1、Lesson Seven The RivalsMartin Armstrong 第1页Verbal Fencing-Battle of WitsVerbal Fencing-Battle of Wits第2页Lesson 7 The RivalsStructure of the textPart one(paras 1-2 )Part two(paras 3-22)Part three(paras 23-28)Part four(paras 29-46)Part one(paras 47 )Describe the events and the two mens respective thou
2、ghts.Mr.Harraby-Ribston volunteered to narrate why he threw the suitcase out.Mr.Harraby-Ribston started the dialogue and the reason for Mr.Crowthers indifference is he thought the strangers suitcase is insignificant for him to notice.The reluctant description of Mr.Crowthers story-he just murdered h
3、is wife to get himself free in his life.The real story of the suitcase shows that these two men are real rivals.第3页Text AnalysisvPart I:Para.1-2 vQuestions:v1.What is the profession of Mr.Harraby-Ribston?2.What does he do when his train was about three-quaters of an hour from its destination?3.When
4、Mr.Crowther sees that incident,how does he respond?4.Why does Mr.Crowther appear so calm and quiet?5.What kind of effect did Mr.Harraby-Ribston wish to produce on Mr.Crowther by tossing the suitcase out of the window?Did Mr.Crowther give him that satisfaction?第4页 1.The train was about three-quarters
5、 of an hour from its destination and was travelling at a good sixty miles an hour when Mr.Harraby-Ribston,a prosperous businessman,rose from his seat,lifted his suitcase down from the rack and threw it out of the window.The only other occupant of the carriage,a small,thin man,a Mr.Crowther,had raise
6、d his eyes from his book when his travelling-companion stirred from his seat and had noticed the occurrence.火车以每小时最少最少6060英里英里速度向前行驶着,还有大约45分钟就能够到站。这时车上一位富有商人,哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生,从位子上站了起来,取下行李架上提箱,将它扔出窗户外。车厢上仅有另一位乘客是个叫做克劳瑟先生瘦小男人。当他旅伴离开座位扔提箱时,他将目光从书本上移开,目睹了这一过程目睹了这一过程。at least sixty miles,perhaps more.(BrE)par
7、t of a railway train(AmE)car第5页Then the two men exchanged a sharp glanceexchanged a sharp glance and immediately Mr.Crowther continued his reading,while Mr.Harraby-Ribston resumed his seat and sat for a while puffing a little and with a heightened color as a result of his exertion.The glance that hi
8、s companion had given him worried him extremely,for Mr.Crowthers glance had betrayed not the smallest emotion.It had shown no alarm,no surprise,not even a mild interest,and that,surely,was very extraordinary.(1)两个人很快地对视了一下很快地对视了一下,然后克劳瑟先生立刻又继续看他书,而哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生则重新回到了自己座位,刚才刚才费劲使他有点气喘吁吁费劲使他有点气喘吁吁,脸也涨得通红脸
9、也涨得通红。旅伴对他急忙一瞥使他感到极度不安,因为克劳瑟先生眼神并没有半点异样,没有惊慌,没有诧异,甚至没有一点点好奇,当然,这十分反常。breathing quickly and heavily第6页Mr.Harraby-Ribstons curiosity was violently aroused.And not only that.He was by nature a sociable,chatty man and he had reckoned that his action would infallibly produce conversation.But no conversat
10、ion had followed and,that being so,he had had no opportunity of explaining his behaviour and he began to feel that he had merely made a fool of himself in the eyes of his companion,or,worse,that his companion might conclude that the suitcase contained a corpse,in which event he would perhaps inform
