新概念英语第三册lesson 49 The ideal servant

Lesson 49:The ideal servant  理想的仆人

Listen to the tape then answer the question below.

听录音，然后回答以下问题。

    It is a good thing my aunt Harriet died years ago. If she were alive today she would not be able to air her views on her favourite topic of conversation: domestic servants. Aunt Harriet lived in that leisurely 1 age when servants were employed to do housework. She had a huge, rambling 2 country house called 'The Gables'. She was sentimentally 3 attached to this house, for even though it was far too big for her needs, she persisted in living there long after her husband's death. Before she grew old, Aunt Harriet used to entertain lavishly 4. I often visited The Gables when I was boy. No matter how many guests were present, the great house was always immaculate. The parquet 5 floors shone like mirrors; highly polished silver was displayed in gleaming glass cabinets; even my uncle's huge collection of books was kept miraculously 6 free from dust. Aunt Harriet presided over an invisible army of servants that continuously scrubbed, cleaned, and polished. She always referred to them as 'the shifting population', for they came and went with such frequency that I never even got a chance to learn their names. Though my aunt pursued what was, in those days, an enlightened policy, in that she never allowed her domestic staff to work more than eight hours a day, she was extremely difficult to please. While she always criticized the fickleness 7 of human nature, she carried on an unrelenting search for the ideal servant to the end of her days, even after she had been sadly disillusioned 9 by Bessie.

    Bessie worked for Aunt Harriet for three years. During that time she so gained my aunt's confidence that she was put in charge of the domestic staff. Aunt Harriet could not find words to praise Bessie's industriousness 10 and efficiency. In addition to all her other qualifications, Bessie was an expert cook. She acted the role of the perfect servant for three years before Aunt Harriet discovered her 'little weakness'. After being absent from the Gables for a week, my aunt unexpectedly returned one afternoon with a party of guests and instructed Bessie to prepare dinner. No only was the meal well below the usual standard, but Bessie seemed unable to walk steadily 11. She bumped into the furniture and kept mumbling 12 about the guests. When she came in with the last course -- a huge pudding -- she tripped on the carpet and the pudding went flying through the air, narrowly missed my aunt, and crashed on the dining table with considerable force. Though this caused great mirth among the guests, Aunt Harriet was horrified 13. She reluctantly came to the conclusion that Bessie was drunk. The guests had, of course, realized this from the moment Bessie opened the door for them and, long before the final catastrophe 14, had had a difficult time trying to conceal 15 their amusement. The poor girl was dismissed instantly. After her departure, Aunt Harriet discovered that there were piles of empty wine bottles of all shapes and sizes neatly 16 stacked in what had once been Bessie's wardrobe. They had mysteriously found their way there from the wine cellar!

New words and expressions 生词和短语

     rambling

adj. 杂乱无章的

     sentimentally

adv. 感情上，多情地

     immaculate

adj. 清洁的，无污点的

     lavishly

adv. 慷慨地，大方地

     parquet

n.   镶木地板

     gleam

v.   发亮，闪光

     preside

v.   指挥

     invisible

adj. 看不见的，无形的

     scrub

v.   擦拭，刷洗

     enlightened

adj. 开明的

     fickleness

n.   变化无常

     unrelenting

adj. 不屈不挠的，不松懈的确良

     disillusion 8

v.   使幻想破灭的

     qualification

n.    资格，能力

     mirth

n.   欢笑，高兴

     stack

v.   整齐地堆放

     cellar

n.   地窖

参考译文

    我的姑妈哈丽特好多年前就去世了，这倒是件好事。如果她活到今天，她将不能就她热衷的话题“佣人”发表意见了。哈丽特生活在一个悠闲的年代，家务事都由雇来的佣人代劳。她在乡下有一幢巨大杂乱的房子，叫作“山墙庄园”。她对这幢房子在感情上难舍难分。房子实在太大了，但在丈夫去世多年后，她仍然执意长年住在那儿。哈丽特姑妈年轻时，喜欢大摆宴席，招待宾客。我小时候常去“山墙庄园”作客。不管去多少宾客，大房子里总是收拾得干干净净。镶木地板洁如明镜，擦得发亮的银器陈列在明亮的玻璃柜里，连姑夫的大量藏书也保存得很好，奇迹般地一尘不染。哈丽特姑妈统率着一支看不见的佣人大军，他们不停地擦拭、清扫、刷洗。她称这些佣人叫“流动人口”，因为他们来匆匆，所以我甚至都没有机会知道他们的姓名。姑妈待佣人在当时算是开明的，从来不让佣人每天工作超过8小时，但他们很难使她称心如意。她一方面总是批评人的本性朝三暮四，另一方面她又持之以恒地寻找一个理想的佣人。即使在贝西大大地伤她的心之后，她还在找，一直到她死去。

