新概念英语第二册第五课

Lesson 5 No wrong numbers
无错号之虞
(不会拨错号)
Mr.James Scott has a garage in Silbury and now he has just bought another garage in Pinhurst. Pinhurst is only five miles from Silbury, but Mr. Scott cannot get a telephone for his new garage, so he has just bought twelve pigeons. Yesterday, a pigeon carried the first message from Pinhurst to Silbury. The bird covered the distance in three minutes. Up to now, Mr.Scott has sent a great many requests for spare parts and other urgent messages from one garage to the other. In this way, he has begun his own private 'telephone' service.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
pigeon n. 鸽子message n. 信息cover v. 越过distance n. 距离
request n. 要求，请求spare part 备件service n. 业务，服务
参考译文
詹姆斯.斯科特先生在锡尔伯里有一个汽车修理部，现在他刚在平赫斯特买了另一个汽车修理部。

平赫斯特离锡尔伯里只有5英里，但詹姆斯.斯科特先生未能为他新的汽车修理部搞到一部电话机，所以他买了12只鸽子。

昨天，一只鸽子把第一封信从平赫特带到锡尔伯里。

这只鸟只用了3分钟就飞完了全程。

到目前为止，斯科特先生从一个汽车修理部向另一个发送了大量索取备件的信件和其他紧急函件。

就这样，他开始自己的私人“电话”业务。

1.Mr.James Scott has a garage in Silbury and now he has just bought another garage in Pinhurst. 詹姆斯.斯科特先生在锡尔伯里有一个汽车修理部，现在他刚在平赫斯特买了另一个汽车修理部。

1) garage ['gærɑ:ʒ] n.
1.停车房；车库
e.g. 地下停车库an underground garage
2. (兼营汽车销售、修理及加油的) 汽车修理厂
2.Pinhurst is only five miles from Silbury, but Mr. Scott cannot get a telephone for his new garage, so he has just bought twelve pigeons. 平赫斯特离锡尔伯里只有5英里，但詹姆斯.斯科特先生未能为他新的汽车修理部搞到一部电话机，所以他买了12只鸽子。

1) 这句话由3个部分组成。

but引导的句子与前面的句子为并列关系，so引导的句子表示结果。

2) from在这里表示距离上相隔，译为“离”、“从”等：
e.g. 学校离我家有一英里。

The school is a mile (away) from my house.
她离家已有5天了。

She has been away from home for 5 days now.
3)pigeon ['pidʒin]鸽子
dove [dʌv] n.
1. a bird of the pigeon family. The white dove is often used as a symbol of peace. 鸽子
(白鸽常作为和平的象征)
2.鸽派人物，温和派人物（尤指愿意和平与谈判而不愿战争的从政者）
3.Yesterday, a pigeon carried the first message from Pinhurst to Silbury. 昨天，一只鸽子把第一封信从平赫斯特带到锡尔伯里。

1) carry v. (carries, carrying, carried, carried)
1.[vn] 拿；提；搬；扛；背；抱；运送
e.g. (1) 他提着一只手提箱。

He was carrying a suitcase.
(2) 她怀里抱着她的宝宝。

She carried her baby in her arms.
2. [vn] 携带，佩带
e.g. 我身上从不多带钱。

I never carry much money on me.
3. [vn] 承担（责任）；承受（结果）
e.g. 他维持着这个部门的工作。

He is carrying the department. (=it is only working because of his efforts.)
carry sth. out
1.履行；实施；执行；落实
e.g. (1) 履行承诺to carry out a promise
(2) 实施计划to carry out a plan
(3) 执行命令to carry out an order
2. to do and complete a task 完成（任务）
e.g. 进行调查to carry out an investigation
2) from…to…表示从一个地方到另一个地方。

如下文中的from one garage to the other.这个短语中顺序比较重要，不能搞错方向：
e.g. 他从北京坐飞机去纽约。

He flew from Beijing to New York.
他把这姑娘从头到脚打量了一下。

He looked at the girl from head to foot.
家家户户都得知了这条消息。

The news spread from house to house.
(注：spread pt. spread/ pp. spread)
3)message n. ~(from sb.) (to sb.)
1. (书面或口头的) 信息，消息，音信
e.g. (1) 旅馆里没有给我的留言。

