新概念英語第三冊課文翻譯Lesson40-44

新概念英語第三冊課文翻譯Lesson40-441

　　【課文】

　　It has never been explained why university students seem to enjoy practical jokes more than anyone else. Students specialize in a particular type of practical joke: the hoax. Inviting the fire brigade to put out a nonexistent fire is a crude form of deception which no self-respecting student would ever indulge in. Students often create amusing situations which are funny to everyone except the victims. When a student recently saw two workmen using a pneumatic drill outside his university, he immediately telephoned the police and informed them that two students dressed up as workmen were tearing up the road with a pneumatic drill. As soon as he had hung up, he went over to the workmen and told them that if a policeman ordered them to go away, they were not to take him seriously. He added that a student had dressed up as a policeman and was playing all sorts of silly jokes on people. Both the police and the workmen were grateful to the student for this piece of advance information.

　　The student hid in an archway nearby where he could watch and hear everything that went on. Sure enough, a policeman arrived on the scene and politely asked the workmen to go away. When he received a very rude reply from one of the workmen, he threatened to remove them by force. The workmen told him to do as he pleased and the policeman telephoned for help. Shortly afterwards, four more policemen arrived and remonstrated with the workmen. As the men refused to stop working, the police attempted to seize the pneumatic drill. The workmen struggled fiercely and one of them lost his temper. He threatened to call the police. At this, the police pointed out ironically that this would hardly be necessary as the men were already under arrest. Pretending to speak seriously, one of the workmen asked if he might make a telephone call before being taken to the station. Permission was granted and a policeman accompanied him to a pay phone. Only when he saw that the man was actually telephoning the police did he realize that they had all been the victims of a hoax.

　　【課文翻譯】

　　誰也弄不清為什么大學(xué)生好像比任何人都更喜歡惡作劇。大學(xué)生擅長一種特殊的惡作劇——戲弄人。請消防隊(duì)來撲滅一場根本沒有的大火是一種低級(jí)騙局，有自尊心的大學(xué)生決不會(huì)去做。大學(xué)生們常常做的是制造一種可笑的'局面，使大家笑上一場，當(dāng)然受害者是笑不出來的。最近有個(gè)學(xué)生看見兩個(gè)工人在學(xué)校門外用風(fēng)鉆干活，馬上打電話報(bào)告警察，說有兩個(gè)學(xué)生裝扮成工人，正在用風(fēng)鉆破壞路面。掛上電話后，他又馬上來到工人那兒，告訴他們?nèi)粲袀�(gè)警察來讓他們走開，不要把他當(dāng)回事，還對工人說，有個(gè)學(xué)生常裝扮成警察無聊地同別人開玩笑。警察與工人都對那個(gè)學(xué)生事先通報(bào)情況表示感謝。

　　那個(gè)學(xué)生躲在附近一拱形的門廊里，在那兒可以看見、聽到現(xiàn)場發(fā)生的一切。果然，警察來了，不禮貌地請工人離開此地;但其中一個(gè)工人粗魯?shù)鼗亓藥拙�。于是警察威脅要強(qiáng)行使他們離開。工人說，悉聽尊便。警察去打電話叫人。一會(huì)兒工夫，又來了4個(gè)警察，規(guī)勸工人離開。由于工人拒絕停下手中的活，警察想奪風(fēng)鉆。兩個(gè)工人奮力抗?fàn)�，其中一個(gè)發(fā)了火，威脅說要去叫警察。警察聽后譏諷地說，這大可不必，因?yàn)樗麄z已被逮捕了。其中一個(gè)工人裝模作樣地問道，在被帶往警察局之前，是否可以打一個(gè)電話。警察同意了，陪他來到一個(gè)投幣地電話前，當(dāng)他看到那個(gè)工人真的是給警察掛電話，才恍然大悟，原來他們都成一場騙局的受害者。

　　【詞匯】

　　hoax n. 騙局，戲弄

　　deception n. 欺騙，騙局

　　self-respecting adj. 自重的

　　indulge v. 使沉迷

　　pneumatic adj. 氣動(dòng)的

　　drill n. 鉆

　　silly adj. 無意義的，無聊的

　　advance adj. 預(yù)先的，事先獲得的

　　archway n. 拱形門樓

　　remonstrate v. 規(guī)勸，告誡

　　ironically adv. 諷刺地

　　permission n. 許可

　　grant v. 同意，準(zhǔn)予

新概念英語第三冊課文翻譯Lesson40-442

　　【課文】

　　Cave exploration, or potholing, as it has come to be known, is a relatively new sport. Perhaps it is the desire for solitude or the chance of making an unexpected discovery that lures men down to the depths of the earth. It is impossible to give a satisfactory explanation for a pot-holer's motives. For him, caves have the same peculiar fascination which high mountains have for the climber. They arouse instincts which can only be dimly understood.

