-
必修五
1.
MODULE 1
Words,
words, words
词，词，词
British and American English are
different in many ways.
英式英语和美式英语在
很多方面都有所不同。
The first and most
obvious way is in the vocabulary.
首先最
明显的是在词汇方面。
There are hundreds
of different words which are not used on
the other side of the Atlantic, or
which are used with a different meaning.
有数以百
计个不同的词在大西洋彼岸的另一个英语国家不被使用，或者以一种不同的
意
思被使用着。
Some of these words
are well known---Americans drive automobiles
down freeways and fill up with
gas;
其中有些词就很广泛地为人所知
---
美国人在
freeways
上驾驶的是
automobiles
，给车加
gas;
the British drive cars along
motorways and fill up with
petrol.
英国人在
motor
ways
上驾驶的是
cars
，给车加
petrol
。
As a tourist, you will need to use the
underground in London or the subway
in
New York, or maybe you will prefer to get around
the town by taxi(British) or cab
(American).
作为游人，
在伦敦你要乘
underground
，而在纽约则是
subway
，或
者你愿意乘坐
taxi(
英式
)
或者
cab (
美式
)
游
览城市。
Chips or French
files
Chips
还是
French fries?
But other words and expressions are not
so well known.
但是其他词语和表达方式
却没有这么广泛地为人所知。
Americans use a
flashlight, while for the British, it's a
torch.
美国人把手电筒称为<
/p>
flashlight
，而英国人却叫它
torch
。
The
British
queue up; Americans stand in
line.
英国人排队用
queue
up
，而美国人说
stand in
line
。有时候，
Sometimes the same word has a slightly
different meaning, which
can be
confusing.
同一个单词在意义上一点细微的差别就让人很困惑。
Chips, for
example, are pieces of
hot fried potato in Britain; in the States chips
are very thin and
are sold in
packets.
比如
chips<
/p>
这个词在英国是热炸的薯条，在美国
chips
< br>却指非
常薄而且装在纸袋里出售的薯片。
The
British call these crisps.
英
国人把这种东
西称为
crips
。
The chips the British know
and love are French fries on the other side
of the Atlantic.
英国人知道而且喜欢的薯条在大西洋对岸被称为
French
fries
。
Have or
have got?
Have
还是
have got?
There are a few differences in grammar,
too.
在语法上，英式英语和美式英语也有
一些区别。
The British say Have you got...?I while
Americans prefer Do you
have
.-.?
英国人说
Have you
got·
?
然而美国人却愿意说
Do
you have ...
？
An
American might say My friend just
arrived, but a British person would
say
My friend has just arrived.
美国人可能会说
My friend just arrive
d
，但是英国
人愿意讲
My
friend has just arrived
。
Prepositions, too, can be
different: compare
on the team, on the
weekend (American) with in the team, at the
weekend (British).
介词的用法也有所不同
:
比较一下
on the team, on the
weekend (
美国用法
)
和
in
the team, at
the weekend (
英国用法
)
。
The British use prepositions where
Americans
sometimes omit them (.I'll
see you Monday, Write me soon!).
英国人用介词的地方
美国人有时候可能会省略
(I
。
Colour or color?
Colour
还是
color?
The other two areas in which the two
varieties differ are spelling and pronunciation. <
/p>
此外，在两种英语中另外两个领域的区别是拼写和发音。
Amer
icanspelling
seems simpler:
美
式英语的拼写看上去更简单一些：
center, color and
program
instead of centre, colour and
programme.
center,
color
和
program
是美式拼法，
centre,
colour
和
programme
是英式拼法。
Many
factors have influenced
American
pronunciation since the first settlers arrived
four hundred years ago.
自从
40
0
年前第一批移民的到来，有很多因素影响了美语发音。
The
accent, which is
most similar to
British English, can be heard on the East Coast of
the US.
