新概念第三册十大必背文章

1.Lesson 1 A puma at large（逃遁的山狮）

Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America. When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously.However, as the evidence began to accumulate, experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate, for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.

The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman picking blackberries saw'a large cat'only five yards away from her. It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered.The search proved difficult, for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at anotherplace twenty miles away in the evening.Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits.Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes.Several people complained of'cat-like noises'at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree.The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where had it come from ? As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have been in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed to escape.The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught.It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.

课文翻译：

美洲狮是一种体形似猫的大动物，产于美洲。当伦敦动物园接到报告说，在伦敦以南45英里处发现一只美洲狮时，这些报告并没有受到重视。可是，随着证据越来越多，动物园的专家们感到有必要进行一番调查，因为凡是声称见到过美洲狮的人们所描述的情况竟是出奇地相似。

搜寻美洲狮的工作是从一座小村庄开始的。那里的一位妇女在采摘黑莓时看见“一只大猫”，离她仅5码远，她刚看见它，它就立刻逃走了。专家证实，美洲狮除非被逼得走投无路，是绝不会伤人的。事实上搜寻工作很困难，因为常常是早晨在甲地发现那只美洲狮，晚上却在20英里外的乙地发现它的踪迹。无论它走到哪儿，一路上总会留下一串死鹿及死兔子之类的小动物，在许多地方看见爪印，灌木丛中发现了粘在上面的美洲狮毛。有人抱怨说夜里听见“像猫一样的叫声”；一位商人去钓鱼，看见那只美洲狮在树上。专家们如今已经完全肯定那只动物就是美洲狮，但它是从哪儿来的呢？由于全国动物园没有一家报告丢了美洲狮，因此那只美洲狮一定是某位私人收藏家豢养的，不知怎么设法逃出来了。搜寻工作进行了好几周，但始终未能逮住那只美洲狮。想到在宁静的乡村里有一头危险的野兽继续逍遥流窜，真令人担心。

2.Lesson 8 A famous monastery（著名的修道院）

The Great St. Bernard Pass connects Switzerland to Italy.At 2，473 metres, it is the highest mountain pass in Europe.The famous monastery of St.Bernard, witch was founded in eleventh century, lies about a mile away.For hundreds of years, St.Bernard dogs have saved the lives of travellers crossing the dangerous Pass.These friendly dogs, which were first brought from Asia, were used as watchdogs even in Roman times.Now that a tunnel has been built through the mountains, the Pass is less dangerous, but each year, the dogs are still sent out into the snow whenever a traveller is in difficulty.Despite the new tunnel, there are still a few people who rashly attempt to cross the Pass on foot.

During the summer months, the monastery is very busy, for it is visited by thousands of people who cross the Pass in cars. As there are so many people about, the dogs have to be kept in a special enclosure.Inwinter, however, life at the monastery is quite different.The temperature drops to-30 and very few people attempt to cross the Pass.The monks prefer winter to summer of they have more privacy.The dogs have greater freedom, too, for they are allowed to wander outside their enclosure.The only regular visitors to the monastery in winter are parties of skiers who go there at Christmas and Easter.These young people, who love the peace of mountains, always receive a warm welcome at St.Bernard's monastery.

课文翻译：

圣伯纳德大山口连接着瑞士与意大利，海拔2，473米，是欧洲最高的山口。11世纪建造的著名的圣伯纳德修道院位于离山口1英里远的地方。几百年来，圣伯纳德修道院驯养的狗拯救了许多翻越这道山口的旅游者的生命。那些最先从亚洲引进的狗，待人友好，早在罗马时代就给人当看门狗了。如今由于山里开挖了隧道，翻越山口已不那么危险了。但每年还要派狗到雪地里去帮助那些遇到困难的旅游者，尽管修通了隧道，但仍有一些人想冒险徒步跨越圣伯纳德山口。

