(单词翻译:单击)
文本和翻译
Lesson 85 Never too old to learn活到老学到老
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.
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。
词汇和短语
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
1.A great many former pupils will be attending a farewell dinner in his honour next Thursday.
a great many很多, 许多
A great many houses were knocked down by the earthquake.
许多房子在地震中塌了。
2.It is a curious coincidence that the day before his retirement, Mr. Page will have been teaching for a total of forty years.
a total of总计为,总共…
That makes a total of 660 U.S.dollars.
总共660美元。
3.But this does not matter, for, as he has often remarked, one is never too old to learn.
结构too to 的用法
在英语中，结构too to 为一固定句型，too后加adj或adv原形，too=more than enough表过分之意，to后加动词原形，一起构成动词
不定短语作结果状语。该短语常用来表示否定意义，译作太……而不能…… 太……以致于不能……此时句中的谓语不可用否定式，因不定式已表达了否定意义。
eg He is too young to join the army 。
他太小了而不能参军
He reached the station too late to catch the train。
他到车站太晚了，没有赶上那趟火车
The girl felt too sick to go to school。
The woman is too old to carry thd box。
另外，该短语也可用来表示肯定的意义：
当个别adj，如pleased、glad、anxious、eager、easy、ready等跟在too后时或当too to前加上not，but，all，only，nerver等词时，则后面的不定式短语往往有肯定意义，即整个短语不表示否定意义，too表示十分、极其意思。
eg She is too (=very)anxious to know the answer
He is too eager to join the Youth League
The headmaster is too easy to get along with (校长非常平易近人 )
You are nerver too old to learn (活到老学到老)
He is only too pleased to help her(他只是太高兴了，才去帮她)
此时，在这种结构中，有时可以省去后面的不定式，eg The cap is too big for me (省去to wear) 有时，句未的不定式可以换用一个介词短语，eg The meat is too hard for eating(=to eat)。
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