(单词翻译:单击)
课文
Lesson 46 Do it yourself 自己动手
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Did the writer repair his lawn mower in the end? Why/Why not?
So great is our passion for doing things for ourselves, that we are becoming increasingly less dependent on specialized labour. No one can plead ignorance of a subject any longer, for these are countless do-it-yourself publications. Armed with the right tools and materials, newlyweds gaily embark on the task of decorating their own homes. Men, particularly, spend hours of their leisure time installing their own fireplaces, laying out their own gardens; building garages and making furniture. Some really keen enthusiasts go so far as to build their own computers. Shops cater for the do-it-yourself craze not only by running special advisory services for novices, but by offering consumers bits and pieces which they can assemble at home. Such things provide an excellent outlet for pent up creative energy, but unfortunately not all of us are born handymen.
Some wives tend to believe that their husbands are infinitely resourceful and can fix anything. Even men who can hardly drive a nail in straight are supposed to be born electricians, carpenters, plumbers and mechanics. When lights fuse, furniture gets rickety, pipes get clogged, or vacuum cleaners fail to operate, some woman assume that their husbands will somehow put things right. The worst thing about the do-it-yourself game is that sometimes even men live under the delusion that they can do anything, even when they have repeatedly been proved wrong. It is a question of pride as much as anything else.
Last spring my wife suggested that I call in a man to look at our lawn mower. It had broken down the previous summer, and though I promised to repair it, I had never got round to it. I would not hear of the suggestion and said that I would fix it myself. One Saturday afternoon, I hauled the machine into the garden and had a close look at it. As far as I could see, it needed only a minor adjustment: a turn of a screw here, a little tightening up there, a drop of oil and it would be as good as new. Inevitably the repair job was not quite so simple. The mower firmly refused to mow, so I decided to dismantle it. The garden was soon littered with chunks of metal which had once made up a lawn mower. But I was extremely pleased with myself. I had traced the cause of the trouble. One of links in the chain that drives the wheels had snapped. After buying a new chain I was faced with the insurmountable task of putting the confusing jigsaw puzzle together again. I was not surprised to find that the machine still refused to work after I had reassembled it, for the simple reason that I was left with several curiously shaped bits of metal which did not seem to fit anywhere. I gave up in despair. The weeks passed and the grass grew. When my wife nagged me to do something about it, I told her that either I would have to buy a new mower or let the grass grow. Needless to say our house is now surrounded by a jungle. Buried somewhere in deep grass there is a rusting lawn mower which I have promised to repair one day.
参考译文
【参考译文】
现在我们自己动手做事的热情很高，结果对于专业工人的依赖越来越少了。由于出版了不计其数的教人自己动手做事的书报杂志，没有人再能说对某事一无所知。新婚夫妇找来合适的工具和材料，喜气洋洋地开始布置新房。特别是男人，常利用空闲时间安装壁炉、布置花园、建造车库、制作家具。有些热衷于自己动手的人甚至自己组装电脑。为了满足自己动手热的需要，商店不仅为初学者提供专门的咨询服务，而且为顾客准备了各种零件，供他们买回家去安装。这些东西为人们潜在的创造力提供了一个绝妙的用武之地。但不幸的是，我们并非人人都是能工巧匠。
妻子常常认为她们的丈夫无比聪明能干。甚至那些连一枚钉子都钉不直的男人都被认为是天生的电工、木匠、水管工和机械师。每当电灯保险丝烧断、家具榫头松动、管道堵塞、吸尘器不动时，有些妻子认为丈夫总有办法。自己动手的例子中最糟糕的是，有时甚至是男人尽管接连失败却还误以为自己什么都行，原因就是要面子。
今年春天，妻子让我请人检查一下我家的割草机。那台割草机去年夏天就坏了，尽管我答应修，但一直没抽出时间，我不愿听妻子的建议，说我自己会修。一个星期六的下午，我把割草机拉到了花园里，仔细检查了一番。在我看来，只需稍加调整即可。这儿紧紧螺丝，那儿固定一下，再加几滴油，就会像新的一样了。事实上，修理工作远不是那么简单。修完后割草机还是纹丝不动。于是，我决定把它拆开。一会儿工夫，割草机便被拆成一个个金属零件，乱七八糟地堆在花园里。但我却非常高兴，因为我找到了毛病所在。驱动轮子的链条断了一节。我买来一根新链条后，面临的就是如何把这些令人眼花缭乱的拼板重新组装起来。等我装完后，那台割草机仍然一动不动，对此我倒并不感到吃惊。原因很简单，因为还剩下几个形状奇特的零件似乎哪里也装不上去。我无可奈何，只好罢休。几个星期过去了，草长了起来。妻子喋喋不休让我想点办法。我告诉她，要么买一台新割草机，要么让草长下去。不用说，我家现在已被丛林包围。深草丛中的某个地方有一台正在生锈的割草机，那就是我曾答应某日要修理的割草机。
词汇讲解
1.plead v.找（借口），辩解
例句：Confronted with ironclad evidence the scoundrel had to plead guilty.
