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一、词汇短语
Text I
1. suburb [5sQbE:b] n. ausually residential area or community outlying a city郊区
2. apply[E5plai] v.a) to request or seek assistance, employment, or admission提出申请:apply for a visa申请签证;b) to put to or adapt for aspecial use应用,把…应用于:She appliesall her money to her mortgage.她将她所有的钱都用来付抵押贷款。c) tocause to work hard or with careful attention专心于:Heapplied himself to hisnew job.【扩展】application(n.申请;应用)/ applicable(adj.可应用的)/ applicant(n.申请者)/ applied(adj.应用的,实用的)
3.degree [dI5^ri:] n. a title given by a university学位:the degree of Master of Arts文学硕士学位
4. slim[slim]adj. a) small in quantity or amount微小的,微薄的:slim chances of success很小的成功机会;b) small in girth or thickness in proportion to height or length苗条的,修长的
5. summon[5sQmEn] v.to call together; convene召集;召唤:The general summoned all his officers.将军把所有的军官召集在一起。
6. interview [5intEvju:] n.a formal meeting in person, especially one arranged for theassessment of the qualifications of an applicant面试
7. awkward [5C:kwEd] adj. a)causing difficulty, embarrassment or inconvenience造成困难、尴尬或不便的:an awkward series ofbends in the road路上一连串难走的弯;b)embarrassed尴尬的,难为情的:anawkward remark令人窘迫的评论
8. dreary [5driEri] adj. boring,dull单调乏味的:drearytasks枯燥的任务
9. gabled [`^eIbld] adj. havingone or more gables有山墙的:a gabled house有山墙的房子
10. sash-windowa window consisting of two frames that you open by sliding one up ordown, behind or in front of the other框格窗,上下拉动的窗
11. gravel [5^rAvEl] n. smallstones, used to make a surface for paths, roads etc砂砾
12. evergreen [5evE^ri:n] adj. persistand remain green throughout the year常青的,常绿的:There is a small evergreen shrub on the hillside.山腰上有一小块常绿灌木丛。
13. shrub [FrQb] n. asmall bush with several woody stems灌木
14. survive[sE5vaiv] v.to live or persist through从困境中活过来或挺过来:These plants that can survive frosts.这些植物能够历经寒霜而存活。
15. fume[fju:m] n.vapor, gas, or smoke, especially if irritating, harmful, or strong尤指有害、浓烈或难闻的气体或烟:She felt sick frombreathing in paint fumes.她因吸入油漆气味而感到恶心。
16.rotund [rEu5tQnd]adj. rounded in figure; plump圆形的;胖乎乎的:a large rotund man一个又高又胖的人
17. moustache [mEs5tB:F] n. anunshaved growth of hair on the upper lip胡子
18. freckle[5frekl] n.small brown spots on someone's skin, especially on their face雀斑,斑点
19.tweed [twi:d] n.cloth woven from threads of different colours, used mostly to makejackets, suits, and coats斜纹软呢,斜纹软呢服
20. ample[5Ampl]adj. of large or great size, amount, extent, or capacity尺寸、数量、范围或体积很大的:an ample living room宽敞的起居室;【扩展】amplify v.放大;增强/amplifier n.扩音器,放大器/amplitude n.广阔;振幅
21. loop[lu:p] v.fasten or join sth with a loop or loops打环扣系住某物
22. disapproval[7disE5pru:vEl] n.the act of disapproving不赞成
23. colonel[5kE:nl] n.a high rank in the army, Marines, or the US air force上校
