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What particular anxiety spoils thecountry dweller's visit to thetheatre?
The quiet life of the country ahs never appealed to me. City born and city bred. I have always regarded the country as something you look at through a train window, or something you occasional visit during the weekend. Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country. Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life, only one of hem has ever gone to live in the country and he was back in town within six months. Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life. He is forever talking about the friendly people, the clean atmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle pace of living. Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds at dawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures. This idyllic pastoral scene is only part of the picture. My friend fails to mention the long and friendless winter evenings in front of the TV -- virtually the only form of entertainment. He says nothing about the poor selection of goods in the shops, or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to the city every day to get to work. Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me. They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live in the city where they rightly belong.
If you can do without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will find the city can provide you with the best that life can offer. You never have to travel miles to see your friends. They invariably live nearby and are always available for an informal chat or an evening's entertainment. Some of my acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit the theatre as a special treat. For them this is a major operation which involves considerable planning. As the play draws to its close, they wonder whether they will ever catch that last train home. The cit dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort. The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away. Shopping, too, is always a pleasure. The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away. Shopping, too, is always a pleasure. There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best. Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home loaded with as many of the exotic items as they can carry. Nor is the city without its moments of beauty. There is something comforting about the warm glow shed by advertisements on cold wet winter nights. Few things could be more impressive than the peace that descends on deserted city streets at weekends when the thousands that travel to work every day are tucked away in their homes in the country. It has always been a mystery to me who city dwellers, who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.
Language points
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1.City born and city bred. I have always regarded the country as something you look at through a train window, or something you occasional visit during the weekend.
City born and city bred 是两个由"名词+过去分词"构成的合成词, 做形容词使用. 此作原因状语.
regards...as 把...视为. 相当: think of ...as / refer to ...as
you look at... & you occasionally visit... 为定语从句,分别修饰前面的 something. 在something与两个定语从句间分别省略了关系连词 that.
2.Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country.背诵句型
go into raptures 变得欣喜若狂.
at the mere mention of 一提到
at the sight of 一看到
at the touch of 一触及到
at the news of 一听到
at the sound of 一听到
4.He is forever talking about the friendly people...
这里的副词 forever 与正在进行时的一同使用,表示作者的不满这样的感情色彩. always, forever, constantly, continually 等副词同进行时态共用, 除表示某事常发生外, 往往表示说话人对发生的此类事情的不满.
5.Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds at dawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures. compared with 将...同...相比.用于两者间比较
cockcrow n. 鸡叫
twitter v. （鸟）吱吱叫，喊喊喳喳叫
glint v. 闪烁
glinting on the trees and pastures 为现在分词短语,在句中作宾语补足语.
he maintains 他坚持认为. 在句中作插入语
6.This idyllic pastoral scene is only part of the picture.
背诵句型
idyllic adj. 田园诗的
Ex
He is leading an idyllic life.
7. My friend fails to mention the long and friendless winter evenings in front of the TV -- virtually the only form of entertainment.
fails to mention == says nothing about 没有提到......
virtually adv. 几乎,差不多
friendless 此处使用了暗喻的修辞手法,用修饰人的形容词来修饰事物(winter evenings). 感觉生动简洁.
8. Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me. They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live in the city where they rightly belong.背诵句型
dubious adj. 可疑的;怀疑的
be dubious about/of 对...怀疑,对...不肯定，主要表示不肯定的，不确定的 privilege n. 特权
misery n. 苦难
beyond me = be beyond my understanding 我无法理解的
are prepared to 愿意做. 其后为名词时, 通常构成为be prepared for...
Why 为连接副词,在本句中引导一个主语从句.
They could be... 此句使用了虚拟语气. 可翻译为"如果他们选择...他们本可省掉..."
将此句改为主动语态后为: To live in the city could save them so much misery and expense. 句中间接宾语them作主语,而直接宾语misery and expense 作为宾语保留在句中.
9 If you can do without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will find the city can provide you with the best that life can offer. 背诵句型
do without = go without 没有...也行
10 There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best. 背诵句型
never have to ==need not ==don't have to
make do with 凑合者用
11 Some of my acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit the theatre as a special treat.
come up : up 用于:由乡下到城镇,由南到北
12 As the play draws to its close
draw to its close = near its end 临近结束／尾声
13 The cit dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort. 背诵句型
We can keep ourselves free from the anxieties of this sort which afflict the country dweller.
14 Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home loaded with as many of the exotic items as they can carry.背诵句型
run wild 发疯
15 Nor is the city without its moments of beauty.
nor ... without 双重否定
The city has got its own beauty.
Homework:
1 What is the main difference between the writer and most of his friends?
a. they often visit the country but he has only spent one weekend there.
b. Unlike them, being brought up in the city, he can appreciate its worth.
c. In contrast to them, he finds city people friendlier than country people.
d. He thinks them hypocritical to maintain a preference for country life.
2 What advantage has the city dweller over the country dweller in terms of entertainment?
a. He can entertain his country friends more often than they can him.
b. His choice of entertainment is wide and within easy reach of him.
c. As he travels by bus and not by train, he can see the latest plays.
d. He does not need a major operation when planning a visit to the theatre.
3 When he speaks of the beauty to be found in the city, the writer ____ .
a. alludes to the comparative cheerlessness of winter nights in the country
b. means that if more people settled in the city they would find peace
c. advertises the fact that the city is a warmer place than the country
d. implies that the country is less peaceful than the city at weekends
key:
1 D 选项
think sb. hypocritical 认为某人很虚伪
maintain a preference for sth. 坚持一种想法
2 B
in terms of
have advantage over sb./ sth. 比 ......更具有优势
背熟
within easy reach of sb. 方便，容易达到
3 A
allude to = mean
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