编辑：Enook
Unit One
第一课
Text
课文
It is a humorous essay.
这是一篇幽默的文章。
But after reading it you will surely find that the author is most rious in writing it.
但是读过之后你将会发现作者写这篇文章的时候是很严肃的。
IS THERE LIFE ON EARTH?
地球上有生命吗？
Art Buchwald
阿特.布奇沃德
There was great excitement on the planet of Venus this week.
金星上本周异常热闹。
For the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the planet Earth,
那里的科学家首次成功地将一颗卫星送上了地球，
and it has been nding back signals as well as photographs ever since.
从此卫星便一直不断地发回信号和照片。
The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan
卫星被发射到一个叫曼哈顿的地区
(named after the great Venusian astronomer Prof. Manhattan,
（它是用金星上伟大的天文学家曼哈顿教授的名字命名的,
who first discovered it with his telescope 20,000 light years ago).
两万光年前是他首次用望远镜发现了该地区）。
Becau of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals,
由于良好的天气条件以及高质量的信号，
Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information
使得金星上的科学家们能够获得宝贵资料
as to the feasibility of a manned flying saucer landing on Earth.
有关载人飞碟能否在地球上着陆。
A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology.
一次有关记者招待会在金星理工学院举行。
伊斯坦布尔港口
“We have come to the conclusion,
“我们得出以下结论，
bad on last week's satellite landing ,”Prof. Zog said,
根据一周进行的卫星地球着陆，”佐格教授说，
that there is no life on Earth.”
地球上不存在生命现象。”
“How do you know this?”
“何以见得呢？”
the science reporter of the Venus Evening Star asked.
《金星晚报》的科学记者问。
“For one thing,
“首先，
Earth's surface in the area of Manhattan is compod of solid concrete
构成曼哈顿地区地表的物质是坚硬的混凝土，
and nothing can grow there.
那里当然什么也不生长。
梦见很多的蛇For another,
再者，
the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide and other deadly gas
大气层中充满一氧化碳以及其他致命气体，
and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive.”
没人能呼吸这种空气而生存。”
“What does this mean as far as our flying saucer program is concerned?”
“这对我们的飞蝶计划意味着什么呢？”
“We shall have to take our own oxygen with us,
“我们将不得不自带氧气，
which means a much heavier flying saucer than we originally planned.”
这就使飞碟比原计划重了许多。”
“Are there any other hazards that you discovered in your studies?”
“在您的研
究中是否发现其他危险因素？”
“Take a look at this photo.
“请看这张照片。
You e this dark black cloud hovering over the surface of Earth?
你们是否看到这块飘浮在地球表面上空的深黑色云层？
We call this the Consolidated Edison Belt.
我们称其为爱迪生联合公司带。
We don't know what it is made of,
我们不知道它由什么成份组成，
but it could give us a lot of trouble
然而它却给我们带来很多麻烦
and we shall have to make further tests before we nd a Venus Being there.”
在将卫星送上地球之前我们还将做进一步的探索。”
“Over here you will notice what ems to be a river ,
“在这里你们将注意到一条像河流似的水道，
but the satellite findings indicate it is polluted
但卫星情报显示该水道被污染了，
and the water is unfit to drink.
水不能饮用。
This means we shall have to carry our own water,
这意味着我们将不得不自带饮用水。
which will add even greater weight to the saucer.”
这样一来就将进一步增加飞碟的重量。”
“Sir, what are all tho tiny black spots on the photographs?”
“先生，那些照片上的小黑点是什么？”
“We're not certain.
“我们还不太清楚。
They em to be metal particles that move along certain paths.
它们好像是沿某些通道移动的金属颗粒。
They emit gas,
它们能释放气体，suv汽车大全10万左右
make noi and keep crashing into each other.
产生噪声并且不断互相撞击。
There are so many of the paths
地球上存在着太多的这种通道
and so many metal particles
和太多的这种颗粒，
that it is impossible to land a flying saucer without its being smashed by one.”
以致于要想使飞碟在那里着陆而不被某颗粒子撞毁简直是不可能的。”
“What are tho stalagmite projections sticking up?”
“那些直立的石笋状凸出物是什么东西？”
“They're some type of granite formations that give off light at night.
“那是些可夜间发光的花岗岩构造。
Prof. Glom has named them skyscrapers
格洛姆教授称其为摩天大楼，
since they em to be scraping the skies.”
因为它们好像擦到了天。”
“If all you say is true,
“如果您说的这一切都是真的，
won't this t back the flying saucer program veral years?”