　　Exploring really deep caves is not a task for the Sunday afternoon rambler. Such undertakings require the precise planning and foresight of military operations. It can take as long as eight days to rig up rope ladders and to establish supply bases before a descent can be made into a very deep cave. Precautions of this sort are necessary, for it is impossible to foretell the exact nature of the difficulties which will confront the potholer. The deepest known cave in the world is the Gouffre Berger near Grenoble. It extends to a depth of 3723 feet. This immense chasm has been formed by an underground stream which has tunnelled a course through a flaw in the rocks. The entrance to the cave is on a plateau in the Dauphine Alps. As it is only six feet across, it is barely noticeable. The cave might never have been discovered had not the entrance been spotted by the distinguished French potholer, Berger. Since its discovery, it has become a sort of potholers' Everest. Though a number of descents have been made, much of it still remains to be explored.

　　A team of potholers recently went down the Gouffre Berger. After entering the narrow gap on the plateau, they climbed down the steep sides of the cave until they came to a narrow corridor. They had to edge their way along this, sometimes wading across shallow streams, or swimming across deep pools. Suddenly they came to a waterfall which dropped into an underground lake at the bottom of the cave. They plunged into the lake, and after loading their gear on an inflatable rubber dinghy, let the current carry them to the other side. To protect themselves from the icy water, they had to wear special rubber suits. At the far end of the lake, they came to huge piles of rubble which had been washed up by the water. In this part of the cave, they could hear an insistent booming sound which they found was caused by a small water-spout shooting down into a pool from the roof of the cave. Squeezing through a cleft in the rocks, the potholers arrived at an enormous cavern, the size of a huge concert hall. After switching on powerful arc lights, they saw great stalagmites—some of them over forty feet high--rising up like tree-trunks to meet the stalactites suspended from the roof. Round about, piles of lime-stone glistened in all the colours of the rainbow. In the eerie silence of the cavern, the only sound that could be heard was made by water which dripped continuously from the high dome above them.

　　【課文翻譯】

　　洞穴勘查——或洞穴勘探——是一項(xiàng)比較新的體育活動(dòng)。尋求獨(dú)處的愿望或?qū)で笠馔獍l(fā)現(xiàn)的機(jī)會(huì)的欲望吸引人們來到地下深處。要想對洞穴探險(xiǎn)者的動(dòng)機(jī)作出滿意的解釋是不可能的。對洞穴探險(xiǎn)者來說，洞穴有一種特殊的魅力，就像高山對登山者有特殊魅力一樣。為什么洞空能引發(fā)人的那種探險(xiǎn)本能，人們對此只能有一種模模糊糊的理解。

　　探測非常深的洞穴不是那些在星期日下午漫步的人所能勝任的。這種活動(dòng)需要有軍事行動(dòng)般的周密布署和預(yù)見能力。有時(shí)需要花費(fèi)整整 8天時(shí)間來搭起繩梯，建立供應(yīng)基地，然后才能到一個(gè)很深的洞穴里。作出這樣的準(zhǔn)備是必要的，因?yàn)闊o法預(yù)見到洞穴探險(xiǎn)者究竟會(huì)遇到什么性質(zhì)的困難。世界上最深的洞穴是格里諾布爾附近的高弗.伯杰洞，深達(dá)3,723英尺。這個(gè)深邃的洞穴是由一條地下暗泉沖刷巖石中的縫隙并使之慢慢變大而形成的。此洞的洞口在丹芬阿爾卑斯山的`高原上，僅 6英尺寬，很難被發(fā)現(xiàn)。若不是法國洞穴探險(xiǎn)家伯杰由于偶然的機(jī)會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)了這個(gè)洞口的話，這個(gè)洞也許不會(huì)為人所知。自從被發(fā)現(xiàn)以后，這個(gè)洞成了洞穴探險(xiǎn)者的珠穆朗瑪峰，人們多次進(jìn)入洞內(nèi)探險(xiǎn)，但至今尚有不少東西有待勘探。

