Lesson 41 Illusions of pastoral peace宁静田园生活的遐想 主语从句 虚拟语气

The quiet life of the country has never appealed to me. ^开篇明义

the country ^{表示乡村、本国要加定冠词}

• We're going to spend three days in the country! ^在乡村
• I want to buy a small house in the country. ^在乡下
• At present, they are visiting all parts of the country. ^全国各地
• We are now living in a beautiful new house in the country. ^在乡下
• As a great many people will be visiting the country, the government will be building... ^本国
• He had hardly had time to settle down when he sold the house and left the country. ^这个国家
• Television cameras and newspapers carried the news to everyone in the country. ^全国

appeal to sb. ^{吸引某人（令某人产生兴趣）}

• The idea never appealed to me very much, but one day, after a heavy shower, I happened to be walking in my garden when I noticed a huge number of snails taking
  a stroll on some of my prize plants.

City born and city bred, I have always regarded the country as something you look at through a train window, or something you occasionally visit during the weekend.

Because / Since I was born and bred in the city, ... ^{替换成原因状语从句(非谓语更简洁)}
Because / Since I was city born and bred, ...  §

regard A as ^{B 把A看着B}

• We regard them as unnecessary creatures that do more harm than good. 
• ... but was regarded as unsinkable, for she had sixteen watertight compartments.
• ... a particularly officious young Customs Officer clearly regarded me as a smuggler.
• In spite of this, the Italians regarded him as a sort of hero.

.., I have always thought of the country as something ... ^替换

China born and China bred, I have always regarded America as something you watch in Hollywood movies, or something you occasionally visit during holidays.^{因为是士生士长的中国人，我总是认 为美国就是在好莱坞电影里看到的样子，或者偶尔在假期里看到的样子。}

Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country.

go into raptures ^欣喜若狂

• Everytime we will go into raptures on receiving it. ^{我们收到任何礼物时都会很高兴的接受它。}
• People go into raptures at the mere mention of shopping. ^{人们一提到购物就欣喜若狂。}
• They always go into raptures at the mere mention of winning other stores. ^{一提到赢了其他店他们就高兴的欢呼雀跃。}
• Many young people always go into raptures at the merely mention of buying fashion clothes. ^{许多年轻人一提到时尚服装就兴高采烈。}

at the ... of ... ^{一...(马上)就...}

• On the other hand, your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat, ...
• It is true that during their explorations they often faced difficulties and dangers of the most perilous nature, equipped in a manner which would make a modern climber shudder at the thought, ...

Most of my friends live in China, yet they always go into raptures at th are mention of America.^{我的朋友们多数住在中国 ，然而他们总是仅仅一提到美国就欣喜若狂。}

Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life, only one of them has ever gone to live in the country and he was back in town within six months.

extol the virtues / benefits of sth. ^{盛赞...的好处}

• He extolled the virtues of a plant-based diet.^{他赞扬了植物性饮食的好处。}
• She extolled the benefits of regular exercise.^{她称赞了定期锻炼的好处。}

... only one of them has personal experience of living in the country. ^替换

Though they extol the virtues of life in America, only one of them has ever gone to live there and he was back in China within a mere two years.^{尽管他们盛赞美国生活的种种好 处，但只有一个人曾经去那里住过，并且仅仅不到两年就回中国了。}

Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life.

be / live under the illusion / delusion that... ^{有某种错觉}

Even he is still under the illusion that...  ^替换

• 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 been repeatedly proved wrong.

 be superior to ^{天生比较级(搭配to而非than)}

... town life is somehow inferior to country life. ^{用反义证替换}
...country life somehow beats town life. ^{用动词替换}
...country life somehow has an advantage over town life. ^{用词组替换}

• This model is superior to the previous one in terms of performance. ^{就性能而言，这款型号优于之前的型号。}
• The quality of this product is inferior to that of the competitor's. ^{这个产品的质量不如竞争对手的好。}
• Our team has an advantage over theirs because of our experience. ^{我们的团队因为经验而优于他们的团队。}
• He beat me at chess. ^{他下棋赢了我。}

Even he still lives under the illusion that American life is somehow superior to Chinese life.^{甚至连他都依然有一种错觉好像美国生活比中国生活优越。} 

He is forever talking about the friendly people, the clean atmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle pace of living.

be forever doing sth. ^{老是做某事}

• She is forever complaining about the weather. ^{她总是在抱怨天气。}

He is forever talking about the friendly people, the clean atmosphere, the azure sky and the cheap commodities. ^{他总是不停地谈论友好的人民， 干净的空气，蔚蓝的天空和廉价的商品。}

Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds at dawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures.

compare A with / to B ^{把A和B做比较}

• I hate the way you always compare me with your ex-boyfriend.

