新概念英语第二册Lesson 86 Out of control

Lesson 86  Out of control 失控

First listen and then answer the question.

听录音，然后回答以下问题。

What was the danger?

   

As the man tried to swing the speedboat round, the steering 1 wheel came away in his hands. He waved desperately 2 to his companion, who had been water skiing for the last fifteen minutes. Both men had hardly had time to realize what was happening when they were thrown violently into the sea. The speedboat had struck a buoy 3, but it continued to move very quickly across the water. Both men had just begun to swim towards the shore, when they noticed with dismay 4 that the speedboat was moving in a circle. It now came straight towards them at tremendous 5 speed. In less than a minute, it roared 6 past them only a few feet away. After it had passed, they swam on as quickly as they could because they knew that the boat would soon return. They had just had enough time to swim out of danger when the boat again completed a circle. On this occasion 7, however, it had slowed down considerably 8. The petrol had nearly all been used up. Before long, the noise dropped completely and the boat began to drift 9 gently across the water.

New words and expressions 生词和短语

swing v. 转向

speedboat n. 快艇

desperately adv. 绝望地

companion n. 同伙，伙伴

water ski （由快艇牵引水橇）滑水

buoy n. 浮标

dismay n. 沮丧

tremendous adj. 巨大的

petrol n. 汽油

drift v. 漂动，漂流

gently adv. 缓慢地，轻轻地

 

参考译文

当那人试图让快艇转弯时，方向盘脱手了。他绝望地向他的伙伴挥手，他的伙伴在过去的15分钟里一直在滑水。他们两个还没来得及意识到究竟发生了什么事情，就被猛地抛入了海里。快艇撞上了一个浮标，但它仍在水面上快速行驶着。两个人刚开始向岸边游去，就突然惊愕地发现快艇正在转着圈行驶，它现在正以惊人的速度直冲他们驶来。不到1分钟的工夫，它从离他们只有几英尺远的地方呼啸着驶了过去。快艇过去之后，他们以最快的速度向前游去，因为他们知道快艇马上就要转回来。他们刚刚来得及游出危险区，快艇就又转完了一圈。然而这一次它的速度慢多了。汽油几乎已经用光。没过多久，噪音便彻底消失，快艇开始在水面上慢悠悠地漂流。

　　自学导读

课文详注 Further notes on the text

1．Out of control，（标题）失控。

介词短语out of可以表示“失去”、“欠缺”等：

We are out of bread.

我们的面包吃完了。

Tony walked so fast that he was soon out of sight.

托尼走得很快，不久就无影无踪了。

He has been out of work for two months.

他失业两个月了。

The plane got out of control and crashed in the mountains.

飞机失控后在山区坠毁。

2．…the steering wheel came away in his hands.……方向盘脱手了。

come away表示“脱落”、“脱离”、“脱开”等：

When I tried to lift the suitcase, the handle came away.当我试图提起手提箱时，把手掉了下来。

3．Both men had hardly had time to realize what was happening when they were thrown violently into the sea.他们两个还没来得及意识到究竟发生了什么事情，就被猛地抛入了海里。

hardly…when…表示“几乎未来得及……就……”，hardly用于主句中，并且主句通常用过去完成时。（cf．第38课语法）

4．they swam on as quickly as they could, 他们以最快的速度向前游去。

on在这里是副词，表示“向前”：

Walk on along this road for ten minutes and you'll see the railway station.

沿着这条路向前走10分钟你就会看见火车站。

I think he saw me, but he just marched on.

我觉得他看见了我，但他却径直往前走了。

5．They had just had enough time to swim out of danger when the boat again completed a circle. 他们刚刚来得及游出危险区，快艇就又转究了一圈。

just是个可以和各种完成时连用的时间副词，它与when连用时常用于过去完成时：

Jim had just left when you rang.

你打电话时吉姆刚走。

The patient had just died when the doctor arrived.

医生来时病人刚死。

6．The petrol had nearly all been used up. 汽油几乎已经用光。

use up表了“用完”、“用光”、“耗尽”：

They have just bought a house and a car. They must have used up all their money.

他们刚买了一所房子和一辆车。他们的钱肯定都用光了。

up表示“彻底地”、“完全地”，它也可以与其他一些动词连用：

The child soon ate up the cake.

孩子很快把蛋糕吃完了。

She burned up all his letters.

她把他的信都烧掉了。

Can you read up the book in two hours?

你用两小时就能把这书读完吗？

7．Before long, the noise dropped completely…

没过多久，噪音便彻底消失……

drop在这里为不及物动词，表示“减少”、“变弱”或“消失”：

When he saw that Mary was annoyed, his voice dropped.

他发现玛丽生气时，便降低了嗓门。

We had to stay at home before the wind had dropped.

风力减弱以前，我们不得不呆在家里。

　　词汇学习 Word study

1．swing vt. , vi.

（1）（使……）摆动/摇动：

He can't stand those who swing their legs while eating.

他受不了吃东西时晃腿的那些人。

She tried to swing the baby to sleep.

她试图把孩子摇得睡着。

（2）突然转向，使……转向/转身：

The man tried to swing the speedboat round.

那人试图让快艇转弯。

He swung round and looked at the two men.

他突然掉转身，看着那两个人。

2．enough与fairly

enough表示“足够”，用在形容词或副词之后，有“为了某种目的”的含义；fairly表示“相当”，通常修饰表示肯定意义的词：

I'm old enough to know what I'm doing.

我已经大了，知道自己在干什么。

We haven't got enough time/chairs.

我们没有足够的时间/椅子。

I didn't arrive at the station early enough.

我到车站到得不够早。（我误了火车。enough指结果）

They had just had enough time to swim out of danger.

他们刚刚来得及游出危险区。（enough既可用于名词前，也可用于名词后）

The water in the pool is fairly warm, but not warm enough to swim in.

池里的水相当暖和，但如要游泳则还不够暖。

He is fairly quick, but not quick enough to take part in the race.

他跑得相当快，但要参加比赛还不够快。

　　练习答案 Key to written exercises

1．关键句型练习答案

A What happened: tried (1.1); came away (1.2); waved (1.2); were thrown (11.4-5); continued to move (1.6); noticed (1.7); came straight towards (11.8-9); roared past (1.9); swam on (1.10); knew (1.10); (1.11);dropped (1.13); began to drift (1.13)

What had happened: had hardly had (1.4); had struck (1.5); had just begun (11.6-7); had passed (1.10); had just had (1.11); had slowed down (1.12); had nearly all been used up (1.12)

What had been happening: had been water skiing (1.4)

2．难点练习答案

1 fairly…enough  2 fairly  3 enough  4 enough  5 enough

3．多项选择题答案

1b  2c  3a  4b  5b  6b

7d  8c  9a  10b  11b  12c