一、【Text】课文

The quiet life of the country ahs never appealed to me. City born and city bred. I have always regarded the country as something you look at through a train window, or something you occasional visit during the weekend. Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country. Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life, only one of hem has ever gone to live in the country and he was back in town within six months. Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life. He is forever talking about the friendly people, the clean atmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle pace of living. Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds at dawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures. This idyllic pastoral scene is only part of the picture. My friend fails to mention the long and friendless winter evenings in front of the TV -- virtually the only form of entertainment. He says nothing about the poor selection of goods in the shops, or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to the city every day to get to work. Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me. They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live in the city where they rightly belong.

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. You never have to travel miles to see your friends. They invariably live nearby and are always available for an informal chat or an evening's entertainment. Some of my acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit the theatre as a special treat. For them this is a major operation which involves considerable planning. As the play draws to its close, they wonder whether they will ever catch that last train home. The cit dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort. The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away. Shopping, too, is always a pleasure. The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away. Shopping, too, is always a pleasure. There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best. 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. Nor is the city without its moments of beauty. There is something comforting about the warm glow shed by advertisements on cold wet winter nights. Few things could be more impressive than the peace that descends on deserted city streets at weekends when the thousands that travel to work every day are tucked away in their homes in the country. It has always been a mystery to me who city dwellers, who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.

二、【New words and expressions】生词和短语

●illusion n. 幻想，错觉

●pastoral adj. 田园的

●breed v. 培育

●rapture n. 欣喜

●extol v. 赞美，颂扬

●superior adj. 优越的

●cockcrow n. 鸡叫

●twitter v. (鸟)吱吱叫，喊喊喳喳叫

●glint v. 闪烁

●pasture n. 牧场

●idyllic adj. 田园诗的

●virtually adv. 几乎;差不多

●dubious adj. 可疑的，怀疑的

●privilege n. 特权

●misery n. 苦难

●acquaintance n. 熟人

●treat n. 难得的乐事，享受

●dweller n. 居住者

●stagger v. 摇晃;蹒跚

●exotic adj. 寻乎寻常的，外来的

●glow n. 白炽光

●descend v. 下落，降临

●tuck v. 缩进，隐藏

●obstinately adv. 固执地，顽固地

◆illusion n. 幻想，错觉

under illusion that / under the impression that

I am under the impression that you are honest.

We live under the illusion.

I am under the impression that he will help me every day.

under no illusion that

We live under no illusion that country life is beautiful.

have illusion about / have no illusion about

delusion 幻觉，(精神病人)

Eg: He is under the delusion that somebody will kill him tomorrow.

He lives under the delusion that he will be killed sometime.

vision 憧景

Eg: I live under the vision that I have a bright future.

illusioned adj.充满幻想的

Eg: The world of children is illusioned.

illusionary adj. 错觉的，幻觉的

Eg: Don’t believe in him. What he said is illusionary picture.

illusive adj. 虚假的，不可靠的

Eg: What he described was illusive. Don’t depend on him any more.

imaginary

imaging

Eg: I can’t imagine building Great Wall.

imaginary 虚构的

Eg: The story is imaginary, Don’t be taken in.

imaginary

The story is imaginary. Don’t be taken in.

imaginative 富有想像力的

Children are more imaginative than adults.

unimaginative 缺乏想像力的

imaginable 能想像得出的，(须放在被修饰词之后)

This is the idea / way imaginable.

imaginary / imaginative / imaginable / unimaginatice

We are imaginative

illusionary / imaginary 虚构的

◆pastoral adj. 田园的

◆breed v. 培育

vt. breed / bred / bred

breed / raise / bring up / rear

raise /breed pets

raise / breed dogs.

Do you raise dogs?

educate

As a mother, you must breed good manners into your child.

rear 抚养，

I must rear the child because I have the duty.

He rears / breeds / raises two dogs.

grow / plant tree

cause / lead / result in / give rise to

War breeds misery and ruin. 战争导致毁灭和悲惨。

Your carelessness bred the accident

breed in and in 近亲结婚，同种繁殖

breed out and out 非近亲结婚，异种繁殖

breed / raise / bring up / cause

◆rapture n. 欣喜

great joy / delight

At the news, they are in raptures.

