So great is our passion for doing things for ourselves, that we are becoming increasingIy less dependent on specialized labour. No one can plead ignorance of a subject any longer, for there are countless do-it-yourself publications. Armed with the right tools and materials, newlyweds gaily embark on the task of decorating their own homes. Men, particularly, spend hours of their leisure time installing their own fireplaces, laying out their own gardens; building garages and making furniture. Some really keen enthusiasts go so far as to build their own computers. Shops cater for the do-it-yourself craze not only by running special advisory services for novices, but by offering consumers bits and pieces which they can assemble at home. Such things provide an excellent outlet for pent up creative energy, but unfortunately not all of us are born handymen.

Some wives tend to believe that their husbands are infinitely resourceful and can fix anything. Even men who can hardly drive a nail in straight are supposed to be born electricians, carpenters, plumbers and mechanics. When lights fuse, furniture gets rickety, pipes get clogged, or vacuum cleaners fail to operate, some women assume that their husbands will somehow put things right. The worst thing about the do-it-yourself game is that sometimes even men live under the delusion that they can do anything, even when they have repeatedly been proved wrong. It is a question of pride as much as anything else.

Last spring my wife suggested that I call in a man to look at our lawn mower. It had broken down the previous summer, and though I promised to repair it, I had never got round to it. I would not hear of the suggestion and said that I would fix it myself. One Saturday afternoon, I hauled the machine into the garden and had a close look at it. As far as I could see, it only needed a minor adjustment: a turn of a screw here, a little tightening up there, a drop of oil and it would be as good as new. Inevitably the repair job was not quite so simple. The mower firmly refused to mow, so I decided to dismantle it. The garden was soon littered with chunks of metal which had once made up a lawn mower. But I was extremely pleased with myself. I had traced the cause of the trouble. One of the links in the chain that drives the wheels had snapped. After buying a new chain I was faced with the insurmountable task of putting the confusing jigsaw puzzle together again. I was not surprised to find that the machine still refused to work after I had reassembled it, for the simple reason that I was left with several curiously shaped bits of metal which did not seem to fit anywhere. I gave up in despair. The weeks passed and the grass grew. When my wife nagged me to do something about it, I told her that either I would have to buy a new mower or let the grass grow. Needless to say our house is now surrounded by a jungle. Buried somewhere in deep grass there is a rusting lawn-mower which I have prom-

ised to repair one day.

二、【New words and expressions】生词和短语

●plead v. 找(借口)，辩解

●ignorance n. 无知，不懂

●publication n. 出版物

●newlyweds n. 新婚夫妇

●gaily adv. 愉快地，高兴地

●leisure n. 空闲

●keen adj. 热心的，渴望的

●advisory adj. 咨询的

●novice n. 新手

●consumer n. 消费者，顾客

●assemble v. 装配，组装

●outlet n. 出路

●creative adj. 创造性的

●handyman n. 手巧的人，能工巧匠

●resourceful adj. 足智多谋的

●fuse v. 由于烧断保险丝而短路

●rickety adj. 要散架的，晃动的

●clog v. 堵塞

●delusion n. 错觉

●lawn mower 割草机

●adjustment n. 调整

●screw n. 螺丝钉

●dismantle v. 拆卸

●chunk n. (厚)块

●snap v. 绷断

●insurmountable adj. 不能克服的，难以对付的

●jigsaw n. 线锯

●nag v. 唠叨不休

●rust v. 生锈

◆plead v. 找(借口)，辩解

plead ignorance: 一无所知

Eg: The authorities plead ignorance.

I pleaded that I was ill so I couldn’t go to the party.

plead that...

pleadable 可辩护的

Eg: This is a pleadable case.

pleading n. 辩护，恳求

pleader n. 辩护人

beg vt. 肯求 (可怜地一再要求)

beg sb. not to do

ask 请求，要求(期待肯定的答复)

entreat: 请求(通过反反复复的请求，来说服、软化对方)

implore 要求(迫切地、痛苦地要求)

Eg: The poor man implored me for help.

◆ignorance n. 无知，不懂

◆publication n. 出版物

◆newlyweds n. 新婚夫妇

◆gaily adv. 愉快地，高兴地

◆◆◆leisure n. 空闲

spare time

leisure hours新概念二册

at leisure 悠闲自得的，空闲的

Eg: I’m quite at leisure if you want to me to help you.

at one’s leisure 在某人空闲的时候，在某人高兴的时候

Eg: Look me up, at your leisure.

drop in me, at your leisure.

At your leisure, please call me.

wait sb.’s leisure 等某人有空闲的时候

◆◆◆keen adj. 热心的，渴望的

eager, anxious

be keen about 迷上，喜欢上

The boy is keen about footfall.

be keen on sth. 迷上，喜欢上(口)

anxious (焦急的心情，因焦虑而渴望)

eager (因特别想得到或拥有某物而渴求)

Eg: What are you eager for?

keen (因为极大的兴趣和欲念而热衷于)

◆advisory adj. 咨询的

◆novice n. 新手

◆consumer n. 消费者，顾客

◆assemble v. 装配，组装

assemble vi. 众多人的集会

==fit, put the parts / pieces together

Eg: It took me three hours to assemble thy bicycle.

amass, accumulate, collect, gather, assemble, store up, hold up

◆outlet n. 出路

排水口，通风口

a way through which sth. may go out

an outlet for water 排水口

an outlet for air 通风口

Eg: This is an outlet for you to get success.

