Lesson 46
Do it yourself
自己動(dòng)手
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
聽(tīng)錄音,然后回答以下問(wèn)題。
Did the writer repair his lawn mower in the end? Why/Why not?
So great is our passion for doing things for ourselves, that we are becoming increasingly less dependent on specialized labour. No one can plead ignorance of a subject any longer, for these are countless do-it-yourself publications. Armed with the right tools and materials, newlyweds gaily embark on the task of decorating their own homes. Men, particularly, spend hours of their leisure time installing their own fireplaces, laying out their own gardens; building garages and making furniture. Some really keen enthusiasts go so far as to build their own computers. Shops cater for the do-it-yourself craze not only by running special advisory services for novices, but by offering consumers bits and pieces which they can assemble at home. Such things provide an excellent outlet for pent up creative energy, but unfortunately not all of us are born handymen.
Some wives tend to believe that their husbands are infinitely resourceful and can fix anything. Even men who can hardly drive a nail in straight are supposed to be born electricians, carpenters, plumbers and mechanics. When lights fuse, furniture gets rickety, pipes get clogged, or vacuum cleaners fail to operate, some woman assume that their husbands will somehow put things right. The worst thing about the do-it-yourself game is that sometimes even men live under the delusion that they can do anything, even when they have repeatedly been proved wrong. It is a question of pride as much as anything else.
Last spring my wife suggested that I call in a man to look at our lawn mower. It had broken down the previous summer, and though I promised to repair it, I had never got round to it. I would not hear of the suggestion and said that I would fix it myself. One Saturday afternoon, I hauled the machine into the garden and had a close look at it. As far as I could see, it needed only a minor adjustment: a turn of a screw here, a little tightening up there, a drop of oil and it would be as good as new. Inevitably the repair job was not quite so simple. The mower firmly refused to mow, so I decided to dismantle it. The garden was soon littered with chunks of metal which had once made up a lawn mower. But I was extremely pleased with myself. I had traced the cause of the trouble. One of links in the chain that drives the wheels had snapped. After buying a new chain I was faced with the insurmountable task of putting the confusing jigsaw puzzle together again. I was not surprised to find that the machine still refused to work after I had reassembled it, for the simple reason that I was left with several curiously shaped bits of metal which did not seem to fit anywhere. I gave up in despair. The weeks passed and the grass grew. When my wife nagged me to do something about it, I told her that either I would have to buy a new mower or let the grass grow. Needless to say our house is now surrounded by a jungle. Buried somewhere in deep grass there is a rusting lawn mower which I have promised to repair one day.