夏天的几个月里，修道院十分忙碌，因为有成千上万的人驾车通过山口，顺道来修道院参观。由于来人太多，狗被关在专门的围栏里。然而到了冬天，修道院里的生活则是另一番景象。气温下降到零下30度，试图跨越山口的人寥寥无几。修道士们喜欢冬天，而不太喜欢夏天。因为在冬天，他们可以更多地过无人打扰的生活。狗也比较自由，被放出围栏，四处溜达。冬天常来修道院参观的只有一批批滑雪者。他们在圣诞节或复活节到那儿去。这些热爱高山清静环境的年轻人每年都受到圣伯纳德修道院的热烈欢迎。

3.Lesson 10 The loss of the Titanic（“泰坦尼克”号的沉没）

The great ship, Titanic, sailed for New York from Southampton on April 10th，1912. She was carrying 1，316 passengers and a crew of 89l.Even by modern standards, the 46，000 ton Titanic was a colossal ship.At that time, however, she was not only the largest ship that had ever been built, but was regarded as unsinkable, for she had sixteen watertight compartments.Even if two of these were flooded, she would still be able to float.The tragic sinking of this great liner will always be remembered, for she went down on her first voyage with heavy loss of life.

Four days after setting out, while the Titanic was sailing across the icy waters of the North Atlantic, a huge iceberg was suddenly spotted by a lookout. After the alarm had been given, the great ship turned sharply to avoid a direct collision.The Titanic turned just in time, narrowly missing the immense wall of ice which rose over 100 feet out of the water beside her.Suddenly, there was a slight trembling sound from below, and the captain went down to see what had happened.The noise had been so faint that no one thought that the ship had been damaged.Below, the captain realized to his horror that the Titanic was sinking rapidly, for five of her sixteen watertight compartments had already been flooded！The order to abandon ship was given and hundreds of people plunged into the icy water.As there were not enough lifeboats for everybody，1，500lives were lost.

课文翻译：

巨轮“泰坦尼克”号1912年4月10日从南安普敦起锚驶向纽约。船上载了1316名乘客与891名船员。即便用现代标准来衡量，45000吨的“泰坦尼克”号也算得上一艘巨轮了。当时，这艘轮船不仅是造船史上建造的最大的一艘船，而且也被认为是不会沉没的。因为船由16个密封舱组成，即使有两个舱进水，仍可漂浮在水面上。然而，这艘巨轮首航就下沉，造成大批人员死亡。人们将永远记着这艘巨轮的沉没惨剧。

“泰坦尼克”号起航后的第4天，它正行驶在北大西洋冰冷的海面上。突然，瞭望员发现一座冰山。警报响过不久，巨轮急转弯，以避免与冰山正面相撞。“泰坦尼克”这个弯拐得及时，紧贴着高出海面100英尺的巨大的冰墙擦过去。突然，从船舱下部传来一声轻微的颤音，船长走下船舱去查看究竟。由于这个声音非常轻，没人会想到船身已遭损坏。在下面，船长惊恐地发现“泰坦尼克”号正在急速下沉，16个密封舱已有5个进水。于是，他发出弃船的命令，几百人跳进了冰冷刺骨的海水里。由于没有足够的救生艇运载所有乘客，结果1500人丧生。

4.Lesson 12 Life on a desert island（荒岛生活）

Most of us have formed an unrealistic picture of life on a desert island. We sometimes imagine a desert island to be a sort of paradise wherethe sun always shines.Life there is simple and good.Ripe fruit falls from the trees and you never have to work.The other side of the picture is quite the opposite.Life on a desert island is wretched.You either starve to death or live like Robinson Crusoe, waiting for a boat which never comes.Perhaps there is an element of truth in both these pictures, but few of us have had the opportunity to find out.

Two men who recently spent five days on a coral island wished they had stayed there longer. They were taking a badly damaged boat from the Virgin Islands to Miami to have it repaired.During the journey, their boat began to sink.They quickly loaded a small rubber dinghy with food, matches, and cans of beer and rowed for a few miles across the Caribbean until they arrived at a tiny coral island.There were hardly any trees on the island and there was no water, but this did not prove to be a problem.The men collected rainwater in the rubber dinghy.As they had brought a spear gun with them, they had plenty to eat.They caught lobster and fish every day, and, as one of them put it'ate like kings'.When a passing tanker rescued them five days later, both men were genuinely sorry that they had to leave.

