，将瓶子靠近自己的鼻孔。"],[28,"He was greeted by an unpleasant smell which convinced him that I was telling the truth.","一股难闻的气味扑面而来，这让他确信我说的是实话。"],[29,"A few minutes later, I was able to hurry away with precious chalk marks on my baggage.","几分钟后，我终于带着行李匆匆离开了——我的行李上留下了那些珍贵的粉笔痕迹。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"10－The Loss of the Titanic","t":"The Loss of the Titanic","c":[[0,"Lesson 10","第10课"],[1,"The loss of the Titanic","泰坦尼克号的沉没"],[2,"What'd have happened if only two of the 16 water-tight compartments had been flooded?","如果16个防水隔舱中只有两个进水，会发生什么？"],[3,"The great ship, Titanic sailed for New York from Southampton on April 10th, 1912.","这艘巨轮泰坦尼克号于1912年4月10日从南安普顿出发，驶向纽约。"],[4,"She was carrying 1, 316 passengers and a crew of 891.","船上载有1,316名乘客和891名船员。"],[5,"Even by modern standards, the 46, 000 ton Titanic was a colossal ship.","即便以现代标准来看，这艘46,000吨的泰坦尼克号也是一艘巨轮。"],[6,"At that time, however, she was not only the largest ship that had ever been built, but was regarded as unsinkable, for she had sixteen water-tight compartments.","然而在当时，它不仅是建造过的最大船只，而且被认为永不沉没，因为它有16个防水隔舱。"],[7,"Even if two of these were flooded, she would still be able to float.","即使其中两个隔舱进水，它仍然能够漂浮。"],[8,"The tragic sinking of this great liner will always be remembered, for she went down on her first voyage with heavy loss of life.","这艘巨轮的悲剧性沉没将永远被人们铭记，因为它在首航中沉没，造成了重大生命损失。"],[9,"Four days after setting out, while the Titanic was sailing across the icy waters of the North Atlantic,","出发四天后，当泰坦尼克号正航行在北大西洋的冰冷水域时，"],[10,"a huge iceberg was suddenly spotted by a lookout.","瞭望员突然发现了一座巨大的冰山。"],[11,"After the alarm had been given, the great ship turned sharply to avoid a direct collision.","警报发出后，这艘巨轮急转弯以避免直接相撞。"],[12,"The Titanic turned just in time, narrowly missing the immense wall of ice which rose over 100 feet out of the water beside her.","泰坦尼克号及时转向，勉强避开了那座高出水面100英尺的巨大冰墙。"],[13,"Suddenly, there was a slight trembling sound from below,","突然，从船底传来一阵轻微的颤动声，"],[14,"and the captain went down to see what had happened.","船长走下船舱去看发生了什么事。"],[15,"The noise had been so faint that no one thought that the ship had been damaged.","声音非常微弱，以至于没人认为船体受损了。"],[16,"Below, the captain realized to his horror that the Titanic was sinking rapidly,","在船舱里，船长惊恐地发现泰坦尼克号正在迅速下沉，"],[17,"for five of her sixteen watertight compartments had already been flooded!","因为它的16个防水隔舱中已经有5个进水了！"],[18,"The order to abandon ship was given and hundreds of people plunged into the icy water.","弃船命令下达后，数百人跳入冰冷的海水中。"],[19,"As there were not enough life-boats for everybody, 1, 500 lives were lost.","由于救生艇的数量不足以容纳所有人，因此有 1,500 人失去了生命。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"51－Predicting the Future","t":"Predicting the Future","c":[[0,"Lesson 51","第51课"],[1,"Predicting the future","预测未来"],[2,"What was the 'future' electronic development that Leon Bagrit wasn't able to foresee?","莱昂·巴格里特没能预见的那项“未来”电子发展是什么？"],[3,"Predicting the future is notoriously difficult.","预测未来向来是一件极其困难的事情。"],[4,"Who could have imagined, in the mid 1970s, for example,","谁能想到呢？比如说，在20世纪70年代中期……"],[5,"that by the end of the 20th century, computers would be as common in people's homes as TV sets?","到20世纪末，计算机会在人们的家中变得像电视机一样普遍呢？"],[6,"In the 1970s, computers were common enough,","在20世纪70年代，计算机已经相当普及了。"],[7,"but only in big business, government departments and large organizations.","但这仅限于大企业、政府部门以及大型组织。"],[8,"These were the so-called mainframe machines.","这些就是所谓的“大型机”（mainframe machines）。"],[9,"Mainframe computers were very large indeed often occupying whole air-conditioned rooms,","大型机确实体积庞大，常常占据整个装有空调的房间。"],[10,"employing full-time technicians and run on specially-written software.","这些机器配有全职技术人员，并运行专门编写的软件。"],[11,"Though these large machines still exist,","尽管这些大型机器仍然存在，"],[12,"many of their functions have been taken over by small powerful personal computers, commonly known as PCs.","它们的许多功能已经被功能强大、体积小巧的个人电脑（通常称为“PC”）所取代了。"],[13,"In 1975, a primitive machine called the Altair, was launched in the USA.","1975年，一种名为 Altair 的早期计算机在美国问世。"],[14,"It can properly be described as the first 'home computer' and it pointed the way to the future.","它完全可以被称作第一台“家用电脑”，并且为未来的发展方向指明了方向。"],[15,"This was followed, at the end of the 1970s, by a machine called an Apple.","随后，在20世纪70年代末，出现了一种名为“Apple”的机器。"],[16,"In the early 1980s, the computer giant, IBM produced the world's first Personal Computer.","20世纪80年代初，计算机巨头IBM推出了世界上第一台个人电脑（Personal Computer）。"],[17,"This ran on an 'operating system' called DOS,","它运行在一个名为DOS的“操作系统”上。"],[18,"produced by a then small company named Microsoft.","这款产品是由当时还是一家小型公司的微软（Microsoft）开发的。"],[19,"The IBM Personal Computer was widely copied.","IBM个人电脑被广泛地模仿和复制。"],[20,"From those humble beginnings,","从这些 humble beginnings 开始，"],[21,"we have seen the development of the user-friendly home computers and multimedia machines which are in common use today.","我们已经见证了如今广泛使用的、用户友好的家用电脑和多媒体设备的不断发展。"],[22,"Considering how recent these developments are, it is even more remarkable that as long ago as the 1960s, an Englishman,","考虑到这些发展都发生得如此之近，更令人惊讶的是：早在20世纪60年代，就有一位英国人……"],[23,"Leon Bagrit, was able to predict some of the uses of computers which we know today.","莱昂·巴格里特（Leon Bagrit）成功预测了计算机的一些我们今天所知的用途。"],[24,"Bagrit dismissed the idea that computers would learn to 'think' for themselves and would 'rule the world', which people liked to believe in those days.","巴格里特驳斥了这样一种观点：计算机能够学会“自主思考”并“统治世界”。在那个时候，许多人确实相信这种可能性。"],[25,"Bagrit foresaw a time when computers would be small enough to hold in the hand,","巴格里特预见了一个时代：那时计算机会变得足够小巧，可以放在手中使用。"],[26,"when they would be capable of providing information about traffic jams and suggesting alterative routes,","当它们能够提供交通拥堵信息并建议替代路线时……"],[27,"when they would be used in hospitals to help doctors to diagnose illnesses,","当它们被用于医院帮助医生诊断疾病时……"],[28,"when they would relieve office workers and accountants of dull, repetitive clerical work.","当它们能够减轻办公室职员和会计的枯燥、重复性文书工作时……"],[29,"All these computer uses have become commonplace.","所有这些计算机的使用方式都已经变得非常普遍了。"],[30,"Of course, Leon Bagrit couldn't possibly have foreseen the development of the Internet,","当然，莱昂·巴格里特根本不可能预见到互联网的发展。"],[31,"the worldwide system that enables us to communicate instantly with anyone in any part of the world by using computers linked to telephone networks.","互联网是一个全球系统，它让我们能够通过连接电话网络的计算机，与世界任何地方的任何人即时交流。"],[32,"Nor could he have foreseen how we could use the Internet to obtain information on every known subject,","他也无法预见到我们如何能够利用互联网来获取关于所有已知主题的信息。"],[33,"so we can read it on a screen in our homes and even print it as well if we want to.","这样我们就可以在家里的屏幕上阅读这些信息，如果需要的话，还可以打印出来。"],[34,"Computers have become smaller and smaller, more and more powerful and cheaper and cheaper.","计算机变得越来越小，性能越来越强大，价格也越来越便宜。"],[35,"This is what makes Leon Bagrit's predictions particularly remarkable.","这正是让莱昂·巴格里特的预测显得格外引人注目的原因。"],[36,"If he, or someone like him, were alive today, he might be able to tell us what to expect in the next fifty years.","如果他或像他这样的人今天还活着，或许能告诉我们未来五十年会发生什么。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"26－Wanted a Large Biscuit Tin","t":"Wanted: a Large Biscuit Tin","c":[[0,"Lesson 26","第26课"],[1,"Wanted: a large biscuit tin","征购：一个大号的饼干盒"],[2,"Who won the prize for the biggest biscuit?","谁赢得了“最大饼干”奖呢？"],[3,"No one can avoid being influenced by advertisements.","没有人能够完全不受广告的影响。"],[4,"Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste,","尽管我们常常为自己的品味感到自豪，"],[5,"we are no longer free to choose the things we want,","但实际上我们已不再能够自由选择自己真正想要的东西，"],[6,"for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us.","因为广告对我们产生了潜移默化的影响。"],[7,"In their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product,","为了说服我们购买某种产品，"],[8,"advertisers have made a close study of human nature and have classified all our little weaknesses.","广告商们深入研究了人类的心理，并分类整理了我们所有的小弱点。"],[9,"Advertisers discovered years ago that all of us love to get something for nothing.","多年前，广告商们就发现：我们都喜欢免费获得东西。"],[10,"An advertisement which begins with the magic word FREE can rarely go wrong.","任何以“免费”这个词开头的广告几乎都不会失败。"],[11,"These days, advertisers not only offer free samples,","如今，广告商们不仅提供免费样品，……"],[12,"but free cars, free houses, and free trips round the world as well.","还有免费的汽车、免费的房子，以及免费的环球旅行机会。"],[13,"They devise hundreds of competitions which will enable us to win huge sums of money.","他们设计了数百种比赛，让我们有机会赢得巨额奖金。"],[14,"Radio and television have made it possible for advertisers to capture the attention of millions of people in this way.","广播和电视使得广告商能够以这种方式吸引数百万人的注意力。"],[15,"During a radio programme, a company of biscuit manufacturers once asked listeners to bake biscuits and send them to their factory.","在一次广播节目中，一家饼干制造商邀请听众们烤制饼干并寄到他们的工厂。"],[16,"They offered to pay $10 a pound for the biggest biscuit baked by a listener.","他们提出愿意以每磅10美元的价格购买听众们烤制的最大尺寸的饼干。"],[17,"The response to this competition was tremendous.","这次比赛的反响非常热烈（或：这次比赛的响应非常强烈）。"],[18,"Before long, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the factory.","不久之后，各种形状和大小的饼干开始运送到工厂里。"],[19,"One lady brought biscuit on a wheelbarrow. It weighed nearly 500 pounds.","一位女士用手推车运来一块饼干，它重达近500磅。"],[20,"A little later, a man came along with a biscuit which occupied the whole boot of his car.","过了一会儿，一个男人走了过来，他带来的饼干占据了他汽车整个后备箱的空间。"],[21,"All the biscuits that were sent were carefully weighed.","所有被寄出的饼干都经过了仔细的称重。"],[22,"The largest was 713 pounds. It seemed certain that this would win the prize.","最大的那个重达713磅；看起来它肯定会赢得这个奖项。"],[23,"But just before the competition closed,","但在比赛即将结束之前，"],[24,"a lorry arrived at the factory with a truly colossal biscuit which weighed 2, 400 pounds.","一辆卡车将一块重量高达2,400磅的巨型饼干送到了工厂。"],[25,"It had been baked by a college student who had used over 1, 000 pounds of flour, 800 pounds of sugar,","这块饼干是由一名大学生烤制的；他用了超过1000磅的面粉和800磅的糖。"],[26,"200 pounds of fat, and 400 pounds of various other ingredients.","200磅的脂肪，以及400磅的其他各种成分。"],[27,"It was so heavy that a crane had to be used to remove it from the lorry.","它太重了，必须使用起重机才能将其从卡车上卸下来。"],[28,"The manufacturers had to pay more money than they had anticipated, for they bought the biscuit from the student for $24, 000.","制造商们不得不支付比预期更多的钱，因为他们以24,000美元的价格从那位学生手中买下了这块饼干。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"57－Back in the Old Country","t":"Back in the Old Country","c":[[0,"Lesson 57","第57课"],[1,"Back in the old country","回到故乡"],[2,"Did the narrater find his mother's grave?","叙述者找到了母亲的坟墓吗？"],[3,"I stopped to let the car cool off and to study the map.","我停下来，让车子冷却一下，同时仔细研究地图。"],[4,"I had expected to be near my objective by now, but everything still seemed alien to me.","我本以为自己应该已经接近目的地了，但周围的一切依然让我感到陌生。"],[5,"I was only five when my father had taken me abroad, and that was eighteen years ago.","我五岁的时候，父亲把我带到了国外，那已经是十八年前的事了。"],[6,"When my mother had died after a tragic accident, he did not quickly recover from the shock and loneliness.","母亲在一次悲剧性的事故中去世后，他久久无法从震惊和孤独中走出来。"],[7,"Everything around him was full of her presence, continually reopening the wound.","他身边的每一样东西都让他想起她，那些回忆不断重新揭开他的伤痛。"],[8,"So he decided to emigrate.","于是，他决定移民。"],[9,"In the new country he became absorbed in making a new life for the two of us, so that he gradually ceased to grieve.","在新的国家里，他全身心地投入到为我们俩创造新生活的过程中，渐渐地，他的悲伤也减轻了。"],[10,"He did not marry again and I was brought up without a woman's care; but I lacked for nothing, for he was both father and mother to me.","他再也没有再婚，我在没有女性照顾的环境中长大；不过我并不缺乏什么，因为父亲同时扮演着母亲的角色。"],[11,"He always meant to go back one day, but not to stay.","他一直说总有一天会回去，但并不是为了定居。"],[12,"His roots and mine had become too firmly embedded in the new land.","他的根基和我的根基都已经深深地扎根在这片新的土地上。"],[13,"But he wanted to see the old folk againand to visit my mother's grave.","但他想再见见那些老朋友，也想去看看我母亲的坟墓。"],[14,"He became mortally ill a few months before we had planned to go and, when he knew that he was dying, he made me promise to go on my own.","就在我们计划出发的几个月前，他病入膏肓。当他知道自己时日无多时，他让我答应独自完成这次旅程。"],[15,"I hired a car the day after landing and bought a comprehensive book of maps,","我落地后的第二天就租了一辆车，并买了一本内容详尽的地图册。"],[16,"which I found most helpful on the cross-country journey, but which I did not think I should need on the last stage.","这在我长途旅行的过程中确实非常有用，不过我觉得在最后一段旅程中应该并不需要它。"],[17,"It was not that I actually remembered anything at all.","其实我根本什么都不记得了。"],[18,"But my father had described over and over again what we should see at every milestone after leaving the nearest town,","但我父亲一遍又一遍地描述过，在离开最近的那个小镇之后，我们在每一个重要的里程碑处应该看到什么。"],[19,"so that I was positive I should recognize it as familiar territory.","这样我就能肯定自己会认出这片熟悉的地方。"],[20,"Well, I had been wrong, for I was now lost.","好吧，我错了——因为我现在真的迷路了。"],[21,"I looked at the map and then at the milometer.","我先看了看地图，然后又看了看里程表。"],[22,"I had come ten miles since leaving the town and at this point, according to my father,","自从离开小镇后，我已经走了十英里。据我父亲说，"],[23,"I should be looking at farms and cottages in a valley,","我本应看到山谷里的农场和小屋，"],[24,"with the spire of the church of our village showing in the far distance.","远处，我们村庄教堂的尖顶清晰可见。"],[25,"I could see no valley, no farms, no cottages and no church spire-only a lake.","我看不到任何山谷、农场、小屋，也没有教堂的尖塔——只有一片湖泊。"],[26,"I decided that I must have taken a wrong turning somewhere.","我意识到自己肯定在某个地方走错了路（即选择了错误的方向或路径）。"],[27,"So I drove back to the town and began to retrace the route, taking frequent glances at the map.","于是我开车回到了镇上，开始沿着原来的路线返回，同时不时地查看地图。"],[28,"I landed up at the same corner.","结果我又回到了同一个路口。"],[29,"The curious thing was that the lake was not marked on the map.","奇怪的是，这个湖泊在地图上根本没有标注。"],[30,"I felt as if I had stumbled into a nightmare country, as you sometimes do in dreams.","我感觉自己仿佛闯入了一个噩梦般的国度——就像在梦中有时会遇到的那样。"],[31,"And, as in a nightmare, there was nobody in sight to help me.","就像在噩梦中一样，周围根本没有人能够帮助我。"],[32,"Fortunately for me, as I was wondering what to do next,","幸运的是，就在我思考接下来该做什么的时候……"],[33,"there appeared on the horizon a man on horseback, riding in my direction.","地平线上出现了一个骑马的人，他正朝我的方向走来。"],[34,"I waited till he came near, then I asked him the way to our old village.","我等他走近后，便向他打听去我们老村庄的路。"],[35,"He said that there was now no village.","他说，那个村庄现在已经不存在了。"],[36,"I thought he must have misunderstood me, so I repeated its name.","我以为他一定误解了我的意思，于是我又重复了一遍那个名字。"],[37,"This time he pointed to the lake.","这次他指向了那个湖泊。"],[38,"The village no longer existed because it had been submerged, and all the valley too.","那个村庄已经不存在了——因为它被水淹没了，整个山谷也都消失了。"],[39,"The lake was not a natural one, but a man-made reservoir.","那个湖泊并不是天然的，而是一个人工建造的水库。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"40－Who's Who","t":"Who's Who","c":[[0,"Lesson 40","第40课"],[1,"Who's who","谁是谁？"],[2,"How did the policeman discover that the whole thing was a joke?","警察是怎么发现这一切其实只是个玩笑的呢？"],[3,"It has never been explained why university students seem to enjoy practical jokes more than anyone else.","一直没有人解释为什么大学生似乎比任何人都更喜欢恶作剧。"],[4,"Students specialize in a particular type of practical joke: the hoax.","学生们专精于一种特定类型的恶作剧——那就是“骗局”（即通过虚假信息或欺骗手段来制造混乱或误导他人）。"],[5,"Inviting the fire brigade to put out a nonexistent fire is a crude form of deception which no self-respecting student would ever indulde in.","请消防队来扑灭不存在的火灾是一种低劣的骗术，任何有自尊的学生都不会染指。"],[6,"Students often create amusing situations which are funny to everyone except the victims.","学生们经常制造一些有趣的、滑稽的情境，但这些情境只有受害者自己觉得不好笑，其他人反而都觉得很好笑。"],[7,"When a student recently saw two workmen using a pneumatic drill outside his university,","最近，一名学生在自己的大学外面看到两名工人正在使用气动钻机。"],[8,"he immediately telephoned the police and informed them that two students dressed up as workmen","他立即拨打了报警电话，并告诉警方有两名学生装扮成工人。"],[9,"were tearing up the road with a pneumatic drill.","正用气动钻破坏路面。"],[10,"As soon as he had hung up, he went over to the workmen and told them that if a policeman ordered them to go away,","他一挂断电话，就走到工人们跟前，告诉他们如果警察命令他们离开，"],[11,"they were not to take him seriously.","他们不应该把他当回事。"],[12,"He added that a student had dressed up as a policeman and was playing all sorts of silly jokes on people.","他还补充说，有个学生打扮成警察的样子，对周围的人开了各种滑稽的玩笑。"],[13,"Both the police and the workmen were grateful to the student for this piece of advance information.","警察和工人们都很感谢这名学生提供的这个消息。"],[14,"The student hid in an archway nearby where he could watch and hear everything that went on.","那个学生躲在附近的一个拱门里，从那里他可以观察到发生的一切，也能听到所有的声音。"],[15,"Sure enough, a policeman arrived on the scene and politely asked the workmen to go away.","果然，一名警察来到了现场，并礼貌地要求工人们离开。"],[16,"When he received a very rude reply from one of the workmen, he threatened to remove them by force.","当他收到其中一名工人的粗鲁回复时，他威胁说要强行将他们赶走。"],[17,"The workmen told him to do as he pleased and the policeman telephoned for help.","工人们让他随意行事，而警察则拨打了求救电话。"],[18,"Shortly afterwards, 4 more policemen arrived and remonstrated with the workmen.","不久，又有4名警察赶到，他们劝告工人们。"],[19,"As the men refused to stop working, the police attempted to seize the pneumatic drill.","由于那些工人拒绝停止工作，警方试图没收那台气动钻机。"],[20,"The workmen struggled fiercely and one of them lost his temper.","工人们激烈反抗，其中一人发火了。"],[21,"He threatened to call the police.","他威胁说要报警。"],[22,"At this, the police pointed out ironically that this would hardly be necessary as the men were already under arrest.","这时，警察讽刺地指出，这实在没必要，因为这些人已经被逮捕了。"],[23,"Pretending to speak seriously, one of the workmen asked if he might make a telephone call before being taken to the station.","装出一副认真的样子，其中一名工人询问是否可以在被带到警察局之前打个电话。"],[24,"Permission was granted and a policeman accompanied him to a pay phone.","获得了许可后，一名警察陪同他前往了一部公用电话。"],[25,"Only when he saw that the man was actually telephoning the police did he realize that they had all been the victims of a hoax.","直到看到那个人真的在报警时，他才意识到他们所有人其实都成了一个骗局的受害者。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"01－A Puma at Large","t":"A Puma at Large","c":[[0,"Lesson 1","第1课"],[1,"A puma at large","逃遁的美洲狮"],[2,"Where must the puma have come from?","美洲狮一定是从哪里来的？"],[3,"Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America.","美洲狮是一种体型较大的、类似猫的动物，它们生活在美洲地区。"],[4,"When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London,","当伦敦动物园接到报告称在伦敦以南45英里处发现了一只野生美洲狮时……"],[5,"they were not taken seriously.","这些报告并没有被认真对待。"],[6,"However, as the evidence began to accumulate,","然而，随着证据的不断积累……"],[7,"experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate,","动物园的专家们觉得有责任对此事进行调查。"],[8,"for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.","那些声称见过美洲狮的人所提供的描述非常相似。"],[9,"The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman picking blackberries saw 'a large cat'only five yards away from her.","对这只美洲狮的搜寻始于一个小镇。在那里，一位正在采摘黑莓的女子发现了一只“大型猫科动物”，它就站在离她仅五码远的地方。"],[10,"It immediately ran away when she saw it,","它一看到她，立刻就跑开了。"],[11,"and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered.","专家们证实，美洲狮只有在被逼入绝境时才会攻击人类。"],[12,"The search proved difficult,","这次搜索工作非常困难。"],[13,"for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening.","人们经常在早晨看到那只美洲狮出现在一个地方，而到了晚上，它却出现在二十英里外的另一个地方。"],[14,"Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits.","无论它走到哪里，都会留下一串死鹿和兔子之类的小动物的踪迹。"],[15,"Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes.","在多个地方都发现了爪印，同时还发现了一些美洲狮的毛发粘在灌木丛上。"],[16,"Several people complained of 'cat-like noises' at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree.","有几个人抱怨晚上听到了类似猫叫声的声音；一位正在钓鱼的商人还看到一只美洲狮爬在树上。"],[17,"The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma,","专家们现在完全确信这种动物是一只美洲狮。"],[18,"but where had it come from?","但是，它究竟是从哪里来的呢？"],[19,"As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country,","由于该国没有任何动物园报告有美洲狮失踪的情况，"],[20,"this one must have been in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed to escape.","这只美洲狮一定是某位私人收藏家的，后来不知怎么设法逃了出来。"],[21,"The hunt went on for several weeks,","这次搜寻持续了好几周。"],[22,"but the puma was not caught.","但是那只美洲狮没有被抓住。"],[23,"It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.","想到有一只危险的野生动物仍然在宁静的乡村里自由活动，实在令人不安。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"42－Modern Cavemen","t":"Modern Cavemen","c":[[0,"Lesson 42","第42课"],[1,"Modern cavemen","现代“穴居人”"],[2,"With what does the writer compare the Gouffre Berger?","作者将“贝杰尔洞穴”（Gouffre Berger）比作什么？"],[3,"Cave exploration, or pot-holing, as it has come to be known, is a relatively new sport.","洞穴探险，也就是现在人们常说的“pot-holing”，其实是一项相对较新的运动。"],[4,"Perhaps it is the desire for solitude or the chance of making an unexpected discovery that lures people down to the depths of the earth.","也许，正是对孤独的渴望，或是希望做出意外发现的心情，驱使人们前往地球的深处。"],[5,"It is impossible to give a satisfactory explanation for a pot-holer's motives.","对于洞穴探险者的动机，根本不可能给出一个令人满意的解释。"],[6,"For him, caves have the same peculiar fascination which high mountains have for the climber.","对他来说，洞穴具有与高山对登山者同样的独特吸引力。"],[7,"They arouse instincts which can only be dimly understood.","它们唤醒了一些我们只能勉强理解的本能。"],[8,"Exploring really deep caves is not a task for the Sunday afternoon rambler.","探索那些极其深邃的洞穴，绝不是适合在周日午后闲逛时去完成的任务。"],[9,"Such undertakings require the precise planning and foresight of military operations.","这样的行动需要军事行动般的精确计划和远见。"],[10,"It can take as long as eight days to rig up rope ladders and to establish supply bases before a descent can be made into a very deep cave.","在进入一个非常深的洞穴之前，搭建绳梯并建立补给基地可能需要长达八天的时间。"],[11,"Precautions of this sort are necessary, for it is impossible to foretell the exact nature of the difficulties which will confront the pot-holer.","采取这样的预防措施是必要的，因为我们无法预知洞穴探险者将会遇到的具体困难。"],[12,"The deepest known cave in the world is the Gouffre Berger near Grenoble.","世界上已知最深的洞穴是位于格勒诺布尔附近的贝尔热洞穴（Gouffre Berger）。"],[13,"It extends to a depth of 3, 723 feet.","它的深度达到了3,723英尺。"],[14,"This immense chasm has been formed by an underground stream which has tunnelled a course through a flaw in the rocks.","这个巨大的峡谷是由一条地下溪流形成的；这条溪流在岩石的裂缝中穿行，逐渐侵蚀出了这条通道。"],[15,"The entrance to the cave is on a plateau in the Dauphine Alps.","洞穴的入口位于多菲内阿尔卑斯山脉的一个高原上。"],[16,"As it is only six feet across, it is barely noticeable.","由于它的宽度只有六英尺，几乎看不出来它的存在。"],[17,"The cave might never have been discovered had not the entrance been spotted by the distinguished French pot-holer, Berger.","如果那个洞穴的入口没有被那位著名的法国洞穴探险家伯杰发现的话，它可能永远都不会被人发现。"],[18,"Since its discovery, it has become a sort of pot-holers' Everest.","自从它被发现以来，它就成了洞穴探险者的'珠穆朗玛峰'。"],[19,"Though a number of descents have been made, much of it still remains to be explored.","尽管已经有人多次尝试探索那里，但仍有很大一部分区域尚未被人类发现或探索。"],[20,"A team of pot-holers recently went down the Gouffre Berger.","最近，一支由洞穴探险者组成的团队进入了贝尔热洞（Gouffre Berger）。"],[21,"After entering the narrow gap on the plateau,","在进入高原上的那个狭窄缝隙之后……"],[22,"they climbed down the steep sides of the cave until they came to a narrow corridor.","他们沿着洞穴陡峭的侧壁向下爬行，直到来到一条狭窄的通道前。"],[23,"They had to edge their way along this,","他们不得不沿着这条路小心翼翼地前行。"],[24,"sometimes wading across shallow streams, or swimming across deep pools.","有时候需要涉水穿过浅流；有时候则需要游过深水区。"],[25,"Suddenly they came to a waterfall which dropped into an underground lake at the bottom of the cave.","突然，他们来到了一处瀑布前；那瀑布的水流直接注入了洞穴底部的一个地下湖泊中。"],[26,"They plunged into the lake, and after loading their gear on an inflatable rubber dinghy, let the current carry them to the other side.","他们跳进了湖里，然后将装备装上了一个充气橡胶小艇，让水流将他们带到对岸。"],[27,"To protect themselves from the icy water, they had to wear special rubber suits.","为了防止被冰冷的水冻伤，他们不得不穿上特制的橡胶防护服。"],[28,"At the far end of the lake, they came to huge piles of rubble which had been washed up by the water.","在湖的尽头，他们看到了一堆堆巨大的碎石，这些碎石是被水冲上岸来的。"],[29,"In this part of the cave, they could hear an insistent booming sound","在这个洞穴的区域内，他们能听到一种持续不断的、低沉的轰鸣声。"],[30,"which they found was caused by a small waterspout shooting down into a pool from the roof of the cave.","他们发现，这种现象是由于一个小型水柱从洞穴的顶部冲下来，落入了一个水池中而引起的。"],[31,"Squeezing through a cleft in the rocks, the pot-holers arrived at an enormous cavern, the size of a huge concert hall.","穿过岩石间的裂缝，那些洞穴探险者终于来到了一处巨大的洞穴——其规模相当于一座大型音乐厅。"],[32,"After switching on powerful arc lights,","在打开强力的弧光灯之后，"],[33,"they saw great stalagmites--some of them over forty feet high--rising up like tree-trunks to meet the stalactites suspended from the roof.","他们看到了那些巨大的石笋——其中一些高达四十多英尺——这些石笋像树干一样矗立着，与从屋顶悬挂下来的钟乳石相接。"],[34,"Round about, piles of limestone glistened in all the colours of the rainbow.","周围，成堆的石灰岩闪烁着彩虹般的各种色彩。"],[35,"In the eerie silence of the cavern, the only sound that could be heard was made by water which dripped continuously from the high dome above them.","在洞穴那令人毛骨悚然的寂静中，唯一能听到的声音，就是从他们头顶的高耸穹顶上不断滴落的水声。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"28－Five Pounds Too Dear","t":"Five Pounds Too Dear","c":[[0,"Lesson 28","第28课"],[1,"Five pounds too dear","贵了五英镑"],[2,"Why was even five pounds 'too dear' ?","为什么连五英镑都嫌贵呢？"],[3,"Small boats loaded with wares sped to the great liner as she was entering the harbour.","当那艘大型客轮驶入港口时，载满货物的小船迅速朝它驶去。"],[4,"Before she had anchored, the men from the boats had climbed on board","在它抛锚之前，小船上的人就已经爬上了大船。"],[5,"and the decks were soon covered with colourful rugs from Persia,","很快，这些甲板上就铺上了来自波斯的彩色地毯。"],[6,"silks from India, copper coffee pots, and beautiful handmade silverware.","来自印度的丝绸、铜制的咖啡壶，以及精美的手工银器。"],[7,"It was difficult not to be tempted.","很难抗拒这种诱惑。"],[8,"Many of the tourists on board had begun bargaining with the tradesmen,","船上的许多游客已经开始与商贩们讨价还价了。"],[9,"but I decided not to buy anything until I had disembarked.","但我决定在离船之前不买任何东西。"],[10,"I had no sooner got off the ship than I was assailed by a man who wanted to sell me a diamond ring.","我刚下船，就立刻被一个男人缠住了——他想要向我推销一枚钻石戒指。"],[11,"I had no intention of buying one,","我本来就没有打算买一个的。"],[12,"but I could not conceal the fact that I was impressed by the size of the diamonds.","但我无法隐瞒这样一个事实：这些钻石的尺寸确实让我印象深刻。"],[13,"Some of them were as big as marbles.","其中一些钻石有弹珠那么大。"],[14,"The man went to great lengths to prove that the diamonds were real.","这个人付出了巨大的努力来证明这些钻石是真品。"],[15,"As we were walking past a shop, he held a diamond firmly against the window and made a deep impression in the glass.","当我们经过一家商店时，他用力将那颗钻石压在窗户上，从而在玻璃上留下了一个明显的印记。"],[16,"It took me over half an hour to get rid of him.","我花了半个多小时才把他打发走。"],[17,"The next man to approach me was selling expensive pens and watches.","下一个向我走来的人在推销昂贵的钢笔和手表。"],[18,"I examined one of the pens closely. It certainly looked genuine.","我仔细检查了其中一支笔。它看起来确实是真的。"],[19,"At the base of the gold cap, the words 'made in the U.S.A.' had been neatly inscribed.","在金笔帽的底部，刻着‘美国制造’的字样，非常工整。"],[20,"The man said that the pen was worth ￡50, but as a special favour, he would let me have it for ￡30.","那个人说这支笔的价值是 50 英镑，但作为一项特别的优惠，他愿意以 30 英镑的价格把笔卖给我。"],[21,"I shook my head and held up five fingers indicating that I was willing to pay ￡5.","我摇了摇头，然后竖起了五根手指，表示我愿意支付 5 英镑。"],[22,"Gesticulating wildly, the man acted as if he found my offer outrageous,","那男人夸张地比划着，好像我的报价让他很生气，"],[23,"but he eventually reduced the price to 10 pounds.","但他最终将价格降到了10英镑。"],[24,"Shrugging my shoulders I began to walk away when,","我耸了耸肩，正准备走开时，突然……"],[25,"a moment later, he ran after me and thrust the pen into my hands.","过了一会儿，他追上来，把那支笔塞到了我的手里。"],[26,"Though he kept throwing up his arms in despair, he readily accepted the ￡5 I gave him.","尽管他绝望地举起双臂，但还是爽快地收下了我给的5英镑。"],[27,"I felt especially pleased with my wonderful bargain--until I got back to the ship.","我对这笔“超值”的交易感到非常满意——直到我回到船上。"],[28,"No matter how hard I tried,","不管我怎么试，"],[29,"it was impossible to fill this beautiful pen with ink and to this day it has never written a single word!","这枝漂亮的钢笔根本无法装上墨水；直到今天，它仍然一个字也没写过！"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"34－A Happy Discovery","t":"A Happy Discovery","c":[[0,"Lesson 34","第34课"],[1,"A happy discovery","一个令人高兴的发现"],[2,"What was the 'happy discovery' ?","这个“令人高兴的发现”是什么呢？"],[3,"Antique shops exert a peculiar fascination on a great many people.","古董店对许多人来说具有独特的吸引力。"],[4,"The more expensive kind of antique shop where rare objects are beautifully displayed in glass cases","那种价格较高的古董店，里面的稀有物品都被精心地陈列在玻璃展柜中。"],[5,"to keep them free from dust is usually a forbidding place.","为了防止这些物品积灰，这样的地方通常令人望而却步。"],[6,"But no one has to muster up courage to enter a less pretentious antique shop.","不过，进入那些不那么讲究排场的古董店时，根本不需要鼓起什么勇气。"],[7,"There is always hope that in its labyrinth of musty, dark, disordered rooms a real rarity will be found amongst the piles of assorted junk that litter the floors.","总有一种希望：在那充满霉味、黑暗且杂乱无章的房间里，人们或许能在散落在地板上的各种杂物堆中找到某件真正珍贵的东西。"],[8,"No one discovers a rarity by chance.","没有人能偶然发现稀有物品。"],[9,"A truly dedicated bargain hunter must have patience,","一个真正热衷于寻找便宜货的人，必须具备耐心。"],[10,"and above all, the ability to recognize the worth of something when he sees it.","最重要的是，当他看到某样东西时，能够认识到它的价值。"],[11,"To do this, he must be at least as knowledgeable as the dealer.","为了做到这一点，他至少必须具备与经销商同等的知识水平。"],[12,"Like a scientist bent on making a discovery,","就像一位致力于做出发现的科学家一样……"],[13,"he must cherish the hope that one day he will be amply rewarded.","他必须珍惜这个希望：总有一天，他会得到丰厚的回报。"],[14,"My old friend, Frank Halliday, is just such a person.","我的老朋友弗兰克·霍利迪，就是这样的一个人。"],[15,"He has often described to me how he picked up a masterpiece for a mere ￡50.","他经常跟我讲述自己是如何以仅仅 50 英镑的价格买到了一件杰作的。"],[16,"One Saturday morning, Frank visited an antique shop in my neighbourhood.","一个星期六的早晨，弗兰克去了我家附近的一家古董店。"],[17,"As he had never been there before, he found a great deal to interest him.","由于他以前从未去过那里，因此发现了许多令他感兴趣的东西。"],[18,"The morning passed rapidly and Frank was about to leave when he noticed a large packing case lying on the floor.","早晨过得很快，弗兰克正准备离开时，他注意到地上放着一个大包裹箱。"],[19,"The dealer told him that it had just come in, but that he could not be bothered to open it.","经销商告诉他，这个商品刚刚到货，但他懒得去打开它。"],[20,"Frank begged him to do so and the dealer reluctantly prised it open.","弗兰克恳求他这么做，于是经销商不情愿地撬开了那个箱子。"],[21,"The contents were disappointing.","里面的东西令人失望。"],[22,"Apart from an interesting-looking carved dagger, the box was full of crockery, much of it broken.","除了那把外观精美的雕刻匕首外，盒子里还装满了陶器，其中大部分都已经破碎了。"],[23,"Frank gently lifted the crockery out of the box and suddenly noticed a miniature painting at the bottom of the packing case.","弗兰克小心翼翼地将陶器从盒子里取出来，突然发现包装箱的底部有一幅微型画。"],[24,"As its composition and line reminded him of an Italian painting he knew well, he decided to buy it.","由于这幅画的构图和线条让他联想到一幅他非常熟悉的意大利画作，他决定买下它。"],[25,"Glancing at it briefly the dealer told him that it was worth ￡50.","经销商匆匆看了一眼后告诉他，这幅画的价值是50英镑。"],[26,"Frank could hardly conceal his excitement, for he knew that he had made a real discovery.","弗兰克几乎无法掩饰自己的兴奋之情，因为他知道自己发现了一件真正的珍宝。"],[27,"The tiny painting proved to be an unknown masterpiece by Correggio and was worth hundreds and thousands of pounds.","这幅小小的画作后来被证实是科雷乔（Correggio）的一幅不为人知的杰作，价值高达数十万英镑。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"35－Justice was Done","t":"Justice was Done","c":[[0,"Lesson 35","第35课"],[1,"Justice was done","正义得到了伸张。"],[2,"The word 'justice' is given two different meanings in the text.","在这段文字中，“justice”这个词被赋予了两种不同的含义。"],[3,"What is the distinction between them?","它们之间的区别是什么？"],[4,"The word justice is usually associated with courts of law.","“正义”这个词通常与法庭联系在一起。"],[5,"We might say that justice has been done when a man's innocence or guilt has been proved beyond doubt.","我们可以说，当一个人的清白或罪行被确凿无疑地证明时，正义就得到了伸张。"],[6,"Justice is part of the complex machinery of the law.","正义是法律这一复杂体系的重要组成部分。"],[7,"Those who seek it, undertake an arduous journey and can never be sure that they will find it.","那些追寻它的人，必须踏上一段艰辛的旅程；而且他们永远无法确定自己是否真的能够找到它。"],[8,"Judges, however wise or eminent, are human and can make mistakes.","然而，无论法官多么明智或德高望重，他们终究也是人，因此也可能会犯错。"],[9,"There are rare instances when justice almost ceases to be an abstract concept.","在极少数情况下，正义几乎不再是一个抽象的概念。"],[10,"Reward or punishment are meted out quite independent of human interference.","奖惩的施行完全不受人为干预。"],[11,"At such times, justice acts like a living force.","在这样的时刻，正义就像一股活生生的力量。"],[12,"When we use a phrase like 'it serves him right',","当我们使用“这是他应得的”这样的表达时，"],[13,"we are, in part, admitting that a certain set of circumstances has enabled justice to act of its own accord.","在某种程度上，我们承认：某些特定的情况让正义自行发挥了作用。"],[14,"When a thief was caught on the premises of a large jewellery store one morning,","一天早晨，一个小偷在一家大型珠宝店的店内被抓获。"],[15,"the shop assistants must have found it impossible to resist the temptation to say 'it serves him right'.","店员们肯定忍不住想说：“他活该。”"],[16,"The shop was an old converted house with many large, disused fireplaces and tall, narrow chimneys.","这家商店是一栋经过改造的旧房子，里面有许多大型、已经废弃的壁炉，以及高而狭窄的烟囱。"],[17,"Towards midday, a girl heard a muffled cry coming from behind one of the walls.","临近中午时分，一个女孩听到从某面墙后面传来的微弱哭声。"],[18,"As the cry was repeated several times,","当那声呼喊被重复了几次之后……"],[19,"she ran to tell the manager who promptly rang up the fire brigade.","她跑去告诉了经理，经理立刻拨打了消防队的电话。"],[20,"The cry had certainly come from one of the chimneys,","那声哭喊肯定是从其中一根烟囱里传出来的。"],[21,"but as there were so many of them, the firemen could not be certain which one it was.","但由于烟囱太多，消防员们无法确定是哪一根。"],[22,"They located the right chimney by tapping at the walls and listening for the man's cries.","他们通过敲击墙壁并聆听那个人的呼喊声，最终找到了正确的烟囱。"],[23,"After chipping through a wall which was eighteen inches thick,","在凿穿了一面厚度为十八英寸的墙壁之后……"],[24,"they found that a man had been trapped in the chimney.","他们发现有一名男子被困在了烟囱里。"],[25,"As it was extremely narrow, the man was unable to move,","由于通道非常狭窄，那个人根本无法移动。"],[26,"but the fire fighters were eventually able to free him by cutting a huge hole in the wall.","但是消防员最终通过在墙上切出一个大洞，成功将他救了出来。"],[27,"The sorry-looking, blackened figure that emerged,","那个狼狈不堪、满身漆黑的身影一出现，"],[28,"admitted at once that he had tried to break into the shop during the night but had got stuck in the chimney.","他立刻承认，自己确实在夜里试图闯入那家商店，但结果被困在了烟囱里。"],[29,"He had been there for nearly ten hours.","他已经在那里待了将近十个小时了。"],[30,"Justice had been done even before the man was handed over to the police.","正义已经得到了伸张，甚至在那个男人被交给警察之前就已经如此了。