Lecture Notes - U1

Key Words: ennoble vt. pin vt. crease vt. sole a. weep vi. embarrassing a. considerate a. await vt. glisten vi. intent a. frail a. hint n. condition vt. ennoble vt. make better and more honourable 使崇高，使受尊敬

e.g. Hard work hasn’t changed him for the worse; on the contrary, it has ennobled him.

The total effect of Aristofie’s thought is to ennoble humanity and to increase personal responsibility.

weep vi. [(over, for)] fml or lit cry tears [常与over或for连用] 〖正式或文〗流泪，哭泣

e.g. When she learned that her father was badly injured in the earthquake, she broke down and

wept.

Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone.

await vt. fml wait for〖正式〗等待

e.g. Two men have been charged with the murder of that pop star and are now awaiting trial.

I grew to await it with a nameless dread.

frail a. weak in body or health虚弱的;衰弱的

e.g. She lay in bed looking rather frail. How could she look after herself?

His mother was becoming too frail to live alone.

pin vt. fasten or join with a pin or pins (用别针等)把……别住，(用钉等)把……钉住 e.g. He pinned the name tag on his jacket and entered the office building. They pinned a notice to the door.

embarrassing a. making one feel ashamed, nervous, or uncomfortable 令人为难的，尴尬的 e.g. It was a most embarrassing moment when I tried to introduce a woman whose name I couldn’t

remember.

It was an embarrassing situation, but she managed to laugh it off.

glisten vi. [(with)] shine (as if) from wetness [常与with连用](湿物)闪耀，闪亮 e.g. The sun shone and the ice on the roof glistened.

Darcy’s face was white and glistening with sweat.

hint n. [(of)] a small sign or small amount [常与of连用](细微的)迹象，少许，微量

e.g. ―Move up; move to the rear of the bus,‖ shouted the bus driver with a hint of impatience.

I glanced at her and saw no hint of irony on her face.

crease vt. make a line or lines appear on (a garment, paper, cloth, etc.) by folding, crushing, or pressing 使起褶痕；起皱

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e.g. Pack the clothes carefully so that you don’t crease them.

Liz sat down on the bed, lowering herself carefully so as not to crease her skirt.

considerate a. [(towards, to)] apprec thoughtful of the wishes, needs, or feelings of others [常与towards或to连用]〖褒〗体贴的，关心的；替他人着想的，考虑周全的

e.g. Please be considerate towards your roommates. Do not talk on the phone after midnight. I’ve always understood one should try and be considerate to other people.

intent a. [(on, upon)] showing fixed or eager attention (in doing or wishing to do) [常与on 或upon连用] 专注的；专心于……的

e.g. He was so intent on his research that nothing could distract him.

The play starred a well-known retired actress who was intent on a comeback.

engage (sb. in sth.) vt. fml make sb. join with one in sth.〖正式〗使某人加入(参加)…… e.g. The policeman tried desperately to engage the suspect in conversation, but he just kept silent. We want to engage recognized leaders in discussion.

condition vt. tech or derog train to behave in a certain way in certain conditions 〖术语或贬〗使形成条件反射；使适应；使习惯于

e.g. Most people are conditioned to believe what they read in the newspaper.

We are all conditioned by early impressions and experiences.

sole a. being the only one; only 唯一的，仅有的

e.g. John has been the sole breadwinner of the family after his parents died.

Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.

CF: only, single, sole

这些形容词均可表示“唯一的”之意。

only为普通用词，常可与sole换用，但侧重仅限于指定的人或物，而不需要更多。例如： That left Mr Dertliev as the only candidate.

single语气较强，强调仅此一个，再无第二个。例如： Over six hundred people were wounded in a single day.

sole语气强于only，指仅有一个或一群，只考虑这一个或这一群。例如： He was the sole heir of the large estate.

Expressions: count on make a living catch sb. unawares except for hold on to shut off engage sb. in sth. pull up revolve around

count on expect; take into account; depend on 期望,料想到；依靠，指望 e.g. I didn’t count on Jeff arriving so early that day. He’s seldom on time. Don’t count on other people to help you out of trouble.