    贝西在哈丽特家干了3年。在此期间，她赢得了姑母的赏识，甚至当上了大管家。哈丽特不知该用什么言辞来赞扬贝西的勤奋与高效。贝西除了有各种本领以外，还是一个烹饪大师。她担任“理想仆人”角色3年之后，哈丽特终于发现她有“小小的弱点”。一次，姑妈有一个星期没在“山墙庄园”住。一天下午，她出其不意地回来了，带来一大批客人，吩咐贝西准备晚饭。结果，不仅饭菜远不如平时做得好，而且贝西走起路来似乎东倒西歪。她撞到了家具上，嘴里还不断咕咕哝哝议论客人。当她端着最后一道菜——一大盘布丁——走进屋来时，在地毯上绊了一跤。布丁飞到半空，从姑母身边擦过，然后狠狠地砸在餐桌上。这件事引起了客人们的欢笑，但哈丽特却着实吓了一跳。她不得不认定贝西是喝醉了。客人们自然从贝西为他们开门那一刻起就看出来了，在好长一段时间里，即最后这个乱子发生前，他们努力克制才没笑出声来。贝西当即被解雇了。贝西走后，哈丽特姑妈发现在贝西以前用过的衣柜里整整齐齐地放着一堆堆形状各导、大小不一的酒瓶子。这些酒瓶神不知鬼不觉地从酒窖来到了这里。

新概念英语正版图书购买

　　自学导读

课文详注 Further notes on the text

1．Tired of sleeping on the floor, a young man in Teheran saved up for years to buy a real bed. 德黑兰的一个年轻人由于对睡地板感到厌倦，于是积蓄多年买了一张真正的床。

（1）tired引导的分词短语省略了开头的being，其作用相当于原因状语从句：As he was tired of…。sleeping为动名词，作介词of的宾语。

（2）save up为固定短语，表示“储蓄”、“攒钱”：

I want to get married in one or two years, so I'm trying to save(some money)up.

我想一两年之间内结婚，所以我在设法攒钱。

（3）to在这里用于表示目的，相当于in order to：

I got up early to have a swim.

为了游泳我起了个大早。

2．…he carried the bed on to the roof of his house．……他便把床搬到了他的屋顶上。

介词onto可拼写成一个词，也可拼写成两个词（on to）。它用于表示动作方向而不用于表示静态的位置（与into相似）：

I put the pen onto/ on the table.

我把笔放到桌子上。

The pen is on the table.

笔在桌子上。（不可用onto/ on to）onto/ on to有时可用on代替，但表示位置的on不可用onto代替：

Mr. Thompson jumped onto the stage.

汤普森先生跳上了台上。

Mr. Thompson jumped on the stage.

汤普森先生在台上跳了跳。

3．A gust 17 of wind swept the bed off the roof…一阵大风把床从屋顶上刮了下来……

gust表示“一阵强风”、“一阵狂风”，既可以单独使用，也可以用a gust of wind形式：

A gust(of wind) blew my hat off.

一阵大风吹掉了我的帽子。

She set off even though the wind was blowing in gusts 18.

虽然当时阵阵狂风吹着，她还是出发了。

4．The young man did not wake up until the bed had struck the ground.那年轻人直到床撞到地上才醒了过来。

not…until表示“直到……才”。until后面与表示某一点的时间状语连用。它前面没有not时，与表示一段时间的“持续动词”连用；有not时，常用表示某一时间点的动词（或叫瞬间动词）连用：

I'll stay here until Monday.

我要在这儿呆到星期一。

I won't leave until Monday.

我要到星期一才离开。

5．to pieces, 粉碎地，成碎片地。

The cup was broken to pieces.

