时间:2018-12-29 作者:英语课 分类:新编大学英语教程


英语课

Unit 8

TEXT I

On Buying Books

Text

Time spent in a bookshop can be most enjoyable, whether you are a book-lover or merely there to buy a book as a present. You may even have entered the shop just to find shelter from a sudden shower. Whatever the reason, you can soon become totally unaware 1 of your surroundings. The desire to pick up a book with an attractive dust-jacket is irresistible 2, although this method of selection ought not to be followed, as you might end up with a rather dull book. You soon become engrossed 3 in some book or other, and usually it is only much later that you realize you have spent far too much time there and must dash off to keep some forgotten appointment — without buying a book, of course.
This opportunity to escape the realities of everyday life is, I think, the main attraction of a bookshop. There are not many places where it is possible to do this. A music shop is very much like a bookshop. You can wander round such places to your heart's content. If it is a good shop, no assistant will approach you with the inevitable 4 greeting: "Can I help you, sir?" You needn't buy anything you don't want. In a bookshop an assistant should remain in the background until you have finished browsing 5. Then, and only then, are his services necessary. Of course, you may want to find out where a particular section is, but when he has led you there, the assistant should retire discreetly 6 and look as if he is not interested in selling a single book.
You have to be careful not to be attracted by the variety of books in a bookshop. It is very easy to enter the shop looking for a book on, say, ancient coins and to come out carrying a copy of the latest best-selling novel and perhaps a book about brass-rubbing — something which had only vaguely 7 interested you up till then. This volume on the subject, however, happened to be so well illustrated 8 and the part of the text you read proved so interesting, that you just had to buy it. This sort of thing can be very dangerous. Apart from running up a huge account, you can waste a great deal of time wandering from section to section.
Book-sellers must be both long-suffering and indulgent. There is a story which well illustrates 9 this. A medical student had to read a text-book which was far too expensive for him to buy. He couldn't obtain it from the library and the only copy he could find was in his bookshop. Every afternoon, therefore, he would go along to the shop and read a little of the book at a time. One day, however, he was dismayed to find the book missing from its usual place and was about to leave when he noticed the owner of the shop beckoning 10 to him. Expecting to be told off, he went towards him. To his surprise, the owner pointed 11 to the book, which was tucked away in a corner, "I put it there in case anyone was tempted 12 to buy it," he said, and left the delighted student to continue his reading.
By Robert Best (slightly altered)

TEXT II

Hallo, Good Buy

You don't have to be mean or poverty-stricken to buy second-hand 13 goods. Charity shops, street markets, second-hand shops, jumble 14 sales and classified ad columns are not only the places to find useful bargains, they're also a great source of rare, collectable and sometimes valuable items.
Whether you're interested in decorating your room, brightening your wardrobe, starting a collection or making some extra cash, our beginner's guide will introduce you to Britain's network of second-hand outlets 15.
Buying second-hand demands a new attitude to shopping. You can't expect to walk into a shop and come out with exactly what you wanted. You have to enjoy browsing and to be able to persevere 16. You'll find you develop a hunter's nose for the right sort of shop — usually it's not the one with a few wonderful bargains in the window and not much else besides, but the one with tables overflowing 17 with unorganized jumble. Don't be put off by "Antique" shops that look a bit posh. They often do house clearances 18 and end up with items they want to sell off cheaply because they don't fit in with their stock. And don't be alarmed by an absence of price tags. Often it shows the owner is prepared to negotiate.
It sounds obvious, but second-hand goods don't come with a guarantee or a manufacturer's recommended retail 19 price. It's up to you to ensure that your purchase is all it seems to be, and that you're paying a fair price.
Books, magazines, comics and annuals fall into two categories — valuable collector's items and a good cheap read. Serious collectors must check the condition of publications: magazines with missing pages and books with torn jackets automatically lose value, whatever their contents. First editions, even recent ones are worth seeking out. If you find a hardback book with the words "First printed in Great Britain in", followed by the date and no information about reprints, you'll probably be able to make a small profit on it in a few years. Names to watch for at the moment are Martin Amis (he's taken over from his dad as a collectable author), Graham Greene, Ian Fleming, P. D. James and Angela Carter.
The most collectable old magazines are those devoted 20 to music, movies and fashion. Ones with stars on the cover fetch the highest prices. News and picture magazines from earlier this century can be valuable too, but avoid the ones with stories about royalty 21 — they're the ones everyone kept. If you discover a magazine featuring the sinking of the Titanic 22, you could have something worth £ 15 — £ 20 on your hands.
Old comics and sci-fi magazines are great fun but not usually worth much unless they're pre-war and in good condition. If you just want to fill up your bookshelves for a rainy afternoon, go for second-hand paperbacks 23. They're always cheap — but have a flick 24 through to make sure there are no pages missing.
By Bridget Freer



