新编英语教程讲义

Unit 1 Book 4

THIS YEAR IT’S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT

文化背景：New Year’s resolutions; Stephen Leacock

语篇特点：幽默、口语化的描写

语言知识：resolutions; be blessed with; spontaneous; sneak up on; thrown in the sponge; go to reason;

1. Difficult Sentences

1. (LL1-2, Para. 1)

New Year’s resolutions are like anything else—you get out of them what you put in.

What does this sentence mean?

→As the saying goes, “As you sow, so will you reap”, which means whatever a man sows he will reap. The writer intends to convince the reader that making New Year’s resolutions also follows this maxim. The more resolutions you make at the beginning of the year, the better results you will have.

2. (LL5-7, Para. 1)

Pretty clearly, anyone who followed my collection of rules would be blessed with a richer life, boundless love from his family, and the admiration of the community.

Paraphrase this sentence.

→Quite obviously, anyone who was determined to be guided by the rules of self-improvement I collected would be happy and have an eventful life, infinite affection from his family and the respect of the community.

3. (LL2-3, Para. 2)

Be spontaneous in showing affection.

Paraphrase this sentence.

→ Show your love readily and willingly.

4. (LL3-4, Para. 2)

“Don’t ever sneak up on me like that again!”

What does this sentence mean?

→ Never creep up on me like that again!

Why did Maggie react to her husband’s kiss in this way?

→ Probably the husband seldom did this kind of romantic thing (steal a kiss from behind) before.

5. (LL1-2, Para. 3)

A sincere compliment is worth its weight in gold.

Paraphrase this sentence.

→ Whole-hearted and genuine praise is very valuable.

6. (L1, Para. 4)

“It wasn’t my idea to stay out until four a.m.”

What does this sentence mean?

→I didn’t want to remain outs ide until four in the morning! It was your idea!

Was Maggie pleased to hear the “sincere compliment”? Why or why not?

→Maggie was very much annoyed by the “sincere compliment”, because she didn’t look “lovely” at all due to lack of sleep. Therefore, she t hought her husband was speaking sarcastically.

7. (L2, Para. 8)

Roy sure is smart.

What did Sammy mean?

→“Sure” is often used in colloquial American English, meaning “certainly”. “Roy sure is smart” means “Roy certainly is clever.” By making such a remark, Sammy actually suggested that his father was not so bright.

8. (LL2-3, Para. 9)

Meet your child at his own level.

Paraphrase this sentence.

→ Join your children and treat them as your equals. / Speak, act and think as your children do.

9. (L1, Para. 10)

It isn’t either happy.

What should be the normal order of this sentence? What does the sentence mean?

→The normal order of the sentence is: “It isn’t happy, either.” The word “either” in the sentence shows emphasis. The sentence is an example of child talk, meaning “It isn’t happy at all!” or “It’s very unhappy.”

10. (LL4-5, Para. 12)

I’ll bet the fellows are swarming around.

What is the meaning of this sentence?

→The sentence means “I’m sure many young men are after you.”

Do you think it is appropriate for the writer to s ay something about “the fellows swarming around” to Marilyn?

→No, it is inappropriate. And that’s why Marilyn thought she was cross-examined by the writer.

11. (Line 1, Para. 15)

There was a series of shrieks down the hall. I found Gretchen in tears.

Paraphrase this sentence.