(单词翻译:单击)
课文
【课文】
Lesson 26 Wanted: a large biscuit tin 征购大饼干筒
No one can avoid being influenced by advertisements. Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose the things we want, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us. In their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product, advertisers have made a close study of human nature and have classified all our little weaknesses.
Advertisers discovered years ago that all of us love to get something for nothing. An advertisement which begins with the magic word FREE can rarely go wrong. These days, advertisers not only offer free samples, but free cars, free houses, and free trips round the world as well. They devise hundreds of competitions which will enable us to win huge sums of money. Radio and television have made it possible for advertisers to capture the attention of millions of people in this way.
During a radio programme, a company of biscuit manufacturers once asked listeners to bake biscuits and send them to their factory. They offered to pay $10 a pound for the biggest biscuit baked by a listener. The response to this competition was tremendous. Before long, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the factory. One lady brought in a biscuit on a wheelbarrow. It weighed nearly 500 pounds. A little later, a man came along with a biscuit which occupied the whole boot of his car. All the biscuits that were sent were carefully weighed. The largest was 713 pounds. It seemed certain that this would win the prize. But just before the competition closed, a lorry arrived at the factory with a truly colossal biscuit which weighed 2,400 pounds. It had been baked by a college student who had used over 1,000 pounds of flour, 800 pounds of sugar, 200 pounds of fat, and 400 pounds of various other ingredients. It was so heavy that a crane had to be used to remove it from the lorry. The manufacturers had to pay more money than they had anticipated, or they bought the biscuit from the student for $24,000.
参考译文
【参考译文】
没有人能避免受广告的影响。尽管我们可以自夸自己的鉴赏力如何敏锐，但我们已经无法独立自主地选购自己所需的东西了。这是因为广告在我们身上施加着一种潜移默化的影响。做广告的人在力图劝说我们买下这种产品或那种产品之前，已经仔细地研究了人的本性，并把人的弱点进行了分类。
做广告的人们多年前就发现我们大家都喜欢免费得到东西。凡是用免费这个神奇的词开头的广告很少会失败的。目前，做广告的人不仅提供免费样品，而且还提供免费汽车，免费住房，免费周游世界。他们设计数以百计的竞赛，竞赛中有人可赢得巨额奖金。电台、电视使做广告的人可以用这种手段吸引成百万人的注意力。
有一次，在电台播放的节目里，一个生产饼干的公司请听众烘制饼干送到他们的工厂去。他们愿意以每磅10美元的价钱买下由听众烘制的最大的饼干。这次竞赛在听众中引起极其热烈的反响。不久，形状各异，大小不一的饼干陆续送到工厂。一位女士用手推车运来一个饼干，重达500磅左右。相隔不一会儿，一个男子也带来一个大饼干，那个饼干把汽车的行李箱挤得满满的。凡送来的饼干都仔细地称量。最重的一个达713磅，看来这个饼干获奖无疑了。但就在竞赛截止时间将到之际，一辆卡车驶进了工厂，运来了一个特大无比、重达2,400磅的饼干。它是由一个大学生烘制的，用去1,000多磅的面粉、800磅食糖、200磅动物脂肪及400磅其他各种原料。饼干份量太重了，用了一台起重机才把它从卡车上卸下。饼干公司不得不付出比他们预计多得多的钱，因为买下那学生烘制的饼干他们支付了24,000美元。
词汇讲解
1.influence v.影响
例句：Their influence is steadily growing.
他们的影响在稳步扩大。
2.pride v.骄傲
例句：Pride goes before destruction.
骄者必败。
3.taste n.鉴赏力，口味
例句：He had a sweet taste of victory.
他品尝过胜利的甘甜。
4.exert v.施加
例句：We'll have to exert great efforts to accomplish the task.
我们得费很大气力去完成这项工作。
5.subtle adj.微妙的，难以捉摸的
例句：I observed the subtle changes in his behavior until finally he left her for another man.
我注意到他行为的微妙变化，直到最后他为了另外一个男人而离开了她。
6.advertiser n.做广告的人
7.classify v.分类
例句：Workers in the post office classify letters according to the zip code.
邮局里的工作人员根据邮政编码将信件分类。
8.magic adj.有奇妙作用
9.sample n.样品
10.devise v.设计，想出
例句：Astronomers don't need to devise this mechanism right now.
天文学家目前无需探寻这种机理。
11.capture v.吸引，赢得
例句：Many of these pieces capture the beauty of local color and rolling hillside patterns.
很多作品都抓住了地域特色以及山坡起伏的美。
12.manufacturer n.生产厂家，制造商
13.wheelbarrow n.独轮手推车
14.boot n. （汽车尾部的）行李箱
15.ingredient n.配料
16.crane n.起重机
17.anticipate v.预期，预料
例句：If you don't anticipate what may happen, you'll find yourself at a loss when something crops up.
你如果没有思想准备，事到临头就会抓瞎。
课文讲解
【课文讲解】
1.No one can avoid being influenced by advertisements.
