Lesson-4-The-Invisible-Japanese-Gentlemen

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

Word List

1. courteous a. characterized by gracious consideration toward others/ polite 谦恭的，有礼的

2. blonde a. & n. having golden or pale-coloured hair白肤金发(女子)

3. petite a. small, slender, and trim. (used of a girl or woman) 娇小的

4. Regency n. typical of the period 1810-1820 in England 摄政时期(1811-1820年)

a person or group selected to govern in place of a monarch or other ruler who

is absent, disabled, or still in minority 摄政者

5. oval n. & a. resembling an egg in shape卵形的/ resembling an ellipse in shape; elliptical

椭圆形的

6. miniature n. a copy or model that represents or reproduces something in a greatly

reduced size缩小模型,缩微模型

a small painting executed with great detail, often on a surface such as ivory

微型画

a. being on a small or greatly reduced scale 小型的

7. signet-ring n. signet -- seal图章戒指

8. aviary n. a large enclosure for holding birds in confinement 大鸟舍 cage

9. fiancé n. a man engaged to be married 未婚夫

10. panel n. a flat, usually rectangular piece forming a raised, recessed, or framed part of the

surface in which it is set 镶板

11. sensitivity n.

sensitive a. easily influenced to the attitudes, feelings, or circumstances of others 敏感的

e.g. She is sensitive to what people think of her. 她很敏感人们对她是怎么想的。

12. paperback n. a book having a flexible paper binding 平装本 （hardcover精装本）

13. crutch n. a device used for assistance or support 支撑物

e.g. to walk on crutches 拄着拐杖走路

14. rake v. aim heavy gunfire along the length of 扫射

search or examine thoroughly 搜索

e.g. rake through the files for the misplaced letter为一封错放的信而搜那些文件

rake the library for new books在图书馆里寻新书

rake the sky with a searchlight用探照灯扫视天空

The clouds raked the mountain summits.云朵掠过山峰。

15. champagne n. 香槟酒

16. elaborate a. intricate and rich in detail复杂精美的/ complicated/carefully prepared and

finished/ very detailed and complicated

v. express at greater length or in greater detail 详述

e.g. an elaborate lace pattern复杂精美的花边图案

The chairman just wanted the facts; you don't need to elaborate on them.

主席只想了解事实,你不必作详细说明。

17. courtesy n. polite behavior有礼貌的举止行为

courteous a.

18. enfeeble v. deprive of strength; make feeble使丧失力量；使虚弱

feeble a.

第 1 页 共 15 页

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

e.g. I felt feeble when I was ill. 我生病的时候感到很虚弱。

Grandmother has been getting feebler lately.近来祖母愈益衰弱了。

snatch v. & n. grasp or seize hastily, eagerly, or suddenly 抢夺

e.g. He snatched up his gun and fired. 他突然取出来射击。

He snatched the book from my hands. 他从我的手里抢走了书。

A bird had snatched up the snake from the ground and then dropped it on to the wires.

一只飞禽从地上抓起了这条蛇,后来把它丢落在电线上。

snatch at the chance of抓住机会

decorative a. serving to decorate or embellish; ornamental 装饰性的；装饰的

decorate v.

decoration n.

submit v. give in to the authority, power, or desires of another 服从

offer as a proposition or contention将…作为意见提出

submission n.

e.g. refuse to submit to an unjust decision拒绝服从不公正的决定

I submitted my papers to the examiner. 我把试卷交给主考老师。

I hope you can submit you term papers before the deadline.

我希望你们能在最后限期之前交上你们的学期论文。

submit willingly心悦诚服

simultaneously ad.

simultaneous a. happening, existing, or done at the same time 同时的

e.g. This event was almost simultaneous with that one.

这件事几乎是与那件事同时发生的。

counterpart n. one that closely resembles another 相似物

Naples n. 那不勒斯(意大利港市)

abrasive a. harsh and rough in manner 生硬粗暴的

blurb n. a brief publicity notice, as on a book jacket 简介

evasive a. inclined or intended to evade 逃避的

evade v.

e.g. take evasive action采取逃避行动

evade responsibility回避责任

Theme

In this sort story, Greene creates the favourable image of a girl, who is not only attractive in

looks but also firm in spirit. She has just had her first novel published, and now intoxicated by

her success and inflated by the publisher’s praise, she wants to stake her future on a writer’s career.