24. private[5praivit]adj. not available for public use, control, or participation私人的,私有的:a private party私人聚会;n. soldier of thelowest rank士兵
25. bootlace [`bU:tleIs] n. ashoelace鞋带
26. stale[steil]adj. having lost freshness, effervescence, or palatability变味的,不新鲜的:stale bread变味的面包
27. dingy[5dindVi]adj. darkened with smoke and grime; dirty or discolored暗黑的,褪色的:It was a street of dingyhouses huddled together.这是一条挤满了破旧房子的街巷。
28. scar[skB:] v.to mark with a scar使有疤痕:His hands were badly scarred by the fire.他的手因为被火烧过而留下伤疤。
29. crumb[krQm] n.a very small piece broken from a baked item碎屑:Sweep up the crumbs, please.请把面包屑擦掉。
30. mantelpiece[5mAnt(E)lpi:s] n.a wooden or stone shelf which is the top part of a frame surroundinga fireplace壁炉架,壁炉的前饰
31. cellar[5selE] n.a room under a house or other building, often used for storingthings地窖,地下室
32. proceed [prE5si:d] v.. a)to begin and continue ( some course of action)进行,开始行动:Now that our plans are settled, let us proceed (to do it). 既然计划已制定,我们开始实施吧。b) started to goforward or onward, especially after an interruption继续下去:He paused to consult his notes,and then proceeded with his questions.他停下来看了看笔记,然后继续提问。c) to move in a particular direction向…进发:后常接介词或副词to/towards/into等【搭配】proceed from sth.源于某物;proceed against sb.起诉某人。另外,应注意不要将其和precede(v.领先于)相混淆
33. bloodshot [5blQdFRt] adj. (ofan eye) reddened as a result of locally congested blood vessels; inflamed充血的,布满血丝的:If the eyes are severelystrained, they become bloodshot.如果眼睛过于疲劳就会充血。
34. vital [5vaitl] adj. urgentlyneeded; absolutely necessary至关重要的:This matter is of vital importance to us. 这件事对我们来说至关重要。【扩展】vitalize /5vaItElaIz/v.赋予生命力 /vitality /vai5tAliti/ n.生命力,活力
35. mumble [5mQmbl] v. toutter indistinctly by lowering the voice or partially closing the mouth:咕哝:mumbled an insincere apology含糊地说出无诚意的道歉
36. grunt [^rQnt] v. toutter a sound similar to a grunt发哼声:He grunted as the bullet hit him.子弹击中他时他疼得哼出声来。
37. singularly [5sIN^jJlElI]adv. a) noticeably显而易见地:It’s a singularly foolish plan.这显然是个愚蠢的计划。b) strangely, peculiarly, in an unusual way异乎寻常地:Is he mad? He’s certainlybehaving singularly.他疯了吗?他行为肯定不正常。
38. appall [E5pC:l] v.. tofill with consternation or dismay使惊恐,使惊骇:They were appalled by the reports of the nuclear war.他们被核战争的报道吓坏了。
39. dismay [dis5mei] v. todestroy the courage or resolution of by exciting dread or apprehension使惊恐,使丧气:The thought that she mightfail the history test dismayed her.想到历史可能考不及格时, 她很沮丧。
33. incompetent[in5kCmpitEnt]adj. not having or showing the necessary skills to do sthsuccessfully不胜任的,不称职的
40. tramp [trAmp] v. a)to walk with heavy or noisy steps重踏步行走,跺着脚行走:We could hear him tramping about upstairs.我们可以听见他在楼上噔噔地走来走去。b) to travelacross (an area) on foot, esp. for a long distance and often wearily步行经过(一地区)(尤指长途且疲惫不堪):tramp over themoors徒步越过高沼地