课文翻译：

我们许多人对荒岛生活有一种不切实际的想法。我们有时想象荒岛是阳光终日普照的天堂。在那里，生活简单又美好。成熟的水果从树上掉下来，人们根本无须劳动。另一种想法恰恰相反，认为荒岛生活很可怕，要么饿死，要么像鲁滨孙那样，天天盼船来，却总不见船影。也许，这两种想法都有可信之处。但很少有人能有机会去弄个究竟。

最近有两个人在一座珊瑚岛上待了5天，他们真希望在那儿再多待一些日子。他们驾着一条严重损坏的小船从维尔京群岛去迈阿密修理。途中，船开始下沉，他们迅速把食物、火柴、罐装啤酒往一只救生筏上装。然后在加勒比海上划行了几英里，到了一座珊瑚岛上。岛上几乎没有一棵树，也没有淡水，但这不算什么问题。他们用橡皮艇蓄积雨水。由于他们随身带了一支捕鱼枪，因此，吃饭不愁。他们天天捕捉龙虾和鱼，正如其中一位所说，吃得“像国王一样好”。5天后，一条油轮从那儿路过，搭救了他们。这二位不得不离开那个荒岛时，还真的感到遗憾呢！

5.Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy（不卖也不买）

It has been said that everyone lives by selling something. In the light of this statement, teachers live by selling knowledge, philosophers by selling wisdom and priests by selling spiritual comfort.Though it may be possible to measure the value of material goods in terms of money, it is extremely difficult to estimate the true value of the services which people perform for us.There are times when we would willingly give everything we possess to save our lives, yet we might grudge paying a surgeon a high fee for offering us precisely this service.The conditions of society are such that skills have to be paid for in the same way that goods are paid for at a shop.Everyone has something to sell.

Tramps seem to be the only exception to his general rule. Beggars almost sell themselves as human beings to arouse the pity of passers-by.But real tramps are not beggars.They have nothing to sell and require nothing from others.In seeking independence, they do not sacrifice their human dignity.A tramp may ask you for money, but he will never ask you to feel sorry for him.He has deliberately chosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of the consequences.He may never be sure where the next meal is coming from, but he is free form the thousands of anxieties which afflict other people.His few material possessions make it possible for him to move from place to place with ease.By having to sleep in the open, he gets far closer to the world of nature than most of us ever do.He may hunt, beg, or steal occasionally to keep himself alive；he may even, in times of real need, do a little work；but he will never sacrifice his freedom.We often speak of tramps with contempt and put them in the same class as beggars, but how many of us can honestly say that we have not felt a little envious of their simple way of life and their freedom from care ?

课文翻译：

据说每个人都靠出售某种东西来维持生活。根据这种说法，教师靠卖知识为生，哲学家靠卖智慧为生，牧师靠卖精神安慰为生。虽然物质产品的价值可以用金钱来衡量，但要估算别人为我们所提供的服务的价值却是极其困难的。有时，我们为了挽救生命，愿意付出我们所占有的一切。但就在外科大夫给我们提供了这种服务后，我们却可能为所支付的昂贵费用而抱怨。社会上的情况就是如此，技术是必须付钱去买的，就像在商店里要花钱买商品一样。人人都有东西可以出售。

