爱华网新概念英语第2册课文
1 A private conversation 私人谈话
Last weekI went to the theatre. I had a very good seat. The play was very interesting. I did not enjoy it. A young man and a young woman were sitting behind me. They were talking loudly. I got very angry. I could not hear the actors. I turned round. I looked at the man andthe woman angrily. They did not pay any attention. In the end, I could not bear it. I turned round again. 'I can't hear a word!' I said angrily.
'It's noneof your business,' the young man said rudely. 'This is a private conversation!'
2Breakfast or lunch?早餐还是午餐？
It wasSunday. I never get up early on Sundays. I sometimes stay in bed until lunchtime.Last Sunday I got up very late. I looked out of the window. It was darkoutside.
'What aday!' I thought. 'It's raining again.' Just then, the telephone rang. It was myaunt Lucy.'I've just arrived by train,' she said. 'I'm coming to see you.'
'But I'mstill having breakfast,' I said.
'What areyou doing?' she asked.
'I'mhaving breakfast,' I repeated.
'Dear me,'she said. 'Do you always get up so late? It's one o'clock!'
3 Pleasesend me a card 请给我寄一张明信片
Postcards always spoil my holidays. Last summer, I went to Italy. I visited museums and sat inpublic gardens. A friendly waiter taught me a few words of Italian. Then he lent me a book.I read a few lines, but I did not understand a word. Everyday I thought about postcards.My holidays passed quickly, but I did not send cards to my friends. On the last day I made a big decision. I got up early and bought thirty-seven cards. I spent the whole day in myroom, but I did not write a single card!
4 Anexciting trip 激动人心的旅行
I havejust received a letter from my brother, Tim. He is in Australia. He has been there for six months. Tim is an engineer. He is working for a big firm and he has already visited a greatnumber of different places in Australia.He has just bought an Australian car and has gone to Alice springs, a small town in the centre of Australia. He will soon visit Darwin.Fromthere, he will fly to Perth.My brother has never been abroad before, so he is fending this tripvery exciting.
5 No wrong numbers 无错号之虞
Mr.JamesScott has a garage in Silbury and now he has just bought another garage in Pinhurst.Pinhurst is only five miles from Silbury, but Mr. Scott cannot get a telephonefor his newgarage, so he has just bought twelve pigeons. Yesterday, a pigeon carried the first messagefrom Pinhurst to Silbury. The bird covered the distance in three minutes. Up to
now,Mr.Scott has sent a great many requests for spare parts and other urgent messages
from onegarage to the other. In this way, he has begun his own private 'telephone'service.
6 PercyButtons 珀西.巴顿斯
I havejust moved to a house in Bridge Street. Yesterday a beggar knocked at my door.
He askedme for a meal and a glass of beer. In return for this, the beggar stood on hishead
and sangsongs. I gave him a meal. He ate the food and drank the beer. Then he put apiece
of cheesein his pocket and went away. Later a neighbour told me about him. Everybody knows him. His name is Percy Buttons.He calls at every house in the street once a month
and alwaysasks for a meal and a glass of beer.
7 Too late为时太晚
The planewas late and detectives were waiting at the airport all morning. They were
expectinga valuable parcel of diamonds from South Africa. A few hours earlier,someone
had toldthe police that thieves would try to steal the diamonds. When the planearrived,
some ofthe detectives were waiting inside the main building while others were waitingon
theairfield. Two men took the parcel off the plane and carried it into the CustomsHouse.
While twodetectives were keeping guard at the door, two others opened the parcel. To
theirsurprise, the precious parcel was full of stones and sand!
8 The bestand the worst 最好的和最差的
JoeSanders has the most beautiful garden in our town. Nearly everybody enters for
'TheNicest Garden Competition' each year, but Joe wins every time. Bill Frith'sgarden is
largerthan Joe's. Bill works harder than Joe and grows more flowers and vegetables,but
Joe'sgarden is more interesting. He has made neat paths and has built a woodenbridge
over apool. I like gardens too, but I do not like hard work. Every year I enter forthe garden
competitiontoo, and I always win a little prize for the worst garden in the town!