New words and expressions 生詞和短語(yǔ)
plead
v. 找(借口),辯解
ignorance
n. 無(wú)知,不懂
publication
n. 出版物
newlyweds
n. 新婚夫婦
gaily
adv. 愉快地,高興地
leisure
n. 空閑
keen
adj. 熱心的,渴望的
advisory
adj. 咨詢的
novice
n. 新手
consumer
n. 消費(fèi)者,顧客
assemble
v. 裝配,組裝
outlet
n. 出路
creative
adj. 創(chuàng)造性的
handyman
n. 手巧的人,能工巧匠
resourceful
adj. 足智多謀的
fuse
v. 由于燒斷保險(xiǎn)絲而短路
rickety
adj. 要散架的,晃動(dòng)的
clog
v. 堵塞
delusion
n. 錯(cuò)覺(jué)
lawn mower
割草機(jī)
adjustment
n. 調(diào)整
screw
n. 螺絲釘
dismantle
v. 拆卸
chunk
n. (厚)塊
snap
v. 繃斷
insurmountable
adj. 不能克服的,難以對(duì)付的
jigsaw
n. 線鋸
nag
v. 嘮叨不休
rust
v. 生銹
現(xiàn) 在我們自己動(dòng)手做事的熱情很高,結(jié)果對(duì)于專業(yè)工人的依賴越來(lái)越少了。由于出版了不計(jì)其數(shù)的教人自己動(dòng)手做事的書報(bào)雜志,沒(méi)有人再能說(shuō)對(duì)某事一無(wú)所知。新婚 夫婦找來(lái)合適的工具和材料,喜氣洋洋地開(kāi)始布置新房。特別是男人,常利用空閑時(shí)間安裝壁爐、布置花園、建造車庫(kù)、制作家具。有些熱衷于自己動(dòng)手的人甚至自 己組裝電腦。為了滿足自己動(dòng)手熱的需要,商店不僅為初學(xué)者提供專門的咨詢服務(wù),而且為顧客準(zhǔn)備了各種零件,供他們買回家去安裝。這些東西為人們潛在的創(chuàng)造 力提供了一個(gè)絕妙的用武之地。但不幸的是,我們并非人人都是能工巧匠。 妻子常常認(rèn)為她們的丈夫無(wú)比聰明能干。甚至那些連一枚釘子都釘不直的男人都被認(rèn)為是天生的電工、木匠、水管工和機(jī)械師。每當(dāng)電燈保險(xiǎn)絲燒斷、家具榫頭松 動(dòng)、管道堵塞、吸塵器不動(dòng)時(shí),有些妻子認(rèn)為丈夫總有辦法。自己動(dòng)手的例子中最糟糕的是,有時(shí)甚至是男人盡管接連失敗卻還誤以為自己什么都行,原因就是要面 子。 今年春天,妻子讓我請(qǐng)人檢查一下我家的割草機(jī)。那臺(tái)割草機(jī)去年夏天就壞了,盡管我答應(yīng)修,但一直沒(méi)抽出時(shí)間,我不愿聽(tīng)妻子的建議,說(shuō)我自己會(huì)修。一個(gè)星期 六的下午,我把割草機(jī)拉到了花園里,仔細(xì)檢查了一番。在我看來(lái),只需稍加調(diào)整即可。這兒緊緊螺絲,那兒固定一下,再加幾滴油,就會(huì)像新的一樣了。事實(shí)上, 修理工作遠(yuǎn)不是那么簡(jiǎn)單。修完后割草機(jī)還是紋絲不動(dòng)。于是,我決定把它拆開(kāi)。一會(huì)兒工夫,割草機(jī)便被拆成一個(gè)個(gè)金屬零件,亂七八糟地堆在花園里。但我卻非 常高興,因?yàn)槲艺业搅嗣∷凇r?qū)動(dòng)輪子的鏈條斷了一節(jié)。我買來(lái)一根新鏈條后,面臨的就是如何把這些令人眼花繚亂的拼板重新組裝起來(lái)。等我裝完后,那臺(tái)割 草機(jī)仍然一動(dòng)不動(dòng),對(duì)此我倒并不感到吃驚。原因很簡(jiǎn)單,因?yàn)檫€剩下幾個(gè)形狀奇特的零件似乎哪里也裝不上去。我無(wú)可奈何,只好罷休。幾個(gè)星期過(guò)去了,草長(zhǎng)了 起來(lái)。妻子喋喋不休讓我想點(diǎn)辦法。我告訴她,要么買一臺(tái)新割草機(jī),要么讓草長(zhǎng)下去。不用說(shuō),我家現(xiàn)在已被叢林包圍。深草叢中的某個(gè)地方有一臺(tái)正在生銹的割 草機(jī),那就是我曾答應(yīng)某日要修理的割草機(jī)。
◆plead v. 找(借口),辯解
plead ignorance: 一無(wú)所知
Eg: The authorities plead ignorance.
I pleaded that I was ill so I couldn’t go to the party.
plead that...
pleadable 可辯護(hù)的
Eg: This is a pleadable case.
pleading n. 辯護(hù),懇求
pleader n. 辯護(hù)人
beg vt. 肯求 (可憐地一再要求)
beg sb. not to do
ask 請(qǐng)求,要求(期待肯定的答復(fù))
entreat: 請(qǐng)求(通過(guò)反反復(fù)復(fù)的請(qǐng)求,來(lái)說(shuō)服、軟化對(duì)方)
implore 要求(迫切地、痛苦地要求)
Eg: The poor man implored me for help.
