新概念課程講解第三冊Lesson44c原文講解及答案

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort 又快捷又舒適

Listen to the tape then answer the question below.

聽錄音，然後回答以下問題。

Which type of transport does the writer prefer, do you think?

People travelling long distances frequently have to decide whether they would prefer to go by land, sea, or air. Hardly anyone can positively enjoy sitting in a train for more than a few hours. Train compartments soon get cramped and stuffy. It is almost impossible to take your mind off the journey. Reading is only a partial solution, for the monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the rails soon lulls you to sleep. During the day, sleep comes in snatches. At night, when you really wish to go to sleep, you rarely manage to do so. If you are lucky enough to get a sleeper, you spend half the night staring at the small blue light in the ceiling, or fumbling to find you ticket for inspection. Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted. Long car journeys are even less pleasant, for it is quite impossible even to read. On motorways you can, at least, travel fairly safely at high speeds, but more often than not, the greater part of the journey is spent on roads with few service stations and too much traffic. By comparison, ferry trips or cruises offer a great variety of civilized comforts. You can stretch your legs on the spacious decks, play games, meet interesting people and enjoy good food -- always assuming, of course, that the sea is calm. If it is not, and you are likely to get seasick, no form of transport could be worse. Even if you travel in ideal weather, sea journeys take a long time. Relatively few people are prepared to sacrifice holiday time for the pleasure of travlling by sea.

Aeroplanes have the reputation of being dangerous and even hardened travellers are intimidated by them. They also have the disadvantage of being an expensive form of transport. But nothing can match them for speed and comfort. Travelling at a height of 30,000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is an exhilarating experience. You do not have to devise ways of taking your mind off the journey, for an aeroplane gets you to your destination rapidly. For a few hours, you settle back in a deep armchair to enjoy the flight. The real escapist can watch a film and sip champagne on some services. But even when such refinements are not available, there is plenty to keep you occupied. An aeroplane offers you an unusual and breathtaking view of the world. You soar effortlessly over high mountains and deep valleys. You really see the shape of the land. If the landscape is hidden from view, 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. The journey is so smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping. However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: you will arrive at your destination fresh and uncrumpled. You will not have to spend the next few days recovering from a long and arduous journey.

【參考譯文】

出遠門的人常常需要決定是走旱路、水路，還是坐飛機。很少有人能夠真正喜歡坐幾個小時以上的火車。車廂很快就變得擁擠、悶熱，想擺脱開旅途的困擾是很難的。看書只能解決部分問題。車輪與鐵軌間單調的嘎喳聲很快就會送你進入夢鄉。白天是忽睡忽醒，到了夜晚，你真想睡了，卻很難入睡。即使你走運弄到一個卧鋪，夜間有一半時間你會盯着車頂那盞小藍燈而睡不着覺；要不然就為查票摸索你的車票。一旦抵達目的地，你總是疲憊不堪。乘汽車作長途旅行則更加不舒服，因為連看書都幾乎不可能。在公路上還好，你至少能以相當快的速度安全地向前行。但旅行的大部分時間都花在路上，而且只有很少的服務設施，交通也很擁擠。相比之下，坐船旅行或環遊可以得到文明世界的各種享受。你可以在甲板上伸展四肢、做遊戲，還能也很見到各種有趣的人，能享用各種美味佳餚——當然，這一切只有在大海風平浪靜的情況下才有可能。如果大海肆虐起來，你就可能暈船，那種難受勁兒是任何一種別的旅行的方式都不會帶來的。即使風平浪靜，坐船旅行也要佔用很長時間。沒有多少人會為享受坐船旅行的樂趣而犧牲假期的時間。

飛機以危險而著稱，連老資格的旅行者也怕飛機。飛機另一個缺點是昂貴。但就速度與舒適而言，飛機是無與倫比的。騰雲駕霧，在30，000 英尺高空以500英里的時速旅行，這種經歷令人心曠神怡。你不必想辦法去擺脱旅途的困擾，因為飛機會迅速地把你送到目的地。幾小時之內，你躺在扶手椅上，享受着旅途的歡樂。真正會享受的人還可以在某些航班上看一場電影和喝香檳。即使沒有這些消遣條件，也總是有事可做。飛機上，你可以觀察世界上非同尋常的奇妙的美景。你毫不費勁地飛越高山幽谷，你確能飽覽大地的風貌。如果這種景色被遮住了，你可以觀賞一下展現在你面前的、一望數英里的、連綿不斷的雲海，同時陽光燦爛，天空清澈明朗。旅途平穩，絲毫不妨礙你閲讀或睡眠。不管你打算如何消磨時間，有件事是可以肯定的，即當你抵達目的地時，你感到精神煥發，毫無倦意，用不着因為漫長的旅途的辛苦而花幾天時間休息來恢復精神。

tively adv. 絕對地，完全地

例句：Her tout ensemble positively kills one.