11、the police when they reached their destination and all sorts of troublesome and humiliating enquiries would follow.Such were the thoughts that buzzed round Mr.Harraby-Ribston,robbing him of the satisfaction and refreshment that were his due.(1)旅伴这种表现激起了激起了哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生强烈好奇心强烈好奇心。不但如此,哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生天生天生是个好交际、
12、爱闲聊好交际、爱闲聊人。他本认为他举动绝对绝对会引发他们之间谈话。然而,他们之间并没有交谈,正因为如此,他没有机会解释他行为,他开始感觉他只是让他人把自己看成个傻子把自己看成个傻子,或者更糟是,他旅伴有可能会认为他扔出窗外提箱中装有尸体,最终当他们到站时候旅伴可能会通知警察,然后,警察会对他进行各种各样讨厌而欺侮性问询。这种想法萦绕在萦绕在哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生脑中,使得本属于使得本属于他兴奋和爽快一扫而光他兴奋和爽快一扫而光。生来生来计算,估算计算,估算不错地;有效地不错地;有效地必定地必定地move around quickly with a sound like the buzzing of
13、 a beesomething one has a right to第7页2.Mr.Crowther,for his part,had also suffered some distraction.Though he was pretending to read,he was actually unable to do so.For all his appearance of indifference,the sight of a well-to-do gentleman pitching a suitcase from the window of a moving train had sur
14、prised him very much.But he had not betrayed his surprise.The fellow was obviously counting on him for a violent reaction,and so Mr.Crowther made a point of not reacting.至于克劳瑟先生,他也是心神不定。即使他假装在看书,其实并没有看进去。尽管他表面上一副不关心样子,但当他看到一个富有绅士将一个提箱扔出行驶火车车窗时,他还是大吃了一惊。不过他没有表现出诧异没有表现出诧异。那个家伙显然还在指望指望他会有激烈反应,所以克劳瑟先生偏偏
15、偏偏不做出反应。count on sb.for sth指望得到某人指望得到某人to do something deliberately so that people notice 重视重视,强调强调第8页Whether the thing was a practical joke or not,Mr.Crowther considered it an annoying infringement of his privacy.It was as if the fellow had burst a paper bag in the hope of making him jump.(analogy)
16、Well,he wasnt going to jump,he wasnt going to give that fellow the satisfaction.If the fellow imagined that to throw a suitcase out of the window gave him some sort of importance,well,he was mistaken.(2)不论这件事情是不是一个恶作剧恶作剧,克劳瑟先生都认为这打这打搅了他独处搅了他独处,令他非常生气。好像那个家伙拍破了一个纸盒子,想吓他一大跳。可是,他不打算跳起来,偏不让那个家伙满意。假如那个家伙
17、幻想将一个提箱扔出窗外就能使自己变得主关键点,那他就想错了那他就想错了。to do something against a law or somebodys rights 侵犯侵犯第9页vPart II:Para.3-22vQuestions:v1.Who breaks the ice?v2.Why did Mr.Crowther say that he was not at all interested in Mr.Harraby-Ribstons unusual behavior?Part twoPart two(Para.3-22)(Para.3-22)第10页 3 But Mr.Har
18、raby-Ribston had reached a point at which he must either speak or burst and,preferring the former alternative,he said,Excuse me,sir,but I must say,you surprise me.4 Mr.Crowther raised a languid eye from his book.Surprise you?he said.Does reading in the train surprise you?3 不过哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生忍耐到了再不说话就要暴发地到了
19、再不说话就要暴发地步了步了,最终他还是开口讲话了:“对不起,先生,我不得不说你让我很吃惊。”4 克劳瑟先生将无精打采眼睛无精打采眼睛从书上移开。“让你很吃惊?”他说道,“在火车上看书让你感到吃惊吗?”第11页 5 Oh,no.said Mr.Harraby-Ribston.I wasnt referring to that.What surprises me is that you werent surprised when I threw my suitcase out of the window.6 Indeed?That surprised you?Youre very easily s
20、urprised.5“不,不!”哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生说道,“我指不是那件事。让我吃惊是,当我把提箱扔出窗外时你并不吃惊。”6“是吗?这使你吃惊?你真是太轻易吃惊了。”第12页 7 I dont know about that.Surely,surely,my dear sir,it was,to say the least of it,an unusual sight.I dare bet youve never seen a man throw a suitcase from the window of a moving train.8 Mr.Crowther reflected.I dont