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"39－Nothing to Worry About","t":"Nothing to Worry About","c":[[0,"Lesson 39","第39课"],[1,"Nothing to worry about","没什么好担心的。"],[2,"What was the differnce between Bruce's behaviour and that of other people?","布鲁斯的行为与其他人的行为有什么不同？"],[3,"The rough road across the plain soon became so bad that we tried to get Bruce to drive back to the village we had come from.","穿过平原的崎岖道路状况越来越糟糕，我们便决定让布鲁斯开车把我们送回我们出发的村庄。"],[4,"Even though the road was littered with boulders and pitted with holes, Bruce was not in the least perturbed.","尽管路上布满了巨石，还有许多坑洞，布鲁斯却丝毫没有感到不安。"],[5,"Glancing at his map, he informed us that the next village was a mere twenty miles away.","他看了一眼地图，然后告诉我们下一个村庄只有二十英里远。"],[6,"It was not that Bruce always underestimated difficulties.","并不是说布鲁斯总是低估困难。"],[7,"He simply had no sense of danger at all.","他完全没有任何危险意识。"],[8,"No matter what the conditions were, he believed that a car should be driven as fast as it could possibly go.","无论条件如何，他都认为汽车应该能开多快就开多快。"],[9,"As we bumped over the dusty track, we swerved to avoid large boulders.","我们在颠簸的土路上行驶时，不断转向以避开那些巨大的岩石。"],[10,"The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car.","车轮卷起了石子，这些石子在汽车下方发出令人不安的撞击声。"],[11,"We felt sure that sooner or later a stone would rip a hole in our petrol tank or damage the engine.","我们确信，迟早会有石头划破我们的油箱，或者损坏发动机。"],[12,"Because of this, we kept looking back, wondering if we were leaving a trail of oil and petrol behind us.","正因如此，我们不断回头查看，担心自己是否留下了一道油迹。"],[13,"What a relief it was when the boulders suddenly disappeared,","当那些巨石突然消失的时候，真是让人松了一口气啊。"],[14,"giving way to a stretch of plain where the only obstacles were clumps bushes.","取而代之的是一片开阔的平原，唯一的障碍只是一些灌木丛。"],[15,"But there was worse to come. Just ahead of us there was a huge fissure.","但更糟糕的事情还在后面。就在我们前方，有一条巨大的裂缝。"],[16,"In response to renewed pleadings, Bruce stopped.","在我们再次恳求下，布鲁斯停了下来。"],[17,"Though we all got out to examine the fissure, he remained in the car.","虽然我们都下车去查看那条裂缝，但他却留在了车里。"],[18,"We informed him that the fissure extended for fifty yards and was two feet wide and four feet deep.","我们告诉他，那条裂缝长达五十码（约45.7米），宽度为两英尺（约0.6米），深度为四英尺（约1.2米）。"],[19,"Even this had no effect.","即使这样，也没有任何效果。"],[20,"Bruce went into a low gear and drove at a terrifying speed,","布鲁斯挂上低速挡，以惊人的速度向前冲去，"],[21,"keeping the front wheels astride the crack as he followed its zigzag course.","他让前轮分别跨在裂缝两侧，沿着蜿蜒的路线前进。"],[22,"Before we had time to worry about what might happen, we were back on the plain again.","我们还来不及担心会发生什么，就已经回到了平原上。"],[23,"Bruce consulted the map once more and told us that the village was now only fifteen miles away.","布鲁斯再次查看了地图，然后告诉我们那个村庄现在距离我们只有十五英里了。"],[24,"Our next obstacle was a shallow pool of water about half a mile across.","我们的下一个障碍是一个大约半英里宽的浅水池。"],[25,"Bruce charged at it, but in the middle, the car came to a grinding halt.","布鲁斯驾车冲了过去，但车子在半路上突然停了下来。"],[26,"A yellow light on the dashboard flashed angrily and Bruce cheerfully announced that there was no oil in the engine!","仪表盘上的黄灯愤怒地闪烁着，布鲁斯却高兴地宣布：发动机里没油了！"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"33－A Day to Remember","t":"A Day to Remember","c":[[0,"Lesson 33","第33课"],[1,"A day to remember","一个值得铭记的日子"],[2,"What incident began the series of traffic accidents?","是什么事件引发了这一连串的交通事故？"],[3,"We have all experienced days when everything goes wrong.","我们都经历过那些一切都出错的日子。"],[4,"A day may begin well enough, but suddenly everything seems to get out of control.","一天可能开始得很顺利，但突然间，一切似乎都失控了。"],[5,"What invariably happens is that a great number of things choose to go wrong at precisely the same moment.","不可避免的是，许多事情会在同一时刻同时出错。"],[6,"It is as if a single unimportant event set up a chain of reactions.","就好像某个看似微不足道的事件引发了一连串的连锁反应。"],[7,"Let us suppose that you are preparing a meal and keeping an eye on the baby at the same time.","假设你一边准备饭菜，一边还要照看婴儿。"],[8,"The telephone rings and this marks the prelude to an unforeseen series of catastrophes.","电话突然响了，而这成了随后一系列意外事件的导火线。"],[9,"While you are on the phone, the baby pulls the tablecloth off the table,","你在打电话时，婴儿把桌布从桌子上扯了下来，"],[10,"smashing half your best crockery and cutting himself in the process.","打碎了你一半最好的餐具，还把自己划伤了。"],[11,"You hang up hurriedly and attend to baby, crockery, etc.","你匆忙挂断电话，然后开始处理婴儿和餐具的问题……"],[12,"Meanwhile, the meal gets burnt.","与此同时，饭菜被烧焦了。"],[13,"As if this were not enough to reduce you to tears, your husband arrives, unexpectedly bringing three guests to dinner.","仿佛这些还不够让你心烦意乱似的，你的丈夫突然回来了，还带着三位客人一起来吃晚饭。"],[14,"Things can go wrong on a big scale as a number of people recently discovered in Parramatta, a suburb of Sydney.","最近，在悉尼的郊区帕拉马塔，许多人发现事情也可能在大范围内出错。"],[15,"During the rush hour one evening two cars collided and both drivers began to argue.","一天晚上的高峰时段，两辆车发生了碰撞，两名司机随即开始争吵。"],[16,"The woman immediately behind the two cars happened to be a learner.","就坐在那两辆车后面的那位女士，恰好是一名正在学习驾驶的新手。"],[17,"She suddenly got into a panic and stopped her car.","她突然陷入了恐慌，立刻停下了车子。"],[18,"This made the driver following her brake hard.","这导致跟在她后面的司机也紧急踩下了刹车。"],[19,"His wife was sitting beside him holding a large cake.","他的妻子坐在他旁边，手里拿着一个大蛋糕。"],[20,"As she was thrown forward,","当她被向前抛出时……"],[21,"the cake went right through the windscreen and landed on the road.","蛋糕直接穿过了挡风玻璃，落在了路上。"],[22,"Seeing a cake flying through the air,","看到一个蛋糕在空中飞过……"],[23,"a lorry driver who was drawing up alongside the car, pulled up all of a sudden.","一名正在靠近那辆汽车的卡车司机突然停了下来。"],[24,"The lorry was loaded with empty beer bottles and hundreds of them slid off the back of the vehicle and on to the road.","卡车上装满了空啤酒瓶，结果有数百个瓶子从卡车后部滑落到了路上。"],[25,"This led to yet another angry argument. Meanwhile, the traffic piled up behind.","这又引发了一场激烈的争吵。与此同时，后面的交通也陷入了堵塞。"],[26,"It took the police nearly an hour to get the traffic on the move again.","警察花了将近一个小时才让交通恢复正常。"],[27,"In the meantime, the lorry driver had to sweep up hundreds of broken bottles.","在此期间，卡车司机不得不把那些破碎的瓶子全部清理干净。"],[28,"Only two stray dogs benefited from all this confusion, for they greedily devoured what was left of the cake.","只有两只流浪狗从这场混乱中得到了好处——它们贪婪地吃掉了剩下的蛋糕。"],[29,"It was just one of those days!","唉，这不过是又平常的一天罢了！"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"16－Mary Had a Little Lamb","t":"Mary Had a Little Lamb","c":[[0,"Lesson 16","第16课"],[1,"Mary had a little lamb","玛丽有一只小羊羔。"],[2,"Was Dimitri right to apologize to his neighbour? Why not?","迪米特里向邻居道歉，这样做对吗？为什么不对？"],[3,"Mary and her husband Dimitri lived in the tiny village of Perachora in southern Greece.","玛丽和她的丈夫迪米特里住在希腊南部的一个小村庄——佩拉霍拉（Perachora）。"],[4,"One of Mary's prize possessions was a little white lamb which her husband had given her.","玛丽最珍视的物品之一是一只白色的小羊羔，这是她丈夫送给她的。"],[5,"She kept it tied to a tree in a field during the day and went to fetch it every evening.","她白天把它拴在田野里的一棵树上，每晚都会去把它取回来。"],[6,"One evening, however the lamb was missing.","然而，有一天晚上，那只小羊不见了。"],[7,"The rope had been cut, so it was obvious that the lamb had been stolen.","绳子已经被剪断了，因此很明显这只小羊是被偷走了。"],[8,"When Dimitri came in from the fields, his wife told him what had happened.","当迪米特里从田里回来时，他的妻子告诉了他发生的事情。"],[9,"Dimitri at once set out to find the thief.","迪米特里立刻着手寻找小偷。"],[10,"He knew it would not prove difficult in such a small village.","他知道在这么小的村庄里，要找到小偷应该不难。"],[11,"After telling several of his friends about the theft,","在向他的几个朋友讲述了这起盗窃事件之后，"],[12,"Dimitri found out that his neighbour, Aleko, had suddenly acquired a new lamb.","迪米特里发现他的邻居阿莱科突然养了一只小羊。"],[13,"Dimitri immediately went to Aleko's house and angrily accused him of stealing the lamb.","迪米特里立刻去了阿莱科的家，愤怒地指责他偷了小羊。"],[14,"He told him he had better return it or he would call the police.","他告诉阿莱科最好把羊还回来，否则他就报警。"],[15,"Aleko denied taking it and led Dimitri into his backyard.","阿莱科否认拿了羊，并带着迪米特里去了他的后院。"],[16,"It was true that he had just bought a lamb he explained, but his lamb was black.","他解释说，他确实刚买了一只小羊，不过那只小羊是黑色的。"],[17,"Ashamed of having acted so rashly, Dimitri apologized to Aleko for having accused him.","迪米特里为自己如此鲁莽的行为感到羞愧，便向阿莱科道歉，为自己冤枉了他。"],[18,"While they were talking it began to rain and Dimitri stayed in Aleko's house until the rain stopped.","他们正在谈话的时候，天开始下雨了。迪米特里便待在阿莱科的家里，直到雨停。"],[19,"When he went outside half an hour later, he was astonished to find that the little black lamb was almost white.","半小时后，当他走到外面时，惊讶地发现那只小黑羊几乎变成了白色。"],[20,"Its wool, which had been dyed black, had been washed clean by the rain!","那块原本被染成黑色的羊毛，被雨水冲洗得干干净净了！"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"27－Nothing to Sell and Nothing to Buy","t":"Nothing to Sell and Nothing to Buy","c":[[0,"Lesson 27","第27课"],[1,"Nothing to sell and nothing to buy","没有什么可以卖的，也没有什么可以买的。"],[2,"What is the most important thing for a tramp?","对于一个流浪者来说，最重要的是什么？"],[3,"It has been said that everyone lives by selling something.","有人说过，每个人都是通过出售某种东西来谋生的。"],[4,"In the light of this statement, teachers live by selling knowledge,","根据这一说法，教师的工作就是通过传授知识来谋生。"],[5,"philosophers by selling wisdom and priests by selling spiritual comfort.","哲学家通过传授智慧来谋生，而牧师则通过提供精神慰藉来获得收入。"],[6,"Though it may be possible to measure the value of material goods in terms of money,","虽然可以用金钱来衡量物质财富的价值，"],[7,"it is extremely difficult to estimate the true value of the services which people perform for us.","很难准确估计人们为我们提供的服务的真正价值。"],[8,"There are times when we would willingly give everything we possess to save our lives,","有时候，为了挽救自己的生命，我们甚至愿意放弃自己拥有的一切。"],[9,"yet we might grudge paying a surgeon a high fee for offering us precisely this service.","然而，我们可能会不愿意为外科医生支付高额的费用，仅仅因为他们为我们提供了这项服务。"],[10,"The conditions of society are such that skills have to be paid for in the same way that goods are paid for at a shop.","当前的社会状况决定了：技能的价值必须像商品在商店里被出售时那样，通过金钱来体现（即技能也需要通过金钱来获得）。"],[11,"Everyone has something to sell.","每个人都有东西可以出售。"],[12,"Tramps seem to be the only exception to this general rule.","流浪汉似乎是这条普遍规则的唯一例外。"],[13,"Beggars almost sell themselves as human beings to arouse the pity of passers-by.","乞丐们几乎是在“出卖自己的人格”，以激起路人的同情心。"],[14,"But real tramps are not beggars.","但是，真正的流浪者并不是乞丐。"],[15,"They have nothing to sell and require nothing from others.","他们没有什么可以出售的，也不需要从别人那里得到任何东西。"],[16,"In seeking independence, they do not sacrifice their human dignity.","在追求独立的过程中，他们并没有牺牲自己的人格尊严。"],[17,"A tramp may ask you for money, but he will never ask you to feel sorry for him.","一个流浪汉可能会向你乞讨钱财，但他永远不会要求你同情他。"],[18,"He has deliberately chosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of the consequences.","他自己是主动选择了这样的生活方式，并且完全清楚这样做会带来什么样的后果。"],[19,"He may never be sure where the next meal is coming from,","他可能永远都无法确定下一顿饭从哪里来（也就是说，他可能永远不知道自己下一顿饭的食物来源或来源地）。"],[20,"but he is free from the thousands of anxieties which afflict other people.","但他摆脱了那些困扰其他人的成千上万种焦虑情绪。"],[21,"His few material possessions make it possible for him to move from place to place with ease.","他仅有的一些物质财富使他能够轻松地从一个地方搬到另一个地方。"],[22,"By having to sleep in the open, he gets far closer to the world of nature than most of us ever do.","由于不得不在户外露宿，他比我们大多数人更接近大自然的世界。"],[23,"He may hunt, beg, or steal occasionally to keep himself alive;","他可能会偶尔通过打猎、乞讨或偷窃来维持生计。"],[24,"he may even, in times of real need, do a little work; but he will never sacrifice his freedom.","在真正需要的时候，他或许也会稍微工作一下；但他永远不会牺牲自己的自由。"],[25,"We often speak of tramps with contempt and put them in the same class as beggars,","我们常常轻蔑地看待流浪者，把他们和乞丐归为同一类，"],[26,"but how many of us can honestly say that we have not felt a little envious of their simple way of life and their freedom from care?","但又有多少人能坦诚地说，自己没有羡慕过他们简单的生活方式以及无忧无虑的生活状态呢？"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"43－Fully Insured","t":"Fully Insured","c":[[0,"Lesson 43","第43课"],[1,"Fully insured","全面投保"],[2,"Who owned the pie dish and why?","谁拥有那个派盘，为什么？"],[3,"Insurance companies are normally willing to insure anything.","保险公司通常愿意为任何物品提供保险服务。"],[4,"Insuring public or private property is a standard practice in most countries in the world.","在世界上大多数国家，为公共或私人财产投保都是常规做法。"],[5,"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.","不过，如果你在户外举办花园派对或游园会，也可以为可能发生的恶劣天气情况购买保险。"],[6,"Needless to say, the bigger the risk an insurance company takes, the higher the premium you will have to pay.","不用说，保险公司承担的风险越大，你需要支付的保费也就越高。"],[7,"It is not uncommon to hear that a shipping company has made a claim for the cost of salvaging a sunken ship.","显然，保险公司承担的风险越大，你需要支付的保费也就越高。"],[8,"But the claim made by a local authority to recover the cost of salvaging a sunken pie dish must surely be unique.","但是，一个地方政府为打捞一个沉没的派盘而提出的索赔，肯定是非常独特的。"],[9,"Admittedly it was an unusual pie dish, for it was eighteen feet long and six feet wide.","这个派盘确实很不寻常——它的长度为18英尺，宽度为6英尺。"],[10,"It had been purchased by a local authority so that an enormous pie could be baked for an annual fair.","它是被当地政府购买的，用于为年度集市制作一个巨大的派。"],[11,"The pie committee decided that the best way to transport the dish would be by canal so they insured it for the trip.","派委员会认为通过运河运输派盘的最佳方式，因此他们为这次行程购买了保险。"],[12,"Shortly after it was launched, the pie committee went to a local inn to celebrate.","派盘下水后不久，派委员会成员们便前往一家当地酒馆庆祝。"],[13,"At the same time, a number of teenagers climbed on to the dish and held a little party of their own.","与此同时，一些青少年爬上了那个盘子，并在那里举办了一场属于自己的小型聚会。"],[14,"Dancing proved to be more than the dish could bear,","跳舞的震动超出了派盘所能承受的范围，"],[15,"for during the party it capsized and sank in seven feet of water.","因为在派对期间，派盘翻了，沉入了七英尺深的水中。"],[16,"The pie committee telephoned a local garage owner who arrived in a recovery truck to salvage the pie dish.","派委员会给当地一家修车厂老板打了电话，他开着一辆救援卡车前来打捞派盘。"],[17,"Shivering in their wet clothes, the teenagers looked on while three men dived repeatedly into the water to locate the dish.","那些青少年穿着湿衣服瑟瑟发抖地看着，三个男人一次又一次地潜入水中寻找派盘。"],[18,"They had little difficulty in finding it, but hauling it out of the water proved to be a serious problem.","他们找到它并不费什么劲，但将其从水中拖出来却成了一个严重的问题。"],[19,"The sides of the dish were so smooth that it was almost impossible to attach hawsers and chains to the rim without damaging it.","这个盘子的边缘非常光滑，几乎不可能在不损坏它的情况下将缆绳或链条固定在盘子的边缘上。"],[20,"Eventually chains were fixed to one end of the dish and a powerful winch was put into operation.","最终，那些链条被固定在盘子的一端；随后，一台强大的绞车也被启动了起来。"],[21,"The dish rose to the surface and was gently drawn towards the canal bank.","派盘浮到水面，被缓缓地拉向运河岸边。"],[22,"For one agonizing moment, the dish was perched precariously on the bank of the canal,","在令人揪心的一瞬间，派盘摇摇晃晃地停在运河岸边，"],[23,"but it suddenly overbalanced and slid back into the water.","但它突然失去了平衡，又滑回了水中。"],[24,"The men were now obliged to try once more.","这些人现在不得不再次尝试。"],[25,"This time they fixed heavy metal clamps to both sides of the dish so that they could fasten the chains.","这次，他们在盘子的两侧安装了沉重的金属夹具，以便固定链条。"],[26,"The dish now had to be lifted vertically because one edge was resting against the side of the canal.","由于盘子的一边紧贴着运河的侧壁，因此必须将其垂直抬起。"],[27,"The winch was again put into operation and one of the men started up the truck.","绞车再次被启动，其中一名男子启动了卡车。"],[28,"Several minutes later, the dish was successfully hauled above the surface of the water.","几分钟后，盘子终于被成功吊到了水面上方。"],[29,"Water streamed in torrents over its sides with such force that it set up a huge wave in the canal.","水从派盘边缘倾泻而下，水流如此之猛，在运河里掀起了一阵巨浪。"],[30,"There was a danger that the wave would rebound off the other side of the bank and send the dish plunging into the water again.","有危险的是，这股浪可能会从对岸反弹回来，把派盘重新冲回水里。"],[31,"By working at tremendous speed, the men managed to get the dish on to dry land before the wave returned.","以极快的速度工作，这些人总算在浪头返回前把派盘弄上了岸。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"19－A Very Dear Cat","t":"A Very Dear Cat","c":[[0,"Lesson 19","第19课"],[1,"A very dear cat","一只非常珍贵的猫"],[2,"Why was Rastus 'very dear' in more ways than one?","拉斯图斯为什么在不止一种意义上都很“贵”？"],[3,"Kidnappers are rarely interested in animals, but they recently took considerable interest in Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay's cat.","绑匪通常对动物不感兴趣，但他们最近却对埃莉诺·拉姆齐夫人的猫产生了浓厚的兴趣。"],[4,"Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay, a very wealthy old lady, has shared a flat with her cat, Rastus, for a great many years.","埃莉诺·拉姆齐夫人是一位非常富有的老太太，她多年来一直和她的猫拉斯图斯合住一套公寓。"],[5,"Rastus leads an orderly life.","拉斯图斯的生活非常有规律。"],[6,"He usually takes a short walk in the evenings and is always home by seven o'clock.","他通常在傍晚散会儿步，并且总是在七点前回家。"],[7,"One evening, however he failed to arrive.","然而，一天晚上他没有按时回家。"],[8,"Mrs. Ramsay got very worried.","拉姆齐夫人非常担心。"],[9,"She looked everywhere for him but could not find him.","她到处找他，但没能找到。"],[10,"Three days after Rastus' disappearance, Mrs. Ramsay received an anonymous letter.","拉斯图斯失踪三天后，拉姆齐夫人收到了一封匿名信。"],[11,"The writer stated that Rastus was in safe hands and would be returned immediately if Mrs. Ramsay paid a ransom of ￡1, 000.","写信人声称拉斯图斯安然无恙，如果拉姆齐夫人支付1000英镑的赎金，他会立即被送回。"],[12,"Mrs.Ramsay was instructed to place the money in a cardboard box and to leave it outside her door.","拉姆齐夫人被要求把钱放在一个纸板箱里，然后把它放在门外。"],[13,"At first, she decided to go to the police,","起初，她决定去报警，"],[14,"but fearing that she would never see Rastus again--the letter had made that quite clear--she changed her mind.","但害怕再也见不到拉斯图斯——信里已经说得很清楚了——她改变了主意。"],[15,"She withdrew ￡1000 from her bank and followed the kidnapper's instructions.","她从银行取了1000英镑，并按照绑匪的指示做了。"],[16,"The next morning, the box had disappeared but Mrs.Ramsay was sure that the kidnapper would keep his word.","第二天早上，箱子不见了，但拉姆齐夫人确信绑匪会信守承诺。"],[17,"Sure enough, Rastus arrived punctually at seven o'clock that evening.","果然，那天晚上七点整，拉斯图斯准时回来了。"],[18,"He looked very well, though he was rather thirsty, for he drank half a bottle of milk.","他看起来很好，只是相当渴，因为他喝了半瓶牛奶。"],[19,"The police were astounded when Mrs. Ramsay told them what she had done.","当拉姆齐夫人告诉警察她做了什么时，他们都非常震惊。"],[20,"She explained that Rastus was very dear to her.","她解释说拉斯图斯对她来说非常珍贵。"],[21,"Considering the amount she paid, he was dear in more ways than one!","考虑到她支付的金额，他可真是“昂贵”啊！"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"14－A Noble Gangster","t":"A Noble Gangster","c":[[0,"Lesson 14","第14课"],[1,"A noble gangster","一位高尚的强盗"],[2,"How did Hawkwood make money in times of peace?","霍克伍德在和平时期是如何赚钱的？"],[3,"There was a time when the owners of shops and businesses in Chicago had to pay large sums of money to gangsters in return for 'protection'.","曾经有一段时间，芝加哥的商店和企业的老板们不得不向黑帮支付巨额费用，以换取他们的“保护”。"],[4,"If the money was not paid promptly, the gangsters would quickly put a man out of business by destroying his shop.","如果钱没有及时支付，黑帮分子会迅速毁掉他的店铺，让他破产。"],[5,"Obtaining 'protection money' is not a modern crime.","收取“保护费”这种行为其实并非现代才有的犯罪行为。"],[6,"As long ago as the fourteenth century, an Englishman, Sir John Hawkwood, made the remarkable discovery that people would rather pay large sums of money than have their life work destroyed by gangsters.","早在十四世纪，一位名叫约翰·霍克伍德（Sir John Hawkwood）的英国人就发现了一个惊人的事实：人们宁愿花大钱，也不愿自己的毕生心血被强盗毁掉。"],[7,"Six hundred years ago, Sir John Hawkwood arrived in Italy with a band of soldiers and settled near Florence.","六百年前，约翰·霍克伍德带着一队士兵来到意大利，并在佛罗伦萨附近安顿下来。"],[8,"He soon made a name for himself and came to be known to the Italians as Giovanni Acuto.","他很快就声名鹊起，在意大利人中被称为乔瓦尼·阿库托（Giovanni Acuto）。"],[9,"Whenever the Italian city-states were at war with each other, Hawkwood used to hire his soldiers to princes who were willing to pay the high price he demanded.","每当意大利各城邦之间发生战争时，霍克伍德就会把他的士兵雇佣给那些愿意出高价的王子们。"],[10,"In times of peace, when business was bad, Hawkwood and his men would march into a city-state, and after burning down a few farms, would offer to go away if protection money was paid to them.","在和平时期，当没生意可做时，霍克伍德和他的手下就会开进某个城邦，烧毁几个农场，然后提出只要付给他们保护费，他们就会离开。"],[11,"Hawkwood made large sums of money in this way.","霍克伍德就是通过这种方式赚到了大量的钱。"],[12,"In spite of this, the Italians regarded him as a sort of hero.","尽管如此，意大利人仍将他视为一位英雄。"],[13,"When he died at the age of eighty, the Florentines gave him a state funeral and had a picture painted which was dedicated to the memory of 'the most valiant soldier and most notable leader, Signor Giovanni Haukodue'.","他八十岁去世时，佛罗伦萨人为他举行了国葬，还请人画了一幅像，以纪念'最勇敢的战士和最杰出的领袖，乔瓦尼·阿库托先生'。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"17－The Longest Suspension Bridge in the World","t":"The Longest Suspension Bridge in the World","c":[[0,"Lesson 17","第17课"],[1,"The longest suspension bridge in the world","世界上最长的悬索桥"],[2,"How is the bridge supported?","这座桥是如何被支撑起来的？"],[3,"Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.","维拉扎诺（Verrazano）是一位鲜为人知的意大利人。他在1524年航行至纽约港，并将其命名为“昂古莱姆”（Angouleme）。"],[4,"He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'","他将其描述为“一个非常宜人的地方，位于两座小山之间；这两座小山中间流淌着一条大河。”"],[5,"Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,","虽然维拉扎诺绝不能被视为一位伟大的探险家，但他的名字很可能会永垂不朽。"],[6,"for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.","因为在1964年11月21日，世界上最长的悬索桥被以他的名字命名。"],[7,"The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.","维拉扎诺大桥（Verrazano Bridge）由奥特马尔·阿曼（Othmar Ammann）设计，它连接了布鲁克林（Brooklyn）和斯塔滕岛（Staten Island）。"],[8,"It has a span of 4, 260 feet.","它的跨度为 4,260 英尺。"],[9,"The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.","这座桥非常长，以至于设计者必须考虑到地球的曲率。"],[10,"Two great towers support four huge cables.","两座高大的塔架支撑着四根巨大的缆绳。"],[11,"The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.","这些塔架建在巨大的水下平台上，这些平台由钢铁和混凝土制成。"],[12,"The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.","这些平台延伸至海面下100英尺以上的深度。"],[13,"These alone took sixteen months to build.","仅这些部分的建设就花费了十六个月的时间。"],[14,"Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.","在水面之上，这些塔楼的高度接近700英尺。"],[15,"They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.","它们支撑着悬挂着桥梁的缆绳。"],[16,"Each of the four cables contains 26, 108 lengths of wire.","这四根缆绳中的每一根都包含26,108股钢丝。"],[17,"It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.","据估计，即使这座桥上挤满了汽车，它所承载的重量也仅相当于其总承载能力的三分之一。"],[18,"However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.","然而，这座桥的重要性并不仅仅体现在它的规模和承重能力上。"],[19,"Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,","尽管它规模庞大，但它却既简洁又优雅。"],[20,"fulfilling its designer's dream to creat 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.","实现了设计师的梦想：创造出一个“尽可能轻描淡写地勾勒出的庞然大物”。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"52－Mud is Mud","t":"Mud is Mud","c":[[0,"Lesson 52","第52课"],[1,"Mud is mud","泥就是泥；无论它在哪里，本质都是一样的。"],[2,"Why did Harry decide to give up his little game?","为什么哈利决定放弃他的那个小把戏（或：为什么哈利决定不再玩那个小游戏）？"],[3,"My cousin, Harry, keeps a large curiously-shaped bottle on permanent display in his study.","我的表弟哈里在他的书房里永久性地展示着一个形状非常奇特的瓶子。"],[4,"Despite the fact that the bottle is tinted a delicate shade of green,","尽管这个瓶子的颜色是一种淡雅的绿色，"],[5,"an observant visitor would soon notice that it is filled with what looks like a thick, greyish substance.","一个细心的访客很快就会注意到，这个空间里充满了某种看起来像浓稠的、灰褐色的物质。"],[6,"If you were to ask Harry what was in the bottle, he would tell you that it contained perfumed mud.","如果你问哈利瓶子里装的是什么，他会告诉你里面装的是香味的泥浆。"],[7,"If you expressed doubt or surprise, he would immediately invite you to smell it and then to rub some into your skin.","如果你表现出怀疑或惊讶，他就会立刻邀请你闻一闻这种物质，然后让你把它涂抹在皮肤上。"],[8,"The brief experiment would dispel any further doubts she might have.","这个简短的实验将会消除她可能存在的任何疑虑。"],[9,"The bottle really does contain perfumed mud.","这个瓶子里确实装着带有香味的泥浆。"],[10,"How Harry came into the possession of this outlandish stuff makes an interesting story which he is fond of relating.","哈利是如何得到这些奇怪物品的，这本身就是一个有趣的故事，而他也很喜欢讲这个故事。"],[11,"Furthermore, the acquisition of this bottle cured him of a bad habit he had been developing for years.","此外，买到这个瓶子后，他改掉了自己多年来一直养成的一个坏习惯。"],[12,"Harry used to consider it a great joke to go into expensive cosmetic shops and make outrageous requests for goods that do not exist.","哈里过去常常觉得：去那些高档的化妆品店，然后提出一些根本不存在的商品、并要求购买这些商品，这简直是个天大的笑话。"],[13,"He would invent fanciful names on the spot.","他总能即兴想出一些奇特、富有想象力的名字。"],[14,"On entering a shop,","当走进一家商店时，"],[15,"he would ask for a new perfume called 'Scented Shadow' or for 'insoluble bath cubes'.","他会要求购买一款名为“Scented Shadow”的新香水，或者“insoluble bath cubes”（即不可溶解的浴盐块）。"],[16,"If a shop assistant told him she had not heard of it, he would pretend to be considerably put out.","如果店员告诉他她从未听说过那个产品，他就会假装非常失望（或很不高兴）。"],[17,"He loved to be told that one of his imaginary products was temporarily out of stock","他很喜欢听到这样的消息：他想象中的某个产品暂时缺货了。"],[18,"and he would faithfully promise to call again at some future date, but of course he never did.","他会诚实地承诺会在未来的某个时候再次打电话，但当然，他从未兑现过这个承诺。"],[19,"How Harry managed to keep a straight face during these performances is quite beyond me.","我实在无法理解：哈利在那些表演过程中是如何始终保持面无表情的……"],[20,"Harry does not need to be prompted to explain how he bought his precious bottle of mud.","哈利根本不需要别人提醒，他就能解释自己是如何买到那瓶珍贵的“泥”的。"],[21,"One day, he went to an exclusive shop in London and asked for 'Myrolite'.","有一天，他去了伦敦的一家高档商店，询问是否有“Myrolite”这种商品。"],[22,"The shop assistant looked puzzled and Harry repeated the word, slowly stressing each syllable.","店员看起来很困惑，于是哈利又重复了这个词，慢慢地、一个音节一个音节地念了出来。"],[23,"When the woman shook her head in bewilderment,","当那位女士困惑地摇头时……"],[24,"Harry went on to explain that 'myrolite' was a hard, amber-like substance which could be used to remove freckles.","哈里接着解释说，“myrolite”是一种质地坚硬、呈琥珀色的物质，可以用来去除雀斑。"],[25,"This explanation evidently conveyed something to the woman who searched shelf after shelf.","这个解释显然让那位在货架间翻找东西的女士明白了些什么。"],[26,"She produced all sorts of weird concoctions, but none of them met with Harry's requirements.","她制作了各种各样的奇怪混合物，但没有一种能满足哈里的要求。"],[27,"When Harry put on his act of being mildly annoyed, the assistant promised to order some for him.","当哈里装出一副有点恼火的样子时，助手答应会帮他订购一些东西。"],[28,"Intoxicated by his success, Harry then asked for perfumed mud.","被自己的成功冲昏了头脑，哈里随后要求得到那种带有香味的泥浆。"],[29,"He expected the assistant to look at him in blank astonishment.","他期待着助手会惊讶地、一脸茫然地看着他。"],[30,"However, it was his turn to be surprised, for the woman's eyes immediately lit up","然而，轮到他感到惊讶了——因为那个女人的眼睛立刻亮了起来。"],[31,"and she fetched several bottles which she placed on the counter for Harry to inspect.","然后她拿来了几瓶酒，把它们放在柜台上让哈里查看。"],[32,"For once, Harry had to admit defeat.","这一次，哈利不得不承认自己失败了。"],[33,"He picked up what seemed to be the smallest bottle and discreetly asked the price.","他拿起了那个看起来是最小的瓶子，然后悄悄地询问了价格。"],[34,"He was glad to get away with a mere twenty pounds and he beat a hasty retreat, clutching the precious bottle under his arm.","他很高兴只被罚了二十英镑，于是急忙逃走了，同时紧紧地把那个珍贵的瓶子夹在腋下。"],[35,"From then on, Harry decided that this little game he had invented might prove to be expensive.","从那以后，哈利意识到自己发明的这个“小游戏”可能会带来严重的后果（或者：这个小游戏可能会让他付出沉重的代价）。"],[36,"The curious bottle which now adorns the bookcase in his study was his first and last purchase of rare cosmetics.","那个现在摆放在他书房书架上的奇特瓶子，是他第一次也是最后一次购买的稀有化妆品。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"15－Fifty Pence Worth of Trouble","t":"Fifty Pence Worth of Trouble","c":[[0,"Lesson 15","第15课"],[1,"Fifty pence worth of trouble","五十便士的“代价”"],[2,"Did George get anything for his fifty pence? What?","乔治用那五十便士得到了什么吗？是什么？"],[3,"Children always appreciate small gifts of money.","孩子们总是很乐意接受小额的金钱礼物。"],[4,"Mum or dad, of course, provides a regular supply of pocket money, but uncles and aunts are always a source of extra income.","当然，爸爸妈妈会定期给他们零花钱，但叔叔阿姨们也是他们额外的收入来源。"],[5,"With some children, small sums go a long way.","对一些孩子来说，这些小额的钱可以派上大用场。"],[6,"If fifty pence pieces are not exchanged for sweets, they rattle for months inside money boxes.","如果五十便士硬币没有被用来买糖果，它们就会在存钱罐里待上好几个月。"],[7,"Only very thrifty children manage to fill up a money box.","只有非常节俭的孩子才能真正把存钱罐填满。"],[8,"For most of them, fifty pence is a small price to pay for a nice big bar of chocolate.","对大多数孩子来说，五十便士不过是买一块美味巧克力的小小代价罢了。"],[9,"My nephew, George, has a money box but it is always empty.","我的侄子乔治有一个存钱罐，但里面总是空空如也。"],[10,"Very few of the fifty pence pieces and pound coins I have given him have found their way there.","我给他的那些五十便士硬币和一英镑硬币，几乎没有一个真正进了那个存钱罐。"],[11,"I gave him fifty pence yesterday and advised him to save it.","昨天我又给了他五十便士，并建议他要把钱存起来。"],[12,"Instead, he bought himself fifty pence worth of trouble.","相反，他给自己惹来了价值五十便士的麻烦。"],[13,"On his way to the sweet shop, he dropped his fifty pence and it bounced along the pavement and then disappeared down a drain.","在去糖果店的路上，他掉了那50便士硬币；硬币沿着人行道弹跳着滚去，最后掉进了下水道里不见了。"],[14,"George took off his jacket,","乔治脱下了他的夹克。"],[15,"rolled up his sleeves and pushed his right arm through the drain cover.","他卷起了袖子，然后将右臂伸进了排水口的盖子里。"],[16,"He could not find his 50 pence piece anywhere, and what is more, he could not get his arm out.","他到处都找不到那枚50便士的硬币，而且更糟糕的是，他的手臂还拔不出来了。"],[17,"A crowd of people gathered round him and a lady rubbed his arm with soap and butter, but George was firmly stuck.","一群人围了上来，一位女士用肥皂和黄油涂抹他的手臂，但乔治还是被卡得牢牢的。"],[18,"The fire brigade was called and two fire fighters freed George using a special type of grease.","消防队被叫来了，两名消防员用一种特殊的润滑剂把乔治解救了出来。"],[19,"George was not too upset by his experience because the lady who owns the sweet shop heard about his troubles and rewarded him with a large box of chocolates.","乔治对他的遭遇并不太在意，因为那家糖果店的老板听说了他的麻烦后，送了他一盒大巧克力作为奖励。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"12－Life on a Desert Island","t":"Life on a Desert Island","c":[[0,"Lesson 12","第12课"],[1,"Life on a desert island","荒岛上的生活"],[2,"What was exceptional about the two men's stay on the desert island?","这两位男士在荒岛上的经历有什么特别之处呢？"],[3,"Most of us have formed an unrealistic picture of life on a desert island.","我们大多数人都对在荒岛上生活有着不切实际的想象。"],[4,"We sometimes imagine a desert island to be a sort of paradise where the sun always shines.","我们有时会想象，荒岛是一种天堂般的地方——那里阳光永远明媚。"],[5,"Life there is simple and good.","那里的生活简单而美好。"],[6,"Ripe fruit falls from the trees and you never have to work.","成熟的果实从树上掉下来，你根本不用工作。"],[7,"The other side of the picture is quite the opposite.","事情的另一面则完全相反。"],[8,"Life on a desert island is wretched.","在荒岛上生活是非常艰苦的。"],[9,"You either starve to death or live like Robinson Crusoe, waiting for a boat which never comes.","要么你饿死；要么你像鲁滨逊·克鲁索一样孤独地生活，等待着一艘永远都不会到来的船。"],[10,"Perhaps there is an element of truth in both these pictures, but few of us have had the opportunity to find out.","也许这两种想象都有几分道理，但我们很少有人有机会去弄个明白。"],[11,"Two men who recently spent five days on a coral island wished they had stayed there longer.","两名最近在珊瑚岛上度过了五天时间的男子，希望自己能多待一段时间。"],[12,"They were taking a badly damaged boat from the Virgin Islands to Miami to have it repaired.","他们正将一艘严重损坏的船只从维尔京群岛运往迈阿密进行修理。"],[13,"During the journey, their boat began to sink.","在旅途中，他们的船开始下沉了。"],[14,"They quickly loaded a small rubber dinghy with food, matches, and cans of beer and rowed for a few miles across the Caribbean until they arrived at a tiny coral island.","他们迅速将食物、火柴和几罐啤酒装进了一艘小橡皮艇里，然后划船穿越了加勒比海，行驶了几英里，最终抵达了一个小小的珊瑚岛。"],[15,"There were hardly any trees on the island and there was no water, but this did not prove to be a problem.","岛上几乎没有树木，也没有水源，但这并没有成为什么问题。"],[16,"The men collected rainwater in the rubber dinghy.","他们用橡皮艇收集雨水。"],[17,"As they had brought a spear gun with them, they had plenty to eat.","因为他们带了一支鱼枪，所以食物很充足。"],[18,"They caught lobster and fish every day, and as one of them put it 'ate like kings'.","他们每天都会捕到龙虾和鱼，用其中一个人的话来说：“我们吃得像国王一样丰盛。”"],[19,"When a passing tanker rescued them five days later, both men were genuinely sorry that they had to leave.","五天后，当一艘路过的油轮救起了他们时，两名男子都真心感到遗憾——因为他们不得不离开那里。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"13－It's Only Me","t":"It's Only Me","c":[[0,"Lesson 13","第13课"],[1,"'It's only me'","“是我。”"],[2,"What did the man expect to find under the stairs?","那个男人原本期望在楼梯下面找到什么呢？"],[3,"After her husband had gone to work, Mrs. Richards sent her children to school and went upstairs to her bedroom.","在她丈夫上班后，理查兹夫人送孩子们去了学校，然后上楼去了自己的卧室。"],[4,"She was too excited to do any housework that morning, for in the evening she would be going to a fancy-dress party with her husband.","那天早上她兴奋得根本无心做任何家务，因为晚上她要和丈夫一起去参加一个化装舞会。"],[5,"She intended to dress up as a ghost and as she had made her costume the night before, she was impatient to try it on.","她打算打扮成鬼的样子，由于她前一天晚上就已经做好了服装，因此迫不及待地想试穿它了。"],[6,"Though the costume consisted only of a sheet, it was very effective.","虽然这套服装只由一块床单制成，但效果非常好。"],[7,"After putting it on, Mrs. Richards went downstairs.","穿上它之后，理查兹夫人下楼去了。"],[8,"She wanted to find out whether it would be comfortable to wear.","她想知道穿起来是否舒适。"],[9,"Just as Mrs. Richards was entering the dining-room, there was a knock on the front door.","就在理查兹夫人刚走进餐厅的时候，前门突然传来了敲门声。"],[10,"She knew that it must be the baker.","她知道一定是面包师来了。"],[11,"She had told him to come straight in if ever she failed to open the door and to leave the bread on the kitchen table.","她曾告诉他：如果她没能打开门，就直接进来，并把面包放在厨房的桌子上。"],[12,"Not wanting to frighten the poor man, Mrs. Richards quickly hid in the small storeroom under the stairs.","为了不吓到那个可怜的人，理查兹夫人迅速躲进了楼梯下方的小储藏室里。"],[13,"She heard the front door open and heavy footsteps in the hall.","她听到前门被打开的声音，以及大厅里沉重的脚步声。"],[14,"Suddenly the door of the storeroom was opened and a man entered.","突然，储藏室的门被打开了，一个男人走了进来。"],[15,"Mrs. Richards realized that it must be the man from the Electricity Board who had come to read the metre.","理查兹夫人意识到，来读取电表数据的肯定就是电力公司的工作人员。"],[16,"She tried to explain the situation, saying","她试图解释当时的情况，说道："],[17,"'It's only me', but it was too late.","“是我。”但为时已晚。"],[18,"The man let out a cry and jumped back several paces.","那个男人突然大叫一声，然后向后跳了几步。"],[19,"When Mrs. Richards walked towards him, he fled, slamming the door behind him.","当理查兹夫人朝他走去时，他立刻逃跑了，并随手关上了门。