她的外貌從整體上看確實使人着迷。

artment n.列車客車廂內的分隔間（或單間）

ped adj. 窄小的

例句：If the space feels cramped, a glass coffee table can help make it seem larger.

如果空間擁擠，放張玻璃咖啡桌能顯得寬敞些。

fy adj. 憋氣的，悶氣的

例句：It's too hot and stuffy in here. Let's go out for a breath of air.

屋裏太悶熱，出去鬆散鬆散吧。

tonous adj. 枯燥的，乏味的

例句：He quit because his job is monotonous and lacks variety.

他的工作很單調，沒什麼新意，所以他就辭職了。

hm n.有節奏的運動

k v.發出咔噠聲

v.催人慾睡

例句：This will lull them into a false sense of security.

這會使他們產生一種虛假的安全感。

ch n.短時，片段

per n.卧鋪

le v.亂摸，摸索

例句：The blind man fumble about in his pocket for a key.

那個盲人在口袋裏摸找鑰匙。

ection n.檢查

itably adv.必然地,不可避免地

例句：Errors in theory inevitably result in failures in practice.

理論上的錯誤必然導致實踐上的失敗。

ination n.目的地

ust v.使精疲力盡

rway n.快車道

y n.渡船

se n.巡遊船

lize v.使文明

例句：Those facilities are intended to civilize people.

那些設施的目的在於教化民眾。

ious adj.寬敞的

例句：After cutting down the tree the courtyard seems more spacious.

砍掉了這棵樹，院裏顯着空曠點兒。

ick adj.暈船的

midate v.恐嚇，恫嚇

dvantage n.短處，缺點

larating adj.使人高興的，令人興奮的

例句：Marrying off your daughter to a stranger can be the most exhilarating and exasperating experience.

送女兒出嫁給陌生男人既是最令人喜歡也是讓人激怒的事情。

pist n.逍遙者

nement n.精心的安排

thtaking adj.激動人心的；不尋常的

例句：Those mountain views are absolutely breathtaking.

那些山間美景真讓人心曠神怡。

v.高飛，翱翔

rtlessly adv. 不費力地

例句：This steel knife is so sharp that you can cut meat with it effortlessly.

這把鋼刀真是鋒快，用它切肉一點都不費力。

scape n.景色

h adj. 精神飽滿的

umpled adj. 沒有垮下來

le travelling long distances frequently have to decide whether they would prefer to go by land, sea, or air.

參考翻譯：出遠門的人常常需要決定是走旱路、水路，還是坐飛機。

travelling long distances是現在分詞短語做後置定語，修飾People。whether引導賓語從句，decide的`內容。prefer to偏好，喜歡。有一個短語prefer to rather than例句：I would prefer to spend the weekend at home rather than drive out．我寧願在家度週末，而不願意開車出門。

ly anyone can positively enjoy sitting in a train for more than a few hours.

參考翻譯：很少有人能夠真正喜歡坐幾個小時以上的火車。

Hardly和Scarcely的基本用法

一、“hardly和scarcely（幾乎不）”表示的半否定式：

(1)I hardly (或scarcely) saw anything.我幾乎什麼也沒看見。

(2)It is hardly (或scarcely) right.這幾乎是不對的。

(3) We could hardly (或scarcely) understand it.我們幾乎不可能瞭解這件事。

(4)Hardly (或Scarcely) anybody believes that.幾乎沒有人相信這件事。（或：幾乎誰都不相信這件事。）

二、“hardly (或scarcely)…when（或before）…”作“剛……就……”解，注意hardly和scarcely位於句首時，有主、謂語顛倒現象：

(1)Hardly had I reached the station when (或before)the train started.我剛到車站，火車就開了。

(2)Scarcely had he opened the door when(或before)a gust of wind blew the candle out.他剛開門，一陣風就把蠟燭吹滅了。

you are lucky enough to get a sleeper, you spend half the night staring at the small blue light in the ceiling, or fumbling to find you ticket for inspection.