21、 know that I have;but then,to the best of my recollection,Ive never seen a man eat a raw turnip in the train or dance a Highland Fling during family prayers for that matter.But what of it?If one allowed oneself to be surprised at anything,however insignificant,ones whole life would consist of a seri
22、es of trivial astonishments.7“我不知道该怎么说才好。想必,想必,我亲爱先生,最少能够说这是一个不寻常景象。我敢打赌你以前从未见过有些人将提箱扔出行驶火车窗外吧。”8 克劳瑟先生想了想想了想。“我知道我没有见过;不过,据我回据我回想想,我也从未见过有些人在火车上吃生萝卜或是有些人在家人做祷告时跳苏格兰高地舞之类事情之类事情。不过那又怎样呢不过那又怎样呢?假如一个人允许自己对任何无关紧要事都感到惊奇话,那么这个人一生中将会不停地碰到琐碎琐碎诧异之事。”to think carefully about something 考虑考虑(fml)as far as I can
23、 remember就那件事而论,就那件事而论,关于那一点关于那一点第13页 9 And you think it is an insignificant act to throw ones suitcase out of a railway-carriage window?10 Totally.said Mr.Crowther,and his eyes again sought his book.11 Then what,if I may ask,said the other,evidently somewhat nettled,would you consider a significant
24、 act?12 Mr.Crowther shrugged his shoulders wearily.Perhaps I would have thought it significant if the suitcase had been mine.9“莫非你认为将一个人提箱扔出火车窗外这一举动是一件微不足道事情吗?”10“一点没错!”克劳瑟先生说完后又将目光移到书上。11“那么,我可否问一下,”对方说道,显然有点被激怒了有点被激怒了,“你认为何才是值得注意举动呢?”12 克劳瑟先生不耐烦地耸了耸肩。“要是提箱是我,我会认为这值得一说。”nettle:V.惹恼惹恼;冒犯冒犯 If you ar
25、e nettled by something,you are annoyed or offended by it.第14页 13 I see.You think yourself more important than me.14 I am not aware,said Mr.Crowther,that I mentioned myself,but I certainly consider my suitcase more important than yours,and in saying this I make no reference to the quality of the leat
26、her,but merely to the fact that I am myself,while you are a total stranger.13“我知道了。你认为你自己比我主要。”14“我并没有意识到我说是我自己,”克劳瑟先生说道。“但我当然认为我提箱比你更主要,我说这个不是指皮革质量,而仅仅因为我就是我,而你是一个素昧平生人。”第15页 15 And the affairs of strangers dont interest you?16 Only in so far as they affect mine.17 Well,said Mr.Harraby-Ribston,I sh
27、ould certainly have thought that when I threw my suitcase out of the window it could hardly have failed to affect someone.18 Not in the least!said Mr.Crowther coldly.15“那么,陌生人事你就完全不感兴趣?”16“除非这些事影响到我。”17“好吧,”哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生说道,“我早该想到,当我把手提箱扔出窗外时,我当然认为这几乎不可能一点也没有影响到”18“丝毫没有丝毫没有!”克劳瑟先生冷冷地说道。第16页 19 It only sh
28、ows,Mr.Harraby-Ribston remarked,how people differ.Now if you had thrown your suitcase out of the window,I should have been extremely curious to know why you did it.20 I gather,replied Mr.Crowther with complete detachment,that you are anxious to tell me why you did it.19“这只是表明人与人之间多么地不一样,”哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生说道
29、,“现在假如是你把手提箱扔出窗外,我会非常好奇地想要知道你为何这么做。”20“我猜你急于告诉我你为何这么做,”克劳瑟先生非常平静地非常平静地说道。n.超然超然;冷漠冷漠;冷静冷静;客观客观 Detachment is the feeling that you have of not being personally involved in something or of having no emotional interest in it.第17页 21 Not if it wouldnt interest you,though,I must say,I find it hard to bel
30、ieve that anyone could fail to be interested.22 He paused,but Mr.Crowther made no reply;on the contrary,he showed every sign of resuming his reading.To prevent this,Mr.Harraby-Ribston leaned back in his seat and launched out.(开始新东西,详述)21“既然你不感兴趣,我就不说了,不过我必须说,极难相信还有些人对这不感兴趣。”22 他停了停,不过克劳瑟先生没有回答;相反,他表
