新概念英語第二冊Lesson 96 The dead return
First listen and then answer the question.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
What happens to the lanterns at the end of the festival?
A Festival for the Dead is held once a year in Japan. This festival is a cheerful occasion, for on this day, the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living. As they are expected to be hungry after their long journey, food is laid out for them. Specially-made lanterns are hung outside each house to help the dead to find their way. All night long, people dance and sing. In the early morning, the food that had been laid out for the dead is thrown into a river or into the sea as it is considered unlucky for anyone living to eat it. In towns that are near the sea, the tiny lanterns which had been hung in the streets the night before, are placed into the water when the festival is over. Thousands of lanterns slowly drift out to sea guiding the dead on their return journey to the other world. This is a moving spectacle, for crowds of people stand on the shore watching the lanterns drifting away until they can be seen no more.
New words and expressions 生詞和短語
festival n. 節(jié)日
lantern n. 燈籠
spectacle n. 景象，壯觀，場面
參考譯文
日本每年過一次“亡靈節(jié)”。這個節(jié)日是個歡樂的日子，因為在這一天，據(jù)說死去的人要回到他們的家里來，活著的人則對他們表示歡迎。因為預(yù)料到他們在經(jīng)過長途旅行之后會感到饑餓，所以為他們擺放好了食品。特制的燈籠掛在各家的門外，為的是幫助亡靈看清道路。整個夜晚人們載歌載舞。一大早，人們便把為死者擺放的食品扔進(jìn)河中或海里，因為人們認(rèn)為活著的人吃了這些東西是不吉利的。在靠海的城鎮(zhèn)中，頭天夜里掛在大街小巷的小燈籠在節(jié)后就放在了水里。成千上萬只燈籠慢慢漂向大海，指引著亡靈返回另一個世界。這是一個感人的場面，人們成群地佇立在海岸上，注視著燈籠遠(yuǎn)去，直到再也看不見為止。
自學(xué)導(dǎo)讀
課文詳注 Further notes on the text
1．… the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living. ……據(jù)說死去的人要回到他們的家里來，活著的人則對他們表示歡迎。
?。?）the dead與the living 均為定冠詞+ 形容詞結(jié)構(gòu)，表示某類人。（cf．第54課語法）
?。?）被動語態(tài) the dead are said 在這里的作用是緩和說話語氣，因為對事情是否屬實的把握不太大。（cf．第58課語法）
2．… food is laid out for them. ……
為他們擺放好了食品。
lay out 為短語動詞，其含義之一為“擺出”、“攤開”：
Just as he laid out his book, the telephone rang.
他剛把書攤開電話就響了。
Don't lay out your clothes on the bed. Put them away.
別把你的衣服都攤在床上。把它們收起來。
3．specially-made lanterns，特制的燈籠。
specially-made 是個復(fù)合形容詞，由副詞+過去分詞構(gòu)成。在第60課的詞匯學(xué)習(xí)中，我們學(xué)習(xí)了名詞+ 名詞構(gòu)成的復(fù)合名詞。過去分詞經(jīng)常與其他詞構(gòu)成復(fù)合形容詞：
well-intentioned 善意的
well-known 著名的
well-preserved 保存／保養(yǎng)得好的
widespread 廣泛流傳的
candle-lit 點著蠟燭的
a horse-drawn cart 一輛二輪馬車
a tree-lined street 林陰街道
4．a(chǎn)ll night long，整夜。
long 在這里是副詞，表示“整個”、“在整段期間中”，通常與 all 連用：
It snowed all day long.
一整天都在下雪。
She stayed with her grandfather all summer long.
她整個夏天都和她爺爺呆在一起。
5．their return journey to the other world，返回另一個世界。
world 可以與一些限定詞連用以表示“今世／現(xiàn)世”、“來世”、“黃泉”等：
the next world / the world to come 來世
She believes that she will meet her dead parents in the other world.
她相信她會與她死去的父母在陰間重逢。
6．a(chǎn) moving spectacle，一個感人的場面。
moving 為形容詞，表示“動人的”、“感人的”：
I've just read a moving story / letter.
我剛讀了一個感人的故事／一封感人的信。
詞匯學(xué)習(xí) Word study
1．drift vi.
?。?）漂流，漂移：
Thousands of lanterns slowly drift out to sea.
成千上萬只燈籠慢慢漂向大海。
The boat drifted gently across the water.
小船在水面上慢悠悠地漂流。
（2）漂泊，游蕩：
He has lost his job and just drifts in the city all day long.
他失業(yè)了，成天就在這座城市里游蕩。
He drifted from France to Italy.
他從法國漂泊到意大利。
2．guide vt.
?。?）給……領(lǐng)路：
The old man guided the explorers through the forest.
老人領(lǐng)著探險隊員們穿過森林。
These lanterns will guide the dead on their return journey to the other world.
這些燈籠將指引亡靈返回另一個世界。
?。?）指導(dǎo)（……的行動）；影響（……的決策等）：
We should be always guided by truth.
我們應(yīng)該永遠(yuǎn)受真理的指導(dǎo)。
Don't let your wife's opinion guide your actions.
別讓你妻子的觀點左右你的行動。
練習(xí)答案 Key to written exercises
1．難點練習(xí)答案
A 1 usual 2 among 3 manager 4 clothes
5 greets 6 clean 7 washing 8 temper
9 too 10 fairly 11 enough 12 single
13 queue
B 1 in 2 out of 3 up 4 over
5 away from 6 for 7 in 8 out
9 down 10 after 11 into 12 over
13 out 14 up
2．多項選擇題答案
1 d 2c 3c 4b 5a 6d
7c 8d 9a 10b 11c 12b
