新概念英语第3册课程讲义Lesson58

Lesson 58 A spot of bother

composure

[kəm'pəʊʒə(r)]

n. 镇静，沉着

keep / maintain one’s composure

lose one’s composure

recover / regain one’s composure

compose / collect oneself

He took a deep breath to compose / collect himself.

composed / collected

He appeared composed / collected despite the stress.

hinder ['hɪndə(r)]

v. 妨碍，阻碍

hinder v. to make it difficult for sth. to develop or succeed 妨碍，阻碍

a political situation that hinders economic growth

They went through the rooms, being careful to touch nothing, as they did not want to hinder the

police in their search for fingerprints.

hinder hamper impede

Higher interest rates could hinder / hamper / impede economic growth.

Social unrest will hinder / hamper / impede economic development.

put sand in the wheels of …

put obstacles in the way of …

stand in the way of …

These days, it is differences in national regulations, far more than tariffs, that put sand in the

wheels of trade between rich countries.

The tax puts obstacles in the way of companies trying to develop trade overseas.

The British government would not stand in the way of such a proposal.

inconceivable

[ɪnkən'si:vəbl]

adj. 难以置信的，无法想象的

inconceivable adj. too strange or unusual to be thought real or possible 难以置信的，无法想象

的

The chaos was inconceivable.

It is inconceivable that a man in such a powerful position could act so unwisely.

conceive v. (fml.) to imagine a particular situation or to think about sth. in a particular way 设想，

想象

conceive of sth.

Many people can't conceive of a dinner without meat or fish.

conceive of … as …

The ancients conceived of the world as (being) flat.

conceive + 宾语从句

I cannot conceive that he would wish to harm us.

I cannot conceive why you allowed the child to go alone.

incredible unbelievable

unimaginable unthinkable

beyond belief

veritable ['verɪtəbl]

adj. 真正的，货真价实的

veritable adj. a word used to emphasize a description of sb. or sth. 真正的，货真价实的 = real

The area is a veritable paradise for those who love walking and swimming.

My garden had become a veritable jungle by the time I came back from holiday.

“ver” = true

very adj. 正是的

He died in this very room.

At that very moment the phone rang.

verify v. 证实，核实

His story has been verified by other witnesses.

Please verify that there is sufficient memory available before loading the program.

verdict n. （陪审团的）裁决

After a week the jury had still not reached a verdict.

veracity n. = truth 真实，真实性

Some people questioned the veracity of her story.

magpie ['mægpaɪ]

n. 喜鹊；饶舌者；喜欢收藏物品的人

magpie n. 1. 喜鹊

magpie n. 2. person who chatters a lot 爱饶舌的人

magpie n. 3. person who collects or hoards things

爱收集或贮藏东西的人

She had lived in the flat for 30 years and was a

veritable magpie at hoarding; …

He is a bear. He is a beast. He is a fox. He is a snake.

He is a stupid ass.

He is a dark horse.

He is a lucky dog.

He is a big fish.

He is a lame duck.

He is an old goat.

He is an eager beaver.

toss [tɒs]

v. 抛掷，扔

toss v. to throw sth., esp. sth. light, with a quick gentle movement of your hand 抛掷，扔

She crumpled the letter and tossed it into the fire.

… it seemed as though everything she possessed had been tossed out and turned over and over.

Toss the carrots in some butter before serving.

tossed green salad

toss and turn 辗转反侧

I was tossing and turning all night.

fussy ['fʌsi]

adj. 神经过敏的，小题大做的；挑剔的

fussy adj. 1. nervously active or excited about small things （对小事）神经过敏的, 小题大做的

fussy parents

The old lady thought he was a fussy creature, …

fussy adj. 2. giving too much close attention to detail, etc. and therefore difficult to please 挑剔

的

A lot of small children are fussy eaters.

be fussy / picky / choosy / particular about …

He is very fussy / picky / choosy / particular about the clothes he buys.

a spot of ...= a small amount of …

Shall we stop for a spot of lunch?

a spot of bother = some trouble

I’m having a spot of bother with my car / one of my teeth.

The old lady was glad to be back at the block of flats where she lived.

block n. a large building divided into separate parts 大楼

a block of flats an office block

an apartment block

Once he landed on the roof of a block of flats and on another occasion, he landed in a deserted

car park.

tire vt. 使疲劳

grow linking-v. become different quite slowly 慢慢变得……

造句：我对英语的兴趣随着每一堂课慢慢增长。

My interest in English grew stronger with every class of the course.

造句：他的自信心随着每一次取得的成功渐渐增长。

His self-confidence grew greater with every success he achieved.

In the lift her thoughts were on lunch and a good rest; but when she got out at her own floor,

both were forgotten in her sudden discovery that her front door was open.

lift (Br.E.) = elevator (Am.E.) n. 电梯

In the lift she was thinking about lunch and a good rest.

one’s thoughts are / were on …

On my way to the school, my thoughts were on the final examinations.

in the + noun. 句中多作原因状语

…, both were forgotten because she suddenly discovered that …

The Swedes were the first to recognize that public officials like civil servants, police officers,

health inspectors or tax-collectors can make mistakes or act over-zealously in the belief

(=because they believe) that they are serving the public.