For such a girl, Greene expresses great sympathy and deep concern, himself being a veteran

author who knows all the problems and sufferings of being a writer. While he seems to be

worrying abut the particular girl, he offers all young would-be writers his reflections on being a

writer and his advice to them on choosing other careers than writing.

Greene seriously believes that writing requires enormous pains and is never an easy job. A

writer may put forth “years of effort” but end up in “doing nothing well”. The girl obviously did

not realize this when she set out to write. Beside, writing calls for extremely keen observation.

The girl is certainly not up to the job, for she fails to notice even those Japanese gentlemen seated

第 2 页 共 15 页

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

highly visibly in an English restaurant. The girl is sure to suffer if she really embarks on a career

as a novelist. As an older person of about her mother’s age, Greene cannot bear to see her, whom

he has affectionately portrayed in the story, suffer in her future life. He would like to advise her

to take up some other job, because in his words, “she deserves better of life” then toiling as a

professional scribbler.

The girl’s fiancé and the Japanese gentlemen have respective roles to play in the story. The

man is described as weak in personality and as such, serves as a perfect foil for the girl’s strong

character. In several places of the story, the author gives meticulously detailed descriptions of

the Japanese gentlemen at the fish dinner. Although the girl is also mentioned as having looked

at them on a number of occasions, her glances have never come to anything. In this way, the

girl’s exaggerated powers of observation are set well apart from a true writer’s watchfulness.

The title of the story epitomizes this meaning.

Detailed explanation of the difficulty sentence

There were eight Japanese gentlemen having

a fish dinner at Bentley's. They spoke to each

other rarely in their incomprehensible tongue,

but always with a courteous smile and often

with a small bow. All but one of them wore

glasses. Sometimes the pretty girl who sat in

the window beyond gave them a passing

glance, but her own problem seemed too

serious for her to pay real attention to anyone in

the world except herself and her companion.

She had thin blonde hair and her face was

pretty and petite in a Regency way, oval like a

miniature,

(a sharp contrast)

though she had a harsh way of speaking -

perhaps the accent of the school, Roedean or

Cheltenham Ladies' College, which she had not

long ago left. She wore a man's signet-ring on

her engagement finger, and as I sat down at my

table, with the Japanese gentlemen between us,

she said, 'So you see we could marry next

week'.

'Yes?'

Her companion appeared a

(what the writer observed)

They hardly ever spoke during the meal, when

they did speak, they spoke in their native

tongue Japanese, which was impossible to

understand (incomprehensible) to the author.

(bay window) A large window or series of

windows projecting from the outer wall of a

building and forming a recess within 凸窗,从楼的外墙突出来的一个大窗或一连串窗子，里面形成一个凹壁

Her face was small, delicate, and clean, and

was as oval-shaped as a miniature, representing

the typical feminine face admired as perfect by

people in Regency time.

She spoke in a firm, commanding tone and an

upper-class manner, typical of those who had

been educated at Roedean or Cheltenham

Ladies’ College (a public school = private

secondary Eton College), both being

highly prestigious schools for upper-class

young women (ladies with a good family

background).

little somewhat worried or upset about what to do

第 3 页 共 15 页

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

distraught.

He refilled their glasses with Chablis and said,

'Of course, ' I missed some of the

conversation then, because the eldest Japanese

gentleman leant across the table, with a smile

and a little bow, and uttered a whole paragraph

like the mutter from an aviary, while everyone

bent towards him and smiled and listened, and I

couldn't help attending to him myself.

The girl's fiancé resembled her physically.

I could see them as two miniatures hanging side

by side on white wood panels.

He should have been a young officer in

Nelson's navy in the days when a certain

weakness and sensitivity were no bar to

promotion.

next, being in the difficult dilemma of a

marriage and a job

expensive dry, still white wine from East

France (affordable only to upper-class people)

sth incomprehensible

paying attention to

The couple were so striking in appearance that

Greene began to imagine them to be two small

portraits hanging side by side on the wall./ thin,

rectangular or square boards as decoration for

the surface of a wall, a door, etc.

Greene presumed that since the man had

Nelson’s looks, he would have had a fine

character as Nelson did. “a certain weakness

and sensitivity” refers to the man’s effeminate

looks , which would be regarded as a weakness

nowadays and which people were tolerant of

or even admire in Nelson’s time.

