---
url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-2/89-a-slip-of-the-tongue.md
description: 新概念英语第二册：A slip of the tongue。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。
---

# 89 · 口误

### 第1段

People will do anything to see a free show — even if it is a bad one. When the news got round that a comedy show would be presented at our local cinema by the P. and U. Bird Seed Company, we all rushed to see it. We had to queue for hours to get in and there must have been several hundred people present just before the show began. Unfortunately, the show was one of the dullest we have ever seen. Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed, as many of the artistes who should have appeared did not come. The only funny things we heard that evening came from the advertiser at the beginning of the programme. He was obviously very nervous and for some minutes stood awkwardly before the microphone. As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone burst out laughing. We all know what the poor man should have said, but what he actually said was: 'This is the Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company. Good ladies, evening and gentlemen!'

中文理解：为了看免费演出，人们什么都愿意做，哪怕演出很差。听说P和U鸟食公司要在本地电影院举办喜剧表演，我们都赶着去看。 我们排了好几个小时才进场，开演前，现场想必已经有好几百人。 不幸的是，这是我们看过的最乏味的演出之一。没进去的人根本不用失望，因为许多本来该登台的演员都没来。 那晚唯一让人发笑的，是节目开头的广告员。他显然紧张极了，在麦克风前尴尬地站了好几分钟。 他一开口，大家就哄堂大笑。 大家都知道他本来该怎么说，可他实际说成了：“This is the Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company. Good ladies, evening and gentlemen!”——连公司名和“女士们、先生们，晚上好”的词序都说乱了。

* **even if**：即使；哪怕；即使某个情况发生也如此；不要据此断言这个情况已经发生。

* **got round**：消息传开；本课主语是news；美式也常用get around。

* **queue for hours**：排队数小时；for接hours是时长，接tickets是所排队购买的东西。

* **need not have felt disappointed**：本不必失望；回看过去，说明那种反应或行为其实没必要。

* **at the beginning of**：在……开始时；at定位起点；by表示截止，两者不要混用。

* **burst out laughing**：突然大笑；laughing用动名词；另一结构是burst into laughter。

#### People will do anything to see a free show — even if it is a bad one.

复合句，主句主谓宾结构，后面是even if 引导的让步状语从句，主系表结构.

#### When the news got round that a comedy show would be presented at our local cinema by the P. and U. Bird Seed Company, we all rushed to see it.

复合句，主句为主谓结构，从句是when 引导的时间状语从句，该从句为主谓结构，且在该从句中，有一个that 引导的同位语从句作news 的同位语，主谓结构. 本句 的present 为动词，下文为形容词，请查字典了解该词所有义项.

#### We had to queue for hours to get in and there must have been several hundred people present just before the show began.

并列复合句，and 引导前后两句，前句为主谓结构，后句为there be 句型，有一个 before 引导的时间状语从句，主谓结构.

#### Unfortunately, the show was one of the dullest we have ever seen.

复合句，主句主系表结构，后面是一个定语从句，主谓结构.

#### Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed, as many of the artistes who should have appeared did not come.

复合句，主句为主谓结构，后面是as 引导的原因状语从句，主谓结构. 在主句和从句中，各自有一个who 引导的定语从句，均为主谓(宾)结构.

#### The only funny things we heard that evening came from the advertiser at the beginning of the programme.

复合句，主句为主谓结构，这中间有一个省略了关系代词that 的定语从句，还原为that we heard that evening，关系代词作宾语，一般来说，被the only 修饰的先行词后面接的定语从句，只能用that 或者省略，尤其是考试的时候，应遵循此原则，但在文献中，也有用which 的.

主句中先行词things 在定语是only 的情况下，用了复数，此时的only 不是唯一，而是只有、仅仅，后面可以是几个事情，比如我就只有吃饭和睡觉的时候不用动脑子，有两件事，也可以用only，这个只有便是句中类似的情况，更具体而言，things 是由定语从句we heard that evening 修饰的，所以也就是那晚听到的内容，从文章最后可以知道，报幕除了念错了公司名字，还念错了问候语，这些就是那天晚上仅有的笑料了. 故教材翻译成唯一，有误.

#### He was obviously very nervous and for some minutes stood awkwardly before the microphone.

主语 he 带两个并列谓语部分：was nervous 为主系表结构，stood before the microphone 为主谓结构。

#### As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone burst out laughing.

复合句，主句主谓宾结构，句首是as soon as 引导的时间状语从句，主谓宾结构.

#### We all know what the poor man should have said, but what he actually said was: 'This is the Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company.

并列复合句，but 连接前后两句，前句为主谓 + what 引导的宾语从句结构，该从句 what the man should have said 中 what 作 said 的宾语；后句则是 what 引导的主语从句，该从句作为主语，跟was 还有后面引导的直接引语一起，构成了主系表结构，所以引号中的原话整体充当表语内容；它是直接引用的两句话，不宜直接套用由连接词引导的普通表语从句标签。

## 学完这一课

先沿这条线复述《口误》：免费演出吸引大家 → 排队好几个小时 → 演出乏味，演员还缺席 → 只有广告员带来笑料 → 一开口全场就笑 → 把词序全说乱了。再借一个结构讲自己的事：先列出故事的一条线索，再选合适的情态词推测原因。

[Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-2/review) · [三册选择地图](/new-concept/)

*译文依据整理稿，由本站按中文表达重新校订；解析据吴应时整理资料及首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第218—219页，2022年3月第1版。*