在美国东
海岸能够听到跟英式英语非常接近的
口音。
When the Irish writer George Bernard
Shaw made the famous remark that the
British and the Americans are two nations
divided by a common language, he was
obviously thinking about the differences.
< br>当
爱尔兰作家萧伯纳讲那句名言：英国和美国是被同一种语言分开的两个民族的<
/p>
时候，他显然想到了它们的区别。
But are they
really so important?
但是这些区
别真
的如此重要吗
?
After all, there is
probably as much variation of pronunciation
within the two countries as between
them.
毕竟，两个国家境内的口音差别可能跟
两国之间的口音差别一样多。
A
Londoner has more difficulty understanding a
Scotsman from Glasgow than
understanding a New Yorker.
一个伦敦人要听懂来自
格拉斯哥的苏格兰人讲话可能比理解一个纽约人更难。
Turn on the
TV
打开电视机
Some
experts believe that the two varieties are moving
closer together.
很多专家相
信这两种语言变体正在越来越接近。
For
more than a century communications
across the Atlantic have developed
steadily.
一个多世纪以来，大西洋两岸的交流
稳步
发展。
Since 1980s, with satellite TV and
the Internet, it has been possible to
listen to British and American English
at the Hick of a switch.
自从<
/p>
20
世纪
80
年
代
以来，随着卫星电视和因特网的使用，非常便捷地听到英式英语和美式英语已
经成为可能。
This non-stop
communication, the experts think, has made it
easier for British people
and Americans
to understand each other.
专家们认为，这种不间断的交
流使得英
国人和美国人相互理解起来更加容易。
But it
has also led to lots of American
words
and structures passing into British English, so
that some people now believe
that
British English will disappear.
但是这也致使许多美式英语单词和结构传人英
式英语，以至于现在有一些人相信
英式英语将要消失。
However, if you
turn on CNN, the American TV network, you find
newsreaders and
weather forecasters all
speaking with different accents - American,
British,
Australian, and even
Spanish.
然而，如果你打开美国电视网络节目
CNN
，你会
发现新闻播报员和天气预报员操
着不同的口音
---
美国的，英国的，澳大利亚
的，甚至西班牙的。
One of the
best-known faces, Monita Rajpal, was born in
Hong Kong. China, and grew up, speaking
Chinese and Punjabi, as well as
English.
其中最熟悉的脸孔之一，慕妮塔
·
让治派出生于中国香港，从小到大说的是汉
语、
Punjabi
土语和英语。
This international dimension suggests
that in the future, there are going to be many
这种国际性的广泛使用表明，在未来
将有
很多种英语，不仅仅是两种。
But the message is
will all
be able to understand each other---wherever they
are.
但其实大家不用担心
!
无论
在哪里，英语的使用者们都会彼此理解。
2.
必修五
MODULE 2
The Human Traffic
Signal
人体交通标志
1_________________
At 3,500
metres, La Paz, in Bolivia, is the highest capital
in the world.
位于海拔
3,500
米的玻利维亚首府拉巴斯是世界上最高的首都。
Life is hard at high
altitude, and the mountains make
communications difficult.
在高海拔地区的生活很
艰苦，高山使得地区交通非常困难。
Many roads are
in bad condition and
accidents are
frequent.
许多路况很差而且事故频发，
One
road in particular, which
goes north
from La Paz, is considered the most dangerous road
in the world.
尤其是
从拉巴斯通向北边的一条路被认为是世上最危险的路。
On
one side the
mountains rise steeply; on
the other side there is a sheer drop which in
places is
hundreds of metres deep.
在路的一边，山体高耸险峻，另一边悬崖陡峭，有些地
方足有几百米深。
Although there is not a lot of traffic,
on average, one vehicle
comes off the
road every two weeks.
尽管这条路上
每天的交通量不大，但是平均
每两周就有一辆车冲出公路，掉下悬崖。
< br>
The drop is so great that anyone
inside
the vehicle is lucky to
survive.
