|
|
Unit 9
The Joy of Travel
After-Class Reading
PASSAGE I The Romance of Train Travel
Proper Names
Agatha Christie
阿加莎·克里斯蒂(1890—1976，英国女侦探小说家、剧作家，塑造比利时侦探波洛形象，主要作品有《尼罗河上的惨案》等)
bodhi tree
菩提树(佛教的圣树，相传佛祖在此树下得道成佛)
Buddha
佛陀(佛教徒对释迦牟尼的尊称)
Calcutta
加尔各答(印度东北部港市)
Gautama
乔答摩(释迦牟尼的姓)
Mongolia
蒙古(亚洲中部国家)
Montreal
蒙特利尔(加拿大东南部港市)
Moscow
莫斯科(俄罗斯联邦首都)
Nepal
尼泊尔(南亚国家)
Sherlock Holmes
夏洛克·福尔摩斯(英国作家柯南·道尔所著一系列侦探小说中的虚构主人公，一位推理能力极强的私家大侦探)
Siberia
西伯利亚
Soviet Union
苏联
Venice
威尼斯(意大利东北部一海港)
New Words
advantage *
n. a way in which one thing is better than another 好处，优势
e.g. The great advantage of home-grown oranges is their magnificent flavor.
bonus *
n. something good that you didn't expect in a situation 意外的好处
e.g. We felt we might finish third. Any better would be a bonus.
camel *
n. 骆驼
challenging *
adj. requiring great effort and determination 富有挑战性的
e.g. Mike found a challenging job as a computer programmer.
champagne
n. 香槟酒
creative *
adj. producing or using new and effective ideas, results, etc. 创造性的
e.g. a creative artist/designer/programmer/solution, creative talents/powers/abilities
crime *
n. illegal activities in general 罪行
e.g. He has committed no crime and poses no danger to the public. 他不曾犯过罪，对公众没有威胁。
detective *
n. 侦探
e.g. detective story/novel 侦探小说
excursion *
n. a short journey usually made for pleasure 远足，短途旅行
e.g. Next week we're going on an excursion.
grandparent *
n. 祖父(母)，外祖父(母)
gunshot *
n. the firing of a gun or the sound of a gun being fired 开枪;枪声
jet *
n. 喷气式飞机
luxurious
adj. very expensive, beautiful and comfortable 豪华的，极其美丽的
musician *
n. 音乐家
mystery *
n. something that is not understood or known about 神秘，神秘的事物
e.g. The source of the gunshots still remains a mystery.
nostalgia
n. 怀旧
occasional *
adj. happening sometimes, but not regularly or often 偶尔的
e.g. She used to visit him for the occasional days and weekends.
patience *
n. the ability to wait, or continue doing something despite difficulties 耐心
e.g. You have to have such a lot of patience when you're dealing with kids.
photograph *
n. 照片
e.g. My parents took a lot of photographs of us when we were small.
prince *
n. 王子
railroad *
n. 铁路
restore *
v. repair an old building, piece of furniture, or painting, etc. so that it is in its original condition 修复，重建
e.g. The badly neglected furniture and paintings have all been carefully restored.
romance *
n. the feeling of excitement and adventure that is connected with a particular place, activity, etc.
e.g. He loves the romance of life in the Wild West.
rover
n. 漫游者
royalty *
n. the people who belong to the family of a king and queen 王族(成员)
e.g. She believes she's related to royalty.
sightseeing *
n. the act of visiting famous or interesting places, especially as tourists 观光，游览
e.g. They went sightseeing in Rome.
spy *
n. 间谍
toast *
v. drink a glass of wine, etc. to thank someone, wish someone luck, etc. 为......祝酒
e.g. Party officials and generals toasted his health.
transit *
n. the process of moving goods or people from one place to another 运输
e.g. We cannot be held responsible for goods lost in transit.
transportation *
n. a system for taking people or goods from one place to another, for example using buses or trains 运输，运输系统
e.g. Many companies encourage their employees to use alternative means of transportation, rather than the car.
typical *
adj. 典型的
e.g. I must look like the typical tourist with my shorts and my camera.
unique *
adj. being the only existing one of its type or, more generally, unusual or special in some way 独特的，独一无二的
e.g. As a writer he has his own unique style.
vodka
n. 伏特加
whistle *
n. 汽笛
The Romance of Train Travel
If there is one main characteristic of the modern world that makes our lives different from our grandparents, it is probably speed. We are always on the move, and we don't have much patience with slow systems of transportation. We want to get there, and we want to do it fast! Carmakers, airline owners, and the planners of mass transit systems[1] all share a common goal. They are all trying to provide us with faster and faster ways to reach our destinations.