9 A cold welcome 冷遇
OnWednesday evening, we went to the Town Hall. It was the last day of the yearand
a largecrowd of people had gathered under the Town Hall clock. It would strike twelvein
twentyminutes' time. Fifteen minutes passed and then, at five to twelve, the clockstopped.
The bigminute hand did not move. We waited and waited, but nothing happened. Suddenly
someoneshouted. 'It's two minutes past twelve! The clock has stopped!' I looked at my
watch. Itwas true. The big clock refused to welcome the New Year. At that moment,
everybodybegan to laugh and sing.
10 Not forjazz 不适于演奏爵士乐
We have anold musical instrument. It is called a clavichord. It was made in Germany
in 1681.Our clavichord is kept in the living room. It has belonged to our family for along
time. Theinstrument was bought by my grandfather many years ago. Recently it was
damaged bya visitor. She tried to play jazz on it! She struck the keys too hard and twoof
thestrings were broken. My father was shocked. Now we are not allowed to touch it.It is
beingrepaired by a friend of my father's.
11 Onegood turn deserves another 礼尚往来
I washaving dinner at a restaurant when Tony Steele came in. Tony worked in a
lawyer'soffice years ago, but he is now working at a bank. He gets a good salary, buthe
alwaysborrows money from his friends and never pays it back. Tony saw me and came and
sat at thesame table. He has never borrowed money from me. While he was eating, I
asked himto lend me twenty pounds. To my surprise, he gave me the money immediately.
'I havenever borrowed any money from you,' Tony said, 'so now you can pay for my
dinner!'
12 Goodbyeand good luck 再见，一路顺风
Ourneighbour, Captain Charles Alison, will sail from Portsmouth tomorrow. We'll meet him at the harbour early in themorning. He will be in his small boat, Topsail. Topsail is a
famouslittle boat. It has sailed across the Atlanticmany times. Captain Alison will set out
at eighto'clock, so we'll have plenty of time. We'll see his boat and then we'll saygoodbye
to him. Hewill be away for two months. We are very proud of him. He will take part in an
importantrace across the Atlantic.
13 TheGreenwood Boys 绿林少年
TheGreenwood Boys are a group of pop singers. At present, they are visiting allparts
of thecountry. They will be arriving here tomorrow. They will be coming by train andmost
of theyoung people in the town will be meeting them at the station. Tomorrow evening
they willbe singing at the Workers' Club. The Greenwood Boys will be staying for fivedays.
Duringthis time, they will give five performances. As usual, the police will have adifficult
time. Theywill be trying to keep order. It is always the same on these occasions.
14 Do youspeak English?你会讲英语吗？
I had anamusing experience last year. After I had left a small village in the south of
France, I drove on to the next town. On theway, a young man waved to me. I stopped and
he askedme for a lift. As soon as he had got into the car, I said good morning to himin
French andhe replied in the same language. Apart from a few words, I do not know any
French atall. Neither of us spoke during the journey. I had nearly reached the town,when
the youngman suddenly said, very slowly, "Do you speak English?' As I soon learnt,he was
Englishhimself!'
15 Goodnews 佳音
Thesecretary told me that Mr. Harmsworth would see me. I felt very nervous when I
went intohis office. He did not look up from his desk when I entered. After I had satdown,
he saidthat business was very bad. He told me that the firm could not afford to paysuch
largesalaries. Twenty people had already left. I knew that my turn had come.
'Mr.Harmsworth,'I said in a weak voice.
'Don'tinterrupt,' he said.
Then hesmiled and told me I would receive an extra thousand pounds a year!
16 A polite request 彬彬有礼的要求
If youpark your car in the wrong place, a traffic policeman will soon find it. Youwill be
very luckyif he lets you go without a ticket. However, this does not always happen.Traffic
police aresometimes very polite. During a holiday in Sweden, I found this note on mycar:
'sir, wewelcome you to our city. This is a "No Parking" area. You will enjoyyour stay here
if you payattention to our street signs. This note is only a reminder.' If you receive a
requestlike this, you cannot fail to obey it!
