英语博客：How do they do that?

 

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　　Have you ever come across anything that someone has done that has made you wonder how on earth they had managed to do it? I've often wondered about how on earth window washers manage to clean the windows of high rise buildings, or how traffic controllers in airports manage to organize flights into and out of the airports so that all of the planes land and take off safely. There are jobs out there that we sometimes don't even realize exist, and the tasks involved in that job are either difficult or unusual. I haven't really got a stomach for heights, so I am always impressed when I see a job that has been done way up high somewhere, where most people would choose not to go. The other day when we were walking around Leavenworth, my husband suddenly said, "Gees¹, look at that. How did they do that?" He pointed² to christmas lights that had been wound around tree branches in the central high street area. The trees were litterally covered all the way up to the top of the branches. Now, this might not sound like much, but you have to remember that Leavenworth is a huge tourist attraction, especially around Christmas time. There is a special lighting³ festival that is repeated a few times. The bavarian style buildings are beautifully decorated with lights, and the trees, which measure at least fifty feet, are also covered. I'm talking about every branch, from the bottom to the top. So, how do they do that? And, who are the they? They must be people who don't mind climbing up extremely tall ladders, up to the tree tops, or perhaps, hanging from a crane⁴. Do they do this every year, or are the lights kept up all year long? I wonder how much they get paid. I would certainly not be a good candidate⁵ for that kind of job. I can just see me the first day of work, half way up, clinging⁶ hold of the ladder for dear life, crying for mama. I wouldn't be a useful employee. The trees would be beautifully decorated for the first six feet, but that would be it; I couldn't go any further.
Grammar notes.
Common expressions: how on earth did you ....?, clinging hold of ... for dear life, to have a stomach for...
1. How on earth did you manage to lose your wallet twice in the same day?
OR   How on earth did they manage to stay alive at sea for a month with no supplies?
2. They found the man clinging hold of the cliff⁷ edge for dear life.
OR   She was nervous about losing her passport, and clung⁸ hold of it for dear life.
3. I don't have a stomach for roller coasters; they don't suit me at all.
OR   I can't stomach musicals; they make me nervous and irritated⁹.

1 gees   

n.（美俚）一千元（gee的复数形式）v.驭马快走或向右（gee的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• When the lunch bell rang, she peeled the gees and ate them. 中午吃饭铃响时她就剥开鸡蛋吃起来。 来自互联网
• How do you want you gees? 你要怎么样的蛋呢？ 来自互联网

2 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• 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。

3 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

4 crane   

v.伸长(脖子)；n.起重机，吊车

参考例句：

• We used a crane to lift the piano into the theatre.我们使用起重机将钢琴搬进剧场。
• Must we wait till the crane arrives before we start loading?非要等起重机来了才能装运吗？

5 candidate   

n.候选人；候补者；投考者，申请求职者

参考例句：

• Voters like a candidate who has the common touch. 投票者喜欢那些平易近人的候选人。
• The local newspapers dressed up the candidate as a boxer.当地报纸把那个候选人描绘成一个拳击手。

6 clinging   

adj.执着的；有黏性的；紧靠着的；紧贴着的v.附着于( cling的现在分词 )；抓紧或抱住；坚持；依恋，依附于

参考例句：

• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者
• I was very frightened and clinging on like mad. 我很害怕，拼命地向上爬。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 cliff   

n.悬崖，峭壁

参考例句：

• The cliff edge is dangerous and should be railed.崖边危险，应该用栏杆围起来。
• He took the measure of the cliff before he climbed it.他把悬崖的高度估量一下后再攀登。

8 Clung   

v.附着于( cling的过去式和过去分词 )；抓紧或抱住；坚持；依恋，依附于

参考例句：

• The Prime Minister clung to his job like a limpet, despite calls for him to resign. 首相不顾有人要求他辞职，死赖在他的职位上不下台。
• She clung to the hope that her son was not dead. 她抱定儿子并没有死的希望不放。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 irritated   

a.恼怒的

参考例句：

• His little affectations irritated her. 他的装腔作势令她不快。
• Her genteel accent irritated me. 她那矫揉造作的腔调使我感到难受。