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新概念英语第三册第37课:The Westhaven Express

时间：2023年08月11日

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以下是小编帮大家整理的新概念英语第三册第37课:The Westhaven Express，本文共5篇，欢迎大家分享。本文原稿由网友“星☆星”提供。

篇1：新概念英语第三册第37课:The Westhaven Express

Lesson 37 The Westhaven Express开往威斯特海温的快车

Listen to the tape then answer the question below.

听录音，然后回答以下问题。

What was the mistake the author made?

We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway timetables. Ships may be delayed by storms; flights may be cancelled because of bad weather, but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snowfall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something does go wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs.

After consulting my railway timetable, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many local people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. Neither was I surprise when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder, It suddenly dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Westhaven Express, but he had not even heard of it. I determined to lodge a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station master at Westhaven. When he denied the train's existence, I borrowed his copy of the timetable. There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said: 'This service has been suspended.'

参考译文

我们已经习惯于相信火车总是准点的。经过多年的适应，大多数人对火车时刻表产生了一种不可动摇的信念。轮船船期可能因风暴而推延，飞机航班可能因恶劣天气而取消，唯有火车必然是准点的。只有非同寻常的大雪才可能暂时打乱铁路运行。因此，一旦铁路上真出了问题，人们便不加思索地责备铁路当局。事实上，差错很可能是我们自己，而不是铁路当局的。

我查看了列车时刻表，满意地了解到有一趟去威斯特海温的快车。这是趟直达车，旅途总共才需1小时17分钟。上车后，我不禁注意到许多当地人也上了车。一开始，我并不感到奇怪，我想除我之外，想利用快车之便的也一定大有人在。火车开出几英里即在一个小站威德里停了下来。对此，我不觉得奇怪，因为即便是特别快车也可能被信号拦住。但是，当火车一站接着一站往前蠕动时，我便产生了怀疑。我突然感到这趟快车并没以时速90英里的速度呼啸前进，而是卟哧卟哧地向前爬行，时速仅30英里。1小时17分过去了，走了还不到一半路程。我问一位乘客，这是不是开往威斯特海温的那趟快车，他说从未听说过有这么一趟快车。我决定到目的地就给铁路部门提意见。两小时后，我气呼呼地同威斯特海温站站长说起此事。他说根本没有这趟车。于是我借他本人的列车时刻表，我带着一种胜利者的调子告诉他那趟车白纸黑字。明明白白印在时刻表上。他迅速地扫视了一眼，让我再看一遍。一个小小的星形符号把我的目光引到了那页底部一个说明上。上面写着： “此趟列车暂停运行。”

New words and expressions 生词和短语

express

n. 快车；adj. 高速的

punctual

adj. 准时的

condition

v. 使习惯于

unshakable

adj. 不可动摇的

faith

n. 信任

cancel

v. 取消

exceptionally

adv. 例外地

dislocate

v. 打乱（计划等）

blame

v. 责怪

consult

v. 请教，查阅

direct

adv. 径直地

odd

adj. 奇怪的，异常的

reflect

v. 细想

advantage

n. 优势

mighty

adj. 强大的，有力的

dawdle

v. 慢吞吞地动或做

chug

v. 咔嚓咔嚓地响

lodge

v. 提出

complaint

n. 抱怨

triumph

n. 胜利

asterisk

n. 星号（*）

conduct

v. 引向，引导

Notes on the text课文注释

1 they are more likely to be ours than theirs，这些错误往往是我们而不是铁路当局造成的。

they指mistakes; ours, theirs此处用斜体字表示强调，应该重读。

2 I could not help noticing that…，我不禁注意到...，can't help doing是“禁不住...”的意思。

3 strike me as odd，使我感到奇怪。

4 take advantage of,利用。

5 Neither was I surprised，这是以neither 开头的句子，要用倒装语序。

6 It suddenly dawned on me ...，我突然明白了，……。

7 a note of triumph，胜利者的调子。

8 in black and white，白纸黑字。

Lesson 37 课后练习和答案Exercises and Answer

篇2：新概念英语第二册第37课:The Olympic Games

Lesson 37 The Olympic Games奥林匹克运动会

First listen and then answer the question.

听录音，然后回答以下问题。

When was the last time this country hosted the Olympic Games?

