现代大学英语精读四

1、. A Drink in the Passage. Alan Paton (1903-1988) . Alan Paton was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. He started his career by teaching at a school in Ixopo. The dramatic career change to director of a reformatory (管教所）管教所）for black youths at Diepkloof, near Johannesburg, had a profound effect o

2、n his thinking. The publication of Cry, the Beloved Country (1948) made him one of South Africas best known writers, and by the time he died, it had sold over 15 million copies. Following his non-racial ideals, he helped to found the South African Liberal Party and became its president. .Cry, the Be

3、loved CountryPerhaps the most famous novel to come out of South Africa, Patons 1948 work brought to the notice of the world the dilemmas of ordinary South Africans living under an oppressive system, one which threatened to destroy their very humanity. Informed by Patons Christian and liberal beliefs

4、, the novel tells of a rural Zulu parsons （牧师）（牧师） heart-breaking search for his son, who has been drawn into the criminal underworld of the city. Cry, the Beloved Country has sold millions of copies around the world. . With the enactment of apartheid laws in 1948, racial discrimination was institut

5、ionalized（使制度（使制度化）化）. Race laws touched every aspect of social life, including a prohibition of marriage between non-whites and whites, and the sanctioning （认可）（认可）of “white-only” jobs. In 1950, the Population Registration Act required that all South Africans be racially classified into one of thre

6、e categories: white, black (African), or colored (of mixed decent). The coloured category included.major subgroups of Indians and Asians. Classification into these categories was based on appearance, social acceptance, and descent（血统）（血统）. Non-compliance with the race laws were dealt with harshly. A

7、ll blacks were required to carry “pass books” containing fingerprints, photo and information on access to non-black areas. .In 1960, a large group of blacks in Sharpeville refused to carry their passes; the government declared a state of emergency. The emergency lasted for 156 days, leaving 69 peopl

8、e dead and 187 people wounded. Wielding（掌握、运用）（掌握、运用） the Public Safety Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act, the white regime had no intention of changing the unjust laws of apartheid. . Jubilee n. a date that is celebrated because it is exactly 25 years, 50 years etc. after an important event 25

9、、50/60年等具有特殊意义的周年纪念Do you know how many years they are marking? 1.silver jubilee A. 50 years 2. golden jubilee B. 60 years 3. diamond jubilee C. 25 years 1-C 2-A 3-B. The news caused a sensation because it proved that Dorlin still had gold deposits. This is a show that would cause a sensation in Lon

10、don or New York.extreme excitement or interest, or someone or something that causes this轰动、引起轰动的人或事轰动、引起轰动的人或事Word formationssensational (a.)sensationalize (v.)17. sensation (1) n. .a feeling that you get from one of your five senses, 感官的感觉能力感官的感觉能力The sensation of sight 视觉视觉Sensation of tiredness 疲

11、劳感疲劳感He could feel no sensation in his arm. 他觉得自己的手臂麻木了。他觉得自己的手臂麻木了。17. sensation (2) n. .Caroline had the sensation that she was being watched.It was a strange sensationI felt Id been there before.n. a feeling that is difficult to describe, caused by a particular event, experience, or memory感觉、知觉感觉

12、、知觉17. sensation (3).In the year 1960 the Union Africa celebrated its Golden Jubilee, and there was a nationwide sensation when the one-thousand-pound prize for the finest piece of sculpture was won by a black man, Edward Simelane. In the year 1960, the Union of South Africa celebrated its fiftieth

13、anniversary, and there was a great excitement throughout the country when people heard that the prize for the finest piece of sculpture was won by a black man. excite: to arouse 激起、激发 His speech didnt excite much interest in voters. The news has certainly excited comment. conscience (1) n. a. the pa

14、rt of your mind that tells you whether what you are doing is morally right or wrong He was a man of strong social conscience, who actively campaigned against poverty in all its forms. Well, at least I can face them all with a clear / good conscience (=when you know that you have done nothing wrong).

