新概念英语第三册lesson 47 Too high a price?

 

Too high a price?
代价太高？

Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What does the writer describe as an 'amusing old-fashioned source of noise'?

Pollution is the price we pay for an overpopulated, over industrialized planet. When you come to think about it, there are only four ways you can deal with rubbish: dump it, burn it, turn it into something you can use again, attempt to produce less of it. We keep trying all four methods, but he sheer volume of rubbish we produce worldwide threatens to overwhelm us.
Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. The need to produce ever-increasing quantities of cheap food leads to a different kind of pollution. Industrialized farming methods produce cheap meat products: beef, pork and chicken. The use of pesticides² and fertilizers produces cheap grain and vegetables. The price we pay for cheap food may be already too high: Mad Cow Disease (BSE) in cattle, salmonella in chicken and eggs, and wisteria in dairy products. And if you think you'll abandon meat and become a vegetarian³, you have the choice of very expensive organically-grown vegetables or a steady diet of pesticides every time you think you're eating fresh salads and vegetables, or just having an innocent glass of water!
However, there is an even more insidious⁴ kind of pollution that particularly affects urban areas and invades our daily lives, and that is noise. Burglar alarms going off at any time of the day or night serve only to annoy passers-by and actually assist burglars to burgle. Car alarms constantly scream at us in the street and are a source of profound irritation⁵. A recent survey of the effects of noise revealed (surprisingly?) that dogs barking incessantly⁶ in the night rated the highest form of noise pollution on a scale ranging from 1 to 7. The survey revealed a large number of sources of noise that we really dislike. Lawn mowers whining⁷ on a summer's day, late-night parties in apartment blocks, noisy neighbors, vehicles of al kinds, especially large container trucks thundering through quiet village, planes and helicopters flying overhead, large radios carried round in public places and played at maximum volume. New technology has also made its own contribution to noise. A lot of people object to mobile phones, especially when they are used in public places like restaurants or on public transport. Loud conversations on mobile phones invade our thoughts or interrupt the pleasure of meeting friends for a quiet chat. The noise pollution survey revealed a rather spurring and possibly amusing old fashioned source of noise. It turned out to be snoring! Men were found to be the worst offenders⁹. It was revealed that 20% of men in their mid-thirties snore. This figure rises to a staggering 60% of men in their sixties. Against these figures, it was found that only 5% of women snore regularly, while the rest are constantly woken or kept awake by their trumpeting¹¹ partners. Whatever the source of noise, one thing is certain: silence, it seems, has become a golden memory.