The Olympic Games will be held in our country in four years' time. As a great many people will be visiting the country, the government will be building new hotels, an immense stadium, and a new Olympic-standard swimming pool. They will also be building new roads and a special railway line. The Games will be held just outside the capital and the whole area will be called 'Olympic City'. Workers will have completed the new roads by the end of this year. By the end of next year, they will have finished work on the new stadium. The fantastic modern buildings have been designed by Kurt Gunter. Everybody will be watching anxiously as the new buildings go up. We are all very excited and are looking forward to the Olympic Games because they have never been held before in this country.

参考译文

4年以后，奥林匹克运动会将在我们国家举行。由于将有大批的人到我们国家来，所以政府准备建造一些新的饭店、一个大型体育场和一个新的奥运会标准游泳池。他们还将修筑一些新的道路和一条铁路专线。奥运会就在首都市郊举办，整个地区将被称作“奥林匹克城”。工人们将在今年年底前把新路铺好；到明年年底，他们将把新体育场建成。这些巨大的现代化建筑是由库尔特.冈特设计的。大家都将急切地注视着新建筑的建成。我们都非常激动，盼望着奥运会的到来，因为在这个国家里还从未举办过奥运会。

New words and Expressions生词和短语

Olympic

adj. 奥林匹克的

hold

v. 召开

government

n. 政府

immense

adj. 巨大的

stadium

n. 露天体育场

standard

n. 标准

capital

n. 首都

fantastic

adj. 巨大的

design

v. 设计

Lesson 37 自学导读First things first

课文详注 Further notes on the text

1．The Olympic Games will be held in our country in four years'time. 4年以后，奥林匹克运动会将在我们国家举行。

（1）作为专有名词的一部分时 games 的第一个字母要大写。

（2）这句话的语态是被动语态用于一般将来时（will be held）。

（3）in four years' time，4年之后。 in的这种用法在第9课的语法中已经讲过，它通常与将来时连用表示“……时间之后”：

I'll be back in ten minutes or half an hour.

我10分钟或半个小时以后回来。

名词的所有格用于表示时间在第13课的语法中已经提到过：

He will arrive in three hours' time.

他3小时以后到达。

2．As a great many people will be visiting the country, the government will be building new hotels, an immense stadium, and a new Olympic-standard swimming pool. 由于将有大批的人到我们国家来，所以政府准备建造一些新的饭店、一个大型体育场和一个新的奥运会标准游泳池。

（1）连词as用于表示原因时通常位于句首，这是因为它所表明的原因对于讲话对象可能是已知的，因此没有必要再予以强调。

连词 because任何时候都可以代替as来说明一种或几种原因，但是as则不一定总能代替 because：

As you can't type the letter yourself, you'll have to ask Susan to do it for you.

既然你自己不能用打字机打这封信，那你就请苏珊替你打吧。

because 一般跟在主句后面，强调讲话对象可能不知道的原因：

Jim's trying to save more money because he wants to buy a car.

吉姆正设法多攒些钱，因为他想买辆车。

（2）building 后面的成分为它的3个并列宾语，每个宾语前面的冠词都不可省略。

（3）Olympic-standard 是个“形容词+名词”形式的复合形容词，作定语。虽然字典中通常不把它作为一个词条，但它的含义是一目了然的。第32课中出现的 well-dressed 也是个复合形容词，其构成为“副词+过去分词”，它已被大家接受，作为固定的词条出现于一般字典中。

3．a special railway line，一条铁路专线。

special 在此处表示“专门的”、“特设的”。line 既可以笼统地指两地间的“铁路线路”，又可以具体地指包括路基、枕木等的“铁路轨线”。

4．by the end of this year，在今年年底前。

by表示“在某时之前”、“并不晚于某时的任何时间”。它不能与表示一段时间的名词连用，只能与表示时间点的名词或词组连用，用于肯定句与用于否定句时有一定区别：

I'll have left by Monday.

到星期一我将已离开了。(星期一之前的任何时间)

I won't have left by Monday.