铁证如山，那个坏家伙不得不低头认罪。
2.ignorance n.无知，不懂
例句：I will battle against prejudice and ignorance forever.
我将终生为消灭偏见和无知而战。
3.publication n.出版物
例句：The author couldn't get his work done in time for publication.
作者不能按时发稿了。
4.newlyweds n.新婚夫妇
5.gaily adv. 愉快地，高兴地
例句：They chatted gaily while they dressed.
他们一面穿衣服一面高兴地聊着。
6.leisure n.空闲
7.keen adj. 热心的，渴望的
8.advisory adj. 咨询的
例句：He is acting in an advisory capacity.
他以顾问的身份发挥作用（或行为）。
9.novice n.新手
例句：It is common for a stock operation novice to lose some money in the beginning.
刚开始炒股的人出现亏损是常事。
10.consumer n.消费者，顾客
11.assemble v.装配，组装
例句：The teacher told her students to assemble on the playground in ten minutes.
老师告诉学生们十分钟后在操场集合。
12.outlet n.出路
13.creative adj. 创造性的
14.handyman n.手巧的人，能工巧匠
15.resourceful adj. 足智多谋的
例句：She is calm and resourceful in an emergency.
她在紧急关头总是沉着机敏。
16.fuse v.由于烧断保险丝而短路
17.rickety adj. 要散架的，晃动的
18.clog v.堵塞
19.delusion n.错觉
20.lawn mower 割草机
21.adjustment n.调整
22.dismantle v.拆卸
例句：Opening a new window just must dismantle on the part of roof.
开一个新窗户就得拆除部分房顶。
23.insurmountable adj.不能克服的，难以对付的
例句：But the difficulties of sending goods out are not entirely insurmountable.
但是这种出口困难，不是完全不可克服的。
24.jigsaw n. 线锯
25.nag v.唠叨不休
26.rust v.生锈
课文讲解
1.So great is our passion for doing things for ourselves, that we are becoming increasingly less dependent on specialized labour.
参考翻译：现在我们自己动手做事的热情很高，结果对于专业工人的依赖越来越少了。
(1)so that
So… that…的意思是如此地…以致于…，它引导结果状语从句。在口语中，so…that…的that常被省去。例：
She felt so sad that tears came to her eyes．
她非常悲伤，泪水盈眶。
John was so drunk（that）he could not stand still．
约翰醉得站也站不住了。
He spoke so rapidly（that）we could hardly follow him．
他说得很快，我们很难听清楚他在说什么。
so这一部分提前，起强调作用。
(2)be dependent on依靠，以来
Since then the mother and the daughter had been dependent on each other for survival.
从此，母女俩相依为命。
2.Armed with the right tools and materials, newlyweds gaily embark on the task of decorating their own homes.
参考翻译：新婚夫妇找来合适的工具和材料，喜气洋洋地开始布置新房。
(1)Armed with过去分词短语作状语
(2)embark on从事, 着手
Whatever made John embark on such a hairbrained scheme?
是什么使得约翰着手这样一个轻率的计划？
3.Men, particularly, spend hours of their leisure time installing their own fireplaces, laying out their own gardens; building garages and making furniture.
参考翻译：特别是男人，常利用空闲时间安装壁炉、布置花园、建造车库、制作家具。
(1)lay out摆开, 展示, 布置, 安排, 投资
The office is poorly lay out.
办公室布置的很差。
(2)spend some time doing sth花费时间做某事，注意，后面的动词要用动名词形式。
4.Such things provide an excellent outlet for pent up creative energy, but unfortunately not all of us are born handymen.
参考翻译：这些东西为人们潜在的创造力提供了一个绝妙的用武之地。但不幸的是，我们并非人人都是能工巧匠。
not all of us部分否定，详见语法部分。
5.The worst thing about the do-it-yourself game is that sometimes even men live under the delusion that they can do anything, even when they have repeatedly been proved wrong.