At the news, they are great delighted.

in raptures(about/ over sth. ) (对……) 欣喜若狂

I am in raptures about the new book.

go into raptures(over/ about/ at sth. ) (对……)感到非常的高兴!

He went into raptures when he heard the good news.

joy / happiness

We have a good time and we are full of happiness.

delight 高兴，喜悦，程度强于joy, 但不如rapture，也不如rapture那么正式，

I feel delighted == I am in raptures

ecstasy 入迷;狂喜

He is in ecstasy.

enchant v enchantment 入迷，

He was enchanted in thoughts.

elation 兴高采烈;得意洋洋

He has got the feeling of elation.

bliss 极乐;无尚的幸福

Nothing in the world can make you happier than bliss.

A sound sleep is my bliss

glee 欢乐，高兴，欢心 (诗歌中)

rapture / in raptures / go into raptures / joy / happiness / delight / ecstasy

/ enchantment / elation / bliss / glee

◆◆◆extol v. 赞美，颂扬

vt. praise

I can’t find a good word to praise you / your ability.

I want to extol the virtues of human beings.

compliment v. & n. 恭维

Do you often compliment ...?

exalt 赞扬，歌颂，吹捧

You disgust me. why do you extol such a stupid person.

laud 赞美

I want to do nothing but laud you.

What do you want to laud me?

I want to laud your beauty, ability and your wealth.

extol / praise / compliment / exalt / laud

◆superior adj. 优越的

better than the average

无比较级和最高级

be superior to 比…优越

In my opinion, town life is superior to country life.

interior

be interior to 比…低，不如…

Country life is superior to city life

superior / interior

senior

senior high school新概念英语

junior

The word is basic

junior high school

senior /junior

posterior / prior 后于/ 先于

This work is prior to that one.

of no confidence / importance / significance

It should be inferior to that one.

superior / inferior / senior / junior / posterior / prior

be prior to

◆cockcrow n. 鸡叫

◆twitter v. (鸟)吱吱叫，喊喊喳喳叫

◆glint v. 闪烁

shine / flash / glitter

flash 表示忽明忽暗的闪光，也可以指反光镜反出来的光线

Eg: A lighthouse is flashing in the distance.

glim 表示透过某种媒介而透出来的光线，比如透过茫茫大雾的光芒

Eg: Through the fog, we saw a lighthouse glimming.

glint 表示迅速闪烁的微弱的光，比如阳光下闪烁的露水光

Eg: The sun glinted through the leaves.

glisten 潮湿的物体上所反射的光泽，或是柔弱的光辉

Eg: The white snow glistened in all the colors of rainbow.

flicker 表示蜡烛或油灯在即将熄灭时的所发出的摇曳的光

Eg: On the cold night, I sat in front of the only one candle which was flickering.

flash / glim / glint / glisten / flicher

◆pasture n. 牧场

◆idyllic adj. 田园诗的

He is leading an idyllic life

◆virtually adv. 几乎;差不多

◆dubious adj. 可疑的，怀疑的

doubtful / uncertain / questionable / suspicious / sceptical

dubious

be dubious about/of 对…怀疑,对…不肯定，主要表示不肯定的，不确定的

doubt / suspect

Eg: I suspect that he stole the car last night. 语气较肯定的猜疑

I doubt whether he stole the car. 语气不太肯定

suspicious / doubtful

Cats are suspicious of human beings.

I am not sure about your ability to do so.

I am doubtful of your ability.

I am dubious about your ability.

questionable强调质疑，有问题的，值得争议的

This is a questionable conclusion / decision.

sceptical 怀疑论的，怀疑的 (正式用法)

suspicious

Your idea is sceptical.

dubious / dubious about ( of ) / doubtful / uncertain / suspicious / sceptical / questionable

◆privilege n. 特权

◆misery n. 苦难

◆acquaintance n. 熟人

◆treat n. 难得的乐事，享受

be one's treat

1.…请客 == sb. stand treat

Eg: Let's go to have dinner. It's my treat

treat sb. to

take sb. to dinner

Eg: It’s my pleasure to take you to dinner.

stand treat

I stand treat 我作东。

2. 对待

treat sb. as

I treat him as my best friend.

treat with sb. 跟某人商谈

I can’t bring it to a conclusion. I want to treat with you.

treat of sth. / sb. ==speak of

We speak / treat of tramps contemptuously.