我星期一之前不会离开的。(我星期一还在这儿)

5．Everybody will be watching anxiously as the new buildings go up．大家都将急切地注视着新建筑的建成。

（1）watch 在此处表示“关注”而不是真的盯着看。

（2）as在这里为连词，相当于while，表示“当”、“正值”，它引导的从句虽然表示将来的动作，但要用一般现在时。

（3）go up 为短语动词，其含义之一为“（建筑物）被兴建起来”：

Many new houses are going up in this district.

这个地区正兴建许多新房子。

语法 Grammar in use

一般将来完成时（The future perfect simple tense）

（1）在第12课和第13课的语法中，我们学习了一般将来时和将来进行时。

一般将来时除了可以用来预言将来发生的事以外，还可以表示“意愿”，如允诺、建议、请求、提议等：

The radio hasn't been mended yet.

收音机还没有修好。

Never mind! I'll mend it for you.

别担心！我会给你修的。（允诺）

Will you open the door for me please!

请你帮我开一下门好吗？（请求）

Shall we go for a swim tomorrow?

我们明天去游泳好吗？（建议）

将来进行时除了表示最近或不久的将来正在进行的动作外，

还可以表示计划或安排好的事：

A great many people will be visiting the country.

许多人将到我们国家来。（将来正在进行的动作）

The government will be building new roads.

政府准备修筑一些新的道路。（计划好的事）

（2）将来完成时用于表示到将来某一时刻已经完成的动作：

They've started to repair the car.

他们已开始修车了。(现在完成时)

I hope they'll have finished it in time for the journey.

我希望他们能在旅行开始前修好。(将来完成时)

将来完成时由will have+ 过去分词构成。它常与by和not…till/ until+ 表示时间的名词连用：

I expect you will have changed your mind by tomorrow.

我希望到明天你就会改变主意了。

词汇学习Word study

1．hold vt.

（1）拿着，抓住，抱住：

Please hold the baby while I take off my coat.

我脱外衣的时候请帮我抱一下孩子。

Why are you holding my bag?

你为什么抓住我的包？

（2）容纳，装得下，包含：

This cup can't hold much water.

这杯子装不了多少水。

The stadium can hold 20,000 people.

这个体育场能容纳两万人。

（3）举行（会议、会谈等）；庆祝（节日）：

The Olympic Games will be held just outside the capital.

奥运会就在首都市郊举办。

When are we going to hold the next meeting?

我们什么时候举行下次会议？

2．look的一些固定短语

（1）look forward to常用于表示高兴地

“盼望”、“期待”，to为介词，因此后面只能跟名词、代词和动名词，不能接动词原形：

We are looking forward to the Olympic Games because they have never been held before in this country.

我们盼望着奥运会的到来，因为这个国家还从未举办过奥运会。

I look forward to seeing you during the weekend.

我盼望着周末见到你。

（2）look out 除表示“朝外看”以外，

还可以表示“注意”、“留神”，尤其在祈使句中：

You should always look out when you walk across a road.

你过马路时要留神。

Look out! There's something in the middle of the road.

小心！马路中间有东西。

（3）look up 的含义之一为“（在字典、参考书等中）查找”：

He looked up the word in several dictionaries.

他在几本字典中查了这个单词。

它还可以表示“看望”、“拜访”某个人，一般用于口语中：

I'm going to look up Mary this afternoon.

我打算今天下午去看望玛丽。

3．design

（1）vt．，vi．设计图样：

These modern buildings have been designed by Kurt Gunter.

这些现代化建筑是由库尔特·冈特设计的。

George has designed a new bridge.

乔治设计了一座新桥。

（2）vt．，vi．打算（做……），计划：

He designed to enter for the competition.

他打算报名参加竞赛。

This book is designed for foreign tourists.

这本书是为外国游客设计的。

（3）n．图样，图纸；设计：

Here is the design of the new house.

这是这座新房子的图纸。

Susan has just drawn a design for a new dress.

苏珊刚画了一个新的衣服样式。

Lesson 37 课后练习和答案Exercises and Answer

篇3：新概念英语第四册第37课:The process of ageing

Lesson 37 The process of ageing衰老过程

First listen and then answer the following question.

听录音，然后回答以下问题。

What is one of the most unpleasant discoveries we make about ourselves as we get older?

