英语小达人 279 A Letter from Mom

 　　A Letter from Mom

　　妈妈写来的信

　　Dear Son,

　　亲爱的儿子

　　I'm writing¹ this slow 'cause² I know you can't read fast. We don't live where we did⁴ when you first left. Your Dad read in the paper that most accidents⁵ happen within⁶ 20 miles⁷ of home, so we moved. I won't be able⁸ to send you the address as³ the last family here took⁹ the numbers with them for their next house, so they wouldn't have to change their address. This place has a washing¹² machine¹³. The first day I put four shirts in, pulled¹⁴ the chain¹⁵, and I haven't seen¹⁶ 'em since¹⁷. It only rained twice¹⁸ this week, three days the first time and four days this time. The coat you wanted me to send you, your Aunt Susan said¹⁹ it would¹⁰ be a little too heavy to send in the mail²⁰ with the heavy buttons²¹, so we cut them off²² and put them in the pockets²³. About your sister, she had²⁴ a baby this morning. I haven't found²⁵ out whether²⁶ it's a girl or a boy, so I didn't know if you are an Aunt or an Uncle. Not much more news²⁷ this time, write soon.

　　我这么慢才写信给你是因为知道你也读不快。我们不住在你第一次离开时的地方了。你爸爸从报纸上读到一篇报道说大多数事故都是发生在家周围方圆20英里的范围内，所以我们搬家了。我不能告诉你地址，因为原来住在这里的那家人为了不改变地址而把门牌号带走了。这地方有台洗衣机，第一天我放了四件衬衣进去，开动机器，我就再没见过我的衬衣了。这个星期只下了两次雨，第一次下了三天，第二次下了四天。至于你想让我寄给你的那件大衣，你的苏珊姨妈说上面的扣子太重了，不好邮寄，所以我把扣子都剪下来放在了大衣兜里。至于你的妹妹，她今天早上生了个小孩，我们还不知道是男孩还是女孩，所以我还不清楚你会做阿姨还是叔叔。没有更多的新消息了，以后再写。

　　Love, Mom

　　爱你的，妈妈

　　P.S. Was¹¹ going²⁸ to send you money, but the envelope²⁹ was already³⁰ sealed³¹.

　　又及：想给你寄钱来着，可是信封已经封死了。

　　重点讲解：

　　1. want sb. to do sth.

　　希望某人做某事；

　　eg. They began to want their father to be the same as other daddies.

　　他们开始希望他们的父亲能和别人的老爸一样。

　　eg. If you have a problem³² with that, I want you to tell me right now.

　　如果你有异议，我要你马上告诉我。

　　2. cut off

　　切断；中断；

　　eg. Our phone's been cut off.

　　我们的电话被切断了。

　　eg. His company³³ is preparing³⁴ to shut³⁵ down in the event³⁶ that their water supply³⁷ is cut off.

　　假如供水被切断，他所在的公司就准备关闭。

1 writing   

n.写，写作；著作，文学作品

参考例句：

• I am also writing a short story.我也写短篇小说。
• Do you like writing for children?你愿意为儿童写作吗？

2 cause   

pron.造成，使发生

参考例句：

• Bad teeth often cause pain.坏牙常引起疼痛。
• Unhappiness is the root cause of his illness.不开心是他生病的根源。

3 as   

conj.按照；如同

参考例句：

• He got work in a hotel as a waiter.他在一家旅馆找到了当服务生的工作。
• In the hotel,the old men were drinking away as usual.在旅馆里，这些老人和往常一样喝个不停。

4 did   

v.动词do的过去式

参考例句：

• How many goals did you score in the last game?上一场比赛你们进了几个球？
• Why did you choose basketball in the first place?你为何首先选择篮球呢？

5 accidents   

n.意外遭遇( accident的名词复数 )；事故；机遇；命运

参考例句：

• Barring accidents, we should arrive on time. 除非有意外情况，我们应可按时到达。
• Alcohol is a contributory factor in 10% of all road accidents. 所有交通事故中有10%是酒后驾车造成的。

6 within   

n.内部，里头；adv.在内部，在内心里；prep.在…之内

参考例句：

• The work must be done within the given time.这个工作必须在规定的时间内完成。
• Within two weeks,she gained five pounds in weight.两周内她的体重增加了5磅。

7 Miles   

n.英里( mile的名词复数 )；很多；一英里赛跑；大面积

参考例句：

• Eight kilometres is roughly equivalent to five miles. 八公里约等于五英里。
• a fortress town enclosed by four miles of ramparts 由四英里长的城墙围着的设防城镇

8 able   

adj.能...的，有才能的，能干的，能够的

参考例句：

• How good and able he is!瞧他多能干啊！
• He is able to do this job well.他有能力做好这件工作。

9 took   

vt.带，载(take的过去式)

参考例句：

• I took my dog for a walk along the river.我带着狗沿那条河散步。
• It took me about two hours to cook the meat.我花了大约两个小时来煮这些肉。

10 would   

aux.will的过去式；愿，要；常常；大概；将要，会

参考例句：

• Why would you say that?为什么你会这么说？
• Would you please help me?你能帮帮我吗？

11 was   

v.(is,am的过去式)是，在

参考例句：

• He said he was right.他说他是正确的。
• He was cold and hungry.他又冷又饿。

12 washing   

n.洗，洗涤，洗衣，洗脸，洗澡，冲洗，冲刷

参考例句：

• A washing machine is run by a small electric motor.洗衣机由一台小电动机驱动。
• She hung the washing on the line to dry.她把洗好的衣服晾在绳子上。

13 machine   

n.机器，机械装置，机械般工作的人；v.以机器制造；（计算机）机器

参考例句：

• I can't guess how to control the machine.我猜不出来怎样操作那台机器。
• This kind of machine is out of date.这种机器过时了。

