Lesson 41
Illusions of Pastoral peace
宁静田园生活的遐想
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What particular anxiety spoils the country dweller's visit to the theatre?
The quiet life of the country ahs 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 occasional 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 hem 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 lie 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 cit 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. 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 who city dwellers, who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
illusion
n. 幻想，错觉
pastoral
adj. 田园的
breed (bred, bred)
v. 培育
rapture
n. 欣喜
extol
v. 赞美，颂扬
superior
adj. 优越的
cockcrow
n. 鸡叫
twitter
v. （鸟）吱吱叫，嘁嘁喳喳叫
glint
v. 闪烁
pasture
n. 牧场
idyllic
adj. 田园诗的
virtually
adv. 几乎，差不多
dubious
adj. 可疑的，怀疑的
privilege
n. 特权
misery
n. 苦难
acquaintance
n. 熟人
treat
n. 难得的乐事，享受
dweller
n. 居住者
stagger
v. 摇晃，蹒跚
exotic
adj. 导乎寻常的，外来的
glow
n. 白炽光
descend
v. 缩进，隐藏
descend
v. 缩进，隐藏
obstinately
adv. 固执地，顽固地

宁静的乡村生活从来没有吸引过我。我生在城市，长在城市，总认为乡村是透过火车车窗看到的那个样了，或偶尔周末去游玩一下景象。我的许多朋友都住在城市，但他们只要一提起乡村，马上就会变得欣喜若狂。尽管他们都交口称赞宁静的乡村生活的种种优点，但其中只有一个人真去农村住过，而且不足6个月就回来了。即使他也仍存有幻觉，好像乡村生活就是比城市生活优越。他滔滔不绝地大谈友好的农民，洁净的空气，贴近大自然的环境和悠闲的生活节奏。他坚持认为，凌晨雄鸡第一声啼叫，黎明时分小鸟吱喳欢叫，冉冉升起的朝阳染红树木、牧场，此番美景无与伦比。但这种田园诗般的乡村风光仅仅是一个侧面。我的朋友没有提到在电视机前度过的漫长寂寞的冬夜——电视是唯一的娱乐形式。他也不说商店货物品种单调，以及那些每天不得不从乡下赶到城里工作的不幸的人们。人们为什么情愿每天在路上奔波4个小时去换取值得怀疑的乡间的优点，我是无法理解的。要是他们愿意住在本来属于他们的城市，则可以让他们省去诸多不便与节约大量开支。
如果你愿舍弃乡下生活那一点点乐趣的话，那么你会发出城市可以为你提供生活最美好的东西。你去看朋友根本不用跋涉好几英里，因为他们都住在附近，你随时可以同他们聊天或在晚上一起娱乐。我在乡村有一些熟人，他们每年进城来看一回或几回戏，并把此看作一种特殊的享受。看戏在他们是件大事，需要精心计划。当戏快演完时，他们又为是否能赶上末班火车回家而犯愁。这种焦虑，城里人是从未体验过的。坐公共汽车几站路，就可看到最新的展览、电影、戏剧。买东西也是一种乐趣。物品种繁多，从来不必用二等品来凑合。乡里人进城采购欣喜若狂，每次回家时都买足了外来商品，直到拿不动方才罢休，连走路都摇摇晃晃的。城市也并非没有良辰美景。寒冷潮湿的冬夜里，广告灯箱发出的暖光，会给人某种安慰。周末，当成千上万进城上班的人回到他们的乡间寓所之后，空旷的街市笼罩着一种宁静气氛，没有什么能比此时的宁静更令人难忘了。城里人对这一切心里很明白，却偏要执拗地装出他们喜欢住在乡村的样子，这对我来说一直是个谜。

◆illusion n. 幻想，错觉
under illusion that / under the impression that
I am under the impression that you are honest.
We live under the illusion.
I am under the impression that he will help me every day.
under no illusion that
We live under no illusion that country life is beautiful.
have illusion about / have no illusion about

delusion 幻觉，（精神病人）
Eg: He is under the delusion that somebody will kill him tomorrow.
He lives under the delusion that he will be killed sometime.
vision 憧景
Eg: I live under the vision that I have a bright future.
illusioned adj.充满幻想的
Eg: The world of children is illusioned.
illusionary adj. 错觉的，幻觉的
Eg: Don’t believe in him. What he said is illusionary picture.
illusive adj. 虚假的，不可靠的
Eg: What he described was illusive. Don’t depend on him any more.
imaginary
imaging
Eg: I can’t imagine building Great Wall.
imaginary 虚构的
Eg: The story is imaginary, Don’t be taken in

imaginary
The story is imaginary. Don’t be taken in.
imaginative 富有想像力的
Children are more imaginative than adults.
unimaginative 缺乏想像力的
imaginable 能想像得出的，（须放在被修饰词之后）
This is the idea / way imaginable.
imaginary / imaginative / imaginable / unimaginatice
We are imaginative
illusionary / imaginary 虚构的

