PROGRAMME 41

第一部分对话：谈论解决旱灾

在这一讲里，农场主Dick又和他的朋友Greg见面了。他们谈的还是怎样解决旱灾造成的困难。

Dialogue 1
英语情景对话1

DICK: Well, Greg:I might live to sell the farm and go to the city.
GREG: Oh, that'd be awful! Will you get a job there, do you think?
DICK: I don't know.I hope so.
GREG: Could be difficult at the moment…with things as they are.
DICK: Mm! Possibly.
GREG: Would it be possible to find a job around here, do you think? Closer to home, I mean.
DICK: Mm...perhaps. But I don't think so. It's just about impossible at the moment.
GREG: Oh, that's a shame!
DICK: Got any bright ideas?
GREG: You couldn't get another loan from the bank?
DICK: Mm. I've thought of that. I've got an appointment with the bank manager on Thursday. It's certainly worth a try.
GREG: Yeah! And that might tide you over until the drought breaks.

第二部分：英语词汇表达

an appointment 约会
a flood 水灾
a loan 贷款
a suggestion 建议
thunder 雷
Do you think that's likely? 你觉得会出现这种情况吗？
(Have you) got any bright ideas? 你有什么好主意？
Hullo, that's thunder! 哎呀，打雷啦！
I hope so 我希望如此
I'd like to find out if... 我想了解一下，是不是……
It's certainly worth a try 肯定值得试一下
It's just about impossible 那几乎是不可能的
stay for dinner 留下吃饭
That might tide you over 这就可能帮你渡过难关
We'll have a flood on our hands 我们就该遭水灾了
Will he be forced to leave? 他会不会被迫离开呢？
You already owe us twenty (thousand dollars) 你已经欠我们两万块钱了
You couldn't get another loan from the bank? 你不能再从银行弄到一笔贷款吗？
Yeah! 是啊！

IDIOM:

It all depends. 那要看情况而定
GREG: Will they give you a loan? It all depends.
GREG: What on?(=What does it depend on?)

第三部分：课程

SPECULATING (Ⅱ) POSSIBILITY推测(Ⅱ) —有可能发生的事情
表示有可能发生的事情，有许多不同的说法。
1．用副词perhaps, maybe; possibly,或用形容词possible，或用形容词possible。
Perhaps it'll rain today.
Maybe it'll rain today.
Possibly it'll rain today.
It's possible it'll rain today.
这几个词也常用作简短的回答，例如：
Will it rain today?
- Perhaps.
- Maybe.
-Possibly.
- It's (quite) possible.
2．情态动词may，might，could，后面接动词不定式时，不用加to。
may break soon.
The drought might break soon.
could break soon.
(=It's possible the drought will break soon.)
请注意，may这个词虽然河以用来比较正式地征求别人的同意，例如 May I borrow your book?但在更多的情况下，是用来表示可能性的。

第四部分：背景资料

澳大利亚的旱灾

最近这两讲讲的是澳大利亚的农场主在发生旱灾的时候遇到的困难。澳大利亚有一个很大的干旱地区，经常发生旱灾。这个干旱地区包括中部的辛普森沙漠，以及其他一些不甚干旱、但雨量不足的地区。实际上全国许多地方都曾不周程度地受到干旱的袭击。1979至1988年，新南威尔士州就经受了一场特别严重的旱灾。
旱灾一发生，小麦和其他作物都受很大影响，时间长了，连牛羊吃的饲草都很难找到。在这种情况下，农场主便遇到很多难题。他们需要不断地估计形势，以决定是把准备卖掉，还是买粮食和饲草来喂养，还是把它们送到受灾地区以外饲草充足的地方去寄养(agistment)。如果需要寄养，有时就得把牛羊运到几百公里以外的地方，甚至运到另外一个州。在旱灾严重的情况下，要等两三年，在旱灾过去后，才能回来。寄养是很费钱的，不过遇上大旱灾，如果不想把牲畜卖掉，这也不失为一条出路。