◆ignorance n. 無(wú)知,不懂
◆publication n. 出版物
◆newlyweds n. 新婚夫婦
◆gaily adv. 愉快地,高興地
◆◆◆leisure n. 空閑
spare time
leisure hours
at leisure 悠閑自得的,空閑的
L46-01 end 9’23”
L46-02 begin 13’05”
Eg: I’m quite at leisure if you want to me to help you.
at one’s leisure 在某人空閑的時(shí)候,在某人高興的時(shí)候
Eg: Look me up, at your leisure.
drop in me, at your leisure.
At your leisure, please call me.
wait sb.’s leisure 等某人有空閑的時(shí)候
◆◆◆keen adj. 熱心的,渴望的
eager, anxious
be keen about 迷上,喜歡上
The boy is keen about footfall.
be keen on sth. 迷上,喜歡上(口)
anxious (焦急的心情,因焦慮而渴望)
eager (因特別想得到或擁有某物而渴求)
Eg: What are you eager for?
keen (因?yàn)闃O大的興趣和欲念而熱衷于)
◆advisory adj. 咨詢的
◆novice n. 新手
◆consumer n. 消費(fèi)者,顧客
◆assemble v. 裝配,組裝
assemble vi. 眾多人的集會(huì)
==fit, put the parts / pieces together
Eg: It took me three hours to assemble thy bicycle.
amass, accumulate, collect, gather, assemble, store up, hold up
◆outlet n. 出路
排水口,通風(fēng)口
a way through which sth. may go out
an outlet for water 排水口
an outlet for air 通風(fēng)口
Eg: This is an outlet for you to get success.
He wants an outlet for his anger.他需要一個(gè)出氣筒。
outlet for
inlet 進(jìn)口,入口
◆creative adj. 創(chuàng)造性的
inventive adj. 善于創(chuàng)造的,發(fā)明的
◆handyman n. 手巧的人,能工巧匠
◆◆◆resourceful adj. 足智多謀的
==witty 機(jī)智的,俏皮的,言辭巧妙的
wit 智慧,智謀
L46-02 end (46-03) 13’05”
L46-03 begin 13’05”
Eg: He’s in trouble and he’s witts ended.
wit: 智慧,智謀(通常用復(fù)數(shù)形式)
resource 資源;消遣,娛樂(lè)==entertainment, amusement
entertainment 為使某人開(kāi)心而進(jìn)行的娛樂(lè)和消遣== amusement
resource 消遣的目的是為了打發(fā)時(shí)間
◆fuse v. 由于燒斷保險(xiǎn)絲而短路
◆rickety adj. 要散架的,晃動(dòng)的
◆clog v. 堵塞
◆delusion n. 錯(cuò)覺(jué)
◆lawn mower 割草機(jī)
◆adjustment n. 調(diào)整
adjust 指調(diào)整,調(diào)節(jié),使之適應(yīng)
◆◆◆screw n. 螺絲釘
screw vt. 1. 擰
screw down 用螺絲釘固定??;約束
screw up 固定住;把.....揉成一團(tuán)
screw out 擰出來(lái);勉強(qiáng)拿出,逼出
screw around 鬼混;閑逛
as he has a screw loose / missing
Eg: Don’t have a chat with him as he has a screw loose. 不要跟他閑聊,他這個(gè)人瘋瘋顛顛的。
You must have your head screwed properly. 你必須保持頭腦清醒。
L46-03 end 13’05”
L46-04 begin 13’05”
◆dismantle v. 拆卸
take apart
He took a longmor apart.
◆chunk n. (厚)塊
◆snap v. 繃斷
猛咬(==bite);拍快照
break suddenly
The chain snap suddenly.
snap one’s fingers at sb. 彈響指
snap sth. up 迅速地抓住機(jī)會(huì)搶購(gòu)
Eg: The cheapist dresses were quickly snapped up. 搶購(gòu)一空
in a snap 立刻,馬上
It is a snap. 很輕松,小菜一碟
◆insurmountable adj. 不能克服的,難以對(duì)付的
==cannot be overcome
surmount: 克服surmount difficulty
Eg:They are faced with insurmountable difficulties.
vanquish: 克服
◆jigsaw n. 線鋸
◆nag v. 嘮叨不休
◆rust v. 生銹
本文非常優(yōu)秀,一是在句子結(jié)構(gòu)上,二是在系列短語(yǔ)上
背誦:So great is our passion for doing things for ourselves, that we are becoming increasingIy less dependent on specialized labour.