31、现表现出一副想要继续看书样子出一副想要继续看书样子。为了阻止他继续看书,哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生靠在座位上,大谈特谈起来大谈特谈起来。第18页 Part three:Para.23-28Part III:Para.23-28Questions:1.Did Mr.Harraby-Ribston let it go at that?What was the next thing he said that required a response from Mr.Crowther?2.What did Mr.Harraby-Ribston say was the reason why he pitched
32、the suitcase out of the window?3.What did Harraby-Ribston expect Mr.Crowther to say when he told him about his unhappy marriage?4.How does Mr.Crowther cleverly turn the conversation around to his own marriage?第19页 23 The truth of the matter is that I have just,an hour and a half ago,abandoned home a
33、nd wife and am starting life afresh,and the reason why I threw my suitcase out of the window just now was that I had suddenly realized that in it I was taking some of the old life with me.Clothes,hairbrushes and so on all have their associations,and associations are precisely what I want to be rid o
34、f.Hence my rather unusual action.Im no chicken,(胆小鬼;胆小鬼;懦夫懦夫)I admit;Im a man of nearly fifty,Ive been married for twenty-one years,and yet here I am,starting life afresh.Well,that may seem to you a very extraordinary thing to do.23“事情真相是,在一个半小时前,我刚才抛弃妻子离家出走,准备重新开始生活重新开始生活,而我之所以把我提箱扔出窗外是因为我突然意识到提箱中有
35、对过去生活记忆。衣服、梳子等等这些东西都会使我联想到过去联想到过去,而这些联想恰好是我想要彻底忘记,所以我才做出这么不寻常举动。我认为我并不懦我并不懦弱弱;我是个快五十岁人,结婚也有二十一年了,然而我却要在这里重新开始生活。这个,在你看来,是件非常尤其事情吧。”第20页 24 On the contrary,said Mr.Crowther,nothing could be more natural.25 Mr.Harraby-Ribston was somewhat taken aback.Natural?You think it natural?I must say,you surpris
36、e me.26 You seem to me,said Mr.Crowther,a man much given to surprise.27 While you,I take it,Mr.Harraby-Ribston snapped back,pride yourself on being surprised by nothing.24“恰恰相反,”克劳瑟先生说道,“这再日常不过了。”25 哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生有点吃惊有点吃惊。“日常?你认为这很日常?我得说你让我很诧异。”26“在我看来,”克劳瑟先生说道,“你是个非常轻易非常轻易吃惊人。”27“而你呢,在我看来,”哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生反驳反驳
37、道,“是以自己对任何事情都不诧异而自豪人。”given to vbl.被给予被给予,经常受到作用经常受到作用,惯于惯于.surprise greatly,使使吃惊,使惊呆吃惊,使惊呆 快速跳回,很快恢复,快速跳回,很快恢复,反驳说;反驳说;快回快回 I assume,I suppose,I gather第21页 28 Not at all!replied Mr.Crowther.The point is,I think that we are surprised by different things.You tell me youve been married for twenty-one
38、years and then expect me to be surprised when you add that youre now leaving your wife.But,my dear sir,I find nothing surprising about that.What does surprise me is that youve been so long in doing so.29 Mr.Harraby-Ribston considered this view.I take it,he said at last,that youre not,yourself,a marr
39、ied man.28“根本不是这么!”克劳瑟先生回答道,“我意思是,我认为我们为不一样事情而诧异。你告诉我你已结婚二十一年了,然后你又说你现在正在离开妻子,你这么说时候很希望我为此感到吃惊。不过,我亲爱先生,这没有什么好让人吃惊。而真正使我吃惊是,你结婚这么久之后才决定离开妻子。”29 哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生想了想想了想对方看法,最终说道:“我猜我猜你,你还没有结婚吧。”第22页 Part four:Para.29-46vPart IV:Para.29-46vQuestion:vWhat did Mr.Crowther say he had done to his wife?Was it true
40、?Did he fool Mr.Harraby-Ribston?第23页 30 Not now,Mr.Crowther replied.31 Not now?You mean youve been married and youve left your wife?32 Not quite that.Leaving ones wife involves leaving ones home,and that was out of the question.Im very fond of my home;a charming house,a charming garden,and doubly ch