　　最近，一隊(duì)洞穴探險(xiǎn)者下到了高弗.伯杰洞里。他們從高原上的窄縫進(jìn)去，順著筆直陡峭的洞壁往下爬。來到一條狹窄的走廊上。他們不得不側(cè)著身子往前走，有時(shí)過淺溪，有時(shí)游過深潭。突然，他們來到一道瀑布前，那瀑布奔瀉而下，注入洞底一處地下湖里。他們跳入湖中，把各種器具裝上一只充氣的橡皮艇，聽任水流將他們帶往對岸。湖水冰冷刺骨，他們必須穿上一種特制的橡皮服以保護(hù)自己。在湖的盡頭，他們見到一大堆一大堆由湖水沖刷上岸的碎石。在這兒，他們可以聽見一種連續(xù)不斷的轟鳴聲。后來他們發(fā)現(xiàn)這是由山洞頂部的一個(gè)小孔里噴出的水柱跌落到水潭中發(fā)出的聲音。洞穴探險(xiǎn)者從巖石縫里擠身過去，來到一個(gè)巨大的洞里，其大小相當(dāng)于一個(gè)音樂廳。他們打開強(qiáng)力弧光燈，看見一株株巨大的石筍，有的高達(dá)40英尺，像樹干似地向上長著，與洞頂懸掛下來的鐘乳石相接。周圍是一堆堆石灰石，像彩虹一樣閃閃發(fā)光。洞里有一種可怕的寂靜，的可以聽見的聲響是高高的圓頂上不間斷地滴水的嘀嗒聲。

　　【詞匯】

　　caveman n.(遠(yuǎn)古)洞穴人

　　pot-holing n. 洞穴探險(xiǎn)，洞穴探險(xiǎn)運(yùn)動(dòng)

　　solitude n. 孤獨(dú)，寂寞

　　lure v. 引誘，誘惑

　　pot-holer n. 洞穴探險(xiǎn)者

　　undertaking n. 任務(wù)，工作

　　foresight n. 預(yù)見;深謀遠(yuǎn)慮

　　foretell v. 預(yù)言

　　chasm n. 斷層，裂口，陷坑

　　flaw n. 小裂縫

　　distinguished adj. 杰出的，的

　　Everest n. 珠穆朗瑪峰

　　wade v. 涉水

　　waterfall n. 瀑布

　　gear n. 一套用具

　　inflatable adj. 可充氣的

　　rubble n. 碎瓦

　　insistent adj. 連續(xù)的，不斷的

　　boom v. 轟響

　　waterspout n. 強(qiáng)大的水柱

　　cleft n. 裂隙，開

　　cavern n. 在洞穴

　　stalagmite n. 石筍

　　stalactite n. 鐘乳石

　　limestone n. 石灰石

　　glisten v. 閃爍

　　cerie adj. 引起恐懼的，可怕的

　　dome n. 穹窿，圓頂

新概念英語第三冊課文翻譯Lesson40-443

　　【課文】

　　The quiet life of the country has 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 them 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 city 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.

