新概念英語第二冊第74課:Out of the limelight
Lesson 74 Out of the limelight舞臺之外
First listen and then answer the question.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
Why was their disguise 'too perfect'?
An ancient bus stopped by a dry river bed and a party of famous actors and actresses got off. Dressed in dark glasses and old clothes, they had taken special precautions so that no one should recognize them. But as they soon discovered, disguises can sometimes be too perfect.
'This is a wonderful place for a picnic,' said Gloria Gleam.
'It couldn't be better, Gloria,' Brinksley Meers agreed. 'No newspaper men, no film fans! Why don't we come more often?'
Meanwhile, two other actors, Rockwall Slinger and Merlin Greeves, had carried two large food baskets to a shady spot under some trees. When they had all made themselves comfortable, a stranger appeared. He looked very angry. 'Now you get out of here, all of you!' he shouted. 'I'm sheriff here. Do you see that notice? It says "No Camping" -- in case you can't read!'
'Look, sheriff,' said Rockwall, 'don't be too hard on us. I'm Rockwall Slinger and this is Merlin Greeves.'
'Oh, is it?' said the sheriff with a sneer. 'Well, I'm Brinksley Meers, and my other name is Gloria Gleam. Now you get out of here fast!'
參考譯文
一輛古舊的汽車停在一條干涸的河床邊，一群著名男女演員下了車。他們戴著墨鏡，穿著舊衣裳，特別小心以防別人認出他們。但他們很快就發覺，化裝的效果有時過分完美了。
“在這個地方野餐簡直太妙了，”格格利亞.格利姆說。
“是再好不過的了，格格利亞。”布林克斯利.米爾斯表示同意，“沒有記者，沒有影迷！我們為什么不經常來這里呢？”
“此時，另外兩位演員，羅克沃爾.斯林格和默林.格里夫斯，已經把兩個大食品籃子提到了一片樹蔭下。當他們都已安排舒適時，一個陌生人出現了。他看上去非常氣憤。“你們都從這里走開，全都走開！”他大叫著，“我是這里的司法長官。你們看到那個布告牌了嗎？上面寫著‘禁止野營’－－除非你們不識字！”
“好了，好了，司法官，”羅克沃爾說，“別使我們難堪。我是羅克沃爾.斯林格，這位是默林.格里夫斯。”
“噢，是嗎？”那位司法長官冷笑一聲說道，“好，我就是布林克斯利.米爾斯。我還有一個名字叫格格利亞.格利姆。現在你們趕快滾吧！”
New words and expressions生詞和短語
limelight
n.舞臺燈光
precaution
n.預防措施
fan
n.狂熱者，迷
shady
adj.遮蔭的
sheriff
n.司法長官
notice
n.告示
sneer
n.冷笑
Lesson 74自學導讀First things first課文詳注Further notes on the text
1．Out of the limelight,（標題）舞臺之外。
limelight的原義為舞臺照明用的“石灰光”，其引申意義為“眾人注目的中心”：
She has been in the limelight since she became an actress.
她自從成為一位演員后，一直引人注目。
Although he is a government official, he tries to keep out of the limelight.
盡管他是位政府官員，他還是避免引人注意。
2．An ancient bus stopped by a dry river bed and a party of famous actors and actresses got off.一輛古舊的汽車停在一條干涸的河床邊，一群著名男女演員下了車。
（1）ancient在這里表示“老式的”、“古舊的”，與old意思相近，但比old有幽默感：
Where did you find that ancient dress?
你在哪里找到這件老掉牙的衣服？
（2）river bed指河床，名詞river作形容詞用，類似的還有flower bed（花壇）等。
（3）party作量詞用時表示“一行”、“一伙”、“一群”等，如a party of tourists/boys（一群旅游者／男孩）等。
3．No newspaper men, no film fans!沒有記者，沒有影迷！
這是個省略句，完整的句子為：There, are no newspaper men and no film fans!這里的no與用于公告牌上的no是有區別的。
4．why don't we come more often?我們為什么不經常來這里呢？"Why+don't/doesn't+主語+動詞+?"結構可用來提出建議：
I don't like this watch.
我不喜歡這塊表。
Then why don't you change it?
