新概念英语第二册Lesson 76 April Fools' Day

 

Lesson 76 April Fools' Day 愚人节

First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What was the joke?
   
'To end our special news bulletin¹,' said the voice of the television announcer², 'we're going over to the macaroni fields of Calabria. Macaroni has been grown in this area for over six hundred years. Two of the leading growers, Giuseppe Moldova and Riccardo Brabante, tell me that they have been expecting a splendid³ crop this year and harvesting has begun earlier than usual. Here you can see two workers who, between them, have just finished cutting three cartloads of golden⁴ brown macaroni stalks⁶. The whole village has been working day and night gathering⁷ and threshing this year's crop before the September rains. On the right, you can see Mrs. Brabante herself. She has been helping⁸ her husband for thirty years now. Mrs. Brabante is talking to the manager of the local factory where the crop is processed. This last scene shows you what will happen at the end of the harvest: the famous Calabrian macaroni-eating competition! Signor Fratelli, the present champion, has won it every year since 1991. And that ends our special bulletin for today, Thursday, April lst. We're now going back to the studio⁹.'

New words and expressions 生词和短语 

fool n. 傻瓜
bulletin n. 新闻简报
announcer n. （电视、电台）播音员
macaroni n. 通心面，空心面条
leading adj. 主要的
grower n. 种植者
splendid adj. 极好的
stalk⁵ n. 梗
gather v. 收庄稼
thresh v. 打（庄稼）
process v. 加工
Signor n. （意大利语）先生
present adj. 目前的
champion n. 冠军
studio n. 播音室

参考译文

“作为我们专题新闻节目的结尾，”电视广播员说，“我们现在到克拉布利亚的通心粉田里。通心粉在这个地区已经种植了600多年了。两个主要种植者，朱塞皮.莫尔道瓦和里卡多.布拉班特告诉我，他们一直期待着今年获得一个大丰收，收割工作比往年开始要早些。这里您可以看到两个工人，他们协力割下了3车金黄色的通心粉秸。全村的人都日夜奋战，要赶在9月的雨季之前把今年的庄稼收获上来，打完场。在屏幕的右侧，您可以看到布拉班特太太本人，她已经帮了她的丈夫30年了。布拉班特太太现在正和负责通心粉加工的当地加工厂的经理交谈。这最后一个镜头向您展示了收获之后将发生的事情：著名的克拉布利亚人吃通心粉大赛！目前的冠军弗拉特里先生，自1991年以来，年年获胜。今天 -- 4月1日，星期四--的专题新闻节目到此结束。现在我们回到电视演播室。”
 

 

　　自学导读
Further notes on the text
1．…we're going over to the macaroni fields of Calabria.……我们现在到克拉布利亚的通心粉田里。
（1）go over表示“往……走过去”，暗示中间原有一段距离：
I went over to the blind man to help him across the road.
我走到那个盲人身边，帮他过马路。
（2）field指“（一块）田”、“块”，为可数名词，常用复数：
Many people are busy harvesting in the rice fields.
稻田里许多人正忙着收割。
（3）macaroni指“通心粉”，是加工过的面粉。它不可能像wheat, rice一样长在田里，不该与fields连用，但由于是愚弄人的玩
笑，所以这篇文章通篇都是以通心粉长在地里为前提进行的描述。由于macaroni是意大利语，很可能有人会以为是某种没听说过的新的粮食品种。
2．between them,由于他们共同努力的结果。
between作介词时含义之一是“作为……共同努力的结果”、“协
力”；
Between them they killed the snake.
他们一起杀死了那条蛇。
Between us we pulled down the tree.
我们协力把树拉倒了。
3．the September rains,9月雨季。
rain一般指“雨水”：
The rain is falling heavily.
雨下得很大。
We haven't had much rain this year.
今年雨水不多。
当rain指“雨季”、“季节性的雨”，尤其是热带地区的雨季时，要
用复数形式：
We'd better leave the district before the April rains.
我们最好在4月的雨季之前离开这个地区。
Sometimes spring rains are really annoying.
有时绵绵春雨真让人心烦意乱。