在这条普遍的规律前面，好像只有流浪汉是个例外。乞丐出售的几乎是他本人，以引起过路人的怜悯。但真正的流浪汉并不是乞丐。他们既不出售任何东西，也不需要从别人那儿得到任何东西。在追求独立自由的同时，他们并不牺牲做人的尊严。流浪汉可能会向你讨钱，但他从来不要你可怜他。他是故意在选择过那种生活的，并完全清楚以这种方式生活的后果。他可能从不知道下顿饭有无着落，但他不像有人那样被千万桩愁事所折磨。他几乎没有什么财产，这使他能够轻松自如地在各地奔波。由于被迫在露天睡觉，他比我们中许多人都离大自然近得多。为了生存，他可能会去打猎、乞讨，偶尔偷上一两回；确实需要的时候，他甚至可能干一点活，但他决不会牺牲自由。说起流浪汉，我们常常带有轻蔑并把他们与乞丐归为一类。但是，我们中有多少人能够坦率地说我们对流浪汉的简朴生活与无忧无虑的境况不感到有些羡慕呢？

6.Lesson 41 Illusions of pastoral peace（宁静田园生活的遐想）

The quiet life of the country has never appealed to me. City born and city bred.I have always regarded the country as something you look at through a train window, or something you occasional visit during the weekend.Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country.Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life, only one of them has ever gone to live in the country and he was back in town within six months.Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life.He is forever talking about the friendly people, the clean atmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle pace of living.Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds at dawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures.This idyllic pastoral scene is only part of the picture.My friend fails to mention the long and friendless winter evenings in front of the TV——virtually the only form of entertainment.He says nothing about the poor selection of goods in the shops, or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to the city every day to get to work.Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me.They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live in the city where they rightly belong.

If you can do without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will find the city can provide you with the best that life can offer. You never have to travel miles to see your friends.They invariably live nearby and are always available for an informal chat or an evening's entertainment.Some of my acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit the theatre as a special treat.For them this is a major operation which involves considerable planning.As the play draws to its close, they wonder whether they will ever catch that last trainhome.The city dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort.The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away.Shopping, too, is always a pleasure.The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away.Shopping, too, is always a pleasure.There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best.Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home loaded with as many of the exotic items as they can carry.Nor is the city without its moments of beauty.There is something comforting about the warm glow shed by advertisements on cold wet winter nights.Few things could be more impressive than the peace that descends on deserted city streets at weekends when the thousands that travel to work every day are tucked away in their homes in the country.It has always been a mystery to me why city dwellers, who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.

课文翻译：

宁静的乡村生活从来没有吸引过我。我生在城市，长在城市，总认为乡村是透过火车车窗看到的那个样子，或周末偶尔去游玩一下的景象。我的许多朋友都住在城市，但他们只要一提起乡村，马上就会变得欣喜若狂。尽管他们都交口称赞宁静的乡村生活的种种优点，但其中只有一个人真去农村住过，而且不足6个月就回来了。即使他也仍存有幻觉，好像乡村生活就是比城市生活优越。他滔滔不绝地大谈友好的农民，洁净的空气，贴近大自然的环境和悠闲的生活节奏。他坚持认为，雄鸡第一声啼叫，黎明时分小鸟叽喳欢叫，冉冉升起的朝阳染红树木、牧场，此番美景无与伦比。但这种田园诗般的乡村风光仅仅是一个侧面。我的朋友没有提到在电视机前度过的漫长寂寞的冬夜——电视是唯一的娱乐形式。他也不说商店货物品种单调，以及那些每天不得不从乡下赶到城里工作的不幸的人们。人们为什么情愿每天在路上奔波4个小时去换取值得怀疑的乡间的优点，我是无法理解的。要是他们愿意住在本来属于他们的城市，则可以让他们省去诸多不便与节约大量开支。