(The author presumed that since the man had

Nelson’s looks, he would have had a fine

character as Nelson did.)

payment

copyright for paperback books /

Greene had formed a romantic image of the girl

as loveable and pretty. But he was not

prepared to learn that she also had a strong

character. Now her unrelenting remark on

money matters suddenly shocked him into

realizing that she was morally strong. The

second shock came to Greene as she announced

she also wrote novels. (The reason why is given

in the last two sentences of the paragraph. As

a veteran writer, Greene knew all the pains of

the profession. He would never have

imagined, and indeed could not really bring

She said, 'They are giving me an advance

of five hundred pounds, and they've sold the

paperback rights already.'

The hard commercial declaration came as a

shock to me; it was a shock too that she was

one of my own profession. She couldn't have

been more than twenty.

第 4 页 共 15 页

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

She deserved better of life.

He said, 'But '

'You know you don't get on with him. This

way we shall be quite independent.'

'You will be independent,' he said

grudgingly.

'The wine-trade wouldn't really suit you,

would it? I spoke to my publisher about you

and there's a very if you began

with '

'But I don't know a thing about books.'

'I would help you at the start.'

'My mother says that writing is a good

'

'Five hundred pounds and half the

paperback rights is a pretty solid crutch,' she

said.

'This Chablis is good, isn't it?'

'I daresay.'

I began to change my opinion of him - he

had not the Nelson touch.

He was doomed to defeat. She came

himself to believe, that such a beautiful young

lady could have chosen such a hard job.)

She should have enjoyed an easier life than

toiling as a novelist.

(The fact that he was always referring to his

mother and uncle was an indication of an

indecisive, dependent character, and his being

frequently interrupted by his fiancée was the

sign of a weak character. )

You don’t have a good relationship with him./ if

we do as I have said, i.e. Get married and live

on my earnings

He said this unwillingly with a stress on the

word “you”, because he had yet no means of

making a living, and would be dependent on

her if they got married in the way she said.

the trade the man’s uncle wanted him to take up

The girl was so blinded by the success with her

first novel that she unrealistically thought that if

her fiancé started reading some books now, he

might soon be a successful writer too, while in

fact didn’t know a thing about writing.

His mother disapproved of writing as the main

thing (a career), but thought writing was good

only as an auxiliary support.

(to defend herself: If you should think writing

is a crutch, I would argue that it is a pretty solid

crutch. It can be the main source of a living.)

(to change the topic)

It seems to me likely or possible.

(Now that he had heard more of the

conversation between the couple --- in which

the girl was always on the offensive and the

man could only use his mother’s or uncle’s

words to defend himself --- )Green realized that

there existed a fundamental difference between

the man and Nelson. The man was weak in

nature, while Nelson’s bravery was legendary

(extremely well known)./ a person’s distinctive

quality

(metaphor: two warships close to each other in

第 5 页 共 15 页

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

alongside and raked him fore and aft. 'Do you

know what Mr Dwight said? '

'Who's Dwight?'

'Darling, you don't listen, do you? My

publisher. He said he hadn't read a first novel in

the last ten years which showed such powers of

observation.'

'That's wonderful,' he said sadly,

'wonderful.'

'Only he wants me to change the title.'

'Yes?'

'He doesn't like The Ever-Rolling Stream.

He wants to call it The Chelsea Set.'

'What did you say?'

'I agreed. I do think that with a first novel

one should try to keep one's publisher happy.

Especially when, really, he's going to pay for

our marriage, isn't he?'

a parallel formation) The girl’s verbal attack on

her fiancé was imagined to be overwhelming

firing and shelling from one warship onto the

other./ the front and back

any

feeling sad and uneasy for being overshadowed

by his fiancée’s success

(His interest was aroused.)

(title sounding hollow or profound, signifying

the eternal cycle of life and death; her choice of

words suggesting her naivety as well as

ambition )(The original title might not sell the

book well. The publishers would have a shrewd

idea of what title fitted a book better.)

Chelsea --- a fashionable district in west

London, famous as a quarter where popular

artists of a rather shallow talent, concerned

mostly with fashion and popular music, gather

and show off. (He’s very Chelsea. – he lives in

a way which is less restricted than most people,

taking no notice of conventional rules of

behavior.)