此句的基本句型是so...that... 引導(dǎo)的結(jié)果狀語(yǔ)從句,為了強(qiáng)調(diào)great這個(gè)詞,把so great 提到句首,因此主謂語(yǔ)要倒裝。
passion 熱情
passion for doing sth.
be / become dependent on ≠ independent
less dependent = more independent
specialized == skillful
背誦:No one can plead ignorance of a subject any longer,
plead ignorance of sth. 對(duì)......一無(wú)所知
Eg: He pleade ignorance of the accident.
countless 不計(jì)其數(shù)的
背誦:Armed with the right tools and materials, newlyweds gaily embark on the task of decorating their own Homes.
armed with 佩戴上
L46-04 end 13’05”
Lesson46A end 48:31
Lesson46B begin 54:56
L46-05 begin (47-02) 13’58”
gaily == happily, cheerfully
embark on doing sth. 從事做(新的、難度大的事情)==start sth. (new or difficult)
lay out 安排,布置
go so far as to do: 竟然到了干......的地步
Eg: Oh, my god, he went so far as to refuse my demand.
She goes so far as to go shopping / with it shop every day.
keen: 感興趣的,熱心的
enthusiasm 熱情
cater for 滿足,迎合人們的需要== provide what is necessary
Eg: Our school tries to cater for students needs / demands.
do-it-yourself 合成形容詞
craze== passion
bits and pieces 備件,零件
特點(diǎn):重復(fù)介詞使用
in dread of: 害怕
背誦:Such things provide an excellent outlet for pent up creative energy,
provide an outlet for: 尋找......出路
pent up:被壓抑的==oppressed
potential 潛在的
not all of us 部分的否定
none of us 全部的否定
born:生來(lái)就是
L46-05 end 13’58”
L46-06 begin 14’08”
背誦:Some wives tend to believe that their husbands are infinitely resourceful and can fix anything.
Some wives live under the illusion that their husbands are infinitely resourceful and can fix anything.
tend to: 傾向于
tend to do sth. 有.....傾向
tend to sth. 照料,伺候==attend to (應(yīng)付,對(duì)付==deal with)
背誦:Even men who can hardly drive a nail in straight are supposed to be born electricians, carpenters,
be supposed to 一致公認(rèn)
背誦:When lights fuse, furniture gets rickety, pipes get clogged, or vacuum cleaners fail to operate, some women assume that their husbands will somehow put things right.
some women assume that their husbands will somehow put things right.
presume: 表示猜測(cè),主觀判斷,有事實(shí)可以依據(jù)
assume: 主觀武斷的認(rèn)為
L44: You can stretch your legs on the spacious decks, play games, meet interesting people and enjoy good food--always assuming, of course, that the sea is calm.
The worst thing is that...最糟糕的事情
delusion(語(yǔ)氣強(qiáng)烈)==illusion
背誦:The worst thing about the do-it-yourself game is that sometimes even men live under the delusion that they can do anything, even when they have repeatedly been proved wrong.
背誦:It is a question of pride as much as anything else.
It is a question of pride...
as much as anything (else) 加強(qiáng)語(yǔ)氣==very, very much
call in a man to look at sth.
break down: 壞掉了
fail to operate
L46-06 end 14’08”
L46-07 begin 14’15”
get / come round to sth. 抽出時(shí)間做某事
make time to do sth. / spare time to do sth.
