大学英语精读第六册 Unit 2
时间：2018-12-04 作者：英语课 分类：大学英语精读第六册
Unit Two
Text
There is something fascinating about reading other people's mail if you are allowed to. Here is your chance to read the letters of American writer Sylvia Plath, which she wrote home to her mother from a hotel where she had a summer job as a waitress. At the time, she was a college student and was still at the start of her writing career. Through the letter we learn of her changing thoughts and moods concerning, boys and writing.
THE BEGINNING OF A CARREER
Sylvia Plath
The Belmont Hotel, cape 1 Cod
June 11, 1952
Dear Mother,
Your amazing telegram [telegram announcing $500 Mademoiselle prize for "Sunday at the Mintons," which I forwarded] came just as I was scrubbing tables in the shady interior of The Belmont dining room. I was so excited that I screamed and actually threw my arms around the head waitress who no doubt thinks I am rather insane! Anyhow, psychologically, the moment couldn't have been better. I felt tired -- one's first night's sleep in a new place never is peaceful -- and I didn't get much! To top it off, I was the only girl waitress here, and had been scrubbing furniture, washing dishes and silver, lifting tables, etc. since 8 a.m. Also, I just learned since I am completely inexperienced, I am not going to be working in the main dining room, but in the "side hall" where the managers and top hotel brass 2 eat. So, tips will no doubt net much less during the summer and the company be less interesting. So I was beginning to worry about money when your telegram came. God! To think "Sunday at the Mintons" is one of two prize stories to be put in a big national slick! Frankly 3, I can't believe it!
The first thing I though of was: Mother can keep her intersession money and buy some pretty clothes and a special trip or something! At least I get a winter coat and extra special suit out of the Mintons. I think the prize is $500!
ME! Of all people!…
So it's really looking up around here, now that I don't have to be scared stiff about money … Oh, I say, even if my feet kill me after this first week, and I drop 20 trays, I will have the beach, boys to bring me beer, sun, and young gay companions. What a life.
Love, your crazy old daughter.
Sivvy
June 12. 1952
No doubt after I catch up on sleep, and learn to balance trays high on my left hand, I'll feel much happier. As it is now, I feel stuck in the midst of a lot of loud, brassy Irish Catholics, and the only way I can jolly myself is to say, "Oh, well, it's only for a summer, and I can maybe write about them all." At least I've got a new name for my next protagonist 4 -- Marley, a gabby girl who knows her way around but good. The ration 5 of boys to girls has gotten less and less, so I'll be lucky if I get tagged by the youngest kid here. Lots of the girls are really wise, drinking flirts 6. As for me, being the conservative, quiet, gracious type, I don't stand much chance of dating some of the cutest ones … If I can only get "in" as a pal 7 with these girls, and never for a minute let them know I'm the gentle intellectual type, it'll be O.K.
As for the Mlle news, I don't think it's really sunk in yet. I felt sure they made a mistake, or that you'd made it up to cheer me. The big advantage will be that I won't have to worry about earning barely $300 this summer. I would really have been sick otherwise. I can't wait till August when I can go casually 8 down to the drug store and pick up a slick copy of Mlle, flip 9 to the index, and see ME, one of two college girls in the U.S.!
Really, when I think of how I started it over spring vacation, polished it at school, and sat up till midnight in the Haven 10 House kitchen typing it amidst noise and chatter 11, I can't get over how the story soared to were it did…
I get great pleasure out of sharing it [her feeling about the story] with you, who really understand how terribly much it means as a tangible 12 testimony 13 that I have got a germ of writing ability. The only thing, I probably won't have a chance to win Mlle again, so I'll try for a guest editorship maybe next or my senior year, and set my sights for the Atlantic. God, I'm glad I can talk about it with you -- probably you're the only outlet 14 that I'll have that won't get tired of my talking about writing …
Speaking again of Henry and Liz, it was a step for me to a story where the protagonist isn't always ME, and proved that I am beginning to use imagination to transform the actual incident. I was scared that would never happen, but I think it's an indication that my perspective is broadening.
Sometime I think -- heck, I don't know why I didn't stay home all summer, writing, doing physical science, and having a small part-time job. I could "afford" to now, but it doesn't do much good to yearn 15 about that, I guess. Although it would have been nice. Oh well, I'll cheer up. I love you.
Your own Sivvy
June 15, 1952
Dear Mother.