参考翻译：自己动手的例子中最糟糕的是，有时甚至是男人尽管接连失败却还误以为自己什么都行，原因就是要面子。
the delusion that同位语从句，指代的是delusion。在复合句主句中名词性成分之后与该名词性成分并列， 补充说明该名词性成分的有关情况的名词性从句， 被称为同位语从句。同位语从句的先行词通常为answer, hope, fact, truth, belief, news, idea, promise, information, conclusion, order, suggestion, problem, question, thought, report, belief, decision, doubt, opinion, theory等抽象名词。
6.Last spring my wife suggested that I call in a man to look at our lawn mower.
参考翻译：今年春天，妻子让我请人检查一下我家的割草机。
suggest虚拟语气
表示建议、命令、劝告、决心等主观色彩的动词 + that + (should) + 动词原形，其中should经常被省略。这类动词包括：advise，ask，command，decide，decree，demand，desire，determine， direct，insist，maintain，move(动议，规定)，order，prefer，propose，recommend，require，stipulate，suggest等等。
只有suggest意为建议、insist意为坚持认为时，从句用虚拟语气，当suggest意为暗示、insist意为坚持说时，从句不用虚拟语气。例如：
When the son suggested that they should go to park on Sunday, the expression on his father suggested that he agreed with him.当儿子提议星期天去公园时，父亲用表情表示了默许。
The boy insisted that he didn’t cheat in the exam.这个孩子坚持说他没有在考试中作弊。(考试已经结束)
7.Buried somewhere in deep grass there is a rusting lawn mower which I have promised to repair one day.
参考翻译：深草丛中的某个地方有一台正在生锈的割草机，那就是我曾答应某日要修理的割草机。
Buried somewhere in deep grass是状语，状语提前表示强调。
语法讲解
英语中的部分否定（即不完全否定）有如下一些表示方法：
一、 all 的否定式：not all…（或：all…not）表示"并非都……"、"不是所有的都……"例如：
Not all men can be masters. (= All men cannot be masters.) 并非人人都能当头头。
Not all bamboo grows tall. 并非所有的竹子都会长得很高。
二、 both 的否定式：not…both (或：both… not) "并非两个……都……" 例如：
I don＇t want both the books. 我不是两本书都要。
Both (the) windows are not open. 两扇窗子并不都开着。
三、 every…的否定式："不是每……都……" 例如：
Not every book is educative. (或：Every book is not educative.) 不是每本书都有教育意义的。
Not everyone likes this book. 并非人人都喜欢这本书。
This flower is not seen everywhere. 这花并不是随处可见的。
四、 always的否定式："并非总是（并非一直）……" 例如：
He is not always so sad. 他并不是一直都这样悲伤。
五、 entirely， altogether， completely 和quite 的否定式："不完全……"，"并非完全……" 例如：
The businessman is never to be entirely trusted. 不可以完全信任商人。
He felt not altogether satisfied. 他并不完全满意。
I don＇t agree completely. 我并不完全同意。
What he did was not quite proper. 他做的不十分妥当。
六、 all the time 的否定式："并非一直……"、"未必老是……" 例如：
A foolish man doesn＇t make a mistake all the time. 笨人未必老是犯错误。
七、 not…and…的否定式，被否定的往往是and后面的那一部分。 例如：
He did not speak clearly and correctly. 他讲得清楚但不正确。
This film is not interesting and instructive. 这部电影有趣但无教育意义。
She cannot sing and dance. 她会唱歌但不会跳舞。
如果将and 换成or，not 对其后面的两部分就全盘否定了。
He did not speak clearly or correctly. 他讲的既不清楚也不正确。
如要对上述的all， both， every， always， 以及entirely， altogether， completely， quite 和 all the time 等词作完全否定，那就分别要用与之相对应的全否定词，如no， none， neither， no one， never， not (never)… at all 等。例如：
All of them can do it.--- None of them can do it.
Both are good.---Neither is good.
Everybody likes it. ---Nobody likes it.
He is always late. --- He is never late.
We don＇t trust them entirely. --- We never trust them at all.
He was here all the time. --- He was never here.
经典句子
1.So great is our passion for doing things for ourselves, that we are becoming increasinglyless dependent on specialized labour.
现在我们自己动手做事的热情很高，结果对于专业工人的依赖越来越少了。
2.Armed with the right tools and materials, newly-weds gaily embark on the task of decorating their own homes.
只要配备适当的工具及材料，新婚夫妇便乐于从事新房布置。
3.The worst thing about thedo-it-yourself game is that sometimes husbands liveunder the delusion that they can do anything even when they have beenrepeatedly proved wrong.
自己动手的例子中最糟糕的是，有时甚至是男人尽管接连失败却还误以为自己什么都行，此乃自尊心所使。
4.I hadtraced the cause of the trouble.
我找到了毛病所在。
