新概念英语第二册Lesson 85 Never too old to learn

Lesson 85 Never too old to learn 活到老学到老

First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
How long has Mr. Page been teaching?
    
I have just received a letter from my old school, informing me that my former headmaster, Mr. Stuart Page, will be retiring next week. Pupils of the school, old and new, will be sending him a present to mark the occasion. All those who have contributed towards the gift will sign their names in a large album which will be sent to the headmaster's home. We shall all remember Mr. Page for his patience and understanding and for the kindly encouragement he gave us when we went so unwillingly to school. A great many former pupils will be attending a farewell dinner in his honour next Thursday. It is a curious coincidence that the day before his retirement, Mr. Page will have been teaching for a total of forty years. After he has retired, he will devote himself to gardening. For him, this will be an entirely new hobby. But this does not matter, for, as he has often remarked, one is never too old to learn.

New words and expressions 生词和短语

inform v. 告诉，通知
headmaster n. 校长
contribute v. 捐助，援助
gift n. 礼物，赠品
album n. 签名簿，相册
patience n. 耐心
encouragement n. 鼓励
farewell n. 告别
honour n. 敬意
coincidence n. 巧合
total n. 总数
devote v. 致力于
gardening n. 园艺
hobby n. 爱好，嗜好

参考译文

我刚刚收到母校的一封信，通知我说以前的校长斯图亚特.佩奇先生下星期就退休了。为了纪念这个日子，学校的学生——无论老同学还是新同学——将送他一件礼物。所有凑钱买此礼品的人都将自己的名字签在一本大签名簿上，签名簿将被送到校长的家里。我们不会忘记佩奇先生对我们既有耐心又充满理解，也不会忘记在我们不愿去上学时他给予我们的亲切鼓励。很多老同学都准备参加下星期四为他举行的告别宴会。佩奇先生退休的前一天正好是他执教满40年的日子，这真是奇妙的巧合。他退休后，将致力于园艺。对于他来说，这将是一种全新的爱好。但这没有关系，因为正如他常说的那样，人要活到老学到老。

 