◆pastoral adj. 田园的
◆breed v. 培育
vt. breed / bred / bred
breed / raise / bring up / rear
raise /breed pets
raise / breed dogs.
Do you raise dogs?
educate
As a mother, you must breed good manners into your child.
rear 抚养，
I must rear the child because I have the duty.
He rears / breeds / raises two dogs.
grow / plant tree
cause / lead / result in / give rise to
War breeds misery and ruin. 战争导致毁灭和悲惨。
Your carelessness bred the accident
breed in and in 近亲结婚，同种繁殖
breed out and out 非近亲结婚，异种繁殖
breed / raise / bring up / cause

◆rapture n. 欣喜
great joy / delight
At the news, they are in raptures.
At the news, they are great delighted.
in raptures(about/ over sth. ) (对……) 欣喜若狂
I am in raptures about the new book.
go into raptures(over/ about/ at sth. ) (对……)感到非常的高兴！
He went into raptures when he heard the good news.
joy / happiness
We have a good time and we are full of happiness.
delight 高兴，喜悦，程度强于joy, 但不如rapture，也不如rapture那么正式，
I feel delighted == I am in raptures
ecstasy 入迷；狂喜
He is in ecstasy.
enchant v enchantment 入迷，
He was enchanted in thoughts.
elation 兴高采烈；得意洋洋
He has got the feeling of elation.
bliss 极乐；无尚的幸福
Nothing in the world can make you happier than bliss.
A sound sleep is my bliss
glee 欢乐，高兴，欢心 （诗歌中）

rapture / in raptures / go into raptures / joy / happiness / delight / ecstasy
/ enchantment / elation / bliss / glee

◆◆◆extol v. 赞美，颂扬
vt. praise
I can’t find a good word to praise you / your ability.
I want to extol the virtues of human beings.

compliment v. & n. 恭维
Do you often compliment ...?
exalt 赞扬，歌颂，吹捧
You disgust me. why do you extol such a stupid person.
laud 赞美
I want to do nothing but laud you.
What do you want to laud me?
I want to laud your beauty, ability and your wealth.

extol / praise / compliment / exalt / laud
◆superior adj. 优越的
better than the average
无比较级和最高级
be superior to 比…优越
In my opinion, town life is superior to country life.
interior
be interior to 比…低，不如…
Country life is superior to city life
superior / interior
senior
senior high school
junior
The word is basic
junior high school
senior /junior
posterior / prior 后于/ 先于
This work is prior to that one.
of no confidence / importance / significance
It should be inferior to that one.

superior / inferior / senior / junior / posterior / prior
be prior to

◆cockcrow n. 鸡叫
◆twitter v. （鸟）吱吱叫，喊喊喳喳叫
◆glint v. 闪烁
shine / flash / glitter
flash 表示忽明忽暗的闪光，也可以指反光镜反出来的光线
Eg: A lighthouse is flashing in the distance.
glim 表示透过某种媒介而透出来的光线，比如透过茫茫大雾的光芒
Eg: Through the fog, we saw a lighthouse glimming.
glint 表示迅速闪烁的微弱的光，比如阳光下闪烁的露水光
Eg: The sun glinted through the leaves.
glisten 潮湿的物体上所反射的光泽，或是柔弱的光辉
Eg: The white snow glistened in all the colors of rainbow.
flicker 表示蜡烛或油灯在即将熄灭时的所发出的摇曳的光
Eg: On the cold night, I sat in front of the only one candle which was flickering.