14 pulled   

adj. 牵引的 动词pull的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• A police car pulled up alongside us. 一辆警车在我们旁边停了下来。
• She pulled the curtain aside. 她把窗帘拉向一边。

15 chain   

n.链，连锁，束缚；vt.用铁练锁住，束缚，囚禁

参考例句：

• He now owns a chain of 970 food stores.他现在拥有970家连锁食品店。
• He joined the ends of the chain.他把链子的两端接起来了。

16 seen   

vbl.(see的过去分词)看见

参考例句：

• Since I left college, I have not seen him.自从我离开大学以后，就没有见过他了。
• I hope to have seen the film next week.我希望下星期能看到这部电影。

17 since   

adv.后来；conj.既然，因为，自从；prep.自从

参考例句：

• He's been working in a bank since leaving school.自从毕业后，他就一直在一家银行工作。
• I have known him ever since I was a child.我自孩提时代起就已经认识他了。

18 twice   

adv.两次；两倍

参考例句：

• Bob phoned twice today.鲍勃今天打了两次电话。
• I woke up twice in the night.我夜里醒过两次。

19 said   

v.动词say的过去式、过去分词

参考例句：

• He said to me that he could not come.他对我说他不能来。
• He said to his mother that he would do it by himself.他对他的母亲说他将自己独立做那件事。

20 mail   

n.邮件；v.邮寄

参考例句：

• He has a large amount of mail to answer every day.他每天有大量的信件要回复。
• Please forward my mail to me.请把我的邮件转寄给我。

21 buttons   

n.button的复数；按钮( button的名词复数 )；纽扣；（尤指印有信息的）徽章；没有价值的小东西v.扣住，系住( button的第三人称单数 )；扣…的钮扣；用钮扣扣上

参考例句：

• She liked the dress that buttons down the back. 她喜欢从背部扣纽扣的女装。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• You've done your buttons up the wrong way. 你把扣子扣错了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 off   

adj.远的；休假的，空闲的；adv.走开，出发，隔断；prep.离开，脱落，在...之外

参考例句：

• You'd better cool off first.你最好先冷静下来。
• I need some time off.我需要一些时间休息。

23 pockets   

袋( pocket的名词复数 )； （附在车门上、提包内等的）小口袋； 球袋； 钱财

参考例句：

• Her pockets were bulging with presents. 她的口袋里装满了礼物。
• The blast was caused by pockets of methane gas that ignited. 爆炸是由数袋甲烷气体着火引起的。

24 had   

vbl.have的过去式和过去分词；conj.有

参考例句：

• I just had a good idea!我有个好主意！
• The boy had a small branch of a tree in his hand.这个男孩手上拿一条小树枝。

25 found   

v.建立，创立，创办；vbl.(find的过去分词)找到

参考例句：

• I found him at home.我发现他在家。
• The United Nations was found in 1945.联合国于1945年成立。

26 whether   

conj.是否…，是不是…；是否…，是不是…

参考例句：

• I cannot say whether it was Saturday or Sunday.我无法肯定那天是星期六还是星期天。
• I don't care whether it rains,I am happy.我才不在乎下不下雨呢，我快活着呢。

27 news   

n.新闻，消息

参考例句：

• No news is good news.没有消息就是好消息。
• I like reading hot news.我喜欢读热点新闻。

28 going   

n.去，离去，地面(或道路)的状况，工作情况；(复数形式）goings: 行为；adj.进行中的，流行的，现存的

参考例句：

• We're going to listen to a report this afternoon. 今天下午我们要去听报告。
• He hates leaving the office and going on holiday.他不愿离开办公室去度假。

29 envelope   

n.信封；封皮；包装

参考例句：

• Don't forget to stick a stamp on the envelope. 不要忘记在信封上贴邮票。
• I folded the letter and then put it into the envelope.我把信折好后放进信封里。

30 already   

adv.已经

参考例句：

• We have eaten already.我们已经吃过了。
• I've been there already,so I don't want to go again.我早已去过那里了，所以我不想再去了。

31 sealed   

adj.未知的，密封的v.密封( seal的过去式和过去分词 )；决定；确定；封上（信封）

参考例句：

• The floor is sealed to prevent water penetration. 地板加了密封涂料防止渗水。
• We will never forget the friendship sealed in adversity. 患难之交永不忘。 来自《简明英汉词典》

32 problem   

n.问题；难题

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• This problem is too hard for me to solve.这个问题太难，我解决不了。

33 company   

n.公司

参考例句：

• Is this your company?这是你的公司吗？
• Which company was that?那是哪家公司？

34 preparing   

adj.准备的，预备的v.准备( prepare的现在分词 )；预备（饭菜）；配备；使（自己）有准备

参考例句：

• The party leader exhorted his members to start preparing for government. 该党领袖敦促党员着手准备筹建政府。
• The programme is geared to preparing students for the world of work. 本计划旨在为学生开始就业作准备。

35 shut   

adj.关闭的，合拢的，围绕的；v.关上，闭起，幽禁；vbl.关上，闭起，幽禁

参考例句：

• It's time to shut up shop and go home.该闭店回家了。
• Shut up.I'm trying to think.闭嘴，我在想问题。

36 event   

n.事变，大事件

参考例句：

• I'm surprised that you didn't know of such an important event.这么大的事你竟会不知道？
• He is the center of this event.他是这次事件的核心人物。

37 supply   

n.补给，供给，供应品；vt.补给，供给，提供，补充；vi.替代

参考例句：

• The shop was unable to supply what she wanted.这商店不能供应她所需要的商品。
• We can supply the goods from our main store.这些货我们可以由总店供应。