41. crocodile[5krCkEdail] n.a) long line of schoolchildren walking in pairs两人一排,成纵列行进的学童;b)鳄鱼
42. diffident [5difidEnt]adj. lacking or marked by a lack of self-confidence; shy and timid缺乏自信的,羞怯的和胆小的:He has a politelydiffident manner.他的态度是客气中带有羞怯。
43. protest[prE5test] v.to object to, especially in a formal statement对…提出异议,反对:He protested the decisionmade by the committee. 他抗议委员会做出的决议。
44. constitute[5kCnstitju:t]v.. to be the elements or parts of; compose构成,组成:Twelve months constitute ayear.12个月为一年。【扩展】constitution n. 构成方式,构造;宪法,章程
45. ultimate [5Qltimit]adj. being last in a series, process, or progression最终的,最后的
Text II
1.terrier [5teriE] n.a small active type of dog that was originally used for hunting小猎犬
2. mildly [5maildli] adv. ina gentle manner温和地,和善地:afeeling of mildly pleasurable excitement怡然的快感
3. prompt[prCmpt]v.. a) serve as the inciting cause of, to give rise to促使,引起:A noise prompted the guard togo back and investigate.嘈杂声促使卫兵回头调查。adj. a) done quickly, immediately敏捷的,即时的:a prompt reply即刻答复;b) on time准时的
4. temperament[5tempErEmEnt] n.the manner of thinking, behaving, or reacting characteristic of aspecific person性格,性情:Jane isa girl with an artistic temperament.简是一个有艺术家气质的女孩。
5. panel[5pAnl] n.a group of people gathered to plan or discuss an issue进行讨论的一组人:A panel of experts gave itsopinion on ways to solve the traffic problem专家小组就如何解决交通问题发表了意见。
6. eyebrow[5aibrau] n.the line of hair above your eye眉毛
7. reckon [5rekEn] v. expect,believe, or suppose认为:They reckon the book as one of his best works.他们认为这本书是他的优秀作品之一。
8. frown[fraun]v.. to wrinkle the brow, as in thought or displeasure皱眉
9. incurable[in5kjuErEbl]adj. being such that a cure is impossible; not curable不能治愈的,医治不好的:incurable illness不治之症
10. jowl [dVaul] n. theskin that covers your lower jaw on either side of your face颌,颚骨
11. querulous [5kwerulEs]adj. expressing a complaint or grievance; grumbling表示埋怨或不平的,发牢骚的:querulous comments不满的评论
12.somber [5sRmbE(r)] adj. grave or even gloomy阴沉的,灰暗的:He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。
13. improbability [Im9prCbE`bIlEtI] n.something improbable不大可能的事物,未必有之事
14. hesitate[5heziteit] v.to be slow to act, speak, or decide犹豫,踌躇:He did not hesitate for a minute to save the drowning child.他毫不踌躇去救那个落水的小孩。【扩展】hesitant adj.犹豫的,吞吞吐吐的 / hesitative/5hezitEtiv/ adj.支吾其辞的 / hesitation(/7hezi5teiFEn/ n.犹豫,踌躇
15. premonition[7pri:mE5niFEn] n.a warning in advance; a forewarning预先警告,预感:The day before her accident, she had a premonition of danger.在发生事故的前一天, 她有种危险的预感。
16. crucial [5kru:FiEl] adj. extremelysignificant or important关键性的,极其重要的:a crucial problem关键性的问题
17. grant [^rB:nt] n. monetaryaid资助,奖学金:Studentsin this country receive a grant from the government.这个国家的学生可得到政府的助学金。