Besides, “the ever-rolling stream” was an

awkward collocation, for the usual collocations

would be “ever-rolling waves” and “gurgling

streams’. The new title “The Chelsea Set”

was more alluring, and put the book into the

right category where it belonged.

I understand what you are trying to say./ (his

curiosity faded away again.)/This implies that

the man no longer thought the occasion of their

meeting had any atmosphere of celebration for

which champagne would be fit.

complicated manners

The girl’s forceful and domineering personality

made Greene like her all the more. He

'I see what you mean.' Absent-mindedly he

stirred his Chablis with a fork - perhaps before

the engagement he had always bought

champagne. The Japanese gentlemen had

finished their fish and with very little English

but with elaborate courtesy they were ordering

from the middle-aged waitress a fresh fruit

salad. The girl looked at them, and then she

looked at me, but I think she saw only the

future. I wanted very much to warn her against

any future based on a first novel called The

第 6 页 共 15 页

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

Chelsea Set.

I was on the side of his mother.

It was a humiliating thought, but I was probably

about her mother's age.

therefore became concerned about her future.

He didn’t wish to see the girl become a writer

and then suffer and fail. He wanted to warn

her that a first novel with such a silly and

ephemeral title should never mean anything

like a career.

I agreed with is mother that writing should not

be a career, but only a “crutch”.

Although knowing oneself to be old would

cause discomfort and embarrassment, I was

actually about her mother’s age, and therefore

quite in a position to advise her about her

future. (it = but clause)

Green suspected that the value of the girl’s

book had been unduly exaggerated by the

publisher, who was perhaps impressed not by

the book itself, but by its author’s youth and

beauty. With such shallow contents, the book

might be popular today, but would perhaps be

forgotten tomorrow.

The frustration of being unable to write

anything good for many years

by what you have actually written, not by any

indication of potential success in you

(How can you write about a place you don’t

know?)

It’s all good to see something new. The girl

was trying to justify herself in writing about a

place she had not been to. She was arguing

that if the place was new to you, and you went

there for the first time, it would be all the better

for you to write about it.

paid

I wanted to say to her, Are you certain

your publisher is telling you the truth?

Publishers are human. They may sometimes

exaggerate the virtues of the young and the

pretty. Will The Chelsea Set be read in five

years?

Are you prepared for the years of effort, 'the

long defeat of doing nothing well'? As the years

pass writing will not become any easier, the

daily effort will grow harder to endure, those

powers of observation will become enfeebled;

you will be judged, when you reach your

forties, by performance and not by promise.

'My next novel is going to be about St

Tropez.'

'I didn't know you'd ever been there.'

'I haven't. A fresh eye's terribly important.

I thought we might settle down there for six

months.'

'There wouldn't be much left of the

advance by that time.'

'The advance is only an advance. I get

fifteen per cent after five thousand copies and

twenty per cent after ten. And of course another

advance will be due, darling, when the next

第 7 页 共 15 页

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

book's finished. A bigger one if The Chelsea Set

sells well.'

'Suppose it doesn't.'

'Mr Dwight says it will. He ought to

know.'

'My uncle would start me at twelve

hundred.'

'But, darling, how could you come then to

St Tropez?'

'Perhaps we'd do better to marry when you

come back. '

She said harshly, 'I mightn't come back if

The Chelsea Set sells enough.'

'Oh.'

She looked at me and the party of

Japanese gentlemen. She finished her wine.

She said. 'Is this a quarrel?'

'No.'

'I've got the title for the next book - The

Azure Blue.'

'I thought azure was blue.'

She looked at him with disappointment.

'You don't really want to be married to a

novelist, do you?'

'You aren't one yet.'

'I was born one - Mr Dwight says. My

powers '

'Yes. You told me that, but, dear, couldn't

you observe a bit nearer home? Here in

London.'

'I've done that in The Chelsea Set. I don't

want to repeat myself.'

The bill had been lying beside them for

some time now. He took out his wallet to pay,

but she snatched the paper out of his reach. She

said. 'This is my celebration.'

'What of?'

'The Chelsea Set, of course. Darling,

you're awfully decorative, but sometimes -

well, you simply don't connect.'

'I' if you don''

He certainly knows.

My initial income would be £1200 a year if I

worked for my uncle.

