成人高等教育英语教材第四册08

UNIT 8
Making an Apology
Integrated Skills Development

Passage Addressing the First-Name Custom
The first-naming is almost always done by people young enough to be our children. Last year, I sprained² my ankle on my way to work, and when I hobbled to a doctor's office, the young receptionist called my turn, saying, "This way, Tom." I noted³ a paradox⁴ when the doctor, who was almost exactly my age, said: "That's a very serious sprain¹, Mr. Middleton."This form of address is common not simply in doctors' and dentists' offices, but almost everywhere. At a local bank the other day the young woman who was dealing⁵ with me, after checking my name out on the withdrawal⁶ slip, wished me "Merry Christmas, Thomas."Doctors' and dentists' assistants seem to be a little uneasy to call me "Tom", though. Perhaps I got a glimpse of the reason for this a few months ago when at a party, I met a young man who had recently become a doctor. He told me that he had been taught in school that, as a doctor, he should call his patients, no matter what their age, by their first names, but that they should address him as Dr. Gilbert. That would gain him respect, he'd been told. We involved the entire party in the discussion, and, not surprisingly, everyone over 40 expressed great displeasure at being first-named by people whose first names they didn't even know. One lady, who had been introduced as Patty, said she was particularly annoyed at being called "Patricia". "No one has ever called me Patricia," she said, "except my mother when she was angry about something."That must be especially irritating—to have strangers call you Patricia, or Margaret, or Elizabeth when every one who knows you calls you Pat, Patsy, Patty, Trish or Tricia; Meg, Maggie, Peg⁷ or Peggy; Liz, Lizzie, Beth, Betty or Betsy.
Most of us are timid about being thought stuffed shirts or pompous⁸ asses⁹ if we ask to be called Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms. Lastname instead of our first names, but the irritation¹⁰ is widespread, and we really should speak up.
Over the years, I've heard from many ladies who've described what they regard as a thoroughly¹¹ humiliating experience. Typically, these letters say, "Last week, I saw a doctor who was about the age of my grandson. This young man, whom I had just called, 'Dr. Jones,' said, 'Adelaide, climb up here, and we'll see about that pain in your shoulder.' You can hardly imagine what reactions I had, while I was dressed in one of those awful gowns they have. The whole experience is insulting, and the 'Adelaide' from this youngster was insufferable. 1 felt like calling him 'Sonny' or 'Junior,' but my upbringing prevented me."

New Words and Expressions

address
V. 称呼，在…上写收件人的姓名地址

ankle
n. 脚踝

annoy
V. 使苦恼，骚扰

awful
a. （口语）糟糕的；可怕的；威严的

check
V. 核对，检查

dentist
n. 牙科医生

entire
a. 整个，全部的，完整的

first-name
V. 直呼其名

gain
V. 获得，获利，增加

gown
n. 长袍，睡袍；法衣

hobble
V. 蹒跚

humiliate¹²
V. 羞辱，使丢脸，耻辱

insufferable
a. 难以忍受的

insult
V. 侮辱，凌辱

irritate
V. 激怒，使急躁

junior
n. 晚辈，年少者，下级

pain
n. 痛苦

paradox
n. 自相矛盾的话

particularly
ad. 独特地，显著地

reaction
n. 反应，反作用，反动（力）

slip
n. 片，纸片

sonny
n. （昵）（口）小家伙；宝贝

sprain
V. 扭伤

thoroughly
ad. 彻底地，十分地

timid
a. 胆小的，羞怯的

upbringing
n. 教养，抚育

withdrawal
n. 退回，撤退

youngster
n. 年青人，少年

deal with
处理，做生意

feel like
喜欢，意欲

get a glimpse of
瞥见

instead of
代替

speak up
竭力辩护

Merry Learning

One evening a burglar broke into a house in Paris. He went into the living room and stole two pictures. Then he went into the kitchen, and saw some cheese. He was hungry, so he ate all the cheese. Next he saw two bottles of champagne¹³. He was very thirsty, so he drank both bottles. Then he felt sleepy. He went upstairs for a rest, but he was tired and fell asleep. When he woke up the next morning, there were four policemen around the bed.
 

1 sprain   

n.扭伤,扭筋

参考例句：

• He got a foot sprain in his ankle. 他脚踝受了严重的扭伤。
• The sprain made my ankle swell up. 我的脚踝扭伤肿了起来。

2 sprained   

v.&n. 扭伤

参考例句：

• I stumbled and sprained my ankle. 我摔了一跤，把脚脖子扭了。
• When Mary sprained her ankles, John carried her piggyback to the doctors. 玛丽扭伤了足踝，约翰驮她去看医生。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 paradox   

n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法；自相矛盾的人(物)

参考例句：

• The story contains many levels of paradox.这个故事存在多重悖论。
• The paradox is that Japan does need serious education reform.矛盾的地方是日本确实需要教育改革。

5 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

6 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

7 peg   

n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定

参考例句：

• Hang your overcoat on the peg in the hall.把你的大衣挂在门厅的挂衣钩上。
• He hit the peg mightily on the top with a mallet.他用木槌猛敲木栓顶。

8 pompous   

adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities.他有点自大，自视甚高。
• He is a good man underneath his pompous appearance. 他的外表虽傲慢，其实是个好人。

9 asses   

n. 驴，愚蠢的人，臀部 adv. (常用作后置)用于贬损或骂人

参考例句：

• Sometimes I got to kick asses to make this place run right. 有时我为了把这个地方搞得像个样子，也不得不踢踢别人的屁股。 来自教父部分
• Those were wild asses maybe, or zebras flying around in herds. 那些也许是野驴或斑马在成群地奔跑。

10 irritation   

n.激怒，恼怒，生气

参考例句：

• He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。
• Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说，但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。

11 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

12 humiliate   

v.使羞辱，使丢脸[同]disgrace

参考例句：

• What right had they to bully and humiliate people like this?凭什么把人欺侮到这个地步呢？
• They pay me empty compliments which only humiliate me.他们虚情假意地恭维我，这只能使我感到羞辱。

13 champagne   

n.香槟酒；微黄色

参考例句：

• There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
• They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。