(单词翻译:单击)
课文
Lesson 56 Our neighbour, the river 河流，我们的邻居
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why had the neighbours left their farm?
The river which forms the eastern boundary of our farm has always played an important part in our lives. Without it we could not make a living. There is only enough spring water to supply the needs of the houses, so we have to pump from the river for farm use. We tell river all our secrets. We know instinctively, just as beekeepers with their bees, that misfortune might overtake us if the important events of our lives were not related to it.
We have special river birthday parties in the summer. Sometimes were go upstream to a favourite backwater, sometimes we have our party at the boathouse, which a predecessor of ours at the farm built in the meadow hard by the deepest pool for swimming and diving. In a heat wave we choose a midnight birthday party and that is the most exciting of all. We welcome the seasons by the riverside, crowning the youngest girl with flowers in the spring, holding a summer festival on Midsummer Eve, giving thanks for the harvest in the autumn, and throwing a holy wreath into the current in the winter.
After a long period of rain the river may overflow its banks. This is a rare occurrence as our climate seldom guest to extremes. We are lucky in that only the lower fields, which make up a very small proportion of our farm, are effected by flooding, but other farms are less favorably sited, and flooding can sometimes spell disaster for their owners.
One had winter we watched the river creep up the lower meadows. All the cattle had been moved into stalls and we stood to lose little. We were, however, worried about our nearest neighbors, whose farm was low lying and who were newcomers to the district. As the floods had put the telephone out of order, we could not find out how they were managing. From an attic window we could get a sweeping view of the river where their land joined ours, and at the most critical juncture we took turns in watching that point. The first sign of disaster was a dead sheep floating down. Next came a horse, swimming bravely, but we were afraid that the strength of the current would prevent its landing anywhere before it became exhausted. Suddenly a raft appeared, looking rather like Noah's ark, carrying the whole family, a few hens, the dogs, cat, and bird in a cage. We realized that they must have become unduly frightened by the rising flood, for their house, which had sound foundations, would have stood stoutly even if it had been almost submerged. The men of our family waded down through our flooded meadows with boathooks, in the hope of being able to grapple a corner of the raft and pull it out of the current towards our bank. We still think it a miracle that they we able to do so.
参考译文
【参考译文】
形成我们农场东部边界的一条河流一直在我们生活中发挥着重要作用。要是没有这条河，我们就无法生存下去。泉水只能满足家庭生活用水，因此我们必须从河里抽水以用于农业生产。我们向那条河倾诉我们的秘密。我们本能地懂得，就像养蜂人和他的蜜蜂那样，要是我们不把生活中的重大的事件告诉那条河，就可能大祸临头。
夏天，我们为这条河举办特殊的生日宴会。有时，我们溯流而上来到我们喜爱的回水河汊举办；有时在船坞举办。那船坞是农场一位前辈在一块草地上盖的，草地紧挨着一个专供游泳、跳水的深水池。天气炎热时，我们便选择在半夜举办生日聚会，这种聚会是最令人激动的。我们在河边迎接一年四季。春天在河边为最年轻的姑娘戴上花冠，夏天在河边欢庆仲夏前夜，秋天在河边丰收而感恩，冬天往河中抛撒一个冬表花环。
久雨这后，河水会泛滥成灾，但是在我们这里，气候很少发生异常，河水极少泛滥。值得庆幸的是，只有低洼的受到洪水影响，而低洼地在我们农场比例很小。其他农场地势欠佳，洪水有时会给农场主带来灾难。
有一年冬天，天气不好，我们眼看着河水浸没了地势较低的草场。所有的牲口已提前转移到畜圈里，没有造成什么损失。不过，我们很为我们的近邻担心。他们的农场地势低洼，而且他们又新来乍到。由于洪水造成了电话中断，我们无法了解他们情况。从顶楼窗口看去，我们农场与他们农场接壤处的那段河流一览无余。在最紧急的时刻，我们轮流监视那段河流的险情。灾难的第一迹象是一只死羊顺流而下，接着一匹活马勇敢地与水搏击。但我们担心，洪水力量将使它上岸之前就筋疲力尽了。突然，出现了一只筏子，看起来很像诺亚方舟，上面载着他们全家老小，还有几只母鸡、几只狗，一只猫与一只鸟笼，那里头有一只小鸟。我们意识到他们一定是被不断上涨的洪水吓坏了。因为他们的房子地基牢固，即使洪水几乎灭顶也不会倒塌。我家的男人们手拿船篙过被水淹没草场，希望能够钩住筏子一角，将它拽出激流，拖回岸边。他们终于成功了。至今我们仍认为这是个奇迹。
词汇讲解
1.boundary n.界线；边界
例句：The river is the boundary between the two countries.
这条河是两国的分界线。
2.pump v.用泵抽
3.overtake v.突然降临
例句：The climbers were overtaken by bad weather.
登山者们突然遇到了恶劣的天气。
4.backwater n.回水河汊
5.predecessor n.前任，前辈
例句：The new Building is more spacious than its predecessor.
这一新建筑比原先的更宽敞。
6.meadow n.草地，草场
7.crown v.给……戴花环
8.holly n.一种冬青植物
9.wreath n.花环
10.occurrence n.偶发事件
例句：History is dotted with rum and inexplicable occurrences.