There were no messages for me at the hotel.
(2) 我在你的电话应答机上留言了。

I left a message on your answering machine.
(3) 珍妮这会儿不在。

要我给你传个话吗。

Jenny’s not here at the moment. Can I take a message?
(4) 我们得到个紧急消息说你父亲病了。

We have had an urgent message saying that your father’s ill.
(5) 电子邮件an e-mail message
messenger ['mesindʒə]n. 送信人；通信员；邮递员；信使
message 在这里的意思是“（口头或书面的）信息”、“信”：
给某人留言：leave a message for sb. / leave sb. a message
e.g. 口信/便条an oral / written message 对照：note [c] 便条；短笺
这是你姐姐/妹妹给你留的便条。

Here is a message for you from your sister.
约翰去办公室了。

你愿意给他留个口信吗？
John has gone to his office. Would you like to leave him a message?
4.The bird covered the distance in three minutes. 这只鸟只用了3分钟就飞完了全程。

1) cover v.
1.vt. [vn] to travel the distance mentioned行走（一段路程）,走过（通常不用被动语态）
e.g. (1) 到日落时我们已走了三十英里。

By sunset we had covered thirty miles.
(2) 他们步行了很长时间，走了好长的一段路。

They walked for a long time and covered a good deal of ground.
(3) 他今天上午走了60英里。

He covered sixty miles this morning.
(4) 你十分钟就可以走到博物馆。

You can cover the distance to the museum in ten minutes.
2. [vn] ~sth (with sth) 掩蔽；遮盖
e.g. 他双手掩面。

He covered his face with his hands.
3. vt. [vn] to lie or spread over the surface of sth盖，覆盖
e.g. 大雪覆盖了大地。

Snow covered the ground.
她给孩子盖了件外衣。

She covered the child with a coat.
n. 1. [c] 覆盖物；掩蔽物；套子；罩子；盖子
e.g. 给这个盒子加个罩。

Put a cover on the box!
2.[c] the outside of a book or a magazine(书刊的)封面，封皮
e.g. 封面the front cover 封底the back cover
3. [u] trees and plants that grow on an area of land(生长在一个地区的)树木植被，自然植被
e.g. 地球上森林覆盖的总面积正在减少。

The total forest cover of the earth is decreasing.
2) distance n.
1.[c,u] the amount of space between two places or things 距离；间距
e.g. (1) 短距离/长距离a short distance / a long distance
(2) 200公里的距离 a distance of 200 kilometres
(3) 纽约市离波士顿有多远？
What’s the distance between New York City and Boston / from New York City to Boston?
2. [u] being far away in space or in time (空间的) 遥远；(时间的) 久远，间隔
e.g. 在互联网上距离已不成为问题。

Distance is no problem on the Internet.
3. [u,c] 冷淡，疏远
e.g. 她话语中透出的冷淡和疏远使我感到意外。

The coldness and distance in her voice took me by surprise.
distant adj. far away in space or time 遥远的；远处的；久远的
e.g. (1) 远处的音乐声the distant sound of music
(2) 我们一起度过的时光现已成为久远的回忆。

The time we spent together is now a distant memory.
(3) 机场大约20公里远。

The airport was about 20 kilometres distant.
adv. distantly
5.Up to now, Mr.Scott has sent a great many requests for spare parts and other urgent messages from one garage to the other. 到目前为止，斯科特先生从一个汽车修理部向另一个发送了大量索取备件的信件和其他紧急函件。

1) 这句话看起来很长，但却是个简单句。

sent有两个宾语，一是requests, 二是messages. from one garage to the other是整个句子的状语。

2) up to now(=up till now)相当于until /till now, 意思是“迄今”、“到目前为止”，一般与现在完成时连用：
e.g. 到目前为止，他一直不是很用功。