15、 It eased her own conscience. 不再受良心责备.conscience (2) n. b. a guilty feeling that you have about something bad you have done Ann felt a pang (剧痛） / twinge （刺痛）of conscience at having misjudged her. They have no conscience at all about cheating. (=not feel guilty about cheating). His work, African Mot

16、her and Child, (1) not only excited the admiration, (2) but touched the (A) conscience or (B) heart or (C) whatever it was that responded of white South Africa. that responded: here means responded in that way or similarly responded(3) seemed likely to make him famous .It was by a careless mistake t

17、hat his work was accepted, because as a black person, he was not supposed to participate in the competition.emphatic structurea mistake that you make by not noticing sth. or by forgetting to do sth. 错误、疏漏It was by an oversight that his work was accepted .segregate (1) v. a. to separate one group of

18、people from others, especially because they are of a different race, sex, or religion (oppo.) integrate Male prisoners were strictly segregated from the females. Schools should not segregate children with disabilities. Blacks were segregated from whites in schools.segregate (2) v. b. to separate one

19、 part of a place or thing from another The coffee room had been segregated into smoking and non-smoking areas. They too were segregated into wagons for families and those for single men. separate keep sb. apart isolate cut sb. off from apartheid 南非种族隔离(=segregation).reprimand v.& n. to tell some

20、one officially that something they have done is very wrong to received a severe reprimand for sth. Once he had forgotten to lock Mr Corcorans office and had been harshly reprimanded. The military court reprimanded him for failing to do his duty. a private reprimand: a criticism that is not make publ

21、ic. omit: to leave out 1.遗漏、疏忽、忘记 He omitted to state his reasons. Dont omit locking (or: to lock ) the door. 2. 省略、删节 Omit a passage from the text. omission omissible 可省略的 omissive: 省略的、遗漏的 . soas to Im not so stupid as to believe him. indisputably: dispute: to argue about sth. esp. angrily and for

22、 a long period 争论 disputable: able to be questioned 有争辩余地的. bring sth. to a close： to end or conclude sth. 结束 Finally the meeting was brought to a close by the new chairman.The government was anxious to bring the hostage crisis to a close. but in certain powerful quarters, there was an outcry agains

23、t any departure from the “traditional policies” of the country a usually unspecified group of peoplea strong protest or objection but in certain politically influential circles, there was a strong protest against this decision as it was not in conformity with the traditional, apartheid policies of t

24、he countryreferring to the racial policies which had been in effect for many years. quarters (from, among, in): 某方面的人士 Information from the high quarters 来自高层的信息 outcry: 公开抗议、呐喊 Despite the outcry, the university refused to change its admission policies. departure (from): a divergence from a rule or

25、 traditional practice 偏离、背离、违反 Their new designs represent a departure from their usual style.renounce v. to give up (a title, for example), especially by formal announcement 声明放弃 Edward renounced his claim to the French throne. Rudolph voluntarily renounced his U.S. citizenship. We absolutely renou

26、nce all forms of terrorism. These groups must renounce violence if there is to be progress towards peace. Avert 避免、防止避免、防止 vt. to prevent something unpleasant from happening Talks will be held today in a final attempt to avert strike action. Luckily the pilot saw the other plane just in time, and a

27、disaster was narrowly averted. I was relieved that we had averted yet another financial crisis. . feel up to sth. to have the strength, energy etc to do something; to be well enough to 有力气、有精力去做某事 I just didnt feel up to going. You dont need to go back to school if you dont feel up to it. He is sche

28、duled to join the team in Calgary late today if his back is feeling up to it.In Orlando you develop a throat of iron, and you just put back your head and put it down, in case the police should arrive. metaphor: a strong throatIn Orlando you (the blacks) gradually develop a throat as strong as iron,

29、and you just throw back your head and drink the brandy up in one gulp in order to avoid police detection.subjunctive mood introduced by “in case（唯恐、以免、以防）（唯恐、以免、以防）”. Develop: to come to have gradually; to come gradually to existence养成、培养 Develop a taste for an interest in put back: throw back put i

30、t down: drink it down in one gulp A throat of iron: Because brandy is a very strong drink, so if you often drink it very quickly, you will get a very strong throat. Cultural note 1 : According to apartheid laws, blacks could not remain in the big cities after a certain hour at night. Orlando must be

31、 small town where blacks live. Cultural note 2: Brandy is an expensive drink that was usually consumes by well-to-do white folks in Apartheid South Africa who would sip slowly from a brandy glass. When a black person like Simelane ever got a chance to drink brandy, he would usually use a small glass