18. tormentor[tR:`mentE(r)] n.someone who makes someone else suffer a lot折磨者
19. resent [ri5zent] v. feelbitter or indignant about愤恨,怨恨:I bitterly resent his attempts to interfere in my work.我非常讨厌他企图干涉我的工作。【扩展】resentful adj.愤慨的,怨愤的/ resentment n.怨恨,愤恨
20. unforthcoming [QnfC:W5kQmiN]adj. unwilling to be helpful不情愿帮助的
21. instill[in5stil]v.. to introduce by gradual, persistent efforts; implant逐渐地灌输:They instill the minds ofyoung children with morality.他们将美德逐渐灌输到小孩子的头脑里去。其常用于instill sth. in/into sb.结构
22. persecutor[5pE:sikju:tE] n.person who persecutes others迫害者
23. persist[pE(:)5sist]v.. continue to do sth坚持,执意:The bad weather will persist all over the country.这种坏天气将在全国各地持续下去。【搭配】persist in(doing) sth.坚持做某事;persistwith坚持某事
24. rugger[5rQ^E] n.an outdoor game played by two teams with an egg-shaped ball that youkick or carry英式橄榄球
25. sting[stiN] v.to cause to feel a sharp, smarting pain by or as if by pricking witha sharp point刺痛
26. inadequacy [in5AdikwEsi] n.lack of an adequate quantity or number不充分:inadequacy of preparation准备不足
27. pit[pit] n.an excavation for the removal of mineral deposits; a mine坑道,矿
28. scribble[5skribl] v.to write hurriedly without heed to legibility or style乱写,匆匆地写:She scribbled down thedirections on her pad.她在拍纸簿上潦草地记下了指示。
29. wintry[5wintri]adj. suggestive of winter, as in cheerlessness or coldness冷漠的,冷淡的:a wintry welcome冷漠的欢迎
30. due[dju:]adj. a) expected or scheduled, especially appointed to arrive预定的,约定的;b) in accord with right,convention, or courtesy; appropriate适当的,适合的:in due course适当地,及时地
二、全文翻译
Text I
我的第一份工作
罗伯特·贝斯特
大学入学前,我在当地一家报纸上看到了一则教师招聘广告,该学校位于伦敦市郊,离我住的地方大约十英里。由于手头比较紧张,而我也想做些有意义的事,因此我就申请了这份工作,但由于没有学位,也没有教学经验,我担心得到这份工作的可能性很小。
然而,三天后,我收到了回信,叫我到克罗伊登面试。行程非常艰难:首先坐火车到克罗伊登火车站,再坐10分钟的汽车,然后再步行大约400米的路程。结果,在一个六月炎热的早上,我到达了学校,因为心情过于沮丧,而顾不上紧张了。
校舍是所阴沉的、山墙形的维多利亚式红砖房屋,配有上下推拉的特大窗子。前院是铺着砾石的广场,院内四角各有一丛四季常青的低矮灌木,它们忍受着喧嚣的主街道吹来的烟尘,挣扎着生存下去。
开门的显然是校长本人。他又矮又胖,留着黄棕色的小胡子,前额布满雀斑,头发几乎掉光了。他穿着斜纹软呢服(不知为什么,让人感觉是他总是穿着这身衣服),鼓鼓的肚子上绕着一条银表链。
他用一种吃惊不满的神情看着我,宛若上校打量着没系好鞋带的士兵。“啊嗯”他嘟哝着,“你最好进来。”狭窄不见阳光的客厅弥漫着一股难闻的腐烂卷心菜的气味,乳白色的墙壁已然褪色,又脏又黄,墨迹斑斑,四周一片静寂。从地毯上的食物碎屑看来,他的书房也是他的餐厅。壁炉架上放着一个盐瓶和一个胡椒瓶。“你最好坐下,”他说道。然后他就开始问我一些问题:拿《普通教育结业证》时,我学过哪些课程;我多大年龄;打什么球;然后,他充满血丝的眼睛突然盯着我,问我是否觉得运动是男孩教育中的一个重要部分。我含糊地说了些没必要把它们(体育运动)看得太重要之类的话。他嘟哝了几句。我说错话了。很显然校长和我没有什么共同语言。
他说学校只有一个班,由24个男孩子组成,年龄从7岁到13岁不等。除了美术课由校长亲自教以外,我需要教所有课程。周三和周六下午,我还要带着学生们到一英里外的运动场踢足球、打板球。
教学安排更令我震惊。我需要将学生们分成三个组,按三种不用的水准依次教他们。一想到要教他们代数和几何时,我就心里就发慌,因为我在学校时,这两门课学得很差。更糟糕的也许是周六下午的板球课。我介意的并不是带着一群小男孩沿着克罗伊登灰尘扑扑的街道行走1英里,而是那时,我的大部分朋友们都享受着休闲时光。
我怯生生地问道“薪水多少?”“每周12磅,包午餐。”我还未来得及提出异议,他就已经站起身来。“好了,”他说,“你最好见见我的妻子,她才是学校真正的负责人。”
这是我最不能容忍的事情。我还很年轻,在一个女人手下工作,对我来说简直是莫大的耻辱。
Text II
面试
看上去像只猎犬的男人说道:“你是布莱基吧?请坐。”
布莱基坐下了。
“我看到你的英语、法语和历史成绩都得了A,而且继续在大学学文科。”这个像猎犬一样的男人目光从布莱基的申请表格上抬起来。“是什么,”他温和地问道,“促使你想转而学医的呢?”