It would be more sensible of us to marry

when … (do well to do sth : be wise if one does

sth)

Unpleasantly (showing her great annoyance to

the man’s refusal to go with her)

a deep blue color, similar to the color of a clear

blue sky (redundant in meaning)

The bill (domineering character)

You look awfully good. If we go out together, I

can feel proud of being accompanied by such a

handsome young man. But you haven’t got

intelligence. You absolutely don’t connect

one meaning to another.

第 8 页 共 15 页

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

'No, darling, this is on me. And Mr

Dwight, of course.'

He submitted just as two of the Japanese

gentlemen gave tongue simultaneously, then

stopped abruptly and bowed to each other, as

though they were blocked in a doorway.

I had thought the two young people matching

miniatures, but what a contrast in fact there

was. The same type of prettiness could contain

weakness and strength.

Her Regency counterpart, I suppose, would

have borne a dozen children without the aid of

anesthetics, while he would have fallen an easy

victim to the first dark eyes in Naples.

Would there one day be a dozen books on her

shelf? They have to be born without an

anesthetic too.

I found myself hoping that The Chelsea Set

would prove to be a disaster and that eventually

she would take up photographic modeling

while he established himself solidly in the

wine-trade in St James's.

I didn't like to think of her as the Mrs

Humphrey Ward of her generation - not that I

would live so long. Old age saves us from the

realization of a great many fears.

I will pay for this, but with the money advanced

by Mr Dwight, it is actually paid for by him of

course.

spoke at the same time

as if they had bumped into each other in a

doorway, as one was going out and the other

coming in

I had wrongly believed that the two young

people were a good match for their looks. But

now I saw they were so different in nature.

The same pretty looks could mean a weak

character in some people, but a strong character

in others.

If she had lived in Regency time, she would

have been able to give birth to a dozen children

without the use of anaesthetics. However, if

he had been a young officer in Nelson’s navy

and had called at the port of Naples, he would

easily have been seduced by the first Italian

woman he met after setting foot ashore.

Green was wondering whether the tender girl

was up to the pain and hardship of writing a

dozen books. He admired her character, but

doubted her physical strength and ability to

write novels.

Greene could not help but express good wishes

for the young couple. The road he had

pointed out for them would be the wiser choice

for their future. He wished the book a failure,

because in that case the girl could give up

writing and turn to photographic modeling,

which would suit her much better because of

her beauty.

I dreaded the thought of her becoming a

well-established writer. This was not because

I would live so long as to see her become

another Mrs Humphrey Ward. (Being old

enables us to avoid seeing many unpleasant

things happen. Because we are old, we will

not live to see a great many things we fear

actually happen.) But this was because I was

deeply aware that the further she went along a

第 9 页 共 15 页

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

I wondered to which publishing firm Dwight

belonged. I could imagine the blurb he would

have already written about her abrasive powers

of observation. There would be a photo, if he

was wise, on the back of the jacket, for

reviewers, as well as publishers are human, and

she didn't look like Mrs Humphrey Ward.

writer’s road, the more severely she was sure to

suffer.

Greene was implying that publishers and

reviewers alike would look more at the beauty

than the ability of a woman writer.

Mrs Humphrey Ward looked plain, while she

looked pretty, and so her photo on the back of

the jacket would help make the book well

received by reviewers as well as readers.

deliberately avoiding the major topic of getting

married

I could hear them talking while they found

their coats at the back of the restaurant. He said,

'I wonder what all those Japanese are doing

here?'

'Japanese?' she said. 'What Japanese, darling?

Sometimes you are so evasive I think you don't

want to marry me at all.'

Language Points

1. deserve better of --- deserve to be treated better by

e.g. I thought I had deserved better of the firm than to be dismissed with so little reason.

He has deserved well of his country.他有功于国家。

She deserves well of her employers.

deserve ill of有罪于,应该得到不好的待遇

deserve well of有功于，应该得到好的待遇

deserve better of有功于，应该得到更好的待遇

deserve sth: Since he ill-treated his daughter, he deserves whatever happens to him.(无论怎 样惩罚也不过分)

After 5 hours on your feet you deserve a break. (standing for 5 hours)

deserve to do: I work hard and I think I deserve to be well paid.

deserve better/ more: He’s worked very hard for the company and deserves better.

get what you deserve: correctly punished for your bad behavior罪有应得

2. do well to do sth --- be wise if one does sth (suggesting good judgment)

e.g. You would do well to buy some shares in that company; it is going to be very successful.