悬崖落差如此之大，在掉下去的车里任何一
个能
活着的乘客都是幸运的。
In
theory, the road can only be used by traffic going
uphill from 8 in the morning and by
traffic coming downhill from 3 in the
afternoon.
按理，这条路上从早晨
8
点开始只准许上山的车通行，下午
3
点以后下山的车
通行。
But in practice, few drivers respect
this rules.
但实际上，几乎没有司机遵
守这些规
则。
2_________________
But thanks to one man, the death toll
has fallen.
但是多亏了一个人，这条路上的事
故
死亡率己经下降了。
Timoteo Apaza is a gentle
46-year-old man who lives in a
village
near the most dangerous part of the road, known
locally as lacurva del Diablo
(the
Devil's Bend).
46
岁的铁穆特欧
·
安迫赛是个性格温和的人，他住在距离这条
路最
危险的一段附近的村庄里。这段路被当地人称为
lacurva del Diablo
(
魔鬼弯
道
)
。
Timoteo has an unusual job
-- he is a human traffic signal.
铁穆特欧有一个
不同寻常的工作
---
他是人体交通标志。
Every morning
he climbs up to the bend
with a large
circular board in his hand.
每天早晨，他手里部拿着
一个大圆板爬上
弯道。
The board is red
on one side and green on the other.
圆板一面是红色的，一
面是绿色的。
Timoteo stands on the bend and directs
the traffic.
铁穆特欧站在转
弯处指挥着交通。
When two vehicles approach from
opposite directions they can't
see each
other, but they can see Timoteo.
当两辆车相对开来的时候，他们彼此看
不到，但都能看到铁穆特欧。
Timoteo is a
volunteer.
铁穆特欧是一个志愿者。
No
one asked him to do the job, and no one pays him
for it.
没有人要他做这个工
作，也没有人为此付钱给
他。
Sometimes drivers give him a tip, so
that he has just
enough money to live
on.
有时候一些司机会给他点小费，使他能够维持生活。
But often they just pass by, taking the
human traffic signal for granted.
但是大多数
情况下，司机们开着车就过去了，把人体交通标志看作理所当然
的事情。
3____________________
So why does he do it?
但是，他为什么要这样做呢
?
Before he volunteered to direct
the traffic, Timoteo had had lots of
jobs.
在他志愿指挥交通之前，做过很多工
作。
He had been a miner
and a soldier.
他曾是矿工，还当过兵。
Then
one day
while he was working as a lorry
driver he had a close encounter with
death.
他做卡
车司机的时候，
有一次他跟死神打了个照面。
He was driving
a lorry load of
bananas when he came
off the road at a bend and fell three hundred
metres down the
mountain.
当他正开着装满香蕉的卡车要驶过一个弯道的时候，他连人带车翻到
了
300
多米深的山崖下。
Somehow he survived.
万幸的是，他活了下来。
He
was
in hospital for months.
他在医院呆了好几个月。
Then, a few years
later, he
was called out in the night
to help pull people out of a bus which had crashed
at la
curva del diablo.
几年后的
一天夜里，他被叫出来帮忙拉出在魔鬼弯道坠毁的公
共汽车里的人。
This last experience had a profound effect on Timoteo.
最后的这次
经历对
铁穆特欧产生了重大影响，
He realized that he was
lucky to be alive
himself, and felt
that it was his mission in life to help others.
他意识到他能活下来
是很幸运的，而且感觉到帮助别人是他人生的使
命。
And so every morning, week
in, week out, from dawn to dusk,
Timoteo takes up his place on the bend and directs
the traffic.
于是每天
早晨，铁穆特欧都来到路的拐弯处站好自己的位置，开始
指挥来往车辆，从拂晓到黄昏，
一周又一周。
3.
必修五
MODULE 3
Steam boat
汽船
There was a big storm after midnight
and the rain poured down.
后半夜来了一场暴
风雨，大雨倾盆而下。
We stayed inside the
shelter we had built and let the raft sail
down the river.