如果你愿舍弃乡下生活那一点点乐趣的话，那么你会发出城市可以为你提供生活中最美好的东西。你去看朋友根本不用跋涉好几英里，因为他们都住在附近，你随时可以同他们聊天或在晚上一起娱乐。我在乡村有一些熟人，他们每年进城来看一回或几回戏，并把此看作一种特殊的享受。看戏对他们来说是一件大事，需要精心计划。当戏快演完时，他们又为是否能赶上末班火车回家而犯愁。这种焦虑，城里人是从未体验过的。坐公共汽车几站路，就可看到最新的展览、电影、戏剧。买东西也是一种乐趣。物品种类繁多，从来不必用二等品来凑合。乡里人进城采购欣喜若狂，每次回家时都买足了外来商品，直到拿不动方才罢休，连走路都摇摇晃晃的。城市也并非没有良辰美景。寒冷潮湿的冬夜里，广告灯箱发出的暖光，会给人某种安慰。周末，当成千上万进城上班的人回到他们的乡间寓所之后，空旷的街市笼罩着一种宁静气氛，没有什么能比此时的宁静更令人难忘了。城里人对这一切心里很明白，却偏要执拗地装出他们喜欢住在乡村的样子，这对我来说一直是个谜。

7.Lesson 44 Speed and Comfort（又快捷又舒适）

People travelling long distances frequently have to decide whether they would prefer to go by land, sea, or air. Hardly anyone can positively enjoy sitting in a train for more than a few hours.Train compartments soon get cramped and stuffy.It is almost impossible to take your mind off the journey.Reading is only a partial solution, for the monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the rails soon lulls you to sleep.During the day, sleep comes in snatches.At night, when you really wish to go to sleep, you rarely manage to do so.If you are lucky enough to get a sleeper, you spend half the night staring at the small blue light in the ceiling, or fumbling to find your ticket for inspection.Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted.Long car journeys are even less pleasant, for it is quite impossible even to read.On motorways you can, at least, travel fairly safely at high speeds, but more often than not, the greater part of the journey is spent on roads with few service stations and too much traffic.By comparison, ferry trips or cruises offer a great variety of civilized comforts.You can stretch your legs on the spacious decks, play games, meet interesting people and enjoy good food——always assuming, of course, that the sea is calm.If it is not, and you are likely to get seasick, no form of transport could be worse.Even if you travel in ideal weather, sea journeys take a long time.Relatively few people are prepared to sacrifice holidays time for the pleasure of travelling by sea.

Aeroplanes have the reputation of being dangerous and even hardened travellers are intimidated by them. They also have the disadvantage of being an expensive form of transport.But nothing can match them for speed and comfort.Travelling at a height of 30，000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is an exhilarating experience.You do not have to devise ways of taking your mind off the journey, for an aeroplane gets you to your destination rapidly.For a few hours, you settle back in a deep armchair to enjoy the flight.The real escapist can watch a film and sip champagne on some services.But even when such refinements are not available, there is plenty to keep you occupied.An aeroplane offers you an unusual and breathtaking view of the world.You soar effortlessly over high mountains and deep valleys.You really see the shape of the land.If the landscape is hidden from view, you can enjoy the extraordinary sight of unbroken cloud plains that stretch out for miles before you, while the sun shines brilliantly in a clear sky.The journey is so smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping.However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain：you will arrive at your destination fresh and uncrumpled.You will not have to spend the next few days recovering from a long and arduous journey.

课文翻译：

出远门的人常常需要决定是走旱路、水路，还是坐飞机。很少有人能够真正喜欢坐几个小时以上的火车。车厢很快就变得拥挤、闷热，想摆脱旅途的困扰是很难的。看书只能解决部分问题。车轮与铁轨间单调的嘎吱声很快就会送你进入梦乡。白天是忽睡忽醒，到了夜晚，你真想睡了，却很难入睡。即使你走运弄到一个卧铺，夜间有一半时间你会盯着车顶那盏小蓝灯而睡不着觉；要不然就为查票摸索你的车票。一旦抵达目的地，你总是疲惫不堪。乘汽车做长途旅行则更加不舒服，因为连看书都几乎不可能。在公路上还好，你至少能以相当快的速度安全地向前行。但旅行的大部分时间都花在路上，而且只有很少的服务设施，交通也很拥挤。相比之下，坐船旅行或环游可以得到文明世界的各种享受。你可以在甲板上伸展四肢、做游戏，还可能见到各种有趣的人，能享用各种美味佳肴——当然，这一切只有在大海风平浪静的情况下才有可能。如果大海肆虐起来，你就可能晕船，那种难受劲儿是任何一种别的旅行的方式都不会带来的。即便风平浪静，坐船旅行也要占用很长时间。没有多少人会为享受坐船旅行的乐趣而牺牲假期的时间。