New words and expressions 生词和短语

pollution
n. 污染

overpopulated
adj. 人口多的

over-industrialized
adj. 过度工业化的

sheer
adj. 纯粹的，不掺杂的

worldwide
adv. 在全世界

overwhelm
v. 制服，使不知所措

pollute
v. 污染

pesticide¹
n. 杀虫剂

fertilizer
n. 肥料

salmonella
n. 沙门氏菌

listeria
n. 利斯特杆菌

vegetarian
n. 吃素的人

organically-grown
adj. 有机培植的（不施化肥和其他化学药品培植）

insidious
adj. 暗中为害的

urban
adj. 城市的

burglar
n. 窃贼

burgle
v. 入室偷窃

scream
v. 尖叫

profound
adj. 极度的

irritation
n. 烦躁

incessantly
adv. 连续不断地

whine¹²
v. 发呜呜声

helicopter
n. 直升飞机

maximum
adj. 最大的

technology
n. 技术

contribution
n. 贡献

mobile
adj. 可移动的

snore
v. 打鼾

offender⁸
v. 冒犯者

staggering
adj. 令人惊愕的

trumpet¹⁰
v. 吹号

partner
n. 伙伴

参考译文

污染就是我们为这个人口过密，过度工业化的星球所付出的代价。当我们开始考虑垃圾问题时，我们只有4种对付垃圾的方法：倾倒、焚烧、把垃圾变成再生材料或试图少产生一些垃圾。我们一直在试这4种方式，但是，我们在世界范围内仅产生的垃圾的量就有把我们覆盖的危险。
然而，垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。日益增长的对廉价食物的需求导致了另一种形式的污染。工业化的农作方式生产出廉价的肉类制品——牛肉、猪肉和鸡肉。使用杀虫剂和化肥生产出廉价的谷物和蔬菜。为了廉价食物我们付出代价已经太高了：牛肉中的疯牛病，鸡肉和鸡蛋中的沙门氏菌，奶制品中的利斯特杆菌。如果你想放弃肉类而变成一位素食者，那么你可以两者择一：或是选用价格昂贵、有机培植的蔬菜，或是当你认为在享用新鲜色拉和新鲜蔬菜或饮用一杯无害的水的时候，实际上每次都不断吃进杀虫剂。
但是，还有一种更加隐蔽有害的污染，它专门影响城镇地区，侵袭我们的日常生活，那就是噪音。防盗警报器在白天和黑夜的任何时候都会响起来，它的作用只是骚扰过路行人，而实际上却帮助窃贼入室行窃。在街上，汽车的防盗警报不断对我们吼叫，这是人们极度烦燥的一个原因，最近一个有关噪音的作用的调查（令人吃惊地）指出，夜间连续不断的狗叫声，在一个从1级至7级刻度表上应列为最严重的噪间污染。这个调查揭示了我们所不喜欢的大量的噪间的来源：夏天呜呜作响的割草机，公寓楼里深夜聚会的喧哗声，大声吵闹的邻居，各式各样的车辆，特别是穿越寂静的村庄的集装箱卡车，从头顶飞过的飞机和直升机，被带到公共场所、音量开到最大的大功率收音机。新技术也为噪音作了它的贡献。许多人都反对移动式电话，特别是在如饭店，公共交通车等公共场所使用移动电话。用移动电话大声交谈干扰我们的思路，破坏我们和朋友在一起轻声聊天所得到的乐趣。这个有关噪音的污染调查还揭示了一种出人意外而同时可能会引人意外而同时可能会引人发笑的老式噪音源。它竟然是鼾声。人类是这方面的罪魁祸首。调查指出，20%的35岁左右的男人打鼾；而到60岁这个年龄段，这个数字上升到令人惊愕的60%。与这些数字相比，只有5% 的女性经常打鼾；而其余则经常被与她们同睡、像吹号似地打着呼噜的男人吵醒或弄得睡不着。不管噪声来自何方，有一点是肯定的：看来寂静已变成一种珍贵的回忆。 

 

新概念英语正版图书购买

 