杯子摔成了碎片。

6．Glancing at the bits of wood and metal that lay around him, the man…

年轻人看了一眼周围的碎木片和碎金属片……

（1）glancing为现在分词，它引导的短语相当于一个时间状语从句：After he glanced at…

（2）动词glance的主要含义为“看一眼”、“扫视”：

Ian glanced at his watch and left the room.

伊恩看了一眼手表，然后离开了房间。

Joe glanced through the newspaper while talking to me.

乔一边和我聊天，一边浏览报纸。

（3）that引导的关系从句修饰the bits of wood and metal, that在从句中作主语。

　　语法 Grammar in use

复合句的语序 (Word order in complex statements)

复合句的构成方法可以是把简单句连接在一起。但与并列句不同，它的各个组成部分并非同等重要，其中总有一个独立分句（或称“主句”）和一个或一个以上从属分句（或称“从句”），主句往往可以独立存在。复合句可用两种方法构成。一是用连词把从句与主句连接起来；二是用分词结构或不定式，它们构成复合句的一部分，因为它们可以用从句的形式表现出来。

（1）用连词连接的复合句

A 在复合句中，从句可以是名词从句（即起名词的作用）。在句子中，它可以作主语、宾语或be等系动词的表语，一般由that引导，有时也用what（疑问词引导的除外）：

I know(that)the meeting will be put off.

我知道会议将要推迟。（宾语）

That the meeting will be put off is now certain.

会议将被推迟现已确定无疑。（主语，that不可省略）

B 也可以是关系（或形容词）从句，关系代词通常有who, whom, that, which和whose。（cf．第28课语法）

C 也可以是状语（或副词）从句。时间状语从句一般回答When？形式的问题，并可以用下列从属连词来引导：when, after, before, as soon as, until, while, as, since等：

He has been ill since he came back from his holidays.

他自从休假回来就一直病着。

地点状语从句回答Where？形式的问题，可以由where, everywhere, anywhere等连词来引导：

With a special train ticket, you can travel anywhere/ everywhere you like in Europe for just over ￡ 100.

你如持有专票，仅花一百多一点英镑，就可以到欧洲各地旅行。

方式状语从句回答How？形式的问题，可以由连词as或短语in the way(that)等引导。方式状语从句一般置于主句之后：

Type this again as／in the way(that) I showed you just now.

按我刚才告诉你的那样把这再打一遍。

方式状语从句在动词be, feel, seem, appear等后面也可以由连词as if和as though来引导：

It feels as if/ though it's going to rain.

这天气给人的感觉好像是就要下雨了。

原因状语从句一般回答Why？形式的问题，可以由because, as 等引导：

He went to bed earlier than usual because he was tired.

他因为累了，所以睡觉比平时早。

As you can't go yourself, you'll have to ask Susan go to for you.

既然你自己不能去，那你就请苏珊替你去吧。

条件状语从句可由if及其他连词引导。（cf．第16课与第40课语法）让步状语从句使句子具有对比的因素，它们一般由连词although, though, even though, even if等引导：

He failed the exam, even though he studied hard.

虽然他学习很努力，他考试还是没及格。

Although he studied hard, he failed the exam.

（译文同上）

目的状语从句可由so that, in order that等连词引导：

I arrived early so that/ in order that I could get the tickets.

我到得很早，以便能买到票。

结果状语从句描述结果，可由so+形容词+that引导，也可由such(a)+（形容词）+名词+that来引导：

She was so angry that she left immediately.

她非常生气，立刻就走了。

There was such a lot of rain that we couldn't go out.

下这么大的雨，我们都出不了门了。

比较状语从句结构包括as+形容词／副词+as, not so／as…as，形容词／副词的比较级+than, more…than, less…than 等：

He is as quick in answering as his sister(is).

他回答得和他妹妹／姐姐一样快。

He is not so/ as quick in answering as his sister(is).

他回答得不如他妹妹／姐姐那样快。

He moves more slowly than his sister(does).

他行动起来比他妹妹／姐姐慢。

（2）分词结构的复合句

A 用现在分词结构可以代替时间从句、原因从句、关系从句等：

I got very angry speaking to them.

和他们谈话时我变得非常生气。（时间）

Feeling tired, I went to bed earlier than usual.

我觉得很累，所以睡得比平时早。（原因）

The train arriving at  8 o'clock is from London.