32、 and drink it quickly for fear that he might be seen and arrested by the police for breaking the law. A brandy glass is a large one with a wide bowl and narrow top. It is this shape so that the drinker can appreciate the aroma of brandy.They gave a window to it, with a white velvet backdrop, if ther

33、e is anything called white velvet, and some complimentary words. They gave a whole window to the sculpture with a white curtain at the back and some words in praise of the work. The curtain (backdrop) was made of white velvet, if there is such a thing as white velvet.words expressing praise /admirat

34、ionIts hard to associate “white velvet” with “softness” “smoothness” in an apartheid country. (velvet: 丝绒、天鹅绒；丝绒般光滑、柔软）丝绒、天鹅绒；丝绒般光滑、柔软）. complimentary: She was complimentary about his work. 她对他的工作赞美有加。 Compliment: 恭维（话） Make (or: pay) a compliment to sb. on sth. Please note: Complementary: 补充的. The

35、station: the railway station Herald: 先驱者、信使 In the text: the name of a newspaper The sculptor lives in Orlando as he is not allowed to live in the big city and therefore has to commute by train every day.squint at to look at something with your eyes partly closed in order to see better 眯着眼睛看、斜着眼睛看 M

36、rs. Fanning squinted at the writing on the door. Stop squinting at the screenput your glasses on. He had/took a squint at the headline of the news. out of the corner of your eye:In a secretive way 秘密的、暗地里秘密的、暗地里; without looking directly or intentionally不直视、窥不直视、窥视视please note:The phrase is usually

37、used together with look, see glance, notice, etc.1.The word eye is singular.indulge: to engage in; to take part in, here means to enjoy 沉溺于,享受pleasurable: 使人快乐的、使人满意的、舒适的A pleasurable meeting between old friendscontemplation: 1.the act of thinking deeply and quietly2. The act of looking at sth. quie

38、tly and solemnly . so I thought Id go and see the window, and indulge certain pleasurable human feelings. I must have got a little lost in the contemplation of my own genius So I thought Id go and see the window, and enjoy secretly some pleasant feelingsfeelings of pride for my own genius. I must ha

39、ve become too absorbed in my thinking about my own geniusbe engrossed/absorbed inHe was lost in the plot of the novel. confidential a. spoken or written in secret and intended to be kept secret 1. 秘密的、机密的 2. 表示信任或亲密的 The information we received is of a highly confidential nature and relates to natio

40、nal security. We hold confidential records on each employee. After drinking to each other, they became quite confidential.彼此敬酒后推心置腹、无话不谈。. feel like: I dont feel like taking a trip Feel like tea / coffee / a rest and all: including the thing or things just mentioned 以及其它一切、等等 They ate the whole fish

41、head, bones, tail, and all. The boss promised to provide me with a computer and all.round the corner: very near; coming soon. I couldnt have told him my name. Why? It might be that Simelane had been acting as if he were admiring somebody elses work of art and therefore it would be embarrassing to re

42、veal his true identity. He did not want the other person to know that he was indulging in admiring his own genius, esp. after hearing the compliments of this stranger. On the other hand, it might also show that Simelane was a very humble person, or we could say thats a common characteristic of black

43、 people because of the segregation and discrimination. start off: to begin to move; to begin a journey . We didnt exactly walk abreast, but he didnt exactly walk in front of me. walk abreast: to walk side by side Q: Is there any symbolic meaning of the sentence? Would it be a problem for them to wal

44、k abreast? A: A black was not the equal of white so they would never walk side by side as equals. Constrain v. a. to stop someone from doing what they want to do b. to limit something 限制、克制、约束、抑制限制、克制、约束、抑制 Financial factors should not constrain doctors from prescribing the best treatment for patien

45、ts. Womens employment opportunities are often severely constrained by family commitments. Constrained: 被迫的；强装出来的被迫的；强装出来的 He felt constrained to accept the invitation.A constrained smile:强作的笑容强作的笑容. expel v. a. to force air, water, or gas etc out of your body or out of a container 排出、喷出排出、喷出 Expel a