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"06－Smash-and-Grab","t":"Smash-and-Grab","c":[[0,"Lesson 6","第6课"],[1,"Smash-and-grab","砸窗抢劫"],[2,"How did Mr. Taylor try to stop the thieves?","泰勒先生是如何试图阻止那些小偷的？"],[3,"The expensive shops in a famous arcade near Piccadilly were just opening.","皮卡迪利附近一条著名拱廊街里的高档商店刚刚开门。"],[4,"At this time of the morning, the arcade was almost empty.","在这个清晨的时刻，游戏厅里几乎空无一人。"],[5,"Mr. Taylor, the owner of a jewellery shop was admiring a new window display.","泰勒先生是一家珠宝店的老板，他正在欣赏店内的新橱窗陈列。"],[6,"Two of his assistants had been working busily since 8 o'clock and had only just finished.","他的两名助手从早上8点开始就一直在忙碌地工作，直到现在才刚刚完成工作。"],[7,"Diamond necklaces and rings had been beautifully arranged on a background of black velvet.","钻石项链和戒指被精心地摆放在黑色天鹅绒的背景上。"],[8,"After gazing at the display for several minutes, Mr. Taylor went back into his shop.","在凝视了橱窗陈列几分钟后，泰勒先生回到了他的店里。"],[9,"The silence was suddenly broken when a large car, with its headlights on and its horn blaring, roared down the arcade.","突然，寂静被打破了——一辆大型汽车亮着车灯、响着喇叭，呼啸着冲过拱廊街。"],[10,"It came to a stop outside the jeweller's.","它停在了珠宝店的外面。"],[11,"One man stayed at the wheel while two others with black stockings over their faces jumped out and smashed the window of the shop with iron bars.","一个人留在方向盘前，另外两个脸上蒙着黑色长筒袜的人跳下车，用铁棍砸碎了商店的橱窗。"],[12,"While this was going on, Mr. Taylor was upstairs.","就在这件事发生的时候，泰勒先生正在楼上。"],[13,"He and his staff began throwing furniture out of the window.","他和他的员工开始把家具从窗户扔出去。"],[14,"Chairs and tables went flying into the arcade.","椅子和桌子都被抛飞到了拱廊里。"],[15,"One of the thieves was struck by a heavy statue,","其中一个小偷被一座沉重的雕像砸中了。"],[16,"but he was too busy helping himself to diamonds to notice any pain.","但他正忙着抢钻石，根本没感觉到疼痛。"],[17,"The raid was all over in three minutes, for the men scrambled back into the car and it moved off at a fantastic speed.","这次突袭在短短三分钟内就结束了；那些人纷纷跳回车上，车子随后以极快的速度离开了现场。"],[18,"Just as it was leaving,","就在它即将离开的时候……"],[19,"Mr.Taylor rushed out and ran after it throwing ashtrays and vases,","泰勒先生冲了出去，追着车扔烟灰缸和花瓶，"],[20,"but it was impossible to stop the thieves.","但是，根本无法阻止那些小偷。"],[21,"They had got away with thousands of pounds worth of diamonds.","他们成功偷走了价值数千英镑的钻石。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"50－New Year Resolutions","t":"New Year Resolutions","c":[[0,"Lesson 50","第50课"],[1,"New Year resolutions","新年决心"],[2,"What marked the end of the writer's New Year resolutions?","是什么标志着这位作家新年决心的结束呢？"],[3,"The New Year is a time for resolutions.","新年是一个制定新目标的时刻。"],[4,"Mentally, at least, most of us could compile formidable lists of 'dos' and 'don'ts'.","至少在精神层面上，我们大多数人都能列出一份详尽的“该做”与“不该做”的清单。"],[5,"The same old favourites recur year in year out with monotonous regularity.","那些老掉牙的决心年复一年地重复出现，单调得令人厌烦。"],[6,"We resolve to get up earlier each morning, eat less,","我们决定每天早上早起一些，少吃一些食物。"],[7,"find more time to play with the children, do a thousand and one jobs about the house,","多花些时间陪孩子们玩耍，同时还要处理家里的各种琐事（比如打扫卫生、做饭、洗衣服等等）。"],[8,"be nice to people we don't like, drive carefully, and take the dog for a walk every day.","对待那些我们不喜欢的人也要友善；开车时要小心谨慎；每天还要带狗狗去散步。"],[9,"Past experience has taught us that certain accomplishments are beyond attainment.","过去的经验告诉我们，有些成就其实是无法实现的。"],[10,"If we remain inveterate smokers, it is only because we have so often experienced the frustration that results from failure.","如果我们还是顽固的烟民，那只是因为我们太多次地经历了因失败而产生的挫败感。"],[11,"Most of us fail in our efforts at sel-improvement because our schemes are too ambitious and we never have time to carry them out.","我们大多数人在自我提升的努力中失败，是因为我们的计划过于宏大，而我们根本没有时间去执行。"],[12,"We also make the fundamental error of announcing our resolutions to everybody","我们还有一个根本性的错误：那就是把我们的决心或计划公之于众。"],[13,"so that we look even more foolish when we slip back into our bad old ways.","这样，当我们重新回到那些糟糕的老习惯时，看起来就会更加愚蠢了。"],[14,"Aware of these pitfalls, this year I attempted to keep my resolutions to myself.","意识到这些陷阱后，今年我试着把决心只留给自己。"],[15,"I limited myself to two modest ambitions: to do physical exercises every morning and to read more of an evening.","我给自己设定了两个简单的目标：每天早上坚持做体育锻炼，晚上多读书。"],[16,"An all-night party on New Year's Eve provided me with a good excuse for not carrying out either of these new resolutions on the first day of the year,","新年前夜的通宵派对为我提供了一个很好的借口，让我能够在新年的第一天不执行任何这些新年决心。"],[17,"but on the second, I applied myself assiduously to the task.","但到了第二天，我勤勉地执行起这项任务。"],[18,"The daily exercises lasted only eleven minutes and I proposed to do them early in the morning before anyone had got up.","每天的锻炼只有十一分钟，我打算在清晨大家还没起床前做。"],[19,"The self-discipline required to drag myself out of bed 11 minutes earlier than usual was considerable.","要比平时早11分钟起床，所需要的自制力是相当大的。"],[20,"Nevertheless, I managed to creep down into the living room for two days before anyone found me out.","尽管如此，我还是设法在两天里悄悄溜进客厅，直到被家人发现。"],[21,"After jumping about on the carpet and twisting the human frame into uncomfortable positions,","在毯子上跳来跳去、把人的身体扭成各种不舒服的姿势之后……"],[22,"I sat down at the breakfast table in an exhausted condition.","我疲惫不堪地坐到了早餐桌前。"],[23,"It was this that betrayed me.","正是这个状态出卖了我。"],[24,"The next morning the whole family trooped in to watch the performance.","第二天早上，全家人都聚在一起观看这场表演。"],[25,"That was really unsettling but I fended off the taunts and jibes of the family good-humouredly and soon everybody got used to the idea.","那确实让人不自在，但我用幽默的态度抵挡了家人的嘲笑和讥讽，大家很快就习惯了。"],[26,"However, my enthusiasm waned.","然而，我的热情逐渐消退了。"],[27,"The time I spent at exercises gradually diminished.","我花在锻炼上的时间逐渐减少了。"],[28,"Little by little the eleven minutes fell to zero.","渐渐地，这十一分钟减少到了零。"],[29,"By January 10th, I was back to where I had started from.","到了1月10日，我又回到了起点。"],[30,"I argued that if I spent less time exhausting myself at exercises in the morning,","我心想，如果早上少花些时间把自己累得筋疲力尽，"],[31,"I would keep my mind fresh for reading when I got home from work.","下班回家后我就能保持头脑清醒来读书了。"],[32,"Resisting the hypnotizing effect of television,","抗拒电视的催眠效果……"],[33,"I sat in my room for a few evenings with my eyes glued to a book.","有好几个晚上，我待在房间里，眼睛一直粘在书上。"],[34,"One night, however, feeling cold and lonely, I went downstairs and sat in front of the television pretending to read.","然而，有一天晚上，我感到寒冷又孤独，于是下楼坐在电视机前，假装在看书。"],[35,"That proved to be my undoing, for I soon got back to my old bad habit of dozing off in front of the screen.","这证明是我的败因，因为我很快又恢复了在屏幕前打瞌睡的老毛病。"],[36,"I still haven't given up my resolution to do more reading.","我仍然没有放弃多读书的决心。"],[37,"In fact, I have just bought a book entitled How to Read a Thousand Words a Minute.","事实上，我刚刚买了一本书，书名是《如何一分钟读完一千个单词》。"],[38,"Perhaps it will solve my problem, but I just haven't had time to read it!","也许这本书能解决我的问题，只是我还没时间去读它罢了！"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"31－A Lovable Eccentric","t":"A Lovable Eccentric","c":[[0,"Lesson 31","第31课"],[1,"A lovable eccentric","一个可爱的怪人"],[2,"Why did the shop assistant refuse to serve Dickie?","为什么店员拒绝为迪基提供服务呢？"],[3,"True eccentrics never deliberately set out to draw attention to themselves.","真正的怪人从来都不会刻意去吸引别人的注意。"],[4,"They disregard social conventions without being conscious that they are doing anything extraordinary.","他们无视社会习俗，却完全没有意识到自己的行为有什么特别之处。"],[5,"This invariably wins them the love and respect of others, for they add colour to the dull routine of everyday life.","这无疑为他们赢得了他人的喜爱与尊重，因为他们为平淡的日常生活增添了色彩。"],[6,"Up to the time of his death, Richard Colson was one of the most notable figures in our town.","直到去世，理查德·科尔森一直是我们镇上最杰出的人物之一。"],[7,"He was a shrewd and wealthy businessman,","他是一位精明且富有的商人。"],[8,"but most people in the town hardly knew anything about this side of his life.","但镇上的大多数人对他这一面的生活几乎一无所知。"],[9,"He was known to us all as Dickie and his eccentricity had become legendary long before he died.","我们都叫他迪基，他的古怪行为早在他去世前就已成了传奇。"],[10,"Dickie disliked snobs intensely.","迪基极其讨厌势利小人。"],[11,"Though he owned a large car, he hardly ever used it, preferring always to go on foot.","尽管他拥有一辆豪车，但他几乎从不使用它，总是更喜欢步行出行。"],[12,"Even when it was raining heavily, he refused to carry an umbrella.","即使下着大雨，他也拒绝打伞。"],[13,"One day, he walked into an expensive shop after having been caught in a particularly heavy shower.","一天，他在一场倾盆大雨中淋得湿透后，走进了一家高档商店。"],[14,"He wanted to buy a ￡300 watch for his wife,","他想给妻子买一块价值300英镑的手表。"],[15,"but he was in such a bedraggled condition that an assistant refused to serve him.","但他当时的样子实在太狼狈了，以至于店员拒绝为他服务。"],[16,"Dickie left the shop without a word and returned carrying a large cloth bag.","迪基一言不发地离开了商店，然后回来时手里拿着一个大布袋。"],[17,"As it was extremely heavy, he dumped it on the counter.","由于它非常重，他就把它扔在了柜台上。"],[18,"The assistant asked him to leave, but Dickie paid no attention to him and requested to see the manager.","助理让他离开，但迪基根本没理会，反而要求见经理。"],[19,"Recognizing who the customer was,","认出了这位顾客是谁，"],[20,"the manager was most apologetic and reprimanded the assistant severely.","经理非常抱歉，并严厉地训斥了那位助理。"],[21,"When Dickie was given the watch, he presented the assistant with the cloth bag.","当迪基收到那块手表时，他把那个布袋送给了助手。"],[22,"It contained ￡300 in pennies.","里面装着300英镑的便士。"],[23,"He insisted on the assistant's counting the money before he left--30, 000 pennies in all!","他坚持要求店员当面把钱点清——总共三万枚便士！"],[24,"On another occasion, he invited a number of important critics to see his private collection of modern paintings.","还有一次，他邀请了许多知名评论家来参观他的私人现代绘画收藏。"],[25,"This exhibition received a great deal of attention in the press,","这个展览在媒体上受到了极大的关注。"],[26,"for though the pictures were supposed to be the work of famous artists,","因为尽管这些画被认为是著名艺术家的作品，"],[27,"they had in fact been painted by Dickie.","实际上，这些画都是迪基画的。"],[28,"It took him four years to stage this elaborate joke simply to prove that critics do not always know what they are talking about.","他花了四年时间精心策划这个恶作剧，只是为了证明评论家们并非总是言之有物。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"20－Pioneer Pilots","t":"Pioneer Pilots","c":[[0,"Lesson 20","第20课"],[1,"Pioneer pilots","先锋飞行员"],[2,"What was the name of the first plane to fly across the English Channel?","第一架飞越英吉利海峡的飞机叫什么名字？"],[3,"In 1908 Lord Northcliffe offered a prize of ￡1, 000 to the first man who would fly across the English Channel.","1908年，诺斯克利夫勋爵（Lord Northcliffe）宣布设立一项奖金，金额为1,000英镑，奖励第一个成功飞越英吉利海峡的人。"],[4,"Over a year passed before the first attempt was made.","一年多过去了，才有人进行第一次尝试。"],[5,"On July 19th, 1909, in the early morning,","1909年7月19日，清晨时分……"],[6,"Hubert Latham took off from the French coast in his plane the 'Antoinette IV.'","休伯特·拉瑟姆驾驶他的飞机“安托瓦内特IV号”从法国海岸起飞了。"],[7,"He had travelled only seven miles across the Channel when his engine failed and he was forced to land on the sea.","他刚刚飞越英吉利海峡七英里，引擎就发生了故障，他不得不迫降在海面上。"],[8,"The 'Antoinette' floated on the water until Latham was picked up by a ship.","“安托瓦内特”号漂浮在水面上，直到拉瑟姆被一艘船救起。"],[9,"Two days later, Louis Bleriot arrived near Calais with a plane called 'No.XI'.","两天后，路易·布莱里奥驾驶着一架名为“No.XI”的飞机抵达了加莱附近。"],[10,"Bleriot had been making planes since 1905 and this was his latest model.","布莱里奥自1905年起就开始制造飞机，而这架飞机是他最新的设计作品。"],[11,"A week before, he had completed a successful overland flight during which he covered twenty-six miles.","一周前，他完成了一次成功的陆上飞行，飞行距离达到了26英里。"],[12,"Latham, however, did not give up easily.","然而，拉瑟姆并没有轻易放弃。"],[13,"He, too, arrived near Calais on the same day with a new 'Antoinette'.","他也在同一天，驾驶一架新的“安托瓦内特”号飞机，抵达了加莱附近。"],[14,"It looked as if there would be an exciting race across the Channel.","看起来将会有一场跨越英吉利海峡的精彩比赛。"],[15,"Both planes were going to take off on July 25th, but Latham failed to get up early enough.","这两架飞机都原定于7月25日起飞，但拉瑟姆没能及时起床。"],[16,"After making a short test flight at 4.15 a.m., Bleriot set off half an hour later.","在凌晨4点15分进行了一次短暂的试飞后，布莱里奥于半小时后出发了。"],[17,"His great flight lasted thirty-seven minutes.","他的这次精彩飞行持续了三十七分钟。"],[18,"When he landed near Dover, the first person to greet him was a local policeman.","当他降落在多佛附近时，第一个迎接他的是一名当地警察。"],[19,"Latham made another attempt a week later and got within half a mile of Dover,","一周后，拉瑟姆再次尝试，最终距离多佛仅剩下半英里。"],[20,"but he was unlucky again.","但他又一次运气不佳了。"],[21,"His engine failed and he landed on the sea for the second time.","他的引擎发生了故障，他第二次降落在海面上。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"32－A Lost Ship","t":"A Lost Ship","c":[[0,"Lesson 32","第32课"],[1,"A lost ship","一艘失踪的船只"],[2,"Did the crew of the Elkor find what they were looking for? Why?","埃尔科号（Elkor）的船员们找到他们想要的东西了吗？为什么？"],[3,"The salvage operation had been a complete failure.","这次打捞作业彻底失败了。"],[4,"The small ship, Elkor, which had been searching the Barents Sea for weeks, was on its way home.","那艘名为“Elkor”的小船已经在巴伦支海搜寻了数周，现在正返回家中。"],[5,"A radio message from the mainland had been received by the ship's captain instructing him to give up the search.","船长接收到了一则来自大陆的无线电消息，命令他停止搜索。"],[6,"The captain knew that another attempt would be made later,","船长知道，稍后还会有人再次尝试。"],[7,"for the sunken ship he was trying to find had been carrying a precious cargo of gold bullion.","因为他试图寻找的那艘沉船，当时正载着一批珍贵的黄金货物。"],[8,"Despite the message, the captain of the Elkor decided to try once more.","尽管收到了那条消息，埃尔科号（Elkor）的船长还是决定再试一次。"],[9,"The sea bed was scoured with powerful nets and there was tremendous excitement on board when a chest was raised from the bottom.","海床被强大的渔网彻底清理过；当一个箱子从海底被打捞上来时，船上的所有人都兴奋不已。"],[10,"Though the crew were at first under the impression that the lost ship had been found,","虽然船员们最初以为那艘失踪的船只已经被找到了，"],[11,"the contents of the chest proved them wrong.","箱子里的物品证明他们是错的。"],[12,"What they had in fact found was a ship which had been sunk many years before.","他们实际上发现的是一艘多年前就已经沉没的船只。"],[13,"The chest contained the personal belongings of a seaman, Alan Fielding.","这个箱子里装着水手艾伦·菲尔丁的个人物品。"],[14,"There were books, clothing and photographs, together with letters which the seaman had once received from his wife.","那里有书籍、衣物和照片，还有一些信件——这些都是那位水手曾经从他的妻子那里收到的。"],[15,"The captain of the Elkor ordered his men to salvage as much as possible from the wreck.","埃尔科号（Elkor）的船长命令他的船员们从残骸中尽可能多地抢救出有用的物品。"],[16,"Nothing of value was found,","没有发现任何有价值的东西。"],[17,"but the numerous items which were brought to the surface proved to be of great interest.","但是，那些被发掘出来的众多物品都引起了极大的兴趣。"],[18,"From a heavy gun that was raised, the captain realized that the ship must have been a cruiser.","当那门大炮被抬起来时，船长意识到这艘船应该是一艘巡洋舰。"],[19,"In another chest which contained the belongings of a ship's officer,","在另一个箱子里，装着一名船员的个人物品。"],[20,"there was an unfinished letter which had been written on March 14th, 1943.","有一封未完成的信，写于1943年3月14日。"],[21,"The captain learnt from the letter that the name of the lost ship was the Karen.","从这封信中，船长得知那艘失踪的船只的名字叫“Karen”。"],[22,"The most valuable find of all was the ship's log book, parts of which it was still possible to read.","最珍贵的发现是那艘船的航海日志；其中的一部分内容仍然可以辨认出来。"],[23,"From this the captain was able to piece together all the information that had come to light.","通过这些信息，船长得以整理出所有已经公开的事实和细节。"],[24,"The Karen had been sailing in a convoy to Russia when she was torpedoed by an enemy submarine.","那艘名为“Karen”的船当时正与一支船队一起前往俄罗斯，途中被敌方潜艇发射的鱼雷击中。"],[25,"This was later confirmed by a naval official at the Ministry of Defence after the Elkor had returned home.","这一事件在“Elkor”号返回国内后，得到了国防部海军官员的证实。"],[26,"All the items that were found were sent to the War Museum.","船上发现的所有物品都被送到了战争博物馆。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"30－The Death of a Ghost","t":"The Death of a Ghost","c":[[0,"Lesson 30","第30课"],[1,"The death of a ghost","一个“幽灵”的死亡"],[2,"Why did the two brothers keep the secret?","为什么这两兄弟要保守这个秘密呢？"],[3,"For years, villagers believed that Endley farm was haunted.","多年来，村民们一直相信恩德利农场有鬼魂出没。"],[4,"The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.","这个农场归两兄弟乔·考克斯和鲍勃·考克斯所有。"],[5,"They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.","他们雇了一些农场工人，但没有人愿意在那里长期工作。"],[6,"Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.","每次有工人辞职时，他都会讲述同一个故事。"],[7,"Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.","农场工人们说，他们早上醒来时总会发现，头天晚上的活儿都干完了。"],[8,"Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.","干草已经被割下，牛棚也已经被清理干净了。"],[9,"A farm worker, who stayed up all night, claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.","一位熬夜的农场工人声称，他曾在月光下看见一个人影在收割庄稼。"],[10,"In time, it became an accepted fact that the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.","久而久之，大家就都相信考克斯兄弟雇了个勤快的鬼，帮他们干了大部分的活儿。"],[11,"No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.","谁也没想到农场里还藏着个谁也没见过的人。"],[12,"This was indeed the case.","事实确实如此。"],[13,"A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.","不久前，村民们听说恩德利的鬼魂死了，都大吃一惊。"],[14,"Everyone went to the funeral, for the 'ghost' was none other than Eric Cox,","大家都参加了葬礼，因为那个“鬼魂”其实就是埃里克·考克斯。"],[15,"a third brother who was supposed to have died as a young man.","是他们的三弟，人们原以为他年轻时就死了。"],[16,"After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.","葬礼结束后，乔和鲍勃透露了一个他们保守了五十多年的秘密。"],[17,"Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.","埃里克是家中的老大，比两个弟弟年长很多。"],[18,"He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.","在第二次世界大战期间，他被迫加入了军队。"],[19,"As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.","因为他特别讨厌军队生活，就决定当逃兵。"],[20,"When he learnt that he would be sent abroad,","当他得知自己将被派往国外时，"],[21,"he returned to the farm and his father hid him until the end of the war.","他回到了农场，他的父亲把他藏了起来，直到战争结束。"],[22,"Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.","因为怕被政府发现，埃里克战后也一直躲着。"],[23,"His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.","他的父亲告诉所有人，埃里克在战斗中牺牲了。"],[24,"The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.","除了乔和鲍勃，再没有别人知道这个秘密了。"],[25,"They did not even tell their wives.","他们甚至都没有告诉自己的妻子。"],[26,"When their father died they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.","父亲去世后，他们觉得继续把埃里克藏起来是自己的责任。"],[27,"All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.","这些年来，埃里克一直过着隐居的生活。"],[28,"He used to sleep during the day and work at night,","他过去常常在白天睡觉，晚上工作。"],[29,"quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.","他压根儿不知道自己已经成了恩德利的鬼。"],[30,"When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.","然而，当他去世后，他的兄弟们发现再也无法保守这个秘密了。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"38－The First Calendar","t":"The First Calendar","c":[[0,"Lesson 38","第38课"],[1,"The first calendar","第一个日历"],[2,"What is the importance of the dots, lines, and symbols engraved on stone, bones and ivory?","刻在石头、骨头和象牙上的点、线以及符号究竟有什么重要性呢？"],[3,"Future historians will be in a unique position when they come to record the history of our own times.","未来的历史学家在记录我们这个时代的历史时，将会处于一个非常独特的地位。"],[4,"They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that steadily accumulates.","他们几乎无法从不断积累的大量证据中判断出应该选择哪些事实。"],[5,"What is more, they will not have to rely solely on the written word.","此外，他们将不必仅仅依赖书面文字。"],[6,"Films, videos, CDs and CD-ROMs are just some of the bewildering amount of information they will have.","电影、视频、CD以及CD-ROM只是他们所拥有的海量信息中的一部分而已。"],[7,"They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action.","他们将能够，可以说是，亲眼看到我们的活动，亲耳听到我们的声音。"],[8,"But the historian attempting to reconstruct the distant past is always faced with a difficult task.","但是，试图重建遥远过去的历史学家总是面临着一项艰巨的任务。"],[9,"He has to deduce what he can from the few scanty clues available.","他必须从现有的一些零星线索中尽可能地进行推断。"],[10,"Even seemingly insignificant remains can shed interesting light on the history of early man.","即使是一些看似微不足道的遗物，也能为了解早期人类的历史提供有趣的线索。"],[11,"Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture,","到目前为止，历史学家们一直认为日历的出现是与农业的诞生同时发生的。"],[12,"for then man was faced with a real need to understand something about the seasons.","因为那时，人类确实迫切需要了解关于季节变化的规律。"],[13,"Recent scientific evidence seems to indicate that this assumption is incorrect.","最近的科学证据似乎表明，这一假设是不正确的。"],[14,"Historians have long been puzzled by dots, lines and symbols which have been engraved on walls, bones, and the ivory tusks of mammoths.","历史学家们长期以来一直对这些刻在墙壁上、骨头以及猛犸象象牙上的点、线条和符号感到困惑。"],[15,"The nomads who made these markings lived by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age which began about 35, 000 B.C. and ended about 10, 000 B.C.","制造这些标记的游牧民族在最后一次冰河时代（大约始于公元前35000年，结束于公元前10000年）以狩猎和捕鱼为生。"],[16,"By correlating markings made in various parts of the world,","通过将世界各地留下的标记进行关联分析，"],[17,"historians have been able to read this difficult code.","历史学家们已经成功解读了这段难以理解的代码。"],[18,"They have found that it is connected with the passage of days and the phases of the moon.","他们发现这与日期的流逝和月亮的相位有关。"],[19,"It is, in fact, a primitive type of calendar.","实际上，这是一种非常原始的日历形式。"],[20,"It has long been known that the hunting scenes depicted on walls were not simply a form of artistic expression.","人们早就知道，墙上描绘的狩猎场景并非仅仅是一种艺术表达形式。"],[21,"They had a definite meaning, for they were as near as early man could get to writing.","这些符号具有明确的含义，因为它们是早期人类所能达到的最接近文字的表达方式。"],[22,"It is possible that there is a definite relation between these paintings and the markings that sometimes accompany them.","这些壁画与有时伴随出现的标记之间可能存在某种明确的联系。"],[23,"It seems that man was making a real effort to understand the seasons 20, 000 years earlier than has been supposed.","看来，早在人们原先认为的时间之前2万年，人类就已经在努力理解四季的变化规律了。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"18－Electric Currents in Modern Art","t":"Electric Currents in Modern Art","c":[[0,"Lesson 18","第18课"],[1,"Electric currents in modern art","现代艺术中的电流（注：此处“electric currents”可能为比喻，实际含义需结合上下文确定）"],[2,"How might some of the exhibits have been dangerous?","有些展品可能会有什么危险？"],[3,"Modern sculpture rarely surprises us any more.","现代雕塑已很少再让我们感到惊讶。"],[4,"The idea that modern art can only be seen in museums is mistaken.","认为现代艺术只能在博物馆里看到，这种看法是错误的。"],[5,"Even people who take no interest in art cannot have failed to notice examples of modern sculpture on display in public places.","即使对艺术毫无兴趣的人，也不可能注意不到公共场所里展出的现代雕塑。"],[6,"Strange forms stand in gardens, and outside buildings and shops.","奇形怪状的雕塑矗立在花园里、建筑物和商店外面。"],[7,"We have got quite used to them.","我们已经习惯了它们的存在。"],[8,"Some so-called 'modern' pieces have been on display for nearly eighty years.","有些所谓的“现代”艺术品已经展出了近八十年。"],[9,"In spite of this, some people--including myself--were surprised by a recent exhibition of modern sculpture.","尽管如此，包括我在内的一些人，还是被最近的一场现代雕塑展览所震撼。"],[10,"The first thing I saw when I entered the art gallery was a notice which said: 'Do not touch the exhibits, some of them are dangerous!'","当我走进艺术画廊时，首先看到的是一张告示，上面写着：“请勿触摸展品，其中一些具有危险性！”"],[11,"The objects on display were pieces of moving sculpture.","展出的作品都是动态雕塑。"],[12,"Oddly shaped forms that are suspended from the ceiling and move in response to a gust of wind are quite familiar to everybody.","那些形状奇特、悬挂在天花板上的物体，会随着一阵风吹动而移动——这种景象对每个人来说都十分熟悉。"],[13,"These objects, however, were different.","然而，这些物体有所不同。"],[14,"Lined up against the wall, there were long thin wires attached to metal spheres.","靠墙排列着一排排细长的金属丝，每根都连接着一个金属球。"],[15,"The spheres had been magnetized and attracted or repelled each other all the time.","这些球体被磁化了，因此它们会不断地相互吸引或相互排斥。"],[16,"In the centre of the hall,","在大厅的中央，"],[17,"there were a number of tall structures which contained coloured lights.","矗立着许多高大的结构，上面装有彩色的灯光。"],[18,"These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad.","这些灯光不停地闪烁，就像那些失控的交通信号灯一样。"],[19,"Sparks were emitted from small black boxes and red lamps flashed on and off angrily.","从小巧的黑色盒子中迸发出火花；红色的灯泡则愤怒地闪烁着。"],[20,"It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.","这有点像一场展示史前电子设备的展览。"],[21,"These peculiar forms not only seemed designed to shock people emotionally, but to give them electric shocks as well!","这些奇特的设计不仅旨在从情感上震撼人们，还似乎能够给他们带来电击般的刺激！"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"47－Too High a Price","t":"Too High a Price?","c":[[0,"Lesson 47","第47课"],[1,"Too high a price?","代价是否太高？"],[2,"What does the writer describe as an 'amusing old-fashioned source of noise' ?","作者将什么描述为“一种有趣的老式噪音来源”？"],[3,"Pollution is the price we pay for an overpopulated, overindustrialized planet.","污染是我们这个人口过剩、过度工业化的星球所必须付出的代价。"],[4,"When you come to think about it, there are only four ways you can deal with rubbish:","仔细想想，处理垃圾其实只有四种方法："],[5,"dump it, burn it, turn it into something you can use again, attempt to produce less of it.","把它扔掉、烧掉，或者把它改造成可以再次使用的东西；尽量减少它的生产量。"],[6,"We keep trying all four methods, but sheer volume of rubbish we produce worldwide threatens to overwhelm us.","我们一直在尝试这四种方法，但全球产生的垃圾数量实在庞大，几乎让我们应接不暇。"],[7,"Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet.","然而，垃圾仅仅是污染我们地球问题的一个方面罢了。"],[8,"The need to produce ever increasing quantities of cheap food leads to a different kind of pollution.","对廉价食品日益增长的需求导致了另一种形式的污染。"],[9,"Industriallized farming metheods produce cheap meat products: beef, pork and chicken.","工业化农业生产方式能够制造出价格低廉的肉类产品，包括牛肉、猪肉和鸡肉。"],[10,"The use of pesticides and fertilizers produces cheap grain and vegetables.","使用农药和化肥可以生产出价格低廉的谷物和蔬菜。"],[11,"The price we pay for cheap food may be already too high:","我们为廉价食品所支付的价格可能已经太高了。"],[12,"Mad Cow Disease (BSE) in cattle, salmonella in chicken and eggs, and listeria in dairy products.","牛的疯牛病（BSE）、鸡肉和鸡蛋中的沙门氏菌、乳制品中的李斯特菌……"],[13,"And if you think you'll abandon meat and become a vegetarian,","如果你打算放弃吃肉、成为素食者，"],[14,"you have the choice of very expensive organically-grown vegetables","你也有选择：要么购买价格昂贵的有机蔬菜，"],[15,"or a steady diet of pesticides every time you think you're eating fresh salads and vegetables,","要么每次以为自己在吃新鲜沙拉或蔬菜时，其实都在摄入农药；"],[16,"or just having an innocent glass of water!","或者，你也可以选择简单地喝一杯水……"],[17,"However, there is an even more insidious kind of pollution that particularly affects urban area and invades our daily lives, and that is noise.","然而，还有一种更为隐蔽的污染形式，它尤其影响城市地区，并渗透到我们的日常生活中，那就是噪音。"],[18,"Burglar alarms going off at any time of the day or night serve only to annoy passers-by and actually assist burglars to burgle.","防盗警报在日夜任何时候突然响起，不仅会惹恼路人，反而会帮助窃贼作案；"],[19,"Car alarms constantly scream at us in the street and are a source of profound irritation.","汽车警报声在街上不断刺耳地鸣叫，令人极度烦躁。"],[20,"A recent survey of the effects of noise revealed (surprisingly?)","最近一项关于噪音影响的调查显示（令人惊讶的是），"],[21,"that dogs barking incessantly in the night rated the highest form of noise pollution on a scale ranging from 1 to 7.","夜间狗不停地吠叫被列为噪音污染中最严重的形式（在1到7的评分体系中得分最高）。"],[22,"The survey revealed a large number of sources of noise that we really dislike.","这项调查还揭示了许多我们非常讨厌的噪音来源："],[23,"Lawn mowers whining on a summer's day, late-night parties in apartment blocks,","夏日里割草机的嗡嗡声、公寓楼里的深夜聚会……"],[24,"noisy neighbours, vehicles of all kinds,","吵闹的邻居们，各种各样的车辆……"],[25,"especially large container trucks thundering through quiet villages,","尤其是那些巨大的集装箱卡车，在宁静的村庄里轰鸣着驶过……"],[26,"planes and helicopters flying overhead, large radios carried round in public places and played at maximum volume.","飞机和直升机在头顶上飞过；在公共场所，人们会携带大型收音机，并将音量调至最大来播放音乐。"],[27,"New technology has also made its own contribution to noise.","新技术也为噪音问题做出了自己的'贡献'。"],[28,"A lot of people object to mobile phones, especially when they are used in public places like restaurant or on public transport.","很多人反对在公共场所（如餐厅或公共交通工具上）使用手机。"],[29,"Loud conversations on mobile phones invade our thoughts or interrupt the pleasure of meeting friends for a quiet chat.","手机上大声的通话声会干扰我们的思绪，或者打断我们与朋友安静交谈的乐趣。"],[30,"The noise pollution survey revealed a rather surprising and possibly amusing old-fashioned source of noise.","噪音污染调查显示了一个相当令人惊讶、甚至有点滑稽的老式噪音来源。"],[31,"It turned out to be snoring! Men were found to be the worst offenders.","原来问题出在打鼾上！研究发现，男性是打鼾问题最严重的群体。"],[32,"It was revealed that 20% of men in their mid-thirties snore.","据调查显示，20%的三十多岁男性有打鼾的习惯。"],[33,"This figure rises to a staggering 60% of men in their sixties.","而在六十多岁的男性中，这个数字惊人地高达60%。"],[34,"Against these figures, it was found that only 5% of women snore regularly,","与这些数据相比，研究发现只有5%的女性经常打鼾。"],[35,"while the rest are constantly woken or kept awake by their trumpeting partners.","而其余的女性则不断被她们如吹号般的伴侣吵醒或无法入睡。"],[36,"Whatever the source of noise, one thing is certain: silence, it seems, has become a golden memory.","无论噪音的来源是什么，有一点是肯定的：沉默似乎已经成为了一段珍贵的回忆。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"49－The Ideal Servant","t":"The Ideal Servant","c":[[0,"Lesson 49","第49课"],[1,"The ideal servant","理想的仆人"],[2,"What was Bessie's 'little weakness' ?","贝西的“小缺点”是什么？"],[3,"It is a good thing my aunt Harriet died years ago.","幸好我的阿姨哈丽特几年前就去世了。"],[4,"If she were alive today she would not be able to air her views on her favourite topic of conversation: domestic servants.","如果她今天还活着，她将无法再公开表达自己最热衷讨论的话题——也就是关于家庭佣人的看法了。"],[5,"Aunt Harriet lived in that leisurely age when servants were employed to do housework.","哈丽特阿姨生活在那个时代：那时人们还会雇佣仆人来帮忙做家务。"],[6,"She had a huge, rambling country house called 'The Gables'.","她拥有一座规模庞大、布局错综复杂的乡村住宅，名叫“The Gables”。"],[7,"She was sentimentally attached to this house,","她对这栋房子怀有深厚的情感依恋。"],[8,"for even though it was far too big for her needs, she persisted in living there long after her husband's death.","尽管那套房子远远超出了她的实际需求（空间太大，不符合她的居住要求），但在丈夫去世后，她仍然坚持住在那里很长时间。"],[9,"Before she grew old, aunt Harriet used to entertain lavishly.","在哈丽特阿姨年老之前，她总是非常热情地招待客人，总是准备丰盛的美食和精彩的娱乐活动来款待他们。"],[10,"I often visited The Gables when I was a boy.","我小时候经常去“The Gables”那个地方。"],[11,"No matter how many guests were present, the great house was always immaculate.","无论有多少客人来访，那座宏伟的房子总是保持得一尘不染、整洁有序。"],[12,"The parquet floors shone like mirrors;","镶木地板闪闪发光，就像镜子一样。"],[13,"highly polished silver was displayed in gleaming glass cabinets;","那些经过精心打磨的银器被陈列在闪闪发光的玻璃柜中。"],[14,"even my uncle's huge collection of books was kept miraculously free from dust.","就连我叔叔那庞大的藏书量，也奇迹般地没有一点灰尘。"],[15,"Aunt Harriet presided over an invisible army of servants that continuously scrubbed, cleaned, and polished.","哈丽特阿姨指挥着一支“看不见的仆人队伍”，这支队伍不断地擦拭、清洁和抛光各种物品。"],[16,"She always referred to them as 'the shifting population',","她总是把他们称为“流动的人口”（即那些不断迁移、居无定所的人群）。"],[17,"for they came and went with such frequency that I never even got a chance to learn their names.","因为他们来得频繁，去得也快，以至于我根本没机会记住他们的名字。"],[18,"Though my aunt pursued what was, in those days an enlightened policy,","尽管我的姑姑在当时推行了一项被认为具有前瞻性的政策，"],[19,"in that she never allowed her domestic staff to work more than eight hours a day, she was extremely difficult to please.","因为她从不允许家中的佣人每天工作超过八小时，所以她非常难以取悦。"],[20,"While she always criticized the fickleness of human nature,","虽然她总是批评人性的善变，"],[21,"she carried on an unrelenting search for the ideal servant to the end of her days,","她一生都在不懈地寻找那个理想的仆人，直到生命的最后一刻。"],[22,"even after she had been sadly disillusioned by Bessie.","即使在她被贝西（Bessie）彻底打消了所有希望之后……"],[23,"Bessie worked for aunt Harriet for three years.","贝西在哈丽特阿姨家工作了三年。"],[24,"During that time she so gained my aunt's confidence, that she was put in charge of the domestic staff.","在那段时间里，她赢得了我阿姨的充分信任，以至于被委以管理所有家务人员的重任。"],[25,"Aunt Harriet could not find words to praise Bessie's industriousness and efficiency.","哈丽特阿姨实在找不到合适的词语来赞扬贝西的勤奋和高效。"],[26,"In addition to all her other qualifications, Bessie was an expert cook.","除了拥有其他各种技能外，贝西还是一位烹饪高手。"],[27,"She acted the role of the perfect servant for three years before Aunt Harriet discovered her 'little weakness'.","她扮演了“完美仆人”的角色长达三年，直到哈丽特阿姨发现了她的“小缺点”。"],[28,"After being absent from The Gables for a week,","在缺席了《The Gables》节目一周之后……"],[29,"my aunt unexpectedly returned one afternoon with a party of guests and instructed Bessie to prepare dinner.","一天下午，我的阿姨突然带着一群客人回来了，她吩咐贝西准备晚餐。"],[30,"Not only was the meal well below the usual standard, but Bessie seemed unable to walk steadily.","这顿饭的质量远低于平时的标准；而且贝西似乎也走不稳了。"],[31,"She bumped into the furniture and kept mumbling about the guests.","她撞到了家具，然后不停地嘟囔着关于那些客人的事情。"],[32,"When she came in with the last course--a huge pudding--she tripped on the carpet","当她端着最后一道菜（一道巨大的布丁）进来时，她在地毯上绊倒了。"],[33,"and the pudding went flying through the air, narrowly missed my aunt, and crashed on the dining table with considerable force.","布丁突然飞到了空中，差点撞到我的阿姨，然后猛烈地摔在了餐桌上。"],[34,"Though this caused great mirth among the guests, Aunt Harriet was horrified.","虽然这引起了在场宾客们的阵阵笑声，但哈丽特阿姨却感到非常震惊。"],[35,"She reluctantly came to the conclusion that Bessie was drunk.","她勉强得出结论：贝西肯定是喝醉了。"],[36,"The guests had, of course, realized this from the moment Bessie opened the door for them and, long before the final catastrophe,","当然，客人们从贝西为他们开门的那一刻起就意识到了这一点；早在最终灾难发生之前，他们就已经察觉到了不对劲。"],[37,"had had a difficult time trying to conceal their amusement.","他们很难掩饰自己的笑意。"],[38,"The poor girl was dismissed instantly.","那个可怜的女孩立刻就被解雇了。"],[39,"After her departure, Aunt Harriet discovered that there were piles of empty wine bottles of all shapes and sizes neatly stacked in what had once been Bessie's wardrobe.","在她离开后，哈丽特阿姨发现：曾经是贝西衣柜的地方，现在整齐地堆放着一堆堆形状各异、大小不一的空酒瓶。"],[40,"They had mysteriously found their way there from the wine cellar!","它们竟然神秘地从酒窖里找到了通往那里的路！"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"37－The Westhaven Express","t":"The Westhaven Express","c":[[0,"Lesson 37","第37课"],[1,"The Westhaven Express","西黑文特快列车"],[2,"What was the mistake the author made?","作者犯了什么错误？"],[3,"We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual.","我们已经习惯了火车会准点到达这一情况。"],[4,"After years of conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway timetables.","经过多年的习惯养成，我们大多数人都对铁路时刻表产生了坚定不移的信念。"],[5,"Ships may be delayed by storms;","船只可能会因为风暴而延误。"],[6,"flights may be cancelled because of bad weather; but trains must be on time.","航班可能会因为恶劣天气而被取消；但火车必须准时运行。"],[7,"Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall might temporarily dislocate railway services.","只有当降雪量异常大时，铁路服务才可能暂时中断。"],[8,"It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something does go wrong.","当出现问题时，人们很容易将责任归咎于铁路管理部门。"],[9,"The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs.","事实上，当错误发生时，这些错误更有可能是我们自己造成的，而不是他们的。"],[10,"After consulting my railway timetable, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven.","在查看了铁路时刻表后，我满意地发现有一趟直达韦斯特黑文的快车。"],[11,"It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes.","它直接从我所在的车站出发，全程仅需一小时十七分钟。"],[12,"When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many local people got on as well.","当我登上火车时，我不禁注意到有很多当地人也都上了车。"],[13,"At the time, this did not strike me as odd.","当时，我并没有觉得这有什么奇怪的。"],[14,"I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service.","我想，除了我之外，肯定还有很多人希望能够利用这项优质的服务。"],[15,"Neither was I surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line.","当火车在威德利（Widley）这个位于铁路线上几英里外的小车站停下来的时候，我也没有感到惊讶。"],[16,"Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals.","即使是强大的特快列车也可能被信号灯拦停。"],[17,"But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder.","但是当火车在一个又一个车站上缓慢停留、迟迟不前时，我开始感到疑惑了。"],[18,"It suddenly dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty.","我突然意识到，这趟特快列车并非以每小时90英里的速度飞驰，而是以每小时30英里的速度缓慢行驶。"],[19,"One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance.","一个小时十七分钟过去了，我们甚至还没有走完一半的路程。"],[20,"I asked a passenger if this was the Westhaven Express, but he had not even heard of it.","我问了一位乘客这是否是“Westhaven Express”列车，但他甚至从未听说过这趟列车。"],[21,"I determined to lodge a complaint as soon as we arrived.","我们一到达，我就决定立即提出投诉。"],[22,"Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station master at Westhaven.","两小时后，我正在西黑文（Westhaven）愤怒地与车站站长交谈。"],[23,"When he denied the train's existence, I borrowed his copy of the timetable.","当他否认火车的存在时，我就借用了他的时刻表。"],[24,"There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white.","当我告诉他白纸黑字写着这趟列车时，我的声音带着一丝得意的语气。"],[25,"Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again.","他匆匆瞥了一眼后，让我再仔细看一遍。"],[26,"A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page.","一个小小的星号指引我看到了页面底部的脚注。"],[27,"It said: 'This service has been suspended.'","上面写着：‘此班次已暂停运营。’"