　　【課文翻譯】

　　寧靜的鄉(xiāng)村生活從來沒有吸引過我。我生在城市，長在城市，總認(rèn)為鄉(xiāng)村是透過火車車窗看到的那個(gè)樣了，或偶爾周末去游玩一下景象。我的許多朋友都住在城市，但他們只要一提起鄉(xiāng)村，馬上就會(huì)變得欣喜若狂。盡管他們都交口稱贊寧靜的鄉(xiāng)村生活的種.種優(yōu)點(diǎn)，但其中只有一個(gè)人真去農(nóng)村住過，而且不足6個(gè)月就回來了。即使他也仍存有幻覺，好像鄉(xiāng)村生活就是比城市生活優(yōu)越。他滔滔不絕地大談?dòng)押玫霓r(nóng)民，潔凈的空氣，貼近大自然的環(huán)境和悠閑的生活節(jié)奏。他堅(jiān)持認(rèn)為，凌晨雄雞第一聲啼叫，黎明時(shí)分小鳥吱喳歡叫，冉冉升起的朝陽染紅樹木、牧場，此番美景無與倫比。但這種田園詩般的鄉(xiāng)村風(fēng)光僅僅是一個(gè)側(cè)面。我的朋友沒有提到在電視機(jī)前度過的漫長寂寞的冬夜——電視是的娛樂形式。他也不說商店貨物品種單調(diào)，以及那些每天不得不從鄉(xiāng)下趕到城里工作的不幸的人們。人們?yōu)槭裁辞樵该刻煸诼飞媳疾?個(gè)小時(shí)去換取值得懷疑的鄉(xiāng)間的優(yōu)點(diǎn)，我是無法理解的。要是他們愿意住在本來屬于他們的城市，則可以讓他們省去諸多不便與節(jié)約大量開支。

　　如果你愿舍棄鄉(xiāng)下生活那一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)樂趣的話，那么你會(huì)發(fā)出城市可以為你提供生活最美好的`東西。你去看朋友根本不用跋涉好幾英里，因?yàn)樗麄兌甲≡诟浇�，你隨時(shí)可以同他們聊天或在晚上一起娛樂。我在鄉(xiāng)村有一些熟人，他們每年進(jìn)城來看一回或幾回戲，并把此看作一種特殊的享受�？磻蛟谒麄兪羌�大事，需要精心計(jì)劃。當(dāng)戲快演完時(shí)，他們又為是否能趕上末班火車回家而犯愁。這種焦慮，城里人是從未體驗(yàn)過的。坐公共汽車幾站路，就可看到最新的展覽、電影、戲劇。買東西也是一種樂趣。物品種繁多，從來不必用二等品來湊合。鄉(xiāng)里人進(jìn)城采購欣喜若狂，每次回家時(shí)都買足了外來商品，直到拿不動(dòng)方才罷休，連走路都搖搖晃晃的。城市也并非沒有良辰美景。寒冷潮濕的冬夜里，廣告燈箱發(fā)出的暖光，會(huì)給人某種安慰。周末，當(dāng)成千上萬進(jìn)城上班的人回到他們的鄉(xiāng)間寓所之后，空曠的街市籠罩著一種寧靜氣氛，沒有什么能比此時(shí)的寧靜更令人難忘了。城里人對這一切心里很明白，卻偏要執(zhí)拗地裝出他們喜歡住在鄉(xiāng)村的樣子，這對我來說一直是個(gè)謎。

　　【詞匯】

　　illusion n. 幻想，錯(cuò)覺

　　pastoral adj. 田園的

　　breed v. 培育

　　rapture n. 欣喜

　　extol v. 贊美，頌揚(yáng)

　　superior adj. 優(yōu)越的

　　cockcrow n. 雞叫

　　twitter v. (鳥)吱吱叫，喊喊喳喳叫

　　glint v. 閃爍

　　pasture n. 牧場

　　idyllic adj. 田園詩的

　　virtually adv. 幾乎;差不多

　　dubious adj. 可疑的，懷疑的

　　privilege n. 特權(quán)

　　misery n. 苦難

　　acquaintance n. 熟人

　　treat n. 難得的樂事，享受

　　dweller n. 居住者

　　stagger v. 搖晃;蹣跚

　　exotic adj. 尋乎尋常的，外來的

　　glow n. 白熾光

　　descend v. 下落，降臨

　　tuck v. 縮進(jìn)，隱藏

　　obstinately adv. 固執(zhí)地，頑固地

新概念英語第三冊課文翻譯Lesson40-444

　　【課文】

　　Insurance companies are normally willing to insure anything. Insuring public or private property is a standard practice in most countries in the world. If, however, you were holding an open air garden party or a fete it would be equally possible to insure yourself in the event of bad weather. Needless to say, the bigger the risk an insurance company takes, the higher the premium you will have to pay. It is not uncommon to hear that a ship ping company has made a claim for the cost of salvaging a sunken ship. But the claim made by a local authority to recover the cost of salvaging a sunken pie dish must surely be unique.