Nothing can be compared with the sight of the rising sun glinting on Mount Tai. ^{泰山日出的美景是无以伦比的。} 

at dawn ^{在黎明时刻}

• at the break / crack of dawn ^{黎明（破晓）时分}
• at sunrise  ^{在日出时刻}
• at daybreak ^黎明时分
• from dawn to dusk ^{从日出到日落}

This idyllic pastoral scene is only part of the picture.

My friend fails to mention the long and friendless winter evenings in front of the TV —virtually the only form of entertainment.

造句：The real estate agent failed to mention the stuffy and packed minibuses on rough country roads —virtually the only form of transportation. ^{这个房地产经纪人根本就没提在崎岖的乡间道路上又闷又挤的小公共汽车，而这几乎是唯一的交通方式。}

He says nothing about the poor selection of goods in the shops, or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to the city every day to get to work.

Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me. ^{雄狮句型（对比上下句）}

主语从句

• It is beyond me / a mystery to me / beats me  why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country. ^{形式主语(孔雀句型)}
• I cannot understand  why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country.  ^{人做主语符合中文思维}
• At one point, it seemed certain that their plane would crash.
• Such is human nature, that a great many people are often willing to sacrifice higher pay for the privilege of becoming white-collar workers.

be beyond sb. ^{使某人无法理解(难以置信)}

• How Harry managed to keep a straight face during these performances is quite beyond me. ^主语从句

造句：Why people are prepared to sacrifice higher pay for the dubious privilege of becoming white-collar workers is beyond me. ^{我无法理解为什么人们愿意放弃更高的薪水而为 了可疑的成为白领工人的所谓特权。}
Why people are prepared to tolerate language and cultural barriers, haunting loneliness and acute homesickness for the dubious privilege of livingn in America is beyond me.^{我无法理解为什么人们愿意忍受 语言和文化的障碍，难以排遣的寂真和强烈的为了换取思乡之情，为了换取可疑的住在美国的好处。}

They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live in the city where they rightly belong. ^虚拟语气

save sb. sth. / doing sth. ^{某人节省某物/免于做某事}

• If you lend me some money, it will save me a trip to the bank. ^主将从现
• If you tell her the news, it will save me calling her. ^{省得我打电话给她}

...live in the city which they rightly belong to. ^{先行词做宾语用belong to，因为belong不及物}

rightly ^{adv. for a good reason 本来应该地}

• It was a vicious foul, and the referee rightly removed him from the game.

They could be saved so much misery, inconvenience and endless nostalgia if they chose to live in the land where they rightly belong. ^{他们可以省去诸多痛苦、不便和 无尽的怀旧之情，如果他们选择住在他们本应属于的国度。}

If you can do without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will find the city can provide you with the best that life can offer.

do without sth. ^{没有...也行}

• If you need my car, I can do without it today.
• She can't do without candy.

provide sb. with sth. ^{为某人提供某物（sb. 短 sth. 长）}

• Editors of newspapers and magazines often go to extremes to provide their readers with unimportant facts and statistics.

They invariably live nearby and are always available for an informal chat or an evening's entertainment.

be available for sth. ^{有空做某事}

• I am available for a meeting tomorrow afternoon. ^{我明天下午有空开会。}
• My professor is always available for a conversation / to talk with his students.

be busy ^{忙于干某事（没时间做其它事）}

• Her eyes were fixed on her plate and in a short time, she was busy eating.
• Meanwhile, my tongue was busy searching out the hole where the tooth had been.
• In a short time, I was busy mixing butter and flour, and my hands were soon covered with sticky pastry.
• You're not busy doing anything, are you?'
• The bull was busy with the matador at the time, but it suddenly caught sight of the drunk who was shouting rude remarks and waving a red cap.
• I appreciate your kind invitation, but I have a previous / prior engagement.

Some of my acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit the theatre as a special treat.

go up to the city 上城市

• hey decided to go up to the city for the weekend. ^{他们决定周末去城市。}

treat ^{n.难得的乐事}

• treat or trick ^{不给糖就捣蛋}
• The children were given milk shakes as a special treat. ^{小孩受到特别招待，给吃牛奶泡泡冰。}
• When we were kids, a trip to the beach was a real treat.
• Her son's visits are a great treat for her.