我们躲进了自己搭起来的避
雨棚，让木筏顺流而下。
Suddenly,
by the
light of the lightning, we saw something in the
middle of the river.
突然间，
借着闪
电的光亮，我们看到河中间有东西。
It looked like a house
at first, but then
we realized it was a
steam boat.
一开始它看上去像座房子，但后来我们意识到那
是艘蒸汽船。
It had hit a rock and was
half in and half out of the water.
它触礁了
，
一半沉在水里，一半露在水面上。
We were
sailing straight towards it.
我们的木
筏正朝着它驶去。
看起来它快沉
了，
过了一会儿，吉姆说。
我们去看看怎么回事儿。
我接着说。
我可不想上一条要沉的船。
吉姆<
/p>
不同意。
but when I suggested that
we might find something useful on the boat, he
agreed to go.
但当我提出我们可能在上面找到
些有用的东西时，他还是同意
了。
So we paddled
over and climbed on to the steamboat, keeping as
quiet as mice.
于是我们划了过去，躁手镊脚地，像老鼠一样悄无声息
地爬上了汽船。
To our
astonishment,
there was a light in one of the cabins.
令我们大吃一惊的是，有间船
舱里还亮着一盏灯。
Then we heard someone shout,
I won't tell anybody!
接着我们听到人的嚎叫声，
哦，哥们儿，别杀我
!
我跟谁
也不会说的
!
A man's angry voice
answered,
kill you.
< br>一个男人生气的声音回应到
:
你在撒谎，上次你也是这么
说的。我们
要杀了你
!
When he heard these words, Jim panicked
and ran to the raft.
吉姆听到了这些
后，
恐惧万分，向木筏跑了过去。
But although I was frightened, I also
felt very
curious, so I put my head
round the door.
而我尽管害怕，但也感到十
分好奇，于
是就把头凑向了那扇门。
It was quite dark, but I could see a
man lying on the
floor, tied up with
rope.
船舱里面很黑，但我能看见一个人被绳子捆着，躺
在地
板上。
There were
two men standing over him.
有两个人围着他站着。
One
was
short, with a beard.
其中一个是矮个，留着络腮胡子，
The other was tall and had
something in his hand that looked like
a gun.
另外一个是高个，手里拿着什么东
西，看起来像是把枪。
<
/p>
我受够你了
!
我
现在就要毙了你。
那个高个说道。
He
was obviously the one who had threatened
the man on the floor.
显然他就是刚才威胁躺在地上的人的那个人。
And it was a
gun he had in
his hand.
握在他手中的确实是把枪。
in a couple of hours and
he'll go down with it.
不，别这么
干。
那个矮个说，
我
们把他扔在这儿。这船过几小时就沉了，他也就跟船一起沉了。
< br>
When he heard that, the
frightened man on the floor started
crying.
听到这话后，那
个在
地上己被吓傻的人开始嚎哭。
thought.
听起来他就要吓死了，
我想，
我得
设法去救他。
I crawled along the deck, found Jim,
and told him what I had heard.
我沿着甲板爬
行，找到了吉姆，并告诉他我所听到的一切。
away, then they'll have to stay here,
我说
:
我们必须找到他们的船并弄走<
/p>
它，然后他们就不得不呆在这儿了。
Jim looked terrified.
吉姆看上去很害怕，说
:
我不
想呆在这儿。
But I persuaded him
to help me, and we found the men's boat tied to
the other side of the steamboat.
但我劝他帮我的忙，找到了他们拴在沉船另一边的
小船。
We climbed quietly in and as we
paddled away we heard the two men
shouting.
我们悄悄地爬上了小船，就在我们划着小
船离开了那艘要沉的汽船
时，我们听到那两个人的吼叫声。
By
then we were a safe distance away.
而那时
我们已经离他们有段安全的距离了。
But now I began to feel bad about what
we