　　Admittedly it was an unusual pie dish, for it was eighteen feet long and six feet wide. It had been purchased by a local authority so that an enormous pie could be baked for an annual fair. The pie committee decided that the best way to transport the dish would be by canal, so they insured it for the trip. Shortly after it was launched, the pie committee went to a local inn to celebrate. At the same time, a number of teenagers climbed on to the dish and held a little party of their own. Dancing proved to be more than the dish could bear, for during the party it capsized and sank in seven feet of water.

　　The pie committee telephoned a local garage owner who arrived in a recovery truck to salvage the pie dish. Shivering in their wet clothes, the teenagers looked on while three men dived repeatedly into the water to locate the dish. They had little difficulty in finding it, but hauling it out of the water proved to be a serious problem. The sides of the dish were so smooth that it was almost impossible to attach hawsers and chains to the rim without damaging it. Eventually chains were fixed to one end of the dish and a powerful winch was put into operation. The dish rose to the surface and was gently drawn towards the canal bank. For one agonizing moment, the dish was perched precariously on the bank of the canal, but it suddenly overbalanced and slid back into the water. The men were now obliged to try once more. This time they fixed heavy metal clamps to both sides of the dish so that they could fasten the chains. The dish now had to be lifted vertically because one edge was resting against the side of the canal. The winch was again put into operation and one of the men started up the truck. Several minutes later, the dish was successfully hauled above the surface of the water. Water streamed in torrents over its sides with such force that it set up a huge wave in the canal. There was danger that the wave would rebound off the other side of the bank and send the dish plunging into the water again. By working at tremendous speed, the men managed to get the dish on to dry land before the wave returned.

　　【課文翻譯】

　　保險(xiǎn)公司一般說來愿意承保一切東西。承辦公共財(cái)產(chǎn)或私人財(cái)產(chǎn)保險(xiǎn)是世界上大部分國家的正常業(yè)務(wù)。如果你要舉辦一次露天游園會(huì)或盛宴，為避免碰上不好的天氣而遭受損失也同樣可以保險(xiǎn)，不用說，保險(xiǎn)公司承擔(dān)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)越大，你付的保險(xiǎn)費(fèi)也就越高。航運(yùn)公司為打撈沉船而提出索賠，這是常有的事，但某地.打撈一只焙制餡餅的盤子提出索賠，倒是件新鮮的事兒。

　　這個(gè)餡餅盤子確實(shí)少見，有18英尺長，6英尺寬。某地方.下它用來焙制一個(gè)巨大的餡餅為一年一度交易會(huì)助興。餡餅委員會(huì)確認(rèn)運(yùn)輸這只盤子的方案是通過運(yùn)河水運(yùn)。于是，他們對這只盤子的運(yùn)輸安全投了保。盤子下水后不久，餡餅委員會(huì)成員們來到當(dāng)?shù)匾患倚【频陸c賀。就在這個(gè)時(shí)候，許多十幾歲的孩子爬盤子舉行他們自己的集會(huì)。他們跳起了舞，盤子難以承受。舞會(huì)進(jìn)行過程中，盤子傾覆，沉入了7英尺深的水中。

　　餡餅委員會(huì)給當(dāng)?shù)仄�車修理庫老板打電話，他聞�(dòng)嵑箝_著一輛急修車前來打撈盤子。那些孩子們穿著濕衣服哆嗦，看著3個(gè)工人輪潛入水中以確定盤子的位置。他們沒費(fèi)多大事兒就找到了盤子�？墒前驯P子撈出卻是一個(gè)很大的難題。盤子四邊十分光滑，要在盤邊拴上繩索或鏈條而同時(shí)又不損壞它是很難辦到的。不過，他們終于將鏈條固定在盤子的一端，一臺(tái)大功率的絞車開動(dòng)起來。盤子慢慢浮出水面，被輕輕地拽向運(yùn)河岸邊。在令人忐忑不安的瞬間，盤子晃晃悠悠地上了岸，但它突然失去了平衡，又跌回水中。工人們只得再來一次。這次，他們用沉重的.金屬夾子把盤子夾住，以便往盤子上安裝鐵鏈。這次，盤子必須垂直吊出水面，因?yàn)楸P子的一邊緊靠著運(yùn)河河岸。絞盤機(jī)再次啟動(dòng)，一位工人發(fā)動(dòng)了急修車的引擎。幾分鐘后，盤子被成功地拽出了水面。波浪從盤子兩側(cè)急涌而出，在運(yùn)河里掀起一股大浪。但是當(dāng)波浪從河對岸折回來時(shí)，就有再次把盤子拖進(jìn)水里的危險(xiǎn)。工人們動(dòng)作迅速，終于趕在那股大浪返回之前把盤子拽到了岸上。

