一、【Text】课文

True eccentrics never deliberately set out to draw attention to themselves. They disregard social conventions without being conscious that they are doing anything extraordinary. This invariably wins them the love and respect of others, for they add colour to the dull routine of everyday life.

Up to the time of his death, Richard Colson was one of the most notable figures in our town. He was a shrewd and wealthy businessman, but most people in the town hardly knew anything about this side of his life. He was known to us all as Dickie and his eccentricity had become legendary long before he died.

Dickie disliked snobs intensely. Though he owned a large car, he hardly ever used it, preferring always to go on foot. Even when it was raining heavily, he refused to carry an umbrella. One day, he walked into an expensive shop after having been caught in a particularly heavy shower. He wanted to buy a ￡300 watch for his wife, but he was in such a bedraggled condition that an assistant refused to serve him. Dickie left the shop without a word and returned carrying a large cloth bag. As it was extremely heavy, he dumped it on the counter. The assistant asked him to leave, but Dickie paid no attention to him and requested to see the manager. Recognizing who the customer was, the manager was most apologetic and 'reprimanded the assistant severely. When Dickie was given the watch, he presented the assistant with the cloth bag. It contained ￡300 in pennies. He insisted on the assistant's counting the money before he left---- 30,000 pennies in all! On another occasion, he invited a number of important critics to see his private collection of modern paintings. This exhibition received a great deal of attention in the press, for though the pictures were supposed to be the work of famous artists, they had in fact been painted by Dickie. It took him four years to stage this elaborate joke simply to prove that critics do not always know what they are talking about.

二、【New words and expressions】生词和短语

●lovable adj. 可爱的

●eccentric n. (行为)古怪的人

●disregard v. 不顾，漠视

●convention n. 习俗，风俗

●conscious adj. 感觉到的，意识到的

●invariably adv. 总是，经常地

●routine n. 常规;惯例

●shrewd adj. 精明的

●eccentricity n. 怪僻

●legendary adj. 传奇般的

●snob n. 诌上欺下的人

●intensely adv. 强烈地

●bedraggled adj 拖泥带水的

●dump v. 把……砰的一声抛下

●apologetic adj. 道歉的

●reprimand v. 训斥

●stage v. 暗中策划

●elaborate adj. 精心构思的

■lovable adj. 可爱的

lovable == worthy of love

lovely = beautiful 可爱的

lovable 惹人爱

Eg: What he does is lovable.

I like the lovely boy/girl.

A large number of eccentrics are lovable. 许多怪人惹人喜爱。

■eccentric n. (行为)古怪的人

eccentric: a person whose behaviou is peculiar, unusual, rather strange.

eccentric: adj. peculiar, unusual; strange

strange因为陌生而奇怪

Eg.: The modern building looks strange to the villages.

eccentric 行为举止古怪

Eg.: I can’t get on well with him, because he is eccentric.

odd 强调因为少见而多怪

Eg.: Look, he is wearing an odd hat.

peculiar 奇异的，不同寻常的

The house is peculiar.

I feel peculiar today. ==I feel uncomfortable / ill. == I’m not myself today.

eccentricity n. 怪癖

■disregard v. 不顾，漠视

disregard: ignore; pay no attention to

Disregard noise and keep working

disregard n.

have disregard of / for

He has complete disregard of / for my feelings.

in disregard of

He did the work in disregard of my instructions.

treat sb. with disregard 怠慢某人

Anyway, don’t treat your friends with disregard.

■convention n. 习俗，风俗

convention: generally accepted practice.

Shaking hands when meeting people is normal convention in China.

custom 历史悠久的社会习俗

It’s a custom of giving presents at Christmas.

He always does exactly what he wants and does not care about convention.

practice 某团体的传统做法或令他人无法接受的习俗

Eg.: The normal practice in the company is to send bill as soon as the job is done.

Your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat--the normally accepted practice in many northern countries.(三册L23)

tradition 传统

Spending Christmas Day is a tradition for western people.

habit 个人习惯

I have a habit of reading English aloud in the morning.

■conscious adj. 感觉到的，意识到的

conscious ==aware新概念英语mp3

be conscious of / that

be aware of / that

He is quite unaware of the danger.