那么这是否会使飞碟计划拖延好多年？”
“Yes, but we shall proceed as soon as the Grubstart gives us the added funds.”
“是的，但只要格拉布基金会提供的追加款项一到，我们将立即着手该计划。”
“Prof. Zog, why are we spending billions and billions of zilches
“佐格教授，我们为什么还要花费亿万兹尔其
to land a flying saucer on Earth when there is no life there?”
来实施飞碟着陆计划？既然地球上并不存在生命。”
“Becau if we Venusians can learn to br
eathe in an Earth atmosphere.
“因为如果我们金星人能学会在地球上呼吸那里的空气，
then we can live anywhere.”
我们就能在任何地方生存了。”
New Words
新单词
humorous a.
幽默的
humor n.
幽默
essay n.
散文，随笔
excitement n.
刺激，兴奋，激动，骚动，刺激的事物
planet n.团队优势
行星
Venusian a. & n.
性感内衣图片金星的
satellite n.
（人造）卫星
signal n.
信号；暗号
astronomer n.
天文学家
telescope n.
望远镜
extremely n.
极端，非常
穿越火线在线
extreme a.
极度的
feasibility n.
可行性
feasible a.
可能的
manned a.
载人的
saucer n.
浅碟；茶托
flying saucer n.
飞碟
conference n.
会议
press conference n.
记者招待会
technology n.
技术
conclusion n.
结论
conclude v.
下结论
reporter n.
记者
compo vt.
组成，结构
concrete n.
混凝土
atmosphere n.
大气，空气
carbon n.
碳
monoxide n.
一氧化物
deadly a.
致命的
gas n.
气体
survive vi & vt
活下来；幸存
survival n.
幸存者
program n.
计划
concern vt.
涉及，关系到
oxygen n.
氧气
originally ad.
起初，原来
original a.
最初的
hazard n.
危险
hover vi.
盘旋
consolidated a.
联合的
consolidate vt.
巩固，统一
belt n.
（地）带
indicate vt.
指示，指出，表示
indication n.
暗示；迹象
pollute vt.
污染
pollution n.
污染
unfit a.
不合适的
particle n.
粒子；徽粒
emit vt.
散发，射出
emission n.
散发，发射；放射
crash v.
落；猛撞
smash v.
（使）碎裂
stalagmite n.
石笋
projection n.
凸出物
project v.
伸出
type n.
类型，种类
granite n.
花岗岩
formation n.
形成（物）
skyscraper n.
摩天大楼
scrape vt.
刮，擦
proceed vi.
（停顿后）继续进行
fund n.
资金；基金
billion n.
十亿
zilch n.
零
Phras & Expressions
短语和句子
(be) known as
以…闻名，通常名叫
name after
以…名字命名
as to
关于
ba on
以…为基础，
ba upon
把…基于
for (for another)
首先…其次
be compod of
由…组成
as be concerned
就……而言
stick up
直立；突出
give off
发出；散发出
t back
耽搁；阻碍
Proper Names
专有名词
Art Buchwald
阿特.布奇沃德
Venus
黄龙咳喘片
金星
Manhattan
曼哈顿（纽约市中心区）
Zog
佐格（姓氏）
Edison
爱迪生（姓氏）
Glom
格洛姆（姓氏）
Unit Two
第二课
Text
课文
A heated discussion about whether men are braver than women
一场关于男人是否比女人勇敢的激烈的讨论
is ttled in a rather unexpected way.
以一个意外的方式。
THE DINNER PARTY
晚宴
Mona Gardner
莫娜.加德纳
I first heard this tale in India,
我最初听到这个故事
是在印度，
where it is told as if true
那儿的人们今天讲起它来仍好像实有其事似的
--though any naturalist would know it couldn't be.
——尽管任何一位博物学家都知道这不可能是真的。
Later someone told me that the story appeared in a magazine shortly before the the First World War.
后来有人告诉我，在第一次世界大战之后不久就出现在一本杂志上。
That magazine story,
但登在杂志上的那篇故事,
and the person who wrote it,
以及写那篇故事的人，
I have never been able to track down.
我却一直未能找到。
The country is India.
故事发生在印度。
A colonial official and his wife are giving a large dinner party.
某殖民官员和他的夫人举行盛行的晚宴。
They are ated with their guests
跟他们一起就座的客人有
--officers and their wives,
——军官和他人的夫人，
and a visiting American naturalist
另外还有一位来访的美国博物学家
-
-in their spacious dining room,
——筵席设在他们家宽敞的餐室里，
which has a bare marble floor,
室内大理石地板上没有铺地毯；
open rafters and wide glass doors opening onto a veranda.