At the age of twelve years, the human body is at its most vigorous. It has yet to reach its full size and strength, and its owner his or her full intelligence; but at this age the likelihood of death is least. Earlier, we were infants and young children, and consequently more vulnerable; later, we shall undergo a progressive loss of our vigour and resistance which, though imperceptible at first, will finally become so steep that we can live no longer, however well we look after ourselves, and however well society, and our doctors, look after us. This decline in vigour with the passing of time is called ageing. It is one of the most unpleasant discoveries which we all make that we must decline in this way, that if we escape wars, accidents and disease we shall eventually 'die of old age', and that this happens at a rate which differs little from person to person, so that there are heavy odds in favour of our dying between the ages of sixty-five and eighty. Some of us will die sooner, a few will live longer -- on into a ninth or tenth decade. But the chances are against it, and there is a virtual limit on how long we can hope to remain alive, however lucky and robust we are.

人体在12岁时是生命力最旺盛的时期。虽然这个时期人的身材、体力和智力还有待发展和完善，但在这个年龄死亡的可能性最小。再早一些，我们是幼儿和小孩子，身体较脆弱；再迟一些，我们就要经历生命力和抵抗力逐步衰退的过程。虽然这个过程起初难以觉察，但最终会急转直下，不管我们怎样精心照料我们自己，不管社会和医生怎样对我们进行精心照顾，我们也无法再活下去了。生命力随着时间的流失而衰退叫做衰老。人类发现的最不愉快的一个事实是：人必然会衰老。既使我们能避开战争、意外的事故和各种疾病，我们最终也会“老死”；衰老的速度在人与人之间相差甚微，我们最可能死亡的年龄在65至80岁之间，有些人会死得早一些，少数人寿命会长一些 -- 活到八十几岁或九十几岁，但这种可能性很小。不管我们多么幸运，多么健壮，我们所希望的长寿实际上是有限度的。

Normal people tend to forget this process unless and until they are reminded of it. We are so familiar with the fact that man ages, that people have for years assumed that the process of losing vigour with time, of becoming more likely to die the older we get, was something self-evident, like the cooling of a hot kettle or the wearing-out of a pair of shoes. They have also assumed that all animals, and probably other organisms such as trees, or even the universe itself, must in the nature of things 'wear out'. Most animals we commonly observe do in fact age as we do, if given the chance to live long enough; and mechanical systems like a wound watch, or the sun, do in fact run out of energy in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics (whether the whole universe does so is a moot point at present). But these are not analogous to what happens when man ages. A run-down watch is still a watch and can be rewound. An old watch, by contrast, becomes so worn and unreliable that it eventually is not worth mending. But a watch could never repair itself -- it does not consist of living parts, only of metal, which wears away by friction. We could, at one time, repair ourselves --well enough, at least, to overcome all but the most instantly fatal illnesses and accidents. Between twelve and eighty years we gradually lose this power; an illness which at twelve would knock us over, at eighty can knock us out, and another 700 for the survivors to be reduced by half again.

衰老的过程，不经提起，正常人容易忘记；一经提醒，才会记起。我们对人总是要衰老的现象并不陌生，多年来就已认识到。生命随着时间流失而丧失活力，人随着年龄的增长而接近死亡，这是不言而喻的，就像一壶热水迟早会凉不来，一双鞋渐渐会磨破一样。人们不但认识到所有的动物，大概也认识到所有的有机物。如树木，甚至宇宙本身，从事物的本质上来说都会“磨损掉”。我们通常看到的大多数动物，即使能让它们活得足够长久的话，也会像我们一样衰老的。像上紧发条的手表那样的机械装置，或太阳，也都会消耗完其能量（整个宇宙否如此，目前沿有争论）。不过，这些衰老的情况同人并不相似。手表停了依然是只手表，还可以重上好发条。然而一只老掉牙的手表，磨损太厉害，老得一点儿不准了，最终不值得修理了。但是，手表决不会自行修理，它不是由有生命的部件组成，而是由金属组成，而金属可以随着磨擦而磨损殆尽。而我们人，在一定时间内是可以自行修复的，除了暴病死或意外事故外，至少足以克服一切疾病和事故。在12岁至80岁之间，我们逐渐丧失这种能力。能使我们在12岁时病倒的疾病，到了80岁可能会使我们一厥不振而进入坟墓。假如我们能保持12岁时的旺盛生命力，那么我们当中的一半人过7才会死去，剩下的一半人再过700年，才会又减少一半。