Up to now, he has not been very hard-working.
到目前为止，他已收集了许多邮票。

Up to now, he has collected a good number of stamps.
3) request
n. ~(for sth) / ~(that~) the action of asking for sth formally and politely(正式或礼貌的) 要求，请求
e.g. (1) 他们要求再给一些帮助。

They made a request for further aid.
(2) 他按照经理的请求到了那里。

He was there at the request of his manager / at his manager’s request.
(=because his manager had asked him to go)
v. ~sth (from sb) (fml) to ask for sth or ask sb to do sth in a polite or formal way (正式或礼貌地)请求，要求
e.g. (1) 请俱乐部的全体会员务必参加这个会议。

All members of the club are requested to attend this meeting.
(2) 请不要在餐馆里吸烟。

You are requested not to smoke in the restaurant.
request作名词“要求”、“请求”讲时，往往需要补充说明其内容，如课文中requests for spare parts (索取备件的信件)。

e.g. 她向杰克请求帮助。

She sent a request for help to Jack.
他同意了我延长时间的请求。

He granted my request for more time.
注：grant [grɑ:nt] v.
1. [often passive]~sth (to sb./sth.)/~(sb.) sth. (尤指正式地或法律上)同意,准予，允许
e.g.他答应了我的要求。

He granted me my request.
银行终于同意给我贷款500英镑。

The bank finally granted a 500 pounds loan to me.
我的请求得到批准。

My request was granted.
IDM. take it for granted (that…)to believe sth. is true without first making sure that it is认为…是理所当然e.g. 我还想当然地以为他总能随叫随到呢。

I just took it for granted that he’d always be around.
take sb./sth. for granted: to be so used to sb./sth. that you do not recognize their true value any more and do not show that you are grateful(因习以为常)对…不予重视；(因视为当然)不把…当回事
e.g. 1. 她丈夫随时都出现在身边，她只是认为他理应如此。

Her husband was always there and she just took him for granted.
2. 我们想当然地认为洁净水的供应无穷无尽而不予以珍惜。

We take having an endless supply of clean water for granted.
n. ~(to do sth) (政府、机构的)拨款
e.g. 学生助学金student grants (=to pay for their education)
他得到一笔研究经费。

He has been awarded a research grant.
4) a great many在这句话中为形容词短语。

many单独使用时前面不加a, 但加了great / good 等形容词后，前面要加a, 动词用复数形式：
e.g. 他去过好多地方。

He has been to many places.
He has been to a great many places.
好多树在这场暴风雨中被毁坏了。

A great many trees were destroyed in the storm.
a great many还可以作代词短语用：
这房间的书他好多都读过了。

He has read a great many of the books in this room.
5) spare
v. 1. vt. 抽出（时间等），让给：
e.g. 你能抽出5分钟时间吗？Have you got five minutes to spare?
你能抽出5分钟和我谈谈吗？Can you spare me five minutes?
2. vt. 饶恕，赦免
e.g. 强盗们没要他的命。

The robbers spared his life.
3. ~sb./yourself (from) sth省得，免去
e.g. 他不想让母亲有丝毫的担忧。

He wanted to spare his mother any anxiety.
4. vt. 不吝惜(时间、金钱)
e.g. 为使她重新快乐起来，他想尽了办法。

He spared no effort to make her happy again.
adj.
1.[usually before noun] 不用的；闲置的
e.g. (1) 要是愿意你就住下，我们空着一间卧室。

We have got a spare bedroom, if you’d like to stay.
(2) 恐怕我手头没有闲钱。

I’m afraid I haven’t got any spare cash.
2. [usually before noun] 备用的；外加的
e.g. 备用钥匙a spare key 备用轮胎spare tyre
3. 空闲的，空余的
e.g. (1) 他在空闲时间学音乐。