历史中不时穿插着一些离奇而难以说明的事件。
11.proportion n.部分
12.site v.使位于
13.spell v.招致，带来
14.sweeping adj. 范围广大的
15.critical adj. 危急的
例句：The firemen arrived at the critical moment.
消防队员在千钧一发之际赶到。
16.juncture n.时刻，关头
17.unduly adv. 过度地
例句：He seemed unduly reticent on the subject of his past.
他似乎对他过去的事情讳莫如深。
18.foundations n.地基
19.stoutly adv. 牢固地，粗壮的
例句：The Chief of Police stoutly denied the accusation.
警察局长坚决否认这个指控。
20.submerge v.浸没
例句：She submerged her hands in warm water.
她把双手浸泡在温水中。
21.grapple v.抓住
例句：He grapple with the problem for an hour before he solve it.
他费了一个小时才解出了那道题。
课文讲解
1.The river which forms the eastern boundary of our farm has always played an important part in our lives.
参考翻译：形成我们农场东部边界的一条河流一直在我们生活中发挥着重要作用。
讲解：一般用always带有感情色彩。
play a part和play a role意思相同，起作用
例句：They played a shameful [ despicable ] role in this farce.
他们在这一场闹剧中扮演了可耻[可鄙]的角色。
2.We tell river all our secrets. We know instinctively, just as beekeepers with their bees, that misfortune might overtake us if the important events of our lives were not related to it.
参考翻译：我们向那条河倾诉我们的秘密。我们本能地懂得，就像养蜂人和他的蜜蜂那样，要是我们不把生活中的重大的事件告诉那条河，就可能大祸临头。
讲解：just as beekeepers with their bees句子成分插入，that是know的宾语从句。
related to与...有关
例句：Income tax rates are related to one's annual income.
所得税税率与个人年收入的数额相关。
3.This is a rare occurrence as our climate seldom guest to extremes.
参考翻译：在我们这里，气候很少发生异常，河水极少泛滥。
讲解：seldom的用法
seldom的用法
seldom['seld+m] adv. 一般放在实意动词之前，be动词之后，意为不常；很少。例如：
①I've seldom seen such a big apple.
我很少看到这么大的苹果。
②They seldom go out for dinner. 他们不常到外面用晚餐。
③She seldom,?if ever,?reads a book. 她很少读书。
④He seldom goes to see the film,?does he?
他很少去看电影，是吗？
关于hardly, rarely, scarcely与seldom的用法
hardly刚刚，不完全，表示程度：I hardly know him. 我几乎认不出他了，表示还是能认出或者说我刚刚能认出他；
hardly与any连用表示几乎没有，与ever连用表示几乎从来不；
scarcely的意思与hardly更接近。rarely不经常，表示事物发生的频率：
He rarely goes there. 他很少(不经常)去那里。seldom很少，不经常，它与rarely更接近。
4.We are lucky in that only the lower fields, which make up a very small proportion of our farm, are effected by flooding, but other farms are less favorably sited, and flooding can sometimes spell disaster for their owners.
参考翻译：值得庆幸的是，只有低洼的受到洪水影响，而低洼地在我们农场比例很小。其他农场地势欠佳，洪水有时会给农场主带来灾难。
讲解：in that因为,由于;在于…
例句：I want to go home in that it's late.
我想回家，天色已经晚了。
make up弥补,虚构,缝制,整理,包装,和解,编辑,化妆 补足,拼凑,补考
例句：They make up something like two-thirds of the population.
他们占了差不多三分之二的人口。
5.As the floods had put the telephone out of order, we could not find out how they were managing.
参考翻译：由于洪水造成了电话中断，我们无法了解他们情况。
讲解：out of order次序颠倒,不整齐,状态不好
例句：The ATM beside the door of the bank is out of order.
这家银行门口的柜员机坏了。
6.The men of our family waded down through our flooded meadows with boathooks, in the hope of being able to grapple a corner of the raft and pull it out of the current towards our bank.
参考翻译：我家的男人们手拿船篙过被水淹没草场，希望能够钩住筏子一角，将它拽出激流，拖回岸边。
讲解：in the hope of怀着希望
例句：I called in the hope of finding her at home.
我希望她能在家才给她打的电话。
经典句子
1.Without it we could not make a living.
还是without，以及双重否定的一个虚拟结构。同时 make 这个词是很经典的。
这句话很适用TWE作文的写作里面，作为自己支持观点的引语。
Eg: creativityv.s knowledge
Without creativity we could not make a livingin such a fast-developing society.
2.We knowinstinctively, just as beekeepers with their bees, thatmisfortune might overtake us if the important events of our lives were notrelated to it.
利用类比来说。
Eg: We knowinstinctively, just as beekeeper with their bees, that a good eating habit isnecessary for one to keep fit.
3.This is a rare occurrence as our climate seldom goes to extremes.
带as 的句子。。这里是引导原因的连词
同时 this is a rare occurrence 这个表达，比普遍的 this seldom happens。。要好
4.Next came ahorse, swimming bravely, but we were afraid that the strength of the current would preventits landing anywhere before it became exhausted.
这段话的层次很清晰。又是一个倒装开始，用一个进行时的状语。