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"59－Collecting","t":"Collecting","c":[[0,"Lesson 59","第59课"],[1,"Collecting","收藏"],[2,"What in particular does a person gain when he or she becomes a serious collector?","一个人成为真正的收藏家后，具体能获得什么呢？"],[3,"People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so.","人们往往会积累财物，有时甚至自己都没有意识到这一点。"],[4,"Indeed they can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful which they did not know they owned.","确实，当他们发现某些自己原本不知道拥有的、但却非常实用的东西时，会感到非常惊喜。"],[5,"Those who never have to move house become indiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter.","那些从未搬过家的人，会无差别地收集各种杂物——这些杂物其实只能被归类为“杂乱无章的堆积物”。"],[6,"They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics for years, in the belief that they may one day need just those very things.","他们把不需要的物品放在抽屉、橱柜或阁楼里多年，认为有朝一日自己可能会用到那些东西。"],[7,"As they grow old, people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons,","随着年龄的增长，人们积累物品还有另外两个原因："],[8,"lack of physical and mental energy, both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away, and sentiment.","缺乏体力和精力——这两者都是清理和丢弃物品所必需的；此外还有情感因素。"],[9,"Things owned for a long time are full of associations with the past,","那些已经拥有很长时间的东西，都承载着与过去相关的种种回忆和情感联系。"],[10,"perhaps with relatives who are dead, and so they gradually acquire a value beyond their true worth.","也许这些物品与已经去世的亲人有关联，因此它们逐渐被赋予了超出其实际价值的意义（或：这些物品因为与逝去亲人的联系而变得更有价值）。"],[11,"Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoid waste.","有些物品是人们特意在家里收集起来的，目的是为了减少浪费。"],[12,"Among these I would list string and brown paper,","在这些物品中，我会列举细绳和牛皮纸。"],[13,"kept by thrifty people when a parcel has been opened, to save buying these two requisites.","节俭的人在拆开包裹后，会保留这些物品，以避免再次购买这两样必需品。"],[14,"Collecting small items can easily become a mania.","收集小物件很容易变成一种狂热。"],[15,"I know someone who always cuts sketches out from newspapers of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had the money.","我认识一个人，她总是从报纸上剪下那些她想要购买的模特服装的图片；如果她有钱的话，一定会买下这些衣服。"],[16,"As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford such purchases are remote;","由于她并不富裕，她能够负担得起这类购买的费用的可能性微乎其微。"],[17,"but she is never sufficiently strongminded to be able to stop the practice.","但她始终缺乏足够的意志力来改掉这个习惯。"],[18,"It is a harmless habit, but it litters up her desk to such an extent that every time she opens it, loose bits of paper fall out in every direction.","这其实是个无伤大雅的习惯，但这个习惯让她的办公桌变得非常杂乱——每次她打开桌子时，都会有一堆散落的纸屑从各个方向掉出来。"],[19,"Collecting as a serious hobby is quite different and has many advantages.","将收藏作为一种严肃的爱好来从事，其实有着许多独特的优势。"],[20,"It provides relaxation for leisure hours, as just looking at one's treasures is always a joy.","它为休闲时光带来了放松与愉悦；仅仅欣赏自己的收藏品，本身就是一种享受。"],[21,"One does not have to go outside for amusement, since the collection is housed at home.","人们不必外出寻找娱乐方式，因为这些藏品都收藏在家里。"],[22,"Whatever it consists of, stamps, records, first editions of books, china, glass,","无论是邮票、唱片、初版书籍、瓷器、玻璃制品，"],[23,"antique furniture, pictures, model cars, stuffed birds, toy animals, there is always something to do in connection with it,","古董家具、画作、模型汽车、标本鸟、玩具动物……总有相关的事情可做，"],[24,"from finding the right place for the latest addition, to verifying facts in reference books.","从为最新添加的内容找到合适的位置，到在参考书中核实事实……"],[25,"This hobby educates one not only in the chosen subject, but also in general matters which have some bearing on it.","这个爱好不仅能让人在所选择的领域内学到知识，还能帮助人们了解与该领域相关的一些通用性知识。"],[26,"There are also other benefits.","还有其他一些好处。"],[27,"One wants to meet like-minded collectors, to get advice, to compare notes, to exchange articles, to show off the latest find.","人们希望结识志同道合的收藏家，获取建议，交流心得，交换藏品，展示最新发现。"],[28,"So one's circle of friends grows.","因此，一个人的朋友圈子也会逐渐扩大。"],[29,"Soon the hobby leads to travel, perhaps to a meeting in another town,","很快，这个爱好还会促使人们去旅行，也许到另一个城镇参加聚会，"],[30,"possibly a trip abroad in search of a rare specimen, for collectors are not confined to any one country.","也许他们会去国外寻找稀有的标本，因为收藏家们并不局限于某个特定的国家。"],[31,"Over the years, one may well become an authority on one's hobby and will very probably be asked to give informal talks to little gatherings","随着时间的推移，一个人很可能会在自己的爱好领域成为专家，并且很可能会被邀请在一些小型聚会上进行非正式的演讲。"],[32,"and then, if successful, to larger audiences.","然后，如果讲得成功，就会面向更多听众演讲。"],[33,"In this way self-confidence grows, first from mastering a subject, then from being able to talk about it.","通过这种方式，自信心得以增长：先是源于对一门学科的掌握，然后是源于能够就此侃侃而谈。"],[34,"Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom.","通过利用空闲时间来从事有意义的活动，一个人会感到满足，从而不会有无聊的感觉。"]]},{"b":"NCE3","l":"45－The Power of the Press","t":"The Power of the Press","c":[[0,"Lesson 45","第45课"],[1,"The power of the press","媒体的力量"],[2,"Does the writer think the parents were lucky or unlucky to gain prosperity in this way? Why?","作者认为，这些父母通过这种方式获得财富是幸运的，还是不幸的？为什么？"],[3,"In democratic countries any efforts to restrict the freedom of the press are rightly condemned.","在民主国家中，任何限制新闻自由的行为都应受到谴责。"],[4,"However, this freedom can easily be abused.","然而，这种自由很容易被滥用。"],[5,"Stories about people often attract far more public attention than political events.","关于普通人的故事往往比政治事件更能吸引公众的注意力。"],[6,"Though we may enjoy reading about the lives of others,","虽然我们可能会喜欢阅读关于他人生活的故事，"],[7,"it is extremely doubtful whether we would equally enjoy reading about ourselves.","我们是否也会同样喜欢阅读关于自己的内容，这一点实在非常值得怀疑。"],[8,"Acting on the contention that facts are sacred,","基于“事实是神圣的”这一观点，"],[9,"reporters can cause untold suffering to individuals by publishing details about their private lives.","记者通过公开个人的私生活细节，可能会给这些人带来难以估量的痛苦。"],[10,"Newspapers exert such tremendous influence that they can not only bring about major changes to the lives of ordinary people but can even overthrow a government.","报纸的影响力极其巨大；它们不仅能够对普通人的生活产生重大影响，甚至有可能推翻一个政府。"],[11,"The story of a poor family that acquired fame and fortune overnight, dramatically illustrates the power of the press.","这个关于一个贫困家庭如何一夜之间获得名望和财富的故事，生动地展示了媒体的影响力。"],[12,"The family lived in Aberdeen, a small town of 23, 000 inhabitants in South Dakota.","这家人住在阿伯丁（Aberdeen），一个位于南达科他州（South Dakota）的小镇上，该镇共有23,000名居民。"],[13,"As the parents had five children, life was a perpetual struggle against poverty.","由于这对父母有五个孩子，他们的生活始终在与贫困作斗争。"],[14,"They were expecting their sixth child and were faced with even more pressing economic problems.","他们即将迎来第六个孩子，同时也面临着更加紧迫的经济问题。"],[15,"If they had only had one more child, the fact would have passed unnoticed.","如果他们再多要一个孩子的话，这件事可能就会被忽视、无人注意了。"],[16,"They would have continued to struggle against economic odds and would have lived in obscurity.","他们本会继续在艰难的经济环境中挣扎，过着默默无闻的生活。"],[17,"But they suddenly became the parents of quintuplets, four girls and a boy, an event which radically changed their lives.","但他们突然成为了五胞胎的父母——四个女孩和一个男孩，这一事件彻底改变了他们的生活。"],[18,"The day after the birth of the five children, an aeroplane arrived in Aberdeen bringing sixty reporters and photographers.","在五个孩子出生的第二天，一架飞机抵达阿伯丁，带来了六十名记者和摄影师。"],[19,"The rise to fame was swift.","他们一举成名。"],[20,"Television cameras and newspapers carried the news to everyone in the country.","电视摄像机与报纸将这一消息传遍了全国的每一个人。"],[21,"Newspapers and magazines offered the family huge sums for the exclusive rights to publish stories and photographs.","报纸和杂志向这家人提供了巨额报酬，以获得独家报道这些事件和发布相关照片的权利。"],[22,"Gifts poured in not only from unknown people,","礼物不仅来自陌生人，"],[23,"but from baby food and soap manufacturers who wished to advertise their products.","也来自希望借此宣传产品的婴儿食品和肥皂制造商。"],[24,"The old farmhouse the family lived in was to be replaced by a new $500, 000 home.","他们曾经居住的旧农舍将被一座价值50万美元的新房子所取代。"],[25,"Reporters kept pressing for interviews so lawyers had to be employed to act as spokesmen for the family at press conferences.","记者们不断要求采访，因此这家人不得不聘请律师在新闻发布会上担任发言人。"],[26,"While the five babies were still quietly sleeping in oxygen tents in a hospital nursery,","当这五个婴儿还在医院婴儿房的氧气帐篷里安静地睡着时……"],[27,"their parents were paying the price for fame.","他们的父母正在为他们的名气付出代价。"],[28,"It would never again be possible for them to lead normal lives.","他们再也无法过上正常的生活了。"],[29,"They had become the victims of commercialization, for their names had acquired a market value.","他们成为了商业化的受害者，因为他们的名字已经具有了市场价值。"],[30,"Instead of being five new family members, these children had immediately become a commodity.","这些孩子没有成为家庭的新成员，反而立刻被当成了商品。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"24－Beauty","t":"Beauty","c":[[0,"**“不，我们并没有看到任何光芒。”**",""],[1,"Lesson 24","第24课"],[2,"Beauty","美丽"],[3,"What do glimpses of beauty, either in nature or art, often suggest to the human mind?","无论是自然界中的美景，还是艺术作品中的美感，它们往往能给人类的心灵带来怎样的启示呢？"],[4,"A young man sees a sunset and,","一个年轻人看到了日落，"],[5,"unable to understand or to express the emotion that it rouses in him,","无法理解这种情感在他心中所引发的反应，也无法表达出自己所感受到的情绪。"],[6,"concludes that it must be the gateway to a world that lies beyond","得出结论：这一定是通往另一个未知世界的入口。"],[7,"It is difficult for any of us in moments of intense aesthetic experience","在那些充满强烈审美体验的时刻，我们任何人都很难抗拒这样一种想法："],[8,"to resist the suggestion that we are catching a glimpse of a light","我们似乎瞥见了某种光芒，"],[9,"that shines down to us from a different realm of existence, different and,","那种光芒是从另一个存在领域照射到我们这里的；那个领域与我们截然不同……"],[10,"because the experience is intensely moving, in some way higher.","因为这种体验非常令人感动，从某种意义上来说，它的价值甚至更高（即这种体验带来的意义或影响更为深远）。"],[11,"And, though the gleams blind and dazzle, yet do they convey a hint of beauty and serenity","尽管那些光芒刺眼、令人眩目，但它们依然透露出一种美丽与宁静的气息。"],[12,"greater than we have known or imagined. Greater too than we can describe;","比我们以往所知道或想象的都要伟大；同时也超出了我们的描述能力。"],[13,"for language, which was invented to convey the meanings of this world","因为语言是为了传达这个世界的意义而创造的，"],[14,"cannot readily be fitted to the uses of another.","所以它很难被直接应用于其他目的。"],[15,"That all great art has this power of suggesting a world beyond is undeniable.","在某些时刻，大自然本身也具备这种能力。"],[16,"In some moods, nature shares it.","在某些心境下，大自然也具有这种力量。"],[17,"There is no sky in June so blue that it does not point forward to a bluer,","六月的蓝天再蓝，也会让人向往更蓝的天空；"],[18,"no sunset so beautiful that it does not waken the vision of a greater beauty,","日落再美，也会唤起人们对更美之景的想象，"],[19,"a vision which passes before it is fully glimpsed,","只留下一种难以言喻的渴望与遗憾。"],[20,"and in passing leaves an indefinable longing and regret.","但是，如果这个世界不仅仅是一个糟糕的玩笑，"],[21,"But, if this world is not merely a bad joke,","如果生命不是在星辰冷冽光芒中的短暂闪光，"],[22,"life a vulgar flare amid the cool radiance of the stars,","如果存在不是对那些神秘事物的徒劳嘲笑……"],[23,"and existence an empty laugh braying across the mysteries;","那么，这些关于“背后、超越这个世界的事物”的暗示，"],[24,"if these intimations of a something behind and beyond","就一定有着更深层的意义。"],[25,"are not evil humour born of indigestion,","不是消化不良引起的坏情绪，"],[26,"or whimsies sent by the devil to mock and madden us, if, in a word","也不是魔鬼派来嘲笑和折磨我们的奇想——总之，"],[27,"beauty means something yet we must not seek to interpret the meaning.","“美”确实蕴含着某种意义，但我们却不应试图去解读这种意义。"],[28,"If we glimpse the unutterable, it is unwise to try to utter it,","如果我们瞥见了那不可言说之物，试图言说它是不明智的，"],[29,"nor should we seek to invest with significance that which we cannot grasp.","我们也不应该试图赋予那些我们无法理解的事物以意义。"],[30,"Beauty in terms of our human meanings is meaningless.","用人类的意义来衡量，美是没有意义的。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"32－Galileo Reborn","t":"Galileo Reborn","c":[[0,"Lesson 32","第32课"],[1,"Galileo reborn","伽利略的重生"],[2,"What has modified our traditional view of Galileo in recent times?","近年来，是什么改变了我们对伽利略的传统看法？"],[3,"In his own lifetime Galileo was the centre of violent controversy, but the scientific dust has long since settled,","在伽利略有生之年，他一直是激烈争议的焦点；然而，那些科学上的争论早已平息，尘埃也已落定。"],[4,"and today we can see even his famous clash with the Inquisition in something like its proper perspective.","今天，我们终于能够以更加客观的角度来看待他那场著名的与宗教裁判所的冲突了。"],[5,"But, in contrast, it is only in modern times that Galileo has become a problem child for historians of science.","然而，相比之下，直到现代，伽利略才成为科学史学家们眼中的一个麻烦人物。"],[6,"The old view of Galileo was delightfully uncomplicated.","人们对伽利略的看法过去非常简单明了（即：人们过去对伽利略的看法非常直接、容易理解）。"],[7,"He was, above all, a man who experimented:","他首先是一个喜欢进行实验的人。"],[8,"who despised the prejudice and book learning of the Aristotelians,","他鄙视亚里士多德学派的偏见和迂腐的书本知识，"],[9,"who put his questions to nature instead of to the ancients, and who drew his conclusions fearlessly.","他把问题提给大自然而不是古人，并勇敢地得出结论。"],[10,"He had been the first to turn a telescope to the sky,","他是第一个将望远镜对准天空的人。"],[11,"and he had seen there evidence enough to overthrow Aristotle and Ptolemy together.","他看到了足够的证据，足以推翻亚里士多德和托勒密的理论。"],[12,"He was the man who climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa and dropped various weights from the top,","他就是那个爬上比萨斜塔并从塔顶扔下各种重物的人。"],[13,"who rolled balls down inclined planes, and then generalized the results of his many experiments into the famous law of free fall.","他让球体沿斜面滚下，然后将众多实验结果归纳成著名的自由落体定律。"],[14,"But a closer study of the evidence,","但是，对证据进行更仔细的研究之后……"],[15,"supported by a deeper sense of the period, and particularly by a new consciousness of the philosophical undercurrents in the scientific revolution,","这种研究建立在对那个时代更深刻的理解之上，特别是对科学革命中哲学暗流的全新认识。"],[16,"has profoundly modified this view of Galileo.","这极大地改变了人们对伽利略的看法。"],[17,"Today, although the old Galileo lives on in many popular writings, among historians of science a new and more sophisticated picture has emerged.","如今，尽管老伽利略的形象仍然存在于许多通俗的文学作品中，但在科学史学家们看来，关于他的新观点和更复杂的认识已经逐渐形成。"],[18,"At the same time our sympathy for Galileo's opponents has grown somewhat.","与此同时，我们对伽利略的反对者的同情心也有所增加。"],[19,"His telescopic observations are justly immortal;","他的望远镜观测成果当之无愧地被载入史册，永垂不朽。"],[20,"they aroused great interest at the time,","它们在当时引起了极大的兴趣。"],[21,"they had important theoretical consequences,","它们具有重要的理论意义，"],[22,"and they provided a striking demonstration of the potentialities hidden in instruments and apparatus.","它们生动地展示了仪器和设备中蕴藏的巨大潜力。"],[23,"But can we blame those who looked and failed to see what Galileo saw,","但是，我们能责怪那些明明有机会却未能看到伽利略所发现的东西的人吗？"],[24,"if we remember that to use a telescope at the limit of its powers calls for long experience and intimate familiarity with one's instrument?","如果我们记得：要使用一台性能已达到极限的望远镜，就需要具备丰富的使用经验，并且对这台仪器有非常深入的了解（即对其工作原理、操作方法等了如指掌）的话……"],[25,"Was the philosopher who refused to look through Galileo's telescope more culpable than those who alleged","那位拒绝通过伽利略的望远镜观察的哲学家，是否比那些声称..."],[26,"that the spiral nebulae observed with Lord Rosse's great telescope in the 1840s were scratches left by the grinder?","那些在19世纪40年代由罗斯勋爵使用他的大型望远镜观测到的螺旋星云，其实只是研磨机留下的痕迹罢了？"],[27,"We can perhaps forgive those who said the moons of Jupiter were produced by Galileo's spyglass if we recall that in his day,","如果我们记得在他那个时代，和几个世纪前一样，曲面玻璃是流行的造假工具，产生的不是真相而是幻象，那么我们或许可以原谅那些说木星的卫星是伽利略的望远镜造出来的人。"],[28,"as for centuries before, curved glass was the popular contrivance for producing not truth but illusion, untruth;","因为如果单片曲面玻璃就会扭曲自然，那么双片曲面玻璃造成的扭曲岂不更严重？"],[29,"and if a single curved glass would distort nature, how much more would a pair of them?","如果一块弯曲的玻璃都会扭曲自然界的景象，那么两块弯曲的玻璃又会产生多大的扭曲效果呢？"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"12－Banks and Their Customers","t":"Banks and Their Customers","c":[[0,"Lesson 12","第12课"],[1,"Banks and their customers","银行及其客户"],[2,"Why is there no risk to the customer when a bank prints the customer's name on his cheques?","为什么当银行在客户的支票上打印客户的名字时，这对客户来说没有任何风险呢？"],[3,"When anyone opens a current account at a bank, he is lending the bank money,","当任何人向银行开设一个活期账户时，实际上就是在把钱借给银行。"],[4,"repayment of which he may demand at any time either in cash or by drawing a cheque in favour of another person.","他可以随时要求偿还这笔款项，既可以要求以现金形式支付，也可以要求开一张支票转给另一个人。"],[5,"Primarily, the banker-customer relationship is that of debtor and creditor--","从根本上说，银行与客户之间的关系就是债务人与债权人的关系。"],[6,"who is which depending on whether the customer's account is in credit or is overdrawn.","谁是债务人、谁是债权人，取决于该客户的账户是有结余还是透支。"],[7,"But, in addition to that basically simple concept,","但是，除了这个基本上很简单的概念之外，"],[8,"the bank and its customer owe a large number of obligations to one another.","银行和客户彼此都负有大量的义务。"],[9,"Many of these obligations can give rise to problems and complications but a bank customer, unlike, say, a buyer of goods,","这些义务中的许多都可能引发问题和复杂情况，但银行客户与商品购买者不同，"],[10,"cannot complain that the law is loaded against him.","不能抱怨法律对他不公。"],[11,"The bank must obey its customer's instructions, and not those of anyone else.","银行必须遵守客户的指示，而不能听从任何其他人的要求。"],[12,"When, for example, a customer first opens an account, he instructs the bank to debit his account only in respect of cheques drawn by himself.","例如，客户首次开户时，会指示银行仅凭他本人签发的支票从账户扣款。"],[13,"He gives the bank specimens of his signature, and there is a very firm rule","他向银行提供了自己的签名样本，而银行有一项非常严格的规定。"],[14,"that the bank has no right or authority to pay out a customer's money on a cheque","银行无权也无理由根据伪造签名的支票支付客户的款项。"],[15,"on which its customer's signature has been forged.","（即支票上的签名是伪造的）。"],[16,"It makes no difference that the forgery may have been a very skillful one:","无论伪造技术多么高明，都无关紧要："],[17,"the bank must recognize its customer's signature.","银行必须认出客户的真实签名。"],[18,"For this reason there is no risk to the customer in the practice, adopted by banks, of printing the customer's name on his cheques.","因此，银行采用在支票上印制客户姓名的做法对客户来说没有任何风险。"],[19,"If this facilitates forgery, it is the bank which will lose, not the customer.","如果这种做法导致了伪造行为的发生，那么遭受损失的将是银行，而不是客户。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"44－Patterns of Culture","t":"Patterns of Culture","c":[[0,"Lesson 44","第44课"],[1,"Patterns of culture","文化模式"],[2,"What influences us from the moment of birth?","从我们出生的那一刻起，有哪些因素在影响着我们呢？"],[3,"Custom has not commonly been regarded as a subject of any great moment.","“定制”（Custom）通常并不被视为什么值得特别关注或重视的主题（即：它并不常被视作一个值得大肆讨论或重视的议题）。"],[4,"The inner workings of our own brains we feel to be uniquely worthy of investigation,","我们觉得自己大脑的内部运作机制是特别值得研究的对象。"],[5,"but custom, we have a way of thinking, is behaviour at is most commonplace.","不过，就“定制”而言，我们有一套自己的思维方式；在大多数情况下，这种行为其实只是非常普通、常见的现象罢了。"],[6,"As a matter of fact, it is the other way around.","事实上，情况恰恰相反。"],[7,"Traditional custom, taken the world over,","这是一种传统习俗，已经传播到了世界各地。"],[8,"is a mass of detailed behaviour more astonishing than what any one person can ever evolve in individual actions,","这种由大量细致行为构成的整体，其复杂程度远远超出了任何一个人通过单独行动所能展现出来的能力。"],[9,"no matter how aberrant.","无论这些行为多么反常（或离谱）。"],[10,"Yet that is a rather trivial aspect of the matter.","然而，这其实只是问题中一个相当微不足道的方面罢了。"],[11,"The fact of first-rate importance is the predominant role that custom plays in experience and in belief,","最重要的一点是：在人们的体验和信念中，个人习惯（即“习俗”或“传统”）起着主导性的作用。"],[12,"and the very great varieties it may manifest.","以及它可能展现出的极其多样的形式。"],[13,"No man ever looks at the world with pristine eyes.","没有人能够以纯粹、未受污染的眼光来看待这个世界；"],[14,"He sees it edited by a definite set of customs and institutions and ways of thinking.","他所看到的世界总是被特定的习俗、制度以及思维方式所塑造的。"],[15,"Even in his philosophical probings he cannot go behind these stereotypes;","即使在哲学探索中，他也无法超越这些刻板印象；"],[16,"his very concepts of the true and the false will still have reference to his particular traditional customs.","他对“真实”与“虚假”的概念依然会受到自己所属传统习俗的影响。"],[17,"John Dewey has said in all seriousness that the part played by custom in shaping the behaviour of the individual,","约翰·杜威曾严肃地指出：习俗在塑造个人行为方面所起的作用，"],[18,"as against any way in which he can affect traditional custom,","与个人试图改变传统习俗的能力相比，"],[19,"is as the proportion of the total vocabulary of his mother tongue","就如同一个人母语的全部词汇量，"],[20,"against those words of his own baby talk that are taken up into the vernacular of his family.","与他婴儿时期说过的那些被家庭语言所接纳的词语之间的比例一样微不足道。"],[21,"When one seriously studies the social orders that have had the opportunity to develop autonomously,","当人们认真研究那些有机会自主发展的社会秩序时，"],[22,"the figure becomes no more than an exact and matter-of-fact observation.","这些现象不过只是客观、事实性的观察结果罢了。"],[23,"The life history of the individual is first and foremost an accommodation","个人的生命历程，归根结底，就是一种适应过程。"],[24,"to the patterns and standards traditionally handed down in his community.","遵循他所在社区中传统上流传下来的模式和标准。"],[25,"From the moment of his birth,","从他出生的那一刻起，"],[26,"the customs into which he is born shape his experience and behaviour.","他出生所处的风俗习惯塑造了他的经历和行为方式。"],[27,"By the time he can talk, he is the little creature of his culture,","等到他能够说话的时候，他就已经完全融入了自己所处文化的圈子中，成为了那个文化环境中的“小成员”了。"],[28,"and by the time he is grown and able to take part in its activities,","等到他长大到可以参与这些活动的时候……"],[29,"its habits are his habits, its beliefs his beliefs, its impossibilities his impossibilities.","它的习惯就是他的习惯，它的信念就是他的信念，它所认为的不可能之事，也就是他所认为的不可能之事。"],[30,"Every child that is born into his group will share them with him,","每个出生在这个群体中的孩子都会与他分享这些东西。"],[31,"and no child born into one on the opposite side of the globe can ever achieve the thousandth part.","而任何一个出生在地球另一端的孩子，永远也无法达到那目标的千分之一（即永远无法达到那个目标）。"],[32,"There is no social problem it is more incumbent upon us to understand than this of the role of custom.","没有哪个社会问题比“习俗的作用”更值得我们去深入了解的了。"],[33,"Until we are intelligent as to its laws and varieties,","直到我们能够充分理解这些自然规律及其多样性（即各种自然现象的成因与表现形式）为止……"],[34,"the main complicating facts of human life must remain unintelligible.","人类生活中那些最复杂、最难以理解的因素，或许永远都无法被我们完全弄清楚。"],[35,"The study of custom can be profitable only after certain preliminary propositions have been accepted,","只有当某些初步的假设或前提被接受之后，对“定制”（customization）的研究才有可能带来利润。"],[36,"and some of these propositions have been violently opposed.","其中一些提议遭到了强烈的反对。"],[37,"In the first place, any scientific study requires that there be no","首先，任何科学研究都必须确保不存在（某种干扰或错误因素）。"],[38,"preferential weighting of one or another of the items in the series it selects for its consideration.","在它所选中的各项内容中，会对其中某一项给予优先权（即给予更高的权重或更重要的考虑）。"],[39,"In all the less controversial fields, like the study of cacti or termites or the nature of nebulae,","在所有争议较少的领域中，比如对仙人掌、白蚁的研究，或者对星云本质的探索，"],[40,"the necessary method of study is to group the relevant material and to take note of all possible variant forms and conditions.","必要的学习方法是：将相关的学习材料整理成组，并记录下所有可能存在的变体形式和各种条件。"],[41,"In this way, we have learned all that we know of the laws of astronomy, or of the habits of the social insects, let us say.","通过这种方式，我们了解了所有关于天文学定律的知识，或者比如说，关于社会性昆虫习性的知识。"],[42,"It is only in the study of man himself that the major social sciences","只有在研究人类自身时，那些主要的社会科学（如社会学、心理学等）才能真正发挥其作用（或：只有通过研究人类自身，这些社会科学才能获得深刻的理解和发展的动力）。"],[43,"have substituted the study of one local variation, that of Western civilization.","他们已经将研究重点从对某一特定地方性文化现象的探讨，转向了对西方文明的研究。"],[44,"Anthropology was by definition impossible,","从定义上来说，人类学本身就是不可能存在的（或者说，人类学的研究是不可能完成的）。"],[45,"as long as these distinctions between ourselves and the primitive,","只要我们与原始人之间存在这些差异（或：只要我们与原始人之间存在这些区别），"],[46,"ourselves and the barbarian, ourselves and the pagan, held sway over people's minds.","我们（指那些自认为是文明的人）以及那些被视为“野蛮人”或“异教徒”的人，曾经对人们的思想产生了巨大的影响（即控制了人们的观念和信仰）。"],[47,"It was necessary first to arrive at that degree of sophistication","首先，必须达到那种高度的成熟度或复杂性才行。"],[48,"where we no longer set our own belief against our neighbour's superstition.","在我们不再将自己的信仰与邻居的迷信对立起来的地方，"],[49,"It was necessary to recognize that these institutions which are based on the same premises, let us say the supernatural,","我们必须认识到：那些基于相同前提（比如超自然信仰）的制度，"],[50,"must be considered together, our own among the rest.","都应该被一并考虑——包括我们自己的信仰在内。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"46－Hobbies","t":"Hobbies","c":[[0,"Lesson 46","第46课"],[1,"Hobbies","爱好"],[2,"Who, according to the author, are 'Fortune's favoured children'?","根据作者的观点，谁是《财富》杂志所青睐的“宠儿”呢？"],[3,"A gifted American psychologist has said, 'Worry is a spasm of the emotion;","一位才华横溢的美国心理学家曾说过：“忧虑其实是一种情绪的突然发作（或：忧虑是情绪的一种剧烈波动）。”"],[4,"the mind catches hold of something and will not let it go.'","“人的思维一旦抓住了某个想法或概念，就会紧紧不放。”"],[5,"It is useless to argue with the mind in this condition.","在这种状态下，与“理智”（或“思维”）争论是毫无意义的。"],[6,"The stronger the will, the more futile the task.","意志越坚强，这项任务就越显得徒劳无功（即完成这项任务的难度就越大）。"],[7,"One can only gently insinuate something else into its convulsive grasp.","人们只能小心翼翼地、慢慢地将其他东西引入它那“抽搐般”的、难以控制的掌控之中。"],[8,"And if this something else is rightly chosen, if it is really attended by the illumination of another field of interest,","那么，如果这个“其他的东西”被正确地选中了，如果它确实得到了另一个研究领域的支持或帮助（即得到了该领域专家的指导或资源），"],[9,"gradually, and often quite swiftly, the old undue grip relaxes and the process of recuperation and repair begins.","慢慢地，而且往往速度相当快，那些旧有的、不必要的束缚就会逐渐消失，身体开始恢复和修复的过程。"],[10,"The cultivation of a hobby and new forms of interest is therefore a policy of the first importance to a public man.","因此，培养个人爱好和新的兴趣爱好对于一位公众人物来说是一项至关重要的政策（或：对于公众人物而言，培养个人爱好和新的兴趣爱好是一项非常重要的举措）。"],[11,"But this is not a business that can be undertaken in a day or swiftly improvised by a mere command of the will.","但这并不是一项能够在一天内完成、或者仅仅通过一时的意志力就能迅速解决的事情。"],[12,"The growth of alternative mental interests is a long process.","培养其他类型的兴趣爱好是一个漫长的过程。"],[13,"The seeds must be carefully chosen; they must fall on good ground;","种子必须经过精心挑选；它们必须被种在肥沃的土壤里。"],[14,"they must be sedulously tended, if the vivifying fruits are to be at hand when needed.","如果想要在需要时立即获得那些能够带来活力的成果，就必须对这些事物进行精心照料（或：必须对这些事物进行持续的管理和维护）。"],[15,"To be really happy and really safe, one ought to have at least two or three hobbies, and they must all be real.","要想真正获得幸福和安全感，一个人至少应该有两到三个爱好，而且这些爱好都必须是真实存在的（即不是为了满足他人或社会期望而虚假拥有的）。"],[16,"It is no use starting late in life to say: 'I will take an interest in this or that.'","人生晚些时候才开始说“我想对这件事或那件事产生兴趣”，也是无济于事的。"],[17,"Such an attempt only aggravates the strain of mental effort.","这样的尝试只会加剧精神上的压力（或：只会让精神负担更加沉重）。"],[18,"A man may acquire great knowledge of topics unconnected with his daily work, and yet get hardly any benefit or relief.","一个人可能会在那些与他的日常工作无关的领域获得丰富的知识，但却几乎无法从中获得任何实际的好处或帮助（即这些知识无法应用于他的工作中）。"],[19,"It is no use doing what you like; you have got to like what you do.","光做自己喜欢的事情是没有用的；你必须真正喜欢自己所做的事情。"],[20,"Broadly speaking, human beings may be divided into three classes:","广义上讲，人类可以分为三类："],[21,"those who are toiled to death, those who are worried to death, and those who are bored to death.","那些累死的人，那些担心死的人，以及那些无聊死的人。"],[22,"It is no use offering the manual labourer,","向那些从事体力劳动的人提供帮助（或资源）是没有用的。"],[23,"tired out with a hard week's sweat and effort the chance of playing a game of football or baseball on Saturday afternoon.","经过一周的辛勤工作和劳累，终于在周六下午有了机会去踢足球或打棒球了。"],[24,"It is no use inviting the politician or the professional or business man, who has been working or worrying about serious things for six days,","邀请那位政客、专业人士或商人是没有用的——他们已经连续六天都在处理一些严肃、重要的事务了，根本无暇顾及其他事情。"],[25,"to work or worry about trifling things at the weekend.","在周末的时候，就别去忙那些琐碎的事情了，也别为此烦恼了。"],[26,"As for the unfortunate people who can command everything they want,","至于那些不幸的人——他们虽然能够随心所欲地支配一切，"],[27,"who can gratify every caprice and lay their hands on almost every object of desire--for them a new pleasure a new excitement is only an additional satiation.","那些能够满足自己所有的任性欲望、几乎可以得到任何想要的东西的人，对他们来说，新的快乐或新的刺激只不过是一种额外的满足罢了。"],[28,"In vain they rush frantically round from place to place, trying to escape from avenging boredom by mere clatter and motion.","他们徒劳地四处奔忙，试图通过制造噪音和动作来逃避那种令人痛苦的、无意义的无聊感。"],[29,"For them discipline in one form or another is the most hopeful path.","对他们来说，无论以何种形式存在，纪律都是通往成功的最有希望的道路。"],[30,"It may also be said that rational, industrious, useful human beings are divided into two classes:","也可以这样说：那些理性、勤奋且有用的人被分成了两个阶层。"],[31,"first, those whose work is work and whose pleasure is pleasure;","首先，那些将工作视为工作、将娱乐视为娱乐的人；"],[32,"and secondly, those whose work and pleasure are one.","其次，那些将工作与个人乐趣融为一体的人。"],[33,"Of these the former are the majority. They have their compensations.","其中，前者占大多数。它们也有自己的优势（或：它们也有自己的补偿机制）。"],[34,"The long hours in the office or the factory bring with them as their reward,","在办公室或工厂长时间工作所带来的“回报”是……（不过原文后半部分内容缺失，无法完整翻译。）"],[35,"not only the means of sustenance, but a keen appetite for pleasure even in its simplest and most modest forms.","人们不仅需要维持生计的手段，同时也渴望享受各种乐趣——哪怕这些乐趣是最简单、最朴素的。"],[36,"But Fortune's favoured children belong to the second class.","但那些受到《财富》杂志青睐的人属于第二阶层。"],[37,"Their life is a natural harmony.","他们的生活充满了和谐与宁静。"],[38,"For them the working hours are never long enough.","对他们来说，工作时间永远都不够长；每一天都像节日一样美好。"],[39,"Each day is a holiday, and ordinary holidays, when they come, are grudged as enforced interruptions in an absorbing vocation.","然而，当普通的假期到来时，他们却会将其视为对这份令人着迷的工作的打扰，因而感到不满。"],[40,"Yet to both classes, the need of an alternative outlook, of a change of atmosphere of a diversion of effort, is essential.","其实，对于这两个阶层的人来说，都需要一种不同的生活方式、一种能够改变氛围、转移注意力的方式。"],[41,"Indeed, it may well be that those whose work is their pleasure are those who most need the means of banishing it at intervals from their minds.","事实上，那些将工作视为乐趣的人，或许正是最需要偶尔将工作从脑海中暂时抛开的人。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"10－Silicon Valley","t":"Silicon Valley","c":[[0,"Lesson 10","第10课"],[1,"Silicon valley","硅谷"],[2,"What does the computer industry thrive on apart from anarchy?","科技趋势可能会让硅谷重返未来。"],[3,"Technology trends may push Silicon Valley back to the future.","科技趋势可能会让硅谷重新回到“过去”的状态（即回到某种传统或早期的发展阶段）。"],[4,"Carver Mead, a pioneer in integrated circuits and a professor of computer science at the California Institute of Technology, notes there are now workstations that enable engineers to design, test and produce chips right on their desks, much the way and editor creates a newsletter on a Macintosh.","卡弗·米德（Carver Mead）是集成电路领域的先驱，同时也是加州理工学院的计算机科学教授。他指出，如今已经有了这样的工作站：工程师们可以在自己的办公桌上直接设计、测试和制造芯片——就像使用 Macintosh 电脑来编写新闻稿一样简单方便。"],[5,"As the time and cost of making a chip drop to a few days and a few hundred dollars, engineers may soon be free to let their imaginations soar without being penalized by expensive failures.","随着制造芯片所需的时间和成本降至几天以及几百美元的水平，工程师们很快就可以自由发挥他们的想象力了，而无需再为昂贵的失败成本而担忧。"],[6,"Mead predicts that inventors will be able to perfect powerful customized chips over a weekend at the office --","米德预测，发明者们将能够在周末的办公室里完善功能强大的定制芯片——"],[7,"spawning a new generation of garage start-ups and giving the U. S.  a jump on its foreign rivals in getting new products to market fast.","这催生了一代新的车库创业公司（即那些在自家车库里创立的小型企业），使美国在将新产品快速推向市场方面领先于其外国竞争对手。"],[8,"'We've got more garages with smart people,' Mead observes. 'We really thrive on anarchy. '","“我们有更多聪明人的车库，”米德说。“我们确实是在无序中蓬勃发展。”"],[9,"And on Asians. Already, orientals and Asian Americans constitute the majority of the engineering staffs at many Valley firms.","还有亚洲人。在许多硅谷公司中，东方人和亚裔美国人已经占工程团队的大多数。"],[10,"And Chinese, Korean, Filipino and Indian engineers are graduating in droves from California's colleges.","越来越多的中国、韩国、菲律宾和印度的工程师从加利福尼亚的大学毕业。"],[11,"As the heads of next-generation start-ups, these Asian innovators can draw on customs and languages to forge tighter links with crucial Pacific Rim markets.","作为下一代初创企业的领导者，这些亚洲创新者可以利用当地的习俗和语言，与太平洋沿岸的重要市场建立更加紧密的联系。"],[12,"For instance, Alex Au, a Stanford Ph. D. from Hong Kong, has set up a Taiwan factory to challenge Japan's near lock on the memory-chip market.","例如，来自香港的斯坦福大学博士Alex Au在台湾建立了一家工厂，旨在挑战日本对内存芯片市场的近乎垄断地位。"],[13,"India-born N. Damodar Reddy's tiny California company reopened an AT&T chip plant in Kansas City last spring with financing from the state of Missouri.","出生于印度的N. Damodar Reddy在加利福尼亚创立的小型企业，去年春天在密苏里州的资助下，重新启用了AT&T在堪萨斯城的生产工厂。"],[14,"Before it becomes a retirement village, Silicon Valley may prove a classroom for building a global business.","在成为退休村之前，硅谷可能会成为建立全球企业的课堂。