41、arming nowadays when I have them to myself.30“现在没有!”克劳瑟先生回答道。31“现在没有?你是说你以前结过婚吗?已经离开妻子了吗?”32“不完全是这么不完全是这么。离开妻子就得要离开自己家,而这是不可能做到不可能做到。我爱我家,一所漂亮房子、一个漂亮花园,而现在当我独自拥有这些东西时,它们愈加地漂亮了。”第24页 33 You mean,then,that you turned your wife out?34 O no,no.That would have involved all sorts of unpleasantness.35 Then
42、 what,asked Mr.Harraby-Ribston,all curiosity once more,what did you do?36 The other waved his hand airily.There are other ways,simpler ways.33“你意思是你把你妻子赶走赶走了?”34“哦,不,不是这么!这会牵扯到各种各样不愉快事情。”35“那,那你做了什么啊?”哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生好好奇心再次到了极点奇心再次到了极点。36 对方轻松地轻松地挥了一下手,“还有很多其它方式,更简单方式。”第25页 37 I should like to know them,sa
43、id Mr.Harraby-Ribston.38 I dont think,said Mr.Crowther,that my particular method would be quite in your line.39 But why not?Mr.Harraby-Ribston was simply bubbling with curiosity.40 Why not?Well,my method requires.what shall I say?.reticence,tact,and a lot of very careful planning.37“我很想知道,”哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生
44、说道。38“我认为我尤其方式不太适合你不太适合你。”39“不过为何不适合我呢?”哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生满满怀好奇地怀好奇地问道。40“为何不适合你?这个,我方式需要我怎么说呢需要缄默缄默、老练老练和大量周密计划。”第26页 41 And you think Im incapable of that?42 Well,said Mr.Crowther,I should have said that reticence was not your strong point;and your evident desire to arouse surprise in othersthat,if you wer
45、e to adopt my method,might land you in a very uncomfortable position.41“莫非你认为我不能做到这个吗?”42“唉,”克劳瑟先生说道,“我能够说缄默并不是缄默并不是你强项你强项;很显然你有很强烈欲望去激发他人好奇心正因为如此,假如你采取我方式,你可能会处于非常不利境可能会处于非常不利境地地。”第27页 43 You interest me enormously,said Mr.Harraby-Ribston.Now do,please,just tell me what you did.44 Mr.Crowther seeme
46、d to hesitate,then to make up his mind.If I tell you,I trust you wont accuse me of any wish to surprise you.Ive never had the slightest desire to surprise anybody.Observe,please that I havent forced the information on you.If you hadnt spoken to me,we should have travelled in complete silence.I have
47、a book here which interests me greatly and if you hadnt,if I may say so,dragged me into conversation.43“你使我兴趣大增,”哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生说道,“现在,请你告诉我你都干了些什么。”44 克劳瑟先生似乎在犹豫,然后才下定决心说道:“假如我告诉了你,我希望你不会责备我存心使你吃惊。我从未有过哪怕是一丁点渴望去让任何人吃惊。请注意请注意我没有强迫你听没有强迫你听我说话。假如不是你开口和我讲话,我们旅途可能会相当平静。我在看一本非常有趣书,而你却硬拖着我讲你却硬拖着我讲话,请你不要介意我这么说。”
48、第28页 45 Quite.Quite.said Mr.Harraby-Ribston,who,by now,was worked up to a dangerous pitch of excitement.I admit it;I admit it entirely.And I promise you Ill do my best not to appear in the least surprised.46 Well,said Mr.Crowther,what I did was simply this.Forgive me if it seems to you a little sens
49、ational,and remember,please,that I shall deeply resent any appearance of astonishment on your part.Well,as I was saying,I simply murdered my wife.45“完全正确!完全正确!”哈罗毕里勃斯顿先生说道。现在他变得异常地激动变得异常地激动。“我认可,我完全认可这点。我确保我会尽最大努力不表现出丝毫诧异。”46“好吧,”克劳瑟先生说道,“我所作所为其实很简单。假如你以为有点耸人听闻耸人听闻话,还请你原谅。不过,还请你记住,我将会非常厌恶你任何诧异之举。好吧,
50、正如我所说那样简单,我只不过是将我妻子杀掉了。”第29页47 Mr.Harraby-Ribston took the disclosure remarkably well.He did,its true,flinch and turn a little pale,but in a few moments he had recovered himself.Thank you,sir,he said;and let me say how much I appreciate your openness.In fact,you tempt me to be equally frank with you