flash / glim / glint / glisten / flicher

◆pasture n. 牧场
◆idyllic adj. 田园诗的
He is leading an idyllic life
◆virtually adv. 几乎；差不多
◆dubious adj. 可疑的，怀疑的
doubtful / uncertain / questionable / suspicious / sceptical
dubious
be dubious about/of 对…怀疑,对…不肯定，主要表示不肯定的，不确定的
doubt / suspect
Eg: I suspect that he stole the car last night. 语气较肯定的猜疑
I doubt whether he stole the car. 语气不太肯定

suspicious / doubtful
Cats are suspicious of human beings.
I am not sure about your ability to do so.
I am doubtful of your ability.
I am dubious about your ability.
questionable强调质疑，有问题的，值得争议的
This is a questionable conclusion / decision.
sceptical 怀疑论的，怀疑的 (正式用法)
suspicious
Your idea is sceptical.

dubious / dubious about ( of ) / doubtful / uncertain / suspicious / sceptical / questionable

◆privilege n. 特权
◆misery n. 苦难
◆acquaintance n. 熟人
◆treat n. 难得的乐事，享受
be one's treat
1.…请客 == sb. stand treat
Eg: Let's go to have dinner. It's my treat
treat sb. to
take sb. to dinner
Eg: It’s my pleasure to take you to dinner.
stand treat
I stand treat 我作东。
2. 对待
treat sb. as
I treat him as my best friend.
treat with sb. 跟某人商谈
I can’t bring it to a conclusion. I want to treat with you.
treat of sth. / sb. ==speak of
We speak / treat of tramps contemptuously.

2. 荣幸,享受
Eg: Having dinner with you is my treat.
treat sb. to 宴请某人…
Eg: It's my pleasure to treat you to dinner.
treat sb as 按…对待某人
Eg: I treat him as my best friend.
treat with sb. 跟某人商谈
Eg I can't bring it to a conclusion. I want to treat with you.
treat of sth./sb. 关于…，提及到…，＝＝speak of
Eg: We treat of tramps contemptuously.
◆dweller n. 居住者
◆stagger v. 摇晃；蹒跚
◆exotic adj. 寻乎寻常的，外来的
◆glow n. 白炽光
◆descend v. 下落，降临
Eg: darkness descends very soon because winter is coming.
descend from 从 ...... 传下来
Eg: The watch descended from his grandfather.
descend on / upon 突然袭击，
He visited me suddenly.
He looked me up suddenly.
He called on me suddenly.
Yesterday, my best friend descended on me.

descend to 传给......
descend from...to

descend / descend from / descend to / descend on / descend upon
drop
I dropped the glass onto the floor.
ascend ant.
The aeroplane is ascending at tremendous speed.

◆tuck v. 缩进，隐藏
◆obstinately adv. 固执地，顽固地
obstinate adj. 顽固而不易被别人所改变
Eg: If you are an obstinate person, nobody can change your mind.
stubbom 倔强
Eg: He is such a stubborn person that he insists on finishing what he wants to do.
Don’t try to persuade him because he is an obstinate person.
persistent
persist
Eg: If you always follow your friends around, I should say, you are a persist person.
strong minded 顽强的，意志力强
Eg: If you are a strong minded person, you can do everything well.
obstinate / stubborn

as stubborn as mule 像牛一样倔强 (骡子)

背熟：The quiet life of the country has never appealed to me.
组织一篇议论文主要有三段：
1 开头段
2 支持段
3 结尾段
在开头段第一句话或最后一句话说出主题。
city born and city bred ==as O was born and bred in a city 独立主格结构
regard as
think of ...as / refer to ...as

go into raptures 变得欣喜若狂起来

背熟：Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country.
at the mere mention of 一提到
at the sight of 一看到
at the touch of 一触及到
at the news of 一听到
at the sound of 一听到
at the nemtion of 一提到
exalt / laud
hypocritical 虚伪
The country life never appeals to me, and never appeals to others, either.
I love English. Everyday, I got up very early to read outside in my garden. That is my treat.

keep on doing sth.

背熟：Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life.
under the illusion that
live under the illusion that
Country life is somehow superior to town life.
the life of the country （第一次提到）
the country （第二次提到）
country life （第三次提到）

Every picture has got two sides. 凡事都有两方面

背熟：This idyllic pastoral scene is only part of the picture.
对比法

fails to mention == says nothing about 没有提到……
City life appeals to me. City life is superior to country life.

City life appeals to me. City life is superior to country life.
fails to mention == says nothing about 没有提到……

背熟：Why people are prepared to tolerate a four- hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me.

be beyond me = is beyond my understanding …是我无法理解的

stand / bear / put up with / endure / tolerate

privilege: advantage

dubious : doubtful / uncertain

Country life never appeals to me.

背熟：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.
There are advantages of living in the country, but there are few advantages living in the country than living in the big city.

