41 · 宁静田园生活的遐想
Illusions of Pastoral Peace
读懂长句与段落衔接，分清事实、推断和观点，再连贯复述或说明。
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The quiet life of the country has never appealed to me. City born and city bred, I have always regarded the country as something you look at through a train window, or something you occasionally visit during the weekend. Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country. Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life, only one of them has ever gone to live in the country and he was back in town within six months. Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life. He is forever talking about the friendly people, the clean atmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle pace of living. Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds at dawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures. This idyllic pastoral scene is only part of the picture. My friend fails to mention the long and friendless winter evenings in front of the TV—virtually the only form of entertainment. He says nothing about the poor selection of goods in the shops, or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to the city every day to get to work. Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me. They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live in the city where they rightly belong.
If you can do without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will find the city can provide you with the best that life can offer. You never have to travel miles to see your friends. They invariably live nearby and are always available for an informal chat or an evening's entertainment. Some of my acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit the theatre as a special treat. For them this is a major operation which involves considerable planning. As the play draws to its close, they wonder whether they will ever catch that last train home. The city dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort. The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away. Shopping, too, is always a pleasure. There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best. Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home loaded with as many of the exotic items as they can carry. Nor is the city without its moments of beauty. There is something comforting about the warm glow shed by advertisements on cold wet winter nights. Few things could be more impressive than the peace that descends on deserted city streets at weekends when the thousands that travel to work every day are tucked away in their homes in the country. It has always been a mystery to me why city dwellers, who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.
原稿补充 · 独立短句I am not interested in the past. I am interested in the future, for that is where I expect to spend the rest of my life.
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整篇课文
The quiet life of the country has never appealed to me. City born and city bred, I have always regarded the country as something you look at through a train window, or something you occasionally visit during the weekend. Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country. Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life, only one of them has ever gone to live in the country and he was back in town within six months. Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life. He is forever talking about the friendly people, the clean atmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle pace of living. Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds at dawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures. This idyllic pastoral scene is only part of the picture. My friend fails to mention the long and friendless winter evenings in front of the TV—virtually the only form of entertainment. He says nothing about the poor selection of goods in the shops, or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to the city every day to get to work. Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me. They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live in the city where they rightly belong.
If you can do without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will find the city can provide you with the best that life can offer. You never have to travel miles to see your friends. They invariably live nearby and are always available for an informal chat or an evening's entertainment. Some of my acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit the theatre as a special treat. For them this is a major operation which involves considerable planning. As the play draws to its close, they wonder whether they will ever catch that last train home. The city dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort. The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away. Shopping, too, is always a pleasure. There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best. Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home loaded with as many of the exotic items as they can carry. Nor is the city without its moments of beauty. There is something comforting about the warm glow shed by advertisements on cold wet winter nights. Few things could be more impressive than the peace that descends on deserted city streets at weekends when the thousands that travel to work every day are tucked away in their homes in the country. It has always been a mystery to me why city dwellers, who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.
I am not interested in the past. I am interested in the future, for that is where I expect to spend the rest of my life.
宁静的乡村生活，从来都没吸引过我。我生在城市、长在城市，一直觉得乡村不过是火车窗外看看风景的地方，或者偶尔周末去转一转的去处。我的朋友大多住在城里，可一提到乡村，就个个兴奋得赞不绝口。他们把宁静生活夸得天花乱坠，真正搬到乡下住过的却只有一个，而且不到半年就回城了。即便如此，他仍幻想着乡村生活总比城市更好，不停地念叨那里的人多么友善，空气多么清新，离自然多么近，生活节奏多么舒缓。他坚持说，清晨的第一声鸡鸣、破晓时的鸟语，以及朝阳照耀下闪闪发光的树木和牧场，都是无可比拟的美景。可这幅田园画卷，只画出了事情的一面。他没提冬夜漫长、无人作伴，只能守着电视，而那几乎是唯一的娱乐；也没说商店里商品选择少，更没提那些每天不得不往返城乡上班的人有多辛苦。仅仅为了享有乡居这点是否值得还说不清的好处，就甘愿每天在路上花四个小时，我实在无法理解。他们若选择住在本来就适合自己的城市，不知能少受多少罪、少花多少钱。
如果你能舍下乡村那几分田园之乐，就会发现，城市能提供生活中最美好的享受。见朋友不必跋涉数英里，他们总住在附近，随时可以闲聊，或者一起消遣一个晚上。我有些住在乡下的熟人，一年进城看一两回戏，把这当作特别的享受。对他们来说，这是一场必须周密筹划的大行动；戏快演完时，他们便开始担心，能否赶上最后一班回家的火车。城里人从不必为这种事发愁，坐上一小段公交车，最新的展览、电影和戏剧便近在眼前。购物也总是乐事，商品种类丰富，不必退而求其次。乡下人一进城购物，就像失去了节制，尽可能买下各种新奇物件，最后大包小包、踉踉跄跄地回家。城市也并非没有美丽的时刻。寒冷潮湿的冬夜，广告灯透出温暖的光，让人感到慰藉。到了周末，每天进城上班的成千上万人回到乡间家中，空荡的城市街道突然安静下来，那份宁静也少有景象能与之相比。那些懂得欣赏这一切的城里人，为什么还固执地装出更愿意住在乡下的样子，始终让我想不通。
我对过去不感兴趣，我关心的是未来，因为我的余生都要在那里度过。
学完这一课
先交代个人背景，再写自己对某事的看法，避免冒充普遍事实。
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、何景霖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139—142页，2022年2月第3版。