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"43－Are There Strangers in Space","t":"Are There Strangers in Space?","c":[[0,"Lesson 43","第43课"],[1,"Are there strangers in space?","太空中有外星人吗？"],[2,"What does the 'uniquely rational way' for us to communicate with other intelligent beings in space depend on?","我们与太空中其他智慧生物进行交流的“独特且理性的方式”究竟取决于什么呢？"],[3,"We must conclude from the work of those who have studied the origin of life,","我们必须从那些研究生命起源的科学家们的研究成果中得出结论。"],[4,"that given a planet only approximately like our own, life is almost certain to start.","只要有一颗行星的条件与我们的地球大致相似，生命几乎必然会诞生。"],[5,"Of all the planets in our solar system, we are now pretty certain the Earth is the only one on which life can survive.","在我们太阳系中的所有行星中，我们现在可以相当确定：地球是唯一一个适合生命生存的星球。"],[6,"Mars is too dry and poor in oxygen, Venus far too hot, and so is Mercury,","火星太干燥且氧气含量极低；金星的温度过高；水星的情况也是如此。"],[7,"and the outer planets have temperatures near absolute zero and hydrogen-dominated atmospheres.","外行星的温度接近绝对零度，其大气层主要由氢气构成。"],[8,"But other suns, start as the astronomers call them, are bound to have planets like our own, and as is the number of stars in the universe is so vast,","但是其他恒星（正如天文学家所称的那样）肯定也拥有像我们地球这样的行星，而且由于宇宙中的恒星数量如此庞大，"],[9,"this possibility becomes virtual certainty.","这种可能性几乎变成了必然的事实。"],[10,"There are one hundred thousand million starts in our own Milky Way alone,","仅在我们自己的银河系中，就有一千亿颗恒星，"],[11,"and then there are three thousand million other milky ways or galaxies, in the universe.","此外，宇宙中还有三十亿个类似的银河系或星系。"],[12,"so the number of stars that we know exist is now estimated at about 300 million million million.","因此，目前已知的恒星数量估计约为3×10²³颗。"],[13,"Although perhaps only 1 percent of the life that has started somewhere will develop into highly complex and intelligent patterns,","尽管在所有生命起源中，可能只有1%的生命会发展成高度复杂且具有智能的形态，"],[14,"so vast is the number of planets, that intelligent life is bound to be a natural part of the universe.","行星的数量如此之多，以至于智慧生命必定是宇宙中自然存在的一部分。"],[15,"If then we are so certain that other intelligent life exists in the universe, why have we had no visitors from outer space yet?","如果我们确信宇宙中存在其他智慧生命，那么为什么至今还没有来自外太空的访客呢？"],[16,"First of all, they may have come to this planet of ours thousands or millions of years ago,","首先，他们可能早在几千甚至几百万年前就来到了我们的这个星球上。"],[17,"and found our then prevailing primitive state completely uninteresting to their own advanced knowledge.","他们发现我们当时所处的原始状态，与他们自己所拥有的先进知识相比，完全毫无吸引力（或者说：他们认为我们的原始状态极其乏味、毫无价值）。"],[18,"Professor Ronald Bracewell, a leading American radio astronomer,","罗纳德·布雷斯韦尔教授是美国著名的射电天文学家。"],[19,"argued in Nature that such a superior civilization, on a visit to our own solar system,","在《自然》杂志上论证说，这样一个高度发达的文明在造访我们的太阳系时，"],[20,"may have left an automatic messenger behind to await the possible awakening of an advanced civilization.","它可能留下了一种自动信息传递系统，等待着某个先进文明的觉醒。"],[21,"Such a messenger, receiving our radio and television signals,","这样的“信使”能够接收我们的无线电和电视信号。"],[22,"might well re-transmit them back to its home-planet,","很可能会将这些信息重新传回它的母星。"],[23,"although what impression any other civilization would thus get from us is best left unsaid.","不过，其他文明对我们会有怎样的印象，最好还是不要去说了。"],[24,"But here we come up against the most difficult of all obstacles to contact with people on other planets","但在这里，我们遇到了与其它星球上的人类建立联系时所面临的最大障碍。"],[25,"-- the astronomical distances which separate us.","——那些将我们分隔开的天文距离。"],[26,"As a reasonable guess, they might, on an average, be 100 light years away.","作为一个合理的猜测，它们平均可能距离我们大约100光年。"],[27,"(A light year is the distance which light travels at 186, 000 miles per second in one year, namely 6 million million miles.)","（一光年是指光以每秒186,000英里的速度在一年内所行进的距离，即6万亿英里。）"],[28,"Radio waves also travel at the speed of light,","无线电波的传播速度也与光速相同。"],[29,"and assuming such an automatic messenger picked up our first broadcasts of the 1920's,","假设这样的自动通讯系统能够接收到我们20世纪20年代的首批广播信号的话……"],[30,"the message to its home planet is barely halfway there.","那么这条信息传到它的母星才走了一半的路程。"],[31,"Similarly, our own present primitive chemical rockets,","同样地，我们目前使用的原始化学火箭，"],[32,"though good enough to orbit men, have no chance of transporting us to the nearest other star,","虽然这些飞船的性能已经足够好，可以载人进入太空轨道，但它们根本无法将我们送到离我们最近的另一颗恒星。"],[33,"four light years away, let alone distances of tens or hundreds of light years.","而最近的恒星离我们也有4光年远，更不用说数十或数百光年的距离了。"],[34,"Fortunately, there is a 'uniquely rational way' for us to communicate with other intelligent beings,","幸运的是，我们有一种“独特而理性的方式”来与其他智慧生物进行交流。"],[35,"as Walter Sullivan has put it in his excellent book,","正如沃尔特·沙利文在他那本出色的书中所说……"],[36,"We Are not Alone.","我们并不孤单。"],[37,"This depends on the precise radio frequency of the 21-cm wavelength, or 1420 megacycles per second.","这取决于21厘米波长的精确无线电频率，即每秒1420兆周。"],[38,"It is the natural frequency of emission of the hydrogen atoms in space and was discovered by us in 1951;","这是太空中氢原子的自然辐射频率，由我们在1951年发现；"],[39,"it must be known to any kind of radio astronomer in the universe.","宇宙中任何射电天文学家都应该知道这个频率。"],[40,"Once the existence of this wave-length had been discovered,","一旦这种波长的存在被确认，"],[41,"it was not long before its use as the uniquely recognizable broadcasting frequency for interstellar communication was suggested.","人们很快便提出了将其作为星际通信的独特识别频率的想法。"],[42,"Without something of this kind,","如果没有这样的频率，"],[43,"searching for intelligences on other planets would be like trying to meet a friend in London without a pre-arranged rendezvous","在其它行星上寻找智慧生命就如同在伦敦与朋友见面时没有事先约定，"],[44,"and absurdly wandering the streets in the hope of a chance encounter.","只能荒唐地在街头游荡，希望能偶然碰上一样。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"19－The Stuff of Dreams","t":"The Stuff of Dreams","c":[[0,"Lesson 19","第19课"],[1,"The stuff of dreams","梦的构成"],[2,"What is going on when a person experiences rapid eye-movements during sleep?","当人在睡眠中经历快速眼动（REM）时，究竟发生了什么？"],[3,"It is fairly clear that the sleeping period must have some function, and because there is so much of it the function would seem to be important.","很明显，睡眠一定具有某种功能，而且由于这种状态持续的时间很长，因此这种功能必定非常重要。"],[4,"Speculations about its nature have been going on for literally thousands of years,","关于睡眠本质的猜测已经持续了数千年之久。"],[5,"and one odd finding that makes the problem puzzling is that it looks very much as if sleeping is not simply a matter of giving the body a rest.","一个令人困惑的现象是：睡眠似乎并不仅仅是让身体休息的过程。"],[6,"'Rest', in terms of muscle relaxation and so on, can be achieved by a brief period lying, or even sitting down.","从肌肉放松的角度来看，即使只是短暂地躺下或坐着，也能达到休息的效果。"],[7,"The body's tissues are self-repairing and self-restoring to a degree, and function best when more or less continuously active.","人体组织本身具备自我修复和恢复的功能，而且在保持一定程度的活动状态下，其功能才能达到最佳状态。"],[8,"In fact a basic amount of movement occurs during sleep which is specifically concerned with preventing muscle inactivity.","事实上，睡眠期间确实会发生一些活动，这些活动专门用于防止肌肉长时间处于静止状态。"],[9,"If it is not a question of resting the body, then perhaps it is the brain that needs resting?","如果睡眠的目的不是为了让身体休息，那么或许大脑才是需要休息的对象？"],[10,"This might be a plausible hypothesis were it not for two factors.","如果不是有两个因素的话，这或许是一个合理的假设。"],[11,"First the electroencephalograph (which is simply a device for recording the electrical activity of the brain by attaching electrodes to the scalp)","首先，脑电图（这是一种通过将电极贴在头皮上来记录大脑电活动的简单装置）"],[12,"shows that while there is a change in the pattern of activity during sleep,","研究表明，虽然睡眠期间的活动模式会发生变化，"],[13,"there is no evidence that the total amount of activity is any less.","没有证据表明总体活动量有任何减少。"],[14,"The second factor is more interesting and more fundamental.","第二个因素更加有趣，也更为根本。"],[15,"Some years ago an American psychiatrist named William Dement published experiments dealing with the recording of eye-movements during sleep.","几年前，一位名叫威廉·德门特（William Dement）的美国精神病学家发表了一项研究，该研究记录了人们在睡眠期间的眼球运动情况。"],[16,"He showed that the average individual's sleep cycle is punctuated with peculiar bursts of eye-movements, some drifting and slow, others jerky and rapid.","他发现，普通人的睡眠周期中会伴随着一些特殊的眼球运动现象：有些眼球运动较为缓慢、平稳，而另一些则突然、快速地发生。"],[17,"People woken during these periods of eye-movements generally reported that they had been dreaming.","在眼球运动期间被唤醒的人通常报告说他们正在做梦。"],[18,"When woken at other times they reported no dreams.","在其他时间被唤醒时，他们表示自己没有做任何梦。"],[19,"If one group of people were disturbed from their eye-movement sleep for several nights on end,","如果有一组人的眼球运动睡眠（REM sleep）连续几个晚上都被中断的话……"],[20,"and another group were disturbed for an equal period of time but when they were not exhibiting eye-movements,","另一组人在同样长的时间内受到干扰，但干扰时他们并没有表现出眼球运动，"],[21,"the first group began to show some personality disorders while the others seemed more or less unaffected.","第一组开始出现一些人格障碍的症状，而其他组则几乎没有受到影响。"],[22,"The implications of all this were that it was not the disturbance of sleep that mattered, but the disturbance of dreaming.","所有这些现象表明，重要的不是睡眠受到干扰，而是做梦受到干扰。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"47－The Great Escape","t":"The Great Escape","c":[[0,"Lesson 47","第47课"],[1,"The great escape","“伟大的逃脱”"],[2,"What is one of the features of modern camping where nationality is concerned?","就国籍而言，现代露营的一个显著特点是什么？"],[3,"Economy is one powerful motive for camping,","经济因素是人们选择露营的一个重要原因。"],[4,"since after the initial outlay upon equipment, or through hiring it, the total expense can be far less than the cost of hotels.","因为在购买了设备或租用设备之后，总花费可能远低于住酒店的费用。"],[5,"But, contrary to a popular assumption, it is far from being the only one, or even the greatest.","但是，与普遍的看法相反，这远非唯一的动机，甚至也不是最主要的动机。"],[6,"The man who manoeuvres carelessly into his 20 pounds' worth of space at one of Europe's myriad permanent sites may find himself bumping a Bentley.","在欧洲众多永久性露营地中，那个小心翼翼地把自己价值20英镑的装备挪进空间的人，可能会发现自己撞上了一辆宾利。"],[7,"More likely, Ford Escort will be hub to hub with Renault or Mercedes, but rarely with bicycles made for two.","更有可能的是，福特Escort会与雷诺或奔驰并排停放，但很少会与双人自行车并排。"],[8,"That the equipment of modern camping becomes yearly more sophisticated is an entertaining paradox for the cynic,","对于那些持悲观态度的人来说，现代露营装备逐年变得越来越先进，这确实是一个颇具讽刺意味的矛盾现象。"],[9,"a brighter promise for the hopeful traveller who has sworn to get away from it all.","对于那些渴望逃离现实、追求自由生活的旅行者来说，这无疑是一个更加光明的希望。"],[10,"It also provides--and some student sociologist might care to base his thesis upon the phenomenon--an escape of another kind.","它还提供了一种不同的“逃避方式”；一些研究社会现象的学生或许会想以此作为自己论文的写作基础。"],[11,"The modern traveller is often a man who dislikes the Splendide and the Bellavista,","现代旅行者往往不喜欢那些名为'辉煌'或'美景'的豪华酒店，"],[12,"not because he cannot afford, or shuns their material comforts, but because he is afraid of them.","不是因为他买不起这些物质上的享受，也不是因为他拒绝它们，而是因为他害怕它们。"],[13,"Affluent he may be, but he is by no means sure what to tip the doorman or the chambermaid.","尽管他很富有，但他仍然不知道该给门卫或客房服务员多少小费才合适。"],[14,"Master in his own house he has little idea of when to say boo to a manager hotel.","在自己家里他或许很自在，但在酒店里，他完全不知道该如何与经理打交道。"],[15,"From all such fears camping releases him.","面对所有这些恐惧，露营反而让他感到解脱（或：露营让他摆脱了恐惧）。"],[16,"Granted, a snobbery of camping itself, based upon equipment and techniques, already exists;","诚然，基于所使用的装备和技术，露营本身就带有一种“优越感”或“傲慢的态度”（即认为露营是一种比其他活动更高级、更优越的休闲方式）。"],[17,"but it is of a kind that, if he meets it, he can readily understand and deal with.","不过，这种情况属于他能够轻易理解并妥善处理的类型。"],[18,"There is no superior 'they' in the shape of managements and hotel hierarchies to darken his holiday days.","没有管理层和酒店等级制度中那些高高在上的'他们'来破坏他的假期心情。"],[19,"To such motives, yet another must be added.","除了这些动机之外，还必须再加上另一个动机。"],[20,"The contemporary phenomenon of car worship is to be explained not least by the sense of independence and freedom that ownership entails.","当代社会中对汽车的崇拜现象，很大程度上可以归因于汽车所有权所带来的独立感和自由感。"],[21,"To this pleasure camping gives an exquisite refinement.","正是这种乐趣，让露营活动增添了无与伦比的精致感与高雅氛围。"],[22,"From one's own front door to home or foreign hills or sands and back again, everything is to hand.","从自己家中的前门出发，无论是前往国内的山丘、沙漠，还是国外，无论走到哪里，一切所需的东西都唾手可得。"],[23,"Not only are the means of arriving at the holiday paradise entirely within one's own command and keeping,","不仅前往这个度假天堂的方式完全由自己掌控（即可以自由选择出行方式），"],[24,"but the means of escape from holiday hell (if the beach proves too crowded, the local weather too inclement)","但是，还是有办法摆脱这种“假期地狱”般的境况的（比如当海滩过于拥挤，或者当地天气过于恶劣时）。"],[25,"are there, outside--or, as likely, part of--the tent.","这些逃离'假期地狱'的手段就在帐篷外——或者很可能就是帐篷的一部分。"],[26,"Idealists have objected to the practice of camping, as to the package tour,","理想主义者反对露营这种活动，也同样反对跟团旅游（即包价旅游）。"],[27,"that the traveller abroad thereby denies himself the opportunity of getting to know the people of the country visited.","这意味着出国旅行的游客就失去了了解所访问国家人民的机会。"],[28,"Insularity and self-containment, it is argued, go hand in hand.","有人认为，孤立主义与自我封闭是密不可分的。"],[29,"The opinion does not survive experience of a popular Continental camping place.","这种观点在人们实际体验了那处热门的欧洲大陆露营地之后就被推翻了。"],[30,"Holiday hotels tend to cater for one nationality of visitors especially, sometimes exclusively.","假日酒店通常主要服务于某一特定国籍的游客，有时甚至只接待该国籍的客人。"],[31,"Camping sites, by contrast, are highly cosmopolitan.","相比之下，露营地具有很强的国际性（即各种文化背景的人在这里都能和谐共处）。"],[32,"Granted, a preponderance of Germans is a characteristic that seems common to most Mediterranean sites;","诚然，德国人的数量占多数似乎是大多数地中海地区共有的特征；"],[33,"but as yet there is no overwhelmingly specialized patronage.","但到目前为止还没有出现压倒性的特定国籍客人。"],[34,"Notices forbidding the open-air drying of clothes,","禁止户外晾晒衣物的告示，"],[35,"or the use of water points for car washing,","禁止用水龙头洗车的告示，"],[36,"or those inviting 'our camping friends' to a dance or a boat trip are printed not only in French or Italian or Spanish, but also in English, German and Dutch.","那些邀请“我们的露营伙伴”参加舞会或乘船旅行的邀请函，不仅用法语、意大利语和西班牙语印刷，还用英语、德语和荷兰语印刷。"],[37,"At meal times the odour of sauerkraut vies with that of garlic.","用餐时，酸菜的味道与大蒜的味道交织在一起，令人难以忽视。"],[38,"The Frenchman's breakfast coffee competes with the Englishman's bacon and eggs.","法国人的早餐咖啡与英国人的培根和鸡蛋形成了鲜明对比。"],[39,"Whether the remarkable growth of organized camping means the eventual death of the more independent kind is hard to say.","很难说，有组织的露营活动的迅速发展是否意味着那些更加独立、自由式的露营方式的最终消亡。"],[40,"Municipalities naturally want to secure the campers' site fees and other custom.","市政当局自然希望确保能收到露营者的场地费和其他消费。"],[41,"Police are wary of itinerants who cannot be traced to a recognized camp boundary or to four walls.","警方对那些无法被追踪到任何已知营地范围或固定住所的流动人员保持警惕。"],[42,"But most probably it will all depend upon campers themselves: how many heath fires they cause; how much litter they leave;","但很可能一切都取决于露营者自己：他们引发了多少野火；他们留下了多少垃圾；"],[43,"in short, whether or not they wholly alienate landowners and those who live in the countryside.","简而言之，无论这样做是否会完全疏远土地所有者以及农村居民……"],[44,"Only good scouting is likely to preserve the freedoms so dear to the heart of the eternal Boy Scout.","只有良好的露营行为规范才可能保住那些永恒童子军心中珍视的自由。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"35－Space Odyssey","t":"Space Odyssey","c":[[0,"Lesson 35","第35课"],[1,"Space odyssey","《太空漫游》"],[2,"When will it be possible for us to think seriously about colonising Mars?","我们什么时候才能真正认真地考虑在火星上建立殖民地呢？"],[3,"The Moon is likely to become the industrial hub of the Solar System supplying the rocket fuels for its ships,","月球很可能会成为太阳系的工业中心，为宇宙飞船提供所需的火箭燃料。"],[4,"easily obtainable from the lunar rocks in the form of liquid oxygen.","这种物质可以从月球岩石中轻易提取出来，其形式为液态氧。"],[5,"The reason lies in its gravity.","原因在于它的重力。"],[6,"Because the Moon has only an eightieth of the Earth's mass,","因为月球的质量只有地球的八十分之一，"],[7,"it requires 97% less energy","它所需的能量减少了 97%。"],[8,"to travel the quarter of a million miles from the Moon to Earth-orbit than the 200 mile-journey from Earth's surface into orbit!","从月球到地球轨道（长达二十五万英里）所需的能量，比从地球表面进入轨道（二百英里）所需的能量要少97%！"],[9,"This may sound fantastic, but it is easily calculated.","这听起来可能令人难以置信，但这个结论是很容易计算出来的。"],[10,"To escape from the Earth in a rocket, one must travel at seven miles per second.","要乘坐火箭逃离地球，必须以每秒七英里的速度飞行。"],[11,"The comparable speed from the Moon is only 1.5 miles per second.","从月球出发所需的相应速度仅为每秒1.5英里。"],[12,"Because the gravity on the Moon's surface is only a sixth of Earth's (remember how easily the Apollo astronauts bounded along),","因为月球表面的重力只有地球的六分之一（还记得阿波罗宇航员在月球上行走时是多么轻松自如吗？）"],[13,"it takes much less energy to accelerate to that 1.5mps than it does on Earth.","在月球上，将物体加速到每秒1.5英里所需的能量要比在地球上少得多。"],[14,"Moon dwellers will be able to fly in space at only three percent of the cost of similar journeys by their terrestrial cousins.","月球居民在太空中旅行的费用，将仅为他们的地球表亲进行类似旅程所需费用的3%。"],[15,"Arthur C.Clark once suggested a revolutionary idea passes through three phases:","阿瑟·C·克拉克曾提出一个观点：一个革命性的想法通常会经历三个阶段："],[16,"1.  'It's impossible--don't waste my time.'","“这不可能——别浪费我的时间了。”"],[17,"2.  'It's possible, but not worth doing.'","2. “这是可能的，但并不值得去做。”"],[18,"3.  'I said it was a good idea all along.'","3. “我一直都说这是个好主意。”"],[19,"The idea of colonising Mars--a world 160 times more distant than the Moon--will move decisively from the second phase to the third,","当有相当数量的人能够在太空中永久居住时，将火星（一个距离地球比月球远160倍的天体）殖民化的想法，将果断地从第二阶段进入第三阶段。"],[20,"when a significant number of people are living permanently in space.","当有相当数量的人能够在太空中永久居住时……"],[21,"Mars has an extraordinary fascination for would-be voyagers.","火星对那些渴望踏上太空之旅的人来说，具有难以抗拒的吸引力。"],[22,"America, Russia and Europe are filled with enthusiasts--many of them serious and senior scientists who dream of sending people to it.","美国、俄罗斯和欧洲都有许多热衷者——其中许多是严肃资深的科学家，他们梦想着将人类送上火星。"],[23,"Their aim is understandable.","他们的目标是可以理解的。"],[24,"It is the one world in the Solar System that is most like the Earth.","它是太阳系中与地球最为相似的行星。"],[25,"It is a world of red sandy deserts (hence its name--the Red Planet),","这是一个遍布红色沙质沙漠的世界（因此它被称为“红色星球”）。"],[26,"cloudless skies, savage sandstorms, chasms wider than the Grand Canyon and at least one mountain more than twice as tall as Everest.","万里无云的天空、猛烈的沙尘暴、比大峡谷还要宽阔的峡谷，以及至少有一座比珠穆朗玛峰高出两倍以上的山峰。"],[27,"It seems ideal for settlement.","这似乎非常适合用于定居。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"33－Education","t":"Education","c":[[0,"Lesson 33","第33课"],[1,"Education","教育"],[2,"Why is education democratic in bookless tribal societies?","为什么在没有书籍的部落社会中，教育是民主的？"],[3,"Education is one of the key words of our time.","“教育”是我们这个时代的核心关键词之一。"],[4,"A man without an education, many of us believe,","我们中的许多人认为，一个没有受过教育的人……"],[5,"is an unfortunate victim of adverse circumstances, deprived of one of the greatest twentieth-century opportunities.","是恶劣环境的不幸受害者，被剥夺了20世纪最伟大的机遇之一。"],[6,"Convinced of the importance of education, modern states 'invest' in institutions of learning to get back 'interest'","确信教育的重要性，现代国家‘投资’于教育机构，以‘利息’的形式"],[7,"in the form of a large group of enlightened young men and women who are potential leaders.","收回一群有教养的青年男女，他们是潜在的领导者。"],[8,"Education, with its cycles of instruction so carefully worked out,","教育，其教学流程都是经过精心设计的……"],[9,"punctuated by textbooks--those purchasable wells of wisdom--what would civilization be like without its benefits?","被教科书——那些可以购买的智慧之井——所点缀，如果没有它的好处，文明会是什么样子？"],[10,"So much is certain: that we would have doctors and preachers,","有几点是确定的：我们一定会拥有医生和传教士。"],[11,"lawyers and defendants marriages and births--but our spiritual outlook would be different.","律师和被告，婚姻和出生——但我们的精神面貌会有所不同。"],[12,"We would lay less stress on 'facts and figures' and more on a good memory,","我们会减少对“事实和数据”的依赖，而更加重视良好的记忆力。"],[13,"on applied psychology, and on the capacity of a man to get along with his fellow-citizens.","应用心理学，以及一个人与同胞相处的能力。"],[14,"If our educational system were fashioned after its bookless past we would have the most democratic form of 'college' imaginable.","如果我们的教育体系模仿其无书籍的过去，我们会有可以想象的最民主的‘大学’形式。"],[15,"Among tribal people all knowledge inherited by tradition is shared by all;","在部落社会中，所有通过传统传承下来的知识都是大家共同拥有的。"],[16,"it is taught to every member of the tribe so that in this respect everybody is equally equipped for life.","它被传授给部落的每个成员，因此在这方面每个人都同样为生活做好了准备。"],[17,"It is the ideal condition of the 'equal start' which only our most progressive forms of modern education try to regain.","这是‘平等起步’的理想条件，只有我们最进步的现代教育形式才试图重新获得。"],[18,"In primitive cultures the obligation to seek and to receive the traditional instruction is binding to all.","在原始文化中，寻求并接受传统教诲的义务对所有人都是具有约束力的。"],[19,"There are no'illiterates' --if the term can be applied to peoples without a script--while our own compulsory school attendance became law in Germany in 1642,","没有‘文盲’——如果这个词可以适用于没有文字的民族——而我们的义务教育在1642年成为德国的法律，"],[20,"in France in 1806, and in England in 1876 and is still nonexistent in a number of 'civilized' nations.","1806年在法国，1876年在英国，而在许多‘文明’国家仍然不存在。"],[21,"This shows how long it was before we deemed it necessary to make sure","这表明过了多久我们才认为有必要确保"],[22,"that all our children could share in the knowledge accumulated by the 'happy few' during the past centuries.","我们所有的孩子都能分享过去几个世纪里‘少数幸运儿’积累的知识。"],[23,"Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.","荒野中的教育不是金钱手段的问题。"],[24,"All are entitled to an equal start.","每个人都应该拥有平等的起点。"],[25,"There is none of the hurry which, in our society, often hampers the full development of a growing personality.","没有那种在我们社会中常常阻碍成长个性全面发展的匆忙。"],[26,"There, a child grows up under the everpresent attention of his parents;","在那里，一个孩子在父母无时无刻不在的关注下长大。"],[27,"therefore the jungles and the savannahs know of no 'juvenile delinquency'.","因此，丛林和热带草原不知道有‘少年犯罪’。"],[28,"No necessity of making a living away from home results in neglect of children, and no father is confronted with his inability to 'buy' an education for his child.","没有离家谋生的必要导致对孩子的忽视，也没有父亲面对自己无力为孩子‘购买’教育的困境。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"09－Royal Espionage","t":"Royal Espionage","c":[[0,"Lesson 9","第9课"],[1,"Royal espionage","皇家间谍活动"],[2,"What important thing did King Alfred learn when he penetrated the Danish camp of Guthrum?","当阿尔弗雷德国王突袭古思伦的丹麦营地时，他学到了什么重要的东西？"],[3,"Alfred the Great acted as his own spy, visiting Danish camps disguised as a minstrel.","阿尔弗雷德大帝亲自担任间谍，他伪装成吟游诗人，潜入丹麦的营地进行侦察。"],[4,"In those days wandering minstrels were welcome everywhere.","在那些日子里，流浪的吟游诗人随处都受到欢迎。"],[5,"They were not fighting men, and their harp was their passport.","他们并非战士，他们的竖琴就是他们的通行证。"],[6,"Alfred had learned many of their ballads in his youth and could vary his programme with acrobatic tricks and simple conjuring.","阿尔弗雷德在年轻时就学会了他们许多民谣歌曲；他还可以通过表演杂技技巧和简单的魔术来丰富自己的表演节目。"],[7,"While Alfred's little army slowly began to gather at Athelney, the king himself set out to penetrate the camp of Guthrum, the commander of the Danish invaders.","当阿尔弗雷德的小军队开始在阿瑟尔尼集结时，国王本人则动身前往丹麦入侵者指挥官古思伦的营地。"],[8,"These had settled down for the winter at Chippenham: thither Alfred went.","丹麦军队已经在奇彭纳姆扎营过冬了；阿尔弗雷德也前往了那里。"],[9,"He noticed at once that discipline was slack: the Danes had the self-confidence of conquerors, and their security precautions were casual.","他立刻察觉到纪律松弛的情况：丹麦人拥有征服者的自信，他们的安全防范措施也非常松懈。"],[10,"They lived well, on the proceeds of raids on neighbouring regions.","他们靠着对邻近地区的劫掠所得，过上了富足的生活。"],[11,"There they collected women as well as food and drink, and a life of ease had made them soft.","他们在那里掳掠妇女、搜刮食物和酒水；安逸的生活使他们变得软弱。"],[12,"Alfred stayed in the camp a week before he returned to Athelney.","阿尔弗雷德在营地待了一周后，才返回阿瑟尔尼。"],[13,"The force there assembled was trivial compared with the Danish horde.","那里集结的兵力与丹麦大军相比微不足道。"],[14,"But Alfred had deduced that the Danes were no longer fit for prolonged battle: and that their commissariat had no organization, but depended on irregular raids.","但阿尔弗雷德推断出：丹麦军队已不再适合持久战；他们的后勤补给毫无组织，只能依靠零星的劫掠。"],[15,"So, faced with the Danish advance, Alfred did not risk open battle but harried the enemy.","因此，在面对丹麦军队的进攻时，阿尔弗雷德没有选择正面交锋，而是不断骚扰敌人。"],[16,"He was constantly on the move, drawing the Danes after him.","他始终处于移动状态，引诱丹麦军队跟随自己行动。"],[17,"His patrols halted the raiding parties: hunger assailed the Danish army.","他的巡逻队阻止了敌人的劫掠行动；饥饿开始困扰丹麦军队。"],[18,"Now Alfred began a long series of skirmishes -- and within a month the Danes had surrendered.","随后，阿尔弗雷德展开了一系列小规模战斗——一个月内，丹麦军队便投降了。"],[19,"The episode could reasonably serve as a unique epic of royal espionage!","这一事件完全可以被视为一部关于王室间谍活动的独特史诗！"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"34－Adolescence","t":"Adolescence","c":[[0,"Lesson 34","第34课"],[1,"Adolescence","青春期"],[2,"What do adolescents respect in parents?","青少年在父母身上尊重什么？"],[3,"Parents are often upset when their children praise the homes of their friends and regard it as a slur on their own cooking, or cleaning, or furniture,","当孩子们夸赞朋友家的环境时，父母往往会感到不满，他们认为这种行为是对自己烹饪水平、清洁工作或家具质量的贬低。"],[4,"and often are foolish enough to let the adolescents see that they are annoyed.","他们常常犯愚蠢的错误，让青少年察觉到他们其实很恼火（或：他们总是犯傻，以至于让青少年看出来他们很生气）。"],[5,"They may even accuse them of disloyalty, or make some spiteful remark about the friends' parents.","他们甚至可能会指责孩子不忠，或者对那些朋友的父母说一些刻薄的话。"],[6,"Such a loss of dignity and descent into childish behaviour on the part of the adults deeply shocks the adolescents,","成年人这种丧失尊严、行为变得幼稚的现象，令青少年们感到极为震惊。"],[7,"and makes them resolve that in future they will not talk to their parents about the places or people they visit.","这让他们决定：以后不会再和父母谈论自己去过的地方或遇到的人。"],[8,"Before very long the parents will be complaining that the child is so secretive and never tells them anything,","用不了多久，父母们就会开始抱怨孩子太保密了，从不跟他们透露任何事情。"],[9,"but they seldom realize that they have brought this on themselves.","但他们很少意识到，这一切其实都是他们自己造成的。"],[10,"Disillusionment with the parents,","对父母的失望（或：对父母的失望情绪）"],[11,"however good and adequate they may be both as parents and as individuals, is to some degree inevitable.","无论父母作为父母或作为个体有多么优秀和称职，孩子对他们的失望在某种程度上都是不可避免的。"],[12,"Most children have such a high ideal of their parents,","大多数孩子对他们的父母都有着非常高的期望（或：对父母有着非常美好的想象）。"],[13,"unless the parents themselves have been unsatisfactory, that it can hardly hope to stand up to a realistic evaluation.","除非父母本身的表现令人不满意，否则这种理想很难经得起现实的评估。"],[14,"Parents would be greatly surprised and deeply touched if they realized how much belief their children usually have in their character and infallibility,","如果父母意识到他们的孩子通常对自己的人格以及他们的“绝对正确性”抱有多大的信任，他们一定会感到非常惊讶和深受感动。"],[15,"and how much this faith means to a child.","以及这种信念对一个孩子来说意味着什么。"],[16,"If parents were prepared for this adolescent reaction,","如果父母能够预料到青少年会有这样的反应……"],[17,"and realized that was a sign that the child was growing up","并意识到这正是孩子正在成长的一个迹象"],[18,"and developing valuable powers of observation and independent judgment,","同时培养出宝贵的观察能力和独立判断力。"],[19,"they would not be so hurt, and therefore would not drive the child into opposition by resenting and resisting it.","他们就不会受到那么大的伤害；因此，也不会因为感到怨恨和抗拒而让孩子与他们产生对立情绪。"],[20,"The adolescent, with his passion for sincerity,","这个青少年，对真诚充满热情……"],[21,"always respects a parent who admits that he is wrong, or ignorant,","总是尊重那些承认自己犯错或无知的父母。"],[22,"or even that he has been unfair or unjust.","甚至承认自己行为不公平或不公正。"],[23,"What the child cannot forgive is the parents' refusal to admit these charges if the child knows them to be true.","孩子无法原谅的是：如果孩子知道父母的这些过错是事实，父母却拒绝承认。"],[24,"Victorian parents believed that they kept their dignity by retreating behind an unreasoning authoritarian attitude in fact they did nothing of the kind,","维多利亚时代的父母认为，通过采取一种不合理的专断态度可以维护自己的尊严；但实际上，他们根本没有做到这一点。"],[25,"but children were then too cowed to let them know how they really felt.","但那时孩子们都太胆小了，不敢说出自己的真实感受。"],[26,"Today we tend to go to the other extreme,","如今，我们往往走向另一个极端。"],[27,"but on the whole this is a healthier attitude both for the child and the parent.","但总体来说，这种态度对孩子的成长以及父母的心理状态都有益处（即更健康）。"],[28,"It is always wiser and safer to face up to reality, however painful it may be at the moment.","无论此刻的现实有多么痛苦，直面现实总是更为明智、也更安全的选择。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"05－Youth","t":"Youth","c":[[0,"Lesson 5","第5课"],[1,"Youth","青年；年轻人"],[2,"How does the writer like to treat young people?","人们总是在谈论‘年轻人的问题’。"],[3,"People are always talking about 'the problem of youth'.","人们总是谈论“年轻人的问题”。"],[4,"If there is one -- which I take leave to doubt","如果真有这样的东西的话（不过我对此表示怀疑）……"],[5,"-- then it is older people who create it, not the young themselves.","那么，创造这种东西的其实是老年人，而不是年轻人自己。"],[6,"Let us get down to fundamentals and agree that the young are after all human beings","让我们回归到基本事实：年轻人终究也是人。"],[7,"-- people just like their elders.","——和他们的长辈一样的人。"],[8,"There is only one difference between an old man and a young one:","老人和年轻人之间只有一个区别："],[9,"the young man has a glorious future before him","这个年轻人前途光明，充满希望。"],[10,"and the old one has a splendid future behind him: and maybe that is where the rub is.","而那个老人则拥有一个辉煌的过去：也许症结就在这里。"],[11,"When I was a teenager, I felt that I was just young and uncertain --","当我还是个青少年的时候，我觉得自己既年轻又迷茫——"],[12,"that I was a new boy in a huge school,","我当时只是那所大型学校里的一名新生罢了。"],[13,"and I would have been very pleased to be regarded as something so interesting as a problem.","如果我能被看作是一个“有趣的问题”（即一个值得研究或关注的问题），我会非常高兴的。"],[14,"For one thing, being a problem gives you a certain identity,","首先，成为一个“问题”（即被视作需要解决的问题）会让你获得某种特定的“身份”或地位。"],[15,"and that is one of the things the young are busily engaged in seeking.","而这正是年轻人正在积极寻求的东西之一。"],[16,"I find young people exciting.","我觉得年轻人非常令人兴奋。"],[17,"They have an air of freedom,","他们身上散发着一种自由的气息。"],[18,"and they have not a dreary commitment to mean ambitions or love of comfort.","他们没有对卑劣野心的沉闷执着，也没有对安逸生活的贪恋。"],[19,"They are not anxious social climbers, and they have no devotion to material things.","他们不是焦虑的社会攀爬者，对物质也没有什么执着。"],[20,"All this seems to me to link them with life and the origins of things.","在我看来，所有这些都将他们与生命和事物的本源联系在一起。"],[21,"It's as if they were in some sense cosmic beings in violent and lovely contrast with us suburban creatures.","他们仿佛是某种宇宙生灵，与我们这些市井之徒形成强烈而美妙的对比。"],[22,"All that is in my mind when I meet a young person.","每当我遇到一个年轻人时，我脑海中想到的就是这些。"],[23,"He may be conceited, ill-mannered,  presumptuous or fatuous,  but I do not turn for protection to dreary cliches about respect for elders --","他也许自负、没礼貌、放肆或愚蠢，但我不会搬出那些关于尊敬长辈的陈词滥调来当挡箭牌——"],[24,"as if mere age were a reason for respect.","好像单凭年长就值得尊敬似的。"],[25,"I accept that we are equals, and I will argue with him, as an equal, if I think he is wrong.","我承认我们彼此平等；如果我认为他错了，我会以平等的身份与他争论。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"31－The Sculptor Speaks","t":"The Sculptor Speaks","c":[[0,"Lesson 31","第31课"],[1,"The sculptor speaks","雕塑家之言"],[2,"What do you have to be able to do to appreciate sculpture?","要真正欣赏雕塑，你需要具备哪些条件或能力呢？"],[3,"Appreciation of sculpture depends upon the ability to respond to form in 3 dimensions.","对雕塑的欣赏，取决于人们能否理解和回应三维空间中的形态（即雕塑的立体结构与形态特征）。"],[4,"That is perhaps why sculpture has been described as the most difficult of all arts;","也许正因为如此，雕塑才被人们称为所有艺术形式中最难掌握的一种。"],[5,"certainly it is more difficult than the arts which involve appreciation of flat forms, shape in only two dimensions.","当然，这比那些只需要欣赏二维平面形状的艺术形式要困难得多。"],[6,"Many more people are 'form-blind' than colour-blind.","有'形式盲'的人比有色盲的人多得多"],[7,"The child learning to see, first distinguishes only two-dimensional shape; it cannot judge distances, depths.","正在学习视力的孩子最初只能识别二维的形状；他们还无法判断距离或物体的深度。"],[8,"Later, for its personal safety and practical needs, it has to develop (partly by means of touch) the ability to judge roughly 3-dimensonal distances.","后来，为了自身安全和实际需要，它必须（部分通过触觉）培养出大致判断三维距离的能力"],[9,"But having satisfied the requirements of practical necessity, most people go no further.","然而，在满足了实际需求之后，大多数人就不会再进一步去追求更高的目标了。"],[10,"Though they may attain considerable accuracy in the perception of flat form,","尽管他们在识别平面形状方面可以达到相当高的准确度"],[11,"they do not make the further intellectual and emotional effort needed to comprehend form in its full spatial existence.","他们没有付出进一步的智力与情感努力，去全面理解“形式”在其空间存在中的本质（即形式在三维空间中的具体表现方式）。"],[12,"This is what the sculptor must do.","这就是雕塑家必须做的事情。"],[13,"He must strive continually to think of and use, form in its full spatial completeness.","他必须不断努力去思考和运用形式在空间中的完整性"],[14,"He gets the solid shape as it were, inside his head--he thinks of it, whatever its size, as if he were holding it completely enclosed in the hollow of his hand.","他在脑海中清晰地想象出那个物体的形状；无论这个物体的实际大小如何，他都仿佛能够将其完全握在手中一样。"],[15,"He mentally visualizes a complex form from all round itself;","他在脑海中从各个角度想象出一个复杂的形体"],[16,"he knows while he looks at one side what the other side is like; he identifies himself with its centre of gravity, its mass, its weight;","他看着一面时就知道另一面是什么样子；他体会其重心、质量和重量"],[17,"he realizes its volume as the space that the shape displaces in the air.","他认识到这个物体的“体积”，其实就是该物体在空气中占据的空间（即该物体将空气“挤开”后所形成的空间）。"],[18,"And the sensitive observer of sculpture must also learn to feel shape simply as shape, not as description or reminiscence.","对于雕塑而言，敏锐的观察者也必须学会纯粹地将形状视为形状本身来感知它，而不是将其视为某种描述或回忆的象征。"],[19,"He must, for example, perceive an egg as a simple single solid shape quite apart from its significance as food,","例如，他必须将鸡蛋仅仅视为一个简单的、独立的固体形状，而忽略其作为食物的意义。"],[20,"or from the literary idea that it will become a bird.","也不把它看作会变成鸟的文学意象"],[21,"And so with solids such as a shell, a nut, a plum, a pear, a tadpole, a mushroom,","同样，对于贝壳、坚果、李子、梨、蝌蚪、蘑菇等固体"],[22,"a mountain peak, a kidney, a carrot, a tree-trunk, a bird, a bud, a lark, a ladybird, a bulrush, a bone.","山峰、肾脏、胡萝卜、树干、鸟、花蕾、云雀、瓢虫、香蒲、骨头"],[23,"From these he can go on to appreciate more complex forms or combinations of several forms.","从这些出发，他可以进而欣赏更复杂的形式或多种形式的组合"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"37－The Process of Ageing","t":"The Process of Ageing","c":[[0,"Lesson 37","第37课"],[1,"The process of ageing","衰老的过程"],[2,"What is one of the most unpleasant discoveries we make about ourselves as we get older?","随着年龄的增长，关于我们自己，我们会发现哪些最令人不快的真相（或事实）呢？"],[3,"At the age of twelve years, the human body is at its most vigorous.","在十二岁的时候，人体正处于最旺盛的发育阶段。"],[4,"It has yet to reach its full size and strength, and its owner his or her full intelligence: but at this age the likelihood of death is least.","它还没有达到自己的最大体型和最强壮的状态，其主人也尚未发挥出全部智力；不过在这个阶段，死亡的风险是最小的。"],[5,"Earlier, we were infants and young children, and consequently more vulnerable;","早些时候，我们还是婴儿和幼儿，因此更加脆弱。"],[6,"later, we shall undergo a progressive loss of our vigour and resistance which, though imperceptible at first","后来，我们的体力和抵抗力会逐渐减弱；虽然这种变化起初并不明显，但最终会变得显而易见。"],[7,"will finally become so steep that we can live no longer,","最终，情况会变得如此糟糕（或：形势会变得如此严峻），以至于我们再也无法生存下去了。"],[8,"however well we look after ourselves, and however well society, and our doctors, look after us.","无论我们自己多么注重保养身体，无论社会和医生为我们提供了多么优质的医疗服务，情况依然可能不尽如人意。"],[9,"This decline in vigour with the passing of time is called ageing.","这种随着时间推移而逐渐减弱的能力或活力，被称为“衰老”。"],[10,"It is one of the most unpleasant discoveries which we all make that we must decline in this way, that if we escape wars,","这是我们所有人都会遇到的最令人不快的发现之一：我们必须以这种方式拒绝某些事情（或选择放弃某些机会）。即使我们成功避开了战争，依然无法逃避这种无奈的现实。"],[11,"accidents and diseases we shall eventually 'die of old age', and that this happens at a rate which differs little from person to person,","无论是意外事故还是疾病，我们最终都会“因年老而死亡”，而且这种死亡的发生率在人与人之间几乎没有差异。"],[12,"so that there are heavy odds in favour of our dying between the ages of 65 and 80.","因此，我们在 65 到 80 岁之间死亡的概率非常高。"],[13,"Some of us will die sooner, a few will live longer -- on into a ninth or tenth decade.","我们中的一些人会早逝，而另一些人则会活得更长，甚至能活到九十多岁或一百岁。"],[14,"But the chances are against it,","但是，这种可能性非常小（或者说，成功的几率很低）。"],[15,"and there is a virtual limit on how long we can hope to remain alive, however lucky and robust we are.","无论我们多么幸运、身体多么强健，我们的生命都存在一个客观的、无法超越的极限。"],[16,"Normal people tend to forget this process unless and until they are reminded of it.","普通人往往会忘记这个过程，除非有人提醒他们。"],[17,"We are so familiar with the fact that man ages, that people have for years assumed that the process of losing vigour with time,","我们非常清楚人类会衰老这一事实；多年来，人们一直认为随着时间的推移，人体会逐渐失去活力（即身体机能会逐渐衰退）。"],[18,"of becoming more likely to die the older we get, was something self-evident","随着年龄的增长，死亡风险增加这一事实是显而易见的。"],[19,"like the cooling of a hot kettle or the wearing-out of a pair of shoes.","就像热水壶冷却下来，或者一双鞋子被穿破一样。"],[20,"They have also assumed that all animals,","他们还假设所有的动物……"],[21,"and probably other organisms such as trees, or even the universe itself, must in the nature of things 'wear out'.","很可能其他生物（比如树木），甚至整个宇宙本身，按照自然规律也都会“逐渐磨损”或衰败。"],[22,"Most animals we commonly observe do in fact age as we do,","我们日常生活中观察到的大多数动物确实会像我们一样衰老。"],[23,"if given the chance to live long enough;","如果有机会活得足够长的话……"],[24,"and mechanical systems like a wound watch, or the sun,","以及像有故障的手表或太阳这样的机械系统。"],[25,"do in fact run out of energy in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics (whether the whole universe does so is a moot point at present).","根据热力学第二定律，能量确实会逐渐耗尽（不过整个宇宙是否会最终耗尽能量，目前仍是一个有争议的问题）。"],[26,"But these are not analogous to what happens when man ages.","但这些情况与人类衰老过程中的变化并不相似。"],[27,"A run-down watch is still a watch and can be rewound.","一块虽然已经损坏（或功能失调）的手表仍然是一块手表，而且可以重新上发条（使其继续运行）。"],[28,"An old watch, by contrast, becomes so worn and unreliable that it eventually is not worth mending.","相比之下，一块旧手表会因为长时间的使用而变得非常破旧、不可靠，最终甚至不值得修理了。"],[29,"But a watch could never repair itself--it does not consist of living parts, only of metal, which wears away by friction.","但是，手表永远无法自我修复——它并没有任何“活的”部件，只由金属构成，而金属会因摩擦而逐渐磨损。"],[30,"We could, at one time, repair ourselves--well enough, at least, to overcome all but the most instantly fatal illnesses and accidents.","曾经，我们能够自我修复——至少能够修复到足以克服除那些瞬间致命的疾病和意外之外的所有伤害的程度。"],[31,"Between twelve and eighty years we gradually lose this power;","在十二岁到八十岁之间，我们逐渐失去了这种能力（或：在人生的这个阶段，我们逐渐丧失了某种特定的能力）。"],[32,"an illness which at 12 would knock us over, at 80 can knock us out, and into our grave.","一种疾病：在12岁时就可能让我们倒下（失去健康），而在80岁时则可能让我们彻底失去生命，直接送我们进坟墓。"],[33,"If we could stay as vigorous as we are at twelve,","如果我们能保持十二岁时那样的活力和精力……"],[34,"it would take about 700 years for half of us to die, and another 700 for the survivors to be reduced by half again.","大约需要700年的时间，我们中的一半人会死去；再过700年，剩下的幸存者数量又会减少一半。