　　词汇学习 Word study
1．usual与usually
（1）usual通常为形容词，表示“通常的”、“平常的”、“惯常的”等：
It was warm last Sunday, so I went and sat on the river bank as usual.
上星期日天气暖和。于是我和往常一样，又去河边坐着。
（as usual表示“像平常一样”、“照例”，它有时可放在句首）
One Monday, there were fewer people in the shop than usual.
有一个星期一，这家商场里的人比往常少。
It is usual with him to get up late.
他常起床起得晚。
I parked the car at the usual place.
我在往常那个地方停了车。（usual既可以作定语，又可以作表语）
（2）usually为频度副词，表示“平常”、“通常”：He usually gets up late.
他通常起得晚。
When do you usually have supper?
你平常几点吃晚饭？
2．between与among
（1）介词between表示“在（两者）之间”：
I picked up the receiver between two sticky¹⁰ finger.
我用两根黏糊糊的手指拿起了话筒。
Can you tell the difference between Indian music and jazz?
你能分辨出印度音乐和爵士乐吗？
Between them they finished cutting three carloads of macaroni stalks.
他们协力割下了3车通心粉秸。
当表示两两之间的相互关系时，between可用于3个（或3个以上）的名词前：
The village lies between a river, a mountain and a road.
这个村子位于一条河、一座山和一条马路之间。
（2）among表示“在……中间”或“被……环绕”，指3者以上：
The church lies among mountains.
这教堂位于群山之中。
Among those boys, Dan is the tallest.
那些男孩中丹最高。
3．manager,director¹¹与headmaster
这3个都是表示职务的词， manager通常译为“经理”， director 可表示“主任”、“董事”等，headmaster则指“（中学）校长”： I entered the hotel manager's office and sat down. 我走进饭店经理的办公室，坐了下来。
Before he retired¹², Frank¹³ was the director of a very large company.
弗兰克退休前是一家非常大的公司的主管。
I haven't met the headmaster of this school yet.
我没见过这个学校的校长。

练习答案 Key to written exercises
1．关键句型练习答案
A What has happened: has been grown(1.3);has begun(1.6); have just finished(1.7); has won(1.13)
What has been happening: have been expecting(1.5); has been working(11.8-9);has been helping(1.10)
2．难点练习答案
1 among        2 usual             3 manager         4 headmaster
5 usual          6 director         7 between         8 usually
3．多项选择题答案
1d  2b  3d  4a  5a  6b
7b  8a  9c  10b  11d  12d

1 bulletin   

n.小报，会刊，简明新闻，新闻快报

参考例句：

• We read the declaration posted on the bulletin board.我们读了贴在布告板上的声明。
• The radio bulletin warned of the typhoon.收音机新闻快报发布了台风警报。

2 announcer   

n.宣布者；电(视)台播音员，报幕员

参考例句：

• The radio announcer said it was nine o'clock.电台播音员报时9点整。
• The announcer tells the listeners what programme comes next.广播员告诉听众下一个是什么节目。

3 splendid   

adj.光亮的，了不起的，灿烂的，壮丽的，显著的，杰出的

参考例句：

• He got a splendid present for her.他送她一件极好的礼物。
• The play was just splendid.这出戏真是太好了。

4 golden   

adj.金的，含金的，可贵的，金色的，贵重的，繁盛的

参考例句：

• My teacher is an Englishman with golden hair.我的老师是一个金黄色头发的英国人。
• It's a balmy evening,the golden time for lovers.这是一个暖和的夜晚，是恋人们的黄金时光。

5 stalk   

n.茎，追踪，高视阔步；v.悄悄靠近，蔓延，高视阔步

参考例句：

• It's no better than a hollow stalk.那比根空麦秆子好不了多少。
• It was not a stalk，it was an ambush.这不是暗暗跟踪而是伏袭。

6 stalks   

n.主茎，花梗，叶柄( stalk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• flowers on long stalks 长茎上的花
• Don't nip any stalks off the plant. 别掐断植物茎！ 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 studio   

n.摄影棚（场）；演播室；画室；工作室

参考例句：

• They are building a modern studio.他们正在修建一座现代化的摄影室。
• He had to spend long hours in the recording studio.他不得不花很长的时间在录音室里。

10 sticky   

adj.粘的，闷热的，困难的，令人不满意的

参考例句：

• This paste is not sticky enough.这糨糊不黏。
• Here is a sticky business!这事真难办！

11 director   

n.主管，导演；主任；理事；董事；处长

参考例句：

• The director has taken the visitors off to his office.经理把客人带到他办公室去了。
• The new director is easy to get along with.新来的主任很好处。

12 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

13 frank   

adj.坦白的，直率的，真诚的

参考例句：

• A frank discussion can help to clear the air.坦率的谈论有助于消除隔阂。
• She is frank and outgoing.她很爽朗。