The men of our family waded down through our flooded meadows with boathooks, in the hope

of being (=because they hope to be) able to grapple a corner of the raft and pull it out of the

current towards our bank.

They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics for years, in the belief (=because

they believe) that they may one day need just those very things.

Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter in

the thought (=because they think) that they have cheated of the best things that life has to offer.

She was thinking that she must reprimand her home help the next morning for such a monstrous

piece of negligence, when she remembered that she had gone shopping after the home help had

left and she knew that she had turned both keys in their locks.

reprimand … (for …)

Recognizing who the customer was, the manager was most apologetic and reprimanded the

assistant severely.

He may gently reprimand an official or even suggest to parliament that a law be altered.

She was thinking that she must reprimand her home help the next morning for such a monstrous

piece of negligence, …

home help n. (Br.E.) someone who helps ill or old people in their homes with cleaning, cooking

etc. 家务助手

negligence n. [U] 疏忽，粗心大意

The accident was due to her negligence.

turn the key in the lock

insert the key in the lock

remove / take out the key from the lock

She walked slowly into the hall and at once noticed that all the room doors were open, yet

following her regular practice she had shut them before going out.

follow one’s regular practice

Following my regular practice I write once a month to my son in the States.

look into sth.: investigate or examine sth. 调查或仔细查看

I wrote a letter of complaint and the airline has promised to look into the matter.

The police are looking into the records of all those involved in the crime.

drawing room n. (formal or old-fashioned) a room in a large house in which people relax and

guests are entertained 客厅，起居室

hall

living room / sitting room / drawing room

dining room kitchen bathroom

guestroom study bedroom

master bedroom storeroom

attic / loft basement / cellar balcony

confusion n. mess; disorder; chaos 混乱

Only two stray dogs benefited from all this confusion, for they greedily devoured what was left of

the cake.

over adv. across a distance in a particular direction or at a location 在那边

He lives over in England.

as clear as day / daylight / crystal

It was very clear then that …

It was as clear as daylight then that …

as clear as mud

as dark as pitch

as easy as ABC

as swift as lightning

as cold as ice

as straight as an arrow

as strong as a horse

as brave as a lion

as cunning as a fox

as greedy as a wolf

as stubborn as a mule

as poor as a church mouse

force an entry = break in 强行闯入

The police forced an entry into the building.

There is no signs of forced entry.

while she was away

in / during one’s absence

in / during the absence of sb.

in one’s presence

in the presence of sb.

Her first impulse was to go round all the rooms looking for the thieves, but then she decided that

at her age it might be more prudent to have someone with her, so she went to fetch the porter

from his basement.

one’s aim / purpose is to ...

one’s dream is to ...

one’s plan is to ...

one’s hope / wish is to ...

one’s advice / suggestion is to ...

one’s first impulse / reaction is to …

prudent adj. sensible and careful, esp. by trying to avoid unnecessary risks 审慎的，明智的

prudent house buyers

it is prudent (for sb.) to do sth.

It would be prudent to save some of the money.

It might be prudent to get some expert advice first.

反义: rash adj. 轻率的，鲁莽的，不计后果的

Don’t make rash promises.

Despite the new tunnel, there are still a few people who rashly attempt to cross the Pass on foot.

have (got) sb. with you: if you have someone with you, they are present with you 某人与自己在

一起

Luckily I had a friend with me who spoke German.

fetch sb. from sth. 从……把某人接来，叫来或来

Would you mind going to fetch the kids from school?

I have to fetch my mother from the railway station.

porter n. 1. (Br.E.) = doorman (Am.E.) someone whose job is to take care of a building and be

present at its entrance in order to help visitors 门房

porter n. 2. a person whose job is to carry things, especially traveler's bags at railway stations,

airports, etc. 脚夫，搬运工

She gave her luggage to a porter and showed him her ticket.

By this time her legs were beginning to tremble, so she sat down and accepted a cup of very

strong tea, while he telephoned the police.

be beginning to do 渐渐开始

It was beginning to get dark.

By now we were beginning to get tired and the rain was falling heavily.

During the summer, I noticed that the leaves of the tree were beginning to wither.

Suddenly, there was a slight trembling sound from below, and the captain went down to see what

had happened.

strong adj.（饮料、酒等）浓的，烈性的

strong coffee / tea / beer …

反义：weak

weak coffee / tea / beer …

Then, her composure regained, she was ready to set off with the porter's assistance to search for

any intruders who might still be lurking in her flat.

keep / maintain one’s composure

lose one’s composure

recover / regain one’s composure

Then, her composure was regained, and she was ready to ...