2. 荣幸,享受

Eg: Having dinner with you is my treat.

treat sb. to 宴请某人…

Eg: It's my pleasure to treat you to dinner.

treat sb as 按…对待某人

Eg: I treat him as my best friend.

treat with sb. 跟某人商谈

Eg I can't bring it to a conclusion. I want to treat with you.

treat of sth./sb. 关于…，提及到…，==speak of

Eg: We treat of tramps contemptuously.

◆dweller n. 居住者

◆stagger v. 摇晃;蹒跚

◆exotic adj. 寻乎寻常的，外来的

◆glow n. 白炽光

◆descend v. 下落，降临

Eg: darkness descends very soon because winter is coming.

descend from 从 ...... 传下来

Eg: The watch descended from his grandfather.

descend on / upon 突然袭击，

He visited me suddenly.

He looked me up suddenly.

He called on me suddenly.

Yesterday, my best friend descended on me.

descend to 传给......

descend from...to

descend / descend from / descend to / descend on / descend upon

drop

I dropped the glass onto the floor.

ascend ant.

The aeroplane is ascending at tremendous speed.

◆tuck v. 缩进，隐藏

◆obstinately adv. 固执地，顽固地

obstinate adj. 顽固而不易被别人所改变

Eg: If you are an obstinate person, nobody can change your mind.

stubbom 倔强

Eg: He is such a stubborn person that he insists on finishing what he wants to do.

Don’t try to persuade him because he is an obstinate person.

persistent

persist

Eg: If you always follow your friends around, I should say, you are a persist person.

strong minded 顽强的，意志力强

Eg: If you are a strong minded person, you can do everything well.

obstinate / stubborn

as stubborn as mule 像牛一样倔强 (骡子)

三、【课文精析】

Key sentence:

The quiet life of the country has never appealed to me.

city born and city bred ==as One was born and bred in a city 独立主格结构

regard as

think of ...as / refer to ...as

go into raptures 变得欣喜若狂起来

Key sentence:

Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country.

at the mere mention of 一提到

at the sight of 一看到

at the touch of 一触及到

at the news of 一听到

at the sound of 一听到

at the nemtion of 一提到

exalt / laud

hypocritical 虚伪

Key sentence:

The country life never appeals to me, and never appeals to others, either.

keep on doing sth.

Key sentence:

Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life.

under the illusion that

live under the illusion that

Country life is somehow superior to town life.

Every picture has got two sides. 凡事都有两方面

Key sentence:

Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me.

be beyond me = is beyond my understanding …是我无法理解的

stand / bear / put up with / endure / tolerate

privilege: advantage

dubious : doubtful / uncertain

Country life never appeals to me.

Key sentence:

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.

There are advantages of living in the country, but there are few advantages living in the country than living in the big city.

Key sentence:

There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best.

never have to ==need not ==don’t have to

do without

make do with 凑合者用

do without / manage without / go without 没有......也行

I can do / manage without a car.

available : able to be used anytime 随时可以应用的

主语做表语或定语，做定语时要放在被修饰词的后边。

I am availble to have a chat with you.

The books in our classroom are available for you.

be available for sb.

I have a dictionary available for you.

inconvenience of living in the country

major : great / demanding

draw to its close = near its end 临近结束/尾声

Key sentence:

The city dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort.

We can keep ourselves free from the anxieties of this sort which afflict the country dweller.

Eating food with different tasts is also a pleasure.

run wild 发疯

Key sentence:

Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home loaded with as many of the necessities of life as they can carry.

nor ... without 双重否定

The city has got its own beauty.

Don’t shed blood

deserted : enpty

all these things: all the pleasures of the city / all the advantages of living in the city

There are fewer advantages of the country than in the city.

There are more disadvantages of the country than those of the city.

extol the virtues

extol = praise highly

praise 比extol 的语义要弱得多

virtue 美德 = advantage

illusion 幻觉，错觉 = false idea

superior 比......有优势， ==better than

maintain == hold

glinting 闪烁 = glisten

tolerate 忍受 == endure, bear, stand, put up with, suffer without complaining

beyond me == can not be understood by me

beyond my understanding