Don’t buy now --- you would do better to wait for the price to fall.

You would do well to remember who is paying the bill.

They would do well to concentrate more on their work.

did well to do sth ---to suggest good luck (past event)

e.g. You did well to leave the country before the war broke out.

第 10 页 共 15 页

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

Would do well to do sth ---ought to do sth, it would be wise to do sth (future action)

e.g. You would do well to say nothing about what happened.

3. on --- at the expense of由...支付, 由...承担

e.g. This meal is on me. You deserve a treat.

Drinks are on the house. (They are included in the rent.)

All the expenses fall on me.全部费用由我支付。

4. save

save sb from harm or danger or any unpleasant situation --- help sb avoid harm or danger etc.

save sb time, money, trouble or effort --- to prevent from being wasted, spent, or taken

save sb doing or from doing sth --- help sb by making the task unnecessary for him to do

e.g. We must do sth to save him from the consequences of his own foolishness.

You could save yourself a lot of work if you used a computer.

This will save you (from) going over it each time someone asks.

Your taking the trunk to the attic has saved me an extra trip.你把那个大箱子拎到阁楼 上去，省得我再多走一趟

This technical innovation will save us much time and labour.这项技术革新可以为我们 节省大量的时间和劳动力。

If you walk to the office every morning, you'll save spending money on bus fares.

你每天早晨步行上班, 可省得化汽车费。

5. escape / avoid / evade

These verbs mean to get or stay away from persons or things.

Escape can mean to get free, as from confinement, or to remain untouched or unaffected by

something unwanted指“脱离或避开即将来临或近在眼前的伤害、危险、灾祸等事物”常作借喻用

e.g. Let no guilty man escape, if it can be avoided. 如果能够逃避，就让无罪的人自由吧！

The hotel guests tried their best to escape from the burning building.旅客们尽力从燃烧 的大楼中逃出来。

You cannot expect that something may escape the teacher's attention.

你不要奢望有什么能逃过老师的注意。

escape death脱离死亡。

No one can escape his observation.

His name has escaped my memory.

Avoid always involves an effort to keep away from what is considered to be a source of

danger or difficulty经常与逃离被认为是困难和危险的根源而做出的努力有关/强调“有意识地躲避不愉快的或可能发生危险的事物或情况”

e.g. avoiding strenuous exercise逃避紧张的训练；

The danger can be avoided if we make a careful preparation.

I crossed the street to avoid meeting him, but he saw me and came running towards me. 我横穿马路以便避开他,但他看到了我并朝我跑过来。

To avoid confusion, the teams wore different colours.为避免混淆,两队分穿不同颜 的衣服。

第 11 页 共 15 页

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

Young ladies should learn to spend money carefully and avoid extravagance.

年青的妇女要学会花钱审慎小心,避免浪费。

To avoid the city centre, we may turn right here and take the belt highway.

从这里往右拐走环行道可以避开闹市中心。

Evade implies adroit maneuvering and sometimes implies dishonesty or irresponsibility暗指熟练地运用计策、有时也暗指不忠实或不守信用/指“避开极接近的麻烦或巧妙、迅速 地逃避”

e.g. evading capture用计谋夺得；

tried to evade jury duty用计得到陪审团的职务

evade one's duty逃避责任

evade responsibility回避责任

evade income taxes偷漏所得税

The released criminal always tries to evade the police.释放犯总想不要碰上警察。

The woman evaded her duties by taking a trip[ abroad.

Word Study

1. evade v.

evasion n.

e.g. the fox's clever evasion of the dogs狐狸狡猾地躲避狗

evasion tactics【军】规避战术

evasion of responsibility逃避责任

take shelter in evasions借口规避

tax evasion偷税, 漏税, 逃税

evasive a.

e.g. took evasive action采取逃避行动

an evasive statement模棱两可的陈述

an evasive answer遁词

an evasive talk躲躲闪闪的谈话

evasive tax偷漏的税

2. observe v.

observe a child's behavior观察一个孩子的行为 (to watch attentively)

observe the orbit of the moon.观测月球的轨道(make a systematic or scientific observation)

observe the terms of a contract遵守合同的条款(abide by)

observe an anniversary庆祝周年纪念日(celebrate)

They were observed entering the bank. 有人看到他们进入银行。(notice)

observe a rule遵守规则(obey)

observe a person's birthday庆祝某人的生日

He observed that we should probably have rain.他说我们可能遇雨。(make a remark)