飞机以危险而著称，连老资格的旅行者也怕坐飞机。飞机另一个缺点是昂贵。但就速度与舒适度而言，飞机是无与伦比的。腾云驾雾，在30，000英尺的高空以500英里的时速旅行，这种经历令人心旷神怡。你不必想办法去摆脱旅途的困扰，因为飞机会迅速地把你送到目的地。几小时之内，你躺在扶手椅上，享受着旅途的欢乐。真正会享受的人还可以在某些航班上看一场电影和喝香槟。即使没有这些消遣条件，也总是有事可做。飞机上，你可以观察世界上非同寻常的奇妙的美景。你毫不费劲儿地飞越高山幽谷，你确能饱览大地的风貌。如果这种景色被遮住了，你便可以观赏一下展现在你面前的、一望数英里的、连绵不断的云海，同时阳光灿烂，天空清澈明朗。旅途平稳，丝毫不妨碍你阅读或睡眠。不管你打算如何消磨时间，有件事是可以肯定的，即当你抵达目的地时，你感到精神焕发，毫无倦意，用不着因为漫长的旅途的辛苦而花几天时间休息来恢复精神。

8.Lesson 47 Too high a price？（代价太高？）

Pollution is the price we pay for an overpopulated, over industrialized planet. When you come to think about it, there are only four ways you can deal with rubbish：dump it, burn it, turn it into something you can use again, attempt to produce less of it.We keep trying all four methods, but the sheer volume of rubbish we produce worldwide threatens to overwhelm us.

Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. The need to produce ever-increasing quantities of cheap food leads to a different kind of pollution.Industrialized farming methods produce cheap meat products：beef, pork and chicken.The use of pesticides and fertilizers produces cheap grain and vegetables.The price we pay for cheap food may be already too high：Mad Cow Disease（BSE）in cattle, salmonella in chicken and eggs, and listeria in dairy products.And if youthink you'll abandon meat and become a vegetarian, you have the choice of very expensive organically-grown vegetables or a steady diet of pesticides every time you think you're eating fresh salads and vegetables, or just having an innocent glass of water！

However, there is an even more insidious kind of pollution that particularly affects urban areas and invades our daily lives, and that is noise. Burglar alarms going off at any time of the day or night serve only to annoy passers-by and actually assist burglars to burgle.Car alarms constantly scream at us in the street and are a source of profound irritation.A recent survey of the effects of noise revealed（surprisingly ?）that dogs barking incessantly in the night rated the highest form of noise pollution on a scale ranging from 1 to 7.The survey revealed a large number of sources of noise that we really dislike.Lawn mowers whining on a summer's day, late-night parties in apartment blocks, noisy neighbors, vehicles of all kinds, especially large container trucks thundering through quiet village, planes and helicopters flying overhead, large radios carried round in public places and played at maximum volume.New technology has also made its own contribution to noise.A lot of people object to mobile phones, especially when they are used in public places like restaurants or on public transport.Loud conversations on mobile phones invade our thoughts or interrupt the pleasure of meeting friends for a quiet chat.The noise pollution survey revealed a rather spurring and possibly amusing old fashioned source of noise.It turned out to be snoring！Men were foundto be the worst offenders.It was revealed that 20%of men in their mid-thirties snore.This figure rises to a staggering 60%of men in their sixties.Against these figures, it was found that only 5%of women snore regularly, while the rest are constantly woken or kept awake by their trumpeting partners.Whatever the source of noise, one thing is certain：silence, it seems, has become a golden memory.