　　【詞匯】

　　insure v. 投保

　　fete n. 游園會(huì)

　　premium n. 保險(xiǎn)費(fèi)

　　recover v. 彌補(bǔ)

　　admittedly adv. 公認(rèn)地

　　purchase v. 買

　　annual adj. 一年一度的

　　teenager n. (13至19歲的)青少年

　　capsize v. (船)翻

　　shiver v. 打顫，發(fā)抖

　　dive v. (頭向下)跳水

　　haul v. 拖曵

　　hawser n. 粗纜繩

　　rim n. (圓形物品的)外沿，邊

　　winch n. 絞車

　　agonizing adj. 精神緊張的，提心吊膽的

　　perch v. 處于

　　precariously adv. 危險(xiǎn)地，不穩(wěn)固地

　　overbalance v. 失去平衡

　　clamp n. 夾鉗，夾板

　　vertically adv. 垂直地

　　torrent n. 激流，洪流

　　rebound v. 彈回

新概念英語第三冊課文翻譯Lesson40-445

　　【課文】

　　People travelling long distances frequently have to decide whether they would prefer to go by land, sea, or air. Hardly anyone can positively enjoy sitting in a train for more than a few hours. Train compartments soon get cramped and stuffy. It is almost impossible to take your mind off the journey. Reading is only a partial solution, for the monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the rails soon lulls you to sleep. During the day, sleep comes in snatches. At night, when you really wish to go to sleep, you rarely manage to do so. If you are lucky enough to get a sleeper, you spend half the night staring at the small blue light in the ceiling, or fumbling to find your ticket for inspection. Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted. Long car journeys are even less pleasant, for it is quite impossible even to read. On motorways you can, at least, travel fairly safely at high speeds, but more often than not, the greater part of the journey is spent on roads with few service stations and too much traffic. By comparison, ferry trips or cruises offer a great variety of civilized comforts. 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. If it is not, and you are likely to get seasick, no form of transport could be worse. Even if you travel in ideal weather, sea journeys take a long time. Relatively few people are prepared to sacrifice up to a third of their holidays for the pleasure of travelling by sea.

　　Aeroplanes have the reputation of being dangerous and even hardened travellers are intimidated by them. They also have the disadvantage of being the most expensive form of transport. But nothing can match them for speed and comfort. Travelling at a height of 30,000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is an exhilarating experience. You do not have to devise ways of taking your mind off the journey, for an aeroplane gets you to your destination rapidly. For a few hours, you settle back in a deep armchair to enjoy the flight. The real escapist can watch a free film show and sip champagne on some services. But even when such refinements are not available, there is plenty to keep you occupied. An aeroplane offers you an unusual and breathtaking view of the world. You soar effortlessly over high mountains and deep valleys. You really see the shape of the land. If the landscape is hidden from view, you can enjoy the extraordinary sight of unbroken cloud plains that stretch out for miles before you, while the sun shines brilliantly in a clear sky. The journey is so smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping. However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: you will arrive at your destination fresh and uncrumpled. You will not have to spend the next few days recovering from a long and arduous journey.