Eg: I got round to writing the letter after two days delay.
as far as I could see == as far as I knew / as far as I could find / discover 在我看來(lái)
minor≠major
it would be as good as new
as good as 幾乎,差不多==almost, actually, virtually, nearly
Eg: He as good as turned me down. 他實(shí)際上就是拒絕了我。
inevitably 不可避免地
背誦:The garden was soon littered with chunks of metal which had once made up a lawn-mower.
be littered with 放滿了
make up 表示一種狀態(tài)
assemble:強(qiáng)調(diào)動(dòng)作
背誦:I had traced the cause of the trouble.
trace: 跟蹤==find, discover
背誦:After buying a new chain I was faced with the insurmountable task of putting the confusing jigsaw puzzle together again.
be faced with 面對(duì),面臨
confusing == puzzling, perplexing
for the simple reason that: 出于這個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單的原因
背誦:Buried somewhere in deep grass there is a rusting lawn-mower which I have promised to repair one day.
buried somewhere in deep grass... 連接上下文,加強(qiáng)語(yǔ)氣,修飾lawn mower
L46-07 end 14’15”
L46-08 begin 12’09”
1
我們正在學(xué)習(xí)的是新概念美音版,
傳統(tǒng)版本(英式發(fā)音)的音頻:音頻播放
2
本課的視頻講解: 點(diǎn)擊觀看
3
詞匯速記:新概念英語(yǔ)詞匯隨身聽(tīng)速記手冊(cè)3 第45-46課
相關(guān)文章:
“新概念”介紹
學(xué)英語(yǔ)為什么要選新概念?
新概念第3冊(cè)——掌握英語(yǔ)的關(guān)鍵
為什么專家提倡背誦新概念
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Comprehension
1 Why did the writer’s wife suggest calling in a man to look at the mower?
a. To get her husband to mend it, believing him to be a born carpenter.
b. She had forgotten that her husband had promised to mend it.
c. She suspected it would otherwise remain unrepaired and the grass uncut.
d. Her husband had repeatedly tried mending it already without success.
suspected (that )... / doubt whether...
remain unrepaired uncut
2 The writer decided to dismantle the mower because _____ .
a. it was a Saturday and he had the time to spare
b. he had discovered the cause of the trouble
c. he thought it was a sure way of roving it would not work
d. what repairs he had already carried out had not proved adequate
dismantle: take apart 拆開(kāi)
adequate: enough
背熟:what repairs he had already carried out had not proved adequate
3 The writer’s house is now surrounded by a jungle because _____ .
a. he lost several pieces of the mower in the process of dismantling it
b. by now the lawn mower is too rusty to cut the grass with
c. besides not having cut the grass, he has failed to cut down the trees
d. his wife was not prepared to let him buy a new lawn mower
be prepared to do
Structure
4 ★★★ ---- that we are _____ dependent on specialized labour as we used to be. (ll.1-2)
a. increasingly less b. becoming not so c. not nearly as d. becoming less
as...as
used to be
Eg: He doesn’t work as hard as he used to.
5 Whatever it is, a fused light, _____ furniture, a clogged pipe, a broken-down vacuum cleaner, wives automatically assume... (ll.14-15)
a. shaked b. a shaken c. a shaky d. shaky
平行結(jié)構(gòu)
6 ---- my wife said to me: ‘Darling, _____ call someone in to look at the lawn mower?’ (l.18)
a. why don’t you b. why you don’t c. would you be kind to d.do you kindly
suggest doing sth. ----Why don’t you? Why not?
7 ---- which I have promised to get round _____ one day. (l.19)
a. to repair it b. to repairing c. repairing d. to repairing it
get round to doing / come round to doing
Vocabulary
8 To plead ignorance of a subject is no longer a _____ , for there are... (ll.2-4)
a. wise precauting b. literary discussion c. legitimate excuse d. reasonable allowance
precaution: 預(yù)防措施take precautions
legitimate: reasonable
9 Men, _____ spend hours of their leisure time on do-it-yourself. (ll.6-7)
a. mostly b. especially c. rather d. specially
particularly, especially
10 Some women assume that their husbands will somehow put things _____ (ll.14-15)
a. in order b. well c. in straight d. correctly
L46-08 end 12’09”
L46-09 begin 0’37”
11 I was left with bits of metal which did not seem to _____ anywhere. (l.28)
a. fasten b. suit c. go d. fix
suit 指合乎要求,口味,性格
12 _____ , our house is now surrounded by a jungle. (ll.29-30)
a. As a matter of fact b. As you can imagine c. As a result d. As a last resort
【Key to Multiple choice questions】
1. C 2. D 3. D 4. C 5. D 6. A 7. B 8. C 9. B 10. A 11. C 12. B