　　自学导读
课文详注 Further notes on the text
1．A public house which was recently bought by Mr. Ian Thompson is up for sale. 伊恩·汤普森先生最近才买的一个小酒店现在又要卖出去。
（1）在英国英语中，public house指酒馆、酒店，口语中往往缩略为pub：
I had lunch at a village pub.
我在一家乡村小酒店吃了午饭。
（2）up for sale表示“供新概念”，up为形容词，含义为“已提出的”、“供……的”。
2．He told me that he could not go to sleep one night because he heard a strange noise coming from the bar. 他告诉我有天夜里他怎么也睡不着，因为他听到酒吧里传来一阵奇怪的响声。
（1）从that一直到句尾都是told的直接宾语，其中because引导的原因状语从句说明为什么睡不着的原因。
（2）coming为现在分词，它引导的短语修饰noise，为宾语补足语。它也可以变为从句结构：a strange noise that came from the bar。在一些表示感觉的动词如see，hear，feel，watch，notice 等之后，往往用宾语+宾语补足语这个结构，其宾语补足语既可以是不定式（通常不加to），也可以是现在分词，两者在意义上区别不大，现在分词表示动作正在发生，不定式则表示动作发生了：
I heard someone knocking at the door.
我听到有人正敲门。
I heard you sing this song yesterday.
昨天我听到你唱这支歌。
（3）bar为酒吧或酒店中卖酒的柜台。
3．…they were on in the morning.……早晨灯都亮着。
on为形容词，表示“开着的”、“接通的”，其反义词为off：
When he arrived home, he found that all the lights were on/ off.
他到家时发现所有的灯都亮着／关着。
Is the TV on? I thought I had turned it off.
电视机是开着的吗？我以为我把它关掉了。
4．He also said that he had found five empty whisky bottles which the ghost must have drunk the night before. 他还说他发现了5只空的威士忌酒瓶子，这肯定是鬼魂头天晚上喝的。
（1）由于是对已发生的事表示推测，因此must后面要用完成时。
（2）that引导的为间接引语，因此时间状语要变动。直接引语中的时间状语为 last night，转述时变成了 the night before。其他时间状语的变化有：now→then，two days ago→two days before/ earlier，today→that day，tonight→that night，tomorrow→the next/ following day，last night→the night before等。
5．…they will not accept the pub even if he gives it away.……即使他把小酒店白送人，他们也不要。
（1）连词 even if表示“即使”，它引导的让步状语从句含有很强的假定性：
I won't have dinner with him even if he pays for it.
即使是他付钱我也不和他一起吃饭。
（2）give away是个固定短语，其含义之一是“赠送”、“免费给予”：
He gave all his books away to the library.
他把他所有的书都赠给了图书馆。

　　语法 Grammar in use
复习第36～45课部分语法
在第36～45课的语法中，我们学习了用 going to表示意图、打算或不久即将发生的事；学习了用将来完成时表示到将来某一时刻已经完成的动作；学习了与过去完成时经常连用的连词no sooner…than，hardly… when以及 before；学习了间接疑问句、第2类条件句；学习了表示“必要”、“不必要”的情态助动词must，have（got）to和need；学习了 have+ 名词代替普通动词，can与 be able to的区别和过去完成时中的被动语态。注意以下句子：
Are you going to visit Old Delhi?
你打算去旧德里旅游吗？
I would if I could, but I can't afford it.
如果可能我会去的，但我花不起这笔钱。（第2类条件句）
Did you speak to the manager?
你和经理谈话了吗？
He didn't come, so I didn't have to speak to him after all.
他没来，所以我终究没有必要和他谈。（ have to用于过去时表示必要）
I've called a taxi.
我叫了一辆出租车。
You needn't have done that! I'd already called one.
你其实用不着叫！我已叫了一辆了。（need表示必要）
He had no sooner returned than he bought a house.
他刚一回来便买下了一幢房子。（no sooner…than用于过去完成时）
By the end of next year, they will have finished work on the new stadium.
到明年年底，他们将把新体育场建成。（将来完成时，by引导的时间状语常与它连用）
He asked if/ whether Mr. Gilbert' s operation had been successful.
他问吉尔伯特先生的手术是否成功。（间接疑问句）
We had a long walk through one of the markets of Old Delhi.
我们穿过旧德里的一个市场时走了很长一段路。（had a walk = walked）
The plane was then able to rise.
于是飞机可以上升了。（表示成功地完成过去某一动作时只能用 be able to，不用 could）
The wallet had been wrapped up in newspaper and it contained half the money he had lost.
钱包是用报纸包着的，里面有他丢失的钱的一半。（过去完成时中的被动语态）

　　词汇学习 Word study
1．suggest vt.
（1）暗示，（间接地）表明：
I suggested that some villagers must have come in for a free drink.
我暗示说一定是村里有些人来喝不花钱的酒了。
His silence suggested that he knew something about the man.
他的沉默表明他对此人略有所知。
（2）建议，提议：
Who suggested that idea to you?
谁向你提的这个主意？
I suggest that we meet at the restaurant.
我提议我们在饭馆见面。
I suggest meeting at the restaurant.
我提议在饭馆见面。
2．shake
（1）vt., vi. 摇，摇动，抖动：
Mr. Thompson shook his head.
汤普森先生摇了摇头。
Why did you shake the tree?
你为什么摇那树？
His hands appear to be shaking.
他的手看上去在发抖。
（2）vt. 同……握手：
Dan shook hands with him.
丹和他握了手。
Dan shook him by the hand／shook his hand. （译文同上）