He is not conscious of the danger.

class conscious 有阶级意识的

family conscious 有家庭观念的

clothes conscious 注重衣着的

stairs conscious 注重地位的

aware, conscious的反义词直接加un-

unaware, unconscious

subconscious 下意识的

consciousness n.

■invariably adv. 总是，经常地

■routine n. 常规;惯例

routine: the regular fixed way of sth. / doing things

follow the routine 墨守常规

break the routine 打破常规

start the daily routine 开始每天的日常生活

■shrewd adj. 精明的

shrewed: showing good practical judgement 精明的，狡滑的，敏锐的，机灵的

He is a shrewed observer.

We have got shrewed common sense.

Sb. is shrewed. == He has good judgement.

shrewed brained

shrewed headed 头脑机灵的

shrewed looking 看起来机灵的

L31-02 end 11’26”

L31-03 begin 11’00”

cunning: clever at deceiving 善于歉骗的

sly 用更隐秘的办法来达到目的

a sly old fox

■eccentricity n. 怪僻

■legendary adj. 传奇般的

■snob n. 诌上欺下的人

■intensely adv. 强烈地

intense adj. very strong ; violent; extreme; sharp; etc.

intense cold 严寒

intense heat 酷暑

intense discussion 激烈的讨论

intensify vt. 使增强

You must intensify your sense of responsibility.你必须加强责任感。

intensity n.

Losing jobs are growing in intensity.

sth are growing in intensity ……(某种程度)在加强

Eg: Losing jobs are growing in intensity.

■bedraggled adj 拖泥带水的

■dump v. 把……砰的一声抛下

■reprimand v. 训斥

reprimand: scold officially and severely

blame 责备(语气程度很弱)

Eg.: The teacher blamed him for his coming late.

scold 斥责(语气稍重一点)

Don’t scold me for a trifle.

reproach 斥责 (语气最严重)

He often reproached his children.

reprimand: scold officially and severely

The boss reprimanded his employees severely.

■apologetic adj. 道歉的

apologize v.

He apologized to his boss.

The boss apologized to his employees.

He was apologetic. 他致以歉意

apology n. 歉意

make apology to sb. for sth.

■stage v. 暗中策划

He stage a joke.

■elaborate adj. 精心构思的

elaborate == carefully worked out

an elaborate design 精心的设计

elaborate vt.

He elaborated a system of computer.

三、【课文精析】

deliberately: on purpose

set out to do = set about doing = start doing / to do sth.

draw attention to 吸引对......的注意

capture/attract/hold/catch/arrest/receive/draw attention to 吸引对……的注意力

He made a mistake without being conscious of the fact

invariably = always

Her fine character quickly won her the friendship of her colleagues

win sb sth 为某人赢得……

add colour to 增添色彩

Eccentrics add colour to our dull life.

up to the time of his death: before he died. 完成时

notable: famous

this side of his life 生活的这一面

Dickie disliked snobs intensely / violently

preferring 现在分词做伴随状况状语

be caught in a heavy shower 遇到瓢泼大雨

be caught in a heavy snow 遇到大雪

be caught in a heavy storm 遇到风暴

pay no attention to sb = ignore sb = take no notice of sb = turn a deaf ear to sb对……不予理睬

Dickie took no notice of him

dickie turned a deaf ear to him.

refuse to listen to

request 求见(非常正式而有礼貌的用词，语气相当强烈，假如你request某件东西的话，通常你有权利得到你想要的。)

I requested the headmaster.

Every student can request assistance of their teachers.’

demand 在语气上还要强烈，假如你demand某件东西的话，你坚决认为你有权利得到你想要的，且不愿意接受否定的回答。

I demand my rights. 我要求我的权力。

ask 口头或写信介到某物

I asked to get the book.

he asked me for help.

realizing or recognizing 在这里现在分词做原因状语

most = very much

present sb. with sth. or present sth. to sb. 把......交给

insist on doing / insist that

He insisted that the shop assistant should count the money before he left.

receive a great deal of attention in the press 引起了报界广泛注意

simply to prove = only to prove

talk nonsense 胡说八道

talk sense 说正经话