For them this is a major operation which involves considerable planning.

... and it involves considerable planning. ^{延续性从句替换 and it}

major  ^{important; significant}

• Libya is a major oil producer. ^{利比亚是主要石油生产国之一。}
• Rotterdam is a major port. ^{鹿特丹是一个重要的港口城市。}
• Tokyo is a major financial centre. ^{东京是主要的金融中心。}
• She's an education major. ^{她主修教育学。}

operation  ^{work; activity; action}

• The salvage operation had been a complete failure.
• There are three ski lifts in operation. ^{有3辆滑雪缆车在运行。}
• The system has been in operation for six months. ^{这个系统已经运行六个月了。}

造句： Studying abroad is a major operation which involves considerable planning.^{出国留学是一个重大的行动，需要精心的计划。}

As the play draws to its close, they wonder whether they will ever catch that last train home.

draw to a close ^接近尾声

• As the day drew to a close, the sun set beautifully over the horizon.^{当一天接近尾声时，夕阳美丽地落在地平线上。}

The city dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort.

... of this / that sort / kind ^{这种...、那种...(前面的名字用复数)}

• I can't approve of things of this sort.

The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away.

be only a short bus ride away ^{只有很短的公共汽车车程(公交车即可达)}

• The town centre is only a short bus ride away. ^{坐公共汽车去市中心只有很短一段路程。}
• The shopping mall is only a short bus ride away from my house. ^{购物中心离我家只有一小段公交车程。}

There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best.

make do with ... ^凑合用

• John did not have a hammer, so he had to make do with a rock.

second best ^{次优、其次}

• He put on his second best suit.^{他穿上了他第二好的西服。}
• My best subject was history and my second best was geography.^{我学得最好的科目是历史，其次是地理。}
• I couldn't afford the house I really wanted, so I had to settle for second best. ^{我真心想要的房子我买不起，所以只得退而求其次了。}

Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home loaded with as many of the exotic items as they can carry.

run / go wild with delight ^{系表（变得...）欣喜若狂}

• The children ran wild with delight when they saw the ice cream truck.^{孩子们看到冰淇淋车时高兴得疯了。}
• Fans went wild with delight when their team won the championship. ^{球迷们在他们的球队赢得冠军时兴奋得疯了。}

Nor is the city without its moments of beauty.

双重否定 = 加强肯定

• Nothing is impossible to a willing mind. ^{世上无难事，只怕有心人。}
• No one has nothing to offer to society.  ^{每个人都可以为社会做贡献}
• Impossible is nothing. ^{一切皆有可能（双重否定=加强肯定）Adidas slogan}
• Anything is possible. ^{一切皆有可能（李宁 slogan）}

造句：Nor are men without their moments of frailty. ^{男人也不是没有脆弱的时候。} 

There is something comforting about the warm glow shed by advertisements on cold wet winter nights.

shed ^{v.流，洒，落（泪），射(发)出光，蜕皮、掉落（货物）}

• shed bitter tears
• shed blood

on a Monday night ^{早中晚前面有修饰语时使用介词on}

• on a Sunday morning
• On Christmas morning
• On Friday evening 
• on Wednesday evening
• on a sunny afternoon

Few things could be more impressive than the peace that descends on deserted city streets at weekends when the thousands that travel to work every day are tucked away in their homes in the country.

比较级表最高级

• Few students could be more diligent than she (is).
• Few things could be more misleading than the precept that the way to be loved is-just to love. ^{只要去爱就能得到爱，没有比这更误导人的箴言了。}

tuck ^{v.掖进，塞进}

• tuck your trousers into your boots
• He tried to tuck his flapping shirt inside his trousers. ^{他试图把飘动的衬衫塞进他的裤子里。}
• I'll tuck your sheets in for you. How's that? Comfortable? ^{我给你把被单掖在垫褥下面吧。怎么样？舒服吗？}

It has always been a mystery to me why city dwellers, who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.

作者总结：They are hypocritical.

It has always been a mystery to me ^{这对我来说一直是个谜}

• It has always been a mystery to me why people enjoy horror movies.^{我一直不明白为什么人们喜欢恐怖电影。}
• It has always been a mystery to me how he manages to stay so calm.^{我一直不明白他是如何保持如此冷静的。}
• It has always been a mystery to me what she sees in him.^{我一直不明白她在他身上看到了什么。}

... they would prefer to live in the country rather than live in the city. ^补充完整