　　练习答案 Key to written exercises
1．关键句型练习答案
C 1 will have finished  2 broke  3 were  4 could
D 1 mustn't  2 needn't
E 1 I asked George what those people were looking at.
2 George answered that he did not know. He thought a new road was being built and that it would be finished soon.
3 I told George that all those people were silly because they were looking into an empty hole.
4 George said that some people enjoy/ enjoyed watching others work.
5 Half an hour passed. George told me to hurry up as we had been there for half an hour. He added that there was nothing to see in an empty hole.
6 I answered that I didn't want to go yet because it was very interesting.
2．多项选择题答案
1 d  2 a  3 b  4 a  5 d  6 a
7 a  8 d  9 d  10 c  11 a  12 c

　　课堂笔记
a public house 酒吧
up for sale有待出售
on sale 打折卖
for sale拿出来卖的
up for有待于
this problem is up for discussion这个问题有待于讨论
hear sb doing 听见某人做某事
turn off 关闭
the light is on这个灯是亮的
the night before前一天晚上
last night昨天晚上
the next day 下一天
shake one's head摇头
nod one's head点头
even if即使
give away捐献，免费的送
multiple choice
7、in one's opinion就某人看来，以某人观点，某人认为
have to＝have get to
should可以是情态动词，表应该
it's too late，i should go home太晚了，我要回家了
must＋v（原形）：1、必须做很可能做

1 pesticide   

n.杀虫剂，农药

参考例句：

• The pesticide was spread over the vegetable plot.菜田里撒上了农药。
• This pesticide is diluted with water and applied directly to the fields.这种杀虫剂用水稀释后直接施用在田里。

2 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 vegetarian   

n.素食者；adj.素食的

参考例句：

• She got used gradually to the vegetarian diet.她逐渐习惯吃素食。
• I didn't realize you were a vegetarian.我不知道你是个素食者。

4 insidious   

adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧

参考例句：

• That insidious man bad-mouthed me to almost everyone else.那个阴险的家伙几乎见人便说我的坏话。
• Organized crime has an insidious influence on all who come into contact with it.所有和集团犯罪有关的人都会不知不觉地受坏影响。

5 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。

6 incessantly   

ad.不停地

参考例句：

• The machines roar incessantly during the hours of daylight. 机器在白天隆隆地响个不停。
• It rained incessantly for the whole two weeks. 雨不间断地下了整整两个星期。

7 whining   

n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚

参考例句：

• That's the way with you whining, puny, pitiful players. 你们这种又爱哭、又软弱、又可怜的赌棍就是这样。
• The dog sat outside the door whining (to be let in). 那条狗坐在门外狺狺叫着（要进来）。

8 offender   

n.冒犯者，违反者，犯罪者

参考例句：

• They all sued out a pardon for an offender.他们请求法院赦免一名罪犯。
• The authorities often know that sex offenders will attack again when they are released.当局一般都知道性犯罪者在获释后往往会再次犯案。

9 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

10 trumpet   

n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘

参考例句：

• He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴，我吹喇叭。
• The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。

11 trumpeting   

大声说出或宣告（trumpet的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• She is always trumpeting her son. 她总是吹嘘她儿子。
• The wind is trumpeting, a bugle calling to charge! 风在掌号。冲锋号！ 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

12 whine   

v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣

参考例句：

• You are getting paid to think,not to whine.支付给你工资是让你思考而不是哀怨的。
• The bullet hit a rock and rocketed with a sharp whine.子弹打在一块岩石上，一声尖厉的呼啸，跳飞开去。