　　【課文翻譯】

　　出遠(yuǎn)門的人常常需要決定是走旱路、水路，還是坐飛機(jī)。很少有人能夠真正喜歡坐幾個(gè)小時(shí)以上的火車。車廂很快就變得擁擠、悶熱，想擺脫開旅途的困擾是很難的�？磿�只能解決部分問題。車輪與鐵軌間單調(diào)的嘎喳聲很快就會(huì)送你進(jìn)入夢鄉(xiāng)。白天是忽睡忽醒，到了夜晚，你真想睡了，卻很難入睡。即使你走運(yùn)弄到一個(gè)臥鋪，夜間有一半時(shí)間你會(huì)盯著車頂那盞小藍(lán)燈而睡不著覺;要不然就為查票摸索你的車票。一旦抵達(dá)目的地，你總是疲憊不堪。乘汽車作長途旅行則更加不舒服，因?yàn)檫B看書都幾乎不可能。在公路上還好，你至少能以相當(dāng)快的速度安全地向前行。但旅行的大部分時(shí)間都花在路上，而且只有很少的服務(wù)設(shè)施，交通也很擁擠。相比之下，坐船旅行或環(huán)游可以得到文明世界的各種享受。你可以在甲板上伸展四肢、做游戲，還能也很見到各種有趣的人，能享用各種美味佳肴 ——當(dāng)然，這一切只有在大海風(fēng)平浪靜的情況下才有可能。如果大海肆虐起來，你就可能暈船，那種難受勁兒是任何一種別的旅行的方式都不會(huì)帶來的。即使風(fēng)平浪靜，坐船旅行也要占用很長時(shí)間。沒有多少人會(huì)為享受坐船旅行的樂趣而犧牲假期的時(shí)間。

　　飛機(jī)以危險(xiǎn)而著稱，連老資格的旅行者也怕飛機(jī)。飛機(jī)另一個(gè)缺點(diǎn)是昂貴。但就速度與舒適而言，飛機(jī)是無與倫比的。騰云駕霧，在30，000 英尺高空以500英里的時(shí)速旅行，這種經(jīng)歷令人心曠神怡。你不必想辦法去擺脫旅途的困擾，因?yàn)轱w機(jī)會(huì)迅速地把你送到目的地。幾小時(shí)之內(nèi)，你躺在扶手椅上，享受著旅途的歡樂。真正會(huì)享受的人還可以在某些航班上看一場電影和喝香檳。即使沒有這些消遣條件，也總是有事可做。飛機(jī)上，你可以觀察世界上非同尋常的奇妙的美景。你毫不費(fèi)勁地飛越高山幽谷，你確能飽覽大地的'風(fēng)貌。如果這種景色被遮住了，你可以觀賞一下展現(xiàn)在你面前的、一望數(shù)英里的、連綿不斷的云海，同時(shí)陽光燦爛，天空清澈明朗。旅途平穩(wěn)，絲毫不妨礙你閱讀或睡眠。不管你打算如何消磨時(shí)間，有件事是可以肯定的，即當(dāng)你抵達(dá)目的地時(shí)，你感到精神煥發(fā)，毫無倦意，用不著因?yàn)槁�長的旅途的辛苦而花幾天時(shí)間休息來恢復(fù)精神。

　　【詞匯】

　　positively adv. 絕對地，完全地

　　compartment n. 列車客車廂內(nèi)的分隔間(或單間)

　　cramped adj. 窄小的

　　stuffy adj. 憋氣的，悶氣的

　　monotonous adj. 枯燥的，乏味的，單調(diào)的

　　rhythm n. 有節(jié)奏的運(yùn)動(dòng)

　　click v. 發(fā)出咔噠聲

　　lull v. 催人欲睡

　　snatch n. 短時(shí)，片段

　　sleeper n. 臥鋪

　　fumble v. 亂摸，摸索

　　inspection n. 檢查

　　inevitably adv. 必然地，不可避免地

　　destination n. 目的地

　　exhaust v. 使精疲力盡

　　motorway n. 快車道

　　ferry n. 渡船

　　cruise n. 巡游船

　　civilized adj. 文明的

　　spacious adj. 寬敞的

　　seasick adj. 暈船的

　　intimidate v. 恐嚇，恫嚇

　　disadvantage n. 短處，缺點(diǎn)

　　exhilarating adj. 使人高興的，令人興奮的

　　scapist n. 逍遙者

　　sip v. 呷，啜

　　champagne n. 香檳酒

　　refinement n. 精心的安排

　　breathtaking adj. 激動(dòng)人心的;不尋常的

　　soar v. 高飛，翱翔

　　effortlessly adv. 不費(fèi)力地

　　landscape n. 景色

　　fresh adj. 精神飽滿的

　　uncrumpled adj. 沒有跨下來