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"06－The Sporting Spirit","t":"The Sporting Spirit","c":[[0,"Lesson 6","第6课"],[1,"The sporting spirit","体育精神"],[2,"How does the writer describe sport at the international level?","作者是如何描述国际层面的体育运动的？"],[3,"I am always amazed when I hear people saying that sport creates goodwill between the nations, and that if only the common peoples of the world could meet one another at football or cricket, they would have no inclination to meet on the battlefield.","每当听到有人说体育能够促进国家之间的友好关系，并认为如果全世界的人们都能在足球或板球比赛中相聚，他们就不会有在战场上交锋的冲动时，我总是感到非常惊讶。"],[4,"Even if one didn't know from concrete examples (the 1936 Olympic Games, for instance) that international sporting contests lead to orgies of hatred, one could deduce it from general principles.","即使没有具体的例子（比如1936年的奥运会）来证明国际体育赛事会引发激烈的仇恨情绪，人们也可以根据一些基本原理推断出这一点。"],[5,"Nearly all the sports practised nowadays are competitive.","如今，几乎所有的体育运动都具有竞争性。"],[6,"You play to win, and the game has little meaning unless you do your utmost to win.","你参加比赛就是为了赢；只有当你竭尽全力去争取胜利时，比赛才真正有意义。"],[7,"On the village green, where you pick up sides and no feeling of local patriotism is involved, it is possible to play simply for the fun and exercise: but as soon as a the question of prestige arises, as soon as you feel that you and some larger unit will be disgraced if you lose, the most savage combative instincts are aroused.","在村里的草坪上，大家临时组队比赛，不涉及地方荣誉感，这时确实可以单纯为了娱乐和锻炼而比赛；但一旦牵涉到声望问题，一旦你觉得输了会使自己和某个更大的集体蒙羞，最原始的争斗本能就会被激发出来。"],[8,"Anyone who has played even in a school football match knows this.","任何参加过学校足球比赛的人都知道这一点。"],[9,"At the international level, sport is frankly mimic warfare.","在国际层面上，体育简直就是一场模拟战争。"],[10,"But the significant thing is not the behaviour of the players but the attitude of the spectators:","但重要的不是运动员的行为，而是观众的态度："],[11,"and, behind the spectators, of the nations who work themselves into furies over these absurd contests,","以及在观众背后，那些为这些荒谬的比赛而狂热的各个国家——"],[12,"and seriously believe -- at any rate for short periods -- that running, jumping and kicking a ball are tests of national virtue.","并且他们真的相信——至少在短时间内是这样——跑步、跳跃和踢球是检验一个国家美德的试金石。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"17－A Man-made Disease","t":"A Man-made Disease","c":[[0,"Lesson 17","第17课"],[1,"A man-made disease","一种人为制造的疾病"],[2,"What factor helped to spread the disease of myxomatosis?","是什么因素导致了黏液瘤病的传播？"],[3,"In the early days of the settlement of Australia, enterprising settlers unwisely introduced the European rabbit.","在澳大利亚殖民初期，一些富有进取心的移民不慎将欧洲野兔引入了该地区。"],[4,"This rabbit had no natural enemies in the Antipodes, so that it multiplied with that promiscuous abandon characteristic of rabbits.","这种兔子在澳大利亚没有天敌，因此它们以兔子特有的毫无节制的繁殖力大量滋生。"],[5,"It overran a whole continent.","它席卷了整个大陆。"],[6,"It caused devastation by burrowing and by devouring the herbage which might have maintained millions of sheep and cattle.","这种生物通过挖掘洞穴以及啃食本可以养活数百万只羊和牛的牧草，造成了严重的破坏。"],[7,"Scientists discovered that this particular variety of rabbit (and apparently no other animal) was susceptible to a fatal virus disease, myxomatosis.","科学家发现，这种特定的兔子品种（显然其他动物都没有这种特性）容易感染一种致命的病毒性疾病——黏液瘤病。"],[8,"By infecting animals and letting them loose in the burrows, local epidemics of this disease could be created.","通过感染动物并将其放回洞穴，就可以在当地制造这种疾病的流行。"],[9,"Later it was found that there was a type of mosquito which acted as the carrier of this disease and passed it on to the rabbits.","后来发现，有一种蚊子是这种疾病的传播媒介，它们将这些病毒传染给了兔子。"],[10,"So while the rest of the world was trying to get rid of mosquitoes, Australia was encouraging this one.","当世界上其他国家都在努力消灭蚊子时，澳大利亚却在鼓励蚊子的存在。"],[11,"It effectively spread the disease all over the continent and drastically reduced the rabit population.","它有效地将这种疾病传播到整个大陆，并使兔子数量急剧减少。"],[12,"It later became apparent that rabbits were developing a degree of resistance to this disease,","后来发现，兔子对这种疾病逐渐产生了抵抗力。"],[13,"so that the rabbit population was unlikely to be completely exterminated.","这样一来，兔子种群就不太可能被彻底消灭了。"],[14,"There were hopes, however, that the problem of the rabbit would become manageable.","然而，人们仍抱有希望，认为这个问题最终是可以得到控制的。"],[15,"Ironically, Europe, which had bequeathed the rabbit as a pest to Australia, acquired this man-made disease as a pestilence.","具有讽刺意味的是，欧洲将兔子这种害兽引入澳大利亚，结果自己却因此染上了这种由人类活动引发的疾病，并将其视为一种瘟疫。"],[16,"A French physician decided to get rid of the wild rabbits on his own estate and introduced myxomatosis.","一位法国医生决定清除自己庄园里的野兔，于是引入了黏液瘤病。"],[17,"It did not, however, remain within the confines of this estate.","然而，它并没有停留在这片地产的范围内。"],[18,"It spread through France, where wild rabbits are not generally regarded as a pest but as a sport and a useful food supply,","它蔓延到法国，在那里野兔通常不被视为害兽，而是作为一种狩猎对象和有用的食物来源。"],[19,"and it spread to Britain where wild rabbits are regarded as a pest but where domesticated rabbits,","它又传播到英国，在那里野兔被视为害兽，而家兔"],[20,"equally susceptible to the disease, are the basis of a profitable fur industry.","这些动物同样容易感染这种疾病，但它们却是利润丰厚的毛皮产业的基础。"],[21,"The question became one of whether Man could control the disease he had invented.","问题变成了：人类是否能够控制自己所发明的这种疾病。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"48－Planning a Share Portfolio","t":"Planning a Share Portfolio","c":[[0,"Lesson 48","第48课"],[1,"Planning a share portfolio","规划股票投资组合"],[2,"How does the older investor differ in his approach to investment from the younger investor?","年长的投资者在投资方式上与年轻的投资者有何不同？"],[3,"There is no shortage of tipsters around offering 'get-rich-quick' opportunities.","到处都有那些提供“快速致富”机会的所谓投资顾问。"],[4,"But if you are a serious private investor, leave the Las Vegas mentality to those with money to fritter.","但如果你是一位认真的私人投资者，那就把那种“拉斯维加斯式”的消费心态留给那些有钱挥霍的人吧。"],[5,"The serious investor needs a proper 'portfolio' --a well-planned selection of investments, with a definite structure and a clear aim.","一位精明的投资者需要一个合理的“投资组合”——即一系列经过精心策划的投资项目，这些投资项目应具有明确的结构和清晰的目标。"],[6,"But exactly how does a newcomer to the stock market go about achieving that?","但是，对于一个刚进入股票市场的新人来说，究竟应该如何实现这一目标呢？"],[7,"Well, if you go to five reputable stock brokers and ask them what you should do with your money,","那么，如果你去找五家信誉良好的股票经纪公司，询问他们你应该如何处理自己的资金，"],[8,"you're likely to get five different answers,","你很可能会得到五个不同的答案。"],[9,"--  even if you give all the relevant information about your age, family, finances and what you want from your investments.","——即使你提供了所有关于自己年龄、家庭状况、财务状况以及你对投资的具体期望的相关信息。"],[10,"Moral? There is no one 'right' way to structure a portfolio.","结论？其实，并没有一种“正确”的方式来构建投资组合。"],[11,"However, there are undoubtedly some wrong ways, and you can be sure that none of our five advisers","然而，无疑存在一些错误的做法；您可以放心，我们的五位顾问中没有任何一个人会采用这些错误的做法。"],[12,"would have suggested sinking all (or perhaps any) of your money into Periwigs.","会建议你把所有的钱（或者哪怕一部分钱）都投入到 Periwigs 公司。"],[13,"So what should you do?","那么你应该怎么做呢？"],[14,"We'll assume that you have sorted out the basics--like mortgages, pensions, insurance and access to sufficient cash reserves.","我们假设你已经处理好了所有基本问题，比如抵押贷款、养老金、保险以及确保自己拥有足够的现金储备。"],[15,"You should then establish your own individual aims.","然后，你应该确立自己个人的奋斗目标（或目标）。"],[16,"These are partly a matter of personal circumstances, partly a matter of psychology.","这部分是由于个人情况造成的，另一部分则是心理因素在起作用。"],[17,"For instance, if you are older you have less time to recover from any major losses, and you may well wish to boost your pension income.","例如，如果你年纪较大，那么你从重大损失中恢复过来的时间就会更少，因此你可能会希望增加自己的养老金收入。"],[18,"So preserving your capital and generating extra income are your main priorities.","因此，保护你的资本并赚取额外收入是你最主要的优先事项。"],[19,"In this case, you'd probably construct a portfolio with some shares (but not high risk ones), along with gilts, cash deposits,","在这种情况下，你可能会构建一个投资组合，其中包含一些股票（但不是高风险股票）、英国国债（gilts）以及现金存款。"],[20,"and perhaps convertibles or the income shares of split capital investment trusts.","也许还包括可转换债券（convertibles），或是分割资本投资信托的收益份额（income shares）。"],[21,"If you are younger, and in a solid financial position,","如果你比较年轻，且财务状况良好，"],[22,"you may decide to take an aggressive approach--but only if you're blessed with a sanguine disposition and won't suffer sleepless nights over share prices.","你可以选择采取一种激进的做法——但前提是你必须具备乐观的心态，且不会因为股价的波动而夜不能寐。"],[23,"If you recognize yourself in this description,","如果你在这段描述中看到了自己的影子……"],[24,"you might include a couple of heady growth stocks in your portfolio, alongside your more pedestrian investments.","你可以在自己的投资组合中，除了那些较为稳健的投资之外，也加入一些高增长性的股票。"],[25,"Once you have decided on your investment aims you can then decide where to put your money.","一旦你确定了自己的投资目标，就可以决定将资金投向何处了。"],[26,"The golden rule here is spread your risk--if you put all of your money into Periwigs International,","这里的黄金法则是分散风险：如果你把所有的钱都投到 Periwigs International 公司里，"],[27,"you're setting yourself up as a hostage to fortune.","你就是在听天由命了。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"15－Secrecy in Industry","t":"Secrecy in Industry","c":[[0,"Lesson 15","第15课"],[1,"Secrecy in industry","工业保密"],[2,"Why is secrecy particularly important in the chemical industries?","为什么在化学工业中，保密性尤为重要？"],[3,"Two factors weigh heavily against the effectiveness of scientific research in industry.","有两个因素严重阻碍了工业领域科学研究的有效性"],[4,"One is the general atmosphere of secrecy in which it is carried out,","一是进行研究的整体保密氛围"],[5,"the other the lack of freedom of the individual research worker.","另一方面，还存在着个体研究人员缺乏自由的问题。"],[6,"In so far as any inquiry is a secret one,","只要任何调查都是保密的（即不对外公开的），"],[7,"it naturally limits all those engaged in carrying it out from effective contact with their fellow scientists either in other countries or in universities,","这自然会限制所有参与研究的人员与国外或大学的同行科学家进行有效接触"],[8,"or even, often enough, in other departments of the same firm.","甚至常常连同一公司的其他部门也是如此"],[9,"The degree of secrecy naturally varies considerably.","保密的程度自然会有很大的差异。"],[10,"Some of the bigger firms are engaged in researches which are of such general and fundamental nature","一些大公司从事的研究具有普遍性和基础性"],[11,"that it is a positive advantage to them not to keep them secret.","对它们来说，不保密反而更有利"],[12,"Yet a great many processes depending on such research are sought for with complete secrecy until the stage at which patents can be taken out.","然而，许多依赖此类研究的工艺流程在可以申请专利前都完全保密"],[13,"Even more processes are never patented at all but kept as secret processes.","甚至更多的工艺流程根本不申请专利，而是作为秘密工艺保存"],[14,"This applies particularly to chemical industries,","这尤其适用于化学工业领域。"],[15,"where chance discoveries play a much larger part than they do in physical and mechanical industries.","在化学工业中，偶然发现的作用比在物理和机械工业中大得多"],[16,"Sometimes the secrecy goes to such an extent that the whole nature of the research cannot be mentioned.","有时保密到了连研究的性质都不能提及的程度"],[17,"Many firms, for instance have great difficulty in obtaining technical or scientific books from libraries","例如，许多公司在从图书馆获取技术类或科学类书籍时遇到了很大的困难。"],[18,"because they are unwilling to have their names entered as having taken out such and such a book,","因为不愿让借阅记录显示他们借了某本书"],[19,"for fear the agents of other firms should be able to trace the kind of research they are likely to be undertaking.","生怕其他公司的探子会由此追踪到他们可能在进行的研究"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"11－How to Grow Old","t":"How to Grow Old","c":[[0,"Lesson 11","第11课"],[1,"How to grow old","如何安享晚年"],[2,"What, according to the author, is the best way to overcome the fear of death as you get older?","根据作者的观点，随着年龄的增长，克服对死亡的恐惧的最佳方法是什么？"],[3,"Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death.","有些老年人被对死亡的恐惧所折磨（或：有些老年人深受对死亡的恐惧的困扰）。"],[4,"In the young there is a justification for this feeling.","在年轻人身上，这种情感是情有可原的。"],[5,"Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle","那些有理由担心自己会在战斗中丧生的年轻人们"],[6,"may justifiably feel bitter in the thought","有理由感到愤懑（或痛苦）"],[7,"that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer.","他们被剥夺了生活中最美好的东西。"],[8,"But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows,","但对于一个经历过人生种种喜怒哀乐的老人来说，"],[9,"and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do,","并且已经完成了他所能完成的所有工作。"],[10,"the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble.","对死亡的恐惧在某种程度上是卑劣且可耻的。"],[11,"The best way to overcome it--so at least it seems to me--","克服这个问题的最佳方法——至少在我看来是这样……"],[12,"is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal,","其目的在于逐渐拓宽自己的视野，使自己的兴趣变得更为广泛且不再那么个人化；"],[13,"until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede,","直到自我的界限一点点消融，"],[14,"and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life.","自己的生命逐渐融入到宇宙的生命之中。"],[15,"An individual human existence should be like a river--","一个人的存在应当像一条河流——"],[16,"small at first, narrowly contained within its banks,","起初很小，被两岸紧紧束缚；"],[17,"and rushing passionately past boulders and over waterfalls.","它激情澎湃地冲过巨石、飞跃过瀑布。"],[18,"Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly,","随着时间的推移，河流变得越来越宽广，两岸逐渐后退，水流也变得更加平缓；"],[19,"and in the end, without any visiblebreak, they become merged in the sea,","最终，它毫无阻碍地融入大海，"],[20,"and painlessly lose their individual being.","悄无声息地失去了自身的独立性。"],[21,"The man who, in old age can see his life in this way,","那些在晚年能够以这种方式看待自己人生的人，"],[22,"will not suffer from the fear of death,","就不会害怕死亡，"],[23,"since the things he cares for will continue.","因为他们所珍视的一切都会继续存在下去。"],[24,"And if, with the decay of vitality, weariness increases,","那么，随着生命力的衰退，疲劳感也会随之增加。"],[25,"the thought of rest will be not unwelcome.","一想到可以休息，就不会不受欢迎了。"],[26,"I should wish to die while still at work,","我真希望自己还能在工作的时候就死去。"],[27,"knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do,","知道其他人会继续做那些我再也无法完成的事情……"],[28,"and content in the thought that what was possible has been done.","并且心满意足地想着：一切力所能及的事情都已经做到了。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"13－The Search for Oil","t":"The Search for Oil","c":[[0,"Lesson 13","第13课"],[1,"The search for oil","寻找石油"],[2,"What do oilmen want to achieve as soon as they strike oil?","石油工人一旦发现石油，他们想要实现什么目标呢？"],[3,"The deepest holes of all are made for oil, and they go down to as much as 25, 000 feet.","所有这些最深的钻孔都是为开采石油而设计的，它们的深度可达25,000英尺。"],[4,"But we do not need to send man down to get the oil out, as we must with other mineral deposits.","但我们不需要派人下到地下去开采石油；这与开采其他矿产资源的情况不同。"],[5,"The holes are only borings, less than a foot in diameter.","这些洞只是普通的钻孔，直径不到一英尺。"],[6,"My particular experience is largely in oil, and the search for oil has done more to improve deep drilling than any other mining activity.","我的主要工作经验集中在石油行业，而在石油勘探领域，寻找石油的过程对深井钻探技术的进步起到了比其他任何采矿活动都更大的推动作用。"],[7,"When it has been decided where we are going to drill,","一旦我们确定了钻探的位置，"],[8,"we put up at the surface an oil derrick.","我们在地面上搭建一座石油钻塔。"],[9,"It has to be tall because it is like a giant block and tackle and we have to lower into the ground","它必须很高，因为它就像一个巨大的滑轮组，我们需要把长长的钻杆降入地下"],[10,"and haul out of the ground great lengths of drill pipe which are rotated by an engine at the top","然后从地下抽出长长的钻杆，这些钻杆由顶部的发动机驱动进行旋转。"],[11,"and are fitted with a cutting bit at the bottom.","底部装有钻头。"],[12,"The geologist needs to know what rocks the drill has reached,","地质学家需要知道钻头已经钻到了哪些类型的岩石上。"],[13,"so every so often a sample is obtained with a coring bit.","因此，每隔一段时间，就会使用取芯钻头获取一个样本。"],[14,"It cuts a clean cylinder of rock, from which can be seen the strata the drill has been cutting through.","它切割出了一块整齐的圆柱形岩石，通过这块岩石可以清楚地看到钻头所穿过的岩层结构。"],[15,"Once we get down to the oil, it usually flows to the surface because great pressure either from gas or water, is pushing it.","一旦钻到油层，石油通常会在巨大压力（来自天然气或水）的推动下自动流到地表。"],[16,"This pressure must be under control, and we control it by means of the mud which we circulate down the drill pipe.","这种压力必须得到控制，我们通过沿钻杆循环注入泥浆来控制它。"],[17,"We endeavour to avoid the old, romantic idea of a gusher, which wastes oil and gas.","我们尽量避免发生旧式浪漫的井喷，因为那会浪费石油和天然气。"],[18,"We want it to stay down the hole until we can lead it off in a controlled manner.","我们希望石油留在井下，直到我们能以可控的方式将其引导出来。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"29－The Hovercraft","t":"The Hovercraft","c":[[0,"Lesson 29","第29课"],[1,"The hovercraft","气垫船"],[2,"What is a hovercraft riding on when it is in motion?","气垫船在运动时是“骑”在什么上面的呢？"],[3,"Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century,","在我们这个世纪，许多新型的、奇特的交通工具被开发出来了。"],[4,"the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft.","其中最奇怪的，或许要数那艘气垫船了。"],[5,"In 1953, a former electronics engineer in his fifties, Christopher Cockerell,","1953年，一位五十多岁的前电子工程师克里斯托弗·科克雷尔（Christopher Cockerell）……"],[6,"who had turned to boat-building on the Norfolk Broads,","谁开始在诺福克河口地区从事造船业呢？"],[7,"suggested an idea on which he had been working for many years to the British Government and industrial circles.","他向英国政府和工业界提出了一项自己多年来一直在研究的想法。"],[8,"It was the idea of supporting a craft on a 'pad', or cushion, of low-pressure air, ringed with a curtain of higher pressure air.","这个想法的核心在于：利用一层低压空气作为“垫子”或“支撑层”来托住某个物体（比如飞行器），而该低压空气层则被一层高压空气所包围。"],[9,"Ever since, people have had difficulty in deciding whether the craft should be ranged among ships, planes,","从那以后，人们就一直难以确定这种交通工具应该被归类为船舶、飞机中的哪一类。"],[10,"or land vehicles--for it is something in between a boat and an aircraft.","或者陆地交通工具——因为它介于船和飞机之间。"],[11,"As a shipbuilder, Cockerell was trying to find a solution to the problem of the wave resistance which wastes a good deal of a surface ship's power and limits its speed.","作为一名造船工程师，科克雷尔一直在努力寻找解决船舶波浪阻力问题的方法。波浪阻力会浪费船舶大量动力，并限制其航行速度。"],[12,"His answer was to lift the vessel out of the water by making it ride on a cushion of air, no more than one or two feet thick.","他的解决方案是让船漂浮在一片空气“垫层”上，这片空气垫层的厚度不超过一两英尺。"],[13,"This is done by a great number of ring-shaped air jets on the bottom of the craft.","这是通过飞船底部大量环形喷气装置来实现的。"],[14,"It 'flies', therefore, but it cannot fly higher--its action depends on the surface, water or ground, over which it rides.","因此，它确实能够“飞行”，但它无法飞得更高；它的运动方式取决于它所依附的表面——无论是水面还是地面。"],[15,"The first tests on the Solent in 1959 caused a sensation.","1959年，对“Solent”进行的初步测试引起了轰动。"],[16,"The hovercraft travelled first over the water, then mounted the beach, climbed up the dunes, and sat down on a road.","气垫船先在水面上行驶，然后驶上了沙滩，接着爬上了沙丘，最后停在了道路上。"],[17,"Later it crossed the Channel, riding smoothly over the waves, which presented no problem.","后来，它穿过了英吉利海峡，平稳地掠过海浪——整个过程没有任何问题。"],[18,"Since that time, various types of hovercraft have appeared and taken up regular service.","从那时起，各种类型的气垫船相继问世，并开始被广泛使用（即投入日常运营）。"],[19,"The hovercraft is particularly useful in large areas with poor communications such as Africa or Australia;","气垫船在通信条件较差的广大地区（如非洲或澳大利亚）特别有用。"],[20,"it can become a 'flying fruit-bowl', carrying bananas from the plantations to the ports;","它可以变成一个“会飞的果盘”，负责将香蕉从种植园运送到港口。"],[21,"giant hovercraft liners could span the Atlantic;","巨大的气垫船客轮或许能够横渡大西洋。"],[22,"and the railway of the future may well be the 'hovertrain',","未来的铁路很可能会是“悬浮列车”。"],[23,"riding on its air cushion over a single rail, which it never touches, at speeds, up to 300 m.p.h.--the possibilities appear unlimited.","这种装置依靠空气垫在单根轨道上行驶，且从未与轨道接触；其行驶速度可达到每小时300英里。由此看来，它的应用可能性似乎是无限的。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"23－Bird Flight","t":"Bird Flight","c":[[0,"Lesson 23","第23课"],[1,"Bird flight","鸟类的飞行"],[2,"What are the two main types of bird flight described by the author?","作者描述了哪两种主要的鸟类飞行方式？"],[3,"No two sorts of birds practise quite the same sort of flight;","没有两种鸟类的飞行方式是完全相同的。"],[4,"the varieties are infinite; but two classes may be roughly seen.","虽然种类繁多、无穷无尽，但大致上可以分为两类。"],[5,"Any ship that crosses the Pacific","任何横渡太平洋的船只"],[6,"is accompanied for many days by the smaller albatross,","在许多天里，它都伴随着体型较小的信天翁。"],[7,"which may keep company with the vessel for an hour","信天翁可能会与船只结伴一个小时，"],[8,"without visible or more than occasional movement of wing.","翅膀没有明显的运动，或者仅有偶尔的轻微摆动。"],[9,"The currents of air that the walls of the ship direct upwards,","那些被船体墙壁引导向上的气流……"],[10,"as well as in the line of its course,","以及沿着船只航行的方向，"],[11,"are enough to give the great bird with its immense wings","足以让这只拥有巨大翅膀的巨鸟"],[12,"sufficient sustenance and progress.","获得足够的动力和前进的力量。"],[13,"The albatross is the king of the gliders,","信天翁是滑翔鸟类中的“王者”。"],[14,"the class of fliers which harness the air to their purpose,","这类飞鸟能驾驭空气来实现飞行目的，"],[15,"but must yield to its opposition.","但也不得不屈服于逆风的阻力。"],[16,"In the contrary school, the duck is supreme.","而在另一类飞行方式中，鸭子是佼佼者。"],[17,"It comes nearer to the engines with which man has 'conquered' the air, as he boasts.","它越来越接近那些人类用来“征服”天空的飞行器了——正如人类所自豪地宣称的那样。"],[18,"Duck, and like them the pigeons, are endowed with steel-like muscles,","鸭子，和鸽子一样，拥有像钢铁一样强健的肌肉。"],[19,"that are a good part of the weight of the bird,","这些部分占据了鸟类体重的很大比例。"],[20,"and these will ply the short wings with such irresistible power","能以不可抗拒的力量驱动短小的翅膀，"],[21,"that they can bore for long distances through an opposing gale","顶着逆风长距离飞行，"],[22,"before exhaustion follows.","直到精疲力竭。"],[23,"Their humbler followers, such as partridges,","它们那些能力稍逊的同类，比如鹧鸪，"],[24,"have a like power of strong propulsion, but soon tire.","它们拥有强大的推进力，但很快就会疲劳。"],[25,"You may pick them up in utter exhaustion,","即使它们在极度疲惫的状态下被我们捡起，"],[26,"if wind over the sea has driven them to a long journey.","如果海上的风迫使它们进行了长途飞行。"],[27,"The swallow shares the virtues of both schools in highest measure.","燕子则将这两种飞行方式的优点发挥到了极致。"],[28,"It tires not, nor does it boast of its power; but belongs to the air","它不会感到疲劳，也不会夸耀自己的力量；"],[29,"travelling it may be six thousand miles to and from its northern nesting home,","往返于六千英里外的北方巢穴之间，"],[30,"feeding its flown young as it flies, and slipping through a medium","一边飞行一边喂养已经会飞的雏鸟，"],[31,"that seems to help its passage even when the wind is adverse.","穿行于似乎能助其前行的空气中，即使风向不利。"],[32,"Such birds do us good,","这样的鸟类对我们大有裨益，"],[33,"though we no longer take omens from their flight on this side and that;","尽管我们不再从它们忽东忽西的飞行中解读预兆了；"],[34,"and even the most superstitious villagers no longer take off their hats to the magpie and wish it good-morning.","就连最迷信的村民，也不会再向喜鹊脱帽道早安了。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"41－Training Elephants","t":"Training Elephants","c":[[0,"Lesson 41","第41课"],[1,"Training elephants","训练大象"],[2,"At what point does the training of a captive wild elephant begin?","圈养野生大象的训练是从什么时候开始的呢？"],[3,"Two main techniques have been used for training elephants, which we may call respectively the tough and the gentle.","训练大象主要采用了两种方法，我们可以分别将它们称为“强硬型”方法与“温和型”方法。"],[4,"The former method simply consists of setting an elephant to work and beating him until he does what is expected of him.","前一种方法很简单：就是让大象开始工作，然后不断地鞭打它，直到它按照要求去做为止。"],[5,"Apart from any moral considerations this is a stupid method of training,","抛开任何道德方面的考虑不谈，这种训练方法实在愚蠢至极。"],[6,"for it produces a resentful animal who at a later stage may well turn man-killer.","因为这会造就一只心怀怨恨的动物，而这种动物在未来很可能会变成杀人凶手。"],[7,"The gentle method requires more patience in the early stages,","这种温和的方法在初期需要更多的耐心。"],[8,"but produce a cheerful good-tempered elephant who will give many years of loyal service.","不过，最终会诞生出一头性格开朗、脾气温和的大象，它将为我们提供多年忠诚的服务。"],[9,"The first essential in elephant training is to assign to the animal a single mahout who will be entirely responsible for the job.","在大象训练中，首要的一点就是为每头大象指定一名专门的驯象师，这名驯象师将完全负责大象的训练工作。"],[10,"Elephants like to have one master just as dogs do, and are capable of a considerable degree of personal affection.","大象和狗一样，也需要一个主人，并且能够表现出相当程度的个人情感。"],[11,"There are even stories of half-trained elephant calves who have refused to feed and pined to death","甚至还有这样的故事：那些只接受过部分训练的小象会拒绝进食，最终因思念而憔悴而死。"],[12,"when by some unavoidable circumstance they have been deprived of their own trainer.","当由于某些不可避免的情况，它们失去了自己的驯象师时……"],[13,"Such extreme cases must probably be taken with a grain of salt,","对于这类极端案例，我们或许应该持保留态度。"],[14,"but they do underline the general principle that the relationship between elephant and mahout is the key to successful training.","但他们确实强调了这样一个基本原则：大象与驯象师之间的关系是成功训练大象的关键。"],[15,"The most economical age to capture an elephant for training is between 15 and 20 years,","捕捉大象进行训练最经济的年龄是在15到20岁之间，"],[16,"for it is then almost ready to undertake heavy work and can begin to earn its keep straight away.","因为那时它已经差不多准备好承担繁重的工作了，可以立即开始挣回自己的饲养成本。"],[17,"But animals of this age do not easily become subservient to man, and a very firm hand must be employed in the early stages.","但是这个年龄段的动物并不容易屈服于人类，在初期阶段，必须采取非常强硬的手段。"],[18,"The captive elephant, still roped to a tree,","那头被囚禁的大象仍然被绳子拴在树上……"],[19,"plunges and screams every time a man approaches, and for several days will probably refuse all food through anger and fear.","每当有男人靠近时，它就会惊慌失措、尖叫不已；出于愤怒和恐惧，它可能会连续几天拒绝进食。"],[20,"Sometimes a tame elephant is tethered nearby to give the wild one confidence,","有时候，人们会把一头驯服的大象拴在附近，以此来让野生的大象感到安心（或有安全感）。"],[21,"and in most cases the captive gradually quietens down and begins to accept its food.","在大多数情况下，被捕获的大象会逐渐安静下来，并开始接受食物。"],[22,"The next stage is to get the elephant to the training establishment,","下一个步骤是将大象送到训练机构去。"],[23,"a ticklish business which is achieved with the aid of two tame elephants roped to the captive on either side.","这是一项棘手的工作，需要借助两头驯服的大象来完成，它们被绳子拴在被捕获大象的两侧。"],[24,"When several elephants are being trained at one time,","当同时有多头大象正在接受训练时，"],[25,"it is customary for the new arrival to be placed between the stalls of two captives whose training is already well advanced.","按照惯例，新来的大象会被安排在两头训练已有相当进展的被捕获大象的围栏之间。"],[26,"It is then left completely undisturbed with plenty of food and water","之后，它就被完全不受打扰地留下，周围有充足的食物和水。"],[27,"so that it can absorb the atmosphere of its new home and see that nothing particularly alarming is happening to its companions.","这样它就能适应新家的氛围，并看到它的同伴们没有遇到任何特别令人惊慌的事情。"],[28,"When it is eating normally, its own training begins.","当它开始正常进食时，它自己的训练就开始了。"],[29,"The trainer stands in front of the elephant holding a long stick with a sharp metal point.","驯象师站在大象面前，手中拿着一根带有锋利金属尖端的长棍。"],[30,"Two assistants, mounted on tame elephants, control the captive from either side,","两名助手骑在驯服的大象背上，从两侧控制着被捕获的大象，"],[31,"while others rub their hands over his skin to the accompaniment of a monotonous and soothing chant.","而其他人则一边重复着单调而舒缓的吟唱，一边用手抚摸它的皮肤。"],[32,"This is supposed to induce pleasurable sensations in the elephant,","这应该是为了给大象带来愉悦的感觉。"],[33,"and its effects are reinforced by the use of endearing epithets,","其效果通过使用那些亲切、可爱的称呼（或称谓）得到了进一步的强化。"],[34,"such as 'ho! my son', or 'ho! my father', or 'my mother', according to the age and sex of the captive.","例如“嗬！我的儿子”或“嗬！我的父亲”，或者“我的母亲”——这些称呼会根据被捕获大象的年龄和性别来决定。"],[35,"The elephant is not immediately susceptible to such blandishments, however, and usually lashes fiercely with its trunk in all directions.","然而，大象并不会立刻被这些花言巧语所打动；它通常会用鼻子猛烈地朝四面八方挥打。"],[36,"These movements are controlled by the trainer with the metal-pointed stick,","这些动作由驯象师用带金属尖的棍子来控制，"],[37,"and the trunk eventually becomes so sore that the elephant curls it up and seldom afterwards uses it for offensive purposes.","最终，大象的鼻子会变得非常疼痛；因此大象会将其蜷缩起来，之后也很少再使用它的鼻子来进行攻击性动作。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"25－Non-Auditory Effects of Noise","t":"Non-Auditory Effects of Noise","c":[[0,"Lesson 25","第25课"],[1,"Non-auditory effects of noise","噪声的非听觉影响"],[2,"What conclusion does the author draw about noise and health in this piece?","作者在这篇文章中关于“噪音与健康”得出了什么结论？"],[3,"Many people in industry and the Services,","那些对噪音有实际经验的人"],[4,"who have practical experience of noise,","那些具有处理噪声问题实际经验的人"],[5,"regard any investigation of this question as a waste of time;","认为对这个问题进行任何调查都是浪费时间；"],[6,"they are not prepared even to admit the possibility that noise affects people.","他们甚至不愿意承认“噪音会影响人们”这一可能性。"],[7,"On the other hand,","另一方面，"],[8,"those who dislike noise will sometimes use most inadequate evidence","那些不喜欢噪音的人，有时会使用非常不充分的证据"],[9,"to support their pleas for a quieter society.","以支持他们关于营造一个更加宁静社会的诉求。"],[10,"This is a pity, because noise abatement really is a good cause,","这真是太遗憾了，因为减少噪音确实是一个非常有益的事业（或：减少噪音是一件很有意义的事情）。"],[11,"and it is likely to be discredited if it gets to be associated with bad science.","如果这种理论或方法与糟糕的科学实践（即不严谨、不科学的研究方法）联系在一起，它很可能会被人们质疑或否定（即失去可信度）。"],[12,"One allegation often made is that noise produces mental illness.","一个常见的指控是：噪音会导致精神疾病。"],[13,"A recent article in a weekly newspaper, for instance,","例如，最近一家周刊上发表了一篇文章……"],[14,"was headed with a striking illustration of a lady in a state of considerable distress,","文章的标题配有一幅引人注目的插图，描绘了一位极度痛苦的女士"],[15,"with the caption 'She was yet another victim, reduced to a screaming wreck'.","配文写道：“她只是又一个受害者，被折磨成了一个只会尖叫的废人”。"],[16,"On turning eagerly to the text, one learns that the lady was a typist","当人们急切地阅读这段文字时，会发现那位女士原来是一名打字员。"],[17,"who found the sound of office typewriters worried her more and more","她发现办公室打字机的声音让她越来越焦虑"],[18,"until eventually she had to go into a mental hospital.","直到最后，她不得不被送进精神病院。"],[19,"Now the snag in this sort of anecdote is of course that one cannot distinguish cause and effect.","当然，这类轶事的一个问题在于人们无法区分其中的因果关系（即哪些事件是原因，哪些是结果）。"],[20,"Was the noise a cause of the illness,","这种噪音是导致疾病的原因吗？"],[21,"or were the complaints about noise merely a symptom?","还是说，那些关于噪音的投诉只是一种症状？"],[22,"Another patient might equally well complain","另一个患者也很可能会提出同样的抱怨。"],[23,"that her neighbours were combining to slander her and persecute her,","说她的邻居们联合起来诽谤她、迫害她"],[24,"and yet one might be cautious about believing this statement.","然而，人们或许会对这一说法持谨慎态度（即不太相信它）。"],[25,"What is needed in the case of noise is a study of large numbers of people living under noisy conditions,","在噪声环境下，我们需要对大量生活在嘈杂环境中的人进行研究。"],[26,"to discover whether they are mentally ill more often than other people are.","为了查明他们是否比普通人更容易患上精神疾病。"],[27,"Some time ago the United States Navy, for instance,","例如，不久前美国海军就……"],[28,"examined a very large number of men working on aircraft carriers:","对大量在航空母舰上工作的男性进行了检查。"],[29,"the study was known as Project Anehin.","这项研究被称为“Project Anehin”。"],[30,"It can be unpleasant to live even several miles from an aerodrome;","即使住在离机场几英里远的地方，也可能很不愉快；"],[31,"if you think what it must be like to share the deck of a ship with several squadrons of jet aircraft,","如果你想象一下：与几支喷气式飞机中队共享同一艘船的甲板，那会是什么样子……"],[32,"you will realize that a modern navy is a good place to study noise.","你会发现，现代海军是一个研究噪声问题的理想场所。"],[33,"But neither psychiatric interviews nor objective tests","但无论是精神病学访谈还是客观测试"],[34,"were able to show any effects upon these American sailors.","都未能显示对这些美国水手有任何影响。"],[35,"This result merely confirms earlier American and British studies:","这一结果仅仅证实了此前美国和英国的研究结果而已。"],[36,"if there is any effect of noise upon mental health,","如果噪音对心理健康有任何影响的话……"],[37,"it must be so small that present methods of psychiatric diagnosis cannot find it.","它一定非常微小，以至于现有的精神疾病诊断方法无法检测到它。"],[38,"That does not prove that it does not exist; but it does mean","这并不能证明该事物根本不存在；不过这确实意味着……"],[39,"that noise is less dangerous than, say being brought up in an orphanage","它一定比，比如说在孤儿院长大，要安全得多"],[40,"--which really is a mental health hazard.","——那才真正是精神健康的危害。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"07－Bats","t":"Bats","c":[[0,"Lesson 7","第7课"],[1,"Bats","蝙蝠"],[2,"In what way does echo-location in bats play an utilitarian role?","并非所有动物发出的声音都起语言作用；我们只需看看蝙蝠回声定位这一非凡的发现，就能看到一个声音纯粹起实用作用的例子。"],[3,"Not all sounds made by animals serve as language, and we have only to turn to that extraordinary discovery of echo-location in bats to see a case in which the voice plays a strictly utilitarian role.","并非所有动物发出的声音都属于“语言”范畴；我们只需看看蝙蝠的回声定位能力这一非凡的生理现象，就能明白：在某些情况下，声音仅仅起着实用性的作用（即用于获取信息或导航）。"],[4,"To get a full appreciation of what this means we must turn first to some recent human inventions.","要充分理解这意味着什么，我们首先必须看看一些最近的人类发明。"],[5,"Everyone knows that if he shouts in the vicinity of a wall or a mountainside, an echo will come back.","大家都知道，如果在墙壁或山坡附近大声喊叫，就会听到回声。"],[6,"The further off this solid obstruction, the longer time will elapse for the return of the echo.","距离这个固体障碍物越远，回声返回所需的时间就越长。"],[7,"A sound made by tapping on the hull of a ship will be reflected from the sea bottom, and by measuring the time interval between the taps and the receipt of the echoes the depth of the sea at that point can be calculated.","当敲击船体时，声音会从海底反射回来；通过测量敲击声与接收到回声之间的时间间隔，就可以计算出该位置的海水深度。"],[8,"So was born the echo-sounding apparatus, now in general use in ships.","就这样，回声探测装置诞生了，如今已广泛应用于各类船舶。"],[9,"Every solid object will reflect a sound, varying according to the size and nature of the object.","每个固体物体都会反射声音，反射效果会因物体的大小和材质而有所不同。"],[10,"A shoal of fish will do this.","鱼群也会反射声音。"],[11,"So it is a comparatively simple step from locating the sea bottom to locating a shoal of fish.","因此，从确定海底的位置到找到鱼群的位置，这个过程相对来说是相当简单的。"],[12,"With experience, and with improved apparatus, it is now possible not only to locate a shoal but to tell if it is herring, cod, or other well-known fish, by the pattern of its echo.","凭借丰富的经验以及更先进的设备，现在不仅能够定位鱼群的位置，还能通过鱼群产生的回声信号来判断它们是鲱鱼、鳕鱼，还是其他常见的鱼类。"],[13,"It has been found that certain bats emit squeaks and by receiving the echoes,","人们发现，某些蝙蝠会发出尖叫声，并通过接收回声"],[14,"they can locate and steer clear of obstacles -- or locate flying insects on which they feed.","它们能够识别并避开障碍物，同时也能找到可供它们捕食的飞虫。"],[15,"This echo-location in bats is often compared with radar, the principle of which is similar.","蝙蝠的回声定位系统常被比作雷达，因为它们的工作原理是相似的。