Nevertheless, many of us actually want to slow down. Although we complain when our plane isn't on schedule or when we have to wait in a traffic jam, we also complain about always being in a hurry. Every once in a while, we hear the sound of a train whistle—clear and high in the night air—and we feel sad. There is a strong sense of nostalgia for other places and other times, when life was slower and, perhaps, better.
Why does a train whistle bring on a feeling of nostalgia? Perhaps it's because many of us remember a favorite novel or movie that took place on a train, and the story told of danger and excitement. There's a sense of romance about a train that simply doesn't exist on a modern jet plane. Several railroad companies are taking advantage of the nostalgia for train travel: They are offering unique tours for travelers who aren't in a hurry and who enjoy the romance of the past.
For almost a hundred years, the famous Orient Express[2] carried royalty, the rich, spies, and dangerous international criminals. It was the scene of mystery, crime, and often history. But after World War II, when air travel became popular, it never got back its old sense of romance, and it finally went out of business in 1977. Soon after that, however, an American businessman began to buy the old Orient Express cars [3] and fix them up. He restored the train to its former condition, and since 1982, the train has run twice a week from London to Venice and back. Although the twenty-four-hour trip doesn't offer the danger and excitement—the adventure—of the past, it offers luxury: rich[4] dark wood, fresh flowers, champagne, very special food, and live[5] entertainment in a bar car with a piano.
Another famous excursion by train is the Trans-Siberian Special, which makes just three trips each summer from Mongolia to Moscow. As passengers board the train at the beginning of their trip, they toast one another with Russian vodka at a welcoming party. For the next week they cross the former Soviet Union with occasional stops for sightseeing in big cities and small villages. In addition, there is a bonus on this trip; this extra advantage is a daily lecture on board the train in which an expert explains Russian history and culture to the passengers.
If you are looking for fun and adventure, you might want to try the "Mystery Express", which runs from New York to Montreal, Canada. This trip interests people who have always wanted to play a role in an Agatha Christie play or a Sherlock Holmes detective novel. A typical journey on the Mystery Express offers the opportunity to solve a challenging murder mystery right there on the train. In the middle of the night, for instance, there might be a gunshot; soon, the passengers learn that there has been a "murder" on board. For the rest of the trip, everyone on board participates in solving this mystery by exchanging information and opinions about the crime. By the time the train has pulled into Montreal, the traveling "detectives" will have figured it out and caught the "criminal." Of course, no real crime takes place. The "murderer"—as well as several other passengers—are actually actors. The trip is a safe, entertaining, and very creative weekend game.
If you're looking for variety and beauty on a train journey, you might want to try the trains of India. The Indian government offers several special tours. One, a fifty-mile trip on the famous "Toy Train," takes seven hours one way. The train travels through rich, luxurious forests with flowers, trees, and more than six hundred varieties of birds. Before it reaches its destination, it makes several stops so that passengers can take photographs or have picnics if they want to.
Another tour, "Palace on Wheels," is for travelers with more time and money. Each of the luxurious cars on this train used to belong to an Indian prince. For seven days, passengers go sightseeing to palaces and cities where musicians, camels, and women with flowers meet them.
Perhaps the most unusual Indian train is "The Great Indian Rover," for travelers who are interested in religion. On this six-day tour from Calcutta, passengers travel to a town in Nepal, where Buddha was born, and also to the place where Prince Gautama sat under the bodhi tree and became Buddha. (824 words)
Phrases and Expressions
bring on
produce something, evoke 引起，使发生
e.g. The crisis brought on a full-scale war. 那场危机导致了全面的战争。
figure out
think about a problem or situation until you find the answer or understand what has happened 算出，想出
e.g. Farmers are still trying to figure out the reasons behind these pleasant surprises.
go out of business
stop operating as a company 停业
e.g. A lot of small companies will have to go out of business because of this new tax.
on schedule
on time 按期
e.g. We expect the building work to be completed on schedule.
on the move
going from one place to another 在移动中，在奔波中
e.g. I've been on the move all day--I'm really tired.
once in a while
sometimes, although not often 偶尔，间或
e.g. It would be nice if you'd write to me once in a while.
pull into
arrive at the station and stop 停下，进站
e.g. We waved as the train pulled into the station.
take advantage of
benefit intentionally from 利用
e.g. Take advantage of this week's lower prices.
|
|
发表于 2016-7-10 09:23:13