… Do write me letters, Mommy, because I am in a very dangerous of feeling sorry for myself … Just at present, life is awful. Mademoiselle seems quite unreal, and I am exhausted 16, scared, incompetent 17, unenergetic and generally low is spirits … Working in side hall puts me part, and I feel completely uprooted 18 and clumsy. The more I see the main hall girls expertly getting special dishes, fixing shaved ice and fruit, etc., the more I get an inferiority complex and feel that each day in side hall leaves me further behind … But as tempted 19 as I am to be a coward and escape by crawling back home, I have resolved to give it a good month's trial -- till July 10 … Don't worry about me, but do send me little pellets of advice now and then.
June 24, 1952
… Last night I went on a "gang" birthday party at the "Sand Bar" where we sang and talked for a few hours. There were about forty of us kids from the hotel. I managed by some magic to get myself seated next to a fellow in his first year at Harvard Law -- and he was just a dear … The best part was when we came back. It was a beautiful clear starry 20 night, and Clark went in to get me two of his sweaters to wear because it was cold, and brought out a book of T.S. Eliot's poems. So we sat on a bench where I could just barely read the print, and he put his head in my lap and I read aloud to him for a wile 21. Most nice. The only thing is I am so inclined to get fond of someone who will do things with me like that -- always inclined to be too metaphysical and serious conversationally 22 -- that's my main trouble … So glad to hear the check from Mlle is real. I hardly could believe it. Just now I am mentally so disorganized that I can't retain knowledge or think at all. The work is still new enough to be tiring, what with three changes a day into uniforms, and I am so preoccupied 23 by mechanics of living and people that I can't yet organize and assimilate all the chaos 24 of experience pouring in on me. In spite of everything, I still have my good old sense of humor and manage to laugh a good deal of the time … I'll make the best of whatever comes my way.
Much love to you,
Sivvy
New Words
mademoiselle
n. French title equivalent to Miss, abbr. Mlle
shady
a. full of or providing shad; dark
interior
n. the inner part of sth; inside
insane
a. seriously ill in the mind; mad
anyhow
ad. in any case; anyway
brass
n. (sl.) high officials, executives, etc.
net
vt. gain as profit 净赚
slick
n. a popular magazine printed on heavy, glassy paper（用油光纸印制的）通俗杂志
frankly
ad. in an open, honest and straightforward 25 way
frank
a.
intersession
n. a period between two academic terms, sometime utilized 26 for brief concentrated courses
beer
n. a bitter alcoholic 27 drink made from grain 啤酒
companion
n. one who is often with another person; friend 同伴
brassy
a. loud and daring in a tasteless manner
jolly
vt. make (sb.) feel good or agreeable, esp. to gain and end
protagonist
n. the chief character in a play or novel
gabby
a. very talkative
ratio
n. the relationship in number, quantity or size between two different things 比率
tag
vt. follow closely
flirt
n. a person who behaves with a member of the opposite sex in a way that attracts interest and attention
gracious
a. very well-mannered and pleasant
cute
a. sharp-witted, clever, charmingly attractive
pal
n. (infml) friend
flip
vi. turn over quickly
index
n. an alphabetical 28 list of the names and subjects in a printed work 索引
polish
vt. improve; perfect 润色
soar
vi. fly high into the air; rise beyond what is common and ordinary
tangible
a. real; clear or definite enough to be easily seen, felt or noticed
testimony
n. proof; evidence
germ
n. the beginning of anything; origin 萌芽，起源
editorship
n. the position of an editor
senior
a. of the final year at high school or college
n. student in the senior class
outlet
n. a way of releasing sth.
perspective
n. view; outlook; way of thinking about things 观点，看法
broaden
v. make or become broader
heck
int. (used mainly as a mild curse) hell
yearn
vi. have a strong desire; long
uproot
vt. tear up by the roots
inferiority
n. the state or condition of being not good or less good in quality or value
inferiority complex
an abnormal feeling not as good as other people, sometimes resulting in avoidance of others or overly aggressive behavior 自卑情结
inferior
a.
coward
n. a person who is afraid to face danger, pain or hardship
pellet
n. a little ball or similarly shaped object; piece
gang
n. a group of friends who frequently meet
starry
a. filled with stars that are visible
sweater
n. a warm knitted piece of clothing, which covers the upper part of one's body and arms 毛线衫，厚运动衫
fond
a. having a great liking 29 or love for sb. or sth.