屋顶明椽裸露；宽大的玻璃门外便是阳台。
A spirited discussion springs up between a young girl
席间，一位年轻的女士同一位少校展开了热烈的讨论。
who says that women have outgrown the jumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mou era
年轻的女士认为，妇女已经有所进步，不再像过去那样一见到老鼠就吓得跳到椅子上；
and a major who says that they haven't.
少校则不以为然。
"A woman's reaction in any crisis," the major says,
“女人一遇到危急情况，”少校说，
"is to scream.赞美中国
反应便是尖叫。
And while a man may feel like it,
而男人虽然也可能想叫，
he has that ounce more of control than a woman has.
但比起女人来，自制力却略胜一筹。
And that last ounce is what really counts.”
这多出来的一点自制力正是真正起作用的东西。”
The American does not join in the argument
那个美国人没有参加这场争论，
but watches the other guests.
他只是注视着在座的其他客人。
As he looks,
在他这样观察时，
he es a strange expression come over the face of the hostess.
他发现女主人的脸上显出一种奇异的表情。
She is staring straight ahead,
她两眼盯着正前方，
her muscles contracting slightly.
脸部肌肉在微微抽搐。
She motions to the native boy standing behind her chair
她向站在座椅后面的印度男仆做了个手势，
and whispers something to him.
对他耳语了几句。
The boy's eyes widen:
男仆两眼睁得大大的，
he quickly leaves the room.
迅速地离开了餐室。
Of the guests,
在座的客人中，
none except the American notices this
除了那位美国人以外论证也没有注意到这一
幕，
or es the boy place a bowl of milk on the veravda just outside the open doors.
也没有看到那个男仆把一碗牛奶放在紧靠门边的阳台上。
The American comes to with a start.
那个美国人突然醒悟过来。
In India,
在印度，
milk in a bowl means only one thing
碗中的牛奶只有一个意思
bait for a snake.
——引蛇的诱饵。
He realizes there must be a cobra in the room.
他意识到餐室里一定有条眼镜蛇。
He looks up at the rafters
他抬头看了看屋顶上的椽子
--the likeliest place
——那是最可能有蛇藏身的地方
--but they are bare.
——但那上面空荡荡的。
Three corners of the room are empty,
室内的三个角落里也是空的，
and in the fourth the rvants are waiting to rve the next cour.
而在第四个角落里，仆人们正在等着下一道菜。
There is only one place left
这样，剩下的就只有一个地方了
—--under the table.
餐桌下面。
His first impul is to jump back and warn the others,
他首先想到的是往后一跳，并向其他人发警告。
but he knows the commotion would frighten the cobra into striking.
但他知道这样会引起骚乱，致使眼镜索受惊咬人。
He speaks quickly,
于是他很快讲了一通话，
the tone of his voice so commanding that it silences everyone.
其语气非常威严，竟使所有的人安静了下来。
“I want to know just what control everyone at this table has.
我想了解一下在座的诸位到底有多大的克制能力，
i will count three hundred
我数三百下
--that's five minutes
——也就五分钟
--and not one of you is to move a muscle.
—
—你们谁都不许动一动。
Tho who move will forfeit 50 rupees. Ready!”
动者将罚款五十卢比。准备好！”
The 20 people sit like stone images while he counts.
在他数数的过程中，那20个人像一尊尊石雕一样端坐在那儿。
He is saying“…two hundred ”
当他数到“……280……”时，
when, out of the corner of his eye,
突然从眼然处看到
he es the cobra emerge and make for the bowl of milk.
那条眼镜蛇钻了出来，向那碗牛奶爬去。
Screams ring out as he jumps to slam the veranda doors safely shut.
在他跳起来把通往阳台的门全都砰砰地牢牢关上时，室内响起了一片尖叫声。
“You were right,Major!”the host exclaims.
“你刚才说得很对，少校！”男主人大声说。
“A man has just shown us an example of perfect lf-control.”
一个男子刚刚为我们显示了从容不迫、镇定自若的范例。”
“Just a minute,”the American says,
“且慢”，那位美国人一边说着
turning to his hostess.
一边转向女主人。
“Mrs. Wynnes, how did you know that cobra was in the room?”
温兹太太，你怎么知道那条眼镜蛇是在屋子里呢？”
A faint smile lights up the woman's face as she replies:
女