New words and expressions 生词和短语

likelihood

n. 可能性

infant

n. 婴儿

vulnerable

adj. 脆弱

imperceptible

adj. 感觉不到的

steep

adj. 急转直下

ageing

n. 老化

odds

n. 可能性

virtual

adj. 实际上的

robust

adj. 强健的

organism

n. 有机体

thermodynamics

n. 热力学

moot

adj. 争论未决的

run-down

adj. 破旧的

friction

n. 摩擦

Notes on the text课文注释

1 at its most vigorous, 生命力最旺盛的时候。

2 with the passing of time, 随着时间的流失。

3 It is one of the most unpleasant discoveries ... that...,that...,and that... ，3个以that引导的从句是discoveries 的同位语。

4 a wound watch,上紧了发条的表。

Lesson 37 课后练习和答案Exercises and Answer

篇4：新概念英语第三册第22课:By heart

Lesson 22 By heart熟记台词

Listen to the tape then answer the question below.

听录音，然后回答以下问题。

Which actor read the letter in the end, the aristocrat or the gaoler?

Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end, In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night. One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter. Yet this is not always the case.

A famous actor in a highly successful play was once cast in the role of an aristocrat who had been imprisoned in the Bastille for twenty years. In the last act, a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner. Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance, he always insisted that it should be written out in full.

One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if, after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart. The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell. Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his bands. He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat. But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual. It was simply a blank sheet of paper. The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines. The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds. Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim. Read the letter to me'. And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler. Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either, the gaoler replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire, I must get my glasses.' With this, he hurried off the stage. Much to the aristocrat's amusement, the gaoler returned a few moments later with a pair of glasses and the usual copy of the letter with he proceeded to read to the prisoner.

参考译文

有些剧目十分成功，以致连续上演好几年。这样一来，可怜的演员们可倒霉了。因为他们需要一夜连着一夜地重复同样的台词。人们以为，这些演员一定会把台词背得烂熟，绝不会临场结巴的，但情况却并不总是这样。

有一位名演员曾在一出极为成功的剧目中扮演一个贵族角色，这个贵族已在巴士底狱被关押了。在最后一幕中，狱卒手持一封信上场，然后将信交给狱中那位贵族。尽管那个贵族每场戏都得念一遍那封信。但他还是坚持要求将信的全文写在信纸上。

一天晚上，狱卒决定与他的同事开一个玩笑，看看他反复演出这么多场之后，是否已将信的内容记熟了。大幕拉开，最后一幕戏开演，贵族独自一人坐在铁窗后阴暗的牢房里。这时狱卒上场，手里拿着那封珍贵的信。狱卒走进牢房，将信交给贵族。但这回狱卒给贵族的信没有像往常那样把全文写全，而是一张白纸。狱卒热切地观察着，急于想了解他的同事是否记熟了台词。贵族盯着纸看了几秒钟，然后，眼珠一转，说道：“光线太暗，请给我读一下这封信。”说完，他一下子把信递给狱卒。狱卒发现自己连一个字也记不住，于是便说：“陛下，这儿光线的确太暗了，我得去眼镜拿来。”他一边说着，一边匆匆下台。贵族感到非常好笑的是：一会儿工夫，狱卒重新登台，拿来一副眼镜以及平时使用的那封信，然后为那囚犯念了起来。

New words and expressions 生词和短语

run (ran, run)

v. （戏剧，电影等）连演，连映

lines

n. （剧本中的）台词

part

n. 剧中的角色，台词

falter

v. 支吾，结巴说

cast (cast, cast)

v. 连派……扮演角色

role

n. 角色

aristocrat

n. 贵族

imprison

v. 关押

Bastille

n. 巴士底狱

gaoler

n. 监狱长，看守

colleague

n. 同事

curtain

n. （舞台上的）幕布

reveal

v. 使显露

cell

n. 单人监房，监号

blank

adj.空白的

squint

v.眯着(眼)看，瞄

dim

adj.昏暗

sire

n.(古用法)陛下

proceed

v.继续进行

Notes on the text课文注释

1 on end，连续不断的。

2 in many ways，在许多方面。

3 go on repeating，继续重复。go on加上现在分词是“继续干”的意思。

4 Yet this is not always the case.然而情况并非总是如此。

5 in the role of...，充当...角色。

6 Bastille，巴士底狱。

曾是法国巴黎的监狱。1369年始建时是一个要塞，1789年被巴黎市民攻克并捣毁。

7 insisted that it should be written out in full, insist后面所接的宾语从句，常用虚拟语气“should+动词原形”，而should又经常可以省略。