课文翻译：

污染就是我们为这个人口过密，过度工业化的星球所付出的代价。当我们开始考虑垃圾问题时，我们只有4种对付垃圾的方法：倾倒、焚烧、把垃圾变成再生材料或试图少产生一些垃圾。我们一直在试用这4种方式，但是，我们在世界范围内仅产生的垃圾的量就有把我们覆盖的危险。

然而，垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。日益增长的对廉价食物的需求导致了另一种形式的污染。工业化的农作方式生产出廉价的肉类制品——牛肉、猪肉和鸡肉。使用杀虫剂和化肥生产出廉价的谷物和蔬菜。为了廉价食物我们付出的代价已经太高了：牛肉中的疯牛病，鸡肉和鸡蛋中的沙门氏菌，奶制品中的利斯特杆菌。如果你想放弃肉类而变成一位素食者，那么你可以两者择一：或是选用价格昂贵、有机培植的蔬菜，或是当你认为在享用新鲜色拉和新鲜蔬菜或饮用一杯无害的水的时候，实际上每次都不断吃进杀虫剂。

但是，还有一种更加隐蔽有害的污染，它专门影响城镇地区，侵袭我们的日常生活，那就是噪音。防盗警报器在白天和黑夜的任何时候都会响起来，它的作用只是骚扰过路行人，而实际上却帮助窃贼入室行窃。在街上，汽车的防盗警报不断对我们吼叫，这是人们极度烦躁的一个原因。最近一个有关噪音的作用的调查（令人吃惊地）指出，夜间连续不断的狗叫声，在一个从1级至7级刻度表上应列为最严重的噪音污染。这个调查揭示了我们所不喜欢的大量的噪音的来源：夏天呜呜作响的割草机，公寓楼里深夜聚会的喧哗声，大声吵闹的邻居，各式各样的车辆，特别是穿越寂静的村庄的集装箱卡车，从头顶飞过的飞机和直升机，被带到公共场所、音量开到最大的大功率收音机。新技术也为噪音做出了它的贡献。许多人都反对移动式电话，特别是在如饭店、公共交通汽车等公共场所使用移动电话。用移动电话大声交谈干扰我们的思路，破坏我们和朋友在一起轻声聊天所得到的乐趣。这个有关噪音的污染调查还揭示了一种出人意外而同时可能会引人发笑的老式噪音源，它竟然是鼾声。人类是这方面的罪魁祸首。调查指出，20%的35岁左右的男人打鼾；而到60岁这个年龄段，这个数字上升到令人惊愕的60%。与这些数字相比，只有5%的女性经常打鼾；而其余则经常被与她们同睡、像吹号似的打着呼噜的男人吵醒或弄得睡不着。不管噪声来自何方，有一点是肯定的：看来寂静已变成一种珍贵的回忆。

9.Lesson 56 Our neighbour, the river（河流，我们的邻居）

The river which forms the eastern boundary of our farm has always played an important part in our lives. Without it we could not makea 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 we 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 holly 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 goes 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 bad 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 thetelephone 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, a cat, and a 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 were able to do so.

课文翻译：

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。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青花环。

久雨之后，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，只有低洼地受到洪水影响，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，而且他们又是新来乍到。由于洪水造成了电话中断，我们无法了解他们的情况。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，洪水的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，上面载着它们全家老小，还有几只母鸡、几只狗、一只猫与一只鸟笼，鸟笼里头有一只小鸟。我们意识到它们一定是被不断上涨的洪水吓坏了。因为它们的房子地基牢固，即使洪水几乎灭顶也不会倒塌。我家的男人们手拿船篙蹚过被水淹没的草场，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。

10.Lesson 58 A spot of bother（一点儿小麻烦）

The old lady was glad to be back at the block of flats where she lived. Her shopping had tired her and her basket had grown heavier with every step of the way home.In the lift her thoughts were on lunch and a good rest；but when she got out at her own floor, both were forgotten in her sudden discovery that her front door was open.She was thinking that she must reprimand her home help the next morning for such a monstrous piece of negligence, when she remembered that she had gone shopping after the home help had left and she knew that she had turned both keys in their locks, She walked slowly into the hall and at once noticed that all the room doors were open, yet following her regular practice she had shut them before going out.Looking into the drawing room, she saw a scene of confusion over by her writing desk.It was as clear as daylight then that burglars had forced an entry during her absence.Her first impulse was to go round all the rooms looking for the thieves, but then she decided that at her age it might be more prudent to have someone with her, so she went to fetch the porter from his basement.By this time her legs were beginning to tremble, so she sat down and accepted a cup of very strong tea, while he telephoned the police.Then, her composure regained, she was ready to set off with the porter's assistance to search for any intruders who might still be lurking in her flat.

