新概念英语第二册第七课

Lesson 7 Too late

为时太晚

The plane was late and detectives were waiting at the airport all morning. They were expecting a valuable parcel of diamonds from South Africa. A few hours earlier, someone had told the police that thieves would try to steal the diamonds. When the plane arrived, some of the detectives were waiting inside the main building while others were waiting on the airfield. Two men took the parcel off the plane and carried it into the Customs House. While two detectives were keeping guard at the door, two others opened the parcel. To their surprise, the precious parcel was full of stones and sand!

New words and expressions 生词和短语

1. detective n. 侦探airport n. 机场expect v. 期待，等待valuable adj. 贵重的parcel n. 包裹diamond n. 钻石steal v. 偷

2. main adj. 主要的airfield n. 飞机起落的场地guard n. 警戒，守卫precious adj. 珍贵的stone n. 石子sand n. 沙子

参考译文

飞机误点了，侦探们在机场等了整整一上午。他们正期待从南非来的一个装着钻石的贵重包裹。数小时以前，有人向警方报告，说有人企图偷走这些钻石。当飞机到达时，一些侦探等候在主楼内，另一些侦探则守候在停机坪上。有两个人把包裹拿下飞机，进了海关。这时两个侦探把住门口，另外两个侦探打开了包裹。令他们吃惊的是，那珍贵的包裹里面装的全是石头和沙子！

1. The plane was late and detectives were waiting at the airport all morning. 飞机误点了，侦探们在机场等了整整一上午。

1) detective n. 侦探

detect[di'tekt]v. to find out; notice or discover 发现；发觉；觉察

e.g. 我察觉出她说话声里含着愤怒。I detected anger in her voice.

在死者胃中发现了少量毒药。

Small quantities of poison were detected in the dead man’s stomach.

注：quantity['kwɔntəti] n. (pl. -ies) 1. [c, u]数量；数额；数目2. [u] 量；数量3. [c, u]大量；大批；众多；大宗

n. detection [u] the act or work of detecting 发现；发觉，察觉

n. detector 探测器，侦查器

e.g. (1) 金属探测器a mental detector (2) 测谎器a lie detector

2) at the airport 在机场

on the airfield 在停机坪上

airfield n. [只供飞机起落且无大型建筑物的]飞机场；飞机起落的场地

3) all morning 整个上午

all 一般直接加表示时间的单数名词构成副词短语，如：

整整一天all day 整夜all night 整星期all week 整个冬天all winter 整年all year

但不说all hour

whole 在表达同样的意思时一般要加冠词或数词，如

一整天/ 年a whole day / year 整整两星期two whole weeks

2. They were expecting a valuable parcel of diamonds from South Africa. 他们正期待从南非

来的一个装着钻石的贵重包裹。

1) expect v.

1.vt.,vi.to think or believe (that something will happen) 预计；预料；预期

e.g. (1) 我预料他会通过考试的。I expect (that) she’ll pass the exam.

(2) 我们没有料到会有这么多人来参加聚会。

We weren’t expecting so many people to come to the party.

(3) 我们预计今年冬天会冷。We expect a cold winter this year.

(4) 正如他老师所预料的那样，吉姆数学考试没及格。

Jim has failed in mathematics as his teacher expected.

2. vt. 认为理应得到；期望，期待，期盼, 盼望

e.g. (1) 你不能指望孩子们一直保持安静。You can’t expect children to be quiet all the time.

(2) 我在等待吉米的一封信。I am expecting a letter from Jimmy.

expect所表示的等待一般暗含着根据某些信息或规律而作出相应反应的意思，而wait (for) 主要指“等待”这个动作本身：

他等了她一个多小时，但她没来。

He waited for her for more than an hour, but she did not come.

请等一下。Wait a minute, please.

3. vt. 猜想；认为；料想（一般用于口语）

e.g. (1) 我想你已经听到这个消息了。I expect you have heard the news.

(2) “你今晚要出去吗？”- “我想会的。” / “我想不会的。”

“Are you going out tonight?” - “I expect so.” / “I don’t expect so.”

expectation [,ekspek'teiʃən]n.

1.[u,c] ~(of sth) / ~(that……) 预料；预期；期待

e.g. 普遍认为他会获胜。There was a general expectation that he would win.

完全没想到她过得非常快活。Against all expectations, she was enjoying herself.

e.g. 出乎意料的是利率并未上升。

Contrary to expectations, interest rates did not rise.

2. [c, usually pl.] 期望；指望

e.g. 有的父母对孩子的期望不切实际。

Some parents have unrealistic expectations of their children.

2) valuable adj.

1. ~ (to sb / sth) very useful or important 很有用的；很重要的；宝贵的

e.g. (1) 宝贵的经验/资源a valuable experience / resource

(2) 深刻的洞察力a valuable insight['insait](3) 有用的工具a valuable tool

2. worth a lot of money 很值钱的；贵重的

e.g. (1) 贵重的首饰valuable jewellery([ˈdʒu:əlri] n.[u]珠宝，首饰)

(2) 名贵绘画a valuable painting

opposite: valueless['væljulis]没有价值的；不值钱的; worthless['wə:θlis]

注：insight名词n. [(+into)]

1. 洞察力,眼光[C][U]

e.g. 优秀的教师能洞察学生内心的情感。Good teachers have insight into children's emotions.

2. 洞悉;深刻的理解[C]

e.g. 他的演讲使我们对教育问题有了深入的了解。His speech gave us an insight into the problems of education.

3)parcel ['pɑ:sl] n. (of) [especially BrE package especially AmE] 包裹；邮包