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"04－Seeing Hands","t":"Seeing Hands","c":[[0,"Lesson 4","第4课"],[1,"Seeing hands","“看见手”（Seeing Hands）"],[2,"How did Vera disover she had this gift of second sight?","最近俄罗斯报道了几起案例：有些人能用手指识别和感知颜色，甚至能看穿坚固的门和墙壁。"],[3,"Several cases have been reported in Russia recently of people who can read and detect colours with their fingers, and even see through solid doors and walls.","最近在俄罗斯报告了几起这样的案例：有些人能够用手指识别颜色、感知物体的颜色；甚至能够“看穿”坚固的门和墙壁。"],[4,"One case concerns an 11-year-old schoolgirl Vera Petrova,","其中一个案例涉及一名11岁的女学生维拉·彼得罗娃。"],[5,"who has normal vision but who can also perceive things with different parts of her skin, and through solid walls.","这个人拥有正常的视力，但也能通过皮肤的不同部位，甚至穿过坚固的墙壁来感知事物。"],[6,"This ability was first noticed by her father.","这种能力最初是由她的父亲注意到的。"],[7,"One day she came into his office and happened to put her hands on the door of a locked safe.","有一天，她走进他的办公室，不小心碰到了一个上锁的保险箱的门。"],[8,"Suddenly she asked her father why he kept so many old newspapers locked away there,","突然，她问她的父亲：为什么要把这么多旧报纸锁在那个地方呢？"],[9,"and even described the way they were done up in bundles.","甚至还描述了它们是如何被打包成束的。"],[10,"Vera's curious talent was brought to the notice of a scientific research institute in the town of Ulyanovsk, near where she lives,","维拉这种奇特的天赋引起了她居住地附近的乌里扬诺夫斯克市一家科研机构的注意。"],[11,"and in April she was given a series of tests by a special commission of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federal Republic.","四月份，她接受了一系列由俄罗斯联邦卫生部特别委员会组织的检查。"],[12,"During these tests she was able to read a newspaper through an opaque screen and, stranger still,","在这些测试中，她能透过不透明屏幕阅读报纸；更奇怪的是，"],[13,"by moving her elbow over a child's game of Lotto she was able to describe the figures and colours printed on it;","她将肘部移过儿童乐透游戏卡时，竟能描述出卡片上印的图案和颜色；"],[14,"and, in another instance, wearing stockings and slippers,","还有另一个例子：她穿着长袜和拖鞋。"],[15,"to make out with her foot the outlines and colours of a picture hidden under a carpet.","用脚辨认出藏在地毯下画的轮廓和颜色。"],[16,"Other experiments showed that her knees and shoulders had a similar sensitivity.","其他实验表明，她的膝盖和肩膀也有类似的敏感度。"],[17,"During all these tests Vera was blindfold; and indeed, except when blindfold she lacked the ability to perceive things with her skin.","所有测试中维拉都被蒙着眼；事实上，只有蒙着眼时她才能用皮肤感知事物。"],[18,"It was also found that although she could perceive things with her fingers this ability ceased the moment her hands were wet.","还发现，尽管她可以用手指感知物体，但一旦她的手变湿，这种能力就会立刻消失。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"01－Finding Fossil Man","t":"Finding Fossil Man","c":[[0,"Lesson 1","第1课"],[1,"Finding fossil man","寻找“化石人类”"],[2,"Why are legends handed down by storytellers useful?","为什么说书人流传下来的传说很有用？"],[3,"We can read of things that happened 5, 000 years ago in the Near East,","我们可以了解到发生在5000年前近东地区的事情。"],[4,"where people first learned to write.","人们最初学习书写的地方。"],[5,"But there are some parts of the world where even now people cannot write.","但是，在世界上的一些地方，直到现在人们仍然无法写字。"],[6,"The only way that they can preserve their history is to recount it as sagas legends handed down from one generation of storytellers to another.","他们保存历史的唯一方法，就是把这些故事当作英雄传说，由说书人一代代地传下去。"],[7,"These legends are useful because they can tell us something about migrations of people who lived long ago,","这些传说很有价值，因为它们能为我们提供关于很久以前人们迁徙情况的线索。"],[8,"but none could write down what they did.","但没有人能记录下他们做过的事情。"],[9,"Anthropologists wondered where the remote ancestors of the Polynesian peoples now living in the Pacific Islandscame from.","人类学家一直想知道，如今居住在太平洋岛屿上的波利尼西亚人的远古祖先究竟来自何处。"],[10,"The sagas of these people explain that some of them came from Indonesia about 2, 000 years ago.","这些人的英雄传说解释说，其中一些人大约在2000年前从印度尼西亚过来。"],[11,"But the first people who were like ourselves lived so long ago that even their sagas, if they had any, are forgotten.","但是，那些与我们相似的最早的人类生活在太久以前了，以至于他们的传说（如果有的话）早已被人们遗忘了。"],[12,"So archaeologists have neither history nor legends to help them to find out where the first 'modern men' came from.","因此，考古学家既没有历史记录，也没有传说可以帮助他们查明最早的“现代人类”来自何处。"],[13,"Fortunately, however, ancient men made tools of stone, especially flint,","然而，幸运的是，古代人类使用了石头（尤其是燧石）来制作工具。"],[14,"because this is easier to shape than other kinds.","因为它比其他种类的石头更容易成形。"],[15,"They may also have used wood and skins, but these have rotted away.","他们可能还使用过木材和兽皮，但这些材料都已经腐烂掉了。"],[16,"Stone does not decay, and so the tools of long ago have remained when even the bones of the men who made them have disappeared without trace.","石头不会腐烂，所以即使制造工具的人的骨头早已消失得无影无踪，远古的工具却保存了下来。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"27－The vasa","t":"The \"vasa\"","c":[[0,"Lesson 27","第27课"],[1,"The 'Vasa'","“瓦萨号”"],[2,"What happened to the 'Vasa' almost immediately after she was launched?","“瓦萨号”在下水后几乎立刻就发生了什么？"],[3,"From the seventeenth-century empire of Sweden,","从十七世纪的瑞典帝国，"],[4,"the story of a galleon that sank at the start of her maiden voyage in 1628 must be one of the strangest tales of the sea.","这艘加莱昂帆船的故事堪称海洋史上最离奇的传说之一：它在1628年首次航行时便沉没了。"],[5,"For nearly three and a half centuries she lay at the bottom of Stockholm harbour until her discovery in 1956.","在将近三个半世纪的时间里，这艘船一直沉躺在斯德哥尔摩港的底部，直到1956年才被人发现。"],[6,"This was the Vasa, royal flagship of the great imperial fleet.","这艘船是“瓦萨号”（Vasa），属于那个伟大帝国舰队的皇家旗舰。"],[7,"King Gustavus Adolphus 'The Northern Hurricane',","古斯塔夫·阿道夫国王，被称为“北方飓风”……"],[8,"then at the height of his military success in the 'Thirty Years' War,","就在他在“三十年战争”中取得军事胜利的巅峰时期，"],[9,"had dictated her measurements and armament.","亲自规定了她的尺寸和武器装备。"],[10,"Triple gun-decks mounted sixty-four bronze cannon.","三层甲板上共安装了六十四门青铜大炮。"],[11,"She was intended to play a leading role in the growing might of Sweden.","她本应在瑞典日益增长的国力中扮演重要角色。"],[12,"As she was prepared for her maiden voyage on August 10, 1628, Stockholm was in a ferment.","1628年8月10日，当这艘船准备首航时，斯德哥尔摩一片沸腾。"],[13,"From the Skeppsbron and surrounding islands","从斯凯普斯布隆（Skeppsbron）和周围的岛屿上，"],[14,"the people watched this thing of beauty begin to spread her sails and catch the wind.","人们看着这艘美丽的船开始扬起帆，迎风启航。"],[15,"They had laboured for three years to produce this floating work of art;","他们花了三年时间才完成这件浮动的艺术品。"],[16,"she was more richly carved and ornamented than any previous ship.","它的雕刻和装饰比以往任何一艘船都要精美、复杂得多。"],[17,"The high stern castle was a riot of carved gods, demons, knights, kings, warriors,","高耸的船尾城堡上雕刻着神祇、恶魔、骑士、国王、武士，"],[18,"mermaids, cherubs; and zoomorphic animal shapes ablaze with red and gold and blue,","美人鱼、小天使，以及那些被红色、金色和蓝色装饰得绚丽多彩的动物形状……"],[19,"symbols of courage, power, and cruelty,","象征着勇气、力量与残酷的符号……"],[20,"were portrayed to stir the imaginations of the superstitious sailors of the day.","这些雕刻旨在激发当时迷信水手的想象力。"],[21,"Then the cannons of the anchored warships thundered a salute to which the Vasa fired in reply.","随后，停泊在港口的战舰们鸣响了礼炮，以示敬意；作为回应，瓦萨号（Vasa）也开炮回敬了。"],[22,"As she emerged from her drifting cloud of gun smoke with the water churned to foam beneath her bow,","当她从那弥漫着枪炮烟雾的云层中走出来时，船头下方的水面已经泛起了层层泡沫……"],[23,"her flags flying, pennants waving, sails filling in the breeze,","她的旗帜高高飘扬，小旗子随风摆动，船帆在微风中轻轻鼓动……"],[24,"and the red and gold or her superstructure ablaze with colour,","上层建筑的红色和金色熠熠生辉，"],[25,"she presented a more majestic spectacle than Stockholmers had ever seen before.","她展现了一场比斯德哥尔摩市民前所未见的壮丽景象。"],[26,"All gun-ports were open and the muzzles peeped wickedly from them.","所有炮窗都敞开着，炮口从中邪恶地探出。"],[27,"As the wind freshened there came a sudden squall and the ship made a strange movement, listing to port.","随着风势的增强，突然刮起了一阵狂风，船只也出现了异常的摇晃——它向左舷倾斜了过去。"],[28,"The Ordnance officer ordered all the port cannon to be heaved to starboard","军械官命令将所有左舷炮移到右舷"],[29,"to counteract the list but the steepening angle of the decks increased.","以抵消倾斜，但甲板的倾斜角度却越来越大。"],[30,"Then the sound of rumbling thunder reached the watchers on the shore,","接着，轰隆的雷声传到了岸边观望的人们耳边。"],[31,"as cargo, ballast, ammunition and 400 people went sliding and crashing down to the port side of the steeply listing ship.","货物、压舱物、弹药和400人滑落并撞向严重倾斜的船的左舷。"],[32,"The lower gun-ports were now below water and the inrush sealed the ship's fate.","船上的下层炮口此时已经浸没在水中，海水涌入船内，注定了这艘船的毁灭。"],[33,"In that first glorious hour, the mighty Vasa, which was intended to rule the Baltic,","在光荣的第一个小时里，这艘本应称霸波罗的海的巨舰“瓦萨号”"],[34,"sank with all flags flying--in the harbour of her birth.","它带着所有的旗帜，在自己出生的港口沉没了。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"02－Spare That Spider","t":"Spare That Spider","c":[[0,"Lesson 2","第2课"],[1,"How much of each year do spiders spend killing insects?","蜘蛛每年有多少时间用于捕杀昆虫？"],[2,"Why, you may wonder, should spiders be our friends?","你可能会想：为什么蜘蛛应该成为我们的朋友呢？"],[3,"Because they destroy so many insects, and insects include some of the greatest enemies of the human race.","因为它们会消灭大量的昆虫，而昆虫中有一些是人类最大的天敌。"],[4,"Insects would make it impossible for us to live in the world;","如果没有昆虫，我们将无法在这个世界上生存；"],[5,"they would devour all our crops and kill our flocks and herds,","它们会吃光我们所有的庄稼，杀死我们的牲畜（包括羊群和牛群）。"],[6,"if it were not for the protection we get from insect eating animals.","如果不是因为那些以昆虫为食的动物所提供的保护，情况就会大不相同了。"],[7,"We owe a lot to the birds and beasts who eat insects","我们非常感谢那些以昆虫为食的鸟类和动物。"],[8,"but all of them put together kill only a fraction of the number destroyed by spiders.","但即便把它们全部加在一起，它们消灭的昆虫数量也只相当于蜘蛛消灭数量的很小一部分。"],[9,"Moreover, unlike some of the other insect eaters, spiders never do the least harm to us or our belongings.","此外，与其他一些以昆虫为食的动物不同，蜘蛛从未对我们或我们的财物造成过任何伤害。"],[10,"Spiders are not insects, as many people think, nor even nearly related to them.","蜘蛛并不是昆虫，尽管许多人认为它们属于昆虫；实际上，它们与昆虫之间几乎没有亲缘关系。"],[11,"One can tell the difference almost at a glance, for a spider always has eight legs and an insect never more than six.","几乎一眼就能看出区别：蜘蛛总是有八条腿，而昆虫的腿数量从来不会超过六条。"],[12,"How many spiders are engaged in this work on our behalf?","有多少只蜘蛛在为我们完成这项工作呢？"],[13,"One authority on spiders made a census of the spiders in a grass field in the south of England,","一位研究蜘蛛的专家对英格兰南部一片草地上的蜘蛛进行了统计调查。"],[14,"and he estimated that there were more than 2, 250, 000 in one acre;","他估计每英亩的面积上大约有超过225万只蜘蛛；"],[15,"that is something like 6, 000, 000 spiders of different kinds on a football pitch.","那相当于在足球场上放了大约600万只各种各样的蜘蛛。"],[16,"Spiders are busy for at least half the year in killing insects.","蜘蛛至少有一半年的时间都在捕杀昆虫。"],[17,"It is impossible to make more than the wildest guess at how many they kill, but they are hungry creatures, not content with only three meals a day.","我们根本无法准确猜测它们到底消灭了多少昆虫；它们是饥饿的生物，一天三顿饭显然远远无法满足它们的需求。"],[18,"It has been estimated that the weight of all the insects destroyed by spiders in Britain in one year would be greater than the total weight of all the human beings in the country.","据估计，英国的蜘蛛在一年内消灭的所有昆虫的重量，将超过该国所有人类的总重量。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"03－Matterhorn Man","t":"Matterhorn Man","c":[[0,"Lesson 3","第3课"],[1,"Matterhorn man","马特洪峰人"],[2,"What was the main objective of early mountain climbers?","早期登山者的主要目标是什么？"],[3,"Modern alpinists try to climb mountains by a route which will give them good sport,","现代登山者试图通过能给他们带来良好运动体验的路线来登山，"],[4,"and the more difficult it is, the more highly it is regarded.","难度越大，其价值或地位也就越高。"],[5,"In the pioneering days however, this was not the case at all.","然而，在早期的开拓岁月里，情况完全不是这样的。"],[6,"The early climbers were looking for the easiest way to the top because the summit was the prize they sought,","早期的登山者们都在寻找通往山顶的最简单路径，因为山顶就是他们追求的目标。"],[7,"especially if it had never been attained before.","尤其是当这个目标以前从未被实现过的时候。"],[8,"It is true that during their explorations they often faced difficulties and dangers of the most perilous nature,","的确，在他们的探索过程中，他们经常面临极其危险和充满挑战的处境。"],[9,"equipped in a manner which would make a modern climber shudder at the thought,","他们的装备会让现代登山者一想起来就不寒而栗。"],[10,"but they did not go out of their way to court such excitement.","但他们并不是刻意去寻求这种刺激。"],[11,"They had a single aim, a solitary goal -- the top!","他们只有一个目标，一个唯一的目的——那就是登上巅峰！"],[12,"It is hard for us to realize nowadays how difficult it was for the pioneers.","如今，我们很难想象那些开拓者当时所面临的困难有多大。"],[13,"Except for one or two places such as Zermatt and Chamonix, which had rapidly become popular.","除了像泽马特和夏蒙尼这样迅速变得出名的一两个地方，"],[14,"Alpine villages tended to be impoverished settlements cut off from civilization by the high mountains.","阿尔卑斯山区的村庄往往都是贫困的聚居地，被高大的山脉与外界隔离开来。"],[15,"Such inns as there were were generally dirty and flea-ridden;","那些当时的客栈通常都很脏，而且到处都是跳蚤。"],[16,"the food simply local cheese accompanied by bread often twelve months old,","这些食物只是普通的本地奶酪，配着面包；而那些面包往往已经存放了十二个月之久。"],[17,"all washed down with coarse wine.","所有这些都用粗劣的葡萄酒送下肚。"],[18,"Often a valley boasted no inn at all, and climbers found shelter wherever they could --","经常是一个山谷连一家客栈都没有，登山者们只能找到什么地方就在什么地方栖身——"],[19,"sometimes with the local priest (who was usually as poor as his parishioners),","有时候会和当地的牧师一起（这位牧师通常和他的教区居民一样贫穷）。"],[20,"sometimes with shepherds or cheese-makers.","有时候和牧羊人或奶酪制作者在一起。"],[21,"Invariably the background was the same:dirt and poverty, and very uncomfortable.","背景总是一样的：肮脏、贫穷，而且非常不舒服。"],[22,"For men accustomed to eating seven-course dinners and sleeping between fine linen sheets at home,","对于那些习惯了在家享用七道菜的晚餐、并睡在柔软的亚麻床单上的男人来说，"],[23,"the change to the Alps must have been very hard indeed.","转变到阿尔卑斯山区的生活对他们来说一定确实非常艰难。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"40－Waves","t":"Waves","c":[[0,"Lesson 40","第40课"],[1,"Waves","波浪"],[2,"What false impression does an ocean wave convey to the observer?","海浪会给观察者留下什么样的错误印象呢？"],[3,"Waves are the children of the struggle between ocean and atmosphere, the ongoing signatures of infinity.","海浪是海洋与大气相互作用的产物，是永恒不息的印记。"],[4,"Rays from the sun excite and energize the atmosphere of the earth, awakening it to flow, to movement, to rhythm, to life.","太阳的光线激发并赋予地球大气层能量，使其开始流动、运动、产生节奏，并充满生机。"],[5,"The wind then speaks the message of the sun to the sea","然后，风将太阳的信息传递给了大海。"],[6,"and the sea transmits it on through waves--an ancient, exquisite powerful message.","海水通过海浪将这一信息传递出去——一条古老而精美的、充满力量的信息。"],[7,"These ocean waves are among the earth's most complicated natural phenomena.","这些海浪是地球上最复杂的自然现象之一。"],[8,"The basic features include a crest (the highest point of the wave),","基本特征包括波峰（即波浪的最高点）。"],[9,"a trough (the lowest point), a height (the vertical distance from the trough to the crest),","波谷（即最低点），波高（即从波谷到波峰的垂直距离），"],[10,"a wave length (the horizontal distance between two wave crests),","波长（即两个波峰之间的水平距离）"],[11,"and a period (which is the time it takes awave crest to travel one wave length).","以及周期（即波峰传播一个波长所需的时间）。"],[12,"Although an ocean wave gives the impression of a wall of water moving in your direction,","虽然海浪看起来像是一堵朝你方向涌来的水墙，"],[13,"in actuality waves move through the water leaving the water about where it was.","实际上，波浪在水中传播时，水本身基本停留在原处。"],[14,"If the water was moving with the wave,","如果水是随着波浪一起运动的……"],[15,"the ocean and everything on it would be racing in to the shore with obviously catastrophic results.","海洋以及其中的一切都会被冲向海岸，这显然会造成灾难性的后果。"],[16,"An ocean wave passing through deep water causes a particle on the surface to move in a roughly circular orbit,","当海浪穿过深水区域时，水面上的一个颗粒会沿着近似圆形的轨道运动。"],[17,"drawing the particle first towards the advancing wave, then up into the wave,","首先将粒子吸引向前进的波浪，然后使其向上融入到波浪中。"],[18,"then forward with it and then--as the wave leaves the particles behind--back to its starting point again.","然后随波浪前进，最后——当波浪离开粒子后——粒子又回到起点。"],[19,"From both maturity to death, a wave is subject to the same laws as any other 'living' thing.","从成熟到消亡，海浪也遵循着与其他'生命体'相同的规律。"],[20,"For a time it assumes a miraculous individuality that, in the end, is reabsorbed into the great ocean of life.","在一段时间内，它展现出一种仿佛奇迹般的独特性；然而最终，这种独特性还是被重新融入了浩瀚的生命之海中。"],[21,"The undulating waves of the open sea are generated by three natural causes:","开阔海域中那些起伏的波浪是由三种自然原因形成的："],[22,"wind, earth movements or tremors, and the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun.","风、地壳运动或震动，以及月球和太阳的引力。"],[23,"Once waves have been generated,","一旦海浪被生成（或：波浪开始形成），"],[24,"gravity is the force that drives them in a continual attempt to restore the ocean surface to a flat plain.","重力是驱动波浪的力量，它不断试图使海面恢复平坦。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"26－The Past Life of the Earth","t":"The Past Life of the Earth","c":[[0,"Lesson 26","第26课"],[1,"The past life of the earth","地球的往昔生命"],[2,"What is the main condition for the preservation of the remains of any living creature?","保存任何生物遗骸的主要条件是什么？"],[3,"It is animals and plants which lived in or near water whose remains are most likely to be preserved,","最有可能被保存下来的，是那些生活在水中或水边的动植物的遗骸。"],[4,"for one of the necessary conditions of preservation is quick burial,","其中一个必要的保存条件就是迅速掩埋。"],[5,"and it is only in the seas and rivers, and sometimes lakes,","而只有在海洋、河流中，有时也在湖泊里，"],[6,"where mud and silt have been continuously deposited,","在那些泥沙不断沉积的地方……"],[7,"that bodies and the like can be rapidly covered over and preserved.","尸体等物才能被迅速覆盖并保存下来。"],[8,"But even in the most favourable circumstances","但即使在最有利的情况下"],[9,"only a small fraction of the creatures that die are preserved in this way","只有极少数死亡的生物能够以这种方式被保存下来。"],[10,"before decay sets in or, even more likely, before scavengers eat them.","在腐烂开始之前，或者更可能的是，在食腐动物吃掉它们之前。"],[11,"After all, all living creatures live by feeding on something else,","毕竟，所有生物都是通过摄取其他物质来维持生存的。"],[12,"whether it be plant or animal, dead or alive,","无论是植物还是动物，无论是死的还是活的……"],[13,"and it is only by chance that such a fate is avoided.","只有碰巧才能避免这样的命运。"],[14,"The remains of plants and animals that lived on land are much more rarely preserved,","生活在陆地上的植物和动物的遗骸被保存下来的情况要少得多。"],[15,"for there is seldom anything to cover them over.","因为很少有东西能将它们覆盖起来。"],[16,"When you think of the innumerable birds that one sees flying about,","当你想到那些在空中飞舞的无数鸟类时……"],[17,"not to mention the equally numerous small animals like field mice and voles which you do not see,","更不用说那些同样数量众多但你看不到的小动物，比如田鼠和鼩鼱。"],[18,"it is very rarely that one comes across a dead body, except, of course, on the roads.","人们很少能碰到动物的尸体，当然，路上除外。"],[19,"They decompose and are quickly destroyed by the weather or eaten by some other creature.","它们会腐烂，很快被风化或被其他动物吃掉。"],[20,"It is almost always due to some very special circumstances that traces of land animals survive,","几乎总是由于一些非常特殊的情况，陆地动物的痕迹才能得以保存下来。"],[21,"as by falling into inaccessible caves, or into an ice crevasse,","比如掉进无法进入的洞穴里，或者掉进冰裂隙里。"],[22,"like the Siberian mammoths,","就像西伯利亚猛犸象一样……"],[23,"when the whole animal is sometimes preserved, as in a refrigerator.","有时整个动物会像在冰箱里一样被保存下来。"],[24,"This is what happened to the famous Beresovka mammoth which was found preserved and in good condition.","这就是著名的贝列索夫卡猛犸象的遭遇：它被发现时保存完好，状态极佳。"],[25,"In his mouth were the remains of fir trees--the last meal that he had before he fell into the crevasse and broke his back.","它嘴里还残留着冷杉树枝——那是它掉进冰缝摔断背前的最后一餐。"],[26,"The mammoth has now been restored in the Palaeontological Museum in St.Petersburg.","这头猛犸象现已被修复并陈列在圣彼得堡的古生物博物馆中。"],[27,"Other animals were trapped in tar pits, like the elephants, sabre-toothed cats,","还有些动物陷进了沥青坑，比如大象、剑齿虎"],[28,"and numerous other creatures that are found at Rancho la Brea, which is now just a suburb of Los Angeles.","以及在兰乔拉布雷亚发现的众多其他生物，那里如今只是洛杉矶的一个郊区。"],[29,"Apparently what happened was that water collected on these tar pits","显然，发生的情况是水在这些沥青坑中积聚了。"],[30,"and the bigger animals like the elephants ventured out on to the apparently firm surface to drink,","那些体型较大的动物，比如大象，便冒险走到了那片看起来非常坚固的地面上去喝水。"],[31,"and were promptly bogged in the tar.","结果立刻陷进了沥青里。"],[32,"And then, when they were dead, the carnivores,","然后，当它们死去之后，那些肉食动物……"],[33,"like the sabretoothed cats and the giant wolves,","就像剑齿虎和巨型狼一样……"],[34,"came out to feed and suffered exactly the same fate.","它们出来觅食，结果遭遇了完全相同的命运。"],[35,"There are also endless numbers of birds in the tar as well.","沥青里还有数不清的鸟类的遗骸。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"39－What Every Writer Wants","t":"What Every Writer Wants","c":[[0,"Lesson 39","第39课"],[1,"What every writer wants","每位作家都想要的东西"],[2,"How do professional writers ignore what they were taught at school about writing?","专业作家是如何忽视他们在学校里学到的写作知识的呢？"],[3,"I have known very few writers,","我认识的作家其实很少。"],[4,"but those I have known and whom I respect, confess at once that they have little idea where they are going when they first set pen to paper.","但我认识且尊敬的人们都会坦承：当他们第一次拿起笔开始写作时，其实对自己要写什么、想要表达什么几乎一无所知（或者说，他们根本不知道自己该往哪个方向去写）。"],[5,"They have a character, perhaps two;","他们有一个角色，也许还有两个角色。"],[6,"they are in that condition of eager discomfort which passes for inspiration all admit radical changes of destination once the journey has begun;","他们处于一种急切不安的状态，这种状态被当作灵感；所有人都承认，一旦旅程开始，目的地就会发生根本性的变化。"],[7,"one, to my certain knowledge, spent nine months on a novel about Kashmir,","据我所知，有一个人花了九个月的时间来创作一部关于克什米尔的小说。"],[8,"then reset the whole thing in the Scottish Highlands.","然后把整个故事的背景改到了苏格兰高地。"],[9,"I never heard of anyone making a 'skeleton', as we were taught at school.","我从未听说过有人会像我们在学校学的那样先列提纲。"],[10,"In the breaking and remaking, in the timing interweaving, beginning afresh,","在不断的拆解和重组、在时间的交错穿插、在重新开始的过程中，"],[11,"the writer comes to discern things in his material which were not consciously in his mind when he began.","作者在处理材料时，会发现一些自己开始写作时并未刻意考虑过的细节或元素。"],[12,"This organic process, often leading to moments of extraordinary self-discovery, is of an indescribable fascination.","这个自然发生的过程常常会带来令人惊叹的自我发现时刻，其魅力实在难以用语言形容。"],[13,"A blurred image appears; he adds a brushstroke and another and it is gone","一个模糊的形象出现了；他添上一笔，又添上一笔，它就消失了"],[14,"but something was there, and he will not rest till he has captured it.","但那里确实有什么东西；他不会罢休，直到抓住它为止。"],[15,"Sometimes the yeast within a writer outlives a book he has written.","有时候，一个作家内心深处的“创造力”（或“灵感之源”）会比他写出的任何作品都更加持久、更加充满生命力。"],[16,"I have heard of writers who read nothing but their own books;","我听说过有些作家，他们只读自己写的书。"],[17,"like adolescents they stand before the mirror,","就像青少年一样，他们站在镜子前……"],[18,"and still cannot fathom the exact outline of the vision before them.","却仍然无法看清眼前这个构想的确切轮廓。"],[19,"For the same reason, writers talk interminably about their own books,","出于同样的原因，作家们总是滔滔不绝地谈论自己的作品。"],[20,"winkling out hidden meanings, super-imposing new ones,","揭示隐藏的含义，同时叠加新的意义……"],[21,"begging response from those around them.","恳求周围的人做出回应。"],[22,"Of course a writer doing this is misunderstood: he might as well try to explain a crime or a love affair.","当然，这样的作家总是会被误解；他们其实就像是在试图解释一件犯罪行为或一段爱情故事一样——这两者都是极其复杂、难以用语言完全表达的事情。"],[23,"He is also, incidentally, an unforgivable bore.","顺便说一下，他也是一个极其无趣、让人难以忍受的人。"],[24,"This temptation to cover the distance between himself and the reader,","这种想要缩短自己与读者之间距离的冲动（或：这种想要拉近两者关系的欲望）……"],[25,"to study his image in the sight of those who do not know him, can be his undoing: he has begun to write to please.","这种想要缩短自己与读者之间距离的诱惑，这种想在陌生人眼中审视自己形象的渴望，可能毁了他：他已经开始为取悦而写作了。"],[26,"A young English writer made the pertinent observation a year or two back","一两年前，一位年轻的英国作家提出了一个中肯的见解"],[27,"that the talent goes into the first draft, and the art into the drafts that follow.","也就是说，才华体现在最初的草稿中，而艺术性则体现在后续的修改稿中。"],[28,"For this reason also the writer, like any other artist,","正因如此，这位作家和其他艺术家一样，"],[29,"has no resting place, no crowd or movement in which he may take comfort,","没有安身之所，没有可以让他获得慰藉的群体或运动"],[30,"no judgment from outside which can replace the judgment from within.","没有任何外界的评判能取代内心的评判。"],[31,"A writer makes order out of the anarchy of his heart;","作家从自己内心中的混乱与无序中创造出秩序。"],[32,"he submits himself to a more ruthless discipline than any critic dreamed of,","他自我约束的严格程度，超出了任何批评者所能想象的。"],[33,"and when he flirts with fame, he is taking time off from living with himself,","当他追逐名利时，他其实是在暂时中断与自我相处的时光"],[34,"from the search for what his world contains at its inmost point.","中断对探索自己世界最核心内容的追求。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"38－Water and the Traveller","t":"Water and the Traveller","c":[[0,"Lesson 38","第38课"],[1,"Water and the traveller","水与旅行者"],[2,"What does this text describe?","这段文字描述了什么？"],[3,"Contamination of water supplies is usually due to poor sanitation close to water sources,","水源的污染通常是由于水源附近卫生条件差所导致的。"],[4,"sewage disposal into the sources themselves, leakage of sewage into distribution systems or contamination with industrial or farm waste.","污水被直接排放到水源中；污水泄漏到供水系统中；或者水源被工业或农业废弃物污染。"],[5,"Even if a piped water supply is safe at its source, it is not always safe by the time it reaches the tap.","即使管道输送的自来水在源头是安全的，但在到达水龙头时也不一定还是安全的。"],[6,"Intermittent tap-water supplies should be regarded as particularly suspect.","间歇性的自来水供应应被视为特别可疑。"],[7,"Travellers on short trips to areas with water supplies of uncertain quality","前往水质不稳定的地区的短途旅行者"],[8,"should avoid drinking tap-water, or untreated water from any other source.","应避免饮用自来水或来自其他任何来源的未经处理的水。"],[9,"It is best to keep to hot drinks, bottled or canned drinks of well-known brand names-international standard of water treatment are usually followed at bottling plants.","最好选择热饮，或者选择知名品牌生产的瓶装或罐装饮料。这些饮料的生产工厂通常采用国际标准的水处理工艺。"],[10,"Carbonated drinks are acidic, and slightly safer.","碳酸饮料是酸性的，因此稍微安全一些。"],[11,"Make sure that all bottles are opened in your presence, and that their rims are clean and dry.","请确保所有瓶子都在你的监督下被打开，并且瓶口的边缘保持干净、干燥的状态。"],[12,"Boiling is always a good way of treating water.","煮沸始终是处理水的一种有效方法。"],[13,"Some hotels supply boiled water on request and this can be used for drinking, or for brushing teeth.","有些酒店会根据客人的要求提供煮沸的水，这种水可以用来饮用或刷牙。"],[14,"Portable boiling elements that can boil small quantities of water are useful when the right voltage of electricity is available.","在有合适电压的情况下，能烧开少量水的便携式煮水器很有用。"],[15,"Refuse politely any cold drink from an unknown source.","应礼貌地拒绝任何来源不明的冷饮。"],[16,"Ice is only as safe as the water from which it is made,","冰的安全性取决于制作它的水。"],[17,"and should not be put in drinks unless it is known to be safe.","除非确定它是安全的，否则不应该将其添加到饮料中。"],[18,"Drinks can be cooled by placing them on ice rather than adding ice to them.","饮料可以通过将其放在冰块上来冷却，而不是在饮料中加入冰块。"],[19,"Alcohol may be a medical disinfectant, but should not be relied upon to sterilize water.","酒精虽然可以用作医疗消毒剂，但不应依赖它来对水进行杀菌处理。"],[20,"Ethanol is more effective at a concentration of 50-70 percent;","乙醇在浓度为50%至70%时效果更佳。"],[21,"below 20 per cent, its bactericidal action is negligible.","当其浓度低于20%时，其杀菌效果几乎可以忽略不计。"],[22,"Spirits labelled 95 proof contain only about 47 per cent alcohol.","标有95 proof的烈酒只含约47%的酒精。"],[23,"Beware of methylated alcohol,","要警惕甲醇酒精，"],[24,"which is very poisonous and should never be added to drinking water.","这种物质具有很强的毒性，绝对不能被添加到饮用水中。"],[25,"If no other safe water supply can be obtained,","如果无法获得其他安全的水源，"],[26,"tap water that is too hot to touch can be left to cool and is generally safe to drink.","烫得无法触摸的自来水可以放凉后饮用，通常是安全的。"],[27,"Those planning a trip to remote areas, or intending to live in countries where drinking water is not readily available,","那些计划前往偏远地区旅行，或者打算生活在饮用水不易获得的国家的人，"],[28,"should know about the various possible methods for making water safe.","应该了解各种使水变得安全的方法。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"28－Patients and Doctors","t":"Patients and Doctors","c":[[0,"Lesson 28","第28课"],[1,"Patients and doctors","患者与医生"],[2,"What are patients looking for when they visit the doctor?","患者去看医生时，他们在寻找什么？"],[3,"This is a sceptical age,","这是一个充满怀疑的时代。"],[4,"but although our faith in many of the things in which our forefathers fervently believed has weakened,","尽管我们对祖先们坚信的许多事物的信心已经减弱，"],[5,"our confidence in the curative properties of the bottle of medicine remains the same as theirs.","尽管我们对祖先们坚信的许多事物的信心已经减弱，"],[6,"This modern faith in medicines is proved by the fact","但我们对药物疗效的信任却依然与他们一样坚定。"],[7,"that the annual drug bill of the Health Services is mounting to astronomical figures.","这种对药物的现代信仰，从卫生服务部门的年度药品开支不断攀升至天文数字这一事实中得到了证明，"],[8,"and shows no signs at present of ceasing to rise.","而且目前这种趋势还没有停止的迹象。"],[9,"The majority of the patients attending the medical out-patients departments of our hospitals feel that","大多数前往医院门诊部就诊的患者认为，"],[10,"they have not received adequate treatment unless they are able to carry home with them","除非他们能带回家"],[11,"some tangible remedy in the shape of a bottle of medicine,","一瓶药、一盒药片或一小罐药膏这样的实在疗法，"],[12,"a box of pills, or a small jar of ointment,","一盒药片，或者一小罐药膏。"],[13,"and the doctor in charge of the department is only too ready to provide them with these requirements.","负责该科室的医生也非常乐意满足他们的这些要求。"],[14,"There is no quicker method of disposing of patients than by giving them what they are asking for,","没有比给患者他们所要的东西更快打发他们的方法了。"],[15,"and since most medical men in the Health Services are overworked","而且由于卫生系统中的大多数医生都工作过度"],[16,"and have little time for offering time-consuming and little-appreciated advice on such subjects as diet,","因此，他们几乎没有时间去提供那些耗时且不太受重视的建议——比如关于饮食方面的建议。"],[17,"right living, and the need for abandoning bad habits etc.,","正确的生活方式，以及摒弃不良习惯的必要性等等。"],[18,"the bottle, the box, and the jar are almost always granted them.","药瓶、药盒和药罐几乎总是会满足他们的要求。"],[19,"Nor is it only the ignorant and ill-educated person who has such faith in the bottle of medicine.","并不是只有那些无知或受教育程度低的人才会对药瓶（或药物）抱有如此大的信任（或依赖）。"],[20,"It is recounted of Thomas Carlyle that when he heard of the illness of his friend, Henry Taylor,","据记载，当托马斯·卡莱尔得知他的朋友亨利·泰勒生病了之后……"],[21,"he went off immediately to visit him,","他立刻动身去拜访他了。"],[22,"carrying with him in his pocket what remained a bottle of medicine formerly prescribed for an indisposition of Mrs. Carlyle's.","口袋里还装着一瓶剩下的药，这瓶药原本是给卡莱尔夫人开的，用于治疗她的小毛病。"],[23,"Carlyle was entirely ignorant of what the bottle in his pocket contained,","卡莱尔完全不知道自己口袋里的瓶子里装着什么。"],[24,"of the nature of the illness from which his friend was suffering,","关于他的朋友所患疾病的性质……"],[25,"and of what had previously been wrong with his wife,","以及他妻子之前得了什么病。"],[26,"but a medicine that had worked so well in one form of illness would surely be of equal benefit in another,","但是，一种在某种疾病治疗中效果非常好的药物，肯定也会对另一种疾病产生同样的治疗效果。"],[27,"and comforted by the thought of the help he was bringing to his friend,","并且因为想到自己能为朋友提供帮助而感到欣慰（或：感到安慰）。"],[28,"he hastened to Henry Taylor's house.","他急忙赶往亨利·泰勒的家中。"],[29,"History does not relate whether his friend accepted his medical help, but in all probability he did.","历史没有记载他的朋友是否接受了他的医疗帮助，但很可能接受了。"],[30,"The great advantage of taking medicine is that it makes no demands on the taker","吃药的最大好处是它对服药者没有任何要求，"],[31,"beyond that of putting up for a moment with a disgusting taste,","除了暂时忍受一下难吃的味道之外。"],[32,"and that is what all patients demand of their doctors--to be cured at no inconvenience to themselves.","而这正是所有患者对医生所要求的：能够得到治疗，同时自己不必承受任何不便或麻烦。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"30－Exploring the Sea-Floor","t":"Exploring the Sea-Floor","c":[[0,"Lesson 30","第30课"],[1,"Exploring the sea-floor","探索海底世界"],[2,"How did people probably imagine the sea-floor before it was investigated?","在人们开始对海底进行探索之前，他们可能是如何想象海底的样子的呢？"],[3,"Our knowledge of the oceans a hundred years ago was confined to the two-dimensional shape of the sea surface","一百年前，我们对海洋的了解仅限于海面的二维形态。"],[4,"and the hazards of navigation presented by the irregularities in depth of the shallow water close to the land.","以及由于靠近陆地的浅水区水深不均匀所带来的航行危险。"],[5,"The open sea was deep and mysterious,","广阔的海洋深邃而神秘。"],[6,"and anyone who gave more than a passing thought to the bottom confines of the oceans probably assumed that the sea-bed was flat.","任何稍微思考过海洋底部情况的人，很可能都认为海床是平坦的。"],[7,"Sir James Clark Ross had obtained a sounding of over 2, 400 fathoms in 1839,","詹姆斯·克拉克·罗斯爵士在1839年测得水深超过了2,400英寻（约4,267米）。"],[8,"but it was not until 1869, when H.M.S. Porcupine was put at the disposal of the Royal Society for several cruises","但直到 1869 年，“H.M.S. Porcupine”号才被交由皇家学会使用，用于多次科学考察航行。"],[9,"that a series of deep soundings was obtained in the Atlantic and the first samples were collected by dredging the bottom.","在大西洋进行了一系列深海探测，并通过挖掘海底的方式采集到了首批样本。"],[10,"Shortly after this the famous H.M.S. Challenger expedition established the study of the sea-floor","不久之后，著名的H.M.S.挑战者号探险队开始了对海底的研究工作。"],[11,"as a subject worthy of the most qualified physicists and geologists.","一个值得最顶尖物理学家和地质学家研究的课题。"],[12,"A burst of activity associated with the laying of submarine cables","与铺设海底电缆相关的一系列活动迅速展开。"],[13,"soon confirmed the Challenger's observation that many parts of the ocean were two to three miles deep,","很快证实了挑战者的观察结果：海洋的许多区域深度在两到三英里之间。"],[14,"and the existence of underwater features of considerable magnitude.","以及水下存在一些规模相当大的地质结构（或地貌特征）。"],[15,"Today, enough soundings are available to enable a relief map of the Atlantic to be drawn","如今，我们已经收集到了足够多的数据，可以绘制出大西洋的海底地形图（即“海底 relief map”）。"],[16,"and we know something of the great variety of the sea bed's topography.","我们对海底地形的多样性也有所了解。"],[17,"Since the sea covers the greater part of the earth's surface,","由于海洋覆盖了地球表面的大部分区域，"],[18,"it is quite reasonable to regard the sea floor as the basic form of the crust of the earth,","将海底视为地球地壳的基本构成部分，这是完全合理的。"],[19,"with superimposed upon it the continents,","大陆叠加其上，"],[20,"together with the islands and other features of the oceans.","连同海洋中的岛屿以及其他地形特征一起。"],[21,"The continents form rugged tablelands which stand nearly three miles above the floor of the open ocean.","这些大陆形成了崎岖的高原地带，其海拔高度几乎达到了开放海域底部的三英里（约4.8公里）。"],[22,"From the shore line, out to a distance which may be anywhere from a few miles to a few hundred miles,","从海岸线开始，延伸到距离海岸几英里到几百英里的范围内……"],[23,"runs the gentle slope of the continental shelf, geologically part of the continents.","沿着大陆架的平缓坡度延伸；从地质学角度来看，大陆架属于大陆的一部分。"],[24,"The real dividing line between continents and oceans occurs at the foot of a steeper slope.","实际上，大陆与海洋之间的分界线位于一个更陡峭的斜坡的底部。"],[25,"This continental slope usually starts at a place somewhere near the 100-fathom mark","这个大陆坡通常始于水深约100英寻（约183米）的位置。"],[26,"and in the course of a few hundred miles reaches the true ocean floor at 2, 500-3, 500 fathoms.","在延伸数百英里后，它最终抵达真正的海底，那里的水深为2,500至3,500英寻（约4,572至6,400米）。"],[27,"The slope averages about 1 in 30, but contains steep,","坡度的平均比例约为1:30（即每水平延伸30单位，垂直下降1单位），但其中也包含陡峭的、"],[28,"probably vertical, cliffs, and gentle sediment-covered terraces,","可能是垂直的悬崖，以及被松软沉积物覆盖的缓坡地形。"],[29,"and near its lower reaches there is a long tailing-off which is almost certainly the result of","在其下端附近，有一段逐渐变缓的延伸带，这几乎可以肯定是"],[30,"material transported out to deep water after being eroded from the continental masses.","这些物质是从大陆上被侵蚀后，被输送到深水区的。