“噢,”布莱基说—感觉一点也不好—“我一直都有兴趣,甚至在中学的时候就有了,但这是个重大的决定,那时我不确定自己是否是学医的料。”三人面试小组没有作评论,他们的沉默提醒了布莱基,他还未回答他们的问题。“我那时真的喜欢写作。”
坐在像猎犬一样的男人旁边的男人清了清嗓子。“那么,你宁愿当一名作家,而不是医生,对吗?”
“不一定,”布莱基说,“我曾经这么想过,但现在,我决心当一名医生。”
“看来你很容易改变主意。”一阵长时间的停顿。
“对不起,”布莱基吃惊地说道,“您这是提问吗?”
“嗯。”那个男人扬了扬眉毛,说道。
“不,我不是那样的。”
“你毕业时没有获得学位,是这样吗?”
“是的。”
“为什么呢?”
“回想一下,”布莱基说,“我想我参加了太多活动。”
“你给我们解释一下,都是些什么活动吗?”
“我为学院剧团写过几个剧本”(属实),“我在学生辩论会上当过辩手”(属实),“还做了点儿社会工作”(不属实)。
第三位面试官皱着眉头,“社会工作?”他说到,好像这是某种疑难杂症一样。“给我们讲讲。”他是个双下巴的胖子,说话带有奇怪的牢骚口吻。
“好的,”布莱基说道,然后他就描述了他只知道名字的两个学生组织,但不知究竟何故,他从来就没参加过。
“假如你申请成功,”像猎犬的那个人说到,他的语调暗示了布莱基面试将会失败,“你有经济来源吗?”布莱基犹豫了一下。他猛然意识到,这一回答将是面试成败的关键。
“你没有助学金吗?”他提示道。
“没有。”
“你个人有什么办法吗?”
“我想我能设法解决。”
他的主要对手第一次龇着牙,咧嘴阴笑到“你怎样设法?”
布莱基在椅子上动了动。他开始憎恨这些冷酷严厉的人,他们给他灌注了罪恶感。这更像是严密盘问,而不是面试。他学医的愿望似乎像犯罪。“我假期兼职了一份工作,这样我能存……”
“告诉我们”,他的对头执意要求,“你的周薪。”
他告诉了他们。
“你近期有结婚的打算吗?”
“没有。”
“你有什么兴趣爱好?业余时间怎么度过?”
表格上是怎么填的?为什么表格上都有的,他们还要问呢?他告诉他们,他喜欢音乐,喜欢戏剧,他经常散步。“曾经,”他说,“我甚至参加过一次钓鱼比赛。”
面试小组似乎对这些回答不感兴趣。“你喜欢打什么球?”双下巴的男人满怀期待地前倾着身子问道,“你打橄榄球吗?”
“不,我在校足球队踢球。”
“你得过什么奖吗?”
“没有。”
“你的家人有从事医学工作的吗?”
布莱基摇了摇头。“我的大部分亲属”,他说,自卑感刺痛了他的心,“都在煤矿工作。”
“嗯。”像猎犬的那个人匆匆忙忙在表格上写了些什么。“我想各方面的情况都涉及到了,”他说。他给了布莱基一个冷笑。“届时,你会收到我们的通知。”
这在布莱基听来像是一种威胁。