--- url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-3/41-illusions-of-pastoral-peace.md description: 新概念英语第三册：Illusions of Pastoral Peace。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。 --- # 41 · 宁静田园生活的遐想 ### 第1段 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. 中文理解：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。 * **regarded the country as**：把乡村看作……；regard A as B 的宾补不能丢 as；观点归属必须清楚。 * **go into raptures**：欣喜若狂；赞不绝口；语气强，常带夸张或调侃。 * **at the mere mention of**：一提到……就；at 表触发点，mere 强调只要提起即可。 * **lives under the illusion**：抱着不切实际的幻想；that 后交代误信内容，叙述者不认可它。 * **is somehow superior to**：不知怎的总比……优越；superior to 而非 superior than；somehow 保留作者对判断的距离。 * **the gentle pace of living**：舒缓的生活节奏；pace of life / living，描述节奏应给生活细节支撑。 * **only part of the picture**：只是事情的一部分；提醒补看遗漏面，不是说已讲的一面全错。 * **fails to mention**：没有提到；fail to mention 说信息遗漏，不一定是能力不足。 * **in front of**：在……前面；与behind相对；别少掉of。 * **get to work**：到达工作地点；get to work 依语境也可指开始工作；本课强调通勤。 * **is beyond me**：我无法理解；疑问词从句可整体作主语，beyond 在这里是超出理解能力。 * **do without**：没有……也能应付；指舍弃或缺少仍可过下去，不是直接否定 do。 * **an informal chat**：一次轻松闲聊；have a chat with + 人，about + 话题。 * **draws to its close**：接近尾声；事件 + draw to a close，是过程结束而非画近一扇门。 * **a short bus ride away**：坐公交不远就到；用交通时间描述可达性；a ten-minute walk away 同理。 * **make do with**：用现有的将就；与 do without 不同，仍使用一个凑合的替代品。 * **second best**：次好的选择；退而求其次；make do with second best 说将就，不是第二名必然不好。 * **run wild**：失去节制；放纵；可形容人、想象或生长，本课指购物失控。 * **moments of beauty**：美好的片刻；把总评价落到具体时刻，适合写城市或日常观察。 * **tucked away**：安顿在隐蔽或舒适处；be tucked away in + 场所，本课指周末安居家中。 * **the rest of my life**：我的余生；the rest of + 人或事物的剩余部分，别把 rest 译成休息。 #### 原文注释 · The quiet life of the country has never appealed to me. 注释：①extol the virtues = praise the good things。②illusion = false idea。③superior to = much better than。④maintains = says, argues。⑤glinting = shining in small flashes。 ⑥tolerate = bear, stand, put up with。⑦beyond me = beyond my understanding #### 原文注释 · 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. 注释：①双重否定结构(nor 和without 表否定)表肯定。②why 引导的主语从句中有一个who 引导的定语从句修饰dwellers，还有一个that 引导的宾语从句作pretend 的宾语。③obstinately = stubbornly。 \[语法符号讲解] \[1]本句with 所引导的状语中额外包含了一个that 引导的定语从句，我们予以细分，故状语的中括号在句号左边结束，但表示定语从句的右括号包括了点句号，且这里还是宾语从句的结束，故“er].)”。 #### Summary 摘要 You never have to travel miles to see friends because they live nearby. Nor do you have to worry about catching the last train home after the theatre. The latest exhibitions, films and plays are all a bus ride away. Shopping is a pleasure, too. There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best. The city can be beautiful and peaceful, too— beautiful with the glow of neon advertisements, and peaceful at weekends. (79 words) #### Composition 作文 \[1]I have never understood city-lovers. For me a city is a place to visit for a few hours, to go shopping, to see special exhibitions, shows, plays and films. But it's not a place to live in, even though thousands do. Usually they are tied to the city by their jobs or perhaps even by family. \[2]There are so many advantages to living in the country. It is quiet and more healthy. There is far less traffic on the roads and the air is so much fresher. Instead of buying everything in packets from a supermarket, in the country we can always buy fresh food from farms or village shops every day—milk, fruit, fresh eggs, vegetables and meat. And we don't have to look at "Use by…" labels to see when we must use something by: we know that everything is fresh. And the people in the country are always so polite and friendly too—as long as you obey the unwritten rules of the countryside, that is. \[3]On the other hand, there are so many advantages to living in a town or city. The first thing most country people notice is the noise and dirt. It must be the traffic, but many country people find it difficult to breathe in the city. And it is stressful, too: people always seem to be in a rush, and they are so often rude and unfriendly. \[4]There are so many advantages to living in the country that it is a mystery to me why some country people say they would like to live in the city. In fact, I just cannot understand how anyone can even consider living in the city. (282 words) ## 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。 [Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-3/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、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。*