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"18－Porpoises","t":"Porpoises","c":[[0,"Lesson 18","第18课"],[1,"Porpoises","鼠海豚"],[2,"What would you say is the main characteristic of porpoises?","你认为海豚的主要特征是什么？"],[3,"There has long been a superstition among mariners that porpoises will save drowning men by pushing them to the surface,","长期以来，水手们一直有一种迷信：海豚会通过将溺水者推向水面来拯救他们。"],[4,"or protect them from sharks by surrounding them in defensive formation.","或者通过形成防御阵型来保护它们免受鲨鱼的攻击。"],[5,"Marine Studio biologists have pointed out that, however intelligent they may be,","海洋工作室的生物学家指出，无论它们多么聪明，"],[6,"it is probably a mistake to credit dolphins with any motive of life-saving.","将海豚的行为归因于“拯救生命”的动机，很可能是一种错误的看法。"],[7,"On the occasions when they have pushed to shore an unconscious human being they have much more likely done it out of curiosity or for sport,","在它们将失去意识的人推向岸边的那些情况下，它们这么做很可能是出于好奇心或为了玩耍，"],[8,"as in riding the bow waves of a ship.","就像它们喜欢乘着船头浪一样。"],[9,"In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress.","1928年，有人拍到了一些海豚正在像海狸一样辛勤地工作，将一个被水浸透的床垫推上岸。"],[10,"If, as has been reported, they have protected humans from sharks,","如果真如报道所说，它们确实保护过人类免受鲨鱼攻击，"],[11,"it may have been because curiosity attracted them and because the scent of a possible meal attracted the sharks.","可能是因为好奇心驱使他们前来，也可能是食物的气味吸引了那些鲨鱼。"],[12,"Porpoises and sharks are natural enemies.","海豚和鲨鱼是天生的敌人。"],[13,"It is possible that upon such an occasion a battle ensued, with the sharks being driven away or killed.","在这种情况下，很可能会发生一场战斗：鲨鱼们要么被驱赶走，要么被杀死。"],[14,"Whether it be bird, fish or beast, the porpoise is intrigued with anything that is alive.","无论是鸟、鱼还是兽，鼠海豚对所有活物都着迷。"],[15,"They are constantly after the turtles, who peacefully submit to all sorts of indignities.","它们总是追逐海龟，而海龟则温顺地忍受着各种戏弄。"],[16,"One young calf especially enjoyed raising a turtle to the surface with his snout,","有一只小海豚特别喜欢用鼻子把海龟顶到水面，"],[17,"and then shoving him across the tank like an aquaplane.","然后像推动水上滑板一样把他推过那个水箱。"],[18,"Almost any day a young porpoises may be seen trying to turn a 300-pound sea turtle over by sticking his snout under the edge of his shell and pushing up for dear life.","几乎每天都能看到小海豚试图把一只300磅重的海龟翻个底朝天：它们把鼻子伸到海龟壳边缘，拼尽全力往上顶。"],[19,"This is not easy, and may require two porpoises working together.","这并不容易，可能需要两只海豚共同协作才能完成。"],[20,"In another game, as the turtle swims across the oceanarium, the first porpoise swoops down from above and butts his shell with his belly.","在另一个游戏中，当海龟游过海洋馆时，第一只海豚从上方俯冲下来，用腹部撞击龟壳。"],[21,"This knocks the turtle down several feet.","这一撞把海龟撞下去好几英尺。"],[22,"He no sooner recovers his equilibrium than the next porpoises comes along and hits him another crack.","它刚恢复平衡，下一只海豚就过来又撞了一下。"],[23,"Eventually the turtle has been butted all the way down to the floor of the tank.","最后海龟被一路撞到了水族箱底部。"],[24,"He is now satisfied merely to try to stand up, but as soon as he does so a porpoise knocks him flat.","这时海龟只求能站起来，可刚一站起来，海豚就又把它撞翻了。"],[25,"The turtle at last gives up by pulling his feet under his shell and the game is over.","海龟最终放弃，把脚缩进壳里，游戏就此结束。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"45－Of Men and Galaxies","t":"Of Men and Galaxies","c":[[0,"Lesson 45","第45课"],[1,"Of men and galaxies","关于人类与星系"],[2,"What is the most influential factor in any human society?","在任何人类社会中，最具影响力的因素是什么？"],[3,"In man's early days, competition with other creatures must have been critical.","在人类早期，与其他生物的竞争肯定至关重要。"],[4,"But this phase of our development is now finished.","但我们发展的这个阶段现在已经结束了。"],[5,"Indeed, we lack practice and experience nowadays in dealing with primitive conditions.","确实，如今我们在应对恶劣环境（或原始条件）时缺乏相应的实践经验和能力。"],[6,"I am sure that, without modern weapons,","我确信，如果没有现代武器的话，"],[7,"I would make a very poor show of disputing the ownership of a cave with a bear, and in this I do not think that I stand alone.","如果我要和一只熊争论某个洞穴的所有权，那我肯定会表现得非常愚蠢（或者说：我的行为会显得极其愚蠢）。而且，我认为不止我一个人会有这种想法。"],[8,"The last creature to compete with man was the mosquito.","最后一种与人类竞争的生物是蚊子。"],[9,"But even the mosquito has been subdued by attention to drainage and by chemical sprays.","不过，就连蚊子也因为人们对排水系统的重视以及化学喷雾的使用而得到了控制（即蚊子的数量被减少了）。"],[10,"Competition between ourselves, person against person,","人与人之间的竞争；"],[11,"我们彼此之间的竞争。",""],[12,"community against community, still persists, however; and it is as fierce as it ever was.","然而，社区之间的对立与冲突依然存在，而且比以往任何时候都更加激烈。"],[13,"But the competition of man against man is not the simple process envisioned in biology.","但是人与人之间的竞争，并不是生物学中所描述的那种简单的过程。"],[14,"It is not a simple competition for a fixed amount of food determined by the physical environment,","这并不是一场简单的比赛；比赛中的食物数量并不是由自然环境（即物理条件）来决定的。"],[15,"because the environment that determines our evolution is no longer essentially physical.","因为决定我们进化的环境已经不再是纯粹的物理环境（即，影响我们进化的因素不再仅仅局限于物理因素）。"],[16,"Our environment is chiefly conditoned by the things we believe.","我们的环境在很大程度上是由我们的信念所塑造的。"],[17,"Morocco and California are bits of the Earth in very similar latitudes,","摩洛哥和加利福尼亚都位于相似的纬度线上。"],[18,"both on the west coasts of continents with similar climates, and probably with rather similar natural resources.","它们都位于各大洲的西海岸，拥有相似的气候条件，以及可能相当相似的自然资源。"],[19,"Yet their present development is wholly different,","然而，他们目前的发展状况却完全不同。"],[20,"not so much because of different people even,","其实，这并不完全是因为人与人之间的差异……"],[21,"but because of the different thoughts that exist in the minds of their inhabitants.","但是，由于这些地方居民的思维方式各不相同（即他们的想法和观念存在差异），情况就变得复杂了。"],[22,"This is the point I wish to emphasize.","这就是我想强调的重点。"],[23,"The most important factor in our environment is the state of our own minds.","我们环境中最重要的因素，就是我们自己心理的状态。"],[24,"It is well known that where the white man has invaded a primitive culture,","众所周知，每当白人侵入原始文化时，"],[25,"the most destructive effects have come not from physical weapons but from ideas.","最具破坏性的影响并非来自物理武器，而是来自思想。"],[26,"Ideas are dangerous.","想法是危险的。"],[27,"The Holy Office knew this full well when it caused heretics to be burned in days gone by.","在过去的岁月里，当宗教裁判所将异端分子处以火刑时，他们对此再清楚不过了。"],[28,"Indeed, the concept of free speech only exists in our modern society because when you are inside a community,","的确，言论自由这一概念只存在于我们的现代社会中。因为当人们身处一个特定的社群（或社区）时，言论自由才得以实现。"],[29,"you are conditioned by the conventions of the community to such a degree that it is very difficult to conceive of anything really destructive.","你深受社区习俗的影响，以至于很难想象任何真正具有破坏性的行为或事物。"],[30,"It is only someone looking on from outside that can inject the dangerous thoughts.","只有那些从外部观察的人，才有可能灌输那些危险的思想。"],[31,"I do not doubt that it would be possible to inject ideas into the modern world that would utterly destroy us.","我毫不怀疑，将某些有害的思想引入现代社会是完全可能的；这些思想很可能会对我们造成毁灭性的影响。"],[32,"I would like to give you an example, but fortunately I cannot do so.","我想给你举个例子，但幸运的是，我无法做到这一点。"],[33,"Perhaps it will suffice to mention the nuclear bomb.","或许只需提到核弹就足够了。"],[34,"Imagine the effect on a reasonably advanced technological society,","想象一下这对一个技术相当先进的社会会产生什么样的影响吧。"],[35,"one that still does not possess the bomb, of making it aware of the possibility, of supplying suffcient details to enable the thing to be constructed.","那个仍然没有掌握这种技术的人，也没有意识到这种技术的可能性，更没有提供足够的细节来帮助人们制造出这种装置。"],[36,"20 or 30 pages of information handed to any of the major world powers around the year 1925,","大约在1925年，如果有任何世界大国收到这样20到30页的信息资料的话……"],[37,"would have been sufficient to change the course of world history.","这本足以改变世界历史的进程。"],[38,"It is a strange thought, but I believe a correct one,","这是个奇怪的想法，但我相信它是正确的。"],[39,"that twenty or thirty pages of ideas and information would be capable of turning the present-day world upside down, or even destroying it.","那些二十到三十页的内容（其中包含了各种想法和信息）有可能彻底改变当今的世界，甚至将其摧毁。"],[40,"I have often tried to conceive of what those pages might contain,","我经常试图想象那些页面上可能包含些什么内容。"],[41,"but of course I cannot do so because I am a prisoner of the present-day world, just as all of you are.","但当然，我无法做到这一点——因为我就像你们所有人一样，是这个现代社会的“囚徒”。"],[42,"We cannot think outside the particular patterns that our brains are conditioned to, or,","我们无法跳出大脑所习惯的特定思维模式来进行思考。"],[43,"to be more accurate we can think only a very little way outside and then only if we are very original.","更准确地说，我们只能稍微超出常规思维的范围去思考；而且只有当我们真正具备创新性（即非常“有创意”）时，才能做到这一点。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"42－Recording an Earthquake","t":"Recording an Earthquake","c":[[0,"Lesson 42","第42课"],[1,"Recording an earthquake","记录地震"],[2,"What does a pen have to do to record on paper the vibrations generated by an earthquake?","一支笔要如何才能在纸上记录下地震产生的震动呢？"],[3,"An earthquake comes like a thief in the night, without warning.","地震就像夜间的小偷一样，毫无预兆地突然降临。"],[4,"It was necessary, therefore, to invent instruments that neither slumbered nor slept.","因此，有必要发明那些既不会打盹也不会睡觉的仪器。"],[5,"Some devices were quite simple.","有些设备的设计非常简单。"],[6,"One, for instance, consisted of rods of various lengths and thicknesses which would stand up on end like ninepins.","例如，其中有一个装置由长度和厚度各不相同的杆子组成；这些杆子可以像九柱戏（ninepins）中的柱子一样竖立起来。"],[7,"When a shock came, it shook the rigid table upon which these stood.","当震动来临时，它震动了这些杆子所放置的坚硬桌子。"],[8,"If it were gentle, only the more unstable rods fell.","如果震动轻微，只有较不稳定的杆子会倒下。"],[9,"If it were severe, they all fell.","如果震动剧烈，它们就全部倒下。"],[10,"Thus the rods, by falling, and by the direction in which they fell,","因此，这些杆子通过倒下以及倒下的方向，"],[11,"recorded for the slumbering scientist the strength of a shock that was too weak to waken him,","为那位正在沉睡的科学家记录下了那次冲击的强度——不过那次冲击实在太微弱了，根本无法将他唤醒。"],[12,"and the direction from which it came.","以及它来自的方向。"],[13,"But instruments far more delicate than that were needed if any really serious advance was to be made.","但是，如果要取得真正重大的进展，就需要使用比那些仪器更加精密的设备。"],[14,"The ideal to be aimed at was to devise an instrument that could record with a pen on paper,","理想的目标是设计出一种能用笔在纸上记录的仪器，"],[15,"the movements of the ground or of the table as the quake passed by.","记录地震经过时地面或桌子的运动。"],[16,"While I write my pen moves, but the paper keeps still.","当我写字时，笔在动，但纸却静止不动。"],[17,"With practice, no doubt, I could in time learn to write by holding the pen still while the paper moved.","毫无疑问，通过练习，我最终能学会保持笔不动而让纸动来写字。"],[18,"That sounds a silly suggestion,","那听起来真是个愚蠢的建议。"],[19,"but that was precisely the idea adopted in some of the early instruments (seismometers) for recording earthquake waves.","但这正是某些早期地震仪在记录地震波时所采用的设计理念。"],[20,"But when table, penholder and paper are all moving, how is it possible to write legibly?","但是当桌子、笔架和纸张都在移动时，怎么可能还能写出清晰可读的文字呢？"],[21,"The key to a solution of that problem lay in an everyday observation.","解决那个问题的关键在于一个日常的观察结果。"],[22,"Why does a person standing in a bus or train tend to fall when a sudden start is made?","为什么当公交车或火车突然启动时，站在上面的人容易摔倒呢？"],[23,"It is because his feet move on, but his head stays still.","这是因为他的脚向前移动，而头部却保持静止。"],[24,"A simple experiment will help us a little further.","一个简单的实验能帮助我们进一步理解这个原理。"],[25,"Tie a heavy weight at the end of a long piece of string.","在一段较长的绳子末端系上一个重物。"],[26,"With the hand held high in the air, hold the string so that the weight nearly touches the ground.","将绳子高高举过头顶，使重物几乎触碰到地面。"],[27,"Now move the hand to and fro and around but not up and down.","现在让手前后左右移动，但不要上下移动。"],[28,"It will be found that the weight moves but slightly or not at all.","你会发现重物几乎不动，或者只轻微移动。"],[29,"Imagine a pen attached to the weight in such a way that its point rests upon a piece of paper on the floor.","想象一下，有一支笔被固定在重物上，其笔尖接触着地面上的一张纸。"],[30,"Imagine an earthquake shock shaking the floor, the paper, you and your hand.","再想象一场地震，地震使地面、纸张以及你的手都在震动。"],[31,"In the midst of all this movement, the weight and the pen would be still.","在所有这些运动中，重物和笔会保持静止。"],[32,"But as the paper moved from side to side under the pen point, its movement would be recorded in ink upon its surface.","但当纸张在笔尖下左右移动时，它的运动就会以墨迹记录在纸面上。"],[33,"It was upon this principle that the first instruments were made, but the paper was wrapped round a drum which rotated slowly.","最早的测量仪器就是基于这个原理制造的——只不过当时的纸张是缠绕在一个缓慢旋转的鼓上的。"],[34,"As long as all was still, the pen drew a straight line,","当一切保持静止时，笔会画出一条直线；"],[35,"but while the drum was being shaken, the line that the pen was drawing wriggled from side to side.","但当鼓被震动时，笔所画的线就会左右摆动。"],[36,"The apparatus thus described, however,","然而，上面描述的装置"],[37,"records only the horizontal component of the wave movement, which is, in fact, much more complicated.","只能记录波动的水平分量，而实际上波动要复杂得多。"],[38,"If we could actually see the path described by a particle,","如果我们能真的看到粒子所描绘的路径，"],[39,"such as a sand grain in the rock,","就像岩石中的一粒沙子一样……"],[40,"it would be more like that of a bluebottle buzzing round the room; it would be up and down, to and fro and from side to side.","它会更像一只绿头苍蝇在房间里嗡嗡飞舞：上下、前后、左右地移动。"],[41,"Instruments have been devised and can be so placed that all three elements can be recorded in different graphs.","已经设计出可以适当放置的仪器，从而能将这三个要素记录在不同的图表上。"],[42,"When the instrument is situated at more than 700 miles from the earthquake centre,","当该仪器距离地震中心超过700英里时，"],[43,"the graphic record shows three waves arriving one after the other at short intervals.","图纸上会显示出三列波以较短的时间间隔相继到达。"],[44,"The first records the arrival of longitudinal vibrations.","第一列波记录了纵向振动的到达。"],[45,"The second marks the arrival of transverse vibrations which travel more slowly and arrive several minutes after the first.","第二列波标志着横向振动的到达；这些振动传播较慢，在第一列波到达几分钟后才传来。"],[46,"These two have travelled through the earth.","这两列波已经穿过地球。"],[47,"It was from the study of these that so much was learnt about the interior of the earth.","正是通过研究这两列波，人类才对地球内部有了如此多的了解。"],[48,"The third, or main wave is the slowest and has travelled round the earth through the surface rocks.","第三列波即主波传播最慢，它是通过地表岩石环绕地球传播的。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"22－Knowledge and Progress","t":"Knowledge and Progress","c":[[0,"Lesson 22","第22课"],[1,"Knowledge and progress","知识与进步"],[2,"In what two areas have people made no 'progress' at all?","在哪些领域，人们完全没有取得任何进展？"],[3,"Why does the idea of progress loom so large in the modern world?","为什么“进步”的概念在现代社会中显得如此重要（或者说，为什么人们对“进步”的追求如此强烈）？"],[4,"Surely because progress of a particular kind is actually taking place around us","肯定是因为某种形式的进步正在我们周围实实在在地发生着。"],[5,"and is becoming more and more manifest.","而且这种现象正变得越来越明显（或：这种现象正逐渐变得清晰可见）。"],[6,"Although mankind has undergone no general improvement in intelligence or morality,","尽管人类的智力或道德水平并没有普遍性的提升，"],[7,"it has made extraordinary progress in the accumulation of knowledge.","在知识的积累方面，它取得了非凡的进展。"],[8,"Knowledge began to increase as soon as the thoughts of one individual","一旦某个人的思想能够通过语言传达给另一个人，知识就开始增加了。"],[9,"could be communicated to another by means of speech.","通过语言的方式。"],[10,"With the invention of writing, a great advance was made,","随着文字的发明，人类社会取得了巨大的进步。"],[11,"for knowledge could then be not only communicated but also stored.","这样一来，知识不仅可以被传播，还可以被储存起来。"],[12,"Libraries made education possible, and education in its turn added to libraries:","图书馆使教育成为可能，而教育又反过来促进了图书馆的发展（即促进了图书馆资源的丰富与建设）。"],[13,"the growth of knowledge followed a kind of compound interest law,","知识的增长遵循了一种类似于“复利”的规律。"],[14,"which was greatly enhanced by the invention of printing.","这一情况因印刷术的发明而得到了极大的促进。"],[15,"All this was comparatively slow until, with the coming of science,","在科学出现之前，所有这些发展都相对缓慢。"],[16,"the tempo was suddenly raised.","节奏突然加快了。"],[17,"Then knowledge began to be accumulated according to a systematic plan.","于是，知识开始按照系统的计划被逐步积累起来。"],[18,"The trickle became a stream: the stream has now become a torrent.","起初只是细小的水流，后来逐渐汇聚成了一条小溪；如今，这条小溪已经变成了湍急的急流。"],[19,"Moreover, as soon as new knowledge is acquired, it is now turned to practical account.","此外，一旦获得了新的知识，就会立即将其应用于实际中。"],[20,"What is called 'modern civilization'","所谓的'现代文明'"],[21,"is not the result of a balanced development of all man's nature,","这并不是人类所有天性得到平衡发展的结果。"],[22,"but of accumulated knowledge applied to practical life.","而是积累的知识应用于实际生活的结果。"],[23,"The problem now facing humanity is:","人类现在面临的问题是："],[24,"What is going to be done with all this knowledge?","这些知识将会被用来做什么呢？"],[25,"As is so often pointed out, knowledge is a two-edged weapon","正如人们经常指出的那样，知识是一把双刃剑。"],[26,"which can be used equally for good or evil.","既可以用于行善，也可以用于作恶。"],[27,"It is now being used indifferently for both.","而现在，它被不加区分地用于这两种目的。"],[28,"Could any spectacle, for instance, be more grimly whimsical","比如说，还有哪种场景能比这更加荒诞、又充满阴郁的幽默感呢？"],[29,"than that of gunners using science to shatter men's bodies","炮手们利用科学来摧毁人体，"],[30,"while, close at hand, surgeons use it to restore them?","而近在咫尺的外科医生却用它来修复人体？"],[31,"We have to ask ourselves very seriously","我们必须非常严肃地问自己一个问题。"],[32,"what will happen if this twofold use of knowledge,","如果这种对知识的双重使用，"],[33,"with its ever-increasing power, continues.","在其力量不断增强的情况下继续下去，会发生什么？"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"08－Trading Standards","t":"Trading Standards","c":[[0,"Lesson 8","第8课"],[1,"Trading standards","贸易标准"],[2,"What makes trading between rich countries difficult?","是什么让富裕国家之间的贸易变得如此困难呢？"],[3,"Chickens slaughtered in the United States, claim officials in Brussels, are not fit to grace European tables.","布鲁塞尔的官员声称，在美国屠宰的鸡肉不配摆上欧洲人的餐桌。"],[4,"No, say the Americans: our fowl are fine, we simply clean them in a different way.","不，美国人会这么说：“我们的家禽没什么问题，只是我们清洗它们的方式有所不同罢了。”"],[5,"These days, it is differences in national regulations, far more than tariffs, that put sand in the wheels of trade between rich countries.","如今，给富裕国家之间的贸易制造障碍的，主要是各国法规的差异，而非关税。"],[6,"It is not just farmers who are complaining.","不仅仅是农民在抱怨。"],[7,"An electric razor that meets the European Union's safety standards must be approved by American testers before it can be sold in the United States, and an American-made dialysis machine needs the EU's okay before it hits the market in Europe.","任何符合欧盟安全标准的电动剃须刀，在美国销售之前都必须经过美国相关机构的检测和批准；同样，任何在美国制造的透析设备，在欧洲市场上销售之前也必须获得欧盟的认可。"],[8,"As it happens, a razor that is safe in Europe is unlikely to electrocute Americans.","事实上，在欧洲安全的剃须刀，不太可能电到美国人。"],[9,"So, ask businesses on both sides of the Atlantic, why have two lots of tests where one would do?","那么，大西洋两岸的企业会问：既然一次测试就够了，为什么非要测两次呢？"],[10,"Politicians agree, in principle, so America and the EU have been trying to reach a deal which would eliminate the need to double-test many products.","从原则上讲，各国政界人士都持一致意见；因此，美国和欧盟一直在努力达成一项协议，以消除对许多产品进行重复检测的必要性。"],[11,"They hope to finish in time for a trade summit between America and the EU on May 28th.","他们希望能在5月28日美国与欧盟之间的贸易峰会之前完成所有工作。"],[12,"Although negotiators are optimistic, the details are complex enough that they may be hard-pressed to get a deal at all.","尽管谈判代表们持乐观态度，但相关细节过于复杂，他们可能很难达成任何协议。"],[13,"Why? One difficulty is to construct the agreements.","为什么？其中一个难点在于如何构建这些协议。"],[14,"The Americans would happily reach one accord on standards for medical devices and then hammer out different pacts covering, say, electronic goods and drug manufacturing.","美国人很乐意就医疗器械标准达成一项协议，然后再分别就电子产品和药品制造等领域敲定不同的协定。"],[15,"The EU -- following fine continental traditions -- wants agreement on general principles,","欧盟遵循欧洲大陆的传统，希望各方能够就一些基本原则达成共识。"],[16,"which could be applied to many types of products and perhaps extended to other countries.","这种方法可以应用于许多类型的产品，并且有可能推广到其他国家。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"14－The Butterfly Effect","t":"The Butterfly Effect","c":[[0,"Lesson 14","第14课"],[1,"The Butterfly Effect","蝴蝶效应"],[2,"Why do small errors make it impossible to predict the weather system with a high degree of accuracy?","为什么微小的误差会导致无法高精度地预测天气系统呢？"],[3,"Beyond two or three days, the world's best weather forecasts are speculative,","超过六七天之后，它们就毫无价值了。"],[4,"and beyond six or seven they are worthless.","超过六七个之后，它们就毫无价值了。"],[5,"The Butterfly Effect is the reason.","这就是“蝴蝶效应”的原因。"],[6,"For small pieces of weather--","对于那些微小的、局部的天气变化（或现象）……"],[7,"and to a global forecaster, small can mean thunderstorms and blizzards--","对于全球天气预报员来说，“小”可能指雷暴和暴风雪。"],[8,"any prediction deteriorates rapidly.","任何预测的结果都会迅速恶化（或：任何预测的准确性都会迅速下降）。"],[9,"Errors and uncertainties multiply, cascading upward through a chain of turbulent features,","误差和不确定性会成倍增加，通过一连串湍流特征向上扩散，"],[10,"from dust devils and squalls up to continent-size eddies that only satellites can see.","从尘旋和小型风暴，到只有卫星才能观测到的、覆盖整个大陆范围的巨大涡旋……"],[11,"The modern weather models work with a grid of points of the order of sixty miles apart,","现代天气模型使用的是间距约60英里的网格点，"],[12,"and even so, some starting data has to be guessed,","即便如此，一些初始数据仍需推测，"],[13,"since ground stations and satellites cannot see everywhere.","因为地面站和卫星无法覆盖所有区域。"],[14,"But suppose the earth could be covered with sensors spaced one foot apart,","但是，假设地球表面能够被安装上间距为 1 英尺（约 30 厘米）的传感器……"],[15,"rising at one-foot intervals all the way to the top of the atmosphere.","并以1英尺的间隔一直延伸到大气层顶部。"],[16,"Suppose every sensor gives perfectly accurate readings of temperature,","假设每个传感器都能提供完全准确的温度读数……"],[17,"pressure, humidity, and any other quantity a meteorologist would want.","压力、湿度，以及气象学家可能需要的任何其他气象参数。"],[18,"Precisely at noon an infinitely powerful computer takes all the data and calculates what will happen at each point","正午时分，一台性能无限的计算机采集所有数据，计算每个点在"],[19,"at 12.01, then 12.02, then 12.03...","12点01分，然后是12点02分，接着是12点03分……"],[20,"The computer will still be unable to predict whether Princeton, New Jersey, will have sun or rain on a day one month away.","计算机仍无法预测一个月后新泽西州普林斯顿是晴天还是雨天。"],[21,"At noon the spaces between the sensors will hide fluctuations that the computer will not know about,","正午时分，传感器之间的空隙会隐藏计算机不知道的波动，"],[22,"tiny deviations from the average.","这些是相对于平均值的微小偏差。"],[23,"By 12.01, those fluctuations will already have created small errors one foot away.","到12点01分，这些波动已经会在1英尺外造成小误差。"],[24,"Soon the errors will have multiplied to the ten-foot scale, and so on up to the size of the globe.","很快误差会扩大到10英尺范围，并以此类推，直到覆盖全球。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"36－The Cost of Government","t":"The Cost of Government","c":[[0,"Lesson 36","第36课"],[1,"The cost of government","政府的开支"],[2,"What's the most important factor, both in government or business, for keeping running costs low?","在政府或企业中，保持运营成本处于较低水平的最重要因素是什么？"],[3,"If a nation is essentialy disunited, it is left to the government to hold it together.","如果一个国家本质上处于分裂状态，那么维持国家的统一就只能依靠政府的力量了。"],[4,"This increases the expense of government, and reduces correspondingly the amount of economic resources that could be used for developing the country.","这增加了政府的开支，相应地减少了可用于国家发展的经济资源。"],[5,"And it should not be forgotten how small those resources are in a poor and backward country.","而且我们不应忘记：在这样一个贫穷且落后的国家里，这些资源是多么的匮乏（或者说，这些资源的数量是多么的有限）。"],[6,"Where the cost of government is high, resources for development are correspondingly low.","在政府开支较高的地方，用于发展的资源相应地也会减少。"],[7,"This may be illustrated by comparing the position of a nation with that of a private business enterprise.","这可以通过将一个国家的地位与一家私营企业的地位进行比较来说明。"],[8,"An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business.","企业必须承担一定的成本和开支，才能维持自身的运营。"],[9,"For our purposes, we are concerned only with one kind of cost--the cost of managing and administering the business.","就我们的目的而言，我们只关注一种成本——即管理和运营企业的成本。"],[10,"Such administrative overheads in a business are analogous to the cost of government in a nation.","在企业中，这些行政开销就相当于一个国家中的政府开支。"],[11,"The administrative overheads of a business are low to the extent that everyone working in the business","企业的行政开支之所以低，是因为企业里的每一位员工"],[12,"can be trusted to behave in a way that best promotes the interests of the firm.","可以信赖他们会以最有利于公司利益的方式行事。"],[13,"If they can each be trusted to take such responsibilities,","如果他们每个人都能被信任去承担这样的责任的话……"],[14,"and to exercise such initiative as falls within their sphere, then administrative overheads will be low.","如果他们能够在自己的职责范围内主动采取行动，那么行政成本将会很低。"],[15,"It will be low because it will be necessary to have only one man looking after each job without having another man to check upon what he is doing,","行政成本之所以会很低，是因为每项工作只需要一个人负责，而不需要另一个人去监督他"],[16,"keep him in line, and report on him to someone else.","让他遵守规定，并向其他人汇报他的表现。"],[17,"But if no one can be trusted to act in a loyal and responsible manner towards his job,","但如果没有人能够被信任以忠诚和负责任的态度对待自己的工作的话……"],[18,"then the business will require armies of administrators, checkers and foremen and administrative overheads will rise correspondingly.","那么，企业将需要大量的管理人员、审核人员以及工头；相应的，管理成本也会随之增加。"],[19,"As administrative overheads rise, so the earnings of the business after meeting the expense of administration, will fall;","随着行政开支的增加，企业在扣除行政费用后的净利润也会相应下降。"],[20,"and the business will have less money to distribute as dividends or invest directly in its future progress and development.","这样一来，企业可用于分配作为股息的资金，以及用于直接投资其未来发展与进步的资金，都会减少。"],[21,"It is precisely the same with a nation.","对于一个国家来说，情况也是如此。"],[22,"To the extent that the people can be relied on to behave in a loyal and responsible manner,","在人们能够被信赖、会以忠诚和负责任的方式行事的前提下，"],[23,"the government does not require armies of police and civil servants to keep them in order.","政府并不需要大量的警察和公务员来维持社会秩序。"],[24,"But if a nation is disunited, the government cannot be sure that the actions of the people will be in the interests of the nation;","但是，如果一个国家处于分裂状态，政府就无法确保人民的行为会符合国家的利益。"],[25,"and it will have to watch, check, and control the people accordingly.","它将不得不监视、检查和控制人民"],[26,"A disunited nation therefore has to incur unduly high costs of government.","因此，一个分裂的国家不得不承担过高额的政府开支。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"21－William S. Hart and the Early Western Film","t":"William S. Hart and the Early \"Western\" Film","c":[[0,"Lesson 21","第21课"],[1,"William S.Hart and the early 'Western' film","威廉·S·哈特与早期的“西部片”"],[2,"How did William Hart's childhood prepare him for his acting role in Western films?","威廉·哈特的童年经历是如何为他日后在西部电影中扮演演员角色奠定基础的？"],[3,"William S.Hart was, perhaps, the greatest of all Western stars,","与加里·库珀和约翰·韦恩不同，他只出演西部片。"],[4,"for unlike Gary Cooper and John Wayne he appeared in nothing but Westerns.","与加里·库珀（Gary Cooper）和约翰·韦恩（John Wayne）不同，他只出演过西部片（Westerns）。"],[5,"From 1914 to 1924 he was supreme and unchallenged.","从 1914 年到 1924 年，他一直是无可争议的领袖，无人能够与他竞争。"],[6,"It was Hart who created the basic formula of the Western film,","正是哈特创造了西部片的基本模式。"],[7,"and devised the protagonist he played in every film he made,","并为他出演的每部电影都设计了主角形象，"],[8,"the good-bad man, the accidental, noble outlaw,","即亦正亦邪的人，意外成为亡命之徒却品格高尚的人，"],[9,"or the honest, but framed cowboy, or the sheriff made suspect by vicious gossip;","或者是那个诚实却被诬陷的牛仔，又或者是那个因恶毒的谣言而受到怀疑的警长……"],[10,"in short, the individual in conflict with himself and his frontier environment.","简而言之，这是一个与自己及边疆环境冲突的人。"],[11,"Unlike most of his contemporaries in Hollywood,","与好莱坞的大多数同时代人不同，"],[12,"Hart actually knew something of the old West.","哈特其实对美国西部历史有所了解。"],[13,"He had lived in it as a child when it was already disappearing,","他小时候就生活在那里，那时西部文明已逐渐消逝；"],[14,"and his hero was firmly rooted in his memories and experiences,","他的英雄形象深深植根于他的记忆与经历之中，"],[15,"and in both the history and the mythology of the vanished frontier,","以及那片消失的边疆的历史与传说之中。"],[16,"And although no period or place in American history has been more absurdly romanticized,","尽管美国历史上没有哪个时期或地点被如此荒谬地浪漫化了，"],[17,"myth and reality did join hands in at least one arena,","但在至少一点上，神话与现实确实交汇在了一起——"],[18,"the conflict between the individual and encroaching civilization.","那就是个人与不断扩张的文明之间的冲突。"],[19,"Men accustomed to struggling for survival against the elements and Indians","那些习惯了与自然环境及印第安人抗争以求生存的人们，"],[20,"were bewildered by politicians, bankers and businessmen,","却被政客、银行家和商人搞得无所适从；"],[21,"and unhorsed by fences, laws and alien taboos.","被围栏、法律和陌生的禁忌拉下马。"],[22,"Hart's good-bad man was always an outsider, always one of the disinherited,","哈特笔下的亦正亦邪者永远是局外人，永远是被剥夺继承权的人，"],[23,"and if he found it necessary to shoot a sheriff or rob a bank along the way,","如果他觉得有必要开枪打死警长或抢劫银行，他也会这么做。"],[24,"his early audiences found it easy to understand and forgive,","他的早期观众很容易理解并原谅他。"],[25,"especially when it was Hart who, in the end, overcame the attacking Indians.","尤其是当最终由哈特击败了来犯的印第安人时。"],[26,"Audiences in the second decade of the twentieth century","二十世纪第二个十年的观众群体"],[27,"found it pleasant to escape to a time when life, though hard, was relatively simple.","觉得逃回到那个虽然艰苦但相对简单的时代是件愉快的事。"],[28,"We still do; living in a world in which undeclared aggression, war, hypocrisy,","我们至今仍然如此；生活在一个充满不宣而战的侵略、战争、虚伪、"],[29,"chicanery, anarchy and impending immolation are part of our daily lives,","欺诈、混乱以及即将到来的毁灭，都是我们日常生活的一部分。"],[30,"we all want a code to live by.","我们都希望有一套可以遵循的准则或规则来指导我们的行为。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"20－Snake Poison","t":"Snake Poison","c":[[0,"Lesson 20","第20课"],[1,"Snake poison","蛇毒"],[2,"What are the two different ways in which snake poison acts?","蛇毒的作用方式主要有哪两种？"],[3,"How in came about that snakes manufactured poison is a mystery.","蛇是如何制造出毒液的，这至今是个谜。"],[4,"Over the periods their saliva, a mild, digestive juice like our own, was converted into a poison that defies analysis even today.","经过漫长的岁月，它们的唾液——一种像我们一样的温和消化液——变成了毒液，这种毒液甚至今天都难以分析。"],[5,"It was not forced upon them by the survival competition;","这种毒液的产生并非出于生存竞争的必然；"],[6,"they could have caught and lived on prey without using poison, just as the thousands of non-poisonous snakes still do.","它们本可以不使用毒液就捕获猎物并赖以为生，就像现在成千上万的无毒蛇那样。"],[7,"Poison to a snake is merely a luxury;","对蛇来说，毒液其实是一种“奢侈品”；"],[8,"it enables it to get its food with very little effort, no more effort than one bite.","它让蛇能够毫不费力地捕获猎物，只需轻轻一咬即可。"],[9,"And why only snakes?","那么，为什么只有蛇会拥有毒液呢？"],[10,"Cats, for instance, would be greatly helped;","以猫为例，毒液对它们来说同样大有帮助："],[11,"no running fights with large, fierce rats or tussles with grown rabbits--just a bite and no more effort needed.","不用与又大又凶的老鼠追逐打斗，也不用和成年兔子扭打——只需咬一口，再不用费力。"],[12,"In fact, it would be an assistance to all carnivores though it would be a two-edged weapon when they fought each other.","事实上，这对所有食肉动物来说都是一种帮助；不过当它们互相争斗时，这也会成为一把“双刃剑”（即既有利也有弊）。"],[13,"But, of the vertebrates unpredictable Nature selected only snakes (and one lizard).","但是，在脊椎动物中，难以捉摸的大自然只选择了蛇（和一种蜥蜴）。"],[14,"One wonders also why Nature, with some snakes concocted poison of such extreme potency.","人们也奇怪，为什么大自然在某些蛇身上调制出如此猛烈的毒药。"],[15,"In the conversion of saliva into poison, one might suppose that a fixed process took place. It did not;","在唾液变成毒液的过程中，人们可能会认为有一个固定的过程发生。但事实并非如此；"],[16,"some snakes manufactured a poison different in every respect from that of others,","有些蛇产生的毒液在各个方面都与其他蛇产生的毒液不同。"],[17,"as different as arsenic is from strychnine, and having different effects.","就像砒霜和马钱子碱不同那样，并且效果也不同。"],[18,"One poison acts on the nerves, the other on the blood.","一种毒物作用于神经系统，另一种则作用于血液。"],[19,"The makers of the nerve poison include the mambas and the cobras and their venom is called neurotoxic.","制造这种神经毒素的动物包括曼巴蛇和眼镜蛇，它们的毒液被称为神经毒素（neurotoxic venom）。"],[20,"Vipers (adders) and rattlesnakes manufacture the blood poison, which is known as haemolytic.","蝰蛇和响尾蛇会分泌一种血液毒素，这种毒素被称为“溶血毒素”（haemolytic toxin）。"],[21,"Both poisons are unpleasant, but by far the more unpleasant is the blood poison.","两种毒液都令人不快，但远比神经毒液更令人不快的是血液毒液。"],[22,"It is said that the nerve poison is the more primitive of the two, that the blood poison is, so to speak, a newer product from an improved formula.","据说，神经毒液是两者中较原始的一种，而血液毒液，可以这么说，是改良配方后的新产品。"],[23,"Be that as it may, the nerve poison does its business with man far more quickly than the blood poison.","尽管如此，这种神经毒素对人体的影响速度要比血液毒素快得多。"],[24,"This, however, means nothing.","然而，这毫无意义。"],[25,"Snakes did not acquire their poison for use against man but for use against prey such as rats and mice,","蛇之所以拥有毒液，并不是为了用来对付人类，而是为了捕杀老鼠等猎物。"],[26,"and the effects on these of viperine poison is almost immediate.","而蝰蛇毒液对这些动物的效果几乎是立竿见影的。"]]},{"b":"NCE4","l":"16－The Modern City","t":"The Modern City","c":[[0,"Lesson 16","第16课"],[1,"The modern city","现代城市"],[2,"What is the author's main argument about the modern city?","作者关于现代城市的主要观点是什么？"],[3,"In the organization of industrial life the influence of the factory upon the physiological and mental state of the workers has been completely neglected.","在工业生活的组织结构中，工厂对工人生理和心理状态的影响完全被忽视了。"],[4,"Modern industry is based on the conception of the maximum production at lowest cost,","现代工业建立在“以最低成本实现最大生产”的理念之上。"],[5,"in order that an individual or a group of individuals may earn as much money as possible.","这样，个人或某个群体就能赚取尽可能多的钱。"],[6,"It has expanded without any idea of the true nature of the human beings who run the machines,","它一直在不断扩张，却对那些操控这些机器的人的真实本质一无所知。"],[7,"and without giving any consideration to the effects produced on the individuals and on their descendants by the artificial mode of existence imposed by the factory.","而且，完全没有考虑到工厂所强加的这种人工生活方式对个人及其后代所产生的影响。"],[8,"The great cities have been built with no regard for us.","这些伟大的城市是在完全无视我们的存在的情况下建造的。"],[9,"The shape and dimensions of the skyscrapers depend entirely on the necessity of obtaining the maximum income per square foot of ground,","摩天大楼的形状和尺寸完全取决于实现“每平方英尺土地带来最高收入”这一目标的需要。"],[10,"and of offering to the tenants offices and apartments that please them.","并且为租户提供他们满意的办公室和公寓。"],[11,"This caused the construction of gigantic buildings where too large masses of human beings are crowded together.","这导致了巨型建筑物的出现，这些建筑物里挤满了大量的人口。"],[12,"Civilized men like such a way of living.","文明人喜欢这样的生活方式。"],[13,"While they enjoy the comfort and banal luxury of their dwelling, they do not realize that they are deprived of the necessities of life.","虽然他们享受着住所带来的舒适与平庸的奢华，却没有意识到自己被剥夺了生活必需品。"],[14,"The modern city consists of monstrous edifices and of dark, narrow streets full of petrol fumes and toxic gases,","现代城市由巨大的建筑物以及狭窄、昏暗的街道组成；这些街道里弥漫着汽油烟雾和有毒气体。"],[15,"torn by the noise of the taxicabs, lorries and buses, and thronged ceaselessly by great crowds.","出租车、卡车和公交车的噪音撕裂着这里的宁静，人群川流不息，络绎不绝。"],[16,"Obviously, it has not been planned for the good of its inhabitants.","显然，这一切的规划并非是为了居民们的利益着想。"]]}]