Then, her composure regained, she was ready to ...

set off / out start off / out

Four days after setting out, while the Titanic was sailing across the icy waters of the North

Atlantic, a huge iceberg was suddenly spotted by a look-out.

intruder n. someone who illegally enters a building or area, usually in order to steal sth. 非法入

侵者（尤指为行窃）

The police think the intruder got in through an unlocked window.

intrude v. to interrupt someone or become involved in their private affairs in an annoying and

unwanted way 打扰，侵扰，干涉（隐私等）

I don't wish to intrude, but could I talk to you for a moment?

intrude into / on / upon …

Employers should not intrude into the private lives of their employees.

Civil Rights campaigners say the new laws will intrude on people's personal freedom.

lurk v. to wait somewhere quietly and secretly, usually because you are going to do sth. wrong 潜

伏

She didn't see the figure lurking behind the bushes.

They went through the rooms, being careful to touch nothing, as they did not want to hinder the

police in their search for fingerprints.

go through sth.: to search sth. in order to find sth. in particular 搜寻

The Officer went through the case with great care. Bad weather is

hampering the search for survivors.

in search of … = searching for …

go in search of a cheap hotel

Soon the hobby leads to travel, perhaps to a meeting in another town, possibly a trip abroad in

search of a rare specimen, for collectors are not confined to any one country.

The chaos was incredible / unbelievable / unimaginable / unthinkable / beyond belief.

She had lived in the flat for thirty years and was a veritable magpie at hoarding; and it seemed as

though everything she possessed had been tossed out and turned over and over.

At least sorting out the things she should have discarded years ago was now being made easier

for her.

sort out: 1. to separate one type of thing from another 从……中挑出来

I've sorted out the papers that can be thrown away.

sort out: 2. to arrange or organize sth. that is mixed up or untidy, so that it is ready to be used

将……分类整理好

We need to sort out our camping gear before we go away.

should have done 应该做的却没有做

You should have declared that. Perfume is not exempt from import duty.

police inspector n. a police officer of middle rank 巡官

constable n. a British police officer of the lowest rank 警察

tell sb. of sth. (fml.) describe an event to sb. 向某人讲述某事

He told us of his extraordinary childhood.

ransack v. to search a place, making it untidy and causing damage, usually because you are

looking for sth. 洗劫

The house had been ransacked by burglars.

The inspector began to look for fingerprints, while the constable checked that the front door

locks had not been forced, thereby proving that the burglars had either used skeleton keys or

entered over the balcony.

One man stayed at the wheel while two others with black stockings over their faces jumped out

and smashed the window of the shop with iron bars.

check v. make sure of sth. by examining or investigating it （用检查或调查的方法）印证、确认

某事物

check (that) …

Go and check (that) I've locked the windows.

force / pick / break a lock

thereby adv. (fml.) with the result that sth. else happens 因此，由此

thereby doing sth.

He became a citizen in 1978, thereby gaining the right to vote.

Regular exercise strengthens the heart, thereby reducing the risk of heart attack.

thus doing

The universities have expanded, thus allowing many more people the chance of higher

education.

They diluted the drug, thus reducing its effectiveness.

The merchants began to import corn, thus forcing farmers to cut their prices.

skeleton key / passkey

There was no trace of fingerprints, but the inspector found a dirty red bundle that contained

jewellery which the old lady said was not hers.

trace n. a small sign that shows that sb. or sth. was present or existed 痕迹，踪迹，迹象

there is no trace of …

There was no trace of anyone having entered the room since then.

bundle n. parcel, package 包裹

嵌入式定语从句 (Embedded Attributive Clause)：既是先行词的后置定语，又是另一个分句结

构的宾语。

In this part of the cave, they could hear an insistent booming sound which they found was caused

by a small waterspout shooting down into a pool from the roof of the cave.

Turning back down the main street, we quickened our pace and made our way rapidly towards

the stream where we hoped the boatman was waiting.

I hired a car the day after landing and bought a comprehensive book of maps, which I found most

helpful on the cross country journey, but which I did not think I should need on the last stage.

entry (into …) 进入（……）

造句：老师突然进来把孩子们吓了一跳。

The children were surprised by the sudden entry of their teacher.

造句：夜昏暗，谁也没有注意到他们进入了军营。

It was dark and their entry into the camp had gone unnoticed.

job n. (infml.) a crime, esp. stealing 作案，罪行

an inside job

He got six months for that last job he did.

The inspector then asked the old lady to try to check what was missing by the next day and

advised her not to stay alone in the flat for a few nights.

The old lady thought he was a fussy creature, but since the porter agreed with him, she rang up

her daughter and asked for her help in what she described as a little spot of bother.

creature (esp. following an adjective) a person, considered in a particular way（尤其用于形容词

后）有某种特点的人

a fussy / strange / pathetic … creature

ring sb. ⇔ up 给某人打电话

As the cry was repeated several times, she ran to tell the manager who promptly rang up the

fire-brigade.

给某人打电话

ring / phone sb. ⇔ up (Br.E.)

= call sb. ⇔ up (Am.E.)

telephone / phone / call sb.

give sb. a call

= give sb. a ring (Br.E.)

help in sth.

Local teachers provided invaluable help in developing the material.

describe … as …

He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which

flowed a great river.'