metaphysical
a. highly abstract; philosophical 30 高度抽象的，哲理的
disorganized
a. in a confused state; badly planned or managed
preoccupy
vt. fill the thoughts of sb. almost completely, esp. so that not enough attention is given to other things
mechanics
n. the way in which sth. works or is done
mechanics of living
simple routine matters of life
assimilate
vt. take into the body and digest; understand completely and be able to use properly
chaos
n. a state of complete and thorough disorder 31 and confusion
Phrases & Expressions
no doubt
without doubt; certainly
to top it off
(usu. introducing sth. undesirable 32) in addition to everything else
be stuck in
be unable to escape from (a disadvantageous position)
know one's way around/ about
understand how things happen in the world; be experienced in the way of the world
as for
in regard to; speaking of; concerning
sink in
get a firm place in the mind; become fully 33 understood
get over
believe; learn to live with the shock of (sth. Very surprising or shocking)
set one's sight for
aim for, wish to get or win
cheer up
become hopeful, joyous 34 or glad; stop being sad or discouraged
at present
at this time; now
what with
as a result of (used to introduce the reasons for a particular situation, esp. an undesirable one)
be preoccupied by/with
have the mind fixed 35 on sth., esp. sth. worrying so that no attention is paid to anything else
make the best of
do as well as one can with
come one's way
happen to one
Proper Names
Sylvia Plath
西尔维亚.普拉斯
Belmont
贝尔蒙特
Cape Cod
科德角
Mademoiselle
《小姐》杂志
Minton
明顿
Marley
马莉
the Atlantic
《大西洋》月刊
Henry
亨利
Liz
莉兹
Harvard Law (School)
哈佛大学法学院
Clark
克拉克
T.S. Eliot
T.S. 艾略特
- I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
- She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。
- Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
- Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
- To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
- Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。
- The protagonist reforms in the end and avoids his proper punishment.戏剧主角最后改过自新并避免了他应受的惩罚。
- He is the model for the protagonist in the play.剧本中的主人公就是以他为模特儿创作的！
- The country cut the bread ration last year.那个国家去年削减面包配给量。
- We have to ration the water.我们必须限量用水。
- She flirts with every man she meets. 她同她遇到的每个男人调情。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- She flirts with every handsome man she meets. 她和所遇到的每个美男子调情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- He is a pal of mine.他是我的一个朋友。
- Listen,pal,I don't want you talking to my sister any more.听着，小子，我不让你再和我妹妹说话了。
- She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。
- I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。
- I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
- Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。
- It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
- The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。
- Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
- I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。
- The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
- There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。
- The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
- He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。
- The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
- Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。
- We yearn to surrender our entire being.我们渴望着放纵我们整个的生命。
- Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.现在的很多都市人向往那种田园化的生活。
- It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
- Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。
- He is utterly incompetent at his job.他完全不能胜任他的工作。
- He is incompetent at working with his hands.他动手能力不行。
- Many people were uprooted from their homes by the flood. 水灾令许多人背井离乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The hurricane blew with such force that trees were uprooted. 飓风强烈地刮着，树都被连根拔起了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
- I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。
- He looked at the starry heavens.他瞧着布满星星的天空。
- I like the starry winter sky.我喜欢这满天星斗的冬夜。
- The music wiled him from his study.诱人的音乐使他无心学习下去。
- The sunshine wiled me from my work.阳光引诱我放下了工作。
- I am at an unfavourable position in being conversationally unacquainted with English. 我由于不熟悉英语会话而处于不利地位。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- The findings suggest that happy lives are social and conversationally deep, rather than solitary and superficial. 结论显示，快乐的生活具有社会层面的意义并与日常交谈有关，而并不仅仅是个体差异和表面现象。 来自互联网
- He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice anything wrong. 他只顾想着心事，没注意到有什么不对。
- The question of going to the Mount Tai preoccupied his mind. 去游泰山的问题盘踞在他心头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
- The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。
- A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
- I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。
- In the19th century waterpower was widely utilized to generate electricity. 在19世纪人们大规模使用水力来发电。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The empty building can be utilized for city storage. 可以利用那栋空建筑物作城市的仓库。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
- Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。
- Please arrange these books in alphabetical order.请把这些书按字母顺序整理一下。
- There is no need to maintain a strict alphabetical sequence.不必保持严格的字顺。
- The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
- I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。
- The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
- She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。
- When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
- It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。
- They are the undesirable elements among the employees.他们是雇员中的不良分子。
- Certain chemicals can induce undesirable changes in the nervous system.有些化学物质能在神经系统中引起不良变化。
- The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
- They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。