新视野大学英语视听说教程 4 Unit 10-4

Task 3: Do you know what “Freeze!” means?
Script¹
There is one word which you must learn before you visit the U.S.A. That is “Freeze!” It means, “Stand still and don’t move.” Police officers use it when they are ready to use their guns. If the person does not obey the command and moves, they shoot.
One evening in Los Angeles, someone rang the bell doorbell of a house. It was a dangerous area at night, so the owner of the house took his gun with him when he answered the door. He opened the door and saw a person, who turned round and started walking away from the house. The owner cried “Freeze!”, but the man went on walking. The owner thought he tried to escape, so he shot him dead.
Later, a sad story was uncovered². The dead man was Yoshiro Hattori, a 16-year-old Japanese exchange student. He went to visit a friend for a Halloween party, but he could not remember the number of the house. When he realized that he had gone to the wrong house, he turned round to leave. He did not know much English and so did not understand the command “Freeze!”.
The tragedy arose from cultural misunderstanding. Those who have lived in the United States for a long time understand the possibility of being shot when one trespasses³ upon an individual’s property. It is a well-known fact in America that a person’s home is his castle. Although Rodney Pears, the owner of the house, gave a verbal⁴ warning “Freeze!” to Hattori, Hattori did not know it meant “Stand still and don’t move”, and therefore did not obey it. This misunderstanding became the trigger⁵ of Hattori’s disaster. The concept⁶ of owning guns is hard for Japanese people to understand, but in America you are permitted to own a gun under the U.S. Constitution.
1.What does the word “Freeze!” mean in the passage?
2.What did the owner of the house take with him when he answered the door?
3. Why did the Japanese student turn around and leave?
4. What is mentioned as a possible result of trespassing⁷?
5. Why is the phrase “a person’s home is his castle” quoted in the passage?
Keys: 1.C   2.A   3.D   4.B   5.C

1 script   

n.剧本，广播稿；文字体系；笔迹，手迹

参考例句：

• It's easy to identify his script.他的笔迹容易辨认。
• The script is massaged into final form.这篇稿子经过修改已定稿。

2 uncovered   

adj.无盖的，未保险的v.揭开…的盖子( uncover的过去式和过去分词 )；揭露，发现

参考例句：

• His head was uncovered. 他光着头。
• A plot to assassinate the banker has been uncovered by the police. 暗杀银行家的密谋被警方侦破了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 trespasses   

罪过( trespass的名词复数 )； 非法进入

参考例句：

• If you forgive men their trespasses,your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. 如果你们饶恕他们的过失，你们的天父也必将饶恕你们的过失。
• Forgive us our trespasses! 宽恕我们的罪过吧！

4 verbal   

adj.口头的，用言辞的，用文字的，动词的

参考例句：

• Verbal statements are no guarantee.口说无凭。
• I delivered a verbal protest against their brutal acts.我对他们的暴行提出口头抗议。

5 trigger   

n.触发器，板机，制滑机；v.触发（事件）

参考例句：

• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again.他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。
• He pulled the trigger but the gun didn't go off.他打了一枪，没有发火。

6 concept   

n.概念，观念，思想

参考例句：

• A small baby has no concept of right and wrong.婴儿没有是非概念。
• He was asked to define his concept of cool.他被要求说明自己关于“酷”的定义。

7 trespassing   

[法]非法入侵

参考例句：

• He told me I was trespassing on private land. 他说我在擅闯私人土地。
• Don't come trespassing on my land again. 别再闯入我的地界了。