第 12 页 共 15 页

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

observant a.

e.g. observant of the speed limit遵守速度限制

be observant to avoid danger注意避免危险

an observant boy机警的男孩

observation n.

e.g. Keep him under observation. 监视他。

a man of keen observation 观察力敏锐的人

Give me your observations on what's happened. 把发生的事情给我报告一下。

Idm

come under sb.'s observation被某人注意到/fall under sb.'s observation被某人注意到

escape observation未被觉察, 不为人所注意/keep sb. under observation监视[观察]某人

make a few observations on谈谈对...的几点看法

mass observation[英]民意调查

observance n.

e.g. the observance of the King's birthday国王祝寿大典

observatory n.

e.g. Royal Greenwich O-格林威治皇家天文台

observer n.

e.g. an observer of local customs; 当地习俗的遵守者；

observers of religious holidays 宗教节日的观察者

You can't speak at this meeting, you are here as an observer. 你不能在会上发言，你只 是个观察员。

3. endure v.

➢ To carry on through, despite hardships; undergo 度过，忍受不顾艰难险阻而忍耐下去；容忍：

e.g. endure an Arctic winter.忍受北极的冬天

➢ To bear with tolerance容忍

e.g. We seek the truth, and will endure the consequences.我们寻真理，并将忍受一切 后果.

I can't endure loud music. 我不能忍受音量大的音乐声。

第 13 页 共 15 页

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

I can't endure her endless complaint noise a moment longer.我一刻也忍受不了她 那没完没了的抱怨。

endure pain [suffering, hardship]忍受痛苦[苦难, 艰苦]

endure cold [heat]耐寒[热]

I can't endure his unreasonable action.我不能容忍他的无理行为。

➢ To continue in existence; last, persist持续；持久

e.g. buildings that have endured for centuries经受数世纪风雨的建筑

His fame will endure for ever. 他的名望永存。

They can not endure much longer. 他们再也支持不了多久了。

endurance n.

➢ The act, quality, or power of withstanding hardship or stress 忍耐力经受艰难、重压的行为、品性或能力：

e.g. A marathon tests a runner's endurance.马拉松赛可测出一个跑步运动员的耐力

Long distance runners need great endurance. 长跑运动员需要有很大的耐力。

beyond [past] endurance忍不住, 不可耐, 忍无可忍

come to the end of one's endurance已不能再忍受, 忍无可忍

➢ The state or fact of persevering坚持的状态或行为

e.g. Through hard work and endurance, we will complete this project.

通过努力工作和坚持，我们将会完成这项方案

endurable a.

enduring a.

e.g. endurable pain忍得住的疼痛

a novel of enduring interest带有持久兴趣的小说

a poet of enduring greatness一位不朽的伟大诗人

4. engage v.

e.g. He is engaged just now.他正有事。(occupy)

Tom is engaged to Anne.汤姆已与安妮订婚。 (promise, pledge)

This seat is engaged. 此座已定出。(reserve)

We engage him as technical adviser.我们聘请他担任技术顾问。(employ)

His good nature engages everyone.他善良的性情吸引每个人。(attract, hold the

attention of)

Work engages much of her time.工作占去她很多时间。(occupy)

Our orders are to engage at once.我们的命令是立刻进攻。(war with)

Can you engage that he can pay back the money in due time?你能担保他能如期还清欠 款吗?

第 14 页 共 15 页

Lesson 4 The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen

Idms

be engaged by为...所吸引

be engaged in正做着, 正忙着

be engaged on着手(某事), 从事(某事)

be engaged to同...订婚

engage for应承, 保证, 担保; 负责e.g. That is more than I can engage for.

engage upon开始(某种职业)

engage on开始(某种职业)

engage with与...交战

engagement n.

e.g. My brother has just told me about his engagement to Anne. 我弟弟刚告诉我他和安妮订婚 了。

Pro. Wilson has a speaking engagement for this weekend.威尔森教授被约于本周末去做报 告。

Idms

be under an engagement (to)有约

break an engagement违约

enter into an engagement with同...订约

make an engagement with同...订约

meet one's engagements履行(契约等)义务; 偿还债务

engaging a.

e.g. an engaging smile 迷人的微笑

第 15 页 共 15 页