a.不知道的,未意识到的
  • They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
  • I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。
adj.非常诱人的,无法拒绝的,无法抗拒的
  • The wheel of history rolls forward with an irresistible force.历史车轮滚滚向前,势不可挡。
  • She saw an irresistible skirt in the store window.她看见商店的橱窗里有一条叫人着迷的裙子。
adj.全神贯注的
  • The student is engrossed in his book.这名学生正在专心致志地看书。
  • No one had ever been quite so engrossed in an evening paper.没人会对一份晚报如此全神贯注。
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的
  • Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
  • The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。
v.吃草( browse的现在分词 );随意翻阅;(在商店里)随便看看;(在计算机上)浏览信息
  • He sits browsing over[through] a book. 他坐着翻阅书籍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Cattle is browsing in the field. 牛正在田里吃草。 来自《简明英汉词典》
ad.(言行)审慎地,慎重地
  • He had only known the perennial widow, the discreetly expensive Frenchwoman. 他只知道她是个永远那么年轻的寡妇,一个很会讲排场的法国女人。
  • Sensing that Lilian wanted to be alone with Celia, Andrew discreetly disappeared. 安德鲁觉得莉莲想同西莉亚单独谈些什么,有意避开了。
adv.含糊地,暖昧地
  • He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
  • He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面,对一切都视而不见。
给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 ); 说明; 表明; (用示例、图画等)说明
  • This historical novel illustrates the breaking up of feudal society in microcosm. 这部历史小说是走向崩溃的封建社会的缩影。
  • Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had an experience which illustrates this. 阿尔弗莱德 - 阿德勒是一位著名的医生,他有过可以说明这点的经历。 来自中级百科部分
adj.引诱人的,令人心动的v.(用头或手的动作)示意,召唤( beckon的现在分词 )
  • An even more beautiful future is beckoning us on. 一个更加美好的未来在召唤我们继续前进。 来自辞典例句
  • He saw a youth of great radiance beckoning to him. 他看见一个丰神飘逸的少年向他招手。 来自辞典例句
adj.尖的,直截了当的
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
v.怂恿(某人)干不正当的事;冒…的险(tempt的过去分词)
  • 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。
adj.用过的,旧的,二手的
  • I got this book by chance at a second-hand bookshop.我赶巧在一家旧书店里买到这本书。
  • They will put all these second-hand goods up for sale.他们将把这些旧货全部公开出售。
vt.使混乱,混杂;n.混乱;杂乱的一堆
  • Even the furniture remained the same jumble that it had always been.甚至家具还是象过去一样杂乱无章。
  • The things in the drawer were all in a jumble.抽屉里的东西很杂乱。
n.出口( outlet的名词复数 );经销店;插座;廉价经销店
  • The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
v.坚持,坚忍,不屈不挠
  • They are determined to persevere in the fight.他们决心坚持战斗。
  • It is strength of character enabled him to persevere.他那坚强的性格使他能够坚持不懈。
清除( clearance的名词复数 ); 许可; (录用或准许接触机密以前的)审查许可; 净空
  • But I can't get to him without clearances. 但是没有证明我就没法见到他。
  • The bridge and the top of the bus was only ten clearances. 桥与公共汽车车顶之间的间隙只有十厘米。
v./n.零售;adv.以零售价格
  • In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
  • These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的
  • He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
n.皇家,皇族
  • She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
  • I waited on tables,and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生, 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。
adj.巨人的,庞大的,强大的
  • We have been making titanic effort to achieve our purpose.我们一直在作极大的努力,以达到我们的目的。
  • The island was created by titanic powers and they are still at work today.台湾岛是由一个至今仍然在运作的巨大力量塑造出来的。
n.平装本,平装书( paperback的名词复数 )
  • This shop only sells paperbacks. 这家书店只出售平装本的书。 来自辞典例句
  • Other paperbacks were selling for ten or 15 cents each. 其它的平装书每本才卖十或十五美分。 来自互联网
n.快速的轻打,轻打声,弹开;v.轻弹,轻轻拂去,忽然摇动
  • He gave a flick of the whip.他轻抽一下鞭子。
  • By a flick of his whip,he drove the fly from the horse's head.他用鞭子轻抽了一下,将马头上的苍蝇驱走。
学英语单词
academic status
adventruous
AIDUS
air-bag base
amplifier plug
basement structure
beef extract broth
benzomethamine
biographie
bivariate normal surface
boiling water sterilization
bourdel
Braille printing paper
brandmarks
British Advisory Committee on Oil Pollution of the Sea
by these presents
celebritizes
Cernosice
cladonia kurokawae
Classical Hebrew
cloud line
contemporary international law
convolution signal
Corydalis fumariifolia
crimp-set yarn
cyclothone atraria
Dipsosaurus
Dun-sur-Auron
egg on
enescus
Euphorbia alatavica
feeling-type
fergusonite-(Ce)
ferrihemoprotein
format device
Frederick Sanger
guided missile propulsion
Ha'apai Div.
heat flow density of fuel element surface
heeling-in
iguanodontidaes
immunochemistries
incoming mixture
intersection capacity
Jurin rule
Knarsdale
korector
large intestine channel of Hand-Yangming
larged
ligamenta metatarsea transversa profunda
literarism
lugbill
magnetic energy density of magnetostatic field
margerry
mean green
meteorologic minima
microfolding
Mischocarpus
morelle
name and arms clause
non-clip output
off her dot
osteoid aneurysm
peltier heat
plastered work
polarimetrically
politecon.
praas
pryse
pump suction chamber
quick-start lamp
ratihabit
reappreciating
rear block
refrigeratives
reinforcing plate
riccio
right-half pointer
risk area
Rodinesque
Rodionovia
running vehicle
samariscus triocellatus
second tempering bin
severe overload
siliquaria
Sint-Gillis
slave jib
spill burner
Stop loss limit
Sutlej R.(Satluj R.)
Suzhou embroidery
thinghoods
town-watch
transrectal
triceptor
under the wing of
usherette
wall type
watch dog
wheelspins
yaruru