8点钟到的这趟列车是从伦敦来的。（代替关系从句）

现在分词结构的这种用法仅限于两个动作的主语一致的时候。用它代替时间从句时，分词结构表示的动作如果发生在前，则分词结构要位于主语前；如果两个动作同时发生，那么分词结构既可以位于主句前，也可以位于主句后：

Finding the door unlocked, he went into the room.

他发现门没上锁，就走进房间。（有前后）

Working with them, I got very angry.

同他们一起工作时我很生气。（同时）

分词结构位于主句前面时，要用逗号隔开。

B 过去分词结构常用于比较正式的文体，往往代替被动语态：

Damaged in an accident, the car has now been repaired.

在一次事故中被撞坏后，那辆车现已修好。

（3）不定式结构的复合句

这种结构通常可以代替表示目的或表示条件的状语从句：

To get into university you have to pass a number of examinations.

要进入大学你必须通过一系列考试。

I borrowed some money to get a new car.

为了买辆新车，我借了些钱。

　　词汇学习 Word stusdy

1．sweep vt.

（1）扫，打扫：

She sweeps the floor/ the room every morning.

她每天早上扫地／打扫房间。

The room is swept clean.

房间被打扫干净了。

（2）（风）吹，刮：

A gust of wind swept the bed off the roof.

一阵大风把床从屋顶上刮了下来。

The newspaper has been swept away by the wind.

报纸被风吹走了。

2．smash vt., vi.

（1）打碎，摔碎，（使）碎裂：

The bed was smashed to pieces.

床摔成了碎片。

The man smashed a window and got into the room.

那人打碎了一扇窗，然后进了房间。

The cup smashed on the floor.

杯子掉在地板上摔碎了。

（2）重击，殴打，猛砸／撞：

Why didn't you smash the man with your fist?

你为什么不用拳头狠狠揍那人一顿？

A car smashed into the wall.

一辆车撞到了墙上。

练习答案 Key to written exercises

1．关键句型练习答案

A to buy(1.2) ;which(1.3); Because(11.3-4); but(1.5); and(1.7); until(1.8); Although(1.8); When(1.9);that(1.10); and(1.10); After(1.11)

2．多项选择题答案

1 d  2 a  3b  4a  5b  6c

7 c  8 a  9 c  10 c  11a  12 a

课堂笔记

be tired of：对......感到厌倦

如果一个名词和一个代词分别做主句和从句地主语，能把事物说清楚地名词

习惯放在主句做主语

用形容词短语直接做状语

tired of sleeping on the floor

Worried about my daughter，Lucy, she went to London to visit Lucy

i went home tired

i went home excited

for the first time in one's life平生第一次

for the first two nights头两天晚上

i study hard for the first two three days

blow up风越刮越大

speak up大声点

below：直接放在被修饰词之后作定语

一个句子中不能出现两个动词：

如果出现了两个动词，用and，but连接；或者把其中一个作为非谓语动词】

although：though

crash直接用主动形式，smash一般用作及物动词

glancing at＝be glancing

只有谓语动词才会把它变成集中时态

key structures

主语从句

what i say ...

宾语从句

i am sorry （that） i am late

定语从句

状语从句

原因状语because，as，since

条件状语if，

时间状语until，after，before，as

结果状语

目的状语to

following his mom，he went there

followed by his mom，he went there

letter writing

写business letter，参照范本

multiple choice

3、_______the hot weather，...

because， as， for＋句子：不能加词组

because the weather is hot...

5、How_____...

how对形容词或者副词提问

how本题中，对程度副词提问

the tree is tall

how tall is the tree

he sang songs beautifully

how beautifully did he sing

6、where...?______

down在......下（向下）；go down，sit down

under prep. ＋宾语

7、..._______around him

...that lay around him定语从句

laying（lay） vt 放；lay the eff

lying（lie）vi lie in bed

laid（lay）vt

lie，lied，lied撒谎

过去分词属于非谓语动词，做定语时与被修饰词形成被动关系

8。...very_____.

a gust of wind 一阵风

hard修饰动词，表示程度大

9....it _______the courtyard

crash vi 从上往下掉，摔碎

smash vt 敲击

knock v 敲击

explode v 爆炸

struck v 撞击

11....he______...

glance at（漫不经心的）扫视

look quickly at快速地看

had a glimpse of（无意识的）看

stare at 盯着看

watch 注视，密切关注