参考翻译：没有人能避免受广告的影响。
讲解：No avoid构成双重否定句。在本册的第18课中也出现过双重否定句：Even people who take no interest in art cannot have failed to notice examples of modern sculpture on display in public places.take no interest……cannot就是双重否定的结构。
2.Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose the things we want, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us.
参考翻译：尽管我们可以自夸自己的鉴赏力如何敏锐，但我们已经无法独立自主地选购自己所需的东西了。
讲解：Much as we引导让步状语从句，as引导时，句子要倒装。详细可以参考语法部分。
3.In their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product, advertisers have made a close study of human nature and have classified all our little weaknesses.
参考翻译：做广告的人在力图劝说我们买下这种产品或那种产品之前，已经仔细地研究了人的本性，并把人的弱点进行了分类。
讲解：In their efforts to do sth，为了……相当于in order to do sth.
In order to keep your insurance rates down, it is important to keep your driving record as clean as possible.
要保证自己无违规驾驶，这点很重要，这样一来你的保险费率就会降下来。
He finally left home in an effort to counter the tyranny of arranged marriage in the old society.
他弃家出走，是对旧社会婚姻压迫的反动。
4. These days, advertisers not only offer free samples, but free cars, free houses, and free trips round the world as well.
参考翻译：目前，做广告的人不仅提供免费样品，而且还提供免费汽车，免费住房，免费周游世界。
讲解：not only but also的省略形式。but also有几种变体：but also的变体形式：
a: 省去also，只留but；b: 省去but，只留also；c: but…as well；d: but also全部省略。
(1) Scarlett quaked lest she and Frank lose not only their freedom but the house,the store and mill. 斯佳丽害怕得发抖，惟恐她与弗兰克不仅会失去自由，而且还会失去房屋、商店及锯木厂。
(2) She's not only an excellent housewife also a first class mathematician. 她不仅是一个出色的家庭主妇，而且是一位一流的数学家。
(3) Not only does he write the words to the songs,but he composes the music as well. 他不仅给歌曲写词，也谱曲。
(4) Such a change would improve not only his social image but his health as well. 这样的变化不仅会提高他的社会形象，而且会改善他的健康。
(5) Not only did I hear the car,I actually saw it crash. 我不仅听见了车的声音，而且还亲眼看见了那辆车撞坏了。
5.Radio and television have made it possible for advertisers to capture the attention of millions of people in this way.
参考翻译：电台、电视使做广告的人可以用这种手段吸引成百万人的注意力。
讲解：make for sb to do sth宾语补足语
6.Before long, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the factory.
参考翻译：不久，形状各异，大小不一的饼干陆续送到工厂。
讲解：before long不久
They're bound to catch him before long.
不久，他们一定会抓到他。
7.A little later, a man came along with a biscuit which occupied the whole boot of his car.
参考翻译：相隔不一会儿，一个男子也带来一个大饼干，那个饼干把汽车的行李箱挤得满满的。
讲解：along with与……一起
Students can use this map, along with a map from prewar Europe, to draw a comparison map.
同学们可以根据这张地图和战前的欧洲地图，做出一张对比地图来。
8.It was so heavy that a crane had to be used to remove it from the lorry.
参考翻译：饼干份量太重了，用了一台起重机才把它从卡车上卸下。
讲解：so……that引导结果状语从句，so后可接形容词或副词。
语法点
【语法点】
Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose thethings we want, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us.
as让步状语从句
例句：
Slowly as the tortoise walked,he beat the hare.
尽管乌龟走得很慢,但它仍能打败兔子。
Hard as she worked, she seemed not to do the job well.
尽管她很努力,但她似乎总不能把工作做得很漂亮。
as引导让步状语从句时，状语表语及谓语动词的一部分置于as之前，且表语中的冠词要省略。如：Try as we did we failed again.又如：Late as he came he saw the famous man.而although则无此种用法，句中although应改为 as.
as引导让步状语从句时,常放在作表语,状语或谓语的一部分的形容词,名词,副词或动词原形之后.如果是单数名词或形容词的最高级作表语,不再用冠词.
however和as 引导让步状语从句时的区别：
however引导让步状语从句时，相当于no matter how,后面跟形容词或副词；as引导让步状语从句时，用倒装语序，即把作状语的副词或作表语的形容词或名词提前，而且如果作表语的是单数名词，前面不加冠词，也可以把谓语动词部分的实义动词提前。
〔误〕 As hard he works, he can’t catch up with his classmates.
〔正〕 However hard he works, he can’t catch up with his classmates.
〔析〕见上述说明。
经典句子
【经典句子】
1.Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose thethings we want, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us.
尽管我们可以自夸自己的鉴赏力如何敏锐，但我们已经无法独立自主地选购自己所需的东西了。这是因为广告在我们身上施加着一种潜移默化的影响。
2.Advertisers discovered yearsago that all of us love to get something for nothing.
广告商在很多年以前就发现，我们大家都喜欢不花钱得到的东西。
3.The response to thiscompetition was tremendous.
这次竞赛在听众中引起极其热烈的反响。
4.A little later, a man camealong with a biscuit which occupied the wholeboot of his car.
相隔不一会儿，一个男子也带来一个大饼干，那个饼干把汽车的行李箱挤得满满的。
相关flash和视频讲解