46、ir from the lings. b. to officially force someone to leave a school or organization 把。除名把。除名 Two girls were expelled from school for taking drugs. The main opposition leader was expelled from her party. suspend: 1. to hang from above; to hang so as to allow free movement 悬挂、使悬浮 To suspend a lamp fro

47、m the ceiling. 2. to stop or cause to be inactive for a period of time 停止、延缓 School classes were suspended for fear of spread of epidemic. 3. to prevent from taking part in a team. polish(1) v.& n. a. to make something smooth, bright, and shiny by rubbing it 擦亮、抛光 After she had polished the furn

48、iture, she cleaned the windows. A good polish now and then will keep the table looking new. furniture/shoe/floor, etc. polish 上光剂(=a liquid, powder, or other substance that you rub into a surface to make it smooth and shiny). polish (2) v.& n. b. to improve a piece of writing, a speech etc by ma

49、king slight changes to it before it is completely finished Your essay is good, you just need to polish it a bit. Carlas writing has potential, but it lacks polish. impersonal doors: the doors looked unfriendly, one reason might be they looked all the same with no names or signs on them as this is a

50、cheap apartment building. a. a. not showing any feelings of sympathy, friendliness etc. 没有感情的、冷淡的 b. a place or situation that is impersonal does not make people feel that they are important 没有人情味的 Business letters do not have to be impersonal and formal.I hate staying in hotels; theyre so impersona

51、l.I had no desire to work for a large, impersonal organization. Just signing your name on a Christmas card seems too impersonal. 太没人情味. “Sorry theres no brandy,” he said. “Only wine. Heres happiness.” brandy is generally considered more expensive stuff. Van Ransburg wanted to treat his guest”I” with

52、 the best thing he had. He has no bias or prejudice towards black people. Heres happiness: Lets drink to your happiness. Van Rensburg was proposing a toast (干杯、祝酒）. I was（nt only） feeling what you may be thinking, 我当时的感觉（不仅仅只是）就像你认为的一样。我当时的感觉（不仅仅只是）就像你认为的一样。 Q： If you were asked to drink in a passag

53、e just outside of someones apartment, not invited into the apartment, to sit down and drink properly, how would you feel? You might be thinking that it was an insult; and that was my feeling at the moment. Besides this feeling, there was sth. else.I wasnt only feeling what you may be thinking, I was

54、 thinking that one of the impersonal doors might open at any moment, and someone might see me in “white” building, and see me and van Rensburg breaking the liquor laws of the country. You might be thinking that it was an insult to have me drink in the passage instead of inviting me into their apartm

55、ent, to sit down and drink properly. Yes, I was feeling that way. But there was sth. else. I was also afraid that one of the cold, unfriendly doors might open at any moment and someone might see me in this “whites only” building, drinking with a white man and breaking the laws on drinking.Anger coul

56、d have saved me from the whole embarrassing situation, but you know I cant easily be angry. Even if I could have been, I might have found it hard to be angry with this particular man. 愤怒也许可以使我从尴尬的局面中摆脱出来。愤怒也许可以使我从尴尬的局面中摆脱出来。I could have simply left then and there angrily and thus freed myself from t

57、he awkward situation. But you know, Im not the kind of person who can easily get angry. Even if I could, I might have found it hard to be angry with this particular man. He seemed so nice to me.subjunctive mood. Talk out ones heart to sb.: to tell everything in ones mind thoroughly and freely to sb.

58、; to pour out ones feelings to sb. 把心里话告诉某人把心里话告诉某人 Sometimes we need to talk out our heart to our friends. Come and talk out your heart to us. Were ready to offer you help. but not for all the money in the world could I have said to her dankie, my nooi or that disgusting dankie, misses, not for all

59、 the money in the world: under no circumstances “dankie, my nooi” and “dankie, misses” ，something like “Thank you, my lady”, were considered proper in this context for blacks. But as an educated person, Simelane would not talk like that. He had his dignity. . so I took the risk of it and used the wo

60、rd mevrou, for the politeness of which some Afrikaners would knock a black man down, and I said, in high Afrikaans, “Ek is a dankbaar, Mevrou.” Take the risk of it: to take ones chance Mervou: Madam, a title of respect, clearly inappropriate for the black person to use. knock sb. down: to hit sb. and make them