He’s studying music in his spare time.
(2) 我一上午一会儿也没闲着。

I haven’t had a spare moment this morning.
4. (written) thin, and usually quite tall瘦的；瘦高的
e.g. 她瘦削的身材her spare figure
spare part
n. [usually pl.] a new part that you buy to replace an old or broken part of car, machine, etc.备件spare rib
n. a rib of pork with most of the meat cut off 猪排骨
6) urgent adj.
1. that needs to be dealt with immediately.紧急的；紧迫的；迫切的
e.g. (1)需要紧急处理的问题 a problem that requires urgent attention
(2) ‘‘我能见你一下吗?”‘‘有急事吗?”
‘Can I see you for a moment ?’‘Is it urgent?’
2. (written) showing that you think that sth needs to be dealt with
immediately 催促的；急切的
e.g. 急切的神情an urgent look
urgency n. [u] 迫切；紧急；急迫；催促；强求
e.g. 这件事相当紧迫。

This is a matter of some urgency.
urgently adv.
e.g. (1) 急需新设备。

New equipment is urgently needed.
(2) 我得马上跟她谈谈。

I need to speak to her urgently.
6.In this way, he has begun his own private 'telephone' service. 就这样，他开始自己的私人“电话”业务。

1) 带way的一些短语
名词way的用法很灵活，能组成不同的搭配：
(1)in the / one’s way, 妨碍(某人)：
e.g. 你挡着我了。

You are in my way.
别挡着我的视线。

我看不见黑板了。

Don’t stand in the way. I can’t see the blackboard.
(2)in the way, 按照，以…方式：
e.g. 你可以按我告诉你的方法做蛋糕。

You can make the cake in the way I have told you.
(3) on the / one’s way, 在途中：
e.g. 我在去学校的路上遇到了玛丽。

I met Mary on my way to school.
(4) by the way, 顺便提一下(插入语，改变话题时使用)：
e.g. 顺便问一下，你以前见过比尔吗？By the way, have you met Bill before?
(5) in a way, 在某种程度上，从某种意义来说：
e.g. 从某种意义上说你是对的。

In a way you are right.
2) service作为不可数名词时通常用于表示旅馆、餐馆以及商店等对旅客、顾客等的侍候、接待或服务；它作为可数名词时可以表示为帮助他人所采取的行动或所做的工作：
e.g. 那家旅馆的服务很不错。

The service in that hotel is quite good.
你帮了我很大的忙。

You have done me a great service.
在课文中，service的意思是“业务”、“公用事业”等。

这类用法一般有：
the mail service (邮政业务)；the telephone service (电话业务)；a travel service (旅行社)；a news service (通讯社)等。

可以看出，service 既可以指公用事业的业务，也可以指办这些业务的机构。

因此，课文中的“’ telephone’ service”实际上是个大词，有一种幽默感。

Grammar in use 一般过去时与现在完成时
在表示过去某个特定时间发生的事情或动作时，要用一般过去时：
Yesterday, a pigeon carried the first message from Pinhurst to Silbury.
昨天，一只鸽子把第一封信从平赫特带到锡尔伯里。

在表示刚刚或者已经完成一个动作并且对现在有影响时，则要用现在完成时，时间状语可以是不特指的now, just, 或者是for引导的一段时间，或者不加任何时间状语：
e.g. 他写了一本书。

He has written a book.
…now he has just bought another garage in Pinhurst.
…现在他刚在平赫斯特买了另一个汽车修理部。

(现在拥有)
那声音刚停。

(现在没有了) The noise has just stopped.
那声音是1分钟以前停的。

(停的具体时间) The noise stopped a minute ago.
你读过俄国小说吗？Have you ever read a Russian novel?
我两年前读过一本。

Yes, I read one two years ago.
他们在这里已经5个月了。

They have been here for five months.
在一段文章中可以同时出现一般现在时、一般过去时和现在完成时。

因此，要根据具体情况灵活运用这些时态，体会它们之间的区别：
我有一个弟弟，名叫汤姆。

他是位工程师。

他出国已3年了。

几天前我收到了一封他的来信。

I have a brother, Tom. He is an engineer. He has been abroad for three years now. Several days ago, I received a letter from him.
Homework
1. Finish the exercises on page29, 30 and 31 in your textbook.
2. Remember the new words and expressions
3. Recite the whole text.
4. Read a little passage and then do multiple choice questions.
5. Introduce the life in your spare time. (at least 100 words)。