參考翻譯：即使你走運弄到一個卧鋪，夜間有一半時間你會盯着車頂那盞小藍燈而睡不着覺；要不然就為查票摸索你的車票。

stare at凝視, 盯住

例句：Those two are old enemies who stare at each other in anger whenever they meet.

這兩個人是多年的宿敵，一見面就怒目相視。

spend some time doing sth花費時間做某事

4. On motorways you can, at least, travel fairly safely at high speeds, but more often than not, the greater part of the journey is spent on roads with few service stations and too much traffic.

參考翻譯：在公路上還好，你至少能以相當快的速度安全地向前行。但旅行的大部分時間都花在路上，而且只有很少的服務設施，交通也很擁擠。

more often than not大半；大概；很經常

例句：More often than not she's late for school.

他上學多半遲到。

tively few people are prepared to sacrifice holiday time for the pleasure of travlling by sea.

參考翻譯：沒有多少人會為享受坐船旅行的樂趣而犧牲假期的時間。

sacrifice for犧牲，放棄

例句：It seemed difficult for him to make any sacrifice for the common good.

看來要他為社會公益作出犧牲是件困難的事。

comparison, ferry trips or cruises offer a great variety of civilized comforts.

參考翻譯：相比之下，坐船旅行或環遊可以得到文明世界的各種享受。

by comparison比較起來

例句：By comparison, this article is a notch above.

相比較而言，還是這篇文章略勝一籌。

No form of transport could be worse.

比較級表示最高級的意思

英語中最高級含義除用最高級句型表達外，也可以用比較級句型表達。較為常見的有下列幾種形式：

1.直接用比較級表達。

例如：I have never heard a more interesting story.=

It is the most interesting story I‘ve ever heard. 這是我聽過的最有趣的故事。

How beartifully she sings! I‘ve never heard a better voice.=

She has the best voice.I‘ve ever heard.她唱得多好呀！是我聽到的最美的歌喉。

2.用“比較級 than any other 單數名詞”表示。

如：He is better than any other student in the class.(=He is the best student in his class.)他在班裏，比任何一個學生都好。

China is larger than any of the other countries in Asia.(=China is the largest country in Asia.)中國是亞洲最大的國家。

He writes more carefully than the other children.(=He writes most carefully .)

他比其他孩子寫得都認真。

3.用“比較級 than anything/anyone else"表示。

如：John did more work than anyone else.(=John did the most.)John幹活最多。

4.在比較級中用no或nothing等詞表示。

如：I like nothing better than swimming. (=I like swimming best.)我最喜歡游泳。

Nobody can do the work better than he did.(=He did the work best.)

這項工作他做得最好。

le traveling long distancesfrequently have to decide whether they would prefer togo by land, sea, or air.

人們做長途旅行時，往往不得不決定究竟取道陸路、海洋還是航空。

ly anyonecan positively enjoy sitting in a train for more than afew hours.

很少有人能夠真正喜歡坐幾個小時以上的火車。

is almost impossible to take your mind off the journey.

想擺脱開旅途的困擾是很難的

ing is only a partial solution, for the monotonous rhythm of thewheels clicking on the rails soon lulls you to sleep.

看書只能解決部分問題。

ng the day, sleep comes in snatches.

白天是忽睡忽醒

itable you arrive at your destination almost exhausted.

一旦抵達目的地，你總是疲憊不堪。

7.…but moreoften than not, the greater part of thejourney is spent on narrow, bumpy roads which are crowded with traffic.

然而通常大部分旅程都是消磨在狹窄、刊刻不平和擠滿車輛的道路上。

8.…no form of transport could be worse.最糟糕的情況莫過於此了。

tively few people areprepared to sacrifice up to a third of theirholidays for the pleasure of traveling on a ship.

沒有多少人會為享受坐船旅行的樂趣而犧牲假期的時間。

planes have the reputationof being dangerous and even hardened travelers are intimidated by them.

飛機以危險而著稱，連老資格的旅行者也怕飛機。

nothing can match them for speedand comfort.

但就速度與舒適而言，飛機是無與倫比的。

12.…there is plenty to keep you occupied.

你仍然不會感到無聊。

aeroplane offers you anunusual and breathtaking view of the world.

你可以觀察世界上非同尋常的奇妙的美景。