　　自学导读
　　课文详注 Further notes on the text
　　1．Pupils of the school, old and new, will be sending him a present to mark the occasion.为了纪念这个日子，学校的学生——无论老同学还是新闻学——将送他一件礼物。
　　（1）old and new为pupils的非限定性定语，因为有逗号把它与句子的其他成分隔开，并且去掉它对句子的意义影响不大。有时这种两个连用的形容词（或分词）相当于状语，这时它可以位于句子中间，也可以位于句首：
　　The workers, thirsty and tired, took a rest under the trees.
　　工人们又渴又累，在树底下休息了一会儿。（thirsty and tired可以换到句首，相当于状语）
　　The villagers here, young and old, are interested in gardening.
　　这里的村民们，无论年轻的还是年长的，都对园艺感兴趣。
　　（2）mark本义为“给……作记号/留痕迹”，在这里表示“纪念”：
　　He marked all the foods which were forbidden with a red pencil.
　　他用红笔标出所有禁吃的食物。
　　2．All those who have contributed towards the gift will sign their names in a large album…所有凑钱买此礼品的人都将把自己的名字签在一本大签名簿上……
　　（1）contribute通常与to/towards连用，表示“捐给”、“提供给”：
　　Before his death, he contributed a large sum of money to the church.
　　他在临死前捐了一大笔钱给教会。
　　A few of us contributed towards Mary's present on her birthday.
　　玛丽生日那天，我们当中的几个人凑钱买了份礼物给她。
　　（2）present与gift都可以表示“礼物”、“赠品”，但gift相对要正式些：
　　She has just received a beautiful birthday present.
　　她刚收到一份漂亮的生日礼物。
　　He made a gift of ￡ 60, 000 to his old school.
　　他向母校赠送了6万英镑。
　　3．We shall all remember Mr. Page for his patience and understanding and for the kindly encouragement he gave us when we went so unwillingly to school. 我们不会忘记佩奇先生对我们既有耐心又充满理解，也不会忘记在我们不愿去上学时他给予我们的亲切鼓励。
　　（1）这个长句子的主要框架是remember sb. for stb．（因某事记住某人），介词for有3个并列宾语：patience，understanding和encouragement，最后这个宾语又带有自己的定语从句，定语从句又有自己的时间状语从句。for后面跟的可以是某人的品德、特征等：
　　Jeremy is remembered for his great sense of humour.
　　人们不会忘记杰里米那绝妙的幽默感。
　　（2）kindly在这里为形容词，表示“仁慈的”、“和蔼的”、“亲切的”等，这个词既可以作形容词，也可以作副词：
　　She gave me a kindly smile.
　　她对我友好地笑了一下。（形容词）
　　Dan kindly invited us to lunch yesterday.
　　丹昨天友好地/好心地邀请我们吃午饭。（副词）
　　I greeted her and she smiled kindly.
　　我向她打招呼，她亲切地微微一笑。
　　（3）so在这里是一种非正式的用法，表示程度，相当于very：
　　This new cheese is so good!
　　这新奶酪如此之好！
　　You are so kind!
　　你（们）太客气了！
　　4．a farewell dinner in his honour, 为他举行的告别宴会。
　　（1）farewell比goodbye要正式，可以单独使用：Farewell！（再见！再会！一路平安！）它也可以作名词或形容词用：
　　He said farewell to his mother and got on the plane.
　　他向母亲告别后便登上了飞机。（名词）
　　When Frank retired, they held a farewell party.
　　弗兰克退休时，他们开了个欢送会。（形容词）
　　（2）in sb.'s honour作定语，表示“为向某人表示敬意”、“为纪念某人”等，也可以说in honour of sb．：
　　Many people attended the party in honour of the new manager.
　　很多人参加了为新经理举办的晚会。
　　This is a farewell performance in her honour.
　　这是一场为她举办的告别演唱/演奏会。
　　5．a total of，总共。
　　total在这里是名词，表示“总数”、“总额”、“合计”等：
　　The money she spent on the dinner party reached a total of ￡  200．
　　她为这次宴会共花了200英镑。
　　6．devote oneself to，致力于，献身于，专心于。
　　Mary devotes herself to helping the poor.
　　玛丽致力于帮助穷苦人。
　　As a boy, Jim devoted himself to tennis.
　　吉姆小时候热衷于网球。

　　词汇学习 Word study
　　1．inform
　　（1）vt. 通知，告知：
　　Who informed you about/of this?
　　谁把这事告诉你的？
　　He was informed that he would receive an extra thousand pounds a year.
　　他被告知他每年将得到1,000英镑的额外收入。
　　（2）vi. 告发，检举（与against/on连用）：
　　He used to inform against his classmates.
　　他过去常打同学的小报告。
　　Several people have informed on him.
　　好几个人告发了他。
　　2．too与enough
　　这两个词都可以作程度副词，但too通常位于它所修饰的形容词/分词之前，enough则位于它所修饰的词之后。在含有不定式的句型里，too经常具有否定的含义，enough则表示达到必要的程度：
　　He's too weak to lift the box.
　　他太弱了，举不起这箱子。
　　He isn't strong enough to lift the box.
　　他不够强壮，举不起这箱子。
　　（这两句话中，主要动词的主语也是不定式的主语）
　　He is too heavy for me to lift.
　　他太重了，我不能举起他。
　　The pear is ripe enough for me to eat.
　　这梨熟得能让我吃了。
　　（这两句话中，主要动词的主语是不定式的宾语，不定式的逻辑主语由for引导）
　　需要注意的是，无论有没有for短语，不定式后面都绝不可以带宾语。

　　练习答案 Key to written exercises
　　1．难点练习答案
　　1 This car is too expensive to buy. This car is too expensive for me to buy.
　　2 This car is cheap enough to buy. This car is cheap enough for me to buy.
　　3 The tea is too hot to drink. The tea is too hot for me to drink.
　　4 This piece of music is too difficult to play. This piece of music is too difficult for me to play.
　　5 This piece is easy enough to play. This piece is easy enough for me to play.
　　2．多项选择题答案
　　1d  2d  3b  4a  5b  6a
　　7b  8d  9b  10b  11d  12c