17 Alwaysyoung 青春常驻
My auntJennifer is an actress. She must be at least thirty-five years old. In spite ofthis,
she oftenappears on the stage as a young girl. Jennifer will have to take part in a newplay
soon. Thistime, she will be a girl of seventeen. In the play, she must appear in a brightred
dress andlong black stockings. Last year in another play, she had to wear short socksand
a bright,orange-coloured dress. If anyone ever asks her how old she is, she always
answers,'Darling, it must be terrible to be grown up!'
18 Heoften does this 他经常干这种事！
After Ihad had lunch at a village pub, I looked for my bag. I had left it on a chairbeside
the doorand now it wasn't there! As I was looking for it, the landlord came in.
'Did youhave a good meal?" he asked.
'Yes,thank you,' I answered, 'but I can't pay the bill. I haven't got my bag.'
Thelandlord smiled and immediately went out. In a few minutes he returned with my
bag andgave it back to me.
'I'm verysorry,' he said. 'My dog had taken in into the garden. He often does this!'
19 Soldout 票已售完
'The playmay begin at any moment,' I said.
'It mayhave begun already,' Susan answered.
I hurriedto the ticket office. 'May I have two tickets please?' I asked.
'I'msorry, we've sold out,' the girl said.
'What apity!' Susan exclaimed.
Just then,a man hurried to the ticket office.
'Can Ireturn these two tickets?' he asked.
'Certainly,'the girl said.
I wentback to the ticket office at once.
'Could Ihave those two tickets please?' I asked.
'Certainly,'the girl said, 'but they're for next Wednesday's performance. Do you still
wantthem?'
'I mightas well have them,' I said sadly.
20 One manin a boat 独坐孤舟
Fishing ismy favourite sport. I often fish for hours without catching anything. But this
does notworry me. Some fishermen are unlucky. Instead of catching fish, they catch old
boots andrubbish. I am even less lucky. I never catch anything -- not even old boots.After
havingspent whole mornings on the river, I always go home with an empty bag. 'Youmust
give upfishing!' my friends say. 'It's a waste of time.' But they don't realize oneimportant
thing. I'mnot really interested in fishing. I am only interested in sitting in a boat anddoing
nothing atall!
21 Mad ornot?是不是疯了
Aeroplanesare slowly driving me mad. I live near an airport and passing planes can be
heardnight and day. The airport was built years ago, but for some reason it couldnot be
used then.Last year, however, it came into use. Over a hundred people must have been
drivenaway from their homes by the noise. I am one of the few people left. SometimesI
think thishouse will be knocked down by a passing plane. I have been offered a large sum
of moneyto go away, but I am determined to stay here. Everybody says I must be mad and
they areprobably right.
22 A glass envelope 玻璃信封
Mydaughter, Jane, never dreamed of receiving a letter from a girl of her own agein
Holland. Last year, we were travelling acrossthe Channel and Jane put a piece of paper
with hername and address on it into a bottle. She threw the bottle into the sea. Shenever
thought ofit again, but ten months later, she received a letter from a girl in Holland. Both
girlswrite to each other regularly now. However, they have decided to use the postoffice.Letterswill cost a little more, but they will certainly travel faster.
23 A new house 新居
I had aletter from my sister yesterday. She lives in Nigeria. In her letter, she saidthat
she wouldcome to Englandnext year. If she comes, she will get a surprise. We are now
living ina beautiful new house in the country. Work on it had begun before my sisterleft.
The housewas completed five months ago. In my letter, I told her that she could staywith
us. Thehouse has many large rooms and there is a lovely garden. It is a very modern
house, soit looks strange to some people. It must be the only modern house in thedistrict.
24 Ifcould be worse 不幸中之万幸
I enteredthe hotel manager's office and sat down. I had just lost $50 and I felt very
upset. 'Ileft the money in my room,' I said, 'and it's not there now.' The manager was
sympathetic,but he could do nothing. 'Everyone's losing money these days,' he said. He
started tocomplain about this wicked world but was interrupted by a knock at the door. A
girl camein and put an envelope on his desk. It contained $50. 'I found this outsidethis
gentleman'sroom,' she said. 'Well,' I said to the manager, 'there is still some honesty in
thisworld!'
25 Do theEnglish speak English?英国人讲的是英语吗？
I arrivedin London atlast. The railway station was big, black and dark. I did not know
the way tomy hotel, so I asked a porter. I not only spoke English very