They went through the rooms, being careful to touch nothing, as theydid not want to hinder the police in their search for fingerprints. The chaos was inconceivable.She had lived in the flat for thirty years and was a veritable magpie at hoarding；and it seemed as though everything she possessed had been tossed out and turned over and over.At least sorting out the things she should have discarded years ago was now being made easier for her.Then a police inspector arrived with a constable and she told them of her discovery of the ransacked flat.The inspector began to look for fingerprints, while the constable checked that the front door locks had not been forced, thereby proving that the burglars had either used skeleton keys or entered over the balcony.There was no trace of fingerprints, but the inspector found a dirty red bundle that contained jewellery which the old lady said was not hers.So their entry into this flat was apparently not the burglars'first job that day and they must have been disturbed.The inspector then asked the old lady to try to check what was missing by the next day and advised her not to stay alone in the flat for a few nights.The old lady thought he was a fussy creature, but since the porter agreed with him, she rang up her daughter and asked for her help in what she described as a little spot of bother.

课文翻译：

老妇人回到了她居住的公寓楼，心里很高兴。去商店买东西把她搞得筋疲力尽；在回家的路上，她每走一步，就感到手里的篮子又重了一点。她乘上电梯后，只想着午餐和好好休息一下。但她到自己的楼层走出电梯后，就把这两件事忘了个干净，因为她突然发现她家的大门开着。她心想明天上午一定要好好训斥那个干家务的帮手，她竟如此疏忽大意。但她突然记起来了，帮手是在她出去买东西之前走的，她还记得曾用了两把钥匙把大门锁上了。她慢慢地走进前厅，立即发现所有的房门都敞开着，而她记得在出门买东西前，她按老规矩是把房门一一锁上的。她往起居室里看去，写字台边一片狼藉。事情很清楚，在她外出时，窃贼曾闯进家门。她第一个条件反射是各个房间搜寻一下窃贼，但转念一想，像她这个年纪，最好找个人一起去。于是她到地下室去找看门的人。这时，她两腿累得开始发抖，于是坐了下来，喝了一杯浓茶。与此同时，看门的人给警察挂了电话。此刻老妇人也镇定了下来，准备在看门人的协助下搜寻可能仍躲藏在她房里的窃贼。

他俩搜遍每一个房间，小心翼翼地不接触任何东西，因为他们怕妨碍警察寻找指纹。房间里的凌乱状况是无法想象的。老妇人在这套公寓里住了30年，她又是个名副其实的收藏家。看来她的每一件东西都被翻了出来，并且被里里外外看了个遍。这样一来，她倒是容易将那些几年前就该扔掉的东西找出来了。过了一会儿，一位巡官带着一名警察来了。她向他们讲述了发现公寓遭劫的经过。巡官开始搜寻指纹，警察经检查发现大门锁头并无撬过的迹象。由此可以证明，窍贼或是用万能钥匙，或是翻越阳台进来的。巡官没有发现指纹，却发现了一个装有珠宝的、肮脏的红包袱。老妇人说那不是她的。很明显，闯进这套公寓的窃贼那天并不是首次作案，而且他一定受了惊吓。巡官请老妇人在次日之前设法查清丢了些什么，并劝她几夜之内不要独自一人在公寓过夜。老妇人觉得巡官大惊小怪，但既然看门人也同意他的意见，她只得打电话向女儿求援，说她碰到了一点小麻烦。