8 play a joke on...，拿……开玩笑。

9 sire是古代仆人对国王的一种尊称，现在仅用于故事和剧本。

10 Much to the aristocrat's amusement，使贵族感到非常可笑的是...。

much为副词，此处修饰其后的介词短语to the aristocrat's amusement。 much to+sb.'s sth.是一个常见的状语短语，有“给某人带来很大的…”的意思。

Lesson 22 课后练习和答案Exercises and Answer

篇5：新概念英语第三册第29课:Funny or not?

Lesson 29 funny or not?是否可笑?

Listen to the tape then answer the question below.

听录音，然后回答以下问题。

What is the basis of 'sick' humour?

Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on were we have been brought up. The sense of humour is mysteriously bound up with national characteristics. A Frenchman, for instance, might find it hard to laugh at a Russian joke. In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing in a joke which would make an Englishman laugh to tears.

Most funny stories are based on comic situations. In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a universal appeal. No matter where you live, you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Charlie Chaplin's early films. However, a new type of humour, which stems largely from the U.S., has recently come into fashion. It is called 'sick humour'. Comedians base their jokes on tragic situation like violent death or serious accidents. Many people find this sort of joke distasteful The following example of 'sick humour' will enable you to judge for yourself.

A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas. From the moment he arrived there, he kept on pestering his doctor to tell him when he would be able to go home. He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. Though the doctors did his best, the patient's recovery was slow. On Christmas Day, the man still had his right leg in plaster. He spent a miserable day in bed thinking of all the fun he was missing. The following day, however, the doctor consoled him by telling him that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good. The good. The man took heart and, sure enough, on New Years' Eve he was able to hobble along to a party. To compensate for his unpleasant experiences in hospital, the man drank a little more than was good for him. In the process, he enjoyed himself thoroughly and kept telling everybody how much he hated hospitals. He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg.

参考译文

我们觉得一则笑话是否好笑，很大程度取决于我们是在哪儿长大的。幽默感与民族有着神秘莫测的联系。譬如，法国人听完一则俄国笑话可能很难发笑。同样的道理，一则可以令英国人笑出泪来的笑话，俄国人听了可能觉得没有什么可笑之处。

大部分令人发笑的故事都是根据喜剧情节编写的。尽管民族不同，有些滑稽的情节却能产生普遍的效果。比如说，不管你生活在哪里，你看查理.卓别林的早期电影很难不发笑。然而，近来一种新式幽默流行了起来，这种幽默主要来自美国。它被叫作“病态幽默”。喜剧演员根据悲剧情节诸如暴死，重大事故等来编造笑话。许多人认为这种笑话是低级庸俗的。下面是个“病态幽默”的实例，你可据此自己作出判断。

圣诞节前几周，某人摔断了右腿被送进医院。从他进医院那一刻时，他就缠住医生，让医生告诉他什么时候能回家。他十分害怕在医院过圣诞。尽管医生竭力医治，但病人恢复缓慢。圣诞节那天，他的右腿还上着石膏，他在床上郁郁不乐地躺了一天，想着他错过的种.种欢乐。然而，第二天，医生安慰他说，出院欢度新年的可能性还是很大的，那人听后振作了精神。果然，除夕时他可以一瘸一拐地去参加晚会了。为了补偿住院这一段不愉快的经历，那人喝得稍许多了一点。在晚会上他尽情娱乐，一再告诉大家他是多么讨厌医院。晚会结束时，他嘴里还在嘟哝着医院的事，突然踩到一块冰上滑倒了，摔断了左腿。

New words and expressions 生词和短语

largely

adv. 在很大程度上

comic

adj. 喜剧的，可笑的

universal

adj. 普通的

comedian

n. 滑稽演员，喜剧演员

distasteful

adj. 讨厌的

pester