New Concept English Two 33 94

$课文92  自找麻烦

1016. It must have been about two in the morning when I returned home.

我回到家时，肯定已是凌晨两点左右了。

1017. I tried to wake up my wife by ringing the doorbell, but she was fast asleep,

我按响了门铃，试图唤醒我的妻子，但她睡得很熟。

1018. so I got a ladder from the shed in the garden, put it against the wall, and began climbing towards the bedroom window.

于是，我从花园的小棚里搬来了一个梯子，把它靠在墙边，开始向卧室的窗口爬去。

1019. I was almost there when a sarcastic voice below said, 'I don't think the windows need cleaning at this time of the night.'

快要爬到窗口时，下面一个人用讽刺的口吻说：“我看不必在夜里这个时候擦窗子吧。”

1020. I looked down and nearly fell off the ladder when I saw a policeman.

我向下面看去。当我看清是一个警察时，差一点儿从梯子上掉下去。

1021. I immediately regretted answering in the way I did, but I said, 'I enjoy cleaning windows at night.'

我回答了他的话，但马上又后悔不该那样说，我是这样说的：“我喜欢在夜里擦窗子。”

1022. 'So do I,' answered the policeman in the same tone. 'Excuse my interrupting you.

“我也是的，”警察用同样的声调回答，“请原谅我打断了您。

1023. I hate to interrupt a man when he's busy working, but would you mind coming with me to the station?

当一个人在忙着干活时，我是不愿意去打断他的，但请您跟我到警察局去一趟好吗？”

1024. 'Well, I'd prefer to stay here,' I said. 'You see. I've forgotten my key.'

“可我更愿意呆在这儿，”我说，“您瞧，我忘带钥匙了。”

1025. 'Your what?' he called.

“什么？”他大声问。

1026. 'My key,' I shouted.

“钥匙！”我喊道。

1027. Fortunately, the shouting woke up my wife who opened the window just as the policeman had started to climb towards me.

幸运得很，这喊声惊醒了我的妻子。就在警察开始向我爬上来时，她打开了窗子。

$课文93  崇高的礼物

1028. One of the most famous monuments in the world, the Statue of Liberty, was presented to the United States of America in the nineteenth century by the people of France.

世界上最著名的纪念碑之一的自由女神雕像是在19世纪时由法国人民赠送给美国的。

1029. The great statue, which was designed by the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, took ten years to complete.

这座由雕像家奥古斯特.巴索尔地设计的巨大雕像是用10年时间雕像刻成的。

1030. The actual figure was made of copper supported by a metal framework which had been especially constructed by Eiffel.

这座雕像的主体是用铜制成的，由艾菲尔特制的金属框架支撑着。

1031. Before it could be transported to the United States, a site had to be found for it and a pedestal had to be built.

在雕像被运往美国之前，必须为它选好一块场地，同时必须建造一个基座。

1032. The site chosen was an island at the entrance of New York Harbour.

场地选在了纽约港入口处的一个鸟上。

1033. By 1884, a statue which was 151 feet tall had been erected in Paris.

到1884年，一座高度达151英尺的雕像在巴黎竖立起来了。

1034. The following year, it was taken to pieces and sent to America.

第二年，它被拆成若干小块，运到美国。

1035. By the end of October 1886, the statue had been put together again and it was officially presented to the American people by Bartholdi.

到1886年10月底，这座雕像被重新组装起来，由巴索尔地正式赠送给美国人民。

1036. Ever since then, the great monument has been a symbol of liberty for the millions of people who have passed through New York Harbour to make their homes in America.

从那时起，这座伟大的纪念碑对通过纽约港进入美国定居的千百万人来说就一直是自由的象征。

$课文94  未来的冠军

1037. Experiments have proved that children can be instructed in swimming at a very early age.

实验证明，儿童在很小的时候就可以开始学习游泳。

1038. At a special swimming pool in Los Angeles,

在洛杉矶的一个特设的游泳池里，

1039. children become expert at holding their breath under water even before they can walk.

孩子们甚至在还没有学会走路时就已经能熟练地在水下屏住呼吸了。

1040. Babies of two months old do not appear to be reluctant to enter the water.

两个月的婴儿并未显得不愿意入水。

1041. It is not long before they are so accustomed to swimming that they can pick up weights from the floor of the pool.

他们很快便适应了游泳，以致能捡起池底的物品。

1042. A game that is very popular with these young swimmers is the underwater tricycle race.

这些幼小的游泳运动员非常喜爱的一种游戏是水下三轮车比赛。

1043. Tricycles are lined up on the floor of the pool seven feet under water.

三轮车并排放在7英尺深的游泳池底上。

1044. The children compete against each other to reach the other end of the pool.

孩子们比赛看谁先到达游泳池的另一端。

1045. Many pedal their tricycles, but most of them prefer to push or drag them.

很多孩子用脚蹬车，但多数孩子更愿意推或是拉着三轮车。

1046. Some children can cover the whole length of the pool without coming up for breath even once.

有些孩子能够跑完游泳池的全长而不用露出水面换气。

1047. Whether they will ever become future Olympic champions, only time will tell.

他们将来是否能成为奥林匹克的冠军，这只能由时间来作出回答。

1048. Meanwhile, they should encourage those among us who cannot swim five yards before they are gasping for air.

与此同时，他们对我们中的那些游不了5码就已喘不过气来的人应该是种鼓舞。