那你為什么不換一塊呢？
5. When they had all made the mselves comfortable…當他們都已安排舒適時……
許多動詞都可以與賓語+賓語補足語連用，如drive, get, find, keep, leave, like, make, open, paint, prefer, pull, want, wipe等：
Aeroplanes are slowly driving me mad.
飛機正在逐漸把我逼瘋。
He found the test difficult.
他發現考試不容易。
6. Now you get out of here…你們都從這里走開……
now在這里是加強命令口氣的語氣詞，get out of here是語氣較重的說話方式，表示“滾出去”、“滾開”。
7. in case you can't read,除非你們不識字。
in case表示“假使”、“萬一……的話”、“免得”、“以防萬一”。它通常用于引導條件或目的狀語從句。當句子表示將來的時間時，in case后面必須用現在時態或should/might:
I'm taking a raincoat with me in case I need it.
我隨身帶著雨衣，以備不時之需。（表示目的）
In case he comes/should come, give him this letter.
假如／萬一他來的話，把這封信給他。（表示條件）
8. don't be too hard on us,別使我們難堪。
be bard on表“對……（過分）嚴厲”，為固定短語：
Don't be too hard on that child.
別對那孩子太嚴厲。
He is always hard on his employees.
他對雇員總是很嚴厲。
9. Well, I'm Brinksley Meers, and my other name is Gloria Gleam.好，我就是布林克斯利·米爾斯。我還有一個名字叫格洛利亞·格利姆。
well在此處為語氣詞。這句話表示他不相信羅克沃爾的話，用的是譏笑的口氣，即“如果你是……，那么我就是……”。
詞匯學習Word study
1．與get有關的一些短語動詞
get可以與許多介詞或副詞搭配，產生不同的含義，而且與同一個詞的搭配也會因上下文的不同而有所不同。
（1）get out的基本含義是“（使）出去／出來”，其反義詞為get into：
Every time the dog wanted to get out, it would bark.
那條狗每次想出去時，便汪汪叫個不停。
It can get into the garden quite easily now.
它現在進花園很容易。
Why don't you get the dog out?
你為什么不把狗弄出去？
get out用于祈使句時可以表示“走開”、“滾開”等：
Now you get out of here fast!
你們趕快滾開這兒吧！
Get out! I don't want to see you any more.
滾！我再不想見你了。
（2）get on的含義之一為“前進”、“進展”（與get along同義）：
He is getting on quite well in his new job.
他這份新工作進展順利。
get on表示“繼續干”以及“相處融洽”時，后面經常與with連用：
Tom talked with his brother for a while, and then got on with his homework.
湯姆和他兄弟說了一會兒話，然后又繼續做作業。
Jack and Ian can't get on with each other.
杰克和伊恩不能和睦相處。
（3）get與off分開時可以表示“脫下”、“除去／取下”等：
Please help me to get the box off the boot.
請幫我把箱子從船上拿下來。
When he got the lid off the box, he saw a man lying in it.
當他揭開箱子蓋時，他看到有個人躺在里面。
get off連用可以表示“沒受重傷／重罰而逃脫”，后面經常與with連用：
I can hardly believe that the thief got off with just a warning.
我幾乎不敢相信那小偷只受到警告而沒有受處罰。
（4）get over的含義之一是“恢復過來”、“痊愈”：
Has your mother got over her illness?
你母親的病好了嗎？
get over表示“解決／結束（某件不愉快但必要做的事）”時，常與with連用：
They wanted to get the job over as quickly as possible.
他們想盡快結束這項工作。
（5）get through可以表示“通過（考試、測驗等）”：
Have you got through your driving test last week ?
你上星期通過駕駛執照考試了嗎？
get through還可以表示“吃掉”、“喝完”、“用光”等：
Fancy Helen getting through all the food!
真想不到海倫能把所有那些食物都吃掉！
2．用于公共標語的no
公共標語通常字數很少，語言精練。在表示“禁止……”時往往用no+名詞／動名詞或名詞短語，如：No Camping（禁止野營），No smoking（禁止吸煙），No Parking（禁止停車），No Left Turn（禁止左轉彎）。在真正的公告牌上，這些標語往往全部用大寫字母，不加標點，如NO SMOKING等。
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