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except for apart from; with the exception of 除了……之外

e.g. After the long walk, my grandpa felt fine except for being a little tired. The weather was good except for an occasional shower.

shut off stop the flow or operation (of), e.g. by turning a handle or pressing a button (把……)切断，关掉

e.g. Shut off the gas and electricity before you leave the house for your holidays.

They pulled over and shut off the engine.

pull up (cause to) come to a stop (使)停住

e.g. There was an accident ahead, so all the vehicles had to pull up.

Suddenly, he pulled up sharply in his stride, and fell to the floor.

make a living gain sufficient money to support oneself (and one’s family) 谋生；赚钱糊口 e.g. To make a living, Kelly has done such things as babysitting, cleaning and selling newspapers. She heard that it was easier to make a living in the big cities.

hold on to keep holding (sth./sb) 抓紧；不放开

e.g. Grandpa is so frail that he can’t walk without holding on to someone’s arm. When you’re standing in the subway, you'd better hold on to the strap.

engage (sb. in sth.) vt. fml make sb. join with one in sth.〖正式〗使某人加入(参加)…… e.g. They tried to engage the shy boy in conversation.

In vain did we try to engage him in our group activities, and he didn't show the least interest.

revolve around [no pass.; not in progressive forms] have as a centre or main subject [无被动态；不用进行式]以……为中心(主题)

e.g. Jane’s life revolves around her children—she seldom cares about herself. Their troubles revolve around money management.

catch sb. unawares surprise sb. by one’s presence 出其不意地出现

e.g. The little boy’s question caught me completely unawares. I had never thought about it before. You caught us unawares by coming so early.

Section B Difficult Sentences

1 Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a short minute, then drive away. (Para. 5)

1) Explain the implied meaning of the sentence. Pay special attention to the italicized part.

A: Many drivers would worry about their own safety under such circumstances. They would get away from a dark building as quickly as they could. 2) Please translate this sentence into Chinese.

A: 在这种情况下，很多司机只会按一两下喇叭，等一小会儿，然后驱车而去。

2 She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like someone out of a 1940s movie. (Para. 8)

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1) Explain the implied meaning of the sentence.

A: She was dressed in a formal, though old-fashioned, way. It was obvious that she knew that it would be the last cab ride in her life and she took it seriously. 2) Please translate this sentence into Chinese.

她穿着一身印花裙子，戴着一顶平顶无边女帽，上面还别着面纱，看上去就像从20世纪40年代电影中走出来的人。

3 I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. (Para. 18) 1) Explain the implied meaning of the sentence.

Realizing that this would be a special cab ride for her, I took pity on her and decided to give her a free ride.

2) Please translate this sentence into Chinese. 我默默地伸出手，把里程计价器关掉。

4 It was the sound of the closing of a life. (Para. 28) 1) Explain the implied meaning of the sentence.

Hearing that sound, I knew that she would be confined to the hospice until her death. 2) Please translate this sentence into Chinese. 那是一个生命即将结束的声音。

5 When that woman hugged me and said that I had brought her a moment of joy, it was possible to believe that I had been placed on earth for the sole purpose of providing her with that last ride. (Para. 30)

1) Explain the implied meaning of the sentence.

At that moment, I realized what a worthy thing I had done for her; namely, providing her with that last cab ride in her life.

2) Please translate this sentence into Chinese.

老人拥抱着我，说我带给她片刻的开心，那时我甚至相信，我来到这世上的唯一目的就是送她这最后一程。

Section C COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

▇ Comprehension questions (Paras. 1-3)

Q1: What did the narrator think about his life as a cab driver?

A1: He saw it as a cowboy’s life and a gambler’s life. He was on the road all night, and each time when a passenger got into the cab, he was filled with the same excitement and expectancy as when he was gambling. Q2: Why did the narrator say that he also performed the duties of a minister of the church?

A2: The narrator drove the night shift, and passengers would invariably tell him of their lives. It seemed as if his cab were a rolling confessional, and he shared their confessions as if he were a minister in the church.

▇ Comprehension questions (Paras. 4-7)

Q1: Where was he sent to pick up a passenger at 2:30 in the morning?

A1: He was sent to pick up a passenger in a small brick building in a quiet part of town.

Q2: Why would many drivers drive away after waiting a very short time for passengers in a dark place?

A2: Because dangers lurked in a darkened building at this time of the day. Q3: Why did the narrator choose to wait for the passenger?

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