背熟：There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best.
never have to ==need not ==don’t have to
do without
make do with 凑合者用

do without / manage without / go without 没有......也行
I can do / manage without a car.

available : able to be used anytime 随时可以应用的
主语做表语或定语，做定语时要放在被修饰词的后边。
I am availble to have a chat with you.
The books in our classroom are available for you.
be available for sb.
I have a dictionary available for you.

inconvenience of living in the country
major : great / demanding

draw to its close = near its end 临近结束／尾声

背熟：The city dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort.
We can keep ourselves free from the anxieties of this sort which afflict the country dweller.
Eating food with different tasts is also a pleasure.

run wild 发疯

背熟： Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home loaded with as many of the necessities of life as they can carry.

nor ... without 双重否定
The city has got its own beauty.

Don’t shed blood

deserted : enpty

all these things: all the pleasures of the city / all the advantages of living in the city
There are fewer advantages of the country than in the city.
There are more disadvantages of the country than those of the city.

1
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Comprehension
1 What is the main difference between the writer and most of his friends?
a. they often visit the country but he has only spent one weekend there.
b. Unlike them, being brought up in the city, he can appreciate its worth.
c. In contrast to them, he finds city people friendlier than country people.
d. He thinks them hypocritical to maintain a preference for country life.
背熟 D 选项
think sb. hypocritical 认为某人很虚伪
maintain a preference for sth. 坚持一种想法

2 What advantage has the city dweller over the country dweller in terms of entertainment?（背熟）
a. He can entertain his country friends more often than they can him.
b. His choice of entertainment is wide and within easy reach of him.
c. As he travels by bus and not by train, he can see the latest plays.
d. He does not need a major operation when planning a visit to the theatre.
in terms of
have advantage over sb./ sth. 比 ......更具有优势
背熟
within easy reach of sb. 方便，容易达到

3 When he speaks of the beauty to be found in the city, the writer ____ .
a. alludes to the comparative cheerlessness of winter nights in the country
b. means that if more people settled in the city they would find peace
c. advertises the fact that the city is a warmer place than the country
d. implies that the country is less peaceful than the city at weekends
背熟
allude to = mean

Structure
4 I _____ and bred in the city and have always regarded … (ll.1-2)
a. being born b. had been born c. was born d. am born

5 He _____ talking about the friendly people … (ll.8-9)
a. never tires of b. is never tiring of c. is never tired d. is never tiring when
tire of 厌倦
never 频度副词，表示情况总是如此
I am tired of doing so. 我已经厌倦了这么做。

6 The latest exhibitions, films or plays are only _____ .( l.23)
a. by bus a short distance away b. a short distance by bus away
c. a short distance away by bus d. the distance of a short bus away
on only short bus right away 只有几站路的路程

7 ---- and stagger home loaded with _____ exotic items as they can carry. (ll.25-26)
a. as many of the b. as many c. so many d. the most

many of the 许多物品中的许多
You can take as many as you like. 你可以拿走你喜欢的东西。
You can take as many books as you can. 这些书籍你想拿多小就拿多少。

8 I have always been mystified _____ city dwells, who … (ll.29-30)
a. why b. by the fact that c. for what d. with
It has been a mystery to me.
be mystified by 被......所迷惑，被...... 所困扰
be frightened by 被......所吓着

Vocabulary
9 _____ the only form of entertainment. (l.12)
a. pretty well b. altogether c. certainly d. in particular
原文： virtually 几乎，==almost, nearly
certainly 肯定的，当然的
altogether 总共，完全
in particular = particularly 特别，尤其是
pretty well 相当不错，相当好（AE）， almost (BE)

10 If you can _____ without the few pastoral pleasues of the country … (l.17)
a. make b. manage c. succeed d. pass
10. do without, go without, manage without

11 As the play _____ … (ll.21-22)
a. reaches its climax b. nears its end c. ends its run d. draws the curtain
near its end 临近尾声 == draw to its close
areaches its climax 达到高潮

12 Few things can have such an _____ as the peace … (ll.27-28)
a. impact b. imposition c. imprint d. impression
imposition 强人所难
impose v.
Don’t impose your idea on me. 不要把你的想法强加给我。
imprint 印记，印痕
give sb. a (deep ) impression 给某人印象
have impact

【Key to Multiple choice questions】
1. D 2. B 3. A 4. C 5. A 6. C 7. B 8. B 9. A 10. B 11. B 12. A