He wants an outlet for his anger.他需要一个出气筒。

outlet for

inlet 进口，入口

◆creative adj. 创造性的

inventive adj. 善于创造的，发明的

◆handyman n. 手巧的人，能工巧匠

◆◆◆resourceful adj. 足智多谋的

==witty 机智的，俏皮的，言辞巧妙的

wit 智慧，智谋

Eg: He’s in trouble and he’s witts ended.

wit: 智慧，智谋(通常用复数形式)

resource 资源;消遣，娱乐==entertainment, amusement

entertainment 为使某人开心而进行的娱乐和消遣== amusement

resource 消遣的目的是为了打发时间

◆fuse v. 由于烧断保险丝而短路

◆rickety adj. 要散架的，晃动的

◆clog v. 堵塞

◆delusion n. 错觉

◆lawn mower 割草机

◆adjustment n. 调整

adjust 指调整，调节，使之适应

◆◆◆screw n. 螺丝钉

screw vt. 1. 拧

screw down 用螺丝钉固定住;约束

screw up 固定住;把.....揉成一团

screw out 拧出来;勉强拿出，逼出

screw around 鬼混;闲逛

as he has a screw loose / missing

Eg: Don’t have a chat with him as he has a screw loose. 不要跟他闲聊，他这个人疯疯颠颠的。

You must have your head screwed properly. 你必须保持头脑清醒。

◆dismantle v. 拆卸

take apart

He took a longmor apart.

◆chunk n. (厚)块

◆snap v. 绷断

猛咬(==bite);拍快照

break suddenly

The chain snap suddenly.

snap one’s fingers at sb. 弹响指

snap sth. up 迅速地抓住机会抢购

Eg: The cheapist dresses were quickly snapped up. 抢购一空

in a snap 立刻，马上

It is a snap. 很轻松，小菜一碟

◆insurmountable adj. 不能克服的，难以对付的

==cannot be overcome

surmount: 克服 surmount difficulty

Eg:They are faced with insurmountable difficulties.

vanquish: 克服

◆jigsaw n. 线锯

◆nag v. 唠叨不休

◆rust v. 生锈

三、【课文精析】

本文非常优秀，一是在句子结构上，二是在系列短语上

Key sentence:

So great is our passion for doing things for ourselves, that we are becoming increasingIy less dependent on specialized labour.

此句的基本句型是so...that... 引导的结果状语从句，为了强调great这个词，把so great 提到句首，因此主谓语要倒装。

passion 热情

passion for doing sth.

be / become dependent on ≠ independent

less dependent = more independent

specialized == skillful

Key sentence:

No one can plead ignorance of a subject any longer,

plead ignorance of sth. 对......一无所知

Eg: He pleade ignorance of the accident.

countless 不计其数的

Key sentence:

Armed with the right tools and materials, newlyweds gaily embark on the task of decorating their own homes.

armed with 佩戴上

gaily == happily, cheerfully

embark on doing sth. 从事做(新的、难度大的事情)==start sth. (new or difficult)

lay out 安排，布置

go so far as to do: 竟然到了干......的地步

Eg: Oh, my god, he went so far as to refuse my demand.

She goes so far as to go shopping / with it shop every day.

keen: 感兴趣的，热心的

enthusiasm 热情

cater for 满足，迎合人们的需要== provide what is necessary

Eg: Our school tries to cater for students needs / demands.

do-it-yourself 合成形容词

craze== passion

bits and pieces 备件，零件

特点：重复介词使用

in dread of: 害怕

Key sentence:

Such things provide an excellent outlet for pent up creative energy,

provide an outlet for: 寻找......出路

pent up：被压抑的 ==oppressed

potential 潜在的

not all of us 部分的否定

none of us 全部的否定

born：生来就是

Key sentence:

Some wives tend to believe that their husbands are infinitely resourceful and can fix anything.

Some wives live under the illusion that their husbands are infinitely resourceful and can fix anything.

tend to: 倾向于

tend to do sth. 有.....倾向

tend to sth. 照料，伺候==attend to (应付，对付==deal with)

Key sentence:

Even men who can hardly drive a nail in straight are supposed to be born electricians, carpenters,

be supposed to 一致公认

Key sentence:

When lights fuse, furniture gets rickety, pipes get clogged, or vacuum cleaners fail to operate, some women assume that their husbands will somehow put things right.

presume: 表示猜测，主观判断，有事实可以依据

assume: 主观武断的认为

eg: 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.

Key sentence:

The worst thing about the do-it-yourself game is that sometimes even men live under the delusion that they can do anything, even when they have repeatedly been proved wrong.

The worst thing is that...最糟糕的事情

delusion(语气强烈)==illusion

It is a question of pride as much as anything else.

It is a question of pride...

as much as anything (else) 加强语气==very, very much

call in a man to look at sth.

break down: 坏掉了

fail to operate

get / come round to sth. 抽出时间做某事

make time to do sth. / spare time to do sth.

Eg: I got round to writing the letter after two days delay.

as far as I could see == as far as I knew / as far as I could find / discover 在我看来

minor≠major

it would be as good as new

as good as 几乎，差不多==almost, actually, virtually, nearly

Eg: He as good as turned me down. 他实际上就是拒绝了我。

inevitably 不可避免地

The garden was soon littered with chunks of metal which had once made up a lawn-mower.

be littered with 放满了

make up 表示一种状态

assemble:强调动作

I had traced the cause of the trouble.

trace: 跟踪==find, discover

Key sentence:

After buying a new chain I was faced with the insurmountable task of putting the confusing jigsaw puzzle together again.

be faced with 面对，面临

confusing == puzzling, perplexing

for the simple reason that: 出于这个简单的原因

Key sentence:

Buried somewhere in deep grass there is a rusting lawn-mower which I have promised to repair one day.

buried somewhere in deep grass... 连接上下文，加强语气，修饰lawn mower